Be Bold, Be Beautiful...

Well Hiya Puppy!
Originally uploaded by NanLassiter.

Be A Greyhound in a Sea of Bellydancers!! This is what happens when you're a handsome trio of greyhounds just hanging out at the Renn Fest... (l-r) Reggie, Profile, and Tim Tam charming the Jewels of the Caravan. Ai-a-wa, puppies!

The United Methodist Church's response to the War in Iraq

"As people of faith we raise our voices in protest against the tragedy of the unjust war in Iraq. We urge the United States government to develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of its troops. The U.S. invasion has set in motion a sequence of events which may plunge Iraq into civil war. "

Wow. I must say that the church I was brought up in has both surprised me and made me quite proud. Hop on over to Dave's blog and read the rest of the statement issued by the UMC.

The Never-ending House Hunt

Amy and I went out to look at a house yesterday in Central, SC. Cute Cute Cute little town. Cute house...but no fence. The agent handling the property also never showed up, but the sliding glass door was open so we let ourselves in to have a look.

The house was adequate. As I said to my mother on the phone, I have a tendency to look at these places with my "dream home" floating in front of them like some kind of ethereal litmus test. One story ranch compared to two story cape cod. Yellow wood exterior with hunter green shutters compared to white clapboard with navy shutters. Nothing will ever completely live up, obviously, but some houses come closer than others.

After sleeping on it, I've decided that while I could live in that house, I wouldn't be happy there. Something about it just didn't sit well. Plus, there was no fence in the backyard...something I think I'm going to have to have for the dogs. True, I could put in a little fenced area, but my hounds are used to having quite a bit of area in which to stretch their legs and I don't think a small enclosure within a big yard will work for them.

So I spoke to the agent this morning who claims she came out to the house "late" but we weren't there (we stayed at least 45 minutes) and told her that I just didn't think it was the house for me. Amy, thanks for finding it and for taking off work early to go with me to see it. Back to the classifieds...unless there are new developments with my investor friends...

Edited to add: I did speak with the agent about fencing, before I am accused of being too picky (LOL), and it was not an option. Just to clarify...

Waking up on the political side of the bed

My alarm clock is set to radio, and the radio is set to NPR. I can't deal with the buzzer option...you're likely to be peeling me off the ceiling when it goes off. So every morning I am awakened to Morning Edition and try to make it out of the bed before Radio Reader.

This morning I was lying in bed listening to two mothers talk about what it was like losing their sons in Iraq. This story coincided with the death of the 2000th American soldier in Iraq.

I'll let that one sink in for a sec. TWO THOUSANDTH AMERICAN CASUALTY.

I've never been a fan of the war and I'm even less of a fan of Dubya, but come on...enough is enough. How many more of our own have to die? Don't get me wrong, I have the utmost compassion for the plight of the Iraqi people, and I understand that they needed help to get out from under Sadaam Hussein. Got it. No problem there. USA=heroes. Got it. But aren't we kinda done? Haven't we been training them to take on the peacekeeping work in their country?

I listened this morning to a mother say that when she saw the gray vehicle with the man in camoflauge fatigues park in her driveway she just started screaming because she knew what it meant. Another mother said that she met the military personnel on her front porch because somehow if she could keep them out of her house "it wouldn't be happening." When that same woman was asked if she thought that her family's sacrifice was worth it for the good of her country, her answer was very simple.

"Hell no."

I don't have children yet, but I lay there in my bed and cried with these two women this morning. To have that much strength and not completely fall apart in the face of losing your child...the second woman went on to say that she had seen on the news an Iraqi woman, dressed all in black, clinging to a coffin and wailing...and she wanted to put her arms around that woman because "I know exactly how she is feeling."

I admit freely to being a liberal and a democrat. I admit freely to thinking that our country is being run by a frat boy who puts his cronies in offices that they aren't qualified for and can't talk his way out of a wet paper bag. I understand that a great majority of Americans probably think those who believe as I do are un-patriotic, un-Christian, un-fillintheblank, and that's fine, that's their perrogative. But in this post and on this issue, please understand, I'm speaking as someone who loves her country and her fellow Americans...and doesn't want to see any more of them die. This war is a sham. We need our troops to come back home.

Once again...from Amy...

She knows me all too well...it's about halfway cool and halfway scary... love ya, Evil-lyn...

Tell ya what; you relax and stop worrying about places to live and let me make a few phone calls and I'll tell you if I find anything worth looking into. You need to focus on getting through Ren fest without killing someone.

