Springtime...Yellowstone...and More

 

Everything is bloomed and green, now.

Not that we've spent a lot of time appreciating it after discovering Yellowstone.

Yes...OMG...John and I are hooked.

We've finished Season 1 and 2 and are starting on 3.

Costner as grizzled rancher, John Dutton.

And Rip...badly damaged child/turned ranch-hand who wears the brand...Beth...who has no redeeming qualities whatsoever...also badly damaged from life...Casey...younger with demons of his own from Afghanistan...Monica who married into this shit-show....Jamie, who has no backbone or self-esteem...Jimmy, who turned away from The Meth Life...but is...maybe the dumbest character we've ever seen...

And the body count.

I've lost track.

But...we're hooked.

Nice cliff-hanger...every episode...keeps you coming back.

 

Planning the summer patio gardens...lots of herbs and flowers, I'm thinking. Wind-chimes, but not the hummingbird feeders...because TUX.  It would be a lot like laying out a buffet.

Tux, who will soon be here 6 months and has completely taken over.

"Told you I was your cat."

Sometimes I call him Sir-Eats-A-Lot.

Not only can he clear off 3.5 pounds of dry food a week...but that is in addition to the people food he bums and our late night raid the fridge together forays.

And he is sleek and solid...no fat anywhere.

It is amazing.

And our Gadget...who piles into the bags and says

"You can't leave me ever ever again, Dad!!!"

And last week was traumatic for her with bike rides...

And fishing with the guys...

and road-trips to relatives...

And a full day with Jonathan, over...who she used to love before the Terrible Box Incident...which she has yet to forgive him for...

Got to see Hannah and Xe' (the grandchild formerly known as Emma) all dressed and pressed for their respective proms.

Hannah and her boyfriend.

Waiting for Xe' picture...coming soon!

 

And watched Mystic Dan (at 18:1 odds) WIN the Kentucky Derby!!!

 

Have a wonderful week!

 

64...and Our Casino Adventure

 

"...will you be sending me Valentines...birthday greetings...bottles of wine..."

Finally recovered from last week's Birthday Getaway...it was wonderful (and so are YOU, guy!!!)

And yes...now I am 64...

(...how the hell did THAT happen...)

Great birthday filled with balloons and chocolates...green apple candles...toys and treats for Tux...

And checking out the new casino that Terre Haute has to offer!

We only stayed about an hour or so, and did very very well!

Since evening was way way too crowded, loud, and beyond my capabilities now...we had a relaxing breakfast nearby the Inn...then enjoyed the relative low light and crowd-free early morning casino.

Home with Birthday Morels, laundry to do, things to unpack and soon to celebrate our 6th Year back together!

love,

Carla

The Eclipse...

 That was absolutely amazing!!!

I have been privileged throughout my life to have seen many many meteor showers, a full lunar eclipse, many partial solar eclipses, a halo around the sun, snow rollers and many other natural phenomena, but this was truly a once-in-my-lifetime event!

Since we were in the path of totality...John and I decided to make a day out of it with the reflective glasses...sitting outside together and later spoiling Tux and fixing battered and fried morel mushrooms.  He had never experienced a total eclipse, either.

Completely incredible.

There were a lot of people outside with blankets or lawn chairs.

He had extra Eclipse Glasses which we shared with neighbors.

The build-up was slow and like all of the partials we had ever seen.

Then as the face of the sun was covered to barely a sliver it got cooler...and quieter...you could see the tiny beads before totality and Jupiter and Venus became visible.  And the photo-negative gray gave way to a bright corona ring and the sky turned into night. 

Dark.  Darkness.

At 2:30 in the middle of a sunny day.

No wonder medieval people were freaked the hell out.

It was mesmerizing. 

(...Tux could not even be coaxed out...even during the return of the sun...)

And at its peak...when darkness enveloped us all...the sounds of the people near and further away...celebrating...cheering...clapping.

It was intense.

Such an emotional moment...to know, for some of us, we will never see this ever again.

For he and I, to share this moment together.

Afterwards, the morels were pretty good, too...

love,

Carla, John and the cats!

Election 2024: Politics

 

Is it just me...or is everyone else just so damn tired of this guy????

Seriously.

Easter came and went. 

And the Biden White House release was this.

Also this was from Trump's Truth Social Account.

Which one would YOU prefer to represent the USA?

Take all the time you need.

~sigh~

The Primary numbers appear good...and I, as yet, see nothing to indicate any  possibility that this mad man will EVER step foot in the Oval Office again.

That would be the good news.

The bad news is that he (and by extension...his MAGA Supporters) are already talking up "rigged" and "Civil War" and show no signs of going away when they lose, again...

So regardless of election results...we are likely stuck with them for awhile.

I have now realized that we are stuck with Trump forever...until he dies...

Watching what is happening in the primaries, and special elections this year, it seems obvious that after 2024 the GOP is going to have to make the decision to part ways with him...or watch the total destruction of their party.

Either is fine with me.

More as it comes...

 

Happiness...Our Spring Advenure...Hannah is 17...& Easter Weekend

 Happiness is when your abducted cat finds its way home!

Came back from our Spring Adventure, and no Tux.

We waited and waited and called and called...but STILL no Tux.

A black and white furball came to the patio...but it was the wrong one.

"Go home, Charlie."

...sigh...

Since he is soooo gregarious and doesn't know a stranger...we assume he strayed too near a cat-loving home and was taken in for a while.

By nearly bedtime we were beyond worry and second guessing ourselves and feeling pretty badly.

Then, just before bedtime, he appeared...out of thin air.

Tears.

He rushed inside and jumped into my arms.

"OMG, Mom...I didn't know if I would ever SEE you again!!!"

Me, neither, Fuzzbutt.

But all's well that ends well.

(...and if it doesn't end well...it is not the end.)

We had a wonderful Spring Adventure together...even woke up yesterday and decided to (uncharacteristically) breakfast together at IHOP...which has everything...and was amazing!!!

Back to the day-to-day, now.

Laundry...dishes soaking....bags unpacked..groceries bought for Easter Dinner...finished a book I had been reading and finally saw Oppenheimer!

Got a laugh when Dillon delivered my groceries, and realized he obviously wasn't a cook, when he proudly told me he found the biggest and best bunch of asparagus because

"It all looked so thin and small compared to this."

I didn't have the heart to burst his bubble and let him know that thin stuff was Spring asparagus and far superior to the thick woody stemmed he had bought...so I'll be having tips with my pulled pork, potato salad, rolls, and coconut cake.

Hannah turned 17 today.

We will be celebrating together soon!

How quickly they all grow up!

The first of my morels have arrived.

 

The Book

The latest and greatest from Stephen King.

A nice re-visitation of characters we knew and loved from the Mr. Mercedes Trilogy.

Holly Gibney, Barbara and Jerome Robinson, as well as some new and horrific ones.

An entertaining and quick read...well worth the time.

And The Movie

Which was worth every one of its 13 Nominations and 7 Oscar wins this year...including Picture of the Year.

Incredible casting.

Cillian captured the haunted look of a man who had

"...become Death...destroyer of worlds..."

Robert Downey Jr. was Strauss...and I had never seen him in an evil role before. He was masterful.

If you only see one movie this year...make sure it is this one!

 

Have a Happy Easter Weekend!

Love,

Carla & Tux 

Spring!!!

 

And soon there will be planting stuff & mushrooms and such!

Love,

Carla

A Political Cup

 Yeah...it is mostly like this.

I was planning this missive for Wednesday...but face it...there is so much that has happened this week...one can hardly keep up. 

First, Joe and Donald have been officially pronounced the presumptive nominees for their respective parties. They have both garnered the requisite number of delegates.

jesus wept

Georgia has dropped 6 of its indictments against TFG...still leaving over 30.

The special prosecutor has now resigned in the case...and Fani Willis isn't going anywhere.

Cannon has refused TFG's motion for dismissal in the documents case.

Ditto in NY's Stormy Daniel case.

Is it me...or does he just scowl all the time???

Biden found a work-around and has released frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine...as well as 300 million worth of ammunition.

He and Chuck Schumer have recently called for Bibi to be replaced...we will see how this suggestion is taken.

No cease fire was agreed on before Ramadan. 

The Ukrainians have downed one Russian plane and one ship this week.

The war still rages...starting its third year.

Both Patron (the sapper dog) and Zelenskyy are still alive and well!

Mike Pence issued a statement, today, that he can't in good conscience endorse his former boss.

ya think?????

And Chris Christie remarked, that with Mark Meadow's testimony, TFG will be "just done".

Well, one can hope!

As for me and mine...our vote is firmly for Dark Brandon.

 

 

More as it happens!