WHY?

Why Is It?

Why is it that if someone tells you that there are a billion stars in the universe, you'll believe him, but if he tells you that a wall has wet paint, you'll have to touch it to be sure?

Why do we press harder on our remote control when we know the batteries are flat?

Deep in the jungle, why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

Why isn't "phonetic" spelled the way it sounds?

If money doesn't grow on trees, then why do banks have branches?

Why is it that people who spend their day sitting down often earn more than people who spend their day working on their feet?

Ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face he doesn't like it, but when you take him for a ride in the car, he sticks his head out the window?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up every two hours?

~~Quick and Simple Magazine

I CAN

The Winner's Creed

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost certain, you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost;
Since out in our world we find
success begins with a person's will,
It's all in your state of mind.

Life's battles don't always go
to the stronger or faster hand;
But sooner or later
the person who wins
is the one who thinks....."I CAN".

Linda E. Knight

Mom's Brownie Recipe

 Remember these days - or maybe you are still in this era of your life!  God Bless You! I had a very precocious little boy who loved to explore and get into things when he was a toddler.  Oh ... to have those days back!!   Cherish every one of them.  I don't think my Jeff was ever as bad as "Billy" in the recipe below but I thought it was funny!  Enjoy!

Mom’s Brownie Recipe

Remove teddy bear from oven.
Preheat oven to 375. Melt 1 cup margarine in saucepan.
Remove teddy bear from oven and tell Billy "no, no."
Add margarine to 2 cups sugar.
Take shortening can away from Billy and clean cupboards.
Measure 1/3 cup cocoa.
Take shortening can away from Billy again and bathe cat. Apply antiseptic and bandages to scratches sustained while removing shortening from cat’s tail.
Assemble 4 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups sifted flour.
Take smoldering teddy bear from oven and open all doors and windows for ventilation. Take telephone away from Billy and assure party on the line the call was a mistake.  Call operator and attempt to have direct dialed call removed from bill.
Measure 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup nuts and beat all ingredients well.
Let cat out of refrigerator.
Pour mixture into well-greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake 25 minutes.
Rescue cat and take razor away from Billy. Explain to kids that you have no idea if shaved cats will sunburn. Throw cat outside while there’s still time and he’s still able to run away.

Frosting
Mix the following in saucepan:
1 cup sugar
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup margarine

Take the darn teddy bear out of the @#$% broiler and throw it away—far away. Answer the door and meekly explain to nice policeman that you didn’t know Billy had slipped out of the house and was heading for the street. Put Billy in playpen.
Add 1/3 cup milk, dash of salt, and boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Answer door and apologize to neighbor for Billy having stuck a garden hose in man’s front door mail slot. Promise to pay for ruined carpet. Tie Billy to clothesline.
Remove burned brownies from oven.

-Author Unknown

Look on the Bright Side

Have a great week & make it a happy one!

Look on the Bright Side

 

For every negative that consumes your happiness,
Affirm two positives that sustain you.
For every should've you wish you’d done,
Acknowledge something you’re glad you did.
For every loss that has altered your world,
Count from it something you have gained.
For every limit that has ever beset you,
Consider your possibilities.
You can’t always change the way things are,
But you can change the way you wish to see them.
Never stop looking
For the brighter side and beyond. 

--- from The Language of Positive Thinking by Eric T. Moore

Obsessions and Forgiveness

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day!  I played bridge at a friend's house and afterwards, met Sonny at the movies.  We went to see a "chick flick" (Just Go With It) which he doesn't usually agree to do!  But, since it was Valentine's .... ain't that sweet??? I actually think I guilted him into it!  He brought me a beautiful card and a heart shaped pretzel!  Yep, the spark is still there!!  The movie was cute and made for an enjoyable evening.

As you can see, I was busy today working on a new blog look.  The title at the top was designed with the help of My Digital Studio.  I have such fun designing something different every few months. (The shamrocks on the sides were a pre-made background from Blogger.)

