Conversations with Dad

Last Sunday, I picked my dad up at his facility to take him to a family dinner. He recognized me and was delighted to have an outing...but first he had something to do.

He walked to the dining area where his friend "Betty" was. He tried to tell her--with his limited language--that he was leaving. To Betty's credit, she interpreted just what he meant. Then...he gave her a kiss goodbye.

Oh my.

You have to smile.

In fact, did you know there's such a thing as Alzheimer's Cartoons?

Unusual Word for the Day

Do you have a "stormy petrel" in your life?



stormy petrel \STOR-mee-PET-ruhl\, noun:

1. Any of various small sea birds of the family Hydrobatidae, having dark plumage with paler underparts; also called storm petrel.
2. One who brings discord or strife, or appears at the onset of trouble.

This is what I think is fascinating about this word: stormy petrel probably got its name as a reference to St. Peter's walking on the sea.




The bird flies close to the water in order to feed on surface-swimming organisms and ship's refuse. It is called stormy because in a storm the birds surround a ship to catch small organisms which rise to the surface of the rough seas. When the storm ceases they are no longer seen.

Isn't the origin of words just...fascinating?

Oprah and Me!

Have any of you seen the June issue of Oprah's O magazine? It's called For the Love of Dogs!

Now...I could be outraged, except for the fact that titles can't be copyrighted.

But I'm actually quite pleased.

For once...Oprah is copying ME, rather than vice versa.

If you have a minute to spare, a number of my friends are contacting Oprah and filling out this form to have her consider adding my book to her reading list. Join the ground swell!

Living with a little Reyna

Reyna is either having an incredible honeymoon period or...better still, we hit the jackpot. The last few days have been amazingly easy! She sleeps through the night, has a gentle temperament, licks more than she chews, and has only had a few accidents.

Last week, before we knew what our puppy's name was (other than it started with an "R"...I was running a contest for the best "R" name. I forgot to mention the awesome name suggestions that came in: a lot of Rascals, Renegade (thank you, Charlotte), Ruth, Radar, Rumble, Ranger, Rowdy, Rio, Rimshot.

The winner is...drumroll please...from Barb M. who lives in St. Louis, Missouri and has a dog that steals things...Robin Hood! (Barb...send me your addy and I'll pop a copy of For the Love of Dogs in the mail to you.)

So Reyna means queen in Spanish. It's a cute name for a puppy...though I'm still stumbling through six dog names before I get it right. "Wait Arbor, Galena, Utley, Azure, Brent, Oriole...um I mean Renya!" One of these days, it will sink in.

In the meantime...hmmm...where did she go? Oops! Better sign off!

Spanglish

Yesterday, my housecleaners were tackling the house (yes, I admit I have housecleaners. When I got my first book contract, I caved. They come twice a month and I am SO VERY GRATEFUL to get the help!).

So, the women were back in my 17-year-old son's room. I was taking some laundry back to his room and noticed that their heads were bent together, looking through something they found on Tad's desk.

They were looking through his Spanish 4 Honors workbook...laughing! At the silly assignments and odd conversations and ridiculous drawings to help the students learn how to use the language.

When I told Tad, he said, "They must think I'm an idiot."

Kris Allen: God of the City

Thanks to my friend and fellow author Linda Danis for passing this clip to me:

Meet "Reyna!"

Frozen Grand Central Station

New Puppy!

In my excitement over Kris Allen's upset win...I forgot to add that I'm going up to Guide Dogs for the Blind tomorrow morning to pick up my new puppy! All I know is that she's a yellow lab, female, and her name starts with an "R."

Guide Dogs assigns a letter for each litter...so all of Miss R's littermates will be R names. But they don't use the same name twice for working guides or puppies-in-training. The names can get a little...odd. Especially when they have to start with a vowel. (Seriously. One of my dogs was named Utley. People kept thinking I was calling him Ugly...and he was a beautiful golden retriever!)

I'll find out Miss R's name when I pick her up. But in the meantime...let's do something fun today...whoever comments or e-mails me with the best "R" name...wins a copy of For the Love of Dogs.

So far, I've come up with Rahab, Re-Run, Rapunzel.

I woke up this morning and realized that tonight will be my last full night of sleep for a while! Can't wait for Miss R to give me a holler in the night for a potty call. I'm still missing my Azure quite a bit...but it's time to move forward.

(For you highly literal people...the puppy in this pix isn't Miss R. He's "Hoops"...an 11-week-old lab who has captured people's hearts...as in, mine. He's one of the puppy club's newest members.)

