Sssszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Oh, Jenny, you knucklehead! Always the prankster! It took me over 24 hours to come up with a story about the egg picture! I also need to credit Edwina (the almost 20 year old) with much assistance in this assignment!


Why complain? It really won’t do any good. Besides, most of the country is sizzling right now, so who cares? Beads of my sweat evaporate even before hitting the ground.

The grocery store is air conditioned, so maybe I’ll go get some food for the week.

As I carry my bag of groceries home, I see some kids out front. As I get closer, I see that they are frying eggs on the sidewalk.

“Hey, mind if I join you?” I’ve got some bacon here! How about some hash browns? Would you care for juice? Breakfast is served! Bon Appetit!”


Ed is very pleased with herself. And, now she's busy talking about last night's drama at Olive Garden!

Thanks for stopping by. Please slide over to Jenny's and see some of the hot stuff that my classmates have cooked up! Just click on the log below!

Oh, my!

Welcome to Alphabe-Thursday where each week, "Our Miss Brooks" (Jenny Matlock of Off On My Tangent fame) gives us an assignment to write based on a letter of the alphabet. This week, the letter is "O".

ODOMETER on my body needs to be turned back. Does anyone know how to do that? The outside of my body feels and looks like a used Studebaker (for you young ins…it’s a car), but the inside feels like a convertible Mustang!


OFFICES are where I work. I am a secretary, front desk greeter, coffee maker and getter, telephone answerer, photocopy runner, tissue giver, and miracle worker for anyone who needs one!


OMNIPOTENT is an adjective that I reserve for the Big Guy. He can see me eating when I shouldn’t; hear me cursing, gossiping or praising another when I should or shouldn’t; push me further than I really want to go; stop me from making a complete fool of myself; or, wrap his arms around me anytime I need a hug!


ORGANIZED I am not! Often, my life feels like a little tornado that just keeps picking up stuff and dropping it down in another place…with a bunch of other stuff…that I say I will get to when I have time. Every once in awhile, when the planets are aligned, the power is out so I can’t blog or watch TV, and the family is gone…I start “getting to” the pile and actually make some headway before the next tornado arrives!


OUTSIDE is where I like to be when the weather is nice. Not like the middle of July when it’s 100 degrees and similar percent of humidity. Not like the middle of January when it is five degrees, snow everywhere and the dog has to go pee. I like it when the sun is out, the skies are blue, and there is a hint of breeze blowing through the Night Jasmine bush!


OZ is my happy place where I go when the going gets rough! I put on my ruby slippers and skip down the yellow brick road to a place where there is singing, dancing and much merriment everywhere I look!



Thank you for stopping by and OBSERVING my assignment! Please pay a visit to Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday post and see what my fellow classmates have reported. Just click on the logo below and you will be there!

No Excuses - Before I Die...

Before I die I want to...

Cleanse my soul
of all its secrets,
And fill it back up with pure love


Today's Saturday Centus is brought to you by Jenny Matlock, Off On My Tangent, where her unique teaching methods sometimes boggle the brain. This week, we are allowed only 15 words, plus the prompt, to make known our life plans to accomplish before we head out from here. Realistically, I need a butt load more than 15 words, but I'm a good student and try to always follow directions. Please stop by Jenny's to see the thoughts of my classmates on this topic. Just click on the logo below!



Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Fragments - The Girls are Killing Me!

Ga Ga concert, summer of 2010.

It wasn't enough when the new car (one month old) was broken into because SOMEBODY parked on a side street and left their PURSES in view! Last weekend, my little princess was in a left turn lane waiting for traffic to pass so she could turn in to a local park, when SOMEBODY coming towards her was so blinded by her beauty that they SIDESWIPED the car, hitting the driver side mirror, which then was so brutally pushed into the driver's window and shattered into the lap of said princess! Two windows inside of six months....two expenses that were way less than the deductible!

It's been a little slice of heaven trying to finally get to my spring cleaning with three cherubims (18, 19, 23) sleeping in until noon, and the old "ball and chain" taking a hiatus from gainful employment while his ADD is in hyper speed....if my mother could only see me now, she'd be shaking her finger at me, I'm sure!

When stopping by my place of employment this week, I observed the construction (or destruction) of the ceiling squares so that the sprinkler system meets the code. Dust, shavings and clumps of ceiling all over the floors, my desk, and even the vault (where we keep all of the really important stuff)!

I missed the last launch of our space shuttle, but made it a point to watch the landing...the last landing...of 30 years! Yes, I wanted to be an astronaut when I was much younger...way before women were admitted to that boys' club. It could have happened! Now it seems like kids can only dream about it (unless they play a professional sport and get a ridiculous salary to pay whats-his-name to be a passenger on his shuttle). I hope not. I hope that another door is opened somewhere and we can put all our greatest science and math wizzes to work again!

I'm done. I hope you have a great weekend! Put the sheets in the freezer before you go to bed. It helps with falling asleep in this balmy weather that we are having!

Thanks for stopping by. Friday Fragments is sponsored by the effervescent Mrs4444 (Mrs. Fours) from Half-Past Kissin' Time. Please visit by clicking here or on the logo below.

"N" is for NAMASTE

I have met so many amazing bloggers by writing, blog-hopping, commenting and emailing. One blogger in particular always ends her comments with the word “Namaste.” For a long time, I just assumed it was an artistic expression and when I finally arrived as an artist, I would know what it meant.

Forget that. I finally looked it up today, and even though I’m probably the last person in Blogville to “get it,” I would like to share what I found and what it means to me.

C. J. Schlottman, who writes several blogs, has always lifted my self-esteem with her very courteous, praising and respectful comments about my posts. The word respect came to my mind as I researched the meaning of the word.

Namaste: a Hindu gesture of salutation made by placing the palms together, thumbs against the chest and nodding the head slightly.

Wikipedia goes a little further and adds: In Nepal, younger persons usually initiate the exchange with their elders. Initiating the exchange is seen as a sign of respect in other hierarchical settings.

CJ is a very prolific writer and expresses herself with deep and thoughtful words by using various writing styles. Please take a minute to stop by her blog. I think you will be impressed!

The Letter “N” is brought to you by Jenny Matlock, Off On My Tangent, the headmistress of Alphabe-Thursday. Please click on the logo below and see how my classmates have answered the “N” call!

Thanks for stopping by.

Getting Old, But Not Yet Dead

Welcome to Saturday Centus, where this week our Education Administrator, Jenny Matlock, who is a little out of sorts, has asked us to rise to the challenge of writing a piece using only 25 words, plus the prompt, "I'm not getting any younger." I'm not out of sorts today, but I am feeling a little goofy, so here it is!


Knees hurt
Body parts droop
Neck almost gone

I’m not getting any younger, but

When donning red shoes and lipstick
I scream “Marry me BonJovi”
With tweeners all night long!


So, hobble on over to Jenny's office by clicking on the logo below. You will see some excellent contributions by some of my classmates!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Lost Love Found

It's Saturday Centus time once again! It's the time when her Highness, Jenny Matlock, raises her sceptre and commands us to entertain the court with our cleverness. (Is that a word?) Here is my stab at it, with the prompt in bold.


April squirmed as the plane began to make its descent. She had played out this scenario in her head endlessly. They had been high school sweethearts. When his family moved away, they lost touch.

“What will he look like” she thought. “Will he recognize me? I don’t look like I did 30 years ago.” It was a miracle they found each other. For the last six months they had written or spoken to each other daily. Both now unattached, their strong feelings for each other could not be masked.

As she came down the escalator, she saw it; and the sign read, “MARRY ME!”

Hope you found this at least slightly amusing. Please gallop over on your trusty steed to Jenny's castle by clicking on the log below. You will be greatly amused when you do!

La Dee Da, La Dee Da, La La!

Do you remember the movie, “Annie Hall?” These words were made famous by Diane Keaton’s character, Annie. I am a Woody Allen fan, and I have borrowed the La La comment to use anytime I can’t find the right words to express myself, such as:

“Hi, this is the Director of Camp Chic-a-Wa…it seems that your child has had an allergic reaction to….”

