If You've Had an Annoying Day

I have a headache and had an annoying day at work.....very annoying....

Someone just sent me this....sort of made my headache go away a little bit..........

Or maybe just a little bit of this would suffice....LOL

 

                               

The J-Land Experience

I have to say that even though I happened across trick or trick thru J-Land very late into it, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  There are so many journals I found and visited that I would have never found on my own.

I didn't get to visit as many as I wanted and hope I responded to all that visited me.  I definitely plan to follow through on visiting the many jounals again.

So....all  have left is one little piece of candy corn   so don't ya'll fight over it coz my dog is throwing his bowl around in the kitchen and he may just beat you to it.  Oops, must have missed the last few in the bag....LOL

 

         

Anyway, this Halloween has been a real blast and now I'm a total puter addict...as if I wasn't before........

Hope everyone enjoyed themselves and all those with little ones had a safe time out there.

Now the witches are flying off until next year as we prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

                                          

                                         

 

Maybe we'll all get invited to knock on the door for some turkey and stuffing...ya know...and all the fixins...............

 

 

Halloween Trivia Questions

Pimped from Shelly's journal XX Roxy Mama XX with her permission......(sheesh, Hope I got the name right...sorry if I didn't)

My Halloween Trivia Questions:

1)  What are your three favorite scary movies or Halloween movies?  Psycho, Bride of Chucky, The Birds 

2)  What is the scariest monster to you?  Vampires (most def)

3)  What is your favorite Halloween candy?  Snickers

4)  Have you ever seen a ghost? Nope..don't want to either

5)  Do you own any glow-in-the dark clothing?  oh yeah...my kids bought me a T-Shirt that said HOT MAMA on it but you couldn't see it unless you were under lights...wore it out to a bar one nite...they were cracking up when I left....joke was on me....LOL

6)  Would you spend the night in a haunted house?  NEVER

7)  Have you ever bobbed for apples?  yep....gross

8)  What is your favorite Halloween memory?  taking my kids trick or treating...the Halloween displays people had were totally awesome

9)  What is the scariest nightmare you have had?  my teeth fell out...seriously...it flipped me out because I didn't realize it was a dream at first

10)  Are there any famous haunts in your town?  Yeah...an old building that used to be a funeral home....would I go in...NO...I would be afraid of bringing a "friend" home with me

 

FYI - Azz Backwards Again...LOL

Starting Friday night through Monday night visit as many J-land journals as you can, and leave a comment and a link to your journal as a treat. The more "houses" you visit the more trick or treaters you'll get.

Please call your entry "TRICK OR TREAT THU J-LAND".  If you come to a journal that does not have this entry title, consider it a door you knocked on and no one answered! Decorate your journal for Halloween, perhaps a picture of your front door or whatever grabs your holiday spirit. Leave links to your journals where ever you can. Stop at the same journal only once!

Start 7pm Friday and end 9pm Monday

This was started by a journaler, Theresa, and is spreading thru J-Land....Happy Journaling.......

Trick or Treat Thru J-Land

Ok...so I lied...LOL...no more Halloween stuff but far be it for me not to decorate my "AOL" house for Halloween....never know who might come knockin at this door.

                             

That's to you AOL because you are not making my day on this computer very easy....and just when I'm finally starting to get my act together with the graphics...so boo hoo to you......

 

 

Anyhoo...last night was my official spooky nite out...I was one of the official judges at the costume party at our local Comfort Inn...LOL..this is the only bar/lounge in this rural area that isn't a cowboy bar.  It's also the official convention center/wedding reception place if ya don't want a fire hall/motel/hotel in the county.....so, my BF and I are "regulars" and probably far too frequently because I hate staying home.

So....last night Miller was sponsoring this little costume thing so all Miller stuff was a buck a beer and my BF, being the frugal thing he is (did I say cheap?) insisted that I drink MGD until midnight.  YUCK!  One of the perks of being selected as a judge was that I got all the free flaming shots I wanted...I think the manager has a crush on me...LOL

But...since I can't sit still, I was on the dance floor kicking it up with a skeleton or something and almost blew my job for the evening.  Return the shots, you say, LOL...give me a couple more and I'll return them on the dance floor.  The maintenance guy was already mopping up a mess any way.  But, my BF managed to drag me back to my bar stool (official judges have to sit at the bar) and I was a good little judge....and now I have this God awful splitting headache and little recall of what happened after the judging.  I trust that my BF made sure that I behaved myself........

Yeah....I used this one already but I just love this guy.........

                              

           

                 HAPPY HALLOWEEN J-LAND

 

Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat........

When I'm done, wipe my bum, with a stick of bubblegum...............

The Green Dog?

 You have been Tagged by the Green Dog!  (hunh?) 
,-._,-.  
\/)"(\/  
(_o_)    ruff!!!!!!  

Read Each One Carefully and Think About It a Second or Two   

1. I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you..   
  
2. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won't make you cry.   

3. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you

want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.   

4. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.    

5. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.   

 
6. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.   

7. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.   

8. Don't waste your time on a man/woman, who isn't willing to waste their time on you.   

9. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.   

10. Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened.   
 
11. There's always going to be people that hurt you

so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.   

12. Make yourself a better person and know who you are

before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.   

13. Don't try so hard, the best things come when you least expect them to.    

REMEMBER: WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS FOR A REASON.  

 

I just got this e-mail from a friend of mine...I think there are some good thoughts to ponder on.....don't ask me what the green dog means but I'm glad he tagged me......pretty smart dog.........
 
