Fun Monday Purses and Wallets

The Church Lady is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted to see our purses and wallets! Well, I'm not a "big purse" kinda girl...so this is what I schlep around:It's not convenient when I need to free up my hands...but I really don't like purses. Everything I need can be stuffed in here. In fact, the only reason I would even consider getting a purse is because I'm now the owner of a small dog. I could stand a classy dog purse. Right? And a diamond-studded collar for the little thing? Yeah...

BTW, who even needs all these credit cards? I see four already that I never use, but I'm afraid to get rid of, because I don't know if that's good or bad for my credit score.Let's not forget the snazzy little compartment that holds my driver's license. You know what makes me mad about this? I was told to SIGN MY NAME when I got my license. When I did, I was told it was no good. When I asked why not, the revenue department employee told me it wasn't "legible." I tried to explain that it was my SIGNATURE, and that when I sign my name, it is quite distinctive. She told me to re-write my name anyway. I tried another time, but it still wasn't good enough. Being picky, I asked, "So, you really don't want me to SIGN my name, right? You just want me to write out my name in cursive handwriting so that it can be read." Of course, I got an affirmative response. What's the point of signing your name, if it's not your signature? I just don't get it.
I also would not be totally honest, if I did not include the satchel o' death:It is named such because I am afraid that some things may go IN there...never to be seen alive again. This is really just the bag I shove my wallet, keys, digital camera and sunglasses into when I'm going to work. I'll put snacks, water, Valium, all number of other items in the bag that I think might help me thru the day. But I just take it to work...nowhere else. Kinda like a kid's backpack for school, but with extra Valium.

Okay - I finally posted something on a Fun Monday! Now go visit all the other participants!

Fun Monday - Yeah, I'm BACK! Well, Sorta...

It's Fun Monday! And Karisma is our gracious hostess! I had to do a "repeat" because I'm still a little behind on my blogging, but this is my vow to return, once and for all! Our task was to share a "funny, silly or just downright cute story about your pets or your children." I'm not sure my story fits ANY of those categories, but here goes:

It began as a joyous occasion, my executive secretary's 80th birthday. This is a woman for which I have the utmost respect, as she has been dutifully keeping my books and cutting checks to pay my bills, as she did for the previous owner. She is more than a secretary - she's like a second mother, who thinks nothing of admonishing me for spending too much money, or giving me a good-natured slap on the ass when I say something off-color.

At the end of her party, she gave me a flower arrangment, adorned with balloons and beautiful curly string. It is for this reason that I secretly resent her. See this innocent looking feline? Well, I could have throttled her with my bare hands. I knew well enough to place the bouquet of flowers on a high surface when we went to bed that evening. What I forgot is the ability for Whiskas to leap upon tall furniture in a single bound.

When Roger and I awoke the next morning and stumbled into the kitchen to retrieve that life-saving first cup of coffee, our bare feet slipped on something. "What the heck is THAT?" we wondered, sleepily. After turning on the light - we noticed brown streaks on our white floor. Not only in the kitchen, but across the bathroom floor as well. Seems as if Whiskas discovered the curly string, ingested it in a frenzied moment of play, and spent the rest of the evening attempting to remove it from her intestinal tract by alternately scooting her bottom across the floor and sharting.

After many expletives were hurled, we rectified the mess. Time to rectify the cat. Upon inspection of her puckered exit, we discovered a lovely, brown-stained curl of ribbon portruding from her anus. Remember those Chatty Cathy dolls? Much the same effect can be achieved by holding down a cat and pulling curly string out of her ass.

Now go visit the other participants!

Fun Monday Economic Adjustments!

Wow...how many Fun Mondays have I missed? A lot...I'm sure! Sayre is this week's hostess, and she wanted to know what kind of personal changes we are making to deal with today's economic challenges! Well, believe it or not, most of the changes our family is making is due to Roger's influence. He is definitely the most frugal of us all.

I noticed the first "change" the other day...in dishwasher detergent. For some reason, I've always been a fan of name brands. Even when I learned in business school that many "off brands" are made by the same company and are the same product without the fancy packaging, I still gravitate toward the colorful boxes with the names I know. When I saw the $1.00 box of no-name detergent under the sink, I was skeptical. But guess what? That detergent works JUST AS GOOD as the name brand stuff.

I'm not sure this qualifies, but we are slowly changing out the bulbs in our house to these twirly things. It's conserving energy, which is important to our future economic survival, right? These bulbs are uber-expensive, so they had better pay off.

