Where is the caution tape when you need it? It should have been around our doors when we arrived home...

And WHERE was this guy when I needed him and had to do all of this alone?...

It was definitely not a pretty smell, but I don't think it went all the way to the city...

(Here is the poem for Wednesday anyway...)

Now I need to tell a story

But it's not one of glory

In fact, it might be a little 'gory'

So I'll keep it short because you won't want to know any "more...y"!

It was a dark and gloomy night, well, no, actually, it was just dark when we got picked up by Mimi at the airport. The good news was that our flight came in real early...the bad news is we ended up late because there was no docking station for our plane so we sat and sat and sat...I was listening really hard but I couldn't hear any of the passengers singing "Zippadee doo dah, zippadee yea, my oh my what a wonderful day" (they must have been whisper singing it!).

Kelly did call to forewarn us while we were still in Arizona, that our septic system had backed up!! Now, it could have been a whole lot worse, but she was doing laundry so up from the downstairs toilet came a bubbling laundry water and gaseous mixture. It spewed water all over for quite awhile before she caught it. She thought it only went out onto the immediate carpet by the bathroom itself so she used the shampooer to suck up the water. This happened twice, as Kelly thought the problem was over and used the dishwasher next.

Upon entering our little 'love nest' I smelled something less than lovely...a combination of the escaping gases from the septic system combined with a moldy smell. So I took the portable heater and a fan and put them by the carpet area in front of the bathroom and left them on for hours. After a day of this, both Michael and I thought of the fact that the water must have also gone into the little storage area under the stairs and to the immediate right of the bathroom...we started pulling things out like crazy. The first soggy bottomed box with photos in it told a sad tale!! There had been so much water in there that it splashed up against and warped the drywall! The trusty sucker upper machine sure came in handy again as did the heater and fan. We seem to have gotten rid of the moldy smell but we now have wavy drywall in there.

This was supposed to have been finished and posted on Wednesday, but that didn't happen and to keep it short and sweet (well, maybe just short), I will give a part two to this saga, hopefully tomorrow.

Ready for a smile or two?

I was helping a buddy of mine, who was an orthopedic surgeon, move to his new office, and using my car to help transport some of his office equipment.

I had decided to position his somewhat fragile display skeleton strapped into the back seat of my car, his bony arm across the back of my seat.

At one traffic light, the stares of the people in the car beside me became quite obvious. I looked across and explained, "I'm delivering him to a doctor's office."

The other driver leaned out of his window. and commented, "I hate to tell you, but I looks like you may be a bit too late!"

************* Two gas company servicemen, a senior training supervisor and a young trainee...
... were out checking meters in a suburban neighborhood. They parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked their way to the other end. At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two men as they checked her gas meter.

Finishing the meter check, the senior supervisor challenged his younger co-worker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck to prove that an older guy could outrun a younger one.

As they came running up to the truck, they realized the lady from that last house was huffing and puffing right behind them and about to pass them up. They stopped and asked her what was wrong.

Gasping for breath, she replied, "When I see two gas men running as hard as you two were, I figured I'd better run too!"

************
A woman went into a hardware store to purchase a bale of peat moss.
She gave a personal check in payment and said to the clerk, "I suppose you will want some identification?"

He replied, without hesitation "No ma'am, that won't be necessary."

"How come?" asked the woman.

"Crooks don't buy peat moss." answered the clerk.
************
~~~Heavenly Father, thank You for being able to count and appreciate the blessings of situations and challenges in our lives that could have been so much worse.

Art Class Progress

Though I must do this in a hurry

It might even cause a little worry

But at least these photos are not blurry

As for this trip I rush and scurry

Just had to give you the update

On my paintings, even though it's late

For I love to watch things as they change

Unless it's a dog with mange (gotta rhyme, you know).

So here's what happening right before your eyes

And this will be no big surprise

For they're natural with no disguise

Just hope they don't cause any negative "Oh Mys!"

First try...

Next try, where the teacher said it was finished so I got a frame, then I decided it wasn't quite finished...

Second try without the frame...

Final try where I added some more final touches in spite of the teacher teasing me for still working on it and bringing it back!....

Without the frame and 'finished'....

Here's the start of the other painting, a landscape that is ever changing...

Here it is with the burnt trees that I did and the mountains that she originally wanted...

A closer view of my forest fire trees....

Totally (almost) changed as she closed in the water and told me to take out the mountains, I LOVE what she did to the trees, but I did the water all by myself...still needs lots of work and there may be a little waterfall between the trees on the left and the one on the right (I do like waterfalls)....

And a close up of what is happening...

By the time you see this post (if it posts like a good little post should) it will be getting VERY close to time for us to be coming back. I will have missed all of you dearly for you are all dear to my heart and I am so blessed to have all of you in my life!!!!

