Eureka Springs

Finally decided to get my laptop out. I'm at Atlanta Bread in Rogers, Arkansas. Good lord! this area has grown. Rogers/Springdale/Fayetteville .... hardly recognized it.

Spent a couple days and a night in Eureka. I've been coming to Eureka Springs since the 60s. So much change and yet so much stays the same.

I'm not really in the mood to chat this morning. So much to say - much indecision that I'm afraid it would be rambling -- haha --even more than usual.

I'm very much into figuring out a lot of thises and thats.... it's confusing and emotional and fun and enlightening and hurtful and whatever. I need to go through this.

In the meantime.... lots of beautiful stuff to experience and see. I do love Arkansas. So very pretty. The conservatives keep me amused ... ha ha ... there are enclaves of not Bible Belt thinkers... which is necessary to maintain said sense of humor.

The woods and I go way back. I can really get close to 'my' God .... being surrounded by trees and filtered sunlight. This is a chapel in the woods. Eureka Springs has a Passion Play ... y'all can google if y'want. I've been to where it takes place. A replica of Jerusalem. Extremely interesting.

Truly awesome. I sat for quite a while and thanked God and the Universe. Said hello to a WGS member's older, too young sister who had died and is buried in Eureka .... 

It's hard for me to quiet my mind. I have that monkey mind.... but I managed several moments of meditation ... so peaceful and beautiful.

On the walk to the Chapel ... are Arkansas' State flower - The Dogwood... I'm sure most know the tale of the Dogwood... at any rate... it's gorgeous. Springtime is moving along but, as you can see in the above pictures, the deciduous trees are still deciduousing... ;)

 There are more pictures of Eureka Springs and the beautiful Highway 23 I took from Paris --- where I had my birthday lunch! ha haaa

I will probably do another post about the area... right now, I just wanted to say hello and post these pictures.

I don't know where I'm heading. Can't quite make up my mind. Kinda got a hankering to go up to Wyoming and Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons....

Always wanted to go there... I've been to most states except up in the upper midwest. Probably need to do that.


West has the highest gas prices. Nifty map I found that tells me the areas of high gas.

So much to see and/or do ... I'm getting that overwhelmed ADD thing I do ... sigh

Peculiar mood this morning.

Here's a hitchhiker I picked up leaving the chapel... he was awfully cute.... His little eyes were looking right at me... caught so elegantly by my camera... sigh --- again, you can see that Spring is a springing ;) -- Dogwoods are everywhere underneath all the other stuff... so hard to capture while driving!

And look at ol Homer... look at what he picked up!

Little yellow/green clouds puffing up all over Homer... amazing to see this --- While I was parked, I saw these little yellow puffs landing on the windshield then realized --- omg.... pollen in clouds! I've never seen that. Surprisingly, my allergies are okay. It's the Fall when whatever it is really attacks my sinuses... Springtime just causes a bit of eye itching.

Well? I'll post some Eureka city pictures at some point... I need to decide what I'ma gonna do while I have the big screen on my laptop... hard to really get the 'big' picture of maps and routes on my iPhone.... but I will tell you ! what a hoot! that Siri is... you just hold the button thing down... up pops Siri and asks what she can help me with.... ice cream! I say... and she displays within seconds --- lots of ice cream places. Andy's custard was just around the corner! I tell ya...

Ignert !

I absolutely do not believe me! I saw that Julia was leaving on her vacation and I was bound and determined to leave a comment she can't go on vacation without my bon voyage! So I was just going to go through that grueling exercise of leaving a comment ... When I just decided to look at my blog and noticed it wanted me to sign in before I could do anything!

Holy freaking moly I have to do that on my laptop! Don't know why I didn't think I have to do it on my iPhone. Siri is doing beautifully when I have Wi-Fi. I'm parked in the parking lot at a McDonald's in beautiful Eureka Springs in the Arkansas Ozarks. Spring is coming but not all the way ...

Don't know how long I'll stay or where I'm going from here.

Just wanted to be sure and say to Julia ... you have a wonderful wonderful vacation my dear well deservedly I can't wait to hear all about it!

I plan on getting my laptop out either tonight or in the morning I can't wait to see what everybody's been up to. Sure have been missing you guys. And reading your blogs. I had a wonderful birthday...

Lots of peace and quiet and thinking time.

Talk to you later ol blog old buddy old pal ;)

Hmmm Well?

Didn't look as though this posted... Maybe it did and I just can't see it on my iPhone. Well just in case heeere it is again. 

I'm still typing with one finger or using Siri ... Kinda hard for an old touch typist! 

Just old period. But I'm entering my third childhood! y'all watch out! :D

Heading out tomorrow at some point heading into Oklahoma y'all...

March 28, 2012 The Hard Knock Life in Little Rock In 2006, Little Rock's mayor attempted to give this Arkansas city some edge by officially nicknaming it "The Rock." It's an unlikely sentiment, as the city seems to be doing just fine with its rugged exterior. The 1994 documentary "Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock" painted a grim picture of the mid-sized city; it was also under the spotlight in 1957 when the "Little Rock Nine" were initially prohibited from attending an all-white high school. But that's all in the past, and nowadays Little Rock is a cultural beacon—complete with a slew of country-song shout-outs about lost wives, dead dogs, and lonely bars. Crack the hardened exterior and you'll find a friendly southern gem with small-town charm and big-city attitude

Carolyn 

iPhone 

Little Rock

Just had to send this ... I subscribe to their network and they have shown everything from Bali to Singapore you name it and now Little Rock!

