Junior Brown

A Southern widder's bedroom

A Southern widder's bedroom, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Crossin' her is a killin' offense.

Male cats typically just piss on their territory. The boys' father was an alpha male.

Dr. John

Janis and Lyman in Egypt

Janis and Lyman in Egypt, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

NPS legs. Always wanted pretty legs.

ca.1995CE

Commander Cody

Asleep at the Wheel

It's 24 degrees outside at this time. Brrrrr!

Dem island lookin' good dis mornin'.

Kings of Calypso

Steel Bands

Uncle Otis and Janis 1988

Uncle Otis and Janis 1988, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

My father's youngest brother and me at my parents' house.

I was editing that newspaper at the time. I didn't do that very long. My nerves.
I found this photo in a box a day or two ago. In '88 I was 31. Must have graduated from SMU in Dec '87, then.

Those gray pants are Liz Claiborne. I picked them up at Ross for $20, and wore them until the cuffs were completely ragged. I loved those pants.

Yeppers, I still have that sweater.

Y'all, look at this stuff from fab.com.

A fine girl

A fine girl, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

And another of Sally, just because I like her.

Big Sal

Big Sal, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Another angle on the great girl.

She weighs about 100 lbs. and has a really deep voice.

Favorite Sally

Favorite Sally, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Sally the Great Pyrenees, canine par excellence

The youngest of my five brothers (66 yrs.) called from Little Rock tonight:

"Some a**h**e up here wanted a White Christmas, so we've been without power for three days. We had eight inches of snow."

And that's plenty of that.

Now's time to kick ass and take names later.

Y'all understand? We call this "a teaching moment," or some other trashy vernacular.

Do an Advance Directive.

Althouse went off the rails here, and I have no further use for her.

Don't pity me. I'm perfectly fine until I confront the circumstances of his death.

That's all. It was horrible. He overrode the life support system. We hadn't done an advance directive when he went into the hospital. We didn't think it was that much.

Ahem. What did you say?

 Hell, yes, honey. It burns.

This news makes my blood run cold. Lyman's temp elevated to 103.9.

Vince Guaraldi Trio

Lansdowne Christmas

The Pointer Sisters

Pink cowgirl boots

Pink cowgirl boots, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Lordy, you have to be quicker on the trigger than I am to catch one of these.

Natchez green shutters

Natchez green shutters, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Of course, the shutters match.

New door color

New door color, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

This is called "Natchez green."

It's very nearly black.

Moi

Moi, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Never cross a musketeer.

Lansdowne Christmas

Lansdowne Christmas, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

(Yeah! Mr. C)

A modest Christmas

A modest Christmas, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

The tree was from Lana.

Candlesticks from Primitives, about $13 for both of them.

Wallhanging from the Christian Market In Jerusalem.

UPDATE: I spent less money on Christmas this year than I used to spend on the boys' stockings, and I'm happier for it.

It's pouring rain this morning. God bless the parents with new trampolines and bicycles and musical instruments.

I'll be off to Lansdowne later with satsumas from our trees and fresh broccoli from the garden.

(Stolen shamelessly from Sarah.)

Christmas lights

Christmas lights, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

My peculiar taste in Christmas display this year -- a house that is not ashamed to open its blinds.

This pic is not obscene!

This pic is not obscene!, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Just me forgetting how to use the darn camera on the new phone.

Gawd, it's gonna be a LOOONG middle age.

The Morning Benders

(Thanks, Francesca.)

A gift for your favorite children.

I had a couple of drinks with Lana and husband Tom tonight. As we were packing up a round gent with a white beard and suspenders came in.

Lana said, "You look like Santa Claus."

 He said, "Ho, ho, ho."

She said, "You're calling me names now?"

9 Whimsical Christmas cards.

(Ahem. Thanks again, Mr. C.)

Merry Christmas. Shut up, you little bastard. And you, too, Charles Gore. Simpering idiots.

(Australia, for goodness' sake.)

Huey Lewis and the News

The Sheepdogs from Chicago.

Disorganization sucks. What's this $188 bill from AT&T? The girl on the phone told me she'd waive the bill for startup. I've got a better deal locally.

"He has who eyes to see, he who has ears to hear," Or something like that. I'm a lousy typist.

Do you understand?

Finished wall III

Finished wall III, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

We all interior designers down heah.

Finished wall II

Finished wall II, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Darn. That handle is sticking out again.

Finished wall.

DSCN1385, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

(Yeah, that man.)

Further plans include working the kitchen at Stewpot on Monday, 7 p.m. service at Our Lady of Lourdes in Vidalia, and 9 p.m. service at St. Mary's in Natchez Monday evening.

Last night I attended the First Baptist Church in Natchez Christmas program, Hail to the King.

It was a lavish production with a 23-piece orchestra, 70 very capable voices in the choir, and wonderfully done set and costumes. The staging and readings were better than good.

However, I found that modern Christmas music puts me off. I'm flat-out reactionary when it comes to Christmas music -- the older, the better.

I just signed up with 23andMe. I'm curiouser and curiouser.

