April 27, 2010

I haven't a lot to say tonight.  On the way home-right around the corner in fact-the boys and I saw a squirral.  It was trying to cross the road.  I say trying because from right under it's front arms and down he was partially flattened.  He could not move anything below his arms.  I knew immediately what happened-a car.  That poor thing was trying so despartly to get across the road.  An elderly couple had stopped their car when they saw us and allowed it to cross.  She asked if maybe she should run over it again (not that she did it in the first place) and I thought that it might actually be more human to do that.  I know that sounds so harsh but it was suffering so much.  But once she got to the corner I guess she changed her mind because she stopped for a moment and then kept going.  I took the boys home-they were trying to get it-and told my husband.  His view was to 'let nature take care of it' and 'let one of the (neighborhood) cats get it'.  Sick!  I went back out and it had managed to get about five feet up a tree into the crook of it and laid there.  I didn't know what to do so I just prayed that God would make it's death swift.   I remember when I was a kid-about twelve or so-I had one die in my hands from the same thing.  I thought of that when I saw him lain across the crook of that tree.  I know God loves all His creatures.  I'm sure I sound like a sap but it was heartwrenching-at least to me.

 

April 16, 2010

  Wow!  Eighty-one degrees and it's not quite noon.  Big mistake walking back in the 'Greens' today.  I thought poor Elvis was going to die.  The poor little dog barely made it home-every spot of shade we came across he had to lay in, tongue lolling out, and refused to move.  But since I'm the human and should have realized how hot it was getting before we went so far I had no choice but to stay right there beside him.  Everytime he stopped I thought for sure I'd have to carry him home-but then he'd find the energy to make to the next patch of shade.  We did this all the way down 4th Ave. ext. -about a 1/4 mile- which is a long way when your legs aren't even a foot high!  Funny thing though, as soon as he caught a glimpse of the house he ran-pulling me and Fuggo- until he hit that porch.  It was so chilly yesterday and the day before that I really did not think it was going to be this warm today.  Guess I should have listened to John Bernier last night.  I know better now.  

  Sitting there on the edge of someone's yard under the shade of a very big tree- the tree was no where near the edge of the yard but the shadow was- taking one of Elvis' breaks, I thought about the ocean and going to Kiptopeke State Park.   Kiptopeke is right on the edge of the Delmarva Penninsula on the bay.  There are two beaches there-one for humans and one for dogs.  You know where we were-the doggie beach!  The dogs had the time of their lives out there.  We stayed on that beach all day-well 'daddy' went fishing off the pier.  Fuggo chased a crab into the water-funniest thing.  He had never seen a crab before.  He kept looking at it, looking at me. Then back to the crab.  Then back to me.  It was as if he were trying to say, "Momma, look at this funny thing.  What the hell is it?  Momma, check it out!"   I wished I had had my camara then.  But the best was watching Elvis trying to fight the waves.  Every wave that came in he had to grawl and bite at.  Then the wave would go out and he'd chase it.  Wave would come back in and there would be running then growling and biting.  People thought I was a little nuts because I was laughing so hard.  Eventually, he got use to them and actually enjoyed getting in the water.  (This struck me as odd since he hates a bath).  Fuggo never really took to the water but he was mesmerized by everything on the beach. 

   Sitting there in that man's yard under the shade of his tree this morning had me wishing I could take them back there.  But living off unemployment (and what meager bit I get from my shop) doesn't really allow for vacation.   Oh, well, I have faith.  I know things will turn around if we just keep trying.  In the meantime, I think I will make some iced tea and chill out with my 'boys'.  After all, it's Friday.  The weekend can come a bit early.  Enjoy!

