Ants in the Pants

I went to play Bingo at the Recreation Hall tonight and when I returned, there was a ladder sitting in the middle of our RV living area. When I asked Don what was happening with the ladder, he informed me that we have ants in the upper shelves! Now, that was not something I wanted to hear! I had heard that moth balls placed under the motorcoach will prevent that problem and every year I have scattered a whole box underneath...except this year! Now, we will have to pay the piper for that error. Actually, I wasn't sure that the practice was anything other than a myth, but now I wonder if it's true. It reminds me of the deer "sirens" one places on the fenders of the cars. People who haven't hit a deer say it works. Perhaps it does but then again, maybe there was just no deer at the wrong place at the wrong time; however, deer in the South appear to be everywhere! I know, one got me about 5 years ago; then, my hubby hit one about 2 months ago. I have to admit that we had no "sirens" on these particular vehicles. Maybe it does work after all. At any rate, tomorrow, we will have to finish cleaning cabinets and blasting those little pests with the Hot Shot.
We'll shoot 'em in the cabinets as we rave and rant;
we'll kill 'em all before the ants get in the pants!!

Preparing for the Day of Hearts

Can you believe that January is coming to a close already? That means we are less than 11 months from Christmas. (Maybe I should start my Christmas shopping) But, first, we have to prepare for Valentine's Day. Do you celebrate this day and, if so, how? I don't think we have ever done anything other than exchange cards and sometimes there would be a box of candy. I do remember my elementary school days though, when we decorated a box for the classroom and everyone placed their cards inside. (I always looked forward to getting the cards that had a lollipop attached). My mom usually served as a grade mother so she would always attend our parties. We would have cupcakes with red icing, red punch, and other little red and white delicacies. I remember, ever since the third grade, I had a little boyfriend and he would give me a special valentine, maybe even a little box of candy. Let's see if I can recall any of their names (it has been a few years): George was the first; Steve was my favorite for many years off and on, even through high school; J.B. was the neatest, most clean-cut; Bruce; Boyd; Tommy; Billy; Ronald, one of the most popular; Johnny was several grades ahead of me in school; Jimmy (two of these); Buddy; etc. As you can see, there were several. One reason I think I picked some of them was their names. Don't you think that names can be "romantic", at least to a child? Heeheehee Yet, they were sooo cute. It's funny that we called them boyfriends when we only liked them best, often passinging notes at school, or holding hands at the movies. After school in the afternoons, we would walk to town to the local drugstore and enjoy sodas. It felt so special to have them carrying our books for us.

I hope that you will plan to do something special for and with your significant other this February. I'm trying to think of something unusual to do for mine. Any ideas?

On the Go but Nothing Exciting

I have really been on the go today although it has been quite a dull day. Not really anything to write home about. At 8:00 AM, I decided to start my walking and see if I could take my 10,000 steps. While walking, I ran into a friend, Helen, and she wanted me to go to the exercise class with her at 9:00 AM. That lasted a half hour but it was very refreshing. This is low impact exercise. One of the ladies there told me to just do what I wanted and if I didn't like a certain routine to skip it. That's what she was doing. She would do one, skip 2, do one, skip 3, and finally she said "that's enough" and she left. I thought that was pretty funny and not worth the effort to get up for. Ah, but to each her own. After that, Helen wanted me to stay for line dancing class, but I decided I should only start one new thing at a time, plus the classroom was overflowing with ladies from the park. Maybe next Monday, I will add the line dancing. I preferred to visit with friends who had just arrived from Prince Edward Island. I then continued my walking and completed 7,200 steps. (That's my best yet! I wonder if I will ever get to my goal).

A Family of Many Talents

What a beautiful day today was although it was a bit cool. It was ideal for riding bikes, so Don and I rode about 3 miles. I didn't take but about 2000 steps, however, and that's not good. The park was providing free ice cream sundaes this afternoon, but since I'm trying to cut out some snacks, I stayed away. I'm not having any luck losing weight though and that's discouraging.

