Cottages.........

I spent a delightful hour, maybe two, yesterday wandering from blog to blog......whoa, did I enjoy myself. I know for some people the computer and internet is a total waste of time, for me it is my salvation from total isolation and insanity. Of course I checked out a couple of my favorite blogs and from there............oh man, did I wander. I felt like a true adventurer........wandering in and out of areas unknown to me...........
Of course I seemed to drift towards cottage blogs..........I love cottages. Have I mentioned that before??? Ok, so I tend to repeat myself. The small rooms, flowers, the mixture of old and some new.......for me, it calls out to my inner soul.

Not sure about this bedroom, hmmmm think I would have to change to color of the walls.........hey wait, I think I still have a few photos of bedrooms that I had for bedding....let me go look........oh man there are good points to being a rat pack...I found it........I like the color in the room to the left better.....

There is a cottage home in my old hometown, Gillette, Why-oh-ming. It is in the older part of town, up near the city park........oh I had a friend drive me past it while I was there in May. It is painted yellow, has the white picket fence, a wonderful yard full of greenery (remember in WY, in May, things aren't blooming much........shoot we usually didn't even think about planting until Memorial Day).....sometimes I would just drive past that cottage and feel a peace come over me........I have no idea who lives there, but thank you whoever you are, there were days that your cottage was the soothing of my soul.

Again, since I am single I would probably go towards more of the flowery, big cabbage rose prints for the living room, but when I found this on the internet (all of the photos came from Cottage Living site) it made me feel comfortable..like I could shuck off my shoes and curl up on the couch (tho' I do like a recliner/rocker to do hand work).

I guess I am rambling again.......dreaming really, sharing my dreams and wishes with all of you........are any of you cottage gals???

No sales

No sales.......and at first I was disappointed.......that is honesty at it's best........but then I stopped, and right away really..........I had an experience that I wouldn't have had, if I hadn't dared to go and try. I think I was the greenest (and not in the Eco green sense) of the women (and one couple) there. I learned that when I can afford to purchase some display items, you know the black lined boxes for bracelets, the neck stands for necklaces, etc..........that I should..........but for now I will have to look for sales and make do.........I had thought about making the little ear ring stock card pieces, but instead chose to put them into the little sateen bags and lay them on top of those.........now I think I will spend some time cutting up card stock and finding an itty bitty punch to punch holes into the stock and place the ear rings on these.

I think only a few of the artist made sales......it was hot.......thankfully I was on the porch, so I was protected from the direct sun, I wore my silly neck wraps - and oh thank goodness I did, they were a life saver.....literally.......what a difference in body temp they make - and I drank, drank, drank, drank water, and more water and more water.........oh the other artist sales.........see I wandered again.........beautiful work, some stunning pieces, artistic pieces and with a hefty price tag on them too, but the only pieces that I saw sell were those of my jewelry instructor and that was from her students that were taking classes that day. Now get this one....I didn't take ANY snapshots.........I brought my camera and totally forgot about it..........now that is brain dead. I think that I am just not use to having a camera with me.........ok, it's an excuse, but I think that, that is what actually happened. I didn't even think about the camera until I was packing up to go and found it in the bottom of my carry-all..............sigh.

I did meet some very nice people...........in fact I met one young lady that had something to do with dental things, organizations, whatever and she had Why-oh-ming in her territory. When I told her that was my old home, she asked what city, I told her Gillette, and then she asked if I knew this certain dentist..........was my dentist!!!!!! We had a nice conversation. I shared a table to work on, with a wonderful lady, and she is an retired Air Force nurse.........one of the owners of the shop is also a retired Air Force nurse and through out the day they introduced me to quite a few more of these wonderful and courageous women.......all retired Air Force nurses.........all from the Viet Nam era..........oh how I would love to sit down with them and listen to the stories they had to share.......write them all down..........what history they saw and participated in.

One of the artist, who was quite loud, said that I there are people who will purchase items with three digit figure price tags on them...........well I need to meet these people. I am afraid that I don't know many or run in these circles..........she also shared that you couldn't create and represent yourself to the right crowds and do both well........you needed a representative...........oh man, for an overextended in girth Nana, I was starting to feel quite small..........I know I was out of my league with this artist........but all in all, I felt comfortable and enjoyed meeting all of the artist that I did. I am almost 99% sure that I will do it again in November and hopefully sell something........if not, it will be another day of visiting with wonderful people and soaking in the peace and quiet of the area..........

