Square holes and Pookas

This thing with the clouds and me is verging on eerie. I drove to the mountains again last week. It had been spitting rain and mist all morning; clouds of varying hues of gray covering the sky. And then... I glance up and see a hole in the clouds. This hole had straight sides and pointed corners. It looked exactly like an open mail slot in a front door. I was inside looking though to slot to brilliant sunlight outside. I almost expected to see two eyes appear, peeking back at me. I'm not important enough to the Scheme of the Universe to think that these phenomenae are there only for me. I'm just going to enjoy the thrill of these unexpected and unusual sights. I can hardly wait for the next one.

Spent Saturday helping with a Girl Scout outing. The park was wonderful, the wind cold, and the sky by turns sunny and overcast. It was a joy seeing so many girls experiencing fun learning activities. Their favorite activity was making butter. They couldn't believe how good it was. My youngest granddaughter was amazed that it was white. I explained that color was added to butter to make it the yellow we are used to seeing.

Had a pleasant, uneventful drive home with no unusual sights in the heavens. Was too tired to do anything useful but too awake to take a nap. Noticed that the film Harvey was going to be on so I watched it. This Harvey was not the original starring Jimmy Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd, but the 1999 remake starring Harry Anderson as Elwood and Swoozie Kurtz as his sister, Veta. I had not seen this version before as I had been certain that it would not be up to the standard of the original. I was wrong. It is delightful! I highly recommend it... a great way to leave the cares of the world behind and join Elwood and his Pooka. I wish I had a Pooka. But, as Elwood pointed out to the doctor, Pookas don't come to you until you're ready. I've always thought I was ready. Lord knows, I need one. Elwood's mother told him,"... in this life you can be smart or you can be nice." I've come up short on both.

Rodents and phenomenae and models, oh, my!

Went last week for a follow-up mammogram. Carol, the technician, started positioning me for the first x-ray, apologizing for the coldness of the equipment. I told her it reminded me of the first time years ago that I had come to that location. At that appointment, the tech was shorter than I, blond, upbeat... and had the coldest hands this side of death. She also sounded exactly like Minnie Mouse. When I reacted to her touch, she began effusive apologies, asking many times if I was in pain? Is the equipment too tight? I had almost choked trying to swallow my laughter when I realized that this was her normal voice, not an attempt to lighten a pressing situation. I told Carol that I had thought of Minnie and retold my tale of the experience often over the years. Carol said, "She's still here. She's my boss. She's always complaining of being cold."

The news has been full of reports on the arrest, and reaction to it, of Roman Polanski for the rape of an under-age girl years ago. My strongest reaction was to Whoopie Goldberg's statement that 'it wasn't rape rape.' Isn't that what pedophiles say?... 'it wasn't rape, they wanted it.' I am so disappointed in Whoopie. Polanski is rich and sought after by many. Want to guess how this will end? Saw a chipmunk recently... the first I've seen in several years. It was in my lane of the street and couldn't decide which way to run. So it sat there... looking at me as if to say, "Either wait or go over." Just goes to prove, if you're a rodent, and not rich, it helps to be cute.

Last week, a strange cloud appeared over Moscow. It looked like a huge halo. Or the exhaust from an alien spaceship like the ones in the film "Independence Day." (I often think of my diamond-shaped cloud.) Could this new cloud be another sign of things to come.. the future written in the sky?

Seems a recent model's photo was air-brushed to the point that her head was bigger than her hips. And it's been announced that Marge Simpson will be in Playboy magazine. Time to think of what photo I'll use for my Christmas cards this year. Hmmmmm....