My plan for blogging tonight was to encourage any of my readers to be sure and take a look at Kendra's blog. On Thursday, she wrote about her latest experiences with her artwork and she posted 2 of her paintings. They are really good and I would like for you to take a look at them. She has many wonderful talents although she doesn't think she does. Kendra and my daughter, Marty, my son, Thom, my granddaughters, Jess and Whit, and my son-in-law, Mark, are all very talented. In fact, when we were in Alaska for 2 months in 2000, they laid hardwood floors in our dining room and dinette, and they painted the dining room, made, and hung beautiful drapes! What a wonderful surprise to come home to a "new" house! They are so dedicated to us and we love them very much. (We know that our son and daughter-in-law would also be involved if they didn't live so far away from us). We are very proud of all our children. (I wonder what they will do next!)

Keep on Trying

This morning, I had the opportunity to sing "Happy Birthday" to Livvy on the phone. She got quiet while I was singing and when I finished, she said "Yaahh!" and clapped. She then asked how was my trip and ran away from the phone. She sounded as though she was having a wonderful birthday and was looking forward to her taste of birthday cupcakes after her lunch and nap. I regret that I am not there but she doesn't really care, I'm sure. She is still too young for it to matter. I did promise her mom that I would try very hard to be there next year since we have missed all of her birthday.

Last night, we had a man and his wife visiting the park and singing Gospel music. They were very good, especially the man, Amos Mazzant, who can really make a trumpet sing! Then, tonight, Don and I enjoyed seeing a Bill Gaither Classic Homecoming Special on TV.

I'm having trouble getting in 10,000 steps! Today, I was only able to get in 6.000+.Yesterday, I think I made a few less than that. But Thursday, I almost made it. Maybe this coming week, I can reach my goal. I plan to keep on trying.

To a Granddaughter with Love

I'm sitting here tonight thinking of my 2 wonderful little "grandbabies", missing them and loving them so dearly. Not that I don't miss the others because I truly do love them all. Some of them, I'm afraid, may have outgrown me but I trust that some day they will remember and cherish the great times we have shared: Thanksgiving and Christmas laughter and fun; camping in the mountains and the beach; and the family table on weekends at our home.

But tonight belongs mostly to my sweet little granddaughter: Livvy. I'm listening to music that I know that she and Clay love and my heart overflows with tears of love for her. I will never forget the first time I saw her at the airport when she arrived from China. I will never forget the look of understanding that seemed to pass between her and her little brother, Clay, a look that almost said, "Welcome home, Sissy". She never seemed to be afraid of him nor of her excited four grandparents who paced back and forth awaiting their first view of the little girl who would bring such happiness to them.

I sit here tonight, Livvy, remembering many of the funny things you have done in the past year which just tickled your PaPa and me: the day you jumped down the steps into the living room with a toy in your hand. Of course, you fell on it but instead of crying, when you saw that your mom was upset, you laughed and said, "I'm happy, Mama, I'm happy!" You knew how to keep her from crying; the times you raced down our driveway with your tricycle and ended up in the "forest"; Christmas day when you just couldn't show your love enough for your Uncle Tommy and you had to sit with him and no one else; the way you laugh when your daddy throws you around and catches you; when you pick up my phone and say you have to talk to Aunt Marty and Jessica; the lunches when you begged for more of my "pickles, please" or sometimes for PaPa's olives; the place you loved to sit under my little table and pull the stool in to make your "playhouse"; the sweet expressions you showed for your "best friend", Clay, and when you said those little comforting words, "it's okay, Cway", when he was upset; the day I looked up and you and Clay were strolling together toward our house and the warm welcome we received from you after our return from a long trip. I especially remember those sweet little hugs and kisses you would give me when you left our house.

It's so hard to believe that you will be 3 in the morning. So to you, Livvy, Happy Birthday. May you have many, many, MANY more. May you always know that you are loved and cherished, that no one could ever fill the place in my heart but you, my dear, sweet
GRANDdaughter! May God bless you real good every day of your life and may you always seek His guidance in your life!

What's a Perfect Sister?

Today is my sister's birthday and I just have to blog about someone so special. Cornelia has always been such a good, sweet, sensitive, and caring person. Even as a child, she never, never did anything wrong: she was the perfect child that made other parents envious and it made it a little difficult for a younger sister like me who could never measure up to her. While I was very active, inquisitive, and into everything, Cornelia always pleased her parents, grandparents, teachers and other adults. She was and is very easy to love and everyone who knows her today respects her.

As a child, Cornelia was a perfectionist. When we had to do chores, I would rush through as fast as possible so that I could get on with the fun things (just like today); Cornelia, however, would always do her chores with utmost accuracy. She did her schoolwork in the same fashion and always pleased her teachers with her neatness (she has the prettiest handwriting while mine is basically illegible!).

Cornelia would always be called a good friend. She was loyal, caring, and true to all her childhood friends. They knew that if they could depend on anyone, it would be their best friend. As children, she was creative in decorating our playhouse with our friend, Frannie. After completing ours, we would go to Frannie's and arrange it in the same order. She never liked fussing and would act as a peacemaker. Cornelia used to love to play with paper dolls but we never had very many, so she would cut models out of catalogues and play with them. Actually, they would be cut neater than ones you buy. This carried over into her job as a teacher assistant. She could tear a page out of a workbook, make copies, put it back in the book so neatly that one could not tell it had been removed. (Her teachers loved her dedicated ways and they proved their love for her recently when they surprised her with a special retirement party).

When night arrived, Cornelia would always want to be home. She would spend the days with her good friends, but she was devoted to her family and preferred for everyone to be home in their own beds (even when she had to sleep with her rambunctious sister: me! I guess I learned to be like her in this manner. I, too, prefer to be in my own bed, either at home or in our RV).

As children, Cornelia and I usually dressed alike. Our Aunt Beulah made many of our clothes and she made some really pretty and frilly dresses. When my daughter, Kendra, looks at pictures of us, she always laughs and says: "Look at you two! There sits Aunt Cornelia so proper with her feet and hands placed like they are supposed to be. And look at you, Mom! You are standing on the side of your shoe, leaning to the side, frowning, with your hand on your hip or in some other fashion!. That's right. I tried to be more like you ,Cornelia, but I just cannot seem to achieve that level.

Cornelia and her husband, Marcus, will soon be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. During this beautiful marriage, they have raised 4 wonderful children, 3 girls and 1 boy. Can you believe that they show the same love and respect for their mom as everyone else? They are always eager to please her, to do things for her, and to ensure that she is happy and taken excellent care of. Now, they have 4 grandchildren who also demonstrate many of the same attributes as their "Gran".

It's no secret that I admire you and love you, "Corny". You are a very special sister and I am proud to call you my sis. When I grow up, I want to be just like you!

Happy Birthday! May you have many, many more!

Who did you call?

After reading Kendra's Blog today, it reminded me of a point our pastor made Sunday. (I don't exactly know why her blog did that, but something in there triggered my memory). He had mentioned believing in God and how many of his students say they don't believe. Jon is a high school math teacher in addition to being a wonderful pastor. He, like Kendra, cannot mention God or any of his beliefs during the school day; however, his students know that he is a bi-vocational pastor, thus a practicing Christian. After school hours, sometimes he is approached by students who don't hesitate to let him know that they are non-believers.

The question he was asking Sunday was: whenever the students (or many people who claim to be atheists) get highly upset, or maybe just excited or surprised, what do they say? It's most often "oh, God", "oh, hell", and some may even say "Good Heavens".
His point is that if they are atheists, why do they say these words? Do you ever hear anyone say "oh, Buddha!"? If they don't believe in Heaven and hell, then why do they say the words? Come to think of it, this is a mystery, right? Hell is referred to in the Bible twice as many times as Heaven, so there is such a place.

