Tuesday Open Thread ~ I'll Take Potpourri for $100
“It is easier to tell a person what life is not, rather than to tell them what it is. A child understands weeds grow from lack of attention in a garden. However, it is hard to explain why the wild flowers one gardener calls weeds, another considers beautiful ground cover.”
~ Shannon L. Alder
Good Morning!
Welcome to Tuesday’s Open Thread. The warm weather is finally here in California and there is lots to do in the garden. Began by removing a rotting old fence that was dangerously close to tipping over. Once we did, the entire area near my bistro table really opened up. Spent the rest of the week arranging things in the new space. A lot of hard work but it should look very pretty when everything is in bloom.
Also spent time this week preparing a birthday dinner for a dear friend of mine. Decided to do something simple since her husband isn't much of a gourmet, so I made a warm spiced chicken with roasted potatoes and caramelized onions, while another friend made the cake. Then I dropped everything off at their house where her grateful husband served up a nice surprise to the birthday girl with a romantically candle-lit dinner. While it wasn’t the big birthday bash she had planned for her 50th, it still felt good to be able to cheer up a friend during a time when all of us are just trying to make the best out of things. So, here's to all you May babies out there ~ I feel ya. Hopefully the creative people in your life might be able to take the sting out of having to celebrate your Pandemic Birthday quarantined.
I'm still working on my memorial piece for Pierre. It's now become this curious routine where I muster up the will to sit in front of the computer while I grieve. Then, as I begin to make progress, the memories overtake me and I have to stop again because I find myself incapable of articulating my feelings in real time. Some might wonder why I am putting myself through this, but now that Pierre is gone, it's important for me to tell her story. Determined to do that, I am planning to include her memorial in next week’s OT. We'll see how that goes, but I think it helps to give myself a goal. For now, I present this week’s contributions!
A Dog's Daily Dairy
8:00 am
Oh Boy! Dog Food! My favorite!
9:30 am
Oh Boy! A Car Ride! My Favorite!
9:40 am
Oh Boy! A Walk! My Favorite!
10:00am
Oh Boy! Getting petted! My favorite!
11:30 am
Oh Boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
Noon
Oh Boy! The Kids! My Favorite!
1:00 pm
Oh Boy! The Yard! My Favorite!
4:00 pm
Oh Boy! To the Park! My Favorite!
5:00 pm
Oh Boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
5:30 pm
Oh Boy! Pretty Mums! My Favorite!
6:00 pm
Oh Boy! Playing Ball! My Favorite!
6:30 pm
Oh Boy! Watching TV with my Master! My Favorite!
8:30 pm
Oh Boy! Sleeping in Master's Bed! My Favorite!
Sakura Trees in Spring
Yosa Buson ~ 1716-1784
it spews cherry blossoms ~
Yoshino Mountain
.
Wind blows
they scatter and it dies
fallen petals
Petals falling
unable to resist
the moonlight
Sakura, sakura
they fall in the dreams
of sleeping beauty
Ballad for a Friend
By Bob Dylan
Watchin’ that old smokestack.
Train is a-leavin’ but it won’t be back.
.
Years ago we hung around,
Watchin’ trains roll through the town.
Now that train is a-graveyard bound.
Where we go up in that North Country,
Lakes and streams and mines, so free,
I had no better friend than he.
Something happened to him that day,
I thought I heard a stranger say,
I hung my head and stole away.
A diesel truck was rollin’ slow,
Pullin’ down a heavy load.
It left him on a Utah road.
They carried him back to his home town,
His mother cried, his sister moaned,
Listin’ to them church bells toll.
Comments
Love the cherry shake.
Ruby Tuesday
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CfgWPj3ls]
question everything
Good one
I like cherry shakes too!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Good morning, Anja ~~
Nothing feels better than clearing space! Good for you taking down that old fence. It also clears space in our heads!
Being home-bound, we are really working on the place, which also helps our heads. We've planted a wheat pasture for our chickens to graze. They are in chicken heaven. We've planted a wheat pasture to green manure the garden. We cannot plant until after the 20th of May. We just suffered a freeze Friday night and we're glad we covered all the newest plants. A few trees who sent out brave leaf testers got themselves burned badly, while other leaves escaped.
Time for a cup of tea before I go out and release the hens!
Have a lovely day, dear friend!
Enjoy your Tuesday, folks!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Releasing the hens
So that must mean you get fresh eggs? How marvelous. We have a few neighbors here in the neighborhood who raise chickens. One of them ha their kids do the delivering of eggs for customers close by. It's very cute because the kids draw a little thank you note and place it in the basket they leave by your door.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
That's cool, Anja.
Yes, we get fresh eggs and I need to start selling them!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
You must make a good omelette!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
And they're so delicious!
The fresh-eggs color alone is so rich I can't stand it!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
We want to get some hens.
And put in a bunch of square-foot-gardening boxes. We're late in the game, but hopefully not too late.
