Saturday, August 22, 2026
she was only 63, too
Thursday, June 18, 2026
summer picnic luncheon on the beach!
"That doesn't look like any beach to me, g'friend. In fact, it looks just like Holliday Hall at Asbury!"
Monday, February 9, 2026
mama, you called?
Thursday, January 1, 2026
first day of 2026!
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
you are the sunshine of my life...
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
why 2005?
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
fairy girls with birthdays to celebrate!
Sunday, September 7, 2025
fall flowers for the barry family
Saturday, May 24, 2025
helping others, gift for me from strangers
Saturday, April 12, 2025
in honor of our last maternal aunt
Mama would have loved that.
What am I saying?
I could feel her presence right there with us!
In fact, I am certain that Ronnie was in our midst, too.
Here are Tony and Laura with Aunt Linda.They had a tour of her suite shortly after they arrived.
The person there in the hall with them is Aaron, Bobby's son.
Aunt Linda gets around amazingly quickly for her age!
She lives up to that last name: Walker!
(Just a little irresistible pun, y'all!)
Smitty got to spend some time with Aunt Linda, too.He was talking with Bobby when Aunt Linda came in, so the three of them are here in this shot.
Aaron and his wife Emily, plus Tiana, are right behind all of them.
Then there's this photo that Penny took!I can't recall what the conversation was, but I can hardly believe the look of surprise on my face!
Smitty has a humorous grin, so maybe someone told a joke?
I really cannot say.
I'm just thrilled that we were all together, celebrating a life while it was still being lived.
i thank You, God.
Friday, September 25, 2015
kittehs to my emotional rescue
me: So- here is an odd request. Would you make one of your goofy faces and send it to me? I need a laugh and that will help.
me: Seriously.
me: It is just insane sometimes the things that can make me desperately miss my mother.
me: Just insane.
me: Like the movie The Intern. That should be safe, right? Apparently not.
me: Insane.
bfe: Oh, gawd, don't you just love them!
bfe: But you don't need some emoticon! What you need are...cats! I have two here for you:
bfe: That's the Tess!
me: Lol! How on Earth did you get her to consent to that shot? Beautiful.
bfe: Awwww, it's the Chlo!
bfe: Chlo always takes a good pic. She's always putting her paw on her hips and making a duck face. That's Chlo.
me: I guess that's how Michelle Pfeiffer got started. :)
bfe: Was there something wrong with the movie? We are thinking about seeing it this weekend.
me: I think it was very good. It was the unconditional support of Ben for Jules that just clicked on a switch in my head. I don't know that i have it under wraps yet, but i am better.
bfe: Well, you will be better after this...
me: ha ha ha :-). THAT was priceless, and you can tell her i said so.
bfe: I was scratching her neck and I think you can see the smile on her face!
me: Most def. Thanks. Got to go. Sandy is in the Story Slam and it's starting.
bfe: Have a good night Faustina, and when you go to bed, have sweet dreams.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
with a song in my heart and a joke on my lips
Mama would have loved this joke!
She always had a fondness for puns and twisted lines...
... just like me!
This one is in honor of the approaching St. Patrick's Day festivities.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
An inventor came up with a knife that sliced two loaves of bread at a time. He sold it to a large bakery.
Then he developed a knife that could slice three loaves of bread at a time! He sold that to a bakery, too.
Finally, his ultimate invention was achieved: a knife that sliced four loaves at a time!
And so was born the world's first four-loaf cleaver.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Here are a couple more from my childhood. I've expounded on them a bit, but the tales remain, at their hearts, as I had heard them told.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Once there were two kingdoms. Each was located at the top of a hill, with a beautiful view of of the neighboring castle and surroundings.
The Red King's domain reflected the many rosy hues of the world in its buildings and flora.
The Blue King's realm held the tones of the ocean and its depths in the structures and plants.
Between the two kingdoms lay a valley, of course, but it was not part of either domain. It was peopled by a fierce tribe of cannibals known as the Yellow Fingers.
No one was permitted to travel there... except in an emergency.
One day, such an emergency arose. The Red King was finally to wed and wanted his brother, the Blue King, to be his best man. But how to deliver the invitation to him?
He called for his bravest knight, Sir Tasty, to carry the message.
The Yellow Fingers found his name to be quite descriptive of his better characteristics.
The Blue King heard the commotion and guessed that a message was on its way. He wisely chose to wait for its arrival.
The Red King asked next for a volunteer among his many knights.
Sir Toasty agreed to venture forth in the king's name.
The Yellow Fingers appreciated that the king had sent them someone who so favored a giant marshmallow in taste and texture.
The Blue King again heard the celebration down in the valley, the celebration which meant the message was not to be delivered this time, either.
The Red King was becoming desperate.
Time was becoming short for the tailor to make the best man's raiments for the wedding.
The word was sent to all of his subjects that he was in urgent need of a messenger.
One of his Pages, the sincere Trusty, came forward to his call.
He would carry the message to the Blue King.
And so he did. Then, Trusty escorted the Blue King back to the Red King's realm, walking through the valley below. And after the wedding festivities were ended, the Page and the Blue King traversed the cannibals' land again before the Page's own return once more to the Red Hill.
The moral of the story:
Let your Pages do the walking through the Yellow Fingers.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
A young man was heartbroken. Not yet twenty-one years old and already one-eyed. A terrible car wreck had necessitated the removal of his left eye to save his life.
What was left of it, he thought.
What girl would ever want anything to do with a one-eyed man?
The doctors had fitted him with the best painted wooden eye that money could buy, but to no avail.
The young man knew which eye was fake and thought everyone else could, too.
His best friend did what best friends do: he tried to cheer the young man up.
"A square dance is coming on Saturday next - let's go to it", the friend said. "You'll see! Plenty of young girls will want to dance with such a charming lad as yuourself!"
