Nah nah nah nah - hey he-ey, Go-od bye!

Kathy danced her last dance tonight. She was one of my 4 picks to be leaving tonight even though she wasn't the one I would most prefer to see go. I was not really thrilled with the show tonight, didn't like their guest entertainment much and would have really enjoyed seeing Donnie and Kym dance again tonight.
I have to say that Samantha Harris looked like a goddess tonight. My gosh, she was stunning in that dress. Black is certainly her color and she gave Kym a run for her money in the big Texas hairdo department. Now Roger can have the TV back, oh wait, no he can't because tomorrow night is Modern Family and Cougar Town.
I worked 1 day in the Fairview Elementary Library this week which was an experience. Libraries have sure changed. I kept looking for the card file only to be told that the janitor had taken it home to organize his tools in. Poor Dewey and his Decimal System! The last library I worked in was the Stinnett High School library under the watchful eye of Mr. Downer. Mr. Downer took his library duties very seriously and probably would be most undone with the advent of bar coding and scanner guns. I honestly am starting to wonder when they will simply barcode all children and we can just all have a little scanner and we will know where they belong and if there is a fine due on them or not. I know they are barcoded for lunchroom purposes, school picture purposes, library purposes. One can only hope that they don't have to be scanned into the restroom. I enjoyed my time and enjoyed watching the "librarian" (I don't think they call themselves that any more) do her teaching. I probably missed my calling because I actually think I would have enjoyed this profession and been pretty good at it. Just like everything else, I'm a dollar short and a day late in finding my calling.
I am really tired tonight so I think I'm going to close up shop and hit the hay.
Peace my friends!

Round 2 DWTS - Let's Get Ready To Rhumba!!!

First up was JoAnna and Derek doing the Jive - she rocked the outfit and could have nailed this dance to the wall however her feet were just a tad slow. My score 8 - Judges C-6 Guest-7 B-7 I think they were a bit harsh on her this is only the 2nd dance and she is one of the best natural dancers here.
Natalie and Alec danced the Quickstep. She had an awkward dismount from the steps and appeared heavy and slow throughout the dance. My score 6 - Judges C-7 Guest-7 B-7 There was no way this couple was as good as JoAnna and Derek.
Next up the ultimate fighting champion Chuck Liddell doing the Tango? Unfortunately, with his moves it might have more appropriately been named the "Tangle". I understand the Tango is supposed to be intense however his facial expression looked more like a guy who would beat the crap out of you for asking his "woman" to dance. My Score 5 Judges C-6 Guest-7 B-6 and your's truly says BullCrap! No way was this within 1 point of JoAnna.
Melissa and Mark danced the Jive. I find myself wishing she would turn loose of the bottom part of her body - she looks heavy and slow and the jive needs quick,flicking and shaking. My score 6 Judges C-7 Guest-6 B-6 I am vindicated!
Michael and Anna danced the Quickstep. The judges really ragged on him last week so he is driven to be better this week. I don't think Micheal is flexible enough for this dance so early in the year. He was pretty good at his execution and is a real crowd pleaser. And it takes a REAL MAN to wear pink! My score 7 Judges C-7 Guest-7 B-6
Next is one of my least favorites Debi dancing with his maximum hotness Maks. The whole lead in where she is bawling and whining is probably pretty close to her real personality. I got the feeling she was trying to lead in the dance and as a result she overdanced it and looked very awkward. My score 6 (because I don't like her) Judges C-7 Guest-7 B-7 Proof positive that they have officially hosed JoAnna this week.
Next up are Skipper and Ken's little brother aka Louie and Chelsie. Or this season's match up for most adorable. The costume they put Louie in was unfortunate it made him look like he had a whole lot of junk in the trunk. But he enjoyed the dance and actually did a very good job when he was putting it all on the floor but he did get lost a time or two. My score 8 Judges C-6 Guest-7 Bruno-6 They didn't give him his due here. Proof positive that some people can't stand adorable couples.
Next up Aaron and Karina and the Quickstep. He really nailed this dance, I hated the costume - if they were going to dress him to look like Kermit they should have dressed Karina up as Miss Piggy (oh wait I guess they did since she was wearing a very poofy pink skirt although it did look a lot like feathers). Obviously she has been threatening him with bodily harm because he certainly did a great job. My score 8 Judges C-9 G-9 B-9 As low as they have marked everyone else I think they over marked him. He was very good but triple 8's would have been sufficient.
Now my favorite Kelly and Louis dancing the Tango. Darn it she really lost her way in this; she lost her footwork and struggled and I just hate it. She wants to do so well and I hope she gets a chance to dance again. My score 6 Judges C- 6 Guest-7 B-6
Now we have Kathy Ireland and Tony dancing for us a Quickstep. She should have just phoned this one in she might have had more enthusiasm. The only thing that bounced was her dress.
My score 6 Judges C-6 Guest-6 B-6 We are all in agreement.
Mark (The Iron Chef) and Lacey dancing Quickstep. As I have said he is one of my faves. One word here footwork, footwork, footwork. Again he lost his way in this, I don't think she is doing her job as a choreographer by utilizing his obvious skills. My score 7 Judges C-7 Guest-7 B-7
Now Mya and Dimitri will dance the Jive. She was lovely in the waltz so I expect big things. Here we go......and she did not disappoint. She rocked it big time. On top of nearly flawless execution she had a great time performing it. My score 9 Judges C-9 Guest-9 B-9
Tom Delay dances a Tango with Cheryl. Cheryl is my favorite girl pro dancer. I think she is wonderful. Now we learn that Tom is having pain in his toes, this week his dancing gave me a pain in my nether regions. Then he nearly dropped Cheryl - not an auspicious effort. My score 5 Judges C-6 Guest-6 B-6 Honestly people are you afraid he's going to get you audited? Much too generous considering the fact that I think he really wants to go home.
And now Donny and Kym dancing the Jive. I hate it but the guy is good, I'm convinced he is taking dance lessons on the side and he does know how to sell a dance - he is after all a performer. My score 9 Judges C-8 Guest-9 B-8
Okay now for my prediction who needs to get ready to go:
Guys - Chuck and Tom
Girls - Debi (because I don't like her) and Kathy
Thanks for reading your comments are always appreciated.

You say YOU had a bad day?

Just when you think you have had the worst possible day ever something happens to make you realize it could always be worse. Take me for instance. I was really busy feeling oh so sorry for myself, crawling along lower than a snake's belly, having the biggest and best pitiful pink pity party when the Yahoo homepage caught my attention.
Being a semi-whiz at Photoshop myself, my first inclination was "Oh look someone's been playing with the distort button again." However, on closer examination I came to realize I was reading about someone who had a MUCH worse day than mine.
An Indonesian woman gave birth to a 19.2 lb baby! Holy cats! Are you kidding me? I'll swear I think the kid was already sporting a tattoo and 2 front teeth. That baby is a chunk and the pictures of him laying next to the ordinary babies are hysterical. He is gi-normous and NOT happy. He has his mouth wide open and appears to be screaming bloody murder. He's probably making his dinner wishes known....STEAK, MASHED POTATOES AND GRAAAAAVY!!
Rumor has it his mother named him YIKES....oh wait, that was what she said when he was born.
Googling large babies I learned that the largest baby ever born was born in the 1800's and weighed almost 24 pounds. That baby did not live. The largest baby born to date that lived weighed in at a whopping 22 pounds.
Now gentle readers.....this is a BAD day. A baby is a blessing always but having one that is born the size of toddler has to be a harrowing experience.
So if I keep everything in perspective - I'm not having all that bad a day at all. No, I'll just take chaos and uncertainty any old day. Bless you dear woman for bringing a bit of reality to smack me right between the eyes and I pray you and that boy of yours will always be happy and healthy.

Say Goodbye Macy

The first round of elimination is behind us on Dancing With The Stars. I covered my bases and chose 2 men and 2 women that I thought should be prepared to pack up their spray tans and split. And in each case one of my picks to pass shuffled off to Buffalo. Ashley (Beige Boy) Hamilton and Macy Gray joined the Losers Club. My other 2 picks were waaaay off base, obviously I didn't realize just how popular UFC fighters are. And I'm still not sure why Debi wasn't in the bottom two. The fact that I'm not crazy about her anyway has been compounded by the fact that the girl never shuts up!
Loved the art dance piece from the Lion King - wow the creativity of people astounds me, beautifully done. I was also glad that the paid tribute to Patrick Swayze who I am guessing was a pretty decent guy who wasn't afraid to make fun of himself, put himself way out there for his art and who did a lot to make dancing acceptable to guys. If more guys knew how really sexy a good dance partner can be there might be a heck of a lot more men learning to dance.
Now that the initial whoo hoo is past, we will proceed on with the season as usual. Which means that I will not blog about DWTS again until next week. I know, I know, you are glad about that.