  

If Ya Hear a Piercing Scream

That would be me....no more avoidance...I have my work gloves (so I don't actually touch anything), a beacon of a flashlight, my shovel and broom; lysol disinfectant.  No more avoidance..LOL

Off I go to the basement from hell....why does my cat have a smirk on her face all the time now?

My boyfriend is coming over tomorrow to help but I have to start before he gets here...don't want him to have a stroke or hissy fit......

It'll make a better person out of me....yeah, believe that one?

Reflections

I want to thank you all for your wonderful comments.  It wasn't so much that I was worried or that I didn't expect this time to  come.  Well, I am a bit worried because she has celiac disease (can't eat any wheat or grain because it attacks and destroys the small bowel, which in turn, causes no vitamins to be absorbed).  She has Hashimoto's disease (love that name) which is an underactive thyroid because of the celiac and the beginning of osteoporosis because of the lack of calcium absorption.  She is constantly getting blood work and testing.  My worry is that I don't think they want her on birth control right now until she gets her health problems under control.  If she does not consume anything with wheat, barley, rye, oats, the bowel will heal itself and things will get back to normal; except the thyroid which was destroyed.  I'm taking her to the gyne next week but first I am waiting for a call from the endocrinologist (the thyroid specialist) to see if she should be on the pill.

My youngest daughter has my personality.  My 24 year old....nada.  She was always closed and guarded and could lie like a rug with a straight face.  It worried me.  She majored in biology/pre med, super brain, graduated magna cum laude and is working at Pitt and pursuing her Ph.d in infectious disease.  She came to me at the beginning of her sophomore year of college and asked me what it meant if she had just spotted for two periods.  Sheesh....what was her major again?  I bought a pregnancy test; luckily, she wasn't pregnant but I told her she best get her butt on the pill.  She didn't and it happened again.  Unbelievable!  So, I dragged her butt to the clinic at her college and made sure she got on the pill.

From the time my kids were babies, we had an open door communication.  No judgments....just tell me first before I hear it from somewhere else.  No screaming; no punishments if they came to me.  I always told them they could say whatever they wanted no matter how angry they were at me...just say it respectfully.  I never cut them off....let them vent...but sent them away for a while to calm down before we would discuss it.  LOL..I didn't come by this on my own.  I worked with an "older" momma of five at the time who gave me this wise advice.  Now, I'm the "older" momma.  It works to a certain extent.  My oldest was definitely the most challenging.  LOL...she didn't start to "love" me until she was around 20.

Now, the funny thing is, Megan, my youngest, tells Becky, my oldest everything.  Becky flips out.  She's taking on a motherly role.  She will call me and tell me I need to do something about "my daughter."

And, I do pry....all Momma's pry.  That just our nature.  In fact, you almost have to crawl into those brains of theirs to figure out the next move.

My best advice to Momma's and Papa's of those "deadly" teenaged girls is let them vent....just set the guidelines for venting.  Don't get into an argument in the heat of the moment.  Let them bang that bedroom door for the millionth time.  Once they've calmed down, let them tell you what's bothering them.  If they start the dissing...cut it off until they can speak appropriately. (This also applies to us....no nasty, ugly comments. Teens deserve respect also.)  And let them finish without interrupting. They really do want to tell you but emotions get in the way and our interruptions in their venting frustrate them.  So, open that door to venting respectfully.  You'll be surprised at how well this works and how much change can take place in communication.  And how fast they will let you know what the problem is if they feel they can tell you without us flipping out.

It works but it takes the patience of a saint. 

Baby is Growing Up

This shouldn't surprise me a bit.  She is 19 and beautiful.  She called me at work today and said she shouldn't be calling me at work and telling me this....ok...please don't.

My Megan has always been very particular; lots of boys as friends but not a special one.  Lord, I think she was probably the only virgin in her high school.  She didn't care that her friends all kept pressuring her to do it.  She wasn't ready....well....until now.

She met a special one when college started in August.  She just called the other day and said it was official that they were an item...not her words....she said a slang for official.

I mentioned sex.  She said no way; she wasn't ready.  I don't want any grandchildren jut yet; at least not from my baby.

I guess the big thing happened last night.  Of course, I had to ask about protection and there was.  It's funny but this is the child of mine who tells me everything, even things I would rather not hear.  She's always been that way which is a good thing.  She feels she can tell me everything and does.

I'm thankful she made it to 19..............

Trick or Treat?

I guess I have to go with one more halloween pic today...For some reason, our trick or treat was tonite from 6-7.  I didn't find out until someone at work told me.  The newspaper was wrong.  Can't understand all these different days for trick or treating since Halloween is on Monday.  I had to come home early coz I hadn't even bought my candy yet.  It has been an odd day anyway.  I'll get into that later........

 

Change of Pace

I have to agree with Missy that I'm getting awfully sick of Halloween stuff.  I'm addicted to surfing the web for clip art.  Love the animated stuff.  I just found this one tonight and thought it was cute. 

OCD'ing Still

Ok...so I'm a dork and still suffering from OCD...but I'm acting like some crazy person when I have to go to the basement.  There are so many people with so many problems, and I fuss over this....

I've always hated going to my basement anyway.  The house is 90 some years old and we have always referred to the basement as the dungeon or the basement from hell.  I have to run a dehumidifier to keep the mildew away.  It's just gross and dark in a lot of spots.  I have far too much junk in it because I moved a lot of things from my attic when it had critters to the basement.  Now, I really want to avoid the basement.  I feel so stupid and silly.  I had to do laundry tonite and armed myself with a flashlight.  God forbid I step on a dead critter.  And where is my cat? Not in the basement tonight. Get down there, Mocha, and do your job...just don't be hiding them anywhere or bringing them upstairs.

