mad4books

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T20:59:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone! It was with a touch of sadness that I typed up this morning's Sunday puzzle segment...the first of 2012, but the last for me (at least until we have Internet out on the farm!).

So, without further ado...here is the NPR puzzle synopsis I wistfully sent out this morning:

Synopsis of NPR Weekend Edition puzzle

Audie Cornish & Will Shortz

2012-01-01

The Current Challenge (issued 2011-12-04, from listener Mike Reiss):

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/25/144234795/unwrap-the-phrase-to-reveal-a-gift

Name an occupation in nine letters. It's an entertainer of sorts — an unusual and uncommon but well-known sort of entertainer. Drop the third letter of the name, and read the result backward. You'll get two four-letter words that are exact opposites. What are they?

The answer : Drop the third letter from "daredevil," and read the result backward to get "live" and "dead."

Audie reported more than 300 entries, and the randomly-selected winner was Mitch Handelsman from Denver. Audie reported that Mitch joined them using his smart phone app so "we have a nice, clear line." Mitch is a psychology professor at the University of Colorado Denver and a member listener of KCFR.

TODAY'S ON-AIR PUZZLE: Will introduced Audie to an annual puzzle segment tradition--his annual "year-end news quiz," also known as the "Fame Game." Will provided Mitch and Audie some famous names from the headlines in 2011, and they were supposed to come up with the stories associated with the names given. Following tradition, today's puzzle was prepared with two past year-end news quiz contestants, Kathy Baker and Tim Goodman.

CLUES (hints below clues; answers at the end of this synopsis):

1. Kim Jong Un

2. Gilad Shalit

3. Mohamed Bouazizi

4. Harold Camping

5. Kris Humphries

6. Watson

7. Siri

HINTS:

2. Audie: "This is fairly recent news, Mitch...and it's from overseas."

Mitch: "I'm thinkin' it might have something to do with the Arab Spring?"

Audie: "You are at least within the region now."

Will: "Hold that thought for later!"

4. He "did something twice this year that proved to be very embarrassing." He's also a Christian radio broadcaster.

7. Will, to Mitch: "You, of all people, should get this--considering what you're playing on today!"

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Next Week's Challenge as it appeared on the web site:

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/01/144531695/the-fame-game

Name certain scores in a certain sport. This is a two-word phrase with a total of 10 letters (5 letters in each word). If you have the right phrase, you can rearrange all the letters to name a different sport, also in two words (6 letters in the first word, 4 in the second). What are the scores, and what is the sport?

Answers must be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on THURSDAY.

One entry per person. (NPR will no longer receive entries by email.)

Be sure to include a telephone number where you can be reached at about that time if you are selected as the winner.

Entries may be made at the web page:

http://www.npr.org/templates/contact/index.php?columnId=4473090

You might also get to this page by going to:

http://npr.org/puzzle

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Guest editor's notes from Kristy:

Well, it's with a touch of sadness that I type up this puzzle transcription. Now that I live on a farm with no Internet, sending out the puzzle has become a little more difficult so I'm taking a (temporary?) break. Thanks to Richard for letting me sub and then co-edit such a fun and unique synopsis for such a fun and unique group of people!

Audie is ALSO taking a temporary break from the puzzle--and the Weekend Edition Sunday hosting gig altogether--while she moves to fill in for Michele Norris at All Things Considered. (Rachel Martin will take over in Audie's absence.)

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/08/npr_rachel_martin_hosts_weekend_edition_sunday/

Another coincidence? My tape recorder gave up the ghost this morning after several years of faithful service. (Jerry, the Internet wizard, came to the rescue and emailed me the mp3!)

If we ever get Internet out here in the sticks, I hope y'all will let me pitch in once again. :-)

A future mailbag correspondent,

Kristy Fower Compton, happily married to the handsomest farmer in all of Texas' 254 counties

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Editor's notes:

Puzzles, and contents of Weekend Edition/Sunday puzzle segment are copyrighted 2011, by Will Shortz and NPR. Reprinted here with permission.

Our regular monthly puzzle transcription schedule is undergoing a little tweaking, now that I'm out of the rotation, but for the rest of January, 2012, the old one will still work:

2nd      Richard

3rd       Joe

4th       Jerry

5th       Richard

Their email addresses:

Richard Renner (rrenner igc.org)

Joe Wander (jdwandersr gmail.com)

Jerry Miller (millergm muohio.edu)

Send puzzle-related email to Richard this week (rrenner igc.org).

NOTE: We editors are always eager to receive email comments (even when you're pointing out one of our slips), and we will generally add them to the Mailbox section of the next week's synopsis. Please let us know in the first line of your message if you would like your comment included or withheld from the synopsis. (Also, if you DO want your comment included, let us know if it's okay to share your name and email address! If no constraints are mentioned, we will assume it is okay to publish as it arrived--with comment, name, and email address intact.)

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

MAILBAG:

philgo525@juno.com

To: mad4cowbell gmail.com

Hi, Kristi.

        The solution for the 12/18/11 puzzle was GERIATRIC (JERRY + AT + RICK). I also submitted an alternative solution to that puzzle - BARIATRIC (BARRY + AT + RICK), which means "related to obesity," as in BARIATRIC SURGERY. Like the GERIATRIC population, the BARIATRIC population is a "growing part of our country" (in more ways than one).



Yours,

Phil Goodman

Binghamton, NY

You said it, Phil. There are times that I walk through the high school hallways where I work and am astounded that the middle-aged librarian is often thinner than the fifteen to eighteen year-olds around me!

***

And for the sweetest email I may have received all year:

Richard Renner rrenner igc.org

Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 4:31 PM

Kristy,

It has been a delight to correspond with you over the years about the NPR puzzle, public education and libraries, and life in general. The NPR puzzle synopses have not had such a major change since you all agreed to share editting after my 2008 move to Washington. Kristy, you will be missed, but also respected for your years of service to our endeavor here and for your unique perspectives.

As a farewell homage to you, I thought I would collect some of your emails to the NPR puzzle. Here is your first email to the NPR puzzle synopsis:

From:               "mike b ***"

To:

Subject:            Ignore first one--Alternate Answer to Mary Jane's

Puzzle

Date sent:          Mon, 18 Jan 1999 00:33:59 -0800

Dear Mr. Renner,

Please tell me that other people also initially thought

the answer to #5 was "head."    (Knothead, pothead)

Not that I personally

know any of either category...

Keep up the good work, Kristy Fowler C****

P.S. I didn't realize until I sent the first email that the player this

week was named Mary Jane...

Your next email contains a huge foreshadow of things to come:

From:               "The ***s"

To:

Subject:            Sign me up!

Date sent:          Sat, 27 Mar 1999 07:14:57 -0800

Please, oh please, add me to your list! (My husband switched ISPs without

notifying everyone, and I've been missing you.)

Kristy at mk*** msn.com

Thanks! You're hilarious.

Here was my response:

There's a good warning for all us husbands.

Here is what you wrote in 2001 about the subs that filled in during my first trip to Guatemala:

Date sent:               Sun, 15 Apr 2001 21:29:59 -0500

From:                    Mike & Kristy ***

Subject:                 Last week's on-air puzzle

To:                      rrenner nela.org

Dear Richard,

Hope Guatemala was fun, and that your Spanish is better, too.

Your puzzle subs did a great job, and we're all very thankful!

About the on-air "four by four by four" puzzle, was I the only

one who thought of "long neck" for #8? (Sorry, Mom!)

Kristy in Texas

Jerry wrote in that week, too:

Date sent:           Mon, 16 Apr 2001 21:19:34 -0400

To:                  rrenner igc.org

From:                Jerry Miller

Subject:             Re: NPR puzzle synopsis for 2001-04-08

Richard,

Re: your trip...I had a feeling you would have a bipolar

reaction. I

experienced the same feelings on a not-so-recent trip to the

Dominican

Republic. And, given the events of this weekend in Africa, my

memories of

abject poverty were rekindled.

BTW, when you say "clients' families," to what are you referring?

Stay well...snow showers are forecast for this part of the state.

*sigh*

Jerry

Kristy:

You have been persistently upbeat and encouraging. Take this example:

From:Mike & Kristy ***

To:rrenner igc.org

Subject:Proffering my humblest salutations and sincerest

           commendation

Date sent: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 09:28:16 -0500

Dear Richard,

Wow! Great job with the bureaucratic lingo! As Will was speaking

(those ridiculously-syllabled) proverbs, I was worried about how

you were going to send out today's puzzle! :-)

Nicely done...once again.

Doffing my cap,

Kristy Fowler C**** in Texas

Here was

my response:

Thanks, Kristy. I was impressed with the vocabulary stretch in

the on-air puzzle. Actually, though, there was only one word my

spell-checker choked on, lachrymose. Luckily, I had a

dictionary.

On 2002-06-02, I thanked you for subbing the previous week, but my archive is missing the 2002-05-29 synopsis. Sorry. I wonder if that was your first. Here is what we wrote the following week about it, though:

you are wondering, if Kristy Fowler C**** did such a good

job, why isn't she subbing. Well, here's why:

From:          Mike & Kristy C****

To:            rrenner igc.org

Subject:       Re: I need a sub again for NPR puzzle synopsis

           2002-06-16

Date sent:     Sun, 02 Jun 2002 12:37:33 -0500

Dear Richard,

Filling in was really fun! Although I'll be cruising across the

country

(in my minivan) on June 16th and can't fill in that Sunday, call

on me any

time you need a sub. I'll be back from the Land of the

Technologically-Challenged Relatives near the end of July.

Thanks again for all you do. I love getting your summaries, and

like Joe,

I think if you take the time to write it, it's your baby. Do it

the way

you want!

BTW, as a puzzle enthusiast, you might enjoy

http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/ . Every morning a new word is

delivered to

my email Inbox, along with international comments from

subscribers, cool

quotes, and much more. I think you'd like it!

Thanks again,

Kristy, your friend in Texas

Remember recomending this web page?

http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/

After that, your name was in every synopsis (so I can't fish out your emails so easily).

Thanks for the memories, Kristy. Please remember that you make a pretty good correspondent even when you are not editing.

--

Richard Renner

Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP

3233 P St., NW

Washington, DC 20007

(202) 342-6980, Ext. 112

(202) 342-6984 FAX

rr@kkc.com

rrenner@igc.org

www.whistleblowersblog.org

On 30 Dec 2011 at 14:49, Kristy Fowler wrote:

>

> Hey, fellas,

>

> You know how this Sunday will be my last as one of the co-synopsizers?

> (Is that even a word?)

>

> It's just too hard to tape the puzzle segment in the country and drive

> to the city to transcribe and send it. It takes so long that y'all

> aren't getting the synopsis for HOURS...not to mention that my sweet

> farmer (who has never sent an email in his life and thinks the

> Internet is a colossal waste of time) just scratches his head at my

> synopsis obsession!

>

> So have y'all given any thought about how you will divvy up the month?

> How would y'all like me to list the order of transcribers...or should

> I just suggest Mailbag email be sent to Richard like I usually do and

> let y'all figure it out later?

>

> DELIGHTED to have been counted in your number...and call on me any

> time you need a sub!

>

> Love,

> Kristy

>

SEE WHAT I MEAN? Thanks, Richard, for your sweet summary of my puzzle synopsis years.

Send puzzle-related email to Richard this week (rrenner igc.org).



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Our group of volunteer co-editors distributes these free weekly synopses of the NPR puzzle segment. You can read more about this free distribution at:

http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle/topics

You can subscribe from this page, too.

