FanSee tagged me for this "six quirks" meme. My apologies for taking so long to respond (see #5, below).

I’m going to put this under a cut because I probably should have added a seventh quirk-I can’t shut up!

( Here they are.... )

My cousin Susie sent me this, with the caption "Why middle-aged women shouldn't drink on Spring Break." It's just too good not to pass on to my friends. But be warned! Hopefully none of you will see anyone you know!

( Look under the cut if you dare.... )

Yes, folks, I'm still here. The dissertation and "real life" (whatever that is!) have been keeping me busy but I still check in to see what you all are up to. Spring is here in St. Louis, which in this part of the world means flowers, frost, heat, sun, wind, rain, and thunderstorms, sometimes all in the same day. Here are a couple of photos of what ( Read more... )

The waterfall was so beautiful last night that I got out the tripod, bundled up, and took a few photos to share with you all. Our waterfall is of the "pondless" variety--it has a reservoir filled with gravel at the base instead of a full-fledged pond. The only problem we've had with it so far is that on extremely cold nights it has a tendency to ( Read more... )

Is there a difference between the Imaginal World and the world of fantasy? If so, then how do you know when you’re interacting in the Imaginal World and when you’re in the fantasy world?

This might seem fairly unimportant, but it’s not: it speaks directly to the question of whether these characters are real or “figments of our imagination.”

( This is my current understanding. )

Our overnight temperatures are supposed to drop into the single digits tonight and tomorrow night. Luckily, UPS delivered our "deck cat" Toby's super-duper outdoor heated kitty pad so he'll stay warm and toasty in his bed on the deck tonight. I'm relieved! Now, if my waterfall doesn't freeze over....


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I know some of you have had dreams where a historical figure or your long-dead grandmother has spoken to you, right? Or maybe you were just walking along minding your own business when all of a sudden you were sure that Great-Aunt Tillie was right there beside you-you could smell her lavender-verbena bath powder! How did you react? Did you just ( Read more... )

It's been lovely and warm here--near 70 yesterday, 60 today. The crocuses don't seem to know that it's headed right back down into the teens on Saturday night....


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OK, so here’s the deal. We all know that Brian, more than perhaps any fictional character we’ve encountered, has a kind of reality to him that approaches the degree of “real-ness” that we usually attribute to our waking-life, sticks-and-stones-world friends. Well, I’m here to tell you that you’re not imagining things. Brian is real, he does exist ( Read more... )

This morning was another crazy one of catering to all our critters.

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