Smelling The Roses And Dodgeing The Thorns

Let the good times roll! Two weeks and counting…

2011-10-18T12:15:00.001-05:00

Well after a very long summer.. and a lot of “shit happens” I’m headed on another cruise. This will make my 4 th one. Ohhh, but this time no family is going.. let’s just say “what happens on the cruise” stays on the cruise… and that my friends is how I roll or sail !!

It’s been awhile..and I’m still standing

2011-10-17T11:42:00.001-05:00

Where to start.. it’s been awhile and so many things have happen. Life is a challenge and I’m still standing. Where to start is the question…..

I have a new grandson.. he is almost 5 mos old. His name is Robert. God must have known that he was to be named Robert before we did. My daughter in law lost her father this past Friday and the baby was named after him. We will always have “Robert” with us now…

I’ve been thinking a lot lately… I have been so blessed to have the family that I have been given. We are not perfect and never will be.. but we are blessed to be given the time together that we have had. There will come a time when I will no longer be around.. but my family will go on.. and more will be added as the years go by.

It is said that people come and go in our lives and while this is true.. Family will always be there. Family will drive you nuts.. piss you off.. but will stand with you when they are truly needed…

So this is for my “Family” I love you , and will give thanks each day that I have you .. each and everyone of you in my life.

What’s up

2010-01-27T18:34:00.001-06:00

Kinda hard keeping my word about blogging when there is so much happening.

Sis has been in the hospital. So between that and trying to work. I’ve been pretty busy…

But today… I got a new sofa … man is it nice. I just wish I had time to set on it. I’m trying to get things really cleaned up around here. Ya know the kind of clean where ya pull something out and think : Why am I keeping this ???? Well let me tell you the trash men are going to know I cleaned house. Which brings me back to Sis. We are the odd couple. I clean and toss. She hangs onto things thinking she will find some use for them. I took down and put away all the xmas stuff. She put the tree on the back patio. That was the extent of her helping. Today I went out on the back patio and guess what ?? The xmas tree is still setting there !What is she thinking, that we can use it next year ?

My point is this. there are many things about others that bother us. I have to stop and remind myself that there are things about me that drive my sis nuts. So we call it even and adjust to what makes each other tick… it’s all about being who we are. I’m who I am suppose to be and so is she…..

Simply_me

Relax, tomorrow is another day

2010-01-13T17:26:00.001-06:00

Astrology - Today's Taurus Horoscope

Here is your Today's Taurus Horoscope

Progress is tough today, so don't get too frustrated if you end up not far from where you started. If you can just blow off the day entirely, you might get a lot more out of just relaxing.

Now you may wonder why I posted my horoscope..

After reading how my day has gone you will understand. I now think I need to listen to what is being said.

Today is wet and cold. We, my sis and I decided to order pizza, you know the kind they bring to the house. How smart is that, we don’t have to go anywhere . I liked this idea….

I decided to order online, not a problem. There would be a 35 to 45 min wait. I can live with this, I won’t starve before then. The doorbell rings and “Yeah”, it’s time to eat. The girl handed me a ticket. I looked at it and it was the wrong price. They hadn’t charged me enough. I’m honest and tell her of the mistake. Turns out she had given me the wrong ticket. With this resolved . I close the door and head to the kitchen. I’m just a min away from heaven or so I thought. I open up the pizza box and took a bit ( I’m starving !) It was then that I realized this is not the pizza I ordered. Not real happy after waiting for 45 mins.

Did I mention that I also ordered cheese bread sticks ? I opened up the box and I had cinnamon bread with marinara sauce to dip it in. #*%^$%# Get the pictures ?

Someone was fixing to get a ugly phone call. It’s just wrong to mess up a order that bad. I called, ask to speak to the manager. I’m not messing around here.

After explaining what had taken place with a perfectly good order that had gotten all jacked up, I was asked if I wanted another order to replace the one I had gotten. Do I want to wait 45 more mins ? I think not ! In the end I was given a credit for another pizza and bread sticks. Did I eat the pizza? Well yes, but I just couldn’t talk myself into dipping cinnamon bread into the marinara sauce.

I think it’s time to blow it off and relax !

Simply_me

Did ya really think I was dead ?

2010-01-13T13:08:00.001-06:00

I’m back ! I know you thought my feet were sticking up out of the dirt ! Well guess again. I got sidetracked with everything that has been going on.. At my age I get sidetracked often.

Where to start.. I went to Key West on vacation. I had never been there and it is a lovely place… but unless you are younger and into bars and drinking there really is not a lot to do there. After a week I was ready to head home. You get tired of shopping and drinking after awhile and so it was back to reality.

My son , grandbaby & his girlfriend moved out.. I now have a daughter in law and a new granddaughter, Yes, we had a wedding this fall. I can’t believe that baby will soon be a year old !

A good looking family

What else has been pushing my buttons around here ? Well my oldest daughter was in a car accident . She rolled her SUV. It was totaled . She had her angles watching out for her. Thank god she was not seriously hurt. Not a great way to get you hands on a new car.

I worked Christmas so the family all got together on New Years day to start the year out right. We had a great time… now with all the Christmas stuff stored for another year, I am getting things cleaned up around here and cleaning the carpets. So there ya have 6 mos history shorted a bit. I will do my best to keep things on track and check by more often.

My hope is that you are all doing well and that the new year will bring lots of laughs and happiness your way… Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Life is hard. It’s even harder if you’re stupid.

and today….

2009-08-04T21:44:00.001-05:00

Well today was finish the floor day. That was not my plan. I wanted to go to the pool. As luck would have it we are in stage 3 of saving water. I headed to the pool and found out it is closed for the rest of the summer… We need some serious rain ! Could you all do a rain dance or something for us ?

My son and family did get moved out and my Sister has moved in. I finished the tile on the dinning room floor and will work on putting everything back into place tomorrow. I don’t think I will tackle another floor for awhile.

My newest addiction is “FaceBook” If you haven’t tried it you might want to. I got bored with twitter and some of the other things. The gang at work told me I needed to try Facebook. What the heck, I need another way to waste time right ? Well I love it. There are lots of things to do there, as well as chat with your friends. What I like is that only the people you add can contact you. No strange message’s from strange people. I happen to love FarmTown.. You start from a plot of land and build a farm.

Holy Cow’s farm

That would be my farm.. “Holy Cow” – I have a farm and a green thumb at last ! It’s a lot of fun. So if ya find you are bored, give it a try. www.facebook.com

I will post picture of the floor as soon as I put every thing back in place.. Hope you are all having a gr8 week !

Hugs from:

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come back home.

This is my life in a nut shell…

2009-07-28T12:43:00.001-05:00

I don’t know but my days just keep getting shorter. I am so busy with work and things happening here at home. I love summer, but I find that when I start new projects, there are just not enough hours in the day. If you remember, with the help of my SO, we replaced the kitchen floor with new tile. I decided I could replace the dining room carpet with tile also. How hard could it be? No glue to scrap off the floor. Just pull up the old carpet and start laying tile. Wrong ! After pulling up the carpet, I found that I had to fill in hole and cracks. After working for a whole afternoon, I had blisters on my blisters. I had to wait for the cement to dry, which left me waiting till I worked 4 more 12 hour shifts. I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I start something I want to finish it. If I have to wait, I have a hard time getting back to it. Well it’s about 80% done, thanks to my daughter coming over and getting me motivated. I am hoping to finish it up before heading back to work on Friday.

On another note.. My son, his girlfriend and my grandbaby are moving out. They were going to stay a few mos till they got an apartment, that turned into a year and a grandbaby later. Oh ya say now nice… she will have her house back. Well to be honest, my sister is now moving back in. I am good with this as she has now been sober for over a year, has a good job and can help with the rent ect. It works for both of us. I could make it on my own, but there would be no extra cash for the “I want things.” Sis is excited about moving in and it’s all good right now. The house is a mess what with my son moving out.. me trying to put in a new floor and sis will be moving in this week. Things are out of place and it drives me nuts. I just want some order in my life ! lol. We will get it all put back together soon. Now you know what has been keeping me so busssssssy ! I am counting the days till I leave the mess behind and head to Miami and Key West… 2 weeks off work and a little vacations !!! Can’t wait….

“This is my life at the moment ..”

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.

I’m still Kicking

2009-07-26T05:40:00.001-05:00

I didn’t die.. I didn’t give up my internet.. I’ve just been REAL busy! I will post something when I am finally off work again. Please check back soon ! Hugsssssss

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.

T stands for tired …

2009-07-13T11:18:00.001-05:00

No funny stuff, no me doing something stupid, just the avg everyday post. I just finished working 50 hours in 4 days and this is a good picture of how I am feeling…

Today I need to regroup and get ready to head back to work in a couple of days. I need to do laundry and clean up around here. All I want to do is ~~nothing~~. My daughter called this morning and asked me to watch the kids. I know that I upset her by not jumping on it. I’m just tired. I work hard and I’m not all that young anymore. It’s not that I mind having the kids, I love them. I just needed some down time today.

I sound whiney huh, sorry, I promise it will be better after I get a little rest. Tomorrow I am going to Austin with a group that I work with. We really don’t have a plan, just a - get - away day ! One of the girls know the in’s and out’s of Austin, so it should be fun.

Time to pick myself up and get some things done….sigh.

Hope you all have a gr8 week. Simply_a tired me

Quote of the Day:
Women like silent men. They think they're listening.

Smile….

2009-07-07T18:26:00.001-05:00

Love this remote

Come on laugh.. you know it’s funny !

Need I say more ?

These books are the top sellers when you have small kids !

I disagree with this one..Money can cure Ugly !

I just wanted to share a smile with you today. Remember when life is getting you down..

JUST say to hell with it and BLOG!!

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
The easiest thing to find is fault.

Happy 4th Ya’ll !

2009-07-05T20:19:00.001-05:00

If you weren’t Grilling and Chilling this 4th , then take a look at what ya missed out on… It was a fun filled holiday for our family! I hope that you enjoyed your day as much as we did…

Quote of the Day:

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Make a Plan

2009-07-01T20:43:00.001-05:00

Little to post right now.. but coming soon I will be crowing ! A few days ago My OS and I got tickets to fly toooooooo….. MIAMI !

We are going to fly to Miami, spend the night , rent a car and drive to KEY WEST . I love Fl and have been there several times, but never to Miami or Key West. I am so looking forward to it. We won’t be going till Labor Day weekend. Which at this writing seems a long ways off. Hopefully there won’t be a hurricane at that time !

As a added surprise my Sis gifted me with a month’s worth of free tanning. I can save it till August and be really to hit the beach. It’s actually nice to have something to look forward to. Day in and day out working , paying bills and just doing the same ole same ole gets depressing. So I say.. plan ahead and do something you really want to do. I know, money is a problem for most of us these days. I want to do this, I just have to manage my money better.

I SAY “I CAN DO THAT” ! No credit cards to pay off when I get back. If I have to use credit, then I should stay home. This is no time to be owing anyone anything. So this makes getting up and working those 12 hour shifts worth it.

Now I have to get to sleep, cause 4:30 am comes early. Think I might dream of palm trees and white sand.. nite all !

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Love is being stupid together

Moving Ahead

2009-06-30T08:35:00.001-05:00

Someone sent me this at work and I thought to share it with you. It can be applied to every thing in your life. If you are feeling as if you can’t do something that is important to you, this will pick you up and move your forward……

I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards. - Abraham Lincoln, U.S. President

Slow and steady has not always been an inspiring concept. It's not as sexy as speed and sharp turns of direction. But it may be just the thing to keep you from running out of gas, while still moving you forward. Abe is telling us that the most important thing is to keep walking forward, no matter how slowly. Sometimes slowness can be frustrating. You might become impatient; you might get discouraged with a setback. But a setback doesn't have to set you back. Simply using it as a learning opportunity can leapfrog you ahead again. From now on, try paying attention more to your direction and less to your speed. Be patient, focus on a little bit at a time, and soon enough, you'll be further than you ever thought. Besides, it's a good bet that by always looking forward, Abe rarely looked back in regret.

Quote of the Day:
"There are only two ways to live your life - one is as though nothing is a miracle - the other is as if everything is a miracle. "

living long enough to be a real concern

2009-06-29T13:34:00.001-05:00

Actually this is happening ! A few weeks ago I went to a fast food place here in town and pulled around the corner to find one of these carts at the drive through window. I have to say it was a first for me. What really scared me was to watch him pull out onto a 4 lane street and go across all 4 lanes. A very busy main street in town. I was holding my breath hoping no one would hit him. Understand everyone has a right to get where they are going. I was thinking they have bicycle lanes in some places. With the growing population of older people (which I am gonna be one soon), perhaps they need to start making cart lanes. Maybe they can add another light to the stoplights for carts. I wonder what color that would be. I also think they need to lower the drive through windows for these carts. Hey. these are electric, might need to make sure there is a power source handy at your place of business. If not you might be driving someone home.Ya don’t need a licenses to drive these babies!! This is the new Sr movement to get even for taking our car keys away. I guess this brings new meaning to be “hell on wheels”….

If my kids are reading this , it could be me someday !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keeping in mind how many times I worried about your driving.. Pay backs or a coming ..lol

Quote of the Day:
Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold.

In a few years.. this will happen..

2009-06-25T10:39:00.001-05:00

My daughter is a hairstylist and has a daughter. I can see this happen …. Poor child.. nothing worse in life then looking like your grandma.

Quote of the Day:

"The second day of a diet is always easier than the first. By the second day you're off it."

7 reasons not to mess with children.

2009-06-24T05:10:00.001-05:00

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, 'When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah'.
The teacher asked, 'What if Jonah went to hell?'
The little girl replied, 'Then you ask him'.

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, 'I'm drawing God.'
The teacher paused and said, 'But no one knows what God looks like.'
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, 'They will in a minute.'

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to 'honor' thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, 'Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?'
Her mother replied, 'Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.'
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, 'Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?'

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
'Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, 'And there's the teacher, she's dead.'

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, 'Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.'
'Yes,' the class said.
'Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?'
A little fellow shouted,
'Cause your feet ain't empty.'

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
'Take only ONE . God is watching.'
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples.'

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

Who needs a Quote of the day after reading this !!!

Hope you are all having a GR8888888888 Week!

Simply_me

A Special Father’s day Treat

2009-06-23T13:44:00.001-05:00

Most days life is repetition. We work, eat, sleep, worry, clean, cook , do laundry, talk on the phone, play on the computer, pay bills , gas up the car, repair things and shop…. but now and then we get a break and do something fun, something special, something different…

This past Friday my SO flew in from Va. He does that about twice a mo, but it had been about a mo sense he had been here. He works for an airline so he can get down here often. The flights were full and there were no open seats for his flight here. We had decided we would just wait a little longer. As luck would have it there was a plane in San Antonio that needed fixed, and they asked him to fly down. NO PROBLEM ! This opened a seat up for him. He got in late Friday night. The parts he needed for the plane were sent to San Antonio, but they were the wrong parts. He had to go back to San Antonio Sat and repair the plane. This was ok because I had to work 12 hours that day.

SUNDAY MORNING…. Father’s Day.. he not my baby daddy, but he is a dad. I wanted to do something special, something differant.

SOooooo I treated him to ……

Neither he or I had been to Sea world in 12 years or more. We had a wonderful day. We saw many shows and got soaked by Shamu. Actually it was better then I expected. It’s hot in Texas already, but the park had many shade tree’s and lots of water rides. We made it home and rehashed the day. We had often talked about going and never made it there. I made his evening gr8 as well , but I won’t share that !!! lol.

Monday, we made some repairs around the house and just hung out together. That evening we went to a movie and actually , both of us enjoyed it. Today it was time to take him back to the airport, for his return to work in Va.

So in your everyday life, keep in mind that those special things you do with the people you love, would not be special if you got to do them every day. Tomorrow it’s back to work for me as well, and I will keep in mind that anything becomes Special when you share it with those you love…..

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.

Ear’s what happen... down at the car wash

2009-06-17T07:39:00.001-05:00

Ok, you say she is about to lay something funny on us. (that’s would be your take on it) Personally I wonder why these things happen to me and not someone else ! Yesterday I decided to give my car a really good cleaning. I waited till later in the evening for it to cool down. I got the shopvac out, (once again.. see last post). This time I didn’t use it to stand on, I used it to clean out the inside of my car. Then I got some cleaner and wiped down the inside and cleaned the windows.

Feeling very pleased with myself, I got my car keys, which were not locked in the house today. (once again see last post) and headed to town to get gas and go through the carwash. I got gas with my gas card and it printed me a code for the carwash. I am in luck, no one is ahead of me. Why I think I might have any luck is beyond me.. Positive or wishful thinking I guess.

I pull up to the machine in front of the carwash. I put my code in. It says Invalid . Ok, I admit, I don’t have the cheater glasses on. I take another look, yep same # I had already put in. I try again. Invalid # it reads once again. Keep in mind this machine talks to you. It welcomes you, ect ..ect. Today it was not talking. I should have known I was not welcomed. I try the # a third time and still nothing. Here’s where things went to hell. The only way out is… you guessed it, go into the carwash and out the other side. After 4 try’s I decide that the only thing left to do was go back around, go inside the store and let them know it wasn’t working and get a refund. I slowly drove forward and BAM !!!!! I got my hair and ear washed as the carwash that wasn’t working decided it was working, and my car window was down !! Ohoooooooo stop laughing, no one got it on video !! If they had I might have gotten my 15 mins of fame !!

I went into the store after getting my hair, ear and car washed and told the girl inside what happen. She said,”We just got it fixed”. Picture me standing there with wet hair and a cleaner then clean ear , looking ready to shoot her. She takes a good look at me and says. “well maybe not, would you like to leave a note for the manager?” I’m thinking they might want to start selling hair dryers ! “No, I don’t want to leave a note, but if someone drives into that carwash with a Lexus you might have a real problem.”

I’m just thankful no one was in the other seat to see this happen or I really would have to hurt someone, cause I know they would still be laughing !!!!

SIMPLY _it could only happen to _ME

Quote of the Day:
"If any of you cry at my funeral, I'll never speak to you again!"

Out and back in or is that break in ?

2009-06-16T07:26:00.001-05:00

And the story starts out with a phone call. My daughter called and after talking for a few mins we decided to meet in town and go to lunch. I hurry up and dress and head for the door. Oops one min I need to spray something on so that I will smell pretty. Here is where my mistake lies. I lay down my car keys. Now that I smell all girly I head to the door. I check the back door to be sure that is it locked. I head out the front door after locking it. I get into the car and I’m ready to go. WRONG ! No car keys… and no house keys. Better then that no CELL-PHONE to call anyone for help. I am the worse about a cell phone. I don’t use it often .( almost never as a matter of fact .),and the battery was dead .

Now I am stuck outside in a 100 degree weather !! Ok, I am walking around the house trying to get in and thinking my daughter will come looking for me if I don’t show up, but how long will she wait? I know she will call the house, but how many times before she really gets worried? I’m still looking for a way to get in.

I find a window that is unlocked… YES! I get the screen off and open the window, but there is a small problem. The window is higher then I am tall. How am I going to get in? I don’t have a ladder. I find a lawn chair and try that. Still not high enough. I then get the shopvac out of the storeroom and put it on the chair. I climb up thinking I am gonna fall and break my neck, and if that isn’t bad enough a cop is gonna see me and arrest me for breaking into my own house. I can look in the window now and see that once I get up in the window.. I have to get down on the other side. Well I just can’t picture me going to work with two broken legs, I climb down.

To make this long story shorter, I managed to get the guy next door and his girlfriend to help me get the door open, He had a ladder and she was YOUNG and SKINNY ! Why is it that when you do something stupid someone always finds out ? She gets in the house , walks around and opens the door and tells me my phones ringing… I hear the answering machine saying “Mom, where are you?” Honey, I just needed a few extra moments to break into my house , I’m on my way !

PS: I am getting a house key made today and hiding it outside somewhere. Am I worried about someone finding it? No, if they want to get in they will find a way.. I did !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
"I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it."

YOU ROCK SIS !

2009-06-15T10:07:00.001-05:00

I know.. posting twice in one day means I “don’t have a life or I am putting things off that I don’t want to do”. I have a life and it seems to be pretty busy right now. I just wanted to take a min and tell you that my sister over @ A Day In Life has a year of sobriety as of yesterday and a birthday on Wednesday. Go over and show her some love and tell her what a good job she is doing ! I am very proud of her. I work in a rehab and know how hard it is to overcome addictions. Way To go SIS ! Love ya !

The Wolf Pack

2009-06-15T09:53:00.001-05:00

For you Twilight fans : Meet the wolf Pack

'Twilight' movie photo captures heat of Native American 'wolf pack'

Twilight Saga: New Moon," the second movie in Stephenie Meyer's romantic vampire series.

Four buff Native Americans who play the wolf pack gaze out at the camera.
In the film, scheduled to be released Nov. 20, the wolf pack defends humans against vampires although they have a tribal history intricately entwined with "Twilight's" hero vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson) and his family.
The promotional image introduces four wolf pack members, portrayed by Chaske Spencer, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon and Bronson Pelletier.

"They had to have papers that proved their heritage," director Chris Weitz told USA Today. "And they had to be in good physical shape."
The Twilight sequel is filming now, and between takes, the actors usually are working out with barbells, doing push-ups or chowing down on steak, Weitz says.
Among wolf-pack job requirements: the ability to work half-naked no matter the weather. (Meyer wrote that the body temp for a wolf-pack member is a steady 108 degrees.)
"It's not pleasant for the actors," Weitz told USA Today. "But they have all been good-natured," Weitz said. "They show up on location in drenching, cold rain, and I say, 'OK, off with the robes.' "

I want to see how they will produce a movie out of book #4 !!!!

PS: I have run into a few wolves in my life.. married one are two even. In my younger days I was howling at to moon! Now I just find myself waiting for the moon to come up so I can go to sleep ! Simply_me

Quote of the Day:

"If your desk isn't cluttered, you probably aren't doing your job."

Let it rain…..

2009-06-11T19:15:00.001-05:00

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

I hope you are dancing in the rain today

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.

Quick and Easy…

2009-06-10T09:38:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share this with you. I made it this weekend. I use to make it all the time when the kids were small. Only my oldest daughter remembered it. I have to say it was a big hit with everyone once again. It’s easy and very good. With the sauce that goes on top, it really seems that you have worked really hard making a special treat.

FRUIT COCKTAIL CAKE

1 ½ cup sugar

1 t soda

2 cups fruit cocktail (and juice)

2 cups flour

1/8 t salt

2 eggs

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine sugar, eggs, flour, soda, salt, fruit cocktail and juice. Mix well and pour into greased 9 x 13 inch pan. The batter will be thick , so don’t worry. Sprinkle brown sugar and nuts on top of batter. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sauce:

1 stick butter, melted
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. evaporated milk

Combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 1/2 minutes. Spoon over warm cake.

I actually just spoon the sauce over each piece of cake as I serve it and not over the whole cake.

I wish I had a picture to show ya, but they ate it all ! Yummmmmy

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
A new study shows that licking the sweat off a frog can cure depression. The down side is, the minute you stop licking, the frog gets depressed again.

It’s hard work, but someone has to do it!

2009-06-09T12:53:00.001-05:00

We do love our Ranches in Texas. My oldest daughter has been dating a rancher for a little over 5 yrs. They are planning on getting married next March. Yesterday I got to spend some time with her at “the ranch” This is a real working ranch. My soon to be son_in_law works on his families ranch. He has his own place on the ranch and works cattle as well as working for his father, who also owns an engineering co. I took some picture so you could get an idea how ruff it is being a rancher.

Let me tell you .. it is hard work laying out in the sun in the Texas heat !! ( but this helps.. lol)

This is the outside kitchen.(by the pool)

After those hard days of rounding up cattle how about sitting in this to relax all those sore muscles ?

One of the many buildings that houses all the things you need to run a ranch. Including kennels to house hunting dogs.. that BARK all the time.

I only took a few pictures as we spend the afternoon sweating by the pool .. hahahah The main house is on the other side of the pool.

I enjoyed my day.. it’s not often that I get to spend time alone with Charity. The best thing about her falling for a rancher is that he is a “good ole boy” who works hard and is really good to her and my grandsons.

Needless to say.. we are both dealing with sunburns today.. but hey, being on a ranch means we have to suck it up and deal with it !!

I had a simply wonderful time. It’s really nice to get away now and then. It couldn’t get much better than laying around out in the middle of nowhere doing nothing. Sometimes life really is good. Yesterday was one of those days.

Simply_me

My kind of Bird.. no clean up

2009-06-07T07:17:00.001-05:00

Parrot Flower

This is a flower from Thailand .

It is also a protected species and is not allowed to be exported.

This may be the only way we will be able to view this flower.

FROM THAILAND . . THE VERY RARE PARROT FLOWER

Quote of the Day:

There comes a point in your life when you realize:
Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
And who always will.

BUSTED….

2009-06-04T19:59:00.001-05:00

Child's prayer - very touching!

What could I possibly add to this????

Daddy is so busted !!!

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:

90 people get the Swine Flu and everybody wants to wear a mask. A million people have AIDS and no one wants to wear a condom.

And I went Wii Wii Wii all the way home

2009-06-03T08:37:00.001-05:00

What a wonderful way to start the day. As some of you know I have been working really hard trying to get my yard back into shape. I woke up during the night to hear that God was blessing it with rain. I now know that with this rain my yard will soon be turning green with all the new grass I have been planting lately. Can you just picture me “watching the grass grow?” Well you can bet I will be !!

Today I will be working to get the inside of the house clean. There is also a desk that I have been redoing that came to a stand still. I need to set my mind to it and finish it off.

……………BUT……………IT’S NOT ALL WORK AROUND HERE !

This past weekend I went to my brothers and got caught up playing on his Wii ! OMG… how much fun is that. I loved it. If you can picture a bunch of “oldies” jumping around like kids and laughing our butts off you know what I am talking about. I went Wiiiiiii all the way home. It was soooooooooooo much fun that I ordered one. I should have it by the weekend. So here is another reason ya might not see me around as much . I will be whipping someone’s butt at baseball, tennis, bowling, or boxing. Well maybe not, but I will be giving it my best shot. I can only see one problem with this. Once the grandkids find out that MaMaw has a wii, they might move in !! LOL

Have a wonderful day… Simply _me

Quote of the Day:
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." -

Oh MaMaw.. not another picture…I’m not saying cheese

2009-06-02T19:15:00.001-05:00

My Cubby little monkey

Man is he growing or what?

He always looks so serious when

it comes to taking his picture.

One of these day I am gonna catch him with a smile.

I’m just worried that it will be the middle of the night cause that’s when he wants to play.

Making a note..leave the camera with Mom & Dad.

Simply_me – his “MaMaw”

Quote of the Day:
Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.

OUCH #%#%

2009-06-01T19:01:00.001-05:00

I have been so busy that I haven’t had time to blog. Here is a recap of what I have been up to besides working. We had two giant oak trees in the back yard that died. I hated it but it was time to cut them down before they fell and did some real damage. This weekend some guys cut them down and today I started the clean up. The back yard is really big and has lots of trees. It was time to Trim them, rake limbs and leaf’s and do some planting. There are bare spots that need to be replanted with grass. Lucky for us we have had some rain and the burn ban is off so the brush can be burnt and doesn’t have to be hauled off.

This is just a little of the brush that had to be burned. I think there were four or five truck loads of wood hauled away and still more in the yard.

Don’t throw out those tin tubs laying around. I have planted flowers,tomatoes and peppers in them. I love the way they look. I also invested in a leaf blower because I was tried of sweeping the driveway and carport. Why I didn’t do it sooner I don’t know. It’s wonderful and FAST !

What I forgot to mention was today while working in the back yard I dropped a cement block on my leg. How did I manage that… well I was racking leaf’s around a tree, picked up a cement block and there was a snake. Guess is startled me and I dropped the thing. I won’t tell you what I said but it went something like this ….

OHHHH $*%&$# #*$&#^@#&^. You get the picture. I was bleeding all over the place and wasn’t sure how bad it was. I went in the house and got some ice and a rag. I stuck my leg in the bathtub and washed it off, but couldn’t stop the bleeding. I picked up the phone and called Dawn(my daughter). “Dawn, can you come over. (I very calmly say) I guess I can, why Mom? I have hurt myself and can’t stop the bleeding. I’m not sure but I might need a stitch. Dawn “OH CRAP” (she talks nicer then I do). I’m on my way. Dawn don’t hurry, I’m not dying!” Turns out that it wasn’t that bad. I torn the skin up good and will have a major burse and a very sore leg for a bit. That’s what happens when ya get old and see a snake…. Actually it all turned out well. I got to see the grandkids and treated them to lunch for coming to my aide.

As for the yard work… It’ll still be there tomorrow. Now I have an excuse to prop up my leg and watch a little TV….

Simply_ me

Quote of the Day:
If you can't beat your computer at scrabble, try kickboxing.

I won’t let ya down !

2009-05-31T19:18:00.001-05:00

You may have seen this, but I just had to post it.

Hope you all have a Gr8888888 week !

Simply_me

Why didn’t I think of that ?

2009-05-28T05:24:00.001-05:00

A LITTLE FOUR YEAR OLD GIRL IS SITTING ON THE TOILET. HER MOTHER THINKS SHE HAS BEEN IN THERE TOO LONG, SO SHE GOES IN TO SEE WHAT'S UP.
THE LITTLE GIRL IS GRIPPING ON TO THE TOILET SEAT WITH HER LEFT HAND AND HITTING HERSELF ON TOP OF THE HEAD WITH HER RIGHT HAND..
HER MOTHER SAYS: "HONEY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU'VE BEEN IN HERE FOR AWHILE."
SHE SAYS: "I'M FINE, MOMMY. I JUST HAVEN'T GONE 'DOODY' YET."
MOTHER SAYS: "OK, YOU CAN STAY HERE A FEW MORE MINUTES. BUT, HONEY, WHY ARE YOU HITTING YOURSELF ON THE HEAD?"
TO WHICH THE LITTLE GIRL SAYS:

"WORKS FOR KETCHUP"!!!

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Life is 5 % work and 95% attitude

How do I turn this off….

2009-05-26T18:01:00.001-05:00

I saw this and right off thought of my son. This morning Stephanie (my almost daughter in law ) was telling me that my son is having a hard time getting use to the fact that the baby wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to talk ( coo ) instead of sleeping. So I am thinking I had better not show him this anytime soon…..

Oh to be able to sleep and not have to get up with babies.. there is something to be said about getting older and being the “MaMaw”and not the Mom & Dad…

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Speak in anger and you'll give the greatest speech you'll ever regret.

Obama Man “CAN”

2009-05-25T11:18:00.001-05:00

Not to offend anyone.. but I just had to post this.. God bless this MESS!

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
An ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.

Missing you all…

2009-05-23T04:34:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to let you know that I have been BUSY BUSY BUSY. If I haven’t left you a comment lately don’t give up on me. I have been busting my butt trying to get my yard back into shape. With that , work , and cleaning up the inside of the house I haven’t had a lot of time left over for blogging. What with planting grass ( and watching it grow ), raking and mowing the yard , I am so sore I can hardly move. Did I mention all the rocks I had to move ? I’m talking BIG heavy rocks! I love working in the yard, but my body is yelling at me, “What are you doing?” Anyway I just wanted you to know that I haven’t forgotten about all of your wonderful blogs and will be checking in shortly to take a peek and maybe leave some words of wisdom !! LOL

Simply A busy little _me

Quote of the Day:
The cynic is his own worst enemy. It requires far less skill to run a wrecking company than it does to be an architect.

Remember…

2009-05-20T08:16:00.001-05:00

'ALL GAVE SOME, SOME GAVE ALL!'

This weekend families will be getting together to

BBQ .. camp,,, swim… or just enjoy the holiday.

Keep in mind that we have this holiday because of the great men and women that gave “all” so that we might enjoy each other in a free country. This is more then a paid day off from work. This is a great country working together to ensure that we “all” live in peace.

Simply_Pam

Quote of the Day:
The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.

Tag you’re it..

2009-05-19T08:43:00.001-05:00

Ok, I will play .. Hope you will as well. I got tagged by Sally over at Sally's World. so here goes…

1. What’s your current obsession? Saving money and repairing old things.
2. What’s your weirdest obsession? If someone moves something around in my house and it wasn’t my idea,I have to put it back where it was. (COD maybe ?)
3. What are you wearing today? Still in my robe
4. Why is today special? because I am not busting my butt at work
5. What would you like to learn to do? speak another language
6. What’s the last thing you bought? A soda
7. What are your plans for the summer? Hoping to go on a vacation w/ my SO “anywhere” would work !
8. What’s your favorite weather? Warm days where you can go outside and soak up the sun

9. What’s your most challenging goal right now? having my son. almost daughter in law and grandson live with me.
10. What do you think about the person who tagged you? I think that she faces life head on and does it well, and with lots of heart.

11. What's your favorite guilty pleasure? Chi tea!
12. Favorite vacation spot? Anywhere on a cruise ship
13. What would you like to have in your hands right now? money enough to pay off all my bills.
14. What would you like to get rid of? Old age.. it slows me down

15. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? back to the 70’s!
16.Which language do you want to learn? I live in Texas so Spanish would be useful
17.What super power would you like to possess? the power to heal others

18. What’s your favorite thing about the city you live in? What’s a city? I’m a country girl
19.What’s your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet? a little black dress that is to small, but I am working on that.

20. What’s your dream job? a job that I could do at home, still pay my bills and have money for vacations.

21. If you had $150 now what would you spend it on? more then likely bills.

22. Do you admire anyone’s style? I think Laura Bush had great style in a simply stated way

23.Describe your personal style. My style is a catch 22. I need a personal stylish to throw it all together and come out with one style.

24. Who’s fashion show would you want tickets to? Actually not interested in seeing a show. I can’t afford their things and most of them I wouldn’t wear.
25. If you had to slap one person with no repercussions, who would it be and why? Been there , done that and outgrew it. Hitting never changes anything.
26. What are you most proud of? My sister for having been sober for almost a year now ! Way to go SIS

27. If you could choose one person who has passed to have lunch with who would it be and why? My Mother so that I could tell her all about her grandchildren and great grandchildren. It all started with her.

Now the rules of this tag:
1. Respond and rework: Copy and paste then answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention
2. Tag 7 other people you would love to learn more about. Here’s mine:

These are the rules, but I have always been a rule breaker.. I am not posting a list who I would like to tag. Simply because most of the people have been tagged already. So if you happen along and read this then you have been tagged. I’m really not dropping the ball. I am just giving everyone the go ahead !!!

Simply_me

A last min BBQ

2009-05-17T19:23:00.001-05:00

Today was one of those days where we slept in and then spent another couple of hours trying to decided what we wanted to do. Go to Sea World… Fiesta Texas… what to do?? After checking on the price of tickets it was decided to forgo the above. We got up late and didn’t feel we would be getting our money’s worth getting such a late start.

It was decided to have a little BBQ… My idea of little is for the family living in this house. It turns out that the little BBQ included 18 people. Which means lots of food. I have been trying to loose a few lbs… Everywhere I look there is FOOD !!!

I am not gong to look like a french fry or a head of lettuce. More then likely I an going to look like the potato salad I ate today, all soft and mushy.

When it came to clean up today this came to mind. Where are all the guys when it’s time to clean up? It’s like “I BBQ’d and my job is done.” I seem to remember cooking many means and not getting to walk away later by saying, “I cooked.”

Some things in life will never change… accept it and forget about it….cause fighting it is not going to make a difference.

Being a little over weight and doing dishes just seems to be a small price to pay for have a house full of friends and lots of good food!

And this was Sunday @ our house.

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence."

My small world w/ big people

2009-05-16T10:40:00.001-05:00

Ok.. no one is holding me.. what’s up with that ?

I know how to change that….

Are you ready ? Watch a pro at work..

Hey, I’m getting worked up here!

Works every time ! And so goes my life as a baby. I know what to do to get picked up. “Mamaw” will come to my aide. She will make things all better… and if she doesn’t there is always Mom and Dad. This being a baby isn’t so bad after all. Now if they would just get me some teeth so I could eat real food my small world would be better.

Baby_M

I have the answer to protecting your health…

2009-05-15T05:01:00.001-05:00

Just in case you are worried what to do when the mask run out:

Hopefully this mask is not dirty when you put it on. Look for brown stains first. There are worse things then swine flue!

For those of you that like to share. You know men are always trying to get into this mask. It’s now acceptable for your guy to do this in public.

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Fear is something to be moved through, not something to be turned from.

YES, I can read this. How about you ?

2009-05-14T05:10:00.001-05:00

Only great minds can read this ..

This is weird, but
interesting!

fi yuo cna
raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe
out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht
I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a
rscheearch
at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod
are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit
pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a
pboerlm.
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the
wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

I thought I needed spell check, Ha ! I can read this without taking a second look. Does this mean I am smart or Dyslexic ???? If you have a problem reading anything I post.. keep in mind that I am in the top 55% and that would put you in the bottom … hahahah

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific.

Jar Head

2009-05-13T05:30:00.001-05:00

What to do when words aren’t necessary….

I don’t know about the rest of you, but this makes me want to go out and buy a bunch of jars. If only it was that easy. Why is it that when we just want them to agree with us, this is when they disagree. For instance : I say I want a new car. He says, “no you don’t.” Was he not listening or does he just know what I want better then I do ? Where’s the jar ? I say I want to take a vacation. He says “think of all that overtime you will miss out on” Where’s the the jar. I say I’m tired . He says “you’re never to tired for S _ _”, and he knows this because ?? Where’s the jar. The only problem that I see with all the jars is that we will have to add another room to store them in. To which I will say , We need more room and he will say “ have a yard sell.” How much do you think I can get for jars filled with hot air ??? Not enough for that new car I am thinking…

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:

"The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without ever seeing any."

Work Work & more Work

2009-05-12T08:40:00.001-05:00

You have been wondering what happen to me right? I have been missed, say it’s true ! I have been busy. It’s seems that I work harder at home that at work. All winter I am like an old bear. I just hide inside sleep, eat and work, BUT when spring and summer arrive look out!

The last few days I have cleaned out the storage room,which was in bad need of a cleaning.

This is a job that no one wants to do. Ya know the one we keep talking about doing and sometimes we get around to it. Notice I have a new lawnmower. Well you wouldn’t know if it was new are not, but it is. Along with cleaning there also was LOTS of yard work to be done. I have a huge back yard and a nice size front yard. My son took the day off work and helped out with getting both front and back yards mowed for the fist time this spring.

A small section of my back yard

The patio

I planted in my flowers beds.

I love working outside. Things are shaping up for a wonderful summer. I also cleaned my car yesterday. Now to get to the laundry and the rest of the housework, Going back to work tomorrow will give me some time to rest ! lol Now you know what has been keeping me busy lately. I hope that you all are enjoying spring as much as I am.

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
A man who lives right, and is right, has more power in his silence than another has by his words.

Not my style..

2009-05-10T00:24:00.001-05:00

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL OF YOU…

I HOPE IT’S FULL OF FUN AND LOTS OF LOVE !!!

simply_me

Quote of the Day:
There is not one shred of evidence that supports the notion that life is serious enough to be taken seriously.

The Crosswalk

2009-05-08T04:30:00.001-05:00

Every once in a while, a seemingly-simple email comes around that ends up being quite profound. This is one of them. I thought I would share this one with you…..

�
Awesome!! We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we cannot.
Whatever your cross,
Whatever your pain,
There will always be sunshine, after the rain....
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;
But God's always ready, to answer your call....
He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
A word from His lips, can calm every fear...
Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish, by dawn's early light...
The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,
To give you His grace, and send you His love.
May God fill your day with blessings!!

Quote of the Day:
Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.

Unseen Plans and Strange Hands

2009-05-06T04:38:00.001-05:00

I have a birthday coming this weekend and was reminded of that last one. On my birthday I went to my oldest daughters to spend the weekend with her and my youngest daughter. No kids, not husbands, no boyfriends, just us girls. Here’s now it played out…

It was a weekend to remember. It started with Dawn (my youngest daughter ) coming over with flowers and a yummy breakfast treat. Dawn had taken me out for lunch the day before and later did my hair for me. I was already feeling spoiled.We loaded up the car and headed to San Antonio. My older daughter Charity had planned a surprise for me. I get there and they tell me I have an appointment for a massage. Ok, this sounds good. On the way to the appointment something occurred to me. What if the person doing this isn’t a woman? I had only had one massage in my life and it was done by a woman. I ask the girls if this was a woman that I was about to expose my body to ? I should have know better then to ask. They looked at each other and said “oh Mom. I’m sure it is.” I then told them if it wasn’t I wasn’t going to do this. “Oh yes you are !” I’m starting to worry… We get there and walk in. My daughter tells them I am here for my message and the woman behind the counter says “ Your woman is here.” I turn to see who she is talking to and my worse fear had come true. At this point I say “ I’m not his WOMAN!” My girls give me that “look”, you know the “Don’t embarrass us look.” Well this “man” and I go into a room that looks like the inside of a whore house as I would picture it (having never been in one myself ). Red drapes, mirrors. soft music. .ect .. ect. (no whips or chains visible). He tells me “I will go out while you undress, you can leave on your underwear if you like.” Ok I’m screwed, there was no where to run.. I wanted to leave on all my clothes and say “Thanks but no thanks.” I know this is a professional man, but I have never had hands on me that I didn’t know who owned them first.

I finally had a talk with myself. “Self just close your eyes and hope that it is over soon, stop being a prude.” All in all it went better then I had thought it would. I walked out and my daughters were both grinning. At the time I didn’t know it was because all the oil he had used had wiped off all my make up and I looked like hell.

Did I mention while on the way over I ask the girls, “have you every had a man give you a massage?” They both said, “Oh yes Mom, it was wonderful!” We get in the car to leave and they look at each other and bust out laughing. Turns out they had both had a massage by a man…

THEIR HUSBANDS !

We then headed out to a nice place to eat dinner. We get there and they inform us there will be an hours wait. No problem, it is in a really nice shopping area and we will wonder around until we are buzzed that our table is waiting. We walk around for a bit then go into A store. I see myself in a mirror for the first time. OMG ! My hair is oily.. my make up is gone .. but I am relaxed right ? We went to a makeup counter and looking around to see who was watching I used the samples to try and repair the damage. It was a sad looking repair job at best, but the dinner was wonderful! After dinner we were headed to a movie, but decided that by now we really were to tired so that idea was put on hold. We ended the day at a book store, with a Starbucks. After checking out a few books we settled into a table with our drink and had girl talk, On looking back it was one of the best birthdays I had ever had. My daughters made it all about me and did it with love. How lucky I am to be the mother of such wonderful women….. Simply a lucky_me

Quote of the Day:
What single ability do we all have? The ability to change.

The games Daddy’s play…

2009-05-05T05:29:00.001-05:00

This one is for everyone who...
a) has kids
b) had kids

c) was a kid
d) knows a kid
e) is going to have kids.
I guess that means all of us!!

DADDY'S GONNA EAT YOUR FINGERS

I was packing for my business trip and my three-year-old daughter was having a wonderful time playing on the bed. At one point she said, 'Daddy, look at this,' and stuck out two of her fingers.

Trying to keep her entertained, I reached out and stuck her tiny fingers in my mouth and said, 'Daddy's gonna eat your fingers,'
pretending to eat them.
I went back to packing, looked up again and my daughter was standing on the bed staring at her fingers with a devastated look on her face.
I said, 'What's wrong, honey?'

She replied,
'What happened to my booger?'

Daddy has sense been very careful about the games he plays !!!!

Remembering Mom

2009-05-04T10:35:00.001-05:00

I won’t be around this weekend so I am posting this early. I have been thinking about my mother a lot this past week. I guess knowing that Mother’s Day is coming has a lot to do with that. My Mother passed away many years ago. I have lost count, but I think it has been 13 years. She got sick, and went into the hospital one June day. That afternoon she had a sudden heart attack. I got the phone call saying she had stopped breathing, but the Dr’s had brought her back. They wanted to put a pace maker in her. I got in the car and headed out as fast as I could go. She lived about 5 hours away. I didn’t make it there, she died before I had a chance to say goodbye. My saving grace in the fact that I didn’t get to say “goodbye” was a phone call the night before. This is not a story about how wonderful my mother was, because she wasn’t. She did the best she could but she was bi polar and had major depression. Years ago they didn’t have a name for this nor did they know how to treat it. I won’t go into the details, but to say life was perfect would be dishonest. She tried… maybe more that the rest of us at times. I actually don’t remember my mother every telling me that she love me until a few years before she passed away. Do I have a lot of good childhood memories? No, but there were times when I knew that she wanted to give more and couldn’t. As the years went by and I became an adult, things improve for her. The Dr’s began to learn more, and with the right meds there was help for her.

Back to the night before she died. I knew she was going into the hospital the next day. My brother, his wife & my sister were with her. She was living with my grandmother and taking care of her. They had gone up to help take care of my grandmother while mom was in the hospital. I had called to check up on her. We talked on the phone for about 15 min’s. I don’t remember what was said except for the last words I said to her. The very last words I ever said to my mother were….

“I love you Mom”

So don’t let this mother’s day pass without letting your mother know that you love her, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

MY MOTHER

Happy Mother’s Day Mom wherever you are.

What Next…

2009-05-03T11:06:00.001-05:00

Ok , how do you melt a microwave ? If you read my blog you know that lately I have done nothing but repairing broken things. The heating unit , the pluming, the oven & the new floor.

At last the part for the oven came in and I decided to make a peach cobbler. YUM ! I got everything I needed together and started to work. I needed to melt some butter to throw in the mix. Well I opened the microwave and put the bowl in . I hit the start button and notice the turning plate was wobbling. I hit the stop button to investigate. I see a dark spot in the middle of the plate. I then take the plate out and notice the spindle that it sits on is broken. ?????

My almost daughter –in –law is standing next to me doing dishes . (amazing it itself). I ask, what happen to the microwave ? “Oh” she says,( uh oh I say ) “The other night we put something in there to defrost, and I guess we hit cook instead of defrost.” The spindle didn’t break, it MELTED onto the plate! I am now wondering if they thought I wouldn’t notice cause no one TOLD me.

Keep in mind that I just got this microwave in Dec. ( 4 mo’s ago ).

SILENCE

Me trying not to blow a gasket which would mean I would have something else to fix….

ME !!!

………

A small voice says:

I guess we will have to buy you a new one..

They planned on doing that right after they ~~TOLD~~ me what happen.

RIGHT ?????

Needless to say.. I had two helpings of peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream later !

simply_me

Quote of the Day:
The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a good discussion.

Oh to be young again.

2009-05-02T07:53:00.001-05:00

The weekend is here and you won’t find me on the beach tanning anymore…

Where did they get my picture ???? I’m so embarrassed !!!!

Hugs and Grins……

Simply _me

Quote of the Day:
The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.

Pop Quiz

2009-04-30T05:19:00.001-05:00

Ok this is a pop Quiz

Can you guess what this picture is ?

Oh come on, give it a try

Open your mind to the possibilities

Just go for it , one guess ??

GIVE UP ?

Not even going to take a, ya might be right guess ?

Actually I don’t think you would even come close

And the answer is..

Me setting in the dark for 5 hours yesterday. No lights, no computer, no phone, no water, and no money to go shopping !

Some idiot took out a power pole on the main Hwy and I had to sit in the dark for hours. All I can say is, if the fish that were gasping for air in their tank had died, I would have hunted him down and made him pay for my loss and despair over them !

But all is not lost. I have been in the dark most of my life, and this was nothing new for me. I had to play catch up and finish what I started 5 hours before. I now have an excuse for things left undone yesterday. It seems that I’m always playing catch up. Well ya know what they say about best laid plans….forget about em !

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
It is better to aim at perfection and miss, than to aim at imperfection and hit it

The real facts..

2009-04-29T08:04:00.001-05:00

I work in the health field.. I thought I would pass this on. This was sent to us by the D.O.N.. Director of Nursing… there is a link posted in this, that you can go to to find out more “truthful” information.

As most of you have heard, there have been several outbreaks of Swine Flu in the United States & Mexico. In the past, the Swine Flu was infrequently transmitted from pigs to people. In these most recent outbreaks it appears the virus spreads from person to person.

The symptoms of Swine Flu are similar to human flu, including fever >100, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills, and fatigue.

Here is what you can do to prevent the spread of (any) infection:

Wash your hands frequently. Especially before eating or touching your face and after sneezing, coughing, blowing your nose, or touching others. If soap & water are not available, then alcohol based hand cleaners can also be used.

- Cough or sneeze into the fold of your elbow or into a tissue. Throw the tissue in the garbage and wash your hands.

- Stay at home if you have a fever of 100 or greater and are experiencing respiratory symptoms.

We will continue to monitor and alert you if additional recommendations occur.

Please, feel free to access the CDC website www.cdc.gov for further information.

Alerting all Mom’s

2009-04-28T08:20:00.001-05:00

BEER CAN WRAPS - Want to enjoy some suds in the park or in an area where they frown upon the consumption of beer? Don't want to pay the inflated prices for a cold beer at the beach? Well now you can enjoy your brews and nobody will be the wiser. Simply wrap these vinyl soda can simulated wraps around you can, and party on. These look like the real thing, and best of all they are reusable so you can use them over and over again.

Your get 4 different labels in each package.

While surfing the net this morning I came across a sight that really sells these labels. So mom’s here is something else you need to add to your “ to do list. Check out all soda’s you kids are drinking.. LMAO…. like ya need anything added to that list !

Just think of the options here.. you yourself could use these at work, church socials, or those long lines in traffic. Why didn’t I think of this???

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:

"You see much more of your children once they leave home."

Share the Love

2009-04-27T09:59:00.001-05:00

This is a tag I did on my sister’s blog. She is new to blogging and it would be wonderful if you all would go over and show her some love. A Day In The Life

I am tagging this blog. No it is not my blog but my sister’s. I just want to say how proud I am, that she now has 10 mo’s of doing the right thing. This is the sister that I almost lost to alcohol. She knows she has no control over drinking except by the grace of GOD and caring friends and family. We won’t give “up” on her. We won’t let her give up on herself. She has to do the “deal” or die.. Letting her kill herself by drinking is not an option in our minds. SIs, just remember on the “bad days”, you have seen much worse! We all have bad days and you now know there are better ways to handle them than in a bottle. Count your Blessings and not your problems. Problems are soon forgotten but blessing are always a reminder of how good life is.. Simply_me your big sister

Need some cheese with that “whine” ?

2009-04-24T20:27:00.001-05:00

After working 12 and 1/2 today I came home to a dirty kitchen and a house that needs a little cleaning. Ok you say, You often come home to the same. Keep in mind that I just spend my days off fixing things around the house and putting in a new floor in the kitchen.

Here is where my problem lies. My son, his girlfriend and their baby live with me. The plan was that they were going to move in and help me with the bills for a few mo’s till they could get their own place. I’m good with this. After about a mo we found out that Stephanie was going to have a baby. Ok, a little glitch… I can work with this.

What I can’t work with is coming home and finding dirty dishes in the kitchen that have been there for 2 days. (and not my dirty dishes)My new kitchen floor with crumbs on it, and a house that needs a little attentions. I seem to be the only one that cares. I understand that a baby is a lot of work, and that new parents don’t get a lot of sleep, but my grandson is sleeping all night now.( he is 2 mo’s old )His mother sits in her bedroom all day with him and “that is her job” so it seems. She takes care of him and does laundry.(often leaving wet clothes in the washer and clothes in the dryer that I have to take care of, because they have gone off somewhere. If I say anything, I am the bad guy. I was telling my daughter the other day that I needed some help and she told me “ Mom she’s good for him,” end of subject. I am feeling like the “WIFE.” A few mo’s has turned into 2 mo’s short of a year. My son has always paid his share of the bills, that’s not the problem. The problem is that anything extra out of his pay check is spent and nothing has been put away for a “place of their own.” I am not trying to get them to leave. I would just like the “little mamma” to pitch in and do a few things around here. If I say anything my son get’s pissy. I am just tired and bitchy I guess, but coming home and finding my kitchen a mess and having to clean it doesn’t improve my outlook right now, when I know she has been sitting at home all day. It wouldn’t have taken her 45 min’s to clean the kitchen, sweep and vac the floors.

I am entitled to whine now and then.. this is a now time.. thanks for listening….. Simply_Pam

Is chocolate the answer ?

2009-04-23T20:06:00.001-05:00

THE 5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR ONE PERSON....... This means I don’t have to share right ?

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

I might be making this cause my oven still is not fixed. Tonight when I got home the part was here waiting for me…. but it wasn’t the right one. So this might be an options as it looks like the only banking I will be doing for right now is in the microwave! I think a chocolate cake for one might just make me feel better.. that is if I wasn’t to tired to make it ! LOL Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
I owe I owe it’s off to work I go…

It’s done!!

2009-04-22T09:31:00.001-05:00

I promised to post some pictures of the new floor. It took us about 4 and 1/2 hours to lay, but we got it done. Having never done this before I think it turned out really nice. I keep walking into the kitchen and looking at it. My honey is leaving today. I have to take him to the airport this morning. Right now I don’t think I could talk him into ever replacing another tile floor.

With this done.. I will have to make a new “honey do” list!

Have a great day… Simply_me

I should write him a check.. but I will pay with love..

2009-04-21T12:00:00.001-05:00

I don’t even know where to start. I will start by saying that on my days off I have worked harder then when I am actually getting paid to work.

