May 31, 2007
He's A Winner!
Remember the Corn Hole game that my dad made in THIS post?
I forgot to mention (shame on me) that his game was pictured on the front page of The Winchester Sun yesterday. There were three various photos, but only one is shown HERE along with the story. It does tell that his team of two won first place, but it doesn’t show the actual photo that was on the front page. Maybe that’s because I am looking for it a day late. That will teach me!
Here are the two photos I cannot find on the website:
Posted by tami at 11:35 AM Comments (0)
Buddy & Jesse
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."
No, I won’t try that. Daphne Du Maurier I’m not. If only!
But I did have a dream last night and it was odd to me. I will tell you what I can remember.
I was taking Buddy (my parent’s dog who died around April 3rd 2003) for a walk. He had a collar of the same texture Guido has now and it was the same color, blue, but it was very thick. Buddy was a Collie, so that makes sense: the bigger the dog, the bigger the collar.
As Buddy and I walked through the neighborhood, we kept passing groups of kids. Finally, I recognized one of the groups. It was my niece’s class from school and they were on a field trip. Where were they going? I wondered.
They were visiting some of their classmate’s family’s houses and today was their day to see MY house. Hadn’t I gotten the note they had sent home? the teacher wanted to know. No, I never get notes that come home from their class.
I had to hold Buddy back. He was pulling on the leash, excitedly lunging forward. He wanted to get to Jesse to greet her. She asked if she could hold his leash for a while and I did let her, but then the leash got tangled somehow and I took it back.
The entire class arrived at my house, along with the teacher (she was actually Ashley’s teacher this year). My house was a t-total mess. Nothing was where it was supposed to be, dishes hadn’t been done, clothes were literally lying all over the house, and the bed had not been made. I was mortified. I was supposed to have had a something ready of the kids, like a video of when they were babies, to play for the class. Since I never got the note, nothing was ready. They saw a dirty house and then left.
I remember walking back into the bedroom knowing that I wanted to ask them back again when the house was clean, but also knowing what their answer would be. Jesse was in my bed on her knees laughing because Buddy was licking her face. She had her tiny hands on each side of his head, sunk into his long, thick hair. She was oblivious to the mess and she laughed and laughed.
End of dream.
Now, I’m no dream interpreter, but I can figure out what some of this means. I know that it was me and my house in the dream. It was my emotions. When I got so upset that the house was a mess, it was because I was thinking, how could this have happened? I always make my bed and so on.
It was my dream, my experience, but I think it’s the way that someone else I know experiences life in general. I believe I had this dream in order to get a glimpse of that chaos.
I don’t know what the significance of Buddy and Jesse is. She was so small when he died, there is no way she could remember him.
* The quote in the first sentence is from the book Rebecca written by Daphne Du Maurier.
Posted by tami at 10:10 AM Comments (0)
May 28, 2007
TV Shows About Weight
A TV show makes its debut tonight on The Learning Channel at 9 PM. It’s called Big Medicine and it sounds very interesting.
This is what the website says:
BIG MEDICINE follows the personal stories of severely obese patients who turn to Houston’s Methodist Weight Management Center as a life-changing last resort. One of the most innovative bariatric surgery practices, Methodist adheres to a long-term, multidisciplinary approach that includes a plan for lifelong follow-up. At the heart of the operation is passionate father and son surgeon team Robert and Garth Davis, a pair who have dedicated their professional lives to raising awareness about obesity.BIG MEDICINE offers a behind-the-scenes look into the controversial world of bariatric surgery. The series chronicles the emotional journeys and transformation of obese people who have opted to undergo weight-loss surgery in an attempt to regain their lives. Patients are captured at various stages in the process – before and during the surgery, through recovery and post-op care and often through cosmetic procedures designed to remove sagging skin after dramatic weight loss.
Often as gripping as the patient stories is the colorful relationship between this father and son team where old school meets new school head on. Dr. Robert Davis, aka "big D," is true to the old ways of medicine and sometimes finds new techniques too flashy or unnecessary, while Dr. Garth Davis, aka "little D," is eager to modernize the business. Despite these differences, the pair unites in the operating room to fight a common enemy and change lives forever.
I very recently found out that someone I know underwent gastric bypass surgery before Christmas. Each week when I saw her, she looked as though she had dropped 10 pounds. On the last day of school, I finally had the opportunity to ask her what her secret was and she told me. She said she was eating everything just fine and she felt so much better. I have to say, she looks great. I bet I’ll hardly recognize her when I see her next year!
