Bless me neighbor, for I have sinned...

Yes, I have to confess..after all, confession is good for the diet..or something like that.

Anyway, as I was reading Laurie's http://buttonsnlace.blogspot.com// posts on Melinda http://melindasfabricfancies.blogspot.com/wanting chickens...

I realized....I covet thy neighbor's chickens....

Yeppers, I do.  I say a cheery "Hello girls" each morning to them..give them left-over bread and veggies..Mother-in-Law gives them fresh water and grape leaves..along with her Morning Glories..

...no, she doesn't give grape leaves to her Morning Glories, silly..although she does give them water.....the Morning Glories..and the chickens..

And, I must say, the girls love us too.  The come a runnin' when they see us.  And, they are not afraid of Lulu.  Even when one escapee came over to our yard..Lulu went charging over and the chicken just look at her with a look that could only be disgust..and she didn't move. Not one inch..

Apparently, a non-moving target is no fun for Lulu..so she sulked back in the house and huffily went back to guarding the neighborhood and all that is hers...

And, they too ask the age old question....

Here's some pictures of  the back yard today.  Had nothing to interesting going on..just a regular-regular day on Main Street..

Have a good tomorrow.  Or today if you read this tomorrow. Or if you do read this tomorrow, you can use the "have a good tomorrow" for the next day, which would be  "tomorrow" it you're  reading this tomorrow..

I think I have a headache...

-me

Time...

It's weird.  Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day.

Some people save lives..teach children..discover great things.

Some people have it go by, almost un-thought of..

We really can't save it....we really can waste it...

And yes, as we get older it does seems to go by ever so quickly.

It happens.  No matter what your financial standing..what your station in life is..it passes..

Down time, half-time, over time, full time, part time..your time and mine.

Use it well...enjoy it.  Make the most of it. Remember it..

..and in the words of someone much smarter than me...."a donut without a hole is a Danish.."

yeah..I didn't get it either....

-me

YouTube is almost as smart as....Google!

seriously - I was having a goofy-feeted-uncoordinated-me moment{read: HOUR} at Zumba when the instructor was trying to show us the steps to...the Tango!

..the what? you say..

Tango..you know..all serious and foot-y.  And usually done with 2 people..not an imaginary partner...


Yeah..well, dancing is coming back ..and who knows..maybe I can find a really stretchy black Tango dress..and slick my short-gray hair back..and buy a rose..and just .maybe Mr. B would take me dancing the Tango in Utah...................

...........nah. Probably not.

But I want to learn it anyway.  and if I had this many legs...

..and had a diagram...

OK, so maybe a diagram would be ..ah..confusing..

.so I searched YouTube to see if they had any Tango videos..

Have I introduced you to ..my little friend...?? {in the voice of Al Pacino..who...by the way, has his own Tango video..from The Scent of a Woman ..}

..anyway..get a glass of ice water ready..cover your keyboard from the impending drool..and watch as Antonio Bandaras shows a bunch of smart-alec-y-inner-city- high school kids how it's done..



can we say "hubba-hubba"??

Yeah, well now go and put your earphones on and...DANCE !

-me

Sunday night..laundry's done..

 

..and a new week will be here soon. 

Zumba kicked butt today and a young woman {new to class} came up to me afterwards and told me I was her inspiration ..can you imagine?

She much have thought.."well if that old lady can do it......."

When asked by the instructor, Kariné, if we had any requests, I said..

"Yeah the body of a 20 year old.."

She said no, but we could learn Zumba like a 20 year old.

Learning new routines and I swear, my body is doing all the same moves as she is..you just can't see it as well, what with all the..
"insulation"...I have..



We do an hour of this with only enough time in between for a gulp of water..a total of 10 songs..

I really do like it, so if you want to be more active, limber, sweaty {ick} and fit, try one out.  And take it from me, it does get easier.

{ I just told her I was wanting to push myself harder..and she believed me! Geesh..be careful about what you say to a Zumba instructor!}

-me

Just droppin' by to say...

Hi.....

{betcha you thought I was going to say....cheese!!

...nope....just "hi"..

:-)

have a sunny Sunday!

-me

So,last night I had my laptop on my lap..my head was full of thoughts..I was watching..

TV...the next thing I knew..I was visiting an old supervisor, she was from Texas, but she was speaking with a very distinctive German accent...??

..and she had a great house with a darling all white kitchen, with red accents..{loved it!}..

and an out-building full of rusty, old, wonderful stuff..

 ..and she gave a neighbor little girl a great fish tank with swimming fish..and I was thinking "I wanna fish tank with swimming fish too.."

Then I  woke up  and it was 7am...Huh.

Yeah,  yesterday did start out weird...

Got up early and discovered Darth Vader lives in my kitchen....

OK, well it is my coffee maker..but ..seriously...

"Luke...I am your... coffee..."

Ah well...did do some more sketch/sew/make stuff today..

 ..bought a kitchen towel that I liked and ripped it to make 6 different things..

 Yep..shoulda known the day would end up weird..it started out by me discovering (after I got to work) that I had 2 different socks on..

Oh well..

Have a fun Saturday..

-me

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous." Aristotle.

Yepppers, that's right.

Marvelous.   Uh-huh..seriously..

Today when walking the pups, I spotted something on the ground by a tree..

Now, remember, I'm old and my eyes are good, but my arms are too short, so I had to reeeeally squint to see what I was..uh..seeing..

And,  embracing the inner-5 year old that I am..I picked it up for a closer look....

It felt a little like plastic..but it wasn't.

It was a leaf's skeleton.

Yep.  That's what is was..is, because I carried it all the way home and put it in a jar.

I know, I know...maybe I should let it be free....to live it's life in the wilds..

Uh, no.  I wanted it. So, I gave it a new home.

What do you think?

Beautiful,  huh?

That God.....He's such a  crafter!

-me

PS - "In nature we see where God has been.  In our fellow man, we see where He is still at work. "  ~Robert Brault

The weather's a changin'....

Of course, Mr. B doesn't think so..we still have the air conditioning on..then when it's cool {read: Popsicle-temp} inside, he opens all of the windows, and turns on a fan...backwards...so the air is pulled through the house..and it's c.o.l.d....

At least in the mornings..and in the evenings..and at night..which only leaves mid-day, and I'm in a climate-controlled cubicle at those times...

Anyway..found this and thought it was very creative..and fun!

Love the way some people's mind works!



Have a warm, comfy fall day ....

-me

On one Saturday, once every year, we become the small town of my dreams..

..not that it's not always a great place to live,

.. but when the city of Sandy prepares a full picnic, fair, treasure hunt, history lesson and neighborhood gathering all in one and provide it all, to all, for no charge..at all..

..well that's old town hospitality.  The kind you used to see on those old TV shows..or in the old movies.

That was us... yesterday..

Young, old, in-between.  All ages, all colors, all sizes, all faiths.  Once place.  One agenda.  To have fun.  To say 'hello' to neighbors usually just waved to..to see how we're doing...to enjoy our little one square block park..with those historic trees and lifetimes of memories..

It's what Americans think America should be..and is..caring, friendly, giving and happy.

Old fashioned car show...

Lots of fresh, good food..

Music..

Big, air-filled, jumbo,huge toys..next to the usual swings, slides and sand boxes..

..and, to top it all off.. pRiZEs!!

{ the lady with the antique place setting?  The little boy in the baseball cap actually won that..and was less than impressed.  Then the next winner was the lady - she won the basket of ..candy.  Well, some bartering was done and a trade was made..both ended up with hUgE smiles...and yes, that's me..a winner of a iPod Shuffle  And it's lime green - just so happened to match my blouse.  Ah the luck 'o the Irish :-)

What a great day..and I am sooo grateful...and feel sorta like these huge air-toys at the end of the day....

Hope you had a great week-end as well.

And tomorrow, you getta brand new chance for an great week...don't screw it up...OK?

-me

..about those emails...

OK, so some of you know I have the dubious distinction of being TSL at work.."the snack lady"..

I am in charge of Tea Time - a designated time each day when all of us take our noses off the proverbial grindstone, go to the break room and actually have people-time....with-real-people..

And food.

That's where I come in..I purchase and organize and prepare and clean up the daily snacks..

And I try TRY to come up with inviting ..uh..invitations to everyone so they will feel compelled to actually partake in the {suggested but not required} festivities.

Take today...grapes.

sha-boom..

How do you get someone excited about grapes? I mean, anyone older than 3..or someone with the attention time of a gnat..

