SPOOKY!!

Halloween... even though this holiday has become WAY too commercialized, I still love it. Of course, I love the days way back when... when you pulled a costume together from something you had around the house; when it was safe to trick or treat anywhere; when school didn't have rules about what was "allowed" as part of a costume.
Oh, those were the days.
And those vintage Halloween cards and decorations were the best! Who thought blow-up Halloween decorations for your front yard -- or for Christmas, for that matter -- was a good idea?? Ridiculous!
Yes, going as a ghost or a hobo or a witch; just loved it!
Anyone else miss the good old days??

a bit of a change

I haven't posted for a bit because of a trip out of state -- literally out of Pennsylvania and also out of the stress of the everyday.
Vermont is my haven, it seems, for many reasons.
Sometimes the trips are for vacations, sometimes for much-needed "rests" and sometimes for more personal reasons than need to be relayed.
I won't go into all the reasons for this most recent trip, other than to say it was needed on many levels and for more than just myself.
We all know how quickly time away seems to race by. Can anyone out there relate? It doesn't have to be a trip to Vermont or even away from your home; sometimes a multitude of factors collide and make a "retreat" necessary.
During my travels I witnessed everything from a man trying to escape the rain by wearing a plastic bag on his head, to another pleading for food at an interstate exit, to a work crew trying to figure out how to "tame" a huge boulder that had tumbled down the side of a mountain.
Wonder if anyone else has a tale to tell?

what good home?

I couldn't believe when, on my home from work Friday, I saw the sign again, hanging outside a house in Franconia.

"Free kittens to good home."
Several times a year this appears. I always cringe.
Do they actually get "good" homes? Do these people care? Do they really think THEY are providing a "good home" by allowing their cat(s) to constantly reproduce?
I can't tell you how many times I've been tempted to stop and ask to "borrow" their mother cat for a few days.
I'd be happy to take her to my vet and have her spayed, to save her from this terrible, never-ending cycle of kittens, kittens, kittens.
And I'm sure the vet would be glad to explain to these people the health benefits of spaying and neutering.
Don't tell me that cats have to have "at least one litter"; or that it's cruel to deprive them of reproducing.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
If nothing else, please tune into "The Price is Right." Drew Carey may have taken over but he's still sending out Bob Barker's message -- spay and neuter your pets!

say what??

You may have heard of the recently released British study that says, basically, let the expletives fly at work.
It's a good way to let off steam, these researchers have concluded.
Anyone who works at a newspaper didn't need this study, suffice it to say. Deadline pressure, ornery computers, sources who won't talk, too much work, a slow day -- we just aren't happy with anything some days.
So, if you happen to drop into the newsroom, you more than likely will hear a few choice words.
We seem to take it in stride ... it just seems natural to deal with the pressures and the all-too-often dark side of our news by employing a colorful vocabulary.
Does it offend some people? Maybe... but jeepers, it's better than lashing out physically....

heat wave

Wouldn't it be great if "Heat Wave" were only a song title ... and not a description of what we've been suffering through? They say it's almost over... we can only hope.
It's been that much more miserable for me because of a nasty cold... or something ... that I've been plagued with for more than a week now. First the sore throat and fever, aches, runny nose, now the coughing... and just exhausted.
I keep hoping that it's almost through with me, but I fear others in the office are starting to feel the effects.
It's the old saga ... there's too much work to do to stay home, but you feel like heck.
And then, eventually, everyone else seems to catch it.
All of this has been compounded during the past week plus by the fact that several of my cats ALSO have been getting ill.
I can't even remember how many times I've found myself at the vet's office in the past few weeks. I may as well be on staff!
But I'm hoping the end is in sight -- of my illness, of my cats' illnesses and this HOT weather!!
What happened to autumn?

drivers can be a menace

OK, since I recently complained about bicyclists, I have to give equal time to motorists.
Today on my way home from work, heading up Allentown Road nearing Inglewood Elementary, I witnessed one of THE stupidest, most obnoxious, most arrogant drivers.
The traffic light turned green, and a woman headed toward Lansdale was waiting to turn left at that light. A man behind apparently was in more of a rush, so he went around her on the right, then pulled in front of her out in the intersection. As I passed by her, the look of horror on her face was apparent.
As I glanced in my rear-view mirror, sure enough, he was making his left turn, while she had to wait behind him.
UNREAL!
What is wrong with people? I've seen some rude drivers, but this takes the cake!
I would ask this guy to respond to this post, but doubt if he can read.