The Baby Nutt Chronicles: Baby Nutt says "Hello World!"

                                     The Baby Nutt Chronicles: Baby Nutt says, "Hello World!"

                                                       written by: Lisa Morgan   2/28/2017

Baby Nutt

It has been a rather warm February this year despite a few cold snaps that lasted a mere one to three days. Today was no exception with the mild temps, thus I decided to open the backdoor from my master bedroom leading to the veranda (that's back patio for those above the Mason Dixon line). My dogs had just finished their afternoon snack & were eager to stretch their legs while doing some business outside. The fresh air welcomed itself into my master bedroom & I was obliged to prop the door open with a chair, so the wind would not slam the french door shut, when I turned my back on it.

I noticed one of my tuxedo cats named Nemo scurry into my master bathroom. Nemo is a gentle giant of a cat, who is basically still a kitten although he is 18 months old. After maybe five minutes I noticed Nemo had an object he was playing with on the bathroom tile floor. Nemo stood next to what appeared to be a dead field mouse. It dawned on me that Nemo had scurried inside with a prize, which I was going to immediately dispose of properly. Nemo then scooped up the rodent with his paw & threw it on the floor. I saw it move slowly. I shooed Nemo away with my hands & I then eased closer to assess the situation. Upon closer inspection, much to my surprise the field mouse was an infant squirrel.

I gently picked up the squirrel with a clean washcloth. I observed there were no cuts, blood or visible injuries to the tiny light grey baby squirrel. My next move was to place a chenille blanket around the baby squirrel to warm him or her up, as the infant was cool to the touch. I told my husband & he immediately went to the most knowledgeable & nosy busy body on earth to get further information....Google. What do you feed a baby squirrel? How often do you feed baby squirrels? What formula do you feed a baby squirrel? Sol my husband had found a website www.squirrelnutrition.com  that had a wealth of information on the topic of rescuing, feeding & loving squirrels. Who knew? The all seeing all knowing busy body Google that's who knew. William Sells & Squirrel Haven Rescue many thanks to you, for your helpful information on squirrels. I read as much as I could on baby squirrels in between his first feedings.

Luckily we had whole milk, coconut oil in the house & my husband only had to purchase heavy whipping cream from the store. The formula is 1 cup whole milk, 4-5 tablespoons heavy cream 6-7 drops of coconut oil or about 1/2 teaspoon, then you heat all ingredients in a boiler on low heat until it starts to get frothy. You will need to stir often while cooking to keep the formula from scalding. Remove the boiler from the heat & allow it to cool to room temperature. As with a human baby you will need to test the temperature before placing the formula in a syringe to fee the baby. Never feed a cold baby squirrel You must have the squirrel warm before heading him/her.

I swaddled the baby squirrel & placed him/her in a pink milk crate atop a twin sized ivory colored chenille blanket. My brother had once raised a baby squirrel & he also gave me tips for the newborn. My next move was to heat up a bag of uncooked rice for a minute & then place the rice in a small cotton zippered pillow cover. It was warm & would bring the baby squirrel's body temp up & stabilize it, while I mixed & heated the milk recipe to feed the helpless creature. I mean how hard could this be to keep this helpless animal alive? You feed it, keep it warm, stimulate it as it's mama would to encourage it to move it's bowels & kidneys & you repeat. Wow I'm attempting to nurture this squirrel to save it's life. God please help me!

Baby Nutt being fed by syringe in my studio

Baby's need food, diaper changes, to be warm, to be held & loved. I can do this because in the past I have raised three kittens with eyedroppers, syringes & bottle until they were old enough to eat food. Surely this could not be much different. I know the routine of 2 hour feeding around the clock & setting my alarm to wake & feed the kitten or in this case squirrel. Luckily for the squirrel I don't sleep more than two to three hours at a time nightly, without waking to the urge to go potty, thanks to menopause & being just slightly over 45. Whatever...I'm 53 but I digress from the story. I can handle this responsibility of keeping the new edition to the Morgan funny farm alive. Our animal menagerie just grew by one more. Lord above please guide me & bless this baby squirrel to survive.
I decided that if we named the infant, then we would be attached to it, as if I weren't already at first sight. Since the mama squirrel never showed back up, we named the new edition "Baby Nutt" & it appears he/she may be a boy. Baby Nutt gripped my finer as I fed him, while I sat on the floor of my art/writing studio; afterwards he slept until the next feeding.

I repeated the routine to heat up his pillow of rice, heat his formula & allow it to be warm to the touch before attempting feeding number two. As I picked up Baby Nutt he screamed at me like a puppy or kitten would, which I took as a sign of determination & possible hunger. I fed him but he was not as eager to eat as he had been initially. Despite Baby Nutt's less than receptiveness to feeding number two, I proceeded slowly urging him to finish his 2 cc of formula. I cradled him in my cupped hands to give him security & warmth. Oddly enough I gently swayed him like I would a baby, then I kissed his tiny head, after which I placed him on the warm rice pillow & covered him back up with the chenille blanket. Day Three I remembered that I had a heating pad in my bedroom dresser drawer. I placed the heating pad on the lowest setting & replaced the warm rice bag with the heating pad. It did work better, but if you don't have a heating pad then the rice in a cloth bag will work. 2 cc- 3 cc every 2-3 hours around the clock until baby is 4 weeks old then he/she will up the feeding amounts to 4-6 cc every 3 - 4 hrs until the baby's eyes open at 5 weeks of age. Then you can feed 8-10 cc every 4 hrs, but the baby will vary slightly with amounts but 8- 10 cc is average. If baby wants more to eat then allow him/her to eat these are suggested amounts to make sure baby does not get dehydrated & is healthy.

How weird is this that just as I was wondering what do with my afternoon today, God gave me the answer. Today you will do your very best to save the life of an infant squirrel. Now here we are at sunset with Baby Nutt resting in his pink milk crate in my art/writing studio. Well I suppose that's the way life goes. We never know from one minute to the next what will happen. We can make plans, schedule appointments but life will intervene to remind us that we are not ever in control. I'm fine with he acceptance of God's plan over any idiotic plan I had. Life is about to get more interesting with the addition of Baby Nutt.

 I wonder if Baby Nutt likes music. After all Sol is a musician & I listen to music everyday in my studio, while I'm cleaning house, in the car or outside in my backyard. Music soothes all creatures large & small, so it would make logical sense that Baby Nutt would enjoy some music turned down low. Let's try my favorite stand by album Laid Back by Gregg Allman, as the beginners introduction into music for Squirrel 101.

Apparently Baby Nutt either is enjoying the blues music or maybe his ear are not open yet or possibly he's deaf, but either way he is sleeping as the Laid Back CD is playing. Who knew Baby Nutt was a blues fan? Just call #BabyNutt the Allman Joy Nutt...LOL, then again maybe it's my way of justifying listening to the Laid Back album yet again. It relaxes me what can I say? I'm going to put on some Etta James music to see how Baby Nutt responds. Nobody sings the blues like Gregg Allman, Ms. Etta James, Marvin Gaye or Ray Charles. After Etta finishes "At Last", I'll have Ray Charles sing few tunes. Does that sound nuts?

If anyone has ideas, tips or stories to share on their experiences with rescuing, saving or raising infant squirrels please let me know by adding them to the comments or adding them to my Twitter @thebeachwife  & use the hashtag #babynutt to your posts or comments. I'm going to do my best to ensure this small furry baby has a chance at life. I appreciate all information that might assist me in nurturing Baby Nutt. Are squirrels supposed to be blues fan? Am I a little squirrel-ey? Maybe so! Stay tuned for the next installment of the Baby Nutt Chronicles.

 Thank you for taking your time to read this blog,
Lisa Morgan
Author of the reality check humor book "Get Beach Slapped" available on Barnes & Noble, Google play, Amazon & other book outlets. Download the ebook. Follow my Twitter page @thebeachwife

#RT #squirrels #BabyNutt #EttaJames #RayCharles #GreggAllman #animalrescues #author #blog #life #funny #farm #nuts #MarvinGaye

SoulShine on Valentine's

                                                           Soulshine on Valentine's

                                                    written by: Lisa Morgan   2/13/2017

 Link below is to SoulShine by the Allman Brothers Band, quite possibly the best band ever!

https://youtu.be/pDIQ7Otf1mw 

Valentine's Day was a day created to shame men into buying flowers, candy, jewelry & cards for the women they adored or lusted after. The St. Valentine's day massacre was a lousy day for those men who got whacked at Capone's behest. Let's put it in perspective folks. Don't get depressed, stressed out over it...it's a Tuesday. I quit stressing over holidays a few years ago because it's not worth the hassle of expectations, emotional roller coasters. Here's some sage advice for you: Feb. 14th 2017 is a Tuesday, so be kind to each other & at the stroke of midnight on the 14th, it will be Wednesday the 15th, don't stress just live & let live.

Do not allow society to dictate when you say I love you, or spend time reminiscing, or sharing time with the one you love. If you are alone, then know that it is better to be alone than to be in a bad relationship. Spend time doing something you enjoy or doing nothing but being still. Call Valentine's Day the day you do something nice for yourself. Life has too much stress, don't allow society to place even more pressure on you.

Take a walk, look for the beauty around you, adopt a dog or cat from a shelter or rescue. Animals give love 365 days a year & do not care if you have a bad hair day, gain weight or if you have bad breathe because animals have those issues too, but the difference is they love unconditionally. We humans could learn from the animals. If you have someone special in your life, tell them they are special & not just because society says you have to do so on Feb. 14th or else you're a loser. Give yourself a break. Hey fellas before you ask me, yes you should forward this or share it with the lady you love, so she can get pissed at me for being honest. (giggles)

The link below is for Queen of Hearts by Gregg Allman from his first solo album Laid Back. Do yourself a favor & buy the CD. If you listen to the songs on this blog & you're not moving, then honey you might just be dead.   (Queen of Hearts by Gregg Allman)
                                                       https://youtu.be/iyrFpR59_vQ

   

 

 I prefer to listen to good music & unwind with memories. Neither of them cost anything unless you purchase new music. I personally listen to my trusted favorites, that I purchased on 8 tracks, then cassettes & finally CD's. I prefer my soulful southern rock & bluesy rock bands. Allman Brothers, Wet Willie, Little Feat, Tedeski Trucks, Boston, Bob Seger, Marshall Tucker Band, Lynryd Skynrd, 38 Special, Neville Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Black Crowes, Marvin Gaye. I suppose I'm still searching for my elusive misspent youth. I've said it before, "looking for my misspent youth is like searching for an ice cube on the beach." I listen to the tunes I like & then unwind. If my husband falls asleep in his chair watching a TV that he has seen 4 times already & he snores too loud; then I say,"all is well as it should be in my home, no worries. I'll just kick back with a glass of tea & some Allman Brothers tunes. I don't sweat that which I can not control such as taxes, death, laundry or the weather.

Life is good indeed, life is very good. Spread some love." 

The link below is "Never Knew How Much" by Gregg Allman & I must say this is my favorite.

https://youtu.be/itnrjDZnM_E 

Take time to purchase a CD or Download an album  from the Allman Brothers or 

Gregg Allman & show your love for the boys in the band!

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog,

Lisa Morgan

Author of the reality check humor book GET BEACH SLAPPED

#GetBeachSlapped #RT #love #ValentinesDay #music #AllmanBrothersBand #GreggAllman #blues

#soulshine #AllmanBrothers #Boston #Bonnie Raitt

Signs at the Crossroads of Fear & Courage

 Signs at the Crossroads of Fear & Courage                            by: Lisa Morgan

Signs are supposed to guide us in the right direction. Signs can also be misleading, humorous or deceiving. Navigating a road to success can be complicated especially when you have misinformation guiding your path. Allowing fear to guide you cause you to be lost down a road of isolation coming to an intersection at the crossroad of fear & courage. When what you fear makes you angry, take that passion from the anger & transform into courage. Fear is a powerful weapon that an enemy can use to subdue you. You can also allow fear to hold you down in chains, when all you have to do to free yourself from the chains is to gain knowledge. Knowledge will break chains that bind you. You must be careful of where you obtain the knowledge for sometimes wickedness will fool you into thinking you are filled with knowledge & wisdom, when in fact you are pumped up with arrogance, pride & ignorance. Allow that which you fear to encourage you to have courage. The courage can then be used for good to defeat, whatever caused the fear. Be a person of great courage & not of anger or fear. Also remember that which you fear might not be so frightful if you research what it is that you fear. Inform yourself with knowledge not hearsay, but truth. The truth may open your eyes to see that which you feared may not deserve the fear, for there is nothing to fear.

A wise person knows knowledge is a powerful tool. The first key to wisdom is to revere the Lord God & from there you can start paving your pathway to wisdom. Acknowledging that you are not the center of this vast universe is key to being a wise person. Humbling yourself is not a bad thing but an empowering thing., You see if you put things in perspective realizing how insignificant you are as an individual among all the creations God has created, then you are humbled, thus you can out your pride aside & hear God, wherein comes the beginning of wisdom. Sit on top of a mountain & look out at the valley below or rest your weary bones onto a secluded beach to gaze out upon the ocean, then if you should feel how small you actually are in the scheme of things. Those who think they are on top of the world have a hard day of reckoning coming, when they realize that world that sat upon was nothing but a spinning wheel. Spinning wheels blowout from time to time leaving you stranded. Be aware of those who speak of everything you want to hear, that tickle your ears with sweet nothings, because that is exactly what they speak of...nothing.

If you have ever felt helpless in a situation, where you could not help someone or save someone, then you know how powerless we as human actually are despite all of our arrogance. I will say that prayer helps me.  Everyone walks their own path in life. Sometimes we choose the difficult road that is winding with treacherous cliffs leading to dead ends, even though there was a straight path ahead which was a much easier path; it appeared to be boring, thus the more exciting path was chosen. The truth is even a straight & narrow roadway will have crossroads. The crossroads we face will all have consequences regardless of the choice & these are the lessons we learn from. If you are lucky to live long enough, you realize to learn from the mistakes of others, so you don't have to make those same mistakes yourself. When you waste time making mistakes that others before you have repeatedly made then you are being a fool. Life does not give us refunds on wasted time.

Dreams are a funny thing. Dreams can be a driving force or a nightmare. Dreams can become illusions or be prophetic. Dreams leading to aspirations, believing that you can achieve, achieving goals through hard work & seeing the fruits of your labor flourish is the reward you reap. Likewise if your dreams are lined with greed, envy, jealousy, sloth (laziness), pride; then inevitably what you have sown will be a crop of malcontent, anger, deceit more of the aforementioned greed, jealousy, sloth & pride. The viscous cycle of jealousy, anger, pride, sloth only lead to a nightmare negating any rest or peaceful dreams. Dare to dream but enact wisdom, courage, hard work to see those dreams come to fruition.

A garden does not flourish without being tended to with care. Briers, weeds or tares will suck the life out of everything they touch. You must be mindful to remove the briers, weeds/tares from your garden, otherwise you will have a brier patch. Briers & weeds always attach themselves closely to the living things around them to disguise themselves. Make sure your "Garden of Eden" is not transformed into a "Garden of Weeden", through fear, laziness, ignorance & deceit.

 I wanted to add one more tidbit of wisdom before I finish this post, be mindful not to post your Google Search to your Facebook status. The world may not be ready to know that much about you. Rest assured your next visit to church, the local watering hole or family gathering might never be the same, if you do make that mistake. Never look to me for wisdom, as I am constantly learning myself. I merely offer up life experiences, after making my own mistakes; you can do with the information what you will. Choice is a beautiful thing. Freedom is a powerful thing. When you combine knowledge, truth, choice & freedom, you have a fundamental cornerstone for building a foundation. America was founded in such a way. Let freedom ring, while never forgetting freedom is not free, there is always a cost to anything & everything in life, remember those crossroads I spoke of earlier, they come into play with choice. Here's to hoping each one of you has an interesting journey on your road to wisdom, keeping your eyes & ears open for truth.

Thank you for spending your time to read my post,
Lisa Morgan
Author of Get Beach Slapped, the reality check book.
#GetBeachSlapped #wisdom #quote #life #saltlife #freedom #dreams

Saying Goodbye to Butch Trucks: A Truck Full of Soul

Saying Goodbye to Butch Trucks: A Truck Full of Soul                      written by: Lisa Morgan

                     (The one & only Claude "Butch" Trucks, Allman brother drummer)

My all time favorite band hands down is the Allman Brothers band. I was 6 years old when their first album was released in 1969. I remember my cousin listening to the Allman Brothers vinyl LP, while she had her door closed to keep me & her younger sister out of her sanctuary. My uncle was playing the Allman brothers, while working under the hood of any number of classic autos such as a Mustang, Camaro  or a Corvette; thus my affinity for classic cars, my first car being a 1969 candy apple red Camaro SS. My late dad was a guitarist & singer who listened to old school country, blues & bluegrass music. My daddy loved his fat bottom 1960 Les Paul Gibson guitar. My mom listened to Elvis rock-a-billy, Lil' Richard country & gospel. She loved to listen to 8 tracks, while driving with my siblings & myself in tow, but my mom can not carry a tune in a bucket. Think of Lucille Ball singing & that was my Mom, who loved to sing but did not have any pitch. My dad used to have me sing Merle Haggard with him,while he played his guitar & I was maybe 7 or 8 at the time. I am no singer or musician. If only talent rubbed off on you like a black cat's fur when you're wearing all white.  I have slept beside my musician husband for 32 yrs. & believe me musical talent or vocal ability does not rub off. One of the funniest things to me is when people realize I'm married to a musician & they ask,"Oh really, do you sing or play an instrument?" I always think the same the same thing & then reply," No honey just because I sleep with a musician, it doesn't mean it rubs off." My friend Michelle, whose deceased husband Jim, was a great guitar player & singer, agreed with me on this note. Funny how people assume talent rubs off, well believe it does not (giggling). Appreciation for talent is the result of being around someone with talent.

My dad was in a band when I was born. My mom said I would sleep all day & listen to the band rehearse, while I was an infant. Apparently the music soothed me. Oddly I would spend my entire life staying up late nights listening to music & for many years my husband's bands would rehearse for hours at our house. My dad's sax player was the late Sonny Royal, whom I was told was an excellent sax player. Sonny died a few years later from a brain aneurysm. Naturally being around music since birth, I married a bass player/vocalist. My husband Sol is a versatile bass player with a bluesy voice & the fact that he had a strong resemblance to Gregg Allman, was a no brainer. Sol's older twin brothers were huge Allman brothers fans, like most guys their age, so Sol was exposed to the iconic sounds of the Allman Brothers at a young age. Sol once told me that during the late seventies when he was a teenager, on the road with his brothers' band, that they were staying at a hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi, where the Allman Brothers, Doctor Hook were also staying. The bands were getting rowdy, partying a bit too much & many of the guys in those bands were arrested, for throwing furniture in the hotel pool. The life of a musician is neither glamorous, to be envied nor without much costs. The road musicians travel is a road of excess, addiction, groupies, soul searching, passions, inner sanctum, hardships, blissful moments unsurpassed on stage & brawls from hell. Never think that the life of a musician is without consequence, there is always a price to pay.

My husband's brothers were co owners in a recording studio for a period of time with the late Butch Trucks, who recently passed away from a self inflicted gunshot wound. If for some reason you have never had the privilege of hearing Butch Trucks play drums, then by all means do your soul a favor & listen to the Allman Brothers band. Butch was a founding member of the iconic soulful, bluesy, southern rock band, which shaped generations of musicians, with their unorthodox lineup of using two drummers. The Allman Bothers band molded my perception of music & forever spoiled me. I became somewhat of a music snob, this is what I call my husband, a music snob. Not just any 3 chord tune will do or any D. J. scratching records will ever compare to real musicians & vocalists. Either music has feel or it doesn't. You either have musical talent or you don't...period. Butch Trucks had the feel & the talent, by the truck full. A bullet silenced his life, but did not silence the music he created with his band of brothers "The Allman Brothers Band". If you know someone who is depressed please take time to listen to them, they may be reaching out for help & more depressed than you know. Depression has a way of enveloping a person. It is a complicated issue, one that can kill if left untreated. Search for your soulshine to combat depression.

Soulshine by the Allman Brothers band: https://youtu.be/pDIQ7Otf1mw

My husband's former drummer Tommy (Grammy winner from Asleep at the Wheel), once said that "nobody played a shuffle like Butch Trucks". Every musician I've ever met that has "feel" & knows "feel" agrees, that Butch Trucks was synonymous with "feel & locking it in the pocket". The two drummers for the Allman Brothers band Jamoie  & Trucks were the  backbone that meshed with Berry Oakley's bass licks driving the groove of the band; while Gregg's soulful voice melded with his enticing Hammond B3 melodies; urging your soul to stay & slowly groove a while. Duane's blues guitar spoke to the essence of your core & Dickey Betts signature riffs made the term "Southern Rock" what it would be known for. No other band melded blues, rock, gospel, country & jazz together, the way the Allman Brother band had done. They will always be synonymous with the Southern Rock sound, which I call Southern Soul.  No drummer alive today who can play a shuffle or put the beat in the pocket, does not respect the way Butch Trucks hit the skins on stage. The attitude of "give it everything you've got" drove Butch Trucks to perform for his fans, the only way he knew how, with all of his heart & soul.

I was listening to the Allman Brothers music the day before Butch tragically died. While I listened to two albums, I noticed how ironic it was that such a young group of musicians, in the late 1960's early 1970's would write lyrics, which their lives would mirror, as tragedy would befall this motley bunch of gypsies. They are the only ones who knew, what it was like to loose their band mate Duane, at such a young age & be damned determined to make sure the world never forgot, that while Duane walked this earth for a mere 24 years, he left a lasting impression on countless lives. Berry Oakley followed Duane a year later to the grave. I would be very remiss, if I did not acknowledge the impression Butch Trucks has made on countless people worldwide. The Allman Brothers band has seen me through some good times, late night revelries & some depressing times, all the while bringing peace & joy. The music of the Allman Brothers shaped the musical landscape, like a rushing river can carve out canyons, they have left their mark on music. The legacy of the Allman Brothers Band will be one forged from heart, soul, tragedy, grief, addiction, survival; all of which are heard in the blues, gospel, country, jazz influenced songs they recorded.

I suppose we will never know what Butch was thinking right before he passed away. My husband's former band mate also took his own life, with a bullet to the head & his wife my best friend found him, so I understand the pain the family feels. Sometimes the demons one suppresses will grow stronger, if they are not bound up & sent back to hell, where they belong. Addiction is a self imposed whipping post. You have to conquer it or it will consume you. Musicians are particularly susceptible to addictions, as they are basically assaulted with them at every turn.  The grief is enormous & at times will seem insurmountable for Butch's wife, children, family & friends. My heart breaks for Butch's wife. I'll say may prayers for her in the coming days, she will need all of the prayers & support she can get for quite some time. My friend Michelle, who found her late husband Jim dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The amount of pain she endured was overwhelming to witness, yet I was rendered helpless to take away the pain she suffered. i could only lend a shoulder to cry upon, an ear to listen & a hand to help her up again. The agony one suffers when a loved one dies tragically never goes away, it lingers in the backside of your mind & your soul has impressions cast upon it, that will never heal. Memories have a way of either trapping us or elating us, thus we tuck them away for safe keeping. Time helps to heal the superficial wounds, but the scars from the pain remain for life.

My husband's youngest brother Jonny, passed away at age 26, from a tragic car crash. He left behind a young son. Nothing about grief is easy nor should it be. Life is very precious. We appreciate what we lose. The wise person appreciates before the loss & cherishes the moments, that will become memories. It's those memories that will sustain us throughout our lives, after a loss. The fool tosses moments around like a jester & scrambles to piece the memories together after the loss. Even a fool can become wise with enough time. I speak from experience & I'm sure I have company.

                                  (My God rest your soul Claude "Butch" Trucks. )

My dad named me Melissa & like many girls of the era, when I heard my name in a ballad, I was hooked. Melissa is one of the most beautifully written & yet haunting blues ballad I've ever heard. My husband has probably sang at least 20 different Allman Brothers songs, over the years with his various bands. You would be hard pressed to find any Southern band with members over the age of forty, who have not played Allman brothers songs. I feel my quest to find my misspent youth ever fleeting, like looking for an ice cube on the beach. The great musicians from my youth are one by one crossing over to the other side. Damn...I suppose I'm getting old, but I don't care because the 60's-70's produced some of the best blues, rock & funk songs ever recorded.

Do yourself a favor & treat your inner child to some down home Southern Soulshine from the original Southern Rock band "The Allman Brothers." Grab a glass of sweet tea, kick off your shoes & let your worries melt away. I promise you the Allman Brothers music is good for what ails you. I personally logged many long nights alone listening to their music, while my wild child husband was in a bar somewhere thumping his bass. I danced many hours in honky tonk southern bars with my friends during my youth, to the magical music of the Macon Ga. musical outlaws aka Allman Brothers. Hey I never said I was an angel (giggling).

The world has lost an outstanding drummer/percussionist with the passing of Claude "Butch" Trucks. The Trucks family has lost more than any of us could understand, but we empathize with the Trucks family during their time of great sorrow. I pray they find peace & comfort. Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Allen Woody, Lamar Williams, Frank & Dan Tolar were joined by Butch Trucks on the other side.  I hope they all rest in peace & occasionally get together for a jam session. RIP Butch Trucks, you will be missed but never forgotten. Win, Lose or Draw....Never Knew How Much...Melissa....Jessica....Please Call Home... Queen of Hearts....Stormy Monday.....In memory of Elizabeth Reed....Black Hearted woman....Blue Sky....Multicolored Lady....Soul Shine....Midnight Rider.....Whipping Post.....Stand Back......Ain't Wastin' Time No More ....Southbound....One Way Out....Ramblin' Man....Statesboro Blues... These Days......Ain't my Cross to bear......
Ladies & Gentlemen the Allman Brothers band! Good night sweet prince, may you find the peace you so desired & may you rest in that peace.

Thank you for taking your time to read my blog post,
Lisa Morgan
Author Get Beach Slapped (a Non PC reality check book)
Artist/ Blogger/ Lyricist/ Screenwriter/ Certifiable Professor of Observation/ Humorist aka Smart Ass

#GetBeachSlapped #RT #AllmanBrothers #ButchTrucks #GreggAllman #Soulshine #AllmanBrothersband #music #blues #RIP #blues #rock #southern #DuaneAllman #Melissa #crossroads #RIP #suicide #family #cross #jam #jazz #country #death #DickeyBetts

No More Fleas Please!

                                                                 No more Fleas Please!
                    written by:Lisa Morgan                                     1/18/2017                                                

We have had a mild winter in most of the country & that means lots of insects will be attacking us when spring begins. Spring, summer & fall in most parts of the country mean flea season is upon us, along with mosquito season. If you have pets aka furry babies, then you have no doubt fought the battle of the fleas, probably losing the battle for the most part. We are told by vets to purchase over the counter flea treatments that seem to lose their effectiveness over time & also are nothing more than pesticides in either a topical or indigestible form. Who in their tight mind wants to knowingly poison their pets?

I have tried everything! I will say that I have found the apple cider vinegar that has the "mother" listed on the label to be the best solution & a natural cure or homeopathic solution. Simply mix 1 part ACV (apple cider vinegar) to 1 part water in a spray bottle & spray liberally each day for 7 -10 days after which touch-ups of twice a week should suffice. i usually either take the furry kids outside to spray or douse them or I bathe them & spay them afterwards while they are still in the tub.

If your pet has hot spots or has scratched spots where the skin is broken then use a diluted solution of 3 parts water to 1 part ACV & make sure to get the ACV with the "mother" listed on the label. You must shake the ACV before mixing with the water. Do not spray on or near the animal's face as it will burn. Treat your pets as you would small children.

Wash all bedding in HOT water & dry on HOT cycle to kill all fleas & their eggs. You can spray a white vinegar solution mixed 1 part vinegar to 1 part water on all bedding, furniture & flooring as needed. Be sure to test furniture  for color bleeding in an inconspicuous place. I have found that this mixture also takes out odors when it dries. Use table salt on carpets before you vacuum to dehydrate the fleas. You can mix the table salt with baking soda to absorb odors & further dehydrate the fleas, also it's safer & less expensive than other popular brands that mask odors & have chemicals. It's simply a natural home cleaning alternative to chemicals. I suppose this falls under the "staying green" category, that my Mom calls grandmother remedies or common sense approach to cleaning.

I hope this helps anyone struggling with fleas or flea infestations. The more time you are not spending waging a battle with the fleas, the more time you have to enjoy spring, summer & fall with your family & your furry babies aka pets.

Thank you for visiting my blog,
Lisa Morgan
Author of the reality check humor book Get Beach Slapped

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Beware: Killer of Tequila on the Loose

Beware: Killer of Tequila on the Loose

The following is an excerpt from by book Get Beach Slapped, a satirical Non PC reality check. I took a realistic look at life & my life to be exact. My rebellious views from my twenties had grown up & I found that my views had changed but not my values, this is very important not to conflate the two. Keeping your sense of humor is advantageous, as you age because you will need it. I found that having a sense of direction is far more important, than a sense of humor as you age. The ability to find a bathroom wherever you are is crucial after age 50.  Go ahead & read the meme I created. If this post gave you a giggle or chuckle then go to Barnes & Noble to download my reality check book GET BEACH SLAPPED or purchase the paperback, if you're old school like me. 

Amazon has my book, as does Google play. I personally like to support bookstores, but I'm thankful if you buy the book.

 

Have a stellar week my friends. I'll be doing some much needed writing over the next few weeks, so stay posted. #GetBeachSlapped #RT #books #

#author 

Thanks for taking your time to read my blog,

Lisa Morgan 

Author Get Beach Slapped

Animal Lover

Music lover

Survivor of marriage to musician

Known to be a consummate smart alec 

Artist/ Screenwriter/Blogger/lyricist

"Life is all about how you handle Plan B"

"Life is all about how you handle Plan B"

by Lisa Morgan                                                                               Dec. 20, 2016

Don't you just hate it when your preferred plan of action aka "Plan A" gets fumbled? The next thing you know you're looking at your options, one of which would be your backup plan or "Plan B". When you have failed at "Plan A" the original plan of action, which is usually your preferred method of approach, then you can typically look to a good "Plan B", for your backup plan. 

It's imperative to have a good "Plan B" you can more often land on your feet rather than on your butt, see the failure of "Plan A" to remind you of the fall you took. "Plan A" as a general rule will not come with a soft because you intended to succeed, from the beginning. Who wants to fail? Now that we have established "Plan A" is not a fail proof or even a fool proof plan, then we must do due diligence, to ensure the utmost success with "Plan B".  Failure is not the goal in anything you seek out to accomplish, otherwise you would simply stay on the couch or in bed, which is never the answer to anything.

You may find that your secondary course of action could very well be the better option to have taken from the beginning, but perhaps you were overly anxious, unprepared or just ego driven with the original "Plan A". If we assume the "Plan A" was from being an unprepared, overly anxious, egomaniac; then you can safely rename your "plan of action" to "plan of an ass". You will soon realize "Plan A" is not nearly as appealing as it once was, now is it? The backup plan you thought was for losers might  be viewed as the "plan of blessings" or the new & improved  "Plan B". It all depends on your perspective.

The perspective you normally will achieve, after having fallen on your butt is usually one of humbleness or regret, when you can look at it as a learning experience. Somehow we humans view learning experiences as a positive thing versus failures as a negative vibe. When they are in fact one in the same, as in the glass is half full or half empty. The glass may be at the halfway mark, neither empty or full, but waiting for the next course of action. If you realize it's up to you to either fill the glass or empty it, then you place yourself in control, rather than being helpless. Your next move determines the outcome, while unwittingly you are building your character. you'll need that character if "Plan B" turns out to be a dud, because "Plan C" the plan of character building is sometimes called the "curve-ball plan" or the"couch plan", because you never anticipated having a backup plan for the backup plan. The couch plan" usually consists having a pity party, eating, drinking, continuing the pity party alone, eating while wearing your once loose sweats or yoga pants, until you've gained 20 pounds & those loose sweats or yoga pants make you feel like a sausage in a tight casing.  Your occupy the couch approach will hopefully become so boring, that a new "plan of direction" or "Plan D" is inevitable. Hey sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to ensure that you are not still planted on the couch with your "Plan D" being the "depression plan". Slap yourself back into reality with a good old fashioned "Beach Slap" or a wave of reality, as I like to call it. Reality checks are the answer to selfies.

Life is all about how you handle "Plan B". Karma is always watching to see if after "Plan A" you played by the rules or if you went rogue. Those who go rogue, throwing out the Golden Rule & replacing it with Lawlessness or the lack of all rules, find that Karma has named "Plan B" the "Bitch Plan". We all know Karma is a bitch when you do not play fairly. Karma smiles warmly upon those who try their best & their "Plan B" will be a "Blessed Plan". 

Make your plans but do know that while you make plans, God laughs.

Thanks for visiting,

Lisa Morgan

Author of the reality check humor book GET BEACH SLAPPED

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