Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween 2009

Up for a pit stop at 4 AM. We oldsters often get up in the middle of the night. Pity poor Blitzen who feels duty bound to follow me around. Lady Chica moves around during the night. She is asleep in my easy chair.

11:30 AM Finally Lady Chica managed to get me out of bed. I was reading email when my sister called. She informed me I could get my dogs' toenails trimmed. (Joke!!! )
We are going to dog park soon. Temp is 55 degrees. Persis informs me that leaves are off the trees in Detroit.

The park was perfectly delightful. The dogs raced. Blitzen was socializing all the young punks in the park. People bring their dogs to be socialized but dont understand a dog pack. A lot of adolescent male dogs.

Blitzen's Tale
I do my best to socialize those young punks into pack etiquette but nobody understands. It's a rough life.

Lady Chica's Tale
Had a great time running with a lot of different buggers. Those hound dogs like to run. Mom says Buddy was chasing the car when we drove out.

I took a nap and woke just in time to get to AA bday night. I took a cushion to sit on and I am not so tired. Two months ago there were a lot of 30 days who did not make it to 90 days.

BOOK REVIEW
I have started several books. Have not finished.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Friday, October 30, 2009

October 30, 2009

Tai chi this morning. Off to Senior Center. 48 degrees ce matin. I have a pile of strips to sew.

Senior Center had a costume competition. Several were really good. Did tai chi and went Krogering. I was about to take a nap when Martha came by with leftovers. chicken cacciatore, a huge amount of stir fry and chicken soup and some dumplings. Enuf food for about a month. And it is all superb.

Whatever I do, Martha laughs and said you always did that --- like leave projects undone.

I was writing tonight and I clicked the wrong button and it vanished. I took two naps. Then we went to dog park where my dogs did not run. They just sat around on the tables coaxing people to pet them Watching my usual Friday tv programs.

Blitzen's Tale
I did not even go near the fence tonight. Those old busters were calling and calling.

Lady Chica's Tale
I am tired out from being at Pup's. We stayed up just too late last night.


BOOK REVIEW
T. Jefferson Parker, *The Blue Hour*
This is the prequel to *Black Water*. Merci Rayborn is a deputy sheriff in Orange County CA. In this book she gets pregnant with Tim. She is paired with Hess, an older man, to find a serial killer. I like this book less than the later one. There are chapters devoted to the killer. I hate this. I just want to find bodies and solve puzzles.




Hugs, Dr. Liz

Thursday, October 29, 2009

October 29, 2009

2:30 AM Up for a pit stop. I went to bed at 10 PM. Haven't done that in a long time. Maybe I can get back on a regular schedule.

8 AM Up for another pit stop. Going back to bed. No dog park bc dogs will visit Pup this evening.

10 AM Hunger drove me out of bed. Just listened to Margaret Atwood on NPR. Maybe I will try her latest novel. I am still angry about Handmaiden.

Noon. I have been pinning strips. Found the embryo of another quilt, which will be two of ours. My goodness, Elizabeth

This evening went with lea to a class in glass jewelry making. It was different from what I expected. We made little squares with different colored glass and it will be fired and melt.

Blitzen's Tale
What happens at Pup's stays at Pup's
[ed. note. I saw Blitzen eating all of Pup's food.]

Lady Chica's Tale
What happens at Pup's stays at Pup's.

BOOK REVIEW
Robert Tannenbaum, *depraved Indifference*
This is Tannenbaum's second book and his early books are very different. He had just left the District Attorney 's office in NY. More realistic and critical of the DA's office. Butch Karp is an ADA ----- death of a NY policeman.
This book was written in 1990 and I am interested in the change after 9/11. In this book. there is a plane hijacking but it is not regarded as so serious as after 9/11.



Hugs, Dr. Liz

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

October 28, 2009

Reader writes:

You can always sell the quilt as a East Texas Baptist University, Wayland Baptist University, East Texas State University (now A&M Commerce) or, my Alma Mata...Howard Payne University, all with blue and yellow (gold):
High above old Bayou's waters
Out on Center's heights
Stands our noble Alma Mata
Towering in her might

Keep her colors ever floating
Sing her praises do
Hail to the our Alma Mata
Hail the gold and blue.
*********************************************************************************************************
Apt. 11:15 to get a cavity filled in my tooth.
Up at 9:15 am. I wanted to hit the snooze button but old Blitzen was barking. I dont know why he wanted me to get up. They are just sleeping not demanding bfast.

My dental visit took fifteen minutes. Hardly worth the effort. I am starving. Guess I can eat now. Then for a nap.

After nap we went to dog park. Rain is coming in again. Dogs ran desultorily. Sometimes I wonder if Lady Chica has arthritis. She had a severe break in her thigh long ago. I know that my pelvis scare aches when a front comes in.

Blitzen's Tale
I ran over to say hello to Ray, Bill and Mickey's Dad. Mom was sitting at our table by the fence. The others were over under the shelter. We did some running. Buddy and I trash talked to each other.

Lady Chica's Tale
I didn't do much running. Mostly I just lay around the table where Mom was reading. I wonder what it is like to read a book. Mom sits and turns pages.

BOOK REVIEW
James Patterson, *1st to Die*
Woman's Murder Club. Lindsey Boxer is a homicide dick. She begins to investigate killings of bride and groom on their wedding night. She organizes her friends into a Murder Club, Claire, the ME; Cindy, a reporter; Jill, an assistant DA. Several surprises ensue.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

October 27, 2009

AM Off to Baptist Center.

I was busy constantly. We serviced about 20 families today. As usual, some anglos. Nancy said she felt like a whirling dervish. (She thot she had to define what a whirling dervish was.) Now for a nap.What is that terrible noise? What is that terrible noise?

That is the alarm ringing. 7

I wanted to sew a seam. I was stitching and my bobbin thread snapped. That is so frustrating. I hate bobbins anyhow and the Singer bobbin is more horrible. Probably more accurate.

