5 Questions from Snavy

1. Lime and the coconut - two great tastes that taste great together or a catchy little tune?

Coconut water from green nuts is a nice cool treat on a hot day. Fresh lime-ade is tastier than lemonade in my opinion. I am NOT a fan of flaked coconut in desserts. YUCK! And do not ever contaminate my chocolate with coconut. That is an abomination. Coconut bake is good. I like the milk used in Thai food. Just no desserts with coconut. Otherwise, it's two great tastes!

Of course, it's a great little ditty too...

I've got a lov-e-ly bunch of coconuts.
Here they are all standing in a line.
Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head.....

2. You once commented about limelette #1 getting into a brand new tub of petroleum jelly. Could you please elaborate?

It was shortly before I was due to give birth to the second precious Limelette while in Trinidad. I had set up the crib, changing table and clean clothes. I just had the tub of petroleum jelly on the changing table. One morning Limelette #1, who was 2 1/2, disappeared for rather a while. I went looking for her and found an empty tub of petroleum jelly, one very slippery slidey toddler covered from hair to toes in the goo (in fact she was combing it into her hair) AND a patch of the painted concrete block wall measuring roughly 3'x4' smeared with it. Did I mention that house did not have a hot water heater? Have you ever tried to clean one well greased toddler and wall without warm water or else try to prevent further expansion of the mess while you heat water?


3. What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen Lime, as it covers the distance from zipline to ground?

African or European Lime? Um, er....pretty damn fast! I looked up this to see if I could explain it. I hope it helps. All I can say is I don't want Galileo dropping me off the Leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate.


4. If you could have one wish come true, what would it be?
If I tell you, it won't come true, now will it???

5. There are five basic food groups. I know you'd love a sixth. What would it be and can you justify your choice?

C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E! You bet your bippy I can justify it! It's grows on trees therefore it is a fruit. We all need more fruits and veggies in our diets. In all seriousness, it does contains anti-oxodants which are good for you. The darker the chocolate the more antioxidants. These compounds prevent plaque build-up in blood vessels. Other chemicals in chocolate prevent plaque formation on teeth. It's two different kinds of plaque but you tell me what other food this yummy can make that claim. Additionally, after consuming chocolate there is a release of brain chemicals similar to the endorphins and serotonins released during and after orgasm. Clearly, this is a wonder food. Clearly it is good for you. Personally , I think all of its healthy benefits can only be magnified when combined with sexual activity. This also allows the burning of any excess calories it may contain thus negating any possible negative effects (i.e. weight gain). Don't believe me? Check here.

Let me know if you'd like 5 questions next.

Bogartin' from AndyT

I may do a Friday 55 later if the muse strikes. In the meantime...

Look what I found over at AndyT's.

Have you ever.....
Gotten stuck in an elevator? Why am I humming Aerosmith's Love in an Elevator?
Egged a person? I've egged on quite a few, both to good and evil purposes
Stalked someone to find out where they work or live? Way too much trouble.
Spent an entire day in nothing but your underwear? Sure, but if I'm not dressing it's more likely I'm in jammies sans skivvies or nekkid
Read some friends mail or other personal papers without them knowing? No.
Gone skinny dipping? Oh yeah!
Been in a fist fight? Heh, as a kid. The other kid repeatedly made disparaging comments about my family. I took her out with one hit.

Lasts....
Time you tripped? On drugs? Let's see...the anesthesia/Percoset/Fentanyl/Vicodin cocktail was pretty trippy. My kids are STILL telling me about all the weird stuff I said and did. Over my feet? When was the last time I used them?
Time you cleaned up the base of your toilet? Every Monday. Contrary to what certain people in this house think, it ain't clean unless the entire thing has been cleaned.
Gum you had? Something from my son, not pre-chewed, thank-you very much
Pair of socks? Good grief, it's summer. I'm not wearing socks in this heat. I hate having my feet enclosed. Boooooorn freeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! Even in winter I'm known to walk around barefooted...sometimes even to the mailbox, through snow.
Beverage you had? Woodchuck Cider
Spur of the moment decision you made? Buying books. I can resist shoes (don't like wearing them anyway, you know) but books...oy, it's bad if I walk into a bookstore.
Movie you watched? The Devil Wears Prada, predictable but Meryl Streep was fun.

What would you.....
Say if your best friend told you they love you? We tell each other each time we speak to each other so it's no surprising thing.