I have been pondering what to write on my post all day.  I have a few things I want to say and to get off my chest but I am trying to decide the best way to do that.  It started yesterday when I was playing bridge.  One of the gals there is a little (a lot) abrasive.  Shortly after I'd arrived, she turned to me and said "I'm glad the Steelers lost the Super Bowl."  I understand that everyone has a right to his/her opinion but where did that come from?   We weren't even talking football!   I was there to play bridge and didn't even have any black and gold on!!  The season is over and it's time to get on with other things.  She later made a comment that she didn't understand why all the Steeler fans live in Mooresville - everywhere she looks, there they are! Little did she know that the gal whose house we were at lived in Pittsburgh and is a fan of the Steelers as was another gal who was there.  I told her it wasn't just Mooresville.  We have lived in Texas and Washington and there were huge followers of the Steelers there as well.  We have been to Tucson and to other cities across the country and found Steeler bars there as well that were full of the black and gold supporters.  Get over it people .... the Steeler Nation is everywhere!!   I have had someone recently refer to me as being obsessed with the Steelers.  I enjoy the game, support my chosen team and love the rivalry with other teams during the season.  But when the season is over, it's on to something else until August rolls around again.  To me an obsession is when your thoughts and actions are dominated by something 24/7.  So ... maybe I'm obsessed with my stamping?  That's what it says in my blog header - Stampin' 24/7!!   There are a lot of things in this world to be obsessed with - looking pretty, Disney, gambling, revenge, drugs, work, etc. but I'll take stampin' and football any day!

This woman at bridge didn't stop with the football talk.  At lunch, we had an interesting conversation about Northerners and Southerners.  Of the 8 ladies who were there, we were probably split between northerners and southerners.  I have lived in the south my whole life but I do not have a problem with most people from the north.  Heck, I've been married to a Yankee for 37 years and my mom still calls him a "damn yankee."  I'll agree that there are some "yankees" who have moved down south that I wish would go back to New York or New Jersey.  But anywhere you live, you are going to have to deal with ornery people - the South has them, the North has them, the West and the East and probably Europe too!  We all have to live together in this world and it would be so much nicer if we could all just get along and learn to accept each other's faults.  I wish everyone would learn to forgive each other for whatever they perceive to be wrong. Everyone has been hurt by the actions or words of another before. These wounds can leave you with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness and even vengeance — but if you don't practice forgiveness, you may be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy.   Letting go of grudges and bitterness makes way for compassion, kindness and peace.  The Bible instructs us to forgive as the Lord forgave us:

Colossians 3:13  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Matthew 6:14-16  For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

OK - I'm stepping down off my soap box.  Tomorrow I will be playing mahjong at a friend's house.  Let's hope things go better and I'll be back to sharing stamping projects with you!  Have a happy day!

Be aware of what your gifts are.

I was bummed  today!  Today is Ashley's birthday and Skype wasn't working!!  So, we couldn't talk to her on her birthday.  When we both figured it out, we at least were able to "IM" via Yahoo.  Hopefully, Skype will be and running tomorrow and Christmas. 

There was a really good article in Sunday's Charlotte Observer that I would like to share with you.  It kind of hit home with me and maybe it will give you some food for thought.

"No going back:  Winter is Here" by Barbara Thiede
Snow is falling outside.  Though it is not likely to last, it is a sign:  There is no going back.  Winter has arrived.  It is too late to replace the bushes I had wanted to pull out this fall.  It is too late to plant more daffodil bulbs.  I have faced "too late" other times this year.  When my beloved mother-in-law ... died unexpectedly last summer, it was too late for things I had had to postpone. .... To be with her was to know the essence of the word "homey."  I would have liked to have that sort of feeling another time, a last time.  Her death has made me especially conscious of my own life as a mother, and the way it, too, has sped by.  ... Days after she died, her sister told me my mother in law often said how she missed her son, my husband.  Only then did I realize, with a clutch in my heart, what her generosity must have cost her.  He had left home at 23 to come to me in America.  In the next 30 years, she would see him less than once a year.  She never complained about how far away we were.  (My son) is 19.  I imagine him living far away ... The pain hits right in my sternum.  I would not have her strength to bear the loss with grace and patience.  I would complain and cry.  ... It is too late for one last meeting.  But it is never too late to acknowledge, again, how we loved her.  So we do.  Every night we say a prayer for her.  May we all be aware of the time we have now, what our gifts are, how we love now.

