Free Flowing Friday

My brain is crammed full of STUFF - so much stuff I can't come up with a cohesive post. Instead, I'm giving you my free flowing thoughts:

1.) I'm so proud of my daughter for being accepted into the Governor's School of the Arts!! She is so happy and I love seeing my baby happy.

2.) I had a great time at the Poetry Slam last night at Mercer County Senior High School, even if there wasn't a huge turnout. Very happy Charles Semones showed up and read - I love listening to and reading his work.

3.) Our refrigerator is shot - will be buying another one this weekend. There goes my gardening budget for the year. I can't win for losing.

4.) Twin Hills Drive-In reopens for the 2009 season tonight: RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN and FAST AND FURIOUS. This means I won't see much of my hubby and daughter on weekend nights from now until November because they will both be working.

5.) Christine has to be at EKU at 7:15 in the morning to attend the KYWC Poetry and Prose in the Parks / Cumberland Falls Workshop. Then we have to pick her up at EKU at 7:00 tomorrow night. I guess she'll be running a little late for work tomorrow night.

6.) I want to finish getting the lettuce in the garden today. If anyone knows where I can find some Jerusalem artichoke, please let me know.

7.) I'm almost finished with the 4th book in the FABLEHAVEN series by Brandon Mull, SECRETS OF THE DRAGON SANCTUARY. I'm sad there will only be one more book in the series. :-(

8.) I have several short stories I hoping to finish this weekend. I also have an essay to finish and a piece on the super 70s. Not complaining about the writing, just complaining because I never have enough time to write everything that is flowing through my brain.

9.) I finished up the green shawl I was working on, now I'm ready to start the next one. This one will be for my mother-in-law, but I haven't been able to find the yarn I want to use.

10.) The sun is shining - hey, hey, hey ....

I guess I better actually try to get some work done. Later ...

WONDERFUL NEWS !!!

I have such WONDERFUL NEWS !!! My sweet baby received her acceptance letter today from the Governor's School of the Arts !!!

HAPPY DANCE, HAPPY DANCE !!!

Out of over 1,600 applicants from Kentucky students, she was one of 200 to be accepted into the summer Creative Writing Program.

She will be leaving the day after my oldest daughter's wedding, June 21st and will spend 3 weeks at Transy.

To say her Daddy and I are proud is a total understatement. This is something our entire family has been praying about since just before Christmas. To finally have the acceptance letter in hand is pure excitement.

The Morning After LOST

SOME LIKE IT HOTH - Season 5, Episode 13 (#99)

Suspicions about a possible breach intensify after Ben is taken from the infirmary, and a reluctant Miles is forced to work with Hurley when he's asked to deliver an important package to a top Dharma official.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

I enjoyed this episode because we got to see a lot more of Miles' background story. I've been wondering what he has to do with the Island and now I know - he's supposed to hear the dead.

Ah ha moment: Miles is the baby we saw in this seasons 1st episodes and cooky Dr. Chang is his father.



What the hell moment: Okay, another reference to "Do you know what lies in the shadow of the statue?" What does that mean? And who was the guy Miles was talking to? Was he a friend of Ilana’s?

Hubba-Hubba moment: I'm sorry, but I kinda liked the punk rock Miles - the hair and all those piercings - I'm just saying, I'm not too old to appreciate!

Holy mackerel moment: Miles was born on the Island - further proof that not all babies born on the Island die.



Funniest moment: Hurley writing the screenplay for "The Empire Strikes Back" - hilarious!!! Also, the entire scene with Hurley and Miles in the van - they remind me of Abbott and Costello!

What I missed: Once again, I miss Rose and the other castaways; I missed Sun, Frank and Locke; hell, I even missed Ben. And where did Smokey go?

Famous last words: "You're now in the Circle of Trust" - be afraid, be very afraid ...

Best flash back When Miles was a little boy and he found the dead man - I guess this was the first time he had actually heard a dead person talking to him.



Best quote of the night: 4 8 15 16 23 42 ... When Hurley said, "Cause they're building our hatch." Well, duh ... Also when Hurley said, "It’ll help with global warming, which hasn’t happened yet. So, maybe we can prevent it."

