Friendly Friday

Hi members of the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band. I thought we were due for a casual Friendly Friday! So have a relaxing march to these remarkably cool friendless sites.

The featured site this week is From the Edge to the Center.

I like this blog because:

• Stephen is a fellow reading enthusiast
• who gives great book reviews
• I am almost convinced to try a graphic novel
  
• the accompanying pictures of his current books are creative and inviting

I found this week's options difficult to choose from so also check out artificial Human of Arizona. He is a great photographer but that is not all.

Thoughts of a Longcat is written by a British composer who mixes his ordinary music with the offbeat. He also cycles around London giving a close look at life there.

New band recruits are welcome.
Remember to submit more friendless sites for next week!

Fan Fiction YA GOTTAAAH LUV LOOOSEY

Night light shines on Lucy as she rocks her baby. Her eyes slowly shut while baby does whatever baby wants to. Babies are too unpredicatable for stage directions.
Ricky comes into room, wearing his tux.
He whispers,"Lucy, tum to go to sleep." and first takes little Ricky and places him in crib. Then leads Lucy to bed, she stumbles over an unseen toy and falls into bed.
Ricky smiles at his sleeping family.
Flashback to his family back in Cuba.

Carol enters. She is wearing a colorful kerchief around her long, black hair. Little Ricky is playing the congas on the floor.
"There is my son, the future dentist." Little Ricky flashes her a big smile and plays louder.
"You will take your mama to America someday." she says as he continues to bang on his drum.

Back to the present, Ricky watches his son falling asleep.( If baby is not sleeping then have a long shot of the crib) Carol joins him at the cribside and has a conga drum around her. She hands it to Ricky who smiles and put it around his shoulder.

"Don't play now. Too loud. You'll wake everybody up." She backs up, stumbles over an invisible toy, does a back flip and disappears. Remember to close the trap door after her exit.



Well, something like that...

Serious Post

I think I am due for a serious moment but as I sit here waiting, I realize that the only thing I feel inspired to be at this particular moment is a predictably, zany housewife who might look like Charlie Brown's psychologist but really only wants to get into show business.

I just bought seasons 4 and 5 of I Love Lucy today and am still getting flashbacks of Lucy in the arms of William Shatner, so perhaps I better wait a day...

Lucy in the Sky with Shatner??

This is what happens when you pass on a love for Lucy to a 12 year old son with a penchant for Star Trek and the Beatles!

No, he didn't make this but with his interest in film as well, I see something akin for the future...

Does anyone have a caption for this photo?

This is a typical during meal preparation: I am visiting on my headset phone while the cat hopes for some tasty treat to fall.

Well actually, she doesn't like brocolli so maybe this is a sign that she really does like me.

I am Not Alone

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:3435

Excerpt from a Life

Oct 21,1974
I'm still trying to lose weight! I eat absolutely nothing between meals. Some nights, I exercise. I really have got some will power. Whenever, I feel like eating something I think of Chevy, Chevy, Chevy.

Petey Update

I was working last night, so the first thing I did was check that Petey, our pet Japanese Fighting fish, was still in his bowl. When I had worked last, not only was Petey treated for constipation but he was also put in a new bowl with different rocks etc. They had thought this might help him with his sluggishness.

The good news was that he was still alive. The bad news was that he was lurking near the bottom of the bowl. A few of us were concerned that the new bowl was the culprit. Were the new rocks toxic? Was the concentration of chlorine remover incorrect?

When the person that had changed his bowl came in, everyone told her that she should change him back to his old bowl. She was not happy with the insinuations and said whoever wasn't happy with it, could change it themselves.

Concern grew. The fish bowl changer told me that the other women were blaming her. I reassured her that they were not blaming her, only trouble-shooting as trouble-shooting is an important part of our job.

Soon she was busy changing Petey's habitat back to the original.

Later, as Petey swam around, she said," I hate to admit it but he does look happier."

Friendly Friday

Hello Friends of the Friendless Marching Band!
Thanks to those that have submitted sites to be visited this week. The Marching Band continues to spread cheer and goodwill to the friendless blogs of the blogsphere.



It was a pleasure to read the featured blog Over Another Hump from the beginning to get to know Frances McKay. She is a retired schoolteacher who lives in a small town (population 21) in the Australian outback.

I liked her blog because:

• of a sample of her flash fiction in "Read Smell the Roses?"
  
• I learned of Australia
• I wondered if Frances really did uncover a dinosaur?
• I enjoyed her poetry and found more of it on Nature Writing

I am having fun visiting these bloggers. I hope you are too.

