At the Starting Gate

Today, Not Tomorrow

2012-01-16T18:10:00.009-06:00

Photo credit: androidzoom.com

Growing older and wiser means enjoying today and not putting it off until tomorrow.

Openly appreciate what you have now,
not something you might acquire in the future.

Don’t worry about dying and being forgotten,
etch your memory in someone’s heart.

Make it a point to let loved ones know you love them – today.

Show them you appreciate them,
and value their presence in your life - now.

Tell them you love them - often,
backup your words with spontaneous hugs,
with unexpected kisses, and lots of genuine heart-felt smiles.

Your love will live on long after you’re gone.

New Year’s Wish

2012-01-01T17:40:00.000-06:00

My New Year’s wish for you is that you find passion in your life.

Hold on tight to it, and never let go.

I wish you joy, peace, and blessings beyond measure.

Happy New Year!

Encouraging Creativity

2011-12-29T15:44:00.000-06:00

Jace's Introduction-2-Art-Jun-1-2011

Who encourages creativity in children? As grandparents, we can encourage a child’s creativity – if we value creativity. All children are born with creative potential but, it has to be nurtured. They need to be encouraged as they play and explore their world. This is how they develop the confidence to attempt new and creative projects.

Children should not be discouraged and critiqued all the time. Constant supervision squashes a child’s imagination, spontaneity and self-confidence. So, let them explore and play freely, you’ll be amazed at how creative they’ll become.

Introduction-to-Art-2-Jun-24-2011

We should encourage creativity in children because a creative mind is a happy mind. Later, creativity is useful in leaders, business, and in many other professions.

Art-by-Jace-Dec-05-2011

How can we encourage creativity? As grandparents, we must introduce children to things that spark imagination. The number one and best way to encourage creativity is to keep materials on hand and within the child’s reach, that they can experiment with.

Crayons, markers, drawing pads, and boxes of all sizes and shapes are good starters for children of all ages. Give a child a box and some crayons, you’ll be amazed at what they produce.

Give a child access to crayons and your clothes dryer becomes a "work of art"!

Jace the "Artist-at-Work"-Dec-23-2011

What is your favorite way to encourage creativity in children?

Say What?!

2011-12-12T13:34:00.001-06:00

An Irish daughter had not been home for over 5 years. Upon her return, her Father scolded her harshly.

"Where have ye been all this time? Why did ye not write to us, not even a line? Why didn't ye call? Can ye not understand what ye put yer old Mother thru?"

The girl, crying, replied, "Sniff, sniff....Dad....I became a prostitute..."

"Ye what!!? Out of here, ye shameless harlot! Sinner! You're a disgrace to this Catholic family."

"OK, Dad-- as ye wish. I just came back to give mum this luxurious fur coat, title deed to a ten bedroom mansion, plus a $5 million savings certificate. For me little brother, this gold Rolex. And for ye Daddy, the sparkling new Mercedes limited edition convertible that's parked outside, plus a membership to the country club........................ (she takes a
breath)............. and an invitation for ye all to spend New Year’s Eve on board my new yacht in the Riviera and ... ..."

"Now what was it ye said ye had become?" says Dad.

Girl, crying again, "Sniff, sniff....a prostitute Daddy! Sniff, sniff."

"Oh! My goodness! Ye scared me half to death, girl! I thought ye said a Protestant. Come here and give yer old Dad a hug."

Adversity

2011-12-07T18:33:00.000-06:00

Difficult times are not much fun. Yet they can give you great and valuable insights into what's truly important.

There is much to be gained when times are good. There is even more to be gained when times are tough.

Resolve to persevere and grow stronger through whatever difficulties may come. For though the difficulties will eventually end, the treasures they compel you to create can often last a lifetime. ~~ Ralph Marston

Sixty Seconds

2011-11-27T16:23:00.000-06:00

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

Road Trip: Going to See Great Granny!

2011-10-26T18:21:00.000-05:00

Saturday Jordyn and I took Jace on a road trip to Jasper to see his two great-grandmothers, it's been a while since we did that. He doesn't do well being restrained in the baby carseat for long periods of time so, we prayed and hit the highway.

An hour into the trip we started to wonder how much longer he would hold out before getting restless. So far so good, he's content. Thirty minutes later he grunted, Jordyn and I agreed, it's time for a break -- before he gets too upset and cranky.

We found a great spot with a picnic table on a little hill right by the side of the road. Jace had a ball running through the pine cones and pine needles while Jordyn prepared his lunch. He didn't want to stop playing to eat but, after some coaxing he did.

We let him run around a while longer before loading back into the car. The next leg of the trip was uneventful, Jordyn drove at a nice steady pace and I snap snap snapped pictures through the front windshield and the window on my side of the car.

Mama had no idea we were coming until we were well on our way. Needless to say, she was waiting anxiously as we pulled into her driveway. All smiles and grins from ear-to-ear we exited the car and started inside. Didn't quite make it though...

Mama blocked the front door grabbing and hugging each of us then all of us at once. Inside we hug some more and get started with all the catching up we needed to do. We talk on the phone at lease once a week but still, face-to-face is a whole lot different from phone calls.

Jace stole the show with all the new things he's doing that Great-Granny had only heard about. Now she sees for herself and savors every single minute! Same thing with Great-Granny #2 when they saw her later.

He had a hard time getting to sleep for the night being in a different environment. Trooper that he is though, he finally did settle down and close his courious eyes.

Sunday morning was much the same, all good. Back home in Houston before dark with just enough time to unwind before bedtime.

We end the day with smiles and yawns and more yawns then ... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz good night!

No Smiling While Driving!

2011-10-16T16:34:00.001-05:00

Uncle Mike bought Jace a nice red car, just because. He shows Jace all the cool features like the sippy cup holder, the seatbelt, and how the steering wheel works. Jace looks on intently, taking it all in.

His face lights up like a Christmas tree when Mike buckles him in and wheels him around the room a time or two. He's all grins and chuckles!

Outside, Jace takes the steering wheel and they head off into the wild blue yonder for a test drive. We (the grown-ups) grin and chuckle while Jace has turned serious, not a smile in sight.

He's busy concentrating on "driving his new car."

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-10-13T19:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to Me... Today!

Okay everybody,

Taa-dummm...ready? Sing...

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear dellgirrrrrrrrrrrlll...

Happy birthday to me.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You are so sweet!

Cloud Watching

2011-10-08T15:54:00.001-05:00

Photo by dellgirl

Cloud watching is one of my favorite things to do. Every time I go outside, the first thing I do is look up at the sky to see what new and interesting images I might find. Many times there are only beautiful fluffy clouds floating swiftly by. Sometimes I can see images of animals or shapes of different objects. I love cloud watching!

I see a face in these clouds. Do you? Do you ever spend a quiet moment silently watching clouds visualizing various shapes animals or other objects? What do you think when you look up and see amazing cloud formations?

What do you see in this photo?

Energy Foods

2011-09-28T18:08:00.000-05:00

Been feeling a bit out of it the past few days, so I Googled “foods that give energy”. Surely there should be something natural and healthy I can eat and drink to boost my energy level. I started going to bed earlier last week. That alone is not doing the trick. Bummer!

The “Foods that give energy” Google search brought me the following results. There are tons of great suggestions but, these caught my attention. It says the best green foods to eat for energy are:

Micro-algae (that is) blue-green algae

Sea vegetables (meaning) spirulina and seaweeds

Cereal grasses like; wheat grasses, barley grass, and kamu

Dark green vegetables like spinach and broccoli and their juices

Fat lot of good that did! I have never in my life heard of micro- algae or those supposedly edible seaweeds, doesn’t sound very tasty anyway.

I do not eat grass! Even if it gave me enough energy to last a whole day without getting tired, I Do Not EAT GRASS!

Broccoli and spinach are good, I love them both. But, how much does a body have to eat to make a dent in the “tiredness department”? As much as I love them, I don’t think even I could eat them every day. Broccoli juice? I think NOT, same for spinach juice.

So much for that! I guess I’ll start working on my diet, adding healthier energy-giving foods while eliminating some things I know are not providing me any value.

How about you, do you eat micro- algae, cereal grasses, or sea vegetables? What is your favorite energy food(s)?

Summer’s Over?!

2011-09-22T18:09:00.000-05:00

I captured Jace in a rare moment of quiet… stillness…reading for a brief “HOT” second.

It’s hard to believe summer’s just past and another school year has started. With no little ones, or big little ones in school I have no “school-is-back-in-session” gauge. Jordyn worked both summer school sessions so there was no definitive break to speak of. Jace and I continue to bond and wonder at each other while she slaves away at her day-job to finance his ever growing needs.

As usual there is so much to do and seemingly not enough time to accomplish it all. Since Jace arrived I haven’t blogged consistently. Many times I thought of forgetting about blogging altogether, but dang, blogging is just too much fun to let it go without a TRY anyway.

Another thing I struggle with is the purpose and content of this blog. I started it to share writing and publishing tips I learned. Well that hasn’t happened since forever, has it? I thought about changing the name to Grandma’s Blog or something similar. That didn’t happen. So I go back and forth between those things and then – nothing.

Life keeps me busy doing other things.

Enough about that, I’d better get to visiting and reading your latest happenings and happinesses (made up word). See you all soon.

Oh! Should I change the name of the blog to Grandma Something? Leave it alone? Should I forget writing tips? What do you think?

Road Trip to Kemah

2011-09-11T17:10:00.000-05:00

On the road to Kemah early Friday morning, sunshine blue skies moderate to light traffic, looking forward to leaving work and things needing to be done behind.

Entering the Boardwalk, the welcome sign is hung, inviting us inside to absorb the fun and festivities.

I’m ready! I think. At least, I’m ready in my mind. We’ll just have to wait and see what’s inside and what I can manage. Ummm, that GIANT roller coaster looks a bit overwhelming, can’t remember the last time I road on a roller coaster. And, that “Drop Zone” doo-hickey looks absolutely to-die-for!

No, make that “to-die-IN”!

Long gone are the days of forced bravado for the sake of impressing Mr. Wonderful. No more acting as if I’m Super Girl who is fearless AND fun. No way am I getting on that contraption! Just point me to the slow train, 2 mph please.

Then, I’ll stand quietly by the water’s edge and marvel at the sights, giving Thanks to God for his many blessings. This is good, life is good.
How was your weekend? What did you do for fun and relaxation? Spend time with family? Church? Shopping?

Whatever it was, I hope you had a fantastic weekend.

BLOCKED by Chrome & Internet Explorer

2011-09-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

I can't visit some friends' blogs.

The ones I can visit (and READ) I can't comment on.

I am BLOCKED by both Chrome & Internet Explorer!!!!!

Gosh, I Feel SO Lazy!

2011-09-05T14:25:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while I feel like forgetting about work and watching CSI and Law & Order marathons all day instead. Today is one of those days but, sadly, I have seen all of the episodes so recently it would be counterproductive to watch them again – today.

Free Cell used to be a good diversion. I would play that game for hours when no one was around to be my conscious and guilt-trip- me-into-acting productive. Don’t want to do Free Cell today.

A lot of folks are either in the kitchen or out on the patio cooking up something delicious. Not me, I’m no Betty Crocker wanna-be. I threw enough meat in oven and opened a few cans of stuff to go with it yesterday, so I don’t have to cook today.

Okay, I’ll just be lazy. I owe it to myself. I’ll use the stolen free time to rest up for the coming week with the grandbaby while his mommy works. God knows I’ll need all the energy I can muster up to keep up with him. There now, it’s decided. I’ll do as much NOTHING as I possibly can for the rest of today.

What are you doing for this beautiful Labor Day? Cooking? Visiting with family? Relaxing? What? Whatever it is, I hope you’re enjoying yourself.

Happy Labor Day!

I Hate Summer

2011-08-26T17:26:00.000-05:00

I absolutely loved summer… when I was a kid. Summer time meant going barefoot, playing in the water sprinkler, roaming back and forth between Aunt Doris’ house (two doors over) and our house, playing outside ALL DAY long, and playing PERIOD.

I was the oldest kid and only girl in our little 3-house neighborhood. So, needless to say, I was a tomboy. We played cowboys & Indians, cops & robbers, climbing trees, jumping off the porch to see who could jump the farthest, riding stick horses chasing chickens pretending they were horses we were rounding up, and playing all the “balls” – baseball, basketball, & football.

So much fun in the summer! There were only two problems, getting up way too early going outside to play before Mama woke up. And, staying out playing too long after she’d called us to come inside for the night. We guaranteed ourselves two “whoopins” a day. Those things remained constant though, being hard-headed and getting two good butt whoopins every day – in the summer. Summer was still fun!

That was then, now I hate summer.

Why? It’s too hot, can’t go barefoot, can’t play in water sprinklers hair turns to a ‘fro’, and definitely can’t play the games we used to play. The only thing I can do with a ball now is toss or roll it to the grandbaby. The mere thought of running, kicking, bouncing, or even throwing a ball makes my whole body hurt. Oh lawdy!