We have also eliminated some of our eating out, which we needed to do anyway. It's so much cheaper to prepare food at home, and we used to do it a lot more in the past. We are trying to revive that habit, now that cheer season has ended and our nights should be returning to normal.

Personally, I haven't gotten a massage since before Christmas. That's a big sacrifice, since I'm usually as tight as a drum. I still am, but the guilt about money spent on my tooth extraction has kept me from indulging.

I feel even more guilty that I haven't been able to come up with more "cost-cutting" ideas. Maybe it hasn't fully hit me that we are really in a recession. Or a depression. Or a free fall. I'm hoping the other participants have great ideas that I can borrow.

Speaking of cheer season, this weekend was a 'milestone' of sorts. The Offspring has been cheering for the past seven years. She tried out for the high school cheer squad (she will be a sophomore next year), and MADE IT.

Fun Monday Kindness

The lovely Mommy Wizdom is our hostess for this latest Fun Monday, and BOY...was it a doozie! She wanted us to perform a random act of kindness, and then blog about the experience. OR...blog about being the recipient of a random act of kindness.

One suggestion she had was to "smile at everyone you meet for a day, no matter what." Well, I decided that I would do just that during my weekly shopping excursion. The store, of course, was unbelievably crowded...and as much as I wanted to just get in and get out, I felt obligated to complete the assignment! What happened was inevitable - in a small town, everyone knows everyone else...and with just a smile, I found myself engaged in conversations with folks. But I didn't smile just at people I knew.

I smiled at an elderly lady who looked lonely - she did a double-take, looked at me suspiciously for a moment, then returned a feeble smile. It was almost as if she was surprised that someone would notice and smile at her.

I smiled at a little girl, who was checking out my daughter's funky attire for the day. She looked puzzled, but seemed comforted by the gesture.

I smiled at someone who was hard at work, in appreciation for what these employees must have to endure on busy shopping days. Once again, a slight double-take, then a return smile.

It was too easy. I smiled at so many people - most of whom were unknown to me. It was interesting to see how many people were a bit taken aback by my smile (promise, I didn't have anything in my teeth). Has our world become so troubled and cynical that a simple gesture seems entirely out of place? I don't live in the big city, mind you - but a small, Southern town. Yet, I felt a bit out of place, smiling at people all over the store.

I perform acts of kindness each day - from picking up a friend's child at a party, to taking an extra kid home from school, as a mother I'm usually pressed into service. I also volunteer with my local Rotary Club and serve on board of two local organizations. Service to others is something I try to accomplish EVERY day. However, a free smile to a stranger may be a more welcome gift. The gift of random kindness that is free, and makes us feel better in the process.

Now, perform your act of kindness today - AND check out the other participants!

Fun Monday Holiday Music

Ooh, I'm LATE today...maybe because I stayed up until wee hours...but then, none of you care about my excuses. Blah - get with the program.

MamaLang is the hostess for this Fun Monday, and she wanted to know our favorite Christmas songs and our favorite Christmas item.

Only THREE songs? Wow...okay...that's a tough assignment!

1. I LOVE (adore) George Winston's version of "Holly and the Ivy." If you have never heard this piano version, take a listen here.

2. Mannheim Steamroller and Christmas - This version of "Silent Night" has a very special meaning to me, b/c of a very special Christmas, many years ago. I wonder if Mr. Big still remembers?

Kinda weird to see a house in lights to this tune, but here ya go:

I get tears in my eyes every time I hear this.

3. I don't actually think this last song is a Christmas song, but I can't spend a holiday without listening to it. And for the record, this song will prove that I am a total dork. And nerd. And should be wearing glasses and braces and carrying a stack of books under my arm. I had a Christmas album by Dean Martin as a kid, and I LOVED it. Yes, Dean. Poor, dead Dean. He just always sounded like he was SMILING when he sang, you know? Now, I realize his smiling might have been due to large quantities of alcohol consumption. Still, I love this tune, called The Things We Did Last Summer. Listen if you dare. Total cheese.

As for my favorite Christmas thing? Well, I could pick all sorts of ornaments...pretty little glass things...but when you go into labor on a Christmas Day, it's hard to pick much else but my almost-a-Christmas-Baby as a reminder of what this season really means to me:
Now go check out all the Fun Monday participants!

Fun Monday Neighbors from Hades

Whew...now that NaBloPoMo is over, I'm actually glad to merely focus on Fun Monday for a while! Ari_1965 is this week's hostess, and she wants to know about our worst neighbors EVER.

Living in a small town, I figured this could get me in some trouble. I started thinking of all the bad neighbors I had in the past, and then realized they were bad neighbors only b/c they had such little tolerance for the late-night partying ways of a college student. Other neighbors that city ordinances define as 'bad' were the quietest, most non-obtrusive on the block.

I've only had one REALLY bad set of neighbors...though they didn't live quite next door. When I lived in the "old part" of town, my house was very close to the houses on both sides. Likewise, the houses across the street were close. One of these houses was obscured by overgrown bushes...it used to be a cute house, belonging to a local artist. When The Offspring was a toddler, the house became a rental. The occupants had NO restraint when it came to the use of expletives - LOUD expletives, shouted for the entire block to hear. Sometimes, their voices could be heard even with all the doors and windows shut.

As years wore on, activity at the house increased. A lot. Random folks would seem to appear on the sidewalk, and stumble away with hazy eyes. Young men would sidle up the alley behind our house, and magically find themselves across the street, at "that" house. Only to stay for a moment, before exiting, bleary-eyed. The traffic became so obvious, that it was only a matter of time before police vehicles frequented the domicile. We observed one occupant (female) submit to officers as she was led away in handcuffs, crying, pleading...to no avail. Most disturbing were the little children in and out of the house. I wondered what their existence must be like. I was sad for them.

In our old home, our master bedroom windows faced the street. One morning, in the wee hours, I awoke to flashing lights. Reds and blues, blinding almost...as I went to the window to see what was going on, I couldn't see anything. There was a haze in the air, with only red and blue flashes within the fog. Slowly, I came to realize that this time the flashes were NOT only from the police, but also from the large fire truck in the street. That 'haze' I was struggling to see thru was the smoke from a fire that had broken out upstairs at 'that house.' The smell that filled the air was horrific...I'm not sure what was going on at 'that house,' but I was assured that the fire was caused by something left on the stove unattended. I was glad the children escaped the home unharmed.

I don't miss living so close to my neighbors. Granted, I do miss some of the porch visits and talks with my "good" neighbors, but I like the serenity of the pastures I see, and my new neighbors - a pair of docile horses!

Now, go check out the other participants!

NaBloPoMo Day 24 - Fun Monday High

Day Twenty Four - hey, this is almost over, isn't it?

Mariposa is this week's Fun Monday hostess, and she wanted to know about those 3-5 "high" moments in our lives. NOT what you are thinking...but those moments when we felt "on top of the world." Or something like that.

My "first" high is easy - the birth of my daughter. Especially since that day marked the first time I had ever met someone who was my actual blood relative. (Click here if you missed out on all that drama.)

Another "high" that always catches me off guard is when I hear The Offspring sing. She has been singing since she was a wee thing, but now when she is performing I am overcome with emotion. It doesn't hurt that she has sung with a talented all-region choir for the past three years, not to mention a select auditioned group at school and a special group at choir camp. These perfomances tend to move me to tears.

And an everyday "high" also involves MUSIC. I can't live without it, in one form or another...I honestly think I would be lesser of a person if I didn't have a broad musical background and the opportunity to listen on a daily basis.

I was late to Fun Monday today, so forgive the short post! Be sure to go check out all the other participants!

NaBloPoMo Day 17 - Fun Monday Talismania

Day Seventeen.

M is for Misanthrope is the host of this week's Fun Monday...and has a fun topic: Do you have a piece of jewelry or other item that holds great personal significance for you, and that you wear or keep with you every day? Show us a photo of your talisman, and tell us why it is so important to you.

I know we're not supposed to "repost," especially during NaBloPoMo, but I just HAD to...because my post from February 19, 2007, was too poignant not to repeat...

Much like a gypsy - I always wear several gold rings. A total of FOUR on my wedding finger, my Texas Aggie ring, my MBA ring, and then, my most prized - I've worn it on my left hand ring finger for almost 21 years.
I received this ring from my grandmother - my mother's mom. Before you get all in a twitter, I'm talking about the only family I've ever known - my adoptive family. My grandmother attended Marlborough School, a prestigious all-girls' high school in Los Angeles, CA. The inscription inside the ring is "BCM 1934," for Barbara Corinne Morrow - graduated in 1934. My grandmother sent it to me shortly before my own high school graduation in 1986. The crest and lettering were once clearly defined; they have worn down now, and the ring has taken on the shape of my finger. The ring I'm talking about is the top one in this photo.

