Someday...Somehow

You may or may not recall my saying that I would blog about Perky, the dog I most recently lost, within a few days of her death. Well, it obviously didn't happen. I wasn't ready to finalize her in that way...and I'm still not. The wounds have yet to heal...it's as though they are temporarily mended during the day time, but once again ripped open when darkness falls. I shed tears every night before I go to bed, reminded of the fact that I can no longer kiss Perky and tell her "Goodnight, Perky, ruvou, have a good shleep," before Dad puts her out to the backyard office, and her big comfy pillow, to go to bed.

I look at her picture on the fridge, one from 1991 or 1992 when she was young and lively, her eyes clear and twinkling, and recall all of the memories of her in our family. There are few, in fact, that don't include her existance in my life. I really do want to share those special memories and the qualities that made me love Perky so much, but I can't bring myself to do that yet.

I want to share in detail how Perky saved my life as a young child, how she would escape from the back yard and play games for us to catch her, and how, even in her unusually strong territorial traits, she once shared her back yard with two pet rabbits. One day (hopefully soon) I will tell these stories and immortalize her memory. For now, here's a photo of my dear family pet...

Garden Shop Fugitive

I brought my camera with me to Kearney today and stole a bunch of shots at Earl May's outdoor garden area...The shot below is one of my favorite photoshopped pics of the session. You can see some other shots that have been photoshopped here, and shots from today that have not been photoshopped here. Enjoy!

Update: I checked the links and they reroute to my main Buzznet page for some reason. If the same happens to you, don't be shy, navigate from there and do some exploring!

Shelly's Summer TV Guide

There are a lot of things I love about the summer season. The green landscapes, the big puffy clouds, flowers blooming, lounging in the sun, swimming in the back yard pool, and, of course, the summer television programs. I am a huge fan of television, and a firm believer that TV does not make people stupid sheep. I love my programs, and a lot of my favorite shows are aired in the summer months. In this blog I will summarize my favorite programs, as well as a couple that are new this season.

The 4400 on USA
A sci-fi/drama series that began as a miniseries in the summer of 2004, this show is about a group of 4400 people, all missing persons from as early as the 1940s, that appeared from a ball of light in 2004, exactly the age they were when they disappeared. These people were taken to the future, given unique capabilities, and sent back to 2004 in order to save the human race. Some of the featured 4400s include nine year-old Maia Skouris. Maia went missing in 1946, and manifested the power of clairvoyance upon her return. The little girl was adopted by agent Diana Skouris from NTAC, the agency that handles the 4400 phenomena.

Another featured character is Sean Farrell, nephew of agent Tom Baldwin, partner of Diana Skouris. Sean disappeared in 2001 while camping with his cousin. He is 19 years old and manifested the gift of healing, or harming with just a touch. Sean ran away from home after a series of mishaps surrounding his gift and joined the 4400 center, becoming it’s leader after the death of his mentor and fellow 4400, Jordan Collier.

Throughout the show, the main characters are followed in their individual situations, including the two NTAC agents. There is a constant mystery surrounding the reasons behind the 4400’s abilities, and much tension between the returnees and the rest of the world. Every episode answers some questions, but creates even more. It is all part of the journey to discover why the 4400 were returned.

The Dead Zone on USA
Another science-fiction and drama series, The Dead Zone is based on characters from the Stephen King book of the same name. Johnny Smith awoke from a six-year coma, the result of a car accident, with the ability to see the past or the future with simple touch. He also finds that his fiancé has moved on during his coma, marrying another man and raising the son she conceived with Johnny the night of the accident, as their own.

Johnny becomes a kind of reluctant hero, working to prevent the tragic futures he sees and saving lives with his gift. He does this with the help of his best friend and physical therapist Bruce Lewis, Sheriff and husband of his ex, Walt Bannerman, and Reverend and family friend, Gene Purdy. Along with the adventures of saving lives and changing the potential future, there is plenty of personal plot lines as well.

The big story that has followed the series since the very beginning is the impending apocalypse that Smith sees when he touches the corrupt senator, Greg Stillson. Johnny finds he can communicate with a survivor of this terrible future, Christopher Wey, a man that shares Johnny’s gift. More recently though, John has thrown away his cane, which links him to Wey, in hopes of changing the future without him.

Beginning it’s fifth season June 18, it took three seasons for John Smith to get over the loss of his fiancé, Sarah. His biological son Johnny, or JJ, finally knows the truth, and John has accepted his place in God’s plan as the reluctant psychic. John has had his share of love interests throughout the show, which makes for good television, and he has encountered another psychic or two along the way. Injected with a hint of witty humor, and always presenting a riveting story, and not to mention the consistently impressive acting, The Dead Zone is my favorite summer program.

