25 Reasons Why I Owe My Mother

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught m e MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.."

19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

I received this by email one day and I just had to put it on my blog. Sad to say that I have sounded just like my [step] mother with more than a few of them...especially #25!

A SCARY MOMENT...

Yesterday as I was coming back to work, from the drug store, a scary sight met my eyes!

I could see smoke coming from the direction of my house and a fire truck coming around the corner! Rushing to the intersection I saw that it wasn't my place that was on fire but a trailer 3 houses down the back alley from me.

The flames were as high as the abandoned house next to it. The smoke billowing into the air would be seen for miles!

We have been suffering from arctic temperatures for a few days now and yesterday it was at it's worst!

I have nothing but praise for our Volunteer Fire Department guys who do this on their time...most leave work to help out! They had trouble putting out this one! The amount of flames and smoke made it look horrible! Hopefully no one/animal was harmed! By the time it was over the place was completely gutted! It took them 3 hours to put it out!

These pictures shown above were taken from my shop...that how close it was.

Most of you viewing this might wonder what the big fuss about a fire is all about, but when you live in a small community it affects everyone...it might be somebody that we know?

It also becomes a big viewing circus as everybody has to come and take a look...thankfully it doesn't happen every day here!

I also worried about smoke getting into my house, being so close and all, but thankfully it didn't. I worry about my cats being home alone when one sees this happen...they could have died in there from smoke inhalation? My place is not exactly air tight and the cold has been leaking in lately.

One wonders if it might have been a furnace fire?

Something else to worry about....?

IT'S A SNOW DAY!

More like a blizzard day really!







This is what the weather site shows it to be...




It makes you wonder why they are into forecasting at all?


This wonderful stuff started coming down around 7:30 pm last night and I don't believe it's ever going to let up. I had to shovel my door open this morning in order to get my garbage bags to the curb for pick-up at 8:00 am...if they can make it through the storm or not. Had to shovel through big drifts in order to get to that curb. Looking around I saw that visibility was poor! I would have taken a picture of it out there...only my camera is at work?

I definitely will not be going into work today!
We aren't open to the public on Mondays because that's when I get to do my designing work and catch up on orders.

Hopefully the blowing lets up enough for me to go downtown this afternoon in order to get my medicine refiled...stupid me forgot to check it out before the weekend.

Today will be a day of rest...maybe some blogging [I've been trying to do the 100 list], work on the play design and then maybe a nap...

The Month After Christmas

‘Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I’d nibbled, the eggnog I’d taste
At the holiday parties, had gone to my waste.
When I got on the scales there arouse such a number!
When I walked to the store [less walk than a lumber]
I’d remembered the marvelous meals I’d prepared;
The gravies and sauces and the beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I’d never said “No thank you, please.”
As I dressed myself in my husband’s old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt…
I said to myself, as I only can
“You can’t spend winter disguised as a man!”

So…away with the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
‘Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won’t have a cookie…not even a lick
I’ll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won’t have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie
I’ll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I’m hungry, I’m lonesome, and life is a bore…
But isn’t that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Author Unknown

Seeing this poem in a weekly flier has hit home to me!

This is the start of something for me...I'm tired of "hoisting" myself out of bed. My fat clothes are starting to fit me again and this weight couldn't possibly good for my medical condition!


I refuse to say the word seeing as that usually jinxes me so all I will say I'm going to eat like a rabbit....

THE TWELVE DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS

The first day after Christmas my true love and I had a fight!

And so I chopped the pear tree down and burnt it, just for spite.

Then with a single cartridge I shot that blasted partridge!

The second day after Christmas I pulled on the old rubber gloves

and very gently wrung the necks of both the turtle doves!

On the third day after Christmas my mother caught the croup.

I had to use the three French Hens to make some chicken soup!

The four calling birds were a big mistake for their language was obscene!

The five golden rings were completely fake and they turned my fingers green!

The sixth day after Christmas, the six laying geese wouldn't lay.

So I sent the whole gaggle to the S.P.C.A!

On the seventh day, what a mess I found.

All seven of the swimming swans had drowned!

The eighth days after Christmas before they could suspect.

