Fifty Kitties

It is an absolute beautiful day today. Barry and I took off on our bikes. We stopped by the lawnmower repair shop and the owner yelled across the room, "the gear box is not in yet!" So we rode across the street to look in the windows of the mysterious building called Whiskerville. Low and behold we saw over 50 cats in the fist window we looked in. It was something to see. As we were cupping our hands around our eyes to get a better look, Barry's watch reflection on the inside wall caught the attention of more than 15 cats. We had the best time watching them all look to the left and then to the right as Barry moved his watch. They had a real nice set up for living. A lot of high perches to sleep on as well as cabinets with drilled entry holes to enter a dark sleeping place. Plenty of kitty litter boxes. There was a rocking chair, too. And each window had a place to sit and look outside. The cats followed us from window to window. We never see the owners on the premises, but it is obvious someone is taking good care of them.

We then headed to the park. We found it harder than usual to pedal today. We made it to the Skyline Drive and enjoyed a rest on a bench overlooking the Bay. An old man without a shirt walked by. His boobs were bigger than mine. I got tickled at the thought of putting on an old-man-mask and walking without my shirt on. :) It was fun coasting back down the levee and riding through a different neighborhood on the way home.

Now it's time to watch the Bold and the Beautiful. Felicia might die today....

A Night to Remember

Wow! Tonight Barry and I went to the College of the Mainland to hear the Reverend Samuel "Billy" Kyles (recipient of the Tennessee Living Legend Award) give his eyewitness account of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. It was truly a moving experience. What started out to be a trickle of people turned out to be standing room only. Pastor Jones from Galveston gave a heartfelt and true to life rendition of the "I Have a Dream" speech. He was fantastic. I found myself self-consciously dealing with tears rolling down my cheeks. Before he spoke, a 100-year-old black woman by the name of Mrs. Edith Randolph, from the Sunlight Baptist Church in Galveston, slowly made her way to the podium and sang a moving solo. They both received a well deserved standing ovation.

We didn't think the keynote speaker could top those two, but he did. He encouraged the young people to clean up the environment, take full advantage of achieving an education, and to register to vote. The thread to his speech was a statement that Robert Louis Stevenson made to his mother after she asked him why he kept staring out the window, "I'm watching that man poke holes in the darkness," he said, as he watched a man use his ladder to climb light pole after light pole and light each of them. MLK represents the man and his ladder poking holes in the darkness. He was assassinated in an attempt to squash his "dream," but instead, as this witness to a crucification said, "...thousands of little lights began poking holes in the darkness, hallelujah, hallelujah, halleujah..." and now his dream is being lived.

To think I would not have known he was speaking here if I hadn't checked the paper today makes me sick. He and MLK, Jr. were friends and fellow preachers. Rev. Kyle and Rev. Abernathy spent the last hour with MLK before he was shot while standing on the balcony of a hotel looking down at and speaking to Jesse Jackson. keels shares that fine speaking ability that MLK had. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed his speech and his spirit. He is truly inspiring to the young and old.

I feel genuinely blessed to have been in the presence of such a special and unique man.

The Race

"The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, but time and chance happen to them all" Ecclesiastes 9:11 NIV

The introduction to the book of Ecclesiastes in the amplified bible states that wisdom, education, knowledge, pleasure, happiness, power, influence, and religion have lasting value only insofar as man relates all of life to God.

hummmmm. I'm not so sure about that.

Many of the treasured (lasting value) writings of humankind were written by philosophers who did not relate all of their life to God.

Lasting value must refer to eternal value. Lard, lard, lard. There's that eternity thing again.

I can't help believing that life is worthwhile whether there is or is not a God.

A Pigeon and a Hotel, Gone

Today's walk proved interesting. Walking down 2nd street toward Texas Ave., while we enjoyed looking at a tree full of pigeons, we heard a pellet/b.b. gun and watched as the pigeons flew away; all but one. I looked around a bit nervously to see where the shooter was. I never saw him. The pigeon lay dead on the nice brick patio of an expensive home. I felt vunerable to whomever might want to kill someone from their living room. We kept walking. All along I had been hearing a boom noise in the distance. This boom was getting louder. The closer we got to Texas Avenue, we saw it. A big cherry picker tearing down an abandoned hotel from back in the day. I wondered if Dad had delivered groceries there when he was young or visited friends or relatives there. I held the dogs outside the bank as Barry took care of our banking business. I watched from the bank parking lot as the cherry picker gently nudged each wall to assist in its collapse. It was loud and exciting. We walked passed it on our way home and bid our farewells to a part of TC history. I noticed Sammy limping. I checked his paw and a sticker was lodged between his pads. I pulled it out and he was happy.

