Rogue Artists

WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO

2012-02-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

You were only 48 years old! Way too young to leave us with only your beautiful voice to remember you by. Good night, Whitney. We'll always have you in our hearts.

THE FLAMES OF LOVE

2012-02-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

It's time for some Saturday Centus fun, from Jenny Matlock who writes "Off On My Tangent." If you haven't participated in this writing exercise, you simply must!! Jenny has given us a prompt, and an extra 100 words with which to be creative. Sometimes I'm serious, and sometimes not, but I always try to be very creative. The prompt for this week, "the wedding was at the firehouse," just screams for a little whimsy, so here is my offering:

THE FLAMES OF LOVE

The boiler heaved its last breath

And the basement erupted in flames.

The cinders hit the old toy box,

Igniting the dolls and games.

It quickly raced to the top of the steps

And reached the kitchen door,

Then bursting through with a white hot hue,

It skated across the floor.

The wedding was at the fire house.

“I knew that first moment,” he swore,

“When I saw her face in that big burning place,

That I would search no more.”

“I ran up the ladder and saved her,

And she thanked me for her life.

Then we both knew, as most lovers do,

We’d be happy as fireman and wife!”

This Saturday Centus is in honor of Jenny's sister's wedding, which is being held in a firehouse. I have no idea how the happy couple met, but I don't think it was anything like my little poem suggests. Now please go to Jenny's blog and read the other offerings!

L is for LOVE WILL FIND A WAY

2012-02-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Matthew 19:21-22

Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldst be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sorrowful; for he was one that had great possessions.

WHAT!! You think HEATHENS can't know about the Bible? Well, this heathen does, and it's the "Red Letter Edition" as well. For those of you who don't know what that means, in that edition the words of Jesus are printed in red (That's nice to know, especially if you are curious about how many times Paul actually quotes Jesus in his writings). To hear a wealthy person say that he "doesn't care about the poor. The poor have a safety net." is shocking to me, especially when that wealthy man claims to be a Christian. I think that's what greed does to people. Enough of that, though--let's get on with my Alphabe-Thursday lesson for Miss Jenny.

THE JUMPER, conclusion - "Love Will Find A Way"
Aaron's words had the desired effect, and he and Miriam held their breath as their father, his shoulders drooping, swung his legs back over the balcony, and stood up. Two officers quickly took his arms to prevent him from changing his mind, and guided him back into the living room of his condo. Aaron and Miriam embraced him, and walked with him to the sofa.

After all the officers had left, and they were alone, he began to speak. "I have done some horrible things in the last few years. I have hurt a lot of innocent people, and I am so ashamed and filled with regret. I just don't know how to make things right again. The two of you, and your mother have been my whole life, and I wanted to give only the very best to you. I wanted us to never have to worry about anything. I thought money was the way to do it. Now, I don't know how I can undo the wrongs I have done."

"Dad, what are you talking about? What did you do that was so horrible?" Miriam asked. "We have had a wonderful life because we knew that you loved us! The material things never mattered! We were a family! You and mom were the best parents because you both were caring and supportive! That's all we ever needed."

"I made a lot of money--a LOT of money!" he said. "But people lost their homes because of me. I sold them mortgages that they couldn't afford, and when they couldn't pay, I took their homes! Not only that, but I bet against them. Their loss was my gain--more money for me!"

"Derivatives!" Aaron said. " I knew it! I thought that's what you were telling me when Mom got sick. I thought you would be worried about the ourtageous cost of her treatment, but you told me that it was covered by certain funds you were involved in. I was right, wasn't I, Dad? "

"Yes, son, derivatives--the derivative market. Those poor people! They lost while I got richer every day. I am so ashamed! I hate myself for what I have done. How can I ever make this right?? I know you must hate me now, too."

"Dad, we could never hate you! You are our father, and we will always love you!" Miriam cried. "Aaron, I don't understand this derivatives thing, but isn't there something we can do about this?"

"Yes, " Aaron replied. "We can give it back."

"Aaron, do you know what that means? You and your sister will have no inheritance!"

"We are fine, Dad. We are both fine. We don't need it. Miriam has a wonderful career as a design engineer, and my career in medical research not only pays well, it is the most satisfying thing I have ever done in my life. What we do need is you. It's time you retired, anyway. We need you to be part of our lives and our children's lives. We will take care of you the way you and Mom took care of us--with love and devotion."

"Dad, Aaron is right! Let us take care of you. This place is too big for you anyway! Sell it! Come live with me and Phillip and the boys! The guest house is just perfect for you! And you can work in the garden! You always loved that when we were small. All those beautiful flowers that we helped you plant! And the vegetables that we grew from seeds! I was always in awe that those little seeds sprouted and grew. I want my children to know you the way I did, and I want you to be a part of their lives. Please, Dad!"

"I'll go with you to the office on Monday," Aaron said. "We'll go through your files, and find those people. I'll get Mark Woodward to handle the transactions. You remember Mark! He was my best friend when I was young, and he still is. What do you say, Dad? Does that sound like a plan?"

"I don't know, Aaron. I don't want to be a burden to you and Miriam."

"A burden?? Dad, you could never be a burden! You and Mom loved us and helped us to grow into responsible adults with families of our own. You cared for us! Now it is our turn to show you just how much we love you and appreciate you for the wonderful father you have been.! Let us care of you!! We can make this thing right, Dad, and give those people back their lives," Aaron said warmly, taking his father's hand.

"Come home with me tonight, Dad. I don't want you staying here by yourself," said Miriam, and she went to fetch a few clothes.

After locking the door to the condo, he paused, remembering his sweet and gentle wife, and the life they had shared together. He thought of all the hurt he had caused with his greed, and then he looked at his two loving children, and realized that he must have done something right after all.
He cried.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my little story. Now please go here for my continuation of last week's "Kids" post, Loveable Kids!

LOVABLE KIDS, PART TWO

2012-02-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Last week's collection of KIDS was certainly a lot of fun for everyone. I hope you all clicked on the captions and visited all the blogs. If you haven't, please go here.

My lesson for Miss Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday has lots of new photos of blogging friends who were eager to participate this week. Check these beauties out:

Has an arrest record!

Ate library paste

Played with needles

Still believes in Santa. She's on the right.

Was spoiled rotten

Ran for public office in grade school

Writes in her sleep

Adopted from the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm

Still has the same sweet expression!

California girl far from home

Plays with matches

Among these photos is one of my friend, Cher Duncombe. She has just started a new blog and would love for everyone to stop by and leave a comment.

Thanks for stopping by! Please take a peek at the school work of the other students in Miss Jenny's class! Please go here for my other Alphabe-Thursday post, the conclusion of The Jumper.

THE TWO PEAS!

2012-02-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Yikes! It's Sunday, and I am writing my Saturday Centus! I think I have too much on my plate right now, and it's not peas, either! Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent took a suggestion from Nonna once again and gave us a cute prompt. I can do cute. I can also do mindless, so here is my mindless little poem, an ode of sorts to my husband, Rod, and our marriage. The picture you see is of us in St. Thomas on our honeymoon in 1986, and those shorts, if I still had them, would still fit. Rod's hair is wavy, and it's waving good-bye. The prompt is in the title.

TWO PEAS IN A POD

Here we are

Two peas in a pod.

You say something

And I nod!

We love reading,

We love art.

You know the secrets

Of my heart.

When we dine,

We eat the same,

We even share a

Common name!

Oh, we’re different,

In some ways.

I’m a night owl,

You love days.

But we both love dancing

When the music plays.

We love our children,

We love our pets,

And that’s as perfect

As it gets!

You’re my husband,

I’m your wife,

And we have

A happy life.

Sounds like we two

Have a winner.

Now, dear, take me

Out to dinner!

K IS FOR KIDS

2012-02-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

First let me say that I have been having keyboard issues ALL DAY, and I can't post any more pictures. I will do this again next week, so please send your photos to rogueartist@q.com along with a link to your blog.

Ah, the joys of childhood! We've all been there, and some of us are still there!! I stole the following from my friend, Tony's blog. I know he won't mind, though.

No ugly children in this group! Isn't it nice to have such beautiful friends? Try to guess just who these lovely children are, and if you don't have a clue, just click the captions on the photos and read some great blogs!!

The Promoter

Child prodigy

Feed me, Gandpa!!!

Still plays in traffic!

Failed anatomy class!

Fashion plate?? Well, she still is!!

We all know who this is, and if you don't...

Runs with scissors

I have TWO posts today, so go here for the next one!!!!

K is for A KINDER, GENTLER WORLD

2012-02-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

O.k., so I have two posts for Alphabe-Thursday! Others have done that, so I guess I can, too! The only issue is my music, which I can't seem to coordinate between the two. To read the first two chapters of the story, go here, then here. So here is the contination of my story, The Jumper.

A KINDER, GENTLER WORLD

“Sir, your children are here. Don’t let them see you do this!”

An officer had led Miriam and Aaron into the living room, and through the slider, they could see their father sitting on the railing. He looked so very old and frail. Slowly, he turned his head toward them. He gazed at them through haunted eyes, then turned away.

“Can we talk to him?” Miriam asked. The officer nodded.

“Dad!” Miriam pleaded. “Please don’t do this! We love you! We need you! Whatever it is, we can get through it together!”

Aaron hugged his sister a little tighter, and stepped closer to the open door. “Dad, it’s not too late to make this thing right. We’ll work out a plan, the three of us. Please, Dad! Think of Mom! She wouldn’t want this! We need to stay together! For her sake! Come inside, Dad!”

Miriam turned to Aaron. “What thing? What did he do? Aaron, what thing?”

“Let’s just get him in, Miriam. We’ll talk about that later.”

Well, that's it for this week. Come back next week for the next chapter!! Oh, and go here for the other post.

SMILE, BABY!!!

2012-01-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

This is NOT me!!

One of my Thursday posts will be KIDS. Send me a baby/toddler/youngster photo by email, and I will post it with a link back to your blog. This should be fun, doncha think????

Oh, and by the way, that should be a photo of YOU when you were little!!!

The Jumper, part II

2012-01-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Our dear Jenny has given us an excellent prompt, thanks to Nonna's suggestion. This is a Saturday Centus that is right up my current alley! To read the first part of the story, go here.

Miriam regained her composure, and called Aaron, at his office. "Get down to Dad's as fast as you can! He's going to kill himself!" she screamed.

By the time Aaron arrived, Miriam had made her way up the elevator, and was standing outside her father's condo. Police, and men in suits were milling around inside. Although the door was open, she was not allowed to enter.
"So it has come to this!" Aaron said breathlessly, as he arrived at Miriam’s side. "We know where all the bodies are buried since 2008, but I never thought it would hit him so hard!!”
“Aaron! What does that mean??” Miriam cried.

THE JUMPER

2012-01-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

The Jumper

"Jump! Jump! Jump!"

Miriam heard the sound before she heard the words. A crowd of people in the street chanted, and gazed upward. Fire trucks and police cars were parked haphazardly. Miriam was less than a block from her wealthy father's high-rise apartment. A sad and cryptic voice-mail had prompted her to visit him, bringing with her his favorite deli sandwich for a quick lunch. The death of Miriam's mother several months earlier had left him lost and lonely, and she was hoping that her surprise visit would cheer him up a bit.

Her eyes followed those of the chanting crowd, up the side of the high-rise, to the twenty-second floor. There she saw her father, his legs dangling from the top of his balcony, and his snow white hair blowing in the Windy City breeze.

"Dad!" she screamed, in horror. The world suddenly became surreal, and her knees gave out. She dropped to the curb and vomited.

To be continued...

I'll bet you thought you'd have to wade through another of my political or religious rants for Alphabe-Thursday, the creation of Jenny Matlock, our fearless teacher. Well, I'm getting tired of the political process. It's just so predictable these days. I'd much rather watch re-runs while eating extra-dark chocolate squares. I'll show up when it's time to vote, though!! I made this extra short so you would have plenty of time to read the other students' lessons on Jenny's blog. HOWEVER, first please check out another Jumpers post. It will kind of take your mind off the sadness of this one.

Now, I'm off to be one of the "ladies who lunch" with my Best Friend Artist.

JUMPERS

2012-01-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I guess my first post sounds a little grim and scary, so here are a few more jumpers for you:

I think this is the first post I've ever done like this, especially for Alphabe-Thursday!!

Let's Play Catch-up!!

2012-01-24T09:02:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

"Hideaway Shores"

Jo-Ann Sanborn, Everglades artist

Santorum really won Iowa after all. Big deal, Rick! Now the “Final Four” is marching through Florida, and Romney hired a fellow to help him with public speaking. He still looks like he has two glass eyes, though. Gingrich is responding to Romney’s accusations of political wrong-doing with the same fervor he used when commenting on the “open marriage concept.” He figured it worked the first time, so why not? Ron Paul, well he’s still just Ron Paul. He always seems to look a little frail up there behind the podium, and I keep expecting him to take a tumble when he leaves the stage. Gotta love his persistence, though.

Oh! I almost forgot! Several weeks ago we learned that the old fellow who predicted the end of the world finally admitted that he isn’t a good predictor after all. Darn! I’ve had my cameras ready for the fireworks since last year. I figured with so many people in the world, I’d have time to take a few photos of the event and post them before the Rapture.

See you on Thursday! I’m working on my “J” post, so be sure to come back and check it out.

MIDNIGHT CALLER*EPILOGUE

2012-01-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

This little story is a three part Centus. To read parts one and two, go here first.

“All right,” she said from far off, from the future, from all the years coming up, and from the first night alone in bed."

-James Dickey, “Deliverance”

MIDNIGHT CALLER*EPILOGUE

After the sun disappeared from Drew’s coffin, and mourners began moving away, Lauren spotted a woman, walking alone.

Lauren’s heart jumped in her chest. She sent the boys with Drew’s parents, and doubled back, approaching the stranger from behind.

“I know who you are,” she said, her voice low and gritty. “How dare you come here. How dare you! Were it not for you, my boys might still have their father. Were it not for your selfish disregard for anyone else, our family could be whole, and Drew might be laughing, and playing games with his sons!”

At the sound of Lauren’s voice, the woman spun around sharply, her eyes large with shock. “We were in love!” she responded.

“LOVE?” Lauren hissed. “You think he LOVED you? Drew had an ego as big as Texas! He never loved you. You’re nothing! Trash! A whore! You’ll always be an ignorant whore!”

Jenny tried to make amends by giving us 150 words this week for our Saturday Centus, and I made use of every single one! Whittling down can be difficult, but I am a firm believer that "less is more." Remember the words of William Shakespeare--"Brevity is the soul of wit." I try to live by those words whenever I can. It really makes one think twice, sometimes, before running off at the fingers (notice that I said "sometimes").

Hope over to Jenny's, now, and read the offerings of the other Centusians. I'll race you!!

I is for IDIOT

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

In Monday night's Republican debate, Gov. Rick Perry was asked a question regarding Turkey. His response was that Turkey was ruled "by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists." So today, Turkey is not happy with the remarks of the Texas governor. "Rick Perry: What an idiot," said Mustafa Akyol, a news columnist for Hurriyet Daily News.

It seems that Perry is totally ignorant of the fact that Turkey co-chairs the Global Counterterrorism Forum with the United States. It has been a member of NATO since Perry was only two years old!

Sadly, not one of the other candidates stood up for Turkey, a strong American ally. It just could be that they don't know the role Turkey plays in the fight on terrorism either. He insulted Turkey further by stating that the U.S. should cut off foreign aid to that country. Actually, Turkey doesn't receive foreign aid from us. If you don't know something, then just say you don't know. Don't make a total ass of yourself on national television. Perry's handlers should be pleading with him to quit the race, before he starts another war.

We all heard how Romney strapped his dog to the top of his car to go on vacation with his family. Romney said he knew that sounded bad, but the dog was actually in "an airtight container" on top of the car. AIRTIGHT CONTAINER?? REALLY?? Now we all know that Romney didn't mean what he said. It was just a poor choice of words, ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. But his poor choice of words scares me. It's not the first time this has happened with Romney. O.k., so he was nervous--I get that. But what if he made a poor choice of words while speaking to a foreign dignitary? What then??

Romney, a multi-millionaire, is so out of touch with the American people that he hasn't a clue as to just what it takes for us to keep ourselves afloat right now. He has screwed himself up many times while trying to convince America that Bain Capital was a GOOD company who tried to SAVE American jobs. He recently stated that he pays less taxes (15% tax rate) than others do. He's definitely one of the 1%, so PAY UP, BUDDY!! I guess he said that because he's being forced to release his income tax returns like the other candidates. Romney is just the kind of guy that OWS is talking about--His company made millions by bankrupting businesses and firing the employees. The last thing this country needs is a one percenter like Romney in the White House.