I have a decorative pond in my front yard.  The moles were committing suicide in it all summer.  I finally got used to fishing them out with my pool skimmer but they weren't in my house, and there was no element of surprise.

I always complained about the stray cats around our house and we've always had a neighbor that lets their cat out all the time.  They were always congregating around my house.  The last one disappeared in the spring.  And that's when my critter problems began.  LOL...watch what you wish for.....

I swear, I promise I will stop and move on to something else...just put up with me for a day or two.  Now, this is one time I wish I had a man around the house

I have to totally pull myself together and clean out that basement Saturday.  Actually makes me sick to my stomach to think of it.  Lord, if I go to open a box or grab something and touch a dead mouse, I'll flip.  Maybe I need hypnosis.

Jeff's Post

I'd just like to add to Jeff's post 2000.  I'm proud of our troops and all veterans who have served this great country.  I'm proud to call myself an American.  I continue to pray for our troops...God Bless America!!

Cat and Mouse Games

Ok..so I have a phobia...critters...I can't stand little critters. They freak me out.

I get up at 4:30 or 5:00 each morning, make a pot of coffee and go on the computer for a while.  This morning our cat was in the basement.  Nothing new.  She hides there all the time.  She is a "fraidy" cat...scared of her own shadow.  I was sitting here drinking my coffee and heard this loud squeak in the basement.  I'm thinking..Dear God, please let there be a squeaky toy down there. I got up and looked down the steps.  The cat was just sitting there...ok..I know I heard it.  I'm not nuts...LOL  Then there was a louder squeak.  Uh oh...I knew we don't have squeaky toys.  The dog is afraid of them.  I looked again.  The cat was just sitting there. Finally, there came a blood curdling squeak and I flipped.  I peeped again and there sat my cat in the basement with a small gray fur ball by her paws.  <<GAG>>

I had to get dressed. I figured I would get dressed and get out my little shovel and get rid of the mouse.  It only took five minutes.  When I went back down to the basement, there sat the cat but no mouse.  I had to leave for work.  I was OCD'ing all day to anyone who would listen.  I never realized a mouse being mutilated made any noise at all let alone the awful screeching this one did. Then what the heck did the cat do with it?  Where would I find it and in what state (body part wise)?  I can't deal with critters in my house. Something was in my attic this spring. Never did trap anything.  I don't even want to go near the attic now.

Now, the basement...six years I've been here critter-free...

I made my son go down while I was at work.  He didn't see anything.  I thought, good Lord, the cat ate the mouse.  He just went down to take a shower and there was the dead mouse by the washing machine with the cat guarding it.  At least she left it down there and didn't bring it upstairs to me as a present.

So, do I get those sticky things and put them down there or just let Mocha, the mouse catcher, do it?  I'm really not into finding dead mice all over my basement.  BTW:  I found out my son is a bigger wuss than me.  I'm shocked...LOL...

GRRRRRR

AOL is totally frustrating the living hell out of me tonite....my picture in my last post disappeared and it won't let me in to edit it....sheesh....I might as well give up on this stuff...

Hope ya'll are having better luck with this than I am........

2 of 3

I sure hope my kids don't get into his journal.  They will kill me.  This is my son and my youngest daughter, lovingly called the "brat"....given name Megan. 

For some reason...AOHELL is acting up tonite.  I couldn't get this to upload in my file manager....heck....half the time I could even open my file manager or any other website.   LOL...I'll have to edit this one.......

 

"Relatively" Speaking

So what is it that they say, we can pick our friends but not our relative…yuck yuck….how true.

Siblings?  I have one older brother…6 years older…who I think is probably nuts or just a nitwit or a little of both.  His wife is a biotch…totally.  They deserve each other.  My Thanksgiving dilemma will have to be discussed at a later time.  I need to set the backdrop of my brother. 

The last time I spoke with my brother was on the cell phone mid way through Georgia on my way to Fla. with my son in August.  Not that I wanted to talk to him.  I called my mother to let her know we were on the second leg of our trip.  It was Sunday morning.  My brother is there every Sunday afternoon.  I figured he wouldn’t be there yet….yeah right… a little pleasant conversation with my mother and the question…" Would you like to talk to Uncle G?”  Uh, no, not ever…and there he was…no hello, how’s your trip… As we look back, my son and I roll on the floor laughing at what happened next…bizarre. 

My son cuts my mother’s grass.  He loves his Grandma.  She gives him her Sunoco credit card to fill his car up with gas when he's done.  My mother is not wealthy but comfortable.  Sooo…my brother’s first comment was “I was looking through Mom’s Sunoco statements (why is this any of your business brother dear) and noticed Joey is using 89 octane gas.”  (Yeah, so what?)  "He is wasting Mom’s money. He only needs to use 87 octane."  (He drives a 5 liter, 8 cylinder Mustang, for God’s sake)  I’m like what’s the difference….his car pings on 87.  Didn’t I know pinging will NOT hurt a car?  No, I didn’t.  I thought the opposite.  Mr. Goodwrench has a company car and gets free repairs, like he gives a crap if he even gets the oil changed.  Then the obvious dawned on me….the car has a 15 gallon gas tank…usually Joey only gets about 12 gallons….we are talking about $1.20 a week more for gas.  I told him Joey would continue to use 89 octane and reimburse Grandma the extra dollar or so that he wasted of her money and said see ya (really wouldn’t want to be ya).  He said do whatever you want…like I haven’t always done that anyway…which really for some reason pisses him completely off.  Then he had to get the last word in, always does....he said he hoped that I wasn't using 89 octane in my car because I don't have the money to waste.....whoa, hold on a minute....that really pisses me off....like that extra dollar will make or break me.  He couldn't stand my ex and constantly said I should leave.  I did...now he acts like he needs to be my financial advisor....only his "advice" is just plain idiotic........pass my a couple of bucks Uncle G or zip it..........really, sitting in a car on a 22 hr trip and this was all he had to talk about...LOL

And that is just one installment of brother G…..the Lumina story he “bought” me will follow which is a total classic…..

