360

There's no place like home ... (tapping ruby red shoes together) There's no place like home ...

When I left 360, I felt a need to separate myself from a domestic situation that was creating a great deal of tension. Einstein, who suffers from periodic paranoia, was combing every blog post, every friend's post and of course, there was the ritualistic 3rd degree - twenty questions - taking the defensive position ... On top of that, something in my spirit insisted I had to do this. I'm not sure why ... I may never be sure why ... But, if there's one thing I've learned, it is to listen to that still small voice.

And, then ... there is an element of change taking place in Kat's world. Some in process - others not yet begun ... Somehow it seemed important to take pause. I don't do change well. But, in addition to that, too many people who might take advantage of the insight offered by my 360 page had access to that little space where I practiced a comfortable form of self-expression.

I've been gone from the old forum for a while. And, I've been asked several times when I'm going to return. Yesterday, I took that first step back into familiar territory. I spent hours setting up my page, looking up the few - the very few - with whom I've established a lasting connection - those I trust who understand enough about Kat's world to guard Kat's privacy. And, I set my privacy level to exclude the eyes of the outside world. While some people maintain as many as 300 friends in their circle, my list will be limited to a handful ... at least for the time being. Call it self-preservation.

If you have a 360 account or set one up in the near future, you are welcome to send an add invite and tell me who you are. If I've been frequenting your page, I will gladly accept. If you are just curious and want to peek at my page, you can find it at http://360.yahoo.com/aikaterine65

The posts will not show up for anyone who is not a friend or a friend of a friend. So, the most you will see is a colorful page and quick comments.

I will still be around, peeking in at you, commenting from time to time and posting every great now and then, but I miss my old stomping grounds and I've yet to find a place quite the same.

CONFUSED_KAT

I don't know how it happened, exactly ...

One of my sisters mentioned FACEBOOK and since my girls, my ex-step-son, (who was part of my world long before my kids were born) and several other individuals (including two other sisters) had talked about the site, I thought I'd check it out. You can't actually post there (something I discovered after the fact), but what the heck ...

So, I answered a few questions, posted a recent pic and looked up a few familial names.

Later, I returned to find two of my sisters had received my invite and accepted. I mulled over their page for a minute and went back to my own profile to discover that I had unwittingly checked (FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE) a box indicating that I am interested in WOMEN.

Now ... for some of you that's no big deal, but for me ... erm ... yeah ... I mean ... no ... So, I tried to fix it and ended up announcing that I am interested in both men AND women. No - no - that's not right either.

I doubt very much if anyone actually DID see it ... probably not even my sisters who, had they seen it would have been scratching their heads or laughing their butts off.

Okay ... let's try this again ... I am interested in neither men or women. Because if I WERE interested in men, Einstein would have his panties in a wad (if he actually wore panties) (I'm digging myself a pretty big hole aren't I?) And, if I were interested it women that would pretty much exclude Einstein altogether ... And, if I were interested in both it would just be confusing.

I should probably end the post about now. (tee-hee)

HILLBILLY VOCAB

My daughter, Boo, came home with me today. Shortly after we got here, she stretched her neck out, lurched forward and took off running through the yard. "Did y'all say (see) that?" She cried. "There's a John Deere tractor going down the road!"

I nearly busted a gut laughing at her. She later explained that back home she only saw tractors parked - never actually moving.

At one point I was teasing her about her pronunciation of the word, "years". "It doesn't have two syllables," I told her.

"No. It has one, two, three, four - four syllables," she said. "No - wait - five."

"Um ... Boo ... syllables and letters are not the same thing."

"Oh - wait - my bad."

She's good natured and I think she plays along with the teasing just to get the laugh. It's good to have her home. Now ... if I can teach her to say, "years" instead of "yee-yars".

KAT'S SURPRISE CONCOCTION

(1) lb ground beef
(1) - 16 oz jar Alfredo Sauce
(1) - pkg pasta shells
(1) - onion
(2) - large tomatoes

Brown ground beef in a large pot. Add finely chopped onion and stir for about 5 minutes. Drain meat and onions in a collander.

Boil pasta in a separate pan until tender.

While pasta is boiling, add Alfredo sauce to meat and cook over medium heat. Stir frequently. Chop tomatoes into small pieces and add to meat and sauce mixture. Continue to stir over medium heat. Allow sauce to simmer until onions and tomatoes are soft.

Salt to taste.

Serve the sauce over the pasta.

NOTE: You can use two jars of Alfredo sauce if you are feeding large males.

FUN AND FOOTBALL

I'm a Jinx.The Liberty Tigers have won every game of the season so far. Not that they've played that many games, but all the same ... until tonight, they were victorious. Tonight, I went to watch them play and they not only lost - they were mutilated.

