This Week’s Headlines #38

This week’s news at the home front is that I’m exhausted. Wait that isn’t really news. Because of the busyness I haven’t had much time to peruse the news. I am making no promises about the quality of this week’s post.  Tired also makes me a bit loopy.  Just saying. Okay, disclaimer done, here goes….the stuff that caught my tired eyes this week:

1. “Idol Judge Quits” – This is news? Doesn’t this happen every season?
2. “Parenting Practice May Make Kids Depressed” – Well then I’ve done my job haven’t I?
3. “Who Does Megan Fox’s Body Double Look Like?” – Ummmm…..Megan Fox? Just a guess.
4. “Miley’s ‘Terrifying” Encounter” – She found a mirror?
5. “Man Hitchhikes Around The World” – One has to wonder how he got to Hawaii….
6. “Appalling New York City Rooms For Rent” – Is this supposed to help get them rented?
7. “Five Degrees For People Who Don’t Like School” – Brought to you from the University of McDonalds.
8. “How J-Lo’s Boyfriend ‘Out-divas’ Her” – Now that is impressive.  A 20-something diva boy toy.  His mom must be so proud.
9. “Inmate Uses Spoon To Break Out Of Jail” – That’s a lot of digging.
10. “Simple Design Tricks From A Mansion Makeover.” – I’ll be sure to write those down for when I get my next mansion.
11. “Twitter Enabled Diapers” – Are they kidding? I need a tweet when the baby’s diaper needs to be changed.
12. “Kick Me Prank Ends In Felony Conviction” – I wonder what the statute of limitations is on that one.  I know several people who might want to hide.
13. “Landlord Mistakes Tenets Tomato Plants For Pot And Calls Cops” – Because they look so much alike.  Must have been faster than filing eviction papers.
14. “Woman Slaps Deputy So She Can Go To Jail And Quit Smoking” – Okay – wow!  You’d think with that much creativity she could have figured out a way to fancy up those patches so no one would notice them….
15. “Woman Accidentally Shot In Mouth With Harpoon” – Who keeps a harpoon lying around??
16. “Rodman To Kim: ‘Do Me A Solid And Free American’” – I really really hope Dennis checked to see how that translated before he said it.
17. “Woman Seeks Home For World War 2 Letters Found In Hatbox” – They had a home.  The hat box. Duh!
18. “Houston Braces For Giant Snail Invasion” – Is this a really bad B-grade horror flick?  Are the snails giant or is the invasion giant?
19. “Off-stage Drama Dominates American Idol” – It dominates on stage too doesn’t it?
20. “Carter Named Most Trusted Politician” – Like that is saying much. Is that kind of like being the nicest grumpy old lady on the block?

Here’s a case of an unfortunate last name….

Happy Weekend All!!

Wednesday. I Wonder…

At the moment I am wondering if I have one active brain cell left.  It’s been one of those weeks at work…which makes me wonder if I’m really cut out for this job. Of course I also wonder if I’m cut out for any job at this point.  Maybe an ice cream taste tester.  Yeah….I could do that job.  The other wonders around here are:

1. Am I the only person who sometimes wishes someone would drop a house on a person? I mean really…if you’re going to be a witch we might as well take it all the way.  Maybe a bucket of water would work.
2. How do we know what colorblind people see?  It isn’t like you can tell for sure.  How do we know when they say, “It looks gray to me.” that their isn’t like…say…our red and our red is really gray?
3. Why are there just some people who make everything complicated?  Is that like a form of recreation for them or are they really just that complicated?
4. Why didn’t I think that planning a graduation party from 100 miles away was going to be hard? I really should have known better shouldn’t I?  ”With age comes wisdom”? Not in my life.
5. Does anyone else break into a cold sweat every time the next child obtains the book to take their learner’s permit test?  Better put the hairdresser on speed dial.  I can feel those gray hairs coming in at a rapid rate.
6. Who named a computer mouse a mouse?  They really aren’t that popular an animal.  If it’s because of the tail then what do I call my wireless one?  A blind mouse? (Wait for it…you’ll get it…think nursery rhyme.)
7. Why do kids ask you the most questions when you are tired and not really listening?  Did I just agree to send one of them to Disneyland??
8. Are birds particularly attracted to blue vehicles?  Do they look like bird bathrooms from above or something? You might have shared that insight with me before I moved to the country with no garage.
9. Why are weeds easier to grow than flowers?  I mean after all they are both plants.
10. Has anyone else ever noticed that there is nothing express about the express lane?  Why don’t they just call it the “We’ll make you think it’s quick by naming it this but then only staff it with one person who is trying to check out five hundred people all of whom have one item over the limit” lane?

