Tribulations, Saturday and the Blahs

It's Saturday and the first day of a three day weekend. Not that it means much to me. I only work two days a week. But it is a blah type of day. Overcast and Pan decided to water, so it starts to rain... for a few minutes. Now he will still have to water and pull weeds. I should be doing something constructive, like, maybe cleaning the kitchen. I mean really scrubbing it. Picking up the kids toys throughout the house, only to have them all over again when they come tomorrow and Monday.

I did go to the Princess' teachers meeting on Thursday night. I really like her teachers this year. Although it is an FCAT year for her, all of them seem to believe that learning should be fun and enjoyable. Her language arts teacher hopes to teach them to use power point by the end of the year. How cool is that. Pan will have to start working with the Princess. In math they will be starting algebra after the holidays. And science will consist of a lot of experiments. Her science teacher is also her history teacher and they will be doing some studies on ancient history. I'm in love. Have to start keeping track of those Mesopotamian, Roman and Greek shows on the history channel.

The language arts teacher has also asked us to start letting the kids write things at home, like grocery lists (shoot I knew there was something I was forgetting to tell Bombshell), thank you notes, etc. The Princess has been helping me with journaling for my scrapbook pages, but she tells, I write down. Now I think I will have her write them and then I can type it in.

All in all, I think this is going to be a wonderful year for her. She may, down the road, start getting stressed about the FCATs but I really feel that her teachers are not the kind to make a big deal out of it. Thank goodness.

en pointe
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Help Me From My Mother and Other Tribulations

Fri 8/31 blog prompt: Now that school has started back here, the big issue is the dress code. Do you agree with having a dress code and if so, who should determine what it should be? Should it be the principal, the school board, the students, the parents, the state dept. of ed or someone else?
in
I don't know that I would go as far as to say there should be a "dress code," but a dress standard needs to be put in place on the national level. No offense, but when I see little kids being dressed like movie stars the first thing that goes through my mind is that parents are trying to pimp them out. This is especially true of elementary school girls. When I pick the Princess up, I seem them in platform shoes, super mini skirts and dress, and god forbid, make up on. It's like putting a sign on them that reads:

"Are you a molestor? I'm an easy pick-up."

Granted the Princess has some glitzy clothes that she wears. Like when she is going out to dinner or I'm trying to get photos, but not for school. Bombshell and I had already had a talk about that when she was in kindergarten.

So a dress standard needs to be put in place. And like Loony, I really hate seeing boys with their Ѿ hanging out. But I think clean cut slacks or jeans and a loose polo-type shirt is a good start for a standard. Tennis shoes are a good requirement too. Okay, I've had my say and now off to do something with my day.

BeWhoYourAre
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A Freezer's Tribulations

Thurs 8/30 Blog Prompt: Just call me nosy Rosy (or Loony)! I had to defrost my freezer this month in hopes of repairing it, which we did. It amazed me to find stuff in there that I had forgotten about! Name 5 things in your freezer right now.

An easy one today, huh? I don't even need to get up and go look.

1. Several boxes of mini-pizzas
2. 1 1/2 bags Tyson Hot Wings
3. Several loaves of garlic bread
4. 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
5. A block of parmesan cheese

Do who's up for dinner? LOL

KFKAP is trying to help me type so if there are any errors we can blame it on him, ROFL.

Bubble Trouble
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Herb, Herb. You are a Tribulation

Wed 8/29 Blog Prompt: Today is More Herbs, Less Salt Day. What herb(s) do you like in your food?

Salt would be my first choice and garlic my second, except, if I remember correctly, neither of these are herbs. Oh I see, less salt. I don't use it in cooking except as called for by a recipe, so see I am trying to limit it already.

But as for herbs, those green leafy things that make meals scrumptious, I think my all-time favorite would be tarragon, or maybe cilantro, then there's thyme and rosemary. Oh shoot, I can't make up my mind which is best. I use tarragon the most as I love with it fresh mozzarella and tomatoes sprinkled with Olive Garden dressing. In the words of Rachel Ray.... Yummmmo.

UPDATE: Garlic is related to the onion family and is used in cooking as a seasoning or condiment. For more information on garlic check out Wikipedia.

On a lighter note, would you like to see how you would look as the Burger King King? Then head over here: Pet Moustache


High School
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Tribulations? Seriously!

Tues 8/28 Blog Prompt: Describe the most serious illness you have ever had.

First thing that comes to mind is when I was bitten by a brown recluse. I don't know that that really counts as an illness though. But I sure was sick. Passed out in the emergi-care center, LOL.

I was hospitalized about a year after Pan and I married for asthmatic bronchitis. I went to the doctor because I was having a little problem breathing to be told that it was surprising I was still standing (seems to me the other doctor said the same thing about the spider bite). Apparently I don't experience pain and discomfort the way normal people do and Dr. P & I went on to have a steady relationship over the next 10 years. I think he thought I was an enigma.

I didn't like much about being in the hospital as I missed being able to see my son when his band was playing out of town. Can't say the food impressed me much either. But I did like the massage machine they would thump on my back to help loosen my lungs. Pretty cool and felt good.

On to some good news though. I am back in air conditioning. Yippee. We had AirNow come in to give us an estimate on repairs yesterday and it was the compressor. Pan and I had discussed this before and he felt if that was the case then we might as well go the whole nine yards. So we ordered a new compressor and a/c-gas furnace unit. About an hour after the tech left the owner called to verify that the a/c wasn't working at all. Said something about getting at least the compressor here so we wouldn't melt that night. But talk about pulling out all the stops, he was here by 4:30 p.m., 3 huge trucks and 3 crews with the entire unit. And by 7:30 p.m., we had air. They were great. Pan teasingly says it was because I use to handle the owner's advertising accounts at the newspaper, yet he also says it may be because we ordered top of the line in the mid-section range. We now have a programable thermostat; electrostatic filter and a UV ray light to kill any mold, mildew, etc., before it goes into the duct system. It is probably more of the latter than the former I think. :)



Double Trouble
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Wordy Tribulations

Mon 8/27 Blog Prompt: What are your 10 favorite words

1. victuals (won a lot of bets with this one)
2. zarf (won some with this one too)
3. quiddity (doesn't it feel good rolling around on your tongue)
4. sward (I really wish my front lawn was this; right now it is just dirt)
5. sweven (I need a good sweven right about now)
6. quodlibet (or maybe I just need to invest in this)
7. zaftig (which is what I am)
8. volant (I, myself am not very, but I know a few people who are)
9. velitation (which is what occurs when the Ballerina and Indy are forced to spend 10 hours in a car together)
10. peripatetic (I am not, no, I refuse. Okay maybe I'll give it a try)

Now I shall digress and rant about how no one seems to want me to get any sleep these days. It all started Saturday, at 2:00 a.m. when I woke up. Don't know why, but I did. We had Indy that day and Bombshell was working a double. She picked him up 2:00 a.m. Sunday. So far, up 24 hours. But I wasn't to upset, just tired, because I knew I could sleep in until 9 or 9:30 a.m., before she brought him back for another double day.

Did not work out as planned as KFKAP decided he wanted me up at 6 a.m. and kept nudging my nose until I finally got up. Not happy, not happy at all. Still I managed to get through the day and even got some grocery shopping done to boot. And will wonders never cease, Bombshell made it home by 10 p.m. WooHoo... off to bed I go. And I can't get to sleep. So I read, until 12:30 a.m. Still, as I am drifting off, I don't have to go to work and I don't have Indy so I can sleep in as late as I want, right?

Wrong..... 5 a.m., Pan wakes me to tell me the A/C has gone out again, but this time it is not the motor. He wanted me to know that he had turned it off and opened some windows. In my semi-drowsy state the first thing that came to mind was why didn't just let me sleep; but as I came more fully awake I understand why. If I had woken to an a/c turned off I would have been even more p.o.'d than I was feeling before. So he did the right thing. Now I just have to figure out how to keep cool. The pool doesn't open for another 3 hours.

Seconds? Minutes!
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Sunday Tribulations

And tribulations they are. I had a document of stories to use on my blog and I can't locate them anywhere. Oh well. Guess I will just wing it today. Indy is here and is in a "buggy" kind of mood. Yesterday all he wanted to do was watch snake and bug movies. Today happens to be spiders. Strange that it coincides with the "B" movies being played on the SciFi channel. But last night when he had his fill of snakes he wanted more bug movies. You realize that SciFi does not to one to one catering right?

So we watched the only "bug" movie I could think of.... Starship Troopers. Indy was in heaven. It had bugs, spaceships and Marines. No better movie around. Afterwards, I did remember that The Mummy has bugs in it, but not enough for his tastes.

Ooops, I may be wrong about the spider movies, sounds like he has decided to opt out for Commando. He is fasinated with Arnold Schwarzenegger, especially in the Terminator movies. Looks like a new age of Arnold fans has arose. Will have to see if I still have the Conan movies. If not, we just bought The 300 and Bombshell tells me he really likes it.

The child is going to be a movie afficiado before he even begins school. The Princess was like that too, only she favored the Die Hards; Lord of the Rings and, of course, Harry Potter. Her tastes have changed, though, and she is more into the romance/comedy movies.

I would worry more about this, except both the Princess and Indy prefer to be doing other things. Televsion, movies, even video games don't hold a candle to being outside playing, at the pool, reading books or sitting with a sketch book and art supplies.

They will pick certain movies that they want to watch over and over and over again. Much like the Energizer's bunny going and going and going, so that you eventually want to take the dvd and break it in half. The last one for the Princess was Van Helsing; now for Indy it appears to be Starship Troopers.

Good Thing
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One year of a Word of the Week - QUIDDITY

One year, 52 weeks and 52 words of the week. So how about it? Which was your favorite? Which one did you incorporate into your speech?

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

quiddity(n)
1. the essential quality of a thing
2. a trifling distinction; quibble.

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

Tribulations and Tribulations

Just the other day, I had something I was going to blog about; but low and behold I have forgotten what it was. I could always just discuss the Canon Rebel XTi SLR camera Pan bought me for my birthday. For about the past nine months, I had been reading the reviews on Canon, Nikon and Sony. I scoured all technical references to what was the best mega-pixel; which was going to give me the photos I wanted and which felt better in my hands.

First I decided on the mega-pixels and I decided on 10. I don't have any intentions of printing many larger than poster size pictures and 10 is more than sufficient for the sizes I will be printing. As for the type of photos I wanted, all three would have given me good quality. So the deciding factor was how it felt. And the Canon felt the best. It is small and lightweight so I don't feel weighted down. Even my boss who is a newspaper publisher was impressed with it when I took it in and showed him. That said a lot right there. Then, of course, you couldn't beat the price.

Have to say I am really enjoying having it. But I am still holding onto my Sony Cybershot.

Daydream
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Never give up... Never Tribulations

Fri 8/24 blog prompt: One food you would never give up is...

a hard one to consider. But if I really had to make a choice, the winner clearly would be .... (just adding some suspense here) .... Turnip Greens. I love turnip greens, with salt and scallions. Yummy.... Some people I know add oil and vinegar to their greens; but not me. And we are not talking mustard greens or any of the other greens, just turnip greens. Why I would like them and no others is beyond me, but there it is. I could eat a whole pot of them all by myself. So it is a regular free-for-all when mom and I get together with turnips in the mix (just kidding, mom). Now I guess I will have to go buy some for the weekend.

Enthusiast

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Seasonal Tribulations

Thurs 8/23 Blog Prompt: Thurs. Aug. 23 is Southern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day -- Long awaited by our Southern-half friends, this is the day to go outdoors at high noon and yell "Hoodie-Hoo" to chase winter and make ready for spring. Do you do something traditional during a specific season (like spring cleaning for example)? If so, what do you do?

We have seasons in Florida? Oh yeah I guess we do. Hurricane and non-hurricane seasons. To get ready for hurricane season I stock up on battteries; start saving gallon milk containers and cleaning them out. Try to make sure my vehicle always has plenty of gas and buy lots of non-perishable food.

The last two years have been a lot tamer than they were predicting, but in the words of the great auror Mad-Eye Moody "Ever vigilant." Them puppies are mean and unpredictable. So no matter what, I always make sure I am ready for the worst case scenerio.


Seize the Moment
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Green Gables and Tribulations

Well, after seeing this at Loony's and Glynis' place, I thought I would give it a try. Surprise, surprise, it is a book I don't particular care about. And don't even think it gives very good description. I have a wonderful relatationship with my mother (and had with my father). I do tend to treat others with kid gloves so as NOT to hurt feelings. And I spell my name with an "O" not an "E". So there :P (BTW I took this test 3 times and still came up with the same answer).

You're Anne of Green Gables!

by L.M. Montgomery

Bright, chipper, vivid, but with the emotional fortitude of cottage
cheese, you make quite an impression on everyone you meet. You're impulsive, rash,
honest, and probably don't have a great relationship with your parents. People hurt
your feelings constantly, but your brazen honestly doesn't exactly treat others with
kid gloves. Ultimately, though, you win the hearts and minds of everyone that matters.
You spell your name with an E and you want everyone to know about it.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Oh Goodness, Tribulations

Wed 8/22 Blog Prompt: Wed. Aug 22 is Be an Angel Day. Tell something nice you could do for someone today.

I did something nice today. Really, I did. Bombshell had the afternoon off so was going to pick the Princess up from school; but I told her I would do it so she wouldn't have to rush home to be here in time. As it turned out she got here in plenty of time, but I went ahead and picked the Princess up anyway. Gave the two of us some chatty time without her being moody, LOL.

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Procrastination Tribulations

Tues 8/21 Blog Prompt: What are you putting off right now?

Easy one.... analyzing the credit card statements at work. Seems like everytime I start to do them, I get interrupted and I have already made two mistakes in someone's payroll because of the interruptions. They are already two months behind so I don't think putting them off until the new people get settled in is going to hurt in any way.

Nature Boy
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Email Tribulations

Mon 8/20 Blog Prompt: Name three people you last e-mailed, and why.

1. Willjenni about the new update to Virtual Photographer for Vista.
1. Mom (and others) - some pictures I took yesterday with my new camera. Just showing off.
2. Loonyhiker to pass along the Rockin' Girl Blogger award. Why? Why, you ask? Because she really deserves it for all the hard work she does in providing the blog prompts every three months. Glynis really deserves it too and I am happy to see that Loony passed it along to her.

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Relaxation, Elvis and Computer Tribulations

Look at this, I only missed three days this week instead of the whole thing, LOL.

Wed 8/15 Blog Promp: Aug 15 is National Relaxation Day. Tell what things you see, hear or do that relaxes you.

Reading relaxes me. I love to read and we have a whole room devoted to books. Not really a library, since eventually it is going to be Pan's play room where he can fiddle around with a server and build new things for Halloween; but it has a whole wall of bookcases filled with books, books and more books. Many of which I have read several times. Pan is teasing me now because I have started Deathly Hallows for the 5th time.

Thurs 8/16 Blog Prompt: Aug 16 is the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. Do you know who Elvis is? If so, what was your favorite movie? Are you a big fan of his? Why or why not?

Of course I remember Elvis Presley. And I think my favorite movie was Charro. He actually got to act in that one instead of relying on his singing (which was fabulous); but he really could act too.

Fri 8/17 blog prompt: Name five things lying around your computer.

1. Two cameras, a Sony Cybershot DSC-F707 and a Canon Rebel XTi.
2. A Epson Stylus Photo 1280 printer (which needs to be cleaned professionally)
3. HP Scanjet 4670 scanner (which isn't working)
4. A bottle of water.
5. The Deathly Hallows.

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Word of the Week - COAPTATION

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

coaptation(n)
the joining or adjusting of parts to each other, as of the ends of a broken bone.

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

Oh Wow, Oh Wow & Tribulations

Hey you, yes you. Look to the right.
Yep right there ----------> Do you see it?

I must say I was wonderfully pleased and surprised to see that I was presented with the Rockin' Girl Blogger award from Karooch of Scraps of Mind. Golly Gee. Thank you Karooch for all your support and advice.

And this coming right on top of an early birthday present of a Canon Rebel XTi camera. No wonder I couldn't sleep, LOL.

Now to pass along this award to some of those I think deserve the recognition:

Bug of One Happy Dog Speaks. She got me started in blogging and keeps an interesting stream of mother's thoughts and little boys fascination with body parts alive and kicking on her blog.

Mrs. Who of House of Zathras. Her exposés on the workings of a teacher's mind will leave you with a sense of awe for all that teachers do and go through.

Loonyhiker of The Life of Loonyhiker. One of my cohort in arms for providing daily blog prompts; which I have sadly been ignoring this week.

Thanks ladies for making my world a little happier and wiser by reading your blogs.

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Movies, Thrillers & Tribulations

Mon 8/13 Blog Prompt: August 13 is Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday. In honor of his birthday, name the movie(s) that scare you the most.

I can't think of any that really set me on edge the way Hitchcock's movies did. It wasn't that they were scary; but had your heart pumping, sitting on the edge of your seat type thrill; much like the "Sixth Sense" did when it first came out. But that is the last movie that I remember having that type of thrill to it. There may be more, I just haven't seen them.

Oh, I like good horror movies, but am pretty particular about what I consider good. I don't like the slasher movies. I want my horror movies to make me think, to consider what is coming next and be surprised, either to find out I am right or wrong. So until someone come out with another like Hitchcock's "The Birds" or Night's "The Sixth Sense," I think I will stick to SciFi.



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Word of the Week - SWARD

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

sward(n)
grass-covered soil; turg.

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

Generational Tribulations

Fri 8/10 blog prompt: Friday Aug. 10 is the anniversary of the Smithsonian Institute. If you could put one item in the Smithsonian (national Museums in Washington DC), what would you want preserved for future generations?

Oh, this one is tough. I am sure that just about anything I would put in there is probably already there. Though if I could, I would probably put a piece of United Airlines Flight 93 in a glass case with pictures of the those who attempted to retake the plane; as a reminder of an awful day, but also of the courage that was spawned in the face of adversity.



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Days, Weeks, Current Events & Tribulations

Wed 8/8 Blog Prompt: What is your favorite day of the week?

Well, I really like Saturday and Sunday as Pan is home all day then; and every other Sunday is the only time we really get to spend with Indy now that he is in daycare. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are kind of neat too. Those are my days with the Princess and we go to the pool, out to lunch, etc. Tuesdays and Thursdays are kind of a break in the week as I go to work on those days. Most times I really enjoy it; right now I am still trying to catch up from when I was out for two weeks. So it is a little stressful.

All in all, I think I like each and every day the same. No favorites here.

Thurs 8/9 Blog Prompt: I'm in the mood for some "current events" today and would love to hear what the weather is like in your part of the world. Also, how much did you pay for gas the last time you filled up your car?

The weather is hot..... Right now, my weather pixie says 79ºF; by desktop and local weather say it is 82º, but feels like 93º. The high for today is suppose to be 97º. What a time for our a/c to stop working, huh? And we will probably have some thunderstorms before the day is over. They don't last very long, unfortunately. As far as gas goes, the last time I filled up, I think it was around $2.76 per gallon for regular, which is what I use in my truck. Beats the $3.50 we were paying last year, I guess.



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Morals, Hands and Tribulations

And the moral of the story is: Two out of three people prefer Cheerios.

Tues 8/7 Blog Prompt: Look at your hands. Why are you grateful for them?

The first thing that comes to mind is that I am grateful I can hold my loved ones. Then look at all the great things you can do with hands; type on the computer, write a letter, paint a portrait, the list is endless. Still the best thing is to be able to hold someone close to you; catch them as they fall (or jump).


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Jokes, Laughter & Tribulations

Mon 8/6 Blog Prompt: Aug. 6 is Lucille Ball’s birthday. I thought she was a great comedienne so in honor of her birthday, I thought we could tell a joke.

Wow, this one is going to be a hard one for me. I don't really tell jokes, not well anyway. But let's see what I can do... I think I got it. But a little background may be beneficial here.

Back 15 years or so when Bombshell was only 12, she had decided she wanted to be a comic. She made up her own stand-up routines, many of which featured her as superhero "WonderWear" with her faithful sidekick "Underbra." Though the following is about neither, it is one of the routines she did tell us one night at dinner. (My sister also posted it on her blog years ago, but maybe you didn't see it). So on with the show and I hope you can make it through without falling asleep:

Once upon a time in a city far, far away in a little pink house lived a little lady. She spent her days tootling around in her little pink car and cleaning her little pink house.

On one eventful day after eating her meal in her little pink dining room, the little lady took a bath in her little pink bathroom with its little pink sink, little pink toilet, little pink tub and little pink shower curtain. After her bath she put on her little pink robe and little pink slippers and brushed her teeth with her little pink toothbrush. Since it was still fairly early the little lady decided to go down to her little pink den and read a book. When she got to her little pink den, she walked across her little pink rug to her little pink chair and sat down. She took off her little pink slippers, curled up in the little pink chair, turned on her little pink lamp and proceed to read.

She was about a quarter of the way through the book when her doorbell rang. She put her book on her little pink table, put on her little pink slippers, walked across the little pink rug to the little pink foyer and opened the little pink door. On the little pink doorstep was a man dressed in blue. He said that his car had broken down and did she have a room for the night.

The little lady invited the man into her little pink foyer and walked him to her little pink stairs. Once upstairs she showed him to the first pink door on the right. In the room was a little pink rug, a little pink dresser, a little pink night stand, a little pink lamp, a little pink bed with little pink sheets, little pink blankets, little pink pillows and a little pink comforter. Little pink curtains hung from a little pink window.

After showing the man to his room, the little lady decided to go back downstairs and finish her book. When she got to her little pink den, she walked across her little pink rug to her little pink chair and sat down. She took off her little pink slippers, curled up in the little pink chair, turned on her little pink lamp and proceed to read.

She was about half of the way through the book when her doorbell rang. She put her book on her little pink table, put on her little pink slippers, walked across the little pink rug to the little pink foyer and opened the little pink door. On the little pink doorstep was a man dressed in green. He said that his car had broken down and did she have a room for the night.

The little lady invited the man into her little pink foyer and walked him to her little pink stairs. Once upstairs she showed him to the second pink door on the left. In the room was a little pink rug, a little pink dresser, a little pink night stand, a little pink lamp, a little pink bed with little pink sheets, little pink blankets, little pink pillows and a little pink comforter. Little pink curtains hung from a little pink window.

After showing the man to his room, the little lady decided to go back downstairs and finish her book. When she got to her little pink den, she walked across her little pink rug to her little pink chair and sat down. She took off her little pink slippers, curled up in the little pink chair, turned on her little pink lamp and proceed to read.

She was about three quarters of the way through the book when her doorbell rang. She put her book on her little pink table, put on her little pink slippers, walked across the little pink rug to the little pink foyer and opened the little pink door. On the little pink doorstep was a man dressed in yellow. He said that his car had broken down and did she have a room for the night.

The little lady invited the man into her little pink foyer and walked him to her little pink stairs. Once upstairs she showed him to the third pink door on the left. In the room was a little pink rug, a little pink dresser, a little pink night stand, a little pink lamp, a little pink bed with little pink sheets, little pink blankets, little pink pillows and a little pink comforter. Little pink curtains hung from a little pink window.

The little lady decided she would finish her book in bed, so proceeded down the little pink hall, she entered her little pink bedroom, with the little pink rug, a little pink dresser, a little pink night stand, a little pink lamp, a little pink bed with little pink sheets, little pink blankets, little pink pillows and a little pink comforter, where little pink curtains hung from a little pink window. She put on a little pink nightshirt and hung up her little pink robe and put her little pink slippers in her little pink closet. She turned on the little pink lamp, pulled back the little pink comforter, little pink blankets and little pink sheets and crawled into her little pink bed, pulling the little pink sheets, little pink blankets and little pink comforter up over her and finished her book. She laid her book on her little pink nightstand, set her little pink clock, turned off her little pink lamp and went to sleep.

When her little pink clock went off in the morning, she got out of her little pink bed, dressed in her little pink jeans and little pink blouse, putting on little pink sandals. She put her little pink nightshirt into her little pink hamper and made her little pink bed by pulling up the little pink sheets, little pink blankets and little pink comforter and placing little pink pillows along the little pink headboard. Now it was time to exit the little pink bedroom, go down the little pink hallway and down the little pink stairs and through the little pink archway to the little pink kitchen, with its little pink refridgerator, little pink stove, little pink sinks, little pink drawers and little pink cabinets. She opened one little pink cabinet and took out three little pink bowls and put them on the little pink table. Then she opened a little pink drawer and took out three little pink spoons and put them on the table.

The first man in blue came down to the little pink kitchen and sat in a little pink chair at the little pink table. The little lady asked him what he would like for breakfast. He said Cheerios. So she poured the Cheerios in to a little pink bowl, took a little pink jug of milk from the little pink refridgerator and poured some over the Cheerios and set it on the little pink table in front of the man in blue, who proceeded to pick up a little pink spoon and eat.

The second man in green came down to the little pink kitchen and sat in a little pink chair at the little pink table. The little lady asked him what he would like for breakfast. He said Raisin Bran. So she poured the Raisin Bran in to a little pink bowl, took a little pink jug of milk from the little pink refridgerator and poured some over the Raisin Bran and set it on the little pink table in front of the man in green, who proceeded to pick up a little pink spoon and eat.

The third man in yellow came down to the little pink kitchen and sat in a little pink chair at the little pink table. The little lady asked him what he would like for breakfast. He said Cheerios. So she poured the Cheerios in to a little pink bowl, took a little pink jug of milk from the little pink refridgerator and poured some over the Cheerios and set it on the little pink table in front of the man in blue, who proceeded to pick up a little pink spoon and eat.

And the moral of this story is..........................(to be continued tomorrow, if you don't figure it out today)

Polaroid Frames by Andrea Rascaglia; Fonts: Euphorigenic 5, Earwig Factory; Paper & Element Tutorials: Tied Ribbon by Tbogm, Using Shape Templates in PSE3 by Jaklouie, Wax Seals in PSE3 by Jaklouie, Basic Washers--PSE 3.0 by ScrapperFL, How to make a glossy slide mount by Michelle Pieters

Word of the Week - SWEVEN

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

sweven(n)
[archaic] a dream or vision.

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

Bugs, Birthdays and Tribulations

With a new kitty that seems to think Pan's works schedule of leaving at 6:30 a.m. is the mark of a wake-up call even on the weekends, is at least is giving me the opportunity to wish the Bug, my baby sister and very HAPPY BIRTHDAY. She turned 43 today. Getting old there sis.

Hope you have a good one today and will try and call you later.

Lost, Found & Tribulations

Fri 8/3 Blog Prompt: How would you spend a found $20 bill?

First I would see if I could find who it belonged to. Then being just $20 (face it, it just doesn't buy what it use to); I would probably use it to take the Princess to lunch so we could sit and talk and do silly things that an eight year old likes to do.

Sketch, (c) Robin Cabana
Signa kit, (c) Jessica Bolton
Word art, (c) Laurie Garza
Doodle, (c) Angie Briggs
Font: Army of Darkness
Poem by Michelle Gregory

Picnics, Activities & Tribulations

Thurs 8/2 Blog Prompt: If you could plan the ideal picnic for your family, what would it look like? Be sure to include the following: Food, Location , Activities


This could actually be a twofold question for me. Since our children are all grown up we could, in essence, just have a picnic for two. That being the case I will address both picnics.

With the kids and grands here, the ideal picnic would be held at one of the many parks we have around here. There would be time for playing on the playground or splashing around the water for the little ones and tables, seats and plenty of shady trees for all the adults to sit around and talk. Dinner would consist of fried drummettes, potato salad, deviled eggs and plenty of fruit. Water, tea, soda and beer would be available to quench any thirst.

But if we are talking about just Pan and myself, the picnic would be held on the boat just at sunset. Pan would be qrilling steaks; while I fixed a salad or tomatoes and mozzarella slices splashed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Pan would probably be sipping on a beer while I had a glass of red wine to compliment the meal. We would watch the sun go down and the stars come out as we consumed out meal. Afterwards, we would either talk or if we brought some books along, read. What better way to end a day or a picnic.

In a Spot QuickClick Template, Club Digital; (c) Lauren Bavin

Spirit of Summer kit, SNL 27; (c) Rachael A.H.

Font: DSP Rachael

www impact & tribulations

Wed 8/1 Blog Prompt: Happy August everyone! According to the website "Daily Holidays of 2007", today is the anniversary of the World Wide Web. Blog Prompt: Tell how the internet has made an impact on your life.

I sit here and stare at a monitor screen thinking how to write about the impact the internet has made upon my life. And draw a complete blank. Oh, it has made an impact, no doubt; but what to write is eluding me.

Most importantly it has allowed family members to keep in touch. Even when I couldn't call Nuke and Scamp, I could email them. When they were in a war-ravaged land or below the ocean waves, it was important to let them know they were being thought of.

It has allowed me to continue learning, book learning that is . Keep current on news that is important to me; not necessarily what newscasters think is important to me. It has allowed my creative juices to flow; given me to opportunity to try new skills I would have never thought I possessed.

Sketch, ©2006 Tina E.J. Raparanta

Poppy kit, (c) Tracy Collins

Summer Picnic alpha, (c) Tracy Collins

Photos, Scrapping and Tribulations

Tue 7/31 Blog Prompt: Take a photo you've been meaning to scrap and write your journaling for it here.

There are so many. Digital photography has really changed how I take pictures. I take hundreds of them at a time. What surprises me is how many of them really come out excellent. But in the vein of today's prompt, how about I journal about the scrapbook page below where I left off the journaling.

I titled the page "Cousins" even though the word does not appear anywhere on the page. The two young ladies, the Princess and the Ballerina are, in fact cousins. But to look at them together one may mistakenly take them for sisters. Even they will call one another sister, furthermore confusing those who do not know them.

Still, the Princess is half Filipino; while the Ballerina is half Japanese. So while they may look similar, their heritage is not. And I wonder as time progresses, if their appearances will become more similar or will each take a different path. Only time will tell.

Template, (c) Michelle Coleman
LimeTea Page Kit, (c)2005 Nancie Rowe

Twenty-Seven Tribulations

Scraps of Mind has a new scrapbooking challenge up and it really sounded interesting so here is my take on the black and white trend surfacing among scrapbookers these days:

Swirl from New Year kit, (c) Rhonna Farrer
Alpha from Springy Step kit, (c) Atomic Cupcake

Hats Off to Tribulations

Mon 7/30 Blog prompt: How many different 'hats' will you wear today? Will you be mom, grandma, employee, employer..etc. How do you balance all of it?

Today I get to be Tink. The Princess will be here soon and I am sure we will be heading to the pool for a quick (2+ hours) dip. Then we will head home for lunch and a bit of rest and relaxation. She will probably watch television in the living room while I either watch it in the back, work on the computer or re-read Harry Potter.

This evening I will spend with my spouse of 18 years. Yep, today is our anniversary. We actually went out to dinner last night since he wasn't sure how his work week would be seeing that it is the end of the month. I asked him if it felt like 18 years and his reply was no, we were still on our honeymoon. He is a darling Pan and I really do love him with all my heart.

A new layout for summer using pieces from the SNL #27 kit.

Falling Quick Click Template, SNL #27, (c) bentrdr
Papers, SNL #27, (c) brkforcoffee
Alpha, SNL #27, (c) karen_76123
FlipFlops, SNL #27, (c) Ethyl
Stitches, SNL #27, (c) tjmuse

Wild, Free & Spontaneous Tribulations

Okay, maybe not wild, free or spontaneous, but the fact that I actually am trying to catch up on the blog prompts is (isn't it?).

Mon 7/23 Blog Prompt: What advice would you give to your younger self?

Younger self as in a child or younger self as in a young mother? Oh not designated? well how about I just respond to both then. I would tell child self to pay more attention to my parents. They really did know what they were talking about and could have saved myself a lot of heartache along the way.

If I am talking to young mother self, it would be the same as any other mother would tell her younger self... hug them every day, listen to what they have to say, tell them you love even when you are angry. Oh, I did all these things, it's just now I wish I had done them even more.

Tue 7/24 Blog Prompt: Find a proverb or saying that you think is true.

Tis easy here. My mother had a saying that she wrote in the front pages of her bible when she was younger. Something along the lines of:

"God never closes a door without first opening a window."

And whether you believe in the same God I do or none at all, it still is appropriate. There are always alternatives, sometimes you just have to look for them.

Wed 7/25 Blog Prompt: Stand in a favorite spot in your house, garden, wherever and describe it for us in detail.

Actually I'm not standing but cuddled with legs beneath me and a comforter wrapped over my upper legs. If I look up I can see the sky and an occasional bird that decides to see if there are any bugs in the seams of the skylight. Still above and just forward a little is a 56" ceiling fan with bamboo leaf shaped paddles. Probably a little to big for the room especially since you can reach up and touch it while kneeling on the bed.

Behind me is the leather headboard of my kingsize sleigh bed with 3 or 4 pillows propped up against it. The footboard is also leather but is usually covered by a rich red & gold booster pillow my mother made for me.

To my right is Pan's side of the bed. His side table currently is a drafting table. The window is also on that side of the room and the wall is covered with silky moss green and light gold curtains to make the window look larger.

Again looking in front of me is another wall. To the right on that wall is the door to Pan's bathroom. Directly ahead is the flat screen LED television. Below it is the cutout in wall to house the new receptacles and cable wires which he ran in the wall so they wouldn't be hanging everywhere. There is also a shelf on the cutout to put the cable box and Pan's x-box, with room for his games. It needs some more work since Indy tried swinging on one of the brackets holding the shelf up. One of these days I need to put something else on that wall. It is just too bare.

To the right is door to the hallway and the door to the walk-in closet (which isn't walk-in anymore since so much stuff is in it). And next to my side of the bed is a round table with two levels. Both tables have lamps (which match) and clocks (which don't). There are books and magazines on the bottom level of my table, so many I need to start moving some of the out. There is also a dark red brocade stool on my side of the bed.

The floor is cork and is cork colored. It is soft to walk on and easy to clean. Indy has a box of his toys on the floor, normally they are not in the box but on the bed. And if I bother to move the decorative pillows currently residing on the bed around I would probably find more that needs to go into his box.

Thur 7/26 Blog Prompt: Make up a great excuse why you can't work today.

Funny that this prompt should fall on Thursday, especially since it is just one of the two days I do have to go to work. But my excuse would have been that it was just to nice and I needed to get the exercise lounging at the pool would provide. Somehow I don't think they would buy that though.

Fri 7/27 Blog Prompt: What was the last movie that made you really laugh? Or do you have one you've seen over and over and still makes you laugh?

I am not much of a comedy type watcher. And although I don't like the movie and won't watch it, when Pan is, I have him call me in for one particular scene in Porky's. It is when the two coaches, the principal and Ms. Ballbreaker are in the principal's office. Each time I watch it, it will have me rolling on the floor. Not because it is particularly funny; but because the two coaches aren't faking their laughs. Or if they are, they are darn good. There laughter is just so infectious and I will invariably end up holding my sides while watching them.

Now how about another scrapbook page. This time flowers from mother's backyard.



Template, (c) Pattie Knox, Digital Designers
Gold & Blue papers, (c) Lisa Whitney
Marigold Fields paper, (c) Katie Pertiet
Flowers, (c) Sande Krieger
Brushes, (c) Mary Ann Wise
Font: Dirty Finger, (c) Harold Lohner

Word of the Week - PEDAGOGUE (PEDAGOG)

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

pedagogue, a/s/a pedagog(n)
a teacher; often specifically a pedantic, dogmatic teacher.

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

Tribulations of the Blahs

I just can't seem to get going on anything these days. Not for very long anyway. Well except maybe finishing the new Harry Potter book, but I read it on the way to and from visiting Pan's family on Saturday.

I know I am getting older (51 next month); but I really am not getting the normal aches and pains one associates with age, it's my hair. It's driving me nuts and I really need to get it cut. Only thing, once I start I have to have it cut every 3 weeks and that can get a bit pricey. I have hair to die for, waist long, thick, silky, luxurious, black brown with a tad of silver flittering through. And yep, it is going to be the death of me. With it this long it gets in the way, no matter how I try to put it up. It is hard to wash (takes at least an hour) and takes forever to dry. But the worse is when I am trying to sleep. Putting it up gives me headaches and leaving it down it is all over the place, including my ears, eyes, nose and mouth.

Also I seem to be just roaming from one thing to another without ever really spending time doing one thing. At least since the surgery. I just seem to have the Blahs. Maybe soon I will get over them and set out on a journey of exploration to share. Until then, how about a scrapbook page I actually did finish:




Template, (c) Misty Cato, Treasures to Scrap
Day Dreams kit, (c) Carrie Stephens, Scrapbook-Bytes
Shine On brush, (c) Lynn Grieveson, Digital Designers
Compass brush, (c) Katie Pertiet, Digital Designers
Circle Grunge brushes & Watch frame brush, (c) Kellie Mize, Digital Designers

Word of the Week - PELAGE

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

pelage(n)
the coat or covering, of a mammal, as hair, fur, etc..

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

Eight Random Tribulations

While not specifically tagging me on her blog, the bug called to tell me I was tagged. (Talk about tribulations.) Anyhow, I guess I am suppose to tell you eight random things about myself.

1. I ran out of the house naked when I was little. I think I was in trouble.
2. I talked ddpup into helping me paint the trailer we were temporarily living in with turpentine. I definitely was in trouble.
3. I once put my favorite shirt over a lamp to create a fairytale mood and forgot about it when mom called us to lunch. It started smoking and mom called the fire department. Boy was I in trouble.
4. When we lived in Arkansas, mom, ddpup and I would lay out on the lawn and name the constellations. Didn't get in trouble for that.
5. I wouldn't finish my classwork in first grade so I wouldn't have to go on the playground.
6. In California, I had a choice for my birthday. A small telescope that I could take home immediately or wait for the bigger one. I waited.
7. Soon after getting my driver's license, ddpup, a friend and I were driving on the base in Illinois, when a mouse jumped out of the wiper well. Scared the tribulations out of me.
8. When my ex failed his journeyman's test the first time, he brought the test home and read the questions out to me. I got them all right.

It's up to you if you want to do this random 8 meme.

A Handful of Tribulation

At 10 months


Handprint, (c) Katie Felix
Serendipity kit, (c) Atomic Cupcake
Fonts: Helinda Rook

Word of the Week - QUODLIBET

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

quodlibet(n)
1. an academic debate or exercise in argument, esp. on the theological question
2. a humorously incongruous musical medley.

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

A Star, a Birth and No Tribulations

I had really intended to do a scrapbook page a day for each of the grands; but somehow never got it done. And I failed to start it with the Princess but maybe I can rectify that now. So in honor of a precious girl who turned 8 yesterday and whose birthday is being celebrated today at the pool, here is the start of the a Star Attraction...

Page Template, © 2005 Monica McGill
Baby of Mine Kit, Atomic Cupcake
Fonts: 101!Star Lit Night; Escrita; Blackadder ITC
Poem by Larry Barretto

The Princess turned 8 years old Today

Happy Birthday Honey,
from Tink, Pan, Uncle Nuke, Uncle Scamp, Aunt Honey and the Ballerina

Template, (c) Misty Cato Designs
Pity Party kit, (c) FernLili of FernLili's Digital Designs
Fonts: PonytailSSK; ZephyrScript FLF

A Long and Lazy Tribulation

Haven't been posting much. Don't really know why. Lazy, maybe.... Or just a reaction from the surgery. Just can't seem to get into anything this last week. Blogging, scrapbooking, cross stitching or even crossword puzzles. I just kind of float from one thing to another, not really completing anything. Except the dishes, LOL.

I really have no reason not to go back to work, but I left with the indication that it might be 2 weeks so got nearly 2 weeks worth of work done before I left. I really was going to go in this morning. I didn't sleep well last night. It was the first night I went without the pain medication. Oh I have some, it was only suppose to last me two days and nearly two weeks later I still have half a bottle. So after getting to sleep after 2 a.m., I decided I wasn't going in this morning either. Of course, I woke at 7:30 a.m. to the sound of thunder and of rain pelting the skylight over the bed. Another excellent reason for staying home don't you think?

Maybe tomorrow I will go back in for an hour or two. Maybe.

Word of the Week - RECHERCHE

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

recherche(adj)
1. sought out with care; rare; choice; uncommon
2. having refinement or studied elegance
3. too refined; to studied.

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

Beauty in a Make-Up Tribulation

Fri 7/6 Blog prompt: Do you wear makeup? Love it or hate it? If you do wear it, is it for you or other people?

Me in make-up? You have to be kidding. Even as a teenager I wasn't particularly fond of it (although I wore it because in my mind I was rebelling, go figure). It makes my face itch and feel yucky.

That isn't to say I never wear it. Occasionally I do. Like to big dinner parties or formal parties. Nowadays, we don't have those as much. On that note, I guess I wore it more for other people than myself.

A Beautiful Change of Tribulations

Thur 7/5 Blog Prompt: How have your ideas of what is beautiful changed since you were a child?

I don't think they have much. Though I probably didn't think about art and artists much when I was little. Back then a field full of clover, a night full of stars, getting up close and personal with a bumblebee caught in a bottle, clover necklaces and a Christmas tree covered with angel hair were beautiful. They still are. And the memories are beautiful.

Being a Patriot is No Tribulation

Wed 7/4 Blog Prompt: Do you have a favorite patriotic song? Share it with us...we'd love to hear it!

First I guess you should know that I am fiercely patriotic. I believe in my country and my military and just about any song which extols the virtues of one or the other or both will make me swell with pride and get all teary-eyed. But being a military brat, it is the military songs that are dearest to my heart.

The Marine Hymn
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in ev'ry clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job--
The United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.

The Navy Hymn
Lyrics by Reverend William Whiting and Music by Reverend John B. Dyke

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep,
Its own appointed limits keep.

Oh hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea! Amen.

Eternal Father, lend Thy grace To
those with wings who fly thro' space,
Thro wind and storm, thro' sun and rain,
Oh bring them safely home again.

Oh Father, hear an humble prayer,
For those in peril in the air! Amen.

Oh Trinity of love and pow'r,
Our brethren shield in danger's hour,
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them where so e'er they go.

Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea! Amen.

Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder
Words and Music by Captain Robert Crawford, ©1939 as the "Army Air Corps Song."; renewed 1977 by the USAF

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun;
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,
At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!)
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
Off with one heckuva roar!
We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder
Sent it high into the blue
Hands of men blasted the world asunder,
How they lived God only knew!
Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer
Gave us wings ever to soar,
With scouts before and bombers galore, Hey!
Nothing'll stop the US Air Force!

Here's a toast to the host of those
Who love the vastness of the sky,
To a friend we send a message
Of his brother men who fly.
We drink to those who gave their all of old,
Then down we roar
to score the rainbow's pot of gold.
A toast to the host of men we boast, the US Air Force.

Zoom!

Off we go into the wild sky yonder,
Keep the wings level and true!
If you'd live to be a grey-haired wonder,
Keep your nose out of the blue! (Out of the blue, boy!)
Flying men guarding the nation's border,
We'll be there, followed by more,
In echelon we carry on! Hey!
Nothing'll stop the US Air Force!

10 Tribulations & Counting

And the Princess will be 8 years old. Where has the time gone?

CREDITS: Two Peas, January 2006 Freebie kit, ©2006 Anne Langpap
Two Peas, Floral Stamp from Flowers Are Beautiful kit, ©2006 Rhonna Farrer
Two Peas, flower stamp from A Little Pizzaz, ©2007 Sande Krieger
Scrapartist, Elements from Avec Amour, ©2006 Isabelle Cyr aka zazou
Scrapartist, Love & Affection word art, ©2006 Daniela Peuss

A Beautiful Tribulation

Tue 7/3 Blog Prompt: Define the idea of beauty -- physical, artistic, natural, whatever...just talk about what you think is beautiful.

"Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates
them."

~David Hume's Essays, Moral and Political, 1742

Physical: To see a child laughing. The sparkle of happiness in a person's eye. Two people holding hands, no matter what the ages are; a child and parent, an elderly couple; a couple contemplating their life together....

Artistic: Resilient Wanderer, Clyde Caldwell; Passion, Sir Frank Dicksee; The Sailing Signal, Arthur Hughes; On the Terrace at Rolleboise, Daniel Ridgway Knight; Arthur Steps Up, Don Maitz; High Cross of Clonmacnois, Mary McSweeney; Greeting the Dawn, Keith Parkinson; On the Terrace, Sir Edward Poynter; The Cherry Bonnet, Emile Vernon; Passage: The Avatar, Michael Whelan; Lunar Celebration, Wyland; are but a few of the many.

Natural: Watching the waves lap upon the white sand shore. To stand beside a redwood and see a deer peering from behind another. Gazing down at the Grand Canyon, either from edge or from a plane. Rolling black clouds of an impending storm. A sunset from the boat.

Waves lapping

Sunset

Tribulations and UFOs

Mon 7/2 Blog Prompt: Today is World UFO day. What do you think UFOs are? Do you believe in little green men?

Today Ordinary Days starts leading the blog prompts again and she has started with a doozy.

Well, I think UFOs are exactly that... Unidentified Flying Objects. And no, I don't believe in little green men. But that doesn't mean I don't believe in extraterrestrial life.

I think Jodie Foster expressed it best in "Contact" when she said:

"So if it's just us... It seems like an awful waste of space."

Word of the Week - REFULGENT

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

refulgent(adj)
shining; radiant; glowing; resplendent.

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

High School Graduation Tribulations

Fri 6/29 Blog Prompt: What were your high school colors? Team names? Clubs you belong too? Did you graduate? What do you remember most about your graduation day?

I went to two different high schools. John F. Kennedy in Guam and Mascoutah Community High in Illinois.

JFK's colors were green and gold. That was also the name of the teams. Green and Gold. There were no other high schools on the island so we had to play against ourselves. It was there I belonged to the Latin Club. I really wasn't much into clubs anyway. I had too many other things I wanted to do.

Mascoutah touted maroon and white as the school colors. And, you know, I can't recall the name of their team. But then again, I was only there for my senior year. Shoot, now I will have to see if I can locate my yearbook and find out. It's going to drive me nutso.

Graduation day was great. It was a small class and the ceremony was being held outdoors, hurridly as there was a thunderstorm brewing on the horizon. Someone tied a bunch of balloons to my cap and it kept trying to fly away. Finally I took them off and tied them to the car. It wasn't long after the ceremony was over that the storm struck. It was a fun day and a fun time.

NOTE: I'm heading for gallbladder surgery in just under an hour so if I don't fell up to snuff for the next couple of days, the Bug may do some posting for me. If she doesn't, well, you will hear from me when I get back. (Look what happened when she was suppose to be posting for me while I was on vacation in December, LOL.)

Tribulations at the Evening Meal

Thu 6/28 Blog Prompt: What typical evening meals did you eat as a teenager? Did your mother or father prepare them or did you? What was your favorite? Least favorite?

Chicken and dumplings were always a hit. Spaghetti, mid-week and steak on the weekends. Then there was always meatloaf, yummmmm. Mom makes the best meatloaf and chicken & dumplings & spaghetti. Dad always cooked the steaks out on the grill.

In fact here is a picture of him grilling way back in 1968
www.ImageShack.us"

I just named all my favorites; but my least favorite food growing up was green peas. Ugh, yuck, nasty. I still don't care to much for them, but can eat them now without gagging :).

The Tribulated Music of Teens

Wed 6/27 Blog Prompt: Did you listen to a lot of music as a teenager? Did you have a stereo, radio, cd player or reel to reel? Who was your favorite music artist? Favorite song? Which one still moves you today?

I probably listened to music as much as any teenager in the late 60's/early 70's did. Herman's Hermits, the Beatles, Guess Who, Chicago, Santana, Shawn Phillips, Black Oak Arkansas and so the list goes on. I probably had nearly a hundred albums. But I had to. While in Guam, I used my babysitting money to buy a JVC stereo with am/fm radio, record player and reel-to-reel. And I still have it. Doesn't work now, but I still have it. Maybe one day we will be able to find a needle for it and replace the reel-to-reel with a cd/mpg player. Maybe.

My all time favorite artists were Chicago with "Colour My World;" Bread's hit "If;" and Guess Who with "American Woman."

Childhood Television Tribulations

Tue 6/26 Blog Prompt: Television.... Where would we be without television? Seriously though. Did you have a tv set while you were growing up? If not, did your neighbors or friends? If you did, what were some of the shows that were on and what were your favorites?

Yes, yes, yes, we had a television. At least since I was 5 or 6. Prior I couldn't tell you. As a young'un, my sister and I would watch Shirley Temple, Tarzan and Jungle Jim on the weekends. Couldn't wait for them. I do remember that the Flintstones came on Wednesday evenings and Batman on Thursday nights.

By high school, if I was at home, I would sit and watch golf with dad. That is until I discovered Saturday morning cartoons. Then I would have to watch Journey to the Center of the Earth. In all honesty, though, we never watched much television. I still don't though I will turn it on for background noise.

Tribulations of Teenage Jobs

Mon 6/25 Blog Prompt: Did you have an after school job as a teenager? What kind of job was it? What were you paid? What is your best and worst memory of the job?

Not a leave school and go to work job. I worked as a babysitter and made pretty good money at it. Of course, this was back with you only charged 50 cents and hour, LOL. Boy is that dating it. Still I was pretty good at it and had my regulars that usually paid more than what I was charging.

My best memory was watching two children, who for convenience sake, I'll call Ben and Robin. Robin was the sweetest little 6 year old, an angel with a severe case of mental retardation. She was well loved by her family, especially her 8 year brother, Ben. Ben was also a sweetheart, but whereas Robin had to be handled like a 6 month old, Ben was a genius. A real true genius. I would love to know what happened to them now. I really enjoyed my time with both of them.

They are also my worst memory. It was painful to see little Robin and realizing what her life was going to be like. And how hard it was going to be on little Ben being so smart.

Word of the Week - WEIR

Disclaimer: All words that I choose come from the 1968 edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition. It's nearly 40 years old so we may come across some words that are no longer in general use or have completely changed definitions. But that is part of the fun.

weir(n)
1. a low dam bilt in a river to back up or divert water, as for a mill; milldam
2. a fence, as of brushwood or stakes, built in a stream, channel, etc., for catching fish
3. an obstruction placed in a stream, diverting water through a prepared aperature for measuring rate of flow.

Why not take a moment and see what you can do with it. Use it as a jump start for a short story; if applicable, find a picture of it; let us know how you would incorporate it into your daily life. Whatever you do, post a comment or a link so I can check it out and put a link back to your post. And have fun.

More Teenage Driving & Tribulations

Fri 6/22 Blog Prompt: Did you have your own car as a teenager or did you have to use the family car? What kind was it? If a family car, were you responsible to pay for the gas when you used it? How often were you allowed to use it? What restrictions, if any, were on it? If your own, did you purchase it yourself or was it a gift? How much did it cost and who paid the insurance on it?

Didn't own my own car until I had been married a few years, then I bought a Chevette. So back in high school, I used the family car... a Buick Regal. Big is all I can say about it. But maybe that is why I like trucks now.

I don't remember ever having to put gas in it. Dad was probably afraid I would break it, LOL. But then I didn't use it all that much either. Most things were within walking distance or I had friends with cars.

Teenage Drivers & Tribulations

Thu 6/21 Blog Prompt: Did you learn to drive when you were a teenager? Who taught you? If at school, what kind of driver's ed was it? If a friend or parent, where did you go to learn? What was the worse part about learning to drive?

I'm with my folks on this one, let someone else teach them and me. I went to driver's ed in high school. I really liked it as we had simulators to practice in. I remember going into the room and having the lights dimmed for the "movie" that we would be using to practice with. Into our boxy car simulators and off to where ever the movie took us that day. After several weeks of simulated driving then we got to try the real thing on real roads. No specified driving courses around at the time I was learning. And 70 miles an hour on the freeway.

I think the thing I had the most problem with was the 3-point turn. I can do them now, if I have to but I still prefer not to have to do it.

Tribulations & High School Friends

Wed 6/20 Blog Prompt: Did you have a lot of friends in high school or just one or two very close friends? What did you and your friends do for fun? Are you still in contact with any of them?

Yes and no. I had a lot of friends, but didn't. I know it doesn't make sense. We didn't so much as have a clique as to have a group. A lot of us hung out together, going to movies, shopping, etc., but there were only a few really close friends. Lillian, Keiko, Susan and a few more.

Being an Air Force brat entailed moving every couple of years so I had to learn how to make friends fast. Fortunately I have a very outgoing personality, even if I am an introvert.

In Guam, just about the only thing to do for fun was to go to the beach, the pool or the outdoor walk-in theaters. But I had fun. I loved it. Back stateside, there definitely was more to do, evenings at the park in O'Fallon. Shopping at real malls. Real movie theaters :).

I did keep in touch for many years, but as the time passed so did the letters and phone calls. Susan and I still keep in touch from time to time, even that is far between. Maybe one day, I'll run into them all again.