My son Gary, Billie, Katie, Adam, Becca, Aaron
Katie and Adam
The Happy Couple
The proud dad and his baby girl
Gangsta
The Bride and Maid of Honor, her sister Becca
Katie the beautiful Bride and my sweet baby girl.
My precious granddaughter got married, It was a beautiful. I cried.
that the things I expect to be troublesome, and that I spend precious hours worrying about, quite often turn out to be easy and worry free. It's the unexpected, unplanned for, unknown events that tend to knock me off my feet.
Sister Wives is TLC’s new reality show about polygamy.
Kody Brown is the biggest con man I have ever seen. He struts around the house with a smirk on his face and his 3 adoring sister wives fuss over him and pray to over come their jealousy. All the time saying how he is doing what is best for his family of 13, or 14 or ??. (A couple of his wives look pregnant.)
During this first show he sets his kids and wives down and tells them he is “courting” Robin a woman he has his eye on to become wife number 4.
Kody does his best to keep his polygamist life secret from his work and the outside world. He drives around in a sporty white Lexus Convertible. (Total family car.)
It's creepy because it is directly connected to sexual abuse and brainwashing of young girls and women. And then this fool gets to act out his untreated sex addiction as an open lifestyle to top it off. Not to mention the brainwashing of the children who are raised to believe that this is how life should be and the female children being taught every single day that this is all they deserve.
Katie and Morgan
(my oldest granddaughter and my youngest granddaughter)
Almost asleep
As a rule, I am not a cranky person, I don’t even like cranky people, but some rules are made to be broken and today I am cranky. I’m having one of those days where nothing is going right, and I’m sure you have them too.
My ‘cranky’ started when I in inadvertently overrode a photograph I was saving and ended up losing the first one completely!
Next, my printer has decided that it no longer wants to print. It’s one of those 3-way deals, copier, scanner and printer. Well it hasn’t worked right since I installed it and I know it has something to do with the drivers not being compatible. You would think that downloading new drivers would solve the problem…HA! Now I get a message that my computer and printer are not communicating! It popped a box on my screen with what I could try in order to resolve the problem; unplug USB from PC, unplug USB from printer, unplug printer from power, turn printer on, reboot PC, stand on one foot and whistle Dixie! Of course this has to happen right when I have a pile of things that need to be scanned and printed! And of course, it didn’t work!
Contributing to my irritable frame of mind is when I reached for something in the bathroom cupboard and noticed that the skin on my hand looks like crepe paper…what’s up with that?
Spending the past hour on the phone punching one for English, and two for non-existent customer service representatives, holding for eternity all while horrible garbled music blasted my eardrums, didn’t help my mood.
Autumn is tapping on my window, enticing me to go out back and sit in the sunshine but I’m up to my ears in paperwork, computer woes and skin crinkling before my eyes!
Don’t you just love Saturday?
* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.*
*Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.*
*Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.*
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.*
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.*
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.*
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.*
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.*
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.*
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.*
* Every path has a few puddles.*
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.*
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.*
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.*
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.*
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.*
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.*
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.*
* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.*
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.*
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.*
* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.*
* Always drink upstream from the herd.*
* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.*
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.*
* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.*
* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.*
*Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.*
*Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, He'll just kill you.*
Good advise! (from an email)
Autumn is officially here. There are signs around now to once again confirm the process has begun.
I love the autumn. I think I have a special affection for the season. I love the intense colors that are just around the corner as the night-time temps drop. While it's always sad to see the flowers fading, it's always a thrill to watch the leaves turn color. That's when I hope for Jack Frost to do some heavy work. The harder he works, the more intense the foliage becomes before everything goes brown and eventually becomes fodder for the flower beds. I like the cycles of nature autumn so clearly shows...how death is always necessary for rebirth.
I am at war with mice. I do believe I've managed to eliminate all of them from my domain. All the live ones, that is. So this morning I emptied out the lower cabinet where they seem to have been partying the most, and cleaned and bleached it. Since the mice had been all over down there, I washed every dish and container I had stored there.
This particular section of cabinet is awkward to reach, all the way to the back, because it was stuck in a corner of this old house as an afterthought, probably 50 years after the house was built. So it's where I keep lots of Tupperware and such that I seldom use.
I have washed dishes and stacked them everywhere to dry. I'll bet some little mousie angels were watching and laughing.
Oh, the other part of their revenge is the awful smell of decomposing rodents in my kitchen! I have looked everywhere, but I can't locate the final resting place of the stinking carcass of a mouse (or two) that D-Con got the best of. Ewwww.
By the way, is it just me, or are dish drainers getting smaller? I suppose it has to do with the fact that most people use automatic dishwashers, but I wash my dishes by hand. I really need a big drainer!
1. Fold fitted sheets.
2. Be anything but happy.
3. Have regrets.
4. Drink cheap wine.
5. Hold grudges.
6. To waste.
7. To worry about what if.
8. To clean my own house.
9. Be bored.
10. Give up.
langniappe:
[lan-yap, lan-yap]
–noun
1.Chiefly Southern Louisiana and Southeast Texas . a small gift given with a purchase to a customer, by way of compliment or for good measure; bonus.
2.a gratuity or tip.
3.an unexpected or indirect benefit.
In New Orleans, the term that would be used to describe “a little something extra” of this sort is lagniappe, pronounced “LAN-yap.” There is an old custom among merchants in New Orleans to add a small, nearly trivial gift to an order—particularly for large purchases or repeat customers. The word “lagniappe” originally comes from the Quechua word yapay (“to give more”), which led to yapa (“gift”), and then to the American Spanish la ñapa (“the gift”).
There’s a subtle yet powerful principle at work here: the amount or quality of something you actually receive is not as important as how it compares to what you were anticipating. For example, let’s say you see an ad on TV for a salad steamer and think, “Wow, I have to buy this.” When your package arrives in the mail, you discover it contains not just what you ordered, but as a special thank-you gift, a certificate redeemable for a free head of lettuce. Because what you got was more than you thought you paid for, you’re likely to feel happier with your purchase and more favorably disposed toward the merchant. On the other hand, if the merchant had promised “free lettuce with purchase” and you expected a fresh head of lettuce in the box, you might be disappointed and annoyed to find that you have to make an extra trip to the store to get what you paid for. The actual contents of the package is the same in both cases, but your reaction was different because of the expectations you had.
This principle can be a very effective marketing tool if used correctly; it can also, of course, be abused. If you have three products that are all cheaply made and collectively worth $10, how do you sell the set for twice that? Easy: hype up just one of the products and advertise it at the “low, low” price of “only” $20. Then, dramatically, add: “But wait, there’s more!” and mention, , that you’re going to throw in the other two products “absolutely free!” This strategy works surprisingly well, all because the initial step of setting expectations was done so well.
Who knew?
I haven’t smoked in several years yet daily I pay the price for having smoked. I smoked off and on for most of my adult life. I never realized what a toll it was taking on my health. Now I spend 24 hours a day on oxygen. And still sometimes gasp for breath doing the slightest activity. I ask you now, if you smoke to please stop. Not for me, but for yourself and your family. Forget all you have heard about how hard it is to quit. I promise you it is not that hard and you will feel and smell so much better. Go ahead quit I dare you.
I'm a procrastinator by nature....I think I love both the adrenalin rush that I get by waiting until the last minute to get something done, and the sense of relief that comes after I've successfully completed the task. This is especially true when the task involves something that I really don't want to do. I avoid things that I don't want to do until I'm backed into a corner with nowhere to turn. I've learned that:
scha·den·freu·de [ shad'n fròydÉ™ ] or Scha·den·freu·de [ shad'n fròydÉ™ ]
noun
Definition:
gloating at somebody else's bad luck: malicious or smug pleasure taken in somebody else's misfortune
[Late 19th century. < German< Schaden "harm" + Freude "joy"]
Courtesy of the Simpsons: "When Flanders Failed"
Lisa: Dad, do you know what Schadenfreude is?
Homer: (sarcastically) No, I do not know what Schadenfreude is. Please tell me, because I'm dying to know!
Lisa: It's a German term for 'shameful joy', taking pleasure in the suffering of others.
Homer: Oh, come on Lisa. I'm just glad to see him fall flat on his butt!
Have you ever known someone who loves it when bad things happen to others? Who knew there was a word for it? In my many years on this earth I have met several such people and to be honest may be one myself. Figure skaters falling on their a$$e$; a straight-A student getting a B; exes getting STDs—all cause for secret, malicious joy. I am ashamed. But, not terribly so. For instance 'Schandenfreude' is basically 'Better Him Than Me'. This has been described by scholars as (are you ready), "Social Comparison Theory and Service Recovery." Having tried myself to read this treatise, and having actually completed the first paragraph, I subscribe wholly to the, 'Better Him Than Me' position. Thus, now realizing my position in society will be solidified for all time, I must make a choice. I ponder briefly.........nope. Don't feel a bit guilty. Next!
Definition for redux revived: brought back, especially in being restored to former importance or prominence
Today I was thinking back to when I was first diagnosed. It was not a surprise to me as I had been having difficulty breathing for quite some time. I realized that I had an important choice to make. I could either fight the disease or learn to live with it. As I learned from my doctors that there was nothing that could be done to make my COPD disappear, I gradually came to the conclusion that I would simply have to learn to live with it. That is, my life would now be defined by this condition and it would continue to change as the disease changed. If you have COPD, you will understand what a difficult choice this was for me to make. I started on oxygen and was surprised at what a blessing that was. It made my life so much easier. Now my daily business is possible again,
although much slower and I can continue to live alone and care for myself and my needs. I have bigger challenges to face in the future, but for now I
am comfortable with my life as it is. I chose to live with it and embrace it as a life style. And not simply cope with it and feel it was something that was holding me back or was a hindrance to me in my daily life. If you have COPD you will understand what a big hard choice that was for me to make.
I had a surprise phone call from Steve, my ex oxygen delivery man. It was so nice to hear from him. He is now fighting his own battles. I know he can do it. He and his wife Andrea have been my friends for quite a few years now. He was one of my support people and I miss him coming every 2 weeks, his upbeat personality, his nice smile and how between the two of us we could solve all the world’s problems in just a few minutes.
Today is just another day, another good day. My breathing is much better today. The humidity has dropped and the rain is gone. The elephant is no longer sitting on my chest.
has taken on a whole new meaning with the advent of the world wide web.( Special Thanks to Mr. Al Gore ) I'm often amazed at the wealth of information available on the "net". Some good, some bad. Sifting through the information can swallow up a lot of time, but it has never been easier or more distracting. You can start out searching for a particular thing then find yourself watching a video like this one:
A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and started working East from there.
Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was
intrigued with a sign, which read 'Calls: $1,000,000 per minute.'
Seeking out the pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if a person pays the price he/she can talk directly to GOD.
The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way.
As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee and all around the
United States, he found more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor.
Finally, he arrived in Indiana . Upon entering a
local church he was not surprised to see the usual golden telephone. But this time, the sign read 'Calls: 35 cents.'
Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor. Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in many
churches I have found this golden telephone and have
been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I
could talk to GOD, but in the other churches the cost
was $1,000,000 a minute. Your sign says the cost is
only 35 cents per call. Why?
The pastor, smiling benignly, replied, 'Son, you are in
Indiana now. You are in God's Country. It's a local
call..'
American by birth. A Hoosier by the Grace of God.
(from an email)
Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. ~John Wooden
May you live all the days of your life.
Jonathan Swift
A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Miracles happen to those who believe in them.
Bernhard Berenson
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Some of my very favorite quotes.
I once dreamed of changing the world, and I have failed at that.
One of my favorite movies is “It’s A Wonderful Life”, so I’m aware that every person touches many other lives in one way or another. Obviously, my children and grandchildren wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t lived. So of course I've made some differences in the world.
What really got me thinking along these lines is that recently I was going thru some old family pictures. When Grandma died in the late 1960's, the funeral home was packed. Everyone in that little town seemed to know her then.
But now nobody recognizes the lady in that old picture. No one remembers. Grandma lived a good life, and affected the lives of her neighbors, friends, and relatives. Grandma was a hard worker and she wrote a weekly column for the Pharos Tribune newspaper. Her only son fought in World War II. Her only daughter was a newspaper woman, when women were only teachers or nurses. Grandma made a much bigger contribution than I ever will.
And yet, wars kept happening. Crime got ever worse. Poverty in third-world countries wasn’t affected by her life at all.
Sure, I’ve written a blog here and there, that made somebody smile. But I’m talking about the vast scheme of things.
When I was young, I remember watching the news, seeing people who were willing to go to jail for a cause: the civil rights movement. And I wished I could be a part of something that big and meaningful. Years later I saw a documentary on PBS about Mother Theresa, made after she won the Nobel prize. There was a woman who made a difference! That’s what I’m talking about.
