It's That Time!!

It's that time of the year when everyone feels busy. I don't feel busy. I refuse to get into that hustle bustle of the holiday.

We don't have little ones around anymore and that does make staying out of the hustle bustle easier I agree. But one thing I found out is ready or not Christmas will come around on December 25th!

Jim is doing lights on the tree now and refuses to let me help. That has always been his deal with the tree and I guess some things get set in stone...so have at it! I personally think that if we don't get done, if anyone comes I will just take them to the boxes and show them the tree part by part. "Here is our tree topper. I wish I could say it is very old but somehow you always seem to have to replace those buggers every year!" Then to the lights. "These are the cool...no heat cool...lights that are the big kind. I like them along with these little twinkly ones. Aren't they cute. You should see them when they are on. If you would like...I could plug them in! But as you know...they ALL won't light...never do...but you would get the picture." I guess maybe I am getting just a little too laid back!

I guess what it is, is that Christmas is Christmas every year. All those things that seem to bug us about Christmas is really what makes Christmas, Christmas. The tree topper that never seems to work two straight years in a row, the lights all tangled in a never-ending mess, the bulbs burned out after you get them untangled and have no replacement bulbs, the kids so wound up you are about to go off on them, not having a box of icicles to finish up when you are so tired and don't want to have it to do tomorrow!!

All the little frustrations of the season almost seem to make Christmas...Christmas.

Well looky here! The lights are up. The bubble lights need a little adjusting but that will be after a little nourishment!!

So stage two complete! Now to the decorations! We are on our way!!! Yea!!!

But rememeber...after the hustle and bustle... settle back with family and remember what Christmas is really all about and give thanks.

My thought for the day.

Enjoy.

Thought for the Day

"The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good and how he treats people who can't fight back."

---Abigail Van Buren---

On A Roll!!

I am really on a roll now. After being chastised by Terry about organizing scrapbooking things in ACDSee and not scrapping at all, I was told that I should be doing at least three layouts a week! Oh my! Three a month has been about it for me lately. But...as I said I am on...a...roll! I have completed TWO...yes two...in less than a week. So watch out...I could start putting them out like a printing press if I am not careful.

Opps. Sorry. It just dawned on me I never posted credits for the last layout I did. I apologize. Just too new at this! I will have to look those up when I get home and give credit due.

Here is my latest addition. This is Robert, my friend Joanna's son, at the Special Olympics where he took third place!

Credits: Font-New Times Roman, Swenson. Bear Kit by Barbara/justpassingthrough.com, journaling tag and brad.Scrap N'Ezine film strip frame. Boyerville Gratitude frame. MCO Spray of Red and Barbara Lee, Autumn Leaves paper.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was different this year. Each of the children celebrated on their own. I missed them all but we all seemed to have a nice time.

We went to a fancy restaurant which we have not done in such a long, long time and it was so nice. Jim really loves the place we went and it was so nice to see him relaxing so and having such a great time. He gives of himself so much and asks nothing that when he does suggest we do something I know he really would love to do it. We did and he seem to have a great time!

Myself, I took a day of vacation so with the holiday time I had five days off. How sweet it was. Sure didn't want to come back today!! I had a good time cleaning and scrapping. But back to the grind stone today.

A busy night ahead. Hair cuts, dinner and running errands for my brother before...or after...we pick him up at the hospital from visiting his wife. Hoping she gets released tomorrow. It has been over seven weeks and it was just supposed to be a two day procedure! Complications!!

Have a great night!

My thought for today.

Enjoy.

Thought for the Day

"Better late than never, but never late is better"

---Unknown---

A Time To Pause

As the holidays approach I can feel the hustle and bustle start to fill the air. It makes me unhappy.

I remember only too well the holidays with the family when I was a good bit younger. They were a whirlwind. I see now that I was so wrapped up in the "doing" of the holiday I never really got to fully enjoy or experience the true holiday time.

We had a family of three children, were working two jobs, and going to college part time. To get everything done we were going all the time. To add to the business, the one job we both had at the time had their year end in December which meant that we had to take a physical inventory. Being a lumber company in Ohio it meant counting every nut screw and bolt not to mention the lumber outside in the snow where it was so cold your pens wouldn't write. Then we had to grab the calculators and extend all the prices and double check it. It also meant that your job depended on the results of that magical ending figure. Not the good makings for a happy holiday!
We never gave it a real thought. We were extremely busy but thought that was how life was. And it is that way with so many people today. I also know that it most times it can't be helped. That is what makes me unhappy.

So it is my wish for everyone, to be able somehow to slow their lives in this busy maze we find ourselves, take a deep breath and pause long enough to gather in the real spirit of the holidays. I know it is sometimes almost impossible, but we still need to maneuver things just a little so it happens. Life only comes round once to us. Don't let the most precious times slip away.

I have to show you something. I have been so busy trying to get my digi things organized that I have not scrapped in such a long time. Well, due to the nudging of Terry I got myself in gear and here is a layout I did for my new friend Joanna.

This is Joanna and her wonderful son, Robert. Robert has just won a ribbon in the Special Olympics and I am going to scrap the event for her. I am so thrilled to be able to do this for her. So I just started with this picture of Robert and her. Isn't it a great picture? Hope you like it.

I am hoping to have more time the next few days to scrap, scrap, scrap. It feels so good to be away from the organizing. What a pain. But I can't find anything if I don't get the stuff into ACDSee. Oh the woes I have!!! LOL

Hoping you all have a very beautiful Thanksgiving. Pause and take time to thank God for all your wonderful blessings.

My thought for today.

Enjoy.

Thought for the Day

"When times get tough, at some point, people instinctively know they need to lighten up in order to get through it."

"You may not be able to change a situation, but with humor you can change your attitude about it"

---Allen Klein---

It's A LULU of a Day!!!

I found this out early in the day!!!

