Sheep in Composition

Okay - here's a puzzle, especially for those of you born after 1980. Can you identify what these sheep are made of?You might have to click it to big it...

Got this in an email today - and thought it was TOO CUTE!

Fun Monday Power Trip

Fun Monday this week is hosted by Mommy Wizdom, and she wanted to know what we do if we were ruler, for a day/week/month/year - whatever time frame we so chose!

Since I'm always considering myself "diva-stating," this is right up my alley. Excuse me, while I adjust my tiara.

First of all, I don't think the world could handle me as ruler for more than six months. I'm a Virgo. A perfectionist. I'd get drunk with power, and we would all be forced to look fabulous, 24/7. All you ladies would be ready to throttle me for making you trot around in 4-inch heels.

Humor aside, there are some serious changes I would make.

1. I would rid the world of genocide, rape, war, torture and cruely to animals.
2. I would make the week last for EIGHT days. All the regular days would still be there, but "MY DAY" would be included. We would each have a day that we could do whatever we wanted. This would also shorten the number of months in the year, making us have to pay our bills less often.
3. Christmas would be totally de-commercialized.
4. Siestas in the afternoon would be expected.
5. The field of medicine would be less barbaric - and more holistic approaches would be customary and accepted.
6. Weekly massages for all would be mandated, free of charge - paid for by your government.
7. News channels would no longer be allowed to report on celebrity screw-ups, as if it were real news.
8. Pharmaceutical companies and oil companies would have to contribute half of their profits to help feed the hungry and clothe the poor.
9. Everyone would have to be exposed to MUSIC and LITERATURE as part of their education in this life.
10. I would do all I could to spread the messages of peace, love and spirituality, far and wide.

I could go on and on, for there is so much wrong with our world today. Some of it mildly annoying, some of it just insane, and some of it too painful to bear. I thought long and hard about this challenge - and realized that we ARE all rulers, in reality. We rule ourselves, and we have the power to make a positive change, every day.

So go visit the Fun Monday participants, and begin changing your world!

Literally Ranting - Again

I've really tried to ignore the inability of some people to spell words correctly. I've tried to be understanding that not everyone was privileged to have the secondary education that I enjoyed. But the rampant misuse of ONE WORD IN PARTICULAR is very troubling to me...and I'm afraid that before long, no one will remember how to use this word correctly. It's the word LOSE.

Does anyone remember that word? Because I haven't seen it in a LONG TIME. Seems like people are "loosing" things a lot...and it's driving me INSANE.

So, quick lesson for you all: you LOSE something, which means you have misplaced it or got drunk the night before and flailed it asunder. You didn't LOOSE it...that word means to make something "less tight." Unless, in some strange event, you lose your belt after loosening it, then you are allowed to use those words in the same sentence. Just in that instance.

You are "losing" the battle. Oh, and we seem to have the spelling of the word "lost" down okay - can we maybe draw on that knowledge, to remember the base word has ONE, and ONLY ONE "o?"

You don't LOOSE an election - you LOSE it. I know it's tough, this English language, with all the bizarro rules. You are used to pronouncing the singular vowel in a word structured like "lose" with a STRONG vowel sound, right? It's got that "e" at the end, with that funky consonant right before it. So, it doesn't seem right - "lose" is one of those words that defies the rules.

But that's why I like "lose." It's unique. It doesn't follow the crowd. So, please, for the love of the poor word, use "lose," okay? Please?

Fun Monday Do-Overs

Fun Monday this week is being held at the Irish Coffeehouse, which I hope serves up some Irish Cream in their coffee...I need some this morning! Monday, and I'm running late...

She wanted to know what our career aspirations were as a child, and what they are now. Well, what little girl growing up in the '70s didn't want to be a rock star? Oh...was I the only one? I recently attended a Flyleaf concert with my daughter and her friends, and just watching the lead singer get into the music made that dream come flooding back. I was always into music and imagined being on stage with a microphone, belting out tunes...while in reality I was chained to my piano, practicing Mozart and Bach for endless hours.

