Sandy

The storm of the century is hitting New York and on way to Philly and up state.

Atlantic city boardwalk highly damaged.
House on fire along some of the coast.
The Jersey coast highly hit.
So far Lee is safe, we have not heard yet about Sabra in Jersey.
Subways are full of water in the big Apple, this will take weeks to fix I am sure.
construction of this may suffer a lot from salt water.
Cars floating about in the big city. Imagine the damages.
One hospital had to transport the babies as their second back up broke down, no electricity is also a factor which will take a lot of time.
This is horrible.
We just had the winds which made me anxious with all the trees around us.
No damage.
It is snowing in Asheville.
We will have 65 degrees on Saturday and pretend none of this happened but in the North there will be struggles for months.
It is slow and covers 1000 miles.
Elza called from Belgium. How Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

56 years

It was not to be.

But I never forget the day you came, Walter and William you would be 56 today.
Wherever you are be safe and happy.

and Frankenstorm goes where?

Frankenstorm 2012: Hurricane Sandy Hybrid Could Hit New York, New Jersey And Pennsylvania

They call it a monster, one expert said :"I have no idea what will happen and where, this is a once in a lifetime storm, with the help of a cold front coming to meet Sandy the storm.

Even so we are far from the coast I am apprehensive as the weather person said that we could have a LOT of wind and water damage.
We do get floods in the mini basement but have a pump ready.

I finished almost entirely the yard and hiding objects which can't survive the winter like my Chinese pots collection. Some cacti go inside and my palm tree which became huge this summer goes in my bedroom.

I purchased in the spring an azalea which blooms all the time, I was not sure but it is blooming and I am bringing it in.
The heather can take our cold.
I sort of wish I had kept the hedge, it was so nice and full and tall and protected us from a lot of wind. But there is the idea to put up somewhat of a front and show that the yard is somewhat "kept".

It will be a blast to get the dogs outside, the big one, Courage is already act5ing weird she now comes and hides under my skirt and she is tall! So she is feeling something which will happen in 3 days? Who knows.

If my computer goes out, if electricity goes out I will be lost for sure.
In tje meantime, good night to all. Be safe, LEE, be safe!!!!

Election blues

Gosh, I have been working very hard these past weeks.
There is the winter clean up in the yard.
2 professional gardeners came and cut all the overgrown mess
I had not been able to tackle.
My Zack did this but the poor kid is busy with chemo and radiation.
For now all is going well with that.
I know when he gets well what he is worth...
Yikes...these gardeners know how to charge.............

Hedge is cut low on all sides and I feel naked looking out on the street now.

I have been in a bad mood and tracking down the origin I figured it is political.
I can't stop watching the news, the polls, the gossip, the truth???Where is the truth??
I was petrified to put up my Obama poster in the NC Mittens atmosphere.
This morning I decided the hell with it and I put it up

I am also making room for my pot collection which would not survive the winter.
So9me plants come inside under the special light and continue to stay alive, I am almost done. I had Rhonda taking me to my shop on Saturday and that is ready for the end of October tourist, then I will have to make more for Christmas and that is next.
Here are the last flowers, they served me well even with my neglect.
The water lily is the last one I am sure she is just budding now.

That is all I have to say today till I get in a better mood!!!!!!!!!!

new batch part 2

New batch

I keep forgetting to post these , so before they go to the shop (hint: Eclectic cottage in Brevard NC) I thought to share.

I do NOT use plastic beads, the beads are gem quality from different rocks mined all over the world. Please note that it is harder to get AAA quality in Lapis Lazuli, why? The biggest mines and best colors are in Afghanistan were now these mountains are for fighting.

I also use mother of pearl. I am a designer, I am not tumbling and filing rocks myself but I make designs with the tons of beads I have cluttering my office.

I also ordered two gorgeous one of a kind carvings in Indonesia. Indonesia has terrific carvers, they have been there probably for centuries. They use ox bones.
They are not cheap but the work is terrific.

All the pieces are one of a kind.

I do not repeat my patterns.

Walking

Thanks to the dogs I walk a lot. I think they have me pegged for a sucker and just like to go out and beg to do so. I do get help when it rains then the begging stops.


