Animator vs. Animation

I've seen this a few times, but I think it's still funny.


Animator vs. Animation by *alanbecker on deviantART

Goals for 2008

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce~

"The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!"
~Edward Payson Powell

"Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past."
~Henry Ward Beecher



Long Term Goals for 2008:

• I want to finish medical transcription course by July 14 or earlier. That will require a 6 month extension
  
• I want to have at least 1 van load of clutter to donate each month to the thrift stores.
• I want to work on selling off my home school books during the next year. Kid is about to turn 17, I don't think I need Kindergarten books anymore. *lol*
  
• I want to work on listing eBay stuff at least 2x's a month.
• Take recycling uptown at least every 2 weeks instead of letting the cans in the garage overflow. *lol*
• Cook more meals rather than depend ready made stuff.

Playing on YouTube

This had me rolling

Glen Loch Dam from Irvine Park, Chippewa Falls, WI

The original was taken July 4, 2007.

Black & White

Sepia

Ink Drawing

Oil Painting

Noise Added

Auto-Level

Secret Sister Gift

Today was the big day. I finally got to find out who has been my Secret Sister for the past year. It's been wonderful knowing that someone has been praying and thinking about me and my son during this past year.

Here is the wonderful gift she sent me for Christmas.








Thank you Ditto. I love it!!!

Small Victory

I don't talk much about my medical transcription training, but I am going to dedicate this post to it.

I have been struggling with the course since last May. I'm in the Anatomy and Physiology section (A&P). It's been rough. Add to that the two hard drive crashes, one in May and one in Sept. The second one also had motherboard problems. I have a different computer now. On top of that, I've had health issues which have knocked for a loop. Things seem to be back on track with computer and my health. I'm praying they stay that way.

Now my victory. On my school forum, I join in a thread where we set weekly goals. Last week for the first time since May, I met and even surpassed my goal. That was and is extremely exciting. It feels good to accomplish something again. I am officially half way through the A&P book. I can't believe it. Finally, I seem to be moving forward and actually remembering some of the stuff.

I know I won't make my goal of graduating before my year is up, but I hope it won't take too long after that. Hopefully, I can keep the momentum going.

Today's To Do list

I've been up since last night around 7pm. I started studying at 3am and finished about 11am.

Posted this on a message board around 11ish.

I've also done several loads of laundry, folded and put away (mine at least). I have a couple loads left.

I have stripped my bed and need to remake it. I should wash my blankets, but then I will freeze during my nap. My room is usually around 45-50° so my blankies are a must.

I have a long list of stuff that should be done:

1. I need to finish up the dishes and vacuum.
2. I also need to straighten up the kitchen table and my computer area.
3. Ideally, I need to watch up some stuff on the DVR. I try to catch up on that when the weekend hits.
4. I should go out and work on the snow blower so I don't have to shovel.
5. I should throw stuff in the bread machine so we have bread for sandwiches and snacks. I also need to try that whole wheat recipe out in addition to the regular stuff I make for kiddo.
6. I should pull out a turkey from the freezer so we can have it next week. We love turkey around here and never get enough of it.
7. I should figure out what to make for supper. Maybe another tater tot hotdish as kiddo scarfed up the one I made Thurs. I also need to make soup before my veggies go bad. I'm not in the mood tho'
8. I need to do bills

Most of all I need to study some more.

This is what I've accomplished thus far (approx 4pm):

1. bed made
2. dishes done
3. laundry nearly finished (1 load in dryer and 1 in washer)
4. decluttered table
5. turkey in fridge to thaw
6. first floor vacuumed
7. 1st loaf of bread started

I think I am done with the possible exception of watching stuff on the DVR. That is if I don't fall asleep :)

Going to the Post Office.... I don't think so!

Here is the bottom of the steps


Looking out toward the van...there was a path yesterday.





Just for kicks a pic of the backyard


With a hurt back and hip, I decided that I would just go back inside and wait until tomorrow to shovel. I only had 30 minutes before the Post Office closed. That is not enough time to shovel, shower and finish up the packages that I need to mail.

