No photo finish, or even photos...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

It's been a few days. My dh said it best for me...whew! We've been running since school started, and since they haven't been great weeks for me pain-wise I've been haunting social networking sites. :) I know it's lame, but keeping company with other insomniacs playing pathwords, scrabbulous or doing puzzles is mindless enough to occupy the brain while I wait for meds to kick in enough for me to sleep and it doesn't let me WHINE! Which I truly do hate, but which I seem to do constantly here. Sorry.

My darling didn't tell you that the JV Volleyball WON! This was an especially big thing because the first match was won by 2 points, the second lost by 2 points and the third won by 2 points! Close games! The football game had ended by their second game and they had quite a few fans come in from outside to see out the finish. What a rush for them to have people yelling and stomping in enthusiasm!

The football game wasn't bad. I know little about football so I just jumped and shouted when my boy was in. :) I got my exercise walking between the two activities. There is a huge-@ss hill between the gym and the football field. I must have hiked that route 6 times up and down before my hubby got through traffic and got to the game. Gosh, I didn't know I could do it that many times, still! LOL The boys were down over 40 points at the half, but in the second half their defense held the other team scoreless! Made the son feel good since he plays starting defense!

He was playing a different position that he's never played I guess during this game. Normally he's the noseguard (?) but they had a guy who was about 6'5" and weighed about 260lbs that they put my pore 5'10" 180lb stripling up against! Ouch! But my boy is one of the bigger guys on our team. It's mostly freshman and juniors.

The boy wasn't happy with the guy opposite him. The first time he came down on the son, when the son pushed him off, he kicked him! The refs caught it though and penalized the kid. He did something else to the son that drew a penalty [thank gods, the refs were vigilant! Or else they knew who to watch!] But once my boy figured out how to bring the behemoth down, being a boy, he couldn't keep from the smacktalk! Aargh! Just HAS to get that smart mouth he inherited from his dad going! We warned him though that smack talk when you have the adrenalin that high is likely to lead to fists flying either during or after the game.

But it was a good time. We went to pizza. I can't share pictures because I was dumb enough to REFORMAT THE FRICKEN PHOTO CARD at the pizza place when I was reviewing the 200 pictures I took of all my kids wonderful moments! AARGH!

So, maybe next time I'll get some photos...
from a exhausted puzzled goddess.

Byzantine thoughts...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I've recently been helping a friend do some 6th century Byzantine costume research...to the best of my non-existent research abilities....but that's what the internet is for, right? [No, honey, it's for MORE than porn!]

I actually had more books with Byzantine examples in them than I thought, but I love having libraries and museums at my fingertips! And I can spend whole days happily searching looking at manuscripts and weird historical facts and all kinds of things.

But Byzantium, that was a place I only knew a very small bit about [still don't know much more *grin*]

I mean we've all heard about, "byzantine plots," and most SCA people have heard about crusaders traveling through Byzantium on their way to the Holy Land, but history books from my early time didn't much cover this area. I don't even remember learning about it in my AP History class...hmmm, maybe a COLLEGE history class would have gone over it, huh? Of course, there is always history in the form of Monty Python and his mention of Holy Hand grenades of Antioch and such...I blush to say I didn't know where Antioch WAS until recently.

So this has been fun! There is a standard mosaic of the Empress Theodora that has become pretty synonymous with Byzantium. You can see it here, as well as enjoy a commentary about Justinian and Theodora and their reign. It's has the beautiful mosaics that are in the cathedral at Ravenna.

Then, I stumbled across this diptych on the web with a search for "6th century" Constantinople Theodora.

There was a bit on Byzantine dress here.

One of the coolest things though, is there's a free online self-study costuming course that covers this area of interest!

And there was a whole page of Byzantine links here put together by the same people...hmmm somebody's already done that research huh? :)

But there was an absolute hit of serrendipity today when one of the blogs I follow on and off mentioned that the Royal Academy in London will be hosting an exhibit that will cover about 1000 years of Byzantium history starting next month. And their exhibit catalog is available on the museum site for those of us who can't fly to London on the spur of the moment. :( Since this isn't a particular family interest we won't be ordering the catalog (it's a bit pricey), but it was neat that it is available. [Don't miss her links to the other stories in the article it was interesting.]

I actually own 2 or 3 museum catalogs of various things that I've purchased in used book stores and have found them quite helpful for information and pictures you may not be able to get elsewhere.

that's all from a puzzled goddess for today

Punch drunk in the past...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Feelin' a bit whoosy tonight, probably left over meds and fatigue. But got some good bonding time with the family tonight. The kids went to practice and brought home another freshman from their class who needed some homework help.

He's a good kid. He's made some wrong choices in the last few years...like getting to 17 with 2.5 credits toward high school graduation. [It wasn't important, Obviously no one had ever explained how much it was, and gotten it through to him!] He is in most of the kids classes and seems to pick it up well. He's not stellar, but I've seen MUCH worse. And he hates feeling stupid so he's gone back to school so he doesn't have to feel that way. Probably smartest decision the kid ever made.

