Snow Days
We don't get an awful lot of snow here in North Carolina. We certainly get snow each year, and experienceda blizzard of four feet in April 1993. But we don't get it like our friends up north get snow. I wonder what it's like to have to deal with heavy snow all the winter long. You're probably prepared for it better than us southerners. With the road departments scraping constantly. We don't have the resources to purchase a lot of this type of equipment, since we may only have a dozen snows all season. And sometimes, we run out of sand, or chat, salt, or other items used to melt or remove snow. That's when it comes to a stand-still around here. And no one can get anywhere because the roads are as bad as the yards. Further down south, I've seen people pull their car over off the interstate and leave it there. Then phone for a ride home. You'll see 100's of cars parked in all typed of positions down the major highways. Now that's a little extreme. I love snow and I'm looking forward to those first flakes of the season.

Random Acts Of Kindness
I learned from one of my blogger buddies [Shirl], that another blogger friend has decided to take a leave of absence. So I started thinking about that. It's a little strange how "real" these blogging friendships can become. I always look at our blogging community as a huge support system. Where you visit with people and offer them your best wishes, blessings, support. I may have looked upon it differently before 9.11. That's when I began seriously blogging daily. I wanted to "give" to other people a little bit of myself. A few kind words can really make a difference. Later I realized how much I was receiving back. Love and kindness are perpetual emotions that are often underestimated. Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.

Here's a fun quiz I found today called, "What's Your Song?"


What's Your Song?
brought to you by Quizilla

"I will stay with You tonight In case this corset Gets too tight And I will keep you company 'Cause that's what a sister should be." Your song is "Sistersong" by Ani Difranco! You're a very loyal friend who always has a shoulder to cry on, or a supportive thing to say. Truly unselfish, you can be relied on for just about anything. Just make sure that others don't take advantage of you. Wanna do my laundry?

Twilight Miracles
...i pulled her closer and strained against my urge and wish to surrender to sleep, and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm just disappointed," she whispered.
more��

[via: theophany.us]

Spiderman costumes are the most popular choices for kids AND adults this year, they say. Some clever people had the foresight to buy in advance and are selling on Ebay.


"A school trip to Washington D.C. that was to occur this Friday has been cancelled due to the current sniper situation in the Washington D.C. metro area. The trip will be rescheduled." Said the note from my daughter's school where 150 kids were planning to leave in two days. Tentative plans are for 2 weeks from this Friday. This trip helped me empathize with the good people from the DC area about their day to day terror. Too many things have happened that make us feel utterly helpless like this has. And, of course, 9/11. My thoughts and prayers are with all these families here and abroad who live with terror daily. Now, we begin to understand.

Why Won't He Complain?
My husband didn't go in to work yesterday. [He's a carpenter.] And he came home after a couple of hours of work today. This is a big deal in my house. A rarity. because he seldom misses out on a day of work. If he says he doesn't feel well....you can take that to the bank. He's just not a complainer. And I wish he were. Then I might be able to understand what's wrong with him, so I could possibly help him get well. If he's sick, I usually don't hear anything about it, unless he gets a cold or the flu. Most people will tell you all about their cold/flu problems. But he works right on through things like that; even when he has a high fever. So when he's sick enough to stay home from work, it's something to be a little concerned about. I feel helpless because there's nothing I can do to make him feel better. . . .well....maybe I can think of something.

Men Are Pigs
Really? I don't think so. But maybe this one is.

There's a nice cartoon strip today on Doonesbury about blogging.

I Shall Wear Moccasins
Mocassins. For some strange reason, I just remembered wearing moccasins. The ones you just had to have to wear with your bell bottom jeans back in the sixties. With the suede bottoms and the fringe and the rawhide ties in a chestnut-colored brown?


Are we ever too old to wear moccasins? No. Seriously. Are we? There was a poem some years back that an elderly lady had written that was something like:


"When I get old, I shall wear purple." And someone else wrote once, "...when I get old, I shall wear a red hat." I'm sure Kathryn or Shirl will know what I'm talking about.


Anyway.....the point is, when you're older, you get bolder and will wear anything you didn't have to courage to when younger. When you're young, there are acceptable things to wear and stuff that you just wouldn't be caught dead in.


I declared: "Now that I'm old, I shall wear moccasins."
And my daughter says, "Wearing moccasins could scar thou for life."



I ordered these shoes from Penney's the other day. They have a big sale [30% off regular priced items] online and as long as I was there ordering stuff for my Mother's birthday, I looked around for myself. I saw these shoes and since they match a silver and leather bracelet I wear almost daily, I decided that they'd have to come with me, too. Now I'm on the moccasin kick [pun intended] and am searching around for a nice pair. Husband, when hearing me discuss getting a pair of moccasins said, "But, didn't you just order some shoes, like yesterday?" Silly man...

Ever Seen A Drunk Pumpkin?

Diet News
Finally, my diet is paying off. I've not been on a diet in at least twenty years, but the pounds have been slowly creeping up over the past years, and I decided besides normal exercising, I also needed to change my diet. Like yesterday. Tip: Do not weigh every day unless you crave disappointment. Since dilligently trimming the fat in my diet, I've lost SIX POUNDS. Not too shabby for just 5 weeks.

3-Dog Night
My area [NC] is calling for frost warnings late tonight/early a.m. for the first time this fall. I pulled out more quilts and dug out my old warm house shoes and flannel pants and thermal underwear shirts, so I'm ready.


Husband has already laid a fire for morning light. I have electric heat, but I like to use the fireplace for warmth as much as possible.


My husband loves to locate, gather, and chop wood. The whole ritual. I'm certain that it goes back to the cave man days. Or when we lived on communes and did everything the natural [hard] way and had to scrounge for warmth each winter. You really relish building a fire when you don't have to. You do it because you want to.


I've just brought in our three dogs. They also fit in with my plan for warmth. What? You've never heard of a 3-dog night? Stay warm, everybody.

What Drug Are You?

You make people feel rellaxed around you. You are popular and bring many people joy, however the Mrs is inclined to think of you otherwize. You make people dont care less, and so are you there with a fella on his bucks night to see that he can be properly restrained nude to a train that is taking him to a far of distant place. As much as you are wonderful company on a big night out, often people tend to not think that much of you the next day as they are grossly nausiated from night before with you so vowing never to see you again, of which of cause is a big fat lie because they will no doubt meet with you again the following weekend. People who spend too much time with you get sick to the stomache.

Find Out If You Were A Drug, What You Would Be!

quiz by ravenritings

Seen on Kathryn's site. How weird to be "alcohol" since I'm in recovery and haven't had a drink in 12 years now! But I certainly USED to be "alcohol".

Kid Costumes
If you have a little one, or not, you'll enjoy looking at all these little kids in costumes. Too cute.

Looking For JoJo
Police believe a man who spent almost 17 hours stuck inside the chimney of a grocery store had burglary on his mind, but he's telling a different story. He says he was out walking his parrot, Jojo, and it got loose, climbed onto the roof and went down the chimney. So he says he climbed the roof, followed Jojo and got stuck. [via: MyInKy.com]

Woman Busted For DUI After Leaving Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
Police say Kelly Faith Dougherty, 33, tried to drive from the meeting with her 6-year-old daughter in the car. The woman allegedly punched one officer and kicked another in the stomach before they could put her in a patrol car. Damn.

Does Anyone Use WeatherBug?
Weatherbug.com is a handy little program you can check into occasionally or keeping running in your system tray. It will alert you of any weather alerts that may be affecting your areas. There will be several live web cams from your location to view, regional radar screens. We use it where I work and I use it at home, too, and I think it's a handy little tool. The download will ask you about your preference of a product, but it's only because they'll run a banner ad about it, so it's ok. I really rely on this thing when there's heavy storms moving in [like now], and when there is snow looming on the horizon. The live shots are really helpful because you can check them out for all areas. It's only for the US, though.

NC Teens Have Sniper Worries
My daughter's Government Class in high school has a trip planned to Washington, DC, in 10 more days. [October 25] Their class is now postponing the trip until November sometime, unless the sniper is caught in the next 10 days. When I began worrying about the possibility of her being up there with the sniper on the loose, I started to see just an iota of what the locals up there must be going through. But Skye can postpone her trip and go when it's safe. The DC folks are expected to go about their daily lives and hope they're not the next victim.

Another DC-Area Shooting
A lady was shot in Falls Church, VA, tonight, presumably by the sniper. I've noticed how many news people still refer to this sniper as the Tarot Card Sniper. When we, the public, only know of that one incident of a tarot card left behind. I wonder if he's still leaving those cards behind and the media isn't reporting that fact, in hopes of helping the investigation? Hmmmm.

So many people coming here searching for the "puking pumpkin" pic, so I thought I'd just post it.

Is Saturday Night Live Dead?
While America is stuck with the real George Bush for at least two more years, "Saturday Night Live" introduced its new President on Saturday (Oct. 12) night. Chris Parnell portrayed Bush speaking from the Oval Office with Vice President Dick Cheney (Darrell Hammond) by his side. Parnell replaces Will Ferrell, who left the sketch comedy show last Spring.

SNL, seems to have a good cast, but sometimes the writing just makes me cringe anymore. I've been through the whole SNL. Since 1975, I've been watching, when it had cult status. And I still long for that quality. It's still a good show, just not consistently good. My husband grew up with guy who was the head writer, Terry Turner. [Who later went on to produce tv shows and movies as Wayne's World, Coneheads, Brady Bunch, Third Rock, That 70's Show] He left several years back, and it's not been as good, I think, since he left. But it most definitely has it's moments. They really skewed Christina Aguilera this past week----talking about her new video/cd and how skanky she is. And I really enjoy anything Mya Rudolph does. She's exceptional. I still never miss the show, if I can help it. For those rare little golden nuggets of comedic genius I still find on SNL.

Barking Dogs
I have two dogs who bark at every little leaf that falls. It's getting very annoying now that they're barking at the neighbors each time they pull into their driveway. One of them has nipped at a neighbor boy's leg before, so if provoked, I'm sure they'll retaliate. I love my dogs, but I also don't want them to hurt anyone. What can I do about it? I've seen before an ad for a collar that buzzes or something each time they bark, and it's supposed to break them from the barking habit. I may look into this further and check to see how humane it is, as well. I just wondered if anyone else has had to deal with this problem and if there was an easy, simple solution to the barking problem.

Canada is celebrating Thanksgiving Day on October 14, Monday. Enjoy your weekend and any time off you may have, Canada.

Since we had the puking pumpkin Monday, I found another nice one.

MyTrailerPark.com?
This site is a little strange; unless it's for real. In which case it would be very sad. Sad, indeed. And you can try out the Assotron. It places a 'bum' on any URL you give it. I tried it out. It's harmless.

Trying to get over a migraine headache. I seldom get those anymore, but one came on yesterday. I've got some of my other writing done and out of the way so I wil sit at my monitor in a stupor/fog and surf and blog away. Wheeeeeeeeeeee!

Pick Up Your Own Damn Socks.com
Is an actual site that has pitted the women against the men. It was started by a group of women who comment on the things men do that get on their nerves. And the guys who stop in and disagree.

ADHD & ADD--Attention Deficit Disorder
My daughter was finally diagnosed with ADD last spring. She'd been having so much trouble with concentration, especially in school, that we pursued it further. It hasn't performed the miracles we'd hoped it would. But there is some improvement. After getting a second opinion, and after school evaluations, my husband and I decided to try it out. [We had even tried an herbal treatment from a local store for ADD.] So I told the doctors to start her on the smallest dose possible and we could go from there. They said that's how they usually do it. I still don't feel right about it. Even though the different Ritalin-like medicines the kids take now don't have quite the bad name attached to it like years ago, I'm still not comfortable with the fact that she's taking amphetamines.

Ever Seen A Puking Pumpkin?
Go visit Maggie's site and you'll see a picture of a puking pumpkin. Danelle also has one on her site. Real cute!

Seen Around Blogtopia
I may be late coming to this particular party, but has anyone see the site called, The Homeless Guy? He's for real and living at a Mission in Nashville, TN. Nicely done site. And Google Fight is fun. Put in two different subjects or keywords and the winner is determined by who has the most hits.

happy birthday to ME

Maggie says that she lost 8 lbs in a short time after switching from coffee to tea. Sugar or lemon?

Wisdom From Maya Angelou
I've learned that no matter what happens,
or how bad it seems today,
life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by
the way he/she handles these three things:
a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learned that regardless of your relationship with
your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as
making a "life."
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's
mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart,
I usually make the right decision.
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.
People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but
people will never forget how you made them feel.

Hunger, Party of One?
I've been dieting for a little while now. And I'm doing really good. My family is going along with me, which is very important. If they want goodies, they'll keep them out of sight. And so far, they've been eating lower fat meals I've been fixing. Although I haven't fried anything in years. [Ya think I'll get kicked out of the 'southern' club if anyone finds out?] I think that's pretty much what Kymberstorm's doing with her family, too. She'll usually fixes herself something, and then something different for her family. It's an all around win-win for the family for everyone to eat healthier. I've lost 4 lbs already. I remember when I was much younger and thinner and if I needed to drop a few pounds, I'd just cut back for the weekend, and by Monday, I was fine. That was when I weighed 120. I'm afraid it's going to take a little longer than a week-end to get to a healthier place this time. A 15-20 pound weight loss would be out-freaking-standing!

October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
One of nine women will have breast cancer in their lifetime. It's time to honor those who have battled (and beaten) the disease, and also raise our awareness about breast cancer. It's also the perfect opportunity to get involved in the efforts to stamp out breast cancer. Many breast cancer awareness sites can be obtained through this clearinghouse of pertinent links. Don't forget your self-exam each month!

This is just a little joke for you on this lovely Wednesday. I was looking through my old images and found this oldie, but goodie.

Dreaded Trip To DMV
I need to renew my driver's license. The last time I got them was 5 years ago; they're all renewed for 5 years now. That part I like. Now it's time to get them again. And I've been thinking all this time I could just do it online. Like I did my vehicle registration. Today I find out that I have to go down to the DMV----in person. Damn! If I have to go in person, I'm betting I'll have to take another road and eye test. I simply dread having to deal with the DMV.