Friday-9:45pm--Seven random things

Round the clock I go--LOL!

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The temps have now dropped into the upper 70s to upper 80s, but the humidity climbed right back up to 67% today. Karma can take it, tho. She was back out sleeping for hours on the other little table on the porch this morning. Happy camper!

Do these clouds look like they are in kahoots...

...for another storm tonight? That's the rumor.

Got an award on Iggy's blog!

You know I don't normally do awards (just figured out right now how to nab the picture and put it on here), but I thought I could at least try to think of seven random things about myself. I don't pass them on--but I'll challenge any readers who are game to post seven random things about yourself. I'd love to read them!! ;)

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First of all, I would be hard pressed to think of anything that the people who actually know me don't know already--LOL! But I guess my new and newish blog friends don't know a lot of things about me--so, here goes. I'll start out with some of the more interesting facts from my youth and see where I end up--LOL!

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1. I love animals and have owned: dogs, cats, parakeets, half moon conure, chattering lori, cockatiels, African Greys, rats, hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, frogs, toads, turtles, skinks, horned toads, geckos, soap dish crabs, salamanders, all kinds of fresh water fish, newts, tree frogs, axolotls, chameleons, African underwater frogs, an iguana, and a skunk. (I'm sure I missed some.) I have rescued: newborn kittens, baby birds, baby red squirrel, mice, toads, pigeon, doves, dogs, cats, and a bat. Dawdled behind on a grade school field trip to Carlos Avery Game Farm and played with a newly captured wolf (she was like a lonely big dog--I'd rub and scruff her neck through the bars and she'd race in a circle and come back for more) until the trembling guide came back and snatched me away from her. Learned that animals are more likely than humans to react to loving intent.

2. Late 60s was an exciting time. Messed up after I was raped, I ran away to Canada to join a commune with a girlfriend, one guy avoiding the draft, and another guy who was home from basic and didn't want to go to Nam. (Who brings an iron and curlers to a hippie commune--a naive Minnesotan.) We never found a commune, us girls couldn't get visas--were home in two weeks. If we hadn't called for money to get home we would have been on the news as missing persons the next day. Learned you cannot run away from your troubles. You just carry them with you, so you might as well deal with them where you stand.

3. After Canada--lived in an apartment in Anoka with four other girls and I took in street people all winter. Back then they were runaways and other teenagers mostly. I fed them big vats of goolash, gave the first arrivals food & what we could spare to lay their heads on, let them sleep on the floor, no alcohol/drugs or paraphernalia allowed (we got busted on occasion), and nobody allowed in after a cut off time (I seem to remember it was 2am and the roomies demanded I change it to midnight). Yup! This flower child would have loved to run a hostel back then or live in a commune. Learned even the rough, scary customers are grateful for kindness. Looks can be very deceiving.

4. Long story, but because I could (with help from GA) quickly ease someone down off a bummer (acid/mescaline), people started showing up at the apartment door delivering me freaked out strangers. My roommates and everybody else would rapidly split to spend the night elsewhere. Well, these strangers were high for 8-10 hours and I'd be right with them into the next day...and there was often screaming, crying...and occasionally things got broken in those first few minutes. I went to work with no sleep if it happened during the week, but it was worth it. Learned that it's a core level thing with me to comfort others and it is good for my soul. Seemed to help them, too. LOL! ;)

5. Rent money stolen. We lost the apartment. I ended up living alone on the streets in Anoka from spring to fall. Sleeping in the park by the river during the day (safer to be awake at night), getting to know the cops by name, and having a lot of the folks I had taken care of all winter helping me out with food and cigarettes when they could. Learned that a lot of things we believe are necessities are really not...people who have almost nothing themselves still give to others...and to never forget what it is like to have a roof over your head, a comfortable bed to sleep in, food in your belly, and a hot shower. I learned how to hug that summer. Became known as "the mad hugger". Learned there's nothing better on earth than to have people smile when they lay eyes on you...and people remember kindness.

6. I have had a lot of jobs: printing company assembling pamphlets and small magazines, factory where I screwed together screen doors, another checking plastic pop tops for dish soap, checking popcorn bag rolls after printing (where I hurt my fingers & arm), three different pet shops (one I worked for him three separate times), a couple of waitress jobs, Walmart jewelry dept, insurance office, two different handicapped schools, day care teacher, drove mentally ill to appointments & ran their rec group, independent senior building (four jobs at once there!), and Concordia Language Villages offices. Learned that I could walk into situations I knew absolutely nothing about and learn on my feet running (no matter if I was always so nervous on first days I was sure I was going to barf)...to do my very best no matter what I was doing...that I loved working with people and animals...and that our society doesn't care much for our non-productive members (children, seniors, disabled, mentally ill).

7. I've come close enough to death to know that my life doesn't flash before my eyes and I am ready to go at a moments notice. Almost drown when around ten (unconscious, CPR, and the whole nine yards). Fridley Tornadoes watching the roof blow off in sections in the cafeteria during the science fair. Raped and beaten and told flat out that they were going to kill me. Learned that your life can be totally turned upsidedown in a matter of seconds...that I have a "safe place" inside of me that nobody can touch...and life is precious and short, so live it proudly and honestly like today is your last. One day it will be. Meanwhile...Enjoy!!...Hug!! Be the best damn person you can be!! Hopefully somebody will smile wide when they lay eyes on you. :):)

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"The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitudes."

Viktor Frankl