Blessings Each Day...Bendiciones cada dia

Yikes

2011-06-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

Newest glitch in blog land is that I CANNOT comment on your blogs or even my own! Any wasy to fix this? HELP! It keeps making me sign in again and doing a word verification over and over and over and no comment ever appears!

Stepping into the water a little

2011-06-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

Things are much "quieter" here in blog land and I am afraid that I can be part of that reason...it is so easy to hibernate and stay in hibernation! But, I am not a bear (maybe on a VERY bad day when crabbiness gets its' way with me) so I need to poke my nose out and see what's going on here.

It has been nice to "sneak" back here and take a peek at all the blogs still being done fairly faithfully, but I miss seeing many others.

Blogger has changed and been a challenge so I can no longer get all those neat pictures I used to be able to post unless there is some other way.

In fact, my computer crashed some months ago and we can't find the software to download pictures from my newest camera and so we have pictures downloaded somewhere in cyber space!

Well I found this one of us on a trip to the park...looks like we need to cut back on those midnight snacks...doesn't it? (Isn't that baby adorable...wish I could hug and kiss it, but I gotta wait till heaven to do that or the mama would probably send me to heaven a lot sooner!)

We need a little joke....

"A bilingual road sign in Wales caught bikers off guard. The English part read Cyclists Dismount. The Welsh: Llid Y Bledren Dymchwelyd, or "Bladder disease has returned." One theory for the mistake—instead of typing cyclist into an online translation program, someone typed cystitis. " Actually if you've got bladder disease you probably needed to dismount and find a restroom anyway!

...Thanking the Good Lord for His many blessings on all of us and letting you know that I STILL earnestly remember you in prayer!!

No, I did not "re-disappear"

2010-11-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

(I did a pallet knife painting of a sunflower and butterfly for Cheryl but this is as close as I have in my files).

These last few days have been very eventful, with two major occurrences:

1st...my very dear friend Cheryl died and her wake was today, Wednesday, at 4:00 p.m., but I was unable to attend because of the number two occurrence. However, I feel VERY blessed that God allowed me to enjoy special time with Cheryl just a few weeks ago when I co-hosted a tea party for her at my friend Carolyn's home (easier for Cheryl since I live over 100 miles away). Cheryl fought a valiant battle with breast cancer that went into remission then she was diagnosed with liver, stomach and brain cancer and yet she stayed the same sweet (but VERY thin) and unselfish person she always had been. Heaven must be ever so happy to have her while those of us here shed tears for what we no longer have the privilege of being around.

(This little guy is a pain killer...hee hee)

2nd...Michael will undergo surgery tomorrow for a complete replacement of his defibrillator/pacemaker. With God's blessing it will be a short surgery and he will go home afterward. If the leads are messed up going into his heart then it may mean a stay at the hospital. Please raise up a prayer for him my friends.

Something e-mailed to me that will (or should bring a smile to your face):

Role Model

FIND OUT WHO TRULY IS YOUR ROLE MODEL.

(DON'T SCROLL DOWN YET !!!!.)

DO THE SIMPLE MATH BELOW, THEN SCROLL DOWN TO FIND YOUR HERO.

It's AMAZINGLY CRAZY how accurate this is!!!

No peeking!!!

1) Pick your favorite number between 1-9

2) Multiply by 3

3) Add 3

4) Multiply by 3, again

5) You should now have a 2 or 3 digit number....

6) Add the digits together

With that number, see who your ROLE MODEL is from the list below:

Now, scroll down.

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

1. Albert Einstein

2. Oprah Winfrey

3. President Lincoln

4. Thomas Edison

5. Bill Gates

6. Ghandi

7. Brad Pitt

8. Babe Ruth

9. Marcy that crazy redhead

10. John Kennedy

I know, I know.....I just have that effect on people. One day, maybe you too can be like me.

Why are you laughing???

P.S. Stop picking different numbers!!!

I AM YOUR ROLE MODEL... JUST DEAL WITH IT!!!

~~~Thank You heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the blessings of loving and happy memories and for Your healing Hand in our lives.

Whoooo is this???

2010-11-06T05:32:00.000-07:00

Could it be she came out of hibernation??? Hmmm....that almost sounds good...lots of sleep, something that doesn't seem to come my way very often.

Couldn't find a bear in my 'collection', so have a non hibernating elephant and use your imagination please...

Do they look like big brown bears now(you might need to squint and stand on one leg!)???

Today would have been my late beloved husband Mario's birthday, so I pray that it is a wonderful day of happy memories for all those lives he so lovingly touched here on this planet.

In honor of this special day and special person, allow me to share a lovely prayer I was given at a prayer group meeting...

FIVE FINGER PRAYER

1. Your thumb is nearest to you.

So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you.

They are the easiest to remember.

TO PRAY FOR OUR LOVED ONES IS A "SWEET DUTY"

2. The next finger is the pointing finger.

Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal.

This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers.

They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction.

KEEP THEM IN YOUR PRAYERS.

3.The next finger is the tallest finger, which reminds us of our leaders.

Pray for the national leaders, leaders in business and industry,

and administrators.

These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.

THEY NEED GOD'S GUIDANCE.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger.

Surprising to many is fact that this is our weakest finger;

as any piano teacher will testify.

It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain.

THEY NEED YOUR PRAYERS DAY AND NIGHT.

5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all.

which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others.

As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you"

Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself.

By the time you have prayed for the other four groups,

your own needs will be put into proper perspective.

YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PRAY FOR YOURSELF MORE EFFECTIVELY.

And here's a silly joke to bring a smile to your face....

Two rednecks were looking at a Sears catalog and admiring the models.

One says to the other, 'Have you seen the beautiful girls in this catalog?'

The second one replies, 'Yes, they are very beautiful And look at the price!'

The first one says, with wide eyes, 'Wow, they aren't very expensive. At this price, I'm buying one.'

The second one smiles and pats him on the back. 'Good idea! Order one and if she's as beautiful as she is in the catalog, I will get one too.'

Three weeks later, the youngest redneck asks his friend, 'Did you ever receive the girl you ordered from the Sears catalog?'

The second redneck replies......

?

?

?

?

"No, but it shouldn't be long now. I got her clothes yesterday! "

Thank You dear Lord for the blessings of sharing good things and thoughts with others.

p.s. Just to let you know, I have been sneaking back here to read your posts and 'keep in touch' that way.

Puff puff...here I come to hurry up and say Hip hip hooray for Bernie!

2010-05-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

It is so perfect that it is Bernie's birthday because her birthday should be every day

Since her name starts with "B" that way!

And she always has nice things to say.

(Her blog name says "On my own")

But her words say "I'm there for one and all...

Just give me one little call."

And how about this?

B is for ....the bountiful blessings she sends to all

E is for ....the extra care she has for others big and small

R is for ....the rosy attitude she sends to those who are sad

N is for....never giving up when things seem to go bad

I is for....iced tea that she will serve you if you want to drop by

E is for....the endless care she will show you if you cry!!

Bernie, you are a true gem and a privilege to know! I just got back from an overnight trip to take my son and family to see his sister and then to Brande's family after that but I had to get something out for your special day...I pray it was/is wonderful just like YOU!

~~~Heavenly Father thank You for the blessings of people like Bernie who show Your love to others in so many ways!

IT'S GREEN TIME...How Green Are You????

2010-04-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

I guess the answer to this is "Never green enough, but working on it!"

Being Irish helps but I'm constantly learning new ways to "go green"...for example, I just found out that we can take all of our plastics to our local dump for recycling...YA HOO to that one as Michael goes through tons of Propel water daily!

So this isn't all about the guy below but he IS saving energy/our earth/ the ecology by walking!!!....

Found this great article on the Internet and you can click on the title and get lots more wonderful suggestions too....

"Home cleaning supplies

(It's soooo easy to just use vinegar and baking soda to clean and disinfect most surfaces, toilets and showers that I now keep a large container of white vinegar and a box of baking soda in the bathroom!)

The strength of any deep clean comes from the supplies you use to wipe, polish, scrub, and soak—but that doesn't mean you have to stock up on sprays and powders that are made of potentially toxic antibacterial chemicals. Find out how using kitchen staples—like vinegar, baking soda, and good old hot water—can get your house as sparkling clean as anything on the shelves (at a fraction of the price), and how those once-a-year jobs (like vacuuming the refrigerator coils) can make your home more efficient than you realized.

Home organization

Get a jump on your spring cleaning by tackling all of your home's trouble spots, from junk drawers and closets to garages and attics—because having less to clean makes the job go that much more quickly. Once you've managed to get rid of those magazines you'll never read and those clothes you'll never wear, find green ways to get them out of your house, from donating and recycling to selling or reusing—which can help make someone else's life a little greener, too.

(Lately we've been getting SO many calls from clothing donations centers that we've given to recently and in the past that we could end up naked around here...now THAT"S scary!!)

In this guide, we'll show you how to reduce, reuse, and recycle the clutter that's blocking your access to summer essentials like the beach chairs and the barbecue; how to clean your home from roof to floor with non-toxic, homemade household cleaners; and how to get—and stay—organized without investing in a pile of plastic storage bins. Who knows? You just might love your new, clean, green space so much that next year’s spring cleaning won't even be necessary—so you can head right outside at the first sign of warm weather.

With paper towels making up 3,000 tons of landfill trash every day, it's hard to justify using those disposables—no matter how convenient they are—and it feels even harder to stop. But if you think about all the tasks you use a paper towel for, it's easy to figure out how to replace them, from using microfiber towels on glass and mirrors to turning old shirts into rags to mop up messier spills. For more how-tos on giving up the roll, try these seven simple replacements.

(ONE thing we started doing a long time ago was saving the paper towels that are still 'clean', like those used to quickly dry something or to cover something put in the microwave etc, so that they can be reused to wipe up spills or wash the floor, which I do tile by tile with old paper towels.)

1. To dry your hands

This is an easy one: there are plenty of ways to dry your hands without using paper. Cloth towels are simplest—and the prettiest, if you're interested in keeping the look of your kitchen or bathroom up-to-date; try organic cotton towels for an even greener solution. You could also take your cues from Ed Begley, Jr., and his wife, Rachelle, and install an electric hand dryer, especially if you're providing your home with power from an alternative energy source, like solar or wind. Even simpler? Just give your hands a quick shake and let them air dry.

2. To wipe the counter

If you're used to grabbing a paper towel for every drip, crumb, and splatter that ends up on your tile, then your household waste will see a big reduction by replacing those paper towels with the reusable option that worked so well for generations: the sponge. From pushing crumbs into the trashcan to using a damp sponge to wipe up coffee stains and spaghetti sauce, a simple sponge is one of the most utilitarian tools in your kitchen—and if you're worried about spreading bacteria, use the tried-and-true trick of microwaving a wet sponge for about 30 seconds to kill germs.
(I daily microwave my sponges and love knowing that they are even cleaner than a paper towel afterwards!)

3. To soak up spills

For sopping up simple spills—water, fruit juice, cooking splatter—use absorbent cloth towels and wash them with your place mats, cloth napkins, and other food-prep fabrics. For more complicated spills, like juice from raw meat, set aside separate towels and wash them after each use to prevent bacteria from spreading—and keep in mind that using your hand towel without washing your hands after touching food will mean it, too, needs to be washed more often.

4. To shine glass

You can make your own glass cleaner from lemon juice, rubbing alcohol, vinegar, dish soap, and water, but when it comes to applying it to glass, sponges can leave streaks and terrycloth towels can give you a mirror covered in fuzz. Instead, use microfiber towels from Method that are specially-designed to work on glass and mirrors—or copy another trick from housekeeping gurus and use newspaper for a streak-free shine.

5. To scrub the bathroom

We understand if this is the one room in your home that makes you most inspired to use disposable cleaning products, but the rules that apply in your kitchen apply here, too: use a microfiber glass cleaner; microwave sponges and wash your scrubbing towels after every use to kill bacteria; and use non-toxic cleaners to keep your bathroom free from harsh chemicals.

6. To prep vegetables

Using paper towels to pat dry vegetables might not be the biggest drain on your weekly supply of disposables, but removing excess water will help when steaming, blanching, or drying raw veggies (and those techniques can help you preserve your fresh bounty for winter use). Simple cotton towels are your new best friend, here—or look for linen towels that absorb just as well without releasing any fibers.

7. To blow your nose

Grabbing a paper towel instead of a tissue during sneezing fits is probably hard enough on your nose that you don't need more incentive to switch; but if you're apt to grab a towel when the Kleenex aren't close at hand, then try this trick from grandfathers everywhere: a handkerchief. Just make sure to grab a clean one each morning and—as with all your towels—wash them regularly."

So here's a few goofy 'green' jokes for today......

Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers.

************

Is a vegetarian permitted to eat animal crackers?

*************

Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong.

******************

Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticided grain,

For strip-mined mountain's majesty above the asphalt plain.

America, America, man sheds his waste on thee,

And hides the pines with billboard signs, from sea to oily sea.

Julie was remodeling her house. She had a painter come by to look at her house.

*************

And one I've shared before but a cutie...
They were walking through her house and they came to the first room where Julie said, "I think I want this room blue." The painter wrote something down on his clipboard, walked over to the window, and shouted, "Green side up!"

Then they went on to the next room. There, Julie said, "This room is going to be brown." The painter wrote something down on the clipboard again, walked over to the window, and shouted, "Green side up!"

Now Julie was extremely confused, but she brushed it off, and they went to the next room. Julie said, "This room should be red." The painter wrote something down on his clipboard, walked over to the window, and shouted, "Green side up!"

