Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Ten Things Thursday, Plus The Solstice Moon

Many of the Blogosphere neighbors participate in Ten Things Thursday, but I never had until tonight. It's not that I deliberately turned my back on it or anything; I just didn't do it. I could make up a better excuse, I suppose, and say that every time I started to make my list, something catastrophic happened and I was forced, much against my will, to cease and desist immediately, but I don't think any of you would be fooled. Besides, it's still Wednesday.

Gotcha.

Ten Things Thursday, by Mamacita:

. . . and by the way, these are in no particular order.

1. Every few days, I drink the juice of a dozen or more raw lemons, over ice. Sometimes, if I have more lemons, I have another glass. Lemon juice satisfies something in me. I've tried to figure out what it might be but still haven't come to any conclusions.

2. Sometimes I get so lost in thought that I don't want to ever come back.

3. It's a good thing I don't have to pay interest on all the trouble I've borrowed.

4. I kill myself daily, worrying about other people's problems and assorted things that I have no control over.

5. I prefer the smaller, "original" roads far more than the impersonal interstates. Unless I'm in a hurry.

6. When I'm away from home, I love to eat in local restaurants. Why would I choose some chain that I could lunch at right here when there are so many tantalizing NEW places to try, someplace else?

7. Cooking for a crowd is one of life's biggest pleasures.

8. I tried to count all of my books once, but finally had to admit defeat. I consider this an awesome thing.

9. In the summer, I like to re-read my favorite children's and YA novels. I began as I always do, with Frances Hodgeson Burnett's "A Little Princess," (for whom I named my daughter) "The Secret Garden," and "Little Lord Fauntleroy." I'm plowing through Judy Bolton right now; she's far superior to Nancy Drew, although I like the Nancy's, too.

10. I have been fascinated with astronomy since before I was in kindergarten. When I was in the second grade, I fell in love with a book called "Young Visitors to Mars," by Richard Elam. I checked it out from the library every single time I went, until Mom finally forbade me to bring it into the house again. I searched for this book for many years with no success, but when I was in my late twenties, I took my children to a huge library sale, so big it was held at the Armory. Public libraries from all over Indiana had contributed to it. There are no words to describe how thrilled I was to find this book at the bottom of a box of old novels: unclaimed, and unwanted by anybody but me. I bought it for a quarter, brought it home, and read it again. It was corny as all get-out but the thrill was still there. It still is, in fact. Published in 1953, it was. Old sci-fi is great fun; I love to read the author's predictions and assumptions about life in the. . . 1970's. Apparently, we had colonized Mars by then.

I really don't know how and why my obsession with the night sky began. Dad showed me a few constellations, and Santa brought me a telescope when I was a little kid, but the rest I did by myself. Well, me AND the public library. I'm still in love with the night sky.

I do not fear the dark. The darker the night, the brighter the stars.

Speaking of which. . . .

Please remember that tonight's moon is brought to you by Solstice Illusion and MUST BE SEEN BY YOU AND BY YOUR CHILDREN - Yes, let them stay up late enough to see it - in fact, all of you should watch the moonrise tonight; it will be a memory-maker for you all - your kids will still be talking about it when they're old and grey and you're long dead - it's going to be FANTASTIC - and when did anyone ever see such a dreadful sentence anywhere, ever?

I mean besides right here.

I have. Sigh.

It's going to be a long summer session.

Mamacita, Scheiss Weekly