I bundled up the eight maids-a-milking, nine ladies dancing, ten lords-a-leaping,

eleven pipers piping, twelve drummers drumming

- well, actually I kept one of the drummers - and sent them back...collect!

I wrote my true love "We are through, love!"

And I said in so many words

"Furthermore, your Christmas gifts are for the Birds!"

Author Unknown

Actually it's 29 days after christmas right now...but I thought this was funny anyways!

Need I say more...

PoD and I are no longer in the Wedding Planning business! These two sisters [as depicted above] have made us realized that there is TOO MUCH STRESS in that kind of occupation!!! Add their mother to the combination and you will have two weddings from hell!

PoD has even backed out from being the "Matron of Honor" for one of them! Friendships have been torn asunder from the antics of these two! Maturity is definitely NOT one of their qualities!

Many signs were there...

First Sign:
One should have realized from their first comment of "NO TACKY WEDDING DECOR" that it should have been taken as a warning...not just a slap in the face?

Second Sign:
Cancellation of a shopping spree for wedding decor [road trip with Wilma and Puffy]...seems I was destined not to go that way. Thankfully I don't have to eat that expense. Had bought candles for table decor but PoD can used them for meditations, that she now needs in order to unwind from uncalled for stress...

Third Sign:
Change from reasonable decor to "Extremely Elegant" in order to out do each other. Both wanted us to make theirs the "BEST"?

All I can say is that I am SO very happy that we are NO LONGER doing this...

I feel like I just dodged a bullet!

TWO AWARDS!

I've been generously awarded two awards: the Thinking Blogger and Blogger of the World from a new blogger pal Jeannie at the cool canine blogspot.

Jeannie...A BIG THANK YOU from the heart!

THE JOY OF BEING RECOGNIZED!

I was actually awarded an award...The Thinking Blogger from my new pal BJ from Serendipity.

She has recognized all of the hard thinking that I have to do in order to live! I thank her from the bottom of my heart. She even thinks that Suki has deep thoughts instead of attitude...which I have to agree!

Thank You again BJ!

Who do I honor for this award...

BJ in return. Her blog has short stories that are both enjoyable to read and are very insightful!

I must mention the fact that she has been the only other one to include me in her list...which means I must not inspire anyone else?

As for any others...?

All who manage a blog! It takes a lot of thinking period to keep these things going! To leave someone off will only slight them!

Again it's the popularity contest all over again!

New TAG...from Blue
These are the questions:
1.) If I were another kind of animal, I would be a ______ because_____.
2.) My most favoritest song is ____because____.
3.) If I could live anywhere in the world, I would live in ______because ____.
4.) If I were a famous movie star or personality, I would be ____ because ____.
5.) I should be the spokesman for ___(product name)___ because_____.

These are my answers:

1. If I was another kind of animal, besides being a human, I would be a cat because I could just do whatever I wanted to do without any restrictions! I would have someone to see that I was well fed, kept healthy, cleaned up after and was loved unconditionally.

2. My most favorite song is "A Bird on a Wire" by Aaron Neville. My reasons...aside from my family and the love that I have for them, I would like to be free from all of my problems!

3. If I could live anywhere in the world, I would be still living here! Going somewhere else would mean starting all over again and I have found that the grass ISN'T greener on the other side of the fence! I would always stay close to my kids.

4. If I were a famous movie star or personality who would I be? I wouldn't want that for myself...ever! I feel sorry for the ones who's private life has become public. I like the background just fine!

5. I should be the spokeswoman for "Mother Nature"! Living on a barren planet would suck! The way we are going right now it might be sooner than we think!

As for tagging someone else...

UPDATE ON ROAD TRIP

Well it didn't got the way that I thought it would. When you have a man along the last thing they think about is that females like to shop. I knew they were bed shopping but thought that the bed shops would be in the areas near other stores of interest, which they weren't. I could have said something if it had been important enough to me but when I travel with someone, I do what they do. It also didn't help that the meal/water, I had, started to fight back on me! By the time we got to our appointed time to view the facilities I had to view the other facilities there! By the time we were done I was in agony and needed to go home. Thankfully I carry pills that make traveling easier!

