Welcome Everybody (Especially Newcomers)
to the Froggy Bottom Café
to the Froggy Bottom Café
Please introduce yourself if you haven’t so far.
Your host today is Maryb.
Your host today is Maryb.
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Newspapers are in their usual place next to the door.
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Please recommend (and unrecommend the Cafe/Lounge from earlier)
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4’s are appreciated.
Welcome all. Looks like it might be a nice day here so I made some lemonade for everyone.
The l-ade looks good.
Has it stopped raining or are you still building the ark?
It’s coming down pretty good right now. <Argh! I can’t stand it anymore!> Okay, I’m better now. 🙂
I’ll have to have my sun fix vicariously through all the froggie ‘fair weathered, open windows, gentle breezes’ folk.
This is how I’m picturing you now!
Morning Olivia! (and Mary, MM… haven’t gotten any further down thread than this yet) How’s everyone (waterlogged and non) doing today?
This ‘fair weathered, open windows, gentle breezes’ folk is finally getting some coffee on an overcast and not so warm morning. Just looked at our radar and there’s some rain out there, but hoping it will just slide on by to the southwest of us. Does that make you feel any better? Funny how those forecasts change after you go to bed and aren’t what you think they’ll be when you get up.
Maybe something similar will happen up your way and the rain will suddenly blow away and reveal bright skies … well one can hope, eh?
How’s the head today? And no, it doesn’t make me feel better: I’m depending on all the froggie sun stories b/c I’m starting to think the sun has gone away forever.
I’ll see what I can do for ya, my dear. Maybe there will be some breaks in the clouds today and I can take a pic or two to cheer you up. Those violas I put in last weekend are looking lovely… lots of yellow and purple (one of my favorite combos, as you know). 🙂
Hi, maryb and oliva. Flowers and lemonade. Nice.
Are you home or on the road? I told Andi we need to find a time together in the cafe to try to plan a get together.
I’m home again and will be until next weekend.
No use working too hard on a get-together yet, alas, because I can’t even think about it for months, and katiebird isn’t in a position to be able to do it, either. Which shouldn’t stop you and Andi, of course, but if we’re trying to get a little group together, that would definitely be a little group.
My weekends are almost totally booked through July, so I was thinking later in the summer. Either the end of August or the beginning of September. (Weather might be better in September). Or is that still too early for you? We can wait and play it by ear.
Yeah, that’s still too soon for me, probably. As for weather, even the beginning of Sept. can be awful. How about the end of Oct. as a possibility? (I suppose we should do as Memphis did and take this off line at some point, since it’s only the three or four of us.)
aww, I wanted everyone to know I was a kewl kid 😉
October is good, but usually at the very end I go to Disney World with my sisters for a girls weekend. So we’d have to work around that.
So, are you back to writing? Or still worked up from touring to be able to focus?
Everybody already knows that! 🙂
Will get back to writing on Monday. That’s the plan. Still pooped from touring. Unfortunately, the grass doesn’t stop growing just because I’m too tired to mow it. And how the hell did my house get so messy when I wasn’t in it??
the house gremlins have struck again. If you wrote fantasy I could see an idea for a book …
I love this idea!
just got back from my walk in time to mention that October is a gorgeous time here in Brown County — just in case, everybody really wanted to get ambitious.
Even if kansas can’t do anything until October I still like the idea of one saturday or sunday in late August or early september you and I meeting for late lunch halfway between us. I’m not sure what IS between us, but I’m sure we could find some town. Maybe you could lure Indy down for a visit and she could ride along.
Looking at the map, it appears that effingham is in the middle. I had been playing around with suggesting with meet at Garden of the Gods or Starved Rock but they are both much farther away from both of us than I had realized.
Having Indy come along would be great. I don’t know if that’s too much driving/riding for her but she could spend a couple nights at my place to spread it out.
Just think how easy this would all be if we had a decent train system.
I’m offline for 10 days and you guys have my dance card filled through ’07, bless your hearts.
is that we’d have already met and if you’d decided you couldn’t stand to be cooped up with me for hours and hours, you’d have plenty of time to work up an an excuse.
Nah, I like you, even when we’re bickering.
Trains. sigh
Starved Rock is up near Peoria isn’t it? That seems out of the way for both of us. I’ve never heard of Garden of the Gods.
Effingham is an easy trip. I used to go visit a client in Effingham a few times a year and it wasn’t a hard drive. Boring as heck. But easy.
Starved rock is way too far away. But if you like hiking and we turn out to like each other IRL we might think about Garden of the Gods for another meetup (probably have to be overnight though).
