Uncle Remus

I caught some flack about a post I put on Fb about wanting a copy of Tar Baby.  I wanted to talk more about that.  A friend of mine suggested that we go to the Uncle Remus Museum.  We went to Flannery O'Conner's place together a few months ago, remember? 

So, we pulled up and I didn't really know what to expect as Uncle Remus is a fictional character.  There was a statue of Brer Rabbit on the lawn.  We made our way down the path to the heavy hand honed front door.  It creeked open and a lovely lady welcomed us in and began to tell us about the building.  It used to be slave quarters around 1860.  It was 2 buildings that were put together to make one.  The original quarters were very small.  There were various tools, shadow boxes and period items in the house, but the story the woman tells is a lesson every one should know. 

Joel Chandler Harris was the son of a Plantation owner with many slaves.  Joel played with the slave children and were friends with them which made him privy to the stories that thier parents passed down to them.  There was always a lesson to be learned.  These stories stayed with Joel Chandler Harris all of his life until adulthood.  Having never come across these stories in his well read life, he knew they should always be preserved as each story taught valuable lessons to children.  Joel Chandler Harris also knew that these stories shouldand could not be told by a white skinned man.  He invented Uncle Remus a wise, old, soft spoken black skinned man as the character of the story teller.  This was so touching to me that he was so insightful.

The story of Tar Baby is a sticky baby made of tar type sticky stuff.  A fake baby, a decoy so Brer Fox could Catch Brer Rabbit.  He knew Brer rabbit would get all tangled up and stuck to the fake baby made of tar that he would be easy to catch.  I just don't see anything racist at all about his method of catching his enemy. 

As I read up on the situation I seem to have gotten myself into, I found more facinating facts about this.  The same story was told all over the world during early days 1800's.  This was even more important that slaves were telling stories from around the world to the children.  You can't keep education down no matter what you do.  That makes me happy. 

In India the story was told to discourage greed.  They believe restraint from picking up things one is simply attracted to is when enlightenment can be achieved.  In another circumstance the tar was used to slow down monkeys who were thieves.  with sticky hands they  could not escape with the goods quickly.

That is not to say that these Uncle Remus stories are not extreme and violent as many childrens tales were before hollywood tamed them down.  That is what makes these stories truly classics.  They are in the broken english he first heard them in and the survival aspect was left in each story.  So,  It was in this spirit that I wanted Tar Baby.  I am not interested in the watered down hollywood version of Song of the South.

And that's all I have to say about that.
TTFN~

tore up from the floor up

Hi,
just a lil' note to say the no smoking is going well.  It is later in the morning each day before i think of them.  I also had Michael and Innis up for a few days to install my new oak laminate floors.  I am so happy about it.  I have wanted this for years and they look GREAT!  The pic is on my FB page if you wanna see it.  I am sure i will post more here later after everything is back in place.  It sure is dusty from tearing the carpet up and lots of sawdust was still on the subfloor from when the house was built. Anyway, what I am saying is, it is a mess! 
I put out my hummingbird feeders and the traffic is a little slow but, I am hoping it will pick up.  That is it for now.  It is late and I am pooped.
TTFN~

smokless girl 15

Today is day 15 without cigarettes.  I have thought about them several times today and I just try to get busy for a few minutes until it passes.  Then I am glad I didn't tear open the EMERGENCY PACK.  Yes, I have an emergency pack.  Like I have said to my family and friends, I do not feel like a non-smoker, I am a person who hasn't smoked a cigarette in 15 days. 
I went out to eat twice today.  I did have some green juice too.  I had my favorite awesome french toast stuffed with cream cheese, blueberries and strawberries for breakfast.  It is to DIE for. 
Then we went to Sam's Club and bought new flooring for my house.  I am so happy because my carpet is 10 years old and I hated it 10 years ago when it was new.  Then we went to lunch I had green beans, sweet potato and 4 bites of lean roast beef.
At sam's I also stocked up on new produce for my juicing next week.  I was proud of  Russ for the low sodium turkey breast and plums he bought for his lunch next week.  He will also be having LOTS of tomato sandwiches as we are drowning in tomatoes and Jalepeno peppers.
That reminds me my friend Hollis came over and went swimming yesterday and I forgot to send a bag of veggies home with her.  She is supposed to come again next week with her sister, I'll have to remember then.  