~~~Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank You for the wonderful blessings of visiting and then coming back home safely with happy memories.

*******A Heavenly Birthday For A Husband In Heaven*********

There will definitely be a challenge with these pictures as they are pictures of pictures and my old camera is acting a little wacky. This special day would have been my late hubby's birthday, so I wish him a happy birthday but he is having happier days than ever there were here on earth, so we will 'celebrate' his day with prayers and a visit to the cemetery while we are in Phoenix, AZ.

Mario LOVED sky diving and you might be able to distinguish something from these two shots of the pictures of him free falling and sooooo happy.....

Is this better or worse, (darn camera)?.....


Here's our wedding photo...I was only eighteen and he was a "mature" twenty-four!....

This is a photo of him laughing when we were at a friend's house and one of the guys was coming up behind him....

I know this is sideways but my goofy camera took several upside down and I am time challenged now getting ready for this trip, so please excuse the goof ups...

I like to think of his love and the love of all others for him as going up to heaven and down to us through angel wings....

Since he had a great sense of humor and since Spanish was his native language, here's Garfield wishing a happy birthday....

Wonderful Mario used to work out alot so here is a body builder happy birthday...

And this is my thank you for so many wonderful years of bliss, what blessings!!!....

From the Internet, I found this sweet phrase and it is truly comforting....

"If you have lost someone you loved, then honour them here.

Capture all that was good, and all that was dear.

Let the pain wash away and wipe tears from your eyes,

For they are here with you now, as love never dies. "

My Mario knew that I loved butterflies for their beauty and symbolism, so he would often get me butterfly things....

Even though it goes without saying, I feel the need to just say to his beautiful 'soul'....

Most of all I must say this for such incredible blessings to have come to me in so many ways....

Mario smiled so much even in the most difficult circumstances and when he was even in pain that I think this flower so expresses him....

How about a smile in Mario's honor as he loved to have people happy and he was able to laugh at himself as well, even when he started getting old age jokes at the young age of thirty!!?.....

Did you hear about the 83 year old woman who talked herself out of a speeding ticket by telling the young officer that she had to get there before she forgot where she was going?
*********
A well dressed, debonair man in his mid nineties enters an upscale cocktail lounge and finds a seat next to a good looking, younger woman in her mid eighties, at the most. Trying to remember his best pick-up line, he says, "So tell me, do I come here often?"
***************
Two old guys were sitting under a tree, watching the sun go down. One says, "You know, I'm 84 years old and my body is full of aches and pains. You're about my age. How do you feel?"

The other guy says, "Oh, I feel like a newborn baby."

"Really," says the first guy.

"Yep," says the second one. "No teeth, no hair and I think I just wet my pants."

***********
An 84 year old man went to the doctor for a physical. A few days later the doctor saw him walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm. The next time the doctor saw him he asked how he was doing.

"Great," said the old guy. "I did just what you told me. 'Get a hot momma and be cheerful.' "

