2012: Week Four

Holding a petite, innocent, beautifully-constructed newborn in your arms fills the psyche with the amazing wonderment about how far each individual develops within an entire lifespan. Most every parent feels this way no matter what flag their child is wrapped in. My husband's great granddaughter shown here was born in my birth month that I share with both my paternal and maternal grandmothers. This year those ladies would have been ages 145 and 120 years old, respectively, had their cycle of life lasted longer. What wisdom could they have imparted to this brand new, precious life? Being born under the sign of the (water) Dragon myself, I feel a special affinity with this particular new year that began on the 23rd...yet I am unsure if I am of the Yin or Yang variety. One source tells me Yin while another completely refutes that and indicates Yang. Regardless, the pendulum of life swings back and forth, like a lullaby in diurnal motion, completing the cycle for generation: next.

Photo Credit:  Choo Yut Shing

©2012 Debbie Ballard (text only)

2012: Week Three

Wow! Wild Weather Week! First, moderate snowfall that was compacted down, followed by accumulative inches to feet of widespread snow, followed by freezing rain that created a thick, treacherous ice crust on top of the snow along with wind that broke weighted-down branches and trees on to homes, cars, power lines or just plain collapsed roofs, followed by the melt/thaw and a very, very slow clean up that hasn't even begun yet...sounds like the layers on an ice cream sundae, doesn't it?...some places look like absolute war zones...however, what I will take away from this experience was that nothing beat walking in fresh fallen snow at 4:30 in the morning for the insulation of absolute quiet with no airplanes flying over...sheer bliss...

Here's just a few of the memorable things that happened during the last 7 days :

Over 300,000+ households without power
All 3 runways shut down at Sea-Tac airport, hundreds of flights canceled
2317 car crashes within a 24-hour period
Tacoma Narrows bridge shut down for hours because of falling ice
More than one county or city spent half their snow budget on just this storm, alone...and that was before the end of it!

Here's some of the best videos I found on YouTube that best describe visually the greater Seattle area's 'La Nina winter fun' adventure:

P.S. As a VERY deep surprise I learned that one person was alive this week after not hearing from them or about them for almost 5 years and I learned that another became deceased after no contact for 41...talk about standing upon the extreme edges of life's spectrum-this week was definitely it!

© 2012 Debbie Ballard (text only, no videos)

Happy Birthday and RIP JP...January 19, 1952-May 13, 1976...may your favorite song and your sweet memory remain in our hearts forever...

2012: Week Two

Third week (and beyond) of the respiratory flu and still no end to coughing jags and exhaustion for me. Alas, this virus was not very conducive to celebrating my birthday or welcoming a first great-granddaughter in to the world; both momentous occasions, indeed! It seems as though everyone I talk to knows someone who has this 'bug' in varying stages. I did get out of the house more this week and in doing so I kept noticing one thing in particular: people totally engrossed in their smart phones. Mind you this was not while they were by themselves...oh no. This was in the full presence of family and loved ones at the breakfast, lunch or dinner table. I saw fathers completely (and I mean completely) ignore their children during the entire meal. I saw mothers get annoyed if their little ones interrupted their mesmerized gaze in to the lighted rectangle held within their hands. I saw a couple in jogging attire that never said one word to one another, but instead were captivated by whatever they were looking at on their respective phones. Just like internet addiction, one thing about smart phone junkies is that they forget that real people exist outside of some screen. Remember to interact with those real people in your life too, please. A little cold wind and the enchantment of snow at the end of this week solidified this image in to my psyche.

©2012 Debbie Ballard                                                                                                                   

P.S. This week also made me think twice about ever wanting to take a cruise on a ship 3 football fields in length with a capacity to hold 4500 passengers. Keeling over at 90 degrees and going for an unexpected swim in frigid waters would not be my idea of fun. Is this a new feature of "all inclusive" I wonder?

Ode to Twinkie

***Please sing to the melody of 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'***

Twinkie, Twinkie:
little cake.
Hostess Cup Cakes:
no more bake.
Wonder bread, 

but most of all

I will miss the pink Sno Ball!

