Once more we have a round-up of random crap (which is loosely what “farrago” means), tossed out for our entertainment and education.
Today we mark the birth of my Hurricane‘s significant other: J. Adam Brinson. Happy Happy Special Day to you Adam!
As I told you before, Daniel has set us up a little work station, his to the left of mine. He has different stuff over there, and one stack of things on his desk has been distracting me for days now. 
See how that would cause me to lose my concentration? A lot?!
I worked on the new bag cover today, but didn’t finish it. 
I had to repair one of my ancient pairs of Levi’s instead. Not the patched ones, the overly zig-zagged ones this time. 
There is NOTHING wrong with these pants. They are fine, I tell you, just fine!
I would like to take a moment and address that Autism testing link, and a wee bit of controversy it stirred up. Delia was right, these types of on-line quizzes are mostly bullshit. However, they are also fun. We both have children in our lives who truly fall into this category, on some level, and I didn’t want to make light of that. Since I really do have special issues, and since I am frighteningly irreverent, it seemed like a harmless item to include here. She made a good point, so I wanted to acknowledge it.
I am still working on things here in the New Improved version of JulieLand, but I am doing it on my own. The font and typeface continue to annoy me, I don’t like the look of them. If there is anything you don’t like, or anything that is not working for you (like is the blog eating your comments?) please don’t hesitate to let me know, via e-mail, or tweet, or psychic messaging.
Our card du jour is from the Animal Medicine Deck. 
Squirrel ~ Gathering
“Squirrel teaches you to plan ahead for the winter when the trees are bare and the nuts have long since disappeared. Squirrel medicine can come in many forms, as this furry creature is very diverse in nature. The erratic behaviour of Squirrel has bested many a forlorn hunter, and it thus stands to reason that there are benefits to being able to circle a branch at lightening speed. This seeming frenzy can also get nerve-wracking if you are dealing with persons who have Squirrel traits. Trying to calm them down enough to accomplish something may feel overwhelming.
The gathering power of Squirrel medicine is a great gift though. It teaches you how to collect and store your energy for times of need. It teaches you to reserve something for further use, whether it be a judgement, an opinion, a savings account, candles, or extra food.
In today’s world of changing times and fortunes, it is the wise person who prepares for the future. The message is to be aware and be prepared; love yourself enough to gather the goods that will meet your needs in times of scarcity, even if that time never comes.
Honor your future by readying yourself and those around you. Understand the balance involved in gathering, look at the idea of circulating the stock of what you have before you. And see to preparations also of having a safe place in which to store your gatherings. This place is an untroubled heart and mind, and that which is gathered will set your mind and heart free, so that you will know that all will be well taken care of in its own time. Apply this to any fears of the future you might have and they will vanish.”
(When I first read that part about gathering supplies, and it said “candles” I saw it as candy, and was momentarily thrilled that the spirits were telling me to keep delicious snacks on hand. See 
I was already doin’ the work!)
Hey now, if you are going to put pictures of chocolate on your blog I think it’s only fair that you send us each one before we read it. That way we won’t be stuck in our jammies looking at yummy chocolate bars at 11:00 at night and thirty miles away from the closest open store. Maybe a whole bag of chocolate.
I am so sorry for teasing you like that! I just assumed (and we all know how well that always turns out) that everyone had several huge bowls of Trick or Treat candy sitting around the house right now. If I could share with you from here I totally would! I have plenty. (Way more than we need, but then, who doesn’t NEED huge bowls of candy?)
Squirrel medicine is hard for me to wrap my head around on many levels. I love the word farrago. It describes a lot of what I do. If Karyn gets up to speed on drums, and I ever get a bass guitar, do you think we could have a band?? I need more playing commitments…
I am really torn over this one too. On the one hand, I do tend to be a wee bit Squirrely (wait, what? oooh shiny), but on the other hand, I can sit for hours on end with a good book. Sometimes for so long that Dan comes by and checks for a pulse.
Oh yes, you could totally have your own band, and we could call it The Farrago Gathering!
Ho there, lady! I wasn’t trying to be controversial. Just sayin.
And Eddie Van Halen is indeed a distraction, but I never did like that guitar. Even when I, too, was using Aqua Net in the pink can.
Delia, I think you were totally in the right on bringing that up, though. Because a.) a bunch of “normal” people taking the autism test and posting “results” is pretty insensitive and demeaning to the disease and b.) Mom, you may consider yourself to be “special issues” but the fact is that you are just strange. You’re not autistic. Please stop saying you are.
Hanna, what I found interesting about that test was that, keeping in mind the forum (a generalized facebook quiz, where at least the words were spelled right) was that I was SO middle of the road, and a good friend, very creative, scored rather high, as did a friend who has two autistic kids.
I wouldn’t say that was as insensitive; instead, I think that it gives a glimmer into the thought processes of people who don’t fit into the middle. I have seen similar “quizes” that measure attentional things, OCD things, and other perceptual measures that I find interesting simply because it gives me a look into how other folks see the world.
Autism itself is, I believe, a spectrum about which we are only just identifying via pathology; I don’t think that is the right vehicle, as it were. I have seen some recent documentaries where some really phenomenal people that did some amazing things were diagnosable as one of a variety of pathologies that now must be treated instead of utilized. I suspect that when all is said and done, autism will find itself in the utilized specialty category rather than the pathological one.
Delia, no worries, we’re good, I knew what you were saying
Han, since you are not a doctor, nor do you play one on TV, you may not be qualified to diagnose me.
Ally, well said, thanks.
Having a big bowl of sweeties by the front door is a very bad idea. What small shreds of self control I have disappear as I pass by said bowl.
Posting a picture of snickers on your blog – also a very bad idea. Giving me thoughts about rushing out and purchasing said evil .
Happily halloween is almost over and if I have the self control I’m going to tip the sweeties in the bin tomorrow – just after I eat another mini mars!
I feel so bad about that photo now, but it did make me laugh when I thought I was being “guided” to have candy near by.
Oh no, don’t toss the treats into the bin, give them away or something. Ship them here, I have NO self-control.
Happy, happy Halloween, to my favourite witch!!!!!! (You have even supplanted Samantha and Cousin Serena in my affections!)
I could never be in front of Samantha and Serena, they are like gods to me. But thank you. Hope your Witches New Year was grand!
OK, tho there are all kinds of things to comment on here (I did have chocolate on hand so no worries about the picture), the one I will confine myself to is this: without the caption, I would never have recognized Eddie Van Halen with SHORT HAIR. WHAT is the world coming to.
Hope you had a lovely Samhain.
(whoa-oh-oh-oh Jamie’s crying)
I KNOW!!! Daniel has a few of these magazines so I was forewarned, otherwise I wouldn’t have recognized him either. This is his “clean and sober” look. I preferred the “drunk and disorderly” myself, but then, I wasn’t married to him.
Also, I just found out that we (you and I, not me and Eddie) are the same age.
(Thanks, I will now be singing that song all damn night mow.)