The recent find of Queen Hatshepsut is intriguing.  Undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary women in recorded history, Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharaoh Tuthmosis I and wife of Tuthmosis II, her half-brother.

When her husband-brother died, she became regent for the boy-king Tuthmosis III, the child of Tuthmosis II and a concubine. But hieroglyphic carvings suggest that Hatshepsut didn’t put up with that state of affairs for long: Wearing the royal headdress and a false beard, she proclaimed herself pharaoh.

She reigned in 1498-1483 B.C. as the fifth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, whose later members included Akhenaton and Tutankhamun. Under her 20-year rule, Egypt enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous time. Yet after her death, the female pharaoh was scorned, her images and inscriptions mutilated and her monuments demolished by the jealous successor Tuthmosis III.

Of her monumental construction work, only two great obelisks at Karnak and the temple at Deir al-Bahari — the scene of a notorious massacre of foreign tourists in 1997 — remain. Her mummy was never found, and some scholars even hypothized that Tuthmosis III may have destroyed it.

Scholars speculate that during the 21st or 22nd Dynasties, the priests moved the mummy of Hatshepsut to KV60 where she was found.

The mummy of Hatshepsut, was identified, thanks to gum disease and a tooth in a box.

Discovery Channel has the story and pix and will air “Secrets of Egypt’s Lost Queen,” on Sunday, July 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Today’s tip for better living:  Don’t forget to floss!

Never have been a fan of embalming, but then I realized I’d never seen embalming done well.Recently, a friend of the family passed after a long illness. At 93, in ill health, she was ready to go, she was worn out.

Before she passed, this once active lady nested on the couch, slept in her clothes and occasionally risked getting up to go the bathroom. You know the story; fell, broke her hip never to recover.

She’d tell you that she was ready to go and didn’t understand what was taking so long. She meant it.

Fast forward to the visitation. At the viewing, my grandmother Etta insisted that I go look at the deceased. “Doesn’t she look like she could sit up and start talking?” Etta Mae asked. I stepped back; I was amazed by the good work done by Gorman Sharpf funeral home. I’d never witnessed someone who looked better in death than in the last few years of life.

The next day at the burial, I stopped the funeral director, Bruce Howell and praised the firm’s work. Mr. Howell sited his nephew and said that sometimes with older ladies that have been ill, the results of embalming and cosmetics are good.

My grandfather, was the worst embalming case I have ever seen. Granted, he’d been gravely ill before he died, however, he would have wanted a viewing and a picture, and I believe my mother obliged him.

The only time I can recall actually needing a viewing to confirm that the deceased was actually gone was in the case of a friend’s suicide.

The act was so shocking and unbelievable at the time. The casket was closed and I remember thinking that my friend couldn’t possibly be in there. What are we doing here?

Enter Vernie Fountain. Master of reconstruction. He believes the open casket viewing is a critical component in the grieving process. Mr. Fountain is the one to call when damage is so severe that most funeral directors won’t even attempt a viewing. Students from all over the world come to Springfield, MO to attend his academy and learn his techniques.

An Iowa family recently used Mr. Fountain’s services when their 22 year old son committed suicide by placing a high velocity rifle in his mouth and pulling the trigger. No note. The family needed to say goodbye and try to get through this terrible tragedy.

Fountain came through and gave the family some closure. The family and community needed to see the young man one last time .

Randomness from the garden.

Construction crews have been busy with improvements in the garden now for about a month. Yesterday, while completing the final phase of the project, the crew accidentally ripped out my phone line. No DSL. No Internets. No bidnez.

Hot phone guy in tool belt arrived at 5:45 PM and hooked it up. Ladder climbing on the west side with the sun bearing down in full force. Dangerous work. I was his last stop, offered him an ice tea in a go cup and he was off. Now, let’s deal with the mail.

Dirtsister has more compassion for the men and women who have physical jobs, working in the elements. For the women who complain that their man doesn’t move after he hits the door, I can see why. After a long day of being bent over a rake, or running a jack hammer in the heat it’s understandable they would collapse on the couch in a vegetative state, re-charging until the next shift.

Next, we’re conducting another experiment in the garden. Irish Spring as cat repellent. Dirtsister read that cats hate the smell of Irish Spring. Peeled bars of the soap sprinkled on the borders of flower beds is an effective non toxic way to keep the kittys from using my beds as litter boxes. Let’s give it a whirl.

So far. So good. We’ll have to clean out the beds (ewww!) to accurately measure our success. But so far I haven’t spotted them squatting. It’s early yet.

Cat lady next door has five cats minimum and at times the population has swelled to twenty. Not kidding. Too many flies. Wrecked the beds. The good news….they’re good hunters.

So I was a little worried yesterday when I stepped out and saw this little pooper passed out in the lane.

Checked to make sure he was breathing. He was. Just napping is all.

Read an interesting article on local resident and master reconstruction artist Vernie Fountain. To be continued.

Today’s tip: Perfect your cat herding skills.

Hello everyone, wasn’t going to post until I had something to say. Well, here we are. Still consternated. Decided to take a walk.

A peaceful place that always lifts my spirits.

Beautiful landscaping.

Interesting statuary.

Met this guy along the trail, reminded me of my late grandfather who ran a “turtle rescue” on his farm. Funny story, some other time.

Felt a little better upon arrival at headquarters. Here’s the latest addition to our keepsake collection.

Today’s Tip for better living: Take a walk down Mulberry Street.

Our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the South Carolina firefighters who perished in the June 19th blaze.

Donations for the families are being collected, information at SCONFIRE.

A little surprised to see no tribute or mention of this tragedy on the South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association website.

Let’s start with three beautiful things:

Last night’s sunset

Grandmother’s clematis

Terry Evans getting called up to the bigs.

Today’s topic is Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont.

Opened in 1896, this graveyard is an art gallery, celebrating life in the midst of death with some of the most compelling, and quirky, art cemetery stones in the nation.

One of the most famous monuments is of a dying Louis Brusa, a local sculptor who died at age 51 in 1937 of silicosis, caused by granite dust he inhaled. Before his death, he pushed for requirements that granite sheds install ventilation systems to cut down on the dust.

A year before he died, he succeeded.

In secret, Brusa carved the monument that shows his concerned wife holding him as his lungs fail.

“No one had seen it until after he died,” said Shelley Ibey, who works for the Barre cemetery department. “It’s a memorial to him, certainly, but I think his intent was also that it would be a memorial to all the granite sculptors and the incredible talent that was lost at such young ages.”

Basic headstones cost about $2,000. More elaborate ones are in the $20,000 to $30,000 range, monuments have to be Barre gray granite.

Tucked at the back of the cemetery is an angel, carved in the 1920s, in an uncelestial pose: Her legs crossed, she leans forward, one arm resting on her thigh, her trumpet in her lap. Some say she looks bored, others call her the “thinking angel.”

Ibey says she has her own personality:

“One of the guys who works here insists her expression changes as he drives back and forth on his mower.”

Working on our Meet the Artist series. Have a couple more to add as well as some new products we’ll unveil later.

Speaking of new products, had an interesting conversation with a vendor who mentioned that the Life Gem folks have developed new technology that allows them to create the diamonds by extracting carbon from a lock of hair now. Interesting.

A week after the season finale of the Soprano’s, I’ve had time to process the ending and for fans I’ll include this link by a television writer who analyzes the series finale from a production point of view. 3000 words about 5 minutes of T.V. In retrospect the ending seems brilliant. That’s all I have to say about the Soprano’s. Done.

Dirtsister has several books on the nightstand that we substitute for Lunesta. One of them is called Crusaders. But it’s the cover art that gets our attention.

Is it possible that the artist is winking at us? Or is it just my perverted mind that draws my eye to the rider’s foot?

The pool is quiet, just Dirtsister and an older lady in the water. She’s paddling around and introduces herself.

Trixie* has a problem and wants to know if I have time to let her “bounce it off”.

