"Y" Is For Ya-Ya Sisters!

Do you remember the 2002 movie ‘The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisters”? I was a teacher assistant for a preschool at the time. The most wonderful and divine group of women (teachers, assistants and staff) worked with me. We all went to see the movie during the summer and loved it! We loved the crazy hats that the Sisters all wore. One of the teachers made a Ya-Ya hat for a birthday present for one of the women. Everything that was pinned or glued to the hat held a special meaning for the recipient. Eventually, we all were given hats either for our birthdays, or as end of the school year gifts.

I still adore these women, even though many of us no longer work at the preschool. The happy (and sad) memories we all shared will be with me for a long time. Some of those memories, as well as, reminders of special people and events of my life, are all part of my hat. Let’s play a little game of “Find Bits of My Life”!

1. I was a Girl Scout growing up, and a Girl Scout Leader as an adult.
2. I used to work for Richard Simmons.
3. I love dogs.
4. I collect eyeballs (not real ones).
5. I smile and laugh a lot.
6. I like Firemen.
7. I love the Los Angeles Lakers.
8. I need a good watch because I’m always running late.
9. I always have band aids for kids who have boo-boos.
10. I have no idea why there is a trinket for a Nude Beach on my hat! I’ve never been to one. I think my friends thought otherwise, just because I’m from California!

Hope you enjoyed my “Y” report. For more fun with the letter “Y”, jump right over to Jenny Matlock Off on My Tangent by clicking the Alphabe-Thursday logo below!

X is for X-cellent!!!

As in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Everyone remembers Keanu (who could forget him then…and who can forget him now?) but who was the other guy? Alex Winter played the part of Bill.


As in “excellent choice” a term used by many waiters, wine stewards, and BMW car sales people.




As in “excellent” when Mr. Burns from the Simpson’s TV show speaks. His version of the word always sounds so devious!




As in “Downright Excellent” a British organization that provides educational therapies and quality play experiences for children with Downs Syndrome and their siblings, plus education and support for parents.



As in “excellent” from the Urban Dictionary which states: A word similar to cool or awesome. It is usually used to show excitement or enthusiasm towards something.




As in “Excellent Gentlemen” a Soul-Groove Dance Party Music group whose next performance is this Friday night at Jimmy Maks in Portland, Oregon. Check them out at http://excellentgentlemen.com/ and you can listen to some of their smooth tunes like “Freaky” where the only lyrics are “I want to freak wich you girl.”

The Letter "X" is brought to you by Jenny Matlock Off On My Tangent's, Alphabe-Thursday. Please click on her logo below and see what other X-reports have been presented!




Thanks for the visit! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Elizabeth Taylor - The Legend

Most of you have read or heard about the passing of Elizabeth Taylor. There are going to be many tributes to her and the very colorful life that she led. I was a huge fan and enjoyed following her career. I've borrowed some articles from today's Associated Press and MSNBC which I found to be very complete and informative.


Elizabeth Taylor, the violet-eyed film goddess whose sultry screen persona, stormy personal life and enduring fame and glamour made her one of the last of the old-fashioned movie stars and a template for the modern celebrity, died Wednesday at age 79. ..She was surrounded by her four children when she died of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized for about six weeks, said publicist Sally Morrison.

"My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love," her son, Michael Wilding, said in a statement.

"We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts."

For a more detailed and indepth look at her life and career, please see below:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/12517000/ns/today-entertainment/


Thoughts and prayers go out to the family. Rest in Peace, Elizabeth.

It's Showtime! - Part Two

Continued from Saturday Centus #46. Clearly, any good story has an ending, and my limitation of 100 words just didn't cut it the first time around. So here is Part Two, with the prompt in bold.

The curtain parted...and a giant gasp was heard! There stood a hundred Barneys, each wearing a neon tutu. The orchestra began playing Tchaikovsky’s "Swan Lake" and they all began to dance. Freddie and Susie stared in awe. Fern and Dana ceased their annoying game and Becky's hands grabbed her cheeks with surprise. Timmy didn’t miss a beat, but could not take his eyes off the stage.

