** 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

** My Contest For The Month of May **

I'll be having another contest sometime soon, but I haven't made a decision about the rules or the prize(s).

I have a few different ideas, all quite scathingly brilliant, to once again borrow Ms. Cathy C.'s favorite expression! (The first time I read that on Cathy's blog, I was in shock! I thought I was most likely the only living person who loved that movie, "The Trouble With Angels" and still remembered those lines. They were uttered quite often by Hayley Mills' character: Mary Clancy.)

Okay...since it's almost 1:30 am, I think I'm getting a little loopy, don't you agree?
More to follow tomorrow! ☺

"Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation." ~ Author Unknown

** Colossal News About Tiny Lights **

I've mentioned Tiny Lights several times. It's a "Journal of Personal Narrative";  an online and print publication that I write for. I received their newsletter today, "Sparks" and was so surprised (and thrilled) to see that my fabulous friend, Tammy, is the featureed writer this month on Searchlights and Signal Flares! Way to go, Tammy!! The question for this month was, "What is the difference between lying and pretending?" Please head on over to Tiny Lights and read a little bit about Tammy and her response to the question. After reading it, you'll see why she was the chosen one! Tammy's writing never ceases to amaze me. I always envision myself bowing down to her, like Wayne and Garth, in "Wayne's World"....."I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!"  ☺

Each answer is short, so please pop on over there and check them out. Another name you may recognize is one of my newer blog friends: Jenny Matlock! Good to see you on there again, Jenny!

There's also questions for upcoming months, calls for submissions, and a place to sign up for the Sparks newsletter. Anyone can submit an answer to the monthly questions. Just send 'em in, and as long as they're quality writing and not of "unprintable" nature, they will be published!

Tell Susan Bono "hello" and tell her Becky sent ya!!

“A great attitude does much more than turn on the lights in our worlds; it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before the change.” -- Unknown

** Talkin' About My Book & Changin' My Music"

Tonight I decided I'd like to share some tidbits about my book, beginning again with the title, for those of you that are new to my blog. It's part memoir and part current thoughts & observations.
The title is: That Crowbar Changed Everything!

(Yes, I did, indeed, have an "episode" involving a crowbar that may have altered the course of my life.)

Here are just a few chapter names:

Year of the Grasshopper Plague
Armpit of the USA
I Was NOT a Hippie!
He Called Me "The Tank"
Riding the Rails Alone
My Very Own Mayberry
Frostbite From a Turkey Neck


I also plan to include some old B/W photos from my childhood.

And I plan to include some of my mother's favorite sayings. You've seen those before referred to as: "Momisms". But, since my mother's name was Ruby, mine will be called "Rubyisms".

Just writing about it and posting it on my blog, makes me happier & more excited about working away at it!

** I also decided it was time to change the old Play List again. I needed some lively, rockin' songs! **

"We all have our 'good old days' tucked away inside our hearts, and we return to them in daydreams like cats to favorite armchairs." -- Brian Carter

** My Beloved Canine Companion **

I can't believe I was able to snap a picture of Tiger, sleeping like this! And, with my cell phone camera! I had to sneak up very close to take it. Neither the sound or the bright flash woke her up! Doesn't she look adorable???    ** I forgot to mention that I particularly wanted a picture of this, because her tongue is sticking out a little bit! I wonder why? Maybe she was giving me "the raspberries"! **