Quotes on Attitude

My attitude kinda stinks lately so I thought I would hunt down some attitude quotes to help get me back in the proper frame of mind.


Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd.
~Edith Sitwell (1887 - 1964), Taken Care Of ,1965


A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
~Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)


I happen to feel that the degree of a person's intelligence is directly reflected by the number of conflicting attitudes she can bring to bear on the same topic.
~Lisa Alther, Kinflicks, 1975


Complaining is good for you as long as you're not complaining to the person you're complaining about.
~Lynn Johnston (1947 - ), For Better or For Worse, 11-06-03


I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.
~Martha Washington (1732 - 1802)


A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.
~Patricia Neal


Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
~William James (1842 - 1910)


The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.
~William James (1842 - 1910)


There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who, when presented with a glass that is exactly half-full, say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half-empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: "What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!"
-Terry Pratchett


"I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might have-been has never been, but a has was once an are."
-Milton Berle


The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ...a church ...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past ...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.

We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ...we are in charge of our attitudes.
-Charles Swindoll


Our attitude towards what has happened to us in life is the important thing to recognize. Once hopeless, my life is not hope-full, but it did not happen overnight. The last of human freedoms, to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, is to choose one's own way.
-Victor Frankl

My porch and yard today

YIPPEE!!!!





Timeline:

9 am - no snow
2 pm - snow
4 pm - melting

I'm guessing it will be gone by morning. I just hope it's a preview of more to come :)

Taking a teen boy jeans shopping.

He's been complaining that he needed jeans for a couple of months. Whining that he only had a couple of pair that fit. Yesterday, he even showed me how far down he had to pull the waist to not be wearing high waters. So what if half his tush was showing that is what long shirts are for!!!!!

Seriously, his shirts do cover so much I have no clue what still fits. I was still getting several pairs in the wash so why would I believe he has NO jeans to wear. He explained that they keep getting tossed on the floor and needed rewashing. I told him to fold them and hand them to me so I could donate them.

Anyway, we went to Gordman's to jean shop. I figured maybe 1 pair this month and 1 pair next month and so on until he had 4 or 5 pair. I was pleasantly surprised at the prices. Several name brand jeans were $19.99 and $24.99. I told him if he could find 2 for $20, I would get them. Eventually, he did. Why do stores over stuff their racks?!?! UGH!!!! While he was trying on his jeans, I found a in-store credit receipt for $18 so I ended up paying about $25 for 2 pair of name brand jeans. The in-store credit was from a gift card I gave him about 4 years ago.

I told him we would try to get him another pair next month since the prices were so good. For now, he has about 4 pair that fit and he can wear without displaying his manly boxers to the world if his shirt rides up :)

Thursday Thirteen (3)

Thirteen random things about being a single mom

1. I get all the blame if kiddo turns out rotten.
2. People assume my son is a brat. (At times, he can be; so can kids of "perfect" two parent families. So what!)
3. I had to teach my son about shaving and other male things that I would rather have NOT dealt with....Dads are good for some things. *vbg*
4. I'm always second guessing my parenting choices.
5. People assume I am husband hunting all the time. (For the record, I am NOT interested in dating or marriage!)
6. People assume I am getting welfare. (Nope!)
   
7. I got all the hugs and kisses when my son was little.
8. I don't have anyone undermining my decisions as a parent.
9. Only I am guiding this kid into adulthood. (Scary huh? *lol*)
10. I have to be the meanie all the time.
11. I am broke 90% of the time.
12. I am his #1 target he when he's feeling rotten about life.
13. I am the one he talks to about ANYthing...even things I'm not so sure I really want to hear. *vbg*
    

Wordless Wednesday (2)

The nest is about 35 miles from my house.





Hosted by Wordless Wednesday

Love this article on home schooling

More proof that home schooling works

Home schooling improves academic performance and reduces impact of socio-economic factors

snippet:

Release Date: October 04, 2007
-

TORONTO, ON—Home schooling appears to improve the academic performance of children from families with low levels of education, according to a report on home schooling released today by independent research organization The Fraser Institute.

Thursday Thirteen (2)

Since my mom is in the hospital I thought I would dedicate this one to her.

Mom.......

1. taught me to love reading.
   
2. taught me to laugh.
3. is my best friend.
4. is my hero for raising me practically on her own.
5. helped me raise my son.
6. actually backs me up when necessary.
7. showed me what strength really is.
8. shares laughter and crazy, silly stuff with me.
9. is one tough old gal. Still working full time almost 69.
   
10. tells some great stories of growing up poor :)
11. helps me realize that I can survive.
12. gives me room to make mistakes.
13. accepts my disabilities without treating me like I'm crazy.

Wordless Wednesday (1)

My babies :)







wordless wednesday

Tackle It Tuesdays (#2)

• clean stove in garage
• burn boxes
• put stuff back under sink (we had new faucets put in)
• haul recycling out

Accomplished so far (almost 7pm)

• stove cleaned
• started burning

Win a free book

Maybe you could win a new Blog Template

There are two contests that I know about at the moment.

Hosted by Splat Creative Designs

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


Sweet 'n Simple Blog is hosting a template contest as well. Go on over and check it out

Sunday Seven (my first)

Here are 7 scriptures which encourage me.

1. Isaiah 40:28-31
   (28) Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not grow weak nor weary? There is no searching of His understanding.
   (29) He gives power to the weary; and to him with no vigor; He increases strength.
   (30) Even the young shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall;
   (31) but those who wait on Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
   
2. James 1:12
   (12) Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
   
3. Hebrews 11:1-3
   (1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
   (2) For by it the elders obtained a good report.
   (3) By faith we understand that the ages were framed by a word of God, so that the things being seen not to have come into being out of the things that appear.
   
4. Galatians 5:22-23
   (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
   (23) meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
   
5. Ephesians 4:4-6
   (4) There is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling,
   (5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
   (6) one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.
   
6. Ephesians 4:26
   (26) Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down upon your wrath,
   
7. Philippians 2:14-16
   (14) Do all things without murmurings and disputings,
   (15) so that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. Among these you shine as lights in the world,
   (16) holding forth the Word of Life, so that I may rejoice with you in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain nor labored in vain.
   

Sponsored by Sunday Seven

sunday seven

My first Friday Feast Meme

Appetizer
How are you today?

Doing great! Picked up kiddo's new glasses and got some shopping done.

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.

Law and Order (all three brands)
CSI Miami
Dog The Bounty Hunter

Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced?

I've been in a hurricane, tornado and a blizzard. Hard to pick which was worst.

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?

Australia

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep?

T-shirt and shorts

Hosted by

Authors I Enjoy

Thirteen Things about Minkydo 1. Mercedes Lackey 2. Anne McCaffery 3. Frank Peretti 4. Christopher Paolini 5. J. K. Rowling 6. Charlaine Harris 7. Johnathan Stroud 8. Terry Goodkind 9. Jeanette Oak 10. Robert A. Heinlein 11. Max Lucado 12. Patsy Clairmont 13. Joyce Meyers

thursday thirteen

Another contest from 5 Minutes for Mom

This time you can win a Western Digital Portable Hard Drive. This contest is also hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom. It's going to be given away on October 5. Having had two recent hard drive failures, I can attest to the need for a back drive. I didn't lose everything, but I did lose four months worth of stuff (school, email, and pictures). I was lucky and had the three most important summer events on disk.

Maybe another post later today :)

2 Fer Tuesday (2 posts on one day)

Hey There!

Did you hear about the Pink Dyson at Target? A percentage of sales is going towards Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Well 5 Minutes For Mom is giving one away on October 1.

BTW, I heard about this from Bonnie over at Bonnie's Bits. Thank you!