We should try to live in a way that others will know that we are Christians. I used to keep a Bible on my desk where I worked. Fortunately, no one ever said anything about it. In fact, I had a few colleagues who would come to talk when they had problems. Many times I referred to the Scriptures. I couldn't initiate but I could join in. Of course, I couldn't when I was a teacher in a military school and sometimes it was very difficult as many of you know. But, we have to stay the course.

10,000 What??

I am bushed tonight!! I am trying to take the doctor's advice and get more exercise. Today, I rode my bike 5+ miles and walked 2 and 1/2 miles! Don says I won't be able to get out of bed in the morning and I am afraid he may be right! Oh, my aching back and legs!! The doc wants me to take 10,000 steps per day and in all that walking, I only walked 9,500! It's hard to realize how much walking it takes to get in that many steps.

Tonight, several of us ladies walked down to the recreation hall and played Bingo. None of us were lucky but one guy at our table won 3 games! That was more walking but still unable to get in quite the goal. Wish me luck as I continue the quest!

Playing Tag

Kendra tagged me with the following questions which I promised to respond to today:
1. What was I doing 10 years ago? That would be Jan, 1996, when I was very slowly recovering from a very severe broken leg (I broke both bones in a twisting fashion on Aug. 9, 1995). I was out of work 5 months and moved about first in wheelchair, then walker, then crutches, then canes. After about a year of this, I had to start all over with the wheelchair! I was 4 years walking with at least a cane and now I still take it with me in the car usually.

2. What was I doing 1 year ago? I was camping for 7 weeks in Florida with my friends.

3. What are 5 snacks I enjoy? doritos, 100-Calorie Oreos, chocolate candy, Cheerios, Little Debby Oatmeal Cookie

4. 5 Songs I know the lyrics to? "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah"; "Amazing Grace"; "Old MacDonald";
"Tennessee Waltz"; "Three Little Fishes"; etc. etc. etc

5. 5 Things I would do if I were a Millionaire? Pay all my children's bills; Put enough aside to pay for the grandchildren's college education and pay for those already in college; Buy a new Motorcoach; Give some to the church and other organizations and needy individuals; Give some to each of my children.

6. 5 Bad Habits I have? I'm slow to do chores; I like to talk on the phone too much; I like to eat out too often; I like to snack too much and it shows!; I enjoy my recliner too much, especially when I should be up doing something worthwhile.

7. 5 things I would never wear, buy, or get new again? 2-piece bathing suit (I'm too chubby); cigarettes (I quit smoking last July); spike heel shoes (I have trouble wearing anything other than tennis shoes since my accident);motorcycle (I had a Honda 150 when I was young and also a Vespa scooter which I wouldn't dare ride on the highway now with so much wild traffic); a vacation timeshare (we now prefer RV traveling, not timeshares).

8. 5 things I like doing? RVing all over the country; going to church; eating (that's a given but I love going out with my friends especially for breakfast!); shopping (I love shopping for Christmas and getting in the middle of the crowds!); Talking and visiting with friends on the phone, (usually longer than necessary on the phone); and I love being tagged and answering questions like this!

9. 5 favorite toys? my laptop computer (I love to blog and to visit a few other sites); Scrapbook (I have completed my parents book, my husband's book, and my childhood book. Now I'm working on my college scrapbook); My bicycle (we spend many hours riding our bikes around the RV parks and it's such a good exercise); my cars (I love going places0; RV (expensive toy but it's so much fun!); and, my recliner (It's so much fun to take naps in it on cold, rainy days).

I would like to hear from Katja and Theresa on these. Go ahead, rack your brains!! (PS, thanks, Theresa, for responding to the other tag. I believe you know yourself very well)

Good music makes the day

Today has been a beautiful but somewhat lazy Sunday. After church, we went to eat Chinese food and it was delicious! Then, there was a local arts and craft fair nearby that we visited. There were some beautiful oil paintings there. Don and I decided that our daughter, Kendra, needs to show some of hers because she, too, is very talented. We came back to watch the NFL playoffs. So far, they have not been that exciting to watch. Maybe this second game will get better since it's still first quarter. One good thing about both games so far was the trumpet playing of the National Anthem in Game One and Carrie Underwood's singing the Anthem in the second game. Music can make any day a better day.

