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March 31, 2007
Home Economics
Under the heading “Wheels”, Lori-Lyn wrote about her Home Economics days which brought back memories for me. Here are my thoughts:
For me, middle school Home Economics was great fun. We each made a silky pillow; mine was heart shaped, but I think the boys could choose to make star shapes if they didn’t want a heart. We also made all different kinds of cookies and a pennant. Here is mine:
We taste-tested different products, like Coca-Cola versus Pepsi, to see which was our favorite and the favorite of our classmates.
This was a time of ease for me. I knew we would do something fun and it didn’t involve memorization, learning the beginnings of algebra, or dissecting frogs.
High school Home Economics was another story entirely. We cooked, but very little. The big project had to do with sewing. We had to buy the material and make our own pair of shorts. Unlike Lori-Lyn, I have never been interested in sewing. Thank goodness I married a man who can sew for me!
Just to make it through the sewing portion of the class, I had one of my friends sew my shorts for me. She used a sewing machine, but that contraption was and still is Greek to me. I believe I cut the fabric, ironed out the creases, and that was it. I can sew by hand, but not with the aid of a machine.
At our local high school, Home Economics class is now called “Life Skills”.
If Lori-Lyn were to ever open her school featuring "Art, Crafts, Great Books, Creative Writing, Yoga, Advanced Crafts, Home Ec., Check Book Balancing and Other Basic Life Skills, Poetry, The Chemistry of Baking, Meditation, Fairies 101 and Puggery" – I think it would go over BIGTIME and I think I would be the first to sign up!
Posted by tami at 6:16 PM Comments (1)
March 30, 2007
Kevin: Through The Looking Glass
Kevin and I had lunch by ourselves today which is rare.
We were able to accomplish quite a bit before we picked Ashley and her friend up from school. I made out the bills, took them to the post office; we went grocery shopping, and to the bank, clothes shopping and much more. I like getting things done … I even finished a book!
Tonight Ashley is having a friend spend the night. They have played games on the PlayStation, played with Barbies, put make-up on each other, and played a board game. I think now they are watching a movie. They have been so good that I really haven’t had to check on them. I bought some Krispy Kreme doughnuts for them to have with a tall glass of milk in the morning. There’s nothing like a good kick of sugar to jump start the day ;)
We have lots to do again tomorrow. I’ll let you know if we get it all done.
Posted by tami at 10:50 PM Comments (4)
March 29, 2007
Food
I have a new photo gallery called The Food We Eat. It doesn’t include all the meals we fix, for instance, I forgot to take a picture of the meatloaf we had last week. I’m sure I will be adding more photos all the time.
Please keep in mind that it is very hard to take good pictures of food. Some look blurry and some may look downright unappetizing, but believe me, each meal was delicious. I guess this is why restaurants pay experts to make their food look appetizing.
Posted by tami at 7:39 PM Comments (3)
March 28, 2007
This Is A Test
This is NOT a trick question.
It is a very simple, easily solvable question asked a class of 2nd. graders.
See if you know the correct answer...
2nd. grade children were asked the following question:
"In which direction is the bus pictured below traveling?"
Look carefully at the picture.
Do you know the answer?
(No tricks... The only possible answers
are "left" or "right.")
So, is it "left" or "right"????
Think about it
Still don't know?
Okay, I'll tell you.
The 2nd. graders all answered "left."
When asked, "Why do you think the bus is traveling in the left direction?"
They answered:
"Because you can't see the door."
Duh !
How do you feel now ???
I know, me too.
Posted by tami at 11:03 AM Comments (4)
March 27, 2007
Learning From TV
I never posted my February movie list because there were only three movies listed. Now I am looking at the list for March and I have only watched one movie. One! And that was on March 3rd! I guess we have been doing other things on the weekends though like taking walks and reading.
We haven’t had a lot of time for movie watching during the week either because TV shows that we like are new. The Surreal Life Fame Games on VH1 ended on Sunday night, so that eliminates one show, but we have many more. I will miss watching it though.
One thing about it; we watch TV as a family for the most part. Andrew stays at his girlfriend’s house until 9:00, but after he gets home, he watches whatever we are watching.
There’s not a whole lot that Ashley doesn’t watch with us either. She loves the CSI shows and House and all the reality TV shows that we love too.