“Mom, I’m okay, but I’ve been in an accident….”

“Dear, I can’t find my paisley tie… (from someone who has over 100 ties)…”

“Mom, the hamster got out of his cage…”

“Dear, is it okay to use Dawn in the dishwasher?...”

(Next door Neighbor) “Mrs. B, your [son/daughter] has climbed the fence again. He/She is in our backyard, and he/she is naked…”

“Mom, please don’t be mad, but I just got a tattoo…”

(Teacher call) “Mrs. B, please come pick up your daughter. She was slightly injured when she tried to get all of her friends into one bathroom stall….”

(School Principal) “Mrs. B, he admitted to pounding his fist on the knee of the student sitting behind him. He said that the student was kicking the back of his seat for an hour….”

“Mom, I forgot my [fill in blank] and it is due today….”

(Mother-in-Law) “Dear, you really should get more sleep; you look so tired….”

“Mrs. B, this is the hotel manager. We found your [son/daughter] playing tag on the elevators…on all 25 floors…”

(Neighbor across the street), I think you should know that your[son/daughter] is skateboarding…on your roof…”

“Mommy, do you think I’m pretty with your litstik on…?”

“Mom, I swear I was at school all day….”

Last, but not least…. “Hon, I can’t find the remote…”


This is my assignment for the Letter "L". Please leap over to Alphabe-Thursday to see how my classmates did today!

Mimi - My Inspiration

The following tribute is a post I wrote in response to Mama Kat’s weekly meme. Mama Kat, at Mama’s Losin’It! gives her readers prompts at the beginning of the week and challenges them to write about one, two or all of them by Thursday morning. Well, it’s the Wednesday after Thursday; I missed the due date. However, this piece means so much to me that I just had to post it now. The assignment was to write about someone who inspires me. My inspiration is Mimi Avery and this is my story.

I first learned of this incredible woman from blogger and author, Dawn Meehan of Because I Said So. She had written about a little boy named Julian, who had been diagnosed with cancer after finding a mass in the back of his head. I was directed to a website called Care Pages. This website is a wonderful, supportive and informative place to go for cancer patients, the families and friends of those who have been diagnosed, and for newcomers like myself, who wanted to know more about the disease and how people cope with it.

Very quickly, I came to love little Julian, and the honest, no-holds-barred writing of his mother, Mimi. She poured her heart out almost on a daily basis. She introduced her readers to other kids and families with whom she had met, who were on the same journey as she and Julian. Even while she was going through the heart-wrenching days of treatment and the reactions to same, she was there for any parent or child that needed someone. Whether it was a shoulder to cry on, or the warrior-mom pep talk, Mimi was and still is there, always, for support, love and unlimited hugs. She would write about these families and give her readers the Care Page site address for them. She organized fundraising events for some of the families. She would also visit the families with whom she had developed a close relationship. And…the pictures…Mimi ALWAYS takes the most wonderful pictures of the kids and their families!

Mimi is also a very prolific writer. In her posts, she might describe the agony that a parent goes through with the initial diagnosis, or the frustration and heartbreak felt when seeing any child experience radiation or chemo treatments. She will also elaborate on the joy of every smile, every laugh and every success, no matter how small. Her poetry is like a rare painting; one reads it with great awe. With her stories, Mimi makes one feel as though they are standing next to her, no matter where she is.

I could not begin to come close to telling Julian and Mimi’s story, and give it the respect and honor it deserves, so please visit Julian’s Care Page at: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/JulinsWorld/updates to learn about this very courageous woman and her little fighter!

King Juju, as he was known, went home to our Heavenly Father in January of 2008. Mimi continues to post, inspiring patients, families and supporters from all over the world. I have yet to experience the pleasure and honor of meeting Mimi. She has made me feel like an old friend who could sit around the kitchen table drinking coffee with her.

September is Child Cancer Awareness month. I will proudly wear my gold ribbon in honor of dear, sweet Julian, as well as each and every child who has suffered, or continues to suffer from this evil disease. I pray for a cure in my lifetime; I feel we are getting close. With brave and strong warriors like Mimi, I feel certain it will happen. I love you, Mimi!

Liz