I'll be sure to post about the rental house we're going to look at tomorrow afternoon.

This Just In

Thanks, Amy!

A Woman's Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom,
to understand a man, to Love and to
Forgive him, and for Patience for his moods.
Because, Lord, if I pray
for strength, I'll just beat him to death…

Exhaustion: The Outer Limits and Other News

I didn't know it was possible for someone to be this tired. I have been Very Tired before, like when I was a camp counselor and the end of a week would come or when I was sitting up all night with BoBo when he was so sick right before he died. But this tired is different. It's like a soul tired. It's a brain tired. It's a There's Nothing Left To Do But Cry tired, and I think I'm even too tired for that.

I just wore myself out counting how many times I typed the word tired in the above paragraph.

Seriously, I am running myself so very ragged lately that I will almost be glad when the Renn Fest is over for the year. But at the same time I love going, so I dread packing up the tent for the last time. Crazy, I know.

I did get some very good news on Friday. Scott is going to let Jeany live with me. I don't have to give up my girl. I get to see that little blonde head every day, even after I move. I was so happy that I nearly cried just looking at her Friday night. Scott was taken aback, I think..."You mean you'd really have missed her that much?" Yes, absolutely. But now I don't have to miss her except when she goes to visit him...and I will know that she is coming back, so that makes it okay.

This past weekend at the festival was good...I think I really bonded with Hunky. I know, he's my baby, my heart dog...sometimes the other half of my brain, but I think I understand him all the better. There was a little boy that would NOT leave him alone on Sunday. The kid was hugging Hunky's head, leaning on him (after repeated admonitions to stop), getting right in his face, and generally testing my gentle and sweet boy's patience to the absolute limit. Finally he noticed his parents were gone (believe me, I'd noticed quite some time before he did!) and he left the tent. Hunky immediately wiggled over until half of his body was in my lap, and his rear end was close enough that I could cover it with my enormous sleeve. He had done his time with that kid and was letting me know that he needed me to protect him for a bit from any more that might come along. And that I did...my sweet boy.

It's like Linda (another HOEF'er) said to me on Saturday...I just never thought I could love anything the way I love my greyhounds. I love my cats, don't get me wrong, but there is something different between me and my hounds. There's a communication there (and I don't mean like the animal communicator, I only WISH I had that gift) that I've never had with any other pet. When I take the time to pay attention to it (which I need to work on doing more often), it overwhelms me. Maybe it's a connection to my Scottish ancestors who no doubt had sighthounds in their lives. Maybe it's my previously repressed maternal instinct in hyperdrive. Whatever it is...when I get so tired that I want to cry like I am now, the best medicine in the world is to snuggle up with a hound (or three) on the sofa and take a nice long nap...or just lie there and watch the hound sleep, and remember how incredibly lucky and blessed I am.

Which Peanuts Character Am I?

You are Rerun!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

(Thanks to Kalyne for the linky to the quiz...)

A bright spot

I have a real tendancy to let myself get overwhelmed and subsequently lose it. A prime example would be me riding through Charlotte on Tuesday morning looking for where I was supposed to meet and pick up Kalyne for CRF School Days. The more I discovered I was utterly lost and not anywhere NEAR where I was supposed to be the more hysterical I got, pounding the steering wheel, cursing like a sailor and scaring the life out of the three dogs in the back. I was even angry that I couldn't cry because I had makeup on and no way to fix it if it ran...that's how bad it was. I wasn't mad at Kalyne or CRF or the idiot drivers cutting me off...I was just past the point of exhaustion (mostly mentally but somewhat physically as well) and lost my mind temporarily.

Yesterday that feeling of sanity was again stripped from me with a blinding migraine followed by the news (alluded to in yesterday's post) that I would not be moving into the beautiful little yellow house in Greenville. By the end of the day my migraine was gone but little of my sanity had returned...I was feeling the need to write, sew, clean, and run away all at once, and could muster the energy for none of it.

Today, however, I've had a bright spot. It's a bit sad, because I miss my Lizzard Angel still, but it makes me happy to know that I've made someone else happy...I got this in email this morning:

I just wanted to let you know that I got the book "Blind Faith", yesterday and just fell in love with Liz. What a greyt story told from her point of view.

I think I actually smiled, but don't hold me to that.

For those of you following my housing saga...

This will NOT be the porch on which I will greet you to welcome you to my new home...

 

we will not have tea in this front room while gazing at the neighborhood outside through the wavy old glass in the windows...

