Autumn is coming to mid-Michigan. The deer are starting to yard-up. On chilly nights they're back in the cemetery. Will it be an early winter also?

Interesting, but this means either my personality is changing, or someone else took this quiz. Oh wait, maybe Pearl took it instead of Shirl.


You are a SLYTHERIN!

As a Slytherin and as an NTP, you are ambitious,
independent, and driven to achieve excellence.
You excel at strategizing and planning to
accomplish your goals, and set very high
standards for yourself and others. You are
confident, intellectual, and can be fiercely
competitive. You may not be concerned about
harmony or the importance of feelings, and you
often challenge authority and can be deeply
skeptical. You are sometimes seen as elitist,
and can be impatient with others who you
consider less competent than yourself.
However, you are also flexible, open-minded,
and ingenious, and you can be charming company.


Hogwarts Sorting Hat: Based on Myers-Briggs Personality Typing
brought to you by Quizilla

Found at Lynn's, who found it at Joni's.

I'd like to give a big Michigan "welcome back" to Diane at Arcadian Expressions! Good to see you blogging, girl!

Yikes! Had a hard time getting on this morning. I'm still a dial-up dudette. Switched access numbers and got right on. Sheesh.

Today is Charity Day at work. The dress theme is mis-match. At first I couldn't get in the mood for that. (Probably because I inadvertently mismatch lots of times anyway!) I've finally gotten into the spirit of the thing and have the striped pants, flowered shirt, and one black/one white shoe set out. I also have the plain tee top and the opposite shoes laid out, so if I'm the only weird dresser I can quickly redress.

Have a happy Tuesday at your place!

C H E R I S H

And so, Monday rolls around again. Let's do the Monday Madness:

Name 3 of your favorite.......
1. Colors: Lilac, Red, White
2. Pizza Toppings: Bacon, Pineapple, Pepperoni
3. Department Stores: Mervyns, Marshall Fields
4. Flavors of Candy: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate
5. Scents of Candles: Vanilla, Cinnamon, Rain
6. Days of the Week: Sunday, Saturday, Thursday
7. Vegetables: Corn, Peas, Carrots (You'll find no broccoli on this list!)
8. Fruits: Strawberries, Pineapple, Apples
9. Meals to cook: Roast beef, Picnic, Scrambled Egg Breakfast
10. Kitchen Gadgets: Knife, Whisk, Timer
11. Olympic Sports: Ice Skating, DownHill Skiing, Diving

Perfect Site

A PERFECT SITE . . .
Less than perfect weather. But it all worked out.
We had a family wedding this weekend. Eldest niece tied the knot. Our Bryn is the ever-optimist in the family. She didn't schedule a tent for her outdoor wedding. The site was beautiful, a bank of the Huron River near Ypsi. (Yes, it's our dirty little secret. . . we actually have family in the Ann Arbor/Ypsi area.) Her husband had hand-crafted the arbor at the front of the seating. Both enjoy the great outdoors, and a tent would have broken the view.

The wedding was to begin at 4:30 p.m. The weather had threatened all day. People starting arriving at about 4:15 p.m. At 4:29 p.m., the skies let loose.

Perfect Couple

Perfect Couple
Bryn is our ever-optimist, but she's also capable of quickly adapting to circumstances. The party was given instructions to head to the restaurant. Kudos to the facilities at the inn for allowing an earlier start time to the reception. The wedding proceeded as though that were the plan.

What great kids!

Back from the wedding celebration, and Unconscious Mutterings just posted. Cool!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. GAME BOY :: nephews
2. Biopsy :: Cancer
3. Attack :: Defend
4. Convention :: Invention
5. Jewels :: Gems
6. Genetics :: DNA
7. Impostor :: Poseur
8. Doug :: Ball
9. Arbitrary :: random
10. Oscillate :: wave

ohmygoodnessgracioussakes alive! **SMOOCHIES**, Roscoe, thank you ever so MUCH!!

Thursday night I got home late to find a FedEx note on my door. The note said that a package had been left at the Clubhouse. I walked over to the Clubhouse, but the office is only open until 6 p.m. (It was after 9. ) *sigh* I wasn't going to be able to make Friday hours either.

Well, the Clubhouse opens at 10 on Saturdays. My curiousity was killing me, I had no idea where this package was from. The office was open and two girls were at the desk. They were joking about which package might be mine. One went into the storage closet where packages are kept. She shuffled and then I heard her say, "Oh, so you're the lucky one."

Omigoshomigoshomigosh. It was a package from Godiva! Dear Roscoe had sent it to cheer me up this week, and oh, I can't tell you how much it did cheer me! And the girls in the office each had a piece before I left and send their thanks also.