The people of South Carolina may be out of work, but they're not stupid. Newt Gingrich's remarks about food stamps was clearly racist. And he called Obama "the food stamp president." Does he realize just why so many people are on food stamps right now? Does the word "unemployed" ring a bell? Gingrich has the idea that the poor students in schools should clean the toilets there to make extra money for their families. Yes, he actually said that!! Just which poor students is he talking about?? I think we all know. Gingrich may be highly educated, and may know a lot about history, but when it comes to people skills, when it comes to compassion, Gingrich falls way short. And let us not forget the reason he lost his last job in Washington. "The meek shall inherit the earth," Newt, and that rules you out.

The words "fool" or "ignoramus" are probably a better choice of words to use in this post, but the word "idiot" just seems to have a nice ring to it when referring to the Republican candidates. Besides, Mustafa used it!

Oh my gosh! I almost forgot! Congress has a DISAPPROVAL RATING of 84%!! I propose renting a backhoe and cleaning those halls out! Those men and women are supposed to be working for US, not for themselves. Clear 'um out, America!!

Please hop on over to Jenny's blog and read the other lessons for Alphabe-Thursday. They're probably a lot nicer and more interesting than mine. Sorry, but the political process is kind of getting on my nerves. I feel compelled to keep up with it, though, because it is producing some pretty good laughs!!

I have left "The Way We Were/Memories" playing to accompany this post. It just seems apropos, because I definitely remember the way we were.

p.s. I have been trying to respond to a comment on MY OWN BLOG and Blogger won't let me do that, so I am adding that comment here:

Kerri, at the very beginning of this political
mess, I found myself getting so angry! I knew that was'nt healthy so I have tried to crank it back a few turns, and even though I still have a little of that ire left, I was mildly successful. Now, I am seeing some humor in these debates, and I hope the American people are seeing it as well.

Very few people actually know how the government operates. If they did, they would be a lot more thoughtful when they vote. I believe that we should think very strongly about a candidate's character when we go to the polls. What I don't believe in is voting for a person because of religious beliefs, if that candidate tries to force his beliefs on others who are not of his faith. I don't care if Romney is a Mormon. I have many Mormon friends, and our neighbors are Mormons as well. What I do care about is that he has money in offshore accounts where the US government can't get to it. I care about the fact that his company, Bain Capital, made financial gain from laying people off and trashing companies. I don't care if Gingrich is a Catholic. What I do care about is the way he treated his first two wives. Some people think that doesn't matter, but if he would cheat on someone whom he professed to love, and even SAID he wanted to have an open marriage, so he could continue to have sex with Calista, just how would he treat the American people?? He left his first two wives when they were at their most vulnerable. Would he hit us while we are at our most vulnerable if he were elected president? You bet!!

My Mismatched Life

2012-01-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Well, that title could apply to me, since I should have been a brilliant artist, but instead I am sort of a jack-or-all-trades-master-of none. But this post isn't about me--it's about my friend CJ, who is trying to get her latest blog off the ground. "My Mismatched Life" is about delving into the world of the on-line dating sites. CJ's husband, the love of her life, died several years ago, and she's lonely for some male companionship. She joined an on-line dating service. So far, her matches have been less than stellar, and the same ones keep showing up over and over again. If it were me, I'd be asking for my money back.

When I first read her new blog, I thought it would be an instant hit. Who wouldn't like to read about some dufus who says,

"I have the most perfectly shaped lips that long to be kissed. My ears are eager to hear the whispers of your secrets. But more than anything, my heart longs for laughter. Would you be my Fred Astaire and dance with me in the rain?....enjoy fajitas and drinks on a veranda? I love to travel, laugh, sail open waters, and shop for Antiques. I'm easy going with an eye-catching smile."

Personally, I think this guy spends way too much time in front of the mirror. He should just date himself.

Another mismatch is looking for

"a good person that can be satified wih the simple goodness of life.icecream is great however it comes.when life hands you lemons ,make lemonaid. not to be critical,things can change for the better!realize that its a precious thing to have the love of a good soul,allways be there for them,allways It would be nice if she enjoyed coffee and talk,snugling,spontanious lovin,holding hands,watching t v on a daybed,or making love on a sandbar on a new moon night at low tide,I LOVE CLOSENESS,AND I DONT CHEAT!!!, when a woman shows she would like me to stick around I DO!
currently separated - materialistic
40" hd tv"

I think this letter speaks for itself!!

So if you have ever tried on-line dating sites, or know of anyone who has, or even if you have heard some wild story about on-line dating, please contact CJ by clicking on the yellow link above. As I said, I thought her new site would be an instant hit, but it's not getting enough hits! If it did, she would be off and running with her mismatched life!!

p.s. Have you ever noticed that Blogger always screws us up when we have a post we really want people to read and comment on? I know Blogger is just trying to make things better for us, but do they have to make things worse to do that? If you were unable to load my Alphabe-Thursday post, H is for HEATHEN, could you please try again? As my friend Tony says, "comments are like crack to a blogger."

MIDNIGHT CALLER, PART 2

2012-01-14T13:30:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

It seems like I just finished my Alphabe-Thursday lesson, and now it's time for part 2 of Jenny's Saturday Centus. I guess I had better explain this process, since not all my blogging pals participate. Jenny gives us a prompt, which I put in bold type in my offering, and we have 100 words with which to complete the assignment. Sometimes Jenny is really nice to us, and other times, not so much! She only gave us fifty words to complete the story, a "cliffhanger," this week!! Here is the story in its entirety:

MIDNIGHT CALLER

Lauren felt as if she were hanging on a cliff. Carefully, she replaced the phone, and her eyes filled with tears. She could hear her heart beating wildly in her ears. It had never occurred to her that something so devastating might happen, something that would tear her world apart.

She arose quietly, and tiptoed down to the kitchen. After pouring a generous drink, she sat down at the kitchen table, and stared into the darkness of her living room. Fear and anguish gripped her, and she felt herself spiraling out of control. How could she tell her children? HOW??

The words of the caller still echoed in her head.

“I am sorry to tell you, but your husband suffered a heart attack in his hotel room. His sister called 911, but it was too late.”

“His SISTER??”

“Yes. She left, though.”

“But Drew doesn’t have a sister!”

“Sorry, ma’m.”

H is for HEATHEN

2012-01-12T05:34:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

When Rod and I were in grammar school, our families were members of Emory University Methodist Church (that was before "United" became part of the name). Our mothers taught Sunday school and we were there whenever the doors opened. We were confirmed together, and went to MYF every Sunday night. We also went to all the church night suppers on Wednesday night.

Over the years, things have changed. I no longer feel the same way that I did when I was young. Too many things have happened in the world that have changed my views on church membership. Things are happening with churches today in America that have made me not want to be a part of any church. Mega-churches have huge, expensive sanctuaries, with state of the art sound systems. Churches seem to always be asking for money for building funds or remodeling funds. The minister who spoke at Rod's dad's funeral drove a Cadillac and wore a diamond pinky ring. That upset me greatly, since his salary probably paid for those items. I think Jesus would probably have been more than satisfied with a used Pinto!!

When we moved to Tucson, we looked around for a church and were very unsuccessful. One minister was sooooo boring that I felt myself dozing off. He was talking a lot about money. Another church we tried was a beautiful little stone church in the foothills. We were the youngest people there. The second time we went, we discovered that the minister had run off with the choir director. The third church sang show tunes instead of hymns, and one member wanted to discuss masturbation during the service. We had Rod's mother with us. Fortunately, she didn't hear a word that was said, because she confessed to us afterward that she had left her hearing aids at our daughter's house in New Orleans.

Then there are churches whose members love to spout out hatred for people who are not like them. I guess if Jesus showed up at that church one day, with long hair, a long robe, and sandals, they might just try to kill him, thinking he was a Muslim.

Then there are churches who believe that the Bible is "God-breathed." Whenever I talk to my evangelical relatives about just how the Bible was written, and what was taken out because some Pope or King didn't like the way the passage sounded, their eyes glaze over and they just stop listening, even though I can give them a VERY LONG bibliography that solidifies my point. That makes me a HEATHEN in their eyes.

So I am done with organized religion, and so is Rod. We are perfectly content to have coffee and read the paper on Sunday morning. I guess that makes me a HEATHEN. I believe in the Golden Rule, though, and the 10 Commandments, and I believe in being kind and helpful whenever I can. But I guess I am still a HEATHEN. I'd like to think that I am spiritual. I give to charities, but only if I know that the money I give is going directly to people who need it the most, and not to the CEO's of the charities as some sort of bonus. But since I believe in evolution, I guess I am a HEATHEN.

I have a very good friend who is also a HEATHEN. His name is Tony. Tony is smart and funny and genuinely caring of others. He has a cool girlfriend, and a really neat and loving family. He also writes a blog that sometimes makes me wet my pants from laughing so hard. He's definitely a HEATHEN, and has no problem letting people know that! He goes by the name "Bluzdude," and his blog is "Darwinfish2." We decided to get together to write a post about HEATHENS. Click on the yellow link and read what my friend has to say! You will become a follower for sure!!! Heathens make the best friends, and Tony will tell you why. Then head on over to Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday and read the other students' lessons!!

Midnight Caller

2012-01-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Midnight Phone Call

Lauren felt as if she were hanging on a cliff. Carefully, she replaced the phone, and her eyes filled with tears. She could hear her heart beating wildly in her ears. It had never occurred to her that something so devastating might happen, something that would tear her world apart.

She arose quietly, and tiptoed down to the kitchen. After pouring a generous drink, she sat down at the kitchen table, and stared into the darkness of her living room. Fear and anguish gripped her, and she felt herself spiraling out of control. How could she tell her children? HOW??

Jenny has done it to us again, Centusians! Just when we think she might calm down and let us slowly work ourselves into a new year of her Saturday Centus, she throws us a curve ball! Well, we Centusians must show her that we will successfully tackle ANYTHING she comes up with. And if you don't believe me, just check out the other offerings!!

Girls' Game Night - How one elderly woman spent New Year's Eve

2012-01-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I left Rod in front of the t.v. with a steaming bowl of something that I created from the last of the standing rib roast we had for Christmas dinner, some onions, peas, carrots, some wild rice, a little sherry, and the last of the gravy. When I clean a cooked roast, there's nothing left but very clean bones, so I hope he didn't mind a little gristle in that stuff. I kissed him good bye and headed for my BFA's house (Best Friend Artist) for Girls' Game Night. Di's sister, Devon, has a friend in Phoenix who always comes down to join us for these grand affairs.

When I arrived, the table was already laid in great holiday fashion:

Yes, that is Frida Kalo by the curio case, and she's a chair, but we don't sit on her out of respect for her divine talent.

First, we had a little pre-game game that Diane created. It was loads of fun, but I can't tell you what it is because you might try to steal the idea and make a bunch of money on it. Let me just say that there was a LOT of off-key singing, and some pants-wetting laughter. A die that we're sure was loaded was involved as well.

Di's sister, Devon, either laughing or singing, or BOTH!

Linda, giving us a task/clue.

Di, thinking and singing at the same time. She's really clever that way!!

Time for one more drink before dinner. Diane ADORES bacon, so in case you can't read that label, it's BACON FLAVORED vodka! BLECH! and BLECH again! Not for me, sister!!!

I was too busy eating fondue to take any photos during dinner. That game made me soooo hungry!! After dinner, we went outside to light a paper lantern and watch it fly up into the night sky, but that's a post for another day!

Be sure to head on over to Jenny's blog, and read the other assignments for Alphabe-Thursday. This post took me so long to compose that I am ready for a NAP!

Ready! Aim! Fire!!

2011-12-31T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Rod and I decided to do our New Year's Eve thing last night, and avoid the rush. First we went to see "War Horse." I thought HE was the one who wanted to see it, because he mentioned that he wanted us to go to a movie, and the only one he recognized from the ads was that one. I wanted to see something else, but decided to acquiesce. Turns out, he DIDN'T want to see it, but thought I DID! It was horribly depressing and bloody, with horses and men getting killed and tortured in WWI. I was glad when it was over! Then we had a gift card to a local restaurant (actually we had TWO to that restaurant), and went there, only to find out that the place had changed hands and the card was no good. But it WAS good at another restaurant, so we went there! He gave the waitress the card, and lo and behold, the balance on the card was ZERO! We had used one of the two cards a while back, and he accidentally threw the good one ($50) away! We ate there anyway, and it was very good!

So tonight, the real New Year's Eve, he is planning on watching football, and I am going to "Girls' Game Night" at the home of my BFA. I gave her a new game for Christmas, "Truth or Crap," and we plan to try it out while eating fondue. Our game nights get rather wild, and I will have a report for you, replete with photos!

Now, on to my Saturday Centus! The prompt is in bold type.

Ready! Aim! Fire!!

I resolve to eat more fiber (but only if it’s covered in chocolate).

I resolve to take the dogs for a walk every day (to the mailbox and back).

I resolve to use up all the leftovers (especially the fudge and peanut brittle).

I resolve to make every day a special occasion.

I resolve to drink a glass of wine only on special occasions.

I resolve to conserve energy (by sleeping late).

I resolve to keep my house cleaner (and I’ll show Rod just how to do that).

Resolution, schmezolution! Whoever thought that New Year’s thing up?? Let’s shoot ‘um!

BE SURE TO TURN THE SOUND DOWN ON MY GROOVESHARK PLAYLIST BEFORE YOU START THE VIDEO!
The volume control is on the right side of the title of the song playing.

The After Christmas Special

2011-12-29T13:16:00.000-08:00

Emaline entertains us with a little music on Christmas Eve!!

Santa came! And it's only 6 a.m.!!

What's all this stuff?? Where's MINE???

We're off to the golf course to chase some rabbits!!

Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum on the day after Christmas!

The Rogue Speaks:

It's time once again for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday, and Jenny has given us free rein to write something quasi-seasonal if we desire. Every year, I write my BFA a Christmas poem, so I thought I would write one for this week after Christmas (well almost!)as a post for my blog. Joey and Aimee and the twins left on Tuesday to fly back to Kentucky, and we were left all alone with only the memories of our sweet little grandchildren. Now don't get the wrong idea about my attempts at poetry. I have actually, in the past, written some serious stuff, but right now I only want to get a little goofy, so I won't miss my grandbabies so much.

Well, Christmas is over
And all through the house
The doggies are silent—
There’s nothing to grouse
About little kids screaming
And taking their toys
To throw down the hallway
As one of their joys.
The ornaments lay
In their storage container
Then back to the attic.
Well, that’s a no-brainer!
The tree is dismantled
And back in its box.
Rod left out the stockings,
Those old Christmas socks.
The good plates and silver
Are stored in their place,
The dining room buffet,
And the big storage case.
The food was delicious,
But now there are bowls
In each cubic inch that
My freezer can hold.
The house is so quiet,
No cute little tots
To snuggle and read to,
And giving us lots
Of sweet baby kisses,
And sweet baby smiles.
We must be content with
Our big photo files
Of Christmas this year
And the joy that it brought
To make our hearts warmer
And that’s just what it ought
To do at this season
Of joy and of cheer.
Yes, the house is still standing,
SO LET’S HAVE A BEER!!

Actually Rod doesn't drink (gastric reflux--alcohol burns!), and I only drink a very occasional very COLD beer in the heat of the summer. I much prefer wine! But it rhymed, and that's what I was after to close my poem out on a humerous note.

Click here to see the kids and their parents Leaving Arizona:

It is a very short clip--just like the length of their visit here!!

I'm off now to read the other entries!

THE ROGUE'S CAR TRIP

2011-12-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

A Saturday Centus on Christmas Eve? Yeah, like we're just lying around waiting for Santa to come. Well, I do need to get off my feet for a while, so why not? The prompt is in bold type.

Following Rod is like following squirrels. I just never know!! I am driving along, thinking about all the times he has blithely missed a turn. And he had the unmitigated gall to ask me if I knew how to get to the airport!!! Up ahead, I see the exit(?) for Sky Harbor. My goal, keep Rod in sight. No!!Rod, no!!!! TOO LATE! I am cursing! He is oblivious!! Still behind him, I honk the horn!!! Ah! Now he gets it! WRONG EXIT!! He gets off, gets back on, and I am furious!! Once again he has gone into a fugue state behind the wheel and missed a turn. I am screaming profanities at him. And to top it off, the flight is early!! He speeds away! Finally I reach the arrivals! He is no where to be found!! I call him on the cell. The anger in my voice is unmistakable. "Sorry," he says. Up ahead I see parents and children at the curb. I pull in. I heard an angel voice through the chaos and the noise--"Granmommy!!" Christmas has begun!

The Rogue's Christmas Letter

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Does not remotely resemble our house at Christmas!!

