Thank You To the Kind Soul Working at the Dead Letter Post Office!

Thanks to Cathy Strote for sending this to me. GET OUT A HANKY before you read on!

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could, so she dictated these words:



Dear God,


Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.


I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.


Love,
Meredith


We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.


Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:


Dear Meredith,


Abbey arrived safely in heaven.


Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.


Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.


Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.


I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.


By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.


Love,
God

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I'm still in tears and I've read this three times! Forward it on to those you love who love little children, critters and God. They'll thank you for it!

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And remember: God DOES answer knee-mail! So kneel and talk to Him. You'll feel love and will usually be able to discern either "Yes," "No," or "Not right now" when you ask Him for something, if you ask in the right spirit... "not my will, but thine, be done..."

G'Day!

I'm still out in the sticks (halfway between Tacoma and Eatonville, WA -- closer to Eatonville than Tacoma) critter and house-sitting for friends.  They have two horses and six dogs (three large, three small), but one of the dogs (a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog) is in the doggie hospital and has been for two days, so I haven't seen her yet this time. I may be able to pick her up today if she's feeling better. She may also get a bad diagnosis and have to be put to sleep, so we're praying for the best outcome for her. She got sick fast, so hopefully she "just" has an infection of some kind; if not, she may have pancreatic cancer.  And she's eight -- old for such a large breed  -- so the owners probably won't put her through heroic efforts if the diagnosis is dire...  She's a delightful critter and her best buddy (same breed, about the same age) would miss her terribly (in fact, I can tell he misses her right now) so we're all hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

My $2K project is on-hold for right now... so I'm actually getting a bit of a vacation this week, which is a good thing because I don't think I've taken a single day off in months. (When you work from home, it's hard to stay away, especially when you love what you do!)  I'm de-pressurizing a bit, which feels nice.

Just because I'm out in the sticks doesn't mean I'm living rustically. This is a beautiful home and spread.  I love vaulted ceilings and skylights --  I have neither at home -- so coming out here feels almost like visiting a resort. It's very nice here.

Oddly enough, I lived just a mile from here (as the crow flies) from 1978 - 1981 and again from 1985 to 1989. I've been meaning to drive by the old place while out here, but since it's farther up the road, I haven't done it yet. And it's also 800 feet off a main road, so I would have to actually access the long driveway for no earthly legitimate reason, so that's MOSTLY why I haven't driven by.  I think the new owners tore down the chalet and built something else, so it would probably make me sad to see it now. I prefer my memories to reality in this case. Same with De and Carolyn's house. I doubt I would ever drive by to see the monstrosity that replaced it, because I loved their home so much. It was as unpretentious as could be. You can still see it, inside and out, from one of my older blogs, if you want to hunt for it.  It was within the first year of my starting this blog, I'm pretty sure...

And speaking of De and Carolyn...

I've heard back from Amie Flanagan. She sent me some of the feedback from last week's KSU Radio interview. She received over 800 comments on the show and wants to do it again sometime.  Here are two of them:

Wayne from TX writes:

Just got done listening to your interview with Kristine M. Smith! I love that show! She gave great insight into the Man behind the Hypo.


I loved her readings, especally the one about being invited to have  sit down drinks with them. That comment about finding the balance between [treating De like the Pope and coming across like] Odie. LMAO!


When Molly and I went to that convention in 2007 , if you look at all the pics of me, I have an Odie-like grin on. LOL. I was unabashedly drooling. lol


And that second reading was very , very touching about [De]speaking to her mother who was undergoing cancer treatment and about how he put on his best McCoy authority-type face and voice and told her she was going to be just fine, all the while knowing that he was terminal with cancer himself .

I have always enjoyed Mr. Kelley as an actor in TOS and the films later because he made each line he spoke feel so incredibly genuiwine and real , that even if he was working on a pointed -eared alien such as Spock , you could feel his compassion and bed side manner shine through even if with the next breath he was calling him a pointed eared hobgoblin. lol


Thank you for endevouring to get this wonderful woman on your show! i thoroughly enjoyed it! *hugs*


And PAULA from MASS writes:


Thanks for sharing. I have her first book. Besides JDL, De Forest Kelley was one of the most amazing of the Trek heroes I also had a chance to meet. I've met quite a few of the actors who played roles in Trek and I have to say that these two are the ones who stand out as the most 'real' in how they treat their fans. As important as they seem to us, they leave the impression that 'you' are as important to them, if only just a fan, but more than that they treated me like I was a person who mattered. Great interview. I need to listen again, when I'm more awake. What a lucky lady to have known him so well.


From Amie (to me) : I have about 800 of them from CA, NM, TX, TN, ME, FL, MI, KS, AK and even South Africa!

Pretty cool! I can live for a week on comments like these...

What else? Hmm...

The weather here is stellar again. We just haven't had a winter this year except for a really-cold snap early on that broke a record number of water pipes across the region. The sun is out, the sky is blue and birds and squirrels are active -- even the daffodils in our front yard are springing up. (Just the stems -- they haven't opened yet.)  We're supposed to get drenched in the next day or so, but then it's supposed to clear up again to spring-like weather.  I'm a little concerned about our forests this year, if this is all the precipitation we're going to be getting over the winter...

Guess that's about it for this time. Take care and stay tuned. 

I miss my puppies!  WAAAHHHHH!!!

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Update: Star (the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog) is going to be fine!  I get to pick her up this afternoon and bring her home!
WOO HOO!

Jesus and Me Up in the Clouds! Last Night's Dream

I had an amazing dream last night. In it, I was suddenly floating upward into the sky lying on a Kris-sized pillow -- one that was warm and supporting me from head to toe (and a little bit more on all sides) with its pristine white softness.

From the time I left the ground 'til I got about 20 feet up I was rightly concerned, thinking, "Gadzooks! Gravity has forsaken me alone and when it comes back, I am a dead duck!"

I quickly figured out that this particular "star trek" had to be a God thing, especially since I began to feel such emotional warmth and peace surrounding me. 

Still...

Being a Terran (translation: earth-dweller) I became a little concerned again as the pillow and I began to drift toward a veritable "city in the sky" of high-voltage electrical wires.  My first inclination was to "scootch down" as I approached them to be sure I didn't come into contact, but the Holy Spirit reminded me, "I brought you up here -- surely you don't believe I'm going to fry you, do you?"  

I smiled at that... and relaxed completely. Yeah. I got that. 

Not long after, what looked like a drone or a probe (I figured from NORAD) came over and buzzed around, apparently trying to figure out the strange apparition, so I got a little concerned again (since I don't look much like Santa Claus or an airliner...)

Apparently, NORAD decided I was a benign apparition and the probe went away. 

I floated around like that for the longest time, just looking down on God's green earth in its many manifestations -- oceans, lakes, mountains, streams -- before I was finally lowered lovingly to the original starting point.

