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I haven’t been blogging much, lately — been busy working, getting ready for Christmas (still not ready – so way behind this year), and my Mom’s visit! But I did have something I wanted to share…
I’ve written about Megan’s love of toys – balls that squeak, in particular. Well, she has taken her games with her favorite ball to another level!!! Last night, she was laying on the floor about 2-3 feet from my chair and was just laying there watching me. I noticed that her ball was right there at my foot. So, I gently nudged it so that it rolled over to her and landed right in front of her. She looked at it and looked at me and back at the ball and back at me — I could tell she was thinking hard about something!!! ha-ha-ha Then, she took her nose and pushed the bal
l so that it rolled back over to me!!!! I said “thank you, baby, you want it back now?” and nudged it with my foot back over to her again. She immediately took her nose and rolled it back!!!! I was impressed!!!! I thanked her again and rolled it back…..this went on for about 5 or 6 rounds until my excitement over this new activity got the best of her and she grabbed the ball and started dancing around squeaking it in sheer joy!!!
I was amazed — she never did that before — I didn’t teach it to her — she just saw me do it and thought about it and decided it might be fun — and it was!!!! And she seemed to enjoy it, too!!!! Don’t know if this was one of those one time things or if she’ll add this new game to her bag of fun things to do!!!
On another note — the living room furniture is all rearranged in a weird setting — I have a new couch coming from Dossenbach’s tomorrow morning and someone is coming to get the old one this afternoon. So, to make it easier for him to get the old one out of here, I pushed it over to the bar that separates the living room and kitchen and arranged the chairs in a cosy setting at the end of the living room and pushed the accent tables out of the way over in front of the TV…….this sent the girls into a frenzy — their living room was changed – their favorite seats were in different places – they were NOT happy!!! ha-ha-ha I told them that they had better enjoy the old couch as much as they can cause we’re getting a new one on Friday!!! AND – Megan’s favorite place to sit is on the over stuffed pillow back on the old couch – every day I come home and it is all packed down where she was up on it sleeping! Well, the new one has a narrow non-pillow type back — she’s not gonna like that much!!! ha-ha-ha
Over the past week or so, I have started getting random posts from blogs I have never visited showing up on my blog surfer!!! Does anyone know how to make it stop? I notice on the list of blogs that I have deliberately listed, the count for them shows up beside “wordpress.com” and when I click the “X” to remove it, nothing happens – it won’t remove! I, also, have clicked on “readomattic” to see if I can delete or block them and they don’ t have the same options that blogs that I choose to be there have!!! If fact, they don’t have ANY options!!! They aren’t offensive in anyway – just random regular blogs – but it is still irritating to go there and have to scan through to find if there are ones that I DO want to read!!! Uugghh!!! Any ideas????
Nothing says “holiday” like food! No matter what holiday you are celebrating, food is surely a big part of it and very much linked to both seasonal and family traditions. This post is all about the good and bad of holiday foods…feel free to leave a comment adding your 2 cents to the topic!
On today’s AOL Welcome page, one of the features was “Holiday Foods We Love to Hate”. They wrote about the results of a poll they took asking what typical traditional holiday foods people really didn’t look forward to. Here were their top 11 and my opinion on each one (I mostly agreed with them). After that part, I will list some of my family’s favorite holiday foods…
Now — for some of MY favorite holiday foods (aside from the normal turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberries, gravy, and mashed potatoes) – these are things that I grew up seeing on just about every holiday table at my Grandma’s or my Mom’s – and now usually at mine (except those that only they can make right…):
I’m sure I’ve forgotten something, but you get the idea……dinner at Grandma’s was always something special — a table full of family, food, and tons of love!!!! As we sat around the big dining room table, Grandma would look around at all of us and say “I wonder what the poor people are doing today?” We were, indeed, rich – definitely not in the financial sense, but in the family and love sense, for sure!!! Then in later years the dinners shifted to Mom’s house and Grandma, Grandpa, and some of the other relatives would all gather there for the same traditions, different house!!!
