"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). :)