Very cool I have this pop up in my email!

I'm still at the Lake... I'll blog in a couple of days ... Loving it! I'm on Facebook a bit because it's easy if anyone gives a patoo! ;)

Carolyn
iPhone

G'night sun ....

Sigh ;)

Blue Mountain Lake

Sitting here eating an apple in my little pop up screen room looking out at the lake and the hills and the green trees...

No Internet - talking to Siri - taking pictures. I'm paid for three nights. My birthday is Wednesday just going to sit here and do nothing ... but sigh and sing at/with this awesome prettiness.

Thanks Cyn, Gypsy, Julia and Galen for your comments they really mean a lot. It's very easy to read them but not so easy to reply. It wants me to identify myself every time... Don't have the patience.. Same with y'all's blogs .. I'm reading but leaving comments are too big of a hassle...

Can't imagine anything exciting happening... Watching a tree go by right now ... :D

The lake is running pretty fast! Some campgrounds were closed because of flooding. Sooooo floating logs and watching bugs trying to get through my screen room is about it.

Sign says Bears check out anything that smells so do not leave anything outside. Be fun to see a bear but I'm not that brave.

So I'll see y'all in three or four days...

Don't forget about me ;)

I might post a sunset picture.... Jeeeez it's so pretty ;)

Having a fine time wish you were here ;)

I paid for a camping site then came put to the Lodge for dinner…. didn't want to leave. A whole lot prettier than my campsite.It will be beautiful in a couple more weeks... right now --- very few signs of spring...

Interesting that the higher I climbed, the trees were more barren. Beautiful spring budding all everywhere driving up here… all shades of green on rolling hills ---- just as pretty as the fall foliage, to me. The colors of Spring… Dogwood trees … redbud trees… forsythia bushes and well, name it.

When I began the climb … it was gradual until here on top… it's still wintry looking. The evergreens are always wonderful… bear signs are everywhere. They have a video of baby cubs and Mama  … and well… you really don't want to mess with 'em… not to worry.

Sooooo walked all around made a couple of videos… I'll see if they post. I'm typing on Text Edit in Homer out front of the Lodge. They have wifi but it's not really strong outside the lobby. But I'm on! I don't understand why the videos come out narrow.... I gotta figure this stuff out ... Well? one posted for the insatiable bored... and I'm trying to do another... It's fun regardless.... I am soooooooooooo relaxed.

Teri, Julia, Gypsy, Roxanne, Grethe, Richard, bargirl and Russ… thank you so much for your comments! Makes me feel good. 

The ATT coverage is nonexistent at the campsite but here it alternates between 1 bar to 3 … seems it would be better coverage being this high up! But then what do I know.

After a wonderful dinner… well, the greeters and my server were so friendly … we chatted and chatted…

Ahem… I had chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and crisp carrots and peas with a dinner salad of mixed greens, cucumbers, red onion and bleu cheese on the side… YUM … didn't eat the bread! didn't order dessert… so?!  guess that's progress. :D

Anyhow… I'm just going to stay in the parking lot here … waterfall right outside -- manmade but still sounds really relaxing…. If they tell me to move… I have my receipt and will just simply say I would rather stay here in the parking lot! because I can use my cell phone and have weak wifi… or I saw a bear and ... whatever. The post I sent a bit earlier was via my iPhone.... on two bars! and I see it did go through... never know.

Met a daughter and her parents -- 85 … told me about going to Hawaii… husband/daddy took coaxing because he was there at Pearl Harbor… we chatted and chatted for over an hour…. out on the veranda looking out at misty mauve, blue, white., green, gold … rolling hills ---- good gracious! The god I  believe in did one helluva job…

Bees are buzzing and these damn old whatever flies…. just can't stand 'em… damn things and gnats and mosquitos  ought to have been left off the Ark… I mean really.

The garbage disposal was gurgling and overflowing and doing just terrible bad awful stuff as I was rinsing my coffee cup and ready to walk out the door …. Joe came in the kitchen and started whating? and jeeeezing? and all that man stuff…. I said bye… he said .. bye… love you … love you…

Mount Magazine State Park

Don't know these will go through not much Internet nor ATT coverage.

Made a video but it won't send... Needs better service...

Thanks everyone for your well wishes ... Love it!

Having an absolutely stellar time ;)

And.... she's off

 

First stop? Mt. Magazine State Park.... I think so. Who knows. 

My beautiful balloon ....

Went to fill the larder and to get some stuff at Whole Foods - absolutely gorgeous day. Musicians usually show up to play on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. These guys were different. I don't know what you would call their genre... New Age? - not really? folk? nah... rock? kinda... jazz? a little. ... they were pleasant to listen to for the most part.

Some Dads and Moms were dancing with their kids. So cute. Of course, balloons were given to all the kiddos --- fights ensued with all the bopping ... it was fun to watch. One little guy bopped and his big ol yellow balloon went away... he rubbed his eyes .. went over to his Mom's table... and burst into tears ... poor little thing... I mean there are a lot of bad things in this world but having your bopping balloon get away from you is right up there...

