Rachel Visits CPAC

Rachel shares video of her visit to CPAC.

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Amazing, LOL!

I cracked up, seeing the doormats featuring Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews. She says they were all nice to her, except the guy who screamed at her--the anti-gay guy.

Good job covering the freak show, Rachel! :)

-------------------------

Chris Buttars, Utah State Senator

I have been busy, too busy to write!

However, I did catch this on Rachel Maddow tonight, and was simply amazed!

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Amazed at the stupidity!



---------------------------

Roses

Happy Valentine's Day everyone ... I hope all of you are surrounded
by those you love.

I got this from a friend in the Chicago area. I had forgotten more of these than I remember, LOL!

Guess I don't get or give roses often enough these days?


The Rose

From time immemorial, beloveds have been compared to roses. If we
juggle the letters of the word ROSE we get EROS, who is the God of Love.
Rose has thus been the traditional choice of lovers around the world. The colour red is associated with strong emotions and below are listed sentiments expressed by different hues of rose :-

Lavender -- Enchantment and Uniqueness
Orange -- Fascination
Pink (Dark) -- Thankfulness, Friendship and Admiration
Red -- Love, Respect and Courage
Peach -- Modesty, Gratitude, Admiration and Sympathy
Pink (Pale) -- Grace, Joy and Happiness
Deep Red -- Beauty and Passion
White -- Innocence, Purity, Secrecy, Silence, Reverence, Humility and
(according to some sources) True Love
Yellow -- Joy, Friendship, Jealousy, Hope and Freedom
Black -- Farewell
Red/White -- Unity or Engagement
Yellow/Orange -- Passionate Thoughts
Peach -- Modesty, Gratitude, Admiration and Sympathy
Pink (Pale) -- Grace, Joy and Happiness
Yellow/Red -- Congratulations
Rosebud -- Beauty, Youth and a Heart Innocent of Love
Red Rosebud -- Purity and Loveliness
White Rosebud -- Girlhood
One Dozen Red Roses -- "I Love You"
Single Red Rose in Full Bloom -- "I Love You"
Tea Roses -- "I'll Remember Always"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



-----------------------------

Remembering Ray

Ray and his wife Maryann were a husband/wife team in the Avon world, and quite successful in their business. Working the business together, they achieved the level of Sr Executive Unit Leader, which is the highest level in the Leadership program. It takes a lot of hard work and motivation to get there, and they did it, as a together.

I 'knew' them, from a couple of the Yahoo loops out there, specifically for Avon Reps. That's where some of us go to share and mentor or be mentored. Ray and Maryann were among the best; always willing to give the encouragement needed, and share with others, what they had done and learned, in building their business to the level of success they had achieved.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Ray was diagnosed with leukemia. He was in the hospital, getting chemo, and expected to beat the disease.

I got the news from another Rep this evening, that Ray went into sudden cardiac arrest this morning, and passed on.

Ray will be missed by all who knew him, whether just through online communications, or in person. My heart just breaks for Maryann, and the rest of Ray's family.

My heart goes out to all the Reps out there, who were mentored and touched by Ray, online if not in person.

May he rest in peace.

-------------------

Bill Clinton: 2 Stents Placed Today

Former President Bill Clinton experienced chest pain today, and got in to see his cardiologist. Reports are saying he had 2 stents placed in one coronary artery, and is doing well.

Here's a little information about chest pain and stents, from CNN's Health page:

Former U.S. President Clinton underwent a procedure to place two stents in one of his coronary arteries Thursday after experiencing chest "discomfort," his foundation said.

A stent is very effective at reducing chest pain and treating a heart attack, said Dr. Clyde Yancy, president of the American Heart Association.

Putting two stents in one coronary artery suggests that the problem was that one of the bypass grafts completely closed, and doctors had to fix his regular artery in the heart, said Dr. Michael Lee, assistant clinical professor at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. Another possibility is that the bypass graft itself was blocked, but this probably would have required only one stent, he said.

Read the full story here.

I wish him a fast recovery from the procedure, and many more years in this lifetime with his family. May he continue with all his good works for humanity!

------------------------------

Smoking Pot

The title of this article from The Daily Beast caught my eye, so I just had to check it out!

"How Rich People Smoke Pot"

I have heard of 'vaporizers' of course, but never this one!

As the executive director of NORML, the leading lobbying organization for pot smokers’ rights, Allen St. Pierre gets asked a lot of strange questions. But the one he’s been getting lately is, “What is that metal thing they use on Weeds?”

The answer is the Volcano Vaporizer, a smokeless inhalation device that has recently shown up on both the Showtime series and HBO’s Bored to Death, in which a sexy stoner played by Jenny Slate lures Jason Schwartzman into her bedroom to test one out. (“Just squeeze down on that nipple and suck in the vapors,” she coaches him.) It’s even used at the renowned Chicago restaurant Alinea, albeit unconventionally, to pipe aromas of nutmeg and coffee to diners as they eat dessert.

The Volcano is affectionately known as the “Mercedes Benz” of toking up.

Read full article here

Of course in my world, I don't know any rich people, pot-smoking or otherwise! I also have never watched either of the shows mentioned, either--might have to check them out, just to see it!


I am from the ancient days of bongs and cool roach clip earrings, LOL!



------------------

A Good Belly Laugh!

Earlier today, Robert Gibbs mocked O'Palin and her 'crib notes' during his White House Press Briefing:




Probably a little over the top, and no doubt, Limpballs will rant tomorrow if he didn't do it already today!


I still think it's funny as hell though!




------------------------

Microchips?

