The first American Idol aired when I was in prison, Kelly Clarkson won that year and all of us girls were cheering her on like we were at the finale ourselves. It was the start of something I truly enjoy each time it comes back on. Wayne on the other hand, doesn't.
I have to admit that it is over rated, way too commercial, and they sing way too many rifts for my taste, but then a Carrie Underwood comes along and I watch like it was the first one. I'm hoping this year will bring some great singers out of the wood works, We need another hot act out there, right?
So what to expect for the tenth year... all of the same stuff, only not the same stuff....now we once more are drawn in, find a favorite, watch them grow and hope they win.
Well it's time to watch..
TODAY'S PROMPT TEASE is VERS BEAUCOUP
ENJOY
JL&B
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
MINE
It's funny that a few days ago I ran a thought by my friend Richie. He liked it so much that he did a rendition of it on his blog too, today is my turn.
Being married is so different than just dating some one when it comes to the word mine. In a boy friend/girl friend relationship, you both know what belongs to each individual, in marriage though it is different.
There are the obvious ones, my/his underwear, clothes, shoes, toothbrush... My/his wallet, makeup, hair supplies. ( No he doesn't wear make up) Then the blurry line ones, keys, car, tools, pen for heavens sake. These are the ones, for some unknown reason, that bother me.
Just because it's a dish, doesn't mean it's mine, just because it's a tool doesn't mean it's his, yet even after five years we still have that MINE thing in our brains. I do my best not to say it, but it still slips out now and then. He slips up a lot too, but why does it bother me so much when it doesn't seem to affect him at all. ( Go figure)
Just a shorty for today, a ponder, if you will.
Time for today's Prompt tease.. RICTAMETER
Hope to see you joining us at
http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/ our poetry blog
ENJOY
JL&B
Being married is so different than just dating some one when it comes to the word mine. In a boy friend/girl friend relationship, you both know what belongs to each individual, in marriage though it is different.
There are the obvious ones, my/his underwear, clothes, shoes, toothbrush... My/his wallet, makeup, hair supplies. ( No he doesn't wear make up) Then the blurry line ones, keys, car, tools, pen for heavens sake. These are the ones, for some unknown reason, that bother me.
Just because it's a dish, doesn't mean it's mine, just because it's a tool doesn't mean it's his, yet even after five years we still have that MINE thing in our brains. I do my best not to say it, but it still slips out now and then. He slips up a lot too, but why does it bother me so much when it doesn't seem to affect him at all. ( Go figure)
Just a shorty for today, a ponder, if you will.
Time for today's Prompt tease.. RICTAMETER
Hope to see you joining us at
http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/ our poetry blog
ENJOY
JL&B
Waynes dad, Bud
When Wayne and I started dating, I was taken into the family fold immediately. His parents and sisters are the sweetest people I have ever met. I love them all as if I have known them all my life.
Bud is somewhere in his eighties, Florance is in her upper seventies. They raised Wayne and three girls, Leslie, Debbie and Janet, here in San Diego. Bud worked as a heavy machine operator all his life and helped Flo make a great home . Now in his later years, he is tired and talks of 'going home to heaven'. Recently things have been tougher for him to do, all the things a younger body can do easily, his older body tells him 'not so fast'.
He has taken care of their home and yard everyday he can remember and now it is very hard for him to do. He has fallen a few times and hurt himself pretty badly, but he always has gotten back up and shook it off. Now his knees and hip are making it hard for him to move around much.
His desire is to sell the family home and live somewhere relaxing. I think he should get what he wants, but not everyone is ready for that, especially Flo. So , doing the best they can, the family is trying to make the house more comfortable for Bud. This is hard though because Flo is becomming very stressed over it all. It then becomes a tug of war for the rest of us, so I stay away. I really feel for the whole family, this is a difficult time and I feel that I'm in the way.
Wayne is a great son, he takes the time to go to his dad's side, tries to get him out of the house, relieve some of the stress. This is father son time and it is so great for Bud. You can see him light up when Wayne shows up, it's a beautiful thing. Today Wayne is making one of those trips. I hope they have a good day together, Buds needs it and I'm afraid there wont be many more.
So, if you see an older man out with someone who appears to be his son, think of Bud and Wayne, give them a smile, wish them a pleasent day. It will be remembered, trust me.
