Blizzard

We're having an honest to goodness blizzard. This is the sidewalk in front of my house. You just can't tell because no one had walked in the snow that had accumulated for the four hours it had been snowing.



This is the tree Bob and Ruth planted for me a few years ago. It is already green - what with it being spring and all.



These are their lions in front of their house. As you can see, the snow is intense. It started about noon. I took these photos about four. It's now six and still coming down fast.



This is my front door... come on in... I'm about to fix a pot of tea and settle in for the evening. I'm so fortunate to have a warm, dry place to be.
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Nancy Pickard author of The Virgin of Small Plains

Monday evening Nancy Pickard gave a presentation at the library about her book, "The Virgin of Small Plains," which is the Kansas Reads book this year. This is her seventeenth novel and the first one set completely in Kansas.

Hutchinson is the 35th library she has visited in conjunction with her book being chosen for the statewide reading program. She said the smallest was in Richmond, which has a two room library.

She said she loved visiting the small communities in Kansas and saw hope in rural Kansas. She said, "You can see in many places the town is struggling. But it is alive in the library." She said each library had a great spirit and, "I want to believe that because there is such hope for these libraries, there is hope for these towns."



She said in Hugoton, a town of about 500 people, as she was driving into town she saw a pyramid sign in the road and stopped to see what it was about. It was promoting her appearance that evening. She said she watched for awhile as cowboys stopped to see what the sign was for. She was just a tiny bit disappointed that none of them came to her presentation that evening.

Pickard said she wanted to write a book set in Kansas because she thinks it's beautiful and she wanted a book written by someone who thought that. She said she was concerned about the reaction she might get from her editor, but she was positive.
She said she realized that, "There are people who think our state is exotic." She explained saying that "The Virgin of Small Plains" was a finalist in the Mystery Writers of America contest. About 500 books were submitted from all over the world. There were six finalists; two from Italy, one from Eastern Europe, two from the UK, and then her book. She was the only author living in the US. That's when she realized her book set in Kansas was a novelty to some people, and that something unusual often stands out.

Pickard discussed that Kansas is the setting for two of the most famous books of the last century - "The Wizard of Oz" and "In Cold Blood." She said they are both structurally the same, both are about ordinary people's every day lives and something violent drops in and destroys that. She said she realized her book is much the same and joked, "Funny what you don't know about books when you write them."
She said she fell in love with Kansas when her then husband, a rancher, took her to the Flint Hills for the first time. "To this day I remember the instant the landscape changed," she said, remarking on when the hills became noticeable. "I fell in love with it and that has never changed."

She said it never occurred to her that not everyone would feel the same. But, she took a friend from New York on a tour one day. It was a gorgeous day with wildflowers blooming, cows dotting the landscape, and warm enough to have the window down. Eventually, her visitor asked if they could raise the windows in the vehicle because she was afraid something would get them. Pickard says it's different for her. "I could drive on these isolated Kansas roads for years and feel serene."
Pickard says she likes the idea of the apparent serenity of the pastoral landscape contrasted against the emotions surging underneath. She said some people feel comfortable here and some don't. Her next book is set in Gove County with the chalk monuments. She said that is scary to some people because it's more isolated and a more dramatic landscape.

Always looking for ideas, Pickard says she loves to visit small town cafes, which is where you hear the best stories. She also shared listening to a panel of law enforcement officers speaking once and remembering one of them saying, "If you want to commit a murder do it in an underpopulated county because they can't afford more than one major crime a year. A big trial will break the county." She said he went on to say they often railroaded the likely suspect because they need a suspect.
She summed up her experience traveling through Kansas by saying it was "the most amazing journey."

She spoke briefly about the writing process and said, "The greatest joy of writing is when mysterious things happen." She was speaking of a situation where one of her characters took over the writing and when Pickard saw a photo through her character's eyes she knew the motive for the murder that was central to the book.
Pickard ended her speech by saying, "It's a very strange thing I do for a living. But I think I like it. I've been doing it for a long time."

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New Day

I snapped this photo the other morning when I got up a little after 4. I went out to do some errands as the sun was rising. It wasn't a gorgeous sunrise, but I can never seem to resist a sunrise or sunset photo.

Today was a blur of activity. It seems I was running from one thing to another all day. When I went to my office, for the third time in the last month the street was barricaded. There was a fire across the street overnight. A few days ago it was the wind. And about a month ago it was the hostage situation downstairs in my building.

Fortunately, last night no one was seriously hurt. A couple of firefighters sustained injuries, but nothing life threatening. It's very sad for the folks who had just moved into that loft apartment. And, the law office that was in the same building I am had moved into that building in the meantime. I think the fire was pretty contained but otherwise it was smoke and water damage.

Virginia hosted us for Creative Sisterhood tonight and it was good to see everyone. Our January date was my surgery day so I had to cancel it, and I haven't felt up to hosting. A couple of weeks ago Virginia offered to have us out to her place, which was kind of her.

I'll be able to host the April one again. As of today there is no hospital bed in my dining room, so things will start to get a bit more normal. Tonight I'll climb the stairs to my bedroom for the first time in eight weeks. It will seem odd in some ways. Last night felt a little weird, being the last night I was sleeping downstairs. But, at some point I have to get back to normal.

Saturday is the Women's Show and fortunately some of my board members are working our booth for me so I won't have to be there all day. I don't think I could hold up all day. I'll probably go out early and look around and then go back and work the last hour of the day and break down. We can do setup on Friday afternoon, so that's convenient.

They're saying we may get snow starting tomorrow and going through Saturday. The first time I heard it we were getting a trace to 2 inches. The last estimate I heard was maybe up to 8. I'm guessing it will be nothing or somewhere between those. I just know I thought I was done with long underwear for the season. Fortunately, I hadn't put them away yet. I'm really not sure how my delicate little flowers that are blooming are going to react to snow.
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Eight Weeks

It was eight weeks ago today (Tuesday) that I had surgery. In some ways it seems like it was a year ago and in others it still seems very fresh. I feel great considering what my body has been through but every once in awhile I feel a little twinge of pain here or there and am reminded quite readily.

Tomorrow afternoon they're coming to pick up the hospital bed and for the first time in eight weeks I will sleep in my own bed. Upstairs. I haven't been upstairs in my house this whole time. Not only is my bed up there, but also my art studio and my library. Needless to say, I want to play. I had to fight with myself on Saturday to not go upstairs but I resisted until the eight week mark was passed.

They told me I could climb steps right away as long as I did it very carefully, and putting both feet on one step, then the next, etc. But, when I first came home I could feel every step I took when I went up and down them at my porch and decided I didn't need to do any more steps than necessary. At six weeks they told me I could start doing more steps, but still the same careful way, but they'd prefer I gave myself eight weeks to heal. I figured I'd gone that long, I could go two more weeks.

Well, magically, in just the last couple of days, I've noticed there is no twinge when I go up or down steps. Isn't it interesting how they can speculate how long it will take you to heal to that degree? Apparently I really did need eight weeks for this particular thing. Tomorrow night I will put that to the test. I hope it goes well since I'll have no bed to sleep in if it doesn't.

It will feel odd to be going upstairs at night. I have gotten used to sleeping in the dining room, but I think I can adjust. That's part of what all of this is about - adjusting.

Soon, I need to take a couple of days off and go away somewhere and fall apart. I haven't done that - in fact, I've cried very little considering the situation. But, I must fall apart and then put myself back together again, incorporating this into my idea of who I am. I'm now a person who has actually made a living will and given someone durable power of attorney because I thought I might die, not a person who just knows it would be a good idea to get it done "in case" but never does. But, I'm also a person who has been so blessed with such great news. And I'm so thankful.

But that doesn't diminish the fact that I need to reassemble myself as a person who has gone through this process. And in order to put the pieces back together, first comes the falling apart. It's such a messy process. But it must be done. With plenty of journaling and thinking included. Without putting those pieces back together you always feel like something is wrong and you can't put your finger on it. I know what needs to be done. I just don't want to do it. But, do it I must. Soon.
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Two Cool Things Coming Up

Regular readers of the blog are always asking how I know about things that are coming up. I get that info from any number of sources, none of them the traditional ways I don't think. Regardless, here are two upcoming things you can do - one for only $15 that includes lunch and one free.

April 14 - NPR's Jackie Lyden will be in Hutchinson at 11:30. Your $15 ticket includes lunch at the Town Club, as well as her speech. This is part of Prairie View's Food for Thought series, which is always worth going to. For more info, go to their website. She will be in Newton that evening. (Thanks, Teresa, for clearing that up!)