In the Virginia House, they are voting on a bill to prevent employers and insurance companies from micro-chipping people without their consent? WOW! Where have I been, that I had no idea anyone wanted to do this anyhow!

I know the technology is there, and has been in place for pets for quite a while. Back in the 90s, I even thought about getting my macaws chipped, because there was an awful lot of exotic bird thefts, and a microchip does identify the bird as belonging to a certain owner. I never did do it though--I decided not to, because I am not a breeder, with tons of expensive birds to be stolen. Instead, we added security lights outside the house.

Anyway, as expected, some are taking the idea of human micro-chipping straight to the book of Revelation and all that "mark of the beast" and "end times" stuff.

To read the Washington Post article, click here.

There is a lot of concern for invasion of personal privacy, I get that. But millions already give up little pieces of privacy every single day. Think OnStar tracking in newer cars; and GPS. Think Nielsen, for determining how many watch what television shows.

I don't have On-Star or a GPS in my truck. The truck is 10 years old, and I just never added those kinds of things to it. For directions when I go out to do deliveries, I use Microsoft Streets and Trips to plan my route. (Note to self: need to update that old 2002 version!) Cell phones also can track people. If you're using a credit or debit card, the paper trail "tracks" you (or whoever might have gotten your card!)

I really don't care that I can already be tracked. I lead an ordinary life, and it would no doubt, bore the hell out of anyone watching me, LOL!

Will I get chipped anytime soon? Highly doubtful, as far as I know!

However, the article did mention the chips might be helpful for patients with
Alzheimers. Could it be...that someday my children will get me chipped, so they won't lose track of me?

Good and bad uses--I can see both.
-----------------------

Meghan McCain vs The Tea Party

I only caught part of this on Hardball this afternoon, before I had to leave for a meeting, so I left myself a note* to grab the video when I got home.

Meghan Mc Cain was guest co-host on ABC's The View Monday. She addressed the racist remarks made at the Tea Baggers Ball, by Tom Tancredo. Here's the segment from Hardball:

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Racism is just plain wrong--and I don't care who it is that's spewing such crap---it's just wrong! Meghan knows this, and was not afraid to say so. I think she did a good job calling it what it is! Thank you, Meghan!

*My note was written on a post-it, and attached inside the garage door; NOT scribbled on my left hand, LOL!*

----------------

Childhood Obesity

First Lady Michelle Obama had a press conference earlier today to unveil her campaign to battle childhood obesity.

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It's an issue that we all need to be concerned with.

The stats are frightening.

According to the CDC:

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%.

Read the full article here.

If your kids are still kids, please, for their sake, keep them eating healthy, and active.

If, like me, your kids are grown, do what you can to encourage them to see to it they are feeding the kids good stuff, less junk, and that the kids are active, rather than just glued to the tube or playing video games all the time.

The kids are our future. Let's all do our part for them!



Ok, end of rant! As the old Nike commercials said, Just DO it!
--------------------------------

A Child as Samba Queen

This story has been all over the news. A 7 year old girl has been chosen to be the drum corps queen for the Viradouro samba group for the Carnival procession in Rio de Janeiro this week.

From what I can tell, the role of queen in this huge event, is not really appropriate for a child. I know without a doubt that as a mother, I would never have allowed my daughter to participate in such a role when she was only 7 years old!

According to the story I just read in The Guardian, the role "is normally reserved for immaculately tanned and half-naked soap opera stars keen to keep their faces – and bottoms – in the Brazilian media."

Read the article here.

I just wish little girls could stay little girls, and enjoy childhood as long as they still are children. It's sad, to see them exploited in areas such as this and the little Miss 'Whatever' beauty contests for little girls.

Good grief! Let them be kids--teen years and then adulthood come soon enough!

President Obama's Planned Summit Meeting on Feb. 25th

I missed this during the pre-game show yesterday, because I was driving over to my oldest son's house to watch the game with him.


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He sure tries working with the party of NO, for all the good it ever does! All they want is for him to fail! I really believe that, I do!

And I hear reports that the Party of NO doesn't want the summit televised? WTF!?!

I swear, the way they act reminds me of a bunch of spoiled brats! They seriously need a trip to the woodshed!

-----------------------------

Question of the day/week/year/century

In what grade did you stop writing crib notes on the palm of your hand?


Huffington Post has a close-up of the notes O'Palin had on her left hand when she did the Q & A last night after her speech at the Tea Baggers' Convention. Questions she (or someone!) screened and pre-approved, and yet she needed crib notes on her hand? Good grief!

You can see the close-up and read the article here.

I'll admit, I sometimes will scribble something on my hand, even now. Usually, it's a number I need to remember, and I simply have no place to write it at the time. I bet I'm not the only one who does that, either. In all my years of watching speeches and interviews, I don't remember ever seeing anyone do that!

Thudworthy!

What I am NOT Doing Tonight!

I have thought about it, and seriously considered turning on the tee vee in the family room to watch O'Palin give her speech tonight at the Tea Baggers' Convention in Nashville, but I just can't do it! NOPE! I simply cannot bring myself to sit through it!

The sound of her screech makes my ears hurt, and I believe it causes the brain to bleed. Bleeding in the brain is not on the list of things I really want to do, so I'll just say "Thanks, but NO thanks"

Do I want to know what kind of sh!t she will spew tonight for the 600 or so teabaggers with more dollars than sense? Yes, of course I do!

I'm sure there will plenty of reports and video clips out there in the blogosphere tonight, as well as some live-tweeting and blogging. Later, I can look for the transcript and attempt to read it.

