La Befana

You know how much I want to see Italy, right? Well, Christmas in Italy sounds divine, doesn't it?

I've just discovered an Italian Christmas Legend/Tradition:

According to the legend, the night before the Wise Men arrived at the manger they stopped at the shack of an old woman to ask directions. They invited her to come along but she replied that she was too busy. Then a shepherd asked her to join him but again she refused. Later that night, she saw a great light in the sky and decided to join the Wise Men and the shepherd bearing gifts that had belonged to her child who had died. She got lost and never found the manger. Now La Befana flies around on her broomstick each year on the 11th night, bringing gifts to children in hopes that she might find the Baby Jesus. Children hang their stockings on the evening of January 5 awaiting the visit of La Befana.

I think I've found my calling! All I need now is a broomstick! That flies.

And is anybody going to explain to me why the priest fainted? Please? Because I still don't get it.

Only 25 Days until Christmas! Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Of Christmas Lights and Trees... the musical edition

Don't I feel silly just putting out my white icicles...



Boy, that really is amazing. And I'm really glad I don't live in that neighborhood. Just saying.

And for those of you who are afraid to just let loose and sing-along...



All you have to do is pretend you're Jim Carrey while you're doing it and it'll be great!

And for Linda...



...just so you'll know what to expect with Tesla's first Christmas tree. And the rest of them. srsly.

A few years back, while I was still living in Lakeland, FL some gal pals and I attended a Christmas concert with The Irish Tenors. It was simply sublime. I heard 'Fairytale in New York' for the first time at that concert. I couldn't find this song on video but I did find this audio link of them singing Fairytale in New York. The audio doesn't do them justice, but it's still marvelous.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Stop. Stop. That's not Roll It, Dude

Yay for Monday! Because I felt SO much better yesterday compared to Friday, but Saturday was the worst. I majorly vegged Saturday. I stayed in my jammies and watched at least 5 FaLaLaLa Lifetime Christmas movies in bed Saturday. Maybe even 6. I was totally washed out. Thank goodness I was back to feeling more like myself again yesterday. These large gatherings use to be no problem at all for me... now? Not so much. But I had a great time and I know everybody there did, too. Especially the ones that didn't leave until 11:45pm. :]

So you know yesterday was Take a MotherDear to Bingo with the Biddies Day, right? And she's SO not done with her winning streak. She was getting some dirty looks, too. But I couldn't help it. I wanted to win for a change!

Hey, we're just about done with November already! Only 26 days until Christmas! Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

One woman's Trash

...is one raccoon family's Treasure.



I opened my carport door this morning to toss some trash into the trash barrel. The raccoons discovered that the trash barrel runneth over this week. Of course, this means the lid wasn't sealed as well as it normally would be, making it possible for them to get to the promised land.

Which means that Thanksgiving is now scattered all over the carport. Unlike the humans, the raccoons have finally cleared all of the food from all of the plates.

Life on the Swamp... it's never dull.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Jingle Bell Rock

I love Jingle Bell Rock!

Well, I love mostly all Christmas songs, but this song always takes me back to one particular date with Mr. Ex when I was 16 or 17. There was really nothing special about the date at all. It was just another Friday night at Pizza Hut... Snow was falling, Christmas lights were up everywhere and there in Pizza Hut a juke box was playing Jingle Bell Rock.

It's 40 years later and every time I hear this song I still go back to that one winter evening ...

..and it still fills me with happiness.

Let the Christmas Season begin! 26 Days to go!

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. -Helen Keller

PS... another scheduled post that published before it was supposed to...

Ying and Yang

Whoa! Between all the cooking, eating and cleaning up the kitchen, plus staying up until nearly midnight on Thanksgiving, I had all I could do to keep my eyes open until 5pm yesterday. I decided I'd better take a nap before supper... I woke up at 11pm, fed my poor kitties, had a cuppa coffee and went back to bed.

I woke up a little while ago feeling SO much better than yesterday. I may be getting too old to host Thanksgiving Dinner and stay up late! Maybe just one or the other?

Anyway, all this to say that when I sat up in bed this morning, Gracie and Whitey did something that brought tears to my eyes, and a smile. I didn't have a camera and I knew if I moved, they would have moved, so I'll just have to try explain it. They both walked over to me as I sat with my legs crossed Indian-style. Then they laid down head to head right against my legs, ying and yang style with their heads in the middle and their bodies in opposite directions.  I stayed there until my need for a cuppa coffee was overpowering.

I have no idea what today will bring! Isn't that wonderful? Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

It's all in the details

(Dad channel surfing)...

Mom: What show was that?
Dad: Fat people having sex.
Mom: What makes that any different than us?
Dad: They're HAVING sex.

Hat Tip: Crazy Things Parents Say



Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Putting the "No" in Noel

Looks like Santa needs a hot toddy. And this year's Christmas Craziness is just beginning.

Have you seen the Sketchy Santa web sight? Too Funny. I'm imagining every funny annual picture ever taken with Santa will soon be posted to it.

Actually, this is one of the better store Santas. SisterDear Lynda always took her boys to a really great Santa, known to us as "the best Santa". A few years ago she requested that Mike and Brian, her now-grown sons, get themselves to see "the best Santa" and have their picture taken with him as grown men.  And they did! That photo hangs year round in Sisterdear's home.

And I'm betting that Mike and Danielle take 20-month old Aria to "the best Santa" for her annual picture with Santa! Unless of course Aria is still afraid of Santa. My bil Rick, known to Aria as Grampy, dressed up as Santa last year and 8-month old Aria just cried and cried!

So, today is Black Friday, which I am sure has nothing whatsoever to do with it also being my ex-husband's birthday. No, really. It's just a coincidence. So Happy Birthday, Mr. Ex! I hope you have an awesome day.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

We'll be listening to A Charlie Brown Christmas this morning as MotherDear and I have our coffee, stuff the the turkey, tuck him into the oven and put all the veggies on the stove! Charlie Brown and Snoopy always seem to usher in the holidays in our family!

Today my home will welcome about 20 guests to enjoy another of MotherDear's wonderful Thanksgiving dinners! Although I will have some family and friends near to me for dinner today, many are far from me in miles, but always near in my heart!

I am thankful for many things, but most of all I am thankful for my family and friends. I wish you and yours a lovely, Happy Thanksgiving! Great Big Hugs ♥xo

T minus 1 day to T-day

These are a few screenshots from our old childhood 8mm home movies that I've been working on. My two childhood hometowns were both mighty big on parades.

The Orbiteers... a few of my sisterdears and brothers marched/played.
Janice is at top, playing cymbals. Or not playing, as the case may be.

So! It's the day before Thanksgiving! At last! This is my official kick-off of the Holidays! Some of the out of town guests will arrive this evening. The rest arrive tomorrow morning.

Lynda at the center. She usually tossed a rifle. I don't know what she's doing here
... other than being thin as a rail.

We'll be doing all of the veggie prep work today. The snapping of green beans... the chopping and peeling of the rest of the vegetables...  The defrosting of cookies and pies... Soon the meal will be set in motion. The turkey will be tucked into the oven around 5:00am tomorrow. The pans will be set on the stove for the veggies.

A close up of Janice . When she saw these photos she named all of the people in the line.
Her memory is so much better than mine. But I'll give her 3 years to catch up, and we'll see...

Once that's done, we're pretty much done except for turning on the TV to watch the Macy's parade. Our guests will begin to arrive. Then the football and noshing. And the smells from the turkey start to permeate the house.

mmmm.....

I love Thanksgiving dinner, especially shared with family and friends..

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

T minus 2 days to T-day

Priorities. They have them.

So it's T minus 2 days to T-day. We'll be chopping up all the veggies tomorrow so we'll just need to toss 'em on the stove and go. Easy Peasy.

Miss Bee posted a Random act of culture yesterday. If you didn't see it yet, I encourage you to do so immediately! Wasn't that just the most awesome thing? 650 choristers! Glorious!

I did not know this pipe organ existed. It was actually built into Macy's in Philadelphia.

Now I dearly hate shopping, most especially shopping in malls, but I can promise you that I would be there in Macy's fairly often just to hear that organ. Imagine... free concerts! What a blessing.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. ~ Groucho Marx

Manday, Monday

Dude. Pull yourself together.