April 22 - NPR's Cokie Roberts is speaking in Wichita. It's free but you need tickets. Go to this website to request tickets. (Thanks, Kris, for letting me know about that!)

Also... far into the future, but you do NOT want to miss it... Daniel Pink at the Dillon Lecture on October 23. I am reading his book, "A Whole New Mind," and it is mind-blowing. Very interesting.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.

All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Wind Storm

One of the things I do every morning is check the weather forecast on my phone. Two days ago I saw a phrase I'm not used to seeing - "howling wind." I'm not sure when that became a technical weather term. It wasn't too bad then, but today made up for it. "Howling" was an appropriate description.

When I tried to go to my office after lunch time I found the streets all blocked. In fact, Main Street was closed to all traffic except official vehicles, which was very odd.



Barricades were up at every intersection on Main and on each block either side. Well... at least the barricades the wind hadn't blown over.



The problem was the Wiley Building was losing some of its sheet metal covering and it was being propelled through the streets by 40-55 mph winds. You can see the spot on the side of the building at the top.



A local roofing company came and attached a ladder up there to try and keep more of it from peeling off.



I could relate to the difficulty because when I went outside at one point today I found one of the shutters from the upper floor of my house in the front yard.

Driving down A Street today, toward downtown, it was like fog from all the dust and dirt in the air. It was accentuated by flying debris - "debris" defined as lawn furniture, paper, sacks, five gallon buckets, kids pools and toys - hurtling through the air in front of you at windshield level as if being flung by a giant off to the side of the road. It made for some adventure driving.

I do live in Kansas - it's known for being windy - but this is extreme even for us. I don't feel the need for anymore. Thank you, anyway.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.

All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Optimism

As I do almost every year, I've started plants from seeds. Unlike other years, it seems to be going well this year.

Don't you think this speaks volumes of optimism from a woman who can barely bend for any amount of time?
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.

All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Writer's Workshop with Author Nancy Pickard

Author Nancy Pickard gave a writer's workshop today at the library. She will be speaking about "Mysterious Kansas" Monday evening at 7 at a free presentation. Pickard is the author of "The Virgin of Small Plains," the Kansas Reads selection. Kansas Reads is a statewide project to encourage adults to read and discuss the same book. She said this is the 35th library she has visited since her book was chosen.

But, this afternoon was geared to writers and it was very useful. She spoke about the important of not just conflict and action, which we always hear about, but also about other elements like using all the senses.



I had taken the first few pages of my novel and one of the things I learned through the various exercises was that I'm very good at using surprise in my writing. I'm not very subtle about it, but at least I'm doing it. I'm just going to take that as a positive.

One of the things I've been struggling with is the beginning of my novel. I like it, but I know it needs to be stronger. I just haven't figured out how to make it that way. Yet. But, one of the things Pickard did today was read the first sentence of a few books to illustrate how to start strong. I'm still mulling it all over, but I know that was meant for me.

I really enjoyed Pickard's workshop. I recommend it heartily if she's doing a presentation in your area. I'm going to buy her book, "Seven Steps on the Writer’s Path," because I'm sure it will have great advice. In addition to that book, she has published 17 novels. She writes mysteries, but the advice she gave today is applicable to any genre.

At the end of the presentation today I asked if anyone was interested in a writing group and passed around a sheet for people to sign up if they were. There were about 20 people there and six indicated interest in a writer's group. One person is part of a writer's group that already exists, which I had no idea about. But I think there's virtue in more than one group.

I don't know anything about that group except they meet on a regular schedule and they have a president. I think that will really speak to a lot of folks, but I'm not interested in anything that formal. So, maybe this group will go and there will be something for everyone.

I'm interested in sharing writing and also about connecting with other people who understand the process. However, I'm not interested in using the group as a way to pretend I'm writing when I'm really not. That's the great danger of such things, and an easy trap for me to fall into. Groups sometimes give the illusion you're working on your project when you're really just talking about it. But, I'm willing to give it a go, with the understanding I need to guard against that.

All in all a great afternoon. This was a free workshop. We're so fortunate the library offers events like this.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.

All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Underground

Look at my new pretty blue hat! Okay, so a hard hat might not be the pinnacle of fashion, but this one is special.