And my biggest wonder today….

I May Not Be Cut Out To Be A Digital Parent

Photo Credit: http://www.fugitivesounds.com

I had an interesting call from our younger daughter’s school.  It was an invitation to a “Digital Parents Meeting.” I found myself wondering if that meant the parents would be digital, the meeting would be digital or…? Turns out it was a forum on youth and social media. “Parents who are informed on Social Media have a better chance of partnering with their children.”  Okay I guess I’ll buy that though I never really thought of “partnering” with my kids. I am more into “parenting” and “policing”….but that is a blog for another day.  The subject caught my interest anyway because my family has been encouraging me to get a twitter account for over a year now.  I’m hesitant to do that however because I find myself  having to sit on my hands in order to not make comments on people’s posts on the social media sites I am already on to begin with.  I’m not sure that adding another outlet for me to potentially get myself in trouble is a good idea. I serious: I can really get myself into trouble. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s just me because we all know that my brain works slightly different than most other people so I thought I’d enlist some help from my blogging friends.  The following are some real life examples of the things I keep seeing and the thoughts that pop into my head.   Go ahead. Take the quiz. I’d like to know I’m not alone.

**The news feed is crammed with pictures of wonderful new recipes to try.

Comments to make:

1. “Have you actually tried this or are you bored?”
2.  ”Did I subscribe to the food network?”
3. “Are you trying to make the rest of us feel like underachievers?”
4. Refrain from commenting and bookmark the ones that you might like to try

**The news feed is crammed with pro/anti gun control, conservative / liberal quotes, pictures and the like.

Comments to make:

1. “Totally understand that you are pro/anti “fill in the blank” and you have every right to be, but could you give it a rest?”
2. “No seriously – give it a rest.”
3. “Why don’t you use this energy writing to your congressman?”
4. “Do you really imagine you are swaying people’s opinions or are you just trying to start a fight?”
5. Hide the person.

**The same woman who bashes her spouse constantly also shares “Daily Marriage Builders”.

Comments to make:

1. “Have you thought of trying any of these?”
2. “Do you live in a virtual reality?”
3. “Ever heard of matching your walk and your talk?”
4. Shake your head and keep on scrolling.

**Another woman posts every thought that enters her head and you are pretty sure she is bi-polar. Seriously.  Depending on the day we are up and down and up again. And someone is always out to get her.

Comments to make:

1. “You are aware they have meds for this right?”
2. “Not everyone in the world is against you.  Grow up.”
3. “Not everyone is interested in your every thought.  Really. But I hope you feel better now.”
4. Shake your head and hide her.

**The local hypochondriac posts multiple updates, every day, on each symptom and pain.

Comments to make:

1. “I’ll bet your doctor runs when he hears you’re on the phone.”
2. “Quit reading the side effects on every pill bottle!”
3. “You poor baby.  I feel so sorry for you.  (Is that what you were looking for?)”
4. Thank the makers of Facebook for the “block” button.

**Someone posts a re-tweet of Kane West defending his relationship with Kim Kardashion. In that tweet he says, “She’s my baby mama and we’re together so get over it.” (or something to that effect.

Comments to make:

1. “What a romantic guy!! WOW!”
2. “Just so I’m straight: do you think calling someone ‘my baby mama’ is a good thing?”
3. “Were you overly bored today?? Try following intelligent people.”
4. Once again ponder the actual value of Twitter.

