Split Lip Rayfield

With all the talk of snow and stuff, I totally forgot to post my latest concert photos.

Ryan and I went to see a band called Split Lip Rayfield last week. It was a very bittersweet show due to the fact that the lead singer (Kirk Rundstrom) is terminally ill. You can see it in his eyes in the photos I took of him.

This is Matt and Liz...a couple of our fellow Hookahheads.....................

Split Lip is what some may call a "speedgrass" band. Basically, they play bluegrass.....they just play it really fast. I really enjoy their music, although it's not something I listen to on a daily basis, it's great music to dance to!!

This is me and my friend Tish.....bet you would never guess that red is her favorite color, huh?
The show was at Birdy's in Indy. It's a small venue, but those are my favorite. I like it when I can look right into the singers' eyes, or even talk to the band when the show's over. It seems so much more personal that way...almost like they're playing in your garage or something :-)

Can you tell Ryan and Clint miss eachother???

Kirk was diagnosed with throat cancer in January 2006. At that time, the band wasn't touring. After hearing his prognosis of two to six months to live (he's still proving 'em wrong), the singer decided to get the band back on tour and basically tour until he's not physically able anymore. I'm afraid it's getting to that point for him. They stopped the show a little early so he could get back to the hotel to rest. He also sang most of his songs while sitting on a stool. That's not like him. The whole band is the kind of guys to jump all over the place all night long. So, it was kinda hard to see him like that. Like I said before, very bittersweet.

I am very thankful to be able to share a part of what Kirk loves the most, and that is playing music. I am also thankful that he has chosen to share his last few months on this earth traveling and sharing his talents with those who may have never even met him, but love him just the same.

Here's little miss Liz in her POO hat...how sweet!!!

Ryan, Matt, and Clint

This bass was really awesome...it's made out of a gas tank from something, and it's only got one string. it sounded surprisingly wonderful!!!!

It was also a great night because we were able to meet up with Clint and a couple other friends. Greggie and Tish (who you saw in the superbowl pics), and our friends Matt and Liz, that follow Ekoostik Hookah with us, met us down there, and we all had a blast dancing and singin all night long.

Let's hear it!!!

So, let's hear what everyone did while they were snowed in.....

Ryan and I hung out on the couch a lot. He planned ahead and rented some movies, so the TV kept us entertained for awhile. We played dice, and bowling dice (good game by the way)

We ate a lot!!! Wal-mart was out of bread when Ryan went Monday night, so I made some bread in my bread machine....I love that thing!! Then I made some cookies. Then I made a Reece's Jell-o no-bake dessert. We ate big meals both nights along with all the junkfood...... And Ryan, bless his little heart, he made home made dog biscuits.....check him out.......

Jerry's lickin' his lips for those treats his daddy made for him :-)

That's really about it. We just enjoyed two days at home. We cuddled on the couch with the puppies...the doxies don't like the snow. In fact, Delilah won't go outside without her little designer dog coat......she's not spoiled or anything!!!!

We were really lazy...except for the few time we shoveled and played in the snow with Riley (our foster dog-she LOVES the snow)

Evolution of 2007 blizzard

Did everyone survive all the snow??? I got home just in time Monday night. Here is the evolution of the blizzard in relation to my car..............





When I got home at midnight, the car and sidewalk were clear.....





The first picture was taken at 1:45 AM. We knew we woulnd't be working the next day, so we stayed up all night!!


The 2nd pic was taken at about 4:30 am......didn't look too bad yet......



This picture was taken at about 5:30 am.....the wind was blowing so hard, you couldn't even see my car!!!!

I got another car pic just before bed at 6:00 am


This one is Tuesday afternoon at about 3:00 pm....we obviously hadn't made the effort to start shoveling yet!!!



It was still blowing pretty hard at about 8:30 Tuesday night, but we did manage a path for the dogs at least. It had blown over by the time the camera came back out..........



And this is the last of the evolutionary pictures I took.............This was Wednesday night at 10:00 pm........................dang it.......I know I have to get out of that tomorrow!!!!

If you didn't notice............our trash can is almost completely buried.......that drift touches my front window!!!!

VEGAS BABY!!!

JEN'S IN VEGAS BABY!!!!!

I WONDER WHAT SHE'S DOING RIGHT NOW?!?!?