I don't understand moment: Okay, I knew Miles and Naomi were on the freighter together, but this was the first time we saw the 2 of them together before the Island. I get that part, but the part I didn't understand is why Whidmore wanted Miles to go to the Island. I know he can hear dead people, but what dead people does Whidmore want to hear? The dead Dharmas, the dead Others, the dead Hostiles ...?? And when she says "the island has an number of deceased individuals residing on it", does she mean residing in graves or actually living on the Island?

Blast from the past: All the Star Wars references that Hurley made - classic Hurley.

Best "pay back's a bitch" moment: You piss off Sawyer and you'll get a smack down ... "Get some rope."

Whoa moment: Whoa, what are they doing with the dead bodies?

And I had to look up the meaning of HOTH - even though I like the Star Wars movie, I'm not part of the fandom.

Hoth was the sixth planet of the remote Hoth system. A desolate world covered with ice and snow, located in the Anoat Sector, a rarely-traveled portion of the Outer Rim Territories, it became famous as the one-time location of the Alliance to Restore the Republic's Echo Base during the Galactic Civil War. It was also the site of the Battle of Hoth, a major engagement between Imperial and Rebel forces.

(Thank you Wookieepedia)

Twin Hills Drive-In

It that time of year again - time to watch movies under the stars. The Twin Hills Drive-In in Harrodsburg, Kentucky will open for the 2009 Season this Friday, April 17th. The box office opens at 6:30 and the movies start at dusk. Where else can you go and see 2 movies for $5.00 ($2.50 for children)??

Opening weekend movies will be:

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (PG)

FAST AND FURIOUS (PG13)

You can check my blog each week for new movies: Twin Hills Drive-In

Or check the official website: Twin Hills Drive-In Theatre

Dark Shadows 2010

According to a post on Shock Till You Drop, there may be life in the 2010 adaptation of Dark Shadows:

"A Japanese press schedule published by Warner Bros., which you can see in its entirety here (unfortunately, it's in Japanese), has the Johnny Depp-produced Dark Shadows feature film positioned for a winter 2010 release. That's just overseas, but it gives you a good idea of when the studio might have it ready for us here in the States."

As you will recall, Johnny Depp bought the rights to Dark Shadows after Dan Curtis - the creator - died in 2006. Warner Brothers will be teaming with Depp's Infinitum-Nihil and Graham King's GK Films to develop a feature based on the '60s daytime supernatural soap opera.



There has been no word on casting, but it is rumored Depp will play Barnabas Collins - be still my beating heart!! It is also rumored that Tim Burton will direct. Depp and Burton working on Dark Shadows - that is a perfect combo in my opinion.

Because I'm a Dark Shadows addict, I am watching for any and all news concerning this projects.

(Photo from Dread Central)

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Way Back Wednesday - Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing is a 1987 Academy Award winning romance film, written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino. The film features Jennifer Grey (pre-nose job), Patrick Swayze, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach.

The movie takes place in 1963 and is the story of a teenaged girl and her relationship with an older dance instructor during a family summer vacation at the Kellerman Resort in the Catskill Mountains. Frances "Baby" Houseman (Grey) is swept off her feet by the sexy dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Swayze). Although her father forbids her to have anything to do with Johnny, Baby finds herself falling madly in love.

Some of my favorite scences include: Baby practicing her dance moves on the boardwalk, Johnny and Baby dancing on the log and in the lake, and of course, the last dance of the movie.

Favorite quotes from Dirty Dancing:

"Oh, come on, ladies. God wouldn't have given you maracas if He didn't want you to shake 'em."

"Look, spaghetti arms. This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don't go into yours, you don't go into mine. You gotta hold the frame."

" I carried a watermelon."

"God, I'm so sick of this rain. Remind me not to take my honeymoon at Niagara Falls."

And the infamous: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

Last dance of the movie. (Photo from movie is copyrighted)

Dirty Dancing won an Academy Award for Best Song - "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes; composed by Franke Previte, John deNicola, and Donald Markowitz. Of course, my favorite song of the movie is "Hungry Eyes" performed by Eric Carmen; composed by Franke Previte and John deNicola .

Dirty Dancing is one of those movies that I have to stop and watch when I find it while flipping through the channels - it never gets old.

