Ciana Stone's Posts - TBD2024-03-28T21:33:07ZCiana Stonehttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/CianaStonehttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2190199474?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://teebeedee.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=1fgpuj6ky67p3&xn_auth=noRednecks and armadillostag:teebeedee.ning.com,2009-08-22:1991841:BlogPost:2818462009-08-22T18:31:44.000ZCiana Stonehttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/CianaStone
What do the two have in common? Not a darn thing. Especially when the redneck (me) is trying to keep the armadillo from digging up her flower gardens. I swear, I've been nice. I've been patient. Give the critter his/her space. Its' one of God's creatures. But this critter is getting out of hand. This morning I went out to get the paper, took four steps and braked sharply. My sidewalk was cover with a mound of dirt and the flower bed to the left of the sidewalk had a big crater dug in it.<br />
<br />
Not a…
What do the two have in common? Not a darn thing. Especially when the redneck (me) is trying to keep the armadillo from digging up her flower gardens. I swear, I've been nice. I've been patient. Give the critter his/her space. Its' one of God's creatures. But this critter is getting out of hand. This morning I went out to get the paper, took four steps and braked sharply. My sidewalk was cover with a mound of dirt and the flower bed to the left of the sidewalk had a big crater dug in it.<br />
<br />
Not a good way to start the morning. Particularly when the critter in question has eluded capture for more than a year. It all started when Ross (remember the old Friend's episode where Ross couldn't find a Santa suit and dressed up like the Christmas armadillo?) - okay, anyway, Ross the armadillo dug a big burrow beneath one of my lovely flowering bushes bordering the pool and demolished part of the flower bed, pulling stuff into it (I guess to make it nice and soft). I was not a happy camper but I didn't want it hurt or killed. Just out of my yard.<br />
<br />
So, I called animal control. They kindly offered to loan me a cage to trap it. Okay, so I pick up the cage and was told to put the cage in front of the burrow and build a corral so that Ross had no choice but to go into the cage when it emerged from its burrow. HELLO???? Armadillos dig! What kind of corral are we talking about? Dig to China and pour a concrete barrier? But hey, they said they were the experts. So I tried it.<br />
<br />
Ross dug his/her way right beneath the corral, turned his snout up at the cage and went on his merry way. So I turned in the cage and stewed on it for a while. Nothing came to me.<br />
<br />
Then I was sitting by the pool early one morning, before dawn - you know that time of the morning when the sky is just starting to lighten. Suddenly I see Ross. He's on the golf course, headed toward his burrow. Ah ha! A brilliant idea occurs to me. Armadillos aren't exactly flexible so all I have to do is grab it by the tail, carry it into the garage and put it into the big trash can. I mean, it's not like grabbing a cat by the tail and having that sucker twist around and claw the crap out of you. And it works with turtles (Yes, I've snagged a few of those big suckers off the road and lugged them to safety). And once I have Ross safely in the trash can, I load it into the car, drive Ross far, far away and release him. Brilliant, right?<br />
<br />
So, off I go. Chasing the armadillo. Well, let me tell you. Armadillos are NOT slow. I chased that little sucker for ten minutes - all hunched over, making dives for that tail. Got close a couple of times but damn if he wasn't speedy. Ended up eating dirt, leaving skid marks from elbows and knees. On the last attempt I swear he laughed. Seriously, he made this grunting noise then rocketed into his burrow. I headed for the shower, dirty, wet and disgusted. Some redneck, I am. Can't even catch an armadillo.<br />
<br />
But hey, I could always try again:) I did hear from a neighbor who happened to be up early that it was quite a show and he had a good laugh. Guess that goes to show that there's always a lighter side to everything, eh?<br />
<br />
Hope you're having a great weekend!!!!Just another day in paradisetag:teebeedee.ning.com,2009-08-16:1991841:BlogPost:2544642009-08-16T11:51:59.000ZCiana Stonehttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/CianaStone