Showing Off

LOL....I've been surfing the web today...as you can see...playing with my new toy....

OK

Ok....so today was a moody, meltdown day....hey, sorry, Jeff...LOL..if we all have or had husbands or men in our lives like you, life would be so grand...seriously.....

Actually, my boyfriend is great...only one problem in years and it was a stupid one that was worked out quickly.  It took a long time for me to learn not to compromise on the way others treated me.  I would say my freedom came the day my ex was gone and out of my life.  Slowly I grew from the verbally battered person I was into mostly happy "crazy" lady.

My two oldest kids were another story.  I didn't realize how badly they were affected until after the fact.  That I will regret forever.  They are well on their way to leading happy, productive lives...but their memories also have to be just beneath the surface.  Their father still continues to disappoint them continuously to this day.

People ask me if I had to do it all over again and marry him, would I?  In a heartbeat.....I wouldn't have the exact children I have now if I didn't.  That, I will never regret.  My only regret is that I didn't have the strength or the courage to end the madness sooner....but, on the other hand, I did....I could still be living in that hell.......

I'm thinking that I'm getting so dang old that I've lived and experienced so many things that it would be odd not to find a journal that didn't bring back memories....good and bad.....

Tears

Today has been a totally different day from what I had planned.  Of course, I'm celebrating my new found talent but as I read journals, I find that some just are far too powerful to absorb.

I can feel other's pain.  I want to help because I know that pain far too well.  I've lived it, experienced it and didn't know what the hell to do about it.  I never realized how close the pain is to the surface of my brain until I live it through someone else's words.  Then it all comes back......my ugly life from long ago.  I've come so far but yet I never realized how memories can flood right back in.  Those memories of me feeling worthless and useless because that's what I was being told day after day after day.  The problem is I want to help and can't.  I want to reach out and give a hug but can't.

Everything comes in its own time.  Sometimes the noose around the neck almost has to strangle before the rope gets cut.  But it does get cut and then there is freedom and peace and quiet and a whole bunch of different struggles but that I can live with....the ugliness I couldn't and didn't realize it until it was over................

Good News/Bad News

Bad news first...well, not awful:  This was me this morning.  I slept in and missed both of my busses for work. When I do this, it's a day off because I have a 50 mile commute and refuse to drive.  I work 4 10 hr days each week and usually take Wed. off so I'll just switch my day this week.

GOOD NEWS:  As you all can see, I've managed to figure out file managing..LOL...it took me long enough but I was determined.  So, guess what I'm doing today...yep...uploading everything I can grab.....

I'm still shooting blanks when I try to use my little camera to add pictures in the journal.  I know you have to remove the http thingy but that's ganna have to wait..

Now, I just have to download some clip art and off I go....LOL...I think today is going to be a "big" entry day for me...I'm like a kid with a new toy....

Thank you again, Missy....without your link, I would still be lost and confused...and thanks for your greeting...made my day.......

 

..New Beginning....LOL

Whooeee!!!!!!!  By cracky, I think I've got it....finally..

My first attempt at using the AOL file manager with instructions for the total computer "dummy" and it actually is working...animated even.

Senior Moments

Actually, I am not tecnically a senior citizen yet.....I will be 52 in November but my "friends" keep sending me these darned e-mails pertaining to seniors.  I thought it was sort of cute but don't necessarily agree with all of it, especially the first part which seems sort of hostile.  I give far more credit to the younger generation...must have been a cranky senior who wrote that....the second part in black....oh well...I am getting far closer to senior moments......

 

Senior citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not blame others.

HOWEVER, upon reflection, we would like to point out that it was not the senior citizens who took:

The melody out of music,
The pride out of appearance,
The courtesy out of driving,
The romance out of love,
The commitment out of marriage,
The responsibility out of parenthood,
The togetherness out of the family,
The learning out of education,
The service out of patriotism,
The Golden Rule from rulers,
The nativity scene out of cities,
The civility out of behavior,
The refinement out of language,
The dedication out of employment,
The prudence out of spending,
The ambition out of achievement, or ,
God out of government and school.


YES, I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN!  (almost)

I'm the life of the party...... even if it lasts until 8 p.m.
I'm very good at opening childproof caps.... with a hammer.
I'm usually interested in going home before I get to where I am going.
I'm awake many hours before my body allows me to get up.
I'm smiling all the time because I can't hear a thing you're saying.
I'm very good at telling stories; over and over and over and over...
I'm aware that other people's grandchildren are not nearly as cute as mine.
I'm so cared for -- long term care, eye care, private care, dental care.
I'm not really grouchy,
I just don't like traffic, waiting, crowds, lawyers, loud music, unruly kids, Toyota commercials, Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, barking dogs, politicians and a few other things I can't seem to remember right now.
I'm sure everything I can't find is in a safe secure place, somewhere.
I'm wrinkled, saggy, lumpy, and that's just my left leg.
I'm having trouble remembering simple words like.......
I'm beginning to realizing that aging is not for wimps.
I'm sure they are making adults much younger these days, and when did they let kids become policemen?
I'm wondering, if you're only as old as you feel, how could I be alive at 150?
And, how can my kids be older than I feel sometimes?
I'm a walking storeroom of facts..... I've just lost the key to the storeroom door.

