Deep In The Forrest

Yes, probably one of the most worn out songs in history, "Auld Lang Syne". But it's traditionally used to mark the end of each year as the old blows out with the wind and the new rushes in. So, if you don't know what it means, The song's name is in Scots , and may be translated literally as 'old long since', or more idiomatically 'long ago', or 'days gone by'. Click here to learn more about 'Auld Lang Syne'. So today, the year comes to a close and I wanted to wish each and everyone that stops by my 'Forrest' and says hello and shares a kind word, a safe, wonderful, prosperous and happy new year. As the song quips... "And there’s a hand my trusty friend ! And give us a hand o’ thine ! And we’ll take a right good-will draught , for auld lang syne." May old aquaintances never be forgotten, and new ones be around long enough to become old ones... Have a safe and happy one everyone. Best Wishes from Aunt Jacki...

December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years ) in the Gregorian Calendar , with 2 days remaining... 2 days!!! That's all that's left in this year... just when I finally got used to writing 2006 as the year on all checks. It's scary how fast it has passed. Is there any way I can briefly recap the events of 2006, sort of a 'year-end' remembrance? Not really, and there isn't anything that noteworthy in my datebook, so i'll leave that for the 'world news announcers'... Music and Art are more my topic anyway... so I was going to do maybe some sort of 'top 10 hits of 2006' but it's so trite... nobody cares... most of the hit bands these days are total dufus's that I don't listen to anyway. But while searching, I found something more my speed. Being a fan of all kinds of music, especially Rock, Punk and Metal, I think there are alot of cool bands out there... young and old alike. However, when you are dealing with Meta...

I'm sure many people have, by now, watched "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. There are skeptics and believers alike of the contents of his documentary, and the facts therein. Skeptisicm can't be stopped. But no matter what you believe, the facts are that we can always improve conditions, or if every single person just did 'a little' to help out (whatever you can), on a daily basis, It could make a positive global impact. If every single person on the earth thought "I'm just one person, I can't make a difference", then of course nothing would happen (on a mass scale). Same as if everyone on earth thought "If I do just one thing a day to help the environment, at least i'm doing my part", then globally, something fantastic just happened! So, never think that your efforts to help a certain cause don't make a difference because everything counts, and stacks up to make a bigger difference, somehow, somewhere. We have to try to r...

Oh my... doesn't it feel like a ghost town around the ol' blog this week? I'm getting back in the swing, and just in time to get the New Year's holiday--so December and January are very difficult to recover from because of the holidays... I get totally spoiled. But where are the rest of you guys?? Hast thou deserted Aunt Jackie? I'm completely totally and udderly alone... Oh Woe Is Meee!! :) Actually, it has been rather quiet here in the 'Forrest', but I know that everyone has been busy and playing their very own holiday survival game as well... I really hope each and every one of you had a great Christmas. We're all just holding hands with Father Time, listening to the death rattle and waiting for his last gasp which is this very next weekend... staring baby new year right in the crown!! I can't believe that 2006 has passed by so fast. Resolutions become all the rage and the talk of the day, which I really don't play much part in--I think resolu...

Before I forget, my music news of the day is Iggy and the Stooges have a new album coming out... This is their first album in about 30 years... Go Iggy!! I will have to check it out. Read the Rolling Stone Article, "Stooges Back to Destroy" here

I know, we just celebrated one birthday, which got more commercialized than anyone really wants it to be, but there are others. Others that are well worth mentioning. Today, I would like to say Happy Birthday to my Sister, Deb who's had one heck of a year... I Love you Deb... and i'm very glad to be your baby sister... My sincere wishes that we all have indeed a better year. You got alot of living to do, so get it started! I'm here if you need me. Also, I'd like to say Happy Birthday to Barnze across the way at Barnze Towers . You give em hell B, today is your day... have a brew for me (since I don't drink that many), and please accept these warm wishes for a refreshed, happy new year... A fresh start, and a second wind. (Note: I'll be trying to get cracking on that painting soon... I haven't forgotten ya). Now, cut the cake and eat a piece for me!!! We can make it anything we want to... You, and everyone else that happens to be a day-after-Christmas baby h...

Your Aunt Jackie gives to you... a dirty santa in a... well, he's really not in much of anything. Shocking, yes, Sexy??? Absolutely-NOT... Funny, of course! Have a good one and i'll see you all soon!

Well, almost... as I write this, I still haven't slept, still have to cook, and prepare some things... but the hours are drawing to a close. We're nearly through Christmas... You still have to admit, even with the madness that it has passed quickly as usual... and we'll be a bit bummed when it's all over. With the 'goings on' of the next few hours, or really between today and tomorrow, I may not be able to really post alot, so I thought I would leave a nice holiday greeting up in case I don't get back until after the big day... I'll leave one for Christmas Eve, and one for Christmas. Sincerely, I have enjoyed getting to know each one of you who come here and comment and read, you're a great bunch of people... I hope all of you have a most magical and wonderful holiday, and I wish you the best life can offer in this new year that's upon us... So, I couldn't get my cat to pose, per se' but I still made a greeting out of his pic... Rodney, a...

Well, I don't know who's working or who's already off for Christmas holidays today, but I thought I would punk up Christmas with a couple of videos that I enjoyed... My first selection is "The Clash" with 1977 And then on what I find ot be somewhat of a humorous note, I give you Billy Idol with "Jingle Bell Rock". hehe

Today was the first day of my Christmas vacation. I am off through the 26th, which is great... a nice 6 day weekend. Of course, time will fly, but I will try to make the best of it... Maybe it won't stack with the rest of the holiday blurs. Anyway, since I had the time, I went down to see my Mom and Dad today and with intention of helping Mom out with a few things... We went to the store, and picked up things she needed for our upcoming Christmas Dinner, I tried to get a few things myself, but I am not good at shopping. The crowds and the lines and just the stores themselves give me The Willies . I enjoyed spending some time with her, after the store we stopped off and had some fish, which is one of her favorite things to eat. Had to admit I was a bit peckish myself, so fish sounded good. (Catfish to be exact). Took Dad home a plate (shrimp is his seafood of choice). And I gave them a preview of the family-photo slideshow/DVD movie that I prepared for Christmas... I wanted to see w...

Have you ever wanted something, really really bad and you begged with all of your might only to hear the phrase "People in Hell Want Ice Water?" (or any close derivative, similar phrase etc)... I didn't hear it so much, but Mr. J [who has respectfully requested that his name be changed from "Mr. J" to "Mr. X" because he says it sounds so much cooler]... so o.k. Mr. X--He had a bit more of what you'd call a rough upbringing than I did. I often lived in a childhood storybook, while Mr. X was sometimes in more of what you might compare to maybe say... "Pulp Fiction" or some similar movie. That's o.k., all's well that ends well you might agree. Oftentimes, when Mr. X would beg for something even as simple as cheese on his McDonald's hamburger he says his mother would stoutly reply "People in Hell Want Ice Water." He in fact states that he heard this numerous times throughout his life. "Mom, I want some candy."-...

Christmas 1983 - Where were you? What were you doing at that moment? I think I've been more emotional this Christmas than I have ever been so far. I don't know for the life of me, what's gotten into me... really. Found some old snappys while working on my photo-slideshow project. Even though they're just little snapshots of the Christmas trees and some of the presents, the nostalgia still makes me sad... You can just see the surroundings... like the linoleum on the floor, or my Lite-Bright in the background of one, and just the sad little tree... same one Mom would always put up every year... the spirit and the tradition that we put into our holidays as I grew up make it very hard to carry on with new traditions, or special moments... Seems as though my heart is much too full of the love and memories from all the Christmases past, and have left no room for the new... what am I to do...?

