This is fun...

I got this from D'Blogala (It seems to be making the rounds). Bold the things you've done and surprise yourself... I know I did!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

So many of these I’d LOVE to do, SOME I have on my agenda for next year, and some NOT SO MUCH... this list really made me think. What have YOU done?

"Yes, we can!"

Today is the day...

Exercise Your Constitutional Right To Vote Today!

We arrived early and stood in line for an hour to cast our ballots.
It was definitely worth the wait because the feeling is great.
I love being an American on Election Day!

Election Day is coming...

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

A rollicking good time...

Mama Mia!
This movie is a hoot...
We enjoyed every bit of silliness!
Meryl Streep sings...
Who knew!

I am the tortoise, not the hare...

I started the wallpaper project in the bathroom on Friday at the tripping point, the window. It took several hours and lots of sweat equity. Even though the castle is fairly new, nothing is level. Because the pattern is so busy, it took lots of creative paperhanging ingenuity to get the job done at the window and a tub enclosure. Also, it took about three wrong cuts before I figured out the repeat. Now I'm not sure I have enough paper to finish the project without ordering more. Sheesh!

In a small space such as this bathroom there's lots of measuring and cutting around windows and fixtures. It gets more and more difficult for me to go up and down and up and down on the ladder. Scrunching my body into tight spaces, like behind the toilet, is no fun at all... my knees hate it! Large rooms with lots of straight walls are so much easier to paper.

My littlest cub called on Saturday to say she was bored and ended up coming over to help. We've tackled many similar projects together and her help was a godsend. It took us nearly three hours to hang two tricky pieces at the juncture of the door and vanity. We had to cut around the light switch, electrical outlet, door jamb, and vanity. And wouldn't you just know it, one piece ended and the next began right in the middle of the three-inch space between the door jamb and vanity. Who planned this project anyway!

Today I'm on my own and creeping right along. If I've cut it correctly, the piece booking on top of the water tray in the tub will go above the tub to the left of the window. Progress is slow, that's for sure but what's on the wall looks good. I am so the tortoise, never the hare. Slow and steady will win the race.

Fly Lady strikes again...

So, okay, I'll admit it... I'm lost without my little sidekick! I thought I'd enjoy the break while Lil Dragon spent the week with her cousins and Grandma Wanda. But no, I'm moping and walking around the castle like a little lost puppy.

I thought I'd get a lot of projects done around the castle that have been on the waiting list for practically forever. First off, I was planning to wallpaper my bathroom. No problem, right? I've wallpapered a gajillion rooms and know how to do it blindfolded. But again with the no, I'm stuck! The window has me reeling. I just can't figure out how to handle wrapping the paper for window without wood trim. All week long, my need to to it just so has kept me from even starting!

Then today, I opened an e-mail and FlyLady hit me upside the head.

FLYLADY: Afternoon Musing:
Perfectionism + Procrastination = Guilt

Our perfectionism causes us to procrastinate! That procrastination creates clutter and chaos in our lives. Then we look around at all the mess and the guilt comes crashing down on our heads. Why do we do this to ourselves? We don't have to live this way! The problem is our perfectionism will not allow us to jump in where we are and just do something. We think we have to have all our ducks in a row and understand everything fully to take the first step toward a peaceful life. After all, Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family.

I want to eliminate the guilt from your life because guilt is another form of piling on. We don't need any more stress in our lives. When we get overwhelmed we shut down. I am taking my feather duster and absolving you of all guilt. Today is all we have. Do what you can, with what you have, and Do it now! Don't wait, Get things done in 2008!

Thanks, FlyLady, I needed that! Ummmmm... is there any chance you know Jeanine???

A visit from the wizard...

The Wizard pulled out huge wads of lint and even a few dryer sheets.
The whole mess was jammed at the small vent hood on the roof.
He recommends installing a Deflect-O Undereve vent hood to optimize
vent efficiency, reduce lint build-up, and decrease dry time.
That will eliminate one elbow, which has the same effect as 5 feet of vent tube,
and 2.5 feet of tubing, for a total reduction of 7.5 feet.
The new hood will even allow dryer sheets that get sucked up to exit the building.
Maybe I'll find socks and panties on the grass, too!

Jadiepie is bored...

Lil Dragon isn't here to play with her this week!

Words to live by...

A GENTLE REMINDER
POSTED BY TRACEY BUXTON

"Notes from A Cottage Industry"

Happy Fourth of July...

An afternoon at Long's Park...

Play Park
Petting Zoo
Lots of Grass for Running
And Sticks to Pick Up
Lil Dragon Loved It

The Land of Little Horses Farm...

Lil Dragon rode a pony, drove a tractor,
and fed lots of animal friends at the farm.
We had such a good time!

Another movie...

Good v. Evil...
A totally testosterone action flick!

An urban fairy tale...

Much to my surprise, this movie was a delight!

A Day Out with Thomas...

Pa, Lil Dragon, and I had such a good time
when we rode on Thomas the Train!

EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW

Right now I'm reading "The Simple Truth" by David Baldacci.
Chapter Two begins with this intriguing paragraph:

The steps leading up to the United States Supreme Court building were wide and seemingly endless. Trudging up them was akin to laboring toward Mount Olympus to request an audience of Zeus, which in a real sense you were. Engraved in the facade above the main doorway were the words EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW. The phrase came from no significant document or court ruling but from Cass Gilbert, the architect who had designed and built the courthouse. It was a matter of spacing: The words fit perfectly into the area designated by Gilbert for a memorable legal phrase.

Who knew! I decided to check it out.

This is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say:

Equal Justice Under Law is a phrase engraved on the front of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. This phrase was apparently first written in 1932 by the architectural firm that designed the building. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes subsequently approved this inscription, as did the United States Supreme Court Building Commission which Hughes chaired.^[1] The architectural firm that authored the phrase was headed by Cass Gilbert.^[2]

The words "Equal Justice Under Law" apparently paraphrase an earlier expression coined by Chief Justice Melville Fuller.^[3] In the case of Caldwell v. Texas in 1891, Fuller wrote about the Fourteenth Amendment as follows:

By the Fourteenth Amendment the powers of the States in dealing with crime within their borders are not limited, but no State can deprive particular persons or classes of persons of equal and impartial justice under the law.^[4]

Neither this entire sentence, nor even the last seven words, would have fit on a pediment or architrave of the U.S. Supreme Court building, which explains why the architects would have wanted to shorten them. In the years since Fuller wrote these words, the Supreme Court has decided that the Fourteenth Amendment, and especially its Due Process Clause, do limit the powers of the states in dealing with crime.

The Greatest Show on Earth...

Grandpa, Lao-Lao, and Lil Dragon went to the circus.
Lil Dragon was spellbound.
The "eldiefants" were her favorite!

Oh, yeah! I remember wearing one of those...

Sumbunny is three today...

Happy Birthday, Lil Dragon!!!

omigosh, i think he means moi...

"One should never trust a woman
who tells one her real age.
A woman who would tell one that
would tell one anything."
-- Oscar Wilde


I'm 59 going on 60 and proud of it!
In Oscar's opinion,
I'm an untrustworthy female.
Who knew!
What about you?
Are you trustworthy?
Do you tell your age?
I do!

Happy Easter everyone...

Who tells the bunny?

The dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that the Hebrews use to identify passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar. According to the formula, the earliest date for Easter to occur is March 22, a rare event that none of us will experience. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see!

The next time Easter will be this early is March 23, 2228.
The last time Easter was this early was March 23, 1913, 95 years ago.
The next time Easter will be on March 22, will be in the year 2285.

The formula for calculating the day upon which Easter falls in any given year has always been a mystery to me. I've just never understood how it worked. Until now, that is!

Simply said, Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. That's easy! I get it! Now I just need to know who tells the Bunny!

Happy St. Patrick's Day...

MAY GOOD LUCK BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO,

AND YOUR BLESSINGS OUTNUMBER THE SHAMROCKS THAT GROW!

Abe has a brand new look...

THE NEW FIVE-DOLLAR BILL HIT THE STREETS TODAY.
HAS ANYONE OUT THERE SEEN ONE YET?

Tonight's the night...

I'm not fond of turning the clocks ahead or back;
Changing the time really messes with my bio-rhythms;
And, lordy, they're screwy enough as it is;

I much prefer the natural order of time;
But we live in a governed society;
And, tonight's the night.

Eleanor Roosevelt...

"The future belongs to those who believe

in the beauty of their dreams."

the robins are back....

I saw a flock of robins feeding in the grass

on Wednesday evening when I was on my way to Italian class.
It was my first sighting of the season.
Since then I've seen several each day frolicking and courting.
I love the return of robins in the spring!

I'm feeling a bit sluggish lately...

Ever since that nasty toad took up residence in my head,
I've done nothing but blow slug slime outta my nose;
Can't seem to shake these blicky-blahs
Or get my motor running again.
Keep telling myself,
"Self, low gear is better than no gear;
And a snail's pace is better than no pace at all."
But, blick is blick, and blah is blah.

[Photo courtesy of Phyllis!]

I just luv this photo!

"Allow children to be happy in their own way,
for what better way will they find?"
--Samuel Johnson

Love is in the air...

Who knew!

Orchids get their name from the Greek
word orchis, meaning testicle.

What's your fairy name?

My fairy is called Fire Rainbowfilter

She is a fortune bringer.

She lives where fireflies mate and breed.

She is only seen on midsummer's eve.

Her dresses glow with fiery colors.
She has multicoloured wings like a butterfly.

Discover your fairy name HERE!

Happy Chinese New Year!

THE YEAR OF THE RAT, 2008

February 7, 2008 - January 25, 2009 (Earth)

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat (Earth), which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year. It is a time of renewal in so many ways. From New Year to Valentine's Day, to the arrival of spring, may all the blessings and delights of the New Year be yours.

A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find. People born in an Earth Rat are said to be logical realists, shrewd, charming, ambitious, and inventive. Of course, the entire horoscope must be considered when making any personality assessment.

In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.

They are gifted in many ways and have an easy going manner. They are active and pleasant, tactful and fantastic, and are able to grasp opportunities. They seem to have interests in everything and hope to participate in doing it and usually do it very well.

The Sign of the Rat

An opportunist with an eye for a bargain, Rats tend to collect and hoard, but are unwilling to pay too much for anything. They are devoted to their families, particularly their children. Quick-witted and passionate, they are capable of deep emotions despite their cool exteriors. Their nervous energy and ambition may lead them to attempt more tasks than they are able to complete successfully. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going.

The sign of the Rat is the first one in the cycle giving Rat people exude great leadership qualities and are good at taking the lead. They don't mind a lot of responsibility and they demonstrate a strong presence that other people respect. For those with the Rat nature, status and monetary satisfaction are the greatest motivation.

The affect of the sign of the Rat is energetic, and demonstrates enough endurance to fight most any sickness. Yet, all Rats tend to be tense, full of nervous energy, and prone to stress. Yoga and meditation would benefit Rats by calming their aggressive natures and helping them manage stress.

Rats make good homemakers who are always willing to do household chores. Because this is a sign of acquisition, the Rat person's house is presumably bursting with various knick-knacks collected over the years. Most Rats are cheerful, domesticated individuals who find happiness at home with their family.

The Chinese say others should always listen to the advice of the Rat. Because of their intellect and observatory powers, Rat people possess prudence and perception. They can anticipate problems, and are always able to see the big picture. Status, money, title and recognition are important to the Rat. They have keen sense of observation that allow them to foresee upcoming business opportunities as well as potential occupational problems. The Rat makes a better boss than an employee. Rats work better in flexible situations where they can be freely creative.

Cunning and thrifty, Rats have a knack with money and are apt to save for rainy days. When capable, the Rat is a great money saver, and in strapped times he knows how to make something out of nothing or how to make things advantageous for himself.

Generally friendly and sociable, the Rat is one of the extroverts of the 12 Animal signs. They have a special gift for easing the minds of others. It is not surprising that Rats have a lot of friends. To the people they love, Rats can be amazingly charitable, popular and supportive. Although Rats like to be in the driver's seat, they do need partners who can keep up with their active lifestyles. Rat people are romantic, and are always happier to have someone to share with.

Grocery shopping tip...

When navigating the produce section, look for the labels stuck on your fruits and veggies:

• A four-digit number means it's conventionally grown.
• A five-digit number beginning with 9 means it's organic.
• A five-digit number beginning with 8 means it's genetically modified (GM).

I'm headed out for the store this afternoon and will keep this in mind. I already knew about the "9" for organic but had no idea that an "8" means the produce is genetically modified... ick!

Seriously!

Why I'm learning Conversational Italian...

"There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you." -- Maya Angelou

Seriously scary shit...

CHECK YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE...









Now you can see anyone's Driver's License on the Internet, including your own! I just searched for mine and there it was picture and all!! Thanks Homeland Security! Where are our rights?

Go to the web site and check it out. Just enter your name, city and state to see if yours is on file. After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked 'Please Remove'. This will remove it from public viewing, but not from law enforcement.

http://www.license.shorturl.com/

I definitely removed mine. I hope you do too.

Is this guy on crack?

"Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees equality of opportunity."

Irving Kristol (born January 22, 1920, Brooklyn, New York City, New York) is considered the founder of American neoconservatism. He is married to conservative author and emerita professor Gertrude Himmelfarb and is the father of William Kristol.

Neoconservatism is the political philosophy that emerged in the United States from the rejection of social liberalism and the New Left counter-culture of the 1960s. It influenced the Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and the George W. Bush presidential administrations, representing a re-alignment in American politics, and the defection of liberals to the right-hand side of the political spectrum. One accomplishment was "to make criticism from the Right acceptable in the intellectual, artistic, and journalistic circles where conservatives had long been regarded with suspicion." Neoconservatism emphasizes foreign policy as paramount responsibility of government, seeing the need for the U.S. acting as the world's sole superpower as indispensable to establishing and maintaining global order.

A 60th birthday party extraordinairre...

THE COURTYARD AT THE BLUE MOON WAS THE PERFECT SETTING
FOR AN INTIMATE GATHERING OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS

OUR CHILDREN HOSTED THE MOST INCREDIBLE BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATION FOR THEIR FATHER THIS PAST SATURDAY.

Ever feel like this...

"Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead."

--Admiral David G. Farragut Mobile Bay, Alabama August 5, 1864

Happy Birthday, BubbaBear!

Happy birthday, Buddhabear!

Happy New Year!