One of our JU regulars, Gene Nash, is having a rough time at the moment.  Link His cat, Fuzzy, ill seriously ill, and Gene's doing his best to get Fuzzy the treatment he needs...but it's expensive.  From what Gene's said, he's already used his rent money to help pay for Fuzzy's vet bill.  Karma has already volunteered to help out financially, and I'm going to as well.  Can you help too?  Gene hasn't asked, and I'm sure that he WON'T ask...but I will. ...

I've been playing Jake's recorder, and I;ve been doing really well.  i just have this ability to hear a tune and then pick it out on the recorder without reading the music for it. However, the recorder is a little juvenile, so I've been thinking about a clarinet.  I know they have a reed in them and that those can be tricky, but from what i can see the fingering on a clarinet is a lot like that of a recorder. I've found one for $30 on eBay...and the bidding ends in an hour a...

Pure Nerd 69 % Nerd, 39% Geek, 34% Dork For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd . The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart le...

My daschshund is having what my mum would call 'a funny half-hour'. He's running a circle around the coffee table at top speed...ears flapping, toungue hanging out, little stumpy legs pumping away.  He's occasionally breaking his circuit to bounce off the loveseat, ears flying out like wings as he launches himself towardds the floor again. The cat's slunk under the coffee table and is reaching out every so often to swat at him, which just sends him further into this frenzy he's got hi...

I'm officially stir crazy. Staying home all day every day, having to rely on someone else to take me places...it's driving me nuts.  Yes, I have my knitting, and yes, I have my books, but.....they're poor substitutes for human contact.  I went and played secretary/gofer for my husband this past weekend and yesterday evening, and I forgot just how much i enjoyed being involved in the judicial process (even if it is in a miniscule kind of way).  I really had a good time h...

A few years ago, my husband's grandmothers sister (which would make her my great aunt) was put in an nursing home.  She was in her 80's, and had recently suffered a series of strokes which had left her unable to care for herself. Dave and I were over visitng and offered to take grandma to see her sister.  We trooped into Myrtle's room, expecting to see her sitting up in bed, watching TV or reading - at the very least we expected her to be aware of her surroundings. What we fo...

The home visit didn't happen this weekend, but I did get a lenghty email from Beau's 'mom'.  I sent her a lengthy one back, and we exchanged pictures and have decided to meet next Saturday at her home - on Beau's home turf.  Just Dave and I are going; if all goes well at this initial meeting she'll bring Beau to our home to meet the kids and Henry the following week. I'm really getting a feel for her....I think that she and I are going to become close even if Beau doesn't get to com...

A couple of weeks ago I asked you guys to pray for my mother in law who was going to have a hysterectomy. She had her surgery on Thursday and although she ended up having a total instead of a partial she's doing well and will be coming home today. Thanks to all for the prayers and the vibes and the thoughts!

I'm having a hard time with Buddhism lately.  I mean, the precepts are wonderful, but.....I'm a scrapper at heart *winks @ LW* and that just doesn't jive with Buddhism. I've been reading and thinking about Hinduism a lot lately.  I can dig the trinity they have - Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, creator, protector, destroyer.  It's a lot easier to swallow the concept of three separate deities, each representing a single facet than it is the Christian god who destroys cities, drown...

I said that if Ellsworth was removed from the BRAC list, I'd write a letter to the editor of the local paper ( www.rapidcityjournal.com ) I just sent this off: 'So, Ellsworth has been spared once again.  Is the attitude of the local community towards the military going to change now?   My husband and I were stationed at Ellsworth for 9 years.  It wasn't until we got orders and moved to another location that we realized just how poorly the personnel at Ellsworth are treat...