I really appreciate those who are stronger than I am, for watching/listening to O'Palin so I don't have too!
-------------------------------

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

I was looking around You Tube to see what I could find about a favorite landmark in Southern Illinois, and one thing led to another.

I typed "E St Louis" in the search, and found this beautiful but sad video. The sadness, is seeing some of the not-so-pretty changes, such as the boys' Catholic HS, which is now a Correctional Center.

Still, many of the beautiful old churches and other buildings remain.



The guy who put up the video captured many places familiar to me from my growing up years. He didn't go into my old neighborhood, which was actually a couple blocks outside the city limits, but he was right around the corner from my Grandma's house!

I have many memories of the area, and just about every time I am back in the area, I make a point of driving through E St Louis, re-visiting all the old familiar streets and neighborhoods from those years.

I haven't been back there in almost 5 years, and have no idea if my old house is still there or not.

I'm hoping I can make a road trip rather than flying this summer, for the Family Reunion in St Louis. If so, I'll definitely make a side trip to E St Louis, and maybe get some photos at least.

-------------------------------

Planned Parenthood Ad

Planned Parenthood has an ad in response to the Anti-Choice Tebow ad:




This one will not be seen on Super Bowl Sunday.

According to Planned Parenthood spokesman Sebastian Perez-Ferreiro:

"We feel the money is better spent with our affiliates at their health centers," he said.

Read the USA Today article here.

I happen to agree, the money is better spent at the health centers.

And to be honest, neither ad belongs in the Super Bowl. Super Bowl ads are supposed to be funny and entertaining, not socio-political/religious messages!

----------------------------------

Gay Dating Commercial?

Here's an ad that won't be on Super Bowl Sunday:





Actually, I think the ad is funny as hell! It would fit right in with the usually hysterical Super Bowl ads we are used to. It would fit in MUCH better than that Anti-Choice ad CBS will be running.

--------------------------

Smart Women

A friend recently shared the following email with me, and I thought it was worth sharing here.

*****************

Recently, in a large city in Australia, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym.

It said, "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"


A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.



To Whom It May Concern,

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.)
They have an active sex life, get pregnant and have adorable baby whales.

They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.

They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia.

Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs.

They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans.

They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.


Mermaids don't exist.

If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human?

They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex?

Just look at them ... where is IT? Therefore, they don't have kids either. Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?


The choice is perfectly clear to me: I want to be a whale.


P..S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.


With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.

So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.

Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, "Good grief, look how smart I am!"
**********************

LOL, love it!

I'm not getting older

I'm getting SMARTER!
-----------------------------------

Distracted Driving

While driving around today doing a couple errands, I was listening to NPR' Talk of the Nation with Neil Conan. The guest was Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, discussing what is being done about distracted driving.

There has been a recent ban on texting or talking on cell phones by bus drivers and commercial drivers. Apparently there are 19 states with laws regulating cell phone use while driving, and it seems to be an issue of enforcement. He talked about DC having anti-cell phone laws in place, and yet everywhere, you see people using their phones while driving.

You can read the show transcript and listen to it here.

I am guilty of talking while driving--usually, it's an inbound call I have chosen to answer. Sometimes, I will initiate a call to someone I have I speed dial.

Texting however, is a whole other animal. I couldn't text while driving if my life depended on it, LOL! I am doing good to text from the comfort of my chair, forget it while driving!

I believe eventually cell phone use while driving will be illegal everywhere, and it probably is a good idea, for the safety of all.

Of course, there will be those who holler and scream about government interference, loss of individual freedoms, whatever! But the plain truth is, unfortunately, some people don't have an ounce of sense, and must be told how to avoid endangering others.

-----------------------------

Commercial Break!

"Going Rogue" by Sarah Palin COMMERCIAL
by petercoffin

I can't help it, I have to confess---it made me laugh! I know, bad me...laughing yet again, at the Quitter Queen!
---------------------------

Florida Governor's Race

There are three candidates to choose from: Bill McCollum, Paula Dockery or Alex Sink.

From tampabay.com:

Barring a big surprise, one of three people will be Florida's next governor: Bill McCollum, Paula Dockery or Alex Sink.

I know, you're underwhelmed. You want more choices. But this is the field, so you need to study their backgrounds, philosophies and styles.

All three spoke at the annual Associated Press meeting in Tallahassee this week. And all three, Republicans McCollum and Dockery and Democrat Sink …

• Agreed their No. 1 priority is creating jobs.

• Gave offshore oil drilling a big thumbs down.

• Displayed strengths and weaknesses.

Full story here.


The primary is set for August 24th. I am hoping to have the opportunity to see/hear all of the candidates before then.

I am as always, thirsting for more information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Make-Up and the Gym

Here's some Saturday Silliness, as I ponder and smack at the cobwebs in my head!

At an Avon meeting/training session last summer, the District Manager from a neighboring district was promoting the minerals make-up, trying to push the Starter Kits in the demo book. They do that--push products to the Reps. It's a major part of a DM's job--getting Reps to take bundles and advance order packs of products.

Somehow, while she was doing her 'product push', she mentioned putting on her mineral make-up in the morning before going to the Gym.

I found that to be just plain weird! I almost got caught snickering, as I sat in the back row. Trust me...it would not have been a good thing. Avon isn't all stuffy like certain other direct sales companies, but still--snickering at something the DM was sharing....well, it's just NOT cool!

I have to wonder though--WHY would anyone bother putting on make-up, to go to the Gym and sweat?? That just doesn't make any sense!

It seems to me, that it would make more sense to:

1. exercise

2. sweat

3. shower

4. make-up

What made me think of this today?