I broke down and bought an MP3 player today! It is a really cool, small, inexpensive one that also has an FM Radio! So – I have been loading it with songs that I enjoy listening to. Here is my play list:
Wilson Pickett
Mustang Sally (duh – no surprise there)
America
A Horse With No Name
Ventura Highway
Tin Man
Sister Golden Hair
Bachman Turner Overdrive
You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet
Takin’ Care of Business
Bread
If
The Guitar Man
Diary
Aubrey
Carly Simon
Mockingbird
Carole King
Jazzman
It’s Too Late
Where You Lead
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Cat Stevens
Moonshadow
Chicago
Colour My World
Saturday In The Park
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Proud Mary
Bad Moon Rising
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Lodi
Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
Down On The Corner
Fortunate Son
Davy Jones
Daydream Believer
Eric Clapton
Cocaine
Wonderful Tonight
Layla
Fleetwood Mac
Rhiannon
Dreams
Sara
Heart
Barraccuda
Jackson Browne
Doctor My Eyes
Loggins and Messina
Holiday Hotel
House At Pooh Corner
Danny’s Song
Peter Frampton
Baby, I Love Your Way
Pocol Harum
Whiter Shade of Pale
Pure Praire League
Let Me Love You Tonight
Amie
Rod Stewart
Maggie May
Reason To Believe
The Doobie Brothers
China Grove
Long Train Runnin’
Listen To The Music
Black Water
What A Fool Believes
The Mamas and The Papas
California Dreamin’
The Monkeys
I’m A Believer
Last Train To Clarksville
Pleasant Valley Sunday
Valleri
So – why is it that whenever you have a day off in the middle of the week, the next day you return to work feels like Monday all over again??? I was off sick yesterday and almost wrote a post about “Rainy Mondays” this morning until it dawned on me that it is THURSDAY! Am I doomed to be out of whack all day today?
The theme for the day is still valid, though — it is rainy and yucky and a great day to just stay inside! Other than getting out to go to and return from work and pop in the grocery store to pick up a meat platter I ordered for my staff meeting tomorrow, I don’t have any other reasons to go outside!! I hope it turns out nicer later in the day than predicted…
I have had a serious case of the “ick” or “crud” – whatever you want to call it – it isn’t pleasant under any name! It started about 3:30 yesterday afternoon at work. I suddenly got an intense headache and started to feel dizzy and queasy. Soon after, I got nauseous and very dizzy! I went to the ladie’s room and splashed some water on my face and it helped, but didn’t really fix it. The next phase was the flushed, cold sweat feeling. By the time I got home from work, I was freezing, sweating, extremely nauceous, and felt like someone hit me in the head with a sledge hammer! I took care of the girls and went in to bed to wrap up in a blanket and see if I could shake it off. I wanted to be able to go to an appointment I had at Natural Balance for an ear candling at 8:30. I set the alarm and tried to fall asleep. I did doze off but frequently woke up from a wave of nausea. The phone rang at 7:00 – it was Natural Balance and they had some cancelations, so I could come in any time I wanted to. I thought about telling them about my situation and reschedule the appt, but I have had some deep itching in my ears and really wanted to see if this would help, so I said I’d be right over. I got up and started to freshen up so I could head out — then it started — the nausea came to a head and I threw up and couldn’t stop!!! I can’t believe my stomach could possibly hold that much “stuff” and that it could come out with such force! When I was finally done, I finished freshening up and went for my appt (more on that later). The appt took about a 1/2 hour and I was back home in no time. Still frozen to the bone and feeling shakey, I went straight to bed at about 8:30. I slept straight through the night, except for a few minutes around midnight when I let the girls out and checked emails. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to fall back to sleep after sleeping all evening, but I still wasn’t feeling well and went back to bed and fell right back to sleep! I got up this morning and still felt very uneasy and shakey, so I decided to stay home from work and continue my recovery. I slept most of the day and am finally starting to feel like myself.
I had called Natural Balance yesterday morning to see when I could get an appointment for ear candling. This is something I had done once before – a few years ago at Marcello’s when they first started doing it. At that time, I was having some problems with my ears and the ENT I was seeing said it wouldn’t hurt when I asked him about it. It did seem to help. But I have heard a lot of controversy about the treatment since (some say it is dangerous and ineffective), so I’ve never had it done again. But, I’ve tried flushing and peroxide and ear oils to stop the deep itching I’ve had lately and nothing seems to help, so I thought “what the heck”…..Holly said they had an 8:30 opening and, at the time, I didn’t know I was going to get sick, so I grabbed it! I do believe it worked!!! It not only stopped the itchy feeling in my ears, but it also helped me feel better for a little bit — the heated table soothed the chills I was having and she finished up the appt with a scalp massage that really helped the headache! It was so nice! I tried to talk her into just closing up the shop and leaving me there for the night, but she thought I was joking….
I obviously didn’t eat any dinner last night and haven’t eaten anything today, so far. Now that I’m starting to feel better, I am suddenly HUNGRY!!!!