*****
If you haven’t seen the show, Inside Brookhaven Obesity Clinic, you need to watch it. It is also on The Learning Channel. It comes on Wednesday nights at 9 PM.
The description says:
The Brookhaven Rehabilitation Centre in New York is home to 75 of America's fattest people who are desperate to lose the weight that is killing them.
If you want to get caught up on previously aired shows, CLICK HERE for more dates and times.
Posted by tami at 5:30 PM Comments (1)
May 27, 2007
Dandelion Clocks
Guido had a nice visit over at his Nene’s house this afternoon. He ran around the backyard and got hot, laid in the grass, rolled around in the grass, then panted in my lap for over half an hour before settling down.
After he had an hour’s rest, Kevin and I took him for a walk. We saw these huge Dandelion Clocks that were bigger than your fist:
More information about the Dandelion can be found HERE.
Further down the path, we saw these pretty pink wildflowers:
I have no idea what they are called. It’s a good thing they aren’t in our yard though; Kevin would call them “weeds” and mow them down!
Posted by tami at 8:52 PM Comments (1)
May 26, 2007
Senior Shirts
Last night after graduation, Andrew received a senior t-shirt. Since I still have mine, I thought I would show them to you side-by-side.
This is the front (mine has an ink stain):
The back of the shirt lists all the names of the graduates. Since my shirt has white writing and has been washed many times, the names are harder to read unless you’re holding it right next to you:
Posted by tami at 9:48 PM Comments (1)
May 25, 2007
Seeing Red & White
If you didn’t read yesterday’s post, read it first and then you will see why I am so happy about THIS news. Plain and simple, she went too far.
*****
Now for even happier things ...
Tonight was Andrew’s graduation from high school. We decorated the house with these pennants:
The plates, napkins, and tablecloth were of that same motif.
Here he is in his cap and gown:
This was our view from the stands:
This was the cake:
Kevin and I were both good and didn’t have any cake. Instead we ate 100 Calorie Hostess Cupcakes. I was glad that everyone else enjoyed it though.
Andrew got a lot of money for graduating. Hopefully, he will put some of into his savings account!
Posted by tami at 11:24 PM Comments (3)
May 24, 2007
The South End Of A North Bound Horse
Until now, I have kept my mouth shut about politics and my personal beliefs. I have always said on here that I like Rosie O’Donnell. I don’t agree with her politically, but there are things that I do like about her. Before school was out and I was working, I began taping The View just for the fact that she had joined the show and I wanted to hear what she had to say. I knew that she would bring something new to the table and she did. As I have also stated before, I think it is important to listen to both sides. Meaning, just because you are a Republican, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible for a Democrat to have a good idea and vice versa. I try to not be close-minded; however, I will call things like I see them.
If you don’t watch the daytime T.V. talk show, The View, let me enlighten you about a few things. There are four regular hosts, but I am only going to discuss two of them. (In many of the videos I discuss later, you will sometimes see a “guest host”.)
1. Rosie O’Donnell is a liberal Democrat. She is completely against the war and our president. She believes he should be impeached.
2. Elisabeth Hasselbeck is a conservative Republican. She is in favor of our president and believes in what he is trying to accomplish especially where this war is concerned.
3. Elisabeth and Rosie get into heated arguments almost daily over politics.
4. Rosie does not like the word “terrorists”, while Elisabeth believes the word to be a good representation.
5. Rosie believes that words like “terrorists” and “war on terror” are meant to scare Americans.
6. Only one of the four hosts is a Republican. (This seems a tad unfair to me. Talk about stacking the deck or - I’ll use a favorite phrase of Rosie’s, - “cherry picking”.)
Yesterday, Rosie and Elisabeth got into a heated argument bigger than I have ever seen before. The question that Rosie asked Elisabeth was something like Do you really think that I believe our troops are terrorists?
Rosie asked Elisabeth this question because last week, Rosie spouted the following:
This is the transcript from The View for May 17th (this is in video #1):
Rosie: I just want to say something. 655,000 Iraqi civilians are dead. Who are the terrorists?
Elisabeth: Who are the terrorists?
Rosie: 655,000 Iraqis — I’m saying you have to look, we invaded –
Elisabeth: Wait, who are you calling terrorists now? Americans?
Rosie: I’m saying if you were in Iraq, and the other country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?
Elisabeth: Are we killing their citizens or are their people also killing their citizens?
Rosie: We’re invading a sovereign nation, occupying a country against the U.N.
End of transcript.
If you want to express an informed opinion, I ask that you watch the video (#1) HERE. It is long – 9 minutes and 39 seconds, but well worth watching so that you can form a judgment.