Twinkie, Twinkie,

won't you stay?

$$$ troubles,

GO AWAY!

Ho Hos, Ding Dongs,

Donettes, too...

all these gone 

will make folks blue!

Lunch will never be the same,

all because of corporate gain.

Hostess, Hostess

my oh my...

you now make us

cry and cry.

Zingers, Fruit Pies,

Suzy Qs...

all the flavors

and jobs, too!

Lost forever in U.S.

making economic mess!

Twinkie, Twinkie:

so, good bye...

I remember 

with a sigh.

©2012 Debbie Ballard

P.S. Unless you never roasted a Twinkie over a campfire, you've never lived.

2012: Week One

Nothing like waking up from a dream on New Year's Day in which accomplished actor, Robert De Niro, calls you on the phone to exclaim, "it sucks" in true NYC Shakespearean form! I soon began to realize that he was referring to the respiratory flu I have had since around December 23rd. Now I truly understand why Hugh Hefner wears pajamas all the time...they're damned comfortable when you feel like excrement! New Year's resolution to lose weight? Heck, you don't need one when you have this virus! Nothing like celebrating the New Year by going to bed at 8:30 at night and never to hear so much as a firecracker 3 1/2 hours later. While feeling my worst before retiring I contemplated that if my demise was upon me that many of my projects would be left unfinished for my family to unravel, hence my sole 2012 resolution: GIT 'ER DONE! I've been crossing off items on my bucket list ever since, thanks to a slow-moving Saturn and Neptune trine that I am told is formed about every 11 years. Ideas and visions implemented during this time period (approximately a month) will have positive and long-lasting results. So, a good time to clean up my act. Now, if only I could breathe without the hinderance of phlegm, have my normal energy back and be able to smell fragrances again, I might be able to call life good. In the meantime I'll spike my cup of hot black tea with cumin, cinnamon, honey, lemon juice and a jigger of rum!

©2012 Debbie Ballard

November deluge...

Wow! So much is going on this week it's literally flooding my senses. Ok, ok...I concede that because the Greater Seattle area of the Pacific NW is currently having the heaviest amount of rainfall it has seen since 2007, may just be a wee factor in influencing me. 

Batten down the hatches, because take a look at what transpires in less than one week in November 2011, alone:

Sun enters Sagittarius
48th JFK assassination anniversary
Airplane exodus (maybe, depending upon the weather)
Mercury Retrograde (oh brother, here we go again just in time for shopping)
Macy's Parade (maybe, depending upon the weather)
Thanksgiving dinner (serious food)
Football (snack food)
Movies (movie food)
Solar eclipse
Black Friday (buy, buy, buy...has anyone figured out how to be in 23 stores at once?)
Venus slides in to Capricorn

I may be all wet, but just thinking about all that makes me want to slip back under the covers to listen to the howling wind amid the torrential rain on the roof. Instead, I think I'll simply concentrate on what Thanksgiving really stands for, while enjoying the company of dear family and friends. How about you?

©2011 Debbie Ballard

Bittersweet

There once was a charming little downtown cafe that I adored for years, aptly named 'Bittersweet.' Unfortunately, its demise was prompted by relocation of the city's central hub and the economy, in that order.

One interior wall was original brick and was always dotted with framed creations from area artists. Its uneven texture created the perfect backdrop for ornately-carved and refurbished antique sideboards that always stood guard in front of it. These portly credenzas, consistently laden with ever-changing interesting artifacts, created perfect nooks and crannies throughout the room. At lunchtime conversations flourished across wooden tables stained to match; positive energy so very palpable at the noon hour. Each intimate unit's focal point contained a few sprigs of fresh seasonal flowers, which, by themselves warmed the soul immediately.

External window flower boxes held the latest season's floral treasures...always a feast for the eyes. During summer, they overlooked a small park of sidewalk tables and chairs shaded by huge umbrellas, extending the same inviting ambiance out in to the street. Sometimes these windows would be strewn with the magical atmosphere created by white twinkling lights under moonlight. Other times, hung from them,  wind chimes crafted of twisted silver forks and spoons indulged the melodic appetites of patrons.

Yes, their warm, frothy lattes,  homemade bread and thick clam chowder were absolutely delicious...but what I miss most of all was the absolutely perfect apple crisp of all time. It was the best I had ever had the pleasure of tasting...better than your Mother's or better than your Grandmother's recipe. The apples were sliced so thin and uniform which, in and of itself,  was enough to marvel at. But, coupled with it's aesthetic value was some sort of magic combination of just the right kind of sweet/tart apples, butter,  flour, sugars, cinnamon, oats and nuts baked to perfection and then all topped off by a dreamy dollop of cold, homemade whipped cream...well, whatever culinary expertise was used to create it,  it was simply and utterly superb in every way imaginable.

Bittersweet, indeed, now that I can only rely on memory to remind me that such a splendid quaint restaurant existed...whose legendary essence, at least, still lives on.

 ©2011 Debbie Ballard

Les Feuilles Mortes

Walking betwixt the cascading rain of assorted hues that only a brisk Fall day can conjure, I can't help but lament of other Autumns past. Frosty days that were painted with the colors of mahogany, crimson, copper and goldenrod..falling leaves all accomplishing their last floating-dance-on-the-wind to terra firma.  Busy were the rotund bushy-tailed squirrels hiding away their found acorn treasures, while I admired the shape of a leaf gifted from the same oak tree. Raked in to a funeral pyre, the shin-deep demise of the leaves do bequeath one last contribution, though: the much-anticipated smoky aroma of the season. In this magical transition, nature inspires us by taking pause; seen oh so clearly through the rolling fog.

 ©2011 Debbie Ballard

New Moon Revelations

New Moon (Sun conjunct Moon) in the cardinal sign of Libra at 4 degrees, opposing Uranus in the cardinal sign of Aires at 2 degrees and squaring Pluto in the cardinal sign of Capricorn at 4 degrees. Not to mention a stellium line-up in Libra (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus & Saturn.) Also,  Mars at 5 degrees of Leo sextile Mercury at 2 degrees of Libra and trine the Uranus position, too. Mars is also squaring Jupiter in 9 degrees of Taurus and Pluto is in trine with that Jupiter. Lining up with the galactic center is no small feat, either. Talk about loaded!

Some major points in my natal chart were abruptly influenced by these specific transits today and basically caused me to come to some instantaneous conclusions. Although these astrological configurations are not all sweetness and light, their delivered earthquake-like jolt at lightning speed today awakened me to a renewed and focused sense of purpose...it is now time for me to conduct the sojourn down the path that has been designed for my very own spirit-soul...revolutionary vision to say the least...BRING IT ON!

©2011 Debbie Ballard

How sweet it is

Once, many years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend an exhibition of a famous calligrapher at the Frye art museum in Seattle.   Her personal signature defined her work from all others by incorporating a gilded rendering of a honeybee somewhere within her alpha creations.  Once an admirer of her craftsmanship knew this, it became a fun adventure to discover this symbol within her many works of art.
Within ‘The Healing Powers’ series of books by author and fellow intuitive, Cal Orey, there is also a very unique and distinctive signature.   She skillfully interweaves an ornate combination of history & facts, myths & legends, remedies & recipes, stories & personal accounts in all of her works of literary art. Her latest contribution, ‘The Healing Powers of Honey’ is no exception and is completely dripping in the natural sweetness of this fascinating subject.

Again, it all boils down to discovery…
…starting with the first time you may have had the pleasure to drizzle this sweet nectar directly on to your tongue…
…or by spreading the whipped version across a warm piece of crunchy toast…
…or by sipping this elixir straight from its natural container and then chewing on the wax of the honeycomb…

There are thousands of things to discover about the goodness of this gift of nature within Cal’s honey book, where she leaves no hive undetected. While reading it, I stirred some fireweed honey in to a cup of hot jasmine tea, lingering for a moment within the steam of their coalesced fragrances to marvel at how the average worker honeybee makes only 1/12 teaspoon of honey in its LIFETIME! Not only that, but, in order to make a mere pound of honey, bees have to visit at least 2 million flowers! Talk about sweet indulgence! This is something I wouldn’t have known had it not been for Cal’s extensive research and it quite literally shocked me as if I had been stung by a bee. I realized at that very moment how much I had taken the magical ingredient of honey for granted and, at the same time gave me a new appreciation for the meaning of my first name, which happens to be ‘bee.’

