herbiehancock

I'm scared to be feminine and I'm scared to be masculine. I read so many things that ring true. This first is from a comment on a post I liked that MAY have been on Sublimefemme? Maybe on Genderfork. It was talking about being more comfortable wearing feminine clothes once she knew that it wasn't just for men's pleasure. Every time I "dress up" I feel like I'm putting on a show for someone and I'm uncomfortable with it. It's so ingrained in me that I don't know that I can ever put that aside. I wore a dress to Valentine's Day. I was going to wear something more like a suit but in my mind still, for a girl, that means I'm dressing down. And THAT I know is a childhood thing. So many thoughts are clouding my head. And Leo wrote an entry that can be summed up in this line from it: "I felt a familiar back and forth tug in my gut reading it, a private longing mixed with an even more private warning: you want that too much. Don...

Miley Cyrus concert film (Best of Both Worlds Tour in Disney Digital 3-D) brought in $8,651,758 on its opening day, and continued on to gross $31,117,834 to finish off the weekend, making it the highest-grossing opening weekend for a film to be released under 1000 screens, and on July 26, 2008 Miley Cyrus concert film (Best of Both Worlds Tour in Disney Digital 3-D) was released on Disney Channel. Though Miley Cyrus concert film (Best of Both Worlds Tour in Disney Digital 3-D) initial run in theaters was due to last just a week, Disney extended the film's run indefinitely because of the demand of the fans. Wow. :)

Having been born and raised in Massachusetts, I just wouldn't be true to my roots if I didn't make New England Clam Chowder at least once a year!  And I need to start using some of this corn we picked and froze last year because before I know it, it'll be time to harvest more corn!   This recipe comes together easily using diced red potatoes, bacon, canned clams, onions, corn, Half and Half, and some butter and flour to thicken the broth.  This was the perfect balance between those too-thin and too-thick chowders that I don't like.   If you were born in New England (and even if you weren't!) try this recipe for an authentic, rich and creamy chowder full of clams and potatoes with the smoky flavor of bacon - you won't regret it!  Print the recipe

Watching DVDs: I Dream of Jeannie (Season One). Barbara Eden has such an interesting filmography.

Although I don't swim very well and don't like being in water that is over my head, I find being near bodies of water to be relaxing. Whether it is a small stream, a river, a lake, or an ocean, the sights, sounds, and rhythms of water strike me as being very peaceful. I think that is just one of the reasons I have always liked this song. Boat On The River --lyrics (sung by Styx) Take me back to my boat on the river I need to go down, I need to come down Take me back to my boat on the river And I won't cry out any more Time stands still as I gaze in her waters She eases me down, touching me gently With the waters that flow past my boat on the river So I don't cry out anymore Oh the river is wide The river it touches my life like the waves on the sand And all roads lead to tranquility base Where the frown on my face disappears Take me down to my boat on the river And I won't cry out anymore Oh the river is deep The river it touches my life like the waves on the sand...

Saw many movies on the planes to and from Oz: Twilight (Catherine Hardwick, 2008). I'd seen it in January. http://georgesclaudeguilbert.blogspot.com/2009/01/went-to-see-twilight.html Funny, I had a highly interesting conversation with a charming Cultural Studies specialist at VU the other day, who sometimes teaches vampire stuff, and dislikes this Stephenie Meyer craze. I see her point and understand her arguments, but I still enjoy the stuff myself. I'm just an overgrown teenager, what can you do? What is annoying is the way the thing promotes virginity, like those religious-right organizations. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008). I'd seen it in August 2008. http://georgesclaudeguilbert.blogspot.com/2008/08/went-to-see-dark-knight.html Heath Ledger deserved the Oscar, even if he hadn't died. Ghost Town (David Koepp, 2008). Charming romantic comedy. British Ricky Gervais excellent. Greg Kinnear not wasted as he was in Flash of Genius . Four Christmases...

