Ever Have a Disturbing Dream?

The other morning I woke from a disturbing dream. It was really short. Nothing gruesome. But, disturbing. I was in a bathroom. Tiny, tiny bathroom, not my own. The walls were a clean white. The door had a dark blue door frame, knob on the right. Don't recall if there were a washstand or not. On to the disturbing part. I wanted to get out. The door was locked, or stuck, or something that prevented me from opening it. Not fun. Not good. It seems I heard something or someone outside the door.

This tiny room seemed about three feet square. Just to be sure--in the interest of clarity--I went to one of our bathrooms and measured to approximate what I dreamed about the size of that disturbing bathroom with the stuck or locked door. A 3 foot square area was about the right dimensions. (Again, in the interest of clarity, it's somewhat similar size wise to lavatories on an air plane, though the configuration was different.)

Wanting to leave the confines of the bathroom, I knocked on the door. I wanted some one's attention to the fact that I was stuck inside and wanted out. No response. Of course. So I knocked again. This was where the dream got really disturbing. Knocking on the door produced little sound. Even when I removed a shoe and used the heel to increase the sound. It was like knocking on a solid surface--no reverberating noise, no hollow resonance to carry to the outside world. Have you ever pounded on a plastered wall? The old-fashioned kind made by hand AFTER the studs are covered with chicken wire or something and then the plaster is smoothed on very thickly and left to dry for some time. Old walls? Walls when knocked on make very little sound. It was like that. The door was solid. Unlike a solid wood door.

And the dream felt absolutely real. Not like a dream. I hate those kinds of dreams, the kind where you think you're really there and it's really happening. Not the kind that while you're dreaming, you KNOW its just a dream! Weird enough that you know it's not the "real world." This Disturbing Dream seemed way too real--hence, far more disturbing.

I'm not claustrophobic, but being in a 3' x 3' enclosure sans window or escape route . . . I think there's a real possibility that I could freak out--in reality. As a rule of thumb I guess I better check out escape routes in foreign bathrooms--after ascertaining whether or not they're only 3x3, the door is framed in blue, walls are nice and white, etc.

Just for reference, after I woke, I tried to remember if there were hinges on the inside of the door. I don't remember any. In my not fully awake state, I began a logical checklist. IF the room were only the dimensions it seemed to be, the door would have had to open out--which would preclude the hinges being on the inside. Hmmm. Another point to consider when using public restrooms. Make sure the hinges are on the inside and that I carry a healthy, flat head screwdriver and hammer in with me when entering. Oh, yes. And a cell phone. And pray it works. Inside the restroom with the solid walls and door that doesn't reverberate.

I'm done. Sorry for this Disturbing post.

Freckled Bananas = Banana Bread

Got freckly bananas? Get cookin' and get some yummy banana bread or banana bread muffins. My grandchildren call them (and a variety of other baked goods) "muppy." Works for me! Their Mom photoshopped this picture of one such "muppy" for me/for you. The recipe follows the pic.

Mom's Yummy Banana Bread

~ ~ ~

1/2 cup (one stick) BUTTER

1 cup SUGAR

2 large EGGS

1/2 tsp. BAKING SODA

1/2 tsp. SALT

1 3/4 cup FLOUR

4-6 mashed, ripe BANANAS

1/2 cup WALNUT chunks

~ ~ ~

Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in dry ingredients then bananas. Add walnut pieces and mix. Pour into well greased (or cooking oil sprayed) loaf pan (or muffin pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour for loaf/30 minutes for muffins--or until done when inserted toothpick comes out clean.

~ ~ ~

Simple and yummy.

~ ~ ~

Note: If you only have a couple of ripe bananas to use right now, peel them, place them in a ziplock plastic bag, squeeze out all the air, zip closed and pop into the freezer. When you get enough, then thaw them out, and mash to use in baking. The more bananas you have the tastier your bread will be---AND it will be more moist. (You can use some pretty overly ripe bananas for this recipe. NOT black ones, but pretty well gone ones.) HOWEVER: I wouldn't go much over six or seven bananas for one recipe. This recipe is easily doubled and placed into 2 - 3 loaf pans, or one loaf pan and one 12 cup muffin pan.