From the famed beautifying milk and honey baths of Cleopatra, to the warm ambience glow of beeswax candles, to the unique healing power of Manuka honey, to the varietal flavors of honey from different flowers…the discovery located within the pages of Cal’s new book is an adventure in pure honey bliss!
Cal’s book release coincides with National Honey month, is published by Kensington and is available, not only through them, but also in paperback or e-book format from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

To learn more about Cal Orey and her extensive world of wonderful writing go to her website:
http://www.calorey.com/

©2011 Debbie Ballard

Never forget...

For me, the date of September 11th used to represent the day my father celebrated his birthday, but all that changed in an instant 10 years ago. I'm, at least, thankful that he didn't live long enough to witness this one poignantly horrific event in history that forever changed those who did.

These immoral attacks on civility spurned just the opposite reaction than was probably intended by such drastic actions. They not only unified my country's populace at the time, but also created a solidarity between the 93 nations that also suffered a prolific commonality of loss. All precious persons who unwittingly became victims of circumstance and infamy because of these events were loved by someone, somewhere.

Conversely, the heroism, bravery and selflessness displayed in a multitude of immeasurable ways will fill a lifetime's worth of books, film, photographs, recordings and memories. People giving to complete strangers in their time of need brings us back to the humanity that should exist within all of us; stories so compelling that imagination pales in comparison to their reality.

That one morning in time was not the only example of man's inhumanity to man that has ever existed, but what it taught me, personally, was: to never take anything...or anyone...for granted.

©2011 Debbie Ballard

Back to Cool

Mercury retrograde always provides ample fodder for the 'why did I do that?' file. Take, for instance, these examples sent to me via email from friends during the most recent MR:

Tried to start my car this morning by putting the key in the seat belt slot.

I was going to put a pre-written $99 check in a door payment slot, but I almost inserted a $20 bill instead.

Sorting through my car's glove compartment looking for an important paper only to locate it 10 minutes later in my mouth where I was temporarily holding it while searching.

I was using a hair dryer but noticed my hair wasn't getting dry. Then I looked in the mirror. It helps to point the device towards your head instead of away from it.

Never wrap your 'popped-off' molar crown in a tissue and then just stuff it in your purse...because sooner or later you will clean out your purse and think the tissue is used and without thinking you'll discard it.

That, in fact, should be the buzz word for Mercury retrograde: WITHOUT THINKING!

By far, the most frustrating part of this particular MR for me was the 'dreaded computer dilema.' That's code for "please, just shoot me." My nearly 2-year-old netbook got a virus and over the course of a week decided to eventually give up the ghost. Of course stuff like this only happens to me when I have no funds to buy another outright. Since my connection to the internet was also embedded in this device, so too did my ability to access the web, die. So I frantically drive to my internet provider store to see if they can transfer my 2 remaining months under contract with them to a different computer. Pretty simple, eh? NOT! All they want to do is 'upgrade me', thus creating a totally new 2-year contract that I didn't want or need. By the way, since my provider no longer provides 'unlimited' monthly access I would be paying up the Yin-Yang from now until eternity for the amount I formerly used. WHAT? Perish the thought. Read my lips; that isn't what I asked for.

So I packed up my beleaguered puter and my meager budget and set out on uncharted waters. I promptly traveled to another internet provider store and within 10 minutes had a 3G/4G- capable USB plug-in antenna with UNLIMITED access. Take THAT former internet provider customer service!

