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November 29, 2007
Of All The Silly Nonsense!
On yesterday’s topic of voting, I forgot to mention that I read on the Forbes website along with others, that certain celebrities like Tom Cruise, Jane Fonda, Donald Trump, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell and Susan Sarandon could actually hurt the vote for the politicians they support.
As insulted as I would be to hear this news if I were one of those people, it would make me keep my mouth shut. With that group of people, I don’t think that’s libel to happen.
*****
Here is a picture of our new bedding; I know you were on pins and needles waiting for it:
I love it! When you run your hands across it, it feels like a tapestry. It’s also much thicker than anything we have ever had. When I get under it at night I feel like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music when she’s singing about her favorite things. I always thought her bed looked so welcoming, soft and thick.
Just call me goofy!
I want to say that the stack of books in the corner is normally on my end table which signifies they are my “to read” pile. I had to move them into the bedroom to make room for the Christmas stuff! I have read a lot this year, but I still haven’t made a dent in the stack. Maybe if I were to quit buying them … but that’s just nonsense!
Posted by tami at 3:30 PM Comments (3)
November 28, 2007
The Vote
The big talk right now is about which celebrity is endorsing which candidate for president.
These are the ones I have heard about:
Celebrities who support Hillary Clinton include Anne Rice, Barbra Streisand, Rob Reiner, Steven Spielberg, and John Grisham.
Oprah Winfrey is endorsing Barack Obama.
Those who sanction Rudy Giuliani include Robert Duvall, Ron Silver, and Pat Robertson.
Chuck Norris supports Mike Huckabee.
I haven’t heard anyone else’s opinions, but I’m sure I will once the election draws closer.
My question for you is this: does a celebrity endorsement have any effect on the way you will vote?
For me, it’s all in the values of the candidate and has absolutely nothing to do with what so-and-so thinks. I have my own thoughts and feelings just like they do. After all, celebrities are just people too.
But, I would like to hear how you feel on the issue. If you think a certain celebrity’s opinion matters to you enough to sway your vote, let me know!
Posted by tami at 8:28 PM Comments (3)
November 26, 2007
Give More **Updated**
Yesterday we took Ashley to the walk-in clinic because her throat was sore and I wanted to make sure she didn’t have strep throat. After paying our $20 co pay, waiting two and a half hours, and Ashley getting her throat swabbed; we were told the strep test was negative and to give her some Tylenol. Since she will see an ENT specialist (ear, nose, and THROAT – I forgot the THROAT part) on Wednesday, they wanted her to wait until that appointment to see what the specialist says.
When they don’t give you a prescription, you just feel gypped somehow.
This morning, Ashley had an orthodontist appointment. It was just a routine check. They put a new type of chain on her two front teeth and changed her colors. She was actually on time for school and didn’t miss one minute. This is a plus since I will have to take her out early on Wednesday.
Ahh, the doctor’s appointments; you take them for years and then suddenly, they are gone, on their own, and you have only yourself to get to the doctor every once in a while. I remember taking Andrew to the orthodontist constantly and then all of a sudden, it all ended.
If you have kids, let me tell you, the appointments can be a pain, but there is an end and you may not be as happy as you think when it does end. You may just wish the two of you were back in the car, talking and cutting up on the way to and from those appointments. You may just wish you had a reason to visit that old middle school again. You may just miss it all and wish you had that child back again to hold. Sometimes you may get so sad about not having to do these things that you cry. It may happen sometimes. You might just be surprised.
December 17, 2000
You may realize that all the science projects, open houses, concerts, having to get costumes for this or that, waiting in the pick-up line at the end of the day, really wasn’t that bad after all. You may wonder where the time went. You may wonder where that little boy went and how did he grow up so quickly especially throughout the high school years. They literally fly by and then you are left alone.
Be good to your kids. Say kind things and make them want to be with you. Make them want to visit and write. Try your best to have as few regrets as possible. Listen to their stories. Be with them, hold hands more, give more kisses.
** I guess Ashley will be dealing with that sore throat longer than we thought. When I got home this afternoon, the doctor’s office had called and said she wouldn’t be seen until the second week in December because they had overbooked this particular doctor. I guess I need to keep lots of Tylenol on hand until then!
Posted by tami at 11:07 AM Comments (3)
November 24, 2007
In Color
We spent the day shopping in Lexington. The traffic wasn’t too bad despite their being a football game in town.
Dad and mom gave us money for Christmas so we were mainly spending that, but we did get a gift bought for my dad and Ashley in the meantime.
We bought a comforter for the bed, new shoes, calendars and that was about it. I am very satisfied with these things though and will probably show them to you tomorrow.
The mall parking lot was packed, but I didn’t think the inside was too bad. The only busy part was the children’s play area. There was a long line of people waiting to see Santa Claus, but we walked right past that area and kept walking.
We were hoping to get my nieces a castle I had seen advertised in a Disney Store flyer a few weeks ago, but when we were in the store there was no sign of the castle. I know I could order it online, but I am waiting to see if I find something else. I guess I need to make my mind up soon. Christmas is coming fast.
Today I mailed Andrew some pictures of his girlfriend from Thanksgiving. That is all he has really asked for: pictures, new pictures. He wants to hang them up in his locker. So far, I have only sent him two actual pictures and they were old. The others I sent were black and white copies from our printer. That is why he will be so happy with the ones I sent today; they are actual color pictures and they are new. I’m glad I can do something to make him feel closer to home while he is there.
Posted by tami at 11:18 PM Comments (3)
November 22, 2007
A Day Of Thanks
I am blogging now because I probably won’t get to tonight. With us putting the tree up on Friday, it could be several days before you hear about my Thanksgiving; only time will tell.
Kevin and I are drinking coffee and he has already started making the hash brown casserole which is one of three things we are taking with us today. We are also taking broccoli casserole and baked macaroni and cheese. In comparison to other blogs I have read, we seem to have a very southern, very laid-back menu, but I Iove it and wouldn’t want it any other way! I will try to make a list of all the food stuffs and let you know that also. Heck, I may do a bit of a Talky while there. I’m just not sure of anything at this point.
It will take Kevin about an hour and a half to make the casserole and bake it. We won’t bake it for a while, but the preparation takes a while. My aunt only has one oven and we alone are bringing in three items which have to be baked. I think mom is bringing one or two and I have no idea how many baked items my Aunt Becky will have, so there won’t be a whole lot of room in her oven. Because of this, we are baking the hash brown casserole and the macaroni and cheese here at home before we go. The broccoli casserole will be baked at her house. I am hoping she will have room for one of my items.
I am thinking about Andrew and waiting for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to come on TV. I get as excited as a child when it comes to watching that parade! I sit here and ooh and aah over the big balloons and yell through the house, “Here comes Big Bird!” Yep. That’s what I do.
Now, here are two Thanksgiving Day jokes I received in email this morning:
Joke 1
It's the day before Thanksgiving and the butcher is just locking up when a man begins pounding on the front door.
"Please let me in," says the man desperately. "I forgot to buy a turkey and my wife will kill me if I don't come home with one!"
"Okay," says the butcher. "Let me see what I have left."
He goes into the freezer and discovers there's only one scrawny turkey left. He brings it out to show the man.
"That one's too skinny. What else you got?" asks the man.
The butcher takes the bird back into the freezer, waits a few minutes and brings the same turkey back out to the man.
"Oh, no," says the man. "That one doesn't look any better. You better give me both of them!"
Joke 2
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family.
She asked the stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"
The stock boy answered, "No, ma'am. They're dead."
Yes, you’ve probably heard them before, but they’re still funny!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by tami at 8:51 AM Comments (2)
November 21, 2007
Light Duty
I spent the entire day cleaning. I acted as if company were going to be here tomorrow. Why?
Well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I’ll be busy eating and playing games and Friday the tree comes down from the attic. There will be boxes upon boxes of decorations and once the decorations go up, it’s impossible to clean thoroughly. I may do a Talky Blog while I decorate or in different stages of my decorating; then you can see what I mean about decorations being everywhere.
I received a letter from Andrew yesterday afternoon. He got very sick and had to go to the doctor. They took lung x-rays and found out he has pneumonia. They put him on meds and “light duty” - whatever that means. The letter was written on the 16th and he was supposed to go back to training on the 19th.