Now? Well, I'm more realistic. After I finish this "first" career in real estate, I would like to take advantage of the fact that I am NOT afraid to speak in public. Working as adjunct faculty at the local community college was a GREAT experience that I wouldn't mind exploring more. I would love to teach, but...mind you...only at the university level. Something about teaching people to "think outside the box" and see things from a different perspective appeals to me. I'd just have to work on my Californitexarkansan accent a bit, so I'm understood.

Now, go check out all the dreams of the other Fun Monday participants!

Fun Monday Birthday

IamwhoIam at Dungarees Ablaze is this host for this week's Fun Monday, and it's all about birthdays! This was tough for me, as my husband's 50th was incredibly special, and upcoming? Well, guess who is gonna hit the big 4-0 in September? Yeah, just don't tell anyone - I'm gonna try to still pass for 35.

To be honest, since I was abandoned within days of my birth, I have no idea when my actual calendar birthday is.

The most special birthday was the day The Offspring was born. I went into labor around midnight, Christmas Eve - I remember it distinctly, b/c I was just SURE I had gas that needed to be expelled. And I would wake up each hour, trying to expel it. All Christmas Day, I was in hard labor, as I was frosting five dozen sugar cookies that I had made the night before. Finally, after the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and we had returned from celebrating Christmas at Roger's family's home, it was time to have a baby. Nevermind my OB/GYN who kept insisting I was having Braxton Hicks false labor - I knew better. This was it. My doctor slid into the room, just as I was pushing her out. It was an easy delivery, all natural, no drugs, and though it was painful - I had the luxury of being the only patient in labor that night.

Click here for photo - Blogger is being difficult. At 3:21AM, on December 26th, 1993, I met the only person that I know for sure is related to me. My precious little girl. I had always wanted just one child and always wanted a girl. In this day and age of sophisticated ultrasound equipment, we had decided NOT to find out the sex of our baby beforehand. So I was ecstatic that SHE had arrived! And the look she gave us? It was incredible. She was full of wonder and life and spark - eyes big and checking out her new world.

She was the most precious gift I've ever received, and I treasure all the moments we continue to share. It's a birthday I treasure...and will never forget.

Sorry about the lack of photos! BLOGGER and I are NOT getting along tonight!

Recovering from a Wild 4th

For so many years, our Fourth of July celebrations consisted of blowing stuff up on Roger's dad's property. I LOVE this holiday. I LOVE blowing stuff up. And I LOVE taking photos. The photo to the left is one of my favorites from our own little fireworks display. If you look closely, you'll see the trail of how the firework went UP...then DOWN...then started to explode. Did I mention that I LOVE this holiday? And this year? Oh...this year was SO different.

You see, we got invited to a creek party. In the middle of NOWHERE. And when I say in the middle of nowhere, I mean it. I honestly was shocked that I had cell service. It took us 20 minutes on the highway to reach the turnoff, then another 10 minutes on a bumpy lane, before we landed at the creek. The contractor who built our home owns the property, and he and his entire extended family had a HUGE blowout, complete with fireworks, food, and live music. As I enjoyed the kind of relaxation that is priceless, I reflected on the fact that just two weeks ago, I had been sitting in a revolving lounge, atop one of the tallest buildings in LA, enjoying a chocolate martini. For some reason, sitting creekside in my tank top with a beer was SO much better.Oh, and they blow stuff up the same way we do - only I think with a little more enthusiasm.There were some GREAT musicians at this gathering, and they let my husband sit in for a few jams. There was singing, and picking, and grinning. I think Roger was the one doing most of the grinning.The party was so good, we actually came back on the 5th! It was more low-key, and as relaxing as ever. I know I'm not the typical "country" girl, but there is truly something to be said for living in this area. The people are REAL, you know? I felt at home, even though I didn't know hardly anyone in attendance. I honestly can't remember having had a more fun time on the 4th of July. Or the 5th.

Back home, we still had fireworks. Now that we live outside the city limits, we can shoot fireworks off AT OUR OWN HOME! For the first time! So I set the boys in motion to make our annual fireworks launching pad:I know it was technically the 6th of July, but what else are you supposed to do with leftover fireworks? Besides, everyone around us was firing them that night, too.Last night, we even heard more fireworks exploding. Something tells me I've lived in the city too long. I think the country life was calling my name.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!