"I didn't say that," said the doctor. "I said, 'You've got a heart murmur. Be careful.' "

~~~Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank you for the blessings of loved ones in our lives who brought so much joy and who we will one day see again in Heaven with You.

Is It My Imagination ???

Sometimes it may seem like nothing more than a dream

Then again it may even be more than it seems

An idea, a thought comes to mind

And what do we find?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our searching mind is at sea

So what can this be?

We are becoming more of creation

When we use our God-given imagination.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, do you see a darling little kitty asleep or deep in thought?...

Do you wonder what 'battle' might have been fought

For this work of art to be wrought?...

And who can fail to be inspired

By clouds that almost look wired?



Everyone of us has been gifted with an imagination, something we can use to dream big dreams and great schemes but the best way to use it is to make this planet a more loving and giving world, one kindness at a time...

Imagination

"Imagination is what makes our sensory experience meaningful, enabling us to interpret and make sense of it, whether from a conventional perspective or from a fresh, original, individual one. It is what makes perception more than the mere physical stimulation of sense organs. It also produces mental imagery, visual and otherwise, which is what makes it possible for us to think outside the confines of our present perceptual reality, to consider memories of the past and possibilities for the future, and to weigh alternatives against one another. Thus, imagination makes possible all our thinking about what is, what has been, and, perhaps most important, what might be."

So let's see if there might not be a creative joke here?....

3 Dogs

Three handsome male dogs are walking down the street when they see a beautiful, enticing, female poodle.

The three male dogs fall all over themselves in an effort to be the one to reach her first, but they end up arriving in front of her at the same time.

The males are speechless before her beauty, slobbering on themselves and hoping for just a glance from her in return.

Aware of her charms and her obvious effect on the three suitors, she decides to be kind and tells them, "The first one who can use the words 'liver' and 'cheese' together in an imaginative, intelligent sentence can go out with me."

The sturdy, muscular black lab speaks up quickly and says, "I love liver and cheese."

"Oh, how childish," says the poodle. "That shows no imagination or intelligence whatsoever." She turns to the tall, shiny golden retriever and says, "How well can you do?"

"Um ... I HATE liver and cheese," blurts the golden retriever.

"My, my," says the poodle. "I guess it's hopeless. That's just as dumb as the lab's sentence." She then turns to the last of the three dogs and says, "How about you, little guy?"

The last of the three, tiny in stature but big in fame and finesse, is the Taco Bell chihuahua. He gives her a smile and a sly wink, turns to the golden retriever and the lab, and says...

"Liver alone. Cheese mine."
**********

The First Kiss

At the end of their first date, a young man takes his favorite girl home. Emboldened by the night, he decides to try for that important first kiss.

With an air of confidence, he leans with his hand against the wall and, smiling, he says to her, "Darling, how 'bout a goodnight kiss?"

Horrified, she replies, "Are you mad? My parents will see us!"

"Oh come on! Who's gonna see us at this hour?"

"No, please. Can you imagine if we get caught?"

"Oh come on, there's nobody around, they're all sleeping!"

"No way. It's just too risky!"

"Oh please, please, I like you so much!!"

"No, no, and no. I like you too, but I just can't!"

"Oh yes you can. Please?"

"NO, no. I just can't."

"Pleeeeease?..."

Out of the blue, the porch light goes on, and the girl's sister shows up in her pajamas, hair disheveled. In a sleepy voice the sister says: "Dad says to go ahead and give him a kiss. Or I can do it. Or if need be, he'll come down himself and do it. But for crying out loud tell him to take his hand off the intercom button!"
***********

Shopping in a clock store, I found a grandfather clock marked 25% off. It was exactly what I wanted, so I paid for it and had it delivered the next day.

When it was delivered I set it up in a prominent place in the living room. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that it ran slow! No matter how I adjusted it, the clock lost 15 minutes every hour.

Returning to the clock store, I complained to the manager "The grandfather clock I bought loses 15 minutes every hour."

He replied, "Well, what did you expect? It was clearly marked 25% off!"

~~~Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings of our imaginations, may we use them to make this world a more loving and happy place.

A Birthday that Was a Birthday Gift

Once upon a time there was a wonderful birth of a beautiful little baby boy that ended up being a birthday gift for his daddy. My caring and kind son was born on November 2nd and we brought him home on November 6th, his dad's birthday, such a special treasured birthday "gift". I feel sure his wonderful daddy is looking down from Heaven and blessing him especially today...

