"Belle", the new puppy superstar!

We have a new puppy in our neighborhood family. This is Belle.... she belongs to our friends who live about a block away. They have a busy house - 4 kids, 5 dogs, 5 cats, an assortment of reptiles, rodents, etc.

Belle is already MUCH loved, as you can see! She came to our house for a "meet-and-greet" earlier today. (Hubster and I and the kids immediately were smitten!)

Snuggy for Sale at the Mall?!

Yes - believe it or not - at the Mall of Georgia, in the "As Seen On TV" store, the much ballyhooed SNUGGY is for sale.

Here is my daughter and her BFF proudly displaying the box.

$19.99 and it could be all yours!

Tired of "Gloom and Doom" on the News?

Want some hope? Check out the totally FREE "Town Hall for Hope" event hosted by one of my heroes, Dave Ramsey.

I've been to a live Dave Ramsey event before - the energy level (and the HUMOR!) is intense and you leave VERY pumped up and VERY hopeful!

Hubster and I will definitely be attending one of the many simulcasts in our area..... what about you?

Cross Your Fingers For Me....

UPDATE: The interview went very well. The decision maker indicated I will hear something within the next week or so. I'll keep you guys updated - promise! Thanks for your prayers - you guys are the BEST!!!!

.... I have a 2nd interview Thursday morning at 10 AM Eastern time.

(I have a good "gut" feeling about this one...) :)

Separated at Birth? I think YES!

OK.... just look at the hair, and the facial features. Do you see it?! Are you laughing?! :)

Brett Michaels, of 80's Hair Band "Poison" fame.

Fergie, formerly of The Black Eyed Peas

Why I Love John Pinnette

Today I am thankful for ..... LAUGHTER!

An Attitude of Gratitude.... Each Day.

I am taking today to count my blessings.

On the "balance sheet" of life, my blessings far far FAR outweigh the things that aren't right.

And I'm am so thankful to God for all the good things he has poured into my life.

Yes, we're still strapped for cash. No, I still don't have a full time job.

But I've decided focusing on THOSE negative things only magnifies them and makes me feel worse.

Focusing instead on all the stuff that is GOOD and RIGHT in my world makes me feel better.

So that's what I'm going to do.

One day at a time.

Starting now.

Michelle Needs Our Prayers

Update: Marcell has updated Michelle's blog - she has improved somewhat, but is still in the hospital. Thank you for your prayers!

I got a message from Marcell, the husband of our beautiful and gifted blogger buddy Michelle of Rocky Mountain Photos that she is in the hospital and in very serious condition.


Michelle, for those of you who don't know, has a seizure disorder. She was not born with this seizure disorder, it was caused by years of severe child abuse at the hands of both of her parents.


Please pray for Michelle. And also pray for Marcell, her husband.

Chewing Gum For Your Brain

Here's some good, encouraging thoughts to chew on today....

"... No farmer ever plowed a field by turning it over in his mind."
-George E. Woodbury


"The best way OUT is always THROUGH."
-Robert Frost


"Big shots are only little shots who keep shooting."
-Dale Carnegie


"He that would eat that fruit must climb the tree."
-James Kelly


"Failure is a detour; not a dead-end street."
-Anonymous


"By perseverance the snail reached the Ark."
-C. H. Spurgeon

Doggie Devours $400.... and poops it out!

I could SOOOO see my dog Diva doing this.
Luckily, she hasn't. (In large part, because I don't HAVE $400.... LOL...)

Funny video clip.
Definitely "news of the weird"! :)

The Beauty of Self Reliance

If you've never read Emerson's writings on Self Reliance, do yourself a favor and do so... they are very thought provoking.

And here is a very thought provoking post on the same topic.
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/03/18/self-reliance/

Here's to ingenuity and the American spirit of independence!
Long live self reliance!

Pet Humor - Courtesy of the One, The ONLY, Smileygirl!

Smileygirl is one of my FAVORITE bloggers. She is absolutely hysterically funny, very clever, very smart, and adores her two animals, Chumley and Wrigley.

