...Saz Secrets

It's October!

2006-10-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Time Of Year

I'm celebrating with a new look to my blog thanks to Newt of Newt's Muse who has been providing a few of us with some of her beautiful designs. Check out Kell's new look at 'Tis Herself and Jay's Llama header at Cynical Bastard to get a flavor of her work. My new leaf design is perfect for the start of Fall. She assumed I knew how to get her banner into my blog header.... A FEW DAYS later I finally managed it!

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Some Witch Lore To Start The Season

I was introduced to Liquore Strega when I was seeing a very tall, handsome Sicilian many years ago. He loved to have a sip of this after dinner when we were at his favorite restaurant. The bottle is so pretty I've kept it on display for 10 years and the liquid has lost it's intense yellow color. Strega is Italian for witch. It's made with 70 herbs and barks topped off with saffron to give it the yellow color. Liquore Strega has been made in Benevento, Italy since the 1800's. It's said couples who drink it together will remain united in love forever (unfortunately not in my case - we were both in love with him).

The walnut witches (not kidding here) of Benevento were a very powerful group of women who survived the Inquisition. Legend says they danced around a huge walnut tree that never lost it's leaves and produced walnuts which were used as amulets and talismans.

If you look closely at the label you can see those cute little walnut witches dancing under the magic walnut tree with the crone, her broom and a cat in the moon above.

Coming To A PBS Station Near You!

2006-09-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Saz Walking The Dog - My Vlogging Experiment

It's been a week of camera/video/computer/vlogging trouble as I tried to copy (once again) Claude at Blogging In Paris as she has learned to add her elegant voice to slideshows of her travels. Ain't been easy let me tell you. I purchased the wrong card reader for my digital camera then when I got the correct one I spent an entire evening trying to upload the video to Google videos. It was loading and loading and loading for 4 hours before I figured it wasn't going to happen. I knew I was ok with the video size but reading further I found out I needed broadband for Google. So on to YouTube. Loading this short video took about an hour with my dialup connection speed. Once I copied the HTML code from YouTube to put in my post I published and darn it if it didn't look funny...too big and lapping over into my links. Claude sent a quick email with some HTML coding she thought would help but I couldn't get it to work. It probably would have worked if I knew what I was doing with HTML! My last resort was to search for some help on the web about embedding videos on a web page and I found size parameters that worked. I'm sure that was the essence of Claude's helpful email but I was too dumb to figure it out.

And pardon my "breathiness" and the "umms" as I had poop bags, cell phone and leash in one hand and camera in the other at the end of our hot day walk. It's a wonder I could talk at all.

It's been fun to hear Roger sing at There's Always Something and of course I loved hearing Claude's beautiful voice in her last 2 Vlogs. I also copied Peggy walking her dog Polly over at Day to Day Life Of A Lazy Gardener and Dear Lucy in Japan at I'm Trying To Improve My English. Not to mention copying the Diva of I Can't Open It fame - Millie Garfield! It would be a treat to hear Alan sing Yellow Bird at Some Final Thoughts...and as for the rest of you....I would love to see your videos and hear your voices!

So all this vlogging trouble has meant I'm once again behind in reading your blogs.

I tag all of you for a VLOG POST.

Behind In My Blog Reading

2006-09-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

I've missed reading all your blogs for the last few days. Blog reading is good for my mind and good for my blood pressure. I'm supposed to be monitoring my blood pressure and guess what - if I take it right after reading your blogs I'm always in the "optimal" zone!

And in other health related news....I had an acupuncture appointment Friday in a last ditch effort to keep my gallbladder. I didn't have much hope it would work but at $85 for the hour it was worth a try.

The night before I checked an acupuncture site and couldn't believe the diagram showing all the places they would put needles. Now I know that diagram was correct!

The first half hour I was on my back with a heat lamp on my feet as she put the needles in. There was no pain and no bad sensations. She started removing them at the end of a half hour and then had me turn over (like a stuck pig) and she started needles on my back - some in the scalp and shoulder area. At the end of the session I rested on the table for about 5 minutes and almost went to sleep I was so relaxed.

I still have some small "travel" pins in several places that are half the size of the others and held in place by tape. They stay on until I see her again this Friday. I was told I might feel very tired for a day or have a burst of energy. Well I'm here to tell you I haven't had so much energy in years! I cleaned and tossed stuff all weekend. When I walked the dog on Saturday I had an incredible sense of well being. There were also immediate changes in physical symptoms. I'm not sure if it's the "placebo" effect and all in my head but I don't think so...

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Took this picture of Gwyn on our walk....she's 13+ ....gray around the muzzle like me.

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There's a HUGE mansion behind this big gate. They always decorate the entrance for different seasonal stuff. It's in the shade and hard to see but it says "Back To School" then "Nooooooooooo!" I hope I can get a better picture of their Halloween decorations.

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And now on to your blogs....the best part of my evening!

The Thinker

2006-09-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

Job Related Stuff

Chelle P at Fickle and Whim mentioned (a long time ago) how she likes to see pictures of where fellow bloggers live. When she reads their posts she can imagine where they are. So here's a few photos of where I work.

This is the view from the narrow road on the way to my job. It's typical of the dry California meadows and oak trees at the end of summer. We frequently see deer, rabbits, heron, squirrels and quail on this road. Infrequently we have bobcat sightings and once in a great while a warning that there are mountain lions in the area.

This is the entrance to the building which was built in the early 50's. It's a think tank where thinkers come to think. How's that for a description? They're here for an academic year and this last Sunday was our opening reception for the current crop of fellows.

The incredible view from our hill.