Yes, I'm (almost) a SENIOR CITIZEN and I think I am having the time of my life!

Journals, etc.

I wouldn't say I'm enormously frustrated....just mildly.  I've been journal hopping again.  My problem is I'm reading so many journals and not remembering where they are or where I found them from and some I would like to get back to and haven't been able to.

I read Sherilyn's entry the other day about journals and have wondered if there is a journal etiquette.   I'm not sure.  I usually look at the journals that others have listed.  Do you have to ask someone if you can add their journal to your favorites?

There are many that I read but hesitate to make any comments...don't know why...I just don't.  They are public but some I sense seem almost private.  I almost feel like an intruder.

I'm thanking Missy for the link to file managing.  Now maybe I'll be able to make my journal pretty and add pictures that fit and put them throughout my journal.  This is definitely something I want to do for my own personal satisfaction.  Lord, please don't get me started on scrapbooking just yet....LOL..I have all I can handle now.  Missy...you're pictures and animations are awesome..and your girls are the next generation of America's Top Models........

I'm still wondering how I got into this but am so glad I did.  I'm not even sure what I was expecting.  I certainly never thought my journal would be read...I wasn't too worried about that part of it.  It just seemed like a good way to unwind and express my feelings on any given day...plus the fact that I talk to myself anyway so why not do it in a more constructive way.  Speaking of constructive....I have some cleaning to do and I'm finding that this journaling is pretty much an avoidance tactic on my part. 

Of course, my son will be home soon and then there will be the struggle over computer time so that will solve my avoidance problem....

A.S.A.P.

Ever wonder about the abbreviation A.S.A.P.? Generally we think of it in terms of even more hurry and stress in our lives. Maybe if we think of this abbreviation in a different manner, we will begin to find a new way to deal with those rough days along the way.

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

There's work to do, deadlines to meet;
You've got no time to spare,
But as you hurry and scurry-
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

In the midst of family chaos,
"Quality time" is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest-
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

It may seem like your worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather-
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

God knows how stressful life is;
He wants to ease our cares,
And He'll respond to all your needs
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

********

God bless and have a nice day!


In the tiny petal of a tiny flower
that grew from a tiny pod,
Is the miracle and the mystery
Of all creation and God!

People remember you not for what you said or for what you did,
but how you made them feel.

Showing My Age

 I am sharing this with you today because it ended with a "double
 dog dare" to pass it on. If you remember what that means, you understand.   (Aw....the good old days...)
 
If you don't know what that means read on and see what you missed. And remember that the perfect age is somewhere between old enough to know better and young enough not to care. How many do you remember?

1. Candy cigarettes

2. Wax coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside.  Both 1. and 2. bought at the corner store for a penny a piece....put in those little brown paper bags.  A quarter would last a week.
 
3. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles. We would collect those bottles and return them for the deposit to buy even more penny candy.

4. Coffee shops with table side juke boxes
 
5. Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum ( I miss Teaberry gum!!)

6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles, with cardboard stoppers. *and in the winter the milk froze, popped the cap, and made a "tower'.

7. Party lines.
 
8. Newsreels before the movie and cartoons.

9. P. F. Flyers
 
10. Butch wax (this I have no clue of...LOL...before my time, maybe)

11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix ...(our was BR-4)  Before, that we actually had an operator that connected us....yeah, I'm really showing my age.
 
12. Pea shooters.
 
13. Howdy Doody, Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy in black and white.

14. 45 RPM Records
 
15. Green Stamps
 
16. Hi-fi's
 
17. Metal ice cube trays-with levers
 
18. Mimeograph paper

19. Blue Flash Bulbs
 
20. Beanie and Cecil
 
21. Roller skate keys
 
22. Cork pop guns
 
23. Drive ins
 
24. Studebakers
 
25. Wash tub wringers
 
26. The Fuller Brush man
 
27. Reel-to-reel tape recorders
 
28. Tinker toys
 
29. The Erector Set
 
30. The Fort Apache Play set
 
31. Lincoln Logs

32. 15 cent MacDonald hamburgers
 
33. 5 cent packs of baseball cards...with that awful pink slabof bubble gum

34. Penny candy

35. 25 cent-a-gallon gasoline

 A TIME WHEN ...
 
* Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo."
 
* Mistakes were corrected! by simply exclaiming "do over!"

* "Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.

* Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening.
 
* It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
 
* The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was 
"cooties".

* Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot.

* A foot of snow was a dream come true.
 
* Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute ads for action
 figures.

 * "Oly-oly-oxen-free" made perfect sense.

* Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for
giggles.

* The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
 
* War was a card game.
 
* Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.
 
* Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a
 motorcycle.
 
* Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin.
 
* If you can remember most or all of these, then you have
 lived!!!!
 
My comments......I have lived through the good and the bad and treasure every moment....it's made me who I am today.......I used to fear aging but now that I'm mid-life, I'm finally getting a clue.  Aging brings a certain amount of freedom and definitely a huge amount of wisdom.  I'm starting to realize just how smart my mother always has been...LOL  Thank the good Lord for hair color and Loreal wrinkle reducing make-up....it helps a lot to age gracefully.......

To my young friends in J-Land....I love you all....and hope my journal lifts you up and inspires you to keep truding along as my motto still continues to be..

Whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger....spoken by me...a survivor of many, many kicks in thebutt........and....love yourself; if you don't love yourself, no one else will...........God doesn't make mistakes; only humans do....

chris

Tidbits

Some more mail box cleaning.....I worked again today and can't quite come up with anything original......  

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced
enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
(Hardly seems worth it.)

If you passed gas consistently for 6 years and 9 months,
enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.
(Now that's more like it!)
 