If you would like to read the entire article, you can find it HERE.

I am going to try and be aware of what my gifts are and look at the glass half full and not half empty.  Instead of being so upset that I wasn't able to skype with Ashley, I am thankful I was at least able to "IM" with her.  When my son, Jeff was in Korea and also in Baghdad, we didn't have all this technology to be able to talk to each other.  I was so thankful when he was able to get to a telephone and make a call home.   When he was in Korea at Christmas, I was a basket case!  That was the first time our family had not been together at Christmas.  I guess I'm getting used to it now but I don't like it!!

What about you?  Are you thankful for the gifts you have?

The Whirlwind of the Christmas Season

It's that time of the year - when the faster I go, the behinder I get!!  I have been furiously working trying to get everything made and my Christmas cards done.  The past two days I have made 8 Christmas Planners.  I wanted to put them in the bags for my Stamp Club ladies.  Unfortunately, I have already put them in the bags and they are ready to be delivered.  I forgot to take pictures!!  Take my word for it - they are really cute! 

My bridge Christmas party is Monday.  I wanted to decorate some of those calendar planners that you can get at M's.  But, when I went to buy them on Monday, they only had 1 calendar left!  I can't believe it!  Usually you can find those calendars all year long.  My friend, Margaret, is coming this week to visit so I asked her to check with her "M" store there in Texas but they were sold out too.  So, when I couldn't find the planners, I bought all the little 3" square tins that they had which were 14.  I am in the process of making little note cards to put inside of them.  Of course, wouldn't you know it, all I bought were 14 and there will be 15 at bridge (16 counting me).  Luckily, I happened to have a larger rectangle Christmas tin that I will fix up for the hostess.  She always has our Christmas party at her house so she deserves a little treat. 

Tomorrow is my Mahjong Christmas party.  I decided not to do anything for everyone there - just not enough time.  Plus, there is an overlap of people at Southern Living Luncheon (last week) and bridge and mahjong.

Margaret and Graham are arriving here tomorrow.  They are visiting their daughter and grandson today.  So, hopefully we will have a little time to make a few Christmas cards.  We are going to the Singing Christmas Tree in Mooresville (Berea Baptist Church) on Saturday with my mom and sisters.  Then we'll be headed to Big Al's on Sunday for the football game. 

I probably won't have a chance to post anything until Sunday or Monday.  Don't give up on me! 

Fall Festival Face Painting

Just a quick hello tonight.  I went to a seminar today put on by the Golden Boys about exercising as you get older.  Hopefully, it will be the catalyst that gets my butt up and moving!  They held it in the gym area of the YMCA with several doctors speaking.  The bad part was due to the acoustics in a gym, it was very hard to understand everything they said.    Afterwards, Sonny & I did some running around - to Ollie's, WalMart, Walgreens, BJ's ... all the really fun places in town!!  We also went over to Best Buy and I bought my birthday present (about 3 weeks early!)  I have been shopping for a new printer so I could print some off some of the things I do on My Digital Studio and there was an Epson on sale this week at Best Buy.  I came home and set it up but I didn't have the right cable so have to go back to Best Buy tomorrow .... grrrr!

If you are in Sherrills Ford tomorrow and want to get your face painted, come on by the library!  I'll be doing face painting from 11 - 3 during their Fall Festival!  I've never done face painting before, so we'll see how this turns out.  I'm not planning on any real elaborate painting.  Hopefully the kids will be happy with stars, flowers, cameoflage, etc.  Unfortunately, tomorrow is also the open house at our local stamp store in Mooresville that will have to miss.  Just can't do it all I guess.

