G'Mornin', Mississippi (blink, blink)

...yawn, sssssssstrreeeeetch...hmmm

the alarm clock went off before dawn, and i stumbled into the shower.  i had forgotten to shut and lock the door to keep ace out.  i heard the boston terrier's snuffle and looked down to see that he was in the tub, sitting as pretty as you please in the light sprinkle falling from the shower head.  ace loves the water, more so than shaddow my lab does.  which is very odd.

ziggee on the other hand was waiting for me to finish, get out of the shower, and he was busy wagging his entire body.  he licked a few droplets off my shin before i could towel off.  that's life with my two lil guys.

shaddow on the other hand, is much more sensible.  she staked her claim long ago.  the sofa is her's.  i just launder the sheets and remake sofa for her every now and then.  yes, i make the "bed" up for the dog and just sorta toss my own covers in the general direction of my own bed.

so, now i am sitting, surrounded with various NAMI paraphenilia (sp) at LJ's Coffee and Bakery.  C'mon down and join me.  The dark italian roast is superb.  you can help stuff envelopes.

NAMI update, on the local front

Anyone who has ever glanced at my journal knows that I am pro-active with NAMI.  They may be following my efforts (and those of others, I ain't doin' this alone folks) since February to get a support group for women with mental illness and brain disorders up and running.  And guess what?

Starting tomorrow THAT group, here in Starkville, MS; that's right, right here in the Golden Triangle Area...is our first women, consumer-based support group.

BUT, there have been two groups that are meeting in Columbus, MS.  Those meetings have been ongoing since the beginning of September.  This is another point of the the Golden Triangle Area.

BUT, wait, (you say) don't triangles usually have 3 points?

Why, yes, yes they do....

And that's why I've done an "In Our Own Voice" Presentation with the Community Counseling Services' Adult Service Providers in hopes of sparking enough interest in West Point, MS.  Thus, making this a true Golden Triangle effort.

I want to stand by you...

When the hurt is not even for myself, but empathy for a loved one and the hurt that she is experiencing; it seems that much more sharp.  I never really understood what my mother meant when she would say that she would rather take on my fevers and sore throats then watch me struggle to breathe as I burned up and drowned in mucus.  It is such a helpless feeling to watch someone I love suffer and not know how to help them.

Sometimes, I simply cannot help her.  For there is nothing to do but hope that she will be able to turn to me, when or even if she knows what it is that would help her and ask for it.  Then, I might maybe could feel like I was DOING something that could help to ease her pain.

I remind my self, it's not about me.  It's not about how helpless I am to help her.  God, just imagine how she feels...and I don't know what to do.  I don't know how to be there when she doesn't want anyone to be there.

She thinks, that if she asks for help, that if she asks for company, that if she calls, that if she involves anyone...that it will be an imposition.

Doesn't she know what a blessing that would be?  I WANT to help her.  If there were anything that she would ask, I would do my best to see that it is done.

And I just don't know what to do....and neither does she...I hope when she does allow me to help, that I'll be strong enough to be there for her.

Cuz, I love her.

And I want her to know that "Whenever you're in trouble, Won't you stand by me, oh stand by me" (ben e king pled it best).

1,500 (& sharing the stew-pit-titty w/ya'll, again)

Thanks folks, for the hits.  I just keep bouncing back, as Paul Little, the walking dude who takes in the aurora's whilst on vacation (I think that's what he does, along with lots of other stuff) inadvertedly pointed out.  Cuz I think each time I enter a post, or post an entry, or whatever, that counts at least as one hit, if not more.  So lots of these hits are mine, and ya know, that doesn't really bother me but boy I sure do like the visits, the comments, the little links that take me to other fun, interesting, and ssaaaweeeet places.

When I woke up this morning, I intended that I would drive into town.  Which I did.  I pulled into a Chinese restaurant which I hadn't been to in a long time, for their lunch buffet.  Since I was early, I figured it would be fresh.  Which, it was.

The weird thing was there was ONE available parking space.  It was right next to a Mississippi State Hwy Trooper's vehicle.  So, I gulped and sweating profusely, eeeeeeeaased my way in.  I opened my door carefully, got myself together with my money, my book, and slammed the door shut.

On my seat belt.

Dumb debbie, dumb.

So I thought, no problem, really.  I searched all my pockets, around, and under the car for my keys.  This is a bigger problem.

Dumb debbie, real dumb.

So, couldn't shut the door cuz it was half caught on the metal catch of the selt belt, and I couldn't open it for the same reason.  I couldn't unlock it, cuz evidently my keys were INSIDE the car.  Oh smack.

I looked.  They weren't in the ignition.  So I went in the restaurant to eat, think, and read.  I also heard the squawk of the trooper's radio.  So I tracked him down.  In the restaurant.  I excused myself and said....

"hi, I was looking for you.  A man in uniform.  Driving that car.  Parked out there."  waving in the direction of the parking-lot.  I have a real odd history with the law-enforcement here in this county, it's funny, sometime I'll tell you about it, but not now.  But in short, as a result of said history, I speak in sentence fragments with lots of deep breaths inbetween.

So basically, either you think I'm asthmatic, hyperventilating, or that I'm in crisis needing a police officer.

He said:  do you need help?

I said:  no, yes, but no.  I mean.  I locked my keys in the car.  (breath, breath, breath)   A friend is coming.  I'll call my landlords.  Extra set, at the house.  (breath, breath) and ahhhhh....I parked next to you.

He said:  Ma'am, did you hit my car?

I sighed, "no."  And wilted, and wiped sweat off my brow cuz all of a sudden I was really really hot.  "I just wanted you to know, in case..."  (trying to think of why I wanted him to know) "you saw the door is cracked, can't close, won't open, cuz I locked the keys in the car"

His companion was eyeing me strangely.  The trooper was eyeing me strangely.  Hell, I was eyeing me strangely.

The trooper said, very soothingly, "you're sure you have assistance coming to help you?"

"OH, yes," I gushed and then began to cry.  Oh cripes.  No, no, I'm alright, I sobbed and went back to my seat.

So, my friend comes to get me.  I wait til my landlord gets home.  I call her.  She tells me to catch a ride home with her husband.  He will let me in my home.  I can catch a ride in with her in the morning.

See?  All better.

Sniff.

Please keep your eye out...

Just keep ONE eye peeled, please....

I think that I have deleted all actual cartoon panels, by Mark Parisi, of offthewall.com.  But I am not sure.  Absolutely sure.  And since I don't want to violate the law, horrors, gasp, and offend anyone in THAT office, I'm asking for your help...

If you happen to see a Parisi/off the wall panel skulking about in my journal, please drop a comment telling me where or when it's at so i can hasten right on over there and dash it from the entry.....

Now, I am aware that I do mention Mark Parisi and offthewall.com (see there, did it again) and I urge all of you to trot on over and gander at his stuff.  It's good.  It's on par with Larson, it's that good.

Kudos to Parisi.

"You deserve a break today..."

Ray Croc, founder of McDonald's, was born on this date in 1902.

Happy Birthday!!! Or whatever....

On this date in 1905, Orville Wright flew for more than 33 minutes, thus ushering in the age of flight.

  Then, on this date in 1957, the Sputnik was launched, thus ushering in the age of space exploration.

Happy Birthday!!!

Buster Keaton, a man with a truly quirky sense of style, was born on this date in 1895.  Johnny Depp's character in "Benny and Joon" is based on Keaton and Chaplin.

Also, my friend in Chattanooga has his Birthday Today, g'day, eh, Trav?

Ya know, I'm wondering...

Whatever happened to OJ Simpson in the last ten years?  What's he been up to?  Where's he at?  Do I as a member of the general public have a right to know (hell no, that was a rhetorical question, but i answered it anyway, cuz well, it's my journal, dammit)?

On this date in 1995, OJ was acquitted of murder charges.

I've been pimped, she squeaks joyously

Bon and Mal over at The Diatom Project have stopped by my journal and decided it might could use a little help with getting the word out.  So they did an entry just for me, and I am reaping the rewards already.  Thank you, Bon & Mal!!!!

That's how Gem found me.  And how jcrazytrain stumbled over.  My special thanks to those of you who find me through mentions at other journals.  And my extra special thanks to those of you who mention me in your journals.  And my super duper extra special thanks to Bon & Mal.

GRINS, SPINS, & BEAMS, Debra

Speechless, I have nothing to add, the clip speaks for itself...

Becky Wilkes/SDN Missy, a 9-year-old Jack Russell terrier, is held by her owner, pre-vet major Ginny Powell of Germantown, Tenn., as Rev. William Livingston, rector of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, delivers a blessing. Powell said that this is Missy's ninth blessing; she attends the service every year, either in Germantown or here in Starkville. As Livingston placed his hand on the dog, she obediently lowered her head. The service celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with the Blessing of the Animals drew a large crowd Sunday."

In the aftermath of Banned Book Week...

A man breaks the display case glass to get to a rare and old book so that he can read the story on page 106 about a historical figure.  The book is composed of newspapers from an era long ago.  The police found him with the book crammed down his pants and under his shirt.

what can I possibly say?  the act seems to speak for itself...

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

(there was an excellently appropriate cartoon panel posted here, by Mark Parisi of offthewall.com; but not as of Wed 5 Oct)

Please mom, can I keep him?

 Ya know it's a sad thing when you are a grown woman and worried about what your mom might have to say about you taking in another animal.  I'm such a wuss that way.  And somehow, it doesn't bother me to admit that to who ever happens upon my journal, strangers, friends, or foe...but pick up the phone and call my mom and let her know that i have another pooch?  oh man, i just caannnnnnnnnnnnn't (that was a whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine).

Bless their lil ole hearts

I sure do love to open my email account and see that someone has left comments in my journal and that AOL has been kind enough to forward them to my inbox.  Course, I did set my alerts that way, but still.  And I especially love it when folks are friendly and give helpful advice.