If he keeps up with it, the whole family has told him he's more than welcome to come over and study with the kids. We sometimes still talk about assignments and I learn stuff. :) Did you know how much science has changed in 25 years? I'm finding out!

The boy's got some of the concerns with having groupies/followers/stalkers/puppydogs whatever you want to call them, that the girl has been dealing with for quite a few years in various degrees. She's gotten much more compassionate to people who are outsiders though, she's had to deal with being a bullied outsider since we moved to this little school with many strangely raised children. She's a freak, but a freak with followers now and so finds some acceptance. Plus, she's discovered the wonderful feeling of being the BEST at something. SHE is the BEST in her school at scholastics. Not the quickest learner, but the one who listens and follows through and is responsible and thinking.

The boy isn't that geared to wanting to put a label on himself. He's a natural student (unfortunately it comes too easy to him), a natural athlete (though he does have to work to be a starter at his age) and he's a natural leader, being a boy with a strong sense of right and wrong and a genuine hero complex. He's been having to deal with 'followers' for years, and while it drives him nuts, he's been as pleasant as he could. And in some cases, he's even been the one following.

He's got a friend currently who is far from social adept (I'd have to say total social gamer geek.) This guy wants to be joined at the hip from the time they get to school until the boy goes to football practice. The kid isn't sports oriented, it's all video games...which is the trap we are working to get our son out of. We want him playing and moving in the real world.

It's taken this kid 2 years, but he's almost totally run my son's patience away. We keep counselling to redirect the conversations you don't want to participate in toward another subject. Be polite and don't cut him down, and may like hey, c-o-m-u-n-i-c-a-t-e and tell him that he's increasing your stress by constantly bringing gamer talk to school when you want to socialize with other people and learn different things about the world.

For instance, he's LOVING football. A sport he's never been exposed to and is barely on for 5 seconds as we flip through channels at our house! But he's loving it and wants to spend some time getting immersed in it with his teammates.

It's a really grown up, and could be an emotionally hurtful situation to have to deal with to get him the reduction in anxiety and space the boy feels he desparately needs right now.

Their reactions as children of this modern age are so much better and kinder than mine were at the same age. I would have wanted to be kind, but I'm not sure I could have looked far enough beyond myself to do so. I wasn't nearly as responsible as the ones we've raised. [Hmmm. guess video games and TV might be good for something after all, and discussion of honor, chivalry and reading to them all about the Lord of the Rings and the Knights of the Round table....who'd a thunk it? *grin*]

from a puzzled goddess who can't do much more than advise.

My heart's joy...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Sorry to people who are actually reading this that I've been missing days. Disability and pain are calling heavily this week. For some reason the more I need to be a mommy and DO stuff, the less disability wants to let me go. :( Go figure.

I've got to say that I'm enjoying some proud mommy and wife moments this week as well.
My so very dear husband is getting his feet under him and running with enthusiasm at his fairly new job. Which is so cool for me to see since he's intelligent enough that most jobs bore him to tears after about 2 months...we're almost a year now and he's still learning and pushing to expand his knowledge. Of course, computers always let you do that, for some reason they don't stay the same from month to month. :)



And the kids! Wow! They're mine, and I'm still impressed by them!

The boy is playing football for the VERY FIRST TIME EVER! (we don't watch it or really even understand all the rules in this house *grin*) and he is doing GREAT! He's starting! As a freshman! Yes, the team is small, only a few guys more than they need to field for defense and offense. But he played most of the game. He's the noseguard position I guess it's called. The one who stands opposite the center in the line and tries to tackle him. He also played a bit as running back, which he really likes because he's faster than a lot of kids his age.

I have to say that having him on the line was one of the reasons that I really didn't want him to play football. For a freshman, he's pretty big. Facing the seniors in this league, he's pretty small. The guy that was the center on the Jewel team they played friday was a behemoth! The boy said he was almost as tall as a door frame and just about as wide. Eek! And my poor 5"10" 200lb stripling is up against this! Ouch!

The coach told him that he had speed on the guy but not mass. My son's comment was, "Yah, think?" LOL The team lost, but they did better than last year's team so they were pretty happy. The boy is happy. He gets to actually HIT somebody, and it's LEGAL! So he's having a ball! He was kinda disappointed that he only came in 3rd on the team for the amount of blood on his jersey after the game though. :? It must be a guy thing...

And on the scholastic front, the boy actually did his MATH homework the night it was assigned! Not the night before it was due! Yay! [But then he lost it in the black hole he calls a room! Boo!] The teacher let him turn it in a few hours late, but I was happy that the kid is taking scholarship seriously this year! He's always had enough of a brain to pretty much skate, but I've wanted him to actually use it!


My daughter is also making us SO proud! We had to talk her into rejoining the Volleyball team this year because she had gotten so frustrated in her middle school years. She barely got to play and wasn't treated great by her teammates last year because she'd skipped a grade. The coach wouldn't let any of them forget it either as well as having some sportmanship problems that were just WRONG in a coach.