The only photos taken were of their stage and what was of interest to my duties in the production. The place will be great for all of the performances. I wanted to take a photo of the sign that was posted outside there but felt too crappy to do it after we finished our tour. The place where it is being held is a high school and I found the sign to be strange and a little scary! It was a reserved parking spot for the local police! Hopefully it was only a building requirement and not a needed one?

During our trip, the only wild life we got to see was a moose running, lots of crows and one magpie! Other than that it was pretty well open prairie covered in snow.

The enjoyable part for me was the great company, new gossip, history lessons on Dodge and a break from my usual routine!

Our trip was also filled with lots of Vitamin D from the constant sun shine and it was really warm out [-9 C].

TY again Wilma and Puffy for letting me come along.

ROAD TRIP

Yippee...I get to leave Dodge for a few hours today!

Wilma, Puffy Kracker and I are going up north to see where our "3 Act Play Festival" is being held this year [in Mar]. They are hosting an open house to let the participants view the facilities and get an idea on what they have to offer in way of technical stuff/stage layout.

I'm going to make sure we have enough room for our sets, props and other things that may cause us some grief. The "One Act Play Festival" in Kamsack last year and all of it's problems, still lingers vividly in my mind! My being stage manager and set designer makes it my responsibility to see that all goes well. Wilma is checking out what's there for the actors.

Then we are going shopping!

They are "bed" shopping and I'm looking for "wedding decor" stuff for the 2 events that PoD and I are decorating for. Which by the way is turning out to be a nightmare!

I'm hoping that today will give me some answers that I'm looking for so that maybe I can ease up on the pressure that these 3 things are causing me!

Not to mention the pressure from the other problem at work that involves the 2 - 8 foot acrylic signs that we are redoing...one of them being broken [we didn't do it]!

I'm looking forward to getting away from it all...for at least a couple of hours!

Good company helps!

Will let you know how well it works....

300 th POST

Today marks another mile stone for me! Who would have thought that I could rant/rave/blather about that many things...granted many of them are about my health problems. I really haven't given a lot on what things there are, that bug or or impress me too much, but maybe I will do more of that this year?

I even managed to do more posting [33] as my cat, Suki, who by the way has a bigger following than me. It took me a long time to do her blog, as reading other animal blogs made me feel like they came off to me as wackos? Then I realized that I could be just as wacko as them and believe it or not it makes me take the time to imagine the world through her eyes. Not too mention how I treat my other cat. I have never been mean to them but very neglectful of how they play an important part of my life! I still have some constraints on how I speak through her and haven't as yet planned virtual parties and such...but then who knows?

I'm making myself get in touch with my inner child and just maybe I can teach me to lighten up!

It's a start....

ps: Not worry...I don't plan on dressing the part....

TA DA...I'M BACK...

TY to all my loyal fans [Blue & BJ] for the "get better wishes"...they helped!

Today I finally feel like doing something besides sleeping! Not a lot mind you! I will not be silly and over work again, physically wasn't the problem this time, my illness was caused by "over thinking"!

Designing [work related] and decorating [for 2 weddings...one is in town and the other is to far away to see what their hall is like...PoD is working on it also, but I need to be the back-up just in case] will do that to me. Not to mention the renovations that are going on at work right now. We are not working from any drawn up plans...just what I've built in my mind! PoD needs to come up with a layout of what she wants and put it down on paper.

I'm also building the set design [for the play] in this foggy space and I need to come up with 3 different looks? Until I get them on paper, they are taking up valuable resources! Hopefully someone is helping with the gathering of props? The first practice is tonight, so I guess I will find out then. I'm not looking forward to the "herding of cats"... for that's what I call my stage manager's duties.

The road to recovery has been a hard one! How does one shut the brain up? Most will say that I think too much? I can't see any other way out of it! The only thing I can do is not "make mountains out of molehills"! My cure, this time, was watching 6 seasons [on my 7th] of "Stargate" [not all at once...that would blow my mind for sure] and I do have to admit it did distract my thoughts enough to let me sleep...nothing like bad acting [Richard Dean Anderson] to accomplish that! Great sets and costumes though!

Right now the sun is shining and the day looks brighter!

"I'm ready to start anew......"

SECOND POST OF THE NEW YEAR

Well it looks like I spoke too soon...had to go home at noon yesterday because I couldn't stand how sick I felt! This morning I don't feel any better, if anything my head feels real thick, I'm dizzy, headaches and I'm really tired...I've only been up for a couple of hours!