I'm going to talk my brother into it, too. We can get a more thorough profile that way.

And she looked like such a nice girl:

Anybody can be "Second Line."

wELL, dAYUM.

Son of a bitch.

I know stagework when I see it. That was good.

What a a lovely evening. It was the night of the Christmas Cabaret.

I saw the original in 1993. Off-Broadway, in Natchez. Very well done..

In the mail from Peg Britton:

With the holidays upon us I would like to share a personal experience with my friends about drinking and driving.

As you may know some of us have been known to have brushes with the authorities from time to time on the way home after a "social session" out with friends. Well two days ago I was out for an evening with friends and had several cocktails followed by some rather nice red wine. Feeling jolly I still had the sense to know that I may be slightly over the limit. That’s when I did something that I've never done before - I took a cab home.

Sure enough on the way home there was a police road block but since it was a cab they waved it past. I arrived home safely without incident. This was a real surprise as I had never driven a cab before, I don't know where I got it and now that it's in my garage I don't know what to do with it.

Happy holidays!

Radishes from garden

Radishes from garden, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

The broccoli is heading, too.

(Yeah, him again. Thanks, Mr. Crider.)

Nivea's A Kiss of Vitamin Swirl is one of the best lip moisturizers I've ever used, and my lips tend to chap. Might be a nice stocking-stuffer.

It's 53 now. That's edgy. Let's let it go up another degree or so. Should get to 58 today.

Charles Gore won't shut up crying this morning. He wants to go out and talk to his buds, the wild birds outdoors. The sun is shining brightly, but it's 40 degrees out there.

Tracy Chapman

Cheetahs

Natchez Coffee Co. doors

Natchez Coffee Co. doors, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Taken with new Kyocera Rise cellphone camera.

Two Thirsty Lionesses. Awwww, aren't they cute?

Bald Eagle

Wild for Wildlife and Nature

That's a political statement.

Nat King Cole

Just a while ago, I had a long conversation with cousin Linda. We have a lot in common. I called to get her parent's address so I could send a Christmas/thank you card to her parents for the lovely party.

UPDATE: Jordana, I'm sending a zinnia.

Aren't these pretty?

Joe Cocker

Necklace, too

DSCN1379, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

For when my temper is up.

Now that pendant was $24, but it was a needful thing. It will go right well with my black cowgirl boots and Armani jacket.

That's black cord at 39 cents a yard. Four barrel clasps are $1.19.

Homemade necklace

Homemade necklace, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

When the last teardrop falls, make jewelry.

I found this pendant at Craft City for $4.99. The leather and clasp probably cost $1.

All it took was a pair of needlenose pliers. I had those, already.

It looks like Murano glass, but it's Chinese.

Rod Stewart

Snotwads.

Bob Seger

Pat Benatar

A Cowgirl Christmas

DSCN1302, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Haunted house next door

Haunted house next door, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Leave it now as "a heart-rending tale of despair and vengeance..."

Harley with sidecar

DSCN1118, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

The sidecar will be painted to match the bike.

That's Mac, he belongs next door.

A swing for the grandson, and a hammock for the husband. All the comforts of home.

Across the street from sister's house

DSCN1170, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Season's Greetings

Season's Greetings, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Shoot, I guess this is my Christmas card to all of you. Hail damage and all.

Hope you have as merry a Christmas as I did.

Love,
Janis

Approaching downtown Dallas

Approaching downtown Dallas, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Our chariot was a Ford F-150, of course.

New Perot Museum of Nature and Science

New Perot Museum of Nature and Science, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Just opened Saturday. Very near the restaurant.

Not enough time to visit this go round.

Family Christmas party

Family Christmas party, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

From the left, cousin Roger, cousin Sherry, cousin Sharon across the table, back to Sherry's granddaughter, across to Sherry's husband.

I sat beside Sherry's husband, my brother Bill was to my left, the smiling blonde woman is his wife, the red-head is my sister, and that's her husband sitting to her right. My brother Charles arrived a little late, and sat to the left of Sherry's husband. The man with his back to us is Sharon's husband, showing off their beautiful new granddaughter.

Mural back wall private room

Mural back wall private room, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

There on the left is my cousin Richard, 56.

That man is so handsome it makes me sorry we don't come from Alabama.

He doesn't really have much of a gut. He should stand up straighter. As should I.

Janis taking pictures

Janis taking pictures, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

Pretty blurry.

It's really embarrassing to get caught talking pictures of yourself for whatever reason.

The ladies in red are, l to r, me, my cousin Sherry, and her mother, aunt Ruth. Ruth is my father's youngest sister. Janis is 55 here, and the baby of her family, too.

Texas holiday

About to come home

About to come home, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

In the parking lot at Waffle House in Terrell, TX, about 9:30 a.m.

Holiday memories

Holiday memories, a photo by Janis Gore on Flickr.

I spent the weekend with my sister and her recently wed (though long familiar) husband in Texas.

We attended a large family Christmas party given by my Uncle Dick and his wife Ruth, the youngest and last living sibling on my father's side of the family.

I'm calling this the great Christmas festivity this year. I had a lovely time all weekend long.