At church this morning, the pastor's three oldest children played a classical number on their violins and cello. They are amazingly talented! How does Mom have time to teach them all this music and home school them too? Out of the eleven, eight are school age. The older children help teach the younger ones and I'm sure they are excellent teachers; I can tell that they are all loved and dedicated to one another.

The pastor continued his sermons on the Apostles Creed with his Scripture coming from I Peter 3:13-22 this morning. He preached on something I had never heard before: "The descent into hell." He explained that Jesus went down to proclaim His victory when He died on the cross, that it was a statement of glory and triumph; not humiliation. (That came while He was on the cross). When we have an open mind we can still keep on learning, even at my age!!

I hope that you have had a wonderful weekend and that your week will be beautiful even if the weather is rainy, icy, snowy, or sunny. Most of all: May you be part of the redeemed.

And now I know...

Yesterday, I wrote about our neighbor who had pushed a wheelbarrow over a mile back to his RV site. I questioned how he would get the thing home and now I know. He has no intention of taking it home with him. Instead, he has cleaned it up and set it out at the street with a For Sale sign on it! Yep, he plans to make a nice profit on it. He paid $10 for it yesterday and is now asking $25 for it. I'm sure if it doesn't sell in a few days, he will lower the price a little. I am curious as to what he will do if it doesn't sell before time for him to go home. It's just not worth taking the chances some people take.

One lady here is the "coupon Queen". She has found coupons for almost every restaurant in the area! Many of them are good for a party of several so she invites the neighbors to go with her (or should I say, take her). She's a good sport though because she gets a lot of teasing. Some folks are pretty funny here and I'm still enjoying watching and laughing!

Watching Q-Tips

I'm having so much fun now with my computer, my email, and especially my blogging! I wish all of you readers who don't blog would take up the hobby. I know, it's probably boring to many of you despite the fact that I try to write in an interesting way. Sometimes nothing much happens and that makes it very difficult. Today is one of those days when little happens except my funny neighbor in the park. One lady on the far end of the park, about a mile away, was having a yard sale so we rode our bikes down to see what was worth buying. Several of the guys were interested in a "like-new" wheelbarrow and a heavy-duty dolly. Since most of us don't have much storage to haul stuff like that, we just left them there. Several hours later, one of the guys came down the street pushing a wheelbarrow with a large heavy-duty dolly in it! He had decided to buy them both for a great price of $20! And, he had pushed them the long mile all the way back to his place! (That's why Sammie is so thin and trim and most of us are not!) The question now is, how to get these things home later. Will he manage to store them away in his RV? Can he leave his spare tire on his tow vehicle out? Will he climb the ladder and tie them on top of his RV? Or, maybe he will tow them behind his tow car!! I have seen other things almost as silly behind RV's: Pickups being towed; boats behind those; motorcycles on trailers; canoes on top of cars. Some campers think they need to carry everything with them. Some campers have sold their homes and DO have to carry everything with them! Q-tips are a joy to be around and to observe (For those of you who didn't read my earlier blog and don't know what a Q-tip is, it is a white-headed Senior Citizen wearing white tennis shoes). I love it! After all, I'm a Q-tip too, and somebody is surely watching me!

Am I Weird?

The other day, Kendra tagged me to reveal 5 weird things about myself. So, here goes:

1. I have to make up the bed immediately upon getting out of it. (It makes the room looks pretty neat whether it is or not)

2. When we go on a trip that involves staying somewhere other than our bed at home or in the
motorcoach, I have to take my own pillow, my sound machine, my flip flops for the shower,
and my own soap. (To some that may not be weird, but to Don it is, especially the sound
machine and soap).

