one foot, two foot, red foot, blue eggs......

today is craft day for the grands on spring vacation. I have spent some time on Pinterest getting new ideas to share with the grands so that they aren't bored with the kinds we have done in the past.

Guess what? "But Oma, we like doing um, our way". So......

when spring brings time to color eggs
the children don't want them to have legs,
or head or eyes or a funny nose,
and so my sad, sad story goes.

I'll post pictures of the same old, same old.....lovely creations tomorrow. Gotta love it.

Awwwww Sweet Sunday volume 4

This week had a potentially horrible thing turn into a very wonderful happy thing. Funny how that happens sometimes. Ry, my grand and wonderful, is signed up to go to an after school program at the church across the street from his school on Wednesdays. Someone from the church comes across the street and the teachers of the kids who have signed up for the program bring the students to an assigned spot and the safe exchange of the kiddos is complete and off the kids go to fun, games, snacks etc. And because we have had some "car sickness" we are down to only one car here at the Casa. So, I just stayed home and was working in my studio.

The dogs were yapping at the front window. I thought maybe the postman had come to deliver a package but it was only 2 o clock and when I looked out the peephole.....nada. So I opened the door and here is Ry. I almost had a heart attack. He was to be picked up at at the church at 4:30 and he had just come home on the school bus and walked home. He has never been allowed to walk alone, much less from that distance. Great oogly mooglies, what if I hadn't been home?, what if, what if, what if????? And with a big grin on his face he says, "aren't ya proud of me Oma? I can get home all by myself?" Oh Stars ya'll. It ended well but it still gives me the willys. This coulda been but wasn't event also shows how much progress Ry has made in his self confidence and keen skills of observation. And why yes we have had a talk with the school.

Now on to my scheduled thought Awwwwwww, Sweet Sunday. We, here at Casa de Cuckoo, have spent a number of lovely Sundays at Morning Bray Farm. And I know all of you have been right there with us as we have enjoyed the antics of the animals and participated in the fun of that magickal farm, but I have a must confess I have secret crush on the second sweetest man on the planet. My Sweet Man said it was okay to tell you about my crush on Don, because after Sweet Man met Don, he knows why.

I knew Justina from MBF blog. WYSIWYG covers our first meeting. She was/is the darling soul she is. I just knew that whoever Don was he was going to be nice......but I had no idea that he was going to be so cute, equally hospitable, kind, generous, sincere, caring and funny. And to say that you can tell they love each other is an understatement. They are not drippy sweet but there is no doubt of their affection for each other. It is wonderful to be near that kinda honest emotion.

I must admit I was nervous about our first visit to MBF because I so wanted Ry to be successful. I didn't need to worry, Don just swooped in and took Ry under his wing. They have been fast and true friends ever since. Of course Don's ears are bleeding when we leave cuz Ry has talked them off but Don preformed a miracle when he gave Ry a safe place outside of Casa de Cuckoo to observe what really being an honorable, strong, kind, good man is. Don makes Ry feel safe. The two of them are so cute, going off to build a bow and arrow outta fallen sticks (Don saves them for the Donks and Ry, I think), making a walking stick for me with 4 red feathers and a piece of magick obsidian for me (as per exact directions from Ry), riding a tractor or a donkey, feeding the ducks, taking a ride down a feeding trough like a slide thanks to the lifting on one end by Don or just walking around kicking rocks. Don is patient, direct, strong, kind and really likes Ry. That has made a huge difference to the kids at the Casa.

I mustn't leave out GK in all this. Being able to trust a grown male other than her beloved Papa is huge. Don and Justina both have given our girl such confidence by talking to her as a real person, allowing her to ride Ellsworth and praising her for her achievements. It's important in a young girl's life to have significant others besides her family to give her props for just being herself. I think it is the soft spoken way Don deals with the kids that makes him so special to them both. If given half a chance and a better sense of direction, I'm sure we would be looking for GK at MBF right in the paddock with all the donkeys or out in the field with Meeeeeeegie the goat. Morning Bray Farm is the other safe place to be. People.....GK grooms the much loved longears and even cleans up donkey poop....this from the girl who can't remember how to clean up after two small dogs........but then they aren't donkeys are they???????

But the goodness doesn't end there. Don is especially nice to this old broad. Hauling a big old chair out for me to park my hiney so that I can enjoy the show. He is always so welcoming to the whole bunch of us Cuckoos. I've always thought that the most attractive quality in another human being is their sense of humor and Don is a bonafide, gold plated, dyed in the wool stinker and so very much fun. I love how he is so unruffled by the antics of his lovely wife, Carson from 7MSN and Danni when she comes to visit from Oregon. When I found a photo of two adorable donkeys with Sombreros and serapes on Pinterest, I made the comment "don't let Justina and Carson see because "the donkeys" will be wearing them for Cinco de Mayo". My Sweet Man's comment was "I feel bad for Don because whatever the Donkeyteers (my name for these donkey loving gals) put on the donkeys, Don has to wear it too". Love it.

Awwwwwwww. I sure am glad we are friends with such nice folks and what a positive influence they are in the lives of my grands, Shelley and us older cuckoos too. And PS, I have it on good authority that Don is in for a sombrero in early May.

Pussywillows..........

I adore the way pussy willows look. They say spring time to me in a very viseral way.

When I was but a wee bratling, the neighbors behind us had a huge pussy willow bush, well actually it was a tree. My friend Cleady, who was two years older than I lived there. She had one blue eye and one brown eye, as well as half her head covered in blond and the other half covered with light brown hair. She was needless to say a very striking looking young one. She is the one who convinced me to run away from home. But that is another story for another time.

Anyway, she would stand in the pussy willow tree to talk to me over the 6 foot tall back wall. She and I stayed in the corner, me in my apple tree and her in her pussy willow tree for hours playing with our Madame Alexander or Ginny dolls. We would make all kinds of doll furniture and decorations with the catkin covered stalks. We had beds, swings, chairs and a teeter totter. I sure do wish I could remember how we kept them together but that part of the memory is rusty.

But as soon as the catkins opened up just the tiniest bit, here came every bee in the county to dust their legs with the pollen. I loved watching the bees trying to fly after making their legs so chubby with golden pollen. I was never afraid of bees as a kid. The reason was because my Mom had a pretty extensive flower garden and I loved to help her weed and till the soil around the blossoms. Doing so and learning that the bees were busy with their jobs and could care less about me so long as I left them to their gathering jobs, gave me that wisdom.

Coming from a rural background my Mom saved seeds and cuttings and never went to the store for seeds. You should have seen our laundry room and kitchen window sills with milk bottles, mason jars and misc. glass containers either filled with seeds which had been gathered and dried, or with water and cuttings with massive white roots all twisted and entwined together. When we went to a friend's house, Mom would ask for seeds or cuttings of things we didn't have. We did order bulbs from a catalog. At one point in time, she had 40 something different colors and combinations Iris or flags as they are called in Tenn. We had all manner of daffodils, tulips and hyacinths. Forsythia, Japonica, Tulp tree, and lilacs were all spring time friends to me as a kid, but my Mom would never let me take a cutting of the pussy willow and grow one in our yard. So I just enjoyed Cleady's.

