Still Here....

So here it is. January...2019. Crazy. Where DOES the time go.

I'm Still Standing

Still here....still standing. It's been a long and difficult 12+ months. Lots has happened, not all of which I want to talk about. I hope you are still there, still standing, and still hanging in there with me.

Storm

What is it about a good thunderstorm that speaks to my soul? Is it the brilliant flashes of light dancing in the sky? Is it the rumble of the thunder resonating off the mountains and growling across the valley? The sweet smell of the rain that normally accompanies said storms? Perhaps the haunting sound of the coyotes...? Whatever that undefinable quality is that tugs at my very core.........I like it. Always have......always will.

Yep, yep, yep......

I suppose that after two weeks of being well below zero, and having air so thick with crud that you could chew it, that I should be grateful for the 20's and 30's we've had over the weekend, along with the snowstorm to clean up the air. And I am. I am merely thinking that winter and I have spent enough time together this year. That I've enjoyed all the wonders of snowfall, cold, ice and a monotone landscape. That it's time for winter to head out for warmer climates and share the love, leaving room for spring to move in, set up camp and stay awhile. As Al on "Happy Days" was so fond of saying.......yeeeep, yep, yep, yep.

Pssst.........

Dear diary, Being a grandmother is awesome!!!

Men are from Mars, Women are from......Nordstrom??

"Women think about fashion more often in a day than men think about sex." Can I go ahead right now and call 'bullshit' on that?? A British study concluded that us gals are....well, clothes crazed. I don't know about YOU, but I don't think about clothes/fashion more than a few times a day - 'should I wear the blue tee shirt or the white one?', 'do these jeans may my butt look big(er)?', 'is it too cold out this morning to wear my flip flips?' - really is about the extent of it. Unless I see a cute pair of shoes/jeans a cute shirt/skirt/dress someplace (yes, Pinterest, I'm talking about you). Then I'll ponder upon it for several minutes. I'd say that I think about clothes no more than......10 minutes a day, max. Again with the Pinterest caveat. And a Nordstom/Buckle/Macys caveat. The study, done by British on-line retailer, Very.com, says otherwise; which makes me an oddity in the world of thinking women. Their study found that women think about Jimmy Choo kitten heels and Vera Wang maxi dresses a total of 91 times a day. NINETY ONE!! That's more than four times the amount of times the fellas think about doing the deed. Personally, I think they got that backwards. According to the study, a thought about fashion pops into women's minds for an hour and 19 minutes every day. That means that every 11 minutes and 23 seconds a woman stops to ponder style. My question is: How do these women get anything done???

D-Day Anniversary

To all those brave men and women who served in WWII.....you have my eternal gratitude and love. God bless you, the Greatest Generation.

Day One (or Starting Over)

So. Here I am. Months of depression have taken their toll on me, mostly on my psyche. But outwardly, physically, these months have manifested themselves in the form of...oh, 15, 20 extra pounds on my once trim frame. Aside from the medical aspects of that, the shame and embarassment of looking this way has finally become too much to bear. Today I started the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout dvd. .............and it kicked. my. ass. Its a 20 minute total workout, done in 3 levels - beginner, intermediate, and advanced. I, like a good girl, did the beginner. By the time I was done, my arms and legs were both like strands of cooked linguine, and I was sweating like crazy. I've stopped and began again on my walking/running more times than I can count the last 3 months. First it was 'I don't have time to get to the gym', which lead to 'I can go walking like I used to'...that led to 'I don't want anyone to see me like this' (and believe me, if I could get out of going to work until I trim back down some, I would). This is 20 minutes....TWENTY! of my day, in my home, where no one can watch me. Ahhhhhh. I think this is gonna work out (no pun intended) just fine =0) Post Log. Yeah, this Jillian thing....? GREAT workout...as long as the meds you are on don't derail your willpower >:0

George, Trayvon and the Quest for Justice

They arrested him. After 40+ days, umpteen protests, press conferences by Travon’s parents, hundreds of death threats, and bounties, the police in Florida have arrested self proclaimed ‘neighborhood watch man’ , George Zimmerman.
Now let me just say that I am sick to death of this case. Sick. To. Death. Tired of hearing about it. Tired of seeing the media show the picture of a 13 year-old smiling ‘kid-next-door’ Trayvon, that was FAR from the 18 year-old, over 6’ tall, muscled young man he was. Don’t believe me? Check his Facebook page. Certainly tired of hearing the New Black Panthers calling for the head of Mr Zimmerman, the (ahem) “Reverend” Al Sharpton and his ilk spouting their racist rhetoric. Martin Luther King Jr (God rest his soul) would be appalled at the antics of these folks. He was all about content of character instead skin color.

But I digress.

Not only have they arrested George Zimmerman, the special prosecutor has filed Second Degree Murder charges against him. Apparently the State of Florida learned nothing from the Casey Anthony case, as this appears to be an ‘all or nothing’ charge – there were no lesser charges filed (involuntary manslaughter, negligent homicide, ect) that the jury could convict him on if they found there was not conclusive evidence shown by the State to prove, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Mr Zimmerman is in fact guilty of the charge of 2nd Degree Murder. If they find him not guilty of that sole charge, he will leave the court room a free man. Much as Ms Anthony walked on her murder charge (which we later found out from the jury that they would have convicted on a lesser charge – such as involuntary manslaughter - had they been given one).

Now. If and when this happens, all hell is going to break loose. As sure as the sun sets in the west, excrement will hit the fan. The “Sharptonites” will riot; they will pillage; they will do violence, and they will destroy everything in sight. Can you say “Rodney King Trial”??? Yeah, it will be a lot like that. And it will be because of race….they will say the defendant was “white” so he got a pass. Just like the Rodney King riots. That being said, I hope that the jury that will be seated in this case also finds the courage to convict or not convict BASED ON THE EVIDENCE, not convict because they’re afraid of the ramifications from the black community if they find him innocent. A conviction to avoid the blowback isn’t justice for Trayvon. It would be the complete opposite of that - a total miscarriage of justice, making a mockery of our judicial system. And whom does that benefit? Nobody.

Do I think George Zimmerman intentionally killed Trayvon Martin. No. At least not in the way you’re thinking. I do not think he followed Trayvon with the intent of killing him. Not at all. I think that if George Zimmerman was, in fact, assaulted by Trayon Martin, then I absolutely believe George Zimmerman shot him in self defense. And was justified in doing so. I find it quite interesting that Trayvon’s father, upon listening to the 9-1-1 call in which a male voice could be heard yelling repeatedly for help, said definitively that the voice was NOT his son’s. Let me repeat that….the voice was NOT his son’s. After the black community started calling for an arrest and charges and blah blah blah, THEN all of a sudden Mr Martin changed his tune. Then it WAS Trayvon’s voice on the tape. Curious, don’t you think?

This case isn’t about a young black man in a hoodie being killed in cold blood by a white man claiming self defense. Its about two human beings, the course of events that unfolded that night that which led to one of them taking the life of the other, and making sure that justice is served. For BOTH of them. The statue of Justice is blindfolded for a reason. Sometimes I wish we all were. Maybe then justice could be carried out free of regard for the color of a person’s skin.

Wednesday chuckle

I work with some of the bestest people on the planet. No really...my work peeps are the bomb biggity. There are a select few of them that pull my day out of the crapper just by being their wonderfully goofy selves. Today three such coworkers mader me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe (there was a short-lived fear of emitting the dreaded snort that happens sometimes when I'm experiencing a hearty guffaw)and my sides did indeed hurt. In the midst of a rediculously busy day at work, when I'm feeling cranky, its nice to know that if I wait a few minutes, a good chuckle is bound to materialize.

Amelia's Plight

I read the story of Amelia on another site, and the posting from another blogger who, rightfully, is outraged at the Childrens Hospital of Philidelphia for denying a life-saving kidney transplant to this little girl for the fact that she is considered "mentally retarded". Not only do they use this as an excuse to deny the preceedure (which, by the way, the family will donate the kidney for), they also pull out the 'quality of life' excuse. This child is someone's daughter. She matters to them - her LIFE matters to them, even if she doesn't fit the doctors criteria for being important enough to save. I guess I must have missed the part where when doctors take the oath to first do no harm and save lives, that it listed the exclusions. C'mon, doctors of Childrens Hospital of Philly....do the right thing.

This is the link to the story about Amelia being denied the operation:
http://www.wolfhirschhorn.org/2012/01/amelia/brick-walls/

Here is a link to the petition by Change.org to get the hospital to do the operation:
http://www.change.org/petitions/executive-vice-president-and-chief-development-officer-allow-the-kidney-transplant-amelia-rivera-needs-to-survive

Wise Words From a Sponge

I saw this quote the other day and just fell in love with it, so I am sharing it with all of you.

"You will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory."
~Spongebob Squarepants

The Sick and the Tired

Ohhhh man what a long, miserable couple days it has been. That rat bastard, Stomach Flu Bug, caught me in a half-Nelson! Drug me right down to the floor - the BATHROOM floor - and wouldn't let me up until today. Hoping I can take on the multiple flights of stairs at work tomorrow without keeling over. Just putting a load of laundry in to wash today left me dizzy, winded and totally wiped me out :( What doesn't kill me will make me stronger, right?

New Year, New Start

I'm a sheep. I am joining the masses who decided to get in shape this year. Or in my case, BACK in shape. I totally lost my mojo in 2011. I got lazy about my workouts, undisciplined in my eating (I let carbs back in, and bread, oh the bread...I can't have it - allegic to yeast - but that didn't stop me, did it?)and the result is a flabby out of shape bod. Ugh. This is unacceptable. So I am recommiting myself to healthy eating, eliminating carbs again, and pushing myself hard to reclaim the fit, trim me I was before. In the immortal words of Yoda, "Do or do not, there is no try."

The End

2011 is dwindling down to its final hours. I am spending my last 2011 minutes watching old movies and having a glass of wine. In vino veritas, yes? Truth is...I am glad to see 2011 go. So ready for a new year to begin, bringing with it new opportunities and possibilites. CARPE ANNUM!!!

I wish you all much love and blessings tonight, and for the new year ahead.

See you in 2012.....

And she's back!

Holy moley! I have been PC-less since my last post. My computer got a naaaaasty virus from...well, downloading without protection. I've been waiting (somewhat) patiently for my hubby to get around to removing it. About 2 weeks ago he did - yay! I need to find a new background so bear with me as I get it together.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and have some good plans for New Year's Eve.

Stay tuned....as Arnold says, "I'll be back."

WhY i WeaR FUZZY soX

Reasons why i wear thick, soft fuzzy socks:

1% because they're warm
1% because they're comfy
98% because I can shuffle across the carpet and shock the bejeebers out of my unsuspecting victim!

Ahhhhh....fuzzy socks.

Costumes in a Box

Those of you who are my age - give or take a few years - probably can remember going to the local Woolworth's or Kmart as a kid to pick out your Halloween costume. Excited beyond words, you raced through the store, dragging whichever parent happened to be lucky (hee hee) enough to accompany you on your mission by the hand down the aisles until you found it - the costume aisle.

And there they were....rows and rows of costumes! Underdog, Batman,Casper the Ghost, Barbie, Cinderella, G.I. Joe, Frankenstein - almost anything you could think of! All stacked on the shelves in their BOXES.









Yes, boxes. Rows and rows of them!

Remember those thin palstic masks with the eyeholes cut out of the face of whomever it was you were going as, the small elastic band attached on each side to hold it on; the "outfit" consisting of a plastic poncho more or less, that tied behind your neck and your back?













I ran across a costume in a box several years ago while browsing an antique store in Evanston, Wyoming with my friend Rose. I was thrilled to see it! I had all but forgotten that piece of my childhood trick or treating experiences. I wish I would have bought it...just to have that little snippet of Halloweens back in the 'good old days'.

Oh well......there's always EBay.

Moses

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." ~ Will Rogers

We lost our Moe yesterday. He's running the fields in heaven now. We'll see you later, Moe Mutt. We love you.

Ahhhhhh......fall

Ahhh, fall.

Crisp morning air.
Trees cloaked in brilliant hues.
Sweaters.



Stockpots of stews and soups simmering on the stove.
Sunset comes earlier each day.
Pumpkin everything! Pancakes, bread, muffins…yum!
Hot apple cider.



Flannel sheets on the bed.
The smell of fires burning in neighborhood hearths.
Blankets on the couch to snuggle in watching old movies.
Jack-o-lanterns.
















Corn mazing and house haunting.
The boys of fall under Friday night lights.
Bread baking in the oven.












Ahhhh…..fall.