All of a sudden, the music changed to the "Electric Slide." The Barneys fell into lines and as they jumped on cue, their bellies jiggled. The audience laughed uncontrollably with many falling out of their seats!

Thanks so much for the visit. As always, please hop over the Saturday Centus by clicking on Jenny's logo below!

Sundays in My Blooming City - Part 1

Some of the trees are still bare, some have never dropped all of their leaves, and some are beginning to bloom for Spring! One could become very dizzy trying to figure it out! Thank goodness for calendars!

It's Spring Break around here and we slugged away the weekend! The real fun will start tomorrow. If I can get the little princesses to help out with spring cleaning, we just might have time to get out and play!

Take a tour of some other fascinating cities by clicking the "Sundays In My City" button below. Say hello to Unknown Mami while you are there!



I live in St. Louis! Welcome to my city!

It's Showtime!

Welcome to Saturday Centus, part of my Saturday morning routine as I consume my 32 ounces of coffee! Jenny Matlock Off On My Tangent sponsors this always entertaining weekly meme where we are challenged to write a story, poem, or other means of the written word, using a prompt of her fancy. Our contributions can be no more than 100 words, (not including the prompt) and cannot be accompanied by a picture.

We all impatiently waited for the show to begin. Freddie leaned over to whisper into Susie’s ear. I so wanted to know what he was saying to her, since she made the ugliest face as he spoke! Fern and Dana were playing Patty-Cake for the fiftieth time! I wanted to scream “stop it!” Becky couldn’t leave her dress alone, and Timmy picked his nose…continuously.

I thought, “What am I doing here with these knuckleheads?” I looked around at the audience and it dawned on me that the average age was five. I looked down and shook my head. Just then, the curtain parted…

Sorry...my story, minus the prompt, stops here at 100 words exactly!

Thanks for stopping by. If you dare, please feed my ego with a comment of a few words of sugar, spice or vinegar - whatever you'd like! If you hunger for more quick reads, please hop over to Jenny's house by clicking on the logo below!

Enjoy the weekend! St. Louis has SUNSHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things My Mother Taught Me

My mom's name was Jeanne. She went home almost 26 years ago. I think she knew she was going to be leaving because my last three months with her were amazing! I didn't realize how much she had taught me until after she was gone. Her footprints are forever embedded in my heart. These are some of the things I learned from my mom.

1. When you answer the telephone, say hello with excitement in your voice. It just might make the caller's day.

2. Every day of your life, do something that makes someone smile.

3. No matter how bad a day you have had, have the dinner table set when your husband or partner comes home.

4. Whenever you hold your baby in your arms, make him/her feel like they are the center of the universe.

5. Always speak and act like a lady. Avoid gossip and cursing.

6. If someone has treated you wrongly, pray for them to have a good day.

7. Always wear clean underwear.

8. Read as much as you can; it gives you something to talk about at parties.

9. Stay in touch with good friends.

10. Love.


This post is brought to you by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. Each week she supplies her loyal followers with prompts to write a story, poem, photograph, etc. Please stop by and enjoy some of the great stories written from her prompts! Just click on the logo below.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Enjoy the rest of your week!

W is for a Whale of a Tale!

I'm sort of cheating by repeating a post from a few weeks ago, but I just couldn't resist since we are studying the Letter W this week! (And, I'm lazy) Hope you enjoy!

The Big Boss (School Principal) sends out a memo every Monday with a recap of the past week, upcoming events, etc. There is usually an inspirational message somewhere within. This past week, she included this picture, and the following story. I found both to be so very amazing and wanted to share them with you.

...The Whale... If you read a recent front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale that had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off; the only way to save her was to dive in and untangled her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

For me, this is a gentle reminder that it's okay to get involved sometimes, especially when someone could use a little help.

Thank you for stopping by my offering for Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. Please click on the logo below to read some really interesting and diverse "W" topics!