Yesterday I was too busy to do the blog, prompt or much of anything else, so today I will make up for it by doing a doulbe dose...
This morining's PROMPT tease is a TANKA
Hope to see you join in too
http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
ENJOY
JL&B
Bud is somewhere in his eighties, Florance is in her upper seventies. They raised Wayne and three girls, Leslie, Debbie and Janet, here in San Diego. Bud worked as a heavy machine operator all his life and helped Flo make a great home . Now in his later years, he is tired and talks of 'going home to heaven'. Recently things have been tougher for him to do, all the things a younger body can do easily, his older body tells him 'not so fast'.
He has taken care of their home and yard everyday he can remember and now it is very hard for him to do. He has fallen a few times and hurt himself pretty badly, but he always has gotten back up and shook it off. Now his knees and hip are making it hard for him to move around much.
His desire is to sell the family home and live somewhere relaxing. I think he should get what he wants, but not everyone is ready for that, especially Flo. So , doing the best they can, the family is trying to make the house more comfortable for Bud. This is hard though because Flo is becomming very stressed over it all. It then becomes a tug of war for the rest of us, so I stay away. I really feel for the whole family, this is a difficult time and I feel that I'm in the way.
Wayne is a great son, he takes the time to go to his dad's side, tries to get him out of the house, relieve some of the stress. This is father son time and it is so great for Bud. You can see him light up when Wayne shows up, it's a beautiful thing. Today Wayne is making one of those trips. I hope they have a good day together, Buds needs it and I'm afraid there wont be many more.
So, if you see an older man out with someone who appears to be his son, think of Bud and Wayne, give them a smile, wish them a pleasent day. It will be remembered, trust me.
Yesterday I was too busy to do the blog, prompt or much of anything else, so today I will make up for it by doing a doulbe dose...
This morining's PROMPT tease is a TANKA
Hope to see you join in too
http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
ENJOY
JL&B
Sunday, January 16, 2011
OUR GARDEN (freebies)
I do so love to garden. Some of the best things for our yard we got with little or no cost at all. If you have been reading my blog you know that the rocks from the last place we lived we used in the wall we call the cutting garden.
Now if you have been looking at my blog, you see the photos to the right (I try to add them with the stories) but for those of you who don't...There are two very large granite rocks in our yard that separate the upper and lower patios, between them is our mock waterfall.
Looking at it straight on you see a stacked rock wall between the two rocks filled with smooth tan colored river rocks. It's a three tiered fall and in the lower level a pine tree is planted, the next levels have a few of the nick-knacks I thought were cute in there (and Wayne agreed).{Again pictures, to the right}
The rock on the left is six-foot tall (or so){REALLY cool rock} and two of the rocks we used in the step area were fallen underneath it (picture). That created a curve in the rock that made it look like the wind carved it. We placed another little garden there, it grows three editable mints. I often chew on a fresh leaf of chocolate, peppermint or spearmint, or just lightly brush against it. (UMMM I can just smell it thinking of it !)
Turning to the left you are facing the steps, and to your left from there is a very small
path of grass.
Going back to the fall; the rock to the right is much smaller, but still really big. The side that faces the lower patio slopes down into our strawberry beds,(another three tiered rock bed) {we had great strawberries last year}.
If you turn to the right from there and walk forward a few steps you are in the lower patio. There isn't much room in this area, two people and a cat, fills it up! But what a great view !
This area has a garden bed that starts around another retaining wall (Iris Alley) It is the top tier of that wall. Where the top wall rocks are placed is a fencing made of a recycled metal gazebo, all along that fencing is a garden filled with flowers. Today snapdragons, blackeyed susans, paper whites, haicinth and a few other things that I have forgotten about are all green, or coming up. Terra Cotta colored scallops seperate the tiles from the garden (or grass) that wraps itself back around to the steps.
Now from the rocks we brought in, the tiles, plants, we spent less than forty bucks.
In fact, except for gas to go and get it, all of the things I just described to you were free, including the plants.
Now be honest with me please, your jealous right ?
Tee Hee Hee
Todays Prompt tease is INSPIRATIONAL
Join us @ http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
ENJOY
JL&B
Now if you have been looking at my blog, you see the photos to the right (I try to add them with the stories) but for those of you who don't...There are two very large granite rocks in our yard that separate the upper and lower patios, between them is our mock waterfall.