Feeling a sense of relief was only temporary, though, as I went home to resuscitate 1 of 2 other laptops that were, heretofore, declared deceased by 2 highly-trained computer professionals that specialize in diagnosing the 'dead.' Somehow I was able to resurrect one but my fingers are crossed. For some reason the letter 'L' on the keyboard is slightly higher than the rest of the keys so if I don't hold my hands just so over it lthen llllllllllllllllll my ltyping wouldl lin all actualllity loolk like thisl! After playing musical chairs with the 3 laptops I owned, plus 2 I didn't and many hours of troubleshooting interspersed with very colorful language that only drunken sailors use...I finally have a system that works (I think)...

Never a dulll moment with Merclury reltroglrade!

©2011 Debbie Ballard

In Memoriam...

Christine was a force of nature, and she would be the first to tell you so! Her ‘midas touch’ talents were all over the board, but I guess the best way to describe her in merely two words would be ‘creative entrepreneur.’ She was an amazing psychic, artist, reiki master, E-bay seller, event coordinator, hypnotist and business woman…and these are but a few of the details I knew about her. She designed her own tarot deck, had her own belly dancing troupe and became a staunch proponent of raw foods. Most of the drawings she rendered of angels and guides were beautifully ethereal in quality. The walking sticks and wands that she fashioned seemed to have come straight from the healing wisdom of a native Shaman. To say the costuming she designed was acquired from the fantasy of her dreams does not do it justice, because merely by seeing them alone, places the viewer in another time and place. I remember she had a lot of Pisces and Taurus in her astrological chart, which explained very succinctly to me how being a commercial intuitive while driving a Mercedes with your beloved pet in your lap could fit together, hand in hand, so well. Although I did not totally agree with all of her lifestyle, we were both born in the same year, so to some extent we viewed the world through the same eyes. I know for a fact that this lady lived her entire life with sheer and complete gusto and I can’t even fathom that she would have ever looked over her shoulder with regret saying, “would have, should have, could have.” I am both shocked and saddened by her untimely passing. The tiny perfume bottle made from a real seashell and silver I purchased from her belly dancing treasure trove is now even more precious to me. All I know for sure is that the heavens will be dimmer tonight, now that her star no longer shines in the sky.

RIP, Christine D. Winters. Dream sweet.

©2011 Debbie Ballard

Bye Bye Borders Babes

We'd meet at Borders Books on most Friday nights, single ladies all. Originally we thought of this rendez-vous point as an alternative from meeting the opposite sex in less desirable drinking establishments. We'd saunter in like literary Ya Ya Sisters in all our ladies' night out finery, stake out a table for 4, 6 or 8 and greet each other with the kind of heartfelt hugs that only women can give one another. Later, while sipping on lattes or mochas or chai teas, we'd flip the pages of an interesting magazine or share the latest contents of a book that we had discovered within the stacks. Mind you, while perusing, we'd forever be keeping an eye out for buried treasure between the isles in the form of eligible intellectual males. Alas, this was never to be, but we definitely enjoyed each others' company and whatever entertainment that was provided starting promptly at 7 pm. What transpired in the lives of each of us during the week was most often revealed in a soiree of juicy gossip disguised as conversation. Our souls were laid bare to one another at times, but for the most part, it was the sheer laughter and wit that I will remember most about our solidarity gatherings. A toast to you, ladies, for caring to share your glorious essences. Some of us moved away, some of us married, some of us found life in a different direction, and sadness now reigns since all Borders bookstores shall close, not allowing us to ever have a reunion within their walls again. Instead, we shall have to affectionately commit to memory how we collectively, if only for a moment in time, were the one and only indelible Borders Babes.

©2011 Debbie Ballard

Full circle

Before the Spirograph, there was the Magic Designer, and before the Magic Designer there was the Hoot-Nanny. As a 7 or 8-year-old child I spent many an hour playing with this fascinating mechanical toy that created infinite designs based upon angles and their relationship to each other. Later on as a teenager, I would use 33 LP albums and 45 singles records as templates to develop colorfully intertwined design art incorporating names of young dating teens. I presented the finished creations to these couples as gifts. I often am curious as to how many of them have survived and are still out there. Later still, as the Assistant Children's Librarian in my home town, I submitted this same kind of circular drawing, but with an inter-changeable middle for a permanently displayed 'riddle of the week' poster. At the time, I thought this was a good way to 'break the ice' so that children who may have been too shy or fearful to approach a librarian to ask questions could do so on their terms. At the grand opening of the library's new location, a larger version of this same 'artwork in the round' hung behind the check-out counter. Obviously, because of it's placement, no patron could miss seeing it, so it afforded me some very lucrative private commissions from interested parties. Having studied astrology for 45 years, which also uses a circular wheel and relationships between angles, I find it rather fascinating that circles have always been an integral part of my life in some way. Fifty years later, I just bought the Hoot-Nanny pictured because it was such a beloved 'toy' when I was young. Nostalgic as it is, undoubtedly, this makes we wonder what's next in the intricately-patterned cycle of life in the round.

Copyright 2011 Debbie Ballard

Subconscious

Had it not been for getting a new phone I would have never known about this gem of a sultry, steamy, scintillating song by Samantha James...absolutely perfect for the Summer Solstice. At the point that a melody or lyrics captures my interest, often times I will listen to it over and over again, taking in all the melodic flavors, layer upon layer...and THIS one is absolutely 'creme de la creme.' Combined with dreamy, soulmate-descriptive lyrics, James resonates the fine-tuned vibrational harmonics that crescendo between two great souls, and places them deep inside one's heart in true poetic form. My gosh, this is all-around one heck of a compelling dance track for your spirit!


This song is rated FIVE 'OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD' STARS

(By the way, the entire album sounds absolutely professionally delicious and is something that is well worth the price...check out 'Waves of Change' for another mesmerizing experience)

Listen to the 'Subconscious' track here:

http://youtu.be/twUEZSgwpOw

'Subconscious' can be found, appropriately, on the OM Records label:

http://www.om-records.com/artists/72-samantha-james

Picture Credit: Samantha James/OM Records

In plain sight

Look closely and you will find a Killdeer perched discreetly on a nest, in a median, in the middle of a busy strip mall, no less! It amazes me how these clever birds select not only high-traffic areas but ones directly on the ground. At first I wanted to post a sign so that their abode wouldn't be accidentally stepped on, but instead I just drive by every day to see if their little cozy habitat is still intact, and it is. At first I left some grains/seeds, but then with investigation found out that these are gourmet avian types who prefer insects. I decided to leave well enough alone and just observe, which was a better idea altogether. They come up with an ingenious way to divert anyone or anything that violates 'their space', anyway, which you can read about in a previous post from 2005 on this blog. Yes, it took 6 years before I saw another Killdeer! Both the male and female actively participate in the incubation of their young. Miracles of wonder exist all around us all the time, if we would but take the time to look to really see them...

Here's a video of these interesting little guys;

http://youtu.be/GLBCF0ypVD4

©2011 Debbie Ballard

Commencement

As I watched my youngest receive a diploma for a second discipline in college, my memory wafted back to my own high school graduation of 40 years ago. I couldn’t help thinking that ‘commencement’ is, indeed, an appropriate ceremonial label because it can be looked upon as either an ending or as a beginning, depending on one’s personal perspective. All those who have come this far to earn this honor are, at this moment, filled with exhilarating hopes and aspirations for their own respective futures. They have worked diligently to get to this point and they deserve our recognition and heartfelt congratulations for their splendid achievements.
There’s just one thing that’s really bothering me: the challenges this 2011 graduating class faces are nothing short of ENORMOUS.

Brave optimism, nevertheless, has to face this harsh reality of the world we live in head-on. Good, wishful intentions aside, this is going to take a lot of doggone hard work, ingenuity and resourcefulness. Sadly, I don’t think this will be easy as my dear graduate faces:

Unemployment hovering near double digits for the young and inexperienced (as well as, the older and experienced)

The dilemma of quality, affordable health care and the diminishing of needed pharmaceuticals that are produced

Catastrophic and deadly new microbes that are the result of mass production or chemical overuse without any oversight or inspection

Financial instability causing mass foreclosures of home ownership or businesses that fail (if they even had a chance to begin in the first place)

A crumbling, infra-structure in need of maintenance 2 years ago, let alone now

Increased costs for the essentials of daily living such as food and fuel

Severe reductions in necessary and altruistic services such as education, parks and recreation, mass transit, postal delivery, garbage collection, etc., etc., etc.

