Such a simple thing that triggered a long forgotten memory…

It was another picture perfect day in Heavensville and hubby and I had an impromptu picnic in the park.  This is the view from where I sat, captured with my Blackberry…  It was shady and warm, a soft breeze was blowing, there were ducks nearby, and I was enjoying the moment, when a kerthunk startled me.  I looked down at the ground and a squirrel on a limb overhead had shook a branch and a black walnut fell by my foot.

I had a total flashback to being a little girl again, a time when we regularly ate from the land as a means of survival.  Mother and I would gather black walnuts, pecans, walnuts and hickory nuts in the early fall.  She would sit in the living room in the evenings, listening to the Crosley Radio, and using a nut cracker, with her head bent, she would shell the nuts and dig the goodies out with a pick.  A quart Ball fruit jar would be sitting nearby, and she would plunk the nutmeats  into the jar to save for winter baking.

The black walnuts were the messiest, the hulls would stain your skin, and if you’ve never eaten them, it’s definitely a love/hate kind of food. 

I happen to be a fan, Mother’s  black walnut divinity was just the most wonderful thing…  It’s a strong flavor, really distinct, some people don’t care for, but I’ve always loved the taste.

Of all the nuts we gathered, by far, the hardest to shell, the smallest nut of all, and naturally the one that yielded the best flavor was the hickory nut.  Oh my, they were so hard to crack, and it was impossible to get the nut out in one piece, but like most things in life, whatever requires the most work yields the best rewards.

She would always save the hickory nuts until Thanksgiving and Christmas.  She made the most wonderful hickory nut cake, and hickory nut fudge, neither of which recipe I have, unfortunately.  I did find this recipe for hickory nut cake online, it’s a butter cake, that seems to be similar to hers, with it’s brown sugar frosting and hickory nut garnish.

Pecans were the easiest to gather and pluck from the shell.  We would go in the country to an area where there were pecan trees.  The farmer that owned the land would bump the trees with a tractor, so that the nuts would fall to the ground,  and then would usher you thru a gate to pick the pecans off the ground.  On the way out, your filled containers would be weighed and you were charged for the nuts.  Of course I don’t remember how much it cost, but I’m sure it wasn’t very much money.  It was always something we looked forward to every year, gathering pecans, and we would usually have a car full of women and kids off to the woods on a cool fall day.

What fond memories that squirrel triggered for me today.  I hadn’t thought of  this for years. Now if I could just get my hands on some hickory nuts to make that cake for Thanksgiving…

What is it about fall???

Hooterville sent me this picture a few days ago.  It’s from our fall picnic last year.  We’re all eager for a repeat, soon.

There is just something about sweatshirt weather, the smell of a crackling fire, burnt weiners and marshmallows that makes me long for fall.

I’m a huge fan of burnt marshmallows, I can forgo the chocolate and graham crackers after just a few bites, but I can eat those toasted marshmallows all afternoon.  I never have the patience to toast them golden brown, instead I catch them on fire, blow out the blaze, and suck down those carcinogens like they’re good for me…

It’s more like late September than late August this week in Heavensville.  It really gets me in the mood… 

But it won’t be long , we’ll load up the Smokey Joe, grab the dawgs and burger, and head out for a day in the woods…

I’m ready now!  Why do we have to wait for fall…

Million Dollar Bill, she’s sounding pretty good, girlfriends…

Yeah, I’ll buy her new album.  I was a fan in the day, and it’s good to hear her voice strong and clear again. 

 

 

Watching her again, reminded me of the  best work she ever did, in my opinion.  Talk about goosebumps…

 

  

Of course, Dolly wrote this song, and she's the best, ever - she’s an American original…

 

 

Once you get started with Dolly, you can’t stop watching her.  Here’s a great video with Dolly, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn, Silver Threads and Golden Needles.  The imbedding has been disabled, but  here’s the click to watch it…

And finally, a wonderful interview with her on 60 Minutes. 

Let’s talk about boobs, BIG boobs…

Okay, ladies, I always tell you about the good stuff, and boy do I have a find for you.

I have boobs, big boobs, I absolutely detest them, too.  Nothing is more matronly than big  ta-tas… Nothing!!!

They are, however, shrinking with my ongoing healthy eating, nevertheless, for years now, it has been totally impossible to find a bra that I really like,  until now.  I was in Kohls last week, not crazy about the store, but they do have good lingerie, and I was trying on the usual Lilyette, Bali, Olga brands, the samo-samo that don’t really minimize, are uncomfortable, often  ride up in the back, and after a wash or so they don’t support you anymore and your boobs start to sag, heading south toward Florida, then all the way to Cuba.

I had never tried a sports bra before, because the ones I looked at had no underwire, and I just didn’t think they would work for me.

Boy, was I wrong.  I was just about to walk out of the store when I spotted this Lily of France underwire sports bra.  It was the color that got my attention, it was grey.  It was cotton, comfy looking, and didn’t look that much like a sports bra, even though it did have a wider band at the bottom.  So I scooped it up, and back to the dressing room I went.  I tried it on, and O-M-G, it was instantly like a breast reduction.  The girls settled in the cups, they kind of flattened out, it felt wonderful, it was really comfortable.  Then I put on my shirt, I swear, I could have just done the happy dance.  My boobs looked really great.  SERIOUSLY good, well as good as they can look for a fifty-nine year old woman…  That bra  just smooshed me out, uplifted me, and made my bust look a lot smaller, even LC is impressed with the way it makes me look in my shirts.  He’s commented several times how much better I look,  how’s that for a testimonial?  Usually husbands don’t notice these things.

So I bought it, not only in grey, but also in white and black, and yesterday I went back and bought another grey one. 

After wearing them for a week, here’s the scoop.  They wash great, they support you wonderfully, you don’t bounce around, they don’t ride up in the back, the wide band at the bottom is super, the cotton breathes, and the best part, even after you’ve had it on for awhile, you still don’t sag….

If you are all as smart as I think you are, you will run not walk to the store and buy one or two or three or four of these.  True, they aren’t satiny or lacy, but at our age, who cares!  The cotton is soft and comfy, they contour to your body, and they look sporty, not like those armored old lady things from Sears.  I live in jeans and casual clothes anyway, so for me, this is perfect. The straps do not adjust, some women may not like that, but i think it fits great without adjusting, and I’m always messing with bra straps, pulling the damn things up, trying to lift the girls.  You don’t need to with this bra, it’s the best thing I’ve found in years, maybe ever, pinky swear.

You can order these from Amazon, too.  No surprise there, you can order anything from Amazon.  Here’s the click for you.

You will thank me for this one, trust me.

~ jan

Your Daily Dose of Cuteness

Mollie was fast asleep on her back this morning, it was so funny, just had to share.  Yeah, I know her bed is getting tattered, but she loves it and I can’t find another bean bag one like it…  Maybe this fall the stores will have one…

Silly little dog, she always has that tongue out, it never fails to make me smile…

 

Anticipating fall…

It’s almost in the air, not quite, but trees are shedding some leaves now, the days are shorter, and the evenings cooler.  I’m always ready for the changing seasons, this year more so because I know that when the colors change that precious grandbaby will be born.

I was out early this morning, the wind was blowing, leaves were crunching underfoot, and I was listening to the crows.  Oh, it was so peaceful, just watching  the horses in the pasture from my front yard, and living in the moment. 

I’m really good at that, just living in the present, I hope the rest of you are able to do it also.  That’s all we have, you know,  just this moment in time.  I’m doing my best to appreciate what I have, good health, great family and friends and of course my sweet little M&M’s. 

It’s a good time in my life, I’m savoring every moment of it…

Lindsay’s shower, it was such fun….

I wish all of you could have been there.  The shower was at the family church, in the little town of Eva, Alabama.  Lindsay has an amazing family, the aunts, Mary, Regenia, Nora and Judy are the funniest, most charming women, ever.  I swear girlfriends, it was a chapter right out of the YaYa’s, listening to all of these southern women telling  stories.  Cousin Gena was there, Lindsay’s best friend, Heather handed out the gifts. We sat with Nadine, who was so much fun, oh and as you can imagine, Grandma Campbell was in her glory, with her family gathered ‘round. Lindsay’s mother flew in from Seattle, she is such a lovely woman, Deanna, Lindsay and I drove down from Nashville.  There was great food, amazing gifts, and a room filled with love.  What more could a mother-in-law want.  This is going to be such an wonderful little girl that’s coming into our life.  It’s absolutely overwhelming… 

There are a lot more pictures of the shower in an album on my FaceBook page.  If you aren’t one of my FaceBook “friends,”  send me an email, and I’ll add you, so that you can view the pictures…

You can view a larger size of this photo collage  by clicking on it…

~ jan

Law-dee, I’m busier than a one armed paper hanger…

I’m Alabama bound, Lindsay’s shower is tomorrow.  Just wanted to check in, tell you all that I never have to worry about any kind of a timer going off and not hearing it, the M&M’s let me know.

I baked this afternoon, every time the buzzer went off, they found me, just barking their little heads off.  They do it when the dryer buzzes, too. That’s such a relief, knowing they alert me to all things I need to know.  Oh, they’re such smart little dogs.  Yeah, right, they’re little yappers is what they are, but oh, so cute!

I’ll be back with lot of baby news.  I’ll take pix of my gift, too.  Oh, I did it up right, first grandchild ya know.

Later ‘gators…

Julie and Julia, meh…

The movie started out great, I loved the old blue Mercury woodie, the streets of Paris were amazing, the bakeries, the fresh markets, and Meryl Streep really nailed Julia Child to a tee, and then…

It started to get boring, I kept waiting for the pace to pick up, it never did!  Julie was cute, but she was so white bread that she quickly turned into a big yawn.  I did enjoy the scenes from the Cordon Bleu, it was apparent that they had Meryl Streep standing on a box in order for her to look taller, it’s obvious in this picture.   And there was a funny scene where she was chopping onions, and that was about it for moi.

What a disappointment, and what a waste of Meryl Streep’s talent.  And I had such high hopes for this movie, too.  *sigh*

I think I’m out of the loop…

I rarely go to the mall, but I was there today, oh my, ugly, ugly clothes, weird kiosks; an eyebrow arching booth, teeth whitening booths, filled with women under ultra violet lights, it was really enlightening.  Oh, and press on toenails, that one was pretty funny, what will they think of next?

I must be getting old, most of this seemed just a little on the silly side…  Oh, did I see some gawdawful clothes, girlfriends.  I don’t know how retailers sell the stuff it was so bad…

Coldwater Creek was packed with 40-50-60 year old women, all desperate for something to wear.   I just don’t get why more stores don’t cater to the boomers, it was pretty slim pickings….

Lindsay, two more months to go…

Is this just not the cutest pregnant woman, ever???

I’m so lucky to have such a sweet daughter-in-law!  And just think, that’s my little grandbebe in her tummy!!!

~ Jan here, doing the happy dance, happy dance…

Holy cow, I’m really gonna be a grandma…..

My son and very pregnant daughter-in-law came home today for a visit.  We met them at Chick-Fil-A  for lunch, and I walk into the restaurant, take one look at Lindsays tummy and started crying.  Oh yeah, for real I did, real crocodile tears, too.  Poor Linds, she probably thought that I had lost it, and Ry told me it was Lindsay who was hormonal, not me.   But the reality that she is really, really pregnant with my grandchild hit me full force.  And it happened right in the middle of Chick-Fil-A.

Poor Linds, I know I will be a basket case when this bebe is born, not only will she have to deal with Ryan, but his crazy mama as well…

She’s a trooper, though, and looks adorable with her glowing skin and little basketball tummy.  Life is so good this afternoon, we are all so blessed.  I hope your family is, as well…

~ jan

Bonnie Hunt’s Preparation H story is so funny….

Actually, I tried this for under eye puffiness.  It didn’t work, but then I have to confess, I was too cheap to cough up the big bucks for Preparation H, and used a store brand. It sounds like it could work, though…

Scrub a dub, dub…

Don’t mention the worth “bath” in front of the fur kids.  They both ran for the hills when they realized they were getting one this afternoon.

How do they always know?  I got out the shampoo and the towels, Mollie ran under the dining room table, Mags headed for the bedroom lickedy split.  Once I get them in the sink, they enjoy it.  Well, at least they used to, before I started expressing their anal glands on a regular basis.

Egads, it’s a nasty job, but somebody’s gotta do it.  They probably don’t enjoy me squeezing their butts, so they are hiding from me.  Well, it’s no walk in the park for me either, let me tell you, but at least Mollie isn’t scooting on her rear anymore.

But I do have it perfected, the secret is to get them wet and lathered with shampoo, squeeze and rinse, really fast, and don’t breathe while you’re doing it. 

I know, more info than you ever wanted to know.  Oh, the joys of  a Yorkie mom on a Friday afternoon…

What I don’t like today…

• Humidity
• Achy bones
• Computer projects that aren’t moving forward
• The fact that I can’t have biscuits and gravy over a tomato for breakfast, that’s the worst…
• A late summer garden that’s showing a lot of stress
• Tomato plants that didn’t produce
• Dirty little fur kids that can’t have a bath til’ Saturday because of flea meds
• My hair, bangs are too long, can’t get it cut until next week
• That I didn’t have coffee this morning

Okay, what do I like today.

• Waking up to a furry body snuggled against me, no, not hubby, Maggie!!!
• An early golf cart ride
• The fact that it’s early, I can still make coffee
• It’s a short list today, maybe it will get better as I get further into the day

just an ordinary day…

here i sit, just waiting for the front to move thru.  it’s such a bummer, this getting old and turning into a human barometer.  i remember laughing at people when their bones/sinuses alerted them of the weather.  well, hello, i’ve joined the ranks…

i’m weary of obama, and his birthday, if i hear the term “cash for clunkers” one more time i’m gonna blow, but i am thinking that slick willy looked pretty fine as he stepped off that plane in north korea.  yeah, you all know i like the man despite his transgressions.

i just checked the radar, the rain is on the way, maybe i have time for one more spin on milly, then i think i’ll curl up with a book and a cup of hot tea and just wait out this storm….

Maggie, my little bathing beauty…

I swear, this precious little thing  is so sweet, I could eat her with a spoon…..

Ryan O’Neal hit on his own daughter at Farrah’s funeral…

WHAT????  Is this the most horrid, awful, sickest thing you’ve ever read?  I’m just livid!  Why was he “trying to be funny” with any woman at her funeral??? Ohhh, men can be such dogs!!!!,  DOGS!!!!!  And this is quoted from the New York Post not some trashy tabloid….

The actor, and father-of-four, told Vanity Fair that he is so disconnected from his own children that he flirted with daughter, Tatum, at Farrah Fawcett's funeral, without realizing she was his first born according to transcripts of the interview published Monday in the New York Post.

"I had just put the casket in the hearse and was watching it drive away, when a beautiful blond woman comes up and embraces me," O'Neal, 68, said. “I said to her, 'You have a drink on you? You have a car?' She said, 'Daddy, it's me -- Tatum!'"

"That's our relationship in a nutshell," Tatum told the magazine when asked about the bizarre exchange. "You make of it what you will.”

Said Ryan: "I was just trying to be funny with a strange Swedish woman, and it's my daughter -- it's so sick."

Asked if he's sorry he had children, O'Neal nodded and said, "A couple of them I would take back.

"I don't think I was supposed to be a father," said the actor, who had Tatum, 45, and Griffin, 44, with first wife Joanna Moore; son Patrick, 42, with actress Leigh Taylor-Young; and son Redmond, 24, with Fawcett.

"Just look around at my work -- they're either in jail or they should be," O'Neal said.

He said Redmond, who is in jail for violating probation on drug charges, is the only child he still sees. 

Read the rest of the article here; what awful things he says about his children.  The man should be hung by his shriveled balls and beaten with a chain!  Shame, shame, shame on him…  What a worthless piece of vermin he is, why couldn’t it have been him in that casket instead of poor Farrah!  Yeah, I’m upset, can you tell? 

You can read the entire interview with Ryan O’Neal in the September issue of Vanity Fair, which hits newsstands this week.

Source:  Radar Online

Girlfriends, it’s a sisterhood…

There have been books written about it, movies made about it, songs written about it - that mysterious, bonding that occurs between women that men can never understand.  It’s a beautiful thing, girlfriends, more so when you’re as lucky as me and have friends that have been in your life for years.  I’m at the age, that we’ve watched our children grow up, marry, and some of us, including, lucky me, have or are about to be grand’meres.

Why is it that girlfriends have such a good time together?  We laugh, and talk, discuss everything, clothes, makeup, diets, health, men, sex, children, you name it, we can talk about it.  We’re never at a loss for words, or things to talk about.

There is a newly published book, The Girls from Ames, a story of 11 girls and their lifelong friendships, you might enjoy reading it this summer.  Here’s the Amazon link.

"Time passes," it begins. "Life happens. Distance separates. Children grow up. Jobs come and go. Love waxes and wanes. Men don't do what they're supposed to do. Hearts break. Parents die. Colleagues forget favours. Careers end.

"But ... a girlfriend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end."

We’re lucky women to have this connection, and if you haven’t talked to a girlfriend in awhile, pick up the phone, or text, or email her.  There is no time like the present…

 

Let’s talk about potty mouth, damnit…

 

A lot of us are afflicted with it, yours truly here has a really bad case of it, for years now, much to hubby’s dismay, and I had an interesting conversation this morning with a woman about hers.

I had to go to the flea market to pick up two cases of reading glasses.  Yeah, you’ve got that right, two cases!  Hubby buys them by the dozen, two dozen this time, because I leave them everywhere, well so does he, but he won’t admit it.  He has bought them from Judy for so long that she sells him to him wholesale,  I think big spender coughs up $2.75 a pair for the things.  He always gets the same ones, too – tortoise readers.

So anyway, I’m at the flea market and Judy, who is a 60 something lady and another lady were discussing life, husbands and other topics, including battery operated devices that I won’t go into on this PG-rated blog, but somehow potty mouths were mentioned by Judy who said she told her familly, she doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink, but she loves to cuss.  She cusses like a sailor.

I really identify with her, I don’t know why I have this compulsion to spurt bad language, but I do.  I like to think it’s because I’m a colorful character, and colorful people go hand in hand with colorful language.  It’s a trait that I really need to curtail when that petite bebe comes, or I’m gonna be in  major trouble with Ryan and Lindsay, and rightly so, they don’t want that precious little girl picking up my bad language and end up sounding like this adorable little girl in the video.

But the way I see it, it will be awhile before she is born and starts talking, so I’m just gonna let her rip for another ‘effin year, and then stop, cold turkey.    Umhmmm, I am, well I am!!!

Julie & Julia, coming next week! How fun…

Bette Midler and Wynonna duet, The Rose

This has always been my favorite song, the one I want sang at my funeral.  Well, I do, and it’s not morbid saying that, if I don’t tell people what I want I will just end up with Rock of Ages.  Perish the thought!

I found this video on YouTube.  Oh my, it’s even better with Wy singing with her.  If you don’t get goosebumps at the swell (2:11 into the song, watch the little bar for it) you are a better woman than me.  This gets me every time.  I can’t tell you how many times in the 80’s I have driven down the road, listening to this song, and absolutely cranked the music at the swell…

Such good memories…

~ jan

Ain’t she sweet???

My buddy, Hooterville, sent me this picture of herself at fourteen.  Oh, does this bring back memories.  I remember her so well at this age.

Was she cute or what?????

Why can’t I just follow the yellow brick road…

That silly road is full of twists and turns that screw me up, that’s why!  I just posted an entry here that was meant for Eating Right! 

It’s because I have all these snazzy programs, instead of blogging the old fashioned way, I do it thru Windows Live Writer, have to click on the drop down to post to the right blogger account, do I remember to do it, of course not!  Then I access The Dish and holy schmoly, I have the wrong entry.  I deleted it, but if you view this thru Google Reader it is probably still showing up.  arughhhhhhhhh

Oh, if I only had a brain….

And how’s your morning going?  Mine was just dandy until I tried to blog.  I have pinto beans in the pressure cooker, the girls are asleep in their little bed in the garage, hubby and I are doing “projects.”  How fun is that?

No wonder I blogged to the wrong account. 

If you lay in tanning beds, you need to read this -

This was on the Drudge Report tonight.

Sunbeds have been elevated to top cancer risk…

Here’s the article ~

And I thought my bat wings looked bad…

Law-dee, whatever is this woman thinking.  Why does she want her arms to look like this?  Does she think it’s even remotely attractive.

Don’t get it, Madonna, just do not get it!!!

Actually I don’t understand why any woman wants to work out with the hope that they will start popping coconuts.  Women’s muscles aren’t supposed to look like a mans, are they? Or is my age just showing?

Whatever,  to me, it looks like she got hit by the ugly stick!!!  Just my two cents worth…

Just for today, If I could be ten again….

• I would rock my dollies  in the porch swing, while listening for the whistle of the morning train as it came over the hill.
• I would take a puppy, and a kitten or two, for a walk down our country road, barefoot, feeling the powdery dust between my toes.
• I would lie on my back in the grass, and watch the puffy clouds rolling by in the summer sky.
• I would eat anything I wanted for lunch, washed down with real sweet  tea,  with lots of ice and sugar, and an orange slice, Mother always put an orange slice in my tea.  And I would do this without worrying a whit about the calories, and then I would have dessert, too!
• I would ride my Western Flyer bike really fast down the hill, with my streamers blowing in the wind, the breeze cooling my flushed little face. 
• I would stop on the bridge next to our house and peer into my beloved ditch to see if there was a frog in the water, and watch the wet rocks glistening in the dappled sunlight.
• I would accept the day, today, for what it is.  A gift, with no worries or fears, just the innocence of childhood in a magical country setting called Enfield.

Just for today…

Conway Twitty, It’s Only Make Believe….

Yeah, I know some of you think he is really cheesy, but that’s one of the joys of growing old(er), if you enjoy something, regardless of what others think, you don’t really care.

Take Conway for instance, I was always a fan, always, just loved his voice, never saw him in concert, never made it to Twitty City, but he always did it for me….  C’mon girls, you know you all like his classic, “Man with a Slow Hand.”

I was on another blog tonight, and they posted this video, just had to share it with all of you.  C’mon, go outside your box, turn up your speakers and listen to this great old tune.  Double dawg dare ya….

~ jan

Way to go, Jimmy Carter!

I’ve always liked Jimmy Carter and have been pretty vocal about it.  Okay, so he wasn’t a great president, but I’ve always thought he was a good man, and I’ve voiced my opinion about him often over the years and taken a good deal of good natured ribbing about it, too, I might add. 

Read the excerpt to the following article, maybe some of you will change your opinion of the man.  I never venture into the religious arena, ever, but this article speaks volumes.

Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a twisted interpretation of the word of God. Jimmy Carter, Former US president, Nobel Prize Winner

In 2000, Jimmy Carter left the Southern Baptist Church, where he has been a member for over 60 years. He and Roselyn distanced themselves from full participation , but he remained a deacon and still taught Sunday School. He held on to his denominational affiliation through many conflicts - including the denomination's anti-gay positions. Carter has made an astonishing statement as a result of his relationship with the Elders, a group of retired statesmen and stateswomen who have a global presence and wish to effect global change. The document says nothing about LGBT issues, and that is a tragic shortcoming. But it does say something about women, and in that it only came part way, that part is very strong indeed. It isn't enough, but it is something.

Carter has been active for some time with the New Baptist Covenant which seeks to join various branches of the Baptist church with a social agenda. The primary action there has been to bring races together. The Elder document speaks to the issue of women's inequality.

Here are excerpts from Carter's position paper on why he left The Southern Baptists.

At their most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.
.
The impact of these religious beliefs touches every aspect of our lives. They help explain why in many countries boys are educated before girls; why girls are told when and whom they must marry; and why many face enormous and unacceptable risks in pregnancy and childbirth because their basic health needs are not met...
.
The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views.

You can read the article in it’s entirety, here.

Buy this, TODAY!!!

 

When Ang and I went for coffee last week, she got in the car and was rubbing something on her arms.  Oh my, it smelled wonderful! Citrusy and light, really summery and fresh, it was like orange, lemon, baby powder and soap all rolled into this wonderful scent, so of course I immediately asked her what it was.

Here’s the scoop.  It’s Dove Go Fresh Body Mist, the scent is Grapefruit and Lemongrass.  Also included in this Go Fresh Line is a deodorant, body wash, soap, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner.  There are two other scents, Refresh: water lily and fresh mint and Cool Moisture: cucumber and green tea, but the Grapefruit and Lemongrass is by far the best!

You have to hunt for the different products, as they’re scattered in various areas of the cosmetic department, I found the body mist next to the Dove Deodorant.

Oh, and did I tell you that it is only $3.50!  Yes, $3.50!!!!!  What  a great price,  it’s the perfect size to tuck in your purse.  Just had to share, trust me, you will love this!

Cute little fur kids…

My girls are so adorable, I could post a picture of them every day.  I can’t imagine what I’ll be like when this petite grandbebe is born!

Lindsay’s pregnancy is moving so fast, October isn’t far off, now…

She’s quite a lady….

Don’t you know that its worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are its much better by far
To be young at heart
And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you’ll derive out of being alive
Then here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart

I was out and about this evening on Milly, walking alongside neighbors, one of which is by far, the feistiest 83 year old I’ve ever known.

Her glowing skin and youthful looks give new meaning to the term “young at heart.”   We should all aspire to be as lovely and energetic as she is.  You are a wonder, dear lady….

Julie and Julia 2009

 

Ohhhh, this is going to be a good one, ladies!  Food Blogga did a great review, read it here!

Girls just wanna have fu-un, especially on their birthday!

A fun day at the dentist, NOT!!!!!

Hubby and I left before 6am this morning for a trip to Louisville to the dentist.  Let’s face it, nobody enjoys the wicked tooth devil man, so when my name was called today, I walked down the hall with the technician, yelling, “please, please, don’t make me go in there, PLEASE!!!!!!!”   Seriously, I was begging, and she just laughed at me!  Easy for her, she didn’t have to sit in that chair for two hours with a rubber dam in her mouth while this silver haired Aussie dentist pushed and prodded and poked and asked her for various instruments of torture that he was going to use in my mouth, things I had never heard of before or ever want to hear about again.

But I put on my big girl panties and sat there, totally rigid, that yoga meditation does not work in the dentist chair, trust me, while he laughed and joked and drilled and pushed and tugged, and talked about his upcoming vacation to Australia, and, lucky me,  I get to go back next week for round two!!!

No pain after I walked out the door though, well I didn’t have pain when I went there either, but at least I’m not hurting,  and he was really nice when I asked him if he could please use the children’s needle on me, well actually I asked him if he could use the “baby” needle, which he thought was hilariously funny.  Funny my ass, he should have been sitting in my chair,  I guarantee he wouldn’t have thought it was so humorous!

Homemade Salad Dressing, such a simple little thing…

This summer I’ve given up store bought salad dressings.  No more artificial ingredients for me, no more diet dressing, either.  I’ve decided I would much rather have one tablespoon of great dressing than a glop of processed goo.

I keep trying new dressings, some are a hit, some are a miss.  Nothing will ever compare with Ramona’s Poppyseed Dressing, the best salad dressing ever, but I do have another good one to share.  I made a Honey Garlic Vinaigrette today, and if you’re a honey mustard lover, this is the dressing for you. It’s so quick and easy, takes less than five minutes to prepare, and you have a great little jar  of dressing to store in your fridge.  It’s smooth and creamy, just the right amount of sweet and spice, and I posted it on Jan Can Cook for you. 

I also posted an untried maple vinaigrette that sounds absolutely, positively to-die-for.

Here’s a quick click for both recipes, take a few minutes, and make your own dressing.  It’s such a simple little thing, but it will brighten your day and your family will thank you.  Pinkie swear…

What I should be doing this afternoon…

Farrah’s Story got nominated for an Emmy…

Finally, Hollywood did something right, which they rarely do these days.  How wonderful that they acknowledged something so poignant and meaningful.  Here’s what Alana Stewart had to say about it….

"It's very bittersweet. Farrah passed away three weeks ago today. It's quite a coincidence that three weeks later we find out about the Emmy nomination. I know that she would be so, so happy. This was so important to her, this project. She's been nominated before, and I just know that this would be the most important one of all. It's a wonderful way to honor her legacy ... I'm thrilled about it and I want to cry at the same time." — Farrah Fawcett's friend Alana Stewart, a producer of NBC's "Farrah's Story."

In the good ole’ summertime…

My buddy Jean, aka Hooterville, is visiting for a few days; we’ve been out and about, she’s been taking pictures.  We were at Burdette Park earlier today, she snapped me just livin’ in the moment…   Maggie was trouncing thru the fleurs, sweet little fur kid of mine…..

 

Rollin’ down the river….

Well, not exactly, but hubby did take me to the riverfront tonight.  Nothing like it, cool breezes, boats at a distance, people watching with the girls curled up in my lap.

Water,  it always makes me mellow.  Life is good tonight…

Alana Stewart to publish Farrah Fawcett book next month…

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A close friend of late "Charlie's Angels" star Farrah Fawcett will publish her personal diaries about the actress' three-year struggle with cancer next month.

"My Journey with Farrah: A Story of Life, Love and Friendship," by Alana Stewart, will come out on August 11 -- less than two months after Fawcett succumbed to anal cancer on June 25. The book is thought to be the first insider's look at Fawcett's illness.

Stewart, the ex-wife of rocker Rod Stewart and a friend of Fawcett's for 30 years, said she was encouraged to go into print by Fawcett herself and by Ryan O'Neal, the "Love Story" movie star who was Fawcett's long time companion.

"Farrah had originally encouraged me to write this book. It was her idea. However, while I was contemplating my decision, her health took a turn for the worse, and I could no longer seek her advice," Stewart said in a statement.

"So I turned to Ryan O'Neal. He was so positive and so supportive. 'You have to do it', he said emphatically. 'There will be lots of people writing books about her. Yours will be the truth, and it will be a wonderful tribute to her. You have to do it!'", she said.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Farrah Fawcett Foundation to support cancer research.

Fawcett told her own story in a heart-wrenching video diary of her last three years that was broadcast on U.S. television in May as the actress entered the final few weeks of her life in seclusion at her Los Angeles home.

Alana Stewart's book will be published by William Morrow, a unit of HarperCollins which is owned by News Corp.

Tweety Bird is 60 years old, now…

Grandma Smith

My cousin Pam, sent me her blog entry yesterday, about memories of our Grandma.  She told the story so well, and after reading it, my memories were so vivid, my nose was actually stinging with the smell of wintergreen.  That’s how I remember her, always smelling of wintergreen.  Yes, Grandma was a Kentucky woman, and this was another lifetime.

It was wonderful to bring those memories to the surface again.  Thanks Pam for a wonderful blog entry.  I’m reprinting it here, I don’t think she would mind, and I thought some of you might enjoy  a bit of nostalgia today. 

She captured the essence of Grandma so perfectly, I’ve relived every word in my mind…

Every little girl should be so lucky as I was, to have a kind and loving grandma who taught me to crochet and thread a needle, but more importantly showed me how to be a grandma. She's been gone now for thirty-eight years and my memories are fading but I savor those that linger and play them over in my mind. Southern Illinois summers, pallets on the living room floor, small fans stirring the hot air, flipping the pillows over and over trying to find a cool side, June bugs bouncing off the back porch light bulb, wild dew berries and blackberries, chigger bites that itched for days, June apples and salt shakers, the outhouse with its bag of lime and spiders, fresh lemonade and iced tea, cistern water and the aluminum dipper, cousins Johnnie, Lucy, Jitterbug, Janice, and Steve, and always new baby cousins to hold and play with. Summertime trips to Harco were eagerly anticipated and never disappointing. Soon after arriving we trouped out through the back yard barefoot to Lois Naugle's store where we renewed our acquaintance with her, reminded her of our names and who our parents were - Pam, Mike, Francie and Kathy, Joe and Mildred's kids. We bought a Dixie cup or Nehi orange pop. What freedom! We walked back toward Grandma and Grandpa's house, passed the plum thicket along the road paved with coal cinders, passed the mulberry tree with its messy web worms and purple fruit, into the yard with its smoke house, garden, and pile of scrap metal.

Grandma loved to have her hair brushed. She wore it long and pulled back in a bun but longed to have it shaken loose and brushed by her grandchildren. We always grew bored with the task long before she was ready for us to quit. And Grandma dipped snuff, one of those endearing habits she learned from her Kentucky family. She kept a ladies handkerchief in the pocket of her house dress to wipe the little stream of brown saliva that dribbled out the corner of her mouth. She sang old lullabies to her grandbabies and rocked them in her lap, a soft, ample lap that jiggled when she laughed, which was often. There is a song by Gail Davies called "Grandma's Song" which I dearly love for it reminds me of my Grandma - Verla Leona Doss Smith, known as Verlie, Miss Smith, and Grandma.

Yakky Doodle, I was such a fan in the day…

IT was his voice and his sweetness, I liked so much.  This was my childhood favorite….

Everything you ever wanted to know about a Yorkshire Terrier

Okay, so this is an advertisement for Eukanuba Dog Food, which by the way, the M&M’s do not eat, but my breeder does give it to her dogs.  Mine eat Merrick’s Senior Medley canned food, mixed with small kibbles of Natural Balance Duck and Potato.

Oops, got off track, so even though it’s a commercial, it's a cute little video, featuring absolutely darling Yorkies. Did you ever notice it’s mostly “older” women who have these dogs?  Duh, Jan…

Dogs, you gotta love ‘em…

I swear, Maggie Moo has some kind of an internal alarm clock.  When two o’clock rolls around, she starts barking for a snack.  Mollie chimes in with the occasional woof, but it’s Mags who instigates the whole thing…

Okay, it’s 2pm, the barking starts and I head for the kitchen with them following at my heels, but first I have to make a pit stop.  They are both standing in front of me in the bathroom, staring me down, and as soon as they hear the  flush, they are both off like a shot, just like out of the gate at the horse races, running for the kitchen as fast as their furry little legs will carry them, with me giggling and following behind.

Maggie always gets what she wants with both hubby and me, always.  And sweet little Mollie, she’s smart enough to know that what Maggie gets, she gets, and she can be the innocent one.

And what was this wonderful snack they were anticipating??? Just a piece of string cheese…

It’s those simple things, again…

Topsy Turvy vs. Revolution Tomato Planters…

I know, I know, I’m running a bit late in the season with the tomato info, however, they are still selling tomato plants in the garden center, and if you plant now, you can have late tomatoes this fall.

I bought a Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter this week at good old Marshalls.  My neighbors have Topsy Turv’s, and they actually are doing great, they have clusters of  tomatoes all over the vines.  Hubby came home and planted it for me, and I actually read the instructions that told me to use a fertilizer with a low first number on it, to get optimal blossoms and tomatoes.  Hint:  This translates into using Monty’s Joy Juice,  which is available on this website or at your local garden center if you live in the Midwest.

After I bought mine and hung it, I was reading online about how often to water, and people were talking about how much better this Revolution Planter is than the Topsy Turvy.  They say it’s stronger, the bag doesn’t disintegrate, and it has a watering level indicator.    Apparently people are growing, not only tomatoes, but strawberries, zucchini, peppers, all kinds of veggies in these things.

But even if these are better, those Topsy Turvy ones the neighbors have look great to me.  But it’s all about choices, right???

So, even if you don’t plant upside down tomatoes this year, you might be interested in doing it next spring.  I’ll take some pix of the neighbor’s plants and post them later…

Here’s the link to the Revolution Site….

Bill O’Reilly talking about Michael Jackson…

Tales from the ….. bathroom!

You know how it is, you’re looking forward to a nice relaxing shower, a little downtime before bed, and somehow things just don’t work out for you.

First of all I sat down on the side of the tub.  Big mistake, huge mistake.  How did I not see the tube of toothpaste lying there??? Well, I didn’t, and I plopped down right on top of it, the cap shot off, and toothpaste squirted everywhere.  Geezy Pete, I cleaned up that mess, proceeded to turn on the water, forgot that the shower head was turned on, and blasted myself full force.  I didn’t want to get my hair wet tonight, I’m trying to relax, here.

Okay, so I decided to try out my new bodywash with gentle exfoliating beads of moisture.  So I squirted a big glop of it on my loofah, raked it across my boobs, and screamed!!!   Yes I did, I screamed!  Gentle?  GENTLE???  GENTLE, HELL!!!!! Omg, the body wash must have had tiny shards of glass in it, I fully expected my loofah to be streaked with blood!!!  That stuff went straight into the trash, and I was reduced to bathing with this little tiny sliver of a leftover bar of soap that I found in my shower tote!  It was so stale it had no scent, and let’s face it, evening showers are all about the scent…

Meanwhile Molly was sniffing around suspiciously, eying up my bathroom rug like she was going to do her business right in the middle of it, so I quick rinsed off and hustled her off to the patio for one last potty run.

Now I’m in bed, just drank a cup of hot, well lukewarm tea, which will probably cause me to make numerous potty runs myself, tonight.

Law-dee, and all I wanted was a shower…

Boogie Woogie Piano, Tommy Johnson…. oh yeah……

Ohhh, do I have a recipe for you…

Last night I was watching FoodTv, and they were showcasing chef’s very favorite desserts.  The pecan pie from Brigsten’s in New Orelans looked absolutely amazing, the secret is roasted ground pecans in the filling.

I found not only the recipe, but the how-to video.  It’s a must see.

Here’s a quick click, I posted it on Jan CAN Cook…

Lilas AM & PM Yoga – Workouts for Seniors

I’ve been fascinated by Yoga for years, but I “assumed” that it was very intensive, and involved a lot of leg and foot action, so I “assumed” I couldn’t do it.

Lindsay loves yoga; I’ve seen some of her moves, and you practically have to be a contortionist to do them.  So I just chalked it up to one more of the things that I can’t do.

I was on a website recently, and discovered a book called “Easy Does It Yoga” for seniors and physically challenged people.  I checked it out at the library, and sure enough, it was a lot of breathing, meditation, chair exercises, with a lot of concentration on upper body, which I would be able to do.  Lindsay looked at the book last weekend, and was giving me tips on body alignment, things the book didn’t tell me, and since I’m more visual, I would much prefer watching a DVD while going thru the program.   I started Googling, but had no luck with a DVD for Easy Does It Yoga, but then I found Lilas AM & PM Yoga – Workouts for Seniors.  It got good revues, so I decided to try it.  AND, since I love the thrill of a chase, I looked it up on eBay, sure enough, there it was for the bargain basement price of $2.77, with $3.00 for S/H.  It’s a dutch auction, meaning they have several copies of this, so if you’re interested, here’s the link to the eBay auction, so you can order it, too.

Here’s the product information for you -

 Product Description

This specially designed program brings the immediate and lasting benefits of yoga to mature adults. Join famed PBS-TV instructor Lilias! as she demonstates how yoga can unlock your personal energy, teach you to listen to your body, and find your inner wisdom. Her encouragement and motivating nature will inspire you to use yoga to enhance health, joy and delight in your life. This delightful yoga program is the perfect way to start the day. Discover how good you feel with Lilias! AM & PM Yoga Workouts for Seniors.

Program includes:

A.M. Yoga Workout

    * liberates your natural energy
    * builds strength and confidence
    * improves circulation and range of motion in joints
    * maintains a strong back
    * breathing techniques to build energy and clear the mind
    * prepares you for the day with flexibility and vitality

P.M. Yoga Workout

    * soothes and strengthens your back
    * calms nerves
    * uplifts your mood
    * releases stress burrowing in the jaw, neck, shoulders & back
    * dissipates headaches
    * stretches the entire body
    * maintains healthy knees & joints
    * eases you off to sleep

Yoga can be a wonderful part of your life. Studies are finding positive benefits from yoga, including the prevention and reversal of heart disease and many other health concerns. It is easy-to-learn and has the power to lift your mood and energy level and enrich your body, mind and spirit. I encourage you to use these techniques of conscious living throughout your day as you discover the many joys of yoga.—Lilias Folan

Reviews:
"Lilias has done it again! This is an extraordinary program. Without question, it’s my favorite yoga DVD. I use it and I love it."—Richard Carlson, Ph.D., author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

And the Yoga mat???? You can pick one up for $10.00 at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx.  Don’t you just love a deal???

Evian Roller Babies, cute beyond belief…

Quick thoughts from my July 4th weekend…

• The entire family was here, so much fun, lots of side splitting laughter, actually.
• Homemade ice cream, the lemon was wonderful, the roasted banana was a flop.
• Made Mother’s recipe for hot fudge sauce, it’s still the best!
• Oreo (John’s 14 year old cocker) still going strong, despite her health problems she is as fiesty as ever.
• Lindsay’s baby bump is absolutely adorable and she is just glowing.  The baby kicks so much now, and we were able to feel her thumps.  Babies are a true miracle…
• We had a rainy 4th in Heavensville and never made it to the fireworks, instead we ate bbq in the den and watched NASCAR.
• Made the Lemonade Frozen Pie that I posted on Jan CAN Cook, it was a huge hit…  Great recipe…
• Enjoyed having Deanna here so much, she’s such a ray of sunshine, always giggling, so much fun to be with…
• John and Ryan were in rare form all weekend, they always morph back into 12 year olds when they come home…
• Hubby had to work this weekend, we’re all looking forward to him retiring, then we will go to the kids houses for holidays…

Now the house is quiet, I’ll get back into my routine, and enjoy this sunny week we have forecasted…

~ jan

Romancing the Road…

Rachel and Chariot, both are absolutely precious!

Fun, fun, fun….

Dr. appointment, sinus headaches, a to-do-list a mile long, that’s my life this week.  And that’s why blogging has been sparse.  I’ll be back, soon.  Meanwhile, check out Farrah’s funeral card, access it from the Tweets in the right sidebar.

She had a class act send off, appropriately dignified and religious.  Thank goodness not the circus that will unfold this weekend with MJ lying in rest at Neverland…

A late night giggle…

Are you a snow cone lover???

Are any of the rest of you as crazy about snow cones as I am?  I’ve loved them since I was a child.  Those sticky, wonderful icy treats,  syrupy sweet, that melt really fast and if you happen to get a cup that leaks, stains your hand semi-permanently the color of your snow cone.

Well, after I bought my Bella Cucina Rocket Blender, the greatest little gadget I’ve found in years, btw, I quickly discovered that it would pulverize ice quickly into fine snow.

And even better, I’ve discovered sugar-free Da Vinci syrups, zero calories, sweetened with Splenda, in my favorite snow cone flavors, banana and cherry, that the Weight Watcher girls assure me taste exactly like the snow cones of my childhood, so I have an order of these puppies, complete with pumps winging their way to Heavensville as we speak.  They have so many flavors it was hard to decide, I was tempted by watermelon, black cherry, strawberry and lemon,  but I restrained myself and bought just the banana and cherry, okay, okay,  I bought the lemon, too… 

I’ve also read that the cherry syrup is great in Diet Cokes, so I’m sure John will like that.  He’s crazy about cherry syrup, we get it for him at Ritzy’s by the gallon, but it has sugar, this doesn’t.  I also have a certain friend, whose name starts with a ‘V’.  that is hooked on Cherry Diet Coke.  She might enjoy this also…

Now all I have to do is find the little pointed tip cups, and I’m in business, cherry rimmed smile and all.  Just because I’m not a kid, doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the same things I did as a child.  And the cheapest place to buy these?  netrition.com - $7.49 each, $2.00 for the pumps, next day shipping, flat rate of $4.99 regardless of how many you buy. Yeah, I know, you want the link, but not for yourself, for your kids/grandkids.  Um-hum, sure you do...  Here ya go, girlfriends, enjoy…

Works for me…

Seana’s Farrah Story….

My friend, Seana posted a great personal story about Farrah on her blog.  Here’s the link, it’s a good read, great pix, too…

Oh great, now we should give up chicken….

There was an editorial in today's Washington Post by Douglas Gansler, the attorney general of Maryland, entitled "A Deadly Ingredient in a Chicken Dinner." He writes that the poultry industry has been using roxarsone since 1944 when the FDA approved its use purportedly to fight parasites & increase growth. All it really does is promote the growth of blood vessels in chickens so their meat looks pinker, or healthier, in the grocery store. But roxarsone is an arsenic compound that is a Class A carcinogen linked to heart disease, diabetes, and declining brain function. It also fuels a growth process in us called angiogenesis which is the first step in cancer for humans. Large chicken producers mandate the use of arsenic in chicken feed by smaller farmers. 70 percent of broiler chickens in the US have been fed roxarsone. Runoff from chicken manure has spread the arsenic into surrounding soil, lakes, rivers, and fertilized lawns. Americans are exposed to between 3 and 11 times the recommended safety limit. More than 30 attorneys general are calling on the FDA to ban arsenic from chicken feed. In the meantime, I'm going to stay with organic chicken only. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/25/AR2009062503381.html?sub=AR

Source:  Women’s Health WW Board

Cindy Adams talks about Farrah

Here is an excerpt from Cindy Adam’s column in today’s Page Six -

Maybe 10 years ago, on the way toward Hollywood, at Doheny and Santa Monica, stood Carl's Market. No scruffy bodega, mind. A class clientele. One day in jeans and sweater, Farrah was exiting the side door balancing her bundles. Right behind toddled a fragile elderly lady who said, "Miss, could you help bring my groceries to the car?" This 18-karat star replied: "Oh, certainly." Farrah parked her own food and magazines and trundled the ailing senior citizen's brown paper bags and cartons to the car. The grateful woman tipped Miss Farrah Fawcett movie star a buck. Rather than offend or embarrass the lady, Farrah took it.

I remember reporting Brad Pitt's teenage crush on her. I remember spending time with her while she knocked off a big thick deli sandwich as fast as any trucker. I remember thinking she was pure beauty inside and out.

You can read the entire article here.  If you scroll to the bottom of the page, read past the ET article and look at the comments, others support what I said about Michael Jackson in my earlier post.  I’m glad people are voicing their opinions about this, it gives me a ray of hope for all of us…

Michael Jackson…

Once again we have a media circus surrounding Michael Jackson but this time it’s not his music, but his death.

I watch with amazement, not because of the outpouring of love, but for how far, as a society,  we’ve fallen.  They are honoring this man, who quite possibly was a pedophile, who had no respect for money or debt, who was a social piranha, as if he were a god.

I just heard a black man say on FOX news, “today, music died.”  Oh, please, music hasn’t died, his music hasn’t died, it will be played forever.  He was extremely talented entertainer, but what happened to that handsome man child who made that amazing Thriller video?  When, instead of being proud of his race, he tried to bleach his skin white, and when he had so many plastic surgeries that the tip of his nose fell off, it should have been a red flag that something was seriously wrong with him.  When he was on trial for child molestation and he arrived at court in his pajamas, did people not realize that this wasn’t emotionally healthy.

What kind of a man parades his children around with veils?  Or dangles an infant from a balcony window? What kind of a man marries a woman with the sole intent of producing children, and then takes those children and raises them without her being a part of their life?

He apparently could ill afford his lifestyle, his rent alone was $100,000 a month.  Initial estimates of his debt are $500,000.  That’s half a billion dollars, yet the tributes pour in, the media is milking this for all it’s worth, even though it appears that he died from a drug overdose.

Yesterday was a sad day, we lost Farrah Fawcett, a brave woman who fought her battle with cancer courageously, but news of her death is virtually ignored, for a man who quite possibly was injected with a drug cocktail that stopped his heart.  He apparently was a drug addict, that most certainly is not something to be revered, but to a lot of our misguided society, he was worshiped like a god. 

Is this something to be proud of, America?  Not in my little corner of the world, it isn’t….  He should be pitied, but not honored, for his apparent drug induced death. 

Might as Well Laugh About it Now…

I was browsing ebooks from my library, and found Marie Osmond’s new book, Might as Well Laugh About it Now.  I downloaded it early this afternoon, sat here and read it cover to cover.

I’ve always been a fan, and found this book really enlightening.  She touched on divorce, weight, talked about her children, but really didn’t go into a lot of detail about her adversities, nonetheless,  it was a good read.  The pages are filled with tidbits from her life, and her spunky sense of humor is in every page.

She had remarkable parents, who raised good children with a good work ethic, despite their financial success. 

It’s a good book.  If you get a chance to read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

Here’s a video and an excerpt from ABC news…

Japanese Beetles

If you’re a townie, the Japanese Beetles have arrived in Heavensville.  Those little bastards can destroy your pretty fleurs faster than a New Yawk minute!

Watch your plants daily, shake them to see if anything flies out, better yet, practice a little preventive maintenance by dousing your plants with liquid Sevin attached to your hose.  Yep, it’s safe for vegetables.

Trust me, if you have fleurs, they will come.  They are only here for a couple of weeks every June, but they can quickly destroy your garden!

I think we can all use a smile today…

Farrah is gone…

If you haven’t had on your television, Farrah Fawcett died this morning.  She truly is an angel now….

Godspeed, Farrah…

Flashback to a summer childhood memory…

I was out on Milly (golf cart) this morning, sipping on a protein strawberry smoothie thru a fat, chunky straw, hair pulled back, sunglasses perched on my nose, enjoying the fresh morning air before the heat sets in for the day.  I heard a bird, not a familiar one, but that particular bird sound transported me back in time.

I flashed back to being a little girl, out for a morning ride on my Western Flyer bicycle, my little face flushed with exertion, hearing that same exact bird sound, feeling the same summer breeze that I felt this morning.  It was so bittersweet, just that quick flash of remembrance.

As I age, I do that more,  reflect back to childhood.  It’s always to my early years, I never reflect to the teenage years, or my twenties or thirties, it’s always my early childhood.  Why is that so?  Is it because it was such a happy, innocent time?  Perhaps, there were no worries for me as a little girl, I lived in the country, played with the animals, had no siblings to fight and argue with, ate when I was hungry, slept when I was tired, it was blissful. 

So, for whatever the reason, the memory was wonderful.  I hope it comes to me again, because I had forgotten the feelings of being a carefree child, but just for a brief moment this morning, I was that child again…

Apple does it again!!!

Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music. The iTit will cost from $499 to $699, depending on cup and speaker size.

This is considered a major social breakthrough, because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.

Coffee as a fertilizer, this is a MUST read…

When I was a little girl, my mother’s friend, Helen, was a wonderful gardener.  She had a green thumb, and her fleurs always flourished in the garden.  She always dumped her coffee grounds around her plants.

So when Carlene sent me the following post this morning, I’m thinking, wait a minute, I drink coffee, I always put my grounds in the garbage disposal.  Duh, Jan, why haven’t I been doing this???

Here’s a link to the post.  Read it, girlfriends, this lady does the same thing and has fantastic results!!!!

 

Do you get depressed watching the news?

Try this instead, all good news for a change.  Here’s the click!

Okay, things that annoy ME!!!!

I was over at Lori’s blog, Pugsplace, she posted about what bugs her, oh I have a list, too…..

• MEN, thats gotta be #1 on my list, don’t they drive you wild????
• Humid weather, which we are having now, and you step outside and are dripping with sweat!
• Flies in my house, buzzing around, avoiding the flyswatter.  How can a little insect with zilch for brain outfox a big bad flyswatter.  I don’t get it, but they elude it. Yeah, I know, it’s operator error…
• So called “healthy” recipes that have 400-500+ calories in them.  Just because they cut out some of the fat, they aren’t necessarily healthy AND low cal.
• Public restrooms, I detest them, can’t stand the thought of touching the door handle when I leave, and don’t get me started about people who pee on the toilet seat.  Ewwwwwwww
• I annoy myself when I’m on my cell in a checkout lane, I know I drive other people nutso, but does that stop me from talking, NOT!
• Old summer beach music from the 60’s.  I DETEST it.  I absolutely HATE those stupid old Beach Boys!
• Kelly Ripa, I used to like her, but now she drives me nuts.  Ditto, Joy Behar.
• People who yell at kids and dogs.  I just want to smack them!
• Bratwurst, yuck, yuck, yuck!
• Anything that even slightly resembles secretarial work.  I did that for years, and hate the thought of even typing a letter now.

I could just sit at this computer and type stuff that annoys me all day. 

And I’m in a really good mood, today, too…

Well, I am!!!!!

 

Ya know what doesn’t annoy me?  Ever?

• The girls.  Nope, they never do…..

Haaaa, that was sure a short list!