The video that follows (#2) is HERE.
The video of the newest and most bitter feud over Rosie’s comments (#3) is HERE. This is where Rosie tries to make Elisabeth feel bad for taking what she said in video #1, literally. To put it another way, Rosie said something she regretted and when Elisabeth brought it back up on another day, Rosie got mad. Furthermore, I believe because Rosie has considered her and Elisabeth to be “friends since September”, Elisabeth might not have been comfortable criticizing this friendship in front of the world.
I highly recommend reading this article, although the videos speak for themselves: Rosie Equates USA with Terrorists. You will see much, much more that has been transcribed.
Rosie strongly implies in video #1 that she believes the American troops are the terrorists. Why else would she say what she said in the way that she said it?
If you need further evidence of her feelings about our government, watch her talk about her suspicion of a 9/11 Conspiracy.
Here is the transcript from the 9/11 Conspiracy video where she makes some wild insinuations:
Rosie: “Historically, have governments ever faked incidents or incited incidents in order to get them into wars?”
Elisabeth: “I’m sure it has. I don’t think this is the case right here. I don’t think that there was a conspiracy between Bush and Tony Blair to put these soldiers in as pawns so that we could jump into Iran. I think we’re going to try and use other methods to stop their programs.”
The conversation continues …
Rosie to Elisabeth: Do you believe the government purposely misled the American people to believe that Iraq had something to do with 9/11?
Elisabeth answers: No
Elisabeth asks: Do you believe that the government had anything to do with the attack of 9/11? Do you believe in a conspiracy in terms of the attack of 9/11?
Rosie answers: No, but I do believe it is the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel. I do believe that it defies physics for the World Trade Center Tower building 7, which collapsed in on itself, it is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved. World Trade Center 7. World Trade Center 1 & 2 got hit by planes, 7, miraculously; the first time in history, steel was melted by fire. It is physically impossible.
Elisabeth asks Rosie: And who do you think is responsible for that?
Rosie answers: I have no idea. But to say that we don’t know, that it imploded and it was an implosion in a demolition, is beyond ignorant. Look at the films. Get a physics expert here from Yale, from Harvard, pick the school – it defies reason.
Elisabeth: Let’s get one. Let’s get one because that to me is the unthinkable.
Rosie: It is the unthinkable. But imagine if somebody could convince you of that, could prove it to you, Elisabeth, just 7.
Elisabeth: I don’t think it would happen, but if someone could sit here and prove that to me right now, I would open my mind to that.
End of transcript.
This is what I know:
FEMA, the agency that came up with the original report about fire destroying or weakening the building, did not report or find the entire story. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) did a 3 year study and found that the amount of debris damage to the south side was much worse than FEMA assumed. They found a 10 story gash extending a third of the way across and approximately one quarter of the way in. The building’s columns were designed to support 2000 square feet of floor space. With the removal of so many support columns, the remaining columns had to support much more weight than they designed for. The building was shown in news footage to start cracking and bowing on the east side which follows the above mentioned damage area.
The idea that someone would suspect our government of blowing up a building to help push us into war is insanity. Terrorists crashing two planes into two separate buildings and causing the deaths of 2,970 innocent people plus the devastation at the Pentagon is enough to drive anyone to fight back. Why in the world would there be a need for our government to destroy another building on top of all that the terrorists had obliterated? It doesn’t make sense. Rosie doesn’t make sense. I am ashamed that she lives in the United States.
Posted by tami at 10:08 PM Comments (4)
May 23, 2007
Getting Contacts
The kids had the day out of school yesterday because of the primary election, so this was the perfect day to have Ashley’s eyes examined for contact lenses.
She hates her glasses and this was all she asked for from us for her birthday. It’s a little early; her birthday is June 3rd, however we wanted to make sure we had the money and the contacts were in on time.
As you can see below, she refuses to have her picture made with her glasses on:
They actually had the contacts she needed right there and we didn’t have to order them and wait as is our usual process with Kevin and Andrew. Her eyes aren’t near as bad as theirs are though.
Here she is trying to put a contact in for the first time:
It only took her about 15 minutes per eye to get them in. That’s a very good time I think.
I’m glad she was able to get them yesterday so that she could wear them the last two days of school. She was so excited; she called all of her friends as soon as we got home.
Posted by tami at 12:15 PM Comments (1)
May 21, 2007
Bragging Rights
Tonight was Honor’s Night for the fifth grade students at Ashley’s school. As her parents, we were truly touched each time she received an award.
