Soaking it in

I am loving:

1- the days that are long enough that there is both a) light when I go to work, and b) light when I leave work. Even on the long days.

2- the days with temperatures above freezing. (Not all of them yet, but several in a row at a time, now!)

3- watching little kitty enjoy the sunshine on more days each week.


4- hearing birds when I'm having morning coffee on the porch.

5- having finished my taxes in record time, earlier than ever!!!! woohoo! (Hint, if you are missing important tax docs still, most places are set up so that you can pick them up online, now. Let's hear it for the internets!) (Also hint: online tax prep is the bestest. Big thanks to pietro for suggesting Taxact to me a couple of years ago! It gets even easier the second year in. And, no, I'm not getting any consideration for that blurb. Not on my 4-people-actually-read-it-well-sometimes blog! I wish.)

6- the technology that allows me to work on a weekend day from home, rather than having to go back into the office, one. more. day. (Since there's just no getting around the extra hours at this point, anyway. Would I prefer a 35 hour work week? You bet. But this is the best I can do right now. My supervisor is calling my work group 'lean' and 'efficient' these days. uh huh. Nice way to say it, I guess.)

7- our shiny new president who is taking on really big issues and not flinching. About time, that.

Hope you all are hanging in there, and finding things to love.

What she was wearing

I heard this poem earlier this week on The Writer's Almanac, and really liked it. I also thought Keillor read it very nicely.

What She Was Wearing

by Denver Butson

this is my suicide dress
she told him
I only wear it on days
when I'm afraid
I might kill myself
if I don't wear it

you've been wearing it
every day since we met
he said

and these are my arson gloves

so you don't set fire to something?
he asked

exactly

and this is my terrorism lipstick
my assault and battery eyeliner
my armed robbery boots

I'd like to undress you he said
but would that make me an accomplice?

and today she said I'm wearing
my infidelity underwear
so don't get any ideas

and she put on her nervous breakdown hat
and walked out the door

"What She Was Wearing" by Denver Butson from Illegible Address. © Luquer Street Press, 2004. (buy it from Amazon)

I've never had a suicide dress. Closest I've ever come is a PMS dress, some interview underwear, and a pair of lucky socks. How about you?

I'm definitely checking out more works by this poet.

Let's Hear it for Fair Pay!

Woohoo!

"The Paycheck Fairness Act, passed by a vote of 256-163, requires employers to provide a legitimate reason for paying different salaries to men and women performing the same job."

Makes sense to me.

Oh my!

Has it really been that long?
Well, not much happening here that is bloggable. Although I will add my own joy to the internets on a good overall election result. And also my regrets for the propensity of my fellow citizens to vote to limit other citizens' access to equal marriage and adoption rights.

Most of what's going on in the Minor household here is unbloggable. We are doing okay, but there is some stress, mostly work related, and not much sense of when the light at the end of the tunnel might be seen to actually be there. We are healthy, and well, otherwise, though, and I am thankful for these blessings. Tiny cat is doing well, too. Much less stressed than earlier in the fall, so: healthy and fine and furry.

My mother's kitty passed on recently, at 17. He was a real sweetie, and she misses him dearly. I know we do, though it's been a long time since he has been part of my daily life, other than via phone calls. I think her lap must feel very empty in the evening. And although she often complained about his being a bed hog at night, I think that must be a strange transition as well. He was a very good boy, and one of the first kitties we ever met with such a fine, gentle and open personality. He loved us all very well, and took good care of his humans for many years.
In other news, I have been tasked with coming up with 'fun' packaging for a paper gift to some of the family children at Christmas. (Think gift card in an envelope.) We want to make it more interesting to open than just an envelope. I have been looking at various papercraft objects online, and of course thinking of creating some bigger box to open, and perhaps smaller related items which might be packaged with said paper gift, and which might make a sound when shaken. Do any of you have good ideas for this? The kids opening the present (together?) will range in age from about 6-teen.

Pretty

Not up to much. Trying to get into the fall/winter swing of things. We've turned on the heat. Looking into better winter driving tires and hesitating between snow tires and just better all-seasons. Hate this kind of shopping. (Hate most kinds.) We have had our first snow already, so the tire places have already had lines around the block.

Here's a pretty piece of ceramic art I came across online recently:


Lisa Larsson: Katt
found at Modcats.

Keeping fingers crossed for Tuesday. Please vote!

My Little .....Cthulhu?

Hat tip to Cute Overload.
\
@


My Little Cthulhu by ~Spippo on deviantART

Ahahahaaah!

I always knew those Little Ponies were really very scary!

Pleasant Valley Sunday

I need a change of sceeee-ner-reeee--eeeee--eee.

So I've been watching some movies, reading a bit more. Some of it is good.

I've recently re-re-read some Jane Austen. Good for getting away from the real world. One of the few authors I voluntarily reread. Then I checked out the film from the library. Plugged it into the DVD player, and realized I had only checked out Volume 2. Drat.

Back to the library today, and some other poor sucker had checked out Volume 1. hah.

Found a VHS BBC version, and checked out part of that series. At least it's the first part! And, I've been trying to get the next episode I need for BSG season 1 for the past 2 weeks. Damn geeks keep checking it out. hmph.

Recently saw Brokeback Mountain, Pan's Labyrinth, a neat little Sundance prize-winner called The Station Agent (recommend it), and an old Cary Grant film (swoon).

Have also been cooking more (yay for comfort food), and finishing reading Kurlansky's Salt. It's an ok read. I had to order Chinese food a couple of nights ago after reading one of the passages on salt in China and the theories of what tastes make a real meal (particularly descriptions of the combos of ma-la and xian-la) I wish he would write more fiction again though.

Have you ever moved to a new region in the states and discovered a dish new to you that all the locals think is a world-known comfort food? I was talking with somebody the other day about having discovered shepherd's pie like that, years ago. I still don't really 'get' it, but I guess I have stuff like that I crave too, that they think well, not gross, but totally not distinctive or worth their while.

Fall is here. Cold has snapped, and I'm sitting around the house this weekend wearing LONG UNDERWEAR!!!! And we pulled out the winter duvet two nights ago. And there is no more summer fruit at the store, just apples and pears, now, so I guess that's official, even though I haven't turned on the heat yet.