Opening reception goodies

More goodies. The rest of my food pics didn't come out well so you'll have to imagine plates and plates of food as well as a "drink" table loaded with bottles of wine, soft drinks and water.

The real reason we work here....Charley the office cat hanging out in my in basket.

I was lucky to find this part time receptionist job after I retired from Pacific Bell. Academics come from all over the world to this special place. I've been star-struck over more than a few of them. I continue to think it's a magical place to hang out for 4 hours a day.

The road home....

My Piano Teacher

2006-09-06T23:15:00.000-07:00

Laura Ellen Winsor

My mom had great hopes that one of her children would be able to play the piano adequately and I was her last best hope.

You know what happens with the youngest child, you're either too tired or become very crafty about how to get them to do what you want. With me she enticed me by offering either ballet or piano lessons with much more emphasis on the piano. It was all up to me of course. Then she would tell me ballet would benefit me only for so long BUT THE PIANO would be something I would appreciate my entire life. She was right but not necessarily the way she envisioned.

I started lessons when I was about 7 years old and it was apparent to both Mrs. Winsor and me that I wasn't a prodigy nor would I be very good. What I loved about the lessons was listening to her talk about her life in Europe before the war. She attended school in Paris and played concerts there. I couldn't get enough of her stories.

Once a week I would come after school and sit in her dining room until she finished with the pupil before me. Her Steinway grand piano had an embroidered spanish shawl draped over the back of it. It sat in the second story bay window of her house on Randolph Street in San Francisco. Mrs Winsor was always in a formal dress with a rhinestone brooch. She never got up from her chair due to hip trouble and could barely walk but she sat next to the piano bench and looked like a queen. Her hair was red and I'm sure "touched up" and her hands were very large and gnarled. I always loved it when she would demonstrate how to play something. It wasn't easy for her to move herself over to the piano bench but when she played...the piano shook and the house vibrated.

She wrote three books published by her husband and all three books were about death and reincarnation. She was "New Age" before anyone ever heard of the term. And of course this was what I would spend my lesson time talking to her about. She also gave me dandy tips on how to properly cleanse my face and how to use ice cubes to close my pores and make my cheeks rosy.

My mom would come to pick me up and park in front of the house where she could see me at the piano. Most of the time when I got in the car I would get a lecture that went something like "I don't pay $10 an hour for you to sit and talk during your lesson!"

I think I had to play in two of Mrs. Winsor's recitals before I figured out how to get out of them. The recitals were always in June so I would take a break from lessons starting in May and go back in the Fall. For some reason my mom never questioned this. She was just so glad I wanted to try the piano she put up with my excuses.

What I learned from those lessons was classical music makes my heart sing. I learned that elder women have fascinating stories to tell and much wisdom to share. I learned that death may not be the end.

The last time I saw her was probably 42 years ago. I don't know when she died or what her life was like as she grew old. I only know that she had a powerful impact on me and I still think about her with gratitude for all the gifts she gave me.

Sorry the scanned picture is so poor. It came from one of her books and my scanner isn't that great...or is it me? I'm about as talented with the scanner as I am at the piano.

Meet Smokey

2006-09-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

My African Grey Smarty Pants

I was out with a small group of friends the other night telling stories about Smokey and realized "Smokey" stories tend to be good ice breakers at parties. People are always charmed by and interested in talking parrots. Then I thought not only are the stories great for awkward social moments but are a rich source of blogging material!

Like all the pets I have now, Smokey came to me from other owners. I already had a cocker spaniel, amazon parrot and a cockatiel when a friend found out he was allergic to Smokey. He got him from an ad in the paper. A family with kids needed to find a home for him since the kids terrified the bird and he was pulling out his feathers. He was almost completely bald when Dennis saved him from that situation. It was 3 months later when Dennis sadly had to give him up and I just couldn't stand seeing him go to a pet store. I've lost track of how long I've had him but it's well over 10 years.

The first week I had him I woke in the middle of the night to a deep man's voice in the livingroom saying "hello - hello" then a sound which I choose to think is a burp but other people think it's another even less sociable sound. I flew out of bed thinking someone had broken in then realized the voice and sound were coming from the covered cage.

That same week he watched me give meds to the cocker and by the end of the week when I picked up the bottle he said in my voice "come here - c'mon". As the dog swallowed the drops Smokey said "good girl" exactly like me! I honestly couldn't believe what I heard but from that moment on he never failed to say it when he saw the medicine bottle come out.

I've lost track of everything he says. The words I try to get him to say he never will pick up but he'll always try out what he hears me say to the other animals.

When I'm home I do have a favorite swear word I'm sure would shock people who look at my white hair and think it's not possible I use it. It's the "F" word and I say it with great gusto when I'm alone and watching the political news on TV. One day I heard Smoke trying to form a new word and couldn't figure out what it was but it was becoming clearer as he kept practicing. It finally dawned on me it was THAT word. Thank god he stopped trying when I stopped using it - I had visions of guests listening to the "burp" sound followed by the "F" word.

Smokey has a built in earthquake meter. If he falls off his perch and starts fluttering at the bottom of the cage I know he's felt an earthquake somewhere in California. The first time it happened it was the exact moment of the Northridge quake in southern California and we're up here in the north. Since then I always note the time and after he's calmed down I look up the US Geological Survey site to see where there was an earthquake. He's tracked with an earthquake every single time...if only he could give me a clue BEFORE the quake hits!

At night when I feed the birds before bedtime he will finish his meal first and start quietly saying "good night" because he wants to be covered and have the lights out. When I don't react "good night" gets progressively louder until he finally lets out a blood curdling scream to get my attention. There are moments I know he's smarter than I am......