The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to
the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
 (Must be the reason why I have high blood pressure?)

 A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes.
(In my next life, I want to be a pig.)

A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it
starves to death. (Creepy.)
(I'm still not over the pig.)

Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories a hour
(Don't try this at home,maybe at work; watch out Jenny Craig.)

The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is
attached to its body The female initiates sex by ripping the
male's head off.
("Honey, I'm home. What the....?!")

The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human
 jumping the length of a football field.
 (30 minutes..lucky pig! Can you imagine?)

The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.
(What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?)

Some lions mate over 50 times a day.
(I still want to be a pig in my next life...quality over quantity)

Butterflies taste with their feet.
(Something I always wanted to know.)

The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
(Hmmmmmm......)


Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer
than left-handed people.
(If you're ambidextrous, do you split the difference?)

Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump.
(okay, so that would be a good thing)

A cat's urine glows under a black light.
(I wonder who was paid to figure that out?)

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
(I know some people like that.)

Starfish have no brains
(I know some people like that too.)

Polar bears are left-handed.
(If they switch, they'll live a lot longer)

Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for
pleasure.
(What about that pig??)

.

"Cherish the good,forgive the bad,and if at all possible,move on".

SMILE

I am super tired tonite so I'm just adding something that I found when I was cleaning out my mail box....food for thought.......

 

The most destructive habit...................................Worry
The greatest Joy.................................................Giving
The greatest loss.............................Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work...........................Helping others
The ugliest personality trait............................Selfishness
The most endangered species..............Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resource.........................Our youth
The greatest "shot in the arm".................Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome..........................Fear

The most effective sleeping pill..................Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease......................Excuses
The most powerful force in life.................................Love

The most dangerous pariah............................A gossiper
The world's most incredible computer................The brain
The worst thing to be without......................  Hope

The deadliest weapon...................................The tongue
The two most power-filled words..........................."I Can"
The greatest asset..............................................Faith

The most worthless emotion.............................Self-pity
The most beautiful attire....................................SMILE!
The most prized possession............................. Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication.......Prayer
The most contagious spirit.........................Enthusiasm

Just Some Fun/Googlism

I've been travelling through J-Land and notice a lot of things taken from googlism for web logs.  I think I'm going to do one tonite with my name.  I saw this in Joyce's and then on the weblog web site.  I have to use Christine....as Chris bring up a man's name.  (BTW:  Those two cuties are a friend's kids...they are adorable....just not any relation to me.  She sent me the captions with them.....)

christine is a beautiful vintage purse with roses  cool...love roses..lol..obviously
christine is kool  I think so
christine is always  disorganized
christine is here to stay  let's hope so
christine is just as foxy  as Pamela Anderson...yuck...yuck
christine is here to have fun
christine is one of fleet yacht charters luxury motoryachts  I'll take that luxury
christine is a brunette with hazel eyes  close...blue eyes
christine is my favorite  person
christine is here to stay november 24 well Nov. 9th is my birthday...
christine is now a complete wreck but arnie sets about restoring her  pls help me
christine is" a survivor
christine is a 27 inch waist....lol...give or take...ok
christine is no ordinary car no...christine was a killer car
christine is a talented writer and the author of many books  don't I wish
christine is 18  nope...wouldn't want to be 18 again...30...you bet
christine is definitely obsessed definitely...she has OCD
christine is one of king's earlier novels  yep..and a killer bitch she was
christine is a looney tune
christine is a kind and caring with a heart full of love   very, very true.....
christine is dedicated to famous pittsburgh filmmaker george romero  freaky....I actually did grow up in the same town as George

