We are family...

Have you ever looked up the word "family" in the dictionary? It says 1.) a man, woman, and their offspring; 2.) a group of people linked by ancestry/blood line; 3.)
a group of like things.
So, family is you and yours...you and your pets or dear friends or roommate, or you and your bloggie gang.

I spend more time talking...commenting back and forth with my blog sista's than with my own children. Granted, they are in their mid-thirties, and are not feeling the lack of their mama in any way, believe me...but, still...that's interesting, in the big picture of things.

I seldom share thoughts with my spouse. That's probably a mistake overall, but, true.
I don't tell my kids my worries or woes...but the corgi kids hear all about it, and so do some of my blog sista's.

We all need someone to rant to, in a safe environment. I have found that our men cannot handle the truth that sometimes spills out at stressful times. I have been conditioned to keep a lot in. It's not worth all the upheaval, and making somebody else feel lousy. But sista's, of a like mind, understand, and listen, and don't judge. They give you their opinion back, and share some of their background and experiences.
It's a safe place, this sisterhood thing.

We're from all over the place. We all share thoughts and emotion when the mood arises, or is needed. Comments, emails flow back and forth in between households.
Women find ways to function, and methods to express things that bubble inside us. We don't need to knock the blocks off the men we live with. They are able to remain in their little obtuse bubble, not realizing the wrath and dismay that simmers in their woman. Life is secure. The sista's cover each other. Airings alleviate the pressure.

Family comes in many forms. Girls....we, my dears....are family!
Thank you for that.

Computer Woes...

Well, our big daddy Dell is a sick puppy and is totally out of commission. I broke down and called the Geek Squad today, and they can't come until February 9th. Egad...let the withdrawl begin.

I finally remembered about the laptop, but hate using it because the air card is SO slow. But...it's virus free. No posts will be forthcoming, but I'll be checking in on you gals when possible. Emails will be to the same addy, and welcome if anyone feels like staying in touch.

Oh, I start work on Monday at our local library. The hours are great, and it's only four blocks from home. I'm extremely thankful to have landed the perfect job for this old broad at this stage in her life! I worked at one in another town for four years, so in a sense, it'll be like going home again...to the beloved land of books!

Grain of salt...

Leo Tolstoy said...

"What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility."

A computer helps a diet?

New Year dieting tips~
Know your portion sizes. Make your own "portion pack" to take with you or keep the following common items in mind when preparing and eating meals.
A golf ball is the size of a serving of nuts (including peanut butter) or cheese.
A deck of playing cards is equivalent to 3 ounces of any meat.
Use a die to estimate a proper serving of oils and fats.
For fruit and veggie servings, use a tennis ball.
One serving of cooked grains or potatoes is about the size of a computer mouse.

Soul searching...

Each of us has stress, and we all have our own unique way to deal with it. Some jog, some blog, some read, ohmmmmm, or shop. What's important is that we find, what it is, that allows us to breathe again, smile, and shake the kinks out.

Most of you know by now that I'm a country road seeker. Senior coffee in hand, the corgi kids and I venture out to the great beyond...that is, beyond the town limits, and head for open country. Give me land, lots of land, and the starry skies above....ahem, 'cuse me, got lost there...I like country drives. We have a route, and the dogs know it well. They recognize it, and know when we near the fields with the painted ponies, woolly white-faced sheep, Rhode island red hens, and the bearded billy goats. These are on all different farms. Here's an example of what we see.

The black spotted woodpeckers peck on soft pine as we gaze across unmarred, diamond studded fields of snow. The corn stalks jut out adding texture to this view. A couple of Holstein calves at the end of a drive are marked surprisingly just like the two corgis inside the car. They raise their heads as the dogs bark a hello from the road. We always stop and put windows down in case the animals want to converse with each other. Normally, whoever is in the field, just looks up and chews, as the corgis dance about in the back seat.

The sheep and old horse, said to be pushing 27 years old, dig through the snow, hoping to get at the grass underneath. For some reason, seeing that, strikes me funny. There's a brown eggs for sale sign tacked to a tree at the end of the drive where the red hens live. They pop in and out of a handy hole on the side of the barn. This is where three goats live as well. One is heavily bearded and he stands in his doorway. A young kid peeks in and out with hang down ears swinging. He's not sure about the yipping corgi, trying to get a better look from the back car window.