Weather Update For Milt of Milt's Muse

2006-08-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Bay Area Weather Report

And A Perfect Yellow Rose For Milt

Milt - We miss the weather report from Idaho so I'm following Ronni's, Claude's , Peggy's , Joy's, Joared's, Terri's, Gerbera Daisy Duke's (in Terri's comments), Millie's, J-Funk's and Mop's lead by giving you the weather report from the lovely San Francisco Bay area.

It's clear and sunny here after a cool night. I can feel a little Fall in the air but it looks like it will be a perfect day.

Since I can't leave comments on your blog I decided I would post my good wishes for you on my blog and tell you how much we miss that darn weather report from Idaho!

Hopefully your fans in Blogdom will post their weather reports for you too.

Thinking good thoughts for you Milt..........

Milt's Muse Update

2006-08-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Maggietx alerted me tonight that the Milt's Muse blog site has been taken down. Milt has terminal cancer and has not posted since May of this year. We've had updates from his grandaughter Amber thru the comments on his site. I know it was up and running in the last 2 days because I was able to leave a comment.

If anyone has any information at all please let us know. The two best places to contact are either Time Goes By or Blogging in Paris since they both have a big readership base. You can also email me thru the email link on my profile.

Thanks for your help!

Great Dog Walking Day

2006-08-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Day

We had a great dog walking afternoon. The weather was sunny with cool winds on the bay and if you're in a hot zone I'm sending you some of our bay breezes. Not every day is a good dog walk day. We try.... but my little old cocker spaniel has days when I have to help her into the car and when we get to our destination she quits soon after we start. Those are the days when she stops to smell everything and I know she just doesn't have the energy. She's losing her sight and has been deaf for awhile....but today there was a little zip to her walk and I count it as a GREAT DAY! This is the view along one of the many places I take her. It's at the end of a corporate park and the buildings don't block the view. They landscaped the area with plants that are almost like California natives, lots of different grasses and low water shrubs and flowers. At last landscapers understand we don't have English weather and lush lawns and flowers waste too much water here.

And here's what I love about this particular walking area.....doggie clean up stations with never ending rolls of poop bags and a disposal can below. They have them about every 50 feet. So what do I see within 2 feet of one......dog poop on the ground! Geesh some people don't get it and make it hard for the rest of us dog people...rant over.

I know it looks too manicured and tame to some of you but for me and Gwyn it means no fleas and no fox tails to get in her ears and feet.

The walk was the only productive thing I did ALL DAY and my time off is coming to an end. I didn't do any of the cleaning or tossing I said I was going to do and now I'm in a panic. Sunday I have a birthday celebration for my dearest friend in the world who will be 90 and I have to get cracking.

Ya think maybe I'm spending too much time in Blogdom?

Hope your tomorrow is as beautiful as my day was today.

My Secret and Brief Garage Sale Life

2006-08-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

Drawing Of The Holy Family Late 18th or Early 19th Century

Artist Unknown

For a brief time I thought I was going to make a fortune selling old books and vintage "finds" on Ebay after I retired. I was watching way too much Antiques Roadshow! My dear friend Mary and I would have meetings about what we would look for to sell. At first I thought costume jewelry would be fun but the more I researched the more confusing jewelry was. Then I decided I knew about books and that would be my ticket to a neat little hobby - HAH!

I scanned newspapers and planned my garage sale weekends. The only problem was I had to get up early and I'm NOT an early bird. So for a few weekends I hit the sales and looked for "estate" sales in particular.

One house I'll never forget. It was the smallest house on a ritzy block. The house belonged to an elderly, childless woman who died. She had eclectic tastes and many of her things came from her European trips. She was divorced from some famous painter who did portraits of Washington...wish I could remember his name but I recognized it at the time. What was so unique about the house was her old pink gas stove (free) and the shelf paper inside her cupboards. The shelf paper was actually old "Free Love" posters from the Haight Ashbury hippy days in San Francisco. Now this was a woman I wished I had met.

I wandered around her house in awe looking at her cherished possessions. They weren't Roadshow material but said alot about the woman who bought them. And this is the problem I have going to estate sales after someone has died. It feels like I'm invading something very personal. But it obviously didn't stop me from buying some items. I bought a couple of beautiful old books, a hand painted Japanese plate with swallows, an old Rexall drugstore poster circa 1915 that was framed in her bathroom and a European drawing of the Holy Family (above) in an old gold leaf frame.

My ex husband was a darn good artist and we spent so much time in Europe going thru museums I was certain the drawing was worth more than the $35 they wanted. When I got home I knew it wasn't for Ebay since I needed more information about it's age. It sat around forever before I finally found an auction house in San Francisco with open appraisal days.

I trekked to Bonham's and Butterfield with 2 items and spent 3 hours waiting for an appraisal. It looked like a mini Antiques Roadshow and I had fun seeing everyone with their treasures - but almost everyone was disappointed with their valuations. Hardly anything was left there for consignment.

When it finally was my turn the appraiser was immediately intrigued with the drawing. He thought it was 17th century and started rapidly explaining the New York office would need to look at it but it was his opinion that a bottom figure would be $600 and it could really go "wild" - did I want to consign it with them? Well of course I did - with dollar signs dancing in my eyes.

He took it and I went to another desk to fill out the paperwork. I didn't put a "reserve" price on it cuz Ebay encourages you to think reserves inhibit bidding. It was set for their February 2006 sale.

This was November and by the time February rolled around I was convinced "New York" would discover it was a Michelangelo drawing and worth millions but since there wasn't a call before the auction I was only counting on maybe half a million.

And this is what a greedy mind gets you...it actually sold for $300 (I think) and I got a check for $250. Now you normal folks would say that was a nice profit over the $35. It was. But now I wish I would have kept it. Turned out to be late 18th century and I never owned anything that old! Or maybe I should have put a $600 reserve on it meaning it couldn't sell unless the bidding hit $600.