Right now.....
What are you wearing? Mariachi jacket, neoprene pants, snow shoes, protective goggles, and a top hat.
What are you thinking? Wondering if you like my outfit.
What are you listening to? The news, my washing machine.
What would you like to be listening to? My lover's cries of ecstasy. (Yes, Andy, I'm stealing this answer)
Are you annoyed by the length of this survey? Annoyed? I'm livid! I'm in a white hot fury of rage and frustrastion! Puhleeeze, would I be doing this if it annoyed me? Oh that's right, I'm the ever suffering blogger. I'm in anguish over my posts, agonizing to bring you all joy. Why look, I even threw myself off a zipline all for your entertainment! The lengths I go to for your entertainment...
Are you tired? Not now, but I will be in the morning.
How many people in the room? 63 in my head, oh wait..you meant actual physical entities...umm, I guess that would just be me.
Any cuts or bruises on your body? Shockingly no, I usually have some garish bruise somewhere since I'm a total klutz. All clear right now. Gimme a few minutes, I'm sure I can arrange something.
Are there any animals in the room? No....oh wait, what is that thing crawling up my arm...Get it off! Get it off noooooow!!!!!!
Are you eating anything? No
People who I would like to do this? People born on Tuesday, people with blue eyes, men with facial hair, women with a shoe size of 7 (US), anyone with an odd fascination with llamas.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

HNT-Gourd Envy

Yes, I know there were many requests for corset shots but it's been a busy, craft-filled week since I am in charge of Vacation Bible School arts & crafts. Much fun, many messes. Our visitors from Papua New Guinea heard about my smart alec comment about having the kids make penis gourds. They then presented me with my very on penis gourd to keep forever. Quite the strap-on dontcha think?



Happy HNT!

Weird Products Wednesday-Positively Hair Raising!

Taken from here.

Bald Guyz Head Cleanser & Conditioner For the Bald Head Mens - 4 OZ

Bald Guyz grooming products designed for the special needs of a bald man. Bald Guyz is designed to provide the man with a variety of products especially formulated for him. In this product use only the finest ingredients so that the sensitive skin of the head is cleaned, moisturized and protected from the harmful elements they face every day. Harmful UVA/UVB rays from the sun, dirt and pollution in the air, irritation from shaving or the dryness and irritation from a sunburn are no match for Bald Guyz.
Bald Guyz products created with Green Tea, Vitamins, Herbal Moisturizers & Protein to ensure that your head will maintain a fresh and healthy look and feel.

Use twice weekly to help stimulate your head and energize your skin for a natural and healthier look.


Lest you think I am singling out the men for my mockery, allow me to direct you to Weird Wednesday-So This is Beauty so you know I find many women's products absurd too (Lip exfoliators??? You ARE kidding!). I also hasten to add, Mr. Lime drew my attention to this in between his fits of laughter. He shaved his head clean for years and only in the last year did he allow what active follicles he posesses to strut their stuff. He is completely bald on top, nonetheless. And I am completely content with his baldness, as is he.

Now, I must ask...Gentlemen, are your bald pates suffering from a distinct lack of freshness? Stale noggin? Musty head? I mean is this a serious problem for you fellows? Inquiring minds want to know.

Festering pustules excepted, does a healthy head have a noticeably different look and feel to it than a not so fresh and healthy head? I mean does it lack a certain luster or something? Should I be able to spot the difference at 10 paces?

Hi, John, not feeling so well today? I see your head looks kind of dull today.
No Joe, (rubbing vigorously) I just forgot my head lotion.
Well, here. Have some of mine. I'd never be caught without it.
(And, by the way, would it help or hurt the ad campaign for this conversation to take place in the men's room? Just a thought...)

Trini Tuesday-Toco Beach

Last week I took you all to Maracas Bay, which is a popular tourist destination. While Maracas is special for all the reasons I shared I have a beach I like even more.

Welcome to Toco.


Toco is found at the extreme northeast point of Trinidad. On a very clear day you can see the sister island of Tobago on the horizon if you stand at or beneath the lighthouse. Like Maracas it requires a very long drive along winding roads that pass through lush rainforests. Unlike Maracas, it is not a well known tourist spot and so as of 2002 (my last visit) it remained quite undeveloped and raw. There is a small guest house within a 15 minute drive and some rustic rentals within walking distance of the beach but the beach has zero amenities. There's no shark and bake to buy here, no locals selling fruits or coconuts, no bathouse. It's just a peaceful beach at the end of the island. Some might not like that but as far as I'm concerned it is what makes the beach so wonderful. It means there are very few people there so it's just secluded serenity in the sunshine. I heard talk of developers putting up some hotel or resort and I can honestly say I'd hate to see that happen.




The beach is narrow and rocky at the point unlike the wide, flat sand beach of Maracas. Passing along the north side of the point and moving west you'll come to the sand beach.



The rocks are fun to climb around on or lay out on during low tide. the fallen palms and lush growth provide a place to find good shade.



The lagoon behind the sand beach for some reason always made the wonderful sense of remoteness even more keen for me.



The ocean here is warm and calm. The waves are very small and gentle but the current is absolutely sideways since it flows along either side of the point. There is very little undertow to carry you out and you can walk out quite far at low tide and still only be up to your waist in the water, but that sideways current is something that seems really unusual to me.

Ah, Toco!

Happy Trini Tuesday!