I didn't ask her about her reason for her lack of enthusiasm until I was faced with her pussy willow memory come to visit again.

Cleady and I had invited my friend Vivian to join us in the corner the year I was 8. Vivian had her birthday in February and had gotten a pink haired 8" doll that she wanted to show us. We were in the middle of a great pretend when a bee landed on Vivian. She screamed swatted at it and sure enough, it stung her. And so did a couple of others. Then Cleady screamed, jumped out of the tree, ran around and into her house. I was left up in the tree with bees on about 30% of my arm. None of them had stung me, yet and I jumped out of the tree just in time to see my friend Vivianne swelling up like that girl on Willie Wonka. My Mom had Vivianne in her arms as she ran down two doors to Vivianne's house. Her Mom and my Mom tended to her with a shot and put her to bed. The doctor was there in just a little bit and that is when my Mom told me that a friend of hers, who also was allergic to bees had died from picking pussy willow branches when they were little girls.

I always felt bad for Vivianne. She never got to come back to my backyard because she was afraid. And I also felt sorry for my Mom that she had such a terrible childhood memory. And I felt sorry for me too because Cleady and I had to meet at the other end of the wall.

As an adult, we had a huge pussy willow tree started from a cutting at our old house. I love pussy willows and will keep my eyes peeled for one blooming and maybe snip a cutting this year.

This is kinda how I feel......

I'd like to crash the cymbals and get the party started but......

this probably would not end well.

Smile and have a happy Wednesday my lovelies.

Awwwwww, Sweet Sunday.....a day early

Tomorrow I will be out and about and not able to sit with a huge cup of delicious mocha coffee and type my thankfulness journal. So I am sitting in the living room next to GK at the computer desk as she plays Legends of Bikini Bottom and Ry plays blocks and watches Sponge Bob on the TV.

I have to say this is what I am most thankful for. Laughing, sharing and being in close proximity to my grands. In ten years, they won't even remember what we did on Saturday mornings together (just that we did)....but this old heart will. It makes me teary eyed now as I realize how blessed we are.

Had a great week getting my kitchen mess rearranged and organized. It feels so good to be tired for a worthwhile reason. Of course Sweet Man says its a conspiracy. Just when he gets used to where everything is in the kitchen, "you change it so I have to look for stuff". Poor man, tee hee.

Shelley and I have been looking at adding some decorative shelving for the kitchen. When my folks built this house, my Mom was working 60 hours a week, we ate lots of TV dinners and she didn't really care about cooking. So the kitchen was almost an afterthought. Unlike Shel and I, who love to bake, create and experiment and need lots of room. We scoured used furniture shops, antique stores, thrift stores, and finally found some kewl old looking barnwood and wrought iron bakers racks. One very large one for all the wire baskets and antique canning jars I have collected over the years. The sweetness came in the form of actually seeing the fruits of our labor in a clear counter area, shelves reorganized, things tossed out or given away and a new feeling of freedom in the kitchen.

GK who is becoming quite a good cook, made spaghetti casserole on the first night and on the third insisted on making a chicken/cheese noodle dish. She says the kitchen feels bigger and today we make molasses cookies. Or as Ry used to call them Mole Asses cookies. He tells a cute story now (in jest) about us not having them very often because the moles are really fast and hard to catch.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly.....my friends who rally to send their very best to Casa de Cuckoo just when we need it most. I love you all so much.

Health update, have lost 15 lbs, no more symptoms from the icky meds, sleeping well and able to withstand the pain. Life is good but then it always is, just depends on how you squint your eyes when you view it.

New best saying: (stolen from Mrs. K) I am so f   ing fabulous, I piss glitter. Sparkle on my lovelies.

Tonto sightings here in New Mexico, what??????

Hi ho Silver, away!!!!!!!

The new version of The Lone Ranger is being shot here in New Mexico and the actor playing Tonto has been spotted around and about. I thought you'd like to know that none other than Johnny Depp is in da house lovelies.

uh, I don't think so

There were reported sightings of his gorgeousness and that of his co star Armie Hammer in 'Burque last week and also in the beautiful Fanta Se.

Le sigh, le moan.........http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/09/johnny-depps-lone-ranger-tonto-native-americans_n_859279.html

Please follow the link to Olde Baggs or to this link to find out how to not use the double word verification conspiracy that Blogger has going on.......

http://www.michelemademe.com/2012/02/how-to-disable-new-two-word.html

Thanks Michelle for this tutorial. You are wonderful.

Awwww, Sweet Sunday

I had such a good response to Awwww, Sweet Sunday that I am here again to share.

When the grands came home last Monday, it was as though I had walked into the Aviary at the Zoo. Squawking and chattering all at the same time they sounded like a flock of bird. But the short of the story is that they had a wonderful time filled with amazing new things that they didn't know about New Mexico. "Did I know???????". And you know most of the information I did know but I was thrilled that they had bits and pieces that I didn't know. The exchange of love for the state they were born in was a big kick for me. Their enthusiasm was so fun to see. Now they have "day" trips planned and have gotten on the computer and have at least 7 all planned out.

The sweetest part was when GK said that while they had fun as 3, they really wanted Pop and I to go next time. Awwwwwwww.

I have 3 blogs that I post to. OBNSS, this one and Practically Magickal. On PM, I try to feature an artist for the week. Going back to the bird illustration....we "arting" types tend to flock together as well, but we also have individual interests that give us different exposures. Keeping that thought in mind, as well as following Etsy's advice about broadening your base of customers, I began to feature not only friends but friends of friends, people I have bought from or used their services. It is a real joy to see not only how the featured artist receives the week but also how followers respond to the different media the artist work within.

Last weeks featured artist Michelle of Sunshineshelle, an Aussie artist of wonderfulness surprised me with a lovely button for my PM blog. It was just a super surprise. Thank you Michelle. My little flying witch and cat are so dear.

And lastly this week, I have to tell on my husband (the strangest man on the face of the planet, lucky me). As I have let you all know we have been together so long and are so used to each other's strangeness that sometimes folks around us just smile, shake their heads and move away quickly and quietly. Of course sometimes they get caught up in our "banter of love" or the train wreck whichever you choose to call it. My husband loves breakfast....anytime. He would rather go out to eat breakfast than prime rib....but let's face it, in Burque, not alot of choices for just breakfast sans chile. So we found a bakery that serves breakfast sandwiches and lovely muffins and scones not far from the house.

So on his day off he tells me to go with him to take the kids to school and after dropping them off....we went to the bakery. The girl behind the counter remembered us....go figure and gives Sweet Man a free muffin. I asked her why and she said that an older woman who was in there when we were there last week had commented to her how moved she was by our "love talk" and behavior and had told her if she saw us again to give SM his favorite treat (and gave this server the money) because he reminded her of her late husband. She said he had also been a brat and a joker and it made her feel so very happy to be near us. First how sweet of this lady to reward my Sweet Man and second how sweet of the server to have followed through and done what the lady had requested.

This one also proves that love and all it's strange ways is it's own reward. I hope that if and when the sweet woman comes back in to the bakery that she is surprised that we left a treat for her as well. Pay if forward ya'll.....works every time, even if we never know where those ripples go.