So, what’s the real reason I hate summer? It’s too HOT!

What about you, do you love or hate summer? What is your favorite season? Why is this your favorite season?

Hot in Houston!

2011-08-15T02:31:00.000-05:00

Photo by dellgirl

4:00 PM Sunday August 14, 2011, the dashboard thermometer says...

"WHAT-tha"!!!!!

And so it goes here in Houston, it's been this way quite a while. Some places around us get trace amounts of rain. We get 2 teaspoons, once in a blue moon.

Homegrown Tomatoes

2011-08-12T18:12:00.000-05:00

Remember my teeny tiny little tomato bud? It grew and grew as Mike and I watched, watered and pampered it. Well, truth be told, Mike did most of the watering. It’s been thrilling to watch as the little buds grew from one stage to another.

Photos by dellgirl

By mid-July there were several tomatoes and some were turning red. WOW, what a treat, RED tomatoes! Those babies looked about ready to make a nice salad.

We decided to give them a few more days to ripen and made plans about when to pick them and eat them. Now all we had to do was decide whether we’d make salad or put them on a nice homemade subway sandwich.

Several days later we “ceremoniously” picked our tomatoes, brought them inside, and washed them with grandiose “pomp and circumstance” and a lot of TLC. Well actually, Mike washed while I, the drama queen, ran for the camera like a kid with a shiny new toy on her brother's birthday.

Look at those babies, aren't they gorgeous!? Homegrown tomatoes that we planted from seeds, watered, watched and pampered all through this record Texas drought.

This is good, life is good…it doesn’t get much better than this. Next, the BIG FEAST!

Just call me “The Farmer in the Dell”.

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

2011-08-03T22:31:00.000-05:00

Photo by dellgirl

No matter how bad things get, something good lies tangled twisted and hidden within.

The bad will end – eventually.

And, the good will become evident, even if you have to sift through the rubble to find it.

Do you look for the silver lining in dark clouds?

Or, do you more often believe the opposite?

Fridays

2011-07-22T19:11:00.000-05:00

Don’t you just love Fridays! I LOVE Fridays! What’s not to love? The work week is over, it's the end of the hustle and bustle for a day or two, love ones have time off and we get to do fun and interesting things on the weekend.

Sometimes we just relax. Other times we work on the garden or go shopping for plants and things for the yard. That’s a barrel of fun and it gets me out of the house moving these old bones in a different kind of way.

Depending on the availability of already prepared food in the kitchen, I might cook up something delicious. That takes more than a notion but, when I do it I get to eat without having to dig out and sort through leftovers.

We might simply listen to favorite music and chat or watch a good movie – and chat. It's all great fun! But weekends are way too short. If they (weekends) were longer would I be satisfied, probably not.

Better yet, we might just spend the time teaching Baby Jace how to play with his toys. Or maybe we’ll watch as he shows us how he thinks they should be used. We’ll see!

Do you love Fridays? What do you love about Fridays? What fun things are you planning for the weekend?

Happy weekend to you!

Happy!

2011-07-18T12:54:00.000-05:00

Hi Grandma...

SMILE!

It's contagious so pass it on!

Just Saying Hi

2011-07-16T14:41:00.000-05:00

Hi there, friend! It's good to see you. How are you? What have you been doing? How's the family? Come on in, have a seat, and make yourself comfortable.

I'm going to be away for a bit so I'm putting the Guestbook up top for Hi(s) and Hello(s) until I make it back.

Let me know what's on your mind, leave a comment. Please? You can visit this page anytime -- as many times as you want --like sometimes when I go and get myself lost and can't find my way back to blogland. Holler at me, I'll follow your voice and find my way back where I belong.

Original Guestbook date: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2009

Motivation Inspiration & A Pick-Me-Upper

2011-07-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

Feeling a bit sluggish today, hot and tired, slightly discombobulated. Looking for something to lift my spirits. I ran across this photo of Baby Jace in NICU and it hit me. HE WAS AND CONTINUES TO BE A FIGHTER.

That helps tremendously. If he can do it, grandma can "fight just one more round today."

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow--

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

A Tough Week

2011-07-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

Another tough week here. Thank God we made it though!

Munchkin had fever Tuesday & Wednesday afternoons and at night, mornings were fine -- no fever. Sometimes it was as high as 104. We did everything the doctor said, waiting with purse and shoes at the ready to race out the house to the emergency room. Doctor said, “no, not yet.”

Thursday - To the doctor, no matter what the doctor said about waiting it out, this just “ain’t gonna fly.” He’s irritable now, so it’s time to go.

3:00 pm Thursday - We’re at the doctor’s for blood work and x-rays. I didn’t get to go into the x-ray room, had to wait outside the door. Jordyn says she had never seen the contraption they put babies in to do chest x-rays, hopes she never has to see it again. Called it a monstrosity, said it was extremely traumatic – made her want to cry. Made me want to cry when I heard about it on the ride home.

Thursday 4:15 pm We are back home. Munchkin has a virus, which means it can't be treated w meds, so the fever will have to work its way out. We will give Tylenol/Baby Advil to give him comfort while we wait it out. Not happy but it could be worse! Thank God!

Friday – He’s better but today was rough because he’s in some weird mood with the virus passing through. Then there was diarrhea. Did anybody sleep? No. And, we are exhausted! Hanging by a thread – faith that “this too shall pass away.”

Saturday - He’s himself today. All busy-ness! So glad, thank God for healing blessings!

Gotta Love That Smile!

2011-06-24T23:19:00.001-05:00

To my faithful friends and readers who were winners in the Book Give Away: Your books will be in Monday’s mail. Forgive me for the delay but, a couple of things came up this past week that required my immediate attention.

So, with all the business taken care of there are quite a few household and personal things I need to do this weekend. First, I need to get some rest then do something about my sore achy joints.

I need to go grocery shopping soon or the family will think I lost my whole mind. I could put away some clutter that’s accumulated the past week, and I certainly need to get better acquainted with Sir Hoover, the vacuum cleaner and Lady Pledge, the dust-buster queen.

I need to do all this but, will I? I’ll probably do a couple of them, maybe all of them, then again I might not feel like doing anything.

The more I think about it, the more I think it would be wise to rest and pamper myself.

Jace says “Hi” to all. Don't you just Love that smile!

Garden Rewards

2011-06-16T16:12:00.000-05:00

It's so hot here air conditioners feel like heaters and, it's all dry air. The only thing that helps is to be still and stay out of the sun. I do that very well.

Baby son is working hard to keep our garden from turning to ashes. There is one bright light in the midst of all the gardening agony though.

We have a tomato growing! Look just below and to the left of the yellow flower, see that cute little thing?

Now there are more baby tomatoes showing their faces. I have to get pictures of that soon, this photo was taken a couple of weeks ago.

We're as excited as a couple of kids on Christmas morning around here, waiting!

Contest Winner Announced!

2011-06-13T18:27:00.000-05:00

The deadline has come and gone in our Book Give Away Contest. We have a winner! A big hearty Thank You to the entrants who made this so much fun!

Five of my loyal friends and cool readers entered my first ever Book Give Away Contest, and in the end my staff and I narrowed it down to three lucky winners - one 1st place winner, one 2nd place winner, and one Runner Up.

Congratulations to 1st place winner, Tess Hilmo; 2nd place winner, RhapsodyB; and 3rd place winner, Admiral Hestorb! Thank you all for entering. A sincere thanks also goes to MomsWeb & Spiritual Tours for taking time to read here and enter.

Winners, email me at 1LateBloomer2@gmail.com with your mailing address and I'll get your book in the mail.

Book Give Away Contest!

2011-06-07T21:31:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: 6/8/2011 -- United States and Canadian residents are eligible to enter.
* * * * * * * * * * *

I have thought for a very long time about the best way to run a fun and fair Book Give Away Contest. Finally, I have it. I will give away one copy of my book, At the Starting Gate, by Leona Shankle to an eligible person.

The random drawing will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2011 and the winner will be announced on this blog on Monday 6/13/11.

If all goes well and I don’t end up going crazy, I will do another Book Give Away Contest soon. So, how does this work?

Eligibility: Anyone who meets the following requirements is eligible to enter.

Contest Deadline: All submissions via comments to this blog post must be received by 12:00 midnight Friday June 10, 2011 (CST - Central Time Zone)

How many Entries are allowed? Only one entry per person is required. You may comment more than once, but only your most recent entry/comment will be accepted for the contest.

Location: Only entrants from the United States and Canada are eligible to enter this contest.

How To Enter:

1. Be a follower of this blog. Mention in your comment that you already follow so new readers can visit your blog.

2. If you’re not already following, you must actually sign up and follow. Then let me know in your comment that you are a NEW follower.

3. Leave a comment that completes this sentence: "I would like to win because..."

You can comment anytime from the time of this post until Friday night (June 10, 2011) at midnight. (CST - Central Time Zone)

4. Include your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win without having to go searching around for you. I’m new at this and I just want to give someone a chance to win a free book.

*You must meet all four of the above criteria to be included in the drawing.

How To Win: The winner will be chosen by random number generator.

The winner will be announced on this blog on Monday 6/13/11. Be sure to check back on Monday to see if you’re the lucky winner.

If you're the winner, I will contact you by email for your mailing address so I can send you your book!

Privacy Policy: Sorry, I really don't want your email address any more than you want to give it out, but I do need the information to send your book. The information you provide for this contest is only used for the purpose of getting your book to you.

Don't forget, leave a comment here to be entered in the Book Give Away Contest to win a free book, no strings! And please spread the word to your friends so they can have a chance to win too.

Good luck to all!

My Mother's Day Gift, A Garden

2011-05-29T20:14:00.000-05:00

Before: This area in front of the porch was a sad pitiful necglected unkept flowerbed. Needed a lot of care. I could see possibilities but the thought of all that hard work made me tired just thinking about it. Had me sweating and aching and I hadn't even lifted a finger to do anything.

If you think this looks a mess, you should see what looked like before.

I spend a lot of time sitting on the porch enjoying nice weather, morning coffee, mid-day cold drinks and so on.

Out of the blue, Baby Son decided to clear it out and make me a new flowerbed. Said he thought I'd enjoy working in it while I'm outside. I sure would enjoy that! How did he know?

Here's what it looked like after he cleared out the dead shrubs, dry leaves, pine needles, and other junk.

I like it, I like it!

We hopped in the car and raced over to Home Depot garden center to look at plants. I could hardly wait start digging in the dirt and planting pretty flowers all over the place. We took turns deciding what plants to get. Here's what we came up with.

Oh wow, I can't belive my eyes, what a beauty!
There's still much to do but, for now I enjoy sitting on my porch more than ever now.

Thanks, Mike.

What did I come in here for?

2011-05-04T18:06:00.000-05:00

I just sat down at the computer again, for the third time. I already made two trips to the bedroom to get something but forgot what it was by the time I got there.

Actually, the first time I changed my shoes, emptied trash cans and, wiped off the top of my nightstand. As I finished taking the last bag of trash from its container and tying it shut, I glanced around the room to see what else I needed to do. Nothing!

That done, I start for the den.

Oh, wait! What did I come in here for in the first place?!

Ummm, don’t remember. Oh, well.

Back in the den I sit at the computer and click on my in-progress Free Cell game. Two clicks two moves and there it is...

that dat-gummed fly!

That’s what it was! I went to the bedroom, to get the flyswatter.

Ok, back to the bedroom. Durn fly!

First I hang up a couple of shirts...

Sunday Afternoons

2011-04-10T23:58:00.000-05:00

Today the weather was gorgeous again, sun shining but not too hot; gentle breezes whispering through tree branches, birds landing singing then taking flight again. It all reminds me how much I love quiet Sunday afternoons.

Sunday afternoons were made for doing as much nothing as you can possibly get away with. Since I couldn’t very well fritter away the whole day I decided to cook, enough to have leftovers for a couple of days.

My first thought was to throw some steaks in the oven, make rice and gravy, something green and, cornbread. Things quickly changed once I started digging out fixings from cabinets, fridge and, freezer.

I ended up throwing the steaks in the oven making cornbread, dry black-eyed peas, rice, carrots and, candied yams. Oops! Two orange-ish/yellowish veggies and nothing green. Oh well. Guess that won’t hurt this one time.

Cooking took longer than I wanted it to but, it’s done and I have a nice stash of leftovers. I won’t have to cook for many many days now. That’s a good thing. I hate cooking.

Dinner’s done and I’m finished, now to relax and get ready for the new week ahead.

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun and interesting? Care to share?

Photo credit lakeconroehomes4sale.com

April

2011-04-05T18:12:00.000-05:00

Did you know that April starts on the same day of the week as July every year, and the same day of the week as January in leap years? Something else I didn’t know is that April ends on the same day of the week as December every year.

April is National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry. It was first introduced in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States.

April 1st was also April Fool’s Day, and I’m not sure if the Academy of American Poets realized that when they introduced National Poetry Month back in 1996, but it’s the kind of irony that poets would appreciate.