3. I have to drive our 38-foot motorcoach when we go on trips. (I am not a good passenger!)

4. I do my best and deepest sleeping after my husband gets up (that's usually around 3:00AM)

5. I have to sleep with something that makes a constant, soothing noise such as a fan or a noise-making machine (I'm learning that many other people are doing this too).

Are these weird enough? Don gave me 3 of these and he thinks they are really weird.
I will tag Frannie and Theresa now to learn 5 weird things about them. Let me hear from you!

Wanna step outside? (You're joking, right?)

This has been a rather cool day where I am, not only weather wise but with the happenings. I went with several friends to play bingo and I was fortunate enough to win one of the jackpots which I had to split with another winner. That was okay though, because I still had enough winnings that I actually played free. An event which was not so cool happened just before the games began when some guy entered the hall shouting and threatening anyone who dared say anything about him, his friends, and their motorcycles. I am sure that 90% of the people present didn't even know what he was talking about or why. It seems, according to him, that some were fussing about the motorcycles in the park and where they were parking. He informed us that he had the right to park anywhere in the park and that if anyone had anything to say about it to step outside with him. Now, to me, that meant that anyone who dared step out with him may end up getting his or her lights knocked out. This is not funny but when I stopped and looked around the fellowship hall, I saw some walking with canes, some with walkers, and 99% with white hair or no hair! The guy looked a good bit younger than anyone else I saw since this is located in a park for seniors only. Can you picture some of these guys struggling out of their chairs, tottering to the door, and actually answering the call of the wild? (Sorry, it is almost too funny). Actually, most of us don't have anything against these cyclists because they have been polite, driven slowly and heeded to pedestrians. This one guy just had a problem that I could tell. He left, alone I might add, so I guess he was okay. Maybe he left before any of the old timers had time to get up and make it outside. (I'm not making fun of over 55 citizens because I am one. It just seems quite ludicrous to "pick a fight" even though some older folks do have an attitude and sometimes act in a way that does upset others).

I hope your day has been a good one, that tomorrow will be even better. Let's all work to keep our "cool" and only join others outside for fresh air.

Helloooooo! I'm back on the air!

I am finally back on the air I think. I'm trying a new method and it's maddening to say the least! I had to order a new card for my computer and learn how to install it myself!! If you knew me, you would know that my knowledge of computers is about at the same level of a 3-year-old. But, I was able to install the card all by myself and I am so proud! I reminded myself of my daughter when she was about 3 and learned to tie her shoes. She was so proud as she came out of her bedroom yelling, "I did it...I did it!". She always wanted to do things for herself and she is still that way today.

I hope that I will be able to continue writing. I hope you will continue reading!

Off the air for a few days

Just a quick note to say I will be off the air for a few days. I hope to be back on by Monday. Take care and have a great week!

A Woman's Work in the Field

This Monday has been a beautiful day, a busy day but also a "Funday" in many ways. First off, I had to make an appointment with my doctor due to a very annoying earache. He determined that I have Mastoiditis (spelling?) and gave me amoxicillin. I hope this clears it up. I have enough problems hearing without an additional ear problem. I was going to have to wait a long time at the pharmacy while the truck unloaded the medicine I needed so I went to the grocery store and spent much too much! I later received a call from the clothing store where I was having my new suit altered. I needed to pick it up ASAP and that was more than an hour's trip. My daughter then came by and I rode with her to pick up my 2 grandchildren. Now, that was the highlight of the day! They sang along with Bill Gaither's group who was singing "John the Revalator". They were so cute! Kendra loves their CD and now the children do too and they request that she play it for them often. Already, they are remembering words and tunes very well and they are less than 3 years old! Livvy loves to pretend that she is playing along on her make-believe guitar.

Tonight, we had Baptist Women, at which our President, Frannie, did another great job. Our program was about the disaster groups sponsored by the Baptist Association. I was surprised to learn that the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is the third-largest volunteer relief organization in the United States. They prepare the majority of meals distributed through the American Red Cross in most disasters. I am impressed! I, too, would love to go on a mission trip some day and would love for our group to take on such a venture. We can all pray and give even if we aren't able to go. Maybe some day we will meet on a missions!

