Z finds a new home

Meet Zoe the rescue dog. She is a pure-bred bichon frise, and weighs a whole 12 pounds. She is also called Princess Zoe, and Princess Furball. I have adopted her from a very sad environment where she was kept crated and muzzled (against barking) for 12 hrs a day. She was a very sad little girl a few days ago. Notice she is now on the couch, groomed and sassy looking. Z and I are very happy together. She is housebroken, has the run of the house, sleeps next to me spine-to spine, is is generally happy to be here and checked out A-OK with the vet.

More news as it happens. Here was Z above on arrival day, before grooming..and below after grooming...

candles

Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and sang Happy Birthday.
Steven Wright

Happy Vesak

Tuesday was the day that the birth, life and death of Buddha is celebrated.
Salutations to all of my many friends who observed this day!

Clinton and race-baiting

In her recent comments about the elections, Hilary said

"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."

Couple this with her comments about being more "electable", which has often been a code for more "white" and her attack that Obama has not repudiated Rev Write enough..and a nasty little profile starts to emerge.

Check this link for more details.

Lobstah!!!

There it was..a sign saying "LOBSTER TRUCKLOAD SALE $8.99/LB."

I drove by a few times before turning into the lot. Soon I was walking out with a cooking them and enjoying dipping them into melted butter.

I wouldn't butcher a cow myself for burgers, but I have managed to somehow delude myself into thinking that killing a lobster is not the same thing. I thanked them for their lives before putting them to sleep. There are two or three ways that are regarded as "humane" ways to deal with cooking a lobster --

1. "hypnotize it" first. To hypnotize a lobster, stand it on its head with its claws laid out in front of it and its tail curled inward. Rub your hand up and down the carapace making sure to rub between the eyes.

2. Cool the live lobster in the freezer for 20 minutes.Being cold blooded, chilling the lobster helps reduce nerve function and metabolic activity. When it is fully chilled, the lobster will stop moving. After chilling split it along its length where it has two chains of nerve ganglia, with interconnecting nerves along its body under the shell.

3. Pay about 4 grand for a CrustaStun lobster killing machine that zaps the lobster with electric impulses.

I loved the lobsters, as a native New Englander will. It brings back fond memories of outings with my folks, warm summers of my youth, meanderings on the beach in Maine. They were, quite honestly, yummy.

Kiss the Earth

Kiss the Earth
By Thich Nhat Hanh

Walk and touch peace every moment.
Walk and touch happiness every moment.
Each step brings a fresh breeze.
Each step makes a flower bloom.
Kiss the Earth with your feet.
Bring the Earth your love and happiness.
The Earth will be safe
when we feel safe in ourselves.

Lovin' my house

Well, no sign of any more pranks -- whew!!!

My favorite moment in the month is when I send in my mortgage check. To actually own my own home after so many years of apartment life is just wonderful. I just got a new camera, so will send pics soon. Spring is finally coming to Massachusetts, even though two nights ago we had frost.

I have been busily thinking about what sort of gardening I will take on -- small efforts this year, more next. But I already have a promise of some blackberry bushes from my roofer, and some gooseberry bushes from my cousin. The back yard - almost a half acre's worth of land has an older pipe clothes line. I think it is about to be a grape arbor. I will splurge on some big birch trees for the front yard.

And, the good news is that I have enough accumulated bonus points on one of my credit cards that I can get a $100 gift certificate from Home Depot, towards a grill/smoker for the back patio. I have already put out the cast iron furniture that the sellers were kind enough to leave for me (couch, 2 chairs, coffee table, 3 side tables.)

Now I'll head for the nursery soon and get a bunch of container plants and hanging plants. That will be the big spend for now -- butI will wait a couple of weeks for the warmth to really arrive.

In the meantime, I spend time feeling lucky and delighted with my home. I have had so many people over for coffee or meals or company -- it is a new and better life for me than apartment life had become.