After a nap, the dog park. Beautiful day. Dogs fascinate me. Today Blitzen went up to an intact male blue heeler, two or three times bigger than he. Blitzen tried mounting him, sort of sideways. The other dog humorously shrugged him off. The two sort of messed around nd then did a mutual play signal. Then they ran off to chase the big dogs along the fence.

Readin and sewing this evening. I have started another quilt, blue and yellow. Oh, dear, those are the colors of Univ of Michigan. Golden the grain and so forth.
Hail to the Victors valiant,
Hail to the conquering Heros,
Hail, Hail to Michigan,
The champions of the West.

Persis you can forward this to your son.

Blitzen's Tale
There was a big old buster on this side that ran with us. We were just leaving when Chance and Buddy arrived. Buddy was crying as usual. (His mom said when he gets out of the car and smells Chica he cries.)

Lady Chica's Tale
Had a great old time chasing along the fence. This was a great day.

Days are growing shorter. In the summer, the shade reaches our table at 7:15. Tonight it was shaded at 5:15. When does the time change? I know that my computer automatically changes.

BOOK REVIEW
James Patterson, *3rd Degree*
Women's Murder Club. Lindsey Boxer, homicide detective in San Francisco. Claire, Jill and Cindy, her friends. In this book, a domestic terrorist is bombing houses, killing people with ricin, a drug made from castor beans. Well developed plot that hangs together.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Monday, October 26, 2009

October 26, 2009

9 AM and i am ready to get up. I am practicing tai chi warmup moves.
Blitzen has taken to sleeping under the covers, down by my feet. Then when he gets up he drags all the covers off the bed. Living with Blitzen is such a chore. I could get rid of him, but he is so desparately dependent on me.

People say that dogs give unconditional love. I think what it is, is that they assume unconditional love. Or at least mine do.

Met Judy at Wendy's. Showed her one finished block from each of my two new quilts. She thinks they are beautiful.
The dogs expect to go to the park. The routine is that I come back from Wendy's and we go, but that is not going to happen today. Cold rain she is a fallin'.

I took a nap and woke with more energy. So off we went in the sprinkles. Surprise! Surprise! We were the only creatures about. Lady Chica spent the time running back and forth along the fence trying to get some parked cars to move. Blitzen wandered around. When I was ready to go, for the first time they played together. They often do thiswhen I am ready to go somewhere.

Blitzen's Tale
The dog park was just one big puddle today. It was kind of fun poking around smelling things. Things smell more in the rain.

Lady Chica's Tale
nobody would move today. Those old cars just sat there. Nothing was moving. No birds. No nothing. It was fun to be outdoors, though.

BOOK REVIEW
Deborah Crombie, *Necessary As Blood*
No idea what the title means. Police procedural. Gemma James and Duncan, police in London. duncan is with Scotland Yard. Gemma is called by a friend when the friend's friend does not show up for an appointment. Eventually the man's body is found. His wife had vanished three months before. So the manhunt begins. The murdered couple leave behind a small child, Charlotte, whom Gemma and Duncan will adopt in the next book in the series.
The woman victim is an artist in fabric collage. Gave me an idea for quilts. I have so many ideas and so little time. Well, I read mysteries rather than sew.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Part two October 25, 2009

My dogs would not run with Buddy and Chance. Buddy stood at the fence crying.
Eventually the hour was up and we came home.
I am sending this and closing computer.

Blitzen's Tale
I really told off that little Lab puppy. He was big. Thot he was big.

Lady Chica's Tale
I dont know why it didt feel right at the park today. I went up to a little boy and let him pet me.

BOOK REVIEW
T. Jefferson Parker, *Black Water*
Police Procedural. Orange County Sheriff's deputies Marci and Zamorra. Another book about a bullet in the brain. The reader learns a lot. (Acknowledgements to doctors by author. Author attended a seminar.) A fellow deputy, Archie, is found critically injured and his wife dead. Marci and Zamorra are trying to prove it was not homicide/suicide. (The prolog is the story of what happens. We know that Archie is not the killer.)

Archie gets out of hospital and tracks down and kills the killers. Then he makes wings and flies off a cliff to join his wife whom he thinks is hovering there.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

October 25, 2009

Reset the alarm, skipped SS and went to church. I thot the sermon today was radical but the Pastor did not. I asked him after the service.

The liturgical text was from Matthew where Jesus talks about separating the sheep from the goats and saying "Inasmuch as you did this to the least of them you did it unto me." So the sermon was about illegal immigrants. pastor always talks not preaches. he talked about how horrible the southern part of TX is. Some Union general said if he were offered Hell and TX he would choose hell.
Somebody said that the area is a cross between a dessert and a briar patch. Well, of course this is where thousands of Mexicans try to enter US. At least a thousand die every year from thirst and heat. Pastor told about a rancher who leaves a cabin open with food and water. The idea being that even illegal immigranst are "the least of these."

Farmer was not there for lunch. We missed you. Margie, Bette and I sit together with others and we always have a great table.

Well, I came home, reading emails. Going to take a nap. Must look at weather to see if it will rain. Peter at the rec center said 80% chance.

I was asleep, I think, when I heard this strange noise. Couldn't figure it out. It seemed to be coming from my computer. It was Skype. Sister calling. We talked 38 minutes until Ernie (her husband) came in from mowing yard. I better get to dog park before it rains. About 7. Now 4:49 PM

Dark clouds were hovering at the edge of the horizon but it did not rain here. My dogs did not act normal (if there is such a thing for Blitzen). I think they felt the coming front. Blitzen went up to a lab puppy being held on a leash and made a dominating noise. The puppy freaked. Blitzen of course continued to bark at the puppy. The people must be new to the park. They kept walking toward the gate and i kept following. People never stop and I am slow. Finally I put Blitzen on a leash.

to be continued. This is not all

Saturday, October 24, 2009

October 24, 2009

11 AM Time to get up. When Lady Chica decides it's time for breaky she comes in and licks me. I sat up reading until 4 AM. I think I get stimulated when I go out and that play was stimulating.
I dreamed I was leading a band of insurgents in some primeval forest. All medeival maidens. I decided we would dress like ghosts and kill people one by one. I was influenced by the DVD documentary on Beowulf that Lea shared with me.

I had a wonderful time at the dog park. First of all, it is a perfect day. Perfect. 73 degrees with a breeze. I sat down at "our table", over by the fence so I can watch my dogs. My dogs think it is our territory.
A young couple was sitting there. The young man said something about Michigan and I spoke up. He was born in Flint but came to tX when he was a year old. He has a lot of cousins in MI and has visited summers. So we talked about everything. I asked his occupation and he is a law student. so we discussed Obama as a lawyer. We seemed to see everything eye to eye. On leaving he said he had had a wonderful talk.
Came home and chatted with my new neighbror.Sheila. I took the dogs down so they could get to know her and wouldn't freak out when she walked past.

I read and did a trifle of sewing. I am pinning strips on my next two quilts. My sister called on Skype and we talked for 38 minutes. her pic was there but not her video. My video moved. I could watch myself on video. I like that picture. I am smiling. So often in my pics I look cross.

Blitzen's Tale
Mom seemed to be having a good time. Chica and I ran the fence. Lots and lots of dogs there.

Lady Chica's Tale
Yeah, Mom was having a good time. We had a lot of fun running the fence. They had dog fights in the big side. Lots of pit bulls.

BOOK REVIEW
Maricia Muller, *Locked In*
Sharon McCone series. Sharon is shot in the head and experiences "locked in syndrome". She can hear and see and think but cannot move. She can blink. She establishes communication by blinking yes and no.
At one point the bullet remnants shift and she needs surgery. With bone and bullet removed, she can move again. She needs therapy for a long time.
Meanwhile she worked with her operatives to find who shot her. And she lives happily ever after.
This was a moving experience. I couldn't put it down and go to bed.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Friday, October 23, 2009

October 23, 2009

At 5 AM Blitzen was up demanding breakfast. It was easier just to get up and feed him. After that I did a lot of dreaming.
Got up one minute before nine. Will make it to tai chi. Temp is 54. Sun is shining. Rain is over.

Tai chi, snacks, library run.

Then I took a nap. More or less. Sort of listening to NPR. Tonight the dogs stay with Pup while the grownups go to a play at UTA.

Blitzen's Tale
What happens at Pup's stays at Pup's.

Lady Chica's tale
What happens at Pup's stays at Pup's.

I think the dogs thot I had abandoned them. I went over to John and Lea's, leaving the dogs with Pup. We went out to eat at Jay Jay's. John and I each brot home a piece of pie for later. We went to UTA theatre dept to see "Noise Out*. It was a farce. Lea defined a farce as a play where people go in and out of doors. Sure enuf, that's what they did. First they did one act of a play, in rehearsal. Then the set was turned around. We saw backstage during the act. Then we saw the act again, only it was insane. All in all, hilarious.

We went back to Lea's where John and I each ate our pie and Lea ate watermelon. She has lost forty pounds. Meanwhile John, who was skinny to begin with, lost twenty pounds.
Then the dogs and I came home.

BOOK REVIEW
James Patterson, *Run for your Life*
NYPD procedural. Michael Bennett is a homicide dick, a single father with 10 adopted children. (His wife was alive when they adopted the children.) In this book he is tracking a serial killer, who is running (literally) around New York city shooting people. meanwhile the children all have flu.




Hugs, Dr. Liz

Thursday, October 22, 2009

October 22, 2009

Blitzen wouldn't eat his breakfast and wanted to go out. So we went to the North Davis dog park. Met Judy there. It was miserable chilly, that raw chill. I have come home exhausted. I went off without my coffee.

Blitzen's Tale
I was ready to come home. That park was chilly and full of cold water in puddles. I dont know why Mom doesn't warm the place up.

Lady Chica's Tale
I never did take to that dog park. I know there are squirrels in those woods but it was just too miserable.

11 AM I think I will at least lie down for a while. No more going out. I need to get to work on something.

4:49 Pm I took a nap. I am doing a small amount of sewing. Had to fill bobbins. That is always such an irritation. I managed to drag in another rubber tree. Average first frost is November 15. I have two more weeks, two more trees.

Tired tonight. Waiting for MI 5

BOOK REVIEW
Simon Brett, *Murder in the Museum*
Classic British mystery. Carol Siddon and Jude Nelson. Carol becomes a trustee of Bracketts museum. The museum is dedicated to Esmond Chadleigh, a man of letters of the thirties. The kitchen garden is dug up for the addition to the museum, and a skeleton is found. A skeleton about 90 years old. Later a woman is shot dead. The least suspected is the murderer.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

October 20, 2009

Baptist Center. Only three requests for groceries and it is 9:40 am. I am sleepy. I took anti-histamine last night. Eventually we had 15 requests. One family of six and one family of seven.
I came home and took a nap as usual. Then we went to the dog park.And oh my!!!!

The motorcycle police were there. One guy keeps falling off his bike. They were practicing. Blitzen kept digging holes and digging holes. I turned my back to get a leash to put him on time out and ----- he broke out. He was running in the parking log. And a cop was chasing him down on his bike. Blitzen had sense enuf to get out of there and come back to the gate.

I talked to one cop and he said they would be practicing for three more weeks. So we are going to the park on North Davis.

I must say, the dog park is like a community. Ray went out to catch Blitz. Another lady took her dog out to see if the dog could coax Blitzen.

I am just tired out and I am going to send this. Before I forget. I may take a nap.

Blitzen's Tale
Wow. What an adventure. I got under that ol fence. I thot I would chase the motorcycles but the cycles were chasing me, and I thot I would get back inside the fence. That ol Ray came after me, too, and some girl dog.

Lady Chica's Tale
That Blitz is stupid, stupid, stupid. He crawled out under the fence. What a stupe! I had a lot of fun racing and racing and racing

BOOK REVIEW
Bill Crider, *Death by Accident*
sheriff procedural. sheriff Bill Rhodes series. One after the other three accidents have been fatal. Rhodes thinks that is a weird coincidence. So he keeps poking around. This takes place in a small town in Texas.



Hugs, Dr. Liz

Monday, October 19, 2009

October 19, 2009

I was up and off to meet Judy at Wendy's. I found I had not sent my Sunday journall.
Today we debriefed about the craft fair. Judy picked up my 8 hats. She had three quilts which did not sell.

Then we went to dog park. The police motorcycles kept coming. Blitzen dug holes under the fence, much to the distress of another lady in the park. The two dogs got a lot of running in. I stopped at Town Talk. Then came home and took a nap.

Blitzen's Tale
Those ol motorsickles were buzzing back and forth. Chi and I kept chasing back and forth. I kept digging under the fence but I couldn't get out. Mom says she is going to bring cement and fill up the holes.

Lady Chica's Tale
I wouldn't come when Mom was ready to come home. She had a treat but I dont care when I get to running. She took Blitz to the car and I let Szabo's mom catch me.

BOOK REVIEW
I haven't had so much time to read these days. Haven't finished another book.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

October 18, 2009

Srry. I forgot to send this. I was tired.

My hip is paining this morning. I cannot possible sit through an hour of church. it is harder and harder for me to sit through church. And the chairs in Sunday school are horrible. yesterday the chairs at Will Rogers were made of a cushion.
I have a huge cushion for the dog park.
Well, I will drag myself to the dog park. I am tired all over,.

Stayed at the dog park two hours bc a couple from AA and AlAnon turned up. Lovely day. My dogs couldn't get anybody running.

Blitzen's Tale
I've gotten so that I just want to lie around at the dog park. Charlie, a little dachsund, does nothing but sleep. His dad is Ray.

Lady Chica's Tale
Nobody was running today. There were a lot of dogs there but nobody would run. Blitz and I barked and barked and barked. There were two fights in the big dog park and one fight in the little dog park.

5:5 PM I have slept four or five hours. I didn't look when I went to sleep. I feel so much better. Waiting for Mystery.
Alas. No more Inspector Morse after this episode. Alas. Altho I was distressed that Sgt. Hathaway had a girl friend.

BOOK REVIEW
James Patterson, *5th Horseman*
I think this has to do with the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. women's murder club. Lindsey Boxer is lt in homicide. Somebody poisons patients in a hospital.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Saturday, October 17, 2009

October 17, 2009

10:27 AM Off to the dog park. Then the craft fair. I am sleepy.

The dogs couldn't find anybody to race. I dont understand why they have to race across the fence.

Blitzen's Tale
I mostly sat around on the table. I ran around smelling for a while.

Lady Chica's Tale
Couldn't get any of those big dogs to run. There were two cowdogs on our side but they didn't run. Then mom was gone all day.

I had fun at the craft fair altho I was somewhat tired. Today was slower but still a steady stream of customres. I was told that originally the fair had 31,000 items and half were sold the first two days. Only two of my hats sold. I talked with a volunteer who said that what sells cha nges from year to year. This year it seemed sparkles. A lot of Halloween stuff was sold.

I craved two items. Purses made out of denim with endless pockets inside. And a sweatshirt with buttons sewed on the front outlining a snowman.

Roseanne Cash sang me home. She doesn't sound country altho singing old country songs.

7 PM Tired out. martha and jeff left me some food.

BOOK REVIEW
Ellis Peters, *The Pilgrm of hate*
I am having problems getting through this. Every book has the same plot. This is tenth chronicle of Bro Cadfael. The year is 1141 and pilgrims are coming to the Benedictine Abbey of Shrewsbury to honor St. Winifred.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Friday, October 16, 2009

October 16, 2009

MI5 strikes again. Fiona was killed tonight. Somehow I knew that was coming. They want Adam to have a romance.

Sat morning. I am in pain. I wonder if that front is coming in or something. Or is it my massage loosening all my muscles.
No personal emails this morning.
I am skipping tai chi. Taking dogs to park. This afternoon I am volunteering [for TWO hours, Martha] at the Senior Craft Fair in Will Rogers Auditorium (where they have horse shows). I dont have time for tai chi and sleep. I need sleeping in order to keep my immune system going. Yeah.

Blitzen's Tale
We got a little boxer to race with us. What's with boxers anyhow? That horrible Peanuts was there. Bark, bark, bark, bark.

Lady Chica's Tale
I had fun. A lttle boxer did run with us for a while. It was cool and lovely. Then Mom was gone all afternoon. I am so glad she is home again.

I took off for the craft fair in William Rogers Auditorium. Mrs. Bush was speaking at the inclusion of people in Cowgirl Hall of Fame. It is said there were Secret Service in the hall.
I had a lot of fun. Judy sent me an email that bridge on Lancaster was closed. So I took Rosedale. And she told me where to park.
I was Cashier and Judy was my assistant. We had fun.
There were more than 30,000 items on sale. So far they have grossed 250,000 dollars.
I have sold only 2out of 10 hats. I overpriced them. I did not do any research. Me bad.

I took a small nap. Waiting for my shows from BBC/

BOOK REVIEW
Sara Paretsky, *Hardball*
V.I. Warshawski, Chicago PI. Vic is asked to hunt for a man missing since 1967. So she reopens an old murder case from 1966 when Dr. Martin Luther King spoke in Chicago. And of course we hear all about Chicago politics. A lot of racial tension in the sixties.
I have wondered since the beginning how Obama could come out of Chicago unscathed. On the other hand, he is black and was a civil rights lawyer, not one of the good old boys.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Thursday, October 15, 2009

October 15, 2009

Leah said my arm would hurt and it does. I can move it without pain but it is sore to touch.
I found my white sweater for which I have been searching all summer. It was at the bottom of my long underwear drawer. How did it get there?
Blitzen is getting older. He does not erupt as fiery as he used to. The lawn people were clipping bushes this morning and the clipper was more of a bass tone.