Tackle It Tuesday

My job for today was to vacuum out the van. It's needed a good vacuuming since our vacation in July. The dogs traveled with us and it was full of hair and dirt from camping equipment. DONE!

Found the recipe

I was cleaning out my blog bookmarks and found the chicken and Italian dressing recipe. I was right. It was at a home schooler's blog. You can find it here. Thanks Jerzy.

Ipod contest & recipe hunt

Set up:
In the super early hours of Monday morning, I was browsing home schooler's blogs. At the same time, I was recipe hunting. I didn't find one I that fit my ingredients so I gave up.

Fast Forward to Tuesday evening:
Today I went grocery shopping. I remembered a chicken and Italian Dressing recipe that sounds good so I buy Italian dressing. I already had chicken breasts. I came home to look for the recipe just so I could be 100% sure I make it right. My memory don't work so good any more. (yeah, lousy grammar but fits) Trouble is that I can't find the recipe. Figures right!!! I open my history and search all the recipe websites I looked at the other morning. No luck. It must have been on someone's blog so I go a searchin' some more. Home schoolers are great about posting recipes. I open my entire folder of home schooler's blogs. I start skimming looking for that elusive recipe.

I told ya all that so I could tell you what I found. An Ipod contest!!!

I went to Bonnie's Bits and read her 9/17 post about a Ipod contest. The website hosting it is It's Write Now and the contest post is here. Go take a look!

If ya made it this far, thanks.

Some pics of the Lipizzaner Stallions

Mom and I went to see The World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions on August 27, 2007. My birthday was on the 27th and Mom has wanted to see them for 30 years. These are in no particular order. I actually snapped close to 175 pictures; surprisingly, I didn't have too many lousy ones. *lol*

Not a good day

I am in a truly crabby mood. I have no clue why. Truthfully, I don't really care. *lol*

I was cooking supper. I wanted to make a hot dish. I had the hamburger browned and the macaroni cooked. I went to grab the corn, kidney beans, tomato sauce, and stewed tomatoes. I have no stewed tomatoes :( GRRRRRR.....I was crabby before, but now I'm REALLY crabby. I substituted diced tomatoes. It's edible, but NOT what I wanted.

My computer is being stupid and slow. I ain't happy!!!

The kid is mouthy...as normal. Brat!!!

I think a vacation!!!!!

The Senility Prayer

God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Lawdog rocks!

Dispatcher, The Return

I should be so ashamed of myself.

These two stories had me rolling.

Alien inhabitation? Plus a quote

Tuesday night my WONDERFUL teenage son mowed the backyard with only one reminder. He was headed upstairs to take a nap when I asked him when he would mow it. Ten minutes later, he was outside mowing. Must be aliens inhabiting my stinker son and turning him into a sweet compliant son. I was so proud of him for not whining, arguing or giving me excuses. He's growing up so nicely. I patted myself on the back in my mind.

Tonight before I left for church, I thanked him. He replied, "You shouldn't. I didn't do it to be nice. I just couldn't sleep so I mowed instead." I'm crushed. I'm totally devastated. I'm disheartened that all my years of teaching didn't take. Oh who am I kidding...I'm not a bit surprised. It's pretty typical of a 16 yr old boy :)

I told him to learn to take a compliment and let dear old mom think he was up to good stuff. Gramma was listening in and she just laughed at him. Told him the same thing. Take credit; build credit :)

Today's quote:
"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet."
--Aristotle

Quotes

"Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Well behaved women seldom make history.
- Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Don't let procrastination be a thief of your time

Terry Pratchett quote

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.
-Terry Pratchett

Blog I just found & Eistein quote

This blog was listed on the MT forums. It's interesting, funny and heartbreaking. Take a moment to read.

Fingers and Tubes in Every Orifice


"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.“
~ Albert Einstein

A gift from my Secret Sister

This was a Mother's Day gift. I absolutely love TULIPS!!!!



I'll post a couple more after they open up more.

School

Well, I thought I would post an update on how school is going.

