30 October 2007

Boo!


Boo!!
Originally uploaded by Nancy Allen
Happy Halloween from me, in my newest piece of Rennie Finery, and Daisy, who is none too happy to be wearing that mask. I know we're a day early, but better early than late, right? Thanks much to Debbie for snapping that photo of me in desperate pain...I mean my new dress.

23 October 2007

Occasional Good Photos R Us


Wee Peony
Originally uploaded by Nancy Allen
Like this one of one of my wee peonies. Is it just me, or does that look like an angry little man? Anyway, I love it, and I will just hate it when they stop blooming for the winter.

Yeah, in case you missed it, I GREW THAT. Well, okay, Simon repotted it, but it was just a bit of green at the time! I'm totally taking credit.

12 October 2007

Creativity Sadly Strikes Again

Yet another photo-blog...but this one is functional and hopefully will be easier to maintain than my sewing photo-blog was...Click on the link in the title to check it out if you're into plants and such.

11 October 2007

Lessons in cooking, part four hundred

Yeah, I know it's past midnight. This really isn't insomnia, though. It's Wednesday night which means multiple episodes of Ghost Hunters. It's also laundry night, and my bed linens are in the dryer. And no, it doesn't matter that I didn't put them in the WASH until 11pm...

Anyway, any clues as to what happens if you put frozen green beans and almonds into a pot on the stove with a lid and the unit is set to medium heat?

Smoke, that's what. Apparently you CAN burn veg in a pot on the stove. Hooray me. At least the baked haddock was good, along with the peppercorn ranch potato chips...with Twizzlers for dessert.

10 October 2007

silliness


silliness
Originally uploaded by NanLassiter.

I misses my mister.

The Perks of Insomnia

Before I start, no, I'm not in an insomnia cycle again, for those of you that worry. Actually quite the opposite, I can't seem to get enough sleep. I think I totally wore myself out throughout the month of September and I'm still trying to catch up.

I need to preface this by telling you what happened in my little neighborhood yesterday. I'm starting to think maybe it was just a big hallucination because I can't seem to find anything about it in the local news! However, while cruising my NBC affiliate site I did come up with a jewel of an eyewitness account that I need to share...
Last week a family was robbed at gunpoint at home.

Paul Kelley who lives in the home said he and his family thought what was happening was a joke at first.

"This guy just run in here with a gun. He bounced around like a darn ninja or something," Kelley told WYFF News 4's Ron Reynolds.
Too many of those darned ninjas in the Upstate of South Carolina apparently. Yesterday I got home and was going to head right back out to get the dogs some food before playdate at 6pm. As I went about my routine letting the dogs out, I noticed that there was a helicopter overhead...not a strange occurance at all, since I live in between two large hospitals that both have helicopters AND in the flight path of the Greenville Municipal Airport.

But the helicopters didn't seem to be leaving my neighborhood. In fact, I saw it make a complete circle twice at least. Probably the news helicopter, I thought, and went back inside. As I was getting ready to go to the store, I noticed a police car with its lights on going down my street very slowly. Not something that happens every day. I stepped outside and saw the helicopter again, closer this time, and noticed that it was a police helicopter. Then I noticed the police cars parked at either end of my block, lights on...definitely not something that happens every day.

A neighbor and I spoke briefly (found out he's originally from Atlanta, small world!) and he then found out from the cop that there had been an armed robbery closeby. The suspect(s) had fled up Bleckley Avenue, one street over from me AND where I used to live! We were asked to go back inside and lock our doors.

Okay, that situation I think led to the dream I had last night.

I dreamed that I lived in a two story house and that I knew somehow that there were criminals on the loose in my neighborhood. I saw one man run through my yard, carefully evading the police cars by hiding behind my trees. I yelled out my window to the cops that he was there and they got him. Interestingly enough, he was wearing a black and white striped prison uniform like the chain gangs in Alabama wear...but I digress.

Remember I said criminalS, as in more than one? Well, after that first one was caught, I apparently went to check my doors and found that my kitchen door wasn't locked. As I tried to lock it, the knob turned and the other fugitive pushed his way into my house. In my dream I could feel his hands on my neck and the coldness of the gun against my face! Ugh. I remember crying and pleading with him not to hurt my dogs, who of course were standing in the kitchen doorway wagging their tails. He looked at me and then turned toward them. Right before I woke up I heard him say "Come'ere, Daisy..."

Man alive. I could have done without that dream. Guess how many times I've checked the locks on my house since I woke up!!!

Insomnia has its perks, for sure.

09 October 2007

I want my do-over.

Yesterday I went to Columbia to cover an interpreting assignment. It had been canceled and I think everyone knew but me. So after half an hour of waiting, I headed back to Greenville.

I'm going north on I-26 and admittedly am doing 80 in a 70. Another SUV who has been behind me moves to my right (I just hang out in the left lane) and then swerves in front of me as we start down a hill. I pay attention to the SUV as some very unfriendly thoughts cross my mind. Suddenly I see blue lights...AH the state trooper is going to pull this yahoo over for cutting me off!

Wrong.

Despite the fact that there was half a car length between me and said yahoo, the cop said that he clocked us BOTH doing 84 mph and pulled us both over. I was almost in danger of resisting arrest because at first he pulled up next to me and motioned to the side. Great, he's pulling me. I slow down, he zooms in front of me after the yahoo. Great! He is going after the real offender! He pulls that guy over and I continue down the road.

Wrong again.

I see in my rear-view the cop followed by the yahoo so I pull over. That's when I'm told I was doing 84 and given a ticket.

If I'd been told that the appointment was canceled I wouldn't have that ticket. First speeding ticket in almost 10 years. I want my do-over and I want it NOW.

08 October 2007

One down, Six to go...in Ninety Degree Weather!

The first weekend of CRF 2007 is in the can, as they say, and I'm absolutely knackered!

This was Daisy's first time going to this festival which is a little different than the Georgia festival. We have our own tent and there seem to be more patrons...maybe because we always go the first two weekends of Georgia and more folks come later? Don't know...



She did a smashing job. I'm really quite proud of her because the weather was awful, our tent is crowded more often than not, and there are children EVERYWHERE wanting to touch her, tug on her ears, and once even poke her in the eye (it was an accident). Puppy girl took it all in stride until about noon on Sunday when her "brother" Bernard left and she decided it was her turn to try to hide behind the trunks or under the table.

I came away with a nasty sunburn on Sunday because a. the sunscreen/foundation I'd put on my back hadn't quite made it to the areas right next to my chemise ruffle and b. it was so flaming hot that I sweated off the rest! It's on my back, from my shoulder blades up to my neck. The shower was fun this morning when I washed my hair!

I learned something very important this weekend as well. My gorgeous green dress that debuted at the 2004 season of CRF (near the end) no longer fits over my huge self. Leah and Debbie both tried to get me into it and while I was laced up properly I really couldn't breathe very well. With the heat, that was dangerously authentic, so I did what any woman would do in that situation...I bought something new! I'm sure pictures will be forthcoming but they won't forth-come from me. I am behind the camera, not in front.

This week's to do list includes making my new chemise, working on my new dress for cooler weather, and collecting food stuffs and water that I can bring this weekend lest I spend another small fortune on food and drink. Less $$ on food = more $$ for baubles...it all works out in the end.

You know, every year while I'm at the festival I think what a fabulous life it would be to be on the road, performing with my dogs on weekends, living in that gypsy camp of sorts during the week, maybe doing some sewing, making collars or something...and then I get back home to my air conditioning, my indoor plumbing and my proper bed and I am glad that I'm where I am. Best of both worlds, hey?

Ugh, speaking of, off to work to earn money for dog food.

05 October 2007

I love Greenville

Yeah, I haven't gotten up to go start getting ready to go yet. The pseudo-ADHD is strong in this one this morning.

I just wanted to call attention to a photo blog that I've become quite fond of reading. It's called Greenville Daily Photo, and it really makes me want to give up my adorable rental house and move into a flat downtown! Check it out...I live in a gorgeous city.

Here's a favorite shot of mine from a recent trip downtown. Simon actually took it and did a fantastic job.

Urban Hounds and their Downtown Momma heading home...

I must away...anon, anon...eeek!

Tomorrow is the opening day of the 2007 season of the Carolina Renaissance Festival. HOW did that get here so soon?? I had plans for a new gown and a new leine, I had visions of collars that I would make for the dogs myself, and all I've managed to do is remember to ask Amy for my old green gown so that I will have something cooler to wear that ISN'T my old blue McDonald plaid garb.

I haven't even sewn the drawstring into Leah's pouch yet, but don't tell her. What shoes am I going to wear? What on EARTH will I do with my hair now that it isn't all one length? Thank goodness for green snoods I suppose.

This past week has been a blur. Simon left a week ago Sunday. Every time one of us leaves the other at an airport it gets harder I think. I maintain that it is harder on the one being left, because instead of being distracted by bad airline food and tinny sounding movies for 8+ hours, you have to return to your house where the other one now isn't. Even the animals have been depressed, MAINLY because Simon spoils them but also because they love him.

Several blog posts have come to mind this week...and have gone right out the proverbial other ear. My house again looks like a tornado has taken up residence. The car has become a dog bed with wheels, and will remain so until festival is over.

H and J had dentals this week. For the first time since I adopted J seven years ago, her breath doesn't make me ill. She's a bit upset with me over the whole thing and stares at me with what greyhound people call the "Stink Eye." H had a growth removed from his mouth that IS NOT CANCEROUS! Can I just shout that from my rooftop? After losing P last January if that had been cancer in H's mouth I think I would have lost it completely.

And sadly, this week the greyhound world got a bit dimmer but the night sky more brilliant as a new star entered the heavens...H's littermate Marky. Bless. Marky was a sweet and unassuming soul, often shy and always hilarious. I feel like I lost one of my own, but when it's H's time to go I know his brother will be there waiting on him.

The bright spot of the week? Definitely the H=Cancer Free moment. And now I'm off, I must away, anon, anon! Well, okay anon=after I get everything packed for this weekend...

03 October 2007

Daisies I don't have to wait for...

Now appearing in MY GARDEN...

Orange Gerberas
Originally uploaded by NanLassiter.


So I still say it's Simon that has the green thumb, not me, and once these poor plants realize he's gone they'll give up and die...

Music Monday: Sweet Lark...I mean, Melissa

Yeah, so today's song is speaking to my current #WIP but only in the eyes of the male MC I think. But at the same time, it is a call bac...