But we talked her into giving it a try anyway. She will need the extracurricular activities on her resume for college and this town only has volleyball and basketball. With her dislike of running, basketball isn't really an option. :)

She just LOVES her volleyball coach. She's been a positive role model, has given my daughter massive encouragement and has helped her bloom! The girl is the JV team CAPTAIN, as a freshman! Wow! She's also being trained to be their setter and to play defense. For those who don't play volleyball, it doesn't mean alot, but to be complimented like that on her control at her age (as a freshman who is a year younger or more than all the girls on the JV) this is incredible.

Remember, this is the girl who was barely allowed to play last year or the year before. And to top it off, she has now been named to the Taxi squad! Which means that she subs in for the VARSITY team as well! Yes, they have two freshman on the Varsity, but this is just fantastic! It is so nice that she feels positive and encouraged about something physical.

As for her academics, she continues to be responsible and proactive about her classwork. I don't know who she got it from, but gee I appreciate it. :)

from a puzzled goddess who is soaking in the reflected glory

Garden Cities in the historic Amazon

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Did you know that scientists are discovering that cities once existed in the Amazon rain forest. And that these cities were as large as their European counterparts. At least up until 1500-500 years ago. Yes, they suspect that the owners were killed off by European disease. But what is amazing is that areas we think of as 'virgin' forest were in fact heavily planted and groomed by the people in these cities. It's also theorized that they used much better urban growth planning than we do. :) [like that's hard!]

Here's the link. To the article in the Telegraph.co.uk

There's another article in the Guardian about the same study.

There is also a feed on the Now Public site that has a small video clip of some indigenous people, interesting music.

I found it interesting that so little real attention has been paid to these sites. Maybe because they weren't European based?

from a puzzled goddess

Whale speak...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...


No it's not Dora...This is an article in the Telegraph.co.uk paper about scientists at Kamogawa Sea World aquarium in Chiba Prefecture, Japan who have taught a Beluga whale to use three identifiable 'words' for a bucket, diving fins and goggles.

It's not that this is a minor accomplishment. Obviously to be reported in the world press it was something unusual and interesting. But I really was hoping that there would be more of a breakthrough in communicating with other species at this point.

This other article talks about whale songs themselves and their complexity.
"Humpback songs are not like human language, but elements of language are seen in their songs," said Ryuji Suzuki, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) predoctoral fellow in neuroscience at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and first author of the paper.

There is even a sample of whale song on the site. For some reason, I find whalesong particularly soothing. :) Move over Spock and Capt. Kirk we still have whales here.

from a puzzled goddess

Better moms need tranquilizers...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I think I'd be a better mom if they put me back on tranquilizers. I'm sure the kids would like me better, and that glowing fog sure would mute these depressive spirals.

I wasn't going to post because I'm so exhausted, but the kids have managed to start their first day of high school without any major problem. One more milestone passed.

Pain visited again on Monday and wasn't a polite guest, so I didn't sleep that night but stayed up to wake the kids and see them to their first day. Sometimes I don't know why I bother to push. I pushed on through the day and into the afternoon, just thinking I'd stay up long enough to find out about the first day of school and then collapse. I'd had Rick stay home to help me because I felt so awful.

I should have known better than to push that hard, but I so wanted to be there for the kids. I was in bad enough shape that the boy and I ended up having words because of the way he treats his sister and the way he was treating me when I was trying to find out what kind of haircut he wanted. [Note to self, let dad deal with teenagers when I'm in this much pain.]

I always bring on pissy attitudes and the sulks. I probably was impatient and snapped at him about the short timing and the effort it takes to drive 20 miles to get anything done. This haircut came out of the blue because his adductor muscle is still strained and he was going to have to sit out of practice. So, for him, it was a logical jump to have mom drive him into Hood River for a haircut when he wouldn't miss practice and would be ready, and able to see, by the game on Friday.

For me, it was an impossibility that made me depressed because I couldn't do it and was disappointed in myself, as I didn't have half my vision field clear...it was throwing spots like a psychedelic movie and it was becoming increasingly difficult to think through the pain. I was glad that Rick was there, and I could ask him to cover it.

But I was hurt that there was no concept that dad had stayed home because MOM was sick and MOM was too sick to drive him anywhere so he was being a demanding, self-involved teenage boy. (Do they ever get better? They must, his father is one of the most loving and patient men I know. There's more than one reason I married him. Though he'd tell you it was just the great sex. *grin*)

I know I jumped him about his chores and his laundry that has somehow piled up on his floor again in less than 24 hours. :| I got impatient when he couldn't pick out a hairstyle on line that would actually cut off enough of the extra growth to clear his vision, and I made the mistake of smacking his arm when he rudely popped off to his sister to shut up.

