Day at The Beach Photo

I was thinking of entering this picture of Ed & Katya in a Beach Theme contest sponsored by an awesome photography blog. I'm very much a beginner and it's the first time I've ever done something like this. Please visit their blog by clicking on the i heart faces logo below, or by clicking here.



You should check out this blog if you love to take pictures, or if you just like to enjoy some wonderful works of art done by those who do take pictures. There are so many talented photographers out there!

Look for my upcoming post about the amazing time we had in California!

Fighting City Hall

Ahhhh, I love to hear about the joys of fighting “City Hall!” Need I say more? How many times have we attempted to right a wrong, complain about bad service (or no service) or make suggestions for improvement?

Well, I doubt if “City Hall” really wants to hear how they can improve. They believe that they are already a well-oiled machine and need no improvement in any area!

Here are a few comments, complaints and/or sarcastic remarks about some of the things that bother me:

1. Let’s double property taxes to give owners the illusion that they live in a classy neighborhood. It doesn’t matter whether or not they can afford it.

2. Eminent Domain keeps the neighborhood looking spiffy, and paves the way for new revenue for elected officials.

3. First-time offenders for minor infractions should have the book thrown at them. Examples must be set to keep order in society.


4. Elected (and appointed) officials shall determine recess of sessions if they are not getting their way. Sessions shall resume when the outcome is more to their liking.

5. Health insurance companies know best when it comes to coverage. They provide for exams to obtain a diagnosis, but then deny claims for treatment. (Some pay for an eye exam, but not for the glasses that are prescribed.)

6. Many attorneys know to what we are entitled, even if we don’t. They can acquire money for us (and themselves) for anyone’s mistake, regardless of the circumstances.


7. Individuals in the media tell us that it is our right to know the intimate details of victims and their circumstances, no matter how shocking the deed, or how upsetting it is to the victim. Get a life! Much of what is reported is none of our business! For instance, giving the public the address and details of a horrendous accident, murder or police standoff, is just asking for crowds to show up to watch.

8. School officials enjoy their power to render consequences to students who have made mistakes or bad choices, with no regard to the character of the student. It says in the School Code that “if you do this, then this will happen.” In a court of law, arguments, evidence and witness testimony are heard before a verdict is rendered. I guess that someone somewhere has determined that children are too young to learn about “the system” outside of school. (This is a favorite gripe of mine.)



9. Why must we desire to look like the individuals on TV, movies and magazines? We must purchase products or services that remove our wrinkles, cellulite and veins. We must also purchase enhancement products that promise to improve our sex life. Why do they keep shoving these ads for sexual intimacy down our throats while our children are nearby watching? Duh!

I am now stepping down from my soapbox…… thanks for allowing me to get a few things off my boobalicious chest!

These are some things that may or may not be possible to improve or change. If we don’t voice our concerns (in a gentle, loving way) change will never come about. I think it is important to make those with authority aware of injustices or unfair practices. They just might spend some time thinking about a better way of doing things….or maybe not.

Collections - Part Two

In a former post, I talked about the collections I had as a child. I’m not sure anyone would be interested in collections I had during my teen years. It might appear that I had a stalking problem while in high school… (a post for another day), and I’m not sure how long the statute of limitations is for stalking in California.

One summer, I volunteered to lead about a dozen 3rd grade girls at a day camp. “Movies” was the theme of the camp. Since my first choice of “Fly Away” was already taken, I chose to use the movie, “Ferngully,” because it had fairies in it. I have long been mesmerized by movies and books about fairies. I don’t have everything that was ever made, but I have collected a ton of fairy stuff. And, here was my big chance to show off my acting skills by becoming a real-live fairy. When I couldn’t find a fairy costume in my “womanly” size, I had to get creative. That’s all I’m going to say, and no, there are no pictures of me while at this day camp!

My “Mother Fairy” duties included planning a daily craft, snack, physical activities and a skit to be performed at the end of the week. We made fairy wings, magic wands, and fairy dust pouches (we had to improvise since the parks would not let us use “real” fairy dust; we substituted birdseed for the dust) . For activities throughout the week, we would visit other groups in the camp, cast spells and throw fairy dust on them. Since this was a Girl Scout camp, we snubbed any boys that had been brought as guests. We would cast bad spells on them every day. All the nice girls received good spells, and the stuck-up girls got the same spells as the boys!



On one of the days, we made a “walking snack” which is a “to go” snack that can be carried while hiking. We cut into very small pieces some carrots, celery and grapes. Then we put them on a leaf of lettuce and rolled it up. This yummy delicacy also served as “breadcrumbs” on the hiking path by the veggie haters and un-coordinated (I speak for myself) who could not, or did not want to, keep the lettuce leaf closed. Needless to say, we had some very astute young ladies and we never once lost our way home.

While on the hike, we eagerly looked for fairy nests within the flora. I told the girls that nests could be anywhere “except” for the plants that had three leaves…I didn’t want phone calls from moms yelling at me for exposing their daughters to dangerous shrubbery. The girls, as well as I, were extremely disappointed that we did not find any fairy abodes. I had to make up some lame excuse that fairies were scared of large groups of humans. The girls bought it.

For the skit, we learned a song and dance where the girls used their wands to cast spells, threw fairy dust at the audience and showed off their wings. Being the dance teacher that I am (not), I stood in the back and mirrored the steps and mouthed the words for the girls. The other leaders delighted in watching me as I made a complete fool of myself, but I was so “into” being the Mother Fairy I hardly noticed them until the roar of applause and whoops and hollers were heard at the end of the skit. All of the leaders were looking me, and not the girls! I couldn’t find a rock big enough to crawl under!

In all, it was a lot of work, but it was probably one of the best camping experiences I have ever had. These girls are now 16 years old, and I pray that any memories from that week of day camp have either disappeared, or are locked inside of some psychiatrist’s safe.

I do believe, I do believe!!!

My Body, Your Body, Any Body!

So, I was thinking the other day, how can I get myself motivated so that I can motivate others? I subscribe to several weight management (I don't like to call it "weight loss" because I don't always lose weight) newsletters which, for some reason, (probably the Big Guy up there trying to drop a few hints to me) seem to be quite interesting and helpful. I found the following quote from a newsletter I receive from Bob Greene.

"I know that I became overweight because I was out of touch with my body and because I had developed a food addiction. Now, I'm constantly checking in with my body to determine whether I want to eat because of hunger or because I have some emotion that I want to avoid. To me, health means having a healthy relationship with my body and that means nurturing it and not abusing it, and enjoying what I eat. To nurture my body is to feed it foods that will give me energy and nutrients."

Emotional eating....hit the nail two feet into the wood for me! I very rarely eat because I am hungry...I am hardly ever hungry. I love food! I really love sweet things, and eating sweet things can sometimes be a full-time job for me! I try not to think about anything while I'm eating. That's my problem! While I chew and savor, my mind is on the food and nothing else. Food is my "happy place" that I go to when I need a break from reality. The problem with that is, I spend most of my time on break and very little time dealing with real things. And, boys and girls, can you tell me where this kind of thinking takes one? Duh......

So, let's get that healthy relationship with food that was mentioned above. Telling myself that I ONLY WANT food that is going to nuture me and give me energy, will be one of the hardest things to do. Sugar gives me energy, and I feel nutured whenever I eat chocolate. So what's the big deal? Maybe, just maybe, I could think about making substitutions here and there. Ya think? Grapes are sweet, sort of like sugar, and they don't signal the brain to eat mass quantities like some cookies or candy will. Brushing hair is a form of nurturing, so are manis and pedis, no? Do ya think I could come up with a solid or a liquid that actually made me feel loved? It's possible that picturing water going through my body and picking up the gunk so I can "eliminate" it, could be a form of loving myself.

But, let's not get carried away here, Missy! We don't want to get a big head, now! I've spent almost my whole life abusing myself with food! It ain't gonna change overnight! "BUT I WANT IT NOW!!!" cried Verushka. "Patience, my dear!" If I can manage to substitute "healthy" and "nurturing" foods for the processed, sugary junk to which I have become accustomed, maybe...just maybe I could learn a little patience instead of stomping my feet and demanding immediate results. Wow! What a concept!

They say it takes 21 to 30 days to change a habit. Well here goes.....

Oh Simon, You Knucklehead!

I am a really, really big American Idol fan. I am glued to the television during the season from the first episode to the last. My family suffers, my friends suffer, and my blogs suffer during this time. I do not take phone calls or accept dinner invitations if the show is going to be aired. (Get a life, right?)

To honor the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, American Idol repeated its episode where the top 13 contestants sang one of Michael's songs. As I stated above, I was glued to the television, did not take calls, and tightened up the bladder muscles until commercials. I thought each and every contestant did a great job. Some were very good. Some were AWESOME!


The Hubs and I watched last night, and as was with almost every single episode throughout the season, yelled back at the TV every time Simon Cowell opened his mouth. We love to hate him. Yes, Simon does have some credibility, but in many cases, he contradicts himself just to get a boo or two from the audience.

We thought that it would be fun to make a You Tube video by going through a bunch of this past year's episodes, pulling out Simon's nastiest comments. After each of his comments, we would inject five seconds of our responses to his comments. I don't know about you, but with my limited technical abilities, I'm not sure I would be able to complete this task within this decade. So, instead, we have chosen to list our responses to the more flagrant comments of his.

"Oh Simon, you knucklehead!"

"You're crazy, Simon!"

"Unbelievable, Simon!"

"HOW can you say THAT!"

"Well, if it's a singing competition, then why are you CRITICIZING WARDROBE?

"Well, if it's a singing competition, then WHY ARE YOU CRITICIZING DANCE?"

"And your professional opinion is backed up with WHAT?"

"How can you call it a DISASTER when they made it their own and POURED THEIR BLEEDING HEARTS OUT?"

"Just say it was the wrong song choice and be DONE WITH IT!"

"You are starting to GET ON MY NERVES, SIMON!"

"If you say that once more, I'm GOING TO SCREAM!"

"KARAOKE MY ___, SIMON!"

"YOU'RE REALLY PISSING ME OFF, SIMON!"

Wouldn't this make a hilarious You Tube video? Come on video techs! Get to work! Here's the script, now have at it!


Danny, you stole my heart with your very first song! I'll be first in line when your album comes out! Good luck on the summer tour!

SIMON, YOU KNUCKLEHEAD!

Fry An Egg on The Sidewalk!

Its sizzle time here in the Midwest! We are cookin’ today! Thanks to Doc Brown (Back to the Future – 1985) for inventing air conditioning…whew! I just cannot imagine how people made it through the heat 100 years ago. I know how they made it through, but trying to imagine how to keep one’s sanity when in a constant state of sweating amazes me to no end. I especially applaud those who were full-figured like me who possessed those wonderful love handles, folds and parts that came in contact with each other when walking! I would have been one of those really cranky ladies who screamed at everyone!

I remember visiting my grandmother in New York during the peak of the summer. Coming from Southern California, which had a much dryer atmosphere, I really hated the humidity. But having deli sandwiches for dinner every night was a real treat for me! She also served these great lemon sugar cookies for dessert each night. For the right food, I would put up with almost anything!

I was an attendant at my cousin’s wedding in Harrison, NY, when I was young and stupid. The reception was at a home on Long Island. Humidity and body of water…what a great combination. After the reception, I accompanied my cousin, her new husband, and various friends on an outing which was held from midnight to 6:00 a.m. We toured the Lower East Side of New York City. There were only supposed to be about 100 people attending this event, however, over 1,000 showed up. Fortunately, we had New York’s Finest chaperoning the event, in autos, on horses and on foot. At 2:00 a.m. in the morning, the temperature was 92 degrees and the humidity was 92%. What a treat! I remember coming home, lying in the back seat of a car at 6:30 a.m. the next morning. I was tired, drenched, and unaware of my surroundings…and I did not have any trace of alcohol in my body since it had left me through perspiration eight hours earlier. Pure and simple exhaustion! I slept for 12 hours!


How, do you ask, does this have anything to do with my blog? (I am trying to write posts that have some sort of continuity with self-improvement, be it weight loss, organization, or dealing with really whacked family members.) I guess I just wanted to share a part of my memory while I still have it, and at the same time offer up stupid things not to do.

Please stop by again when I discuss how not to fight City Hall!

Collections

As far back as I can remember, I've been a saver (collector). I would call most of my stuff a "collection" of some sort. For instance, my mom took a picture of me sitting next to my first collection of dolls when I was about two. I held on to all the dolls I ever owned until it was suggested that I share some of my dolls with those less fortunate.

I shared my Barbies, their hand-made prom dresses, the doll case and everything else with a younger friend down the street. At the time, I felt good about giving them away as I no longer played with them. Today, I want to puke every time I think about it!

My mom saved my favorites dolls in a cardboard box and gave them to me when I moved out. Some of them are still with me. My favorite stuffed Teddy had been in the box for 10 years and then I read about all the bugs that crawl into stuffed animals after a long time. I bit the bullet and threw Teddy out. My Raggedy Ann was the one doll that I took to bed with me and on trips and sleepovers. Some would say that she was "well loved". When I was 30, I put her in the washing machine to clean her up a little. Her face exploded. I was devastated! A good friend knew how much I loved my Raggedy, so she bought me a new one. I still keep it in my nightstand.

Tiny Tears is still with me, but her plastic is getting old and beginning to crack. I keep her wrapped in a blanket inside a plastic bag, and away from the elements. Do you think she can breathe? I also had a baby doll that would move her legs and arms when you wound up the musical knob on her back. My brothers broke the knob on this doll's back when I was 10. I was devastated! But I still love to look at her.

When there are four children running around ones house playing "Fire Drill", "Hide and Seek" or "Catch Me, Catch Me" one often tries to detach oneself for a brief moment. One would steal away to ones bedroom, lock the door, and immerse oneself in ones collection of books that one never had time to read, but would someday. One would pick out the book that one wanted to read first and set it on ones nightstand, just in case one had five minutes sometime during the next year.

One's brief moment of detachment was over..."Moooooooooommmmmm!" cried the wee one, "he's hitting me!"

"I am not hitting" yelled the big one, "I'm tickling!"

"No, you're not tickling" squealed the middle ones,"you are hitting and pushing and licking!"

"Ewwwwwwwww", one thought. "How delightful is that?"

One loves her mom job! One could read anytime for the rest of ones life. But how often could one experience the sounds of joy showered upon one by ones precious little cherubs?