A New Week Begins

Today was church day and I was ready for that. Our pastor did a great job today as he gave many factors which guarantee that God's church will always survive. He referred to Rick Warren, author of the book, "Purpose-Driven Life". If you haven't read this book, I can strongly recommend it as excellent reading. Our Sunday School teacher also taught a good lesson about loving our enemies.

After church, my granddaughter, Livvy, came running up to me and wanted to search my pockets. She was sure that I had a lollipop in there for her. I hate that I didn't, but she did find one at my house after she finished her lunch. Our choir director said she was trying to teach the little children a song which included all the books of the Old Testament and that two-year-old Livvy was able to pronounce every book correctly, including Ecclesiastes!! She is a joy to watch and listen to. My two-year-old grandson, Clay, also wins the hearts of the ladies at church with his pretty smile, charming dimple and angelic expressions.

Monday will be rolling around too soon and many of you will be going back to work. I wish for each of you a great day and a wonderful week. Enjoy your days and keep on smiling!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho!

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood has arrived! I was awakened too early by a ringing telephone and I immediately decided that I would be grumpy and sound sleepy to the person by my tone of voice. I did. Knowing that she had destroyed the perfect ending to a fairy tale dream, my friend, who is out of town for 3 months, started laughing, saying that I never stay home since she kept trying to contact me last night when I was out having fun. Because I was already behaving like several of the Seven Dwarfs (I'm having trouble recalling all 7 dwarfs, can only remember 4: Sleepy, Grumpy, Doc & Dopey. Can you HELP me? Come on, the winner will be crowned "Disney's Doofus of the Day"), I immediately changed her name to "Dopey"! With her bubbly conversation, I soon forgot my initial reaction and my promise to myself to be a butthead all day. Ever since, I have been flitting around the house, singing "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go..." (Oh no, not another day with these old songs running in and out of my brain! My computer tells me this is Saturday and I am working!... well, not overly hard, just doing some of Monday's chores today.)

The sun is shining but it's very chilly today. Maybe I will forget the chores, grab a good book or find a good movie on TV, snuggle under my warm lap Blankie, and enjoy a few hours. Hmm. I had another thought: why not settle down for a nap to make up for the call I received from "Dopey" early this morning!!

A Frantic -NO- a Fun Friday

I can't believe that it is already another Friday! I understand why Kendra (see Kendra's blog) and others get all excited about this day because I used to do the same; however, since I retired in June, 2000, everyday is Friday...or Saturday...or Sunday...or whatever day I want it to be!! I love it! There is one drawback, however: knowing just what day it really is! That still becomes important when you have a doctor's or some other appointment. My mom used to tell me that she had to keep getting the newspaper whether she read it or not. She always looked to see the true date and she would laugh and say she had to read the obits to make sure her name wasn't there. For me, I use the newspaper, the computer or my telephone to tell me the exact day and date. My hubby says it really doesn't matter to him because if he absolutely needs to know he will ask me (And, he expects me to know those things).

Today has been a very busy day. I'm on a committe to select furniture for our church fellowship hall and we met this morning. Then my good friend, Elsie, and I had to make our weekly trip for our burger at this special restaurant. Later, it was on to the beauty shop to get a make-over. I stopped by the home of my grandchildren's sitter in hopes to see them since I knew that I wouldn't see them otherwise, but, alas, they were already gone. Hopefully, I will see them tomorrow. I love to sit and watch them; they really tickle me with their antics. Clay is doing this "rescue anyone in trouble" thing and he is so cute! He jumps up onto the rocking chair, does this cute movement (like driving) with his hands, jumps down, spins around, then comes running to the rescue (usually to rescue Livvy's doll which is often thrown down somewhere on its head)! Imaginations are rampart in 2- and 3-year olds. If you haven't ever enjoyed watching children in this age bracket, I strongly recommend it. It's much more entertaining than television!