I WISH I WAS THERE!!!!

Grateful Dead-Man Smart, Woman Smarter

I found this great video on YouTube of The Grateful Dead playing Women Are Smarter. I thought Jen would appreciate it...it's one of her favorite songs, you know:-)

Thankful for Friends, Furnace, and Funds

It's colder now than it has been all year...not just outside, but in my house too!!!!

AHHHHH!!! When Ryan and I got home last night, the house was about 50 degrees. It still felt a lot better than it did outside, but man, that's cold!!!

We knew there was nothing we could do last night, so we dug out the dog's sweaters and got them all bundled up. We pulled the space heater out of the garage and turned it up full blast, got in our comfy pants from Grammy, and curled up on the couch with all four dogs under the blankets with us. It wasn't bad, really.

A little while before we went to bed, we moved the heater to our bedroom and closed the door. By the time we went to bed, our room was nice and toasty. We piled the blankets on, and let all the dogs sleep in our room. Normally we don't do that. Jerry is the only one who sleeps in our room most of the time, but it was just too cold everywhere else. They were all good puppies. They didn't wake us up or make any messes or chew anything up....actually, I was a little surprised.

By the time we got up this morning, the house was about 45 degrees. It was so hard to get out of bed. We called our friend Russ (he was in the Super Bowl pictures) because he worked in heating and cooling before he started his electrician's apprenticeship. We got lucky because he had the day off due to the weather. He was at our house within a half hour of the time we called him. That's quicker than any repairman EVER!!!

Turns out the motor died. I had been warned that the motor was on it's last leg the last time I had the furnace worked on. So I guess it was just a matter of time. Luckily, since Russ is a good friend of ours, we had no labor fees....we'll probably buy him a case of beer. The motor only cost a little over a hundred bucks, so that was a lot better than I thought it was gonna be. The great thing is....I actually have the money for a change.

It's so nice to be able to take care of those little emergencies right when they happen instead of having to wait for the next paycheck. I'm so thankful that I have been able to get back on my feet financially after all this divorce crap. Had this happened two years ago, I would have either borrowed the money and been in more debt to someone, or I would've just dealt with it and lived with space heaters for the rest of the winter. I don't have to live like that anymore, and I love it!!

So, today, I am thankful for my friends, my furnace, and my funds.........

I think everyone who knows me has an understanding of how important music is in my life. I also think that certain types of personalities are more drawn to certain types of music. You can learn a lot about someone by just knowing a little about their musical taste.

I came across this on a website called slashdot:news for nerds....I found it interesting, and I think I could've told anyone this a long time ago.....who needs the scientists to figure this out for us??

Click on the high lighted link to read the entire article....

Jeremy Dean writes "Once past saying 'hello' and 'how are you?' to someone you've just met, what is next? How do we make friends and get to know other people? Psychologists have talked about the importance of body language, physical appearance and clothing but they've not been so keen on what we actually talk about. A recent study put participants in same-sex and opposite-sex pairings and told them to get to know each other over 6 weeks (Rentfrow & Gosling, 2006). Analysing the results, they found the most popular topic of conversation was music. What is it about music that's so useful when we first meet someone and what kind of information can we extract from the music another person likes? "

COLTS WIN!!! COLTS WIN!!!!

Oh yeah Baby!!!!

COLTS WIN!!!! COLTS WIN!!!!!

Did anyone else think they were going to have a heart attack during that game?!?!? It was just insane!!! I couldn't even sit down for most of it.

After that first kick-off return, I thought we'd all be hanging our heads in shame, but boy, was I wrong!!! I think that was probably the most exciting game I've ever watched.

Ryan and I went to hang out with some friends for the game. We had a great time, and I even managed to get through the entire game without getting called in to work. They called me shortly after the game, so I think they were just being nice to me.

We had a pretty small crowd over at Greggie and Tish's house, but it was great company. Even little four month old Finnegan got excited.....every time the Colts did something good, we screamed like a bunch of banshees, and Finnegan would get real excited and scream right along with us. His ten year old sister, Darby did 29 cart wheels after the game....one for every point we scored. Watching her wore me out nearly as much as watching the game...I wish I still had that kind of energy!!!

Anyway, wasn't it awesome to see Tony Dungy holding that trophy?!?! I am so happy for him and our team. I think Tony is such a great guy and an inspiration to everyone. If only more people in the media would have the guts to say "We did it the Lord's way." I was in tears for an hour after the game watching and listening to him. We are very lucky to have him representing our state, and the city of Indianapolis.

Darby giving Uncle Boe some noogies.........He deserves it!!!

Here's the gang....minus myself. Back: Greggie, Finnegan, Tish and Boe Front: Ryan, Darby, Holly, and Russ

Russell and Holly....Aren't they sweet???

Did anyone else notice the strange erotic silhouette that Prince presented to us all during halftime? It seems like we can't get through Super Bowl without some kind of weirdness

:-)

Hugs and Smiles

WHAT CAN I SAY? I LOVE MY DOXIES!!!!!

Dark Star Orchestra ROCKS!!!!

Well, Jenny beat me to the blog, but I too was at the Dark Star show on Wednesday, and I want to share my thoughts like I always do :-)

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I have zero pictures of this great night. Oh well, my memory will have to serve me until I go to the next show WITH my camera!!

Like Jen said, she, Chad, Aaron and myself all went together...kind of a little family get-together...and no better place for those of us who were there!!! We all hung out at Aaron's for a little while before the show........ Just out of curiosity....are Jen and I the only ones who have been to Aaron's? It is a total bachelor pad!!!! Cd's hanging from the ceiling with duct tape acting as targets for the boys and their pellet guns....of course, Chad got in on that for a minute before we left....Jen just turned her head towards me so she wouldn't get hit with any wild pellets in the air. And, um, I have a great idea for whoever gets Aaron's name for Christmas next year....get the boy some toilet cleaner...would ya????

Anyway, we got to the show just before it started and roamed around for a few minutes. I really liked The Music Mill. I had never been there before. The acoustics in that place were amazing...the whole show sounded great!! It's a fairly small venue compared to some I've been to, but I like that aspect of it.

I lost track of the times I got chills listening to the guy that sings Jerry Garcia's lead vocals. He sounds so similar to Jerry that you can close your eyes, and it's almost like you're in a time warp or something, and all of a sudden, Jerry is right there in front of you. They even look a lot alike. The guy who sings Bob Weir's vocals sounds very similar as well. In fact, it was kind of weird to hear Bob's voice and look up to see this other guy that looks nothing like Bob, but sounds just like him. I loved every minute of it!!!

My friend Julie was there with some of Chad and Jen's friends.....geez it's a small world...so we hung out in the same area and danced with them most of the night. I was so sore from dancing when I woke up Thursday, but it was totally worth it!!!

I was very happy to hear a couple of my favorite songs. I got to hear "Ramble on Rose" and "Uncle John's Band" which are two of few Dead songs I can play on the guitar. They also sang "Run for the Roses" which is actually a Jerry Garcia Band song. I was especially excited to hear this because I was recently given a copy of a show from 1960-something that is Jerry Garcia performing at the Oregon State Prison, and it includes that song. I've played it over and over again since I got the CD. I do that sometimes...in fact, I can't even play "Son of a Preacher Man" on my Dusty Springfield CD anymore....I think I wore it out.

So, overall, the night was fantastic!!! I got to hang out with some of the family, some of my friends, and dance the night away with my favorite music....it doesn't get much better than that!!!

he he he!!!!

READ THE STORY BEFORE VIEWING PHOTOS.... > >

This is a true story, it happened in Utah and was on the news!

A city councilman, Mark Easton, lives in this neighborhood.

He had a beautiful view of the east mountains,

until a new neighbor purchased the lot below his house and built

Apparently, the new home was 18 inches higher than the ordinances would

allow, so Mark Easton, mad about his lost view, went to the city to make

sure they enforced the lower roof line ordinance. Mark and his new

neighbor had some great arguments about this as you can imagine - not great feelings.

The new neighbor had to drop the roof line - no doubt at great expense.

Recently, Mark Easton called the city and informed them that his new

neighbor had installed some vents on the side of his home. Mark didn't

like the look of these vents and asked the city to investigate. When

they went to Mark's home to see the vent view, this is what they found...

WE LOVE YOU

TE TA NU!!

HAVE A HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Introducing Riley........

Just before Christmas, we found a great home for our foster dog, Pablo. He was the little black and white chihuahua we had for a few months. At the time that we got him adopted, we thought Delilah was pregnant. Thank goodness, it was a false pregnancy. Her body responded to her first heat by making it go through physical changes like she was pregnant, but actaully, she wasn't. Sorry Andrea, if you were hoping for a puppy, but we do plan on breeding her andFranklin when she gets a little older.

Anyway, we were waiting for Delilah to have her littler before we took in another foster dog, so when we found out for sure that she wasn't pregnant, I was jumping at the chance to foster another one.

Last night, I went to pick up our new foster baby. Her name is Riley. The lady we got her from said she was a schnauzer mix of some kind, but I don't see that in her at all. She is only 8 months old, so she has a lot of puppy in her. Franklin and Riley have been tearing through the house non-stop since I brought her home. I think it may have been love at first sight. She's a little bigger than the dogs we're used to having, but she's so gentle that it doesn't matter. The only thing we have to worry about is her big bushy tail brushing everything off of the coffee table.

Hopefully, she'll be going to her new "forever home" soon and I will have another happy tale to tell.












I learned real quick that she LOVES the snow!!!!

And Their Real Names Are................

I tried to narrow the list down to names I thought most of you would recognize....what started all this was when I was watched my Bob Dylan DVD that I got for Christmas and found out that "Bob Dylan" was not his given name, I got curious. I found out by watching that documentary that Bob Dylan's name was really Robert Zimmerman.

So, I decided to look up some other people that had changed their names...and I was surprised by some of them...and maybe even a little disappointed.....I really wanted Stevie Wonder's last name to really be Wonder....but apparently not. So here's my kind of shortened version of what I found....................




Louis Armstrong - Daniel Louis Armstrong
Pat Benatar - Patricia Andrejewski
Tony Bennett - Anthony Benedetto
Jon Bon Jovi - John Francis Bongiovi
Sonny Bono - Salvatore Philip Bono
J.J. Cale - Jean Jaques Cale
Ray Charles - Ray Charles Robinson
Chubby Checker - Ernest Evans
Cher - Cherilyn Sarkisian
Cheech and Chong - Richard Marin and Thomas Chong
David Crosby - David Van Cortland
Eric Clapton - Eric Patrick Clapp
Patsy Cline - Virginia Patterson Hensley
Alice Cooper - Vincent Damon Furnier
Elvis Costello - Declan McManus
Bing Crosby - Harry Lillis Crosby
Doris Day - Doris Kappelhoff
John Denver - John Henry Deutschendorf
Bo Diddley - Otha Ellas Bates McDaniel
Fats Domino - Antoine Domino
Bob Dylan - Robert Zimmerman
Sheena Easton - Sheena Shirley Orr
Crystal Gayle - Brenda Gail Webb
Boy George - George Alan O'Dowd
Daryl Hall - Daryl Franklin Hohl
Jimi Hendrix - James Marshall Hendricks
Buddy Holly - Charles Hardin Holley
Billy Idol - William Broad
Mick Jagger - Michael Phillip Jagger
Elton John - Reginald Kenneth Dwight
B.B. King - Riley B. King
Kris Kristofferson - Kris Carson
Patti LaBelle - Patricia Louise Holte
Huey Lewis - Hugh Anthony Cregg
Courtney Love - Love Michelle Harrison
Christine McVie - Christine Perfect
Madonna - Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone
Barry Manilow - Barry Alan Pincus
Marilyn Manson - Brian Warner
Meatloaf - Marvin Lee Aday
Freddie Mercury - Farouk Bulsara
Eddie Money - Edward Mahoney
Stevie Nicks - Stephanie Lynn Nicks
Billy Ocean - Leslie Sebastian Charles
Ozzy Osbourne - John Michael Osbourne
Johnny Paycheck - Don Lytle
Iggy Pop - James Jewell Osterberg, Jr.
Prince - Prince Rogers Nelson
Little Richard - Richard Wayne Penniman
Smokey Robinson - William Robinson
Axl Rose - William Bruce Rose
Diana Ross - Diane Ernestine Earle
Leon Russell - Claude Russell Bridges
Gene Simmons - Chaim Witz
Grace Slick - Grace Barnett Wing
Ringo Starr - Richard Starkey
Cat Stevens - Steve Georgiou
Ike Turner - Izear Luster Turner Jr.
Tina Turner - Annie Mae Bullock
Shania Twain - Eileen Regina Edwards
Conway Twitty - Harold Lloyd Jenkins
Frankie Valli - Frank Castelluccio
Sid Vicious - John Simon Ritchie
Barry White - Barry Eugene Carter
Stevie Wonder - Steveland Hardaway Judkins

I Always Love a Little Weird News

One of my favorite sites to check out every day is the weird news on Q95.com. Today I found a crazy story about an exhibit of humans at a zoo in Australia. It sounds like a rip off of some kind of reality show. In fact, I think it said the humans go home at night, so I guess they're getting paid to sit in a cage all day and eat bananas and act stupid for other people's entertainment. One person in the cage even mentioned being happy he's getting time off work. It sounds rather insulting to me.

I can't copy the article due to copyright, but here's the link...there's a little video to go along with it. I don't think I'd be willing to pay money to see this stupidity.
http://q95.com/pages/news-weird.html/?feed=104673&article=1580501

Yeah Baby!!!!!!!

We're goin' all the way!!!!!

Quote of the Day

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.


-- Sir Winston Churchill

Six-legged somtething

Someone called it a six-legged, two tailed cow. This doesn't look like any of the cows around here!!!! Even if it only had four legs and one tail...I don't know what this little girl is.



Check out video of the female calf, named Paloma, born with an extra pair of legs and an extra tail at this website, or just click on the title of this blog.


http://www.q95.com/pages/news-weird.html?feed=104673&article=1591357



VILLA VIEJA, COLOMBIA (Reuters) - The birth of a deformed calf has the residents of a small town in Colombia talking.


The female calf, named Paloma, was born with an extra pair of legs and an extra tail. The body parts are from a second fetus that did not develop completely. Locals have speculated on the cause of the deformities.


Paloma, or pigeon, was born with two extra legs, and an extra tail.
The body parts are from a second fetus.

Deformed calf owner Salvador Vanegas says, "This is sort of a nature thing. It's due to lack of calcium, so the animal does not completely form."

But others in Villa Vieja have attributed the deformation to causes like an act of God or the stars.

Paloma's owner has put the female calf up for sale, while local authorities plan to examine the animal.


What would you do with a 6-legged cow?
Sell it to the highest bidder!
Donate it to science
Keep it as a pet
Eat it!

petition for another family blogger

OK, we got Jen in on it.......now what do we have to do to snag Liz??? She's the only female cousin that doesn't blog with us.

I don't want to hear any excuses about being too busy...we all know it only takes a couple minutes to get through eachother's blogs, unless one of us gets on a roll like I have today!!!

but seriously, I feel like I know at least a little bit about what's going on with the family this way, but I never know what Liz is doing. Does she even know we have blogs?? Surely she does....everybody does except Chad...hehehe....but that may be temporary if Andrea has anything to do with it :-)

I also think it would be cool if we could talk Aunt Jill into it....at least she pops in to comment once in awhile. That at least lets us know she's out there reading all the junk we write. Maybe Liz should start there....at least let us know if you're reading this stuff!!!

I'm sure there are plenty of exciting things in Liz's life to blog about. First of all, I wanna know more about this man of hers. I don't know about you guys, but (whispering now) I think she might be in love. I don't know for sure....but maybe I would be sure if she had a blog to keep in touch with us. And I know she has a computer, becuase I gave her one!!!!

So, Liz, let's hear it.....i either want a new blog to visit, or a really good explanation!!!!

Devlin Kidnapping

I suppose you guys have heard about the boys that were found in some creep's home in St. Louis today.......it seems really strange to me.

One of the boys found was only missing for a few days, which is what led the police to find another boy in the same residence that has been missing for 4 and a half years.

Most of the articles I found online were the same "associated press" article. But I did fin this one that I found rather interesting, and a little disturbing.

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/206920/

The article mentions a friend of Shawn's (the boy missing for 4 yrs) talking about getting stopped by the cops for being out past curfew recently. First of all, did Shawn tell his friend his real name?? Did his friend have any idea he had been kidnapped, and was away from his real family. The boy was only 11 years old when he came up missing, so I find it hard to believe he was a runaway. Also, on another occasion, Sshawn was asked for his name and he said "Shawn Devlin," which is the last name of the creep who had kidnapped him.

Don't you think it's strange that the kid has had freedom to get out and ride his bike, has been giving a false name...that name belonging to his kidnapper, and never made any attempt when he was out all these nights after curfew but didn't seek help from police or make any phone calls.

He was quoted as saying he felt like he had bruises from being hugged so much from his family since his return. That statement makes total sense....but why, if he is happy to be back home now, why wouldn't he have tried to escape when he had the chance....I'm so confused......what do you guys think??

There's also an unsolved kidnapping near the same area from 1991....I wonder if they'll find that this is related somehow....this world is full of scary, crazy people!!!!

It always makes me feel good to get involved in activities that will help someone. Ryan and I have done the "Homeward Bound" walk for the homeless in Indy a couple years in a row, and plan on doing that again this year. In February, there is a walk right here in Kokomo for a similar cause that I'm forming a team for.

It's called "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." It's a fundraiser for the women's shelter here in Kokomo that was opened by the Kokomo Rescue Mission a few years ago.

This particular fundraiser means a lot to me because I have had a friend who lived there with her little boy for a few months while she got on her feet. They are a Christian based organization, and really encourage their young mothers to bring their children up in a Christian setting. The girls who live there are required to attend church, they each have different "chores" in the house every day, they have a very strict curfew, and they are required to complete tutoring for their GED if they don't have a high school diploma.

Open Arms was the best thing that could've ever happened for my friend. It provided a safe place for her and her newborn son when she was released from her drug rehab. She had been addicted to crack, had been in trouble with numerous misdimeanors on her record, and lost custody of her first son because of her lifestyle. Thanks to Open arms, she has her son back, she got clean of drugs, she has a home of her own and a full time job after getting her GED while she was there. Now, she is one of the people who feels compelled to help out the community that helped her. She will be walking with Ryan and I on February 10th. She volunteers at the Kokomo Rescue Mission twice a week when her mom can watch her son. She also helped me volunteer for the United Way this year wrapping presents for the people in the mental health system here in Kokomo.


I don't want this to sound like I'm asking for donations...I'm just writing about a cause I believe in. BUT....if anyone is interested in walking with us, or donating anything, you can call the number listed on the small article below, or you can call or e-mail me when you have time.



Walk a Mile in My Shoes

Approximately 9:00 a.m. - ? Fundraiser for Open Arms, Kokomo Rescue Missions women's shelter. Individuals form teams and raise money before the event. The day of the walk, walkers meet at Kokomo Rescue Mission (corner of Mulberry and Washington) and walk a half mile to Open Arms to tour the shelter and enjoy free coffee, hot chocolate and treats before walking back to Kokomo Rescue Mission. Call 456-3838 or visit www.kokomorescuemission.org for more information.

A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall

Bob Dylan was not only a very inspirational topical musician, but he was also, and maybe more-so a poet. His lyrics were very appropriate for what was going on in this country during the 60's. Although he was very reluctnant to discuss the meaning behind his writing, I think when given the chance to really sit down and read the lyrics without the music, you begin to see a deeper, more sensitive side of him and his writing. To think that he was only in his early 20's when a good majority of his most prolific songs were written is beyond my comprehension. I was no where nearly as in touch with the world at that age.

Something I find very interesting that you never read about in your history books, is the fact that Bob Dylan performed at the March in Washington when Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech. He was 21 years old when he was there supporting that cause.

I've always loved his music, but until reading it as poetry, I never really thought about what he meant. Especially during the times that he was writing these lyrics. That was a hard time in this country. They had "bomb drills" in classrooms like we had tornado drills as children. Can you imagine growing up like that? What if we get to that point again? I don't want the children that are raised by our generation to have to endure those things. Sometimes, I feel like this world is really scary, and we have yet to see the worst of it. I feel like a hard rain's gonna fall on us too sometimes. Something big. Something bad.

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall


Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains,
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways,
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests,
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans,
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it,
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it,
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin',
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin',
I saw a white ladder all covered with water,
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin',
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world,
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin',
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin',
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin',
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter,
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony,
I met a white man who walked a black dog,
I met a young woman whose body was burning,
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow,
I met one man who was wounded in love,
I met another man who was wounded with hatred,
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what'll you do now, my darling young one?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin',
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest,
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty,
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters,
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison,
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden,
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten,
Where black is the color, where none is the number,
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it,
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin',
But I'll know my song well before I start singin',
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Jell-o Pudding Pops

Who was it that blogged about the pudding pops...was it Rosie??