My grandmother was articulate and wrote long letters to me over the years, discussing everything from current events to stories of her past. As the eldest of her granddaughters, even sharing her middle name, I felt very close to her - even though we lived many miles apart. I only saw her a few times after my family moved to Texas in 1976. The last time was during Christmas of 1992, when I flew to California to visit my parents, who were then serving as my grandparents' caretakers. Unfortunately, she was no longer completely lucid, and our conversations were limited by the onset of her Alzheimer's.

I started this post late last night - too late to phone my mom and ask more about my grandmother's past. I knew she had attended college, but couldn't remember where. I found a "missing alumni" entry for Barbara Morrow Weir at the Alpha Phi site, in the UCLA Beta Delta chapter, with a graduation year of 1938. I assume she married my grandfather during her college years. I remember hearing that she had also attended Cornell University, though I wasn't able to access their alumni site for verification.

I am extremely proud of my grandmother, as it was quite an achievement for a young lady to attend college during the Depression Era of the mid-1930's. The ring reminds me of the challenges she might have faced, as well as her determination to receive a quality education. I am honored to wear it each day, and it has given me courage to face adversity as I seek my own place in this world.

No go see our other participants for Fun Monday!

NaBloPoMo Day Ten - Fun Monday, in Honor

Day Ten.

It's FUN MONDAY again, and this week's hostess is Janis, who wanted us to show our support and salute to the veterans who have served our country so well.

One of the most stirring things I've done in my life was visit Arlington National Cemetery in D.C. I was so overcome with emotion, I had to visit twice during my week-long stay. What struck me during my first tour was the vast number of headstones, just rows and rows of them...I had no idea how many were interred there. Here is a glimpse of that experience:
Please visit Janis' place, and enjoy the other tributes.

NaBloPoMo Day Three - Fun Monday Reasons

Day Three.

Our Fun Monday hostess is Bee Dancer, who wanted to know WHY we blog...and then wanted a photo that represents the area in which we live.

The reason I started this whole blogging thing was simple; I did it for her:
I wanted her to be able to look back, long after I am gone, and read my thoughts and concerns and maybe get a laugh out of the perspective of her mother. I also want her to take comfort in the fact that NO, you DON'T have to have everything in life figured out when you are 30...or 40. I figure my ramblings and questions would help her see that. Now that she is 14-almost-15, she thinks she knows it all and that her parents are woefully ignorant...we all know the perspective of a teenager, right?Then again, I am blessed with a pretty good kid. We have an awesome relationship. And something I didn't expect? She actually reads my blog from time to time.Something else I didn't expect was her propensity to rock the fangs every Halloween.

As for a photo of my area? I love the mountains here. They aren't the Rockies, but their natural beauty during every season bring me peace.Now go visit the other participants!

Fun Monday Costumery - Errr...Pumpkinry

Sayre is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted to see our Halloween costumes...or pumpkins! When I read the assignment, I remembered dressing up one year in a black garbage bag with autumn leaf garland poking out of it...while carrying a rake. Could I find the photo? No. One year, in the midst of the scandal that was Michael Jackson - I dressed up as him, complete with fake baby and face mask, ready to dangle said prop over any balcony I could find. Photos? Nope. I figured I would cheat and use the kid's costumes, and then I realized that I had already posted my favorite Halloween costumes that The Offspring has sported here. However, I found this one from 2003. It indicated the beginning of a mode of dress that became slightly less garish, but similar in spirit:
However, I WILL share a pumpkin project from a few years ago. The Offspring had to enter a contest at the middle school and wanted something TOTALLY DIFFERENT. So, we made this little guy out of pipe cleaners, gourds, mushrooms and a cucumber. We even put a strobe light inside:We got the idea from a web site, and when we finished the project and sent it to them, they displayed it here!
I think she won second place for this monstrosity - and let me tell you, skinned cucumbers get REALLY nasty looking after a few days!

Now, go check out the other participants!

Fun Monday - A Normal Day

Sarah is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted photos of our "normal" day...

I signed up late, it's Sunday, and I may have a little trouble with this one. I can't start off in the morning, so how about a peek at a 24-hour period? Let's start with Friday night...we heard cheeping, coming from a strange place, and found a helpless baby cardinal nestled between some decorative items at the garage entry. Quickly devising a trap, we tried to decide if the red spots indicated an injury.