Idol Showdown!

I am so jazzed Kris Allen is the next American Idol! Can NOT believe it...the humble kid from Arkansas beat the rocker! Even though the entire evening was geared to make Adam Lambert the winner. Adam's duet with Kiss was over the top with fireworks and special effects....like a coronation!

Kris' duet with Keith Urban was understated and low-key.



It's nice to see the unassuming underdog. Not that Adam isn't a talented guy...but he's going to do just fine.

In the last few seconds, his wife was lifted up on stage with him. Did you see Kris start to cry when he hugged his wife? OH MY GOSH...what a moment.

Sigh...now we have to wait another 7 months for American Idol to start again.

A Funny Thing Happened Last Night

I was up in the garden last evening, around 5ish, when my son called to me and said there was someone at the door.

It was a Federal Fraud Investigator.

He flashed his badge and told me he didn't want to cause alarm...but there was a "situation" that involved me.



Last October, I mailed in my ballot for the presidential election. In November, on election day, my husband went to the polling place to vote about 15 minutes before the polls closed. The poll workers told him that I hadn't voted and to hurry up and get to the polls. So I zoomed up, told them I had voted by mail...they said it must not have counted..."So vote, Honey!" they told me.

So I did.

And a mere six months later, a Federal Fraud Investigator was at my front door, claiming I had voted twice.

After explaining the situation to the scary Investigator, he took notes and asked if I knew the names of the poll workers. I said no, that they were all as old as Methusaleh, spidery and frail, with ear trumpets and canes and thick glasses. He nodded, gravely serious.

Bottom line, I think I have averted a stint in the federal pokey. That was a relief...because a year or so in prison would be so bad for one's hair.



Isn't it good to know how your tax dollars are at work?!

Britain's Got Talent

This guy on this Youtube clip looks like American Idol's Adam Lambert. He acts like Adam Lambert. But when he opens his mouth...there the comparison ends. You will be stunned!

Britain's Got Talent Adam Lambert Lookalike

Pearls Before Breakfast?

We're busy. Americans have been busy, as a people, since at least 1831, when a young French sociologist named Alexis de Tocqueville visited the States and found himself impressed, bemused and slightly dismayed at the degree to which people were driven, to the exclusion of everything else, by hard work and the accumulation of wealth.

Are we too busy?

My friend Carol and I had lunch on Friday and she told me about an experiment done by The Washington Post. World reknowned violinist Joshua Bell gave a 43 minute free concert during rush hour in a busy commuter area. What The Post wanted to know was: could beauty transcend busy-ness?



Only seven people even noticed the violinist. Only one recognized the violinist was Joshua Bell.

A three-year-old boy, Evan, wanted his mother to stop and listen. He pulled on her sleeve but she kept them moving along. Later, his mother said they were too pressed for time to stop.

A three-year-old had more sense and a greater appreciation for beauty than 1,000 adults who rushed past Joshua Bell!

If we can't take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that -- then what else are we missing?

As you start this new week, try to slow down to notice something beautiful. Let beauty transcend busy-ness.

Source: The Washington Post Experiment.

Conversations with Dad

There's an interesting development at my dad's dementia facility...Dad has a lady friend.

Let's call her...Betty (not her real name). Betty is is very, very attached to Dad.

In an odd way, this is really a good thing. It's called: transferring of attachments. Very common among Alzheimer's patients and actually a compliment to a long, happy marriage. In fact, it's even a nice feeling that he has a "particular friend" at the facility.

A while ago, my sister had my mom up to her house for a weekend visit and together they saw the movie Away from Her starring Julie Christie. (Great movie to get on Netflix if you're looking for a good one.)



After seeing the movie, when Mom realized Betty had become "particular friends" with Dad, Mom seemed to understand and not feel threatened or disturbed by it. Very impressive--and also a sign that she is fully understanding Dad's illness.

A good sign, because Betty's clothes are hanging in Dad's closet (he shares a room so I doubt there is anything going on that would make a daughter blush).

Her family picture (not ours!) is on Dad's nightstand.

And when my sister stopped by to visit on Dad's birthday, as she was saying good-bye Betty called out, "Thanks for coming to see us!"

American Idol Update

So the season finale is down to Kris Allen (my favorite) and Adam Lambert (crowd favorite)! And they were only separated by one million votes...that's amazing!

They are opposites in every way. My son thinks Danny Gokey's votes will slide over to Kris' next week for the finale.

Either way, their careers are good to go. Danny's, too.

Here's an interesting comparison to see Kris' talent, which is far more subtle than Adam's flamboyant style.

This is the song, Heartless, that Kris sang on Tuesday night. The next two versions are the original.

Kris' version of "Heartless."


Fray's Cover version of Heartless:



And here is Kanye's West's rap version of the same song: (I couldn't embed the you tube clip but here is the link to it)
Heartless

Kris Allen took it to a new level.

A Few Days Later

Hope you moms out there had a great day last Sunday. I did!

And I know that many mothers in my town received cards. I happened to be at Safeway early in the morning to get some final things to take to a brunch at my brother's house. I had to stop and laugh when I saw the logjam of men in the aisle for cards.




We spent Sunday afternoon at my brother's house--one of my favorite homes to be in. My brother and his wife are easy going hosts...even dogs are invited. (Well, maybe not invited. But not turned away.)




Mother's Day usually coincides with my mother's birthday, so my sister-in-law had a cake for Mom, too. 82 years young! (She would be furious if she knew that I put her actual age in my blog! She's technologically impaired and doesn't even know how to type.)



During a lull, we realized Dad had disappeared. After checking outside and then each room...we found him! He was fine...taking a snooze.

NBC Wants to Know what You Think...

Here's your chance to let the media know where your opinion.

NBC is presently taking a poll on "In God We Trust"
to stay on our American currency.

Please do it right away, before NBC takes this off
their web page. Poll is still open so you can vote
here.

I won't tell you how to vote...but I will say that as of last night, 87% of the poll takers agreed with me.

Nature Boy by Nat King Cole

Most of you probably recognize this song, but do you know the story behind the song?



This song was written by Eden Ahbez, one of the strangest songwriters of the pre-Hippie era. He was a beatnik poet, but more accurately a proto-Hippie, choosing to wear long hair, a full beard and long, white, flowing garments that promoted a Christ-like appearance. He lived in Griffith Park in Los Angeles and ate fruit, vegetables and nuts. Ahbez was born in Brooklyn in 1908, and he claimed to have been raised in an orphanage and to have crossed the US on foot 8 times before age 35. He moved to Los Angeles in the '40s, lived on 3 dollars a week, and lectured on Hollywood street corners about Oriental mysticism.

Ahbez implored Nat King Cole's manager to look at his manuscript of "Nature Boy." Cole recognized the Yiddish melody, liked the lyrics and added it to his act. It was well received so Cole decided to record it. One problem: Cole and Capitol Records could not find Ahbez in order to secure the publishing rights. Finally they located Ahbez, camped beneath the first L in the "Hollywood" sign.

Nat King Cole recorded one other Ahbez song - "Land of Love." Ahbez released his own album in 1960 called Eden's Island. He spent time with Brian Wilson before The Beach Boys recorded Pet Sounds. Ahbez, his wife, Anna, and their son Zoma lived in Griffith Park with their bicycle, sleeping bags and a juicer. With their unusual lifestyle, the family became legendary.

So here's another weird twist...when my mom was a college student in the 1940s, she spent a summer out in southern California. She saw Nature Boy! He was wandering the beaches, imparting wisdom, pre-hippie style.

A Special Mother's Day Moment

TGIF!

And my all-time, hands-down favorite...

World's Weirdest News

This is a true story...and if this doesn't make you want to clean out your clutter, I don't know what will!

Corpse in Home of Missing Woman


A body has been found under a pile of debris in the North Oakland home of a woman who has been missing for more than six years, authorities said.

Authorities believe the remains could be those of Eunice Burwell-Workman, who was 77 when she disappeared in December 2002.

Relatives and workers found the body in a bedroom while clearing out the home, which was filled with her belongings. The home had been searched before, and it was unclear why the body wasn't found earlier. (Okay, that just seems really, really bizarre. Was there not a smell?! Did they not bring in a dog? Did her children just do a drive-by and think, "Nah, looks empty." Sheesh!)

It did not appear that anyone had been living at the home recently.

Police are trying to determine whether the victim died after the debris fell on her.

Contest Winner!

If you've been reading my blog the last few weeks, you know I've been a little distracted. I forgot to mention the winner of the contest for For the Love of Dogs. (I haven't figured out how to make that sentence work! Starting a title in a preposition just isn't smart.)

Anyway...the winner is Dorie T. from Carlisle, Pennsylvania!

The book is selling rather briskly, if I do say so myself, and it's fun to hear readers' comments about it. In fact, if you've read it, please put in a customer review on Amazon! (Assuming you liked it, natch.) It only takes a second and it is a huge, huge help for authors.