I subscribe to an inspirational thought for the day. Along with the inspirational thought every morning, they tell you what that day is...you know...like St. Patrick's Day, Love Your Mom Day...Smile At Someone You Don't Know Day or whatever. I figure in my position as Office Administrator I need to be kept informed of these things so I look at least somewhat informed.

So today is LULU. In case some of you are not kept abreast of these types of important facts...that is short for Loosen Up Lighten Up Day.

What a wonderful idea for a special day. So for at least this day we need to try to loosen up and lighten up.

How is this for a start???

I have had this thing for so many years. I use it on special occasions! Like when someone is in a really bad mood or they are bugging me and I would really rather growl at them! It breaks the mood and we all end up laughing!! I can not even remember where it came from but I love it and would love to find more to hand out!!! Isn't it a scream?? To see that when I turn around in my chair when you are not expecting it brings a belly laugh from everyone!!! Love it!!

Business has been picking up for us. While still not at a peak by a far cry, it is getting better...thus I have had less time to blog!! Ugh! I hope we get some relief soon with all of this. We just got word this week that Florida Power is getting a 25% rate increase a month. Tell me how people are going to deal with that one. They said it was because of the fuel increases. Well, what is happening with the fuel decreases??? Someone doesn't get the picture and I am not that sure it is the public.

It has been in the mid to upper 80's this week and now over the weekend it is to drop the bottom out. 80 Saturday and 66 Sunday with a low of 43. Dag gone cold for us!!! Well, on goes the heat and more money to the power company. Hummm. Never thought I would call it the power company. In Ohio it was always called the electric company!!! Guess you can teach old dogs new tricks!

Been dreaming this week. Besides wanting that Mac, now my boss has been tantalizing me with the ipod touch. Oh how I would love one of those. I don't need one. I just want one. Everyone should have a dream...and those two are mine right now. Well...maybe three dreams...as long as I am dreaming...someone can throw in one of those Treo phones. Wow! I am just so hooked on techno things. Just love them. So if you want to donate any of those products, just leave a comment and I can make it possible for you to get them to me. I have been begging my boss...since he is constantly blatantly flaunting them before me...that he needs to get me at least one of those for Christmas, but he just smiles at me and chuckles. Nice guy.

Well, I guess since it is LULU Day I need to come clean with you all. Take a look at this. This is what the pic looked like before I ran it though editing! Thought we needed a laugh! Yikes!! I'm more wrinkled than I thought!!! But never forget...I earned every one of those wrinkles and gray hairs!!!

LOL LOL Pretty bad huh?

Anyway, I know I am posting this late in the day...so let's change this from LULU Day to LULU Weekend. Have a Loosened Up and Lightened Up Weekend. Take the time to have some special fun in your weekend...even if things are pretty rotten right now. It is just a time to put at least a bit of joy and laughter in your life. Giggle. Be silly. Do something special for someone. Do something out of the ordinary. Have some fun. It will be good for all of us.

What's that?

Do I hear laughing?

Hope so!

My thought for the day.

Enjoy.

Thought for the Day

"Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless."

---Bill Watterson---

Lazy Weekend In Florida

It was a nice weekend in Tampa Bay this weekend. Actually, it might have been just a tad warmer, but the way I look at it...you can always put clothes on...but if it is too hot there is a limit to how many clothes you can take off and then you are STILL too hot! It was about 78 out and the sun was shining in a beautiful blue sky. A rather lazy couple days to be exact.

Saturday breakfast turned out to be a challenge. It was one of many people's least favorite days in the St. Pete/Clearwater/Largo area. It was the Iron Man contest or whatever they call it. It is terrible for the residents around here when that comes to the area. We know that it brings in a lot of money but it is pure hassle for the rest of us.

I am not positive about this because I am totally not interested in it, but I think there is swimming, running and biking in the contest. Supposed to be gruelling. Because of the running and biking they close so many streets in the area that as everyone says...you can not get from point A to point B. It is a gigantic pain to get anywhere. So getting to breakfast was indeed a challenge...and not being able to get to where we had planned we pulled into the first available restaurant. It was OK but not what I had wanted.

Come to find out, the owner of the place we had intended to eat at was on TV that night complaining that he lost about $1000 for breakfast trade because of it! That might not seem like much, but to a Ma and Pa place, that is a big chunk of income! Oh well, enough said, but it definitely is a huge pain!! Glad it is over.

After getting errands done, we got back home and spent the remainder of the day having fun with laundry, surfing the Net and organizing in ACDSee. I am really putting time in on ACDSee. I was getting nowhere because I have been doing more downloading than organizing, so I decided to change my ways and really get some organizing done.

Sunday we took off to Busch Gardens. Spent most of the day there. It was such a pleasant day. Everyone our age was really taking it easy. Those with small children...well, forget it. You can imagine!!

Look at this guy. This is how nice it was. Even the roaring lion decided to sit in the sun and enjoy! Isn't it great when you can get this close to these animals!! Blow this up bigger and take a close look at him!
And the flamingos loved the sun as well and took some time to prune in the warmth of the afternoon sun.

So went our weekend. Nothing got done but we had a great time doing it! (Well, we do have clean clothes!) That is what weekends are for...R&R! We can work during the week. That is why they call it the work week!! Hope you all had a great one, too.

Till next time,

My thought for the day.

Enjoy!

Thought for the Day

"The spiritual eyesight improves as the physical eyesight declines."

---Plato---

Wowser!!

In the mornings while we are getting ready for work we watch the old old show "What's My Line" It is so old. We both used to watch it as children. Love love love it. They dressed so nicely and everyone was so polite to each other. Nothing suggestive in comments. So refreshing to us. I know. We are old prudes but we like being prudes and can't do anything about being old.

Today the "Mystery Guest" was Robert Wagner. Wow was he ever young! It took a while but they finally guessed who he was. Such a simple show yet everyone had such a good time. We continued to get ready for work.

As we pulled out of the driveway I happened to be thinking about Robert Wagner and realized I had seen him on a commercial right before I started getting ready. One of those mortgage ads, you know the ones. And my how he had aged. Thought to myself...I don't think I have aged that much but I sure didn't pull the mirror down and take a look!