Julie was even more confused now. She asked the painter, "Why do you go to the window and shout 'Green side up!' every time I tell you what color I want a room?" To this, the painter replied. "I have blondes laying sod across the street."

~~~~~Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit I thank You for the blessings of this beautiful green planet You gave us...please help us honor You by taking good care of it.

Happy Birthday to You Terri!!!

2010-04-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

Terri is a fascinating goal setter and dream maker, a true inspiration to people who want to make THE WORLD a better, kinder and nicer place, so I say to you...may you continue to inspire and find new and wonderful goals to make this world a better place, Terri and

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y!!!

A search on the Internet found this article (which Terri could probably have written). If you want to read the rest of it, just click on the first line...

"When it comes to manifesting our dreams and accomplishing our goals, there are three vital components that deserve our attention. Before we get into that, ask yourself the following question:

Am I actively moving in the direction of my goals and dreams each and every day?

Everybody has dreams and most people have goals. If you want your goals and dreams to become reality, you must move toward them consistently and purposefully. By nature, we always begin with distance between where we are and where we want to be. Our job is to narrow that distance until it no longer exists. To accomplish that, we need to draw our goals and dreams closer to us, while simultaneously moving toward them.

Some people attempt to attract their goals without taking much action. Others choose to act on their goals, but without the added advantage of also drawing those goals to them. Action alone can bring positive results, but it is much faster to combine the two techniques.

For the sake of clarity, let’s differentiate between dreams and wishful thinking. In some conversations, the two might be interchangeable. Not so in this case. When I talk about dreams, I am really talking about highly desirable goals. Future realities that we fully intend to realize. For our purposes, a dream is something that we are willing to work toward, and are determined to manifest, just like a goal."

It's always important to end with a smile, so hope this brings one to your face, Terri and that your day is wonderful in all ways. May the Good Lord bless and be with you always.

~~~Thank You dear Lord for the blessings of friends to inspire and guide us on our journey of kindness.

Here's to the BIRTHDAY GIRL...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DI!!

2010-04-10T03:49:00.000-07:00

Di has never been shy

To let us know

Where she would like to go.

So here's a beach or two

For a friend so true...

Are you looking for some townhouses on the beach Di?....

Or maybe a more secluded spot where you can set up your own little tent?...

Uh oh, found these guys listed as beach creatures...maybe they're just stopping by to entertain Diana?...

How's this spot, complete with a colorful beach towel?....

Here's a nice fixer upper house on the beach...what do you think, Di?....

Can't tell what's in between those trees and making it bigger only makes it grainier so Di will just have to go investigate...

It looks a little windy here, but Di, remember you are from the windy city...

Are you picturing yourself doing this?.....

Or do these chairs look more inviting?.....

How about a little island all to yourself (Jake can come along too if he's being a good boy!)......

Uh oh...watch your food or these guys will swipe it....

Ah, yes, beloved beach glass just for you...something I had never heard of till Eileen let me see the light!....

Okay, now here's all your Village friends dropping in to see you....

Guess you'll be pretty surprised when you see this photo I snapped of you getting ready for your trip to the beach!!! You are styling girl!!!.....

Well I searched and searched for some cute beach jokes and could only find these, so they may be a little corny or pitiful but they are nice and CLEAN (guess they were washed by the beach or washed up on shore or just beachy keen jokes)!....

What did the pacific ocean say to the atlantic ocean?

Nothing, they just waved!

************

Why couldn't the sailor play cards on his boat?

Because someone was always sitting on the deck.

***********
What does stuck seaweed say?

"Kelp! Kelp!"
***********

What did the fish use as a cell phone?

A Shell Phone!
************

What do you find on a small beach?

Micro-waves!
************
What do you call a woman with sand paper on her head?

Sandy!

~~~Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit thank You for the blessings of good friends celebrating the special day of their birth and our ability to make them smile!

Morning has broken...HE IS RISEN!!!!

2010-04-04T03:09:00.000-07:00

IT IS SUNDAY AND THE DARK CLOUDS OF SADNESS ARE BROKEN...THE WORLD IS NEW FOR JESUS HAS ARISEN FROM THE DEAD....

May we all be wearing a HUGE smile today knowing we are so well loved...

No matter how rough or tough life gets, He had it so much rougher and tougher and LOVE won and always wins in the end...

Color some eggs, eat some treat, give a smile to a stranger for today is nothing but joyful!

So many things speak to us of new life...the very eggs that we admire in all shapes and sizes and designs...

As Michael and I travel down (plenty of time for prayer on the over two hour trip) to see and celebrate Easter with my daughter Ria and her family, I will be praying for all of you to have and enjoy a truly BLESSED EASTER!!

~~~Dearest Lord and Savior, thank You for the blessings of Your incredible love...may we spread it in so many ways!

LOVE is The Good in Good Friday

2010-04-02T03:02:00.000-07:00

Love IS the answer to all problems in one way or another. LOVE is really only a verb...it has to be an action in order to be love...it is something that needs to be done, to be shown and WOW...did God ever show us what it means.....

Good Friday...hmmm I think it should be "What Love Truly is Friday"...the good part is all the good that has been given to us because "...He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."

I will cry today...I always cry every Good Friday, being so amazed at what He did for us and so sad knowing how little we would do for Him, how many times we would fail yet how many times we would try and we would even succeed. He fell three times and got up four...another lesson for us no matter how hard life gets for us....

Here's how one source explains Good Friday....

"We're all familiar with the acronym T.G.I.F., but there's only one Friday on the calendar that's earned the distinction of being called "Good Friday."

Judging by the name alone, most of us might deduce that Good Friday is a holiday that's both good, as opposed to bad, and is observed on a Friday. However, if you weren't raised in a particularly religious household, you may not be familiar with exactly what it is about that particular Friday that makes it such a "good" one compared with other Fridays.

From a religious perspective, though, the term "Good Friday" is a bit of a misnomer since it refers to the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified. As you might expect, it was a particularly bad day for Jesus' disciples and followers (Judas, I'm looking in your direction) and it's a rather penitent day for Christians today.

Theologically speaking, you could make the argument that Good Friday was necessary in order for Jesus to absolve mankind of its sins, but still the name Good Friday seems like a stretch. Couldn't it just as easily be called Sad Friday? Or Bad Friday? Or The Worst Friday Ever?

For clarification, I've turned to the A&E Network's chief historian, Dr. Libby O'Connell. According to Dr O'Connell, the term "good" in this case is simply "a mistranslation of the word 'holy.' Holy, of course, meaning sacred and sanctified, is translated from the Latin word Sanctus."

Generally speaking, the English translation falls a little short when recognizing the holiness of the occasion. "Easter," explains Dr O'Connell, "is the culmination of the Christian year, not Christmas. Good Friday is one of the most important days of religious reflection."

In most languages, the holiday we refer to as Good Friday is translated as "Holy Friday," which captures the spirit of the holiday a little more accurately."

He was lauded and sung to on Palm Sunday as a Saviour then they hung Him on a cross!! People's praise of us is not so important...what matters is the love we give no matter what...the kind word in return for the crabbiness of a loved one, the gentle response to the rude person at the check-out counter or the doctor's office or the repair person etc. etc. etc. These are only hard to do things NOT impossible....

Today is not a day for jokes but for loving reflection....... so remember this little thought when pondering about whether you are involved in your walk with Christ or committed in it!!...

" You know the difference between involvement and commitment don't you? In a meal of bacon and eggs, the chicken is involved, the pig is committed."

~~~Thank You dear Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the amazing blessings we have received because of your LOVE through giving and giving and giving so that we might be allowed into Your kingdom, Lord!!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WANDA!

2010-03-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

Well, this downloaded this from my sample pictures so there is hope.

Mainly I would like to wish Wanda a very happy and lovely birthday and to thank her for the many, many beautiful posts she has shared. Her posts are so well done and must take her alot of time for she makes them so perfect. It is almost like going on a mini vacation when I go to read her posts and enjoy the fantastic pictures she has so carefully taken and included...it often feels as if I am in the woods with her or on her porch enjoying the sights of nature.

Thank you for bringing so much beauty into our world Wanda and may you be blessed with the happiest of birthdays!

Sending you love and God's blessings too.

At one point I was doing 'helpful hints on Tuesdays' so today's "hint" would be to remember your friend's special days and then remember their not so special days in some way too (a nice little surprise like a card in the mail, a phone call etc.)!

~~~Thank you Heavenly Father for the blessings of thoughtful and uplifting friends...may they receive many blessings themselves!

Another TRY to fix the problem

2010-03-26T03:40:00.000-07:00

Now I have removed a lot of my widgets in hopes that will solve this problem, so I guess time will tell. Michael seemed to think that one of them could have gone bad and caused problems so let's see what happens now!

My old camera took this photo of Kelly last July when I took her to the beach for her birthday...thought it might be appropriate considering the crazy things my blog is doing!...

My favorite this Friday would be a blog that stays open for everyone!

~~~Thank You Lord for the blessings of suggestions and for the effort of using them.

Testing ....1,2,3

2010-03-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

I got into my blog FINALLY...so let's see if others can!!

May the Good Lord bless and guide all of you always!

~~~Thank You dear Lord for the blessings of fixed problems and fixed blogs!

Lent...A Time To Repent

2010-03-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

Lent, A Time To Repent Reflect & Make Reparation!

Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17th begins the solemn 40 days of lent.

A time to reflect on our sins and weaknesses. A time to repent for the many ways we rebel against God on a daily basis!

It's a time of self-denial and sacrifice in reparation for the many ways that we fall short and offend God. A time to fast and abstain from some of the creature comforts and luxuries of our time, while focusing on the scourging, passion and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on a crude, cruel and inhumane cross!

We focus mostly on our sins of commission, but Fr. Leo Clifford says that for every good deed that is done, there are 100 deeds left undone! The Bible reminds us that we will have to account for every idle deed and word-[Mt. 12:35-37]. Imagine that, we will have to account not just for every idle word, but for every idle deed, done or left undone! In St. James 4:17, it could not be stated more clearly, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." St. James also tells us that "faith without works is dead" [St. James 2:26].

Not to be fear mongering, but straight out of the Bible, this is why we share this with you as we journey through, the Holy Lenten season. If you are not producing much fruit, this is a good time to reflect on whether you are doing what God has created you to do, especially in this time and place.

Proverbs 24:16 "Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again ". Therein lies the crux of how diligent we must be in making the most of EVERY circumstance. How many times have we overlooked someone in dire need because we were too busy, or not listening to someone who's hurting, saying a kind word to someone who is down, gossiping behind someone's back, short changing someone, taking advantage of resources at work, failing to be "salt and light", and countless other ways that we sin by our acts of omission!

God is good in allowing us to change our lives and be the servants He created us to be. This life is a journey, a "flash in the pan". This is NOT our home. While we are here, we have to be busy about the Lord's work, we are to occupy, not just coexist. The pagans are busy winning many souls to Hell, souls that God has put in our paths, souls that unless we reach out to save them, they may perish for all eternity!

The Lord waits for us much more than we wait for Him. In fact, when we do have to wait for Him, it's because He's waiting for someone else. So to keep from holding God back any longer, we should cooperate with God in those hundreds of things He intends to do now. Our disobedience is holding up everybody else. Repent of keeping God and humanity waiting.

As we journey through these forty days of Lent, we submit the following articles, not to be critical of our church, shepherds or fellow Christians. God knows the enemy is busy and rests not, but for us to reflect on the countless ways, we the majority, fail on a daily basis in positively affecting our culture for the better. Whether through laziness, fear or ignorance, none of these excuses will be allowed before God! So let's get busy, for the times are evil and countless souls are perishing!

Feed My Sheep, Feed My Lambs

The best way to purify the church and keep it pure-is to get rid of all the goats! And the best way to run the goats out of the church—is to feed them 'sheep food'. God's sheep will grow in grace under the preaching of grace—but goats will go hungry because they choke on 'sheep food'. They will soon leave and go somewhere else.

"Feed My sheep." John 2117

"Feed the flock of God entrusted to you. " 1 Peter 5:2

Getting Ready for Lent

If you can start the day without caffeine or pills,

If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

If you can do all these things,

Then you are probably the family dog.

Marquee Sayings for Lent:

Don't wait for the hearse to take you to church.

It's hard to stumble when you're

down on your knees.

What part of "Thou Shalt Not"

don't you understand?

A clear conscience makes a soft pillow.

The wages of sin is death.

Repent before payday.

Never give the devil a ride.

He will always want to drive.

Forbidden fruit creates many jams.

Christians, keep the faith...but not from others!

Satan subtracts and divides.

God adds and multiplies.

To belittle is to be little.

Don't let the littleness in others

bring out the littleness in you.

God answers knee-mail.

Try Jesus. If you don't like Him,

the devil will always take you back.

What's Been Happening and Where is Marcy???

2010-02-24T04:36:00.000-08:00

Today is the day for a rhyme

And I've learned that I must take the time

To make this world a little brighter

And hopefully our burdens a little lighter.

The praying for others does not cease

Even when on my forehead worries crease

For I wish you all sweet peace

And from problems a prompt release.

If we our troubles all up to Him

Then we can sing nothing but a happy hymn

For even our most troublesome day

Will turn out so much better if we PRAY.

Now this post all all a messy jumble

And made me do a little mumble

As pictures went a tumble.

For those of you who have failed to be overwhelmed with snow pictures, I render a few from our backyard on snow day here in Georgia. Just like us, Tinkabelle was amazed at those big flakes...

Here is the view from the other side of our back patio. You can see our snow covered water barrel on the ground where the workmen took it and left it, along with the concrete blocks they removed and left in the front yard (all without even asking, sad to say) for whatever purpose when they were repairing our water main pipe...

Sadie Mae and Tinkabelle right before their trip out into the snow with shiny eyes (guess I should have removed the red eye here)....

Another view of the first picture....

Lovely falling flakes and the shed and our garden to the right of it, all decorated with snow....

Sadie Mae plowed out into the snow, more adventurous than Tinkabelle who had to see what would happen to Sadie Mae first....

Now here comes part of the goofiness, the jokes are in the middle and it took me a l o n g , long time to fix this up because it copied and pasted with about 17 blank spaces between every third or fourth word!!! As I was finishing, I discovered that it ended up in the middle of my post and then I had to just "let it go" as there is no way to drag all those other pictures to the top. If you like your laughs at the end then skip to the bottom then come back here...