Hi, Andi. Watching you and Maryb and Indy plot downstream (which is better than plotzing downstream, I think), makes me jealous! Keep plotting and my jealousy may eventually overcome my work ethic and I may have to join you no matter what. Plot away!
heh
that was the plan 😉
but if we go to the hiking place — you and me and Indy can hang out at the BOTTOM of the hills.
With the drinks.
we could all meet in Utah. I’m sure I could entice you off your butt for some of the sights there. 🙂
I love the sights in Utah, but flying makes the cost start soaring and causes me to hear John Ashcroft singing in the background.
Is there a frog get-together somewhere this weekend? Seems like I saw mention of that. Do you know where, or who’s going to be there?
I think Memphis.
It’s in Memphis. I don’t know any of the details. Strangely, they never published any details. Apparently you had to say that you were coming and then they would e-mail you the details?
I wanted to go since Memphis is only about a 5 hour drive from here. But I had an incredibly busy week scheduled so I couldn’t take a day off. And I have a client meeting tomorrow morning. It just didn’t seem worth driving there and back today.
… and kansas makes it even nicer! :*
Why, thank you! I checked out your latest photos. So beautiful. I love the tulips.
Sorry I missed you up thread there, just got here and didn’t see you! Glad to hear you’ve got some time at home for a while … I’d expect you’re about ready to drop from all that traveling. Can you still sign your name legibly? 🙂 I hope the tour was a smashing success and that the book is doing well!
Thank you, IvyGee! It is doing nicely, and even got a nice little review in the NYT today, whew. But hey, the important question is. . .Iowa. . .could we be including you in our search for the perfect meeting time and place?
if Mary and Andi could stand it, lol. I’m in Des Moines, about 6-6.5 hrs away from Mary depending on the route. About 3 hrs from KC, which might be a good place for you and KB, and maybe only 3 or so hours from Mary. A fun city I’ve not been to for a while, though my ex lives there and is always inviting us down. KC could, however, be kind of problematic for Andi and Indy though… kind of a haul for them, I would think.
I know I sure would love to meet up with lots of folks around here, but everyone’s schedules are so nutty it’s discouraging to even dream sometimes. But dreams do provide a certain amount of sustenance for the soul, so I refuse to quit doing it. 🙂
Oh, it would be great if you were there, too! I agree that KC is just geographically impossible for too many of the group. I don’t mind traveling, in fact I’d prefer it, as I’m not much of a hostess. I get too tense, worried about whether everybody’s having a good time. Like that would be a problem with this crowd!
We’ll just keep letting Maryb and Andi plot and then see if we can catch up with them, how’s that?
The more the merrier. Just a matter of finding a central location everyone wants to go to. You’re all welcome in St. Louis. But it would be fun to find some fun place of the beaten track.
I have some friends who live (on the second floor of a former Masonic temple) in a little town north of St. Louis. Clarksville. About 500 people, many of them artist types with galleries, etc. Right on the Mississipi. There’s supposedly a charming b&B there. Do you know the place?
I do, although I haven’t been there in years. Clarksville is the primo winter eagle spotting location along the Mississippi. It’s about an hour north of St. Louis if I remember. It would make it convenient if IFG wanted to come down from IOWA. I don’t think it would be too far off the beaten track for Indiana folk.
I’d love to have you included but KC is way too far. St. Louis is my max for driving.
see, I was thinking of your general well-being there… Indiana is a looonng way away in my mind, though beautiful as you depict it. 🙂
My part is pretty. Northern part — blah.
Another idea I’ve though of is meeting in Chicago. It seems like just about everybody could get a low airfare there. But no matter what we come up with the problem is always going to be getting everybody’s schedule worked out.
That’s why I’m encouraging you and MaryB to go ahead and plan your own thing and then others of us may be able to latch on, depending on timing, $, etc.
Andi’s out walking the hounds, and I’m about to get on my bike for the first time this season. Just wanted to say hi.
Hi, Jim. I hope you’re taking your camera.
Have fun!
I’m done ranting over at the orange place, so I thought I’d stop by for some lemonade! Any mischief I can get into here?
Do I dare ask?
Well, if you’re feeling brave!
How did I not know you were Super Simian? And you’re completely correct – the ‘Dems have no message and stand for nothing’ refrain is Rovian. It’s infuriating how ingrained it is in mainstream media.
When you’re a repub and all you stand for is wealth it’s easy to have a unified message.
True? Fantastic! One of my favorite dKos folks.
Thanks, WW! Good to know I haven’t alienated everyone with my strident feminism!
