Category Archives: Musings

weekly column of general observations

The Death of Me

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Hard to believe I wrote this in 2013, but there you go. Skip and Oliver are still with me, along with eight other pets who have also almost caused my death at one time or another.

I adore my pets, but I have little doubt they’re going to be the death of me.

Skip, Nellie & Callie
Skip, Nellie and Callie
Oliver
Oliver

You see, they’re determined to trip and kill me. You wouldn’t think animals would have a sinister side to them, would you? Well, I’m beginning to wonder. It can’t be a coincidence that it keeps happening, can it?

If you have animals, you know what I’m talking about. In my pets’ attempt to either get my attention, race me wherever I’m headed, or stick to me like glue because they adore me (yeah, right), I rarely make it through a day without avoiding a face-plant or near-death stumble.

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When Wishes Come True

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This is a posting from 2013, back when I was MJ (Married Janet).

For our anniversary this week, I got exactly what I was wishing for, but never expected to receive. Don’t you just love it when that happens?

Jim bought me a new Nissan Pathfinder. He secretly parked it in the garage, then called me in under false pretenses. I tell ya, I’ve never been more surprised. (And I pride myself on being tough to surprise.) Continue reading →

A Splendid Thanksgiving

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I originally wrote this posting in 2017, but to be honest, this Thanksgiving I did exactly the same things, except I made mashed potatoes instead of sweet ones. Coincidentally, I currently have a dozen animals in my home (with two fosters), just like back then. I hope your Thanksgiving was as splendid as mine.

I trust you all had a nice Thanksgiving. Probably watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, visited with family and ate a lot. Then ate some more. The operative word at Thanksgiving is stuffed — ate too many stuffed deviled eggs, enjoyed your aunt’s cornbread stuffing, stuffed yourself with turkey. You get the drift…

Thanksgiving paradeAs for me, I had a splendid Thanksgiving. Thanks for asking. And I did none of the above. No parade, no eggs, no stuffing or turkey. Parades aren’t my thing. No offense but I don’t have the patience to sit and watch zillions of floats and endless marching bands for 3 hours. I️ love stuffed eggs but didn’t bother making them this year. I️ don’t eat turkey so why have stuffing?

No, I made a selfish decision this year. I’ve been crazy busy the last few months so my Thanksgiving wish was to have a day where I didn’t have to go anywhere; that sounded heavenly. My brother and stepmom were spending Thanksgiving with close friends and although invited, I politely declined. I’m a heel, aren’t I?

Bill and Bev

My brother and 90-year-old stepmom

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Gotta Be Something in the Water

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southern kindness

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed during my travels to the South, besides the abundance of fried food, is how dang friendly Southerners are. Could it be something in their water that makes  them happy? Is that why they’re always smiling? Seriously, I want to know their secret.

secret

Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying friendlies (as I call them) don’t live anywhere else. But ya gotta admit the largest concentration of friendlies seem to be in regions with twangs or drawls. Take Tennessee, for instance. Continue reading →

One-eyed Charlie

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Originally posted in 2013

As an animal advocate, I prefer to avoid consuming them. Instead, I’m perfectly happy watching cows and sheep graze the rolling hills of Marin. I pretend they’re able to do that until a ripe old age, whereupon they die in a pasture, fat and happy.

The truth is, there’s not much I can do for these particular animals except refuse to dine on them. Still, I find it frustrating to know I’m helpless to change their fate. Continue reading →