Apparently Chumley and Wrigley have QUITE the aptitude for musical theater, as evidenced by Smiley's recent posting, complete with photos.

Expect to see them at the next "American Idol" tryouts. (I can hear Randy addressing Wrigley now.... "Look, dog....")

And if you haven't yet experienced Smiley's quirky brand of humor, enjoy! She is truly one-of-a-kind!

"W." and "Still Waiting" - 2 Movie Reviews

Hubster and I watched 2 movies this weekend.

The first one was "W."

Fabulous movie. Hubster and I BOTH loved it, which I wasn't expecting, considering we usually have VERY different political views. Surprisingly, this was much less a political movie, than it was a movie about George W. Bush, the man (and much of it was about the life he led prior to his entering politics). Definitely an excellent portrayal by Josh Brolin. Very well done. And Richard Dreyfus did a great job as Dick Cheney. Really a very good movie. Two thumbs up from us.

The second movie was "Still Waiting" ... the sequel to the VERY hilarious "Waiting" (which you must see if you have not). Like most sequels, "Still Waiting" was a big disappointment. Although there were some funny moments, it definitely wasn't the comic GEM that "Waiting" was. The absence of Ryan Reynolds was definitely noticeable. Although Luis Guzman and a few of the original cast members were in the sequel, the plot was dumb, the writing was dumber, and it lacked the comedic punch of the original.

However, the original ("Waiting") is a must-see for anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant job... it takes place in a fictional restaurant called Shenaniganz... (which is a very thinly disguised Bennigans...) and truly is hilarious. Ryan Reynolds, Dane Cook, Luis Guzman, Dave Koechner, and Justin Long all starred in the original. Warning though: very raunchy, but also very hilarious, humor.)

Peter Frampton, I'll Always Love You.

The very first album I EVER bought, way back in the fourth grade (I saved up my allowance for what seemed like forever) was "Frampton Comes Alive".

Do y'all remember that one? Yep, that's the one. Double live album. It ROCKED.
Way back in ... 1977, I believe.

I still have it. But I've long since "upgraded" to CD, of course. And I STILL listen to it.
And I STILL love Peter Frampton's music.

He's still "got it", as far as I'm concerned. :)
So, Peter, if you're out there, I'll always hold a torch for you.

So get out your lighters and let's sway along to the fine, fine music of the golden boy of rock & roll, Mr. Peter Frampton!

Diva's Diagnosis and Oliver, the Ladies Man

Diva has a badly scratched cornea. The vet prescribed 2 separate ointments that we have to put in her eye 3 times per day. (And let me tell you, trying to hold a 70 lb. squirming muscular Lab still while squirting ointment into an inflamed EYE isn't easy!) The full story of the accident is on my "dog blog". She'll be fine, but we were worried. Her eye looked HORRIBLE.

Yesterday, I was visiting my good friend Dawn, who is a Cat Person. She used to have 5 cats, but is now down to just 2. (For the record, I love cats, although I don't have any at the moment.) Anyway, her cat Oliver loves me. He reminds me of PePe Le Pew (remember him?) He doesn't look like Pe Pe at all.... but he acts like him. You see, Oliver is SUCH a lover.... he gives me that seductive little look as soon as I enter the house and then finds a way to climb on me, and head-butt my chin, purr in my ear, and basically tell me how much he longs to have "alone time" with me.

One day, I will have another kitty-cat.... and he'll be just like Oliver (a/k/a PePe Le Pew). :)

Why I Love Suz

There are SOOOO many reasons why I love Suz, but just one (little, teeny one) is that she is a fabulously talented writer.

I KNEW she had it in her way back when, when she said "Happy Wife, do you really think I can do this blog thing? Really? My very own blog?" And I was like "Are you KIDDING me? Does a bear POOP in the woods?!"

(Of course, I was substantially more elegant in my response, but you get the picture....) :)

Suz is hilarious! For solid proof, just read THIS post.

