Everyone should do this every now and again...So here's mine!
50 Things that make me Smile -
1. Dog kisses
2. Going to the movies with my daughter
3. Harrison Ford
4. Dirty Dancing
5. 80's music
6. Bubble Baths
7. Facebook
8. Running into old friends
9. Starbucks Coffee
10. Root beer
11. Same Time Next Year
12. Sleeping in when you don't have to work
13. Cuddling
14. Checklists (and the ability to check things off)
15. A clean car
16. Smell of gasoline
17. Watching squirrels
18. Dancing with the Stars
19. Hearing a dog got a forever home
20. Ellen
21. Oprah
22. A good joke
23. A good book
24. Daydreaming
25. New haircut
26. Opening gifts
27. Videos of cute animals
28. Watching old episodes of Laverne & Shirley
29. Madonna
30. Petting a dog
31. Adventures in Babysitting
32. Don't tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
33. Fried Pickles
34. Pizza
35. Ice Cream
36. My Cousin Vinny
37. Eminem
38. Walking in the rain
39. Flowers
40. Camping
41. Meeting new people
42. Listening to JohnJay and Rich
43. Playing cards
44. Lightning Bugs
45. Going to a concert
46. My cellphone
47. Seagulls
48. Traveling
49. Smell of clean laundry
50. Walking through fallen leaves
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Someone that I have admired over the years - Erma Bomeck
I am going to write about a lady that I admired while growing up in Ohio. She was from Ohio too, guess maybe that is why I followed her columns: Erma Louise Bombeck (born Erma Fiste February 21,1927 to April 22 1996).
Her column described suburban home life humorousy from the mid-1960's until the late 1990's. Erma also published 15 books. By the 1970's, her column were read, twice weekly, by thirty million readers of 900 newspapers of the U.S and Canada.
One of her most memberable columns was written after she found out she was dying from cancer in 1979. If I Had My Life To Live Over.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching TV - and more while watching life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love yous"...more "I'm sorrys"...
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it...live it...and never give it back
I used to be like that: I would buy a candle and not burn it because it was pretty and didn't want to ruin it and I never enjoyed the fragrance.
I would buy something and not wear it or use it because I didn't want to mess it up.
I would drag myself to work if I was sick because I thought it was the thing to do and the company could not run without me.
Here is another column that she wrote on Mothers Day May 12, 1974.
When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of "overtime" when an angel appeared and said, "You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."
And the Lord said, "Have you read the specs on this order?
"It’s not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord. "It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have."
"That’s on the standard model?" asked the angel.
The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ’What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, ’I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word."
"Lord," said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, "Go to bed. Tomorrow..."
"I can’t," said the Lord, "I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick... can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger... and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower."
The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It’s too soft," she sighed.
"But she’s tough!" said the Lord excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure."
"Can it think?"
"Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator.
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There’s a leak," she pronounced. "I told You You were trying to push too much into this model."
"It’s not a leak," said the Lord. "It’s a tear."
"What’s it for?"
"It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."
"You are a genius," said the angel.
The Lord looked somber. "I didn’t put it there," He said.
OH how true this is, a Mother can take care of anything in a child's eye.
Here is another column that brings back so many memory's and I think my Mom used all of them on me.
My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE
“If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside – I just finished cleaning!”
My mother taught me RELIGION
“You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”
My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL“If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!”
My mother taught me REASON
“Because I said so, that’s why.”
My Mother taught me LOGIC“If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me.”
My mother taught me FORESIGHT
“Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident”
My mother taught me IRONY“Keep crying and I’ll give you something to cry about.”
My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS
“Shut your mouth and eat your supper!”
My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM
“Will you “look” at the dirt on the back of your neck!”
My mother taught me about STAMINA
“You’ll sit there ’till all that spinach is finished.”
My mother taught me about WEATHER
“It looks as if a tornado swept through your room.”
My mother taught me how to solve PHYSICS PROBLEMS
“If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you, would you listen THEN?”
My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times–Don’t exaggerate!!!”
My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
“I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.”
My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
“Stop acting like your father!”
My mother taught me about ENVY!
“There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do!”
My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION
“Just wait until we get home.”
My Mother taught me about RECEIVING
“You are going to get it when we get home!”
My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE“If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.”
My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD
“If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job.”
My Mother taught me ESP
“Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you’re cold?”
My Mother taught me HUMOR
“When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”
My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT
“If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”
My Mother taught me about SEX
“How do you THINK you got here?”
My Mother taught me about GENETICS
“You’re just like your father.”
My Mother taught me about my ROOTS
“Do you think you were born in a barn?”
My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE
“When you get to be my age, you will understand.”
My Mother taught me about JUSTICE
“One day you’ll have kids … and I hope they turn out just like you!
Finally, here are some of her quotes. I hope that you have enjoyed reading or re-reading some of her columns.
Quotes
Her column described suburban home life humorousy from the mid-1960's until the late 1990's. Erma also published 15 books. By the 1970's, her column were read, twice weekly, by thirty million readers of 900 newspapers of the U.S and Canada.
