ANOTHER DAY AT GRANDMA'S

Iran, real estate prices in Phoenix, the lowest in the nation, and finally, the new road just opened from Puerto Penasco to El Golfo, near Yuma. My brother drove it and will write about it in his Rocky Point Newspaper online. 145 miles without water, gasoline, people or even trees. Go prepared for anything in the area of emergencies. We talked about the market for canvases in Tucson and in Guadalajara and about how to make art money in a declining economy. We discussed serious health issues as... Sign in to see full entry.

Here is the speech and please take the time to read it all. He says what the rest of the world, my friends from outside and inside this nation tell me. The Keynote speech by Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Chris Hedges, speaks to me, comes from inside my own head and heart and needs to be shared with anyone who misses the Old America. Sign in to see full entry.

Jeoung Do's parents parked their rental car at his apartment complex for a few days. There is a note there on a wall about towing, but he has no car, so didn't think about that sign or what it might mean. I didn't either, as I can't think of everything, though I try. The manager didn't ask whose car it was, didn't leave a note of warning. It is the holidays and many people visit over the holidays, especially in the U of A area, and there were very few cars in the two parking lots available for... Sign in to see full entry.

I was trying to sneak into bed this evening when there came a heavy knock at the front door. I was my friends from Togo. Dad and son are returning home tomorrow and the son will return to Arizona in about a month. He has been shipping American used cars back home and his dad has been driving them and not selling them. Heh heh heh....now he has 12 cars. The son is hoping to sell them out from under him and to set up a business to keep sending them for sale and actually selling them, not finding... Sign in to see full entry.

We were absolutely terrible, as usual. Worse than last year, a married into the family relative commented. How humiliating. My youngest son, when forced to the fore with his two oldest children, said, "I have no talents, the Jones family has no talent, we just look really good and can pose. We will pose for camera shots for 60 seconds and that's it, the moment will be gone." So, they did. I sang a song with three sisters while holding a grandson. We sang the old song SISTERS. Lyrics, here.... Sign in to see full entry.

Only foolish people light their gas stove burner on low under a brass bowl of frankincense and walk away to turn on their computer for a second. Those same people soon notice a low hanging, fragrant cloud of black smoke snaking onto the ceiling. A short run into the kitchen discloses a small bowl of yellow and red flaming fire on the burner. Turning off the burner and smothering the mess of flames with a crock pot's glass lid does the trick. However, breathing inside here has been a problem ever... Sign in to see full entry.

Tiny droplets hit my windshield, awaiting a lower temperature to form snowflakes. A man walked down my street as I left the house. If I had been 25 and IF it had been 1979, I would have offered him a ride. I was a fearless person back then and am an overly cautious old woman now. I stopped the van in front of him and handed him a black umbrella to match his black leather jacket, as opposed to handing him the red white and blue one that I left on the floor of the car. I asked if he could use it,... Sign in to see full entry.

I heard the rumble of engines and saw some motos wing past the window. I stepped out onto the porch and leaned upon the railing and watched as hundreds of motorcyles drove by in a parade. Santa was there, as was the Grinch, a few elves and some teddy bears, but mostly cyclists with some new style face masks on with Ed Hardy like skulls on them....so tons of skeletons drove by this morning. I was trying to decide which ones I'd like to hop on the back of....such pretty bikes. Fantasies over with... Sign in to see full entry.

Yesterday I stood on a ladder holding up a huge arch on my head to stabilize it while two fellows lifted the ends onto columns high over all of our heads. Amazing the wild stuff that I find myself doing. I placed a board under one column to make it even with the opposite one. The fellows dropped the column onto the wood and my fingers were pinned underneath and it really hurt. They finally heard my "owie, owie, owie" in the background and lifted it again to release me. Heavy work. Later it was... Sign in to see full entry.

I used to keep up with one of my old neighbors. I like older women. She and Mom were friends and we lived across the street from each other, her daughter babysat us and we went to their birthday parties. Somehow she and I latched onto each other late in life and it was good. We went to Art Museum openings and just sat and talked, periodically. Then, we just spoke on the phone for the past year. This past month, she left a message at my Mom's house with my space cadet sister who forgets things... Sign in to see full entry.