The only thing I watch during the day is The View. Actually, I tape it. I couldn’t have cared less about it for the longest time; that is, until Rosie showed up. She and Elizabeth don’t fight, but they do let their individual political opinions be known. As they are doing this, I am learning. I am hearing about things, for example The Patriot Act that I never knew about before. Now I know exactly what it is and how I feel about it. It’s good to listen to both sides and not only one side. You learn a lot more that way.
Posted by tami at 4:13 PM Comments (1)
March 26, 2007
Unexpected Gifts
My Aunt Patt loves Guido. I think it has a lot to do with him being a smaller dog, but, after all, he IS adorable and he DOES have a great personality. I think he loves her too.
She came over for Andrew’s birthday this weekend and brought gifts for me for no reason. The best gifts are those which are completely unexpected.
She gave me this pug rug:
And she also gave me these pug coasters. I didn’t even know they made pug coasters!
Here is the back view:
I love these gifts and appreciate her thinking of me. When someone knows you and has put thought and time into a gift it shows.
Posted by tami at 8:47 AM Comments (2)
March 25, 2007
Andy
Andrew’s Papaw wrote the following poem for him on April 6, 1992. This being Andrew’s 18th birthday, I think it is appropriate to share.
Andy
Hair of fire – Eyes of blue
Little fingers so fast with so much to do.
Asking questions of Pap-Paw
Like – Just what does this thing do?
How far can that go? How fast can it run?
What makes the Sun shine and what makes the rain come?
Can you read this to me or just tell me a story?
Let’s play in my room, run and jump, and be noisy.
Let me ride on your back – Let me walk in your shoes
Let me just be with you - There is so much we can do.
We’ll go this way and that and then start all over again,
But the day is all gone; it must come to an end.
So kiss me good night – Hug me as hard as you can.
Your Gods gift to me – your Pap-Paw’s little man.
Posted by tami at 12:35 PM Comments (3)
March 24, 2007
Forever Young
Andrew’s birthday cake made by Mondelli’s Bakery:
I can still see the innocence in Andrew’s eyes in this picture. It was taken while he was opening his gifts tonight:
I use the word innocence because that is exactly what it is.
A few years back, a neighbor’s son said good-bye to us before leaving for the Marines. When he left, he had so much innocence in his eyes.
When he returned, it was gone – he had seen too much and now he was a man. It was amazing to see that difference. It made me feel so bad for him because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever and you can never get it back.
As I was searching for a birthday card the other day, this song came over the loudspeaker and I almost cried:
Forever Young
By: Rod Stewart
May the good Lord be with you
Down every road you roam
And may sunshine and happiness
Surround you when you’re far from home
And may you grow to be proud
Dignified and true
And do unto others
As you would have done to you
Be courageous and be brave
And in my heart you’ll always stay
Forever young, forever young
Forever young, forever young
May good fortune be with you
May your guiding light be strong
Build a stairway to heaven
With a prince or a vagabond
And may you never love in vain
And in my heart you will remain
Forever young, forever young
Forever young, forever young
Forever young
Forever young
And when you finally fly away
I’ll be hoping that I served you well
For all the wisdom of a lifetime
No one can ever tell
But whatever road you choose
I’m right behind you, win or lose
Forever young, forever young
Forever young ,forever young
Forever young, forever young
For, forever young, forever young
Posted by tami at 10:21 PM Comments (3)
March 23, 2007
Now That's A Cookie!
Kevin stopped by Mondelli’s Bakery this afternoon to pick up Andrew’s birthday cake for tomorrow. His birthday is actually Sunday; however we are celebrating it tomorrow.
While he was there, he was very naughty and bought this saucer-sized cookie:
You can see how big it is on a normal-sized paper towel.
It was very thick and filled with butter cream icing:
We cut in half and it was still a big portion for each of us. It was much sweeter than the cookies you buy in the mall.
We will definitely buy one again!
Posted by tami at 10:48 PM Comments (3)
March 22, 2007
Dust Be Gone!
The grass is turning greener and the tulips have their leaves, but this is the first flower of spring at my house:
The Weeping Willow is also sprouting:
Yesterday, Elle mentioned spring being a time for cleaning. I took this advice to heart and got down and dirty in my bedroom today. My body contorted as I shoved myself into places that hadn’t seen a dust rag in a LONG time.
I only finished the bedroom, but I feel good about it. We took quite a bit to the Goodwill, but I bet I will find a lot more when I clean other rooms!