"A 1st grade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child with the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the second half. It's hard to believe that these were actually done by 1st graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic! (don't peek till you get there!!!)

1. Don't change horses.......until they stop running.

2. Strike while the.............bug is close.

3. It's always darkest before......Daylight Saving Time.

4. Never underestimate the power of.....termites.

5. You can lead a horse to water but.....How?

6. Don't bite the hand that......looks dirty.

7. No news is.....impossible.

8. A miss is as good as a....Mr.

9. You can't teach an old dog new.......math.

10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll.......stink in the morning.

11. Love all, trust.......me.

12. The pen is mightier than the.......pigs.

13. An idle mind is.....the best way to relax.

14. Where there's smoke there's.......pollution.

15. Happy the bride who.....gets all the presents.

16. A penny saved is......not much.

17. Two's company, three's......the Musketeers.

18. Don't put off till tomorrow what......you put on to go to bed.

19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and.......you have to blow your nose.

20. There are none so blind as.......Stevie Wonder.

21. Children should be seen and not.....spanked or grounded.

22. If at first you don't succeed.....get new batteries.

23. You get out of something only what you.......see in the picture on the box.

24. When the blind lead the blind.....get out of the way.

25. A bird in the hand....... is going to poop on you.

And the WINNER

is . . . (now you can wait if you want because this also is goofy and the answer is after the end of these pictures)!!

Here comes some of the news around here....

This looks like what may have happened to Tinka (this dog even looks a little like her), but our cats' front claws are gone, so it could have been a wild animal in the backyard or her sticking her nose under the fence and it wouldn't fit. We don 't know but the poor baby had three bloody scrapes on top of her nose. We cleaned them and put some neosporin on them (which she promptly licked off). So far it is slowly healing and looks fine and so is she (no swelling, no appetite loss and still playful)...

Except for not being three marks and not being vertical, this looks like her nose (also except more healed now)...

Now, for more excitement. Here's where we had to take Michael a week ago and beside it (that anughty coffee) is the reason. Not only did his defibrillator go off and shock him but the next day he was wracked with cramps down his back and his legs. His muscles were cramped from dehydration (lots of coffee takes out water, causes his heart to race and the defribrillator to eventually go off) ...

If he had been drinking lots of water and eating bananas, it certainly would have lessened any of these things, but his beloved and deadly coffee would still have caused his heart to race...

Now my Michael is being very cautious and not drinking coffee at all and also finally drinking plain water along with volumes of Propel. Sad to say, though, the doctor once again upped his medications, not allowing him to see if these changes would adjust anything or everything....

This is what I found when I typed in "BAD COFFEE"....

Our Sadie Mae loves to roll around in the dirt outside, so she is our little 'pig' and it recently (the same time as Tinka's problem) got her a case of dirty ears and lots of head shaking which was 'cured' with hydrogen peroxide followed by neosporin. Amazingly these dogs only go out for 10-15 minute spurts, yet look at all the trouble they can get into...

Here's another out of sync picture, but this does look like the ER where we waited for over four hours as they did tests and X-rays on Michael and had him all hooked up to monitors..

Last, but certainly not least among our "adventures", we discovered we had a leak in the main pipe from our front yard to the house!! PLEASE learn from me and get at least three estimates before letting someone do the job. Being stressed with a still problematic septic system and then some major leaks in the main pipe made me jump in and say yes instead of waiting. I feel we were ripped off deeply on this, but it is fixed at least...

26. Better late than......... pregnant."

Meanwhile I/we got lured into a thing called Farmville on Facebook which has kept our minds off the financial woes and medical issues, so it takes up alot of time but has kept us happy.

~~~Dear Lord, thank You for the blessings of friends and things that can ease our minds when we are stressed.

Want to know 4 Secrets?

2010-02-10T02:09:00.000-08:00

Today's Internet entertainment/education is brought to you by four restaurant secrets. I have been fortunate enough to have been in many restaurants in many places, so as you look at these restaurants, please let me know which one you would chose to go to for a night out if money was no object.

I can't believe that I almost forgot

For to rhyme words I must take a shot

As you take a gaze upon each spot

Below and rate it hot or not.

This is good for my brain I can feel it work

So try it yourself and try not to smirk

Or worry that maybe you'll twitch and you'll jerk

For I'm still doing it still and haven't gone beserk.

This one looks pretty elegant, doesn't it?....

A guy would never have to worry about his date walking out on him at this restaurant, unless she was a really great swimmer (bet their 'catch of the day' is REALLY fresh)....

This nice little quaint French restaurant reminded me of the ones we saw in Catalan, Spain which is a tourist spot and has signs transalted into hysterical English, like "If you like dogs that are hot to eat, please to come here to eat..."

This is somewhere not in the U.S. but it looked interesting and fancy schmancy...

Even though this restaurant is somewhere in the Arab Republic, it really reminds me of a restaurant that Mario and I went to in Poland, only there were booths all along both sides...

This is a restaurant overlooking the water but it looks as if it could be on a ship...

This one would be fun (and we both like oriental food)but Michael is afraid of heights so I would have to go alone!...

The neat thing about this restaurant is that you wouldn't have to dress up, you could probably even come in your pajamas, but if the food's good, I'm in....

Now here's some elegance (think this is in China) and it looks like there would be plenty of seating...

This one is sooooo romantic...it looks like a great place for romance or to take a good book and have a great reading time...

Michael will get the heebie jeebies just looking at this one in Germany but I'll bet it's wonderful...wish I could have gone to it when we (Mario and I and the children) lived in Germany. Even though I don't have a special fear of heights (just a respect) I would never lean out the windows here whereas my son and late husband probably would have ....

Now here are the secrests you have all been waiting for....

"4 Must-Know Restaurants Secrets!
By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding

Eat This, Not That

by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding a Yahoo! Health Expert for Nutrition
.

If being an anonymous blip on a giant corporation’s assembly line makes you feel like a character in some bleak sci-fi movie, we’ve got good news. There are plenty of ways to fight back—to enjoy all the convenience of modern restaurants and all the foods you still like to eat without paying extra money every 6 months for a new pair of pants.

You see, all major restaurant chains—from the fast-food purveyors to the sandwich shops and coffee bars to the sit-down dinner joints with their vaguely Italian/Mexican/Chinese/whatever themes—operate with the same set of secrets, secrets they don’t want their customers to know. And if you know these secrets, well, guess what? The power to eat what you want and still stay slim is in your hands. Lucky you!

This list of sneaky secrets, straight from the book Eat This, Not That! Restaurant Survival Guide will help you start taking back control! And, even better, we’ve created an Eat This, Not That! iPhone app—it’s like having your own personal nutritionist at your fingertips!

Secret #1: Don’t get “supersized”

Sure, it feels like you’re getting a bargain because you’re getting proportionately more food for proportionately less money. But a “value meal” is only a value for two sets of people: the corporations that make the food and the corporations that make liposuction machines and heart stents. Because food is so inexpensive for manufacturers to produce on a large scale, your average fast-food emporium makes a hefty profit whenever you supersize your meal—even though you’re getting an average of 73 percent more calories for only 17 percent more money. But you’re not actually buying more food. You’re buying more calories. And that’s not something you want more of.

Secret #2: Remember, the waiter is a salesperson

A 2005 study published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services found that you’re more likely to order a side dish when the server verbally prompts you. (“Do you want fries with that?”) Restaurants know this, and now you know it, too. When the waiter makes a suggestion, remember his job is not to make you happy. His job is to extract money from your wallet and insert fat in its place.

Secret #3: Don’t get too excited

You eat out all the time. A 2008 study in the International Food Research Journal found that people are less likely to make healthy restaurant choices when they feel that they’re dining out for a “special occasion.” And as we said, dining out used to be special. But before you head out to your next meal, really take stock of how many times you’ve eaten out this week. If you’re eating every meal at home and dining out truly is a once-a-week splurge, then don’t worry about it so much. But if you’re like most of us, eating out is probably more like a once-a-day splurge. And if that’s the case, remember, there’s nothing special here. Eat smart today because you’ll have to do it again tomorrow.

Bonus tip: Download our free Eat This, Not That! guide to shopping once and eating for a week—and save calories, time, and money!

Secret #4: Start small

Here’s the good news: No one is going to stop you from ordering seconds. So be like any good businessperson, and start small. Here’s exactly how expensive it really is whenever you go for the “bargain”:

7-Eleven: Gulp to Double Gulp Coca-Cola Classic: 37 cents extra buys 450 more calories.

Cinnabon: Minibon to Classic Cinnabon: 48 more cents buys 370 more calories.

Movie theater: Small to medium unbuttered popcorn: 71 additional cents buys you 500 more calories.

Convenience store: Regular to “The Big One” Snickers: 33 more cents packs on 230 more calories.

McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder with Cheese to Medium Quarter Pounder with Cheese Extra Value Meal: An additional $1.41 gets you 660 more calories.

Subway: 6-inch to 12-inch Tuna Sub: $1.53 more buys 420 more calories.

Wendy’s: Classic Double with Cheese to Classic Double with Cheese Old Fashioned Combo Meal: $1.57 extra buys you 600 more calories.

Baskin Robbins: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Kids’ Scoop, to Double Scoop: For another $1.62, you’ve added 390 calories.

The bottom line on all this? For just a hair more than 8 bucks, you’ve bought yourself an additional 3,620 calories. If you ate each of these once a week, and you were to switch to the smaller size each time—again, still all your favorite foods, just in a more reasonable size—you’d save about $417 a year. It’s not going to buy you a new car, but it could put you on a plane to the Bahamas. But far more important than that is what it will mean to your waistline, because in saving that $417, you’ll also save 188,240 calories in a year—enough to shave a whopping 54 pounds of flab off your body! (Hey, take the 400 bucks and buy some new pants!)"

I even found some restaurant jokes for you....

SIGNS YOU’RE AT A BAD RESTAURANT:

The parking lot has a space marked “RESERVED—HEALTH INSPECTOR”

Their top breakfast special is Honey-Nut Oakios cereal with prune bran and a Geritol power shake on the side.

The main fare at noon is whale-meat sandwiches, and the name of the place is “Thar-She-Blows Lunchmart”

You complain about your dinner, and the waiter asks if you’d like to speak to the house lawyer.

*********

"I should have known better when I saw a sign in the window of the diner that said 'New! — Breakfast Burrito — Now with real Burro!'..."

~~~Lord, thank You for the blessings of restaurants where we can be delighted with new tastes that we would otherwise never know.

I know I can do this!

2010-02-08T04:39:00.000-08:00

Well, this was supposed to be last Wednesday's post, but that didn't happen. So this will now be called Marvelous Monday's post.

What has been happening is tons of more rain, in fact, there has been more rain recorded in the state of Georgia than has ever occurred in the history of weather reporting!! Which means we are back to square one with our septic problems...rats! Looks like our income tax return will be going towards an improved system but meanwhile we visit our local grocery store for restroom needs and showers are happening at Michael's workplace, although I can still do the dishes by throwing out the water, so that's a blessing...too bad my clothes washing effort didn't work.......although...I have been tempted to try a smaller load (shhh, don't tell Michael!)

Let's change this sad story to a picture or two.

Here's one of Michael and I taken in late December when we went to Fernbank museum...it looks as if I am falling into him with my eyes closed...well, a girl's gotta get sleep whenever she can!...

Remember me mentioning that there were still some nativities back in Arizona (sad to say, I only found three)? Well, here's one I found when we were there this past November...

This is just a neat one I thought I'd share with you because it is just a wire silhouette...

You may be asking yourselves where the neat internet information is that Marcy usually supplies us with? Well, it is bye bye for today as I need to get this post out and I need to go to the store!!!!!!!

Time for some smiles...

Assembly Line

Students in the adult French class I teach include quite a few health-care professionals. During one class, I was coughing so badly a doctor in the class raised her hand. "If you like, I could give you a prescription for that," she offered. Another hand shot up. "I could fill it for you," said a pharmacist's assistant. Not to be outdone, a paramedic added, "And I can take you there to pick it up!"

Unattractive

We brought our newborn son, Adam, to the pediatrician for his first checkup. As he finished, the doctor told us, "You have a cute baby."

Smiling, I said, "I bet you say that to all new parents."

"No," he replied, "just to those whose babies really are good-looking."

"So what do you say to the others?" I asked.

"He looks just like you."

Old McDonald

While waiting in line at the Department of Vehicle Services for my new license plate, I heard the clerk shout out, "E I E I O." "Here," the woman standing next to me answered.

Curious, I asked if she was married to a farmer, or maybe taught preschool.

"Neither," she replied. "My name is McDonald."

~~~Thank You Lord for the blessings of patience, please grant us LOTS of it (and I will avoid the temptation to say 'right now".)

Stop, Look, Listen and PRAY

2010-01-31T04:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice prayer I found while searching the Internet the other day, so I thought I'd share it with you.

We need to STOP...this would be the 'silence' parts in this prayer...stopping is a good thing when praying because it should cause us to think about what we just read and/or prayed.

Then we need to LOOK at what we read one more time to remember.

Next comes the part where we 'LISTEN" to the good ways that this can help us make this world a better place.

Following all those steps means we have truly PRAYED!

"Litany for Peace

January 27, 2010

by Thich Nhat Hanh

from the book Prayers from Around the World and Across the Ages

by Victor M. Parachin

As we are together, praying for Peace, let us truly be with each other.

(Silence)

Let us pay attention to our breathing.

(Silence)

Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds.

(Silence)

Let us be at peace with our bodies and our minds.

(Silence)

Let us return to ourselves and become wholly ourselves.

(Silence)

Let us maintain a half smile on our faces.

(Silence)

Let us be aware of the source of being common to us all and to all living things.

(Silence)

Evoking the presence of the Great Compassion, let us fill our hearts with our own compassion—toward ourselves and toward all living beings.

(Silence)

Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all brothers and sisters, all nourished from the same source of life.

(Silence)

Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of suffering to each other.

(Silence)

Let us plead with ourselves to live in a way which will not deprive other living beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live.

(Silence)

With humility, with awareness of the existence of life and of the suffering that is going on around us,

let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth.

Amen."

You may need to click on this (or put it under a microscope) to enlarge this and read it as I am having trouble reading it now...

Every prayer should end this way, even those prayers where we are anxious or asking for help, hmm, maybe I should say ESPECIALLY those prayers should end this way for that is what love is all about...

Finally I leave you with a favorite photo that I seem to recycle because I just love it....

This was listed as humorous, but it is also very thought provoking...

"Memorial

Our church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else.

Someone's passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person's share of the work. Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone's list, "Let Someone Else do it." Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results; "Someone Else can work with that group."

It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference.

Someone Else was a wonderful person; sometimes appearing superhuman. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do.

Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did?

When you are asked to help this year, remember -- we can't depend on Someone Else anymore."

