Marci Kaptur Is One of My Heroes

I almost didn't blog today. I had a tough day yesterday and the mess isn't over yet.
Nothing is ever easy here.

Y'all know that I think a great deal of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. A Toledo gal born and bred, she and I are the same age. She is a no-nonsense champion of the working folk of northwestern Ohio and this country. One could say that she and I went to different schools together as I spent most of my formative years in Toledo. She is a graduate of the excellent all girls Catholic high school to which my parents hoped that I would get a scholarship (I'm guessing she had one because her folks weren't rich either) but we moved to northeast Ohio and I don't think I've ever forgiven them for that but that's another blog . . .

Here's a new video of her on Dylan Ratigan show that further exposes what is happening to American homeowners. It's a wake up call to anyone who has a mortgage or is considering one. It's a very worthwhile ten minutes. One might ask, "It 11 o'clock (or insert appropriate time). Do you know where your mortgage is?" Sad. Raise hell with your Congress Critters!!!



And here she is on Hardball weighing in on what most Americans care about most: JOBS!!! I think she is right on the money -- no pun intended.



Hope y'all are having a great day!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!

Kay

Update

I am here. I finally went to see my doctor yesterday because I still feel like death and she ordered a throat culture. She called later to tell me that I don't have strep and probably just have a virus and that I should just let it run its course. Sooooo I'm here feeling like death, guzzling Theraflu, coughing like crazy, praying that it goes away and sleeping a lot. If I'm not better by Monday, I'm calling again.
Tomorrow it will be a week with this you-know-what.

Here's a video of 280 North to I-75 which I have to drive to get to Barb's:
They don't really drive that fast but it's still an adventure and y'all will 'get' why I'm not nuts about this part of my journey north. (I exit at Alexis just before the Ohio-Michigan border).



Hope y'all are having a great day!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

Home Again

I have returned from the The Great Swamp of Toledo as it was once known and given the political climate there right now, it still is. A Teabagger is attempting to challenge Marci Kaptur but she's holding her own last I heard. Barb thinks the world of her and woe to anyone who says a bad word about her!

It was an uneventful visit. I had a nice drive up via a slightly different route and wound up in Wellington, Ohio which I remember as an average little burg. Now they've restored their tiny downtown and a lot of the homes and it's on the list of Historic Places. I stopped for lunch at a restaurant/bakery on the square and had a turkey club sandwich on a croissant that was absolutely wonderful and excellent cappuccino. Serious yum!

Barb wasn't feeling too well so we didn't run around too much except to go out to eat, a little shopping, and of course, a visit to the cemetery to see Dad's grave. I'm not much into the latter -- mostly because, if I believe what I was taught, he's not there. Mostly we played cards with her buddies, watched the World Series, and talked a lot. I had a bit of a problem with the latter because of her tendency to use ethnic/racial slurs and refuse to accept the excuse that's she's old but I decided that I didn't want to argue and ignored a lot. I choose my fights and that one can't be won. I didn't take pictures because I kept forgetting my camera. I planned to come back on Saturday but Barb decided that she wanted to keep me another day so I acquiesced and called Michelle so she wouldn't worry and asked her to get my mail on Saturday and told her that I'd be home Sunday afernoon.

I woke on Sunday morning with a sore throat and decided that the sooner I got on the road the better. I got out my trusty map and looked for an alternate route that kept me off the Interstates (except for the bridge from hell). It takes a bit longer on the byways but I wasn't feeling well and didn't feel like driving really fast. It was interesting as always and I marvelled at the beauty of the countryside. Central Ohio puts on a grand show in autumn with the many trees sporting glorious shades of orange and gold.

I was exhausted, felt like death and put myself to bed when I got home. The next morning I got up and felt worse and had a cough and a fever of 101 and dragged myself to the drug store for some Theraflu. The latter has helped somewhat but I think I have to call the doc because it isn't getting better. I'm still not unpacked and haven't been on the computer much and I apologize for not visiting or posting. I hope to get around and visit y'all later today but it seems to be time for my nap.