I hate that tone of voice, and I hate the way it makes his sister shrink inside; hel, I shrink inside when he uses it on me. I shouldn't have smacked the arm, that just escalated his behavior, but it was such a reflex when he used that nasty tone that I've been on him about for weeks.

We've ALL been trying to be better and more loving to each other. It's hard when you all have stresses and physical demands that seem to grow by the minute and are all intelligent enough to want to be treated like rational PEOPLE, whether you are acting like one at the current moment or not. :?

As a goddess of pain, I suck as a mom. I know that I finally retired from the field and left it all to dad because I was crying and depressed and at the point of wondering why I even put out the effort to exhaust myself when it's just taken for granted that I can do more when I'm already so overloaded I O.D'd on the pain meds just to get through their first day.

I'm wishing I felt more of the triumph and accomplishment I was feeling as I watched them walk into the school this morning, but the depression is bad enough that it's hard to see beyond it. I know that the girl tried to cuddle up next to me last night and help me to feel better, but when you feel like a failure it's hard to see accomplishment in being comforted by a 13 year old.

I should though. We're obviously doing something right, the compassion and caring were being expressed, and her very loving presence helps me to feel a bit better thinking about it now. And I know her brother feels them too; even if he demonstrates it at the weirdest moments. :)

It's hard to deal with a mom who's chronically depressed and in pain most of the time. I think they do better than I have any right to expect.

Enough of my five minutes of whining. I'm sure the kids will do something sterling today that will inevitably make this mom's new day SHINY.

I just have to look at the sky and try to remember optimism and the power of positive thinking, right? [Did whoever said that have teenagers?]

from a whiny puzzled goddess trying to make herself a better mom

Black never left the building...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Okay...so all the clothes and supplies got purchased, and I'm a little emo'd out. Why do my kids insist on emo stuff? They're not really depressed. Maybe it's because black, white and grey look good on them :)

At that age, I'd have worn black daily if my mom had let me get away with it. But I always got, "Black's too old a color for you." That was back in the days when some widows still wore 'weeds' and people actually wore black to funerals and it was considered VERY poor manners to wear black to a wedding because you were implying that you were in mourning for the bride or groom depending on your sex. (Nowadays, I think you're just showing you're in mourning for both of them...they're getting MARRIED. SUCH a popular institution.)

I can't believe we were silly enough to go to Clackamas Town Center. I knew better. It was like going on the last weekend before Christmas, except EVERY kids' shop in the mall was mobbed. Zumiez was actually smart enough, and big enough, to have a couch in the back corner of the shop for the worn out parents to sit on. Plus it kept our very uncool presence in the back of the store. :) It was embarrassing that I had a low sugar episode and almost passed out after I got up from that couch. But the chocolate shop across the mall forcourt soon put that right again, along with some sprite. (ugh, sugared pop is NOT something I care for! Give me chocolate any time though!)

I had a kick walking around the food court with the kids though. They both looked so cool. But the girl was hugging on mommy's arm and so probably looked a bit dorky walking around with this old woman.

The son on the other hand was walking 3 steps behind, not out of respect, but to disassociate with the very uncool women in front of him. His mom and sister. So I had a great time dropping back to grab him around the neck or hug his shoulders and watch him squirm. I don't think he was specifically trying to impress anyone...just the general teenage feeling of wishing you could sink through the floor rather than acknowledge that you're at the mall with your, gasp, parents!

Most of the time when we go out we don't go places so firmly entrenched in the teens-only mentality so it's okay if mom hugs on him or messes up his perfectly groomed hair occassionally.

By the time they were done scoping out the really expensive black clothes I was more than ready to get out of there, and I was appreciating that couch even more after my hubby got to take the hike out to where he'd found parking for the car. It was far enough out that I never saw it parked. :)

from the puzzled goddess of teenage fashion :)

Clothes from hel...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I swear to all the gods that there is a Hel. It is going to the stores during back-to-school shopping with two teenagers...both of whom have very strong opinions on what they will and won't wear. Ugh! We just got home and I had to vent. Added to this nightmare is a nasty list that still has 3 stores to go...the most expensive three. :(

I really dislike going to Zumiez...the clerks always make me feel like I'm 300 years old and totally out of it in less than 30 seconds; it takes my kids at least an hour to make me feel like that. :)

About today. Did you know they only have about 3 different models of court shoes for girls at Big5? They have about 10 for guys...3 for girls. (Imagine that!)

Strangely, volleyball does pretty much need decent shoes if you aren't going to be plagued by shin splints like I was during my school sports era. Of course, in that day and age Nikes and Adidas had just come out and parents like mine regularly refused to spend that kind of money on tennis shoes or "sneakers". It wasn't evident then that shoes DO make a difference to how your feet develop and how much pain you're in during sports.

Me, I'm a soft touch parent as opposed to my parents, at least my husband thinks so. I say that I just want them to have the best experience they can have in school and stay physically active.

Something that I know will be a major challenge for my dear daughter. She's already about 5'5" and stacked to put it impolitely. Poor kid, we have an impossible time getting her the support she needs to run and be active. Until her current coach, she pretty much hated sports and anything to do with them. But her currrent coach is an absolute jewel and realizes that, without specially engineered undergarments, running and jumping are actually painful. Strangely enough, this has started to be addressed in the last few years and their are actually specially designed sports bras for more well endowed women. THEY BEEN A LONG TIME COMING!

I and my daughter have a theory. If guys had that much trouble supporting what was between their legs a heavy duty sling would have been invented in 30 seconds...oh wait, it was, it's called a jock strap. Now that women are finally in the undergarment industry we are actually seeing some clothes produced that help the problems a women's body has to deal with and be comfortable.

They may be ugly shoes and bras and pants, but gee, they're finally comfortable. It's always amazed me how much more comfortable male clothing is than female clothing. But that WAS in the days before guys had to use one hand to keep their pants from falling off their @ss when they walked fast.

My husband has an idea for a bra for our daughter; he found it here.

a puzzled goddess writing from clothing Hel...

Okay honey, black diamonds it is...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

There was a really cool discovery mentioned on the About.com medieval blog I follow occasionally. It's an 11th century black diamond ring! The Telegraph in the UK had this article about it.

[imagine whiney voice here] Honey....what do I need to do to get a ring like that?... It's from my time period.....LOL

I was most impressed that the diamond was cut into a pyramid shape and the gold it was mounted in was worn so smooth that it almost looked painted onto the edge surface of the diamond. (There is a picture posted with the article.) Black diamonds are a neat thing. I'm seriously hoping this story is followed up on and we find out more about the 11th century owner of the ring, if indeed that's when it's from.

Black diamonds being so rare, they are probably well out of my price range. According to this website, the "Black Diamond: Gives us courage to look within without illusion" That's certainly a handy skill to have.

But then again, when I pass away he could always have a life gem created to mount in a ring like this. :) I wouldn't be able to enjoy it, but I'm sure my spirit would be happy. AS LONG AS THE DIAMOND ISN'T WHITE! Clear diamonds are SO yesterday. Maybe a nice blue, like these flowers?

You know hon, you could always get your mom to cut some hematite....

a puzzled goddess posting from an avaricious place in her soul

Chunks out of time and scotch tape...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I remember hearing about the Dead Sea Scrolls when I was a kid, but I never had much of a clear idea of what they were. Yeah, they were written by dead prophets, a long time ago, and were translated on and off by scholars...so?

[my dear husband, philistine that he is, just loves the quote about the scripture written by a bunch of old guys in a cave smokin' rope, but we leave him his illusions...it's better that way. *grin*]

NOW that I'm MUCH older [don't agree with that too loudly!] , I understand the extreme sense of history and wonder in having 15,000 fragments that make up some 900 scrolls that are over 2,000 years old!

2,000....hmmm I doubt any of our ramblings on the internet will be around that long. :)

The neat part about this now is that the Israel Antiquities Authority is currently working to digitize these irreplaceable pieces of the past and place them on-line for everyone to see. There is an article on The New York Times website about it.

The part that made me grit my teeth was finding out that the original "experts" in the 1950's who were trying to piece these scrolls together used scotch tape to do it. Ouch! Anybody who has old records with crumbling pieces of scotch tape on them knows what that glue does to the paper. I have some pictures from the 50's and 60's that were pretty much ruined by the discoloration.

Seeing these eventually on-line is definitely something to look forward to.

from a puzzled goddess geeking out on the past

Blind nightmares of feng shui

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I have always hated venetian blinds as a window covering. They are ugly, dirty and awkward. Studying Feng Shui as I did a few years ago (didn't everyone?) I discovered a GREAT excuse for my hatred....They cut CHI! Make it sharp edged. NOT what you want to happen in your home or workplace; you want the energy to flow gently throughout.

But after consulting a blog or two, I've come to the conclusion that nothing in my current house is good Feng Shui! Surprise, surprise. LOL My door faces the wrong way. My windows slide, not openning outward. Most views out our windows are offensive to the senses in various ways, but that's what you get in a 1970's tract house. They weren't thinking of homely harmony when they were throwing them up as fast as they could. No wonder I keep most of my windows covered!

Now, if I could just get rid of the clutter I KNOW we'd all be healthier

...of course, I'm the worst offender!

homely musings from a puzzled goddess

ILTG!

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

For those who don't have internet savvy teenagers....ILTG stands for "I lost the game." The game is a silly activity that is kind of zen in its simplicity. If you think about it tilted on its side. :)

There are only really 2 rules to this game. When you think about the game, you lose. When you lose, you announce it to those around you and they lose too! Silly I know. But try yelling it out in a science fiction movie line sometime, or at an anime convention or sci fi con....bet you get alot of echoes! The stories about the game are numerous.


I just had to post this, because I know my dear hubby will read it and LOSE THE GAME! He of the myspace bulletin posts of "BTW....I lost the game." Brat.

post from a puzzled goddess who ALWAYS loses the game...

The Mickey Mouse Gang...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

The History Channel ran a show on Sunday, "The Secret History of Gangs." I think it carried less history than I'd have wished and less secrecy. The resulting show was sobering however. Here is a link to the Discovery Channel history of gangs.

I was never poor and never lived in a ghetto as a kid and, unlike a great many, had two parents. I was alternatively petted and terrorized by my siblings while my parents worked long, hard days with a 1 or 2 hour (or longer) commute.

I tried drugs and alcohol and grew up knowing I didn't like the effects of the experimentation. Probably luckily for me, I was hypoglycemic, so the alcohol killed my blood sugar for multiple days every time I got wasted. I was too practical to want to lose all that time to feeling like crap.

Drugs were an expensive hobby I didn't have the money for, I always had other things I'd rather buy. Plus, they just made me hungry so I would be paranoid and worry about putting on more weight. Like I said, I was lucky.

All that aside, I suppose I've never been able to understand why people would be willing to participate in gangs. Most gangs seem to victimize others who are in just as sad of shape as the gangsters.

Some of the earliest gangs in the US were in New York I guess. The Irish gangs, the Whyos, Dead Rabbits and Plug Uglies terrorized the New York streets. Many were robbed and injured and there was a HUGE outcry when 3 people were killed. THREE.

Compare that to the Crips and Bloods. Hundreds have died. The drug trade seems to allow them to pay to arm themselves to kill more. The solution in L.A.? They declared a cease-fire and open territory.

That may have kept down the bloodshed in LA, but what about the rest of the US? Gangs are spreading. Thousands of new members poliferate across the US in the suburbs. And yes, even in my very small suburbian tourist town we have been cleaning up gang grafitti. It seems the Columbia River Gorge scenic area is a great place to grow weed...up on those high forest trails where few rangers go.

I feel saddened at the current hype and glamour that rap and hip hop seem to have given to a very violent life, and I wonder how these suburban kids justify their actions. Is it just a selfish disregard for others? Or do they feel that disconnected from family and society as a whole?

I think we should induct all our kids into the Mickey Mouse gang...oh wait, that was done. It was called the Mickey Mouse Club and you pretty much needed to be white and middle class to join.

no answers from a puzzled goddess, just questions and paranoia

This is not the knife you are looking for...but it IS the spoon

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I got into an interesting conversation with the daughter. I was joking around in the kitchen and spouted off with, "This is not the knife you are looking for..." No hand gestures, no funny voice, just kinda talking to myself, and, thought-provoking child that she is, she piped up with, "It is amazing how much of a cultural reference, "Star Wars," really IS.

I had to stop and think. So many movies have become cultural references for our generation. I'm not sure if it's admirable, or sad. What happened to books as a cultural reference? I still think in terms of he's very like Heathcliff, or "My dear Watson," or talking about, "The road less travelled," and "marching to your own drummer." And there are always the biblical favorites and stories of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Shepherd.

I think that our parents and the current older generation though are the ones who pass the movie references on. I remember the WWII movies from when I was a kid. The, "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." There is always the "go ahead, make my day."

My friends, strangely enough, are more into, "bring out your dead," "Solyent Green is really people!" and "beam me up Scottie." Somehow, I don't think these will stick for long with our children. Even though adults remember, "Rosebud," I think my children will be remembering, "there is no spoon," and "Red pill... or blue pill."

With the proliferation of books, movies, songs, and video games I have to wonder what our culture will latch on to next. Maybe, "Boom, headshot," as my son would say, or "Go for the eyes, Boo, go for the eyes!"

wishing you many cultural conundrums from a puzzled goddess

Tatting, 'tatoes, and too much sun...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

We had a great Saturday in the park. And no, it wasn't the 4th of July. (for you older folks, you'll get it...the younger ones have no hope. *grin*) There were no fireworks but much fire.

As those who know us are aware, my family and I are involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism and are trying to start a new group in the Columbia River Gorge area of Oregon. We are trying to have an informal, no fee, park potluck each quarter of the year. We also hold monthly meetings for those wanting to learn about the medieval at the Pietro's in Hood River on the first Thursday evening of each month...so if you are in the area and interested in the Middle Ages we are trying to generate interest to become an "official" SCA group. :) We're close to filling out our formal paperwork!

Anyway, done with the rank plug for the local SCA. We had a GREAT time yesterday! I would have blogged last night, but I was so tired that I came home, unpacked a bit, and made the hubby take us out for pizza at our favorite pizza place in Stevenson, Washington, Andrew's. They have pretty good pizza and the owner, Derek, occasionally sits in with a folk/blue grass group sometime in the middle of the week. (I don't remember the night 'cuz we've only caught it sporadically. But it's lots of fun!)

Last night there sound system was set to Sirius radio, and they were playing 80's hits. It made the hubby and I laugh. We got to try to guess the group and song. (I cheated and read the screen, while he tried to guess!) It allowed us to have great conversation with the two teenagers about our teen years and music. (I still dislike most of the death metal my son likes, but guitar hero has given our family a new topic of conversation. *grin*)

Wow, how's that for a change in topic? This was all supposed to be a lead-in to talk about the "August in the park" event that we had on Saturday! So I guess I'll talk about that! LOL

One of our newer attendees actually gave us all a demonstration of glass bead lampworking! It was so cool! I just wish I'd had more time to sit and watch, because I have always been interested in it. She made such a beautiful bead for my daughter! She's got a Norse personna and has such a cool apron dress and treasure necklace!

We had other visitors from across the river. Our neighbors of Village Vindrbek and their families. It was so great that they jumped right in and were so willing to participate in it all. Here's Chrodec and Epona fighting! I took all kinds of pictures of the day and ended up, as usually happens, not getting one of myself. LOL

I DID get pictures of the family!


We made some new friends had some fun and I got a tatting demo from a new friend, Maja. It looks a bit intimidating, but maybe I'll get my courage up and try it. She has a great story that she tells as she tats about how we are women, connected to women in the past and linked to women in our future. I wish I remembered it all, but, with the meds, my memory sucks.

I swear to all the gods that I spent less than 15 minutes total in the sun yesterday. I hate the fact that the meds make me super sun sensitive. This is not natural color! At least I didn't stay out long enough that it was lobster red. I can't believe that this light color hurts almost as much as the lobster red did when I was younger.

We did eat WAY too much food. There was a wonderful Leek and Potatoe pie that won the people's choice vote in the cooking contest entered by WirAwen from across the Great AnTir River. Then the period cooking contest was won by Megan with her lovely and nummy tasting blackberry tarts! Good eats! We found some tankards to give out and much encourage future entries into contests...a shameless plug by the local Minister of Arts and Sciences!

Our guests from Vindrbek gave us some cool gifts that will definitely show up as prizes for an upcoming event. All kinds of good food, good fun and good company.

a medieval minute from a puzzled goddess, blessings to you all.




Update: Somebody Caught me there! LOL

Copycats R' us...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Okay, he found another personality quiz that got me curious. Sometimes these things are fun. For sheer mystery factor I'd love to say I was River or the Shepherd, but I kinda suspected this would be the result I got. At least this one has me as a girl! And not the cannibal.

Your results:
You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)

Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 80% Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 80% Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 65% Wash (Ship Pilot) 65% Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 55% River (Stowaway) 40% Alliance 30% Inara Serra (Companion) 30% Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 20% Derrial Book (Shepherd) 20% A Reaver (Cannibal) 15%	Dependable and trustworthy. You love your significant other and you are a tough cookie when in a conflict.
Click here to take the "Which Serenity character are you?" quiz...

May you all have blessings from a puzzled goddess...who knows there are WAY too many personality quizes out there to do them all....thank the gods :)

Canine interruptus and kitty time bombs...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Okay, we all love our pets and the give us such WONDERFUL attention; it's not that I'm trying to bang on them or anything (hmmm, I take that back. I bang on my family, why not my pets?)

Anyway, we managed to get the kids gone for a few days last week and dh and I were getting... very... friendly... when the dog, Shadow, decided to peek his head over the edge of the bed and find out what was going on. That whole wet beard and whiskers on the arm thing and little eyes staring at you with the, "hey, mom, can I play too? " look was just a mood killer. R got to put him out of the room. Then we listened to him whimper and scratch on the door for the next hour. (Now I know why my sleep doctor suggests all animals stay OFF the bed *grin*)

But of course, this is the same dog who will leave you a present pile in the living room, right in front of the TV, if you are gone more than 5 minutes and he doesn't think you should have been. And his most endearing habit is the way he greets strangers with licks and a leg hump.

"My, what a CUTE dog." I've heard more than once as they try and disconnect him from their leg. :)

The kitten, Mystique, or as my DH says, Ms Sneakiness or affectionately 'Tique is just too busy investigatin' all this and that to be too much of a pain in the posterior. When she's not leaving Tique bombs in the corner of my closet or tipping over the family pictures on her way to the window. She's just trying to convince us of what a goddess she is and have us bow down and worship. Which of course, we gladly do. You can't see her byootiful blue eyes here, but they are incredible....and her little white feet that just make you convinced that if somebody got into sumthin' it COULDN'T be her! She's the one that some neighbors found in their woodpile in December of last year, just a few days old. We think she was probably the runt and it was touch and go when my mom-in-law nursed her back to health. She was a raggedy kitty for awhile too!


But the Leon kitty is our best mouser. The only one better in the family at catching mice is my son! LOL (no joke!) But Leelee, as we like to call him, can stalk with the best of them. When he isn't sucking up the attention from my daughter or begging me in that demanding cater-wall of his to play laser mouse with him. Hmmpt!

He was also a feral cat who was rescued by some friends...his EXTREME friendliness bears this out! LOL Not!

