Do you remember this post? I had found this beautiful little picture in a thrift store, and didn't know what the words on it meant, nor what it was or where it came from, so I asked you guys. (Read the comments on the linked post, because people found out it's origins & meaning, etc.)
Here are 2 pics of it finally. It was hard for me to photograph clearly because of how *shiney* it is! It's still beautiful to me --- I have it hanging up in my kitchen near the window --- I still love eet. (Put your sunglasses on because it's bright!)
&:o)

that picture that I was asking you guys about

close-up of the detail on that picture - picture faces/hands & sparkly glitter halos

This is one of the things that really bugs me.
Whenever it looks like there's a chance it's going to snow, the tv weather people hype it up for days. I know it's their job to report the weather, but they get like a dog with a bone and they don't let up on it --- like their job depends on a disaster coming & their correct forecasting of it. Which I've learned to pretty much take with a grain of salt anymore.
BUT
I work with a bunch of people who listen to the weather people, and whenever a chance of snow is mentioned, they start OBSESSING about it and become all-consumed with it --- it's all they talk about, it affects everything they say & do for days...
Days when a chance of snow has been predicted, these people ask everybody constantly "Did it start yet?" - "When is it going to start?" - "How much are we going to get?" - "What's it like outside?" and on and on... They sit here constantly watching the weather on their computer, then discuss it loudly. They come over to the windows (which unfortunately, I sit next to) and gawk out the windows (all the while of course, asking me the above mentioned questions...) Then they go outside and stare up into the sky for awhile --- like they're going to see actual chunks of sky start falling down, causing mass mayhem & destruction. Then they come back inside, and start the whole process all over again...
And the weather people are WRONG most of the time anyway! They constantly are predicting doom & gloom weather, which 9 times out of 10 never materializes. (thank god.)
This whole routine bugs the hell out of me. Knowing about possible bad weather is one thing, but what good does it do to let it consume you like this? It makes me batty. PLUS ---- it USED to snow alot in this area (I'm talking about 20+ years ago...) but the weather patterns have changed so drastically over the years, that it's really rather mild around here in the winter, compared to other parts of the country. And people should KNOW THIS by now... This is NOT the midwest in the 1800's --- the snow is NOT going to be so deep that it drifts up to the roof and you're going to have to put on your snowshoes & climb out of an attic window and traipse off into town to buy supplies so you & your family won't starve to death over the next couple of months. Sheesh!

I'll be glad when it's summer again.

Here's a pic of the house that I grew up in ---- back in the day when it started snowing each year in November and didn't melt or go away until Easter. I remember my dad out there snowblowing our driveway & sidewalks (see heem?) and then doing the same for all of our neighbors. I remember studded snowtires or chains on our cars all winter. I remember walking 2 miles through the snow to school, uphill both ways. (hee-hee...) There was no panic - it was just the way it was!

snow snow snow!

Stop making ygrs crazee (well...crazier than she already is...) you people!!
o_O

I hate when I do shit like this. About 1 week after Christmas, when I went to the dumpster to throw away some trash, I noticed that someone had put the cutest little potted evergreen tree on the ground next to the dumpster. It was about a foot high, and I'm thinking that someone got it to decorate as a tiny Christmas tree, but after the holiday, didn't want to bother with it. I felt bad thinking about just chucking it in the dumpster to die. It was nice & healthy --- fluffy and thriving. So even though I really didn't want a little evergreen tree, I took it inside to save it's little tree life. I put it in my livingroom along with my other plants.
So this weekend I went to water it --- and it was dry dry dry --- dry, withered, crunchy and fell apart when I touched it...
I watered the hell out of it, thinking that maybe by some miracle, it'd revive. But after a couple of hours I figured why bother. I already have a couple of other not-so-healthy plants that have to be weeded out/repotted or disposed of. Why bother with one more, plus I don't have the time. So to the dumpster it goes --- again --- dead and beyond all hope this time.
So in spite of my good intentions, I killt it. Sorry little tree.
&:o(

and here's how my wonderful kittycatter spended her happy holidays...

Wembley's favorite pasttime...&:o)

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topsy-turvy Wembley...&:o) (tickle the tummy!)

Wembley's Christmas 2008 - shhhhhhh.......(you KNOW you want to keess her nosicle, don't you...)

