Welcome back me!

Hey!

I miss this place!

Finally, after many months, I feel as though I'm getting my sea legs.

(Yesterday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day after all!)

Last week I went driving in the Flint Hills and took some pics.

Finally, after so long.

And today, well here I am.

I'm beginning to feel like me!

I need a breather

Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.

winnie the pooh

I like beer.
There. I've said it. I'm outing myself !
and what image does that conjure up?
a bleached blonde in Daisy Duke cutoffs and a halter top, hanging out at the races with guys names Snake and Buck?

an old lady in a ball cap sitting on her front porch with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth growling at the neighbor kids?

how about a middle aged , slightly graying mother of four with a fat Chihuahua and a gimpy Lab mix sitting on her patio watching the sunset.

yeh, that one would be it.

I have decided to attribute my beer love to my Father who was
A. of German descent ( I hope that's not racial profiling..)
and
B. made home brew with my uncle when we were growing up.
I still have the crock actually.
and truth be told, I never drink much at a time.
One or two tops.
I just really love the taste. And the frosty coldness of the chilled mug.
mmmmm...... better than a milkshake!

( I don't even own a halter top!)

Smells

I haven't written for so very long. I believe I'm beginning to catch up with my life now




I wanted to write this down so that I don't forget.
I love the smell of the Post Office in the evening when I'm the only one there.
It brings back so many memories.
Especially when I lock up the outer lobby.
The faint scent of paper and ink. A stamp-y smell too.
( you may need to be around a lot of stamps to recognize that odor!)
It reminds me of my Dad. When I was a child my father sold paper products.
Letterhead, envelopes and the like.
We had stacks of cartons filled with paper and envelopes and business cards
with Curtis 1000 Inc. stamped in the logo.
There is a distinct aroma to them.
I remember the first time I was on the workroom floor at the GMF for my tour of the plant on the day I interviewed. That was what struck me first. The smell.
I love it.
I also made many trips to the Post Office with my Father. I remember how cavernous the building seemed. Marble floors. Wooden tables with those ucky sponges floating in a bowl of water to wet the stamps with. Tomorrow I will be going to that same office in the morning for a retirement party for my friend.
It will still seem cavernous. The floors are still marble.
It's amazing.
Once in awhile I would go with my Dad to the old processing facility at night because he needed to get some mail out right away . We would drive to the dock and he would give the letters to a clerk. It was always so dark.
Anyway, maybe, if I believed in fate, I would say that I was meant to work at the Post Office.
and for sure , when those smells start drifting around in the evening...
well, I like it.

Some days, the best thing to do is find a friend and play some Pooh Sticks.

I think today is one of those..

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. ~Hanna Rion

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. ~Hanna Rion
Originally uploaded by ~Mary~~

Looking on the brighter side...
Sorry for the excursion into self pity land!

My Tripod is Dusty

My tripod leans in exactly the same spot that I set it in February. My camera hangs in my closet.
So lately I've been taking my camera out and looking for at least something beautiful to see.
Sometimes things look even better through a viewfinder.
I don't post much to Flickr right now (publicly), because I don't have the time to visit a lot of contacts and that makes me feel like a heel.


Anyway, it made me happy to take these two shots, so I thought I'd post them here.
The Spiderwort is in my flower bed. It looked so pretty this morning with the sun shining so brightly on it.


The Puff Ball is in a weed patch at work. I really like these weeds, but I suppose that sooner or later someone with some 2-4-D will come along and spray them out. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy !

Weird Americans that piss me off...

So I work with Jin. I have off and on for the last 16 years. We started at the Post Office on the same day in 1993.
She's in my top 10 favorite people in my world. She's funny, smart and works her tiny little butt off.
Did I mention that she has a degree in Chinese literature? Yeah, she's really smart. She was a teacher in Taiwan before she emigrated to the US. Here she works at the Post Office.
Such is life.
Anyway, she speaks really fine English. I have worked with a number of people of various ethnic backgrounds, and in my experience, Asian people struggle a little more with our language. They completely know what they want to say, but at times you can see them reaching for the exact translation that they want. Even after many, many years. This is absolutely no reflection on their intelligence. Our languages are simply just so very different.
Anyway, I have noticed that at times some Americans will either
a) assume that the Asian person they are speaking with is not very intelligent
or
b) assume that the person has very little command of the English language.