The people in the blogworld are mighty special people!!!

It's Move-In Week at Michigan State . . .

Uhoh. I live in a large apartment complex near the Michigan State University Campus. We have a large student population here, and they have moved back this weekend. I usually enjoy the energy of the kids being here, and the party noises have seldom bothered me. (I actually slept through the near-riot a few years ago.)

Either this new crowd is noiser, or I'm not as "young-at-heart" as I once was. Or maybe it's just an unusual weekend. Conked out at ll:00, woke a few minutes ago to a drunken male voice yelling fork fork fork! We'll have to see what this year brings . . .

Update: Aha. This group is noisier earlier, then breaks up faster. That is very doable!

C I R C L E

Let's go play in meg's comments while she's on vacation. How about a picnic?

So Happy It's Thursday!

With a bow to Susan for the phrase.

Okay, the things I learn reading Newsweek:

Check out Cuddle Parties.

R I N G

function get_comment_link 109299852465866705 Add a
comment This has a lovely
end to attend Church at
its core, I did
Only, know that time.
Legato Kaleidoscope Googlefight Fly Lady PS1 PS2
PS3 Click to marry
and also responsible for i=
really, missed my friends when
he talked back from the other SIDE
of you
ask? Uhh. Eclectic
and those who seek shall find.at
its core,
I missed the original adhesive. Oops

Okay, playing at: Rob's Amazing Poem Generator

Car Wars!
There are some people who don't have car issues. My boss, for one. He has car troubles, he takes it to the fleet dealer. He gets it fixed.

Then there are the rest of us. We buy a car, often used because we don't want to take that big drop in investment the moment it drives off the lot, and then the fun begins.

My fun this week has been the rear view mirror. Sunday it was dangling from the electrical cords. The glue must have just given out. At first I thought I could crazy glue it back on, but the directions for crazy glue specifically say "do not use on rear view mirrors". Hmm. So I buy a kit. Well, I'm slightly technically challenged. I got the thing remounted, but . . . I missed the part about removing the original adhesive. Oops. Of course, that meant that this afternoon I left work to a dangling rearview mirror again.

A police car was just going by our parking lot as I entered my car. Boy, it seemed he waited a long time at the corner before moving on. Once he passed out of view, I headed carefully over to Meijers, staying in the right hand lane the whole way. I really, really, really missed my mirror! I got a new kit, and followed the directions explicitly this time, so I'm hoping it will stay glued for at least a week or so. However, I did buy a back-up kit so I don't have to make another mirror-less run.

And how are you doing?

You're a Plot writer!


What kind of writer are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Spied at J-Mo's.

Call of the Open Road. Follow the Adventure Journalist on their road trip.

Good Tuesday morning!

Good Morning!
It's time for the Monday Madness. And the picture of the laid-back bunny is to remind me to relax today . . . it's only a Monday!

1. Which is more fun, kid's toys or grown-up kid's toys? (ie. Lego's vs. power tools) Grown-up Toys.
2. What's your favorite food and why? Which food is your number one weakness? Picnic food. Anything you might find at a picnic. And my #1 weakness is . . . potato salad.
3. How many blogs/journals/diaries would you say you read? Approximately 100
4. Do you feel you have an obligation to spread your religious belief system to others, or do you think religion is a private matter that everyone needs to decide for themselves? I think it is important to be open about my religious beliefs, because they inform a lot of what I do. I think we're all seekers and those who seek shall find.
5. Did you keep a paper journal before blogging? Before, yes. And now, yes. The paper journal is a different kind of workspace.
6. Describe your life in 3 words. Laughing, Loving, and uhhhhh Learning!
7. What was the last thing you were wrong about? Oh don't get me started!!!!
8. What one thing would you do to help the world be a better place for all? Light a candle, whatever that might mean.
9. Are you a dog person or a cat person? Cat
10. If you could start your own meme (And you can!), what kind of questions would you ask? Uhh. Eclectic ones.

Remember

HAPPY BUT MELANCHOLY

This has been an interesting summer. I have a wedding to attend next week, a wedding of a dear niece. (Named Bryn, brynnie!) She is my oldest niece, the daughter of my brother J.R. I'm the oldest in my family, J.R. was born 18 months later.

Remember

J.R. was better than any doll a girl could want. He was a handsome baby, and he talked back from a very early age. We played together, shared friends, loved a puppy Pal that we had to give away because he howled (I'm not really sure I loved Pal, I seem to remember getting caught in his chain more than once), and scared the crap out of each other the day we were digging a hole by the side of the house, hit something metallic and somehow convinced ourselves we had hit the gates of hell.

