I'm A Patsy - Gotta Problem With That?

Tuesday, June 29, 2010


Charley doesn’t like the news either

Lately I haven’t enjoyed reading the paper that much. The news is not good anymore. Or was it ever good? Now it’s all about the horrible oil spill in the gulf that’s ruining the water and the marshes, killing the wildlife and wreaking havoc on the people that make their living there. The pictures of wildlife covered in oil are heartbreaking as are the stories of people who have lost their jobs and have no idea if they will ever get them back or if this is the way it’s going to be. And the oil just keeps on pumping.

And the other news about the little boy who’s been missing for several weeks and all the people involved in looking for him. I thought things sounded sort of fishy from the beginning, but we may never know. And the news about the Supreme Court giving us all the right to own a gun which I think is laughable. It’s supposed to be so that we all can have a handgun in our home for self-defense. The last thing I want in my home is a gun! Our country seems to be leaning more and more to the right – we’re almost all the way there. I’ll bet Wayne La Pierre of the NRA is jumping up and down and clicking his heels right about now.

Things in Mexico are so bad because of all the drug business. And where do they ship the drugs? To us! They just murdered the front-running candidate for governor of a Mexican border state. Four people in the car with him were also killed. Nothing seems to stop the violence there and I imagine it will be going on long after I’m not.

Our boys keep getting killed in Afghanistan every day. Sometimes I forget why we’re even there, and then I remember. George Bush declared war on Iraq and sent our boys there. But he never finished it and left the whole mess to the next president, Obama, who gets blamed for everything happening or anything that ever happened. Bush left the country in a mess and now Obama is trying to clean it up. But rather than getting credit for what he’s doing, the republicans blame every damn thing that happens on him.

Charley doesn’t seem to like the news much either. He must have heard me reading the news aloud the other day and hid behind the log. But he came out right away and jumped in the bird food and had a ball.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010


Cindy’s Mother’s Day gift to her mother – Me

It’s taken me a long time to write this because everything had to be in place before I could. When Cindy was in New York visiting Teri, she bought some things for her store, “Brownie Morrison,” in Tacoma. She told me about some of them, and right away I said I wanted to buy one. She had met an artist on the street who was showing some of his work. That’s the same thing I did when I was her age and visiting in New York! The artist, Skye Ferrante, is a sculptor and has shown his work all over the world. He uses dark-annealed steel tywire, used frequently by ironworkers, and aluminum armature wire. I don’t know what any of that means! All his works are made, as a rule, using one continuous strand of wire. He was commissioned to do a fine wire portrait of the then democratic nominee for President, Barack Obama, and it was presented to him on the 6th of September in New York City. So Cindy picked one of his pictures she thought I would like and sent it to me for Mother’s Day. I loved it!! It’s a girl with curly hair and all made of wire.

Cindy had framed it but it wasn’t fastened well, so I took it to a framing place and they fixed it. Then I had to figure out where to hang it. But first I took a picture for my blog. But I had to take many pictures as it had to be just the right angle. So I took some and had them developed, but they didn’t look right so I took more. I finally settled on one and am using it on this blog. I then hung the picture on the wall behind my couch with other pictures. But you didn’t get the right angle with it there, so I put it at the end of my couch and took down the picture of a woman that we always called, “Daddy’s Girlfriend.” The woman is beautiful with long, black hair hanging over her breasts and wearing very little. It’s not a porno thing – it’s an old print, and if Daddy had wanted a girlfriend, she would be ok. She looked like my mom. But Daddy didn’t have a girlfriend. I am certainly digressing, aren’t I? I put “Daddy’s Girlfriend” up behind the couch and my Skye is where I can see it from the couch and everyplace in the room. That necessitated my moving the end table with a big lamp to the other end of the couch where the floor lamp had been, so now I have a clear view of the lady with the wire hair. I almost forgot, I had to move the floor lamp out as there was no room for it and it was ready to disintegrate anyway. But I think it’s all done now. I love my picture and love Cindy for getting it for me. I love her not just for the picture, but for herself. I’m so very proud of her and so happy she’s mine.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010


Harry’s 8th grade graduation

I was in New York for both of his graduations. I don’t know why they have two, but it was fun. The picture above is of Harry, the blond, and his friend, Jason. I took many, many pictures during the second event, but they were all from across the room and it was crowded. So those pictures no one will ever see. While I was there I realized how Harry is not the little kid I used to push on the street in a stroller. He’s not quite 15 yet, but so much more sophisticated than I was at that age – even at my age now! I remember him hailing a cab when Teri was holding him on the sidewalk in New York when he was about 2 years old! Now he just takes off and jumps on the subway and goes wherever and comes home whenever. He has a cell, of course, but sometimes it’s not charged so no one can reach him. Could that be intentional? I am amazed at his confidence and the way he seems to be interested in so many different topics. Needless to say, he isn’t what I was at that age which is good.

I remember some things about my days in grade school at the country school I attended. Not many kids, but I knew them all and liked them. My brother and I walked to school – about a mile – and no one worried about kids getting snatched and disappearing. I think the most exciting thing that happened to me was when Kumeo Iwakari spit chocolate all over my face as I was swinging below him on the monkey bars. Also when Jimmy Hasegawa kissed me in first grade. I cried and had to go in the coat room until I recovered. Another time I was on the playground and noticed some writing on a big tree. It said, “Fuck the Finns!” I was Finnish and there were a lot of Finns in that area. Some people thought we were all rich! We were all farmers – has anyone ever heard of a rich farmer? I don’t think so. Anyway, I went home and told my dad what I read on the tree, and he rushed over to the school. I don’t know if he cut the tree down, but I think he made himself heard. We never heard anymore about it, and he never told me what that word meant. I still don’t know! Maybe some day someone will tell me. You can see how different growing up in those years was than it is now, especially in a big city like New York. Everything moves so fast – you have to jump in the car really quickly and jump out of it even quicker. If you don’t, someone honks. I don’t do anything really quickly. The traffic is horrendous and cars move in and out and honk if you don’t move. I couldn’t live in a place like that. But my family seems to thrive. I can’t believe how Harry is so at ease there. I wish I were younger and could do more things there, but I was happy today walking to my pet store on the quiet street to get peanuts for the squirrel that has adopted me in my absence.

So, Harry, I’m really proud of how you’ve turned out. Your parents have done a good job with you and will continue to do so in the years to come. So be good to them as they love you more than anything in the world. And I feel the same about you. Congratulations on your graduation and may there be more in the future.

Monday, June 21, 2010


A night out in New York City

I recently spent several days in New York visiting my daughter, Teri, and her family. They are now living in Brooklyn where they bought a co-op which is not unlike a condo except for the fact that they are now part owners of the building. I don’t own any of the buildings in my condo building . . . in fact, I don’t own all of mine yet. There’s obviously a difference there. I loved their new home and the way they had decorated it. While I was there, they took me to a big gathering in New York City – a dinner and fundraiser for the Ghetto Film School which gives scholarships to students going on to colleges. This was their 10th anniversary they were celebrating. The students learn all about film, directing, writing and everything connected to story telling. The entire evening was very interesting. I didn’t know until that evening that Teri was on the Board of Directors and had contacted Sherri Shepherd to be the master of ceremonies. Sherri was very funny and livened up the evening considerably! Lee Daniels, director of the film, “Precious,” was there and spoke as he is very involved with the Ghetto Film School.

I even dressed up for the occasion. The picture above is of Mark, Teri and me. I can't remember the name of the other woman, but she was very nice! I’m the one with the black strap hanging on my body. Actually, there was a pretty little purse at the bottom of the strap which you can’t see. It sort of looks like I was on a leash of some kind! Maybe I should have been as I’m not accustomed to going to such gatherings with celebrities, and Teri could have thought I might go ballistic at some point. But I held it together except when I remarked to Jack, who works with Teri, and I said something like “What am I doing here?” or “How did I get here?” I apparently scared him as he asked Mark if I were having a senior moment! But Mark reassured him that I’m always like that. My questions were actually rhetorical, but Jack was not aware of the way I think. But is anyone? I was just thinking that I usually would be at home at that time sitting in my “home clothes” watching “Glee” or “Law&Order” reruns. But I had a really good time and will probably never mingle with people like that again. I was so proud of Teri and the work she did for the event. But then, I’m always proud of her.

I’ll write about Harry’s 8th grade graduation in my next blog which I attended back there. There were two! I can’t remember my 8th grade graduation, probably because we didn’t have one at my country school. Many things were different when I was young including me, and I still am. I’ll also write about the Mother’s Day gift Cindy gave me which I love and is right up my alley. I wanted to mention that so Cindy wouldn’t call me or e-mail me saying, “I knew you liked Teri best!” My girls enjoy torturing me.

Sunday, June 06, 2010


Charley

I’ve written about my sparrows and finches several times, but now I have two squirrels! I don’t want them – they just appeared. I named the first one Charley and the second one Charley’s brother – no name. They seem to have made my deck their second home with all the bird seed readily available to them. They aren’t scared of me, so I tried to think of something that would scare them. I couldn’t get an air horn or whatever those loud horns are, so I used a whistle which didn’t bother them in the least. Lately I’d been running out and screaming at them and chasing them under my deck door at which time I’d continue screaming as they ambled up the street. Then I bought a squirt gun and filled it with vinegar, but they didn’t mind that. Then I used soy sauce and they didn’t care. They managed to get the bird seed no matter where I put it. I finally took the picture above of Charley sitting in the bird feeder. The other picture I caught him running but he looks like he’s flying. I like that picture. Two mornings I’ve seen them from my window in my bedroom as I was getting dressed. So I’d go screaming out on my deck with my wet hair sticking straight up and dressed in a t-shirt and black panties! That didn’t seem to scare them either, but I think it scared a man across the street as I screamed, “Get out of here!” He looked at me sort of funny which was ok as I looked sort of funny. He was gone before I could apologize.