The Rogue Speaks:

Dear Friends and Family, It is time again for our annual Christmas letter. A lot of exciting things have happened this year, beginning with the marriage of our step-niece, Irma, to Bud Tugly. Poor Irma still can’t find a job! It’s a good thing that Bud is such an entrepreneur! First he went out and got a license for $15 from PreachersAreUs.com, and then he came up with a very clever idea to make money and stay on the road so he didn’t have to listen to Irma whining about her job status. His wedding chapel on wheels is very popular, and Bud’s raking in money hand over fist! He rolls into towns and sets up outside the local bars just before closing. The he gets out his loudspeaker and starts trolling! Some men will do anything when they’re liquored up! As you know, Rod takes our dog children on a walk every day, but one day, when he was not paying attention, Little Liz got herself in some serious trouble. She was caught by the Oro Valley police dealing dope to folks she met along the way. Rod swears he had no idea what she was up to, and fortunately, Officer Friendly believed him. Liz is now wearing an ankle bracelet until her court date. Joey, Aimee, and the twins are coming to spend Christmas with us, and Rod is in charge of decorating the house and the tree. He couldn’t find the crèche and the Italian figures that I spent an arm and a leg for over 20 years ago, so I had to get a little creative and fashion one from stuff I had on hand. Since it is loaded with salt and preservatives, we can always snack on it after the family goes home. I got the idea from my friend, Jenny Matlock, creator of Alphabe-Thursday. She always makes such neat stuff!! We just got word today that a few distant relatives on my mother's side of the family are on their way here to Tucson for Christmas. I know that charity begins at home, but my home is just not big enough to accomodate these folks. I haven't even seen or heard from them for years, and I'm wondering just how they knew where we were. When we moved from Memphis, we only left an 800 number for family just so relatives couldn't hunt us down. Here's the last photo I took of them. I don't think they have ever been any farther than the Georgia/Alabama state line, and Rod thinks they just might get lost and end up in Mexico. Rod was a big hit with the neighborhood kids when he dressed up as Santa with his little helper. I'm thinking that the twins are still a little young for this sight, so I made him return the suit. The little helper hat was mysteriously ripped to shreds after this photo was taken. No one would confess, but I did notice some tiny teeth marks in what was left of it. Before I sign off, here is a little audio to get you in the Christmas spirit. Before you listen, please go to my playlist on my right sidebar, and turn down the volume for the music. It's on the right where those little bars are!!

I know this isn't my usual borderline insane Christmas letter. I think I really needed a bottle of Bailey's and a straw, but with the state of the economy right now, it's just a little too pricey!

xoxo,
Judie

P.S I almost forgot! Our son, Joey had one of his short stories published, and I'd love for you to read it. It's called "Anoint Your Engine for a Heavenly Ride." Just click on the title, and enjoy! Let me know what you think!!

p.p.s O.k! That link doesn't seem to work all the time! So the website is Ferocious Quarterly Short Works and my son's name is Joseph Mau. Check it out and report back!!

The Rogue's Centus

2011-12-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

"Oh my God, Richard!!! What on earth possessed you?"

"Well, honey, you told me to get a tree, and start decorating. The tree lots were all closed, and it's freezing in the attic where the ornaments are stored. I thought you'd appreciate my creativity!"

"That food was for the party!!!"

Hmmm--it seems I'm not the only one who's getting a little strange this time of the year! Jenny's Saturday Centus for this week seems a little out of character for the Jenny we know and love. But do we really know her? Maybe not!!

My take on the prompt came directly from the fact that Rod does the tree. I want nothing to do with it. For more years than I care to remember, I had a dream of my little family gathering around the tree with a cup of hot cocoa, listening to Christmas music, and helping me place the ornaments on the tree. NOT! I always ended up doing it myself, then having to undress it by myself in January. So, several years ago I announced that I was through! Whoever wanted the tree up was going to have to do it themselves. Of course, that meant Rod. I am not a Christmas person.

Cesar FRANCK

2011-12-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

"Sewing Virgin Mary and Angels" - Guido Reni

The Rogue Speaks:

There certainly are a lot of lessons this week for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday, so rather than give you some long, pedantic biography to wade through, here is my offering:

The music you hear was written by Cesar Franck (1822-1890)who spent his adult life in Paris as an organist and music teacher, as well as a composer.

It is being sung by soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, who has been said to have the voice of an angel.

We are all so busy right now, getting ready for Christmas, that sometimes we forget to take a little time for ourselves. Just sit quietly for a few minutes and give your spirit a chance to renew.

IT IS WHAT IT IS

2011-12-10T07:49:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Jenny really did it to me with this Saturday Centus prompt. I must have stared at it off and on for a good thirty minutes. Nothing came to mind except the truth about Christmas for me. I used to love the season, and I prided myself in picking out just the right gift for each person. They were not expensive gifts, but I wrapped them with creativity. One year, when I was particularly broke, an immediate family member insisted that I absolutely had to buy gifts for everyone, and convinced me to use a credit card to do so. That was my first mistake--listening to a person who had never had my best interest at heart. It was down hill from then on.

Just when I thought things might get better, something else happened, and the downward spiral continued to where it is today.

So here is my offering for this week's Centus. Now don't get all sad and try to comfort me about this. I am sure I am not the only person who feels this way about a holiday that is supposed to be Christian, but has lost that spirit over the years. It is what it is:

I am sad this time of the year. I am not a Christmas person. I used to be. When my children were little, I tried to make Christmas happy, exciting. Our tree, the one with its bare side against the wall, the one marked half-price two days before, drooped with handmade ornaments. Stockings were stuffed with nuts and oranges, and little trinkets. Each child had four gifts--one big and three little. Spread out, it looked like more.

Then something happened, and all the joy left. It doesn't have to be that way, but it is.

E is for EXECRABLE

2011-12-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

This was supposed to be my "D" post until I changed horses in mid-stream.

So for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday this week, I am letting you know exactly how I feel about the dumbing down of America by reality t.v. shows. In my last week's post, I mentioned "Lady Hoggers," those low-class skanks who chase hogs through the woods while wearing tight shirts and hoop earrings. In a recent episode, these two chase a wild boar who is running rampant through an trailer park. Who in God's name came up with the idea for this show? And just who watches it???

A Star is Born!

And speaking of hogs, the sight of men covered head to toe with tats, wearing greasy bandanas on their heads like throw-backs to the Woodstock age, and sporting those muscle shirts, and working on their motorcycles, are starting to give the open road, wind blowing through your hair while bucolic scenery speeds by, a bad name. The name Jesse James comes to mind, since he was part of that show. What a creep! He had a pretty good thing going with Sandra Bullock, but he had to screw it up. Now he says he misses his pals on the tasteless bike show, and he's sorry he left. I think he is just sorry, period, and so is that show!

Be Still My Heart!

Just who are those Kardashians anyway? Their only claim to fame is that their father defended O.J. Simpson and GOT HIM OFF!!! Rod was curious about that show, which I have NEVER seen, and after five minutes he went back to the history channel.

Who ARE These People Anyway???

I grew up in Atlanta, was married there and had children there. I was an Atlanta housewife, a REAL one. I did watch this show for about 10 minutes once, and realized that these were definitely not the genteel southern women I used to know when I lived there. These are women are obsessed with themselves and conspicuous consumption. I was totally disgusted.

White Trash

Then there's Gene Simmons and his Family Jewels. WHO CARES?????

The Dog--Best Man or Maid of Honor??

Joan and Melissa? Puleeze! Give me a break! Enough said.

Only the dumbest of the dumb finds anything of social value in "World's Dumbest Criminals."

As for those court shows, like "Divorce Court," ditto.

"Tori and Dean" are on my list, as is "Bait Car."

So, tell me--just what t.v. shows do you think belongs on this list? I have purposely left some off the list, and want to see what YOU come up with!

Silent Gaze

2011-12-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

Judie, at 16

The Rogue Speaks:

Hmmm--this could be Wordless Wednesday instead of Saturday Centus, because I really have nothing to say about being 16. I think the expression on my face in the photo above says it all. I hope you will visit Jenny Matlock, and read the other offerings for her brilliant sixteen word prompt!!

"D" is for DID You Think I Forgot??

2011-12-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

This is a busy time of year for artists here in Tucson, with a lot of festivals and exhibitions going on, and I have sort of lost track of the days, but it would take an awful lot for me to forget Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday!!

All week I have been planning to write about the DUMB t.v. shows that I have come across when I have had a bout of insomnia--shows like "Lady Hoggers" where two women dress up in tight jeans, sexy shirts, and hoop earrings to chase wild boars through the woods. The operative word here is definitely NOT "lady." There are a lot more of these "dumbing down of America" shows, and I will address more of them in another post.

I changed my mind, however, when I got an email from my son entitled "Yummy." It seems that he has several video clips on YouTube. I highlighted the YouTube in yellow so you can click on the link and go straight to one of his videos of two of my beautiful grandchildren, henceforth know as "The Twins." My son's name is Joey Mau, and he has other videos listed on the right sidebar at YouTube, so check those out as well.

I had quite an exciting email from Terra at Sitting on an Oak, telling me that I had won THREE of her recently published children's books! I really wanted those books for The Twins! If you have children or grandchildren, you will want to get all of these books for them as well. Just go to Campbell Lawson(her pen name), and just below the header, the books can be found. Click on each one and read about them!!

I know this is nothing like my usual Thursday posts--it's really an olio (as opposed to oleo, which is margarine), a hodge podge, but after Holidazzle is over on Sunday night, I can get back into my blogging mode. Too bad you can't be here to come to the reception tomorrow night at the Hilton, in the Johsua Room. It looks pretty darned good in there! Lots of fine art and fine crafts! A Christmas shopper's delight. I'll have photos on Sunday!

Now go check out the other students' homework at Jenny's blog!!

The Black Friday Thief

2011-11-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I awoke this morning to news of all the badness Black Friday brought to many people. A woman pepper sprayed shoppers who were waiting for the table of goods she was guarding to be uncovered. In other stories, people were trampled, and some were robbed of their purchases. A grandfather in Phoenix was beaten by police because they thought he was trying to steal a video game when he tucked it into his waistband to free his hands to help his grandson. Other shoppers were horrified and jumped to his defense. The Christmas season?? Come on, people! Is all this "stuff" that important?? Is THIS the spirit of Christmas you want your children to learn?

Many employees were angered upon learning that they were expected to be at work at 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving day. Many of them missed Thanksgiving dinner with their families because they needed to catch some sleep before going to work at night.

Other workers, like little Michelle, ended their day so totally exhausted, that their brains were completely numb. The following is Michelle's story. Remember that we have a limit of 100 words and the prompt is in bold type.

The Black Friday Thief

Black Friday was winding down. The Burger Barn had been crammed with customers and Michelle’s feet were screaming. So many orders! Her fingers were sore from working the register, and her head was swimming.

“Hey! Wake up!” a voice whispered loudly, and Michelle saw a scruffy man in a wool cap standing there. He had a gun, and was pointing it at her. “Empty the register!” he demanded.

Michelle, her brain foggy from the long day, did as he said, and stuffed the day’s receipts into a burger bag.

“Would you like fries with that?” she asked, in a stupor.

Now head over to Jenny's Saturday Centus to read more offerings. You may even write one of your own! I'll be waiting to see it!!

Brain Damage in the Electronic Age- A Thanksgiving Post

2011-11-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

So many things are obsolete these days--records, and record players have all but disappeared, having gone the way of tape players, VCR's, 8 Tracks, etc. One can now open and close blinds or drapes with a remote control, turn on lights, and unlock doors, and start one's car from inside the house. We have become slaves to the electronic age. These things are supposed to make our lives easier. Convenience has come with a price, however. It has destroyed a portion of one's brain, and has stripped it of the knowledge of simple everyday things that served us well for hundreds of years.

I had an appointment at 11:45 today to get my hair cut. At 11:22, I went into the garage to get into my car. The door would not open. It was locked, and because I always leave my car windows open when I park in the garage, I reached inside to unlock the door. Nada! Nothing! I am still locked out! Then I reached in and put the key in the ignition and tried to start the car. Nada! Nothing!

I raced into the house and called to change my appointment, and then called AAA. They were out within 30 minutes. They had replaced my battery only a month ago, so they knew right where I lived. He asked for the keys to my car. I handed them over. He then TOOK THE KEY AND UNLOCKED THE DOOR. I felt like a blithering idiot! Not once did it ever occur to me to USE THE KEY! My brain has been damaged by the electronic age!!

He checked everything out and the car was fine. He surmised that the proximity warning device had been accidentally activated by a PACK RAT. Funny, because while driving to Target a few days ago, I heard a strange noise in the back, where I am always hauling around paintings, and art supplies. My heart stopped! I was terrified that at any moment a pack rat was going to jump on my head from the back seat, and begin gnawing on my face, causing me to wet myself and wreck my car. I quickly parked and gingerly starting rearranging things in the back. I found nothing there, but that doesn't mean there wasn't one hiding somewhere.

So this is my thought for Thanksgiving: I am thankful that even in this electronic age, there are still the simple things in our lives that will work for us when electronics fail us. If only we can remember to USE THEM!!!

Blessings? Blessings!!

2011-11-19T15:55:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I had to really mull over this one. Today, I have a pretty bad attitude! I have certain rules by which I run my life, and when someone scoffs at those rules, it makes me more than pissy. That was the case today. I will not go into details, but when I got home from my meetings this morning, I was not a happy camper. So I sent my pissy self into a fugue state and tried to gain control of the situation. That took some time, but eventually it kinda sorta worked. I am calmer, but not completely satisfied.

Yes, I broke the rules. I have too many words! But, so what? I NEED to get my point across, and I don't think Jenny will flog me for this. So here is my offering for Jenny's Saturday Centus. Please be kind!

'WE GATHER TOGETHER TO ASK THE LORD'S BLESSING'…

The words of the hymn came drifting out of the door of the Gospel Rescue Mission. Alexis, with her three children in tow, paused briefly to hear the last refrain, and then continued on toward the spot that she had “reserved” underneath the overpass near “the five,” the name given by the natives for interstate 5 in Los Angeles.

“Outsourced” had been the buzz-word when Alexis was told that her job had ended. The Gospel Rescue Mission was full—no more beds available tonight, so her little family had been relegated to sleeping amidst the fumes from the trucks passing through the city.

“I’m not alone,” she reasoned. “There are probably more than a handful of those 99% who are struggling tonight. At least my children know how much I love them! How many of the one per-centers can say that? There ARE things to be thankful for!”

COLLECTING - PUT THAT BACK!!

2011-11-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

This has been one wild week so far, and I have barely had time to turn around. Consequently, I realized that I had not prepared my Alphabe-Thursday post for Jenny's blog. I was so exhausted last night, that I slept hard and didn't get up until about a hour ago. I have a couple of meetings today, and so I decided that I would reprint one of my posts from 2010 as my offering this week. If you remember, Ames brought me a couple of packages of cocktail napkins when she came for a visit, and I added them to my obscenely vast collection. So, without further commentary, here is my offering:

I am embarrassed to admit that one of my weaknesses is cocktail napkins. But they can't be just any cocktail napkins--they have to have some silly (or sage) phrase, and/or picture on them. Whenever I go shopping at a certain store in town, I head straight for the napkins. I was in that store today, and found some I thought I could not live without.

That voice! I HATE that voice! It spoils all my fun! You know the one I mean--the one in your head that reminds you that you already have a whole shelf in the kitchen just stacked with an item that you crave, so PUT THAT BACK!

Before I discovered cocktail napkins, my passion was poultry. For a while, everyone was giving me chickens, chicks, roosters, etc., to put in my niche above the cabinets. Then one day I discovered that eventually you have to get the ladder, climb to the top rung, and dust every one of those non-essential items or they begin to look grungy. Dusting high places has never appealed to me, and especially dusting things that are non-essential. Bye-bye, chickens!

Cocktail napkins don't get dusty, because they are wrapped in cellophane, and tucked away on a cabinet shelf. Even after you open them, you can put what you don't use in a zip-lock bag, all ready for the next time. That "next" time has become a problem, because I don't entertain nearly as much as I used to, and I have a cabinet shelf filled with cocktail napkins that will probably not be used in my lifetime.

I thought everyone would just love those cute napkins at parties. But you know what happens? They grab a napkin to put their drinks on, and the cuteness goes unnoticed. I could put out squares of toilet paper instead, and that would work just as well.

The only person who seems to appreciate my napkins is my Best Friend Artist. She always laughs and tells me how cute they are. So, to get around the fact that the last thing I needed to buy today were more cocktail napkins, I bought her a couple of packages for her birthday. Of course, it isn't until May, but I just told that voice to shut up because this was different--it wasn't for me. Don't you think that makes it all right?

Shhhh! Don't tell her what she's getting! I want it to be a surprise!

Changing What's Real ( in a clumsy kind of way)

2011-11-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

My fabulous photographer friend, Mari Sterling Wilbur, turned me on to the blog "The Other Side Of Anna." Anna sponsors a monthly post about altering photographs using all those great digital programs that are available now. I am not good at following all the complicated directions, and so I end up doing the most simple things possible to alter my photos. I use these altered images to create some of my paintings. I haven't painted the image below as of yet, but I plan to in the future. Meanwhile, it is stored away in my clip file.

The image is of my son Jeff's chicken coop.

I must have cropped this photo for some reason unknown to me now, but below is the altered version of the ORIGINAL original in the style one might see in a pastel. This version brings out values that are important to me in painting. It also brings out certain colors that are not evident in the original piece.

This manipulation was not at all as complex as the more experienced photographers' work, so I decided to add another example that I did several years ago, when I was not so consumed with "old-timers" issues, and could occasionally remember how to work some of the gizmos on the programs. The photo below is of two of my children. As you can tell, it is VERY old! I combined it with the next photo, taken in Sedona about 10 years ago. After placing my two children in the photo, I did some painting on them and their surroundings to produce what I call "Wonderland."

I am really quite a simpleton when it comes to digital manipulation. You can tell that fact is blatantly true! But it is fun to play around with. I basically use programs to take the wrinkles out of photos of all us old people. Perhaps if I had learned all about the programs the way my son Joey did, back when he was in high school and college, I would be better at it! Oh, well! Now you can go to Anna's blog and see the work of some EXPERTS! Thanks for your patience!

IN DEFENSE OF CHILDREN

2011-11-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

When I woke up this morning, I actually couldn't remember what day it was. It has been that kind of week. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it! So I sat down at the computer and saw Jenny's Saturday Centus challenge. Thank God I didn't see "Sundays with Steve," or I would have gone back to bed crying!! There has been a lot of pollen in the air and I have had a headache for four days now. After a couple of aspirin and some black coffee, I whipped out my answer to Jenny's challenge:

THIS CHILD'S COACH HAS A SECRET

IN DEFENSE OF CHILDREN

“Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease! Please make my mom show up so coach doesn’t make me ride home with him!” Lissa’s inner voice was screaming in her head as her eyes scanned the parking lot for her mother’s car.

The soccer coach lived two doors down from Lissa and her family. He and Lissa’s father played poker once a week, and before his wife divorced him and disappeared with their two daughters, she and Lissa’s mother had been sort of friends.

After every play, Lissa crained her neck, looking for her mother’s car. Then she saw it. “Thank you, God,“ she said quietly.

With all the news coming out of Penn State lately, I felt compelled to write about this issue. People who sexually abuse children are the scum of the earth, and they all should be made to pay dearly for their disgusting behavior. Life in prison is way too good for them.

There is another issue, however, that in my opinion is also disgusting, and that is the issue of the people who KNOW what is going on and fail to act appropriately. These people who, for whatever reason, choose to place their standing above that of a child, are selfish cowards. Every adult has a responsibility to expose child sexual abuse (or any other form of abuse), no matter the cost. Our children are our future, and they should always be kept safe, so they can grow up healthy and happy, and live loving and productive lives.

B is for Being Yourself

2011-11-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I have a friend who publishes a wonderful blog. Her name is Joann Mannix. Her blog is called Laundry Hurts My Feelings, and when you have a chance, please go check it out. I am stealing some stuff from her today for my lesson for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. I'm reading along about her trip to Sonoma and Napa today, occasionally shooting coffee out my nose at her funny self, and then I come across the perfect idea for my "B" post:

"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life...Don't let the noises of other people's opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Steve Jobs

When you have children and a spouse, and the responsibilities that come with family life, sometimes you find that you have put your own life on the back burner to accomodate other people. Don't forget, though, that you also have a responsibility to yourself. If there are things that you have always wanted to do, activities you have always wanted to participate in, don't wait too long. The older we get, the faster the days get away from us, and eventually the things that we wanted to accomplish seem like only distant and unfulfilled memories.

I always like to have some music to go along with my posts, and while I was trying to come up with something for this one, I realized that I already had it. So I am leaving the selection from my last post up for you to listen to and enjoy.

His Window

2011-11-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I am so far behind this week! I was late posting my "A" word, and could not in all good conscience start writing my Centus until I had read all the other "A.s." Whew! That was a monumental task! There were a lot of great ones, however, and well worth the effort!

Now, on to my offering for this week's Saturday Centus:

Jeremy sat in his chair by the window, looking out on the soccer field below. Despite the bright warmth of the early autumn day, he was wrapped snuggly in a soft, cozy blanket.

The young players were running, calling to each other, kicking, and cheering. It looked like so much fun. Jeremy's mind began to wander, and he saw himself on that field, kicking the ball into the net. If only that could happen!

“Sweetie, are you o.k.? Do you need anything?” Jeremy’s mom called out from the doorway.

Jeremy turned, and said in a small voice, “New legs.”

Aedes Aegypti

2011-11-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

"Breast Cancer Know No Boundaries" Judie McEwen

The Rogue Speaks:

First, let me give you the information for the "Breasts for Life," the on-line auction being held at Toscana Gallery. The Auction runs till Nov. 29. Click on the link and just see the creativity of the artists participating in this important fundraiser for breast cancer research. If you have any questions about the auction, please ask me!! If you would like to make a bid on one of the pieces, I will be happy to help you with that as well.

Now, on to my Alphabe-Thursday offering--aedis aegypti!

She certainly is fashionable in her black and white checked outfit! But she can be quite deadly if she happens to suck your blood while carrying West Nile virus. Yes, I know that it is no longer summer, and mosquitos have gone into hiding for a few months, but this happens to be a pretty interesting "A" word, so I thought I would use it. She also carries yellow fever, malaria, dengue fever, encephyllitis, and a few other terrible illnesses. Her husband, however, doesn't carry anything but sperm to make more mosquitoes. He only drinks nectar, while she is the blood sucker!!

There are thousands of species of mosquitoes, but only 43 of them are the vector for West Nile virus. Here is a photo of Aedes Albopictus, another carrier:

She appears to be dressed in red with a checkered shawl, with black and white leggings, but I suspect that red is someone's blood!

The culex pipiens can also carry West Nile.

I did not take this photo, even though the leg that is being bitten looks suspiciously like mine after a week of not shaving. This girl looks a little drab, compared to the others, doesn't she?

Even though mosquito season is over for most of us on the North American continent, it is summer in some parts of the world, and mosquitoes can be a serious problem.

In an all-out effort to prevent malaria from mosquitoes here in Tucson, I make a concerted effort to always take quinine in the form of vodka tonics. I don't know if it works for West Nile, but I'm hopin'!!

Toscana Gallery "Pause for Beauty"

2011-10-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Paintings along the desert trail, Toscana Gallery Reception

The Rogue Speaks:

Well, the show was FABULOUS! We had a huge crowd, and the tables in the studio were laden with food. The wine was seriously flowing! The desert trail was alive with lights and art, and the gallery simply glowed with beautiful paintings! The breast castings are below:

I was seriously humbled at having received a ribbon for one of my paintings. It really blew me away, because there were such beautiful works of art to choose from. Here are a few photos of some of the entries:

The breast castings will be put on-line, and may be bid on until November 29. Once they are on-line, I will give you all a heads-up so you will have a chance to bid for this most important cause. All proceeds will go directly to breast cancer research, so please consider making a bid.

We had a harpist for our entertainment, and she also had a beautiful singing voice. We were all enthralled!

The bartender was kept pretty busy!

Our next show at Toscana will be in the spring. I hope it is as successful as this one!

Black Hole

2011-10-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I just can't leave well enough alone. A totally black photo? Nonononono! No can do! It is against my nature! Without further ado, here is my 25 word offering for Jenny's Saturday Centus, Halloween Edition:

"But Mom! Everybody's doing it!"

"Flying your supersonic broom into a black hole is NOT an option! And don't roll your eyes at me, Missy!!"

Tomorrow I will be reporting on the reception at Toscana Gallery tonight. The gallery is holding a benefit for breast cancer, with a silent auction of work by 26 artists, me included. We are expecting over 200 patrons to be present at this event. Be sure to check it out, because I will be showing you a photo of my work. Don't check back too early, though. This has been a whirlwind week for me and I plan to sleep in in the morning!!

Oh! Here's some late-breaking news! Our son, Keil, carved this pumpkin:

The Big AUTUMN Reveal

2011-10-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Well, it seems that the Drive-By Face Lift place was closed down by the health department, so I decided that I would just be myself yesterday for the fun outing Jenny and Ames and I had been planning for about a month. After all, these were my "sisters of the heart" and they certainly would be non-judgemental when they saw how much I had aged since my Cancun photo from 2010 was taken. Sometimes, the aging process just sneaks up and drives a steam roller over your body, but thankfully it leaves your young at heart spirit nice and smooth and happy.

We had soooo much fun! It was as if we had all been childhood friends who had been separated for a while, and had recently found each other again.

The two of them came into Tucson bearing gifts:

I got fabulous olive oil made right in AZ, wine glass charms, cocktail napkins for my collection, and a darling wind chime with really glam flipflops on it. But what I got the most of was wonderful blogsisterly love. Now that's something to last a lifetime!

We had a wonderful lunch, with some excellent wine, then we all drove to Toscana Gallery to preview the breast cancer event that is taking place this weekend. Then we went to my house and had little, teeny-tiny slivers of a sinfully rich chocolate peanut butter torte that a friend had made for Bunco the night before.

We definitely plan to do this again!!! Thanks, sisters, for a memorable day!!

O.k., so I cheated here and turned this into an autumn story for this Thursday's post for Jenny's blog. So those of you who read it earlier will see a slight change in the title. I'm old. I'm allowed.

Bunco, Halloween-style!!

2011-10-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Bunco is a mindless dice game that enables folks to talk and play at the same time. I had 4 tables of ladies here last night, and appropriately we had two "ghosts" to replace two absent members. Below, you will see photos of a few of the guests "en masquerade."

Cat and Mouse

Card Shark

Sleepy Gal

Jail Bird

Dracula's Sister

Fifties Housewife

Kindergarten Teacher

Biker Babe

Edwina Scissorhands, Mother of Edward

Let's Play "Gossip"

2011-10-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

“Nadine! Don’t you know this girl?”

My daughter stood transfixed, her eyes wide in amazement. The newscaster announced that a popular teen had been found hanging in her closet, dead.

Nadine’s eyes filled with tears. “She was a cheerleader at my school. I didn’t know her personally. She was very popular, though.”

“Why did she do it, I wonder! Those poor parents! She was their only child!”

“Someone told a lie about her,” whispered Nadine.

“Who would do such a thing?

“It was me. I did it. I planted a little story seed.”

“Oh, Nadine!! Why?”

“I was jealous, “ she said, with shame and regret.

This is quite an interesting prompt that Jenny Matlock has given us for this Saturday Centus. Please read the other offerings. They are fascinating and varied!!

Pensive Autumn

2011-10-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

"Autumn on the Little Pigeon River--Photo by Judie McEwen

The Rogue Speaks:

I grew up in the southeast, and lived not only in Georgia, but Tennessee as well. One of my favorite places to visit in the fall has always been the Great Smoky Mountains, and particularly Gatlinburg. The town of Gatlinburg is way over-commercialized from that little village I knew when I was younger, but I still love to drive through it to get to the Little Pigeon River.

The Great Smoky Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountains. The "Smoky" part comes from the natural fog that hangs over the mountains. The fog is a result of warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. In the lower elevations, hardwoods abound, and the autumn, the forests are alive with brilliant red, orange, and yellow leaves. The Great Smokies are also home to the densest population of black bears in the eastern United States.

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is located on U.S. Route 441, AKA "The Parkway." That road will take one straight into the Smokies, and it follows the Little Pigeon River. It is such a lovely and peaceful area any time of the year, but in the fall, when the trees are cloaked in their finest fall fashions, and there is a bit of a chill in the air, a calm hangs over the landscape, and makes one feel at peace with nature and the world.
"A River Runs Through It" photo by Judie McEwen

FRIENDSHIP AFTER LOVE

"After the fierce mid-summer, all ablaze,
Has burned itself to ashes, and expires
In the intensity of its own fires,
There come the mellow, mild St. Martin days,
Crowned with the calm of peace, but sad with haze.
So after love has left us till he tires
Of his own throes and torments and desires,
Comes large-eyed friendship. With a restful gaze,
He beckons us to follow, and across
Cool verdant vales we wander, free from care.
Is it a touch of frost lies in the air?
Why are we haunted with a sense of loss?
We do not wish the pain back, or the heat,
And yet, and yet, these days are incomplete"

Ella Wheeler Wilcox
(1850 - 1919)

"Cade's Cove" Photo by Judie McEwen

Now that you have seen my visions of autumn, please go to Jenny's blog, and check out the rest of the offerings. I know they will be wonderful!!

REUNION

2011-10-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I knew he was waiting for me. I could feel his essence prickling my neck. It was silent in the grove, save for the call of a crow to its mate, and I could smell the pungent, familiar aroma of dry pine straw beneath the trees.

The floorboards creaked as I approached the door. Silently, he appeared and held out his hand. I touched his fingers, and a current ran through me, to that deep, secret place. I gasped. I could taste the sweat on his lip.

In the decrepitude of that dwelling, everything was once again fresh and new.

Z is for ZARF!!!

2011-10-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

All of my boys' childhood friends know what a zarf is. When we lived in Chicago, the winters were brutal! Lots of snow and ice to contend with, and not a lot of driving to be done if one could help it. Kids always seemed to congregate at our house, and it was up to me to entertain them. We had a running Scrabble game going, and the rules were a little different for these young teens and pre-teens. They were allowed to use the dictionary to find words, BUT if they used the word, they had to define it and use it in a sentence. We made English FUN for these kids. They didn't even realize they were actually LEARNING something!!

So now on to my "z" word--ZARF! A zarf is a holder for a handleless coffee/tea cup. Zarfs have traditionally been used in the middle east. They are made from silver, or gold, brass, and occasionally wood. They can also contain jewels or precious stones.

You have probably used a contemporary zarf yourself. Check out the example below!

Doesn't that look familiar?? And there is an even more streamlined version as well:

Zarfs are great for keeping your hands from being burned from that hot coffee cup. Even Starbucks uses a form of a zarf--that cardboard sleeve--so they won't get sued by the customer! Remember the McDonald's lawsuit??

The best thing about the word ZARF, though, is the fact that it can be worth as much as 78 points when you use it in Scrabble!

Well, that's all I have for today! Please be sure to read the other offerings for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. I tried to keep this short so you would have plenty of time to check them out!

REVERIE

2011-10-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

In the blessed coolness of an October evening, we lounged on the patio. The sounds of the Friday night football game at the high school drifted over the darkened houses. Our life had changed in the last several years, and the desire to start fresh, in a new place, was mixed with a sense of longing for the not-too-distant past. We were younger then, and more energetic. Now the excitement of living away from our roots had begun to wear thin.

The desert is a beautiful place, but it can be dangerous. If the heat doesn’t get you, then the critters just might!

Just so you know, this is a work of fiction for Jenny's Saturday Centus. We don't actually sit outside at night, because I am scared of snakes, gila monsters, and scorpions, all of which live in close proximity to us on a daily basis. We actually had a gila monster try to get in our slider to the bedroom one night. They are the only poisonous lizard on this continent.

I hope you found my offering at least mildly interesting, but for some REALLY GOOD STUFF, now go read the rest!!!

Y is for YEARLY BATH

2011-10-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Life in the 1500's was certainly tough! For one thing, people generally only bathed once a year, in May. By then, those folks were smelling pretty ripe!! Weddings were held in June, because the bride and groom, having had their yearly bath in May, were still smelling reasonably o.k. There was a slight odor, however, and to cover that smell, brides began carrying bouquets of sweet smelling flowers!! This sounds like a pretty good story to me, and it is one of several floating around as to why brides carry flowers down the aisle!!

Speaking of those yearly baths, they consisted of a big tub of hot soapy water. The man of the house always had the first bath, while the water was still clean. Then, because of the chauvinistic society, the sons had their baths. Then the women and children got their chance to scrub off a year's worth of grime. Finally, it was the baby's turn. By that time, the water was so scummy, that one could not see the bottom of the tub. Now you know where the expression "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!" came from.

It's been a pretty long day for me, what with my abstract class, and delivering flowers and a card to Dr. Nunn for saving Little Liz's life after she was bitten by the rattlesnake, then getting my Alphabe-Thursday offering ready for publication. Now I am ready for a nice hot shower--my second one today! Aren't we lucky????

HOMELESS

2011-10-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

“I’m freezing!” she cried, teeth chattering.

“She’s having chills with this fever,” he thought.

“I’m thirsty,” she whimpered, and he put the water to her parched lips.

“I know it’s been four years, but they really need to know how sick you are,” he said earnestly.

“It’s no use. I’m not welcome there any longer. They threw me out! Said not to come back until I was clean and sober!”

“You’ve been clean for two years now. Tell them! You need antibiotics and some nourishing food! Please!”

“Oh, o.k.,” she said, weakly, and recited the number for him to dial.

“The number you’ve reached is no longer in service…”

Isn't it sad to see homeless teens? Oh, you know what??? I can't write this! I have no idea how parents can cope with a teen out of control! I tried, but wasn't successful. Please read the other offerings for Jenny's Saturday Centus, because I guarantee they are a lot more entertaining than mine. Sorry!!

p.s. Blogger is screwing with us again, and I am having a lot of difficulty leaving comments. Please know that I read every offering and comment. Hopefully this is only a temporary annoyance!!