One of her most memberable columns was written after she found out she was dying from cancer in 1979. If I Had My Life To Live Over.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching TV - and more while watching life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love yous"...more "I'm sorrys"...
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it...live it...and never give it back
I used to be like that: I would buy a candle and not burn it because it was pretty and didn't want to ruin it and I never enjoyed the fragrance.
I would buy something and not wear it or use it because I didn't want to mess it up.
I would drag myself to work if I was sick because I thought it was the thing to do and the company could not run without me.
Here is another column that she wrote on Mothers Day May 12, 1974.
When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of "overtime" when an angel appeared and said, "You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."
And the Lord said, "Have you read the specs on this order?
- She has to be completely washable, but not plastic;
- Have 180 movable parts... all replaceable;
- Run on black coffee and leftovers;
- Have a lap that disappears when she stands up;
- A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair;
- And six pairs of hands."
"It’s not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord. "It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have."
"That’s on the standard model?" asked the angel.
The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ’What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, ’I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word."
"Lord," said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, "Go to bed. Tomorrow..."
"I can’t," said the Lord, "I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick... can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger... and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower."
The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It’s too soft," she sighed.
"But she’s tough!" said the Lord excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure."
"Can it think?"
"Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator.
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There’s a leak," she pronounced. "I told You You were trying to push too much into this model."
"It’s not a leak," said the Lord. "It’s a tear."
"What’s it for?"
"It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."
"You are a genius," said the angel.
The Lord looked somber. "I didn’t put it there," He said.
OH how true this is, a Mother can take care of anything in a child's eye.
Here is another column that brings back so many memory's and I think my Mom used all of them on me.
My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE
“If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside – I just finished cleaning!”
My mother taught me RELIGION
“You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”
My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL“If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!”
My mother taught me REASON
“Because I said so, that’s why.”
My Mother taught me LOGIC“If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me.”
My mother taught me FORESIGHT
“Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident”
My mother taught me IRONY“Keep crying and I’ll give you something to cry about.”
My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS
“Shut your mouth and eat your supper!”
My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM
“Will you “look” at the dirt on the back of your neck!”
My mother taught me about STAMINA
“You’ll sit there ’till all that spinach is finished.”
My mother taught me about WEATHER
“It looks as if a tornado swept through your room.”
My mother taught me how to solve PHYSICS PROBLEMS
“If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you, would you listen THEN?”
My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times–Don’t exaggerate!!!”
My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
“I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.”
My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
“Stop acting like your father!”
My mother taught me about ENVY!
“There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do!”
My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION
“Just wait until we get home.”
My Mother taught me about RECEIVING
“You are going to get it when we get home!”
My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE“If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.”
My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD
“If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job.”
My Mother taught me ESP
“Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you’re cold?”
My Mother taught me HUMOR
“When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”
My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT
“If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”
My Mother taught me about SEX
“How do you THINK you got here?”
My Mother taught me about GENETICS
“You’re just like your father.”
My Mother taught me about my ROOTS
“Do you think you were born in a barn?”
My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE
“When you get to be my age, you will understand.”
My Mother taught me about JUSTICE
“One day you’ll have kids … and I hope they turn out just like you!
Finally, here are some of her quotes. I hope that you have enjoyed reading or re-reading some of her columns.
Quotes
- "Insanity is hereditary. You can catch it from your kids."
- "My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first one being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint."
- "There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child."
- "If a man watches three football games in a row, he should be declared legally dead."
- "Mothers-in-law who wear a black armband to the wedding are expendable."
- "The only reason I would take up jogging is so I could hear heavy breathing again."
- "Ironed Sheets are a health hazard."
- "Laughter rises out of tragedy, when you need it the most, and rewards you for your courage."
- "Dreams have only one owner at a time. That's why dreamers are lonely."
- "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'"
- "In general, my children refused to eat anything that hadn't danced on TV."
- "When humor goes, there goes civilization."
- "Seize the moment. Think of all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart."
- "Never loan your car to anyone to whom you've given birth."
- "The grass is always greener over the septic tank."
- "A child needs your love more when he deserves it least."
- "There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt."
- "It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else."
- "If you can laugh at it, you can live with it."
Friday, November 5, 2010
Who let the dogs out (woof,woof,woof,woof)
We have 2 dogs, Lightning and Windy.
Here is Lightning
We used to have another dog named Thunder. I got my daughter, Marie (not her real name but she doesn't want her real name used) a cocker spaniel for Christmas and she is crazy about Duran Duran and wanted to name him after a song of theirs because one of my friends had a dog named Rio even though she wasn't named after the song. She went through all their songs and decided to call him Thunder after the song 'Sound of Thunder'. Here is a picture of him.
So we are keeping the weather theme. Unfortunately we lost Thunder about 5 years ago. Loosing a dog is horrible to go through when you love them so much. Thunder was such a cool dog. He really didn't know how to play with his toys. We would get down on the floor and would throw one to him and he would take it and put it in the hallway and come back and get another one and put it in the hallway. He would take a toy outside but would never put it down, he would stand there with the toy in his mouth and potty and come back into the house. He would hide his toys and bones but he would just put them under a table or in a corner and try to cover them up with his nose. He had a thing with rugs..you would come home and all the rugs from the kitchen were in the dining room and living room. I remember one time my husband went somewhere and when he came home he couldn't find Thunder, finally he found him in our walk in closet, he had drug the rug from the bathroom into the closet and couldn't get out.
After the Christmas tree came down the first year he discovered our stuffed raccoon; it took him a few weeks to not bark at him. Shortly after we moved into our manufactured home we went to Pagosa Springs for a week. We put him in the kitchen and blocked it off with boxes and when my daughter came home he somehow got over the boxes and was in the living room. He was so thirsty she said he drank a whole bowl of water. Even though he was my daughter's dog he slept with me from the time we got him until he died.
Shortly after he died we missed the pitter patter of little feet and went shopping for another dog. We went to a lot of shelters but could not find what we were looking for. We ended up at the pet store at the Fiesta Mall and found Lightning, he is part cocker spaniel and king charles cavalier. He was just 2 months old when we got him. Now he is strictly my daughter's dog, he adores her. Don't know why, she was so mean to him because he was a needy dog. Needy meaning he wanted to be with her 24/7; she could not go to the bathroom unless he went and he sat on her lap. But he is now 5 and not so demanding. Its funny when he isn't feeling well he will jump up on the couch or in my lap and give me that I don't feel good look Mommy, please make me feel better.
Now he loves to play toys; from almost day one you will throw him a toy or a ball and he will catch it and bring it back for you to throw again and again. He can really catch a ball and rarely misses it. Also, its really fun to watch him play with his toys, balls, or treats; he will kick it like a soccer ball and will play for a long time.
In May I went looking for another dog. I felt that Lightning needed a playmate....I think I had one too many beers. Anyway I ended up at Friends for Life in Gilbert and found Windy. She was 1 in June and she is such a lover and will give you many kisses. She drives my husband crazy licking his legs. She loves to bite Lightning at the neck and on his legs, so they are fighting a lot but both of their tails are wagging so I guess its really play than fighting. Windy does not know how to play with toys. She will not bring it back, just lays there and squeeks it and then chews it apart. I can't sleep past 6:00 AM because Windy starts kissing me and then stands on my back.
Here is Lightning
Here is Windy
We used to have another dog named Thunder. I got my daughter, Marie (not her real name but she doesn't want her real name used) a cocker spaniel for Christmas and she is crazy about Duran Duran and wanted to name him after a song of theirs because one of my friends had a dog named Rio even though she wasn't named after the song. She went through all their songs and decided to call him Thunder after the song 'Sound of Thunder'. Here is a picture of him.
After the Christmas tree came down the first year he discovered our stuffed raccoon; it took him a few weeks to not bark at him. Shortly after we moved into our manufactured home we went to Pagosa Springs for a week. We put him in the kitchen and blocked it off with boxes and when my daughter came home he somehow got over the boxes and was in the living room. He was so thirsty she said he drank a whole bowl of water. Even though he was my daughter's dog he slept with me from the time we got him until he died.
Shortly after he died we missed the pitter patter of little feet and went shopping for another dog. We went to a lot of shelters but could not find what we were looking for. We ended up at the pet store at the Fiesta Mall and found Lightning, he is part cocker spaniel and king charles cavalier. He was just 2 months old when we got him. Now he is strictly my daughter's dog, he adores her. Don't know why, she was so mean to him because he was a needy dog. Needy meaning he wanted to be with her 24/7; she could not go to the bathroom unless he went and he sat on her lap. But he is now 5 and not so demanding. Its funny when he isn't feeling well he will jump up on the couch or in my lap and give me that I don't feel good look Mommy, please make me feel better.
Now he loves to play toys; from almost day one you will throw him a toy or a ball and he will catch it and bring it back for you to throw again and again. He can really catch a ball and rarely misses it. Also, its really fun to watch him play with his toys, balls, or treats; he will kick it like a soccer ball and will play for a long time.
In May I went looking for another dog. I felt that Lightning needed a playmate....I think I had one too many beers. Anyway I ended up at Friends for Life in Gilbert and found Windy. She was 1 in June and she is such a lover and will give you many kisses. She drives my husband crazy licking his legs. She loves to bite Lightning at the neck and on his legs, so they are fighting a lot but both of their tails are wagging so I guess its really play than fighting. Windy does not know how to play with toys. She will not bring it back, just lays there and squeeks it and then chews it apart. I can't sleep past 6:00 AM because Windy starts kissing me and then stands on my back.
Dogs and their big, sloppy kisses.
Floppy ears and floppier tail.
A noble nose and eyes so devoted.
Bury a bone or fetch a big stick.
Our faithful companion will always be loved.
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