So off I go down my pondering way. I was thinking about growing up and growing old. I have this theory. The way I see it...God in the beginning of puberty makes us attracted to each other because of looks. What else could he do??? We sure don't have much else going for us at that age!! So at that point we get together because we just like the way we "look" to each other. And that is great...the way I think it is meant to be.

But then...oh my...the pounds begin to creep on and the hair starts to get thin and/or gray. Soon you see wrinkles. But you know...you don't see it on each other. Isn't that funny? That is how it is supposed to be. God got us together on "looks" but he hopes that after he gets us together we will develop to much more than just "liking" each other for looks. You see...we mature...and find out what love really is. Love is about who you are...not what you look like. That doesn't enter into the equation as much as it used to. That is why most often we don't notice it in each other. While we still enjoy each other's looks, we see it in a totally different mode.

I also got to thinking about some dear friends at our church in Ohio. The Herbert's. Charlie and Francis. Dear folks. They were the kind of strong Christians you don't find many of in churches anymore...at least the churches we have found.

Charlie was bent over with arthritis. He had had many bones fused in his neck and back. Yet he always had a smile for us and wanted to talk. Francis was a sweet little lady. Tiny. Reminded me of a cute little sparrow. She had been a school teacher...I bet a good one, too. They loved each other so much.

One Sunday I was talking with Francis and I will always remember that day. She had put Charlie's walker in the trunk...all by herself...and of course with no complaining.

I went to talk with her. Charlie, she said, was having a hard time that day. I told her it was too bad that after people had worked all their lives and got to their older years that they felt so bad. And she looked at me and said, the best I can recall...Barbara, it's the way God meant it to be. You see, if we always felt young, and vigorous and well, we would never want to go back home. This is the way it is meant to be. It's OK.

Some lady, huh? She taught me so much in less than a minute. She was special and I will always remember that minute talk we had. It took less than a minute for her to explain getting old to me. It was great. She was a very wise lady indeed.

So those were my thoughts on the way to work today. I don't know why, but they were. Maybe someone needed to read this today...I don't know...but I felt right away that I had to blog this.

But it's just.............

My thought for today!

Enjoy.

Thought for the Day

"Satisfaction does not come with achievement, but with effort. Full effort is full victory."

---Mahatma Ghandi---

Well It's Over

Well, the World Series is over and the wonderful Rays were not the losers, but they didn't win. How can you be a loser if you made it all the way to the World Series after the year before and the year before...and for how long I don't know, been the worst of the worst? There is no way that could happen.

I am so so proud of this team...and I don't think I am the only one. Just like Manager Maddon said, what they learned this year they are taking back into spring training next year and they will grow even more! This is a very very young team. I swear, some of those guys looked like they were in junior high!! At least from my point of shall we say advantage???

Watch out world...we are on our way!!! Whoa!!!!

But I do have to mention the fact that I would not make a good Philly fan. I can't be that nasty. Now I know they pride themselves for that, which I think in itself is sad, but that just isn't good sportsmanship. Not a good thing to teach anyone...let alone children.

My husband read an article off the Internet to me of an interview with a Phillie's fan and he said the fans here are just TOO nice. He said...people even wished us good luck!!! He said he couldn't believe that! Made me proud to be a Tampa Bayer!!

I believe sometimes we have taken winning just one step too far. I know it is so much about money, but still, sportsmanship should still prevail above all.

Tampa Bay Rays...you are the winners in our eyes!!! Great job!

Still cold in the mornings here but glad to say the afternoons are warming back up. It is 72 now at about 3 o'clock. Should be in the 80's this weekend. That is good news!!!

I hope all of you that stop by to read my blog would take time just to leave a short Hi that you were here. I have a counter that shows people are reading but I would love to know who you are and where you live...maybe even a little about yourself. So please, drop a note just to say hi. I would love to hear from you.

Pretty quiet day today, hope it stays that way.

Hope you all have a great night.

My thought for today.

Enjoy

Thought for the Day

"If you came and found a strange man...teaching your kids to punch each other, or trying to sell them all kinds of products, you'd kick him right out the house, but here you are; you come in and the TV's on, and you don't think twice about it."

---Jerome Singer---

How Much I Would Want That!!

The local news was just in wanting me to be on TV. Just how much I would want that! Mirrors are bad enough I sure don't feel the need to see how I look in high definition!!! It seems they are doing a story on how badly the road construction, that has been two years in completion if I remember correctly, has affected our business. Well, it hasn't us a whole lot because we are contract sales, but it has just about destroyed the little printing place next to us!

So they did a story on them. But don't you know it...one of our guys was just dying to get out there so he did...and told them there had been some effect but not too bad! Great. Made me look like I lied!! Duh. He said, "I'm gonna be on television!!" Well hip hip hooray!!! Glad it made his day. Now I hope he doesn't get edited out!!

It is a cold one here today. It is one in the afternoon and still only 59 big wonderful degrees! I even wore a jacket to work today. This is the first year when I have dug out a jacket. I said last year that I am getting old enough now that I don't see the humor in being cold. I would probably give in and start wearing a jacket!! I did give in last year and bought some tennies to wear instead of my flops. I just got toooo cold! So, I guess this year it is the jacket...well...hooded sweatshirt...don't know if I can really go all the way to a jacket yet!

Well, now I have a new dream. Ugh. I never thought I would say this...but..............I want a Mac!!! And it is truly a dream. There is no way I can ever afford one of those...but we all need a dream. I pushed my friend Terry of Terry's Tales over the edge. She had been doing the pros and cons of PC vs Mac and really wanted one...I've been told they just are better than PC's...so I gave her the shove she needed (along with my daughter's help) and she made the big plunge!!! OOO...can't wait till she gets it. I want to know all about it.

Well now, the Rays get to finish up that fifth World Series game tonight. Hope they win. I always feel badly in big games of any kind. I know there is always a winner and a loser and I wish they could both be winners. It is so sad for one of the teams. But geez...if someone has to lose let it be them!!!