Other sites submitted are:

• a woman whose Inner Thoughts I found interesting because of a crush she has.
  
• a 15 yr old whose friends sometimes lead to Complicated Truths.

Please submit more sites for next week and have fun blogging!

13 Morsels

13 Super Sweet Morsels about Carol 1. I don't feel like doing anything today! 2. I have been blogging since Feb '05. I love it! 3. We had our carpet cleaned today and you wouldn't believe how much it cost but I still haven't given up hope on getting a digital camera. 4. I am the proud owner of a grumpy cat. I haven't owned a cuddly kitty since the age of 13. 5. I work part time with a group of great women. We have a pet fish named Re-petey. 6. I always answer quizzes honestly and end up being the nerd. (or cabin boy!) 7. Each member of my family wants their computer time. Everyone has their own web page. 8. I like to read. I have a web page of book reviews I've written. I enjoy book analysis. 9. I keep bookmarks of retired blogs. These bloggers have mysteriously disappeared but I have hopes that they will return. Sometimes they do! 10. I would like to have a cooler template but I like this modified version of a standard one. My youngest daughter's knowledge of html helped. 11. I am a loyal friend and blogger. I gotta stop that overvisiting. 12. My children and I are Lucy fans. My husband uses our "I Love Lucy" times to finally get on the computer. 13. I am the conductor of the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band. We meet on Fridays to visit friendless blogs. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, IÂ’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


Carol says, thirteen things is all I ask for, and what do you get in return? Linkage! If you do it, leave a comment here and link me to your Thursday Thirteen. I will be sure to update my entry with links to yours, and then you can continue the chain if you like! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.


I found this at Utenzi's blog.

I Don't Wanna Talk About It!

I don't like to talk about being unpopular. I have never been popular and do not expect to be but deep down there is a strong desire to be approved by others. It hurts to have a need that I think others can fill but not I. This hidden, damaged part of me is a result of growing up with imperfections and having no one teach me the power and necessity of self-love.

I know this desire to be liked is superficial and that on a deeper level, it is of little consequence and is even detrimental to the artistic side of me.
I am learning that others can't give me what I need. I need to fill that void with my own love and approval.
I am learning to gratify the surfacing pulses of creativity in ways that are uniquely Carol.

If others want to peer over my shoulder, then I am honored but it is not my right.

Inspired by this blog slant.

More News About Petey

Actually, his name is Re-Petey. (named so because the original Petey came to an early demise) He resides in a bowl at my workplace, a Japanese Fighting fish.
Today it was believed that he looked constipated. My co-worker asked me to look at him to confirm her suspicions.
I know nothing about a fish's constitution so I looked and said, "Ah..."
Another co-worker had read on the internet that a green pea can help a constipated fish and it just so happened that the first expert on the matter had a leftover pea from supper.
So when I left, they were writing a note for the day staff not to feed Re-Petey because in a starved state he would be more likely to nibble...

I Missed it

I did this quiz today in honor of Pirate Day which was yesterday and discovered that I am...


The Cabin Boy/Galley Wench

You, me lad, are an activist! You will not only change the world, you will make a dyed-in-the-wool Pirate dream of you in a sheep costume. You are the embodiment of the love that dare not hoist its sail! Ahoy thar! You could make a two-patch Pirate turn his head - but then he would lose sleep over it and what good would that do anyone? An innovator, you are WAY ahead of your time - and everyone else's. You are sensitive and artsy-fartsy. You say things like, "artsy-fartsy" but there is always a slight giggle in your voice when you say it - like Paul Lynde on Hollywood Squares delivering a staggering punch line. Speaking of "punching" the only "punching" you would do is punching up that outfit with some accessories - say, a little bandana and some glass beads. You're not the Pirate we want in a fight, but we want you there for the crying game that follows! You go, girl.

I am currently reading Sea Wolf by Jack London. It is about a schooner captained by the meanest man I have ever read. The point of view is from a character called Humphrey or Hump. He becomes a sailor unwillingly and begins his ghastly ocean adventure as a cabin boy, too.
"It was unparalleled, undreamed of, that I, Humphrey Van Weyden, a scholar and a dilettante, if you please, in things artistic and literary, should be lying here on a Bering Sea seal -hunting schooner. Cabin boy! I had never done any hard manual labor or scullion labor in my life. I had lived a placid, uneventful, sedentary existence all my days...I had preferred to use my head rather than my body, and here I was, in no fit condition for the rough life in prospect."


Do this quiz, to find out who you are on the ship.
What's Yer Inner Pirate?
brought to you by The Official Talk Like A Pirate Web Site. Arrrrr!


Pearl discovered this treasure. She commemorated the day with a nasty pirate poem. I loved her pirate picture, too. I better set the date on my calendar for next year.

Fragile Difference

If all I need is Strength and Ability
to character my soul to breathe
then there is no need for Another

The two solemly enter
the gates of the Other
to cover me as I lay
whispering words
to be well
and to love
for we know
I can not do it alone

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven;
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

Excerpt from a Life

Oct 19,1974
Today it was nice outside. Mango and I went bike riding. She came over. We fooled around on the tape recorder,sang on it etc. All the DeFranco songs!!

Oct 20,1974
Mango came over. We made a Peace-In Show on tape.

Oct 21, 1974
Mango and I worked on our Peace-In Show. I would really like to be a comedy writer but...

Friendly Conga Line

Due to the high demand for more conga enthusiasts, the line will be on going... join in at any time!

Friendly Friday

Hi Friends of the Friendless marching band!
How about something different this week?


I was thinking, we haven't had a "Get Aquainted" time.
So today, instead of visiting the friendless, we are going to do the conga!
That's right, the conga!

Dancing instructions are as follows:

• Sign your name and instrument in the comment section.
• Then visit the person before you (for some of you, this part will be familiar).
• Leave a comment on their site saying at least 2 things that you found interesting about their blog!
• Band members that don't have a blog, can still participate by visiting and commenting.
  
• The first person tells me 2 things that they find interesting about my site.
• I will visit the last site just before midnight, ie if I can stay awake that late after doing the conga all day.
• Have fun!!
• Don't forget to submit friendless sites to me for next week. The ones I received this week, will be included in the next Friendly Friday's roster!
• New members are always welcome.
• Visit this previous post if you are wondering what this is all about.

Don't believe this cartoonist!

Should I Get the Tee-Shirt?

Cyborg Name Generator

The Cover

My son excitedly wanted to be on the computer. He needed to find a picture of Kirk and Spock for his sister, who volunteered to draw a picture on his textbook cover.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you. Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me.

Title from Oscar Hammerstein's Song, "Getting to Know You"

My Son received a list of questions from school. I immediately saw that this had potential for a blog.

1. If Scotty could beam you out of here for the day, where would you go?
If I could be instantly transported, I would choose the Louvre in Paris. I was in Paris in 1983 on a whirlwind tour but the Louvre was closed during our stay!

2. What is one of your personal passions?
Christianity

3. If you had $1,000,000 to give to your favourite charity, what charity would it be?
I would give it to the Church.

4. If you had unlimited time/nerve/money, what athletic activity would you like to pursue ?
Cross country skiing. I took a continuing education class on it several years ago but didn't pursue it because

• I had no one to go with
• it was still too steep for me
• no skiis?

5. Decide three features/things that your fantasy vacation would have.
luxury, culture and leisure

6. Decide three things you would like to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island?
food,books and a cell phone

7. If you just won $1,000,000 what would be the first thing you do?
Pay off the mortgage.

8. Who living or dead would you most like to meet?
Jesus

9. Name a celebrity that you find particularly attractive?
Colin Firth (Pride and Prejudice miniseries)

10. What are your pet peeves?

• Telephone solicitors.
• When vehicles and appliances need expensive repair just when I finally decided to buy a digital camera.

11. Life is full of embarrassing moments. Share an embarrassing incident that happened to you.
Experiencing a mental block!

12 If you were alone and in trouble, and had only one quarter to make a phone call who would you call?
Home.

13. List three descriptors that your friend would use to describe you.
Fun, intelligent but neurotic (well, would ya?)

14. Add your own ideas to the following sentence stem: "If I were in charge of the world..."

• I would have tougher punishment for criminals.
• Athletes and actors wouldn't be paid so atrociously much. People would be rewarded fairly for their abilities and contributions
• including mothers who stay at home.

Who Is?

"I'm not good enough"
so I place myself behind a screened door
a traced outline
blurred face

I am only an idea
perhaps a nice one
friendly but sparkly dark
eager to feel the good

Then, I see faces
pressed against the screen
fingers tracing an image
against the darkness, wondering who is?

John 1:1

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Excerpt from a Life

October 12,1974
Mango came here in the evening. We drew a picture of one another. Mango's picture of me is good but mine of her isn't!
For the past week or so, I have not had any snack at night. It's not so hard to go without it but I really eat at supper. I shouldn't.