Poetry Slam

Mercer County Senior High will be celebrating National Poetry month with a Poetry Slam.

Poetry/Prose Coffee House in honor of National Poetry Month and Kentucky Writer's Day

Thursday, April 16th @ 7:00 in the MCSH cafeteria

The event is free and open to the public

Amazon Fail

I hate censorship! I don't think a certain group of people have the right to tell other people what books to read, what music to listen to or what television shows or movies to watch. Now, censorship has come to Amazon.Com - oh, the shame!! Amazon has started deleting books from the Amazon Rank database, which is going to make it much harder to find certain books on an Amazon search.

Amazon seems to be stripping the sales figures and accompanying rankings from GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender) books, erotica, and romance novels, particularly those with what they term “adult content.”

I learned of this problem while reading Neil Gaiman's blog (a daily read for me). Here is his link plus two more:

Neil Gaiman

Making Light

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Although I love buying books on Amazon BECAUSE of their huge selection, if this problem isn't corrected soon, I will have to look elsewhere for my books.

Sunday's Seven Wonders - Victoria Falls

VICTORIA FALLS

(* The main falls of Victoria Falls)

The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) are located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are not the highest or the widest in the world, but are the largest. Victoria Falls is one mile wide and 360 feet high, forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world.

Above the falls the Zambezi River flows over a level sheet of basalt and into a shallow valley surrounded by low and distant sandstone hills. The river is dotted with many small island, which increase in number as the river reaches the falls.

(*A view of the First Gorge during lower water levels)

The falls are formed by the full width of the river as it plummets in a single vertical drop into a transverse chasm 5604 feet wide. The depth of the chasm - the First Gorge - varies from 262 feet on the western end to 360 feet in the centre. The only outlet to the First Gorge is a 360 feet opening about two-thirds of the way across the width of the falls on the western end, where the full volume of the river pours into the Victoria Falls gorges.

(*The Eastern Cataract, on the Zambian side)

There are two islands on the crest of the falls large enough to divide the curtain of water even at full flood: Boaruka Island (or Cataract Island) near the western bank, and Livingstone Island near the middle. Additional islets divide the curtain of water into separate parallel streams named, in order from Zimbabwe (west) to Zambia (east): Devil's Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls (the highest) and the Eastern Cataract.

(*The "Smoke that Thunders" during the rainy season)

The Zambezi basin above the falls experiences a rainy season from late November to early April, and a dry season the rest of the year. The river's annual flood season is February to May with a peak in April. The spray from the falls typically rises to a height of over 1,300 feet, and sometimes higher, and is visible from up to 30 miles away. At full moon, a "moonbow" can be seen in the spray instead of the usual daylight rainbow.

(*The Devil's Swimming)

It is possible to swim at the edge of the falls in a naturally formed safe pool, accessed via Livingstone Island. The Devil's Swimming Pool can be accessed when the river flow is at a safe level, usually during September and December. This is possible due to a natural rock wall just below the water and at the very edge of the falls that stops their progress despite the current. (There is a YouTube video of The Devil's Swimming Pool at the end of this post)



The two national parks at Victoria Falls are relatively small — Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is 16,309 acres and Victoria Falls National Park is 5,683 acres. Next to the southern bank of Victoria Falls National Park is the Zambezi National Park, extending 25 miles on west along the river. Animals can move between the two Zimbabwean parks and can also reach Matetsi Safari Area, Kazuma Pan National Park and Hwange National Park to the south.


(Victoria Falls, shot from the Zambia side of the waterfall in December 2006. Original Guitar Music provided by David James Stuart. Copyright 2007)


(YouTube video of The Devil's Swimming Pool by schroederlol - July 24, 2007)


*(Photos licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License unless otherwise noted.)
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Momma Cardinal

Here are some pictures of the Momma Cardinal who had made a nest in the Mulberry Tree outside my bedroom window. The first one is a little fuzzy because we shot it through the window to prevent scaring Momma off the nest.



Of course, the flash scared Momma, so this is a picture of the two speckled eggs in the nest. It has been a week since she layed these two eggs, so I guess this will be the only two she lays. Notice the bits of plastic and yarn she has incorporated into the nest. This time of year, I put snippets of yarn on many of my trees and shrubs for the birds to use on their nests. It is fun to see what yarn shows up in the nests.