An older girl - guess it was his sister - got him and took back to the balloon making lady and they blew him up another... WELL??? happiness abounds and back to bopping each other... Hahaa

I like balloons - and when I have been at one of my pity parties ... I got a bag of em... yellow! yellow is for happy. Blew them up and scattered them all over the apartment... bopped em outta my way and bopped when I went to bed to the bathroom to the kitchen - down the hall ... I bopped yellow balloons all day and all night until the air was gone - lasted a long time ... I'm talking months! Bopping yellow balloons is good for whatever ails you. I think so. :D

Cape Horn

This is a fascinating video sent to me by a pal in the UK.  If you love the ocean and nature ... wow. If you choose to watch this, use full screen.

The sounds alone ... jeeeez I love the sea. The sounds. The smells. I don't like the sand ... lol ... that's why Big Sur and Highway One appeal to me. I like hearing it and seeing it... the sunsets and rises...

Well? I'm still sitting here but I'm in no hurry. I will leave when I leave. I'm fine. I'm just making sure that what I take and what I leave will leave me feeling peaceful. This is absolutely the first time as I've written before... that I haven't just thrown stuff in Homer and escaped to save my sanity.

Since my sanity has already been compromised ... my mind has had an interesting vacation from stress.... it's been really interesting viewing this home situation with a difference perspective... I'd repost my perspective cat but y'all can go back a post to see him again... he's so cute...

The weather is supposed to be beautiful on my route. It is here today... great temperatures and all the trees and flowers in bloom ... Got a post in the Route 66 group I joined that portions will be closed in a week or so!

Joe's driving me crazy is familiar driving me crazy so it doesn't drive me crazy any longer. I know I'm leaving - he knows I'm leaving - we're good. /blur

I need to go fill the larder again before I leave. He's not fond of going to the supermarket. Plus he'll be walking. We have so many restaurants within a few blocks.... from Waffle House - Dixie Diner - Sonic - to fancy schmancy ones and his favorite watering hole... Town Pump... booze and burgers and catfish... and sports TV ... what more could a man want. He and the kids need to go and get what they want.

It's now 8pm -  he's at the Pump ... BIG college basketball game ... it's really very cool that there are so many walk-to places from our house. AND a neighborhood Walmart type store is taking over the old closed Harvest Foods location. Should be finalized by May, I think I read --- walking distance! They can't do a 'real' Walmart in this location - but they will have -- well? it's called a neighborhood Walmart... they're kinda cute... wish it were a Whole Foods though...

Well? It's almost 10:30 ... I had DVRd the Letterman show Monday night because Michelle Obama was on and I just finished watching. what a delightful person. It's on YouTube if anyone is curious. Letterman was absolutely charming with her. Of course, he likes smart and excels when he's in the presence of someone he respects.

Thoroughly enjoyable...

I guess Joe found someone to talk politics with ... he loves that ... drives me insane... not a tricky task... he'll stumble in in a bit ...

Sometimes you just need a new perspective on things!

I'm watching GMA and the cast of Newsies is on doing a number from their Broadway show. How exciting that lifestyle must be. The pressure - the rejection - the risk of constant unemployment - uncertainties....

But oh, boy... the highs! Earning money for doing something that fills your every cell with joy. wow.

The only 'thing' that brings that understanding of such a fulfillment is my being a Mother. As I've written, I was a first time Mother 33 days away from being 42. I had never even babysat or changed a diaper until Yates was born. The opening of my heart was nothing short of phenomenal. Indescribable.

"Work isn't work if you love what you do" ...don't recall who said it first. We all know this but only the very fortunate have realized a 'no work' career. I've always been envious of people who have had a passion and followed it - for better or worse. I never wanted anything that badly except .... freedom ... and that I have pursued relentlessly.