Glorious Sunset

While enjoying a family reunion of sorts in my nephew's backyard last August, my husband captured these fabulous photos. They haven't been retouched--photoshopped. WYSIWYG! It was truly a spectacular "photo shoot!"

A few minutes later, the sky morphed into this firey display. I do so LOVE skyscapes! And I'm equally grateful my dear husband captured these images for memory sake!

Things Happen Quickly--Sometimes

Friday last week I noticed that our pyracantha bush, still loaded with berries, had begun sprinkling clusters of flowers here and there to catch the eye--and some pollinators. If I remember correctly, it was a little late in the year for the berries to still be present, but it made a lovely contrasting picture: green leaves, red berry clusters, white flowers. Normally, when the bush begins to flower, the berries are gone. Birds typically snack heavily on them. I remember a lot of robins in particular doing so over the years--seems like in February/March. After snacking they would act all goofey like they were drunk or something, and fly into the windows.

This year's robins seem to be much smaller in number for some reason. Back to last Friday. I took a few pictures to capture the beauty of berries and blossoms together. Here are a few.

Okay. I'm hacked off right now. I've tried to upload pictures for this posting several times and I keep getting an error message. Also, I've tried to find the various pictures I've taken of this particular pyracantha bush to share with you. Last spring I took a picture with the bush totally covered in blossoms. 3 different shots of it. NONE are to be found in my files. NOT good. I have a couple of other pics of the whole thing covered in berries--a direct result--as you might guess of the large batch of flowers previously covering the bush. Well, the error message fouled that opportunity to share that for the moment. Maybe later things will work right. Maybe.

The STORY I was trying to relate was this: On Friday, April 11, 2008, many berries adorned the bush. We left that afternoon for the weekend. One time when I walked out the front door to put things in the vehicle, I noticed rustling in the pyracantha bush just prior to seeing a pair of Nuthatches fly out and land in the oak tree closer to the front of the yard. I thought little of it, except for, "I haven't seen any Nuthatches lately. That's cool."

Monday, to my amazement, I looked at the lovely P. bush and discovered it was denuded of all the berries! I mean ALL of them! Over the weekend, apparently. Since I wasn't here I can't verify if there were a horde of crazed robins, Nuthatches or a gaggle of geese, but SOMETHING chowed down on my pyracantha bush and left it berry-less. I have a picture in my files to show you just how it now looks, but the fiends that reign in terror on computer novices like me seem to be intervening in my sharing any more photos on this post. I'll try at least one more time and see what happens . . . or not. Wish me luck.

Nope. The Fiends--who or whatever they are--hate me and won't let me do it. Not now. Maybe not ever. So, I suppose you'll just have to take my word for it. Or not. You may never be able to see the forensic evidence for yourselves. My apologies. And fury. Sorry.

Life's Funny Like That Inspired Post

Debby posted a little of her frustration in dealing with her internet service provider--who wasn't exactly providing internet service. While reading and responding to her post I was reminded of the multitude of hours (read: many uncounted hours of frustration, anger, incredulity, blank stares, confusion--let's see, how many other descriptive words come to mind to somehow represent the gamut of issues I've felt in that/those situation(s)?) I've spent/wasted in the pursuit of happiness, I mean, internet service that actually serves my needs/wants. You get the picture.

Feel free at any time to add your own experiences with this phenomenom of meekly (Ha, ha! Right.) seeking the service we're paying for and not getting.