Looking at it straight on you see a stacked rock wall between the two rocks filled with smooth tan colored river rocks. It's a three tiered fall and in the lower level a pine tree is planted, the next levels have a few of the nick-knacks I thought were cute in there (and Wayne agreed).{Again pictures, to the right}
The rock on the left is six-foot tall (or so){REALLY cool rock} and two of the rocks we used in the step area were fallen underneath it (picture). That created a curve in the rock that made it look like the wind carved it. We placed another little garden there, it grows three editable mints. I often chew on a fresh leaf of chocolate, peppermint or spearmint, or just lightly brush against it. (UMMM I can just smell it thinking of it !)
Turning to the left you are facing the steps, and to your left from there is a very small
path of grass.
Going back to the fall; the rock to the right is much smaller, but still really big. The side that faces the lower patio slopes down into our strawberry beds,(another three tiered rock bed) {we had great strawberries last year}.
If you turn to the right from there and walk forward a few steps you are in the lower patio. There isn't much room in this area, two people and a cat, fills it up! But what a great view !
This area has a garden bed that starts around another retaining wall (Iris Alley) It is the top tier of that wall. Where the top wall rocks are placed is a fencing made of a recycled metal gazebo, all along that fencing is a garden filled with flowers. Today snapdragons, blackeyed susans, paper whites, haicinth and a few other things that I have forgotten about are all green, or coming up. Terra Cotta colored scallops seperate the tiles from the garden (or grass) that wraps itself back around to the steps.
Now from the rocks we brought in, the tiles, plants, we spent less than forty bucks.
In fact, except for gas to go and get it, all of the things I just described to you were free, including the plants.
Now be honest with me please, your jealous right ?
Tee Hee Hee
Todays Prompt tease is INSPIRATIONAL
Join us @ http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
ENJOY
JL&B
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Getting Published
It's a dream of anyone who is proud of what they write, getting published. There are many ways to go about it, heck if you have the money you can publish yourself. I am not one of those fortunate ones. I rely on our local monthly newspaper, The Back Country Messenger.
Meeting Tony and Lynn Neff, the owners of the paper, was purely out of the blue. My husband and I were in town one day, at a quaint little shop, known as the Enchanted Village. I was speaking with the shop owner Shelly, as my husband Wayne, conversed with a gentleman who was exchanging the BC Messenger. We came to find out this man was none other than Tony Neff, the owner.
After a moment or two, I had asked who wrote for the paper, to which he asked if I am a writer... I laughingly said "Yes, Poetry." He gave me an assignment for the paper, TOLERANCE. I balked at first, with my non-political, non-religious ways, I wasn't wanting my first published work to be so radical. I write about gardens and rainbows for heaven's sake, I feared this assignment wasn't in me, but gave it a try none the less.
Tony and I set up a date for him to come over to our place to see if what I wrote was what he was looking for. When Tony arrived, I do as I do with any one that comes to our place, I took him on a tour of our garden !! He was very impressed, and as he took MANY photo's, he asked questions. That month, much to my delight, Tony wrote about us in the paper. It was extremely awesome !!! The month after that, I had sent Lynn a poem I wrote called AUTUMN IS GENTLY FADING, which was my very first published work !!!
I was so happy !! (OK here is the picture... imagine a lady {47yrs old mind you} getting her first publishing.. JUMPING up and down, squealing like a child of ten, grinning from ear to ear, all at the same time, almost peeing, YEP that was me!!) Tee Hee Hee !! Well believe it or not, I'm am about to be published again. Lynn sent the automated reminder of when the submissions were due, and I really thought that she would like to read the most recent poem, {I liked most}, that I had written. HOW TO TRIM A ROSE... she said, and I quote, "That's very cute! I may use it on the Gardening page. I couldn't have said it better!"
So again, I'm jumping, dancing, squealing, grinning... well you get the picture ! Thank you Tony and Lynn for making my dream come true !! YOU ROCK !!! I'm a published poet... and I didn't have to spend a dime ! Maybe the next step will be that one of my poems get bought !!! My next dream... LOL... for now, I'm that over the top happy girl, sending everyone I know a copy of the paper! It feels so great !
Time for today's Prompt Tease...Write an English Sonnet
Come join in @ http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
or just stop by to see ours...
Hope to see you there!