Hope y'all are having a great day!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

On the Road Again . . .

The Kay has been busy with assorted nonsense -- my days have been consumed with bureaucratic baloney, trying to organize some things, politics, and packing. I am heading up to Toledo on Tuesday to visit my stepmother. I always enjoy my trips to the city I call home. I play cards with Barb and her buddies and take her shopping, etc. because she doesn't drive anymore. One thing she always wants to do is visit my dad's grave. I'm not into that much because I think Dad is somewhere else -- only his bones are there. Still, I say a prayer and I think he knows we're there and glad to see us.

The best part is wandering the neighborhood where I grew up. I don't think I appreciated how extraordinary it was in my youth. I did enjoy being able to ride my bike anywhere safely and visit my friends safely. It's weird because it still feels like home despite my being away from there for decades. What really strikes me as weird is driving by our house. There were probably a dozen and a half houses on our block and living in those homes were probably 75 kids -- most of whom were always outside playing whatever the season -- often in the street. Today that doesn't appear to happen and I rarely see a soul when I visit and that makes me sad. We lived in the middle of the block and our house was often the site of games like tag or hide and seek after dark in which my dad often participated along with 20 or 30 kids. We mostly got along because we were taught to play well with others and bullying was huge no-no. It was a nice place to grow up and I appreciate that I had that blessing.

Here's a prayer that I think is very timely for our world today. A tip of my Thinking Cap to Blue Gal for reminding me of it.

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen

I'm going to put up a few things I've gathered so I won't be totally absent here. I'll be back on Friday or Saturday. Here's the song for this week!!!!



Hope y'all are having a great day!!!! AND don't forget that you can go to your local Board of Elections and vote early if you wish.

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

Random Wednesday Thoughts

It's Wednesday and life has been relatively calm in Kay's World but it's time to time to catch up on a few things rattling around my alleged brain.

* Sincerest thanks to all y'all for visiting my home and all your kind words. This place is always a work in progress and I enjoy adding/subtracting/replacing things immensely. Hopefully, I will be totally finished by the Holidays and ready to deck the halls and have the gang in for an open house.

* All my hard work on my place will serve me well soon -- the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival is coming soon and I'll be entertaining the gang for brunch and lunch on Parade Day again in addition to the usual madness. My next project is cleaning the front porch.

* Anybody have any idea of how long rechargeable batteries are supposed to last? I have two sets for my camera and they don't seem to recharge very well anymore. Don't ask me how long I've had them but I'm guessing that one can only recharge them so many times before they die.

* Cell phone advice: I learned a horribly hard lesson when my purse was stolen with all my important stuff in it including my brand new cell phone. Losing the phone was bad but losing the information stored in is a horror. Hard copies are not so old-fashioned after all. I'm becoming downright paranoid about such things so please forgive me if I stomp my soapbox about it.

* If y'all haven't seen the new series, Hawthorn, on TNT, I recommend y'all take a look. Jada Pinkett Smith does a wonderful job with the title role. I think it will be around a while. Even better, it precedes Saving Grace which is my favorite TV program. I keep asking in my prayers for an angel like Earl.

* I'm working on a schedule to manage my world more efficiently. I want/need more time for writing other stuff as well as posting here and visiting y'all.

* I am looking askance at the health care bill. Little things in it, like a penalty tax on those who do not have some kind of health care coverage and taxing employer-provided health benefits to help pay for their plan, grate on my last nerve. God knows what it will do to the deficit but I'm guessing it will grow horrendously. I've been without any sort of health care and I know what it's like and I'm grateful for my Medicare. However, taxing health care benefits in an economy that's in ruins, doesn't make sense to me. Maybe we should make AIG and Goldman Sachs turn over their landmark profits to the people who bailed their butts out instead of handing out bonuses -- and I don't mean Congressmen. Just my take.

* Seen on a T-shirt: AIG: Arrogance, Incompetence, Greed. I want one.

I'm probably going to venture out tomorrow just because I haven't done so for days. I do get tired of my own company -- and yeah, I'm out of Diet Coke and some other stuff. I've most of my posts done or in progress for the rest of the week so I'm pretty organized this week. Let's see how long it lasts!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!