Have a good Wembsday, you guys!
&:o)

Show us your favorite landmark in your current hometown.

Philadelphia PA is rife with landmarks --- large and small --- manmade or natural. There's so much to see and do here: you could spend weeks (months?) just taking it all in.

Something that totally fascinates me whenever I see them are the murals of Philadelphia. I had never seen anything like them until I moved here 4 years ago. When you're just driving down the street and they come into view, you're instantly captivated by them --- they're colorful, beautifully done & in painstaking detail, and moving. I can't imagine creating anything like them, but I wish I could!

The link for more official information on Philadelphia's 2,800+ murals is here.

And here are just a few of the ones that I've seen. Remember --- there are over 2,800 of them spread throughout the city. There are regular tours that run throughout the year, and one of these days I absolutely have to go on one.

Look at the real cars in these photos to get a perspective of the size of them. (Average sizes are 30 x 35 feet.) This first mural is 8 stories high!

"Common Thread" mural at Broad & Spring Garden

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Center City Philly mural

Dr J mural (and that shadow is part of the mural, it's not a shadow cast by Dr. J.)

Malcolm X mural

Reaching For A Star mural on the side of a house

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Lincoln Legacy mural

Over on Queen of Fractal Beauty's blog, she posted that a friend of her's issued a challenge for people to give blankets to a million homeless people before Christmas. I had commented that I'd love to do something for people who need help and I'm always saying I want to do something, but I never actually end up doing anything. I always think that "when I have some spare money" I'll do something, but I never have "spare money" --- it seems like I'm always scraping and having trouble getting by.

But along those same lines, I'm constantly reminded that in reality, I really do have it ALOT better off than ALOT of other people. As much as I feel sorry for myself and I'm all "woe is me" when I rob Peter to pay Paul --- I have alot to be thankful for and my situation is really blessed compared to when I see the horrors that are in other places of the world --- and how other people live and what other people have to go through every day of their life.

So when I saw Queen of Fractal Beauty's post, I made up my mind to stop whining - put on my Big Girl Pants - and take part in her friend's challenge.

There has been a homeless man living in Chestnut Hill for YEARS. I've been aware of him being there for at least 10 or 12 years, so who knows how long he was there before that. Years ago, when he was in "better shape", he looked JUST like Michael McDonald (from the Doobie Brothers) would look if he was homeless. So me and my BFF started refering to him as Michael McDonald. Now though, the Michael McDonald dude looks more like a THIN version of Shirley Temple's Grandfather in "Heidi". He is old, thin and weather-worn. His face looks like it was carved out of driftwood --- he's had the same winter coat & hat for years now, which I've seen him wearing even in the summertime sometimes. He's never carrying his "stuff" around with him, so he must stash it somewhere. For a couple of months last year, I saw him with a sleeping bag, and he was spending nights curled up in a small alcove in front of a business building on a side street. His sleeping bag isn't there any longer though, so I guess he was told to move on.
He's definately a loner. I've passed him alot and never said hi. I've been near him at times when he was standing there talking a mile a minute to himself. (he does not SOUND like Michael McDonald...) Once I drove past him on the street and a minister was standing there having a very good conversation with him. The other week, I saw him sitting alone on a bench. A Chestnut Hill dude walked past him with a fresh cup of Starbucks coffee & a croissant. The dude turned and asked Michael McDonald if he'd like the croissant - put it on the bench beside him, then kept walking. That touched my heart.

So anyway ---- friday I went to Walmart and bought a soft fuzzy twin-sized navyblue fleece blanket. I kept it in the bag & when I drove past a fruit stand, bought 2 BIG oranges and put them inside the bag with the navyblue blanket.
For the next 2 days, when I drove through Chestnut Hill, I looked for but didn't see Michael McDonald. I was excited about giving him the blanket but also worried for him because it has gotten sooooooo stinkin' cold recently. I was nervous too about what would happen.