Crafty Lady

Today commences Vacation Bible School. Now for the last I dunno how many years, roughly since the Mesozoic Era, I've been the arts & crafts lady. I'll be damned, oops can't say that when referring to VBS or they might threaten me with just that fate darned if I was going to help out by teaching actual lessons because it's summer and the kids are least enthusiastic about that part of VBS. Recreation? Do you really want a woman who falls off ziplines in her own backyard running the recreation period? I didn't think so. Snacks? Naw, not interesting enough. Nursery? Hhhhmmm, a small room, with a broken air conditioner, in July, full of cranky toddlers who want Mommy nooooooooooooooowwwwwwww. Not a chance in hell! Oops, there I go again, inviting damnation!

Ok, arts & crafts it is. I get to make messes, fling paint and glue and be an artiste! Five days of crafts for 50 kindergarten through 3rd grade kids in $200 or less. Bwahahahahaha. Now I don't wanna do some dumb door hanger or coloring page that gets tossed the second the kid gets it home. That is, provided it's not heaved in the trash before they even leave. So it's a challenge on a teeny budget.

I've enjoyed it in the past but I have to admit I was sort of hoping I could take a break and use the 'gimp excuse' this year. Better yet I was hoping they wouldn't even ask. Well, they asked. I was, however, so stoned on painkillers when they asked me I smiled vacantly and said, 'Oh suuuuurrrre. Nooooo problem. It'll be fiiiiiiiine.' Then I promptly let the entire conversation fly right out of my head until I was handed the idea book two weeks ago.

The idea book is generally the lamest thing going, by the way. (Make strips of card stock and pass out markers. Tell the children to write a Bible verse on the paper. Look, it's a book mark! Yay!) Puhleeeeze. That would bore me right to tears. Naw, I plan things like gyotaku when we have visitors from Japan. (Paint the dead fish with a nice coat of acrylic paint. Press the fabric over the fish to make an imprint. Put as many fish on it as you want. Use as many colors as you want. Please let the eyeballs remain IN the fish's head. Please do not terrorize your neighbor with a painted fish.) NOW we're talking arts & crafts.

This year we have visitors from Papua New Guinea so I was looking for crafts that would be reflective of that culture. So I want to know...



Do you think anyone will be upset if I have the kids make penis gourds?

Lime and the Blue Sausages...Great Name for a Rock Band

Well, yesterday's post seemed to generate a lot of questions among commenters. Since I have no other ideas at the moment am eager to please, I thought it fitting that I should respond. (Thanks, James, for showing me the groovy strike through thingy.)


le chat qui a peur said...
yes....but what kind of panties were you wearing!?!?
See-thru ones from Frederick's of Hollywood, where I got the corset.

lecram sinun said...
did you say corset???
Yep, I said corset. I said it loud, long, and, clear. COOOOOORRRRSSSSEEEEEET.


Logophile said...
You ARE a good friend, Limey, and you looked lovely.But seriously, why DID you save the dress?
Um, cuz I paid for it and I am deluded enough to think I may have a use for it. I also still have the dyed to match shoes which I am sure inspired Steve Martin's 'Cruel Shoes' routine. Oddly, I cannot find the necklace and earrings. I liked them a lot. I think certain teenage Limelettes absconded with them. Suggestions for uses for either the dress or the shoes may be left in the comment box. Winner may be awarded. I know how to use the corset. Mwahahaha.


M said...
lovely...how long did you wear the dress? all the way through the reception or did you rip it off and wash your face before hitting the dance floor?
I actually wore it until I went home that night. I could not, however, sit after eating dinner. I still could dance my ass off though. I removed the shoes while we were still taking pictures at the church.


Schadeboy said...
Of course, the question that obviously crops up from this post is what kind of underwear you wore for your best friend?
See response to 'le chat.'


Laurie said...
At least the dress wasn't pink with big poofy shoulders and a huge bow on the ass... :-P
Agreed. That may have ended the friendship.


barefoot_mistress said...
I've seen the corset picture and i'm taking bribes!
Shaddup! I have India stories...

Robert van de Walle said...
You're a good friend. I know how much makeup is anathema to you!Did you mention a corsett pic? Woohoo! I'm waiting with baited breath...
See response to 'lecram.' Baited breath? It smells like nightcrawlers? I may surprise you all one day...


Moosekahl said...
We will do crazy things for our friend's won't we?
Oh yes indeed. This friend is one who tried on prom gowns with me, for kicks and giggles, a month after I had my 3rd baby. She came to the hospital with toys when I broke my arm and then took incriminating photos (after she combed my hair for me). She is one of the very few people to ever see me staggering drunk (hahaha, she's the one who GOT me staggering drunk). Even though she was a bit horrified, she handled it with humor during said period of inebriation when her hubby and I discussed the merits of 'swallowing.' We've cried together till we thought no tears were left. We've laughed together until we couldn't breathe. We've seen each other through shit we wouldn't wish on enemies. She is worthy of anything she could ever ask of me. I just like to razz her about the blue sausage and make-up so she knows how much I love her.