It's Monday... at least I think it is... so we get a chance to do it all over again. Kinda like that mannequin dresser. Oops. I actually kinda sorta know how the mannequin feels as I've got really long arms and legs, but at least they match. And what's up with his Frankenstein feet?

I couldn't make my Pumpkin Cranberry bread yesterday. I took the cranberries out of the freezer and they were not very pretty. I'll be picking some more up today along with a few last minute items MotherDear requested. Oh, and this just in... MotherDear is on a winning streak at Bingo. I think she should buy a lottery ticket while she's still hot!

I'm still having issues with Blogger scheduled posts. I don't know... maybe it's me! :]

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Inspired by Duchess Linda...

I uploaded some of the screenshots of our family home movies that I've been working on. I just love them! These are from the skating rink my Dad made us every year in our yard!

Gift Tag Story Christmas 5x7 folded card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Did I mention the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies?

So... yesterday I made a double batch of Toll House Cookies. mmmm... I had several volunteers for Quality Control duty! And since I was on a cookie roll, I just went ahead and made a double batch of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. It's good to have a plan, but I'm always prepared to change it.

So I'll make the Pumpkin Cranberry Breads and the Banana Breads today. It's all fine and dandy.

I finally got around to making the cat's annual calendar yesterday. It's really hard to choose just 13 photos, especially when you have 4 cats! The ones I chose were just some of my personal favorites - not necessary good photography - just cute moments of my babies.

DailyGs 2011 by dailygs
Browse more Dailygs Calendars

So... it's Monday again and the beginning of a short, but busy holiday week! Let the games begin!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS... Once again, all proceeds received from the sales of the DailyGs Calendar will be donated to our furry friends waiting for their Forever Homes and the many fine folks who take care of them at our favorite SPCA in Lakeland, FL. What's a day without a little gray?... heavy on the Whitey!

Note to self: no chocolate cupcakes with blue frosting

These little guys are come on a my house for Thanksgiving Dinner.

T's 3rd Birthday and R's 1st Birthday at Chuck E Cheese

Oh, my!

What? You knew that was going to happen!

Fortunately, there will be no sticky, blue food on the menu!

The End.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Heavenly

Why Greece is also on my "I'd love to visit there one day" list.

Oia Santorini, Greece

But I don't want to visit here, no matter how Heavenly it looks.

Buddhist Monastery, Himalayas -National Geographic's Photography Contest on The Big Picture

Today's plan? Baking. I'm making some Pumpkin Cranberry Breads and some Banana Breads. And possibly some Toll House Cookies. We're having so much food, I'm not sure we actually need cookies. But there will be a 1 year old and a 3 year old here for Thanksgiving and I'm pretty sure they won't much care for stuffed celery, a pickle plate, pies or breads. So I'm going to try to squeeze in some cookies! Because what kid doesn't love cookies. right? Right.

Somewhere in this weekend I'm hoping to squeeze in the Harry Potter movie, too! What are you doing this weekend? Whatever it is, I hope your weekend is lovely. Big Hugs ♥xo

I'm not kidding

I saw this post in my reader and laughed and laughed. Because it's me...

Draw the dog

...only instead of me being surrounded by stuffed bears and a dog it's 4 bed-hogging cats.

srsly.

The Holiday Taste of Sam's Club

It begins today! Friday is the start of a three day food feast known as The Holiday Taste of Sam’s Club.

Friday, Nov. 19 - Sunday, Nov. 21, 11 am - 6 pm

Enjoy these great samples at this year’s event:

Friday, November 19:
Harvest Orchard Pie
Member’s Mark® Turtle Cheesecake
Member’s Mark® Boneless Spiral Ham
Member’s Mark® Parmesan Garlic-Marinated Pork Loin
Bacon Cheddar Dip
Member’s Mark® Spinach Artichoke Dip
President®/Delice de France Brie
Petite Quiche

Saturday, November 20:
The Cheesecake Factory® Red Velvet Cheesecake
Harvest Orchard Pie
Chudleigh’s® Mini Apple Blossoms®
Member’s Mark® Boneless Spiral Ham
Member’s Mark® Parmesan Garlic-Marinated Pork Loin
Bacon Cheddar Dip
Member’s Mark® Spinach Artichoke Dip
President®/Delice de France Brie

Sunday, November 21:
Member’s Mark® Turtle Cheesecake
Member’s Mark® Boneless Spiral Ham
Member’s Mark® Parmesan Garlic-Marinated Pork Loin
Bacon Cheddar Dip
Member’s Mark® Spinach Artichoke Dip
President®/Delice de France Brie

I have a business membership... do you 'spose they'll let me in early for the food samples? No? Drat.