And if you want visual proof of how funny Suz has always been....(mugging for the camera, even as a kid)...)... WAY back in 1982, just look at THIS.

Here's a tribute to my VERY favorite blogger, the great Buzy Bee Suz!!
If you're not (yet) a fan, go check out her blog!

The "Latest" Humor with my 5th Grade Daughter

Normally I don't blog about my kids much (I like to preserve their privacy), but this is just so funny I must share.....

My daughter, S., came home from school Monday and announced with Great Giddy Enthusiasm: "Mommy, I'm TRAINING for a 10K run!"
I looked at her and said "Honey, do you know how far a 10K run is?"
"Well, no, not really, but Hannah says it's going to be a lot of fun and we're going to start training at her house today, and we're going to have snacks afterwards and hang out."

Ah. Snacks and hanging out. The phrase that pays.

So, I explain to her that 10K is equivalent to about 6 miles and that when we take the dogs to our favorite park and take the BIG PATH through the woods and past the duck pond that is about a mile and a half..... "... so imagine doing that BIG PATH about 4 times...."

She lets this sink in, with no apparent effect. Clearly, the lure of Snacks And Hanging Out is quite tempting.

So anyway, she gets ready for "training"..... she's wearing her brown high top sneakers (totally inappropriate for jogging, which I tell her, and which she chooses to ignore) and LOTS OF PERFUME. (Being in 5th grade, she has just recently discovered perfume. I've purchased "body splash" for her but of course she prefers MY (expensive) perfume. (I've explained the concept of "less is more" when it comes to perfume.... but this doesn't quite compute when you're 11 years old.)

So we hop in the car, I pick up her other two friends who are also going to be "training" for this event. They, TOO, are wearing HEAVY PERFUME. (I guess these girls are so afraid of stinking from the upcoming sweaty run that the perfume is to offset any "offensive odors").

So now I have three 5th grade girls in the backseat.... all smelling to high (sweet) heaven of various perfumes.... and off we go to Hannah's house, for "10K training" (supervised by Hannah's mother, who is a marathoner, by the way), and, of COURSE, "snacks and hanging out".

And yes, I will post Progress Reports!
It should be interesting!

"Grace (Eventually)" ... Another Gem from Anne Lamott

I savor Anne Lamott's writing, in much the same way I savor Dulce de Leche ice cream (it's the best, isn't it?)

I'm reading Grace (Eventually) Thoughts on Faith right now. And I'm LOVING it. I loved Traveling Mercies. Didn't like Plan B so much (too much Bush-bashing.... I wanted more God-stuff).

Her other masterpieces include Operating Instructions (which got me through my first year as a mother and made me feel substantially LESS crazy).... Bird by Bird (a must-read for anyone who loves to write). The woman is an absolute GEM. Seriously. If I could meet one living writer (ok, well, that would be Gabriel Garcia Marquez) but if I could meet one MORE living writer, it would be Anne Lamott.

So, if you're looking for a really great, really HONEST book on how a former alcoholic came to faith, and how she deals with life's struggles, I'd recommend Traveling Mercies, and also Grace (Eventually).

Here's a line from Grace (Eventually) that made me laugh out loud, because it SO speaks to those of us who are believers, try so hard, and yet keep falling down..... but dust ourselves off and get right back up.

"Sometimes I think that Jesus watches my neurotic struggles, and shakes his head and grips his forehead and starts tossing back mojitos."

I love her humor. And I love how much she loves Jesus. And I love how much she keeps trying.... and that's what life is all about.

A Little Poem About The Beauty In All Things

St. Francis And The Sow
The bud
stands for all things
even those things that don't flower,
for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;
though sometimes it is necessary
to reteach a thing its loveliness,
to put a hand on its brow
of the flower
and retell it in words and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing;
as St. Francis
put his hand on the creased forehead
of the sow, and told her in words and in touch
blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow
began remembering all down her thick length,
from the earthen snout all the way
through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of the tail,
from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine
down through the great broken heart
to the blue milken dreaminess spurting and shuddering
from the fourteen teats into the fourteen mouths sucking
and blowing beneath them:
the long, perfect loveliness of sow.

