You Really CAN'T Buy Happiness....

As I finished my grocery shopping the other day, the cashier asked me if I wanted some "Happy Points".

Do I want Happy Points!!?? Of course, I do!! Who wouldn't!!

I was sad (note: the opposite of 'happy') to find out that she wasn't peddling 'happiness' at all! Nope....instead, what she was giving out were stamps. Happy stamps, apparently. I haven't figured out how they work yet. There is no 'ON' button, no place to put batteries, no instructions. I don't feel any happier for having gotten my '3 stamps' of happiness. And when I found out that they cost me $10 worth of groceries for each stamp, I was even more disappointed. I guess it's true after all.....you really can't buy happiness. I guess I won't be shopping for THAT at the store anymore! What a rip-off.

Wanted: Advice/Opinions....

My vacuum is really not that old. But it has outlived it's usefulness and HAS TO GO!! That being said, I am now in the market for a new vacuum cleaner. And because I'm too cheap to subscribe to Consumer Reports and too lazy to go to the library to look at Consumer Reports, I am asking my vast readership to give me their (your) input on what kind of vacuum to get.
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- Keep in mind that I am cheap (see above) so I will not spend hundreds of our hard earned dollars on it, and I truly HATE shopping, so I have to be able to find a new one without too much effort on my part. It must work on carpet, hardwood floors, tile floors, stairs and anything else I might choose to vacuum. I really don't want a bagless (too messy) and it should be easy to move from floor to floor and outside when I want to vacuum the cars, but other than that, I don't have a lot of requirements.
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- Please send me any and all advice/opinions that you have on this important subject. And if you've read this far into a blog about vacuums I commend you! You are a dedicated blog addict and a good friend. Thank you for your faithfulness. I look forward to your suggestions!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom Not My Own...

"Before I speak I always ask myself:

Is it true, is it neccessary and is it kind?

After that, of course, I keep my mouth shut."

--Fred Astaire

One Lucky Mom....

When Peter was 7 years old he starred in a commercial for International Paper (the company that Joe was working for at the time.) It was fun, we lived in Memphis at the time, and when we would go to the Redbirds baseball games sometimes they would show the commercial on the big screen and people would see us in the stands and ask Peter for his autograph. He loved the attention, but was also embarrassed by it.

I still like to watch the commercial sometimes. It reminds me of the boy that Peter used to be and I compare him to the young man that he is today and am comforted that he is still a great kid. He is sweet, compassionate, loving and kind. He has a strong testimony and a soft heart. He is a great friend to all who know him, a good brother and a loving uncle.

And I am one lucky mom.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom Not My Own...

"If we are ever in doubt what to do,

it is a good rule to ask ourselves

what we shall wish on the morrow

that we had done."

--Sir John Lubbock

Quick, go do three things that you really don't want to do today, but you'll be glad tomorrow that they're done.

As for me, I've cleaned Sirius/Sabian's room, done three loads of laundry, and cleaned the leftovers out of the fridge. (I did score a brownie out of that last one, though!)

When I Want Your Advice.......

Okay, I'm asking....this is to all my blog buddies (yes, all 3 of you), I have a blog question:

When I am creating a new post, not unlike this one, I get it just the way I want it and then when I post it my spacing messes up. For instance, I might be doing double spaces between my paragraphs, then when I post, it goes to single spacing. No matter what I do I can't fix it how I want it. Any ideas??

To all the rest of you, sorry for the boring post....I'll try to do better next time.

Thanks for your help!!

True Confessions.....

I have a confession to make.

I......am a groupie. There, I said it.

I have recently discovered the music of Livingston Taylor, the younger brother of the legendary James Taylor. I don't recall exactly how I was first introduced to his music, but I have really come to like it. So when I heard that he was coming to Greenville to do a FREE concert, sponsored by an addiction recovery group, I was first in line. (Okay, so there really was no line, but if there had been, I would have been first.) It took some convincing to get Joe to agree to take me, but last night there we were, on the grass at the 'The Peace Center Amphitheater' in downtown Greenville. If you've never been there before, let me tell you, it's a beautiful place to sit and listen to some music.

There were estimated to be about 1,000 people there, but the casual atmosphere made it seem like a large gathering of family and friends. Livingston Taylor wandered through the crowd before the concert and shook hands, had his picture taken or just sat down next to you and talked for a bit. He made you feel like you'd known him forever and you were just friends catching up with one another. He is easy going, friendly, and puts on a great show.