Thank you to everyone else for the kind compliments.

So now tell me about something you've done in the name of friendship that you wouldn't have done otherwise or tell me about the friend you deem worthy of any request.

And have a happy weekend!


EDIT: Here's a pic I thought APJ and I might need if I ever make it to Fresno.

Have a great weekend all.

HNT-Out of the Closet or What I Did for Love

Earlier this week I mentioned my closet contains a periwinkle blue sausage casing bridesmaid dress and white satin corset (to squeeze into the sausage casing)I wore in my best friend's wedding. In addition to all that I paid $50 to have my hair done AND I wore make-up.

I told my dear friend it was obvious I loved her more than I loved my husband because for my own wedding I braided my own hair, wore no make-up, and wore my regular underwear. I'd only go to the higher level of expense and trouble if I really loved someone. Hahaha But hey, the bride calls the shots, right? It was her day and I was happy for her and happy to share in her special day.

I had nothing else for this week so you get Lime as a Blue Sausage. Maybe one day I'll get brave enough to show the corset...

Happy HNT

Trini Tuesday on Wednesday-Maracas Bay

Since I got so many fine suggestions for beaches from you all, I thought I'd share one of my favorite Trini beaches.



Maracas Bay is on the north coast if Trinidad. Along the north coast is a low mountain range that extends the length of the coast. The highest concentration of the population lives on the southern side of the range so accessing Maracas Bay requires a long ride over the mountains.

While it's a long trip it's well worth it. The road itself winds through the mountains and gives many gorgeous views. You leave the hustle and bustle of the East/West corridor and find yourself in the rural villages of the mountains. Here and there as you make some sharp turns you find a tiny, lone house nestled in among the hills and thick greenery. There is a spring along the road that is a common stopping point for a rest and refreshing wash down or drink. At the last crest, just before you descend to the bay, just about where the above picture was taken is a large parking area and scenic overlook. Years ago there were just a couple food vendors and a lone calypsonian who, for whatever tip you would give him, would make up a song about each member of your carload. The last time I went there were tons more vendors but the same calypsonian was there.


The beach itself is wide and flat. There is ample space in the sun or in the shade of a palm tree. At the back of the beach there used to be rustic thatched roof huts selling a special treat, shark and bake. The huts have been replaced with more permanent buildings but the shark and bake was every bit as tasty the last time I was there. For very little money you can have fresh shark meat on a sandwich made of fried bake (deep fried bread). Add some fresh hot pepper sauce and you've got a good bellyful of some fine Trini beach food. I don't know if it is still permitted or not but years ago, locals would also walk the beach selling coconuts or fresh fruit as well.


The scenery is beautiful, and the water is clear and warm. But beware of the currents we were always told. Most of the times we went it seemed mild and we thought perhaps the locals were over-reacting. But one time we did experience the strong, dangerous rips. We were mindful, but it was so hard to believe it was the same beach.

Maracas holds special memories because it's the place each of my girls had her first 'sea bath.' Diana couldn't wait to get into all that wet and loved every minute of it. Well, until she caught a bit of a faceful. but she soon recovered.


Calypso was much less enthusiastic. She pretty much just tolerated, well, cried through the 30 second dip. She grew into a beach girl a bit later in life. She enjoyed her second visit when she was 2. Her first dip in the ocean was still in Trini water though.

Happy Trini Wednesday!

100 things I want to do (or do again) before I die

Trini Tuesday will be delayed until tomorrow, but check back then for a visit to Trini beaches since so many of you gave me great beach suggestions.

Lecram Logo and Snavy have all marked blog milestones this week. So am I. Today is my 200th post so it's time for another 100s list.

I started this list in drafts a long time ago in. It sort of languished once I hit 50. Then I mangled my arm and suddenly there were lots of mundane things I could not do, things I very much am working to do again. In therapy I started a list of things I have as goals in my recovery. I'm slowly crossing things off the list and that feels great! Even something as silly as carrying a cafeteria tray is an accomplishment I will celebrate with a little cheer. So I decided to combine the two lists for this 100. They aren't in any sort of order but you may be able to figure out a lot of what I want to do and what I want to do again. My '101 things about Lime' list can be found here and my '100 things I've done' can be found here.