The Finches, as I call the husband and wife team, had many babies, and they all come in a group and eat together. I love watching them. However, that all ended yesterday as I had had it with the squirrels. I just couldn’t stand them in the bird seed when the birds should have been there. So I called the Audubon Society to see if there were people who trap the squirrels. She said there were, but when I asked her what they did with them, she said she thought they sent them to the little squirrel heaven up in the sky as they aren’t indigenous to this area. I was thinking maybe they would take them to a little park where everyone loves squirrels and even feeds them by hand like I did until one bit me a few years ago and I had to go to the doctor for a tetanus shot. But I couldn’t go along with the squirrel heaven idea, so I walked up to the nearby pet store and bought a bird feeder that I now have hanging from the roof of my deck. So yesterday afternoon, all the finches came swarming in and couldn’t find their feeder on the floor. They flew at my glass sliding door and could see me sitting right inside. They fluttered their little wings all over the place and kept flying toward the door. I felt like Tippi Hedren in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, “The Birds.” They are getting adjusted and using the feeder, but they still look at me through the door and turn their heads and look at the new feeder. I think they hate me now.

Charley and his brother were here nearly all morning. I went out once and was shooing them away and one jumped up on the ledge. He walked down to where the new feeder was hanging and looked up. He looked at the railing like he was wondering if he could jump from there, but I don’t think he could get a good grasp on the railing. He studied it for a long time until I scared him away. I wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way to get at it, but there’s still plenty of food dropped on the floor, so they don’t need the feeder. I’m hoping the birds don’t peck their way into my living room and peck me to death like they tried to do in the movie to Tippi. Things were quiet around here before I started feeding that one little sparrow, Larry, during the snow storm of 2008. I felt so sorry for him, and now look at what I brought on myself!

Wednesday, June 02, 2010


Gymnastics, Dancing and Corn

I spent the last few weeks with “Dancing with the Stars.” I don’t usually watch reality shows . . . in fact, I never do. But I watched this one because I wanted to see how long they’d keep Kate Gosselin, who has about 85 kids, on the show. I was getting scared that the crowd might vote to keep her on even though her dancing was crap. Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed and they knocked her off. But that wasn’t the end of her. She loved the mic and was on many entertainment shows and even back on “Dancing,” hogging the mic and giving her two cents’ worth if anyone would listen. Why would someone like that even compete? I guess because they like the publicity and don’t do well without it. People are crawling all over themselves to be on that show. They even wanted to force Betty White to be on it! Fortunately, she declined. And the show, “Dance Your Ass Off” – who in their right mind would consider appearing on a show like that. Apparently people like it or it wouldn’t be on TV. Maybe that’s why I’ve never been asked to produce a show. I must admit I watched “The Good Guys” – the new Fox show – for the fourth time last night – the same episode. I hope they come up with a new one pretty soon.

The picture above is of my daughter, Cindy. When she was younger, she took gymnastics for a few years and was very good. I think that picture was taken in front of where I’d planted some corn which never produced. I later learned I had to have male and female rows or something stupid like that. Cindy worked out hard, and we even had a balance beam built for her. We put it in the middle of the floor in our family room. Teri was pissed and thought we should put it in the basement, but the floor down there was concrete! That didn’t seem to bother Teri at all . . . hmmmm . . . interesting . . . So we had this thing in the middle of our family room, right in front of the couch where I had begun sleeping at night. So one night I tripped over it when I was getting up to go to the bathroom. I scraped my shin, and boy oh boy, did that hurt! Cindy gave up gymnastics in high school, and I was so glad as I was about to be forced to sleep in a bed again. I was a nervous wreck when she was competing as the sport is extremely dangerous. So then she was on the rally squad where all she had to do was jump up and down and scream. Maybe if they’d had “Dancing with the Stars” in those years, Cindy could have been on it. She knew all the moves – all she had to do was dance. But it might have helped if she had a story to go along with it when she applied . . . say she was dancing for a new kidney or a new vagina, or was dancing with a prosthetic leg . . . no, that’s been done already by Heather Mills . . . or maybe she was caught in a sting and was now broke and needed the money . . . no, that’s been done already by Fergie, not the Black Eyed Pea Fergie - the Duchess of York Fergie who I’m sure will soon be on DWTS. I guess Cindy would have had to do it on her own. But she didn’t do any of that. She just grew up normally into her own, crazy creative self and opened her “Brownie Morrison” shop which is just as crazy and creative as she.