Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I come home from work and the cats are mad because Buddy is looking through the back door. Mother is looking unhappy, "I think I have shingles!" she announces. I question her, "What does it feel like?" "It itches!" I explain that since I had shingles I know that it is a burning sensation and you get little red dots. I then asked her is she has had a shingles shot. "No."
Sigh.
Spring is coming to Tucson. The wildflowers I planted in the front yard are sprouting. I'm hoping I will have lots of pretty daisies. I'm going to Flagstaff for the weekend. Next week Forrest will be here for a couple of days. I just need to focus on the good things. FOCUS.
My mother made me this sweater in 1982.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Last weekend I drove to Flagstaff.
I was all dressed up.
Flagstaff was not as cold as last time, although there were icy patches and snow on the distant mountains. At times I hid in Evan's bedroom with the electric blanket on.
Erich has moved to Flagstaff to manage a car dealership. We had supper at a nice Thai restaurant with him and his friend Greg.
Greg, Evan, and Erich.
The next morning we made soap. We melted down glycerin while zesting lemons.
Glycerin.
I had brought along some rosemary from the bushes in my back yard.
We made some lemon bars, some rosemary bars, and some lemon-rosemary bars.
Flagstaff was not as cold as last time, although there were icy patches and snow on the distant mountains. At times I hid in Evan's bedroom with the electric blanket on.
Through the window.
The next morning we made soap. We melted down glycerin while zesting lemons.
I had brought along some rosemary from the bushes in my back yard.
Evan ground these up in a blender.
Adding ingredients to the melted glycerin.
Once poured into the plastic containers, they were set outside to harden.
Soap.
They pop out really easily and smell very nice. I am using the rosemary soap now.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Impressions of the 2013 Inauguration.
- Did they have enough porta johns?
- Mrs. Boehner was just as orange as her husband.
- John McCain was busy scowling. Why did he even go?
- Beau Biden is movie star handsome.
- The Obama women are all beautiful.
- The President mentioned Stonewall.
- My favorite line: "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law –- (applause) -- for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."
- Beyonce's dress seemed out of place.
Gayest Inauguration Ever!
If I was a fundamentalist Christian Republican I would rightly be panicked. They have spent so many years and millions and millions of dollars demonizing people like me, and the audience fucking cheered when President Obama spoke about gay people.
I bet Maggie Gallagher ate a dozen donuts this morning.
- Did they have enough porta johns?
- Mrs. Boehner was just as orange as her husband.
- John McCain was busy scowling. Why did he even go?
- Beau Biden is movie star handsome.
- The Obama women are all beautiful.
- The President mentioned Stonewall.
- My favorite line: "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law –- (applause) -- for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."
- Beyonce's dress seemed out of place.
Gayest Inauguration Ever!
If I was a fundamentalist Christian Republican I would rightly be panicked. They have spent so many years and millions and millions of dollars demonizing people like me, and the audience fucking cheered when President Obama spoke about gay people.
I bet Maggie Gallagher ate a dozen donuts this morning.
Monday, January 14, 2013
We are having a cold spell. It has been freezing every night since late Friday. I have covered the outside pipes, put large Holiday lights on the pipes and my baby lemon tree, brought most of my potted plants indoors, and covered the ones that I could not.
The prickly pear cactus are suffering. Last night I listened as the ones next to my bedroom cracked and fell.
Fallen prickly pear.
I'm expecting more to fall tonight and tomorrow night. Doug and I worked on the brick path extending between my house and the guest house. We need another 150 or so bricks to finish it.
Brick path.
Buddy has had to stay indoors, cooped up in my bedroom. He gets a little bored when I am not in there. But I am pretty sure he is glad to be somewhere warm.
Buddy's favorite toy.
Right now it is 66 degrees in the living room. Tonight the low outside is supposed to be 19. I will be glad when it warms up.
I'm expecting more to fall tonight and tomorrow night. Doug and I worked on the brick path extending between my house and the guest house. We need another 150 or so bricks to finish it.
Buddy has had to stay indoors, cooped up in my bedroom. He gets a little bored when I am not in there. But I am pretty sure he is glad to be somewhere warm.
