Glacier Calving in Glacier Bay Alaska

Off to Canada and Alaska !

Last night's sky above our home in Collierville,TN

We are embarking on a ten day quest to see part of the world we have not been to and are looking forward to some great family , friends and photo time !

Leave today from Memphis TN and land tonight in Vancouver Canada for a  full day's stay to visit city and then the next day we embark o on a Holland America cruise up the inside passage to Juneau and back. 

Here's to safe travels and new finds 😎

Life can hurt

1. One Day You Are Fine 
2. The Next Day You Feel Okay 
3. The day after you wonder what it was that happened to make everything seem different 
4. Pretend nothing is different so that you don't upset others 
5. Pretend nothing is different so you can change your reality 
6. Act your way through each day 
7. Try to keep up 
8. Try to remember what it was like to be 'Fine'.

Some March Birds

Geese

Killdeer

Eastern Towhee

Nerm Has A New 'Temporary' Friend

Increased reaction to stress linked to gastrointestinal issues in children with autism: Increased stress hormone responses, gastrointestinal symptoms

Increased reaction to stress linked to gastrointestinal issues in children with autism: Increased stress hormone responses, gastrointestinal symptoms

Are they taking volunteers for trips to Mars yet?

I'd be first in line, tagging Nick along with me.

Were we not told to NOT hang around bad people because it'll be reflected upon us and our character ? Then why the hell would you vote for somebody like her?

I literally cannot understand how folks today can justify voting for Hillary Clinton or any of her ilk and act like it's okay or morally the right thing to do.You did have the choice to do the right thing for the country , not yourself ,  the country , and you didn't . 

It's disgusting and it actually says more about YOUR character than it does the person you're voting for.

I have noticed a great uptick in the instances of people lying and people accepting that people do so and then   it comes zero  consequences... were you not  told in school, or  when you were a young child by your parents  that you shouldn't be hanging around people like that? Remember being told that you are who you hang around?

I think a large part of that is that for  20 or 30 years the parents themselves behave like that themselves  and don't think twice about acting like fools or teaching their children the Golden Rules ,  so the child has no hope. Nobody to look up to. The parents have left the building.

And if that IS okay with you I'm letting you know that it's NOT okay with me..
I don't want to hang around anybody who believes like that and who thinks  that it is  okay to be deceitful people .. I prefer to surround myself with people I can trust and whom I don't have to second guess what they're telling me.

Why would you want it any other way?

How do you live with yourself knowing that you look up to people who can't tell the truth or steal from you with a smile on their face?

Apparently there is a line

Some families consider blood thicker than water and other family groups don't. I belong to both and it kills me.

Stupid chair

Hang On Folksies

Howdy! Many years later....

I have neglected a lot of things since I last logged in AND a lot of things have occurred since my last post( which was like 2012!).

I can't even know where to begin so I'll start with the idea of us moving since that decision (or having to be forced to make it I should say) has effected me the greatest and on so many levels, some of which I am still trying to verbalize or explain so that I can move on emotionally....

I actually wrote a couple pages worth of stuff below about the move then walked away from laptop, came back and re- read  my words and thought it all sounded way to angry.... it wasn't the feeling I wanted to leave anyone with so let me just sum up the move in one sentence: We moved away from a space I loved and selfish neighbors I couldn't stand into a space that we are working on and around people we really like PLUS we get ' good sky ':)

I think I need to start putting some of feelings down 'on paper' so- to- speak and so I'm going to make this my new ritual as it once was so many years ago. It helps clear the soul and free up  brain space.

Some of the things I plan on talking about in the near future:

Art

Health

Friends

Family

Spirit

Energy

Animals

and of course I'll probably have some photos of what I see when I'm looking up:)  Like ET wanting to go 'Home'...

Mmmmmmm milk

White sunshine

Paper Towel Scam

Apparently, the makers of Bounty paper towels are trying to make more money(good thing) by making the perforations that separate each one of the  paper towels 'less perforated'.

For over a year now(probably closer to two) I have noticed that whenever I go to rip off one sheet, I get like 10....no kidding. The roll really doesn't even stop to start tearing until I use both hands and physically rip it off. 

I don't know how many times I have reached for my paper towels(which are in a standing position in three, ultra-modern style stations around my kitchen and laundry room) to have to stop what I'm doing because I have a yard's worth of paper towel in my one hand, and my other wet- dirty- holding something-  preoccupied- hand is not available to help out...which, in theory and IMO  shouldn't have to. 

This is paper we are talking about.....not steel plates. 

I buy the big packages of single sheet-ed Bounty rolls-probably 8-12 or more per package. 

As the months go by ,  I find myself and my fastidious cleaning rituals being interrupted by such an obvious (now) attempt to make me run out quicker of my beloved sanitary/disposable way of cleaning and drying , I think I am going to buy the second leading brand and see if there is a difference. 

Does anyone else notice this with their paper towel rolls? 

I feel  have too many people and things to deal with/ worry about nowadays that something I expect to be so simple in design and time saving , and  that I'm willing to pay for no less, should work as designed. 

I shouldn't feel like I am getting ripped off more than my paper towels are.

Food.com - Thousands Of Free Recipes From Home Chefs With Recipe Ratings, Reviews And Tips

I made ‘Chef of the Day’ on April 11, 2011…today was a good day

Food.com - Thousands Of Free Recipes From Home Chefs With Recipe Ratings, Reviews And Tips

C. S. Lewis Quote of the Week:

 

You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.

 

Yep....this is about how I look and feel nowadays. I have gained over ten pounds since surgery and it won't go away. Its disgusting.

Happy Veterans Day

Please remember ALL who sacrifice everything to make sure we can remain the 'Home of the Free'

Beautiful 'Mona's Hands'

by Jane DesRosier

This piece of wonderful artwork is by a beautiful soul out of North Carolina, Jane DesRosier.

I'm so happy to have it on my mantle!

God & Dog by Wendy Francisco

Heeelllooooo!

Howdy Everyone!

How's that 'Hopey -Changey' thing working out for all of 'ya...

Its been quite awhile since I've been here to 'blog' (stupid word). I don't like the word 'twitter' either...sounds really teenage -boppish so please don't take me there and do NOT expect me to ever engage in such activity! Right after surgery I was encouraged ( invited) to join Facebook-and I think had I not been on drugs I would not have partook(is that a word?), but it seemed 'fun' at the time. The next thing I knew, I had people all over the place asking me to take surveys, write on their walls, etc. :) It's all innocent and such, so I'm not really thinking its all that bad, but you could waste too much time on that site. I would rather just email someone directly or speak w/ them on phone. BUT, it has allowed me to catch up with some people I hadn't had a chance to speak with in a long time.

Its been an eventful/uneventful summer. Mainly pretty reflective.... Spent most of my days puttering around and working on regaining strength and working on the house. Jimmy and I went to Eureka Springs and I got to try out my 'driving -longer -distances' part of my brain, and the ever loving, 'driving -on -mountain -roads -with- switchback' part of my brain, both of which worked fine! (BIG YEA!) It was soooooo nice to escape from Memphis and get out in nature. Need to do it more often. We are thinking of going to Sedona in the fall, and maybe Wyoming at Christmas. I hope so. I just hope my 'flying- in- plane ' part of my brain is up to it!

Apparently that's why they made seats 1A , xanax and Amaretto Di Sarona for....;)

Nick went to Florida to visit with dad for a couple of months, and is back now and ready to get back to college. He will be moving out here soon. I'm so old....and this subject is what caused at least half of my reflectivity this summer. Nick and the following:

A very dear friend of ours passed away on August 7th- Gary Floyd. He and his guys have meant so much to not only the entire Felsenthal clan, but on a different level, so much to me. He has made our house a home and brought me into a circle of friends at Heartsong Church who have been here for us over the past couple of years in ways that I wish everyone could have a chance to witness and encounter. Gary did that for us....

Gary had a aneurysm burst while he was by himself at home about a week after my surgery. It was a miracle he survived alone, but that he made it through surgery was just another...His wife Ann has been by his side for 3.5 months. He was making progress after 3-4 weeks at Baptist Hospital here in Memphis, enough so that he could be taken to The Shepard Center in Atlanta for rehab http://www.shepherd.org/. He was doing well, had a couple infections, got over them, had a shunt put in, was doing better, and then for some reason started struggling w/ pressure issues and then pneumonia. He passed away and into Heaven at 11:45PM August 7th. Our hearts have been heavy, as we miss him and hurt for his wife Ann...but we also are thankful he is where he is now and no longer in pain and not knowing the boundaries of the human body. God Bless you Gary-We Love You.

Healing is continuing for me and my noggin. I was able to get my hair colored to its original color in July finally ( I'm one of those people who has been naturally blessed with golden blonde hair-ha ha), and so it was nice to come out of Juv'e ( the place where I go...highly recommend) and still have my scalp intact and not bleeding from all the chemicals (hmmmm, same chemicals I've been putting on my scalp for how many years....) When ALL of my hair follicles start growing out gray then I will stop doing this insanity.

I still get tired late in the day and sometimes feel like I need to shut my eyes,but for the most part I feel a whole lot better than I did before surgery! The steroids and lack of movement prior to and after surgery did cause me to put about 10 pounds on, so I am in the midst of working on getting that taken care of. Recently started mountain biking again. I love riding, but had to put that aside for many months prior to surgery because of dizziness and sight issues, but have started up again and just love it! I also love Wii- Pretty good at the hula hoops....

Well, I have to go run some errands. Hope to hear from you all sooner than later.

Remember folks, wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.

Love To All!