If we move into a non-meat, non-fish world, which it looks like we're doing--well, that's not so good for me. My body doesn't feel good when I do the vegetarian or vegan thing. Ocean fish, red meat, and all the dark green vegetables I can stuff in--that's what makes my body sing. Maybe a little bit of fruit with it. And man, do I take off the weight when I eat like that.
So, if we do move into such a world, eggs are going to be very important for me, and it would be good to have a source of fresh ones. We are going to have to build a serious coop, though, because there are threats both from multiple predators and from storms. I'm hoping we have a quiet year as regards hurricanes, because now would be a rotten time to have to deal with yet another crisis.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Early court.
Must get to work early to set up my laptop, get into the zoom meeting. I maybe 1st to go with my case, or 10th. It is uncontested.
The contested trial or yesterday was scheduled for 30 minutes. It took 1 hr 40 minutes. The court reporter lost her internet connection. Then, opposing counsel lost hers. Then, a witness went black and quiet while I was questioning him. 8 minutes later, I had to start over, since the man had forgotten the topic I was quizzing him on.
I could go on the the mutes and unmutes that went south, but I think you get the drift.
I shouted "Score!" when something went right. The judge flashed peace signs.
Opposing counsel failed to prevail on any single contested issue, and I think the Judge is still wondering what the hell this "emergency hearing" was about, since not a single emergency was was proven.
My zoom meetings with my sweetie just do not have these problems. At all. EVERYTHING WORKS GREAT.
To assure everyone I am paying attention to the world, I think Trump Bad,Open Up and Make Money for the USA, Point Nukes,D Party Unity Good, China Made the World Sick, The Market Says We Are All Good.
Anything else?
Score!!!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Good morning Anja. Started raining here about 5 pm, and
rained most of the night, so no digging in the garden today, but maybe weeding the yard. We try to do a bit on the yard and garden each day, but there is also the house, cooking and all that stuff, not to mention the falcon nest watch and c99p to keep an eye on. Heh. Making chicken mole today.
I see that the msm today seems to be all "bad Trump, bad, mean crazy and talking false Obama conspiracy theory" the latter being a false conspiracy theory because it is clealy a conspiracy theory and hence and ergo ipso facto and per se false and besides, Saint Obama, and false because it says right there "false Obama conspiracy". inteeresting in that there is no evidence of anything being known to be false and a lot of stuff that is now known to be true, but good deflection in the face of the revelations about the Congressional Hearings. Gotta give them an A for effort.
Time to go start breakfast, thanks for the OT and the poetry.
be well and have a good one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Yeah, the Obama stuff.
As I said to OTC somewhere in this thread, I don't find it hard to imagine at all. Popcorn time, eh?
Chicken mole sounds yummy. You're making me hungry.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Chicken mole...
I long for my favorite place in Palomas, MX on the New Mexico-Mexico border, which has the best chicken mole I've ever laid a lip across and free margaritas! Wish I was there or, at least, able to go! Missing that small trek!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Free Margaritas?
I'm there!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
It's incredible!
The Pink Store has all kinds of things for sale, so you walk around and they bring you free margaritas. Then you go into their restaurant and eat the best chicken mole.....Oh, this is torture!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
All you need is a few cats hanging around
And the entire experience would be complete!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Does it have pink things in it too?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Chicken mole!
Oh god, how I miss it! But only when done well. I was dumb enough to order it in the heartland once, and they had put sweetened chocolate in the sauce.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Hope your arm is doing better
Have not seen you mention it and usually no news is good news.
Anja, your yard looks lovely. Many good times there for you.
Dog and cats...such different creatures, and both are lovable.
Y'all have a good one!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
My hand and arm are coming back to life
a little bit every day. I can now use my hand to type, although I am a bit sketchy on holding a coffee mug or bottle of beer.
It never hurt, so there's that.
Thanks for asking, Lookout.
Anja's place is lovely, isn't it?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Glad to hear it.
I'm so glad you're getting better. Onward and upward!
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Hahaha!
Loved the jokes. I was wondering which one of you was going to comment on the cat dog differences with this week's dog diary. A bit different from the cat diary of last week for sure! My cat Ziggy thinks he's a dog. Whenever I call him in for a meal, he comes running from wherever he is outside. While Zoe, my other cat, saunters. The way cats usually do.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I think you about covered it
But forgot to mention "Obama conspiracy theory". Although, for me, it's not too difficult to imagine Obama hatching up a plan to derail a Trump administration the moment he knew Trump had won. Maybe if Obama hadn't been quite so pleased with his arrogance when he publicly mocked Trump at that correspondence dinner, Trump might never have though of running.
Score! Funny, heh, heh.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I was on a 4 hour zoom chat
of the very best kind and sort of missed all the Obamagate bs last evening. My Bad.
I am awaiting my turn on the docket to announce my client cannot get in the chat. We will have to reset the case.
I am actually having a breakfast of mixed nuts washed down with a diet coke on video. So, add that bit of rudeness to the honorable judges to the list.
There are days when I simply don't give a shit.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Is that a Texas thing?
Mixed nuts and Diet Coke.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
It's a Sissie Thing.
Some cancer dr. years ago recommended eating nuts, especially almonds, each day. And also said use sea salt.
No dr. has remotely suggested Diet Coke is good for anything. I can't remember them recommending beer either, so I often make executive decisions about health, etc...
I did just leaned back and get out of view to pick a piece of nut from my teeth.
While the court hearings have been proceeding, people are not being heard, or are yelling, talking over each other, and my client has been trying to join for an hour and a half, still isn't in the meeting.
Whatever goes on the rest of the day will be an improvement over this cluster.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Well, a lady's gotta do what a lady's gotta do
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I would do the same if
I picked my nose.
This docket is boring as hell. I am resisting the temptation to liven it up.
The case being heard just testified that the decedent left behind 3 pet monkeys, and the family is taking them in.
Ok, now discussion about taking the judge out for free lunches.
I give him beer.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Beer, monkeys, and judges being taken out for free lunches
Not sure how much you could liven that up.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Well,
I did present evidence recently about the size of an estate, assuring the court that in all things, size matters.
That was the day his clerk, court coordinator and bailiff, slow clapped me out of the courtroom.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I'm guessing you have a bit of a reputation
for saying unexpected things in court.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Big groans of "oh, no!"
are pretty common when I walk in the room.
The judges put up with it because most times they are bored, they were all long time pals before they took the bench.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
China and South Korea
will be the ones who save the world, if anybody does.
I hate being right. I hate having to be relieved that certain tyrants are not without reason but only without (much) conscience. That's where LOTE has gotten us. I have to be grateful to an authoritarian government for not being world-destroying pigs.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
You are right.
Who knew S. Korea could pull this off?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
So much horrible stuff has happened in Chinese & Korean history
that perhaps there’s something of an instinctive survival strategy in the collective consciousness, some mix of stoicism, Confucianism, and sheer tenacity.
Beautiful rain going on here in Austin
Much needed rain but we also are under severe weather threat and the weathermen cannot stop showing all the possible ways things could go bad!
Am still sheltering in place with sister in law and her husband. The small community where my place is still has only had 3 cases in the county and all have recovered. There was a mobile testing site and 67 more people were tested, 66 negative and 1 waiting for results. Know none of this is set in stone but am thinking of heading to my place for a couple of days continuing to self isolate because I had just started on clearing in two rooms and would like to see more progress there. Will see what actually happens but sounds like a way to expend some of my energy in a positive direction!
Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.
This ain't no dress rehearsal!
Good Morning Jakkalbessie
Severe weather threat in Texas always makes me think of tornadoes. Which I guess is better than earthquakes since you can't really get out of the way of an earthquake.
Glad to hear you have company through this pandemic but I understand the impulse to go home. Safe travels.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
you put the peanuts
in the cold drink and take them both together.
how you do it down south in Dixie land.
Cold drink, as in a beer?
That I could see. But putting peanuts in a Coke? Weird. Hahaha!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
"cold drink"
is southern for "soda pop".
That is how they do it.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
We all did that
when we were kids.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Weird
Hahaha!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
good times
Hey, Anja,
It's great to "see" you, and your space looks great! Please continue to post pictures. I should do so as well, as we put our garden, coop, etc., in.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Thanks CStMS
Great to see you too. Haven't been on the site much lately. Trying to stay away from the news to keep my stress level down. It's helped in that the tightness in my chest has gone away but now my teeth grinding at night has given me TMJ so there's that to deal with. Guess my body is still telling me I'm anxious. Oy vey. What a world we live in.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I am so sorry about Pierre.
I have been missing Luci a lot, too.
My acupuncturist lost her only dog recently, after many years of companionship...
It's really hard.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Yeah, I miss her
It's been 3 months but I still think of her everyday, wishing she were here. Going over things that I did, or didn't do. Memories everywhere I look. She really was a very special little animal and the hole she left is enormous.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Beautiful OT, Anja,
Your garden makes me miss California.
Know what you mean about writing about Pierre, haven't completed my thoughts of Jackson and that's from January.
Days pass into each other as this hermitage continues. Can't recall who wrote " Sometimes i sit and think and sometimes i just sits." Long-time ago, but seems appropriate for this time.
Be safe and well.
Good to see you Smiley
I can relate to the sitting and not thinking. I think a lot of us are zoning out more than we used to. Broadband overload. Maybe our brains are just tired right now. Hopefully, I can pull mine together this week and curate my memories of Pierre and put them into words. A bittersweet endeavor because it gives me so much pleasure remembering her sweet soul, while at the same feeling that stabbing of the heart knowing she will never nuzzle her soft little face in the curve of my neck and purr happily away.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Nice OT and comments!
Enjoyed the whole thing!
A recently discovered poem . . .
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
a part of the boundless by easing into just where it touches
a beautiful sentiment and thanks for that
question everything
Love the sentiment Marilyn.
Making ourselves part of the boundless by easing ourselves where life touches us.
Nice. That.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier