Hillbilly Shower

Westport, Connecticut

Why Do You Blog?

I have recently published my 700th blog.

That's right.

700 of my wonderfully crafted tidbits have graced the Web.

Just let that sink in.

And on those days when I have nothing to write?

I sit here and wonder why I do this.

Why do I continue to write my mental meanderings?

And I don't know the answer.

I started it just to journal.

Then people started to comment.

And I went to visit them.

And they came back.

All of a sudden, I had all these friends.

Living in my computer.

And so on those days when I have nothing to say,

I sit here and say a bunch of nothing.

Because I like it in here.

And I like all my friends.

Now, to celebrate the 700,

I am giving away a book by a blogger!

Written by Catherine Sanderson,

Petite Anglaise is the true story of this British blogger

who lives in Paris.

And she gets herself into a pickle....

To enter the giveaway, just leave me a comment.

And tell me why you blog.

If you don't blog,

you can enter, too.

Just stop lurking and leave a comment;)

Contest ends tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8 PM EST.

Now go forth and blog!

Love, MPM

Bring It!

Aquarius Horoscope for this week:

You have an astounding grasp of ideas and situations now and are able to persuade others to your way of thinking. You seem to express yourself well this week and others are quick to jump on your rolling band wagon. This is a good time to redecorate or go shopping for new clothes since you have a great sense of color coordination. Whatever you do this week turns out excellent.

Get yours here

I just hope I can live up to this.

Thanksgiving

I'm thinking cranberry sauce right about now.

Saturday Autumn Vignette

You never know what you'll find in Cocktail Corner.

Take this for example:

Don't you like the composition?

The leaf and the remnants of a side mirror-ectomy?

Wonder whose house this is?

Is that Stella?

Sibling Rivalry?

So...I'm sitting around playing with the split ends in my ponytail minding my own business when my baby brother calls. Or maybe I called him. I think I called him an idiot. Who can remember this stuff?

Idiot:

He has a new ride....

A new ride with no top.

Prune:

A ride with AIR CONDITIONED SEATS!

AIR CONDITIONED SEATS!!

ARE YOU LISTENING?

I felt all fancy and stuff.

And then?

He took me home.

I took a nap.

Me and my cool buttocks took a nap.

Happy Friday everybody.

May you have an air conditioned seat everywhere you go this weekend.

This-n-That Thursday

On a roll:

• Flipper
• The High Chapparral
• Mannix
• Barnaby Jones
• The Secret Storm
• Love American Style
• Julia
• The Courtship of Eddie's Father
• The Edge of Night
• Welcome Back Mr. Kotter
• Room 222
• Here Come the Brides
• Dark Shadows
• Lost in Space
• Medical Center
• Family Affair

And your favorites?

And for those of you who didn't know Nik Nik shirts--

Just look at this beauty...

You can have one if you want it.

Just go here.

Happy Hump Day

Guess who's 60 today?

Texting With Mama -- And a Winner

When I was at Blogfest in July,

and we all discovered our cell phones would finally work...

on the beach at Gwynn's Island...

I called The Bird.

She actually chatted with her old mother for a few minutes.

She even asked who was there!

And when I said "Living on the Spit" is here!

The Bird wanted to know if I would bring her some barbecue....

Get it?

She thought it was a grill spit...

Not a spit of land.

I raised a good little Southern girl up here in the midst of all these Yankees.

So I asked the Bird to help choose the winner for our Get Happy Giveaway.

And I am happy to tell you all that our Marlene is the winnah!

Chelsea Handler is coming your way, my friend...

and when you read this and you're all happy?

I hope you'll send her on her merry way.

Move Over Shauna

I may have a new obsession.

This chick showed up to the Emmy Awards last night in this getup.

I think she's some soap opera girl.

Seriously?

Wow!

Aquarius Horoscope For The Week Starting September 21, 2009

- For the next two years you will learn to see things as they really are rather than as you wish they were as seen through your “rose colored glasses”. You will be planting your feet firmly on the ground. New directions and goals take over and you could find your life going in a completely new direction. You should be building a new foundation for your life.