I acquired this yesterday when I did my first shift as a volunteer at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum. Visitors travel 650 feet underground to the museum, housed in the rooms left after salt is mined from them. I've been underground a few times and it's an ultra cool experience. I did training a few months ago to volunteer. For reasons I cannot understand, from the first time I saw the little trolleys that people ride on through the mine section I have been itching to drive them. Why? I have no idea.

I realize most people would not be that excited over driving something that is essentially a golf cart with a top speed of 6 mph. But, hey, I find many things to be happy about in the average day and this is one of them. (I recommend it as a way to be happier in daily life - be happy about small things!)

At training we got to drive very briefly, but I've been a little nervous about driving the whole route. What if I didn't do it right? What if I went too slow or fast and got the timing off? What if, what if, what if? Good grief.

This past week when Tonya asked for volunteers I decided it was time to do it. I haven't done anything in awhile that made me a little nervous and I think that can be good for us. It gets the blood circulating. This was an opportunity to do something new and different, and that makes different parts of the brain work, and that's got to be good.

Unfortunately, this week they've had record crowds so I did my practice run with full groups. I was paired with Kerry who is a veteran. The first tour he drove and gave the tour, the second one he let me drive the last little bit, after we stopped so people could pick up salt. And the last tour I drove on my own, with his direction and advice. He was very helpful.

It was a fun experience. I can't wait to do it again. I want to learn the little spiel so I can do the talking part, too. All I had to do yesterday was go with people in the elevator so I had 90 seconds to fill, which was pretty easy. That radio background comes in handy at the strangest times.

Oh... and the blue hat is for volunteers. Employees wear silver ones and visitors wear white ones. Now, when you visit you'll know who is who. Just don't ask me anything too complex yet.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Hyacinths

If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.
                               - Muslih al-Din Sa'di



Hyacinths are one of my very favorite flowers. They remind me of my mother and home and summer.



Spring arrived on the Kansas plains this week, bringing blooms with it. The smell of hyacinths is so intense, it fills any room where they're put.



There are never enough of them. That's how I felt about them when I was a kid, and I still do. I'm not sure how many I would need to plant in order to pick as many as I'd like to have inside. The same is true of some of my other favorites - Lily of the Valley, Honeysuckle, Daffodils, Calla Lilies - well, this list could go on and on.



The purple is my favorite hyacinth, just because it's what I remember from childhood. But I also love the pink and white, too. Maybe this year I will plant some of the other colors, and more of these, too.



This little vase is one of my favorites. I bought it for $1 at a sale and I have treasured it. It's missing the neck of the lute, but I love it just as much as I would if it were perfect. 



In fact, it is perfect as far as I'm concerned.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.

All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Writing a Synopsis. Not.

I need to write a one page synopsis of my novel. It needs to be sent somewhere and postmarked by Monday. I'm trying to have a good attitude about it. I'm failing. I read that editors hate surprises. I'm not sure I can even hit the highpoints of 85,000 words in one page. But, I suppose I will. In some fashion. By Sunday night. So it can be postmarked by Monday.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Third Thursday

This was one of my favorite pieces in the art show tonight during Third Thursday. Can you guess why it's one of my favorites? Yes... it's about me! :)

Diana made this for me. She found the flash card with "Patsy" on it first and then built the other stuff around it - handwritten because I journal and write letters and love the handwritten word. Tea and Christmas are obvious. The center picture is of cookies and of course I love to bake. The butterfly is to symbolize new beginnings after surgery. It's so sweet and I get to bring it home when the show is over. I just love having talented friends!

Tonight's Third Thursday offering at Gallery 7 included work by the "Paper Ladies," a group devoted to altered art. I believe Debbie (hiding in the back on the right) started the group and the other ladies, including Jennifer (left) and Diana, (middle in the brown) joined in. They had some interesting things on display.



I have to confess I sneaked taking this photo after Greg went to the trouble to get everyone organized for it.



Everyone was impressed with the work... except maybe the Gallery 7 cats...



But... you know how hard it is to impress cats, so you can't judge by that.

I loved this chair, which was covered with rice paper.







It was fun to run into folks, including some people I hadn't seen since surgery. One of those was Jon, and I happened to get a photo of his surprise at seeing me.