Posted by tami at 9:13 PM Comments (4)
March 21, 2007
A Day
A man wrote a letter to The Winchester Sun (If you click on that link, it is the second letter down.) asking them to not publish a picture of someone carrying the cross down Main Street on the Friday before Easter. He says that this event actually took place on Thursday, so it being played out here in town on Friday offends him.
Is that not the biggest load of garbage you have ever heard?
Who cares?
Who really cares if it happened on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or even Monday? Who cares? The whole point is that IT HAPPENED. Jesus carried that cross for us and frankly, I don’t care what day it was on as long as I know it happened! Why complain about a day? It seems very trivial and immature to me.
In the past, we have celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday instead of Thursday. But, who cares? Would you really care, would it offend you if I celebrated Christmas on the 26th?
Give me a break!
Posted by tami at 9:33 AM Comments (4)
March 20, 2007
I Love A Good Joke
A few jokes to make you smile:
For years, my husband denied he was an aggressive driver.
That changed one day when we were out for a ride with our three-year-old, Matthew. Seeing a teaching opportunity, I began quizzing Matthew about traffic lights.
"What does a red light mean?" I asked.
"Stop."
"How about green?"
"Go."
"And yellow?"
In his best impression of Daddy, Matthew bellowed, "Hang on!"
*****
While leading a tour of Kindergarten students through our hospital, I overheard a conversation between one little girl and an X-ray technician.
"Have you ever broken a bone?" he asked.
"Yes," the girl replied.
"Did it hurt?"
"No."
"Really? Which bone did you break?"
"My sister's arm."
*****
If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?
The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.
*****
What's the difference between a southern zoo and a northern zoo?
A southern zoo has a description of the animal on the front of the cage along with... "A recipe."
What's the difference between a northern fairytale and a southern fairytale?
A northern fairytale begins "Once upon a time...
A southern fairy tale begins "Y'all ain't gonna believe this.”
*****
A Catholic man is struck by a bus on a busy street. He is lying near death on the sidewalk as a crowd gathers.
"A priest! Somebody, get me a priest!" the man gasps.
Minutes drag on and no one steps out of the crowd. A policeman checks the crowd and finally yells, "A PRIEST, PLEASE! Isn't there a priest in this crowd to give this man his last rites?"
Finally, out of the crowd steps a little old Jewish man of at least 80 years of age.
"Mr. Policeman," says the man, "I'm not a priest. I'm not even a
Christian. But for 50 years now I'm living behind the Catholic Church on First Avenue, and every night I'm overhearing their services. I can recall a lot of it, and maybe I can be of some comfort to this poor man."
The policeman agrees, and clears the crowd so the man can get through to where the injured man lay.
The old Jewish man kneels down, leans over the man and says in a solemn voice:
"B-4 I-19 N-38 G-54 O-72 "
Posted by tami at 7:29 PM Comments (0)
March 19, 2007
Inside The Black Hole
Kevin bought me a new Vera Bradley because my other one was looking bad:
I don’t understand why some people don’t like these purses; they hold everything:
I carry:
• My work badge
• Cell phone
• Chap stick
• Room spray (a small bottle)
• A sample of perfume
• Hand sanitizer
• A rag for cleaning my glasses
• A pack of gum
• About 30 cough drops
• Mirror
• Toilet paper
• Toilet seat covers
• Four Wet Ones (wipes)
• Checkbook
• Billfold
• Pad (sanitary napkin)
• 2 change purses (one is Ashley’s)
• A calculator
• Keys
• Extra keys
• Address book
• Pad of paper
• Kleenex
• A calendar (holds all my coupons)
• Sunglasses case
• Whistle
• Guido’s leash
• Andrew’s extra car keys
• Camera
Now, you could not convince me that I don’t need even one of these items. I have a valid reason for carrying everything; just ask.
What other purse can carry all these things and have SIX roomy pockets on the inside and three on the outside?! I love it!
Posted by tami at 9:14 AM Comments (0)
March 18, 2007
Touching
Someone sent me the following poem in email. I have no idea who the author is, but it is very touching.
Crabby Old Man
What do you see nurses? .......What do you see?
What are you thinking......when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, ....not very wise,
Uncertain of habit ........with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food.......and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice....."I do wish you'd try!"
Who seems not to notice ....the things that you do.
And forever is losing .............. a sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not...........lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding ....... the long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse......you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am ....... as I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, ......as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten......with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .......who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen ...........with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now. ..........a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty .........my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows........that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now .......... I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide ....... and a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty ......... my young now grown fast,
Bound to each other ......... with ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons ........have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me........to see ! I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .......... babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children ......... my loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me .......... my wife is now dead.
