A new year....

I have slacked quite a bit in my blogging. I had slowed down quite a bit before my mother passed away and then....it seems I just kind of quit. I have been lax about many things.

To my wonderful husband I apologize for being a slacker of a wife. You are so very good to me and you deserve nothing but the best.

I have mentioned before that I am a lucky woman, and I am reminded daily how true that is.

I sit here typing this and he is scurry around cleaning after he went to the store and shopped for our New Year's Eve dinner and for New Year's Day, too!

On top of that, I was um, slightly stranded at work in my new car, which of course had me wound up. Once I reached him he was on his way to get me so I would not be alone waiting for AAA.

After I got off the phone with him I called the service manager back at the Saturn dealer and asked him a question....."if it was the battery, why will the key not turn in the ignition"...well, my car made the third one he has had this happen to this week, and not the same kind of car. Apparently the steering wheel was locked in just the right spot and once I jiggled the steering wheel the key finally turned and started. Of course this happened after I went "Judy" on the dealership and they were nice to me in spite of it.

Then, I called my husband who was almost to where I was and just came home. Where I am finally and looking forward to a lovely New Year's Eve with the answer to my prayers.

I used to ad a little something to prayers at night. I would pray that God would bring me someone special, to love me for me, and who would help me to become a better person.

Well, God could not have answered all those prayers in a better way.

Tomorrow is new year, it is time for the resolutions we all make. I have many in mind this year. Mostly I resolve to be a better wife, to the man that I love, with all of my heart- my husband, Sam Williams.

Thank you, God!

Day, by day...

It sure has been a difficult few months, losing a parent is such a hard thing to get through.

When you lose the first parent you still have one to turn too when you need, your parent. When you loose the one you still could turn too, boy is that tough.

There really is not a way to discribe it.

I know many of you know what it feels like. I know too, that time is the only thing that helps...

The firsts that you go through after losing a loved ones are tough too, yet, in ways even tougher when you don't have a parent to share the holidays with.

And me, I totally blew the last holiday I had with my mother, now she is gone and I can not make it up to her.

I hope and pray, so much that my mother knew how much I loved her, and how very, very much I miss her....more and more...day by day.....

I love you and I miss you so much mom!

"modern day packaging"...

"Modern day packaging"....

Something I remember my dad saying a lot as he had a hard time opening something. I find myself saying it more and more.

Think about it....you have cold pills, sinus pills in packaging that is more often than not difficult to open. Medicines that people are taking because they are sick. You have to wonder if the manufacturer even thinks about it when they design the packaging or do they just think "oh wouldn't it be funny to have people who are sick struggling to open these pills they just bought with the hopes of feeling better".

My husband mentioned to how they put arthritis pills in child proof containers...whats up with that....people who have sore fingers and you put the pills in containers that make it more difficult to open....

Boy, dad, did you know what you were saying when you would sputter about the "modern day packaging"....(it's only gotten worse dad)

It sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I WANT MY MOM BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

too hard to write about...

It has been over a month since I have written.

Boy, has it been one rough month.

My birthday is October 3rd. It was a nice birthday. I went to dinner with my husband and step-daughter Emlyn. We went to a nearby Italian restaurant that we like. It was a good dinner, we had a nice time. It is not a fancy place, but the waitress brought me a dessert and sang to me. I certainly was not expecting that. But it was fun.

We then came home and I opened my birthday gifts. A cast iron grill pan from Emlyn...boy is that thing heavy! Works great too! From my wonderful husband I got a great sweater, a fun and colorful bowl for pasta dinners, a Danielle Steel book, did I mention my husband is wonderful. He shopped at the new Kohl's store that just opened here, because he knows I like Kohl's...and boy does it sound like his shopping trip was an adventure.

We had a wonderful light dessert that he bought, it was very delicious and moist and I blew out candles and they sang to me.

I turned 45 this year. Numerically this was to be a cool year. On the 3rd I would turn 45 and on the 6th my mom would turn 78.....get it....3-4-5-6-7-8!

We went to bed and because I had tried to call my sister back I had the phone on the night stand next to me.

That phone rang around 2 am and I wished it had never rang. At that point my worst nightmare was beginning.

It was my sister, they were on the way to the hospital with my mother. My niece Julie had heard her fall and found her and called the ambulance and my sister, Judy. She said they would call me when they knew more.

Oh, what a long night, sitting and waiting for that phone to ring, yet, not wanting it to ring. That theory "no news is good news".

When she called back, upset of course, she told me that they thought it had been a stroke and they had her sedated. Judy was upset too because Julie kind of kept her distance from her. They are not as close as Julie and I are, but I was there with Julie when her mom died, and I lived with her and my mom since she was 10, that is half her life. It is natural for her to be closer to me.

What could I do, I am 1200 miles away. Helpless is how I felt. I tried to think of who I could call that would be a help to Judy, and Julie. I tried to call my cousin Diane, but she did not answer so I tried her daughter Stacey, and she called her mom who called me back.

Help was on its way to the hospital. Yet, I sat here in Florida feeling totally helpless.

Praying for good news, but it was not to come.

After a long sleepless night they told me I should fly back to Michigan, that it did not look good.

My husband booked me a flight, my cousins picked me up at the airport and off to the hospital I went. I was so afraid in the car on the way there to ask how mom was doing. Somehow I guess I knew it was not going to be good.

Mom had suffered a massive aneurysm. If she survived she would be in a vegetative state.

Basically they were just waiting for me to get there.

Too hard to write about in one sitting...so...end part one.

a must see....

Emlyn turned me on to a great web site. http://www.icanhascheezburgers.com/ You have to check it out. They have hilarious pictures of cats that people put humorous captions on. They also have link to "loldogs" which is also great.

