Creativity -- like human life itself -- begins in darkness. We need to acknowledge this. All too often, we think only in terms of light: "And then the lightbulb went on and I got it!" It is true that insights may come to us as flashes. It is true that some of these flashes may be blinding. It is, however, also true that such bright ideas are preceded by a gestation period that is interior, murky, and completely necessary.
-Julia Cameron, artist, author, teacher, filmmaker, composer, and journalist

-------------------
   
A client recently brought her two cats to my husband's veterinary clinic for their annual checkup. One was a small-framed, round tiger-striped tabby, while the other was a long, sleek black cat.

She watched closely as I put each on the scale.

"They weigh about the same," I told her.

"That proves it!" she exclaimed. "Black does make you look slimmer. And stripes make you look fat."   

   
"Diamonds & Rust"
Written and performed by Joan Baez.

Well I'll be damned
Here comes your ghost again
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you happened to call
And here I sit
Hand on the telephone
Hearing a voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall

As I remember your eyes
Were bluer than robin's eggs
My poetry was lousy you said
Where are you calling from?
A booth in the midwest
Ten years ago
I bought you some cufflinks
You brought me something
We both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust

Well you burst on the scene
Already a legend
The unwashed phenomenon
The original vagabond
You strayed into my arms
And there you stayed
Temporarily lost at sea
The Madonna was yours for free
Yes the girl on the half-shell
Would keep you unharmed

Now I see you standing
With brown leaves falling around
And snow in your hair
Now you're smiling out the window
Of that crummy hotel
Over Washington Square
Our breath comes out white clouds
Mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me
We both could have died then and there

Now you're telling me
You're not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You who are so good with words
And at keeping things vague
Because I need some of that vagueness now
It's all come back too clearly
Yes I loved you dearly
And if you're offering me diamonds and rust
I've already paid

Sorry, I was late to create the new page: I forgot that we already are the 15th!

Late or not, the new page is great!  And it prevents me from having to talk to myself.  Sooooooo, Good Morning BUBBLE and anyone else who sees fit to visit today.  The leprechaun in the first picture looks a little bit like the boy in your family.  Did he model for it?

I have to go get myself ready to take the doggies for a walk.  I'm not looking forward to that today.  The temperatures dipped below freezing overnight and they still haven't come up to Spring temps.  Spring is certainly being fickle around here!  But that's more or less normal.

Mickie has come out of hiding and that means she's ready to walk.  I guess I better go get dressed.  I wish you all a good day...better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow!

Good morning

Beautiful sunny day here with a temp of +7°

My son put me in the hospital on March 15th as he wanted to see the world.  Phoned and wished him Happy Birthday as he is in Ohio at the moment.

Not a lot on the agenda other than chasing bunnies and may sneak in some sewing.

Shirley, I forgot to say that yes the eagles stay here akk winter. Sad to say they spend their winter at the dump while in summer they nest  away from there. Guess pickins are better at the all you can eat dump.

Bubble, thank you for the new start....love the giggle.

Gloria and Joy please say hi today.

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

Good Morning everyone. well Like I said for the most part I could care less about clocks or time of day. but today is one of those days, we have a appointment with the Lawler this morning. It is too bad a hand shake is not bond any more. too Many just say what the think you want to here right or wrong. Nancy has set all the clocks except one, it sets it's self with the master clock in Denver col. in a week or so. Have a good day.

Lloyd

Bubble, I had forgotten I had even made that one.  But, I guess it fits in with the St. Patrick's theme of leprechauns and fairies.  Thanks for using it and giving me a surprise this morning.  I like your St. Patrick's Day frog.  I wonder how many frog images you have collected over the years.

Jane, in spite of a broken arm we still can't keep you off of a chair, can we?

Sorry you are having a hard time, Shirley.  Hope it improves soon.

Cloudy and cool here today.  Nothing planned except laundry.

Take care, All.

Phyllis, I had too many frogs... while looking for this one I erased about 70 others to make search easier. I really have to get to it and cull many of those files. Why do I hoard so much? lol

PHYLLIS, I don't know what I said that made you think I was standing on a chair.  I wasn't!  And I wasn't on a chair when I broke my arm.  I was flat on the floor and leaned against a door that I thought was all the way open.  It wasn't and when it moved, so did I.

