went outside to get fresh pics of the new flowers. no big deal, really, just thought it would brighten seans day to post some. there is a skin on the outside of the buds before they emerge. it looks like a spider skin or something cause it is brown and has hair-like stuff on it.

some one dropped a cat off by our house during mardi gras. {ie: a kid wanted to bring the cat to a parade and of course mom (or dad) think, "oh, a nice neighborhood, i'll drop it off and somebody will take it in."}

when it showed up on mardi gras...it showed up with bells on. it had a collar and a bell collar. another neighbor or local child took the collar off, poor thing, it's nekkid now. we were hoping the owners would come back and get it.

so in the meantime, it's been trying to eat the birds in the back yard. it does this great chittering (opens and closes mouth really quick and jittery and a ticking sound kinda comes out) thing when it sees the bird. almost got one today.

i broke down, against better judgement and felt bad for it (not being able to catch any food/drink) and knew i had to get pictures of it so i can post on phone poles for an owner or new owner...

i fed it some science diet that our cats won't eat. and it was even after that, that it tried to get the bird. i'm thinking, "wait, you just scarfed, how can you bound after a bird on full belly?"

not sure if it is a girl or boy, haven't checked. assuming it is a girl and guessing it will get prego soon...need to find it a home...QUICK. it is very lovable, longer-haired than my cats. white on the underside, black dot on bottom of foot, grey/white/black striped on top. it purrs, rubbs, and has a sweet mew. doesn't seem to get underfoot, seems to know better already. it's small with pale avocado eyes.

yup, watchin the dune thing on scifi this week. looking forward to riverworld (where you go when you die). found a link to some outfitters, too riverworld. also looking forward to the shannen doherty scare tactics show (tricks on friends).

thinking the idea of these buildings is pretty cool. they don't include any prices, but they have a drawing going on for a 10x12 ($1900) s-model building. i've already entered twice. figure it would make a good shed/workshop.

i can visualise having a wonderful morning with homemade scones and coffee, outside, watching the birds. but i still have to make the scones, and the poptarts thwart my mission. one day i grabbed some milk/cereal/bowl/camera, headed out to try and get a down tha road sunrise picture. couldn't find a place that would have yielded a good picture, so i headed back towards home. stopped at a park on the main strip. ate there.

must rummage thru stored food today to further empty out the freezer. seems i take one thing out and then turn around and put 5 more things in. we went shopping last night. got a camp shovel (11. on the todo list), plastic edgefence incase we need to seperate our yard(13.). must check out big lots for the new tent and fishing poles and more boxes.

so, we made the trip to go visit his folks yesterday. before easter we have to bust our butts and get stuff done. then the next month mom's day and padre's day we'll do a visit.  if we get stuff done before summer, then that would mean we will have the summer weekends free and we'll end up taking our big trip in september, for my birthday. probably head thru texas. sean really wants to go to big bend again. i wanna go somewhere, in the middle of nowhere and go canoeing.

things we have to finish before selling house:

1. garden areas
   
2. front roof
   
3. back roof (only shingles=easy)
   
4. paint upstairs
   
5. window dressings/coverings
   
6. new window for upstairs
   
7. new sink, counter tops and a backboard in kitchen
   
8. fix sink drain upstairs
   
9. chair rail in bathroom
   
10. sand and paint front and back doors
    
11. paint remaining window and door frames and trim
    
12. paint ceilings
    
13. fence between houses (still pending)
    
14. insulation (still pending whether we need it or not)

the good stuff that isn't about the house that is on our todo list:

1. oars and life vests
   
2. canoe rack
   
3. canoe
   
4. fishing poles
   
5. table saw
   
6. router
   
7. sean pencam-$35 variety
   
8. fishing liscenses
   
9. sean brake job
   
10. new tent
    
11. camp shovel
    
12. survivor tool/bandaide keeper/compass (academy)
    
13. more boxes to pack out-of-season clothes in
    
14. more driftwood to make staircase for future dome home

other than that h-mom gave me two more cook books...i guess i officially really do collect them now. need some veggan books still. must post the recipe for scones(below that, a link-substitution cook chart):

2 cups allpurpose flour (and thensome)
1/3 cup sugar(and thensome)
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 TBSP chilled, unsalted, cut into 12 pieces, butter
2/3 cup dried fruit (blueberries/cherries)
1 cup heavy cream

400 degrees. combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. add butter. blend until like course meal. stir in fruit and cream. let rest 2 minutes. flour surface, throw dough on. dust flour on top dough. press to 1/2 inch. use 3-inch-wide, floured cookie cutter (like a heart shape). place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. sprinkle with extra sugar. bake about 15 minutes, until golden brown. makes about 12.

sub list (on review page) came from here, i didn't have heavy cream, was looking to see if i could sub with powdered milk, and i can! and here were more conversion and such, worldwiderecipes.

i burnt my tongue on a bowl of chili. got white lumps on it. can't really feel much. glad i spewed it directly back out of my mouth instead of attempting to swallow...then i would have burned my throat! stopped off at baskin robins afterwards. went to the river and picked up some drift wood for some miscellaneous table i'll build in the future.

went thru who i sub to and vice versa. if you read me and i accidentally deleted you, lemme know. pretty sure i just got off dead accounts. still must go and see some of my newer readers that i hadn't realised stopped by, thanks!

working on putting tons of pictures together for a little 'your life flashing before your eyes' type of graphic. we make too many pictures since they came out with these digital cameras.

gaw! forgot to get spidey with the photobooth!!!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. friday, anyone?

yes, i'll take several, so you don't have to come back.

das es right, chilicookoff again, how will i taste-test all 200 or so chili's? one spoon at a time.

neighbor is just being aggravating now. come back from a walk last night and it's like 'what up', and neighbor dude is like a broken record "it alright if i park here?" i don't care what anyone else says, he is just trying to play games. he knows it is fine to park in the street. we only said we didn't appreciate them parking between the houses (leaving a ditch on the side yard) and pulling through our front yard (of grass, water box, and gas main) to get to thier yard. when we move this will be such a stupid, distant memory.

speaking of distant. last night i overheard a story being told to a friend that was over last night. i had completely forgotten about the incident. after going fishing sean and i where letting one of the fellow fisherpeople get a ride in the back of the then-truck. qwe heard a gun go off. dude is sittin in the back, juicin' up, and firing off a pistol. i had so pushed that out of my head.

once, living in the city, i tried to open my window. it broke, the neighbors called the cops, two cops came in, thought we were burglers and held us at gunpoint.

this other time i was driving in 'da parish bra' and i got tweedle dumb and tweedler dumber fighting over which gas station they wanna go to to get cigarettes...so i slam on the brakes, in the road. undercover cop screaches next to me in his black tint mobile, pulls his gun on me and tells me to "get out of the car, NOW!" (it was like 3am, no one on the road).

death: i want to buy a fish this weekend...so i can gut it
sean: okay.... what kind of fish?
death: i don't care...anything that needs to be gutted
death: i'm in a guttin mood
sean: LOL
sean: HIDE, CRASH - HIDE!!!

i haven't gutted a fish since i was 5, ok, maybe 7. if i go on a camping trip with a certain someone...i want that someone to know that i have no qualms with using a knife on flesh, including his. this person...i am not the only person who thinks this person is a little off and don't trust him. but i love his spouse, so i will bear him. but he seems like the type of person who thinks the division of male and female jobs are a lot more divided than they are. i so don't know this person that he gives me the creeps, he cannot hold a conversation with me, he brushes me off, acts like i am not worth talking to. i don't trust people like that, especially when they marry someone i love. so, if he is some sort of sociopath (is that the right term?), i will not be taken down. yeah, i know, i may sound a little paranoid.  but, hey, i'm still alive, eh? anyhow, supposed to be planning an excursion, and the name of the place given wasn't a common name for it, so that sends paranoia up my spine too. there's a lot of things in this world you can't QUITE put your finger on and understand them... i will slice anyone who comprimises the life of my hunni or myself, neck to trunk.

lol, i even commented i felt uncomfortable eatting his food as well, so we'll pack our own, thank you. and i know, "why are we going somewhere with a person we don't trust", because he married one we love and do know, who we don't want to turn down. i want to give this person a  chance, but they just keep diggin thier hole deeper and deeper everytime we meet.

beware the questions you ask for they may not lead you to answers you want.

walmart...those greeters/as-your-walking-out-checkers (if you have stuff not in a bag here as you are leaving, you have to get your receipt checked).
lady asked me my business. at too early in the morning. she's like,

"you look tired...you work last night?

(i said "no")

and she continues..."why are you so tired?"
(this lady does not know me, but i did notice her in the parade crowd in my neighborhood;sidenote).

don't like lying. don't like being mean. so i told her.
"started my period last night" and said it loud enough.
i mean really, what if i had been in charity hospital all night with my innocent, by-stander-got-shot-friend-who-died?
i'm just kidding! but really, check the stub and set them free, walmart people. some people are anti-social, if we don't know you, chances are we don't feel like saying anything except,

 "can i go now?"

we're talking freezer items, melting...no chit-a-chat

went bike riding this weekend. after picking up beignets and cafe au lait from cafe du monde. wrangled up some plant beds in the back. kitchen spackled. picked up some of that black and white film from the way-back time, for the 35 mm...got a picture of the RAT that is still in the back. picked up some bulbs...they were less expensive than getting full plants...probably won't actually bloom til summer and fall. they should be pretty, if you like yellow. got some oriental hybrid lilies and dinner plate dahlias. gunna check out those insta-heating pads they have now...figure one would be nice to throw in the camp gear box, just in case! the insulation is going to cost a lot, maybe we can do less than we'd planned or something (front rooms first). it really is the PERFECT time to go camping down here. can't do it this upcoming weekend, but wondering about the weekend after that if it just a one nighter. haven't been able to get out to the last couple canoe places yet. still need to decide on jeep rack (probably for mine), must order it.

***must remember to get tiles and miter saw from sp+br, will get it back that next weekend. think he wanted to take apart a couple things and resaw them (t.v stand, some mini shelves) 

thinking about growing grapes...saw them at lowes last couple times. Q and A on grape growing, history of pontchartrain vineyards. checked out some other stuff: usda plant hardiness zones map, and the iloveplants pages.

from a tulane health bulletin:

Grape Potential Beneficial Uses: maintain capillary integrity, improve peripheral circulation, act as an antioxidant to scavenge free radicals, prevent and treat cancer.
Possible Side Effects: none known.
Anti-Cancer Action: In January 1997, a group of scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago, described how resveratrol (a grape skin component) prevents cancer in test tubles and in animals. Their preliminary tests shwed that resveratrol may interfere with the development of cancecr in three different ways: by blocking the action of cancer-causing agents, but inhibiting the development and growth of tumors, and by causing precancerous cells to revert to normal. -Prevention, June 1997

and here is our version of nunghui...not quite finished, but up on the wall already. ours black bg, original w bg.

Fertilizing & Disease ControlGrapes need to be fed only nitrogen and may not always need that. If the leaves yellow and there is little growth in the early part of the season, they definitely need feeding. Late feeding during the ripening period can force excessive growth and spoil the fruit. Grapes mildew badly and need good air circulation and often treatment with a fungicide. The classic remedy is copper sulfate.

PruningGrapes fruit on lateral shoots on year-old canes. All grapes require heavy pruning to produce fruit. Leave two whole canes from the previous growing season and two canes cut back to two buds. The short canes will form replacements for the others when they are through fruiting. When fruit forms from side growth along this cane, clip the cane off beyond the next set of leaves. You thereby encourage two new canes that will bear fruit the following year.

death: as of about now, i been in louisiana for 14 years.
death: that's almost half my life
death: that sucks poison nuts
sean: ow... not just nuts, but POISON nuts

oke doke. city park this weekend, picnic lunch, yae!

that fern still isn't growing. it's been a week

haven't seen the mouse or the rat this week.

sprayed for termites in the garage. they swarmed me when i went in a couple days and i was like "aw, hell, NO, here, take a shower you winged antthings"

hopefully prepping kitchen and bedroom walls for painting next week. nunghui is almost finished. she just needs a dark green background. but, while we are waiting, i will share the story of the south american nunghui: jivaro people believe a short fat woman, with supernatural powers, introduced manioc to the world. she was respected for this strangeness and her son could make manioc by just saying it's name. nunghui asked the village women to watch her son one day. the local children were jealous of his talent. they broke into his hut, threw ashes in his eyes. which killed him instantly. now this is the part i am confused by...it reads :"the people who did not know how to grow the manioc became desperate. as punishment for letting her son out of her care, nunghui was forced to live underground. "...so eversince, she has been pushing the manioc up from the ground and dances with the roots to make them grow.

so anyways, i was confused cause those people were such ninnies that they turn around and punish her cause thier stupid children were jealous?

there are a lot of other "how manioc came into the world" stories, but this one had a great picture next to it, that's why we made a copy!

yup, mardi gras was mardi gras. sean managed to miss the local neighborhood parade, but i can't just sit in the house all day, so me and the girls (a girl and her sister i know) went out to catch some beads or something...went out twice...in between food...

assholes parked on the yard again. we just ignored it this time....the fence will be going up soon. we thought we could be civil about it, but white trash is white trash and, well, shucks, i'm not gunna be the one who gets popped at for asking 'em to stay off the grass, again.

anyhoo. we got pegged with 4 blobs of silver beads. all three of us were just chillin, sitting on the curb, if something came our way, cool, if not, oh well. we had to duck when that sheet of silver beads came our way. and then, mr. dude behind the girl next to me was mumblin to her...then i heard "camo-girl" (i was wearing my army jacket), so i turned around. now, realise, i don't care about beads or more trinkets to clutter the house. so anyways and i don't like being rude so when dude easked if i wanted his beads i was like "uuuuuuuuh, sure." the girls didn't save me. so he gave me a blob of beads from his neck (eeeew), placed them on me himself. one fancy pieced one came off his neck so he's like "you want this one too?" and i'm like trying to ignore him, but it's like "oooooh, k", so he puts that one on my neck and then tries to swooftly ask my name...like it would matter. i just laughed and i'm like,(xanga:well, now, i can't tell you my real name)'death'. we left soon after that to go check on the dinner food we'd left in the oven. it was stuffed pork and chicken. i think as soon as it was smellable, it should have been taken out the oven and checked, but sean was too busy playing quake. so the stuffing was good and the meat was overcooked. whipped up some papas and broc. and caul.

photobooth, everything i ever dreamed of. i love it.