I look at the future ............I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing ........young of their own.
And I think of the years...... and the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man.........and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age .......look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles..........grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone........where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass ...... a young guy still dwells,
And now and again ........my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys.............. I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living.............life over again.
I think of the years ....all too few......gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact........that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people ..........open and see..
Not a crabby old man. Look closer....see........ME!!
Posted by tami at 7:11 PM Comments (0)
March 17, 2007
The Pub
Yesterday, Kevin and I had lunch here:
This picture of London was on the outside of the restaurant:
Here is another one:
Right when you walk through the door, you see this giant Union Jack painted on the ceiling over the bar:
This giant chair (the picture doesn’t do it justice) reminded me of Alice in Wonderland:
We both ordered the fish and chips and it was delicious:
Posted by tami at 7:11 PM Comments (3)
March 16, 2007
Theft Or Not?
Yesterday, while shopping in Wal-Mart, we had made it down to the ketchup isle when I looked on my list and saw that I had missed the pork n’ beans. On the grocery side we start in the back and make our way up. Then, we go back to the cheese, meat, produce, and lastly, the frozen section. I left Kevin and made my way back to where I thought the beans were. As I turned up that isle, there was an old man standing by some canned goods. He looked to be in his late 70’s. He was wearing a ball cap and a jean jacket with big pockets in the front. As I looked at him, he was placing a can in his pocket. We made eye contact. I continued down the aisle, discovering that I had actually found the dried beans, not the canned beans. When I walked back up the aisle, he was placing another can in his other pocket.
Kevin was waiting for me just past that aisle. I said to him, “Look up that aisle.” He looked. I asked him if he saw the old man. He said “Yes.” But he only saw the back of him because he was almost at the end of the aisle by then, leaving.
I told Kevin what I had seen and he asked, “What are you going to do, report him? Maybe he was using his pockets to hold the cans until he got to the register because he didn’t have a buggy.”
My response to that was, “Oh, Wal-Mart is letting people do that now – put things in their pockets until they check-out?”
He got my point.
I did not report the old man because maybe he really was using his pockets to hold the cans.
So, now I am wondering, had you seen the exact same thing, would you have reported him?
Posted by tami at 8:01 AM Comments (5)
March 15, 2007
A Few Old Pictures
While visiting Kevin’s parent’s house, we gathered some pictures together. Here are a few that we brought home:
This is Kevin under the tree at the age of 7:
I wish he still had this Weebles Tree House:
Ecstatic over these Star Wars toys:
At 17 … hot stuff!
Posted by tami at 8:33 AM Comments (1)
March 14, 2007
Ironic
It’s ironic that my post today (below) was about children. A friend sent me the following email:
Gold, Common Sense and Fur
My husband and I had been happily (most of the time) married for five years but hadn't been blessed with a baby. I decided to do some serious praying and promised God that if he would give us a child, I would be a perfect mother, love it with all my heart and raise it with his word as my guide.
God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next year God blessed us with another son. The following year, he blessed us with yet another son. The year after that, we were blessed with a daughter.
My husband thought we'd been blessed right into poverty. We now had four children, and the oldest was only four years old. I learned never to ask God for anything unless I meant it. As a minister once told me, "If you pray for rain make sure you carry an umbrella."
I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each day as they lay in their cribs. I was off to a good start. God had entrusted me with four children and I didn't want to disappoint him.
I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs on the kitchen floor searching for baby chicks.
I tried to be understanding when they started a hotel for homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours to catch all twenty-three frogs.
When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and rolled up in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see the humor rather than the mess. In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers, never eating a hot meal and never sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time, I still thank God daily for my children.
While I couldn't keep my promise to be a perfect mother - I didn't even come close - I did keep my promise to raise them in the Word of God.
I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told my daughter we were going to church to worship God, and she wanted to bring a bar of soap along to "wash up" Jesus, too.
Something was lost in the translation when I explained that God gave us everlasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to give us his "last wife."
My proudest moment came during the children's Christmas pageant. My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine.
My five-year-old shepherd had practiced his line, "We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes." But he was nervous and said, "The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes." My four-year-old "Mary" said, "That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly. That's dirty, rotten clothes."
A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing. I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying, "Mama-mama." Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men arrived.
My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, "We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur."
The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing ovation. "I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one "laughed the pastor, wiping tears from his eyes."For the rest of my life, I'll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur."
