I CAN'T EVEN THINK OF A TITLE FOR THIS

Just got the news about an hour ago and needed to talk it out. Three of my former students were killed in a car accident after a Christmas party Saturday night. i know they were "former" students, but i was very close to Dana, and went to high school with his mom, and Chris was the nephew of one of my 3 best friends (Carol) from high school.

i have sent my son over to a friend's house while i deal with this. He's too excited and happy about Santa coming tonight to need to see mommy ccry. i don't want to ruin that. when i get done writing, i will probably be able to cry but i haven't yet, except the ones that came into my eyes with the initial shock. it hasn't really become real yet.

viewing will be on Boxing Day and the funeral the following day. i don't know how i'm going to get through that, but i will. Kim is going to need her friends. Jesus, she just lost her mom in May. and now her son. and Dana was such a sweetheart. he used to clear my car off for me after school when it snowed, just because. he was going to be getting married in the summer and they just bought a house in Shepody. and Chris' grandparents ... i don't know how they're going to cope with this loss. they raised him because joyce couldn't. he was such a hellion, but so good for Beth and Herb. i know too much about these kids. they and their families are too damned close to me.

from all accounts, it was a horrible accident. it rained here last evening then went real cold, so we had black ice. they were travelling on a back road near the community where i teach. they lost control and went over an embankment into the river. Jesus, it's not even certain at this point if they died from impact related injuries or if they drowned.

i just looked for the article on the web. they don't have all the information, but it's there. i'll plug it in here. Peter Murphy is the husband of one of my best friends. she's the one who called me.


*.*. villages mourn loss of 3 young men

Last Updated: Monday, December 24, 2007 11:31 AM AT
CBC News

Residents of several small villages in southeastern ********* were in mourning Monday after three young men were found dead in an overturned car in an icy river on the weekend.

Dozens of residents from ********** have visited the site of the accident at a dam in the nearby community of ********* since the car carrying the men was discovered Sunday morning.

The RCMP identified the victims Monday as Dana B, 23, of *******, Shawn W, 25, of ********* and Christopher I, 25, of *********.

Volunteer fire Chief Peter Murphy said it has been a shock for those in ***********, since most of the community's 320 residents knew the victims.

"It's been a tragic blow to the community, particularly with the time of year," said Murphy.
Police said the car veered off a snow-covered back road late Saturday night just outside the village and plunged into the frigid water.

The bodies were discovered trapped in the upside-down car Sunday morning in about six metres of water.

A friend discovered the car after the trio didn't show up at a party. The three had been at another party earlier in the night.

The RCMP were still investigating the cause of the crash on Monday, but said the weather was probably a factor.

"We're unsure of what the driving conditions were at the time. Clearly it was winter driving conditions. We're not sure what caused the men to miss the turn and end up in the water," said Sgt. Derek Strong.

He said investigators are waiting for the results of autopsies to determine if alcohol or drugs were a factor.

RENAISSANCE MUSIC FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Okay, y'all might not be too interested in this. Fact is, I'm using my blog to store the listening examples for my high school Music Appreciation Course. That being said, the music is truly phenomenal, and for the more adventurous among you, might be the discovery of a new love. Expand your horizons. Remember, though, it's about the music, not the videos, so close your eyes and hear what my grade 9's are jazzing to this week.

1. Guillaume Dufay *Ave Maris Stella* polyphony from the early part of the Renaissance.

2. Palestrina *Missa Papae Marcelli - Gloria* homophony from the middle Renaissance Era.

3. Thomas Morley *Sing We And Chant It* madrigal from the end of the Renaissance Period.

4. Caccini *Ave Maria* monody from the Transition Period between the Renaissance and the Baroque Era. (performed by countertenor Slava Kagan-Paley)

FOR MAC (ALWAYS)

Love of my life

I don't have a lot to give you

What's in my heart

Is all that I can really give you

Love, undying love is all I have

A handful of words,

that might make you laugh

And all the strength you need

To make it through

All your troubled times

I give all of myself to you

Only you

My dream come true

Love of my life

You were all I ever wanted

To be with you

Is all I ever really wanted

You, you've made my life a fairy tale

You've added love,

to a life that was so stale

And know that I'll be here

Always for you, when you need a friend

I give all of myself to you

Only you

My dream come true

I've been waiting my whole life for you

Now my waiting is through

All the nights I spent dreaming I knew

That my dream would come true

So many nights

I laid awake dreaming I knew

One day I'd be with you

Now i find myself dreaming anew

Cause my dream has come true

Dream come true

My dream has come true

SAMANTHA

Samantha was 14. She had anorexia. She had a heart attack and died. I'm sorry I can't do justice to her life, but I'm very angry about this and I don't want to dwell on it now. Samantha, you were a bright light and I'm going to miss seeing your smile in the mornings.

Mac, I understand that it's difficult for you to face this with me. Have a good time hunting this weekend. I love You.

TAGGED BY VINNY

OK, so Mimi, Queen of the Memes was tagged by Lee . This meme originally comes from The Blue Tea person.Then Mimi tagged The Lady Of The Luggage, Anndi, who tagged The Voice Of The Tapes, Bud, who then tagged Bond sitting pretty on His Couch. Bond then had the temerity to suggest that MY life needs fixing, and tagged me ... okay, so maybe it could use a tweak or two ...

Rules:

Devise a list of 5-10 courses you would take to fix your life. It's more fun to be in classes with friends, so include one class from the person who tagged you that you'd also like to take. Tag five.


Okay, so ... I maintain that my life is nearly perfect. Then again, I'm in love, and everything looks beautiful to me right now. Even spiders ... okay, not spiders (evil, vicious monsters from hell that they are), but everything else. But I guess, in reflection, that there are a few things that I could work on to make things even better than they are.

First, I had to choose a course that Vinny conceived. Let me interject here that I can't imagine anyone that I'd enjoy taking a course with more than Vinny. I think He'd be a blast to study with, and I'm pretty sure He'd be the perfect balance between class clown and serious student. In fact, I liked the idea so much, I decided to take two courses with Him. Besides, I figure I might be able to get Him to share His gravy recipe with me if I have enough time to work on Him..