With an email like this:

{Sung to the tune of "Amazing Grace..}

Ahh-mazing grapes..how sweet the taste..that saved a girl li-ike meeee....
I once was fat... and now not-so-much....never no-ticed..but now I seeeee....


..and there have been  others...

It's Tea Time....and I know you are all NUTS for Tea Time! Come have some pistachios..

This one......

Fresh pears!!
"It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption." ~ Edward Bunyard, 'The Anatomy of Dessert'....Or..."Eating pears cleans the teeth." ~ Korean proverb

Then this one...advertising "ice cream Sandwiches":

I scream sandwiches!!    Uh...I mean...ice cream sandwiches..come get your ice cream sandwiches!

and this one...

Today's Tea Time is in loving memory to Elvis...Bananas and peanut butter...."Just a hunk-a hunk-a burnin' love..uh..peanutbutterbananas"...

And on one particularly non-creative day:

.....remember yesterday's tea time? Well.....ditto.....

Break-room clean up brings a whole new opportunity to be creative:

Tea Time will be at 2:30 today ... we will be have a mod-podge of stuff:
Watermelon
Toaster pastries
Granola bars
All the while we will be holding a "Plastic Container" adopt-a-thon!

Open your hearts and your homes to these unwanted blows, cookie sheets and pans..each one promise to bring joy and air-tight seals to your lives....

Every once in a while, of of the employees will bring something to share:

-It's 2:30 .... Let's get cake-faced!! ..brought to you in part by the Dr. Woodward 'Left-Over Cake Foundation'...

-WooHoo! The 'Snack Fairy" visited on Friday and brought us lots of good goodies! What a nice surprise! So today, it's "Cookies & Milk"...Come and get 'em..Well...give me a minute to set them out..then COME & GET 'EM!!

Sometimes it's more of a "tell 'em what holiday it is" sort of message...

Today is.... National Peach Pie Day..no, seriously..it is..but ours won't be home made...unless you live in Ream's bakery.....

Cookies & Milk Day: The mostest perfectest bestest time for ...Warm Cookies & cold milk..OK, so they're cold cookies..but if you want, I can throw an Oreo or two in the microwave...

Then one day, you find yourself just resorting to a simple ''menu broadcast":

Apples and granola bars! Tree-hugger's delight ;-D
Today's treat is Spinach /Artichoke dip with warm Facoccia bread !
Chips & Salsa !!
Cookies and/or apples :-)
Chips & Peach Mango Salsa..Ole!!
Frozen Fruity Bars..and some long-skinny-popcicle-thingies...
Ice Cream Drumsticks or 100-Calorie ice cream bars
So, how about cold milk and cream cheese brownies?
Pizza Rolls are in the toaster oven for ya...
Enjoy the shmor-gish-borg! ....no, sorry..there will be no shmores...
Tasty Taquitos To Tempt The Tastebuds!
Celery & pnut butter & celery & cheese and/or celery alone!
P-nut butter crackers & strawberries..not necessarily in that order...
Sweet Rolls for a Sweet Friday!
Peaches and Pears and Graham crackers, oh my!
WATERMELON.....no words necessary..
..Say "Cheese"! Oh, and crackers & grapes ;-D
Sweet & Savory today!
Hummus and great chips!

There's always an opportunity to educate....

It's Fruits & Fiber Day! ..And you get an Andy Rooney quote:
"I don't like food that's too carefully arranged; it makes me think that the chef is spending too much time arranging and not enough time cooking. If I wanted a picture I'd buy a painting."

The "cryptic/threatening" messages are always fun:

To all:
We have exactly 11 chocolate chip cookies (eleven) and ice cream - come get 'em while they're hot...and available..

..and of course, the "shirking-the-responsibility-message"....

Old Mother Hubbard.. went to her cupboard ..yadda yadda yadda..and when she got there - because she didn't have a key for the money box (for which she is not complaining - too much responsibility..) she set out:
leftover goldfish
leftover Gummy Bears
leftover Graham Crackers & P-nut butter
and..
Various {leftover} dried fruits (symbolizing her dried up ideas for making this Tea Time awesome)
Help yourselves and I should get the Tea Time Stipend soon....

So there you have it...this is precisely why they pay me the big bucks...

Wait....what??? All the checks are the same 3" X 7" size???

 ...hey..wait a minute....
-me