April 1st brought thoughts of spring what with trees and flowers blooming all over and birds chirping and singing outside my bedroom window early every morning.

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another.

It seems like spring here already. It’s not too hot, too cold, too rainy, too sunny, too dry, or too wet -- it’s just perfect -- for me anyway. So I call it springtime, whether it’s officially spring or not.

One thing’s for sure, I’d better enjoy these perfectly beautiful days while they last because it’ll be over before I know it.

What is it like in your part of the country? I see some people still have snow. Is that you? Do you like it? Or are you getting a touch of spring?

Photo credit: flickr.com

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2011-03-09T19:20:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since I have fingered my keyboard to blog. That’ll be six lashes with a wet noodle for me for procrastinating so long. Well, maybe not a real wet noodle, a simple talking-to might do the trick.

You probably think I’ve been off in Paris or “The Big Apple” sashaying around town putting on airs and rubbing elbows with the king and queen…I wish.

Maybe you think I’m lazily laying (yes, laying not lying) around on the chaise lounge at home, snacking and sleeping to my heart’s content.

Trust me, I haven’t. I have been really busy with Jace, trying to figure him out. He’s a real little character…already. Every so often he looks at me as if to say, “Grandma, it’s taking you too long. I’m waiting for you to catch up.” Honestly, sometimes I think he’s a little old man in a baby’s body, for real.

I just popped in to let you know I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth and to say hi to everyone. I hope all is well with you and the family. I also hope you’re having some fun and good times along the way.

I will come by your spaces, pages and blogs for a visit soon.

Love,
Leona/dellgirl

Blackberry, Breast Milk, Action!: Today's Freebies, Deals & Coupons!!

2011-02-24T15:40:00.000-06:00

Great deals and freebies for anyone wanting to save money.

Blackberry, Breast Milk, Action!: Today's Freebies, Deals & Coupons!!

ABC Train by V-tech

2011-01-10T17:54:00.000-06:00

Christmas Spirit

2010-12-15T20:22:00.000-06:00

Every time a hand reaches out To help another,
that is Christmas.

Every time someone puts anger aside and strives for understanding,
that is Christmas.

Every time people forget their differences and realize their love for each other,
that is Christmas.

May this Christmas bring us closer to the spirit of human understanding,
closer to the blessing of peace!

Author unknown

Photo courtesy: trojanhorseantiques.com

Things I Love About Christmas

2010-12-06T23:39:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas! It’s a season of cheer and goodwill, brightly wrapped in red and green. I love how everything is just a little more joyous and festive this time of the year.

There’s some extra pep in our step, a twinkle in our eye, and a song in our heart as the calendar unfolds and Christmas rapidly approaches.

I enjoy listening to Christmas songs, the music soothes me and puts me in a mellow mood, adding to the spirit of Christmas.

I love decorating, eating Christmas goodies, shopping and eating Christmas goodies and then, eating some more Christmas goodies.

I’m enchanted with driving down streets through neighborhoods full of houses all dressed up for Christmas, it’s magical.

I love creating family traditions that will carry on with future generations. This is the time when we prepare our own handmade personalized Christmas ornaments.

The best thing of all that I love about Christmas is stopping and taking the time to realize how very blessed we are. We give thanks to God for all the blessing bestowed upon us over the past year. 2010 has been a particularly blessed year for us.

God is good!

All the time!

And, all the time…

God is good!

Photo courtesy raftertales.com

The Bear and the Two Travelers

2010-11-29T15:16:00.000-06:00

Two men were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and concealed himself in the branches.

The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he could. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body.

When he was quite gone, the other Traveler descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear.

"He gave me this advice," his companion replied.

"Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger."

Read more friendship stories & quotes at Friends Are Angels in Disguise.

If You Are Unhappy

2010-11-22T18:00:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, there was a nonconforming sparrow who decided not to fly south for the winter. However, soon the weather turned so cold that he reluctantly started to fly south.

In a short time ice began to form on his wings and he fell to earth in a barnyard, almost frozen. A cow passed by and “pooped” on the little sparrow. The sparrow thought it was the end. But, the manure warmed him up and defrosted his wings.

Warm and happy, able to breathe, he started to sing. Just then a large cat came by and hearing the chirping, investigated the sounds.

The cat cleared away the manure, found the chirping bird and promptly ate him.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY:
1. Everyone who “poops” on you is not necessarily your enemy.
2. Everyone who gets you out of the “poop” is not necessarily your friend.
3. AND, if you are warm and happy in a pile of “poop”, keep your mouth shut.

Photo courtesy of guardian.co.uk

Sunny Days

2010-11-12T19:49:00.000-06:00

It was a Bright Sunny Week here...
sun shining, leaves falling, weather was nice and cool and everybody going and coming being productive.

The grandbaby's growing like wildfire, and busy and can be. I never saw such busy-ness in all my born days. And, fast! I'm trying to imagine what it'll be like when he starts walking, being so busy and fast. Hahahaaaa!

Me? I'm trying to keep up with all the new things the little one does. Did I say he is a busy child? Everybody says that will help keep me young -- okay.

I hope everybody had a good week and some of your goals were fullfilled.

Happy Weekend!

8 Reasons to Wet Your Fingertips

2010-10-08T14:34:00.000-05:00

What do you think is the #1 reason to wet your fingertips?

The following eight things come to mind for me, in no particular order -- except for #1. It is the first thing I think of as a reason to wet one’s fingertips?

8. separate typed pages

7. get the dried stuff off babies/kids faces (uhhh, if they let you)

6. open the plastic bag in the produce department (then again, maybe not)

5. open a plastic trash can liner

4. get the lint off the dryer filter

3. touch the bottom of an iron to see if it’s hot enough (ouch!)

2. seal an envelope (huh?)

And, #1?
1. turn the pages of a book/magazine (eeeeeeewww, nasty!)

Do you know any other reasons to wet your fingertips (on the tip of your tongue)? Add them in the comments section. We'd love to hear from you.

Photo courtesy of tippigrips.com

HOT, HOT, HOT!

2010-08-28T21:06:00.000-05:00

Well, this is what is's come to. That's me on the right side of the beach blanket. Next time I will definitely put on a jar of sunscreen, if there is a next time.

It's hot as the dickens here in the blazing hot Texas sun.

How is it in your part of the country?

I hope your weather is treating you better than ours is.

Do You Believe In Miracles?

2010-07-18T19:17:00.000-05:00

Do you believe in miracles?

Have you ever been blessed with a miracle?

I do.
And, I have - - many times.

I've been reminded of a few things about miracles over the last year.

The first thing I was reminded of is this:

When you pray to God for a miracle, and you truly believe,
you need to prepare yourself for the unexpected.

Miracles don’t always look the way we want them to.

I call it the "GOD-gives-me-a-present-with-a-green-bow-but-I-wanted-a-red-bow" syndrome.

Truth-be-told, miracles don’t appear the way we'd like, most of the time.

God has His own plans for us.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Life Happens

2010-07-09T21:52:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that I have been totally preoccupied for a good long while now. In fact, I’ve been distracted away from quite a few things. Sometimes I feel a twinge neglectful (of this blog) other times I feel as if I should just let it go completely. But, too much work has gone into it to do that.

Then realize that it’s okay. Life happens and it has to be “LIVED” when it does. Thank God it’s all happy stuff keeping me occupied and away from blogging more frequently.

Life and its daily rhythms carry on. Each day is filled, plenty of chaos, much to do, and lots and lots of love. I keep breathing – counting my blessings.

Thank you, friends, for stopping in to check on me, for not giving up on me because I’m not around much anymore. I love you guys. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

I wish you a…

Happy & Blessed Weekend!

Wheew, what a month!!!!!

2010-06-30T00:33:00.000-05:00

Here baby Jace is "rootin' around" for a weird position to get himself into, he won't be satisfied until he's twisted turned and looking like a little pretzel.

What a week - last week!

No, what a month!!

June is over and I feel like I've been drug behind an 18-wheeler along 25 miles of bad country roads. Wheee-eeew!!! This has got to let up soon - - working on that.

We took the baby to East Texas to visit the great-grandmothers June 6th, first time he's been on a day trip. We left that Sunday morning and came back Monday afternoon late. He has never been strapped in his carseat in the car for that long, 2 1/2 hours one way. Both great-grannies were soooo happy we finally were able to bring him to see them. He did really well... considering. We left with everybody happy grinning and satisfied we weren't lying to them that he was all-right and everything was going well.

THEN!

The day after we got back he started a new growth spurt. Really! That meant excessive fussing, spitting up more than usual, gassy and passing gas, colicky, eating less than he normally does, acid-reflux (yea, you heard/read correctly, acid-reflux. I never heard of such a thing in babies...till now) spitting up, hungry, not eating much, fretful, restless, and on and on. Needless to say nobody got any rest, not anybody.

But, little trooper that he is, he's laughing, playing, cooing, talking to us, responding to our silliness with great-big belly laughs and squeals of delight - - in between all the awful growing pains. He's a tough little fellow.

It's not quite over yet, but we're working it out. We found a couple of techniques and solutions that help so, we're glad for that. The worse part of THIS growth spurt seems to be behind us and most of the stuff mentioned above is less intense and more manageable. Now we have July to look forward to and see what new baby things it brings with it.

And so goes another month in the life of Grandma DellGirl and baby Jace. Ahhhhhh, the joys of Grandmahood.

My Little Preemie, my how he's growing

2010-06-21T20:59:00.000-05:00

Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a grandmother.

~~ Edward H. Dreschnack ~~

Edward said that well.

Remember the post I published when baby son moved into his own apartment? The one about how I stood in the middle of the floor crying my eyes out because my baby had left home? Remember how I snivelled on and on about what I would do with myself?

Well, those days were rather short-lived. I don't have to wonder what I will do next anymore. My days are happily filled: (not every day, just some of them)

9:00 a.m. - Jace makes his entrance for the morning. We spend a good portion of the time cooing and conversing about different and odd subjects, laughing and playing and enjoying each other's company.
10:00 - He's about ready to eat - - again. Then I rock him and burp him.
10:15 - He's asleep.
10:20 - Down for his nap.
11:00 - He's stretching and grunting. I never imagined someone so small could stretch soooo...( I told him he gives me "charley-horses" just looking at him stretch like that.)
11:02 - He's up and out of bed, ready to start the cycle all over again.

And so goes...

another day in the life of dellgirl, the brand new Grandma.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-05-10T17:27:00.000-05:00

I haven't had time for blogging since the new year started. Too much going on, so much to do. Most mornings I hurriedly finish my personal and household chores. Then I wait...

Jace is done with his bath so he slips into his Pooh robe and slippers.

Other mornings he's content to chill on his boppy a while before his bath.

Sometimes he watches patiently while I try to figure out my new webcam.

At the end of every day we snuggle to wind-down and relax a bit before bedtime.

And so goes a day in the life of dellgirl and her first grandbaby.

AGG -- Ain't God Good!
~ ~ ~

Bought Wit

2010-03-23T18:55:00.001-05:00

As a kid growing up, I heard "Bought wit is better than told…" often. I had no idea what it meant. I only know that it was used whenever someone did something they had been warned against doing. I can still hear it to this day, "bought wit is better than told." It rings loud and clear whenever my gut says not to do something.

By the time I married and had my first two children I had become the frugal little housewife/mother. Not much excited me more than finding a great bargain. I preferred garage sales and thrift shops over shopping at the big department stores. Coupons were like dollars to me, the more I had the better I felt. I couponed like a champ.

Deep inside my frugality there was an innocent ignorance though. Little did I know that "cheap" was not the best criteria for judging if you had a good bargain. So, time after time when that "cheap" package of toilet tissue or that store brand of dish washing liquid ran out before I could get it home and put away, I still did not "get-it". Even when 4 cups of detergent didn't make suds in the washer, I couldn't go down without a fight. I switched to another "cheap" brand. Same thing. No suds. Had to use almost half a box to wash one load of clothes.

It took a while, along with quite a bit of visual research - in other words, watching how other people's things did or didn't last. The real kicker was a bit of sarcastic humorous teasing from my brother. He laughed, talked, and joked for days about my "cheaply" pitiful paper towels, said they fall apart so badly I might as well take some dollar bills out of my wallet and throw them in the trash. After all this, something began to sink in - "this bargain hunting and frugal couponing is NOT working."

Not being stupid, I gradually began buying quality name brands. It hurt my pride as much as it hurt my wallet to buy the three dollar and something (almost four dollars) 4-roll pack of toilet tissue so I said nothing - not to anyone. I noticed the difference immediately but, still said nothing. Instead of the usual three to four days that the cheap brand lasted, the name brand was still around three weeks to a month later. WOW, big difference - and savings ( didn't have to keep going back every few days to buy more cheap stuff.

Same thing happened with the dish washing liquid. I drug myself kicking and screaming into the store to pay a dollar and something for dish liquid as compared to my usual sixty-nine cents. But, wonder of wonders, the name brand lasted a good two to three weeks. Cheap stuff? Only lasted four days. And, so it went, on and on, right? Each time I bought quality over cheapness -- quality won.