-Galway Kinnell

I Drink From My Saucer

I Drink From My Saucer

I've never made a fortune, and I'll never make one now,

But it really doesn't matter 'cause I'm happy anyhow.
As I go along my journey I'm reaping better than I've sowed.

I'm drinking from the saucer 'cause my cup has overflowed.
I don't have a lot of riches, And sometimes the going's tough

But with kin and friends to love me I think I'm rich enough.
I thank God to the blessings that His mercy has bestowed.

I'm drinking from the saucer 'cause my cup has overflowed.
He gives me strength and courage when the way grows steep and rough,

I'll not ask for other blessings for I'm already blessed enough.
May we never be too busy to help bear another load.

Then we'll all be drinking from the saucer

When our cups have overflowed.

~(c) John Moore, 1970~

Looking for a New Book to Read?

If you LOVE to read (like I do), but are a bit stumped as to what to read next, check out the exhaustive and wonderful list over at Jason's blog. It's really fabulous, and he has some wonderful suggestions!

2008 Luckovich

Luckovich did this cartoon back when Hank Paulson (Bush's Treasurey Secretary) was in charge of bailing out Wall Street..... many are unaware that, prior to becoming Treasury Sec'y, Paulson made millions at Goldman Sachs. Certainly nothing wrong with that, but it does make you wonder if Paulson had a "vested interest" in making sure his Wall Street friends were rescued first.... at tremendous taxpayer expense.
Clearly, that's what Luckovich is trying to convey in this cartoon....

For more brilliant Luckovich cartoons, visit here.

Luckovich Does It Again!

Mike Luckovich, the AJC's political cartoonist, is absolutely BRILLIANT. No matter your political affiliation or opinions, you can certainly see the humor in this. :)

Little Houdini at the Local Waffle House

This is a REAL news story that took place in Atlanta earlier this week. Here's the link.

Now, I don't know about YOU, but if I were in charge of a prisoner whose nickname was "Little Houdini", I don't think I'd be leaving him ALONE in the back of the prison transport van while I stopped at the Waffle House to get some vittles.

Little Houdini has an unusual rap sheet.... he stole an 18 wheel Wal Mart truck to go visit his dyin' mother in the trailer park (no joke).... AND (another time) he stole Crystal Gayle's TOUR BUS to go see a NASCAR race.

I gotta tell ya.... I'm wondering how many country songs can you GET out of one story?!

Humor, Courtesy of "Engrish"...

Disclaimer: Allow me to first and foremost say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Asian culture. LOVE IT.

But I also love the way this site makes me laugh so hard, I sometimes think I'm going to pee in my pants. I will sometimes start giggling so hard that I can barely breathe. (And after I've had a glass of wine, well, I giggle even harder.) You get the point.

So, anyway.... please realize that this is all in GOOD FUN (kind of like watching "America's Funniest Videos".)

Enjoy. :)

Spring is Coming.... I Can SMELL It....!

Y'all know what I'm talking about right?

That slightly "earthy" smell that the world gets when Spring is ALMOST here?

Well, today, after the kids got on their respective buses and I had my long laundry list of "to do's", I headed outside and THERE IT WAS... that unmistakable, GLORIOUS scent.... the first sign of Spring.

She is ON THE WAY.

My dogs could sense it too. They were both chomping at the bit to go outside and have stayed in the backyard all day (it's almost 2 PM as I type this). Ruby is sunning herself and Diva is chewing on a plastic bucket and laying in the sun. (ALWAYS orally fixated, that one....)

It's lovely, WARM, sunny.... the birds are chirping, there's a slight breeze, and....

WAIT. What the heck am I doing inside?! :)

Seriously. I just came in to unload groceries, check emails and messages (after all, I AM looking for a job....), but back out I shall SURELY go, after changing out of these sweats, and into some capris and a light sweater!

I just LOVE early Spring. Filled with such PROMISE... new life.... it always amazed me how the tulips, hyacinths, and other bulbs "know" when to come up out of the cold dark earth and into the sunlight.... EVERY single year. Amazing. Proof again (at least to me) of a Benevolent Creator.

Here's a virtual toast to each of YOU - my blogger buddies...

"To Spring!"

An Open Letter to Jason Mesnick, a/k/a "The Bachelor"

Dear Jason,
Initially I was swayed by your smile, your handsome face, your intelligence and your charm.
And yes, I gave you my unidivided attention every Monday night for several weeks.

But after last night, you have incurred my wrath (as well as the wrath of millions of American women.)

YOU, Jason, are a CAD. Or, to use the vernacular of a time gone by... a SCOUNDREL.

Truly, Jason, had these women been smarter, they should have had the FIRST Mrs. Mesnick on the show. They should have requested FULL DISCLOSURE from her. Maybe then they would have found out how astoundingly selfish, egocentric and immature you are! (Did I also mention commitment-phobic? ..... and a womanizer?)

Anyway, Jason, I really wish I could chalk up your behavior last night to being youthful and impetuous but you're, what.... 33 now? Old enough to know better.

My parting advice: Wipe away those alligator tears and GROW UP. BE A MAN. Stand by your decisions. (You're setting a horrible example for your son, by the way.)

Signed,

Disgustedly,
Happy Wife (who is THANKFULLY married to a NON-Cad)

Oh Yes... It's THAT Time of Year....(Ready???)

Quite possibly because my 11 year old daughter was a Daisy, then a Brownie, then a Girl Scout (5 years total in Scouting), I am literally unable to say "no" when scouts come to my door to sell cookies...

And the first of MANY deliveries arrived today!

My two favorite flavors - Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos - have already been opened and are being happily consumed by mi familia...

So, what are YOUR favorite GS cookie flavors??

No School Today!

My kids got their wish - school was cancelled today due to the snow... we wound up getting 3" at our house.... Athens (home of UGA... and just a 40 minute drive east of us) got 7".
AMAZING!

Because most of the snow melted by noon, we went to .... our favorite place (Suz, I'm sure you can guess) .... the MALL.
S window shopped at Hollister and Justice and J spent his time in the video game stores, then we had Chick-Fil-A for lunch.

A nice quiet Monday. :)

Back to a normal schedule tomorrow.
I'm hoping this week I'll get a call back on those 2nd interviews.... (fingers crossed).

One More "Diva Does Snow" Video...

This is the last snow video of the day.
And let me just add.... my 11 year old daughter played outside in the snow for a GRAND total of 5 minutes. We had serious rain all day Saturday prior to the snow so the ground was already saturated and very muddy. Very few neighborhood kids were out playing in the snow today. It was pretty to look at it, but rather soupy and muddy underneath.

And of course, my sweet son was upstairs with a 101 degree fever. :(

However, the dogs made up for the fun the kids couldn't/didn't have in the snow.
And snow is ALWAYS beautiful to look at!

btw.... Atlanta's weather forecasters are predicting temps back in the upper 60's by Thursday - woo hoo - bring on Spring!

Ruby... FINALLY Enticed Outside Into the Snow..

Ruby.... such a Dainty Lass.... and not terribly excited that her delicate little paws were wet and cold.
She is such a sweet doggie!

Diva's First Snowfall

March 1st in Atlanta.

This year March 1st did NOT bring the usual inaugural pedicure, new sandals, and shopping for capris....

NO! Instead it brought SNOW!

Actually the snow is gathering momentum as I type this... and really starting to stick. :)

I have a feeling school will be cancelled tomorrow (which is probably good, because my son is in bed with a 101 degree fever, and feeling VERY ripped off that he can't play in the snow like his sister.)

Anyway Diva (Queen of Destruction) was beside herself with excitement and has spent a lot of time playing in the snow already. (Diva loves ice cubes and anything cold and slushy so she truly thinks that snow is a Gift From Above (and it is!).

Enjoy the below video. More to come!