Before the Holiday season is gone, I wanted to share some holiday pictures of Fort Wayne with you. I hope you and your family had a very Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
My Grandpa's Passing
My Grandpa had been sick with cancer since approximately June of 2008. He put up a fight, but lost his battle at 3:06 a.m. on Friday, December 17, 2010. My Grandpa was more than just a "grandpa" to me. He was very much a father figure to me. I grew up right across the street from my grandparents and because of this, we had an amazing bond. Because my cousin was so awesome at writing an eulogy for him, I wanted to share:
Grandpa was a wonderful man to everyone he knew and anyone who was lucky enough to have him in their life were truly blessed. He was an amazing example to everyone as a husband, Dad, grandfather, brother, uncle, & friend. He treated anyone welcomed into the family, as his own. We are gifted with thousands of wonderful memories to remember him by - the best thing will always be his love to his family - especially his love to Grandma, his wife of 61 years. There is no stronger love, than the love, he showed to her.
I can still hear his "hey sis" as any of us girls walked into their living room.
As a child I remember never wanting to tell him that I had a loose tooth because he always had his own suggestions on how to get that loose tooth out and he was always more than willing to help with it - I think thats the only time I ever ran from my Grandpa. He often checked on us while we were sledding down their hill - I would frequently look up and there stood him & Grandma staring out the window, normally shaking their heads at us. We always loved helping him style his hair- sometimes he would even pay us - those were some fun days.
If we didn't find him in his recliner we often found him outside in his garden. He loved his garden. Then, of course he had his squirrel & bird feeders. His constant drives to go "find" deer. His frequent fishing trips. Even his bowling in his earlier years - maybe Grandpa did and loved just about everything.
He often lectured us on making sure we had the correct essentials in our car for the winter months. He always had his own choice of words to prove to us that he wanted what was best for his entire family & showed his pride in all of our accomplishments.
Holidays, especially Christmas Eve will never be the same again - good thing you trained those boys on how to carve the turkey & ham.
I miss your "eeews" while giving you your kiss & hugs more than anything - you proved to us in your final days that you were ready because we heard "I love you" back from you - thank you Grandpa, but we all always knew that you "eeews" and your "uh huhs" meant "I love you too."
I know you were scared to leave Grandma - but you gifted her with a huge family as well as a fair share of some life long friends - we will take care of her & we will take care of each other just as you have always done for us.
The morning God called you home - you didn't go along - a part of us went with you and you will always be with us. You will be the brightest star shining every night, the loudest bird chirping every morning, the biggest deer in the field, the best hand of cards in the game, and the best fish catch of the day. You have given us enough memories that we will think of you daily.
You were always suppose to live past 100, 81 was just too early to lose you...
Rest in peace Grandpa - and thank you more than words can say for everything you have always done for all of us.
We love you Grandpa and will miss you more than you know.
Grandpa was a wonderful man to everyone he knew and anyone who was lucky enough to have him in their life were truly blessed. He was an amazing example to everyone as a husband, Dad, grandfather, brother, uncle, & friend. He treated anyone welcomed into the family, as his own. We are gifted with thousands of wonderful memories to remember him by - the best thing will always be his love to his family - especially his love to Grandma, his wife of 61 years. There is no stronger love, than the love, he showed to her.
I can still hear his "hey sis" as any of us girls walked into their living room.
As a child I remember never wanting to tell him that I had a loose tooth because he always had his own suggestions on how to get that loose tooth out and he was always more than willing to help with it - I think thats the only time I ever ran from my Grandpa. He often checked on us while we were sledding down their hill - I would frequently look up and there stood him & Grandma staring out the window, normally shaking their heads at us. We always loved helping him style his hair- sometimes he would even pay us - those were some fun days.
If we didn't find him in his recliner we often found him outside in his garden. He loved his garden. Then, of course he had his squirrel & bird feeders. His constant drives to go "find" deer. His frequent fishing trips. Even his bowling in his earlier years - maybe Grandpa did and loved just about everything.
He often lectured us on making sure we had the correct essentials in our car for the winter months. He always had his own choice of words to prove to us that he wanted what was best for his entire family & showed his pride in all of our accomplishments.
Holidays, especially Christmas Eve will never be the same again - good thing you trained those boys on how to carve the turkey & ham.
I miss your "eeews" while giving you your kiss & hugs more than anything - you proved to us in your final days that you were ready because we heard "I love you" back from you - thank you Grandpa, but we all always knew that you "eeews" and your "uh huhs" meant "I love you too."
I know you were scared to leave Grandma - but you gifted her with a huge family as well as a fair share of some life long friends - we will take care of her & we will take care of each other just as you have always done for us.
The morning God called you home - you didn't go along - a part of us went with you and you will always be with us. You will be the brightest star shining every night, the loudest bird chirping every morning, the biggest deer in the field, the best hand of cards in the game, and the best fish catch of the day. You have given us enough memories that we will think of you daily.
You were always suppose to live past 100, 81 was just too early to lose you...
Rest in peace Grandpa - and thank you more than words can say for everything you have always done for all of us.
We love you Grandpa and will miss you more than you know.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Animal Crossbreeds
These are too cute not to share!
Worth 1000 did a photo contest making an "animal crossbreed" by mating to (just two) creatures. There were 178 entries. Here are a few of my favorites:
The Turtlehopper:
The Frogodile:
The Fropig:
The Frippo:
To check out the other entries CLICK HERE!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Benjaman Kyle
This was a very interesting find today while stumbling on the internet ~
(taken from Wikipedia)Around 6AM on August 31, 2004, a man now living under the name Benjaman Kyle was discovered behind a Burger King at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Highway 17 in Richmond Hill, Georgia. He was found by the managers of the restaurant, lying on the ground inside the stone wall enclosing the Burger King dumpsters, in a space between the dumpsters that is accessed by a walk-through used for trash disposal. The dumpster enclosure was behind the Burger King in an area hidden from view from all directions except from the restaurant parking lot. Prolonged exposure to the sun had left him sunburned. He was assumed homeless and taken to a hospital for treatment. Officers who searched the scene found no clothes or wallet to identify the man. According to the manager of the Burger King, there were no weapons found at the scene. Paramedics reported that there were three depressions in his head, that may indicate blows by a blunt object. When found, he had no memory of who he was, and did not even recognize his own face. He was legally blind with cataracts, indicating he may have been without medical care for some time before he was assaulted. Initially, he was known as BK because he was discovered on the premises of a Burger King. Since then, he has chosen to live under the name Benjaman Kyle and insists that his real first name is Benjaman.
Kyle is Caucasian and appears to be in his 50s or 60s. He is 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighs 240 pounds (110 kg). He has graying hair with a receding hairline, and blue-green eyes. He is of above average intelligence.
Kyle has memories of Indianapolis as a child, including the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, the Woolworth's on the Circle, and the Indiana Theater showing movies in Cinerama. He remembers Crown Hill Cemetery, though not its name; the Scottish Rite Cathedral; and the White River when "it was mostly just a dumping ground." He also remembers grilled cheese sandwiches for a quarter and glasses of milk for a nickel at the Indiana State Fair.
Kyle also has memories of the area around the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has detailed memories of the subscription the library has to Restaurants & Institutions. He also remembers the Round the Corner Restaurant on the Hill, and the Flatirons and The Fox Theater near the Boulder campus.[8] This places Kyle in the Denver-Boulder area in the late 1970s to early 1980s.[6] In an interview with Channel 7 News in Denver,
Kyle reported having memories of the controversy surrounding the construction of mass transit in Denver, at a time when the city still had no financing to proceed. Although the mass transit system in Denver went into operation in 1994, public debate over the construction of the system dates back to about 1980, consistent with the time period of the other memories that Kyle has about Denver and Boulder.[9]
During an October 16, 2008 interview on the television show of Dr. Phil McGraw, he recollected some minor memories he has, such as having brothers, being 10 years older than Michael Jackson (giving him a possible birth date of August 29, 1948), being around restaurant equipment, and that he attended a Catholic School.[5] Through hypnosis, he has recalled a partial Social Security number 395-44-XXXX, consistent with the states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Benjaman Kyle has an unusually detailed knowledge of restaurant operation and food preparation equipment, leading to the belief that he may have once worked in these industries.
Wikipedia
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Some Life Lessons
No One is Perfect.
The quicker this is realized the faster you can get on with being excellent. Start every morning ready to fight harder than you did the day before and run further than you ever imagine.
Avoid over explaining yourself.
Be confident with who you are.
Keep balance in your life.
Write down what’s most important to you and show up. Sometimes we tend to do the things that are most important to us when it’s written down.
Play the hand you were dealt.
Have the courage to face challenges head on it builds character. Start looking for a way through instead of a way out.
Be a student of life.
Learn something new every day. The day you stop learning is the day you become obsolete so keep learning.
No Excuses.
Stop making excuses replace them with ways to do better. Excuses are a waste of time and energy.
Let others know where you Stand.
Be uncompromising and be up front when someone steps on your core values.
Never be afraid of a challenge.
You put on your shoes like every other man. Now it comes down to who wants it more.
Service to others.
Small, simple or important be a volunteer and give the very best of you.
Work like hell.
Everyone has a job to do so do it. Cross every “T” and dot every “I”.
Discover You.
Find your passion, life purpose, and take action.
Don’t take it Personal.
Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself self confidence shows that you’re comfortable in your own skin.
Manage your time.
Our situation and environment is ever changing so be careful not to confuse the things that are urgent with the things that are important. Look for time wasters and eliminate them.
Ask for help.
Life can be tough remember you never have to do it alone.
Do your homework.
Know what you getting into before you start. Doing your homework reduces uncertainty and fear.
Day Dream Often.