"My bought wit"? - I paid the price and learned my lesson - the hard way.

So, there it is…

"Bought wit is Better Than Told".

Detour Ahead!

2010-03-16T20:15:00.001-05:00

Many of life's detours are forced upon us by circumstances beyond our control --they are but cul-de-sacs along the way. They are not always something of our own choosing. Often these perplexing detours in life are not easy, but hanging in there when the going gets rough is the key.

On any given day, life is full of "cross-roads", "side roads", and "back roads" -- that are either straight curvy, wide, narrow, smooth or bumpy. With that in mind we can't be so focused on one goal that all other opportunities in life pass us by.

Life isn't always about taking the road less traveled. It is about making the most of and enjoying the road you ultimately find yourself traveling on.

I've detoured around and through many cul-de-sacs in life. I've even parked in a few just to smell the blooming honeysuckle or to watch a flock of beautifully colored birds land chirp, chirp, chirp, and take off again into the wild blue yonder.

I'm not where I thought I'd be now. I'm also not where loved ones might wish I were on this, my life's journey. I definitely am nowhere near where I believe God has destined me to be. I'm working on it, though.

Many of life's detours are fun, but it may be time to take a side road back over to the trail to move toward a bit more inner peace. That road (to inner peace) may be long and very often it is convoluted and frustrating.

Just for today, I choose to park in the cul-de-sac, and to be thankful for honeysuckle to smell, grateful I can smell them, glad to have a car to park, and most of all…

I am prayerfully thankful for all the blessings God has bestowed upon me through all of life's detours.

What new and interesting things have you been doing lately?

To Write or Not to Write

2010-02-12T16:29:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had to laugh when you wanted to cry instead? Or visa versa, burst into tears when you actually wanted to laugh?

Well, that’s where I am right now. I want to write. I want to write something, anything, just as long as I’m writing. Mostly my mind is blank. Then it's cluttered with hundreds of ramblings, bits and pieces scattered thoughts.

Nothing profound comes to mind, nothing exciting or interesting comes out. Not one single shareable thing shines through. Nothing makes its way to the blank page.

Well, that’s not the whole truth. Something does come to mind, but it sits there in the back of my head like a prisoner -- locked in a cell and can’t get out -- onto the page.

So, I’ll do the next best thing...sigh!

Sunshine Blue Skies, Please Come This Way!

2010-02-05T13:50:00.000-06:00

I’m wishing for sunshiny weather some time this century; sunshine, freedom and a little pocket change. Wishing for sunshine is not going to get me very far, but buying a pretty new outfit might just brighten my mood a bit.

Well, so much for wishing for sunshine this week, the week is over already. Still...I wish for sunshine, clarity and direction. Today I am just pleased to be able to sit down and type something, anything – without having to think about what else I should be doing.

Have a happy Friday afternoon and wonderful Friday night everyone. May your weekend be happy and sunny.

We cannot control many things, such as the weather, the stock market, and, most importantly, other people. But, wouldn’t some warm sunny weather be great? I think I’m going to go outside and dance around in it – when it comes!

Who else is ready for some warm weather?

We are all fine here, just really really busy, a little water logged and wishing for sunshine.

More Adventures of "Bit Mo' and the Man in the Moon"

2010-01-18T17:32:00.000-06:00

A while back I told you about Mr. Papa Dellgirl and a project he contemplated finishing. Remember I explained how he verbalized his plans and how convoluted I found his process, how most of the time it seems "He don't bit-mo...know what he's doing...than a man in the moon?

Well, he started. He worked diligently two whole days, then he couldn't hold it inside any longer. I just had to go with him to "WITNESS" his handi-work in person, to see for myself how much progress he'd made. Credit-where-credit-is-due, he had done more in two days than I thought possible. Everything looked beautiful!

He lead I followed, smiling widely so he could see my reactions, as he pointed out each new thing he'd completed. I commented on how nice it all looked and made a big fuss about what a great job he'd done. His smile of contentment grew with each passing nod of approval. Finally, I noticed that old familiar swagger when he knows he's done something to please me and make me smile. He turned to leave the room, I stayed behind to peek into a couple of things he had not included on his tour.

On top of a stack of boxes, I saw the following,

As plain as the nose on your face, it says: "Deep Fryer - UP!" ((Arrow pointing UP for emphasis)).

Meaning?! This side UP!

It hit me again, "He don't bit-mo ... pay attention to stuff ... than a man in the moon!

January is...

2010-01-08T16:15:00.000-06:00

January is the perfect time for new beginnings, it's the month to start fresh. January is also the ideal time to reflect briefly on what worked and what didn’t work over the past year. It is a good time to do a first check of how things are currently going and where you would like them to go from here.

January brings renewed optimism for change, for a better life, for a better you. And that’s a wonderful thing. It’s wonderful, because this fresh start gives us a chance to reinvent our lives and ourselves. It allows us to reinvigorate ourselves, to shed the baggage of the previous year and do something new and different.

After all the planning for Christmas and New Years it’s pretty common if, come January, you don’t know what to do with yourself. No doubt your bank account needs a break from all that Christmas spending, but that’s no reason to be bored in January.

For starters, you can watch the Bowl Games. Even if football isn't your thing, this is a great excuse for a party. Another excellent activity for January is reading. And my personal favorite is writing. Sunny January with its brisk cold days is a time when serious gardeners may begin to prepare the garden for the year ahead. The list is endless.

In conclusion, here are some interesting and informative facts about the month of January.

Did you know January is:

1. Cervical Health Awareness Month

2. Unchain a Dog Month

3. Time to plan rose planting season

4. National Blood Donor Month

5. National Hot Tea Month

6. National Eye Care Month

7. Get Organized Month

8. National Mentoring Month (NMM)

9. Raise Awareness for the Prevention of Birth Defects Month

10. National Bath Safety Month

Surprisingly, I only knew 3 of these facts. How many did you know? Please share, we’d love to hear from you.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T17:15:00.000-06:00

Let this coming year be better than all the others.

Vow to do some of the things you've always wanted to do but couldn't find the time.

Call up a forgotten friend.

Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories.

Vow not to make a promise you don't think you can keep.

Walk tall, and smile more. You'll look ten years younger.

Don't be afraid to say, 'I love you'. Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.

~ Ann Landers ~

I hope 2010 proves to be your best year ever!

May you enjoy friends, family, and financial blessings beyond measure.

Happy New Year!

~dellgirl~

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie

2009-12-01T20:49:00.000-06:00

I'm on the phone, paying bills. NO! Trying ... to pay bills.

Phone conversation:

Recording: (sweetly) "Good morning. This is X-Y-Z company. What is it you would like to do today? You can say anything, like change my address or pay my bill. So. What would you like to do?

Me: "Pay my bill".

Recording: "All right, you want to pay your bill. Please say your account number."

Me: "AC one zero five five five one zero".

Recording: "All right, that was...HZ one zero nine five five one four. Is that correct?"

Me: "No".

Recording: "Okay, let's start again. Say your account number".

Me: "AC One zero five five five one zero".

Recording: "AZ One zero five five nine one zero". (He got it wrong four more times,) the fifth time . . .

Me: (Screaming at the phone ... losing all my composure. Talking loud, shouting as if to somebody three blocks away, ears burning, pulse racing, voice raising to a fever pitch) ...

"No!!! No!!! No, that's not what I said! No!! I said my number a hundred times already and... you - doggonit!!! I hate this stupid phone system!!!! This is stupid!Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! Darned x-y-z company, silly stupid automated system!!!!!"

Recording: (Calmly cooly unruffled ... sweet as you please)...

"All right, you said you want to speak to an agent. Okay, an agent will be with you shortly. Please hold for the next available agent".

Me: (Chewing paper, spitting fire, ears burning, cussing like a dirty-mouth sailor...finally breathing deeply... trying to get a grip on myself). Rating the system?! It S-U-C-K-S! Period!

That sent me in search of Police Call Letters/Police Letters Alphabet. I hope this will end some of the frustrations of being mis-understood as I read numbers and letters over the phone.

I found the following:

A=Alpha
B=Bravo
C=Charlie
D=Delta
E=Echo
F=Foxtrot
G=Golf
H=Hotel
I=India
J=Juliet
K=Kilo
L=Lima
M=Mike
N=November
O=Oscar
P=Papa
Q=Quebec
R=Romeo
S=Sierra
T=Tango
U=Uniform
V=Victor
W=Whisky
X=X-Ray
Y=Yankee
Z=Zulu

Now I can happily say, "Alpha-Charlie-one-zero-five-five-five-one-zero" and have a better chance of being understood than before.

Lawdy, lawdy, lawdy, talking about frustration!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T14:48:00.000-06:00

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

10 Tips for Stress-Free Christmas Shopping

2009-11-18T21:26:00.000-06:00

There are only twelve more days until December 1st and, most of our thoughts have turned to Christmas already. We have to buy presents for the children, our friends and family. Some of us might also have thoughts of the presents we will receive.

Now is the perfect time to get many things on your “to-do-list” completed. That way, you and your family can spend the last few days before Christmas enjoying family time. Now won’t that be fun!

For starters, the internet is an ideal place for gift shopping if you hate shopping in crowds. You can sit in the comfort of home and look for and find some truly unique gifts. Many have been released especially for this festive season and are reasonably priced. Some offer free shipping as an incentive to shop with them.

For those who plan to shop at brick & mortar stores, here are 10 Tips that will help make your Christmas shopping less stressful.

Stick to your pre-planned budget. Many of us don't want to spend too little, but at the same time, we certainly don't want to spend too much on Christmas gifts.
Shop during sales whenever possible, avoid huge overcrowded sales.
Have each member of the family buy for a different person, rather than everyone buying for everyone.
Do not try and make everything perfectly equal, just try to get things that are perfect for each person. One person's gift will naturally cost more than another, do not stress over this.
Get batteries for items that need them and save your self that Christmas day stress.
Wrap up some 'emergency presents' to have on hand when someone unexpectedly shows up with a gift for you. It can be as simple as a box of chocolates, personal care gift baskets, music or movie cds/dvds, etc. Attach a gift tag that reads: “To someone very special”.
Dollar stores and discount stores are great places to find all kinds of toys, books and clothes that won't break your budget. Kids don’t mind, they just want to open presents.
Wear comfortable shoes.
Take some time to pamper yourself. All the things that have not been finished yet or things you should be doing instead can wait.
Choose to be happy as you prepare and shop for this Holiday Season!

I hope you find something helpful here.

Happy Holidays!

How to Make a Text Box Directions

2009-11-04T19:47:00.000-06:00

by Sojourn

at HTML Borders Backgrounds

I wanted to give you the directions for making a text box myself but, last week was another unbelievably busy week. There was a funeral on Saturday for hubby's aunt, company for the entire weekend, a Bible class project for Monday & Tuesday, Bible class today (Wednesday), and all the regular stuff I normally have to do. Wheeeew, what a week!

So, without further adieu, I'm sending you to visit the site where I found the borders. The directions are easy to understand and apply. Scroll down to Solid Borders-HTML examples, choose the one you want, then copy and paste the code into your compose new message box. Replace the words "Your Stuff Here" with whatever you want to go inside the text box.

To make your own text box go to Sojourn's HTML Borders Backgrounds.

Good luck!

How To Make a Text Box

2009-10-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

This is a test. I'm trying to make a text box.

If this works, I will give credit where credit is due...after I figure out the dos and don'ts and all the details of how this thing comes out.

I'm headed to bed for now, will check this out in the morning, and if the box is here I'll finish up.

Negative Insecure People

2009-10-19T22:52:00.000-05:00

Last week I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen for many years. We lost touch when we both married and moved. Excited happy and glad to have bumped into each other again, we took our re-union to the nearest restaurant to chat some more and catch up. Ten minutes into our meet-up, I realized why we hadn’t stayed in touch, why I hadn’t looked her up.

Every other sentence out of her mouth was a complaint or a negative comment. Her husband doesn’t treat her right, her kids don’t call and visit her as much as they should, her doctor doesn’t believe her when she says she’s sick, and on and on and on. Not one good thing spewed forth from her lips.

Twenty minutes later I glanced quickly at my watch, gasped for breath and, excused myself. I had to go. The whole encounter had me on the verge of a major depressive attack. It started me thinking about negative and insecure people.

I find that insecure and/or negative people are extremely needy and miserable people to be around. They are that way for a lot of reasons. Many insecure people may have been raised in a chaotic, unpredictable or volatile environment in which they were kept off balance, on guard or on edge. Some turn inward, becoming self-obsessed – “It’s all about me.” They typically have unrealistic expectations and sometimes unconsciously overcompensate for their poor self-image by thinking they're better than other people.

Negative/insecure people will often insult or bully others to make themselves feel better. They tend to be very defensive and cannot handle criticism. They usually find scapegoats for their problems, never realizing that they are causing the problems themselves. Also, they tend to point out the shortcomings of others, even if untrue, in order to cover up for their own perceived inadequacies.

In the end I concluded that “Not all insecure people are haters, but all haters are insecure people.”

What do you think happens to make them that way? Can anything be done for them? Do you know any negative or insecure people? How do you handle it/them?

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Bit Mo' and the Man in the Moon

2009-10-05T14:41:00.000-05:00

There was an old saying that started with, "He don't bit-mo"...

and, it ended with, "than a man in the moon!"

The saying had words between bit-mo and the man in the moon. Sometimes a few, sometimes more. But, the meaning was unmistakable. I didn't wonder about that old saying back then, never thought much about its origin, that is...until lately.

A few months ago mister papa dellgirl began to tell me his plans for completing a project that has been in the works for a long while. I listened patiently, nodded appropriately, grunted or sighed whichever response his confused ramblings elicited from my flabbergasted brain. He had it all planned out down to the last detail, every meandering syllable. Oh, LAWDY!

When he finished, I reiterated; just to be sure he knew that I heard and understood him. He nodded in agreement as I did my reiterating. Whereby upon concluding my reiteration I asked sweetly, "What are we going to do with X if we do it that way, Honey?"

You would have thought I hit him up side the head. His impatience with my inability to see his logic beamed through loud and clear.

"Dang, dellgirl. You sure do know how to make it hard for me, you didn't listen to a word I said."

Then it dawned on me. "He don't bit-mo know what he's doing than the man in the moon!

I've revisited "Bit mo' and the man in the moon" several more times since papa's and my conversation. I find that a good many people "don't bit-mo' know what they're doing or saying than a man in the moon!"

RETURN TO TOP

© 2009 by Leona G. Shankle

Dinner and a Movie

2009-10-01T19:08:00.000-05:00

Saturday September 19th: The shrill sound of the phone interrupts my concentration, on the adorable commercial about the talking pot-hole. Dang, I love that commercial! Baby son on the phone, I have to take this. I love hearing from that kid. He promised earlier in the week to pick me up and take me to his house.

"Hey, ma. How are you, what are you doing?"

"Hey, yourself kiddo. I'm fine, not doing a thing. Just watching this cute little commercial. What's up?"

"I'll pick up in an hour if you're ready." He said.

I smile and respond, "I'm ready, see you in an hour."

Forty-five minutes later he rings the doorbell and I grab my purse and head for the door. The short trip to his house is shorter than usual as we chat, joke,and laugh the whole way. At his house, he opens the door to let me in while he gathers his packages from the car. I busy myself by looking around while he puts away his things. We finish at the same time and settle down to visit for a bit and talk some more.

"Ma, have you ever had shrimp tacos before?" he asked, springing to his feet.

"Ummm, don't think I have, why?" I questioned.

He's halfway to the kitchen before I finish answering, I follow wondering what he's up to. He removes foods from the fridge, places it on the counter and begins to prepare our dinner. While the shrimp boils, he chops and shreds lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. We talk a mile-a-minute as he works and in no time everything is ready. We take our food to eat and watch Twilight Zone movies. Naturally, we miss most of the movie - talking.

Wow, the shrimp tacos are really delicious, very tasty! They are also rather filling, just one has me as-full-as-a-tick. Now that we're full we get quiet to watch a little of the movie. Too much stillness and quietness has us both nodding and dozing so I suggest that he can take me home whenever he's ready. That way he can get back home himself and get some much-needed rest.

What a suprisingly wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon - making memories. Life doesn't get much better than this.

RETURN TO TOP

An Unplanned Absence

2009-09-25T17:38:00.000-05:00

Last week didn’t go quite the way I’d planned. It wasn’t the kick back and relax, blog hopping comment leaving week I had envisioned. It’s been a see-saw of nerve-tingling chaos and sleep provoking quiet around here. It has also been a gorgeously beautiful week; sunny, with mild temperatures mostly - - a very nice week indeed.

I’ve been on an unplanned break from blogging writing and everything else computer related. It’s good to be back but, the question is, what do I do after this unplanned absence? Update blogs and sites, visit friends’ blogs and chat with them? Write something profound? What? I have no idea.

Let’s hope I am not 50 miles behind like I was last time an unplanned break waylaid me. But then, what can I expect? Okay, I’m behind. I’ll either catch up or I won’t.

I have no desire to “THINK” right now so I might need to continue this break for several more days - - to get my mind back into it. Since I've been offline most of the week, I am starting to feel like I might never get the urge to blog again.

What a nice way to close out the week. I’m really looking forward to a more mellow and peaceful weekend ahead.

Okay, enough moaning and groaning! I have a lot of visiting and catching up to do. Keep the porch light on, I'm coming.

RETURN TO TOP

Free Money

2009-09-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

I just redeemed Swagbucks for $5.00 cash...

just to remind you, they start you off with 3 swagbucks free for signing up.

And, I'm laughing all the way to the bank at how easy it is.

I simply search the internet at the SwagBucks.com home page. I find it easier to just go to the Swagbucks.com homepage and search from there. You also have the option to download a toolbar on your computer.

Try it, it is real; they pay you to search.

You can sign up here. Start searching and earning rewards.

Up At the Crack-of-Dawn!

2009-09-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

That's 7:00am dellgirl-Texas time; crack-of-dawn somewhere. I grab my trusty old broom and dustpan and, get busy sweeping out trash and debris. Be sure to get behind that chair and under the desk really "good". Make the room sparkle and shine brightly for this glorious new sunshiny day.

A smooth flowing fine-point writing pen is my broom and a pretty new fabric-covered journal is my dustpan. The pen records the jumbled clutter that infests the corners of my sleep-filled mind. The journal, my dustpan, holds the brain-garbage I want to dump.

Ummmm...maybe the journal is a trash can instead of a dustpan.

Okay, okay! So, what is the purpose of these early morning journaling exercises? The purpose is to help me learn some things about myself. What exactly is it I am supposed to learn about myself by journaling at ridiculously early hours of the morning, when I could be sleeping?

Well, I will learn what I like and what I don't like.

I started this so, I will continue with it. It certainly can't hurt, except to cause me to lose some sleep. What about you, do you journal? What do you think of the concept? Does it clear your mind of clutter? Does it help uncover anything you did not know on a conscious level? Does it open you up for greater creativity?

A Book Inside - How to Write and Publish a Book: How to Get More Visitors to Your Website or Blog

2009-09-17T21:13:00.000-05:00

I have searched long and hard for ways to get more people to visit my blog. Every little thing helps - a little. Tonight I found a very interesting blog post about getting more visitors to your blog over at "A Book Inside". Carol Denbow says: (in her own words)

"When I first began this Blog two years ago, I would get only four or five visitors per day. I was frustrated because I wanted to share book writing tips with others and I didn’t know how. I had befriended a wonderful person online who I shared my frustration with and she told me about ..."(READ the rest here)

A Book Inside - How to Write and Publish a Book: How to Get More Visitors to Your Website or Blog

Technical Difficulties

2009-09-14T19:50:00.001-05:00

Here, look closely. This the "straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back". Look at that, what a mess!

What! A! Day! First one thing, then another. Each more frustrating than the preceeding one -- all day long.

But, little Miss Sunshine that I am, I took it in stride. Trying to stay calm and unruffled, I sorted through and finished what absolutely needed to be done. Three things! Did that.

Oh, I'd better send that fax. It is VERY important. First try. Nothing. Second try. Nothing. Check the plug, ummmm...seems okay. Check the fax machine settings. Okay. Check every danged thing I can think of, all appears normal. Still, the fax won't go through, says "no answer".

Hey, I'm just trying to send a fax here. Enough already! I'm going to bed.

So, how was your day? I hope you had a good one. Tell me about it so I can smile and laugh with you about your glorious and wonderful day as I get comfortable and visit your blogs.

Music: My Passion My Love

2009-09-10T14:07:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning with a tune in my head and it won’t go away. Every step I take every move I make, it’s there – skipping merrily through parks and playgrounds of my brain. Usually I can only stop the music in my head by playing the tune over and over until I’ve overdosed on it.

Have you ever had a tune stuck in your head that won’t go away? How can I explain it?

Music is my love and my life; it is the heart of my soul. It is a manifestation of where I’ve come from, of where I am at any given moment in time.

Music is what I live for, it is an experience. Music is a growth; it’s energizing, exciting, expressive and, dramatic. Good music makes my insides flutter with excitement. My head moves up down and sideways rhythmically, shoulders sway back and forth to the tune. My feet go tap, tap, tap, to the beat with a mind-of-their-own. Soon I’m up moving twirling swirling and dancing around the room like a child on Christmas morning.

Music is an expression that all can embrace, interpret, and feel. It is an expression that will never die and will constantly be created and twisted into enjoyable melodic prose.

Music is like an antidote, it helps reduce stress, it is what I can depend on when many things in life are not trustworthy.

Music is my sanity and my passion; a way to escape the physical world and express ideas and emotions. Music is a link to my dreams which helps me to relax, visualize and create.

Music is love, devotion, precise, discipline, and adoration and it brings me closer to God.

I'll Always Remember The 3rd Of September

2009-09-03T19:45:00.000-05:00

The past week or so I've had to work really hard to overcome some sad feelings. When they first started I'd shake the feeling and move on. Yesterday it dawned on me, September 3rd is the day my daddy died so it took a while longer to get-myself-together. Today wasn't so bad as I spent time riding with Jordyn running errands. Back at home I realized what my problem was...thoughts of Daddy.

Last year I posted the following. I am re-posting it in its entirety -- just because.
____________________________________________

I'll Always Remember the 3rd Of September

"It was the third of September. That day I'll always remember, yes I will. 'Cause that was the day that my daddy died."

"That is as far as the similarities of Daddy and the lyrics of the song go. Beyond that, nothing else in the song applies. The music is - the hook.

September 3, 1988 was the day my daddy died. The phone rang about 9 p.m. and a family friend informed me that Daddy was "gone". Not understanding or not wanting to understand, I question, "Gone? Gone where?"

She answers, "Your mom asked me to call and tell you that your daddy passed away. He's gone."

Suddenly a dark cloud covers me like a blanket. I can't cry like I want to. My nine year old is right here, I have to keep it all together for him. Hubby hovers characteristically close, waiting for my reaction. He asks if I'm okay or if I want to go outside with him.

"I'm okay," I reassure him.

The older two kids are at a football game. Jordyn is a cheerleader, oldest son is on the team. I want to go home - now -but, I have to wait for the kids to get here. I excuse myself with "I need to go and pack so everything will be ready."

In the privacy of the bedroom my tears flow unchecked, but only momentarily, the baby is at the door wanting in. I quickly dry my tears shake myself together and get on with the business of packing.

With a million and one thoughts crowding my numb brain, I silently occupy my self and wait. Finally, the older kids are home, hubby has the car packed and I gather them around to tell them about Papa. They react as expected, tearfully, grief-stricken and full of questions.

Among explanations and reassurances I head them toward the car for the long painful ride home. All is quiet in the backseat after a few miles and I am thankful for the darkness that conceals the anguish that now consumes me.

The journey through the thick East Texas woods is quiet, the silence broken only occasionally by a question from hubby about how I am doing. We arrive at Mama's about 2 or 2:30 a.m. Rousing the kids from their sleep we gather our luggage and start for the front door, for the beginning of a life without Daddy. At the steps I stifle the threatening tears, catch my breath, grit my teeth and prepare to go inside.

I have no idea what lies ahead or what it is like to lose someone this close. I do know that a special light has gone out, a era has come and gone. And with it, the love of my life - my daddy.
* * * * * * * * * *

Today, September 3, 2009 I am left with Daddy's . . ."Legacy of Love".

How to Write for Money Online

2009-09-01T14:18:00.000-05:00

Choose What You'll Write

by Angela Booth

Want to write for money online? Writers are in huge demand, so just about anyone who can put together a sentence and paragraph can be paid for their writing.

Choose What You Want to Write

There are two primary ways to get paid - by writing for others, and by writing for yourself. Of course, you can combine the two, but when you first start out chances are that you will write for others so that you can get some cash.

You choose what you want to write. You can write: articles, reviews, advertising, news reports, blog posts, ebooks, complete Web sites... there's no limit to what you can write.

When You're Starting out: Get Paid to Write for Others

Every business of any size - and many small businesses too - needs words. Finding those businesses is easy. Just go to any of the out-sourcing sites, and bid on projects. Write the projects you win, and ask your buyers for testimonials.

Those testimonials are vital: once you've gained some testimonials, you can make more money than you ever could on the out-sourcing sites by creating your own Web site, and selling your services there, directly to buyers who approach you.

When You Have Some Experience: Get Paid to Write for Yourself

Once you have some experience in writing for others, you can write for yourself. You'll make money from your writing in similar ways to the people who hired you to write. You can write and sell articles, ebooks, entire Web sites... and much more.

One of the best ways to make money writing for yourself is to write ebooks. Ebooks on many topics are in demand, because people go online looking for information. If you can provide that information in an ebook you'll be paid for it; your ebooks will go on selling for years.