Remember

For almost three years our family consisted of my parents, J.R. and me. We lived in a little dollhouse of a home with a white picket fence, a blue spruce and "horse tree" in the front year, and a swingset, sandbox, clothesline and garden in the backyard.

Children only know what is obvious. I didn't see anything different about J.R. He was a motormouth, he was a lot of fun, he was my best friend. I found a letter my grandmother had saved, a letter that my mother had sent her when J.R. was 8 months old. "J.R.is getting bigger, and still hasn't rolled over. The doctor has put him on a diet. . . "

Remember

After three years, another addition joined the family, brother Grizzl. He was a big baby, strong and healthy. By then my folks knew that J.R. had Cerebral Palsy, a condition caused by some sort of trauma at birth. He would have to have assistance walking. (Mom had Grizzl, that big lug, naturally. I think she wanted to avoid all drugs that might interfere with the delivery.) Two more children quickly followed Grizzl, and then, after a lull of five years youngest bro BooBoo showed up.

Remember

I think I probably caught on to the permanence of J.R.'s difference when he started school at the same time I did. Only, I walked to the kindergarten three blocks away while he rode in a "special transportation" car to a special school. For most of our academic careers we went to different schools, until finally in Senior High the "special ed" was centered at the high school I attended. (Our city had four high schools at that time.)

Remember

It was MY Senior Year, but somehow J.R. managed to get a full page picture in my yearbook. Argh! Did I mention the kid was a talker? A debater? A cornet player? (All that wind put to good use. He even marched in parades. His friend Jim would push him in a wheelchair.) And he was always asking my friends when they were going to marry him. (I think my friend S always regretted that she didn't.)

Remember

My parents had decided early on that J.R. was going to do anything he wanted: he might have to do it slower or in a different manner than other folks, but live he would. And so he did. He went to college, got tear-gassed in the demonstrations in the 70's, earned a degree in English, got a Masters in Psychology. He was a computer geek. He sky-dived. He married, had three beautiful children. And he died in a freak accident.

Remember

The experts say that "acceptance" is the last stage of grieving. Hmmm. Maybe some of us just get stuck. Or maybe "acceptance" works most of the time, but momentous occasions such as weddings bring up feelings. I don't know. I'm not an expert. I just know that I've been slightly "off" this summer, and as I was reading LuAnne Rice's book Beach Girls today, which has a brother/sister relationship at its core, I was bawling like a baby.

Remember

So once again, blog as therapy has helped me. The tears are drying, a smile is returning. Next Saturday a beautiful young woman will marry, and her being here is testimony to the strength of a man named J.R. A man who won't be with us in body, but whose spirit will be reflected in his daughter's brown eyes.

And, he's also responsible for the longest blog post I have ever made. Sheesh, J.R.!

Bryn's son is married!

The pictures are up! Congratulations!!!!

It's Sunday, so it is time for the Unconscious Mutterings!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Olympics :: Greece
2. Wicked :: Evil
3. Intoxicating :: Beauty
4. Radical :: Extreme
5. Misinformed :: Duped
6. Triplets :: Lot of work!
7. Coronation :: Queen
8. Asimov :: Isaac
9. Contemporary :: Age
10. 1 :: is the loneliest number

Missing Montana

THE OFF YEAR
Those of you who have stopped by here for awhile know that I visit the state of Montana every couple of years. This is the off year, but the blogworld once again rides to the rescue, as I track the doings out west at these fascinating blogs:
An Offering of Myself (lovely Pandora)
Better Living Through Blogging (Great Falls area)
Gates of the Mountains (Helena area, but they need to take the Gates of the Mountains boat ride)
Secular Franciscan (Very eclectic and I like that!)
A Chicken is not Pillage
and
Lewis and Clark and what else, which tracks the Lewis & Clark expedition.

Again, the layout play is swiped from Mandarin meg. Thanks!

Wow! I've just lost thirteen hours! According to sitetracker it is 11:30 A.M. on August 21. Yikes!

We're having a family rummage sale tomorrow, so I'm gathering stuff tonight for it. I went out to my car and . . . a large meteor streaked through the sky. A lovely end to a very grinding week.

R E M E M B E R

This has been a hard week.

I'm so very glad it is Friday.

How was your week?

Well, another first, and again, I didn't have a camera.

I went for a walk at the arboretum this evening after work. I didn't expect to see any deer: it was a nice, bright day and I tend to find them on stormy days. The end of my walk took me by the nature center and the small pond behind it.

There was some sort of brown animal in the pond, chewing on the cat-tails. I took a closer look. It was a deer, belly deep in the pond, trying to get at the roots of the cat-tails. She looked at me, I looked at her. She slowly took a few steps into the cat-tails and disappeared.

Dang. I have to start carrying my camera again!

H I G H

Much less Light.

Just checked the sunrise/sunset times for August 19th and for June 19th. We've lost an hour and 39 minutes of sunlight since then. I thought things were a little bit darker.

And then, of course, there is this. And this.

That concludes our August 18th dates in history portion of the narrowcast.

"this evening we entered much the most remarkable clifts that we have yet seen. these clifts rise from the waters edge on either side perpendicularly to the hight of 1200 feet. every object here wears a dark and gloomy aspect. the tow[er]ing and projecting rocks in many places seem ready to tumble on us. . . .

"the river appears to have woarn a passage just the width of it's channel or 150 yds. it is deep from side to side nor is there in the 1st 3 Miles of this distance a spot except one of a few yards in extent on which a man could rest the soal of his foot. . .

"from the singular appearance of this place I called it the gates of the rocky mountains."

Meriwether Lewis, July 19th, 1805

Happy Birthday!

August 18th. It's the birthdate of Meriwether Lewis. It's Robert Redford's birthday. And it's Mom's 76th! Off to dinner now!

I see pink deer

and Yellow Flowers

As always, thanks to Michelle at MandarinDesign for giving us tools to play with.

Happy Hump Day!

Blogger is acting a little iffy for me, so we'll see if this thing posts.

Check out google.com. They're showcasing the Olympics! Thanks for the pointer, filegirl!

Spotted several places, most recently at Roscoe's:

This is how you play. Copy the description of your birth month from here, then strike out the parts that don't apply to you.

JANUARY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very Stubborn and money cautious.

That's a lot of cross-outs. Hmmmm.

E-Bay doesn't always get it right. (Or maybe they do. But how did they know?)

I had a losing bid on ebay for Tasha Tudor's Book of Christmas. It's a lovely children's pop-up book. In their notice that I was a loser, ebay suggested I might consider these alternatives:

IDITAROD COUNTRY - ROUTE OF THE LAST GREAT RACE
THE INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK OF JOCKSTRAPS BY 'X"

Oops, first I have to acknowledge that I spelled obfuscation wrong in the earlier post. It is not obsfucation, shirl!

And now, the false statement was:

**Drumroll**

#1.

Much as I love Glacier National Park, I have never rafted there. It's still on the to-do list.

Oh Susan! Thanks for the e-card!! I only ended up 18 minutes late according to the card. (And there was some weird joy in knocking the cow feet up!) Hurrah for Monday Monday!

Monday Madness!

Another selection of questions suggested by our fellow participants!! Have fun!! =)

1. If you could only take one item with you on to a deserted island what book, movie, music would you take? The Bible
2. What's the most disgusting thing that you have ever eaten or even just put in your mouth?? broccoli
3. What one thing would you do differently if given the chance? dare
4. What political party, if any, do you belong to? none
5. Do you like icees? no
6. East or West? West
7. Will we ever "all" be happy with the current political situation???? no
8. Cookies or Crackers? cookies
9. What fun thing did you do today? It's too early in the morning.
...and #10 has nothing to do with any of the above questions.........

10. Why?? Because

Finally the sun shines. I am glad.

I was driving by the Arboretum on my way home about 7:30 p.m. last night. I caught a glimpse of brown in one of the near fields as I sailed past: of course I had to turn around and come back. It was a deer, grazing in the front field of the park. I pulled over, found a near picnic table, and settled back to watch the show. Pretty soon another car entered the park. The driver slowed, but continued. (There's a large circular drive through woods to the nature center in the middle of the arboretum.) Pretty soon he was back, did a U-ey, and joined the audience.

Next, a P.T. Cruiser came from the nature center. They saw what was going on, did another U-ey, and now this deer had an even larger audience. Eventually two more cars joined our observers.

None of us spoke. No one wanted to spook the deer. But we all shared in the nature experience. (City slickers that we all are!)

It was a lovely way to unwind after the day.

Googlefight!

I just did a google fight between grey and gray. I am surprised at the results.

Well, as long as we're up we might as well Unconsciously Mutter!


I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Server :: Network
2. Charlotte :: Michigan. Yep, there's one here in Michigan and it's pronounced Shar_lot, with the accent on the lot.
3. Jackson :: Michigan. Yep, there's one here in Michigan, and it's 30 minutes south of me. Oh, and Andrew Jackson.
4. Resentment :: unbridled
5. Controlling :: Jane
6. Intense :: Where you sleep when you camp
7. November :: Elections
8. Donkey :: Democrats
9. Weave :: Loom
10. Satisfies :: Sigh of contentment

And how who was born on August 15, 1769?