Then we went to dog park. Autumn weather. The dogs found a little boxer to run with.

Blitzen's Tale
There was a little ol buster who ran with us this morning. We beat him all to heck.

Lady Chica's Tale
I patrolled the fence after we stopped running. It is great weather.

I went over and got my oil changed. Then I took a nap.
Then I drove over to UTA library to join Lea in giving our quilt to Jody. The quilt is 60 by 45. One lies on a recliner during chemo treatment and the quilt just covers the body.

It took me one hour to get home. I thot I could get off at Randol Mill, off 820, but the backup started way back. I could have gone home a back way.
I am tuckered out.

BOOK REVIEW:
James Patterson, *4th of July*
This is the fourth book of Women's Murder Club. Police procedural as Lindsey Boxer is a homicide dick. Her friends are Claire, an ME, Jill, an ADA, and Cindy, a reporter. Jill was murdered in an earlier book. In this book they add Yuki for their lawyer.
I am trying to remember which book this is. Lindsey is sued for police brutality. She goes to her sister's house to keep a low profile. There she gets involved in more murders.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

October 14, 2009

Up at 9 AM. The dogs were fussing. I think the new dogs were out for morning ablutions. (yes, I know that ablution means walking but books use it as a euphemism.)
I feel weary. Need to change sheets, do laundry. Working on caftans and blocks.
Massage this aft. Then PPQS.
I suddenly dropped five pounds. That is how I lose weight. I plateau and plateau. (I change noun to verb.) Then I drop.
[That was a message not t tell me five pounds is too much to lose in one week.]

I did laundry and fussed around. Then I had a massage. It was horrible. Leah was getting a pain out of my arm. I have homeowrk to do.

PPQS. I worked on Puerto Vallarta scrapbook. Lea finished quilt. I brot t home wiht me to show Judy.

Blitzen's tale
What happens at Pup's stas at Pup's

Lady Chica's Tale
What happens at Pup's stays at Pup's

BOOK REVIEW
Suzanne Brockmann, *Hot Pursuit*
romantic suspense. I ordinarily dont read this genre but I was misled by the dust cover. I liked it and intend to read more of this series. Alyssa leads a team of bodyguard for Troubleshooters. She has just had a baby. What fantasy!!! [Ed note. There seems to be developing a genre of women law enforcement romances.]
Anyhow it is soft porn with a serial killer intertwined. Lea, dont read.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

October 13, 2009

Baptist Center. 10 AM One hour and I have processed 12 Units for food pantry. I have been busy. Altogether we processed 23 units. One family had seven.

I drove home on side roads as it was raining and foggy. Took a brief nap (one hour). I thot the rain had stopped and we started for the dog park. It began to mizzle. Then it stopped. The park was totally empty. Lady Chica ran back and forth along the fence, hoping somebody would come. Finally the park maintenance truck came by and both dogs chased it. It's warming up.

Blitzen's tale
Mom dragged us off to the park in the rain and nobody nor nothin was there. I wandered around the park smelling of things.

Chica's tale
What a deal! Nobody at the park. Totally totally empty. Mom sat under the shelter reading.

Took another nap. Reading. Lolling about.

BOOK REVIEW
Kathryn Casey, *Blood Lines*
Sort of a fantasy police procedural. Woman Texas Ranger. Investigates suicide and shows it was homicide and finds the bad guys. Meanwhile protecting a teen age superstar who is performing at rodeo.





Hugs, Dr. Liz

Monday, October 12, 2009

October 11, 2009

it's not vintage if you wore it the first time around.

Blitzen barked to go out to eat grass before he ate breakfast. 57 degrees ce matin.
I am planning to refresh my Spanish by reading children's books. I found the perfect book. It is *Jorge el Curioso*, written for English speaking children and has translations at bottom of page.

Met Judy at Wendy's and we had a great discussion about culture change. I was rehearsing my discussion on Marxism with Lea. I have decided that the US in the beginning was neither feudal nor capitalist. (Kenneth Galbraith has talked about the influence of free land on American culture.) People had subsistance farms. Even today one can homestead.

I grew up in Northern Michigan. When the Depression came, people moved "back home" (squated in a ghost town) and lived off the land.

The South was a feudal system and had castes. Black culture has never had free land nor independence.

So then we parted, went home and got the dogs and met again at the dog park.

Blitzen's Tale
Mom came home and took us to the dog park to meet old Szabo. Mostly I sat on the table. Szabo's mom had brot towels for us.

Lady Chica's Tale
Not much going at the dog park today. The big dogs were not interested in running the fence. Not many cars and stuff.

Took a long nap. Mostly reading.

BOOK REVIEW
Robert Tanenbaum, *No Lesser Plea*
Police procedural plus legal thriller. This is the first in the Butch Karp series. In this first novel Butch and Marlene get together. In 2009 their oldest daughter is out of college.
No mystery here. A killer gets caught and plays insane in court. he goes to a mental hospital for the criminally insane. It turns out he has killed about 50 people. He robs a convenience store, shoots the proprietor. Then he plants evidence on a junkie who OD's. This is the chase.

This first novel is much more realistic than Tannenbaum's recent novels. In this novel he is dissing the district attorney's office.
Hugs, Dr. Liz

Sunday, October 11, 2009

October 10, 2009

Dragged myself out of bed at 9. We are off to the Garden Tour of Fort Worth. Martha and Jeff are taking me. It was supposed to be warmer. Only 54 now and heating up to 65.

Actually it was a good day for walking around. M and J picked me up about 11:30. We went first to Mira Vista, a gated golf community. We saw two gardens there. One was on one big lot, a path around the house. Native plants that dont take water.
The second was on a little hillside. Lots of steps. Every garden had a pool.

Then we went into Arlington. Both larger gardens.

For lunch/dinner we went to the Keg. I had a hamburger, the best beef I have ever tasted. I cannot praise it too much. I am so exhausted. Take a nap before Mystery.

And while I napped it rained. Well, I have four hats ready out of ten.

Watched Mystery. I have a crush on Sergeant Hathaway.
Re-installed Skype and it showed me how I look on video. My video is installed. Too late to call Detroit.

Blitzen's tale
Mom took us out for a walk before she left for all day. She was gone all day. we slept.

Lady Chica's tale
Mom gave me a jar with peanut butter in it. Yum yum.

BOOK REVIEW
, *Blindsided*
Blindsidedness is one symptom of belladonna poisoning. One sees objects but cannot name them. Police procedural. Victims are poisoned with belladonna.
Lea, you do not want to read this book. The torture scenes are horrible. [Lea likes books where a body is found and we go on from there. I hate books where we enter the mind of the serial killer.]
This is the first of a series. Jeffrey is chief of police in a small town in Georgia and Sara, his ex-wife, is the coroner. The book is a chase to find the serial killer who turns out to be the least likely.





Hugs, Dr. Liz

Saturday, October 10, 2009

October 10, 2009

10 AM Deep and restful sleep last night. TO DO: attach labels to hats for Craft Fair. They have a bar code. There is one cashier for the whole outfit.

Blitzen's tale
Mom gets up in the morning and waves her arms around. What is this all about? She mutters something about tai chi and Bill says do it five minutes.
We went to dog park and those big ol busters wouldn't run with us. One of those busters was even afraid of us.

We went to dog park and I wore my long johns this time. Lots of big dogs but none to race with mine.

Lady Chica's Tale
I raced and raced a lot altho we couldn't get those big dogs to race with us. No bikes. No motorcycles.

Came home and took a nap. I was almost finished with my tags but I was not happy. I would not buy one of those hats. Finally I came to the model atthe bottom of the sack and I realized I had sewed the cuff on wrong. Now I have to take out seam and sew back on. I have one seam off. Two were models. That leaves 7.

BOOK REVIEW
Brent Jeffs, *Lost Boy*
I sat down and read this in an evening. Brent is the first lost boy to bring suit against Warren Jeffs, his uncle and the prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Brent talks about his childhood in a family with three wives and about 18 children. The third wife is 16. She asked to be married to get away from home, and she jumped from frying pan into the fire. She has to babysit nine kids while the two other mothers work cleaning houses. Money is tight. (If you want more insight into polygamous families, read the Bible. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers bc he was the son of the favorite wife.)
Brent's grandfather is Rulon Jeffs, the prophet. He gets rid of the Advisory Council and the sect becomes totalitarian. Eventually Warren Jeffs becomes prophet. His dictates get worse and worse. That is when the families begin throwing out the teen age boys. Warren gets rid of them directly or tells the families to kick them out.

Brent's family is eventually ex-communicated. Brent's fa is Warren's half bro and could be a threat to Warren. The third wife leaves. Then the second wife demands to live by herself and eventually the fa leaves his first wife, brent's mo.
Brent's family is atypical bc his fa served in Vietnam. His fa got out of the tight culture briefly. After Brent's older bro commits suicide, Brent finds a lawyer and begins to sue the trust fund. Warren controls communal property.
Eventually Warren is put in prison for conspiring to commit rape bc he forced marriage on a young women. And of course there was the raid on XYZ Ranch. brent thinks the raid was a good thing.



Hugs, Dr. Liz

Friday, October 9, 2009

October 9, 2009

We got a torrent of rain but almost no thunder and lightning. Lady Chica was glad.
Later I heard that there was a terrific storm at 3 am. We were all asleep.

Blitzen has taken to sleeping under the covers, totally covered. I dont know what's with that.

Friday morn. tai chi I didn't want to get up but here I am.

About corn. My northern readers thought I was talking about hominy. Yankees eat corn dipped in lye to turn it white. In MI we ate just hominy but others ate hominy grits.
In the SW, we eat tortillas and doritos. The corn is ground up dry. The grinding bowls are limestone or something so that they put the lime in the corn. The corn is mixed with water to make masa and that is fried to make tortillas.
On our trip to Puerto Viallarta, we stopped at a place making tortillas by hand. Lea's sister, Maxine, had enuf courage to fry a tortilla.

Went to tai chi. Ate some snacks. Ready for a nap. Then dog park. It is miserably cold, 54 degrees. Gladys is laughing. I am going to wear my long under wear.

Well, I didn't wear long underwear and I almost froze to death. The dogs loved it and were so active. One owner thanked me for getting his dog to exercise. His dog was an intact male boxer.

I came home and rested for a while. Then watched Bill Moyer. Martha tells me to stop watching Bill Moyer. Watched New Tricks. about a diamond smuggler.

Lady Chica's Tale
It was fun at the park today. Mom said she was cold but it was great.

Blitzen's Tale
We had a hard time getting those old busters to run today. One little wimpy puppy was scared of us, on the other side of the fence. Maybe he doesn't know about fences yet.

BOOK REVIEW
Beverly Connor, *Dust to Dust*
I could not suspend my disbelief, but I liked this book. Diane Fallon is a forensic anthropologist. She retired from digging up mass graves around the world to become the Director of a Museum of Natural History in a small town. In due course she sets up a forensic lab for the police dept and does Crime Scene Investigation.
In this book, a body buried fifty years ago turns up. In addition, Diane is asked to help a PI investigate a closed case. The PI is former FBI.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Thursday, October 8, 2009

October 8, 2009

9:30 and the dogs went beserk. Blitzen tore a hole in my new comforter. Two new dogs have moved into the complex. Probably one went past on a walk.
Now at 10 AM I hear the lawn mower.
I intend to go to the park after lunch. Judy emailed me that the motorsicles are there this week. Then I want to go early enuf to miss the rain. We are to get floods tonight. Some areas will get five inches. The rain is coming down from Oklahoma.