XANTHOPHYLL

2011-09-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

"Desert Autumn" by Robert Wood (1889 - 1979)

The Rogue Speaks:

We all learned about chlorophyll in elementary school science class, so we know why leaves are green, but there is another very important component, xanthophyll, that makes leaves, flowers, fruits, and vegetables turn yellow by acting to moderate light energy.

When animals (including ourselves) ingest plant material containing the xanthophylls, it is metabolized and shows up in various ways. The macula lutea in our eye absorbs the xanthophylls, and is called the "yellow spot." You've been hearing a lot lately about lutein being good for our eyes, and it is one of the xanthophylls. Likewise, when chickens take in certain feed that is filled with xanthophylls, the eggs readily absorb it, causing the egg "yellow" to turn that yummy color!

The beautiful yellow leaves of fall, as seen in the painting by Robert Wood, come to us complements of the xanthophylls. Yes, we actually do have the theater of the seasons in the desert!! Van Gogh was grateful for xanthophylls, but he didn't realize it at that time in history.

When we lived in Tennessee, one of our favorite fall trips took us to the mountains to view the fall colors.

That's about all I have to say on the subject of xanthophyll, but in case you are interested, lycopene is what makes those beautiful RED fall leaves.

Please don't forget to check out the other entries for Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday this week. Oh, and in case you are interested, PLEASE click here to see my offering for Whimsical Wednesday! I'd love to have your reaction!!

Whimsical Wednesday -- "What Tha'...??"

2011-09-28T03:24:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I had this photo on my left side-bar for a while with the question, "What Is This?" but no one seemed to know! I thought I would throw it in the Whimsical Wednesday mix to see if anyone bit! No, it is not one of those scary creatures from the show "River Monsters!"

Befor I got my new and better computer with all the fancy-shmancy programs on it, I used to love to play with altering and painting some of my photos. Now I haven't a clue just how to do much of anything but blog, because all the photo programs are WAY TOO COMPLICATED for me to understand.

For more whimsical offerings, please check out dt haase's Whimsical Wednesday.

Now, here is the great reveal of just what the creature really is:

This is a close up of a section of trunk from a giant Saguaro cactus growing in my neighborhood!!!

SO LONG, SCUM-BAG!!!!

2011-09-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Jenny thought I would jump right on this Saturday Centus prompt this morning, but I have gotten behind in my post reading this week, and wanted to try to get caught up, first. If you haven't read my Thursday post, please do, and you'll see why I am a little behind.

Since we have more words to work with today, I am just going to jump right in with my "conversation:"

"Where have you been??? I've been sitting here for thirty minutes!!"

"Long story. Let me have a drink, and then we'll talk. Waiter! Vodka Martini with three olives. Oh, and just wave the vermouth cork over the glass. Thanks."

"You look like you've been 'shot at and missed, and.....'"

"Don't!! Don't finish that line! That is exactly the way I feel! Do you have aspirin?"

"Sorry. Did you eat today? Do you want an appetizer? You shouldn't drink on an empty stomach!"

“Whatever.”

“So what’s going on????”

“Dirk and I are through. Remember that trip he took to Singapore? Well, he wasn’t alone. The president of the overseas branch called, looking for him, and he told me how much he enjoyed meeting me. I told him I’d have Dirk call.”

“Does Dirk know he called?”

“Ohhhh, yessss! He’s home, packing. Waiter!”

“Are you seriously ordering another Martini?”

“Guess not. Just the check, please.”

“Oh! You’re crying!!”

I AM A WONK!!

2011-09-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/WONK - a person preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field; broadly : nerd

When it comes to orientation--MY orientation--I am a wonk. I freak out a little when I don't know exactly where I am. I even have a compass. No, sillies! Not the art and geometry kind! I have a north south east west compass. I have to know EXACTLY where the sun is rising in the morning. I want to know in just what direction I am going when I am driving. Yes, I admit it--I have a fear of getting lost. When I am going south in Tucson, I am very careful to keep the Catalinas on my left. That way, when I am heading for home, they will be on my right.

The Great Pyramids are aligned to magnetic north. Each face of each pyramid is in alignment with the rotation of the earth. The word for pyramid means "fire in the middle" in Latin. I am not going to bore you with all the stuff I know about the special properties of the pyramids. Let me just say that I am seriously obsessed with magnetic north and just how it affects our lives.

I am also obsessed with time. I have clocks in every room in my house, and one room actually has THREE clocks. I want to know EXACTLY what time it is. I have a clock on my nightstand that sets itself daily by the satellite, which calculates the time in different time zones by Greenwich Mean Time.

The only problem with the satellite is that it doesn't know Arizona doesn't participate in Daylight Savings Time, so twice a year I have to alter my time zone to accomodate that stupid satellite.

We've had quite a traumatic week here so far. Liz was bitten in the mouth by a rattlesnake and has been in the hospital since early this morning. She is home now, after two vials of antivenon, despite the fact that she only weighs four pounds and thirteen ounces. The smallest dose for antivenon is for a dog weighing five pounds.

I hope you don't think that I am a complete nutcase, but I really love
Alphabe-Thursday.. Please check out the other offerings. We really put a lot of effort into our posts, and if you want us to respond to yours, well just get with the program!!!

P.S. This should really freak you out--I don't wear a watch!!!!!

Whimsical Wednesday - Carved Gourd Bird

2011-09-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

My offering for this week's Whimsical Wednesday is another gourd. This one is made in the form of a bird, and contains the body feathers of a peacock on his head and chest. This fellow is sitting on a piece of wood that I found in the desert. Gourds lend themselves to all sorts of creative endeavors!

Please visit dt haase's blog to see more offerings.

Jenny's Cruel Prompt

2011-09-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I hate to actually say it, but Jenny Matlock has a mean streak as wide as a skunk's stripe! She has really done it this time! She has brought us to our knees for this Saturday Centus. Oh, the humiliation! Grown-ups composing little songs about fall to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star!!

Well, just suck it up, Centusians! Swallow your pride! We are all creative adults, and we can do this! In fact, I did a couple, neither of which I am particularly proud. But, what the heck! It's only one Saturday out of many, right?

I have hung back long enough, I guess. Please don't judge me too harshly.

Autumn Nights

In the autumn I am glad
Summer’s heat’s no longer bad.
Later comes the morning light!
Fall makes sleeping a delight!

The best news about autumn today is that Rod no longer has to sleep with one eye opened to make sure I don't sneak out of bed at night and turn the air conditioning down to "icy" so I can sleep without sticking to the sheets with sweat. No matter how quiet I am, 9 nights out of 10, he will hear me, and make an exaggerated sigh, indicating that the electric bill will be HUGE this month! Well, I don't care! Sleeping in comfort is extremely important to me!!!

That's it for today! Time to read all the other offerings!

The painting you see is by John William Godward (1861 - 1922)

V is for Victuals!!

2011-09-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Victuals To Nourish The Senses

I would feel malnourished if I did not have all the muses in my life. Visual art, in all forms, nourishes us through our eyes. Van Gogh may have thought that eating paint was nourishing, but unfortunately all that lead he consumed by putting his brushes in his mouth did nothing for his longevity, and probably contributed to his early demise. Viewing art, however, is wonderfully nourishing for our senses. Having art around us in our lives, seeing it, feeling it in sculpture, just seems to make us feel better.

Musical victuals are music to our ears! You do not have to be a lover of classical music to be nourished. Popular composers, their music and lyrics, speak to the hearts of so many people these days. Their songs can make you happy and dance around, or peaceful and loving, or a little weepy when they have special meaning for a certain time in your life. Music nourishes our hearts.

The music you hear is by one of my favorite composers, Vaughn Williams. Actually, I like all kinds of music with the exception of heavy metal.

I love to read, as you all know. I have always been a very fast reader, so my summer reading list is always very long. Thanks to my Kindle, our back seat is no longer stacked with bags of books when we travel. Books are victuals for our minds, and that is why we are known to devour them.

Stage productions and films are victuals as well. Acting is a very difficult art to master, and a good play or film can not only nourish our minds but our spirits as well. It can be food for thought, as the film Thirteen Days was for me. This film is based on the Cuban missile crisis, and gives one a good look at just what went on in the White House during that time when Kennedy was President. If you look closely in the lower right-hand corner of the photo below, you will see the Ocean Spray guy! He played Dean Rusk in the film.

I always wanted to be able to dance, but I am a total klutz with a very poor sense of balance. I step on my own feet! The skill and athleticism with which dancers perform, their grace and spirit, always leaves me in awe of their talent. I come away from a performance feeling like I just ate some chocolate!!

After writing this post, I am so full that I might just have to skip dinner tonight! My senses are just stuffed to the gills.

I hope you have enjoyed my offering for Alphabe-Thursday. There are a lot more offerings on Jenny's blog to choose from, so get busy!

Whimsical Wednesday - When Pigs Fly

2011-09-14T03:06:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I'm afraid the photo of my flying pig is not the best! Way too much glare! Too late now, though, because I made this piece for my granddaughter a couple of years ago, and it sits on her dresser, in Tennessee. I threw the body as a closed form, then added the nose, ears, and feet. Finally I cut a slot in the top for all her savings. The underside of the pig has a latex plug, so she can take her money out to buy something special. When making my spirit masks, I use a lot of feathers, so I had some on hand to create the wings for this little piggy. My spirit masks are more spiritual than whimsical, but I may post one for your edification and enjoyment at a later date.

Please visit dt.hasse's Whimsical Wednesday to see all the other offerings. We put a lot of thought into our posts each week, and we would like to know that they are appreciated. Your comments mean a lot to everyone who posts an entry each week, so please try to visit these artists to let them know what you think of their creations!

GAMES OF CHILDHOOD

2011-09-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

The last games of “Swing the Statue” and “Mother May I” ended, and the grassy field had fallen silent. Children scattered to their homes for dinner, and Graham found himself standing quite alone. His mother had not called him home to eat, and there was no one waiting to teasingly scold him for the grass stains on his clothes, and the dust and grime on his face and hands.

Howard, his “uncle,” was there, however. Sitting in a drunken stupor, with belt in hand, he waited grimly for Graham to come through the door. The summer games of childhood came with a price.

Enjoy this prompt, Centusians, while you can! We've been threatened this week by Jenny to give us an evil one for next week! On the other hand, she's threatened us in the past, and we've always come through with flying colors!! We'll just have to wait and see, eh? In the meantime, be sure to read and comment on ALL the offerings for Saturday Centus. I do, and so should you.

U is for UNDIES!!

2011-09-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Undies began as the simple loincloth. It was a piece of animal skin that was brought up between the legs and tied around the waist with sinew or a vine. I'm sure that Jane was delighted with the look!

The loincloth remained popular for quite some time. King Tut was buried with 147 of them in his tomb. Men wore them in ancient Rome, and so did women, with the addition of a breast cloth.

In the Middle Ages, men and women both wore braies, which looked like long, loose shorts.

During the Renaissance, clausses were invented. A codpiece was added for the men's version, which you see in the example below. I don't think they came in that color, though.

Medieval women wore a chemise along with braies that covered their legs.

With the 16th century came the invention of corsets. These uncomfortable contraptions containing cane or bone stays were obviously the idea of some male chauvinist, who wanted to keep his wife on the verge of fainting from not being able to take a deep breath!!

In the 1900's, designers took out the hated whale bone and women sighed with relief.

In 1913, Mary Phelps Jacob invented the bra by sewing two handkerchiefs together. The bra tied in the back with ribbon.

During that time, bloomers came along and were made popular by the Gibson Girls.

In the 20's, bloomers became shorter, and were known as step-ins. Thanks to the flappers of that decade, the era of sexy lingerie began.

In the 50's and 60's, bras were designed to emphasize women's breast. If I had been a young fellow who had never seen a naked woman back then, this vision would be a little frightening. Those things look like they could put out an eye!!

During that time, women's hip huggers and bikini panties were invented, and were made of nylon, adding to the sex appeal.

In the 70's, manufacturers began creating what I call "punitive underwear." Pantyhose were invented, along with the "teddy," which was supposed to be very sexy, but had snaps at the crotch. As far as I am concerned, that garment was very uncomfortable, and was not particularly flattering for many women, unless they were lingerie models for Frederick's of Hollywood.

O.k., yeah, I owned a couple. But after a few very uncomfortable evenings, they mysteriously disappeared in the washer! Darn!!!

In the 1990's, panties became even MORE brief, and the thong became very popular with the younger set. Frankly, I wouldn't be caught dead in a thong! Can you spell "cellulite?"

I have been asked by my husband over the years to come to bed in something more glamorous than a tee shirt and a pair of old cotton pj bottoms. My response to him is that if he would put on a sexy thong for men, then I would oblige.

Oddly enough, that has stopped being issue, and he has started giving me the free tee shirts he gets all the time for giving blood at the Red Cross. We have finally arrived at that stage in our lives when it doesn't really matter WHAT we wear to bed at night, as long as we can lock the dogs out on the porch for a while!!

I hope you have enjoyed my little history lesson for this week. Please visit Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday for more fabulous "U" offerings!!

Oh, if you missed my post for Whimsical Wednesday, be sure to check it out before you go.

P.S. The music you hear is called The Underwear Song. Unfortunately, I cannot understand a word the vocalist is saying. If YOU can, please let me know if it is rated G!

Whimsical Wednesday - Gecko on Barrel Cactus

2011-09-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I have worked with gourds for several years, and find them to be a very interesting base for whimsical pieces. This piece took many hours to cut and paint, but I was very happy with the results. It never occurred to me that in this arid climate, the gourd would continue to dry out, distorting the cut-out to the point where it no longer fits snugly on the base. I never intend to sell this piece, however, and it sits among my collection of carved Oxacan figures that I have collected over the years.

Not all the gourds I carve are whimsical. Below is a carved piece that contains copper and jade.

I wish I could settle on ONE medium on which to concentrate, but I just can't! Art is so much fun, don't you think??

Please visit the other offerings at dt haase's Whimsical Wednesday. Whimsy comes to us in so many forms!!!

Shaman

2011-09-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Hungrily, he bit into the warm slice, and immediately his taste buds began to dance with delight. The crust was perfect, and the aroma of fresh herbs filled his nostrils. He had been looking forward to this meal !

Her garden had been bountiful this year, and the tomatoes, peppers, and onions were bursting with the old-fashioned flavor of years gone by. There was another flavor, however, that he couldn’t readily identify.

“What kind of pizza is this?” he asked, as the room began to shimmer and sway, and sparkle with strange lights.

“Oh, you’re tasting the mushrooms I bought from the old Indian man,” she replied.

What a great prompt Jenny has given us for Saturday Centus! Be sure to read the other offerings. I'm off to a Guild meeting, and of course, I'm late!!

p.s. The picture you see is labeled as Tony Grey Owl Native American Cherokee Shaman, from Facebook!

No credit was given to the artist, but I believe the painting is the work of Susan Seddon Boulet, who was a very gifted and spiritual artist.

T is for TOOTH!!!

2011-08-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Ish ooh cant read thish, iss vecause I ust goh vack fohm cee deniss!

Ahhhh!! That's better! It's now two hours later and the novocaine has finally worn off! I was eating dinner Friday night and one of my crowns popped off! This crown was VERY old, and worn. In fact, the dentist is amazed that it lasted as long as it has. It was put in by Rod's dad (Dr. McEwen), and he has been dead for almost 23 years! Now that was some excellent dental work, don't you think?

Rod's dad was nothing like Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors.

In fact, he and another dentist friend of his gave something really spectacular to the world of dentistry back in the '50's-- they perfected the high-speed drill! They were even written up in Life Magazine! AND they added that water feature to it so the tooth wouldn't heat up and explode in your mouth!!(I just added that part for a little humor. I have never heard of an exploding tooth.)

Dr. McEwen practiced reconstructive dentistry, and people came from all over the country to see him. One of his long-time patients was Susan Hayward! That beautiful smile of hers didn't come cheap, let me tell you!

My own dentist is Dr. David Haymore. Rod and I have been going to him since we moved here, and he's really a great guy. We're very picky about dentists, and wouldn't go to just anyone!

Would you believe me if I told you this is a photo of Dr. Haymore? Nah! I didn't think so.

In two weeks, I will be getting my new crown. In the photo at the beginning of my post you can see my options. It doesn't take a math whiz to figure out just which one I opted for. Have you SEEN the price of GOLD lately? No-brainer there!!

I don't really have any dental music to go with this post, but I did manage to find a hit from the fifties! Please check out the other offerings at Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday.

A New Life

2011-08-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I first began this story when the main character discovered a stone wall and an old gate on one side of the meadow. He was anxious to show his young wife what he had discovered, and the two opened the gate and crossed through into another part of the meadow. Several days before, he had found a letter stuck in the wall between two stones.

When we last left the young man, he found a stone sign at the corner of the field, yet another mystery he had discovered since he and his young wife had moved into the farmhouse that had once belonged to his mother and father. Now, the story continues:

As he walked toward the house, he could see that his wife was home early from work.

“Something’s happened,” he said to himself. “She’s never this early! God, I hope the company has'nt closed down! We really need that money until the farm is up and running in the spring!”

His steps quickened, and when he reached the back door, she was standing there.

“She’s so beautiful!” he thought, as he stamped the dirt from his boots. “She makes up for all the trials I have suffered in my life.”

As he crossed the threshold, she took him in her arms. “Surprise! I’m pregnant!”

Jenny really gave us a good prompt for this Saturday's Centus. I hope you will catch up with my story, then go on to read the other offerings! Have a good weekend, everyone, and for those of you on the east coast, STAY DRY!

Serendipity! What Fun!!

2011-08-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

The word serendipity is one of the 10 hardest words to translate in the English language. Horace Walpole used the word in a letter to Horace Mann in 1754. He said he made the word up from a fairy tale, The Three Princes of Serendip. Serendip is an old name for Ceylon, which is now known as Sri Lanka.

The best definition of serendipity is "happy accident" or "fortunate occurrence." In the life of Alexander Flemming, that fortunate occurrence happened when he accidentally contaminated a petri dish growing staph germs with mold. The mold grew and killed the staph germs. Voila! Penicillin!

If you have read my latest Whimsical Wednesday post in which I describe how I create some of my paintings, you will see just how serendipity can play a role.

The painting shown above, entitled Eye of the Storm, I consider to be a happy accident. The technique used to create the piece involves dropping acrylic inks on a piece of glass, then placing a sheet of Yupo paper on top of the glass, and transferring the ink to the paper by pressing down. Sort of like making an ink blot. This technique doesn't always produce the desired results, but in this case it did. I entered the piece in a show, and it sold before the show even opened. What a happy accident that was.

It was also serendipitous that I came across Jenny Matlock's blog, Off On My Tangent, last year, and started participating in Alphabe-Thursday. What fun we all have!! I hope you will check out ALL the offerings this week!

p.s. The music you hear is by the Serendipity Singers. Yes, I know the words have nothing to do with my post, but it is the one song they recorded that I liked.

Whimsical Wednesday-Winged Sylvilagus

2011-08-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

My offering this week for Whimsical Wednesday is a little painting from an exhibit called "The Body as Brush." In creating the paintings, only body parts could be used. This can be a very tricky process. The gallery sponsoring the exhibit actually got the idea for the show from me and my BFA (Best Friend Artist). I had to delete a portion of this post because dt haase asked that we keep our posts kid friendly and the technique we used is definitely not. Today's piece is painted with acrylic inks on Yupo paper, which has a plastic ground. It is kid-friendly, because the body parts used were my palm, and my lips (gently blowing the background around through a straw.) One must work very quickly and carefully when using this method, so the colors and forms don't run together and smear, creating a murky mess. The title of this piece is "Winged Sylvilagus" (winged forest hare) and is definitely a creation of whimsy. I hope you like it!

If you are interested in learning about our technique, let me know and I will send it to you in an email.

Lizzie's Birthday Party

2011-08-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:
I don't care what you say! Our dogs are like our children, and celebrating Lizzie's first birthday was a wonderful idea! Just ask some of the guests! Oops! They can't talk! They can only bark! Well, ask our friends who brought just the kind of food they know I love! We really had a wonderful party, and Liz seemed to know it was just for her! She sat right by her daddy while he opened the gifts, and inspected each and every one! Their excitement was still going strong this morning, with a bark-off that was lasting way too long, so Rod took them for a walk. Now we are all lounging around in the den, snoozing, and watching golf. I think I'll have a party for Mulligan in January! Want to come??

WORDS, AND AN EARLY DEATH...

2011-08-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Three sisters, Miande, Andide, and Calunta Prush, sat on the porch swing together, on a warm summer evening. The unistala vine was in full bloom, and its heady fragrance was all around them.

Miande, the eldest of the sisters, was an impholog, and her vast knowledge of adjectives and adverbs was sometimes an annoyance to the two younger girls.

"Miande, I think you make some of those words up!" Andide, the middle sister, cried, the dratoi in her voice filled with a sense of chize.

Calunta, the mulgrist in the family, sat quietly by while her two older sisters bantered back and forth in ablanic fervor. She was by far the most suctione of the three, taking in the conversation with an amused half-smile.

"If I die young, it's on you!!" said Miande with a look of unceo accusa, "I'll have my words!!"

"Girls!" their mother called, "Dinner! Nishies, with a salad of fresh sapparb!!

Right about now, you just may be heading for the dictionary, because there are some strange and unknown words in my Saturday Centus. Save your steps! For a long time now I have wanted to do something interesting with the Word Verification we have all come to know and love. I made a little collection of them and have sprinkled a few throughout my Centus! I hope you have enjoyed it!!!

R is for Robert Redford

2011-08-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Today, August 18, is Robert Redford's 75th birthday! Man, does that make me feel old!!! Remember how some of us female AARP members swooned over him in "The Way We Were?"

Robert was a rascal in high school. One of his pastimes was stealing hub caps! He managed to graduate, though, and went on to the University of Colorado on a basketball scholarship. Unfortunately, he was kicked out for doing way too much drinking. He studied art at the Pratt Institute, then headed to Europe to live the life of an artist. He later returned to New York, and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he met and married Lola Van Wagenen in 1958. The two had four children, but divorced in 1985.

His first big roll was the part of Sundance in "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" in 1969.

He named his famed Sundance Film Festival after his character in the film. Remember the scene where Butch and Sundance jumped off that cliff into a river??

I have seen "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972) more times than I care to admit. It is one of my favorite Redford films.

"The Sting" came out in 1973. I think it was more of a guy film, but Redford sure looked fine in that tux!

"The Great Gatsby" (1974) wasn't a box office hit, but I still loved it!

"The Natural" came out in 1984. What a sweet story that was!

The next year Redford starred with Meryl Streep in "Out of Africa," another one of my favorite films. I cried my eyes out during the memorial scene!

I didn't really mean to go on so long here, but I had a serious crush on the guy for a lot of years. Not only was he sexy, but he has done so much for the movie industry over the years, as an actor, a director, and a philanthropist. He's a good citizen, too.

Happy Birthday, Robert!! Thanks for all the great films!

p.s. I wrote this late on Thursday, and forgot to tell you all to read the other offerings for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. I'm heading there now to catch up on MY reading!!

Whimsical Wednesday

2011-08-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

dthaase's Whimsical Wednesday is SO MUCH FUN! I hope you will check out the other entries!

My entry is a small piece--only 10 x 10--and it is an encaustic on panel. It is currently on display at a gallery in Tucson. I have entitled it "Young Santa" because I am sure Santa wasn't BORN old!

The glasses? Yep, they're mine--old ones, of course!!

Nothing left to do but.....

2011-08-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

These 50 word things that Jenny Matlock has us doing for Saturday Centus are giving me a headache! It's just too much thinking for someone my age! But since our country appears to be in such horrible shape right now, I think that there is an important lesson to be learned here. We all have to tighten our belts. Times are tough for every one but the rich people in America, but we shouldn't let that get us down. We have to hope that things will get better! So stop crying, and laugh a little! It's good for people to laugh! Laughing is a great way to relieve tension, and we sure have a lot of that these days. I even wrote a little poem about it. Here is my Saturday Centus. The prompt is in capital letters:

Your toilet’s overflowing.
Your lawn mower stopped amowing.
Your ‘fridgerator’s broken.
Your oven, it's asmokin’.
Your kitchen sink is dripping.
Your credit score is slipping.
Your puppy ate the phone cord.
A pink slip from the school board!
Think things can't get much worse?
A thief just stole your purse!!
LAUGH OUT LOUD!!!

QAT

2011-08-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks

Lunchtime has finally arrived after a long hard morning at work. You and your friends gather to enjoy a delicious noon-day repast. Your meal may begin with a relish made with chilies, pepper, cardamom, caraway, fresh coriander and garlic, along with some lahuh to dip and scoop up the relish.

Your main dish may be salta, a thick and spicy meat stew made with lamb or chicken with lentils, beans, chickpeas, coriander, fengreek and a few fiery spices. Ahhh! Wasn't that delicious??

Now for your beverage. How about a nice cup of qishr, made of coffee husks and ground ginger! Yum!!

Lunch is over and now it is time to go back to work. But wait! Look over there! Isn't that fellow selling qat?? Why, yes, I believe he is! We still have a few more minutes to spare, so let's go buy a few leaves!!!

Do you know where you are? You are in Yemen! And qat, a leafy narcotic, is the main agricultural crop!! Qat, when chewed, produces feelings of euphoria and stimulation. It has become a major cultural phenomenon and has created conflict over its production in Yemen and Somalia. Yemen is an extremely arid region, and water is a very scarce commodity. The Yemenis, however, prefer to use what little water they have to grow qat over food crops!!

Qat used to be a weekend recreational drug of choice, but has now become almost a daily ritual of social importance. Since the average family in Yemen makes around $700 a year, and qat chewing can cost as much as $20 a day, qat can really put a strain on the family budget.

Coffee used to be the largest crop in Yemen, but qat has replaced the coffee crops. This has been detrimental to Yemen's economy because it drains foreign investors.

It has been said that qat production has encouraged laziness and absenteeism on the job because workers go to lunch, chew some fresh-picked qat, and then take the rest of the day off. So maybe we should just skip the qat, and go back to work. No? Don't say I didn't warn you!!

When I am in my car, my radio is only tuned to one station--NPR. I get a lot of ideas from stories I hear on public radio, and even keep a little notebook handy to make a note of interesting news items. I heard the story of qat several months ago and knew I had to use it for Alphabe-Thursday. There are a lot of other interesting "Q" posts to be found at Jenny's blog, so hop on over!!!

p.s. I discovered a very interesting and artsy blog today, so if you have time, please scroll down to my Whimsical Wednesday post, and click on the link!

Whimsical Wednesday

2011-08-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

You have probably already seen one of my very first encaustic pieces from last year, because it can be found in my right-hand side-bar, but I decided to post it here today because I found a new and very creative/interesting blog, dt. haase, and thought it would be fun to participate. You really must check out this blog and see the other entries!!

In case you are like me and have to strain to read the words, they say "Time becomes meaningless in the face of creativity."

Little Sunbeams

2011-08-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Shrimp Boats at Latitude 31 - Good Night, Sunshine!

The Rogue Speaks:

We are home from our 4500 mile round trip to the Georgia coast and back! I am happy to report that last year's purging (The Road Home)allowed me to thoroughly enjoy this year's VACATION. We drove to Fernandina Beach one evening to meet up with The Disconnected Writer and his wife Carol for a delightful dinner at The Crab Trap. What fun to actually meet another blogger face to face. The four of us plan to get together again in the future.

Little Liz and Mulligan really enjoyed the beach, and even ventured into the surf. Rod would occasionally let them off their leashes and they would dash off to chase the seagulls. They never stayed away too long, however, and always came dashing back to us--safety!!

The blackout drapes in the motel room didn't fool them into thinking that it was still night, so every morning I was "kissed" awake by my two dog children. That fact is a perfect segue way into my Saturday Centus for this week. The prompt is in bold type:

"Blechh! Ptuy! Stop it! No more kisses! No! No! Don’t lick my eyes!”

This is what we went through every Jekyll morning. Our two little dog children were so anxious to go running on the beach, that they just would not let us stay in bed!

“Yes, my little loves! You are my sunshine!!”

Act Three

2011-07-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Now don't get all exited! I am not home. I am in New Orleans over night, and we are heading to Jekyll in the morning. I can't spend much time on my blog because Rod will be pissed, because we are on vacation. I could not resist checking out the Saturday Centus, however, and leaving a few words. Thank God there are only 15 to leave!! I tried to check my emails but can't figure out how to get on myquest!! So here is my entry for today. You'll have to stick with the same music because I have had one glass too many of wine, and would never be able to add the music I want, because I can't think of it! Here's my entry:

Before I die I want to live in New Orleans and explore this city. Do you think I will??

As usual, the prompt is in bold type. When I have access to another computer, I will check out your offerings!!!!

New Horizons

2011-07-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Rod and I are leaving on vacation tomorrow, and since I don't have a laptop, I will be computerless until I get home. This means I will miss the Saturday Centus, and also miss commenting on all of the offerings for Alphabe-Thursday. I decided to do something a little different for this week's Alphabe-Thursday. I have so many wonderful bloggers on my side-bars, so in order to broaden your blogging horizons, I am asking that you pick one, and leave me a comment about it. You can also choose one from my links list if you like.

I always look at every entry for Saturday Centus and Alphabe-Thursday, and I have "met" some fascinating bloggers that way. I am sure you will as well! Below are a couple of photos of Jekyll Island, so you can see just why we are going there.

Since I have been known to go on tirades when it comes to politics, I would like to leave you with some interesting statistics about the people in Washington who were elected to serve their constituants. Nearly half of the members in Congress are millionaires, while only 1% of the rest of us have that kind of wealth.

The average income of a member of the house of representatives is over $700,000, and in the senate that number is over $2,000,000. No wonder congress is fighting over extending the tax cuts for everyone except them!! We pay our fair share of taxes. Why can't they??

It is time that the American voters look ahead to new horizons, to a country where the average citizen is treated fairly, and given the same advantages as the members of congress have. WE PAY THEIR SALARIES! Why should we be made to suffer because of their greed??? They are supposed to be representing US, and not looking out for their own selfish interests.

That's all for now. I am going to begin packing my golfing clothes, swimsuit, tooth brush, sunscreen, and my Kindle. When I return, I'll have my reading list! We are going to Jekyll Island, a national seashore off the Georgia coast. I wanted to show you a photo of our room there, but couldn't find one. Instead, here is a photo of the room we are leaving behind for a week or so.

How Time Flies!!!

2011-07-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Remember when our school let out,
And the days were getting longer?
Now each day seems oh so short,
And for more time I hunger--
I’m not getting any younger!!

See! I told you! I said Jenny would spring something cruel on us! Hahahaha! She thought!!! But we KNOW her! Yes, we do! So we secretly prepared for her brutal attack on her loyal fans Shame on you, Jenny Matlock! You thought you had us, but noooooo! We didn't just fall off the turnip truck! If you will read the other offerings for this Saturday Centus, you will see that I am right!!

p.s. The music you hear is by Fredrick Chopin--it's the Minute Waltz!!!

M is for Moses--Grandma Moses!!

2011-07-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

I'll be you thought that Anna Mary (nee) Robertson was called Grandma Moses because she was old! Actually, Anna Mary, who was born in Greenwich, New York on Sept. 7, 1860, married Thomas Salmon Moses when she was 27 years old. She had grown up on a farm, and had been hired out as a farm worker when she was only 12. After she married, she worked side by side with her husband on their farm. The work was endless and hard, but she also managed to raise 5 children as well, and do a little embroidery on the side.

"Sugaring Off"

Her husband died in 1927, and due to arthritis, she could no longer embroider, so she took up oil painting in the 30's. She displayed her work in local stores, and at county fairs along with her pickles. An art collector, Louis Caldor happened to pass through town while on a summer trip and saw her work. He bought all she had.
"The Thunderstorm"

Caldor convinced MoMA to include her work in an exhibition in 1939, And Grandma became a star!! Actually, she didn't go by the name "Grandma Moses" until after a one-woman exhibition in 1940, What a Farm Wife Painted, when the name by which she is now known was added. It was fine with her, because she really was a grandma!!
"The Old Checkered Farmhouse in Winter"

Grandma Moses had always been a very thrifty woman, and was taken aback with the amount of money people paid for her oil paintings! Unlike so many of the artists I have covered in Alphabe-Thursday, the drunks, drug addicts, adulterers, the tortured souls who ate lead paint, Anna Mary Robertson Moses was exactly who she appeared to be--a farmer's wife who painted pictures. She lived to be 101!!!
"A Beautiful World"

Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday is such great fun for all of us. If you haven't joined in this fun, please do! Oh, and go read the other offerings!!

The Sign of Life

2011-07-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

While cutting the pasture in fall, he came upon what appeared to be a gravestone in the northwest corner. He saw no name engraved on it, so he decided it to be an old road sign. As he pulled the weeds away from the base, he saw that it was a sign, and the sign read,"Life is a gift. Live it well. The Afterlife is a gift to all who live life well."

“First the old letter, then the gate in the wall, and now this!” he thought out loud. “Have we bought some other-worldly place here? Or am I losing my mind?”

We're waiting. Yes, we are. We're waiting for the blogging world's sweetheart, Jenny Matlock, to spring it on us. Not today, however, but one Saturday when we least expect it. We will wake up, and the sun will be shining, and we will stumble to the computer with our morning coffee, and there it will be--THE PROMPT FROM HADES! And then we will hear the sound of laughter inside our heads--EVIL laughter--and it will say "Mmwwahahahahahaha! Gotcha!!"

So read the other offerings while there is still time, dear readers. Things could change!

Langston Hughes

2011-07-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Do you know the work of Langston Hughes? His poems, prose, and plays were enormously important in the artistic contributions of black Americans during the Harlem Renaissance in the 20's.

Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902. His parents divorced when he was just a little boy, and his father moved to Mexico. Langston's mother remarried and left him to be raised by his grandmother. When he was 13, he moved to Lincoln, Illinois to live with his mother and step-father. It was there that Langston began writing poetry. After graduating from high school, Langston attended Columbia University for a year, and then took a year to travel. He later graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

In 1930, his first novel, Not Without Laughter, received the Harmon Gold Medla for Literature.

Hughes died of prostate cancer in 1967.

Please take a few moments to read the following poem by Langston Hughes. Even though it was written many, many years ago, there are aspects of this piece that could have been penned only last week.

LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

The first selection of music you hear is by American composer, Aaron Copeland. The second is by another American composer, Samuel Barber.

Please go to Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday and read the other offerings.

This is My Peace

2011-07-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Thanks to a post by Mari Sterling Wilbur, I have decided to expande my horizons and participate in Roy Durham's Poe-a-tree Blog Event. Roy has given the following prompt: You are standing at the shore, looking out at the sea--what are your thoughts? Of course, it needs to be a poem. Please display all the links below and and add your own to the list. Try to visit everyone who is participating, please.

Clara Garza http://jewelryboxdelights.blogspot.com/
Sue Larson http://suelarson.blogspot.com/
Melissa Tandoc http://www.grazieadio.blogspot.com/
Mari Sterling Wilbur http://www.mariscamera.blogspot.com/
Jan Neel http://jovanecatharticmusings.blogspot.com/
Megan Johnson http://starrlilly.blogspot.com/
Sulekkha Rawat http://sulekkha.blogspot.com/
Roy Durham http://royd-spiltmilk.blogspot.com/
Judie McEwen http://rogueartistsspeak.blogspot.com/

This my peace,
My solitude.
On this shore
I am renewed.
Nothing can
Touch me here.
The healing waters
Gather me up
And rock me
gently.
This is my peace.

America, The Beautiful

2011-07-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

"Oh, say can you see..." The first strains of the National Anthem rang out in the stadium, as Tim and his mother stood, waiting for the Little League Finals to begin. Tim had come to watch his little brother play second base for his team.

After the song had concluded, Tim asked, "Mom, why does our National Anthem have to be about war?"

"I've never really thought about that, Tim, but you're right! I’m afraid I don’t know.”

"I think that the song should be about the beauty of our country, like America The Beautiful.

“That’s a wonderful idea, Tim,” his mother replied.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Please check out Jenny's Saturday Centus and read the other wonderful offerings.

Kleptomania!!

2011-06-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

First, let me say that kleptomania is a serious impulse control disorder. It is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and should not be taken lightly. Kleptomaniacs have an irresistible urge to steal items that they don't need, and have very little value to them. This mental health issue can tear one's life apart.

I don't know if Lindsay Lohan is a kleptomaniac, or if she just didn't want to pay for that expensive necklace she nicked from the jewelry store, but Winona Rider has actually been diagnosed with this affliction.

Having established that kleptomania is a mental illness, I hope you will not think that I am marginalizing it by saying I believe Congress to be filled with these poor unfortunate sufferers. It seems that every day one reads of Congress trying to steal from American citizens things which have little value to the lawmakers themselves, such as social security, and healthcare, but are very important to middle-class voters.

Kleptomania as a true mental illness can be helped with psychotherapy and SSRI's. The kleptomania that is running rampant in Congress needs an entirely different type of treatment. VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE!

One former Commander-in-Chief suggested that Social Security should be done away with, and that Americans could instead take the money that they pay into Social Security and invest it in the stock market for their retirement. Anyone who saw his/her 401K vanish in the crash several years ago can tell you that this is a VERY BAD IDEA--Just ask us.

Then there is Paul Ryan, whose own health-care plan relies on vouchers. Unfortunately, these vouchers have a cap, so if you come down with a devastating illness, and you do not have the money above what the vouchers provide, you don't have much choice except to die.

There are other kleptomaniacs in Congress who steal the confidence of the voters by doing stupid things. I am speaking, of course, of Weiner-man, and his ever-growing club of sex-crazed government servants. There is a treatment for his affliction as well. Please look closely at the photograph below.

Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday is always lots of fun, but some letters are more challenging than others. "K" is definitely one of those letters. I'm off now, to see what other K words I might have come up with. I hope you'll join me, and read some of the other offerings!!

p.s. Since Blogger is refusing to let me respond to comments on my own blog, let me add that the American people pay income taxes every year in order for this country to operate, and NOT to line the pockets of Congress (who is doing PRECIOUS LITTLE to help us out), and NOT to provide subsidies for Big Business while the rest of us are having trouble just keeping our heads above water.

The Journey Begins

2011-06-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

For this week's offering to make any sense, please scroll down and read my Centii from 6/ll and 6/18. This is a continuing story.

Carefully, he unfolded the old letter and began to read. “Dear John, My sorrow is so great. One day you will understand, my love, and when the time is right, you will find me again.”

He had come upon the wall quite by chance, and by chance had found the yellowed paper tucked into a seam where the mortar had fallen away.

Jenny's Saturday Centus has given us the opportunity to stretch our imagination and improve our writing skills with only 60 words this week instead of our usual 100. Sweet little Jenny decided to save an evil prompt for another Saturday. Instead, she gave us the words found in bold type in my offering. Since many of us have been writing continuing stories, she CLAIMS she thought this prompt would be a good one. We KNOW her, though, and know she can have somewhat of a mean streak when it comes to prompts.

That did not deter me, however, and I managed to seamlessly blend the prompt with my last two Centii! HA! And HA again!! Please be sure to read the other offerings. We were not born yesterday, and we KNOW how to work her system!!

Jukin'

2011-06-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Alphabe-Thursday is always a lot of fun for me. I try my best to come up with something that no one else has thought of, but I don't always succeed. "J" is kind of a toughie. I thought long and hard, and then I realized that the perfect "J" word was right in front of me all the time!!

JUKEBOX!!!

In 1889, one of the first "nickel in the slot" machines appeared in the Paris Royal Saloon in San Francisco. This creation of Louis Glass and William Arnold was made using an Edison phonograph in an oak cabinet. It was fitted with a coin mechanism, and the jukebox was born!

Unveiling of the first "nickel in the slot" machine in 1889

The now almost universal name for the juke box came out of the southeastern U.S. coast. A juke (also spelled "jook")is an African American word meaning a roadside tavern or bar that sells cheap drinks, food, and has dancing. "jukin'" meant to dance close in a very suggestive way--a lot of hip movement (grinding).

"Jukin'" at the juke joint!

In 1927, the Autmoatic Musical Instrument Company came out with their coin-operated record player. Juke joints couldn't always afford bands, so this jukebox was certainly the ticket for them!!

What would we do without neon? It made the jukebox a sight to behold! All those bright colors, and that sound the coin made when droped into the slot was a fascination for every one for many years. We got to choose our songs by punching a letter and a number on the "keyboard."

Rockola brand jukebox

Jukeboxes have changed a lot over the years, and now everyone who has a computer can own their very own jukebox! I have two! My latest can be found at the top of my right sidebar. Its name is Grooveshark, and I learned about it from Sue, at Sue's News, Views 'n Muse. I even put an oldie on it for your listening enjoyment! Check it out!! I'm sure it will bring back memories for some of you, and you don't have to have a nickel to listen to the song!

Next week's letter is "K," another challenging letter to be sure! I hope you'll come back to see what I come up with!!

Path To The Other Side, part II

2011-06-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

If you did not read part one, please scroll down to last Saturday's Centus. Now, the story continues:

He took her hand and placed it against the keystone at the foot of the gate. The warmth emanating from within the stone was like nothing she had ever felt. It entered her body through her palm, burning off the chill of the clear night air.

"What is this?" she asked him.

"I haven't shown you the best part yet," he replied, and he pulled the giant ring in the middle of the gate. The ancient hinges groaned and shrieked as the gate slowly opened.

He took both her hands and gently pulled her through the gate.

"Oh, my!" she cried softly.

This concludes my Saturday Centus. Jenny received this prompt from Jeff Campbell. Please read his post, as well as the other offerings on Jenny's blog.

p.s. I can see again!!!! Yea!!!

I is for Ipso Facto

2011-06-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Ipso Facto is a phrase in Latin that means "by the fact itself." In other words, when you do something stupid like WeinerMan did, the effect is a direct consequence of his blatant narcissism and stupidity in posting the famous photo of his "manhood" on the internet. This loser has only been married to his beautiful wife for about a year. What was he thinking!!!!

Baron Acton (1834 - 1902) was the historian and moralist who wrote, in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Of course, one does not have to be powerful to engage in acts of greed, stupidity, and infidelity. Men living in or on the edge of poverty often commit moral improprieties in an attempt to shore up their manhood. Those men are rarely in the public eye, however, and it is only the politicians for whom we have cast our votes, whose acts of narcissism or greed quickly become fodder for the ever-present press.

I have read that the two most powerful forces in the lives of many men are sex and money. Maybe that's why there are always a number of scandals in our government involving one or both of those two things, and it has always been that way since the beginning of time.

Poor Kind David, God's favorite, just couldn't keep his hands off Bathsheba, and even had her husband killed so he could have her all to himself. God was not happy about that,so ipso facto He caused David's little son to die.

King Midas loved gold so much that he wished for "the golden touch" and his wish was answered. Everything he touched turned to pure, solid gold. His greed was as strong as his love for his little daughter. After he received "The Midas Touch" he went running around touching everything in sight-- books, furniture, trees, flowers. He was blinded by his desire for gold. During his wild spree, his little daughter came running to him and he hugged her, and ipso facto she turned into a block of hard cold gold. He was brokenhearted, and wanted his warm, loving little daughter back, but unfortunately, it was too late.

Because sex and greed are so much easier for the common man to comprehend, the latest political sex scandal has taken their attention away from far more pertinent issues facing the American public today. Here comes Ipso Facto again! What do you think the result of this focus has produced?

The following is a list of politicians who have been in the news in the last several years. What effect have these men had on your voting record?

Mark Foley
Larry Craig
Mark Sanford
John Edwards
Bill Clinton
"The Terminator"
Vito Fossella
Chris Lee
Eric Massa
Newt Gingrich
Gary Hart
Elliot Spitzer
John Ensign
Chris Massa

This is just a sprinkling of names in the long list of politicians who have disgraced themselves in the last ten years, and a good number of these have been sexual indiscretions. The list of politicians who have been in the game purely for greed is equally long.

The Latin words Ipso Facto are words that we need to remember and contemplate in our ever-changing world today. Do you think Latin is a "dead language"? Think again!!

I was determined to get this Alphabe-Thursday post out today, because I am going "under the knife" tomorrow for cataract surgery, and I don't really know just what the outcome will be. I hope that you will go to Jenny's blog and read the other offerings, because they will probably be a lot more interesting than mine!!

Path To The Other Side

2011-06-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

i know I am later than usual with my offering, but thanks to Nonna Beach, Jenny has given us 200 words plus the prompt for our Saturday Centus. I feel rich beyond all earthly measures! I think I have used my words wisely, but it is up to you to tell me if I have succeeded!

PATH TO THE OTHER SIDE:

Carefully the two picked their way through the tall grass. The night air was cool and damp, and the full moon cast a pale blue light around them.

“I know it’s around here somewhere,” he whispered to her, and gently pulled her along after him on the overgrown path.

“Why are you whispering?” she asked.

”I don’t know. I guess this place seems almost sacred, like an ancient church-yard filled with old head-stones.”

“Oh,” she said, and she held his hand tighter.

The path ended at a stone wall, not quite as tall as he, with weeds reaching almost to the top. The wall was built long ago, and in between the stones, damp moss, slick and cool, filled the places where crumbling mortar held the stones in place. Reverently, he ran his hands over the wall.

“Hah,” he said after a brief silence. “I knew I would find it again. Wait till you see the gate! This place is really old!”

He was anxious to show her the carved gate with rusting hinges that still kept most intruders out. His heart was beating faster, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

"Here!" he cried at last. "You just won't believe this!"

Henry, But Which One?

2011-06-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

We all know about Henry David Thoreau, and his fondness for civil disobedience. Were he alive today, he would no doubt have much to say on the subject of today's politics! Thoreau was born in 1817, and in his lifetime, he was a poet, an abolitionist, a naturalist, a tax resister, a development critic, a surveyor, an historian, a philosopher, and a transcendentalist. WHEW!! That guy was sure busy!! He died in 1862, so he never saw television, the internet, a jet plane, an automobile, and all the other fancy gadgets we have! I wonder what he would think of our world today? And just what political party would he vote for??

I could write a lot more about him, but he's not the Henry I had in mind for today's Alphabe-Thursday. My eighth grade sweetheart's name is Henry--Henry Strozier. Here we are at age 14, at Alatoona Lake just outside Atlanta.

Henry wanted to be an actor for as long as I can remember, and that's what he became! He's been in many motion pictures over the years, and has had parts in many night-time t.v. dramas. He was a stage actor for a long time before he went into films.

Henry is retired, now, but he still finds time to do a little work for Ocean Spray!

He's not really the Henry I had in mind for my post, but I thought I would throw him into the mix anyway.

Finally, we come to good old Henry VIII! You know--the one who had 6 wives! Henry reigned from 1509 to 1547. He was the son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, and was a pretty intelligent fellow. He wrote books and music, played several musical instruments, and was a patron of the arts.

When his father died, Henry inherited a very wealthy and stable realm. Henry had married his brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon, in 1509. They only had one child, Princess Mary. Mary was born in 1516. Catherine was in her forties and Henry was desperate for a son.

Henry fell in love with Anne Bolyn, the sister of one of his many mistresses. He wanted to divorce his wife and marry Anne, but the Pope at that time would have none of it. He had already granted Henry a license to marry his sister-in-law, and he thought enough was enough.

Henry was determined to have his own way--after all, he was the KING. So he dumped the Catholic Church and England became Protestant. So Henry married Anne, who also failed to produce a male heir--just another daughter. Henry accused Anne of treason and had her head cut off.

Henry's third wife, Jane Seymour, finally gave Henry what he wanted most--a son!! It literally killed her, though. She died 12 days after the boy (who would later become Edward VI)was born.

Henry married two more women, Katherine Howard whom he had executed on the grounds of adultery, and Catherine Parr. Catherine Parr outlived the overweight, irascible Henry, who died in 1547.

So, tell me, just which Henry do you think is the most interesting?

Oh!! I almost forgot!! If you want to hear the music I chose to go with this post, you'll have to scroll down to my playlist and click the big triangle. I haven't had a chance to put it back on auto-play.

THE GUY'S PERSPECTIVE

2011-06-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

My friend Sai, of The Guy's Perspective has quite a treat for the next podcast. If you have never listened to these guys, please do! They cover a myriad of topics, and the banter between the two of them (Sai and Cucch) is so much fun! Just so you know, the photo above is NOT Sai. He's way better looking than that! Here's the skinny on their next podcast:

The Guy’s Perspective:

We’re good guys in touch with our inner bad boy, delivering straight talk and insightful commentary on relationships and everyday life.
Relationships, Fatherhood, Life & More

The Guy’s Perspective Ep. 38: Actor Charles Shaughnessy interview, 12 items or less, contests

Cucch and Sai are pleased to welcome actor Charles Shaughnessy, well known for his portrayal of Maxwell Sheffield opposite Fran Drescher on CBS’s The Nanny from 1993 to 1999.

Shaughnessy also appeared in the Disney Channel 2002 made-for-TV movie Get a Clue. He was also seen in the Halloween 2000 made-for-TV movie Mom’s Got A Date With A Vampire starring opposite Caroline Rhea (she guest-starred on The Nanny in 1998 as part of a cross-over with Hollywood Squares). That same year, Shaughnessy made two appearances on The WB’s Sabrina (this show stars Rhea, Melissa Joan Hart, and Beth Broderick) playing two different characters. He played Alec Colson in the 8th-season episode “Covenant” of Stargate SG-1. He also voiced Dr Quintaine in the PC game Freelancer.

He has recently appeared on an episode of NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and is also the voice of Dennis the Goldfish on the Disney Channel cartoon series Stanley. On May 11, 2002, Shaughnessy won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for his portrayal of Dennis the Goldfish on Stanley.

Currently Mr. Shaughnessy is starring in Lerner and Loewe’s “My Fair Lady” at The North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly MA from June 7-19. We sit down for a half hour discussion on Broadway, television, parenting, the internet, and a whole lot more.
Also please check out Mr. Shaughnessy’s current projects:
Bus Stop 31 Productions

CoffeyBuzz

But before the interview begins Cucch and Sai give a reminder about the “Guy’s Perspective Slow Jams” Contest. Share your jam and you could win a $25 Starbucks Gift Card!

Also don’t forget about the iTunes Review Challenge. Help us get to 60 reviews and leave a comment on iTunes and be entered in our “2 Thumbs Up!” thumb drive giveaway!

Sai shares his latest Pet Peeve: the very forgiving, or not so forgiving, interpretation of “12 items or less.”

Finally, Cucch and Sai present Mr. Charles Shaughnessy, interviewed by Cucch, aka Chris.

Enjoy the show and thanks for listening!

She Wept

2011-06-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

The end arrived. No sigh of relief, no peace was felt. Tika took his hand, and wondered just why this had to be. She wept.

Miss Smarty-Pants Jenny tossed us a curve ball with her Saturday Centus. Only 25 words to work with??? Take THAT, Miss Smarty-Pants!!!

Gila Monster--The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!!

2011-06-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

There's a lot of stuff in the desert that can hurt you, besides the cactus thorns! We have scorpions, rattle snakes, poisonous toads, to name a few. We also have this big fellow:

There are only two venomous lizards--the Gila monster and the Mexican beaded lizard. The Gila monster bites very quickly and doesn't let go!! It doesn't have fangs like snakes do. Instead, it has grooved teeth through which the venom flows into the bite. The venom is very toxic, as toxic as a rattlesnake, but the Gila monster doesn't give off as much venom as the rattlesnake into a bite.

Gila monsters spend most of their life in hiding below ground. They are large (the largest lizards in the U.S.) and they are long (about 22 inches) and they can store more energy that small lizards. They store the energy in the fat in their tail and their bodies. They can also eat large meals. The have a low basal metabolism, so they do not require many meals. They eat small birds, other lizards, eggs, and field mice.

When they venture out above ground, they have been known to find their way to my house--particularly my sliding glass door to my bedroom. Actually, that has only happened once, but once is more than enough for me. Our barking dog alerted me to something lurking in the shadows one night. I turned on the lights and there he was!!

The fire department is very good at rushing out to removed these guys, so I immediately called 911. The firemen were here in less than 10 minutes. One rookie decided to simply pick up Mr. Gila, and put him in the bucket, but his supervisor stopped him just in time. If the Gila monster feels threatened, he can spit his venom at you! And his hiss alone is enough to scare you away.

This guy was determined to get in my house:

He was taken away and relocated away from houses, for our protection and his. Gilas are threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and are protected under Arizona law. They may live over 20 years!

But the Gila monster isn't all bad. A component of his venom called extendin-4 has been shown to aid in treating type-2 diabetes. Now if you happen to have this illness, please don't run out and try to catch one of these creatures! Their bite is extremely painful!

This concludes my post on this visitor to my desert home. There are a few more I wish had never come to visit, but that's for another time. Please read more offerings at Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday!

And Justice for All

2011-05-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

"Mom, what's a legacy?"

"A legacy is something handed down to you. What made you ask?"

"Mr. Carnes talked about the legacy of heroes today. Dad was a hero.

"Yes, he gave his life for America."

"Why are people in America fighting with each other? They say bad things, and some are so greedy! They don't want the poor to live better lives.

“Did Mr. Carnes say that?”

"No. I saw it on t.v. That’s not the legacy Dad left ."

"Your dad was a very brave man, son, and he believed in equality for everyone.”

“I do, too, Mom!”

This concludes my Saturday Centus. I would like for you to know, however, that my son Jeff served with the Multi-national Peacekeeping Force in Egypt in the mid to late 80's, and my son-in-law, David, was called up to serve in Iraq, even though he was 45 years old! He returned with post-traumatic stress disorder and will be on many medications for years.

I hope you realize that war is a big business, and we all know just how much a certain political party loves big business.

Flambeaux!!!!

2011-05-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

In America, flambeaux (Keepers of The Light) originated in New Orleans 150 years ago. Their purpose was to light the floats for the night-time Mardi Gras parades. The torches were originally carried by the slaves of wealthy men who funded the parades, and by free men of color. The clowning around and twirling that they did while walking the parade route was always enjoyed by the people, who would throw coins as a gesture of thanks.

I have seen very few of these torch bearers in the last several years. Many people now believe that it is politically incorrect because it is a reminder of the days of slavery in our country.

There are a few krewes (social groups who sponsor floats)who still use flambeaux, such as the krewes of Baccus, Endymion, and Hermes.

Traditionally, African American men have carried flambeaux. They line up the morning of the parade, hoping to be chosen to be Keepers of the Light.

The photo above is a contemporary sculpture of a flambeaux, given us by daughter Beth.

Rod and I, along with daughter, Beth, were at one time very active in Mardi Gras. It was always exciting to plan our theme for our walking krewe, Krewe of Dew, and to design and make our costumes. We had a very large group in our krewe, and gathering on Mardi Gras day was always great fun. Krewe of Dew was so named because the night before Mardi Gras day, the younger men in the group would stay up all night, guarding our ladders, placed along the curb for the younger members, the children, to sit upon in order to better see the parades. They would be relieved in the morning, and would return to our "Mardi Gras Central" with their clothing damp with dew!

In 1998, our krewe dressed as pirates. The above photo shows Rod, me, and daughter,Beth on Mardi Gras day.

I hope you have enjoyed my "F" word!! Please check out Jenny Matlock's blog for more entries on this Alphabe-Thursday!

A Little Trivia

2011-05-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

When Mari Sterling Wilbur awarded me the "One Lovely Blog" award, it came with the stipulation that I provide seven facts about myself. First let me tell you that the photo above was taken last July in Cancun. I don't know why people are interested in knowing more about me, but here is some trivia for you:

1. Don't tell my mother I'm an artist--she thinks I play piano in a whore house. (That's a joke, folks!)

Painting by Henri Matisse

2. I was the first woman to be hired by an international company as a flower broker in Chicago.

Aalsmeer Flower Market is the largest flower auction in the world.

3. I am a founding member, and past president, of the Southern Arizona Arts Guild.

Guild members enjoy quarterly critiques. The Guild was founded in 2002.

4. I play golf 2 or 3 times a week.

I am the one on the right!

5. We have 6 children between us. Oh, make that 8 if we count our dog-children, Mulligan and Lizzy.

6. I started creating art when I was 7 years old.

7. The police came to my house on Sunday night because vandals tried to steal my patio furniture, and walked on the fabric canopy of my gazebo, shredding the pergola and bending the frame. If they try it again, I hope someone gets a broken leg so I can watch them writhe in pain before I call the police and 911. Yes, I DO have a very evil streak.

These are handcuffs--not a sex toy!!

THE STORY OF "US"

2011-05-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

My best friend artist's birthday is around this time of year, so Saturday we got together for lunch and the opening of my gifts to her. Twice a year, I write her a special poem--at Christmas, and on her birthday. That's the gift she always opens first. She has to drive when we go to meetings or shows, because currently I am legally blind, and have no business even driving up to the corner. That will all change in about three weeks, though.

The photo below was taken in 2007, before my starvation diet. I am on the left, our dear friend, Sam, who is currently traveling the world, is in the middle, and Di is on the right. This was right before Christmas, and if you look very closely, you will see a large rectangular pin on Di's tam. It is made from a piece of ancient fruit cake that she polyurethaned a long time ago. Yes, I do hang out with these people.

I hope you enjoy my poem for the birthday girl. I am leaving the music for my Saturday Centus on, in case you didn't get to hear it. It is so beautiful! Please read my Centus, too, if you haven't already! Now here's...

THE STORY OF "US"

Us is friends. Yes us are.
Us goes places in you’s car.
You’s the driver, I’s the map.
I can’t even take a nap.
Where us go? I don’t care
Cause I know you takes us there.
I says “left” when I means “right”
Then us has an awful fight!
Yous is worthless, you tells me.
I can’t help that I can’t see!
Us sees places us don’t know.
Us gets late to the big art show.
When I’s dead, then you’s see!
You be sorry that you yelled at me.
Then you go and you’s all alone.
You can’t read a map and you has no phone!
I’s in Heaven and I’s looking down
See’s you driving all over town!
You’s gonna miss me, yes you are
When you’s go driving in you’s car!!!

Happy birthday, Di! And leave the door open when you go to bed, in case the Devil comes to take your soul!!!

August

2011-05-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Here is my offering for Jenny's 55th Saturday Centus. Now I am off to celebrate my best friend's birthday. More on that later--I'm late as usual! Oh, and please stay for a while and listen to my music. It was written by one of my favorite composers. Do you know who it is?

The attic lay silent in the heat of an August sun. Beams of sunlight, shimmering with dust motes, fell across the glass of the old mirror. Maddy stood transfixed, her wide eyes staring back at her from the reflection in the mirror. The image she saw was that of the child she used to be.

Slowly, she turned and found her place in the little rocker. Sitting down with her baby doll held gently in her arms, she began to rock and sing. Then she became aware of her father, standing beside her.

"Hi, Maddy," he said. "What are you doing?"

Sir Edward Elgar

2011-05-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

This is the time of year when seniors everywhere don cap and gown and march to the familiar sounds of Pomp and Circumstance. It brings back memories of those final days in school, doesn't it? How many know that the music was written by Sir Edward Elgar? Probably not many, unless it was printed in the graduation program. Maybe not even then, because the guests were searching for familiar names in the long list of graduates.

The world has certainly changed since Elgar was born in 1857. The pressure for young people to perform in the workplace is greater than it ever has been, but unfortunately, the jobs are just not there currently. Young people are having to move back in with their parents while looking for employment. I am glad that our children have finished school and are all gainfully employed, because when we left Memphis, we gave them only an 800 number and not our address, so they couldn't show up at the door with all their worldly belongings in black plastic trash bags. We felt that was a good incentive to find a job and keep it.

Of course, now the grandchildren are growing up. Most of them live on the other side of the country, and with the cost of gas these days, they can't afford to park themselves on our doorstep even if they wanted to. Some of them are way too young for college, and the way education is being decimated, and tuition is almost out of sight for most young people, there may be no schools left when that time comes

As of today, student loan debts for college exceeds eight hundred billion dollars. For those trying to pay off student loans and keeping their heads above water, declaring bankruptcy does not cancel student loans.

"Young Man Contemplating His Future"

I have really gotten off track here! Of course you shall learn about Sir Edward Elgar! I would not want to disappoint you, dear reader, so here are the facts!

Edward Elgar's father had a music shop in Worcester in the English Midlands, so it was only natural that young Edward loved musical instruments, and even taught himself to play a large number of them. He was a very determined student of musical composition. He was a Roman Catholic, and in the minority in Protestant England, who felt the Catholics were part of a lower class. Many of his early compositions met with apathy due to religious bigotry.

He continued on, though, perfecting his style, and in the 1880's and 1890's, he also taught the violin and played the organ in a Catholic church.

It was in 1889 that he married one of his students, Caroline Alice Roberts. Her family was against the marriage because they felt she was marrying beneath herself. Alice had great confidence in Edward's genius and played a great role in helping to develop his career as a composer.

Alice continued to be the driving force behind Edward, encouraging him and championing him at every opportunity. However, in 1920 Alice died, and a bereaved Edward lost his inspiration.

Throughout the 20's, Edward lead a quiet life in the country with his dogs. He occasionally visited London to conduct or record his music. In 1928 he was made Knight Commander of the Victorian Order. This gave him a new lease on life and he began to compose again.

In 1933 he conducted his violin concerto in Paris with a young Yehudi Menuhin, with whom he had recorded in London earlier that year. In October of that same year, Elgar was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his lower back. He died the following year.

If I had dug deeper into Elgar's life, I might have come up with a skeleton in the closet, but I think we have enough of those falling out of the closets of politicians these days.

This concludes my "E" offering for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. If you would like to hear more of Elgar's music, just stay tuned, because another familiar piece follows Pomp and Circumstance.

Maddy

2011-05-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

In the stillness of an August afternoon, Maddy sat rocking, softly singing, "Hush, little baby, don't you cry..." Her sweet voice echoed in the dusty attic.

"Where is she?" Simon asked.

"In the attic--where else?" Maren replied. “She’s there every day, now. Rocking. Rocking and singing. I should be glad, I guess. I know where she is.”

Simon, frowning slightly, climbed the stairs.

"Hi, Maddie!" he said cheerfully. "What are you doing?"

"Just practicing," came the reply.

"Practicing?" he asked.

"Yes. When I grow up, I want to be just like Mama!"

“That’s good, baby, that’s good!”

Thanks for stopping by and reading my 100 word offering. Jenny's Saturday Centus follows a week of havoc in the blogging world. Many of us lost our Alphabe-Thursday posts to somewhere in outer space. We all spent time writing our posts and many were disappointed when some were lost, so if you have a chance, please go back to Jenny's blog for Thursday and read them, because some were restored. If you haven't read mine, just keep reading. Thanks!

Dali's Birthday

2011-05-13T09:41:00.001-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

Am I the only one whose post disappeared into the blogasphere? It is such a shame that it had to happen for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday! Now I have to try and recreate it! I hope I can remember what I wrote!!!

Salvadore Dali's 107th birthday was on May 11, the day I published my post. He was born in Figueres, Spain in 1904. His career as an artist was practically a given, since he showed great promise at a very young age.

Dali studied in Madrid at the Royal Academy of Art. He was twice kicked out, and when graduation rolled around, he never took his final exam because he thought he knew a lot more, and was more talented than any of his professors.

After he "graduated," Dali went to Paris where he met two of his fellow countrymen, artists Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miro. He more or less named himself the leader of a group of surrealists that had been headed by Andrew Breton. No one in the group really complained about Dali's self-appointed role, but years later, Breton wrote Dali off as being too full of himself, and financially greedy.

By 1929, Dali had developed a style that would make him famous. The surrealists had a theory based on the works of Freud regarding the dream world of the unconscious mind. They painted their dreams! Dali, because he was a superb craftsman, was able to paint his dreams with near photographic accuracy. His most recognized work, The Persistence of Memory, is a good example of his technique.

Dali is the only known artist who had two museums dedicated to his work while he was still alive. The first, The Dali Museum, in St. Petersburg, Florida, was founded in 1971. The Dali Museum-Theater in Figueres, Spain is the second. It was at this museum that Dali had shown his first works when he was only 14 years old. It was opened in 1974 as the Theatro Museo Dali.

Dali's first one-man show was in New York in 1933. In 1934, Pablo Picasso gave Dali $500 as a grant to come to America. In 1940 Dali chose to make America his permanent residence in order to evade World War II. He had many spectacular exhibitions, including one at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

He quickly became the darling of high society, and was greatly sought after for portrait commissions from famous people such as Jack Warner. Dali also dabbled in jewelry and clothing design, and even worked with Alfred Hitchcock on film-making.
Dali's love of the bizarre was evident! Below is a photograph of his famous Lobster Telephone. I don't think I would want to put that receiver to my ear!

Yes, of course Dali had a love interest. And yes, she was a married woman. She was Gala Eluard, a Russian immigrant, ten years his senior. Gala stayed with Dali as his "friend with benefits," his model, his muse, and his business manager. She was also a strong stabilizer in his life, and helped to make his art a success in Europe and the United States. Gala divorced her husband in 1932, and in 1934, she and Dali were married.

Dali developed palsy which caused his hands to tremble uncontrollably, and made them very weak. He was forced to retire in 1980, and this, combined with the death of Gala in 1982, caused Dali to fall into a deep depression.

After Gala died, Dali moved to a castle called Pubol, which he had bought and decorated just for Gala. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the castle, and left Dali badly burned.

Dali moved to the tower of his museum in Figueres, and lived there until his death from heart failure in 1989.

Whew! I hope I haven't left anything out from my original post. I had some nice comments which have now disappeared. Maybe those nice bloggers will come back and let me know if I covered everything this time. Oh, and if anyone knows how I can avoid losing any more posts, please tell me! I am off now to finish reading all the other offerings.

Here's What's Important

2011-05-07T15:59:00.001-07:00

The Rogue Speaks:

It is almost 4 p.m. here in Tucson, and I am just now beginning to write my Saturday Centus. Don't ask me why, because, believe me, you don't want to hear about my day yesterday. Let me just say that it involved the "good drugs" and some stitches.

Jenny thinks that her prompt is easy and gentle, but what does she know??? There are just not many ways one can go with this, and I decided to take the easy way out and write something contemporary. The prompt is in bold type.

I'd like to teach the world to sing about perseverance, dedication, and success. Obama has brought down the 9/11 murderer in a daring raid on Bin Laden's compound in Pakistan. Clinton had Bin Laden in his sights, but couldn't pull the trigger. Bush put him on the back burner in favor of going after Sadam and those WMD's that really never existed in Iraq, trying to show up the elder Bush. Now all the people who lost loved ones on that September day have closure.

I am grateful that America has a leader who knows what is important.