I'm still here...well kinda sorta

I have no idea what that is above me...........but I love the colors and feel of it.........

I haven't been sick, I haven't taken a mini vacation, I haven't fallen in love...........nope, but something exciting for me has happened. I was invited to participate in "Meet the Artist" at my favorite bead store 'And the Bead Goes On'....ME !!!!! I was just beaming from ear to ear when I was asked.........I only started beading last September.......not even a full year..........wow, talk about a boost to the ego and self-esteem..........I was think'n maybe people should be parting on the sidewalks and laying down the red carpet there for a few minutes.........tee hee.............just kidding!!!!!!

So need less to say I have been working night and day, day and night, sunrise to sunset to get as much inventory made, pictures taken, and prices (oooo, I don't like that part of it at all - and taking the snapshots wasn't fun either.......and it sure wasn't the camera, the wonderful Miss C in CA who bestowed upon me all of the wonderful wardrobe - of which I will be wearing today!!!!- purchased a new camera and sent me her old one............and trust me it isn't old, it is a beautiful camera, it's the person behind the camera that needs to practise.........and I was in a hurry- no excuse, it's the truth- trust me.) Hey let me show you a few of the pieces...........again, put your magic glasses on and imagine them in person and not blurry.............please...............

The bracelet above with the buttons, I included some ear rings and call it button fun. Straight above is a new style I would like to make more of, and I call it, the Copper Cowgirl.........across and to the left is a necklace named The Vamp. I like working with the ribbon and wispy things.......here is a fuzzy close up of the beads and some of the wispies.........

This bracelet is called Shine and does it sparkle, it is one of the styles that I call Hoochie Mama, not really,it is an embellished square and takes a while to make, and has quite a few pearls and crystals on it.........hmmmmm, let me see if I can find Latte..........oooooo, you do have to see this one in person to appreciate it.............I have the coppery, cream and light brown beads, cones at the end and this wonderful glass brown bead at the end..........if this doesn't sell, well you know where it is going to end up........ME ME ME.....I have started a line of itty bitty little girl bracelets too...........

I have only created two of these to see how they will do.......both are very delicate..

OOOOO, look I found better pictures of Latte.........sometimes I just amaze myself!!!!!

This style of bracelet is called a faux crochet and you hardly know you are wearing it.........I think you could wear them for everyday and of course they just sparkle for evening wear too........one more set and I promise no more.

I Icall this set Tucson Freedom........the end. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of the pieces and of course I would love to hear comments.....pro and con.......what you like in jewelry and what you don't like, colors.........ooom colors, yes help me with colors. One lady in a class said she could never find anything in brown or purple.........so I have made quite a bit of that. What styles are you looking for...............help me out here ladies, please. I am serious, I would love ideas on what ladies want. Thank you for your patience........

Mr. Bill

Just looking at this man makes me smile. I know that he has had some nasty law suits against him in the last few years, but his comedy alone makes him, to me, a wonderful person.
Now I am not writing about Bill Cosby, no I am writing about Little Bill, the cartoon. My youngest grandson has just "found" him. Of course being 3, you don't always get the right name for things.......so Little Bill is Mr. Bill, and as long as I know this, life is good. Yesterday we went to the library to exchange our books and the boys just seemed to realize that they had movies to lend.............whoa, talk about the library going up higher in their eyes!!!! Daniel, 7, chose Home Alone and with this grasping to his chest, death clutch, Andrew found Mr. Bill. This little boy carried that movie around with him clutched to his chest and telling anyone and everyone, " I found Mr. Bill!"
"We are watching Mr. Bill right now.........but this morning he did say "Widdle Bill", so maybe he is catching on to the right name. It's a cute little show, and one that I can understand.........yup, no aliens, no zapped up little munchkins, just cute little stories with love and laughter.........and of course I am in love with the great-grandmother.
I was sad to hear that George Carlin passed away on Sunday..........another great comedian has left us. Oh, I know he did have a potty mouth, but he sure layed it out there, honestly and brutally. There use to be an email type letter about one of his radio broadcasts and I loved it......lost it when I lost everything else on the computer.......I am sure that it will show up sooner or later, or if you have a copy, I would love to get another copy........hey everyone, have a good day.......and giggle at least once today.

Remember the Padre Island trip??

Well on the way home we went to Corpus Cristi to the aquarium there. It was wonderful. I actually got to touch a string ray......just quickly tho', as I am not that quick......and trust me, they swim fast.......they were just amazing to watch too. Another tank that we, Karen, my oldest friend, and I liked were the otters...........they were playing that day.......well I am sure they play lots, but we were lucky enough to see them and we giggled like little girls...........that one of the fun parts of being our age, you can giggle and tee hee and people just smile at you.......oh well I don't care. There was of course the 'famous' "NEMO" tank that 255 gabillion parents and kids were at.......the mommies and daddies saying, "see Nemo, see Nemo" and half of the kids looking like they were in a daze, or couldn't care less and of course there is always that one child that is so thrilled with the tank that he or she isn't going to leave, never mind that he or she has been threatened, counted to - you know " I am going to count to 3" thing (have I have actually used that one on Andrew.......bad Nana!!!!!

The tank small room/area that we both fell in love with was the jelly fish room. Oh, it was semi dark, cool, and if they had, had a bench in there, we both might have been there still.........well Karen wouldn't, she eventually would have had to get back out on that dance floor.......she is a fantastic ballroom dancer and thoroughly loves every minute spent there. Oh there were tanks with jelly fish like this

and this is such a poor stolen snapshot too. They were all kinds of neon looking colors........I mean I had never ever seen anything like it..........ever. There were some like this and also like this
There were about 5 or 6 tanks, I can' t remember for sure, but all in all it truly was a special moment and enjoyed by both of us. I don't know why it took me so long to share that with you.........I would so like to get down there with the boys this summer.......so far it looks like the summer is filling up fast........

doughnut Sunday

OOOOOO, we are having doughnuts for breakfast........a big cold glass of milk and maybe if I get this done quickly, coffee too.............oooooo, we are going to be spoiled on this Sunday. Ok, ok, so my hips and thighs aren't going to be kept under control, but right now, I am excited. I love doughnuts.






Right now, I am really enjoying those filled doughnuts with the white creme stuff in the middle. In fact I have the boys introduced and into filled doughnuts........the ones with the custard 'innards'! Of course nothing, but nothing can compare to a good old fashion cake doughnuts.........which leads me up to the world famous 'fritter' - and apple fritters are my favorite. The ultimate and the most most most messiest doughnut going...oh it has to be the powdered sugar, jelly filled . Goodness I can't even remember the last time I indulged in one of these.........
Well I better close and wobble down the stairs and start the coffee...........

Cartoons.........

Ok, so my Da wasn't reading 'cartoons', but they were the funnies. What do you call them, comics or funnies? I think back now and I wonder (see i am wondering again) if because so many people that I loved, read to me, is one of the reasons I love to read......books, magazines, signs, blogs, you name it and I will read it. My mother, rest her soul, always told me that I would never be lonely as long as I had a book ( i was an only child) and she was almost right. I do miss my friends and having that adult contact, and I do miss having a special man in my life - oh that is another whole subject all together and maybe someday I will share that one, but I
do know that I can't remember a time when I didn't have a book somewhere in my house that I wasn't reading. I am a novel reader, I like most genre except Science Fiction and Horror........Sci Fi just gets me confused with all of the character names and who is who and from what planet and what they can do and can't do, and Horror.........shoot, I'm a mess on my own, I don't need to read about things that will set me down another path. Now the Sci Fi thing is interesting, as I love Sci Fi movies, Star Trek, Star Wars, oh man, there is another one and I can't think of the name.........oh well, I like the movies.
I know that when I move, and compared to many people I truly haven't moved that often, but when I do, once fairly settled, I search out the public library and second hand book stores. I love second hand book stores. I don't know who thought of them, but whoever did, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know it is a game of chance, going to either one of these places and finding the book that you want, but it is much more economical. I love book stores too, I love to wander through them and look at everything, magazines, stationary, cds, sale books, instructional books, fiction..........but to this day, I have never ever been lucky enough to go and find one of the chairs empty, so I could sit and browse........maybe it's for the better, huh? Oh need I say that I like the snack bars that two of the chains have now..........again, I have never purchased a drink and sat at a table and browsed.......but it always looked nice and rather moviesh (new word).
This isn't what I was going to blog about at all today, but I put that picture in and just started to ramble again....so ignore the cartoon title and switch it to cartoons/funnies and I'll save my thoughts/ramblings on cartoons for another day..........
Oh, before I forget, I know the difference between two and too..........yikes re-read by blog and found that I two instead of too yesterday and I felt rather "duh"...........now I am sure I make other grammatical errors, but I do know the difference on that one..........wheeeew, now I feel better.