This photo of forsythia bushes, growing next to the fence around the tennis courts at the park, was taken last spring. It is still too early for them to be out yet this year. To visit others who are posting a photo for Mellow Yellow Monday or to join in the fun, click on the butterfly badge below.

I'm really isolated. I have zero friends. I never see or talk to Emily (my best friend) anymore. We talk MAYBE once a week. And she was really my only lifeline. And I'm still not used to the fact that our time is always the same as baby time. Babies are loud and needy and scream when you take things from them and as heartless as I sound, I have no desire to be around that right now. Maybe ever. Even if she IS my goddaughter and I love her. I go to work every day, am nearly brought to tears every day, and by the end of the day I am emotionally drained. I go home and talk to my cats and I have a computer, which I now hate, because it remind me of how alone I am. Rejoining People of Praise will never be an option. They wouldn't let me be openly bisexual. My coworkers are much older than me and don't live near me. The blog community I can relate to is spread across the country. I quit L.O.G. (where I was a youth group leader) so that I could be more out (and I don't...

3 Nails 2 Boards 1 Mission My younger son who is 14 (soon to be 15) years old, spent most of yesterday at a workshop where he learned how to put up drywall. He did that because a week from today, he will be traveling to a place called Pass Christian, Mississippi. Pass Christian, Mississippi is marked with a pink balloon with the letter "A" on it on the map below. The location of our home in Ohio is marked with a red star. He is going to Mississippi with his youth group from church on a mission trip there. They are going to an area that was hit by hurricane Katrina in 2005 where homes are still, after all this time, in need of repair from damage done by that storm. He and the others he is going with will be spending an entire week, their spring break time off from school, to volunteer their services to those in need there as part of the hurricane relief team. He is wearing the team T-shirt that was provided to him and the others in his group. This morning in chu...

We all know that beans are good for us.   Rich in protein (6-7 grams per half-cup serving), high in fiber (one half-cup serving gives you about 25% daily fiber) and inexpensive! Besides being nutritious, they are versatile.  You can boil them, bake them, fry them; put them in soups, stews, chili and salads; serve them with meat or have a vegetarian dish! Rancho Gordo is a company that sells heirloom beans.   I’ve heard of heirloom beans, heirloom tomatoes, heirloom seeds… but really, what does that mean?   As it turns out, an heirloom is tough to define.   Some say it must have been passed down through the generations and that a particular variety must be grown for at least 50 years before it can be called heirloom. What is constant in what is deemed heirloom is that it is “non-hybrid”… they are pure and aren’t a mixture of two varieties.   To be called an heirloom, the plants must be open-pollinated, which means the seeds were pollinated by wind or insect ...

Gabcast! Dancing With Daisy #52 - Getting Dressed Click the play button above to hear me read this poem. Getting Dressed Clad only in white bark, the trembling tree of early spring reaches its branches up in the air in anticipation of the transformation. A small child, full of innocence, standing in white cotton underwear with arms stretched high, waiting waiting for her mother to slip, first a frilly white petticoat, then the soft green and pink folds of an Easter dress over her head. Shivering only slightly in the breeze, the tree, with eager head held high in delight, smiles as the dress; made of white blossoms, pink buds, and green leaves, slowly slips over its thin branch arms and swirls down to the knees of its trunk. Now, properly clad in spring finery, the tree sways and looks over its shoulder with a flirty glance admiring its reflection in a nearby pond.

What do you think? Can you do this? YIKES!! Watching that made my back hurt! Come on let's dance. We don't have to go quite so low to have fun, I promise. Anybody want to go to Jamaica with me? Fantasies can all come true.

Some of you may remember the "shredded tweet" incident from last week. Well, the bill has arrived for that service call from the plumbing, heating and cooling repair guy. (Click on the image to make it bigger if you need to.) The repair man was here at my house for 15 to 20 minutes tops!! My career advice of the day to anyone who is just starting out or perhaps starting over in choosing a career for themselves is to consider going into the plumbing, heating and cooling business. Apparently, there is much money to be had removing dead birds from the furnaces of people like me who know nothing about furnaces and such. Hmmmph!! Suddenly another song has begun playing in my head. OK, well maybe I'm not quite as upset as the lyrics in that song would portray, but YIKES! I agree that removing a dead bird from a furnace combustion fan was probably a rather unpleasant task, but at $240-$320 an hour give or take a dollar or two, I am thinking perhaps I should hang up my libra...

I heard this song this morning. It is one I really like and remember well from my childhood. So it is playing in my head today. ( Now it is probably going to be playing in yours too, so I hope it is one you enjoy!)

It’s a nice and casual evening at the city park and people are enjoying their walk and conversations. Nothing is different about today. Even the loafer, who is lying on the last bench of the West Gate end gate of the park, is observing people, with his head resting on the arm of the bench, just like every other day. With his lazy gaze, he is sifting his eyes through the bunch of people from a distance. Right next to him is the bench on which he has seen this couple many times before. The guy is formally dressed today while the girl is wearing a salwar kameez. They’re always holding hands. The loafer has seen more intimate couples before. At this point, he notices a boy selling Frooti packs approaching the couple. The loafer wants a Frooti pack for himself. With this intention he fixes his gaze on the vendor. He has to wait now because the couple wants Frooti too. He sees them asking for 2 packs. The loafer observes the guy taking out money from his trouser pocket directly and not from...

This is the first draft of my latest radio project... Feedback?

I just read The Buzzing, by Jim Knipfel, who apparently writes a column for the NY Press. It was a Christmas gift from my Aunt who finds gently used copies of cool books at her local library for the family each gift season. It's a light, predictable read for the most part, but it suffered from one of my least favorite tendencies in entertainment that's been popular for at least 15 years now. Quentin Tarantino popularized a dialogue style that was fast and fresh, and thick with pop culture references. "Madonna" scene in Reservoir Dogs... Awesome. "Elvis vs. Beatles" in Pulp Fiction.... Good enough. But recently I've been feeling insulted by this insistence by writers to insert their personal favorite "obscure" taste into their work. That's my biggest gripe with Tarantino lately. In "Death Proof" it's all "Nice one, Zatoichi" and "Vanishing Point is the best movie ever." Barf. That kind of writing is soooo ex...

Dream A Little Dream of Me sung by Louis Armstrong (lyrics) Stars shining bright above you night breezes seem to whisper I love you Birds singin' in the sycamore tree Dream a little dream of me. Say "nighty night" and kiss me just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me. While I'm alone and blue as can be Dream a little dream of me. Stars fading but I linger on dear still craving your kiss I'm longing to linger til dawn dear Just saying this: Sweet dreams til sun beams find you sweet dreams that leave our worries behind you. But in your dreams whatever they be dream a little dream of me. Stars fading but I linger on dear still craving your kiss. I'm longing to linger til dawn dear just saying this: Sweet dreams til sun beams find you sweet dreams that leave our worries behind you. But in your dreams whatever they be dream a little dream of me. Yeah, dream a little dream of me. Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONL...

At the Jubilee, an annual summer street carnival in my town, a little girl chose a yellow rubber duck to see which prize she had won. Each duck had a number on the bottom of it which designated the winning prize. Happy Mellow Yellow Monday! To visit others who are posting a photo for Mellow Yellow Monday or to join in the fun, click on the butterfly badge below.

Miley Cyrus performed both as herself and in character as Hannah Montana on a North American Best of Both Worlds Tour. Miley Cyrus 's Tour, "Best of Both Worlds Tour" started on October 18, 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri; Best of Both Worlds Tour was extended, due to high demand, until January 31, 2008, with 69 total dates, 14 more than previously planned. The Jonas Brothers were the opening act for most of Best of Both Worlds Tour. "Best of Both Worlds Tour" tickets for each date sold out in record time after they went on sale, disappointing a large number of fans. Miley Cyrus 's Tour, "Best of Both Worlds Tour" was recorded and released to cinemas in Disney Digital 3-D.

These are a few of the things that made me smile today. lovebirds--a pair of mourning doves on the telephone wire buds on the tree branches crocuses in a neighbor's yard buds peeking out on my daffodils this black squirrel who chattered at me because he didn't like me taking his picture a sea of pine cones that crunched under my feet a bird's nest made out of bits of a plastic bag---trash thrown away by man and made into something useful by a bird the sun was shining when I walked through the park today If you'd like to participate in Smiley Sunday, click the badge below .

The population of Holtville, California, when I lived there around 1996, was about 5,500. The Holtville Tribune was the local weekly newspaper and as you can imagine, most of the time the newspaper staff had to work mighty hard to dig up "news" for this quiet town. There was a police beat column that listed all of the calls the small police department had during the week. I picked up the paper one evening and noticed there was only one entry that came from the police logs that week: " Officers reported a flat cat at 6th and Walnut." Thankfully, I didn't have to wait for a chicken to cross the road for this recipe. Flattened... butterflied... spatchcocked... it's all the same thing and it refers to removing the backbone and breastbone (keel bone) from a chicken. This allows the chicken to lay flat, and speeds up the cooking time a little, too. Because it's difficult to butterfly a chicken and take pictures at the same time, I found this jovial fellow on Y...

My older son didn't qualify for the track meet in Atlanta this weekend, as he had hoped, which meant he had an unexpected weekend off. Since he had some free time, he invited his younger brother down to his campus dorm for a visit. We drove my younger son down to the university and then we all ate pizza out before returning both boys back to the dorm. Here are my sons in the dorm room trying to "out-tall" each other (standing on tiptoes and stretching their heads up, each trying to prove that he is the taller one). They are both taller than I am, so I've already lost that race. This pond is just across the street from my son's dormitory on campus there. I thought it looked pretty and snapped a picture of it as we left to come back home tonight. According to my calendar, today was the first official day of spring. I think it is time for the Ohio Department of Transportation to take down this sign which we saw at a rest stop on our drive this afternoon. After ...

Susan from Food Blogga had this recipe on her blog. She raved about it being so good and it sure sounded good to me, so I wanted to try it! How can you go wrong with mangoes, raisins and cashews all in one delicious slice of bread! I had a hard time not eating the entire mango before I got it into the bread. Sooo good! This bread, with hints of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger and zesty lime has just become my new breakfast bread! If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Susan's blog, take a look! In fact, today she's having a giveaway and one lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate for See's Candies !

No 376 - Zodiac Director - David Fincher This film had to be good. For one simple reason. It is a film with a post rehab Robert Downey Jr and in this day and age he has been consistently brilliant in everything. And yes, he continues his trend of being brilliant in this and he gets most of the (relatively sparse) funny moments. For this is a slow film. This is a slow burn about obsession and about trying to crack codes. This is an intense exploration of police work and reporting taking place over around 20 years. It is not the easiest film to watch. But it is very interesting.... The film follows three groups of people as they try to get to the bottom of the Zodiac Killings. You see how the police try and do it, you see how the San Fransisco Chronicle try to investigate into it and you see how Jake Gyllenhaal gets gradually obsessed with trying to crack the code. In this film Jake Gyllenhaal plays a cartoonist for the Chronicle and he is imbued with magical powers. These powers allo...

I found some delicious Ruby Red grapefruit the other day and wanted to do something with them other than cut them in half and eat them for breakfast. Ina to the rescue! I just love Ina Garten. Everything she prepares is simple but elegant. Ina's recipe serves 4-6 people. I used one avocado and one grapefruit for one serving. Peel and section a grapefruit. Peel and cut up an avocado. It's that easy, but of course it's the vinaigrette that makes this so lovely. Put some Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk in olive oil until it's emulsified. Arrange the salad and drizzle with the vinaigrette. This was very good. The grapefruit sections gave it some texture that was balanced by the smoothness of the avocado and the vinaigrette had just the right tang to bring it all together.