Good Ole' Charleston

After being gone for awhile to the Amazon and coming back home I had forgotten about one thing. That one thing is the mosquitoes here. Believe or not, not one bug bite did I get. No mosquito bites at all. I was prepared for swarms. The people at Passport Health in North Charleston had given me repellent that I had to treat my clothes with and then let them dry for two hours before packing. I treated all my outer clothes and they supplied me with an odorless repellent for my skin. I slathered it on everyday but there were no bugs.

As soon as I stepped out of my car my legs were attacked and eaten up by lowcountry mosquitoes! How ironic is that?! Good Ole' Charleston

It is not the paper mill! It is pluff mud!

Dream Trekking

I have been away on a misson trip to the Amazon jungle. Can you believe it!?! It was a medical mission trip to Brazil. I have just returned and have set up a travel blog to keep all of memories of what happened intact. I do not want to forget a single minute. My travel blog is located at Dream Trekking. I will be using it just for trips that I take. I will still be updating this blog.

My pictures of the Amazon and the people who live along the riverbanks are being developed. As soon as I get them back I will be adding them to Dream Trekking so that you can get a taste of the Amazon as well. It was an amazing trip! Life changing even...so be sure to check out all my pre-trip posts as that was a nervous time with the passport situation. And please don't miss my Inspiration that started it all and why the wanderlust will never go away!

I took about 300 pictures so I have a lot to show and tell! The Amazon is an amazing place!

Here is the group picture of all of us, taken at the last village we visited! This boat was our home away from home for 9 days!

Where am I in this picture? I am on the steps on the left side. I am the third person up from the bottom in the white shirt and tan shorts.

It is not the paper mill! It is pluff mud!

Day 765: Surprise

This is the surprise I got last week when I opened the side door on the garage. Surprise!!! It was not left by my cat. I know who the culprit is...the neighbors car. He usually is hanging out at my house lounging on the front stoop or the window sills. He has a home but is never there. He is always at my house.

I think that he felt that he might have overstayed his welcome, so he left this lovely parting gift for me!

Excerpts from my cat's diary

DAY 752 - My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.

DAY 761 - Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair ... must try this on their bed.

DAY 765 - Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was...Hmmm. Not working according to plan.

DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid. My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth.

DAY 771 - There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer". More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.

DAY 774 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time...

It is not the paper mill! It is pluff mud!

Spice Girls?! Who??

I heard a dirty rumor the other day and I had to look it up to see if it were true. IT IS! The Spice Girls are reuniting. Is this a happy thing? I guess it depends on how you ask. I am in the middle. I never saw anything wrong with them. I am all about girl power! There tunes were snappy and danceable. They were cute and perky! My daughter loved them.

Spice came out in 1996 and my daughter was three. I think I got her the CD when she was 4...almost 5. She was just crazy about all the Spice Girls. Fanatical almost. Really. All those little girls were. I even had to buy her a Spice Girl doll for Christmas. It was Scary Spice. She was just thrilled beyond belief to have the Scary Spice doll. She dressed and redressed that doll for months and sang Spice Girl songs around the house. Even I got hooked on some of the tunes.

I mentioned to my child that they were reuniting and she just rolled her eyes at me. I looked at her and said, SPICE GIRLS! Really loud like Duh!!!!! Spice Girls! Spice Girls?! She again just looked at me and then said, "don't ever do that again." I then reminded her that she loved the Spice Girls. "No" , she said. She also gave me the left handed "L" for loser. She then told me not to tell anyone she ever liked the Spice Girls. I reminded her of just how much she loved them and all the things she used to do when she was 4 and 5. She claimed she did not rememeber any of what I was telling her.

Was it selective memory? I am not sure. What is true is that her liking that very popular group is something to keep under the rug. She is 13 now. How would her friends see her now promoting girl power? I guess it is a teen thing. Me? I will keep up with the Spice Girls, just to see if they are still any good and will have the draw they had before. I know that there has been some drama....with Scary Spice. She needed Maury Povich to say: When it comes to the DNA test, Eddie you ARE the father!

That is a SCARY Scary Spice girl!
That pirate eye look is not working!

Regardless, they are coming back at 5 million dollars per Spice Girl. That is not too shabby!

It is not the paper mill! It is pluff mud!

Beverly Sills, Dead at 78

Beverly Sills has died of lung cancer. She was the American opera diva extraordinaire! I have listened to some of her opera and I thought she was exceptional. If you have not checked out some of her opera or even opera in general, you are missing out.

It is not the paper mill! It is pluff mud!