About ten years ago, I fell in love with this website. I even called one day for a chat with a psychic. I did it for pure entertainment, but the weird thing was that the woman nailed many parts of my life right on the head. And the stuff she predicted for the future? I totally poo-pooed it. And all three things she said came to fruition. Chills. Anyway, do yourself a favor and go check yourself out. It is a nice little diversion.

And now, I have to go get new glasses. Apparently these rose colored jobs aren't going to do it for me any more. Sigh.

Stress Free Sunday

I wish each and every one of you a wonderful day...

Free of stress and angst.

And don't forget to enter my Get Happy Giveaway!

Mama's Cure for What Ails Us

Phew.

It's finally Friday.

I feel like a worn out puppy.

And I'm sure I'm in good company.

I hope I can restore myself.

With some good friends.

And some good laughs.

I got into a conversation yesterday, and we laughed.

We laughed, and laughed and laughed.

And when we were finished I felt amazing.

How long has it been since you had a laugh that made you cry?

How long has it been since you had a stomach-gripping guffaw?

Well my friends, I am here to help.

This is a funny book:

And I want to share it with you.

Chelsea Handler is quite the comedian.

This is no Pulitzer, but it will make you laugh out loud.

And that is something, in my opinion.

All you have to do is leave me a comment,

and say something funny.

Anything at all.

I will randomly select the winner on Monday night at 8 EST.

And if you pimp me, you get double the chance!

Now go forth and humor us!

We all need a good dose of it....

Love, Mental P

This-n-That Thursday

More stuff I remember that makes me old:

• Naugahyde
• Nik Nik shirts
• Carol Merrill
• Romper Room Weather Colorforms
• Elephant bell pants
• Pearl Drops Tooth Polish
• The Carol Burnett Show
• Earth Shoes
• Eastern Airlines
• Leotards
• Creepy Crawlers
• Braniff Airlines
• Smothers Brothers
• The first Smiley Face
• Paper Dolls (real ones)
• The Monkees

And there's much more but I can't remember it.

Who's the Boss?

When our cat got sick in July,

giving her her medicine became my daily cardio event.

Now we can put it in her food.

It's a win-win.

Noelle gets her medicine...

And mama gets to keep her blood in her own body.

And another thing that has happened?

Noelle has taken her power back.

She's in charge again.

My sister in law, the Winetipper, came over yesterday.

And I served her a nice glass of Malbec...

Complete with one of Noelle's beautiful white hairs.

One of her medications is a diuretic...

that would be the cat's, not Winetipper's...

and the litterbox is our new battlefield.

The clumping litter has some sort of reaction with the meds.

And the result is cement-like rocks.

So yesterday, after a glass of our Malbec?

Winetipper and I set about putting a liner in the litterbox.

The genius behind that was that the whole shebang

could simply be lifted up and tossed.

No jackhammering of the dreaded litter rocks would ever be necessary again...

A happiness fell across the land.

And this morning?

Litterbox liner FAIL.

Noelle managed to shred her liner thoroughly.

No litter was soiled at all.

And under the liner?

Yup.

Oh, and the litter she managed to get all over the floor?

Yup.

Help me.

Tuesday Text

I now parent via text message.

I am treated to great and informative responses daily.

Like the one below...

Augie's answers to me are on the left.

When I get a "yes" as opposed to a "yep"?

I get all excited.

Please note that I actually got a four syllable comment.

It totally made my day.

Such a riveting conversation...

I clearly need to get a bigger life.

And, yes, I know I misspelled boy.

Mental Overload?

Today's Aquarius Horoscope:
Sep 14, 2009

Expect to exchange a lot of phone calls and e-mails from friends today, dear Aquarius. Communications with others are at the top of your priorities. You have a lot of news to deliver, and you'll receive a lot in return. Much of what you hear could be useful in whatever enterprises with which you're involved now. The only downside is mental overload. You may feel as if your brain has spent the day running laps around the football field. Otherwise, enjoy!

The only news I have to deliver is that I had a dream last night that I was Oprah Winfrey's BFF. And now that I think of it, I do have mental overload. What's your horoscope today? C'mon and tell me. I am supposed to get lots of news.

Busy Buzz

“Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly,

but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway.”

Mary Kay Ash

Shauna is Ready for Fall

I miss the lucite.