She was awarded the following:
• 2 years of STLP certificate & pin
• Awarded a pin for 2 years or more in Chorus
• Awarded a pin for Extraordinary Effort
• Awarded a pin for being on the Principal’s List all year
• Awarded a letter from President Bush, a certificate, and a pin for the President’s Education Award for Academic Excellence
• Received a certificate, medal, and a pin for the Good Citizenship Award from the Daughter’s of the American Revolution
This last award is the biggest given and hardest to get. We received the following information along with the award:
QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE GOOD CITIZENSHIP MEDALThe requirements for the award of the medal to a boy or girl are based upon the five qualities of HONOR, SERVICE, COURAGE, LEADERSHIP, and PATRIOTISM. These qualifications are set forth as follows:
HONOR: honesty - high principles, trustworthiness, loyalty, truthfulness, punctuality, moral strength and stability, cleanliness in mind and body.
SERVICE: cooperation, meritorious behavior bringing honor to school or community, kindliness, unselfishness, true Americanism - individual responsibility to Home, to Country, to God.
COURAGE: mental and physical, determination to overcome obstacles.
LEADERSHIP: personality, originality, ability to lead and hold others, good sportsmanship - responsibility.
PATRIOTISM: fundamental Americanism
Only one child is chosen from each school in Clark County. In a few weeks, she will meet up with the other winners at the Court House to have her picture taken for the newspaper. She was so touched with this award, she cried. It means a lot that people think so highly of her.
Along with the ribbons I mentioned in THIS post, Andrew also received four certificates on Honor’s Night:
They were for:
• Proficient Performance in Psychology
• Proficient Performance in Business Math
• Proficient Performance in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps
• The Cardinal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Accelerated English IV
(Yes, I blurred out our last name. Most of you that read me already know it, however it’s an added security measure for those who don’t.)
I am very proud of my children and their efforts. Now we have Ashley's promotion ceremony and Andrew's graduation to look forward to. YEA!
Posted by tami at 10:27 PM Comments (4)
May 20, 2007
Missing Them
Today was Graduation Sunday; the day in church that we honor those members who are graduating high school. Andrew's school colors are red and white. During graduation, the guys wear red and the girls wear white.
Above, Andrew is the last guy in red standing next to a girl in white. I know that isn’t a close picture, but I promise to get lots of close-ups on graduation night. I am excited and emotional all at the same time, but I look forward to seeing him walk. To me, it means everything.
In other news …
Kevin tried cooking a meal in the microwave last night. It sounded like it was doing something, however the meal never thawed. It was like the internal fan was stuck or something. Anyway, if it doesn’t cook, it’s broken.
Unfortunately, this was a Lean Cuisine meal that specifically said, “Do Not Prepare in Conventional or Toaster Oven".
Luckily, our neighbor was home and let us use her microwave. This is why you should have at least one neighbor you can turn to.
About three years ago, we had two more sets of neighbors that I loved being around. One of these couples lived across the street. Since they had a basement, the other neighbors would pile in every time there was a dangerous storm coming. They were tons of fun. She decorated her house for Halloween like no one else I have known. Since they had more experience with home ownership than we did, they were always able to give us advice in a pinch. I miss them all the time, but I do keep in touch through email.
The other couple we were close with lived right next door. The husband was from Leicester, England and the wife worked here in town at a travel agency. I would give anything to have them back again. Not only did I consider them good friends, but they also owned the property and took great care of it. They had a dog and cat that were almost part of our family. When they moved, I had no idea exactly how much I would miss them.
But I digress.
The microwave! That’s what I was talking about! My parents bought us a new one today; a NICE, BIG microwave. We could cook a turkey in the thing. It takes up more counter space than I am accustomed to, but I think I can make myself get used to it ;)
Posted by tami at 4:25 PM Comments (1)
May 18, 2007
Stuck
I want to draw your attention to the upper right hand corner of this van:
Would someone please explain to me why a person would want to make it look as though a baseball is stuck in their car window?
This is a growing trend that I just don’t understand.
Posted by tami at 9:39 PM Comments (1)
May 17, 2007
Lori-Lyn, Frank, & Marie
First off, I am posting a picture of my airbrushed license plate for Lori-Lyn:
My parents bought this plate for me in Pigeon Forge around 1989. I don’t have it on my car – I’ve just never looked into how much trouble it would be to put it on.
On to other things …
Kevin came home from work last night and told me a tale that one of his coworkers told him. By posting it here, I am in no way making fun of these people; they are very nice. I am only repeating this as a warning for others.
The friend and his wife, Frank and Marie (not their real names) decided they were going on a diet so they wanted to get rid of all the Little Debbie’s in the house. Apparently there were several boxes, so Frank, not wanting to waste money, put them in the trunk of his car so that he could lay them on the break room table the following day at work.
Did I mention this was before Christmas?
Time goes by and it is now six months later.
Frank is cleaning out his car. He grabs a handful of various coats and sweaters that have collected in his car over the winter. He brings these into the house to sort and put in the washing machine when all of a sudden a dead mouse falls from the pile. It’s not just a dead mouse though … it’s so dead that it’s rock hard.
He decides he better investigate this so he looks in the backseat of the car only to see another dead mouse; only this one died standing up on its back heels with its little paws raised. (Maybe it was trying to get Frank’s attention when it suddenly died.) Actually, Frank thinks that unbeknownst to him, he hit it upside the head as he was throwing a pack of 24 Mountain Dew in the backseat.
Opening his trunk again, Frank discovers the culprit of the mice – Little Debbie’s … six month old Little Debbie’s that have been gnawed on to death.
This story gave me the shivers. I can’t imagine that mouse being right in my backseat while I was driving! I asked Kevin how he thinks they got in and he said that mice could get in anywhere they wanted to – even places no bigger than a quarter.
This was not very reassuring.
I think the lesson here is: Don’t keep food in your car!
Posted by tami at 8:27 AM Comments (3)
May 16, 2007
Two Good Ones
The following were sent to me via email:
THE TRUE MEANING OF MARRIAGE
He ordered one hamburger, one order of French fries and one drink.
The old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half.
He placed one half in front of his wife.
He then carefully counted out the French fries, dividing them in to two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife.
He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them. As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them kept looking over and whispering.
You could tell they were thinking, "That poor old couple - all they can afford is one meal for the two of them."
As the man began to eat his fries a young man came to the table.
He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple. The old man said they were just fine - They were used to sharing everything.
The surrounding people noticed the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink.
Again the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time the old woman said "No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything."
As the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, the young man again came over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of food and asked "What is it you are waiting for?"
She answered.....................
"THE TEETH."
*****
DON'T MESS WITH MOM
The Childs Comments and Thoughts
My son came home from school one day, with a smirk upon his face.
He decided he was smart enough, to put me in my place.
"Guess what I learned in Civics Two, that's taught by Mr. Wright?
It's all about the laws today, the 'Children's Bill of Rights.'
It says I need not clean my room, don't have to cut my hair
No one can tell me what to think, or speak, or what to wear.
I have freedom from religion, and regardless what you say,
I don't have to bow my head, and I sure don't have to pray.
I can wear earrings if I want, and pierce my tongue & nose.
I can read & watch just what I like, get tattoos from head to toe.
And if you ever spank me, I'll charge you with a crime.
I'll back up all my charges, with the marks on my behind.
Don't you ever touch me; my body is only for my use,
Not for your hugs and kisses, that's just more child abuse.
Don't preach about your morals, like your Mama did to you.
That's nothing more than mind control, and it's illegal too!
Mom, I have these children's rights, so you can't influence me,
Or I'll call Children's Services Division, better known as C.S.D."
Mom's Reply and Thoughts
Of course my first instinct was to toss him out the door.
But the chance to teach him a lesson made me think a little more.
I mulled it over carefully, I couldn't let this go.
A smile crept upon my face; he's messing with a pro.
Next day I took him shopping at the local Goodwill Store.
I told him, "Pick out all you want, there's shirts & pants galore.
I've called and checked with C.S.D. who said they didn't care
If I bought you K-Mart shoes instead of those Nike Airs.
I've cancelled that appointment to take your driver's test.
The C.S.D. is unconcerned so I'll decide what's best."
I said "No time to stop and eat, or pick up stuff to munch.
And tomorrow you can start to learn to make your own sack lunch.
Just save the raging appetite, and wait till dinner time.
We're having liver and onions, a favorite dish of mine."
He asked "Can I please rent a movie, to watch on my VCR?"
"Sorry, but I sold your TV, for new tires on my car.
I also rented out your room; you'll take the couch instead.
The C.S.D. requires just a roof over your head.
Your clothing won't be trendy now; I'll choose what we eat.
That allowance that you used to get, will buy me something neat.
I'm selling off your Jet Ski, dirt-bike & roller blades.
Check out the 'Parents Bill of Rights', it’s in effect today!
Hey hot shot, are you crying, Why are you on your knees?
Are you asking God to help you out, instead of C.S.D..?"