Right now it is 66 degrees in the living room. Tonight the low outside is supposed to be 19. I will be glad when it warms up.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Whenever I go to an antique store I look for old photographs and check the backs for names. Only a small number have names, it is sad to sort through dozens of anonymous photographs. Of those that do, I buy the ones that are likely to be identifiable, typically those that have an unusual name(s).
So I took Mummy to the antique store yesterday for something to do and as a way for her to get some exercise. I purchased four photographs, including the one below, which was marked on the back "Frank and Mary, Melville and Della." The photo was taken at the J. C. Wertz studio in Chanute, Neosho County, Kansas.
Based on the children's clothing, I thought it was likely the picture was taken sometime between 1900 and 1910.
So who were these people? I started with the 1900 and 1910 US censuses on Ancestry.com. You can search for children by their parents names so I started with Melville and variants of that name, with parents Frank and Mary. Since I wasn't sure whether Frank and Mary were the parents or the children, I also checked to see if there was a Frank with parents Melville and Della. Nothing turned up.
I then checked for a Della with parents Frank and Mary. I quickly found the family. On 1 June 1900, census taker George Winfield walked through Chanute and recorded the people living there. The French family consisted of father Frank, mother Mollie (Mollie is a nickname for Mary), son Melven, and daughter Della.
French family in 1900, Chanute, Neosho County, Kansas.
The father Frank worked as a barber, he had been married for 17 years to Mary, they owned their home, and the two children had attended school for eight months in the last year.
People can create family trees on Ancestry.com four people have connections to this family. I contacted them and three have answered back, all excited by the photograph. I will send it off to the person most closely related.
I've been working on the other three, not so lucky so far.
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
What happened to my testicles?
Well I took Buddy to the Humane Society and he was very sociable in the waiting room. He really is a charmer. He got parts removed, anal gland expressed, shots, bloodwork, worming, a license, and a delightful plastic collar.
Elizabethan Buddy.
Now he is at home and all groggy. The vet tech gave me a long, detailed list of instructions. He's supposed to be inside for the next seven to ten days and of course a cold spell is coming this weekend. I hope he recovers really quickly.
Well I took Buddy to the Humane Society and he was very sociable in the waiting room. He really is a charmer. He got parts removed, anal gland expressed, shots, bloodwork, worming, a license, and a delightful plastic collar.
Now he is at home and all groggy. The vet tech gave me a long, detailed list of instructions. He's supposed to be inside for the next seven to ten days and of course a cold spell is coming this weekend. I hope he recovers really quickly.
Monday, January 07, 2013
Last week I drove west on State Route 86 to spend the day digging. Kitt Peak loomed to the south, across the road.
The road is being widened and our company is excavating at the sites along the side of the road, mostly finding cooking and storage pits, since the portions we are working on are at the margin of larger sites.
Afterward I drove to Topowa to deliver some boxes. There are so many roadside memorials on the way, I lost count. In the distance is Baboquivari, the sacred mountain of the Tohono O'odham.
On the road to Topawa.
It was a nice drive and although the morning had been cold, by the afternoon it had warmed up and enjoyed being out in nature.
Yesterday afternoon I checked my messages on my phone and discovered Rob had sent me one, he and his roommate Jason were in town. I met them at BK's and chatted while they had supper.
I did not win any prizes.
Roasting pit.
Afterward I drove to Topowa to deliver some boxes. There are so many roadside memorials on the way, I lost count. In the distance is Baboquivari, the sacred mountain of the Tohono O'odham.
It was a nice drive and although the morning had been cold, by the afternoon it had warmed up and enjoyed being out in nature.
On the road to Sells.
The weekend was rather dull, grocery shopping, library, and some genealogy work. Tara, Milo, and Chris came over so Milo could open his presents. The next day I took down the Holiday decorations and the tree.
Milo got a Rudolph coloring book and a little front-loader tractor.
Beer.
Afterward we drove to Brody's and they were amazed at how cheap drinks were- $6 for three cocktails, and they were strong.
Rob and Jason.
Sunday nights are Drunk Drag Queen Bingo.
A not-yet-drunk Drag Queen.
Faulty bingo card.
Today I was productive at work and called the Humane Society and Buddy is getting his private parts modified on Wednesday. He is sleeping unaware on the floor next to my desk at this moment, snoring away. I am hoping the reduced hormones will settle his aggressiveness towards cats down.
Looking forward to the weekend in Flagstaff. Wonder whether there will be lots of snow?