I haven't been to a football game in many moons. But, the kids are very happy in their new school and the people I've encountered so far, though few, have been down-to-earth and friendly. I grew up in small Oklahoma communities; the kind where pavement quickly turns to gravel and everybody knows your name and what color underpants you're wearing; not because you exposed them, (or maybe because you exposed them), but because somebody knows somebody who knows somebody who just happened to be in the mall (or Walmart) when you picked them out. This is my element - like finally coming home. So, I decided it was high time I merge with the community around me.

Einstein wasn't happy about the development, and after a bitter conversation in which he suggested he might wander downtown for a few rounds of pool - and in which I asked him if he didn't have the scruples to know the difference between a high school football game and a bar - we finally managed to agree that my going to a football game was not a threat.

Paige arranged for me to sit with one of her friend's mom and aunt. And, another mom whom I have previously met was also there and seemed equally relieved to find a familiar face in the crowd. Myself and the second mom were assigned a consult in case we became confused during the game. Apparently Paige forewarned them that I was not a football freak. I am proud to announce that I had no trouble understanding what happened tonight. We lost. Plain and simple. Not a single touchdown ... The poor chap behind me nearly suffered a head injury at one point when my arms flew up and I was screaming for the defense to, "STOP HIM!"

When we got home, Paige informed me that she didn't appreciate her male peers saying that her mom is hot. The things they allegedly said felt very disrespectful to me and it really hurt my feelings. Then, I had to sit through a long explanation from her and her new best friend about how all teenage boys act that way and it wasn't really an insult at all. Einstein then announced that from now on I will attend football games with him. Okay ... but ... but ... I just made new female friends ... They were NICE to me. I had fun.

MY PERM

I gave myself a perm last night. My daughter was SUPPOSED to help me roll it, but she had a mountain of homework to finish before she could go to the football game tomorrow night. Paige is a football fanatic. The most I understand is that if our team (whichever team we're rooting for) gets the ball to the end of the field we get points; which is a good thing - right?. The rest of the time I need Paige to explain why the men in the black and white prison suits keep blowing the whistle. So ... being that tomorrow is Friday, I was fortunate enough to find her in her room pouring over the books, but unfortunate enough to have to roll my own hair - thank you very much.

So, I did it myself - conditioned it well before I started - then again when I finished - and finally, rubbed it down with some oil gel I purchased that should help keep it from getting too dry and frizzy. Cindy was afraid that I'd fry my hair in the process. I hope I don't end up regretting this.

On another note:

Paige informed me yesterday that she's met Mr. Right. She explained it like this: "None of the other girls are really interested in him because he just turned 15 (the same age as Paige) and he's not very big yet. But, he looks exactly like his older brother and his older brother is HOT. By the time he grows up and all the other girls figure it out, it'll be too late. I'll already have him."

I had to laugh ...

A MUSIC FAVORITE

I like my music. Let me clarify: I like my music to rattle the windows. I like flippin' burgers to a beat and dancing with the mop. I like the steady pulse of a drum and the sweet moan of electric guitars. I like thumping my steering wheel as I drive down a long country road. I'm like the unnatural offspring of an Anne Rice novel, irresistably drawn to the ebb and flow of a sweet melody.

Tonight I pulled out one of my long-time favorites, drenched it in a fog of hot breath, wiped it clean, slipped it into the disc drive and selected #6: Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits.

Anyone who is over 30 and has a taste for classic rock can appreciate the diverse and bluesy style of this band. I have three of their albums in my own collection. Although they have a long list of popular hits such as Money For Nothing, Sultans of Swing and Walk of Life, the less well-known Romeo and Juliet remains my favorite.

Years ago ... back in the stone age ... I used to listen to it over and over again until it finally drove my late husband, Tom, plum up a wall. (He was actually quite good-natured about it since he, too, was a Dire Straits fan.) But, years have passed and I'd forgotten the song until tonight when sentiment started humming the melody and I found myself reaching. So, here's to old friends and old memories ...

All I do is miss you and the way we used to be

All I do is keep the beat to bad company

All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme

Juliet I'd do the stars with you any time

Juliet, when we made love you used to cry

You said, "I love you like the stars above.

I'll love you till I die."

Theres a place for us

You know the movie song

When you gonna realise

It was just that the time was wrong?

[Dire Straits]

AIKATERINE

AIKATERINE is Greek for Katherine. In case you are wondering, I am not Greek. As far as I know, I don't even have Greek ancestors. But, I've been told (far too many times) that I look Greek. I'm not quite sure whether that is a good thing ... or not. In any case, I can trace the name "Katherine" back to "Aikaterine", which is thought to be derived from the mythological Hecate. It was later associated with another name meaning, "pure". I like "pure" better. The first gives me the eebie jeebies. But, because I like stories and there are plenty of stories associated with Greek mythology, I found it a suitable identity for online use.

