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28 abril A Little This & A Little ThatMy efforts to streamline my "technical-to-do" list are paying off in a big way. I shut down one email account completely, that helps. I don't have to remember to go there. I also de-activated some of the many alerts I had coming in after realizing that the alerts weren't necessary. I found I would see who did what who said what and who stopped listening to me when I logged-on to a particular site or blog. That really helps. My in-boxes are wonderfully uncluttered now. It sure saves a lot of time. Yaaa! Jordyn and I went to East Texas for a visit over the weekend to see my 2nd brother and his family. They came in from Florida to visit with Mama for a few days and wanted us to be there. We left Friday morning and got there about mid-afternoon. I hadn't told Mama when we were coming so she was very surprised. We spent Friday evening and night visiting and chatting, we finally called it a night around 8 pm, waaaay past Mama's bedtime which is normally 5 pm. Saturday morning Mama started her old familiar fidgeting so I suggested she call my brother to find out if they were on the way or not. That way she would know whether to fidget some more or to settle down and wait, in peace. She got her answer and settled down on the sofa for a nap or two before they got there. They pulled into the driveway around 3:30 pm. Needless to say, we had a very nice time. My sister-in-law and I were the last to go to bed, around 4 am Sunday morning. Ironically, everybody was up early, considering how late we went to bed, except me. I slept until 9 am. After church we chatted and visited until time for Jordyn and me to head back home. We left at 4:30 pm with Jordyn at the wheel and me riding shot-gun, hanging on for dear life (just kidding). That girl burns the highway like Dale "What's-his-name" at the Indy 500. We made it home in record time. Once in the city limits, we picked up "salads-to-go" so we wouldn't have to try and figure out what to eat when we got home. I phoned to let the family know we made it safely, we hit the showers, and made a mad dash for our respective beds - to rest to sleep to dream. Now, I'm back playing catch up. I think I'll name myself "catch-up-queen". I've been around to some of your spaces, I'll catch the rest of you soon. See you around. Have a wonderful day tomorrow. 23 abril Someday…A Parent’s LieHuman beings are the only animals to succumb to the someday syndrome. In my vividly wild imagination, I picture father birds flying off into the vast blue skies to do whatever father birds do while mother bird makes sure the little ones eat properly. After a few days she tosses them out of the nest one by one. They either flutter and flap their wings and quickly learn to fly or fall haplessly to the ground to be gobbled up by pouncing predators. Similarly, other animals that live in the wild learn early by doing things that are necessary to grow and survive. Human beings are different. We are protected somewhat by parents from perceived dangers. As babies gain strength they learn to wiggle twist and scoot their bodies to get someplace or to get away from a place. Not to worry though, Mommy hovers nearby fretfully, “No, no, no, baby. Don’t do that. Stay where you are. You might get hurt.” Not understanding and not wanting to be restrained, baby attempts to gain his footing to take a step or two. There’s Mommy cautioning, “No, no. Careful now, little one, you’re going to fall and hurt yourself.” This is the beginning, where the dreaded someday syndrome is activated. “Wait until you’re older, bigger, or stronger, before you try anything. “Someday” you’ll be grown and you can do that” - is the daily mantra of many parents. Only strong-willed independent children resist and go on to make discoveries on their own. Children who are not what we label as stubborn are more inclined to adhere to a parent’s cautions and patiently wait - for someday. Someday never just comes. We learn that from waiting. We wait in vain for that elusive day which never magically appears as promised. Those of us who naively believed the lies (no matter how well-intentioned they were) finally realize that we must make our someday happen. My someday was writing, becoming an author, and having a book published. After years of proclaiming I was going to write a book, I threw caution to the wind, dug my heels in and started seriously writing at age 61. I was 62 when I finished it. My journey from starting to write and self-publishing the book is a story I chronicle in two blogs. For now, I am in the process of marketing and promoting my book. There is a lot to do still, but I have started the process. My someday is here, I am a writer – finally. Have you ever fallen prey to the someday syndrome? Not everyone has. If you have, what is your someday? Have you taken any big steps to get there? Have you completed any parts of the process? What do you still have left to do to get there? 16 abril #1 Kitchen Aid
Plastic Bag Holder Everytime I reach for a bag I think, this is cool! If you have one, you know why I think it's #1. If you don't have one, you have got to try it! What's so great about it? Simply stuff empty plastic bags in at the top, and pull them out of the bottom when you need one. It offers a place to keep those pesky plastic bags, is always handy (and in plain sight without being unsightly), and looks great hanging in your kitchen. This one is made from a regular kitchen towel but, they are sold in stores now. Hooray for a "wonderful-nice-great-can't-be-beat" kitchen invention! I threw in a few extra descriptives just so you'll understand the magnitude of this gadget's wonderfullness. 09 abril Ooooh, Kill It, Kill It, Kill It!
A dreadful noise from the garbage truck outside my bedroom window making its early morning rounds startle me. I wake up with a long lazy yawn, stretching both arms high above my head as I sit up in bed. I groggily wipe my eyes with the backs of both hands, trying to wipe away the last remnants of sleep. Bright red numbers on the clock on the chest across the room say I should have been up and out of bed long before now. My eyes widen and fix on the foot of the bed in momentary disbelief. My heart does a triple beat, my pulse races, and my breath comes in quick short gasps. In one sweeping motion I throw the covers aside, both feet hit the floor simultaneously. My eyes are transfixed on the "thing" curled and coiled on the foot of my bed. A closer look sends chills up my spine as I utter in a wretched voice I hardly recognize as my own, "OH MY GOD! What in tha...?! OOOH, Holy crap$@#. OH! JEEESUUUS CHRIST...is that a?...Oh, man where is my...I gotta get my gun. Naaaaw, I need a hammer. Oh dat-burn-it!" Half way to the kitchen now on my way to get the hammer, I realize my pistol is in the bedroom. I quickly turn around and head back toward the bedroom , without the hammer. All the while ranting and out-cussing a drunken sailor on weekend leave. "I'm moving outta this stupid zoo soon as I get this situation under control and get some clothes on, I am done! This is ridiculous!" I declare firmly. I quickly grab a clothes basket from a chair thinking I'll capture the culprit under it while I figure out what to do with it how to get rid of it. By now I'm out of breath, panting and hyper-ventilating up a storm and probably in need of a double dose of my high blood pressure meds, maybe a mouthful. Strangely, the sight of the clothes basket sobers me - like a glass of ice cold water splashed in my face. I instantly remember... That's not a varmit on my bed. It's a skirt, the skirt I washed the previous day. I had twisted and rolled the skirt and laid it there on the bed to let the creases form in it before hanging it on a hanger. "Well, I'll be damned!" Does that look like a skirt to you? © 2009 by Leona G. Shankle 06 abril Friday Night at the Movies
Several weeks ago as baby son, Mike, and I chatted the television played practically un-noticed in the background. The preview for the movie, "A Haunting in Connecticut" flashed on the screen, and we both turned toward the sound at the same time. Mike commented, "I'm going to see that when it hits the theaters." I replied laughingly, "Yeah, that's your kind of movie, huh?" "You want to go with me?" he asked. "Sure, sounds good to me," I answered. "Okay, it opens on the 27th. That's when I'm going. I'll pick you up and we can go from here." The first few days of the week of march 27th were uneventful and extremely busy as usual. Each day pretty much the same as the preceeding one, work, work, work...go to bed, get up...work, work, work. Friday morning started out the same and I performed the same dull boring work, work, work routine. Siiiigh. My stomach growled loud enough for the neighbors to hear so I headed for the kitchen to find something good to "feed the hungry beast within." I finished my plate and sat back down at the desk among the piles of paper screaming for my attention. I stuck my tongue out and hissed at them like a rattle snake about to strike. "Oh wow! Two o'clock already? I'm done, I quit! I'm not doing another ounce of work today," I thought as I glanced at the clock. I quickly stacked the papers in a neat pile and cleared the desk. I showered and got my clothes together so that when Mike came I'd be ready. I passed the time waiting by checking email (s), playing spider solitaire, visiting blogs, playing free cell, and primping (a little). Mike called at 5:00 and said he had left work and was on his way but was caught-up in a bit of traffic. Since all I needed to do was hop into my clothes, change shoes, and grab my purse, I decided to wait until he either called again or got here. I continued my "time-passing-shenanigans". He arrived and we were out the door and on our way by 6:30. At the theater he purchased our tickets. Inside, as we walked toward the concession counter he said, "I'll buy our tickets you can buy our snacks." "Cool, what do you want? I'm getting a humongous popcorn," I replied. We discussed the "menu" items and made our choices. We left the counter with two hotdogs fully loaded, a large popcorn, one cold ice tea, two straws, and hands full of napkins. I don't drink much when we're out, causes too many trips to the ladies room so I only take a sip or two of a drink. We made our way to the theater, found our seats and settled in to wait for the movie to begin. As we waited, I nibbled on popcorn...one at a time...so I wouldn't eat it all before the movie started. Mike declared biting into a hotdog, "Man, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten all day." We had a good laugh about that since he says that often whenever he's around me and his dad. Once the movie started we watched intently breaking the silence only to whisper about something happening or not happening on the screen. We have a way of picking a movie apart, every inconsistency gets analyzed and ripped to shreds by our watchful eyes. Throughout the movie we critiqued back and forth. I munched on popcorn, Mike feasted on his hotdog and popcorn, and we both sipped from the cool ice tea using our separate straws. Taking note of the speed with which he devoured his hotdog, I let him have the second one since I had eaten already. And, I knew from experience what a voracious appetite he has, though you wouldn't know it to look at him. He's skinny as a rail (he runs several miles, and works-out everyday). Another great Friday night! Out with baby son, Mike, watching a good movie, enjoying each others' company. The movie was pretty good, actually very good as horror movies go. He prefers horror I prefer mystery/suspense/drama. © 2009 by Leona G. Shankle 03 abril High-Five Y'allOut to lunch sign, welcome mat, answering machine, back in 30 minutes sign, a secretary . . . gone fishing.
What do all these things have in common? They are one person's way of letting another person know they are welcome here, or that person #1 is otherwise occupied for a specific amount of time. It's a greeting of sorts.
I could tell you a long story and go on and on (you know I'm good at that) about where I've been, what I've been up to, what Jordyn is eating for lunch today, but I won't. It's boring.
This post is my "Welcome Mat" for a while today. Come on in, have a seat, look around at the dusty blog that sits idle and neglected. Tell me something good. I'll be back as soon as I can.
I'm "going visiting" all of you, updating my blogs and the like. I hope you're enjoying yourself and are having a wonderful day.
Read my Fun 'n Inspiration blog post.
Have a good weekend, take care. |
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