I like this....

(you may have already seen this because it's said to have been going around the Internet for a while, but it's my first time reading it)


This Mantra is what the Dalai Lama has to say on the new Millennium:



Instructions for Life

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R's:
Respect for self,
Respect for others and
Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke
of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back,
you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation.
Don't bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go some place you've never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for
each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon

And then there were seven -- at least....

Okay. This is not funny. We started out seeing possum and raccoons at our back door. Two huge raccoons. Sunday night when I saw the cat staring out the door I counted at least seven raccoons. Two big ones and five or six little ones (not that little). They don't spook. I can stand on the other side of the glass door, staring at them and they just stare back. The cat's not even alarmed anymore. She just sits there and tilts her head while staring at them.

I think my problem is that J is feeding them. Yep. I wonder how many other people are doing the same. While downloading the picture from google images that you see above, I saw an article that said urban raccoons are a nuisance -- killing cats and small dogs and biting home owners. Ewwww!

I'm gonna tell J that and suggest he quit feeding the things. Through the years while he was away working, son #3 and I would see possum and raccoons from time to time but we never thought of feeding them. If J doesn't stop I've got another idea. Thanks to the critters my yard needs to be pooper scooped. So....if I hire someone to do it, J will most definitely stop his foolishness.

BTW, I watched 27 Dresses yesterday. Loved it! I almost didn't even consider it because I thought it'd be too young-ish for me. Katherine Heigl was a treat to watch. This weekend we get to watch (a la J) 10,000 B C. So looking forward to that. Yawn....

Oh, and might I mention that Wii tennis is kicking my a**?

I can't believe it's only Tuesday....

So far it's been one of those weeks where I've gotten so much done it makes me smile. I love it when this happens -- even though it rarely does. I'm exhaused but with good reason. Sunday I got all my floors vacuumed. That left Monday free to kick back and watch a couple of movies that have been waiting, except....I ended up grocery shopping and (the biggie of the day/week) changing out my fall/winter clothes to summer ones. Actually this didn't take that long because down here we don't have that many winter clothes, but it was still a minor pain in the butt. I also washed a few loads. I even did the online banking. And....I watered the outside plants last night -- which took forever. I even did Wii fit. I'm here to tell you it kicked my butt.

Then today I made a stew. Yes. It's in the mid-nineties and I cooked as if it were fall. That's what J wanted to eat so that's what I made. It tood a-l-l day for it to simmer. All that browning and chopping and simmering.... At least I'm set for dinners for three days or so. I picked up a deli chicken yesterday at the store and since J had a big lunch at work I ended up being the only one eating off it so it's here for fajitas later this week. Add that to warming up the stew and that should take me to the weekend. I washed my hair today and even made an appointment for next week to have it cut and colored. Exciting stuff, huh? Sigh!

Did I mention it's hot outside? Okay, I'll stop whining. (Don't count on it.) A year ago today I was living through my first day in NYC. Sigh! I'm working on a plan in the back of my mind for the rest of the summer and if things keep going the way they are it may work out.

I have something I need to do and I don't know why I'm so hesitant to do it. It's nothing unpleasant it's just something I'm hesitating to do. I've never been good at realizing the need to do certain things to keep relationships going. I think I get it from my dad. My mom was really into relationships -- and good at them. I'm not. I have no problems starting friendships. Keeping them going is my weakness. I don't know why that is. I don't do the maintenance stuff. Maybe it's selfishness? I look on this task as a lesson, an opportunity to change so mabe I'll follow through. I do want to.

I watched Juno last night. It was fine. There were a couple of touching scenes. I think I liked the music better than the movie on the whole. Last week I watched Antonia's Line (did I already mention this?). I liked it. This weekend we watched Death at a Funeral and laughed all the way through it. If you like British humor you'd like it -- at least that's what the reviews say.

100 things about me....

Let's see if I can do this....

1. I'm a sister.

2. I'm a wife.

3. I'm a mother.

4. I'm a teacher.

5. I live in a place so hot and humid it's not funny.

6. I plan to move sooner rather than later.

7. Even tho I love my house it doesn't *fit* me or my lifestyle.

8. I've worked so hard on my house that I'm falling back in love with it.

9. I love Southeastern Conference football. Actually I love two SEC teams -- Alabama and LSU.

10. I have every intention to not get so involved this football season.

11. I grew up with two brothers.

12. My youngest brother took his life and I still wonder if there was anything I could/should have done.

13. I don't keep in touch with my other brother as I should.

14. I have four children I love with every fiber of my being.

15. My husband and I are on ever-changing ground. We love each other but it's damn hard to live with each other.

16. I love to read.

17. I have thin, curly hair that I can't do a thing with.

18. My hair color has its own number and I get compliments on it.

19. I don't enjoy s-i-t-t-i-n-g while the color does its magic but I do it anyway,

20. I'm short.

21. I just started taking blood pressure medication and I don't like it because I've not had to take any medicines before so it's hard to get used to and I wonder if I really need it.

22. My mother died when I was young and I still miss her.

23. I have a deep faith that there's something out there that will give all this crap some meaning.

24. I haven't looked forward to Christmas for years.

25. I love bread.

26. I'm an avid Coast to Coast AM listener (and I probably shoud be embarrassed to admit it).

27. I get two newspapers every Sunday and sometimes it's the following Saturday before I read them. I can't throw them away before reading them tho.

28. This summer I've become hooked on Lifetime movies.

29. I enjoy Ghost Whispers and that baffels my kids.

30. People talk to me easily.

31. I can't find people who will listen to me.

32. I feel I should be doing more with my life.

33. I am left handed.

34. I look forward to alone time.

35. I absolutely must have my morning coffee.

36. I wish I could loose ten pounds.

37. I enjoy foreign movies.

38. I daydream a LOT.

39. I am stubborn.

40. I could live on diet Dr. Peppers.

41. I can't get a thing done when I'm not organized.

42. I believe I put too much energy into my teaching jobs while I was raising my children.

43. If I had it to do over I wouldn't work until my children were grown.

44. I love sunsets.

45. I love Alabama beaches.

46. I tried very, very hard to keep my children from being prejudiced against other races.

47. I can't seem to do anything gradually -- I want to get it done NOW.

48. The social give and take doesn't come naturally to me.

49. I would never get married again.

50. I thrive on a routine.

51. I find that many ideas our society might label *new age* have deepened my faith.

52. I'm a big believer in thinking about something *tomorrow* if the time doesn't seem right at the moment.

53. I should have more friends.

54. It's hard for me to delegate.

55. I have bad teeth -- the dentist agrees.

56. I have always been healthy and I'm grateful.

57. I don't like taking medicine -- even asprin.

58. I sip on one glass of wine or one drink for hours.

59. I snack lots.

60. I don't eat much meat.

61. I like my bread making machine but use it in spurts.

62. Clutter sucks the energy right out of me.

63. Pessimistic people suck the energy out of me.

64. I was one of the only people my husband's famiy knew who could get along with my mother-in-law.

65. I can easily be a bad enabler to my children.

66. I love M&Ms.

67. When I start eating peanuts I can't seem to stop until I make myself sick.

68. Ditto for watermelon.

69. I dropped out of sorority rush in my freshman year in college. Just couldn't do it.

70. I graduated from high school at sixteen.

71. I can't go to bed before midnight.

72. It's easy to push me around.

73. I cry when I get mad instead of keeping my wits and thinking of something to say or do.

74. I am RH negative.

75. I know almost nothing of my famiy tree.

76. I do almost all my shopping online (except for groceries).

77. I am an eternal optimist.

78. Hearing a trumpet transports me.

79. I can worry too much if I'm not careful.

80. I feel guilty about too many things I can't control.

81. For years I allowed my husband to dump his guilt on me.

82. I am getting better at recognizing the guilt thing.

83. I can't carry a tune for the life of me.

84. I like to have a plan and then work it.

85. I have dry skin.

86. I tan easily.

87. I don't have a favorite color because I like so many of them.

88. I'm easy to please in many ways.

89. I have a Southern accent. (Go figure!)

90. I paint my toenails.

91. I rarely dress up since I stopped working.

92. I keep a tv on during the day tuned to music -- either new age or oldies.

93. I've been told by several people that I'm not cautious enough.

94. I believe thoughts can change the world -- for good or bad.

95. I don't believe in the death penalty.

96. I listen to traffic reports on the radio most mornings even though it doesn't affect me.

97. I enjoy big breakfasts.

98. I'm a slow eater.

99. I usually give people the benefit of the doubt.

100. I can't decide whether or not I believe in reincarnation.

Mexican food & 100 things about me....

That's a pic from dallas tortillas, but the yummy food I just finished looked similar. I wish I'd thought to take my own picture but I was too much of a pig too hungry to wait.

It was good food but actually getting it was about as fun as eating it. You see....my sociable hubby, J, struck up a friendship with a visiting Mexican engineer last summer while I was in NYC -- the Mexican engineer's wife was still home in Mexico so he and J spent some time together. This engineer took J to a Mexican restaurant not far from my house saying it had the most authentic Mexican food he'd found in BR. So, since J's been mentioning all weekend that he'd like some Mexican food we decided to order a couple of to-go meals from that restaurant.

We didn't have a take out menu so we decided to drive there, look at a menu, place our order and walk to the new butcher shop and have a look. (The butcher shop is rumored to serve some very good plate lunches.)

So....away we went. We get to the restaurant and I can't tell you how different it is inside. It's in a regular strip shopping center -- one I've been to many times. I've even been inside this particular restaurant when it was a different restaurant, but I can't tell you how different it was inside. The music, the smells, the people, the whole atmosphere. First of all I couldn't believe so many Mexicans live in my part of town. I never see them -- except on my rare Wal*Mart visits. Where are they during the day?

Second, it was fun placing our order. The menus were in Spanish and English except the Spanish words were first so....I entirely missed the English words. I couldn't figure out what came with the dinners until I heard J reading it out. I asked him where he saw all this and he pointed to the English printed underneath the Spanish. I felt foolish (even tho no one knew what I was going through).

Then, as were placing our order we asked the order taker/cashier some questions. He spoke pretty good English (much better than I speak Spanish) and there were only a couple of times he had to stop and think. But, here's the kicker, even tho I understood everything he said, J would repeat it to me like I hadn't been able to understand. I got tickled and the cashier did, too. As J would repeat to me whatever the cashier had said, the cashier and I would look at each other and share the laugh between us. J finally caught on.

Anyway....the food was good. A little different from what we're used to but that's why we went there. The only thing I'm worried about now is that I ate most of the two tomato slices. I didn't think anything of it until J said he wondered if we should eat the tomatoes. Merde! Too late for me. I didn't finish the half slice I had left (even tho I ate the salsa) and J ate all his tomato -- after putting the anxiety on me. So, if I'm not around for a few days you might know why.

I'm working on the 100 things about me post. I hope to have it ready by some time tomorrow. It's harder than I thought.

Call it mojo or gris gris....

Update! Bottom of ninth. LSU behind 5-2. Then....three run homer (for LSU)!!!!

LSU takes it 6-5 over Rice.

My Tigers live to fight/play another day.

Geaux Tigers!

Possums, raccons, and geese....

Oh, my! And throw in a huge heron along with the egrets that adorn the trees by the lake and that's a list of the wildlife in my back yard at present. It amazes me that I'm in the city yet have all these animals visiting. When I hear Cassie the cat bouncing off the glass doors that go out to the backyard and hissing like a demon from hell, I know the possums and raccoons have arrived for their nightly visit. The cat's antics don't upset the wild animals at all. They stand and stare at her -- which makes her even more berserk. Even J and I don't scare them. They actually cock their heads and look at us -- with their devilishly gleaming eyes. It doesn't help that I caught J leaving them cat food in a bowl. Who knows what else will show up once word gets around?

It's son #1's birthday. He called Sunday for Father's Day and had already gotten his gifts in the mail. I hope he calls tonight. If he doesn't we may try and call him but his phone situation is cooky-boo so we probably won't be able to contact him. I'm just so very, very, very glad he's in touch with us and most of all that he's saying some things that give me hope. The fact that he's still alive and kicking (and thinking) strengthens my belief in prayers -- his, too, he's told me. Of course, I've had hope before and it's been dashed (time and again) but where your child is concerned you never stop hoping, believing, praying....trying.

My dentist visit wasn't as bad as I feared. (They usually aren't.) I got a call this morning asking if I could come in early -- which I was glad to do. When I got there I learned that Dr. K wanted to see LSU's 1 o'clock baseball game from Omaha. I'm glad he worked on my mouth before the game because, as I click away at this post, it doesn't look like the mojo's workin' for LSU. The next dentist visit will be a doozy when they extract a tooth. But....we'll think about that next week.

Well, guess I'll go check the score. I refuse to watch baseball -- untill the last two or three minutes if LSU's doing well.

Happy Father's Day to all fathers everywhere....

I love fathers. I think men who take the time and make the effort to do the job in a loving, caring way -- the best they can -- are to be honored and appreciated. My husband has been a good father to our children and now that the kids are at ages where they are able to begin recognizing how much he cares for them and has tried to do for them, he is reaping some benefits from his efforts -- their love and thank yous. It means the world to him. I love that about him -- that he loves our children so much.

Do you see the picture of his Father's Day gift? A Wii. He's already played on it and doesn't know it. When the kids were in a couple of weeks ago we all played on it for hours -- along with the Wii Fit they got me for Mother's Day. J thought it was the kids'. He's going to be surprised today because he has wanted me to buy one since the kids left. I feared daily that he was going to go on ebay and get one. I had to lie to him assure him the kids and I were looking for one everywhere we went. It was true -- at one time -- weeks ago -- before the kids found one. So, today we're going to bowl, play tennis, hula hoop, balance, and....whatever other games are includes. I plan on being sore tomorrow.

I also got J a tee shirt with guitars on it since he's in a band now, don't cha know. Sigh. And I found a couple of CDs of funky beach music -- recorded live at the world famous FloraBama Roadhouse and Lounge. (One of our favorite places.) The titles of the CDs say it all: Down and Out in Paradise (featuring "I Get My Women at the Waffle House," and my favorite "On a Bus Back to Birmingham") and Tequila Makes My Clothes Fall Off -- by the famous Rusty McHugh. I'll admit this music may be an acquired taste.

I wish my dad was here so I could give him a hug and a kiss, but since he's not I'll remember him with this click here post. I was blessed to have a dad who loved me and I thank him for that. Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I love you.

It's been a long week....

This week is being one of those weeks that seems to be made up of one thing after another that needs to be done. Nothing important -- just one little time-stealing task after another. And it's hot (not to mention the humidity). ....But it's way too early to start complaining about that! No rain -- which means lots of time spent outside watering the plants. I have to wait until about 6 pm or after so the sun won't evaporate the water pouring out of the hose -- not to mention evaporate me. We haven't had rain in over a week. Lots of big, fluffy, dark clouds but no rain drops falling from them. One good thing about the high pressure over us causing all this heat and lack of rain -- it makes it hard for hurricanes to come our way.

On my trip to the dentist Monday we devised a plan for taking control of my mouth. This plan is going to be intricate, iffy (meaning at times the next step won't be known until the dentist is in the process of working on my teeth),expensive, and....we get started next week. Summer's going to be fun.

Well, guess I better get son #1's birthday gift and card ready to go out in today's mail since it's got to go all the way to Oregon. Then I need to make a tuna salad because I'll be joining the salad get together later tonight. We'll sit, chat, eat, and toast the sunset (and try not to get eaten up by the mosquitoes). Egg salad. Tuna salad. Chicken salad. Tossed salad. Chef salad. Fruit salad. Fresh sliced tomatoes. Gallons of iced tea and lemonade -- along with bottles of wine and maybe a pitcher or two of icy cold goodies. Close to being at the beach? Nah. Not really.

Sunday fun....

....since I have nothing to say, here's a link to Zamoraa that I hope works.


Click Here For Is it Marilyn Monroe or Albert Einstein?

Now I'm going to start reading my Sunday papers.

Two Jack's with a twist later....

Sheesh! That's a big bottle.

Well, things picked up a bit when a long-lost friend called with an invitation to meet at an almost forgotten bar near LSU. (I hadn't been there in ages.) Calls went out to a couple of other long-neglected friends and soon we ended up with a celebration that moved from drinks to dinner, back to drinks, and then to music. The music wasn't so hot but the company made up for it. We made a stop at one of the city's gay clubs in remembrance of a close friend -- still alive and kickin' -- just far away. We called him while there to tell him we loved him and were thinking about him and unknown to us he called the manager who went out of his way to make us comfortable with some delicious food and drinks, but most of all with his company and conversation -- he knows our friend well and shared in our memories. Has anyone else noticed how comfortable you can be at a gay club -- when you're not gay? Now. Be forwarned. You must know what you're doing and choose carefully !! but, keeping that in mind, it can be a treat. And....if you have a far away friend, you might not have to pay the cover.

It was a good night. Good food. Good drink. But most of all, good friends. Then it was back to reality, which would be J calling with news about what he's thinking of doing with that house. He's supposedly signing with a realtor -- we'll see. I'd bet doughnuts to dollars that he ends up renting it. Anywho....he's coming home either tonight or tomorrow so I'm cooking. We had so many banana peppers ripen at once that I had to look on line for a recipe. I found one that's in the oven as I type. I think it'll be good. Of course, you usually have to make something at least once before you get it to your liking. Next time I'll use regular ground beef instead of Italian sausage. Stuffed banana peppers, fresh tomatoes, veggies and cornbread will be what we'll feast on this weekend. I think I'll make a Jello pie to finish off the meal. And think about watering the dying shrubs later today. It's been hot and dry here.

Well, that's it for me. Barfly (and I use that term very loosly) one night, house wife the next. Isn't that the way it is with married life?

This is where I wish I were today......

I wish I had my feet in the cool Gulf Shores surf. Then I'd have a tomato sandwich for lunch made with fresh, juicy (lightly salted, heavily peppered) tomatoes from Burris -- on thick slices of their homemade yeast bread with plenty of BAMA mayonaisse. Then I'd just sit on the beach or by the pool reading a good book or maybe a visit to the Orange Beach Art Center (that's it in the picture above -- and below). By then it would be time for a late afternoon/early evening vist to the FloraBama for a tackiness fix -- and a drink or two. Then a good seafood meal with some funky beach music being played in the background. Ah, heaven!

Don't ya love this little house. It was one of the first hotels in Gulf Shores and it gives a glimpse of what it was like to spend time at the beach long ago. I took these pictures when we were down there last Christmas -- I really like the wreaths. That's where I bought my Fort Mogan Christmas tree. There were many other things I wanted but....didn't want to pay the asking price for at that time. Like the Katrina picture frmaes. A former boat captain makes picture frames from Katrina debris and they are lovely. Isn't that odd how you can say something's lovely when it's rooted in a disaster? Maybe I can bring myself to buy one next time we're down there.



But, instead of sitting on the beach I'm sitting in my own home. I can sit outside and look at the lake. That's something. But....not the beach. And after yesterday's visit to the dentist for a cleaning it looks as if I have a summer's worth of dental appointments waiting for me. I have awful teeth. The dentist agrees. He said it's just that way for some people -- like his own mom. Oh, well, they won't have to worry about paying the office rent this summer with all the work they'll be doing on me. We actually have dental insurance but I'm not expecting it to pay that much. Isn't that always the way?

J's in Alabama working on that house and talking to realtors. It's a horrible time to try and sell a house but we'll see what happens. I can't help but wonder if he waited til now because of that very fact. Who knows. It's too hot to think about it.

After the dentist yesterday I finally went by Hobby Lobby and found some frames I've been looking for and a shadow box for the sand dollars and starfish we found while beach walking. They look good. I was one pin short for the sand dollar so I tried scotch tape but that didn't work so well. I'll have to do something about that.

McCain's in town. That's odd because nobody feels the need to come down here. (Remberber Katrina?) Moving right along.... We're wondering if he's going to steal our governor away for his VP. Probably not. But that's one of the reasons I voted for Jindal -- people with power are interested in him. So, my thinkin' is, if these powerful people want Jindal to look good, wouldn't helping Louisiana look good be in their interest? That may not be logical thinking but...you've got to look for hope where ever you can find it. Right?

What I've been doing....

Can you see the piles of blankets and sheets? That picture shows not all but almost all of the laundry I've been endlessly doing. Now....I've got to reorganize my linen closet so it all fits. When the kids came in I couldn't find the blankets. When the kids left (taking the contents of the closet in the room where son #2 had been living while he was home, I found the blankets. Son #2 had put them in garbage bags and stuffed them in the back of the closet. Why? Who knows. I don't know where they fit before. (Maybe they were on the beds.) Maybe I should just make up the unused beds and store them that way. I don't know. It gets complicated when you're in that inbetween stage. The stage where the kids have moved out but may move back in at any time. I've been it that inbetween stage for years now.

Moving right along. It's freakin' hot down here. Low 90's yesterday and today. Mid 90's for the rest of the week. No rain in sight. I really, really, really, really don't like this weather. J went to Alabama today. He's going to stay most of the week and try to get that stupid house ready to rent or sell or.... I have no idea what he's going to decide to do with that house. Neither does he. I'm staying home to water the tomatoes and feed the cat. Sigh! He's going to talk to some realtors. And....he's going to rent a storage unit to store some furniture and stuff we have no place for (and never will), because he can't bear to get rid of it. So....add storage rental to the other bills we're paying to keep that house sitting there going to pot. Now we'll pay to have furniture sitting somewhere else going to pot. So many people could use that stuff. Drives me crazy!

So....I'm by myself this week. Nothing planned but a trip to the dentist. I guess it'll be a good time to put up what few winter clothes I had out so there will be more space in my closet. Things like organizing closets are time stealers. Nice when they're done but not really rewarding. Maybe I can come up with something a little more exciting to do. This heat's really got me in a funk so instead of keeping on bitching about things I'll quit complaining and say 'nite.