Yes, I've officially changed the name of Monday to "Funday". If you can't beat em', join em... right? Why worry about all of the things you have no control over?? Why let things get to you and stress you out causing mental and physical harm to yourself?? Worrying only hurts you... Everyone else just goes on with their lives... so let's boycott the stress, the guilt and the worry. If you've ever seen "Office Space" , you'll know that the main character "Peter", just decided that he was tired of it all and just not going to do any of it anymore... Wouldn't that be great?? We can at least try... Oh, well I'm feeling some better in the way of Holiday thinking (sort of as I stated above). I'll just do what I can do, and the rest i'll leave for someone else to stress over :) Is that person going to be you?? Or will you join me in the ranks of the 'Let it Flow" movement?? It's your health... hehe. Well, i...

Oh joyful joyful... the headaches and strain, I'm all caught up in the holiday pain. The errands and duties, that all are a "must" have been given to me, seems it's me that they trust. Now i'm a bit out of pocket, hope to be back soon. Feel like a swamp creature, from a Christmas Lagoon!!! :)

Alot of folks already know about this, but I thought I would update those of you who might not be near or have heard the update on our visiting Manatee we had back in October. He became known as "Memphis Manny", and he caused quite a stir with his unseasonal and strange surprise visit to our increasingly cooler fall waters of the Mississippi River. They had planned to try and safely transport him back home, when he went missing. They were unable somehow to find him in the search, which I found somewhat odd, thinking maybe that they should've tried harder... Weeks passed and nothing, until just the other day, they found his body on the banks of a nearby lake just south of Memphis. Very sad... I feel sorry for the poor soul, and hope that nothing foul was done to him... I guess they're going to investigate and see how he may have died. If anyone is interested, you can Read the story on the discovery of Memphis Manny's body here . Rest in Peace Manny. :(

Well, we're inching in on a whole new year, as the moments are simply fleeting past... So before you know it the year will be 2007. Go ahead and get a jump on it, practice writing it and all. In my experience, we barely get used to the current year on the ole check books before we have to start all over. At any rate, I ran across a link: 10 Must-Do Adventures for 2007 . Hmmm, not that I would have the extra cash floating around to try any of these, but if I could, I think I would give #9 a try (odd enough as 9 is my favorite number). #9 "Scare Yourself Silly : 2007 marks the 110th anniversary of Bram Stoker's Dracula . To celebrate, the Transylvania Live tour company invites intrepid travelers to spend Halloween in Transylvania with Vlad the Impaler. The tour travels along narrow winding roads deep in the Carpathian Mountains, plunging into the heart of Transylvania. The package includes tours of legendary Transylvanian castles, a Halloween Party in Sighisoara (Dracula...

12 Days 9 Hours 22 Minutes 'What's with the countdown?' you ask... Well, it's how long I have until Christmas. Less than 13 days until Christmas [as I write this]. Why then, do I still see no snowflakes? Why then, are the temperatures dancing around in the mid-60s? The only thing I want to see in the 60s in December are maybe videos from The Doors or Jimi Hendrix (a few others perhaps)... but NOT the temperature. What do I have to do to see some freaking snowflakes around here?? I guess I may as well stop with the whining... I know what i'm bargaining with living in this area of the country. If I want a blizzard, I should be in Colorado or Alaska :) Ok, so enough of that. I've got to stop being a Holiday mood-killer. I have yet to send out my Christmas cards, mostly because i'm still trying to locate them within the chaotic realm that I call home. Come to think of it, I've only received a couple cards in the mail myself, so I guess everyone is running ...

I've had a cloudy head today , just a tiny headache really, maybe some caffeine will rid me of that... a bit later. Do you ever just feel like your head is spinning from so much to think and do? Probably all part of my self-diagnosed A.D.D., but I just can't seem to concentrate much on the things I need to do most. Feels like the world is on 'high-spin' cycle and I need it to slow down just enough for me to bail. That's right, jump off and take a backseat so I can watch from afar for a while. The hustle and bustle never looks as exasperating that way. If you've ever been extremely far up in the floors of a tall building, or atop a large structure, looking down and observing as the rest of the world goes about their business, it's a peaceful feeling... like you're removed from it... sort of. Like the part of Ferris Bueller's Day Off , where they're looking down on the city from a window of a skyscraper, stating that the city looks so peaceful from...

This is from "A Christmas Story", from the scene where the turkey had been ruined, and they had to go out for chinese for their Christmas Dinner. The singing is funny, as well as their shock when faced with the main course. Of course, kids keep laughing. :) Now this is a more serious scenario (lol). Kids, always the pranksters, always daring each other, doom a fellow classmate (same movie). I'm sure we all remember the 'double dog' and 'triple dog' dares... Enjoy.

I'm still sitting here brainwashing myself (or trying to) with the 'soothing sounds of Christmas'. I know what you're thinking, "Jackie, it shouldn't be that hard to get in the spirit." Ok, well maybe it shouldn't be. It is somehow. As hard as I try to continue with my childlike spirit and immaturity, I struggle in matters of Childish heart... If I listen to the music, all it does is remind me of my Mother and make me wish I was still at home, lying on the floor in the Livingroom under the brilliance of the Christmas tree lights, listening to Mom's Christmas albums on her old stereo, she had em all and they stayed on rotation, playing... as I said, she always has music playing. I could lie for hours staring at the lights, listening to the music (Rockin Around The Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree, Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy, Silver Bells... etc). The temperatures this week have been pretty cold too, so that is helping some. As I said yest...

Be happy, it is Friday, right? I'll get it started today with a few quotes that I thought merited posting... i'm sure there's somethin for everyone :) "I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn't met me yet." -Rodney Dangerfield "When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it. " -Bernard Bailey "I hate music, especially when it's played." -Jimmy Durante (This one of course, is not for me-but Durante was somewhat of a funnyman) "There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line." - Oscar Levant "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all." - Samuel Butler

Dear Readers: I can't seem to make it happen. I've been praying and praying. We're having "little bouts" of cold spells followed by warm trends, which are simply perfect... that is-if you want to catch your death of flu. All we need is at least one beautiful, glorious face-cracking snow. What's the deal? We live on a river bluff, basically. Seems that treacherous weather always passes us by, tornados aren't so bad, really detrimental conditions, but in the case of snows it greatly dissappoints me. I am a Winter baby! I need to go outside and build a snowman and have a snowball fight... I'm going to throw a tantrum if I don't get it. So if anyone out there knows a reliable magic spell for snow, i'll partake of it [Can I do that without it turning into grey or black magic? Can I get away with an innocent little snow spell and escape Karmic debt?]. If so, then HELLP!! :) I've also been sousing myself in all of those classic Christmas movies li...

Hope you're all doing o.k. this week. Not feeling that great today myself so i'll be back around maybe tomorrow. It's Hump Day! Half way there, I know... Don't worry It'll be over soon. Hang in there guys.

Understandable that everyone has extremely varied music tastes. As for myself, my mother is a huge music lover. She always had music playing all over the house. Even put a radio in my crib when I was a baby, hoping to influence me, maybe give me some talent or inspiration as she hoped that I would become the next big sensation. I never hit the 'big-time' per se, but the efforts didn't go in vain-I am a piano player, love to sing and happen to have extremely varied music tastes. Quite ecclectic tastes, in fact, ranging anywhere from Louis Prima, or Dean Martin to Al Green, Marvin Gaye to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Lamb of God, Six Feet Under. Basically, too many to name. My moods vary daily... Today, I'm feeling a little "Prince-like". I think he's a great musician and showman... and I love the following song, "If I was Your Girlfriend."

It's Monday, so I thought i'd bring you something to take your mind off of it. A puzzle... a challenge, whatever, maybe you'll like it. Maybe you'll do better so far than me. Now, you should click and enlarge the thing so you can see more detail. This is kinda tough, I know a few of the bands are in your face and really easy but some I can't do... My friend Jessie sent it to me, and I know it's been floating around so if it's overload, sorry, but I thought it might be a good Monday time-waster. If you can find them, there are supposed to be 74 bands in this pic... See what you can find. Good Luck, Happy Monday and Happy Hunting!

Ok, it's storytime kids! (Originally written December 20, 2004) "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope it was the winter of despair..." (Dickens-Tale of Two Cities) Waking up early wasn't hard as the excitement filled the air. It had been nearly impossible to sleep the night before, with the impending mystery of Christmas morning upon me. Most of the night was spent tossing and turning (without benefit of any dancing sugarplums)... forcing myself to remain in bed so that he wouldn't pass me by! "How long could the night be!?!" I wondered, frantically. Just like clockwork, I sprung forth at dawn to go and see what wonderful gifts that Santa had brought for me. For a child about my age, lo and behold there was a 'Ripley's Beli...

Getting a late start today, I wanted to get around and get a few Seasonal things done and clean up around the house, but so many things are pulling at me. I sincerely detest the telephone... Everytime it rings I tense up wondering what the hell is coming out of the woodwork next... Sounds negative eh. Well, I am pretty reclusive and avoidant of the human race by nature, but whenever I get where I'm going, i'm usually alright. I love my privacy though, and I have to have some quiet time or I get pretty evil :) In honor of Saturdays and all, I have decided to throw in a little video of "The Who" doing Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright For Fightin." I like both, but they did pretty good on this one... enjoy, and before the day is over i'm going to give you a little 'Aunt Jackie Christmas Tail' (Does she mean Tail or Tale?? Hmmmm hehe wait for it).

This isn't my pic, but it was nearly the only one I could find of anything related to Memphis and snow today. You see, we were sort of "promised" some severe weather and I half-expected I might be lucky enough to see snow today, but no such luck (let's not talk about luck again). The picture that you see above is a shot of Court Square in a bit of snow. It was cold enough this morning, but no precipitation fell, so here I am with a dissappointed tear in my eye. :) Oh don't weep for me, i've had alot of fun in my life so far, and hope to have much more. Although, we sure seemed to get alot more snow around the area before I was born up through childhood, even in high school I remember some fond 'snow days'. Once I remember my Dad rigging up a 'system' to the back of his tractor, where he hooked my sled to it, and he drove us all around the snow. Then, with frozen faces we went back into the house where my Mother made some of her REAL hot cocoa w...

Sometimes we wish there was a little more awareness... but it's not gonna happen, let's just face facts. Still, i'm always willing to do my part... put in my 2 cents worth of "useless trivia". I know, you haven't had your dosage of useless Aunt Jackie facts in a while... I've had some half-way original and entertaining thoughts, but for the last couple of days I've been at a loss and otherwise busy getting work done. That's right, me... it is hard to believe eh? :) So let's have some awareness... The United States, being probably one of the most over-indulgent nations, maybe even the fattest-I'm not sure(?). However, once overindulgence takes over, then the time comes that a group of concerned do-gooders must step in to attempt to make others "aware" of an issue or problem. Today, is one of those fine days in the U.S. I give you: National Methamphetamine Awareness Day [my question--do I get a day off for this? And are there any...

This one's for Chelly-I was reminded of the movie "White Chicks" starring the Wayans Brothers , and in it there is a scene that makes me laugh every time I see it. It's the scene where one of the Wayans brothers, dressed like a white girl for undercover is on a date with Terry Crews , who won 'her' at the auction. So as he is trying to 'turn off' Crews in the scene by playing a song that he thinks will disgust him, all of his attempts backfire. Watch and laugh (if you have seen this movie, it will be funnier).