This weekend the time changes. Don't forget to change your clocks! For those who like to sleep in you'll get your hour back that was stolen from you a few months ago. Personally, I hate the time change. I hate coming to and going home from work in the dark! And when I get home and it is dark, I feel like it is time to go to sleep! Terrible.

In closing, be sure to vote. I know that sometimes we feel like it doesn't mean much , but it is a real freedom that we should cherish. And remember....if you don't vote....you can't whine!!!

My thought for the day.

Enjoy!

Thought for the Day

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."

---Henry Ford---

I'd Never Come Back!!!

This is a beautiful place. St. Petersburg, Florida, where the World Series is being played. It is a wonderful vacation place. It is right on the water, great beaches everywhere. Beautiful pier. Close to all the attractions of Florida...Busch Gardens, Universal, Disney World....but I have to tell you, if I was a visitor to this area right now...I doubt that I would come back.

Everywhere you go right now you see people with Mohawk hair cuts, even blue Mohawks! I am talking men, children and women. Then...everywhere you look you see 9=8!!! It is on shirts...on posters...painted on store windows...people are walking around saying, "9=8!" This is crazy!!!

Now just how many people are going to return to a place where everyone has these crazy blue haircuts and can't do first grade math??? They are going to say, "I'm not going back there...they're crazy!!!"

Ahhh but you all have to realize what is going on. It's all part of the game. What game?? THE GAME!! The World Series of course.

You see...the Mohawks are not really Mohawks but are now called Ray Hawks. It all started when one of the team members got one after a winning game, I believe, and then another and another...and then it started to spread. Now it is all team spirit in the area. Many who are reluctant to get the real thing or can't because of jobs sometimes substitute over the weekend with blue hair spray where the long hair would be!!! Some tape fake funny blue fur on their heads! Dogs get them! They gel the hair of babies!!!

I have to chuckle. The Mohawk was usually thought of as a hair cut of a rebel. I wonder what they are using now since it has become the norm??? LOL LOL

Well, that leaves us with the 9=8. What could that possibly be? Well, Manager Joe Madden , who supposedly likes to use 'ill-formed' equations which he often dreams up while riding his bike to clear his head, dreamed it up to stir his team. It really meant "nine players going hard for nine innings equals one of eight playoff spots".

All in fun! Win or lose...this has been great for this area. Not only for the team and the towns but for the kids...all of us, really.

We have seen that the worst of losers can come from behind and be real winners. You are never too down to come back.

The team has taught us you can lose...and you learn from it, but don't dwell on it. You put it aside and go on with what you learned.

You can win...but you learn from it...and believe it or not, you put that aside, too, and go on.

Because if you dwell on either one...it it surely will destroy you. If you dwell on losing...you will convince yourself you are no good and a loser. You will continue to be a loser.

If you dwell on being a winner...it too will destroy you. You will become over-confidant and sure as the world you will fall, probably when you are least expecting it.

It has taught us what being a team really is and what teamwork can produce.This team has given this area more than just a winning baseball team. It has given us a great lesson of life. I hope they know that.

Thanks Rays.

My thought for today.

Enjoy.

Pictures from tampabays10.com. Take a look at the gallery!

Thought for the Day

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing."

---George Bernard Shaw---

Passing Thoughts

I don't get it. Just because I am getting...well, what should I say...mature...does that mean I can no longer have any fun? Since the Tampa Rays baseball team has been doing so well this year I have become a die hard Rays fan. The entire area is going bonkers over them. I mean...worst to first!

Yesterday being the first day of the World Series games everyone, including me, was pretty high with enthusiasm. You have to watch how you use that word high anymore! So I come into work really encouraging the Rays. I walked out into the warehouse where two of the guys were sitting and shout...GO RAYS! WOOO! I thought they would die laughing. Now if I had been in my 20's or 30's they would have just shouted the same thing back at me...or some other funky saying that is going on here now. But instead I have to pick them off the floor laughing at me!!!

All day long when they would walk by they would say, "Go ahead...give us the call." or some thing like that. Then the laughing would start all over. They had me tell everyone we saw. I felt like a freak.

Everyone else was doing it but because I am old in their eyes...I guess I am supposed to be subdued. Right. The same thing happens when I start to dance or keep rhythm with music that is playing. So I am big AND old. It doesn't mean I don't have any rhythm or like to shuffle around. They all need to get a life. I might be an old foggy in their eyes but I am still having the time of my life! Having fun, laughing and dancing is fun and keeps you young at heart. I intend to keep doing it. Perhaps they need to follow my example!!! LOL

As for those Rays...they lost last night. Put up a good show. It was 3 to 2. No one is discouraged. It is the best four so...play ball!!!

Still busy trying to learn how to digi scrap. There is so much stuff to learn. And you just can't do something once and have it...at least not for me. I have to do it several times. It is going to take a good long while before I know enough to really put out some good layouts. But what a hobby. There is always something to do and something to learn. I just need to keep snapping pictures so that I have something to scrap!!!

Oh Oh Oh. Need to tell you. For the other "old foggies" out there that used to drink hot chocolate made with the old fashioned Hershey's cocoa, Starbucks has a new hot chocolate...well several...but I have one in particular that is great and tastes like it was made the old fashioned way. A fellow we see there often said I had to try it, so I did and wowser!!! I doubt that if you are of the Nestles generation you would share my enthusiasm. Anyway...it is called Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. Oh is it every dreamy! Gives you warm fuzzies as it brings back such great home memories. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Now I need to tell you...I don't think it is called cheap...but so worth it! What a treat!

So go the thoughts for this morning.

Take time to smell the roses...and the coffee! And above all...

Enjoy!

Thought for the Day

"What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner."

---Colette---

The Ever-Changing World

I think I am in the wrong business. If I had any sense at all I would have gone into the orange barrel business. Just where do they store all these orange construction barrels? Silly girl...they don't store them...they keep them on the sides of the roads, in the middle of the roads and even in the middle of some of the lanes!!! There has to be literally millions of these things!!! I really missed the boat on this money maker!