christine is a classy and effective film that workson a number of layers  hunh?
christine is going to have a lot to answer for to be sufficiently frightening  have you seen me in the morning?
christine is a femme fatale with a throaty roar  BAAWAAHAHAHAHA
christine is a contributing author to chicken soup for the survivor's soul don't I wish
christine is a member of the aztec wind ensemble and the aztec marching band  LOL
christine is leading a campaign to get the a600 re hunh
christine is pleased with this first step always pleased with any step
christine is extremely patient  no kidding...come live at my house for a day
christine is a merchant navy captain who is ordered to pick up a fleet observer sure...put me on a ship with all those men.....LOL
christine is a talented writer and the author of many books  send me my royalties...
christine is making the most of her time at university  yep...just pledged a sorority
christine is a celebrated concert vocalist and national recording artist  if you insist
christine is pretty much saying that she knows he loves her  no...that's definitely what I am saying
christine is just reserved  not a chance
christine is not limited to obscure and goofy nickelodeon shows  just mindless sitcoms
christine is a latent witch  no way
christine is keeping a personal diary to record meaningful events and thoughts yep
christine is persuaded to take the lead role in Rocky 6
christine is driven by her faith  always
christine is sporting the new naughty image to quash the ex nun image always..I may be old but I'm not dead...lol
christine is holding some new hula girl designs they are working on for hawaii  well, at least I'm not holding the hula girls
christine is cool   definitely
christine is a 1958 plymouth fury  I could be
christine is dedicated to serving her clients  very dedicated
christine is a myth buster  nope...I'm the myth itself
christine is an underrated classic  wench
christine is arriving at the foot of the mausoleum steps  geez...I hope not
christine is originally from western michigan  maybe in a previous life
christine is also an ordained christian minister now I really have to give up the booze
christine is studying for a masters in international business  oui oui
christine is great acoustic based music that keeps you interested and wanting more when so many other artists of this genre  are totally boring and put you to sleep
christine is approximately 368  lbs....LOL....
christine is a visionary film  I'm a visonary, that's for sure
christine is here to service all members and their families from those members who are just starting out to the seasoned sophisticated investor yep, I'm here to serve
christine is the temporary coordinator for evangelism/church development and outreach ministries  oh, please....I like to have fun
christine is like every other normal young girl  no way....I'm unique
christine is the one on the left  hey....I'm over here
christine is still a member of the san diego zoological society and continues to visit san diego regularly  love that Navy base...what can I say
christine is the vocalist with the saturday night live band  lip sync just like Ashlee
christine is that she's a headstrong individual  yep I'm a head butter
christine is active in the technology in the practice of law committee of the bar association of metropolitan st  I wish
christine is also an elected member of the state board of education  not bad
christine is a car that was just born to be bad  yep...I'm like my namesake
christine is a women's advocate  that I am
christine is most famous for dancing on tables when I drink too much
christine is an extremely well seasoned horse for any event   hey...no way
christine is a relief milker  I wish...send me some relief
christine is one of the faculty members  who skips class
christine is 21 she no longer worries about being caught in bars anymore sometimes?
christine is always a day late and a dollar short
christine is here to stay  that's my plan
christine is one of fleet yacht charters luxury motoryachts  not as large
christine is a spontaneous girl got that right
christine is booted off celeb survivor  I've been booted out of a few places
christine is a beautiful vintage needlepoint purse available as part of the 'heavenly handbags' collection <<smiles>>
christine is a an old lady with a very young brain
christine is kool  kooler than kool
christine is awesome  very awesome
christine is involved in a number of educational projects with angus council and highland council  if you insist
christine is one of scotland's great singers damn, where are my bagpipes
christine is"  smiling
christine is shared by ~537  men.....LOL
christine is no ordinary car  no, she scared the crap out of me
christine is a talented writer and the author of many books so where's my money?
christine is studying the rna molecules that reside in the nucleolus  the what in what?
christine is happy'' and  starving....I didn't eat yet
christine is the recipient of a new jersey governor's teaching scholarship and was selected as a participant in the pennsylvania intercollegiate band  where's the tuba?
christine is a kind and caring with a heart full of love  yes, I am
christine is the war bride of leonard vole  or the Bride of Frankenstein
christine is located on hawthorne blvd  where the heck is this?
christine is 18 dollars away from bouncing a check
christine is backing the lib dem campaign to get real attention for our local roads ok
christine is going to have a lot to answer for to be sufficiently frightening  I  always have a lot to answer for
christine is a femme fatale with a throaty roar  that's why I cackle
christine is pretty much saying that she knows he loves her  he does
christine is just reserved in what life?
christine is an extremely patient  person
christine is a notable hip-hop dancer
christine is a horror novel  for real...sometimes
christine is  getting bored and hungry......
christine is a certified genealogist digging up my roots
christine is an experienced career and performance management consultant who has done extensive work in the field of organizational development  rofl...you really have the wrong person for this
christine is making the most of her time at university  partying
christine is originally from stratford  like Shakespeare?
christine is driven by her faith to get up each morning......
christine is also an ordained christian minister that would be difficult
christine is very moody  nope
christine is an ordained minister with universal brotherhood  nope
christine is keeping a personal diary to record meaningful events and thoughts yep
christine is a merchant navy captain who is ordered to pick up a fleet observer ok...love those sailors
christine is like every other normal young girl only she isn't young
christine is here to service all members and their families from those members who are just starting out to the seasoned sophisticated investor  yep...I service everyone
christine is a myth buster  oops...thought that said moth duster
christine is a latent witch  absolutely not
christine is a member of the aztec wind ensemble and the aztec marching band  ding dong
christine is dedicated to serving her clients  always dedicated
christine is co-operating
christine is the temporary coordinator for evangelism/church development and outreach ministries  man, my party life is over.....
christine is a car that was just born to be bad  bbbad to the bone

christine is an extensive procrastinator
christine is typically modest  who me?
christine is an excellent realtor  Joyce, this one's for you
christine is concentrating on writing scripts for Sylvester Stallone
christine is my favorite  diva
christine is an extremely well seasoned horse for any event don't call me a horse
christine is an underrated classic old lady
christine is a certified job & career transition coach  better coach myself
christine is very interested in social policy and enjoys debating about contemporary issues  does this include clothes and make-up?
christine is like every other normal young woman  just a wee bit older......

Googlism  OK...next....type your name in and see how you do.........

TWO HANDS

Why men have two hands.........

TWO HANDS

Why women have two hands..........  

My Day Off...Yeah Right

Thanks, Missy, for you help.  LOL...I thought I had uploaded my pictures to FTP but it looks like something went wrong.  I keep getting blanks....I will not give up.  I'm one stubborn old bat so the visuals will be crude archaeic for a while longer.

My day has been full of frustrations:

1.  I somehow clicked myself out of this entry and have to start all over again.  Insult to injury; salt to the wound......

2.  I signed onto AOL this morning and there were problems with mail access....uh...like no mail in my mailbox.  AOL...how can you do this to me...sheesh.  You have to know that I live for opening up AOL and reading all my "important" mail.   I signed off and back on.  I did get my mail but can't send or receive....AOL shape up!!!

3.  My cell phone died....who can live without their cell phone?  It ended up being a quick fix....my boyfriend took out the antenna and screwed it back in....BINGO....now why didn't I think of this?  Because technology blows my mind...LOL...I can use my microwave extremely well.  Does that count?  I inherited this cute little flip phone I have from "the brat."  She got a new one.  I love her old one.  Never cracks or loses calls....My only problem is Verizon was supposed to empty it when I took it over.  Yeah Right....I'm so glad to know that Adam loves me....that's her scrolling marquee across the top....plus I have 352 "friends" still programmed in it.  She refused to help me get rid of it....threw the book at me and told me to do it myself....the little brat.  Well, I fix her wagon occasionally....I sometimes call one of my new "friends", which are her friends, just to irritate her.....Ya see...mom can retaliate where it "hurts" the most........no, don't mess with this Momma........

3.  I was supposed to take off half a day on Friday to spend with my oldest daughter, the Mouth....and I use these nicknames lovingly....far nicer than their nicknames for me......It seems we have a meeting that was just scheduled with our new division chief and assistant at work that is mandatory and no time has been set for this meeting.  I never get to see my oldest daughter.  She lives in Pgh, an hour away and works.  She is busy on weekends; so am I.  I'm still working on this frustration.  The only glitch in this plan is that I can work OT on Saturday (need that time and a half desperately).  We can't work OT if we use any time off during the week.  I'm spinning round and round with this one................

3.  My biggest frustration is that I still can't figure out files, pictures, hyperlinks, FTP, file manager.  I would buy the computer book for Dummies but I think I would still be confused....pretty sad....too much of a dummie for a book for dummies....that's what my kids are for....

4.  My freakin dog took a dump on my livingroom floor when I went out last night.  I have a hardwood floor in the livingroom so it can be cleaned up but the dog drives me whacko.  He's a big lab mix.  The vet says they are prone to separation anxiety...oh pulease...so he goes through spurts where he retaliates against me leaving him and does his business on the livingroom floor.  I suppose I'm lucky he didn't choose somewhere else, like the familyroom with carpeting.  He used to stay in a titanic sized crate in our old house when we were gone.  He loved it.  He would go in it by himself.  As soon as we moved to this house, he wanted no part of the crate and actually busted it to pieces when he was put in it...so when I walk in the door and Grizzly puts his tail between his legs and does a commando crawl across the room, I know he's left me a present...........

5.  Well, I have to clean my house and have absolutely nothing clean to wear so laundry is a big issue.......plus it's in between seasons in Pa.....cold in the mornings but very warm in the afternoon.  I can't figure out what to wear....plus the fact that for some reason my belly is bloated this week....haven't gained any weight......I want Liposcution....if I play the Powerball today and win.....Liposuction it will be......two days ago my pants fit...now I have to suck it in to zipper them and hope I don't blow the zipper out during the day.............

I think I'm stopping.  I'm sure I could go on and probably will have more as the days goes by but I'm getting even more frustrated thinking and writing about this stuff.

Middle Aged Motto

 

You don't stop laughing when you get old, you get old when you stop laughing"

Today is International Very Good Looking, Damn Smart Woman's Day, so please send this message to someone you think fits this description. Please do not send it back to me as I have already received it from a Very Good Looking, Damn Smart Woman! And remember this motto to live by: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

(Question:  How the%^$# do you crop the photos to fit in the dang square up there?  Any help and/or suggestions would be appreciated.)

 

Six Questions

I'm sure hoping there are no copyrights in J-Land or I'll end up in J-jail....there are so many interesting things in other journals...I can't help but copy them.......  

 1. Who was the last person you sent flowers to?  Who was the last person to send you flowers?

My ex-mother-in-law for her 80th birthday.  I wasn't invited to the party because the new wife was there but I had been married to her son for 18 years plus 3 years of going together.  I felt it was appropriate. 

My boyfriend sends me flowers all the time....not for any special occasion....just to surprise me....

2. What is your favorite single piece of furniture in your home and why?

My couch in the familyroom...we spend all our time in the family room...the couch is huge and cushy...I just fall into it and feel like I'm in a cloud.  Half the time, I fall asleep on it and don't get up until morning....love that couch.....

3. You are given the chance to model clothing in a catalog.  What type of clothing would you most want to model and why?

Anything Tommy Hilfiger....why...because that is the only line of clothing that I can walk into the store and pick up a pair of jeans, cords/pants and don't have to try them on....fit me perfectly....all Tommy stuff fits me perfectly and for some unknown reason hides those yucky little bulges......Definitely put me in Tommy.

4. Take this quiz:  What is your "power color?"

Your Power Color Is Red-Orange 

 At Your Highest:

You are warm, sensitive, and focused on your personal growth.

At Your Lowest:

You become defensive and critical if you feel attacked.

In Love:

You are loyal - but you demand the respect you deserve.

How You're Attractive:

You are very affectionate and inspire trust.

Your Eternal Question:

"Am I Respected?"

5. What product are you mostly likely to buy in bulk?  Have you figured out whether you actually are saving money by doing so?

Laundry detergent.....nope, I'm not saving a cent or I don't think I'm saving much but we go through it in this house like water....can't stand going to do a load of clothes and not having enough detergent.  The same thing with lightbulbs...man, every light socket in my house requires some sort of weird bulb.  I hate when the lights burn out and I don't have replacements...And, last but not least...sweeper bags...yeah, I still have an ancient vaccuum with bags..actually it's new but I can't stand bagless because I don't want to look at the crap I'm sweeping up let alone have to dump it......


6. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #75 from Mortimer:  Now that winter is approaching, what is your ultimate comfort food? What guilty pleasure do you eat that is sinfully not good for you but, you can't get enough?

The only thing I can think of is a Mocha Latte from Starbucks or if I'm desperate a Cappuchino from the 7/11 machine.  And...at Christmas time...St. Nikolaus Bock beer....dark, stout...and, oh so potent...I try not to buy too much of it because I would definitely become an alcoholic plus it's $32 a case...my son's friend was a chef at the microbrewery for while that brews it...got it for $20 a case....it just goes down so easy.  Thank God he got a job at a different place.