Sidetracked Charley

Self portrait in mirrored ball My Auntie Boo had one in her garden. It was blue. I was fascinated with it. I was also fascinated with Auntie Boo. She really wasn't my aunt, Mother told me way later, but just a dear friend of my mother's we called Auntie. Decades later I would meet my long lost cousin Judy, and she would tell me stories of her Auntie Boo, who really wasn't her aunt. All sources of more knowledgeable information were gone by then so we could never prove our Auntie Boos were one and the same people. But I like to think so. It isn't a far leap to imagine my Aunt Zelma, Judy's step-mom, and my mom and Boo friends. When you are young full names and addresses never occur to you to horde. She lived in a very old house in an old section of Kansas City, and she had this garden she seemed on the edge of losing control of. And in this garden was a blue gazing ball on a pedestal. I was enthralled with how it distorted the world around it. Auntie Boo'...

Photo by J. Binford-Bell We had the most delightful spring weather last week. Of course the calendar says it was still winter. And now that we are at last to the Vernal Equinox and the first day of spring it is snowing. Will snow much of this week.  Had to go to the long term forecast to get to a day of high 50's and all sunshine. The weekend will be wonderful they say. I don't know why I am concerned that the seasons seem so off time. They often are here in the mountains of New Mexico. Not unusual to get a real dumper of a snow storm in April. April 25, 2011 I am just so ready for spring. And rain. I want to hear rain on the roof and watch the grass outside my studio green up as I look. But I have more firewood to burn. I only ordered a cord this last fall because I wanted to work through all the old wood that seems to linger in the far back corner of the woodshed. Looks like I will do that. Then this fall I can begin again with three new cords. I am not the only ...

Winter Forest by J. Binford-Bell  Winter returned this week in measured doses. It shared time with spring. Yesterday it snowed about six inches and melted by afternoon. It did that about five times. Snow then what locals fondly call Mud and Flood. It seemed a good time to do taxes. I hate doing taxes. Even though I pay someone to do them for me I have to prepare the year to take in. I can generally get the that done in under four hours even counting clearing off the library table to have a place to sort the receipts. My disgust with the process last year resulted in a desk top box with very visible folders to sort things into as received. That helped. A couple years before I had developed a spread sheet with all the necessary categories listed. That is also a great help. This year, however, I still hated it. I had an epiphany though. I think what I hate is reviewing the year on a monetary level. I have mastered cash flow but not cash stay. And it always amazes me in hindsig...

When I first bought my house I had all sorts of grand plans to remodel and renovate. Time and money are silent regulators of such plans. For a while I was moving along like gang busters though as is my nature not on a single track. Working in one room seemed to necessitate things with another.  And frankly shit happens. Events - a long time renter moving out - made it necessary to devote time to the attached duplex apartment so it could be rented to provide revenue. And the studio addition did not go as planned time or money wise and I ended up having to devote energies and finances to completing it so it could function as it was attended. Then the economy took a nose dive. Contractor I dismissed sued me for work he did not do. I was in the midst of doing my bedroom when all that happened. Carpet had been ripped up, walls half resurfaced, computer and computer desk shoved into all free space left. Hell, I only slept there I thought as I patched and repainted living room c...

Window Shopping Here we are at the end of February. I had hoped to have my duplex unit rented by now. But I don't. Fortunately the universe has been providing the extra money I need to make ends meet if just barely. It would be wonderful if I could sustain and grow that extra income and get the duplex rented to reliable tenant. Spring is beginning early it seems and there are things I want and places I would like to go and I am tired of the static of winter. I want to bloom and grow and branch out. Though frankly I haven't a clue about the direction I want. I know I need to wrap up some things that have been hanging out and then propose a plan for myself. At my age can it be long range? Or should I stick with 5 year segments. Still there are days that 5 years seems very, very long range. And not all that desirable with my current budget frankly. Having lived through the best of the economy I am finding the worst of the economy oppressive. News reports say there are hop...

Mount Rushmore When I went to school, sometime shortly after the dark ages, we had Washington's Birthday and Lincoln's Birthday. The south never celebrated the latter for various not-forgotten-history reasons. And at some point the federal government thought it made sense to put holidays on Monday. The only holidays not effected by this move to maximize the three day weekends available in any calendar year were the 4th of July (which for obvious reasons is always on the 4th) , Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Commerce loves this trend because it gave rise to the Monday sales event. And so on this day ads abound for Washington Birthday Sales. Lincoln has been forgotten because it does not promote well in the south. And perhaps it is appropriate that this day be known for huge sales in the name of our first president because he was also the father of the expense account . . . and padding the expense account. Lincoln, btw, was our 16th president and the first Republican...

Frost and Fence by J. Binford-Bell It has been a strange day. And a strange February. It began with freezing fog and frost on a variety of surfaces creating a winter wonderland. Then it began to snow but the temperature was 37 F and it melted and dripped from eaves and trees. Now as the temperature drops ice sickles are forming. February has been a series of such storms if that is the word for them. None of them have given us more than an inch of snow which has lasted for only a brief period of time. Still it is moisture. But February is generally a lot more moisture. It and March can be when we get the biggest snow falls. Snow that comprises much of our mountain snow pack to prevent fires in the winter. Everyone already is taking of a hopefully wet May to make up the difference. The weather bureaus seem as daunted as we do. Yesterday the forecast on NOAA was for snow through Wednesday though only an inch a day. Now there is no snow forecast beyond today. Definitely climate...