This passion has cost me jobs, relationships - family - security -  freedom is costly but ... ever so freeing. ;)

~~~~~~~~~~

Well? now, it's 8pm and whatta day! lol - I tell ya ... I've rearranged everything AGAIN ... I'm back to the cot - I really need the storage underneath. This will just hasten my getting rid of the fat. The cot could have been shorter but needs to be wider. It's a jim dandy one.... very sturdy --- I got the whammo bammo one -- king size I think it was --- it is a bit wider than regular cots but the 'king' comes from length and I would have rather had it shorter... Seems they could have made a queen.. haaa... short and wide...

One more thunderstorm predicted for in the morning ... then clearing for a gorgeous weekend and next week... all along my route. Mt. Magazine will still be a little iffy - lots of damage in that area from the wind. We don't need tornadoes! The wind alone can really cause problems. We have lots of trees in Arkansas.

Joe will be back in tomorrow. I reckon this will be an interesting fare the well weekend - I'll leave at some point. He has gotten me a new cigarette lighter plug in thing... inverter? converter? one of these days I'll google the difference but I really don't care as long it plugs into my lighter thing and charges my laptop and such. He also got me a heating element for m'coffee cup - think I already mentioned that... HAHAHaaaa my son, when I say, did I tell you...? He ALWAYS says .... Aye ... Mom, you have.

Remember Trusty in Lady and the Tramp? He would start to relate a story and say... Don't reckon I ever told you about my grandfather, Old Reliable? .... and Jock would ALWAYS say ... Aye... laddie, you have.. HAaaaa...

 I leave you with one of my all time favorite movies... jeeeeeez how cute can you get....

George has the answer....

I think  that George has the answer. What was the Brad Pitt movie... Button? didn't see it but heard about it... I like this scenario...

As I'm about to embark on my whatever journey ... I want to to go out of this world feeling and looking my best. I'm very laxed in my grooming. I just really gave up. Depression can take on many forms as I've learned and studied. Even though I have a sense of humor that has saved my sorry ass many times, there were days when I wanted to walk in the water and be done with it.

The thing about being depressed though in, well, my case - certainly can't and don't want to speak for anyone else - I didn't want to get out of bed. If I got up - I was in such a fog - daze - stupor - that I couldn't even sit up. I would just go back to bed and stay there - sleep or just phase out...

What brought me back? It's happened several times during these past 7-8 years... each time, I would see the sun --- then I would think of butterflies and daffodils and fairies and birds and blue sky ... I'd get up and sit for a while - have some Yerba Mate tea --- I always have some on hand - just in case I feel like I might want to live.... it's great stuff - I was introduced to it by a vendor of mine when I had my shop.

A cup of hot tea and some sunshine. ... and the admission that - guess what? the sun and moon and the clouds and the flowers and the birds and the world keeps on going whether I choose to play or not. The trick... I have so far found ... is to find where your happines lies.

That's reeeeally tricky for me. I absolutely can giggle and talk and hug with total abandon. I scare people.. HAhaaaaa.... The trick, for me... is to not worry about it... I had a pal who waded through that video of me in Port Aransas --- I forget what post it was ... it was in December, I think ... it's long and silly and I enjoyed the hell out of myself.

He wrote me and said how very much he liked it - he's a photographer -- just beautiful beautiful photography - and did say I might need a new camera... HAaaaa.... my little ol iPhone camcorder did it's best and well, my picture taking skills are about as good as my backing up Homer skills.

Anyway the point is... is that he loved the way I enjoyed even the smallest thing.... he envied that.... That really meant a lot to me. Yes... I do. I try to find things I like about me and build on it because it seems... besides saying g'morning to the world each and every morning and smile and stretch! I --- under my breath without skipping a beat say .. I hate me.

Every every morning.... I find myself saying this without any reason whatsoever at the moment.... it's just there. I am really really working on this. At one point, I wore a large rubber band bracelet and would pop it each time I said that.... this is a subconscious thing. It just pops out... whether aloud or in my head.

I also scream STOP when a negative thought about me comes along. I do much better when I'm not here with my family. The stress gets to me. Unhappiness and why oh why oh why and how oh how did I end up the way I have... poor .... pitiful.... woeful me... Then the guilt comes along with the always present knowledge of the horror in this world and how wonderfully lucky I am. Then that feeds the I hate me thing...

I have an innate optimism which is really interesting, I think so. I am a paradox even to myself. I'm optimistic ... yet prone to depression in my old age - never ever until these last 7-8 years. That's why it is so scary. I do not want to grow old being scared! that's bullshit... me? sigh .... yet I posses a fabulous sense of humor that allows me to climb out of the dark.

I dunno. Those of you who know yourself well and are happy and you know it... clap your hands...

I have experienced a high living good looking lifestyle to the depths of getting fat and frumpy and pfffffting at everything. Then I would get halfway again back into life and then boo hiss and back to getting fat and pfffftting again. The family stress and happenings is what really done me in... they done me wrong... and I got mad as hell and wasn't going to take it any more but didn't and don't know what to do about it... I solved 3/4 of the stuff... the other 1/4 is just probably going to be going on until I die... and so - let it go.. right

Anyway, the problem is that each time I decide to secede from life ... it gets harder to get back into life..... wasn't that a commercial --- June Allyson... diaper ad --- Depends? haa

Anyway... GET BACK INTO LIFE ...  I don't want to walk into water and get drawn underneath and flow all the way to Memphis in the Arkansas River... that's a meeeean river ... it was really swollen today! fast and full of undercurrents. People have died from trying to swim the damn thing..... Haven't been anyone try in quite some time now .... but there are always a few teen boys that will wade out a bit and then WHAM ... gone... horrible!

I went out and about today ... in the rain - had to get outta here! I sat at the river and watched it flow. There was a HUGE huge swan looking pelican looking bird... more like a swan! HUGE ... I had my binoculars ... it and another duck kind of bird were just floating along with the river and I mean fast.... of course, there's no way my iPhone camera could have caught that image even if I tried. They were having a fine time floating down.... amazing... I gotta google that... what the hey kind of bird? We have swans in the Arkansas River???? There are some at the Old Mill --- ya'll know the opening scene in Gone With the Wind? the mill is our mill here ... I found a picture with a Swan but the guy I saw today was twice that size! HUGE with a looong bill like a Pelican! I love Pelicans but this guy was absolutely stunning.... Here's a lil description .... so pretty

"The old South isn't completely gone with the wind in North Little Rock. A short drive from McCain mall will bring you to a quiet, tranquil place that looks like something from an old movie. As a matter of fact, it was featured in the opening scene of Gone With the Wind. It's believed to be the only remaining structure from that film. So, put on your hoop squirt, grab your parasol and your "twiddly dee dee" attitude and come for a visit."

Just like the news now ... there is flooding here! They just pulled a body out of a gutter in Boyle Park... There have been warnings ... barricades ... DON"T go this way ... but the morons do... several others have had to be rescued... they're really pissed at this one guy... cost a lot of money despite warning him before he kept going...

The water over a road! will sweep you away... Wow... they're showing pictures now... really something. One guy got caught in just inches of water and was carried away.... dipshits. Well ah got m'truck and so on and so forth... I hope they charge that one guy who just blatently drove through the barricade after being warned....

The slogan is Turn Around Don't Drown --- Look at these people even with the news out videoing them... dipshits! 

Am I done with this rant? I guess so.... I have redone and packed and loaded 512 times... if this weather doesn't let up and I don't get outta here.... I keep changing stuff around! and spending more money! beats all.

I've posted this before and I'm posting it again because it fits... :D

Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport

very damn cool... it was announced on the evening news that our airport has been renamed!

Oh, wow... four of the five local channels have nothing on but the weather screens... tornadoes everywhere... flooding and storms and all matter of terrible awful stuff!!!!

My son had the day off and drove down to see his baby. It's about a 3 and a half hour drive .... that's 7 hours driving time... you're welcome ;) ... This is jim dandy ... BUT it's stormy and tornadoey and all the bad stuff... I know he's 27 and he's a good driver BUT worry worry worry worry... ah me...

I prattled away at Facebook all day.... and watching every thing on TV ... man oh man -- everything from Toilet Yoga on The Doctors to Ty Pennington trying to teach Tim Gunn how to hammer a nail! Haaaa....

I should clean this house --- anything physical! .... get jiggy with it? ... and quit worrying about my son driving in storms ... Seems I'm not going to be able to do anything except fix and cook and eat a whole box of chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream until he gets back safely. I am so freakin pathetic!

Sitting here with my laptop's screen reflecting moving branches outside. I have my door open and, of course, all blinds up... love light and air.... BUT since I see the reflection on my laptop? ... it looks pretty spooky... I turned around and saw that it was a branch instead of an extremely emaciated person coming in my door.

Right now - 7pm... looks like the baddest of the bad weather is moving north and east with Little Rock just being on the fringe. The route from Texarkana to Little Rock has flash flood warnings and heavy rains but no severe thunderstorms. I know Yates is a safe driver but it's the other dummies who think that just because it's raining doesn't mean THEY have to slow down... just drives me insane - the attitude of some of the people who are allowed to drive.

Cats were sitting out on the porch ... decided they'd come in - the wind blows the rain on the porch. They are so funny. I know that you who have animals and especially cats know how extremely silly cats are.... they kill me.

It is 11:15pm and the kids are about 30 minutes out. Thank goodness the tornadoes and severe weather have moved farther north.. just light rain with occasional lightening.

I need a joke or something ... 30 more minutes... oh, haaaaa.. I know you all have probably seen this video many times.. .I know I have but it still cracks me up! love it... HAHaaaaa

Sigh...... are they home yet????

YES....11:36 and they're on their couch... sigh.... bed... exhausted... good night blog ol buddy ol pal....

America's First National River ;)

 

Had a great evening with my son. We talked and ate ... I feel so much better now. Husband's been gone for four days... my mood just lifts when I'm alone and my son is doing fine.

The teevee had warnings all day for western Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.. right where I'm headed. Been brewing since last week... Friday seems to be all clear... so that's my target date AGAIN.

I DVRd DWTS and The Voice ... sooo got lots of goooood teevee to watch....

oh, baruther here's the weather guy... it's been absolutely stellar weather here and now the storms are coming our way. There is an interesting weather path that starts vertically in Texas up to Oklahoma then east to Arkansas, Missouri, etc.  It does this a lot! Sometimes it is headed our way then just scoots farther north then east. Not this time, it seems.

The pollen surely needs to be dealt with - lots of rain needed ... oh, dear major problems they're saying ... booo hiss - flash floods.... the backroads I intend to take are notorious with all the hills and dales and gullies. The Boston and Ouachita Mountains. Y'all ever been there? Beautiful country. I thought about going up from Mr. Magazine about an hour or so to the wine country but I've been there and thought I would just go on over to Krebs, Oklahoma... didn't I write about this? man oh Manischewitz ... CRS!

I have never been one to try and cross a road with water going across. Can't believe the people who attempt it... like trying to outrun a train! The rivers in our area are swift and are great for whitewater canoeing and kayaking.

