V is for Very Interesting!

How many remember the great days of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In?  So many careers were born and revived from that show!  The multi-talented and wide array of characters never failed to delight and make us laugh out loud.  It was a show that families, well some families, could watch together and actually "get" the jokes!One of my favorite characters was the German soldier played by Arte Johnson.  He would say the words "very interesting" and sometimes follow them up with "but very schtupid!"  I can just imagine how much fun taping the show must have been for everyone!

Another great show, I think, was the Carol Burnett Show.  I recently watched an interview with Carol Burnett where she reminisced about the actors who were on the show and the many hours of ad-libs and deep belly laughs they all gave to us. What I would have given to be a fly on the wall of one of the sets of that show! I probably would have left little fly "pee" marks all over the place!

Comedy has changed dramatically over the years and although it can be very entertaining, I think that the humor in entertainment today is too raw, too insulting and only intended for certain audiences.  Don't get me wrong...there are oodles of great sitcoms out there right now.  But many TV shows, movies and live comedy seem to have aspired to a very deep low, and I hope that a more simple, clean and "something for everyone" type of funny can find its way back to us. 


Please stop over to Jenny's place and see what other V assignments have been turned in today.  Just click on the logo below and VOILA...you will be there!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Sundays - Easter Blessings!

Hello from Chicago and Happy Easter to all! I hope that however your day is spent, it is enjoyable! We plan to do some laundry, take the dog out to a public park (if any are open) and treat ourselves to dinner at one of the fine dining establishments in the area--preferably one without a drive-through!

What will be different for us this year, is the annual egg hunt and family get-together.  For the first time in 27 years, I did not stay up until midnight filling and hiding eggs, arranging baskets and setting out items for the Easter meal prep.  It's bittersweet for me.  It was actually nice to come home from work at 9:30, fall into bed, and sleep in until 8:00.  I told my children to hide their own eggs this year.  Does this qualify me for "mom of the year" status?

It's all part of the journey...subject to change at any moment.  Life is good, and I'm so very grateful to be a part of it!

I'm from Chicago. Welcome to my city!  Please hop (no bunny pun here) over to Sundays in My City to see what Unknown Mami's followers are doing today!  Just click on the logo below.

Thanks for stopping by today!  (Bunny photo courtesy of The Graphics Fairy)

Like Ribbons of Light

Welcome to one of my favorite weekend memes, Saturday Centus! This weekly writing challenge always puts me to the "imagination" test, and I love it!  Jenny Matlock from Off On My Tangent has tossed out a great idea for us this week. We are to write a piece that begins with the words, "Our Fingers Entwined Like Ribbons of Light" using our choice of expression which could be prose, poetry, lyric, etc. Our only requirement is that we use no more than 107 words.  My submission follows with the prompt in bold.  Enjoy!


Our fingers entwined like ribbons of light.  It felt incredible to experience my mother's touch again after so many years. My entire body was engulfed in the warmth of the light as I explored her face with my hands. She was so beautiful and her smile drew me closer as we embraced.  Then, in an instant, I was pulled back from her and she faded, along with the light and the warmth.  I cried out to her, but she was no longer there.  My body shook. I opened my eyes and found a masked medical team hovering above...cheering.  They just scored a three-pointer at the buzzer!


Thanks so much for stopping by today! Please click on the Saturday Centus logo below and see some great reads from other followers of Jenny's.  You won't be disappointed! Have a wonderful weekend!

Frags on Friday - Spaced Out!

Welcome to Friday Fragments #241, a weekly wind down sponsored by the magnanimous Mrs4444 (pronounced "MrsFours") of Half-Past Kissin' Time!  I love this segment of her blog as it gives one a chance to reflect, reject and renew oneself prior to the weekend!

I've had a "Space Mountain" of a week emotionally, but it's been good...great learning experience... humbled my ego somewhat, encouraged me to let go a little and trust the big guy a lot more with my silly little life!  "Oh, just surprise me, God!  I know it will be great!"

Spent last Sunday picking up the VW Bus, and praying that it wouldn't break down between Missouri and Illinois.  It ran out of gas...but it didn't break down!  What a lesson in trust.  Also got our taxes done, had lunch with my girls and was the recipient of not just one, but two, hugs from the #2 son, while #1 son was recuperating from his variety show the night before.  Next time, Boneman!  I need two hugs from you!

I was having coffee with some friends and watched one of them break a perfectly to-die-for cupcake in half, pulling the bottom half over the top so that it became a cupcake-sammich!  I began to hyperventilate and lose consciousness.  I was quickly brought back to reality when I began to gnaw on a carrot that I had been holding.  I enjoyed that cupcake vicariously through my friend, after repeating to myself...I don't like cupcakes...they are evil...they will cause me to lift off into outer space!  Somehow, the conversation changed from evil sugar to permanent make-up tips.  My other friend revealed her beauty secrets that she acquired while in one of our coastal, sunny states.  She is drop-dead gorgeous to begin with, but I was not aware that her brows were tattooed, her eyeliner was tattooed, and her lip color had been tattooed!  I sort of choked on my carrot thinking about the procedures, but then realized just how much money she has saved by "not" waxing, not buying and applying both eyeliner and lipstick.  She also described what she had done with her lashes, but I can't remember as my mind was totally mush from her description of the lipstick tattoo!


What? Too much info?  Sorry, I just wanted to share a little of my week.  Hope you've had a great one!

Please click on the logo below to visit my friend, Mrs4444, and see what some of her friends have been up to this week!  Thanks for stopping by!

Good Friends Hereafter

Welcome to Saturday Centus, #151, the brainchild of a most prolific and entertaining blogger/writer, Jenny Matlock.  Each week she challenges her readers to write a post from a prompt of her choice, or the choice of a guest blogger/writer, using a certain amount of words (normally about 100 plus the words in the prompt), and using a form of our choice (poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, song or rant).  This week's prompt is Thank You, Beryl! and my story follows.

Growing up, there was a family on our block from England. I was fascinated with the language, our differences and the things we had in common.  There were three kids and their parents, Jack and Beryl.  I could listen to Beryl's voice for hours.  She had a quirky sense of humor that made me laugh.  Even when she was dying of cancer, she was full of wit.  We talked shortly before she passed, and I asked her to give my love to my mom when she saw her.  She said she would.  I am sure they met and my message delivered...thank you, Beryl!

Thanks for stopping by today and humoring me.  Please hop over to Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus page by clicking on the logo below.  See what other literary delights you may find!

Writer's Workshop - My Parents Met In Middle America

It has always fascinated me to learn how people get together, share a life, and produce a legacy for future generations.  Have you ever considered the "what ifs" that might have changed the course of your life?  I am convinced that a very well-thought out master plan is responsible for how we came about, even with all of the choice possibilities and coincidences (or co-inky-dinks, as we say in my family) that cause the twists and turns of our lives.  Each of these twists has a purpose, whether we are aware of the purpose, or not.

Take, for example, my parents.  They are both in heaven, probably dancing, golfing or playing Bridge.  I loved hearing the stories of how they met and looking at the pictures of their first years together.  My mom, originally from New York, was a student at Missouri Valley College, and my dad, originally from California, was in the Navy, stationed at the school for training.  He was dating my mom's roommate.  If the roommate was not ready to leave for a date when my dad arrived (which was often because my dad was always early), my mom would sit and talk with him while he waited.  One thing led to another and soon they were dating and my mom's roommate was not.  Fortunately, there was another great guy waiting in the wings for the roommate.

My mom was the Editor of the school newspaper, and she was not afraid to exercise her First Amendment right.  The Navy had a football team that played against the school's team for practice.  She wrote about a game where there were questionable calls, as well as, questionable tactics involved.  In essence, she blasted the Navy's team! I think her courage and assertiveness made my dad love her even more! 

My mom graduated, joined the Navy, and married my dad on a weekend leave.  The rest went according to The Plan. Theirs is a great story, with so much more to tell...another post!

This post is brought to you by the effervescent Mama Kat at Mama's Losin' It.  Each week she provides writing prompts from her Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop, to her writer followers with a challenge to crank up our brain muscles.  Please click on the logo below to visit Mama Kat and read some great stories from some very talented bloggers!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Friday Fragments - Ya-Hooey!

Man-oh-man I thought today would never get here!  Not that it makes that much difference having the weekend to play, lounge around, sleep in...I work in retail...there are no weekends!  So, I play, lounge around and sleep in whenever I can, regardless of the day!  It is a special treat to spend a morning (Monday through Friday) getting nothing done.  Don't get me wrong!  It's not like I do this everyday; just once in awhile...like...every third or fourth day!

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day.  I use this day as a last-ditch effort to get my Christmas cards out.  Otherwise, I have to go to through all the cards, cross out "Season's Greetings" and write over with the words, "Happy Easter!"  After the birth of my second child in August (many, many years ago), I just couldn't get to the Christmas cards, so I sent out Easter greetings.  It worked for me.

Valentine's Day is also the day that the kids gave to our beloved rescue dog, Tootsie!  For a special birthday treat, we drive through Mickey D's and get her a cheeseburger.  I worked yesterday, so was unable to accomplish that.  Dad reminded me that dogs don't know what day it is....so I guess that's where we are going today...in addition to the gazillion other errands.  I'll get a coffee and she'll get a cheeseburger (boo-hoo!)!

I discovered a great site for tree, eco-friendly, self-sustaining dwellings on f/b.  It's called "Living Off The Grid" and I'm not sure if they have their own website, or just a photo gallery on f/b.    There are some really fun things to see!



I'd love to share more pictures and have the placement of same be to my liking, however, the blog gods have made some changes and it has taken me two hours to get to this point.  I will leave you now before my lips begin spewing four-letter words, and pray that your weekend is full of laughter, hugs and happy events.  Be sure to stop by Friday Fragments and say hello to the delightful Mrs.4444!