Big mistake .. on both parts.

Oh yeah Mr. Redneck, she understands every word you're saying
and don't forget that Chinese Literature degree...
just saying.

Anyway, the other day a fellow came to Jin's window at the P.O. to do some business.
(I actually wasn't there that day, but the story has been repeated to me on numerous occasions)
Apparently, he wasn't happy with the service he received(or else he was just just a tired, grouchy bastard), but instead of dealing with that issue, he stalked off and threw over his shoulder the comment "I need someone who speaks English"
I guess this guy had held up the line for quite some time and was loud enough that he had the attention of everyone in the room. Including the Asian guy right behind him in line.
As Mr. Annoyed walked away, Greg, one of our co-workers, said, "She DOES speak English"
and life at the P.O. continued on. Greg waited on the young Asian man who had been behind Mr. Annoyed and they discussed the situation a bit during the transaction.


ANYWAY, the point of this whole story is that the young Asian man from the other day was in our midst again today..
and today he taught us how to say "that guy is stupid" in Chinese. (with some extra coaching from Jin. :o) so.....the next time Mr. Annoyed shows up, we've all agreed to greet him with the only phrase we all know in Chinese. It maybe won't make much sense, but we'll all feel better. And our friend Jin will know we love her.
Revenge is sweet!

I love shiny dangly things. I have shiny things hanging from tree branches , from curtain rods , lamps... It's just a thing I have. Perhaps I have a crow gene or something.
anyway, I saw this one at Pier One Imports the other day, and denied myself the pleasure. so yesterday... I went back and bought it. it's hanging in an east window. it's a happy thing this morning with the sun shining through it!

Where I sometimes go for advice

“Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all
the things you can't hear, and not bothering.”

Winnie the Pooh

Maybe that last post didn't make much sense ...
the hot dog thing.
It's just that I couldn't decide which was funnier to me,
the safety warning
or the 800 number to call for more information!
I will happily pay $5 for these hot dogs because
a. they're the best wieners in the world! (try them, I'm serious!)
and
b. the warning on the package caused great merriment in our home.
We laughed loud and long and clear!
so give them a try. just remember, if you're a child, stay in your seat until you're finished eating!

Safety First!

Well the first thing you know old Jeds a millionaire...

Here's what I want to know...
why is it that at any given moment on any given day I can sing every word to the theme song of The Beverly Hillbillies..
but...
sometimes I can't remember where I parked my car at the mall..
or my PIN number for the ATM..
or where I put the deposit book at work (today.. sheesh!)...
hmmm...
a mystery of the universe..

come and listen to a story bout a man named Jed... poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed..

good lord

Donna Reed I'm Not

I"m back at work full time!! Yay!
My hat goes off to all the stay at home Moms and Home based business types.
Sheesh, I'm glad to be back at work!
Thank God for swell co-workers too.
and customers..
I love my job!!
( we may revisit this topic in July when everyone is taking vacations)
but for now, I'm a happy girl..

:o)

April

Live Simply

expect little
give much



That is the header on my calendar for April.

seems like a good plan


Happy April!

on being trapped

From this title one could think that I'm going to go on now about poor me being trapped in the house caring for my husband.
Actually quite the opposite is the case.
When my world became smaller, after Richard's accident, my needs also became smaller.
And I've begun to realize how our culture "traps" us into thinking we need so much.
Advertisements, peers, etc..
I think we tend to buy into it and start thinking that we can't possibly be happy if we don't have such and such. Whatever it may be. Gadgets, the "correct" job, certain relationships.
Then pretty soon.... voila, we aren't happy.
I remember some years back, I had a Basal Cell Carcinoma removed from my face.
Richard and I discussed it and decided that since it was outpatient surgery done under local anesthetic, he didn't need to take off from work and go with me.
I was content with that decision.
Then, after the surgery was over and I was released, the nurse was ready to help me leave and she asked me who had come along.When I told her "no one" that I was here alone, she became visibly sympathetic. Her pity for me was palpable. She wheeled me out to the exit and stood there while I walked to my car.
As you can imagine, by the time I got home, I was feeling quite sorry for myself.
Poor Me! I had a skin cancer removed and my husband didn't even come along!
After several hours of dark self pity, I remembered that this had been a conscious decision. I had been fine with it until the nurse started feeling sorry for me. She made me feel like I had a need.
It's that kind of thing I've been thinking about.
I get it with my car too. At work mostly.
God Mary! Your car is 14 years old! Oh my god! It has a dent in the fender. Kinda got a noisy fan belt too.
I don't fall for it though.
Big deal. It runs. Every single day. The heater works, the air conditioning, the brakes.
Hell, I'm happy!
Besides, I'd really rather have a new camera!
(hah! a weakness!)
and no new debts.
So really, not that I don't enjoy finer things in life. I think I'd rather regard them as the finer things and not as needs.
I prefer being thankful and happy with my world.
Not trapped into other people's ideas of what I need.

well,well,well....

So.... 3/9/09, Richard fell from 14 feet to a concrete floor.
These are some of the things I've learned so far.
He's very fortunate to be alive.
We're very fortunate that he's alive , and not only that, although his injuries are numerous,none of them are life threatening and he will recover , maybe not to exactly 100%, but darn close.
Capable doctors and nurses make everything more bearable.
I need peace and quiet when I am under additional stress.
Mindless activities help me cope.
My kids are the greatest people on earth ( this should have been listed first! definitely!)

I am one lucky girl.

March is hopeful

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day,
a fresh try , one more start,
with perhaps
a bit of magic
waiting somewhere
behind the morning


JB Priestly

Looking On The Bright Side

Charles Schultz Philosophy 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant. 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.. How did you do? The point is , none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies... Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.. Now try this.. 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!! 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials.. the most money...or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most. 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia !'

just some stuff

Ugh.
I'm glad that February is nearly over.
I wish I was one of those real chilled out people that roll through life un- traumatized by the goings on in their world.
I apparently wasn't built that way. I take a troubling thought and roll it over and over in my mind as if to polish it to gleaming perfection.
I drive myself nuts!
Anyway, went to the Doc, got some meds for the new ulcer I've developed. Some chill pills to help me keep from dumping fresh acid in on my gut and some pain pills to keep me from ever reaching for ibuprofen again. Ever!

I have this friend , Theresa. ( a different Theresa from the one I've mentioned before)
I wish I could learn to be more like her.
She's the quintessential hippie. Completely relaxed and peaceful absolutely all the time.
(Well, except when she was married to her ex., but that doesn't count.There's a good reason he's an ex..)
She and her son Phil are moving to Arizona. Just pulling up and going. She says that everything she needs will fit in her car. Oh yeah, she has a set of four year old twins too! She had twins when she was 45 years old! Gawd! She's still mellow.. anyway, Phil is a junior in high school and wants to go to some college in Arizona, so they're moving to establish residency so tuition will be more reasonable.
I so wish I could just pull up and leave here. I don't know if I could find a mellower me somewhere else. Probably I'd need to make a mellower me before I left, cuz like Richard says, "wherever you go, there you are." Still, it might be easier..
I'm making that my retirement from the Post Office goal. I want to retire from there early and go somewhere else and work doing something different. I would transfer with the PO, but they aren't allowing transfers anymore.
So anyway, I've rattled on and on here plenty enough. Working on mellowing out and planning a move in several years.
It's a goal..


oh and ps. Richard is totally OK w/moving. Especially if he gets an ocean out of the deal..

Had An REM-fest....ended up posting a Troggs cover!

