Birch and Maple

It's Almost That Time Of The Year Again...

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Also, I'm still working on the other website, but will (hopefully) be posting over there full time come November 1.

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TheBeardedLady, my pic is of a member of the Ouled Nail, an Algerian tribal hillswoman who went to the big city to earn her dowry by bellydancing (some were what we would consider prostitutes as well).  They wore their dowry in the form of coin and jewelry, and unforunately, their time in the city wasn't the only danger, for many were murdered on their way back to their villages for the money they had earned. 

You can see more of Lehnert and Landrock's gorgeous photos here.

Oro out

Babble

Interestingly, I've found myself rather more into the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing than the US version.  That's probably because the judges are more judge-y ("You dance like you've got both legs in one knicker hole"), and then, of course, there's Bruce Forsythe ("Nice to see you, to see you - nice!").  Ancient and awesome.

I am utterly into C4's Skins (series 1 soft trailer, hard trailer) - although I think series 3 (soft trailer - w/language and nudity) is a little more over the top than 1 & 2.  However, Ep 8 JJ - just fabulous.  I cried a little at the end.  Also, with eye candy like this, you know you'd be watching too if you could:

Back in the US of A, of course, there's GLEE, which people, if you aren't watching, you're missing a treat.  And there's a really interesting CRAZY (possible)INFERTILE LADY!!!11! storyline going on, too.  I have to confess it makes me a little...uneasy.  A little less amused.  Not because it's not funny, I guess I'm just...it's too thin, too close to the bone.  I'm not sure I'd watch it if I was having a rough day.  Here's the long promo (YT) featuring the premiere ep:

I'm also loving Community:

and Modern Family:

and oo, Dollhouse is back!  So is NCIS!  Woot!
~*~

I was totally going to do a book review tonight, but am now too tired,

Oro out

Really? Really?? (children mentioned)

One of the 'joys' of working in retail is watching how parents treat their children.  I've seen angry parents, annoyed parents, hippie parents, unreasonably strict parents, parents who don't know how to be parents (oddly enough, these were almost all, without exception, women in their mid 30s),  rasta parents, parents who couldn't pay attention.

I had not, however, come across the...I don't even know what to call her.  She had two kids, I'd say they were 4 and 5, she was heavily pregnant with #3.  So anyway, the younger one tripped over her own feet and started crying and wouldn't stop.  Mom then asked what happened and the older one said 'She let go' (apparently they were supposed to be holding hands).  Mom then attempted to soothe the little one, not by say, cuddling her, but instead telling her she was fine, etc.  Okay, a little cool, but who knows what kind of day Mom's had, y'know?  And then she said, and I shit thee not, she said,

"Remember what I said, just be in your consciousness.  Be in your consciousness."

...

...

Be in your mfing consciousness??  Really???  Because it seemed to me that little girl was in her consciousness, she was upset and crying.  I mean, how much more 'in her consciousness' did Mom want her to be?

And what the hell does that mean, anyway??

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Did y'all catch Community (Hulu)on ABC?  I thought it was quite funny.  Right now I'm watching Strictly Come Dancing on the Beeb*.  So different from the American version.  I mean, you wouldn't hear a judge call someone's dancing "as if you had both legs down one hole in your knickers" on ABC, would you?!  Let's see...also watched The Cut, which is the BBC's version of C4s Skins** [loaded with spoilers so don't read beyond top paragraph], soon to be remade by MTV.  To which I say, good luck with that.  Somehow I don't see full frontal nudity, drug use, death, sex, gay teen sex, and sex with [redacted] happening on US tv.  Just sayin'.

~*~

Oro out

* there will be BBC...Mr Oro will soon be releasing a program to allow people to, er, watch the BBC, STV, and ITV on their pc's.  Y'all do know you can rent Eurosport for like, $10 a month, right?  Because let me tell you, that's where I'll be watching the Olympics.