With his trips to the litter box he's been known to clear a room in less than 20 seconds...(he and my dh are competing for the fastest time, I swear!)

And the last edition to our current managerie is the queen b*tch of them all. And she has earned that title in the 13 years she has graced us with her presence. Those gray whiskers she earned!

You'd never know she started life as a barn cat with the airs she puts on! She has definitely come up in station since her kitten hood. Starting out by teething on the fingers of my custom grey leather gauntlets and helping the puppy maneuver the 18 count box of CHOCOLATE Dunkin' Donuts off the table, she's just gone on to bigger and better since then. Dh has MANY nicknames for this one! Shallow kitty, Shadow brat, black b*tch, kitty rat...you name it and she's probably earned it!

She REALLY is hatin' all the additions to the family and is letting us know. The hissing and spitting would be a clue even if she wasn't hiding in our bedroom and leaving us presents in odd places. (no, that ISN'T stuffing coming out of the bottom of my shoe! Luckily, I looked down BEFORE I put my foot in it! or we would have had 'flying kitty'!) At least she could have said, "sorry."

blessings from a puzzled goddess enjoying her managerie

Daily doubles and 3 hours of purgatory...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

No, it's not Jeopardy or Dante's Inferno, it's the dreaded high school late summer sports practice schedule.

For those of you who don't know about it, let me fill you in...lets start with that titan clashing game of football that males seem to know and love (luckily, my male only watches if he has to). For some strange reason, high schools have decided that they need to practice TWICE in the same day, hence the dreaded daily doubles.

Now, as a mom, I wouldn't have a problem with this, hmmm, excercise...nice...but as the mom of a NINTH grader who doesn't drive yet, who lives over a mile from the local school...you get the picture. I was ready for my day to be a bit busier with ferrying kids back and forth, then came the revelation! This was to happen at FIVE A.M. and FIVE Thirty in the evening.

You caught that, right? FIVE A.M. So, of course, the boy has to get up 45 minutes to an hour before that. (He originally wanted to take a SHOWER before this practice...NOPE, mom's not getting up THAT early!)

So, since I know the boy won't wake himself up, I graciously (or not so graciously) wake my @ss out of bed to get him up and roll back in for about half an hour...then spring up again (yes, sarcasm) to drive him to the school. No, people who see me don't get smiles at this time in the morning. I'm the proud possessor of a T-shirt (somewhere) that reads, "I can't even talk at this time in the morning, and you want me to think?" That about describes it. So I nag him to get finished up and ready to go and I drive his rear down to the school and by the time I'm home I'm wide awake for the rest of the day.

Now, for most people this wouldn't be too bad, but for me, who is eating pain pills lately like candy so that I can just move, being awake is NOT a good thing. Unconsciousness, even with weird nightmares of people beating my body is better than vertical. Especially vertical, behind a steering wheel. No matter how short the drive.

Then we have the evening part of the 'daily doubles.' Yay, I get to do it all over again, after he's napped and showered and rubbed Aspercream all over his owies. LOL I shouldn't laugh at owies, but he was so righteous all summer about how he was going to stay in shape. Now he's eating a bit of his words...and they don't taste good. He comes by this skill honestly. (Eating words.)

If I had to do the practices, I'd be dead of a heart attack in about 10 minutes. :) But he's young and fit and strong, so it's a bit amusing.

Then we're on to purgatory and high school girl's volleyball. Think their 3 hour practice is easy? Hah, you haven't met their coach! She works those girls, HARD! And since my dd isn't the fastest, or the most athletic, she runs harder and longer and does more drills than the girls who win their friendly little competitions. Eeek! She also had great plans for staying in shape this summer...she too spent most of the summer in front of the computer instead.

Maybe I should be more like my mom and kick the kids out of the house in the morning to "play." The problem with that is living in a tourist town and being paranoid enough to want to know where your kids are at all times.

but this sleep deprived goddess still has some time before I need to pick up the kids (at wildly different times, of course.)

so may you all be spared the insanity of daily doubles and volleyball hell, from a puzzled goddess

Warm trends and clear skies...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Now that the warm spell has broken and it's been drizzling on and off outside, I get curious about climate change and warming trends in global weather....it's kind of like me cleaning up the bathroom AFTER I have company here. :)

On one of the blogs I keep track of there was a recent article about a book that explored the global warming trend from the 10th-15th century and the effects on different civilizations. It was sobering.

As we dealt with record temperatures this last week and see the climate changes all over the world take effect, it concerns me that entire civilizations during the middle ages were lost to drought from these types of climate changes. It is theorized that this helped destroy the Maya civilization among others.

Not that I'm a particular fan of the Maya and the warming trend in the middle ages did help the Northern civilizations to advance...

but gee... I'm a member of the instant gratification generation. I really would like to see all civilizations thrive....gods, who EVER would think I'd grow up to be such an optimist?

There's a great site put together by the US EPA that discusses climate change and the effects.

pictures of my beautiful mountains in the rain
from a puzzled goddess