THURSDAY'S EXPERIENCE

On Thursday I stopped at the library to return some books and heard some rhythmic drumming coming from upstairs. I went up to see what was happening and am I glad I did. Have you ever heard the theory that the human race evolved from one African woman? Well, that drumming hit me deep inside. The "Sankofa African Dance & Drum" ensemble was giving a performance of authentic tribal dances from different parts of Africa. There were about ten girls (youngest was about 6), one young man and four older boys on sets of drums. The group was there to perform and to also instruct the children in the audience about the dances and later to give them a chance to dance. A lot of young mothers were there with their little ones; there were some mentally challenged children with their counselors and they just loved the pounding rhythm. And, of course, the retirees who are always learning.

What a beautiful experience. I am including two photos, but unfortunately the dancers were moving so fast that I couldn't get a good shot.

I am about the whitest white woman around in a primarily white community, but I was so touched by the beauty, dignity, music and talent that I wanted to grab a colored skirt and beads, and jump out there and dance with these beautiful children.

An African American Festival is coming to this area in August and I am definitely going to go just to repeat the experience of this music and history. These children are not only born of an American history of slavery, but of African royalty. See this, listen to this, and you will understand if you don't already.

I WANT A HAMSTER

I have just finished Janet Evanovich's Two For The Dough and enjoyed it immensely. One problem. Now I want my very own Rex the Hamster!

If you haven't read this series, you have no idea what I am talking about. This series is based on Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter extraordinaire, residing in Trenton, NJ. Rex is her hamster and, at least in this book, the man in her life. I will spend tonight curled up in my chair, starting the next book in Stephanie Plum's adventures, Three To Get Deadly.

A HOT DAY HERE IN PARADISE

You know you are close to the beach when the seagulls are perched at McDonalds!

Ninety-five degrees here today and only half of our house is air conditioned. Don't marry a builder if you want him to ever finish your house. That's another story for another day.

I stopped by my favorite garden and farm market for some tomatoes and corn. The corn is local I think, but the tomatoes are from Virginia. That with some homemade crab cakes for dinner -- yum.

A NEW FRIEND

I have discovered a new literary friend that I know many of you are totally familiar with. JANET EVANOVICH. I was at the library the other day and picked up her second and third novels (they didn't have her first one at this library -- I'll order it). So right now I am reading "Two For the Dough." I think I am totally going to love Janet's writing.

The other book I have just started is "Piaf" written in 1969 by Edith Piaf's sister, Simone Berteault. It's a big fat book with some photos and seems very interesting if you are a fan of France's "little sparrow." I think this will be a book that I will have to renew a few times

before I finish it.

I wasn't going to read more than one book at a time, but here I go again.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL!!!

I hope you all had a great day and maybe even caught some fireworks. There were plenty of fireworks last night in Lewes and tonight in Rehoboth Beach, but we were too lazy to deal with the crowds. As I am writing this, the Philadelphia celebration is on the television and I can hear some neighbors setting off their own noise makers. Beau is, of course, barking.

We attended an impromptu cookout at the Lewes marina today which turned out to be fun. I guess it wasn't impromptu for those who knew about it, but my husband was working on his boat and we just stumbled on the party when I stopped by to visit him. There was a boat parade in which a lot of small boats were decorated for the holiday and I think they were judged. Here is a picture of one, if you can see it. If you click on it you can see it enlarged. I had forgotten my camera and my cell phone so I used husband's cell phone camera. This isn't the best of the boats, but it is all I could get.

Bon Soir, everyone!!!

HOME TO BIG STONE GAP by Adriana Trigiani

I just finished this book -- I had been reading it while I read Gregg Olsen's "Starvation Heights." Home To Big Stone Gap is one of several novels all based on the character of Ave Maria MacChesney's life with her family and friends in Big Stone Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. While the publisher touts this book as the author's "most powerful story yet", I can't say that I would agree, although I have not read the others. To give this author proper credit I think I will get one of her other works and see how this compares. Apparently, her books have been on the New York Times Bestseller list.

I just could not identify, empathize or sympathize with, or even especially like Ave Maria. Again, this may be because I had not read other novels leading up to this one. There were ends left hanging that annoyed me. Try this book, though. It was not unenjoyable reading and I did not give up on it.

STARVATION HEIGHTS by Gregg Olsen

I have finally finished this book which seemed to take awhile, but not because I didn't find it totally engrossing. I have been attempting to read a few books at once and I don't think I will do that again. I found this true crime story to be totally intriguing, interesting and at times, overwhelming in its horror. Lynne sent me this book and you can read her excellent review on one of her recent blog posts. The author also left a comment!

The story takes place in early 1900's in Olalla, Washington (where the author lives) and centers around Linda Burfield Hazzard, known as the "fasting doctor." She was not a medical doctor, but portrayed herself as such. She believed that strict fasting was the secret to good health and to healing most illnesses. Two sisters, Dora and Claire Williamson, became interested in this therapy and likewise, suffered the consequences.

After I finished this book I went online to find out any other additional information about this notorious story. Read this book!!! Fascinating!!!

Beau's Point of View

My little brown Poodle is neurotic, a constant barker, disobedient and oh, so funny. Stop me if I repeat myself, but Beau is totally crazy about two things: the tv remote control and windshield wipers. We cannot go anywhere if there is a chance of rain. He has to sit on my lap when I drive and if I turn on the wipers, he almost climbs onto the dashboard to attack the wipers. It is so awful.

The remote control is unexplainable and clearly psychotic. Somehow he associates us eating with the remote control. Since we generally sit in the family room and eat while the tv is on, as soon as we head there with a plate in hand he begins to run in circles and bark hysterically at the remote. He even starts this routine before we even leave the kitchen. What is the association, Beau? Remote = Food. I don't get it.

The other night I was walking him through our neighborhood and he met another dog and Beau slipped out of his collar and off he went. He will never come when he is called so being loose can be disastrous. Five neighbors combing yards and woods for him and finally someone trapped him near a trash can (of course) and I carried him all the way home with his tail between his legs.

Tonight a kind neighbor loaned me one of those electric collars. She said that it only took a few wearings and her dog behaved. I have heard the same thing from other people. I will probably give it a try. Sorry, Beau, but it may be for your own good. I know a lot of this is because he is just a hyper, alpha, head of the pack dog. And I know I have been responsible for not training him properly.

Here a few pictures of my love bug, which is what I call him because I truly do love him even with all his faults. After all, he feels the same way about me. Oops, gotta go -- Beau's calling.

What's in a name......a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Ever wonder why I call myself "Violetlady"? Well, I guess it is pretty simple -- the violet is my favorite flower. It was also my mother's favorite. My grandmother wore violet cologne and had a perfume bottle with handpainted violets on it (which I still have).

I should have some sort of identity crisis. I was born as Meryl Kristina. Meryl because it was my mother's nickname (her real name was Mabel which my father and she disliked so he nicknamed her Meryl when he met her - just as bad I thought). It wasn't until Meryl Streep came along that I thought Meryl wasn't such a bad name. In elementary school there was this annoying kid who called me "Myrtle the Turtle. " I don't know why except maybe it was appropriate. I seldom do anything in a hurry. Anyway - back to my name. Kristina because Mom liked the name and told me there was a Queen Kristina of Norway (not that we are Norwegian!).

The problem was in school. The school rolls always listed me as Meryl, of course, my first name. I was shy and I would finally get the courage to pipe up with "Please call me Tina." This was in elementary school. As if "Myrtle the Turtle" wasn't bad enough. It wasn't until high school that the teachers got a little nasty. "Oh, "Meryl Call Me Tina" -- is that what you want to be called?" one would snidely say. I wanted to crawl under my desk. So I graduated anyway, more or less intact mentally.

My family and friends called me Tina until I decided (when I was in my 20's) that I preferred Kris or Kristina, but even then it was rather sporadic. Now whenever I call an old friend I have to remember which name they know me by.

Jeez, what a complicated life I live.

I am sitting here reading blogs and realizing how much I am enjoying getting to know people through the ethernet (is that what it is called?). Thank you Lynne for introducing me to this new and interesting hobby.

I took the day off from work today. It was beautiful here and I almost went to the beach. (sorry kookiejar, but we have beaches here.) Almost, but didn't. Took Beau for a walk with his best friend, a little Cairn Terrier named Picasso, and his mom. I will have to take a picture of the two of them -- they are so funny. They are so excited to see each other and then we all walk along and the dogs don't really pay a lot of attention to each other, except to raise their legs on the same bushes and mailboxes. It got hot today in the sun and the two little guys stopped us so they could lie down under a shade tree. So cute.

On another note: I bought a little food chopper (like a mini food processor) and I have really found it handy to chop onions, etc. Well, I used it to chop onions for my spaghetti sauce for dinner and when I went to clean it, the darn blade thing is now jammed in sideways against the side of the jar. I can't get it out to put it back in the way it should be!! Well, it just goes to show you, it's always something! (Remember when Roseanna-Anna-Danna said that on Saturday Night Live?)

That's my day today and now it's off to meet The Sandman.

Just Some Pictures Today Of Our 4-Legged Family Members

Beau when he was young after one of his first baths. He was very embarrassed.

Beau when he was just a little guy.

Here is Beau when he liked to grab "undergarments" and get me to chase him.

These are the three feline babies in my household: left to right, Violette, Pierre and Chloe. Aren't they cute?

Here is a picture of Beau about a year ago when he sported a very masculine moustache. Doesn't he look very snarly in this picture?

More tomorrow.

My Weekend

My husband told me a week ago that he had purchased tickets for a boat trip into the Delaware Bay for Friday. The event was based on an 83 year old gentlemen (nickname "Capt. Speed")whose wife had died very suddenly and he wanted to raise money for the American Cancer Society. There was a fundraiser planned and the big event was that he was going to parasail from Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE (12 miles across the bay) and then a restaurant would have a big fundraiser for him. The picture with the little dot is the man parasailing.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a boat person. Oh, boats are beautiful, the water is beautiful, but I do not want to be out of sight of land. The boat we were on was supposed to hold 50 people. Only 6 of us were on it. They had food and music and the boat was beautiful. The water was quite choppy and did a lot of rocking and rolling. However, we were the only ones to appreciate it. Which was actually a good thing. Our own private charter. Well, I spent the hours leading up to the trip trying not to freak out. Oh -- by the way, my husband is definitely a boat person. In fact, he and two partners are restoring a 62 ft. boat which I will inevitably be on for a trip down the inland waterway to Florida. (More on that later)

The moral of this story is: don't freak out over inconsequential things. You might just have some fun.

LOVER OF UNREASON - Assia Wevill, Sylvia Plath's Rival and Ted Hughes's Doomed Love

Lover of Unreason - Assia Wevill, Sylvia Plath's Rival And Ted Hughes's Doomed Love by Yeduda Koren and Eilat Negev

As many of us who have read Sylvia Plath's poems , I knew of her suicide at a young age and the fact that she was married to Ted Hughes, a poet in his own right. Beyond that, I knew nothing more. Apparently, there was much more. This book intrigued me from the start. I put aside the other books I was reading in order to concentrate on this. From the book flap:

Long seen as the woman who lured Hughes away from Sylvia Plath, Wevill has remained a mysterious figure. Now, for the first time we are given the story of her remarkable life and the seven years she spent with Hughes before killing herself, and their daughter, in a manner that inevitably recalled Plath's suicide six years earlier.

This is the first biography written about Assia Wevill and it draws on previously unavailable papers, diaries and correspondence. Included are photographs that bring the reader even closer to the families involved. The research that the authors compiled for this biography was voluminous and the method in which it was used to tell this story was seamless. Although each of the three main "characters" was exceedingly flawed and often unlikeable individuals, it was the reader's responsibility to draw from each the positives of each person that made this such a tragic story. I borrowed this book from the library, but it is a book that I would want to own to add to my personal library.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Not much to say today, except this: I just spent $16.50 at the car wash two hours ago and now it is pouring rain. Lousy weather reports!

"We Acquire Friends and We Make Enemies, But Our Sisters Come With The Territory" - Evelyn Loeb

I just returned from a great weekend visiting my sister in Pennsylvania. These are some of the things we did:

1. Talked

2. Went to a nursery to buy flowers for Mom and Dad's grave and then went to the cemetery and planted them.

3. Talked

4. Drove past the house we grew up in and were shocked at the changes. The new owners had removed all the beautiful holly trees, japonica trees, dogwood, lily of the valley and mint that grew along the shady side of the house and many other things.

5. Talked

6. Ate.

7. Went to a strawberry festival and ate hot dogs, barbeque, strawberries, etc. (See my sister enjoying the strawberries)

8. Talked

9. Went to an estate auction and got some old iron things for $30. (See the old iron gate)

10. Ate pizza at midnight.

11. Talked

12. Went to an antique store and she bought a very nice clock for only $11.

13. Visited with one of my nieces whom I had not seen for quite awhile. I seldom have a chance to have a nice chat with her. She is the "baby" of the three (my daughter and my sister's two daughters).

14. Visited my other niece and had a chance to say hi and also hi to my only nephew as he tore past me on his way to his wading pool.

15. Ate and talked more.

On one of my recent posts, someone posted a comment and I didn't know it at the time, but "daffodilly" is my sister. She will be working on a blog and will present it soon.

We had a great time together. The older we get the more alike we become. We can almost finish each other's sentences.

The most joy in the world to be had is to be with dear family.

Diamonds - A Girl's Best Friend?

I was never a real fan of diamonds. Oh, if someone gave me one I wouldn't turn it down. I have never really had an official diamond engagement ring, even though I have been married more than once. The diamond jewelry I have are family heirlooms or found. Yes, found. My husband once found a bracelet which I later retrieved from his pocket when I did the laundry. He said, "Oh, yeah, I found this in the dirt and forgot about it." FORGOT ABOUT IT? It was in two pieces and the stones were barely recognizable as diamonds. I took it to the jeweler, had it repaired and cleaned and, voila, they said it was worth quite a bit. It is beautiful and I do wear it occasionally.

The point of this post is that on AOL I saw an article about a girl who found a 3 carat diamond in Diamond Crater State Park in Arkansas. It was just THERE -- on a dirt road. I have seen Travel Channel shows about this park and I always thought it would be so much fun to go there and dig for diamonds. I doubt that I could talk my hubby into this, but it sure would be fun. I don't mind getting down and dirty for a diamond these days, I guess.

White Picket Fences

I thought I would take some pictures of some charming beach houses. I live just outside of two beach towns that have historic roots. Aren't these sweet?

One of the delights of being a Realtor is getting to see so many houses - inside and out. Have you ever walked down the street in the evening and wondered what the inside of a certain house looks like? Every Wednesday we have our sales meeting and tour our new listings. Today we toured a house that was built in 1790! The present owner had restored it well and expanded it in keeping with the vintage of the home. There was even a little brick dog house that was originial with the property.

Cats and Dogs

Since it has been raining cats and dogs all day today, I thought I would show you some pictures of my cats and dogs.

This is Beau, our crazy 2 year old miniature Poodle. Yes, he is brown. His eyes are not really red, although he does look like a devil dog here (which he can be sometimes).

This is Pierre, our 20 lb. tabby. He is afraid of Beau, but Beau is also intimidated by Pierre.

This is Chloe, the baby feline, who is looking sleepy since she just woke up. She is really not a baby anymore, but she thinks she is.

This is Violette, the old lady (sorry Violette). She is about 13 now. Sweet, sweet girl.

Yard Sales Rule!

I finally made it to some yard sales today. I was planning on it last night and didn't remember until 10 a.m. that I had wanted to go. The highlight of one sale for me was that some children were selling grilled hot dogs, chips and a soda for $2.00. I hadn't eaten yet so I was very happy. A woman was selling her BMW red convertible. I didn't even ask the price.

Here is a picture of the things I bought. I think I spent about $8.00 (not counting the hot dog). As you can see, I got more books. These will be added to my TBR list. Here is also a picture of me with my new haircut and my new yard sale hat. The sweet little lamb is for my sister Linda who is collecting them. The red and white checked napkins are for the picnics that I never go on. The sugar and creamer will just be added to the other stuff I have in my cupboards. The little napkin holder I can use and it is from Siena, Italy which I visited a few years ago. The little handpainted pot with the lid says "Paprika" on it and Quimper, France on the bottom. (It is not authentic Quimper for those of you who are collectors). There is a glass shaped like a western boot from a local BBQ place -- will be cute with some daisies in it.

I don't have a picture of the hot dog, but you can see from my double chin and chubby cheeks that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

P.S. The opening music on my blog is a James Taylor song sung by Eric Vincent. I found this on

Tales From A Little French Garden House. I loved it so much I couldn't find anything I liked better so used it, too. I am waiting to hear if she doesn't want me to use it also. I hope it is OK, 'cause I love it.

I Want The Truth, The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth.....Well, Maybe Not

Who said "Vanity, thy name is woman?" Maybe Shakespeare? Well, this is my story today.

I had my hair done last week -- trimmed and colored. My hair is fairly long and I like it, but have had it in the back of my mind for awhile to have it cut a lot shorter for the summer. On the spur of the moment today I decided I simply HAD to have it cut TODAY. I called the hair salon and "yes, Dana has one spot open." I grabbed it. My hair has always been wavy, and I sometimes try to straighten it with a flat iron, but usually have done a poor job. Dana can make it straight and silky, but forget it -- I simply can't. Well, I decided to forget the silky straight locks and just let it be natural. I know -- the grass is always greener.

I do like this new look, but I have a fear that maybe I now look a little like, well, HARPO!!!!!!!!!!!!