Tag: houston

Tiny Tuesday!

Since I’m unemployed, I stick to a budget, and when I do shop, I first try to support locally-owned businesses. I visited three of those recently (Cactus Music, Soundwaves, and Texas Art Supply).

As I was leaving the coloring book section at Texas Art Supply, I spotted these. I photographed them with a bottle of nail polish (clear, of course!) to show how tiny they are.


Just a couple of royals and a commoner and actor who married up and became mothers. At $1.99 each, I spend a lot more money and emotion on other stuff (like art supplies, music, and books–and boy, do I miss the two Half Price Books storefronts in my old shopping ‘hoods).

LOL, I cut off the rest of my post, so ETA: I DID have paper dolls when I was a kid, and I remember two sets in particular. I’ve looked on eBay through the years to see if anyone else has ever listed them. I probably wouldn’t buy them, but I’d like to see them again, just because they stick in my memory.

I also had a set of Colorforms (or maybe Colorforms knockoffs) that I’ve also never seen listed.

I know all of this stuff is out there. It always is.

Hurricane preparedness

From the time we were flooded by Harvey, downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm, but still deadly and destructive for Houston in 2017, we began making conscious choices about how to lessen the impact on our home should we flood again. The floors that were the least affected were tiled, so our contractor tiled the entire house. The office floor was raised, and the floor-to-ceiling windows were replaced by dry wall, regular windows, and raised electrical outlets (all permitted and inspected by the city of Houston!). The furniture we bought to replace our destroyed furnishings tends to have metal legs and be raised higher off the floor. There is no longer anything stored under our beds. All but two of the closets either have items raised off the floor or protected in plastic bins. Things on lower bookshelves are either binned or easy to move up.

This week, I tackled one of the remaining closets. It’s in the smaller guest room–the one that provided my writing sanctuary since April of 2020. What it contained included paper records, equipment, and items relating to a business I maintained from 1997 to around 2007. I always dislike saying I’m a licensed massage therapist, because it seems to invite ignorant remarks that are without any humor or value to someone who knows that massage is a healthcare profession. Licensing requires training, state testing, and yearly continuing education courses. This year, CE included a mandatory course in human trafficking. Sometimes a massage therapist is the first safe contact for someone being exploited in this way and can provide confidential listening or contact information for agencies that may help a victim.

Those jokes aren’t so funny in light of that, are they?

Though I stay active as a LMT, and I have practiced in the distant past, the main reason I became certified (in the old days), licensed (current day), is because in the state of Texas, to do the work I really wanted to do, including aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, or spa therapy, massage school was a required first step. My massage table and chair were destroyed in the flood. I only used the chair when I did corporate massages, and since I don’t massage anymore, I didn’t replace it. However, I replaced the massage table. I’d intended to begin accepting clients again for the particular modality I invented that includes aromatherapy, crystal and stone therapy, and Reiki (I’m certified in second degree). When I was laid off, I would finally have had the time to do that, but we were in a pandemic, so that clearly wasn’t going to happen.

While the day may come when I would do the work for friends, and while I’ll always renew my license, I doubt this will ever be a business venture for me again. With that in mind, I purged my records of about ten inches of paperwork and reorganized the closet to be more flood-proof.

It was bittersweet looking through my old client files (if you were a client, know your file will be professionally shredded while Tom watches that process). I was reminded of many wonderful and strange times, of people who’ve come and gone. One of the first people I ever did energy work on was a friend who died of AIDS. That led me to teachers and practitioners even before I went to massage school. I had hoped to work with others impacted by HIV/AIDS, and there were a few.

I also found the records of work I did on my mother, and an oil I’d blended for her that Lindsey massaged into her feet while Mother was in hospice only a few days before her death.

Those kinds of comfort through touch also show why the “jokes” aren’t funny.

The sun tea light candle burner above is one of the items I found among the boxes in the closet. I’ll probably share other things on here with maybe some stories that won’t violate anyone’s privacy and will protect their identity.

Those were years of many things learned and explored, and I’m glad for all of them.

Jump!

Might as well.

Last night’s efforts paid off. I slept 11 hours, and it was bliss. I did wake up a few times, but each time, I was able to get back to sleep. Woke up at 9:30 feeling rejuvenated! Gotta try to keep this up.


Made myself a great brunch later. Burritos built with eggs, sautéed mushrooms, and a little mozzarella cheese melted in. Served with cold water and apple and peach slices.


Recently scored this amazing box set at Cactus Music. Brand new CDs of Van Halen’s self-titled debut along with Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down, and 1984? COUNT ME IN.

Got all six in the CD player now in no particular order. I may have to turn down the volume a little when I start editing the second book in the Neverending Saga, but for right now, they are BLARING. Dogs are sleeping through it (must be the heat).

Hoping for some Zzzzzz

I keep up monthly with good New and Full Moon information on Body Mind and Soul’s Instagram account. Kevin offers a wealth of information in his videos, and all it takes is a little time to watch and listen. It’s particularly fun when your birth sign is involved.

I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping full nights, and Kevin says rose quartz, blue lace agate, and amethyst will help, as well as hematite to quiet a chattering mind.

Here’s hoping!

Whatever Wednesday

Haven’t been feeling so great the last few days, but this morning I was up and had paid some bills, done a little housekeeping, and showered, shampooed, etc. and was out the door by 8:30.

I almost never hear my iTunes catalog because I play different music at home. Let’s acknowledge it; for 14 months, it’s been a lot of home for me. So it’s fun to see what will come up as I’m driving. Looking at my display as I drove, I decided my music makes me seem like I’m living in the past, but there are SO MANY pasts represented.

Here you go. Don’t mind the dust. The car has been collecting that shit for the same 14 months.


79. “Jessica” by the Allman Brothers Band. I have three sisters in a planned novel who are named for ABB songs by their father. I went a while without wanting to hear ABB but I rediscovered them along about 2016 and now they stay in regular rotation.

80. “Easy to Be Hard” by Three Dog Night. Oh, the stories I could tell. In my memoirs…

81. “More Than This.” The boyfriend who introduced me to Roxy Music is decades gone. The music remains. That worked out for the best.

82. “Dancin’ Across the USA” by Lindsey Buckingham. Between his guitar, his voice, and his lyrics/music, there’s nothing of his I don’t enjoy hearing. I think this might have been the flip side to “Holiday Road” from National Lampoon’s 1983 film Vacation.

83. “Where Were You When I Needed You” by the Grass Roots. Another chapter for the memoirs.

84. The Grass Roots again with “Lovin’ Things.”

85. WHAT WAS IT? If I think about it, I may remember. Because I know something split up this rash of Grass Roots songs.

86. Back with the Grass Roots’ “Walkin’ Through the Country.” The stories Lynne could tell about Dennis Provisor and his… voice. =)

87. Mr. Bruce Springsteen with “Human Touch.” There are no bad Bruce Springsteen songs. I’d go all meme on you and say “Change my mind,” but you can’t.

88. “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” by Simon and Garfunkel. I wish I knew all the words to the descant.

89. “Little Bird” is a Dennis Wilson song recorded by the Beach Boys. Dennis Wilson is my forever muse.

90. The Grass Roots are being so pushy today! And reminding us “Let’s Live For Today,” and how I love to hear Warren Entner counting 1-2-3-4 and the lines he gets while (the late) Rob Grill sings lead. Teenage soundtrack.

91. “Give It Away,” a lesson about generosity from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Always loved this band. Recently, I’ve been checking out some of Flea’s posts on Instagram. Liking him.

92. “Ain’t No Sunshine” is a great Bill Withers classic. My version here is by the Neville Brothers. Outstanding.

93. Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America.” A band I listened to a lot with a different boyfriend from the one referenced in 81. Keeping the band and losing the guy was me dodging a bullet. Could have ended up meaning that literally.

94. This is George Harrison’s version of the Bob Dylan song “If Not For You.” There is NO DAY that won’t be better for me if it involves music from either one of these artists. Coincidentally, one of my characters feels the same way.

95. “Running On Empty” by one of my favorite singer/songwriters Jackson Browne. The guy who introduced me to Jackson Browne for the first time still shows up in my blog comments occasionally. Whatever else transpired between us in our long, strange trip of a friendship, I’ll always be grateful about the Jackson Browne thing.

I’m thinking the missing No. 85 was George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord,” because I know that was playing while I was watching train cars roll by. Why is it when you’re in a hurry, a train is THE WORST, but when you’re running errands and loving your music, a train and its graffiti are a little bit amazing?

I am here for the everywhere-ness of art.

ETA: I AM WRONG. “My Sweet Lord” played while I was watching the train, but that was later. The song at No. 85 was Collective Soul’s “The World I Know.” Saw them in concert with Tom and Lynne in 1994 at the Summit when they opened for Aerosmith. My memory has served me well today. Now I’m going to write.