October 13,1974
Mango came over in the afternoon. I drew a better picture of her. It looks like her! Don't think I'm conceited or anything but I have to write my true thoughts. So there's no pretending to be modest. Dad said I might be an artist yet. I hope so. I gave it to Mango. She gave me the one she did of me.

October 15,1974
In the afternoon at school, Laurie and I were sitting in the library filling out a form when I saw Chevy coming in. He walked to this table right beside us. When he walked by, he bumped my chair. He was so close, that if I wanted to, I could've touched him.

October 17,1974
I like Chevy sooooo much. I wish I was not sooooo fat. I'm trying to lose weight, but it feels as if I'll never get there. Never lost nothing. Guess how much I weigh?
185 lbs. Wow so much. If anybody read this, I'll die. Now you know how fat I am. Do you think Chevy is that stupid or hard-up. I just don't know. When I look back at this, I hope I don't weigh more. Carol, lose weight now! When I am older, it will be too late.

Friendly Friday

Hi Friends of the Friendless. I hope you will enjoy these new friendless sites and leave an encouraging word or two for them.


The friendless site of the week is Danielle of Estranged Love.
I like her blog because:

• it is refreshing to read a 19 yr old's perspective
  
• that doesn't use the manga style
  
• she is honest, introspective with a good sense of humor as well
  
• I like her "Layers of Me" on August 15, 2005
• I like the relaxing look of her blog

I wish Danielle would post more often.

Other sites submitted:

• Brenda of Planet Brenda. Hey, she has more friends than me! I guess that proves that friendlessness is relative. Brenda is a humorous blogger with good accompanying photos.

• Orfeo from Orfeo's Underworld is an Australian who mainly blogs about his deep appreciation for music.

Yes, that is me with my tuba!

Band members, do you have any pictures of you with your instrument? Go ahead, be creative. Then post it proudly on your blog with the caption "I am a member of the Friend of the Friendless band!" I will post it on my blog as well.

Anyone is free to join the band. Just leave a comment with your instrument of choice then go and visit. To find out more about the band and the origins of Friendly Fridays, go here and here.

Reminder, I need some sites to visit this week!

Katie

A few years ago as my husband and I were walking along the side of a road, we noticed a salamander creeping along and stopped to look at it. On the way back, that same salamander lay crushed. I felt an eeriness because it had caught our attention only minutes earlier.

Yesterday, my daughter came home from school with sad news. One of her classmates had been killed in a car accident that weekend. "She was so friendly, always smiling". Later in the evening she pointed out her obituary. I looked at the sweet girl with blonde hair. My daughter commented that she was the shortest person in school.
As I lay in bed, I recalled a moment last week when my daughter and I were in student services to rearrange her class schedule. A petite, blonde girl had come out of one of the offices. I noticed her because she reminded me of someone from my childhood. She saw that I was looking at her and smiled.

I came downstairs to ask my daughter if that was her. It was.

What Do Ya Do All Day???

6:30 am. The alarm goes off. I had a great sleep, no "middle of the night warm milk mug" by my bedside. The kids are all awake, excited about school. I check my blog while they get ready. I am really only a reminder. "Do you have your snack? Do you have your lunch? Do you have your..."

7:00 am. We have a Bible and prayer time together. We will be going through Ecclesiastes this year as I think it is a good book for teenagers to learn about what is important in life.

7:15 am. They are gone. I start the laundry then have my own prayer time. I have breakfast and read a couple of sections of the newspaper.

8:00 am. I fill out a bunch of school consent forms and write out recipe cards for the Ladies Meeting on Friday. I thought it would be nice to do them by hand but it is taking a long time to write out 15 Cajun Cods.

9:oo am. Ah, it is a decent time to phone my pal, Mango. We talk while I do the laundry and take the dishes out of the dishwasher, reminiscing about the childrens' chores.

10:00 am. I get off the phone to write two more recipes out.

10:30 am. I do an exercise video.

11:30 am. I start today's blog!

11:55 am. The service advisor for our van phones and says the van needs a $698 job done. Sigh... I tell him that my husband will be home in 5-10 minutes, will he be there? Yes, he says.

12:00 pm. My husband is home. He phones back and gets an answering machine. Hmmph!
Ok, time to start lunch.

1:00 pm. Service advisor phones back, the warranty has expired. I am angry. I deserve some blog time.

1:30 pm. I get off the computer to wash the dishes, continue with laundry while talking to another friend on the phone. I am bothered by the van.

2:45 pm. Eldest comes home from school, excited to talk. Others follow soon. Snack time-popcorn and oranges. Chores are assigned. The youngest gets off easy- setting the table for supper. The middle girl is to clean all the mirrors and the eldest will make supper. I am still doing laundry and writing recipe cards (one more to go) but squeeze in time to read a blog.

3:40 pm. We go over the many school forms that say "review this with your child." They do their homework.

5:30 pm. I look at a couple of blogs while supper is being made.

6:00 pm. Supper is served.

6:30 pm. We leave for Bible Study. We are studying the book of Jude.

8:40 pm. The kids are making their lunches and getting ready for bed while I sit down to finish my blog of the day and look around.

So what do ya do all day???

Soapmaker

I was sensually impressed by a magazine cover of a woman surrounded by soaps she had made. I imagined myself surrounded by the smooth pastels and natural scents.
When I heard of a soapmaking class, I immediately signed up. The process seemed easy enough at the one day workshop.
Afterwards, I bought a couple of additional instruction books and lye. This attempt was not as successful. The lye leaked out of my flimsy mold leaving an unesthetical glob. Soapmaking was not appealing after all.

That was ten years ago and I still love handmade soaps but it is the end product I enjoy and not the process. Someone else can endure the burning lye, not I.

Then I learn that to be the woman on the cover, I still have to endure failure and unpleasantness in order to achieve.

Labor Day

This is the last day of summer. My children return to school tomorrow.

It was a good summer though I wish we could've done something really special for our holidays. My eldest enters grade 12, so this is probably the last family holiday for her (sob). She loves politics and would've enjoyed seeing Ottawa but staying closer to home suited her fine.

I am glad that my children appreciate what we do together. When we gather to watch "I Love Lucy", we all have to be present. They enjoy her as much or perhaps more than I. We laughed through many episodes this summer.

My eldest was in summer school. She worked very hard, getting up at 6 am to bus it across town for her class. She faithfully spent her July doing math. She did so well that her registration fees were reimbursed.

Otherwise, we had a great, lazy summer: sleeping in, on the computer, reading.
When we weren't 'doing nothing', the children helped with the housework.

Tomorrow, we will be hurled back into the discipline of early risings and homework and I'll be all alone with the laundry.

Acts 4:33

"And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all."


painting by Connie Kassal

Excerpt from a Life

Oct 1,1974
Chevy wore a blue top today.
I know he knows that I like him. For sure!! And believe me, he doesn't act like he likes it. I don't know if I should forget him or not. What do you think?

Honestly, I don't know what to do! If he hates me, I'll cry. I've liked him for 8 months going on 9,it can't stop now. Or can it? I can see why he would not like me, as I am very fat and ugly, but when I like a guy, I think he doesn't see me like that. But I guess he does!
Oh God, he hates, hates, hates me. Oh no. I wish he would swear or laugh at me, then I would forget him fast.

Oct 4, 1974,
While we were typing to music, I looked up and there stood Brick (an old nemesis from Junior High school) with Chevy outside the classroom. Brick was telling Chevy something. It looked as if they were laughing at me. Oh God, I'm sure! I tried to keep on typing but it was so hard...

Oct 7,1974
I've been thinking, maybe Chevy doesn't know I like him. Could be my imagination.

Friendly Friday

Hello Friendly band members!
I hope you had a good week and are ready for our march.

The featured friendless site today is Youssoff.
I like that this blog because

• Youssoff has been blogging for over a year.
• Youssoff is a sheep.
• there is a lot that a sheep has to say.
• there is a lot to learn about sheep.
  
• I like the sheep games.
• it is very unique
• it is fun

Two other blogs were also submitted. I hope you will visit these as well.

There is Vanesita at "It's Peru, Baby." She writes interesting pieces of her life in London now.

Jessy at "Longing for More of Jesus..." could use encouragement. I find it hard not to be moved by someone who is trying hard to overcome her weaknesses.

Have fun meeting these bloggers. I hope you will meet someone that will be "bookmarked" for a deeper friendship.
Remember to march with your eyes open for more friendless sites this week.

Celebrate!

Fireworks are for rejoicing.

Today was our province's "party of the century," as our premier boasted. I had forgotten about the significance of the day until my daughter reminded me to wear my centennial t-shirt this morning. Then I forgot again until I saw my husband sitting in front of the television this evening watching the "party of the century." There is a wide variety of talent in this province.

We watched the televised fireworks while I lamented that we had not planned to see them live.

I am happily attached to my home. Home is important.