Category: General

Today would have been my parent’s 79th wedding anniversary; I know they are celebrating up there in heaven. On this auspicious day I would like to tell you a little bit about their life together. It all started in 1916 when my mom was 5 years old. A family moved in up the road a piece, everyone was curious about the newcomers. The next day there was a knock on my mother’s family home; there stood a 7 year old little boy asking if there were any boys in that house that could come out and play with him and his twin. Thus began a lifelong romance, friendship, old fashioned love.
My mom would tell me she fell in love instantly, her 5 year old heart was taken from that point on she belonged to no one but Foy. I don’t think he felt the same at 7, he would never say. As the years went on, Foy developed a lifelong friendship with Odela’s brothers, a friendship that would last till the day they all started going to heaven, I have no doubt it is continued there.
When Foy was 20 he decided to hop a freight train and work his way to California, it was the great depression and there was no work in Oklahoma, so off he went. Odela was devastated, however, she had never declared her love for Foy, so he had no idea how she felt about him. Foy was gone for two years, in those two years Odela started to date. As a matter of fact she actually accepted a marriage proposal, which she later broke off as she realized she was still in love with Foy.
When Foy came back to Oklahoma, Odela was dating another boy; she was trying to get over Foy. The day he came back was a Sunday, he came to the house, and she hid in her room. Her brother came to get her for church, she said “I’m sick” he said “I bet you are, but come on anyway” and had the nerve to laugh at her.
So off to church they go, Foy on one side of Odela and her date on the other, she often said it was then she began to pray that God would just open the floor and take her right then and there. But He didn’t, He had other plans. She survived church that evening, after the boy took her home she broke up with him. She still loved Foy.
The next morning Foy came to the door, Odela said “I’ll get Jess” (her brother), he said “No, it’s you I want to talk to, I don’t think I want you to date any other boy besides me” I believe it is at that point the heavens opened and the Angels sang. She didn’t tell him until years later that she had actually broken up with that boy before Foy arrived on her doorstep.
She quietly said “ok”, two weeks later they were married in a civil ceremony. No muss, no fuss, a quiet ceremony for an extraordinary couple.
I love and miss you Mom and Dad, I hope your anniversary is amazing in heaven!

I find I do my best thinking in the car, more specifically, in the car on my way to work at 4:30 a.m. This morning I was thinking about the television show Undercover Boss, I know I have discussed this before here, but now I am irritated. Yes irritated, I know this is supposed to be a feel good show, however, this last episode just ticked me off. Does CBS not realize that people are onto this premise now? There are television cameras, a fake mustache, seriously, a fake mustache. The man was sweating like a pig and the thing was falling off. Do they thing that worker bees are so stupid they won’t know a fake mustache when they see it? Seriously.
The workers are playing to the camera, any fool can see it, the affectations, the way they go right into their life stories. And please, does every worker in America have a sob story? Are none of these people happy?
This one just irritated the tar out of me, one of the locations this particular boss went to a location that the company had purchased from a different company. A merger if you will. The worker he was talking to said she liked the former company better, morale was better, benefits were better and she felt more appreciated.
So when he does his reveal to this person, does he address her concerns, no, he tells her he is going to send people from HR to tell her exactly whey they are better than the former company. Seriously! No, what kind of incentives did the previous company have, why do you feel underappreciated? How can we work to change things? Nope, let us browbeat you into believing we are better, you should have seen the look on this woman’s face, she was like, um ok. Crazy nuts, oh and let us give your $5,000.00 dollars.
The most insane thing is almost all of these people are former drug addicts or convicts, when the rest of the world watches these things; they are going to believe that is all we have here. I am just, well, irritated. I refuse to watch this program again.
I, myself, am a worker bee, I am not a drug addict, nor am I a convict; I am your normal, everyday, worker bee. Why am I not represented on this show? Well let me tell you why, that would not be dramatic enough. I am way too normal, if you can imagine me normal, what a thought.
I feel better, thanks for listening.

I have a confession to make, it is really just an embarrassment, I am allergic to wool. Yes, the main component in winter clothing. Sweaters, pea coats, pants, even some socks, Angora makes me itch so bad I think I am dying. Yes, me, the person who loves winter so much, loves winter fashions more than anything, is allergic to wool. As I sit here and reveal that I am wearing a sweater that is made up of, yes you guessed it, wool. By the time I get home my arms will be red and itchy. Why do I wear these items you ask, well because thy are cute. It is a disease I tell you, I have an illness. I believe fashion first, then comfort. What is a little rash if I look cute? I once bought these really cute winter socks without realizing they had wool in them, they were knee socks, I am telling you towards the end of the day I thought I was going to have to cut my legs off. I don’t wear wool socks anymore; I actually pay attention before purchasing them.
I am having total jealousy today, well it started yesterday, I found out Christian Kane was playing at the Governors Inauguration Ball in Oklahoma. Well I have a friend that was there, if I had known Christian Kane was playing I so totally would have stuffed myself in one of her suitcases and tagged along. Actually, together, she and I are trouble, and I know without a doubt in my mind if I had come up with a plan worthy of Lucy and Ethel she would have gone along with it! Love her! I can’t wait to get together with her again and hear all of the details.
I am in a quandary, I have something on my life to do list and I am wondering if it is time to actually do something about it.

Last week I did rather well, I am very proud of myself, I did not get Starbucks on Friday as I had it earlier in the week. So, I stuck to the once a week outing that I have committed to. If you are wondering why I have made this commitment, let me tell you, I don’t want a coffee treat that is low-fat, no sugar, no whip cream. I want the whole shebang, I want it fully loaded. Therefore a once a week treat is not going to kill my diet completely. Much easier to work off than if I had it every day, it is a new week and my human side it weak. Pray for me.
Yesterday was a winter wonderland, I woke to the same winter wonderland, I expected the drive in to be horrendous, however it was not, I admit, I stayed off of the highways and took main thoroughfares to get to work. Saw ice on a bridge once, however, if you do not panic and do not hit your brakes everything is good. Not one slip or slide in this morning.
Very saddened by the happenings in Tucson, such senselessness, these poor people, the little girl who was 9 years old, especially tragic. She was born on Sept. 11, 2001, she was hope born on a tragic day. Only to be gunned down so mercilessly. My prayers go out to her family. I hope they fry the young man who did this horrendous thing. I believe the press is giving too much attention to the shooter; this was exactly what he wanted. Notoriety. Stop giving it to him!
Well it is Monday, I am working, I wish I had the day off so I could sleep in and then go for a walk with the Wookie, but alas that was not to be! I hope everyone has a good beginning to their week and that everyone who has snow enjoys it!
Viva La Snow!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a deep love of snow. It is the great equalizer, it makes everything beautiful, for a brief moment in time everything is quiet, still, perfect. I wonder if I would love it as much if we, here in North Texas, got tons of it like they do in Yankee territory. I don’t know if I will ever know the answer to that as I believe I will never leave Texas to live anywhere else. My children are all here and now that I have a grandchild here, that anchors me right to this spot.
I don’t know how I feel about that, when the judge in our custody battle said that I could never leave Plano while the children were still underage, I was taken aback. It wasn’t that I wanted to leave, but my option to leave was taken away. Now that I have that option again, I don’t know that I will ever leave. I have roots, anchors, I love the community, although I miss Owasso, my home is here.
Perhaps when I am older I will purchase a vacation home in the mountains of Colorado, I love it there as well. I used to go every other year. It is an amazing place, filled with amazing sights. At moments I feel a longing to go there, to renew my spirit, the snow calms me, makes me feel at peace. I know without a doubt in my heart that snow is a gift from God directed at me. My mom told me so, and she never ever lied.
When I moved to Atlanta I was afraid it would not snow, and then it happened, on my birthday, a huge snow storm, the likes of the city had never seen. Everything came to a standstill; people were abandoning their cars on the freeway. My mom called me and said “See, God found you on your birthday.” it was her simple belief that God loved me so much that he would follow me to Georgia to give me a birthday gift that sustained me during a lot of trials.
Now that I am older I still believe. I believe in all of it, that it is my gift, yes; I realize this view is simplistic in nature and, well, a little narcissistic. But it is my belief and I am sticking to it.
Now in other news, had the very best time last night reconnecting with my friend Linda and her beautiful family, so sorry I didn’t get to see Christopher, but next time. It was so much fun catching up, reliving old memories, and meeting her two newest additions to the family. Many good thoughts go out to her daughter today! That is all I can so for now!

Today is Friday and I am so looking forward to tomorrow, I am going to sleep in, at least until 6:00 a.m. My main goal for tomorrow is to never leave my pajamas and to get my bedroom organized and to also catch up on all of my DVR’d items. Lofty goals, I know, you are all shocked I am aiming so high. It is a new year and I plan on accomplishing great things, starting with my bedroom.
Coffee is a wonderful thing, I don’t know how people live without it, it is my comfort, my joy, the elixir of life. My morning does not start until I take that first sip, I can feel it instantly going to my veins, infusing me with energy, strength, I can feel my brain waking up. It is a glorious feeling.
Ok, is everyone freaked out about all the birds and fish dying? In different places, not just here in the U.S.; fish dying in Sweden, different states here, and it is not all fish in the area, just one type. Very freaky indeed. It is one of two things, the apocalypse is near, or it is the aliens, preparing to come to earth. I think the voting needs to happen soon to make me the official greeter. People get on that!
My vote goes to the aliens, I fully believe the fish were operatives of the aliens, sent to gather information about earth, however, and when the aliens sent them they thought we were still primordial ooze. So the fish were higher intelligence than earthlings, however when the ship actually hit the galaxy they realized their mistake so a mass cleaning up was called for. The birds are a little different. I think they ran into the space ships, there was a lot of cloud coverage, and as we learned from Star Trek episodes and movies that is enough to cover the ship, oh unless they have the cloaking device. Such a definite possibility.
Happy Happy Friday Everyone! Enjoy your day; make it a great Starbucks day!

92.5 was totally rocking out this morning! Such good music, J.Giles Band, My Angel is a Centerfold, what a great song. I remember that was Tammi’s favorite song when it first came out. It is a great song. I am completely knackered. I need 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep; I don’t think I am going to get that any time soon.
I am back to new shoe Wednesday; today I am wearing my new black Nine and Co boots, courtesy of Jeffrey, Elisabeth and Tessa. I love them. I am also wearing a new deep purple sweater, courtesy of the same group! It is a good outfit day. I need more new shoes; there are a lot of Wednesdays in the year.
This is the year of my wedding, I need to get serious about the weight thing and getting physically fit, I am going to start working out and eating less junk. Notice I did not say no junk, I said less. I refuse to give up all of my bad habits. I like them, I find them comforting, I will not be giving up sour skittles any time soon, nor will I give up my once a week Starbucks. I have cut back on that, it was more like 3 or 4 times a week, I have gotten that under control. So it is 500 calories, 50 grams of protein a day, I do that for a two week period to cleanse my system. It works like a charm; you just have to make sure on that third day you are at home. I believe there is no explanation needed for that.
The Wookie did not scare me this morning, he was in plain site, I like that much better, I don’t like when I cannot find one of the pups, it gives me a near heart attack.
Alright people, enjoy New Shoe Wednesday! Make it a great day!

This morning Jess’ dog nearly gave me a heart attack, yes; he is Jess’ dog this morning. Well it was a combination of Chewie and Alex. I wake up and I don’t see Chewie in the bedroom so I go in the living room, I see no Chewie, I panic. I look on the back porch, I remember letting him out, all of a sudden I do not remember letting him in. I go back to the bedroom, look in the other two bedrooms, the kitchen, both bathrooms, the backyard. No Chewie. I go back to the living room, stand there and really look, Alex has fallen asleep on the sofa, did I mention this is at 3:00 a.m.? All of sudden I notice a pile of pillows next to the sofa, a white bit of fluff, with a black nose is sticking out of the pile. He had lain next to Alex and Alex had covered him with the pillows. He was all comfy with his pillows. I dug him out and explained he had scared me! He laughed, yes; I am convinced the dog laughs.
So it is back to a regular routine this week, well somewhat, I was a slacker yesterday. But from this point forward I have to be good with my vacation time.
I made no New Year’s resolutions, I refuse, I never keep them, well, wait, I will make one now, I resolve to shop more to help the economy. There, something that is good for everyone. Did any of you make any resolutions?
I have now gotten the Irishman’s daughters addicted to the Smurf’s game on the IPad, I have gotten them so addicted that I bought them each a Smurf Snuggie! They are so cute wearing them playing the Smurf game.
Well folks I am completely exhausted, I have a lot to tell you, but too tired to tell right now, so I will save some for later. Let’s just say one story involves a man wearing a pink boa singing a song from Burlesque.

I hope everyone has a great year, I cannot say it better than this, I hope you enjoy this Dear Abby:

DEAR READERS: Welcome to 2011! While the last year has been arduous for many of us, a new one has arrived, bringing with it our chance for a new beginning.
Today is the day we discard destructive old habits for healthy new ones, and with that in mind, I will share Dear Abby’s often requested list of New Year’s Resolutions — which were adapted by my mother, Pauline Phillips, from the original credo of Al-Anon:
JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.
I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I’ll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.
Just for today, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health. If I’m a smoker, I’ll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat healthfully — if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it’s only around the block.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.
And now, Dear Readers, I would like to share an item that was sent to me by I.J. Bhatia, a reader who lives in New Delhi, India:
DEAR ABBY: This year, no resolutions, only some guidelines. The Holy Vedas say, “Man has subjected himself to thousands of self-inflicted bondages. Wisdom comes to a man who lives according to the true eternal laws of nature.”
The prayer of St. Francis (of which there are several versions) contains a powerful message:
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
“where there is hatred, let me sow love,
“where there is injury, pardon;
“where there is doubt, faith;
“where there is despair, hope;
“where there is darkness, light;
“and where there is sadness, joy.
“O Divine Master,
“grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
“to be understood, as to understand;
“to be loved, as to love;
“for it is in giving that we receive,
“it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
“and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.”
And so, Dear Readers, may this new year bring with it good health, peace and joy to all of you. Love, ABBY

I have a new addiction; it is the Smurfs game on the IPad. I cannot play it on my IPhone; it resets itself after I get to a certain level. So the Irishman set it up for me on his IPad, I think he regrets this as he is never going to be able to get that thing back.
So all of the presents have been opened, I think the Irishman’s girls liked their presents, they wrote me the sweetest thank you note. I promptly put it on the fridge were I can see it every day. I almost cried when I read it because it was the sweetest thing. I asked their dad if he had prompted it and he said no, they did it all on their own. So much sweeter now! Those girls are the sweetest things; I wish I could keep them all the time. Dress them up like Barbie dolls, play with their new easy bake oven with them, they are pretty, sweet, funny and smart little girls.
Tomorrow is our anniversary, 3 years since our first date, I don’t know what we are going to do, I left it up to the Irishman. So far I know he has a movie planned. I know he can’t top last year, I don’t expect him to in all honesty, I am not expecting spectacular, just fun.
Well a busy weekend is planned, I need rest for it, will be taking a nap when I get home as we are going to friends of his this evening. They want to show off their Keggerator. He is still not getting one!