The first one is Vinny's Time Management class. I mean, who couldn't use a little more balance in their lives. I'd like to figure out how to spend as much time with Mac and my little guy as I can, do a good job at work, and still have time left over for my friends and other family, with maybe a little time in there to clean house occasionally.

Second, through circumstances which are beyond my control, I will be spending Christmas Day alone this year. My parents are going on a cruise, my brother's family will be in Florida with Mickey, Mac is going to Colorado to spend the holidays with His daughters, and my son will be spending Christmas Day with his daddy's family. A little bit of Vinny's Holidays Without Your Son 101 might come in handy, slightly modified to Holidays Without Your Loved Ones ...

Okay, so now I've got to come up with three more courses ...

This would be an excellent one for me, and if it existed, I'd definitely enroll: Overcoming Body Issues. I've never been happy with the way I look. Not that I'm a dog or anything (I've never understood that comparison, because I think dogs are beautiful creatures) but I'm perpetually conscious of the extra weight I carry, if I'm having a bad hair day, my freckles, scars, short nose, you name it. Mac has done a lot to help me overcome that, because He thinks I'm beautiful, even on my worst days, but the issues are still there and I wish they weren't.

Staying in Focus is another course from which I would benefit greatly. I have an artistic temperament, and all that entails. I'm creative, and my mind runs on several different tracks at once. When I'm at my best, I can juggle 9 or 10 tasks all at the same time and keep things moving along quite satisfactorily. However, those instances are rare, and more often than not, when I am faced with a new task, sometimes I forget what I was doing with the others and then have to review my processes in order to figure out how to keep going. Or worse, I forget there even WAS another task ...

See, this is what I mean. I got distracted and now it's two hours later, and before I can finish this thing, I have to go back and read what I wrote up to this point.

Okay, now I'm ready to finish this thing. I've been pretty serious up to this point, and I really don't feel I should buck that trend, so this is the final course I really feel would improve my life immeasurably. I know there are many who would agree. If I could, I would take a course in Shoe Shopping. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find the perfect shoe without breaking the bank? Comfort squared plus style over economy times durability divided by time? The perfect combination is more complex than a scientific formula. Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. Others, well ... you never will get it, but that's okay because you probably wear sneakers all the time anyway.

Now I'm supposed to tag some people, and I have no idea who's still in the blogging game these days, or who's been tagged, so I'll just say that if you haven't done it, you should, because it makes you realize how great your life already is and how nitpicky we have gotten these days. Then, after you do it, go earn grains of rice on Anndi's Luggage Warehouse for the hungry people in the world. Because those are the people who need our consideration. My problems are miniscule compared to theirs. How about yours?

A BRIEF RESPITE FROM THE "LOVEY-DOVEY" STUFF (just for Meri)

Okay, enough with the jocularity, on with the gushy, lovey-dovey. Hey, I'm in love and I want to shout it from the rooftops. What's more, it's returned a thousandfold. Mac loves me just as much as I love him. There's the miracle. This intelligent, kind, thoughtful, generous, sensual man loves me for exactly who I am. Isn't that something? So, when I post lovesongs here, it's for him, because it's all about how he makes me feel. I love you, Mac.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

My warmest wishes to all my friends for peace and joy in the holiday season.



And for my beloved Mac, someday, Sweetheart, as we are laying in each other's arms and I am singing softly to you, let us remember all the days I would "sing to you" by posting here. These songs are the embodiment of all my dreams, my hope, my wishes, my emotions. And they are all for you. You are my Best Friend, my Dream Come True, my Confidante, my Rock, my Lover ... You are truly my Everything. Every day, I am thankful for you. I love you, forever and beyond.




For you, my One and Only.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, SWEETHEART

For those of you unaware, I have been seeing a wonderful gentleman by the name of Mac. Today is the 5 month anniversary of our first meeting and subsequent conversation, which lasted from 8:45 pm until 7:08 the following morning. Things have only gotten better since we met. We never seem to run out of things to talk about and seek each other's company with the eagerness of loved ones separated for months, as opposed to hours. Mac and I are cautiously optimistic that we have discovered something extraordinary in each other, and we have begun making plans for a shared future.

Mac, this song is for you. You are the only one other than my son with whom I have ever shared it, as I always believed it was meant to be special. I love you, Sweetheart.

LEST WE FORGET

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

by Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp officer, Dr. John McCrae [1872-1918]

John McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario and attended the Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute. He then studied medicine on a scholarship at the University of Toronto.

McCrae served in the artillery during the Second Boer War.

When the British declared war on Germany at the start of World War I, Canada, as a Dominion within the British Empire, declared war also.

McCrae was appointed as a field surgeon in the Canadian artillery and was in charge of a field hospital during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. McCrae's friend and former student, Lt. Alexis Helmer, was killed in the battle, and his burial inspired the poem, In Flanders Fields, which was written on May 3, 1915.

'In Flanders Fields' appeared anonymously in Punch on 8 December 1915, but in the index to that year McCrae was named as the author. The verses swiftly became one of the most popular poems of the war, used in countless fund-raising campaigns and frequently translated. 'In Flanders Fields' was also extensively printed in the USA, which was contemplating joining the war, alongside a 'reply' by R. W. Lillard, ("...Fear not that you have died for naught, / The torch ye threw to us we caught...").

In late January 1918, while still commanding No 3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill) at Boulogne, McCrae died of pneumonia.

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN

Hallowe'en was never a big deal for my family. Sure, when we were young, we'd costume up (ALWAYS home-created, never bought a costume) and go door to door scavenging for treats, but there were no days off from school, so it wasn't a "real" holiday, to me. Back then, not too many people decorated their houses either, other than a hand-carved jack-o-lantern. It just wasn't a big thing.





Something has changed ... a couple years ago, I started putting up lights, tombstones, corpses and laughing skeletons outside my home. Not one a hand-carved pumpkin, but clusters of them adorn my front and back verandahs. I even invested in a "ghostly sounds" cd and outdoor sound system so strange, eerie moans, screeches and laughs emanate from above the front door.




So what happened? My son discovered the joys of Hallowe'en. I make no excuses. I'm doing this for him. He was two and a half when he first realized the import of this day.