"Happy Birthday Song Information


Happy Birthday to You, the four-line rhyme, sung all over the world, by millions of people at a time - fabulous!
It was written as a classroom greeting by two Louisville teachers, Mildred J. Hill in the year 1893 at Columbia University.
The composer of the song Happy Birthday to You is Mrs. Mildred J. Hill, a schoolteacher born in Louisville, KY, and the composition was created on June 27, 1859. The song was first debuted in 1893. And the lyrics of this beautiful song were written by her sister, Patty Smith Hill, as "Good Morning To All."
Happy Birthday to You was copyrighted in the year 1935 and this copyright was renewed in the year 1963. The song was actually written in 1893, but it received its first copyrights in the year 1935 after a claim (stated in the New York Times of August 15, 1934, p.19 col. 6)
Later on, it was in the year 1988, when Birch Tree Group, Ltd. sold the copyrights of the birthday song to Warner Communications (together with all other resources) for almost $25 million (much more than a song). (Stated in Time, Jan 2, 1989 v133 n1 p88 (1)
In the 80s, the song Happy Birthday to You was estimated to make more than $1 million in royalties yearly. With Auld Lang Syne and For He's a Jolly Good Fellow, it is considered one of the most well-liked songs in the English language. (Stated in Time, Jan 2, 1989 v133 n1 p88 (1)
Happy Birthday to You continues to bring in about 2 million dollars in licensing returns annually, as a minimum of 1996 records, in line with the Warner Chappell and a Forbes magazine report."


"Birthstones and Their Meanings

Birthstone jewelry is always a adorable gift.


January - Garnet ~ Constancy
February - Amethyst ~ Sincerity
March - Aquamarine ~ Courage
April - Diamond, White Sapphire ~ Innocence
May - Emerald ~ Love, Success
June - Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite ~ Health and Longevity
July - Ruby ~ Contentment
August - Peridot, Sardonyx ~ Married Happiness
September - Sapphire ~ Clear Thinking
October - Opal, Tourmaline, Pink Sapphire ~ Hope
November - Topaz, Citrine ~ Fidelity
December - Blue Topaz, Zircon ~ Prosperity "

I wish a super HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you son and want you to know how very dearly you are loved and always have been loved and how proud we are of you!!

The Birthday Gift

There were a bunch of soldiers out on some very long field maneuvers in the middle of some dirty swamp land. This was designed to made them feel rough and tough and pretty grimy too.

After a week of sweating and no bathing and dirty clothes, the Captain says "Men, in honor of George Washington's birthday, I have some good news and some bad news! First the good news...Tomorrow we will have a change of underwear!!!" Everyone starts shouting, thumping each other on the back and yelling and singing "Happy Birthday to George Washington" as well as "For he's a jolly good fellow..."

