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[Introduction] Barney_party [#882897]
Barney_party

Welcome to the third edition of BARNEY, the campfire that wouldn't die.
Why?
Because he LOVES you!

I love you
You love me
We are happy family

Okay, wipe that puke off your chin and start posting!!

If you are new to the campfire, Hi!

It's loosely organized around topics that I suggest. It's kind of like a group blog or a chain letter or a series of short essays... In the past most people have written about their own lives, so I imagine that will continue, but there is no rule about that. If you want to recite a poem or tell a short (very short!) story, then why not?

Please don't ever use the "skip" button. There is a bug in it and it doesn't notify the next person about their turn. Instead, either just post something like: "Very busy now, but I'll see you guys next time!" OR don't post anything and I will automatically skip you after 3 or 4 days.

Since Spring is here, that makes me think of flowers, so...

New topic ........ FLOWERS .........

Do you grow any in your yard?
Did anything ever happen to you where a flower played a crucial role?
Some flower-based female names are Rose, Iris, and Daisy. Do you know any more?
Are there any flower-based male names?

Roses. Like gold. When I used to leave my children with my Mother-In-Law for babysitting, she would always decline payment of any kind.

Through my husband I learned she loved roses. Rose bushes, rose trees, bareroot roses, tea roses, miniature roses, climbing roses, multi-colored roses, regency roses, registered roses, hybrid roses, old english roses, ALL ROSES!

So, what I began doing was purchasing the plants for her. She wouldn't take cash, but she would plant a rose! Her yard (over two acres) became one of the most gorgeous rose gardens I have ever seen.

Now that the boys are older, we still continue to gift her with her "treasures" as she calls them. She moved to Texas about two years ago and took only her most favored and rare roses with her, so now we ship them out to her about every other month, just because.

So, when I see a rose, I think about the love my Mother-In-Law helped to raise my children with.

...catty

Yes, I have flowers in my yard. I have shasta daisies, tiger lilies, and Easter lillies, wild strawberries and little grape hyacinths that I know about - I may have some spring flowers too, but I don't know yet - we moved into this house last June. I planted herbs last year and some tomato plants.

Flower based female names - how about Susan (as in Black-eyed Susan),

Petunia, Violet, Olive (are we including flowering trees?)Laurel, Ivy, Hortense, Holly, Hazel, and Heather.

Male flower based name - how about Narcissus? They named a flower after him! ha,ha!.... Heath. Can't think of any more......

That's a nice story about you and your mother-in-law, Catty!

next, please!

Ah, Catty, I love the story about your mother-in-law. It reminded me of my grandmother. She was allergic to everything but Hyacinths but she grew the most beautiful roses and sent them home with us on Sundays. For Mother's Day and her birthday, we would buy her a potted Hyacinth for the house and a new rose bush for the yard.

My grandma was 81 when she died and I was 27. My youngest daughter is named after her and was born 13 days after she died. Whenever I see a rose bush, I have fond memories of my grandma.

Next...

We moved into a turn of the century house, that was formerly owned by a japanese lady and her husband. The house is painted all these bold colors that remind me of food. We have our butterscotch pudding living room, our coffee with cream dining room, our strawberry milkshake bathroom, our dark tea kitchen. The only room that doesnt remind me of food is the parlour. Its walls are a dark blood red. Never saw a color like that on walls. It is rather striking and creepy at the same time!

Aaaaany way. She planted every type of lily to be imagined. I assume some are rare. There seems to be several versions of the orange tiger lily, calla lilies, hyacinths, tulips of every shape, size and color, roses, ivy, blackberry bushes, hollyhocks, peonies, purple coneflowers, hydrangea..... You name it, she had it.

Here I come, plant impatiens (which are next to impossible to kill) and they die. I plant some hardy little vining/flowering plant. It dies. I plant morning glory seeds. They never come up. I guess I have a "brown thumb!"

I grew up without Grandparents (I know, I missed a lot).

Both sets passed away before I was born, or when I was too young to remember much about them. I remember one Grandmother, my dad's mother- the only memory I have of her really. She owned a store, a little general store and she lived above it in an apartment. Once, we went for a visit and she took us downstairs to the store to pick out an ice cream bar. I thought that was the greatest thing in the world- like owning your own private ice cream factory or something- anyway she quickly lost favor in my eyes when she snapped at my twin brother not to take 'that' particular kind because it was too expensive- he wanted an ice cream sandwich. She handed us each a popcycle and rushed us back upstairs to the apt.

I didn't like her much. What was the point of having your own private ice cream if you couldn't share? I could get a popcycle from anywhere.

She died a few months later.

But, roses! My mom grew roses. We had a row of them and the one in the corner grew straight up into the tree. Every spring the neighborhood kids would come to see the rose tree in the Dodge's yard. I thought that was really cool!

Now, as for me- I am a gardening fool! I love flowers and my backyard is one massive flower garden. But, no roses. They draw bees and have thorns and take far too much work to keep up. I love Iris, and Lilies and my favorite of all- MUMS.

destinydances ~ mail 200% full

To be quite honest with everybody I have never really taken to gardening. I know that my grandmother used to enjoy planting things out the back of her house. But I never really took any interest in it. I was too busy billy carting down the hill of one grandparents place, sure I'd watch my grandfather in the garden making sure that the lawns were mowed and looking after what flowers they had. My other grandmother (after that grandfather had died when I was three) would get plants as often as possible and plant them in her backyard. They were beautiful but again, didn't hold much interest with me.

The only thing I truely know about roses is that I have always hated my birth stone (pearl) I have always thought that it was the dumbest stone I could have ended up with on my birth month. Even real pearls I am yet to understand or even see the beauty in them. Why couldn't I have had something nicer like amathyst? Rose courts? even amber is a nice stone! But what I do know is that roses are my birth flower. Now them I like. I've always had quite a passion for roses. My next door neighbour used to grow them in her front yard and I used to weed the garden just for a chance to get a wiff of those roses. They were so beautiful to me. My birth stone sucks, my birth flower doesn't....I suppose I can live with that.

dreamteller

I loved your story too, Cattytaurus, and your house sounds amazing, Ravenwand.

I've never had a flower garden before. I always imagined having one someday though. I did try a community vegetable garden last year. That was a disaster! I worked where I lived then, and my supervisor, David and I both thought we'd give gardening a try.

We soon found out that we both worked so much that we never felt like working on our plots. The other residents didn't work so they had lots of time on their hands. People were starting to ask each of us if would give our plots up, but neither one of us would on principle at first. We had so many ideas about what we were going to do. I had even bought a brand new composter that ended up gathering dust to the side of my little garden.

We were the last to weed our plots, and I don't believe David ever even planted anything on his. I ended up have to weed dirt 3 times because I waited so long in between before I ever even got anything in the ground! I was sweating and worn out all for an empty patch of ground. I somehow finally managed to plant lavender, chamomile, strawberries, tomatoes, and carrots. I had only used about a fourth of my allotted space and still had different seeds packets, but I was done. I was too tired to dig any more stupid holes. I was starting to realize I wasn't made to garden.

I think I came out to water them about 3 times. So basically they were on their own. It was depressing seeing rows and rows of vegetables all around my plot, and then mine with just a little corner struggling to survive, and the rest overgrown with weeds again. David finally gave his plot up, and I was amazed to see it instantly filled with waving corn stalks.

I actually managed to reap 3 pathetic strawberries, 10 little tomatoes, and some chamomile I took to dry out then later forgot all about (so I had to throw it out). The carrots never even had a chance.

Someday I may try this again when I have few other obligations, but my images of lazy summer days in the garden are shattered.

Happy May Day everyone!

Flowers...
My twins hung May Baskets on my mother and her twins sister Sunday (a day early). May Day is also my twins' birthday. My aunt's husband passed a few weeks ago. I was remembering when I was a little my aunt used to take care of me when my mom worked. Every May Day she would make a basket out of a shoe box and crepe paper to hang on someone, so we thought it would be fun to do it for her this year. My kids are fast runners and the people we hang them on are getting slower so we hadn't done any in a couple years. It was fun. Our May Baskets always have hard filled candy and flower seeds. This year's seeds were Forget Me Nots, Carnations, Japanese Lanterns, and Wildflower Mix. Most are perennials. I know my mom and aunt grow things much better than I do. I am like Ravenwand said "brown thumb." I do have 3 very lovely blown glass flower arrangements in my house that I've at least managed to not break. The stained glass flower is also surviving nicely, as is the pottery one that's mounted to an old wood board.

When I think of flower names I think of my mother in law. She was a WWII war bride from England, her middle name was Rose and her last name was Flower. I always thought that was a cool name to have...it sounded so "refined."

It's so interesting reading all of those! This is my favorite campfire (and I have 12 of them!)

Since summer is close at hand, and since teenagerhood is way behind (for many of us, but not ALL of us!

) I have a new topic called:

My Excellent Teenage Summer

Maybe all your teenage summers were good, like I think mine probably were, but one that was memorable was my snake-hunting summer. It started with a day at my grandmother's house where I killed a big rattlesnake with my 22 rifle. A perfect head shot. I was thrilled. It was the first rattlesnake I had ever seen in my state (SC) and I've never seen another one since! That's surprising considering how big they get, but of course everybody kills them so I suppose they are becoming extinct. I sure wouldn't want to be bitten by such a large poisonous snake. He was about 6 feet long and VERY thick! Poisonous snakes tend to be a lot thicker through the middle than non-poisonous snakes.

In fact, it was so big that I skinned it and kept the skin for years until it became so odiferous that it had to be thrown out.

But killing that rattlesnake inspired me to become a snakehunter that summer. I would find a creek and then walk down the middle of it with my rifle and shoot the water moccasins where they hung in the trees by the banks of the creek. Had some close calls and scary situations where a snake would slip into the water before I could shoot him or I would miss! But someone had told me snakes never bite underwater and that belief steeled my nerves. Haha! I guess it was true because I wiped out a couple of dozen moccasins without ever getting bit. I also eliminated a couple of copperheads, but they are rare, live in rocks, and are harder to find.

So how about your teenage summer? And it can't be about snakes. I've already claimed that subject.

The summer I turned Nineteen was so unforgettable for me.

I'd grown-up around horses my whole life; used to deliver newspapers on a little white Mexican Burro, in fact, I was very horse-crazy!

But that summer I was on my own. I saved up my money and bought my first, very own horse. I went to an auction and examined a few horses which looked promising, watched them move around in the stalls and in the corrals, checked the bloodlines, everything.

Well, I picked out a five-year old Quarter Horse mare and won her for $500. I boarded her at the local fairground and had the most wonderful summer bonding with her.

Mind you, I was also a single mom at this time with a very young son at home. He would sit on the saddle in front of me and we would spend hours out in the fresh air up on that horse.

I can't explain how special that summer was in detail, but it was the same summer I grew from a teen to a Young woman and I haven't looked back (too often) since!

------------------------------------------------------------Wow! What a good topic!
Hhmmm.....There was the summer of my first airplane trip when I was 16 going on 17. I went to California with my mother. We visited San Diego, Disneyland, and Knott's Berry Farm. We attended my brother's graduation from some school in the Navy at San Diego. It was also Mom and Dad's way of breaking up a budding "romance" with a guy who was 10 - 12 years older than me. He worked for my father. I'll never forget the day he called to talk to me and my father got on the phone and flat-out asked him what his intentions were! At the time, I was mortified, but now as an adult, I think wow, that was really a neat thing - my father looking out for me. And it worked, too, because I totally forgot about that guy and when I came back home, I had no interest in him at all. Events proved that he was a jerk and my parents were very wise in the way they nipped it in the bud.

Oh, the dashes at the beginning of this were done by my cat, Mr. Kitty Cat. He lays on the desk as I type, and as I stop to think about what I want to write, he stretches, purring all the while and leans on a key, which of course, repeats until I finally notice and move him. I thought I would leave it as his way of saying "Hi" to the group!

Next!

I remember the summer I owned a Honda 50 motorcycle. A minibike, more like it. We lived in a suburb, but ours was the last house on the block, and it backed up into the woods. I would ride my minibike through the woods and jump small ditches. I loved that thing.

That same summer, my father acquired a large spool. The kind that they wind telephone wire around. That thing was at least seven feet tall when laid on its side. I would climb on top of it and walk like a circus act , rolling it around in the yard. That was the summer of "Slippers", a black and white cat that ran away, "Sea monkeys" which were actually freshwater artemis shrimp (they lived in the stream about a mile from my house).

Even in my early teens, I still had a bit of the scientist in me,and I would bring home salamanders, frog spawn, and stray birds. Behind our house in the woods we also had these huge mutant earthworms. I found one that was as big around as my index finger and nearly a foot long. I think I lived in the twilight zone!

The one summer that will stick out in my mind is going with my family up to sydney for the first time. Meeting my stepmother's sister whom I immediantly took to and started calling Aunty Sharon. She was always such a calm woman, unlike her sister she brought a kind of warmth about her and something within her that I could trust. She was the kind of woman that used to say to me...savour every day as if it could be your last. Tell your family and friends that you love them and try to practice something like yoga or meditation on a daily basis. (she used to practice both) A more amazingly calm person I have never met. I hope one day I find a girl just like her...just for me.

I enjoyed reading those stories. I guess EVERYBODY did.

Something Fionnrua said suggested a new topic. She was talking about a romance with someone older and it reminded me that I was 10 years older than my wife. Or ex-sife. Our marriage didn't last long, possibly because of the age difference? I don't know. I was the older one. I suppose 10 years matters less when you are further along in life but she was only 18 and I was 28. There were no problems with our parents, just with each other.

I don't know how I would advise someone about age differences now. I guess each situation is unique - there is no general rule - but it's always true that the more things in common two people have, then the better they will be able to relate to each other. So I guess age difference can be counter-balanced if you have similarities in other areas.

But this does suggest a new topic.

NEW TOPIC: Have you ever been involved in a romance with someone greatly different in age from you? How long did it last? What's your opinion of age differences now?

If you haven't personally experienced a romance with an age difference, then maybe you know of one, but surely you have an opinion, regardless?

Well, the hubby and I are only six years apart, he's older and I'm younger. We've been married twenty years now.

I was twenty-one when we got married and he was twenty-six. Ours is his second marriage, but my first!

I don't really think six years is all that much, except that my kids love saying when their dad graduated High School, I wasn't even in Jr High yet!

Well........ahem.....I DO have some experience with this topic....

Aside from that summer when I was 16:
My father was 11 years older than my mother. Their marriage lasted from 1941 - 1975 when he died.

My first husband was 11 years older. We lasted 8 years. Our breakup had nothing to do with age. There were some other issues.

A few years ago, when I was single, I had a couple of intense relationships with men who were 15 years younger than me! Especially Travis, my wild man from the reservation. Steve, remember Travis in the Honey from South Also storyline at WLIF? I figured lampooning him a little in WLIF would exorcise the small amount of lingering resentment that I had for him, while providing some good fodder for our story. He lasted 4 months - a very intense emotional roller coaster - My age, among other things, was an issue. (Thank God!)

Now I am very happily married to a man who is 1 year older than me. Our personalities, beliefs, and upbringing are very, very similar.

My daughter is currently involved with a man who is 12 years her senior. The jury is still out on this one.

There are so many things that affect relationships for good and bad. I don't think that age is THE determining factor. There is so much that goes into the mix for a good relationship......I think it is important that the 2 individuals have a good sense of self worth and are not looking for the other person to make them happy. I think they need maturity so that they don't feel a need to "control" or "improve" the other person.

Next.....

My sister is 10 years older than me. Her husband is nine years older than her and they just celebrated 41 years.

My first husband was four months older than me. My cousin who got married the same year was 16 and her husband was 21. Everyone said hers wouldn't last. Mine lasted two and a half years and my cousin's anniversary last month was 32 years.

In this "marriage" I am six months younger. The only age difference relationship I had was when I was 23 (single mother) and I date the minister's son who was 19. His mother had a big problem with that! I really enjoyed our dating. But his mother won out.

I don't think age should matter. If I were to find someone older than I am and they cared about me, I would be much happier.

Next...

In the not too distant past, I seemed to get hooked up with men who are at least five years younger than me. I don’t know why. All of those relationships were dead end. One lasted off and on for five years (no commitment) and the other was a gorgeous Mexican stock boy that I met through work. We had a very intense one month relationship. My Mom (who is really a senior citizen best friend) had so much prejudice against Mexicans that she almost disowned me for knowing him. She swore it was a no go. Not because he was younger, not because he was an idiot (which I later found out he was), not because he was a philandering playboy,… but because of prejudice. It was really a sad situation on her part.

As for me, it was one of the most intense relationships I have had. I knew it would burn out, I knew I would never fall for this man in a heart type way. For the first time in my old girl life, I just enjoyed the moment, was as “safe” as humanly possible, and I have no regrets.

That relationship was a year and a half ago. Approximately three years ago, my Mother, who is an avid tarot card reader, (and a thumping good one at that) read my cards and told me an older, graying, bald man with facial hair and children would come into my life. He would have integrity, and he would like me in spite of my weight, social status, or lack of college education. On Memorial day I met such a man. He resembles “Mister Banks” from the Fresh Prince show, except he is Caucasian and wears glasses. He is 49, I am 42, and so far it has been a great thing. He seems determined to like me, though I have no idea why. Only time will tell, but I could see myself with this individual. It has been a long time for me, since I have been divorced for over seven years. I think I deserve it. At least I hope I do!

Next!!

destinydances ~ mail 200% full

I've never been in a relationship with a big age difference. There's a crazy 16 y/o stalking me if that counts. It's a shame she's so young... and insane. Come to think of it I seem to attract stalkers. When I was in my final year of school there was a girl who was 16 who also ended up stalking me. She was very good looking so I was very happy with the set-up until I left my phone in the house on a night out and returned to find 47 missed calls and 34 text messages!

Needless to say I knocked that one on the head pretty sharpish.

She then stalked me for a year, often turning up in my back garden at three in the morning in the rain calling my name. And I'm not kidding. She was mad.

Then came the day when she finally stopped it all. I was free. I then got very drunk and called her!

It started again. But three years on she doesn't know where I live so I'm safe... for now.

Lynn McKenzie

Yeah, my husband’s five weeks older than me.

He loves making an issue of this every time he has a birthday. “How does it feel to be married to an old man, hon?”

But it’s funny you picked this topic, since it’s been an issue I’ve been ruminating over for some time now (and have even written about--feel free to check my port). No, I’ve never been involved in a romance with someone whose age greatly differed from mine, but in the last few years I’ve been obsessed with younger men--like ten to fifteen years younger than my present age, which would make them in their mid to late twenties or so. (Ahem...Do the math, but my exact age will remain a secret, thank you.)

I just like to look. There are so many great-looking young men out there; it seems a shame to let all that handsomeness go unappreciated. But I love my husband, so looking’s as far as I’d ever take it. Although I do have idle daydreams about selling my novel and flying alone to St. Louis, where they'd be filming the movie on location. On the set I’d meet the Handsome Young Star of the Moment, who’s got the lead role as the twenty-nine-year-old rhythm guitarist. I find out that not only can the guy really play and sing, he loves rock music as much as I do. He asks me out to dinner so he can get more information on his character. A night of wild passion ensues.

So...My opinion of age differences is “Why not”, as long as you’re not going to become a parent after 45 or so. That’s just not fair to the offspring, having geriatric parents, or one parent whom everyone thinks is the kid’s grandparent.

I guess it depends on what you consider as greatly different in age. I was married to someone 2 years older but that didn't work out very well. After the divorce I primarily dated men older...mostly between 10 and 17 years older. Only once did I date someone younger and that didn't work out at all. Currently I've been with someone for over 4 years who's 11 years older than me. Even my friends tend to be at least 10 years older. I did wonder initially if I had "daddy issues"...in that I didn't know my father growing up. But I think perhaps it's more to do with being an only child and being used to the company of adults and preferring that. I did hang out with kids my own age for fun, but I recognized they weren't very smart. haha I think women, generally speaking, tend to be more emotionally and intellectually mature than men their age. (Don't you think, Steve?

)

To be completely honest guys, I'm at the moment in a relationship with a woman who is vastly older than me. I am finding it an absolutely amazing experience. Nobody has ever made me feel as loved as she does. Even though at the moment it is an online relationship we are both looking forward til what stage we can make it an offline relationship. We are finding that we have a lot in common, similar back grounds, similar tastes in music, similar ideas in life.

I am discovering that age really doesn't matter when you are in a relationship. What does matter is the way you both think, what interests you might both have and the way you both look at life. If all of that falls in together then you should be with that person. That's my oppinion on age differences.

That was some great reading! And I feel better about my own age difference relationship. Am I using this campfire for therapy? Do you feel used? Would you like to feel used? Heh-heh...

NEW TOPIC: Did you ever forget something really important?

Like your name, which way is up, or that it was time to post in your campfire? (kidding

)

I suppose you will think of something like forgetting your wedding anniversary or someone's birthday. If possible it would be interesting if what you forgot had momentous consequences later, but it's probably too much to ask that everybody would have such an experience.

I once had a terrible afternoon in the woods not long ago when I forgot where I had hidden my bicycle before going off to walk deeper into the woods and then spent HOURS searching for it. That really doesn't sound so bad, does it, so I don't know why I got so upset about it. Maybe it was the implication that my mind was less than it used to be that I didn't like.

So maybe you forgot something that was not "important" like the topic says and yet it still affected you? It's the fact that the "forgetting" had "consequences" that will interest us.

Ha! Well, I can start this topic off on a real bang! When my husband and I were engaged, we had to put off our wedding date no less than three times, (grandfather's heart attack, brother in a REALLY bad accident and a double-booked church!)

Anyhow, after that last incident, I told him, why don't we save ourselves a lot of aggrivation and just go to Las Vegas and get married there. We'll have the reception when we get back and everyone's happy...(Right!)

So, Best Man, Maid of Honor, Bride and Groom all hop into a van to go to Vegas. Now, I know what you're all thinking, we forgot the license, right? Nope. Forgot the blood tests? (this was twenty years ago, so they were still required!) Nope, that wasn't it either.

We had the rings, we had each other, we just forgot all our CLOTHES!!!!

So, we did get married, literally in the clothes on our back and caught a few shows. All night I kept thinking, "No way did we get married in jeans and tee shirts" but we did! We got to our hotel and the next morning, I swear- No joke- I really forgot we had gotten married! It was like a totally bad dream.

Joe woke up- I was in the bathroom, he came in, put his arms around me and said, "Good morning, wife" I tell you, it took a good five seconds for me to remember, Hey! I have a husband!

Now, November 1st is our twenty year anniversary and I still chuckle over THAT bonehead memory loss!

NEXT....

That was a good one Catty!
The worst thing that I can think of was...... about 4 years ago, I think I forgot to show up at church to play a funeral. There actually was a whole series of "forgots" concerning this incident. The church secretary thought that she forgot to call me about it. However, somebody did call, my daughter took the message and forgot to tell me about it. She wrote it down and then somehow buried it under a pile of other papers, and promptly forgot about that. I think I remember talking to the seretary about it, (I'm really not sure. I was confused then and I still don't know how this happened) but I believe that at the time of the call, (assuming I got it)I was in the middle of some work-related crisis and I can barely remember if I actually did, in fact, talk to her.
Anyway, the consequence was - no musician to play the funeral. The choir sang a cappella for the first song while somebody frantically ran to the school and grabbed the 2nd grade teacher to come play the guitar.
So, since then, I call every day and ask, "Is there anything I need to know?"

I really enjoyed reading everyone's stories, btw.

Next!

I have forgotten Doctor's appointments but to the tune of $40 the insurance won't pay, before a new appointment can be made you would think would cure me.

No momentouss forgetting stories for me but one about our family doctor when I was a child that I still find a good chuckle.

Our doctor was a strong advocate of children not having BB guns. As a result of an accident with one in his boyhood, he had one glass eye, his right one.

He and his wife were taking to driving vacations, they loved the scenery and camaraderie. On one such vacation, they pulled into a filling station for gas. While the car was filled (no self-serve back then) his wife went to the restroom. Doc went into the station with his map to make sure of some directions.

He returned to the car, started it up and headed on down the road. It was late and he was concentrating on the road and not getting lost, after about two hours, he asked his wife a question. (Remember, he can't see out of his right eye.) He accused her of being mad at him for the wrong turn and the late hour and was not amused when she still didn't answer.

He turned his head to look to his right only to find an empty seat. He immediately turned around and headed the two hours back to the filling station to find his lovely and patient wife awaiting his return.

That is my favorite forgotten story!

Next!

I am always forgetting things. It has always been that way. My brain is wired to be forgetful, I think. The most recent thing happened a few days ago. It resulted in an expensive lesson.

My boyfriend had bought me a nice boquet of flowers for sweetest day, and I had no vase to put them in. That very same day, my cat, Alice, vanished, and I was out of my mind looking for her. I was doing all sort of "Der de derrr" things that day.

I went to Wal-mart to buy a vase, and some coats for the kids, because Michigan decided to have winter in September and early October. I bought a nice vase, some groceries, and two coats. I loaded them into the back of my minivan, started it up, and headed for home.

Just as I left my parking space, and turned to leave the parking lot, I hear this sickening sound of glass breaking. I said to myself "That damn vase broke, **&^%&$#!!" insert chosen expletives!

I looked back, and my friggin tailgate was all the way up. I had forgotten to close it. All my groceries, save for the coats because they were in the passenger compartment, were strewn on the parking lot fifty feet behind my van. I was so embarrassed! A nice man, stifling laughter, I'm sure, got out of his SUV and helped me pick up my mess. I lost the vase and a jar of pickles which spilled over my baked goods. My fresh produce, which was damaged from the fall, decorated a nice span of asphalt. My canned goods were ALL dented, and my daughters Cleopatra costume was out of the bag and laying face down on the pavement. Luckily, it was unscathed, because it landed in a relatively clean spot and was untouched by pickle juice.

After I picked up my stuff, I headed back into Wal-mart to buy another vase.

To end on a bittersweet note, some of the flowers from that boquet are still going strong, but my kitty I was looking for was found by a neighbor. She had passed away in her garden. We think she must have ate a poisoned mouse or something.

I've waited so long for my turn and now I really can't participate. It's not that I have a bigger brain, or am more aware of my surroundings- because I'm not- I just can't remember ever forgetting something important, especially another humane being! That was a great story. I'm afraid I'd be rather pissed off if I were left behind for 2 hours.

I did read a great story once, about a man so in love with his forgetful wife that he went to extrodinary measures to assist her in life.

She forgot where everything was- scatterbrain is what we used to call people like her. Due to this fact the husband spent an extra $500 a year in purchasing extra sets of house keys, car keys, ink pens, cell phones, gloves, sunglasses and jackets. She would lay something down and that's it- gone.

He never complained about it, just accepted the fact and continued to love her. They have been married for thirty years.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

destinydances ~ mail 200% full

I have a pretty good memory and tend to remember tiny details about the most insignificant of things. I am a fountain of useless information.

On the subject of forgetting something important I really can't think of a time when I have. This may be because I haven't or it may be that I have forgotton about forgetting it.

The latter is far more likely.

I forgot my girlfriends' name once if that counts!

Lynn McKenzie

I forgot it was my turn.

The one most important thing I forgot is too embarrassing to recount here, since it involves my spouse. But it was a biggie. Other than that, I tend to forget appointments and such constantly. The older I get, the worse it is. So now I write everything down.

Don't forget Thanksgiving's coming up...hope everyone has a good one!

At 41, I am forgetful more and more, it's like a normal part of daily life. Perhaps it's stress-related, I don't know. I've probably forgotten the best examples that I could give. I remember once talking to someone about what someone was getting for a Christmas gift and told them not to say anything to that person. A little while later I remembered that Christmas was the week before. So, the person I was talking to probably thought I was nuts...but that really has no implication for my life if she did.

A few weeks or so after my oldest son was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he was still on injections 4 times a day that he would only take from me. Two were while I was working, he'd come to work for one, and I'd go to where he was for the other. One day I also had errands to run and forgot to go where he was to give him his afternoon shot. I felt panicked and terrible about it...like I was the worst mother ever. That probably sticks with me on some level...even though there was no real harm done.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Great tales of forgetting! I guess we should all feel lucky that we only forget things occasionally. So sad about the people who lose all of their memories...

Not that I ever think about the past much. But when I do look backwards, I want to see something there besides a big blank empty space!

I think I hear some jingle bells so...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Seasons Greetings is the new topic. Let's exchange them.

So that we all get a chance to say Merry Christmas and/or Happy New Year, I'll be moving the turn along and skipping you if you don't post within a day or two. So as soon as you get the "Your Turn" email, post your Seasons Greetings

Hello, all! Season's Greetings! Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanza! Feliz Navidad! Happy Boxing Day! Felicitous Yule! Happy Holidays! WHOOOPIEEEEE! YAHOOOOOO! ZOWWIEEEEEE!

I have a confusing Christmas going on, since my boyfriend is a staunch athiest. But he celebrates christmas anyway. ????? I think he calls it solstice, Saturnalia, or something like that.

I Love Christmas, I celebrate with song,prayer, decorations, too many presents to mention. I celebrate the birth of Christ.

So if he were doing this greeting it would be HAPPY SATURNALIA!!! or HAPPY SOLSTICE!!!....
Just doesn't have the same ring, does it? Sigh.

For all you believers out there: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Love to you all!

Ravenwand

I'm afraid my Christmas cheer has left me. When a person steals money from your bank account 7 days before Christmas it's hard to feel happy about much.

Sorry to ruin the party.

I hope everyone has a better Christmas than mine promises to be.

Steve

As I was leaving work Friday afternoon, I stopped to thank Angela- my secret santa. The reveal present she left me after a weeks worth of small gifts, surprises and candy bars left on my desk, was anything but a small token.

She left me a beautiful basket filled with candles and incense- all fragances of the season.

I had to stop to say thank you to such a generous person.

I found her crying.

It's five o'clock and we are leaving for a three day holiday break and she was crying?

She explained her grief to me. Her husband had been arrested on December 6th and would not have a hearing on his immigration rights until after the new year. Her lawyer could nothing about it.

So Angela, and her eight month old baby will sit alone this Christmas crying for the man she loves and worrying that he will be deported because of a technicality in filing their paperwork.

I felt so helpless. I was so excited about Christmas,about Bill and I remarrying and finding our passion again. The world is wonderful and bright. Until I discovered the pain and grief suffered by my new friend, Angela.

Last night I felt guilty with each happy moment. How can I be happy and filled with such joy when so many others suffer?

Each time I light one of the candles Angela gave me, I say a prayer for a miracle for her this Christmas. Bring her husband home for Christmas and sort out the details afterwards.

It's not much of a prayer as far as prayers go. But, I have faith- I know that if God can do something, he will.

And I am extremely thankful for all that I have this season.

Thank you, Father, all the warmth and love that fills my life. Thank you, for the magic and blessings of Christmas, for the hope of a New Year- a start over, a chance to forgive and earn forgiveness.

Bless those that hurt and suffer. Bless those that need you the most.

amen.

Sorry, gotta skip my turn this time

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! *jumps out behind a sofa*
umm...I mean Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I'm going to go back into hiding again now.

Global Warming! Yaayyyy!

I don't get why people want to stop it? What's not to like? Lower heating bills means less oil needed and that means lower oil prices and lower gas prices.

Yeah, let's warm up the globe. We'll make it a paradise. Apparently millions of years ago when the dinosaurs lived it was a warm place. We're just putting things right.

So my question is: GLOBAL WARMING: Do you like it or not?

If you want to say more than just "yes" or "no" - then please do!

Well...I do live in the High Desert. It's pretty warm here already. I hate to think that we're destroying the ozone, because after all, it is our "Living planet." It's there for a reason but I can't say I'm willing to give up my car to fix the problem.

I know, I know, it's sad isn't it?

All throughout the history of the world, and mankind, there have been serious global climate changes. When mastodons and saber tooth tigers ruled the earth, we were knee deep in an ice age. There have been cataclysmic occurrences that have wiped out entire populations of huge walking lizard-birds. So I believe, sped along by our abuse of the environment, we are just having another global climate change. It was bound to happen!

I neither like nor dislike global warming. It is here, and I have to live with it. Like my aging body, graying hair, and inevitable death, I have to accept it. Sounds depressing.

We had no snow for Christmas, yet here in Michigan, we have an ice storm that has left the trees glazed with ice for over a week. We haven’t gotten above thirty, these trees are still coated. The weather man says we will have a good old fashioned snow storm soon. I can’t wait… NOT. I freaking hate snow! I even wrote a horrible poem about it!

So there is my wiffle waffle view on global warming…

Peace out,

Ravenwand

Allow me to turn your attention to Wales. That little bit of rock jutting out of England. Yesterday Global Warming made itself know. We had Storm Force Ten winds which quickly turned to hurricane force. This does not happen in Britain.

There were deaths, injuries, major motorway closures and all planes were grounded as the 100mph+ winds tore through the country and boughtit it to it's knees.

There was CCTV footage on the news of a woman being literally picked up and hurled into a glass walled building!

I was walking to work, having lost my umbrella moments after stepping from my house, and was stopped dead in my tracks and forced into a bush by a gust.

We are now being warned of a period of severe cold.

Global Warming is here and it's got a bit of an attitude problem.

Hi Everybody!
Catty, I have a question for you since you live in the high desert. Manzanita trees have berries - correct? If so, are they edible and what do they look like? I have done some research on this and can't (so far)find this info.

Now...as to Global warming....I think it is part of a cycle of warming and cooling that the earth goes through. Granted, fossil fuel use has probably accelerated the process. Can we stop it? Probably not. Can we slow it down? Maybe a little - with enough willing people and the cooperation of all the industrialized countries. Plant more trees to help counteract deforestation? Use your car less and/or more efficiently? Insulate your house to minimize energy use?

I certainly don't have all the answers and nobody is beating down my door to get my opinion, but there is a long list of things that we each could do, which in the long run would be a help. (Ok, now I am off my soapbox - no more preaching)

I have read stories of the river Thames freezing so solid in the 17th and 18th centuries that people walked across it with ease and (correct me if my memory is faulty in what I read many years ago) they were even able to have fires on the ice, set up booths for selling, walk, skate, frolic, conduct daily business, etc. That time was considered a "mini ice age".

Does the Thames freeze at all now? Even Lake Erie, where I live, doesn't usually freeze - and it used to a lot. Then in the Spring, the ice would melt and you would smell rotting fish from all the dead fish who got caught in the shallow water and froze to death. There are small islands in Lake Erie and the Lake used to freeze hard enough that island dwellers could drive their cars over the ice from one island to another.

next, please.

To tell the truth guys, global warming aint going to happen in the next five to six years and probably not for the next hundred years. So my personal oppinion is..why worry about it? if it happens it happens, if not then I'm sure the authorities will be all over it with ideas to prevent it and most of us will follow instruction.

I am heartened by the lack of fear. I think we will survive Global Warming after all! But I also think we will have to listen to the media tell us about the "great calamity" we are going through.

It does seem that GW is so slow that people can adapt. For instance, the rise in sea levels. Much is made of that. Coastal cities flooded, etc, etc.

But then you find out the rise is like a tenth of an inch a year. C'mon! That sounds like we just might have time to move to higher ground.

It will be a tragedy to lose Venice, Italy, but most cities are constantly tearing down and rebuilding anyway. We'll just move inland where necessary.

New Topic

Want a mental challenge?

What is the relationship between Global Warming, the death of Anna Nicole Smith, and the Iraq War?

Yes, it's a sadistic essay question from Professor Ellen, your evil 12th grade English teacher. Heheheh...

If that query makes the little gears in your brain go SPROING! then feel free to speak of other things...

Aha, Grasshopper, I have the answer to your riddle. The Iraq war was started when the Muslims thought Allah had been wrongfully encased in Anna Nicole Smith's breast enhancement surgery, and when they convinced her to release the spirit of Allah, the resulting testosterone levels around the world caused the temperatures to rise!

So you see, one should not take breasts lightly!

Skip my turn dears, I can't think of a ding-dong thing! Sorry! Catch you next round, Steve-O!

Ravenwand

All three are shrouded in lies and cover-ups!

Wow, Steve, sometimes I worry about you and the obvious amount of free time you have at your disposal.

Do you see a connection,or are you seeking one? The connection, of course, is greed.

The leaders of our country won't acknowledge Global Warming because it would cut into their pockets from the lobbists promoting the companies and products causing most of the trouble.

Anna Nicole Smith, bless her soul, has used the media to promote herself and is now being exploited for the money she could, may have, possibly in the future. Who doesn't want to be the father of a baby worth billions? I heard Steve was trying to prove he was there once as well.

And the Iraq War is about oil, who owns it, who can buy it and what the price is going to be. But, it's also about Bush wanting to be better than his father and finish what daddy started.

Greed. We are becoming one huge ball of greed hanging in space among a cluster of stars. Aliens are visiting our planet on field trips to show their young the results of human greed.

It all doesn't matter anyway as we are going to not turn things around and destroy ourselves with Global Warming!

Hi Everyone,
Re: Steve's mental challenge -
The relationship between the three is that they are all tragedies and all three are big news around the world. Some people care (because it affects them directly) and some don't,(because it doesn't affect them directly, or in the case of GW - it doesn't affect them immediately) but all three things are tragic news nevertheless.

Catty, thanks again for the info on manzanita bushes.

Fionnrua