The Buffalo National River is still free flowing. If anyone wants a great adventure... America's first National river is a must see... great area. Me and my bottom floated for about five miles! There are cliffs and no way to go to shore ... so if you're an inexperienced canoeist? and you tump over five billion times? well, the last time the canoe didn't wait for me and a calm pool wasn't for miles...! My tailbone hit many a boulder... I just laid back and said.. well? I guess how I'll die is no longer a mystery. My nephew tried to paddle upriver to fetch me but I was coming toward him much faster ... HAhaaaaa... oh, me. Not many people can canoe up a rapid...

I survived... but my poor ol tailbone was sore for over a freakin year... nothing you can do for a bruised tailbone but moan with intermittent groaning ...  I think I'll fetch a picture! It's over a hundred miles long....

Here's a website... be sure and watch the slideshow on top... breathtaking... I tell ya.

http://buffaloriver.com/

Antsy

JeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEzus I'm antsy.... It is absolutely gorgeous here in Little Rock. The trees are budding... the forsythia bushes... azaleas ... daffodils ... irises ... those gorgeous gorgeous ornamental pear trees and so forth. I LOVE to watch my trees get those little green buds and leaves.

Homer is covered in pollen - surprisingly my allergies are fine. Fall is when I get really all allergied up... Spring effects my eyes more... dry eyes and itchy but at least my nose isn't running to beat the band!

I just read The Good Luck Duck's blog... Roxanne cracks me up. But this got me to thinking... hahaa.. thinking - what a chore - about lifestyles.

Those who can choose their lifestyle are the most fortunate, I think so. Just saw Joan Colllins - 10 years older than I... she looks fabulous ... on Live With Kelly ... she made a statement when Kelly said how she always looks beautiful ... that it was her natural habitat. Her Mother and six aunts were all well groomed.

My Mother and habitat was keeping me clean. She would be soooooo embarrassed if someone saw me and I wasn't clean. Nevermind we lived in the country at least a half mile from the nearest neighbor. I had to wear pinafores... for crying out loud.

I had a blue tricycle -- why am I relating to you that it was blue? I don't know... I just remember it and how much fun I had on it. My brothers didn't want me anywhere near them so I would climb a tree and watch 'em. They'd see me and start hollering and I'd run down the tree - jump on little blue and peddle like hell ... I had favorite hiding places. My cat and dog would be right behind me....

Anyhow! .... What these two --- Roxanne and Joan --- said got me off on a tangent about life and such. y'got Roxanne and Annie out on the desert.... in the wind and sand... enjoying looking at a cactus with a nest innit and wondering what kind of bird made such ... she has a chair and gets up ever now and then. Then you have Joan Collins all gussied up - selling a book and Kelly slathering natural face mask stuff on Nick Lachey and I'm eating nuked pancakes - made locally and frozen, damn good - I like banana and almonds and pure maple syrup with m'pancakes...

So. Here we all are in my house this morning. pretty interesting. I'm here --- they're there --- I'm eating and they're not. I'm making a lifestyle adjustment at 68 years 11 months and 19 days old.

I am sitting here waiting on the weather to clear up on my intended route. Did you know that a few years back, i would have already been gone? Is this because out of all these years.... I KNOW what it's like to drive in storms? But what if they move on out and I've just been sitting here... I dunno ..

aha! ... a dingy sound on the teevee with weather alerts ... reds and yellows all in western Arkansas ... sigh sigh sIGH sigh sigh...

Maybe I'll make some surly bitch cookies..

Surly Bitch Cookies

Leave it to beaver to come across this cookie recipe. From Slutty Brownies - it's a post in February - to now Surly Bitch cookies... Haaaa... whatever...

Lea

 SURLY BITCH COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup quick oats

2/3 cup chopped nuts
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup dates, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Cream the Crisco and sugar, and we mean cream it good!
Then add molasses, vanilla, and egg... beat well.
Then beat it again! beat it until it cries for mercy, or until it is mixed up real good.
Add flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.

DO NOT pour directly on your body....resist the urge....instead, add dry mixture to the gooey stuff that's already been creamed within an inch of its cookie life!

Get a big wooden paddle and stir in the oats, raisins, dates, and nuts.

Then viciously paddle it for a while until your arm gets tired.

Next, roll balls in sugar. Drop little balls of dough on a greased up baking sheet...while you're at it, grease yourself up, too.

Press dough balls down with a glass bottom (or your own bottom if it's firm enough).
Dust off your bum and bake cookies for 12 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Y'wanna move along with the cookies, please!?

Sounds pretty good... don't know why it has to be so surly ... makes no sense to me, but then what the hey do I know.

This was what kept me from leaving today. Well? not this dramatic but it was raining and the forecast was for storms such as this picture depicts. haaaa I'm a poet.

At any rate! The day turned out to be absolutely gorgeous! I don't know. Joe's stuck in Waco - truck broke down - so, I've got this weekend by myself to do more fine tuning. I like that anyway.

I went to an Asian restaurant close by. Pei Wei... really good stuff... had the Thai coconut curry chicken ... wanna see a picture?

I'm not much on spicy food but love coconut chicken ... I was afraid it was going to be toooo hot. It was spicy hot but very edible ... very good. This is a great little inexpensive place to eat and the ambiance is very nice. I got this plate along with iced water and lemon ... $9.12 with tax. I got steamed brown rice rather than the white.

And, well, if that wasn't excitement enough for me, I went to Sears to see if they had car window shades... nope. I went to Target --- baby shades, yes but I'll wait until I get to a Camping World type place. I just wanted to hang in the neighborhood today - don't know why. Well? I like it here. ;)

AND! the excitement didn't stop! I went to Kroger... got four different varieties of apples - blueberries and blackberries and raspberries and strawberries and some Black Diamond fancy schmancy pimento cheese.... and spinach. So if anyone reading this is hanging on to the edge of their seats! I'll finalize this by saying... I bought a damn ass cherry pie. sigh

I'm promising myself that as soon as me and Homer hit the road... I'm doing a one day water fast. Just to slow me down. I'm not going to write about leaving again ... I'm just going to do a post when I'm on the road ... and will probably post ol Willie's On The Road Again... :D