I know. Exactly. Grrrrrr…… for the ditto-head Dem bashers. <{okay I’m better now…. as olivia would say.}>
Yup, super simian is my alter ego over at the orange place!
what’s goin on over there?
thereisnospoon seems to have riled up quite a shitstorm!
Not so hard, iirc, in The Land Of The Hair-trigger Shitstorms.
I didn’t read the comments over there (or over here) so I’m not sure what the issues are. Frankly, I’m trying to go back to my original habit of never reading comments unless they are in direct response to something I’ve commented. I’ve been disappointed too many times when someone posts a thought provoking diary and it evokes mainly emotional comments. I’m just not that emotional.
I’m never sure what the issues are even when I do read the comments, so it’s just as well you aren’t wasting your time! LOL. It seems like things are a bit more civilized over there than they used to be, in general, but there’s still is a wide range of maturity and thoughtfulness — from snot-nosed brat all the way up to wise and well-informed political sage.
I know I’m swimming against the tide, but I find things easier over there than here.
Over there I don’t think there’s this expectation of “community” and whatever that means, so it’s easier to disagree without alienating someone.
That’s very true. But I also find that it’s just as well overall to go with express my wise-and-wonderful opinions in diaries where I generally agree with the diarist rather than vice versa. Maybe that’s chickening out, but it’s much more fun to express my wise-and-wonderful opinions without risking a fight. I love a civilized debate, but I hate to fight.
I think it’s easier to risk saying something truthful but in disagreement with a diary because if your truthful statement provokes an abusive response from someone — usually you aren’t out there on your own.
You’re a brave soul, darling.
Personally, I finished up my ranting over there during the P*e Wars. No use beating a dead mule.
😉
Hope everyone’s having a good Saturday. It’s another thoroughly gross day here, weatherwise. Feels like March (not an awfully pretty month here, believe me).
Yup, I took a long break after the Pie Wars, too, but decided to go back over just as an experiment to see if I could get my mojo back. For a while I thought Kos had me tagged so I couldn’t get TU. Not that I was really obnoxious or anything…. (It was all in a good cause!!!)
Where are you, I forget. I wish it was cold and rainy here in La La Land! However, it’s overcast and fairly mild, so I’m grateful for that. Any big plans for the weekend.
Y’know, for me, when dKos became a place where I had to worry about being ‘tagged’, I figured all was lost. It’s grown so strangely since my debut there (pre-Scoop) & I’m generally allergic to the doctrinaire.
I’m in the central Catskill mountains, just over 100 miles north of NYC. It’s a different universe, however. Very pretty, very rural.
No especial weekend plans here, just more of the same: juggling relocation mechanics, attending to the usual chores & herding cats.
Hi WW. I’ll send you some of our sun.
Please do, FM! Charge it to my account ..
😉
I grew up in Lake Hill, New York, which is about 6 miles outside of Woodstock. Last time I was back was 2000, and it was so incredibly beautiful and unchanged from the days of my youth! I’m working on a novel that takes place there are is partially about the incredible healing that is available from soaking up the natural beauty.
Just checked out Lake Hill’s location on my regional map. I’m less than an hour’s drive from there, to the SW — rather close to Liberty, if you recall where that is. Woodstock & environs are truly, truly beautiful.
You’d hardly believe what’s happened to property values there since your last visit. Unreal!
‘Course, the mountains in general change so very slowly, despite the developers’ best efforts.
Now, as I mentioned in an open thread not long ago, an effort’s being made by a Canadian corporation to cut a terrific swath through Delaware & Sullivan counties, down to Port Jervis — including the scenic areas along the upper Delaware — in order to construct towers for aerial power lines for the benefit of NYC. They’re looking at emminent domain for effected communities. Needless to say, we’re spitting mad about this. Local & state pols are generally completely against it. There’s no need for the lines, you see; power generation is currently sufficient. It’s a money-making venture.
The mountains endure. But heck ..
That would just be heartbreaking and I hope a lightning blot blasts them all to hell before they are allowed to destroy that beautiful countryside! F**king grrrrr!! <<<{{{OK I’m better now!}}}>>>
I had a really and truly horrible, brutal, and devastating childhood but, when I think back on it, I mostly remember hiding at the top of tall pines or under lilac bushes and living in my magical fairy tale fantasy world. The beauty and majesty of the Catskill Mountains was my true spiritual parent and the only reason I managed to survive my childhood and thrive as an adult.
Hear, hear! I understand you totally.
