momMAH, it hurtz mee

i've been on a bagel kick.  and i love hot, spicy stuff.  i bought a jar of jalapeno slices last week and it is mostly gone.  last night i made a bagel, spread some veggie-cream cheese on it and placed a few jalapeno slices on it and chomped it down.  it was so good.  a pepper slice fell off and saffron stuck her nose on it really fast, before i could get it.  she jerked her head back and shook it really hard a few times and then licked her nose.  which was probably a mistake cuz then she stuck her tongue out and looked at me.  so pitiful and reproachful.  poor thing.

Wrong Number

"Hey baby!  I love you!"

"..."

"hello?"

(clearing throat) "uhm, yeah, hello?"

"oohps," giggles at self and situation, "i got the wrong guy, sorry for calling you so late, and sorry for uhm, anyway sorry.  b'bye!"

~~~~~~~a few minutes later~~~~~

"hello babe, I just told a strange man that I love him"

Chuckling, my guy replied, "you probably have a new friend now."

my shaddow lane

 

Whichun?

I can never keep them straight, on is Pete T and the other is Trip P.  Two peas in a pod, those two.  sigh.

Falling Up

Those of you that are long-time readers may remember when I did a lovely swan-dive off the concrete steps, landing on the stone embedded concrete slabs beneath.  Oh what fun!  What grace!  What the hell was I thinking?  Lest you think I indulge in such frivolous activities on a regular basis, let me assure you that although I am a klutz, I usually take extra caution around very dangerous surfaces.  Like concrete.  Embedded with stones.

This evening, I had a standing ovation as I fell up the concrete steps and slid back down, bouncing off the stone-embedded concrete slabs below.  The reason I bounced?  I am a bouncy sorta gal, which is a nice way of saying i got extra junk in more than my trunk.  I do not, however, have extra junk on my kneecap, as I was reminded earlier.

From whence came the standing ovation?  My Shaddow, Ziggee, and some friend of their's that has taken to playing, running, sleeping (in short, living) with them gave me extra special standing ovations.  By special standing ovation, I mean that they were on all fours.  By extra special standing ovations, I mean that they rushed over to lick me, which means that they really really like me.

At least that's what I think giving tongue means.

gracious gratitude

Below is a modified version of a letter that I sent via eMail to a long-time friend.  We've known each other over 25 yrs.  She and I haven't seen each other in years, but we do write each other and keep up with each other's lives.

There are things that this post covers that I thought might be appropriate for journals.

It doesn't matter about how long it takes for anyone to reply or send stuff to me, cuz life gets busy, it's like that.  Being with my guy has taught me some patience, because i know how busy school is first hand, but i also see what he is going thru.  i see how my friend handled pregnancy, birth, newborn, breast-feeding, older children, etc. etc. etc.  i know first hand how unpredictable i can be, and how others are dealing with health issues and such.  so i have learned a whole other appreciation for the variety in how folks respond and cope with life in general, cuz i understand that it isn't always a level-playing field, or a great hand, or whatever allegory you wanna use.  so i don't mind lots that i used to, cuz i appreciate folks efforts in a different way than i used to.

i wouldn't trade what i have for something else, cuz everything comes with complications and it's not something that i do much anymore.  sometimes when it seems to me that i am whining or complaining, i know that maybe i just need to vent, and other times i am overly sensitive and am monitoring myself so much so that i think i am driving others crazy when i am not bothering them at all.  i can handle most of whatever comes my way, cuz there are always options to weigh.  like the unrelenting heat we've been having, i know that my trailer gets too dangerously hot and stuff to be in at times, so i know that i can go hang out at the library, or lj's (where they understand that i don't always have money, so they let me get water on the days i can't afford $2.00 for tea and a free refill), and there are always other things for me to do.  If i absolutely have no gas in the car, there maybe some in my lawnmower's gas can.  if i forget to let my guy know i am low on money (cuz he almost always gives me something on the weekend for that week, even if it is only five bucks), i know that there is nothing i need so urgently that i will not make it thru.

since it is me, and my furrbees, but no children and no other dependents, i don't mind somuch.  i have clothes, some of them don't fit very well (but there are always enough) and again there are options like the thrift store, dollar store, walmart sales, clothing giveaways, and truth be told, i don't need all that much.  i have enough and i take care of what i have.  i have enough food.  i am always stocked on beans, rice, and pasta, so if i do get low on something, i have back-up supply to get me thru the end of the month or what not.

