Yellow

Yellow.

I remember marveling at Randolph Hearst’s mansion built from nickels paid for copies of the newspaper.


Yellow journalism.


Lie, stretch, bend the truth.



Journalistic freedoms.



The first amendment covers me too,

But I am unable to speak in some directions.

Unable because someone could pounce on me for expressing every one of my opinions and observations in printed form.

 The newspaper charges for articles about poverty.

I wonder to myself, What would real freedom feel like?

Then, I wonder what is in the pay version of the paper I don't see?
I look for news and truth somewhere else.
Wonderful perfect July weather in Vermont.
No time to edit this word ramble...I'm going outside. mary

Top 3 of the Levon Helm Street Team

I really am honored to be 3rd of the top 3 of the Levon Helm Street team leaderboard at Reverb Nation.
This all happened because my readers check out Levon's schedule and hopefully buying tickets to shows close to home or a vacation destination!
Thanks to my readers and Levon Helm's entire outfit. You and they are the best.
You can participate in Levon's street team and follow other great artists at Reverb Nation. Grab that widget if you dare!
Mary

Musicheads are back on the air.

We were happy to hear the news:

We are back. Tune into 97.9 FM WZXP.


Diane

The Album Station

http://www.musicheads.us/

From Mary:
These are
My favorite Album experts (you know, Vinyl black disks with grooves played with crystal rotating at 33 RPM, 45 or 78 or even backwards?) Diane and Russ who could explain who played on what album and what they were doing at the time and on and on....
I want to mention them and am happy their philosophy and music will once again fill the valley.

End of the Road

End of the Road

This old car sits where it stopped
and offers glimpses
of the styles of yesteryear.
Long after the tires went flat,
The windshield cracked,
the tree seeds sprouted
and didn't care that this silly dead car
would be its neighbor for just short of
forever.

Three Years Ago

3 years Ago

They first handed me a box of mystery meds and said, “Try these, record this and that and help us understand the MonSter.”
Yesterday was my 3 year check up.

Out drains more blood, Math test, timed walk, 10 peg test, exam, vital signs, MRI soon.

Quiet day. Day for wondering if it is worth it,

Developing my own mental questionnaire to go with the ones they give me.

What describes best your mood?
Befuddled? Bewildered? Bewitched?

Does the minimalist paper diary make you angry/scared/inspired anymore?

Daily? Weekly? Monthly?

Do the shots hurt anymore? Even if they do? Do they actually feel good? Thinking I am getting real stuff even if it makes me sicker.
Do you care anymore if they hurt? Sometimes/rarely/too much/too little/What was the question?

Do you still think even for a second when you open the fridge that the cake box is really a cake box and not a box full of shots they said was worth a lot of money?

Do you still think, even if you get a dreaded disease from the shots, that the shots are worth it if they delay the bad time that may lie ahead for you?

Did you ever think that 3 years would go by so fast?
That shots wouldn't scare you anymore?
That Mri's would become a meditation place of loud prayer, count one thousand one, one thousand two,  three up to 60 and repeat. When they say 6 more minutes by the time you get 6 reps it is over.
You cannot think of anything else when you think a number. Wait is that a question?

Now with the 2 ½ year extension, will I blink again and they will be scrambling for more funding?
Will they ever throw off the labels and say This arm, this arm did so much better that we cannot let the other 2 go on?

My question. What are they seeing? Combi Rx has been at least 3 plus years and several more to go. Genetic testing... will it be ongoing?
Stay tuned because what they are studying is the closest thing to disease progression modification.

Ok quiz is over.
Now take the rest of the day to do whatever you want. (I did).
Mary

Fanny

Fanny.

This is where it all started.

Fanny, my grandmother.

She made the quilt squares listed a few posts back.

Mom relayed to me that Fanny

as a young woman became an actress

and when the travel became too

much for her father, he put a stop to that.

Would Fanny have been opposite Lionel Barrymore if given the chance?

You bet!

I went by Fanny for a time in High

School and Jr. High.

Fanny in my memories? I only have one.

Sitting in the living room on

128 e. high and

her saying, "Button, button, who's got the button?"

Mom is 85

Mom is 85

Here is a poem about Mom I wrote for her 85th birthday.
Everyone said I nailed her essence.
That was my intent. We had a great time at her celebration at the Watershed Center in Edwardsville, Illinois, the home of my youth full of feelings and $4.50 a dozen bicolor wonderful fresh picked Illinois Sweet Corn after perfect spring weather.
Mary

Today

Today we all came to celebrate One.

You gave us life, You gave us some

Of your life, your sweet smile, your philosophy of love,

Your heart, your soul, your image of above.

Your modern way of thinking was ahead of your time,

Your stollen, cookies and kolaches, sublime,

You sing like a bird, worked like a dog

Raised seven children, part of it a fog.

You did pretty much what you wanted to do,

Still there is restlessness deep within you.

Your Bohemian side, a gypsy at heart,

Fights your sensible Swede head for a start.

You are conflicted, a human for sure,

At 85 what more do you have to endure?

You have had love and pain, sorrow and joy,

A full life indeed, and one you enjoyed.

Teaching us all the lessons of life,

Hoping you can keep us free from strife,

Always a mother, a shaman, a friend,

Loving to discuss your view of “the end”.

Just when I wonder what more you have waiting,

And your every word I am anticipating

Some wisdom therein you are sure to find

It is all there in that steel trap mind.

Today we came for your 85th year,

Hoping to give you a dose of good cheer

To lift your spirits, show you the way

That we all love you

We are here,

Today

Garden is in

Here is an pic of our gardens from 2007. We were much farther along then.

This past weekend we managed to plant (most of) the rest of the seeds and onion/tomato/tomatillo/pepper plants.

We put in corn and prayed. Fred put it 2 inches deep in case our crow or pidgeon friends try to raid it.

2010 finds us behind because of the cold weather, and rainy too. Many early birds lost first crops

so am glad we waited. The days are longer up this way and that helps the plants get a head start

any way. Our trees form a shell so we have more fall frost protection than in spring.

The onion plants worked great. 1-10 seeds per little plastic drink cup (drain hole in bottom), use good dirt,

we grew starting in late March. Some we planted out this weekend in black plastic raised beds..

Leave the 10 seedlings and onions will "pop" out when they get big enough. This happened

last year. I want to see if we can replicate.

Wiped from the heat. Keep cool y'all!

Mary