My friend who does Zumba® was talking about some new "Zumba® clothes" she just bought.

And, that just made me think about the DM who puts on make-up to go to the Gym and sweat.

I bet my friend-with-the-new-Zumba®-clothes is also wearing make-up to the Gym! I just bet she does! LOL, I will ask her, next chance I get.

I'll have to update this, whenever I get the chance to ask her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

President Obama and the Party of NO

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I didn't get to see all of it when it was 'live'; just one of those busier than normal days, when I wasn't free to watch/listen. I'm glad to find the video available at MSNBC.com, so those who wanted to watch and couldn't, are able to grab it later.

Once again, I am proud of and continue to support President Obama. How nice is it, to have an intelligent, well-spoken adult in charge! Thank you, Mr President, for all you are attempting to do. Thank you for having the patience of a saint in dealing with the asshats on the right.

I plan to watch the video again later tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trouble Brewing At The Tea Baggers' Ball?

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Holy mandation! The more I hear of the Teabaggers and their upcoming ball, the more I laugh!

Crazy-ass Bachmann has canceled, and so has Marsha Blackburn, a Congresscritter from TN.

Will O'Palin quit too, also?

Or will the teabaggers have their much-anticipated serving of word salad to go with that $500+ surf-n-turf dinner?

Freaking hilarious!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

State of the Union

The following quotes are just a couple of my favorite parts of the speech.

In the first one, President Obama calls out the Supreme Court for their lame-ass ruling last week:

But we can’t stop there. It’s time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my Administration or Congress. And it’s time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office. Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.

I'm happy to see the President address this travesty and call on both parties to pass legislation to help change it. Whether or not they will, remains to be seen; but at least he did say something and call it what it is: a WRONG.

But of course, Justice Samuel Alito was caught on camera, shaking his head and mouthing something that sure looked like "not true" during this part of the speech! WTF!?! Now I'm curious, just which of the President's words did Alito find to be "not true"?



In the next quote, the President calls out the obstructive Republicans:

But what frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is Election Day. We cannot wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about their opponent – a belief that if you lose, I win. Neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill just because they can. The confirmation of well-qualified public servants should not be held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual Senators. Washington may think that saying anything about the other side, no matter how false, is just part of the game. But it is precisely such politics that has stopped either party from helping the American people. Worse yet, it is sowing further division among our citizens and further distrust in our government.

So no, I will not give up on changing the tone of our politics. I know it’s an election year. And after last week, it is clear that campaign fever has come even earlier than usual. But we still need to govern. To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills. And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that sixty votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town, then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let’s show the American people that we can do it together. This week, I’ll be addressing a meeting of the House Republicans. And I would like to begin monthly meetings with both the Democratic and Republican leadership. I know you can’t wait.

Again, I have to wonder....will his words make a difference? Will any of the Party of NO finally step up and work for what would benefit the people? Or will they continue their agenda of "just say no" to anything and everything this administration tries to get done?

Is there hope? Or will they just continue to fight everything? Once again, only time will tell.


And the work, as well as the dream, goes on!


Read full text of the speech here.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Banks and Fees

Another article from The Huffington Post today talked about a man in California and his experience with his Wells Fargo checking account.

Mike Iacuessa learned two things from his recent experience with a Wells Fargo checking account. First thing: It's expensive to be poor.

Iacuessa said that in August he overdrew his account with three transactions that together totaled about $28, triggering several $35 overdraft fees and $5 daily charges totaling $205.17. Furious, he walked away from the account. After receiving a few collection letters, he figured Wells Fargo charged it off.

"I refused to pay it," said Iacuessa, who is 45 and lives in San Francisco, Calif. "I was broke. I couldn't anyway."

In October, Iacuessa said, Wells Fargo called him up and made an offer. "One of the managers said, 'If you come back and open a checking account we'll waive those fees.' They're around the corner from my house, so I said OK."

This is where Iaceussa went wrong.

Read the full story here.

I just shake my head about overdraft fees. Yes, the banks have gotten outrageous with them.

However, these days, how hard is it really, to know what is actually in the checking account?

I remember when I was growing up about 100 years ago, my Mom was the one who managed the cash flow in our house. Every month, she sat at the kitchen table with that bank statement, checkbook, tablet and pen, and a stack of canceled checks. Every single month, she labored over the numbers, until it was balanced. To.the.penny!

There were no calculators, debit cards, ATM machines, computers or IVR systems on the bank's phone line. She managed to keep the account balanced, simply by recording every single check written, deposit made and DOING THE MATH.

Honestly, I don't know if my parents ever paid any overdraft fees, or if the banks even charged them back then. Knowing how careful Mom was, I'd be surprised if they ever bounced a check.

I am far from perfect; even further from wealthy, but I somehow manage what little money I have, and do NOT pay fees to the bank IF it can be avoided, and usually it can be avoided.

Like Mom did, I record every single transaction in my checkbook ledger, and DO THE MATH.

Thanks to the technology available these days, I have it so much easier than Mom did. I can and do check my account every few days, online. I take my red pencil, and mark off transactions that have cleared, and grab the calculator to adjust for any that haven't. I even use pencil instead of pen in my checkbook ledger, so if I find a math error, I can erase and correct it.

If more people monitored their accounts properly, the banks would not be making a killing on overdraft fees.

How hard is it, to keep the checkbook balanced, and avoid fees? Come on!