Monk on USA
Monk could be described as a kind of mystery/comedy. The show’s title character, Adrian Monk is an obsessive compulsive detective who solves crimes with the help of his unusually meticulous observation skills, his friends from the precinct, and his personal assistant who always has wet naps handy. The comedy is in Monks many quirks which include a freakish need for exact order, perfect cleanliness, and multiple phobias.

Many episodes are purely and smartly comedic, but now and then there’s a plot that tugs on the heartstrings. The character of Monk is also a widower, and at times he encounters a situation relating to or reminding him of his late wife. Tony Shalhoub plays his leading character brilliantly and is backed up by talented co-stars. Another great program from the USA Network.

Psych on USA
Psych is a new comedy on the USA Network, that has yet to premier. The show is about a fake psychic and his best friend who fool the police into letting them help solve crimes with the aid of “psychic powers.”

From what I’ve seen in the ads, this new show looks pretty funny, and I plan to catch the premier. I think it’s interesting that the same network with a show about a reluctant psychic, a man that just wants to be normal, now has a program about a regular guy, pretending to be extraordinary. Now, that’s a network of diversity.

The Closer on TNT
The series starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson, was last summer’s number one new drama. Brenda Johnson is an amazing interrogator and the kind of person that gets straight to the point. It took a while for her new coworkers at the LAPD precinct to warm up to this strong and blunt character who has no problem putting people in their place, but her new position as Deputy Police Chief has proven successful.

Brenda has an interrogative talent that often leads to quick confessions, using her edge, wit, and attention to detail. We not only get to see her at work, but also at play, watching her new relationship unfold after a divorce that occurred at her old place of residence in Atlanta. Sedgwick’s award-winning portrayal of Brenda Johnson stands out with a Southern Accent, obviously a contrast to the speech of her LAPD colleagues, and has the unique ability to bark orders that end with a not-so-sweet thank you, and put those bad guys away, while keeping a clear image of femininity that doesn’t compromise her presence in the field.

This is a program that I had to warm up to. It took a few episodes to appreciate the leading character’s position, but now I really love her. The new season premiered on Monday, and it seems it hasn’t missed a step since last year. It’s good to see those strong female roles prove successful.

Saved on TNT
I didn’t even know about this drama until I saw a commercial just before it’s premier after The Closer. Saved is about an EMT with a gambling problem and whose father thinks he’s a loser because he didn’t finish medical school, yet still keeps a sense of humor about life and truly seems to enjoy his work.

We follow Wyatt Cole (Tom Everett Scott) and his paramedic partner “Sack” on the job, answering calls for help. Personal conversation also ensues between rescues. The show not only portrays Wyatt’s humanity as a paramedic, but uniquely gives a brief background of each emergency he answers to in a sort of quick collage.

I was impressed with the cinematic quality of the program as well as the believably developed characters and situations they encounter. I expect this show to do well in its position after The Closer, and I plan to keep watching it throughout the summer.


There you have it, friends, my guide to the best shows this summer, and I didn’t even include one from HBO! If you haven’t already, give these programs a try…you’re bound to like at least one of them.

Ick...

I wanted to post something good today, but my brain's not cooperating. I have a cold. My nose is stuffy, I have a cough, and I'm just plain tired. I hate this, especially in the current weather. I can't do the creative things that I want to perform so badly because my mind won't allow it. I can't take a proper photo, I can't write a decent sentence, and I can't draw worth anything. It's fustrating. Even as I write this entry, I'm telling myself, this sucks, Shelly! Do you have no wit, not an ounce of creativity inside you? Oye, I need to stop before I smack myself. I am no longer coherent...

Maybe I'll have enough brain cells tomorrow.

Argh.

Christianity, Homosexuality

I was browsing through Christian designs on CafePress.com, and I was disappointed to discover some blunt, and offensive graphics in these Christian shops. There was a shirt that said, “Gay men must be blind.” Now, why would this offend me, a straight Christian woman? Because it’s blatantly hypocritical. The bible indeed says that homosexuality is a sin, but so is gossip, vanity, premarital sex, and swearing. And you know what? They all measure exactly the same. After all, if some sins were worse than others, why would Jesus have died for all of our sins, if only some were bad enough to be damning?

Are we not supposed to love all of our fellow humans, just as God does? Do we not all sin every day? Are there not gay Christians? The answer to all of these questions is of course! Who are we, ourselves sinners, to judge another? It is ineffective and wrong to make such a direct and insulting t-shirt like, “Gay men must be blind” instead of taking a higher road and loving one’s fellow man no matter what and showing them the way to salvation. We all sin, and we all must ask forgiveness for our sins, and we must right our own wrongs before pointing out the wrongs in others. One will see it’s so much more rewarding just to love rather than waste so much energy on negative feelings toward people one likely does not even know, in return generating negative feelings toward oneself, making all attempts to force one’s version of the Truth on another completely futile.