I'm starting work on Novel #3 set in a series based on an Amish community in Stoney Ridge, Pennsylvania. I'm trying to get about 2500 to 5000 words written a day...doesn't mean those words won't be slashed and edited and chain-sawed, but that's my goal. So far, so good. I'm up to about 19,000 words. (Most novels are around 75,000+ words, by the way.) And I love this story line, too. Haven't come up with a title yet, but I have my characters in place. It's based on a rose farm, where a funny, quirky Amish grandmother makes old fashioned rose petal jam and cooks up a bundle, including a mystery or two.

Have you ever had rose petal jam? I was in Oregon recently and went to a street fair with my daughters. A vendor was offering samples of rose petal jam, saying that if angels eat, this would be their food of choice.



Wow...she was not kidding! Sweet but not too sweet, with a delicious, gently perfumed taste.

So I've been studying about roses and learning all kinds of odd and unusual bits of info.

For example, did you know that Coca Cola makes a great pesticide?! Maybe it's just me, but that is a little bit of a scary thought. What is it doing to your innards?




My friend Nyna says that Dawn dishwashing detergent works well, too.

So if you know anything about roses, or even have a favorite variety, send me an e-mail: suzanne@suzannewoodsfisher.com or leave a comment. And if I can incorporate it into the book, I promise to add your name in the acknowledgements. I am nothing if not a grateful author!

Tuesday is American Idol

So we're getting down to the homestretch for American Idol.

I still think Adam Lambert is the most creative, unique artist (the judges are VERY clear that this silly TV show is about artistry). Here's an old you tube clip of Adam that will bring tears to your eyes.



But last week, I was really wowed by Danny Gokey. He stepped it up! And I think Kris Allen is very appealing, though my friend Stacey thinks he's boring.

I wish I liked Alison more because I know she's talented, but every time she opens her mouth, she seems so ... bubble-heady. Like, nothing much going on up there.

Last week, Adam was in the bottom three. But don't you wonder how big is the spread now? I mean, these are five very talented artists (arteests!). It could be a matter of a few hundred votes. Ryan Seacrest said that over 40 million people had voted...but I think that should be amended to say that 40 million votes had come in.

And I think they all came from ten 13-year-old girls in Texas who text messaged their votes until their cell phone batteries wore out. I think it's Texas because so many schools have been closed for swine flu down there.

Johnny Strange

Every May, I love to follow the news stories of dedicated climbers who try to summit Mt. Everest. This year, a 17-year-old teen named Johnny Strange, from Malibu, California (of all places on earth!), is on his way up the mountain.



Strange and his father are in Nepal and soon will begin their quest to tackle the world's tallest peak, whose skyward reach is a breathtaking (literally) 29,035 feet.

If Johnny succeeds he'll become the youngest Westerner to attain the summit (a Nepalese Sherpa once did so at 15).


(Photo: Mt. Everest's Khumbu icefall has claimed many lives over the years. Credit: Johnny Strange)

According to a story in the LA Times, Johnny is a thrill seeker who loves a daunting challenge. He has already climbed five of the Seven Summits (the highest peaks on each continent) and aspires to become the youngest climber to bag all seven.

Everest represents his last major hurdle (that would leave Australia's 7,310-foot Mt. Kosciuskzo as the final steppingstone). Of the danger associated with a tempestuous mountain that has killed about 200 climbers, he said: "I could focus on all the bad things that could happen, but I like the fact that there's risk. If there wasn't risk, it wouldn't be fun."

His father, Brian, a prominent consumer affairs attorney, feels the same way, and if he makes the top of Everest it will be no small feat for a 53-year-old.

Being a teenager, Strange happily reported that his iPod Shuffle works at high altitude and, being from Malibu, that he is craving sushi.

You can follow periodic updates from Johnny's expedition on his blog here. This is one story I want to follow. It's awesome to think a 17-year-old is following his dreams.

Source: LA Times

Five Ingredient Fix

Someone went and made a TV show about my great idea of having a cooking show with only five ingredients. Then, she sold it to Food Network without telling me, and I’m not getting any residuals.



The thing is...I'm pretty sure the culprint was my friend Kim in Texas. At dinner one evening while Kim was visiting, I casually mentioned my incredible great idea for a cooking show. Next thing you know, Kim is back in Texas and her daughter is driving a new red Camaro.



However, I will forgive Kim because today is her daughter's 18th birthday and my daughter's 21st birthday! Happy May Day to you, AJ and Meredith!

Here is a little May Day birthday song to you, courtesy of Mocha with Linda.