To unsubscribe from this group, send email to:

nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

For more options, visit this group at:

http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle?hl=en

If you want to remove your address from the former Topica list, send a blank email from your account to:

nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com

To change the email address of your subscription, remove the old one (from the old email account), and add the new Google subscription (from the new email account). For more information about this list, and an archive of those distributed by Topica.com, visit:

http://igc.topica.com/lists/nprpuzzle@igc.topica.com/read

or, for more information about the Topica mailing service, visit:

http://lists.topica.com/

NPR posts the weekly challenge (and the previous answer) on its World Wide Web page. Go to www.npr.org, and "select" Weekend Edition Sunday from the drop-down combo box to the right of the big npr in the top left corner. You can also pick up a recording of Weekend Edition Sunday program in the Real Audio format, after 1:00 p.m. Eastern time each Sunday. In the alternative, for the text of the weekly listener challenge and a photo of Will, you can go directly to:

http://www.npr.org/programs/wesun/puzzle/

Podcasts are available at:

http://www.npr.org/podcasts/

From:

http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=4473090&uid=3ba205bf25adca5af473ab1102e03b75

How do I subscribe to this podcast?

Copy the URL [above this paragraph] into your preferred podcasting tool software (e.g. Odeo, iTunes, iPodder).

You will automatically receive this podcast each time it's published.

Follow Audie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nprAudie

Links of interest:

Merl Reagle’s article on constructing crossword puzzles, available at:

http://www.crosswordtournament.com/articles/inq031697.htm

World Puzzle Federation:

http://www.worldpuzzle.org

More of Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles are available at:

http://www.mathpuzzle.com

Joe Wander recommends:

http://www.wordsmith.org/awad

Kristy Compton suggests puzzle enthusiasts check out Mental Floss magazine:

https://www.mentalfloss.com/

You can join Kathie Schneider's email list for accessible word and logic puzzles. To subscribe, send a blank email to:

blind-puzzle-@googlegroups.com

For Team USA of the World Puzzle Federation:

http://wpc.puzzles.com/

The National Puzzlers' League:

http://www.puzzlers.org/dokuwiki/doku.php

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CLUES & ANSWERS:

1. Kim Jong Un: North Korea's new "Supreme Leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces" following the death of his father Kim Jong Il

http://tinyurl.com/7x7nn3p

2. Gilad Shalit: the Israeli soldier who was released after five years of captivity by Hamas, traded for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/8833179/Gilad-Shalit-release-live.html

http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=251747

3. Mohamed Bouazizi: the Tunisian fruit vendor whose self-immolation "inspired uprisings that toppled dictators across the Arab world" and named Person of the Year last week by Britain's The Times newspaper, according to:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/28/us-times-bouazizi-idUSTRE7BR0CI20111228

4. Harold Camping: the 90 year-old evangelist who claimed to have cracked a Biblical code predicting the end of the world in May, 2011...and then again in October, 2011.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/01/harold-camping-apologizes-rapture-predictions_n_1069520.html

5. Kris Humphries: the New Jersey Nets basketball forward who was married to celebrity Kim Kardashian for less than three months in 2011

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7379217/kris-humphries-most-disliked-nba-player-according-survey

6. Watson: the "super computer" who beat the human champions on Jeopardy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puhs2LuO3Zc&noredirect=1

7. Siri: the intelligence software system ("digital personal assistant") on the Apple iPhone

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/talkingyourtech/story/2011-10-20/siri-says-funny-things/50847142/1

End of NPR Puzzle Synopsis.

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Merry New Year. Here's hoping for more free time to blog in 2012. :-)

Umm...I've been a little busy.

2011-09-22T19:41:00.000-05:00

As you can see, life went a little insane this summer...what with the operation and recovery and new job and the new husband and the NEW WONDERFUL LIFE with the man of my dreams. Guess you can say I took my dad's advice (see last blog post...the one from Father's Day back in JUNE)...

in which he said..."Take time to love and be loved."

Happy Father's Day...to a star that still burns.

2011-06-19T14:21:00.001-05:00

Many years ago, my dad flipped over a paper placemat in a restaurant and wrote me a letter on the back. I won't share all of it because it is personal, but the following words tell a lot about the patriarch of the family.

"You were a perfect baby,

a terrible teen, a promising star,

blossoming out beyond braided hair

and your 'very own' bedroom.

...You have become better. May I say that to you, with grace? Your impatience has mellowed, and so has mine. Mutual treasure.

Your star is burning ever brighter,

while ours is burning out.

That is the way of stars, you know.

...My advice is free, but valuable.

Don't be hung up with other's success.

...Rejoice in the small things.
Take time for laughter, and so-called 'little'

people. Take time to love & be loved.

Your Dad"

Recently, I read a line in Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are that froze me in place and instantly made me think of my dad. She quoted Martin Luther, who once said: "If you want to change the world, pick up your pen."

Dad, as you end your career...your years of study and preparation and sermons and planning and elders' meetings and work parties and moves and marriage ceremonies and youth rallies and funerals...let me be the first in line to thank you. Thank you for leading us on adventures in New England and Pennsylvania and Texas...for canoes and cameras and shotguns...for hikes and hunts and museums and darkrooms that smelled like vinegar.

For loving our mother.

For picking up your pen and changing the world.

Dad, with his own dad. (1947)

Thumbs up, everybody! ROCK AND ROLL!

2011-06-02T15:35:00.002-05:00

Feelin' a little down after yesterday's exam and hospital pre-op visit. The surgery will be worse than we thought, the recovery longer, the side effects more awful. Lunch with the Schumanns cheered me up a little bit (I had to rip the bandage off my arm so I could dip my chips in the salsa!), but then my AC broke last night and water was dripping into the utility room closet...on the same wood that got soaked during the Water Heater Fiasco a couple of months ago!

And then, today, the good news started rolling in to soften yesterday's blows. Philip fixed the AC. Good news on the phone from my boss. A funny photo of Kirsten's AHS bear headed back to Arizona.

And then...this.

Thumbs up, everybody.

Mothers LOVE us...

2011-05-28T10:47:00.001-05:00

...love us like a ROCK!

Cat Hugs Baby Kitten Having Nightmare - Watch more Funny Videos

Thanks to Bethany for the cute mama cat hug link!

And thanks to Kester Smith for the Paul Simon link!

Remember how I said life had become insane?

2011-05-27T15:59:00.002-05:00

I had no idea how crazy it could get. None. NO ONE COULD HAVE IMAGINED.

Harvest hit at the EXACT SAME MOMENT that my job decided to explode with activities and deadlines and field trips and permission slips and awards and number crunching and did-I-mention-the-oh-so-many MEETINGS?

Well, in all this craziness, we had two Madison "Bison Babe" get-togethers, and this voicemail received after one of them will make you realize how awesome Sweet Philip is...

http://www.box.net/shared/yc3fb5lbab

Sitting in my office, enjoying the roses Philip sent me on the last day of school and wearing the sweet Conan shirt Karla Meador gave me (BECAUSE SHE IS THE BEST!!) with a fresh delivery of Edmundo & Emilia's world-famous tamales to take home...

...grinning from ear to ear.

Life, as we know it, has come to a grinding halt.

2011-05-08T14:03:00.000-05:00

Life has been pretty insane lately...even more than usual...as AISD librarians prepare for our new roles/campuses. It's been one deadline, MEETING, crisis, budget problem, MEETING, celebration, urgent email, bus request, phone call, MEETING, class, equipment problem, project, and MEETING after another these days...with all indications that it's going to get worse instead of better as we finish out May.

And then on top of that, HARVEST started today for Philip. We know we won't see each other much for the next month...which is a bummer, but on the other hand, maybe it's LUCKY that our calendars get crazy at the same time. We would feel guilty ignoring the other person if just one of us were constantly engaged in business...but since we're both covered up, we're just grateful to have the time to work on our individual projects!

Here's what Madison did on Friday:
http://www.ktxs.com/abilene_news/27807984/detail.html

And what we did on Saturday:
http://www.ktxs.com/abilene_news/27814343/detail.html

This Wednesday is the Lone Star luncheon, generously underwritten by Senter, Realtors and CBS Insurance. (After that, Kirsten and I may be able to catch our breath a little...before we begin packing up to leave Madison after all these years.) Gulp. Sniffle.

Oh, and poor Philip. Here's the first harvest cell phone video he sent me, probably the first of many over the next month!

Oh, and as crazy as life gets...I'll still try to keep Flickr updated...because I love it. This article confirms my Flickr addiction is healthy. (Oh, and while you're at the Wired site, you may as well enjoy THIS.)

The conference was great, but...

2011-04-19T05:51:00.001-05:00

...the weekend with Philip, Angela, Troy, Falisha, and Bethany was even better. Photos and story to come as soon as life settles down a bit.

This clever Passover video was featured on a friend's blog (thanks, Heather).

FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

2011-04-08T06:39:00.001-05:00

This is what happens...

2011-04-06T20:28:00.015-05:00

...when i go to the store without a list.

I went to HEB for milk. Milk. One item. (I left with wine, flowers, jalapeno chips, habanero cheese, and a bunch of other stuff...)

The same thing happened two Saturdays ago when I went to Hastings for Where the Wild Things Are for Colten's birthday. After buying him the book and a Matchbox kit of vehicles (with a farm theme! how cool is that?!), the sale racks sang their siren song, and I left with:

Audiobooks!

*3 for $2.99 each from the clearance rack (Angels in the Gloom, No Graves As Yet, and Kay Bailey Hutchison's Leading Ladies)

Books!

*Revenge of the Paste Eaters: Memoirs of a Misfit

*Sleeping Arrangements

*a biography of Thomas Merton

*Shaggy Muses: The Dogs Who Inspired Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edith Wharton, and Emily Bronte

*The Wind in the Willows

DVDs!
*Zombieland
*Willow
*SNL: The Best of Jimmy Fallon

*Bandits

*Jim Carrey's A Christmas Carol
and
*Date Night

I don't have a smart phone so there was no checking of reviews. Who knows if they're any good? (So far, I *hate* Angels in the Gloom...bleah! And it's NOT the narrator I despise. What's up with all the EMOTION that is painstakingly, excruciatingly explained to the reader? Seriously! Just make the dialogue convincing, make your characters layered and genuine...and let the reader sort it out for herself).

It's not very often I quit an audiobook, but this one's fixin' to get the boot if it doesn't improve pronto!

Hopeful that the rest will be winners,
Kristy

Puzzle people!

2011-04-04T11:01:00.002-05:00

Didja' miss the NPR puzzle yesterday? Need your Will Shortz fix? Read on, puzzle enthusiasts, because it was my week to transcribe the puzzle. :-)

********

Synopsis of
NPR Weekend Edition puzzle
David Greene and Will Shortz
2011-04-03

The Current Challenge (given 20110327):

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/27/134888910/a-step-in-the-right-direction
From puzzle writer Francis Heaney: Take the word "calm" and flip the letters A and L to get "clam." Take the last name of a film director known for using profanity, and flip two pairs of letters in place to get a word used as a substitute for profanity. Who's the director, and what's the word?

The answers were TARANTINO and TARNATION. David played a brief clip from a Tarantino movie (the famous "Royale with cheese" conversation) and asked Will if he could name the movie. Will could not come up with the title _Pulp Fiction_ and confessed he was not a fan of profanity.

The on-air players today, randomly drawn from more than 2,500 correct answers, were Jaxon and Arlene Teck of Rockaway, New Jersey. David asked this "package deal" what they did for living; Arlene replied that she writes brand names for pharmaceutical products, and Jaxon is a logistics planner. They've been playing since the postcard days. Jaxon confessed that "it's primarily Arlene who does the submitting...I just sort of watch as it goes by." David joked that Arlene does "the heavy lifting," and Jaxon agreed. Jaxon & Arlene listen to NPR on member station WNYC (FM 93.9).

Will welcomed Arlene and Jaxon, saying that today's challenge "is a good puzzle for two people." Every answer today was a familiar proverb or saying containing a word that starts with the letter T. Will gave David, Arlene, and Jaxon the T word, and they were to come up with the saying. (Some of the words had multiple correct proverbs/sayings, but Will assured them that any familiar answer "would be counted correct.") For example, if Will said TRY, the answer might be a saying like "If at first you don't succeed--try, try again."