my guy takes care of lots for me.  he's been there time and again for major expenses like when my car needs work, or when i need propane for heat.  and i conserve what i can, when i can.  so i'm pretty frugal i think.

every now and then, i do complain i think.  esp when i am very uncomfortable for longer periods of time.  it doesn't help me to think of how bad others have it, like the starving kids in africa, or the FEMA Folks outta Katrina's path, cuz my hurts are still hurts, regardless of others' hurts.  i know there are others worse off, and most of the time i do realize how fortunate i am.  but when i am feeling awful myself, i can't feel better by thinking of how much worse others have it, ya know?

i went off on a bit of a tangent, oophs!  sometimes i can't seem to grab the thought i wanted to get to!  well, i hope that you enjoy your holiday weekend!  lova, debra

thanks for reading guys, appreciate it.

I Have a Dream

Pride & Joy

One of the things I like to do when I am at LJ's Coffee and Bakery where the 'net connection is a bit faster and better than my home dial-up system (some net is better than no net, i say!) is to cruise on over to youtube.com and pull up some videos.  This evening I was in the mood for some Stevie Ray Vaughn and so I pulled up "Pride & Joy".  Because I have dial-up, I have great sympathy for other dialers-up who have difficulties loading a graphic-rich page so I won't plant the video here, but if you do like blues, guitar, or just some downright great tunes, be sure to give a gander/listen to one of the all-time greats.

By the way, I'm seeing Le Mon requesting this for his Swe'lil baby, his pride and joy, who is long and lean, like a fine wine; requesting it cuz he is her little lover boy.  wink, grin, debra


Well you've heard about love givin' sight to the blind
My baby's lovin' cause the sun to shine
She's my sweet little thang....she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby....I'm her little lover boy

Yeah, I love my baby....heart and soul
Love like our's won't never grow old
She's my sweet little thang....she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby....I'm her little lover boy

Yeah, I love my lady....she's long and lean
You mess with her....you'll see a man get mean
She's my sweet little thang....she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby....I'm her little lover boy

Well, I love my baby....like the finest wine
Stick with her until the end of time
She's my sweet little thang....she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby....I'm her little lover boy

Yeah, I love my baby....heart and soul
Love like our's won't never grow old
She's my sweet little thang....she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby....I'm her little lover boy

Blessed Rain

Most afternoons this summer have been scorching.  This afternoon, though it is hot, it is raining.  It is a steady soaking rain, lasting for a couple hours at least.  We are so relieved, even if it is only for the afternoon, we have had rain.

Amen.

speaking of musicals...

Rent

It may be a musical, but this is a slightly different story.

The beginning of this month came, and there were some extra expenses that don't occur on a monthly basis.  So I budgeted and was able to fill the propane gas tank and renew my car insurance.  I paid my other bills and then I felt wonderful.

Except I had a twinge.  Ya know, that twinge that tickles the extremity of my brain whispering, 'you forgetting something, oh yes you are'.  I thought and reviewed and I figured maybe I didn't pay this month's garbage bill and that was ok, cuz they aren't gonna not pick up for non-payment of one month.

So about two weeks back (which means that it was already two weeks into August), I'm sitting in LJ's, sucking up the cool in there, when in the door walks a woman who looks familiar.  Ya know how if ya see someone outside of the environment you usually see them in ya kinda have a brain-lag while ya try to place the person?  That's what was going on.

But it clicked that the woman coming toward me with a huge smile, waving, was my landlady.  And it also clicked what my brain was whispering and tickling me over.  I'd forgotten to pay this month's rent.

Can you imagine?!?

sweet words of advice

sassyfron's activities

my four month old kitten is growing at an unreal rate.  or maybe it just seems that way to me because stella, who was nine months when she disappeared was smaller than average.  saffron is larger at 4 months than stella was at 9!

saffron is a sassy lil girl and she is the very first kitten i've ever seen that chases her own tail with abandon.  her eyes widen, she spreads her paws and leaps.  of course leaping makes her butt swing behind her, taking her tail with it.  and the chase is on!

earlier, i had wrapped up a crocheted hat that i made for my friend (whom i call greta, that's not her 'real' name, but then again she calls me 'doo' so i guess that makes sense, on some level).  there were a few sheets of tissue paper left and saffron has been ripping and tearing.  i think she has found a new love.  her pupils are so large that i can't even see her ires at all!