This is some of the work going on as you go into Tampa. At night it is a beautiful picture with the buildings in downtown all lit. But...during the day I am afraid you see mainly the construction barriers!!

Tampa is a fairly large city and looks much bigger than St. Petersburg, but as I have heard lately, St. Petersburg is actually a little larger than Tampa.

We travel this way every time we go to Busch Gardens and it seems as if they will never be done with this. It is a big laugh around here that our great-great-grandchildren will be working on I-4!

Doesn't it seem strange that they make these multi-lane highways that hold so many cars and then all of a sudden you are in a traffic jam because it merges down into two small lanes...which is what you started with in the first place? So now instead of going slower for a long distance you are at a complete stand still for what seems like hours!!!

By the way, all this area is above the ground, built like bridges. You go completely through Tampa overhead of the houses and businesses. I never like to think about that while I am diving through there!! Just gives me a weird feeling!!! One thing I do love about this area is being around so many mobile home parks. We love watching them fancy up their places for the holidays. While we were riding around the other day, Jim took me to one he saw in a park where he had been working that day. This particular place changes the tree for every season. Here is their Halloween offering! Can you believe they leave the train out and running! The joys of being in a seniors park where you are able to do that!!

I love the simple life. It appeals to me and it is where I am comfortable. We each need to find our niche and I am so glad I found mine. I hope each of you are happy wherever you are. That is what life is all about.

My thought for the day.

Enjoy.

Thought for the Day

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being."

---Johann Wolfgang von Goethe---

Love Those Devil Rays!!!

Monday has indeed rolled around! What a beautiful day in the Tampa Bay area. Sunny and mild for here...82 degrees. Ummm, just right! Everyone is smiling today even though it is though sleepy eyes for most. The Tampa Rays baseball team won the league title last night at about midnight...then the celebrations that were going on!!!! and on.....and on......

We are so proud of that team. They have gone from the worst...I am meaning THE WORST team...bottom place last year...to going to the world series this year! They are tremendous!

But what I am impressed with are the manager and team members themselves. They are truly a team. No one seems to be out for their own glory. They are out to give the team glory. And so they have!!!

And the manager, Joe Madden, is quite a guy. His idea of working with people if fantastic. He doesn't yell and stomp and scream during the games. He calmly and patiently watches the game. Not that he doesn't get upset, but only when his team is mistreated. He can have his moment!!!

Once this year, and I forget when, I heard that the opposing team seemed to be purposely aiming to hit his players when they pitched. He marched on the field and told the umpire it would stop or he was pulling his team off the field. What a change it made in the players' attitudes. He stuck up for them. They were important.

Quite often when a pitcher is having problems, you would see him go to the mound, not to pull him off, but to calm him down and encourage him, taking the edge off the pitcher. He doesn't seem to like to pull the pitcher but likes to let them work through it if possible.

The height of it all was before the last game. The biggest game the team has ever had to face. Reports had it that there was no team meeting ahead of the game. He was said to have told a reporter...they know how important the game is and they know what they have to do. I think he thought there is nothing to be said.

He was not about to get everyone worked up. He believed in them. He believed they knew their job. We had heard he always told the team, what happened yesterday doesn't matter; what happens tomorrow doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is right now. Do your job.

What a wonderful message for life. What matters most is right now. Do what you are supposed to do. Do your job.

The way he seems to treat his players reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses. The way I remember it is "He bids us build each other up". I don't know what version it is. Really doesn't matter. I guess if you want a version, the New Living Translation says it this way: "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing" 1Thessalonians 5:10-12

Wouldn't there be a change in this world, if we could just build each other up, instead of constantly knocking each other down?

Just think of it. Marriages, relationships, your children, employees.............What a change could be made on this earth.

Could we ever do it?

My thought for the day.

Enjoy.

Thought for the Day

"A life isn't significant except for its impact on other lives."

---Jackie Robinson---

Smiling Sunday

It's Sunday. Taking time to just hang around and get revitalized for the week ahead. I am just sitting here smiling. Talked to our daughter and she has put some warm fuzzies in her parents' hearts. It is always so nice when you can sit back and see your children doing all those things that you hoped some day you would get to see.

The past few days...since Thursday if I am right...daughter Nancy has been watching over...actually, taking care of, an 82 year old male neighbor. His wife had been called away for a funeral of a very dear friend and asked her if she would watch over him and make sure he is OK. He manages by himself, but she would just like for her to stop in and check on him. No problem for her...she would be happy to help.

Well, it didn't sound like a biggy. He would get his own breakfast and lunch and she had dinners she could heat for evening for him. Relatives were going to call and church would take him to Bible study and Sunday service. All should be fine.

Well as all plans go...so did this one. As it has gone so far...she has cooked meals, shared lunch with him, lets the dog out, and taken in a hot meal or had him over each day for evening meals. She just felt he was lonely and also...he did not like what was left for him! LOL

The other day while she was there, his eye doctor called and needed to see him. Very bad infection. So off to the eye doctor (he needs a wheelchair to go a distance!). Couldn't get the prescription filled because of insurance etc. and what they gave her to use was not working. His eye was fire red and watering profusely (she had worked as an opthamology tech). Had to go get drops to flush eye often till wife could get prescription filled. Infection was also very contagious!!

Then she looks out and sees his garage door opening. She goes over and he is going to go for a walk. Not good. So she suggests he get in the wheelchair and they both will go for a walk! You need to know she lives at the top of a hill and you go nowhere without going up or down a hill!! I am in a wheelchair a lot because of my muscle disease and we get a call yesterday that she has a new-found respect for anyone that pushes a wheelchair!!! To add to all this, the church forgot to come get him for Bible study on Wednesday; she had to round them up!!

What a good sport! She is still smiling, yet exhausted. With all this, she works two full-time jobs from home, home schools two of her three children, runs the house and keeps the children and herself on an exercise program that would put my exercise crazy boss to shame!!! She says...oh...I just have a special place in my heart for him. He is so sweet!

Well, at last check...after dinner last night at her house she said to him..."You know...on Sunday we grill hamburgers and have homemade french fries...." and he stopped her there with..."I'm there!!!!" LOL How could you not love this guy??

This has not only been a very special time for her neighbor... he obviously is loving the time with her and her family, feeling the joy of feeling special and having people around, but it has given mom and dad joy, seeing what you hoped you instilled in your children come into fruition.

It has been a beautiful few days. I know she is exhausted...but it is the kind of exhaustion that is worth it.

The exhaustion will disappear in a few days...but the joy she has given to one human being will last for eternity.

Her friend is thrilled..her parents so pleased...she feels good doing what she is doing...God is smiling.

"Well done my good and faithful servant."

Thought for the Day

"A smile is a curve that sets everything straight."

---Phyllis Diller---

I know...It's Been a Long Time!

Hi everyone. I haven't posted in such a long time and I hope to get into a better schedule. As I often tell everyone...life has its way of getting in the way.

I have had a nice week. Things went smoothly at work, as it usually does. I hear it once in a while how I can sort of breeze through my job and others wish they had the same pleasure. While we are not as busy right now because of the economy like everyone else in the US...I do have a lot of work to do. I just have been blessed with the ability to organize, prioritize and multi-task. It really is my strong hold. This is my inbox on the top. It is empty every morning when I get to work. Very seldom do I leave work undone at the end of the day. I hate to come in behind the eight ball in the morning. Here is part of the work I had already done before noon. So goes a job you have done for eighteen years and you could pretty well do it blindfolded with one hand tied behind your back!!!While everyday is different...everyday is still the same. It is that way with most office jobs I believe.

We had a sales rep in that put up some new displays this week. Very nice. But the guys decided to do the cleaning that day also. I couldn't help snapping a few pics. Get a look at this! We had to start off with a crash course on Sweeper...excuse me...Vacuum 101...In Ohio we used the sweeper and swept the floors. I am told you use a vacuum and vacuum the floors!! Oh well, same thing gets accomplished!! This looks staged I know...but guess again! Poor guy knew there was a button...but where??? Then of course there was the dusting. These guys are so sweet! You notice the absence of me in these pictures. SOMEONE had to take the pictures!!! And somebody had to give the orders. I wanted them to feel at home! They all love me so much!! I won't go into their comments during my directions!

Oh...life makes me chuckle. If we but look around...there are so many things that can give a smile to our faces and make the day seem brighter. Hope you look around and see them!!

My thought for today.

Enjoy.

Thought for the Day

"Learn to...be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not."

---Henri Frederic Amiel---

Swiftly Pass the Days

Life is still busy for which I give thanks. I don't even want to think of life with nothing to do. Can you imagine??? A month or two of nothing in the world to do but pass away time might sound good to most of us...but I am sure it soon would be much worse than all the years of going to work week in and week out!!!

Check out this pic. This is of our youngest son scuba diving off the Bahamas. Now I don't know about you but I am quite content just to look at these pictures. I have no desire to go look a shark in the face! He also sent a beautiful video that shows him with 30 or more sharks swimming all around him while a fellow from the scuba tours was feeding them raw meat. Now to me that takes a person that perhaps is a little over the edge!! Obviously, when he was born and they passed out brains he thought they said trains and said let them go by!!! Just kidding! When I knew he was going to the Bahamas and was taking his scuba gear, I just tried not to think about it until he returned. But that didn't work very well. At the time he went, there was a hurricane headed straight at the Bahamas. We kept in touch to let him know what was going on...so he never failed to mention what he had seen on the day's dive. So much for the well laid plans!!!

I am busily working with my digi scrapping and he also wants me to do two hands-on pages from his trip. I have plenty to fill my evenings! I like it that way, though. At my age...if you aren't activly busy doing something it is the old snore away time in the chair as you try to watch TV!! Ahh...the joys of aging!!!

We went to Busch Gardens for a while Sunday and got to see this female lion up close.It is so awesome to get to look at these animals eye to eye! They have thick plastic or glass panes that allow the animals to come right up to the windows. I personally love the apes and gorillas the most, but have to admit this lion was something special, too. We have gotten to see the male like this and his size is quite intimidating!

I love having the passes to Busch. We are only about thirty minutes away so we will decide to run over on the spur of the moment. It is nice because we only go for as long as we like so it is a very nice get away!!

The weekend is here. Hope you all have time for family fun and take some special time for you, too. If you aren't contented, you can't be the person you need to be for your family. You are important, too.

My thought for the day.

Enjoy

Thought for the Day

Inflation hasn't ruined everything. You can still use a dime for a screwdriver.

---Unknown---

I'm Just Wandering

It has been about two weeks of little irritations of which nothing was a big deal yet I could feel it wearing away at me. Just little work glitches and computer problems, software problems and unfinished projects that all want to be the proud winner of driving me over the wall. Not going to happen. I am holding my own!!!

But I haven't posted just for the fact that there has not been anything very interesting to post. But here I am with the wanderings of my life just because I am here!! I do have to boast just a tad about our wonderful Tampa Bay Rays!! They are just awesome! From worst to first!!! Can you believe it? I am now a baseball fan in the worst way!!! They are playing today at 1:00 and I sure am going to be listening. If they win this game they will be the division champs! Can't wait to see what happens!!

Election time is fast approaching. Everyone needs to vote. Please be sure to know the candidates and vote your convictions. We have the great privilege of voting so please don't just cast it aside.

Also I want to make you all aware of a wonderful blog. It is Demented Therapy. It is my daughter's blog and I think you will enjoy it. It is just her place to gripe or whatever about things that are...shall we say...getting under her skin. I find it delightful in the fact that it is therapy just because she can type it out...get it out of her system...and let it go at that. Maybe that is demented in a way...but hey, if it works!!! I don't know, perhaps there is a way you could write her about your pet gripes. Haven't thought about that before!

Hummm speaking of pets...LOL...I need to let you in on another wonderful site. It is called Sam Sezs. It is a site about cats written by a cat named Sam. There is a wonderful part where cats write in for advise. It is really cute. Look it up and enjoy a few minutes there where you can relax and just chuckle and laugh!

Well, Jim and I had to find someone new to cut our hair this week. Our beautician that we have had for about seventeen years is no longer working late enough for us to get to her shop due to the fact that she has had a baby. Do you know how traumatic it is to try to find someone new to cut your hair??? I mean...where do you start? Everyone has certain things they like and don't like done with their hair. How can you explain all this at one time to someone new?? Well, we bit the bullet and found someone. They really did do a good job...well sorta!?!! My hair is now parted on the left not the right (due to the fact that they cut your hair facing away from the mirror...thus you have no idea what they are doing!!)...LOL but I guess I like the change. I don't think my hair is thrilled about it. It still wants to part on the right but I just keep telling it...no, no...other side. Jim has beautiful waves in his blond and graying hair but he hates them. So he has them cut out. Well...until the other night anyway. She says you can't cut waves out. Hummm...we will show her you can. But all in all we are satisfied and lived through it. Technicalities will all come in time!!

I see that Mr. McCain has suspended his campaign until this economy whatever is settled. Isn't it terrible right now? I am sure that if we didn't have credit cards we all would be standing in lines to get food as many of our parents did. I am not sure that using the credit cards is the answer but....

I have rambled enough for you today. I hope to get some pics soon to share and get my flat Barbie going. All in due time. I am making progress. Hope you all have a good weekend coming up.

Just my thought for the day.

Enjoy

Thought for the Day

"Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation."

---Anonymous---

First Week Back After Vacation

The first week back after vacation is not the best week of the year...especially when you work with a bunch of guys that don't even know how to put a purchase order on a hook!!! LOL All in all my return this year was pretty easy compared to all the others. I guess they believed me when I said you can use my desk and do whatever you want...BUT...when I return, I want everything just like I left it with all you need done in one stack...or there had better be a huge Starbucks sitting in the middle of my desk!!! Knowing they are pretty much on the...shall we say cheap side...not to mention would not be caught dead inside a Starbucks...I thought I was pretty safe asking for that!!! For some reason going inside one scares them. They say...I'm not going in there!!! But anyway, this week has been pretty uneventful for which I give great thanks.

However I sure am looking forward to that trip for my Friday Starbucks with Jim. Sorry to say we have had to cut out our daily trips due to the economy. Couldn't justify the dollars...but it sure makes Friday seem very special!!! LOL

I have been working on so many things at home right now and finally getting a few finished up. Mainly trying to figure out ACDSee to organize my digital scrapping so I can digi scrap again. I don't want to let it go any longer and get so bogged down that I feel like I will never get out! I am so thankful for help from Terry of Terry's Tales. She has been working with the patience of Job with a very slow learner!

I did take time to request our mail-in election ballots. They are urging everyone to use the mail-in ballot to eliminate the long lines at the polls. Never have done that, but our daughter has done it for quite a while and it has worked well for her. I guess it is better than lines standing in the hot sun!! Even the early voting had lines for the big elections. So we will give it a try!!!

Will be heading up next week to our daughter's for our grand daughter's eleventh birthday, so we will be finishing up the last present buys Saturday! Other than that no great plans.

Guess I need to close and finish up here so I can get ready to go home. In about an hour I should be sitting at our favorite Starbucks looking out the window at the beautiful sites of Florida. It is so beautiful here. Everyone landscapes so nicely! By the way...you do realize that I am helping the planet earth when I drink my Starbucks...right? They give away all the used grounds for you to put into you soil to help your garden. I knew there was a good reason I did this!!! LOL

My thought for the day.

Enjoy

Thought for the Day

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day listening to the murmur of the water or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."

---J Lubbock---

Not A Waste of Time

I have not fallen off the face of the earth. Instead, I have been on a week of wonderful vacation. A vacation when not a thing was done except 'vacate'!! Vacate the entire body and mind of all the things we usually do day in and day out. NO schedule! NO plans! Well...only one. That was not to sleep in and waste the day by sleeping it away!

How wonderfully relaxing it was. However, I think more relaxing for me than for Jim. He is definitely the "goer" of the two of us but he said he enjoyed it, too! We ended up doing small 'jaunts' around home and they were a lot of fun.

Probably the trip we enjoyed the most was to Weedon Wildlife Preserve. This place was so wonderful for us. Oddly enough it is only about eight miles from our house and we had never been there in the seventeen years we have lived here.

You enter the preserve off a pretty busy street in a city of about 1/4 million! Yet as soon as you get there...almost utter silence! After living on a peninsula of about 2 million people for all these years the silence was at first almost deafening! But it sure didn't take long to adapt back to the peace and quiet of the country we had lived in back in Ohio!!

There was a beautiful new boardwalk of about 2 miles, where you could walk and talk and not hear anything other than your own voices and wildlife. You could feel your body just start to unwind and start to settle in to perhaps what God really had in mind for us. All of a sudden you forget about all the hustle and bustle of the busy city you just left and begin to feel a peace a body seems to seek. It almost makes you wonder where we went wrong. How did we end up destroying so much of what God gave us to keep us aligned with him? Something we will never get back!

As we walked on and saw the beautiful mangroves and more of the newly placed boardwalk we came to about the end of our trail. And there...as if we had walked into heaven, there was the most beautiful lake we had ever seen. You stand frozen in place as you see such a breathtaking scene. Such peace! Such beauty. Fish jumping in the lake, birds singing, crickets chirping. It is something you forget about when you live in a big city. We needed to be reminded of places like this. You want to prolong your time here.Vacation. Time away from all we do day in and day out. Time to disconnect. This was beautiful . I wish it for all of you.

My thought for the day.