Why, just last night and this morning too, I had comments that were helpful.  Thus making me extra extra super duper yippittee skippittee happy.

Cuz txrebalgirl26, kreamedkorn, shadowhawk3680, and katric15 all left the same comment after various entries.  And god love em, they were just doing their best to help me find a sexy local...sigh.

Well, ya'll know I gotta man, and I know he'd appreciate the helpful nature of these fine upstanding folk, but I just felt I should oughta block/delete the ids and alert AOL about them.  Cuz I may just be a little slow on the uptake at times, but all that sure did seem like a spaaalamstering (a smattering of spam?) that should be stemmed before it gets outta hand.

  Or I may have to don my protective headgear to keep the spamsters from locating me....shhhhhhhhhh, our secret, k?

Virtuous, my ass

"But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down," said Bennett, author of "The Book of Virtues."

Then Bennett went on to do some serious backpedalling and try to do some damage control by clarifying that his statement was meant to show that abortion as a means of crime control is reprehensible.

aha!  what i want to know is, who is arguing for abortion as crime control?

as a sociologist, i can say that in all probability, if you aborted every baby of any single ethnicity, religion, sex, topographical, geographical, socio-economic status, etc (see where i'm going with this?  any single any division of anything), well the crime rate would go down.  no shit sherlock.  that's because crime exists at all levels in all levels  of the social-stratosphere, so to say.

Trouble Me

It's a lighthearted image, Pooh Bear with his loved friends, Tigger and Piglet.  They are saying, "I love you this much" with arms open wide, spread from handhold to handhold and beyond the tips of their paws.  It's unconditional love.  It's BIG love.

Within these past two weeks, there have been some very serious events going on around me.  Some of my loved friends are worried and stressed to the point of illness.  Some are suicidal and have actually attempted suicide.

One very special person to me, I love her so much, met with me for awhile this evening.  She told me that once again, cancer has been discovered to have spread within her father's wiry frame.  She is 30 and facing the very real possibility that her father might be gone in a few weeks, or a few months.  She is praying with all her might that the doctors are interpreting the test results wrong.  The two of them are going to drive 5 hrs (round trip) to have another test done Monday.

Oh, where's her mom, you ask?  This lovely woman, this strong friend whom I love so much, cared for her mother who had dementia while this friend was in high-school and college.  Her mother is now in a nursing home.

This woman is so strong, she finds it hard to ask for and accept help.  I want so badly to do something, but all I can do is be there and hope that she will "trouble me" when I can provide a helpful listening ear and a soft cushy shoulder that can absorb tears.  She has already dealt with so much more than a person should, including brain cancer and surgery in her 20s.

I know she's strong.  But I know sometimes my strength would make me so brittle that when I cracked, I shattered and it all came undone.  Even though that does not mean the same would occur in her situation, I would hate that so.



10000 Maniacs - Trouble Me Lyrics
[ music: Dennis Drew/words: Natalie Merchant ]
[ backing vocals: Jevetta Steele ]
Trouble me, disturb me with all your cares and your worries.
Trouble me on the days when you feel spent.
Why let your shoulders bend underneath this burden when my back
is sturdy and strong?
Trouble me.

Speak to me, don't mislead me, the calm I feel means a storm is
swelling;
there's no telling where it starts or how it ends.
Speak to me, why are you building this thick brick wall to
defend me when your silence is my greatest fear?
Why let your shoulders bend underneath this burden when my back
is sturdy and strong?
Speak to me.

Let me have a look inside these eyes while I'm learning.
Please don't hide them just because of tears.
Let me send you off to sleep with a "There, there, now stop
your turning and tossing."
Let me know where the hurt is and how to heal.

Spare me? Don't spare me anything troubling.
Trouble me, disturb me with all your cares and your worries.
Speak to me and let our words build a shelter from the storm.
Lastly, let me know what I can mend.
There's more, honestly, than my sweet friend, you can see.
Trust is what I'm offering if you trouble me.

Let's see what the BBC has to say about...

"US consumers reel at fuel hikes"

Consumer confidence has dropped, as exhibited by the .5% decrease in August in overall consumer spending here in the US.  Personal incomes have fallen, while the price of gas has risen.  And it isn't just fuel prices that have folks worried as winter and cooler weather demands heating.  Household durables, automobiles, and larger more permenant or long-term purchases and borrowing of monies have dropped significantly.  It is said that there are recovery efforts in place for the economy in 06.

I will believe it when I see it.  I'll believe it when I can stop digging for pennies in hiding.  I'll believe it when gas prices stay beneath $2 mark for an appreciatable amount of time.

I'll believe it if we get someone else in office.  Perhaps, a bunch of some body elses.

Now THAT'S funny...

I stumbled across this obit:

"The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.

"Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he was still a crusty old man and was considered a roll model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly dad, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes."

Quote of the day

"Man is the only animal that blushes.  Or needs to." ~~ Mark Twain