ENJOY
JL&B
Meeting Tony and Lynn Neff, the owners of the paper, was purely out of the blue. My husband and I were in town one day, at a quaint little shop, known as the Enchanted Village. I was speaking with the shop owner Shelly, as my husband Wayne, conversed with a gentleman who was exchanging the BC Messenger. We came to find out this man was none other than Tony Neff, the owner.
After a moment or two, I had asked who wrote for the paper, to which he asked if I am a writer... I laughingly said "Yes, Poetry." He gave me an assignment for the paper, TOLERANCE. I balked at first, with my non-political, non-religious ways, I wasn't wanting my first published work to be so radical. I write about gardens and rainbows for heaven's sake, I feared this assignment wasn't in me, but gave it a try none the less.
Tony and I set up a date for him to come over to our place to see if what I wrote was what he was looking for. When Tony arrived, I do as I do with any one that comes to our place, I took him on a tour of our garden !! He was very impressed, and as he took MANY photo's, he asked questions. That month, much to my delight, Tony wrote about us in the paper. It was extremely awesome !!! The month after that, I had sent Lynn a poem I wrote called AUTUMN IS GENTLY FADING, which was my very first published work !!!
I was so happy !! (OK here is the picture... imagine a lady {47yrs old mind you} getting her first publishing.. JUMPING up and down, squealing like a child of ten, grinning from ear to ear, all at the same time, almost peeing, YEP that was me!!) Tee Hee Hee !! Well believe it or not, I'm am about to be published again. Lynn sent the automated reminder of when the submissions were due, and I really thought that she would like to read the most recent poem, {I liked most}, that I had written. HOW TO TRIM A ROSE... she said, and I quote, "That's very cute! I may use it on the Gardening page. I couldn't have said it better!"
So again, I'm jumping, dancing, squealing, grinning... well you get the picture ! Thank you Tony and Lynn for making my dream come true !! YOU ROCK !!! I'm a published poet... and I didn't have to spend a dime ! Maybe the next step will be that one of my poems get bought !!! My next dream... LOL... for now, I'm that over the top happy girl, sending everyone I know a copy of the paper! It feels so great !
Time for today's Prompt Tease...Write an English Sonnet
Come join in @ http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
or just stop by to see ours...
Hope to see you there!
ENJOY
JL&B
Friday, January 14, 2011
A MOTHER'S NATURE
Many of my writings are about things I lived, am living now, or feel within my heart and mind. I often think of the beauty in my life and use that as a bases or a starting point. One of the things I find most beautiful is Mother Nature. I have a genuine wonder in the ways of Nature and how she always takes care of her own. Just like a human mothers' nature to nurture and give tough love, so it is with Mother Nature.
Sometimes things in my garden seem like they are coming up the wrong time of year. This year is a very good example of what I mean. I have a habit of photographing all the flowers (or plants) that are in our yard. This not only gives me a great photo album, but also gives me a record of when all of our plants grow and bloom. The things I planted most in our garden is bulbs, they reproduce each year and they have always come up. Don't get me wrong here, I have a ton of other plants as well, but bulbs have never let me down.
I should also mention that I live in the sunny San Diego mountains, where the weather has a way of going from 79 degrees (day time temps today) to 39 degrees (over night low tonight) . Sometimes we have winds that (like today) come in gusts ranging from nothing to 60mph in the same minute, other days (like yesterday) not a hint of wind.
OOPS... sorry i have ot finish this later, we just got company ! I love company !!!
May be tomorrow, but I'll be back, until then
Today's prompt tease is WRITE YOUR OUW WORDS to the song Welcome to my world.
Hope to see you joining in too
ENJOY
JL&B
Sometimes things in my garden seem like they are coming up the wrong time of year. This year is a very good example of what I mean. I have a habit of photographing all the flowers (or plants) that are in our yard. This not only gives me a great photo album, but also gives me a record of when all of our plants grow and bloom. The things I planted most in our garden is bulbs, they reproduce each year and they have always come up. Don't get me wrong here, I have a ton of other plants as well, but bulbs have never let me down.
I should also mention that I live in the sunny San Diego mountains, where the weather has a way of going from 79 degrees (day time temps today) to 39 degrees (over night low tonight) . Sometimes we have winds that (like today) come in gusts ranging from nothing to 60mph in the same minute, other days (like yesterday) not a hint of wind.