After the provider's tech service number is dialed this is kinda how it goes:
1. A smooth, yet distastefully phoney voice says, "Thank you for calling ____________. You have reached _________ high-speed internet technical support. This call may be recorded for training purposes."
2. "Please listen carefully and choose one of the following options."
3. "For billing, please press 1. For interrupted phone service, please press 2. If you'd like to begin internet service, press 3. For a copy of your most recent bill, please press 4. If you'd like to order new services, please press 5 to speak to our customer services operator. For technical assistance, please press 6. For instructions on how to dance the polka, please refer to your user's guide. If you don't like any of the previous choices, please hang up and try later."
4. After pressing 6, as Debby mentioned, you get--eventually--to music. Then something like this, "Due to high caller volume, we estimate that your call will be answered in 5 to 10 minutes. Please be patient while we answer calls in the order in which they were received."
5. Then after 5 to 50 minutes in the "queue" you somehow get shunted back to the original electronically generated "operator" who states: "For billing, please press 1. For interrupted phone or internet service, please press 2. For technical support, please press 9. We may be unable to help you at this time due to excessive caller volume. If you'd like to leave a message and have a technician respond to your call, please press 47 and record your message. We'll return your call as soon as possible."
6. Don't ever do that! So you don't. You press 3 again. Or you keep your finger on "0" (that's zero) until you get some other kind of response. (I probably won't record what that one sounds like!)
7. You hang up in frustration and call later.
8. When you call back you get the similar greeting, but they've sent you somewhere else. The options become more bizzare.
9. "If you'd like to order pizza, please press 7 and have your credit card handy. If you'd like to speak to the president of the company, ha, ha, ha, oooooooh, ha, ha, ha, yeah! Get a life! Seriously! If you want to talk to a tech, press 9. Hi. If you want to speak to a technical assistant, press 9. Again. Yes, really! We do appreciate you call. Oh, and just for good measure, press 4. Someone might care and, hey, if we feel like it, we MIGHT actually answer your call. So, go ahead. Press any other number and see what happens!"
10. After fuming around the house using your very angry voice and getting stares from those family members that may be in close proximity, you mumble threatenings and other unintelligible mumblings.
11. You then fix yourself some kind of comfort food--mine would be chocolate related, or a potato something, like a baked potatoes with butter, sour cream, cheese, chopped scallions, real freshly fried bacon crumbles and don't forget: salt and pepper. Or something crunchy like crisp, crunchy bagle chips.
12. Then, having forgotten all the misery recently experienced at the hands (do electronic voice mail operators--or whatever they actually are have hands?) of the vile internet tech services phone number folks--who or whatever they are, you attempt to get back on the internet. You have banking issues to resolve. Besides, you want to see pictures of your grandchildren, send/receive emails from your children, siblings, friends who live far from home. That's when your spouse gives you a look like "You've lost your mind. Again." And to be sure, I have. Again. So I call.
13. Miracle of miracles, after having survived the gauntlet of multiple choices--again--most of which have nothing to do with why I'm calling, I actually connect with a real live person. In India, or the Phillipines, or Panama or elsewhere.

Then, as Debby mentioned, the script is often repeated. "May I have the pleasure of knowing the name of the person to whom I am speaking, please? Thank you. May I have the phone number associated with this account? Thank you. Is this also a good call-back number if we happen to be disconnected? (What?!!! Disconnected! No. No. Tell me it ain't possible!) Thank you. Now, Ms. __________, what may I do to assiste you today? Have you checked this or that. Why don't you do that for me now. Please then, unplug this and the other. Okay, now, what do you see? Okay, thank you. Now, may I put you on hold for just a moment while I check on that problem, please?" Ten or fifteen minutes later. "Thank you so much for holding. I apologize for the wait, but I needed to check with my supervisor. May I put you back on hold for a moment? Thank you."

By this time, your stomach is once again in need of nourishment and you stick the cordless phone on "speaker" and treck back to the kitchen and fix another snack/meal and try to enjoy it while to wait for the help essential to the functioning of you internet once more. Or still. Yes. Still. It is still. Not functioning. Still as in quiet. Except for the muzak wafting from the cordless phone set on hold.

Have you ever wondered how much it costs to be put on hold while connected to India? Like for an hour, besides the actual time you speak to that person? I wonder about that. How much do they pay techs to answer phones and try to assist you in fixing problems that most often are their own equipment problems? Are my internet servers' computers located in India? Hmmmmmmmmm. I do wonder. And then, there is always the cat lurking beneath someone's computer making a chewy toy of the inherent wiring essential to computering, internet or no--as depicted in Debby's post.

I'm so tired and worn out now. I may have to go take a nap. Yawn. Oh, did we ever get the internet back up? And running? Hmmmm I don't remember!

Happy Thoughts Spring Pictures

This is a wild flower--some kind of a "wort". #2 daughter would beg Daddy to NOT mow the back yard until all these had ended blooming. Often he'd grant her wish.

These are two of my most favorite flowering bushes in the yard: bridal wreath and light pink azalea--this is before the devastating rain a few days ago.

Another sypria--bridal wreath.



This is one of many blooms on mother-in-law's camillia bush. This bush is probably over 8 feet high and 5 or 6 feet wide. (It's been there for awhile!)