I'll be keeping you updated on the progress of the Cardinal family. I haven't given the Momma a name yet, so if you think of a cute name, let me know.

Evening With The Mountain Keepers

(Edited to add: this piece was published in the Lexington Herald-Leader on Monday, April 13, 2009)


After almost backing out due to anxiety (and all those of you with social anxiety know what I mean), my daughter and I attended UK's presentation of "An Evening With the Mountain Keepers." I had really been looking forward to this program, mainly, at first, because of Silas House, but after the program I left with an awareness and passion for the elimination of mountaintop removal.


(Photo by Vivian Stockman - is a picture of Kayford Mountain located 35 miles from Charleston, West Virginia, the State Capitol.)

This program was to bring awareness of the destruction - not only to mountains and property, but to personal lives and families - of coal retrival by mountaintop removal. Growing up in the Bluegrass region, I've read many books, essays and papers on the problems facing Appalachia, but I've always thought of it as a problem for others to worry about. I could not have been more wrong!

Erik Reece was the MC for the evening and he began by reading a brief passage from Lost Mountain, a book showing a year in the vanishing wilderness of radical strip mining the the devastation left in Appalachia. He highlighted ways engaged citizen writers have worked for decades to make disturbing environmental and social justice a forefront to the public eye.

Frank X Walker - founder and editor of Pluck! the Journal of Affrilachian Arts & Culture, a magazine whose mission is to continue extolling the Affrilachian aesthetic, “making the invisible visible” - read one of his poems, touching the true heart of Appalachia. Judy Sizemore read her original poem, "The Badlands of Kentucky" and George Ella Lyon (another favorite of mine) and Anne Shelby both read some of their original poetry.

(Photo from The Mountaintop Removal Road Show )

Dave Cooper brought us his Mountaintop Removal Road Show - a slide show highlighting the impacts of mountaintop removal on coalfield residents, communities and the environment, and features traditional Appalachian mountain music and shocking aerial photos of decapitated Appalachian mountains.

Public Outcry! - an anti-Mountaintop Removal acoustical artistic collaboration bringing together music, words and images to educate people about this extreme coal mining method - performed several songs.

(Photo by Herschel McKinley)

This group includes: Silas House, Jason Howard, Jessie Lynn Keltner, Kate Larken, George Ella Lyon and Anne Shelby. The name of there group was taken from a phrase by a congressional supporter of mountaintop removal, after killing a "Stream Killer Bill" for several years in a row. To paraphrase what this Congressman said, "This is not an important topic; there is no public outcry."

Something's Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal is a wonderful new educational book by Silas House and Jason Howard, and they both read excerpts from the books, with Silas being the last speaker of the night.

(Photo by Herschel McKinley)

I bought this book before the program started, mainly because of Silas House, but after hearing these men speak, I was moved to tears. I read three chapters before nodding off to sleep last night.

There were several special moments of the night for me: meeting Silas House and Jason Howard (and having them sign my book), meeting Frank X Walker, Anne Shelby, and George Ella Lyon, and having Gurney Norman (KY's new Poet Laureate) sit right in front of me!

But the highlight of the night for me was a man I knew nothing about before last night. Larry Gibson is a West Virginia activist who has been fighting coal and mountaintop removal for the majority of his life.

(Photo by Herschel McKinley)

He has been featured on CNN, Nightline, and People Magazine and he travels all over the United States trying to educate people about the devastation coal removal brings to communities, lives, nature and wildlife. Keeper of the Mountains Foundation was created to help fund Larry's efforts to preserve and foster the values of mountain culture. I could have listened to this man talk all night, he was that powerful. I was moved to laughter and I was moved to tears, but most importantly I was moved to action.

Do you still think the "little people" don't have a voice concerning mountaintop removal? These folk are here to provide otherwise. Call your congressmen and women, call your legislators, call the governors of Appalachia, call President Obama. As a point of reference, since taking office in January 2009, the Obama administration has already launched a crackdown on mountaintop removal by moving to delay or block mining permits damaging Appalachian communities and ecosystems.

