** Yikes! It's Sunday Already! **

I had the best intentions to write on my blog sometime Saturday, but obviously that didn't happen. It's just past midnight and I think I'll hit the old hay in a few minutes.

Later today, I hope to post my new contest for the month of May. I think it's a good one and will have slightly different rules than the other ones.

*Note: I wasn't able to send any e-mails most of Saturday. Every time I tried, they would get "stuck" and then I'd receive a message saying "try again later". So, if you've been expecting one from me, it may be in my "Mail Waiting to be Sent" folder.

“If you can read this, thank a teacher.” -- Unknown

** Alive & Well on a Friday Night **

As the title above states: I am alive and well and it's Friday evening.

I'm in the midst of another one of my many "projects".......which does not include writing my book. Never fear, though, the book is only getting temporarily pushed slightly aside, NOT going all the way to the back burner!

For those who asked and/or are curious: I'm still waiting for my lab results, but did receive my x-ray results. I have....and to quote my doctor, "a fair amount of arthritis in [my] neck, and a loss of disc height." (Hey! I can't afford to lose any more height!!) She also said she "was surprised [I] wasn't in any more pain than [I] described." (Well, I actually was happy to hear all that! It proved I wasn't complaining for no reason. And also, I've always thought I had a very low pain level, so I must be quite a tough broad, after all!)

I'm blaming my husband! He's a foot taller than me... and I've had to look waaaaay up... all these years!!

** Awesome Book Stuff **

(photo courtesy of Out of Print press page)

My "Real Simple" magazine arrived in the mail yesterday, and for the first time in months, I actually took time in the evening to flip through the entire thing! I clipped out some awesome looking recipes and a couple other interesting little tidbits to look up online. One of those was: Out of Print Clothing

To best explain it, I've copied and pasted the following paragraph directly from their site:

Out of Print celebrates the world’s great stories through fashion. Our shirts feature iconic and often out of print book covers. Some are classics, some are just curious enough to make great t-shirts, but all are striking works of art.

Back to my own words: For every T-Shirt sold, the company donates a book to a community in need! How great is that?? How scathingly brilliant?? (sorry Miss Cathy C....but I must borrow your phrase here!)


They also have a blog:  Out of Print Blog  and the blog has a fascinating story of  The Book Bike.

It all just keeps getting better and better!!

Please get your fingers clicking on those links!! I know of a couple graduates who will be getting an Out of Print T-Shirt for a gift this month!!


“Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books.” - Bell Hooks

** This 'n That on a Tuesday Afternoon **

I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new US Postal Service stamps of dogs and cats, and I finally bought a sheet a couple of days ago. The photos feature animals that were adopted from shelters, and are they adorable or what?? The dog with the large head, and black & brown hair, looks similar to my Tiger and also our previous "mutt", Rocky! (We got Tiger at a local shelter when she was 6 months old.)

(Photo I took last night with my cell phone camera)

Awwwww....that's my Tiger!!

Also, pertaining to adorable photos of animals, I came across a really neat blog: Farm Girl Susan.  Susan moved from her native California to Missouri, to live out "in the middle of nowhere"! She also loves to cook and bake and shares tons of recipes. AND, on top of all that,,,,,she also loves Judith Ryan Hendricks' books! Hey, I think I've discovered another kindred spirit!!  Go visit Susan's blog and tell her "Becky sent me!"


Speaking of farms and farm-life, I spent most of today getting poked and prodded. I saw 2 different doctors; one a yearly check-up, one a follow-up. Then got lab work and x-rays. Sheesh...I'm worn out and I didn't do anything except drive my car, and sit around for hours. I took a book to read, but that even made me sleepy! I think I feel a late afternoon nap coming on......Zzzzzzz.

One last thing: Has anyone heard back from Bylines Calendar about their submissions? I keep checking the website, but nothing is posted about it yet. Any other good news about acceptances, or contest winnings??


"If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans" ~ James Herriot

** Now, That's Just Not Funny! **

It is now 9:00 pm, Central Daylight Time, and I am editing this post. I understand now what happened to cause one of my followers to disappear, and I want to apologize to A., although, I truly was kidding around about the number dropping from 50 to 49.

(photo courtesy: heartimages.jpg)

Well.....What's in a number anyway?  Nothing!  So, I'm still celebrating all my wonderful blog friends!! You all mean a great deal to me! .....Whether you are "official followers" or not!

" Oh you got to have friends......♪♫ "  -- Bette Midler

** Celebration, Information, & Appreciation **

Hey! I'm so excited! My followers have reached  "50".  I'm sure that number is laughable to bloggers with hundreds and thousands of followers, but to me it is really special. It makes me feel validated, knowing that people are "out there" who enjoy reading my blog. Thank you all so much!

This past January when I attended the writer/spiritual retreat in Des Moines, Iowa, I met some fabulous women. I keep in contact with a few of them, but not very often. One, though, I hear from every morning. Her name is Linda Schmidt. She sends poetry every morning, the main theme being nature, thus naming it: Morning Muse. I've told her over and over that she needs to submit some of her beautiful work somewhere!! I doubt if she has yet, so I decided I'd start to post some of them here. The following one is shorter than usual, and she wrote it yesterday, Mother's Day, which seemed so appropriate:

"One by one, fuzzy goslings slip out
from under the safe cover of mother’s wing.
They greet the dawn, eager to explore
a world of water, wind and sod.
She lets them go,
and whispers prayers to God." -- Linda Schmidt

Isn't that lovely? If enough of you enjoyed it,  I'll add Linda's poetry often. And, if after awhile, you too think she should submit her writing to some places...we'll begin a campaign to send her the confidence she needs!

The picture below is in an area of my tiny formal living room. I took it yesterday in the late afternoon because I loved the way the sunlight, the shadows of the tree outside, and the shadows of the window blinds created such a lovely design on the wall.

One more Mother's Day blog.....Please go to http://www.karriemcallister.com/2010/05/out-of-mouths-of-mothers.html. Karrie McAllister is another one of my writer friends whom I've never met in person. I contacted her first, I think!!...after reading something of hers online. That's been a couple of years ago, or more. She pretty much singlehandedly convinced me that, yes I needed a blog, AND, helped me set it up, all through e-mails!! She's quite a gal, writer, mom, adventurer, etc..etc.. Please click on the link above and read her post from yesterday, about being a mom.

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." -- Robert Southey

** In Honor of Mother's Day **

In honor of Mother's Day, I had breakfast on this lovely glass plate and cup set. (which I whipped up myself, and no, my husband did not serve me breakfast in bed! I much rather have coffee or iced tea, later, on our deck!) I have a set of 8 of these, which were my mom's.

When I was very young, she used these when she was the host of her Bridge Club. Two or three card tables and chairs completely filled our tiny living room. I remember hearing strange phrases like, "Three No Trump", "One Diamond", "Pass", or "No Bid", etc. The funniest of all, of course, was the player that was The Dummy!

I loved seeing my mom get all dressed up and have women friends over to our house. Another happy memory...in the book!

Oh, by the way. My breakfast is my absolute favorite: a slice of any kind of pound cake, topped with vanilla flavored low fat yogurt, topped with fresh strawberries, topped with granola cereal! YUM!

And, I drink my coffee black. I make it really weak at home, which is what I prefer, but I can drink just about any kind when I'm out!

"You're not fat. You're just pleasingly plump". -- Rubyism

P.S. I only have one song on my Play List today: "Ruby Baby" by Dion, in tribute to my mother: Ruby!

 This song was really popular in the mid to late 60's (after my parents' divorce). My brother Mike, older sister Jo Ann, and I all loved this song and would jitterbug to it in our living room. (Jo Ann had a 45 record of it and our hi-fi just about wore the grooves off of it.....hey, do you think that's where the phrase "Get Your Groove On" came from??...) Mother was more of the Glenn Miller-type, and we got our kicks out of calling her "Ruby baby"! She would laugh and said, "Oh you kids!"  Ahhh, another sweet memory!

** Happy Mother's Day **

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Although some of our own mothers are deceased, they are still a part of us, aren't they?

This is one of my favorite pictures. It's my mom, my dad, brother Mike and me. It was taken around 1957-1958 in Fort Morgan, Colorado. We were on one of our summer vacation trips visiting relatives.  My two much-older sisters were both in college at that time, so they didn't come along with us.


My mother and I are wearing the ever-so-popular "Mother/Daughter Dresses" which were very "in" at that time. My mother sewed them herself and I thought they were quite special.

We look like the All American Happy Family, don't we? It's hard to believe that just about five years later, my parents divorced. Dad pretty much abandoned us. Mom did the best she could, being thrown into an entirely different life than she wanted, or ever envisioned.

There's so much more to the story, and a great deal will be included in  my book.

"You don't always get everything you want in this life." -- Rubyism