I called JOY this morning and had a nice talk with her.  She says she's fine but uses her "?Kindle?" more than her computer and she doesn't like typing on it because she makes mistakes.  I told her not to worry about the mistakes.  We just want to know she's OK.  I also told her if we don't hear from her, I'll be calling again.

I tried to call Gloria's number.  It's a cell phone number but there was no answer and it wouldn't let me leave a message either.  I'll try again later. 

I'm doing laundry and changing the bed and the dryer just stopped so I better get back to work.  Enjoy your day, Everyfriend!

Merry Monday,

Didn't open my eyes until shortly after 9:00 a.m. and then had a long phone visit with a friend who was interested in knowing more about the vaccine sites giving Johnson/Johnson, which has just arrived in Oklahoma.

So - way behind on Domestic Duties that need to be done.

Later, Taters.  Enjoy your day.

Jane, Your post, #142, from Sunday, March14th, said:

QuoteGood Morning!  From yesterday at 5:19 p.m until this morning at 7:02 a.m. I was the only one around this place.  I scrubbed the counters, tables and floors.  Washed the windows inside and out. I brushed off all the chairs and cleaned the fingerprints off the wall switches.  I even got up on a chair and washed off all the light fixtures.

I didn't remember how you broke your arm.  Sorry.

Good morning from a very cold Interior, but then again, it's not snowing. Absolutely nothing going on here. I thought my foot would be better, and it is as long as I don't stand on it. That idea of going shopping this week has been canceled. Spring normally would have started with the snow gone by Easter. With this year's record-smashing snow and humidity and now minus temperatures, that's not going to happen.

I'm back, Doc didn't do surgery on the 2nd eye 'cause the other is still too red. Hopefully next week so Julie-Ellen can go home. I'm afraid her husband will divorce ME!  He is so good, I do appreciate how thoughtful he is with her, now that she is retired & roaming from state to state to help with grandkids & old Mom. Can't say enough good about this guy, he is the oldest of his siblings & was great help with them and later his own kids.

Can't believe how the flowers, trees, grass & weeds are growing. The ground is green (mine is mostly weeds, I think) but it has the haze of green everywhere. Almost takes one's breath away.

Patricia, glad to see you are doing better & able to get around. I had that crash last year with my knee & it got all better without surgery, hope you have no after effects & can get strength back.

Callie, my daughter had the "single shot" & had a terrible reaction, son had it the next day & had no reaction (he said). I think it is the Johnson & Johnson ... single shot is all I know.

Had a long phone call from an old friend so now gotta get busy. I'll see if I can find out from Gloria's daughter what is going on. Y'all take care.

 Shirley you all are telling me to be carful. I think that is good advice for us both. at the minute the weather is needing a sharp eye on it, we just had a real hard pour down with hail in it, from pea size up to golf ball size. and as I type it has stopped and settled down to a very gentile braze. well as they say if you do not like our weather now just weight a short while. a friend gave us a bout four gallon bucket of honey, we have been screening  and bottling it up in quart jars. the weather man is just repeating his self non stop for over a Half hour. I guise it is better safe than sorry. Nancy is washing up all the pots and utensils i used. I am tired now and she will be soon so we both may go take a nap, see you later.

Lloyd

PHYLLIS, HaHa on that one!  That wasn't a real chair, just an imaginary one over here in the Soda Shoppe.  I don't think imaginary chairs are as dangerous as real ones and I don't think you can actually fall from an imaginary one!

Frankie is here for the night and I'll be off to the Applied Kinesiologist/Chiropractor early in the morning.  I was told by her the last time we were there that an "Applied Kinesiologist is different from a regular Kinesiologist.  What she does is much more focused and helps more problems. 

SHIRLEY, if you don't get work from Gloria's daughter, I have a number for her son.  I won't be able to call until after lunch tomorrow but I will when I get home.

Now I'm off to the haystack.  I hope it's loaded with zzzzs because my eyes just want to clunk shut and stay that way.  I'm really beat!  I think I tried to do too much today and I didn't get a nap in.  I did have a bowl of PHYLLIS"s 15 Bean Soup from the freezer for lunch.  Still as good as ever!

I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy, Spring Day tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one!

well I am stopping in to Bid you all good Night and sweet dreams. we stopped by a friends house today, she raises honey bees, in a big way. she gave us about 3 & 1/2 gallons of strained Honey that had gone to sugar. we heated it up and skimmed the wax off of it and put it in quart Jars. and sent several quarts to others. good night.

Lloyd

Good morning...

We have pick cotton candy clouds this morning.  Off to an appointment for hubby this morning then home to work about.

Should start another pot of soup today and set it on the back of the wood stove.

I really don't like this time change and there is talk of leaving it this way and I hope they do!!

Lloyd, sounds like you were bottling up honey with your honey.That will be so good, just pure honey not like what is in the stores now.

Jane thank you for your phone calls. Hope we can hear from both today.

Better get a move on..

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

good Morning everyone. It is 42º and cloddy here this Morning and Is going 
for 67 degrees. tattle tail said I got 5.5 hours of sleep Last night, I feel like I need that much more. Hope you all have a good day just like you like it.

Lloyd

Hello Everyfriend!  I got back from my dr. appt and she helped me a lot but it took the wind right out of my sails!  I was beat when I got home.  And Frankie was just finishing up giving both dogs a bath.  They're beautiful and they even smell good! 

When she finished up the baths, she cleaned the bathroom and her cleaning expanded.  She also did two bedrooms, the living room, dining room, kitchen, my office and the hall and entry way!  And she refused to let me pay her for being my "cleaning lady". 

I've been doing a lot of laundry since she left.  I stripped her bed, and washed all the dog mats and I have a load of throw rugs in the washer right now.  I also squeezed in a little nap and the day is pretty good.

I came in here to see if Gloria showed up and since she didn't, I'm going to try calling her son and see if she's OK.  I'll let you all know if I get through.

I hope you are all having a day as good as mine.  I guess LLOYD had a "HONEY" of a day yesterday!

Jane, Gloria has peeked in, in fact she is still here. Do you suppose Frankie wants more cleaning to do?? Seems I clean and clean and there is no end in sight!

This morning  we went over to the local general store and lo and behold on the hood of a Pepsi Cola truck was  a turkey!!! I did manage to get a few photos of him before he got off.

Kyle is making two more trugs, he has one already done with one more to put together then the both get their liners put in.

I just talked to GLORIA'S son and he says that she's OK but she's might just be tired.  He's going to check to see if her computer is OK.  He knows that she does have computer problems sometimes.  I told him to tell her that we don't care if her typing is bad.  We just miss HER!  He's going to tell her that!

that's great that GLORIA is checking in.  I don't know how you know that.  I don't!

Jane, the best way I can explain so it is clear as mud is click on Forum....then scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see users on line.......there is that ok?

So rry I have  no t been pos ting. All I can do  to read all of them and no t pos t. I will  try  to do be tte r.

Gloria, just take good care of yourself first
We can wait till you feel like posting..

I sent Regina e-mail to let her know you are delinquent, Gloria.      Hope you are feeling better, but understand about being busy. I don't have a thing to show for my days & would swear to you I've been busy all day!

Had the "day after" visit with the eye doc, even though she didn't do surgery yesterday. She is changing meds & schedules for the next eye (April 5)... so Julie-Ellen will go home & come back. I tried to convince her I can handle this but she insists.

You'd think it was true spring if you were here today, sun so bright & tinges of lime green on trees, shrubs & ground. Supposed to have big T-storms come through tonight. We can use the moisture but not thrilled to have the bad winds hit. Cats will have to stay inside, and won't like that. I got up about 4:00 am to let them in this morning, Tom & Callie, both were sitting by the door waiting. Tiger doesn't want out at dark like they do. Callie would rather be in but won't come in unless she sees that Tom is already in. She looks out for him & bosses him around all the time, not so with Tiger.

My trug still in the box, haven't even had time to pull out the instructions. Youngest son is set to have eye surgery, his eye doc that put the holes in his eyes for pressure says a cataract is part of that problem. I happen to dislike that doc so think she is using scare tactics, he is totally alarmed. Not sure which doc sent him to the ER because pressure in his eye was so high, but they scared him, for sure. It has been a busy week. I'm going to mix up a new batch of meat spread for youngest son to stop by & visit tomorrow evening after work. I send it home for after their work outs. This way they will get a chance to visit before she spends the next 2 days with her grands & goes back to St.Louis on Sat.  I need a nap, Fitbit wouldn't even give me a "sleep score" because my sleep was so fractured. Be glad when all this medical stuff is over with!