Her house is the home to 2 dogs, and 2 cats. None are hers, they are my nieces, plus one of mine. Though, my mother is their caretaker. She will not admit to loving them but she does. (I know you do mom!)

This picture made me think of my mother!

I'm getting old....

Oh, man, I do feel old sometimes....especially when I think about my cousin Diane's daughter Stacey.

She was born the year I graduated from high school. Now...she has two beautiful little ones of her own.

This summer when I went north my niece Julie, and I went to the zoo with Stacey, Noah, and Taylor. Oh, what a hot day that was, but, it was my idea. It was worth the memories though.

Boy did I feel old that day....

Like mother...like daughter....

Hm...who else thinks my mother and sister look a little alike ;o)

My mother, Norma, aka Doris!

My sister, Judy, aka Big Bird!

Colors!!

We are coming up on a month since we have been back in the house. I still look around and think wow! We have some bright colors in our life now, and I am just loving it.

Some may think, "wow, bright colors" but they look so great. With each thing we put back in place it amazes me. Sam re-hung the valance we had in the kitchen, and wow, it looks even better.

It is amazing too that little changes can make such a difference. When I was still living with my mother and painted her kitchen I suggested swapping out the old outlets and switches, but no...she wanted nothing to do with that.

Well, we did and even that made a big difference. Maybe, just maybe my mother may trust my judgement on something.

We bought new curtain rods for the living room and they just play so well off the wall sconce that Sam got me for my birthday a couple of years ago.

Not only am I blessed with a wonderful loving husband, but my husband is an artist with the most amazing eye for detail, and what would or would not look good.

The wall colors look so wonderful with his paintings that grace our walls.

I even keep looking at the fireplace. Our woodwork/trim before was painted a kind of seafoam green color. Now it is a biscuit color and boy does it make the mantel look great, it even shows off the stones of the fireplace better, it revives them. We have a cathedral ceiling and there is a wall that devides our living room and kitchen. We have books lined on this wall, and it looks great...even better with the biscuit trim.

You just don't know how much better something can look until you change it.

Now, I am all for "if it ain't broke don't fix it". Well, we were broke and now we are fixed! Living in a home now filled with color!

Prayers do get answered....

I woke up this morning watched my husband sleep and was reminded of how lucky I am. Lucky that God brought me something I had always prayed for- "someone to love me for me that would help me grow into a better person". He takes such wonderful care of me, spoils me actually.

All last week for some reason I was just so tired, one night I had a sore throat. I was in bed, and asleep most nights by 9:30.

Sam, though he has a much more difficult and stressful job than I do shopped for, and made dinner all week. Now, that I think about it the weekend before he cooked all weekend. Very delicious meals.

I doubt he realized what he was taking on when he married me, he has to talk me off the ledge often. But he is good at it...

Thank you babe, for not giving up on me, and thank you, God for answering my prayers in the best way!

You won't regret it!!!

We have splashed some color into our lives!

Boy, am I a lucky woman.

God blessed me with a loving and patient man.

We are finally back in our home, and boy does it look great! I look around when I am there and still am in awe that it is our house!

It was a long 10 days in the hotel but it was sure worth it. There are still a few things to be done but….boy does it look great! Even things we have had that we put on the walls seem to have taken on a new life.

We have great new light fixtures in the kitchen and dining area, including a ceiling fan in the kitchen which really makes a difference. The ceiling fixture in our bedroom was for some strange reason in the corner of the room behind the door. My oldest stepdaughter Kendra bought us a light fixture for out bedroom when we got married we had intended to just hang it in the corner and swag it to the center of the room. Well, they moved it to the center of the room for us and it looks just great!

The kitchen is also so much more roomier. My brilliant stepdaughter Kendra had the idea to move the bar part of the counter over. They moved it over just about a foot and it seems like a mile. Sam did some measuring and reconfigured some cabinets to move the refrigerator out of the corner and wow what a difference it makes.

I will put some pictures on when I can find the camera. We are plucking away and putting the house back together.

Sam has been working like a dog, me working like a weak little puppy! Even as I write this he is headed out the door to mow the front lawn before it gets dark. I must say again...boy am I a lucky woman.

So.....If you are sitting in your house right now and just looking a white or off white walls do yourself a favor and splash some color on them, you won't regret it!!

Why are they always in the corner?

Okay, we are still at the hotel, but the house is coming along very nicely. Hopefully Wednesday night.

I was in the bathroom this morning, Sam and Emlyn both still asleep.

Look over in a corner and what appears before my eyes? Nope, not Santa. A huge brown spider!

I grab a wad of toilet paper. I work up the courage, position myself just right, work up the courage and go in for the kill.

What happens next...well...a million, did I say million, I mean billion tiny baby spiders run all over! Of course at this point I scream. Then, grab my hair spray to slow them down so I can catch them. Sam then came to see if I was okay, and went back to bed.

Then I got them all cleaned up and flushed the toilet....and well....needed a plunger. So, I came out got on some pants and a t-shirt went and snagged the maintenance guy as he was on his way out for a smoke and got a plunger. I confessed to using excess toilet paper to kill a spider, and well, he laughed, said it probably got under the door.

Why....I ask you why...are they always in the corner?

Worth the wait....

You would think that living in a hotel, and eating out every night would be a relaxing way to live. No beds to make, no meals to rush home and make, no trips to the grocery store.

Well, yes there are pros to it....the pool! Yes, the maid does come and make our beds, and vacuum and clean the bathroom, but I have to come here on my lunch and get the cat out so...there are cons...but....did I mention there is a pool? I tried to call my sister in law the other day and my oldest stepdaughter to have them bring me a noodle from Betsy's so I could float. But neither of them answered their phone, but I am sure that either one of them would have hoped on a plane and brought me down a noodle. But...okay....I guess the .99 cent one we bought at Walgreens was cheaper than a plane ticket.

We are currently residing in the Red Roof Inn while work is being done at our home. Tomorrow will be our one week anniversary here. Everyone that works here has been very nice and helpful. But, home sounds so good....our own beds....our own big washer and dryer. I am now doing laundry and have run out of quarters with one load to go....

Looks like we will be here a few more days. In our dining out Sam had a wonderful idea! We have been traveling around the world. We have been to Greece, Mexico, Germany, Italy, China, India, and I believe we will be visiting Thailand soon.

Today we met the contractor and painters to make sure we were all on the same page paint wise. Good thing we did, the painter started to write the paint numbers on the wall for his workers and the first number he wrote was incorrect.

I actually was not going to go in until it was done. Kind of wanted it to be like "Extreme Home Makeovers", but....I went in and was just amazed. Sam had mentioned that the walls were now textured, and even though the walls here in the hotel are nearly the same texture I just could not picture it in my head. But it looks great! I am glad too that I went in, though I wish I had taken my camera. The change is going to be so amazing.

We had plain white walls, and now we will have some lovely colors to brighten our lives.

Our bedroom was the only bedroom with a ceiling light, it was tucked into the corner of the bedroom behind the door. The bedrooms have light switches but...they turn on and off a plug on the wall. We have often wondered what in the world the former owners were thinking when they did things. Kendra had gotten us a light we were going to hook up and swag to the center of the room and we had not gotten it up yet. Now....they will put it in for us, and in the center of the room. One sad and kind of scary thing that the contractor told us about the "corner light" was that the people that installed it had just ran it from the light switch to the corner with....are you ready for this...."speaker wire"! They had a household current running through speaker wire. It is just amazing that the place never burned down.

We also got new light fixtures for the kitchen and dining area, even a ceiling light/fan for the kitchen where it just gets so hot.

It is getting exciting, and I will post some pictures when it is done!

I know it will be worth the wait!

Ya just got to check out...

this web site!

http://failblog.org/page/2/

Pruning...

Well here in Ocala we dodged the brunt of Fay. School was cancelled for 4 days, only one day after the new year started. On my job they sent us home early on Friday, which of course did not break my heart but, why even have us come in? I traveled home in worse weather than there was when I went to work. Such is the logic of Florida Department of Corrections.

I told my mother that I am not calling them any more, which is the same old argument with her as I am always the one that does the calling no one, my mother, sister or niece every call me....my nephew well that goes with out saying I don't think he has ever called me. But, here I was in a state that had a tropical storm, with the potential to turn into a hurricane and not a one of them calls to see how things are in our area. But, like I said that is the same old thing. I am always the one that does the calling......

Thankfully Fay was gentle to us, we got lots of rain, and strong winds, lost power on and off, but other than that it appears that Mother Nature just did a little pruning.

Meat....or no meat....

When my step-daughter returned from her summer with her mom in Michigan we went out to dinner on her first night home. One of the the topics of discussion was a book her sister had read, The China Study.

Okay, it sounds like a good idea, but lets read up on it a bit...is how I though we had left things.

Well, last night at dinner I find out that we are turning Vegan! As she was eating the meal I had made with chicken she said, this would still be good when we go Vegan. Wow, is what I though in my head. I did not recall saying I was going vegan. I remember leaving it at lets read some more about it. I was quite surprised. I still do not know exactly what my feelings are about the whole thing.

I'm not opposed to meatless meals a few nights a week, but to be turned vegan. Well, isn't it something one chooses?

I'm not against changing my eating habits, although I am slow to do it. I have made many changes over the last few year, all for the better.

I think that this change will be a little harder to make. I was raised by meat and potato in every meal parents. There were times I was convinced that my mother would stand at the meat counter and ask the butcher for the fattiest cut of meat.

Granted....yes I need to be more healthy....yes....I need to lose weight....yes....there is a history of cancer in my family that is rather daunting.

Actually, I now eat more healthy than I ever have in my life. More vegetables, fresh vegetables and not canned as well as better ways of preparing meals.

One might think that a Vegan lifestyle would not be such a huge transition and easier to make.....but....but....call me a skeptic.....I think I need some baby steps....a meal or two....baby steps....please.......

This a rambling blog, change is good I know. The change in my life over the last few years has been wonderful. A wonderful husband, two beautiful step-daughters, a home to share with them.

Some changes in life are easier than others.

Changing from 2 % milk to fat free was only a slight adjustment for me....I think going from meat to no meat will be a much bigger adjustment.

one kitchen mystery solved...

Beware of Pur products!

Purchase at your own risk.

Well, our last Pur faucet water filter will be our last Pur water filter. Upon moving outside of the city to an area where we get well water we purchased a Pur water filters for our faucet. At first it was great "hey we can get filtered water for cooking with out having to stand at the refrigerator". The joy was short lived. The product lasted less than a year. Against our better judgment we bought the same one to replace it because I had just bought filters from Sam's Club.

The new one is worse than the first one! We are only a few months into the use of this one and water sprays all over from the bottom and I was just using it getting filtered water and noticed that water is now coming from a crack in the side of it.

Great quality product! But I guess that is how they make money. People have to buy new ones more frequently. They will not sucker us in again. Admittedly we did not buy the top of the line filter but I would have hoped it would last longer than a few months! But, then again as I said that is where they make money.

Buyer beware! Use caution when buying a water filter for your faucet! Think again before you pick up the one from Pur.

On a scale of 1 -10...

Okay, on a scale of one to ten how tired is everyone else of hearing the name Brett Farve?

My "tired of hearing about Brett Farve" rating is - 210 and growing daily.

Had he not cried wolf about retiring for a couple of years now it would be different. The man finally makes a tearful announcement stating he is retiring from the NFL and....."has an "itch" to come out of retirement...."

Please for the love of NFL...MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

You retired, the team has moved on with Rodgers....let them play ball in peace....don't play yo-yo with them......don't keep them dangling on the end of the string year after year and then finally take the retirement walk...only to yank the yo-yo back up again.

Please for the love of all that is sacred between goal posts....just retire and be done with it.

If I were a Packer fan I would be trading in my foam cheese head for another teams colors.

So fellow football fans...on a scale of one to ten how tired of you of hearing the name Brett Farve?

so much for...

Sleeping in....

Cat in face 6:15 am...meowing...Roxie.

Okay...I give up and get up go out, let Jingles in who had spent the night outside, and feed them both. Back to bed I go.

Next thing I know.....I wake up to my mother outside in the street yelling "Lester, Chico, get over here"...over....and over.....and over....for what seemed like "forever". I am sure her neighbors were loving her at that moment. I wanted to yell out the window and tell her to be quiet!

Okay...I give up and get up go outside, yes in my nightgown and go to where my mother is yelling at the end of the driveway and say "Lester, now"...and imagine that he comes. Of course you only need to call Lester because Chico will fall in line behind him.

Simple as that....I have not lived with these dogs for two and a half years and they mind me better than they do her....but...then they always did....just like a kid they know who they can push and who they can't.

So much for sleeping in.....

One thought...or two....or...maybe it is just one...

I have been very lax in making entries. Many times my husband and I will be watching something and, well, naturally I react to something and it is common for Sam to say " I sense a blog entry here".

Then....being the purebred procrastinator that I am it does not get written about. I even have made notes on a note pad and...yep...those notes are still not that note pad and not one word is in this blog.

Yesterday I flew home to Michigan for a few days with family. So many things I thought...that is something to write about....eventually....maybe...you will be reading them.

One thing that comes to mind was the woman who was in the same row on the plane. Young woman, early thirties, I suspect Greek. Two young boys, 3 1/2 and 20 months, Alex and Daniel. She is lucky that Alex was quite content to watch a DVD of "Thomas the Engine", "Barney" and others I did not recognize. She had her hands full keeping Daniel entertained.

It was obvious that they had money, as she was dressed in high end clothes, Daniel had on little toddler "Ralph Lauren" jeans, and the huge "Coach" purse had to cost more than a car payment on my car.

But, I digress, one thing I noticed was how her pants were worn. I thought to myself, that shows a mother that has a child on her lap often. Jeans do not typically show wear on the top of the legs do they?

Okay...so....there is one thought....more to come

Okay...so what would you do??

Okay, so what would you do....

As reported in the Ocala Star Banner:

Clerks at a Mobil gas station located at the intersection of Southeast 52nd Street and U.S. 441, made a major mistake on Tuesday with the gas price. According to sheriff’s officials, the clerks told them when they were changing the gas price, instead of putting $4.02, the figures read 42 cents.

The clerks told deputies that 30 to 40 vehicles took advantage of
their generosity before they realized their error.

The price was immediately changed after a customer told them about the
error.

After it was read at work today, there was some discussion as to who would tell....and who would not have told....what would you do?

A better world because....

Many people touch our lives every single day. Often it is in just some small way: a cashier, a teller, even people you do not meet face to face.

You see actors performing on the stage, the big screen, or even a small screen that brings them into your home.

Sometimes you hear actors names and it triggers a memory for you. Or you just fondly remember watching them perform. You may not even have watched them, but you can hear the name and think, "Oh, I remember them."

I never really followed George Carlin, who recently passed away, but he was so funny. Many people like him have touched our lives and improved them by entertaining us and bringing laughter into our lives.

It is just a tad morbid, but my husband stumbled upon a website www.deadoraliveinfo.com. It lists the deaths of many people, not just those in the entertainment industry.

I just went back to the first of the year and was able to come up with 14 names that I recognized. I am betting if you went to the site, you might recognize more.

Suzanne Pleshette whom I always watched on Newhart. Ivan Dixon, not a name you instantly recognize but…if you grew up in the 60's and 70's and watched "Hogan's Heroes" he touched your life as Kinchloe. Roy Scheider in Jaws-- who did not watch that? I sure think of it more as I now live in Florida and did see a shark one day when went to the beach. David Groh, another name you would not recognize but if you watched Mary Tyler Moore and Rhoda, he was Rhoda's husband. Richard Widmark, Cyd Charisse-- two that my husband remembers, although not to fondly as he said they always creeped him out. I think he said that about Charlton Heston, too, or at least the characters he played.

With the presidential election coming up it will be very different this year with out Tim Russert.
With George Carlin's passing, no matter what channel you tuned in-- sports networks, musical channels, entertainment networks-- they likely made some mention of his passing.

Sometimes when I hear that people who were in shows I watched growing up have passed away, I feel as though a part of my childhood slipped away as well.

It saddens me that we do not realize how many people touch our lives. You often do not realize how long it has been since they have passed away. For some reason, I recently found a website that listed graves in the cemetery that my paternal grandparents and other family members are buried in. I really remembered how old they were when they passed, or at least how old I was.

I am left with such a feeling that this blog entry is somehow incomplete, yet at this time I cannot continue as it has me feeling overwhelmingly sad. Thinking of my father, my sister, the in-laws that I never got the chance to meet.

People touch our lives in so many ways…..gone but never forgotten….and our world is all the better because of them.

Give credit where credit it due....

I have to take the time to thank someone who is a tremendous help to me with this blogging adventure.

Harry Samuel Williams.

He is the one who finds the photos you see, and often creates them. My Art Director.

He is also the one who catches my errors. If you see errors, grammatical or spelling...well...that means it hit the blog prior to his reading it. He is my editor.

Most importantly he is the blessing that God answered my prayers with.

He is the one I proud to say is my husband, the man that I love with all of my heart.

Please take a chance and check out his blog, and his web site.

http://harrysbeeftrust.blogspot.com/

https://www.msu.edu/~will1140/

He is an amazing man, and blesses many lives not just mine.

I am so proud of him and wanted to take a moment to give credit where credit is due....

Taste bud temptations....

If by chance there is anyone that I know that checks the Internet while standing up...please sit down!

I know I have mentioned before that I am getting more adventurous in trying new foods, but some may still be surprised.

Tonight I ventured into the world of Indian Cuisine, inspired by Tuesday night's episode of Andrew Zimmern's "Bizarre Food" filmed in India.

There is a local Indian restaurant called Amrit Palace. We have jokingly called it "armpit palace". Well, tonight was my first venture into the armpit and Indian food.

It is family-owned and operated with a welcoming, worldly atmosphere. You really did not feel like you were in a store front on the busiest street in Ocala.

Sam ordered "Nan" as an appetizer. It is a bread that is baked in a Tandoor, somewhat like pita bread. It came with a salsa-like chutney. Sam ordered me a Sweet Lassi, which is a homemade yogurt drink and very, very good. He ordered a "Kingfisher" beer, which made me think that my dad would have needed the bottle for his collection of beer cans and bottles.

Food was delivered to a table across from us and smelled and looked delicious. We asked the waiter what it was, and it was Chicken Tandoori.

I ordered the "Tandoori Dinner (for one): Vegetable Soup, Vegetable Samosa, Bhujia, Chooza Pakora and Papadam. Special Tandoori Chicken, Pillaw Rice, Puri, Tayta, Onion Chutney, Gulab Jamun as a Dessert". You can order it mild, medium, or hot...I ordered medium and one of the sauces with it was rather spicy. I would be afraid to try the hot!

Sam ordered the "Vegetable Dinner Served in Thali (for one): Vegetable Soup, Assorted Appetizers, Vegetable Samosa, Bhujia Aloo Pakora, Papadam, Mixed Vegetable Curry, Matar Paneer, Chapati. Served with Pillaw Rice, Rayta Onion Chutney and Sweet Lassi. Galub Jamun as a Dessert".

Ya know, when I was choosing what to order, it didn't seem like a lot of food. I suspected it was a little bit of each thing, a sampler platter. And it was. They served the soup first, then the assortment of appetizers, and then came the main dishes. For me it was the Chicken Tandoori.

I was full after the assortment of appetizers....It was great....And now I have leftovers for lunch!

Okay, I confess...though I was full, I still ate my dessert: Gulab Jamun. It was deliciously moist, kind of like a small round pancake soaked in a lightly sweet and somewhat citrus flavored syrup.

There was so much flavor. Our taste buds certainly were not disappointed!

Sixty seconds of fame...

Okay, I confess….I am rather new to following sports. Likely two and a half years ago, if you had asked me what ESPN was I would have guessed "extra sensory perception now".

Now, I not only know what it is, I watch it every night after work with my family. Pretty much every weeknight we watch Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption. Admittedly there are a many things that still fly over my head.

"Go Eagles!"

Until I got married, I did not understand football to save my life. It seemed so stupid: "First down, second down, third down….line up and run….push each other"…It made no sense to me. I still have a lot to learn, but I finally know that a quarterback is not just what you get when you pay a dollar for a pop that cost seventy five cents.

"Go Phillies!"

Baseball.... Oh there are so many different aspects, details, and rules. Who knew there was a "Strike Zone"? It sounds like a great name for a sports bar! I'm not quite sure how to put it, but, I finally know there is much more to it than "Three strikes, you're out!" or "Swing batter, swing!"

"Go Flyers!"

Hockey... Well, I think that might take longer. I think you have to be able to follow the puck with your eyes before you can start to understand the game….

"Go Sixers!"

Basketball seems much less complicated, they run up and down the court, shoes squeaking, balls being thrown through a hoop. Where sports were concerned I liked basketball better simply because I understood it more.

Or so I thought, because Sam has been watching it for thirty years and still doesn't get it. And I can't answer any of the questions he asks about it!

However…now…even watching The Finals® is too much, and I did not even stay up to watch the ends of the games. I am always happy for the team that wins "The Big Dance". I am happy to see the players proudly waving to fans in their parades….

But….please...Memo to Boston Celtics forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis: PUT YOUR SHIRT ON!

I'm sorry, he sure took any respect I had for his team's victory down several notches by taking his shirt off during the parade. If I were a Bostonian, I would be very disappointed. Heck, I am not, and I am still disappointed.

Sadly, there are sports figures who only think of what they can do to make a lead story on ESPN, and this was Big Baby's way to do so: His 'sixty seconds of fame'.

You wear the costume, you play the part….

Okay, it might be an age thing, but I just do not get wearing your pants so big that they are nearly falling off.

What is the strong desire to have your boxers or briefs show 8 to 10 inches above the waist line of your pants?

What is the strong desire to walk with your legs apart so that your pants do not fall down.

I JUST DO NOT GET IT! How is this fashion?

I have heard that it stems from people who have been in prison and are not provided with properly fitted pants. Yet…I still do not get it. How can it be possible to be comfortable? I remember when I lost weight, and as my pants got bigger they certainly were less comfortable to me.

What is it-- are all these guys running around with their boxers/briefs hanging out getting discounts on their pants from the BVD companies?

I work in a probation office, and one of the officers has said that it just makes it easier for law enforcement to catch them if they try to run. They have to grab their package and hold it so their pants stay up and are only running with one arm pumping which then slows them down.

So…again…I just do not get it...

I sadly recall one day my husband and I were leaving a store in a local shopping center, and as we passed a family that had just gotten out of a car there was a small boy, not even school age, walking with his little 'gansta' pants on, holding them at the waist so he did not lose them. How sad is that?

Boy, that is teaching them young, and if I am still working in the probation office 15 years from now, I would be willing to bet that same young boy comes through these doors as a broken young man.

I realize that clothing does not always make the man, but, often when you wear the costume, you play the part….

What's in a name?

I may have already written about how I could 'go long' about some of the names that you hear as you watch sports on TV. Many a "Huh?" comes out of me as I have heard a name. My husband often watches me to see my reactions to names.

However, I am starting to feel bad for ripping on peoples names, especially since they are often names from another nationality.

But…sometimes I just cannot help myself!

Fredi Gonzalez, the manager of the Florida Marlins, is a guy I like, but….What is up with "Fredi with an I"? That sounds like a preppy girl who would be shopping in the Valley with Buffy and Bambi.

Yunel Escobar is one we all went long on the other night….he could open the "Escobar & Grille".... the special of the day could be "Escargot"….

Endy Chavez, Lastings Milledge, Renyel Pinto (Don't smack him on the rear end!), Jair Jurrjens…..just to name a few that have jumped out at me. Oh, there are many more, many more….and….okay….I confess….often when my husband pronounces the name correctly for me, and sometimes tells me the meaning, I concede and admit it is a good name.

It is funny, and sad, that I do not really recall many conversations with my father. There is one that comes to mind often as I think of some of the names, or even some of the nicknames. One day I asked my father why they named me and my sisters such plain and simple names: Sally, Judy and Janet. He told me, "We named you what you were going to be called".

My father was one of nine siblings. He was named after his father, and he was most often called Jack, rather than John.

I really only think there was one of his siblings, my Uncle Lowell, that was actually called by his given first name, and not a nickname or a middle name. It made sense to me, and although I have often thought my name was plain and boring, I appreciated it more after hearing that.

So, thank you Dad, and of course Mom, for giving me my name….

Thoughts on names....

What is in a name....?

Some names I heard tonight made me think...whoa...what were his parents thinking-- or did they? I really need to start writing these names down.

Do our names in any way help to shape us into the people we are?

As many may know, I tend to 'go long' on names that stand out to me, that are different, unusual.

Which, yes, I know, is not a nice thing to do, yet that does not stop me. I am getting better, but....

One thing I wonder: You hear many names while watching sports. Names that stand out. Coco Crisp: This makes me want cereal. Okay, so what I wonder is....Would the centerfielder of the "Boston Red Sox" be discussed as much if his name did not have a "ring" to it. His numbers are decent, and, well, his team did win the World Series. But he had lost his starting job by then.

So, would he be as well-known if he were not nicknamed after a breakfast cereal?

You never realize....

You never realize how much a person is a part of you, until you are apart.

I was stupid for a number of years.

I had said many prayers for God to bring me someone who would love me for me, and help me to grow into a better person.

Luckily God answered my prayers. I did not realize it at first, and thankfully my husband did not give up on me.

He completes my heart, life just seems to be incomplete when he is not around.

He is now up in Michigan for his nephews high school graduation. I am down in Florida with my step-daughter.

I miss him dearly and can not wait to pick him, and my oldest step-daughter up at the airport tomorrow.

I can not wait.....to feel complete again....

I miss ya babe!

Beast over Man....

And my mother thinks the two cats, and two dogs in her house have control over her....

Okay, I confess, it kind of bothers me....

It has now been three weeks since the Kentucky Derby. As I was looking for pictures of Big Brown after his second big win, the Preakness, I saw one of the pictures of Eight Belles down on the track. It reminded me of something about the picture that has bothered me.

Maybe I am the only one who sees it the way I do. To me, as I look at the jockey, Gabriel Saez, starting to walk away, it looks like he has no care at all for the downed filly, not even looking down at her with concern. The beautiful filly gave it her all and came in second in the Kentucky Derby. Gave it her all, her life, and that is a pretty high price to pay. It saddens me to think that she gave so much to that race and on her back was a jockey that had no concern for her at all. It is sad. I may be naive, but I thought jockeys had more of a love for horses than shows here...as he just walks away....

I know appearances can be deceiving but, I can not help the way the picture looks. Had he been looking down at her as he walked away, I might not be left with the these thoughts....

Beverage and a condiment....

"O.J. Mayo"

What were his parents thinking? Were they overcome with thirst and hunger? The desire to have some Orange Juice and a sandwich with Mayonnaise? Oh, what were they thinking? It would be hard enough to face life with a last name the same as the nickname for a condiment, but why would you give your child the nickname of a breakfast beverage on top of that?

Heavens, the situation is worse than I thought. My husband proofs my entries for me and he very wisely said that I may want to give a clue as to who "O.J. Mayo" is for family and friends who may read this. So I looked him up on "Wikipedia" and....the former USC college basketball player, who will be entering the 2008 NBA Draft is actually named "Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo".

Parents of the future I strongly encourage you to think....think long and hard.... about what you name your child!

I think I now understand why he opts to go by the name of a beverage and condiment....

Okay, I confess....

Okay, I confess, I am known for being overly judgmental of names.

You have to admit that some names you see these days you kind of think their parents enjoyed a game of "Boggle" when they were trying to come up with names for their children.

Let's face it, parents can be cruel. They are not the ones who have to go through life saying, "I'm Callix Crabbe". To me that sounds like a name straight out of "Sponge Bob".

Often, when we are watching baseball, my husband will look over at me and say, "Whatcha got on that name?"

I think I am going to start sharing some of the names that, well, catch my attention.

You sure do see some interesting names, especially in baseball. Coco Crisp for one-- I kind of like it, but I am left wanting some cereal.

So...What do you think?....Cocoa Crisp....or Callix Crabbe....Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Cereal or Sponge Bob's neighbor?

Names that make you go, "Hmmmm...."

Don't let a title fool ya....

Okay, the title of the website does not clue you in, but you have to check out this website: http://icanhascheezburger.com/ The pictures are just too funny!

Love is in the air....

Well, it is that time of year in Florida again: "Love Bug" season! It's something we encounter twice a year.

Tonight I was trying to describe them on the phone to my friend Karen, in Michigan, and, well, I defer to "Wikipedia". I think they are much more knowledgeable than I, especially since what I had known of their creation seems to be an "Urban Legend". So, Karen, here is a little of what they say about "Love Bugs":

The love bug (also known as march fly, honeymoon fly, telephone bug, kissybug and double-headed bug) (scientific name Plecia nearctica) is a small flying insect common to the southern United States, especially along the Gulf Coast. During the semi-annual love bug flights or "seasons", the insects are commonly found spattered on the hoods and windshields of automobiles. The body of the love bug is acidic and can affect the paint on vehicles if not washed off. Love bugs seem to be attracted to lighter colored objects (white fence posts are usually blackened with them during the peak season), but can accumulate anywhere.

The love bug was first described in 1940 by D. E. Hardy of Galveston, Texas. At that time, he reported the incidence of love bugs to be widespread, but most common in Texas and Louisiana. By the end of the 20th century, however, the species had spread heavily to all areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico, as well as Georgia, South Carolina, and other parts of Central America. L. A. Hetrick, writing in 1970, found it very widespread in Florida and described its flights as reaching altitudes of 300 m to 450 m and extending several kilometers over the Gulf.

I have always wondered...

How is it that you know that the one you are with is the one. It really isn't something you can explain, more like a sense that washes over you. I used to be envious of my cousins who are happily married, jealous even, because they had something that I wanted. Something that I never dreamt that I would ever have in my life. That certain someone who completes your heart, makes you feel whole. Where you do not question whether or not you are loved, you know it. You feel it to the very core of your being.

My husband is a wonderful man. He has loved me for a very long time, he knew who the one was. Me, I am a slow learner, and thankfully he did not give up on me. He often kids me about the many, many emails we exchanged, and how apparently I did laundry 24/7. I wish I knew exactly when I realized that he was my one, but I can't. Maybe inside there was a part of me that knew it, but I was a chicken. He is a very well educated man, and me, well, did I mention I am a slow learner.

My wish is for everyone to feel the special love that completes your heart, to have someone so amazingly special to share life with. I am a very lucky woman, and I hope that my husband knows how very, very much I love him. I often sit at my desk at work and just look at his photo and smile with happiness. I am amazed. I never new that love was such a strong feeling. Love is an amazing thing. You love many people in your life: Your family, your friends, even pets. But the love you feel, when you find "the one", will just knock your socks off!

I live in Florida now, and I really have no use for socks!

But I no longer wonder....

Beauty taken from us.....

It has become a ritual for us to go and watch the Kentucky Derby. It is really a great thing to see. I have always thought that horses were truly beautiful and graceful creatures.

I am now fortunate enough to live in the heart of horse country. I can often sit here at the computer and hear a horse whinny from one of the farms across the road. Some of the horses that run in the derby actually have been trained at some point here in Ocala.

I am a very sentimental person, and sometimes I could cry at the drop of a dime. I remember watching "Black Beauty" and crying at the ending. I was heartbroken for Barbaro who had to be put down. Imagine how I felt after this year's Kentucky Derby when a strong, proud' real-life black beauty, a filly named "Eight Belles", ran her heart out and came in second. A really strong finish, where you could see her trying so hard to catch back up to the winner "Big Brown" who had overtaken her lead. What heart!

Shortly after, she collapsed onto the track with two broken ankles. They said she would have been in such pain the way they were broken that she was euthanized on the track.

It breaks my heart to read about it, and my heart goes out to her trainer and owners. It is hard when beauty is taken from us too soon....

Beautiful People or Good Looking People...

As I get ready for work, I often have the CBS Morning Show on in the background. The other day they had a teaser about "People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People", and they posed the question...."Are they really beautiful people, or just good looking people?". This has had the rusty wheels turning in my head. I still don't quite know how to write what it is I want to say.
To me there really is a difference between the two. You can be a gorgeous knock-out, and still be an ugly person because of what is inside of you.

I really think that the beauty a person has within, far outshines the beauty of what is on the outside.

My husband often says that he really does not want to know all that much about an actor, a singer, or our mailman. More and more I come to understand why he feels this way. The Beautiful People of the world often are quite ugly on the inside. Such as the famous actor who was mad because he could not get a call through to Australia, so he threw the phone at the hotel concierge. Something lke that helps answer the question posed..."Are they really beautiful people, or just good looking?"

Should I be worried?

Since I have moved to Florida there have been many new encounters. Especially in experiences with nature.







From the large bugs, to Lenny the Lizard, to those white and wandering birds..."Cattle Egrets".



After moving down here, I remember seeing white birds in fields, often around livestock. I found out that they are commonly known as "cowbirds". They are actually kind of pretty, and to see many in flight is a beautiful sight. Ocala is "The Horse Capital of the World". We live on the outskirts of town, and, well, I think this is causing some confusion to the "Cattle Egret" [aka "cowbird"]. More and more, as we drive down the road, I have to yell out the window, "Hey, you silly cowbirds, that is a horse, not a cow!" The confusion they seem to be experiencing is starting to worry me......

From Bugzilla to Lenny....

Many years ago I went on a camping trip with my friends, Nancy and Karen. An old friend of Karen's, Bernadette, came along with us-- thankfully! We were going to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to go to a concert. We took Nancy's van because, well, you know women, we over pack, and when you camp you need some stuff.

We were headed north when the muffler on her van got louder. As I recall, we left a rest area and it dropped down and was dragging. We pulled over, and Bernadette, being mechanically inclined and the only one who would fit under the van, crawled under and rigged it up with a wire hanger, if I recall correctly. So, muffler back up, still a little loud, we got underway again. Just as Nancy was about to pull into traffic, the biggest bug I have ever seen in my life landed in my lap.

I screamed, of course, opened the door, and got out. I don't think I even waited for her to stop. They did not realize what I was screaming at, and I do not think we ever saw it in the van, but from that point on it was know as "Bugzilla". We have had many laughs over it since then-- it was a fun trip.

Now, here I am living in Florida, where bugs are bigger than "Bugzilla" was, and I find myself saying, "Hi, Lenny," to the lizard that lives outside our bathroom window. Now, this does not mean I have come to like bugs, and fireants are still evil! But, who would have thought, that I would ever say, "Hi!" to a lizard....

Learning Curves....

I am starting to think that as we grow in life we travel down learning curves. Sometimes we get settled in our ways, and just go through the motions of life. Sometimes we go out and explore new things, try new recipes, or go to new places. Life can be one big “learning curve”, and we are in control of how sharp the curves are, even to some extent, how frequent the curves come at us. You know that saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Well, I do not agree with that, I consider myself an old dog, that can learn a new trick or two. I may not motivate myself to do so as often as I should but, as I tell my husband I am “educable”. It is not part of the definition of “learning”, but I think the word growth can also describe learning. As humans we may stop growing in height, we may grow in girth, thankfully though we never stop growing when it comes to learning. We may not try to learn new things, we may even avoid learning new things, but we never lose the ability to learn.

Who would have thought...

I still find myself shocked sometimes, and I know that family and friends would be even more shocked to hear me say "do you think we could make this at home". Tonight my husband met a friend of his at Harry's Seafood Bar and Grille on the square here in Ocala, http://www.hookedonharrys.com/page/28-4188.htm. He had met her after work, and I thought, it is such a beautiful day, sitting outside at Harry's sounds heavenly and decided to join them after I got out of work. I had yet to meet her, and am glad I finally got the chance. It was nice to sit and visit. After she left we stayed and had dinner, I ordered:

Louisiana Pork Tenderloin SteakCenter cut pork tenderloin topped with baby Portobello mushrooms and our house made French Quarter sauce, a full flavored Worcestershire butter sauce.

It looked great, and tasted great, had a bit of a kick to it, I thought it was delicious, and believe I will try to make it, or something similar.

Sam's usual is "Crabmeat and Eggplant Napoleon", tonight he strayed and got something from their "Be as Crabby as you like" special menu:

Crab Bisque
A combination of Jumbo lump crabmeat, cream and our special seasonings make this soup unforgettable.

Crab Louie Napoleon
Conquer your taste buds with this spectacular dish featuring cured tomatoes, avocado, lump blue crab meat with chili mayo and roasted peppers, stacked Napoleon style with a drizzling of avocado vinaigrette.

You know, now that I think about it I think it is more surprising to me, than it is to family and friends that I am trying new things. Life is just too short, I wasted too many years. Thankfully, I now have a wonderful future ahead, sharing life with someone who has opened my heart, and mind. I'm growing....finally....

and...so you know...

I am the one who banned myself from microwave use, not my family. The air is finally starting to clear in the house. My husband is sleeping with a fire extinguisher tonight. It's good to know the fire has not gone out of our marriage. He thinks that I am one hot chick!

A somewhat explosive evening...

You know the little packets that come with Pyrex dishes, the travel sets, that you can either freeze, or warm up to keep the dish warm. Okay, well, I seem to be experiencing some cramping tonight. I thought heat can help it, and in lieu of a heating pad I grabbed the packet from our Pyrex dish and put it in the microwave, wrapped it in a towel and it was helping to ease the pain. Well, I was rather surprised. I likely had put the schneid on myself as I had even just mentioned to my husband that I had previously blew one up in a microwave. It cooled down rather quickly, so a couple of times I popped it back in and warmed it up some more. The third time certainly was not the charm in this case.....suddenly, you might have guessed it...."boom"...I did it again.

Okay, so, now I have blown up the "little packet", still have cramps, I think, well, I will warm up the towel and use that. Who would have thought the towel would burn, not me. I have warmed up towels before and they never burned, but, okay, I just realized that those other times I had dampened the towel prior to nuking it. You know, burning dishtowels smell like roasted marshmallows.

I am now banned from the microwave for the night....there will be no more victims tonight...

Big Poppy...or Pop-Gun Poppy....

Hm, after watching ESPN tonight after work, and hearing this, and that I am left wondering a couple of things. One, I will not mention, because, well, it just would be best left unsaid, I will just keep wondering on that one. But, I also wonder if...Big Poppy is now a Pop-Gun Poppy. My husband mentioned that maybe he should by the jersey that the construction worker buried in the new Yankees Stadium. He is certainly not off to a good start this season, heck, he is not even on the interstate yet.

Ah, but, the season is young....hopefully he will return his pop-gun... and be the "Big Poppy" that the fans love.

Now, don't get me wrong...

You may think by my last blog that I do not like where I live, I do, especially as I am about to go out and water plants in the sunshine, and it is likely nearing 70, when most of my family and friends are in Michigan likely still facing dirty piles of snow is shopping center parking lots. In this sense South-, does beat North.