I dont chastise the dogs for barking. The whole neighborhood feels safe bc my dogs are on watch. Having tried to catch Blitzen, he is a community project.

Last night as we drove back to Lea's, Lea saw a bunny by the road. (It was near an aprt complex.) We went around the block and parked while Lea chased it in the parking lot. Finally Lea knocked on a door to tell them the bunny was there. He was a multi colored bunny (or she). So obviously a pet.
Apparently the whole complex had been out chasing the bunny all afternoon. Nobody knew who it belonged to or where it came from.
A creek runs along the road over there and coyotes prowl.

We went to the park where a stiff wind is blowing the rain down from Oklahoma. The wind went to Chica's head. When we went to go home she went into her chase mode. Nobody was around to help me. We were alone. Finally I hitched Blitzen to the front gate and chased her. She went and stood beside Blitzen.

I am going to send this off now at 4 PM bec I dont know what kind of storm we willhave. I am going to take a nap.

Blitzen's Tale
Not much doing at the park. Two motorcycles left. Some puny little dogs came in. No big busters there. Lady Chica pulled her chase stunt when we went to leave.

Lady Chica's Tale
I ran like the wind. Like the wind I ran. I love the wind. It floats me.

BOOK REVIEW
Alexander Mc Call Smith, *TeaTime for the Traditionally Built*
Latest in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency. I was rather bored with this book. It is like reading one of those email jokes you have been receiving for the last decade. Somehow it is no longer funny.
If you have never read any of these books, this would be great. I love Precious and her detective agency. Her cases always have a surprise solution.
The setting is Botswana where the author taught at the university for a long time.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

October 7, 2009

Roused at 9:30 by a phone call. Up and at em. Finally got my camera plugged in. Now to figure out how to use it. I have the software installed.
61 degrees this morning. I am still sleepy. Took anti-histamine last night. Cooked a crock pot of beans overnight. Now to put them in small containers and freeze.
I need to finish the hats I am making to sell at Senior Craft Fair next week. Next week!!! Yikes! I have the tags to attach. Each item has a tag with --- those lines that scan.
Looking forward to going to hear Morris Dees speak. He is a civil rights lawyer with Southern Poverty Law Center..

Reading about the latest in human evolution, I keep wondering why human females are the only females with hidden ovulation. I have never read anything about that. Anthropologists talk about that as one reason for human society to develop.
Female camels are stimulated my male pheronomes. In a caravan without bulls, females do not have esterus.

This evening went with Lea and John to hear at UTA Morris Dees who founded Southern Poverty Law Center. They are concerned with prosecuting hate groups. I expected a lecture on the increase in hate groups. Instead it was an inspirational sermon. Interesting. he talked about his successful cases.

Blitzten's Tale
When Uncle John came to the back yard to take us to the car I slipped out and got away. I was off and running. I chased the cat who jumped on my back and then climbed a tree. I was off across the street when Mom started the car. So I came back and got caught.

Lady Chica's Tale
Blitzen is so silly. I dont know why he has to run off. I dont ever want to get too far away from Mom.

BOOK REVIEW
Tony Hillerman, *Skinwalkers*, 1986
Navaho Tribal Police Procedural. Lt. Joe Leapman works with Jim Chee for the first time. Skinwalker is the Navaho name for "witch". The plot of this novel hinges on the belief in witches. The villain convinces people that other people are witches. The only way to undo a witchcraft is to kill the witch. Leaphorn and Chee are working on a series of homicides.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

October 6, 2009

I had nightmares from reading *Ruthless*. See Book Review.

Baptist Center. Only 9 units this morning. Slow for sack lunches,too.

I learned something this morn. Corn is cooked in lime bc it doesn't do whatever wheat does naturally. The Aztecs discovered to cook corn in lime. (ashes)















I came home and took a nap. What else? After my nap, we went to the dog park while it was not raining. A cold front has come through. 72 degrees.
Blitzen's Tale
Nobody at the dog park. Sometimes there would be a big buster on the other side of the fence. We did a little running. Mom was reading. She wore a jacket.
Lady Chica's Tale
I did some heavy running for a while. it was nice and cool, running weather.

I keep wondering about this. I time my stay at the dog park at one hour. Lately Lady Chica has been coming up to me at the end of an hour. Dogs have a time sense.
Watched Nova tonight, the story of Darwin. Under the guise of Darwin blithering about should he or should he not publish, we explored his notebooks and the evolution of his theory.
He knew it would cause a ruckus.

BOOK REVIEW
Karin Slaughter *Ruthless*
This story begins with a girl being buried alive in a coffin. Eventually the chief of police stumbles over a pipe coming out of the ground and finds a dead girl. The chief's wife is the part time coroner. Actually the girl was poisoned with cyanide.
In recent books, people only do autopsies on cyanide victims wearing hazmat outfits. Apparently a small amount of cyanide can kill you.
Well, it turns out the girl belongs to a religious community who own a soybean farm. Well written.
Hugs, Dr. Liz

Monday, October 5, 2009

October 5, 2009

My sister sent my score board to her son in Australia, who attended Uof M, and I recd a response from Australia this morning.
I was so into Mystery last night that I thot I had attended a lecture on C.S. Lewis.

Monday morning. Ache all over. Temp is 59 degrees.

Met Judy at Wendy's. We chatted until 12:30. Then I went Krogering. We met again at dog park at 2. Szabo and Blitzen just sat on the table harassing us.

Blitzen's tale
Mom forgot us yesterday. Today I just sat around on the table where she and Szabo's Mom were talking. I dont know what they have to talk about. something about the Bible.

Lady Chica's Tale
Nobody and nothing around to chase this morning. It was cool and I felt energetic. I wish old Blitzen would chase with me. He is such a baby.

Gladys called this afternoon just to say Hi. She asked the question that is always on those "You live in Michigan if...." She asked, "Did you watch the game?"

I took a nap until Blitzen insisted I get up bc it was time for his supper.

