the street that i live on is named in honor of this old tree at the very end of this road down along the river. i don't know how old this tree is but it's a lot older than anything else around here. it's an amazing tree and these pictures don't do it justice at all. it looks like 7-8 trees but it's really only big tree with many huge prop roots that have grown for many years down into the earth like a big family supporting the mother matriarch.

life is very interesting. i feel like i should honor this tree and bring it some sort of present for being here. what kind of present do you give to a tree?

some info from my books and wiki...

a banyan tree is a fig that starts its life as an tiny epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree such as a broad leaf or a palm.

an epiphyte is an organism that grows upon or attaches itself to a living plant.

this banyan tree is also known as the "strangler fig or ficus aurea. these trees provide more food for more birds and mammals than any other single specie of tree in the florida hammock, mainly because of their size and abundance. the seeds of banyans are dispersed by fruit-eating birds. the seeds germinate and send down roots towards the ground, and may envelope part of the host tree with their roots.
as the banyan grows it can often strangle and takes over it's host.
older banyan trees are characterized by their aerial prop roots which grow into thick woody trunks which, with age, can become indistinguishable from the main trunk. old trees can spread out laterally using these prop roots to cover a wide area. the largest such tree is now found in kolkata in india. one of the most famous of banyan trees was planted in kabirvad, gujarat. records show that kabirvad is more than 300 years old. another famous banyan tree was planted in 1873 in lahaina's courthouse square in hawai' and has now grown to cover two-thirds of an acre.
like other fig species (which includes the common edible fig ficus carica), banyans have unique fruit structures and are dependent on fig wasps for reproduction. banyan, ficus benghalensis or the indian fig tree is the national tree of india.
the name was originally given to f. benghalensis and comes from india where early travellers observed that the shade of the tree was frequented by banias or indian traders.
in the gujarati language, banyan means "merchant," not "tree." the portuguese picked up the word to refer specifically to hindu merchants and passed it along to the english as early as 1599 with the same meaning. by 1634, english writers began to tell of the banyan tree, a tree under which hindu merchants would conduct their business. the tree provided a shaded place for a village meeting or for merchants to sell their goods. eventually banyan came to mean the tree itself.

this man is clearly concerned about finding something horribly disgusting and unhealthy in his newly purchased hot dog bun. he says he was getting ready to make "dinner" and discovered that a mouse had been cooked into one of the buns that he bought from bj's. he seemed very worried about all this... i guess because people seem to think that mice sometimes carry diseases or something so you certainly wouldn't want one cooked into your "dinner" which consists of absolutely nothing whatsoever that could be ever construed as healthy...over processed, chemically preserved, chemically flavored white stuff with some sort of mysterious mechanically extracted animal by products full of nitrates and artery clogging fatty hydrogenated molecular abnormalities and atrocities squeezed somehow into a shapely shlong.

as it turns out it wasn't even a mouse at all but just a hot dog bun making malfunction at the bun factory......

the new marina so far. it's a bit overwhelming and the docks are very loooong... like 800-900 ft to the end. one of the docks is a floating dock which rises up and down with the tides. floating docks are cheaper to build. the other dock is fixed. at the end of that dock is the fuel station and the pump out stations (boat poo). there is also another fixed dock near the bridge for overflow...i guess when we're full. there are about 170 boat slips all together. the new owners have finally agreed that we will have a golf cart to run up and down the docks. it was either that or a bike. i really don't know which one seems more frightening. i heard the other day that they're taking bets on how long it takes ruth to run the golf cart off the end of the dock and into the river. that's really not funny.

the yellow building on the left is now twice as big. our new offices, new marine and gift store, laundry facilities, showers and bathrooms are on the ground floor. the super duper boater's lounge with a wrap around porch is on the second floor.

the mooring field is still out there to the south. people have been calling and calling. "when are you going to re-open?" it's set to re-open next month.

if you form a tribe, you can share out the work and hence live more safely.

this is what i think about. have a purpose. be happy with yourself. work hard to help others.

we all need to try harder to be more tribal and less just "out for ourselves". try harder to treat others the way we want to be treated. try harder to overlook other's flaws and instead look for the good. try harder to stop rushing through life. think less about impressing others and more about being unexpectedly kind and loving.

try harder to live each day knowing that you won't have to look back with regrets.

from new album

something not often seen on the beach.... "what is a beach-turkey".

obsessed with recycling

for the past 35 or so years i have been a thrift/junk junkie, a roadside picker upper, a dumpster diver and a finder's keeper. all day auctions were one of my favorite pastimes. my best auction find was an old upholstered victorian sofa for $1. no one else wanted it. i always furnished my apts and houses with auction stuff, sometimes even with some fairly valuable antiques which i have now given away or sold....and sold for way more than i would have ever paid for them.
one of my favorite books that i bought used in the 70's was called "how to live on nothing". it's still very interesting.
i remember even back in the early 70's i shopped at goodwill and drove $100 cars.
when i found out that i was going to be a momma i immediately hit the thrift stores, finding brand new onesies, little tiny overalls and sweaters, blankets and toys all for a quarter here and fifty cents there. by the time josh came into the world i had an entire baby layout, everything i needed, fit for a prince..probably spent less than $25. it was fun.
as josh and laura grew into little people i'd pile them in the car and we'd go to auctions or on big trash day and we'd scour the local neighborhoods for free toys and playthings. sometimes i'd go by myself and pick up stuff for their birthday presents. little did they know and nor did they care that it was all free.
even that red fire truck, that big wheel and laura's first tricycle which i painted and put new handbars on.... free from the curb.
i'm thinking about this now because it all seemed like such an easy way to live without ever putting any kind of strain on the household income... like there was no need to ever worry about money or how much we had since we really didn't need that much. i had a garden, i grew food, i made all the baby food and of course there was always free baby's milk ala mom.
unfortunately sometimes during your life it seems like you sometimes get caught up in the way other people live and i guess it can be sort of contagious... like mall shopping, big house in suburbia and all that just because... you do. surely it's to impress people. i don't know any other reason why.

lately i been thinking about this way of living. i've been thinking about how to grow old gracefully and not have to worry about money in my old age and in fact i've happily become quite the dumpster diva once again. i have my moments still... those certain things that i just can't get used or free or those certain pleasantries that give me joy but all in all i think i've figured out a way to live on very little cash. i think this is a good way to live. i don't need much... well maybe new paints once a while, or new undies in february at the annual victoria secret sale.. you know.. that sort of thing.... and then of course there's the neck lift that i'll never get because it's so disgusting and expensive... oh well. they say that 56 is the new 26 or something like that. i feel like i did when i was 26 just a lot smarter and really...much happier. it's a good thing.... and yes i am full of myself today. heh heh.

so here in our little neighborhood as it turns out christmas time quite nice. the neighbors... well several of them so far... go door to door with little homemade baked good presents or some sort of thing... wishing each neighbor a happy holiday. it's very sweet and charming. i really like this little street we live on. it's close and comforting and the people here truly do care about each other. so for my little offering i've decided to re-landscape the piteful run down and ignored front entrance. it's not really a front entrance but more like a little planted area as you turn onto our road here. it looks like hell.. i don't think anyone has weeded it or done anything to it for many many years. i'm going down there this sunday morning very early before anyone gets up... with my garden tools, some flowers, some mulch, a rake and my weed eater and turn it into something a little nicer to look at. this will be my gift to my wonderful neighbors here on banyan tree drive.

toby's not very happy right now but little does she know.... she has her new lens and soon she'll be as good as new... well.. not really as good as new but as good as it can get with one good eye. she hates this collar! she has to wear it for 3 weeks.

saw this yesterday morning from my kitchen window. it was so beautiful that i had to run outside in my pj's with my camera to capture the moment.

we had to submit a picture for the annual conrad christmas calendar so john and i (and tobysue) stood out on the driveway looking ridiculous while my camera, which was across the road in the bushes on self timer, took our picture.

i think i'm finished with christmas presents. sadly the present i got for john, a nuvi gps for his car, has already been opened since he came home the other day from shopping for himself with the same thing i got him for christmas. i had to give him my present and he took the other one back. i didn't make much this year in the way of presents. i did make one drawing though which actually started out as a doodle on a piece of printer paper and then turned into something i think is quite nice if i do say so myself. i took it to kinko's, copied it onto some better paper and now it's going to it's new owner for christmas.

been trying to take of loose ends before the end of the year. i've gotten my wellness checkup, annual blood tests, my girly doctor visit and today i'm going to the eye doctor, hopefully to get some progressive lens eye glasses so i'll be able to see when i go back to work next month. i also need some really good polarized sunglasses, the kind you can sit on, drop and step on and they don't break, if there is such a thing.

i'm still trying to work off the flab i acquired over the summer due to the fact that it was just so unbearably hot out there at the marina and all i basically did was waste the entire summer hugging the a.c. unit in the cabin of our boat. i really hate wasting time like that. the flab is starting to disappear. i can see my muscles again finally. i've decided that when you get out of shape you're much more likely to get into a big ugly funk and your mental state gets really crappy.

we'll be leaving for n.j. in about 2 weeks, flying from west palm, stopping in atlanta where laura and moe will get on the flight with us to philly. it's so much fun. laura always sits next to me and makes fun of my wrinkles and my hair. after that she falls asleep with her head on my shoulder. this year i'm bringing my own blanket since i learned the hard way last time i flew that the airlines don't have blankets anymore. i even begged the flight attendant for a blanket but they said only 1st class gets blankets now. if john hadn't been with me i would have gone up to 1st class and snatched one off of somebody.

we're supposed to go skiing after christmas. this will be interesting since i haven't skied in several many decades.

last time i skied i fell off the ski lift chair.

hot damn.

eerily resembling a rather accurate model of a drug fried brain...

it's actually my poor cake saver which became a sorry victim of my forgetfulness. of course we all know it's never a good idea to store a plastic cake saver in the oven (because you don't know where else to put it at the time) and then turn the oven on to 450.. with the cake saver still in the oven. oh and also.. it does start on fire.. with flames and smoke and fills the house with lots of very bad smells. i'm thinking of using my fried brain cake saver as some sort of yard art.
on a more mature note, i have been told that i will be meeting with the new marina owners sometime after the holidays to discuss my job description, salary and.. stuff. also i know they're sending someone in to teach me the new marina management software program. i have a fear of this new program.. not the accounting and billing end but the "reservations" which i've never had to do before. it's basically a huge fear of "making the reservation but not actually holding the reservation" and having lots of angry people screaming at me and calling me ugly names. i can only hope that the software instructor is extremely patient.
back at the home front it's been about 6 weeks now since we moved into our new digs. i still think this place was an amazing made-for-me gift from above somehow mysteriously and magically dropped into my lap. too bad i'm not a writer. this would be a great place for someone to write a novel. it feels like a retreat here surrounded by inspiration and good karma.

local news here in martin county

florida power & light is going to build the world's 1st hybrid solar power facility right here in martin county starting next year...and they plan to build several more.

it's about time. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/a-solar-boost-for-the-sunshine-state/

i contacted the local residential solar contractor about turning this little cottage into a self sufficient solar photovoltaic power plant paid for by a grant from the florida dep. haven't heard back from them yet. these people are hard to get a hold of. the state's allotment is limited, i think the money for 2009 has already been exhausted so either way it's time to get the ball rolling and hopefully i can get a rebate application in for the first-come-first-serve 2010 allotment.

it seems silly to pay monthly electric bills in the sunshine state.

this is really good. penne tuscana with spinach. it's cheap, healthy and takes less than 30 minutes to make. this is enough for 2 people.

1/2 cup e.v. olive oil

5 cloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped
2 teaspoons crushed rosemary
1/3 pound shitake mushrooms, stems removed or any kind of mushrooms (if mushrooms are dried, you have to soak them first in warm water)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces penne pasta, cooked al dente and drained
baby spinach, a couple of bunches or about 12 oz., heavy stems removed (you can also add radicchio if you want)
1 small red onion, peeled and wedged
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons fake butter
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted in the oven first, on a cookie tray at 350 for 10 min. if you feel like it. toasted nuts taste better.

you can spice it up with some red pepper flakes if you want. 1/8 t. or so.

first..start cooking penne pasta. cook al dente and drain. set aside.

heat up olive oil, add onion, garlic cloves and rosemary in large deep skillet, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, until garlic & onion are translucent, about 5 min.

stir in the mushrooms until tender about 2 min.

season with salt and pepper.

add pasta to skillet. cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes.

add spinach and parsley. cook quickly for a minute or two and stir until spinach is wilted. remove from heat.

add butter, pine nuts. toss gently to combine.

tranfer to serving platter and serve immediately or eat it out of the pot. add freshly grated parmesan if you want.

this is tobysue's new bunny. notice she has it's entire head in her big juicy mouth.

i bought this for her after i took her to the animal eye specialist yesterday for some very sad news. according to the opthamologist, she has optic neuritis in her left eye. it has caused the optic nerve to shrivel and die. there is no vision in that eye and there is no treatment for it. he didn't know why this happened. they call it idiopathic neuritis. her other eye has a big cataract and a loose lens. there is very little vision in that eye. basically toby is 80% blind right now. she can see lights but probably no detail, just fuzzy stuff. it's obvious though. she bumps into things alot and can't find her toys anymore unless talk to her and put them right in front of her face. she was very excited to get this new bunny but she didn't see it until i touched her face with it. then she did her crazy shake-the-toy dance and settled down on her blanket to suck on it for the rest of the day.

it was sort of a bad news day at the vets yesterday. i didn't expect to hear that. i just figured they could fix it, fix her blind eye. oh well, so much for being the eternal optimist. there is, however, a possibility that the cataract in the barely "good" eye can be removed giving toby a bit more vision in that eye, not a lot but at least enough to allow her to see somewhat, maybe a little more focus. i think i'm going to let them remove it. they also said they might be able to put a new lense in if the conditions allow it but they won't know until they actually get the eye opened up. the surgery isn't cheap, over $1000 but they have a payment plan with no interest...for people who love their dogs way too much if that's possible. the joy she's given us over the past 11 years is worth far more than any vet bill.

so..toby should be getting her cataract surgery in the next week or two. hopefully it will help a little.

it's so hard to watch her now, knowing that she's going blind. i feel very bad about the whole thing. i've been reading about the care of blind dogs and trying to figure out how to make the remainder of toby's life safe and happy. i talk to her a lot now so she's knows where i am and i'm trying to make the house safer for her. they say it's important not to move stuff around so they get used to where everything is. it's also obviously important to keep them on a leash or safely fenced whenever they're not in the house.

well... she's still has her grand sense of smell, very good hearing and she will turn her funny little head towards you when you speak and try to look at you with her barely good eye.

i guess as long as she can still run on the beach with her silly boston terrier joyfulness and suck on stinky fleecy bunnies she'll be alright. bless her sweet little heart. she could teach us all a few things about life.