Headed to bed now - have a wonderful weekend!  It is supposed to be good Fall weather here this weekend!  Temps in the mid to low 70's.  I'm ready to break out the sweaters and sweatshirts!!

Weather Facts

Interesting Weather Facts!

Top 10 cities with least weather variety
Based on temperature variation, precipitation, wind, severe weather

1. San Francisco, California
2. San Diego , California
3. Los Angeles , California
4. Santa Barbara , California
5. Eureka , California
6. Long Beach , California
7. Honolulu , Hawaii
8. Santa Maria , California
9. San Luis Obispo , California
10. Kahului , Hawaii

Top 10 Tropical storm / Hurricane prone cities
Average # of years with no storm. Totals based on data from 1871- 2007, hitting within 60 miles of the city

1. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina   2.49
2. Delray Beach , Florida  2.54
3. Hollywood , Florida  2.58
4. Deerfield Beach , Florida  2.58
5. Boca Raton , Florida  2.58
6. Florida City , Florida  2.63
7. Grand Isle, Louisiana   2.63
8. Ft. Pierce , Florida   2.69
9. Miami , Florida   2.69
10. Ft. Lauderdale , Florida   2.69


Top 10 Thunderstorm cities
Avg annual number of thunderstorms

1. Fort Myers , Florida      89
2. Tampa , Florida   87
3. Tallahassee, Florida   83
4. Gainesville , Florida   81
5. Orlando , Florida   80
6. Mobile , Alabama   79
7. W. Palm Beach , Florida  79
8. Lake Charles , Louisiana    76
9. Daytona Beach , Florida    75
10. Vero Beach , Florida   75

Flip Flop Art

I thought you might like to see my flip flops that I made a couple of years ago.  I get comments on them everywhere I go.  Tonight we went out on the boat and stopped at a restaurant for dinner and several people wanted to know where I had purchased them.  I actually saw a pair of these flip flops at Myrtle Beach 3-4 years ago and told my family that I could make my own.  So I did!  I started out with a pair of rubber Okabasi flip flops in blue and green.  I bought a couple of bags of long skinny balloons at a party store and cut them in half.  Then I just tied them onto the top of the shoe.

Aren't they the cutest?  Of course, the flower on my toe gives it that little added touch!!  When Ashley was in town, myself, my mom and Ashley all had a pedicure and all had a flower painted on our big toe.  So, if you want a conversation piece on your feet, get you some balloons and tie them on!!  Wouldn't it be cute to do a 4th of July shoe with red, white and blue balloons???

I finished another CKC project today.  It was one of my favorite classes taught by The Button Farm.  We made a recipe book out of an acrylic album.  Here are a few pages of mine:

This is the cover.

This page has an envelope glued down with recipe cards inside.

This is the back of the book.

I'll be having this for sale (I think) at the Newcomers November Craft Fair.

Sir Paul

Just a quick post before we hit the road - heading up to the mountains for the weekend.  Thought you would enjoy a few pictures of my wonderful night last night!!

The concert was WONDERFUL!  I didn't think I'd know too many of the songs because I am more of a Beatles fan than a McCartney fan but there were only about 7-8 songs that I didn't recognize.  I am in love!  The old guy looks darn good for 68 years old!!

And here is a quick shot of Ashley & Sonny on our segway tour of Charlotte.  I will provide details when we return!!

Unwelcome Guests

We have had a couple of unwelcome guests at our house the past few days.  On Monday, Sonny went into the downstairs bathroom to discover the first guest .... a mouse.  After chasing it into the pantry, he ended up sucking it up with his shop vacuum!  (yeah - yuck!)  So we called our pest service.  We have monthly pest control visits since we live in a wooded area and have mice quite often - but usually not where I can see them!  When he went under the house to spray, he pulled out a HUGE black snake skin!  I know they are supposed to be a "good" snake but to me, a good snake is a dead snake! 

I can't even imagine what I would have done, if I had seen ths snake in the yard - with or without it's skin!!

So, when are you coming for a visit????

Grandparents

This is priceless and I had to share it with you -

Written by a third grader, on what his grandparents do.