BOOK REVIEW
James Patterson, *2nd Chance*
Women's Murder Club. I have read this before but I like the women's murder club. I have been trying to review books like an expert. James Patterson writes in a manner that does not lag. I can follow his characters.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Sunday, October 4, 2009

October 4, 2009

Michigan State 26
Michigan 20


Sunday morning. I guess I needed all that sleep. I feel rested this morning. Off to SS and church and lunch.
The text for today was from Luke about the visit to Emaeus, how the disciples walked with jesus unknowingly. We saw a video in SS and that was the sermon.
Margie T was not there. Bette and I shared lunch.

Came home and rested briefly before going over to Lea's where we held a quilting bee. Lea and I worked speedily tying the quilt. Oh, it is gorgeous. It is almost finished. Lea has to sew on the binding.

I came home and caught a nap before Mystery came on PBS. Lewis. from the old Inspector Morse series. I am enthralled.

BOOK REVIEW
Scott Turow, *The Burden of Proof*
Legal thriller. The case is a federal case about illegal trading on the Chicago future market. Sandy Stern is defending his bro-in-law, Dixon. sandy's son-in-law, John, works for Dixon and has been subpoened to testify. Meanwhile we learn all about Sandy's psyche and flashbacks of his marriage.
Heavy reading.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Saturday, October 3, 2009

October 3, 2009

Friday nite. Finally, I understood the ending of an episode of *Waking the Dead*. The ending is a surprise and always comes suddenly.
Sat morn Slept in until eleven. Chilly this morning, 70 degrees. Avoiding Barktoberfest this morning. Brenda: Did you make a costume this year?
Last year I missed the costumes and Moxie was dressed like the Michalin Man (the tire).

The day wears on with household chores. Water the plants.

I took a nap. While I slept it rained slightly. We went to the dog park in an hiatus between rains. Nobody there.

Blitzen's Tale
Wonderful time at the dog park. Full of new smells. Interesting smells. Lots of people were here this morning. I can tell.

Lady Chica's Tale
Lots of smells all over. It was like going to a place I've never been before.

Rain again. Dark night. I feel sort of dreary. Glad me and my dogs are warm and dry.



BOOK REVIEW
Dan Brown, *The Lost Symbol*
I do not recommend this book. I only read one third of it. All mystical.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Friday, October 2, 2009

October 2, 2009

The alarm rang at 10 AM. I was fifteen minutes late to Tai Chi which starts at 10:30. Next week I will set alarm earlier. I took two anti-histamines last night. I can smell but I am so sleepy.
Food Pantry day. Made a library run. I think I now have 17 books out. See, I requested books and they all came at once. I will make no more requests until I have no books out. I also pick up new books as I go out.
Then I took seventeen pairs of pants over to Bette H. They were part of what I scored from marilyn. I drove over and left them on her front porch. She lives in the wilderness on the banks of Lake Arlington. I hope nobody thinks they are trash.
Now I am so sleepy still. Temp is 73 degrees but hot in the sun.

I lay down to take a nap but couldn't get to sleep. Marilyn came by to ask for some of her pants back. Then the dogs got wild and we went to the dog park.
The dog park was full of people I had never seen before. One man sat down and engaged me in conversation and I never had a chance to read my book.
The dogs mostly chased along the east fence, the parking lot fence. On the big dog side people were setting up for Barktober Fest tomorrw.

I had a strange phone call last night. I answered the phone and the voice said "Press 1 if you want to hear about Capitalism". So I pressed one. The voice said, "Our country was founded on capitalism and we need to keep it strong."

Paulette: I heard on NPR a discussion that some orthodox rabbis have decreed that the sabbath elevators are not kosher.
Sabbath elevators go up and down, stopping at each floor, so that the passenger does no work.

Lady Chica's Tale
dog park was boring today. No big dogs. One bike went past. Lots of little dogs.

Blitzen's Tale
Ditto. Dog park was boring Lady Chica and I chased imaginary bikes.

Well, I lay down but I dont know if I slept. Waiting for the BBC movies on PBS

BOOK REVIEW
Tami Hoag, *Night Sins*
romantic mystery. Sandwiched between the romance is a neat mystery. A boy vanishes. After three or four days they begin to find pieces of his clothing with notes attached. "Ignorance is not innocance but SIN" I read the last chapter and I had a good idea of what all the clues meant.
When the thriller is too thrilling I read backwards.
The abductor kidnapped the boy to punish the boy's parents.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Thursday, October 1, 2009

October 1, 2009

9 AM Lawn mowers got the dogs up and the dogs got me up. Off to dog park. 77 degrees. I may need a light sweater.
I want to do sewing today.

I hadn't noticed that it was drizzling. We went to the dog park nevertheless and there we met Szabo and judy. So they stayed with us for an hour. Judy and I talked.

Lady Chica's Tale
I really got some exercise this morning keeping up with this huge big dog. There are big dogs and then there are huge big dogs. It was raining sort of. I like that.

Blitzen's Tale
There was this little intact male dog. Szabo and I each tried to discipline him but his mom took him back to the big dog park. I didn't do much running. It was drizzling.

I came home cold and wet. Had lunch and took a nap. What else?
4 PM Now I have turned on the Air. Well, this is autumn. I need to sew.

Instead I took another nap. I started to sew and had to wind a bobbin. At Town Talk I bought a plum pudding. for nigh on 80 years I have read about "plum pudding". Wel... first of all, it is full of raisins. In the old days several fruits were called plums. I dont really care for it, thank goodness, bc the calorie level is heavy. One small cup is 27 points, and my daily goal is 24.



BOOK REVIEW
Jon Land, *Strong Enough to Die*
Caitlin Strong, Texas Ranger. third generation Texas Ranger. This is a violent book. Somebody shoots somebody in every chapter. Furthermore, Caitlin's husband returns from Bahrain, a torture victim. A great deal of violence stems from Mexican drug dealers. Caitlin becomes involved with an enforcer for the Louisiana Mafia.