I was at work Sat afternoon and got a phone call from my SO telling me that he was flying down. Normally he rents a car and drives up from San Antonio. I decided to go to San Antonio and pick him up this time around. That would be after getting up at 4:30 am and working 12 and 1/2 hours. By the time I picked him up I had been up for 18 hours, needless to say I was beat. We stayed in a hotel in San Antonio that night so there wasn’t a long drive home

Sunday morning we got up and we were off and running. My sweetheart must have been one of those little boys that like to take things apart and put them back together. If I say anything about fixing something, he is on it. As I posted in another blog, one day I was getting ready to do some baking and the oven wasn’t working. He decided to find the problem..

He never does anything half way, it’s all or nothing. He pulled the oven out of the wall and as you can see took it apart. After doing a few test he found that it was the heating coil. I live in a small town so needless to say we had to order the part online. Now the real test comes. Can he put it back together. YES he can.

On to the next “toy” he wants to take apart. The same day the oven went out the garbage disposal crashed.

As you can see, it’s seen better days. He took it out. I decided that I could live without it so he redid the plumbing under the sink.

Now is this man good or what. What is so funny about this is that he likes doing this stuff. Hey, I have been married several times, and sadly to say if I needed something done it was like pulling teeth. I am sure that all men are not like that and my SO is proof. On the other hand if I were to marry him that might change. Why fix what’s not broken ?

Next, and god bless this man, I decided I wanted a new kitchen floor. We spent all of Monday removing the old floor. Let me just give you a tip that we found while trying everything we could get our hands on to get the old flooring off. We bought all kinds of stuff to help with this, and nothing was getting the job done. He decided that heat would help with removing the sticky tile. I came up with the idea of using a hair dryer. It Worked!!!! Heating the tile made it easy to scrap it up and not in pieces, but the whole tile. After getting this done the real job is getting all the glue off the floor.

This is the floor after removing all the tile. This morning we get up and ready for tackle putting down the new flooring. I walk into the kitchen and find this man doing this…

Making BREAKFAST ! Did I not tell you that he is
“SIMPLY THE BEST”. Yesterday while we were busy doing all the above, He took my car down and had the windows tinted for my birthday which actually isn’t till next mo. He is my “HERO.” I have never had a man treat me so well. Hey, I know it’s not all about me, and I must be doing something right or he wouldn’t want to do these things for me.Well back to work. We have a floor to lay today. I will post a picture when we get it finished. I know with his help I will be very pleased with the outcome……

Quote of the Day:
Creativity is the sudden cessation of stupidity.

Always carry duct tape.. it may just save you from this.

2009-04-19T13:35:00.001-05:00

This is just to funny not to pass on… and if you have seen it, I’m sure it will make you laugh again…

A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall.
By Shannon Popkin

My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and does it
quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we are in the library,
the grocery store or at a drive-thru window. People often comment on how
clearly he speaks for a just-turned-3-year-old. And you never have to ask
him to turn up the volume. It's always fully cranked. There have been
several embarrassing times that I've wished the meaning of his words would
have been masked by a not-so-audible voice, but never have I wished this
more than last week at Costco.
Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took Cade with me
into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that
evening, this is what you would have heard coming from the second to the
last stall:
''Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper
on the
potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what
are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the potty?''
At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in the
bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full .. 4? 5? Maybe we could
wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and
reveal my identity.
Cade continued: ''Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh,
dats a good
girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty?
Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh...Mommy! I'm trying to see In dere. Oh!
I see dem. Dat is a very good girl, Mommy. You are gonna get some
candy!''
I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me.
Where is a screaming new born when you need her? Good grief. This was
really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before
exiting. Trying to divert him, I said, ''Why don't you look in
Mommy's purse
and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have some!''
''No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies...Oh! Mommy!''
He started to gag at this point.
''Uh - oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze stinkies
are making
me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!''
As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall.. I quickly
flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject. I began to reason with
myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be
reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will
be long gone.
''Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done going
stinkies! Get up! Get up!''
He grunted as he tried to pull me off. Now I could hear full-blown laughter.
I bent down to count the feet outside my door. ''Oh, are you wooking
under
dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door? What were you wooking at? Mommy? You
wooking at the wady's feet?''
More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the
situation.
''Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now,
Mommy.''
He started pounding on the door. ''Mommy, don't you want to wash
your
hands? I want to go out!!''
I saw that my wait 'em out' plan was unraveling. I sheepishly opened
the
door, and found standing outside my stall, twenty to thirty ladies crowded
around the stall, all smiling and starting to applaud.
My first thought was complete embarrassment, then I thought, where's the
fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit
of my
dignity and privacy? But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while
he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign
it all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three. She lives with her family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she no longer uses public restrooms)

Quote of the Day:
Encouragement is like a premium gasoline - it helps to take knocks out of living.

Just for fun..

2009-04-17T05:18:00.001-05:00

This is sure to be something I will buy..

If I need a reason to get out of working for a few days. I think sales just “fell” on this item..

Who says “white boys” can’t dance ???

It’s the thought that counts.. right ?

Coo Coo Ca Chew

2009-04-16T04:57:00.001-05:00

I blinked and he was all of a sudden bigger ! My new grandson is growing as a fast rate, or maybe it’s just that I am slowing down. He is now starting to “Coo” I love watching his little mouth move as he is trying to decide how it works. When he does make a noise ( other the crying ), it comes as a surprise to him and he jumps! He will be 2 mo’s old in a few day….

He is finally sleeping all night and Mom and Dad are very thankful. He still doesn’t know any tricks but we are working on it. Babies a take a little longer then puppies to train… I will keep you posted !

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
A rumor is one thing that gets thicker instead of thinner as it is spread.

I didn’t do it !

2009-04-15T07:25:00.001-05:00

Ok for those of you that have a warped sense of humor.. How would you feel about getting even with a friend.. husband… brother , sister.. or just about anyone ??? This is so the way to do it….

I can just see it now.. someone trying to open up something from their desktop and nothing works.. how about rebooting… or running a virus scan… or spyware.. .. it would drive me nuts… I would be freaking out !!! What the @*$& is wrong with my computer ??????

Ok.. I have to admit.. this is really wicked.. but now and then getting even calls for wicked measures…

Actually I tried this but couldn’t seem to copy the desk top icons and put them in the folder as he said.

So this is how I did it. First I went to paint and made a copy of my desk top, as he instructed. I saved it in my pictures as background. Then I made a new folder on my desktop and moved the desktop icons into it and put the folder in my documents. I then right clicked on my desk top went to properties….click on desktop…browse ,and found the picture.. hit apply and ok… it worked.This way I didn’t have to delete anything and all I had to do was reset the desktop background and open the folder I had put my icons in and put them back on the desktop. I think I may get my sons girlfriend to help me pull this off on his new computer.I am sooooooo Bad. I will get her to take some pictures, and post it later. If I am still alive afterwards!

Simply “a little wicked “_me

The Quote of the day comes from me SO. He said this to me last night. When you read it you will know why after 8 years he holds my heart in his hands…..

Quote of the Day:

You make loving you fun.

How sweet is that !!!!!!

Armed and Dangerous…..

2009-04-14T05:26:00.001-05:00

After talking to several people I decided to take action. I have thought for a long time that I was paying to much for car insurance. I should have done something a long time ago. I had been with my insurance co for over 7 years and I hate making changes. If something works why fix it? It was no longer working for me. In these times we need to do all that we can to cut cost and live better. I have been thinking lately about getting a new car. Two more payments and the one I have will be paid off, but do I really need a “new” one? The one I have runs fine and I have taken good care of it. When it is paid for that will mean extra money each mo. I was talking to someone the other day and he said “ this is not the time to owe anything.” I believe he is right. A new car is not something I have to have. So with this in mind I started thinking how can I cut more corners. When my sweetie came to see me a few weeks ago we got on line and did some price comparisons. I found that I was paying way to much on my car insurance. I got some quotes, armed myself to do battle and headed to my insurance co.

I walked in and told them I needed to talk to someone about my insurance. I set down pulled out a quote that I had gotten, and told them “ You need to either meet this, beat this, or I am going to have to change insurance co.” I wasn’t ugly. I just said that I wanted to stay with them, but I needed them to play fair. I was giving them a chance to fix it before I checked out and moved on. She took a look and said, “Yes I see why you feel that you are paying to much.” DUH!! After doing some checking and making a few adjustments she came up with a payment of $46 less a mo. (and this is with the same coverage people.) How long had I been paying to much because I didn’t question it, and just paid it each mo?

Listen up… they will not call you, write you, or e-mail you that you might be paying to much. They will just keep taking your money “GLADLY” each mo. Money in their pockets and out of yours. $46 a mo adds up to$552 a year savings. So if you think you are paying to much for a service, do some checking. Arm yourself with knowledge and stand up and be heard. Otherwise, you will find that you will just keep complaining and nothing will change. With what I will be saving by paying off my car and the cut in my insurance, I can actually put away a nice chunk of money each mo.

Cutting corners suddenly has a great appeal to me, and I know I will be looking at other ways .. Did I mentions that I also went to vonage and cut my phone bill in 1/2. I am not sure what will be next.. but I will keep looking…

Quote of the Day:
Penny’s soon add up to dimes when saved

Someday ya should just stay in bed or hide under it….

2009-04-13T06:47:00.001-05:00

Sunday.. I just got home after working my first day shift. I have to say, I’m beat. After working nights for 9 years my body doesn’t know when to sleep, because of this switch to the day shift. I have been up sense 3 am and it now almost 9 pm. ………

Saturday.. If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all. Yesterday I had it all planned out. I was going to surprise the gang at work and take Easter cupcakes to work, kinda make their day feel more like a holiday. I had already gotten everything I would need to make them. I got my supplies together and started. I turned on the oven and started to work on the cake mix. Here is where the problem started. “THE OVEN” decided it didn’t want to heat up to the temp I needed. I had all this cake batter ready to go in an oven that was acting up. Like that wasn’t enough to mess up my plans. I next found that when I ran water down the kitchen sink, water was running out of the cabinet below. The garbage disposal busted. By now I am really not feeling it… you know the “Paula Dean” I love my kitchen thing. They say it comes in three’s .. I just had my heating system repaired. I did manage to get the cupcakes made. I had to go with mini cupcakes. They didn’t need as much heat and turned out cute actually.

Sigh….. it seems every time I am able to put some money away, something breaks. When I close my eyes for the last time, no one will be richer because of it. I don’t see my kids plotting to do me in anytime soon cause they won’t be finding any coffee cans full of money around here…

The only thing left to do tonight is climb into bed and hope that doesn’t break… cause I am pretty sure that would really “make my day!” Simply_me

Easter Sunday 2009 Christ lives…

2009-04-12T03:55:00.001-05:00

I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn’t , then live my life as if there isn’t, and die to find out there is.

HAPPY EASTER

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
”He Lives”

Does this make me a basket case ?

2009-04-11T10:28:00.001-05:00

ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE

I LEARNED FROM THE EASTER BUNNY

Don't put all of your eggs in one basket

Walk softly and carry a big carrot

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears

There's no such thing as too much candy

All work and no play can make you a basket case

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits

Some body parts should be floppy

Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans

Good things come in small sugarcoated packages

The grass is always greener in someone else's basket

An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare

To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey

Simply_me

Hippity Hoppity…

2009-04-10T09:39:00.001-05:00

"Here comes Peter Cottontail hoppin' down the bunny trail Hippity hoppity Easters on its way!"

Today I was remembering what Easter was like when I was a child. That would be ~~many many~~ years ago. We always knew that Easter would bring a new Easter dress, shoes, and a hat. We knew that this would mean standing still so dad could get just the right picture after we were dressed to impress. We knew that it would mean going to my grandmothers for Easter Dinner after attending Easter service at church. While all these things were exciting we knew the Easter Bunny was going to pay us a visit.

What magic it was to wake up and find mom had gotten us a special Easter basket. The Easter Bunny had been busy at work in the night while we slept. Easter eggs, candy and other surprises awaited us. It was then a mad dash to beat my brother and sister to the goodies.

I think that Easter might just be my fav0rite holiday. Easter is a celebration of life and a reminder that "He lives," and because he lives we may some day live with him.

My hope is that you get to spend this holiday with those that you love

That your day is filled with laughter and fun

and that you take time to remember the real reason for this day of celebration.

Happy Easter…. simply_me

Code Blue

2009-04-09T17:48:00.001-05:00

Funny is what I like to post but sometimes serious is on my mind. You never know when someone will take their last breath. Wednesday was my last night shift. I mean my very last. I am going to the day shift after working nights for 9 years. Less then an hour to go on my shift, I had to call a code “Blue”. I made one last check on my pt’s and found someone not breathing. All I could think was OMG not on my last night shift. Please god don’t take this person. With God’s help, a good staff working to save this person and the quick response of the EMS my prayers were answered. If I had not done that last check this story would have had a very different outcome. Life is unpredictable we don’t get to pick when we die, but we can decide how we live. Never take for granted that life will go according to plans. Please take time to forget your anger at someone, because if they should take their last breath, you would live with regret. Take the time to let those you love know that they are loved. Take the time to do something you have always wanted to do, if you wait it may never happen. Live life so that when you do take your last breath you know that “You didn’t miss the Dance”… Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Nothing is permanent in this world - not even our troubles."~

Sad but True

2009-04-07T15:05:00.001-05:00

I don’t need more wrinkles!! Why is it the older you get the harder it is to get in and out of a bathtub ? Ohhh I so remember the days of taking a tall glass of soda and a book into the bathroom. Locking the door.. filling the tub with bubbles and climbing in. I will admit, I wasn’t the best Mom. I sometimes …ok.. most of the time yelled at them to go away when they came knocking on the door every 5 min’s. I Wasn’t ready to face them yet. Come to think of it, I wasn’t ready to face anything. I wanted to escape from my reality.. Free time.. my time. Now if I take a bath.. I need a tow truck to get me out ,and I have to press my birthday suit after I dry it.. So between life and the hot baths the wrinkles are adding up fast. Did I mention I have come up with a new game for old folks? It’s kinda sexy actually.. you can spend hours doing it.. it’s called…. CONNECT THE AGE SPOTS >>.. Sometimes life is just so not fair! Simply_Me

Ladies do you Twitter

2009-04-06T09:43:00.001-05:00

For those of you that have not yet found twitter this video may just loose ya. Twitter is like a world wide chat room and the hottest thing going right now. For those of you that are on twitter you will understand and I don’t care who ya are, this is Funny !

I think from now on she won’t be telling anyone when she is

“Twittering”

Everyone .. I mean everyone is twittering these days.

From the common person, to the news desk, to movers & shakers of our country, and the stars of Hollywood. Who knows, our president got to keep his blackberry .. you might catch him twittering under the table. I can’t listen to the Tv anymore without hearing about Twitter! Soooooooo

Any idea’s of what comes after Twitter?

Coming soon ! LOL

Quote of the Day:

"A pessimist is a man who thinks all women are bad. An optimist is one who hopes they are."

“Prints “ of love

2009-04-05T00:29:00.001-05:00

I’m just gonna lay this out for you. I was reading a book the other day and ran across what I thought was a wonderful idea . A new family traditions perhaps. I won’t get into what the book was about, but on holidays the family had a “special” table cloth. It was white linen. but…… Let me tell you what made it so special. The table was set with plates and on each side of the plates were hand prints with the name of the person and the date. Each person that joined this family was “hand printed.” Every holiday this table cloth came out as a reminder of many wonderful occasions this family had spent together. I don’t know, but it just struck me as a wonderful idea. Something that could be handed down. Friends as well as family were included in this. Every time the table cloth was brought out, the family would remember the set of prints that might now be missing it’s owner. I love this idea, and I think that I am going to start a table cloth of “remembrance”. Now if you are all about “fancy” this might not be the thing of you. It might seen a little childish, but I am at heart a mother that loves having all her kids around. Long ago they hand printed my heart so why not my table… Simply_me

Quote of the Day: “The old believe everything; the middle aged suspect everything: the young know everything.”

When I grow up I wanna be Maxine…..

2009-04-04T09:35:00.001-05:00

I love Maxine… she always makes me laugh. If only I could get away with the things she gets away with…… Actually she reminds me of my grandmother that died at the age of 93 still sound of mind. Her little body gave out on her and she went to sleep one night and never woke up. I know she is now giving god some of her Maxine attitude!! LOL

Quote of the Day:
School is a drill for the battle of life. If you fail in the drill you will fail in the battle.

Update

2009-04-03T12:25:00.001-05:00

Ok.. I might need to clear something up here. In my last post there were comments that lead me to believe that some of you thought I just got a 1 year chip. The letter I posted was a letter sent to the rehab where I have worked for the last 9 years. I don’t think they give out chips to Rehab employees unless they are in recovery. Which reminds of my first year working in a detox unit. Pt’s would come up to me and ask “ Are you in recovery?” I have to admit I actually felt bad and out of place when I told them no. Would they now think I was a closet drinker or a weekend drugieeeeee.. Will they question and probe until they find out what I am hiding. Will they soon know that I spend hours alone in my addiction?

I do have an addiction that I can admit to. If you are reading this you may find that we have something in common… Are you ready to face your addiction ? I myself am not ready for rehab and will openly admit that I don’t won’t to find “the cure” . I enjoy being a “Blogaholic”

Simply_me

Life lived well….

2009-04-03T06:30:00.001-05:00

This is one of the many reasons I do what I do. This is an e-mail we received at work from a pt that thought she was hopeless and found that life could be good again.

Good Morning,

Well, today is my 1 year anniversary of living a sober life. It was birthday last night at my home group and they insisted I get my 1 year chip a day early. WOW – what an awesome experience. I wasn’t prepared to give a speech – but God spoke for me.

I look over this last year in amazement. . . .

My marriage and family relationships are much better and continue to grow stronger

I have peace in my heart

The self hatred and victim mentality is gone

I wake up in the morning feeling great and excited about the day

Received a promotion at work and a substantial raise

Became a hospice volunteer

Gave a presentation to the Space Station International Partners in Rome

Ran a half marathon

. . . and much more!!!!

I don’t sit on the couch feeling sorry for myself and drinking myself to death – I live life following God’s guidance.

One of my favorite sayings is: I am the builder, but God is the architect.

I thank God for putting LaHa and the aftercare group in my path to help me rebuild a relationship with him.

With great respect and appreciation..

Due to privacy issues I have left off her name, but I’m sure you get my point here… Next mo we will have an annual reunion . It is a weekend to look back and visit with pts that have stayed on the right path and are living with hope.

Simply The Best..

La Hacienda Treatment Center

It all started with Adam & Eve

2009-04-02T09:38:00.001-05:00

GOD CREATED CHILDREN (AND IN THE PROCESS GRANDCHILDREN)

To those of us who have children in our lives,
whether they are our own,
grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students...
here is something to make you chuckle.
Whenever your children are out of control,
you can take comfort from the thought that
even God's omnipotence did not extend
to His own children. After creating heaven and earth,
God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was

' DON'T !'

'Don't what ? ' Adam replied.
'Don't eat the forbidden fruit.' God said.
'Forbidden fruit ? We have forbidden fruit ?
Hey Eve..we have forbidden fruit ! '

' No Way ! '
'Yes way ! '
'Do NOT eat the fruit ! ' said God.

'Why ? '
'Because I am your Father and I said so ! ' God replied,
wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants
A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked !
'Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit ? '
God asked.

'Uh huh,' Adam replied.
'Then why did you ? ' said the Father.
'I don't know,' said Eve.
'She started it! ' Adam said.
'Did not ! ' 'Did too ! ' 'DID NOT ! '
Having had it with the two of them,
God's punishment was that Adam and Eve
should have children of their own.
Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself.
If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you ?

Some animals eat their young, and now we know why…. Simply_me

What do you have and What do you know ?

2009-04-01T07:28:00.001-05:00

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
enough
money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she ever wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
something
perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD
HAVE ..
a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a past juicy
enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her
old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
one friend who
always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a good piece
of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her
family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
eight
matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for
a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a feeling of
control over her destiny..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD
KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit
a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend
without;
ruining the friendship...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK
AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her
childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
what she
would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
how to live
alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
or a
charming Inn in the woods.....
when her soul needs
soothing....
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

Why is it that we have to grow old to learn most of these things ? Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
I do not agree with a word that you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Isn’t this the Truth!

2009-03-31T17:03:00.001-05:00

You may need to stop at the women's restroom . . . be prepared!

When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn , you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.

Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall.

You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern 'seat covers' (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR! ), yank down your pants, and assume ' The Stance.'

In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold 'The Stance.'

To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, 'Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!' Your thighs shake more.

You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail .

Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. 'Occupied!' you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, 'You ju st don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get.'

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.

At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.

You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting.

You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, 'Here, you just might need this.'

As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, 'What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?'

This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public restrooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door!

Quote of the Day:
There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it.

The world is changing….

2009-03-30T10:43:00.001-05:00

Ever try and call your local cable or phone co ? If so this should scare ya.

Finding that you now live on your computer ?

Worried about your job ?

The world is forever changing, but not all changes are good..

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

Don't Mess With Texas

2009-03-29T08:25:00.001-05:00

THREE MEN MARRIED WIVES FROM DIFFERENT STATES.

THE FIRST MAN MARRIED A WOMAN FROM NEBRASKA. HE TOLD HER THAT SHE WAS TO DO THE DISHES AND HOUSE CLEANING. IT TOOK A COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT ON THE THIRD DAY HE CAME HOME TO SEE A CLEAN HOUSE AND DISHES WASHED AND PUT AWAY.

THE SECOND MAN MARRIED A WOMAN FROM KANSAS. HE GAVE HIS WIFE ORDERS THAT SHE WAS TO DO ALL THE CLEANING, DISHES AND THE COOKING. THE FIRST DAY HE DIDN'T SEE ANY RESULTS, BUT THE NEXT DAY HE SAW IT WAS BETTER. BY THE THIRD DAY, HE SAW HIS HOUSE WAS CLEAN, THE DISHES WERE DONE AND THERE WAS A HUGE SUPPER ON THE TABLE.

THE THIRD MAN MARRIED A GAL FROM TEXAS. HE ORDERED HER TO KEEP THE HOUSE CLEANED, DISHES WASHED, LAWN MOWED, LAUNDRY WASHED, AND HOT MEALS ON THE TABLE FOR EVERY MEAL.

HE SAID THE FIRST DAY HE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING, THE SECOND DAY HE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT BY THE THIRD DAY, SOME OF THE SWELLING HAD GONE DOWN AND HE COULD SEE A LITTLE OUT OF HIS LEFT EYE, AND HIS ARM WAS HEALED ENOUGH THAT HE COULD FIX HIMSELF A SANDWICH AND LOAD THE DISHWASHER......

Quote of the Day:
If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don't, you will find an excuse.

I own bragging rights !

2009-03-28T08:27:00.001-05:00

As most of you know, I am a "Mamaw" and I have to do what "Mamaw's do best. I have to brag. Yeah I know, we all like to think that our grand kids are the best looking and the smartest around. I have proof..

Here is a picture of my oldest grand son that speaks for itself..

Foo being inducted into the national junior honor society!

So as you can see I do own bragging rights after all ! He is 13 years old and a really smart kid. I wish I could say he takes after me, but I can't. I would like to be able to say that he takes after his mom alone but I have to include my X son_in_ law. Foo has two very bright parents. I am so proud to call him my grandson ! Love ya Foo ....

MY GRAND KIDS ROCK !!!!!!!

Don't Call Me...

2009-03-27T04:11:00.001-05:00

I have to admit it, I don't do well when someone is sick. I mean the throwing up kind of sick... You would think that someone who has worked in a nursing department for 9 years wouldn't have a problem with this.. Wrong!!!

And now for the rest of the story...

The other night was going really well until the phone started ringing. We got a call that a new admit was on the way in. I had to start getting ready to admit this pt. It was after hours and the nursing department had to take care of this late admission. Normally the admission office does this, but they were closed. When a new pt is admitted they come to the detox unit first. If they don't need to detox they go into what we call the community. While I am getting things ready for the new admission the phone rings again. "You need to come and get So N So. he is feeling dizzy and weak." "Ok, I'll be there in a min." I was feeling put out because I had to stop what I am doing, to go get a pt that had been trying to leave all day. He was a community pt and had been here for awhile. He informed us he wasn't ready to stop using drugs. Does , "You can lead a horse to water , but you can't make him drink" ring a bell? I decided to try and finish one last thing before running out the door. I knew said pt would be ok, because there were staff members with him till I could get up the hill to pick him up.

The phone rings again.. the third time in about 3 min's . I answer it. "You need to come up here right away, So N So is throwing up all over the place!" My night just got worse. I jump in the golf cart and headed up the hill. I get there and they are walking So N So out to the golf cart. 5 people are talking to me at once. Several want to know if they can come with us back to the unit and help. These are not staff members but pt's. I tell them one can ride with us, but other then that I am thinking we need to keep things as calm as we can. I don't want to scare the new admission. Then a staff member was trying to tell me to make sure and drug test So N So and another person was yelling @ me, "Do you have something you can clean this up with?" I stopped cold, threw up my hands up in the air and told this person "I can only do one thing at a time!" To which she responded, "I was just asking a question!" I knew the question really was, "When are you cleaning this up?"

I take So N So back to the unit. He was sure he is dying, and refused to take a drug test. Hello, what does this say to you ??? Yes it's sad to say drugs do get into drug rehabs now and then. We can not police everyone that comes in the gate to visit. I grab some supplies to clean up the mess and headed back up the hill. Did I mention I had just eaten supper before this all started ? I walked in and everyone is standing.... hear me.. standing around the area that needs attention, waiting for me to clean it up. Let me tell you... I was having a talk with myself as I walked in. "You can do this. just don't breath for the next 5 min's!" So N So was not just a little sick, he really planned this out I think. It looked like he had lost a weeks worth of food. I am still talking to myself , "You have to do this and don't embarrass us." I did mentions I had just eaten right ? Well, I throw some rags on the floor, you know to cover it up so I don't have to see it. I tell myself to think of it as oatmeal, lots and lots of oatmeal. Did I mention I was just a few feet away from kitchen ? I bent down and started to wipe up the "Oatmeal." I had a plastic bag in my hand to put the rags in. Wellllllllllllll me and the bag walked into the kitchen and I threw up in the bag !!!! I'm not gonna let anyone see this is getting the best of me, so I walk out and pick up where I left off.......... After a few min's I made another trip to the kitchen and you can guess why.

I'm not having the best of nights! I did manage to get the mess cleaned up, the floor mopped and the bag safely tied up and put in the Bio Box. My question is "Why do I always seem to get the clean up duty?" Don't these people realize that when I was fixing to have my first child I was worried about how I was going to change a dirty diaper without running to the bathroom ????? And now you know my "dirty" little secret. I'll admit it, there are moments that I am such a wimp. This night was one of them, but no one seem to notice.

Note to myself, I will not be eating any"Oatmeal" anytime soon ! Signed : Please don't call me........

Simply _me

This could happen !

2009-03-26T07:33:00.001-05:00

Never Leave Your Child Unattended With Your Dog

If you are an owner of a dog that belongs to a 'dangerous breed' category and you also have a small child please take this as a warning.

Don't leave your dog with the child unattended under any circumstances.

Things happen so fast and you may not be around to stop it...

Only a little moment was enough for the following to happen.

You can't say you haven't been warned !

Quote of the Day:
For Sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds; Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.

The Optimist Creed...

2009-03-25T07:15:00.001-05:00

By Christian Larson

Promise Yourself.....

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.
To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and
too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

I think this is a wonderful way to look at life.... Simply_me

Simply "Amzeingg

2009-03-24T16:11:00.001-05:00

I find this interesting because I work in a drug rehab.... I have seen first hand what God can do in the lives of people.

There was once a man named John Newton, a hard drinker and a slave trader that found God and changed his life.
He wrote a song that was autobiographic in nature and still remains one of the most popular songs in Christendom to this day. “Amazing Grace” was the title of that song.

The picture on this video is not very good but I think you will find the history behind this song interesting and the song "Amazing"

“Amazing Grace” was the title of that song.

Amazing Grace:
The Story of John Newton

by Al Rogers

(This article is reprinted from the July-August 1996 issue of “Away Here in Texas”.)

John Newton 1725-1807

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...” So begins one of the most beloved hymns of all times, a staple in the hymnals of many denominations, New Britain or “45 on the top” in Sacred Harp. The author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace.

Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was eleven, he went to sea with his father and made six voyages with him before the elder Newton retired. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to common seaman.

Finally at his own request he was exchanged into service on a slave ship, which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He then became the servant of a slave trader and was brutally abused. Early in 1748 he was rescued by a sea captain who had known John's father. John Newton ultimately became captain of his own ship, one which plied the slave trade.

Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage, while he was attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his “great deliverance.” He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him.

For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power. “Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” He continued in the slave trade for a time after his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely.

In 1750 he married Mary Catlett, with whom he had been in love for many years. By 1755, after a serious illness, he had given up seafaring forever. During his days as a sailor he had begun to educate himself, teaching himself Latin, among other subjects. From 1755 to 1760 Newton was surveyor of tides at Liverpool, where he came to know George Whitefield, deacon in the Church of England, evangelistic preacher, and leader of the Calvinistic Methodist Church. Newton became Whitefield’s enthusiastic disciple. During this period Newton also met and came to admire John Wesley, founder of Methodism. Newton’s self-education continued, and he learned Greek and Hebrew.

He decided to become a minister and applied to the Archbishop of York for ordination. The Archbishop refused his request, but Newton persisted in his goal, and he was subsequently ordained by the Bishop of Lincoln and accepted the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton’s church became so crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. He preached not only in Olney but in other parts of the country. In 1767 the poet William Cowper settled at Olney, and he and Newton became friends.

Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and on his tours to other places. They held not only a regular weekly church service but also began a series of weekly prayer meetings, for which their goal was to write a new hymn for each one. They collaborated on several editions of Olney Hymns, which achieved lasting popularity. The first edition, published in 1779, contained 68 pieces by Cowper and 280 by Newton.

Among Newton’s contributions which are still loved and sung today are “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” and ”Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” as well as “Amazing Grace.” Composed probably between 1760 and 1770 in Olney, ”Amazing Grace” was possibly one of the hymns written for a weekly service. Through the years other writers have composed additional verses to the hymn which came to be known as “Amazing Grace” (it was not thus entitled in Olney Hymns), and possibly verses from other Newton hymns have been added. However, these are the six stanzas that appeared, with minor spelling variations, in both the first edition in 1779 and the 1808 edition, the one nearest the date of Newton’s death. It appeared under the heading Faith’s Review and Expectation, along with a reference to First Chronicles, chapter 17, verses 16 and 17

The origin of the melody is unknown. Most hymnals attribute it to an early American folk melody. The Bill Moyers special on “Amazing Grace” speculated that it may have originated as the tune of a song the slaves sang.

Newton was not only a prolific hymn writer but also kept extensive journals and wrote many letters. Historians accredit his journals and letters for much of what is known today about the eighteenth century slave trade. In Cardiphonia, or the Utterance of the Heart, a series of devotional letters, he aligned himself with the Evangelical revival, reflecting the sentiments of his friend John Wesley and Methodism.

In 1780 Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, St. Mary Woolchurch, in London. There he drew large congregations and influenced many, among them William Wilberforce, who would one day become a leader in the campaign for the abolition of slavery. Newton continued to preach until the last year of life, although he was blind by that time. He died in London December 21, 1807. Infidel and libertine turned minister in the Church of England, he was secure in his faith that amazing grace would lead him home.

A fashion Statement..

2009-03-23T07:18:00.001-05:00

I always wondered what to do with the purse's I had grown tired of, now I know.....

I am running right out and getting a pair of these shoes to match

the hat

Nothing like walking around for 12 hours on pencils.

I just don't get it..I have watched fashion shows on TV while scratching my head and wondering where do people wear these clothes.

I'm a blue jean kinda gal. I do like dressing up for special occasions. My ideal of dressing up doesn't include items that will have people looking at me like I have lost my mind. Why would I want to advertise that fact? I try and keep it under wraps. ( family member only are aware of this.) And by the way, were do you find the kind of clothing you see on Fashion runways ? I know Wal _ Mart doesn't have the corner on that market. Heck, I even go to the high $$$ stores sense the kids are grown up and still can't find this "fashion" stuff. J C Penny's and I are good friends these days! While I am on this subject, why is it the more you spend the smaller size you can get? Come on we all know that if we buy a size 10 in a high $$$ store, it would be a size 14 in the stores we can afford.

So in closing I say: go to the resale shop, buy a couple of small items. Cut the tags out and sew them into you jeans, top or dresses. The next time you are feeling that water weight thing, put on the "smaller" items and wear a smile the rest of the day.

Just a little fashion help from Simply_me

P. S. If you are looking for a new hat. I have several.. keep in mind they may have lipstick or ink marks in and on them and any change you find in the hat must be returned to the original owner!

A pictures that really is worth a thousand words...

2009-03-22T07:10:00.001-05:00

I'm going to make this short and sweet today. I think this picture says it all and there is little I can add to it..........

We have to find a cure to insure our daughters , grand daughters and great grand daughters don't have to fight this battle, and that my friends is my thought for today... a hopeful Simply_me

Quote of the Day:

"Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God."

Surprise !!!

2009-03-21T20:00:00.001-05:00

How do I start... some days you get surprised with things that are not so pleasant, and then once in awhile you are blown away with a surprise that you never saw coming. A surprise of the "pleasant" kind.

Today started out like most every day. I'd had a bad headache for several days and was slow getting up today. The phone rings and it's my dd from San Antonio telling me she would be at my house in 5 min's. I'm like '" I've not even dressed yet !" She was coming down to see baby M and her sister that just had surgery. I jump into some clothes and she walks into the door. She and I sat and visited for a bit while we waited for my son and the baby to show up.

"Mom, you have a birthday coming up in a couple of MOS. I have decided you can pick between two things I want to get you. You can pick between an touch ipod or a flat screen TV. My mouth fell open !' "You're kidding, I can't let you spend that much money."Mom you can either pick the one you want or I will just go buy one or the other. " Now I have to tell you after picking my mouth up off the floor I had to decide between the two. It took a bit of thought. An ipod would be cool. I could download music, movies and all that. A flat screen TV would be wonderful in my bedroom ... Why do I have to pick ????

Well I did pick one, and I am enjoying it tonight. It's not even my birthday yet, but she wanted to go ahead and get it while she was here.

So what did I pick??????

Can you guess??????????

huh huh huh...?????????

Sweet huh ! I am so blessed to have such great kids! They are always finding ways to amaze me. Today they were all here with the grand kids enjoying my new TV right along with me. Because I am a Twilight fan the first movie we watch today was "TWILIGHT" which hit the stores at midnight last night.

I still want an ipod, but when I thought about it, I knew that I would use this more and others could enjoy it right along with me.

Note to my SO : When you show up next weekend I might let you watch it if you don't hog the remote!

Some surprises come out of the blue and blow your socks off. This was one of those days. God is very good to me and I need to keep that in mind when I am having a day with surprises that aren't so nice.

I hope you are feeling blessed today ! Simply_me

A face lift works wonders...

2009-03-20T18:57:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted about a tacky old table that my sister had given me. At first I was just going to throw it out. Then I started thinking this is really old, but it is solid wood and was an expensive table once upon a time. So I decided to give it a new life. I am going to repost the before pictures and a couple of ones where I was working on it.

Notice it is suppose top have 6 nob's. It's seen better days.

The next two are pictures of me sanding it for the new face lift.

After a lot of sanding and trying to decide what I wanted to do I can now show you the finished product and say that I am please that I didn't throw it away.. Are you ready ?.... TA DA....

The new and improved table.

I decide to go with four nob's instead of six. I used some wood filler to fill in the holes in the center of the drawer. I painted it a dark chocolate brown and did a little stencil work on the top. I am please with my new little table. It was a lot of work, but I really am glad I gave it a face lift instead of a lift to the trash. Now you know what keeps me busy. Next I am going to tackle a very large desk that I spent way to much money for years ago. With luck it will have a new life as well. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I think I might be up to my knees in sanding and painting once again. I will keep ya posted!

Grins & Hugs Simply_me

A done deal

2009-03-19T19:17:00.001-05:00

Well I took the leap. I am now a day time worker. My SO said now I can have a normal life.. My question is who gets to decide what normal is ? I thought I was normal. Working nights is "normal" for me. Going to a day shift will be abnormal for awhile. Stop and think, do you climb into your bed every night and sleep? I don't. This will take some getting use to. I will still be working 12 hours shift, but they will be switched around. Some people said to me, " you will have to deal with all the bosses now". DUH, if you are doing your job that shouldn't be a problem. All in all I think it is a good move for me. Did you know that research says that working nights takes 10% off your life span. Hey I am on borrowed time now and I think I will hang onto that 10 % ! I am still working nights at this point, but will be going to days by next mo. I am actually looking forward to seeing more daylight and less darkness! So with this said I am off to plan how I am going to use the extra 10 % of my life.. Here's hoping you are in a happy place today!

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Behavior is a mirror in which every one displays his own image.

What's on your mind today ?

2009-03-18T08:14:00.001-05:00

It has been a really interesting week to say the least. I have been working in a drug rehab for 9 years. Most of the nine years I have worked the night shift. (6:30 pm till 7 am) That my friend is a long time. I get paid extra to work nights. They call if differential pay. In the nine years the differential pay has never gone up, but the cost of living has. I am up for my yearly raise this mo and it just so happen that one of the girls that works days was leaving.

I got an e-mail from my boss asking me if I would like to take the day shift. Notice I said I got an e-mail. One of the advantages of working nights is that you don't have to deal with "bosses". I e-mail her back and said thanks but no thanks. It would mean taking a pay cut because of the differential pay. She replied with an "ok, I will offer it to someone else." I stayed over Tuesday morning to meet with my boss to get my yearly evaluation and a raise if I was lucky. Well my evaluation went well and she told me she was putting in for the max pay raise. Sweet was my thought ! She then hit me with the moving to the day shift again. I explained that it didn't make sense to take a step down the ladder just to be able to work days. She told me to think about it and she would get back to me. Also keep in mind, I work Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday nights. This would mean that I would be working Thursday , Friday and Sat days. Why would I want to work every weekend and for less money ?

When I went back to work last night there was another e-mail from .. you guessed it "the boss" I haven't talk to her this much in the past year! It seems that she went to the "powers that be" and the anti went up. I would be making the same as I was ( before the raise ) because they decided to go ahead and pay me the differential pay. Now here is the kicker, I have to decided is it worth it to me. I'm not talking money now. I will have to put up with a # of bosses now, and I will be working with different people as well. I still will be making less by taking this shift. If I stay on the night shift , I still have the raise I earned and the differential pay. So you see , I really have to give this some thought. I say they need to put it on paper, because I once agreed to something like this and after I made the change they came back and said "sorry we can't give you more money.... and now you know What's on my mind this morning. Time to give it a rest and get some sleep. I will toss it around and decide later. After nine years it might be time for a change, or maybe not....Life was so simple before E-mail !

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.

Kiss me.. I'm an "Irish" wanna be

2009-03-17T07:43:00.001-05:00

St. Patrick's Day is usually associated with wearing green, parades and pub crawls but it has a history dating back almost 2000 years.

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

What is St. Patrick's Day?

Saint Patrick's Day, St. Paddy's Day or Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick , one of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on March 17.

The day is the national holiday of Ireland. It is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland.

St. Patrick's Day Irish Foods

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, although he was born in Britain. Many miracles have been attributed to the bishop, including the driving of the snakes from Ireland. His sainthood derives from his conversion of the Irish celtic pagans to Christianity. He used the native shamrock as a symbol of the holy trinity when preaching and brought the Latin alphabet to Ireland. March 17 is the feast day of St. Patrick, of course.
The custom of imbibing alcohol on St. Patrick's Day comes from an old Irish legend. As the story goes, St. Patrick was served a measure of whiskey that was considerably less than full. St. Patrick took this as an opportunity to teach a lesson of generosity to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper that in his cellar resided a monstrous devil who fed on the dishonesty of the innkeeper. In order to banish the devil, the man must change his ways. When St. Patrick returned to the hostelry some time later, he found the owner generously filling the patrons' glasses to overflowing. He returned to the cellar with the innkeeper and found the devil emaciated from the landlord's generosity, and promptly banished the demon, proclaiming thereafter everyone should have a drop of the "hard stuff" on his feast day.
This custom is known as Pota Phadraig or Patrick's Pot. The custom is known as "drowning the shamrock" because it is customary to float a leaf of the plant in the whiskey before downing the shot.
St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated in America in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737, and is now celebrated nationwide as an opportunity to wear green and consume green libations. The celebration in Ireland is more of a religious matter, whereas in the U.S., it is a festive occasion. The wearing o' the green is a symbol of Ireland's lush green farmlands.

The Truth About Wearing Green

St. Patrick's Blue, not green, was the color long-associated with St. Patrick. Green, the color most widely associated with Ireland, with Irish people, and with St. Patrick's Day in modern times, may have gained its prominence through the phrase "the wearing of the green" meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing.

"May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
May all the Irish angels,Smile upon you on St. Patrick's Day."

There you have it, the history behind the day. I'm not Irish , but ya can kiss me anyway. I need to feel the love ! Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Your heart often knows things before your mind does.

The Seed...

2009-03-16T16:23:00.001-05:00

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

* If you plant faith, you will reap a harvest

Quote of the Day:
"Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it but don't swallow it."

A Simple Plan

2009-03-15T09:52:00.001-05:00

I read this online today and thought I would share it with you. As women we are always working to loose a few lbs. I thought to myself this is simple enough that even a "granny" could try it. I am sure that if I will just get off this chair and follow this plan, I can loose a few of the lbs I am always unhappy about. I actually have to throw in a little honesty here.. I will not be able to give up "soda's.. but I can cut back. I can't do the squats cause these old knees of mine will be screaming at me. As for the push up's who's gonna be around to pick my face up off the floor? Trust me, I will be doing this in private, with the door locked. As for the food part, I know I need to eat healthy. Why do unhealthy foods taste so much better ? On the + side this can work. Doing something is better then doing nothing at all, and wishing that the extra lbs would just disappear... I could post my food and exercise journal online so that I could see what I am really doing. At this moment it would be short. It's afternoon here and today my exercise has been laying or sitting. My food intake includes A pepsi, healthy huh...

A Simple Plan to Lose Weight By Gabrielle Reece

A lot of people send comments to me looking for a simple starting point to losing weight. We all know that it has to do with lifestyle (eating, exercise, and attitude). You can go online and read countless articles on how do that.

Rather than making it too difficult, I thought it would be a fun idea to create an easy program with guidelines anyone can follow. So here is a basic program to help you get started. I realize a lot of you know this information already, but for those of you who really desire to find that beginning, let's go!

And don't forget, you need to have a plan. This means writing down your physical activities, and keeping a food journal.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

- 3 sets of 10-15 squats using your body weight

- 3 sets of 10-15 sit ups on a stability ball

- 3 sets of 10 push ups (go on your knees if you have too)

- 3 sets of side skater lunges, 8 per side

- 3 sets of 10-12 bicep to shoulder press using 2 to 10 pound dumbbells.

Remember only do what feels safe and go as low in each move as you can. Only use the amount of weight and perform the number of reps that reflect your fitness level. It's not a competition.

Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
Get out there and walk, bike, swim or any other activity that you can handle for 20-45 minutes. Do your best to safely break a sweat and if you can only go for 15 minutes, so be it. Just get moving. You can always increase your time as the weeks go on.

Sunday
Today is a rest day. Now if Sunday is a better day to train, then rest on another day. Create a schedule that works for you.

Food
I'm not going to tell you what to eat I'm just going to begin by giving you a few pointers.

Keep a food journal. That means write down everything you eat and drink during your day. Try to not eat a heavy dinner or eat too late.
Eat only until you are full (for most of us that is about eating half of the food we already consume). If you need to, just get it off your plate right away.
Don't wait to eat until you're starving. This leads to overeating.
Always carry a healthy snack to help you get to the next meal: handful of almonds, some fruit, or even a mini sandwich. No snack foods (chips, candy, fast food, fries, cookies, etc.).
Only drink water and your beloved coffee without all the other ingredients that turn it into a milkshake. This means no juices or sodas of any kind.
Choose your one night to have alcohol if you must, and it's better to have wine rather than beer or sugary cocktails (mojitos and martinis with sexy names).
Don't nuke it! Make your food yourself.
If you are feeling really motivated, then avoid food made of wheat (pasta, bread, and all baked goods of course). Be mindful that sugar and wheat can really impact your body weight.
On Sunday, eat what you want. ( I am so going to love Sundays) This is not a license to go crazy -- this just means that you can relax, and get that much more fired up for Monday.

The beginning is always the toughest time, but if you are serious about wanting to make a change, this is a really simple way to do that. Lets stop talking about change and begin making it happen today.

Go get 'em and good luck.

Bambi dodged the bullet...

2009-03-14T00:39:00.001-05:00

As most of you know by now I am a Texan. We in Texas like to do things big. Big hair, Big boobs, Big trucks, Big guns, Big ego's ! A couple of friends of mine went deer hunting this season, you know the big bad hunter thing. A "MAN'S PAJAMA PARTY"

They went hunting over a three day weekend and killed these two plus three smaller ones. I can't remember how many shots it took, but it was a lot.

Now you know why our cowboys love to hunt. It was hard work and took about two days to recover once they returned.. Bambi was safe , the hunters "dears" were waiting at home.

Simply_me

Quote of the Day:

"The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory."

A Simple post from Simply_me

2009-03-13T09:28:00.001-05:00

Life is moving really fast these days and I am trying to keep up. I spent the day with my daughter yesterday day. She is doing wonderful and looks great. I am so glad the surgery is over with and she is once again safe at home.

Today I am going to cheat with my post and do "FRIDAY FILL IN". If I stay online I will be trying to catch up with my life the rest of the weekend . I have too many things I need to finish before heading back to work once again. Enjoy this wonderful day that you have been given.. Simply_me

And...here we go!
1. When I look to the left, I see my dresser that needs to be cleaned off and dusted.

2. My living room is the room that has the best view in my home.
3. Let it work so that I don't have to buy a new one.
4. Nothing is done dirt cheap!
5. Voting is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.
6. If you have any extra cash feel free to send some my way.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to kicking back and reading the book I started this week, tomorrow my plans include finishing up the little table I am redoing and Sunday, I want to rest because I am working all night!

Quote of the Day:
I’ll note you in my book of memory.

Handbook 2009

2009-03-12T21:31:00.001-05:00

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.

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

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

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

5. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.

6. Play more games.

7. Read more books than you did in 2008.

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

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

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

Personality:

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

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

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

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

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

16. Dream more while you are awake.

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

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

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

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

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

22. 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.

23. Smile and laugh more.

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

Society:

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

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

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

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

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

Life:

32. Do the right thing!

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

34. GOD heals everything.

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

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

37. The best is yet to come..

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:

40. Share some love with those that seem unlovable

Yoga Anyone

2009-03-11T07:24:00.001-05:00

THERE ARE TWO BASIC TYPES OF YOGA
1. YOGA FROM INDIA

AND

2. YOGA FROM TEXAS

Sorry this class is full. I will let you know when there is an opening.... Simply_me

Quote of the Day:
Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.

Mother hen...

2009-03-10T15:39:00.001-05:00

As some of you might know, my youngest daughter is having some surgery today. Her older sister had this done years ago. After three kids she was finally able to get her husband to agree to it . She is having a breast reduction. Now I am not sure what the hold out on this was other the it's "a man thing". Why would he not won't her to have it done ? The "girls will look bran new"! Anyway I couldn't be with her today because I had to work all night. You know how us mothers are. I have been waking up looking at the clock every hour waiting to hear something. Finally I called her older sister and got an update. She went in late and is still in surgery. After hearing this my panic level when down a few degrees. With this said I am posting a picture that is sure to make her laugh when she is once again at home. and back to her blogging. P.S. he loves you

What goes around comes around.

Signed a worry mother hen, Simply_me

Update : after 3 hours of surgery she is in recovery and the Dr said every thing went well. Now this mother hen can stop worrying.. Thank you GOD !

Flying high...

2009-03-10T15:06:00.001-05:00

What would you name as a symbol of your childhood ? Keep in mind this is March. Do kite's happen to come to mind? Chicago, may be the windy city, but it has nothing on Austin Texas in March ! I loved getting a kite as a child. It was hours of fun, unless it got caught in a tree or power lined or on top of someone's house.

The city of Austin just had it's 81st annual Zilker Park Kite Festival . The festival began in 1929 and is now the longest running such event in the United States. The park is packed with "Big" and little kids flying their kites. Small kites, big Kites.. bigger Kites and the biggest kites. This is a combined with family, food and fun for all.

Taking you back in time...Remember your first kite ?

There were good things and bad things about flying a kite when I was a kid. You see I had siblings. One older and one younger. So guess who was the one that got to hold on to the kite, and run, and run, and run.with it. When at last the kite was flying high, do you think that I got to actually fly it? Not without a fight! Now the good part was that my dad worked for the electric co. If we got a kite caught in a tree, rooftop or anywhere well above our heads, dad would become our hero once again. Dad not only worked for the electric co, but he had a boom truck, with a big bucket. Oh the rides he use to give us and all the kids that suddenly became our friends.

So with this said I am now on a mission. I need to find some kites for my grand kids. What a great way to spend an afternoon. Sunshine exercise and fun all rolled into one. The good news is that I wouldn't have to run with the kite anymore. I will hand over the kites to Mom and Dad and with luck I will get to watch while others do the work !

Quote of the Day:
A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently.

The birthday girl..

2009-03-09T08:11:00.001-05:00

Sissy is 4 today ! It seems that only yesterday she was a little bundle of pink.

Happy Birthday Sissy !

Life would not be nearly as sweet without the love and laughter of a child.

The Birthday girl and my one and only grand daughter

Sissy

What was I thinking...

2009-03-08T10:46:00.001-05:00

Have you every decided to to take on a project and then wonder what were you thinking ? Well I am among the ones that do just that.

I have this little piece of furniture and I am not really sure what you would call it. It's something that my sister gave me. Something she didn't want, and told me I could throw it out if I wanted to. It really is more like an end table then anything else. After years of abuse it's really ugly, but I decided I can "fix that"!

I mean come on... it was worth something once upon a time... and it can be again.. Right ? We throw away things rather then try and redo, remake , or refinish. So I decided that I could make this into something bran new... Something "Pretty". Little did I know how much work it would turn into.

It has one drawer. Notice all the missing nob's? Pretty ugly huh? Well I tackled this last night and it's a wonder I can even type today. I am sanding it by hand. My hands or wondering if I have lost my mind today.

Talk about work.! My problem is this: What do I do after I finish sanding it? Do I stain it or do I paint it? I actually think staining it is the way to go, but this means a lot more sanding. So there you have it. Today I will be up to my ears in dust and wondering what I was thinking. For someone with C.O.D. this is not an easy challenge. I want it done RIGHT and I want it done NOW! I will post pictures later of the finished product. Trust me.. it will be much, much later.. Have a great Day!

In over my head Simply_Me

Smelling The Roses And Dodgeing The Thorns

Let the good times roll! Two weeks and counting…

Well after a very long summer.. and a lot of “shit happens” I’m headed on another cruise. This will make my 4 th one. Ohhh, but this time no family is going.. let’s just say “what happens on the cruise” stays on the cruise… and that my friends is how I roll or sail !!

It’s been awhile..and I’m still standing

What’s up

Relax, tomorrow is another day

Did ya really think I was dead ?

and today….

This is my life in a nut shell…

I’m still Kicking

T stands for tired …

Smile….

Happy 4th Ya’ll !

Make a Plan

Moving Ahead

living long enough to be a real concern

In a few years.. this will happen..

7 reasons not to mess with children.

A Special Father’s day Treat

Ear’s what happen... down at the car wash

Out and back in or is that break in ?

YOU ROCK SIS !

The Wolf Pack

Let it rain…..

Quick and Easy…

It’s hard work, but someone has to do it!

My kind of Bird.. no clean up

BUSTED….

And I went Wii Wii Wii all the way home

Oh MaMaw.. not another picture…I’m not saying cheese

OUCH #%*#%*

I won’t let ya down !

Why didn’t I think of that ?

How do I turn this off….

Obama Man “CAN”

Missing you all…

Remember…

Tag you’re it..

A last min BBQ

My small world w/ big people

I have the answer to protecting your health…

YES, I can read this. How about you ?

Jar Head

Work Work & more Work

Not my style..

The Crosswalk

Unseen Plans and Strange Hands

The games Daddy’s play…

Remembering Mom

What Next…

Oh to be young again.

Pop Quiz

The real facts..

Alerting all Mom’s

Share the Love

Need some cheese with that “whine” ?

Is chocolate the answer ?

It’s done!!

I should write him a check.. but I will pay with love..

Always carry duct tape.. it may just save you from this.

Just for fun..

Coo Coo Ca Chew

I didn’t do it !

Armed and Dangerous…..

Someday ya should just stay in bed or hide under it….

Easter Sunday 2009 Christ lives…

Does this make me a basket case ?

Hippity Hoppity…

"Here comes Peter Cottontail hoppin' down the bunny trail Hippity hoppity Easters on its way!"

Code Blue

Sad but True

Ladies do you Twitter

“Prints “ of love

When I grow up I wanna be Maxine…..

Update

Life lived well….

It all started with Adam & Eve

What do you have and What do you know ?

Isn’t this the Truth!

The world is changing….

OUCH #%#%

Amazing Grace:
The Story of John Newton