I did check their site for other sales and I was surprised at how cheap some original art sold for - like mine! Jay and Alan - check the link for their current vintage car auction.

What I'm supposed to be doing this week is cleaning out all the "junk" and books I thought I was going to auction and turned out to be worth NOTHING. But I can bore you to tears about how to identify a first edition....and I leave you with these ideas if you love garage sales:

Ernest Hemingway once lost a suitcase full of unpublished manuscripts.

Only 3 signatures of Shakespeare are known. NONE of his manuscripts have been found.

No one has seen a full plate daguerreotype of the New York City skyline but some were known to have been made.

Someone once found one of the first printings of The Declaration Of Independence in the back of an old framed picture.

Someone found a copy of Tamerlane in a mail hamper filled with old agricultural pamphlets.

_________from the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints

Tamerlane is the one I'm looking for. Last copy found sold for $198000. It's Poe's first published work - in a pamphelt - his name is not credited. No signed copy has been found. There were not many published and none sold when published. So let the treasure hunt begin.......

Saturday Night Special

2006-08-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

In Venice

This is a direct steal from Peggy's Friday Night fun post. I've wanted to try Prosecco ever since I read A Thousand Days In Venice by De Blasi. It seemed Venetians were always celebrating with a glass of the stuff in her memoirs (book is good btw). I looked it up on the web and it's a trendy Italian sparkling wine with less alcohol than beer - favored by women here. Soooo at Whole Food's the other day I spotted some and bought the cheapest bottle.

Tonight I'm planning on reading John Berendt's City Of Falling Angels about a fire that destroyed a famous building in Venice. He also wrote Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil and tho both books are non fiction they read like fiction. The title is based on signs in Venice that said "watch out for falling angels" when they were doing renovation work on some of their churches. And that's why it's a good night for Prosecco and something Italian for dinner don't ya think?

Some of you probably notice the cap is still on the bottle so what's in the glass? Ok - so I took the picture Wednesday and it's white tea in the glass. One has to prepare ahead for blogging......

UPDATE ON PROSECCO - don't try this at home. I like all things Italian but this was vile. Maybe if you like Chardonnay you'll like it. To me it tasted like it was bottled with Venice canal water...down the drain it went. At least the book is good.

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First Sign Of Fall

Here's the first yellow leaf on my walnut tree. Every year I look for that first fall leaf. Usually it's somewhere at the top of the tree. This year it's on the lowest branch. Just seeing that leaf and I suddenly feel Fall in the air. It's slightly cooler at night and of course the days are getting shorter FAST.

It's my favorite season. The trees fire up (or down) and when the leaves start dropping it's time to hole up inside in the evening with a good book, knitting or watching the new TV season. Walks now till November are the best of the entire year. And of course Halloween is on it's way, the coolest holiday of all.

When the walnut tree leaves start falling I can't keep up with them - it's a massive pile every week. But I have time - it doesn't really start for a few more weeks. Sorry, didn't mean to rush us all into Fall.

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Milt's Muse Update

For those elder bloggers who have read Milt's blog about his battle with terminal cancer there is still no news or postings but I noticed after "moderate comments" started, someone has been updating "comments". For awhile they weren't updated and I think some folks gave up visiting since there's been no new news from his grandaughter Amber. It now looks like someone is reading them - hopefully Milt - so don't forget to keep stopping by and saying "Hi". I'm a great believer in the power of good thoughts.......

Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Birthday Mom

2006-08-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Wherever You Are

Born on August 17, 1914

I can't imagine her at 92 years old. She died in 1970 when she was only 56, two years younger than I am now. There has not been a day that I haven't thought about her. I was in my 20's and there were a million questions I still needed answers to....if only.

She was born in Peters, Nevada a town that doesn't exist anymore but was close to where Las Vegas is today. Her family worked the quicksilver mines in Tonopah before they migrated to San Francisco.

Mom was the kindest person I've ever known. She didn't have an ounce of prejudice and was always curious about and intrigued with other cultures. The first thing she wanted to know is what they cooked! She was a fabulous cook and baker and tried to replicate recipes from all the ethnic groups in San Francisco. She knew the best neighborhood restaurants and we were regularly treated to Russian, Mexican, French, Italian and Chinese food.

She didn't believe in God and was pretty frank with me when I was small and asking so many questions. Two things happened that shook her faith, the horrors of World War 2 and the death of her beloved mother from cancer. She told me I would have to decide for myself if God existed but would always take me to any church I wanted to attend. It's odd, now I think of her as very spiritual.

Mom was a Republican who adored Roosevelt and Dad was a Democrat who loved Eisenhower. In those days the two parties were more similar than they were different.

She gave the best parties and would cook for days before a party or a holiday. When we finally got a huge freezer in the garage Dad would kid us that Mom was cooking for the freezer - not for us.

She taught herself to drive and bought a used white cadillac convertible with red leather interior. Every night when she came home from work she would be in the basement with a rag polishing that car. She loved to drive all over the city and would take me on her night time jaunts. We had the best fun and because of her I knew every inch of San Francisco.

Almost every Sunday we would go to Chinatown and walk all the way down Grant Ave and then walk back. We went into grocery stores, bakeries and tourist traps. She would buy me chinese pajamas, dolls, slippers....for a long time I thought I was Chinese we spent so much time there!

Mom was a voracious reader. She never censored my reading and never told me a book was too adult for me. I read Dr. Zhivago at a pretty young age because she was reading it and anything she read I wanted to read.