"My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest blessing," I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin.
Posted by tami at 9:10 AM Comments (1)
Having Children
I love these shows on The Learning Channel about people with large families. I think the most I have seen is 16 kids, but I just watched a show about a lady and her husband who live in the UK, and I think they had 15 kids. The wife doesn’t want to stop until she reaches 20 or her body just won’t let her have any more.
You would think these people are probably on welfare and not paying for anything, but the families I have seen are financially independent. They save and buy everything for themselves. Another family may give them their unwanted clothes, but other than that, they buy for themselves. This is very impressive when you think about it. I know people with one, two, three, or four kids that receive welfare.
Sometimes it’s not the parent’s fault they are on welfare anyway. You would be surprised at the number of people that work 40 hours per week and still get welfare. They are making minimum wage, so they still qualify depending on the number of children they have. My personal opinion is that you should be able to afford kids before you have them. If you know you’re going to need the help of a medical card or food stamps, then don’t have another child until you can afford to do it on your own. Sometimes there are special circumstances, but normally not. Birth control is a great thing.
I am getting off topic though.
Even though I am fascinated with these people who have huge families, I would never want that many children myself. I don’t think there is any way to give 16 children individual attention every day. As a matter of fact, all these families have admitted that the older children help with the younger ones. This is a great learning experience until it becomes a “have to” thing. In some cases it looks as though the older children are the mommies. They aren’t getting to do anything that a normal child their age would do because they have to watch over little sister or brother all day, every day.
It is neat to watch, but I would never want to live it. One of my favorite shows is The Waltons. John and Olivia have seven children, plus grandma and grandpa living in the house. This is a wonderful, clean show to watch, but could anyone really pull it off and still be happy? I don’t think so.
A friend of mine, who will be 35 in a few months, just gave birth for the second time. She has another child around the age of two. God has blessed her and this is a fantastic thing, but it is not for me. I cannot imagine at 35 just beginning my family. I cannot imagine going through the stage where they need constant attention, baths, potty training, shoe tying, letter recognition, and so much more. I am past that stage as a parent. Granted, I still love sharing those experiences with others. My sister’s children are five years old now and they constantly crack me up, but at the end of the day, they go home. I am not actually raising them, going through kindergarten with them and so on.
This year, Andrew will graduate high school. He will be 18 in a matter of days. Once he moves out, he gets to make his own decisions. For practical purposes, we are finished raising him.
Ashley will start middle school next year. She only has three years of middle school and then four years of high school until she is finished. Raising these kids has been and still is wonderful and fulfilling. I love to watch them as they experience new things, but two is enough for me.
Posted by tami at 8:40 AM Comments (1)
March 13, 2007
A Wet Duck
We have found that Guido loves having something in his mouth after he eats. Especially right after snack time at night, he has to have a toy to hold in his mouth.
Here he is surrounded by his Bow Wow Beanies with the duck in his mouth:
I will have to buy future Bow Wow Beanies on ebay. For some weird reason, all the pet shops are no longer selling them. We checked Pet Smart, IncrediPet, MVP, and some other store I don’t remember the name of.
Where these places did have a fully loaded display full of them, they have all vanished. I asked salespeople at all of the stores and they had no reason as to why they were no longer selling these sturdy dog toys.
It just goes back to my old feeling of everything I find I like, they do away with! It makes no sense to me!
Posted by tami at 8:06 PM Comments (0)
March 12, 2007
The 1500's
I received a very interesting history lesson in my email today and I thought you would find it interesting too:
LIFE IN THE 1500'S some amazing historical facts.....
* Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor; hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
* Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children, last of all the babies. By then, the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
* Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip off the roof. Hence the saying "it's raining cats and dogs."
* There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
* The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt; hence the saying "dirt poor."
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
* In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while; hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."
* Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."
* Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."
* Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up; hence the custom of holding a "wake."
Now, whoever said that History was boring?
Posted by tami at 9:24 PM Comments (0)
March 11, 2007
Tips
From my email:
Investment Tips for 2007:
For all of you with any money left, be aware of the next expected mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some BIG bucks. Watch for these mergers in 2007:
1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. will merge and become: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.
2. Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become: Poly, Warner Cracker.
3. 3M will merge with Goodyear and and become: MMMGood.
4. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge and become: ZipAudiDoDa.
5.FedEx is expected to join its major competitor, UPS, and become: FedUP.
6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become: Fairwell Honeychild.