**You view for the hundredth time a post full of horrid grammar and spelling.

Comments to make:

1. “Did you actually graduate from High School or did they just give you a diploma to get you out of there?”
2. “Spell Check – Try It!”
3. “They are = they’re…There is a place…Their is for those people.”
4. Shut up and immediately write a thank you note to all of your former English teachers.

**Your news feed is crammed with all sorts of interesting game posts.

Comments to make:

1. “Are you at work??”
2. “Do you have no life?”
3. “Thanks for sharing.  I was worried about what level your farm/garden/fishery was at.”
4. Be thankful you can bock games and add game number 362 to your list.

**You see the same person, over and over, post every picture, quote, video and link they can find.  Multiple times a day.

Comments to make:

1. “Seriously.  There is life outside your door.  try it.”
2. “Can you try to limit yourself to 100 a day?”
3. “Thank you for all the puppy/kitty/men pictures.  My whole day is much happier now.”
4. Be thankful you have a life and get off the computer so you can go live it.

See….I told you I don’t think I’m ready to be a digital parent or a tweeter. (Just don’t tell my husband I use his account sometimes…okay?)

This Week’s Headlines #37

The big news around here this week was May Day.  More specifically the snow that fell on May Day and turned the roads into a slushy icy mess.  On May Day.  That means it snowed in May.  That isn’t exactly conducive to leaving fun flowery baskets and running off before you get caught. You’ll slip and fall down. I may live in Nebraska but this is unusual even for here.  Unusual enough that it caused our oldest daughter to text me: “Ok seriously.  Mother Nature is on CRACK!” Personally I think it’s global warming.  Wait….climate change.  That’s what we call it now.  Last year at this time it had been spring for two months already and we were headed into a drought.  This year it’s snowing in May and we can’t keep enough washer fluid in the cars to combat the precipitation falling from the sky.  I wouldn’t mind climate change so much if it would just pick a climate to change to.  In other news….

1. “What To Major In If You Want To Get Rich” – Dating only children of multi-millionaires.
2. “Worker Dies In Blender” – What?  Was he working at Charlie’s Chocolate Factory?
3. “Meet The New Cinderella” – I’ve never actually met the old one.
4. “Why LL Cool J Kept One Pant Leg Rolled Up” – Dog with an over active bladder?  Seems as logical as any other explanation.
5. “Bikini Made Of Metal” – Oh now there is a great idea.  Go swimming in a lead suit.  Brilliant!
6. “Can A Lack Of Friends Shorten Your Life” – I have no idea but I know I’ve had a few “friends” who have made me wish life was shorter.
7. “See Bubba From Forest Gump Today” – What are they talking about? Bubba died!
8. “Seven Things You Should Never Buy Used” #1 – gum.  #2 – underwear…..
9. “Serious Benefits Of Late Night Eating” – You don’t sleepwalk to the kitchen?  Less grumpy at bedtime?
10. “Freak Accident Forces College QB To Retire” –  Retire from college?  And aren’t all accidents ‘freak”?  Does anyone plan accidents?
11. “Five Dying Careers You Should Avoid” – Well snow plow driver isn’t on the list.  This year anyway.
12. “Tim Tebow Doesn’t Interest Dolphins” – Neither do I.  Your point?
13. “What If Barbie Looked Like A Real Woman?” – Her clothes wouldn’t fit and she could never walk in those shoes.
14. “Kim Kardasion Freaks Out At Beauty Salon” – Just wait until she gets to the delivery room.
15. “Dramatic Bee Disappearance Explained” – Bug spray?
16. “Former Boy Band Member’s Advice” – Hair gel doesn’t work on bald spots?
17. “Warren Buffet Sends His First Tweet” – Oh please.  I’m sure he has someone to do that for him.
18. “Vouge’s Guide To Affordable Fashion” – Affordable for whom? Your models?
19. “Shoplifter Argues: The Store Is Named Finders Keepers” – Okay that one is actually pretty cleaver.  Bet it didn’t work but he should get time off for creativity.
20. “How To Read Food Labels” – With a dictionary.  Wait is monosodyliglucomine in the dictionary?  Maybe invite a scientist over…

And from my “Ya Think?!” file:

Photo Credit: mom-ology.ca

I’d imagine he had pain in several places….