IF your day needs brightening, hope these pics help a little.

List of To Dos

I should post something terribly interesting today. Right. Well, yesterday I took several photos of flowers around the yard. Last week we had torrential downpours--8 inches in less than 24 hours. THAT is a huge amount of water in such a short time. Ground water seeped into our lowest level. NOT good. One of the things I was most displeased with was that so many of the flowering bushes in the yard were deflowered in the raining process. I'd planned to take some really cool pictures of the wisteria in full bloom. They were gorgeous. I'd begun a couple of weeks ago with picture taking of the early buds--rather odd looking before the blooms--and I was going to follow up with, well, the full blooms. Okay. I blew it. Maybe when they do the next bloom I'll get some. And then, they smell so good. Well, most of the azaleas were in full bloom, too. Both shrubs were blooming close together and smell so sweet and good! Done now! Sad.

(Oh, and last Friday, we had a tornado in the very close vicinity. Weather across the country has been absolutely WILD lately!)

However, I'll post some pics another day.

Today, I need to make a list of things to do.

1. Do laundry.
2. Shower/dress. (Wait on laundry to dress. Yeah. You know, favorite jeans are in the wash.)
3. Make banana bread with those very quickly ripening bananas.
4. Pack for the trip this afternoon to the in-laws place.
5. Correction. The place that used to be the in-laws. Now it's my husband's and his brother's.
6. Mail off the Income Tax form and payment. (Don't like this to-do the MOST.)
7. Pack all the books, papers, forms, etc. needed for Saturday's in-service meeting.
8. Email/call all 14 siblings to remind them of the fast/prayer we're holding in Mom's behalf this weekend. (Mom is 81, widowed for nearly 10 years now, and living alone. She needs more attention on a daily basis.)
9. Call Mom at 10 am and read scriptures with her. (We live several states away from each other, so the phone is an essential link.)
10. Pray for one sister and one brother who have serious issues regarding employment.
11. Pray for youngest daughter who's soon to graduate from college and needs to find employment of her own.
12. Pack things into the truck for the trip this pm.
13. Don't forget to take husband's library book back and find another for him.
14. Oh, yeah. Don't forget to eat. (Ha, ha. Sometimes I get busy and do forget. Then when my belly screeches for attention, or I feel like my blood-sugar level is way low, or I get one of those headaches, feeling like I'm going to pass out--well, some of you will know what I'm talking about.)
15. I'm already at #15? I know there are probably a jillion more things I should be listing here to help me remember everything I should plan to do today.
16. Print this list and add to it as necessary.

You really didn't want to read this list, did you. (That's a rhetorical statement. Isn't it? Or is that, rhetorical question?)

Hope your day/weekend is grand and fulfilling and fun and peaceful and filled with love and kisses and hugs and whatever you most need it to be.

P.S. Please forgive any misspelled words, poor grammar, and general failings. I haven't eaten yet. And I'm not proofing this post. We'll discuss my other myriad failings and shortcomings at a later time. Maybe.

Oxymorons: What To Do When You Can't Sleep

Have you ever spent time thinking of putting together a list of oxymorons? I’m sure there are a gazillion out there if we can open our minds to the possibilities. Right?

This ** is not an inexhaustible list, (no kidding) and perhaps not a list at all, but I’ve thought of a few things that MIGHT be a bit on an oxymoron list. If you don’t agree, which by all rights you may, please set me straight (or is that strait?—I think the former rather than the latter).

The thing is, I got shot today. Well, shots—inoculations—the kind of things they do to you in the doctor’s office when you’re dying of terrible, yucky infections and things. And because of one of those shots, I’ll never be able to be a professional athlete. I’m sorry. I know you’re all disappointed in me. But that’s the fact of the matter. I . . . was injected . . . with . . . (sob) . . . steroids. The truth is out. The fact that I’m 59 and could probably walk a mile or two if I needed to—in say an hour or two—and have to sit for another two to recover; and that my girth approximates that of an eight or nine month pregnant woman (well maybe only that of a seven or eight month pregnant woman) and I am and always have been excessively athletic (insert sarcastic tone) all of my entire, and might I add energetic, life. Well the jig is up. I have to confess.

So, I feel better now. Well my stuffed head is less stuffy and I can breathe more reasonably. But my belly! Oooooooooh. So much the worse. Antibiotics treat me badly. Yes, they do kill little microbes that harass my health, but that’s far from all they do! But that’s another story, isn’t it.

Why, you may ask, (or not) did I begin speaking of oxymorons then launch into morbid detail about my health and depredatious use of drugs? BECAUSE it’s 4:30 AM and I can’t sleep!! That’s why! And it’s because of the STEROIDS and ANTIBIOTICS I’ve been given! They’re wreaking havoc on me.

Why is the CURE every bit as miserable as the illness? Just different in its effects? I don’t know. I don’t like either. (I know, I know. Hush with all the whingeing (as Bush Babe puts it) and complaining.) Sorry. I just thought I should let you know the state of my being and how I got started thinking of oxymoronic statements in the wee hours! (There’s no other explanation, is there.)

So, back to that list ** I mentioned. Please share your thoughts about some of the things that passed through my mind a littler earlier. Are these true oxymornons, or not? And please feel free to share your own concoctions. I’m DYING . . . to hear/read them. THANKS.

**Here goes nuthin':
a dark light
a mighty weakling
blissfully depressed
closed-mouth windbag
deliciously distasteful
gluttonous ascetic
idiot savant
jaded innocence
jumbo shrimp
permanently transient
sardonically sincere
simply complex
tender-hearted cynic

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE share your thoughts/oxymorons/disagreements/corrections. In the comments below, even. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Another confession. My son did provide the lion’s share of these. I’ll color his contributions separately, so you can decide for yourselves what’s what.

Under Attack!

My house is under attack. Really. We live close to the woods. We live in Louisiana. Ergo, we're always under attack. Today it's a pair of woodpeckers. Don't know which variety, because I didn't bother to look them up in the "Bird Watchers' Guide". This pair, however, is NOT of the pileated woodpecker type, though we've had our share of them over the years. Neither are they the thought-to-be-extinct ivory billed woodpeckers. That much I know! But as to their particular family or genus or whatever the designation, I dunno. Could be flickers, but I don't think so. (We did have one of those roosting in our attic when we first moved into this house some twenty plus years ago.) I've actually had to shoo off a multitude of different woodpeckers over the years. Some, I believe, are the redheaded ones (the actual name of the woodpeckers, I believe), they're a little smaller than flickers, if I'm not mistaken. And are very pretty! The Pileated birds are HUGE! And can make an awful racket--hence the silly noise of Woody the Woodpecker's famous cry. (Not particularly identical.)

We've had black capped chickadees nesting (more than once) in the wall directly behind my #2 daughter's bed (some years ago when she was in grade school and living at home.) We've had some kind of wrens nesting in the garage over the years--and currently. Plus a constant variety of other birds in and out of the yard, trees, and bushes. Things like bluebirds (one of my favorites), robins, mocking birds, Cardinals, blue jays, Cedar wax wings (we think), scarlet tanagers, a few hawks, and I can't think (or don't know) of all the rest. Oh! I almost forgot! We saw either a painted or an indigo bunting! (Two or more seasons.) And, of course, humming birds. We've had bunches of them--probably because we feed them.

Other critters we've had that "attacked" our house were swarms of bees. (Wish we had our own hive--except that my husband is highly allergic to bee and wasp stings.) Wood bees (that bore into the wood siding by our front door). Various frogs, toads, lizards, skinks which we've found IN the house at various times. Add to that any number of insects, spiders etc. (Including dastardly termites, carpenter ants, and fire ants.)

We also have a bunch of squirrels. They're always pretty entertaining--unless they're scrabbling on your house on the outside wall of the shower while you're inside the shower! Oh! Lest I forget . . . on a few nights when my husband was working half-way across the country from me, I heard something GNAWING on my house at about 2 AM! And my bedroom is on the second floor! It totally spooked me! It happened night after night. (That was about 10 years ago--the first time.) It's happened within the last few months again. Each time it turned out to be a flying squirrel. I suppose that since our house has a lot of cedar siding, the local fauna think it's up for grabs!

Oh, yeah. I just remembered the snakes, too! Yes, when my son was about 1 1/2 or 2, a ground rattler made it's way into our laundry room. Fun. Since I didn't shriek and scream while summoning him, my husband thought I was joking about the snake that needed his attention so I could keep our ever inquisitive toddler out of harm's way. And then there was, for many years, a very large snake skin left on our front steps each spring. A huge garden or king snake was spotted by our ever alert cats (and older inquisitive son) as it slithered next to the neighbors' fence. After that, we never have seen it or it's empty skin. But, there was, one day, some kind of "friendly" snake lurking by the driveway when I got home. It was kind of wrapped around the base of a juniper bush, it's head raised a little, sitting like that for at least a hour w/o moving. Once I found a little copper head, dead--or mostly dead, on the driveway several years ago. I think one of the cats got to it. So, there's never a dull moment around here! Wildlife on every side!

Gag! Cough! Cough! Sigh.

I'm miserable. True. Started a sore throat on Wednesday, last. ('Scuse me while I sneeze, cough and blow my nose.) Okay. Where was I? Well, Friday night I had the stuffy nose--you know the kind. Where for no apparent reason it just swells shut and you instantly become a mouth breather. Yeah. You look and sound especially intelligent at that point, of course. Anyway, Saturday night my husband had to make a speech/roast/presentation for one of the employees he's supervised for about 22 years. This guy has worked for the same company for 42+ years. I'm not kidding. (Actually, the "company" has changed hands about 5 times in that 42 years, but Mr. Earl has stuck with them--except for a short stint on active duty in the National Guard.)

That was okay. I made it through the meal, roast/honoring, etc. of Mr. Earl. Then, driving home my nose went completely shut. No air passage. Nada. Zip. Headache ensued and coughing. By Sunday, well I won't gross you out with all the yucky details, but let it be noted that green and slime would only begin to approach describing some of my distress on Sunday morning. I did persevere and made it to Church and through Church, and am glad I did.

Then we had a storm. Living in Louisiana means you can have tremendous downpours, often with accompanying side effects: lightening, thunder (that shakes the foundation of your home, bones, psyche), hail, damaging winds (including tornadoes). So, all day Sunday it was dark and threatening. I got home from Church around quarter to one. We'd already had a few downpours equalling about 1/2 inch of accumulated rain at that point. I sat down to eat a bite of lunch around 1:30. Then, as one says, "the bottom fell out." Over the next hour to hour and a half, the rain gauge--starting with 1/2" at 1:30 filled to the 4" mark. About an hour later were we under a tornado warning. When that expired, we were given another.

I'm happy to report that we were spared that monster. Though others not so many miles away weren't so fortunate. I spoke with one friend who mentioned that she and her family had to pull off the road for about 15 minutes because she couldn't see to drive while rain, hail and wind ripped around them. Then, after resuming their way home they had to circumvent downed pine trees that crossed the roads, one even leaning against power lines, burning and sparking.

Before the night was through, we'd had another 1.5 inches of rain.

Sunday night, I couldn't sleep. Couldn't breathe. Could cough. Repeatedly. Till my back hurt. (That's a new one for me! Usually it's my chest, abdomen that hurts after lots of coughing!) I was M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E most of yesterday. BUT . . . I slept better last night--though I slept sitting up. Today I still have a sore throat, stuffed nose/sinuses, headache and some coughing. I even considered going to the doctor. BUT, since I feel so crummy and live at least 30 to 90 miles away from the doctors I would/could possibly be "worked in" to see, I'll probably just wait it out. The 30 mile trip is 45 minutes--one way. The 90 mile trip is closer to 1.5 hours. It's something I know some of you can relate to!

Yes, I'm drinking copious amounts of water, some orange juice--which I'm about out of, unfortunately--eating some, though I have little to no appetite. Blowing my nose like crazy--when it will open enough to do that. Coughing. Yes. Still coughing--but maybe not so much. And--if I don't talk too much--perhaps I won't cough so much. I think I'll go take some acetaminophen for my pain and suffering. I'll spare the cough meds for bedtime as they're more essential at that point.

NOW, I hope YOU feel better and have a much better day than I seem to be. I'm sure things will look up soon.

Oh. We've already had some rain today and are scheduled to have more. And tomorrow. We did have a nice river rushing across our driveway, Sunday. And the neighbors had a nice lake in their back yard. We'll see what today brings!

Have a good 'un!