I remember the moment he walked up to our neighbours house, dressed in a fuzzy panda costume, lisped "twick or tweat" and was handed a bag of candy ... that was it for him. He wouldn't put that bag of candy in his treat bucket, but clutched it like a little miser all the way to the next house, when he forgot all about it at the appearance of a bag of chips. Then he figured he was set for the night and was ready to go home and devour the spoils. However, the next afternoon, I was in for a big shock when he came out of his bedroom, dressed in his costume, demanding to do it all again. It took some pretty fancy explaining to get him to understand that Hallowe'en was special and it only happened once in a long while. A year means nothing to a two year old, but I figured that he would forget about it quickly and that would be the end of it. Not so, with my son. Biweekly for the next 6 months, I would be confronted with the question "Is it Hallowe'en yet?" and several reappearances of the panda costume, now tattered and stained from much love, and about 2 - 4 - 6 inches too short in the legs and arms.


Around here, the stores don't believe in wasting a sales opportunity. July came, and with it, the appearance of Hallowe'en reminders for my son. Being three now, he was a "big boy" and had to have a "man's" costume. He chose Superman. By the end of September, I had to buy him a second one, as he had worn out the first "practicing". Walking like Superman, running like Superman (which involved motor sounds and shifting of gears???), flying like Superman and of course, singing that awful ditty that i had been crazy enough to teach him at some weak-minded point ...

Trick or treat

smell my feet

give me something good to eat!

If you don't

I don't care

I'll pull down your underwear!

(my son inadvertently sings the last line as:

"I'll pull all your underwear down!")

As a two year old, he had learned an important lesson about Hallowe'en that, as a three year old, he was not about to repeat. That Hallowe'en, he was bound and determined to collect a year's supply of chips and candy, or die in the attempt. In reality, it felt like he was trying to kill me! I couldn't run fast enough to keep up with him as he raced maniacally from door to door, red cape standing straight out behind his shoulders, victim to the jetstream. Gone was the charming "Twick or tweat". This little charmer would greet the neighbours with the baldly stated "I want candy." until I firmly suggested to him that we would be going home if I didn't start hearing manners from him. Then, my greedy little tot deigned to modify his single-minded approach to "I want candy, PLEASE.", but with such a menacing undertone that, had he been three feet taller, our good neighbours might have been moved to hand over their wallets and jewellery, as well.

On November 1st, 2006, my darling son began planning his strategy for this year. At 5:45 am, he woke me up with the siren call that no mother can ignore. "Mommy!? MOMMY!?" he whispered like an Uzi an inch from my brain. Foggily, I struggled to remember who "mommy" was, then responded to his summons. "Whazzamadda?" I mumbled blearily. "Mommy," he paused dramatically, with the air of one in possession of state secrets. "Next year, I'm going to be Batman."

He may have been 3 at the time, but he is the most single-minded kid I've ever known. Today, he is Batman. The TV Batman, not the movie one, because the costume was "cooler". He is wearing a mask for the first time and he struts around like the "real" Batman, practicing his punches and kicks, and shouting sounds like "POW!" and "WHAM!" Yup ... just like the TV show ... and last night, as I was decorating the cake we had made for his Hallowe'en party at daycare, I heard him softly singing himself to sleep with his current favorite lullaby ...

Trick or treat
smell my feet
give me something good to eat!
If you don't
I don't care
I'll pull all your underwear down!

God, I love being his mommy ...

Six Classic Affairs

The 1st Affair:

A married man was having an affair with his secretary.One day they went her place and made love all afternoon. Exhausted, they fell asleep and woke up at 8 PM.The man hurriedly dressed and told his lover to take his shoes outside and rub them in the grass and dirt. He put on his shoes and drove home."Where have you been?" his wife demanded."I can't lie to you," he replied, "I'm having an affair with my secretary. We had sex all afternoon.""You lying bastard! You've been playing golf!"


The 2nd Affair:

A middle-aged couple had two beautiful daughters but always talked about having a son.They decided to try one last time for the son they always wanted. The wife got pregnant and delivered a healthy baby boy.The joyful father rushed to the nursery to see his new son.He was horrified at the ugliest child he had ever seen.He told his wife, "There's no way I can be the father of this baby. Look at the two beautiful daughters I fathered! Have you been fooling around behind my back?" The wife smiled sweetly and replied, "Not this time!"


The 3rd Affair:

A mortician was working late one night. He examined the body of Mr. Schwartz, about to be cremated, and made a startling discovery. Schwartz had the largest private part he had ever seen! "I'm sorry Mr. Schwartz," the mortician commented, "I can't allow you to be cremated with such an impressive private part. It must be saved for p osterity."So, he removed it, stuffed it into his briefcase, and took it home."I have to show you something you won't believe," he said tohis wife, opening his briefcase."My God!" the wife exclaimed, "Schwartz is dead?!?!"


The 4th Affair:

A woman was in bed with her lover when she heard her husband opening the front door."Hurry," she said, "stand in the corner. She rubbed baby oil all over him, then dusted him with talcum powder."Don't move until I tell you," she said. "Pretend you're a statue.""What's this?" the husband inquired as he entered the room."Oh it's a statue." she replied. "The Smith's bought one and I liked it so much I got one for us, too."No more was said, not even when they went to bed.Around 2 AM the husband got up, went to the kitchen and returned with a sandwich and a beer."Here," he said to the statue, "have this. I stood like that for two days at the Smith's and nobody offered me a damned thing."


The 5th Affair:

A man walked into a cafe, went to the bar and ordered a beer."Certainly, Sir, that'll be one cent.""One Cent?" the man thought.He glanced at the menu and asked, "How much for a nice juicy steak and a bottle of wine?""A nickel," the barman replied."A nickel?" exclaimed the man. "Where's the guy who owns this place?"The bartender replied, "Upstairs, with my wife."The man asked, "What's he doing upstairs with your wife?"The bartender replied, "The same thing I'm doing to his business down here."


The 6th Affair:

Jake was dying. His wife sat at the bedside. He looked up and said weakly, "I have something I must confess.""There's no need to," his wife replied."No," he insisted, "I want to die in pe ace. I slept with your sister, your best friend, her best friend, and your mother!""I know, I know," she replied. "Now just rest and let the poison work."

MEH ...

Came in to blog. Not inspired. Will try again tomorrow.

YEAH, I KNOW ... I'VE BEEN GONE FOR A WEEK ... BUT WHAT A WEEK!