But the truth is, I just didn't put myself on the front lines that way. I was too busy living my life and raising my family.
But I so wanted to change the world.
An old man, a boy & a donkey were going to town.
The boy rode on the donkey & the old man walked.
As they went along they passed some people
who remarked it was a shame the old man
was walking and the boy was riding..
The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right,
so they changed positions.
Then, later, they passed some people who remarked,
'What a shame, he makes that little boy walk.'
So they then decided they'd both walk!
Soon they passed some more people who thought
they were stupid to walk when they had a
decent donkey to ride.
So, they both rode the donkey.
Now they passed some people
who shamed them by saying how awful to
put such a load on a poor donkey.
The boy and man figured they were probably right,
so they decide to carry the donkey.
As they crossed the bridge,
they lost their grip on the animal
and he fell into the river and drowned.
The moral of the story?
If you try to please everyone,
you might as well...
Kiss your ass goodbye!
Have A Nice Day And Be Careful With Your Donkey
1. Is it me or… The older guys get, the higher they wear their pants?
2. Is it me or… would you rather help the homeless by giving a loaf of bread, peanut butter, jelly and fruit than giving them money.
3. Is it me or…does the old school candy like Jujyfruit, Milk Duds, Mike N Ikes, Hot Tamales, Bit O Honeys, Chick O Sticks, Now or Laters, tasted way better way back when than they do now.
4. Is it me or…. could everybody eat Chinese food 5 days a week! (The other two days would be seafood and pasta).
5. Is it just me or…. is cleaning out closets and drawers is exhilarating. I feel so good when I'm clutter less.
6. Is it just me or...does Paula Deen have some sort of agreement with God? Sort of a GET INTO HEAVEN FREE card? Cuz with the amount of butter she uses in her recipes, she ought to be about six feet under. My arteries start to clog just watching her show!
7. Is it just me or...does anyone else think we will NEVER truly hear/see the end of Jon and Kate? I suspect that they (along with Oprah) will live on in infamy. And although I'm totally ok with the show being done, damn if I'm not gonna miss me some Joel and some Leah. I puffy heart Joel!! :)
Just thinking out loud here. Why do people like politics and political discussions? Why do folks like to argue in the first place? It seems so unpleasant.
I am so adverse to arguments.. I feel myself tremble and shake inside when arguments start. I do not like them, Sam I am. I really don't.. and I've even participated in a few, still don't like them.
In many ways, I'd just prefer to lie down and rollover(.. rub my belly please) than have an argument. This probably costs me a lot, and I've gotten better over time in standing up for myself, but I'm still very non confrontational.
I wonder if this aversion came from my strict upbringing where I wasn't allowed to cry. Well I did cry, but I can remember being told "Stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about" and trying so hard to swallow the tears and it hurt my throat so bad.
I don't know. I do know I've tried to never use that phrase with my kids. I probably failed and did use it a time or two, but not as much as it was used on me.
All this is to say that I have views about things that I won't express because I don't want the arguments. And people who enjoy politics and arguments perplex me.
Just because I'm silent, doesn't mean I agree with you.
1. I am easily distracted, not always by shiny things, I once put on a tablecloth half way, then got distracted.
2. I was never offered drugs in high school.
3. I wonder why people spend more time complaining than changing.
4. I like the word wasabi.
5. I have friends who wouldn’t be annoyed if I called them at 3 a.m.
6. I sort my M&M’s by color and eat them by number order.
7. I once found a package with no yellow.
8. I wish I could garden I would love a flower garden – the English castle kind of garden.
9. I love reality TV.
10. I consider myself a textile artist. ( Or a compulsive Hooker?)
My question of the day is this...What in the world is soy?? I know that it came from a bean, but what is it really? Is it a vegetable? A fruit? A meat? A drink? A life force? This may be a dumb question to some of you, but do you realize that soy can be any of those things?? Soy is like plastic or Styrofoam! I have never in my life come across a "food" that can be used as a meat, a juice, a milk, a sauce, a protein, an oil, paint, rubber, pesticide, noodles, beer, fish food, cattle feed, diesel fuel and cosmetics! You don't believe me?? Go Here. What kind of food is that?? You can turn it into anything! You can curry soy and eat it like it's meat. What in the world is soy? And do not tell me it's healthy! I want to know what it really is! I think it might be some alien life force from another planet....what do you think??