April 12, 2010

  It's a lovely evening and perfect for a walk which is what we just did-the boys and I.  It's funny though the things that go through your head when your walking.  I noticed that everyone else was outside too. We walked over to First Ave. as we usually do.  The guy down the road in the house that looks like Mt. Vernon was still working on his yard-the back this time.  As we walked I realized almost everyone had mowed their lawn just recently-I say almost everyone since me and two other people haven't.  The family who is trying to sell their house-for almost nine months now-were all out in the front yard.  The eldest daughter and a friend were cleaning out the car they had pulled all the way into the yard-mom was on the porch reading-dad and the two boys were playing catch-even the cat was sitting in the yard licking herself.  I noticed all this but what went through my head was " How on earth do they managed to keep so many people in that tiny yard?"   We walked on past 'The Duck Lady's' house-so called because she owns a duck-I noticed that she-like me- needed to get the grass cut.  'The Duck Lady' is an elderly woman who lives alone in her little albeit nice bungalow with her two cats and the duck.  When the murders took place she was right up there in the middle of all the 'gore mungers', smoking her Marlboro reds and  filling us in on all the 'gossip'. It's reassuring to know that I'm in such good company.  Then of course we walk by the 'Murder House'-shiver.  I can't look at the place anymore without thinking about that punk with a hammer-and then I have flashes of the old comedian Gallahger with his stupid watermelon and sledge hammer.  We walk on past.  Now the field-hey they need to cut the grass too.  Alright!  Longwood University needs to cut  its grass-cool!  There are dandilions growing all over it!  And some girl running through the middle of it.  Oh, no, a sudden flash of an old Massengil comercial ran through my head.  Or was it Summers Eve?  I don't know-lets move on.  Around the far end and half way home.  Then a sudden tug on the leash and I stop-Elvis is taking a poop.  Great!  I hope no one sees him since I did not think to bring a poop bag.  O.k. done and let's go.  Another yank on the leash-Fuggo is taking a poop!  I swear these are the poopingest dogs I've ever had.  Now I kinda pick up the pace a bit.  Alright- about to cross the street on the stretch home.  A mini van drives by slowly and some doofy looking guy is waving his arm off so I wave back.  Do I know this guy?  Don't think so.  Then I realize I'm standing there with two dogs just smelling a fire hydrant-talk about looking doofy.  So I yank the leash this time.  Home boys, let's go home!  But apparently some other dog had been down the same sidewalk and peed on everything.  My two dogs had to stop every foot to smell some other dogs pee!  Then I had a rather disturbing thought.  People are a lot like dogs.  We may not literally smell someones pee but we go around smelling each other all the time.  Not only that but we always have our noses in someone elses business or up someones butt (in a manner of speaking).  So I can't be too brisk with them if they stop to smell the pee.  Finally, we are almost home.  We actually got past Buddie's house without him seeing us.  Coming up on the lilacs now.  Oh, they smell so sweet.  Suddenly I'm five again and in my nanna's bedroom just off Monument Avenue.  She always smelled of lilac or Jergen's lotion-the original cherry almond one.  I do miss my nanna-I really do.  Around the corner now and home.  The sun is almost set-the sky has a lingering strip of pink and lavender.  The plants on my front porch look like arms reaching out to welcome us home.  Goodnight.

April 5, 2010

 No 'House' tonight!  Rotton!  Well, a least there's 'Mystery Diagnoses'.  I'm a big fan of the medical shows.  It's been a long hot day.  The hubby and I did yard work-'bout time.   Everything he has hurts including his hips-this he couldn't understand.  I told him it's because he hadn't work in seven/eight months.  Since he hasn't really done anything he hasn't used those muscles.  He's gonna really be hurting tommorrow.  Poor man, he's all scratched up-he got stuck in some briers trying to cut them down. (Now, Katy, stop laughing.  It wasn't funny.)  Oh, it's gonna really hurt when he tries to go to bed.  I do feel kinda bad for him-he did work today.  I did too but I did not do all climbing up into bushes and trees and briers patches.  I started cleaning up the flower beds and potted some plants.  All pretty boring but had to be done.

  The boys and I got caught in the rain-no, I take that back-we got caught in the hail.  We started to run but since we were two and a half blocks away it was kinda pointless.  Hail kinda stings when it bounces off bare flesh.  The dogs didn't seem to impressed with it either.   Well, at least it wasn't big hail. 

  I bought those two big containers of greeting cards in this evening.  I've got a card carousel I bought a couple of years ago when I was actually making and selling the things.  But the cards I'm talking about are the ones I got from Prof. Kelly's house.  Well, I say I got.  Jimmy really bid on them.  I would never have thought twice about them.  But since I have them now I thought it was time to look through them.  She saved what looks to be a couple of hundred dollars worth of cards.  For every occasion.  Handmade cards on recycled paper.  Fancy cards with special envelopes.  Boxes of cards.  Funny cards, pretty cards, cards with prints on them.  Some from companies that are no longer in business.  Some dating back to the 50's.  There are cards for everything under the sun.  Not just the normal things-weddings, birthday, graduation, Christmas-but for things like Boss' day and Make-a-Wish day.  I think there may even be a crazy cat day card.  It's just awesome-in a really weird sort of way.  I have never in my life seen anything remotely like this.  There is even an old box of 'Bridge' napkins from the 50's.  Does anybody still play 'Bridge'?  Do you think trying to sell some of this stuff-the old stuff at least-would be wrong or, I don't know, sleezy?  I wonder if anyone would actually buy it.  I don't know but it's still sitting in my living room floor.  I better get in there and clean it up-it's getting kinda late now.  Plus he should be back in a few minutes.  I can't think when he's around.  God bless and take care.

March 27, 2010

 Well, they had the auction for the murder house today.  There were tons of people there.  The house itself went for 140K, that's 150K under it's assessed value.  Though it's not really my taste it is a lovely home-though I don't think I could live in it.  I'm a little creeped out having their stuff here-especially this black chair and ottoman.  (And I bought it).  It seemed a bit differant at the auction-but then I like auctions-now though with it all here it's just a little creepy.  I have to keep telling myself "it's stuff, it's only stuff".  I mean it was stuff when I was bidding on it.  The fact that it is in my house now instead of their front yard doesn't make it any less "stuff".  I don't think Pro. Kelly, her husband or their daughter would have cared one bit about the stuff.  I'm sure they would have preferred to keep their lives but the stuff is just that, stuff.  But Mark's mom, who was there, could use the money to pay off whatever.  I'm sure she would have kept anything sentimental.  At the same time it is just a bit morbid to have bought things that belonged to a family who had been brutally murdered in their home.  Most things like the chair and books, dishes, the tread climber ($5 and I'm already developing a dislike for it),  old metal chairs, a floor lamp, etc. these things hold no real sentimental value for the most part.  But there is a black/white long haired plush cat that you know Emma must brushed and loved and may have even slept with stuffed in a box of ordinary stuff.  Finding that was a bit sad.  But the worse was finding video tapes.  We bought a camcorder with the charger and leather bag, a very nice one, for $10.  But when we got it home and finally went through it we found tapes-family tapes-of Emma at the hospital, Emma at Christmas,  other tapes of Emma who was undoubtedly loved more than she ever knew.  I do not wish to view these tapes-I very much need to find the grandmother and return them back to her.  I just can't fathom selling a childs past for $10.  I'm sure no one looked down in the bag to see what was in there-we didn't.  I wish I had now.  I could have returned them to her while we were all there.  Can you imagine what she must have been going through?  To have all these strangers walking all over her sons home, going through their belongings, seeing uncareing hands haggling over things assessing their worth as if it were just a big jumble.  Then again she may have saw it for what it was-the auctioning off of things that she could not use or did not want to people did.  I'm sure the money went to good use.  She was a very sweet lady.  She stayed through out the whole ordeal-considering her  health and age that is saying a lot.  Well, I feel a bit icky now-partly from real dirt.  I think it's time for a shower.  I got to chat with Pat this evening-all the way in Germany!  Pretty cool!  Church tommorrow.  I best go and get my body clean.  Night, everyone.

March 25,2010

We never look at each other anymore.

We get so distracted by the everyday

that we don't look at each other.

But I saw you today.

I saw the light that shines around your face,

the life in your eyes when you speak.

I saw the softness of your mouth

and the curve of your chin.

But my heart leaped in my chest

when you smiled at me.

And I remembered why I fell in love with you in the first place.

March 20, 2010

 What a completely fantastic day it has been.  You could not ask for a day more beautiful-well actually could but this one would be hard to top.  Only one of my dogs got to enjoy it though.  Poor little Elvis had been sick all day.  He woke up with diarrhea that turned to vomating this afternoon.  He couldn't even eat his dinner-Elvis never, ever misses a meal.  I'll give him tomorrow but if he doesn't get any better I my have to take him to the vet.  He was suppose to get a bath today but looks as if he got lucky-he hates a bath.  Fuggo ended up with two dinners-he stole Elvises too.  But he and I did our 1.5 miles walk so I guess he was hungry. 

  While we were walking I was watching people outside enjoying the day-kids playing and yelling, ladies in big hats gardening, old folks hanging out in their front yards chatting loudly, other dogs barking at us as we walked by.  I noticed that it looked a lot like life when I was a kid.  Of course the neighborhood we were in was made up of brink ranchers from the 50's, 60's and 70's.  I may not have been around in the 50's but I do remember much of the 60's and all of the 70's-well the tail end of the 70's and the early 80's are a bit of a blurr.  Still, things have not changed all that drastically.  Technology may have progressed but people haven't.  It all seems so benign on the surface but I know better.  I lived in that benign world.  Pedaphiles, alcoholics, child abusers, pill poppers, even ex-klansmen live in that benign world.  And oddly enough I lived with all of them at one time or other.  I think a lot of us did-especially in the 70's.  It was a strange time.  I mean during the 60's there was a fight for (social) freedoms-civil rights, womens liberation, for or from Vietnam, fight against social injustice and a fight for equality.  The 80's were kind of a toned down version-the fight was more physical then-with the distruction of the Berlin Wall and the dissolving of the old Soviet Union.  But the 70's were that strange transitional period where we did not transend very gracefully or with any real dignity.  I mean, come on, when swingers are the biggest draw for attention and wheather or not disco sucks is considered current events it's just strange.  Well, I guess it did have it's up side.  I was in on the last years of busing (from what was considered a 'white' school to a 'black' school).  I never quite understood that.  My school was already intergrated and yet every day they would load us up on buses just after noon and 'ship' us across the Lee Bridge to Lee school.  I'd go to one school in the mornings and end up at another one in the afternoons.  I didn't mind it very much.  I did not like going past the prison but it's not like anyone was going get me either.  Lee school was primarily black and I was very very white-atomic white.  Every afternoon right before we got on the buses to go home we had to line up in the audiotorium acording to bus number and the principle would say his good afternoons and good job children and call out the bus numbers as they would drive up.  I can only imagine what he must have thought when he looked out into that sea of various tans and browns and saw two-only two-super white kids.  Some little boy and I were the only white children there.  It must have been a strange sight to see.  And you know I stood out.  I was so white I could have glowed in the dark.  It was as if God just ran out of ink when he got me.  It was a strange time.

  I might revisit that some other time but my husband just came in wanting food as husbands tend to do.  And of course I need to supply it.  So I guess I say 'Good Night'.  God Bless.

(Photo is the Robert Russa Moton School)