Betsy Devine: Funny ha-ha and/or funny peculiar

When I remember that day five years ago, I remember the sorrow that drew even strangers together.

And I remember the warm-hearted way that people in Canada, France, England, and elsewhere reached out to to show sympathy for America’s pain.

Think back there now–didn’t you then wake up every morning, determined to go forward as a better person?

Those are a few things from that black time worth remembering.

Dave Winer blogged that day as it happened.

On September 11, 2005, I also remembered the day.

Email from Judy starts out (wouldn’t it be nice if all email did?) with “I LOVE your blog!” Then, with her permission I’m sharing this, she continues…

About jewel weed though: rub it on your skin after being exposed to poison ivy and it takes away the itch! I grew up in upstate New York, and didn’t know about this cure, even though my skin was bubbled up with poison ivy rash throughout most of my young life (in the summer). Once, I read that an antidote plant often grows in proximity to an irritant plant. Nature rocks.

One other New England antidote, from my own past…

It must have been fifteen years ago when, just past sunset, our dog Marianne raced into the house and dive-bombed my lap, bringing with her all the fresh fragrance of angry skunk.

Whew!

Fortunately, I was fully prepared, with

• one giant can of tomatoes
• four small children
• one moonlit NH lake

We escorted Marianne down to the lake beach, waded her out hip-deep (her hips, not ours), and massaged her from nose to toes with squishy tomatoes–one tomato per small massager.

At the end of this process, Marianne smelled enough like herself (plus tomatoes) that we could all manage to sleep in the same house with her. And, at the end of the summer, “the day Marianne met a skunk” was voted the best day by several of those small participants.

I feel very confident recommending this method as a skunk antidote.

You can even use a big bathtub instead of a lake–but try not to omit small children, they’re part of the magic.

Jewelweed

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine.

This beautiful wildflower signals the end of summer in NH.

Sadly, jewelweed is too delicate to put into a vase. If you cut the stem, it wilts almost instantly.

I’m glad memories have so much more staying power!

Everyone’s favorite Irish person Dervala joins a whitewater caravan down the American River.

… he placed Friday with the Alpbacher technology discussions under proof, i.e. as a singer in the mini opera “Atom and Eve”.

Thus the first public review of Frank’s opera debut, at least in the fine words of Google language tools. Marc Abrahams adds that people can now see the entire opera online–not that I’ve managed that, with my current elderly-Mac-on-NH-cafe-wifi. Maybe when I get home… Looking on the bright side, I did get to see the real happening.