We cross a black ribbon of river, edged in snow on both banks, and clunk-clunk through the 1872 covered bridge, badly in need of repair. I always look out the cut outs on the bridge sides to view the river from above. (Why are kisses inside a covered bridge so special? Just unique, I guess.) The current runs swiftly and swirls in spots; the snowy banks show off every curve of the meandering river.

Small town living, in a rural setting, is the perfect place for the likes of me. Nature soothes my soul for some reason, it always has. My brothers and I were lucky to live along a river as kids. We were always fascinated by the wildlife, living along the banks and in the river. (Thinking of the Green Acres theme song right now....)
No city life for me...but I'll visit.

My hope for you all is that you have already found your own spot.
That you have already found what soothes your ragged soul. We don't need it everyday, but we need to know, that when we do....we know where to go!

Not mine, but still good advice!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3.Keep learning. ! Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's family name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6... The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive..

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help..

9. Don't take guilt trips.. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

Noctural Old ladies...

The WORST thing about this whole menopausal thing is that a good night's sleep is nonexistent when one is living in Menopauseland.
Why...when one has to "get up" to empty a bladder...does the brain kick in, blocking more sleep?

High gear is what my brain shifts into at 3 a.m. Just about every night. It's the only time of the day it actually works efficiently. The rest of the day, I'm in a fugue.

Anyway, while my brain is working....here are some of my deep thoughts.

1.) Is there anything more delicious to the senses than a room temperature orange? Think about it...the juiciness; the scent; the flavor. God had his thinking cap on when He designed fruit!

2.) Since our economy has been hit so hard...donations to charities have surely dropped. While we may not be able to donate monatarily any longer; the gift of gently used clothing and household items, canned food to a local food pantry, or old towels to an animal shelter still makes an impact to those who need them.

3.) My daughter wants me to make a trip to North Carolina....that would be a DOG FREE visit. She used the old, "Emmy wants to see her Grammy, and I want to see my Mom" trick. "Mom, they ARE DOGS!!"
What a dilemna! I love them...but my corgis.......well!!! What's a dog mama to do?

I never said that any of these thoughts were earth shaking in the cosmos realm of things..........he hee!

Mood continues...

Dr. Oz proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all things

you have started and have never finished." So, I looked around my

house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before

leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of White Zinfandel, a

bottle of Tequila, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription,

the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates.


You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now!


"Political correctness is tyranny with manners."

(Thanks M&C for the forward!)

In a mood....#%^&@*

"A study conducted by UCLA's department of Psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle. For example: if she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features. However, if she is menstruating or menopausal, she tends to be attracted to a man with duct tape over his mouth and a spear lodged in his forehead while he is on fire.
No further studies are expected."

Temptation Wednesdays...a new meme?

My MIL and I have made a new year's resolution. We "force" ourselves to go through the drive through at McDonald's each and every Wednesday. Why, you ask? Because they have free samples of Chocolate Mocha or Caramel Frappe's that day!
We've gone the past two weeks, and I'm telling ya'....if you haven't gone, get! Mark your calendars, post a memo, put a sticky on your steering wheel...just remember to go and get your seven ounces of espresso laced with whipped cream and chocolate/caramel swirl. Yeah, yeah....it's heavy in calories....but once a week, it's a sinful piece of heaven! We're hooked. We wish that they'd come out with a cheaper, seven ounce size, like the sample. We think that it's "just" enough. Hint, hint...that's a suggestion McD's corporation, if you're reading this!

Words of wisdom, obviously...not mine!

This is the time of year that really gets to me, and most likely, many of you out there. It's the doldrums, the dive that follows the holidays, the poopy cycle of winter. You know what I'm talking about~ Here are some tips, not mine, but an email forward from a great gal in Illinois...doing these should help us all year long.

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner
like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less
food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 ..
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily.
And while you walk, smile.
11. Don't compare your life to others...
You have no idea what their journey is all
about..
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
Instead invest your energy in the positive present
moment.
13. Don't over do.. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past.Don't remind your partner
of mistakes of the past. That will ruin
your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate
others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

Y'know, reading these over, it all seems so simple...but doing this list is very hard...life gets in the way, as does emotion. We are a complex bunch...and, being menopausal and beyond...oh my, just throws a wrench into the whole big picture of it all!

If only we could live like this!

Life is Short!

Break the Rules!

Forgive Quickly!

Kiss Slowly!
Love truly,

Laugh Uncontrollably

And Never Regret Anything

That Made you SMILE..!!!

(from an email forward...)