Happy Weekend All!!

It’s Wednesday So Of Course I’m Wondering

The biggest of my wonderings lately has been about the fact that I can’t seem to get as much done around the house as I used to.  I feel like I’m always running in circles and not quite keeping up.  I just couldn’t wrap my brain around it.  The house is half the size of our old one and I have half as many kids at home.  I also have a mother who feeds us about once a week.  I mean what is my problem??  Then suddenly the light bulb went off with the help of my sweet husband who has a gift of pointing out the obvious: I am working ten to thirteen hours more a week now and I have an hour a day commute.  Oh…that might explain it.   I guess once in a while my meandering wondering actually creates results.  Who knew?

1. Why is it when you get new technology the first thing people say is, “Give it time – you’ll love it!”  Okay I’ve had a Mac Book at work for almost five weeks now.  I can tolerate it now and I even like a couple features but, sorry apple- ites,  can’t say I love it.  How much more time does it take?
2. Will I never learn?  I got a new phone over the weekend (see above question.)  I used to be able to text quickly….
3. Does it mean that I’ve done too much yard work because I discovered an Easter egg that was at least three years old and actually pondered for the moment if the candy inside would still be good?  Please tell me yes.
4. Why is it you always realize you did the wrong thing a second after you did it and there is nothing to do to stop it?  I’m surprised I haven’t blown up every electronic we’ve ever owned.
5. Am I the only person whose “one more thing” before I go to bed takes twice as long as I thought it would? No wonder I’m tired!
6. Why do people in really nice cars ride your bumper on a gravel road and then make gestures at you because you are getting dust on them?  In fact why are they driving a really expensive car on a gravel road anyway?
7. Is it bad that I actually contemplated finding the biggest rock on the road and hitting it just right so it would “accidentally” come off my back tire into the person above’s windshield.  Don’t worry.  I didn’t.
8. Does anyone else think about holding your breath when the nurse is taking your pulse?  You know she’s watching and counting your respiration, right? Again don’t worry.  I haven’t.
9. Am I the only one who constantly fights thoughts like those above?
10. Where in the world did they get the great idea to name a product “Tag Away“?  I mean it’s very literal but couldn’t they have jazzed it up a bit?  How about “Flap Be Gone”?  ”Liquid Skin Scissors”? Okay.  Now we know why I don’t work in marketing.

See? I told you wondering is a good thing sometimes….

Photo Credit: http://www.quotesworthrepeating.com

My Grandmother’s Legacy

Photo Credit: http://www.pintrest.com

I spent the weekend working in the yard and thinking about my grandmother.  It seems I think about my grandmother a lot lately.  I guess that is inevitable considering that we are living in her old house.  I think about her as I cook in the kitchen where she spent hours cooking, baking and canning.  I think about her when I look out the window and see the bird feeder she hung.  I walk into the living room and I see the spot where her piano used to sit.  I can see her sitting in her rocker in front of the window doing “fancy work” every evening.  As I said, I think about her a lot, but none more than as I was working in her flower gardens this weekend.  She loved those flowers and spent hours tending them.  The daffodils coming up in the front of the house.  The rose bush by the old wagon wheel.  The lilac bush outside my bedroom window.  I see touches of her everywhere which makes me think of her more.  The more I think about her the more I talk about her.  My children have heard more stories about their great-grandmother in the last six weeks than they have probably heard in their lives.  It helps that their grandparents are right here to help supply some stories too.  Some of them I didn’t even know.  The more we talk the more amazed I am at the lady she was.