There were lots of other folks there I got to visit with, but I didn't get photos of very many people, unfortunately.





Jennifer (on the left) is the owner of Gallery 7 and organizer of Third Thursday.



Sharon and Greg were having dinner at Brooks and I said I'd stop in and visit a bit since I parked near there anyway. I left Gallery 7 and then saw Jocelyn go in so had to go back in and visit with her and her cousin. Eventually I did make my way to Apron Strings where John and Katherine were playing and singing.



Anne, the owner, was doing good business, which I was happy to see. As I crossed the street to walk down to Brooks I happened to see the carriage going by.



As you can see, it was dark by then.

I didn't go downtown until about 7. I wasn't feeling great, but wanted to go tonight since I have missed it the last few months. It's such a cool event.
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All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

A Little Bit of Everything

Leaving Joplin the other day we spotted this Easter Tree. It was purely accidental because I turned through a residential area to avoid making the dreaded left hand turn. It was a perky, lovely surprise - just standing there in someone's front yard - waiting to be appreciated. It made me think about doing the same thing in my own front yard with the tree Bob and Ruth planted for me 2-3 years ago. I haven't done it yet, but it's a thought. I think it's a good thought, but I'm not managing to get everything done I need to do these days, without adding in anything extra.

I am getting a little bit more into life. I'm having lunch with Andrea tomorrow, then Trish on Friday. I'm also getting a little less spacey. I've been just missing details - it's like I'm still a little stoned from all the drugs I had during surgery and afterwards. It seems to be getting better every day, but it's hard for me to hold on to details sometimes. They just flit through my brain and then they're gone. I can't even remember things long enough to get them on a list. I miss emails and comments. I forget to return phone calls, etc. etc. etc. They tell me this will pass as I get more distance from surgery and it is getting better every day.

Thank goodness for digital photos - they serve to remind me of all kinds of things - like cool cemeteries recently visited. Is that a segue or what?

On the way back from pie in Golden City the other day, Greg, his mom, his girlfriend Mia, and I stopped by the cemetery in Carterville, Missouri. This is a pretty small town, but their cemetery is huge. I'm always curious to see Woodmen of the World tombstones, and they had some of different designs than I generally see in Kentucky.

But the most interesting tombstone we spotted was this one. (Well, as far as I'm concerned, anyway.) It is for Nellie, wife of Andy Roberson, July 28, 1878 to Oct. 23, 1904.



It looks like a pretty normal tombstone until you look at the design near the top. And there, if you look closely, you see an ankh inside a triangle inside a circle with the words, "Ancient Order Pyramids." A quick google search shows one reference to this being a secret society, but no real information. It must be really, really secret because I've read thousands of pages about Egypt and never run across it. Of course, like most such "clubs" it probably has nothing to do with Egypt except taking some of the symbols. But, I don't know. If I'm never heard from again, you'll know the Ancient Order of the Pyramids came and took me away.



I find it fascinating the things people feel such an affinity for that they put it on their tombstones - or their survivors do, anyway. You often see Mason symbols on tombstones and I'm guessing this must be something like that. I just cannot imagine any group or activity I would feel so close to that I'd want to be associated with it for the extended time a stone would remain intact. That's significant.

Carterville is between Cooky's, where we all had pie...



and SuperTam Ice Cream where we all had - you guessed it - ice cream. Needless to say, we did not go out for dinner that night. I haven't eaten dessert since.

I'm feeling better every day. My little aches and pains are going away one by one. And I feel like doing more all the time. I'm still not bending and staying bent for any amount of time. Greg's mom bought me one of those handy grabber things. I've already pressed it into service more than once since getting home.

I'm still trying to get a little walking in every day. Today I went to Dillon Nature Center for a few minutes and walked one of the trails. I was on the Woodard Trail, looking up at the various trees, and glanced back to the trail just in time to see something moving. I stopped and let out a girly-man yelp because there, just a couple of steps from being under my foot, was a snake.



I know... it's a garter snake. I know... they're not dangerous. I know... they're more afraid of me than I am of them. Ah ha! That last one is a lie. They are not afraid of me. The reason I know is that I had time to get my camera out of my pocket, turn it on, wait for it to power up which is not a speedy process, and snap this photo of the snake that was in absolutely no hurry to get away from me - the thing he is supposedly scared of. They are not afraid of humans and if anyone tells you they are they are trying to lull themselves into a false sense of security.

I hate snakes. I don't want to harm them. I don't want to get close enough to them to harm them. But they scare me. They make me let out girly man yelps. They make my heart stop for a second. I know this makes me a very poor nature girl, but I can't help it. In my defense I grew up in an area where there were lots of poisonous snakes, so it's a learned behavior to be afraid of anything fitting that general description. And, lets not forget, I still have a little scar on my right ankle where a viper decided to sink his fangs into me.

But, on to more pleasant nature subjects... I spotted these pretty little purple flowers. I don't know what they are, and they might well be some sort of noxious weed the state highway department has been trying to eradicate for decades, but I think they're pretty.



Well, I'm off to bed soon. I had hoped to take another go at the synopsis of the novel tonight, but I think I'm just too weary. It has been a very long day.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Traditional Media Fails. Again.

Diebold admitted yesterday that their software makes it very easy to delete ballots. Apparently this is something they have been aware of for years. Oh, and it's not Diebold anymore, it's Premier Election Solutions - I'm sure that's a PR move. You can read the Wired story by clicking above - no point in me rehashing the details.

I don't care what your political affiliation is, this is not good news. It's horrible news. For everyone.

And the other horrible news is that without online media, like Wired and blogs, apparently this could have gone unreported. At least that's how it seems to me. I did a quick search and found no indication that any traditional media has bothered to report the story.

Headline News is telling me right now what the weather is in Fargo. It's not that I don't care about snow melting in Fargo, but the fact that our entire democratic process has been in the hands of people who knew their software was flawed, would seem worthy of at least a crawl while I hear about rain in Rochester. The closest I can come is DC will be sunny on Friday, and that's the host's mother's birthday. This followed by a report on American Idol.

I am so disgusted with my former profession. I swear, when I was working as a journalist, this would never have passed muster. I don't think I ever did a single story about a celebrity, unless it was someone we had interviewed. I mean, I can just watch American Idol. I don't need a report on it.

A free press is essential to a free nation - I'm sure of that. But our traditional free press is lacking these days. Very lacking. When I don't see a story about something this major I know things are very bad.

I guess they'll eventually read the blogs and catch on something is happening and do a story about it, pretending it's hot news then. But it's not. While they were reporting on Adam and Anoop, the news that our voting system is in danger became old news. Disgusting.
________________
Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Greg, Sharon and I went to Roy's for lunch today. Of course, we always love Roy's - and Anne was in the spirit as you can see from the shamrocks she was wearing on her head - but we knew Anne and Ryan would appreciate Greg's holiday ensemble. Naturally, The Lope was decked out too.

Roy's is always delicious, and today we were there early so I was able to have the beef cut just the way I love it. Ryan takes such good care of me.

Vegetarians, look away...



Hope you're having a great St. Patrick's Day!

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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Geographic Therapy

If you've read here for any amount of time, you know my love of what I dub "geographic therapy," meaning that when you need to figure something out it's ideal to go away to do it.

I'm feeling a major need for some geographic therapy. This whole little deal about preparing to die - just in case - leaves me with a deep need to process it all. Unfortunately, the world doesn't like to even acknowledge such things, much less allow one enough quiet time to process it.

Tickets to Europe are getting cheap - as low as $200 to some places from NY, about $400-$500 from cities near me. But, the exchange rate for the dollar sucks. It's about 1.29 to a Euro. It has been worse, but that's not nearly as nice as when it was roughly equal. It would be even better if we could have the dollar actually worth more. That, of course, seems like an impossible pipe dream at this point.

I could so use a nice get away - an opportunity to go somewhere different and soak up some atmosphere. Walking the streets of Paris in the early morning, gathering fresh pastry and exchanging pleasantries with workers (as much as my limited French allows), would do me so much good. Standing in the Vatican museums, looking at timeless art, would feed my soul right now. A little jaunt into the developing world would get my blood circulating. An opportunity just to sit at a cafe, surrounded by language I don't understand, almost anywhere, would give me a little peace. Why? I don't know why. It just does.

But, alas, there are medical bills arriving every day... and still the same amount of money coming in, which doesn't stretch far enough even to cover them, much less a trip abroad, or even around the corner. Perhaps the dawn will bring me a miracle - I seem to be seeking a lot of those lately - that makes it all possible.

For now I'll head to bed and just dream of such things... nitey night.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Happiness and People In Our Lives

Social scientists say that 70-85% of our happiness comes from our association with other people. (Depends on the scientist you listen to where the percentage falls.) These are the people we choose to spend time with - that doesn't include your children (unless they're grown), but it does include your spouse.

When things are not going well, the people in your life help you through the rough times. When you're happy, it's magnified when you share it with other people.

We know that the five people you choose to spend time with have more impact on your life than any other single factor. That's not just for happiness, but general attitude about dozens of things, how you'll react to situations, how you manage money, etc. etc. etc. It really is like your Mama said when she was telling you that wasn't a good crowd to be hanging around with.

So, armed with this knowledge, I've been thinking about why I'm not as happy as I should be these days. I should be ecstatic every day - literally floating on clouds - thrilled with my good health and good news. I'm not unhappy by any means, but I'm not ecstatic.

Tonight it occurred to me that my social life largely relies on me to organize and instigate it, with noteable exceptions, and I haven't felt up to that recently. So, I've been missing a lot of my normal interaction. I've been hesitant to make any plans until I see how I'll feel at any given moment, and I haven't been planning for any gatherings at my home. So, in many ways, my social life has ground to a halt the last 2 1/2 months. I haven't felt up to creating the opportunity for much planned socializing and part of it is the anticipation. It's a loss. But, it's something I'm going to have to make it through a little while longer.

Quote of the Day

A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.
                                                                             - Will Rogers

Pi Day

It's pi day - you know, 3.14. This is the first year the US Congress has recognized the day I believe.

We celebrated with a visit to Cooky's in Golden City, Missouri. They make dozens of kinds of pie every day. And it's yummy stuff.



I have to confess I went for the standard pecan today. They asked if I wanted ice cream with it and although I've never had it that way I said yes. They warmed the pie and brought a dish of ice cream with it and I gotta say it was a good combo.

Greg and his mom had something called Carribean Pumpkin pie made with coconut milk instead of evaporated milk. They both gave it good reviews. Mia, Greg's girlfriend, had a pie that mimiced Reese's Pieces. She gave it the stamp of approval - so much so that Miss Joy bought a piece to take to LV when we left.

The bonus at Cooky's is that pie is cheap. A piece, with tax, is less than $2. Beat that deal. It can't be done, I tell you.

Greg and I were talking about pi day earlier this week, but it had slipped our minds today until we were headed back to Joplin after eating pie. Obviously, it was in the back of our minds somewhere because we knew we needed to eat pie today. We just knew it. I love math and I love pie... it's the perfect day.

On the way back to Joplin the four of us stopped by for some Superman Ice Cream at SuperTam Ice Cream in Carterville. Here's Greg showing off the official Superman Ice Cream's distinctive colors.

Biophilia

I've been reading lately about E.O. Wilson's theory of biophilia. In a nutshell what he's saying in the 1978 book is that humans are attracted to nature because we feel an emotional affinity for other living organisms - on a primal level. He says it's an instinctual experience. 

It's this attraction that gives us a peaceful feeling when we're in nature. And, on the opposite end, it's why we're afraid of snakes, even though for most of us the chance we're going to be bitten by a snake is very slim. (My own experience notwithstanding!)

Wilson's theory says it's in our genes to find being in nature a peaceful experience.

I think there's something to this. Being surrounded by nature, witnessing a beautiful sunrise, or seeing a flower come up stirs most of us in some way. It's hard to not be affected by a starry night or a cuddly kitten. Studies have even shown that people recover better after surgery if they can see nature from their hospital windows.

I've had reason recently to be looking back through old blog entries. It's astonishing how many of them have something nature related in them. There are photos of gorgeous autumn days, snow on holly berries, sunflowers waving in the wind and tulips poking their heads up. I know one of the ways to calm myself when I need it is to head into nature.

You would think that Wilson, who has won two Pulitzer Prizes, as well as a long list of other prestigious awards, would have his theories accepted pretty readily. But, alas, some disagree with him on the concept of biophilia. Apparently they don't know this little tidbit I ran across recently - more people visit zoos every year than attend all sporting events combined.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on Facebook.com, Follow me at Twitter.com.