Here is a pic of me and my new best friend, Liv, before the concert. Another of the Cd he signed for me, and a short video of him just playing around and doing sound checks before the concert started. (Ignore the people walking in front of me)

All in all, it was a great night with great music. Thanks for the memories, Liv.

Friday's 'Favorite Things'....

When I was a kid (a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away) "The Sound of Music" was my favorite movie. I probably saw it 20 times....IN THE THEATER!! You have to remember that when I was a child we didn't watch a movie once and then wait for it to come out on video. There was no video. No DVDs, no VHS, no lots of other things (cassettes, Cd's, color TV, microwaves, air conditioning, etc......) but we could go to the movies.

There were several movies that, frankly, no one but my mother wanted to see. Because I was the youngest child, she had more pull with me than she did with my father, brothers and sister, so I was her 'movie buddy'. We saw "The Sound of Music", "Oliver", "My Fair Lady", "West Side Story" and "Doctor Zhivago" (not one of my favorites!)

There were also a few movies that my mother refused to go to, so my dad dragged me along to see those. Dad and I enjoyed such blockbusters as "Cool Hand Luke", "The Dirty Dozen", "The Great Escape", and anything starring John Wayne.

As I said, "The Sound of Music" was my all-time favorite, and in honor of that movie, and one of the songs that I wore out on my record player (ask your mother), I have decided to start a new Friday Blog called "A Few of My Favorite Things". I guess this first blog serves as both an introduction to my new themed blog as well as my first 'favorite things' blog: movies of the 60's.

My movies of the 60's blog wouldn't be complete without also listing a few of the flicks that I was privileged enough to see with my best friend, Julie, her little sister Therese, and my brother, Peter. I would link their blogs, but they are too (Pick one:) busy, important, indifferent, lazy, or technically challenged to have blogs.

Some of the movies we got to enjoy during the turbulent 60's are: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Mary Poppins", "The Love Bug", "The Jungle Book", "Fantastic Voyage" and "The Gnome-Mobile". Classics, all! I wonder if NetFlix carries "The Gnome-Mobile"....somehow, I doubt it.

So if you're looking for some good family entertainment this weekend, there you go, a definitive list of some of the best movies the 60's had to offer.

Now, go pop some popcorn and make some memories!!

Some things you ought know....

This post is informational only......just a couple of things you ought to know.....

1. I am a guest "post-er" on this blog! I've never done a guest post before. It was sort of solicited (in an open-invitation-to-all sort of way.) They made the mistake of putting out an open invitation to guest blog and I took them up on it. So, go take a look! I hope they don't regret it!

2. You also need to check out this website and this blog. They are putting together a Blog Book to benefit a young mother who was severely injured in a plane crash last month. They are looking for funny/amusing/uplifting entries to publish in the book, tentatively titled: "Sometimes Life is Funny." So, please put something together and go help out a good cause!

I just thought you ought to know.

Remember....

Here's to those who lost their lives on 9/11. May we always remember their sacrifices and bravery. May we stand strong again those who would do us harm. May we be prepared for whatever the future may hold.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom Not My Own....

Today's quote is in honor of a dear friend's birthday.......

"It takes a long time to grow an old friend."

- by John Leonard

Diane, I think we qualify! Hope you have a GREAT birthday!! I'm so glad that we found each other again. I've missed you!

How bored were they?

How bored were Jacob and Peter over the weekend??

Bored enough to blow up balloons, rub them on their heads, then leave them there while they played on the computer.

We need some serious weekend intervention. Any ideas?

What was I thinking??

I'm starting to question my sanity. I ask myself: "What kind of mother are you??" "What self-respecting mother would allow this?!" Why do I ask myself these questions and do I always talk to myself? Yes, I always talk to myself...it assures that I will have an intelligent conversation with a (mostly) rational adult and I usually agree with me. Why am I asking this question? Here, let me show you.....