I hope you all have a blessed week and see signs of love everywhere. XOXO Oma Linda

Awwww Sweet Sunday

You know how lots of bloggers participate in different blogging events? Oh, like Wordless Wednesday, Pink Saturdays etc? I've been thinking about all the blessings that come into my life and I wanted to have a special time to list them ie, gifts, surprises, love shared etc.

So I am today introducing my Sweet Sunday. A time every week when I can tell you of my blessings of the week. This is also a way of me keeping my heart open to all the good and wonderful that surrounds me thereby helping me keep my life in perspective. And yes sometimes my sweet will be peppered with my own special brand of humor, so hold on lovelies, it's time for the first Sweet Sunday.

I hope you will enjoy smiling along with me.

I sent out Valentine's to some of my favorite people. I much rather let people know I'm thinking about them at a time when they don't expect it rather than at Christmas etc when we all are busy and manic (oh is that just me?) and a love note isn't as noticed during that time. So that's the why. Anyway, I received the sweetest note from one of you and it touched my heart. Thank you Bird, you made my week.

I had that medical stupidity the last couple of weeks and so many of you took time to share good thoughts, ideas of what to do and sent me energy to be able to stand up for myself with the doctor. Makes me want to break out into song "that's what friends are for"....lalalalala. Blessings to you soul sistas who are my rock.

And to those that allow me to keep loving you right back. Giving me reason to dress a candle for you and carry you in my heart for however long you need me. To love is the greatest gift someone can give you....no not the one loving but the one who lets you love them. Janie, Jarline, Stacy thanks and your candles are burning as I type.

To gain an insight into someone else's pain and learn from it is a rare experience. But to be witness to someone eloquently and beautifully emparting their inner struggle is a priviledge. Depression touches so many of us. I have found that out as I have shared my own ups and downs. Melissa I am in awe of you. Thanks for giving me a different perspective and an appreciation for your view.

And I saved the crazy until last. Shelley and the grands have gone on a mini vacation to the southern part of the state. Part of the trip was to White Sands and that area. Which meant I have 2 days to party old lady style with just me and my new serger with no interruptions of the kid variety. uh huh.

This morning Sweet Man tippy toed out of the bedroom, fed the dogs and cat, and left me to sleep late sans little people feet flying down the hardwood floors in the hallway to the bathroom 227 times before getting ready for school, or opening and closing bedroom doors having changed their minds about what to wear or forgetting some very important pencil or homework or dinosaur. Awwwww the sweet sound of..................my cell phone?????? Now let me stop here and say, I should have been "oh no something is wrong" but I was thinking "oh hell, I shoulda turned the phone off,  it's the cell company with some stupid ad about a new app or something dumb". So I ignored it. Another text message. I looked at the phone and it was GK. Twice in a period of 30 seconds. So I texted her "still sleeping". She texts back, "go back to sleep, Swaga girl."

Before I got anymore rings of annoyance, I called her. She said the reason she was calling is because she was worried about me being lonely and she wanted to tell me that she loved me and did I know how close to Mexico she was and did I know that she felt weird when she got out of the car and the White Sands wasn't cold cuz it really looked like snow and that they are going to a carnival that they found and that the swimming pool was really fun. And then she took a breath. It's that awwww thing again. As dumb as it sounds, it made me feel loved and it was sweet that she thought of me at all in her darling 11 year old mind. So busy with being a kid and having fun and she gave me a good healthy dose of Sweet Sunday.

I hope your week to come is filled with awwwwww moments and that you recognize the sweetness in your own life....be it big or little.

XOXO Oma Linda

Valentine Greetings to you all......

Didn't have a whole lot of time for decorating Casa de Cuckoo this year for Valentoonie Day. But I can't not decorate so here's what we have out this year.

gnome sweethearts at the heart arch

'Lil Devil resting on a block valentine

our favorite gnome couple welcoming the red polka dot chicken to Casa de Cuckoo

And we can't leave out my favorite Donkey owning folks with a Valentine nod and pressie. Ms. Linda from  the 7MSN Ranch (7 miles from nowhere). And of course Don and Justina from MBF (Morning Bray Farm).

I hope all of you have a love filled Valentoonie and wish you squoozes and smooches from Casa de Cuckoo. XOXOXO

Gotcha indeed...........

My very sweet friend Ms. Maddy from Santa and the Mrs. bestowed upon me, while I wasn't looking and award. I usually don't do awards but for you Maddy.....I shall make an exception.

I am to list 5 blogs that I follow and have less than 200 followers and give them this Liebster award which means favorite. I don't always comment on the blogs I follow daily. Most are like part of a daily ritual of friendship, I go to visit, read and know they are alright and doing well. And I know that they in turn do the same. That's why I like this venue, we all do what we do when we can.

These blogs each for a different reason are a joy to read, look at or ponder after reading. And I would like to encourage all of you to go and visit these blogs and check out what they have to offer.

Thanks ladies, I enjoy each of you very much. Now pass this on to blogs that are your Liebster (favorites) that have less than 200 followers.

I would like to pass this award on to:

Ellen at stuff from ellen's head

Queenie at Always Queenie Believe

Bird at  Bird Gardener's Place of EarthlySpirituality 

Diana at Diana Heyne

Judy at Judys Photos

GK and the Canada Geese

A challenge is a challenge to our "danger Jane", also known as GK. So, on our family outing this morning, we came upon a field with a gazillion Canada geese foraging. I asked GK to get out and take a couple of pictures of the geese without the fence in the view. She gladly took on the challenge of crossing an irrigation canal and getting to the geese without frightening them to flight.

But then the fun and excitement of getting them to fly got the better of her and she agitated them enough by waving her arms and ran towards them. And there was a huge rustle of wings, squawking of geese and a very happy smiling girl.

Shelley was able to get a photo on her phone of GK taking a picture. Kinda cool.

Observation of nature's charm: there were but a few snow geese within the larger flock of Canada geese and yet they all travel, feed and live together at this time of year. We should all be so inclusive in our attitudes as Mother Natures beauties.

Ry's IEP

Thought you might like an update on the education front.

A little background. Ry has been diagnosed with Aspergers which is on the Autism Spectrum. Part of his diagnosis is not being able to communicate clearly, being influenced and affected by outside stimuli, repetitive behaviors and self management issues.


so proud of himself, what a guy

Shelley has been through 3 previous Individual Eduction Plan's. Her experience was to say the least awful. She asked if I would attend and of course I said I would. She also said, and I am quoting "don't be afraid to say what you "need" to say". Wow, really? Like there is any other way?????

Ry was warehoused in kindergarten with children who were so affected by their issues that they rolled on mats or licked trees or screamed all day. We fought to have him re assigned but he had a year of terror at the hands of a violent little boy and the system and not much else.

His first grade teacher (she was only an intern and had no credentials in Special Education) thought we were devil worshippers because of our life choices, took it out on Ry and he was segregated from the other kids because he might be "mean" and certainly could not make eye contact like a "normal" kid. What?????? Yep she was enlightened, huh. And we asked that he be re assigned but that didn't happen either. 2 years of non education in the area of math, reading, social skills, except here on the home front.