Meant to say (damn this dial-up!) that the premise of your novel sounds like incredibly fertile ground, so to speak. I could certainly verify. These mountains, this world, have enabled me to throw off some very serious addictions, basically without any professional or group assistance.
It’s magic, I tell you. A blessing beyond compare.
I wish you the very best success in capturing this incredible gift. I’d certainly be interested in reading your work!
Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement, WW! I would love to have you read it, too. I think you would understand.
I feel I would, too. Feel free to send any writing work you like! (Used to live with a novelist/poet — absolutely love first drafts! Or second, third, fourth or tenth.)
I’ll make sure that if I leave the pond (relocation to off-grid environs), I’ll leave a forwarding ‘address’.
(No actual address where I’m going. Literally.)
Hey there WW, nice to catch you when you’re not whooshing out the door! Sure wish I could send you and Olivia some sun, but very little of that around here today either. Woke up a bit grumpy here today so glad to see your cheery presence in residence at least for a while!
No matter, I fully intend to get some serious gardening done today and things into the ground (and nasty things out). Do you foresee any kind of break in your rain that will allow you to escape for a bit? Bet the kitties are going a little stir crazy after all that being cooped up lately. Poor things!
Here’s the jade I tried to show you the other day when my computer crapped out.
OMG… I have never seen such an enormous jade! That’s very enviable… I bet when leaves fall off that they just sprout like weeds around your place. It must be that Buddha placement you were talking about a while back, huh?
I sure wish that work would send me out to LA sometime again (and I do not, as a rule, wish for travel!) so I could come by and see your garden. That would be so much fun to lounge out there, enjoy the plants and sip a drink or two. I’ll bring the little paper umbrellas, even though I never use them. 🙂
Consider it a standing invitation, IVG!
Yes, I think this is an example of the Buddha-in-the-Garden effect, since this is the place in the garden where the jade grows tallest. The stuff in the back was by a different Buddha (that a friend gave me and finally disintegrated from the weather) in another place in the garden that got totally neglected during a drought and the jade kept growing for some mysterious reason that I can only attribute to the Budda statue!
Then we built the wall and the masons razed our backyard to the ground, so I had to replant all the jade. The jade the front of this picture was just little branches stuck into the ground about 3 inches high — and this was six years ago. All of the jade that I replanted is growing like crazy!
‘Afternoon, IVG! (It’s now the PM here.) Good to see you as well.
Nope, I’m not sailing out the door at present. Too wet out there.
The kitties are, in fact, spending every moment outside between the raindrops that they possibly can — meaning they’re popping in & out of the window constantly. Keeps ’em spry.
We may see some sunlight on Monday. Wouldn’t that be loverly!
Hope you can get out into the soil & work whatever grumpiness remains straight into the soil. The Mother forgives, takes & disperses.
Saw a diary recently on how Cheney helped one of our pond-mates garden. Couldn’t spare a moment to read it at the time, but I’m guessing it had to do with transforming unpleasant energy into productive work.
that Cheney could produce any kind of positive effect other than spurring someone into channeling their anger into something constructive (like digging him a very deep hole with a direct connection to Hell).
I do intend to work off the grumpiness, which stems from the fact that last night I was casually informed that I will be cooking for our old neighbor kid who so graciously invited himself over for dinner tonight. I wanted to just get my stuff done and take it easy tonight without having a 20 yr old jabberjaw hanging out till all hours. Nice kid, but…. only in small doses!
Keeping warm I hope … 🙂
Hola, o purveyor of blessed beauty!
I’m doin’ my best here, as usual. Tired of the chill. Winter’s supposed to be over, fer Gaia’s sake.
‘Course, nothing lasts. They say.
Hi WW. You deserve some good weather since you’ve had such bad weather for so long. Did you ever get your LP’s sorted?
A gracious good morning to you, maryb.
Thanks for asking. LPs are basically sorted out. I wish the radio station could accept my donations presently, so I could move them out of my way. They’re prepping for a fundraising auction, however & have no room at the studio.
Only about 100 records have no destination yet.
It would be nice if it was a dead mule but I’m pretty sure it’s a live ass — although either way, beating it isn’t likely to much good.
How you doing today?
Back from walking the critters, ay? Is Jim out on his bike?
Things are mellow on this end. I’m glad I took a deep breath and put off my start date to May 31. I feel guilty about it for some reasons, but my new boss-to-be said to do whatever I needed to do.
Yup, we’re back. The ferns definitely got off on all that rain.
Having an extended break sounds lovely to me. Did you decide to go for the interview?
Oh, the ferns, the ferns! (I love the ferns.) Pictures, pictures???