OK, I'll admit I have screwed up a couple times over the years. There was the time I deposited a child support check, and instead of verifying it had cleared, I wrote a check to the kids' school for some field trip or other. Yep--you guessed it--child support check bounced, and in turn, my check to the school bounced. I learned from that experience, and never let that happen again!

I don't like banks, and do whatever I can, to see that I don't pay any fees to the greedy bastards!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Drinking Game

From HuffPost Comedy:


State Of The Union Drinking Game 2010


I love the disclaimer at the top:

NOTE: The Huffington Post in no way encourages binge drinking. This is the comedy section. If you actually drank as much as we suggested you would die, so do not do that.

The game instructions are pretty funny. Made me laugh anyhow, and laughter is always a GOOD thing! :)

I received emails with info about some SOTU watch parties scheduled for tonite, but I won't be attending. I'll watch here at home, in my jammies. No drinking games for me, but probably a glass (or two)of wine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Council approves employee ‘furloughs’

Times are tough everywhere, on every level, including the city level.

There is a need to save money, and not have to cut too many services and jobs. Cities still need their Police Officers, Firefighters and other city employees.

Here's what one City Council in Florida has voted to do:

After some debate on the impact voluntary furloughs would have on city employees, the Cape Coral City Council voted 6-2 to use a progressive system to impose unpaid furloughs and reduce the impact to lower income employees.

The decision will affect non-union employees; union employees already have made similar concessions.

Councilmember Bill Deile sponsored an ordinance to require non-bargaining unit employees take unpaid furlough days, then modified the proposal to base the mandatory leave time on income earned. Although different amounts were discussed, the final vote included four days for those making more than $75,000 annually, two days for those making between $52,000 and $75,000 and no days for those making less than $50,000.

Read full story here.


Of course, only time will tell if what they are proposing will help enough to avoid cutting jobs, and losing vital services.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Casey Anthony

From today's Palm Beach Post:

ORLANDO, Fla. — Casey Anthony, the Florida mother charged with killing her toddler daughter, was found guilty of check fraud Monday and sentenced to time served in jail.

Anthony, 23, was accused of going on a spending spree during the summer of 2008 — around the time her daughter disappeared — after she found the checks while borrowing a former friend's car. Anthony started to cry as she apologized for using the checks.

Anthony remains jailed on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. She has pleaded not guilty to that charge and claims a baby sitter kidnapped Caylee, whose body was found near the Anthonys' home in Orlando after a months-long search.

That whole story still creeps me out, and angers me. HOW can any mother wait a month to report her missing 2 year old? That just never made any sense at all, and made Casey look guilty as sin, in the case.

She claims innocence. I suppose it's possible that someone else killed that poor child, but it doesn't seem very likely.

Will we ever know the truth? Beyond a reasonable doubt?

Read the full article here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ed Schultz

There was an event on Friday evening, AM950's Blue State Bash in Minneapolis. One of my favorites was there, Ed Schultz. Here's the You Tube, thanks to The Uptake.



April 7th is Ed's 1 year anniversary with MSNBC. He says Michelle Bachmann has Sarah Palin coming in that date, and he wants to bring in his show "right across the street from where they're doing their rally". Oh....that has potential!! I hope he does it!

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Smoking

I know, it's a nasty, non-healthy habit.

We smokers are rapidly becoming social misfits, with limited places we can indulge, and we're paying more and more 'sin taxes' for our bad habits.

I have adapted to the smoking bans in public places. Even in my own house, we smoke outside. That's fine--it's a choice. Well, ok--sometimes we cheat and have an occasional smoke inside, but 99% of the time, we smoke outside. Fortunately, we have mild winters, so it's not real cold and nasty very often. It's hot and humid in the summer, but that's ok; the A/C feels so good when I go back inside!

The choice to not smoke in the house has resulted in me smoking less than a pack a day; I used to go through about 2, sometime 2½ packs a day. That's an improvement, who knows--maybe someday I'll quit?

Honestly, I never gave it much thought, how smokers are treated in other countries. Then I happened to read an article in TimesOnline, and smokers are outcasts abroad too. In the article I read, Jeremy Clarkson writes about the smokers who gave up:

If you start smoking at a party, I can absolutely guarantee that within five minutes everyone else will be smoking too. And what makes this even worse than being made to stand outside is that they will be smoking yours.

Since the smoking ban, no one has given up the tabs. They’ve just given up buying them, and this is the most annoying thing in all of human history.

(Read full article here.)

I see that happening around me all the time, usually among the friends of my children. There's always someone who has "quit", but he or she is more than happy to smoke everyone else's cigs.

Usually the 'quit-smoking' person doesn't want mine though. I smoke the cheap off-brand, menthol lights.

And the extra 'sin tax' we smokers pay? That is a whole 'nother rant, for another time!

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Zumba®

A friend in AZ is really really into all the exercise and workout stuff. She has lately been raving about the "Zumba® classes" she goes to a couple times a week.

Even though I am the world's worst klutz, it just sounds like she is having way too much fun with all this exercise stuff, so I looked at the Zumba® website for further information.

It does look like fun, and there are several places and times available in my area. As a result of my life-long affliction with the klutz disorder, I have always cringed at the mere thought of any kind of "public exercise". Jeez, high school gym class was bad enough!

Anyway, scanning through all the Zumba® classes offered in my area, I noticed one that is a convenient location for me, and the time offered is 'do-able'. Under "View Details", it says "Only $5 a class!" WOW! Affordable, even!

Well, I'm thinking the "$5 a class" is probably in addition to whatever fees are involved at that particular location. None of the other locations I looked at listed a price.

Oh well. I will check it out, and TRY to make myself go try it....IF it's actually within my limited budget. I definitely need to work on weight loss, and exercise does help, along with diet changes.