She grew up poor and it became her mission in life to spoil everyone on their birthdays and Christmas. She shopped for months before Christmas. When the grandkids came along Christmas was a three ring circus. One year she had me help wrap the gifts but didn't want me to put tags on anything in case someone started peeking. She said she would remember who each gift was for. The livingroom had gifts all the way to the door and as we started opening the wrong gifts she was in the middle yelling "No that's Tommy's gift - no that's the baby's present". It was the biggest confusing mess of a holiday and I think it was her last Christmas.

She didn't like animals and never touched the pets we had but when my nephew accidently let my dog out the front door she spent the week driving everywhere looking for him. At bedtime Mom would come into my room and hold me until I fell asleep and leave the front door open all night in case he found his way home. Not to worry...we did find him in the next block in someone's house after weeks of searching. We saw him peering out of a downstairs window and at that exact moment we were driving by, their front door opened and he made a beeline for our car. He jumped in and we took off. How was that for timing?

When she died I learned how loved she was. The funeral parlor wasn't big enough to hold the crowd or the flowers and it looked like a meeting of the United Nations. I never realized she had so many friends - she was just Mom to us but boy what a mom!

Love you...always!

I was inspired to write this by so many of your blogs! I started putting links to all my favorite stories and that got to be really crazy but you know who y'all are. This post is way too long - how do you put a life into one blog post anyway? I'm sitting here blubbering as I'm writing and just hope you're not bored.

Been Busy

2006-08-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

as the squirrels

stealing walnuts from my beautiful walnut tree,
breaking branches and shelling the ripe nuts.

I wake up for about 2 weeks in the summer to chomping and cracking and breaking branches. I know Kell is horrified that all those walnuts are wasted on squirrels when she probably could bake something wonderful with them - like throwing walnuts into her pumpkin cookies.

But this is where they end up...on my patio where the birds pick thru the small bits. I've learned to wait to clean it all up until all the creatures have their fill. It's a great way for the tree to get pruned.

I love watching that tree go thru the seasons - each one messy.

I took some days off and have big plans to clean and toss junk. So far not enough tossing. But I did procrastinate with some good DVDs.

I remembered the TV series Twin Peaks after being reminded of it with the photo of Twede's Coffee Shop from Susan's new Not Strictly Seattle city blog. I loved Twin Peaks when it first started but thought it got too weird later on. I was able to get the first season from Netflix and watched it this week. Boy was I wrong! It was weird right from the beginning...also funnier than I remembered. Still think it's as good or better than anything on TV now (sounding like an old person). And I forgot how much I loved the theme song.

Right after Twin Peaks and the news was the Dame Edna Show. All the quirky programs on the same night - what a treat that was! My partner was pretty conservative and just could not understand either of these shows and why I lived for the weekend to see them. Netflix has some of the Dame Edna shows so more procrastination planned for this week.

Took me quite awhile to catch up on my blog reading tonight but was delighted to read about Betty's very british grandparents here and here. Not to be missed!

Back to tossing and cleaning for me - maybe.

Rescue Dogs

2006-08-08T23:40:00.000-07:00

Aren't They Sweet?

I rescued these 2 girls over the July 4th weekend. I sometimes walk my own dog at a business park on weekends and on my way back to the car I noticed the little one in a parking lot with no cars around and no people. As I tried to get close to her she started barking and growling and seemed to be protecting the larger dog who was laying down in the hedges. My own dog is a rescue (story for another post) and doesn't get along with other dogs so I had to drive her home first. I grabbed bowls for water and dog cookies then looked up shelter and rescue phone numbers before driving back. They were still hiding in the same bushes when I got back. I called the rescue group as I was trying to coax the little one with cookies. The wonderful lady who answered the phone came right over with good smelly wet dog food and crates. After 30 minutes of sitting close to the bushes and tempting them with food we were able to put leashes on both and get them in crates.

They have turned out to be the sweetest girls. They get along with her motley group of rescues tho' the little one has "issues" like stealing food off the table. Jo, the Angel Rescue Lady is working with them on manners. We've checked for lost dog postings at shelters and in the local papers and have come up with nothing so she's about ready to adopt them out. They will have to be adopted together because they've bonded. They sleep together and obviously traveled together for god knows how long. I wish some of my blogger buddies lived closer as I'm shameless when it comes to pushing needy pets on wonderful people.

When I first retired I did a little volunteering for a wonderful 80+ year old woman who rescued American Eskimo dogs. The stories I heard about how dogs came to her were heart breakers. One of the sweetest dogs she had was deliberately dumped on the freeway right out of the San Francisco airport. A woman behind the van that dumped the dogs couldn't believe what she was seeing but was able to pull off the freeway and get both dogs in her car. The sweet rescue lady has since passed on after rescuing hundreds of dogs and I haven't spent much time involved in this since. I guess I'm posting this hoping that good thoughts in Bloggerland will draw just the right family to adopt Kimmie and Susi.

Wish us luck!

I Was Tagged!

2006-08-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

My Very First MEME

I was tagged by Susan at Slice of Life for my virgin MEME but first I want to copy an idea from Jay at Cynical Bastard (he's not) and do a Sunday Shout Out.

For those of you who didn't get to go on a nice vacation this summer I thought you might like to see a couple of my favorite travel posts.

First my dear friend at Cheeky Attitude went to Alaska with Stitch and took some fabulous pictures. Be sure and see them before all the hot weather melts Alaska. She also has some great craft and food pictures plus ideas on her blog.

Peggy in Scotland of Day to Day Life of a Very Lazy Gardener went on a diving trip to Egypt... of all places. I couldn't figure the connection between desert and diving but it turns out they dove in the Red Sea. How exotic is that? You'll enjoy all her travel log but my 2 favorites were her cab ride and the Old Market in Cairo.

And now on to the Fives MEME!

Five items in my freezer

1. Frozen Collard Greens for the dog's dinner
2. Frozen Veggies with Thai Curry Rice which Cheeky Attitude conned me into buying when I ran into her at the market
3. Frozen berries for my breakfast power drink and I use the word power loosely
4. Gardenburgers - I'm a vegetarian
5. Puff pastry shells - don't remember what the plan was for these

Five items in the closet:
Bedroom Closet

1. Angel wings from a 90's Halloween party - should send to Alan G
2. Snazzy dress heels I could barely wear - outdated but purty
3. Box of mementos/photos of my darling Daisy dog - long gone but still loved
4. Overnight Travel Duffel Bag
5. 2 rolls of rose wrapping paper for some forgotten project

Five items in the car

1. A million bio-degradable doggy poop bags that are also in all my clothes pockets
2. Dog leash
3. Dog water dish
4. Rubber dog hair lint brush
5. Whole Foods Market reusable shopping bags

Five items in my backpack
How about I just tell you what’s in my purse?

1. Wallet
2. Makeup bag with one item - what can I do with this face NOW!
3. Advil cold and sinus tablets that you need to show your driver's license to purchase because the Patriot Act now requires pharmacies to track usage - I kid you not.
4. Wadded up kleenex and paper napkins
5. Address book that's too big for my purse

Five people I tag:

1. Cheeky Attitude cuz she's NEVER been tagged with a MEME
2. Peggy just cuz she deserves it after her exotic vacation
3. Betty who needs a break from the campaign trail
4. Susan's daughter - new blog - never been tagged
5. Ginnie who will be really rested and raring to go after her trip to Alaska!

I was going to tag Alan G but he scared me out of it and besides he was tagged for another MEME.....

I'm plum tuckered out from this post and you probably are too.

Thursday's Secret Garden

2006-08-03T00:40:00.000-07:00

Stanford's Secret Cactus Garden

This secret garden did not require me to leap tall gates in a single bound or put my hand and camera thru security fences. No police roaming the area...only dog walkers and joggers.
Oddly it's official name is the Arizona Garden and can be found on the Stanford University campus.

It's still a surprise when you find this place. I first saw it a few years ago when it was only partially restored. It was originally planted in the 1880's for the Stanford family. The planned house next to it was never built and the garden itself was overgrown and forgotten around the 1920's. Restoration was started in 1997. I liked the prehistoric look of it when I first found it. It's a little too pristine for me now but still feels creepy on overcast or rainy days.

You can read more about it's history here and here and of course the pictures are better.

I've also been "tagged" by Susan at A Slice of Life for my first MeME.....Susan, I'm working on it - honest! Susan's daughter has just started her own blog The Amazingly, Interesting Life of Me and I think someone should rush over there and tag her with a MeME.

Just Another Day At The Office

2006-08-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

And Charley Hogs The Visitor Chairs

Don't have a clue why he does this but he loves to lay on the seam between two chairs and play with the arms.

It was a slow day outside...not enough people to stop and pet him so what the heck. Let's see if this gets him some attention. It usually does.

I know you're wondering how well he's cared for as the "office" cat. At 5pm he's put in his own office with 3 beds, 2 cat trees, kitty box, food and a crystal bowl of water. He's freed first thing in the morning to roam the grounds which are quite lovely and remote. He turns himself in at 3:30pm because it's close to dinner time. I'm not an advocate of letting cats outside but we have 43 different opinions where I work and this routine is what we all can agree on.

Charley initially showed up a couple of years ago very frightened and skinny. We couldn't get close to him even tho he was very vocal with anyone trying to lure him inside. When he finally accepted food from us the barriers came down and he turned out to be the sweetest cat I've ever known. We have children visiting all the time and he follows them around like a dog.

Initially we tried to find him a home but the entire place was so in love with him the idea just faded away. He's the biggest benefit of coming to work everyday.

Thursday's Secret Garden

2006-07-27T00:43:00.000-07:00

Secret Gardens

This is another one of my favorite detours. The house is called Coryell Carriage House and was built in 1912. I just learned it's history and name when it went up for sale recently. During the winter it's a dark and rather spooky house that surprises you as you come around a corner. I've been here several times to take pictures this week and I'm never happy with them. This was taken with the camera poking thru the wrought iron gate. There are 3 different security signs on that gate and I'm just waiting for the small town police patrol to come by and ask me what I'm doing. My excuse will be that it all started with Claude's Blogging In Paris post about The Secret Garden.

From the sidewalk the gates make it more forbidding and well.....secret. Notice the security signs? It's a spanish style garden with different cactus, olive trees and some big round rose beds. The garden never has a stray leaf or weed and yet all the times I've driven by I have NEVER seen a human or a car or a dog or cat. I've often wondered if the neighborhood kids dare to "trick or treat" here and more importantly what the "treat" would be.

The Wicked Witch Is Dead

2006-07-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm Melting...I'm Melting

So it's still hot in Whine Country (thanks Goldenlucyd for the name). I'm melting at 91 degrees and it looks like no end in sight. There was a fog sighting close to the city but not enough to cool us off. It does give me the chance to post this picture of one of my favorite characters. She scared the heck out of me as a child but I grew to love her and all things witchy. I like all the new children's movies but The Wizard Of Oz is still one of my favorites. I spent a lifetime wanting those Ruby Red Slippers but my mom insisted I could have nothing but black or navy shoes.