~~~Heavenly Father, I thank You for the blessings of doing little and sometimes big things to make this a world that is closer to the loving world it was meant to be.

WE DID, WE DID....Well HE DID!

2010-01-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

This is crazy...lately too much going on to get the other things done that I want to do, like finish today's post.

Prayer group went into overtime and then I had to go shopping at three different places and by the time I got back, Michael was already home so it was time to fix dinner and home made apple pie, so I am rushing to finish up this post.

You will all be delighted to know that Michael went immediately to the laundromat to finish the laundry (that is the 'we did, we did...well he did' title)which left me with the also delightful task of cleaning up the laundry room disaster. It took me as long to do that as it took Michael to pack up the clothes, drive to the laundromat (which amazingly he remembered where it was from 7+ years ago when he moved in here but he can't remember 90% of what I say), finish the wash (it took four loads that our washer could have made in three loads) and drive back home. Of course you could have eaten off the floor when I finished (by the way, why DO they say THAT when you clean so much?? No matter HOW clean, I would not want to eat off of anyone's floor in ANY room!)

How's this for a cute little cleaner? Looks like it may only be dry cleaning, but they were clever advertisers...

Interestingly Michael said there were SEVERAL men there and only ONE woman using the laundromat!!! Think this could be a new guy hangout?? That guy looks like he is just fascinated with the spin cycle on that washer....

I have no idea what our local laundromat looks like so I will have to have Michael take me there one day (did I ever tell you that he took me to see the local dump after we got married???...his idea of a fun time can be scary!!)....

Hopefully 'his' laundromat looked alot better than this one and it should since they charged $2.50 per load and the washers were small and didn't even have a good spin cycle (for awhile I thought we might have to re-wring them out!)...

Did I ever tell all of you about the time when I was a young new bride (18 yrs old) and my late beloved hubby, Mario and I were stationed in Alaska at a little town named Delta Junction? Our trailer court had a laundromat in the middle of it and I would trek through the snow to do the laundry, often by myself. One time there was a huge sheet under the folding table and it was covering something, so I made the mistake of peeking and there was a dead wolf!! Boy did our laundry get done in record time that night!....

When I looked for pictures of flooded laundry rooms, I found TONS of them...which makes me wonder about the who and how of those many, many photos. Somehow, I don't think Michael would have been too appreciative if I had said "Honey, just hold that hose and the soaked floor while I go look for the camera and take several pictures while you flounder around in the mess."

How do you like this lovely laundromat, complete with misspelling, a phone, an ATM and a weird soda machine??....

The adventure continued once Michael got back with all four loads of wet clothes as we (meaning me trying to convince him that this was indeed a great idea) decided to put them outside. We have a bench, a secluded area of fence and two drying racks for putting the wet clothes to dry on this sunny but cool day, all of which succumbed to the unbelieveably gusty winds...winds that could probably take you parasailing (without the ocean, although we did have several puddles) to Guatemala, China and maybe even Australia! So, you can now picture us chasing clothes aound the yard and watching the racks fall down...

If we had clothespins and a drying line, they would have looked somewhat like these only I think the clothesline might have blown up and away as well! Once again Michael failed to let on to all the fun he was having (he must just be shy that way)...

One of the adventures you didn't hear about was the unique way I had to do the dishes. Since NO water could go down the drains, I had to get creative (don't worry, THIS time it is not so scary). I had to have a bucket nearby as I plugged the sink and washed and rinsed in the plugged area, then I had to bail out the water into the bucket with a glass or bowl, fill it then go to the back yard and throw the water out onto the grass, unlike this lady who is throwing it on a truck and some children...

Let's end these pictures with a totally adorable photo I found of a baby koala bear investigating a bucket of water. Michael and I didn't do this, but then we didn't have big enough buckets either (or I might have suggested it)...

Now for yet a few more chuckles that I got in an e-mail....

"You can't read this and stay in a bad mood!

1. How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit?

Unique Up On It.

2. How Do You Catch a Tame Rabbit?

Tame Way.

3. How Do Crazy People Go Through The Forest ?

They Take The Psycho Path

4. How Do You Get Holy Water?

You Boil The Hell Out Of It

5. What Do Fish Say When They Hit a Concrete Wall?

Dam!

6. What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too Long?

Polaroid's

7. What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work?

A Stick

8. What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't Yours?

Nacho Cheese.

9. What Do You Call Santa's Helpers?

Subordinate Clauses.

10. What Do You Call Four Bullfighters In Quicksand?

Quattro Sinko.

11. What Do You Get From a Pampered Cow?

Spoiled Milk.

12. What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire?

Frostbite.

13. What Lies At The Bottom Of The Ocean And Twitches?

A Nervous Wreck.

14. What's The Difference Between Roast Beef And Pea Soup?

Anyone Can Roast Beef.

15. Where Do You Find a Dog With No Legs?

Right Where You Left Him.

16. Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils?

Because They Have Big Fingers .

17. Why Don't Blind People Like To Sky Dive?

Because It Scares The Dog.

18. What Kind Of Coffee Was Served On The Titanic?

Sanka.

19. What Is The Difference Between a Harley And a Hoover ?!

The Location Of The Dirt Bag.

20. Why Did Pilgrims' Pants Always Fall Down?

Because They Wore Their Belt Buckle On Their Hat.

21. What's The Difference Between a Bad Golfer And a Bad Skydiver?

A Bad Golfer Goes, Whack , Dang!

A Bad Skydiver Goes Dang! Whack .

22. How Are a Texas Tornado And a Tennessee Divorce The Same?

Somebody's Gonna Lose A Trailer

~~~Dear Lord, I thank You for the blessings of entertainment in unique forms when challenges arise.

It's started but no time to finish right now...

2010-01-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

The Thursday continuation of what happened is started but, with today being prayer group day, I have no time to finish it up, but time enough to send blessings on all of you as I drive and pray my way to prayer group this morning.

Just like the little guy in the picture above, I stepped up to get some things done around here first thing this morning (among them my Bible reading) and YAHOO...using the sweet dishwasher for the first time in a week!!

I'll be back to finish up the 'real' post for today but until then, May the good Lord bless, be with and guide you all today!

~~~~Thank You, Lord for the blessings of septic tanks that finally empty out enough to take showers at home and wash dishes.

The Monday post that had to wait until Wednesday

2010-01-27T05:45:00.000-08:00

We had rain for too many days

And now my poor brain is in a haze

And muscles are sore too

From having too much to do.

Yes siree, I did have a post started for Monday and I was all gung ho about getting back on blogging track, but life decided to de-rail me!!

In case you haven't read the news, we have had buckets full of rain and more rain here in Georgia. I know the Indians did rain dances, so I was trying to figure out if a rain "walk" might stop some of these drops.

The rain is not so bad or sad, but what happens to our already stressed septic tank can cause a tear or two....

Our back yard had many spots like this, only this looks pretty and ours looked muddy or murky, sort of, kind of jerky...

So, on with this tale of woe that is still kind of funny too. Since we could not use our water in the house, except for a rare flush or two or for brushing teeth (you haven't LIVED till you've had to go to the nearest store to go to the bathroom), I came up with a (potentially) nifty or (ultimately)dumb idea for the backloads of laundry that were piling up once the rain started. Creative thinking for getting out of jams or repairing things or saving money has been my forte, so I thought about this and came up with a ~~solution/~~catastrophic idea.

Fortunately Michael decided to take Monday as a vacation day, so I said, let's do laundry and he said "What?" For some reason doing laundry not only doesn't thrill him but the ramifications of how to do it also stunned him. I said, "Let's just take the hose from the back of the washer, empty the kitchen garbage can and put the hose in there for the water where we can then take it outside." Sounds like a plan? Of course the water comes out with lots and lots of force so one would have to be there to hold the hose when the washer started spinning.

So, let's play some cards and wait for this to happen is what I said to sweet and unsuspecting, but still unsure Michael. AT the first pause, I go into the laundry room and hold the hose as it amazingly fills up the whole huge garbage can to the point where I have to stop the washer and have Michael help me bail out some water. Michael disappoints me by failing to say "Wow this is fun and I am thrilled to use my day off this way." We were both amazed at how much water came out of that tub, but we got rid of it in the back yard and away from the septic tank area, then we sat down to await the rinse cycle. Sad to say, neither one of us has the ability to retain any short term memory so we heard the machine stop after the rinse cycle and went on playing cards.

What we heard next was the hose at it flew off of the top of the garbage can and started spewing water everywhere. Michael's reflexes were amazing as he jumped up, knocking his chair to the ground to go grab the monster hose, with me sprinting behind him (he was closest to the laundry room). He soaked the left side of his trousers as he wrestled the hose into the garbage can yelling "We are NOT doing any more laundry like this EVER!!" Meanwhile I was spreading the flannel sheets that were next to be washed, all over the floor as I splashed my way around.

This is a little bit of what our laundry room looked like but you have to add LOTS more water, all the kitty litter that the cats toss out every day from their litter box along with the dust balls and toys they shove under the washer AND DRYER...

We are thinking that when we get our income tax refund we may have to face something like this...

Well, I need to get ready for my art class (which I have missed for over a month now), but there is more to this delightful tale, so maybe tomorrow will bring the rest of the story.

No need for jokes today as the laundry room provided that!!

~~~Thank You dear Lord for the blessings of a sense of humor to laugh and not cry about many things, please help me to laugh more and cry less.

Keeping our "Heads Up"

2010-01-23T03:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we look the other way when life gets complicated, troublesome or challenging...and then

the 'stuff' we have 'swept under the rug' just grows bigger and ends up tripping us!

Before I go any further I would first of all like to ask all of you wonderful bloggers to please, at the very least, pray for the victims of the Haiti earthquake and the rescuers that goodness and kindness will be multiplied everyday. If you can stretch your budget, maybe a donation to one of the many worthwhile agencies that are helping (fortunately our church even has a 'sister parish' in Haiti, so we are contributing almost directly).

Now, on to the more mundane but still important things that we need to not sweep under the rug.

I found this article (below) as the headline on my computer news site on Friday so it was worth sharing to hopefully help you and me and all of us. It was all about hackers and the fact that we often use passwords that are too easy to access.

Remember that you never know who a potential hacker might be. It could even be your own "innocent" kitty (after all most computers do have a mouse, hee hee)...

It would be a great help to us all if they would only wear their "uniform"...

Don't be fooled by a friendly face....

Now there are some non violent ways to deal with hackers and since I am a proponent of non violence, I find this to be one resolution....

Or you could unleash this little guy on the hackers computer and NOTHING would ever work right again...

So here is the article in its' entirety....
"If Your Password Is 123456, Just Make It HackMe

by Ashlee Vance
Friday, January 22, 2010
provided by
Back at the dawn of the Web, the most popular account password was "12345."

Today, it's one digit longer but hardly safer: "123456."

Despite all the reports of Internet security breaches over the years, including the recent attacks on Google's e-mail service, many people have reacted to the break-ins with a shrug.

According to a new analysis, one out of five Web users still decides to leave the digital equivalent of a key under the doormat: they choose a simple, easily guessed password like "abc123," "iloveyou" or even "password" to protect their data.

"I guess it's just a genetic flaw in humans," said Amichai Shulman, the chief technology officer at Imperva, which makes software for blocking hackers. "We've been following the same patterns since the 1990s."

Mr. Shulman and his company examined a list of 32 million passwords that an unknown hacker stole last month from RockYou, a company that makes software for users of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. The list was briefly posted on the Web, and hackers and security researchers downloaded it. (RockYou, which had already been widely criticized for lax privacy practices, has advised its customers to change their passwords, as the hacker gained information about their e-mail accounts as well.)

The trove provided an unusually detailed window into computer users' password habits. Typically, only government agencies like the F.B.I. or the National Security Agency have had access to such a large password list.
"This was the mother lode," said Matt Weir, a doctoral candidate in the e-crimes and investigation technology lab at Florida State University, where researchers are also examining the data.

Imperva found that nearly 1 percent of the 32 million people it studied had used "123456" as a password. The second-most-popular password was "12345." Others in the top 20 included "qwerty," "abc123" and "princess."
More disturbing, said Mr. Shulman, was that about 20 percent of people on the RockYou list picked from the same, relatively small pool of 5,000 passwords.

That suggests that hackers could easily break into many accounts just by trying the most common passwords. Because of the prevalence of fast computers and speedy networks, hackers can fire off thousands of password guesses per minute.

"We tend to think of password guessing as a very time-consuming attack in which I take each account and try a large number of name-and-password combinations," Mr. Shulman said. "The reality is that you can be very effective by choosing a small number of common passwords."

Some Web sites try to thwart the attackers by freezing an account for a certain period of time if too many incorrect passwords are typed. But experts say that the hackers simply learn to trick the system, by making guesses at an acceptable rate, for instance.

To improve security, some Web sites are forcing users to mix letters, numbers and even symbols in their passwords. Others, like Twitter, prevent people from picking common passwords.

Still, researchers say, social networking and entertainment Web sites often try to make life simpler for their users and are reluctant to put too many controls in place.

Even commercial sites like eBay must weigh the consequences of freezing accounts, since a hacker could, say, try to win an auction by freezing the accounts of other bidders.

Overusing simple passwords is not a new phenomenon. A similar survey examined computer passwords used in the mid-1990s and found that the most popular ones at that time were "12345," "abc123" and "password."

Why do so many people continue to choose easy-to-guess passwords, despite so many warnings about the risks?

Security experts suggest that we are simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of things we have to remember in this digital age.

"Nowadays, we have to keep probably 10 times as many passwords in our head as we did 10 years ago," said Jeff Moss, who founded a popular hacking conference and is now on the Homeland Security Advisory Council. "Voice mail passwords, A.T.M. PINs and Internet passwords — it's so hard to keep track of."

In the idealized world championed by security specialists, people would have different passwords for every Web site they visit and store them in their head or, if absolutely necessary, on a piece of paper.

But bowing to the reality of our overcrowded brains, the experts suggest that everyone choose at least two different passwords — a complex one for Web sites were security is vital, such as banks and e-mail, and a simpler one for places where the stakes are lower, such as social networking and entertainment sites.

Mr. Moss relies on passwords at least 12 characters long, figuring that those make him a more difficult target than the millions of people who choose five- and six-character passwords.

"It's like the joke where the hikers run into a bear in the forest, and the hiker that survives is the one who outruns his buddy," Mr. Moss "

So, let's laugh about it a little bit (or byte)...

"If Life Were Like A Computer:

You could add/remove someone in your life using the control panel.

You could put your kids in the recycle bin and restore them when you feel like it!

You could improve your appearance by adjusting the display settings.

You could turn off the speakers when life gets too noisy.

You could click on “find” (Ctrl, F) to recover your lost remote control and car keys.

To get your daily exercise, just click on "run"!

If you mess up your life, you could always press "Ctrl, Alt, Delete" and start all over!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had been doing Tech Support for Hewlett-Packard's DeskJet division for about a month when I had a customer call with a problem I just couldn't solve. She could not print yellow. All the other colors would print fine, which truly baffled me because the only true colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow.

For instance, green is a combination of cyan and yellow, but green printed fine. Every color of the rainbow printed fine except for yellow. I had the customer change ink cartridges. I had the customer delete and reinstall the drivers. Nothing worked. I asked my coworkers for help; they offered no new ideas.

After over two hours of troubleshooting, I was about to tell the customer to send the printer in to us for repair when she asked quietly, "Should I try printing on a piece of white paper instead of this yellow paper?"