After a day of getting a lot of calls from family and friends and hearing all the gripes and complaints, I realized just how much time is spent on the negative - thinking about it, talking about it. It becomes a major force in our lives. Now sure, if you lose your job it's going to weigh heavily on you. Perfectly normal. But we seem to latch onto ALL the negative...<br />
<br />
Someone cut me off on the road, someone bumped their cart into mine in the grocery story, someone cut in line in front of me ...…
After a day of getting a lot of calls from family and friends and hearing all the gripes and complaints, I realized just how much time is spent on the negative - thinking about it, talking about it. It becomes a major force in our lives. Now sure, if you lose your job it's going to weigh heavily on you. Perfectly normal. But we seem to latch onto ALL the negative...<br />
<br />
Someone cut me off on the road, someone bumped their cart into mine in the grocery story, someone cut in line in front of me ... and on and on. Okay, yes, it happens ... but come on, that's nothing to focus on. Negative begets negative. I think we should be like the old song ... "you gotta accent the positive, eliminate the negative, hang on to the affirmative..."<br />
<br />
I've reverted back to old habits. When my children were young and in school, they'd jump in the car at the end of the school day and bitch a blue streak about all the stresses of their day. I'd let them get it out and when they started to cycle around back to the beginning, I'd interrupt with "okay, now tell me something good that happened."<br />
<br />
Nowadays I'm trying that technique with adults. Let's face it, if our minds are focused on the positive, we're happier, healthier and a LOT more pleasant to be around. Positive lifts us up. Negative drags us down. And given the choice, who wouldn't want to have more smiles and less frowns?<br />
<br />
I have a lot to be grateful for and a lot to smile about. For example, I'm able to sit on my patio, watch the sun rise and NOT have to turn on the fan because it's a nice pleasant morning. Without the fan I can hear the birds and insects, the leaves of the oak tree rustle slightly in the tiny breeze and even the drip of water that plunks off the eaves and hits the patio. My honey man is sitting beside me, chuckling over something he's read in the morning paper and he made me the best cup of coffee on the planet. Definitely things to smile about:)<br />
<br />
So, today, I'm asking all the folks in my life to tell me one thing that's positive about their lives. Today is share a smile day in my world. I hope it is for you, too!Endings and Beginningstag:teebeedee.ning.com,2009-07-02:1991841:BlogPost:270702009-07-02T12:00:15.000ZCiana Stonehttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/CianaStone
Color me late to the party. Life has been hectic and I just now read the news that TBD is closing. Well, pooh! But hey, the good news is that we're here - and it's the start of something new.<br />
<br />
I'm big on starting something new and this year seems to be the time for it. I've been writing erotic romance for the last three years and while it's great fun, there are times I itch to write something with less erotic and more plot. Well, be careful what you ask for, right? A backer appeared in the form…
Color me late to the party. Life has been hectic and I just now read the news that TBD is closing. Well, pooh! But hey, the good news is that we're here - and it's the start of something new.<br />
<br />
I'm big on starting something new and this year seems to be the time for it. I've been writing erotic romance for the last three years and while it's great fun, there are times I itch to write something with less erotic and more plot. Well, be careful what you ask for, right? A backer appeared in the form of someone wanting to start up a small press and asked me to be the guinea pig. I said sure -- as long as I don't have to run on one of those little wheel things or get stuck by anything sharp:)<br />
<br />
So now I have an urban fantasy on the market, A new beginning in a different genre. Intimidating but exciting.<br />
<br />
Kinda like the new P90x workout I'm attempting to master. Now there's a new beginning that packs a punch!!<br />
<br />
Hope you're all enjoying the fresh start on a new site and will have a fantastic 4th of July weekend. If the sun ever comes out I'm going to take advantage of the holiday and lounge on my new pool float! Yep, I would buy it the day before the monsoon season:)<br />
<br />
Happy July and congratulations on the new site for tbd'ers!!