So this year, when he has a brand spanking new special education teacher who is in her first year of teaching, we kinda gulped and held on real tight. But we had no reason to worry, she is a wonderful educator, and a great person. She has a special understanding of her students needs and also is able to incorporate these kids together into a cohesive class (or as much as is humanly possible). So does his  mainstream teacher. Together, and I think that is the key, they are making a huge difference in little man's life. He looooooooooooooooves his teachers. The special offerings of occupational therapy and physical therapy teachers have a handle on behavior and social skill sets for him and help him learn how to control himself. His speech teacher has come around (after some gentle nudging) and has studied up on kids on the spectrum. So his team of educators were a joy to meet with, set goals with and give them some much needed praise and kudos.

The team was also very kind to us. They told us that we are a special family because we are open and allow Ry to be who he needs to be. When I said, I didn't know there was another choice, they let me know we are very differnt and they appreciate us as well. That was very good to hear.

It was a super, special time for all of us. They learned the emotional needs side of Ry from his Oma and thanked me for those insights into his "real" life. I learned how he is the same everywhere his little pea picking, challenge the rules, hugging and loving self goes. His mom, my beloved sweet Shelley, got to relax and feel that she wasn't fighting this fight alone (and it has been in the past and we're ready for it in the future). The team not only set goals for Ry to achieve but also made it possible for him to partake of some services offered by the district and the state which will be of a huge help to him (and me, selfishly). He can now enjoy Extended School Year activities, doesn't have to be bored, or lose his place in reading or math but rather continue to learn all the time. He can be included in extra curricular sport activities, targeting special ed children. Much like his wonderful summer program where we watched him blossom.

Woooo Hoooooot. Everybody won yesterday and on the ride home I saw my daughter relax for the first time in ages.

New Moon Blessings..................

Great Monday lovelies!

Attitude adjustments come in all colors, sizes and forms. Sweetness comes in packages, boxes, packets and jars............except when it's too sweet for containers as mundane. When it comes with a beating heart, long fuzzy ears and smiling eyes.......

Bernardo de MBF

Freckles on noses, whiskers on donkeys,
my grandbabies' laughter and small flying monkeys,
full moons and magick, new sparkly rings,
these are a few of my life's sweetest things.

I know, now you think I have gone Sound of Music on all of you....

but let me say if I were:
1,000,000 times smarter
1,000 times thinner
100 times healthier
10 times wealthier
this 1 moment, when all of the good things are clear and in focus could not be any better or more meaningful and I am glad for all I am, all I have and all that I can do.

Happy year of the Dragon....especially to Big G and Little G who are both Dragons in so many ways.

Look at this sweet little face..........

Her name is Sparkle, her mommy's name is Champagne. They live at Edgewood Longears Safehouse. There is nothing cuter than a baby donkey........awwwwww

No donkeys today.........

Can you see my bottom lip in the official pout position?

Well it's not a pretty sight. Neither is my left foot.

While doing what we do in January, namely organizational stuff, I tipped over a table and it landed on my foot. Yikes. I never said I was sure footed or coordinated now did I?

So ice, elevate and wait was the song I've been singing for the past two days. I let Edgewood Longears Safehouse know I wouldn't be coming today and went to bed. Boo damn hoo.

Woke up this morning and the foot is achy like my breaky heart.....still.

So I'm back to elevate and ice and I'll catch up later with the bloggie world later.

I met the donkeys and they are adorable

I'm going to regale you with my day of donkeyness. The truth, pictures and all.

We dropped off the kids at school (both of whom wanted to play hookey and go with us but I was a selfish shellfish and said no). And then headed out to the east mountains via old Route 66. A slower way to our destination but much more colorful and interesting than the interstate. Prior to our trip, we received directions on how to get to Edgewood Longears Shelter. Very good and concise directions (don't ya love those versus the wishy washy ones we sometimes give and get) and our journey only took us about 40 minutes. It would have been about 15 minutes faster on the highway.

Pressing the flesh with the donkeys

The directions said, "when you end the S curve, look for the donkeys on your left and you are here." And we were. There were all (15 that we saw) of these adorable donkeys staring at us as we pulled up. Before I go any further, yes, I will be going back weekly to ELS and what I am about to tell you, in my sarcastic, Oma way is for storytelling purposes and in no way is a put down of mother nature and all her jokester ways.

The snow has melted, refrozen, melted for over a week now at the 7000 foot altitude donkey rescue. So, the ground is frozen hard in early morning and grabs your boots off your feet by noon. Guess when I'll be going to visit the longears, yep early morning.

so peaceful.......so long as there is distance between us and them

Now you all know, or if you don't you will now, that I have Fibromyalgia and have a knee replacement, the other knee is iffy and I am a full ton of fun. Other than that I have had offers to stay out of the way by many Olympic committees at length and often. The ground kicked my ass. Heck people, I fight to keep my balance when I walk down my hallway, let alone on rutted frozen tundra. And it really wasn't a surprise that this was going to be physically challenging to me. But as Sweet Man kept reminding me, it was good for me to stretch myself. Whereby, he and I, arm in arm, trying to keep each other stable, hit a patch of solid ice and did the olde people splits......laughing our butts off. "help, no help yourself", teeeeeee heeeee. It was hilarious.

Of course the funny wore off this morning when we tried to get out of bed and every muscle that we forgot we had in our butts and thighs, calves, feet and brain yelled simultaneously...........REALLY?????????? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????????????????

you can see how uneven and rutted the ground is on the donkey highway

The visit was fun, interesting, educational and humbling. I took apple slices with me to tempt the sweeties to come close. Some did, most did not. Many looked away and I could almost hear them wishing me to go away. I had no idea just how afraid of humans so many of them are. I also did not know the extent of abuse some of these beautiful critters have withstood. I am so ashamed of how humans have treated these precious animals.

The educational part came from not only Dorothea and Andrew who were so welcoming and told us all about where all the donks came from but also from just observing. 4 boys were bought off Craigslist as "roping donkeys". 2 found wandering up near Las Vegas with no owner. 21 were rescued from a slaughter yard, 9 of whom were pregnant Jenny's. One who is gonna have that baby donkey any day now.

pretty girls

So many donkeys with stories and yet so much unknown about others as to why they fear so deeply. There also was a farrier doing his job with 2 penned jennys. In the 2 hours we were there, he had only gotten as far as touch training with the one he was working on.....so patient, such a nice man, so gentle. I was mesmerized by his soft approach. The donkey on the other hand had a much more direct approach.....and kicked at him many times in the beginning and became more gentled with every passing moment. Wow, what an experience.

The best part of the visit was when Stella the white donkey in most of my pictures became curious and followed me around. She, Ghandi, Rose and Sheila made the bologna sandwich out of me, started chewing my hair, sweatshirt and tried to take the apple bag from me. I've never been that "surrounded" in my life by donkeys, kids yes, donkeys no. It was awesome looking into their eyes, breathing their breath and feeling their closeness. I am so addicted now.

I love how fluffy Stella's ears are and how they say so much

So the sore muscles are a great reminder of how I will need to pace myself to get the best out of my visits, but they also are a physical reminder that I can. Who knows three months from now, I may not be limpy the next day, but today I say it was worth it because Stella the belladonkey let me touch her and demanded I do it again and again........even without the apples........just because she figured out it felt good.

Creating new, Good Old Days

If you've been reading my drivel for any length of time, you have noticed that I ride the cuckoo train to Feel Goodville and back to Myassisdraggin Junction about every 60 days. No big deal except it does get kinda monotomous to all concerned. And when I am mentally engaged, I am less likely to stay on the negative end of the line with or without my friend Fibro. So I want to make some changes in the way I live my life.

I wanted to do something new this year, giving back someway and started researching what was available for someone with my talents and limitations and also what I really wanted and for that matter needed to do. I need to be needed. I am not too old but just old enough to admit that with a clear conscience and no guile. I like the feeling of being wanted....so there I've said it. With all of those tick marks to check off I began my search back in November.

You know that I adore donkeys. And our friends at MBF have been more than kind to let us visit their herd and receive donkey therapy. If you haven't spent time with a herd of donkeys then that doesn't make any sense. But there is something so soothing and comforting that happens to me when I spend time with the donkeys. They are real. They are straightforward. If they like you, you know it. If they aren't sure, they won't approach you. If you bring cookies and carrots and apples......you could have a crowd of new friends very quickly. It is so earthy and honest.

Because of the darling new donkey Buck at Morning Bray Farm, I became acquainted with a couple who rescued many donkeys recently. Their goal is to find homes for the donkeys and in the meantime gentle them down so they can be adopted. This a lofty goal on their part. When they rescued this last group there were 9 pregnant jennys in the herd. These jennys will be bringing new life soon.

After contacting these folks and letting them know what I could do and finding out what they needed. My new something to do is to volunteer to love the donkeys. To bring treats, love and give them human contact that is calm, soft, soothing and hope they can accept it and that it will make a difference to them. And I will get donkey therapy in return. The snow in the mountains is the only thing that has kept me from being able to go before Thursday this week. Sweet Man is going to go with me. He has never gotten to be with the donkeys of MBF because of his work schedule and has said he was always a little jealous of the fun and adventure of the rest of us spending time with the longears, so now on one of his days off, we will adventure together and share that joy. That is another thing we have been missing in our life. Time with each other, doing something fun just for us.

Who would have thought that those sweet brown eyes, long fuzzy ears, whiskered muzzles and braying donkeys could hold so much excitement for two old farts like us. I'll tell you of this magic and have pictures to share very soon.

The name of the rescue is Edgewood Longears Safehouse. They are managing to feed 6 of their own donkeys, and the 8 boys in a rental lot and 9 pregnant jennys that they moved today to their own land. So if you are looking for a way to make a difference, they could use any amount you might be able to share. You can find them on Facebook or I would be glad to get you into contact with them.

Nostalgia, what does it mean?????

I'm going to let you tell me what you think nostalgia is, especially at a time of year when we all look back and think how lovely things were.

Is it the feeling of comfort we gain from the familiar? Is it the persons, places or events now gone that we long for? Is it a fad, attitude or position that we once held but no longer hold so true?

I have had dreams, as of late, that entail long ago events albeit in a dreamlike way, that I would really rather leave in the past. But there is definitely something that I am being told by the reviewing of these events long gone. I just haven't had my awareness of the lesson plugged in yet. But it is interesting that while others long for the good old days, I would rather skip it all together.

There are not very many things in my personal history that I really, really would like to re visit, even on a happy trip down memory lane. Most memories have other appendages and baggage attached that lead to some not so pleasant thoughts. Don't get me wrong, I do have happy memories that I recall fondly.

But if I were to pick a time in my life when I am crystal clear that it was life changing and I needed to hold onto the memory as tight as I could for as long as I could..........drum roll.........it would be when I cursed myself by saying, "I'll never forget what it was like to be a kid", because as hard as I have tried, I have unfortunately forgotten so much.

As much energy as I put into holding on tight to that feeling of pre-pubescent angst........it has been washed by time, to a pale image of itself by so many happenings in life. But I am getting nostalgic for that time with a certain 11 year old girl child who is suffering so from being at "that age". I can muster some feelings when she decries the injustice of adults who "just don't understand". I can sympathize when she is awkward and unsure of herself in social situations and I can almost touch the joy of the newness of life situations that tickle her deep down inside her soul. She has so much life to be yet lived.

Did you breeze past this stage of childhood, or were you mired down by the changes and drama? Or like me are you unsure anymore of what it was really like?

And so winter has begun...........

I commented on someones facebook or blog or maybe I dreamed about it, that I am so very glad that all the fa la la is over. This has been the first holiday season in decades when I did not have enthusiasm for anything or put up 3 trees in the house, decorate the outside of the house with all manner of winter paraphernalia, bake everything chocolate ever invented and made the Mexican Christmas of my childhood. In my other lifetimes, I was a dyed in the wool, holidayaholic. In recent months, I have lost the fa in my la la. I have the need to find that old Linda who loved to love life. The one who played truth or dare with reality, the one who had a lust for all things fun and light, the one who went to bed tired from doing....not tired of doing.

This old lady who is living inside of my heart right now needs to find new digs. She is a drag.

I am not complaining per se but rather stating my position at the moment. And I know there are so many of you lovelies who know exactly "of what I speak".

I will begin my purge of bad juju in my heart and mind this week. The moon growing to fullness will aid me in my attaining a better perspective, as will the turning of the wheel and more sunshine. I normally love this time of year when you complete the nesting and get ready for the spring. Albeit forced, like the paper whites that should have been placed in my refrigerator to bloom by this week, but that just one of the things that didn't get done because I lost myself, I will put on a happy face and make do....get over it.....get on with it.....cut the crap.

Last year my word was meld, year before it was opportunity....right now "hang on tight" seems to be a good motto for the upcoming year.....we'll see how much attitude adjustment I can muster.

In the meantime, hey ya'll, here comes a new calendar year. Personally, I'm still stuck at about half past July but I guess that ain't gonna cut it as an excuse for stuff now, huh?

I know, I know, "buck up, little buckeroo". And as my Momma used to say, "don't be ugly Linda...nobody takes ugly out dancing".

You know my Aspie grand is a genius, right????

And a deep thinker as well. Ry can come up with the most unique things in the universe. I am always amazed at not only the things he thinks of, but also the complexity of his thoughts and sometimes to be perfectly honest, I don't understand.

Let me interrupt myself to say that lately, I have had conversations with adults I know, about life, living and the pursuit of knowledge. My friend and chiropractor Steve is a big thinker as well and sees life differently than most of my other adult friends. So when I say that he "gets" Ry, you will have an insight here. Steve believes that the Autism Spectrum folks of the world are actually going to be the saviors of the human race because they don't go down the conventional wisdom lane of traffic. I agree. Wonderful insightful thoughts come from deep down inside AS adults and children and some of these thoughts could very well be the life savers we will all need in the future.

I know I borrowed this from another lovely soul in the community....but honest to goodness I can't remember who. If it was you, let me know and I shall give you credit.

Back to Ry. We are getting ready to celebrate MidWinter, Winter Solstice, Yule. One of our traditions is to have he and his sister play the parts of The Holly King and the Oak (Ivy) King in the battle that brings the light back into power at this time of year and the dark back into power at Summer Solstice, MidSummer, Litha. They both look forward to the playing of parts and the costuming and set decorating and lalalalalala...

