Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Christmas Bling
I finally gave in. I started a Pinterest site called-- (guess what?) There's a Place I Dream About (go figure). My Username is: Conchtobe (It's for continuity or... I have no imagination) It's for the purpose of pinning my photographs there and then linking them here. It appears it will work and for now I am satisfied. We'll see. I can also use my Onceupona Wordpress site and Meanderings of a Wandering Mind (blogger) for the same thing so it could be this is a waste of time- but I didn't waste too much time at it... so whatev.
One can never have too much social networking sites I'm told until...
there is no time in which to do thing that one is social networking for.
Wait, is that a Catch-22?
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Living the dream?
The
characters and events in this post are fictitious. Any similarity to
real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the
author.
His rattletrap car gasped over the seven mile Overseas Highway, finally letting out it's last groan on Stock Island. He shrugged off the inconvenience, ditched the pathetic deathtrap next to what looked like a trailer park and lumbered on to the island at the End of the World. He'd known the car was going to going be DOA but had taken the risk because he had "no intention of never coming back no how, no way" he balled at his overhung wife who squinted sluggishly at him in the doorway before he slammed the door for the last time.
Her kids blinked at him blearily from where they curlicued on the doorstep, watching as he threw his bag into the backseat, understanding his flight but clearly longing for their own rescue.
He slumped against the car then looked over at the pair and finally walked over to give them a final embrace. "Ya'll can't come. I'm sorry. I got no way to provide for you and I just ain't doing you no good here. Ya'll be better off." He kissed matted scalps, noted the soiled skin and turned their tear stained faces upward. "Take your baths tonight and don't forget to brush your teeth. Ah right? now go on into the house."
Heads bobbled in tandem. They stumbled up, pulled on the wooden screen door that screeched in protest and let the door slam behind them.
He gazed at the rusted screen and chipped paint for a quiet moment, then settled in the front seat of the rattletrapped car and backed quickly out of the driveway.
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless' website "approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007)." While there are many, many reasons people are homeless (mental illness, eroding working opportunities, foreclosures, decline in public housing, lack of affordable healthcare) the problem is nevertheless a visible reminder of America's shame. The wealthiest country in the world and yet we continue to have people sleeping on the streets, in the alleys and under our overpasses. In Key West, the weather is generally balmy and pleasant for outdoor living. As the summer ends it is worth noting that here in Colorado, people die each year from the bitter cold when they are homeless.
note from the author: I was reminded of this post (it's a repost) when I visited a blogging friend who lives in Key West and saw his post for today. Conchscooter posts essays on life in the Keys as well lovely photographs of his surroundings. Today's post was meaningful and timely considering an economic climate which keeps the poorest enslaved to poverty and homelessness. You can see it here. (And Conch- though I know you don't collect or cherish blogging awards, you really do deserve the "no, Thank YOU!" Great Comments award.)
His rattletrap car gasped over the seven mile Overseas Highway, finally letting out it's last groan on Stock Island. He shrugged off the inconvenience, ditched the pathetic deathtrap next to what looked like a trailer park and lumbered on to the island at the End of the World. He'd known the car was going to going be DOA but had taken the risk because he had "no intention of never coming back no how, no way" he balled at his overhung wife who squinted sluggishly at him in the doorway before he slammed the door for the last time.
Her kids blinked at him blearily from where they curlicued on the doorstep, watching as he threw his bag into the backseat, understanding his flight but clearly longing for their own rescue.
He slumped against the car then looked over at the pair and finally walked over to give them a final embrace. "Ya'll can't come. I'm sorry. I got no way to provide for you and I just ain't doing you no good here. Ya'll be better off." He kissed matted scalps, noted the soiled skin and turned their tear stained faces upward. "Take your baths tonight and don't forget to brush your teeth. Ah right? now go on into the house."
Heads bobbled in tandem. They stumbled up, pulled on the wooden screen door that screeched in protest and let the door slam behind them.
He gazed at the rusted screen and chipped paint for a quiet moment, then settled in the front seat of the rattletrapped car and backed quickly out of the driveway.
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless' website "approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007)." While there are many, many reasons people are homeless (mental illness, eroding working opportunities, foreclosures, decline in public housing, lack of affordable healthcare) the problem is nevertheless a visible reminder of America's shame. The wealthiest country in the world and yet we continue to have people sleeping on the streets, in the alleys and under our overpasses. In Key West, the weather is generally balmy and pleasant for outdoor living. As the summer ends it is worth noting that here in Colorado, people die each year from the bitter cold when they are homeless.
note from the author: I was reminded of this post (it's a repost) when I visited a blogging friend who lives in Key West and saw his post for today. Conchscooter posts essays on life in the Keys as well lovely photographs of his surroundings. Today's post was meaningful and timely considering an economic climate which keeps the poorest enslaved to poverty and homelessness. You can see it here. (And Conch- though I know you don't collect or cherish blogging awards, you really do deserve the "no, Thank YOU!" Great Comments award.)
Saturday, December 1, 2012
A temporary fix & the 1st blogfest of the season (I think)
It was a risk, but I went through and deleted some of the pictures that I thought were extraneous which has fixed my picture problem for now. I probably shouldn't waste a picture to tell you that...
although this picture is representative of what the world looks like from my eyes. It's been a crazy warm October/November and December 1st was almost freaky warm. Tonight is the Parade of Lights here in Denver which is a big deal-- a Christmas extravaganza which could make the Grinches out there practically throw up at the festive excess. It's a parade of Christmas, for lack of a better word, stuff and some characters (Santa, elves, Rudolph and much, much more)- all lit up (go figure). It's a fun to attend- once or twice in your life. The crowds are ridiculous and generally it is absolutely FREEZING! No really, I mean, REALLY FREEZING!!! Frigid temps are as much of a tradition as the lights themselves. Except this year. It is a bit chilly but that's about it. Weird.
Tomorrow we're even going on a hike and a little jaunt into my favorite little nearby 'burb of Boulder. Should be fun.
And before I forget this week is the...
- Between December 2nd and 3rd, post a pic of yourself as a baby, and/or;
- Tell us a story about when you were a baby (no doubt you can't quite remember it yourself, but you've probably heard some stories from other members of your family).
So here goes:
My mood to go down into the storage room under the stairs was completely spoiled by the picture snafu of the last few days- and it was no small thing! I would have had to dig around the boxes (buried you understand) of pictures and memorabilia just to find the book of pictures my grandmother put together for me some years ago. Then, I would have had to go to the library early to scan them into the system- all that without knowing whether I could even post them or it. So no pictures, sorry Trisha! But a promise is a promise. I shall participate without the picture(s) and with one of the only (somewhat lame) stories that I know of from my early childhood:
I was about 2 1/2 when my younger brother was born but I guess I thought I was pretty big stuff, being a big sister and all. The house was small but apparently big enough that my mother had not heard the baby wake up (perhaps fussing about). I guess I decided action was called for and took thing into my own hands (and not for the last time, I will tell you now!). I climbed up the bars of the crib and lifted the 9.10 oz. lump of baby tininess and carried him to my mother. She of course panicked seeing me, probably barely observing the look of pride on my little face a stranglehold around the newborn babe (it was just rewards for all the trouble he later caused, I must say). And he probably looked a wee bit uncomfortable -not unlike this cat....
However, the little one survived and is today a 6'4" strapping old guy. I am sure it was my stretching technique that helped him become the basketball semi-good that he was (since height is critical in basketball).
So that's my story, and lame or not, I'm sticking to it!
Cheers Trisha for coming up with a such fun blogfest! And I hope you all stop by and see some of the other participants- not to mention reading Trisha's entry!
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