I know pneumonia and I know it doesn’t go away in just a few days. This week is Swim Week, so I am more worried than I would normally be just because it can’t be healthy to have pneumonia and be in the water for hours.
Unfortunately I didn’t get a letter today and the mail doesn’t run tomorrow, so I will be on pins and needles Friday. Our mail doesn’t get here until 4:30 or so in the afternoon, so I won’t know anything until then and hopefully I will get something.
Until then I am praying for him. That’s all I can do.
Posted by tami at 11:19 PM Comments (2)
November 20, 2007
Reality On TLC
I love reality TV and TLC offers a lot of it. Below, I have listed the shows I watch, plus one that I will no longer be watching.
I can hardly wait for the premier of London Ink. If you have watched Miami Ink, you know this show is about a tattoo shop and the guys who run it. I don’t have any tattoos, but I love watching other people get them. It takes a lot of talent and is another form of art.
Little People, Big World is a show for the entire family. It’s about the Roloff family. The mom and dad of the Roloff family are dwarfs and one of their sons is also a dwarf. He has a twin brother who is average height plus another brother and sister of average height. This show demonstrates how people who have dwarfism have to do things differently than people of average height. We think nothing of hopping into a minivan or SUV, but for them, each event has to be thought out.
Another wonderful show for the entire family is Jon & Kate plus 8. Kate (the mom) could not get pregnant so she tried fertility drugs. She got pregnant with twins. After that, they wanted another child so she took fertility drugs again and got pregnant with 6 babies! This show documents their lives with eight children. This is my favorite show on The Learning Channel, so I hope they keep filming this family. Jon and Kate are both wonderful people and their children are so endearing, I don’t see how anyone could not like this show.
Flip That House shows what happens when someone buys a house and wants to remodel or “flip” it in order to gain more money. It is very interesting to see the strategies these people use in order to flip a house and make a buck. I don’t think I would ever be brave enough to gut my whole kitchen or bathroom in order to get newer things. I think I would go crazy during the process!
Now that I have mentioned some good shows on TLC, let me point out one that has become a MAJOR disappointment; Trading Spaces. I have faithfully watched this show for years, but that is now coming to an end. Although some of the “old” people are still there (three designers: Frank, Laurie, and Laura & one carpenter: Faber), they have two new carpenters and two new designers. This would be okay if the new people had a shred of decency, but they don’t. In the season opener, one of the carpenter’s, Brandon, slowly takes his shirt off as if he’s stripping. Then he continues to walk around the set without a shirt; without a shirt and sunglasses. He wears the sunglasses indoors. Now, we all know how well one can see indoors wearing sunglasses. Brandon is a big fan of his own body; I am not! One of the designer’s, Lauren, likes to show off her triple D breasts. She only wears shirts that barely cover her nipples and you better be sitting down when she bends over! The entire show seems fake and “staged” now. I know things were staged before, but not to this degree. They have really gone overboard with setting dialogue up before the camera rolls. This is one show that is not so much reality TV any longer. I guess they are trying to appeal to younger viewers, however they just lost me!
Posted by tami at 11:47 AM Comments (4)
November 19, 2007
7 Random Things About Myself
I have “tagged myself” through Lori-Lyn at The Dream Life to write 7 Random Things About Myself.
These are the rules:
1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
4. Tag seven random [?] people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.
Here are my seven things:
1. I brush my teeth with my eyes closed.
2. Often when I am reading books, very interesting books; my mind drifts off to other things so I have to reread what I have already read.
3. I collect matchbooks. This stems from my smoking days. Maybe one day I will show you a picture of them.
4. When something really bothers me, I type it on the computer and save it. This is therapeutic for me and helps to alleviate my anger.
5. Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney movie. Finding Nemo would probably be runner up.
6. In middle school, I received a Perfect Attendance award and a Helping Hands award for working in the bookstore.
7. I have 59 icons on my desktop. That is way too many if you ask me, but I share this computer with three other people, so it cannot be helped.
Like Lori-Lyn said, “Instead of tagging people, I'm just going to say that if you'd like to post seven random things about yourself; I'd like to read them. Just leave a comment that you tagged yourself!"
Posted by tami at 8:48 AM Comments (1)
November 18, 2007
A Connection
I had wanted one of these melting clocks forever and now I finally have one:
I think it looks awesome.