I want to add to this rant some of my feelings on homosexuality so I can be better understood. I believe the act of homosexuality is a sin. I believe making the choice to kiss or have sexual relations with a member of the same sex is a sin. However, I do not believe people make the choice to be gay and I do not judge homosexuals. I have gay friends, in fact. I want to restate the fact that swearing is also a conscious choice and measures the same as choosing to have a homosexual relationship. Maybe the next time a straight homophobic Christian makes the choice to gossip about a neighbor or swear after a bad golf swing, can come to the realization that they are exactly the same as those “sinning homosexuals” that disgust them so much. Maybe at that moment they will ask our Lord for forgiveness….and the ability to be open enough to love and share His word with anyone.

Beware the Artsy Artist

*This article is not to be taken too seriously.*

There are many, I suppose one could call them breeds, of people that get on my nerves. I am a bit of a recluse, you see, and the behavior of others it often different from my own, and many times, that is not an attractive trait for me. One of these breeds would be the “Artsy Artist.” The Artsy Artist is the artist that feels the need to proclaim or conspicuously show off their creative inclination whenever the opportunity arises.

For instance, the Artsy Artist Photographer would not be able to resist toting their largest camera everywhere they go, even a department store, and conspicuously snap photos of the most random things, at the most “artsy” angles in the desperate hope that someone will take notice and ask, “Are you a photographer?” A question to which the Artsy Artist Photographer would likely answer heavily, “Yes, I am, but I’m working right now, you’ll have to ask your questions later.”

These Artsy Artists have the tendency to begin sentences with, “As an artist…” Or, “I’m an artist, so…” This gives the impression that the Artsy Artist feels superior in opinion compared to “everyday people” or “non-artists.” As though a decision on a paint color, an outfit choice, or an opinion on beauty is made more legitimate when spoken from the lips of the coveted Artist.
Some would say I am being hypocritical in my analysis of the Artsy Artist because I myself have been blessed with a very creative soul. Indeed I do enjoy photography, writing, drawing, crafts, and other artistic outlets, but I am definitely not the Artsy Artist. I get uncomfortable when people watch me snap pictures, or compliment my accomplishments. I don’t like being pointed out as “The Artist” in the group. I am not the kind of person that outwardly seeks attention for my artistic ways, and people that do are strange to me.

So, keep your senses sharp when in the presence of an artist, for they may turn out to be the Artsy Artist and you want to be prepared. Remember not to give in to sad attempts at seeking attention, because it’s like feeding animals at the zoo: you do it once, they will expect it every time.

No Words

I took a stab at poetry today. It's definitely not my strength and I don't do it much, but this is what came out when I began my freewrite. This one rhymes...that happened by accident...but there isn't a very consistant meter (is meter right? I haven't studied this since sophomore year in high school). Anyway, here it is:

What should I say?
There are no words, there’s just too much pain.
How can I ever again feel right,
When all that I’ve loved is so far out of sight?
Who could I tell that would understand?
There’s no one that feels the love that I can.
Holes in my heart, too gaping to fill,
Such blackness, so dark, and eerily still.
Just tell me why, why so soon and so sudden?
Why so many gone from the people that love them?
Some people say my love has been wasted,
But love, I say, is love, and it’s not overstated.

Just give me fulfillment, just show me the door,
What can I do to pick myself up from the floor?
It’s filthy down here, getting harder to bear,
And it’s driving me crazy, I’ve lost it, I swear.
Someone take back the sorrow and give me my loves,
I just want to hold them, just keep them above
The water, the liquid, consuming their lives,
And sending their souls to the heavenly skies.
Why can’t I keep them, held tight to my chest?
Why can’t they stay with me, so apart from the rest?
I just pray that my babies are waiting with Him,
The One, The Creator, He who died for our sins.

I’ll see them one day, in the heavens, on clouds,
I’ll hold them again, and know what it’s about.
There’s a reason for all, and it’s deep in my soul,
And when I go Home, answers will make me whole.

Dead Air

I feel bad for not posting in so long, but I feel there is nothing I can write about at the moment. I'm going to work on this, do some freewriting in a word processor and see what happens. Living with the realization that no one really reads my blog, I'm okay with a few more days of nothingness here, but for my own satisfaction, I hope to have something of substance to post soon.

Until then, have a good week, my invisible readers...