Enjoy!

Thought for the Day

"If you know someone who tries to drown their sorrows, you might tell them sorrows know how to swim."

---Mom---

All Part of Life

Sorry I haven't been around lately. As the previous post said, another unwelcome turn appeared on scene. More computer woes.

On Friday last week, at least if I can recall correctly, it was Friday...our son who lives in New York/New Jersey surprised us, or rather me, by stopping in for the night on his way to the Bahamas (lucky him!) for vacation. He was actually staying with his friend in Ft. Lauderdale. He called father around 2:00 in the afternoon to let him know he would be in but not to tell Mom. They all love to play games with me! So as I was sitting scrapping...I see a car pull up front, the door open and all of a sudden I am getting a kiss from behind! DS #2! How nice that was!!! He took us out to eat a Carrabbas and we had a very nice time.

The next day DS was going to go to the gym and head back to Ft. Lauderdale. On the way he just happened to drop me off the best hot pressed Cuban sandwich...as he always does when he leaves. Our family is steeped in tradition! Friday proceeded as usual, looking forward to the long weekend...it had been a really hard week for both DH and me. They day over we proceed to our "traditional" Starbucks stop and head on home. Trouble on horizon we didn't expect. As I proceed to do the normal walk in the house through the kitchen and dining room I press the button for the computer monitor and then the computer. Nothing is happening!!! Only the blue screen on the monitor that says HP Invent. I asked "What is this? We don't usually get this screen!"

So right I was. As we got exploring, we had no computer, no televisions and no phones. As we found out, it was our lucking day to have been struck by lightning! We didn't even know there had been a storm. That is the good Florida weather! It seems that the surge came through our cable. (Suggestion...make sure your cable goes through your battery back up/surge protector. Our didn't!) Fried the computer, not the brand new printer. Got the cable boxes but not the televisions. Shorted the phone boxes outside...not the phones. Ugh.

Well, although the limping budget didn't like it...it was off Saturday to shop for a good, yet cheap computer *sigh* Not only was this a money concern...as you all probably know by now...neither Jim nor I am really high up on the computer hardware knowledge scale. So here we are going down the aisles of Walmart with darling daughter Nancy on the cell phone!!! I am reading boxes to her. Good...not good...fair...real good. Good price...bad price...oh brother!! Why do I have to be so stupid about these things???

Well, off to Best Buy. Start to look again. Then this young man comes up and wants to help. Seems nice. I like him. So as only I could do, I say to him, I really did say this, "Are you smart?" I didn't have to look at DH. Nothing I say ever affects him. He just goes on!!! The young man smiled and said to me, "Yes." I was impressed. Not too many people will really admit they are smart and not look cocky!! I said, "I knew you were...I could tell". We both had a chuckle. Ha ha...we bonded at that point!!

So our woes were discussed, along with what we would be doing on our computer, and he led us to the computer he thought would fill our needs. I was thrilled. Having gone over what I needed with DD and what was on this I was very impressed with him. And the price was unbelievable. It was on sale! Thank you, AGAIN, Lord!

I didn't bother to call DD. I knew this was right. You know...sometimes you just know these things.

LOL LOL I do have to add one more thing. Our darling daughter has been wanting a MAC in the biggest way for the longest time. So when I got in the car...mean Mom called her and said, "You are going to hate me!" "Mom," she said. "You didn't get a MAC did you?" "You are going to hate me", I repeated. "Mom, did YOU get a MAC?" I just laughed. "MOM, did you???" LOL by now I am laughing so hard. I finally had to come clean and tell her I did not get a MAC. She said,"I was just about to hang up on you!! LOL LOL"

Sometimes it is just fun to play!! Takes a lot of the tension out of doing something you really don't want to do. But in the end she was really amazed at what we had bought and the price we got. The end of what started out a pretty bleak aturday.

That was the start of a long few days. The next few days had been filled with learning how to set up a new computer...oh what a joy!!! Thank God we knew how to match colors!! Then cable repairman and phone guy! Wonderful fun!!! We are still putting bits and pieces back together but it is coming.

Now that we are out of the stupor of the shock of this all hitting at once we can look at what really happened. It really wasn't that bad. Oh, the budget took a very unwelcome hit...but a blessing that we could handle it. We had to deal with redoing a computer. So...we got some extra together time and got to work on something together. We missed the TV really bad...but...made us realize how addicted we were to it and even picked up books we had laid down and I got to scrap! That was nice. Now the phones...it was rather pleasant without them. We had our cells so family could still reach us. Bet we drove the solicitors crazy not being able to call...and we have the NO Call set up...doesn't work very well, does it. But life is getting back to normal slowly but surely. But this is all part of life.

And believe me, Jim and I both know we would rather have our problems of the past weekend than most anyone else's problem! We are always keenly aware that no matter what is happening to you...the person standing next to you is most likely dealing with a problem many times worse than yours.If all our problems were put in a hat we sure would be hoping to draw out our own!!

Life is not easy. But as they say...let's not sweat the small stuff. At the time I saw that blue screen on the computer...I didn't think it was a small thing...then coupled with the TVs and phones! But you know what...? They were small things. As time went on...we were able to laugh about it. All this at once! And after a few days of confusion and hassle...we are pretty well back to normal...or rather what we call normal!! LOL And I am pretty sure better off because of it!

We have a brand new computer...with no trash on it that downloads when you put a new program on your computer. The TVs are working great! The phones are back on...I missed all those solicitors on my answering machine. I do need to see why we are still getting those wonderful calls! And we sure had a break in the hum drum of our lives!! Had some good laughs together, especially as I was trying to tell Jim how the directions said to hook up that silly computer ! I was designated reader of directions!! Not always a good thing since men and women use opposite sides of their brains for that kind of stuff and see it totally different!

Remember. Life is good. Thank God for it. Enjoy it.

My thought for the day.

Just felt like sharing a bit of beautiful Florida with you all today. Take a close-up look. I think these are beautiful. Hope you like it!!