Still dreaming, I was hesitant to tell anyone about my "trip," of course, figuring no one would believe it for an instant, but then Jackie came to me and said she had just had the same experience except that while she was airborne she had been "given"  (spiritually) a song. She sang it to me, sounding eerily like like Whitney Houston.  I told her, "You have to go to church with me and sing this song!  It's fantastic!" (How I wish I could remember its lyrics and melody now that I'm awake!) She looked at me dubiously, like "You and who's army is going to drag me anywhere to admit to this experience?" but I countered her frown with and furrowed brow with, "Jackie, you've been involved in a miracle. You have to share your experience!"

Of course, I knew what she was thinking: "Other people will think I'm nuts if I tell them I was floating around on a giant pillow gathering song lyrics and a melody!" because I, too, was afraid of sharing my own, equally-miraculous (but alas, less creative) "flight."

I'm guessing this dream was a message from my Lord: "I have shared so many miracles with you all your life, and you're keeping most of them to yourself. What are you afraid of?  Nothing can defeat you as long as I have your back."

So today I'm pondering ways in which I have kept miracles, blessings and spiritual visitations to myself in order not to be regarded as "looney tunes."  The list is substantial and it's pathetic.

I'm sharing the first with you now: last night's dream. How do you interpret it?  Do you have other interpretations for it that I may be missing? I sure would love to hear them, if so.

God sure has a way of getting my attention at times. It's why I became a born-again Christian eleven years ago. (No, not because of a dream -- because of an ongoing interaction with the Holy Spirit while I was 100% awake... for several days running.)

How many visitations and experiences have you had that you're keeping under wraps?  Am I the only one?  I'm thinking we ought to write an e-book and "let it all hang out."

After all, that's the primary reason we writers were selected from on high to be passionate about stringing words together:

TO PRAISE HIM!

I Haven't Been Lazy -- I've Been Swamped!

When it rains at Elance, it pours!  I'm not complaining, but it makes it hard to keep my blogs updated, that's for sure!


I just landed a $2K project copy-enhancing a website and writing a couple of email letters. I've developed two more "regulars" who use me more or less every few days and I'm writing blogs for both of them (or will be shortly). I've also done about a half dozen quick projects -- an hour or so in length -- for about $65/each. 


It looks like 2010 is the year I finally make some serious money since leaving Warner Bros. seven years ago.  It has been a helluva long haul but has been worth every last minute of the uphill battle. I'm no longer wondering if I have what it takes as a copywriter, editor, ghostwriter, tag line/slogan writer, article writer.  The feedback has all been fantastic. It is an exhilarating time for me.


This week I'll be critter-sitting again most of the week, working from someone else's computer. I'm trying to remember what I need to take. Most of the work files are resident at Elance, so I can access those, but I have a couple other clients who are independent of Elance and their stuff resides on my PC and on theirs. I have to be sure they get the latest version of whatever it is we're working on so we can continue during the week while I'm off-site...


I will miss the puppies!!!!  They have brought such joy and smiles into my life. I wasn't expecting quite the kick I get out of them, for some reason.


Oh!  The other morning (1-19-10) I awoke to the most amazing sunrise in my back yard that I have ever witnessed. I raced outside with my camera and captured almost 30 photos as the sky changed colors, as clouds moved and as silhouetted trees morphed.  They turned out so great that I contacted a professional video/print image fellow I know (a client) and sent them to him. He's going to offer some of them for sale. I don't know which ones yet, so I'm not going to give you a preview of any of them here YET -- but when he has them up, I will give you his website URL and you can go take a look. I know you're going to want one.  I mean... I was undone by the beauty of that sunrise.  I look at my slideshow of it at least once a day and remember, "I was there, witnessing it as it happened..."


They're truly one-of-a-kind photos. Wait'll you see them...

Link to Yesterday's Radio Interview on DeForest Kelley's 90th Birthday

Thanks to Amie Flanagan for providing this link to yesterday's radio interview with me.

http://ksuradio.com/2010/01/21/my-interview-with-kristine-m-smith-12010/

I'll write more later. I'm working on an Elance project that is time-sensitive right now!

In the meantime, ENJOY!

Hugs!

From Mary Doman on What Would Have Been De's 90th Birthday

In 1976, Kelley said "Isn't [it] the dream of an actor's life--of anyone's life--to do something that moves people profoundly, something that makes a difference? Star Trek made a difference. And it will again."

[Prophetic words -- Ed. Note]


Thank you, De, for giving us Doctor McCoy and his example of humanity. Thank you for your own humanity. You made a difference, both as an actor and as a human being. And we are all the better for it.

Mary


And thanks to Jackie Smithers for the link her her lovely tribute to De:

http://community.livejournal.com/dekelleyfans/30173.html

Rainy Days.. Soggy Doggy Wet Pets

It's raining. Yeah, I know: rain should come as no surprise here in the Great Pacific North-Wet.

BUT! 

It hasn't been raining much at all and, when it has, it has usually been at night, when the pups don't have to go outside to do their thing.

Now it's daytime, and it's raining, and they do.  They don't like it much. Neither does their "Mom-Dog" (that's me right now, with Jackie still hobbling around).

I built a little pen out my front door, then covered half of it. They'll ask to go out there to pee, but they won't poo in it -- not enough room to pad around and get comfortable before they let loose.

So we all have to brave the wet at least twice a day until all three do their thing.  The good thing about this is, letting them into the pen area primes the pump and gets them thinking about what they're out there to do, so if I do that first, and then let them out into the back yard, they quickly poo so I don't have to stand there for an eon while they think about what it is they're out there for. That's a perk.

I know... too much information... but hey, if you have a dog, the idea might work for you, too!

Gads, what a topic!

What a Mom! VP Joe Biden's Mother Passes AWay at 92

Read it all the way to the bottom.  You'll get a kick out of it, no matter what your political persuasion.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34752988/ns/politics-white_house/?GT1=43001

My heart and prayers go out to the Biden family.

Update

Sorry.

I've been neglecting my blogs but have a good reason: I've been very, very busy with Elance and other writing clients.  One project turned into three (so far - there will be more) and another was a biggy, plus other things have come in that needed handling (more writing, but not via Elance).

I'm not complaining.  I am thriving: ecstatic, jazzed, juiced, crazy happy!  But that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking of you and feeling at least a little bit guilty. When ya have a blog, you're supposed to keep it up!  And I will, as I can.

I'm adding to the writing blog as I find time, too (http://kristinemsmith.wordpress.com). That one has to be more professional-sounding (as does my business and book site at http://kristinemsmith.biz), so it takes longer to create an entry. Y'all are my friends, so I can kind of hang loose here...

I'm now Skype-ified, but haven't used it yet.  My first Skype interaction will be soon, though, with Amie Flanagan. I promised her the first call. We need to connect before the interview she'll be having with me about De on Jan 20th, because we're both greenhorns with Skype and have to find out how to use it and see how well we can hear each other before we go live on the air that morning. Don't forget to tune in.  It'll be from 7 AM to 8 AM on www.ksuradio.com.

I'm also going to re-record my first De book onto MP3 format real soon. The first time I tried it, it worked OK -- but there was some white noise in the background. I didn't have a good set-up.  With this new noise-canceling headset, I should be able to create a truly professional-sounding audiobook.  For those of you who bought the first audiotaped book, I'll issue you a new one (free of charge) with my compliments.  (I know who you are; you don't need to remind me.)

I know, I know.  I'm being anal. I was told by everyone who bought the audiobook that they LOVED it, that the white noise was barely discernable and that after about a minute, they forgot it was there because they got so caught up in the story.  All well and good, but... I'm a "perfeshional," dagnab it, and I want what I offer to look and/or sound good.  So you're getting a better one as soon as I've got them to give, with my thanks...

Jackie is getting around better but still is not allowed to walk on her foot, so I've been shadowing her whenever she had had serious shopping to do so I can push her cart, park the vehicle, carry the packages,etc. 

When we can find one, she gets a motorized cart at the places we go, but in most cases, they are either out of power or in use, so she has to use her "knee-high skateboard" (for lack of a better description) to get herself around. That's a drag and wears her out. But she is getting a lot stronger -- yesterday I couldn't even keep up with her at Winco, she was scooting hither and yon so fast.  (If you've ever been in a car with her.. it's like that. She scares me sometimes!) 

The puppies are doing fine. They're so freakin' cute I can hardly stand it.  I have to take a beak every hour or so just to pick 'em up and moosh their little bodies... That's probably a good thing for my health; otherwise, I'd be glued to this chair -- NOT a good thing, and I can tell it's not when I don't get up and about enough.

What else?

I'm ghostwriting for a Tony Robbins affiliate -- lots and lots. I'll be writing a blog for another client soon, and writing a PR for him, and some other stuff, too.

Tomorrow I'm going to see THE BLIND SIDE with Mary Jo, unless she's booked to do something else.  I had to cancel last week's viewing.  We'll get 'er done this weekend.

Next weekend is another session of WRITER'S EDGE at CFAN. It has been two months since the last session because of the holidays. In April I'll be teaching on self-publishing, the pros and the cons. There are more pros than cons, in my opinion, though, chief among them is you keep all rights to your stuff and if you're a first time or unknown writer you'll get peanuts from a publisher and no help publicizing. All the work except binding and perhaps editing is on you, so why get a 5% return when you can get a lot more than that by doing it yourself and keeping all rights, instead of having to give away so many of them with a traditional publisher for so little reward?  If you're good, the big publishers will find you after you've self-publsihed, and then they'll have to give you a better deal if they come to you instead of you going to them, hat in hand, as a newbie.

I say Seize the Day and hold onto what you create unless someone offers you a pretty substantial percentage of what they'll be making on the deal!

That's my sermon for the day and it belongs on the other blog... but what the hey.

Sigh! I Love Receiving Client Feedback!

A few weeks ago (did I tell you this already?) I got an email from an Elance client that rocked my world.  It was from a school teacher. I had sent him the first draft of the copy for his website.

His email read, " Kris, sorry for the delay in getting back to you; it has been a very busy day... but if I may curse for one second and say HOLY SH*T!  Wow, this stuff is great!!!"

Now, I'm accustomed to getting positive feedback from clients at Elance. You can read a lot of it on my feedback page there (http://kristinemsmith.elance.com/).

But once in a while someone pulls out all the stops -- as this gentleman did -- and rocks my world.  I placed his comment near my monitor so I can see it. It makes me smile.

Today I got another one after submitting a first draft of four pages I wrote for another client.  Even better?  You decide.  No swearing in this one... but it means the world to me!

It reads, "You are a one of a kind genius. I love it, I love it, I love it.  These writing pieces are equivalent to paintings by Da Vinci. I had an instinct about you that you've very well confirmed 100%. Excellent job." 

I can live for a month on emails like these.  I've started a little file of them. I should add some of the best ones from my feedback page at Elance, too... but it would take an hour or so and they're already documented, so I'll leave them where they are.

I love my clients. One of them is about to announce the publication and debut of her new non-fiction book. She's a Christian counselor. She'll be sending me two copies this week.  As soon as I have them in hand and get her go-ahead, I'll announce her book here and provide a link to it and to her website.  I was her Editor-in-Chief on the book and serve the same function on her forthcoming books, too.

It's an exciting time!

Radio Interview on De's Birthday (Jan 20th) with Amie Flanagan in Georgia!

On what would have been DeForest Kelley's 90th birthday -- January 20, 2010 -- I'll be a guest of Amie Flanagan on KSU Radio  (www.ksuradio.com) in Georgia. Let all your De friends know.

The radio podcast will be live from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Pacific Time (10-11:00 east coast time). It'll be available afterward, too, since it's a podcast.

Amie wrote me about three years ago to thank me for writing the first book about De (HARVEST). She lives very near where he grew up and when he passed away, she said she felt very lost until she came across my book and was finally able to "meet" the man she had so admired. She wrote me a beautiful letter about what De and my book meant to her.

Now she's a communications major and radio personality. Her program is called "Story with Amie" at her alma mater, Kennesaw State University. She has interviewed a lot of intriguing folks; read all about them at the KSU website. She also has a "Story with Amie" Facebook page, if you want to look that up and join in. Let her know you're a De fan! 

I'll be reading an excerpt or two from my first book. If you have any questions about De, writing, animals, or my books that you want her to ask me, let her or me know. There's no call-in number and no chat room, so you need to ask us soon in order to have your question answered or your comments heard during the program.

I think that's everything you need to know about the upcoming program. If not, shoot me a "comment" and let me know what I left out.  Thanks!

Just Read, Enjoyed and Marveled at "The Jim Dilemma" by Jocelyn Chadwick-Joshua

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The Jim Dilemma: Reading Race in Huckleberry Finn by Jocelyn Chadwick-Joshua




My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As a long-time Mark Twain aficionado (white, 58, grew up in a very white world in the Pacific NW), I was very taken with this book. I was out of the loop about "the controversy" re: the Jim character and whether or not Twain was a racist. The book was a real eye-opener for me in that regard. Now I want to poll my African-American friends and discover what they think of the novel -- and if they don't love it every bit as much as I did, I will refer them to Chadwick-Joshua's book if they regard Twain as a racist or Jim as an Uncle Tom!


Not once during reading THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN did I discern a racist attitude in its author. I twitched and twisted ruefully as Twain carefully revealed racism as it existed during the times in which the novel takes place (pre- and post-Civil War) but attributed it to his acute observation of people, places and his times, not to his own (contrary)belief system.


Of course he saw racism. As a child living in Missouri, he probably saw little else: it was all around him, even in the pulpit. (Even to this day, Sunday religious observances are reportedly "the most-segregated hour of the week" in most churches). But just like Huck Finn, the more often Twain was exposed to the African American slave plight and to slave-owners as a youngster and teenager, the more he recognized the attitude and behaviors for what they were.


I think Chadwick-Joshua does an exemplary job of peeling back the layers of Twain's book and exposing exactly what he was trying to say during a time when most folks really didn't want to be educated out of their biases and presumptions. He had to tread a mighty fine line. He had to show what the prevailing attitudes were, both north and south, and the inherent dangers of changing one's mind or allegiance during that period in America history.


I always felt that Jim was the hero and that Twain "channeled" him very well, so that readers would be carried -- willingly or not -- into admitting to themselves that slavery was far more than a "peculiar institution," -- it was Perdition to those who had to endure it. And Twain shows, too, that Reconstruction was no picnic, either... not that any year since then has been particularly jubilant for the African American until November 4, 2008.


Both books (Chadwick-Joshua's and Twain's) belong in every library. Yes, it hurts to see what has been done to other fellow sojourners in our country, but it's also instructive. Those who want to push away the history that we all wish hadn't happened, by banning Twain's most enduring legacy as a writer, are misguided at best. I hope those who feel negatively about THE ADVENURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN or Mark Twain will read this tome and then re-read Twain's book. The insights you'll discover will open eyes in the way Twain intended.


Jim is a hero. Always was to Twain -- always will be to me.


Bravo, Jocelyn!

Disclaimer: Hey, I don't kow if providing links to Amazon and these books makes me an Affiliate marketer, but if it does, here's my notice about that fact. I'm supposed to announce it according to new rules and regs... so I'm announcing it! This means that if you click on any of the books from my website and order the book, I get a small percentage as an affiliate...

Yeah, I Know... Where Have I Been?

I've been sister-chauffeuring and enjoying a long holiday weekend with her grandkids, son and wife. I also went to a movie that I LOVED: Invictus.  I plan to go see Up in the Air and The Blind Side, too, before the week is out.

I'm also rethinking whether to keep this blog going. I'll give it another couple of weeks to see if more people sign on as followers. If not, I may invite you all to a new blog I'm thinking about, but it will be copywriting-related, and there will be a monthly or yearly charge (not much) to access it, since it will be teaching interested parties how to write riveting copy (ads, articles, slogans, tag lines, newsletters, fliers, brochures, blogs, etc.) for their businesses and other venues.

Keeping up a blog is a helluva lot of work, and unless the time spent writing one regularly is paid for, it's too much time used frivolously.  But since I'm not in the habit of charging people to keep up with my doings, personal and professional, I'm not thinking of doing that with this particular blog. I'm more just thinking of updating it on the rare occasions when I actually have something to report that's worth the time it takes me to put it down and the time it takes you to read it. Time is valuable and no one should lay claim to another's time unless it's for a pretty significant reason. This has been my way to connect with far-flung friends and fans, but we have email and phones for that...

So if you'll feel lost and bereft without this blog and haven't signed on yet as a follower, now is your chance to vote with your fingers and BECOME a follower.  If I get 50 followers in the next two weeks, I'll feel encouraged to keep going on this more than just occasionally (at least once a week); if not, I think I'll invest most of my blogging time writing a blog that brings in some money while it helps people learn to reel in and keep the people who can mean the difference between success and failure in their businesses -- their customers: past, present and future.

You, too, might benefit from the new blog if you own a business. If you don't, when it's up and running, you may want to tell others about it who do own businesses.  That would be super!

Let me know what you think of this plan. Hailing frequencies are now open!

Thanks!

Christmas in Yellowstone -- PBS Documentary Brought Back Memories

I just watched PBS's "Christmas in Yellowstone."  It brought back a lot of memories and made me realize that I have to go back again this spring, summer, fall, or winter.

In one segment, a female grizzly gave birth to two cubs during hibernation. That reminded me that, when I worked with the Animal Protection Institute (API) in 1981-1985, one of my first assignments was to meet a "courier" from Canada who was bringing two female grizzly cubs to Montana to have them turned loose in Yellowstone Park. Their mother had been shot and killed in Canada (where grizzlies aren't endangered). The original plan was to euthanize the two cubs, but API negotiated a deal that allowed us to get them and take them to Yellowstone (where grizzlies are endangered species) and release them there to bolster the ability of the remaining grizzlies to procreate without inbreeding.

I met the courier from Canada in Kalispell, Montana after driving from Eatonville. The two cubs were still small enough to fit into large plastic canine crates. I remember looking at the cubs and the crates that would airlift them into the back country. I noticed that one of the crates only had three (or maybe four) bolts holding it together (as opposed to the six or eight it was supposed to have). No one else noticed that but me!  I mentioned it to the guys (there were six Fish and Game and fire service folks out that day, engaged in the project) and they, rather sheepishly I thought, agreed that it was probably a good idea to secure the crate better before they hauled it aloft beneath a helicopter!  I was mortified, thinking that if I hadn't been there and noticed the precariousness of the crate, API's "rescue" operation may well have become a grizzly drop from several hundred feet.

Watching the PBS program tonight, it occured (poignantly) to me that the she-bear I was watching give birth might well be one of the cubs I helped rescue and release -- or the cub of a cub we released back then.  I think grizzlies live beyond 25 years, if I'm not mistaken-- that is, if they aren't killed by illegal hunting.  I got a little misty, thinking that way!

One of my earliest memories is of Mom and Dad driving us to Yellowstone and seeing Old Faithful and lots of black bears, bison, moose, raccoons, eagles, skunks and other wildlife. The trip doubled and trebled my lifelong love of the environment, wilderness and the creatures that share out world with us. One of my books, LET NO DAY DAWN THAT THE ANIMALS CANNOT SHARE certainly speaks to my passion in this area.  I need to get a new edition of it out -- this time strictly as an e-book -- and put down many more of my experiences with wild ones. I bottle-fed and released two fawns whose mothers were killed during the eruption if Mt St Helens in 1980. I rehabilitated and raised another fawn that had fallen into an irrigation canal in Cle Elum in 1965 or '66. I've rescued, rehabilitated and released hawks, small birds, skunks and raccoons as well.

While at API, I also helped rescue and release hundreds of beavers from a beaver farm that had gone bankrupt before the powers that be could make arrangements to have another beaver ranch take them and pelt them out.  We're taking families of beavers -- males, females, and youngsters, all of whom had been raised in small cement dungeons with a "stream" of water running through their pens so they could jump in and keep their skin in good shape.  Yes, what we did was entirely legal -- we weren't being unethical in the least -- we were just staying one step ahead of any other decision that would cause the beavers more grief.  It worked. 

And of course I raised Deaken, a serval kitten, from the time he was just a few days old until he passed away at 17...  So I have a lot of stories that remain to be told.

The Yellowstone documentary brought it all back to me.  It occurs to me that if I go wireless I can work from anywhere in the country I want to... and if I can do that, I can travel to these marvelous places and find even more to write about.

I may need a grant to get me going, but they're available if I can find out which ones offer what I'm looking for and hoping to do.

With a wireless PC, a digital camera and a tape recorder, I could really be getting things done!  Worth thinking about!

Does anyone else want to travel to Yellowstone with me this year and share expenses?  Let me know!  I need to put a date on it, or it'll never happen. And it needs to happen!

Christmas Eve

T'is the night before Christmas
And all through the house
The only thing stirring
Is my keyboard and mouse...

Well, that's not exactly true. Jackie is in her half of the abode preparing a breakfast casserole and cursing her temporary disability. She can only stay down for so long before she has to charge around on her knee skateboard (or whatever you call it) and do stuff.  One week of being crippled up is about her limit... don't tell her she has a week and a half to go before she gets a boot she can walk on.

Phil, Wendy and the kids have been here two evenings making cookies and fudge; tonight they're at church and then at Wendy's Aunt Donna's until later, then they'll come here -- as will a number of other  folks (all four of Jackie's grandchildren and their parents)-- to spend the night. I don't know if the overflow will stay in my living room, but they're welcome to, since I inherited Jackie's couch with the double recliner a few months ago when she got new furniture.

We'll be up at the crack of dawn (about seven) if we can keep the kids down that long.  We usually manage to get up before they do, for some reason.  (When we were kids, we were always up first!)

I've ordered a bunch of used books (on writing and other subjects) -- wintertime causes me to become a bookworm, since I can't be outdoors much...

But the weather today was so warm at one point that I went outside with the pups and pulled up my pant legs and sweatshirt sleeves and soaked in some rays from the sunshine.  This is insane warm weather for this part of the hemisphere. I don't recall sunbathing on Christmas Eve before unless I was in California, Louisiana, Georgia or Florida!

I even saw a dozen or more robins yesterday, and at one point our back yard was filled with other birds.  And I've seen squirrels and woodpeckers. Unheard of, for this time of year, up here!

My Elance clients have gone silent until Monday, and all but two of them are completley wrapped up, so I'll check for and bid on more projects over the long weekend, but I'm taking Christmas off. Totally. Completely. Absolutely.

I hope you do, too. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ONE AND ALL!

Counting My Blessings...

Not long ago -- I think around Thanksgiving time -- when I was dog-sitting not far from home, I spent about 35 minutes just writing down as many blessinsgs as I could think of.

I was amazed.

I ran out of time long before I ran out of blessings, and I was bunching up a lot of them: i.e., I was being thankful for my friends (in aggregate), my family (in aggregate), my pets (ditto), my home, health, job, PC, health, faith, government, country, church elders, military, sense of humor and fun...

It just all came in a flood!  It was pretty amazing. 

Now suddenly here we are, approaching Christmas, and I'm still feeling completely blessed. It isn't that I'm rolling in dough or that we're out of the woods yet, but I can tell it's coming. A better day lies ahead. I haven't felt this way in YEARS, but have felt this groundswell of hope and promise all year long, and that's what keep me putting one foot in front of the other and keeps me smiling on most days.

I hope your Christmas is warm, inviting and filled with love.

Self-Promotion is Embarrassing for Shy Types Like Me...

I wonder how many people are laughing their fannies off right now?

It's true. I'm shy. I've learned not to look or act shy when I'm out and about -- and I genuinely enjoy most of the people I talk with -- but my gregariousness is an effort.  I was super-gregarious as a very young child, but it was shamed out of me by the time I entered kindergarten. I became adept at being "seen and not heard" when among others outside my family members and very few close friends.

My shyness trips me up every time, in private and in public. If I'd just become a little more self-revealing, it would benefit everyone. But I always think, "Who needs to know anything more about me?"  And my knee-jerk answer? "No one, really."

I mean, I offer a blog, I've written five books, I do blogtalkradio and other radio interviews whenever I'm asked. All of these venues reveal my interests, passions, and concerns... so I figure that anybody who wants to know more about me has ample opportunity to find out, without me shamelessly (or, in my case, what feels like shamefully) promoting myself!

So I need a publicist. I certainly fall very far short in this vital area!

I blew a perfect opportunity yesterday -- didn't even think of it until I got home! -- to sell a few books.  Same thing happened two weeks ago.

I was asked to read something at two different Christmas parties. Both were well-attended. At yesterday's gathering, there were probably a hundred people in attendance. At the first one, there were at least 60. That's 160 people I touched but did not pursue!

Yesterday I read They Call Me Walrus Woman from Floating Around Hollywood and received a warm, enthusiastic response and some quick positive comments as I blasted out the door on my way back home to resume my sister-sitting duties.

It didn't even occur to me to add, at the end of my presentation, "If you want more, you can find my books at kristinemsmith.biz!" It would have taken all of six seconds -- but I just didn't think of it!!!

I'm hopeless as a self-promoter.

So that's why I often ask you more gregarious types to do for me what you'd do for yourselves if my books were your books.  Maybe there's even a way for you to sign on as Amazon Associates and link to my books so that whenever anyone buys them from your sites, you'd get 15%.  I'm all for that -- I just don't know how to make it happen for you, or I would!

If you're a De fan, a TREK fan, an animal aficionado, a lover of humor, or a Christian, or if you need an exemplary copywriter -- or if you know others who share these passions or need a good writer -- let them know about my books and my business/books website (http://kristinemsmith.biz/).

I certainly can't do this alone without getting an Intestinal Fortitude  Makeover which, at my age, is highly unlikely.

So I really, truly, do need your help to get the word out.

I'm down on one knee. Please? Pretty please?

All I need is a foot in the door. I can do the rest. It's just the introduction and the "invitation to interact" that I need to put me into motion. I'll always show up and do a good job.

I might even remember to mention my website link if I'm forced to do it often enough!  You just never know...

Quick Update...

Jackie's surgery went great -- thank you so much for your prayers. She has had much less pain than she was told to expect. Today is supposed to be the "worst" day before things start getting better, pain-wise, and I can tell she's hurting today, but she says it's less than she expected it would be. She takes a pain pill and an antihistamine every four hours -- up until today she was taking them every 5-6 hours. The antihistamine boosts the effect of the pain pill and makes her drowsy, so she sleeps when she takes those. That's the best way to get through the uphill part of any post-surgical procedure...

I went to another CFAN Christmas party this morning -- was asked to read something -- so I read THEY CALL ME WALRUS WOMAN from my book Floating Around Hollywood and my new Christmas poem. Our friend, Carol Beitz, watched Jackie while I was away. They wrapped Christmas presents while I was gone.

By the time I got back, I could tell Jackie was hurting. She returned to a recliner and has been there ever since, trying to sleep. I massaged her good foot for 30 minutes; that helped a lot, she said; the pleasure overshadowed the pain.

I hate seeing someone else in pain. I have a very hard time dealing with pain myself so when I see it on another's face, I sorta "feel" it with them. I try to think of ways to alleviate it as much as possible.

Another of Jackie's friends, Georgia, picked up a knee-based roll-about so Jackie can rest her recovering leg on it and push herself from place to place instead of having to use crutches. That has been a real godsend for her.

Anyway, other than that, I'm playing nurse and chauffeur for the next few days for Jackie. I'm reminding her when to place the ice pack under her recovering leg and when to take it out, when to take her pain pill and her antihistamine pill, and fetching her food whenever she gets hungry.

It is for times like these that we actually co-purchased a house and property -- so we can take care of each other when either of us has a malady or some surgery.

The doctor says she'll feel so much better when she's back in action. The snapped tendons "were a mess" and a tangle of blood vessels were being impacted, causing much of the pain she was having. She also had a bone spur that was removed. So she should be able to walk without pain for the first time in a long time. She still needs to get a bunion fixed, but the surgeon said he didn't want to do three things at once because the post-op pain would be too severe. I think today Jackie is very glad she agreed to his suggestion to leave it alone for now!

The puppies are doing well. I have to give them their final puppy shots tomorrow or the next day. I'm looking forward to having that over with so I don't have to "ouch" them anymore for another year -- except for when we have them spayed in a few more months.

Kiki is in seventh heaven with "her" puppies. She has been lonesome, methinks. She isn't anymore -- that's for sure! All three have so much fun together!

First Snow...

We're getting the first snow of the season, but so far it hasn't amounted to enough to accumulate. We hope it doesn't accumulate, in fact, because I need to drive Jackie to the Baker Center tomorrow for her foot surgery and there are a couple of appreciable-sized hills between here and there. The forecast calls for snow north and south of us, but not much here.

I went to Bible study at church this morning. It's always SOOOOO good. After that, I had to come straight home because Jackie needed the vehicle to get the rest of her shopping done. (Her Mustang is in the shop for repairs.)

I bathed and groomed Buffy yesterday and Jansy today. Jackie bathed Kiki while I bathed and blew-dried Jansy, then we clipped the hair on their muzzles and their toenails.

I'm teaching the dogs to accept "toothbrushing" with dental wipes. I thought it would be a real struggle, but after the first two times, they decided it really wasn't worth worrying about, so they let me do it without too much dodging and feinting. Never thought I'd be the type of pet owner that brushed their pets' teeth but hey, if you start them young, it has to cut back on dental cleanings and gum problems, one would suppose... We'll find out!

Wendy just took Casey to an American Girl doll tea, so Jamie and her dad are having a nap, as is Jackie. I ought to be but I still haven't decided whether to write something for the Christmas gathering on Wednesday or read something from my book, PURPOSEFUL CHRISTIANITY, or read what I read at the Christmas party a week ago. I can't decide...

Did I ever publish, here, the Christmas poem I wrote a few weeks ago? Can't recall, so I'll do it now:

CHRISTMAS DAY

Small and mild

The Christ child

Has come to save the world.

Little fingers,

tiny toes

He's God not yet unfurled.

She'll watch him grow

But does not know

He'll free us from our past.

He'll live to serve

And speak God's word

And suffer at the last.

What had she heard?

An angel's word:

"You've found favor with God."

What could she do?

She followed through,

Assenting with a nod.

And because she did

We truly live

Engaged in joyful song.

For God's gift -- free --

A Son like He --

Was His promise all along.

c. Nov 24, 2009 by Kristine M Smith

FREEZING But Light at End of Tunnel

We've had to ask our contractor out to bolster the insulation in areas of piping that he put in earlier this year, 'cause they've frozen but haven't (thank God!) burst. That'll happen today and should make the vulnerable pipes all better. He's also running around rescuing other neighbors, friends and folks who have frozen or broken pipes. What a guy!

Jackie goes in for foot surgery on Monday. I drive her in at 8:00 am and either stay there for six hours until she can come home (surgery is at 10, lasts 60-90 minutes, recovery takes a while) or come home in between. That will depend largely on the weather. If it's treacherous, I'll stay right there so I have to drive less. It doesn't sound like it will be, though. (I may stay anyway. She's my sister, after all, and being nearby seems the right thing to do!)

She's having a bone spur taken off and a tendon re-atttached on her left foot. Please keep her in your prayers, as she has clotting issues and her meds have been reduced prior to surgery; will be reintroduced slowly for two weeks following surgery. People with clotting factors have greater risk of complications, so your prayers are very greatly appreciated!

The pups are doing fine. They may experience their first snow in the next day or two, so if they do, I will be sure to capture it on film so you can watch their antics.

I (shhh! this is a secret!) got Jackie a mouse pad with photos of Jansy on it. I hope it arrives this weekend so I can give it to her as a "get well" gift. It's on its way, so we'll see!

Can you tell I feel very confident that Jackie never reads my blogs? By the time she finds this entry, I may be dead and she'll get a smile out of it. (Not that I'll be dead, but that I was thinking of her and doing things behind her back PUBLICLY that she didn't have a clue about!)

My sister loves me but she is NOT a "follower." She doesn't need to be -- she lives one hollow core door away and gets enough of me every day! HA HA HA HA! Maybe too much!

Elance work has slowed down a little. I think everyone is focused on the holidays right now. There's still enough work to keep my head above water, so I'm all right, but I do get fidgety when I'm not writing, so here I am, writing to you!

Hey, it keeps me out of trouble -- out of the cupboards, away from shopping, out of the puppy pen...

I look pretty silly in the puppy pen, and until Buffy gets the message that pee goes outside, every single time without fail, the puppy pen is where she stays, unless I'm holding her in my arms. She won't pee in the pen -- asks to be let outside -- but if she runs around, she doesn't pay attention to the cue that she has to pee until she REALLY has to pee, and unless I watch her like a hawk, I miss the proper moment to take her outside.

It's so dry around here that almost everything I touch -- cat, blanket, shirt, coat -- sparks and shocks me. (The dogs seem fine -- no electrical discharges that I can discern when I touch them.) So for now the cats and I just appreciate each other from a distance -- interacting hurts them! Poor babies... Maybe I should run a static eraser (dryer sheet) over them... I wonder if that would be safe and healthy. Does anyone know?

BRRRRR!!!!!!

Okay, this is getting ridiculous...

The pipes in the garage froze last night, so we have a heat lamp and an oil heater out on the washer-dryer platform thawing things out so I can start the wash. I have to start the wash because Buffy peed on my bed last night.

It was my fault. She asked to go out (several little whimpers and warm body near my face), but I was half comatose and didn't respond in time. Good thing: we both would probably have been frozen to the grass outside had I taken her out there to pee!

Of course, I could have placed her on linoleum and let her do her thing -- it would have been far easier to clean than letting her pee on my bed -- but that would have given her "permission" to pee in the house. And since her output amounts to about a tablespoon, if that, I ... let her go on my bed and forgave her immediately. Not that I praised her, or anything! I just didn't pitch a bitch, since I was fully capable of waking up enough when she cried, and I "put it off" for too long... (The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.)