** Cassie is a bitch.  And not in a good way.

Random MacRandomness Is A Bigamist

I am sick.  Sick enough to warrant a visit to the doctor because of the following

• ringing in the ears
• light headedness
• difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
• constant sweating but no fever
• difficulty sleeping
• lack of interest in eating

I'm hoping I can get another one of those low-dose inhalers like I got last spring.  Didn't use it often, but it was very welcome.  I shouldn't be running out of breath going from the house to the car, y'know?  Oh, and in a surprise, I got my period today, too.  And I think the generic ibuprofen I'm taking is giving me heart palpitations, so I won't be taking any more tonight. 

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Today I started watching So You Think You Can Dance CANADA, which I am enjoying greatly.  Apart from the hostess, who really annoys the hell out of me.  Also, the white dress she wore for the top 20?  Dude, burn that thang.  With the puffy skirt, do you think she feels like she's flashing her underwear?

Canada Top 20 dance:

Jive - Everett & ? - okay. 
Samba - Amy & Vincent  - smokin' despite the flaw!
Contemporary - Melanie M & Cody - didn't care for the routine, but love them.
Hip hop - Emanuel (better dancer than skater) & Kim - enjoyable apart from the godsawful costuming and Emmanuel, dude, gotta recall the choreo!  Lighting dudes, you totally sucked.  Ditto for the camera angles.
Viennese Waltz - Anthony & Corinne - fastest Viennese Waltz ever?  Hated the big silver shoes she wore.
Hip Hop - Danny & Natalie - enjoyable but no chemistry?
Afro Jazz - Jayme Rae & Daniel - loved it!
Disco - Nicholas & Jenna Lyn - wouldn't have guessed it was disco. Nice routine, great chemistry!
Capoeira - Austin & Tatiana - loved it!
Tango - Melanie B & Taylor - okay.  Not sure what was wrong with it, very stop & starty.

Now, I'm off to watch a little L&O:CI

Oro out

Random MacRandomness

Dear Dumb Crack At The Cross Walk -

    Don't be an ass by doing these when the light is green (because that's when the cars go):

• pushing your stroller into the road
• not looking to see if there is a car making a turn
• then stopping (in the middle of the crosswalk) to shout and gesture at the driver

because YOU ARE WRONG and quite frankly, should never breed again.  I mean, it does my nut in when I see women pushing strollers into the road, but y'know what, most of them actually look to see if there's a car coming.  You, my dear, are a future Darwin Award Winner.

    Yours, Still Pissed Off

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Meme Time!

Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that
will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Copy the instructions into your own post.  

In no particular order of importance:

A Sandman graphic novels - Neil Gaiman
B Persuasion - Jane Austen
C To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
D Malazan Tale of the Fallen series - Stephen Erikson
E Gap Series - Steven Donaldson
F Country of the Pointed Firs - Sarah Orne Jewett
G Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
H The Morgaine Saga - CJ Cherryh
I Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
J Marmion/Lady of the Lake - Sir Walter Scott
K Le Morte D'Arthur - Thomas Malory
L Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe
M Reading the Forested Landscape - Tom Wessels

N ran out of time!

Can't believe there's not a bit of Shakespeare on that list...alas. 

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Speaking of memes, I ran across Rocketboom's Institute of Internet Studies most excellent web videos, Know Your Meme.  My absolute favorite - so far - is Three Wolf Moon.  It'll have you howling!  Alas, I don't know htf to post it directly here seeing as YT has done...stuff.

~*~

So You Think You Can Dance!  is back tonight!  Woot!  Other things I am watching are:

Design Star

Top Chef

Hell's Kitchen

Defying Gravity - omg with the rabbit, omg with the reproductive issues, it's creeping me out and bringing me down

Eureka

L&W:CI - I'm loving Jeff Goldblum, his character is creepy and cruel

And loads of BBC stuff.

Well, my cold is kicking my ass so it's time to go to bed.

Night night, internets!