I posted this song because usually Michael Stipe gets all the hoop-lah when you talk about REM. Personally, I think that with out Mike Mills' vocals , REM wouldn't exist as we know it.
AND! you and your friends can gather round the computer and do some Karaoke! The words are right there for you! Yay!

8 Mile ( not really.. really it's 8 days, but 8 Mile is a famous title and I wanted to use it)

I am, in approx. 24 hours, retiring from Facebook.

I don't fit in at all. But unlike my younger years when I desperately wanted to fit in.

This time I'm kinda glad that I don't.
That may be the true mark of age.

It's a bit too "Seinfeld-y" ADD-ish for me.

just slapdashes of info about folks.
I did enjoy the "25 things about me" lists that Mandi and Cristie posted.
That was fun and interesting.
And I played (and won) a swell game of Scrabble with Brett from Mississauga.
( I think he may have let me win..)
It took 8 days.
Hence the title. The miles are actually more like 1100. Oh well.

Also, my son uses the "f" word at a really alarming pace. ( once or twice is way too much for Mom) and a couple of his friends , I think , belong in Reform School.

Just too many decisions required.
Do I yell at him for staying up all night at Wes'?
For swearing ?

I think I'll stick to parenting in the real life realm. That's plenty of responsibility for me.

So, ciao Facebook! I hardly knew thee!

She's Got (skinny) Legs

You know, for the past three semesters of Rick's high school career, I have been noticing this certain phenomenon. Fully 85% of the girls in his school have skinny legs.
I got the figure mathematically you know. The number of mini vans in the drop off Que divided by the total weight of all the girls at TWHS x 16 ( average age).
These little sparrow legged girls clamber out of their Mom's SUVs with book bags twice their weight , puffy,quilted ski-like jackets that come to a very abrupt stop at the tiny little waists, followed by a gap covered with t-shirt material ( the total weight of which is approximately .003 oz) and following that , these itty-bitty blue jeans that closely represent a second skin.
Really tight.
The overall appearance is of a puffy little robin teetering about on it's spindly little legs. The robin's knees are backwards though, which somehow makes him appear sturdier than these tiny high school girls.
I think the total yardage of denim involved could be laid flat and make a couple of nice pot holders.

Don't get me wrong here. The girls are really cute. I'm just making an observation.

Comfort Food...

Lately I've been seeking out comfort food for nearly every dinner I make.
Maybe it's a winter thing. February sometimes drags on and on for me.
Not my favorite month for sure.
Anyway, I had this beautiful photograph of a meal that I prepared and was going to post the pic and the recipe, but.. somehow, in my distractedness, I deleted the photo from my computer and had not backed it up on disk. Argh!
Anyway, I decided to share the recipe anyway, it's so yummy and so easy.
I actually found it in a box of Reynolds Oven Bags. Normally I just toss those kinds if things, but this one looked good enough to try. I'm glad I did.
Here goes..


Orange Teriyaki Beef Roast


1 Reynolds Oven Bag, large size
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 cloves garlic.minced
! teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 pound beef top round roast (at least one inch thick)
Hot cooked rice
1/4 cup sliced green onions


Shake flour in Reynolds oven bag; place in 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
Add orange juice, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar , garlic, orange peel and crushed red pepper to oven bag. Squeeze bag to blend in the flour.
Add beef to bag. Turn bag to coat beef with sauce.
Close oven bag with nylon tie. Marinate beef in the refrigerator 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Cut six 1/2 inch slits in top of bag. Tuck ends of bag in pan.
Bake 35-45 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 145 F ( do not overcook)
Thinly slice beef. Stir sauce; serve with rice. Sprinkle with chopped green onions.
Makes 8 (3oz) servings.


Yum! so easy too.
I used top sirloin instead of Round cuz I like the flavor better and I also sprinkled sesame seeds on it before serving. It's a pretty dish.

Next time I make it, I'm going to increase the orange juice by 1/4 cup maybe and at least twice as much orange zest. I thnk it could use a little more of the pop that the orange flavor brings.