**Just found out that Arkansas pumpkin crops are rotting in the fields because of all the rain and they are stricken with blight. I am afraid my Halloween will be jackolanternless **sigh**

DWTS - Girls Night Out

On the dance floor that is. The show opened with the pro girls dancing to "She's a Lady" Interestingly enough neither their moves or their costumes conveyed anything remotely resembling a lady. Mercy Me - don't I wish I could move like that those gals and we won't even go into the fact that their bodies are the Cadillacs of our gender. I always tell Roger "that is what I look like before you wake up on Sunday." I don't think he believes me - after all he HAS seen the size of my underwear.
First to dance was that Debi Mazar person. I'm sorry but her appearance disturbs me - her face kind of looks like Picasso had a hand in constructing it. It doesn't have a lot of symmetry. She and my hubba hubba man Maks did a Salsa dance. I confess I had to deliberately focus on her because I am prone to zone in on that chest, that smile..............**SNAP** back to the business at hand. Debi danced a little flat and heavy footed and I found myself wanted to see someone loosen the screw that would release her hips. She's got some she needs to learn to shake them. MY SCORE: 6
Melissa Joan Hart dancing a waltz with Mark Ballas was pretty but again very heavy footed. I honestly think she has some potential so I'm taking a wait and see attitude here. MY SCORE: 7
Mya and Dimitri - excuse me while I gush! The Viennese Waltz was absolutely lovely and she is beautiful to look at. A great couple and obviously Len has a cob up his butt tonight because you can't please him to save your life. Loved every second of it. MY SCORE: 9
Next came Kathy Ireland dancing Salsa with Tony. When did she lose that pronounced jawline she was so famous for? Her hip shaking looked like two people had her hipbones on strings and they were systematically alternating right, left, right, left. Again, girls unscrew your hips and let them swivel. It is almost like they think they are going to embarrass themselves by shaking their attributes. MY SCORE: (5)
The swimmer Natalie and her Salsa with Alec was almost a good dance. She was much too careful one got the feeling she was mentally running a list in her head - do this, now do this, then do that. Put some pep into it Natalie and you could win it all - she has great lines. MY SCORE: 6
Macy......I may have to not comment on this one for fear of really offending someone. I guess every season needs some comedic relief. I kept having the feeling she was just going to say "screw this and walk off the floor." I think she views herself as quite the diva and thinks she is above all this. I don't like people who do things with distain. And are you kidding me Len?! Puh-leeeeeeze! After trashing much better performances he gushed, told her he would vote for her and then gave her a 4? I'm done here, this was beyond ridiculous. MY SCORE: 4
Joanna Krupa and Derek last night's competition for the "adorable factor" danced the Salsa. Well one thing is for sure no one is gonna pack a costume quite this good. And at long last, a girl who knows how to make her fringed britches smoke. This was a great salsa, Derek is near genius in knowing how to present his partner to the best of their ability. MY SCORE: 9
And now the one I have secretly been waiting for - Kelly Osbourne. Hopefully, someone has been feeding her no profanity drugs for several weeks. As a closet watcher of the reality show "The Osbournes" I am confident that she will slip at least once and drop the "F" bomb. I'm guessing it will be Len who finally pushes her past the point of tolerance and unleashes that tongue. I have to say they have done a magnificent job of "prettying" her up and she's got the cutest little grin and can come across as positively likeable. And now for her dance. She and Louis (who I personally think is one of the best dancers I've ever seen) danced the Viennese Waltz. Well slap my fanny and call me Sally! That was absolutely a lovely dance (I cried). Who knew that little booger had that in her. I am so impressed and thrilled for her. Had I been an official judge I could not have penalized her for the lifted foot, I wouldn't have had the heart. And how wonderful to know that Ozzy still has enough brain cells left to know what a beautiful thing she was to behold. And she seemed to absolutely love it! Yay Kelly - you have officially become my cause. Vote for Kelly!!!
The 1st relay dance pitted Natalie, Debi, Kathy and Joanna against each other in the Foxtrot. I was unimpressed with all 4 in this dance they all looked a little lost. But I have to choose one so I pick Natalie. Joanna and Derek were almost too far apart in their hold for my liking. My Pick: Natalie Judges Pick: Joanna (adorable factor at work)
2nd relay dance competition between Melissa, Mya, Macy and Kelly doing the Cha Cha Cha. This was too cute and they all did great with the exception of Macy who I have a difficult time watching. I'm thinking the judges will pick Mya while wanting to pick Kelly. I'm going to pick Kelly although Mya was near perfect and Melissa did a great job pulling her performance level up. My Pick: Kelly Judges Pick: Mya
So now for my prediction - who's going home tomorrow? Ashley, Chuck, Macy and Debi should be prepared.
Thanks for reading.

And Speaking of PantyHose

One has to wonder what the Leggs and other pantyhose manufacturers are doing now that women are not wearing nylons much any more. Recently I saw a 70 year old woman at Atwoods after church with bare legs! and heels.

Lavetta and Her Amazing Technicolor Pinky Toe

Having now officially broken my right little toe for the 3rd time I have to document the event for prosperity.
The first time I broke this digit was when my daughter was in elementary school. It was a particularly painful break the first time. It was summer, it was hot and flip flops had not yet made their reappearance in everyday life. My daughter was playing softball and I was helping coach which required me to cram that painful foot inside a tight tennis shoe. Taking the shoe strings out was the only thing that made a shoe tolerable. **Side note to Kaylee - you thought those shoestrings used to tie up your shirt sleeves were my attempt to radically change softball fashion. But in truth, that was the only place I could put them to insure I wouldn't lose them.**
The second time I broke the toe I was working in a business setting which made wearing pantyhose and heels a necessity. I can't decide which was the most painful. Wrestling my foot into a tight nylon prison or then cramming the whole shebang into a shoe that was originally designed as an instrument of torture.
In betwixt and between actual breakage there were many other near misses and badly bruised evidence. Each time I was relieved to see a swift recovery.
I have now determined that humans are not only right or left handed. They are also right or left footed. If this were not the case I would have surely broken the left toe at least once in nearly 6 decades of life. But no! I guess I will always be putting my "best" foot forward first and leading with my pinky toe which as I type is starting to resemble a sadly misshapen black olive (without pimento).
This breakage came about because my little love of a granddog decided to visit a neighbors back fence and stir up the resident dogs at 4:00 in the morning. I went flying down the driveway, well maybe not flying, I do exaggerate sometimes. Perhaps in my current body style the verb would be "rumbled". Anywhoooo toe met curb and street met body. I'm sure I was quite a pretty sight writhing around in the street trying to clutch my injured digit. Fortunately, Charly doesn't like to be too far away from his "peeps" and he apparently couldn't see me in the street, behind the mailbox in the dark. He came looking for me at which time we returned to the house. He in his usual running at full tilt with ears back and me hopping behind.
I've also noticed that once you have a toe injured, inanimate objects seem to acquire a pain seeking beam and they position themselves to make it possible for you to bump it, bang it re-bruise and re-break it.
So in closing, my little toe is taped tightly to its' brother toe and is not being allowed to "hang out" by itself. Time has taught me that it will get better providing I can properly protect it from further knocks. In the meantime I am enjoying the kaleidoscope of colors it has brought into my world.

DWTS - "The Boys Are Back In Town"

Roger is soooooo excited that Dancing With The Stars has started again. I'm pretty sure I heard him in the garage beating his thumb with a hammer in excitement. I celebrated the exciting event by piling up on the couch and refusing to move except for commercials. I have blogged previously about the uninspiring cast and tonight did little to make me change my mind.
Only the guy "stars" danced tonight. Tomorrow the celebragirls will dance and Wed will be the kick them to the curb episode for the week.
Since I know you all care deeply how I feel about such things, here are my observations from tonight.
Aaron Carter (Boy Band Member Brother) - actually was pretty good I think he shows some potential. Besides if he doesn't do well, his partner Karina will slap the crap out of him. She wants to win and if he can't do it for her someone may find him beaten to death by a pair of stilettos.
Chuck Liddell (UFC Fighter) - I felt the need to avert my eyes during this performance. It was painful to watch and obviously painful to do given the grimace he had on his face the whole time. He is one of those guys who has a "look" that is kind of intimidating. Obviously when his partner had him in close enough range she would whisper "Smile!" and then he did - at least I think it was a smile - it was a little scary.
Mark Dacascos (Iron Chef) - Could be a sleeper he has martial arts training so it is not such a big leap to the dance floor. All three official judges as well as yours truly scored him a solid 7. 'nuff said.
Ashley (Beige Boy) Hamilton - lacks his father's charisma. The Tan Man pulled off more weeks than he should have simply on the strength of his ability to connect with the audience. I have to say that given the fact that Ashley was told he might never walk again after a bad motorcycle accident, his appearance on the dance floor is nothing short of miraculous.
Donny Osmond (I'm sure I don't need to quantify his fame). Am I like the only human on the earth who IS NOT a fan of Donny and Marie? That being said he totally blew away the other guys tonight. Of course I have no doubt he has been paying for ballroom dancing lessons ever since Marie had her shot at the Mirror Ball. HE WANTS IT! And part of the reason he wants it is that she didn't get it.
Louis Vito (Snowboarder) - this kid is an amazing athlete and I'm betting that his partner Chelsie can pull some moves out of him. Maybe not on the dance floor but she'll get them. And besides every season has to have one of those Ken and Barbie ADORABLE couples and these 2 seem to have that slot all sewn up.
Michael Irvin (Dallas Cowboy Football Player) Along with the adorable couple have to have there is the "guy that everyone loves" and Michael is it. He is hard not to like and his moves aren't that bad so he could actually last a while given the shot. The judges were pretty harsh on him tonight. Much harder than they were on anyone else. Probably to try to balance out the mass appeal he's going to have. Football players traditionally do well.
And last but not least......
Tom DeLay (Former House Majority Leader) I didn't want to, was prepared not to, told myself not to even think it, but I did. I kind of liked him in this situation. He isn't great but he's an adequate dancer and dang it for some stiff and stodgy middle aged politician to hit the dance floor and shake his groove thang to "Wild Thing" was impressive.
New this year were relay dances which took 4 couples who danced against each other. The big winners tonight were Donny Osmond and Aaron Carter. Tomorrow we get to watch "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" with the female celebrities putting it all out there on the dance floor. And in the words of my darling daughter "I'm skeered." One of those chicks looks like she could bench press a Buick and then grind up and eat the remains. I will not say who but you are cordially invited to join my addiction and watch for yourself.

Pirates and Princesses

One of my Blogger friends recently posted about her little ones napping in full Spiderman - Superhero regalia. And hers are not the only kiddos who spend large blocks of time in pretend land. Two of my granddaughters have a costume closet that would be the envy of any Broadway Theater Production company. More often than not they are nighttime attired in princess dresses that are made out of that flimsy chiffony diaphanous material that looks like it would ignite from merely a withering gaze. Usually the bottoms have been ripped and trail behind them like bride's train. Occasionally, they have other articles of clothing under them, sometimes they are bare as the day they were born.
I wonder what the world would be like if we all went about in costume more often. As grownups, we frequently wear subtle masks that we present to the world. But, just for a moment consider what would happen if you could just play dress up when you pleased.
Thoughts like these take me back many many years when my friend Judy and I would dress up in costume and drive up and down the high way between Fort Smith and Greenwood. It was before the days of the "super" highway so one had more opportunity to interact with fellow drivers. Judy had this God awful mask that was like 1/2 a face. You put it on and the bottom half of your face was left out while this butt ugly woman's face was on top. The face was so realistic that people actually did double takes when they saw it.
The fun we had was immeasurable and I think we probably caused a few smiles along the way. I defy anyone to not have a chuckle over a grown up person walking around in a costume like it was their everyday clothing.
I think sometimes that we have become much too serious as a society, we have lost our inner children. Some of us have lost the ability to be silly. To make up silly songs, make funny faces and yes, even play dress up. Most of my grandchildren like their Pawpaw best when they are very small. But once they become a little older they gravitate more to me for their entertainment. They love the songs I make up, enjoy the poems and stories I write for them and absolutely love the dress up tub in the bedroom closet. Full of things I can no longer wear and wonder what possessed me to own them in the first place, it is the 1st stop for a stay at our house. I am a person who does not look good in hats and yet I continue to buy them and then consign them to the costume closet. I guess the reason I have these "costumes" is because my grandmother always had things for me to play dress up in. Looking back I realize that I played dress up in what is today "vintage" clothing. Ankle strap shoes, beaded bags, picture frame hats and strings and strings of beads. Summers at my grandmothers could have been boring since my grandparents didn't believe in entertaining children. They were too busy scratching out a living in the Oklahoma red clay. There was television but I was only allowed to watch "The Mickey Mouse Club" in the afternoon while enjoying my RC Cola. I think this was what my grandmother used instead of making me take a nap. However, my grandparents provided me with things to make my imagination burst into bloom. I was raised an only child until I was in the 7th grade. Therefore, I was many people. I had to play all the parts in childhood's magic kingdom. I talked a lot to myself and still do today. So if you see me driving in my car and having quite a chat please know that I am either verbally abusing someone who has pissed me off or I'm working on a problem out loud.
We live in a time of harshness, hatred, uncertainty, violence and often a sense of impending doom. Perhaps we could lift the clouds a little by finding our own little kid that we've tucked away under our adult clothing. I realize that actually wearing costumes is a bit extreme. I use it as a metaphor. Let us look for the funny in serious situations, find a silly song and sing it over and over again at the top of our lungs, laugh when we would really like to cry and put on our suits of happiness and pretend. Who knows by pretending we may change our own perspective as well as the outlook of others. So....I'll be a pirate and you can be a princess and together we will go forth to slay the dragon.

A Back, A Blog and A Bloog

Having spent the last 36 hours blown out of my mind on muscle relaxers I am finally struggling to return to some semblance of making sense.
For those of you who worried, my back is slowly but surely returning to normal. I seem to have this problem about this same time every year. I am beginning to think my mind is playing tricks on me as this is the timeframe that was spent lugging heavy camera equipment and standing for hours every day taking school pictures in my former life. My mind remembers, gets tired from thinking about it, sends a message to my back that it is time to take a holiday. So back packs a bag and goes out, leaving me to pick up the pieces. I have learned that the quicker I give in and cry "uncle" the quicker I will return to normal. I have tried pushing the envelope after a few hours of feeling better only to realize that back wasn't ready to return from vacation just yet.
Apparently, my rant about the Glade woman caused some of my friends to worry unnecessarily about my powers of cognitive thinking. Let me assure you that I had been silently holding a grudge against her for quite some time and just finally had enough. Just wait until I unload on the "local" commercial that features a youngster of maybe 10 singing completely off key and prancing around. She is surrounded by a group of her peers and some older people (maybe moms?) and they are all having the best time annoying us with their little venture into marketing. Honestly it appears they have shot this on their cell phones, uploaded it to U-Tube and then decided to publish it for the masses. The child's voice is not even in synch with her lips. The whole thing takes on a slightly surreal atmosphere that assaults the senses and causes blood to run from the ears. I was starting to think I was the only person who had seen this (see opening sentence) but today one of my sons mentioned it. Apparently, the only reason it isn't being spoken about a lot is that most people fling their bodies at the remote as soon as it appears on their TV screen. There are just some things that should be left to professionals. Brain surgery, pharmacy and TV commercials.
I know you have been dying for me to address the Bloog part of this post. The Bloog is an electronic cigarette. This was introduced to us by one of our sons who is giving it a go. I have been practically desperate to get Roger off the coffin nails for about 5 years, so to say I grasp at any and every possible solution is an understatement. Roger actually quit for a while thanks to Chantix, and Nicorette gum but he picked it back up again. Then he tried the Chantix again. I can't express how expensive Chantix AND cigarettes can get. But I digress, I have ordered the Bloog starter pack with a rather large refill system in my last attempt to wean Roger off of cigarettes. Now the Bloog is actually rather cool. It makes smoke, but you cannot smell it. The vapor it emits is not offensive at all which means he does not have to be banished to the garage to indulge. The cherry end of it is an LED blue color which is a bit disconcerting to see, but heck if it works I don't care if it glows purple and emits multi-colored rainbow smoke rings. These things are actually made so that you could use them in a restaurant or even on an airplane. They emit no carcinogens yet the smoker does get the nicotine they crave. Knowing my husband the way I do I am sure that he will A: lose it or B: leave it in a pocket and I will wash it. When either of these things happen, please do not log in to my blog for at least 1 week. The language and ranting will not be fit for public consumption. Forewarned is forearmed.
This is not part of my title but it sure gave me a smile. I received a letter in the mail today from one of my grandchildren wishing us a happy grandparents day. They had drawn a picture of their pawpaw and myself along with pictures of Bedy (Betty), Max and Jesy (Jessie) and at the bottom written in symbol code was the following:
(Peace sign) + (Heart) + (Smiley Face) = YOU ROCK
So how could anything possibly be wrong in my life. My grandchildren think I rock! Interesting because my grandchildren rock my world everyday. : )

And Yes It is Glade

Okay so I am offended now by the Glade commercials. I started out mildly disturbed that the star of these spots thought it cute to deceive her family and friends with her candles. Do people really think that the bulk of humanity is so stupid they will be fooled by a plate of ginger snaps out of the sack simply because they smell burning ginger? And sashaying about in her little black dress while the rest of her crew is attired in outfits appropriate for a book club or canasta party. And how cute was it when the tell tale label found itself stuck to her tight and toned posterior? A body no doubt courtesy of all the tennis she plays since she is heading out in one commercial to play, secure in the fact that her designer candle will be on the job.
I could probably let the commercials slide were it not for the fact that I am sick and tired of her simpering face appearing over her little "life saver" assuring us that "and yes, it is Glade."
Something tells me that I could have a truck load of these little honeys delivered and they still couldn't touch the underlying odor of dogs both wet and dry, dishes accumulating in the sink, some lovely white socks crammed in a pair of yard mowing shoes and the lingering scent of cigarettes smoked in the garage and carried in on the hubs clothing. It is my house and "yes, it stinks."

Making Decisions

I have come to a place in life where I need to make some really difficult decisions. These decisions will affect my life as well as others. I find the older I get the more I tend to procrastinate regarding hard and life changing choices. However, I have to now begin to move carefully, thoughtfully and prayerfully into some very hard areas.
I hope that all my friends will pray that God will give me clarity about what I need to do about all the things that are bringing stress into my world.
One of the things that I need to change is my own way of dealing with difficulty. I need to learn that I can't "fix" all the things that are broken. And I have to start protecting myself by not letting myself be dragged into toxic situations. I must take my own advice to my children and invest in those who invest in me. Learning that I can't make everything swell for everyone I care about is going to be very hard for me to deal with. However, I have to start insulating myself to some degree from people, things and situations that hurt me.
Thank you in advance for lifting me up.

Eight......er 12 ummmmmmmm 19 is ENOUGH!

Just read this morning that the Duggars (our own Arkansas reality show family) are expecting their 19th child. This child will be born 5 months AFTER their 1st grandchild.
I have always just kind of shrugged my shoulders about this family and decided that as long as they weren't all on welfare it was none of my business how large their family got. I didn't even poke fun when papa was running for political office and he splashed his large family all dressed alike on billboards across the region. However, I have counted to 3 and spoken my piece now.
I realize that I am a basically selfish person but I am selfish for other people too. I think children deserve to have their own birthdays because it is one day that they get to be the center of the world for a brief moment.
I think that everyone gets to have something "be about them" every now and then. I've certainly been told plenty of times that "it's not about me" so I'm thinking that occasionally it might just be about me.
I think that everyone deserves to have a brand new baby which is cherished and doted on for a while without the distraction of another one right on its' heels.
Okay by now I have probably stepped on a few toes and maybe some fingers and a dropped jaw or two. I'm not saying these things to anger anyone, but it is my Blog and therefore I get to express my opinions and I will fight to the death to defend your right to peacefully disagree with me.
The Duggar momma is 42 years old, she has 18 children the youngest of which is still nursing. It is time to say thanks but no thanks!
I don't care how understanding you are - if you are the daughter in law wouldn't you want your child to have the undivided attention of their grandmother. Even the couples youngest child who is still a baby will get mooooved aside by the stork's newest bundle. And personally at the age of 42 I would be ready to know that I could spend the next 17 years doing all the things that grandmas get to do without having to tote a baby on my hip. Mama Duggar will be 59 years old when her newest child graduates from high school. I'm 59 and I can't even imagine having to parent full time for any length of time. That being said if something happened to any of my children I would put on my big girl panties and give it my all.
Soon the Duggar daughters will be marrying and bringing their own children into the world. In my opinion it is time that the parents of the 3 baseball teams of kids stepped into their role of grandparents and give it all the gusto they've given their own children.