The good thing about living thru a heat wave in the Bay Area is Whole Foods Market was quick to feature 3 kinds of Gazpacho soup in their Deli. You could have the standard tomato gazpacho or a green gazpacho or HEIRLOOM TOMATO gazpacho (which looks suspiciously like beets - yuk). How "trendy" is that? I bought all three so I don't have to turn on a stove for a couple of days.

And I'm beginning to hate the weather sites who tell you it's 91 but it feels like 95. I don't need that suggestion cuz my mind and body go right to 95.

The Gates Of Hell

2006-07-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

THE GATES OF HELL
AND THE WEATHER FORCAST

It's supposed to be 101 degrees today. Makes me think of The Gates Of Hell. This casting is in the Rodin Sculpture Garden at Stanford. It's an amazing work and you'll notice some new detail every time you come back. I made the mistake of meeting a date there once...can you guess the relationship never worked? Bad ju-ju. But I digress.......I know 101 degrees isn't a big deal for some parts of the country but for the San Francisco Bay Area we wimp out in these temps. Central air conditioning is not a standard here. There are thousands without electricity since last night so not even fans for them. Whine...whine...whine from the wimp...wimp...wimp.

Kitty Diaries - Last Day

2006-07-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

No More Tuna Treats For Les Girls!

The last two days I kitty-sit I always get a little sad that I have to say goodbye to Les Girls. Les Folks tell me I can come to see them anytime but it's just not the same. As you can see by the comments they're a little worried that they have to wean them away from the daily tuna treat. Just as Alan G. commented earlier, I'm like the grandmother who spoils the kids and can waltz right out the door after.

My next door neighbors will ask me to babysit their dogs as a last resort. They suspect things go on while they're gone that they don't approve of. Their dogs are not allowed on their furniture or bed and are crated at night. They usually have a dog sitter stay at the house when they travel. Last year when they got a new very large puppy they had a hole in the dog sitting schedule and were forced to ask me to help.

I got 5 pages of instructions (in small type) and a list of commands the pup knew. Looking at the list I thought her vocabulary was better than mine.

My first assignment was to pick her up from doggy day care and make sure I transported her back home with her seat belt on. I couldn't figure the damn seat belt thingie out so when she jumped in the passenger seat and acted like she was belted in we took off... big dog - little car and she sat looking out the passenger window nicely all the way home.

I hated the idea that I had to crate her at home every night so would bring her to my house till very late. The first night as I was watching TV in my bedroom she came up to me and put her paws on either side of my lap and tried to crawl in my lap. Pretty soon it was obvious she was trying to push her way past me to get on the bed. I figured "what the heck" it's just one night... so I let her up. She curled up in the middle of the bed and went to sleep with one paw touching me. The next night I brought her over and she made a flying leap straight to the center of the bed. I started praying that this pup was smart enough (cuz she knew so many words) to know the difference between being allowed on my bed and abiding by the rules when she was at home.

When her folks returned they came over with her to thank me. They could see by the way she greeted me that we bonded. We started talking about dog sitting in general and her dad mentioned they worried other people could ruin her training but his biggest worry was feeding her people food (they know I cook for my pets - yep I do). I assured him I never did THAT with their darling girl.

So that's why I'm not asked to pet sit unless people are desperate.........

The Secret Garden

2006-07-21T00:21:00.000-07:00

Secret Gardens

Claude at Blogging in Paris had a wonderful post about recently reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was one of my favorite books as a child and I realized as I read Claude's post that the book stayed with me all these years because I'm always drawn to garden gates that have the promise of something secret and mysterious behind them. I passed this gate daily when road work caused a detour to my job last summer. Every single time I passed by I had to slow down and look. I still take the long route a few times a month just to see it. The tiny window in the gate shows a glimpse of the flowers on the other side. It looks almost like a stained glass window.

I have been running around like a maniac this week taking pictures because I've been so inspired by Cheeky Attitude, Fickle and Whim and Blogging In Paris. This is just crazy!

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KITTY DIARIES DAY 6

The Magic of Tuna

The tuna trick has created a bond with me and Les Girls. Queenie rubbed against my leg tonight and actually was up on her back legs as I was putting her dinner down. Why didn't I think of this before?

I'm fresh out of pics of Les Girls but here's one of Charley our office cat cooling off today in the in basket. He will stand and stare at the basket and meow until we remove any papers so he can climb in and sleep. This is actually for Chelle P who also has a black and white Charley cat!

From San Francisco....

2006-07-20T00:33:00.000-07:00

It's the city I suspect the rest of the country loves to hate . It's where I was born and raised and am still close to. But just for today I wish everyone would take a look at what the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor are trying to do. They are trying to provide healthcare for the uninsured. Hopefully it's going to be a "single payer" system. There's tons to still work out - businesses are not happy about the extra money per hour they need to cough up for this venture but I'm glad they're trying something! This won't impact me and the elders I worry about...yet. We all have supplemental health insurance and my friends are on Medicare plus we don't live in the city. But as I watch my elderly friends struggle with doubling prescription costs and rising out of pocket charges I know we need to pay attention to this. Alan at Final Thoughts had a good discussion on Medicare changes and that was BEFORE the New York Times ran an article about additional cuts coming from the administration ....

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KITTY DIARIES DAY 5

Almost The Home Stretch But Not Quite

Not much to report. Tuna saved the week and all is well tho' Les Girls are a little wild at dinner time. Hope Les Folks had a great time kayaking today.

Kitty Diaries Day 4

2006-07-18T22:40:00.000-07:00

STILL GOOD

Things are proceeding nicely. This is the first day I feel confident that I have the pill issue solved. Les Girls love their evening tuna treat and I worry Les Folks may have a new problem when they get home. But hey, I'm just the kitty sitter.......