1. Get all 3 kids back to Trinidad.
2. Spend a few months in Greece.
3. Sleep in an Irish castle.
4. See Mombasa through my friend Regina's eyes.
5. Dance with my goddaughter in Ghana.
6. Learn to play the djembe.
7. Play guitar well enough not to embarass myself.
8. Learn swing dancing.
9. Learn latin ballroom dancing.
10. Learn to belly dance
11. Visit Australia.
12. See the 15 US states I have not yet been to.
13. Get my motorcycle license.
14. Own a BMW bike or a Harley.
15. Ride the bike cross country meanderingly.
16. Visit every continent, well, except Antarctica.
17. Hang glide
18. Sky dive
19. Parasail
20. Land softly after #'s 17, 18, and 19
21. See a glacier.
22. Go back to Hawaii.
23. Meet a bunch of my blog pals.
24. Have them show me what they love most about where they live.
25. Get my Master's degree.
26. Become more proficient, if not fluent, in Spanish.
27. Relearn French.
28. Learn Greek.
29. Study Latin.
30. Take art classes.
31. Give good massages (Isaac tells me repeatedly how much he misses backrubs and footrubs).
32. Lose 25 lbs. (I did this 2 yrs ago and have slowly gained much of it back, time to start moving my fat ass again and watch what goes in my mouth)
33. Bathe in a tub of melted chocolate. (yes, I grasp the irony in listing this next)
34. Be licked clean after chocolate bath, woohoo!
35. Return the favor for my partner in the chocolate bath, yeehaw!
36. Develop some level of skill in martial arts
37. Develop some skill in fencing again. En guarde!
38. Learn to cook a decent curry besides curried venison.
39. Make more pottery.
40. Build a functional and beautiful piece of furniture.
41. Learn to spin wool.
42. Spin enough to make a sweater or shawl.
43. Make natural dye.
44. Dye the wool I have spun.
45. Knit a sweater or shawl from the wool I spun and dyed.
46. Make a quilt from start to finish, by myself.
47. See my children grown, happy, and productive, selfless people.
48. Love some grandchildren.
49. Go to the Fremont Solstice Parade.
50. Row a boat.
51. Paddle a canoe and a kayak.
52. Rockclimb.
53. Rappel down a cliff.
54. Visit the Grand Canyon.
55. Type with two hands.
56. Braid my hair.
57. Do a cartwheel off a diving board.
58. Do pushups.
59. Fly firstclass. I don't mind camping when I get where I'm going but cattle class sucks. If you're 5'4" and your knees bang the seat in front something is wrong.
60. Go whale-watching.
61. See the sea turtle migration at Toco, Trinidad.
62. Practice archery.
63. Juggle my Devil's Sticks with skill.
64. Turn a key in a lock.
65. Unscrew a really tight jar lid.
66. Swim with confidence.
67. Schereschnitte (intricate paper cuttings done by the PA Dutch)
68. Fraktur (PA Dutch calligraphy)
69. This one speaks for itself.
70. Shuffle cards.....UPDATE: NOW I CAN!
71. Carry my biggest stockpot to the sink by myself when it needs draining.
72. Dive off the high dive.
73. Go to the 4th of July celebration at the Philadelphia Art Museum.
74. Finish more complete geneologies.
75. Instill a sense of respect for heritage (minus a sense of superiority/inferiority) in my kids.
76. Have sex on the trampoline in the front yard. Mr. Lime thinks this is very weird.
77. See the Northern Lights.
78. Have a pet snake.
79. Have pet lizards.
80. Become more skilled in photography.
81. Paint this house, finally.
82. Unpack the boxes of pictures for the walls after the house has been painted.
83. Unpack the 2 boxes languishing in my closet for 2 years.
84. Learn how to keep my desk from being so cluttered. This is probably the least likely to actually happen.
85. Make sure each of my kids knows how to make a proper Funny Cake.
86. Tan a buckskin.
87. Do some very cool and lasting collage with lots of the artwork my kids have created over the years.
88. Push a full shopping cart with both hands.
89. Make a scrapbook for each of the kids.
90. Finish writing my series of letters to each of my kids.
91. Transfer the family movies to DVD or whatever the next technology is if that is superceded before I get to it.
92. Reorganize and maybe digitize the photo albums I inherited from both sets of my grandparents.
93. Tie dye.
94. Batik.
95. Sew wearable garments.
96. Engage in my annual madness by baking obscene amounts of cookies for Christmas.
97. Weave a basket.
98. Waterski
99. Body surf
100. Visit a bunch of the beaches you all suggested.

Have I missed anything? Add some suggestions. I'm up for all sorts of things. Thanks to all of you who make the blogosphere so fun, touching, creative, hilarious, and interesting!

5 Things

Happy day! Isaac is home! He had a great time and he very thoughtfully picked out a little souvenir for each sister and one for Mr. Lime and me. Early in the week he said he probably wouldn't spend any of the $50 I sent with him. He came back with 23 cents! Hahahaha. He told me all about his week, we had a good cuddle and played some games. Today everyone else is gone so we are going to have some special time together.

In other news, Laurie tagged me so here goes...

5 Things always in my purse:
1. My inhaler
2. Burt's Bees Lip Balm
3. Pen
4. Lint
5. Migraine meds

5 Things always in my wallet:
1. Bolivian coins.
2. Ticket stub to Cochabamba vs. Santa Cruz (Bolivia) football game
3. Note from Calypso from when she was about 5.
4. Fortune from a fortune cookie (Do not focus on what you cannot do but on what you can do)
5. My DL which has the wrong address on it because I've been too lazy to change it.