To visit the Zumba® site, click here.

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Just For FUN!

Somebody at the Chat Board I spend too much time on, posted this You Tube for our enjoyment.

It just made me laugh, and feel like dancing!

ENJOY!!!





And with all that's been WRONG with this week, I really appreciated a good fit of the giggles!

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Keith Olbermann's Special Comment: Freedom of Speech Has Been Destroyed

I have no words for what happened today, but Keith sure does!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I think we're in serious trouble, my friends!

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Supreme Court rolls back campaign cash limits

WTF are they doing to us?

NBC News and news services
updated 1:43 p.m. ET, Thurs., Jan. 21, 2010

WASHINGTON - In a landmark ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down laws that banned corporations from using their own money to support or oppose candidates for public office.

By 5-4 vote, the court overturned federal laws, in effect for decades, that prevented corporations from using their profits to buy political campaign ads. The decision, which almost certainly will also allow labor unions to participate more freely in campaigns, threatens similar limits imposed by 24 states.

Read entire article here


If I understand this correctly, big business can now legally buy up as many politicians as they wish, with NO LIMITS?

Here's an idea for Campaign Finance Reform: Let's put a limit of $2500 per DONOR per election. That limit would include Big Business, as well as the average individual.

If it resulted in a whole lot less of the ugly tv ads and radio spots, would that really be such a bad thing?

I don't know, but I'm really disappointed by the Supreme Court, and I hope something can be done to save our democracy.

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Air America: April 2004 - January 2010

A sad day!

From Air America's website:

It is with the greatest regret, on behalf of our Board, that we must announce that Air America Media is ceasing its live programming operations as of this afternoon, and that the Company will file soon under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code to carry out an orderly winding-down of the business.
The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America's business. This past year has seen a "perfect storm" in the media industry generally. National and local advertising revenues have fallen drastically, causing many media companies nationwide to fold or seek bankruptcy protection. From large to small, recent bankruptcies like Citadel Broadcasting and closures like that of the industry's long-time trade publication Radio and Records have signaled that these are very difficult and rapidly changing times.

We will strive to assist affiliates and partners in achieving a smooth transition. Starting at 6 pm EST today, we will provide our affiliates, listeners and users a selection of encore programming until 9 pm EST on Monday, January 25, at which time Air America programming will end.

Full story here

In my area, I could only listen to Air America programming online. There just aren't any stations in range, that I can get on a regular radio. In my area, the local NPR affiliate is the best talk radio available. Of COURSE we have the local station that carries Limpballs, InsHannity, Blech and others of that ilk.

Hopefully, we'll find at least some of the Air America talent being snapped up by someone else, so we can still have them, whether online or satellite radio.

(And, yes, I will get satellite one of these days!)

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One Year Later

One year ago today, Barrack Obama was inaugurated to the Presidency.

I spent the day and evening, happily watching on TV, all the ceremonies and events, and loved every minute of it.

I volunteered in the 2008 Campaign, and did a lot of door-knocking and phone-banking. I had the yard signs, brought in every night, so they didn't disappear. The bumper stickers are still on my truck. I still wear my Obama t-shirt.

Has he done everything I hoped for? No. We still have a long way to go.

Am I still happy that I supported his campaign, and voted for him, even though we still have so much to work on? HELL YES!

Part of the problem is ME--I am like a kid. I want it all, and I want it yesterday.

And that is not realistic.

I will continue to support and believe in our President, and be PROUD to have him in charge.

Can you even imagine if things had gone the other way? Can you imagine what it would be like if we had McShame and O'Palin in charge? That is the stuff nightmares are made of!

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Sickening!

Well, the Massachusetts race ended with no real shockers, except that Martha Coakley conceded earlier than most thought she would.

Brown's victory speech: OMG! That man is one helluva huge windbag! I thought he'd never shut up!

If that wasn't enough...he was totally inappropriate in his remarks about his daughters being "available". Good grief! What loving father would have ever even dreamed of saying anything like that, and on national television?

I will not add any video of the creep on here. If anyone was blessed enough to have missed it last night, just click around a bit, or google it. It's out there, all over the place.

He's an ASSHAT! That's all.




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Watching Massachusetts

That race has gotten ugly. And it's too close to call, from what I have been hearing and reading.

And exactly WHY would I care about a Senate race in a state in which I do not live?

Simple! We NEED Ted Kennedy's seat filled by a Dem, NOT the stupid teabagger.

I have read and heard about the threats being made against Ms Coakley by some of Brown's supporters. Pretty nasty stuff, such as where to stick a curling iron. You know, I am not exactly a kid. I have been around a few years, and have followed and participated in many campaigns over the years. I honestly don't remember things getting as ugly as we have seen in recent times.

I have The Ed Show on right now. He says, "Attention Massachusetts voters, you have 90 minutes left to get out and vote"

I second that, Ed. GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!

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Martin Luther King Jr, January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

Here is Dr King's last speech, April 3, 1968, Memphis TN




From the very end of the "I've Been To the Mountaintop" speech:

Well, I don’t know what will happen now; we’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life - longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight , that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. So I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything; I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

Full text of speech here


We have come a long way since the 60s, but we still have a long way to go. Racism never really went away, and is more out in the open again, since we elected President Obama. It's sad and scary. I worry every day about the safety of the President and his beautiful family!

We must all continue working towards the dream of equality for ALL!

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Dr Nancy Snyderman in Haiti

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The conditions she describes in Haiti really do sound and look like a war zone! Dr Nancy is there, not just reporting on the crisis, but treating patients as well.

