The Crazy Is Strong In This One-Barron Brown

   When people die, Barbara Bush, John McCain, and ask that you do not attend their funeral, the crazy must be strong in that person!! ( Thanks B.)
    Forever, I remain baffled at the silence of the Republican Party, and the people that picked this man to be President! Few people would recognize God, right in front of them. Yet they use his name, when talking about God and their Country. The Crazy is Strong In this kind of person. This 40% of humanity, I want to shake you, and ask, " What are you not seeing?" but the crazy is too strong.
   Maybe that is too broad a stroke of the brush, BUT....he is not even allowed at funerals, or the opening of Target Stores!!
   OK, political rant, over, I don't have the strength. I truly am not going to march on Washington, but I will be heard. Even if I happen to be the only one listening.
   The country has very much the demeanor of a gum chewer, and its tacky. Put some guns in all hands, it is a bad combo. ( guns can also be a metaphor for just crazy thoughts too, bullets come in all ways)
  OK, maybe my rant is not over......
       I remember early in May, sharing with you, the speed of which I knew Summer would fly by. Now it is the end of August and anxiety sits pretty near me, the cool kiss of fall, go away!!
I like to read, in the hammock on the back porch, during the summer months, and just last week, I yelled ( sweetly) to Bill (hubs) can you bring me a blanket??? He screamed, " NO, that is insane!"
" My feet are cold" we are hollering like hyenas. He was in the front study/computer room, working??? " Cover your feet with a pillow!" Me, " Oh, I will be OK, this is just the beginning of the chill!"  He did not reply. Is knowing winter is coming better than not knowing?? I guess it is all a personal feeling. Summer is just a wee moment in time, and I need her to stay.
    We celebrated all the summer birthdays, I love all people born in the summer. Both of my boys were August birthdays, so forever I like to tell them, of the misery I was in!! My feet would not even go in flip-flops!! August 21, 84 and August 26, 81, my beautiful baby boys, so happy you were out of my body!! Love you, MOM!!!! My baby girl, Emma turns 30 this September, and my two Step son loves, are Feb and June birthdays!!! Those baby boys are 45, 44 and pure wonderful. Five children under my roof, I am a lucky girl. Now 3 grandsons later, and they all know, Uma needs summer!!!
   Bonnie, Momma, Uma also needs people to think long and hard about their political choices. Maybe all our choices, count to 10, do some research, look at the big picture, BIG PICTURE!
The Crazy Is Strong In This One, you can fill in the blank.
   I going to grab my own blanket, and go read. Well, I feel like painting, so maybe I will head downstairs, and bring a sweater!!! Just to have!!!
   It is a hot sunny day, I may just go stand in the yard, and soak it up....Crazy lady standing in yard, its strong in this one also!!! Its a southern thing, we just write about it.

Deep Dish of Aretha

  I was born very comfortable in my own skin, even as a little girl. Being me, was pretty much, a

good deal. No big visions or desire for change, until.....Diana and Aretha.
  I did not want to be a , back up singer, I wanted to be them. Diana's ultra thin body, I pined for and Aretha's voice!!! I honestly use to pray, to morph into these two angels of soul.
   It was never in my cards to be thin, I had Aretha's ta-ta's!! could I at least get her voice?? God were you listening to me? I can not even carry tune, but I have the spirit of the Queen!  So I feel blessed, danced like Diana, ( maybe better) and belted a song like Aretha, and prayed no one was listening( OK, that never stopped me!!)
    I love Aretha Franklin, she commanded attention, it came to her. She soaked up the entire room, and owned the stage. I saw her many times, but it is never enough. 76 years is not enough, but is it ever? I guess not. She was human and above, and graced us for a pretty long time. I honestly don't feel comfortable with her not on this earth. Where did that voice and style go off too, all that energy. She is silent, but she is not. We are wealthy with what she left behind, her music, her voice, even her soul may be hovering over us for a time. Giving us an OK, to let her go. To soar with R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
  She may have laid down her crown, for a new one. She empowered us to reach high, a single mother at the young age of 12, 14 an abusive husband. Many addictions, and baggage galore, she rose above, shined a light, her light. Human rights, human love, human being, she will be missed.
 Paul McCartney said yesterday, " She was the Queen of our souls."
      Amen and Amen, Precious Lord take her home.
      P.S. She could wear a fur like none other!! ( stay away PETA!) she earned everyone!!! Full Mink Tilt!! Awesomeness, Go Retha!!!

Wandering Mind, What???

   Still on my Happiness course, last week she talked about simple kindness, making us happy. I do hope I know that by now, but it never hurts to be reminded. She, the professor with the cute chair, also said, " A wondering mind is an unhappy mind?" I sat up straight, and told her, "Sister, I am not on this train of thought!"
   I am one of the most happy people I know, and my mind is a wandering fool!! I can be still as a corpse, but my mind is in constant motion. ( another reason, I sleep so poorly) I have three books going right now, and just finished two. I saw one half of a play last week, and visited a spot that was so special. I text and visit with friends daily, paint, clean, cook, garden, shop online!! Listen to music, rearrange furniture, watch my Wyatt, write letters to my Adrian at camp, check on mom and dad daily!! Laugh, a million times a day, watch TV, go to movies, concerts, sometimes all in one day!!!! And I blog, to release some of this circus in my head!! but my spirit and physical body, are calm as a cucumber. I pray all day, and night....and I am happy. Does my life have bad things going on, daily!!
All around you and I, things can be horrible. Cancer, Addiction, loss of people, living and dead. Worry and fear can consume me, in a jack-flash minute, happiness keeps the demons in check.
I truly don't know why everyone is not happy, dancing in the streets.Think about baby goats!! that will make anyone happy for a minute or two. Books, books and more books, research, google, to be present in this moment. Not looking at yesterday or tomorrow. People and their talents make me happy, Owls make me happy. A wandering mind works for me. Whatever works for you, do it, and pass it on!!! Reading Eleanor( another name for BA) Oliphant, it is wonderful. Reading Back Lash, by George Yancy, every white human and others, required reading. Rick Bragg's book The Best Cook In The World, Tales from Momma's Table, its a jewel, southern and dripping with bacon grease, delish!!
 Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crosley, fantastic essays, and pearls of wisdom. Here are a few.
      1. You are who you kiss good-bye
      2. Jewish guilt is no match for teenage entitlement.
      3. When the basic becomes exotic, you're in trouble.
      4. What the mind really is, is Tupperware container full of leftover noodles!!!!!
      5. You don't stop being who you are when you reach a certain age. You know that, right?
  I have so many highlighted, I can not stop, OK two more.
      6. Because periods are refugee camps for all nondescript maladies
      7. No one needs to know you have a full life with almost no cats!!!
Happy, Happy, Joy, books.
      Also finished David Sedaris new book, Calypso. I love everything he writes, I think he is my relative and friend.
      I realized something last week that made me so happy, all my friends make me laugh. Either I have attracted funny people,  or I make them laugh, or both. Dr. Bill was with me and two girlfriends for an overnight trip, and on the way home I told him, "Thanks for going with me, I know we girls suck up the space and air in the room!" He said, " I love to listen to you, and see you laugh so hard with your girlfriends". ( we seriously never stop talking and laughing) I love all of my friends, they make me happy, my Harvard professor ( she may be from Yale, I forgot) needs to tap into that happiness juice.
   Now to end my purge of a wandering brain, last week, I felt like a tingle in my chest. I was on fb just trolling, and several times, it was a jolt to my chest. I looked around I thought maybe I was sitting on something that was vibrating?! Like someones phone, or TV remote. I grabbed my rib area several times, and figured I was one ambulance ride away from a heart attack. I got up, walked around, nothing, sat back down, was rubbing my face, and it happened a tingle in my face, I looked at my hands and there it was, MY NEW FITBIT was trying to tell me all kinds of things!! Damn why did I ask for a new one for my birthday, with all the bells and whistles that I hate. It was electrocuting me, my heart rate, my lack of a million steps, texting info, lord I thought it was my time!! and I hollered, now that is happy!! A purple fitbit, and no heart attack or stroke at this second!!
  Enjoy your Sunday, make happy come to you, and share some with others. GO on Amazon and order Dee's Nuts, another happy thing this week. The Dill pickle and Banana pudding nuts, had me falling out with happiness, I promise you, a game changer.
   Love you
     B

BUT, I am on TV!!

  Happy Birthday to me, I love being able and here on earth, hitting 66 today. 66 sounds like soft serve ice cream, 65 not so much!! Just say them out loud, 65 is crass, 66 smooth and gentle. Being a Leo, I have a very strong personality, many strengths, and huge weaknesses! Lucky for me, I turn 66 and if feels wonderful, at least for this minute!! As Homer says, "Do not buy green bananas, you may not see them ripen!"
  He is special, that is a fact!! and Mom would say, " You are just like him!" I hope she is talking about his sense of humor, surely its not his glass is half empty and its full of S*it!!! I love you daddy.
   Just this morning, a friend of mine, sense we were about 3, reminded me of how much we love the Beatles, PPA they are playing as I type. We absolutely grew up with the best music, and Jesus!!
   I have received gifts from the heart, I love when people have known me so long, know my insides!! and outs!! Thank you Susan for my hankies, everyone should carry one with you, or you are not from the true south. I love you so much. Jane Anders, the Photos from New York, and Studio 54, there are not words, only you and I know the true story, and it may be embellished!!! Not every human gets to have a party with the Village People, and live to tell it!!
    I just can not be more blessed then to have so many beautiful people, that I love in my life.
Near, far, old and new, have touched me, made me the person that I am today.
    Now back to my blog!!!
    Yesterday in the nail salon, just chatting with my people, a tall woman, blasts in wearing exercise clothes on a Living Large body, ( I have yet to see anyone look good in exercise clothes!) All the nail peeps were busy and one lady was waiting. She comes in holding her middle finger up, loudly saying that she needs that particular nail fixed and a polish change. The nail lady, said it would be about thirty minutes. With Three pairs of false eyelashes on and many hair extensions, this not demure woman, says, But, I am on TV. I looked around the salon to see if we were on TV, because this was the funniest thing I have ever seen. To her it was not funny, she again, said, "I am on my way to the TV studio, this has to be done." Where is my camera/phone when my nails are wet, she left in a huff, still so upset about this one nail!!  We all looked at each other and howled with laughter, what was that, but a housewife from Atlanta?? Don't they make enough money to have their own nail person come to their house?? or better yet, nail person at the studio!! I hope to goodness, they have a personal stylist, because sister girl was looking bad!!
    The lady next to me, said, " but that is what is wrong with the world, so entitled!?"
    I ever so politely said, " that is not entitled, that is no manners, crack crazy person, in exercise wear, and no gym membership!"
     I reminded the girls that my birthday was the next day, and thanked them for my surprise gift, of my blog title. I will find a time to use it, and no one will know what I am talking about, but me!!
    That is a rare gift, that keeps giving. Thank you Atlanta Housewife, I turn 66 today and all of my nails are done.
     Thank you all for all the cards, gifts, love coming my way, I feel it, appreciate it, and know our dots are connected somehow. Its a beautiful thing, maybe they should put that on TV!!