gotta dance

We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. ~ Japanese Proverb ~

Such a great quote*.(More where that came from).

Live by it.
I adore dancing and credit my love for dance music to my mom.
During my teen years, Mom used to dance into my room when'ere she heard this song. Or this one. When Mom requested: 'Play Mick' - the song she wanted to hear and dance to was this one.

* I luv this quote so much that this is the second time I've used it on a blog post.

do you duvet?

I first encountered sleeping atop feather beds and under puffy down-filled duvets during my numerous trips to Europe in the 90's. Wonderful beddings! Each evening, after a tough day of working a trade show and/or seeing the sites, I could look forward to engaging the feathery fluff. In addition, I had several square shaped luxury down Euro pillows to artfully arrange into a dreamy halo to lay my weary head upon.

The delights of down has everything to do with the 'poof factor', doesn't it?
Nestling into soft, feather-filled beddings does seem to set the stage for oh-so-delicious sleep.

Some years ago, our household bedding style finally got switched (from the old style top sheet plus several blankets or poly-filled comforter) to downy duvets sheathed in washable duvet covers.
Still haven't sprung for a feather bed mattress top - just a matter of time.
As for pillows, I'm still on a hunt. In the meantime, me poor ol' neck and shoulder muscles ache something awful...

Anyways.
Beds ~ get down on it.

I'm so accustomed to cuddling my duvet that it has remained on the bed after the chilly cold of winter passed into sweeeeeet mild springtime temps and even after spring finally yielded to the relentless heat of summer.

It's difficult to settle in properly for the night without a puffy blankie to snuggle. I get properly nested, fall asleep. In the middle of the night, I usually kick the duvet off for a bit. Then pull it back over when the bod cools. Off and on. On and off.
(Typical fitful sleep pattern of a middle-aged menopausal mama)

At any rate...

Question #1: Your beddings: top sheet n' blanket-poly-comforter or a simple poofy duvet? Down or down alternative?
Question #2: What to do with all the top sheets from the sheet sets?

Appetite suppressant, at the very least

Q: Why DOES the chicken cross the road?
A: To get the hell away from the slaughterhouse, of course.

How easily one's thoughts about food consumption can turn towards a totally vegan diet.

DON'T even get me started on the despicable and horrific practice of using beagles for animal testing...

This morning I ask you -
Is the glass half full or half empty?

time for: cute

adopt your own virtual pet!

My new pet.

one year anniversary

July 21 marked the first anniversary of b's blog.
My first post was an intro.
A bit shy, a tad reticent.

In the course of a year, I've grown more comfortable with the business of blogging.
It's been great FUN.
Constructing a post, however, remains a struggle (even the most trite of posts takes considerable time /effort to create).

Even so, I LUV it.
This blog has morphed into a bitchfest, bookfest, Beatlefest, cookfest, artcraftfest, nostalgiafest, et ceterafest.

A 'Little Bit O' Dis and A Little Bit O'Dat' is not a disingenuous byline.
My blog style is free-association, which is truly how I function and present myself.
C'est moi.
Take it (thank you) or leave it (waaaaah).

Blogging has proven therapeutic.
b's blog is a personal journal which reveals just a bit, but not too much. To delve deeper into b's psyche could be a scary thing (more so for others to read than for me to write).

Staying on the lite side of the blog road, I will continue to offer a laugh, jog a memory, inspire a creative endeavor, raise a hackle, prompt a read ...

On a good day, b's blog promises to be thought-provoking.
On a bad day, a frightful bore.

At any rate - it has been a year, so
Happy Anniversary to b's blog.

Truest words often left unspoken ~
this I'd enjoy having (perhaps in a funkier font) on a girl-style tee/ button/ mug/ tote:
No One Cares About Your Blog

Once upon a time...

The ability to read is a privilege and a gift.
There is little that compares with the pleasure of cozying down in a comfortable well-lit place for a read.
Quiet time with the written word.

Reading aloud can also be quite an enjoyable experience.
I sometimes read aloud to myself - or to others (and they usually don't run screaming...perhaps are too polite to...).

When it comes to being read to, children certainly are the lucky ones.
They oft have storytime offered: at home, childcare, school, bookstores, church and the library.

Adults have far fewer storytime opportunities.
In my humble opinion - young, older and old ALL delight in being read to.

Sure, we adults can stop in at book-signings to hear authors read brief excerpts of their latest book. A great variety/number of audio book titles are available for us to buy or borrow for a listen on our car CD or MP3 player.

Wouldn't adult storytime be even sweeeeeeter, though?

I love me my public library, but so far, they don't offer adult story-time.
KUDOs to public libraries that offer such programs!

As a special treat, let's all us adults spend a bit of social time reading aloud to each other now and again. Try it with your significant other(s) first, then relatives and close friends.
Might be - nice.