Started out by learning all sorts of suffixes, prefixes and root words. Learned all the meanings and how to combine them to make a real word. Some I already knew while others were completely new to me. Didn't do too bad on that first section. Thank goodness for flashcards as I would be totally lost without mine.

Grammar was next on the agenda. Let me tell you a secret; lean in close to the monitor. Don't try to do grammar when you've been up for 18+ hours. Your mind will not be able to compute the directions or figure out what an adverb is and what it modifies. Man! I felt really, really dumb. I made an A in Composition in College, but couldn't figure out silly those silly little parts of speech. After that came punctuation, again I had forgotten plenty. Where exactly do commas go again?!?! I recall I had trouble with those suckers in my College Business English class. The rest of grammar went pretty well. At the Career Step forums everyone said how horrible the grammar section was. I was a bit worried; however, it wasn't that bad once I had some sleep.

After Grammar came "Using Resources" which was basically how to use a medical dictionary and look up stuff online. Didn't take but a couple hours for that section.

Right now I'm in "Human Anatomy, Physiology & Disease Processes" and it's kicking my butt :( I need a general overview of the body's systems rather than an in-depth knowledge. My mind isn't letting anything sink in right now. I look at it and forget in 2 minutes flat. Ugh! I printed some pictures to help me visualize some stuff. Trying to spell this stuff is my main goal, but even that feels impossible right now.

That's about it for now.

I like this quote on success and failure.

"I do not fear success or failure, because in success I learn control, and in failure I learn to try again!!" by Sylvia Browne

I'll post more later :)

Tips for dealing with Fibromyalgia (adaptable for any chronic illness)

Recently on a message board I frequent a lady was asking for tips for dealing with Fibromyalgia. She was recently diagnosed. Here is what I wrote:

I've had Fibromyalgia and two forms of arthritis for years and am disabled as a result.

Stay focused on Christ.

Realize it's not a sin to be sick! You haven't earned this illness and you are NOT a bad person to be sick. Sickness goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Sickness happens to good people.

Exercise daily even if it's a walk around the block. Moderation: don't expect to run marathons or become an Olympian competitor. If possible go swimming a couple of times a week. Make sure it's warm water..cold will set off a flare.

Fresh air and a bit of natural light daily helps tremendously. Do not hibernate.

Find a good support system of people who have a clue as to what you are going through. Sometimes that can only be found online. Try for at least one person locally if you can.

If you notice a muscle heating up, don't baby it but don't overdo either. Gently stretch it out. Maybe ice it or use a heating pad. Take a pain pill (different ones work for better for different people). Don't let the pain get to the extreme before you take something. Catch it early and you can keep it from knocking you down.

Avoid staying in bed too long. Once your down, it's harder to get up and move again.

Don't overdo it. Overdoing it today will cause pain tomorrow or the next day. Know your limits and realize they have changed. The world will not end if a little dust builds up or the clothes don't get washed today. Others will HAVE to learn to adapt as you have to learn to adapt.

Take rest breaks...naps ARE permissible for adults. Literally lie down for 30 minutes in the afternoon.

Pray often.

Look for certain food triggers. Mine is beef and fast food. At times I have to totally cut out meat to avoid pain.

Reduce as much stress as possible. Watch out even happy stress can trigger a flare up. The body really can't tell the difference between good and bad stress.

Stretch regularly throughout the day. Just reach up to the sky and then try to touch your toes. Don't overdo or pull anything. Just release tension in your body.

Accept there will be good and bad days/weeks.

Understand that other people can't see how awful you feel...it's called an invisible illness for a reason.

Try to keep your overall body temp the same. Avoid getting chilled or overheated. Muscles react badly to extreme temps.

Don't be afraid to ask for prayer. IT WORKS!

Try drinking chamomile tea at bedtime or taking a Benadryl to help your body relax.

Realize that you can't skimp on sleep. Sleep is when your body heals itself. It's EXTREMELY necessary to get plenty each night. Try for at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Fibro messes with your sleeping ability so you may need something stronger to help you stay asleep.