On the weekend when you are relaxing embrace a day dream. During the week take action to preserve your dreams.
Be A HERO.
Cultivate a healthy dose of forgiveness and set someone free. Learn to forgive others and stop carrying those bags of hate, guilt or regret.
Stay One Step Ahead.
Be proactive, Take the initiative, Brainstorm with the big picture in mind.
Self Love.
Become your own priority. Strive to be the you, you want to be.
Finish what you started.
Avoid the urge to stray.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Happy Friday!
Hello Everyone and Happy Friday to you!
I am so excited for fall to be here. Pumpkin flavored, stuff, caramel apples, the crunch of fallen leaves, the smell in the air ..... but please explain why it is still 90 degrees outside!
I am ready to get out all my fall decorations and decorate my home this year. The kids will be spending Halloween with me this year also -- YAY! Still no idea what costumes everyone will wearing this year. -- What are you going to be?
What other (not so) exciting things are going on? Did you know that today is the 267th day of the year and there are 98 days remaining until the end of the year. This year has gone by fast in my opinion. Now if I can just get the individual work days to go by just as fast!
So with today being Friday, it is the start to the weekend ... and I have zero plans. It will be delightful to have my honey home with me on Saturday though! (YAY!) However, a bit said that they kids will not be home with me this weekend. OH... my future in-laws are coming over on Sunday -- bringing the trampoline :)
Well I just learned an interesting fact ~ Yesterday we had a full moon. Not just any full moon, but the HARVEST MOON!
On to the holidays .....
Friday September 24 ~ Love Note Day, Punctuation Day, Schwenkfelder Thanksgiving and Hug a Vegetarian Day
and since I am not around to post on the weekends ....
Saturday September 25 ~ Boys' and Girls' Club Day for Kids, Family Health & Fitness Day USA, Fish Amnesty Day, National One-Hit Wonder Day, National Public Lands Day, National Museum Day, National Hunting & Fishing Day, R.E.A.D. in America Day, and World Ataxia Awareness Day.
Sunday September 26 ~ Gold Star Mother's Day, Johnny Appleseed Day, National Good Neighbor Day, Hunting & Fishing Day, Shamu the Whale Day and Walk Like a Zombie Day.
Looks like we have a lot to celebrate guys!
If you are celebrating one of the holidays are celebrating something of your own... please let me know! Would love to hear from you.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Hello Hello!
Hey guys! First, let me say I am sorry if you visited my page recently and got the horrible looking photobucket error in the background ~ got that fixed!
Today is Wednesday and I normally (well when I get around to it), do Wordless Wednesday ~ not today! You are in for special treat .... well, not really ... sorry!
Things new in my life ~ well, not much. My daughter has started 3rd grade, my middle son has started kindergarten and my youngest just started preschool (wow I feel old!) All kids seem to be having fun and doing good. Well, not all ... my middle son has hit a very rough patch when it comes to acting out and trying to get his way. Hope this is a phase and will pass soon. I am still working at the same place, still living in the new place and still have boxes to put away! LOL Really, we have a lot done and I am so happy to be in our new home.
My life is boring .... lets go see what is happening in the wacky world of holidays today shall we?
As I am sure most of you know (really?? you didn't know??), today is the Autumnal Equinox Day (a/k/a the first day of fall). Today is the day when there is exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness at the equator. Today is also American Business Women's Day, Dear Diary Day, Elephant Appreciation Day, Hobbit Day, National Centenarian's Day, and National White Chocolate Day.
First, lets give a huge shot out to all of the American Business Women out there! Also, lets all not forget to write in our diary tonight (do people still write in books??), be sure to go the zoo and see the elephants today (or maybe eat some peanut butter?) .... MUST be something fun to celebrate Hobbit Day! hmmm..... Centenarians, you guys rock also ~ congrats on living to be at least 100 (you knew that is what that meant right!) and my favorite part of the day ... NATIONAL WHITE CHOCOLATE DAY! that, we must do something to celebrate!
Please share with me what is special about your day? Does September 22 mean something to you? Would love to hear about it.
I am bored at work, so I am going to continue with random things about today -- lets go see what birthdays I can find ~ off to go search the web ~
ROCK ON! Today is Joan Jett's 52nd birthday! Happy Birthday to you -- you my dear ROCK! (LOVE HER!)
Also celebrating today ..... Tom Felton (23), Adam Lazzara (29), Bonnie Hunt (46), Scott Baio (49), Andrea Bocelli (52), Nick Cave (53), Johnette Napolitano (53), Debby Boone (54) Shari Belafonte (56) and Tony Lasorda (83).
I thought Tonya Lasorda was dead ?? just checked wiki ~ apparently not
Ta Ta Adorkable Readers ~ until next time (which hopefully isn't so long away!)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I Love You
I am absolutely 100% completely blessed to have such a wonderful person in my life.
For those of you that don’t know my story, I am a 30 year old divorced mother of three. My marriage had many issues – some from me, some from him –
I have had a lot of ups and downs in my life. Reflecting upon all these down times (and ups), I have never had one person stand beside me to be there for me -- never had a rock in my life.
I am very fortunate to have had such a wonderful person fall into my life. He is my rock, my superman, my love.
He is there for me in my lowest lows – gives me his shoulder when I need to cry, gives me advice when I don’t know which way to turn, and is just there in any way that I need him.
He is there for me in my highest highs – with me to share wonderful moments, and is proud of who and what I am and can do.
Because of all he is and all he does … I Love You Corey ♥
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Need New Ideas
Would love to get some new recipes in my kitchen!
Please share with me one (or more) of your all time favorite recipes!
THANKS!
Monday, August 23, 2010
I made it!
I made it through the move!
We are all moved (can't say 100% because the guys left stuff at the apartment -- grrrr), but we are all moved -- DONE!
I should start this post by saying that after my no good very bad day posting from Thursday, things got worse... on my way home from work, I got a flat tire. No spare and no cell phone. Thank goodness a very nice man stopped and took me to my mom's house. Yes, I got in a car with a stranger ... what else was I going to do. Thursday night was spent trying to get a new tire and getting it on my car. So absolutely no moving got done on Thursday. I decided to stay home from work on Friday to make sure everything got done.
Sunday we had a "we are in our new home" party (and its my daughter's birthday) party. Thank you to all the friends that came -- we loved having you! Hopefully we can do another one before it gets too cold out to swim and hopefully some of the friends who couldn't make it can make it the next time.
So... moved in and loving the new place. The garage is FULL of stuff to be either put away or pitched. I am going to do my best to become a purger and pitch a lot of stuff that is not needed. (wish me luck)
We are all moved (can't say 100% because the guys left stuff at the apartment -- grrrr), but we are all moved -- DONE!
I should start this post by saying that after my no good very bad day posting from Thursday, things got worse... on my way home from work, I got a flat tire. No spare and no cell phone. Thank goodness a very nice man stopped and took me to my mom's house. Yes, I got in a car with a stranger ... what else was I going to do. Thursday night was spent trying to get a new tire and getting it on my car. So absolutely no moving got done on Thursday. I decided to stay home from work on Friday to make sure everything got done.
Sunday we had a "we are in our new home" party (and its my daughter's birthday) party. Thank you to all the friends that came -- we loved having you! Hopefully we can do another one before it gets too cold out to swim and hopefully some of the friends who couldn't make it can make it the next time.
So... moved in and loving the new place. The garage is FULL of stuff to be either put away or pitched. I am going to do my best to become a purger and pitch a lot of stuff that is not needed. (wish me luck)
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Hello, It's me
Hello, it is me ... your long lost blog writer.
This has been a week from hell. -- yuck
The good news is that we are moving into a home on the lake. It is beautiful! The bad news is we got the keys on Tuesday and have to be 100% completely out of our apartment by 9:00 p.m. on Friday. The bad news continues because my wonderful fiance' has to work every night this week. That leaves me (and who ever I can recruit) to pack and move -- everything. Here we are Thursday and I have bunk beds left to take apart, all the boys toys, all of my daughter's room my hope chest the kitchen ... yes, a lot left to move.
I am bruised and sore and TIRED OF MOVING! I just want to cry, say screw it and leave everything in the apartment.
To add to the week from hell, work has been horrendous. BUSY BUSY and BITCHY grumpy people. Not fun.
Yep, if you stumbled onto today's posting, you stumbled into a very grumpy, stressed on the verge of a panic attack adorable person -- not the usual fun loving easy going carefree person that I TRY to be.
If you have any words of encouragement (to keep me from losing my sanity this week), I would love to hear them.
If you have a huge desire to pack and move, I would love to have you over! If you have boxes that need filled, I can help you with that also. Trucks are great, vans are good, and cars work too. {wink wink}
Seriously though, thank you to the friends that have helped me this week. Without you I don't know what I would have done -- well yes I do... I would have went home and cried.
To bring some positive to this post ~ isn't our new place beautiful?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Holding on to anger
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Back from Vacation
Where have I been the last few days you ask … well I was on a mini vacation! Due to a few different circumstances (all of which happen to work out just fine) we decided to stay in town. We got a room at a really nice hotel and stayed two nights (one night free woot woot!). Spent MANY hours pool side of the indoor/outdoor pool.
First day off work – Friday – Friday morning turned into a very hellacious time. So lets skip ahead to Friday late afternoon. We got the hotel room and spent a few hours swimming. Then we went to the (somewhat) new ice rink and went ice skating. The first time the kids have ever been on skates and the first time for me in probably 20+ years. We had so much fun. I must also brag to say that I am the only one who did not fall! (yeah me!) Came back to the hotel and did more swimming and got ice cream pool side. – vacation just isn’t a vacation unless you are eating chocolate ice cream by the pool at 10:30 p.m., right?!?
Saturday started off with a wonderful steak house restaurant buffet breakfast at the hotel. Then off to get ready and head to Science Central. We spent MANY hours there. Again, a first for us (except my daughter who had been there before). Lunch was a wonderful visit to the Famous Fort Wayne Coney Island for some yummy coney dogs that we got to go. Back to the hotel and ate lunch … you guessed it … pool side. We had intended on going to a baseball game Saturday night but who would have guessed that the game would sell out a week in advance?!? The kids picked to have their special dinner night out at Red Lobster and they all behaved very well. After dinner was spent swimming. I must say how proud I am of my tweedles three for how well they are now able to swim! I finally dragged them out of the pool and we all fell asleep snug as bugs watching Marmaduke.
Sunday morning we had breakfast at the hotel again and spent the last few hours before check out swimming. (yes, my kids are water bugs). Went to my moms Sunday afternoon and did our first round of freezing corn (no, not what I had planned to do on my vacation – but its all good). We all crashed in our own beds within 20 minutes of getting home.
Monday – my final day off work – We spent a while at the park, came home and took naps – much needed naps, had pizza hut for dinner and finished our family vacation with Cats & Dogs (the movie). It was a nice finish to a mini vacation.
This is my last full week with the kids. After this week the summer visitation scheduled is done and it goes back to the every other weekend and Wednesdays. {pout} My oldest starts 3rd grade and my middle starts kindergarten. This (in my opinion) was a wonderful end of summer fun. I hope everyone reading this was able to find some fun this summer as well.
Please share with me what you did this summer!
And if you are from around my area, PLEASE share with me some fun kid friendly things to do!!
OH… yes, I have pictures! I will upload them at some point.
Ta ta
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Wordless Wednesday ~ Whitley County Courthouse
Some beautiful (IMO) pictures that I took of the
Whitley County Courthouse (Indiana).
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Back By Demand
Okay, so it hasn't been that long since I have wrote on my blog, however, I had someone ask me today about it (you know who you are [wink wink] -- and YEAH someone does read it!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday -- August 3rd. WOW, where is time going? This year is going by so quickly. Kylie's will be turning 8 (OH MY!) and David starts kindergarten (OH MY!).this month.
No time today for a long blabberling post -- sorry! But nonetheless and great big HELLO!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Ratcatchers, Hammocks, Penuche Fudge and Spoonerisms Oh My!
So I see that people are reading, just not commenting on the posts they read. Oh well….. guess I will continue to post and eventually someone will have a moment where they feel like they have something that needs to be said .. I am sure of it!
Today is Thursday, July 22, 2010 – a very very boring day at the office. I have played with stumbleupon as much as I possibly can. You know it is a slow boring day when you get tired of stumbling.
We had some truly amazing chicken wings for dinner last night! We baked them for a little, put them on the grill and coated them with hot wing sauce and grilled them until fully cooked tossed them with a little more wing sauce and yummm-o! It was a delicious dinner.
Today’s plans include: (1) making it to 5:00 and (2) wedding dress shopping with my soon to be mother in law! Maybe tonight I will find the dress!?!
Other than dress shopping, we also should be celebrating – today is Hammock Day and Ratcatcher’s Day (yuck!)
This is what I found about Ratcatcher’s Day ~ Ratcatcher's Day commemorates the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the most infamous of Ratcatchers. So if you see a Ratcatcher today, wish them Happy Ratcatcher's Day!
With summer in full swing, it seems appropriate to celebrate Hammock Day also. Hammock Day exists to enjoy summer as it should be enjoyed laying, relaxing and enjoying the world around us. While you are relaxing in your hammock, you should be enjoying some Penuche – because of course everyone knows today is also National Penuche Fudge Day – right, you knew that already right?! The only other thing left to do today is to say some spoonerisms in between bites of your fudge. Go ahead yell out ~ "Is it kisstomary to cuss the bride?" (or any other spoonerism of your choice (please share with me what your favorite is!)
Ratcatchers, Hammocks, Penuche Fudge and Spoonerisms – what a good day!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
REALLY!??!
Really readers?!?! I have 27 posts (well 28 now) and only one stinking comment! I see you visiting my page ... please say hello to me! please
July 21, 2010
Image via WikipediaHello all you blog readers out there! How are you doing on this Wednesday? I know, I already did wordless Wednesday with some pictures (which are much more prettier in person than they appear on the blog!) It is an absolutely beautiful day out … although it looks like it could blow in some rain any minute.
What is new today you ask …… ummmm…. I am wearing shoes that are killing my feet! Ugh, the price women pay to look cute! I tell ya, it just isn’t fair! (do I get an AMEN!?) Also new today is I am wearing my Italian charm bracelet. I love this bracelet, but never wear it because I don’t have very many charms. On the flip side, no one will buy me charms because I never wear it! Anyone have any charms they don’t want anymore? I would be more than happy to take them off your hands! {smile}
July 21, 2010 -- lets go see what today is all about ~ off to go search the internet ~
Today is National Junk Food Day! (no this sounds like an awesome day to celebrate!) Today is also Legal Drinking Age Day. I don’t get this holiday nor can I find anything online to explain it. – I guess it probably wasn’t worth mentioning then uh? Oh well –
Birthday … did someone say birthday? No? I think I might have heard it. Yes, I heard it. Today’s birthday include ~ Robin Williams (59), Josh Hartnett (32), Don Knotts (86) and Ernest Hemingway (111). There were others too, but none that seemed worth mentioning.
until next time …
Wordless Wednesday ~ Sky
I took these pictures a few years ago. Both taken at the same time. One is the sky looking in one direction the other the other direction. Notice the rainbow and the lightening in the second picture? (wow.... lots of words for wordless Wednesday!)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Living, Being, and Doing
17 Quotes On Living, Being, and Doing
“Fall seven times; stand up eight.” – Japanese proverb
"You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you.” – Joseph Campbell
“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” – Gandhi
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean
“All is flux, nothing stays still.” – Heraclitus
“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.” – James Joyce
“I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.” – Plutarch
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” – Epicurus
“Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else” – Judy Garland
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank
“The mind can make a heaven out of hell or a hell out of heaven” – John Milton
“Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.” – Albert Einstein
“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.” – James Oppenheim
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A lot of Nothing
Cover of Fool's ParadiseI have no idea what I am making for dinner tonight – ugh – no desire to cook either.
My toe nails look like sharty! I need to repaint them.
Off to go check the holidays ---- gosh, what a boring holiday day.
Barbershop Music Appreciation Day – yuck
Embrace Your Geekness Day – eh?
Fool’s Paradise Day – what?
Yes, I said Yahoo… I hate using the other searches.
20 minutes until this work day is over …. What else can I find to ramble about today? Okay, so I have this nifty little "assistant" on my blog thingy called Zemanta and it comes up with things (suggestions if you will) about what I write about. I just learned that Fool's Paradise is a book. Wonder if the "holiday" has anything to do with the book?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Heterochromia
Happy Monday everyone! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
My weekend was – well days off work at least!
I am not sure who has taken the manners and respect that my children have, but I would love to have it back – not sure I can remain sane very many more days like this.
However, were able to enjoy the TRF Parade.
The kids loved it so much that when the 2 hour parade was over, Kylie was wishing it was longer.
We were then able to watch a Fort Wayne Derby Girls free bout – LOVED IT! I so want to do this.
I even talked to one of the girls (thank you Alotta Attitude) about what I need to do to join.
Do you know anyone with Heterochromia?
If so, celebrate them – today is Different Colored Eyes Day!
It is also Pecan Pie Day! What a perfect opportunity to share a WONDERFUL Pecan Pie recipe – aw darn it! I don’t have it with me.
I will have to post this later (remind me!)
My weekend was – well days off work at least!
I am not sure who has taken the manners and respect that my children have, but I would love to have it back – not sure I can remain sane very many more days like this.
However, were able to enjoy the TRF Parade.
The kids loved it so much that when the 2 hour parade was over, Kylie was wishing it was longer.
We were then able to watch a Fort Wayne Derby Girls free bout – LOVED IT! I so want to do this.
I even talked to one of the girls (thank you Alotta Attitude) about what I need to do to join.
Do you know anyone with Heterochromia?
If so, celebrate them – today is Different Colored Eyes Day!
It is also Pecan Pie Day! What a perfect opportunity to share a WONDERFUL Pecan Pie recipe – aw darn it! I don’t have it with me.
I will have to post this later (remind me!)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Recipes to Share
One of my favorite things to do is cook (as long as I have a recipe). I love to cook and love to eat -- I hate however, cleaning up the mess! As I sit here board as the front door, I thought I would share a few recipes with you -- as well as the basic reason I love them.
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas -- I love Mexican!
Flat Iron Steak with Southwest Rub -- Excellent on the Grill!
Sirloin Tips and Mushrooms -- WINE!
Absolutely Fabulous Portobello Mushroom Tortellini -- who doesn't love homemade alfredo!
(with homemade Alfredo sauce)
Bellyache Cake -- warm chocolate yummy goodness!
Buffalo Chicken Dip -- feel good yum-o dip!
CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 35 min.
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 T water
2 t onion powder
2 t ground cumin
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
5 cups diced cooked chicken
20 6” flour tortillas room temperature
2 cans (10 ¾ oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
1 cup milk
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, water, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in chicken.
Place ¼ cup down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in two greased 13” x 9” x 2” baking dishes.
In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, milk and chilies, pour over enchiladas.
Bake uncovered at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flat Iron Steak with Southwest Rub
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
Press rub evenly onto tender beef steaks before grilling. Turn occasionally to avoid burning.
I have also made in the oven.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sirloin Tips and Mushrooms
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ pounds beef sirloin
1 (16 oz) can mushrooms, with liquid
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
¾ cup red wine
Directions:
Cut beef into cubes. In a large skillet over medium/high heat, heat the olive oil and brown the beef cubes with the garlic.
Add mushrooms with liquid, tomato sauce, salt, pepper and red wine.
Cook for 30 minutes or until beef cubes are tender.
Add a little more wine while cooking if desired.
I added MUCH more wine!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Absolutely Fabulous Portobello Mushroom Tortellini
(with homemade Alfredo sauce)
Ingredients:
1 pound cheese tortellini
2 large Portobello mushrooms (I use baby bellas)
¼ cup white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces Alfredo sauce (I use recipe below!)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, prepare mushrooms y rinsing and thinly slicing the mushroom caps; discard the stems.
In a medium skillet over low heat, combine wine, parsley, garlic and mushrooms; stirring frequently, sauté for approximately 5 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through.
Remove skillet from heat and slowly add Alfredo sauce, stirring to blend; season with salt & pepper to taste.
Separate hot pasta into four portions and spoon sauce over pasta. Garnish with cheese and serve immediately.
Quick & Easy Alfredo Sauce:
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
6 oz grated parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth.
Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in parmesan and pepper.
Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long.
Toss with pasta to serve
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bellyache Cake
Mix in a 9x9 pan:
1 cup flour
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
¼ teaspoon salt
Add:
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
Mix and then add:
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup nuts (optional)
Spread evenly in pan and sprinkle with mixture of:
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa
Pour 1 ¾ cup HOT water on top of batter
Bake 40 minutes at 350
Let sit 15 minutes before eating
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients:
2 10 oz cans of cooked chicken
1 cup of Franks red hot sauce
2 bricks of fat free cream cheese (softened)
1 cup fat free ranch dressing
1 cup shredded cheese (any variety but mozzarella)
Direction:
Combine the cream cheese and hot sauce. Add the ranch, chicken and ½ the cheese. Once all is mixed, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (or so). Top with remaining cheese and let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve with taco chips.
Sirloin Tips and Mushrooms -- WINE!
Absolutely Fabulous Portobello Mushroom Tortellini -- who doesn't love homemade alfredo!
(with homemade Alfredo sauce)
Bellyache Cake -- warm chocolate yummy goodness!
Buffalo Chicken Dip -- feel good yum-o dip!
CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 35 min.
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 T water
2 t onion powder
2 t ground cumin
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
5 cups diced cooked chicken
20 6” flour tortillas room temperature
2 cans (10 ¾ oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
1 cup milk
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, water, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in chicken.
Place ¼ cup down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in two greased 13” x 9” x 2” baking dishes.
In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, milk and chilies, pour over enchiladas.
Bake uncovered at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flat Iron Steak with Southwest Rub
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
Press rub evenly onto tender beef steaks before grilling. Turn occasionally to avoid burning.
I have also made in the oven.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sirloin Tips and Mushrooms
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ pounds beef sirloin
1 (16 oz) can mushrooms, with liquid
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
¾ cup red wine
Directions:
Cut beef into cubes. In a large skillet over medium/high heat, heat the olive oil and brown the beef cubes with the garlic.
Add mushrooms with liquid, tomato sauce, salt, pepper and red wine.
Cook for 30 minutes or until beef cubes are tender.
Add a little more wine while cooking if desired.
I added MUCH more wine!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Absolutely Fabulous Portobello Mushroom Tortellini
(with homemade Alfredo sauce)
Ingredients:
1 pound cheese tortellini
2 large Portobello mushrooms (I use baby bellas)
¼ cup white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces Alfredo sauce (I use recipe below!)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, prepare mushrooms y rinsing and thinly slicing the mushroom caps; discard the stems.
In a medium skillet over low heat, combine wine, parsley, garlic and mushrooms; stirring frequently, sauté for approximately 5 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through.
Remove skillet from heat and slowly add Alfredo sauce, stirring to blend; season with salt & pepper to taste.
Separate hot pasta into four portions and spoon sauce over pasta. Garnish with cheese and serve immediately.
Quick & Easy Alfredo Sauce:
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
6 oz grated parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth.
Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in parmesan and pepper.
Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long.
Toss with pasta to serve
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bellyache Cake
Mix in a 9x9 pan:
1 cup flour
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
¼ teaspoon salt
Add:
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
Mix and then add:
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup nuts (optional)
Spread evenly in pan and sprinkle with mixture of:
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa
Pour 1 ¾ cup HOT water on top of batter
Bake 40 minutes at 350
Let sit 15 minutes before eating
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients:
2 10 oz cans of cooked chicken
1 cup of Franks red hot sauce
2 bricks of fat free cream cheese (softened)
1 cup fat free ranch dressing
1 cup shredded cheese (any variety but mozzarella)
Direction:
Combine the cream cheese and hot sauce. Add the ranch, chicken and ½ the cheese. Once all is mixed, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (or so). Top with remaining cheese and let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve with taco chips.
Karaoke
Good morning blog followers and blog stumble uponers. Hope you are having a wonderful Thursday! Thursday … two things that pop into my head when I think of Thursday – Thirsty Thursday and Karaoke – kind of embarrassed that I am 30 years old and those are the two things that I think about when I think about Thursday (please tell me I am not alone!)
Karaoke is the topic of the post –
The top songs for the week of June 27, 2010:
according to: http://www.ez-tracks.com/top-40-karaoke-songs.html
1 Beat It Michael Jackson
2 Eye Of The Tiger Survivor , (ST ROCKY III)
3 Livin' On A Prayer Bon Jovi
4 Bad Michael Jackson
5 Addicted Enrique Iglesias
6 My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic) Celine Dion
7 Complicated Avril Lavigne
8 Forever In Love Kenny G
9 The Sound Of Music Cast , (ST SOUND OF MUSIC)
10 Could I Have This Kiss Forever Whitney Houston , Enrique Iglesias
11 Barbie Girl Aqua
12 A New Day Has Come Celine Dion
13 What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
14 Angel Shaggy , Rayvon
15 A Night To Remember Yanni
16 Dancing Queen Abba
17 God Bless The USA Lee Greenwood
18 Thriller Michael Jackson
19 Be With You Enrique Iglesias
20 All By Myself Celine Dion
21 I'm Your Angel Celine Dion , R. Kelly
22 La Isla Bonita Madonna
23 Let's Get It Started Black Eyed Peas
24 Soft Waving Standard
25 Falling Into You Celine Dion
26 Yeah! Usher
27 A Year Ago Kenny G
28 Buffalo Soldier Bob Marley , The Wailers
29 My Immortal Evanescence
30 The Man In The Mirror Michael Jackson
31 Hero Enrique Iglesias
32 National Anthem USA - The Star Spangled Banner Standard
33 Afraid Standard
34 Chiquitita Abba
35 Crazy Little Thing Called Love Queen
36 Born In The USA Bruce Springsteen
37 You Decorated My Life Kenny Rogers *
38 Caught Up Usher
39 The Lord Of The Dance Irish Show Ensemble , (ST LORD OF THE DANCE)
40 Body Rock Maria Vidal , (ST BODY ROCK)
Karaoke is the topic of the post –
The top songs for the week of June 27, 2010:
according to: http://www.ez-tracks.com/top-40-karaoke-songs.html
1 Beat It Michael Jackson
2 Eye Of The Tiger Survivor , (ST ROCKY III)
3 Livin' On A Prayer Bon Jovi
4 Bad Michael Jackson
5 Addicted Enrique Iglesias
6 My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic) Celine Dion
7 Complicated Avril Lavigne
8 Forever In Love Kenny G
9 The Sound Of Music Cast , (ST SOUND OF MUSIC)
10 Could I Have This Kiss Forever Whitney Houston , Enrique Iglesias
11 Barbie Girl Aqua
12 A New Day Has Come Celine Dion
13 What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
14 Angel Shaggy , Rayvon
15 A Night To Remember Yanni
16 Dancing Queen Abba
17 God Bless The USA Lee Greenwood
18 Thriller Michael Jackson
19 Be With You Enrique Iglesias
20 All By Myself Celine Dion
21 I'm Your Angel Celine Dion , R. Kelly
22 La Isla Bonita Madonna
23 Let's Get It Started Black Eyed Peas
24 Soft Waving Standard
25 Falling Into You Celine Dion
26 Yeah! Usher
27 A Year Ago Kenny G
28 Buffalo Soldier Bob Marley , The Wailers
29 My Immortal Evanescence
30 The Man In The Mirror Michael Jackson
31 Hero Enrique Iglesias
32 National Anthem USA - The Star Spangled Banner Standard
33 Afraid Standard
34 Chiquitita Abba
35 Crazy Little Thing Called Love Queen
36 Born In The USA Bruce Springsteen
37 You Decorated My Life Kenny Rogers *
38 Caught Up Usher
39 The Lord Of The Dance Irish Show Ensemble , (ST LORD OF THE DANCE)
40 Body Rock Maria Vidal , (ST BODY ROCK)
What is your favorite song to sing?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Found this while stumbling on the internet and found it interesting enough to share ~
How to Win Friends and Influence People
(Dale Carnegie's summary of his book from 1936)
Table of Contents
- Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
- Six Ways to Make People Like You
- How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking
- Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment
Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
- Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
- Give honest and sincere appreciation.
- Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Six ways to make people like you
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
- Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
Win people to your way of thinking
- The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
- Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
- If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
- Begin in a friendly way.
- Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
- Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
- Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
- Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
- Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
- Appeal to the nobler motives.
- Dramatize your ideas.
- Throw down a challenge.
Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment
A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior. Some suggestions to accomplish this:- Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
- Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
- Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
- Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
- Let the other person save face.
- Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
- Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
- Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
- Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.
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