5 on Friday

1.Have you ever left the country you live in and where?
Nope. I've traveled a little around the states...but not much...I visited Canada a time or two but it was a day trip, while visiting Niagara Falls.
2.What countries would you visit if time and money were not problems?
Time and money not a problem? When did I get a TARDIS?! That would be fantastic!... Australia for sure then I want go to the UK - England Ireland Scotland...And I've been told that Italy is wonderful. So, that's on my list. 
3.Out of all the foreign food you've tried, which is your favorite and why?
I don't really have a favorite...It all depends on the mood & the food. :) I kinda like Chinese, and Mexican.
4.Can you name all 7 continents? 
North and South America Africa Australia Europe Asia.....and I had to cheat because I couldn't remember Antarctica. (It's been a day or two since I've been in school!)
5.Which continent are you least likely to ever want to see and why?
That would be the above forgotten Antarctica....just because BURRRRRRRRR!!!

When in doubt, shut your mouth.

 

There seems to be an increasing number of stupid things being said to people who are upset. Are you guilty of any of these offenses?  Often times you come upon a coworker, a friend, or a family member who is obviously upset. Perhaps you do not know what has caused this. Perhaps you do. Either way you do not know what to say. Let me tell you right now: When in doubt, shut your mouth.

Lets look at some examples.

You come upon a friend and they are clearly upset. They feel as though every step in life they take forward, they are pushed back two. They feel as though they are not getting anywhere, like they are trapped. What do you do?
Correct answer: Put your hand on their shoulder and tell them that things WILL get better. Perhaps talk about some future plans that she can look forward to.
 Wrong answer: Say "Well, that is how life is. My whole life has been like that. You just gotta get used to it." This will only increase the feelings of hopelessness.

Your coworker is upset because they are stressing out about working with the public school systems.
Correct answer:  Put your hand on their shoulder.  Perhaps a small squeeze.  If you must say something, say "I understand and I know you will get through it."
Wrong answer:  Say "And this is only the beginning!"
 
Someone comes to you for help.  They have tried their hardest, but still cannot solve the problem.
Correct answer:  Say "Come sit down.  We will work through this together."
Wrong answer:  Say "You are a smart girl, you can figure it out."
In conclusion:  When in doubt, close your mouth!
 
This was adapted from an email, I thought it was very good advise.

4 things that make me cranky today.

1. Blogs with music Normally I read blogs first thing in the morning.and unexpected blaring music makes me very unhappy.
2. Lack of paragraphs Now, I am no English teacher and I do not claim to know anything much about grammar, but paragraphs are your friends. They are just easier on the eyes.
3. Caps Lock This goes for anything: blogs, email, fb, twitter, anything. Caps = Yelling. I don't like people yelling IRL either.
4. Commenters who have nothing nice to say Seriously, if you don't like the blog you can click away from it. Try it. See that ity-bity 'x' in the top corner of the screen? Click it. Good. Now you don't have to read blogs that make you so unhappy! Amazing! And I am not talking about followers that read the blog and just disagree sometimes. I am all up for discussions, but it the person that comes back week after week to say how much the blog sucks.

People Who Annoy Me This Week

 

1. Post-Election Activists
You know the types. They say nothing before the election. Probably do not vote. Then complain and complain and rally AFTER the election. Wednesday is not the right time to decide to protest, start groups, and rally. Monday probably would have been a better day for that. I cannot even look at FaceBook right now.
2. Lazy People
The people who use the elevator to go up one flight. The people who ride the bus for three blocks.  People who toss trash on the ground instead of placing in recycle containers or trash bins.
3. Elitist Environmentalists
Yes, being green is good for the environment, and is totally fashionable. I read a blog where the author suggested to start buying delicious organic soups and to donate your old soup to food banks. The commenters called her an elitist because why would you give poor people bad (read: Campbell's) soup? You should take that soup and composite it! These people are the elitists! People at food banks would rather Campbell's soup then no soup at all. You would really rather throw perfectly good soup onto the ground then give it to a hungry family? WTH?
4. People Who Don't Clean Up After Themselves nothing more needs to be said.

World’s largest army

The world's largest army...America's hunters!
I had never thought about this...
A blogger added up the deer license sales
in just a handful of states and arrived at a striking
conclusion:
There were over 600,000 hunters this season in the state of Wisconsin.
Allow me to restate that number:

Over the last several months, Wisconsin's hunters became the eighth largest army in the world.
More men under arms than in Iran.

More than France and Germany combined.
These men deployed to the woods of a single American state, Wisconsin, to hunt with
firearms, and no one was killed. That number pales in comparison to the 750,000 who hunted the woods of Pennsylvania and Michigan's 700,000 hunters, all of whom have now returned home safely. Toss in a quarter million hunters
in West Virginia and it literally establishes the fact
that the hunters of those four states alone would comprise the largest army in the world.
And then add in the total number of hunters in the other 46 states. It's millions more.
The point?
America will forever be safe from foreign invasion
with that kind of home-grown firepower.
Hunting.... it's not just
a way to fill the freezer..
It's a matter of national security.
***************************************
That's why all enemies, foreign and domestic, want to see us disarmed.
Food for thought, when next we consider gun control.
-------------------------------------
Overall it's true, so if we disregard some assumptions that hunters
don't possess the same skills as soldiers, the question would still remain... what army of
2 million would want to face 30, 40, 50 million armed citizens.
(IF YOU AGREE, AS I DO, PASS IT ON, I FEEL GOOD THAT I HAVE AN ARMY OF MILLIONS WHO WOULD PROTECT OUR LAND AND I SURE DON'T WANT THE GOVERNMENT TAKING CONTROL OF THE POSSESSION OF FIREARMS)

For the sake of our freedom, don't ever allow gun control or confiscation of guns.





In God We Trust
"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

--
ED HANKINS
(from an email)

5 on Friday

1. How long do your Thanksgiving leftovers usually last, and at what's the first non-Thanksgiving item you begin to crave when you tire of turkey?
For me, the first non-Thanksgiving item I crave is steak.  Since I no longer cook and go to my son’s I don’t have  left overs.
 

2. Of the following, which would you most prefer to be located:
a) Interstate highway traffic jam
b) Slow-moving checkout line
c) Dentist's chair
Been in all three but I think the checkout line wins it.
 
3. What is at the top of your personal Christmas gift wish list this year?
I don't have a wish list. Gave up on making one years ago because I never got anything on it anyways.  But if you really press me I would say a garage, just cause it drives my kids nuts.

4. What is your favorite classic 80's video game?
I guess it would have to be Ms. Pac man. I preferred pinball games.

5. What seasonal movies do you most look forward to this time of year? A Christmas Story.  I love this movie. I have watched it every year forever. 

Happy Thanksgiving

A Letter to Older Me

 

Dear Older Me,

I know I’ve got a few more years to go before I’m considered “old” so I’m telling you now, you’re in for the ride of your life. You will NOT grow old without a fight. It’s not that you’re in denial; you’re going to find that there’s way too much life to be lived still.

Play lots - video games, dance, paint, play with a yoyo, jump rope while singing the childhood jump rope songs, take in some homeless animals, and LAUGH!!! Create moments…seek moments where laughter is overflowing. Blow milk bubbles (of course, don’t forget to take Lactaid), lie on your back and watch the clouds. Have a picnic with your precious other, romancing and loving ever moment of his touch. (PS…there’s no such thing as being too old for romance).

You may not like the word “no” very much but brace yourself. Not every idea will be met with thumbs up, even from your kids. But that’s okay. By then, there will be ankle locators for the elderly so they’ll keep tabs on you wherever you are.