Remembering

Connecticut's 9/11 Memorial

Sherwood Island

Westport, Connecticut

Hybrid Cosmos?

FAIL

What they should look like:

Cocktail Corner Chorus Line?

Labor Day 2009

My Canadian Horoscope

It took me a good thirty minutes to find a horoscope I like for today. And I finally found this one. Since I live in Connecticut, which is fairly close to Canada, I decided this is legit. It's not like I went to an Australian site. But I just have one question: What the heck is "ork think"? I can manage "play mode" just fine. Thank you very much.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18)

You are way overdue for some fun. You have been working too hard lately, and your body is screaming "Slow down!" at you. That may manifest in the form of a cold, some aches and pains, or strange coincidences that push you out of ""ork think" into "play mode".

Character Traits of the

Astrological Sun Sign Aquarius

Aquarius is one of the more eccentric, flexible, unusual, and avant-garde signs. Aquarius Oprah Winfrey typifies this Sun Sign, intelligent, philosophical, communicative and open-minded, she is known for her pursuit of group efforts, philanthropy, charitable efforts and love of books and reading. Aquarius natives may be perceived as odd, unusual or eccentric by others (think of Aquarians ZsaZsa Gabor and Yoko Ono). Occasionally Aquarians are perceived as "aloof" as well. That is "perceived" because Aquarians are never quite what they appear to be to others. The traditional symbol of Aquarius is "The Water Bearer", and while the sign is ruled by thoughtful air, there is a secret emotional or watery side that they like to keep hidden from public view. They are not usually emotionally sensitive, but their ability to see truth and act on it often makes them take action to help others. Aquarius may express their emotions in intellectual terms, but are often self-sacrificing humanitarians, philanthropists, constantly searching for the ideal and for truth and vision. It is important for Aquarians to develop self-love, and the personal application of spiritual practices to their daily lives.

get your Canadian horoscope here!

This might become a favorite spot for me. What does your Canadian horoscope say?

Wayward Son

Look who took a train home from Philly!

The Augster.

He said his hellos and then?

He was off and running.

I got to talk to him while he was buckling up.

I think it was a 91 second chat.

Aaaaaannnd. Buh-bye mama.

Maybe I'll get another visit with him today before he goes back to school.

And I'll cherish it. All 92 seconds.

Getaway Friday!

And I hope you don't have this flight.

I thought this crap only happened to me.

And if that's a lap child, I'm friggin' Twiggy.

This-n-That Thursday

Questions on aging:

• Where did my metabolism go?
• When did wine become an instant sedative?
• How could I drive all the way home from Virginia with my reading glasses on?
• How high do reading glasses go?
• When did my belly fat get its own pulse?
• When did buying a new bra get so exciting? At Kohl's no less?
• When did I amass this collection of ointments?
• Speaking of ointments, I wonder if I've put all my dermatologist's children through college yet?
• Why does it seem like yesterday that I was begging my parents to stay up late to watch The Big Valley?
• Does anybody remember the song Timothy about some guys surviving a plane crash?
• Will I ever feel my hipbones again?
• Why is it that I wouldn't want to be any other age?

What'd I miss?

Hard Working Tax Dollars

The Connecticut State Legislature had a difficult time with the budget this year.

The man speaking is my town representative.

The two playing solitaire and the one reading ESPN are not.

I sometimes have to dip into my savings to pay my taxes.

And this is what I am funding?

I wish this were a joke.

But it's not.

H1N1--Let's Discuss

I have to admit that I was a non-believer when the Swine Flu hit this past Spring. But now? I'm starting to think about it. I think what has piqued my interest the most is the emails and letters from both of my children's schools describing the measures they are going to take to keep our students safe. I didn't understand why it was all about kids instead of the elderly who are the typical victims every flu season, and then I asked a pathologist last week who gave me my answer:

Anyone who was born after 1977 is at a very great risk because that was the last year we had the Swine Flu. Those alive at that time may well have been exposed and will have developed some immunity. Yikes. Now all those children are settled into their germ growing petri dishes dorms, should I be worried?

I have been blessed with healthy and hearty children, but I understand that it may not necessarily be a guarantee that they do not contract a severe case. I have never been one to panic, but I find myself thinking about this nasty virus a lot. Should I worry? Are you worried?