The real person, known as Katherine, Kat and sometimes by the few, "Kathy", is not a myth. She is 41 - almost 42 (gulp), has three children (two of which still live at home), writes sappy poems and is drawn to a good a story the way children are drawn to puppies. She has a cat, two goats and one annoying, oversized male companion who kept showing up on her doorstep after she made the mistake of feeding him. (Just kidding). She refers to him as "Einstein", a versatile name which serves to express both pride and occasional disdain. Einstein, however, would prefer you take the nickname literally regardless of Kat's mood.

The person known as Kat is conservative in nature, but loves a good adventure from time to time. The problem is that Kat's adventures sometimes turn into misadventures. Anybody ever read "The Wind in The Willows"? Toad and I have a few things in common.

Kat tend to be a bit of a recluse. However, she cannot stand complete isolation. She needs friends, family ... needs to mingle with her own species. Then, she usually remembers WHY she is a recluse and longs for the shelter of her own four walls and a quiet space where she can wander into a world that exists only in her mind ...

You will also notice that Kat sometimes refers to herself in the third person.

FACT OR FICTION?

I would never write a serious story about my goats; though I do enjoy them immensely. Nanny is the most skittish of the two so it is quite an accomplishment that she has finally taken to jumping up on my lap for treats. She is the first to approach me now; albeit she is still proned to flee like a rabbit caught in a cabbage patch at the slightest provocation. Billy is less intimidated, but equally less trusting. He is a beautiful beast.

When I went to buy Nanny from the owner, she was the only female Pygmy left on the lot. Females sell for a higher price than males, because you can generally have as many females as you wish. The males are territorial and therefore inclined to fighting. Not only that, but they have a fierce odor when in heat. Unless you are building a herd or planning on making sacrifices on the back 40, it's best not to have too many bucks. So, when I went to select a goat, seeing that there was only one female left, I took her first.

I was loading her into the truck when I saw Billy, standing atop one of the blue barrels scattered across the old man's lot and the sight of him literally took my breath away. He was short and stout with a full coat of perfectly white hair and he held himself in the most regal manner. I was tempted to put the doe back and take him instead. The old man heard me gasp, saw me and the young buck staring at one another and assured me that he would save him for one week.

When I returned, the old man tried to pass off another goat as the one he promised me, but the fire in my eyes quickly told him I wasn't buying. So, he went and fetched my goat, as promised. Billy bucked, kicked, locked his legs, flung his head, tried to flip himself onto his back. He was so intimidating that Einstein, who had come to help me transport him back to the wannabe farm, felt a little apprehensive about getting too close to the beast. In the end, it was I who had to grab him by the horns, wrap my arms securely around his midsection and put him in the crate. When Einstein saw the ease with which I did this, he realized that the animal wasn't nearly as ferocious as he wanted us to believe.

Einstein had never even grown a garden; let alone raised a goat. So, for him, it was a complete learning experience. For days after we brought Billy home, he would sit outside with the goats watching as if he had discovered new friends.

There are many funny stories about Einstein and the goats; one of which includes a belly flop onto the grass during an attempt to catch Billy after he let the animal off its retraints (when he was forewarned NOT to do it). But, he learned quickly and like all of us, is now very fond of our barnyard companions.

From time to time, I go out and sit with them and sometimes I bring them pasta from the cabinet which, gaging from their reaction, is the equivalent of goat candy. When I return to the house, I take with me tall tales about the conversations we had (myself and the goats); expounding on what Billy said and what Nanny said and sometimes what the fairies did or said.

Einstein says I'm crazy, because there is no such thing as fairies. (He never says I'm crazy when I tell him what Billy had to say). So, I took this picture of the toadstool in my front yard to prove to him that there are, indeed, fairies among us. He says that proves nothing, so I pointed out to him that there is fairy dust on the mushroom. (Uh - DUH!)

I have a lot of fun taking pictures of the dragonflies, butterflies, goats, tree frogs, and other creatures that I find around and about the place. Sometimes I manipulate the photos in PSP ... Other times I leave them as they are. Mostly, I just enjoy being here ... where I am ... among the elements that thrive in this place I presently call home. They are a great catalyst for my imagination.

As for the writing ... the serious stuff doesn't make it to the public forum, for obvious reasons. But, the silly stuff does, because it gives me an opportunity to play with ideas - to engage in a creative exercise that involves weaving those tall tales with an element of truth. Although the truth may be disguised by a talking goat and a fairy king ... it is there. You just have to look closely. ;)

INTRODUCTION

Hi! I'm the new kid on the block. I'm not sure how I'll fit into this forum or even if I'll fit into this forum. I like to write about my day to day life - my interests - entertain fantasies about the fairies who live in my yard (the kind with wings and special powers) - rant about the issues that bug me from time to time and then, perhaps, release it all with a case of the sillies.

I suppose this gives me the same feeling I might have if I were walking into a crowded room, looking for a safe spot while I scope things out. Perhaps I'll find a common interest and mingle ... Then, again, I could end up making a quick and subtle exit.

Come to think of it ... no wonder I'm such a loner.