The Carey Clan

I just finished ...(well-almost) a website I've been working on since 1996. In order to finish it, I had to do a lot of upsetting things, like go through 6 boxes of photos. This dredged up much sorrow and regret. The kids were sooo precious, my ex husband and I looked so in-love and happy.

Photos are big liars. No one takes photos of kids with colic or yells at a spouse during a heated argument, "Hey -grab the Camera!". Kodak moments don't include photographing the face of a woman as her husband kicks the chair out from under her sending her flying into the next room. Ok...I'll stop, I hate the drama too.

If you're interested in the project: http://careyclan.com

From a card catalog

QuoteS for the day

Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. ~Plato

He was a wise man who invented beer. ~Plato

A Cure for Boredom

I guess they don't eat their heads after all...dang!

***Please click photos for larger view-read mouse-overs too***

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF-Male praying mantises don't lose their heads over females after all. Videotapes taken by biologists at the University of California show that female praying mantises do not decapitate their male partners prior to copulation--a misconception that has held on for nearly 200 years. According to Eckehard Liske and W. Jackson Davis, the male mantis performs a ritual dance and the female, instead of attacking her mate, responds with a dance of her own. Neither dance had ever before been observed by scientists. While the female's dance begins with a menacing stance, it ends with a nonthreatening posture signaling her receptiveness. "It's really a lovely display," says Davis. The problem with previous studies, says Davis, was privacy. Apparently the adagio had never been witnessed before because the mantises were distracted by the well-lit scientists watching them. Davis and Liske observed the insects, which were put under bright lights, from a darkened room.

Another reason for the headless lover theory, according to Davis, is that in previous studies researchers simply haven't given enough food to their subjects. A female mantis eats up to 15 fullgrown crickets a day and is usually more hungry than amorous. These experimental problems had led researchers to believe that the male mantis could offer a sexual response only after the brain was removed, a reflex similar to a chicken running with its head cut off. Now, Davis is happy to report, "the male mantis performs quite well with his head in place." Mating with a female praying mantis, top photo, is a lot easier on the male mantis than previously believed.

--From Science Magazine Feb. 1985.

Quote for the Day

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be. ~Socrates

I love this photo

#2 Grandson

Disgusting Cat Behavior

I'm full today...full of thoughts. It's like I can't say anything because if I do, things will rush out inappropriately... and who wants to be misunderstood??? Even by strangers?! So, I was looking through my photos and came across this one of Julie when she was a bit younger. We thought this was funny at first. Now we have to cover all our glasses and mugs. She gets plenty of water from a special cat fountain, but I guess she thinks water from someone else’s glass tastes better. Hmmm...

SE view from the future "Rental-B&B" site

A friend just sent this photo. I want to run away to Tres Piedras right now. You can see the back of the earthship we'll live in (far right). Look what the rain has done for the Mesa.

Click photo for the full effect.

Like Water for Chocolate

What does the title mean? I have ideas but I'd really like to know. I watched this movie again this weekend. It may be my all time favorite.

Farmer's Market on Saturday

Here is a pic of my favorite potter's booth. Don't you love those vases?

Nunsense

#1 daughter and I watched Nunsense at the Opera House Theatre on Sunday. Although a little bit too much of the same thing, I was amazed at the abilities of the 'nuns'. It actually made me cry.

It was scary when a nun asked the audience test questions. I HATE that kind of stuff. People that answered correctly received St. Christopher medals etc.

The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank

One of best things about my marriage is that my husband likes to read to me. Lately, besides cooking something delicious, being read to may be one of the only things that make me truly happy. Of course there are more important things like my children and grandchildren, their accomplishments etc., but kids stir up performance orientation as well as a love and longing so strong it's almost annoying.

He's reading The Genius Factory-I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

First Fruits from our Backyard

My Son-in-law's (Jose Garcia's) Shrimp Tostados:
In a bowl, cut into small pieces:
2 Avocados
4 Tomatoes
2 Jalapenos
1 Cucumber
1 Onion
1 Bunch Cilantro

Add some medium to small shrimp (or whatever), add the juice of many limes, salt and pepper.
Take some flat, fried tortillas, spread a thin layer of mayo, add a slotted spoon-full of the mixture from the bowl and top off with Tapatio® Hot Sauce. I love this for dinner.

The ratios are off the top of my head....have fun-this recipe is pretty fiddle proof.

Bunnies

This photo is linked to great cartoons where (in the most recent ones) you may find a bunny, a peppermill and other things.

Why ! Why ! Why !??!?!?

Money Laundering

Haughty Julie

This is the attitude I get when I catch Julie on the counter. My H need only enter the room and she's outta there!

BIRDY 911

On Saturday night, we were settling into C-Span with an author who wrote about this project where they took Nobel Prize Winner's Sperm and mated it with the eggs of Mensa females. I’m so curious about this….but all of a sudden my H yells, “There’s a bird in the pool!!!” My husband always moves fast, but he was FAST. We quickly scooped the little fledgling robin (Turdus (?!?!) migratorius) out of the pool. We sat in the 100+ heat gently pulling out his little wings and blowing on the baby bird until it was dry. A couple of hours later, after he opened his eyes and quit shivering, we sat him down and watched him hop and cheep away. Click here for good bird info.

I missed C-Span and don’t even know the author's name. I suppose this was a more noble way to spend my evening.