Writing for money online is largely a matter of experience. You will earn as you learn. Please don't be disappointed if you make just a little money when you start out. The more you know, the more you can earn. As you gain experience, your online writing income will increase. Many writers make six figure incomes online, and they started just as you're starting out, by writing word by word, and payment by payment.

Enjoy your writing - there's never been a better time to be a writer. You can write for money online - just get started.

__________________________________________________
About the Author

Discover how to make money online in your spare time with Angela Booth's Sell Your Writing Online NOW training. Not only will you discover how to write and sell articles, you'll get complete training in how the Web works, so you can take advantage of the unlimited opportunities.

__________________________________________________

Sharing Poetry - Inspiration

2009-08-28T14:29:00.000-05:00

To all the wonderful people in my life:

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person...

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for a reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Sometimes people come to your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. BELIEVE it, it is REAL.

But; only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life,

whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Happiness Is...

2009-08-23T17:47:00.001-05:00

Happiness is Sunday morning church with loved ones.
It is a journey, not a destination.
Happiness is a choice.
It is grabbing all the gusto you can get from life.

Happiness is sometimes strange in that it varies with time, experience and wisdom.
Happiness is in giving something to someone, although you still need it.
There is happiness in braving life’s storms.

Happiness is warm, yes it is.
It comes from within us, welling from the depths of our souls.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
It's smiling at a stranger as you pass by, and having them smile back.

Happiness is saying 'Yes' to life and 'Thank you' and 'I accept everything’.
Happiness is living as large as we can and saying, 'I'm so lucky to participate in this experience.

How we react to the changes of fortune often determines our happiness. When we are willing to let go of how we need to influence the outcome, to make things happen, and instead learn to enjoy the process and gifts we receive along the way, we can find happiness.

Happiness is being off on a lazy Sunday afternoon thinking back over the work-week,
basking in the warm glow of time well spent with family,
and giving thanks to God for His many blessings.

Make a grab for that golden ring of happiness.
Try it, and happiness will find you.

© 2009 by Leona G. Shankle

What Are Some Facts About Poetry?

2009-08-17T16:00:00.000-05:00

Writing poetry is a wonderful outlet for expressing ideas. Writing poetry is the highest, noblest, art form; and poets are those who can feel what can be beautifully expressed as in poetry, as poems. It involves not just scribbling in a notebook, but also undertaking a way of life, one in which you value being creative and sensitive.

Writing poetry is not always an easy job but, it could be your cup of tea. Writing poetry tips are helpful guidelines, but not the rule of thumb, they're not etched in stone - as a poet you set your own rules. Writing poetry has always been about emotion; thrilling, bitterness and even humorous. It is like jumping off a high dive at the deep end of the pool, exhilarating.

Poetry can be used to convey ideas, information and feelings but, above all, it is a great means of entertainment. Poetry is the poetic, beautiful, expression of the poet's passion - in poetry poets express passions sensibly and beautifully.

Poetry is meant for the ear; listen to the sounds the words make. Poetry in rhyme sounds more pleasing - rhyme adds to its beauty. Why not 'cash in' on that in your poetry. Poetry can be as complicated or as frivolous as possible, it's all up to the author. Poetry is food for thought and for the soul. All food has its ingredients and, so does poetry.

Writing is a passion of mine that brings relief. Writing styles, subject matter and even childhood memories influence a lot of our choices. Writing in "free verse" does not excuse the poet's obligation to please the ear though. Writing, reading and falling in love with poetry are all processes.

Writing has always been a form of self therapy, an expression of emotions too intense to keep inside, an expression of thoughts, feelings, and meanings. Writing about painful subjects is also a great way to deal with that pain, write it out. If it’s too painful to share, keep it for yourself. But, do write it out and feel the healing power of putting those words on paper.

Be yourself when you are writing poetry. Explore your different sides through your poetry let the different facets of your personality take center stage. Be happy writing poetry, this is your time to expand and write whatever comes into your mind. When nothing comes to mind -- start writing, very fast --any word, a phrase or simply a sentence or two that pops into your mind.

Try using writing poetry as an excuse not to do other things. Yes, that’s right, if you’re not already doing so, start writing poetry now. There are still several months left in the year, this is the perfect time to embark on a new adventure, so why not seriously consider writing poetry and sharing it with others this year.

Craft #links for Craft Lovers

2009-08-11T19:57:00.000-05:00

Calling all Craft Lovers.

I have a cool new place where I can go play, somewhere to get away and let my inner child roam free for a while, a place to "chill" when the going gets rough.

Come on over and join the fun! Leave your comments, your ideas for future blog posts, and even some favorite crafts you'd like to see highlighted on the blog.

I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

#links

Stress Less

2009-08-09T16:32:00.000-05:00

Most of us are probably coping with some level of stress and we need to learn how to relieve it. Effective stress-relief techniques focus on relaxing your mind and your body. For starters, we can relieve a lot of stress from our lives by dumping limiting beliefs - - those things you believe about yourself that place limitations on your abilities.

Limiting beliefs can be difficult to change because we often don’t realize they exist but, they can easily be overcome with desire and determination. It is imperative to first identify them and how they have served you in the past so you don’t beat yourself up for having had them.

Limiting beliefs almost always begin with “I can’t because…” Examples include “I can’t find a good job because I never went to college, diets don't work for me, I don't have time to exercise, or my company isn't giving pay raises this year.”

Can you really get beyond your limiting beliefs? Fortunately, yes. It is possible to get rid of these beliefs and replace them with more positive ones but, you first need to identify your limiting beliefs. Then to change limiting beliefs, you will need to break the thoughts that reinforce your belief that you are unable to do something.

Is it possible to relieve stress? Yes. Before we go on, if your level of stress is serious, consult your physician. But, if you think you can take charge of your stress, here are a few things that can help.
- Learn to have a sense of humor
- Try yoga: no legs behind the neck here
- Aroma therapy works wonders
- Exercise for 30 minutes
- Lift weights but don’t go overboard
- Take a walk in the fresh air
- Try dance and creative movement
- Chocolate, eat it in moderation though or open a candy bar and just smell it
- Relaxation & deep breathing exercises provide immediate relief
- Take a six minute vacation
- Communicate: talking with friends, family, a counselor, or a member of the clergy about your feelings is a healthy way to relieve stress
- Set more realistic goals: for yourself and others
- Develop a hobby: fishing, knitting, photography, woodworking, anything. Do something fun with your hands

Find your inner peace - - learn how to relieve your stress by finding what works best for you. Let us know your favorite ways to de-stress.

Swagbucks

2009-08-07T15:24:00.000-05:00

A lot people are talking, writing, blogging, and posting videos about easy ways to make money at home. I found something that really works and, I think you will like. I learned about it from A Frugal Friend.

It’s Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a site that is a must have, not only because it's 100% FREE, it is also the easiest way to get great free stuff like video game consoles, music, ipods, electronics, DVD's, and much more. SwagBucks is a search engine powered by Google and Ask that offers you the chance to win cool prizes every time you search using “swagbucks.com”. Now they are making it even easier with the SwagBucks widget.

Swagbucks is free to join and I highly recommend them. It is a great way to earn some prizes. The best part is, you can even trade the rewards for CASH to do whatever you want with it. Yes, you heard right - - CASH! SwagBucks now offers Cash via Paypal.
Swagbucks is one of my favorite part time money makers.

SwagBucks sign up is easy and painless. Users begin by signing up for an account. They start you off with 3 “Swagbucks” just for signing up. Be aware, though, there are several rules that if not followed can get your account closed.

You won’t get rich but, it sure is fun to get paid for doing something you do all the time anyway…searching the internet.

It's real. They pay. You should check it out.

So, sign-up and start searching with “swagbucks”. If you would be so kind as to use my "Referral Code" I'd appreciate it. And, it will tell them I sent you, and when you earn and win, I win also.

Then, you can invite your friends and you will win when they win. It’s all “Win-Win”-Everybody wins.

Click here to sign up. - -> - - > http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/dellgirl

You’ll love it!

It's OK to Quit

2009-07-31T21:01:00.000-05:00

Things you can quit -- RIGHT NOW!
1. Quit arguing with people about the same old foolishness! Respect their position and keep it moving!

2. Quit telling people your secrets when you know they are not going to keep them! And if you keep telling them, then quit getting mad when they tell your secrets!

3. Quit trying to pull people on your journey who don't want to travel with you. Either they believe in you and value you...or they don't!

4. Quit complaining about things you can't and won't change!

5. Quit gossiping about other people! Minding our own business should be a full time job!

6. Quit blaming each other for things that in the big picture aren't going to matter three weeks from now! Talk solutions...and then implement them!

7. Quit eating things you know are not good for you! If you can't quit...eat smaller portions!

8. Quit buying things when we know we can't afford them! If you don't have self control, then quit going to the stores! Quit charging things, especially when you don't NEED them!

9. Quit staying in unhealthy relationships! It is not okay for people to verbally or physically abuse you! So quit lying to yourself! It is not okay to stay in the marriage for the children! Ask them and they will tell you that they really would prefer to see you happy and that the misery you and your spouse/partner are living with is affecting them!

10.. Quit letting family members rope you into the drama! -Start telling them you don't want to hear it! Quit spreading the drama! Quit calling other relatives and telling them about your cousin or aunt! Go back to #5 minding your own business should be enough to keep you busy!

11. Quit trying to change people! IT DOESN'T WORK! Quit cussing people out when you know that they are just being the miserable and jealous people that they are!

12. Quit the job you hate! Start pursuing your passion. Find the job that fuels your passion BEFORE you quit!

13. Quit volunteering for things that you aren't getting any personal fulfillment from anymore! Quit volunteering for things and then failing to follow through with your commitment!

14. Quit listening to the naysayers! Quit watching the depressing news if you are going to live in the doom and gloom of it all!

15. Quit making excuses about why you are where you are or why you can't do what you want to do!

16. Quit waiting on others to give you the answers...and start finding the answers for yourself! If what you are doingisn't working for you...then quit it!

17. Quit settling and start making your dreams a reality!-Quit being afraid and START LIVING YOUR LIFE! CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT!

If you want something different than what you have had in the past...you must quit doing what you have done before and DO something different!

JUST QUIT IT ... and START DOING something to create the experience you want!

LIVE YOUR LIFE!

Winners DO Quit

2009-07-27T19:35:00.000-05:00

A quitter is someone who habitually gives up who lacks mental stamina. A quitter is deficient in resilience, resolve, or purpose. A quitter is a loser who doesn’t hang in when the going gets tough, someone who abandons the game before it is finished - - and doesn't return later to finish the game.

Quitters constantly procrastinate; they would rather talk about it, read about it, think about it and, talk about it some more, but they never seem to do anything. Quitters are glad when the day is over.

Quitting isn't always negative; it may be exactly what's needed in order to move forward. You will need to get over any guilt feelings that come with it though, especially if you have friends or family members who believe totally and completely in the “winners never quit” philosophy.

Many times it is not “quitting”, it is simply changing the direction of your advance. It is not quitting if we consciously choose to switch directions; when we replace one goal with a new one that's more in keeping with our purpose.

Quitting might sometimes be the worst option, but “once a quitter, is not always a quitter”. The harsh reality is that many things are worth quitting. There is nothing wrong with quitting a venture that should never have been started in the first place. Walking away from something that is bad for you is not quitting. You only have one shot at life, so make sure you take it with both hands and squeeze every little drop out of it you can.

Here are a few uplifting and enlightening facts to consider: Shortly after quitting whatever you're doing that is going nowhere, your blood pressure, pulse rate, and circulation will all return to normal; your headaches will diminish and the churning in your stomach will soon calm down. So, quit some things.

Rather than believe that “Quitters never win and winners never quit”, I learned from many successful people that …

Sometimes, "winners do quit" when we need to change directions to reach our goal.

What do you think? Can we quit something without being labeled a "loser"? How much do you care what others think of your projects or endeavors? Let us hear from you, someone is waiting.

Moving Furniture

2009-07-26T17:58:00.000-05:00

In case you come by and I miss you, I'm off somewhere trying to find things to make this blog look better. It's getting boring to look at, not to mention, to work on. So, forgive me fot the mess. I should be finished soon.

How was your weekend? What did you do? Rest & relax? Clean house? Write? Enjoy family?

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Self-Publishing for Beginners - Part IV

2009-07-24T07:20:00.000-05:00

ISBN Number

If you want your book to be accepted and sold by an online retailer, your book must first be assigned an ISBN - International Standard Book Number. If you self-publish, consider obtaining an ISBN for your book and do a small print run so you have some inventory. A third option, which falls between self-publishing and selling your manuscript to a traditional publisher, is to publish with a "transitional publisher,"

Your ISBN

Owning an ISBN book number is perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of self-publishing your own book. Every book that is going to be sold commercially must have an ISBN book number, period.

What is an ISBN and Should a Self-Publisher Get One?

Many self-publishing companies include providing an ISBN in their self-publishing services or allow the self-publisher the option of providing the ISBN.