OOPS... sorry i have ot finish this later, we just got company ! I love company !!!
May be tomorrow, but I'll be back, until then
Today's prompt tease is WRITE YOUR OUW WORDS to the song Welcome to my world.
Hope to see you joining in too
ENJOY
JL&B
Thursday, January 13, 2011
In the garden with Grandma
I learned so much from my Grandmother. My love of words, numbers, color and flowers were nurtured by her in ways that still effect me today. I miss the garden she loved so much, it was a wonder filled place for me.
Yesterday, in a garden not my own, I was asked many questions about fruit on a tree. My answers were so influenced by my Grandmothers teachings that it felt like she was right there with me. The questions that stood out most were how to pick fruit... How do you get the best, how do you prune etc.
It brought me back to the time I was around nine years old or so, peaches were in season, and Grandma gave permission to pick some. Much to her dismay that year, I got up in the tree and shook off all the peaches, thinking I was helping. She was so heart broken it took her years to allow me near the tree again. At that time, she took me out to the tree and showed me how to properly pick a peach ( with examples of other fruit as well) . Her patience that day was above and beyond any prior, and it all stuck with me throughout the years. Now with her teachings and a few years experience of my own I get to tell others what I know about picking fruit.
Yesterday's tree was a limon, (no, I didn't mis-spell it) a hybrid mix of lemon and lime. The tree was loaded with fruit and I was told that I could have the limons that were ready. ALL of the fruit on that tree was ready ! The owner asked how to tell how fruit was ready, so I passed on the lessons I learned.
A citrus tree needs a bit of a tug to get the ripe fruit. I told him to think of it as hair on your head and the hardest you would want it pulled. He understood that without even thinking, and a few fruits later, he learned it for life. (I thought I could hear my Grandma tell me very good )
Each fruit has its own signal, if you cup a peach for instance, it is ready when it falls off in your hand. Vine fruits like blackberries, are much the same.( Although grapes are in a category all their own) Strawberries on the other hand should be easier to know, the color gives them away. Learning these differences saved me from getting cramps from eating green fruit, a lesson well learned. (Thank you Grandma !)
Well for those of you who have made it through this ramble of mine, it's time for the prompt tease.. Today' Prompt is USE THESE WORDS ( A favorite of ours) , you can see today's words and my effort on Dodge Writes, my poetry blog.
Hope to see you joining in too
ENJOY
JL&B
Yesterday, in a garden not my own, I was asked many questions about fruit on a tree. My answers were so influenced by my Grandmothers teachings that it felt like she was right there with me. The questions that stood out most were how to pick fruit... How do you get the best, how do you prune etc.
It brought me back to the time I was around nine years old or so, peaches were in season, and Grandma gave permission to pick some. Much to her dismay that year, I got up in the tree and shook off all the peaches, thinking I was helping. She was so heart broken it took her years to allow me near the tree again. At that time, she took me out to the tree and showed me how to properly pick a peach ( with examples of other fruit as well) . Her patience that day was above and beyond any prior, and it all stuck with me throughout the years. Now with her teachings and a few years experience of my own I get to tell others what I know about picking fruit.
Yesterday's tree was a limon, (no, I didn't mis-spell it) a hybrid mix of lemon and lime. The tree was loaded with fruit and I was told that I could have the limons that were ready. ALL of the fruit on that tree was ready ! The owner asked how to tell how fruit was ready, so I passed on the lessons I learned.
A citrus tree needs a bit of a tug to get the ripe fruit. I told him to think of it as hair on your head and the hardest you would want it pulled. He understood that without even thinking, and a few fruits later, he learned it for life. (I thought I could hear my Grandma tell me very good )
Each fruit has its own signal, if you cup a peach for instance, it is ready when it falls off in your hand. Vine fruits like blackberries, are much the same.( Although grapes are in a category all their own) Strawberries on the other hand should be easier to know, the color gives them away. Learning these differences saved me from getting cramps from eating green fruit, a lesson well learned. (Thank you Grandma !)
Well for those of you who have made it through this ramble of mine, it's time for the prompt tease.. Today' Prompt is USE THESE WORDS ( A favorite of ours) , you can see today's words and my effort on Dodge Writes, my poetry blog.
Hope to see you joining in too
ENJOY
JL&B
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