7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become: Poupon Pants.
8. Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become: Knott NOW!
And finally:
9. Victoria's Secret and Smith & Wesson will merge under the new name : Titty Titty Bang Bang
Posted by tami at 11:30 PM Comments (0)
March 10, 2007
Handy Stuff
Target came through for me in a big way today!
You will recall in THIS post, I was looking for Charmin To Go. Well, I found a ton of it in the travel sized items at Target. I bought five rolls and I even bought some toilet seat covers – I hadn’t seen those in a while either. Believe me, they come in handy!
Target also had the cutest Easter stuff in the $1 bins. I bought two tiny baskets for my nieces, one white and one pink with the Easter Bunny’s head on the front. I also bought two headbands; one with bunny ears and the other with blue flower petals. These are also for my nieces, although Guido has already been photographed wearing both pairs! He looks adorable!
We stopped in at the new Wal-Mart on Winchester Road. It is huge! I didn’t notice a lot of variety, but that probably depends on what you’re looking at.
I had to take a picture of Count Chocula, Boo Berry, and Franken Berry:
How long has it been since you saw ALL three of those cereals together?! I got some funny looks taking the picture, but it didn’t faze me. I’m getting used to the stares.
Posted by tami at 5:45 PM Comments (2)
March 9, 2007
First Chocolate Egg This Year
The following photos are dedicated to Elle who is also a great fan of the Cadbury Cream Egg. Actually, how could anyone NOT enjoy this egg?
They sell them separately here in the US, but Kevin bought a box of four:
How could so much goodness get into such a small package?
That first bite is always glorious!
And, that’s the end of the pictures. I felt very, very satisfied after eating that. Thank you for the reminder, Elle! You will have to tell me how the packaging differs in the UK.
Posted by tami at 9:05 AM Comments (4)
March 8, 2007
A Body In The Parlor
The closest I have ever gotten to know the inner workings of a funeral home came from watching episodes of Six Feet Under.
After watching this show, I would like to say that funeral homes don’t bother me. I would like to say that a dead body is just that – a dead body, a shell.
I think I could say these things during the day, when it is nice and bright outside and the sun is pouring through the funeral home windows. The nighttime, however would be a very different thing though.
There are too many possibilities. Dead bodies at night symbolize ghosts, vampires, witches, and spirits – scary things. At least, in my warped, childlike mind, that’s what dead bodies at night represent. No good can come from seeing a dead body laid out in a coffin in an empty funeral home in the middle of the night.
Why in the world am I on this subject?
Well, I have a friend who has a job cleaning a funeral home at night, after visitations are complete. She and her partner just recently acquired this job and they agreed to help each other. Unfortunately, the partner has been very sick this week, so my friend has had to clean the funeral home alone.
Just imagine walking into a funeral home around 10 at night and seeing Body A laid out in the front parlor and Body B laid out in the back parlor. The caskets are open. (I had to look over my shoulder as I typed this – the thought spooked me).
My friend has been told to let someone know if she sees any embalming fluid leaking from the mouths of the bodies. Lovely.
Last night as my friend stepped down into the dank basement in her clunky clogs, she slipped and fell. She called her partner on her cell phone saying she thought she had broken her ankle and he might have to come over. As they talked, she was able to get up and hobble around. Assuring him that she would call him if she needed him, she hobbled to a closet to get supplies. I believe she described this closet as being made of stone and dirt; a very moist, creepy closet is what I imagine.
When she opened the closet door, there was a gurney sitting inside and it looked as though there was a body laying on it under a sheet. She quickly closed the door and called her partner back, telling him he needed to get over there. She was freaked out. Think about it. It’s nighttime, and she’s in a funeral home ALONE with dead bodies all around her.
The partner came and brought the two children he was watching with him. What choice did he have? He went to the closet and confirmed that, yes, that was a fresh body that had not as yet, been embalmed.
My friend informed me at this point in our conversation that dead bodies look different before they are embalmed. She said their arms, fingers, and legs have not been straightened, so they are in odd positions. I didn’t really need nor want to know this, but alas, I do. I will try my best not to dwell on these things as I try to sleep at night!
You may wonder what the children thought.
Let me point something out before I go on. Many children are raised in funeral homes. They are used to seeing dead bodies and what goes on. If explained correctly, I do not think it is harmful for a child to see a dead body. The child needs to know that this person is in Heaven with the Lord. If I were describing this to a child, I would give a beautiful description of Heaven and the deceased person walking happily around up there. I would think the most favorable time for a child to see a dead body would be during the daytime, but things are not always favorable.
I think it was scary at first for one of the children because they had been told as they drove by, “That is where they take the dead bodies.”
If I were a child, hearing that would freak me out too. So, there was a bit of crying and “I want to go home. Just take me back home.” being said. However, after the initial fright, the children would run into the parlor, look at the body, and then run back out. Apparently this continued until my friend and her partner were finished cleaning. In their small minds, they probably wanted to reassure themselves that this person was not moving (I would be this way at 35).
I am sure I will hear more of these stories if they keep the job. I can hardly wait.
Posted by tami at 9:49 AM Comments (5)
March 7, 2007
Trashy Girl
I asked Andrew if he would pick the dead branches up from the front yard and put them in the Herbie. He invited Selina over to help him (unbeknownst to her!).
This is what happened:
Poor child.
Posted by tami at 7:55 PM Comments (3)
Not PC
I know some people hate political jokes, but I had to post this one I received in email:
A man walked into a very high-tech restaurant in a fancy hotel. As he waited to be seated, he noticed that the maitre d' was a robot.
The robot clicked to attention and said, "Sir, there is a one hour wait. I am programmed to converse with you until a table is ready, if you please."
Intrigued, the man said, "OK."
The robot clicked a couple more times and then asked, "Sir, what is your IQ?"
The man answered, "Oh, about 164."
The robot then proceeded to discuss the theory of relativity, interstellar space travel, the latest medical breakthroughs, etc. The man was most impressed. The next day he returned, but thought he would try a different tack.
The robot again asked, "What is your IQ, sir?"
This time the man answered, "Oh, about 100".
So the robot started discussing NASCAR racing, the latest basketball scores, and what to expect the Red Sox to do this weekend.
The guy had to try it one more time. So the next day he returned.
Again the robot asked the question, "What is your IQ?"
This time the man drawled out, " Uh.....'bout 50."
The robot clicked, then leaned close and very slowly asked,
"A-r-e y-o-u-r p-e-o-p-l-e g-o-i-n-g t-o n-o-m-i-n-a-t-e H-i-l-l-a-r-y?"
Posted by tami at 8:09 AM Comments (1)
March 6, 2007
The Next Doll
I told you when I got home Saturday my throat began to hurt. It hurt all day Sunday. Kevin asked me if it bothered me that bad.
My exact response was, “Oh, at least it’s my throat and not my nose. There’s nothing I hate worse than a stopped up nose.”
He disagreed explaining that a sore throat hurt with every swallow and therefore was worse for him.
Well, I jinxed myself! Or he jinxed me just asking the question!
I was okay Monday until after dinner and then it hit me; a stopped up nose. Going to sleep was torture. I wanted sleep so badly, but then I had to keep my mouth open in order to breathe. This is very difficult when you aren’t used to it. I also cradled a roll of toilet paper all night, sometimes losing it under the cover and then having to play hide and seek with it in the dark, middle of the night. I’m sure Kevin was very appreciative of all this action on my side of the bed while he tried to sleep. (Actually that wasn’t even a worry. I could be bleeding from the hind end and he and Guido would sleep and snore on, not moving even once!)
Although my nose was stopped up and I couldn’t breathe, it still dripped like a leaky faucet, hence the toilet paper. As I type this, one nostril is clear and one is clogged (TMI?). I look as though Kevin has popped me one right under my nose. It is red, raw, and nasty-looking. I’m surprised no one asked about it today as there is only so much Cover Girl can do.
At least I can watch some good TV tonight. American Idol and House are on, plus have you heard about Pussy Cat Dolls Presents: The Search for the Next Doll? That should be GOOD. I’ll be taping it at 9 and watching at 10.
Posted by tami at 3:50 PM Comments (3)
March 5, 2007
The Boycott Begins
I was sure that Herbal Essences Shampoo did it, but I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t have proof. Now Aussie Shampoo has gone and done it, so I am speaking out.
What did they do?
When they changed the shape of their bottle, they also changed to a smaller size! We were getting 16 ounces per bottle, whereas now we are only getting 13.5 ounces. The maker is very crafty and has designed the bottle so that most people probably won’t even realize this change.
I didn’t have a bottle of Herbal Essences for comparison when they decided to change their bottles, but I KNOW you don’t get as much of that either. I think it’s sad. It’s not like the price is reduced.