At the Davis Farmer's Market on Saturday

This is Chris and his apprentice, Josh. We've been collecting their food-safe pottery for a while now. They have a special process where (for most pieces) you can clang them together and they won't break. Chris said he and his wife will visit us in NM someday. I'll love it if they really do. He has friends in Sante Fe and knows about earthships.





Look at this cute baby goat! Its little horns have been burnt off. She told me why, but I was too busy thinking about it to listen-I like to think it was a good reason.

This lady makes wonderful scented soaps out of goat milk. I like the smell so much I don't want to use them.





When I was young, I wanted to play the violin. I probably would have taken lessons if people didn't tell me repeatedly that it was SOOO HARD. Later in life I discovered that things that people told me were hard- were hard for THEM- and not necessarily for ME.

I must admit I don't want to put forth the energy now.

I loved the way this guy played-"...real good for free" (Joni Mitchell).

Spider Farm

My husband gets very annoyed because I don't feel any urgency to clean the spider webs off the windows.

People buy ant farms don't they?

A friendly game of "Screw your Neighbor"

The various names of poker games can make a person uncomfortable. Here is a good friend with #2 Son. Our friend won , but I came in 2nd.

Playing with plastic chips instead of money is like playing Super Mario Brothers with infinity lives. My goal is to live -without fear- like I have infinity lives. That's the truth, isn't it? Well, depending on your spiritual bent.

It really was HOT

My mother had a stroke

My mom~ I've resented her most of my life because out of 4 children, she picked me to give away (over and over). She's been telling stories (lies) her entire life instead of owning up to her choices. Now she can't talk much and it's great-she sweet without all the BS. I still want to ask her questions, to get the truth...I have dreams about some of the places I stayed....no one will fill in the blanks. Not only did my mother give me away, but the prospective adoptors didn't keep me. What's that mean anyway?!? I was a cute little girl?!?!..maybe not.

I ended up with my father and stepmother from the age of 6. Two mothers equals no mothering. You can't accept anything from either without feeling disloyal.My father died in 1998.

My mother can say a few phrases, like "I love you", "Bye bye", "Yes" and "No". I wonder if this horrible situation she finds herself in has freed her from having to persuade us that she's not that bad.

I like to pretend that I was so special and sweet that maybe my mother thought It would be best to let me go as I was always running away. My sister tells me I was brat.

I can't imagine giving away my children. I understand it was not uncommon in the 50s.

This thing effects my life, less and less as I let go of needing to know all the answers. Click here for a cartoon I can really identify with.

This picture was taken at a one and only family reunion a few days after the 9/11. There were lots of people taking pictures. I was looking at one photographer and my mother was looking at another.

I must love my mother because when I'm very very sad, I still cry out for her. Sheesh.

My Husband

Ok, I can't fix the perl script because I'm too stupid and I haven't heard back from the server admin. I cleaned the bathrooms and so I'm blogging. This must be typical for newbies.

Here is my husband before I had much influence over him:

..and after:

remember sea monkeys?

Julie and Katie

I received a new flat screen for my bday. Now Julie can't visit me like she used to. She crawls up on my desk, looks around and tries to sit on top of all my stuff on the desk. I'm sorry Julie, at least I won't hear anymore crap from Dr. Yamagata about frying your insides.


This is Katie, Julie's niece. She and Julie are Devon Rex cats, which means they are mutants with no guard hairs. They are very soft, like a duck would be without feathers...only down. They shed much less that a normal cat. Katie sits on top of the TV cabinet and thinks she's a gargoyle. Everyone says Katie is ugly. Her full name is Katie Picasso.

EarthShips

Michael Reynolds and the crew from Earthship Biotechture was invited by India to build Earthships for the homeless Tsunami victims. They are called Earthships because they are self contained like a ship. Here is one of the homes they made in two weeks. This structure is primarily created with used tires, aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles and adobe. Each tire is pounded full of 4 wheelbarrows full of dirt to make a very heavy brick of sorts. Notice the catch water system…that cool looking gutter drains rain into a cistern under the house.










Here is our Earthship at dusk. It was finished around Thanksgiving 2004; All except the yard. It took over a year to build this one.

A life worth living

The unexamined life is not worth living: Socrates (470-399 B.C.)

Hmmm...ya think? Look where it got Socrates?!?! I'm a thinker and to me it appears that the lighthearted, non-examiners are enjoying life more than I am.

It could be that the grass is always greener, but isn't it true when they interview some 110 year old person, they discover that this person didn't take life very seriously and is even kinda stupid?

Maybe I don't get something here.- any thoughts?

I am Loved

My husband leaves for work very early. Every morning I'm greeted by a glass of water with vitamins in a dish placed on top. Sometimes, he worries about the cats getting the vitamins and puts another dish on top of the vitamin dish. Looks like he trusted the cats today.

Hot News in Woodland

On June 9th, my youngest son was on the front page of the Daily Democrat, AKA: the Daily Disappointment.

I just got around to scanning it for my mother. This is the second time he's been on the main page-both times skateboarding. This isn't exactly what I had planned...but... life happens....

First Time

I left my rings in a dish on the counter all night. My hands felt free-like a two year-old running around naked. I just put them back on and will go exercise like a 'good girl'.

Post Secret

Have you visited this place?
http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

I was especially impressed by the atheist that is afraid of hell. Reminds me of Blood, Sweat and Tears: "I swear there ain't no heaven and pray there aint no hell.."

I was wondering if I have a secret to post...ok, I do, but maybe it'll go away tomorrow.