Jonathan said he had a triathlete practice today and did very well.  I am excited because he will be in his second FULL IRONMAN in Panama City Beach in November.  I can not wait.  I have my condo on the beach already booked.    I hope i still feel this good when the time rolls around.  My little baby will be 30 years old in a week.  Time flies when you're having a Blast.

TTFN~

Hi, It's me again. Lady Baglady

                                                                  Apply Paddles

                                                  (here)                &                    (here)

                                                                    CLEAR!

                                          ^^^^^  we have a heart beat!  This blog is alive.

Hi, let me reintroduce myself.  I am a fatass, pottymouth, smoker staring 50 years old right in the face.  They say we live the first 40 years of our lives trying to kill ourselves and the next forty trying to save ourselves. 

On July 7, 2011 I smoked my last cigarette.  It hurt to even type that.  I do miss them very much, but as my story unfolds I hope it continues to give me power over the cravings.  I had been taking Chantix for a couple of weeks and my best friends mom had a heart stent on the 7th of july.  I woke on the 8th and decided to see how long I could go without smoking.   I made it through my coffee and morning routine and I made it through the next 3 days without telling anyone. 

My son Jon, posted a documentry online that he had watched.  Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead was the name of it.  I watched it and felt very inspired.  It was about juice fasting and how it totally changed the lives of these people.  I know of 4 people who have started juicing since he posted the link.  I thought I'd give it a try since I need something else to think about besides those DAMN cigarettes!  I bought 40 dollars worth of fresh produce and got Jon's Magic Bullet out.  I spend time washing and cutting my fruit and veggies for the bullet.  I love the fruity ones, they are sweet.  It seems like a treat.  Since you can not live on fruit alone I decided to have a sensible dinner everynight and juice my days.  After 3 days I got tired of it and wanted to quit.  What kept me at it is the fruit drinks are so good.  I tried to magic bullet broccoli and carrots with some apple and it was SO GROSS I poured it out.  I am still at a loss as to making the green stuff on my own that tastes good.

Russ and I went to Florida for 4 days I left the bullet at home (on purpose)  I had some fruit left so I DID take that with me.  I ate like a fat vacationing pig and by day 3, I was sick in bed.  Jon gave me permission to cheat at juicing because it keeps me from cheating at the no smoking.

When I returned back home I stocked up on produce again and started over.  This time the produce guy showed me some green juice that they sell in the produce section.  I read all of the vegetables in it and said okay I'll buy one.  I tried it and it is very good so when I went back they were on sale 2 for 1 because of the short shelf life.  WHOO-HOO something went my way economically on the crazy reboot fast.  I bought em' all. 
I hate to call it a fast because it makes it sound as if I am hungry and I am NOT.  To tell you the truth I am consuming massive anounts of raw fruit and vegetables.  I have been able to drink more vegetables in the last 5 days than I have eaten in 6 months.  Not to mention vegetables I would have NEVER have purchased before. 

My 3rd day back on the reboot.  It happened to me.  There was a clarity in my thoughts that had been missing for so long.  The pain in my knees had not reminded my to baby them.  I felt awake and ready to do just about any task, which rarely happens to me.  Those who know me know that I like to nap after all my children in the afternoon.  I have stopped napping!  It is like a light has come on.  You have aways heard "you are what you eat".   pffft - yea I thought it was just crap  too.  Here is another one garbage in = garbage out.    Jon said to me "you might as well be eating someone's shit because that is about as much nourishment you get from fast food"!  What an eye opener that was.  If you really think about the food that fills all of those isles in the middle of the store it is slowing us down and making us stupid. 

I can hardly believe the tiny bit of effort I have put into this and the retun I have gotten. It is really a reboot just as they said it would be.  This was just supposed to pass my time so I would not smoke and it has CHANGED MY LIFE!  I know that I will juice for the rest of my life. 

TTFN~
ta ta for now.

thanks for reading
Lady Baglady.

I have decided to come back here after years of being away.  I started this blog in 2006 and don't know if anyone I knew is still here, I hope I see some old friends and make new ones.