Dirtsister announces she’s ready to get out…..just had a feeling about this one.

“Oh. That’s ok, never mind.” and then launches into her therapy session.

The doctor is in.

Trixie is 68, widowed three years and has recently gotten back into the game. Dating game that is. She meets her men on the internet. Today’s dilemma is regarding a rendezvous she has scheduled with a truck driver. Red flags. He’s vague about his background, she feels uncomfortable. Should she or shouldn’t she?

She answers her own question. No.

She usually dates younger men, and suspects they are looking for an older woman with money. Trixie lives on social security.

Married for 46 years, she tells me she didn’t have sex for the last 14 years of her marriage due to her husband’s illness.

But now- look out! Trixie’s got her game on. She’s gettin’ busy with it and making up for lost time. Miss Trixie began THE most graphic description of her sexcapades. Her techniques, likes and dislikes, and her most embarrassing moments.

She’s been invited by the county health department to speak to seniors regarding safe sex.

This session took place in a span of about 15 minutes with a complete stranger confiding very personal private matters.
Dirtsister began making her exit. Always glad to help.

Signs spotted at the pool:

No Public Displays of Affection.
Please do not spit in the pool.

Today’s WWII propoganda poster seems fitting:

Today’s tip for better living: Get Wet.

*Names have been changed to protect the not-so innocent.

So I woke up this morning thinking about the Branson Body Exhibit, and have decided that as an average citizen, the idea is disturbing.

“We look forward to making BODIES part of Branson’s family friendly programming,” states Arnie Geller, President and CEO of Premier Exhibitions, Inc. “Visitors will be introduced to a unique and groundbreaking Exhibition that will leave them educated and inspired to take better care of themselves.”

Maybe Dirtsister should go down and take a look at a ravaged lung.

Ok, Sunday we’re perusing the classified section and ran across this ad:

Premier Exhibitions the leader in Museum Quality Exhibitions is looking for team members for the newest and most exciting exhibit in Branson next to the Imax called
BODIES: THE EXHIBITION

Click. Whirrrrr.

We’d just finished an entertaining read “Remember Me”, by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, and recalled her interview with German anatomist Gunther von Hagens who pioneered the technique of body plastination.

In 1996, he opened his first exhibit featuring whole-body dissected corpses and flayed cadavers. He called it “Body Worlds” and, over the years, various incarnations of his exhibit have opened in London, Tokyo and Los Angeles, among others.
Von Hagens’ Web site claims that more than 20 million people have visited his various shows. And with numbers like that, it’s no wonder so many imitators have jumped on the bandwagon.

Meet the imitator: BODIES: THE EXHIBITION. “Bodies” uses Chinese corpses.  In cities such as New York, Miami and Las Vegas, “Bodies … The Exhibition” has drawn more than 2 million visitors since it started making the rounds in 2004. Evidently, Premier Exhibitions also handles the Titanic exhibits.

Von Hagen claims to have 6500 volunteers signed on as future specimens for his Body Worlds project. Most are German, where he has exhibited most frequently, but since launching the program in the USA he has signed 150 American donors.

Fun factoids about the future donors:

• 45% are men
• 55% are women
• 30% are over age sixty
• 5% are between 18-30 years old
• Four out of 10 are Christian
• Fully half of American donors say will allow their names to be displayed in the exhibits.

In a recent survey of body donors, the doctor posed a series of questions to judge the limits of donors’ tolerance for weirdness in the name of science.

• Would they consent to being posed in a group, such as a string quartet?
• Would they allow their bodies to be posed with a plastinated animal, like the horse and rider in the current exhibit?
• Would they let their bodies be merged with an animal- say as a centaur?
• Would they allow crucification?
• Undergo a postmortem sex change?
• To be displayed having sex?

Responses were mixed. Centaurs and sex changes were, for the most part nixed.

The sex question? What a surprise! Many more men than women agreed to the sex proposition!

Regarding Branson attractions, saw an ad for a Segway scooter track.

Can you get air on a Segway?