After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils how they spent their holiday away from school. One child wrote the following: We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa. They used to live in a big brick house, but Grandpa got retarded and they moved to Arizona . Now they live in a tin box and have rocks painted green to look like grass. They ride around on their bicycles, and wear name tags, because they don't know who they are anymore. They go to a building called a wreck center, but they must have got it fixed because it is all okay now, they do exercises there, but they don't do them very well. There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and down in it with hats on. At their gate, there is a doll house with a little old man sitting in it. He watches all day so nobody can escape. Sometimes they sneak out, and go cruising in their golf carts. Nobody there cooks, they just eat out. And, they eat the same thing every night - early birds. Some of the people can't get out past the man in the doll house. The ones who do get out, bring food back to the wrecked center for pot luck. My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn his retardment and, says I should work hard so I can be retarded someday too. When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the doll house. Then I will let people out, so they can visit their grandchildren.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

BLOG IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION TODAY!

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day to everyone.  Please give thanks to the great men and women that are out there protecting our country.

I arrived safe and sound in Texas last Monday and have been going non-stop since I arrived.  We spent several days with some good friends from Dallas before heading off to Austin for my nephew's wedding.  It was a wonderful wedding last night and I have pictures to share as soon as I can download them.  The only problem was the HEAT!!  It was sooo hot - in the 90's.  Sweat was literally pouring down the groom's face during the ceremony (not to mention the guests) and his bride kept mopping his face!  It was rather funny.  When we returned to our motel at midnight last night, it was still 85 degrees!  We have another wedding to attend tomorrow night and it is also outside!  Maybe this heat will melt some pounds off me while I'm here.  Today we went to a Brunch for the newly married couple at my niece's home (still, hot!)  But when we arrived back in San Antonio around noon with my niece's two little boys, we all hit the pool and didn't come out until dinner time!!  They were out like a light when they hit the bed tonight.

Have a safe Memorial Day and I will try to post more details about the Carnaval wedding and pictures next week.

Historic Tour of Homes

A quick post before I hit the sack.  I'm so tired!  I was a docent today at the third annual Historic Mooresville Tour of Homes.  Check out the lovely homes HERE.   The home that I was in was the original home of Annie Rankin.  There are three houses side by side that were built by Annie's father, S.C. Rankin, the first President of the Bank of Mooresville. Mr. Rankin built the three homes for his daughters. Two of the Rankin sisters were married in a double wedding ceremony in 1902 and set up households at the same time in twin Queen Anne cottages on South Academy Street.   The housees have undergone extensive renovations.   While the other two sister's houses take you back in time, the Annie Rankin home has been "modernized" but still has kept the historic look.  A young couple live in the house now and have updated the kitchen in particular.

I finished the wedding cards that I will be taking to the weddings I am going to in Texas next week.  I CASE'd them from a card I saw at the Kernersville Quarterly.  The DSP is the Bride DSP on pg. 158 of the SU catalog which I brayered with black ink.  I used decorative punches in the comers. 

Believe

A friend sent me this earlier in the week and it has really made me think.  I forwarded it to my son and daughter and thought all my friends out there in "blog land" would enjoy it also.

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.

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.n keep going long after you think you can't.
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.

To Realize Values ....

To realize
The value of a sister/brother
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one

To realize the value of ten years:
Ask a newly Divorced couple.

To realize the value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize The value of one year:
Ask a student who Has failed a final exam. 

To realize The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize The value of one month:
Ask a mother Who has given birth to a premature baby....

To realize The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize The value of one minute:
Ask a person Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize The value of one-second:
Ask a person Who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.

SNOW

Snowing again here in NC .... what a winter!!  Marianne & I were planning on driving to Columbia, SC tomorrow to a craft convention.  Guess I'll be upstairs in my craft room instead!!

Life is Too Short

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don't just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.
God never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.


I am only as strong as the chocolate I eat,
the hair spray I use and
the friends I have.
To the cool women that have touched my life. Here's to you!