Spend time in The Word daily. It will help you to relax and learn to depend on God more. It helps to focus the mind away from the pain.

Prioritize your day

Eat a live toad the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.
~~Unknown

Do the yucky job first and the rest will seem easy. Yeah RIGHT! *lol* Nice quote, but it leaves me with a unpleasant image. I sometimes hate being so imaginative.

I hate Spring!!

I know many people love it, but not me. My normal reason is because of the way the wet weather makes me feel. Wet weather is AWFUL for my arthritis and fibro. I have another reason which this season stands out worse than others.

• mud
• water puddles
• dog doo doo
  
• white carpet
• dogs
• towels
• laundry

Care to guess why I don't like this time of year? I have to wipe the dogs feet to avoid getting all sorts of unpleasant things on the white carpet, which was put in by the previous residents who obviously did NOT have dogs. I wish I could teach my dogs how to wipe their own feet :) They aren't that smart.

Oh, I have similar feelings about Fall as well. I don't like wet weather EVER.

The rivers are thawing and rising. No serious flooding in the area close to me yet, but it won't be long before the fields are under water again. I was noticing some pretty big junks of ice on the Red River as we crossed today. Since the silly thing runs north, we may be in for some flooding, but I'm hopeful that our lack of snow will help us avoid it. Looks like my hopefulness is going to win out. Just found an article from an area paper that agrees with me. Yippie!!!! Unfortunately, some people are dealing with flash floods due to ice jams.

It's been 10 years this spring since the last major flood in this area. That was one awful Spring. I remember the devestation that cause. Looks like Uncle Sam has finally come through with the final funding to finish the dike. The thing is 97% complete. With this funding, it will be finished by Sept.

Well time to close with a quote or two :)

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
~~~Abraham Lincoln

True religion is real living; living with all one's soul, with all one's goodness and righteousness.
~~~Albert Einstein