My walks are also about looking around for changes in nature and waving at the old people in the housing project.
I wish I could stop and talk to them on the porch but my hearing loss is not helping. They will talk and I can't answer. Then when you tell people to talk very loud they start to yell and slowly they go back to the whispering, it never fails.

When I walk uphill on my street I reach the housing district. The town truly keeps it lovely, grass is cut in time and outside repairs are done as soon as detected.
This part is all for the elderly housing. It is very quiet here, most do not even have cars. The only noise here is when the ambulance comes followed by the fire department. They work in tandem for emergencies. Then you see the heads coming out the doors and asking "who is it?"

If the ambulance leaves quietly everyone then wonders. Was it ok? Did they fix the person? Or is the ambulance quiet because there is no need for help anymore.

I was thinking about all that and compared the upper road housing to the left, young people live here, children live here in abundance, they play in the street, no playground nearby. I often see cars swirve around a child and my heart races in my chest. This part of the housing sees a lot more noise. Especially the police cars, the sirens will blare and you know there is trouble, drugs, domestic violence even
now and some shooting and people hiding behind the windows.

Life can be observed between the two projects.
Not that everyone was always poor, I know 2 ladies in their sixties who lost all
their money in the stock market, thanks to crooks. Another has a husband who left her very dry after he found a new model. Yet another is drowning still in medical bills she had before Medicare set in. They are all races, different backgrounds.

One view I can count on during my walks is the numerous cats in the "oldies" housing, they are all white and black. You can hardly figure out which one is which.
People put dishes out for them and they all look healthy but the dogs are not to thrilled to see the growing cat alley.

It is a quiet street except on school hours when the speeding mom.s and pop.s come racing to get the kids in on time. Better not to walk during that time slot.

I like the quiet of this side of town, we are still in town and yet we are very quiet, trees everywhere, birds and squirrels fighting at the feeders.
I think I see someone begging and it will rain soon so I better get the furries out there while they can.

white and grey fox

jUST LOCK ME UP

My mother was extremely frugal but when she was down in the dumps she would go out and by something outlandish. Like a new couch and matching chairs, a sewing machine or a rug not worth what she paid for to 2 guys who came at her door!(so dangerous)She even made them turn around so they would not see where she kept her money!!!Yikes.

Au contraire to my mother I am not frugal but when I am down in the dirt feeling totally lost and not worth going another step then I do something odd too.
This time it is a stroller/jacket. It is GORGEOUS!!!!Got it on ebay with the description to make me drool and I bought it.
Here is the down part: My grandchildren hate fur wearing, my best friend hates it, my Maltese saw it and decided it was another dog and wanted to make it in shreds.
Here is the p0lus part: I love it.
Where will I wear it? Not often, it is not for a Walmart trip nor the Hospice thrift shop. But I am invited this Friday on the grounds of Biltmore to see Mary Wilson in concert. She is 62 and has a schedule made up for a 20 year old. She will be in Germany 2 days after this event. I may just wear this then. Lets see how cold it is.
What is it made off? the softest white leather I ever did see and all along the border and neckline white fox from Finland. It was purchased in Alaska. For 5 x what I paid for it.
The lady was my size and said she wore it once, it is spick and span new.
I did get it at thrift store price and she mailed it to me Fed Ex with the hanger and the bag to go with it.
As I am a retailer I also know I can get my money back and then some but I intend to wear it as long as I am still walking about these places. (Not walking the dogs !)
A photo will be coming this way.

I probably will not be invited out with my grandsons if I wear this and that is their privilege. I already gave away my mink jacket years ago but this one is for keeps.

The heat is on

The heat is on in more ways than one.

Cold during the night so it turned on quickly the ever obliging old heater, thank you so much for working still.

After Obama's luke warm talk with Romney winning I just saw on Huffington post that Romney may still win this. My stomach turned when I read that blaring headline.

I feel like this may be true.

Found out my grandson voted for O and then figured our immediate family all vote for him expect for Frank the in law. He is a Republican who does not like Romney but will vote for him anyway cause he does not like Obama even more.

I already voted so I did my best.

I am pissed at the thought of ....oh well I can't do anything else.

I will give O another 5 bucks , I am not one of his big bucks people