5 Things always in my refrigerator:
1. Orange Juice (ask my family about what a raving maniac I become if we run out of OJ)
2. Eggs
3. Cheese
4. Salsa
5. Something unidentifiable

5 Things always in my closet:
1. 2 unpacked boxes from when we moved 2 years ago
2. My dashiki, except when it's on me
3. The hats to both grandfathers' WW2 uniforms
4. Periwinkle blue sausage casing bridesmaid dress
5. White satin corset required to squeeze into aforementioned sausage casing.

5 Things always in my car:
1. Road Atlas
2. Box of tissues
3. FM transmitter for iPod
4. Owner's manual
5. Things the kids have stuffed in the storage compartments. Things I just don't wanna know about.

(In spite of the next list my car is really pretty tidy at all times.)


And I'm adding...

5 (or more) Things always on my desk:
1. Coin cup
2. Stack of books in my 'to read' pile
3. Scanner buried under impending tsunami of papers
4. Hammer
5. Water ring from my drinks
6. Pablo Neruda poem
7. Drawing by Isaac
8. Protective layer of dust
9. Battery charger
10. Receipts
11. Pencils with no points (Everyone else steals the ones with points as soon as I sharpen them. Yes, my desk is a disaster but I hate pencils with no points. It's a manual sharpener, people! It doesn't require an engineering degree to operate. Sheesh.)
12. Putty for hand therapy
13. Stack of bookmarks (Yet oddly I rarely use them, I usually wind up grabbing a receipt instead.)
14. Various things belonging to my kids. (They have this crazy idea that just because my desk looks like a mess I won't notice when they add something to it. Soooooooooo sadly misinformed. Their list includes but is not limited to: snack wrappers, CDs, the manuals to 'Age of Empires II & III,' a baseball & mitt, lipgloss, trumpet mouthpiece, barettes & hair ties, forgotten bits of homework, Legos, and used tissues)

5 People to tag
1. You, in the blue shirt
2. You, the one blogging nekkid
3. You, the one eating and blogging
4. You, the one with insomnia
5. You, the one desperately searching for a blog topic

Fun in the Sun

Vacation is therapeutic. So therapeutic in fact my therapist thinks I should go on vacation more often. For some weeks, my elbow extension has been stuck at 30 degrees. She tells me this is a common plateau point and was patiently working with me to no avail. I've made good progress in all other measurements but that one. She warned me if I couldn't get past the plateau I may require splinting. When I got back to therapy on Thursday I went through the warm up, stretches, exercises. My therapist measured the elbow extension and announced, 'Almost 20 degrees! yay!!!!" She hastened to add she had been getting worried but no more. If I could I'd do a cartwheel. Instead I just did a happy dance. Then she told me I should go to the beach every weekend. I asked for that in writing. Hehehehe.

Other vacation stuff...

Getting to see my two polar opposite girls really enjoy each other as sisters was a joy. At home they bicker and argue. Away from responsibilities and distractions they were wonderful to each other.

Diana complimented my bathing suit. I foolishly complained about how fat I thought I looked in it. She and Calypso then serenaded me with Christina Aguilera's song....'I am beautiful no matter what they say. Words can't bring me down. Don't you bring me down today.....' Now how great is that?

Later Diana stole my long sleeved cover-up and her sister's sunglasses. I told her she looked cute and adorable in them. She said, 'No Mom. I'm hot, sexy and gorgeous!' I giggled, 'Confident at the very least!' She retorted, 'Confidence makes sexiness!'

I've spoken to Isaac a couple of times and he certainly seems to be having a ball in SC. Ocean, tours of Navy vessels, aquariums. I'm glad it's going well for him. I sure do miss him though. I'm looking forward to giving him a great big squeeze on Sunday.

According to a quiz

You Should Visit Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the perfect place for you to get in touch with your inner beach bum. Relax on the beach, go for a bit of surfing, or try to communicate with the monkeys in the jungle!

What Latin American Country Should You Visit?

So, tell me what beach should I hit next? My therapist has ordered it so I need your help, folks. My recovery depends upon it and there's a lot of summer left. Heck, if I count Australia and South America I can be beaching well into my winter. So out with it!

Everyone have a happy weekend!

HNT-Burn, Baby, Burn!

The Limelettes and I spent 4 days on the beach in Maryland. I am perfectly happy reading while I sun my buns. I get hot, hop in the water, swim around, cool off, return to book on the beach. I am a contented Lime. Not wanting to be a crispy Lime, I always use sunblock. This time when I was slathering myself the Limelettes asked me to smear their backs. I obliged and off we went. Only several hours later did I realize I never finished slathering myself. I completely forgot my face and chest. So if you look closely you'll see how appropriate the title of the book I'm reading is...In a Sunburned Country.




And now onto the sunburn itself...


Happy HNT

Vacation

Isaac is on his way to South Carolina with his best friend's family. Diana, Calypso, and I are headed to Maryland for a few days on the Elk River. Mr. Lime is staying home due to work. This fragmentation is not my first choice in how to have vacation but given economics and schedules it seems to be the only choice this summer. I'm glad Isaac has the chance to go someplace new and thankful for the kind offer from his friend's family. I trust them but it's a little tough letting my guy go hundreds of miles away with someone else. We've been apart a few times and I'm getting better about that, but this manner is a first. Deep breaths....He'll be fine. He'll have fun....Repeat phrase as needed.

This will be the girls' first trip to my stepmother's beach cottage. It's quite, um.....rustic and very small. It's got water and electricity and beds. I'm perfectly content. Diana the mountaingirl won't mind either. I'm hoping Princess Calypso is ok with it. The river beach is just a small, private, sandy beach, not groomed. It's also not crowded, which thrills me. I'll gladly trade the upscale groomed beach for not having to tiptoe across wall to wall sunbathers. Calypso wanted reassurance that there won't be hypodermic needles on the beach. Hahaha. I promise kiddo. Seaweed and driftwood, no needles.

I'm gonna sun my buns, read books on the beach, try to swim as much as Janita allows. Have some good girl time with my Limelettes and stepmom, drink some obscenely expensive wine with my dad, pray Mr. Lime doesn't fall off any rooves and hope he takes some time to relax, and try not to miss my boy.

We're headed out shortly so wish us safe travels. I'll see you next Wednesday or Thursday. Keep well till then!

HNT-Bowled Over

Os called on us to take Canada Day or July 4th pictures. Take our cameras to our picnics and fireworks he said. Do something patriotic he decreed. Well we got rained out. No picnic, no fireworks. Just rain. As if we haven't had enough...15 inches in a week. Worst flooding since 1955. Well, whaddya do when you have a house full of stir crazy people and no picnics or fireworks. We went bowling. Well, it's an all American pastime, right?



In the process Mr. Lime told me he was so turned on he was gonna take me right on the table in front of the lanes. What got him so worked up all of a sudden? Was it that fine bowling form when I bend over and release the ball? nope. It was...



















The shoes! Now you know from last week I prefer going barefoot, anklet and toering only. But if bowling shoes get me some good lovin' so be it! I might have really hit the jackpot if I'd worn my grandmother's bowling shirt like I intended to...



Happy Canada Day and July 4th HNT!

Weird News Wednesday-Stop! In the Name of Love

WASHINGTON (AFP) - At the close of his visit to the White House, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi summed up Japan's policy toward the United States with the words of an Elvis Presley song. "I would like to propose a toast to the further enhancement of Japan-U.S. relations. In the words of Elvis, 'I want you, I need you, I love you,'" Koizumi said lifting his glass during a White House state dinner late Thursday. The prime minister, a life-long fan of the late King of Rock 'n' Roll and a personal friend of US President George W. Bush, said that was the first English song he learned by heart when he was young.

After a summit focused on North Korea, Iran and Iraq, and trade, and energy cooperation, Bush and Koizumi relaxed for an evening of food and entertainment ahead of their visit Friday to Graceland, Elvis' home and resting place in Memphis, Tennessee. Bush also mentioned Elvis during the toast, saying that the legendary singer, who had visited the White House 25 years ago, and Koizumi had "much in common." "Like you, he had great hair," Bush said to the laughter of the guests. "Like you, he was known to sing in public. And like you, he won admirers in countries far from home ... And Laura and I are looking forward to joining you tomorrow in our visit to his home in Memphis," Tennessee, Bush added.

Look it's a Weird News Wednesday/Tropical Tunes hybrid! Every Wednesday Idiot and Barefoot come up with a topic for the top 5 songs you'd want to listen to over and over as they relate to the topic while I scour the internet looking for bizarre current events. I figure if Koizumi can quote Elvis during diplomatic events and our feckless leader can pop off such deep comparisons we'll all just play along for Weird News Wednesday.

North Korea Tests Missles- It's the End of the World As We Know It by REM
New Jersey Governor Closes State Government, Casinos Next- Viva! Las Vegas by ZZ Top
Italy Defeats Germany in World Cup Semis-How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by the BeeGees
Bill Gates Funds Healthcare Revolution- If I had $1,000,000 (or several billion) by the Bare Naked Ladies
High Tylenol Doses Linked to Liver Problems- I Need a New Drug by Huey Lewis & the News

Ok folks, hit me with your best shot. Sum up recent events with a song or two or three.

Trini Tuesday-July 4th

July 4th was an interesting holiday to celebrate in a foreign country. We had no sparklers or fire crackers, no parades. I was pleasantly surprised when a few Trini friends offered a 'Happy July 4th!' to us.

We did have an invitation to a picnic though. Every year a party was held at the American Ambassador's residence. It was by no means exclusive. American citizens or Trinis could attend. We did, however, score a bunch of tickets because we were 'wardens.' That basically required us to call through a list of American citizens in our area to verify their phone number and address every 3 months or so, and then give the updates to the embassy so they could locate us in event of emergency, theoretically. Perks like these tickets were the pay.

We decided to take a set of 5 teeanage sisters with us. Mr. Lime had been tutoring them. They lived in a squatter village in a 2 room wooden shack with no electricity or running water. I hasten to add that while this sort of situation is easy to find in Trinidad it is by no means the way the average Trini lives. These girls were all very bright but handicapped terribly by their economic situation. In addition to tutoring we took them on outings because aside from trips to school they rarely left their village. Part of their education needed to be an exposure to life outside their settlement.

They were understandably nervous about going to the Ambassador's residence. Heck, so was I for that matter. The residence is on a hill high above Port of Spain and it's an intimidating drive to it. There was a long receiving line we had to stand in so we could meet and greet the ambassador, Sally Cowell ( I think). I guess I got over my nerves because when I heard her making obnoxious comments about Trini culture and recalled some of the other comments I'd read in the text of addresses and interviews she'd given I told her I didn't think she was doing a very good job building bridges between nations. I think I may have been slightly less diplomatic. Ms. Cowell screwed on a plastic smile and turned to shake the next hand. Mr. Lime hustled me off before I could dig a deeper hole. The girls stood in shock then declared, 'Gyal yuh have plenty belly talkin' dat way!' (And I wonder where Diana gets it....hahahaha)

We enjoyed typical American picnic food in portions compared to a Trini lime were very stingy. After close to a year in Trinidad it was really odd to be in the company of so many American accents and white faces and still be on the island. The girls giggled all evening about being 'Americans' for the day. They always loved doting over Diana and Calypso, who loved the extra attention. And given Diana's propensity to wander away, 5 extra sets of eyes were not a bad thing in that crowd! We all enjoyed the small fireworks display and then descended back to reality as we drove the girls from this imposing fortress of a dwelling back to their tenuous life on the edge.

When I went back to visit a few years later, the girls' mother was living in the same house but so proud to report that the 3 oldest girls had all finished school, found steady jobs, and moved into an apartment with electricity and running water. They were also helping to finance the education of their younger siblings.

Happy Trini Tuesday!

Happy July 4th, take time to be thankful for your freedom and opportunities.

It's Final

Thirty-seven years ago today my adoption was finalized. The above picture was taken that day. My mother had sewn the outfit I was wearing, just for the day. My grandmother's friend sent the flowers. I was about 9 months old. When I was born, adoptive parents were not generally permitted to visit their babies in the hospital. My first 5 days were spent entirely in the care of nurses. When I was released, my parents' lawyer and his wife picked me up and brought me to my parents.

When I was 18 my mom gave me copied pages of her diary from the days when she and Dad first learned I would be theirs, when I was born, and when I came home. It filled in some of the gaps I had always wondered about from those days.

My birthday is always a bit odd. I share it with someone I've never seen yet upon whom I depended entirely at one time. I'm told she chose not to hold me because she wasn't sure she could let go if she had. I can completely appreciate that. I worry about this woman I've never met, whose name I don't know. Every birthday I need to draw away for some silent and private time. I need to spend time to reflect and, in my own way, wish this stranger peace and well-being. It's not a time of sadness like some overwrought TV movie of the week might have you believe. I give thanks that she was able to put my needs first since she was not ready to be a mom. I give thanks for my family. It is a strange day though.

July 3rd is my finalization day. There is a purity and clarity to it that my birthday doesn't have. Some decree by a judge isn't what gave me a family. A judge can't issue an edict of parental love and sacrifice. 'Do you promise to swab vomit, kiss boo-boos, braid hair, wipe tears, mend broken hearts, paint the bedroom her favorite color, make photo albums, engage in tickle wars, shop for clothing and listen to music you just don't get, bake cookies together, etc......' Many years ago I had the priviledge of being invited to the finalization for a friend's child. They thought I might like to see what it was like. I really appreciated that thoughtfully offered opportunity. It's a very simple procedure that only takes a few minutes. Parents explain why they wish to adopt, promise to provide for their child, and recognize him or her as a legal heir. After all the home studies by social workers and interviews by people within agencies, after all the probings and scrutiny and the months of first waiting for a child and then waiting for a court date, it's all over in a few words.

Sometimes I become irritated when people suggest or even insist that my family is not my 'real' family. I find it completely misinformed when people expect that being an adoptee is somehow a scarring experience. I become irate when media potrayals in movies or journalistic write-ups find the need to draw negative attention to adoption in a sensational way. But I take a deep breath and try to inform people correctly, reminding myself these attitudes generally come from ignorance not malice.

My mother said it was so hard to wait for the finalization day. She told me how she'd have nightmares of people coming to take me away. 'Sorry, your time is up. She's going back where she came from.' On July 3rd her bad dreams stopped and no one had any right to suggest my family was any less real than theirs.