 

and I'm remarkably okay with that. I do have a migraine today, but other than that, I'm okay with the fact that this house wasn't meant to be mine. I guess there is a reason somewhere, and it will be clear to me why someday, but it just wasn't the right house for me. Nevermind the built in china cabinets and perfect little mudroom on the back.

Back to the house hunt.

No More Pictures, Huh Mom?

Profile ate a bit too much jerky at the Renn Fest today and had an...interesting ride home...bleh. I decided to snap a pic of him in the rear view mirror as he spent most of the ride home with his head hung over the seat like he'd just come off a bender...

Back to reality...at least for one day

Every morning I have a routine. Get up, check email, drink a cup of coffee, give out cat meds, feed the cats. Take up the cat bowls, give out dog meds, feed the dogs. Clean the litter box and have another cup of coffee.

It's really not that hard.

After a weekend away at CRF, I came home to find the litterbox not cleaned, no food in the fridge for the dogs for this morning, and the exact same amount of Franny's prednisone as was here when I left on Saturday.

It's really hard for me to feel good about staying up there when I can't depend on their care being continued while I'm gone. I've had to alter my plans for kids days from staying with Sharon to driving up and back each day because of that fact. Profee and Franny are on prednisone...5 days at two a day, 5 days at one a day and then every other day. This will be the second time we've...no, I've had to start Franny's over because it wasn't done while I was gone.

Guess I won't be getting any new garb done for tomorrow. It was just a bodice too, very easy...but I'll be out buying dog food, cleaning the litterbox, getting flea and tick prevention (because a doggie houseguest we had awhile back brought us some fleas, unfortunately), and trying to identify the strange smell in my house. I guess I can always get the bodice done tomorrow...

Slightly updated...Profile did get his meds and Franny got some of hers, the liquid one, over the weekend. The flea and tick treatment (a Capstar pill each and a round of Frontline for the dogs and Advantage for the cats) was over $100...but there won't be any more doggies or kitties chewing on themselves due to fleas. It was also reiterated that dirty litter boxes can lead to UTIs in cats...so we'll see what happens this weekend. Off to the laundromat!

Say Cheese!

Me and my Hunky

Nan and Kalyne Stick Weaving

Nan and Kalyne Weaving
Originally uploaded by NanLassiter.

The very first year we did CRF, there were two nannies associated with the mayor's court. One of them taught us "dog ladies" how to do Stick Weaving which is a period appropriate craft. I refer to it now as my Portable Loom Addiction. In this very bad bad picture of me (I'm gonna get you, Debbie, for that one! Hehe) you can see me showing our greyhound groupie, Kalyne, how to get started. She has already succumbed to the addiction and had her first scarf done by Monday.

Time Flies

October 10, 1998 

Back to the blessing counting, because dwelling on this for too long will just make me very sad.

Blessings

After the week I had last week, I think it's time to do a little counting of the blessings. I'm going to try my best not to get snarky this week, even though I still have reason to be...it's better just to rise above.

The link above is for information on St. Francis of Assisi. I want to start my blessing post by talking about where I went this weekend (before the Renn Fest on Sunday). My sister and her husband are both United Methodist ministers, and Dave had a pet blessing (in conjunction with the feast day of St. Francis, which I believe is October 8th?) at his church. The turnout was small, as it was the first such event and the weather was kinda weird, but quality definitely trumped quantity. Hunky and I got to meet a brassy and bold miniature schnauzer named Bubba and a dainty little chihuahua girl whose name I can't remember. Dave used the Blessing of the Pets from the UMC hymnal and it was just a neat way to spend a Saturday morning. Hunky thinks the Milkbones were pretty awesome too... So thanks, Unka Dave and Aunt Susan, for letting us invade your house and share that experience with Dave's congregation. At one point Dave went up to the church building to get something, and the people there for the blessing couldn't stop talking about how much they think of Dave, and how blessed they are to have him as their pastor. Made a sister-in-law right proud!

I'm blessed with an incredible family. They are intelligent (5 masters degrees in the family) loving, compassionate people who never meet a stranger and are always ready and willing to help. They are my litmus test for everyone I new bring into my life.

I'm also blessed by having the amazing souls that share my house with me. Hunky was an incredible ambassador for his breed on Saturday! Of course, when compared with smaller breeds that have lots of energy and spunk like the two that were there, he is the paragon of stoic nobility...but he held a stay and rooed when asked, so I have to give my boy credit for that. Profile went with me Sunday to the Renn Fest, and again reminded me how much he trusts and loves me as his person when a child (who I think had some intellectual challenges) repeatedly pinched his head (till I moved his hand), asked the same question over and over, tried to look in Profile's nose, and stepped on his foot. When we first got Profile, that child would have gotten snapped for stepping on his foot. Yesterday Profile let out a little growl and that was it. He and I are working as a team now...he growls to let me know I need to take control of the situation and I did, and no one got snapped at or bitten. He is a very smart dog, and I don't know what I'd do without him.

Jeany is just a blessing with feet. She is silly, she is beautiful, she is loving, she is maddening...and she is going to leave a huge hole in my heart when I move out and leave her here with Scott. That's about all I can say about that without losing my composure.

Last even though they were first, my kitties...Fran and Zoe have been with me for 11 years. How much has changed in my life over 11 years, and yet they remain the same. Zooey still crawls up into my face and tries to snag what I'm eating just as he did Susan 10 years ago when she visited to help me move from West Virginia. Franny still screams when you pick her up like you've pinched her, just as she did the day 11 years ago when I picked her up to put her in the car to go TO West Virginia. Mills...well, Mills is Mills. He still rolls over on his back when I walk past him and swats my foot for me to come play and I am still awakened to him purring in my ear...although at 7 years old and about 13 pounds, the purring is a bit louder than it was when we first got him at 7 WEEKS old.

Yep, I'm blessed, a thousand times over. The things that I let get to me last week are miniscule. The people that drove me to "snarky" are details. All I have to do is sit back and think about all the blessings I have in my life and I can't help but smile.

The English Countryside, Beamish (Summer 1995) 

After the week I've had, filled with fatigue, sick critters, uncooperative computers, rejections from financial institutions, online bullies and just general BLEH...I thought I'd post a picture that reminds me that life will be okay. I just have to remember to "be still, and know..."

Enjoy. The northern English countryside sets my heart at ease every time.

Warning, Mood Set to Snarky

Someone on a message board I frequent used that word yesterday and I love it. It works for how I'm feeling today, for sure. I was thinking about things that make me feel snarky and came up with a nice list.

1. Small people who make themselves feel big by being bullies to others.

Is it just me, or is this now running rampant with the popularity of message boards and other forms of "anonymous" online communication? These bullies can sit in their darkened rooms and be as big and bad as they like with no threat of physical retribution. As I'm writing this though, I'm not sure if these folks would produce snarky or just elicit plain old pity from me. It's sad to feel that in order to have control over something you have to bully someone via a medium where they really can't fight back. At least I could get a pinch in on the one that stole my lunch money...

2. Skirts with drawstrings.

Inevitably I think every time I need a new piece of garb for festival that a skirt with a drawstring will be a good idea. I mean seriously, who wants to spend hours and hours of frustration getting those pleats folded just right only to run your sewing machine at light years below the speed limit to make sure you don't miss one? Wouldn't you rather spend hours and hours threading one darned boot lace through what seems to be millions of yards of fabric only to accidentally lose the other end as you're threading and have to start all over? Huh?

3. Things that don't work like they are supposed to work.

My sister and father and I were all born with low tolerances for this occurance. Susan will say loudly "I HATE this (whateveritis that isn't working)." Daddy will proclaim that he's tired of this (whateveritis that isn't working) and stand up and leave in a huff. I take things one step further...if it is small enough I will throw whatever it is. If it isn't small enough...watch out kitties. Currently my computer is picking and choosing which sounds it wants to play. I am not amused.

Those are my current gripes, but just give me time, I'm sure there will be more. The first one is still raising my blood pressure, but as with all things that I can't control I am trying to write it off as a detail.

When I figure out how to do that, I'll be sure to post it.

What a day...

(This post is being edited because I was reminded today, 10/7/05, that I don't have to be snotty, snide, rude, or anything else of the sort to get a point across. That's not my style anyway, and it's just plain wrong. The old "if you can't say something nice..." Thank you, "Smiley-Riley," for the reminder.)

Let me preface this whole thing by saying I have a very neato nifty little thing on my blog that you can see down on the right hand side in the buttons section. It says Stat Counter, and it lets me see all kinds of stuff about who is visiting my blog and when and all that. It has an option to make that info public, but since it shows the referring page and some of my message boards are member only/private, I have opted to keep that info private.

Now, on with the post...

Today started out fairly normally. I got all but the hem and the drawstring done on the black underskirt for my stripey costume, so barring a catastrophic sewing machine failure I should be wearing that costume again on Sunday of this weekend. Huzzah! I'm also in the planning stages for a bodice or two to go with the black skirt...something for Halloween weekend and Pirate Christmas weekend. We'll see.

I think I should also pause to point out here that I have done all the work on that skirt without a pattern. I am not a seamstress, nor do I play one on tv. Two years ago I could barely cut out a pattern. Now I'm eyeballing a skirt and when I went to put it together the pieces fit!

Anyway...

I had another reminder today to keep in touch with what is really important and leave the rest to be a detail...several actually. The first was the reminder that it has been a year today since I gave up a vice that was ruining my health and my life. I didn't realize it had been a year until I was driving up the road and answering a page and noticed the date on my pager. I've been through hell in the past year, several times over, and not once did I give up on my decision to live a healthier life. I've had and still have more stress than a normal person should ever be asked to carry, and I still remain dedicated to the decision I made a year ago today.

Today also marked one month since I took control of my life and my heart and stopped letting relationships I made online take as much of my focus as the people and relationships that are right here in front of me. One month since I got my priorities back in order and got back to my real friends and my real life...people who know the real me, and love me anyway.

Work was rough today. I was having a hard time compartmentalizing and being just the interpreter during some of what I worked with today. In fact, I had tears in my eyes by the end, and that never happens...or at least it shouldn't...

So why did I bring up the stat counter? Because I can see who is reading this...I can see who is listening. Some of those folks are the real life friends that I care about, and that I am glad to see turn up in the ISP list. It is for them that I post...it is to them that I am speaking in my posts.

The rest of this post has been edited. My Mom would be proud.

Another Day, Another Rant

Now then, before I get started, this is not in any way a declaration that I am planning on having a child as a single mom. Okay? Everyone calm? Good.

I am getting a divorce mainly because I want to have a child or children. Due to my age, I am considering other means of becoming a parent in addition to having my own biological offspring. I am also considering the fact that I may be a single mom even though I don't think that is the optimal way for a child to be raised. I know lots of single moms and dads who have support systems and raise fantastic, bright, well rounded children, so I know it can be done.

I found this on the AP and I'm disturbed and at the same time relieved that it hasn't spread to South Carolina...at least I don't think it has. There is legislation in the works in Indiana to prohibit all but married couples from beginning the process of having a baby by other means than natural conception.

It then requires "intended parents" to be married to each other and says an unmarried person may not be an intended parent.

A doctor cannot begin an assisted reproduction technology procedure that may result in a child being born until the intended parents have received a certificate of satisfactory completion of an assessment required under the bill. The assessment is similar to what is required for infant adoption and would be conducted by a licensed child placing agency in Indiana.

The required information includes the fertility history of the parents, education and employment information, personality descriptions, verification of marital status, child care plans and criminal history checks. Description of the family lifestyle of the intended parents also is required, including participation in faith-based or church activities.

Miller [author of the bill, Sen. Patricia Miller (R-Indianapolis)] said the state often reacted to problems and that she wanted to be proactive on this issue.

"We're not trying to stop people from having kids; we're just trying to find some guidelines," she said.

She acknowledged such a law would bar single people from using methods other than sexual intercourse but said "all the studies indicate the best environment for a child is to have a two-parent family — a mother and a father."

So, you can't adopt a baby in Indiana unless you're a married couple. I like the extensive checks they do until you get to the lifestyle and participation in faith-based or church activities. No mention is given of how that is weighed.

Now before I get a bunch of comments on how children should be raised in the church and I'm a heathen liberal that wants to drive traditional values out of our great God fearin' country...not the case at all. In fact, I agree that there is a place for religion in the formative years of a child's life. However...I think you have to remember that as the child of a minister I saw a very different side of the "church" experience than most as I grew up, and it continues to color my views of "religious" or "church" people. I can tell you this, when I am a parent I will expose my children to religion, most likely United Methodism because that's how I was raised, but we will have open and honest discussions about religion and its place in the world.

Anyway...off to work, just wanted to throw that out. I wonder if that law applies to older children waiting for homes in Indiana or just infants?

When Profile Talks, Mommy Listens...Sometimes

Now, if Animal Communicators aren't your thing, disregard this post...

I have a friend that is an AC and I got a half hour reading with Profile tonight. I had already emailed her just to tell her that his behavior has been odd lately and that he was marking again, and I wanted to know if something was up. That's all I said.

She said that she asked him what was going on and that he was "moody" and "in a snit." Anyone that has met him can say "well duh!" to that, he's always like that. She asked what was wrong, and said that his attitude was like "I'll tell you a little, but not everything." He told her about a dress that was very big and yellow/gold and showed her a kind of paisley design with lots of colors. He told her he was upset at the woman in that dress, and wouldn't say anything else.

Sooooo she assumed that was me from the renn fest, only my dress isn't gold. However...one of my volunteers has a dress matching that description. I mentioned that and he started whining. She said that he was saying I knew who it was and showed her a picture of him outdoors looking up at a blonde woman in that same dress.

Joanne, my friend, a blonde and fellow rennie, wore her gold dress this past weekend.

She went on to say that Profile was very concerned about being left or being taken away by someone else, and that something was happening with Mommy and he was concerned that he was going to be taken away. My friend thought that was a non-sequitor until I remembered a conversation we had at the renn fest this past weekend. Joanne has always teased me that she's going to take Profile, and we were joking about it this weekend. Profile is a special dog to her, because it was after she saw him sitting and downing and all on command that she decided to try obedience with her boy JD...who now reads flash cards!

Anyway, that's been a running joke that she loves Profile and she's going to steal him, or that he secretly wants to come live with her, etc. etc. He told my friend tonight in no uncertain terms that he does NOT want to go live with her and it upsets him when she says that because he thinks she's going to steal him away from Mommy. He doesn't want to be anywhere but with me. My Handsome Fella...

So now my assignment is to remind him often that he's staying with me, and to think of images of me and him snuggling or chilling on the couch or just generally being together.

And I need to tell Joanne about how we need to not make that joke anymore...he apparently knows that when I say I'm going to box him up and ship him off I'm kidding, but when other people say it he gets afraid that it might be true. Thankfully Joanne has seen an AC with her hounds, so she won't think I'm completely insane.

I thought it was a productive session. I know not everyone believes in Animal Communication, but I do...and anything I can do to love on my Handsome Fella and make sure he knows I'm never going to leave him or give him away...well, the experience can't be all bad, huh?

(To those planning on commenting that I'm a wack job, save it. Thanks.)

My Lefty Liberal Head in the Sand Quote for Today

I have added Bark Bark Woof Woof ("The blog of Mustang Bobby, a writer in South Florida who looks at the world with dry bemusement and tries to get through life without bumping into the furniture. A proud member of the Reality-Based Community.")to my list of daily reads. My quote of the day comes from a post on his blog titled "Sunday Reading," dated 2 October 2005, and is in response to Tom DeLay's comment back in April that a "left-wing syndicate" had focuses its collective ire on him when they could not make headway persecuting Dubya.

Frankly, I think if there was such a thing as a "vast left-wing conspiracy" -- an oxymoron if there ever was one -- we would not have wasted our time on a pipsqueak like Tom DeLay. We would have won the election in 2000, we would have run the Republicans out of the majority in the Congress and Senate, and we would have opened gay bars and abortion clinics in St. Patrick's Cathedral. Dream big dreams, Tom.

Now I'm off to read more on Dubya's appointment of Harriet Miers to fill Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's seat on the Court...I'm not impressed so far with the fact that she is his personal counsel, but we'll see...

Ya-la-ya-ha-bee-bee

(apologies to those who might speak Arabic...especially since I'm just not sure what language that is...)

Weekend one of the Renn Fest is done. Hunky and Profee and I left (literally) at O'Dark-Thirty Saturday morning to drive up to Huntersville. I really can't WAIT until I live in Greenville so I can take about 45 minutes off that drive...

I was greeted by tales of how our tent was right next to the petting zoo, and that there were chickens and ducks so close that the dogs would snap them up. Also, I had allegedly gotten the IDs for everyone that had had them made prior to dress rehearsal, but they were NOT in my packet. So dress rehearsal for me was waiting patiently to be able to ambush the entertainment director, Rob, with my "concerns."

The festival understands the prey drive that may be set into motion in a greyhound when he or she sees a chicken. If they decide to feed themselves a raw diet the hard way, we won't be held liable, responsible, or in contempt. So far it hasn't been a problem.

We are right next to the bellydancers on the Dutch Door stage, and I'm really enjoying that. The music is incredible and I've always been fascinated with that kind of dancing. The title of this post is a phrase they teach the patrons that roughly translated means "You go girl, shake that thing!" I've been saying it to Jeany since I've been home.

I discovered a new delicacy this weekend...iced chai. Holy MOLY. It's refreshing and just wonderful. I also had my standard Scotch Egg and lots of iced tea, but I'm going to take some water with me next weekend.

One down, six to go...