While I'm late for our friends Down Under ....................................

for future reference, should you wish to make some Texas caviar for a special occasion or just fun ........................... ;-)

Oh, yeah ............................

From our daughter ....................................... blame

LawDog for getting us started on Achmed the Dead Terrorist ......................... NOT SAFE FOR WORK {'less you're the boss}/AROUND CHILDREN ........................... You've been warned ......................... ;-)

Rest in peace, Mrs. Bhutto .........................................

and, please God, have mercy on Pakistan ...........................

My 'frou--frou' Christmas, from my spousal unit ............................................

Just in case .........................................

"things" get too demanding, I want to wish all who may visit here




May we move ever closer to peace, personal & global ............................

Semper Fi', Y'all

Diamond Mair

M. got me a knitting machine, per a friend's

suggestion that I get a hobby & I'm having fun with it ....................... but ............................. the raccoons & possums are still coming up for Big Red's 'leftovers' ........................ had a young coon up on the porch railing tonight, going to town on Red's dry food - I took some more dry food out, to put separate from Red's - it USED to be, when I opened the door, they'd take off - run about 5 yards, stop & watch me - not anymore - THIS young'un dangled {there's no other applicable term} from 3 paws, upside down {kinda like when we used to do 'skin the cat' on the playground} and just LOOKED at me - now, admitting the selfish aspects, it is extremely gratifying that I'm not perceived as a threat by this beautiful wild creature {NO, I'm NOT attempting to pet or otherwise domesticate them!}, but for THEIR safety, as well as that of any humans who decide to get stupid, I'll be calling animal control next week, to see about relocating them somewhere .......................... primeval ......................

Our progeny sent this a couple days ago ..........................................

Suicide cat


my spousal unit showed me where to go to be able to post it ....................... about ......................... the title, per our daughter, is "Muslim pussy", with all the double-entendres one could want .................... ;-)

OK, I just read the latest "Perspectives"

installment - y'all owe it to yourselves to go first to The LawDog Files, then to Ambulance Driver, and finally to BabsRN, to read a truly lovely, loving tribute to "Miss Helen" ...............................

JUST got my new computer ....................................

going - the spousal unit was tinkering until just before he left for work ......................... have I mentioned how I really, Really, REALLY love this man? I've been guilty of some boneheaded actions/inactions, yet, on my birthday {BTW, 30 years after he celebrated my 21st with me} he gave me a card in which he wrote "I would do it all over again" ......................... SIGH!! :-)

'Specially for Lainy ..................................

"Things" have settled somewhat - and our progeny MAY make it home for Christmas!! ;-)

Right now, I'm having to utilize the spousal unit's computer, as mine decided to "shat the bed" yesterday - spousal unit is putting a new one together for me, but it won't BE 'together' 'til sometime tonight or early tomorrow {he DOES have to work, doncha know? ;-) }

I'm going to our local magistrate's court tonight, for my spouse - he received a ticket because the addresses didn't match on his insurance card and license - MY attitude is, as long as the insurance is current, and the license isn't expired, what does it matter???? - it's just a means for municipalities to generate income - once we've taken care of this, though, I'm going to be questioning whether the illegals who live in the area are subject to the same rules & regulations - I'll have another blog when my computer is back, but it seems that those of us who generally-speaking obey the law, and have some kind of sympathy/empathy for other living creatures are being penalized every time we turn around - my husband gets a ticket 'cause his addresses don't match - local news is that people who feed feral cats are now responsible for vaccinations/spaying/neutering - never mind that other people are dumping the cats and leaving them to fend for themselves ............... no, let's gouge the folks that are showing compassion for these unfortunates ...................

OK, OK, I'm a day late, per my comment on

Crusader Rabbit's blog, but here I are! ;-)

Our daughter, D, has been undergoing some ....................... issues ..................... couple of months ago, a {recently hired, female} co-worker, C, in a general kibbitz session, demanded a hug from D - D complied, and inadvertently touched C's breast - C complained {sexual harassment}, D was counseled, 'don't let it happen again', etc. Fine.

Two weeks ago, C told another employee, S, that D had said it was OK for employees to help themselves to 'product' {they work in a veterinary clinic}, ie, steal from their employer. S went to T, the tech supervisor, who went to the owner of the clinic - Doc called D in, asked her if she had said this - D denied - S was called in, reiterated her conversation with C - C was called in, and claimed that S "totally misunderstood" what she {C} had said ....................... next few days were TENSE, with snarky comments & innuendoes directed at D, who finally went to Doc, & offered to quit, as it seemed she was such a target - Doc held a meeting after D had left for the day - read the riot act to ALL the other employees - upshot was, he called D & accepted her offer to quit, with 2 weeks' severance - seems D, when on the clock {and Doc's dime} believes she should be WORKING, not standing around BS'ing; also, she has a life outside work, and didn't find it necessary to go out drinking/partying with co-workers - C, the originator of the problems, is in her early 20's, with a small child - HER favorite after work activity is to go home & get high, with or without her husband, in the presence of her child ............................ NOW, before I'm accused of anything, yes, in my younger days, I did my share of indulging - YES, I did raise D with the knowledge that, if it were legal, Mom would still be indulging {getting high was more fun than getting drunk, for me} - D has had her experiences with .......................... "substances", but also outgrown it - BUT - I NEVER used 'unprescribed drugs' around D when she was small - she's rarely seen me drunk ............................
So, D gets her severance, cashes the check, gives $10.00 to J, her boyfriend, puts the rest {$490.00} in her purse - and has it stolen out of her purse @ WalMart .......................... if anyone thinks this Mom's heart isn't ACHING for her child, you're fulla gas ..........................

As for me, for about 3 days now, I've been having pain in my upper right/middle back - I THINK it's gallbladder stuff - Darvocet gave me about 3 hours' partial relief today - but there's NO comfortable position - I may go to the doc later this week, but there will be NO intervention 'til after the holidays - I turn 51 later this week, and then there's Christmas - give me medications to alleviate, and schedule any surgery after the first of the year .......................... ;-)