Trivia ........

My Uncle Roy has a saying " When my ship comes in, I'll be at the airport picking up relatives that I don't even like, and will miss the ship!"
trivia: insignificant or inessential matters; trivialities;trifles
Well you're hearing them first here ladies and maybe a gent two (do men read blogs?)
I obtained all of this trivia from the S.A.Life section of the San Antonio Express News.....good source on information, not just trivia.
Cyd Charisse died this week, she was born in Amarillo, TX ( I didn't know that). You don't know who Cyd Charisse is? Oh man, you are waaaaay younger than me........she was a wonderful dancer in the movies, danced with Fred Astaire (and if you don't know who Fred Astaire is, then you are on your own......check the Internet!!!) I had Cyd Charisse paper dolls when I was growing up........
Dietitian and taster put energy drinks to the test........now I don't drink those type of fluids.......thus might be my problem of ALWAYS being slow and late.......sigh.........but since I don't drink them, I was rather ignorant of the different brand names. Did you know that Playboy has an energy drink ?(and it didn't rate very high either). The new one from Ocean Spray, Cranergy Energy Juice Drink, the dietitian concerned that the caffeine is coming from green tea, and will give people false energy.........I don't care, I like the commercials!!!
Here are all of the people (well "famous and or well-known) who had birthdays yesterday and are older than me. Olympia Dukakis 77
Martin Landau 77
Brian Wilson 66
Anne Murray 63
Bob Vila 62
Tina Sinatra 60
God bless Mamie Van Doren, at 70-something is still looking pretty good. "As I've gotten older, Buddism helps me to understand and live in the moment, without fears," Mamie says.
From the teachings of Buddist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, she has even learned to accept her from lines.
"If I have a flaw, I've learned to love it," she says. "I look at it in the mirror and say6, 'I love you.'"
Then she signs up for more plastic surgery.
Oh the article went on, but you've got to love her for hanging on.....me, well I think I accepted to fast and quickly the sagging, loss of memory and general down hill slope of mind and body!!!
OH here is a good piece of trivia.........French became the official legal language of England in 1066 and remained so for centuries.............now you know that will impress your post office person when you share it with them the next time you go and buy stamps!!! Oh don't be smug and tell me that you buy on line.............someone has to be buying stamps, because other wise why would I have to stand in line with a restless and over active 3 year old grandson?
Well there is yesterday's trivia in a nutshell..........if there is anything else I can do to make your day go better, please feel free to drop me a line or comment.............

Weather

It's HOT in Texas.........ok, so that's no new flash, but for some reason the heat is getting to me this year.......badly!!!!! Oh man, I know this is beginning to sound like the whining queen's blog, huh...sorry, but let's face it, taking care of two little boys, and no friends that live close by (closest friend is about 45 minutes away in heavy traffic), I have few adults to talk to...........no I don't really talk to my daughter and sil.........they talk to each other, but I seem to be blending into the scenery lately, or at least I feel that way............ooooo, getting back to the weather. It's HOT !
So I know this isn't a new thing, after all we are in southern Texas. Yet what brings about this obvious statement is driving around our area, you will see the cutest little homes. Old, small, quaint cottage type homes, white clap board and something that I "think" I would like to attempt to make over into a cottage type home for me - with air conditioning!!!! These homes are not the homes of those women who settled here, I know this, but it does make me think of them and what they had to suffer. I mean, how many petticoats did they wear, and I am talking the everyday pioneer, settler woman. Long sleeves, aprons (ok, I know those were worn to protect the one of maybe two skirts that they owned), camisoles (I know this was their bra, but it still had to be laced up and another layer added to the mid section), woolen hose, should I keep going on? I also realize that this was the accepted wear of the day and what every woman was expected to and use to wearing.........but Lord love them and I take a big bow.............how did they do it? Now we won't even go into those ladies that were heavily pregnant or going through menopause during the summers here.........me, I am in amazement that they aren't all up for canonization for sainthood. They still had to cook with a hot wooden stove, do laundry in a big ole' pot outside over a fire........are you getting my drift..............I am taking my hat off to these ladies, each and every one of them.........I bow humbly and say thank you, for being courageous, and steadfast..........I am pretty darn spoiled in my comfortable life and like each and every one of my comforts.........so again, thank you ladies.

A small post script....I looked for pictures of pioneer women on the internet to interject into the tribute to these ladies......ok, I know they didn't have cameras back in those days, but I thought I might find som re-inactment or movier stills.........alas, I found nothing.........didn't spend lots and lots of time on it, either.

I wonder.....

I wonder about so many things, bet you've guessed that by now, huh? I bet you also thought "oh man, here she goes on about more flowers or some other garden thing..........nope, just found a whole bunch of beautiful pictures of bouquets one day and saved them..........so want to share them with you.

Today I was wondering about, well this and other things of course. how do "great women do it"? You know, those women who seem to be able to change the world.......march in demonstrations, go to one conference for after another for every good and valuable cause.........how do they do it? Do they still make beds? Clean toilets? Grocery shop? (plus put the food away once they get home).......buy new underwear for the family? read storybooks to children and grandchildren? do carpools? Not everyone that achieves great things can be blessed with an unlimited income, a nanny, family to watch their children, can they? Now I am not talking about the one super mom in the school, that we would either like to imitate or tear her eyes out (oh come on, don't tell me that some of you don't feel the same way I do sometimes - - here comes my sarcasm - - because I KNOW I've said this to myself or to a friend standing next to me " Oh man, here comes Susie Perfect, wonder how many cupcakes she baked from scratch, little league scores she kept and recorded, and closets she cleaned out today?" Ok, so that's not very nice and I am sure that this lady has problems too, but man, when you are feeling under accomplished, you just don't need to a conversation with this lady, right? Well ok, I don't at least.

Lately I have been feeling "under accomplished " . In my mind I am still able to leap tall buildings, create and sew a quilt in 2 or 3 days, and make home cooked meals from scratch and still feel perky and cheerful............in reality, I am getting the basic things done that I need too, but not much else. I am able to read the email that comes through from my various groups, but I am seldom posting, I don't seem to be able to get to my jewelry designing until late afternoon, because of the things I am doing with the boys, and not that I have ever loved going to the gym, but I do know that I feel better when I do.........so have I slowed down that much? Hmmmm, sadly I have to admit, I have. I rather resent it too.........now it's not like I have treated my body like a holy vessel (which is no ones fault but my own) and thank goodness I think this generation is much more aware of doing this, but I have kept my mind active.....really I have. So I will have to accept that the body does slow down and age does have something to do with it........man, just typing that makes me frown.........oh well, I do have my health (well my version of good health), and I am grateful for that........as I know that there are many many people out there who have bad health or some horrid disease that has attached itself to them.........so I won't complain, I will trudge onward..........

Ok, I can't go away without sharing this with you.........see the graphic to the right. I used this to make a card.....

on the front was this wonderful knight.....and on the inside I wrote

" Oh great, now the prunes start to work"

It cracked me up.........not sure how the person that received it liked it, as my daughter sent it to fellow military in Iraq.....oh well I thought it was funny and wanted to share. Have a good day........

I lost it again...........

Ok, do you ever see an object, hear a word, smell an odor.........anything along this line and it brings back memories? I do. Every time I see Windex and think of the movie 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' and how the daddy thought Windex cold cure everything from a pimple to menopause. Remember (now you have to be my generation or older for this one) before they had copy machines, and they use to run the school papers/test off on those machines that they cranked by hand and the wonderful smell of the alcohol or whatever that chemical was that they used for the ink set..........oh man the lucky kid that got to go to the copy office to pick up the copies.......smelled those babies all the way back to class........it's a wonder the kid didn't pass out!!! I hear any song sung by the Mama and Papas and it takes me back to my college days when I was so in love with this young man...........oh it was a special time in my life. I look at Whoopie Goldberg and I just automatically see her in either Ghost or the scene in Jumping Jack Flash when her dress gets caught in the shredder.......man I am sitting here now doing the little giggle thing...........cracks me up!
I have no idea what brought this all to mind..........did it awaken any memories for you?

Breakfast or no breakfast?

Do you eat breakfast? I never use to, and then sometime a few years back, when I was supervising in a rehabilitation center for mentally and physically disabled adults, I started. Mostly because I sometimes didn't get to eat lunch........because of meetings, or feeding the clients.....it was just a given fact. So I started eating a bowl of cereal........and there are some good cereals out there too. Of course the grandchildren like the colorful and crammed jammed marshmallow type...........oh man, can't handle those at all. I have introduced Rice Krispies to all of them and amazingly they all seemed to like them........now I don't think they would chose them over the sweet stuff, but at least I tried.........tee hee.

Breakfast for me lately has been wonderful. My daughter came home with bags of frozen fruit. Oh man, you can mix and match, or just eat one kind.........take those little dudes out of the freezer, put a wee bit of artificial sweetener on them, pop the bowl into the microwave and yum.......this along with cinnamon toast and I think I am eating like a queen.

Now we don't seem to have coffee unless it's on the week-ends anymore..........but this is how my coffee looks

just like this........that wonderful shade of beige, and trust me I have a flavor of some sort going on with it..........oh my, yum-dilly-ish-us!!!!! Oh, another thing that I love for breakfast and we seldom do it, as you have to plan it the night before, is that french toast that you bake in the oven........ours doesn't quite look like this one, and I will see if I can find the recipe and share it..........but it is to die for.
Last Saturday morning, my sil took us all out to breakfast at I HOP..........a restaurant that I like, as does my oldest grandson...........now my daughter really dislikes this place, but that's another whole story in itself. Well I am wandering again, aren't I.........they have this special going on, and one of the choices is the carrot cake pancakes.............oh my, they were melt in your mouth wonderful.........a combo of carrot cake and pumpkin pie spices................sadly I ate my eggs and hash browns first (don't like cold eggs) and so by the time I got to the pancakes I was pretty full..........but I think I actually did a few moans of delight while I was eating them.........yeah, they were good.
So do you eat breakfast? Come on share with us if you do or don't and tell us what you like to eat.

another quote

You cannot belong to anyone else, until you belong to yourself. Pearl Bailey

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day ........to fathers, step-fathers, grandpas, papas, uncles, dear men in our lives and for single mothers!!!! Yes single mothers who do duel rolls..............

Both of my grandfathers have traveled on before me and so has my daddy........yup, daddy. Called that sweet man, daddy until the day he died and still do. My Uncle is still alive and I love him to bits, he is very proper Mexican Texan and he has only said 'I love you' to me with words three times, but he has shown me many many many times by being my Uncle Roy. The next man left in my life is someone that has been my father by proxy, he is the father of my "oldest" and dearest friend, he too receives a Father's Day card.........just because he is special to me.

I hope you are able to talk or express to those special men in you lives how much they mean to you today.......

something from a novel....

I have just finished reading BIG STONE GAP a novel by Adriana Trigiani. It was soooo good. Usually when I see a 'reader's circle' or Oprah's choice type symbol on the book, I shy away from it.......like the vampire books that I shared with you, I let myself be exposed to this wonderful novel and will be glad forever that I have.

I am going to share with you something that is taken from this novel that just hit me.......

'No one worries about you like your mother, and when she is gone, the world seems unsafe, things that happen unwieldy. You cannot turn o her anymore, and it changes your life forever. There is no one on earth who knew you from the day you were born; who knew why you cried, or when you'd had enough food; who knew exactly what to say when you were hurting;and who encouraged you to grow a good heart. When that layer goes, whatever is left of your childhood goes with her. Memories are very different and cannot soothe you the same way her touch did.'

Man, that paragraph just jumped out and grabbed me.......oh please, don't think that the whole book is this deep philosophical thinking thing......it's a novel, with love, laughter and tears.........family, friends, and life. If you get a chance to read it and I hope you do, please be brave and allow yourself to open the cover and read........it won't be long before you are caught within this wonderful novel and will want to pass it on to someone else..........trust me.

Yikes

Yikes, my dear friend, actually my oldest friend (yea she's older than me and I NEVER EVER let her forget it) and I are going on a vacation in August...to Vermont and Massachusetts. My family is in MA and NH and we are gong to spend a day with them ( I know that doesn't sound like much time and it isn't, but sometimes you just have to grab what you can get and be happy..right?).........any ways, my dearest and older than me friend wanted some info on where my cousin lived and as I was typing away, I panic ed........when my email got wiped out, so did my info on my flights !!!!!!!!!!! Oh if you want to see panic, you should have just seen me now......as fast as my chubby short little legs would pump down those stairs, I was off to make sure that I had printed out my itinerary and flight numbers.........phew.......I have it. I then remembered I was flying on American.....you know the people that are now charging you for taking a suitcase...........hello?

Now I do over pack, see I admit it........but I know I am a messy eater.........shoot the "ladies" usually end up with at least one serving of everything ('the ladies' are my ample bosom), so I usually have to change at least twice. Also, it's going to be summer and I don't care how much deodorant you use, how often you shower, how good the air conditioning is in buildings and or cars.........we just do seem to get that summer aroma to us. Now at the lodge in VT we will have a washer and dryer........but once we leave there, we are strictly tourist. Now if I am reading the American Airlines site page correctly, since I booked so far in advance, I won't have to pay for my first luggage.......so that's good. I will be traveling on a limited amount of $$, so not that many trinkets/souvenirs, magnets for the frig (ooooo, I can just see my daughter cringe on that one!!!!) will I be able to purchase. I will have to find something for all of the grandchildren, so that alone could wipe out the vault at any good size bank. Yet what really amazes me though is, charging for taking a suitcase...........who travels without a suitcase? Ok, if you are a college student they do that backpacking across America and Europe with just the backpack thing.......but I am not that good of a packer!!! Now I do love to watch people stuff, jam, cram, ruin other's carry-ons, and do everything but strap their carry-on into a seat.........I mean, hello!!!! Do they think that they are invisible? Have they no shame? What did their mothers teach them? Me, I carry on my old fashion little shoulder bag........I have a change of undies, at least one day's supply of meds, 1 or 2 paperbacks, and that's it........so hopefully I can cram and jam the 5 t-shirts into the carry-on, on the trip home. Back to paying to take a suitcase.........trust me on this one, I will not fly American again if I can help it.........but of course, I am sure that the other airlines will start following their lead..........sigh...........just makes you mad enough to jump up and start slapping people.......well doesn't it? Like I would ever do that, but I do burn hard and long..........over something like this. Don't you? $25 for a one way charge to get your suitcase to where you are going and then another $25 to get it back home.......egads, you don't get pillows or blankets any more, you have to pay for the stupid bag of trail mix or pretzels, and don't even think about asking for the whole can of cola...........whoa, made that mistake once........talk about getting the look of doom..........yikes!

Now through all of this whining and moaning, I do like to fly...........I do. Have been flying since I was 5 years old and have had some very scary things happen and some interesting things too........so I will not stop flying.......but I sure can whine about the service and attitude!!!!!

Presidency anyone?

Anyone that wants the presidency so much that he'll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office." -David Broder

Ok, we are knee deep into the political season........conventions are coming, vice-presidents to be chosen, campaigning from high dollar a plate sit down dinners to the little town hall meetings , babies kissed and hands to be shaken.........oh my, sign me up for all the fun!!!!!!

I mean WHO really wants to be president of the United States of America??? Ok, it looks good on your resume, you are guaranteed protective service for the rest of your life and you get a library erected with your "important stuff" placed inside............but have you ever looked at the president as he leaves the office.............come on, compare pictures to when he entered........is it the same person? I have to assume the rest of my argument or question, as I have never actually met, spent time with or been asked to write a memoir for a president, but this is what I assume. I don't think they get 8 hours of sleep every night.........or every fifth night. They have to have someone with them 24/7 to protect them..........I'm sorry, but if I was in the bathroom, or in my bedroom, I just wouldn't want to know that someone was outside the door.......some things are personal!!!! I would assume you would have to be at the mercy of those that you work with - I mean, what if your personal aide/secretary was miffed at you and told you the wrong pronunciation of some county........egads, how embarrassing..........and who knows what war that would lead to? Two week vacations.......hello.........with the news reporters following you, and remember your personal protective service squad, the ever present phone ringing..........this to me isn't a vacation. Oh and what if you have just a normal off day.......we all have them...........trust me on this one, EVERYONE will know about it.......EVERYONE!!!! What if your wife goes to an astrologer for advice? your daughter sneaks out of the White House? your brother gets in trouble with the IRS? you are having problems with your bowels?, the list goes on...............I mean who really wants to be president. I get enough criticism just being me, a little known human wandering the earth..........why would I set myself up for under the microscope scrutiny? Sure power is nice (well I think it would be nice once in awhile), but to have to be accountable for the whole United States of America's policies.............no thank you, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

A good quote

Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.
Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965)

Sometimes, as you know, I just plop a quote onto the blog..........it's not that I don't have anything to share......it's mostly that whatever I have to share just seems so blah compared to the quote.......

A good idea

I know that most everyone has either read or head the above words............but shoot, they do make sense...

Since the price of gas is growing like the beanstock in the fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk........I have had to place myself on this even stricter budget........like yikes!!!! I no longer hop in the car and go........not that I was ever a random "goer" as I don't care about driving that much, nope not even as a teenager was I dying to drive. It seemed like I was the one that ended up driving, because being an only child I did have access to my mother's car most of the time..........but it wasn't my most favorite role.

Oh I am not going to re-use tin foil or wash out plastic bags, but I am thinking about the purchasing of things that I didn't before. For instance, last year I went hog wild when planting the pots on the deck.........this year, I went to Wally World and forced myself to stay in the $3 and under bracket..........the deck looks nice, ok it isn't like last year, but it's nice. I am not purchasing magazines like I use to, and I haven't been to the used bookstore in a long long time........mostly because we have a nice selection stockpiled at the moment. I would use our little local library, but the selection is quite small, but I will start soon. In fact there is a certain pattern that I have been wanting for a quite awhile.........but it is $25!!!!! So I just asked my daughter to go in halvsies with me.........after all it's going to hang in her house!!!! She agreed. I am trying to do my part...............oh who am I fooling.........I have been forced to participate in this 2008 form of THE DEPRESSION...........I will survive. In fact when I think back to the stories that my mother shared with me about the rationing during WWII, we have not experienced anything compared to that..........so I will not whine...........I won't........I will instead feel proud of my little efforts to use it up, make-do or go without.

Birthday cake

I love birthday cake.........well shoot, I love cake period. I love wedding cake........I know, I hear people make comments like "well here we go, another dry piece of cake', but to me, the weddings that I have gone to, the cake wasn't dry at all..............shoot I have gone to weddings, where each layer was a different flavor.......with different fillings.........you name it, it was there. I seem to lean towards white cake. Not sure why, but white is my choice if I have to chose between chocolate or white...........sorry you chocoholics out there.

Now a good carrot cake is always welcomed, and a slice of banana cake won't be pushed away either.........oooo, and jelly roll or pumpkin roll are tops on my list too............but I have dropped hints like crazy to my family and they don't seem to be picking up on it..........BOSTON CREAM PIE......which isn't a pie at all, but a wonderful cake........oh I drool just thinking of it. I have a very nice friend who surprised me one year, with a Boston cream pie.........HOMEMADE!!!!! I shared, but not very willingly.
On Saturday, the oldest grandson was invited and went to a birthday pary........the little one some how ended up there too and even tho' it was at Chucky Cheese and he was playing games like everyone else, he seemed to have missed out of eating cake. We went to the grocery store and bought one of those little white round, white cakes..........I am so excited..........I mean cake for no reason at all, except that it's in the house.............whoa, it's like some sort of holiday. Are you drooling yet?