CLUES (hints below clues; answers at the end of this synopsis):

1. THOUSAND

2. THROW

3. TURN

4. TREAD

5. TALES

6. TWICE

7. TIME

8. THINK

HINTS:

2. The first word is "people."

3. Will said, "It's got to be a proverb or saying, though, rather than just an expression."

4. Will's answer starts with "fools."

6. There are several possibilities, but one of them starts with the word "measure."

8. Will says, "This is so appropriate for today. Your first word is 'great.' "

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The listener challenge for next week:

From http://www.npr.org/2011/04/03/135076213/try-one-on-for-size :

Assign every letter of the alphabet a numerical value: A=1, B=2, C=3 and so forth. Think of a classic work of literature that has eight letters in its title. When the letters are given a numerical value, they add up to 35. What's the title? Clue: The title has two words.

Answers must be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on THURSDAY. One entry per person.

NPR will no longer receive entries by email.

Be sure to include a telephone number where you can be reached if you are selected as the winner.

Entries may be made at the web page:

http://www.npr.org/templates/contact/index.php?columnId=4473090

You might also get to this page by going to:

http://npr.org/puzzle

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Guest editor's notes from Kristy:

It's the first Sunday of the month, and that means it's my turn to type up the puzzle synopsis. HOORAY!

Serendipitous links for today:

David Greene's NPR biography page:

http://www.npr.org/people/4510160/david-greene

The Japan/Haiti photojournalism project from today's _Weekend Edition Sunday_ (audio available after 12 p.m. Eastern):

http://n.pr/fzPqT2

ONLY for fans of Rebecca Black or Stephen Colbert:

http://n.pr/i8OkRh

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Editor's notes:

Puzzles, and contents of Weekend Edition/Sunday puzzle segment are copyrighted 2010, by Will Shortz and NPR. Reprinted here with permission.

Here's our regular monthly puzzle transcription schedule:

1st Kristy

2nd Richard

3rd Joe

4th Jerry

5th Richard

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

MAILBAG:

No mail.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Our group of volunteer co-editors distributes these free weekly synopses of the NPR puzzle segment. You can read more about this free distribution at:

http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle/topics

You can subscribe from this page, too.

To unsubscribe from this group, send email to:

nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

For more options, visit this group at:

http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle?hl=en

If you want to remove your address from the former Topica list, send a blank email from your account to:

nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com

To change the email address of your subscription, remove the old one (from the old email account), and add the new Google subscription (from the new email account). For more information about this list, and an archive of those distributed by Topica.com, visit:

http://igc.topica.com/lists/nprpuzzle@igc.topica.com/read

or, for more information about the Topica mailing service, visit:

http://lists.topica.com/

NPR posts the weekly challenge (and the previous answer) on its World Wide Web page. Go to www.npr.org, and "select" Weekend Edition Sunday from the drop-down combo box to the right of the big npr in the top left corner. You can also pick up a recording of Weekend Edition Sunday program in the Real Audio format, after 1:00 p.m. Eastern time each Sunday. In the alternative, for the text of the weekly listener challenge and a photo of Will, you can go directly to:

http://www.npr.org/programs/wesun/puzzle/

Podcasts are available at:

http://www.npr.org/podcasts/

From:

http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=4473090&uid=3ba205bf25adca5af473ab1102e03b75

How do I subscribe to this podcast?

Copy the URL [above this paragraph] into your preferred podcasting tool software (e.g. Odeo, iTunes, iPodder).

You will automatically receive this podcast each time it's published.

Follow Liane on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nprLiane

Links of interest:

Merl Reagle’s article on constructing crossword puzzles, available at:

http://www.crosswordtournament.com/articles/inq031697.htm

World Puzzle Federation:

http://www.worldpuzzle.org

More of Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles are available at:

http://www.mathpuzzle.com

Joe Wander suggests:

http://www.wordsmith.org/awad

You can join Kathie Schneider's email list for accessible word and logic puzzles. To subscribe, send a blank email to:

blind-puzzle-@googlegroups.com

For Team USA of the World Puzzle Federation:

http://wpc.puzzles.com/

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

CLUES & ANSWERS:

1. THOUSAND

("A picture is worth a thousand words.")

2. THROW

("People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.")

3. TURN

("One good turn deserves another.")

4. TREAD

(Will's answer: "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." Jaxon's answer: "Tread softly, but carry a big stick.")

5. TALES

("Dead men tell no tales.")

6. TWICE

("Measure twice; cut once." "Once bitten, twice shy." "Lightning never strikes twice in the same spot." "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.")

7. TIME

("A stitch in time saves nine." "Time will tell." "Time heals all wounds.")

8. THINK

("Great minds think alike.")

End of NPR Puzzle Synopsis.

Yes. You ARE seeing that.

2011-03-29T06:30:00.001-06:00

Mmm hmm. Temperatures in the thirties and nineties in the same week.

And no one thinks it's weird.

Mary Oliver! Mary Oliver! MARY-PULITZER-PRIZE-OLIVER!!!

2011-03-21T16:04:00.001-06:00

Remember a little over a year ago, when I wrote that I was ROBBED because I didn't know about the poet Mary Oliver until I was 46 years old? An ENGLISH major, for cryin' out loud, who didn't know about Mary Oliver? (Note to self: Ask ACU for a partial refund.)
http://corpuskristy.blogspot.com/2010/03/robbed.html

Well, anyway, the EXTREMELY PRIVATE Mary Oliver opens up to Maria Shriver in this month's O: The Oprah Magazine. (Side note: I have never seen Oprah's tv show. Never. Not even once. Rest assured...I am NOT from the Cult of O.) :-)
http://www.oprah.com/entertainment/Maria-Shriver-Interviews-Poet-Mary-Oliver

That's all. Less important things than poetry...like the details of my life and stuff...can wait until later.

Poetry comes FIRST.

UPDATE: For a behind-the-scenes look at the Shriver/Oliver interview, visit:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Maria-Shriver-Interview-Poet-Mary-Oliver-O-Magazine-Poetry-Issue

Didja' miss the Sunday Puzzle?

2011-03-06T11:57:00.000-06:00

I may not have time to blog recent fun adventures (school, work, taking care of Philip after he had a little outpatient surgery on President's Day, feeding cattle on his farm, taking pics of Julie in the park, etc.), but I *make* time to type up the NPR puzzle with Will Shortz once a month.

Today it was my turn so stretch your brain below!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Synopsis of

NPR Weekend Edition puzzle

Lynn Neary and Will Shortz

2011-03-06

The Current Challenge (given 20110227):

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/27/134092067/this-puzzle-brought-to-you-by-the-letters-a-and-d

From Merl Reagle: Take a common girl's name that's six letters long. Change the fourth letter to the next letter in the alphabet to get another common girl's name. What names are these?

The answers were MARSHA and MARTHA. Lynn said "You know, that seems simple when you see it--like you would get it right away...but I doubt I would have if I had tried. But we DID receive more than 1,400 entries this week."

The on-air player today, randomly drawn from those sending in the correct answer, was John LePeau, a retired computer programmer, from Iowa City, Iowa. John says it took 10-15 minutes to solve the puzzle. He found a list of women's names, limited them to 6-letter names, and eventually found MARSHA and MARTHA. Mr. LePeau has been playing since the postcard days; he is a member of Iowa Public Radio and listens to WSEY and KSEY.

Will invited John and Lynn to play a game where they would put on HATS. Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase, in which the first word starts with HA, and the second word starts with T. For example, if Will gave the clue "a brand of tanning lotion," the answer would be HAWAIIAN TROPIC

CLUES (hints below clues; answers at the end of this synopsis):

1. The President who said, "The buck stops here."

2. It may hang over a rod, next to a sink

3. Skimpy article of apparel for women

4. Part of a mountain road where it doubles back on itself

5. Olympic event that involves a 16-pound metal ball attached to a wire

6. To perform a difficult surfing maneuver

7. Traditional luxury wool cloth for sports jackets

8. Period in autumn when crops are brought in

9. If you constantly razz somebody, you're giving them a what?

10. Theme song for Roy Rogers & Dale Evans

11. Statement that isn't a lie, but also doesn't tell the whole story

12. Responding to the slightest provocation, as a temper

13. G.I. Joe, Mr. Potato Head, and Lincoln Logs

14.. Female Abolitionist who helped run the Underground Railroad

HINTS:

3. "It would be worn above the waist."

"The T is--what's the opposite of BOTTOM?"

"Lynn, I'm guessing you're not wearing this now."

7. Nice material for a man's sports jacket

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The listener challenge for next week:

From http://www.npr.org/2011/03/06/134297611/a-tip-of-the-hat :

Think of a two-word phrase that means a time long ago. Move the third, fourth and fifth letters to the end of the phrase, without rearranging those three letters, to get a new two-word phrase that means the beginning. What phrases are these?

Answers must be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on THURSDAY. One entry per person.

NPR will no longer receive entries by email.

Be sure to include a telephone number where you can be reached if you are selected as the winner.

Entries may be made at the web page:

http://www.npr.org/templates/contact/index.php?columnId=4473090

You might also get to this page by going to:

http://npr.org/puzzle

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Guest editor's notes from Kristy:

It's the first Sunday of the month, and that means it's my turn to type up the puzzle synopsis. HOORAY!

Serendipitous links for today:

The Iditarod begins TODAY!

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/06/alaska.iditarod/index.html?hpt=C2

Lynn Neary's NPR bio:

http://www.npr.org/people/2100948/lynn-neary

And two stories that have NOTHING to do with Charlie Sheen. (You're welcome!):

http://bit.ly/f3rfdf (Loved the video.)

http://abcn.ws/ikmOG9 Super Granny!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Editor's notes:

Puzzles, and contents of Weekend Edition/Sunday puzzle segment are copyrighted 2010, by Will Shortz and NPR. Reprinted here with permission.

Here's our regular monthly puzzle transcription schedule:

1st Kristy

2nd Richard

3rd Joe

4th Jerry

5th Richard

Email us at:

Kristy Fowler gmail.com>

Richard Renner igc.org>

Jerry Miller muohio.edu>

Joe Wander gmail.com>

So email for next week's synopsis goes to Richard Renner at igc.org> .

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

MAILBAG:

If you've been racking your brain this week, trying to solve Jerry's challenge from last week (10 3-letter body parts), you'll be

glad to read the exchange below.

Joe Wander <jdwandersr@gmail.com>

Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 5:42 PM

jaw
eye
ear
arm
leg
toe
lid
pit
lip
rib
gut
lat
abs
maw
acl
tmj

***

On Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 6:16 PM, Jerry Miller <jerry.miller@muohio.edu> wrote:

pit: arm pit
lid: eye lid
gut: hmmmm.... I have never accepted that one
lat: abbreviation
abs: same thing
maw: another word for stomach
acl: acronym
tmj: acronym

I am looking for two others.

:)

- Hide quoted text -

***

Richard Renner <rrenner@igc.org>	Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 6:21 PM

Reply-To: rrenner@igc.org

To: Kristy Fowler Joe Wander <jdwandersr@gmail.com>

Cc: Jerry Miller <Jerry.Miller@muohio.edu>

Attached are two of my files listing body parts.

Richard Renner

Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP

3233 P St., NW

Washington, DC 20007

202-342-6980, Ext. 112

202-342-6984 FAX

rrenner@igc.org

rr@kkc.com

www.whistleblowersblog.org

***

Jerry Miller <jerry.miller@muohio.edu>

Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 6:25 PM

To: "rrenner@igc.org" <rrenner@igc.org>

Cc: Kristy Fowler Joe Wander <jdwandersr@gmail.com>

ok, ok...

I wanted to challenge everyone to think. :)

***

oe Wander <jdwandersr@gmail.com>

Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 7:02 PM

To: Jerry Miller <jerry.miller@muohio.edu>

Cc: Kristy Fowler

Nothing like a rock drill (remember the story about the 'tis bottle?"

