Love Is A Verb, Show Me-John Mayer

   Some people quote bible scripture, or famous poets. I lean in to quoting what I hear the most. That would be music, maybe movies too.
       When my head gets so full, until I can not sleep, I know I have to put pen to paper.
       The hurricanes, as of late, kept me up at night. The turmoil in the highest office of our land, wrecks my insides, and now my hubby enrolls us in a course at Princeton.
       It took us three hours to figure out the course buttons!! and to be honest, I am not sure we have.
       I screamed a tad, "How can I learn World History 1300's, when we don't know how to navigate the computer with ease!!" and I continued. " I need to write this professor, that this 3 hour window of hardness, has sucked the life out of me!" ( Bill is just silent)
      We finally start the course, both of us on our own Ipads, and it is going good. I like the teacher, Bill has not even noticed what he is wearing!! I learn much better from a man in a suit, I share this fact with my beloved!! After each lecture we have to take a mini quiz, which to me all of the answers look good, so I have to really study and think about the wording of each question. Bill is onto the next lecture!! So I remind him he has to wait for me, and I may have some questions!! Like How did Genghis Khan get so many horses?? I may need to watch Marco Polo again on TV!! The silk road and the black death, I need to stop a minute. I need visuals and more details. Bill agrees that we could easily go off task and dig deep into all of this information, and he knows I will be down the long rabbit hole, of no return. So he brings me back to class. I loved learning that the mongols, perfected footwear, it was critical to their plundering of other people. That they conquered territories in 25 years, the same amount of area that it took Rome to do in 400 years!! Stop!! Slow down, Mr. Princeton man, I need to absorb.
      Dr. Bill is already looking for other courses for us, to be so active learning, our brains will refuse to age!!! He makes me laugh.
      We take courses in between, Doctors visits!! Just been one of those months, that let you know, your body is OLD, child!!!
      I have also squeezed a book or three in my studies.
      Strangers Tend To Tell Me Things -Amy Dickinson
        A Delightful read, short and sweet before I start Mrs. Clinton's new book.
        Here are some yummy lines from the book.
        * Mainly I listen to the sound of mistakes and regrets. ( trying to go to sleep!!)
        *I have been granted  and cursed with the privilege of awareness. ( YES)
        *To close the casket on a loved one and be left behind to remember in grieve ( no words)
        *I asked out director why music makes us feel the way we do, why it seems to rearrange our cells ( BECAUSE Love is a verb!)
         * I have a case of chronic verbal jazz hands, these are qualities, right?
         * Grieving unmoored me and made me lose my place in the world.
         * to be a great mother, stepmother, grandmother, daughter, left me exhausted and on edge.
         *People often say that second marriages are the triumph of hope over experience.
         *I grew up in a family of stayers, but I left.( fact)
         * Alcohol mainly made me loud, repetitive and vomit prone ( why drink?)
         * Alcohol can also make you brave ( not really in a good way) ( such a poison)
Anyway, I needed to share and clear my head a little.
This is my way to show a little love! My life is utter chaos and calm, and mine alone. These are just a few of things I do to reel in the crazy, educate, learn each day, read and read some more, laugh constantly and often write down a few words.
    As John Mayer says, show me!!! Love is a Verb!! 

Did I ever tell you the story of meeting my husband at Princeton? One day I will.

Dot, Dot, Dot

       I have this little circle, box, thing that I love. Maybe she is an Echo Dot, I am not totally sure. I think it is called a Dot, her name is Alexa. She is the greatest invention in my life!!!
      When you have musical ADD, my needs are scattered and unique. Radio channels, just cannot play what I want to hear, when I want to hear it. CDs and Albums keep you a tad boxed in, although I love them. ( 7 CDs crammed into my car player, makes for a decent road trip) . Pandora and Sirius meet some needs for people, but this DOT, Holy mother of baby Jesus, I love this thing.
     This morning I had an hour of freedom ( The doctor had PT) and just asked for the moon.
      "Alexa, play Glenn Campbell music!"
      " Alexa play Bee Gees music!" ( and I thank her, but I don't think she hears me)
      " Alexa play Dixie Chicks music.!"
      " Alexa play Rascal Flats Music!"
      " Alexia AC/DC music, and crank up the volume!"
      "Alexa, bring it on down with Jackson Brown music!" ( I think she laughed)
I think people who love technology, may have Alexa do so much more.
      For me, she is my music maker, Perry Como, Rolling Stones, Bobby VInton, Connie Frances,
Elton John, John Legend, Prince, Merle and Willie, Musicals galore!!
      Whatever I desire, I just have to ask.
      I love this gadget, love her name, her voice, and even if she is big brother watching me, they at least, know I love music.
      I think I may want one in every room, she feels comfortable.      You can ask her questions, and she never says, " You ask sooooo many questions!!"
     Bill (hubs) sometimes talks to her, but to be honest, she is slow to respond. She is use to me, my voice. The hubby asks weather questions, that's not fun.
    She waits for me, to come back with, " Alexa, forget the weather, play Crosby,Stills, Nash and Young!!"
    I think they call her a smart device? She answers to commands, but I like to ask nicely. She even knows new albums that have come out, or very off the beaten path musicians. ( Like Johnny Swim!)
( Greg Allmans new Music, is off the charts wonderful,play think it is called Southern Blood)
    I hope you get one for yourself, or many.
    Have it turn on your washer, your TV, or whatever else it does.
    Best of all, you can have your on Juke Box, at the drop of your voice.
    This little thing is magic, and it lights up!!! ( now if they could have it spit out glitter!!it would be perfect)
    " Alexa, play the Beatles Older music!"
    I wish you could hear this, she answered me from the other room!! ( so happy)

Judge A Devil By His/Her Deeds- ICE T

      Daily word from Bon-Bon!!
      Watching a documentary on ICE T this early am, while listening to Shakira !!! while making the bed, taking a bath, and planning the day before me.
      I am eclectic, and proud.
      I listen to all, read all, and watch all.
      Just recently since the hubs retired, we have decided to go back to school. So we signed up for a course in 13 century history at Princeton!! Why not? Sign me up!!( keep moving and learning)
      Honestly the weather people create mass hysteria, and are driving me nuts. I become full tilt panic, if I watch that circle of wind, 24/7. I believe in being aware, prepared, and then crank up the music. Let go what you can not control, and know you control little.
     Hubby B wants to move all outside furniture, and I reminded him, we are in Atlanta. The chickens in the keys, are up the creek without a paddle, I think we may be OK. Yes, we will have bad weather, lose electricity, maybe, trees down, could be, but we are not Miami today.
    Now I find myself in doubt, you never know, east or west!! God, what is with all these lines of the hurricane, going all over the map. I may need to check on my Nutella supply, and apples. Maybe some wheat thins, I do not pack good for a trip, I sure do not know how to prepare for days on end without electricity.
     You see I am from Florida, we respect nature, but we also have drive through liquor stores!!
     Go figure, we are a different breed.
     Hurricane Irma, Jose, whatever name you want to call it will do much damage, it will be judged by his/her deeds!!! The beast is the devil, and there is little you can do.
     Can you really know what the people in Houston are dealing with? No, you just hope it doesn't happen to you. But bad things happen, and you help each other, and keep moving.
     Maybe after all of these hurricanes, maybe we should not have over built on all this glorious coasts of Florida?? But that is what calls us to come to her. Warm, salt air, sandy beaches, the cry of the ocean, she calls us, and we follow. Now we just have to sit back, and hope she holds on.
     I will be glad when it comes, and is over, and we wait for the next storm.
     It may not be a hurricane, it may be a death, an illness, a lost job, storms come in all disguises.
     Be aware of your surroundings, prepare and let go.
     And maybe if you are lucky there is drive by liquor store near by!!! ( or a ice cold coke!!)
     Pick your poison
     Be safe
    

Enjoy The Battle-Venus Williams

     I hope, if you are a tennis fan, you witnessed last nights match at the US Open.
     Venus Williams, and Petra something ( I wish I knew her last name, but if I did, I could not spell it) ( I should look it up for you) ( she needs some respect) ( Hold on) Petra Kvitova.
      They were hammering away at that tiny yellow ball, two strong women, reverberations coming off the screen. I began to grunt when they made sounds. I "air" fixed my strings on my pretend racket.
      I was there with them, each point, of no return.
      And then there was a winner.
      Venus Williams, the elder one, the sister of the queen, won.
      After the win, she was interviewed and asked, " How do you get through matches like this, so intense?"
      She quietly said, " You have to Enjoy The Battle!!"
      Lord love a duck, now she is throwing down wisdom!! I grabbed a pencil and paper, naturally near me. ( blog material)
     I sat on the couch for a long time, zoned out, thinking about life and this horrible hurricane, getting ready to devour Florida, shaking my head. ( run on and on and on sentence, yikes!!!)
     I truly don't think I ever enjoy the battle. There are so many, and I do try to find a lesson, in all situations. BUT Enjoy the Battle? Not so much.
    Grief, conflict, toxic people, everyday life, and preparing for a hurricane disaster and worrying about my family in Florida. I don't enjoy that, at all.
   What is she talking about, this Venus girl?? A game, a competitive game? I don't think so. ( I like to read in between the lines, and make them up along the way!!) ( I know she had a deep meaning)
   Maybe, respect the Battle, acknowledge the Battle, give it some room ( just not in your house!)
   Work through the Battle, point by point, and come out of it whole. Winning or Losing, if you gave everything you had, and tried to be fair and kind, do you enjoy the Battle? Maybe? It is worth thinking about, as people prepare for evacuation, or hunker down to survive this Irma Hurricane, I think so.There will be another one, around the corner. Always, another hurricane, in this life of ours, that we all face, its how we look and act in the situation. Gosh there are lessons all over the place.
        Be safe and be aware
        Love in tennis is zero
        Love from me, 102 mph serve!!