I don't know when how was born.

Quick! Whose birthday is August 14, 1959?

Wedding Bells

Bryn's son Jeff is getting married . . . in seven days.
Bryn has dedicated the entire month to wedding lore. Take a visit if you have a moment!

Kane's fussing about not making the Olympic synchronized swim team. Great post, and while you're there, check out the visuals. They never fail to move me.

I need to get dressed so I can go visit Susan's Saturday Morning Me.

Yesterday was Annie Oakley's birthdate. I was going to blog about it, but Roscoe beat me to it.

There was an Annie Oakley TV show when I was a kid. I actually had an Annie Oakley outfit: vest, fringed skirt, and hat. (This was before my head became to big for hats.) Great memories.

Yes, we're playing obsfucation. Here is the premise:

The Game:
On Friday, August 13 you’ll post 3 stories.

* Two false and one true or
* Two true and one false

Readers have to pick the false story(ies), leaving their guess in the comments. (Make sure you let them know which version of the game you’re playing.)

On Monday, August 16 you’ll post the correct response.

We're playing the Two True and one False Version. Which is false:

Number 1. I have white-water rafted down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River near the South boundary of Glacier National Park.

Number 2. My first job was in a China Shop. Yes, I was the proverbial "bull in the . . . " and I'm glad they didn't make me pay for damages.

Number 3. One time, in Toronto, after a couple of drinks, I walked the outer perimeter at the top of the CN tower.

So . . . make your guess in the comments, and thanks for playing!

Taking two days off in the middle of the week sure does get us to Friday quickly! Though the bet is on: will this seem like a Friday, or will it seem like another Monday?

I stayed with my projects until about three yesterday, and then the gray/greyness and too many memories got to me and I had to get out and about. I took a walk over at the Arboretum sans camera: of course, a deer stepped into the path just ahead of me and then commenced to prance down it for several yards, checking over her shoulder to see if I was still coming. So beautiful.

Had a serving of Governor's Chicken at Apple Jade and then went to the computer store to get ink. Don't you just LOVE the fact that printers are relatively cheap, and ink, well . . .

Question of the day: I was cleaning the kitchen cupboards and bumped into the china I had purchased, oh my, years and years ago. Does anyone ever use fine china?

Have a great Friday!

Edit: Just stopped at otto's and she reminds us that it's Friday the 13th! I'm not usually superstitious, but I'm a little uneasy about this one. (Yeah, right, so uneasy I forgot it was the 13th.) Anyway, watch those ladders and black cats!

Of course, now I'm wide awake.

It must be one of those rules.

Sometimes bloggers quit blogging. Sometimes they give us a heads-up. Other times they simply stop posting, and we are left to fill in the blanks and wonder when and if we will see them again. Steve's Diner is such a place for me. He hasn't posted for almost a year. But I enjoyed looking at his art gallery just now. Maybe someday he'll be back.

Flowers from Oz!

susan over on the other-side-of-the-world kidded me while I was on vacation that she would stop by my blog to see the flowers. She did better than that! In my mailbox yesterday was a postcard from Oz from the Blue Mountains. Such beautiful Aussie flowers, susan. Thanks!

Days off . . . but I still fell asleep early!

Well drat. After a lovely day off, and with another day off today, I still fell asleep at 10:30 last night. Sheesh.

Our weather up here in Michigan is decidedly unsummery this week. I don't believe the temperature rose past 61 (F) yesterday: skies were bleak and it rained every couple of hours. It was definitely the type of day to work on projects.

Project the first: Going through the closets and culling stuff for a rummage sale in a week. If the stuff doesn't sell, I'll drop it off at the Rescue Mission. Also throwing away stuff that is just too too worn. It appears from this project that the clothes I like right now tend to run to the black/burgundy/green palette. Hmmm.

Project the second: Going through photographs and pulling for two projects. Project A: Niece #1 is getting married at the end of the month. I think it is time to transfer her pictures to her possession, eh? Project B: Boo and Ruby, my brother and sister-in-law, are coming up on their 15th anniversary. We celebrate the 15ths, and I usually make a scrapbook for the occasion. (They are the third in the family to hit that mark. Grizzl and Opal will hit 25 next year. I have no idea what we'll start as a tradition for them!!)

Project the third: I actually pulled out my NaNo project from last year and am working on a revision.

