One of my best friends in life lost her beloved dog of 15 years today. It probably goes without saying how much my heart goes out to her as she had to say good bye to her best most loyal friend in the world. Please send some good thoughts out for Jules and for her baby Chelsea to aid in her journey to the bridge. I am lighting a candle tonight to help shine the way...

Rest in Peace sweet Monkey. You will always live on in your Mama’s heart.

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Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. Her bright eyes are intent. Her eager body quivers. Suddenly she begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, her legs carrying her faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

So I finally saw the Sex and the City movie tonight….I know I know I’ve been a bit behind on the times lately. I won’t put my movie review rundown out here on the main page as a spoiler in case there others [gasp] who still haven’t seen it.
But for those of you who did, what did you think? We can comment in the comments….

Did you laugh? Did you cry? Did you think it was too predictable? Did you think it held true to the series? Favorite parts? Could have done withouts? Fashion Faux pas?

Lately I’ve been thinking about my Aunt Mary Lou who was my grandmother’s sister and one of my idols growing up. Mainly because she led kind of a glamorous, charmed and artistic life but remained a very sweet and classy lady through it all. I've always been fascinated with the 1940's and that whole era too.

Even though we didn’t spend much time together I always felt close to her in a special way. Both of my parents and mostly everyone else on both sides of my family have dark hair and eyes. But I ended up with blonde hair and green eyes like my special aunt. We're both the same height and weight and I even ended up the nickname Lou Lou, which comes from her as well.

Aunt Mary Lou was a professional figure skater in the forties and fifties, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show and as a regular cast member at Radio City Music Hall for close to two decades performing in various ice shows.

During that time she lived alone in an apartment in Manhattan with her beloved cocker spaniel named Dreamboat. She didn’t settle down and marry until she was well into her forties. Something that was unheard of for a woman of that era. When she did finally retire from the ice show scene she married an older gentleman who treated her like a queen.

So I’m probably past the point where I could pack it all up, move to NYC and become a fancy show girl [besides the fact that I have no natural dancing abilities without being at least 4 drinks deep]. But I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to chase a dream like that and live the lifestyle. Also I think it’s important to remember those who’ve gone before you and the different paths they blazed.

Do you ever feel life’s momentum slowing down almost to a grindingly eerie halt? As if the universe is trying to give you a brief reprieve to plan for the big storm that’s about to hit. It’s imminent. You know its coming but you just don’t know when. The air is still and the birds have stopped singing, gone to seek shelter.

So you live in this temporary state of fear and panic. You busy yourself battening down the hatches getting all your ducks in a row. You say all the things you need to say. Do all the things you need to do. And you try your best to ready yourself knowing when the big one hits there will still be things you overlooked or couldn’t have possibly prepared for or known were coming.

Imagine there you are sitting in your living room the sky is cryptic shades of blue and black. The television is making that scary beeping sound warning you to take cover, go under ground, and brace yourself .

They call it the calm before the storm but there is nothing really calm about it, is there?

Metaphorically speaking, it’s the not knowing of things that can drive one mad. The anxiety and vortex of emotions of knowing something awful is looming and it’s not a matter of if but when. It's enough to make people rife with paranoia, delusions and other unkindly behavior.

Like not knowing when a tornado or hurricane is coming or the last time a lover will hold you in his arms, when you will lose your livelihood or your best friend.

If you’re lucky when the storm has passed and you’ve survived, there’s a community of friends waiting to help you clear out of the wreckage. To provide temporary shelter and help you rebuild, to start over again.

When you’re caught up in it you can still touch other people’s lives but you’re temporarily unable to touch your own. In the interim there’s not much to be done but sit back and wait.

The Sausage turned 14 today….

The Sausage celebrated in a special way…

The Sausage got yellow roses that he loves to smell…

The Sausage got kisses on his pug nose and forehead as well..

The Sausage had birthday cake made from peanut butter and carob…

The Sausage is a wee bit grayer this year but still has the face of a cherub..

The Sausage ate frosty paws ice cream and got happy birthday phone calls too…

The Sausage opened presents and played with toys old and new

The Sausage enjoyed a birthday bully stick

The Sausage stopped chewing it and decided to lick

The Sausage got ogled from tail to muzzle

The Sausage got his mama’s heart and many special nuzzles…

Happy Birthday Sausage!

Love Always,
Mama

Because I’m still in a Pink Floyd state of mind….so the urban legend goes if you start Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album at the same time as you start the Wizard of Oz movie, there are undeniably moments where the film and the album appear to correspond with each other.

Of course this synchronicity is enhanced by ingesting some foreign substances beforehand…or not depending on how trippy you might be naturally.

Here is a little Dark Side of the Rainbow for your hump day.

Do you see it?

One of my all time favorite movies (hello its about a lost little girl and her dog) and one of my favorites albums too.

I was so bummed to hear about the recent passing of George Carlin, one of the greatest stand up comedians of our time.

The thing I liked about George was his irreverent humor and the way he pushed the envelope. He pissed a lot of people off from various social, religious, and government groups because he made dark funny and wasn’t afraid to poke fun at taboo subjects. He was a maverick of sorts and a pioneer for his time and genre.

Notably George was arrested for disturbing the peace when he performed the following skit, "Seven Dirty Words".

Here are some of my other favorite quotes from his comedic material:

"Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."

"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?"

"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?"

"Death is caused by swallowing small amounts of saliva over a long period of time."

"If God had intended us not to masturbate he would've made our arms shorter."

"Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist."

"Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity."

"The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live."

"The reason I talk to myself is that I'm the only one whose answers I accept."

RIP George. You will be missed.