My grandmother was the oldest of ten children.  There were actually thirteen (two sets of twins) but only ten lived past infancy.  When my grandma was 14 her mother gave birth to her youngest brother and never really regained her strength.  My grandma had to quit school in order to stay home and help her mom.  Two years later her mother passed away and at the tender age of sixteen my grandmother was left to manage the home.  A farm home.  With eight younger brothers and a little sister who wished she was a boy. No electricity or indoor plumbing and not much money.  She made and mended their clothes and then she washed them by hand.  She baked loaf after loaf of bread and cooked on a cook stove only to have her brothers come in and devour it in one swoop.  She loved her younger siblings and gave up all the “fun” stuff she should have been doing to take care of them.  For ten years until she was well to the age where people considered her an old maid.  Then she fell in love with my grandfather.  Her father forbid her from getting married (presumably because he didn’t want to lose his housekeeper) so, with the help of her aunt, my grandparents eloped.  Her father remarried shortly after that.

Of course getting married didn’t mean my grandma’s life got any easier. She married a farmer during the depression.   She made all their clothes, mended them and washed them by hand.  She cooked on cook stove. She raised chickens and geese.  She helped on the farm.  She gardened and preserved everything she could find. She worked hard and then worked some more.  They didn’t have electricity until my dad was in grade school.  Indoor plumbing didn’t come until they replaced the old farm-house with this house – in 1967.  (My brother was a baby then.)  This house that would now be considered small and too plain felt like a mansion to my grandmother when they moved in.  even though this house did make her daily chores a little easier she still worked hard.  Every day.  That is just the way she was.

She lost her cousin in World War 1 when his plane hit a mountain.  She worried as her two youngest brothers also fought in that war. She lost her younger son to a tragic drowning when he was only 21. Over the following years she lost more brothers to heart issues.  Each of those events took a piece of her heart but she continued on. She never looked back or dwelled on it.   I’ve only recently heard some of the details about these things from my parents. I can’t remember my grandmother ever talking about them much. That was also the way she was.

She was also my grandma.  The lady who would light up when her grandchildren walked into her house.  She always had a cookie and a hug.  She taught us all to play the piano.  She taught me to play the trumpet.  She helped with our various 4-H cooking and sewing projects.  She taught us to garden.  She fed us and took care of us on the few evenings when my mother had to work. She recorded our concerts on her old-fashioned tape recorder so she could listen to them again.  She clipped out every newspaper article in which we appeared.  She loved us with her whole heart and ”grandmothered” us like no one else could.  That was just the way she was.

My grandmother passed away in 1994 just four days after our oldest daughter was born.  She hadn’t been feeling well for a while but she still managed, with the help of my mom, to can all the pears on her tree that year. (The tree I look at out the dining room window now.)  Even though she wasn’t feeling well she sent my dad out to see me and meet his new granddaughter. She sent my favorite homemade sticky buns, a can of her pears that my son loved and a pink handmade baby quilt.  I talked to her that day and she told me she’d felt well enough to putter in her flowers a little that day.  She expressed her delight over her new redheaded great-granddaughter (She loved red heads.  She did marry one after all!) and told me how much she loved me.  That night while she was getting ready for bed she fell to the floor from a massive heart attack.  As shocking and hard as that was at the time I’ve often thought in later years that it really was a blessing that she went so fast in the home she loved after spending the day doing things she enjoyed. She’d have chosen that if she’d have been given a choice.  That’s just the way she was.

The more we’ve talked about her the more I have realized what an incredibly amazing lady she was.  Her work ethic.  Her quiet strength.  Her fierce love.  Those were her legacies to us. I can only hope to grow up and be half the person she was.