Ka-Boom!!!

Currently reading: 'Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded'.

A wee tale of geological phenomena, with undertones of fire and brimstone.

1883.
WEST of Java.
Krakatoa ~ a cataclysmic volcanic eruption, producing an equally deadly tsunami. The implosion-explosion ultimately killed 36,000, triggered worldwide atmospheric changes and influenced a multitude of existing and future global developments.

WOW.
Earth power.

This book is engaging.
But then historical/sociological non-fiction accounts appeal to me. Not for everyone, I realize. A few pages here and there are snoozers, and that's because a geology geek I am not. Geek-nerd in selected areas, but not this.

'Krakatoa' ...
* History, politics, geology, geography, literature, art, poetry, technology, meteorology and a slew of other science lessons.
*World commerce (and colonization!), fauna and flora, continental drift (aka plate tectonics), human foibles (my personal fave!).
*Coffee, pepper, clove and mace spice up the mix.

All this and more - based on a single event of 125 years ago. A fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a second in the Big Picture View (love the Cirque-type music accompanying this video).

Author Simon Wincester happily veers off on seemingly unrelated tangents within any given chapter. No worries, for he then artfully corrals all these digressions back to the topic at hand.
Wincester's droll humor makes the fact-upon-conjecture-upon-fact-upon-empirical evidence an easier read. A good thing, as science-tech-talk can get a bit dry.

'Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded' may render you feeling a bit insignificant in relation to the greater scheme of things. At the same time, the realization that your 15-minutes of fame existence on this earth is actually part of something VERY HUGE, and QUITE WONDROUS.
That alone is plenty exciting and worth the read.

Bonus trivia discovered whilst researching online: One theory linking Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' to the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.

wabi sabi

Wabi Sabi be my middle name!

From what little I've read about it thus far (this morning online), wabi sabi is not at all like cattywompus (which I also like / live by), save for the acknowledgement of imperfection.

Wabi sabi seems to promote an appreciation for all-things-less-than-perfect. This extends beyond aesthetics to relationships as well.

I like this concept very much.
Hmmmmmmmmm.

Must look into it more. I've just added this book to my Amazon.com wishlist.

Rooibos Who?

Rooibos.
Red Bush Tisane (alrighty, then: Tea, Her-bull).
A pleasant tasting brew.
Refreshing.

Oft served by Mma. Precious Ramotswe.

I like it very much.
Next cuppa with honey
and a splash of milk.

dear folks...

...it don't get too much better than this.

I had such a good time yesterday posting 'Where Have All The Flowers Gone?'.
Came across this PPM video during my YouTube wanderings. Was so taken by its purity, clarity, simplicity.
Just had to share.

Where have all the ( ) gone?

Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream.
A personal favourite.
Good cherry flavor. Chock-full of large chunks of deep red sweet cherries.
Well, it used to be, anyway.

These last years, I've noticed Cherry Garcia is getting a bit skimpy on the fruit (where there were once bona fide chunks o' cherry, there are now shavings) as well as the choc (virtual specks now rather than thinnish chips).
Even the taste seemed less cherry, somehow.

Each pint proved more disappointing than the last.
I was just about to give up hope on CG and make the switch to Coffee Heath Bar Crunch as my B&J fave.
Ready to heave another big 'Oh well that'sa life' sigh, I slogged onward, muttering to myself -
Where #!?$#??%$!@!!? have all the cherries gone?*

Then - gentle fate - once again - intervened.
This spring, while on our Texas weekend getaway, HD and I stopped to re-fuel the rental car. Looking for a refreshing treat in the station's mini mart freezer case, I spotted a Cherry Garcia ice cream bar.

Really, how could I resist? Decided to give ol' CG another try....
Hmmmmm....Nice and cold.....Chocolate coated.....Tasty ice cream.....Plenty enough cherry bits throughout ...
Satisfaction!

Could it be that someone finally got wise at the B&J ice cream factory and returned the cherries to Cherry Garcia?
Or are ice cream bars the way to go now in lieu of pints?

Would someone else please do a taste test?

* This question begs the other, much too obvious, musical question. The following links will get ya there:
Marlene Dietrich

Pete Seeger

Mary Travers and The Kingston Trio

Peter Paul & Mary and Pete Seeger

Joan Baez

Each and every version of the song is lovely (thanks to a Baez recording in my possession, I can even sing a few lines in German!).

So - here's my suggestion ~
DO take a taste test of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream and whilst so indulging, DO tap into one of the above YouTube videos for a heartfelt singalong (between bites of CG).

Kindly remember to report back to me on YOUR ice cream taste test / cherry-count findings.

Success in the art of conversation: Helpful tip #1

To pose a question for almost every statement or opinion of your own offered.

Video: Conversation - Jan Garbarek Quartet

Smells .... like .... camping

We live here.
Well, very close to here.
Just a 15 minute drive beyond that far hill. Even further into the forest.

In the good ol' summertime, folks from the San Francisco Bay Area drive up thisaway en masse - for sun, fun, swimming, hiking, rafting. Horseback, bike and OHV riding. Communing with nature.
There are rivers, lakes, trails.
Scenic beauty at every turn.
Wildlife.
Fresh air.
Considerably less traffic.

Afternoon temps yesterday hovered in the 90's.
HubbyDear was clearing brush on our property. Working in the morning hours, with plenty of shade from the trees - the physical work was demanding but not too hellish.

I busied myself with 'inside chores', then stepped outside to check on HD's progress (read: make sure he hadn't overexerted himself and passed out there on the ground).
Not to worry. HD was just fine, having worked himself up into a healthy sweat and quite pleased with his progress: pruning, clearing, sweeping and general tidying up of 'our little chunk' of the forest.

Taking care not to stand down breeze (rarely is it windy enough around here to say 'down wind') from his sweat-soaked bod, I took a quick look round, then a gentle whiff - of our great out-of-doors.
I smiled. Nodded.
Stated 'Mmmmmmmmmm.....nice.......smells.....like .... camping'.

Then I turned heel and went back into the air-conditioned house.

On many days and in many ways - - - - - it's SWEEEEEET living here in the woods.

Happy Birthday, Little Ringo

for love of reading

Hands-down.
Reading is a joy.

I find book stores and libraries irresistible.
Wondrous places to wander, dream, escape, learn.

Making reading choices can be overwhelming (I find it delightfully so). It sometimes becomes necessary to pick up a book on choosing what books to read.
I have one that lists Not-to-be-missed-in-this-lifetime Classics.

There are books written about the sheer pleasure of words, of reading.
I have this title on my home library shelf as well, right alongside another great read (and no, I don't alphabetize my books).

Huzzah! for books, for reading, and for Clifton Fadiman and (his daughter) Anne Fadiman.

OMG! She's got a new book of essays out!

A winning combination: Big Boxes, coffee and cigarettes

The nearest 'big city' to my Little House in the Big Woods is SmallTownGettingBiggish.
Once a sleepy foothill community, the town seems to be experiencing a growth spurt. Slow and most steady.
With plenty of room to build, more people are a-comin'.
Property taxes will continue to rise, as will the median income. A population with disposable funds can support more amenities. Progress, once inevitable, is unstoppable. Changes that may cause the old-timers to go into an uproar are oftentimes (true confession) exciting to the newerbies.

An idyllic life indeed ~ in the 'best of all possible worlds': the laid back ambiance of a small town PLUS the discounted prices, convenience, familiarity ~ offered by Medium and Big Box stores/franchise restaurants. Sure, we'll bitch along with everyone else about the increased traffic, but boyohboy just imagine this happening: a Best Buy, Trader Joe's, Borders Books and an Outback to go along with the new Home Depot (the first four are flights into fantasy, Home Depot a reality - the foundation is being laid as we speak)...

Shopping here currently requires a bit of research and a lot of resourcefulness should one desire a specific good or service. You can usually find what you need somewhere in town - so long as the item in question isn't too 'exotic' (whatever that might mean). What most shops here lack in curb appeal, they make up for with limited but reasonable inventory; as well as the kind of friendly, personal service not typically found in Big Box settings.

This area may be in the baby-steps-stage of catching up to what other cities of the same size offer for shopping and dining, but with no uncertainty, change is coming.

If this is any indication -
- there are 3 (count 'em, 3) Starbucks in this town. They all do a hoppin' business. People from near, far and wide make beeline 'Do not stop at Go, Do not collect $200' pilgrimages to these three caffeinated watering holes. The parking lots are always full. A never ending queue of cars snake up to the drive-throughs.
Regular customers pack into the stores, with the 10+ word description of their fave coffee concoction ready to roll off the tips of their caffeine-withdrawn tongues to fall upon the ears of the eagerly awaiting Starbucks barista.

Tall/Grande/Venti in hand, every satisfied customer sips his/her beverage at what, these days - passes for a 'leisurely pace': in the car...driving madly to work or school... racing to the nearest Big Box store to drop some Big Bucks. Back for another shot of caffeine once the cycle begins anew the next day. Though rumor has it ~ some return for another hit the very same day....

('Addictive to Coffee' cartoon from littlefunny.com)

Interestingly enough, the other business in this small town (of few amenities) that can boast of a non-stop flow of customer traffic: a tiny, hole-in-the-wall, tacky, unadorned, dimly lit, stinky, bare bones, fly-by-nightish cigarette store.

(What's not to love about this classic Larson:  

'The real reason for dinosaur extinction...')

Big Boxes, coffee and cigarettes. Did I say a 'winning combination'?
Au contraire?