Yes, that is a mouse in a mason jar. Yesterday, Sirius was coming up the stairs, stopped, then called out "Come here, there's some kind of animal in our house." We went to look and there on the landing was this cute, little mouse. A mouse in my house. I'm pretty sure he was on some sort of reconnaissance mission and obviously failed. Sam caught it and convinced me that we should keep it over the weekend so he can take it to school on Monday. (He wants to feed the it to the snake in his science class). Me, being the most awesome and tolerant mother EVER, agreed. What was I thinking?! Why would I allow a mouse to stay in my house!!! I have to admit that part of me is wondering how many friends this mouse has and where are they? I did make Joe go buy some mouse poison which will be placed carefully and strategically around the house just in case. But I'm pretty sure that this mouse was acting alone. Please don't try to convince me otherwise.....I really don't want to know!

Multi-Tasking......

I quit.

I'm done.

I'm giving up on multi-tasking.

For years now (too many to count) I have been making myself crazy trying to do too many things at once. I'm taking a break. I don't want to cook dinner, watch the kids, help with homework, do laundry, bake cookies, clean out the car and check my e-mail all at the same time. Not anymore. I want to simplify......I want to do just one thing at a time. It's a new concept, I know, and for years I was like the Cat in the Hat....balancing kids, chores, husband, church, friends, etc., never having time for me, and if you've read the Cat in the Hat lately, you'll remember that it ended badly for him.

Look at me!

Look at me!

Look at me NOW!

It is fun to have fun

But you have to know how!

I can hold up the cup

And the milk and the cake!

I can hold up these books!
And the fish on a rake!

I can hold the toy ship

And a little toy man!

And look!

With my tail, I can hold a red fan!

I can fan with the fan,

As I hop on the ball!

But that is not all.

Oh, no.That is not all...

That is what the cat said...

Then he fell on his head!

He came down with a bump

From up there on the ball

And Sally and I
We saw all the things fall!

I don't want to fall on my head!! I haven't dropped everything yet, but I have dropped a couple of things, and lately it seems like some things are more precariously balanced. So, I've decided that I'm not taking any chances.

Starting today I will do ONE THING AT A TIME! I will carefully and thoughtfully put everything down. (we don't want to break anything, you know!) Then I will carefully and thoughtfully pick up one thing, deal with it (clean it, cook it, wash it, answer it, help it, read it, etc.), put it down, then pick up another.

Who knows, maybe I'll be more relaxed, maybe I'll be more productive, maybe some things won't get done at all (the horror!), or maybe someone else will do them. Maybe, just maybe, some things don't even need doing! I'm more relaxed just thinking about it!

I realize that it won't be easy. It is, after all, an untested theory.....I don't honestly know if it's possible to do only one thing at a time. I may have to organize my time better. I may have to delegate some tasks, I may even have to say 'no' sometimes. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes. (I wonder if I could call it a study and get a government grant for research. Say, maybe a 10 year study of productivity?)

Please feel free to pick up my slack.....if you'd like to make dinner for my family one night a week so I can finish the latest Robin Cook novel, or if you'd like to paint my bathroom while I play Candyland with Sabian.....any and all help will be accepted and appreciated.

So, here's to the new me....next time you call, be assured that you will have my undivided attention. Unless someone else already has it.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom Not My Own...

Commander William Robert Anderson was the first man to take a submarine 1,830 miles under the Polar Ice Cap of the North Pole from the waters of the Pacific to the waters of the Atlantic. It was an untried and dangerous mission. In his wallet he carried a tattered card with these words:

“I believe I am always divinely guided.

I believe I will always take the right road.

I believe that God will always make a way,

Even when there appears to be no way.”

Wow....how is it that I sometimes have trouble getting through the day and this man took a submarine under the polar ice cap!!! If he could have enough faith to accomplish that task, shouldn't I have enough faith to get through a Tuesday???

Goodbye, Summer.....

Even though my kids have been back in school for a few weeks now, today represents the official end of summer. I guess it's because, among other things, it's the last day that the neighborhood pool is open. So, here is my 'end of summer' tribute:

In June, Laura and Jennie came to visit.....

We played at the park......

And went swimming at the neighborhood pool......

In July, we celebrated our country's independence........bought two new (used) cars.........

babysat turtles while our friends were on vacation.......

And went swimming at the neighborhood pool....

In August, we started school.......

Played in the backyard........


And went swimming at the neighborhood pool......

Special thanks to Sam and Peter for being the best 'pool buddies' ever this summer!! You guys really made the summer fun for Sirius and Sabian. I know that I couldn't have done it without you......THANKS!!

I hope all of you had a great summer, too......I can't wait for next year!!