That would be the itch to write, of course. Some interesting prompts have thrust their flamboyant verbosity in my face and begged me to play with them. As always, having an image to go with them is quite helpful. In no particular order, I give you . . .
Sehnsucht: An inconsolable longing in the human heart, for we know not what. A yearning for a far, familiar, non-earthly land one can identify as one's home. (If you'd like to see a larger version of any of these photos, click on them to "make it so".)
If It's Easy, a short story by my longtime pal, Carolyn McBride. (Click on her name to go to her blog.) You can also visit her Amazon Author's page --> Here, and her Facebook author's page is Here. *Carolyn was kind enough to share an author's copy with me but all opinions are my own, as anyone who knows me would know.
This is the tale of Coriander Wolf, a lonely author with a flavorsome name and a cynical view of romance. Beginning with the prophetic announcement from a djinn trapped in her computer, and continuing on to a meeting with an exotically beautiful stranger, Cori is about to learn more about the universe(s) and all they contain than she could ever have imagined... One suspects that her adventures will not end with this one short tale and that is definitely a good thing.
Carolyn and her wife, Betty, live in Southern Ontario, where Carolyn continues her tradition of writing strong lesbian protagonists and Betty keeps her in line!
Now for a few photos!
A lovely, celebratory bowl of succulent mussels. Yup, I got the job! Have to wait to start until they get the results of (standard procedure) obligatory urine test and I-9. For those not from the States, the I-9 is to determine if one is eligible to work in the US. It takes a while and I'm not inclined toward patience just now; despite having been sent (before I'd even arrived home) an email stating my pay rate, etc...
We had rain and storms most of the day yesterday, the sky boasted some unusual colors as the sun was setting; looking straight up:
And to the right...
This next one, however, looks positively sulphurous.
Thought I'd share an earworm with you in farewell. You're welcome!
...the Universe listens and responds with a resounding "Yes"!
I have a job interview on Monday afternoon; it's at a place Mom and I frequent and is quite legit.
My oldest brother had his last injections and tests, which he passed with flying colors. He's on the lung transplant list! Also, among all the other tests I had recently was one for the 1 antitrypsin gene, which was passed down from our father. It's what caused Jim's lung disease. I don't have the genetic markers for it.
Getting established with a new doctor is far from my favorite thing, as most of you know quite well since I kvetch about it on a regular basis. Physicians insist on painful tests and sticking me repeatedly with sharp instruments, etc... this makes me dislike their company rather quite a lot.
I may have struck it lucky this time. My new doc, whom I shall refer to as Dr. Banana, as it rhymes with her last name, has it going on. I mean, she's on top of things. And I got some good news, which tends to make me view her more favorably.
Ready for it?
I've been taken off the medication to control the essential tremor!! Huzzah Huzzah! Picture me with my happy face on because I don't need it anymore. The tremors are gone baby, gone.
I'll even be driving next week; re-acclimating myself to it.
Of course, there was also less positive news.
As a side effect of one of the medications I've been on for years for diabetes, my kidneys are showing signs of failing, something this particular medication is known for causing. Not that I knew that until Dr. Banana told me (and I immediately began researching). I'm off that medication and the hunt for a replacement has begun...
Have had to be taken off two other medications because they were exacerbating the spinal arthritis; we are trying other medications but, as always, I can only try one new medication at a time because I have odd reactions. The doctor informed me of that... this on our second appointment and without me having to argue for a cautious approach. She gets it! Physical therapy to prevent the loss of mobility is still in my future, but that has been delayed until the sciatic nerve calms down a bit; it's quite grumpy about what's going on with my spine.
If it ain't one thing it's t'other, but no more tremors.
Oh. I do go Monday to have an ultrasound done of the remaining half of my thyroid. A goiter has developed suddenly, which explains more than it doesn't. What she's talking about, HERE Of course the C word got tossed around, something I don't put much stock in since I've been on this merry go round before.
Now if I can just find a job I'll be really quite content.
As you may (or may not) recall; other than a bit of basil and rosemary, I only had room and time to plant one food plant this year, a cherry tomato called Black Cherry. I am happy to report that this lone plant has worked it's little organic roots and leaves off to keep us in tomatoes:
I have to pick them before they are fully ripe and let them finish ripening inside, where a hungry little rabbit can't reach them. Mayhap I should change my name to Beatrix, dress the bunny in a wee jacket and plant some carrots?
Off to the doctor in the morning, keep your fingers crossed for me.
There have been a few surprises since moving south. Some have left me with my heart in my mouth, others have made me chuckle; still others have left me with a feeling of wonder. At all times, however, I've been left with the certainty that critters of all sorts like nothing half so well as a good laugh at my expense.
There's the heart attack frog, for instance, whom I first met when I was going to get bottled water from the spare refrigerator, which is located in a shed/workshop outside of the house. H.A.Frog had plastered him or herself on the window; fortunately for me, for our first meeting Le Ribbett had gathered it's limbs together in a neat little bundle, like this:
Subsequent meetings found the little croaker splayed across and pressing against the window like a tired old hussy trying to rustle up a drink. Well, except for the time it crashed into, and clung onto, the window right beside where I was sitting, prompting an impromptu run to the bathroom...
Then we have the ever-popular George and friends (with various and sundry permutations of the name),
one of whom, who should have more properly been named Georgina, chose to move into the house and become our resident pest control and pet. One often sees her darting busily up and down walls in search of an insect dinner. She has also proved herself both remarkably fecund and agile by giving birth (being a live-bearer rather than an egg-layer) on the ceiling above my head. I might have carried on through life happily ignorant of this momentous event, if Georgina hadn't arranged for some of what I assumed was amniotic fluid to drip on my head.
I heard her snicker as she scampered off.
Being in the southern part of Florida during the summer means you see rain. Lots of rain. Lots of rain means there are unhappy and hungry reptiles about; the long, slithery kind. On yet another hot night, when I'd stepped out to fetch water from the other refrigerator, I came face to face with uncertain long and slithery death. Well, foot to face. If I'd gone down the steps and to the shed door. Which I didn't, because I noticed a long, skinny, moving and hissing stretch of ill-tempered snake banded in red, yellow and black stretched out in front of the shed door.
It was dark outside, with only a rather dim outside light to see by, so I levitated backward into the house and quickly slammed the door. Of course there is a rhyme to help one differentiate between a real and a false coral snake, and I could remember it? That's right, other than gibbering "snake, snake, SNAKE " my mind wasn't functioning. Snakes don't usually frighten me, I'd often take one or two to my mother as a gift when I was a child, but a far too close encounter with a rattlesnake when I was in my early teens persuaded me that caution where poisonous creatures were concerned was the course of wisdom. Fortunately, the park's owner was able to safely wrangle the snake, identify it as non-venomous, and released it somewhere a bit more removed from human habitation. The frog, the myriad Georges, and I were all quite happy with that solution. The snake stuck out it's tongue and sneered at me as it slithered into the wild.
And then there's the feathered joker that kept me puzzled for days as I tried to figure out where the duck with the obnoxious quack was hiding. After a little sleuthing and a bit of research I realized: If it quacks like a duck it may well be a Northern mockingbird! They're lovely birds about the size of a cardinal or blue jay, with a beautiful voice and are quite talented mimics who can memorize up to 200 songs and sounds. I'm sure it had a good laugh or three as it quacked at me! At least it wasn't imitating a car alarm, as they are wont to do.
Who here thought a 55 year old woman who hadn't worked outside the home in, what, a decade? How did the time pass so quickly? Anyway, 55 year old woman, work, decade... oh yeah, and with no current marketable skills... who thought she was just going to jump right back into the job market and score the big one? Not I, despite having been -ostensibly- hired, along with a dozen or so others; even after having begun 'training' with the company I had that odd little feeling in the back of my head. A few days after being hired we were all sent home for not being proficient enough in our training. It wasn't difficult work or training, the company got no fees, etc... from any of we 'new hires', so what gives? (I am keeping an eye open for anything new and exciting regarding, say, my SSN.) Ah well, life goes on... not holding my breath until that check shows up in the mail, so the job hunting process has begun again.
On the other hand... my daughter, who has long since returned to Indiana after her birthday, is having an exciting time of it.
She and Mom at Medieval Times.
The kidling has acquired both a couch and a fiancee, both of which are about a foot longer (or taller) than she. This makes her happy which in turn makes me happy.
I've been filling my time with the usual activities: reading, cooking, writing, etc... which have all been made much easier since I'm no longer tremoring. All those pesky movements which made my life so unpleasant are almost completely gone, along with a lot of other unpleasant medical stuff which has improved tremendously. (Not going into TMI territory here.) Other than finding out that the arthritis in my spine has worsened significantly, I'm most certainly on the upswing and I have no doubt I'll find work... it will take a while and won't come with a fancy title and that's okay. I refuse to give up and that's what matters.
Before I go, it's been a while since I last posted so I feel obligated to put up pictures of food.
A slice of Jenn's birthday cake, an almost-but-not-quite Schwarzwalderkirschtorte:
A big batch of homemade barbecue sauce and barbecued ribs, as well as some cashew chicken I've made for Mom over the last few weeks.
Oh and before I go: Please don't blame me for Trump's running mate. Whilst I am a native of Indiana, (aka a Hoosier) I no longer live there. I am relieved, on behalf of my former home state, that he has taken himself out of the running for governer; one term with him was more than enough!
