Cats can read afterall!

Becky....Happy 31st Birthday

question:  what do you do when you don't have the right candles for the birthday cake?
answer:  use what you have   :-)
even if you only have number 5 and 6 - and you're only 31     ♥

Weekend

Most of the weekend was devoted to Becky.

She turned a happy 31 on Friday, January 21st.

Saturday we celebrated her baby shower.

Everything was perfect.  From celebrating her birthday at Uncle Danny and Aunt Barb's - to having dinner at Terry's Terrace.  The elegant baby shower at her Godmother Pat's home.  What a fun weekend.

Pictures to follow.

I Believe

That just because two people argue,
It doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
It doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
We understand that friends change.
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you,
every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
To become the person I want to be.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with Loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
We do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people
who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I Believe...
That my best friend and I
can do anything or nothing
and have the best time..
I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry, but that
doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
And what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough,
to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn
to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad
your heart is broken,
the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are, but,
we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be
so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.
I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.
I Believe..
That your life can be changed
in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.
I Believe...
That even when you think
you have no more to give,
When a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about
most in life
are taken from you too soon.

Old Friends

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Poem about our girlfriends

Someone will always be prettier.
Someone will always be smarter.
Some of their houses will be bigger.
Some will drive a better car.
Their children will do better in school.
And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go, and love you and your circumstances.

Think about it…
The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart.
The most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children.
The richest woman you know, she's got the car, the house, the clothes ~ might be lonely.
And the Word says, 'If I have not Love, I am nothing.' So, again, love you.
Love WHO you are
Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say,
'I am too Blessed to be Stressed and too Anointed, to be Disappointed!'
'Winners make things happen~~ Losers let things happen.'
Be 'Blessed' Ladies and pass this on to encourage another woman.
'To the world you might be one person, to me you are special!

To Be 6 Again!

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching his wife, who was looking at herself in the mirror. Since her birthday was not far off he asked what she'd like to have for her birthday.

'I'd like to be six again', she replied, still looking in the mirror .

On the morning of her Birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags theme park. What a day! He put her on every ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Wall Of Fear, the Screaming Roller Coaster, everything there was.

Five hours later they staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down. He then took her to a McDonald's where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake.

Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite candy, M&M's. What a fabulous adventure!

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed, exhausted.

He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, 'Well Dear, what was it like being six again?'

Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed.

'I meant my dress size, you moron!!!!'

The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he is gonna get it wrong.

The Nelsons

now they're all gone

about last week and my weekend

my good intentions about starting the new year off with good, positive thoughts, with the hopes of good days ahead....kind of flopped this past week

week was very busy after my holiday vacation, but that was to be expected
it was still worth the time away
it was all the problems that kept surfacing that was frustrating

it didn't end with work stuff, it tipped over into my personal life
a generic script I have been using in place of one my insurance won't cover does not work
I need the brand-name one....so I still have to try to talk to someone to get it approved
then a doctor appointment revealed I have an infection
on antibiotics which is good....but I can't forget where I was two years ago....it's a worry
then I thought I swallowed a tooth guard - but after worrying all day, Sophie found it on the quilt on my bed - before I could get it from her - a piece broke off  drats
now I have to call the dentist
during the night on Friday, my CPAP made horrible sounds....and that was it....it died
sleeping without that little machine has left me bedraggled

yesterday I went to mass and breakfast with Lindy
whining to her, of course
but I went home and continued working on the baby quilt for Becky's shower, which is a week and a half away
I kept running into problems with my sewing machine....taking so much extra time
and then it quit working     drats    
this was around 7 pm - after using it for two days
I turned to my old Singer, circa 1975
I didn't do any quilting on it yet - I was too burned out by then - but I will try it out tonight

My to-do list is full
- calling the sewing repair shop to see what's the chance of getting my machine fixed in time to finish the quilt in time
- replacing my CPAP

and a doctor appointment at 4    hope that goes well

this is a very large dose of whining - sorry
sometimes writing it down.....puts it in perspective      I can only hope
so my plan is to move forward.....muster up a positive attitude.....and everything will work out            I hope    ;-)

Sharing an email

(Bob Frew sent this out.)  "I took this picture on Int.20, traveling to Leeds, AL . It has given me strength in the times of trouble. I feel I should share it with the rest of the world. I hope it is an inspiration to you. It just goes to show what we already know...We have a God, and he's watching over us.

I e-mailed this picture to News Channel Fox6. I was contacted by Meteorologist James Spann. He said that this picture of the sky is showing up in all states and around the world. He wanted to know where I was from and where I took it. He saw a similar picture taken in� Texas . He said this is amazing to him.

Would you look at this picture? It reminds me of that song 'He's got the whole world in his hands.' He is definitely in control. I needed this today more than ever. Enjoy and pass it along!"

Next life

Gonna be a bear

In this life I'm a woman.  In my next life, I'd like to come back as a bear.  When you're a bear, you ge to hibernate.  You do nothing but sleep for six months.  I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.  I could deal with that, too.

When you're a girl bear, you birth your childrem (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs.  I could definitely deal with that.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business.  You swat anyone who bothers your cubs.  If your cubs get out of line, you swat them, too.  I could deal with that, too.

If you're a bear, your mate expects you to wake up growling.  He EXPECTS you to wake up growling.  He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Yup, gonna be a bear!

12-step program....of sorts

this was waiting for me in an email from my sister today
from New Advent website
I'm glad she shared it with me
it all makes perfect sense  ♥

For a lark yesterday, on my 50th birthday, I Tweeted 12 things that I wish I had known at 25. Or more accurately, 12 things that, had I put them into action, would have made my life a lot easier. Some are bits of advice that wisdom figures have told me and took years to sink in. Others are the result of some hard knocks. A few are insights from the great spiritual masters that I've adapted for my own life. Maybe a few will help someone you know who's 25. Maybe one or two will help you.


1. First up: Stop worrying so much! It's useless. (i.e. Jesus was right.)

2. Being a saint means being yourself. Stop trying to be someone else and just be your best self. Saves you heartache.

3. There's no right way to pray, any more than there's a right way to be a friend. What's "best" is what works best for you.

4. Remember three things and save yourself lots of unneeded heartache: You're not God. This ain't heaven. Don't act like a jerk.

5. Your deepest, most heartfelt desires are God's desires for you. And vice versa. Listen. And follow them.

6. Within you is the idea of your best self. Act as if you were that person and you will become that person, with God's grace.

7. Don't worry too much about the worst that can happen. Even if it happens, God is with you, and you can handle it. Really.

8. You can't force people to approve of you, agree with you, be impressed with you, love you or even like you. Stop trying.

9. When we compare, we are usually imagining someone else's life falsely. So our real-life loses out. I.e. Compare and despair.

10. Even when you finally realized the right thing, or the Christian thing, to do, it can still be hard to do. Do it anyway.

11. Seven things to say frequently: I love you. Thank you. Thank you, God. Forgive me. I'm so happy for you! Why not? Yes.

12. Peace and joy come after asking God to free you -- from anything that keeps you from being loving and compassionate.

Burned Biscuits

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she made breakfast instead of dinner after a long, hard day at work.

On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

You know, life is full of imperfect things ... and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults - and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own." So please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine! And please pass this along to someone who has enriched your life... I just did. Life is too short to wake up with regrets. Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't.

OWN

translated:  Oprah Winfrey Network
new January 1, 2011

it's been publicized for a while now and I admit I've been looking forward to it
I have watched Oprah through the years but not consistenly often

today I've been tuning in, off and on
and I like it
I'll even admit that I am looking forward to the variety of shows on its agenda
there's a variety.....and I think there is something for everyone

for my little part of heaven in southeast Michigan - it is on WOW cable, channel 68
I'm all for learning....about myself, others, life
and if this learning is for the betterment of me.........excellent!
life = learning......and I need to learn something new each and every day

check out OWN - I bet you'll like it, too   ♥

about new years eve

ever since my parents have been gone, I can't celebrate new years eve
actually, I ignore it as much as possible
I don't watch the traditional new years eve shows
I go to bed long before midnight
I even try to ignore all the noise that happens around the midnight hour
and most of all, the Auld Lang Syne song....well, I won't listen to it
and if I can't get away from it, I 'escape' until it is over

it is hard to explain this oddity about me
but as simply as I can do so, it is that I can't celebrate this holiday without my parents
it was always a big deal when they were here - Guy Lombardo, party hats, noise makers.....
it was so them
even back then, hearing my Mother sing Auld Lang Syne....made me sad...
it just got to me so deeply

when I wake in the morning it is with a sense of relief
I go to mass - which is a celebration of January 1st
but I act like the day is just like any other (that I am not at work)

most years the Christmas tree and decorations have been taken down and packed away as early in the day as possible
bringing the 'normalcy' of home back

this year, however, as I write this around 6 p.m., the tree is still standing and decorated
the decorations are out, the candle lights are in the window
a few things have been collected and I am sure tomorrow I will be busy
but for now, I am hanging in there

I am trying
I even went to dinner with Becky and Scott to O'Brien's last night
and I had a wonderful time
and then I was home by 8 p.m. - and in my comfort zone

I do look forward to 2011 and all the possibilities ahead
and maybe one of these days I will bring myself to celebrate the eve of a new year

may your 2011 be blessed    ♥
that is my wish for you