"They don't want a population capable of critical thinking..."

Bush tax cuts were NOT job creators!

 10 Inconvenient Truths About the Debt Ceiling:
1. Republican Leaders Agree U.S. Default Would Be a "Financial Disaster"
2. Ronald Reagan Tripled the National Debt
3. George W. Bush Doubled the National Debt
4. Republicans Voted Seven Times to Raise Debt Ceiling for President Bush
5. Federal Taxes Are Now at a 60 Year Low
6. Bush Tax Cuts Didn't Pay for Themselves or Spur "Job Creators"
7. Ryan Budget Delivers Another Tax Cut Windfall for Wealthy
8. Ryan Budget Will Require Raising Debt Ceiling - Repeatedly
9. Tax Cuts Drive the Next Decade of Debt
10. $3 Trillion Tab for Unfunded Wars Remains Unpaid

I realize reading and education are not hallmarks of the Republicans because education makes people haughty elitists and ** horror-of-horrors!** is government subsidized and not based upon the Bible...but, really... check it out:

http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/10-inconvenient-truths-about-debt-ceiling

Even Alan Simpson questions his party's mental health...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And re: the debt 'crisis'...raised 89 friggin' times since '39..just pass a clean bill!

I am, have been for some time now, soooo "over" the "gone-plum-mad" Republicans!  I simply must ignore these temper tantrums which they insist upon, seemingly without realizing they could run us right off the road for the sake of "getting their way."  Their actions, to me, don't even dignify engagement.  As for myself, I think they've torn up their ticket at the negotiating table, having missed that particular adjective, "negotiating."  (Then again: maybe they see that word as only a descriptive adjective...clearly not as a verb/adverb!)


http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_07/the_easiest_most_effective_way031038.php

"The lyfe so short, the craft so long to lerne, "Th’ assay so hard, so sharpe the conquering." ~Geoffrey Chaucer, The Assembly of Fowles.

Inevitable as it may have seemed, breaks my heart.  We all get to choose our coming and our going.

Good Journey, Amy!

Hello, Saturday! (Who remembers 1969? I certainly do.)

Did we tell you Miss Olive moved?

We miss you, Miss Olive.  But, then..that tiny little sparrow perched on the edge of my hanging geranium, not much bigger than an x-large egg, fully feathered but
clearly with inexperienced wings, and who fluttered across the driveway before crash landing, will probably live to perfect his flight in your absence.

'Twas a noble flight, Little Sparrow!

A little humility...

 

Tonight Ace & I were out for our evening walk. We had gone a few blocks and stopped before crossing a main street.  There was a car lingering at the stop sign and maybe four more behind it.  The driver kindly signaled for Ace and me to cross.  I smiled, waved a "thank you" and tried to move along my often-slow-ambling aging critter when I felt his resistance to be slightly more than usual.  Looking over my shoulder it seemed to me he was arching his back, dragging his back feet a bit.  "Nooooooooo!" my thoughts were screaming..."Come!" I tried to tug gently, yet firmly.  "Come! Come!"  I commanded, then coerced, acutely aware of our audience in the line of cars whose occupants had nothing to do but watch us.  The whole corner of the street on the side to which we crossed is a restaurant with full windows.  All I can say is, Ace did make it to the sidewalk, in full view of those big windows and casual diners inside, before he completed his job on the sidewalk.

Ah, Ace!  You do keep me humble...

Once upon a time, a very long time ago...

...before iPads and DVD players and interactive video games...before television..(!) ...children played with toys; (often stationary items which had no mobility at all without assistance.)  I remember well playing with little hard rubber cars; making elaborate roadways in the dirt.  I remember making "cookies" from pieces of soil cracked and curled after drying up following a nice rain.  And climbing trees.  And giving each other rides in the wheelbarrow.  I remember my arms up, tightly clinging to the sides of a home-made "swing"..an oval metal tub, strung with ropes from the handle at each end onto the tree branch, as my siblings pushed the tub to and fro. I remember playing drop-the-handkerchief, kick-the-can, hide-and-go-seek, leap frog, Annie- Annie-Over....

My little sister and I had a doll buggy just like this. Actually, it was probably hers.  It provided us many, many hours of playtime.  And doll cradles and dolls...pre-Barbie dolls, mind you! Baby dolls, they were. How well I remember that wonderful smell of a brand new doll..a mix of latex and new fabrics.  Even the hair had a distinctive smell. Bride dolls were the coveted dolls then. Only older, more responsible girls received bride dolls...you had to "graduate into" bride dolls.  First, you received very large, plump baby dolls.  Then, you might get a Shirley Temple doll, with different outfits, even! But, the apex...and, often your 'last' doll (before you out-grew dolls), was usually a beautiful, elaborate bride doll complete with wedding gown and veil, crisp petticoats, satin and lace fabrics, strands of pearls, rhinestone tiaras.  The bride doll was usually more for display than for play, and often a bittersweet event because, not only did you know there would be more dolls for you under the Christmas tree, but, as well, it silently signaled a rite of passage:  that you were now to be grown up. (Like 'happy-ever-after" stories, I guess.  Life, as it were, 'ended' at 'brides.')

My sister, six years older than myself, had a bride doll.  I used to sneak her doll out to play with when she wasn't home.  One day I was rushing through a door to quickly return the doll when the door slammed on its rubber arm and ripped it completely off, scattering tiny little multi-colored rubber stuffing pieces everywhere!

Back then it must have still been okay for kids to clobber each other in anger.  Yup.  Must have been.

That was before iPads.  And DVD players.  And interactive video games.  Even before television.

Dinner w/friends...

 

lavender-coffee cheddar & lemon stilton

~~~~~~~

guacamole w/blue corn chips

grilled veggie kabobs

bruchetta w/ricotta, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes 

& herbs fresh from the garden

tempranache wine

chocolate meringues w/strawberries & whipped cream

Great guacamole...nice blend of chunky & creamy avocados; not spicy-hot but w/loaded w/ flavor. The lemon stilton was delightful, but the lavender-coffee was memorable!  Kabobs were tightly stacked w/a great variety of zucchini, onion, eggplant, mushrooms, peppers...The tempranache wine (60% tempranillo and 40% grenache) was really quite nice..a light red, perfect for a summer evening.

I contributed the meringues which were like crusty wafers sans the "pouf" & soft centers they should have had. (I'm sorely out of practice and didn't have time to make a new batch.)  Oh well...they tasted great. Strawberries & cream had a splash of Frangelico.

 Great hospitality, great hostesses, great eats, great wines, gracious home...Thanks, Kids!  You always hit it out of the park!

Stamen shadow

hibiscus

Lil' 'enry...one of our canine friends

Henry

curds & whey

I made ricotta for the first time yesterday.

  It won't be the last time...

Well, she is a southern belle..

Jodi & Cezanne

Size Matters (?)

Over the years, I have been a bit bemused by people who seem to have a competitive attitude about the size of a dog. They either have/have had/know someone who has the largest (or smallest) dog. Sweet Acey is, has consistently been, 92- 97 lbs. throughout his 14 yrs. Some people see him as "what a BIG dog!"  Others have a story:  "Yeah, but so-and-so's Akita is HUGE! Twice as big as this dog!"  And, perchance you later meet "so-and-so's" dog and the dog is 75 lbs.

Regarding the Akita, those who know the breed know the Japanese, from whence the breed hails, didn't like the American "bigger-is-better" perspective and bred back their Akita, keeping a little smaller, more Spitz-like Akita...and giving the label Great Japanese Dog to the American Akita.  I had a 132 lb. Akita, Beloved Yukiko, who was amazing...agile as a mountain goat..and whom I'll miss all the days of my life.  In the sense that I prefer "big dogs" as my personal companions, I guess size matters.  But, that I have the BIGGEST?  Who could possibly care?? As for Ace:  I see him as a work of art; absolutely beautiful of spirit, mind and body.

Which brings to mind a funny little exchange a couple days ago while Ace and I were walking.  There was, across the street, a middle-aged couple walking a mouse on a lead...oh! Excuse me: I do believe it was a chiquaqua.  In common dog-walking etiquette, we acknowledged each other and, offered in the spirit of  a compliment, I called out, "I'm not sure why you have that lead...I think all you need is some thread!"  To my surprise, they seemed not one bit amused; looked at each other...gave me a sideways glance and no response...no smile...heads down, walked on.

Which, I must say, amused me even more.