Sunday morning, I drove to the bus stop to pick up Sarah & Deniro, and there was Michael McDonald standing at a newstand. We drove up to the newstand and I got out of the car and crossed over to him.
Me: "Excuse me"
Michael McDonald dude slowly lifted him head and his eyes met mine. He looked wary.
Me: "It's getting sooooo cold now ---- I thought maybe you could use another blanket, so I got this for you."
I put the bag on the stack of papers right in front of him and patted it. He had both of his hands stuffed tight in his coat pockets.
Me: " I hope it helps keep you warm. There are 2 oranges in the bag too."
He just looked at me --- confused.
Me: patting the bag gently again - "I got this for you."
Michael McDonald: "For me?"
Me: "Yep! For you. And there are 2 oranges in the bag too."
Michael McDonald: (very slowly) "For me?"
Me: "Yep! It's your's now - I got it for you. And don't forget the oranges."
I turned to walk back to my side of the car: "Stay warm." And I smiled at him.
He picked up the bag and very slowly peered inside.
When I got back in the car, he looked at Sarah, Deniro, and me and held onto the bag with one hand and slowly waved goodbye to us. We all smiled and waved back.
It felt really good to give him the blanket (and the oranges.) I even liked the thought of giving him a brand-new blanket as opposed to a good used one, because when was the last time he got something brand-new?

[ I'm NOT telling you this to get a pat on the back or anything like that --- please don't think that --- I just wanted to share this with you guys because it was the BEST feeling! It was such a small gesture but I was so glad to have done it, you know? ]

Deniro started asking questions --- Why did I do that? Who was that man? Why didn't he have a home? Where was the man's mommy? So we answered his questions and talked with him about how some people have to sleep on the ground at night (yes - even if it's raining and snowing) and rummage through trashcans to look for garbage to eat.
Then Sarah/Deniro and me drove to Reading to spend the day with Elle & her family, which was a fantastic lovely day. (as it always is...&:o)

On the way home that night, the news said it was 29 degrees outside. It was 8:00pm when we drove through Chestnut Hill and we were enjoying looking at the beautiful Christmas lights because it's all decorated for the holidays there now. All the trees are strung with little white lights --- there are greens everywhere with big red velvet ribbons --- the store fronts are decorated & lit to entice holiday shoppers.
"There's your dude!" Sarah blurted out.
I looked to where she indicated and ---- now here's the best part of the whole long story you just suffered through --- there in the shadows, Michael McDonald was leaning against one of the buildings, just quietly looking at the lights and thinking about whatever it was that he was thinking about. He had his same old winter coat on, bundled up tight. He had his same old winter hat on, flopping down around the sides of his ragged gnarly-bearded face. His hands were both shoved into his coat pockets. And draped around his neck/hanging down to his knees on each side was what looked like a gigantic scarf, but we immediately recognized that it was the soft fuzzy navyblue fleece blanket that I had given him that morning.
In the bitter cold, he was wearing his new blanket like a huge warm scarf.
&:o)

So like I said before --------- I did it --- and it felt wonderful --- and I can't wait to do it again!

Remember ole6kin that I mentioned in the previous post?

I deleted the offensive comment, blocked ole6kin from my blog and then reported them to Vox. After 2 exchanges with Vox, they just sent me an email that said "Thanks for reporting this. The account has been removed from the system. You can delete any spam comments that may have been left on your blog. We appreciate your bringing this to our attention."

Thank you Vox! I appreciate your help and I lubb it here in Voxland.

But then when I clicked on ole6kin's Vox addy to see if he was really gone, the Vox page came up that said this:

The person you’re looking for is no longer a Vox member.

We miss them. Tell them to come back.

heh-heh...
silly silly Vox...
&:o)

OK --- I am soooooooooooo out of here for the weekend!! Have a good friday & a happy weekend you guys.
Hugs to you all! (except to you ole6kin --- wherever you are you lousy bastard.)

Byeee!

A Voxer using the name of " ole6kin " left a comment on my blog this morning FILLED with dozens of links, and it's in some foreign language, so I didn't know what they actually were ---------- when I clicked on one link, it was pornography --- nasty, filthy pics and definately NSFW.

Here's ole6kin's blog --- if you want to go there (there's no posts or anything on the blog) you can block the bastard.

(I notified Vox too.)

I hadn't seen this one before --- I was behind a car that had this bumper sticker on it over the weekend:

wtf was that crazy old man thinking anyhow...&:o?

heh-heh...Oh Grandpa...
o_O

In response to Redzilla's post regarding the *gorgeous* First Lady-to-be Michelle Obama, I just wanted to offer this up:

Ohhhbama

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I know he's intelligent and all that other good Presidential stuff, and I can't wait for him to be sworn in and get to work, etc etc. But look at him in that picture...

* le sigh *