So now I'm sitting here watching this beautiful day end with a sunset. It sets really fast around here... this isn't flat country. I like the evenings... especially after a warm day... it cools down, I have the ceiling fan on sipping on a limeade and looking out at all the brand new baby green stuff sprouting ... sooooo relaxing and pretty and I'm by myself... Ahhhhhhhh

I'm going to go make some  fresh coffee and get a slice of cherry pie ... I'll then feel guilty for about an hour or two... then watch some British comedies... they come on PBS and start with Keeping Up Appearances... just kills me. I'm almost positive I have seen every episode... but ever now and then there's one I haven't seen ...

I just watched the Downton Abbey series. Really good stuff.

Check with y'all tomorrow! and I'll be leaving ya with a bit o' the Irish... everyone's Irish on March 17th. I am Irish on both sides as far as I know.... whatever, I do like Irish stuff.... so for your edification and possible amazement I submit a joke... pretty silly one, too... but then...

An Irish woman of advanced age visited her physician to ask his advice on
reviving her husband's libido.

'What about trying Viagra?' asked the doctor.

'Not a chance', she said... 'He won't even take an aspirin.'

'Not a problem,' replied the doctor. 'Give him an 'Irish Viagra'...

'What is Irish Viagra?', she asked.

It's when you drop the Viagra tablet into his coffee. He won't even taste it.
Give it a try and call me in a week to let me know how things went..'

It was a week later when she called the doctor, who directly inquired as to her
progress.

The poor dear exclaimed, 'Oh, faith, bejaysus and begorrah! T'was horrid! Just
terrible, doctor!'

'Really? What happened?' asked the doctor.

'Well, I did as you advised and slipped it in his coffee and the effect was
almost immediate. He jumped straight up, with a smile on his face, a twinkle in
his eye and with his pants a-bulging fiercely! With one swoop of his arms, he
sent me cups and saucers flying, ripped me clothes to tatters and took me then and
there passionately on the tabletop! T'was a nightmare, I tell you, an absolute nightmare!'

'Why so terrible?' asked the doctor, 'Do you mean the sex your husband provided
wasn't good?'

'Freakin' jaysus, it was the best sex I've had in 25 years! But sure as I'm
sittin' here, I'll never be able to show me face in Starbucks again.

Liver Massages...

 

Well? another day .... lots of stuff done! Heading out in the morning... taking a shower and hookin 'em.... hell or high water.  In the meantime,  if pie eating doesn't work to calm my sanity... I'll laugh at anything. People who wonder what it is that I'm laughing at ...makes it even funnier.

M'Mother always said... that laughing massages the liver. I'll go along with her on that... haven't a clue where she got that information from .... but she was dead serious. In fact... what made her say this is absolutely hilarious, well, to me. She was a no nonsense kind of person. I, of course, thrived on nonsense. After Dad died, she had been just lost. I stayed with her before during and after Dad's illness and death. They had been married for 52 years - she was a stay at home wife and Mother ... minister's wife.

We were at the kitchen table ... the TV was on - I had turned on cartoons. I liked the Bugs Bunny Hour and Speedy Gonzales was on.... HAHaaaa.... well? zoom zoooooom zoom SWISH zooooooom zoooooooom goes Speedy and then here comes this long lanky mouse with a droopy mustache, floppy sombrero, white two piece Mexicany shirt and britches with a colorful scarf around his neck and kinda humped over ... moving reeeeeal slow and singing ... la cu ca ra cha ... Mother was eating a hand held something or other probably a biscuit... I heard a snorty stiffly kind of chuckle ... she did her ladylike thing of putting down whatever it was and then putting her hand over her mouth and tried to stifle the laugh! (My Mother... a whole nother 27,000 posts, sigh) ... I cracked up... jeeeez that was funny --- he was Speedy's cousin and he was looking for Speedy....

Coupled with HER reaction ... I'm on the floor... she twittered and giggled s'more fueling my on the floordom ... HAHAAAAahaaa... then she says... well? 'they' say that laughter massages the liver ... and that's good.

BaWAHhhhhhhhaaaaaaa ... I'm telling ya I'm on the floor even now remembering this..,. JEEEeeeezus that was funny ... My Mother and I never shared too many laughs... so that was pretty special ;)

If anyone out there is reeeeeally bored ... Kill some flies --- don't smush 'em so they'll pose better .... Put them in the sun to dry for one hour.... Once they're dry, get a pencil and paper... and carry on ...

Packing it all up ... post when I can .... I can do iPhone but who knows what or where or why I'll be going, doing or otherwise...

Later ol blog ol buddy ol pal!

The conformity of noncomformityness

Outta m'way y'big chicken - :D

I just gotta type this outta my craw. Several things have simultaneously occurred that reminded me of how people who pride themselves on being independent thinkers - one with nature - tolerant and well, nonconformists --- are really none of these things.

My making such a statement makes me really none of those things EXCEPT I'm aware that trying to convince someone you aren't what you are perceived to be by YOUR values or perception is being none of those aforementioned admirable beliefs.

Could that be clear? 

Back in the 60s and to make a very loooong story short, I left a world where no 'girls' did what I did. I've written about this before ad nauseam. During my doing what no other 'girl' did in my world before, I encountered people whose lifestyles dictated rebellion, nonconformity and look at me! I'm an individual... but if you didn't 'see' or think their way... they would get extremely bent out of shape... drove me insane

Patting myself on the back ... I was. The reason? as I look back? is because I truly did my own thing without giving a rat's ass who thought what. One was being ostracized because I didn't want to do drugs. I lived in San Francisco and unbenownst to me Haight Ashbury! -- HAhaa what a story...  and I didn't do drugs! Damn stuff was freakin ILLEGAL ... nothing and I mean nothing made me behave more than the thought of being locked up in a cell?! oh, man...

I've probably written some about that too... :D

I had seen so many kids get messed up with just alcohol but these drugs? I mean LSD? and whatever else 'they' used. balderdash. I could get into enough trouble without any enhancement... hah If you want to do drugs... work out... but I don't want to be around them. Back then... you could get hauled into jail whether you were 'doing' them or not but just being with someone who did... I enjoyed too many things to just sit somewhere and pass around tokes... silly --- I really thought it looked silly ... people get high differently on drugs than on booze. 