Posted by tami at 8:04 AM Comments (0)
May 15, 2007
Sick Story
I read my newspaper’s a day late. This way, when I sit down to eat lunch; I always have a paper to read.
The following is from the Monday, May 14, 2007 edition of The Winchester Sun. (Keep in mind that I was enjoying a tuna fish sandwich until I read this.)
Under the headings Clark County Sheriff and Crimes Reported:
A woman reported at 5 p.m. May 7 that a dog was tied up at the intersection of Dry Fork Creek Road and Epperson Road that had been shot and skinned.
Is this some demented person akin to the fictional Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs but only the canine version?
I think there are more sick and twisted people around than I had once imagined. Why in the world would you skin a dog? If it has been known to bite, it can be taken to the pound and then they can take care of things. To do something like this is extreme.
Posted by tami at 3:12 PM Comments (2)
May 14, 2007
How Long Was It?
We visited the Lexington Cemetery for the second Sunday in a row, but this time we took Guido. It was a beautiful day and I had no intention of leaving him cooped up at home.
I love the fact that Lexington allows leashed dogs in the cemetery. It’s like a park atmosphere, but I would never let him defile a grave. This is the place for us! I only wish we lived closer so that we could go more often.
When we arrived, we decided that we would park on one of the roads on the inside boundary and walk around the entire perimeter. We knew that this would be a long walk, but had no idea just how long it was. I told Kevin if we got tired, we could always cut through the middle to get back to the truck.
With my camera and plenty of water for Guido, we set off.
The photos above and below were taken in the very back of the cemetery. There are a few trees for shade, big rocks to sit on, and a cool breeze that blows off the water. This is where we decided to let Guido take a break. He enjoyed getting a cool drink of the water we had brought and the shade of the tree.
I thought these Iris’s were beautiful:
Ashley was tired by the time we got back to the truck and Guido was doing his heavy breathing, but Kevin and I could have kept walking.
We got in the truck and drove along the same path that we had walked in order to find out how far we had gone. Kevin guessed one mile and I guessed a mile and a half. We were both surprised to find that we had walked a little over two miles.
Two miles might be common for some people, but for us this was great. Add to that the fact that had we been alone, we could have gone further and you get big smiles from us!
Posted by tami at 12:35 PM Comments (0)
May 13, 2007
Pink Fuzzies
Last night Kevin’s parents had us over for a cookout. They grilled out steak, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes. There was salad and a fruit tray. Everything was delicious and we enjoyed ourselves so much. The backyard was shaded so there was a cool breeze blowing the entire time. It couldn’t have been any more perfect.
Kevin’s mom, Sue, bought Ashley a jump rope. After I showed how I could jump rope, my dad had to show me up.
Doesn’t he look just adorable with the pink fuzzies on the rope?
Yes, he still has it!
Enjoying dinner:
Happy Mother’s Day to two great moms!
Kevin’s mom:
My mom:
Posted by tami at 12:52 PM Comments (0)
May 11, 2007
Events
Andrew and Ashley only have eight days of school left so the “end of the year” activities have begun. A few weeks ago Ashley had her chorus concert. She sang a duet with a friend (she is on the left):
Tonight Andrew had his JROTC awards ceremony. He was part of the color guard (third from the left holding the blue flag):
He was awarded six ribbons:
• Leadership Development Ribbon
• Academic Performance Ribbon
• Good Conduct Ribbon
• Cadet Challenge Performance
• Proficiency Ribbon
• Commendation Ribbon
Here he is after the ceremony with two of his friends:
We still have four events in the near future, so I’ll try to keep you posted.
Posted by tami at 11:11 PM Comments (0)
May 10, 2007
Friends, Furniture, & Food
Tuesday afternoon I visited with an old friend who is in town for a short visit. I hadn’t seen her in ten years. She looked great and her two children were adorable. It was so nice to get to talk with someone who grew up with me especially since we know the same people.
As well as being interesting, she is also very capable of having intellectual conversation. The time went by way too quickly for me, so I hope she visits again soon.
This morning Kevin got an early birthday present from my parents:
We desperately needed patio furniture! You would think after living here eleven years we would own some, but we didn’t. In fact, the only thing we have is a picnic table (which they also purchased). It’s amazing how expensive that stuff is!
This afternoon, I met my neighbor for lunch. We went to Arby’s and I ordered my first Kid’s Meal in my adult life. I had the Market Fresh mini turkey and cheese sandwich and a fruit cup. It was just enough food for lunch and was also delicious. It’s nice to know that I can still eat at fast food places and have a choice of healthy, low calorie meals to choose from. As long as I know in advance where I’ll be dining, I can look everything up on the Internet beforehand.