Oh, and by the way, prepare yourself, Older Me, because you are taking that Thelma and Louise trip living life close to the edge. Bring plenty of extra underpants because the trip will cause leakage in great proportions from laughing so hard. Also, never leave home without enough money in your pocket to either call a cab or for bail money. Never say never to jumping out of planes, going on a safari in Africa or staying in a 5 star hotel, being treated like royalty. You deserve to be waited on hand and foot, even if they are a bit wrinkly.

You’re going to love being a Grammie. It’s going to feel like nothing you’ve ever felt before to hold your beautiful grandbabies and know that you are holding a piece of heaven here on earth. It’s okay to slip the grandbabies cookies when their parents aren’t looking and give them the wink. It will always just be your secret.

Find a place to hang your car keys. You will lose them many times before you figure that one out.

As much as you hate the thought of hot flashes and irritability, enjoy every minute of it. It will save tons on the heating bill in the winter time.

When you get the urge to do something out of the ordinary, make sure that you tell someone what it is and where you’re going, just in case, somehow, along the way, you get lost and can’t find your way back home.

Laugh when you wear two different shoes or drop half a bagel down your cleavage….at least you will still have cleavage, even if it is tucked inside of your socks.

Sing loudly…and trust me, others will sing right along with you.

Never fear admitting you’ve forgotten something. It’s not that you’re forgetful, your brain is just taking a power nap.

Cherish time cuddling, and holding hands. And KISS long and passionately. Most of all, love yourself and all the other things will fall right into place.

Signed,

The younger ME

(adapted from an email)

STUDENT WHO OBTAINED 0% ON AN EXAM

 
(I would have given him 100%!)
Q 1. In which battle did Napoleon die? 
* His last battle.
Q 2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
* At the bottom of the page.
Q 3. River Ravi flows in which state?
* Liquid.
Q 4. What is the main reason for divorce?
* Marriage.
Q 5. What is the main reason for failure?
* Exams.
Q 6. What can you never eat for breakfast?
* Lunch & dinner.
Q 7. What looks like half an apple?
* The other half.
Q 8. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
* It will become wet.
Q 9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping ?
* He will sleep at night.
Q 10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
* You will never find an elephant with one hand.
Q 11. If you have three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in other hand, what do you have ?
* Very large hands.
Q 12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
* No time at all.  The wall has already been built.
Q 13. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
*Any way you want.  The concrete floor is not going to crack.
 
 
from an email thanks Joe.

Regret vs. Guilt

 

re⋅gret
  /rɪˈgrɛt/ [ri-gret] -gret⋅ted, -gret⋅ting, noun
–verb (used with object)
1. to feel sorrow or remorse for (an act, fault, disappointment, etc.): He no sooner spoke than he regretted it.
2. to think of with a sense of loss: to regret one's vanished youth.
–noun
3. a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc.
4. a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc.
5. regrets, a polite, usually formal refusal of an invitation: I sent her my regrets.
6. a note expressing regret at one's inability to accept an invitation: I have had four acceptances and one regret.
guilt
  /gɪlt/ [gilt]
–noun
1. the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, esp. against moral or penal law; culpability: He admitted his guilt.
2. a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined.
3. conduct involving the commission of such crimes, wrongs, etc.: to live a life of guilt.

A lot of people regret things that they have done in their lives. I have always thought that I am not regretful. The things that I have done have made me who I am.
On the other hand, I feel guilty about everything. Seriously. I carry so much guilt around it's hard to stand sometimes.
How does regret compare to guilt?
First, with a quick look, guilt is way more serious. Sally regrets giving Sarah that last drink. Sally feels guilty about letting Sarah drive home drunk.
They are both feelings of remorse (deep and painful regret for wrongdoing; compunction).
Side note: Don't you hate it when you are trying to figure out the meaning of a word just to have the definitions circle around one another?
Regret is remorse for an act or fault. Guilt is remorse for a crime or offense. Geez.
I think the most important part of either of these definitions is that guilt is for something either real or imagined. Regrets are real. Ben called Lucy a b***h and regrets it. Lucy got angry, stormed out the door and got hit by a bus. Now Ben feels guilty about Lucy getting hit by the bus. Ben wasn't driving the bus. Calling Lucy a b***h did not cause her hospitalization.
Who knows, maybe Ben is better off.
What is my conclusion? I suppose it would be healthier to be regretful than guilt ridden. Especially for things out of your (my) control. I don't know if anyone else learned anything in the past couple of minutes (assuming you are a slow reader) but I did. I can't say that it will help or change anything, but I certainly learned something.