So there ya go, one of my comfort food dishes this month!

pain

I have been thinking a lot about pain lately. For a number of reasons actually. I have chronic pain
I was talking to Mandi about pain, I visited my Dr. recently and we discussed pain.
But here's what really put me in overdrive .
I'm reading this book ( a novel) about a neurosurgeon that specializes in research. He's talking about phantom pain, you know,when people lose a limb or something and suffer from pain in the lost limb. Anyway he comments that the pain is just in their head.
"Well, no kidding" I thought . ALL pain is in your head .
(turns out that was exactly his point)
Anyway, that's what got me started. Now I don't have much understanding of the brain. Just your basic left hemisphere/ right hemisphere, frontal lobe, etc. terminology that I understand, and maybe a little more from all the reading I did after my Mom had a burst aneurysm, but I'm no genius.



this is a partial article I read on Wikipedia

Nociception (synonym: nocioception or nociperception) is defined as "the neural processes of encoding and processing noxious stimuli." It is the afferent activity produced in the peripheral and central nervous system by stimuli that have the potential to damage tissue. This activity is initiated by nociceptors, (also called pain receptors), that can detect mechanical, thermal or chemical changes, above a set threshold. Once stimulated, a nociceptor transmits a signal along the spinal cord, to the brain. Nociception triggers a variety of autonomic responses and may also result in the experience of pain in sentient beings.


The neurological basis and mechanisms for phantom limb pain are all derived from experimental theories and observations. Little is known about the true mechanism causing phantom pains, and many theories highly overlap. Historically, phantom pains were thought to originate from neuromas located at the stump tip. Traumatic neuromas, or non-tumor nerve injuries, often arise from surgeries and result from the abnormal growth of injured nerve fibers. Although stump neuromas contribute to phantom pains, they are not the sole cause. This is because patients with congenital limb deficiency can sometimes, although rare, experience phantom pains. This suggests that there is a central representation of the limb responsible for painful sensations (Ramachandran and Herstein, 1998). Currently, theories are based on altered neurological pathways and cortical reorganization. Although they are highly intertwined, mechanisms are often separated into peripheral, spinal, and central mechanisms.

hah.. they really don't know do they?

Everyone has their brain wired their way. Whatever their norm is.
For instance, some people see numbers as colors. ie. 1=red 2=yellow etc.
(synesthesia)
here's a link to a simple article describing this phenomenon

and I know what red looks like to me, but how do you perceive red? or yellow? etc..

OK, I know, I probably sound like a troglodyte. This is stuff we all think about in elementary school. I just got to thinking about it as applied to pain.
What is my perception of pain? Others? and how can a doctor diagnose and treat it?
You can't pull out the brain like a mother board in a computer or something and say "Aha! I can see why you suffer so much. This little do-hicky has come unhitched on one end. (or something)
or maybe they can . I don't really know what a Pet Scan or an MRI reveals. I seriously doubt it explains pain in any real way.

For instance, two years ago I had a tooth pulled. No real big deal. Got some pain meds, went home, recovered. Sort of. There was a piece of tooth left behind in my gum that flipped up and began to wear a little hole in my cheek, it wasn't really all that painful, mostly just annoying and I was concerned about long term effects. So.. back to the oral surgeon , she whacked the piece of tooth off with what looked exactly like wire cutters (ew!) and sent me on my way assuring me that the pain would be no where near as intense as when the tooth was actually pulled.
(in other words, no Rx for pain)
To her maybe! In her brain wiring, this was no big deal. For me it was excruciating. I soldiered on, because I'm always afraid to ask for pain medication, but truly, it was pretty awful.
For me.

Anyway, I could go on and on if anyone was bored enough to listen to me postulate and theorize about pain perception. I'm sure that volumes have been written on the topic, and I intend to read some.

Hah! What's your reality!!

another television commercial.. blast from the past!

Just think, most of us could purchase several Sesame Street albums just from the change in the console of our cars!

Many say that you can tell a lot about a person from the car they drive,
or by nosing through their medicine cabinet,
or maybe the books they read..or the artwork in their home.