So tonight after we have finished dinner, he turns to me and asks me...."So Oma, what ever happened to the Spring King and the Fall King? Did they not have as many followers as the Holly and Oak Kings? Or did they find out that we don't have to do battle in order to get our point across to each other? Because I would like to draw all of the Kings and I was just trying to make sure I had all the information."

Never in my wildest dreams would I have contemplated what he saw in his mind's eye, explored in his vivid imagination and is now in process of writing poetry about it and making illustrations to go with it. This is the same boy, who 2 years ago wasn't even verbal. Holy Moly ya'll. At 7 years old, I barely understood rudimentary things that folks observed for holidays or religion or celebrations. But this little critter is keen on not only "knowing" but taking the building blocks of the logic of it and putting them back together again.

So what do you think the other kings look like? I'll let you know when the "boy from somewhere else" who everyday blesses me with his self, gifts us with his insights.

Wednesday musings........

I saw Oma tickle Santa Claus at breakfast this morning.......

Yep, that's me getting a squooze from the Santa Man himself. Took the kids to breakfast at Mick's Chile Fix this morning and there he was, Santa Claus, just sitting there eating his super Green and Red Chile breakfast burrito.

I was the first to get and give a hug. He told me I needed to work on being a good girl, but we all knew that already huh? He gave the kids huge hugs. Then he told them that he knew how very hard they had worked in school and how very good they were for Oma and Papa and their very sweet, hard working Momma. And asked us to join him for breakfast.

The kids were thrilled. Sat down with Santa and had french toast and pancakes, asked all kinds of questions about the reindeer and the North Pole. When asked how he had gotten to Mick's, since we didn't see the sleigh parked anywhere, he pointed out this "good old ride" and said it was how he was able to get around without attracting attention.

Wow, he even took time to pose with the family. So now if someone asks you where Santa eats his burritos Christmas style (red and green chile) you can with total confidence say, "why Mick's Chile Fix in Albuquerque" of course.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS  from everyone at Casa de Cuckoo

And then there was sunshine.........

for about 22 seconds at a time.

But the dogs and I have sat in the southern facing window and enjoyed spurts of El Sol's mini visits for the last few days. I'll take the sun when I can get it. At one point it was Odin (the grands dog) and I on the love seat with Ellie Mae Scootles (of the Tohajalee Scootles) on my lap and Sunny Bunny Boo Boo Head (the 14 yr old Ginger Tabby Manx) on the back of the seat all huddled there waiting for the next break in the clouds. I could almost hear the oooohs and aaaaaahs coming from their fur baby mouths as the streaming warmth descended on us.

I didn't want ya'll to think I thought we were having bad weather. We need the moisture like nobodies business. It is just my reaction to no sunshine that lead me to write my last opinion. Cold is not my best friend either but heck it's December and that is how winter rolls. So me and the pets are huddled together for warmth and commiserating on how we are all getting a little "long in the tooth"....except for Ellie Mae who is darling, oblivious and a still a puppy.

Today is to be mostly sunny, Hallelujah, and then we have another winter storm on the way with hopes for moisture. The ski areas are hoping for one of the biggest snows thus far and the farmers are just hoping for more good solid rain. I'm hoping they get what they want and I can stay warm and snuffly with the grands for Winter Holiday Break. One of them there, fancy win/win situations.

I hope all of you are warm and snuggly and have a happy week before Solstice.

And by the by....Blogger is also behaving itself today. I know I will rue that statement by give credit when credit is due, right?

Oh Blogger, you dun me wrong..........

It's like having a boyfriend cheat on you.....dealing with Blogger. Ya never know if you can trust um again.

First, my background on two of the other blogs shrunk to stupid in the middle and were not longer backgrounds but obstructions to reading.
Then I put a new plainish background on OBnSS to fix that problem, changed my mind when I found a cute on on Shabby Blogs, applied it and Blogger became like sticky snot you can't get off your finger and wouldn't let go of the header and so I have a half breed blog background. I just left it and said to hell with it.
Ever so often, it says I don't have followers, then it says I don't have blogs that I follow, but today..........

I am told that some of you, who I follow everyday do not have correct links to your blogs and get an idiot error message indicating the I must contact Blogger to make amends for yours and my transgressions. My words not theirs, but REALLY????????????? Are you kidding me???????????? It's not like I'm behind in my rent a space at Blogger bill, my contract is not up, I didn't terminate my relationship in bad stead. I'm just blogging out here like normal.

I have always known that there is a persnickety little troll living inside and every computer I have ever owned. But this one that is yanking my chain at Blogger is a real stinker.

I shall wait a couple of days, meanwhile seeking you out as I can, to see if this too sorts itself out. But this post may be for not. You may not be able to get notification that I have posted either. Whose to know? I am going to investigate other possibilities and ask the users if they have tsunami's perpetrated on their blogs as well and how often the "unnatural events" occur cuz this one sucks. And quite frankly, I'm in a pissy mood today because of the weather so.............I may sunshine myself out of this one too.

Blogger, Blogger, Blogger.......didn't your Momma tell you to play nice?

The Witches Yuletide Ball 2011

We have anxiously awaited this day. It's not often that we can get away to such a lovely location for an evening of dancing, dining and visiting with our friends. The location chosen this year is somewhere we have never been before but have longed to be invited so that we could meet the world renowned host and owner of the Snowload Inn, located in the mysterious and hard to reach Justover in the Veil.

My love and I dressed and then called our best friends to make sure they were still going to join us in the carriage ride to the ball. They were as excited as we and said they too were already dressed and ready to go. We told them we would be there just as soon as we made a stop at our neighbors to check on them.

The neighbor Snows all have been down with the lurgy and we took them some Eucalyptus and chive rub for the little ones chests along with some chicken soup. When we left the children all lined up to wave goodbye. Aren't they darling?

Our carriage ride may have been lengthy but we certainly did not realize it because we chatted the whole way with our friends. Lovely to be afforded time to spend with people you enjoy and have so much in common. Our first view of Snowload Inn was just as exciting as we anticipated it would be. Everything was so festive and lively as we entered.

The host, Pernal, greeted us with such warmth and friendliness. He directed us to the food, the dance floor and suggested that we try the ice cold Artic Blasts. After only a half a cup I was spinning and the drink was good too. The refreshments had names I had never heard before and I tried one of everything. Delicious except for the daffodil root mints, a bit bitter for my taste, but I never would let on.

Many of the guests were not from our part of the world but other wonderful places and we had a delightful time hearing their stories and adventures. We shared our own and found that many of them shared our views and customs. I just love nights like this.

And the guest of honor, El Sol, was a delight as well. So funny and had a million and one funny tales about what he has seen from his vantage point in the sky. I think I liked the stories of the "gooduns" the best. Gooduns are what El Sol calls the children of the Earth who care enough to take care of where they live, who they live by and many even care for ones they have never met. The Gooduns seem to be on the decline. Sad, but we of the otherside of the veil know that with a little help from us and others with strong good hearts there can be many more Gooduns developed.

The witches and all the other guests ate until there was no more, danced until we could dance no more on this beautiful night.
Did I say night? As you can see the early morning rays of the guest of honor are streaming through the windows as we retreat to our ride home.

Thank you for coming along on our visit to the Witch's Yuletide Ball and thank you to the lovely ladies at On The Broomstick and Witch of Howling Creek, who extended the invitation to me. Please click on the link on the sidebar to see all the participants in this fun event. Yule Blessings to you all.

Pregnant onions............

I have always loved to grow indoor plants. In the beginning of this adventure, I had all the very typical plants; wandering jew, airplane plant, Swedish Ivy (I still love that plant), kangaroo vine. At one point there were so many plants in the house that it looked like a greenhouse.

But that was before I moved back into my childhood home to care for my father after my mother had passed away. When my parents built this house they could have cared less about the light that comes in. For the million years they were in charge, they kept the draperies closed all but a few hours of a few days a year. Grim is a good description of the vibe in this poor old place. There is only one window that faces the south (not counting the tiny bathroom windows), three east (the biggest being in the garage), one window and one door north and all the rest are windowns facing west. Hard to find a place for "normal" plants to get indirect good sunlight.

The house has a 3/4 enclosed patio at the entrance and I grow cactus, epiphytes and succulents 8 months a year out of doors. But come winter and I have to find a place for all my air rooted, spiney and prickly babies. This year with the 52 card pick up shuffle of the rooms caused a bit of a dilemma for my plants and I. But I did succeed in whittling away a place in the dining room (west) for most and in the living room (south) for the rest.

I have had this pregnant onion plant for 5 years now. I bought some tiny pea size onions and left them on the top of the potting soil and proceeded to neglect them just as I was instructed by the seller. They flourished and I have given away at least 100 of the little pearls over the years. But this year, in this light, I was rewarded with the strangest and sweetest December blossoming of the momma plant. I didn't even know that the pregnant onion would bloom. Happy December blossoms to all of you.

If you would like a couple of baby onions in the spring when I can mail them to you and not be afraid that they would freeze, just leave a comment and I will put your name on my calendar. And if I don't have your address, send it to my email. The first of Mayish....I'll send you some.

Tuesday thought...............

Some people say I'm a mean old witch. That's not true. I have the heart of a kind & gentle soul - in a jar on my desk!


Thanks Elizabeth at The Witch of Stiches

Also thank you Libby for the wonderful giveaway pressies I received in the mail. Tea, money candle, hippy smelling incense and a wonderful contemplation stone. You are the best.

65 MPH winds........whew hold on tight

I have a wonderful Ponderosa Pine in my front yard. My parents planted this tree 42 years ago. So it is an great tree and provides us with shade for all of our garage sales and the kids love it because fairy build nests in the crooks of its branches. While fall is the time for all the needles and pine cones to fall and leave a mess for us..............the wind today did the job of zip cleaning the poor thing. It actually looks kinda bald. No more fairy or bird nests, no needles and cones that aren't firmly connected and all the needles are down and blowing through the neighborhood.

I hate it when the wind blows this hard. We usually have this kind of wind in the spring. And it has been blowing since before I got up this morning. The sustained wind has been 35 and the gusts have gotten up to 80 near noon. It is getting a little better now but not by much. Everything that was not battened down has been relocated to who knows where. The flower arrangements, faux pumpkins and gate decorations are missing in action. The covers for the turbines and rain chains on the gutters are down but we did retrieve them. Sure am glad we didn't put up the holiday decorations outside or I would be mourning the loss of Santa in a globe and the candles that flank the gates. Whew, that was close.

So as we greet Texas and Arizona, depending where the wind is coming from, as they relocate themselves here I'll say goodnight and let you know we'll be holding on.

Sunday thought, How do you like your eggs?

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg, even though he knows that you are slightly cracked ~ Bernard Meltzer

El Cucuy an article by Ms. Baggs

Wikipedia says,  "In Mexico and among Mexican-Americans, El Cucuy is portrayed as an evil monster that hides under children's bed at night and kidnaps or eats the child that does not obey his/her parents or go to sleep when it is time to do so.

El Cucuy is a Boogie Man. A bogeyman (also spelled bogieman, boogeyman or boogieman) is an amorphous imaginary being used by adults to frighten children into behaving. The monster has no specific appearance, and conceptions about it can vary drastically from household to household within the same community; in many cases, he has no set appearance in the mind of an adult or child, but is simply a non-specific embodiment of terror. Parents may tell their children that if they misbehave, the bogeyman will get them. Bogeymen may target a specific mischief — for instance, a bogeyman that punishes children who suck their thumbs — or general misbehavior, depending on what purpose needs serving. In some cases, the bogeyman is a nickname for the devil."

"No one knows what “El Cucuy” looks like. What we do know is that El Cucuy is some sort of a gobbling goblin with an appetite for children who fail to obey authority. This goblin, ghost, monster, or whatever he may be, will eat you if you don’t listen to your parents." from an article in the Tuscon Citizen.com

What is interesting to this reporter is that I did see the Cucuy twins and I do know what they look like. I have been instructed to say the following. "Cucuy prefer their privacy and would be far less scary if the humans knew what they actually look like." And that is a very accurate statement. More like a furball than a devil.

The twins have been prowling this area for at least 100 years. Many settlements, homes and humans have been laid victim to the snarling, fowl tempered beasts. They are after all from the earth and have a mind set of protecting earth. We should all take a lesson from their unselfish protection of terra firma. They would actually prefer to be known for their protection of the earth rather than the bad reputation they have.

Twin 1 was the best communicator of the two and was much easier to understand, less growling and snarling from him. He stayed with me in the crawlspace under the house for a full hour telling me tales of ranchos and the cowboys who settled here in the Rio Grande Valley. And most especially, the children who are the bane of El Cucuy's existence because of their laughter. It has nothing to do with behavior but rather volume of the laughs that are part of childhood. The laughter hurts their very tiny external ears.

The Cucuy usually live close to the earth, in the dark and only prowl at night. They are sensitive creatures and can feel fear, anger and malice and are attracted to these more base emotions. You can usually find this beast close to angry or scared people. This may be why reports of Cucuy terrorizing already frightened children exist. Parents use El Cucuy into behaving themselves and then El Cucuy feel or sense the fear and further frighten the child.

The twins were drawn to this house, not because of the current residents but rather the former dwellers. They have stayed on because the current humans are very fond of the creatures of the "here and there" as well as the other worlds. The veil is very often opened because of their activities and this makes it a very sought after place for the magickal beings to dwell.

Not all humans are susceptible to El Cucuy. And those are the people that El Cucuy guard or protect. They actually have feeling toward the unscareable ones. I later found out that the literal translation is the "ones with no good sense". Go figure. They do seem to be very fond of the humans here and even pet names for their favorites. I am so very glad I was able to interview these fascinating creatures.

I watched as the twins disappeared into the dark corner of the crawlspace and suddenly felt more comfortable knowing that they are here with this house.

Food for thought

Always
Unique
Totally
Intelligent
Sometimes
Mysterious

saw this on a bumper sticker for sale on Autism Awareness on Cafe Press.....so many to choose from.

Honor Neurodiversity

Acceptance is the cure.................

Sunday Thought for the disorganized.......

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries - A.A. Milne

The Great Infestation of 2011

Ms. Baggs here. It has been so long since I last posted about my interview with the gnomes that I have almost forgotten the whole of that adventure. If you too have forgotten, here is a link for you to that post. http://yeoldecronesgazette.blogspot.com/2011/07/stepping-over-threshold.html

However, I must confess that I do have a soft spot for the head gnome, lovely chap with a fine attitude about humans. I dare say, darned right civil even. And that I can tell you is not the case with all of the "others" that lay claim to Casa de Cuckoo as a place in which to dwell. If you think my stories will be about sweet, delightful, bland beings....well we can't drive that horse. Because I can tell you straight away that these stories have action, adventure, sex (yes I did say that) and humor in every episode.

I'll give you a brief overview of my observations on the infestation and then in Friday posts to come, will have specific encounters to tell. Remember no photos are allowed beyond the threshold so I will have to do a good job of describing what I have seen. I have met; cucuwee, a troll, gnomes, as I mentioned previously, saw a gremlin, meet with the PR fairy who spoke for the entire tribe, and lastly I tagged along with the sprites and pixies. Each and every interview is a photograph of their lives and how they have impacted the residents of C de C. I do hope you will stick with me for this series where I will regale you with their very personal observations of life near humans.

All of this started longer ago certainly, than I have been a resident of C de C. The first to come were the cucuwee twins. I gather from a very brief meeting in the crawlspace under the house, that they were attracted to this dwelling from the beginning. I suspect it may have been decades before the house was built, that these very interesting negative seeking beings came to be here on a slope between the Rio Grande Basin and the Sandia Mountains.

The troll in the garage side yard tells things in a different time frame. Claims he has been here longer but then trolls are not known to be truth tellers or cooperative, so who knows. But he, of all the infestation, has had the most direct meetings with the humans and has caused the most problems for the humans as well. But then I do think that is a bit of an exaggeration after meeting the twins.

The gnomes have a labyrinth of hollows here behind closed door and I was privy to so much of their lifestyle. Can't wait to tell you of the upcoming visit by their Nordic cousins, the Nisse.

The gremlin just wouldn't grant me an interview so I've had to rely on what the others have told me about the gremlin. I am still willing to meet with him/her and will print what is told to me if that entity so chooses.

The PR fairy was so much fun and got me connected to the best interviews of my career thus far. We also have become such good friends that lunch out has become our secret pleasure. You would not believe how many places there are close by for friends to have a lunch/chat. But that is another series for the Gazette in the spring.

And lastly the interview with the pixies and sprites was the most demanding I have ever experienced. They are the non stop beings of the infestation. Whew, I had to take some time off afterwards to recover from the pure physicality of the meetings. You know this Olde Bagg is getting up there in years and climbing and swinging about isn't daily activity for yours truly.

I 'll see you back here next Friday for the first installment of The Great Infestation of 2011. Tah.

A Thanksgiving adventure in the making.......

When I asked all of you for ideas of where we might enjoy our Thanksgiving day, your creativity opened the doors to a very thrilling and exciting adventure based on what you said.

So, after reading all of the ideas, suggestions and fun thoughts, this is what we have decided to do. We'll have to get up really early to be able to fit all the activity into one day.

So, knowing we will be short on time, the night before, we will pack our bags with swimwear and snowsuits, top hats, sunscreen, formal wear, water skis and sturdy shoes for hiking. We'll also need to pack a tent, picnic baskets complete with turkey sandwiches and hot cocoa, cupcakes, popcorn, milk duds and still leave enough room in the car for Johnny Depp to sit in the back with the kids and all the antiques we'll buy on our way to Elephant Butte just outside of T or C.

We'll have breakfast with the Munchkins in Oz, play tag, Simon Says and watch movies with Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Lion. The whole crew will accompany us as we water ski at Elephant Butte Dam and then continue on our Turkey Day trip. The Oz trio will accompany us on our hike to an alternate reality where we will have a roaring fire picnic and build sheet forts and ask Glenda for bubble rides.

After lunch and bit of a rest, we will regroup, say goodbye to the Oz folks, change our clothes and fly to our meeting with the Royals in the South Pole for afternoon tea.

On the next leg of our journey, the in flight movie will be a marathon Back to the Future film fest as we jet to Fiji. We should have plenty of time after arriving in our tropical paradise destination, to be pampered with polka dot pedicures, chocolate chip cookies and hot soup in a thermos.

After a very fun and action packed day we will be arriving home late.  We will sleep in a tent on the living room floor and enjoy each others company laughing and crafting Not Quite Right hearts.

As we drift off to sleep, we will be thinking how cool are those lovelies to think up an adventure like this?

Explanation...

I had another post all ready to explain my dark poetry.............but then I thought better.

I do not want to bring anymore attention to that which deserves none.

So if you have a question, email me, I'll tell ya who, what, where and when.....but from the comments most all of you know and that's the name of that tune.

Ms. Crone will be here on Friday to share an adventure from the infestation and I'll post our Turkey day plans thanks to all of your fabulous ideas this week as well. So there are fun things to think about instead of assisting in the world domination plans gone awry by an asshat.

flashes of ugly

loathing, a lie on two legs
disgust, hearing that stomachs are growling in the dark
pain, feeling not one of your arms is long enough
terror, seeing crayons scrawl claws of memory
horror, holding a wilted flower from a hot soak
frustration, seeing ugly stir
hope, on vacation in hell
resolve, brewing cures with others

I hear the smell of endings that rustle like death
so close, yet illusive
Soon, flinch

There are so many visions of the negative that come to mind at this time. I would say there are no words but that is all there is. Letting go is the honorable thing and yet that will never be one of the words. There is no honor in self indulgence, false pride, self absorption. There is only the hollow emptiness of the same lie told to a new audience.

But on the horizon is real infirmity. Something tangible to hold as a trophy. And the only one to be surprised will be the owner of the falsehood.

Blood, the very fearsome thing will come to visit in a manner that has been described time and time again but in faux form.

Knowing this was invoked by the owner of the lies. Too bad, so sad, failed cad, I'm glad.



Thank you for indulging my dark thoughts. XOXO Oma Linda

And the Holiday "NQR" heart giveaway winners are.....

Mary from Deep South Dish
Bird from Bird Gardener's Place of Earthly Spirituality
Danni from The Whimsical Cottage
Congratulations to you lovelies and thanks for entering my giveaway. If you would please send me your snail mail addy, I'll get your hearts in the mail asap.

Thank you to all the rest of the suggestions for our Thanksgiving adventure. My plan is to use your suggestions in a story to be shared very soon.

This is a season of gratefulness and it goes without saying that I am so thankful for all of you and your frienship.

Last day to enter the NQR Thanksgiving heart giveaway

These are the NQR (Not Quite Right) hearts that are up for grabs to the winner of the drawing. All you have to do is tell us how we could spend our Thanksgiving Day since we will not be having Turkey Day until Sunday. Your place doesn't have to even exist....just give us some food for thought.

And by the way, today, even for those who have already entered......oh what the hey, enter again. I'll draw the winner tomorrow night....

Good Luck Sistas by another mother