Oro out

Show N Tell

Well, lookie here:

Even More! Garden porn, mostly of my Casa Blanca lilies. I wish I could have 'Net N Sniff, because the scent is astounding, clove and honey and a bit of orchid, a touch of narcissus. Alas, there is no odor when they are closed: They bloomed the first year I planted them, and just keep getting bigger and bigger every year. Literally bigger, the one farthest to the left is approximately 5 feet tall: Did I mention the blooms are huge? Compare my hand to the flower: I remember planting on in a different part of the front garden, where the wild orange daylilies that have become freakin' pests live. But, could there be some hybridizing going on? I mean, they're Casa Blancas, they're supposed to be white...and these ones smell like them, too - but slightly different, greener, if you will: And here's a closeup of the other New England aster that's growing wild, the purple aster. I can't believe people buy this stuff from garden centers, along with Jack in the Pulpit and Yarrow (okay, I bought some Yarrow too, we only get the native variety): Finally, to answer the question you never asked, yes, the water around here is a little heavy in iron: Til next week, Oro out

WTF. Srsly.

The strap on my new purse broke.

I know.

The end detached from the inner bit between pockets.  And the worst part?  It's not even sewn in!  The feckin' thing was glued in...for this I paid $100??  So I called the store where I bought it from and they were all like, Oh, that's terrible, how about an exchange or we can send it in to be repaired.

And at first that sounded like the bomb.  But then I got to thinking - won't they just glue it back in, when really, it needs to be sewn?  How long will it take??  Now I just want to find a leatherworker with a needle, y'know?

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In other news, Mr Oro and I decided that if FET 2009 (maybe FET 2010 since I haven't gotten my period back yet) doesn't work, we're probably going to adopt.

Wow, it feels weird to type that.

It'll probably be through the foster care system as it's free in Vermont. (I think).

It's a relief to finally discuss it with Mr Oro, to know that he's on the same page...funny how we're both assuming FET will work, though.  Hmm.  If it does, just how infertile does that make me? 

Chickens, hatching, counting.  Yeah.

Oro, who still dreams of twins

More Garden Porn

Butterfly Bush - Nanho Purple

Weed - Indian Paintbrush.  Like a mini sunflower, opens when the sun is out and turns with it.

The first bloom of the peony, Festiva Maxima, I planted 2 years ago:

Weed - Ladyslipper.  If you get a bug bite, rub the juice of crushed leaf and stem on the bite and the itching and swelling will subside:

My mom thinks this is a viburnum growing on the stump, I think it's a hydrangea:

Can't remember what this is called, but it's pretty!

The mystery rose...no one knows where it came from...but I've found another one growing by the side of the road, all I have to do is transplant it before the road crew does the side mowing:

Rose, with wasp.

Weeds - New England aster, goldenrod, and ladyslipper:

Oro out.

That's Life

My friend and teacher, Claire Oglesby, died Tuesday.  She was a brilliant woman and will be sorely missed

Are We There Yet?

I took Mr Oro to MacLaomainn's Scottish Pub the other day, which he greatly enjoyed even though they were out of haggis (and judging by the disappointed looks on the faces of the other patrons as they came in, it must be good haggis).  He had a couple of pints of Bellhaven, which made him very happy, and got out of the house, which made me happy.

On the way back we nixed the highway and traveled through on the roads of my childhood, through the towns I knew vaguely from trips with my mom.  And I grew sad, thinking of the girl I was, who knew nothing of what was to come, who didn't even fantasize about what life might be in the future.

Or maybe at that age you don't think about the future at all, you just are.  It was strange, and sad, seeing all those houses that I so loved from when I was little, many of them dilapidated now.  They're typical houses for this area...clearly I'm going to have to take more photos of what I'm talking about, although that one is a good representative...I guess what I mean to say is that when I see houses of this nature, I think of home.

I found myself longing for the girl I was, wishing I could go back and see her innocence.  My heart breaks a little bit when I think back, because I had a very lucky rural childhood, albeit one filled with perhaps too much time alone, but that's how it is when you live half-way up a mountain with no other children near by (I have mentioned that when my mother wanted to really punish me, she kept me home from school, right?).  I suspect most people must have thought us very strange, weird, even, for living up there with no running water or electricity, in that one room shack with the dog.  Whenever I go back to the house now, it's unbelievable to me how tiny it actually was, for it seemed huge to me back then.

Oh, I gotta go - so much for reminiscing!

Oro out