5 on Friday

1) Which one is more irritating- being too hot or being too cold?
Too cold; being too hot is sticky and uncomfortable, yes, but cold is genuinely PAINFUL. (Assuming, of course, that "too hot" is more of a weather thing and not actually being on fire...)
2) Were you born in the winter or the summer?
Yes....okay, okay, real answer is "winter"                     
 3) What are your favorite foods to eat when you need to warm up and cool down?
Hot chocolate and popsicles, respectively.
4) Which one are you more likely to suffer from- hay fever or flu- and does it run in your family?
Hay fever, and I haven't a clue if it runs in the family.
5) You are granted a day of perfect weather whenever you like. What day do you place it on and why?
Right in the middle of winter, probably in the middle of January, because that's about the time all the cruddy winter weather has really got me down and I could use a little sunshine!

Common denominator

 

If you are searching for the common denominator in your life, you are in luck. You are it. Now that you know you are the only consistent factor in any situation, you can begin to figure out how you are contributing to your recurring challenges and problems. This is great news because, once you realize you are at least part of the problem, you can begin to change your behavior, beliefs and attitudes that are contributing to the situation. Keep in mind that you have to concern yourself only with you, not with anyone else. You are the only one you can change. So don’t focus outside yourself. Focus on the common denominator. You will be amazed at the difference this process will make in your life. ~Rachelle Disbennett-Lee, PhD

Homemade Christmas Gifts

My Dear Friends,

Like many of you, Christmas is tight for me this year.
I will be making bedroom slippers for you all as gifts.
Please let me know your sizes. You'll most likely agree that it's a splendid idea, and should you wish to do the same, I've included the instructions below.
How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads:
You need four maxi pads to make a pair.
Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part.
The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.
Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.
Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most aesthetically appealing), etc.
These slippers are:
* Soft and Hygienic
* Non-slip grip strips on the soles
* Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh
* No more bending over to mop up spills
* Disposable and biodegradable
* Environmentally safe
* Three convenient sizes: (1.) Regular, (2.) Light and (3.) Get out the Sand Bags.
I've attached a photo of the first pair I made so that you can see the nifty slippers for yourself....
Awaiting your response. It's crucial that I get the right size for each one of you.

My Christmas Cake Recipe

Once again this year, I’ve had requests for my Vodka Christmas Cake recipe so here goes. Please keep in your files as I am beginning to get tired of typing this up every year! 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 cup water, 1 tsp. salt , 1 cup brown sugar, Lemon juice, 4 large eggs, Nuts, 1......bottle Vodka, 2 cups dried fruit.
Sample a cup of Vodka to check quality.
Take a large bowl, check the Vodka again to be sure it is of the highest quality then Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point, it is best to make sure the Vodka is still OK. Try another cup just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the fruit up off the floor, wash it and put it in the bowl a piece at a time trying to count it. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver Sample the Vodka to test for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something. Check the Vodka. Now shit shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the Vodka and wipe the counter with the cat.
(Thanks Kathy)

Comic books

Back when I was growing up one of the biggest reading outlet was comic books.  My parents tolerated them but the truth was comic books inspired me to read.

Back then comic books were featured at the drug store, ten cent store, and most everywhere else. They were 5¢ each. I would save my money and go to the local drugstore, and buy my favorites.  After reading them my friends and I would trade them.  I don’t see comics around any more.  I think you have to actually go to a comic book store to purchase them nowadays.

We had a series called Classics Illustrated.  They were fantastic. If it wasn’t for them I never would have read actual books.  Seeing them in a comic book form started me reading books with out actual pictures.

Some I remember were White Fang,  The Three Musketeer's, Jungle Book, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.

I sort of miss comic books.

What is a Veteran?

 
Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them, a pin holding a bone tighter, a piece of shrapnel in the leg - or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul’s ally forged in the refinery of adversity.
A vet is a cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personal carriers didn’t run out of fuel.
A vet is the bar-room loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, Whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38^th parallel.
A vet is the Nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.
A vet is the POW who went away one person and came back another- or didn’t come back at all.
A vet is the drill instructor who has never seen combat, but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account punks and gang members into Marines, Airmen, sailors. Soldiers and Coastguardsmen and teaching them to watch each other’s back.
A vet is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and metals with a prosthetic hand.
A vet is the career Quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.
A vet is the thee anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean’s deep.
A vet is the old guy bagging the groceries at the supermarket - palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.
A veteran _ whether active duty , retired , National Guard or Reserve - is someone who , at one point in their life , wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America for an amount “up to and including their very life”.
So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say, “Thank You.” That’s all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any metals they could have been awarded or were awarded.

5 on Friday

1. How much time do you spend on the Internet daily?
Way to much, I'd say a good four hours.
 
2. What are your favorite 3 websites?
Probably Facebook, twitter, and various blogs.
 
3. Do you eat at your computer?
Never ever do I eat at my computer.
 
4. Pick one and why - Reading the news online or in a newspaper?
EASY. Newspaper, hands down. Of course, I might be a little biased, since I worked for one. Still, I enjoy having a hard copy ... of everything. News and everything else. I don't like reading news and/or serious business online. And I love the crinkly sound it makes.
 
5. How many people are on your instant messenger buddy list?
about 50  I only talk to about 8 of them.

I will miss them

My kids just left on their long trip home.  They are making a couple stops along the way.  Vegas for a few days then Honolulu for a few days.  I so enjoyed having them and miss them so much.  They promised that they would be back soon. While here they took a trip to Gatlinburg, Tn.  and took this funny photo.  That is a pretty big gun she is holding, Greg best listen to her.

Voting Report Card

Did you get a mailing this week with your voting information on it? I did. I realize this is public information but it was wrong information. I have voted in each and every election since I turned 21.. Yeah back in the dark ages when you had to be 21 to vote.  This report card said I did not vote in the 2008 election. So not only was what I perceive to be personal information being made public, it was wrong information. Anyone else having a problem with this?  And while I am on the subject, I have gotten at least one call a day from one poll or another.  As I answer their questions, who would I vote for if the election were held today for Senate? Governor? and President? Every stinking time after my second answer they quickly say “Sorry you are not qualified for this poll” and hang up.  Now you tell me can we believe the polls? Why are they so stinking nice and then when they hear your answers be so rude and literally hang up on me? I will be so glad when this election is over and we can move on, hopefully in a new and better direction.
Small Print:  Please if this offends you, or you disagree,  do NOT leave me a nasty mean comment,  Please do what I do and just move along. I am respectful of others views and I expect the same in return.  Thanks!

5 on Friday

1. Washing machine: front-loader or top-loader?
I've used mostly top-loaders in my life, when it's a front-loader it's not my machine...


2. Detergent: liquid or powder?
Liquid. I use cold water to wash most of my clothes. Smells better too.


3. Rinse cycle: fabric softener or another additive?

None! I keep on thinking about adding white vinegar or baking soda (not together of course), but have never gotten around to it. I don't see a need for fabric softener, that's just a waste of chemicals. (My grandmother, when she was alive, loved to add starch to her clothes and sheets.)


4. And then: clothesline or dryer?
Everything in the dryer.  I used to use a clothes line for most everything.  I love how clothing dried out side smells.

5. Do you fold things straight off the line or out of the dryer? What do you iron (or have someone iron for you)?
Nope... I generally just hang them up.  If they're drying on hangers I just let them stay there until I wear it or I need the hangers for my new load of clean laundry.