Kate Ball and I went to the Atlantic City Race Course yesterday. It was sunny and gorgeous outside. The wind began to get colder and colder as the day went, but it was a good time! For two ladies...yes I am talking about Kate and I... jeez... Any way.. two ladies that have been spoiled by Keeneland, Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Monmouth, the ACRC was a little bit lower class, but it was clean and there were many spectators, the admission was really reasonable...FREE!!! It is a 6 race card that was all run on the turf track. I am sad that this once beautiful track has lost much of it's luster due to severe neglect over time and funding, but they did their best to make it an exciting day at the races. The Picture was taken by Kate Ball, she is an amateur photographer with a professional's eye.

a Good Book

Katie heard about a book I think from a radio show. Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.
She checked it out of the library and had it sitting where I could find it. She told me the guy on the radio said it was a very scary book, one of the scariest he had read, so naturally I said 'YOU are going to read it?' She proceeded to tell me book do not scare her. So I asked if she minded my reading the book...

OK I read the first chapter and decided I would not read it in bed...for some reason just creeped me out, so I read it on my lunch break or in the evenings. It was a VERY good book! I told Katie she had to read it!

Fast forward a week or so later..... I am outside walking the dogs for their last poop break of the day. I come into the house and I hear this voice from Katie's Bedroom...
'I am 55 years old I DO NOT NEED TO READ A BOOK THAT MAKES ME FEEL THIS WAY!'

I walked back pushed open her bedroom door looking at her on her bed and the book tossed out to the middle of the floor away from the bed. okok I admit it, I about pissed myself giggling. Now I am spending a lot of energy trying to get her to finish it. Really is a good book.... promise... if you like creepy Ghost stories.....

Magic has touched my life. I am remembering the magic of music that poured from the radio speakers in my first car… the magic 8-track tape player that made us all smile and bounce along in our cars as we cruised the boulevard trying to look hip and cool.

Then the amazing cassette player. A mini 8 track tape player that you could record straight from your record albums using the nifty microphone on it’s little tripod stand.

Turning up the stereo to get the optimum sounds. These magic plastic containers of the Magical music that carried us near and far.. eject! Flip! For the second side!

More magic … I was riding in a friend’s car and said I could hardly wait for the flip side…He smiled and said he had auto reverse! WHAT??? It automatically plays the other side of a cassette??? I was astounded. WHAT NEXT????


And a few short years later…. The CD. This would never catch on surely… but…here we are a few years later and we have 6 cd changers in our cars…

As I sit on my lunch break reading a good book with 2 tiny earphones attached to a half dollar sized IPOD shuffle….


Magic.

OK this was in my yard on Sunday October 26th. I was sure I would have to move away, but it is my understanding that bugs get this big no matter where you live. OK I live in Southern New Jersey where we have 5" long Bugzillas. I am sure that when I saw this little gem of a praying Mantis and it turned it's head to look at me it was thinking.... I can take her...

Sherry Sarafini - What does a beader say about someone who you respect so much? Recently Katie B and I were lucky enough to take a class from this astounding woman. She was eloquent, talented and a real cool Rock and Roll chick. I got to see first hand her techniques and gleam new ideas from her. Being an artist is no small feat, but being an artist and writer and celebrated woman in the art world is nothing short of artistic in itself. Her pieces that were on display through out the class took my breath away and would have been worth a visit to any museum or art showcase to see. To actually get to handle them and see how wearable they are was a privilege.
We took this class three weeks ago then by chance, we went to the bathroom at beadfest in Pennsylvania and who was there? Sherry! She got to see Katie B's pin and be so enthusiastic about it's gorgeousness. She said it was profoundly elegant and she was happy to have had us in her class... of course anyone who knows Katie B and myself in real life knows what fun we can be, and by fun I do mean ball busters, and by ball busters I do mean.... all in good spirits.

That said the Sea blues turquoise necklace is mine from the class. The beautiful purple and golden heart is Katie B's creation. I hope you enjoy them, as we are proud to have learned new techniques to absorb into our own artistic ventures.

Pug Bunzzzz

too cute to be Nawty

So I did the weekly shopping Sunday morning. I unpacked everything and decided to sit in my living room and watch TV before I cook my usual Sunday brunch for the people I love. Just as I realized the poodle was sitting with me and the Pug was not he came walking into the living room like a pug going to a funeral. He looked depressed and dare I say it? QUITE guilty.... would not even look me in the eye. He pulled his very tired self sslllooowwwllly onto the couch, One foot at a time pulling himself like an ancient mountain goat with no will to climb. That is when I realized he looked a tad tubby...
Hark I said as I stood up and walked quickly in the direction Pookie came from...yes the kitchen.... the 6 count them 6 BIG BURGER ROLLS were torn asunder and crumbs were scattered all over as well as plastic wrapper. Pookie did not even come with me... He stayed on the couch like an over stuffed sausage, I am sure he was thinking he did not want another roll for at least a few days... I mean he is a Pug.

After I picked up the mess and Kissie ate a few crumbs I went back to the living room sat there staring at my BLOATED pug wondering when he was going to go BOOM and crap it all out. It was after an hour or so Pookie came it and was staring at me when I glanced at him and he did his grrrrrrrrrrrroowl you can't have my toy noise at me.
What does the stinker have???
A roll!! one he had hidden for later , when he knew there would be Armageddon and he would have to have food saved to survive....

I knew he did not really want it because I only had to chase him around the living room once......

stinker nawty stinker...

Gather around and let me tell you a story of the New Jersey Deep Dark woods....
As many of you recall I live on the edge of the deep dark woods. The deep dark woods are full of nefarious creatures of all shapes and sizes, just waiting to leap, spring, jaunt, gallop, plunder, run, out and attack without notice. I often use extreme caution whilst I walk my Pug and Poodle noodle at the very edge of the Deep Dark Woods. Some of you may recall the unfortunate assault from the killer cocker spaniel.
OK it was not a killer and the attack consisted of it running out of the deep dark woods thus scaring the crap out of me, and wanting to play with Pookie.

Anyway.... It was a dark and windy night. (last night don't you know) I was out walking my Pug and Poodle and I saw a brown leaf rolling across my drive way. Pookie Pug being who he is wanted to go see what it was and by see I do mean swallow without hesitation. I decided not to let him close, that was when I noticed it....

Mothra, escaped from the deep dark woods. Came to my house to settle on my drive way. Being the curious odd person I am I ran inside the house. Grabbed my Camera, a 6" ruler, ran back out side, bent over the wing flappin Mothra, dropped the ruler next to it so all could see the obviously Prehistoric Mothamous Maximus I discovered in NJ by the Deep Dark Woods. I focused and FLASH, then I looked, cursed as it had it's wings folded up, lean closer still and FLASH, rolled the picture back and the dirty rotten Mothra decided it had enough flashes took flight, scared the snot out of me, as moths the size of my head have a tendency to do, I trip land flat on my ass. Roll backwards leap to my feet taking evasive action in moves that would have made Indiana Jones proud and zig zagged at a mad, much younger then myself moves back to the safety of my house......