Tonight, Don and I had dinner at a nearby restaurant with my lifelong friends, Rob and Fran and their grandson, Charles. This was a fun night, one that we have traditionally enjoyed for at least 20 years. I hope that all of you readers have such friends with whom you will be able to enjoy spending time. We can tell you many funny stories, sad stories, and just plain silly stories from the past. Recalling those times is a real treat. I wish for you the same future filled with fun!

Happy Talk, Keep talking Happy Talk

Can you believe that we are now in 2006, that everything is resuming just the way it was going in 2005, with people back on the job or continuing their daily routines around and about! I went to Curves yesterday for the first time this year and it was the same crowd there behaving just as they did before Christmas holidays arrived, some talking a little, and puffing a lot. The spirit I witnessed prior to the holidays was gone, vanished, poof! No one was laughing; no one was cheerfully talking about their children, their grandchildren, or even their fondest memories of the holidays! Curves had been closed since before New Year's so there should have been some sharing going on. What is wrong with us, myself included? Why can't we continue this wonderful spirit even 4 days into the New Year?? What will we be like by March I wonder. What can I do to make my world a more cheerful place? Do you have any ideas? I will do my part when I go back to Curves in a few minutes. I will smile at others, speak to everyone, and talk about my grandchildren (that, I will have no problems doing! They are so precious! But, don't take my word for that; follow my link to Kendra's Blog.) If you have seen the movie, "South Pacific" (I seem to be on a "song" kick), you may recall their singing a song on the island. Some of the words are as follows: "Happy talk, keep talking happy talk. Talk about things you like to do. You've got to have a dream, if you don't have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true..." My dream is to hear happy talk, so I'm gonna "try" to practice what I write. Believe me, I know how difficult that can be when you're "down in the mouth". But, here goes!!
(lalalalalala!)

A Song in my Heart

Today is a rainy day in many parts of the country, a windy day in some parts, a cold and snowy day in other parts, and a sunny day somewhere; however, no matter what kind of day it is in your area of the world, it is, or can be a beautiful day! Some of you may say "how is that possible? You don't know what I'm going through or what I'm having to endure and you are right about that. Yet, I can still say that it can be a beautiful day, at least in some way or ways. Are you alive? Do you have a spouse, children, parents or other family that you hold dear? Do you have a close friend? Do you have a caretaker or a physician on whom you can depend? Do you have a loyal pet (maybe not one so talented like the sick man had whose cat called 911 when he fell out of his wheel chair)? Don't we all have someone on whom we feel free to call on when we need them? And, we can all have God to call on if we want Him. Let these people, these things, these beliefs make 2006 a great year for us. When we are down, there is a song that I learned as a small child that always cheers me. My mom used to sing it and it makes a lot of sense. Maybe you know it, I cannot write the tune but here are the words:

Zip-a-dee-do-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay
My, oh my, what a wonderful day!
Plenty of sunshine heading my way,
Zip-a-dee-do-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay!

Mister Bluebird on my shoulder,
It's a truth, it's "actual",
Everything is "satisfactual".

Zip-a-dee-do-da, Zip-a-dee-ay
Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!

PUT A SONG IN YOUR HEART AND
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY AND A WONDERFUL YEAR!!

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! WELCOME 2006!!

Another year has arrived and it seems as though the 21st century just begun yesterday! We had our annual get-together but instead of breakfast this year, we had a dinner meal. For the rest of the evening we had lots of tasty snacks. Now I am so stuffed, I feel more like the Thanksgiving turkey than the New Year lively one! At midnight, we broke open the one bottle of champagne and each of us had a taste. By 1:00am, everyone was gone! I trust everyone arrived home safely this morning.

I will get up shortly and head for church, then I shall take a much-needed nap this afternoon.
I hope your day is great, your year is filled with happiness, and your life is filled with wonderful experiences.