Ethics, too, are nothing but reverence for life. This is what gives me the fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, promoting, and enhancing life, and that destroying, injuring, and limiting life are evil.
~~~Albert Schweitzer: Civilization and Ethics, 1949

More quotes.....I love quotes :)

Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head and keeps pecking away until he gets the job done.
--L Coleman Cox

~ Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away ~

"Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew."
Cicely Tyson

"If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody is not thinking." - Gen. George S. Patton Jr.

Today's quotes

Medical Transcription – We make what you mutter look good.
-unknown

"When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
~ Helen Keller

"Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow."
--Plato

Life is good; work is great; people are terrific!
Coffee is my friend.
-unknown

"Lord, help me become the person my dog thinks I am."
- Dawn Ewing

Outside of a dog, books are a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
--Groucho Marx

"Adam and Eve had many advantages, but the principal one was, that they escaped teething."
-Mark Twain


The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.
-Nelson Boswell

Just when you think you know the answers to the questions....They change the questions!
-unknown

~*~ Whenever I feel blue, I just start breathing again. ~*~

St. Francis of Assisi quote

"START by doing what is NECESSARY, then what is POSSIBLE, and suddenly you are doing the IMPOSSIBLE." - St. Francis of Assisi.

Joyce Meyer quote

A person is not a failure because she tried some things that did not work out. She fails only when she stops trying. ~Joyce Meyer~

Eistein quote

Einstein’s oft-quoted remark, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk?”

Shopping Cart Rant

I want to thank all who put their carts away...instead of leaving them in the handicapped parking space. I am disabled and it's extremely frustrating to have to move a cart before I can park. Try getting out of your car at Wal~mart, hobbling out on your cane on the ice, moving the cart and getting back in your car without getting smucked from behind by an impatient or inattentive driver. Not fun!

Another reason to put your carts away is to save money. Loose carts tend to ram cars when it's windy. That generally means the insurance company has to shell out money, the insured has to shell out money and the general public shells out money for higher insurance rates.

If that doesn't convince you remember that for every cart that is damaged by not being put away raises the prices of things you buy. The store will pass the cost of repairing or replacing damaged carts on to the customers.

For those that put carts away, you have my ETERNAL GRATITUDE.


A thought is often original, though you have uttered it a hundred times.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Basic research is what I am doing when I don't know what I am doing.
- Wernher von Braun

Our national flower is the concrete cloverleaf.
- Lewis Mumford

Hodge Podge

Several thoughts today....computers, career, Dixie Chicks, peanut butter, weather and celebrities I'm sick of hearing about and of course a couple of quotes.

Kiddo got a brand new computer. It's his Christmas and birthday present from Gramma. He's not getting a drivers license or a car so this helps ease the It's an HP Pavillion m7750n He is really enjoying it even though it's not the one he wanted. They were out so we had to step up to get what he wanted (2 gig of Ram). We wanted a computer that would run World of Warcraft. Between Vista and the game 1 gig of Ram will be used up. Unfortunately, there have a few bugs. His DVD/CD-RW didn't want to work at first. The computer didn't seem to recognize that it even existed. He seems to like Vista, but Explorer seems to crash a lot. Not sure if we need to take it back. We have 14 days to take it back to Best Buy without having to deal with HP.

Tuesday was pretty good for me as I signed up for a medical transcription course through Career Step. It's an online class. It's 640 hours and self-paced. I am really excited about this new adventure. I will eventually be able to work from home. If things go right, I can be working by the end of the year...maybe by fall.

My favorite band did great at the Grammys. One all five of their nominations. I know, I know... I'm a bad Republican, American, country music fan, and Christian for liking this band. (yeah, I'm being sarcastic). I like the Dixie Chicks! I love their music! I missed the Grammys, but I found a video on YouTube of them winning album of the year. I have been reading several blogs and comments about how unAmerican they are, how awful it is they won, how it's a a Liberal plot, how they have no fan base anymore, etc... Get a grip folks. Liking The Chicks is not a crime nor is it a sin. They are not responsible for any problems our troops are having. They are not responsible for our country's image abroad. Egads! They are just a group of musicians. Get over it folks. They are not evil nor as powerful as some seem to think.

On to something else...peanut butter.

I am so glad I am a choosy mom :) I have never liked Peter Pan and now I have a reason. Salmonella Outbreak

Weather.... We have had 19 nights of subzero temperatures. This is January weather in February. No wonder I'm cold all the time. BRRRRRR.

Two people I am SICK of hearing about: Anna Nicole Smith and Britney Spears. It is sad that she died and lived such a wanton life. It's sad that her baby lost her mother. The media frenzy is NOT helping anyone especially not the baby. Brittney is just sickening period. What a waste of a life.

I'll end with quotes so it's a bit more positive.

I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from.