I'd tell you more about it, but I want to get my thoughts in order first, so in the

meantime, here's a few cute little pictures for you to wonder at ...

IS THIS REALLY WHO I AM?

You Are An INFP

The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards.You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings. At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values.You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist. How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual When other people don't get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak

What's" Your Personality Type?

LADY GOT THE BLUES

This week in my neighbourhood, we celebrate the onset of autumn with the biggest jazz and blues festival east of Montreal. Under normal circumstances, I'd be out for the whole week, taking time off work and blowing every spare penny I have on show passes and beergardens. This year, because of my ill-timed surgery, I am unable to attend the majority of the festivities. Thanks to wonderful friends who got me tickets to the best sit-down shows, I will be able to attend. I fully expect to be exhausted by the end of the week, but really good music is worth nearly any price.

So ... here are the headliners. There are lots of other shows, too, but these are the truly recognizable names in th jazz and blues world:

Arturo Sandoval (woohoo latin jazz trumpet - would love to take B to see this! Someday, when he's a bit older, I will pay any price to expose my kid to this calibre of musicianship.)

Shemekia Copeland (heard this NY blues diva a couple of years ago, and she can BLOW!)

Matt Mays and El Torpedo (fantabulous blues band with an international reputation from right here on the East Coast)

Watermelon Slim and the Workers (Oklahoma grassroots blues - wish I could go to this one, 'cause I'm hearing great things about 'em.)

Molly Johnson (Toronto-based jazz singer - she's been here before and is an awesome presence.)

Warren Haynes (doing a solo show, and I'm sooooo gonna be there!!! He's classed as one of the top 25 guitarists of all time, so danged straight I'm pumped!)

Gov't Mule (Warren Haynes and ... didn't score tickets to this - they sold out in 3 minutes. That's a festival record. I could get tickets off the street, but I just don't have that kind of money, ya know?)

Dr. John the Night Tripper (New Orleans blues piano dude. This is the real thing ... the reason I love the blues. Saw him on video before and I'm looking forward to this show even more than the Warren Haynes one, since I am a pianist by trade ... life is great, I tell ya, absolutely grand!)

There's a whole lot more going on than these few: Matt Minglewood, Garrett Mason, Silvio Pupo Quartet, God Made Me Funky, Grand Theft Bus, The Lee Boys, Detroit Women, L'il Brian and the Zydeco Travellers, and the list goes on ... wish I could see it all, but there's no way, not this year ... can't wait till next year, though!

AIN'T IT THE TRUTH?

Okay, I'm back. Not to say I'll blog every day or anything, but I want to do this, I'm feeling better and I have the time. What better way to reconnect with the people I love and miss so much? I don't know what I'll talk about, or even if it will make any sense, but then, that was always a problem for me. Brace yourselves for some pretty inane ramblings, then. Muah!

TWO ANGELS

Today, I lost two students in a car accident. David was 18, had just graduated from high school in June and was accepted in Bachelor of Administration at university. Alina, nearly 17, was about to begin her graduate year at the school where I teach. Two of their friends, both 17, were in the back seat and are in critical condition.

I have known these kids since they came to me in grade 6, 11 years old, wide-eyed and impressionable. David played the trumpet in my band and Alina was my keyboard player. Chris and Stacie are in first and second alto sax seats.

The news hasn't hit the media yet, but the family called me, because I helped Alina through a difficult personal crisis last year and they consider me to be like family. I am blogging now as a sort of catharsis. I am in shock. All I know, and don't understand at all, is that alcohol played a role, and neither David nor Alina were wearing their seatbelts. One day soon, I will address those factors, but not today ... today I am just writing. It won't be a pretty post. Like that matters. I can't tell anyone here yet. Mac has company this weekend, so I can't cry on his shoulder. So I'm blogging. Lol. I already said that, didn't I?

So here are a few lines that I found. They seem appropriate.

They were taken, far too soon, but in our love, they carry on, in our

hearts, forevermore. They were all, far too young, to be taken away like

that, but if we remember, they will be near us. Too soon were they taken

to heaven, but if we try, we can keep them alive inside us, for all of time.

HELP ME !!!!!!!!!!

I NEED A MEME, PEOPLE !

CELEBRATING

HAPPY 44th BIRTHDAY, ROSS

MIDDLE NAME MEME (thanks Trav)

I was in hospital again for a bit this week, so I didn't get here, or to anybody else's blog. Got some ground to cover. Thanks to Trav for hitting me with this meme to give me a jumpstart. Big hugs, honey.

Here's the rules:

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Well, I don't have the same problem that Trav had, since my middle name is short and easy. So here we gooooooooooooooo ......

R is for red, because that's my signature colour (as opposed to my favorite colour, which is green, but that doesn't start with R). I am never without at least a little bit of red clothing on my person, although you can't always see it ...

O is for oranges, which are my favorite fruit. Currently, the choice at our house leans towards those yummy seedless clementines that are easy to peel, but I'll eat just about any kind of orange.

S is for Scrabble. It's my favorite board game, and I will accept all realtime or online challengers because I love the game so much.

E is for Email. Hello, my name is Coco, and I'm an email addict. Yes, I check my email compulsively, about once an hour if I'm near a computer. The great thing about that is, I almost always have something! I used to be better at responding to all of it, too, but I've gotten out of that habit, thankfully. Wasn't getting anything else done. So now I only respond to personal correspondance, or work-related stuff.

So that's my middle name: ROSE. And just as an added bit of trivial, yellow roses are my favorite roses, although daisies are my favorite flower. Now, I'm supposed to tag somebody, but who? Okay, I'll shoot in the dark here, and tag Am, Anndi, Bond, Sue and TopChamp. Maybe one of them hasn't been tagged yet.

THREE WORDS MEME

I have to gratefully acknowledge Trav for conveniently posting this meme where I could easily find it and adapt it to my own use. The trick is to answer each category in three words, no more no less. NOT as easy as it sounds ... Oh, if you want it, help yourself.