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Identity Theft

This week's Fun Friday falls on Good Friday, so Happy Good Friday and Happy Easter! The Holy season is upon us again, but for most Christians, every day is a Holy day. Instead of getting philosophical during this special time, I decided to interject some humor, after all April is also National Humor Month.

So, this Easter season, beware of identity theft - it lurks around every corner ...

The Morning After LOST

DEAD IS DEAD - Season 5, Episode 12 (#95)

What was with the horses in the first scene? I remember Charlie or Hurley or someone having a "vision" of a horse in the 1st or 2nd season, but I don't remember any other reference to horses on the Island.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

So Ethan was with Ben when he stole baby Alex - that was a new bit of info. I felt so sorry for Danielle Rousseau, but it was kind of shocking to learn that Ben actually had a heart at some point in his life. I thought it was creepy when Ben told Danielle, "When you hear whispers, run away." And Charles wanted Danielle and Alex both killed - why?? What's his connection to Danielle??

Sun and Frank are waiting in Ben's old house. When Ben and Locke finally arrive, they show Ben the 1977 group photo of Dharma - the one with Hurley, Sawyer, Kate, Jin, Miles, and Jack. Ben geuinely looks shocked! And what's with the hieroglypic-covered drawing on the wall of the house? Makes me wonder if the original occupant of the house might have been Jacob - guess we'll find out later. I guess it was understandable for Sun to think Jack lied to her about Locke being dead, since he's now standing right in front of her.

And what's with the gross dirty bathtub/pond thingy that Ben drains when looking for Smokey? And then he say, "I'll meet you outside." It seems impausible that Smokey would live in water - but then again, stranger things have happened on Island.

Ah, but Smokey don't play those games anymore and doesn't show up at Ben's beck-and-call. Ben doesn't know where Smokey is, but Locke does - hmm. This really gets Ben's goat - he can't stand it that Locke knows something he doesn't. My favorite line of the night is when Locke tells Ben: "Now you know how it felt to be me."
They arrive at the Temple, but they aren't going inside, they're going under it. When Locke sends Ben in to meet his judgement, Ben tells Sun: "Find Desmond and tell him I'm sorry. He'll know what you mean."

I was so afraid my fears about Penny were true, but alas, as many of Ben's plans go, he was unable to kill Penny. After shooting Desmond (but only wounding him), he points the gun at Penny, but hesitates when he sees little Charlie. Yes - then Desmond beats the crap out of Ben and throws in in the ocean! I was so afraid Ben had killed Penny. Thank God Desmond was only hurt!

Ben finally comes face to face with Smokey as the black monster flowed out of the vents under the Temple and made judgement on Ben. Then Smokey took the form of Alex and told Ben to follow Locke's every order and command. I bet Ben crapped his pants! I know Smokey is the one to pass judgement on the Island, I just wonder if he/it is able to correct the time changes on the Island?

Frank goes back to the other crash victims and is asked the question: "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" It looks like Ilana is now the leader of the 2nd plane crash victims.

Ah ha moment: Learning Charles broke the rules and left the Island numerous times - had a child (Penny) off the Island. So this is how Charles was banished from the Island. "I'll be seeing you, boy!"

Holy mackerel moment: Ben apologizes for killing Locke by shooting Ceasar - remind me to never ask Ben for an apology!

What I missed: Still missing Rose and the other castaways. Also missed the goings on in 1977. Where is Daniel Faraday?

Famous last words: "You're alive."

Best flash back Seeing Ben interact with a 4 year old Alex.

Heart wrenching moment Ben has a heart - he couldn't kill Danielle or Alex.

New Mystery of the night: The hieroglypics on the wall in Ben's old house and on the Temple wall.

Unbelievable of the night: Smokey manifesting as Alex.

Best quote of the night: "As long as the dead guy says there's a reason, I guess eveything will be just peachy."

I don't understand moment: How do Ben, Locke, Sun, Frank and the rest of the gang from the 2nd plane crash can co-exist on the Island with the 1977 Dharma group?

Smokey alert: He's under the Temple, not in the Temple.

Best "pay back's a bitch" moment: Ben being ordered by Smokey to follow ALL of Locke's orders.

Whoa moment: Seeing Desmond beat the crap out of Ben.

(Most pictures courtesy of LOST Media.)
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