Catastrophic natural disasters of epidemic proportions: floods, fires, massive storms of destruction causing untold amounts of costs

Wars within our social structures we cannot afford and wars outside of our borders we cannot afford

Can the graduating class of 2011 stand up to all these severe challenges? They have no choice! Despite the current shaky circumstances, I dare predict that by going through these very impositions together, they will be stimulated into a new ‘call to action’…the foundation of which becomes rock-solid. I am undeniably confident in the belief of my graduate’s capability to capture the elusive wind of opportunity, and to pilot the course of life’s sailboat directly onto the much yearned-for and desired shore of success.

©2011 Debbie Ballard

Love it or leave it

It's all about the bean...

When you think about it, it’s all about the proverbial bean. Starting from it’s elegant genetic beginnings, to it’s pure environmental sustenance, to it’s careful curative roasting and finally to the manner in which it is brewed… all these steps encompass the journey that must be traveled in order for coffee to be presented for your mere indulgence.

For an everyday brew, my choice has long been Seattle’s Best Coffee, but this by no means is to say it is ‘ordinary.’ If you should desire supremely smooth flavor coupled with the perfect aromatic experience, then this ‘cup of Joe’ is for you. The marriage of these two sensations creates the sophisticated ambiance, of indeed, the perfect cup. It’s not caffeine that is producing such stimuli, but rather just one darn good cup of java! You could correctly call this the quintessential ‘ nectar of the Gods’ for the common man.

Speaking of the divine, when life calls for the extraordinary, I make a direct bee-line for the 52% Ephemere dark chocolate mocha at my local Dilettante café. If bliss could manifest itself, the point at which this exquisite elixir first contacts your taste buds would be the catalyst. Pure, unadulterated seduction it surely is. Caution: do not imbibe this concoction unless you want to experience uncomparable rapturous perfection that gently swirls your spirit high in to the ethereal realms.

Although I loved the smell of fresh-brewed percolated coffee in the morning when I was young, it wasn’t until I was the ripe old age of 28 that I actually partook of the beverage. A sipping pleasure located somewhere between conversation and inspiration is relatively the norm now. I do like to think that as I have matured and gained wisdom over time, so too, has my aquired taste developed in to the wondrous domain of novice coffee aficionado that I have become today. The genie is now out of the magic lamp. Simple pleasures are, most often times, the very best.

©2011 Debbie Ballard

Wow, time flies

Here's a picture of me from 30 years ago...the wind in my hair, salt air in my nostrils, holding on for dear life to the railing during my first ferry ride across the Puget Sound...can you see the seagull gracefully floating behind and the Space Needle and Seattle skyline in the distance?

Even though 3 decades have passed, this plum has not turned in to a dried up old prune...mainly due to my odd sense of humor, I think. When you live the life that I lead it's better to laugh. I recently attended an informative 4-day astrological conference. During one of the lectures from a most beloved sage of a instructor, in order to demonstrate a point he blew bubbles...yep, the kind you were absolutely thrilled about when you were 5. These were special bubbles, though, because they refused to dissipate and lingered all around the room. Liquid plastic air sacs, anyone?

Later, while doing some research on Twitter, sheer providence brought me to a picture of those bubbles that had been taken by another attendee unbeknown to me. Included in the picture was the lower half of my body sitting attentively in a chair. I recognized myself because my feet were dangling in the sitting position because of my shorter stature. That should have been the focus, but unfortunately I was aghast that it was my bubble butt that would make me famous across all of Twitterdom and the world-wide web. Alas, I am now known for my substantial derriere throughout the entire known virtual universe. Nothing is forever? You wanna make a bet? And not even digitally enhanced! Move over Jennifer Lopez. Gives new meaning to that wonderful classical astrological book 'Born On A Rotten Day'...

©2011 Debbie Ballard