I’m watching All My Children for the first time in a month or more – funny how I was able to pick right up where I left off!!! ha-ha For the “only in a soap opra” scene of the day: Tad hears news that his son and brother, who have been working in some remote underdeveloped country somewhere with Doctors Without Borders, are “missing” in the bush somewhere. Apparently, they went to provide help in the bush and are unreachable and were supposed to be back to their base station several days ago and there is word of gorilla (the human military kind) activity in the area and rumors of foreigners being taken captive. So, what does Tad do? Does he make some phone calls to see what is being done? Nope! Does he start a family vigil waiting for news? Nope! He does the only logical thing that a soap character would do — he hops a plane to go to the middle of nowhere where he’s never been before and doesn’t know anything about to take on finding them himself! The next time we see Tad I am sure he will be beating down a path through the jungle to successfully find them in a matter of hours when all the local experts couldn’t!!! Only in a soap opera….
Uugghh – I just had two Boston Cream Pie Toaster Strudels to stop the hunger pains and I am not at all sure they are going to stay where I put them……I may just get in the shower to see if that will help me feel human again and go get something more nutritious to eat!
OK — so I do believe that dogs understand more than a lot of people give them credit for. Some think it is just your tone or some key words that they are actually responding to and picking up on. I think differently — I have seen the girls (and other dogs I have had in the past) perk up when I have said things in a wide variety of tones and different wording…..so I am convinced that it is NOT just my enthusiastic voice or the word “biscuit” that sends them into a mad dash for the kitchen cabinet that houses their favorite treats!
But – how much do they REALLY understand? Can they grasp what I’m talking about when I hold a full conversation with them? Will they remember our talk about what they should or shouldn’t do during a particular situation and actually do (or not do) it? I obviously think the girls do fully understand — I actually spend time “reasoning” with them and talking to them like I would a child…..I know, you probably think that the men in the white coats are waiting outside to take me to my padded cell…..
Here are some of my more successful “conversations”:
Now, I obviously also use the important key words when I need to be sure they understand — down, sit, stay, come, stop, etc….I’m not totally oblivious to the fact that they are NOT children and need consistent commands that they can clearly understand and know what is expected of them — but I also truly believe that they do become accustomed to the way their human families talk to them and the words they use! Just like children – they aren’t born knowing how to put a sentence together and they don’t get the formal education on the parts and structure of a sentence until they get into school, but they learn how to put a fairly decent string of words together to make a sentence by listening to their parents and siblings…….
That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it!
Billy Liggett talked about his least favorite Christmas songs on The Rant this week and then posted video clips of them on his blog (click here for his blog to view this post and to access the link to the podcast of The Rant). But I have to say that this one TAKES THE PRIZE for being the MOST IRRITATING Christmas song EVER – even though I have to admit that it is a little funny!!!
I heard it this afternoon when I was driving on my lunch break from work to pop in at the Chamber and then the CIS office. I had never heard it before and I just about lost it when it came on — my jaw dropped and stayed there until the song was over and I shook my head to come to my senses!!!
Listen for yourself and let me know if you agree with me — while you’re listening, pay attention to two things that really stand out and “make” it what it is…………….the single person laughing his/her butt off in the background AND the kazoo solo (yep, I said kazoo solo)!!!
Here you go:
By the way — I checked “Music” as the category for this post — I definitely use that word VERY loosely here!
The holiday season brings much joy to most people – regardless of what holiday is celebrated. It is a joyous season of celebration, family, friends, gifts, and lots of food!!! But to many, the season can be a stressful and depressing time due to economic hardships. When it is a struggle to simply meet the basic survival needs, celebrating the joy of the holiday season is even more of a challenge! And when there are children involved it is particularly difficult! This year, in particular, the economy has put an enormous strain on individuals and families already in need. It has also created much hardship on the abilities of charitable organizations that provide needed services to these individuals and families.
If you are in a position to be charitable this holiday season – and throughout the year, I urge you to consider helping any one of the many wonderful non-profit agencies in Lee County that provide a wide variety of services to our citizens in need. The Sanford Herald is currently printing a list of organizations that are asking for your help – please give what you can to the organization(s) of your choice!
In particular, I would like to ask for your consideration of Communities In Schools of Lee County. CIS is a non-profit organization near and dear to my heart that provides a variety of programs targeted to keeping kids in school and preparing them for life. While the first programs that come to mind when thinking of CIS are the mentoring / tutoring focused programs and Kid’s Voting, we also have programs that help provide children with some very basic needs that, without them, hinder their ability to successfully learn and grow in a safe and healthy environment. Two that become more important during the winter and holiday seasons are Back Pack Pals and The Emergency Fund. Both programs meet two of the five basics that we feel every child needs and deserves: “A Safe Place to Learn and Grow” and “A Healthy Start and a Healthy Future”.
Back Pack Pals is a wonderful program that has recently been implemented in Lee County. The program provides food to elementary school children who are identified as having little or no nutritional meals over the weekend. They are typically children who are on the free or reduced lunch programs in their schools and show signs that they are not eating properly between Friday’s lunch and Monday’s breakfast at school. This results in children coming to school on Monday morning hungry and ill equipped to successfully learn. Children in the program are provided an unidentifiable back pack full of non-parishable, easy to prepare foods to take home with them over the weekend. They bring the back packs back to school with them on Monday to be refilled for the following Friday. Other counties that have this program have proven results of increased grades and reduced behavioral issues in children enrolled in the programs. CIS currently has five elementary schools participating in the program – the most recent addition to the program is Broadway Elementary which was added due to a generous grant of $1500 from Wyeth designated specifically to expand to a school that was not currently in the program. CIS’ goal is to eventually increase funding and our volunteer base to be able to expand the program to include all of Lee County’s elementary schools.
The Emergency Fund is a pool of funds specifically ear marked for use in purchasing basic health and safety items. School counselors contact CIS with requests for items such as, coats, hats, gloves, shoes, and other items that they have identified specific children in need of. CIS uses the money in the Emergency Fund to purchase these items and deliver them to the counselors for distribution to the students.
How can you help? As with all non-profit organizations this year in particular, funds are limited. Any contributions to help us fund these and all our other programs are desperately needed. Not in a position to help out financially? CIS is also always looking for volunteers to help in many ways. Another way to help is to drop off donations of non-perishable, easy to prepare food items to increase our supply for the back packs – contact CIS to find out what types of items are appropriate for this program.
Donations can be sent to Communities In Schools of Lee County, 131 Charlotte Avenue, Suite 101, Sanford, NC 27330. If you want to help fund our programs in general, no specification is necessary – your donation will be added to our general budget and used to support all of our programs. If you would like your donation to be used specifically for Back Pack Pals and/or the Emergency Fund, please notate that preference on your check or a note accompanying your check. For more information or to inquire about other ways you can help CIS through donations or volunteering, contact the office at 919-718-5426 or cisleedirector@windstream.net.
Thank you for any consideration you may give CIS or any of Lee County’s important and valuable organizations. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated! We hope that CIS is one that you will find worthy of your consideration this holiday season and throughout the year.
Happy Holidays!!!
I found myself full of sounds this morning and feel an intense urge to capture it and share it….
I woke up to the sound of the radio alarm – as I sit here, I am trying to remember the song that was playing when the alarm woke me and can’t for the life of me think of it! That is odd because just about every day, the song that jolts me from my dream world into my reality tends to play over and over in my head all day – whether it is one I particularly care to hear all day or not! Even on the rare days that doesn’t happen, if I think about it, it will come to me……not today!
After that, the morning started out as it always does – I got up, let the girls out, decided what I wanted to wear and threw it in the dryer to freshen and fluff it, took the trash to the road, let the girls back in to feed them, let them back out, and then sat in one of my wing back chairs to take a breath before getting on with my routine. It was in that wing back chair that I started to listen to the morning…
The room was almost dark – the floor lamp was turned on to just the first click on the 3-way bulb and all other lights in the house were out – the slightly orange tint of the sky that spilled into the kitchen window and the amber glow that the floor lamp cast gave the room a nice warm, calming hue. I started to think about what I had on my plate for the day – the meetings I have scheduled, the tasks that I need to accomplish – and my mind started to wander to the weekend – finishing the Christmas decorations, going shopping to at least finish getting the gifts that have to be mailed out of state. It was at that moment that I suddenly stopped thinking of that sort of thing and noticed the sounds – I rested my head against the back of the chair and closed my eyes so I could concentrate and take it all in:
The clock ticking reminded me that I needed to snap out of it and get on with my day — as much as I was absolutely consumed with the calming nature of the last 20 minutes or so and wished I could just sit there for as long as the sounds would continue to captivate me, I knew I needed to get moving! I let the girls in and sat down here to capture my wonderful therapy session! Now that the sun is brightening up the room and the warm glow that helped set the scene earlier is gone, I am reminded that it is Thursday and I have things to do……
But – before I sign off and move on to getting ready for work, I want to add a video of Simon and Garfunkel’s Sounds of Silence to put an appropriate cap on a great experience and start of my day…..
Kim's Thoughts 
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