This Week’s Headlines – #36

Ahhh…finally Friday my friends.  Warm weather weekend headed our way here in Nebraska – now that is news!  I’m quite sure the size of the weeds in the yard will also make the news this weekend…unless of course I get myself out there to battle a few of them.  Not exactly good news but I’ll take it if it means I can pack my sweaters away.  Elsewhere this week:

1. “Woman Calls Police After Discovering 30 lbs Of Drugs Under Her Car” – You’d think the gas mileage would have clued her in sooner.
2. “Duchess Finally Looks Pregnant” – Oh for pity sake. We really have nothing better to do than stalk the woman and take pictures of her stomach?  I sure would have enjoyed that.
3. “Simple Move To Sculpt A Washboard Stomach” – Away from the table? Hate to be a skeptic but…nothing with the words “sculpt” and “stomach” used together is ever simple.
4. “‘Dirty’ Fruit Can Make You Sick” – ummmm….so can dirty anything else. Duh!
5. “Blue Lipstick Looks Good On” – If you are attracted to corpses.
6. “Is Facebook Game Fad Over” – One can only hope!
7. “WWE Twins Land Role On Reality Television” – Didn’t they already do that?
8. “Woman Told She Is Too Overweight To Tan” – Huh?  Because the sun isn’t big enough to reach all of her at once??
9. “Where The Rich Are Stashing Their Cash Now” – Well….maybe not after this article hit the internet.
10. “Is The McDonald’s Value Menu Too Cheap?” – Isn’t that the point?  How much can one really expect someone to pay for that stuff anyway?
11. “SmartCar’s New Head Turner” –  You can turn your head in one of those things?!?
12. “Baffling Find In NY River” – A fish?
13. “Former Lingerie Model Felt Like ‘A Piece Of Meat’” – Well DUH!  You didn’t think they hired you for your brain did you?
14. “House Flippers Can’t Unload Castle” – Did they really think there was a big market for those?
15. “Seven Things Wealthy People Know” – Their pin numbers.
16. “How To Get A Bikini Body In Four Weeks” – Rent one?
17. “What To Do Id You Can’t Pay Your Mortgage” – Buy a smaller house?
18. “Airline Promotes In-Flight Flirting” – Great news for the wives at home while their husbands are on business trips.
19. “Police Find Drugs On Bieber’s Bus” – Insert collective gasp of (sarcastic) disbelief.  You’d think that at the very least drugs would make his voice change….
20. “When A $131 Million Divorce Payment Isn’t Enough” – You really need to reevaluate your lifestyle.

And yet another one from the “HUH?!?” file:

Wondering on Wednesday

Middle of the week…halfway to the weekend…almost there….my day to unload some random questions that flit through my brain. I’m starting to like Wednesdays.

1. Am I the only one who has to suppress the urge to say “If I wanted anything else I’d have told you” to the person on the other side of the drive through intercom?
2. Why is it that the more sleep you get the night before the harder it is to get going in the morning?  It’s like my body says, “Hey – I kind of liked that. Let’s do that some more!”
3. Why do we flush fish down the toilet?  Is it the connection to water thing?  Seriously – we bury any other pet but flush the fish??  Because they live in water they should go to the sewer?  That just seems unfair somehow.
4. Why does the sound of wind make you so tired.  I live in Nebraska where the wind blows constantly. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.
5. Who makes the laugh tracks for tv shows and how can I get that job?  I’d laugh for a paycheck. No problem.
6. Why do people post things on social networks that they would never ever tell anyone under any other circumstance?  There is still a line….just saying.
7. How can kids be at each other’s throats one minute and laughing like best friends the next?  What did I miss?
8. Have you ever noticed when you move you think that you found the perfect spot for something and then decide there is someplace better to put it.  Three times. I need to quit rearranging things. It takes too much energy and confuses everyone.
9. Why do schools wait to put everything at the end of the year?  I need one more thing to attend.
10. Why do they still put “Caution: Flammable. Do Not Use Near Open Flame” on the back of hairspray cans?  Is this a hold over from when women did their hair by candlelight? Is there anyone who doesn’t know this?  Why don’t they just put what they really mean: “Caution: Flammable. While it’s a whole lot of fun and every kid really has to do this at one point in their life, using this can and a lighter to create a blowtorch to impress your friends may start your mother’s curtains on fire and get you into trouble.  Go outside.”

  

Why Life Should Be A Musical

Photo Credit: thelifeandrandomthoughtsofindigomontoya.blogspot.com

Last week a friend from high school posted a video on you tube of a musical we were both in many years ago.  After the panic of “how do I untag myself so my children never see this” subsided I found myself watching and remembering how much fun doing that production of “Godspell’ was.  Some of my best memories are from participating in high school musicals (no – not the Disney kind.)  This Sunday found our youngest daughter and I watching a couple musicals on television.  Again I was reminded of how much I love musicals.  I have mentioned before how big a part of my life music is and how there is usually some song running through my head (click here for that post) but now I have decided that life really would be better if it were a musical.  Seriously.  Hang with me here.  I have thought this through thoroughly.

•  It is always easy to tell who the good guys and who the bad guys are. (Yes I know the theatrical and literary term for this is protagonist and antagonist but I think good guys and bad guys is easier to follow.  I’m a simpleton okay.)  This is due to costuming and the theme music that plays when they enter the scene.  How much easier would life be if the person who was going to try to ruin your life entered the room and really sinister music started?
• You get to sing about everything.  Try it. Sing the following line to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”: “What in the world should I cook today? I think cereal would be okay.”  Makes life so much more fun don’t you think?
• All the happy events in your life are celebrated by a really large production number involving everyone you know.  How cool would it be to just drop everything and spontaneously sing and dance when you are happy?  Think of the calories you’d burn.  Add to that everyone in the area backing you up? Are you kidding? Perfect!
•  When life takes a turn for the worse you get to pour out your sadness with a soulful solo with great lighting.  Talk about a cleansing experience.  There is nothing like sitting in a spotlight in an otherwise blackened room pouring out your woes to get it out of your system. You’ll notice most musical casts do not include psychologists.
• The costumes are great and there is always someone around to adjust them and fix your makeup.  No more pondering what you should wear.  It’s already decided for you. You always look great and if you don’t it is someone else’s fault.
• There is always a great lesson to be learned from the plot.  I wonder how much smarter we’d all be if we looked for the lessons in life’s plot.
• True love always wins.  No matter how beautiful the “other woman” is the heroine always gets her man. No matter how impossible it looks in the end the couple always finds true love. Girly sigh….
• The good guy always wins and the sinister plot always fails.  It would be better if life worked that way don’t you think?
• Everyone dances.  What a great exercise program.  No more sweaty gyms and machines.  You just dance through life to get your cardio in.  Much happier, don’t you think?
• Everyone lives happily ever after and celebrates it with a HUGE song at the end. (AND you get to take a bow.)  How sweet is that.  Okay – I know there are a few musical exceptions to everyone living happily ever after.  ”Westside Story” comes to mind but everyone really did learn a great lesson.  And really how well could a guy working at a drug store support a 15 year old wife anyway?
• At the end of your story you get an ovation and flowers.  Who can ask for more than that?

Okay so there may be a few flaws in my theory.  I realize that not everyone can sing and dance. I also realize that everyone doesn’t want to.  I must say I can’t imagine why not.  I mean who in the world wouldn’t like to have a large marching band following you playing a peppy tune at the moment you admit you really are in love with that guy who appeared to be a scoundrel?  Sounds perfect to me….(just look how happy they are!)

Unplanned Gift

Reblogged from The View From A Slightly Twisted Angle:

This morning our ten year old asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day.  “Don’t say a hug Mom.  I mean a real gift.”  I looked at him and responded, “You are gift enough for me Buddy.”  That answer earned me an eye roll. He really has no idea how true my statement is.

 In December of 2000 I was headed into the fourth month of my fourth pregnancy. 

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I meant to reblog this last Thursday in honor of our son's 11th Birthday. Obviously that didn't happen. Regardless of the day, the words of the post are still true today. Happy 11th (and 4 days) Birthday to our Unplanned Gift!