1. Where is your cell phone? on my desk


2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend? Mac the Knife


3. Your hair? long, curly, brown


4. Where is your father? home bugging mom.


5. Your favorite thing to do? play with Brennan


6. Your dream last night? can't remember it


7. Your dream car? yellow Jaguar convertible


8. The room you're in? cluttered music room


9. Who did you hang out with last night? Mac and Brennan


10. Your fears? spiders and ex


11. What aren't you good at? hiding my emotions


12. Muffins? never eat them


13. One of your wish list items? finalize the divorce


14. The last thing you did? petted the dog


15. Your computer? my life line


16. Your pet? Daisy the husky


17. You are wearing? halter top, cutoffs


18. Your life? better every day


19. Your mood? relaxed, on vacation


20. Missing? nothing at all


21. Your car? 2005 Toyota Matrix


22. What are you thinking about now? camping with Mac


23. Your work? french/music teacher


24. Your summer? playing with Brennan


25. Your relationship status? falling in love


26. Your favorite color(s)? green, red, cream


27. When is the last time you cried? late last night


28. When was the last time you laughed? two minutes ago


29. School? never stopped going


30. Favorite 90's group? barren, desolate wasteland

THE "SEVEN" MEME

I unashamedly stole this meme from Sanni. I think memes may be the answer to getting me blogging again. They're fun and I don't really have to think very hard. Perfect, huh? Hope you don't get bored ...


Seven......


Things I plan to do before I die


1. meet my dear, precious SP friends
2. adopt another child
3. write a novel
4. travel (anywhere at all would be fine)
5. be completely debt-free
6. go to a Van Morrison concert
7. get another degree, just for myself, not for the job


Things I can do


1. make my son laugh, any time
2. teach anyone to play the piano
3. curl my tongue into a tube
4. bake a perfect double chocolate cheesecake
5. create a child-sized replica of a tank out of a cardboard box and a wrapping-paper tube
6. read a 250-page novel in less than 2 hours
7. hold my breath underwater for 67 seconds


Things I can't do


1. type worth sh*t
2. swear without feeling guilty
3. stay angry at someone
4. play chords on a guitar
5. balance a chequebook
6. speak Spanish
7. understand rap music


Things that attract me to the opposite sex


1. gentleness (been the other route ... never again)
2. a positive attitude (nothing more depressing than spending time with someone who always sees the negative aspect of things)
3. intelligence (or else I get BORED)
4. self-awareness (knows who he is and what he wants and needs out of life)
5. eyes (the expression in them is more important than colour or shape)
6. the VOICE (intonation is everything)
7. big hands (um ... this is a purely sexual thing ...)


Things I say the most


1. aww geez
2. I love you
3. my day was going great till I looked in the mirror
4. baby, you're the greatest
5. i know you can do it
6. where'd I put my ___?
7. good night, sleep tight; angels watch over you till morning light; mommy loves you with all her might


Celebrity Crushes


1. Van Morrison (hey, nobody said they had to be sexual crushes ...)
2. Jamie Foxx (ahh hell ... everything about him)
3. Richard Gere (onscreen kisses that melt my fillings)
4. Gerard Depardieu (the aww-shucks demeanor, the accent, the nose ...)
5. Alan Rickman (the voice ...)
6. Rowan Atkinson (anybody who can make me laugh like that ...)
7. Bond (and we're not talking 007 here ...)


Songs I can't get out of my head


1. Yellow Submarine
2. Hit the Road, Jack
3. My Sharona
4. Hey Mickey
5. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (thanks a whole helluva lot, Staples Business Depot!)
6. Moondance
7. The Barney Song (AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!)


Things I do in the middle of the night but shouldn't


1. read trashy novels
2. get out of bed
3. check my email
4. check to see which of my friends are online (because I always end up chatting)
5. laundry
6. baking
7. talk on the phone to Mac


Things I'd bring to a deserted island


1. my son
2. Mac
3. full-equipped tool box
4. one of those crank-operated satellite radios
5. Swiss Army knife
6. first aid kit
7. waterproof matches


Shows on TV I follow


*I'm unable to fill this one out, because I haven't watched a tv show since May 2006


Reasons the world is better off that I don't carry a gun


1. PMS
2. the lines are too long at Tim Horton's in the morning
3. too many idiots with a license to drive
4. type A personalities bother me
5. the sign says 10 items or less, dammit!
6. I close my eyes when I pull the trigger
7. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool pacifist ...


Things I can't do without


1. my son
2. my friends
3. my dogs
4. laptop
5. bottled water
6. my Van Morrison cd collection
7. my piano


Things that make life worth living a little longer


1. my son
2. my friends
3. Mac
4. my dogs
5. my job
6. listening to the Blues
7. double chocolate brownie frozen yogurt


Things I used to do when I was younger but no longer do


1. drink excessively
2. smoke pot
3. jump the tracks in my car
4. go braless
5. live in an apartment
6. pull all-nighters
7. believe in "Happily Ever After"

Things that make it hard for people to like me

1. sometimes, I don't like myself very much, either
2. don't socialize much
3. tendency to hold myself back
4. shyness
5. don't trust people very easily
6. sarcastic
7. easily hurt and I withdraw

Stages I've gone through in my life

1. tomboy
2. girly-girl
3. teenybopper
4. band geek
5. university student
6. university professor
7. mommy

HELLO AGAIN

Hey ... I just found this old post that I started and never finished ... with your indulgence, although it's somewhat out of date and sequence, I'm going to complete it and publish it now. Perhaps it will dull the shock of the contents of my post yesterday for some of you (remember, I'm the same person I was before you knew this stuff about me). This post is just some random blatherings when I was trying to get back to blogging at the beginning of the summer. Maybe this time, it will take. Here's hoping.


So, I was cruising my way through blog heaven, avoiding my work, and I came across this old, forgotten, dusty place and thought to myself "Why not?"
Thank you to all the wonderful friends who have managed not to forget me since my "disappearance" from the pack. Not only that, y'all remembered my birthday. It touched me to receive all the best wishes and emails on Saturday.

Today is the last "official" day of school here. For me, it's the last day for the next four months, as I am scheduled for major surgery the day we are supposed to be coming back. Surprisingly, there is no apprehension in me about either the surgery or the enforced 8 week vacation following it. This is a good thing, this operation, and once I feel better, I'll want you to celebrate with me.

Tell me, what does everybody else do in summertime? My kid and I are taking a full 6 weeks to be "mommy and big boy" all over this wide, wonderful wilderness we call home. Everything from fishing to bullfrog hunting, visits to the zoo or the splash park, camping to biking, has made it onto our schedule. No school or thoughts of it for either of us. It's what a summer should be, right? Of course, I'm a teacher and that allows for all that marvelous time off, but I'm also going to be talking to him and preparing his four year old mind for the many days when mommy won't be able to take care of him after her surgery. It seems there have been far too many of those times in recent months ...

My computer time is going to be limited, too, because I am not going to let it interfere with the time I spend with my little guy. As it should be, I guess. Evenings after his bedtime are MINE, though, for feeding this unexpected addiction. Who knows, I may even come back to blogging. I've had a couple stories brewing in the back of my head for months now ... (sorry, Dana ... not Taylor-generated this time, I'm afraid)

All in all, despite three surgeries in the span of six months, life is good and every day brings something new to smile about. In the past year and a half, I have made some new lifelong friends and they bring me joy every day, just by their very existence. My job and my students are another source of happiness. How did I get so lucky? I fell into this job, almost literally, and have never once regretted it. Best of all, there is this shining light in my life that brightens every moment of every day for me. He may be only 4 years old, but my son is one of the most miraculous beings in the universe. Not perfect. Heaven knows, "perfect" people are usually anything but ...

So that's where I left off at the end of June and here we are the end of July already. How time flies. So my question for you all is: what are you doing with YOUR summer? Leave me you answers in the comments. Love you all. Be well.

MAGIC EIGHT BALL ... MEME ... WHATEVER

Angell tagged me and everybody knows that if you get tagged, you're it.

By the way? I dug down deep for some of these, so if you're easily shocked, DON'T GO ANY FURTHER (Dana???)

First, The Rules: We have to post these rules before we give you the facts ...

*Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
*People who are tagged write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
*At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. (note: the first 8 people who read this and heaven't yet been tagged, consider yourselves the chosen ones)
*Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog. (see, now I don't have to do that)

Now, without further ado, here's eight things about (drumroll) ... ME!

1. When I was 16, I broke my neck, between the C2 and C3 vertebrae, in a diving accident. I was lucky, because my swim coach was also a paramedic and kept me immobilized until the ambulance got there.

2. I was known as a real party girl my first two years of university. I never missed a beer garden or a house party and I guess I'm just lucky that I didn't lose my scholarship or end up pregnant.

3. I can play 22 musical instruments. I started out on the alto sax when I was 14, the piano when I was 15 and just kinda went from there. The instruments are: saxophone, clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon, recorder, trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba, violin, cello, double bass, guitar, bass guitar, piano, organ, marimba, drum kit, djembe, tin whistle and bodhran.

4. I didn't own a credit card until I was 39 years old, and only got one to simplify the adoption of my son.

5. I have recently become interested in the world of BD/sM and have met some wonderful, openminded people through internet and through local groups in the past two months. I am currently in a D/s relationship and have quite fallen in love with the lifestyle.

6. I was arrested in my early 20's for skinnydipping at a public beach. It was after dark and the beach was nearly deserted, but apparently my friends and I were not the first to have the idea.

7. I grew marijuana in my parents' back garden the summer between grade 11 and 12. They never knew what it was, and I never got found out, but I became a bit of a celebrity at school because of it.

8. About 18 months ago, I discovered I have a talent for writing a specific kind of literature. I have always enjoyed reading erotica, but it took having an online lover for me to discover that I could also write it. I have had 2 short stories published, and the magazine that published them has requested more of my work.

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT YOU

“Please Visit Dixie and Matt and Wish Them Well As He Leaves For Parris Island And The Marines on Sunday, July 22, 2007.Just click HERE.”

SONGS OF 1982

Oh boy, after reading Bond's list, I feel saddened and deprived by the list of songs and artists that I had to choose from. What a difference 10 years makes ...

Here are the rules:
1. Go to POPCULTURE MADNESS

2. Pick the year you turned 18

3. Get yourself nostalgic over the songs of the year

4. Write something about how the songs affected you

5. Pass it on to 5 more friends

Well, here goes ... 12 songs I remember and relate to from the year I turned 18, some pretty decent, some eminently forgettable, some hideously schlocky. And a few memories ... I'll try to keep them PG.


Physical - Olivia Newton-John - some songs would have been better left unwritten. This, in my humble opinion, is one of them. I remember sweatbands and spandex at the clubs because of this song. 'Nuff said.


I Love Rock n' Roll - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - a throwback to 2-chord rock that really has nothing to do with music. Think tribal chant of the stoner crowd ...


Chariots of Fire theme - Vangelis - my mother loved this song. Need I say more?


Ebony and Ivory - Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder - two great music legends, one incredibly bland song. It sticks in my memory only because it took my boyfriend a month to understand the reference of ebony and ivory as pertaining to the piano, as well as to the racial differences of the two performers ... yeah, he really was that dense, but he was a cute hockey player. (Anndi understands this ...)


Don't You Want Me - The Human League - you know, after sitting on this particular post for a while, I STILL have no opinion about this song. It was real popular and I can even remember the words, but I don't remember it having that much of an impact, really, at least not on me ...


Open Arms - Journey - no THIS is what it was about for me! My first serious "not-a-high-school boyfriend" and I danced for the first time to this song at the first beergarden in my first year at university. He is a high school music teacher somwhere in Alberta now ... he played the trombone and it is true what they say about brass players ... GREAT kissers!


Eye of the Tiger - Survivor - this was my brother's "theme song" (no idea why) ... so on principal, I loved it, because my brother was (is) my hero. And, if you can imagine it, we played it in jazz band, too. I was first alto sax, and I had the melody, which was very cool.


Abracadabra - The Steve Miller Band - this is a great song, but I remember it primarily because of the filthy but funny parody my best friend wrote and PERFORMED for a school variety show (she got suspended for it ... lol).


Hard to Say I'm Sorry - Chicago - one of my favorite bands of all time ... there's just something about the sound of horns, ya know? Got to see them 5 years later which was definitely a high point in my life. I remember this song being one of the last Chicago songs featuring Peter Cetera's distinctive voice. I still miss that sound ...


Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp - most memorable for me because the girls who lived next door to me in residence my first year were named Jackie and Diane, and they played that song 24/7.


Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes - I remember the movie ... Richard Gere in uniform ... ohhhhh man ... wait?!? there was music?!?


Mickey - Toni Basil - I don't often get SCATHING about a musical endeavor, but this has GOT to be one of those songs (using the term loosely here, folks) that someone wrote to make a quick buck. It's a travesty how much popularity it garnered because of its insipid tune and empty-headed lyrics ... and I quote "Oh Mickey, you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind ..." Still blows MY mind ... cripes

JO, HONEY,

OUR THOUGHTS

AND PRAYERS

ARE WITH YOU

THROUGH THIS

DIFFICULT TIME.

GOD BLESS YOU

AND YOUR FAMILY.

I GOT TAGGED AGAIN ... GUITAR GREATS

Okay, I wrote this blog weeks ago (17-05-07 to be exact), before my health fell apart (still working on that ...) and never did figure out how to get the YouTube videos on here. Call me inept if you wish ... but if you care enough, these solos are all on YouTube and definitely worth the listen. Heck, after doing the research, it prompted me to dig out all my concert photo albums and my vinyl of these artists and spend some real quality time with them.


Bond honey, you got me again ... at least it's helping me work through my blogger's block.

I had the same problem with this meme as Vinny did: how to narrow the list down to "just five" ... so, because I knew that everybody else would be choosing from the "Guitar Gods", I decided to do something a bit different.

So, in no particular order, from a variety of music genres, here are 5 ... um well, actually ... 9 great Canadian guitar solos.



1. Rik Emmett (Triumph) --- TASTE OF STEEL


2. Jeff Healey --- SEE THE LIGHT


3. Colin James --- KEEP ON LOVIN ME BABY


4. David Wilcox --- THE BEARCAT


5. Bruce Cockburn --- WATER INTO WINE


6. Neil Young --- DEAD MAN


7. Alex Lifeson (Rush) --- CLOSER TO THE HEART
(also features a kick-ass bass guitar solo by Geddy Lee)

8. Robbie Robertson --- SHINE YOUR LIGHT


9. Lenny Breau --- THE NEARNESS OF YOU

FIVE QUESTIONS FROM BOND

A couple of weeks ago, before my life fell apart, I begged Bond to choose me for this. Damn me for the masochistic little fool that I am. LOL. So now I am honour bound to respond to questions that I find exceedingly difficult to answer.

OK, here they are, courtesy of that sadistic mind over at the Couch:

1) You are a teacher of young minds. If you could change one thing about your classroom what would it be?

I became a teacher because I love two things above all else: music and kids. It balances out. On the days the kids are horrendous, I have my music to soothe me. When my music is uncooperative or uninspiring, the kids give me a reason to continue. And on those "Eureka" days with the kids, I have both. Why mess with a perfect balance? There is nothing I would change.

2) If you could select a career for your son, what would it be?

I would never presume to choose a career for my child. But given the question, I would choose for him something that would make him happy and fulfilled. Knowing his preferences and aptitudes right now, I would probably steer him in the direction of architecture (building blocks), construction (big trucks and heavy machinery) or professional sports (anything that involves a ball and running). He is, after all, a pretty typical 4 year old.

3) You play a multitude of instruments. If you were able to appear on stage; what venue would you choose, what instrument would you play, and what song would you perform?

This one was very difficult to answer, until this morning at 3 am when I was pondering how to respond to ANY of these questions. Suddenly, it hit me. My venue of choice would be Vinny's living room. The instrument? A kazoo. And I would perform "The Song That Never Ends".

Apparently, SOME people don't think a kazoo is a "real" musical instrument. LOL. So my second answer to this question is that I would love to play Gershwin's Piano Preludes, followed by Rhapsody In Blue, at Lincoln Center, probably at the Avery Fisher Hall, because I love the atmosphere there.

4) Tell us the one place you have never been to, but long to visit and why.

This was the most difficult question to answer. Not because there were no answers, but because there were so many possibilities. Narrowing it down seemed an insurmountable task. Then I began to think outside the box. I realized there was only one real answer, and it was one I had expressed many times before. The one place I long to visit doesn't really exist physically in one place, except in the hearts of the people who met there. I grew to love those people in a relatively short period of time, although I've never met any of them face to face. Those people are the "why" and will always be very important to me. The "place" is the Original Soul Patrol. Was that cheating, Vinny? I hope not, because it's the best answer for the question, and you know it.

Ok, the Bondman thought I cheated on this answer, too, so I will redo it, as well. If I had to choose a real place to visit, it would be the Australian Outback. My reasons are that the area is populated by wonderfully fascinating people and animals, and is probably as physically different from my home region as anywhere on the planet. It's also far, far away from here, and right now, that's where I wish I was.

5) You can choose to change one day in your life. Which is it and why?

I have always tried to live my life without regret, but there are a few days that I would love to have a chance to "do over". The most obvious choice would be the day I said "Yes" when my response should have been to scream omg, and run away, fast! Not too many good things came of that particular event, so I would have no regrets in redoing that day and changing the history of my most recent life.

WARNING: THIS POST IS NOT FOR THE FAINT AT HEART

Hi everybody. Sorry I've been away for so long. You know how they say bad things come in threes? Okay, well, I hope these were my three, because they're going to keep me going for a looooooong time. I have been trying to keep things upbeat on my blog, but I find that I have a need to write about these things before I can move on. (Vinny, honey, I haven't forgotten about my questions. I promise to get them done as soon as I've worked my way through this.) Please don't feel like you need to read the rest just because you got this far. I'm not a very happy camper right now, and I'm not going to try to hide it. My apologies to anyone who is looking to be entertained, as this is plain and simple catharsis for me. Hang on tight, it might be a bumpy ride ...

A month ago, mid-April, we had a freakish snowstorm that dumped two feet of snow on our lovely city. I prefer to look at the silver lining, so let me say that the resulting snow day was a lovely gift. About 10 am, my 4-year old son and I went outside to shovel out the driveway. We were happy and having a good time when it happened. My little guy was enthusiastically shovelling snow from the lawn onto the driveway (lol) when he lost his grip on his shovel and it flew out of his hands, hit me in the face and knocked out my front tooth and damaged two others. Yeah ... so we're still working on getting that fixed up. I'll keep you posted.

Two weeks ago, I stopped into my usual grocery store to pick up a few things. My ex was there. He's not a very nice man, and has a tendency to fly off the handle. Apparently, he found out I was dating, and that made him rather upset. To keep it simple, he ended up punching me in the stomach. Yes, he was dragged off by the RCMP and no, they didn't keep him long. The next day, I was at work when I experienced a sharp pain in my abdomen. I fainted. I thought it was unusually severe cramps but I was wrong. Two days after that, I was still in a lot of pain, so I went to the afterhours clinic. They rushed me into the hospital, where I was subjected to a CT scan. An hour later, I was in surgery for a hernia, caused by a tear in my stomach muscle which was the result of a blow to my stomach (wonder how that happened?). I have been off work recovering since then and it's driving me crazy.

A dear friend and confidante suggested to me that I should perhaps thank my ex for that particular experience. Reason for that is because, in the course of the CT scan, the doctor noticed something else. It seems I have a rather large "mass" on my right ovary. There is no way of knowing what the nature of that is without further examination. Unfortunately, they need to wait until I have healed from my hernia surgery before they can proceed. I have been assured that there is no doubt that surgery will be necessary, as the growth is about 10 mm in diameter. So for now, I play a waiting game. It's never far from my mind, although I am trying to look on the positive side. However inadvertently, my ex may have actually saved my life. Ironic, considering he has spent a good part of the past year plotting to do away with me. I have regular checkups and paps, but somehow this had been overlooked until the CT scan was necessary.

Until now, I have only told two people about this. I don't want anyone's sympathy, but I could use some prayers. It's been a hell of a year so far. It can only get better, right?

IT'S THURSDAY ... WHAT DO I WRITE ABOUT?

I used to subscribe to all the current memes, but it seems that many of them have fallen out of favour. In a way, they made the blogging experience easier, because all I had to do was fill in the blanks, as it were. The TT was one of the more difficult for me to complete, because I could NEVER come up with thirteen of anything without a lot of effort and a little exaggeration. So today, I couldn't decide what to do, because I had decided when I came back to blogging that I wasn't going to get trapped into anything I didn't feel like doing.

That's when it struck me. It's Thursday. I'm going to tell you all about three things that are important to me. Welcome to my THURSDAY THREE. I'd like to introduce you to the three most important people in my life right now.



1. Brennan. My son. My sunlight. Has there ever been a more positive, cheery, even-tempered, kind 4 year old boy? He had a rocky start, but he's come through everything without lasting effect. I first saw him crawling across the kitchen floor at the home of his foster parents. It was Hallowe'en and he was a roly-poly little Tigger. Bam. Love at first sight. He was eight months old. Seven days later, I signed custody papers and we came home. The adoption was finalized only a few weeks after his first birthday. It hasn't always been easy, but being mommy to this little boy has always been joyful and rewarding.

2. My brother, Eric. Bubba, to those of you who know me ... He's been my rock and my protector all my life. He's four years older than me and has always looked out for me. He's made mistakes, sure, but I know he loves me and always means well. From my earliest recollections, Bubba has been my friend, not just a sibling. He took me to my first rock concert and my first jazz festival. Unfortunately, I didn't always listen to his advice. I should have, I guess. It would have saved me a lot of heartache in the long run. But through everything, he's stood behind me, ready to help in any way he could. I know how lucky I am to have someone like that in my life, because it's rare.


3. Okay, I wasn't sure if I should include such a recent arrival in my life, but after a lot of consideration, I decided that Victor is definitely important enough to be on my short list. I only met Vic a couple months ago. He and his daughter were newly emigrated from Romania to my town, and he was still struggling with all the changes in his life, including a relatively new language. We met at church, which is where my mother always told me I should strive to meet men ... thanks mom ... and hit it off as friends right away. His little girl is a few months older than Brennan, and they have become fast friends. Although we don't always see eye to eye, Victor has shown me respect, gentleness and consideration beyond anything I've ever witnessed before. It's not just window dressing, either. The respect thing is bred into the bone. And I think his feelings for me influence the rest. Sure, he's opinionated and arrogant beyond belief, but there are worse things, believe me. Besides, I have found that his arrogance to be a source of amusement. And he can laugh at himself! There'd be no hope if he couldn't. I have no idea where we're headed with our relationship, but I am incredibly grateful to have met him. Victor is living proof that a man can be tender and emotional without jeopardizing his masculinity. In fact, there's nothing sexier ...

TWISTED ...

Did you ever look at something and wonder what the creator was thinking at the time of conception?

A NEW BLOG

Hey everybody. My at-risk English students have started a blog in order to get their writing out there for people to read. Each Friday,they will be posting their best work of the week (keep in mind everything is relative! lol). At this time, they are posting poetry. Last week was haiku, this week will be quatrains and cinquains. They have been very excited to get comments from Vinny and Travis. (thanks darlings)

Please, if you have a minute, check it out and leave comments. The kids are very encouraged by the feedback, and it makes them want to write more, which is a miracle in itself. I have even noticed an increase in the overall efforts in their writing, because they are conscious of the fact that someone else is going to be reading their stuff.

The blog address is: crhsenglishclass.blogspot.com and there is a link on my blog.

Hugs and many thanks, my sweet friends.

BLOGGER'S BLOCK

I've been suffering from bloggers block, or whatever you want to call it. It's the worst case I've ever had, and every time I come here to blog, I freeze. My brain seems to shut off.

I want to post music, but I can't figure it out any more. Pictures aren't catching my interest much, so there's no inspiration to be found there. Still can't figure out the video thing. I've been sick a lot lately, so there's nothing interesting going on in my life ... well ... there is this one thing, but I'm not sure how that's going to work out, so I'm keeping my mouth shut about it for now. In its own time, my friends ...

I can't seem to work up any great enthusiasm for anything, in fact, even though under normal circumstances, I'd have plenty to say about some of the stuff that's been happening around the world, but to my shame, I can't seem to build up a good head of steam. I don't even want to do any of those fun little memes that are usually so entertaining.

So this, in fact, is a blog about nothing. I have nothing to say, no thoughts on any important issues and no opinions or experiences to share. The "Seinfeld" of blogs ... and I don't even care about that ...