It's heartbreaking--I don't understand how anyone can watch the reports on tv or listen on the radio, and not be moved to help!

We all need to do what we can to help. No matter how bad we might have it in our own personal lives right now, there are definitely others in worse shape!

Saturday

It was a quiet day here. I tossed books and checked the mail. I am bad about checking the mail. It's a PO Box, so I only go pick it up when I'm in the area anyway. Today I made a special trip to get it, simply because I hadn't been in that part of town all week.

Watched football: AZ Cardinals lost to New Orleans 45-14. I'm not a fan of either team, but since the Cardinals used to be a St Louis team, I was kind of hoping they'd win.

I remember the "Cardiac Cards" of the 70s. I remember when they moved to Phoenix, and St Louis didn't have a football team. That's when my family and friends in the St Louis area started supporting the Bears. Even after moving to FL in 1990, we remained die-hard Bears fans. Of course, St Louis DID get the Rams, in '93 I think it was?

I'm going to clean up the kitchen, get coffee pots set for morning, and just relax with a novel. May tomorrow be a good day, or at least better, for all!

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Haiti: Help If You Can!

The sadness and horror continues in Haiti. So many dead, injured; survivors who are suffering with injuries, lack of food, water and supplies. From an AP story on Air America's website:

Haitian President Rene Preval said this week that 7,000 of the estimated 45,000-50,000 earthquake victims were buried in mass graves in recent days. Others are trying to bury their loved ones themselves in weed-filled lots near busy streets. And death is not yet done — sick people are getting sicker, trapped people are giving up after three days of hope, and the rest are running out of food and water.

Full article here

I did hear on the radio that a lot of donations are coming in through those text messages, as well as the usual sources, such as United Way and Red Cross.

I know I can't do much, but I am donating what I can. I hope everyone who can donate, will. Every thing we can do, will help; even small amounts add up and help.

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I Am PROUD of Our President!

I was not home to see this on the tee vee this morning, so I caught it on the web, after I got home from my meeting.

President Obama is doing the right thing--we MUST help the Haitian people.

I am just so proud, and happy that we have a caring and compassionate adult in charge now!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Haiti

I have been following as much as I can, of the terrible disaster in Haiti. The reports and pictures are just devastating!

I don't even have the words to describe the horror and sadness of it all.

On the tee vee and radio, I hear the 5 or 6 digit numbers where we can text HAITI, and it will make a $10 donation by billing our cell phone accounts. I can afford the $10, but I CANNOT text to the 5 or 6 digit numbers, only to full 10 digit numbers!

Guess I'll just have to do it the regular way--make my donation directly to the organization of my choice.

Now, to choose which one I will donate to!

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FUX NOISE:

No way could I force myself to actually watch or listen to Granny O'Palin on Bill O'Reilly tonite. No WAY! Just could NOT do it!

Rachel Maddow covered it this evening on her show:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

THANK YOU, Rachel, for the excellent story, and the smackdown of McCain at the end!

Country First my ASS!

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McCain: "I Wouldn't Know"

From NBC's The Today Show:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Matt Lauer asked John McCain about the revelations in the new book Game Change, and the vetting process for his running mate in the 2008 election. He also says he didn't care?

I'll say it again: John McCain, you should be ashamed of yourself!




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Kent Jones

One of my all time favorites on The Rachel Maddow Show, Kent Jones never fails to make me laugh! Not just laugh, but a GOOD BELLY LAUGH!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What can I say, Granny O'Palin is the gift that keeps on giving!




Seriously, it's no surprise that she will be going to FUX NOISE. She'll fit right in there with the rest of the asshats!

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OH GOOD GRIEF!!

I missed 60 Minutes when it was on this evening--thanks to the CBS website, I did get to see the Steve Schmidt segment when I got home.






They actually had a lawyer GOOGLE Palin? THAT'S how they vetted her??

Being chosen as John McCain's running mate was "God's Plan"? REALLY Scarah?

Was/IS the Republican Party out of their freaking minds? What on earth were they thinking!

I believe they were desperate; no doubt about that, and the 60 Minutes segment showed it.

I can remember the day Palin was announced. My first thought was the McCain team hoped that by adding a woman to their ticket, they could grab a bunch of disappointed Hillary supporters. NOT! Palin was never even a poor imitation of Hillary; not even close!

I was already an Obama supporter and volunteer, but IF I had been undecided, McCain's choice of Palin would have pushed me over the edge, to Barack Obama.

Quite honestly, I think Granny O'Palin has more than a few short circuits in her head. And, we certainly dodged a bullet, if not a BOMB, in November 2008!

"Country First" my ass!

John McCain, YOU and the Republican Party owe the citizens of this country a huge apology! Not that I expect it will happen; I am just saying!

Good Grief!

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60 MINUTES

All week long, there have been teasers all over the the cable news channels, showing the clips of Steve Schmidt talking about Sarah Palin and the McCain campaign.

According to NewsBusters, Schmidt is "not holding back".

I have to wonder, just how much will he really say? Honestly? I expect that all the "good stuff" has already been shown in the teasers; that's the way it usually goes.

I plan to watch anyway.

And then watch for Granny O'Scarah's response via Twitter and/or her Face Book ghostwriter(s). That's where the giggles usually start!

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Humor For Friday

Oh boy, can I think of a few places to share this wonderful bit of grammar/spelling info!


Ten Words You Need To Stop Misspelling

It's the usual words that I see butchered every day, everywhere I go.