(Meanwhile... down at the Plumbers Local 667th...) Is my time valuable? (don't answer that-lol). The answer is invaritably, "Yes!" Therefore, when given the choice, I always opt to "do it yourself" rather than bother with the pains of a plumber (plus, you know with their 'crack problem' and all, I really prefer to stay away from the stuff). ;) Really though, I spent the better part of a valuable afternoon 'attempting' to go and find a stem for a particularly antique faucet that goes on my Clawfoot Bathtub (which I can't live without now), only to find that this particular stem was about as easy to get my hands on as the Hope Diamond. Yet I wasted alot of gas driving all over our fair city trying to score this 1 tiny piece of hardware... the only thing standing between me and a luxurious, wonderful, skin-scalding bubble bath. In the battle, so far I lost, it won, and we had to order a whole new faucet to replace the old one, which will take p...

When there's only one other person in the elevator, tap them on the shoulder and then pretend it wasn't you. Push the buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back for more. Ask if you can push the button for other people, but push the wrong ones. Call the Psychic Hotline from your cell phone and ask if they know what floor you're on. Hold the doors open and say you're waiting for a friend. After a while, let the doors close, and say, "Hi Greg. How's your day been?" Drop a pen and wait until someone goes to pick it up, then scream, "That's mine!" Bring a camera and take pictures of everyone in the elevator. Move your desk into the elevator and whenever anyone gets on; ask if they have an appointment. Lay down the twister mat and ask people if they would like to play. Leave a box in the corner, and when someone gets on, ask them if they can hear ticking. *Thanks to Narayana for this contribution

I just realized, I don't spin anymore . You know, the kind of spinning we used to do when we were little kids. Just spin yourself out of control until you collapse to the ground so dizzy you can't see straight and then look at the horizon and watch everything in sight rotate, and it would just take your breath away, and your stomach along with it. Then lie there until you were stablilized and had 'come back down to earth', then do it again... Why would we willfully choose to induce this 'vertigo'? It was liberating... it made us laugh. How many REAL 'natural' highs like that do we get in our life? Not really that many (well, I guess it depends on the person and how we see things). Let's see theres the spinning thing, sneezing, first kisses, successfully humiliating someone who's publicly made a fool out of you (that's right, revenge!), and Ice Cream-it's natural, I buy all natural, so that counts. There are a few others. Not like that tim...

Anyways, Christmas is creeping right upon us and can really throw you for a loop if you're not careful, so hopefully everyone will get all they need done and get everything from Big Bad Santa Claus that they've asked for [And hopefully nothing that you DIDN'T ask for-muuhahah]. Well, i'm off to grocery shop and try to get in a quick work-out, so i'll be back later when I have a bit more time... Hope everyone's safe and happy this weekend!! AJ

Or at least stuff someone you love :) I'm between feasts here, as my Mother had quite the spread-I should have some pictures from The Ruddicks soon hopefully, as my neice's hubby was snapping many a'photo. So far, the day is pleasant (no not pheasant), but we still have more on our eating agenda [stuff to the gills am I]. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day... and on behalf of Aunt Jackie and her entire family, we wish you a very... Even if you don't celebrate it, hope you have many things to be thankful for today.

This Chicken is mad and he ain't gonna take it no more!!! Hey, the kid deserved it anyway! rofl "Karate will not do you any good my little pretty!!!! Heeeheheheheheeh"

However, This one ran straight into a Bush... {Doh!!} Thanksgiving here in the U.S. is just a day away... (counting down to Mom's Dressing!), and now that my wonderful lunch (below) has digested, and i've pretty much finished up my Tuesday, I had one more song I would like to reflect on-I get stuck on this song every once in a while--it's "Love is A Stranger" by The Eurythmics (Annie Lennox). There's just something about this song, if you've ever felt an obscession, a passion, a heated love (or something like it) for someone, you can understand what Annie is singing about. I know I do, and really just love this song... Hope you enjoy it--I'll be around tomorrow with maybe some funny Thanksgiving-related stories for you guys. [*Note: as this is sort of 'vintage' footage, the quality isn't that great, but it was all I could find.]

Well, not literally now... was earlier... maybe mentally yeah! Speaking of lunch, tried out this Mediterranean place here downtown called Meditrina , was delish! I got this 'Meze' plate, which had olives, almonds, lentils, pita bread, hummus, some other sauce... yummy!! In the spirit of Barnze , I thought I'd make your mouth water here with a phone-snapshot of my plate. I'm about ready for an afternoon coffee now, maybe i'll be back in a bit with a few more words. Happy Tuesday! [Thanksgiving is almost here, nice little vacation].

Or maybe I should ask the question "What's Luck Got to do with US?", and by US, I mean My Dad, My sister (some of you know her as "Nana"), or me. Luck has nothing to do with US... not often. My Dad used to love this insane 'rednecky' show that came on t.v. called "Hee-Haw", and would always go around singing one of their main songs which quipped "If it weren't for bad luck, i'd have no luck at all..." I don't know if you can really call it bad luck, as I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that sometimes the supposed 'bad lucks' happen to deter us from even worse fates. So maybe we should refer to it as "Strange Luck", or just Uncanny episodes, which are what ensue anytime the three of us try to do things (mostly good things) [which is why I usually stick with evil hehe]. Nana and I were discussing this just today, when she told me of her latest episode, her 'dirty laundry' du jour, ...

Sunday is drawing to a close for me, and once again the weekend has passed too fast. In remembering songs that evoke and stir pain in my heart, I also include Iggy Pop with "Candy". I'm sure i'll have more to say tomorrow... :) Enjoy!

I'm feeling rather emotional this weekend, which is "me" anyway, no use in hiding that. I've had lots of weird feelings passing through my mind about past moments and many good times (the best) that i've had, times I truly treasure. Jimi Hendrix is one of my absolute favorites, and a song that means so much to me on so many levels is "Little Wing", the lyrics, the song, what it has brought to my life I can't really put into words here, but it's very moving, has alot of meaning. I thought I would share it here, as I really can't sort my thoughts out well enough to put anything else up this weekend, so I'll listen to this song, and daydream about emotions, passions and wonderful times past... Well shes walking through the clouds With a circus mind thats running round Butterflies and zebras And moonbeams and fairy tales Thats all she ever thinks about Riding with the wind. When Im sad, she comes to me With a thousand smiles, she gives to me ...

All I needed was another thing to make me worry about loved ones, or to obscess over death-related matters. Yesterday, Mr. J makes the "mistake" (as he put it) of telling me that he was 'nearly' struck by an 18-wheeler (large commercial truck). It seems that the light turned green for him, the truck ran the red light and they swerved to miss each other. He said it was so close that he could feel the wind even in his truck. We've discussed the bad drivers around Memphis, and that is no lie. I can understand that a truck of that size is unable to maybe stop at a red light if he is very close, but odds are he was probably plowing down the road at death-defying speeds when this happened. Also, Mr. J has to be aware that people run red lights all the time, and to watch more closely before he begins to drive. He really could've been killed! It could happen anywhere anytime, I know, but the fact remains... it scared me thinking that I could have had a call in the mid...

That's right... today, November 16 is The Great American Smokeout . I had forgotten all about that really... just happened to run across it today. Now I want you to remember, Aunt Jackie is a "live and let live" kind of girl, but i've never been a smoker... even though my parents have always been pretty heavy smokers (maybe not as bad as this guy)... Somehow, I just never picked up the habit. So i'm not a big fan of smoking. Mr. J quit smoking a couple years ago, without my heavy prodding-I let him make his decision, and he wanted to quit for better health. I supported him, and tried to help him stay the course, but I did not force him (as I said, I am all about 'live and let live'). But i'm so glad he quit, and he is too-he's got so much energy! The house smells so much better, he smells great (except on rare occasion) and I wish everyone I cared about that smoked could quit too. Even though advertising has historically romanticized smoking, even ...