I believe that a person's refrigerator magnets and the things on display under those magnets, speaks volumes about the individuals that live in that home at eat from that fridge..

Think of it..in fact, go look at your fridge. I'll wait.

See what I mean?
If your household has small children, you probably have wonderful artwork created from crayons and markers, maybe even construction paper and paste on display.

Older children? maybe a schedule of ball games, or concerts and music lessons.

Single? Perhaps schedules of meetings you plan to attend, or stock quotes, or maybe something from a book or the newspaper that inspires you..

Older people? A list of medications you take and the times of day to take them maybe. Or you children's phone numbers and maybe photographs of your grandchildren.

It can be anything, but I'll bet it's all you.
Whatever it is.

I too have things on my fridge that speak about me.
On the front, I have four magnets that tell a lot about my philosophy.
and it's not just the magnets, but who gave them to me that make them my favorites.

Mandi, who was influenced a lot in her childhood by older people( we had many friends that were her grandparents age or older and she called all of them "Grandma"
I imagine she really thought they were her grandma too!)
She gave me the Gertrude Stein magnet..

Rachael, who has come to the realization that no matter how odd our family may seem... we're certainly no stranger than most and even less weird than many..
She gave me the Joe Ancis magnet.

My sister Judy (BooBoo), who has a passion for all dogs everywhere. She taught me to find solace in the love of a dog more than any other person.
She gave me the Dog magnet.

And lastly, my friend Theresa, who knows me pretty damn well and still likes me, knows that if push comes to shove... no, I really don't give a s@$t what people think of me.
She gave me the magnet with the naughty word on it.

so that's my fridge..
what does yours say about you?

I Own Gym Clothes!

See last night I was doing some laundry and as I hung up my yoga pants and tees, it occurs to me that I own gym clothes!
I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face..
I'm really not the gym type you see.
I used to actually just be a fairly active person. Lots of gardening, housework, always had a physical job..
then, age..less physical employment.. extra weight..
it all started creeping up on me.
plus my crummy feet.
added all together I began to develop arthritis is various joints, aches and pains here and there
etc..etc..
Finally, I did what I should have done at the first twinge of arthritis.
I joined a gym. And really, it's not too bad at all.
I happily pedal my way through House, The Closer, or what ever television show happens to be on that night. Then I let the Elliptical Machine kick my ass for 20 or so minutes.
( I totally have a love/hate relationship with that machine!)
Ha! So there you go!
I own gym clothes!
Hahahahaha!!

I'm thinking of scouring You Tube for unbelievable commercials from my child hood.
When I watch something like this, I realize just how different the world I live in now is from the world that I grew up in.
Everything was not better in the old days.. no matter what they say! Just different.
Mandi and I were talking about some of the changes earlier in the day. We were discussing my mother , who as a young wife in the early 50s, had three babies in the first three years of her marriage. She was, needless to say, a housewife.
Three babies... no Pampers. Cloth diapers. Wringer washer on the back porch. No clothes dryer. A clothes line in the back yard. and funny little arrangements made from what looked like wooden dowels, to set around the house and dry clothes on if the weather was inclement.
No microwave ovens. Barely any "ready to eat" type foods. Campbells Soups a few other things I suppose.
No children's programming on television ( which I assure you would have been totally discouraged by my father anyway!) to entertain the kiddies so she could grab a moments peace.
and she was just the average housewife.... amazing
No wonder she got a job outside the home when all us kids were in school!
Anyway, I've spent much of the day thinking about some of the many changes in our culture just in my lifetime ... . Like a great snowball rolling down hill, picking up speed at an astronomical pace..
so weird..

How to love the life you live ~ since it IS the only one you get!

Today I post this again as a reminder to myself of how I wish to live my life.

May others find a little something to take with them as a reminder to enjoy their life also.




1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3. Sleep for 7 hours.

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

5. Play more games.

6. Read more books than you did in 2008..

7. Make time to pray. Prayer provides us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink plenty of water.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his past mistakes. That will ruin your present happiness.

15. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime..

17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

18. Smile and laugh more.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Forgive everyone for everything.

26.. What other people think of you is none of your business.

27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

31. The best is yet to come.

32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

33. Do the right thing!

34. Call your family often.

35. Your inner most being is always happy. So be happy.

36. Each day give something good to others.

37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

whiny post

sick,sick,sick of being sick..

that's all I've got to say about that right now.

30 days

I have joined a new group on flickr. One object/30 days.

I so enjoyed the One Object 365 Day Project, but couldn't manage the commitment. I think I can make a 30 day go at it though.
Right now I'm still trying to decide what to photograph for 30 days. Something small-ish, portable, maybe with some texture and colors that will translate nicely.
I plan to start January 30 and go through February 28.
It seems that all I have around here in terms of smallish items are elephants, that are mostly grey and besides Ele ( if you have time, follow the link. he will melt your heart. guaranteed!) set the standard for elephant photos on flickr. I wouldn't even want to try to match up to that.
I have an assortment of chickens and roosters that were given to me during the Willie days. But that would seem too, I don't know, rooster-ish. Willie is my main dude in roosters.
Maybe I'll have to purchase something. I have 11 days yet.
I'm looking forward to this though. And hopefully in the interim I'll finish my ABC project. I still need X,Y and Z. I was challenged by a flickr friend to not use x-ray for "X". If anyone happens by this post and has any ideas, I'm open for suggestions!
anyhoo... It's going to be fun!

vitamins

I have to know.

Why do they give daily multiple vitamins such weird names?

Today as I swallowed my "Centrum Silver",I fondly remembered the days of
"Chocks Chewables"

Where has all the time gone?
and why such weird names?

Maybe this is why?!
(life imitates art?)

dang, I really do love Lucy!

Pe-yew!

somebody call Al Gore.

I have discovered what is apparently an inexhaustible energy resource.

It's like this... I've been home for three days with a couple different itis-es
(or maybe , itisii)
either way, I've been sick at home sharing my time with Bart,
a largish lab and dalmatian mix and
Peanut, a fattish chihuahua.

What they apparently do all day while we're away at work is fart!

seriously,the quantity of methane gas produced in my house is phenomenal.

If this energy could be harnessed, I'd say it could easily power an entire large city.
Maybe there could be a sign on the way into town, like the signs that indicate population or elevation.

Something like

Welcome to Paris!
Home of the Eiffel Tower!
The Louvre!
and all energy provided by Bart and Peanut!

Maybe they would even get paid!
now that would be cool.
They could go from eating machine fart producers
to productive members of society.

Thankfully, I believe I'll be able to work tomorrow.
The dogs can have the house to themselves again..

Reading through Rachael's post "This is one do you can't undo" prompted me to think back to the shiny moments in between that I've enjoyed. I think that I wouldn't want to know the future.
What might you miss if you could see every life event ahead of time and weed out the imperfections?

Of course even this philosophy is flawed, as all of them are.

This "prescription for melancholy" pop song of Garth Brooks comes to mind.
I know. It's designed to make you feel emotional and sappy. Still, I love the words.


Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

resolutions...

ok so it's true, I don't make New Years resolutions.

I do try to make changes, and although they seem subtle at first, in the long haul they do carry an impact.

In 2008 I decided to try putting myself in other's shoes a bit. I believe that I came out on the other side as a more understanding person. ( duh! that's what our mothers were trying to teach us when they told us to " put yourself in their shoes for a minute!")
Good thing it took slightly less than half a century for me to really give it a go! What if I never tried?
And I still don't remember to do it 100% of the time, yet even I can see the marked difference it has made.

Pray don't find fault in the man who limps,
or stumbles along the road
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears
or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
though hidden away from view,
And the burden he bears placed on your back
Might cause you to stagger too

author unknown


I can't wait to see what changes 2009 will bring.

Happy New Year!

Adele

amazing..

and... Happy New Year!