The bird was cheeping and "panting" - so we put it in a larger tub for a closer look:
No, those are NOT bloody spots. Those are little red feathers! A baby male cardinal! So, being the curious sort - I just had to lift the lid to get a better look...and...well...then....
MAYHEM! Healthy cardinal, yes. Injured, no. BOTH good things...except for all that flying around the kitchen. And all the screeching by the child. And all the flailing of the male persons in the immediate area. I was beginning to wish we didn't have such an "open" floor plan.
Finally - a successful recapture. Now, what was that saying again?

Okay - time to head outdoors. Our first attempt to "release" did not turn out as expected.
The second attempt included a flight, with the same result. Finally, the baby was placed in a bush near an area where we could hear what sounded like panicked cardinal parents. And more flight! But...the baby seemed to want a new parent...
Sigh. C'mon bird...another flight later, and the baby wants to roost on our back lights. Gentle coaxing was necessary.
Coaxing, coaxing, and then? Something told me that we might have to send the bird home with our friend.
Finally, after a bit more encouragement, the baby cardinal decided to depart us.
The next morning found me working at our town's "Wheels and Wings" festival at the local airport, where I got to watch my kiddo and her choir group perform.
And had an encounter with a chicken. Oh, but look deeply into her eyes...this is no ordinary chicken.
This chicken has a special talent. She is trained to walk on a leash.

What's even better is that halfway thru her walk, she laid an egg.

Just another normal day in the life of Tiggerlane. Now go to Sarah's, and check out all the other Fun Monday participants!

Fun Monday Doodles

It's another Fun Monday! And this week's hostess is {i}Post, over at Nine Acres - 20 Miles North of Nowhere. The assignment was to start a "doodle," with a red nine - and go from there. We were to aimlessly scribble, doodle, etc. on a page...and guess what? I cheated.

I don't doodle much. If I'm doing something while watching television, it's most likely texting, checking email, twittering, putting on makeup. HOWEVER...I DO know someone who doodles CONSTANTLY: The Offspring. So, I handed her the piece of paper (I did draw the nine myself), and told her to doodle away. Being the expert doodler that she is, in less than five minutes, I got this:
I'm almost afraid to check the analyzer and see what this says about my kid. I did tell her to make it "PG" for the Fun Monday audience.

Now go check out the other participants!

Fun Monday Story Challenge

This Fun Monday is hosted by Mommy Wizdom, who had a "wordzle" assignment - we had to use one of three themes, ten words in our story, and optional bonus words. I have highlighted the words we were required to use (and the bonus words I could manage) in yellow.

The theme I chose was "Raising a Teenager," AKA "Why I No Longer Have Time to Blog"

The room of a teenager is a mysterious place, and I am constantly fascinated with what I might find hanging from the doorknobs at any given time. Lanyards, keepsakes, nametags, beads - all manner of items that are "treasures," not to be disturbed by me. I see that a panda backpack has found his home there, looking a bit lethargic - not obviously remembering that he was a MUST HAVE purchase in a Washington D. C. museum gift shop, requiring me to jet across town on the Metro at lightning speed to provide the needed funds. I also remember the bookcase - innocent, white, and so adorable that held her "Goosebumps" books from middle school. Now, all the bookcases in her room are the requisite fashionable color of black, and her reading choices have moved to magazines, strewn across an old-fashioned trunk that was also painted black, to match the overall room decor.
And the room is often filled with a variety of the teenager's friends - corralling them all into participating in a simple activity such as dinner is akin to herding cats. And the dinner itself? Well, sometimes, I have to take a bit of respite in a shot of tequila in order to calm my jangled nerves. Such moments find me offering meal items such as a can of chicken soup, Ramen noodles, or a couple of biscuits leftover from the morning breakfast. I know - I sound like a horrible mother at times. But have you raised a teenager lately? With their wireless devices constantly at the ready, I feel like a prehistoric relic of an age gone by.
When I finally have a moment to myself, I am tired beyond belief. Being able to use the computer at home is a rare privilege, and so checking my comments is a treat indeed. Much less blogging a full post. And what do I sometimes find? That a blogger with an avatar of an ostrich has left me a humorous comment that brings me to tears, reminding me that there are people out there, just like me. Mothers of these beautiful people we call children, even though they can sometimes suck the very life out of us.

And yes, I finished this post shortly before 11PM, when the teenager finally let me on the computer. Now go check out the other participants!