THE DUST WILL WAIT

In chronological reverse order with most recent starting today! 3 1/2 year-old Squeaker Squeaker:   Mom, will you  hand me the remote? Mom:   It's sitting right next to you on the couch . Squeaker, following hysterical laughter:   Mama!  I tricked myself. Great Auntie Fern, who will be 107 in April. The past year she is often lost in time. Occasionally her true self and humor will pop out when you least expect it. Yesterday at her medical check-up the Doctor determined that one ear needed to be flushed of  the excess wax build up. She had had some moments of clarity but was mostly unable to hear what was being said and was generally confused about where she was and what was happening.. As though waking suddenly, she turned and looked at the Doctor with her one eye and chortled,   "Oh MY!" . Fern gestured at the little bucket the nurse held under her ear and exclaimed with delight,    " Looks like soup for supp...

The sled has Mizellie, Z-bub, and Dinkum on it.  My boots have horses on them.

Heather Goodman , a blogging friend for nearly four years, is hosting a meme this week and next called Popinjay.   She says:  pop⋅in⋅jay--noun--a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter. In other words, blogging. Isn't that what this personal blogging is all about? Me. Me. Me. For this photo challenge, that's perfect. We're going to dig inside of ourselves and do some concept photography. I'm going to give you a word and you're going to take a photo of something that describes the concept of the word.  Today's word: joyful. joy·ful [ joi - fuhl ] –adjective 1. full of joy, as a person or one's heart; glad; delighted. 2. showing or expressing joy, as looks, actions, or speech. 3. causing or bringing joy, as an event, a sight, or news; delightful: the joyful announcement of their marriage .   So I'm playing.  AND... I'm choosing the third definition of joyful -  causing or bringing joy. My son-in-law gave me a beaut...

I do not like chores no sweeping, mopping, waxing… not even poetic *** Lil Mouse asks, “What is your least favorite chore?”  Obviously, I got distracted just thinking about it and wrote poetry instead of getting down and getting dirty. But, you can rant about the one you hate to do and scamper on over to leave your link with Jill .  Then come back and do my dishes.

A Lullaby that my mom sang to me when I was a baby. I sang to my daughters.  My daughters to my grandchildren. I hope my great grandchildren will hear it someday, too. Listen to it here --  accompanied by photos of my sleepy daughters, and my 10 sleepy grandchildren! Karoo Karoo from pamela on Vimeo .

Grandma Loves You More Than a Poo Poo Platter from pamela on Vimeo . She's four months old today  and made a long trip from central California to see Grandpa and Grandma. This is our youngest, Smurf Ellie. What is it about a sweet baby that turns me into a monkey.

Ari, the author of Beyond My Slab , has asked Fun Monday participants to click their heels three times and become a favorite character in a movie. This was an easy confession for me, as I coughed this up once before in a Fun Monday about childhood crushes. This movie was released in 1984  --  and I fell in love with Karen Allen's character.  Not because she inspired me in any form.  It was because she got to embrace a naked alien Starman, played by Jeff Bridges. Who, incidentally, was really hot at the time. Ari ...not only did I click my heels, but I did a little clicking with my mouse in photo shop.  Starman : Shall I tell you what I find beautiful about you? You are at your very best when things are worst. Now, you're invited to beam over to Ari's and check out some other Star choices!

Sinister Plot. To find out how old I am. I almost fell for it. Jill over at Lil Mouse is the Fun Monday host this week. She wants to know what happened on the day you were born. Nothing. Well... my Internet search for information wasn't a complete failure. There just wasn't anything more interesting than the fact that I was born that day. What day, you ask? Aha! Thursday.

Curlymop came to visit us last weekend with her mommy and daddy. After they arrived home, Curlymop could not find her best loved doll - Mario. She was sad and asked her mommy about it with tears on her cheeks. In the meantime, Grandma (me) saw Mario's feet sticking out from beneath the bed and pulled him to safety. Then, I started doing what I enjoy doing so much. Playing with my camera. The rest of the day, Mario and my camera tagged along. Curlymop was a giggle box when she began receiving Emails throughout the day with the photos attached. I've recapped Mario's day in a little slide show. It sure is fun being a grandmother sometimes. Mario visits Grandma from pamela on Vimeo .

If you've been reading blogs recently you will notice that the Interview Meme is making the rounds again. I've never played. So I was happy to respond to the five questions presented to me by Angela, someone who I've actually met outside the blogosphere. You can read about her at Create 4 Famil y, where she answered her own **five questions last week. **Asked by my daughter Karmyn. I was ready: (1)When you wake up on a cold snowy day, what is your first thought? “I’m so glad that this bed is so snuggly and warm. I think I’ll stay here for awhile.” …and I do. (2)Where did you and your husband meet? In the middle. We‘ve been meeting in the middle for almost 33 years. Sometimes he has to cross over to make up some of the space that I’m not capable of traversing. We have those days in relationships. I hope I’ve done the same thing for him a few times, too. No matter what – he’s the one I want there, waiting for me. (3)If you could have any pet it would be? …one of tho...