I guess I will have to boycott these shampoos and buy VO5 or Suave.
Posted by tami at 7:24 PM Comments (3)
March 4, 2007
Aunt Patt's Baby
After Woody’s Party yesterday, Guido visited his Aunt Patt. He was tired from the party, but not too tired to visit for a bit. After a while, he did lay his sweet chin on Aunt Patt’s leg.
After we got home, my throat began to hurt. This morning I had a cough to go along with it, so we stayed home from church. I have read for the greater part of the day, but I still got in a nice nap. Ashley and I played Guess Who - she won! Kevin is cooking dinner tonight, so I am grateful.
I am STILL using his laptop. It’s okay as long as he hooks up the regular mouse. I am not used to copying and pasting with two hands and it aggravates me. He plans to try something new with my computer tomorrow. He now thinks it is the SATA cable or the power supply. Those are the only two things left that he hasn’t tried. I am keeping my fingers crossed!
Posted by tami at 5:13 PM Comments (1)
March 3, 2007
Woody
We attended our first pug birthday party this afternoon. It was Woody’s second birthday and he had his own cake, friends, and presents. He ran and played and clearly enjoyed himself. The other pugs had a great time also. You can view the photos Here.
Posted by tami at 8:43 PM Comments (1)
March 2, 2007
Going Crazy
Whereas I mainly use our computer for the Internet, the kids like to play games.
For some time, they could be in the middle of a game and without warning; the entire computer would lock up on them. I’m sure you can imagine the havoc which ensued. They got over it though, and would go on and do something else.
The computer works fine for what I do. I have had no problems whatsoever. However, Kevin decided the entire system needed refreshing. He removed everything from our computer – my pictures, documents, emails - everything and put these files on a removable hard drive.
As I type, it is giving him Registry Errors which means the computer will not boot up!
I am using his laptop for the second night in a row just to blog. It’s killing me that I don’t have access to my files. For example, I finished a book yesterday and would like to add it to my “book” document. I would also love to blog on the movies we watched during the month of February. Granted, there weren’t a handful, but it would be nice to have access to that file also. I can only remember one of the movies and I have no idea what the date was! I guess I will blog that in a few days. At least, I hope so.
I had no idea how dependant I was on the computer to keep my life in some kind of order. Do you remember when I had the books I was currently reading listed on the sidebar? When that conked out and I lost important information (like the date I finished the book), I decided that I would keep my book list in two places. Even though I am not able to keep the list on my blog because the plug-in for Movable Type would not work, I do keep a list stored on the computer. I ALSO keep a list on paper which I started in January of this year. I learned my lesson the hard way when all that information was lost. Things like that aren’t important to some people, but it was important to me.
This is why it is killing me not to have my computer! Kevin was trying to be generous and do something for the kids, but when he did, he messed with me too. What’s scary is that he is an expert at computers and if he can’t get this thing to work we are SOL.
Posted by tami at 7:51 PM Comments (0)
March 1, 2007
A Live One
Just in case you missed it, this is a very interesting story. It comes from MSNBC.com
Italian granny finds World War II-vintage bomb in sack of potatoes
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 6:46 p.m. ET Feb 28, 2007
NAPLES, Italy - A 74-year-old Italian grandmother who bought a sack of potatoes at her local market found a live grenade among the spuds.
“I found a bomb in the potatoes,” Olga Mauriello said.
“I went to the market to buy some potatoes, and that’s where the bomb was. But this bomb was covered in dirt, and I put it in water and got all dirt off. And then I realized, ‘It’s a bomb!’”
Police said the pine cone-shaped grenade, which had no pin and was still active, was the same type used by U.S. soldiers in Europe in World War II. Authorities believe the mix-up happened at a farm in France, where the grenade was plucked from the ground along with potatoes.
To the woman’s relief, police and explosives experts in the small town of San Giorgio a Cremano, near Naples, recovered the grenade and safely detonated it on Wednesday.
But Mauriello was still shaking off her close brush with death. It didn’t look like a potato and it was heavier than one. But what if she had cooked it?
“If I hadn’t felt its weight, I wouldn’t even have realized that it was a bomb,” she said.
Officers detonated the grenade in a park on Wednesday, state police said.
© 2007 MSNBC InteractiveReuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17381756/
I buy my potatoes in a plastic bag in the grocery store and they are relatively clean. I cannot imagine them being caked with dirt. God was definitely on this grandmother's side.
Posted by tami at 7:31 PM Comments (0)