Posted by tami at 7:18 PM Comments (2)
May 8, 2007
It's Sad
Sometimes he just won’t eat. There is nothing wrong with him. He isn’t sick. He just doesn’t feel like eating or he's simply not hungry.
If he eats his dinner, he gets a treat or a Busy Bone. If he doesn’t eat, he gets nothing. Sometimes he’ll eat around 9:00 because he knows it’s getting late and he won’t get anything too close to bedtime. He’s smart that way.
Tonight his choice is to not eat at all.
Posted by tami at 9:19 PM Comments (4)
May 7, 2007
So Green!
Yesterday was gorgeous. It wasn’t too hot either and that made the day even better. We took this opportunity to visit The Lexington Cemetery. I know that still creeps some of you out, but you have no idea the beauty you are missing out on.
Ashley in the garden:
The garden did not have any blooming flowers at this time. I would think within a few weeks that will be a different story though.
A statue of Jesus:
If I lived in Lexington, I would visit the cemetery for many reasons, but also just because it is a beautiful place to walk. I don’t know how far we walked yesterday, but it was a long way!
Posted by tami at 8:44 AM Comments (5)
May 5, 2007
Seen On A Van At PetSmart
Does anyone need their puppy sharpened?
*****
Remember when I wrote about Bow Wow Beanies? Well, we lucked out and found several.
Last weekend we found one at PetSmart. Today we found another one at PetSmart that we didn’t have. Then, we found five more at IncrediPet! Awesome!
Here is the booty:
I cannot stress how much I like these toys. He has yet to put a tear in single one. The only negative thing that I can think of is that you cannot put these toys in the washing machine. They are “surface wash” only.
Since Guido just got a new Beanie last weekend, he will not get another one for a while longer – maybe next weekend he can have one. (We wouldn’t want anyone to get the impression that the child is spoiled.)
Posted by tami at 7:14 PM Comments (2)
May 4, 2007
What I'm Eating
I have been watching what I eat all this week. Saturday while at The Book Cellar, Kevin and I bought two Weight Watchers recipe books and one from The American Heart Association. We are not members of WeightWatchers, but thought this was an easy group to go with especially since they make microwave dinners. With Weight Watchers, every food is given a POINT value and you are only allowed a certain number of POINTS per day. I don’t know what my magic number would be, for now, I’m just trying to eat the meals and see what happens. Even the Lean Cuisine dinners show the number of Weight Watchers POINTS on each package, so you have a wide variety of foods to choose from.
I am still eating what I always eat at lunch; two tuna fish sandwiches. I know that doesn’t sound that bad, but it is. I want to finish using what white bread we have so it won’t go to waste, so the bread alone is 240 calories. The two sandwiches add up to 620 calories. I couldn’t believe it when I first added that up, but with the white bread and regular mayonnaise – not low fat - the calories are high.
It has helped that we have started eating lighter dinners though. This week by the end of the night I have had right around 1200 calories for the day. I have also been able to curb my nighttime snacking, but we did buy some 100-calorie packs of popcorn if I want something. We stocked up on apples, oranges, and bananas at the beginning of the week. The kids have already consumed the apples and bananas. Kevin has been eating an orange every night instead of a bowl of ice cream.
All that said I do plan to have one “treat” lunch or dinner each week. If I don’t, I’ll fall off the wagon. I don’t plan to go completely overboard, but I don’t think one meal will hurt that bad especially since I have exercised 20 minutes every day all week. Yes, I like the Step Box! Kevin plans to buy additional videos to go with it so that I can change my routine whenever I want. We have also been walking at night whenever possible. This is not only good for us, but it also helps Guido!
Here are the Weight Watchers recipes Kevin has made:
Italian Beef & Potato Casserole
A different view:
Honestly, I did not care for this meal. There wasn’t enough meat for my taste and I’m not a big potato eater. If you really like potatoes, then you may like this.
This is Pork with Sweet Caramelized Onions:
Basically, it’s a thin pork chop with sweet onion and spices. You get ONE pork chop each. We had a very basic salad on the side with a fat free Italian dressing.
I really liked this recipe and will ask Kevin to make it again. I had never had Italian dressing before and it made my lips pucker, but that’s okay. I’m trying new things and that’s a good thing.
So far, I have only tried the Lean Cuisine traditional pizza and the Ravioli, but each one was very good.
I was at the gynecologist’s office last month, so I know how much I weigh on a doctor’s scale, but I wish I had weighed here at home on Sunday when I started. I know our scales are way off what the doctor’s scales are, so I will wait to weigh the next time I am stuck waiting for an hour in one their exam rooms!
Posted by tami at 12:24 PM Comments (4)
May 3, 2007
What You Wish The Cashier Would Say
Yesterday, after school, Ashley proudly handed me a snack bag with a tiny bone in it as she smiled from ear to ear. She has now lost 14 teeth. I’m not sure how many a child loses, but I don’t think she has many baby teeth remaining.
Now, here are a few funny things I would like to pass along from email:
I was in the express lane at the store. Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the checkout line pushing a cart piled high with groceries. The cashier beckoned the woman to come forward, looked into the cart and asked, "So which six items would you like to buy?" Imagine my delight!
*****
Three friends from the local congregation were asked "When you're in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?”
Artie said: "I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a Fine spiritual leader, and a great family man."
Eugene commented: "I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people's lives."
Dan said: "I'd like them to say, "Look, he's moving!"
*****
An elderly man lay dying in his bed. In death's agony, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies wafting up the stairs. He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom and with even greater effort, forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands. With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen.
Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in Heaven. There, spread out upon racks on the kitchen table and counters, were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Was it Heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man? Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table, landing on his knees in a rumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life.
"Stay out of those," she said. "They're for the funeral."
Posted by tami at 8:47 AM Comments (4)
May 1, 2007
Not Many
You will see below that I only watched three movies in February, ONE in March and five in April. I can only justify the month of March by saying that I was doing a lot of reading.
2-2-07 Thelma & Louise - If you have never seen this movie, I highly recommend it. There is vulgar language and scenes that would be inappropriate for children. This would be a great movie to watch with your best friend as it is about the journey that two friends take together.
2-3-07 The Brothers Grimm - This movie was all about fantasy. I don’t think I would recommend it for a child under the age of 10 though as some scenes may frighten little ones. I loved the whole Mirror Queen part towards the end. If you watch it, you’ll see what I mean. It was wicked.
2-17-07 Apt Pupil - This movie is based on the short story by Stephen King. I loved the book, but the movie was very good also. The ending was totally different, but I could deal with that. It’s funny; the teenager in the movie was wearing a Vuarnet t-shirt. I think those were popular when I was in middle school.
3-3-07 The Cider House Rules - After reading the book by John Irving, I was dying to see this movie. The events were very different from the book, but I guess that can be expected. Not having read the book, Kevin, thought it was a very good movie. I admit it was good, it’s just hard to get past certain facts when you know they happened another way. You see many famous faces in this movie including Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, and Michael Caine to name a few.
4-4-07 Schindler's List - I allowed Ashley watch this with me for the first time. Before watching the movie, we watched the bonus interviews on the DVD. That way, she got to hear firsthand accounts of what happened during the Holocaust before she saw them happen. Everyone should see this movie at least once. Steven Spielberg did a wonderful job.
4-13-07 The Magdalene Sisters - I had never even heard of this movie until someone mentioned it on her blog. It was right up my alley. The movie follows four teenage girls who in one way or another found their way in the hands of nuns at the Magdaline Sisters Asylum. They worked hard, were dehumanized, and considered fallen women. A girl could never simply leave the convent, she had to run away. This movie is based on true events and was extremely interesting.
4-14-02 Sleeping Dogs Lie – This movie is listed under the title “Stay” on Internet Movie Database, however the movie was renamed and the DVD boxes are titled Sleeping Dogs Lie. Bobcat Goldthwait was the director and was on the radio a few weeks ago promoting this movie. They kept talking about this big secret in the movie during the interview with him and they refused to tell what it was even though they said you find out right at the beginning of the movie. I was too curious for words, so I rented it. Let me say, this IS NOT a movie for children or the faint of heart. I would not rent it again or watch if I was asked. I can handle a lot of bizarre things, but this was too bizarre for me. The movie did not show anything, but the thoughts were placed in my mind; thoughts that I will not soon forget.
4-16-07 Along Came Polly - This movie was hilarious! It stars Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston, but there are many more famous people to be seen. If you’re looking for a good date movie and want to laugh, this would make a great choice.
4-27-07 Man of the Year - For some reason I was expecting something totally different from this movie. What I got was much, much better. Robin Williams plays the funny host of a political late-night talk show. When someone in the audience suggests he run for president, he at first considers it a joke, but then allows himself to become a serious politician. There is a much bigger storyline to this movie. I just gave you the bare minimum. It’s a good movie, very interesting and thought provoking, and one that should not be missed.
Posted by tami at 12:34 PM Comments (0)