How about hip and gum, on the assumption that bum and ass are too colloquial? joe

***

Jerry Miller <jerry.miller@muohio.edu>

Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 7:25 PM

To: Joe Wander <jdwandersr@gmail.com>

You got them!

Jerry Miller

Sent from my Sprint HTC EVO.

***And for the complete list in one place--here's what Jerry emailed after the synopsis last Sunday morning!***

Jerry Miller <jerry.miller@muohio.edu>

Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 9:18 AM

To: Kristy Fowler

Kristy,

Here are the answers for the puzzle I gave at the end of the synopsis:

The five easier ones:
1. arm
2. ear
3. eye
4. leg
5. toe

The five more difficult ones:
1. gum
2. hip
3. jaw
4. lip
5. rib (internal)

Jerry

***

Huzzah for MAIL!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Our group of volunteer co-editors distributes these free weekly synopses of the NPR puzzle segment. You can read more about this free distribution at:

http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle/topics

You can subscribe from this page, too.

To unsubscribe from this group, send email to:

nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

For more options, visit this group at:

http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle?hl=en

If you want to remove your address from the former Topica list, send a blank email from your account to:

nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com

To change the email address of your subscription, remove the old one (from the old email account), and add the new Google subscription (from the new email account). For more information about this list, and an archive of those distributed by Topica.com, visit:

http://igc.topica.com/lists/nprpuzzle@igc.topica.com/read

or, for more information about the Topica mailing service, visit:

http://lists.topica.com/

NPR posts the weekly challenge (and the previous answer) on its World Wide Web page. Go to www.npr.org, and "select" Weekend Edition Sunday from the drop-down combo box to the right of the big npr in the top left corner. You can also pick up a recording of Weekend Edition Sunday program in the Real Audio format, after 1:00 p.m. Eastern time each Sunday. In the alternative, for the text of the weekly listener challenge and a photo of Will, you can go directly to:

http://www.npr.org/programs/wesun/puzzle/

Podcasts are available at:

http://www.npr.org/podcasts/

From:

http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=4473090&uid=3ba205bf25adca5af473ab1102e03b75

How do I subscribe to this podcast?

Copy the URL [above this paragraph] into your preferred podcasting tool software (e.g. Odeo, iTunes, iPodder).

You will automatically receive this podcast each time it's published.

Follow Liane on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nprLiane

Links of interest:

Merl Reagle’s article on constructing crossword puzzles, available at:

http://www.crosswordtournament.com/articles/inq031697.htm

World Puzzle Federation:

http://www.worldpuzzle.org

More of Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles are available at:

http://www.mathpuzzle.com

Joe Wander suggests:

http://www.wordsmith.org/awad

You can join Kathie Schneider's email list for accessible word and logic puzzles. To subscribe, send a blank email to:

blind-puzzle-@googlegroups.com

For Team USA of the World Puzzle Federation:

http://wpc.puzzles.com/

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

CLUES & ANSWERS:

1. The President who said, "The buck stops here." HARRY TRUMAN

2. It may hang over a rod, next to a sink HAND TOWEL

3. Skimpy article of apparel for women HALTER TOP

4. Part of a mountain road where it doubles back on itself HAIRPIN TURN

5. Olympic event that involves a 16-pound metal ball attached to a wire HAMMER THROW

6. To perform a difficult surfing maneuver HANG TEN

7. Traditional luxury wool cloth for sports jackets HARRIS TWEED

8. Period in autumn when crops are brought in HARVEST TIME

9. If you constantly razz somebody, you're giving them a what? HARD TIME

10. Theme song for Roy Rogers & Dale Evans "HAPPY TRAILS"

11. Statement that isn't a lie, but also doesn't tell the whole story HALF-TRUTH

12. Responding to the slightest provocation, as a temper HAIR TRIGGER

13. G.I. Joe, Mr. Potato Head, and Lincoln Logs HASBRO TOYS

14.. Female Abolitionist who helped run the Underground Railroad HARRIET TUBMAN

End of NPR Puzzle Synopsis.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Happy Puzzling! Don't forget to submit your answer before Thursday so YOU can play the puzzle on the air with my next ex-husband, Will Shortz!

Conference report.

2011-02-20T10:47:00.001-06:00

Okay, this year's tech conference in Austin may have been the BEST EVER. I had a blast, learned a lot--and could see Philip in the evenings since his daughter's house was only 3 miles from our hotel!

The keynote speaker was Leigh Ann Tuohy, the real mom from the movie The Blind Side. (Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for playing her.) Ms. Tuohy was a hoot--a true Southern Belle--and she challenged us to go the extra mile for our disadvantaged students. She said something like, "It's real easy to teach kids like Collins and S.J. who have lots going for them. It's HARD to teach kids like my son, Michael. You may have to get to school early and then stay late to tutor him. You may have to get real creative on how you grade his progress. You may have to change your lesson plans. YOU CAN DO IT. That's why you went to that fancy Teacher College!"

While her speech was filled with lots of laughs, she really made us think about the kids who don't have a home of their own...or parents who check their homework and make them take baths...or parents at all, for that matter.

The second day, as we got seated for another General Session speaker, we knew it would be different because there were 3D glasses on every seat. Professional juggler Mark Nizer kept everyone in stitches while showing off LOTS of technology.

I learned TONS about software and collaboration and book trailers, won an online database from Capstone and a book from Linworth Publishing, and even got to pose with Moby...which will make Madison's PALS class freak out! (They LOVE Moby. We do special lessons in the library with these special students, and Tim & Moby teach us about seasons, the spine and nervous system, pioneers...you name it!)

In another session, about free Web 2.0 tools students can use to make multimedia projects, we learned about a site called ImageChef, which lets kids do cool things with their digital photos. I used a jpg of "Brittany," a piece of art I once bought as a gag gift...but then couldn't bear to part with. (She grows on you! Or maybe just me since my entire family has begged me to send her to Boston's MOBA, the Museum of Bad Art. They have threatened to hold an "Art Intervention" to rid the house of this particular piece of "art.") So, anyway, I took an existing photo of her and inserted it into a cool, customizable frame at ImageChef to let everyone know how I feel about the Brittany Masterpiece.

Yeah! That's right! No MOBA for Brittany...

But the best part of the Austin trip was getting see Bethany after the conference! (Oh, and for the second year in a row, Tabby got to join us for lunch at Chuy's...here's hoping we can make it an annual tradition!)

One of the highlights of the weekend was bowling a 148, good enough to beat Bethany and Philip. (Bethany won the first game, I won the second game--and then we quit and turned in our bowling shoes before Philip could beat us both!) Then we went to the restaurant where Bethany works, The Cottonseed Cafe & Deli, for dinner. DELICIOUS!

Thanks to Jori, the world's best house and dog sitter, for taking such good care of May Bee while I was gone--even though I know you gave her beer and let her get on the bed...and even though you covered up Brittany, so she couldn't watch you sleep. (I came home to find a sundress covering Brittany's face!)

What a wonderful week in Austin! (Bonus photos of Austin & Bethany's landscape art below.)

Keep Austin weird...and wonderful! Be back for TCEA again next year, I hope!

Our beloved Franklin Middle School...

2011-02-16T17:06:00.001-06:00

...lives only in fond memories now.

Thanks (sort of?) to my old boss, Ms. Ashby, for the depressing photos.

May the students of the soon-to-be-built Myra Martinez Elementary School love their school as much as we loved ours. ("Maroon and white! Fight, fight, FIGHT!")

A TRUE Valentine.

2011-02-14T17:32:00.000-06:00

Checks Bethany's car on February 12th...and takes care of his girlfriend when she throws her back out on February 13th. :-)

The good news?

2011-02-02T19:44:00.000-06:00

I found that lizard we used to see in the library.

The bad news?

I found that lizard we used to see in the library.

(The ANT TRAIL gave him away...)

4 of 5 dentists...and my DOG...prefer Crest!

2011-01-12T06:04:00.000-06:00

Look what Miss Naughty did while Mommy was at work!

Well, at least we know May Bee's favorite flavor. She raided the bathroom trash (now that the kitchen trash cans lock, she had to resort to a less interesting location), pulled both tubes out onto the floor, ignored the POP-TOP Pro-Health flavor completely...but ATE THE SCREW TOP off the Clean Mint Extra Whitening to get to the good stuff inside.

Bethany and Philip both insist that I bear part of the blame since I'm the one who got her addicted in the first place. (When Dr. Hoefer found out that May Bee gets her teeth brushed every night, he said, "You realize your DOG has better dental hygiene than many of your STUDENTS, right?")

Oh, and while I was in Virginia, I mentioned to Jori who was house & dog sitting that May Bee might want her teeth brushed at night. She laughed and laughed and said she was NOT doing that. The next day, I got a text that she actually HAD broken down and brushed May Bee's teeth...and that she expected Kathy Bates to play her in the movie.

P.S. Last Saturday, Jori & I walked 3 miles at Red Bud Park, and she finally told me why she'd relented. When Jori got in bed, she had a perfect view of May Bee sitting, lonely and silent and pitiful, by the bathroom sink...with those big puppy-dog eyes pleading, "Joh-wee! Pleez bwush my teef like my weal mommy!"

R.I.P., Mr. Rafferty.

2011-01-05T06:39:00.000-06:00

P.S. Yes, kids, videos used to be insane. (That's why we liked them.)

If you think I was the only one...

2011-01-04T19:42:00.000-06:00

...snapping this sunset with a cellphone camera in the gas station parking lot, then you would be MISTAKEN.

Nuthin' finah than to be in Carolina...

2010-12-24T09:51:00.001-06:00

You would have cried, too.

2010-12-21T12:59:00.000-06:00

Thanks to the Youngs for inviting all the members of TEAM FALISHA to her graduation...and special thanks to Mr. Young for packing tissues for Gladys and me! (Oh, and thanks to Andrea for bringing the AWESOME camera and mad photo skills.)

Congratulations, Falisha! Your hard work has paid off...and good luck in grad school.

P.S. Team Falisha, meet you again in 2 years when she receives her master's degree hood!

Actual conversations.

2010-12-18T11:44:00.000-06:00

Overheard recently at my house...

Him: "I think you're the biggest girl I've ever dated."

Her: "That's fantastic news. Can't tell you how excited I am to hear that."

Him: "No, not FAT! I don't mean FAT! Just BIG! You're just BIG-BONED. Your legs are like twice the size of mine."

Her: "You're not making it better."

...and...

Him: "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something. You know that last Nantucket Cranberry Pie you made?"

Her: "Umm...yeah?"

Him: "Those pecans weren't from my tree, were they?"

Her (after a pause): "Oh. Umm...no, they weren't. Those were from Larry & Belva's trees in the Hill Country. How could you possibly KNOW that?"

Him: "I know my own pecans."

Her: "That's CRAZY! Are you some kind of connoisseur? Some kind of PECAN-oisseur? Pecanoisseur!!! Bwah-haaa-haa!!" (spluttering and laughter and snorting)

Him: (silence)

And here are TWO early Christmas gift for History nerds like me: Enjoy the comedy stylings at Historic LOLs, a site with old-timey photos captioned for your entertainment, at:

http://history.icanhascheezburger.com

and the first cinematic Alice in Wonderland:

Open your home...and your heart.

2010-12-15T21:15:00.000-06:00

P.S. My birthday yesterday was fun-filled and fabulous--except for when May Bee sprayed the veterinarian like a skunk with her anal glands (!)...and then two hours later, when I was at the doctor myself, wishing humans had the same option.

P.P.S. The vet laughed out loud when he brought May Bee back to the little exam room after her shots and I gasped, "What is that horrible smell? Is it...umm...FEAR?" He explained that sometimes dogs who are afraid will express their anal glands. (I had no idea. None. When Karen called last night to wish me a happy birthday, I asked if she ever heard of dogs doing that, and she proposed that only dogs whose hearts are black and evil could pull off such a diabolical stunt.)