The Noriega radio visit last night was fun. There was only enough time after the reading for one question, which I pretty much blew, but the rest of it went very well. You can still listen to it, if you missed it, by clicking on the link that exists about five blog entries back...

A number of people who usually listen weren't available at the right time last night, so they'll be catching up after the fact and letting me know how I did. Lisa Hamner (De's new star polisher; she's an actor in Long Beach at De's old thespian stand) got to the program right on time and said I get better every time and that she thinks I should have my own radio program or start acting.

I wanted to act as a child and teenager, but being a professional writer is risky enough for me! Acting takes a lot of time, and probably a lot more talent than I have. For every minute someone spends on stage or on film, they spend hours and days preparing, being rejected, rehearsing, etc. etc. etc. I'm not sure the roar of the greasepaint/the smell of the crowd could compensate for that. As a writer at Elance, I spend significant time looking for projects to bid on, but I charge enough to compensate for that time. It rarely works out that well for actors. Not that I would ever discourage anyone from acting! It's an addiction, like writing. And people need what actors do: offer much-needed diversion from everyday trials and tribulations, offer hope, laughs, feelings... They're valuable , valuable people! My hat is off to every one of them -- especially Lisa Hamner and Alison Winter! If you're not familiar with Alison Winter's story, get my e-book about De, ENDURING LEGACY OF DeFOREST KELLEY. I hope Lisa will contribute to the next edition!!! (Hint, hint, Ms. Hamner!)

I should be getting a project or two at Elance today, but they haven't come in yet, so while I'm at loose ends, thought I should "catch you up" on the shenanigans from the cold, frozen, Arctic Pacific North-Wet -- er, North-Frozen!

God forbid we should lose our power at a time like this. Some people have up here... I'm praying for all of them and for the line workers who have to be out in this getting the power back on. I know a couple of them, too. Stalwart, hardy folks... who go out when everybody else rushes in to save themselves! I salute you!

Don't Forget Tonight's Radio Show at 6:30 PM Pacific Time

I'm ready to roll -- my excerpts are picked and marked (thanks for your help!) and my one minute intro is written. I'm hoping to keep everything to under 10 minutes so there will be time to answer a few questions...

Let me know if you'll be listening in! Thanks!

The link to the show is a couple of blog entries down. (I can't get it to cut and paste into this blog --- grrr!!! ---- or I would.)

Any Suggestions on Which Excerpt to Read Tomorrow Evening on Blogtalk Radio?

I'm going through my books trying to decide which excerpt to pull out and read during the radio visit tomorrow night. I have several favorites and don't want to repeat the one I read last time (in case the same listeners tune in, I don't want to bore them).

Do you have any ideas? Any particular faves? Let me know -- and if you know which page it starts on, let me know that, too...

I like the silly stuff a lot:

Dinner With the Kelleys (first real sit-down-and-chat session)

Request for Signed Photo from my "penpal" De

"Letter of Complaint" re: De calling me Krazy Kris at the L.A. Con

"Shambala Pachyderm Poop Plaques"

"Fake Star Ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame" (We were there. Where Were You, De!?)


I could also step away from the books entirely and read my stand-up routine, 'HUSBAND HUNTING ON THE ENTERPRISE.'

Or read from FLOATING AROUND HOLLYWOOD:

Baywatch Wrap Party

The Oreo Cookie Affair

They Call Me Walrus Woman

When You Wash Upon a Star, People Think You're Quite Bizarre!

I dunno. I just dunno. I want to do something different... something exclusive... something I've never read before publicly. Most of all, I want to leave all the listeners wanting more, so they'll get a book or two.. and some for friends for Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa...

I'll Be on Blogtalk Radio Again Monday Night at 6:30 pm Pacific Time

Calling all De Kelley fans! Roger Noreiga has asked me to spend fifteen minutes with him again on Blogtalk radio this coming Monday at 6:30 Pacific Time. I hope you can make it. We'll visit... I'll read a couple of excerpts... and after the visit I'll stay in the chat room to answer questions and send virtual hugs... so TELL YOUR FRIENDS right away!

Thanks!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ndbmedia/2009/12/08/kristine-m-smith-is-in-the-house

The call-in number is 914-338- 0314. Register beforehand so you can be seen and heard in the chat room or on the phone!

Jackie's Pup on the Run!

Pups at Play -- ENJOY!

Buffy after a romp in wet grass
Jansy Airborne

Jansy in hot pursuit of Buffy

Jansy asking to be picked up

When Jansy Gets Wet... She Reminds Me of Yosemite Sam!

Isn't this hysterical?!!!

Hurry and take a look before Jackie freaks and requires me to delete this photo!

HA HA HA HA HA (Not really. She's a good sport -- because she agrees!!!)

Jansy has about the same rootin' tootin' attitute as Yosemite Sam, too!

Finally! Here They Are!

New Pups Jansy and Buffy
My puppy, Buffy, Close Up

These aren't the best photos -- the best ones are on Jackie's camera, I think, but she isn't home yet to download them and email them to me from her PC...

On Jackie's camera, I got a couple of photos of the pups in mid-air -- like popcorn! Hysterical! I'll post them as soon as I get them...

These are teacup poodle/shih tzu/Pekingese mixes...

Puppy Photos This Evening! Check Back!

I have taken some of the cutest puppy photos, but my camera won't download them to my PC! So I grabbed Jackie's camera and took some more. She says she'll download them to her PC and send me copies tonight... As soon as she does, I'll post them here.

Stay tuned! It'll be worth the wait!

I trimmed their feet, rear ends and snouts a little bit this morning, so I'll post a couple of the "trimmed" photos, too...

Gads, they have feet and leg bones line toothpicks, they're so little, and they're 12 weeks old!

Here I Sit, Bleary-Eyed...

For a person with a relatively high IQ, I can't figure out why I don't go back to bed.
I got up at 3:30 and let Buffy, Jansy and Kiki outside to take a leak/poo, setting off the two labrador retrievers next door, which set off their owners: "Bob, that's enough! Quiet down!"

...blush...

It would have been fine if I had just set them down and, in silence, waited for them to finish their lawn duty. But no, I'm in the habit of congratulating the puppies when they go out to potty. And it was Buffy asking me to go out that got me up in the first place.

Praising the puppies sets Bob off. He wants to be praised, too, and comes running to the fence, barking and wagging... to the displeasure of his sleeping owners.

Oops...

So I have to curtail my early-morning congratulations and just stand there and remain mute while the kids score a touchdown -- in doggy terms.

I didn't go back to bed after the dogs came back in. That was a mistake. I responded to Elance clients -- both of whom were very happy with what I'd written for them -- and took a bath, and fed the cats, and ate breakfast...

Now it's 7:45 and I feel like I've been clobbered by Mr. Sandman. My eyelids are heavy, my mind feels dull and feeble. The only things working are my heart, other autonomic anatomical functions, and my fingers.

I should really, really, really go back to sleep for a while. No one needs me right now... and later today I'll be bathing and clipping my ex-brother-in-law's dog Kokomo and going out to the store for a few items. I avoided shopping this past four-day weekend because I like to get through check-out lines in under 10 minutes whenever possible, and I very much doubt that would have been possible this past weekend.

Oh, drat... just remembered. The comforter for my bed is still in the dryer, so even if I decided to crash for a while, I couldn't... without freezing... unless I find a spot in the dog bed next to the upside-down, snoring puppies. Alas, I wouldn't fit...

Oh, well. At least you got a blog out of it! Such as it is.

I promise: I'm getting camera batteries TODAY so I can post puppy pictures for you to see. I know you're dying to see them... or you should be, dagnab it! It's your duty! Puppies are precious! Dogs are 'dorable. Cats are contagious. Fish are fantastic. Guinea pigs are guilty pleasures. Horses are... okay, that's enough alliteration for one paragraph. I'm afraid I'd have to call horses something R-rated in order to complete the thought as an alliteration, and this is a G-rated blog!

So I'll rest my case, instead of my bones, and see what other kind of mischief I can get into while my comforter dries...

Bad Dreams and JibJab... and More on Buffy

Yesterday I posted some fun "starring you" cartoons from JibJab onto my Facebook page. You'd think that would have been the end of it, but I dreamed about it last night!

I tried a lot of JibJab options before choosing the ones I posted. I pasted my face into a caroling card alongside the faces of Obamas and Joe Biden. (I didn't see Dr. Jill Biden as an option, which is an extreme oversight on JibJab's part.) Decided not to use it because it looked like I was "replacing" Mrs. Biden in a White House Christmas card... and that wouldn't be kosher, even as a joke!

Anyway, I guess the juxtaposition really weighed on me, because last night I had a dream that I was somewhere at a big to-do when the Obamas and Bidens walked in! VP Biden came right over to me with his big grin and said he wanted to introduce me to his wife and the Obamas! I stood there thinking, "How do you know me?!?" but of course I nodded my agreement that I would like to meet them! (Maybe he reads my blog! HA HA HA... I hope not! But if he does, I beg him not to read the next part of this blog entry until he gets to the <<<<<< >>>>>!!!)

Unbelievable... The subconscious mind is a wonder... and at times a terror.

The dream morphed into a nightmare. There was a gunman in the crowd and as the First and Second family (adults only) scrunched together for a photo, I heard shots and lots of people went down. I dived (dove?) to the ground and pretended to be dead... The shots continued.... I didn't know if they were from Secret Service people or the gunman, so I stayed "dead."

Finally, I got up. I wasn't able to see who, if anyone, had been hit, but a young Chinese lady next to me was standing and looking over to see if she could discern who had been hurt. Trouble was, she was holding her upper leg -- she had a serious, deep skin wound that was squirting blood. I took her by the hand and led to where I thought there might be a first aid station. (That was the Warner Bros. emergency training kicking in.)

I found someone to help her just before she was ready to hit the desk from loss of blood, and then realized I should call my sister to let her know I was all right... in case the incident was on television by now and she knew I was attending the event.

In the dream, my cell phone became a giant, wind-it-up-with-a-crank thingy. It also had a combination -- kind of like a lock with a combination -- and I couldn't get it to work. People sitting near me were wondering why I didn't know how to dial my own phone -- they had identical versions and were doing just fine with theirs! (Translation: This entire situation was completely out of hand and I felt helpless!)

I decided I'd better walk home to let Jackie know I was okay, but I took a detour....

and on and on and on...

I prayed for the Obamas and Bidens, thought of their children and prayed harder, thought of our country and prayed even harder...

So my dream of meeting the Obamas and Bidens became a freaking nightmare. It was just awful. I can't say whether they were injured at all. It could be that the gunshots I heard were all Secret Service shots. All I know is that the nightmare left a very unpleasant taste in my mouth.

And I pray to God it's the ONLY incident of the kind that will ever occur in the lives of our nation's leaders. I've been concerned and fretful about assassination since even before Obama-Biden were elected. I guess it comes from being "a child of the 60's" and knowing how quickly a situation can change from smiles and hope to tears and fears.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Let's get off THAT topic and on to something more wonderful... Buffy!

Friday night was my first night at home after getting Buffy on November 24th, so she has slept with me for two nights now. She sleeps either beside me on a pillow near my neck or over the top of my pillow between the pillow and the headboard, so I know she's safe.

Last night she started making whimpering sounds, so I asked her if she had to go potty. Since she doesn't talk, I had to assume she said "yes"when she continued to whimper.

Sure enough, when I set her outside in the grass, she squatted immediately and did her thing, then ran a few more yards and went #2. I praised her to the moon and carried her back to bed.

Whimper, whimper. She wouldn't quiet down, and started licking my mouth. (In case you haven't a clue, this is dog talk for, "I'm hungry. Throw something up for me, will ya, Mom?")

So we got up again, and I got her some dry puppy food, wetted it a little bit, and then sat in a recliner with the kibble on my bathrobed chest while she scarfed down an entire handful of kibble. It took about three minutes.

We went back to bed and she feel asleep immediately.

She woke me at 7:15... whimper, whimper... wagging tail, puppy licks to my cheek.
Yep. She had to go again.

That's my girl.

I need to get some new batteries for my camera today or tomorrow. As soon as I do I'll take a few photos of Buffy (and her sister, Jansy, Jackie's pup) and put them here for you to enjoy...

Four Lakewood Police Officers Executed This Morning

This hits too close to home!

Four police officers -- three men and a woman -- were slain, execution-style, in a local coffee shop not more than five miles from here.

Just a few weeks ago, two Seattle officers were targeted, with one executed and the other injured. They apparently got the fellow responsible in that event, but it looks like we have a copycat on our hands.

He's a "scruffy-looking" black man in his late 20's or early thirty's. He was on foot after the shooting, so he probably isn't far away. The entire Tacoma police department is out looking for him.

What is going on?

The four officers were getting ready to start their day. They had their laptops open and were looking at them when the man came in, pulled a handgun, and opened fire. It doesn't sound like the officers even had time to react.

So now do police officers have to post someone on duty when they take "down time" to eat breakfast or lunch?

My heart hurts...

Oh! I Promised to Post Casey's Photo. Here T'is!

What can I say about being NINE?

Nine is awesome and mighty fine!

And what can I say about my dear niece,

Casey?

You are fun. You can get crazy.

(Sometimes you even get a little bit spacey!)

But one thing I'll say for super sure:

You're a delight and your heart is pure.

Watching you grow is a beautiful thing.

Hearing you laugh makes every day Spring!

Love you without limit, sweetie!

-- Auntie Kris --