**many thanks to the chat buddy who shared the Oatmeal link today**

Chat Boards

Oh jeez...what was I thinking!!

I joined another chat board yesterday, and oh boy, is that one thing that can really make the time fly!!

The board members are women I know from a few other boards...places where I used to kill a lot of time. The thing with chat boards is they tend to "spin off" each other, kind of like some of the old tv shows did. This one is yet another spin-off.

I spent several hours there since signing up, and already it looks like there may be a storm a brewing!

I will stay out of the drama....and try to avoid spending too much time there.

I don't need it--too much else going on in the world.

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Garlic and Vampires

I know, I am too easily entertained! This made me LOL, really!

The residents of Lawndale, California are causing a stink over the town's plants. Apparently, the roads are lined with garlic--which either smells like skunk or marijuana depending on who you talk to.

Full article here

and, the video: No way could I have kept a straight face for that interview, whether I was the TV reporter, or the Councilman!




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Damn, It's COLD!!

Looks like the "cold spell will last through the weekend" according to the local news.

Gov. Crist signs emergency order for cold weather

Crops will be damaged, some destroyed. We'll see loss of needed income for our growers, and higher prices in the stores.

Shelters for the homeless opened up on Sunday I think it was? They normally open at 7pm whenever temps drop to 40 or less.

My daughter said she heard on the local news that we may drop to freezing overnight. From what I can see in all the local reports, the "drop to freeze" is predicted further inland, and is not supposed to include the coastal areas--usually, we manage to stay a little warmer.

Think I'll grab some Baileys for my last cup of coffee, and an extra blanket for my bed.

Bristol Palin: PR/Political Consultant?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I read about this new "business venture" earlier today on a couple of blogs, and was happy to hear on my sick teevee, that Rachel was covering it.

What is really up with the BSMP LLC? Is it to show the courts that Bristol has a job and her own income, whenever that custody case comes up? Could it be a way of funneling some of the money from $arahPac? Or is it just another shiny object, thrown out to divert attention from some of the 'gates' surrounding the Quitter?

When will the Quitter tweet about this? When will her ghostwriter post on FB about it? Will she/they spin it all somehow, and blame it on President Obama?

Grab some popcorn, an adult beverage of choice, sit back and enjoy the show!

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"Maybe it's Satan"

With my messed up TV, I only heard bits and pieces of The Ed Show earlier this evening, so I missed seeing one of my most favorite people on tonite!

Luckily, I found the video on TPM:




To see the TPM article, click here

I am still LMFAO at the "Maybe it's Satan".

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A Quiet (COLD!) Sunday

I stayed in my jammies, fuzzy slippers and robe all day, reading blogs, listening to the teevee. My jammies for the times we get a cold front and the temps drop below 60: sweat suits!

I just peeked at the local weather online: current temp is 46, and it's supposed to get down to 38 overnight. No wonder I am freezing! Jeez! I did NOT move to FL to be cold in the winter!

I am 'listening to the teevee' here in my bedroom, not watching it. It's old, and on it's deathbed. When I get a picture on it, it's all messed up, and the sound is distorted with a loud humming noise. When there is NO picture, the sound is perfect.

Yesterday, I looked at the Good Will store, to see what tv's they might have. They had ONE: a little 13" one. I looked all over that one, and there was no place to plug it into a cable box--so, it wouldn't get anything at all. Oh well.

Maybe tomorrow, if there's time, I'll get to the one remaining KMart store and see what they have. I hear KMart still does lay-a-way, LOL!

If nothing else works out, I could just move the tv from the family room to my room. Or, move the computer to the family room?

Tomorrow, I must get out of the pj's (sweats) and go out; there's one 'stop & drop delivery', and a basket of brochures to toss. I dread going out in the cold, but at least the heater in the truck works--or it did the last time I needed it! ;)

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H1N1 Vaccine?

Did YOU get the vaccine?

Why or Why Not?

I did NOT.

Because:

I seldom catch so much as a common cold, let alone the flu! I think my last cold was before my Dad passed on; almost 5 years ago.

With reports of vaccine shortages, I felt it was better that I leave 'my' dose for someone else who might need it more.

I absolutely HATE needles!

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Limpballs: No Heart Attack!

In his little press conference, Rush says the docs found no coronary artery disease, blahblahblah.

Something funny he said: "I got an angiogram....a catheter treatment through the heart...."

I hate to inform you, Mr. Limpballs....an angiogram is NOT a treatment. It is a diagnostic procedure involving the use of X-ray imaging to see the inside of the heart's blood vessels.

And, of course it was negative---the gasbag has no heart!





Notice how he states that he received the best care in the world, and there is "nothing wrong" with our health care system. HA! Easy to say and believe excellent health care is available in our country...IF one happens to be a millionaire and/or have good health insurance!

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Welcome, 2010!

WOW!

A brand-new year, already!

Time seems to fly...faster with each passing year!

Christmas kept me busy---got all the Avon deliveries done, and then finished shopping for my family. It was a slim Christmas--not a whole lot of gifts. Most of the money I had available for shopping, I spent on my granddaughters. It's such a joy, to watch them open gifts--they enjoy the simplest things, like sidewalk chalk, a new movie, classic kid games.

New Years' Eve: I stayed home in my jammies, and watched Kathy Griffen/Anderson Cooper cover the celebration in Times Square. At midnite, I went out in the driveway to watch the fireworks. Neighbors across the street joined me for hugs and good wishes.

The blue moon made the night so bright and beautiful here. A little chilly...60s I think? Not too bad though!

I hope this new year will bring good things, good solutions, and better times for all of us.

PEACE!!

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