Oh, wait...don't let those two revolting postscripts keep you from adopting a pet.

May Bee makes my day, every single day! (What's a little fanny spray among friends, anyway?) People with pets live longer, happier lives...so share your home with a companion asap! Make a holiday wish come true for a homeless dog or cat...ADOPT!

First ornament on the tree...

2010-12-13T17:08:00.000-06:00

The last person on Earth to know.

2010-12-10T16:48:00.001-06:00

Bethany and Falisha failed to tell me about Har Mar, Superstar. (I rely on my girls to keep me informed about important trends and items of popular interest.) You really dropped the ball on this one, my dears!

Favorite line: "How long is this song? Girl, this can not be healthy!"

Sunday morning...

2010-12-07T17:20:00.000-06:00

...while her mama typed up this week's puzzle segment (Weekend Edition Sunday always features a puzzler with Will Shortz), May Bee snoozed away in the sunshine. It was a three-cups-of-coffee, linger-in-your-flannel-pajamas sort of morning--complete with beautiful music, courtesy of Sunday Baroque.

Oh, and that's one more reason to visit my church, HOPE Church of Christ...we meet at FIVE IN THE AFTERNOON. Just sayin'.

A week ago today...

2010-12-04T09:22:00.002-06:00

...Philip took me to the Compton Family Thanksgiving. We had so much fun! (Thanks to everyone for making me feel so welcome.)

And two days before that, on Thanksgiving Day, Philip and I actually cooked together! Two of our favorite recipes of the day below.

"Everything Stuffing"
(adapted from Taste of Home's recipe at

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/-Everything--Stuffing/Print )

You might want to use Bette Votral's original recipe at the link above. I used the low-sodium broth, omitted the shitake mushrooms, and left out the added sage since I used sage sausage. (I also added a little hot sausage to spice the recipe up a little!)

The great thing about this recipe, besides being yummy, is that you make it in the crock pot...which leaves your oven free to bake other things. Pretty handy, huh?

1 lb. sage sausage
1/2 lb. hot sausage
4 cups seasoned stuffing cubes
1 1/2 cups crushed corn bread stuffing
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans (some chopped, some quartered for aesthetic appeal)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

2 C. sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer
pink; drain. Place in a large bowl. Stir in the stuffing cubes, corn
bread stuffing, pecans, parsley, salt and pepper.

In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion, apple and celery in
butter until tender. Stir into stuffing mixture. Add enough broth to
reach desired moistness. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Cover and
cook on low for 3 hours, stirring once. Yield: 9 servings.

Nantucket Cranberry Pie

See the Pioneer Woman demonstrate every step at:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/nantucket-cranberry-pie/

Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful.

Ours sure was!

Fun and games CANCELLED.

2010-12-01T16:44:00.000-06:00

Well, the fun and games I predicted on Monday did NOT happen. Not only did my cold get worse and worse during the day (HONK! sniffle, sniffle! COUGH! sniffle! HONK!), but the morning started with an unpleasant jolt.

"Oh, no! Someone dropped their Blistex as they left the library!"

"GAH! Wait!! That's NOT Blistex! Ugh...I have to go boil myself now!!!"

Fun and games

2010-11-29T06:08:00.000-06:00

Today, as Kirsten plays "Tante Kirsten" to her new-born niece and nephew in Arizona, we'll be decorating the library for Christmas! (Three classes of speech students are on the schedule, but the rest of the day will be fun and games!)

Yeah.

2010-11-12T16:30:00.001-06:00

I climbed that. (It was NOT my idea.)

We sat on top of the grain bin and ate wheat right out of the trap door on the top.

And then my favorite Blood Donor and I watched the sun set.

(Oh, and there may have been a smooch or two...)

Conan TOMORROW!

2010-11-07T09:38:00.001-06:00

Can't wait! Can't WAIT! While I'm *not* looking forward to the 11 p.m. drive home from Philip's house afterward (since I can't make myself break down and pay for cable), the thought that we're gonna' be watching Conan TOMORROW makes me so happy!

Okay, so while I was in Fentress with Bethany last weekend, Philip sent a camera phone pic he snapped of the Conan blimp...right over ABILENE, of all places. Last night, though, we found out that Philip's son, Brandon, got to see the blimp touch down at the Eastland airport and refuel (who knew Eastland had an airport?) just a few hours before Philip snapped it! Check out the photos he managed to get...

Thanks for the new desktop wallpaper, Brandon!

And in related Conan news...

Click HERE for today's NPR story about Conan's return to late night.

Or HERE for Yarn Blimp!

P.S. Feel free to call me at 9 p.m. tomorrow. Or even 11. (10 p.m. is NOT an option.)

Happy Monday, Mom!

2010-10-18T07:12:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure my mom has ever entirely forgiven my grandfather ("Bobo," a half-Swedish/half-Texan Borden milkman and elder in the Church of Christ) for denying her the chance to see The King when he came to Corpus Christi. And while my generation probably doesn't appreciate Elvis as much as we should, I really liked this one..and the reaction of the two ladies at 2:25 gives me a little peek into the adoration!

P.S. Thanks to Karen's Porch blog for this one!!

Whew! What a weekend!!!

2010-10-04T06:42:00.000-05:00

Got SO much done...so much. And the weather? AMAZING!

After mowing and edging and poisoning three beds of fire ants, I stuck my gloves onto holly bush branches to air out while I did dishes and laundry and some other indoor chores. HOURS later (after I forgot they were out there), I opened the door to head outside and stopped dead in my tracks. It looked like a disembodied set of hands was coming around the corner of the house at me! SPOOKY!

One of the MANY things accomplished this weekend was sending out the NPR puzzle from Weekend Edition Sunday with Will Shortz. Want it? See below...but I am NOT responsible for formatting errors. Typing it in email and posting it online makes it go wonky.

***

Synopsis of
NPR Weekend Edition puzzle
Rebecca Roberts (for Liane Hansen) & Will Shortz
2010-10-03

CURRENT CHALLENGE (given 20100926):
From Elizabeth Gorski: Take the phrase "patron saint," remove a letter,
then rearrange the letters to create a new, familiar two-word phrase
that names something important in life.
Hint: The first word has three letters, the second word has seven.

The answer was NPR STATION, an answer which Will noted could not be
solved by computers who didn't recognize NPR as a word. Will also
accepted RAP STATION.

Rebecca reported 597 entries, "which is low for us."

The randomly-selected, on-air player today was James Steffen of
Germantown, Tennessee. James works at a digital printing company where
he manages new product design and automation, and his fiancée is the one
who hooked him on NPR puzzles about a year and a half ago. He also
participates in what Rebecca described as "insanely competitive extreme
sports"; James confirmed that "I do a lot of running and triathlons,"
and he completed an Ironman Competition in August. He is a member and
listener of WKNO.

Today's on-air puzzle: Will gave Rebecca and James sentences, each with
two blanks. The word that went in the first blank ended in the letter D
as in DOG. When they dropped the D, they had (phonetically) the answer
that went in the second blank. Examples given were FIELD to FEEL and
BEARD to BEER.

CLUES (HINTS directly below clues; ANSWERS at the end of synopsis):

1. In Napa Valley, this road will BLANK fifteen miles through BLANK
Country.

2. Even though I have a phobia about yellow foods, I added BLANK to my
hot dog with all the strength I could BLANK.

3. That lazy bum is such a BLANK, he'll never practice batting skills
enough to become a BLANK.

4. In Colonial New Hampshire, before the European immigrants could
settle in BLANK, they first had to BLANK the Indians.

5. During Seniors Week on the TV game show, one old BLANK just couldn't
push his BLANK fast enough to get any answers.

6. To improve city hygiene, BLANK, Alaska has installed a new BLANK
system.

7. In return for her long-time service to the Food Network chef, Sarah
personally received an BLANK broach from BLANK himself.

8. With the increase of money into the English royal treasury, King
BLANK was considerably BLANK.

HINTS:

7. From Will: "Think of the U.S. Secretary of State who helped the U.S.
purchase Alaska."

8. From Rebecca: "Kick it up a notch there, James!" (At first, James
thought he was being reprimanded for taking so long to solve this one,
but then Rebecca exclaimed, "That was a hint!")

Author Ammon Shea, (described by Rebecca as a "Word Nerd") and author of
_The Phone Book: The Curious History of the Book That Everyone Uses But
No One Reads_ , read James the list of prizes he'd won for being
selected to play the puzzle on the air.

NEXT WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

The listener challenge for next week, copied from the NPR puzzle page:
"Name a famous person whose first name has six letters and last name has
eight. In this person's first name, the first two letters are the same
as the last two letters. And, these two letters also start the last
name. The first two letters of the last name are pronounced differently
from how they're pronounced in the first name. Who is this person?"

The listener challenge for next week, as Will gave it on the air: "Name
a famous person--6 letters in the first name, 8 letters in the last. In
this person's first name, the first 2 letters are the same as the last 2
letters, and these 2 letters also start the last name. And even more
oddly, the first 2 letters of the last name are pronounced differently
from how they're pronounced in the first name. Who is this person? So
again...a famous person--6/8. In this person's first name, the first 2
letters are the same as the last 2 letters, and these 2 letters also
start the last name--and the first 2 letters of the last name are
pronounced differently from how they're pronounced in the first name.
Who is this famous person?"

Answers must be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on THURSDAY. One
entry per person. NPR will no longer receive entries by email. Be sure
to include a telephone number where you can be reached if you are
selected as the winner.
Entries may be made at the web page:
http://www.npr.org/templates/contact/index.php?columnId=4473090
You can also get to this page by simply visiting:
npr.org/puzzle

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Editor's notes:
Puzzles, and contents of the _Weekend Edition Sunday_ puzzle segment are
copyrighted 2010, by Will Shortz and NPR. Reprinted here with
permission.

Today's serendipitous links:

How appropriate that today's on-air player lives in Germantown,
Tennessee! Today, Germany celebrates the Day of German Unity (auf
Deutsch: "Tag der Deutschen Einheit") to mark the 20th anniversary of
East and West German reunification. The party is ON in Berlin, btw; the
live web cam at Brandenburg Gate can be seen (at least until dark) at
http://bit.ly/alMH4h .

The much-publicized Commonwealth Games open today!
http://bit.ly/bbSW45

Here's our regular monthly puzzle transcription schedule:
1st Kristy
2nd Richard
3rd Joe
4th Jerry
5th Richard

Email us at:
Kristy Fowler gmail.com>
Richard Renner igc.org>
Jerry Miller muohio.edu>
Joe Wander gmail.com>

So email for next week's synopsis goes to Richard:
igc.org>

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Our group of volunteer co-editors distributes these free weekly synopses
of the NPR puzzle segment. You can read more about this free
distribution at:
http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle/topics
You can subscribe from this page, too.

To unsubscribe from this group, send email to:
nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

For more options, visit this group at:
http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle?hl=en

If you want to remove your address from the former Topica list, send a
blank email from your account to:
nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com

To change the email address of your subscription, remove the old one
(from the old email account), and add the new Google subscription (from
the new email account). For more information about this list, and an
archive of those distributed by Topica.com, visit:
http://igc.topica.com/lists/nprpuzzle@igc.topica.com/read
or, for more information about the Topica mailing service, visit:
http://lists.topica.com/NPR which posts the weekly challenge (and the
previous answer) on its World Wide Web page.

You can also pick up an audio recording of Weekend Edition Sunday
program after 12:00 p.m. Eastern time each Sunday. In the alternative,
for the text of the weekly listener challenge, you can go directly to:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4473090Podcasts are
available at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/rss/podlayer.php?id=4473090 or
http://www.npr.org/podcasts/

From:
r.org/rss/podcast.php?id=4473090&uid=3ba205bf25adca5af473ab1102e03b75
How do I subscribe to this podcast?
Copy the URL [above this paragraph] into your preferred podcasting tool
software (e.g. Odeo, iTunes, iPodder). You will automatically receive
this podcast each time it's published.Follow Liane on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/nprLiane

Links of interest:
American Crossword Puzzle Tournament:
http://www.crosswordtournament.com/

Merl Reagle's article on constructing crossword puzzles, available at:
http://www.crosswordtournament.com/articles/inq031697.htm

World Puzzle Federation:
http://www.worldpuzzle.org

For U.S. Puzzle Championship info:
http://wpc.puzzles.com/uspc11/

More of Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles are available at:
http://www.mathpuzzle.com

Next year's National Puzzlers' League convention will meet in
Providence, Rhode Island. For information, visit:
http://www.puzzlers.org

Joe Wander suggests linguaphiles check out:
http://www.wordsmith.org/awad

You can join Kathie Schneider's email list for accessible word and logic
puzzles. To subscribe, send a blank email to:
blind-puzzlers-subscribe@googlegroups.com

For the results of April's 5th Annual World Sudoku Puzzle Championship,
see:
http://wpc.puzzles.com/wsc2010/

Kristy Fowler, guest editing today for Richard Renner:
<mad4cowbell@gmail.com>

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

CLUES & ANSWERS:

1. In Napa Valley, this road will BLANK fifteen miles through BLANK
Country.
(WIND to WINE)

2. Even though I have a phobia about yellow foods, I added BLANK to my
hot dog with all the strength I could BLANK.
(MUSTARD to MUSTER)

3. That lazy bum is such a BLANK, he'll never practice batting skills
enough to become a BLANK.
(SLUGGARD to SLUGGER)

4. In Colonial New Hampshire, before the European immigrants could
settle in BLANK, they first had to BLANK the Indians.
(CONCORD to CONQUER)

5. During Seniors Week on the TV game show, one old BLANK just couldn't
push his BLANK fast enough to get any answers.
(BUZZARD to BUZZER)

6. To improve city hygiene, BLANK, Alaska has installed a new BLANK
system.
(SEWARD to SEWER)

7. In return for her long-time service to the Food Network chef, Sarah
personally received an BLANK broach from BLANK himself.
(EMERALD to EMERIL)

8. With the increase of money into the English royal treasury, King
BLANK was considerably BLANK.
(RICHARD to RICHER)

End of NPR Puzzle Synopsis.

Love dogs? Love New Hampshire?

2010-09-27T20:52:00.005-05:00

If you answered "Yes" to one of those questions, you'll be fine. If you answered "Yes" to BOTH of those questions, then prepare for Operation Throat Lump.

San Angelo Saturday.

2010-09-20T21:09:00.000-05:00

San Angelo was GREAT! One of the best District 1 fall meetings EVER, a delicious lunch at Sealy Flats, a shopping blitz down Concho Street, and finally, Lily Fest 2010 at San Angelo's International Water Lily Gardens.

Oh, and then when we took Sarah & Jane back to their car, there was a WEDDING happening at the gorgeous San Angelo Visitors Center! What a lovely day...and then...

...when Terry pulls up to the curb in front of my house after the long drive home, she says, "Is your dog SUPPOSED to be in the front yard?"

Apparently, May Bee crashed through the gate in the morning and spent the whole day outside, growling at anyone who came near. (Thank God May Bee is a homebody...as Karen said, "This could have been tragic.")

Grateful that Man's Best Friend (and my best friend!) is safe and sound,
May Bee's Happy Mama

Roach? Mouse? (gasp!) RAT?

2010-09-14T06:38:00.000-05:00

Ugh. Can you see the two little poops deposited on the toilet paper rolls in my cabinet? I'm pretty sure that toilet tissue did not come pre-pooped when I stuck the rolls in there last Saturday. My fingers are crossed that it's just the cousin of that "water bug" (a.k.a., ROACH!) that landed ON MY BODY during a shower once.

My worst fears would be vermin. I am terrified of mice and rats...and would have to burn this house down. So I guess it's time to call Pest Patrol and have them do a CSI-style investigation of the poop evidence and then treat the premises accordingly.

Oh, and speaking of All Things Scatological...

TO THE MAN WHO POOPED IN HIS PANTS WHEN MY DOG TRIED TO KILL YOU THIS MORNING:

Hey, here's an idea. When a lady is running IN THE DARK, don't step out of the abandoned playground toward her and her dog. (May Bee didn't bark at anyone else this morning because they were all running or walking. Plus, they were all wearing athletic gear and sneakers--not dress shirts, pants, and boots.)

I would offer to buy you new "running slacks," but I was a little too busy trying to keep you from being ripped to shreds to get your name...

I'm with Lisa from "Green Acres."

2010-09-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

To all the Farmer Types out there trying to make us all jealous with your canning and bread-baking and kefir-brewing(?) and home-schooling stories...it's City Girl's turn!

This morning, after visiting HEB, the world's best grocery store that is 4 MINUTES from my house, it was time to hit La Popular for the Yum Fuel I would need to mow the lawn with an old-fashioned reel mower. (Oh, and the HEB "Combo Loco" deals were especially LOCO this morning. Anyone buying four Lean Cuisine frozen dinners could score free Nestle or Wonka candy. That's right...if you buy low-calorie, low-fat meals, HEB will reward you with free CANDY.)

Next I'm off to the post office (a full 3-minute drive), the mall (where I get a nice employee discount on the cutest clothes at Christopher & Banks!), and then Sonic for a half-price Happy Hour tea (UNsweet, as God intended). City Life has its PERKS. :-)

"Abilene is where I'd rather stay.
I get allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a sunset view.
Dah-ling I love you, but give me Sayles Avenue!"

Man...

2010-09-10T17:08:00.000-05:00

...I wish I could DANCE!

Thanks to dooce for the heads-up on this one!

Miss the puzzle on Sunday?

2010-09-07T10:38:00.002-05:00

Not to worry, my precious.

Aunt Kristy took care of it. Enjoy the synopsis I sent out to the NPR Puzzle Google Group this weekend.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Synopsis of
NPR Weekend Edition puzzle
Liane Hansen & Will Shortz
2010-09-05

CURRENT CHALLENGE (given 20100829):
From the NPR puzzle page: Take the word "bookman." Change one letter and rearrange the result to name a famous person who wrote books. Who is it?

The answer was NABOKOV, as in Vladimir Nabokov, author of _Lolita_, _Bend Sinister_, and many other works.

Liane reported more than a thousand entries.

The randomly-selected, on-air player today was Kevin Callahan, a math teacher at Madison Middle School, from Eugene, Oregon. He is a member of KLCC.

Today's on-air puzzle: You are given a five-letter word and a seven-letter word. Rearrange the letters of one of the words to get a synonym of the other word. For example, given ALLOY and DEVOTED, the answer would be LOYAL. (LOYAL is an anagram of ALLOY and a synonym of DEVOTED.)

CLUES (HINTS directly below clues; ANSWERS at the end of synopsis):

1. THING & EVENING

2. STATE & CLEARED

3. MARCH & DELIGHT

4. TIMER & DESERVE

5. IRATE & GRENADE

6. NADIR & DEPLETE

7. ONSET & BOULDER

8. AWFUL & INHOUSE

9. GIRTH & CORRECT

10. AGREE & ITCHING

HINTS:

1. Rearrange the first word,THING, to make a synonym for EVENING. Will reminded listeners that *either* of the words can be the one that is to be anagrammed.

6. Liane shared a tip Will had given her once: when working with anagrams, it is sometimes helpful to put the letters in "bowling pin formation" it helps your head get out of "the linear way of thinking."

8. "It's usually used to describe a villain..."

10. "As in, you are 'itching' to do something."

Brandon Flowers, member of the Las Vegas band The Killers, read Kevin the booty he scored for playing the puzzle on the air. Kevin will receive an NPR lapel pin and many other coveted puzzle-related items.

NEXT WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

The listener challenge for next week, as copied from the NPR puzzle page: From Eric Iverson of Eagan, Minn.: What is the longest common word in which all the letters rhyme with E?

The listener challenge for next week, as Will gave it on the air: "Well, this week's challenge comes from listener Eric Iverson of Eagan, Minnesota, and it's a simple question: 'What is the longest common word in which all the letters rhyme with E?' I have my answer; we'll compare notes next week. So again, 'What is the longest common word in which all the letters rhyme with E?' "

Answers must be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on THURSDAY. One
entry per person. NPR will no longer receive entries by email. Be sure
to include a telephone number where you can be reached if you are
selected as the winner. Entries may be made at the web page:
http://www.npr.org/templates/contact/index.php?columnId=4473090
You might also get to this page by going to:
npr.org/puzzle

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Editor's notes:

Puzzles, and contents of the _Weekend Edition Sunday_ puzzle segment are
copyrighted 2010, by Will Shortz and NPR. Reprinted here with
permission.

Liane opened the segment asking Will if his life at the moment was "more puzzles than ping pong...or vice versa?" Will discussed the table tennis club he plans to open in his hometown, which he believes will be "the largest table tennis club in the Northeast." (At 11,000 square feet of playing space, there will be enough room for eighteen tables.)

Today's serendipitous links:

Today's on-air player teaches math at a Madison Middle School in Oregon--and today's puzzle transcriber is the librarian at a Madison Middle School in Texas! Perhaps today, 12 days before Constitution Day, is a good day to reflect on our tiniest President (approximately 5' 4" & 96 pounds) and the "Father of the Constitution."

http://www.montpelier.org/explore/james_madison/index.php

Fans of the book _The Phantom Tollbooth_ can celebrate the reunion of author Norton Juster and artist Jules Feiffer, 50 years later, by reading their latest collaboration, _The Odious Ogre_.
http://n.pr/92UrqN

Happy Labor Day!

http://bit.ly/9bfMyc

Here's our regular monthly puzzle transcription schedule:
1st       Kristy
2nd      Richard
3rd       Joe
4th       Jerry
5th       Richard

Email us at:
Kristy Fowler <mad4cowbell@gmail.com>
Richard Renner <rrenner@igc.org>
Jerry Miller <millergm@muohio.edu>
Joe Wander <jdwandersr@gmail.com>

So email for next week's synopsis goes to Richard:
<rrenner@igc.org>

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Our group of volunteer co-editors distributes these free weekly synopses
of the NPR puzzle segment. You can read more about this free
distribution at:
http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle/topics
You can subscribe from this page, too.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle?hl=en
If you want to remove your address from the former Topica list, send a
blank email from your account to:
nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com
To change the email address of your subscription, remove the old one
(from the old email account), and add the new Google subscription (from
the new email account). For more information about this list, and an
archive of those distributed by Topica.com, visit:
http://igc.topica.com/lists/nprpuzzle@igc.topica.com/read
or, for more information about the Topica mailing service, visit:
http://lists.topica.com/
NPR posts the weekly challenge (and the previous answer) on its World
Wide Web page. Go to www.npr.org , and "select" Weekend Edition Sunday
from the drop-down menu under "Programs." You can also pick up an audio
recording of Weekend Edition Sunday program after 12:00 p.m. Eastern
time each Sunday. In the alternative, for the text of the weekly
listener challenge, you can go directly to:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4473090
Podcasts are available at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/rss/podlayer.php?id=4473090 or
http://www.npr.org/podcasts/

From:
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=4473090&uid=3ba205bf25adca5af473ab1102e03b75
How do I subscribe to this podcast?
Copy the URL [above this paragraph] into your preferred podcasting tool
software (e.g. Odeo, iTunes, iPodder). You will automatically receive
this podcast each time it's published.
Follow Liane on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nprLiane
Links of interest:
American Crossword Puzzle Tournament:
http://www.crosswordtournament.com/
Merl Reagle's article on constructing crossword puzzles, available at:
http://www.crosswordtournament.com/articles/inq031697.htm
World Puzzle Federation:
http://www.worldpuzzle.org
For U.S. Puzzle Championship info:
http://wpc.puzzles.com/uspc11/
More of Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles are available at:
http://www.mathpuzzle.com
Next year's National Puzzlers' League convention will meet in
Providence, Rhode Island. For information, visit:
http://www.puzzlers.org
Joe Wander suggests linguaphiles check out:
http://www.wordsmith.org/awad
You can join Kathie Schneider's email list for accessible word and logic
puzzles. To subscribe, send a blank email to:
blind-puzzlers-subscribe@googlegroups.com
For the results of April's 5th Annual World Sudoku Puzzle Championship,
see:
http://wpc.puzzles.com/wsc2010/
Kristy Fowler, guest editing today for Richard Renner:
<mad4cowbell@gmail.com>

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

CLUES & ANSWERS:

1. THING & EVENING: NIGHT

2. STATE & CLEARED: DECLARE

3. MARCH & DELIGHT: CHARM

4. TIMER & DESERVE: MERIT

5. IRATE & GRENADE: ENRAGED or ANGERED

6. NADIR & DEPLETE: DRAIN

7. ONSET & BOULDER: STONE

8. AWFUL & INHOUSE: HEINOUS

9. GIRTH & CORRECT: RIGHT

10. AGREE & ITCHING: EAGER

End of NPR Puzzle Synopsis.

