Squirrel Hunt Sundays

Welcome to Sundays in My City, a place to share our city, and visit places that we may or may not have already visited, and hear from people whom we may or may not already know!  Each week, Unknown Mami invites everyone to share a piece of their town through photos, as well as, stories about our lives in our City!

Hi, I'm Tootsie, and I'm from Chicago (not originally, but for now I am)!  Just because we get some colder weather up here doesn't mean we can't go on a squirrel hunt!

I know you are here little Sammy Squirrel!  I can smell you a mile away!  You can run, but you can't hide from this extra-powerful, high efficiency nose of mine!

Are you hiding in the fake berries?

Did you just run behind that bush?

You're making me crazy!  Come on out and play with me!

Please stop by and say hello to Unknown Mami by clicking on the logo below.  See what some of her friends have been up to this weekend!  Thanks for stopping by my little corner.  Hope you have a great week!



 

It's Not Just a Book Thing...Part Deaux!

Welcome to Sundays in My City, a most fascinating look at places around our beautiful country, as well as places unknown.  Each week, San Francisco's Blogger Extraordinaire, Unknown Mami, invites us to visit and share places through our pictures and posts. 

I recently wrote (bragged) about our wonderful, extraordinary, incredible library in Schaumburg, Illinois!  For a quick recap on my post, click here.  I shared some information and pictures about the Teen Place which had not yet opened.  I paid a visit recently to the Schaumburg Township Library and am happy to share pictures of the finished Place, which has been thriving since it's official opening in November.

Everywhere one looks, there are electrical outlets for teens to plug their various instruments of technology.  I can just imagine the electric bill should there be a full house in the Place!  As you can see, the books have been added, the dvd/cd/game rental box is in place, and the substations are ready for action.  My visit was made in the morning when teens are "in school", so it may appear to be a little empty in my pictures.

My favorite place is the multi-purpose-game-instruction-multi-tasking room that is separated by a sort of "see-through garage door."  In addition to the individual screens, which can accommodate up to four players, there is a mega screen that can be lowered for "crowd" uses (or control).

Oh, don't forget that we have a most inviting coffee shop located in the foyer of the library, just behind the cute guy reading on the bench!  It's a great place to grab a quick snack, or warm up with a great cup of coffee! That couch calls my name every single time I pass the shop!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Please visit Unknown Mami's Sundays In My City by clicking on the logo below.

Saggy, Baggy Lady!

Life in ChiTown is good!  It's cold outside...really, really cold!  For this So Cal girl, it's like being at the North Pole without a decent parka, or any parka for that matter! I'm grateful that our heat is working...even if it sounds like a 747 taking off every time it comes on!  The dog only has to pee two or three times a day, so I can handle that. There's milk for cereal and beer for the old guy...what more could one desire?

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT ONE COULD DESIRE....to have my saggy baggy disappear!  I worked my butt off to lose the pounds.  Now, it would be nice to enjoy the rewards...but nooooooooooo!  I will not be wearing "normal" lady jeans, as they don't accommodate my saggy!  I will not be wearing those really cute sweater dresses I saw at work because they don't hide my baggy!  And leggings... well, fahgetaboutit!  Does anybody know if our new health care plan includes "nip & tuck?"  It didn't before, but since a few new things have been added, I just wondered if this was one of them.

I remember a weight-loss place I went to when I was in high school.  They weighed and measured me, then wrapped my body in plastic wrap and had me jump around for a half-hour.  Then I was weighed and measured again...and I fell for it!  Anyway, I was thinking if I wrapped my saggy baggy in plastic wrap, or better yet...duct tape...I might be able to fit into some nice lady clothes.  What do you think?  Is that laughter I hear?  Are you snickering at me?  Well, I'm glad someone is being entertained right now!

Actually, I am hoping that you have been entertained by this little rant of mine.  I love my new body and am so very grateful to have it...saggy, baggy and all! It is a reminder to me of a place where I hope to never be again.  With God's help, my saggy, baggy life is gonna be fantastic!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you have a great week!

p.s. Thanks to my friend, Juli, you can now be notified by email when I get around to writing a post, that is, if you think it might be amusing! Just check out the side bar!

He's Got The Whole World...

Welcome to Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus.  Yes, I know, it's Wednesday...cut me some slack, it's been a busy week!  Saturday Centus is a writing adventure that my friend, Jenny, extends to loyal followers and friends who love to write...usually on Saturday mornings...when our thinking caps are in the hamper and we need a little prompt! This week's prompt is the above picture.  We have been challenged to write 104 words in a story, prose or poetry and it should be in the first person.  My first light bulb moment was a song we used to sing (many decades ago) in Sunday School about having "the whole world in his hands."  My story (which is a little over 100 words...sorry I could not help myself as my research assistants were overflowing with ideas) follows from the viewpoint of my friend, Pete, the young man in the picture.

Somebody gave me this earth ball and said I had to find out how to make a happy world. Here's what some of my friends told me.

LH said the world would be "ran by mommies" and that we would all eat chocolate, and when she grows up she will take care of animals, especially frog animals!

JS said "God would take charge of the world.  I would play with all the toys and eat lots of mac and cheese.  Oh, and we would love everybody!

NT stated that "the world would be better if all of the countries had the same freedom we have.  We would send people to go talk to the kings or someone who will listen so we won't have world war and can live in peace."

Out of the mouths of babes....

Thanks for stopping by today!  Please visit Jenny's blog by clicking on the logo below.  I'm sure that you will find some very entertaining reads from some of my friends!

Fraggin' Friday

Welcome to Friday Fragments, a positively wonderful weekly post from Mrs4444 over at Half-Past Kissin' Time!  It's a place to come and exhale after a great, or not-so great, week and see how others are reflecting.

Another week down, and I'm still alive!!  I'm tired and my feet hurt, but I feel so lucky to have a roof over my head, food that tastes good, and a job!  We are selling Christmas ornaments and decorations like crazy at work!  Some of them are marked down 60%!!!

Am excited to see the wee ones in St. Louis this weekend!  We finally sold the Hubs' "toy" Ghia and now the youngest will have a decent down payment for a car of "her" choice!  The next to the youngest will get the suv and we will bring back Hubs' "other toy", the VW bus, to drive on the snowy streets of Chicago!!!  I'm lucky the Hubs likes working on VWs!

Didn't get the school job...I'm a little disappointed, but that means that the Big Guy upstairs has something better planned for me.  In the meantime, my department store job will work just great! I can pick and choose my shifts which helps with scheduling interviews, doc appointments, and lunch with my new girlfriends!
 
Try bringing a smile to someones face today!

 Hope you all have a great weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

Just click on the Friday Fragments Logo below and enjoy some great reads of Mrs4444's friends!



 

College Lesson

From Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop, I give you a little story of a life lesson learned from a college experience.

I wanted, more than anything, to be an actress!  I took classes, called in sick to my day job so I could be an "extra" in non-union productions, and even took some work that could only be filmed from midnight to morning (grocery store commercial).  I was young and stupid, but not yet willing to let go of the dream.  When I tired of competing with the gazillion other young and stupids chasing the same dream, I thought about looking for work on the other side of the camera...writing.  I had no idea whether or not I was any good, but I had always enjoyed writing.  Let's give it a shot!  I went back to college and enrolled in a screenwriting class.  I was pumped!

For a project, I scoured the newspaper for a word or two that spoke to me. I found some, and began writing an outline and the first few pages of a script that included suspense, romance, and exotic locations.  I had a specific TV show in mind to work this story around.  It was fun, challenging and such a boost to my self-esteem to complete the project.  The creme was getting an "A" on it, which meant stamp of approval from someone who was currently working in the business.  "Someone who was currently working in the business" should have spoken to me, as well!

Flash forward a few years...it's a 2:00 a.m. feeding for my second wee one...I turn on the TV to a rerun of a favorite show of mine.  The story seems familiar, and I just think that maybe I've seen it already.  Then the proverbial light goes on.  IT'S MY STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!  It's my story, with a few minor changes in dialogue. I curiously and patiently waited for the credits at the end of the show.  Guess what?  The screenwriter was one and the same as my teacher!  I felt robbed, and after the initial four-letter words spewed from my lips, I realized there was nothing I could do about it, and I actually conceded that maybe he needed the work more than I did.

My college lesson...and loving suggestion to all writers...protect your hard work. 

Please visit Mama Kat and enjoy some great pieces offered by some wonderful writers!  Just click on the link above!  Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope you have a great day!

Saturday Centus - Was It Just Last Week.....

I know, it's Sunday!  But I am just now getting a few moments to myself, so I thought I would jump in with my two cents and contribute to Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus.  This lovely lady of the written word (yes, Jenny, that's you!) challenges us each week to write a few words on a topic that I sometimes think she picks out of magazines that are meant to be thrown away!  Just kidding...I love a good challenge.  This week, our challenge is to write on the topic of "was it just last week", which for me, can go so many ways.  So, here is my contribution of 105 words or less, with a family-friendly photo of happy times last week!  My prompt is in bold.

Was it just last week that you went to first grade? I thought I could never love you more, but this week its crazy love!

Was it just last week that you played your first game? This week your love for others makes me love you more!

Was it just last week that you had your first recital? Here you are this week, in college and on your own. I’m so full of love I could burst!

Was it just last week that you learned to drive? And this week your hopes and dreams are closer than ever! Loving you has always been easy!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me gush all over about my babies...who are grown and on their own!  Please stop by Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus and read some great stories by the other kids in the class!  Just click on the logo below and enjoy!