Last night I wrapped gifts for hours. I wrapped gifts that we had bought, plus I wrapped gifts to use for prizes on Thanksgiving Day. I love to wrap, but my back hates it!
I am very anal when it comes to wrapping gifts. I have this unwritten rule that all gifts must be wrapped the day they are bought and at the very latest, the day after. I can’t stand to see piles of things that need to be wrapped because this is another job that has to be done.
After the gifts were wrapped, Ashley and I were going through her winter clothes at midnight! She needed something to wear to church and I had not switched from her summer clothes to her winter clothes yet. I was lugging a box out of the utility room and pulling things from that, while also taking clothes from her closet and putting them into the box. See, that was a job I should not have put off, so I paid the price.
Yesterday, Andrew had a five-mile march. I’m sure it was grueling seeing that he had to carry all of his gear with him. I hope his feet are holding up! There are three phases to boot camp and today is the end of phase 1. I am so glad! This is milestone one; only two more to go.
Today in church I looked around and tried to find the face of someone he knew. I only looked for a minute, but I didn’t see anyone. I was grasping to find a connection to him; just to be with one of his friends or spend time with his girlfriend makes me feel closer to him.
Most days I am good and try not to dwell on him not being here. I pray for him without ceasing, but at the same time, I don’t think about what I am missing and what he is missing. Today those thoughts have been swimming through my mind at every turn. I am okay though. I know this is not forever and I will see him in January. I keep looking forward to that day.
The Holy Bible - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
I am doing that.
Posted by tami at 5:43 PM Comments (4)
November 16, 2007
He Has Confidence
Yesterday and today Andrew worked on the Confidence Course.
As its name implies, the Confidence Course is designed to build the self-confidence of the recruit. The recruit develops physically and mentally by overcoming obstacles that require strength, balance, and determination.The Confidence Course consists of eleven obstacles, designed so that each obstacle is more physically challenging then the last. The Confidence Course is a great morale builder, as most of the recruits find out that after a little practice, they can negotiate the obstacles with ease.
Recruits receive additional instruction on the values of the Corps which are further elaborated and detailed.
• Discipline
• Bearing
• Loyalty
• Flexibility
• Esprit de Corps
• Teamwork
• Commitment
• Dependability
• Self Confidence
• Self Improvement
• Aggresiveness
• PrideDuring this period of instruction, the recruit will be taught Marine Corps history during World War II.
The recruits will also be introduced to the leadership traits of a Marine. Every Marine is armed with leadership, a skill that is developed and refined throughout an entire career. As the recruits train to become a master of the rifle and bayonet, they continue the development of their leadership capabilities.
All information was taken directly from the Parris Island Marines website.
Posted by tami at 10:13 PM Comments (4)
November 15, 2007
Getting Mail
Today mom and I wrapped prizes for Thanksgiving.
Every year, we play lots of games on Thanksgiving. When you play a game, it’s always nice to win a prize! There are some great ones this year; games and prizes. I will take pictures plus my camcorder and we will see what happens. I’m not promising anything ;)
Mom got a head start on her Christmas cards. She isn’t sending them out yet, but if she didn’t start on them now, she would never finish. It will cost her a fortune to mail them all!
Lots of people don’t even do the Christmas card thing and I think that’s sad. Everyone likes to get cards from their friends and relatives at Christmas. For some people, it may be a matter of money, for others it is just a lack of organization. I suppose some people simply don’t want to go to the trouble.
I love Christmas cards though. I love going to the bookstore and finding just the right ones to send. If it’s a variety pack, I picture in my mind who will get which card. I guess I’m weird that way.
I love sending and receiving a card because it is so personal. In this day of email, I crave handwritten letters or cards. I read Andrew’s letters over and over again. I’m sure you can understand.
Posted by tami at 9:42 PM Comments (5)
November 14, 2007
The Colors I See
It’s amazing how much life colorful trees and birds can bring to an area that is otherwise grey and currently rainy. I hope you can find some color to uplift you in your part of the world.
Pocahontas
"Colors Of The Wind"
Music by: Alan Menken
Lyrics by: Stephen Schwartz
You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name
You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth
The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends
How high will the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you'll never know
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind
You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind
Posted by tami at 4:45 PM Comments (3)
November 13, 2007
Political Discussion
I saw a reference to a political book on a blog this morning and thought, “How could so-and-so buy in to that way of thinking?" It didn’t surprise me and it shouldn’t have. When you read enough of a person’s blog, you understand how they feel politically whether they say so or not. Even without the aid of a reference to a political book, you can get an idea where they stand by hearing about other aspects of their life.
We are all different and have different opinions. I don’t have to agree with you and you don’t have to agree with me. This philosophy applies to many things, not only politics. I guess this is why it is so fun to read other blogs. You can see how other people live and think and coexist on this planet without actually living life with them.
I don’t believe in sheltering myself from people with whom I don’t agree. If you don’t read what other people are saying or you don’t talk with these people face-to-face, you have no idea what you are up against.
I keep my mouth shut though. As much as I write on here and do the Talky Blogs, I am still not expressing my opinion about anything objectionable. Don’t hold me to that though; I am human.
While what other people believe is important, I feel it is more essential that you and your spouse agree politically, morally, and spiritually. I cannot imagine going through life with someone who didn’t agree with my core beliefs. It would seem there would be battles each day.
Ah, well, my mind has been on politics as of late and how could it not be? Everywhere you turn this is the subject matter; on television, on blogs, in the newspaper, and in emails. I have to say, I really don’t appreciate the emails bashing particular people just like I don’t like television commercials which do the same thing. I don’t like to fight dirty.
I believe in FACTS. I am a big “show me” or “prove it” person. If you want to bash a particular political figure, you better have some hard evidence that this person did what you are claiming they did or said what you claim they said.
My political stance has been the same for as long as I have been voting. I do not plan on changing; however, I still don’t think it’s fair to berate people on the other side of the fence simply because they are on the other side of the fence. If you vote and I hope you all do, please make sure you know what your party stands for and don’t be ignorant.
If you choose to write about your political views on your blog, I have no problem with it and will probably enjoy reading it. Most people choose to say nothing (which is basically what I am doing) because saying anything sparks controversy. Years ago, I would have enjoyed that controversy, today I only want peace. It is understandable if you stay silent.
Posted by tami at 9:06 PM Comments (4)
November 12, 2007
More On Andrew
The following are descriptions of what Andrew did today and what he will be doing tomorrow.
Today:
There are several fundamentals of the physical discipline of our martial arts that are used throughout any type of confrontation or situation. These fundamentals form the basis for all martial arts instruction and techniques. Additionally, you must prepare your body for the rigors of combat.To do so, your body must possess the attributes of both toughness and flexibility. You must be able to absorb and give out punishment, but have the flexibility to prevent injuries. The proper execution of these fundamentals will enable you to effectively perform martial arts techniques that may very well save your life or the lives of fellow Marines one day.
Fundamentals of MCMAP will cover the fundamentals of martial arts to include the purpose of close combat, ranges of close combat, weapons of the body, targets of the body, pressure points, basic warrior stance, and angles of approach and movement, and body hardening.
Tomorrow:
The gas chamber experience exposes the recruits to a simulated toxic environment that prepares them for a possible chemical attack by the enemy.The recruit learns proper handling of a gas mask and to calmly place it on his/her head and breathe. This exercise builds the recruits confidence in his/her gear, with the understanding that the mask can save his/her life.
It futher reinforces the understanding that as Marines, we are a
"force-in-readiness" regardless of the circumstance.In Pugil Sticks II, the bouts are conducted on wooden bridges approximately 2.5 feet above the ground. The bouts are controlled by a Martial Arts Instructor that starts and stops the bouts. Each bout is stopped after a set amount of time or when a properly executed technique is delivered to an opponent that would result in a "kill" on the battlefield.
These descriptions came directly from the Parris Island Marines website.
Please pray for him and all the other guys going through this experience.
Posted by tami at 8:01 PM Comments (4)
November 8, 2007
Specialist
I took Ashley to an ear specialist today. One of her tubes is embedded half-way in her ear. If you can imagine a round tube, think of only being able to see the top half of that tube and that is how Ashley’s tube looks. It has been in her ear for so long (5years) that her body thinks it is part of her body. In my words, her body is trying to eat it. That’s what it looks like to me. They did a hearing test and her hearing is just fine which surprised them because that ear looks so bad. The tube in her other ear is fine.
For the next few weeks, I will put drops in her ear twice daily. We will go back to the specialist and see if the skin was just swollen around the tube. She may need to have them removed which will involve sedation.
When we returned home, it was cool and I settled in for some chocolate and a good book filled with short stories.
For Andrew, today is Training Day 9. They studied: Throws, Falls, Leg Sweeps, First Aid III, and Combat Conditioning.
When I say Throws, what I mean is, he has to learn how to take an opponent to the ground to gain the advantage in a fight. Learning this will also help him to learn: leverage, timing, balance, and body position.
From his letters, he seems to be getting used to things. When boot camp is over in January, I plan to interview him. If you have any specific questions for him, let me know and I will write them down. I’m sure it will be very interesting ;)
Posted by tami at 4:37 PM Comments (1)
November 7, 2007
Pugs
I have two You Tube videos to share with you. They both involve pugs:
Posted by tami at 7:44 PM Comments (3)
Children And Religion
My sister sent me the following in e-mail. The one about the seagull is my favorite.
3-year-old Reese:
"Our Father, Who does art in heaven,
Harold is His name.
Amen.
*****
A little boy was overheard praying:
"Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.
I'm having a real good time like I am."
*****
After the christening of his baby brother in church,
Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.
His father asked him three times what was wrong.
Finally, the boy replied,
"That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home,
and I wanted to stay with you guys."
*****
One particular four-year-old prayed,
"And forgive us our trash baskets
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."
*****
A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they
were on the way to church service,
"And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"
One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."
*****
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
"If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,
'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,
"Ryan, you be Jesus!"
*****
A father was at the beach with his children
when the four-year-old son ran up to him,
grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore
where a seagull lay dead in the sand.
"Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked.
"He died and went to Heaven," the Dad replied.
The boy thought a moment and then said,
"Did God throw him back down?"
*****
A wife invited some people to dinner.
At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,
"Would you like to say the blessing?"
"I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied.
"Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered.
The daughter bowed her head and said,
"Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"
Posted by tami at 8:46 AM Comments (2)
November 6, 2007
No Reason
It catches me off guard when someone from my graduating class, the class of 1990, dies.
One girl died in a bad car accident not long after graduating. She may have been 19. I know of a guy dying of cancer that was very sudden and very fast-acting. The most recent guy was my age and I have no idea how he died.
There may have been many more deaths than the three I mentioned, but those are the ones I remember right off. I knew the faces that went with the names in the newspaper. I remember the girl who died in the car accident from freshman year science class. I remember the guy who died of cancer from second grade at a private school. The latest guy, who died, sat in front of me in sophomore math. He had dark hair that curled and was right below the bottom of his neck. When the bell would ring to end class, he loved saying, “Catch you on the flip side.” That is what I remember about him, that, and he smiled a lot.
Get this; the guy I mentioned earlier who died of cancer had a brother who became a cancer doctor because of his brother. This cancer doctor is now one of my mom’s cancer doctors and he told me his brother is the reason he became an oncologist.
It just makes you wonder, if his brother hadn’t acquired cancer and died, would he have had any interest in that line of work. Would he have become a doctor at all?
Some people believe things happen for a reason. Some people believe when it’s your time to die, it’s your time to die. However, I LOVE what Joy Behar had to say regarding this topic. I am paraphrasing here, “Yes, but what if you’re on an airplane and its THE PILOTS time to die!” … Does this mean it was everyone else’s time to die that was on that plane? I don’t think so.
I don’t know the family of the girl killed in the car crash, but I cannot see what purpose her dying at that young age served. If you believe there is a specific reason for everything that happens, tell me why babies are raped, children are kidnapped, innocent people get cancer and other diseases.
There is no reason. Things happen. God has planned it all, but there doesn’t have to be a reason. We just have to live with that fact. People die. Period.
Posted by tami at 8:52 PM Comments (4)
November 5, 2007
Fantastic!
Below, I have posted the recipe for the Cornmeal Rolls. The actual name is Cornmeal Buns; however Kevin wanted me to refer to them as rolls. You will notice in the directions, #4 refers to them at one time as rolls also, so maybe the writers tried to give them a more sophisticated name.
Better Homes & Gardens: Test Kitchen Favorites (2003)Cornmeal Buns
Ingredients:
6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups cornmealDirections:
1. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm (115 degrees F to 120 degrees F), stirring constantly to melt butter. Add milk mixture to flour mixture in mixing bowl; add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Beat in cornmeal at low speed. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much remaining flour as you can.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (1 to 1 1/4 hours). Grease thirty-six 2 1/2-inch muffin cups.
3. Punch down dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into 72 balls. Place 2 balls in each prepared muffin cup. Cover; let rise until nearly double (50 to 60 minutes).
4. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Immediately remove from cups to wire racks. Serve warm or cool. Makes 36 buns.
*****
You need to watch this You Tube Video:
Fantastic!
Posted by tami at 4:53 PM Comments (5)
November 4, 2007
Fortunate
Kevin was in a baking mood today, so he made:
Cornmeal rolls
These were delicious piping hot and topped with butter.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Here is one heavenly slice:
Yes, I am aware of how fortunate I am to have a husband who cooks and cleans up after himself :)
Posted by tami at 9:58 PM Comments (3)
November 2, 2007
First Letter Home
I wanted to update you on Sydnee. I saw her yesterday and this is what her scar looks like right now (What other blog will show you pictures of scars?!):
A closer look:
As you can see from the following photo, she is a happy girl. I heard she ate everything when she was released from the hospital because she couldn’t eat for at least five days.
*****
I just received my first real letter in the mail from Andrew. He passed his Initial Strength Test which means he doesn’t need extra PT. He says the food is not bad at all. He also said the recruits had all lost their voices by day two. Surprisingly to me, he sounded in high spirits. That letter was written on October 29th, so I hope he feels the same way now. I am so happy to hear from him!!
*****
Someone is VERY creative! They took scenes from the movie Mary Poppins and made it look like something very scary and very creepy; almost like The Others or a movie of that type.
This video is only a minute long and the sound is terrific! Enjoy!
I have watched it over and over again :)
Posted by tami at 4:11 PM Comments (3)
November 1, 2007
I Said Boo, Not Poo!
I said we would probably watch more movies this month, but that never happened. I didn’t watch even one Halloween movie. This is the first year in many, many years that I didn’t even watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It’s okay though. We had a very nice Halloween.
These are the only two movies we did watch. You will notice we watched them on the same day.
10-28-07 Wild Hogs - This was a comedy about four middle-aged men taking a road trip on their motorcycles. It had a lot of well known actors and it did have some funny moments.
In my opinion this was one of those "one time" movies. Had my sister not rented it and let us borrow it, it would not have been something I would have spent money on. With that said, Andrew’s girlfriend told me they saw it in the theatre. All I can say is, there must not have been much to choose from that week!
It wasn’t bad or anything, but when I go to the theatre, I want to see something that needs to be seen on the big screen; an action movie or a drama like The Sixth Sense for example. I also don’t want to spend $6 a person or more on a comedy or a chick flick. I am probably in the minority here, but that’s my two cents.
10-28-07 1408 - This movie is based on the short story of the same name written by Stephen King in his book, Everything's Eventual. It was a very interesting story and I thought John Cusack did an excellent job as the lead actor. Fortunately, I didn’t remember the details of the story, so nothing was ruined.
This movie looked very scary in the previews; however it is rated PG-13 so that should tell you something. You can watch this without concern of losing a night’s sleep and you will enjoy it at the same time. My sister let us borrow this one also. I haven't seen the inside of a video store in a while!
*****
You have to watch this video on You Tube for me. Turn up your sound and enjoy:
I would be shocked if there was one person out there who could not enjoy at least some of that video.
*****
Believe it or not, my Halloween decorations came down this morning and the Thanksgiving stuff is sitting around; not that there’s much of it to sit around. I changed five calendar pages over to November before I went to bed last night.
I don’t like to let the grass grow under my feet when it comes to holiday decorations; especially after they have been up for a month. My ghosts are taking a nice bath in the washing machine as I type this. Some of them must have frightened the birds really bad because there was plenty of evidence on a selected few. I hope the stains come out.
Posted by tami at 10:48 AM Comments (2)