61 and Counting!

This is what Mr. Google posted on its home page for me today:

How do it know?

Friday Fluff

I was looking through some older photos and ran across this one taken shortly after Mother's Day. It makes me smile. I call it "Attack of the Killer Tulips" --

Moogie is Dog-Tired

Today is a "Poor Moogie" day. I had a little minor surgery on a toe yesterday, and today it really hurts!

I also lost about a gallon of blood when I left the doc's office and stopped by the drug store to pick up some prescription refills. When I stepped out of the car, it felt as if I had stepped into a puddle. Well, I suppose that, technically, I had -- it just happened to be a puddle of my own blood in my shoe. Gross.

So, I high-tailed it back to the doc's, where his sweet nurse cleaned me up and applied pressure to that stubborn bleeder. Pressure didn't work, so the good doc cauterized it. When cauterization was first mentioned, I pictured a soldering iron, but, fortunately, he used silver nitrate instead. I was really glad because smelling barbecued Moogie wasn't on my to-do list for the day.

Sweet Nurse called me mid-afternoon on her lunch break to check on me. She said she just wanted to make sure that my toe hadn't fallen off, or that I hadn't bled out. Heh. I thought it was very thoughtful of her to check on my well-being.

So, today, all the anesthetic has worn off and I've been walking around on it too much. Therefore, I do believe I shall take to the couch with my Kindle and a tootsie-propping pillow in anticipation of cocktail hour.

Oh, and Happy National Dog Day!!!

Want to See Hillary's Head Explode?

It seems that Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren had a little tete-a-tete over the weekend.

And, today, Josh Earnest (most entertaining name for a Press Secretary ever) is pussyfooting all around the question whether Obama would support a Biden candidacy.

And, that email server issue refuses to be laid to rest.

Oooh. Pass the popcorn! This is getting interesting.

The Birth of an Endless Nightmare

Ten years ago today, a pitiful little storm struggled to life over the Bahamas, the 11th named storm of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season -- she would be named Katrina the next day.

She would also alter the course of history.

This is a well-done recollection of days leading up to -- and years following -- the storm by Bill Capo, a reporter at WWL-TV, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans. I commend it to you.

Now, please excuse me -- the heebie jeebies are crawling up the back of my neck.

Katrina, Plus 10 Years, Minus 12 Days

Today is August 17th. According to the National Hurricane Center:

"Environmental conditions appear conducive for development over the next severaldays, and a tropical depression will likely form by the middle of
the week while the system moves westward or west-northwestward near
15 mph.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...medium...50 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days...high...70 percent "

That's a pretty darn good chance.

In 2005, on August 23rd, Hurricane Katrina slogged to life near the Bahamas. The rest is history.

I fervently pray that this particular history never repeats itself.

Late August still makes me anxious.

One Family's Meaningful Farewell Tribute

There is a charming obituary in today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette announcing the passing of a delightful lady, Ms. Freeda.

Included in the heartfelt tribute to Ms. Freeda was a treasure trove of information about her well-lived life, such as:

Freeda sledgehammered every rule of eating healthy to obtain a nice long life. She had a passionate love of peanut butter cookies, cornbread and buttermilk, pecan pies, candy bars, and Diet Coke. She lived to be 80.

And then there was:

Freeda disliked very much any Texas or Alabama football team and considered any game those states won as rigged or otherwise not on the up-and-up. She disliked very much the end of football season, her middle name, and McDonald's.

My favorite passage, however, is the opening one:

Freeda . . . passed on August 12. A fact that is not lost on the family is that she died before she could see Hillary Clinton elected, just as she had hoped.

What a delightful, intelligent lady!!! Her family closed with this:

A service will be held . . . where it is asked that you bring your Razorback spirit. In lieu of flowers the family asks that you instead go fishing. Watch a Razorback game. Eat a well-made pecan pie. And love.

I do believe Miss Freeda was a lady whose acquaintance I would have loved to have made. Rest peacefully, Ms. Freeda. And a raucous Wooo Pig Soooieee from Moogie's Manor.

Video Publish Fail. Really Cute Video, Too.

Well, shoot. I couldn't get the video to transfer from Facebook. Maybe I can get Pepper to publish it to YouTube later. Sorry.

Pepper and Bouie went to Duck Camp yesterday to do a little work on the house.

(The girls were left at home to take care of Mom. And they weren't particularly happy about it.)

When it was time to play, Pepper sent Bouie off in search of quail. Here is the intrepid hunter, having a ball. Not bad for a guy who'll turn 9 years old next week:


It makes my heart smile to see him so happy.

Good boy!

One Small Victory for Common Sense

Well, we can take some small comfort in the DoD's decision not to file charges against the Marines who fired at the Chattanooga Religion of Peace murderer. (See Post from August 3, 2015)

Perhaps there has been an outbreak of common sense in the Pentagon. Let's hope it goes viral, not only in the Pentagon, but all around the Beltway and its environs.

I wouldn't hold my breath, however. You-Know-Who is still the Commander in Chief.

Have the Top Brass Taken Leave of Their Senses?!?

I don't know whether there is any truth to  the allegations floating around in cyberspace that a Navy officer and a Marine fired their weapons at the Muslim miscreant who shot up two recruiting stations in Chattanooga on July 16, killing five service members and wounding others. Further speculation suggests that the military members who returned fire are to be charged with illegally discharging a firearm on federal property.

If charges are indeed filed, prepare to witness a Moogie in all her righteous wrath. The re-shaping of our mighty military, and not for the better, has apparently ramped up on steroids.

Pepper says if charges like that were leveled against him, he would demand a court martial. And I suspect the air in that chamber would turn such a vibrant shade of blue that it could be seen miles away.

The SecDef needs to get his head out of his nether regions and stand up to the Administration, especially about policies that jeopardize the safety of our military and their families. Maybe the new Chief of the Army will hold some sway -- if he doesn't get mesmerized first.

Bad, bad times are afoot.