Today I have three more similar projects set.

The down-side to the overcast skies: haven't been able to see the Perseids.

And how are you?

Take the quiz: "Which Random Irish Gaelic Phrase Are You? "

Is maith liom bananai
Is maith liom bananai - 'I like bananas.'You're laid-back and you enjoy the simple things in life. Some might say you're a little too laid-back. Just what is it you're smoking, anyway?

Bobbie returns to St. Mary's, Kansas and the enchantment continues.

To Diagram or Not?

Thought came from here.

You know what causes me the most trouble in my later years? (Well, aside from quilt v guilt, meg.) Whether to double the consonant at the end of a word when adding -ing or -ed. Catches me all the time. I think it has to do with syllabication, which is another pitfall for me.

Okay, back to cleaning.

Happy Hump Day!

And it's so good to have a day off in the middle of the week.

When I asked for the time off I was in the throes of returning from my July vacation. I envisioned heading back to Lake Michigan. However, I also realized there were several very very neglected projects here at home. What to do, what to do? I know, I'll let the weather decide!

Temps in the 60's (F), gray/grey skies. Doing the projects here at home. And that's cool too!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Testing Meme Propagation In Blogspace: Add Your Blog!

This posting is a community experiment that tests how a meme, represented by this blog posting, spreads across blogspace, physical space and time. It will help to show how ideas travel across blogs in space and time and how blogs are connected. It may also help to show which blogs (and aggregation sites) are most influential in the propagation of memes. The dataset from this experiment will be public, and can be located via Google (or Technorati) by doing a search for the GUID for this meme (below).

Please join the test by adding your blog (see instructions, below) and inviting your friends to participate—the more the better.

The data from this test will be public and open; others may use it to visualize and study the connectedness of blogspace and the propagation of memes across blogs.

The GUID for this experiment is:

as098398298250swg9e98929872525389t9987898tq98wteqtgaq62010920352598gawst

The above GUID enables anyone to easily search Google or other search engines for all blogs that participate in this experiment, once they have indexed the sites that participate, which may take several days or weeks. To locate the full data set, just search for any sites that contain this GUID.

Anyone is free to analyze the data of this experiment. Please publicize your analysis of the data, and/or any comments by adding comments onto the original post. (Note: it would be interesting to see a geographic map or a temporal animation, as well as a social network map of the propagation of this meme.)

INSTRUCTIONS

To add your blog to this experiment, copy this entire posting to your blog, and then answer the questions below, substituting your own information, below, where appropriate. Other than answering the questions below, please do not alter the information, layout or format of this post in order to preserve the integrity of the data in this experiment (this will make it easier for searchers and automated bots to find and analyze the results later).

REQUIRED FIELDS (Note: Replace the answers below with your own answers)

(1) I found this experiment at URL: http://www.arellis.net/04aug08.html

(2) I found it via “Newsreader Software” or “Browsing the Web” or “Searching the Web” or “An E-Mail Message”: Browsing the Web

(3) I posted this experiment at URL: http://other_side.blogspot.com

(4) I posted this on date (day/month/year): 08/11/04

(5) I posted this at time (24 hour time): 07:45

(6) My posting location is (city, state, country): Lansing, MI USA

OPTIONAL SURVEY FIELDS:

(7) My blog is hosted by: blog*spot.com

(8) My age is: other side of 50

(9) My gender is: Female

(10) My occupation is: amanuensis

(11) I use the following RSS/Atom reader software: Uhhhhh

(12) I use the following software to post to my blog: blogger.com, baby!

(13) I have been blogging since (day, month, year): April 2001, but May 2002 here

(14) My web browser is: usually Mozilla

(15) My operating systems are: Windows ME

This link via Roscoe

Help Make Blogs More Visible!

swiped from Third Daughter:

"There are by some estimates more than a million weblogs. But most of them get no visibility in search engines. Only a few "A-List" blogs get into the top search engine results for a given topic, while the majority of blogs just don't get noticed. The reason is that the smaller blogs don't have enough links pointing to them. But this posting could solve that. Let's help the smaller blogs get more visibility!

This posting is GoMeme 4.0. It is part of an experiment to see if we can create a blog posting that helps 1000's of blogs get higher rankings in Google. So far we have tried 3 earlier variations. Our first test, GoMeme 1.0, spread to nearly 740 blogs in 2.5 days. This new version 4.0 is shorter, simpler, and fits more easily into your blog.

Why are we doing this? We want to help thousands of blogs get more visibility in Google and other search engines. How does it work? Just follow the instructions below to re-post this meme in your blog and add your URL to the end of the Path List below. As the meme spreads onwards from your blog, so will your URL. Later, when your blog is indexed by search engines, they will see the links pointing to your blog from all the downstream blogs that got this via you, which will cause them to rank your blog higher in search results. Everyone in the Path List below benefits in a similar way as this meme spreads. Try it!

Instructions: Just copy this entire post and paste it into your blog. Then add your URL to the end of the path list below, and pass it on! (Make sure you add your URLs as live links or HTML code to the Path List below.)"

Path List:
1. Minding the Planet
2. Firemind
3. third daughter
4. Other Side
5.(your URL goes here! But first, please copy this line and move it down to the next line for the next person).

Yippee! I have a couple days off. This means I get to watch Letterman tonight and tomorrow night.

W H E R E

26 Things.

I wasn't able to participate this year, but Roscoe did here, and otto did here. Great work! If you participated, leave me a link here to I can visit, okay?

Walden was published 150 years ago today.

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.

It's Perseids time.

Have you spotted any?

Well goodness, it's time for the Monday Madness again.

I received some really great questions from our participants and I want to thank each and every one of you who submitted a question. Since I will be asking 10 questions per week, all of the questions submitted will be used at some point within the next month. So our theme for the next month will be 'Potpourri!' I've randomly selected 10 questions from my list and here's what came up. Have fun! Remember, you're answering your fellow Monday Madness players' questions! Again, thank you! =)

1. What's "it" all about, anyway? You expect me to know? I'll say college football.
2. What radical political ideas do you have, if any? Speed limits should be adhered to. To accomplish this on the interstate, two state police cars should enter the expressway every hour, driving side by side. That'll slow things down! If we aren't going to follow the speed limits, then take them off and be honest that we're all driving like bats out of heck.
3. Do you believe that you 'fit' the profile of your astrological star sign? On some things, but the Capricorn is a climber, and I am not.
4. Will blogging survive 2005 or is it a fad? It will survive. It will continually change shape, but it will survive.
5. Do you Ebay? If so, what and how often? Is it a full-time job, part-time hobby, or just to clear the junk from your house? Did bryn write this question? I only purchase, so I guess I add to my junk, not clear it.
6. True or False: When I vote, I am all for one party. False
7. Meat or veggie sauce on your spaghetti? Meat
8. Would you ever be on a TV Reality Show? Sure, and I'd be the first one booted off.
9. What is one thing (or place) that you would like to do (or see) that you have not yet done (or seen?)Visit New York City.
10. Do you answer memes honestly? Yep. If I don't like the question, I just skip it. *grin*

Happy Monday!

Warning! Addictive!

Don't Let Go.

Link swiped from Fishbucket. Thank you very much.

8/8/04
It's Bonza Bottler Day!

Good Sunday morning. Just checking to see how meg's drop cap works over here. She always has great ideas at her place with great cut-and-paste code you can put in your own blog. She rocks. This post may or may not stay. Let's hit publish and see how it looks!

A little Unconscious Mutterings:

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Sting :: Bee
2. BMW :: Nice car
3. Jeremy :: service technician
4. Audacious :: Bodacious
5. Drag Queen :: Vamp
6. Title :: Book
7. Stamp :: Postage
8. Bad :: Good
9. Snow White :: Seven Dwarves
10. Delegate :: Convention

Did you know?

And a Good Saturday Morning!
I woke up to 48 degree (F) weather this morning. Brrr.

Cyberbrother Jeeem has moved from China to Malaysia. He's sick right now. If you have a moment please visit and give him a cyber-hug.

And LDH has found yet another curious quiz.

I'm a Moonflower. I only bloom at night and I'm pollinated by moths. Kinky, huh? This flower means "I dream of love" and I do. What bloom are you? by Polly_Snodgrass

Kane has a delightful story about (almost) being a JPO.

Oh yay! Susan is up with the Saturday Morning Me! (Susan, it's time to give Robin a kick in the pants again. Her last post was May 8!)

The other-side-of-the-world susan is having a mellow Saturday. It's winter there. Yikes!

Scott at EdgeCurve has a new captions game up.

Lynn is preparing for a marathon for Arthritis. Check her out here.

Oh yay! Want to drop a cap? Mandarin meg has the method!

This quiz swiped from Karen's, naturally *smirk*. Ack! Now I'm bashful about posting the results! Oh well, here goes.

What's Your Sexual Battle Cry?

More Great Quizzes from Quiz Diva

So much good stuff going on in the blogrolls. Happy surfing, and Happy Saturday!

Uhoh. It's appearing that blogger is hanging. Is this getting through to anyone? I can't see it.

Need a little flattery? Go here. (It will let you out after about six clicks.) (Really.)

Cindy has moved: not in the blogworld, but her 3-D home. Happy unpacking!

It's Friday!

Chilly up here in Michigan. Hard to sell air conditioning this summer, but maybe that means we'll sell more furnaces in September. We actually went on a "no heat" call on July 30. That was a first.

Catch up with y'all this evening!

Campaigning is good for the economy. Well, for the robbers' economy?

I wish I wish I wish . . . .

So Happy It's Thursday!

Finished Thursday Morning: Oops! I had dinner last night at Texas Roadhouse with my friend Deb to hear her continuing saga on the screenplay she's pitching. I had one margarita, but it must have been toooooo much for me, as I came home, started to post something, realized I was sleepy, and toddled off to bed. I have no idea where I was going with the mushroom picture. Yikes!

T R Y

And so you know, my YaYa name is: Countess Strong Cloud.

Thanks for pointing me to that, naomi!

Gus braces himself to light the Coleman stove. “I should have paid more than one ruble for it,” he mutters as he rubs his sore arm. But when he saw them being sold from a van outside the Burlington Coat Factory he just had to have one. It was a great tool for cooking his dragon sandwiches.

Poaching dragons was a misdemeanor for which the commissioners would levy a big fine, if they caught him. The commissioners preferred to stay at the estuaries, where they could give themselves airs and use an indoor potty. Gus stays in the dense growth inland, where he singly tracks each dragon. It is a metaphysical moment as he comes face to face with his quarry. The commissioners have never held an inquest into his activities, but they recruited him to find other dragon-slayers.

Some day Gus hopes to live in an ivory tower, and write poetry with meter.

Edit: Whoops! Forgot to add that this is a writing challenge issued by LDH here.

T O M O R R O W

Visit Greece.

With Kat. Sounds wonderful!

Swiftly Flow the Days.


Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears.

From Sunrise, Sunset. Fiddler on the Roof.

Okay, I declare August to be officially sappy month. My oldest niece is getting married at the end of this month. This is the first wedding of the next generation. Her daddy, my brother, passed away when she was ten. Your patience with old Aunt Owwee is appreciated.

Fitting In.

This weekend we went "up north" to see my niece perform in a musical. The musical was presented by a Summer Association (Chataqua) that is known for its beautifully kept Victorian homes. We have driven by it for years, admiring the lovely houses. The musicals are open to the public as well as to the members. It must have been quite clear that we weren't associates. Lemonade was sold outside on the lawn at the intermission. My brother Boo was taking the box of used cups to the trash. Several people gave him their cups as he passed. It made us smile.

25th Anniversary of the Happy Meal.

And they have Ty Teany Beanie Babies.

I didn't hear it until after lunch. Guess where I stopped on my way home tonight?

Can you say Pavlovian response?

Swiped from LDH and absolutely cracking me up, as I've had a grudge against Porsches since a giddy little idget almost ran me over with one in Saugatuck twenty years ago. Guess I'd better get over it!

I'm a Porsche Boxster!

You're stylish, nimble, and good-looking. When it comes to having fun, there are few who can surpass you. And yet, you suffer from a lingering inferiority complex. Maybe it's because you have an older relative who is always in thelimelight?

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Happy

Good Monday Morning. Let's do the Monday Madness!

1. I always exercise my right to vote. (If you are under 18, 'I will always exercise my right to vote as soon as I am old enough to.') True
2. I pay little or no attention to the campaign ads aired on television prior to a presidential election. True
3. I can see myself running for some type of political office someday. False
4. I believe we will see a woman become president in my lifetime. True
5. I try to keep an open mind regarding all political issues.True
6. I believe the drinking age should be raised. False
7. I think the legal age to vote should be raised. False
8. I thought these qustions were interesting.True
9. I will be back to play again! True
~Bonus Question~ (stole this idea from wild fl0w3r!)
10. If I was the moderator of this meme, one question I would ask is........ East or West?

It'a a little Unconscious Mutterings:

I say ... and you think ... ?

Ribald :: Lusty
Auction :: Sale
Inch :: Worm
Tony :: Award, Snow
Phony :: Fake, Facade
Stool :: Foot (okay that's really the second thought, but we aren't going to the first one *smile*)
Coyote :: Trickster
Cinderella :: Leslie Ann Warren, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Ten Minutes Ago, In My Own Little Corner
Battery :: Park

I'm back! We ran "Up North" of the 45th parallel for a quick trip: third niece was in a production of Fiddler On The Roof. Good time was had by all, but I shirley did miss you.