And finally, as if free food samples at Sam's doesn't make today special enough, it's also the premiere date of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 and...

drum roll please...

it's my parents' Anniversary. It's fifty-something years now... but who's counting?!

Happy Anniversary, Ma and Dad! I love you! xo♥

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

The gift of nothing is the biggest gift of all

There was a humor/opinion piece printed in the side column of yesterday's edition of our little newspaper which my Dad had clipped out. He wanted to make sure I would see it. And I would have missed it because I peruse the online version of the paper and apparently our little newspaper is SO little that they don't bother to publish their syndicated columns on their web site. So I googled it for you... Because that's what I do!

Here's a link to the article. In this piece Jim Mullen, who writes the syndicated weekly humor column The Village Idiot, accurately expresses what my Christmas Shopping philosophy has been for many, many years.

Well, first of all, I.Hate.Shopping! But more importantly, I just don't think Christmas has anything at all to do with gifts, stress, crowds, traffic, short tempers, or people going further into debt to buy things they can't afford for people who don't want what you bought for them anyway.

So I don't buy into the whole Christmas shopping thing.

Well...I do a little stocking for each of my parents to open on Christmas morning because looking back, opening my stocking was my favorite part of Christmases growing up. Lots of fond memories came from opening my stocking. It's just fun!

I also buy some little trinket for each of the SisterDears. Sometimes it's $5...sometimes it's $20. It just depends on what catches my eye.

Once it was $100 gold earrings... the single exception to the rule. But I saw a pair I just had to have and decided to buy a pair for each of them, too. Actually, I just broke the pair I bought for myself last year. I had driven MotherDear down to Florida for the weekend to visit her Best Bingo Biddy Buddy and when I went to bed I stuck my earrings in my sneaker so they wouldn't get lost.

You know what happened, right? Yup... When I put my sneakers on the next morning I crushed one of them.

I'm still upset about that, btw. I wore them nearly every day. They were my most favorite pair evah! And yes, I do still have them... Lord knows why! I can't wear them anymore, but maybe one day I'll have them melted down for the gold. Or not. :]

Now don't take my opinion personally! If you have small children or grands, or just plain enjoy doing the whole Christmas shopping thing, that's absolutely fine with me! I'm not judging... It just doesn't work for me.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Clean, rearrange and de-clutter the office. Check.

That's mostly what I did yesterday morning. Business was slow and it was a dreary, rainy day and the mood just struck me and I went with it.

Office before (the entrance is the lower door - closet door is on the right, directly behind my chair)

I moved my desk towards the window and put the chairs on the other side of my desk so when someone comes into my office, they can actually sit at my desk. The main benefit for me is that I get more natural light, which I really need. The ceiling fan light in this room sorely needs to be replaced.

Office after

The chairs were in front of the window for the cats, but I'll take out the small shelf and big basket and put in a bench for them...eventually... if the stars align and I get to the store when they actually have it in stock.

I have more de-cluttering to do, but I ran out of steam before I ran out of clutter! :]

Then I spent about an hour using my favorite handy dandy room planner to see how I could manage to gain some floor space in my bedroom. When I moved to the Swamp I traded my much larger master bedroom and took the 2nd smallest of 4 bedrooms. I gave my parents the master bedroom because it has 2 large closets, so they each get one very large closet to themselves. My Dad has never had his own closet! Bless his heart. hahahaha!

The smallest bedroom is, of course, the one I use as my office. I chose the smaller of the remaining 2 bedrooms because it had a much larger closet than the other. Unfortunately, my furniture is huge! I loved it when I bought it, and it was perfect for the Yellow house, but it just does not work here. If I could sell it for anything remotely close to what I paid for it I would. Then I'd replace it with much smaller and lighter furniture. I've pretty much decided that the next time I move I'm either selling it furnished or having one big estate sale. I'll just take my cats and personal items and get all new stuff for what will likely be my last home.

Bedroom now

Anyway... The only way I can figure to gain floor space and not have the room feel so overwhelmed with furniture is to take out the tall dresser and possibly one of the bedside tables. I will have to wait for some muscle to help me accomplish that. It took 4 big strong men, a bunch of straps and a floor pad to move the long dresser, head board and foot board. I do have it all on gliders so I can slide it, which worked very well at the Yellow house, but the carpet here is much thicker and it just does not work here. Rats.

Bedroom after removing tall dresser

The bad news is that after comparing the two photos, I'm not sure I really gain anything. And my TV will be so far away I won't be ble to see it. And that tall dresser? It wont fit in the guest bedroom... or anywhere else.

sigh.

I can't wait to rip out the rest of the carpet and put it laminate. I ♥ laminate. It's so easy to keep clean and it's just about bullet-proof. It's also much better for my sinuses come Springtime. Carpet holds all kinds of stuff you can never get out, including dust mites and pollen. Yuck.

Plus, I have 4 cats. Carpet and cats? Not such a great idea. Speaking of which... Honestly, each and every time I vacuum I wonder how it is that my cats aren't all bald!

I found about 9 more mousies under my bookcases and desk. Oh, the fun Whitey will have tonight!

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Spirit

I read a comment on Lois' Memory post yesterday, which touched me.


Zane D. Clark said...

The spirit that gives your first breath receives your last sigh.
Resting in the arms of God.
z


So I googled it... because that's what I do! :]

What I found was as beautiful as it is interesting.

Chief Seattle's
LETTER TO ALL

Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle (more correctly known as Seathl) was a Susquamish chief who lived on the islands of the Puget Sound. As a young warrier, Chief Seattle was known for his courage, daring and leadership. He gained control of six of the local tribes and continued the friendly relations with the local whites that had been established by his father. His now famous speech was believed to have been given in December, 1854. There are several versions of his letter; the following was provided by Barefoot Bob.

Chief Seattle's Letter

"The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.

We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same family.

The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred. Each glossy reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother.

If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.

Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.

This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.

Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.

When the last red man has vanished with this wilderness, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left?

We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it, as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it, as God loves us.

As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you.

One thing we know - there is only one God. No man, be he Red man or White man, can be apart. We ARE all brothers after all."

Did Chief Seattle actually write this letter in 1854? And here's what Snopes says about it.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

How to wrap a cat

I bet I could do this with Whitey! He likes anything that involves touching him... except eye goops and ear squirts, of course. Can't say as I blame him for that.

Gracie in her very first grocery bag... awww.....

So yesterday's recap: Take care of out-of-town friends cats, morning and evening, check. Take MotherDear to Bingo with the Biddies, check. Win at Bingo, check! Get to Harvey's for margarine, check. Kinda... They didn't have the kind I wanted but I got some of what they had. Actually make the Toll House cookies... ummm... uh-uh.

I'll have to get that done sometime this week, assuming customers don't have me too busy. I hesitate to bake cookies while I'm working because just a few seconds can make or break a great cookie. :]

I also failed eating sensibly yesterday. I hate a piece of Key Lime cake.

And it was SO good! :]

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Sunday Newsreels

Helping Nana Put Away the Groceries...

starring my Four Stooges

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

and the Finale, Part 4:

I was so mad to see that somehow the camera setting for video got changed to the smallest size, but they still crack me up!

So yesterday I got my shopping list done for baking... except I forgot to get margarine. I prefer to use the soft tubs of margarine in my Toll House Cookies. I learned that trick from SisterDear Lynda. When ever I used butter mine were always flatter than Lynda's. They tasted just as good, but in the pretty department? Not so much. Then one day I finally asked her what she did differently! So a quick run out to the corner Harvey's for margarine and I can get those baked this morning. Then Bingo with the Biddies this afternoon.

Goodness. That just about does in another weekend, doesn't it?

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

What time is it? Why it's 41 days to Christmas-time!

from Snuzzy.com

And Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Is it just me, or is time flying?

I remember when I first booked the BC4 cruise for February it seemed like a million days away when it fact it was about 240ish. Now it's a mere 106 days away. My goodness.

My book finally arrived yesterday! And now I'm stuck between a rock and hard place because this is 'baking weekend' and I'm doing some cat sitting for some out of town friends. That right there takes a 2 hour bite out of my day. You see I can't just feed and water the cats, scoop poop and leave... No. I have to stay and talk to them and pet them and let them ignore me for at least a little while or else be ridden with guilt.

The book is just sitting there on my desk, glaring at me, and wondering why I haven't picked it up to read it.

sigh.

Time. There's never enough of it, is there?

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

PS. If you'd like to read the book Decision Points by George W Bush once I've finished reading it, leave a comment on this post. I'll be using a random generator to choose a recipient.

Reflection

The sun rises over tombstones in the Marietta National Military Cemetery Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010, in Marietta, Georgia. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

I chose this one photo (out of 37 poignant photos) on The Big Picture's post today because it caused me to pause... and once again I am in awe at the sacrifice many of our military members and their families have paid to keep America the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The post looks back at Veterans Day 2010 - photos of Veterans and Remembrance Day from the United States and several Commonwealth nations.

May God Bless our Troops.

Big Hugs ♥xo

Massachusetts: The birthplace of Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Photo Credit: Mascarucci/Corbis)

Chocolate chip cookies were born in Massachusetts: The chocolate chip cookie was invented in 1930 at the Toll House Restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts. In 1997 it was designated the official cookie of the commonwealth.

I did not know that until yesterday! How is it that someone from MA who loves Toll House Cookies did not know that?

I'm gearing up for Thanksgiving this weekend! I'll be baking up a few double batches of those yummy treats this weekend. Then I'll be putting them into the freezer until Thanksgiving.

Well, right after I conduct some Quality Control tests. :]

The Toll House Cookies will be joined by my Pumpkin Cranberry Breads and Banana Breads. And if I have time, Cappuccino Cookies. Mmmm...

It's here that I would like to say how much I love my upright freezer. It allows me to buy when stuff is on sale as well as being able to make/bake ahead and freeze 'til needed. That eliminates lots of baking marathons, rushing and stress. It's a very good thing.

My directly across the street neighbor/friend, whose family is joining us for dinner, has graciously offered me all THREE of her ovens as well as an extra fridge! Whoa, baby! That solves lots of baking/scheduling logistics! Her hubby is deep-frying a turkey and she's making brownies and good old southern black eyed peas. 

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my neighbors here at the Swamp?

Oh... and so far, that makes 2 turkeys and a ham for dinner. I'm pretty sure there will be too much food!

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Happy Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day to all Veterans! Thank you for your service and for the sacrifices made by you and your families.

While I have the highest respect for ALL of our Military Men and Women, my all time favorite is of course, my Dad! Dad served in the US Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He was an aircraft mechanic in Korea and Okinawa.

Daddy is quite handsome in uniform!

One of my neighbors is one of the most patriotic people I know. Every patriotic holiday he puts out about 500 flags around the perimeter of his home, all carefully placed exactly 3 paces apart. He put his out a few days ago for Veterans day, although in the interest of full disclosure, I did not take new photos... these are from Memorial Day, 2008... but I can assure you... our yards look just like this right now!

Of course, his American Flag and POW/MIA Flags are always flying

This is my flag here at the Swamp. It flies from one of the columns on my front porch. I just have the one flag... but I fly it proudly. 

Today it's back to the grindstone on my web site. With any luck, I'll get a few interruptions by people placing orders! Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Spammiches

USS Ronald Reagan's Facebook page has more updates

So did y'all see this story and this story on the USS Ronald Reagan delivering tons of Spam and Croissants to the Carnival Splendor?

While I do feel quite badly for the passengers because their cruise has been ruined by the fire, at least nobody was hurt. Also, Carnival will be compensating them all quite generously.

But y'all? I dearly hate Spammiches. We use to have them quite a lot when I was young. Ack. I do hope there are no Spammiches in my future aboard the Carnival Glory.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Craziness

Whitey and Gandalf enjoying Nap Time. Sometimes, Gandalf doesn't completely shut his eyes. Creepy, eh?

So yesterday we went up to 80° - a mere 36 hours after we were freezing at 33°. I had to take off my sweater and pull out a tee shirt again. Craziness! But that was the good news. The bad news is that we're under a severe weather fire warning. We really need a good rain.

I've been up to my eyeballs in working on my business blog and web site and I'm bored out of my skull at this point. I'm about halfway through the current addition. It's coming along quite nicely, but it's just SO boring. I may give myself a day off from doing that just so I can revitalize.

Has anyone else had problems with their scheduled posts NOT publishing lately? I sure have. They post immediately when I have scheduled them and then hit publish (The Harry Potter post), or they don't post at all when the 12:01am time rolls around. What's up with that?

Book signing at Borders in Dallas, Texas

I'm a little bit disappointed to discover that Barnes & Noble didn't ship my book until yesterday, the day of the release. I normally get them on the release date when I order from Amazon.com. I thought that was the case with B&N, too, but apparently not. I've made myself a mental note for future reference when I'm really anxious to get a book.

Well, that's all I know today since I've had my head wrapped around writing web pages with all sorts of un-fascinating technical cah-rap! I'll try to be in a more festive frame of mind tomorrow!

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

“It is impossible for a man to begin to learn that which he thinks that he knows.” — Epictetus

Yummy

I found these on my last trip to Sam's. I tried the microwave suggestion on the box (Sam's only sells BIG boxes of many of them) ... and boy, are they ever yummy! And only 160 calories and 3.4 grams of fat. Score!

I did this cartoon for the cat's blog yesterday.

See that kitchen? I seriously love this kitchen. I'm giving serious consideration to painting over the cranberry color with this nice, buttery color. What do you think?

Now I'm wishing I painted the cabinets a soft white. They won't be as easy to change, but they are a nice neutral that will go well with almost anything. I'm going to test a swatch of butter next to them before I jump in with both feet.

And finally, I found this cute video of Jesse the Jack Russell Terrier. I think he's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen!



I've got to get my cats to watch all of Jesse's videos!

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Yes, Virginia, there is some hope for the next generation of young Americans.

Above is a screen capture from the George W. Bush Facebook page. They announced the video contest winner on Saturday. His name is Wyatt Smith. He's a 22 year old college graduate who is civic-minded, articulate and, thanks to a university fellowship, already well-traveled. Wyatt plans to begin teaching in a high-poverty area next summer.

Here's Wyatt's video.

Seeing his video, I can hardly believe he is just 22 years old. I'm looking forward to seeing Wyatt's interview of President Bush.

I pre-ordered the book Decision Points by George W Bush as soon as the release date was announced. It should be in my mailbox on/or about the day of its release, Tuesday, November 9, 2010. I can't wait to read it.

Since I believe this is a book that should be shared rather than just sit on a shelf in my bookcase, I'll be passing it along to one of you. Just say you'd like to read it in the comments. I'll choose the recipient using a random generator.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

On sleeping with cats...

Yup. That about sums it up.

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Harry Potter, Deathly Hallows Part I

Harry Potter, Deathly Hallows Part I  comes out Friday, November 19th! I do intend to see it in the theater that weekend!

I became aware of the Harry Potter series just after the release of the second book. My niece Jennifer was failing Reading Comprehension. Each book the school assigned her left her hating books and reading even more than before.

I made up my mind to help her discover the joy of reading. Jennifer use to spend many a weekend as well as several weeks in the summer with me. On one of those weeks, off we went to Barnes and Noble.

Jennifer could not believe the size of B&N, let alone how many people - of all ages - were perusing the aisles inside. She was amazed to see the Starbuck's cafe as well as all of the chairs scattered throughout, all with people seated in them and reading.

We spent a great deal of time in the store, beginning with the children's section. I let her choose the book she wanted to read first. She chose the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Wonderful!

I then picked up a second copy, as well as 2 copies of the 2nd book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

I explained to Jennifer that we would each have a copy to read and as we finished each chapter we would have a nice discussion about what we'd just read. She sounded somewhat enthusiastic, but expressed her concern over the size of the books. The longest book she'd read to date was no more than 50 pages. And I repeated my favorite analogy when tackling any daunting project...

"It's just like eating an elephant - one bite at a time!"

My favorite moment through all this happened on one summer Friday afternoon at my office. I always closed at noon on Fridays. Jennifer was laying on the couch back in the warehouse, fulled engrossed in her reading. I hollered to her to get ready to leave as it was closing time. She hollered back,

"Aunt Barbara, can't I please finish my book? I'm on the last chapter and I just HAVE to see how it ends!"

And naturally, I hollered back, "No!"

I had a hammock waiting for me under the shade of my favorite big old oak tree and a frosty glass of lemonade with my name on it!

And as she complained and gathered up her stuff, I walked back into my office doing a quiet fist pump and silently saying "Yessss" to myself. :]

Back at the house, once Jennifer had finished that last chapter and had finally read a book she thoroughly loved, she immediately wanted to begin the second book.

It was then that I told her I had just heard they were making the first book into a movie!

[Imagine ecstatic, dancing, happy child here!]

And Jennifer was pretty excited about the movie, too! :]

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Dang, it's cold

A male wandering albatross displays its 11-foot wing span to a female on South Georgia Island. The courtship ritual renews their pair bond after months of roaming the Southern Ocean. (© National Geographic/Frans Lanting) 
The Big Picture on Boston.com

That's not this south Georgia, though. But it is pretty chilly here! It was 44° Thursday night and it's supposed to go down to the low 30's through Monday night. Jimminy Crickets, that's chilly for us this time of year!

Lord help me, I'm thinking of growing out my hair again, even though I just found a gal who I really like and even though I'll hate it once the hots return. I'm tired of having to go have it cut every 3-4 weeks, but every once in a while I'll see a photo of when it was shoulder length and wish it were that length again.

The cats must be getting cabin fever, because they are driving me nuts. They all want to be right in front of my monitor all the time. It's hard to maintain my professionalism while looking up part numbers and prices and moving a cat out of the way. It's making me a little bit crabilated, to tell you the truth. I guess that's another good reason that I don't do business with video conferencing! That, and occasionally I don't get dressed until mid-morning!

My business did have a pretty good first week of November, so that's a very good thing! I need a bunch of weeks like that to make up for the horrible summer!

Well, the weekend is upon us and I don't yet have any earthly idea of what I'll be doing. What are your plans?

Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Scenes from a Hat and other Stuff

This was one of my favorite shows (the British version and the American version) and I still tune in whenever I see it on those icky nights when I wake up and can't get back to sleep. I love Ryan Stiles and his shoes.




While I was watching this video my Dad was walking by my office and stopped in to see what was so funny. Colin Mochrie just slays me.



And then I watched a few more videos. =:-o



Yesterday I had a comment from Akelamalu. After reading her About Me I googled to find out what my Hawaiian Name is. It's Palapa. Me likey.

Hello, my name is Palapa. What's your name?

Naturally, after I found out my Hawaiian name is Palapa I googled again to find out what Palapa means.

The first definition was a thatched-roof, open-sided structure. Really? A Tiki Hut? Does this mean every Tiki Hut in the world is named Barb?

The material to cover the roof of a palapa typically consists of dried and woven palm-tree leaves. A palapa is sometimes referred to as a grass or tiki hut.

The second definition was a series of Indonesian domestic communication satellites.

Huh.

Astronaut Dale A. Gardner, having just completed the major portion of his second extravehicular activity (EVA) period in three days, holds up a "For Sale" sign refering to the two satellites, Palapa B-2 and Westar 6 that they retrieved from orbit after their Payload Assist Modules (PAM) failed to fire. Astronaut Joseph P. Allen IV, who also participated in the two EVAs, is reflected in Gardner's helmet visor. A portion of each of two recovered satellites is in the lower right corner, with Westar 6 nearer Discovery's aft. November 14, 1984

It's a bit troubling, to say the least.

Somehow, I likey a little bit less now. I wanted it to mean something really neat. Like romantic, fun-loving, true-blue, funny, wealthy.

Just kidding. I don't really need to be all that funny. :]

Coincidentally, just last night my Dad was telling me he watched a show with belly dancing and veils... and now I'm thinking 'if only I could Hula Dance'...

Isn't it weird where you end up sometimes while you're out surfing the interwebs? You start off in one place and end up somewhere completely unlike anything you might have imagined. Me likey that, for sure!

Oh, and me likey that I won at Bingo with the Biddies last night. MotherDear won as well! Me likey likey that a lot!

It's Friday! Woohoo! Go out and put some YAY! in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo