Random Thoughts as we leave 2006....

I don't know why but I am always glad to leave a year behind me. It's not that I've had a rough one, in fact, this year has been a particularly good milestone for me. I was able to retire from my full-time job after many years, a job which had become mundane and routine to me. My husband and I were (and still are) embarking on a new life in northern Florida and once our house sells we'll be well on our way. I'm grateful we are both relatively very healthy, have comfortable pensions and some money saved up and it's possible to believe that life can actually begin again after 50.

That said, here are a few final thoughts I have about this past year and in life in general. Take them with a grain and if you feel so inclined, please let me know your thoughts. I always enjoy hearing from you!

• I cleaned out a few drawers earlier this week and found a couple of Starbucks gift certificates that I knew must be pretty old. These were paper certificates worth $3 each and not the plastic giftcards they offer today. Figuring I'd see if they were still any good, I stopped by my local Starbucks this afternoon and ordered up a Java Chip Frappaccino, which, incidentally was excellent. I handed the young barrista behind the counter my two coupons and of course she looked at them like they were foreign currency. I explained how I happened to still have them and she told me she would have to show them to her manager. Seconds later, the manager, another young lady, came out, looked at them and said, "You know these are pretty old?" I responded yes, I figured they were and she told me the last time this type of certificate was issued was 1997! In any event, she said they were still good and gave me the change back on a new card which I simultaneously reloaded with $15. Java Chip Frappaccino in hand, I happily left the store, my faith in Starbucks fully intact. I do like Starbucks so!

• As much as I like the Christmas season, I am always happy to see it go. I'm just at the point where I am starting to get sick of seeing anything red and green together. The tree definitely comes down this weekend.

• I've decided not to make a single resolution for next year. I rarely keep them - ever. It seems almost sacriligious to promise you'll be a better this or do a better that and then not do it. Better to surprise myself and maybe try to be a better human being unconsciously.

• I'm a 55 year old woman and I still love rock music like crazy. What is it with me? I should be gravitating toward Lawrence Welk and Montovanni, right? Instead, I love guys like Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robben Ford, Steve Vai, and Joe Satriani, who are all heavy-duty rock guitarists, in case you aren't familiar with them. I love all types of music, for sure, and maybe one day I'll settle down and adjust my listening tastes accordingly. Just not right now.

• Does anybody besides me think this whole Saddam Hussein deathwatch thing was creepy? You know how they say deaths come in threes? James Brown, Gerald Ford and now Saddam. Creepy that he's the third.

• I want to apologize to all of you who have had to endure my endless rants about the Florida house situation. I promise to stop bellyaching so much about it in 2007. It's just been on my mind. Now I know how my hamster feels, all penned up in a cage. I can't move forward. I don't want to move back. It's annoying. Being retired just sortof keeps it all at the front too and I may go out and look for a job next month just to keep from going insane. It might take my mind off this house snafu too. I'm such a baby at times.

• Yesterday was my mother's birthday. She doesn't read my blog so she won't mind if I tell her age here (76). She's just a peach of a gal. I love her to pieces. If I never learn another thing in life, here it is: Always appreciate your mom. She's right. You're wrong. You'll learn this when you get about 30. She always has your best interests at heart and will always be there for you. My mother and I had many go-arounds when I was a teenager and even as a young woman I'd always tell her I'd be so happy the day I was able to leave home. The foolish things you say as a kid.
  

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: NEW

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The theme this week is NEW. I really didn't get anything new for Christmas this year because everyone gave me money or giftcards. They think I'm hard to buy for (really, I not!). I do like to buy one new Christmas ornament for our tree each year. I often buy ornaments when we travel and my collection has gotten quite large over the thirty years I've been on the road. This year we didn't go anywhere for the holiday, so I saw this one at Kohls and had to have it. I like to think of myself as a true patriot and I've been trying to do my part in support of the troops in the War on Terrorism by sending cards and packages to our brave soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. So what better ornament to add to my collection that a patriotic Uncle Santa touting an American flag? LOL...There's something about anything red, white and blue that stirs deep emotion in me. I, for one, am so grateful to be living where I am, in such a great country as the good old USA.

What do these colors say to you?

Best Wishes to all the PhotoHunters out there for a joyous and Happy 2007!

Friday's Feast

Join in the Feast!

Feast One Hundred & Twenty Four

Appetizer

How do you usually celebrate on New Year's Eve?

Hubby and I normally stay in and watch something on TV. We're both snackers, so I will make up a tray filled with shrimp, salami, prescuitto, and our favorite cheeses which these days are Havarti, Fontina, Bleu, and Asiago. We love breads and crackers so this year I picked up a Tuscan round bread which I'm planning to scoop out and fill with Spinach Artichoke Dip. Of course, no New Year's Eve is complete without a bottle of Asti Spumante and probably a Diet Squirt or some other soda.

Soup

Name one thing unexpected that happened to you in 2006.

No question about this one. Building our dream home in Jacksonville, Florida and then not being able to move into it because our home in Pennsylvania didn't sell. I never thought we would still be here. I had hoped to ring in the new year in the deep south.

Salad

Where was your favorite place that you visited in 2006?

Anywhere in Florida. I'd have to say Clearwater. The entire Tampa Bay area is just gorgeous.

Main Course

What resolution is your top priority for 2007?

I hate to keep repeating myself, but our top priority is to get this house SOLD and build another home in Florida. Now if only the housing market (and the fates) would be so kind!!!!

Dessert

Using just three words, describe 2006.

Satisfying and Unsatisfying.

Wordless Wednesday

BEFORE......

AND AFTER!

Christmas

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers."

~ Luke 1:46-55 (KJV)

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: Lines

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I had a number of ideas for this week's theme. I considered putting up a full face photo of myself showing all the ageLINES around my eyes but I thought that might scare off quite a few of my regulars...hehe. Another idea that came to mind was possibly showing lines painted on a highway. Or cars lining up at one of our local malls trying to find a parking place. There were just so many possibilities.

Here's what I came up with. This is me standing in a "relief" line at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington DC last spring. Back in the 1930's they didn't call it "welfare". They called it "relief". If you remember your history FDR was one of the architects of the New Deal, which dealt with unemployment and relief efforts in the aftermath of the Great Depression, which happened between 1929 and 1941. It's a time many of us living today do not remember. My mom and dad used to talk about it when I was growing up. People who were born during that time recall how strapped our country was financially. Jobs were scarce. People didn't have all the things we have today. So at the holidays it's good to take stock and be thankful for the little things we at times take for granted.

Hubs and I went there as part of a tour of all the war memorials in DC. It was an exhilarating and moving experience. I came away from here feeling both sad and hopeful. And while I'm in no way poking fun at men being out of work, I thought this would make an interesting photo. Men used to stand in breadlines such as this either trying to get a meal or trying to find work to feed their families. It was a time in history I hope we never witness again.

You can read more about the FDR Memorial here.

Friday Field Trip #2

Since it's the Friday before Christmas and it's a lousy day here (rainy, foggy and just a crappy day in general), I thought I'd take another field trip and visit some of my favorite bloggers. I always get a kick out of reading these folks' blogs to see what they're up to.

Why don't you come along?

Let's kick off this trip way up in the North Country, (Canada, that is), and start by paying a visit to my good friend, the Irish Church Lady. She writes a fabulous blog called Slainte ~It's Only Me. Recently Ms. ICL conducted a survey into the blogging habits of, well, you and me, or rather, anyone who maintains a blog. Everyone was welcome to leave their thoughts which she compiled for several weeks and afterwards published these results. I think what she learned is very interesting. Please stop over and visit her. Her blog is just rich with content and fun things to do. For example, be sure to check out her A to Z of Me....a really nice post.

Shades of McDreamy and McSteamy, our next appointment is over at Dr. A's blog..he's involved in what looks to be a very interesting blogger Soap Opera, being written by and comprised of folks strictly from the blogosphere. Very unique idea. Dr. A also blogs about medical things (well, he IS a doctor, yes) and I always find his posts informative, sometimes rejuvenating and most times just plain funny.

For the last six months or so I've been reading this blog, the Carbolic Smoke Blog. I admit part of its allure is because it's written by two guys from my hometown, but even if I didn't live here I would still find their humor not only intelligent and self-deprecating, but sometimes it makes milk come out my nose too...LOL. You will chuckle through every post. If you enjoy humor about Pittsburgh and some of our local celebs, you'll appreciate this blog.

Next I want to pay a visit to my dear friend, Melli, at Insanity Prevails (although there's nothing crazy about her, really).. I love this blog. It's chock full of everyday happenings, rules for living and just general Melli mayhem! Please stop by and tell Melli I sent you.

Next we're gonna make a sidestop at Barbara's Trying to Catch Up. Right now she and several of her fellow bloggers are exercising for comments - that's right - BEFORE the holidays and before all the heavy duty chowing down begins! Drop by and encourage her by leaving her a comment or two! She has the right idea, of course..( I say this as I push another chocolate chip cookie into my face...LOL )...you go, girl!

Our last stop today is to Greta and her pals over at Hooah Wife and Friends. Now I mentioned this blog on my first field trip but I can't overemphasize the importance of staying on top of what's happening with our troops this holiday season. The war won't stop because it's the holidays. She and her pals are always up to something good, supporting and promoting great causes. Give her a "Hooah", leave her a comment and show your support. Plus she's just one funny gal.

Of course, I read a great many blogs and there are just too many to mention here, but I do want to send Christmas blessings and shoutouts to a couple of my special faves, namely, Jake Silver, Wystful1, Pjt3ket, Dan, and Myra7775. These blogs are all entertaining reads. Check them all out while you're on your Christmas vacation.

No field trip would be complete without stopping for something to eat. Check this out. Hmmm ~ now THAT's what I call good eatin'!!

Happy Holidays, y'all!

Watch Me - I'm An Elf!

I was over at Pjt3ket's blog this morning and she had this posted with her little boy featured in it. I liked it so much I decided to do one of myself...

Carol's Elfmorphosis

Don't you think I dance well? LOL.....

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Heroes and Villains

I'm getting ready to go over to the VA Hospital with Hubs for his monthly appointment. He used to do this by himself but ever since I've retired I like to go along. I've mentioned here before what a great job they do there. The people that work here are obliging and caring. The entire place is just a well-oiled machine, from the time you check in to the moment you go to the pharmacy to pick up your meds. Wouldn't it be nice if the current administration in Washington could figure out a way to offer a similar type of healthcare to everyone - not just the military?

As much as I complain about snow and bad weather, it doesn't seem like Christmas without it. I'm thinking it might be nice if we got a dusting that turns everything WHITE on Christmas morning (around 4 AM) and lasts until later in the evening, then melts so everyone can get up the next morning and get safely to work. How's that sound to you? LOL..Guess I'm just a hopeless romantic at the holidays..

A word or two about the Miss USA fiasco. For those of you who've been living under a rock for the past several weeks, the current reigning Miss USA, Tara Conner, was in jeopardy of losing her crown because of her unsavory behavior. Apparently she was cruising clubs in Manhattan, drinking and doing what many young girls her age are at times wont to do. When Donald Trump, who owns the Miss USA pageant, found out about her supposed hijinks, it was rumored she would be made to step down. This morning, in a bold and supposed sympathetic gesture, Mr. Trump gave Tara a reprieve. She's agreed to go into some form of rehab, AA, probably, even though she doesn't feel she has a drinking "problem". I found the whole news conference ridiculous. I mean, who really cares about this stuff? The Today Show had three former Miss USAs on this morning to "analyze" the situation like Monday morning quarterbacks, chanting beauty queen mantra about the "shame" Ms. Conner had brought to the title and how beauty queen titles can "open doors" if used correctly. Talk about brainwashed!

To my mind beauty pageants have always seemed an utter waste. Instead of evaluating a woman based on how she parades down a runway in a swimsuit, why can't there be a better way of empowering young women? No matter how you look at it, it's still flesh pressing flesh. Oh sure, they're college graduates now, but it's still PHYSICAL APPEARANCE that dictates who wins these things, not brains or ideals or good works. It's the same old same old and it's wearisome. No one really cares about Miss USA, but Miss USA and the people she makes money for. She's a wornout icon and her time should be up.

Update 12/21: Rosie O'Donnell had something to say about this incident on The View yesterday. She came down hard on Donald Trump, basically saying he was no "moral compass" and that he had no right to be granting second chances to anyone as he's reputedly had affairs while still being married to his first and second wives. She also claims he's been bankrupt many times and never made proper restitution for his debts. Trump responded to her comments in the same vicious vein, saying he's never been bankrupt, but rather he's a billionaire and that he might sue Rosie just for fun because she's a liar and a "fat ass". I don't like either of them, so it should be fun to watch what happens next.

I saw the movie Eragon over the weekend. I thought it was very good, but not as good as the LOTR trilogy. I don't think it was meant to be. I wish critics would stop comparing the two. It's like comparing apples and oranges. They're just different movies. As fantasy films go, this movie is completely entertaining. If you know anything about it, it's based on a book by the same name written by a sixteen year old boy, Christopher Paolini. He spent over three years writing and refining the book before he found a publisher for it. He's an interesting story. But as for the movie go and see it for yourself. If you like dragons and bad guys and heroic epics, Eragon is for you. There's a sequel planned too based on Paolini's other book, Eldest.

Virtual Holiday Cookie Swap!

I'm sure many of you have participated in a REAL Cookie Swap around the holidays, but since we can't do that here, what about a virtual one? I know I'm probably getting a late start here and many of you already have your cookies made for this Christmas, but I don't. I'm always looking for new and interesting Christmas cookies to make.

If you have a treasured or favorite cookie recipe and you don't mind sharing it with me and my readers, please either leave your recipe in my comments section or a linkback to the recipe if it's already posted on your own blog.

On your own blog entry, add a link back to my blog, if you'd be so kind.... You can find the URL by looking at the address shown above on your browser or you can click where it says "Links to this Post".

Have fun!

SPREAD THE WORD!!!!

Also, feel free to grab any of these graphics to show you're a participant!! Happy Holidays!

Monday Meme

I snitched this from Jake so I hope he doesn't mind....LOL.

The house is decorated, cookies baked (the few I was baking) and my presents are wrapped sitting under our tree. I'm ready for you, Father Christmas!

How about you? Ready for the upcoming festivities?

A - Available/Single? Married for 8 Years

B - Best Friend? Joyce, my BF since 7th grade

C - Cake or Pie? Pie...my favorite is Coconut Cream.

D - Drink Of Choice? Coffee! Followed by Diet Squirt and then water

E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? My laptop

F - Favorite Color? Sage Green

G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? Gummybears - definitely!

H - Hometown? Pittsburgh, PA.

I - Indulgence? Diamonds...I don't have too many of them, but I love them!

J - January Or February? Neither - both remind me of how long winter is!

K - Kids & Their Names? None

L - Life Is Incomplete Without? My husband

M - Marriage Date? August 29, 1998

N- Number Of Siblings? One younger brother

O - Oranges Or Apples? Oranges....they remind me of Florida!

P - Phobias/Fears? Dying before I accomplish all the things I'd like to.

Q - Favorite Quote? "Every thing is on its way to someplace..." George Maley in Phenonenom

R - Reason to Smile? Being retired and leading a charmed life.

S - Season? I love autumn!

T - Tag People: Nobody....I hate to put people on the spot....LOL

U - Unknown Fact About Me? I play the piano....

V - Vegetable you don’t like? Brussel Sprouts!

W - Worst Habit? Snacking after dinner.....eating sweets, usually....

X - X-rays You’ve Had? Many - mammograms, teeth, cat scans over the years....

Y - Your Favorite Food? Lobster, Shrimp, cashews, salads with lots of fresh veggies

Z - Zodiac Sign? Leo

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: Annoying!

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Here's something I find VERY annoying!

SNOW!!

I really used to love snow as a kid. I grew up in the Northeast and I can remember so many winters where we had up to two FEET of snow and never seemed to mind. Everything simply stopped. You couldn't go anywhere for days. No school. No work. Nothing. As I grew up, I learned to hate it. It's cold, wet, miserable and dangerous. You have to shovel it to get it out of your way. I've had two fender benders and both of them occurred in snow. Snow is the pits!

This is one of the reasons I want to move to Florida. NO SNOW!!!

Friday's Feast

Join in the Feast!

Feast One Hundred & Twenty Two

Appetizer

What was your very first job and paycheck?

My very first job was working at Winky's ( a now defunct hamburger chain). I was 16. It was right up the road from where I lived and I used to walk a busy highway to get there. We used to call it Stinky's Deathburgers, because of all the grease. My hair literally used to smell like it when I would get home. I only worked there about a year until I found something abit better - working in a bank as a clerk, photocopying checks. (Well, at least it was better than cooking greasy hamburgers! - LOL)


Soup

Did you ever lose something really important to you?

I think the only thing I've ever lost that was really significant was when my father died. He was such a great person. Unfortunately, he didn't live to see me married and settled. He would have liked my husband, because he's very much like him.



Salad

What is the best Christmas present you've ever received?

I would have to say a diamond ring from my husband on our 5th Christmas together, not because of its value, but because it meant we had been together that long.


Main Course

Tell about a favorite "hang-out" place when you were in high school.
Back in 1969-70 there was a dance hall called Linden Grove where we used to go to dance and meet guys. They had a big sound system and we used to go there on Friday and Saturday nights after the football games. They didn't even have a liquor license... It's been through a series of ups and downs (a portion of it burned down in the 80's and it was closed down for a number of years), but it was recently reopened under new management and turned into a restaurant and dance club. It's been named a historic landmark in Pittsburgh because it's over a hundred years old, having been built around 1850.

It's reassuring to know some things never change. They still have bands there on the weekends and people still go there to dance (and probably hook up!)


Dessert

Name something that always brings a smile to your face.
Well, there are a couple of things. My husband, comes to mind and then there's going to Florida. Thinking of both always makes me pretty darn happy.

Harmonious Holiday Thoughts

I'm sitting on my living floor at the moment wrapping the few gifts I actually bought for Christmas. I mentioned last month I would probably give most of the people on my giftlist a giftcard. Well, you can't do that with everyone. My mother, for one. Her birthday is December 29th too, so sending her giftcards just seems too callous. She's been a good mom. I'm getting a box ready with all the goodies I got for her and my stepdad so I can get it in the mail by this weekend. They're in Florida and boy, I wish I was too...LOL.

I've been thinking about Christmases past and some of the gifts I've gotten over the years.

So here's a question for you all to ponder over. If you have any thoughts you'd like to share, please feel free to leave me a comment. Sometimes I think I'm the only person out here who has "different" thoughts about gift-giving.

Question: Did you ever spend a lot of money on a Christmas gift for someone (can be a relative or otherwise) and receive in return a gift you knew (or felt) cost them alot less than what you spent? How did that make you feel and did you buy them an expensive gift the next Christmas?

Be truthful...

I'm not talking about someone who is less fortunate and can't afford to buy you lavish gifts. I'm referring to relatives or friends you know are just TIGHT.

Got any thoughts? I do and I'll share them with you as we get closer to Christmas.

Wordless Wednesday

Today's is a video post from me to you. Enjoy!

On The Edge

The last two weekends have been crazy around here. For those of you who follow this blog you know my hubby and I have been trying to sell our house so we can relocate to Florida. We thought it would be an easy thing - put the house on the market, pack your belongings, and bang! you've moved.

Well it's not that simple.

It seems the fates are against us and we haven't been able to sell our house. We've had it on the market since May and gotten only one offer which was abyssmally low. For the last two Sundays, our realtor held open houses to get us more exposure. We've had plenty of people come through this place. We 're showing the house by appointment and have had at least one realtor a week bring interested parties through it. This means I have had to keep this house in "SHOW" condition - floors washed and waxed, carpets swept, everyday living things put out of sight to give the illusion that basically no one lives here. HA! I now have this routine where I systematically put everything away in drawers. Anything that's lying about goes into a closet or a drawer so no one can see how we really live. My husband thinks I'm nuts.

I keep a pretty nice house. Usually I try not to have too much clutter lying about. But when you show a house, you have to even put everyday things away. Hide the toaster, hide the food processor, make the countertops looks less crowded. Hide the toothbrushes, the toothpaste, Hub's electric razor because people don't want to see all your personal effects. Put away the ironing board, clean up the basement, the garage. It's exhausting.

And of course, what do you do when you're the owner and there's an open house? You LEAVE. Most realtors prefer to show a house with you NOT IN IT. We've had so many of these things, we've run out of places to hang. At first we used to go shopping or to the movies, have lunch, visit our parents or friends, anything to keep out of the way. No problem. Now it's just become diversion time.

Our realtor told us yesterday's was the last open house she could do for us this year. Typically the last two weeks of the year aren't great for house selling. I'm ecstatic. Now all the hidden can once more emerge, the ironing board with the unironed shirts can come out and the toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes can take their rightful places on our sink. It's loony as can be.

It's coming on Christmas.....to quote a Joni Mitchell tune...I wish this house would sell. That would be my Christmas gift. Our realtor called last night to say that someone came through yesterday and is interested in making us an offer. We should know by Wednesday.

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: RED

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Here's an amaryllis I've had for the last five years. It only flowers once each year, usually right around Christmas. I'm hoping it blooms this well this year. This is what it looked like at Christmas last year.

Don't you think it's rather pretty?

Friday's Feast

Join in the Feast!

Feast One Hundred & Twenty One

Appetizer

Which language would you like to learn and why?
I studied Spanish in high school and wish I would have continued in college. I can converse enough to ask for directions, read a menu, etc., but I would love to know all the subtleties of the language. That's how you learn the beauty of it.

Soup

What's the funniest thing you've heard or read so far this week?
I'm continually bombarded with funny stuff..either things I read on the Net or things people send me. My best friend sent me an email containing some funny photos, but they're alittle too "off color" to show here....LOL...my sense of humor is rather off-beat.

Salad

Which movie was so bad you couldn't watch the whole thing?
There are too many to recount here, but I would have to say when I originally saw Pulp Fiction at the theatre, I walked out about halfway through. I thought it was far too graphic and sadistic for my tastes. It went on to win alot of accolades for Quinton Tarantino, but I guess you've got to like that type of picture. It didn't do much for me. I don't like that much realism in my movies.

Main Course

If there were a holiday in your honor that didn't use your actual name, what would the day be called?
Hmmmm - I think it would be called Housework Liberation Day...need I explain further?? LOL. It would be celebrated at least once a month if not more often...

Dessert

Name one movie which is coming out soon that you would like to see.
I would like to see Mel Gibson's new movie, Apocalypto and also Night at the Museum with Ben Stiller. I've seen previews for both and they look quite interesting.

I Love Your Dress...Dress...Dress...Dress

I think this is great.

So does this mean the First Lady buys "off the rack"?

Here's the story from CBS News.

To the Losers.....

So I didn't win anything competing in the NaBloPoMo contest, but I did gain some interesting new friends. And Fussy created this consolation graphic for all of us losers....I feel better already.

Merge

Here's a good thing. I didn't see this one coming at all.

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: Light(s)

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Here are several photos I took last Christmas. My mother and stepfather live in a retirement community in Sebring, Florida. Each year their park has a contest to see who can decorate their home with the most Christmas lights. My mom and stepfather won the grand prize in 2002.

Here's a picture of the house that won last year. It's right down the street from my mom's place.



These folks live right next to one of the nature trails in the park, so they decorate the trail too.

Keep in mind the people doing all this decorating are in their 70's and 80's. Each year everyone tries to outdo their neighbor. The park also has a parade during Christmas Week where all the residents decorate their golfcarts and dress up in Santa costumes...LOL.. It's quite funny to see all the Santas and Mrs. Santas walking around in their red hats and shorts.

Here's my mom's house from last year. Lots of lights, huh!

The Blog Meme

So I was over at Jake Silver's blog this morning and read this meme. I liked it so much, I decided to put it on mine. (Hope you don't mind Jake)..It's about blogging and made me think alot about why I started blogging in the first place.


The Blog Meme

1-Do you like the look and the contents of your blog? Yes, although I am constantly rearranging items on my sidebar and looking for interesting new things to add. It's like redecorating a room - I'm never quite satisfied with the end result.

2-Does your family know about your blog? My husband does. He doesn't read it but knows I spend at least several hours per day updating this one and the one I maintain on MySpace. (he considers blogging one of my daily "chores"...)

3-Can you tell your friends about your blog? Do you consider it a private thing? When I worked, I told a couple of people about my blog. I know several of them are still following my antics.

4-Do you just read the blogs of those who comment on your blog? or you try to discover new blogs? I will read any blog that catches my interest. Check out my blogrolls. My blog preferences are quite varied.

5-Did your blog positively affect your mind? Give an example. Blogging makes me think clearly. I use it as an outlet for examining how I feel about many things and how others react to my observations.

6-What does the number of visitors to your blog mean? Do you use a traffic counter? Yes, I do have a counter and I will sometimes check to see who's been lurking at my blog. Curiosity, more for me, I guess. High traffic has never been important to me. I hope the people who follow me come here for their own personal reasons, ie., they like the music I play or I've hit a chord (or a nerve) in something I wrote here.

7-Did you imagine how other bloggers look like? I have definite images in my mind of how some of my favorite bloggers look. They are all positive images, too.

8-Do you think blogging has any real benefit? I don't think the results are all in on this one. I've only been blogging alittle over a year. Ask me this question again in about three years and see if I'm still blogging.

9-Do you think that the blogosphere is a stand alone community separated from the real world. Definitely not. It's proven that many bloggers know more about current events, world affairs and discoveries than the MSM (Mainstream media) does. I think the real world is enhanced by the blogging community. I think it's essential that the two work symbiotically for the system to work.

10-Do some political blogs scare you? Do you avoid them? They scare me only to the extent that the people behind these blogs are so damn intelligent. Sometimes I am completely humbled by their insight and the knowledge they possess. Makes me want to work harder.

11-Do you think that criticizing your blog is useful? Criticism is a tricky thing. If a blog is truly an extension of yourself, then criticising your blog means you're unhappy with yourself. If you want to let the rest of the blogosphere know about your weaknesses, that's your business. As for me, I want my blog to empower me, not make me feel less of a person. Blogging should be something spiritually uplifting; something that reflects your truest feelings as you are putting them down.

12-Have you ever thought about what would happen to your blog in case you died? I know it wouldn't continue. No one has my password but me. I've considered what might happen if I were to lose my memory also. But I guess it wouldn't really make any difference, because not only could I not get into Blogger, I wouldn't remember anything about myself anyway! LOL.

13-Which blogger had the greatest impression on you? When I first started blogging, I thought I would only last a few posts and I'd be done with it. I really didn't take my blog very seriously. Then I came upon a milblog (military blog) of a gentleman who I won't mention here because he's kinda well-known now. He began blogging about the same time I did and we exchanged comments on one another's blog. Eventually we exchanged a few emails and even talked on the phone. I was very taken with his kindness, his sense of purpose, and his eloquent postings. He's been to Iraq several times and plans to return next year. I wish him only the best. He's one of the best bloggers I have ever read. I hope he eventually publishes his memoirs when the war is done. He gave me some real insight into blogging and encouraged me to keep writing.

14-Which blogger do you think is the most similar to you? Boy, I think there are several, but I also think I'm pretty unique.

15-Name a song you want to listen to? I'm a Smooth Jazz addict, so anything by Jeff Lorber, Pieces of a Dream, Chuck Loeb or Fourplay is fine by me.

Friday's Feast

Feast One Hundred & Twenty

Appetizer
Have you ever flown in a helicopter? For all the traveling I've done in my life, I have to say no. I'd like to one day...perhaps over the Grand Canyon.

Soup
What color is your warmest coat or jacket? Well, I live in SW Pennsylvania where the winters are very cold. I like my L.L.Bean barn coat the best. It's a pumpkin color.

Salad
What is your favorite rainy day activity? Curling up with a good book and a strong cup of tea.

Main Course
Describe your hands. I would call my hands hard-working. They are often in water. I keep my nails short because I'm always doing things that cause them to break if I keep them too long. They are still fairly wrinkle-free for me being in my 50's, altho I do rub a ton of handcream on them constantly. My hands are always dry. I would call them strong and dependable.

Dessert
If you could eat only one nut for the rest of your life, what nut would you pick? No question - cashews. Definitely. I can eat an entire can of them if allowed. Unfortunately they are NOT so good for your waistline!