~~~Dear Lord thank You for the blessings of our creative minds and please help us to use them to make this world a safer and better place.

Guess Who's Having A Birthday and who LOVES pink??

2010-01-14T03:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been VERY busy and I snuck over to
Eileen's blog (Umma's World) and swiped a few wonderful pictures to honor her on her special day today. Just love this one of she and Ray in the park with Jayden....

Guess which one is Eileen? Actually...none, BUT this is what we ALL need to do today (let me know which body muscles are still attached when you finish)...

This cute little boy and girl just reminded me of Ray and Eileen and what they probably had to do for their pre-marriage classes...

This is SOOOO Eileen, full of love for those grandbabies,...

Here's the male miniature version (aka Jayden) of Eileen....

And here's the cute little female miniature of Eileen (aka Mia)...

This is one of my many favorites because of the sheer joy on their faces...

And since Eileen has some lovely Irish in her (and I do too!), Irish her the most happy of birthdays...

Did anyone know how famous Eileen is and how irresistible?.....

Seems like Ray is quite the man too....

Gotta give Eileen some pink today as she does (or at least she used to) love it so much. It's a mini pink kitchen...

Should we all pool our resources ( I am low on resources but I have three candy bars) and get her this car?....

And wouldn't she love having this in her front yard?....

Even though this is pretty much a hot pink, I think Eileen could carry it off!!....

And does she have pink luggage???...this is yet another gift idea for those of you who are stumped and yet loaded with money...

What house could be complete without this pink tree??....

We all need to beg Ray to paint thier house this lovely pink color and surprise Eileen (psst...it's not too late Ray if you stay up all night and get 20 or 30 family members to help you!!)....

Found this lovely and holy cake with pink icing but they misspelled Eileen (hard to find good help nowadays)...

How perfect is this and Eileen reflects His

love in her kind ways...

This is a great day to send more and more good wishes her way...

Aaah, yet another project for Ray (such a nice guy) where he can surprise Eileen and shock himself, all in one fell swoop...

It bears repeating, Eileen...so Happy, happy Birthday...

This is a REALLY pink cake with a heart for someone who is a sweetheart...

With all this pink there is bound to be something pink Eileen will like here...

How about pink flamingos? This painting might be a little pricy but I'm sure we could find her some plastic ones for her front and back yard and maybe even inside the house!!...

Eileen dearly loves coffee, so here's a cup that even I might be able to handle...

Some more vintage pink for Eileen...

And VOILA... a pink sunrise for her too...

Finally, some pink birthday balloons...

To cover her kitchen burners we have some pretty pink flowered burner covers...

And this was the perfect flower to send her for her birthday....

Finally for the fine person and good friend and empathetic person that she is to me and to so many, I want to say....

Something to bring a smile to the birthday girl's face and yours too (hopefully)...

On my birthday I got a really funny card from a friend. It joked about how our bodies might be getting older, but our minds were still "tarp as shacks." I wanted to thank the friend who sent the card, but I couldn't. She forgot to sign it.

*****

Greeting Cards: When you care enough to send the very best but not enough to actually write something.

******

The best birthdays of all are those that haven't arrived yet.

~ Robert Orben

May you live all the days of your life.

~ Jonathan Swift

Inside every older person is a younger person - wondering what the hell happened.

~ Cora Harvey Armstrong

To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.

~ Bernard Baruch

A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age.

~ Robert Frost

If I'd known I was going to live this long (100 years), I'd have taken better care of myself.

~ Ubie Blake

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.

~ Lucille Ball

Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

~ Jack Benny

Pleas'd look forward, pleas'd to look behind, And count each birthday with a grateful mind.

~ Alexander Pope

Whatever with the past has gone, The best is always yet to come.

~ Lucy Larcom

It is lovely, when I forget all birthdays, including my own, to find that somebody remembers me.

~ Ellen Glasgow

Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty.

Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.

~ Franz Kafka

I want to be an artist

To paint pictures just for you,

So when each birthday comes around,

I can send you quite a few.

~ Anonymous

There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval.

~ George Santayana

Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time.

~ Bell Catherine

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.

~ William Shakespeare

Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is.

The most important product of his effort is his own personality.

~ Erich Fromm

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you were smiling

live life so that when you die...........

you are the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

~Anonymous

Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of 'you' to the world.

~ Anonymous

~~~Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I thank You for the blessings of celebrating special days with special people like Eileen and please bless all those celebrating birthdays this month.

Cleaning up the leftovers

2010-01-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

Well, let's see if I can get back on track with posting. As a young girl (10-12 yrs. old) I used to be a pretty good pitcher and catcher for baseball so let's see if I can't handle some of these curve balls that have been thrown my way.

Tomorrow morning my sweet duaghter Laura will be going back to Phoenix and I will deeply miss her. She is still fighting this bad bout of bronchitis but she said that she finally felt slightly better yesterday. Instead of coughing for 45 minutes out of every hour (literally, but probably even more), she is now only coughing once or twice each hour.

We are supposed to go see a neighbor's nativities tonight..my neighbor has about 100 really nice and unusual nativites.

Fortunately we did get to finally go (Laura really pushed herself to go there as even her energy level is very low) to Mimi's to see the llamas up close and personal.

Life is really off track and there have been missed painting classes, poetry recital meetings, prayer meetings as well as untyped HOA minutes (guess I will have to get creative here and make people read them and say...'wow, I don't remember discussing this' or 'did we really all decide to go to Marcy's and clean her yard, the kitty litter and wash the windows?"), so there are some challenges to overcome and catch up with.

That makes this leftover picture so appropriate,,,,

New Year's resolutions should always include good eating or better eating habits, so when I found this among my leftover pictures, it was perfect...

There must always be time for quiet reflective moments and I'd love to be sitting on this rock just praying...

When I was first married and living in Alaska with my late beloved husband Mario, we had a trailer in Delta Junction, Alaska and one day Mario called me outside and there below the steps was a family of buffalo, complete with a baby and covered in a light coat of snow...sooo pretty, maybe that's why I had this picture in my files...

This is to remind me/us that, even in our most difficult and trying moments there is only one set of footprints in the sand because Jesus is carrying us through it all...

Knowing how much I love all animals, this must be a picture that I came across and couldn't resist...

Maybe I collected this one to remind myself to stop squawking so much when things go wacko???...

And this is just a nice artsy picture so my love of art caused this one to be 'grabbed'...

Aside from the healthy part of this picture the flying pear appeals to my silly side...

Knowing how 'earth saving' I am, can anyone question why I saved this picture?....

Or, finally, how about joining me for some tea or coffee or water with lemon here at the warm seaside (a far cry from the ice and light snow that we have here still)...

Let's have a couple of VERY corny jokes and then some cute 'out of the mouth of babes' jokes....

Bach Decomposing Joke

Two grave robbers decided to rob a grave, that's what they do. They find a prety nice grave and start digging.

After they dug up the topsoil they found a hole and in the hole there was a man with wild white hair sitting in front of a piano. The man would play a couple notes then erase something on a piece of music.

The two men, amazed beyond belief, yelled down to the man, 'Who are you, and what are you doing?' The man looked up and said...

'IM BACH, AND IM DECOMPOSING'

Atoms Joke

Two atoms were walking down the sidewalk and suddenly one slips off the curb and says "Oh no, I've lost my electron!"

The other atom says "Are you sure?"

1st atom says "Yes, I'm positive!"

What's Really Important

One warm summer evening a mother was driving with her three young children. A woman in the convertible in front of them stood up and waved. She was STARK NAKED. As the mother was reeling from shock, the five year old said, "Mom, that lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"

Ketchup

A mother was struggling to get the ketchup out of the bottle when the phone rang. She asked her four year old daughter to answer it. She heard her daughter say, "Mommy can't come to the phone. She's hitting the bottle."

I Pledge Allegiance

Not quite getting it, the little first grader said, "I led the pigeons to the flag."

~~~Thank You Heavenly Father for the blessings of all the leftovers that we come across, just showing how we are blessed with so much that there is something leftover!

May God Bless our New Year With Love

2009-12-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

My prayer for one and all

Is to always have a hand to catch you should you fall

Or an understanding ear that doesn't just 'hear'

But most of all an overwhelming feeling of strong love

That can only come from our Heavenly Father up above!!

A new year should signal new "life" for us, new ways to look at everything around us and bring peace to even the thorniest of situations, sometimes by "landing" on them gently like a butterfly...

What sweet message does this little droplet of water hold ...hmmm, maybe we can look more carefully from now on??...

This is a little prayer I send to you and kindly ask that you send it on to others in your prayers...

Now this is what life is all about...blessings given through kindness and all the blessings we are showered with from God and often through others...

And here's our little droplet of water and the message it has for us is not just Happy New Year but Spread Nothing but Cheer.....

How can this greeting be complete without a little puppy dog so sweet?....

We won't get 2010 again...

so let's make it a year to remember for all the kindnesses and blessings we can bring into this needy world...

Sparkle and shine wherever you are, so that darkness of all kinds is made lighter by your presence and my presence...

In case you were wondering and even if you weren't here's what the Internet says....

"The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. Originally the new year was celebrated in the beginning of spring. In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the year. It first came to be fixed at January 1 by the Roman senate in 153 BC.

Many cultures believe that what they did or ate on the first day of the year could bring them either good or bad luck for the rest of the year. Some traditional New Year foods thought to bring luck are something in the shape of a ring, black-eyed peas, pork, cabbage or rice.

The modern tradition of making resolutions dates back to the early Babylonians.

Today, celebrations include parades, football games, and fireworks. Since the 1900s the night of December 31, New Year's Eve, has become an occasion for celebration."

This must mean we need to stay bubbly in the New Year and maybe even make bubbles as well...hmmm, think I'm gonna go get some bubbles that we have and blow them all over the place!...

A new chuckle or two,

just for you,

along with a thank you

for all you do

to make the world less 'blue

' and even me too

for I do treasure each of you!!!...

Dieting - New Resolutions

2006: I will get my weight down below 180 pounds.

2007: I will follow my new diet religiously until I get below 200 pounds.

2008: I will develop a realistic attitude about my weight.

2009: I will work out 3 days a week.

2010: I will try to drive past a gym at least once a week.

(I'm sneaking this New Year's giraffe in for Michael since he doesn't have any giraffes to gack/slobber/make slimmy his hands this year....yet!)...

A New Year's Wish

On New Year's Eve, Marilyn stood up in the local pub and said that it was time to get ready. At the stroke of midnight, she wanted every husband to be standing next to the one person who made his life worth living.

Well, it was kind of embarrassing. As the clock struck - the bartender was almost crushed to death.

Lecture Tour with A Difference

On New Year's Eve, Daniel was in no shape to drive, so he sensibly left his van in the car park and walked home. As he was wobbling along, he was stopped by a policeman. 'What are you doing out here at four o'clock in the morning?' asked the police officer.

'I'm on my way to a lecture,' answered Roger.

'And who on earth, in their right mind, is going to give a lecture at this time on New Year's Eve?' enquired the constable sarcastically.

'My wife,' slurred Daniel grimly.

~~~Thank You dear Lord for all the blessings this past year has brought and for all the future blessings in 2010, may all people be a little kinder and gentler, starting with me.

In The "Heart" of Christmas

2009-12-30T06:02:00.000-08:00

Lots of people think that Christmas is now over

Forgetting there are twelve days

To sing the Baby's praise

So let us pause to spiritually "graze"

And make the most of these remaining days.

For more information, please click on the title below...

The Twelve Days of Christmas

"The twelve days of Christmas are not the twelve days before Christmas, but are instead the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25 until January 5), which is when the three Wise Men or Magi arrived on the scene.

In some families, it was and still is traditional to give Christmas gifts for each of those twelve days, much as gifts are given to children on each of the days of Hanukkah. Some have suggested that the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is actually a song of instruction with hidden meanings to the basic teachings of the Faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song is not an earthly suitor, but refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person who is part of the Christian Faith."

This lighted nativity is taped to our window over the front door...

To give you a proper perspective of where I had to put it...it's waaay up there...

The white Peace nativity was found tucked away last year in a religious goods store in Columbus and marked down drastically since it was from the year before that...it has a very nice little blue light shining down on it...

This is an old set that used to light up in three places and play music as well...now it only lights up in the middle (which is the most important spot by the Baby Jesus) and plays music. This may have been a gift from my daughter Ria...

The two tiny sets on the far left are from Costa Rica when Mario and I visited there and the wooden one on the far right is from Germany when we lived there. The others are just ones that I have found and are different from ones I already had (please note that I even found a nativity gift box)...

And from our faithful Internet, we learn...

'The first Christmas card is said to have been designed way back in 1843, by a certain JR Horsley.

There are massive demands for Christmas trees around the globe, in fact there are a massive 3 - 6 million trees produced each year purely for the demand for Christmas trees.
Christmas crackers, invented by Thomas Smith, can be rather large. In fact the largest ever was over 45 metres long and still worked! "

This set I treasure because it was my dear step father's for many years and the last one my mother and he enjoyed together....

Today I will be making another trip to meet halfway (whew for that) and pickup Laura who has been visiting her sister...this will be my third trip in 8 days!! It's been very busy around here as I am sure it has been for all of you, so kudos and my hat is off to all those who managed to post anyway...I hope to comment when I get back from today's trip (which means no painting class but then I/we have also missed prayer groups and a study group we signed up for among other things.)

IN case you were wondering...we DO keep Christmas till the Epiphany, in spite of funny looks from neighbors when we put our lights on for the last time on January 6th!! On this day we like to give gifts that you cannot buy....so we write on a piece of paper something nice we will do for one another like wash or vacuum a car or help with some project etc. etc.

Ever wonder where some of our Christmas quotes came from??...

"Christmas Quotes:

'Merry Christmas, Nearly Everybody!' Ogden Nash

'Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveller back to his own fireside and quiet home!' Charles Dickens

'Love came down at Christmas; Love all lovely, love divine; Love was born at Christmas, Stars and angels gave the sign.' Christina Rossetti

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,

Just like the ones I used to know,

Where the tree tops glisten

And children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

Irving Berlin

'I heard the bells on Christmas Day. Their old familiar carols play. And wild and sweet the words repeat. Of peace on earth goodwill to men.' Henry Wadsworth Longfellow "

And here's a Christmas kitten, getting into eveything he can that is Christmas, especially garland and the artificial tree which looks very real due to the many needles being pulled off!!...

And here's little Sadie Mae looking pitiful and hoping for treats (which she always gets)....

One year I found a nativity that had hay attached to it (on the far left), then a picture with the story of Christmas on the other side and finally a nativity bell...

This pretty gold globe nativity that plays music came from some friends last year...

Some more different nativities with the one in the center being a Hallmark special after Christmas sale...

An old nativity that had a light in the star that used to work....

Some Christmas chuckles...

Reindeer's Story at Christmas

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.

Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should have known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

From Great Britain...

Father Christmas Calls

Alex was five; all his Christmas presents were always signed, 'from Father Christmas.'

A little while after Alex had opened all his presents on Christmas morning, we became aware that he was looking quite down in the mouth for no obvious reason.

'What's the matter, Al?' I asked.

'Ummmm, 'replied Alex slowly, 'I really hoped that you and Mummy would give me something for Christmas.'

Christmas Spirit

♪It was just before Christmas and the magistrate was in a happy mood. He asked the prisoner who was in the dock, 'What are you charged with?'

The prisoner replied, 'Doing my Christmas shopping too early.'

'That's no crime', said the magistrate. 'Just how early were you doing this shopping?'

'Before the shop opened', answered the prisoner.

Try Before You Buy

Myra was going to the Christmas office party but needed a new party dress.

In the clothing store she asked, 'May I try on that dress in the window, please?'

'Certainly not, madam,' responded the salesgirl, 'You'll have to use the fitting room like everyone else.'

~~~Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings of many days to revere the birth of Your Son.

A Blessed Christmas Eve to All

2009-12-24T05:23:00.000-08:00

"If you look for Me at Christmas,

This sweet little set, made entirely of straw is from a place dear to my heart because my late husband was born there (although raised in Venezuela), Poland.....

Last year's sale at our nearby Monastery, after Christmas and displayed for the first time, is a soapstone nativity from Kenya, Africa (behind it is a capiz shell nativity from the Phillipines).....

Some miscellaneous decorations around our home.....

For a minute, I thought this was one of our nativities but it is one I found online and so is the cute little puppy, wishing all a Merry and Blessed Christmas...

And here is a cute little Christmas test of who you are by how you decorate that I found on the Internet...

"Homemade ornaments: You have lots of children....

Blinking Lights: You have attention deficit disorder....

Multicolored lights: You’re an extrovert....

Strung Popcorn: You have too much time on your hands....

White lights: You ask houseguests to remove their shoes..."

A couple of more batches of cookies, these are IRISH APPLESAUCE COOKIES...

PINEAPPLE RIGHT SIDE UP COOKIES is the name given to these cookies we tried for the first time this year...

And where have I been?? and what have I been doing???, you might well ask...well, there have been some challenges and some excitement, all time consuming....

***the final and fifth visit by people to see the nativities (lots of prep work involved each time from the hot apple cider to the cookies being uncovered etc. etc.)

***Laura, my sweet daughter coming into the Atlanta airport (and getting lost trying to find baggage claim which was WAY behind in off loading baggage)

***a trip to Columbus, Ga to drop off gifts with LOTS of things going wacko from the start when I ended up going all alone as Laura had one of her severe migraines and then the final 'delight' of the backed up and stopped traffic on the way back (gave me plenty of prayer time)

***the septic tank having to be emptied one more time due to the heavy rains (which caused our pockets to be emptied beyond belief as well)

****last minute wrapping of gifts and squeezing in a couple of Christmas movies

***unexpected visitors coming by as well...gosh, where are all of you???...I'd LOVE to have had any of you surprise me!!!

Time for a Ho Ho Ho or two...

My appointment as pastor coincided with the church's appeal for aid for victims of a hurricane. Unfortunately, on my first Sunday in the parish, the center page of the church bulletin was accidentally omitted. So members of the congregation read from the bottom of the second page to the top of the last page: "Welcome to the Rev. Andrew Jensen and his family ... the worst disaster to hit the area in this century. The full extent of the tragedy is not yet known."

*****

Filling in one weekend for a priest at a neighboring parish, I called the church early Saturday to inquire about my Mass schedule. I confess that I was taken aback when the caretaker picked up the phone. "Holy Angels," he answered, "Gabriel speaking."

*****

The highlight of our zoo trip was a peacock showing off its plumage. My four-year-old son was particularly taken with it. That evening, he couldn't wait to tell his father: "Dad, guess what! I saw a Christmas tree come out of a chicken!"

~~~Heavenly Father I thank You for the blessings of these fine, kind and loving people that You have sent into my life in blogland, please bless them with a beautiful Christmas, one full of YOU!!

you won't need a special star -

I'm no longer just in Bethlehem,

I'm right there where you are.

You may not be aware of Me

amid the celebrations -

You'll have to look beyond the stores

and all the decorations.

But if you take a moment

from your list of things to do

And listen to your heart, you'll find

I'm waiting there for you.

You're the one I want to be with,

you're the reason that I came,

And you'll find Me in the stillness

as I'm whispering your name.

Love, Jesus "

The poem you've just read was sent to me in an e-mail and I wanted to share it with everyone as I feel it is Jesus' message to each of us!

This nativity is a paper mache that has a certain elegance to it, so I was drawn to buy it many years ago....

Christmas cookies and some nativities

2009-12-16T00:47:00.000-08:00

Let me take a little break

From the cookies that I bake

And share a thing or two

With good friends like all of you.

It is ever so true

that "Jesus is the reason for the season"

So to bring Him closer to you

A nativity or two have been chosen just for you.

The "artists" from my painting class/group just left and I downloaded these pictures yesterday, so you could see some of what I/we have been doing. The ladies today were very sweet and ooohed and aaahed nicely over both the cookies and the nativities and I was just happy to hear one lady say over and over that our home was so peaceful and blessed (the two dogs were locked up in Kelly's room and the cats were in the garage....hmmm, is that why?).

Kelly was a great hostess and helped in the preparations as well as talking to some people while I was in the other room talking to others.

The first cookie you see here is called a Piernik and it is a Polish cookie that is also called a honey cookie....

Next we have Chocolate Highlander bars, alot like brownies but with a sweet crust on the bottom and powered sugar on the top...

These plain looking cookies are anything but...they are ginger molasses cookies and very flavorful...

Hard to choose favorites, but these are near the top of my list...they are Almond cookies with colored sugar sprinkles...

Yet another top of the list favorite are these flaky almond crescents...

Not easy to find an old fashioned homemade recipe for gingerbread, but I have my sweet mother's old cookbook and now other people, like some today, can taste home made gingerbread fro the first time...

Even though the original little Christmas recipe cookbook seems to be lost, I thank the Internet for helping me re-create these bird nest's cookies...

Last, but definitely not least (because there are several more batches of cookies not pictured here)...these yummy cookies are very thin and oh so good...they are called Aggression Oatmeal cookies...

Remember that black and white photo in the post before this that I said I have a nativity just like it? Well, here it is in glorious color...

The little wooden nativity in the middle is from Germany, the uncovered church nativity to the right is from Costa Rica, the box that says hope held candy and was nativity themed, the globe to the left front is out of focus but has a lovely gold nativity and finally there is just a nice white nativity to the back....

Hopefully

we all can appreciate or even use some of these suggestions I found on the Internet to help keep Christmas inexpensive and meaningful at the same time...

"Christmas comes with all the joys of a wintry holiday and well-loved Christmastime activities. Consider these suggestions for fun and fairly inexpensive ways to enjoy the holiday.

Christmas Baking

Christmas, like any holiday, loves food and is a great time for home baked goodies. Shortbread cookies and pumpkin pie are just a few Christmas baking favourites. Some people may bake better than others, but it can be an interesting activity either way and is a enjoyable time to share with others.

Christmas Carolling

Carolling is a great activity for family and friends to do together. It can be done outside, during Christmas festivities in the community and it can be just as enjoyable at home. Try holding a carolling and cider evening at home. With a carolling night at home, Christmas baking can be shared as well.

Homemade Christmas Tree Ornaments

Decorating can be even more enjoyable when the decorations are homemade. Making Christmas tree ornaments can be a simple activity and is a great craft for kids to enjoy. Materials for making Christmas tree ornaments can be found at craft stores, in scrap materials that may otherwise be thrown away and even in nature.

Homemade Nativity Scene

Making a homemade nativity scene may take some creativity and supplies, but it can be an interesting and gratifying activity. Use a lightweight plank of wood for the floor of the stable and two others to create a peaked roof. The sides can be constructed of sturdy sticks that will hold up the roof. Nativity figurines can be found in novelty stores, craft stores, or almost anywhere that has a seasonal section. They can also be made from popsicle sticks, fabric, a little paint, and a little imagination."

One last nativity picture for today...sorry the lighting is so poor but the set to the right is an old nativity with a new background/nativity archway found on a 75% off sale at Hobby Lobby last year, then the middle is a pastel nativity with a light in the back and then to the left is a nativity within a tree...

Now for two jokes....

"Athiest Holiday

An atheist complained to a Christian friend, "You Christians have your special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Jews celebrate their national holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur. But we atheists have no recognized national holidays. It's unfair discrimination."

His friend replied, "Why don't you celebrate April first?"

Desparate Measures

Little Johnny went to his mother demanding a new bicycle. His mother decided that he should take a look at himself and the way he acts. She said, "Well Johnny, it isn't Christmas and we don't have the money to just go out and buy you anything you want. So why don't you write a letter to Jesus and pray for one instead." After his temper tantrum his mother sent him to his room. He finally sat down to write a letter to Jesus.

Dear Jesus,

I've been a good boy this year and would appreciate a new bicycle.

Your Friend,

Little Johnny

Now Little Johnny knew that Jesus really knew what kind of boy he was (brat).

So, he ripped up the letter and decided to give it another try.

Dear Jesus,

I've been an OK boy this year and I want a new bicycle.

Yours Truly,

Little Johnny

Well, Little Johnny knew this wasn't totally honest so he tore it up and tried again.

Dear Jesus,

I've thought about being a good boy this year and can I have a new bicycle?

Signed,

Little Johnny

Well, Little Johnny looked deep down in his heart, which by the way was what his mother was really wanting. He crumpled up the letter and threw it in the trash can and went running outside.

He aimlessly wandered about; depressed because of the way he treated his parents and really considering his actions. He finally found himself in front of a Catholic Church.

Little Johnny went inside and knelt down, looking around not knowing what he should really do. Little Johnny finally got up and began to walk out the door and was looking at all the statues. All of a sudden he grabbed a small one and ran out the door. He went home hid it under his bed and wrote this letter.

Jesus,

I've broken most of the Ten Commandments; shot spit wads in school, tore up my sister's Barbie doll and lots more. I'm desperate. I've got your mama. If you ever want to see her again, give me a bike.

Signed,

You know who

~~~Dear Lord and Saviour, thank You for the blessings of sharing You with others and growing into better people.

Something Christmas Poppin In

2009-12-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

This morning as I was laying in bed, very ambitious thoughts were going through my head...this time it would have been better to have those 'sugar plums' dancing in my head. Being so far behind in my blogging posts that I am almost ahead of myself has weighed on me so I said I will go in and change my header and re-vamp some of my sidebars...oops, then there would be no post PLUS, if things went the way they did last time I attempted to re-do my blog, you would see a big mess. Instead here is a humble post, with apologies for not having/taking time to even post comments. BUT I ALWAYS remember to pray for all of you, so even if a 'catastophe' strikes, like dear Jerelene having emergency surgery, please be comforted by knowing that I am praying!

Here's a cute little snowman with a sweet little wand...now if he was magical, I would have him wave his wand on you and all your Christmas baking, cards, presents, shopping, cleaning etc. would be done....and you would have no money or health problems, you would be at a spa getting an two hour long massage, you would step on the scale and it would say "You lovely thing, thanks for stepping on me. I barely felt it and you seem to be losing so much weight and you don't even need to. Please hurry back, I just love you and you love me too." (when I fantasize things look REALLY good)....

Since taking pictures and downloading and then finding them all takes so much time, I went hunting for some online again AND I found the exact outside nativity that we had three years ago! It looked this good when we first put it out and then it rained...lots of rain....this is NOT really an outside nativity...it folded where it should not fold and bent and separated and then fell down...very sad...sadder still that it is still in our garage awaiting an impossible repair!.....

Still, incredibly blessed I found yet another nativity that I have but mine is in color not black and white...maybe this one is so old it was made before color nativities (just joking here). Last night I also just finished setting this one up, so how much more incredible is that? The pieces like to fall down as they are a light wood and very thin (so that they can be stored back in that nativity 'stable' you see behind the figures)...

Now, for those wondering what I have been doing and so that you do not think I have just been frittering my time away, here are some of the things going on around here...

Shopping...grocery, gift, Christmas tree children gifts (had to go to the mall for one requested gift), gift wrapping, putting out tons of nativities...redoing nativities knocked down or over by cats, dogs and people, searching for nativities and decorations, putting up tree, more shopping, visiting, putting up the lighted nativity above the door which is waaayy up there (just about nose bleed high),trying to get through writing and addressing and stamping over 50 Christmas cards, bill paying (what a challenge this was the other day, but that is another story), decorating house, baking and baking and baking...so far we have made homemade ginger bread, almond crescents, almond cookies, bird's nest cookies, molasses cookies, chocolate highlander bars (and we still have about six more recipes to make before the people start coming over to view the nativities)and a BIG mess in the kitchen each time that requires four or five maids to clean up each time but being short on maids I have had to put an apron on Michael and pretend (he does look cute in his tights and little French maid outfit...more fantasizing here), mailing packages and standing in the post office line for long enough to get to know all other 57 people on a first name basis (it did feel that way), going to meetings for the Consolation group, prayer group, painting and now our church mission...what WAS our pastor thinking doing it THIS week with all the chaos???, a lector's meeting for a poetry recital...what WAS this leader thinking doing this during this busy time?...hmmm, maybe no one is thinking and maybe I shouldn't be thinking either!

This post was partially done many days ago, so here is an exerpt from the Internet for you which teaches us that the message we get may be WAY more powerful than the message we expect....

"Children are able to communicate a message better than any adult. The story below will touch your heart. May your Christmas have Joy, Peace and Love in big overflowing portions.

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience.

I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production.

Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in 10 minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas", I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment--songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love", I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads.

Those in the front row--center stage--held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing "C is for Christmas", a child would hold up the letter "C". Then, "H is for Happy", and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love".

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her--a small, quiet girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together.

A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood--the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: CHRIST WAS LOVE."

And, I believe AND know, He still is and always will be.

Now time for some laughs....

~Other Uses For Fruitcakes ~

Paint a few white and place them outside on the grass

So people won't park on your lawn.

Use it as building material.

(This is actually what the Ancient Egyptians used to build the Great Pyramids.)

Keep one under your pillow for home defense.

Send one to the junk mail company with a note

Asking them to take you off their list.

It's colorful, use it as a Yule Log.

Carve the Presidents' faces in it and

submit as a science or art project.

Give one to your boss and tell him it's a life preserver.

Use it as a base for flower arrangements.

Donate to the local airport for use as airliner wheel blocks.

Grind a few up and give it back to your in-laws in a bag marked "lawn fertilizer."

For a community project, sink a few in the ocean

and build an artificial reef.

Tie one to each foot when you walk through

deep snow to keep your feet dry.

Into the Church

Three buildings in town were overrun by squirrels—the town hall, the hardware store, and the church. The town hall brought in some cats. But after they tore up all the files, the mayor got rid of the predators, and soon the squirrels were back.

The hardware store humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free outside town. But three days later, the squirrels climbed back in.

Only the church came up with an effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and made them members. Now they see them only on Christmas and Easter.

~~~Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessing of being able to re-focus on the important things like reaching out to others and taking time for thankful prayers.

The Beginning

2009-12-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

While alot has been accomplished since these pictures (further down) were taken, there are still some challenges ahead, but we're now past "The Beginning"!! This post was put together a few days ago and I was supposed to finish it and post it yesterday, but sigh, what can I say???

Since you haven't seen any vacation pictures, here are two from Phoenix, AZ. This first one is of my loving son Mario with his precious son Corbyn and their newest addition, Molly (or as I like to refer to their little fun Welsh Corgi, Molly Wolly Polly Frog).....

A vision of loveliness awaits anyone looking on this little princess who dressed up for me to take a picture, my huggable and gorgeous Myla...just wish I would have captured her pretty mama in this picture as well...

Now for the scary pictures as I let you see a little of the chaos of starting to put the nativities out...here's a view coming down the stairs with only a few of the boxes from the garage and none of the big crates yet....

To the right the red tablecloth is on the large plywood sheet that is on top of the pulled out futon. Sadie Mae decided she wanted to say Happy Advent to everyone too. You will also note our door leaning against the wall...this is the door to the little storage area that flooded and now it needs to be put back on....

One last vision of chaos is here where you see the fold out table with no tablecloth yet. The curio here (between the windows) was upstairs and held Michael's car collection but he generously donated it for the nativities, so I will have two permanent nativity displays (there is another curio to the left that is not pictured)as well as the little set of shelves in the corner that we bought from Bombay Company when they were going out of business and selling their fixtures. Since I am so late posting this, much progress has been made and I will be taking many more pictures to share....

And from the Internet, I found these sweet thoughts and gift card add on ideas....

"~ Attach These Sayings and Quotations To Your Homemade Gifts! ~

"There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions." - Bill McKibben

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." - Hamilton Wright Mabie

"Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles!" - Author Unknown

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air." - W. T. Ellis

"May peace be more than a season, may it be a way of life" - Author Unknown

" Every day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons." - Author Unknown

"Peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day." - Helen Steiner Rice

"Take time to make someone Smile, Your heart receives such rewards that only your heart can spend, A Valuable Treasure in Life Making One Another Smile" - Author Unknown

Any sweet treat: "Wishing you a season filled with sweetness!"

Popcorn: "We just "popped" in to wish you a Merry Christmas!"

Mug with Hot Chocolate Mix: "To our special friends so dear, a cup of cheer."

Candle: "Hope your Christmas is full of light"

Bubble Bath: "May your holidays "bubble" over with fun!"

Cookie Dough - "Here's a little extra "dough" for Christmas"

Jar of Jam: "Hoping your Christmas is "jam" packed with cheer"

"Basket of Bath Items: "When you feel like a basket case, take a break...and slow your pace"

Cake Mix: "Whip up this mix for a wonderful holiday fix!"

"Be naughty....save Santa the trip !"

"Dear Santa: I want it ALL !"

"Delivered in a "twinkle"

"Free the ELVES !"

"Santa is coming to town!"

"This house believes in Santa!"

"Will work for milk and cookies !"

"Trimming the tree with happy hearts, that's the way the holiday starts"

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!"

"If you got everything you wanted for Christmas where would you put it?"

"Merry Kissmas with lots of hugs."

"Santa Claws never forgets the cat."

"Santa Paws never forgets the dog."

"What I don't like about office Christmas parties

is looking for a job the next day."

-- Phyllis Diller "

Not only can this next list bring smiles, it could save a marriage if you post this on hubby's mirror!!....

Ten worst gifts to buy a woman

1. Never give a woman any kind of household appliance or something that is going to make "housework" easier. For instance, a blender, a toaster, a new vacuum, one of those mops they advertise on tv that does everything but suck the life out of you, anything in a informercial. One allowed choice is a new washing machine with a turbo spin cycle.

2. Any bulk cleaning supplies, "honey, I got you that large box of Tide you have been wanting." "This Windex should last you a while." "I got a good deal on the industrial strength toilet bowl cleaner." All I can say is, be prepared to run. I have faith that if you would have at least stopped and thought about what would be a much more intimate gift, you would have had the sense to spring for the $5 Chia Pet you were eyeing in Kmart.

3. Any sharp objects made by Ronco which slices or dices, or a set of ginsu knives. These may one day be used as a weapon against you when you come home after a "night out with the boys."

4. Do not buy gifts for yourself and pretend they are for her. "Honey, I'm sure you'll get a lot of use out of the new drill I bought you." By then she will have put it to good use by drilling a quarter inch hole into the side of your skull for even thinking she would accept such a lame gift. After a gift like this, you probably won't be around for NEXT Christmas.

5. Any lingerie made of flannel, such as a pair of feet pajamas with a trap door in back. A Little Mermaid or Barney cartoon character nightgown. It gives her the idea that you do not consider her the beautiful woman that she is. Take out that wallet and buy her something sexy from Victoria Secret .

6. No name perfume which costs you $1.99, such as Eau de Toilet, which actually smells like the bathroom, moldy fruit, or your dirty socks. If you are going to buy her perfume, spring for the brand names.

7. Any type of cubic zirconia jewelry you see on the Home Shopping Network. It will be quite embarrassing when she is showing off that fabulous diamond to her friends and tries to cut glass with it. (We actually test them you know.)

8. Please do not buy her clothes because you think for one minute you have good taste in woman's clothing. Well, perhaps you might if you are a transvestite, but all in all, believe me, she'll smile and say its beautiful while choking back tears and mumbling under her breath, "where the hell would I ever wear this outfit without being arrested for bad taste?" An additional hint, plaids do not go with stripes (even though you think your golfing outfit looks just fine). Its a known fact to the rest of the world that that is a taboo. In the Northeast, thats like wearing white after Labor Day.

9. Do not give her a gift certificate to Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. Most men would know better, especially the ones who have learned the correct response to "do these pants make me look fat." If you are one of the poor souls who still doesn't get it and purchased a gift like this, be prepared for the silent treatment for a month. (Although that may be something you would actually look forward to.) A better alternative would be hiring a Chippendale dancer as a personal trainer to get her motivated into getting fit.

10. Last but not least, never buy a woman anti-wrinkle cream, or a book on "How not to be Nasty Sunday through Saturday." These are not considered gifts, they are considered reasons for seriously injuring the person who bought it and just may stand up in court of law.

~~~Heavenly Father, I thank You for the blessings of turning our chaotic lives into ones of order and peace if we stay close to You.

P.S. I would like to ask for many prayers for a dear friend and fellow blogger from our Village of bloggers, Diana who found out that her beloved mother passed away last night. Please keep her whole family in prayer. Her blog site is Welcome to My World and I'm sure she would appreciate a word of comfort. Thank you.

Christmas Tips

2009-12-02T00:43:00.000-08:00

Here I am all cold and wet

Working to post and yet

There is just one little regret

For my "deadline" I have not met.

This was supposed to post much earlier

But apparently things are 'twirlier' (using poetic license here)

As boxes get unpacked

And nativties get stacked.

The advent wreath is out and unpacked, with the little prayer book in the middle....

The above photo is my first uploaded picture from my new camera but it was a challenge to find the pictures I took as they are in a completely different location from the Kodak photos. The advent wreath above is a homemade one that Mario and I put together many, many years ago when I had trouble finding one. Mario made little wire spirals within the wreath, to hold the candles but it was still difficult at times to keep the candles in place. Although the spirals are still there, I did find this candle ring that I just lay on top of the old wreath now.

This was supposed to be Tuesday Tips for Christmas but it is now a Wordful Wednesday tip post.

First tip, when decorating your tree, make sure you don't have top heavy ornaments or your tree could look like this one...

Now here are the tips I found on the Internet...

"Boss Yourself
At back-to-school night this year, my first-grade daughter’s teacher told us parents that she frequently tells a tattling child to “Boss yourself.” What this means, she explained, is that the child should make sure she is doing the right thing instead of paying so much attention to what the other children are doing. I loved this saying and have been using it at home with my children as well.

Ummm, so what does this have to do with Christmas stress? Well, the same guidelines can apply for Christmas as well. Don’t worry about what other people are getting their kids for Christmas. Don’t worry that the neighbors across the street already have their lights up and you can’t even remember where yours are. Don’t worry that the cookies you are bringing to the cookie exchange are store-bought instead of homemade. You and you family need to decide where you want to spend your time and money this holiday season and don’t worry about what anyone else is doing.

Give Yourself the Gift of Time
Christmas was not meant to be packed into a day. The “Twelve Days of Christmas” is more than just a song, after all. Christmas is a season that goes from December 24-January 6. That gives you 12 more days to get your Christmas cards sent out!

You can also give yourself the gift of time by cutting out activities no one really enjoys. Ask everyone in you family to pick on or two Christmas activities they really enjoy, and then focus on getting those activities done. Let everything else go.

Set a Budget and Stick to It
Extra expenses can certainly make you feel stressed out. Don’t judge the success of your Christmas by the number of packages under the tree. If you have a large family you buy presents for, suggest some ways to help reduce costs for everyone:
•Buy gifts just for the children
•Draw names so everyone buys a gift for only one person
•Set a limit on the cost of gifts
•Give homemade gifts
When you do go shopping for gifts, shop early in the Christmas season to avoid the last-minute crowds. Also consider shopping online. Many retailers offer free shipping during the holidays.

Cook Up Some Memories
So many memories involve food! Food plays a very important role in Christmas celebrations, from cookies to candies to Christmas dinners. If you enjoy cooking and baking, you’ll love this part of Christmas. If you don’t…remember our Christmas rule for this year: Boss yourself. Buy goodies, trade with friends, or just decide to be healthy and skip the treats altogether.

Even if you enjoy baking, it can be hard to find time to get it done at Christmas. It’s fun to set aside one day and have a marathon baking day with a friend. You enjoy special time together, and at the end of the day, you split all the goodies. Another option is to have a cookie exchange with a group of friends, where everyone brings a treat and you all share the goodies."

Here's a really cute home made item for someone with time and talent...

Some more tips on a picture...we can never have too many tips, can we??...

This is the BIGGEST tip I can give ever....remember to keep HIM in everything you do. This year I have gotten the earliest start ever on my Christams nativity preparations. I used to think it was not very christian to start too early but I have found myself more into the praying and seeing Him this year as I put the nativities out.

On Monday I had a lady come over from my consolation group at church. Sharon lost her beloved husband of 34 yrs very suddenly last January and she is now relocating to Connecticut, so she will miss my nativity and cookie party open house...to 'make up' for this, I invited her over to see what was being put out as well as the permanent displays. Sharon really blessed me with what she said as she was looking at them all...she said "I feel like I should be praying"...and I can only hope and pray that others will be affected the same way.

Since there are over three hundred natvities now, I could never do this on my own or with other's help, no...what I need to do is to do it for Him, for Jesus, then I can even do it all alone....

I am trying the newest blogger settings and there is no spell check (wah, sob, sniffle), although there are other neat features. This means that the funniest parts of my posts will probably not be in the jokes but in the wrong words or misspellings I will now have!! I plan to really check though.

Just in case I haven't tickled your funny bone enough with fast and creative spellings, here are some funnies...
~Holiday Diet Tips ~

If no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.
If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar,
They cancel each other out.

When eating with someone else, calories don't count
if you both eat the same amount.

Foods used for medicinal purposes have no calories.
This includes any chocolate used for energy, brandy,
Sara Lee Cheesecake (eaten whole), And Haagen-Daz Ice Cream.

Movie-related foods are much lower in calories simply
Because they are a part of the entertainment experience
and not part of one's personal fuel.
This includes Milk Duds, popcorn with butter, Junior Mints,
Snickers, and Gummi Bears.

Cookie pieces contain no
calories because the process of breakage causes calorie leakage.

If you eat the food off someone else's plate, it doesn't count.

If you eat standing up the calories
All go to your feet and get walked off.

Food eaten at Christmas parties has no calories

And remember STRESSED is just DESSERTS spelled backwards!

~~~For the blessings of preparing for Your birthday and not being stressed about it, I thank You Lord.

Thankful Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T04:29:00.000-08:00

May everyone be blessed with a wonderful Thanksgiving no matter where you are or when you celebrate it or even IF you celebrate it because being a giver of thanks should occur every day in every way...

Just watch out for your pumpkins even before they become pumpkin pies or they could disappear before your very eyes...

Yet another word of caution about your turkey big or small for puppy dogs love them all...

Now this is what it is all about, in fact this is what everything is all about, so give it a shout...

Our friendly Internet is always full of information...

"Funny Thanksgiving Trivia
In 2009 it is reckoned that nearly 300 million turkeys have been reared for Thanksgiving celebrations. In the UK approximately 12 million turkeys are reared for Christmas Day.
There appear to be three places in the USA named after this traditional meal: Turkey in Texas [population 491]; Turkey Creek, Louisiana [population 364]; and Turkey, North Carolina [population 267]. Three towns in Kansas also have the name Turkey. Do you know of any others?
Following this discovery we have found that there are a number of places named Cranberry - perhaps after the sauce often eaten with turkey. The biggest appears to be Cranberry in Butler County, Pennsylvania with 28,000 inhabitants.
Plymouth Rock, where the Pilgrim Father's landed, is celebrated by 28 sites in the US. Of course, England have the original Plymouth in Devon city, and this is where the the Pilgrims set sail. Minnesota and Massachusetts have the biggest conurbations of Plymouth
There is Pilgrim in Dade County, Missouri with a population of some 133 good folk.
Turkey Shoot!
Will and Guy's Top Ten Thanksgiving Trivia Additions
1. The first Thanksgiving celebration in 1621 lasted for three days, it included not only food, but also games. Furthermore, the Pilgrims gave thanks for the bountiful harvest with the Wampanoag Indians.
2. Pulling the "wishbone" is an ageless tradition at Thanksgiving (and Christmas). Two people pull the turkey's breastbone apart, only the person who has the larger piece of bone is allowed to make a wish.
3. A full-grown turkey has over 3,000 feathers. Guy's aunty once counted them!
4. Firkee is the Native American name for this tasty bird. Firkee sounds a bit like turkey.
5. When a Tom turkey [male turkey] gobbles, it can be heard from as far away as a mile. In fact, only the Tom turkeys gobble, female turkeys make a clucking or clicking sound.
6. Puritans from the Mayflower used to drink beer. This was probably weak 'boy's beer' and safer to drink than transporting water on a ship.
7. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.
8. Benjamin Franklin, proposed that the turkey should become the official bird of the United States. Turkeys now look jealously at the protected rights given to the Bald Eagle when they won the Official USA Bird status.
9. 87% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving according to the National Turkey Federation. During a year the average American eats 17 pounds of turkey, that's the weight of a decent sized bird.
10. Sorry to burst the bubble, but the Pilgrims on the first thanksgiving ate deer and not turkey."
†

From my heart to yours I would like to give a very heart felt wish for an over the top Thanksgiving with happiness and joy and good food....

Be kind to your tummy, for although the food is yummy too much can be a pain and cause you pounds to gain...

Thanksgiving Alphabet
T ... Turkeys, table-spreads, being together,
H ... Happiness and homes to protect us from all weather,
A ... Aunts and uncles, a reunion in Fall,
N ... Nieces and nephews, family members all.
K ... Kind-hearted kin coming over for dinner,
S ... Surely you'll have fun, but you won't get thinner,

G ... Gourds and pumpkins, mouths open wide,
I ... Indians and Pilgrims we remember with pride,
V ... Very special times-there could even be snow,
I ... Imagine what it was like at Plymouth long ago,
N ... Never forget how the settlers led the way,
G ... Giving thanks and blessing this special day.

The most important part of this day is the opportunity to pray as well as to remember to say, "Thank You Lord and please help me to always lead my life Your way."

Some yummy jokes for a yummy day...

Turkeys and Little Turkeys
If a big turkey is called a gobbler, what do you call a little turkey.
A goblet.
************
Hanging the Turkey
Young Simon was sitting in his grandmother's kitchen, watching her prepare the Thanksgiving meal.

'What are you doing?' Simon enquired.

'Oh, I'm just stuffing the turkey,' his grandmother replied.

'Wow, that's cool.' Simon remarked. 'Are you going to hang it next to the deer?'
***************
The Secret of Stuffing a Turkey
How many cooks does it take to stuff a turkey? Only one, but you REALLY have to squeeze to get him in.
*****************
Grave Humor
What did the hen tell the naughty chicks? If you your father could see you now he would turn in his gravy.
***************

Indians and the Pilgrims
Nathan, a young boy, after hearing the story of Thanksgiving and how the Indians and the Pilgrims sat down together, climbed up into his father's lap and said, 'Daddy, did you know that if we were Indians, you would be a brave and Mom would be a squawk?'

'That is the best description of your mother I have ever heard, Nathan', replied his daddy as he ducked.
*******************
The man who forgot to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving
It's the day before Thanksgiving, and the butcher is just locking up when a man begins pounding on the front door.

'Please let me in, 'says the man desperately. 'I forgot to buy a turkey, and my wife will kill me if I don't come home with one.'

'Okay, 'says the butcher.' Let me see what I have left.' He goes into the freezer and discovers that there's one last scrawny turkey left. He brings it out to show the man.

'That's one is too skinny. What else you got?' says the man.

The butcher takes the bird back into the freezer and waits a few minutes and brings the same turkey back out to the man.

'Oh, no, 'says the man, 'That one doesn't look any better. You better give me both of them!'

~~~For the incredible blessings of loving and wonderful friends and family in blogland and even next door to us, I most sincerely thank You dear Lord.

Septic Tank...the final frontier...er, episode

2009-11-24T04:44:00.000-08:00

Lots of busy days, lots of mass chaos, but here comes the final story of the sad septic tank. How were we to know he was so upset? While I am pleased that all that came out of the downstairs toilet twice was laundry and dishwasher water mixed with a few noxious fumes, it was still not something that warmed my heart.

When calling the gentleman who pumps out septic tanks (thank You Lord for these people and their lack of smelling ability) we were unaware of the surprises that lay ahead.

Michael had been told that our septic tank was waaaayy out in the back yard...wrong...so wrong and in so many ways. Two or three years ago we had our patio size enlarged and a little sidewalk put in and guess what? It was poured right over a huge part of the septic tank, making it inaccessible for the pumping.!!

This left us two options...tear up the concrete and leave it messed up that way or wait until Monday when the driller guy could just barely drill a hole near enough to the part of the tank that needed pumping, so we opted for waiting.

Need I describe what a delight that week-end was? Have you ever had to run to two different grocery stores to go potty or to work for a shower??? Michael tried to avoid having anyone see him as he slipped into work to shower in the little used small gym in the basement...it was a nervous shower as he still worried that the big female security guard on duty might decide to check out why someone was using the almost never used shower.

When everyone showed up on Monday morning I was one happy camper, although I did learn how to wash dishes and clean floors without letting any water go down the drain. The drill guy drilled, the pump guy pumped, but these people have burned off any sense of smell they may have had and they failed to warn me to close the door!!

The picture below would have been me, but not knocked over from sweet flowers for sure...

There weren't any smells like this coming up...

I love the smell of carnations but they wouldn't have stood a chance against the evil powers of the smell...

The cap they put on top looks a little bit like one of these...

The truck looked like this except not but it did have some words on the side and they should have been...KEEP FAR FAR FAR AWAY (go the the next State at least)FROM HERE FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR NOSE AND YOUR NEIGHBORS' AND YOUR PETS' ETC. ETC.

Isn't it time for some funny snickers now and a stop to this potty talk (and to think I did a post on potty mouth and now I'M talking potty!!!)....

1. Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The
ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

2. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve
you, but don't start anything."

3. Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.

4. A dyslexic man walked into a bra.

5. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm, and
says: "A beer please, and one for the road."

6. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this
taste funny to you?"

7. "Doc, I can't stop singing The Green, Green Grass of Home."
"That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome."
"Is it common?"
"Well, It's Not Unusual."

8. Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to
Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning."
"I don't believe you," says Dolly.
"It's true; no bull!" exclaims Daisy.

9. An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing
to look at either.

10. Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

11. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day, but I
couldn't find any.

12. A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted,
"Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!"

The doctor replied, "I know, I amputated your arms!"

13. I went to a seafood disco last week... and pulled a mussel.

14. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

15. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and
says, "Dam!"

16. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in
the craft. Not surprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't
have your kayak and heat it too.

17. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel, and were
standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories.
After about an hour, the manager came out of the office, and asked them
to disperse.
"But why," they asked, as they moved off.
"Because," he said. "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open
foyer."

18. A woman has twins, and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes
to a family in Egypt , and is named 'Ahmal.' The other goes to a family
in Spain ; they name him 'Juan.' Years later, Juan sends a picture of
himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her
husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband
responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

19. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time,
which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate
very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he
suffered from
bad breath. This made him (oh, man, this is so bad, it's
good) ... a super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

20. A dwarf, who was a mystic, escaped from jail. The call went out
that there was a small medium at large.

21. And finally, there was the person who sent twenty different puns to
his friends, with the hope that at least ten of the puns would make
them laugh. No pun in ten did.

~~~Thank You Lord for the blessings of the many happy endings in our lives that we take for granted and even overlook, we really DO mean to be grateful.

2009-11-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-11T05:52:00.001-08:00

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***

2009-11-06T04:46:00.000-08:00

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 ???

2009-11-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

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.

Blessings Each Day...Bendiciones cada dia

Yikes

Stepping into the water a little

No, I did not "re-disappear"

Whoooo is this???

Puff puff...here I come to hurry up and say Hip hip hooray for Bernie!

IT'S GREEN TIME...How Green Are You????

Happy Birthday to You Terri!!!

Here's to the BIRTHDAY GIRL...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DI!!

Morning has broken...HE IS RISEN!!!!

LOVE is The Good in Good Friday

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WANDA!

Another TRY to fix the problem

Testing ....1,2,3

Lent...A Time To Repent

What's Been Happening and Where is Marcy???

Want to know 4 Secrets?

I know I can do this!

Stop, Look, Listen and PRAY

WE DID, WE DID....Well HE DID!

It's started but no time to finish right now...

The Monday post that had to wait until Wednesday

Keeping our "Heads Up"

Guess Who's Having A Birthday and who LOVES pink??

Cleaning up the leftovers

May God Bless our New Year With Love

In The "Heart" of Christmas

A Blessed Christmas Eve to All

Christmas cookies and some nativities

Something Christmas Poppin In

The Beginning

Christmas Tips

Thankful Thanksgiving

Septic Tank...the final frontier...er, episode

Art Class Progress

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

Is It My Imagination ???

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