Finally, albeit reluctantly, the young man agreed to accompany his pal to the square dance.
The day arrived and the young man was ready. He had a new haircut and he wore his best western wear. His eye was well in place and he had been practicing the moves all week.
He was ready!
The two friends walked in together, with the best friend agreeing to help him find the best girl to ask for a dance. gazing around the room, they both saw her at the same time: the beautiful blonde standing shyly with the other wallflowers.
On closer view, they could see that she was hiding her very large right ear behind her beautiful tresses.
That emboldened the young man. She wasn't perfect, either!
Leaving his best friend's side, the young man approached the beautiful girl.
The words flew from his lips. "Would you like to dance?"
Gazing into his face, the girl gladly replied, "Oh, would I! Would I!"
"Big ear! Big ear!" the young man screeched as he fled the dance.
Moral of the story:
We hear what we want to hear.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
That's it for now.
Color me gone!
Monday, February 23, 2015
did i miss a memo?
Tonight, I'm watching the Oscars and missing Mama.
It started with J.K. Simmons' acceptance speech for his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Whiplash". He urged people to "call your mom. Don't text her or message her, call her. And if you're lucky enough to have both parents still alive, call your mom and your dad."
I started bawling right there and then.
Good thing I wasn't at that Oscar party with the 40+WSN tonight, was my first thought, when I regained composure. I had begged off, due to this allergy or cold or whatever I have. I had felt badly about not going. Now, I was glad I was in the safety of my own home, with no need to explain why I was losing my mind.
Everyone here knows why I'm losing my mind.
(smile)
Then I resumed watching the show, especially enjoying the talented Neil Patrick Harris. And, of course, the musical bits and all of the lovely clothes donned for the evening.
Patricia Arquette's speech after she won for Best Supporting Actress for "Boyhood", the moving words of the two women who won for "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1", the humble tone of the once-freckle-faced man behind "Big Hero 6".
How did I know he once had freckles?
He told us in his acceptance speech, sharing the story of him telling his mom and dad, as a "freckle-faced boy", that he wanted to work for Walt Disney when he grew up.
Moms and dads have had a lot of public thank-yous tonight.
Was there a memo that went around, reminding attendees to honor those who brought them into the world?
Perhaps there are no more thank-yous to parents than in previous years... might that be the case? Am I simply more attuned to those words of homage this year?
Oh, my! Lady Gaga just sang a musical tribute of the tunes in "The Sound of Music" - and she played it straight! She truly has such a good voice, when she isn't hiding behind a contrived stage presence.
Even more marvelous - the lovely Julie Andrews joined her afterward on the stage! Then Ms. Andrews introduced the line-up for those nominated for Best Original Soundtrack (which went to "The Grand Budapest Hotel")! But first she talked about the fifty years which have passed since she was a lass of thirty who sang as Maria the governess.
Wow.
I'm back again!
I had to go watch the rest of the show!
Eddie Redmayne won Best Actor! Very nice! And he made sure to dedicate his Oscar to the honor of those afflicted with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as ALS. You know, that disease that destroyed the body of Stephen Hawking, but couldn't touch his mind. I'm so glad the bfe and I saw "The Theory of Everything" together!
Best Actress was won by Julianne Moore, for a film I've had two opportunities to see with others. Seriously. Plus, the man at the jazz concert talked to me about it, as his wife had recently died after several years in the unrelenting grip of Alzheimer's Disease. He told me "Still Alice" is true to the effects of the illness.
Three times it's come up. I guess that means I really should go see it.
"Birdman" won for Best Picture!!! Yeah!!!
It's director, Alejandro Iñárritu, won for Best Director, too! Oh, wait, they call that Best Achievement in Directing now. Perhaps they always did and I just missed it?
Anyway, I very much enjoyed that one! I found Michael Keaton to be the absolute best choice for its lead. Why? Who better to portray a man trying to escape the large shadow cast by his superhero character, a man showing he can act without the aid of a costume and cinema's special effects?
I look forward to seeing that one again when JAVAFLIX Savannah next convenes. Ah, to be able to discuss my thoughts with others after a second viewing! Or, perhaps, it would be more correct to say 1 3/4 viewing. You see, I missed the first 20 minutes or so the first time I saw it... Nice to have a free second chance!
Perhaps I'll try to see "Still Alice" while it is still here.
"Whiplash", I hope, will have a rescreening some time, too, now that it's won an Oscar. I hope.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
(un)making Christmas
Time to take down the greeting cards
and put them all away
Until the coming
of the next Christmas Day.
Read again the verses,
read again the notes,
store them away,
but remember what they wrote.
The photo cards
move to the fridge.
(Maybe shift that one,
just a smidge!)
The Christmas Santa
that belonged to my Mom
goes back in the wrap
to protect him from harm.
Dragons once more
shall prance and preen
under the branches
of the cherry tree.
Frank's Energizer Bunny
will take its annual rest,
nestled with the Misfits, Elves,
and Rudolph's friends (the best!).
Mama's Christmas photo
(note the orb near her head)
gets swapped back to its box
for the Mother's Day picture instead.
Even this doorhanger -
made for my Granny White -
will find itself stored away
until some December night.
Then all the memories
will be pulled from their boxes
to find new places to shine
(while I wear Christmas socks)!
What about the Christmas tree
which was put up so late?
That, my dear,
will have to wait.
The sunroom is now
closed until spring
when warmer weather's
sweet birds will sing!
My thanks to "Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas", one of my all-time favorites, and especially to Danny Elfman's "Making Christmas" song, for the inspiration for this post.



















