It's hard to get a true picture of the lovely markings on Princess. You can see a little of it on her front paws but my photography doesn't do her justice.

Here's Queenie protecting HER bedroom after dinner. Tonight she swatted the back of my skirt as I was getting kibble out of the cupboard - didn't even wait for me to set it down by the bowl. There were two extra swats just for good measure right before I scooped her kibble. Clearly I'm not doing something right. If only she could talk....

And check out the French version of a kitty who never takes meds well.....Claude's darling Mounir at Blogging In Paris. The "cute" factor is going to get ya on this one. Why can't I take a photo like that?

Kitty Diaries Day 3

2006-07-18T00:57:00.000-07:00

DOING GOOD

Les Girls have now figured out that TUNA may be involved in the evening meal. Princess is fed in her room and I usually get her situated first. While bringing her bowl back into her room with the dollop of tuna in it I had Queenie on my heels trying to bust past me and steal the tuna. This has never happened before. I did get her back to the kitchen and she helps me by opening up the bottom cupboard door where her dry food is located. I broke open the capsule and smashed it with the tuna in her dish. I sit the kibble container on the floor next to her bowl while I scoop out the kibble and she swats that container every single time. I must not be moving fast enough. So Les Folks it was another success - she licked the bowl clean. And they both take naps right after, which is a new thing. I think that little bit of tuna is so satisfying it's like a piece of really good chocolate for us...ya think?

Don't you think Queenie looks like the cat in Shrek 2?

Princess is still playing with her frog.

For those of you bored with all the kitty updates, here's a funny post over at Alan G's Final Thoughts that I'm still laughing about. It's about your "dying" technique. Alan has been a blogger angel for helping Goldendaze Ginnie and me get our blogs up and running. Thanks again Alan!

After the kitty diaries are over I swear I'll straighten up and get serious.

Kitty Diaries Day 2

2006-07-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

SUCCESS ...KIND OF

Okay, so she's smarter than me. We all knew that. Queenie was able to lick the tuna fish off the pill and push it to the side of her bowl. I grabbed the dish and re-smooshed tuna around the capsule. As I put the dish down I made sure to pet her at the same time she's eating to distract her from the pill but she does it again and this time is really irritated that I'm grabbing the dish away as she's trying to eat. I just know her folks are reading this and saying "told ya". We go through the same routine a third time and by now the pill is looking pretty beat up so I throw caution to the wind and break it into the bottom of the bowl to mash tuna into the powder. Success at last. She eats every morsel of the tuna as well as her normal food. I'm not exactly confident this same procedure will work tomorrow night - she's always one step (or paw) ahead of me. I may have to break down and use the nasty pilling tool her folks left out. The good thing about adding the tuna is she's actually sticking closer to me after dinner to see what else I may come up with in the way of a treat! Not quite so aloof.

Queenie after dinner watching my every move.

And little Princess...still playing

Kitty Diaries to be continued......

Starting to panic here. What will I blog about after my babysitting duties are over at the end of the week? This was your smart idea Mz Kitty Mom so start thinking of something for me!

Kitty Diaries - Day 1

2006-07-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

SUCCESS - TRIUMPH - VICTORY !!!!!

Queenie's pilling was all of the above. Take note royal parents, age always triumphs over youth and beauty! But I can't take all the credit. I caught Warren Eckstein on his Pet Place radio show this afternoon and "how to pill a cat" was one of the segments. This is a great radio show for pet lovers. You can check out his web page at:

http://www.thepetshow.com/

His suggestion is to get some smelly wet cat food and put it in tupperware with the pills in the fridge for a day. The pills pick up the odor of the food and disguise the pill odor. I ran right out to the store for a can of tuna fish. Took the top off and put the can in a plastic container with a few of her pills then put the container in the fridge. Took my Gwyn ( aka Cujo) for a walk. Came back late so I was sure both girls were good and hungry. I took a teeny tiny bitsy scoop of tuna and wrapped it around the pill to put on top of her crunchies.

Here's the miniscule teeny tiny tuna pill. I'm showing this cuz the "folks" think I'm always sneaking Les Girls extra food. And yes, I did give a slight teensy scoop of tuna to the Princess as well.

I stood over her and watched every bite. She gulped the tuna pill right down and kept eating. Didn't hold it in her cheek and spit it out!

Look at that girl EAT!

Where's the tuna pill?

I know the folks (should they check in) think this is beginner's luck. She is one smart cat and usually figures out what you're trying to do after the first move. So tomorrow will be the big test. BUT I'm feeling darn good right now.

After-dinner nap.

And the Princess just wants to play.

Kitty updates to follow...stay tuned!

Kitty Diaries

2006-07-15T04:08:00.000-07:00

I'm babysitting Les Girls for a week. This is the regal and aloof Queenie (her name has been changed to protect the innocent). We have a nervous relationship. I want her to like me. She tolerates me.

Here's her sister Princess (name has been changed to protect the guilty). Princess likes me. She follows me around like a puppy and that's the crux of the problem. Queenie doesn't like it. I couldn't be worth much as a human protector if this little mutt trusts me - could I?

The issue for the week will be pilling Queenie and she's not easy to pill. I've never handled her before. She barely allows me to pet her. I sneak a couple in as she eats only because she's distracted. I'm not brave enough to try it when there's no food around.

Blogging the kitty diaries is a sneaky way for one of the parents of Les Girls to get me blogging. I thought about it but she jumped right on it and said it would be the easy way for her to check how things were going while they were on their vacation. I'm sure they're waiting for the first news about the success (or lack of) with the pilling issue so more to follow after dinner time this evening. Wish me luck!

And by the way....bet you can't remember the original Les Girls with Gene Kelly and Mitzi Gaynor can you?