Doggie Splash Day, 2010!

2010-09-03T06:58:00.000-05:00

BEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

Last year, May Bee and I were forced to skip The Best Day of the Year because of that stupid, awful, horrible operation (that I only survived because of my wonderful family & friends!!), but this year we were out in Full Pale Force (well, I was pale--May Bee, not so much). Dan, Kirsten, Jaeger, and Rhowdie were there...and CHRIS & FALISHA, TOO! They drove all the way from the Metroplex to get in on the fun!

Oh, and we made TWO of Abilene's three 10 o'clock newscasts as we went off the diving board together AND a color pic in the Sunday paper. (Page 12A! Not too shabby, Miss May Bee!) Must have been a slow news day...

Check out the cool page Kirsten, a Creative Memories consultant, made with her CM Storybook!

And then, to end a perfect day, we enjoyed a cookout and concert at HOPE Church of Christ. Here's the last photo I snapped before Chris & Falisha had to head for home. (You can see Thus Far taking the stage behind them!)

The documentary, which aired after the sun went down, was beautiful and touching and wiped me out. It still does. (Thanks to Jessalyn Massingill for her amazing movie and to Thus Far for their beautiful music. I've watched the movie twice...and cried both times.)

If you ever want to worship your Creator in a place where you will be accepted no matter what, come visit us at HOPE.

Networks from jessalyn massingill on Vimeo.

Balloon ahoy!

2010-08-22T21:49:00.001-05:00

Look what May Bee and I saw while on our walk this morning at Red Bud Park!

Later (after the Balloon Chase Team had peeled out of the park to track their partner in the sky), while May Bee and I were plodding along in the August heat, my preacher's wife went jogging by, effortlessly running without breaking a sweat--and putting us to shame.

Balloon aloft! (Just a few seconds after asking his passenger, "Are you afraid of heights? No? Good!")

Owl Babies, All the Way!

2010-08-14T16:17:00.002-05:00

I don't know if this will work or not, but if this embed code works, you may be able to see owl babies. OWL BABIES! FOR REAL!

Live Streaming by Ustream.TV

Double Rainbow, all the way.

2010-08-02T07:14:00.003-05:00

GREAT weekend at Bethany & Catrin's new house on The River, but since I only had my cell phone camera and have to email myself all of those photos as phone messages, it will be a while...

In the meantime, turns out that, as usual, I'm a month late and a dollar short. When the guy on Marketplace Money was talking about the Double Rainbow Joy guy, I didn't have a clue.

Here's the scoop, for you other old-timers like me who missed the Rainbow Exuberance...and I'm NOT making fun of him, either! If more people were moved to tears by double rainbows, this world would be a lovelier place!

UPDATE: River weekend pics are up! Click HERE to see 'em! All taken with my cell phone...and turned out surprisingly okay.

Oh, and Russ just sent me the N.C. lottery's parody of Mr. Double Rainbow, All the Way...and it turned out surprisingly funny!

I write like...

2010-07-20T20:06:00.002-05:00

I write like
Cory Doctorow

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I've never used the words "sweet" and "spider" together before...

2010-07-20T15:47:00.005-05:00

...but this video is actually sweet and scary and spider-related all at the same time. (What a sweet couple!)

This one, otoh, is just sick.

Wordless. Tearful.

2010-07-11T13:05:00.000-05:00

It's been a little hectic, to say the least!

2010-06-27T02:29:00.000-05:00

We've been in Germany for THREE WEEKS now, and I haven't had time to post even once. All I can do is say that it's been go, go, GO every single day which is just the way we all like it.

In the meantime, you can check out pics on Flickr!

Auf Wiedersehen,
me

Oberammergau...I can hardly believe it.

2010-05-31T12:36:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to go to Oberammergau's Passion Play ever since I first heard of it, even before I took German at Governor Mifflin Junior High and with Herr Douple & Herr Leininger at Wilson High School! It is hard to believe that, Lord willing, our group will be watching the 41st production of the Bavarian village's play next month. (In fact, while watching this video, emailed to me by Kirsten yesterday, I cried. Cried!)

Miss the NPR puzzle? I gotcha covered.

2010-05-30T09:46:00.002-05:00

Today it was my turn to transcribe the NPR puzzle for the Google Group and Topica list. Enjoy!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Synopsis of
NPR Weekend Edition puzzle
with Liane Hansen & Will Shortz
2010-05-30

Liane and Will both began the puzzle segment with mea culpas (meae culpae?) and corrections. Liane said many listeners informed her that Eleuthera Island is in the Bahamas, and Will had to admit that Shakespeare did have a character named Edward, namely King Edward in Richard III.

The Current Challenge, given 20100523), from:
http://n.pr/dvxbv8

Name a country that is spelled as a solid word. Change two consecutive letters in it to a single R. The result will name a problem that this country has traditionally faced. What's the country and what's the problem?

The answers were Malaysia & malaria.

Liane reported more than 1,000 entries. The on-air player, randomly drawn from among the correct submissions, was Dave Taube of Eugene, Oregon, who says he's been playing the puzzle for about a year and a half. He's a "house dad" and a landlord who rents to students attending the University of Oregon. There is an amazing story about Mr. Taube at http://bit.ly/cZ6eFi , and I'm so glad he got a chance to play on the air with Will & Liane! Dave listens to KLCC, hittin' Eugene with 81,000 watts of power at 89.7 FM.

THIS WEEK’S ON-AIR PUZZLE: Will gave Dave, Liane, and NPR listeners a word. Puzzle players were to change one single letter of that word to come up with a common name for a newspaper. For example, if Will said "tomes," the answer would be "Times."

CLUES (answers at the end of this synopsis):

1. tribute

2. posh

3. hedger

4. glove (Hint: "There's one in Boston.")

5. resister

6. empress

7. would

8. reword

9. deporter

10. lender

11. onion

12. preps

13. nets

14. sue

15. stay

Matt Dembicki, the editor of a graphic anthology called Trickster: Native American Tales ( http://bit.ly/aZ6HVh ), read Dave the list of prizes he won for being the on-air player. (I've already ordered 2 copies of Trickster for my library!)

NEXT WEEK’S CHALLENGE comes from Eric Iverson of Eagan, Minnesota.: Take the name of a nationality and write it in lower case letters. Remove the first letter and rotate one of the remaining letters 180 degrees. The result will be another nationality. What nationalities are these?

Answers must be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday.
One entry per person. NPR no longer accepts entries by e-mail. Be
sure to include a telephone number where you can be reached if you
are selected as the winner. Entries may be made at the web page:
http://www.npr.org/templates/contact/index.php?columnId=4473090
(Puzzle enthusiasts can navigate there easily from:
http://www.npr.org/puzzle )

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Editorial notes:

Puzzles & contents of Weekend Edition/Sunday puzzle segment
are copyrighted by Will Shortz and NPR. Reprinted here with
permission.

This summer's puzzle transcription schedule:

2010-06-06 Jerry
2010-06-13 Richard
2010-06-20 Joe
2010-06-27 Jerry
2010-07-04 Joe
2010-07-11 Richard
2010-07-18 Joe
2010-07-25 Jerry

We expect to resume our regular schedule in August:

1st Kristy
2nd Richard
3rd Joe
4th Jerry
5th Richard

Our email addresses:

Kristy Fowler gmail.com>

Richard Renner igc.org>
Jerry Miller muohio.edu>
Joe Wander gmail.com>

So e-mail for next week's synopsis goes to Jerry Miller muohio.edu>.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Guest editor’s notes from Kristy:

Liane's story on World War II veterans stated that only 10% of our nation's WWII veterans are still alive. Here is Thursday's obituary for John W. Finn, the last of the 15 Navy sailors who received the Medal of Honor for heroism at Pearl Harbor.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/us/28finn.html

President Obama's weekly address, this week entitled "Honoring the Fallen."
http://bit.ly/c1ydA7

Read the entire text of Richard III at http://bit.ly/dciXAk .

Passport? Check. Camera? Check. Baggallini (designed by flight attendants!)? Check. Deutschland, hier komme ich! (I will, however, leave the applesauce at home.)
http://bit.ly/afCALa

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

From this week's mailbag:

Nichts.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Editor’s notes from Richard Renner (email: rrenner igc.org ):

I distribute these free weekly synopses of the NPR puzzle segment, with the help of a crack team of substitutes. You can read more about this free distribution at:
http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle/topics
You can subscribe from this page, too.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to:
nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at:
http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle?hl=en

If you want to remove your address from the former Topica list, send a blank email from your account to:
nprpuzzle-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com
To change the email address of your subscription, remove the old one (from the old email account), and add the new Google subscription (from the new email account). For more information about this list, and an archive of those distributed by Topica.com, visit:
http://igc.topica.com/lists/nprpuzzle@igc.topica.com/read
or, for more information about the Topica mailing service, visit:
http://lists.topica.com/

NPR posts the weekly challenge (and the previous answer) on its World Wide Web page. Go to www.npr.org, and select "Weekend Edition Sunday” from the "Programs" pull-down menu. You can also pick up a recording of Weekend Edition Sunday program in the Real Audio format, after noon Eastern time each Sunday.

In the alternative, for the text of the weekly listener challenge, you can go directly to:
http://bit.ly/NyGkQ

Podcasts are available at:
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php

From:
http://bit.ly/3Ys9XT
How do I subscribe to this podcast?
Copy the URL [above this paragraph] into your preferred
podcasting tool software (e.g. Odeo, iTunes, iPodder). You will
automatically receive this podcast each time it's published.

Follow Liane on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/nprLiane

Links of interest!
American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (Mar. 18-20, 2011):
http://www.crosswordtournament.com/
Merl Reagle’s article on constructing crossword puzzles, available at:
http://www.crosswordtournament.com/articles/inq031697.htm
World Puzzle Federation:
http://www.worldpuzzle.org
Register for the 2010 USA team's August 21 championship at:
http://wpc.puzzles.com/register/index.htm
More of Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles are available at:
http://www.mathpuzzle.com
To learn more about this July's National Puzzlers’ League convention in Seattle:
http://conpac.puzzlers.org/
Kristy Fowler & Joe Wander both highly recommend:
http://www.wordsmith.org/awad
You can join Kathie Schneider's email list for accessible word and logic puzzles. To subscribe, send a blank email to:
blind-puzzlers-subscribe@googlegroups.com
For results of the 5th World Sudoku Puzzle Championship:
http://wpc.puzzles.com/wsc2010/

Richard Renner
Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP
3233 P St., NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-342-6980
202-342-6984 FAX
330-224-0359 cell

rrenner igc.org
rr kkc.com

www.whistleblowersblog.org

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

CLUES and ANSWERS:

1. tribute: Tribune

2. posh: Post

3. hedger: Ledger

4. glove: Globe

5. resister: Register

6. empress: Express

7. would: World

8. reword: Record

9. deporter: Reporter

10. lender: Leader

11. onion: Union (Liane mentioned, "There's already a newspaper named The Onion!")

12. preps: Press

13. nets: News

14. sue: Sun

15. stay: Star

End of NPR puzzle synopsis.

It's like losing a friend. Seriously.

2010-05-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

Texans love their trees...and we West Texans love them more than most! The respite they give us with their shade, the effort it takes to get them established, and their GREEN, VERTICAL beauty in a largely BEIGE, FLAT region of the state makes them dear to our hearts. Losing one really hurts.

Seriously, Karen and I are really sad. Every time we looked in the backyard yesterday, we just mourned...

The dogs aren't too upset. Ben wants to tinkle on every fallen branch while May Bee searches for birds' nests and squirrel babies (a.k.a. "appetizers").

I'm hoping Mrs. Squirrel and her babies found somewhere else to live. Here's a photo I took of her last month.

And we're going to miss the amazing SMELL of this beautiful tree. Last month, it was almost obscene...like standing next to a man on the elevator who went a little overboard on the cologne. (Karen was driving down the alley once in April and said she could smell our backyard before she could even see it.)

R.I.P., beautiful chinaberry tree.

The worst morning contest? I won it.

2010-05-08T09:04:00.001-05:00

You know that horrible recurring dream about being in the shower...with a head covered in shampoo...when a giant waterbug (a.k.a., "ROACH!") falls from the ceiling and right onto your body? ONTO YOUR WET, NAKED BODY?

It happened.

And not some petite Pennsylvania-sized roach, either, but a take-no-prisoners, TEXAS-SIZED behemoth.

I was able to kill it by stomping on it repeatedly, while screaming like a little girl...which brought May Bee to the rescue! (Ben snoozed through the whole thing.)

The team of Viennese psychiatrists it's going to take to restore my mind are going to be expensive, but worth every Euro...

UPDATE: Last night at the Bushes, as we watched 24, this commercial came on and made me laugh out loud. Maybe the roach that landed on me in the shower just thought we were "dipping skinny."

UPDATE 2: So this morning, a friend suggested that I invest in the Bugzooka! It's the coolest...check out the VIDEO!

We're OLD and stuff.

2010-05-01T21:32:00.001-05:00

Hey, check it out! Houston's not the only one who can grill! And yes, I do realize that the salmon is a little...umm...blackened, but it was pretty good for a first attempt! CHARCOAL ALL THE WAY, BABY!

Thanks to Christine for the asparagus from Bobby's garden, and thanks to Karen for bending the grate into shape and for the advice ("Buy a gas grill.").

In other news...when Karen and I were little, we pretended we were little old ladies named "Miss Snow" and "Miss Fondle" (long story) as we sipped our tea from playset teacups. Somehow along the way, we actually BECAME these two lively ladies. (Not sure when we got old, but old we are...as you will see from the following conversation.)

Me: Hey, do you have cable at your house?

Karen: Nope.

Me: Have you heard that there's some reality show that has a player named "The Situation?"

Karen: "The Situation?" That's his NAME?

Me: Yeah, I think so. I've never seen it.

Karen: Well, his mother couldn't have *named* him "The Situation." That's ridiculous. Do other people call him "The Situation," or does he call himself that?

Me: No clue, but I agree with you. It just can't be his real name...no mother would do that. Well, on the birth certificate, anyway. Maybe she calls him that behind his back. Like how June and Ward called their son "The Beav."

Karen: June and Ward did NOT call their son "The Beav." Only the obnoxious neighbor did that! You know. That one kid. The red-headed one. Wally? Eddie?

Me: Ooh, Eddie Haskell!

Karen: Right!

Me: Are you sure they didn't call him "Beaver?" I'm pretty sure they did. Do you even remember his real name? I'll bet Timmy's parents on Lassie called him stuff that wasn't on the birth certificate...like "That Imbecile Who Keeps Falling in Wells and Mine Shafts." Or "The Kid Our Dog Keeps Alive."

Karen: That's not very nice.

Me: Neither is calling your kid "The Situation." It makes him sound like he's Dennis the Menace or something.

Karen: I'll call Houston. He'll know.

Me: HA! Speaking of a situation!

Our house. In the middle of our street.

2010-04-27T17:46:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been invited to an Uppercase Living party? Well, I recently went to one, thinking it would be just another Tupperware, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, etc. event (good thing I love all of those, btw, since I work on a faculty of ladies!), but it was really fun and different.

Since my neighbor was having the party, I was able to run to my house with these 3 little vinyl swatches to see which color I liked the best. (If there are gonna be giant WORDS applied to my wall, they need to be a pretty color!)

Ooh, this is pretty blurry, but you can see that the Berry Red matched the hallway's second color (under the chair rail thingy) better than the Bordeaux or the Chocolate.

When Ms. Hill from Odessa (Sweetwater? Midland? somewhere west of here) delivered it, I reminded her of her promise to help me put it on the wall. (If sweet Ms. Hill hadn't helped me, it would still be in the box!) She whipped out a level and her painters' tape and went to town. She has some crazy skills.

And it's SO beautiful. I just love it. Uppercase Living, baby! Thank you, Susan, for inviting me, and thank you, Ms. Hill for making my hallway so...well...INSPIRATIONAL!

Now to find and frame some great B&W family photos...maybe with Berry Red mattes!

What would Moby eat?

2010-04-20T07:12:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about KFC's "Double Down" sandwich?

From KFC's web site: "The new KFC Double Down sandwich is real! This one-of-a-kind sandwich features two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe® or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel's Sauce. This product is so meaty, there’s no room for a bun!"

And what Moby has to say (from his online journal): "a sandwich wherein the bread has been replaced by fried chicken and the pickles have been replaced by bacon. shouldn't there be a 'this will kill you if you eat itl' tax that is levied on food like this?

i mean, eating furniture would be healthier than eating this monstrosity. look at it, it even looks like some evil deep fried chicken muppet from some dark and menacing muppet swamp. like an evil creature from the dark crystal, perhaps a deep fried monster alligator hybrid. does each sandwich come with it's [sic] own team of emt workers, standing by with the defibrillator panels?"

Well, it's pretty apparent that anyone who values their heart (or hips!) is going to steer clear of the Double Down. (I personally would rather take nutritional advice from Moby, the Christian vegan, than The Colonel, widely known to be one of The Pentavirate.) :-)

Besides, Moby is an expert on the body. Enjoy "Bodyrock."

P.S. I think these guys are *terrific* dancers. (Seriously! Moby and his friend may be alarmed, but I loved them!)

Actual family email exchange...

2010-04-16T17:05:00.003-05:00

TO: Mom & Dad; Russ; Kristy; Houston
SUBJECT: Out of office Thursday & Friday

I’m going to be out of the office tomorrow and Friday, so please be aware that my sub will need to have access my e-mail. Don’t e-mail any juicy family secrets, please! LOL

Love,
Karen

*~*~*~*

TO: Mom & Dad; Russ; Karen; Houston
SUBJECT: RE: Out of office Thursday & Friday

Hey, Karen!

San Antonio is great...and I just ran into our cousin, Jamie. He's out of prison...and five years sober (YAY!). He said his stretch in The Pen really made him reexamine his life so I'm sure he'll be fine. He couldn't stay with Aunt Dorothy because of the restraining order, but Uncle Fizz is letting him crash on the sofa until he graduates from the locksmith course.

Love,
Kristy

P.S. He said to ask you where you hid the loot. (I didn't understand his cryptic message, but he said you'd know...)

P.P.S. Oh, well, back to the library conference. There's a session at noon about which Dewey Decimal number we should use for books on peaches since they're technically a "stone fruit." The debate should get rather heated and loud, and I don't wanna miss THAT!

*~*~*~*

TO: Kristy
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Out of office Thursday & Friday

You're wicked.

Everyday heroes...

2010-04-12T22:34:00.000-05:00

...like Karen, who overcame a dread of public speaking to share her testimony at church last night. (Thoughtful, enthusiastic, heartfelt...good job, Little Sister!)

...and this fella, who parked his pickup on Barrow Street today and then stood in the bed, reminding those of us who rushed by that we were loved.( I was in a huge hurry to get downtown to an Ad. Building technology meeting, but had to do a U-turn to go back and ask for a photo.) Free attitude adjustment is just another service he offers. After gladly posing for the picture, he shouted, "God bless you!" as I hopped back in the car.

"Prayer is not asking for what you think you want, but asking to be changed in ways you can't imagine." --Kathleen Norris

Thank Heaven for little girls!

2010-04-09T06:54:00.001-05:00

Is there anything cuter than kittens? YES! Little girls who narrate books for you! (Bethany and Karen, her stream-of-consciousness flow reminded me of the HOURS we've spent doing the exact same thing with catalogs open on our laps...)

Squirrels in Springtime!

2010-04-06T06:28:00.000-05:00

From the Humane Society site: "Tree squirrels can be found just about anywhere there are trees. Squirrels worldwide are numerous, prominent, and successful as a species. Trees in cities make perfect homes for these plucky rodents, who are not beneath panhandling among the lunch crowd to get a meal."

And from my backyard, video of a squirrel who appears to be stuck in a tree like Winnie the Pooh. (Or perhaps he has left this mortal coil and now romps with abandon through the May Bee-free meadows of Squirrel Heaven?)

Not to fear!! Two days later, he was out of his hidey-hole and ready to menace the populace with his beady eyes and rodent toes!

COME AWAKE!

2010-04-04T11:39:00.002-05:00

Thanks to preacher man Kester Smith of Austin's Immanuel house churches for this Easter reflection:

"...the most frequent commandment in the Bible is 'Don't be afraid'. Yes, something has happened. Yes, the world is never going to be the same again. Yes, your life is about to be turned upside down and inside out. Yes, God is going to be with you and demand new things of you. But don't be...afraid. It's going to be all right. Easter proves it."

And to Igniter Media, who once again, moves my heart...

Music for Good Friday

2010-04-02T10:12:00.000-06:00

God bless the world's "Ambassador to the Stars," Fairuz.

It's official.

2010-03-16T14:24:00.001-06:00

...May Bee prefers elk bones to Milk Bones. (And yes, I know it's gross to let that nasty thing in the house, but we live in the city so there's RATS in our backyard at night. The only thing ickier than a giant carcass on the living room carpet is a giant carcass feeding the neighborhood vermin!) BIG THANKS to Felipe for saving a bone from the last hunt!

She's a little obsessed, btw. Her new full-time job is guarding her dinosaur leg (which Karen considers a big improvement after her old occupation as Private Areas Sniffer).

***Finally, from Melanie****

To all my blog friends: Copy and paste this to your blog and add your own answers after the comma. Have fun!

If I were a gemstone, I would be a sapphire (like Melanie).

If I were a scent, I would be dust (says my brother, Russ).

If I were a pair of shoes, I would be funky Birkenstocks (says my sister, Karen).

If I were the weather, I would be "West Texas changeability."

If I were a facial expression, I would be worry.

If I were a car, I would be 1972 yellow Ford Pinto with faux-wood paneling on the sides.

If I were a time of day, I would be early morning. (Really early. Insanely early.)

If were a month, I would be December.

If I were a place, I would be THE LIBRARY.

If I were a liquid, I would be (UNSWEET) iced tea. Extra lemon.

If I were a taste, I would be purple SweetTarts.

If I were a sea animal, I would be a seahorse.

If I were a food, I would be biscotti.

If I were a color, I would be silver.

If I were a musical instrument, I would be a triangle.

If I were a flower, I would be lilacs.

If I were a song, I would be something old and sentimental and schmaltzy.

If I were a planet, I would be Earth.

If I were an object, I would be a book.

If I were a fruit, I would be a Macintosh.

If I were a sound, I would be NPR blasting from the next room.

If I were a day of the week, I would be Sunday.

If I were a pattern, I would be a tacky Christmas tree skirt.