I finally reviewed some of my New Years day photos and found a forgotten video. When I saw this little bit of me and the Caboose, I had to clip it out and share it. He was 7 months old. I call it, "Don't tell me he didn't say I love you Grandma!" I love You Grandma from pamela on Vimeo .

Summit Musings is hosting today - and inviting one and all to play the New Year Meme. I'm not ready for Fun Monday, and I'm not ready for the New Year. Neither should be here yet... and I should still be 34. Oh.. heck, I'll play anyway. So, using her suggestions, here's Whats On My Mind : * * * "What's on your mind as we close out 2008 and begin 2009? I can’t believe the year. I mentioned to someone that back in the sixties, 2009 was eight years beyond a space odyssey. Really! I’m glad I’m not a kid. I don’t know if I could navigate life in today’s environment. Is this the way that my mother felt when she was my age? Large and small. Where did I park the car? I set my glasses down here somewhere. What are often your first thoughts the minute you wake up? Coffee. That fat free half n half just isn’t cutting it. When you're alone and unguarded? Where have I been? Where am I going? It isn’t where I thought I would be. Working? I’ve spent a lot of ...

Our state lottery commercial that doesn't make a lot of sense. But, it appeals to my inner bird.

Why do I refuse to throw away any Tupperware? In addition to what I purchased over the years, my cupboard contains the collections that belonged to my late mother, my late mother-in-law, and my late gram. There is more plastic in the back of these deep shelves that the camera fails to reveal. (There is also plenty of saved bake ware and cookware I rarely use.) A good psychiatrist would immediately point to a personality disorder that compels me to save lids and containers for which I can never find the mate. However, a good blogging buddy will just compliment me on a great post. (No therapy needed~) Crunchy Bits is the host and the instigator of this week's confession. Go join the FUN!

Sometimes I forget when people tag me with MeMes. Sometimes I forget to put the half-n-half back in the fridge before I leave for work. Eventually I spit out both. Like today. (Yes, it was sour.) Back in time Burnett's Urban Etiquette tagged me to write my memoirs in six words or les s . I've waited so long to respond that James has moved away... to a blog that is a more "formal" part of the newspaper. He writes for The Miami Herald. (He's a great writer, too!) So -- my life story in six words. "I think I can do it." Not really. That was my response when he handed me this assignment. Here is the real one: "I want to do it over." Everything. This stems from a lifelong dissatisfaction with all my first attempts. Possibly originating with my order of birth. As the youngest of eight, I always knew someone older and wiser would respond to my pleas for help or advice. My older siblings came along and cleaned up my messes or took ...

Wordless Wordless Wednesday - Will you Still Feed me When I'm 64 Oregon Zoo Lorakeets - photo by my daughter Amanda - Canon Power Shot Wordless Wednesday headquarters are here!

Your Slogan Should Be Pamela. Stronger than Pain. The Slogan Generator

I visited Melissa late last night. She mentioned that her site meter noted someone found her blog who was searching for Black Velvet Naked Lady Wallpaper. When I commented, I changed my sign on To "Black Velvet Naked Man looking for Black Velvet Naked Lady Wallpaper" to leave her a silly comment. My sense of humor gets more wicked as the clock ticks away the hours of the day. It made sense on her post. I forgot to change it. So, I must apologize to any of you with Typepad blogs, who got comments from me under the alias above. OH MY. Can I blame it on ME2? I am so embarrassed.

CZECH SPEEDWAY RIDER KNOCKED OUT IN CRASH WAKES UP SPEAKING PERFECT ENGLISH. When Matej Kus's teammates heard him talking after he was knocked out in a speedway accident, they were relieved he was conscious. But they were also a little surprised. For although the 18-year- old Czech knew only the most basic English phrases, he was conversing fluently in the language with paramedics. BRAIN SURGERY LEAVES YORKSHIRE BOY SPEAKING LIKE THE QUEEN! With her nine-year-old son William lying desperately ill in hospital following emergency brain surgery, Ruth McCartney-Moore prayed that she would one day hear his voice again. But when he did speak weeks later, she was in for a shock. He had lost his strong Yorkshire accent and was now speaking the Queen's English. P AMELA FELL OUT OF BED AND WOKE UP TALKING LIKE A PIRATE She just opened her eyes and said: 'Tis a fine day to be walkin' and talkin' like the pirate I am. Now, all ye cockswains, grab ye black...

Two more tags for The Thinking Blogger. My funny and beautiful Vicki at Living Life & Catching Light and a new soul mate, Chris B at Ms. Cellania . Thanks YOU2. In your honor I have relinquished control of my blog today to ME2, the skinny lady who lives inside me. She has promised to keep it nice. Thanks for patronizing her. signed, Pamela * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Thank you , Pamela, my alter ego, for allowing me this opportunity to write a post without your constant intrusion. My mission, which I chose to accept, was to choose the five bloggers who make me think. I am worried a little about that provision to "self-destruct" in five seconds. HA! Nevertheless, I will play along with this MEME and pretend for a minute that some bloggers out there really do raise my eyebrows. That's one of the odd things about growing older, how much more difficult it is to raise them. I guess I could start plucking them closer to my f...