Will not be working today!

Hopefully all will be better after some more rest...

MY FIRST POST OF THE NEW YEAR...

Brought the new year in by cleaning my house Jan. 1 [as Blue put it on her blog] "I swept it with a glance"! Normally I bust my butt trying to have the house clean by the end of the 1st because of an old saying my step-mother followed. Don't know why it always stuck in my head but I had always figured it was worth the effort? She believed in the Scottish tradition of "Hogmanay" which part of it consisted of "sweeping out the old" preferably with a new broom and your home will stay clean the year through! Every year I tried this and every year it never worked so this year I refused to let "old customs" get me down and rested instead. I must admit I preferred the resting way better! Hopefully it won't get any messier!

I've been slowly removing the Xmas decor from my home and at work. Normally I leave it up until Jan. 7 [for Ukrainian Xmas...to honor my sister-in-law and friends] but not this year. Seeing as it's been up at work for two months I've already grown tired of it and seeing as I'm not Ukrainian myself...why bother they will celebrate it whether I do or not. So the red part stays and I'll be the first one to put up my Valentines!

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I've changed my blog picture to include both my fur kids. Suki stands out whereas Thumber would rather not be noticed. I should have made my figure wider but I guess this is how I see myself. I'm allowed to dream!

Things a work here, has been fairly slow, but I've been busy designing signs and working on the stage set design. Now PoD and I have 2 weddings that we've been asked to decorate for, which also means coming up with fantastic ideas...so right now the brain is full! Blogging will be done sporadically!

Over the Xmas holidays Trebor [PoD worked a bit...her job was mostly kid watching] and I have been working on the renovations upstairs. We've managed to lay the wiring for the new plug-ins and moved some switches in preparation for the electrian to come in and hook them all up. I would show you pictures of the progress only PoD borrowed my down-loading cord for her camera at home and I haven't seen it since. Hopefully she or I will remember to remind each other to get it here so I can?

So now you know what I know and now I should get to work...times awasting.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I'm sitting here with just my fur kids, waiting for the New Year to roll around, thinking of the past year that I've just been through....

Last year started off not to well with lots of illnesses relating to my Diabetes and Bronchitis...thankfully the breathing became easier when I moved out of my leaky place! The Diabetes was supposed to have been controlled by the medicine change and it might have worked if hunger hadn't taken it's place. The change in medicine did stop the uncontrollable diarrhea!

I gave up on dating and decided to live my life alone...too stressful worrying about what crap I might tie myself up with!

Held my first garage sale and managed not to fill my new living space back up with "bargains"...I only went to one sale all year long...not bad for a "Junkaholic"!

Decided to repair my old living quarters after I had moved out of them in June. We roofed the place, fixing the holes to "Dodges Indoor Falls" and have gutted most of the interior of the upstairs! Mold is now all gone!

Went on a holiday to Edmonchuk with Pod and the kids...in their new car! Stayed with one of nieces in her new house and got to see a new niece, plus visited with my younger sister!

One of my fur kids, Thumber, experienced falling out of one of my upper windows...thankfully surviving that! Had another bad scare with Suki and her stomach ailments...medicine helped that! She still has a "up-chucking" problem!

PoD and I got to go on TV for our town's "15 Minutes of Fame" and show the world how nutty we are about our belief in the paranormal about the town's courthouse!

I also figured that I hadn't enough to blog about so I started up a new blog [Aug 24]speaking through my cat Suki [Baby Doodie] ...the sad thing being that she now has more hits than mine?

I volunteered to act/stage manage/set decor, in this year's play that we did for the "One Act Festival" in Kamsack [Nov]...we won "Backstage Technical" Award! I also sprained my ankle badly 15 minutes before going on. Found out that I could handle acting...just as long as the lines are short!

Made it through one year without the help of Maryjane!

Forgot to blog about my 20th Anniversary, Dec 18, of making signs...who knew that a hobby would have turned out to be my livelihood?


So that's how my year went...

Hopefully I manage to make it through many more.....?

As for resolutions........


So to all of you out there reading this I wish you a very prosperous and HAPPY NEW YEAR

WELCOME TO.....2008