i can't wait til she tries the catnip!

Nona's parents

thanks for hanging in there!

Nona Puss here and Foo Friends!

THANKS RUSS!!

Ta DAaaa! Presenting: Nona Puss and Family Foo!

How I spent my day (or Meet Nano Puss & Family Foo)

I'm trying something new and if it works, wow, oh wow!

First off, lemme say that Russ is my inspiration on this one.  He encourages others to create with no inhibitions.  He says to sketch that octipus it even if you don't think you can draw.  Do it anyway.  On his site, he features drawings, some with a running theme (pear-dude, design dresses for the awards, word of the day, right-ons, dammits!, and oh so many more) and some stand-alones.  Over the time I have been first lurking thru his journal, then leaving comments, following what he shares of his life, I've come to realize that he's a dude worth knowing.  So if you've not gandered, go check it!

Then too, lemme say that there are so many other folks who have been so supportive and accepting and encouraging, my guy and Bonnie (of Bonnie and Walt) most especially.  My guy encourages me in all I do.  Cheering me along and giving me the support that I need, in the ways I need it most.  I am so glad that he is my guy.

A few months back, Walt died and Bonnie began to sift through some things.  She sent me an art kit that had been Walt's father's and so I began to doodle a bit.  I sent her a few drawings and things and she was very enthusiastic.  Their journals/blogs are well worth the read!  Although, Bonnie does not use the computer, she contributed much as Walt was the typer of the two.  This couple was truly one of the best partnerships I have ever seen.

I'm experiencing some technical difficulties, but will continue in just a few.

"Squeezing every last drop..."

Judith Heartsong's call for August's Artsy Essay can be found here.

It is only now, late in the evening, with the sun having left another blazing dusty trail and darkness riding on its tailcoat that I am able to breathe.  I can still feel the heat being released by the ground of my yard, the asphalt of the parking lot, the simmering sidewalks.  Every outdoor object is pulsating with heat-waves radiating into my tender skin, as I push my way into the grocery store, the blessed chilled air soothing my sticky sweated brow.

And I breathe deeply.  Here in Mississippi, we are begging for relief from the unrelenting heatwave that has gripped us for most of the month.  In August alone, we have already broken the record high temperatures a dozen times.  Air-temps have been about 100 degrees for weeks now, and the humidity adds to the heat index, making life truly unbearable for most.

I've been seeking refuge in the public library (sucking up the controlled climate the books share with me), the gym where I can sink into the cool pool, and LJ's (a local coffee and bakery) where I can soak up the fan's breezes.  My own home, an old single wide trailer in the midst of hay fields, imitates hell quite well.  The air conditioner labors on the hi/hi setting and an additional fan do nothing to combat the steadily climbing temps that call forth sweat from my pores.  I'm drenched and panting merely sitting still by mid-morning.

Area schools have started over two weeks ago, pointless as I cannot fathom attempting to learn and process anything new.  One elementary school in town had to replace their central air, while adding supplemental air conditioners for some spaces where heat is generated, such as the computer lab and the kitchen.  An added expense that is painfully pinching to our already strained budget, we simply cannot function without more moderate conditions for our children.

Summer has not been sweet this year.  It's been blistering, sweltering, and humid, yet we are in need of refreshing rain.  Crops have been damaged, due to the lack of rain and the abusive sun that burns what little moisture vegetation provides.  Angry tempers have run just as hot as daily temperatures, as more and more altercations are reported by listless newscasters.

In the night, when the air cools to the low 80s, I pour myself a large glass of swe'tea.  I quench my thirst and then hold the sweaty glass to my throat, feeling my pulse carry cooled blood to my overheated brain.  It is when the night has fallen that my spirits rise.  In the kitchen, I pull the basket of lemons closer to me, preparing to squeeze every last drop of this sunshine from my summer into tomorrow's pitcher.

Hark! How the years go by!

Judith Heartsong and I share a birthday, and a few other things.  She's an amazing woman and it was her journal that inspired me to start my own, the original Debra's Daily Dose.  To read that entry, go here.

I am pleased to say that way back when she had a journal here, back before the ad-stink, Judy began her "Artsy Essay" Contest.  It was a monthly call that asked folks to write an entry focused on a theme that she would give.  The very first one was themed "how art has influenced me life" and guess what?  I won it!  Here's that entry, back in September 2004.

Judy's journal no longer exists, but you can find her in her "new" digs and admire her decor, her wit, her compassion, her journey and her observations.  And guess what?  She has continued to hold the "Artsy Essay" contest, after taking a hiatus.  You can read her August Artsy Essay call here.

If you aren't familiar with Judy, check her out!  I think that she's worth knowing.  She's an outstanding woman who truly has song in her heart.

Ditzy Debbie

Lately I've been quite addle-minded.  Scatter-brained.  Absent-minded.  I mean, more than usual.  Don't be giving me that look, I wasn't trying to pull one over on ya.

My focus control frizzled.  I have a ton of stuff I want to say, here in the journal, share with my guy, bring up in counseling, and yet when faced with a blank for journal entry, a weekend visit with my guy, a counseling session; blip!  my brain runs amuck and scatters in too many directions at once.

it's frustrating.  i feel like Doofus Debbie.  it's a helpless, hopeless feeling that reminds me of exactly how inept i can be.

at such times, it is hard to remember that i am not always so vacant.  it's hard to believe in me at those times, as being lovable and likable and articulate and witty.  it's hard to remember that i have more than half a brain.

it's just very....uh....very....it's very.....words fail.

hhhhhhhhhhhushhhhhhhh

it's too hot.  it's too aggravating.  i'm being fussy, i know.  but i have tried to sign-in so that i could leave an entry in my own journal, emphasis on "tried".  i've been trying for days and days to leave comments, sometimes it works, and sometimes, NOPE.  sigh.

i wanna go home, and i wanna sleep.  but that's not to be.  not today, anyway, maybe tomorrow.

i started thinking "HHHHhhhhhhhhhhot" and in mid thought changed to "shhhhhhhhhhhh" like a sleepy slur.  which is why the subject is "hhhhhhhhhhh...sssshhhhhhh".

hope you are staying cool and sleeping sweet.

SASsseee

My kitten is about 4 months old, filling out nicely and growing to be a big cat.  Her name is Saffron because she has an orange burst on her forehead.  But sometimes I can her SassiFron cuz she is one sassy lil saucy girl!

She's very gentle with me, keeping her claws sheathed and not breaking my skin when she nips me.  She is so sweet and cuddly.  But every now and then, she gets a lil sassy.  Like any other feline who feels life is all about her needs and desires being served, and with a smile dammit; she just waltzes in, plops down, and drapes her form across my guy's chest, with her head between her paws (she mimics my two dogs).

In fact, Sassifron loves my guy so much that she will curl up on his lap at the computer, snubbing me in the process.  She will add her teeth marks to his papers near the stables.  She will cozy down in his bookbags, and hide in his clothes.  She's even sat down in his truck, behind the steering-wheel.

If I had a lower self-esteem, I'd think she was trying to get away.  From me.  Can you imagine?!?  Good thing I don't have a lower self-esteem, huh?

ya d'uhm-schitz...

Sometimes I am smacked in the head with just how inconsiderate and vain we can be.  The news showed an interview with a woman who was very put out because "...well, like we flew into Cancun?  and we were planning to ya know be here for our honeymoon?  and (tsk-ah) now we have to go back home, to New York, cuz of Hurricane Dean...it's just not faaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrr"  Yeah, omigawd, so not fair (big eye roll).

ya d'uhm-schitz

Sturgis South

It's that time of the year again and we are all pleased to welcome the motorcyles to Sturgis and surrounding areas.  Sturgis, Mississippi that is!  Tucked into the southwestern corner of Oktibbeha County; Sturgis is a hop, skip, and a jump away from Starkville (home to Mississippi State University).  Sturgis is a small, but strong community of less than 300 people.  But come mid-August, the town is flooded with thousands who register for the bike rally.  Last year, 35,000+ rolled into the area.

This year marks over ten for Sturgis South.  In Kentucky, Little Sturgis is about 15 years old.  And of course, the mother of all Sturgis Rallies, South Dakota is over 65 years in the making and still going strong!

Welcome to Sturgis South!

Extreme Ways

When I was younger, I listened to music nonstop or so it seemed.  I think I wore out many cassette tapes (before CDs were popular, mind you) and Tori Amos (these little earthquakes) and Sarah McLachlan (fumbling toward ecstasy) saw me thru my college years.  There is always a song to match any mood.

As the years wore on, I listened less to music because I couldn't multi-task like I used to do.  Gone are the days I could listen and read, listen and study, listen and write.  Sometimes I will listen while crocheting, but usually not even then.

Still there are those songs that just grip me and make me want to scream or croon or laugh along with the touching music.  Moby's "Extreme Ways" is one of those songs that just gets me, right in the gut.  I wanna fling my arms up and roll my neck, offering up myself as I flash thru my more manic moments that fit better than a comfy "t".

So, right now, I'm calling up some various songs and singers on youtube.com.  Like Nina Simone's "Feeling Good", the lyrics and beat of which are freeing and grounding at the same time.  And I love Cat Steven's "How Can I Tell You".  If you've not heard it, give it a listen.

Sprichst du Deutsch?

Earlier today, I had a met a girl who is embarking on an adventure, next week she becomes a college freshman.  Congrats, I say!  She plans to study French and Spanish, both of which are Romance languages (Roman, ya know, Latin based) that sound silky smooth, so much so that I cannot differentiate between one word and the next.  It all flows so fluidly that my brain is still catching the beginning of the sentence long after the speaker has fallen silent, awaiting a response.

But speaking with Jonte' brought to mind my own experiences with language that were more successful.  Well, that's relative.  Being that sometimes I feel I haven't even gotten a handle on English enough to be truly proficient.

One of my degrees is in German.  I don't use it regularly enough to have a conversation of any depth but I could probably read more than the warnings written on the changing-table in the restroom.  But it is Latin that I return to, time and time again.

Latin is a wonderful language, rich with meanings and versatility.  I know of no other language that you can list the words in any order and still understand exactly what is being said.  That's because the word itself changes to reflect declension/conjugation.  Latin fuels so many other languages and influences many words in our own tongues, forming the root of it all.

So, I've returned to it yet again and am learning and relearning and building off of what I know.  Latin, language of labor and love alike.

suggestions? anyone?

My mother turns 60 in October of this year.  My father turned 60 in December of last year.  My brother turns 40 in July of next year.  I am not having a birthday this year, or had one last year, or plan to have one next year.  Ok, I did have one last year (you are soooooooo smart, I can't get one by on you now, can I?) in November and have now completed 36 years and am working on my 37th.  See, no special year like the rest of the family.  Well, ok then, every year is special, cuz it beats the alternative.

So what's all the blather regarding birthdays anyway and why, oh why, would I turn my attention to such a subject?  Well, with mom's birthday a few months off, I need to figure out exactly what I plan to do for her, gift-wise.  Yeah, but Debra, it's a few months off.  Yes, yes, I realize that and that is precisely why I am fussing about now instead of then.

See it takes time to create what ever it is that I will be making.  Plus ya gotta add time to the baseline of an estimate of how long whatever project is said to take, cuz ya gotta remember, this is me and my bumbling fingers.  Besides, I have a few things in mind, and started, but the exact right thing that screams "mom!  oh this is it, this is the right one!" hasn't jumped up and bitten me yet.

And maybe that's ok.  Cuz frankly, ya gotta be a bit tetched in the head to be working with yarn during the dog days (105 degrees right now).  so if anyone has a stunning suggestion that is screaming to be voiced, leave a comment.  thanks!!

The Last Red-Hot Mama

Sophie Tucker billed herself as such.  Bette Midler loved, respected, and idolized Sophie (and I tend to think that the Divine Miss M was and is a red-hot mama too).  Sophie was a large woman, in more ways than one.  Yes, she was big, ample figured.  But she was even bigger as a performer, one of the last vaudevillians to perform of that era.  She poked fun at herself with a huge lusty voice that also played up her sensual sexual appetites.  She was, indeed, one red-hot mama.

cole porter comes to visit again

Every August, Cole Porter asserts that it is indeed "too damn hot" in an endless loop in my head.  This year is no different.  I know that in a few months I will be focused on the sharp bitter cold and how amazed I am to find conditions quite like that in Mississippi.  We are never satisfied with the hand we are dealt.

For now, tho, it is the heat and the humidity that adds to the heat index, the "real feel" of just how uncomfortably hot one can be that is the focus.  Here we are, 7pm, and it is 100 degrees in the shade.  I am grateful that I have no crops to harvest or labor that involves more than the physical effort of drawing a breath.

For over a month now, I've been struggling to breathe.  I had had an infection in my lungs, bronchitis which developed into pneumonia and it takes time for any organ to heal from their irritated state, especially when being used as continuously as lungs are.  Now and for the last fortnight or so, the pressing suffocation is more a result of the extreme heat and humidity than the recovering condition of my lungs.

I know that I am not alone in this misery.  The entire nation is wilting and melting and draining.  But that serves as no consolation, does not lessen my discomfort an iota.

Nightfall brings some relief of sorts, the sun's rays move on to another part of the world and I revive long enough to sink into a comfortable doze of sorts.  It is absolutely not wonder I and so many others are disoriented and more than half crazed.

Welcome to my mid-summer's misery.

Cool Carrots

Today, instead of fleeing my overheated home for the afternoon, I sprawled on the bed, with the fan directly on me.  The air conditioner is on high/high.  My poor puddin' head was dreaming of cool carrots and bean burritos.  (if i were russ, i would render a sketch.  grin)

That's probably cuz I had a bag of frozen carrot disks under my feet and a bag of frozen bean burritos (cuz they are dense and stay frozen longer) under my neck.  If I coulda summoned the energy to drag my body to the freezer, I woulda grabbed the rest of the frozen bags to nestle into various nooks and crannies.  But that would have meant expending the energy, and energy is heat.  and THAT should be avoided at all costs.

stay cool as cucumbers!

you CAN get arrested for that

Apparently it is illegal to drive around the town square in Oxford, Mississippi more than one hundred times in a single session.  Seriously, it's a law, on the books.  I've no idea how many times it has been enforced.  But if ya decide to cruise Oxford's square, you're taking the law into your own hands.

My guy currently lives in Oxford, goes to school at Ole Miss and has finished his third year in his PhD program.  So I have some familiarity with Oxford and the town square.  I can attest that sometimes it seems that you must break this law just to find a parking space, particularly if it is a home game weekend.

But in reality, it would be next to impossible, let alone improbable, to actually violate this law.  Unless you happen to be these guys.

Driving around the town square
more than 100 times in a single
session is illegal in Oxford, Mississippi.

Location: Oxford, MS
Comment: Crossing lap 101 of Oxford's town square. And yes, Bateman was smoking whilst taking the shot. I don't know; you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

Having fun with the weather forecast

Below is the forecast for tomorrow.  Now I'm picturing a thunderstorm not paying attention to the rest of the jet stream, heading along in a lil herd.  No, not this thunderstorm!  This one wanders off course and meanders thru here, where it's not spoda be.  A "stray" thunderstorm, my ass.  Next time you are out and about and rain interrupts your day for a few moments, remember, it might be a stray thunderstorm.  Not to worry, it will find its way back to the herd.  It is, after all, the dog days of summer.  I'm saying all this, cuz dude, 105 jest ain't right.  Welcome to Mississippi!

"Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. A stray thunderstorm is possible. Heat index near 105F. High 97F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph."

Swimming with the Kids

My guy's sisters and their families rented a hotel room today/tonight so that all the kids could go swimming in the heat of dog's days and have one last summer fun fling before school starts.  So we drove up to Tupelo and joined them this afternoon for awhile.  They have a pack of lil boys, ranging in age from 1 to 8, and a baby-sister on the way (pregnant sister was so absolutely adorable, all 100 pound of her, no lie!  she is usually 85 lbs and stands 4'8"...I am HUGE next to her, even a ninth month pregnant her).  We were all so busy watching whichever handful of children happened to be next to us that we ended up including other kids that didn't belong to us into the mix.

Sometimes, it truly does take a village to raise a child.

Muesli

A few months ago I began to make a simplified version of muesli.  I can make it with four ingredients and alter it to add various fruits.  It should be made ahead of time so that the mix has time to set, the oats need to absorb the liquids.  It can be kept in the fridge for several days.  To me, it is cool, smooth, thick, and I like it very much.  Sometimes, I will go for a few weeks without making it, but usually there are the ingredients on-hand.

I use equal parts yogurt (plain/vanilla), oats, juice (i use apple), and fruit (i've used canned pears, dried berries, fresh peaches/nectarines).  I mix it together, cover with plastic wrap, pop the bowl in the fridge overnight and POOF! that's it.  Sometimes I slice a banana into it just before I eat.  I make a batch with a cup of each of the 4 major ingredients (yogurt, oats, juice, and fruit); but if you haven't had it before, I'd recommend starting with a half cup each, that way you can try it and see what you think.