Yes, I am here!

No excuses for being off-blogging for so long. Being a long-time news junkie (it was part of my job for 18 years) I've been sucked in by the TV to the ongoing Michael Jackson coverage.

I've often chided Dick for hollering at the TV...now I'm the one who is guilty. I'll just say this: apparently, in Hollywood, there are 'personal physicians' for hire who supply myriads of meds that basically become drugs...such as Demerol, injected, which is the same as morphine.

I know MJ has many fans who celebrate his music; I'm afraid I think of him as a pedaphile who had enough money to pay off the young boys. Also, right after he died, his family's attorney said he'd warned him that he was surrounded by enablers (pushers in this case).

I'm sure everything will eventually come out. But the TV is off for now, and hopefully that continuous coverage will cease.

OK, that's the only excuse I'll offer! But life does seem to impact me and I need to keep on posting. Yes, I DO have pictures in my camera! Onward and upward!

That said, we will be driving to Clarksville, TN, for a sort-of reunion. Dick's daughter Angela lives there with her husband Daniel and their 5 children. So some of us from his family, and some from Daniel's family, plan to get together over the 4th and meet each other, and enjoy the family. Yes, I WILL take pictures. Their 5th child, a bit of a surprise, is a Drama Queen. I'm sure that every time the flash goes off, she'll be grinning up at me.

I won't be blogging for those 5 or 6 days but will be enjoying family time.

I am just NOT a techie!

Keith, I tried to comment on your throwing away tons of e-equipment, but ran into a problem with my g-mail (which I do not use at ALL) password. Then (you'll love this one) I got a call from Directv that I can watch a PPV movie for free. All I had to do was visit their Website. Which I never use.

OK, I go to their Website but they refuse to recognize me because my e-mail has changed. Uh. Yeah. When DirecTV was bought out by Hughes.net, they stopped the original e-mail accounts and assigned me a Hughes e-mail. Years ago.

THEY changed my e-mail, not me. And I had just had it printed on the back cover of my book!

This e-world is more than I can deal with. And I was commenting, Keith, on the fact that I'd watched GMA this morning and an artist fellow was showing his i-phone(?) that, for a $5 fee, he had gotten a program to add color. He then took a B&W picture of times square, added color, and sent it to The New Yorker who had used it for one of their COVERS. We are being drawn into the e-future whether we wish to be or not.

As I say this, I am trying to remember how to put a picture here on my blog. AHA! Got it...

A Visit to the Taubman

I groaned when realizing I did not bring my camera with me to the Taubman. I could have captured a picture of the life-like young woman sitting on the outside balcony, the one who scared passing motorists until the museum staff turned her around...it had looked as if she were about to fall into the street!

Our Rocky Mount "Eclectic Readers" book club, having just read Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland (an amazing day-by-day account of Renoir's painting of the magnificent portrayal of Sunday life in Paris) decided to tour the Taubman. We were able to take advantage of a group rate of $7.50 each, with a tour conducted by a docent. We also had a lovely lunch in Norah's Cafe', which is accessible from the street. There are also occasional events held in Norah's Cafe' in the evenings.

One of our book club members had to use the elevator, so several of us also took that option, missing out on the winding back-lit glass stairway. Upstairs, in the 8 galleries, there were benches to sit on to rest and to view the displays, which were captivating indeed. Devorah Sperber's unique work, using spools of thread to format a portrait of Marilyn Monroe which is only apparent when the image is seen through an optical device, for instance, is striking.

Her work will be displayed through the end of this month (May 31st) and other artists' work will move into the galleries. We were also intrigued by a display in a tiny gallery of sparkling crystal Lieber handbags. We were up close and personal as we slowly circled the bright globes, each holding a glittery handbag or compact. Lieber's bags are world-famous and this collection is so large that pieces are moved into the gallery and out again, creating a changeable "garden" of design.

At night, the ship-like glass showcases local icons; the coffee pot that pours, and the Mill Mountain Star. There's another rooftop piece, but I've forgotten which one it is. Guess I'll have to get to Norah's Cafe' some evening so I can see this museum in a different light. Go to their Website, artmuseum.roanoke.com for a virtual tour and information about ticket prices and hours.

Sleep Terrors

They are called Sleep Terrors, as opposed to Nightmares. Dr. Oz did a segment on sleep disorders and I was only half listening, until I realized he was discussing a condition I suffer from.

My husband wakes me, telling me I am screaming and anyone within the same house (such as my daughter's house in Maine) or in another room at a hotel or motel when traveling, must think I am being attacked. I've asked him to gently cuddle me and just "talk me down" when this happens. 90% of the time I have absolutely no memory of a dream or a nightmare. He tells me I thrash and scream.

Occasionally I will recall that I had dreamed I was running downstairs. Sometimes the running downstairs finds me crashing onto the floor and ending up with some serious bruises. (Poor guy: some day someone will call 911 on their cell phone and there will be lots of explaining on my part!).

I decided to post this in case there are others out there suffering from the same terrors. Health sites on the Net pretty much assume this is a childhood condition; well, it would have to be a second or third childhood on my part to fit that description. I am curious about what could be done; it appears that nightmares need a therapist while Sleep Terrors can respond to medication. One major difference is that you have NO recollection of the screaming or thrashing around.

The Irridescent Indigo Bunting

I've just spent over an hour stalking my bird feeder, trying to get a picture of the two male Indigo Buntings that usually visit this time of day. Someone must have tipped them off...

Today, during our Lake Writers meeting, Bruce read a poem about magical birds. I was certain he meant Indigo Buntings, with their gorgeous color change from black feathers to the brilliant Indigo color. When I mentioned that, neither Bruce nor others agreed with me!

So here goes: from the Audubon Society's Field Guide to North American Birds...

"Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea: Description: Sparrow-sized. Male in bright sunlight brilliant turquoise blue, otherwise looks black; wings and tail darker. Female drab brown, paler beneath."

Footnote on page: "Indigo Buntings have no blue pigment; they are actually black, but the diffraction of light through the structure of the feathers makes them appear blue. These attractive birds are also found in rural roadside thickets and along the right-of-way of railroads, where woodland meets open areas. (etc)"

I am blogging this to win an argument with a fellow who does not blog nor does he have anything to do with the (evil) internet. Oh well~ I WIN!

Roman Holiday

I was in high school when Roman Holiday came out, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Last night, it was on Turner Classic Movies channel, in black and white of course, and without commercial breaks.

I hadn't remembered that this was actually the first movie Hepburn made. Born in Holland, she wanted to become a ballerina but the Nazis starved Holland and Hepburn became too weak to continue dancing once the war ended. (She helped folks hide, carrying messages as did her mother, even as she suffered from malnutrition).

She had acted in one play, insisting she knew nothing about acting, before filming Roman Holiday. Yep, I teared up. Understandable while I was a teen to cry over a tale of unrequited love. Last night, tears came down again.

Someone must have known that it was Audrey Hepburn's birthday, because they have scheduled My Fair Lady as well. Of course, that one is in brilliant color, and I recall that they would not let her sing. Not too long ago, she was featured in a commercial as she danced in a black leotard...one of her sons had agreed to that, saying she had always been happiest when she could fulfill her dream of dancing.

Watch for Roman Holiday, but keep a hankie handy.

Blog is finally where it is supposed to be!

I did some clean-up work, installed some updated stuff, and Voila!...my Blog now appears on my PC exactly where it is supposed to be.

Can you believe this weather? It is supposed to be in the 90's this weekend. Guess it is time to clean the grill. I bought some foil grill pans (they have holes on the bottom) to use for grilling veggies, pizza, french fries, even hamburgers. But the grill itself needs a good cleaning, and I plan to outfit it with some better tools.

I bought a set of BBQ tools at Lowe's when I bought the grill. (The grill was intended as a Father's Day prezzie for Dick as I'd hoped to get him to enjoy grilling...it worked somewhat!).
But the BBQ tools were made in Taiwan or someplace where they hadn't a clue...the gripper tongs don't hold well, the turner is so big everything slips off, and the other tools don't work the way they should.

There are hotdogs in the freezer, just waiting around to be grilled until their skins split and they turn a bit black around the edges...YUM! Open a can of beans, mix up some coleslaw with tiny pineapple chunks and some cranberries, get out the spicy mustard...see what happens when the prediction is 90 degrees?

Luncheon of the Boating Party

I joined a local Book Club to discover some new writers, to read in some new directions, to spread the word about books I enjoyed reading. Well, our book for next month's meeting is a true treasure!

Susan Vreeland's Luncheon of the Boating Party is described by Amazon.com as historical fiction. The cover of the book is a copy of Renoir's painting. Vreeland has taken his actual painting of that piece step-by-step and the reader reaches an entirely new understanding of what went on for him to produce the work.

So broke he cannot afford his paints, or to pay the friends who model for him, or to pay the owner of the restaurant beside the river who provides food and drink for everyone on several successive Sundays, Renoir struggles, living on his admirers' contributions to help pay the costs.

You learn about models having to buy second-hand clothing while a friend brings a distinctive hat with red poppies for one lovely girl, who holds a small dog despite the artist's reluctance to use animals in his paintings. Again and again, the reader flips to the front cover, or the inserted color copy of the painting, to see...oh yes, he didn't use the woman in the striped dress after all, she was much too difficult, and yes: there is the girl in the boating party blue dress wearing her beautiful hat with the red poppies, and a white ruffled piece that the artist is delighted to paint.

Our Book Club will tour the new Roanoke Museum at our May meeting to discuss this book. Again, the book is a treasure and a delight to read. Degas is mentioned several times (and not necessarily in a good light!) as are Renoir's contemporaries.

Blog OK?

I'm told my Blog appears in the correct position when others visit. Apparently, it is only my screen that places it halfway down the page. GRRR! Where is that book, Blogging for Dummies?

Looks as if we will be spending the summer in Maine again this year. Dick having just had open-heart surgery had revised his plans to drive here, there and everywhere. But he wants to haul our camper up, park it at his uncle's farm, and use it as our home base. Last summer, we stayed with my daughter. All the many stairs, and tearing apart the downstairs bathroom (and flooring in a 100+ old farmhouse) meant a difficult stay. We also had terrible weather, with constant heavy rain and very hungry mosquitoes. We're ordering better weather this time~

The plan for the camper in Maine is to facilitate Dick's hunting and flyfishing trips. He already has some of his church friends eager to join him this fall. I'll be happy to stay here at home after a summer up in the far north.

I have many friends who spend months away in a better climate. I don't know how they do it! It can be a lot more complicated than it sounds.

Strange...when I click on Review instead of Edit, the Blog is right where it should be...

David Baldacci spoke for over an hour today at Trinity Ecumenical, and he was SO funny! He told the most delightful stories about his writing, about encounters with people in airports reading his book, about writing his books (14 bestsellers!), about living at Smith Mountain Lake, about his kids...I am SO glad I went. Tickets were free, but collections were taken up for both the Moneta Branch of the Bedford Library, and the Westlake Branch of the Franklin County Library.

When it was mentioned that it had taken two years to get Baldacci there as a speaker, he said that whatever was collected, he would match...then he grinned, saying that might have made the 2-year wait bearable!

I bought a copy of his first-ever book and left it at the library for him to autograph, rather than stand in a very long line. Tickets were numbered, and I would have had to take #211 in line. I'm not able to stand and stand as yet, so that was the simpler plan.

We also had been asked to bring a 'gently used' book, paperback or hard cover, to donate to a charity he and other writers contribute to, promoting literacy to children without books to rely on.

I believe he also participated in an evening dinner program, but I'm not certain. We are so fortunate to have David Baldacci as a summertime neighbor and as someone who values libraries enough to assist in fund raising for them.