"Now for the bad news" says the Captain... "Woods you change with Toney, Oldham you change with Borkowski-Glass, Jansson you change with Siebels, Postin you change with Barrales...."

~~~Thank You gracious Father for the blessing of a precious "little bundle" to warm our hearts, as well as for all the precious little ones in our lives.

Up, Up and Away & A Tower of Water aka A Water Tower

By the time this posts, we will be on our way to the airport as our flight leaves at 8:45 a.m., meaning we have to get to Mimi's at 6:00 a.m. in order for her to get us to the airport on time, with our eyelids only half opened.

Well, I really worked hard and got five (including this post) posts ready if blogger will cooperate and publish them, so hang on and let's see what happens.

All of you will be in my prayers while we are gone and this is not just something I say, it is what I truly do.

About a week ago Michael asked me about water towers, and their purpose, so I decided, hey, how about an informative post on them?

So here is a very happy water tower....

How's this for a cute little teapot one...this one is one that Judy @ Just A Little Something For You could have designed and it reminded me of her...

This one is VERY colorful, think they left out the NEW for New York? Eileen (@Umma's World), you want to paint it on there?....

Anyone for a watermelon tower ?(I do love watermelons)....



This one is in Kentucky and just kind of cute...

How about this one for artistic and interesting?....

Now these must be Diana (@Welcome To My World)water towers because they are so funny!.....

This isn't too far from funny either, so it must be Jackie (@Teacher's Pet) and me (@LaLA Land), funny bunnies here in Georgia...

Here is the 'real' water tower where Michael and I live....

Can't do water towers without including my home town of Chicago's famous old water tower...

Here's the inscription on the side of it...

It's really a work of art too and I have been to it several times and so have my children....

Now, here's the inside story on water towers for those who need to know....

"A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated water storage container constructed for the purpose of holding a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system. Pressurization occurs through the elevation of water; for every 10.20 centimetres (4.016 in) of elevation, it produces 1 kilopascal (0.145 psi) of pressure. 30 m (98.43 ft) of elevation produces roughly 300 kPa (43.511 psi), which is enough pressure to operate and provide for most domestic water pressure and distribution system requirements.

Many water towers were constructed during the Industrial Revolution; some are now considered architectural landmarks and monuments, and may not be demolished. Some are converted to apartments or exclusive penthouses.

In certain areas, such as New York City, smaller water towers are constructed for individual buildings.

Purpose

Shooter's Hill water tower is a local landmark; water towers are very common around London suburbsThe users of the water supply (a town, factory, or just a building) need to have water pressure to maintain the safety of the water supply. If a water supply is not pressurized sufficiently, several things can happen:

Water may not reach the upper floors of a building;
Water may not spray from a tap with sufficient flow
Without a water tower, parts of gravity flow water supply systems in hilly areas may be subject to negative pressures (see siphon). Negative pressure in the system may cause shallow groundwater to be sucked into a leaky water supply system, polluting it with microorganisms, dirt, sand, fertilizers, and any other toxic contaminants that may be in the groundwater;
Water towers are able to supply water even during power outages, because they rely on pressure produced by elevation of water (due to gravity) to push the water pipes into domestic and industrial water distribution systems; however, they cannot supply water for a long time without electricity, because a pump is required to refill the tower.
A further purpose is that a water tower serves as a reservoir to help with water needs during peak usage times. The water level in the tower typically falls during the peak usage hours of the day, and then a pump fills it back up during the night. This process also keeps the water from freezing in cold weather, since the tower is constantly being drained and refilled.
Operation

How Roihuvuori water tower works:
1. Pump station
2. Reservoir
3. Water userThe height of the tower provides the hydrostatic pressure for the water supply system, and it may be supplemented with a pump. The volume of the reservoir and diameter of the piping provide and sustain flow rate. However, relying on a pump to provide pressure is expensive; to keep up with varying demand, the pump would have to be sized to meet peak demands. During periods of low demand, jockey pumps are used to meet these lower water flow requirements. The water tower reduces the need for electrical consumption of cycling pumps and thus the need for an expensive pump control system, as this system would have to be sized sufficiently to give the same pressure at high flow rates.

Very high volumes and flow rates are needed when fighting fires. With a water tower present, pumps can be sized for average demand, not peak demand; the water tower can provide water pressure during the day and pumps will refill the water tower when demands are lower.

Decoration

The House in the Clouds in Thorpeness functioned as the town's water tower until 1923.Water towers can be surrounded by ornate coverings including fancy brickwork, a large ivy-covered trellis or they can be simply painted. Some city water towers have the name of the city painted in large letters on the roof, as a navigational aid to aviators. Sometimes the decoration can be humorous, as Granger, Iowa has two water towers, labeled HOT and COLD. The House in the Clouds in Thorpeness, located in the English county of Suffolk, was built to resemble a house in order to disguise the eyesore, whilst the lower floors were used for accommodation. When the town was connected to the mains water supply, the water tower was dismantled and converted to additional living space.

Sapp Bros. truck stops use a water tower with a handle and spout – looking like a coffee pot – as the company logo. Many of their facilities have decorated actual water towers (presumably non-functional) on-site.

The first and original "Mushroom" – Svampen in Swedish – was built in Örebro in Sweden in the early 1950s and later copies were built around the world including Saudi-Arabia and Kuwait."

I will be checking in whenever time allows and I will try to comment when possible, so take good care of yourselves, please.

Now this humor is not 'watered' down, so please enjoy...

***********
The Magic Water Slide

Three guys are at the top of a huge water slide when they notice a genie. He says to them, "Since there are 3 of you, I will grant you each one wish. When you are going down the slide, simply shout what you want and it will appear at the bottom when you get there."

So the first guy goes down and shouts, "A billion dollars," and he lands in a pile of money.

The second guy goes down the slide and shouts, "Beautiful women," and he arrives to a line of hot models.

Then the third guy is so excited going down the slide that he shouts, "WEEEEEEEEE!"

Water in the Carburetor

WIFE: "There's trouble with the car. It has water in the carburetor."

HUSBAND: "Water in the carburetor? That's ridiculous."

WIFE: "I tell you the car has water in the carburetor."

HUSBAND: "You don't even know what a carburetor is. I'll check it out. Where's the car?"

WIFE: "In the pool."
***************

What is the chemical formula for water?
Little Johnny's teacher asks, "What is the chemical formula for water?"

Little Johnny replies, "HIJKLMNO"!!

The teacher, puzzled, asks, "What on Earth are you talking about?"

Little Johnny replies, "Yesterday you said it was H to O!"

~~~Lord, thank You for the blessings of clean water and the ways in which we receive it, may all people in our world be blessed with clean water.

Winning Is Fun & Fattening

Yappy dappy doo...I won something!! This doesn't happen often, but sometimes the excitement of trying is enough in itself so I continue to play bingo (when the ladies at church have it) and even the lottery every once in awhile. This is not me, but now that I think about it Michael's picture with that look would fit right in as he does love junk food and lots of it...

Now what I won can cause a bit of a weight problem so it's a good thing I found this, especially since I am hanging out with all perfect friends now in blogland...

Here is what I won and had to savor and savored so much that I was wide awake from the late caffeine shock at night. Sorry it's blurred but I was so anxious to eat it that my hands were wiggling (only kidding, I'm not THAT pathetic, but pretty close...)

So, I left a comment at Sarah's "So...This Is The Road I am traveling On", where one had the chance to win a bag of yummy Hershey's kisses with macadamia nuts from HAWAII
(I do admit that I was secretly, well maybe not SO secretly hoping, since I dropped her HUGE hints about two plane tickets to Hawaii being a great prize and resulting in a bazillion comments, that I would win the non existent plane tickets).

Anyway, she was overly generous and I got some extra goodies, like this nifty Hawaiian key chain...

Then Michael opened these and said "Looks like she sent you dog biscuits" and I said "Whose name is on this wonderful box, buddy??? Leave my dog biscuits alone!" Even though the doggie treats would have been fine since we have two doggies, these are people treats and Michael had better be nice or no treats!...

Yahoo, there was still one more thing...a very pretty pineapple ornament. The pineapple plantation on Hawaii has the BEST and sweetest pineapples so this is extra special as well as pretty. Thank you so very much, Sarah,

Here's the full beautiful bag which is now missing several pieces and boy they sure are good, so if my next pictures look larger than life it might just be because I have become larger than life...

Let's just laugh about it today for tomorrow we diet...

Fat Chance

Having fought the battle of the bulge most of my life, I found the battle getting even harder as I approached middle age. One evening, after trying on slacks that were too tight, I said to my husband, "I'll be so glad when we become grandparents. After all, who cares if grandmothers are fat?"

His prompt reply: "Grandfathers."
*********
Q. What do you call two fat men having a chat?

A. A heavy discussion.
**************
Scale Worries
During a scale manufacturing convention there were people all over who wanted to test the different scales out and weigh themselves to see if they all would have the same number. There were many though who decided not to participate in this so that no one would know how much they weighed.

There was one very well spoken representative who managed to convince a woman to try out his scale. He promised the he would not look down at the display and see what it said and that she would be the only one to know.

She decided to help him out and stepped onto the scale. After a moment of letting it read her weight a loud, mechanical voice rang out and said, “One hundred and sixty pounds.”
***********

A senior Vermont Congressman called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando. He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that is not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, "Don't lie to me. I looked on the map, and Florida is a very thin state!"
*************
Recently I went to the doctor for my annual physical.

The nurse asked me how much I weighed. I told her 135 pounds. Then she weighed me and the scale said 160.

She asked me how tall I was. I said, "5 feet, 5 inches." She measured me and I was only 5 feet, 3 inches.

So she took my blood pressure and told me it was high.

"Of course it's high," I said. "When I came in here I was tall and slender. Now I'm short and fat!"

~~~Thank You Heavenly Father for the blessings of chances to win and for the knowledge that we ALWAYS win when we follow YOU.

A Prize that is a Surprise

Marina @A Beautiful Hue is a pretty new blogger who is also an artist as well as an art teacher and she just happens to speak and write in at least three languages fluently so I can identify with a lot with what she does. She recently received an award and I was one of the blessed recipients...

If you receive this award, you have to answer the following questions:

IF YOU COULD COME BACK AS AN ANIMAL, WHICH WOULD IT BE?
Okay, if you know me, you know that this is one tough question, so let me narrow it down to a puppy, a kitten, a tigress, a panda cub, a butterfly, an eagle, a hummingbird, a duckling and probably a few others.
SOMETHING YOU COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT
God and His goodness
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN ANOTHER PERSON
Caring, compassion, generosity for others and for animals.
THE COLORS YOU TEND TO WEAR ARE
Go figure this out... mostly blues even though green is my favorite color.
THREE WORDS THAT DEFINE YOU
Compassionate, prayerful, loving.
A PLACE YOU WOULD TRAVEL TO
Here we go again with these tough answers...the whole United States, Europe, Australia, Puerto Rico, South America.
YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE FROM A BOOK OR MOVIE
I have many, but let's use the best, "Love one another as I have loved you."
SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO
Win the lottery and help alot of people, write a book, become a better and better person.
YOUR MAIN STRENGTH/FORTE
Keeping level-headed in emergencies small or major (then I can always fall apart afterwards!)

You are also supposed to send this on to seven "young" blogs and seven blogs of wisdom. the nice thing about something like this is that it enables us to get to know one another just a little bit better and these 'tags, you're it' are fun and finally, if you have blogger's block, instead of walking around the block (get it...hee, hee???), you have something instant and easy to post.

Even though some blogs that I frequent have been around for awhile and some are quite young, I like to think that they are ALL wise, so I choose:

Brande @Steady As We Go...

Cathy @A Bit of the Blarney
Amy @A Redeemed Sheep
Abbey @ABBEY'S ROAD
Marlene @ANN OF GREEN CABLES
Lisa @Are We There Yet?
Angie @Can You All Hear Me at the Back?
Carol @Charli and Me
Eddie @Clouds and Silvery Linings
Do the Write Thing
Toni @Fangmann's Fun Follies
HOLIDAY IN THE SUN
Jerelene @Jerelene's Journal
Judy @ Just A Little Something For You
Linda @Linda Lu's BTDT (Been There, Done That)
Pat @LIVING ON GRACE
Wanda @Moments of Mine
My Home and Heart
Bernie @On My Own
Susana @ Para quien pase........ (Lo tengo en espanol si tu quieres hacer esto.)
Lara @Prossigo para o alvo
Rendezvous With Stillness
Joolz @ Simply Joolz
Sara @ So. . . This Is The Road I Am Traveling On
Susan @ susan in stitches
Tamara @Tamara's Treasures
Jackie @Teacher's Pet
Eileen @ Umma's World
Lois @Walking on Sunshine
Diana @Welcome to My World
Yaak Adventures

Meanwhile, back in jokeville, some poor blonds are taking the heat...

Blond Prize Winner
A blond goes to the local restaurant, buys a small drink for herself, and sits down to drink it. She notices a peel-off prize sticker on the side of her cup while she is drinking. After pulling off the tab, she begins screaming, "I won a motor home! I won a motor home!"

The waitress runs over and argues, "That's impossible. The biggest prize given away was a stereo system!"

The blond replies, "No. I won a motor home!"

By this time, the manager makes his way over to the table, and he too argues, "You couldn't possibly have won a motor home because we didn't have that as one of our prizes."

Again the blond says, "There is no mistake! I won a motor home!"

The blond hands the prize ticket to the manager and he reads, "WIN A BAGEL."

********

Slot machine winner

A mentally challenged blond was standing in front of a soda machine outside of a local store. After putting in sixty cents, a root beer pops out of the machine. She set it on the ground, puts sixty more cents into the machine, and pushes another button; suddenly, a coke comes out the machine!

She continued to do this until a man waiting to use the machine became impatient. "Excuse me, can I get my soda and then you can go back to whatever stupid thing you are doing?"

The blond turns around and says, "Yeah right! I'm not giving up this machine while I'm still winning!"
*******

I couldn't decide whether to go to Salt Lake City or Denver for vacation, so I called the airlines to get prices. "Airfare to Denver is $300," the cheery salesperson replied.

"And what about Salt Lake City?"

"We have a really great rate to Salt Lake—$99," she said "But there is a stopover."

"Where?"

"In Denver," she said.

~~~Lord, thank You for the blessings of the "prizes" we receive in life that have no monetary value whatsoever.