Now... I did drink waaaay too much but I didn't care for anyone who couldn't 'hold' their liquor as we used to say. It was really 'not done' by women. Of course, guys used to like to encourage the booze because it lessened the 'girl's' will to say no... oh, man... I don't need to get started on that... where was I...

My point is why do people get het up over people who do not like, believe, enjoy or think as they do? why? Illegal is one thing and getting messed up with crutches - drugs/alcohol - but being who you are shouldn't be a concern of anyone's else's business.

Good old Dr. Seuss again... Be who you are and say what you mean because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind....

seriously.

I go through periods of intense dislike for me. I then encounter 'others' and I am reminded that ... I'm okay. I like the way I think. My incurable hoofnmouth disease keeps me from being perfect but then my god how boring would that be.

The people I have met who insist they're perfect are really quite boring. I think this is why I'm basically a loner. I'm also social but not for long. I'm a social loner. yeah .... that's it. a control freak doormat.. HAhaaaaa 

I do not like complicated bullshit. I know I bullshit and I'm damn good at it when I'm a mind to play ... especially when I was younger... I enjoyed messing with people who had problems with me. I was either too good looking or not good looking enough or too witty or not witty enough and the combination of looks and wit and having a conscience was really a trip for living in the 60s....

I'm still a trip. A piece of work and a hoot. But I can tell you one thing... I don't care who you are or what you do or how you do it as long as it causes no harm? work out. It's okay to be wrong --- It's okay to be sad --- It's okay to be lost and suicidal --- It's okay to hurt like hell from rejection or the loss of someone or something or a pet - whatever... don't be ashamed of these common emotions and don't think you're the Lone Ranger with a pole up his ass either.

The popular book, I'm Ok --You're Ok in the 60s and 70s was about transactional analysis.. Here's a description ... I had forgotten who the author was ...

Transactional Analysis delineates three observable ego-states (Parent, Adult, and Child) as the basis for the content and quality of interpersonal communication. "Happy childhood" notwithstanding, says Harris, most of us are living out the Not ok feelings of a defenseless child, dependent on ok others (parents) for stroking and caring. 

At some stage early in our lives we adopt a "position" about ourselves and others that determines how we feel about everything we do. And for a huge portion of the population, that position is "I'm Not OK -- You're OK." This negative "life position," shared by successful and unsuccessful people alike, contaminates our rational Adult capabilities, leaving us vulnerable to inappropriate emotional reactions of our Child and uncritically learned behavior programmed into our Parent. By exploring the structure of our personalities and understanding old decisions, Harris believes we can find the freedom to change our lives.

He believed the progression to be ...

1. I'm Not OK, You're OK

2. I'm Not OK, You're Not OK
3. I'm OK, You're Not OK
4. I'm OK, You're OK

~Dr. Thomas Harris

Very deeep stuff to discuss. I generally played and danced and sang and dipshitted about but ever now and then I liked to get into philosophical discussions with the 'intellectuals' ... pseudo comes to mind, however... as outlined above in my observations of people period! Because I looked like anything but a book reader much less an intellectual.. HAhaaa... I wasn't taken very seriously on just about anything... 

From my Father - Mother - two older brothers --- reminding me almost daily that I couldn't/didn't have an original thought much less any rights other than to do as I was told ... to bursting out of that world into a society that said the same damn thing... HAH! I said then ... and HAH! I say now... 

I won't get political today but as you know ... every four years - women's rights always ALWAYS come into play for election time... well? maybe this one thing... :) From Rachel Madoff... "Here's the thing about rights. They're not supposed to be voted on. That's why they call them rights." 

In a nutshell..

I dunno ... I'm shredding and tossing and bagging and eating ... why did this cartoon come to mind? silly. I was thinking about ideas and such and m'brain is shorting out.

In my yesterday's post, I said a bit about my epiphany! but failed to finish saying what IT was..... the epiphany was not the cot ... I alreay knew about it! but that it was too narrow and the height was such that Homer kinda is like a U up a little higher and so the cot was in such a position that my arms would hit Homer's side and it would hurt like hell at 2 or 3 or 3 in the mornings. don't like it ... that's why I bought the air mattress - self inflatable and very comfortable.

BUT, I lost the under the cot storage. Sooooo I had the brilliant idea of putting the air mattress on top of the cot! hah... this brought my bed too close to the top of Homer, of course, the width was wonderful but it floated over my back seat. I thought I could just make that a table while sitting in the seat. nah... felt too claustrophobic. great idea though. Plus there were several inches on each side that weren't supported.

So I'll just keep tossing --- I also told myself that if someone came in and took everything in this house ~ poor souls ~ what the hell would I miss? My photo albums.

I am having a horrible time deciding what clothes and shoes to take. I just don't know how long I'll be gone and I do have favorite things I wear. If I'm somewhere for a bit ... I don't want to replace some clothes I really like and paid a bit for. sigh

At the rate I'm going --- departure date is getting pushed back. I think the main reason I'm not rushing and such is the weather. It's going to be stormy all weekend... This week has been gorgeous! Not only is it supposed to be stormy but it will reach 80º ... don't much care for humidity. I don't know..... I'm ready to go -- just getting my clothes situated --- and, see? the largest problem is that I have to vacate my room. The kids will be moving in there. I have to get everything out and it's turning into quite a chore.

I'M TIRED OF CHORES ... I just want to Goooooooo... hate being an adult. I just hate it.

Hot today! Haven't turned the air on but got the ceiling fans going.

Hold on down there, Homer, I'ma gettin I'ma gettin ... dagnab limb breaking... always something...