-Eddie Izzard

Ours is the age that is proud of machines that think and suspicious of men who try to.
-H. Mumford Jones

Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.
-John F. Kennedy

Sunday morning ramblings

Okay, this a weird Sunday morning. First off, I haven't really sleep since Saturday afternoon. I sleep days and up nights...comes from working nights for so many years.

I am kinda bummed as I don't have the money to gas up the van and drive to church. It's 120 mile round trip. I guess I'll have to listen to a podcast or something.....after I take a nap. *lol*

Kiddo wanted to bake some stuffed chicken breasts and asked me to foil the cookie sheet. I ripped the foil and laid it on the pan. Here's the ensuing conversation.

Me: That's all you need to do. I usually wrap it around the edges, but I'm a perfectionist.
Him: I don't care. I just use the foil to make you happy.
Me: We do it to keep from having to scrap burnt dripping off the pan.
Him: I still don't care. I don't wash that pan; you do.

At this point I am ready to smack the kid. *LOL*

The dogs needed food and the store is only open until 2pm on Sundays so I had to go this morning. It's about -4° with the wind at 5mph and a real feel of -9°. The humidity is at 73% which means snow will be coming soon. Guess what I wear to the store: sweat pants, long sleeve t-shirt and a sweatshirt. No coat, no hat, but I did take my mittens for driving which I put on after I left the store. Yeah, I'm weird. The only part of me cold was my hands; glad I grabbed my mittens. Actually it feels pretty warm after -30° with -25° wind chills.

Smokie has happily munched on her share of the dog food which cost me $10 for a 8# bag. SHEESH!!!!! I usually get a 50# bag for $15 at Sam's Club. Oh the joy of living in a small town!!!!

I can say something really nice. I left the car running while I was in the store and post office. I also left my purse in the car at the post office. No fear of anyone stealing stuff. Joys of living in a small town.


Sleeping off the euphoria of having food after going a day without dog food...they did have skits (dog biscuits a'plenty). BRAT!

Stupid dog! lol

My dog is in the other room--possibly sleeping. I drop a pen on the desk which makes a teeny weeny little bit of noise. No other noise in the house. Suddenly the dog starts barking like we have intruders in the house. I tell her to "shut up," but she keeps on walking towards me the whole time. She gets here, looks up at me with a look that says, "I'm a good girl ain't I." STUPID DOG!!!! This is the second time she did this tonight. She is nearly 10 and getting senile, but I love her anyway.


Yes, my computer area is a mess.....just ignore it, I do :)

Kiddo turned 16 last week! (Jan 25th)

It's looking like he may live to be an adult yet :)

I can't believe it's been 16 YEARS since the lovable twerp was born. I'm amazed at him even when I'm irritated beyond belief with this kid. He's smart. He's gentle. He's thoughtful (most of the time). He's teachable. He's been shaving for 2 years now and is up to twice a week. *lol* He's got the normal teen attitude that really drives me crazy some days and other days it's okay.

Oh and he's not driving until he's 18 for various reasons, but mostly because I'm not a fan of minors behind the wheel.

(okay this will make two posts in one day. MIRACLES never cease!)

Fortune cookies

We love Chinese food. Well...we love what Americans call Chinese food. Of course, everyone knows how you get this cookies with silly "fortunes" in them. My mom is the only one who eats the nasty cookie as kiddo and I won't touch them.

I saved the fortunes with the idea of posting them on my blog. I figured that since I love quotes these would be great to post. Okay, I'm lazy and this sounds like an easy thing to do. Problem is I have about a hundred of the little slips of paper in my purse and another 50 or so on my desk. Another one of my great ideas that never came to fruition.

I'm going to try to post a few of these and toss the rest. I wish I had thought to write down who got which one :(

Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time.

Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.

The person who will not stand for something will fall for anything.

By listening, one will learn truths. By hearing, one will only learn half truths.

Don't be surprised by the emergence of undiscovered talents!

Stop searching forever. Happiness is just next to you.

Better is the enemy of good.

Believe in yourself and others will too.

If strength were all, tiger would not fear scorpion.

They say you are stubborn; you call it persistence.
(I got this one & it fits me. lol)

Cleverness is serviceable for everything, sufficient for nothing.

It is better to be looked than to be overlooked.
(I think the word over should be after looked.)

The healthy and strong individual is the one who asks for help when he needs it.

To give happiness is to deserve happiness.

The only good is knowledge and the only evil ignorance.
(This sparked a great conversation between the three of us.)

Do what is right, not what you should.

Adventure is worthwhile in itself.

You have at your command the wisdom of the ages.
(I got this and believe it refers to my mom :) )

A day of worrying is more exhausting than a week of work.
(Ain't that the truth!)

Express yourself: Don't hold back!
(I believe kiddo got this...)

Those who wish to sing always find a song.

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

A wise man knows everything; a shrewd one, everyone.

Generosity provides a solid foundation for mindfulness practice.

It is a silly fish that is caught with the same bait twice.

Old friends make best friends.

May my faith always exceed my fears--the price is too great to go through life afraid.
(I love this one!!!)