The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a number that uniquely identifies each book. It’s been called the “social-security number for books.” The owner of the ISBN is the official publisher of the book. As the official publisher, the owner of the ISBN is the only company who can:

submit the book for reviews and awards
update publisher information on Amazon.com or BN.com
get a book carried by a distributor or wholesaler

Self-publishing service companies suggest they can save you the time and expense of requesting ISBN numbers from RR Bowker. But to have another company own your book’s ISBN number is to relinquish control over too many important aspects of your book’s future. So, ask or research to find out if the ISBN is theirs or if they are getting you your own ISBN. For more information on ISBN numbers visit http://www.isbn.org/.

RR Bowker is the U.S. ISBN Agency in the United States, responsible for assigning ISBNs as well as providing information and advice on the uses of the ISBN system to publishers and the publishing industry in general.

NOBODY can assign, give, lend or sell you an ISBN except for the US agency, RR Bowker. So, when self publishing books, just visit http://www.bowker.com/ to find out all the information you need to obtain an ISBN.

*While self-published books are not required to obtain ISBN's, distributors and most book stores will not accept a book without one.

Was this post helpful? Do you have any ISBN stories or information to share? We would love to hear them.

Steps in the Publishing Process

2009-07-22T16:39:00.001-05:00

Self-Publishing for Beginners (con't): Part III

What is it and Why Self-Publish?

Self-publishing is printing a book or other type of work yourself instead of going through a publishing company. It is different from regular publishing in that there is no traditional publisher. It simply means that you take control entirely of your book - you retain 100% copyright to your book, you keep all the royalties, you decide which book store you'd like to target – “YOU KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR BOOK”.

Self-publishing is not a last resort for authors. In today's tough economy, self-publishing your own book could help increase your cash flow.

Publishing Your Book

Today's world of publishing is dominated by larger commercial houses that ignore works which don't have mass appeal. Large book publishing companies have such high overhead costs they must sell at least 10,000 copies of a book to break even.

Self-publishing is now more practical and affordable than ever before. It is now possible for self-publishing authors to produce their books in low volumes, allowing them to see if the market takes to the author's book. Self-publishing might be a bit of a challenge, but you will reap the rewards and benefits it offers.

Steps in the Publishing Process

The first step in the book publishing process is to educate your self. Step two is to prepare your files for print. Step three is the actual printing of your book. The fourth step is distribution. Distribution is almost as important as the first three steps combined. Book distribution is not the same as marketing.

Well! That's it for Part III. Did you find any thing helpful? What would you like to have more information on?

Be sure to return for Part IV.

If someone offered you money, say $5,000.00, for your book/story including all rights...would you sell it? Why? Why Not?

Print On Demand

2009-07-20T14:47:00.000-05:00

Self-Publishing for Beginners (con't): Part II

"On Demand" Basics

"Print-On-Demand" is the Smart way to launch a book. You can save MONEY with smaller print runs and ordering books as demand increases. Once your book is set up in most systems, it will be printed, quite literally, on demand. The use of demand printing eliminates wasted printings of books that do not sell, and avoids overstock sitting in stores or a warehouse.

The basis behind Print-on-Demand is that a computer is used instead of the traditional offset printing process. The ultimate in print-on-demand is the production of one copy at a time. The newer model, self-publishing and print-on-demand is perfect for writers and ‘info-preneurs’ that want a solution to make money fast, increase exposure or grow a business.

One misconception about print-on-demand is that it always means printing one at a time. A print-on-demand service might produce one publication at a time for one client but print sets of 100 for another.

Print-On-Demand is good for writers as it is a process that offers many advantages over offset printing. POD is the best solution for customers who require small volumes of printed material or targeted direct mail campaigns while minimizing stock holding and benefiting from a quick turnaround.

Here are a few Print-On-Demand Publishers, in no particular order. Keep in mind that there are hundreds, if not thousands of POD publishers on the internet. Research them for yourself and choose the one that best suits your purpose and your budget.

I have not personally used any of them, just performed the search for what might be available when we need it.

Lulu.com
Booksurge
Instantpublisher
Outskirtspress
iUniverse Print On Demand Publishers

*A Word of Caution: Print-On-Demand companies do not edit or copyedit the material they are given. You must take the responsibility of getting your book copyedited or the result can be a poor product.

What this post helpful? Do you have any self-publishing tips you'd like to share, successes or nightmares? We would love to hear them.

Part III: POD Self-Publishing for Beginners coming soon.

Print On Demand

2009-07-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

Self-Publishing for Beginners: Part I

Getting Started

Print on Demand or POD is changing the way we publish. It is a fantastic new method of printing which is opening publishing up to previously unknown authors. POD is precisely what it sounds like, the ability to print one or a hundred books. Print what you need, when you need it.

In every industry there are those who produce and those who pay for production. Print-On-Demand is a very simple change, which is a step in the right direction. It is one method of self-publishing a book.

Printing

Print-on-demand or POD is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book or other document also allows for books to be printed in a variety of formats. This technology enables publishers to print both paperback and hardcover books "on demand".

Print-On-Demand is fast, cost effective printing, with short runs included (25-500 copies). It is simply printing from a digital file, a book, or magazine only when it is needed and in the quantity needed making low volume, low risk, low cost publishing feasible.

POD is a great option for family historians looking to print a few books for their family, or to set up an option for relatives to order their own copies. Another plus is the speed with which your book gets from digital manuscript to printed book.

On demand book printing methods require no up-front printing costs. Print-on-demand is not conducive to allowing returns.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This is the first in a series of posts on Self-Publishing or Print-On-Demand. Be sure to return for the next installment.

What would you like to know about self-publishing?

Write Your Short Story

2009-07-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

Short Story Basics in a Nutshell

First, choose an idea and start with the basics of a short story. A quick start is especially important in short stories because you don't have much room to tell your story. If you're having trouble brainstorming, try making a web or table; create about five main sentences for your short story. Novice writers are often given this advice on how to structure short stories: Put a man up a tree, Throw stones at him, Get him down.

There's no room for free-loaders in a short story. Around three main characters is all a short story can effectively deal with because too many will distract you from your theme. Use vivid imagery to draw the reader in.

In today's fast-moving world, the first sentence of your short story should catch your reader's attention with the unusual, the unexpected, an action, or a conflict. Keep your paragraphs and sentences short if you're telling a fast-moving action-filled story.

Grab your reader from the very first line and, begin your short story as close to the conclusion as possible. Your job as a writer of short fiction -- whatever your beliefs -- is to put complex personalities on stage and let them strut and fret their brief hour. For example, let's say you want to develop a college student persona for a short story that you are writing.

As a writer, you need to determine who is going to tell the story and how much information is available for the narrator to reveal in the short story.

Throw Some Stones: Add Some Conflict

Create a conflict for your protagonist. Then present the problems that can occur (throw some stones): misunderstandings / mistaken identity / lost opportunities, etc. Build the story's tension by having the protagonist make several failed attempts to solve or overcome the problem. Create a crisis that serves as the last chance for the protagonist to solve his or her problem. In general, make sure the story flows and the characters and their problems are introduced and resolved appropriately.

Get the Action Going
For a story to be believable, your characters have to be believable, and their actions should appear inevitable given who they are. The rest of your paragraph introduces an internal conflict as your protagonist debates a course of action and introduces an intriguing contrast of past and present setting. Show the reader what kind of person your character is, by describing actions rather than simply listing adjectives.

Solve the Problem: Get the man Down

Resolve the tension by having your protagonist succeed through his or her own intelligence, creativity, courage or other positive attributes. You have to do everything that happens in a novel; introduce characters, create conflict, develop characters, and resolve conflict in twenty or thirty pages - when the internal or external conflict is resolved. Sometimes the setting or some aspect of setting resolves the plot. This step is repeated until all the problems are solved.

It is here that love triumphs over hate, good conquers evil, honesty defeats deceit, or the underdog wins.

"Guest Interview" with Leona G Shankle

2009-07-15T13:16:00.000-05:00

My first ever interview was a smashing success. Cynde has done an amazing job of conducting the interview with this "nervous Delly", can't remember the last time my nerves twisted and tied themselves in a bunch like this.

Come on over to Cyndes Got the Write Stuff and join us. We'd love to see you there.

PLEASE leave comments, we love those!

Interview with "Guest Author", Leona G. Shankle

2009-07-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

I will be interviewed as "Guest Author" -- Leona G. Shankle

Wednesday July 15, 2009

By: Cynde's Got The Write Stuff
(See Cynde's July 4th post: What's-Up-Wednesday Guest Interview)

Come join us for the fun and feel free to leave comments.

We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Happy Anniversary

2009-07-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary To Me

and Papa DellGirl!

July 12, 1969 - July 12, 2009
~ ~ ~

It's an old story [inject a chuckle], old friends read it last year.

We started 1st grade together in our little country town. I didn't know him from a hole in the ground. We got better acquainted in 2nd grade as he was a mischievious little dickens. Fun, but devilish as all "git-out". He and a friend chased me home one day after school...

New friends can read it here.

Liar Liar

2009-07-09T11:39:00.000-05:00

Writing fiction is such a joy! You can lie all you want! And, maybe in lying, tell a different kind of truth. Writing fiction is how I could be making a living, but I prefer the absolute certainty of poverty that blogging gives me.

Writing fiction is a wonderful, creative form of writing. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but that does not mean to say that I am no longer interested in writing my non-fiction books and blogging well into the wee hours of the morning. Writing fiction is something I hope to do more of and will include links to my stories on this page.

When you started writing fiction, you probably did so at about the same time that you discovered that not only did your parents not have all the answers to the universe, but neither did anybody else.

There is a serendipitous journey to be taken when writing a novel, where things unfold in surprising and exciting ways the writer couldn’t have foretold. Part of the joy of writing fiction is the excitement of sitting at a keyboard and watching words appear on the screen and a story take shape as if by magic.

Fiction gives us the greatest possible freedom to tell stories --- and I believe very much in the power of stories to influence the way people think. Writing fiction is a great escape from reality.

What do you think? Are fiction writers lying or imagining? Can you “lie" up a good story, book, or novel? Have you ever thought about doing it?

A Trip Into Outer Space

2009-07-07T20:03:00.000-05:00

When I write I am safe; hidden in my own world where I can shake off all my cares. When I write I am who I want to be. I feel powerful, like the wind - bold, intense, frenzied, and unpredictable.

Sometimes when I write, I am not who I am. I am someone else. Many times when I write, I don't know who I am or what I am. When I write, I am in a black hole, oblivious to all else around me, it takes something of serious importance to distract me.

When I write, I am the captain of the spaceship soaring high above the clouds traveling to mysterious and exciting destinations of unknown origin. When I write I feel “free” without boundaries as I let my imagination go to unseen heights uninhibited and free to roam and explore to my heart’s content, until I write it all out.

When I write my words on paper, between the lines, I truly live. I usually like to write in present tense with my thoughts reflecting the here and now. Ironically, when I write tributes to or poems about my daddy, I am always overwhelmed and I cry. “Love you Daddy, rest in peace.” See? Now, I’m crying.

What does writing do for you? Do you ever get carried away and lose all track of time? I do.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T02:41:00.000-05:00

Remember our veterans who sacrifice so much for the freedoms we enjoy.

Pray for them and for their families on this our national day of freedom celebrations.

Visit a veteran if you can. Call if you can't visit, let them know we appreciate their service to our country.

Call a veteran's mother, father, wife, husband, or family...wish them well on this day.

Happy 4th of July.

Last Week Was A REAL Trip!

2009-07-02T01:59:00.000-05:00

Mahnnn, when I tell you last week was a real trip, believe me! It was some trip! Not convinced? Well, grab your seatbelts and hang on. Imagine you’re riding shotgun with Jordyn at the wheel in the Indy-500 finals and you know what you have to do.

Sunday, Father’s Day: I got up extra early to cook dinner. Finished by noon.

12:45 - went to help a dear friend pack for moving.

2 pm – took a truckload of boxes and containers to their storage, back to their house at 2:15. More packing, sorting, and storing.

4 pm – back to the house they’re moving to, unpack the truck, arrange and stack their personal items.

7 pm – we’re finished packing for the day. At home I jump in the shower, eat a nice leisurely bite, and prepare to settle down for the night.

9:45 pm – I drag my tired weary body to bed hoping to drop off to sleep in a flash, didn’t happen. I wriggled and twisted exhaustedly trying to get comfortable.

By 10:30 pm - my body finally decided to cooperate and I settled in to a pleasant and peaceful slumber. I think I heard myself begin a soft gentle snore.

11: 15 pm – the sudden ringing of the telephone startled me awake from a sound steady sleep. It’s my longtime neighbor from my old neighborhood.

Neighbor: “Shank, baby [she calls everybody baby and honey] I hate to call this late but, Carl had a massive heart attack early this morning. I just wanted to let you know because he’s not doing too good. The doctors didn’t expect him to make it through the day but, he did and he’s just laying there.”

More conversation, I grieve with her over the phone and, promise to see them both soon.

Monday June 22nd – Another neighbor from the old neighborhood called to tell me Carl had passed. Later Mrs. Carl called to give me details for Carl’s visitation and funeral.

Tuesday Jun 23rd – I talked to Mr. DellGirl at 11:00 am to give him the details so he could plan his work and his comings and goings leaving time for the wake and funeral. He heard, understood, and agreed with me - for a change.

1:00 pm – Mr. DellGirl called to say those plans I made earlier had changed. His mom and our nephew had just been involved in a car accident and were being taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Me: “OH, good lawdy! What!? When!? Where!? What happened???”

Mr. DellGirl: “Calm down, calm down. They promised me over the phone they were okay. You just calm down and I’ll keep you posted.”

Me: “Okay, you be sure to let me know.”

Time to burn up the phone lines I call sister-in-law #1. No answer. Call other nephew. No answer. Call niece. No answer. Call sister-in-law #2. Finally I reach a live person. She says the same as Mr. DellGirl, Mom-in-law and nephew said they’re okay.

3:00 pm – Sis-in-law #2 calls to say she’s going to see for herself if everyone is really fine and, asked if I want to ride with her. Yes, I do.

6:45 pm – We hit the highway headed to the East Texas Piney Woods to check on family.

Everyone is fine, just like they said. We visit a bit and, I take a short trip across town to pay a surprise visit to my mom. Mom and I had a good unexpected visit.

Now that we know everyone is really okay, we hit the highway back to Houston.

Wednesday June 24th - 2:00 am. We’re back in Houston, to bed to rest, and hopefully to sleep.

Mid-day: Mr. DellGirl prepares for a routine doctor’s appointment at the VA

Thursday June 25th. I washed and pressed my hair, which is an all day job. Finished about 4 pm. God finally saw fit to give me all this hair now that I’m past the age of trying to be cute all the time. We cooked dinner, fried chicken, French fries, salad, and iced tea. Did a bit of paperwork then went to bed.

Friday June 26th. Spent the day putting together outfits for the mister and myself for the wake and funeral. Wake at 7 pm tonight. Funeral at 1:00 pm tomorrow.

Saturday June 27th. We meet at Mrs. Carl’s house to ride in the funeral procession with her. Arrive at the church and the funeral proceeds and proceeds and proceeds. Out at 3:45 pm.

We stopped by the meat market on the way home to get something to cook.

At home we get comfortable, cook dinner, eat, and settle down to relax. Finally - to bed.

Sunday June 28th. 9:00 am

“Huh? What? What time is it, what day is it? What do you mean, get up? I’m not moving. Ummm…back to sleep. To rest rejuvenate and -- do nothing.”

WHAT a week, I hope I don’t have another one like that for many years to come!

Fathers Are Special

2009-06-21T01:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day
to fathers everywhere, especially to our Google Blog Fathers.
May today bring you much happiness and love!

Comments - Graphics - Layouts - Photobucket

To become a father is not difficult, but to be a father is.

A father is…

- a person who is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic

- neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there

- someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow

- a man who expects his children to be as good as he meant to be

- a banker provided by nature

- not someone to lean on, but someone who makes leaning unnecessary

- makes his baby girl into a little woman

- someone who carries pictures where his money used to be

- a thing that growls when he feels good and laughs out loud when he is scared half to death

Really Great Fathers. . .

- make bets with insurance companies about who'll live the longest.

- learn a lot from children about coping with life.

- are men who give daughters away to other men who aren't nearly good enough, so that they can have children that are smarter than anybody's.

And, while mothers cry where it shows, fathers stand and beam -- outside – and die inside.

Creative Writing

2009-06-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

Creative writing is our passion. It is the reason this website and many other websites like it, exists. Creative writing is guided more by our need to express feelings and ideas than by restrictive demands of factual and logical progression of expository writing. It is a form of personal freedom.

Many writers strive to excel at creative writing, but the process can be a bit unnatural and challenging for some. Creative writing is an individual pursuit, and each writer must find her or his own method within the process.

Writing beautiful prose and captivating poetry is a talent. Writing effectively, however, is a skill that can be learned. Writing is composed of two main activities: creating and critiquing.

Writing excites me, and I delight in enchanting you with words which flow from my pen, more accurately, my keyboard. Writing is a rare tool that allows us to discover and to express what is within.

Writing brings us gratifying rewards whether we do it for our own satisfaction or have aspirations to achieve wealth and fame as the author of a best seller.

Creative writing is any writing where the purpose is to express thoughts, feelings and emotions rather than to simply convey information. It is the composition of text with the aid of the imaginative faculties. For those of us who write, creative writing is one of the most powerful tools available to explore our interior.

The past month has been an extremely busy one for me but, it has also been highly charged – creatively.

My Aquarium

2009-06-13T13:08:00.000-05:00

Compliments of baby son, Mike.

I have no words today, I am all worded out

nothing to share, too tired to research

no cute quotes,

nothing!

After I cook, I'll sit

stare at my aquarium

admire the beautiful tropical fish

let them lull me as I rest,

relax and rejuvenate.

I need restoration

this is it!

Writing Tips

2009-06-04T01:52:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, as writers, we cannot control what happens to our words and the ideas that they represent. Yet, we put a tremendous amount of effort into creating books, essays, articles, web pages, poetry, plays, screen plays, and other works so that we and others can learn from them. We have access to books and websites full of writing tips that provide useful ideas, inspiration, and guidelines to help us be better at our craft.

Many of us traditionally get stuck in a couple places in our writing: in the beginning when we are trying to discover or develop our lead, in the end when we are searching for just the right conclusion and at transition points throughout the article when we are tasked with introducing a new idea.

Writing Tips:

1) Put off editing.

2) Use a structure. For some writers, having a structure in place first makes the writing easier.

READ MORE

Incredible Days

2009-05-31T23:18:00.001-05:00

I am so fired-up! I just finished the most productive four days! I got more writing done over the past four days than I have since I finished my book and started blogging. 3,ooo words. And, not one of them on a blog.

The best part is that half of it, roughly 1,500 words, is tightly edited and ready to go. The downside to that is, I had to stay from my blogs, website, and all my friends. Now what kind of trade-off is that!

At one point, I searched my saved files and flash-drive for unfinished pieces. I found this beautifully written, soul-stirring poem. As I finished reading the last line I thought, "Wow, this is nice. It's hard to believe I wrote that." Needless to say, that raised my resolve to write and my energy level 200 degrees.

Most of Wednesday and, all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I wrote. With that said and with so much accomplished, I am fired-up! Ready for tomorrow.

Gone Fishing

2009-05-27T15:18:00.000-05:00

That's what they used to say when they were going to be away

from the Country Store for a while.

I'm gone ... of a different sort.

"Gone Writing"

I hope you're having a nice time, enjoying yourselves and keeping out of trouble.

I'll see you as soon as I can.

Enjoy your day and have a Happy Thursday!

One of Them

2009-05-21T22:02:00.000-05:00

[Knock, knock, knock]

One of them: “Who’s there?”

Me: “It’s me, Dellgirl.”

One of them: “Hey, girl. Where were you? We’ve been waiting for you.”

Me: “Nowhere. I got up, dressed, piddled-around doing a little this and a little that, made a list of things I needed from the store, thought I’d stop by there before I came here. To be on the safe side, I logged online checked my bank account and did a double-take when I saw the balance. It wasn’t much of a surprise, but it caused me to rethink some of the unnecessary items on my shopping list.”

One look at my balance and, I thought, “Jeeze, I’d better wait until the 1st to get most of this junk. That money has to last me the whole rest of the month. Good-googly-moogly today is only what? The twenty-first! Ma-a-a-n, that’s still a good while to go there. Oh well, I’ll get what I really need and wait until the 1st for the rest.”

One of them: “Tell me about it. Come on in honey, join the club.”

The rest of them: “Yea, come sit. That’s how ’we roll’…

… until the 1st of the month.”
[BANG, WHAPP, KER-THUNNKK, ZAPP!!! a skillet up side the head moment]

Me: [to self] "Dang, Dellgirl! You’re 'one-of-them' now."

Me: [cutting a step] "Oh, woop-de-doo, girl, how cool is that!? I'm finally old enough and grown enough to do what I want . . . on the 1st.

The Yellow Shirt

2009-05-15T17:43:00.000-05:00

I could not find the exact yellow shirt, this is a substitute.

The baggy yellow shirt had long sleeves, four extra-large pockets trimmed in black thread and snaps up the front. It was faded from years of wear, but still in decent shape. I found it in 1963 when I was home from college on Christmas break, rummaging through bags of clothes Mom intended to give away.

"You're not taking that old thing, are you?" Mom said when she saw me packing the yellow shirt. "I wore that when I was pregnant with your brother in 1954!"

"It's just the thing to wear over my clothes during art class, Mom Thanks!" I slipped it into my suitcase before she could object. The yellow shirt became a part of my college wardrobe. I loved it.

After graduation, I wore the shirt the day I moved into my new apartment and on Saturday mornings when I cleaned. The next year, I married. When I became pregnant, I wore the yellow shirt during big-belly days. I missed Mom and the rest of my family, since we were in Colorado and they were in Illinois. But that shirt helped. I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant, 15 years earlier.

That Christmas, mindful of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I patched one elbow, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. When Mom wrote to thank me for her "real" gifts, she said the yellow shirt was lovely. She never mentioned it again.

The next year, my husband, daughter and I stopped at Mom and Dad's to pick up some furniture. Days later, when we uncrated the kitchen table, I noticed something yellow taped to its bottom. The shirt! And so the pattern was set.

On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt under Mom and Dad's mattress. I don't know how long it took for her to find it, but almost two years passed before I discovered it under the base of our living-room floor lamp. The yellow shirt was just what I needed now while re-finishing furniture. The walnut stains added character.

In 1975 my husband and I divorced. With my three children, I prepared to move back to Illinois. As I packed, a deep depression overtook me. I wondered if I could make it on my own. I wondered if I would find a job. I paged through the Bible, looking for comfort. In Ephesians, I read, "So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up." I tried to picture myself wearing God's armor, but all I saw was the stained yellow shirt. Slowly, it dawned on me. Wasn't my mother's love, a piece of God's armor? My courage was renewed.

Unpacking in our new home, I knew I had to get the shirt back to Mother. The next time I visited her, I tucked it in her bottom dresser drawer. Meanwhile, I found a good job at a radio station. A year later I discovered the yellow shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet. Something new had been added. Embroidered in bright green across the breast pocket were the words "I BELONG TO PAT."

Not to be outdone, I got out my own embroidery materials and added an apostrophe and seven more letters. Now the shirt proudly proclaimed, "I BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER." But I didn't stop there. I zigzagged all the frayed seams then, had a friend mail the shirt in a fancy box to Mom from Arlington, VA. We enclosed an official looking letter from "The Institute for the Destitute," announcing that she was the recipient of an award for good deeds. I would have given anything to see Mom's face when she opened the box. But, of course, she never mentioned it.

Two years later, in 1978, I remarried. The day of our wedding, Harold and I put our car in a friend's garage to avoid practical jokers. After the wedding, while my husband drove us to our honeymoon suite, I reached for a pillow in the car to rest my head. It felt lumpy. I unzipped the case and found, wrapped in wedding paper, the yellow shirt. Inside a pocket was a note: "Read John 14:27-29. I love you both, Mother."

That night I paged through the Bible in a hotel room and found the verses: "I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do, you will believe in me"

The shirt was Mother's final gift. She had known for three months that she had terminal Lou Gehrig's disease. Mother died the following year at age 57. I was tempted to send the yellow shirt with her to her grave. But I'm glad I didn't, because it is a vivid reminder of the love-filled game she and I played for 16 years. Besides, my older daughter is in college now, majoring in art. And every art student needs a baggy yellow shirt with big pockets.

How-To Copy & Paste Without Right-Click Menu Options

2009-05-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

Having trouble pasting pictures or photos to guest books on msn.live.spaces? First, you must post the picture to a website, an image hosting service, a blog (like our blogs here) or to another place where you can open it in a web browser. There are free blogs here at blogger.

I have a family history blog on blogger that is set to private. Since no one else has access to the blog I used it to post my pink flowers picture on my dellgirl.live.space so it would open in a separate window.

HOW-TO Copy & Paste Without Right-Click Menu Options:
* Highlight the picture you want to copy or cut, or place the cursor where you want to paste.
- Copy: Press Ctrl-C (hold down the Ctrl and press C) to copy.
- On a Mac, use Command-C (press C while holding down the Apple key).
- Paste: Press Ctrl-V (press V while holding down the Ctrl key) to paste.
- On a Mac, use, Command-V (hold down the Apple key and press V).
- Cut: Press Ctrl-X (Command-X on a Mac) to cut text or images.

Complete details for How to Copy & Paste without right-click menu options.

To add an image to the body of an email instead of sending it as an attachment, go to About.com Email. Hope this helps.

Enjoy!