Kay

Come on a My House -- Part III

This is the last -- for now anyway -- visit to my humble abode. Plumbing problems reared their ugly head at 3 AM yesterday and therefore y'all won't get to see the bath as Dan couldn't get over here to do repairs today. I surprised him by making sure that further mess would not be forthcoming. He laughs and calls me Josephine and says he wishes my upstairs neighbor would come take lessons. No big deal -- it's tiny but cute but definitely nothing really eye-catching.

Here's my bedroom. It's really quite small bit I like it -- especially the built-in bookcases that hold a good part of my books. I love my bed's brass headboard and -- at least for now -- I'm happy with the spread and shams which were another gift from Richard who thinks he's my mother when he's really just my decorator. There's also an antique double dresser and a chest of drawers. I've pictures that need to be hung and need a few accessories for this room but haven't done much because no one sees it except me. I need to get Rich over here and he'll know what to do -- he always does. (I contend that every woman should have a gay man for a friend -- they're invaluable.)



What Richard hasn't got is a solution for is my kitchen. It can only be described as weird in the weirdest sense that happens when an old house is duplexed. It's a right angle with appliances on one wall (the first photo and cupboards and counter space on the other (the other three photos). I'm hanging pictures on the other walls when I'm a bit more organized. The color scheme is red, white and blue and I'm adding things as I find them. The throw rugs are navy blue and the valances are trimmed in red with red accents. I keep adding things as I find them. It's a work in progress. And yeah, the lighting is weird, too.

Off the kitchen is what could be a breakfast room but I am making it a den. It's a work in progress and will continue as such for a while. I'm driving myself crazy organizing my books and searching for the perfect curtains. My dear friend Hattie aka Mother Pie graciously sent me some gorgeous Mexican textiles that will grace the walls there, as I'll be carrying over the red, white and blue theme there. (Although Richard and I have discussed re-doing my bedroom and putting them there. The trick is finding the right bedspread and curtains.)

Sooooooooooo there y'all have it: you've seen prolly ninety percent of my world! It isn't fancy but it's mine and I am reasonably happy here. Dan, my landlord, says I'm the best tenant he's had here. I just bite my tongue to keep from asking for new carpet.

I promise that when the den is done, I'll invite y'all back again!!! Thanks for visiting!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!

Kay

Come on a My House -- Part II

I hope y'all forgive my postponing this till today. I wouldn't have traded yesterday with our lil' gals for anything.

That said, today we tour my dining room. It's not done yet. There are still adjustments to be made and pictures, etc. to be hung. It's probably the biggest room in my apartment so it does double duty as my home office aka where I write, pay bills and deal with all the other assorted nonsense that constitute my so-called life. It's also where I put on my Thinking Cap and hold forth on all and sundry for y'all.

Here is the doorway to the dining room. I love the effect of the lace panels on either side and this photo shows the full effect of my dining room set which I totally adore. Sometimes I ask myself why I bought it but it's great when I break down and have guests and sometimes I really do make myself an elegant meal and light the candles and pour a glass of wine. And I've promised myself that I have to both more often.



This wall is my office. I love it. You can't see my matching file cabinet but it's right next to the high shelves attached to my desk which contain reference material, all my computer programs,, and assorted other things I can't function without. On the other side of the desk is my printer and stand and more shelves where I keep my office supplies, vitamins, stationery and a cute lil' thing they call a recharging station where I can recharge my cell phone, blue tooth and my Sansa music player all in one place. Van Gogh is one of my favorite painter and the poster above my computer is his "Irises". To the right is the sketch Scarlet did of me as well a couple signs and an etched glass mirror. The lamp was a gift from my buddy/decorator Richard when I redecorated a year or so ago. He took one look at my desk and told me he had the perfect lamp for me and brought this one over. And yeah, the coffee cup is almost a permanent fixture and no, it's not my fav -- my fave carries the message: "Just state your business quietly and go away and no one will get hurt". Yeah, I'm crabby in the morning.

Here is a better view of my dining room table and y'all can see how pretty the top is. It's probably a tad impractical but I fell in love with its country French style.



Continuing around the room, here's my stereo, etc. and you can see the top of the wine rack. Yeah, it's full -- for now! LOL



Here's my china cabinet. It's wonderful for displaying my copper collection as well as my good china and crystal. Again, you can see that I opted for mini-blinds and valances (white brocade this time) to show off the wood work.



My fireplace does not work but I do like it being here. Flanking it (in addition to two closets) are silhouettes of my children when they were toddlers and what looks like a chain on the other side is a wood carving that my dad whittled when I was small --it's an interesting piece and hard to explain. On the mantle are photos of my grands, my dad and a friend's little one. The poster of the cabbage roses is by Melinda May. It's really a sort of ugly fireplace (my old apartment had glorious fireplace) and I'm trying to think of how to spruce it up more (suggestions are welcome. I've hunted high and low for the right candles for the candle screen and plan to redo the flowers in the brass pots. At Christmas it does dress up nice trimmed with garlands and stockings and my Nativity set. Still, it's something one doesn't get in modern apartments and I'm happy I have it. I do so love old buildings!



I do like this room a lot. I'd better -- I spend most of my time here. I'll like it better when I get the other pictures, etc. up and add some color!

Hope y'all enjoyed this segment and hope y'all will stop by for the next installment when we'll visit my kitchen and prolly my bath, too, on Tuesday. All are small rooms and so there's not much to see. We simply can't interrupt The Groaner of the Week! (My den isn't ready for company yet. At the rate I'm going, it prolly never will be fit for anyone to see.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!

Kay

Come on a My House -- Part I

Welcome to my humble abode!!!! This the first installment of your guided tour of the place I call home. It's the first floor of an old house and I love the high ceilings and oak woodwork. It isn't fancy or perfect anything but it's me. A friend said, "Nothing really goes together but it does!" That works for me because I'm pretty much an eclectic kind of gal as you've prolly guessed from reading here. And it's always a work in progress. And don't forget you can embiggen the photos.

Today we're checking out my living room. My apologies because I'm never going to win prizes for my photography. Here's the entry area. You'll notice my penchant for lace curtains and off-white walls. The door to the right is my bedroom.



This sign is the sign of the week and the first thing one sees as they enter. I collect funny (to me) signs and I change it as the mood strikes me. (At Halloween it reads: The Witch is In.) And the copper statue was a recent find in a decor shop I like at 80% off -- I simply love it!



Here is the view above my entertainment center. The black and white photo is of the train station in Barcelona, Spain and is by a local artist. The big poster is a print of a painting by Schaffer/Miles. I have a thing for impressionism as you'll see.



Here's another view of my entertainment center so y'all can see the antique lyre back chair I found in my travels for bargains as well as the detail of my area rug. When I bought it 10 years ago. I didn't have a car so I toted it across town on the bus! The drivers had a l0t of fun teasing me!



Here's my sofa. I found it last year at Habitat for Humanity's ReStore here and fell in love. It's paisley and incorporates all the colors in my rug. That it was a bargain on so many levels was a bonus! I absolutely love my brass and glass coffee table!!!! Yeah, it's impractical but I'm a sucker for such elegance.



Here are the chairs I love so much. The small arm chair has special significance for me but that's another blog. The art poster is a Monet print. The window treatment is mini-blinds topped with white lace valances because I decided that I didn't want hide the oak woodwork.



This corner cabinet has been with me for over thirty-five years. It's one of the few things I have from my marriage and houses my good china. And the vase was a wonderful find at two bucks. I'm pretty pleased with my arrangement I made for it. Whaddaya think. Judy?



Just a reminder who lives here . . . I saw this one day and it screamed, "Take me! I'm yours!!!! So what's a girl to do? LOL



I hope y'all enjoyed your tour,. On Saturday (we can't skip The Friday Groaner, can we?), we'll be visiting my dining room/home office aka Kay's World central.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay