Oh, watermelon, thou perfect summer fruit.
You beguile me so, with sweet redness
       encased in emerald orb.
Crisp and juicy, refreshing and yummy
and delightfully seedless.
A guiltless summer pleasure, full of fluid and fiber.
I will love you now…. gorging myself on your goodness.
For all too soon your glory shall fade into fall.
Why must your season of sweet ripeness be so brief?

For all my feline loving friends….   enjoy

Jon Stewart gives great hugs.  That’s what I found  out in my Monday night dream.  Frankly, I don’t know what he was doing at my deceased grandmother’s house on 7th east, along with an assortment of other people I apparently knew.  But as I bid them all farewell, he gave me the most amazingly warm, memorable hug.   And he looked great in his grey suit.

Last night’s dreams were not nearly so rewarding.

In one segment, I was fending off rather large sharks with a knife and a stick in a rope-infested bay (yes, large ropes were floating around the surface of this water, making it a challenge to swim).  I have no idea what prompted me to leave the safety of the rowboat I had been in. 

The last couple of nights my dreams have been a bit like short story collections - one segment completely unrelated to the next.    There was quite a bit of hiking over straw and snow covered hills.  Ashley (looking about age 10 - she often shows up in my dreams as a baby or young child) happily slid down one of them, out of site.   I took a cd of music in to my massage therapist in hopes they would exchange it out for the weird music they’ve been playing lately.   Some guy was trying to talk me into taking his $800 self-help seminar (I said no.)

However, my dreams are usually more like full-length feature films - very vivid, very realistic, often very entertaining.  Much more so that my waking life.     Sometimes I literally wake myself up laughing at the silliness - other times it seems like they were an important message I need to figure out. 

Occasionally (not nearly often enough) I get to enjoy a nice, steamy dream…    most recently with David Peckham (a guy from my neighborhood when I was growing up.)   Completely random.  No idea what prompted that, since I never even had a crush on Dave in my teen years and haven’t seen or heard from him since high school.   But it was a memorable dream : )

Shemar has yet to make an appearance, however. 

What memorable dreams have you had of late?  Do you think they have any meaning?   Any ideas what MY dreams meant?

Every year People magazine chooses the sexiest man alive.  Sometimes I wholeheartedly agree (George Clooney - 1997 & 2006) - and others, it seems a bit of a miss (Nick Nolte - 1991).  This year their choice was Matt Damon.  Now, Matt is a handsome young buck and a terrific actor - but sexiest man alive???  I think not.

While in Salt Lake last week, Ashley, Kathleen and I took a stroll through the covers of all the previous years of Sexiest Man Alive issues and gave them our own 1 - 10 ratings (and for the most part, were in agreement).   As we were oggling the pics at People.com, we commented on how a person’s behavior impacts their sexiness.   
  

• George Clooney: humanitarian/political activist = sexy.  
• Brad Pitt: humanitarian = sexy. 
• Mel Gibson: anti-semetism = not sexy.  
• Sean Connery: wife beater = not sexy.  
   

This year I have painstakingly reviewed potential candidates (it was quite a chore, as you can well imagine), and have selected my own honoree.

I present to you now my choice for the 2007 Sexiest Man Alive:

Shemar Moore

Gaze upon his countenance and drool.

This man is simply gorgeous. 

I don’t know much about him or his personality, but I’m a fan of his character on Criminal Minds. 

At some point I may learn of some unsavory detail about his life that reduces his sexiness - but for now, this is my dream boy. 

Who is your pick?

One of the many things I love about living near Seattle is the vibrant art community - and particularly the abundant art glass found here.   I remember being fascinated and blown away by the exhibits of Dale Chihuly (yes, he’s from here) during the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. 

There are literally dozens of art glass studios as well as art institutes/schools here.  I wander through the galleries and shop which featuring local artists and am inspired, wishing I had the light, display space and money to create a gallery of these piece in my home… 

Blown glass, dichroic glass, leaded glass - jewelry, functional pieces and abstract art.  I’d surround myself with this beauty if I could.  Art is not cheap.

Over the past 4 1/2 years I have lived here (has it really been that long??) I have collected 4 stunning leaded glass snowflakes, created by Cheryl Parrott, and a couple of years ago received a fused/dichroic glass pendant from my cousin, Rob (I still love and wear it Rob!). 

When Margie came to visit in October, I took her to a couple of my favorite local art shops where she, too, was astounded at the quality and quantity of local artistry.  I think she must have noticed my longing glances (or perhaps my pulling on her arm to “look at THAT!”) at some of the art glass, because her Christmas gift to me this year was sending me out to pick my favorite glass piece. 

Selecting the perfect piece took repeat visits to several galleries - but one piece just kept calling me back.  When the owner said I could take it home and if it didn’t work, I could return it - I pulled out the American Express and she carefully wrapped it in bubble wrap.   Orange and and purple are not colors that will go with just any decor - but I had hopes that it would go in mine.   The moment it was unwrapped, I knew it would not be leaving my home - it’s PERFECT.   

It’s about 17″ across, and has a custom stand, and looks great in several places in my condo, but I decided it would make the ideal entry piece.  Not sure if you can tell in this photo, but it almost glows when the light hits it.  It sits right next to my front door - so I see it every time I leave my home, or walk down the hall to my bedroom.  

Isn’t it beautiful?   Thanks Margie!

Do you have a favorite piece of art in your home?   Or art that you haven’t acquired but that continues to call to you?

Is anyone else creeped out by these Charles Schwab commercials?  Disturbing.  The animation just gives me the willies every time I see one - so much so that I had to blog about it. Lucky you. I can’t imagine this improving their business… 

On the other hand, there are a handful of commercials out right now that always make me chuckle.  They’re stupid, but I always laugh. 

One is the William Shatner as the Price Line Negotiator.  I love his horrible kung fu moves and that he can be such a dork and not take himself seriously.   I also find myself chuckling at the Emerald Nuts commercials…  the Swiss Family Robinson or the “Addicted To Love Girls” that appear at 3pm and mess with the person who’s sleeping because he didn’t eat the nuts to stay awake. Really dumb, but funny.

And lastly - for some reason I smile every time USA Network plays their promo for the upcoming Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. It has these dogs, photographed like models, with wind blowing on them (the Afghan hound is beautiful), etc. as “I’m Too Sexy” plays, or “She’s Like The Wind“….

Any standout commercials for you?

I wondered if anything would be able to pull me away from my love affair with and/or addiction to online paper snowflakes this year - besides carpal tunnel.    I did find a new object of affection which, unfortunately, also puts strain on my mouse hand… but has been entertaining nonetheless.

Try your hand at Travel IQ - the online geography game! 

My first score was 6, then 8… and now I consistently get to level 12, but haven’t topped the required 60,000 points to complete level 12 (the final one) yet. 

I do, however, know where Mogadishu is.  As well as Togo, Jakarta and the Taj Majal.     See how you do - then return and report!

For some non-carpel tunnel online fun, check out my brilliant nephew Sam’s new blog - Jacob’s Escalator.   Be sure to read the Prologue and Disclaimer.

Who doesn’t like snowflakes?   Here’s a cool new twist on an old passtime - cutting paper snowflakes.   My sister, Kristin, introduced me to “Make-A-Flake“  - no paper or scissors needed.    I made all the flakes in my post (copying them into Photoshop to edit).  Aren’t they pretty??

Click here to make a flake and then post it for us to see!   After you cut your flake, select “Save my flake” - and enter your name/submit.  Then, in the next window, choose “Download my flake.”    Choose “view image” - a new browser window will open that shows your newly created flake.  Copy and URL and paste it in a message to us.  It will look something like this: 

http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/viewflake.php?id=16425221

Can’t wait to see your flakes!

Religious and family customs shape many holiday rituals, but the beauty of Winter Solstice is that it excludes no one and touches everyone.  After all, who is immune to the changing season, the earth growing cold, the days of dwindling light?  

Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year - and the promise of the earth’s re-birth in the spring.   Modern day traditions, including mistletoe, yule logs, lighting of candles, exchanging gifts, decorating evergreen boughs and caroling are all rooted in this beautiful, ancient holiday.

In Ireland, many gather at Newgrange, 1000 years older than Stonehenge, who’s unique construction captures and directs the morning sunlight on Winter Solstice down a long corridor.  

In fact, for the first time ever, the 2007 Winter Solstice illumination at Newgrange will be available live on the internet and by free to air satellite broadcast - TONIGHT!

The live stream will begin at 8:30 am on 21st and 22nd December 2007. (That’s tonight and tomorrow night at 12:30am PT, 1:30am MT)

Click here to access the webcast

While you’re waiting for the webcast (or if you missed it), here is a  brief quiz about Winter Solstice

Happy Solstice!

Kitty has a name.  Actually he has two names.  I call him Sweetness, because he is such a sweet, cuddly fellow - lies with his head resting on my shoulder as I brush him.  

But his formal name is Sir Hides-a-lot.   He is a complete scaredy cat, who hides the moment he hears a knock on the door or any loud or mysterious noise.  Here are a few of his favorite spots.

This is one of his “safest” places, because no one can reach him.  He wedges himself in a little nook between my desk and the wall & peeks out into the living room.   

He also likes to hide behind the washing machine in the laundry closet but I couldn’t get a photo.
 
He wouldn’t stop meowing in the kitchen (even after being fed), so I opened the cupboard door and he happily sat behind the mixmaster for an hour.

Here he is behind the vcr/dvd player in my media cabinet.
He can sleep here for hours. Another favorite spot.

An occasional favorite spot is behind the fax machine - which is on the top shelf of a bottom cupboard in the kitchen.

He seems to have an attraction to electric appliances, doesn’t he?

And finally, in the credenza in my office. I thought he’d escaped a week or so ago when I left the door open to run upstairs to tell my neighbor she was flooding my condo.

I searched all his favorite spots and outside as well - but no kitty. After about 5 hours, I heard a soft banging behind me in the cupboard (where I really had looked). I opened the door and there he was, nap over and ready to socialize again. He spent every day there while the fans were on, drying out the carpet.

Fellow cat owners - is this normal?