Coming Soon!

Articles to look forward to in your next Missy Times!

Finding Rawly

No Struggle for "The Struggle Tour"

Editor Classifies Game Types

The Value of Books

What People Did for Me on My Summer Vacation (Jake)

No, this time it's what people did for me.

For this first edition of  "What People Did for Me on My Summer Vacation" I'll tell you about a special person I'll call Jake.

What exactly did Jake do for me?
He was a smiling face at a time I felt like frowning.

Jake was a lab tech at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, and at my intial G.I. appointment in late april he helped to draw my blood. He was young -- no older than one of my siblings-- and friendly, and a nice person to talk to. He reminded my mom of one of our neighbors. His jovial demeanor and youthfulness put me at ease.

Never imagining we would see him again, I naturally was suprised to bump into him on the morning of my colonoscopy. He was on his break, and as we sat outside the hospital we listened to him talk about his family and where he was from. He told us about his job, he told us about his pets. It was a nice escape to sit and be distracted for while. Today I thank Jake for being such a friendly face.... and for what he did for me on my summer vacation.

Favorite Songs, Part 1

                                      


Here are a few songs that really kept me going when I was sick:

Mercy Me "The Hurt and the Healer"

Kelly Clarkson "Stronger"

Laura Story "Blessings"

Matt Redman "10,000 Reasons"

Switchfoot "Where I Belong"

Check back later for more of my greatest hits!

Comeback Time!

The Missy Times is back. It's more kicking than ever. And it's coming soon to a mailbox near you.

Introducing: Iceburgh the Penguin

"Oh, what do we have here?" The woman reached back into a pile of oranges and pulled out a fluffy stuffed penguin. "Awww, how cute! What am I supposed to do with him?"

I turned to my mom and chuckled. Only at "Trader Joe's" is a shopper granted the satisfaction of finding a furry friend hidden among the produce.

"Ahh, you've found Iceburgh!" an enthusiastic employee popped up from the other side of the fruit display.

"Okay, so now what?"

"Well, it's a thing for the kids. They find the penguin and get a prize. Do you have a little one?"

"No, not with me" the lady laughed, "I have a little granddaughter, though. Does that count?"

"Sorry!" the employee threw up her hands. "I'm afraid not"

"I'm a little one!" I spoke up, half joking.

But she just smiled and went back to stacking her pears.

"You could find the penguin, Missy." My mom nudged me "Go take it up to the counter and see what they say."

It was worth a try. I took "Iceburgh" and, presenting him to a man near the front of the store, exclaimed in my youngest voice, "Excuse me sir, I but found this penguin over there."

"Good for you!" he said "Come on over here and pick out a little something."

I followed him eagerly to the basket. What would the prize be? An awesome Trader Joe hat? A colorful pin? A reusable shopping bag? A roll of those cool stickers they give away at the checkout? The suspense was killing me!

I peered into the basket AND....... my heart sank.

Candy. And fruit strips.

Wow.

No wonder this game was for "little ones".

"Oh, thank you!" I beamed at him.

"You're welcome! And you know the coolest part? Now you get to hide him wherever you want!"

 That did sound pretty neat.

And so, Iceburgh and I proceeded throughout the store searching for his next hiding place. We parted ways at the grits, which I chose because of their excellent black and white camoflauge, and bid each other farewell.

Another of my Trader Joe adventures had come to a close, but, as far as I know,  for good old Iceburgh the penguin, his were just beginning.

Oh Spring!

I opened my eyes this morning to hear the sound of birds --oh, sweet birds!-- wafting through my window. The day's young sun was glowing red, shining off the dew-wetted grass and glistening on the panes of my neighbors' windows. I could feel the freshness in the air, still flushed with the night's cool chill, as it blew softly into my bedroom.

It was a lovely wake-up call; a soothing "Good Morning!" for my senses. My ears could hear it. My eyes, as they took in the lovely scene, could see its beauty. My nose could smell it in the aroma of the warm, damp earth permeating up from the ground. My skin, shivering a little and covered with goosebumps, could sense it. I knew what day this was.

"Today is the day when life begins!" my heart nearly sang for joy, "Spring is finally here! The world is awake and alive. And finally, FINALLY, the long LONG winter is over......"

I jumped out of the covers and began fixing my bed. What a lovely thought. And what a lovely day, a lovely season, a lovely new chapter this spring has already turned out to be.

Note: So yes, spring has begun. I've started my vegetable garden (swiss chard, broccoli, peas, mesclun and arugula have already taken their places in our raised beds) and have been living mostly outside in the afternoons enjoying the amazing warm weather. I've taken up shooting hoops on my back basketball court again, and riding my bike has been fun as well. But the biggest news of all, as you can see from above, is that I've started to write a little bit again. Slowly but surely, the old knack is coming back, and with it, soon The Missy Times will too. So Stay tuned! Meanwhile, check out this video: one of my favorite songs by Coldplay that I think sounds quite springy and lighthearted. 

Have You Ever Seen This Side of Andy Warhol?

Scenes from the "Warhol: Headlines" exhibit now on display at the National Gallery, Washington, D.C. (Article coming soon to The Missy Times)

Visitors touring the exhibit at the National Gallery, Washington, D.C



Isn't the detail and texture amazing?



Warhol drew the pages on silkscreen with pen and ink

Many of his sketches bear striking resemblance to early issues of the Missy Times