As for the interview, everything is in place for me to go. I arranged for a place to stay and also set up a meeting with a prospective client up there, the executive director of Jazzmasters Workshop.
I’m still on the fence about the interview, but there’s nothing at stake in cancelling if I change my mind. What a waffler, ay! I’m not sure if this waffling stance toward life is a new thing, or if I was always this way and never noticed it before.
Jazzmasters looks like an organization that would be really fun to work with.
Do I remember right that the interview is back in Monterey? If so, that could easily explain your being hesitant.
Gorgeous, gorgeous, opulent… is all I have to say!
Yes, it’s in Monterey so (of course!) that’s why I’m so hesitant. Also wonder…. why I would even consider going to the interview. Just curious I guess!
Howdy, Andi! Good to see you (at last, we meet!).
Sounds like all’s well with you. We’re doin’ ok here, despite severely protracted springtime. Moving along, albeit slowly, with The Relocation Project. Not much time left before deadline — but the weather refuses to permit much outdoor stuff.
Still rained in? Love the beautiful flower pic that you posted last night! (I was lurking.) And also showed my son, who love it too!
I was hoping that you were going to post!
You were all so deeply engaged in complex, arcane discussions, I couldn’t figure out where to cut in! LOL! But I’m glad you knew I was there in spirit!
What lounge was I in last night? That damn NDD must have sent me off to another one of his parallel universes without telling me first!
If it’s late enough and I’m tired enough, I’d find a discussion on how you dispose of your used kleenex arcane and complex.
Funny you should mention that! Exactly the discussion I would have loved to get started!
LOL
Sorry that one slipped right out and it was supposed to be a secret. I didn’t get the jist of it, but there was something about a yeti….
That was definitely Family Man.
I know, you just can’t keep a good man down! (LOL)
Seriously mm — just butt in!
Morning all again. I’m back for awhile.
Anything going on?
Hi FM. Finished with the lawn already?
Nope. Just going to let it grow.
I just found out one of our neighbors is home from the hospital and she’s dying of breast cancer. She’s not supposed to make it out of this week.
I just couldn’t see going out and making all that noise, when all her family is there and what’s happening.
Just seems so disrespectful to me, I couldn’t do it.
You’re right, they don’t need all the noise.
That’s very sad. How old is she and how much family does she have?
She’s in her mid 50’s. Her and her husband are both really nice people and she and my sister are best friends. It’s really very sad.
They’ll need neighborly support.
Maybe you should cut YOUR grass and THEIR grass.
Already been taken care of. In this neighborhood when something happens like this we all do what we can.
When my oldest sister died there were people I’ve never even met that were bringing food, doing the lawn and just about anything they could think of.
This is off subject a little, but I do respect what she is doing. She said she didn’t want to die in a hospital and wanted to be home with her family and friends around her.
When I go, I want it that way, but out at the family farm house.
OK I guess I’m getting a little morbid, so I’ll go onto other things.
Me too. Who wants an extra 6 months if you’re stuck in a hospital vomiting your guts out?
How very sad.
Glad to see you, but sorry to hear about your neighbor. You’re so respectful about that, it’s refreshing to see. We just lost a neighbor last week ourselves, and were unable to go to the funeral due to work. Talk about feeling guilty…
I’ve always got weeds you could help whack if you’re bored today… just jump into the teleporter and come on up.
IVG if I had a teleporter, I wouldn’t be typing. Everybody would be meeting FM.
Of course after a few minutes of talking to me everyone would say go back to the typing.
HOOORAY. The relatives are leaving. I’ll be back in a minute.
Day yam! That’s a good thing as my dear friend Martha would say! What a relief for you. Now you can go and retrieve your real detergent from its hiding place, right?
So give us the progress report … 🙂
So things in prune land are still the same?
Have faith. The sun will show up soon.
Just to make you feel better. I’ve got 10 feet of snow on the ground, it’s starting to rain, a flood came through and a forrest fire is approaching.
OK now to the truth. It’s sunny and supposed to go to 33.3 C today. I just keep imagining bad weather outside though, just so you know I’m thinking of you. 🙂
It worked.
Froggybottom question — I wanted to use one of my old cafes this morning and I couldn’t get to the code because everytime I tried it told me it was in “show mode” What does that mean.
Me too with one of mine. I await the answer…
After a certain amount of time, diaries are no longer available to be edited. I haven’t bothered to figure out what that amount of time is but it seems to be tied to when they become archived.
Last night I had my first deflection experience! LOL
Time for a new cafe!
of course, and here it is