I have been buying them at Marsh. For some reason when I ripped the wrapper off that delicious chocolatey treat, it hit me that someone in the family had been looking for them. Did you ever find them??

Well....they're back!!! I found a website about their return. I think it was written in 2004. I knew I wasn't crazy!!! Check it out!!!


http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0904/

Willie Nelson - Songbird

I haven't had any blogs about a CD I'm in love with for awhile. Leave it to Willie to inspire me to write about my love of music. His latest release, called "Songbird" has a vrey different feel than his last couple albums. COMPLETELY different than the reggae album he put out a couple years ago. He has a couple new songs on this, but what has really grabbed my attention is the covers he's done.

There is a beautiful version of Grateful Dead's "Stella Blue." His soft voice is a great compliment to the song that Jerry sang so sweetly so many years ago. The title track is origianlly a Fleetwood Mac song. I had no idea that he had redone that song....even with it being the title track. I never made the connection until I heard it. Even then, he has made it his own, just like everything he does, and it took me a minute to realize it was the same song.

The CD has a rather dark feeling to it. I think I feel that way mainly because of the version of Amazing Grace that he does. He sings it in a minor key...my ear isn't sharp enough to know exactly what key it's in, but it is spellbinding. It is also the closing song which seems very appropriate. I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but after hearing it again, I am in love. That song always gives me chills anyway, and now with Willie's new twist on it, it seems to touch my soul more deeply than ever.

Willie also did a couple new versions of some of his older songs. He has a very elegant version of “Sad Songs and Waltzes” that captures your heart as you listen.

Ryan Adams produced the album, and I think his work shows through Willie in some of the songs chosen for this project. I read in an album review that the songs "Stella Blue" and "Songbird" were both suggested by Ryan. I have a couple of his albums that I really enjoy, but I've enjoyed the albums he has produced for other artists even more. He an Willie made a stellar team with this. I hope to hear more from Willie like this somewhere down the line.

Queen of Procrastination

I have officially dubbed myself "The Queen of Procrastination."

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not one to hurry.......ever.
Well, my bad habits came back to bite me right in the butt a couple weeks ago.

I have to have a license to operate x-ray equipment from the State Dept. of Health. It expires once a year, and I have to pay a fee to get it renewed. Mine was due on November 20th. I mailed it right before we left for our trip to Atlanta on Nov. 15th, thinking that 5 days was plenty of time to get to Indy. Well, I thought wrong...............

A few days before Christmas, one of the ladies from human resources hunted me down with a letter in her hand from the Dept of Health stating that my check was received on Nov. 21st (one day late) and I could not work again until they received the late fee. So, I clocked out, ran home, wrote a check, and paid $15.00 to have it overnighted to Indy. That was a Wednesday. On Thursday, I called to confirm that they had gotten my check only to find out that they were closed until the Wednesday after Christmas.........oh crap.........

So, after a week of not working, on Wednesday Dec. 27th, I called again only to receive a voice mail. I tried three more times that day and never talked to a real human being. The next morning, I woke up, and first thing, I called them again. This time I get a voice mail saying they are out again until Jan. 3rd.......oh crap AGAIN!!!! That's another week away!!!

I decided to call the bank to see if the check had cleared. It had. So, I called my boss and had him check into it for me. Apparently, even though the check had been cashed, it hadn't been "processed" yet, so I still couldn't work.

So, finally, after two weeks off, and after using every second of Paid time off I had, I'm back!!!!

It was nice to have some time off around the holidays, but I felt really bad, because other people had to cover my shifts and my CT call while I was off. Plus, the middle of December isn't exactly when I was planning on using up all my vacation time.

Regardless, everything is taken care of now, and I'm legally operating x-ray equipment again. It never felt so good to walk into work as it did this past Thursday on my first day back. Slowly but surely, my vacation time will build back up, and I will be able to take a real vacation by summer, but man, that sucked!!!! I don't know how else to word it....it sucked!!!

So I have decided that it's official.......
I AM THE QUEEN!!!!!!