Two Little Pictures & a Pig Mug

Two little pictures and a Pig Mug made me happy today. They caught my eye at the newly opened resale shop down the street. Barry and I stepped into this new shop while on our daily walk. I knew immediately when I saw them that I would be back to buy them. By the time we got home we were tired. Barry lay down for a nap and I jumped in the car and headed back to the shop. I went straight to where they were, picked them up, and headed for the cash register. The fat smoker lady commented on my fast shopping. I guess she didn't remember me. I brought them home and washed them in some fresh hot soapy water. I am now drinking some hot green tea from my pig mug (each pig is posing differently with some balloons). Earliar with B's help, I hung the two little pictures in the bathroom above the commode. This is a unique place for a picture I thought since a large window takes up most of the room above the commode. Including the frame, the pictures are about 9 X 7. The frames are a dark red. A white border surrounds a multitude of pastel red, yellow, white, blue, and green depicting a man pushing a white (Target) dog with a black spot on his right shoulder in a wheelbarrow as another of the same type of dog is following him, but his black spot is on his right hip. The man is white with black clothes on. The other picture is of a woman, also dressed in black, leaning on a white shovel next to a huge white dove, as tall as she is, with pencil thin legs. On the other side of her is a birdhouse, complete with a gray bird pirched on its ledge, atop a tall skinny white board. There are tall skinny flowers sporadically placed around. I wonder if these are well-known pictures or just some unknown artist. I can't read the artist's name, but I like his or her work. :)

A Day in the Life of

Today Barry and I were a part of the unveiling of a Texas Historical Marker. A year or so ago we went to the University of Houston-Clear Lake to hear an author speak about his book concerning a civil war battle in Galveston. Today the local paper reported a ceremony at the gravesite of Lt. Comdr. Edward Lea was to take place today in Galveston. The author was to be there to tell the story of Edward and Albert Lea, son and father on opposing sides of a civil war battle. The son, Edward, was aboard the union ship that was the center of the battle. He was mortally wounded. Before he died, his father, Albert was allowed to board the ship (the confederates had won at this point). They exchanged loving words. Edward was buried with both union and confederate soldiers in attendance and his father spoke at the funeral. His words were read today amongst costumed sons of union and confederate soldiers holding musket guns and flags. The union soldier representatives gave a 21 gun salute and the historical marker was unveiled. Dignitaries including Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson were in attendance. I enjoyed walking between the soldiers before the event started. I felt the power of the uniform. :) I also enjoyed talking with two older ladies who sat in front and behind of me. The one in front had an unexpected nose bleed and the one behind me provided the Kleenex for her. I was the middle-man.

Barry and I went to eat at the Shrimp and Stuff place. We each ate a shrimp Po-Boy. On our way out we ran into Lee Blanton as he and his mom and dad were walking in. We greeted one another and he suggested we drive by his brother's house where they were working. We did as he suggested and found it to be a huge historical home with a lot of work to be done.

We then visited the Rosenberg library which turned out to be something to see. A museum resides on the second floor showcasing art work and photography of Galveston during the 19th century. The building itself was my favorite thing to see with its large wood doors and windows, round wood tables, unique reading rooms, and fantastic wood curving staircases.

It was a very nice day.

Fester and Rot

Happy New Year.

Harnessing time was a grave mistake. To not be aware of time would be my new year‘s resolution if I made one. Time is making itself known to me these days in awful little ways: barnacles, brown spots, white bumps, fatty tissue, wrinkles, isolation and loneliness to name a few. I do not like my life as it is at the moment. When I feel pretty, I want someone to notice. When I am lonely, I want someone to be with. This is not too much to ask. But who wants to ask?

Today is my 9th wedding anniversary. He is watching football; I’m lonely and forgotten. No presents, no date. Just football. I’m angry. I feel cheated. I’m loosing my self, my identity. Who am I these days? I feel invisible. I’m frustrated. Why should I tell him my feelings just to see him hyperventilate at the thought of a deep emotional confrontation. Forget it. I’ll just fester and rot.

Why did he ignore me today? Is it because I suggested that we move our wedding date to June because I was tired of sharing our special day with football and New Year‘s? Did he actually take what I said as the way it was going to be? If so, how about telling me so! I’m so sick of our communication problem. Neither one of us can communicate our deep feelings with each other. Why? We are both sick-o’s.

Fester and Rot. Those would be perfect nicknames for us.

I bought some books with a Barnes and Noble gift certificate I received from Kent and Melissa. I’ll choose to be happy and I’ll go read.