How Does A Mother?

How does a mother bear her pain?

We breath through it at the beginning of life.

We forget in that first sight of our newborn.

We flinch at every vaccination, or small pinch.

We cry the first time out toddler falls and bruises his knee. After we fix him.

We silently grieve as our baby begins school. We miss him/her terribly.

We rejoices in their successes.

We are sad when they are sad.

We suffer their loss of innocence and trust.

We mourn the pains that go with growing up.

We silently scream as they move away from home.

We as mothers, bear the pain, because the joy that comes after the pain is worth it.

Healthy Tips

EATING FRUITS: We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not so easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat. What is the correct way of eating fruits?* IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS!* FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.

Let’s say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so. In the mean time the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil. So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat bananas I feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat! Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach. There is no such thing as some fruits like orange and lemon are acidic because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did a research on this matter.

If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight. When you need to drink fruit juice -drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT From the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat Cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins. But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you Should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must Let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will Be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E & fiber. Its Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessels-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 -4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest Thirst Quencher Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are Vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is Also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after meal = Cancer! Can u believe this?? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be Absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to Drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE': (THIS IS NOT A JOKE!) Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive... A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this... It could save your life!! Let's say it's 6.15 pm and you're driving home. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.’ HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE’: Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

Tell as many Other people as possible about this. It could save their lives.

True friendship - none of that sissy crap

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality? Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship. You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this card - Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much Worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words..

7. When you are sick -- Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

9. This is my oath .... I pledge it to the end 'Why?' you may ask; 'because you are my friend'.

Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel it's true warmth.

Remember: A friend will help you move. A really good friend will help you move a body. Let me know if I ever need to bring a shovel...

Vote for Lori

Jos stopped by my place today and suggested I mention that I am a finalist for The Lesbian Lifestyle Lesbian Blogger of the Year. This is my second year in the running. For those of you who took time out to nominate me during the last month, I thank you. Plus, picking me is much easier than weeding through the myriad of candidates preparing for the US political elections. If you’d like to vote, you can do so here: Vote for Lori

Only So Much

Ya’ know, Madonna and Angelina didn’t have to travel all the way to Africa to adopt. In 2005, there were 513,000 children “in care” in the formal foster care system. This does not include all of the informal family foster situations that existed. That number is probably close to the same. So, that’s a lot of kids, right?

So, what happens to those kids who ended up “in care?” Their chances, statistically, are pretty grim. They are more likely to have suffered severe abuse, are more likely to drop out of school, live in poverty, go without adequate healthcare, become drug/alcohol addicted, suffer from mental illness, and become pregnant themselves. Once parental rights are terminated, after sometimes years of reunification attempts, these children are often placed up for adoption.

Here’s the really hard part. All over the country, human services and private adoption agencies who assist the states and counties placing these children in adoptive homes, have to find a way to “market” these children to prospective parents. Among other methods, there are adoption picnics (which potential parents and kids both attend), professional photography sessions (where the kids’ natural beauty is revealed in B&W), and by information via website descriptions that are often accompanied by a very cute picture of a single child.

What they often haven’t told you is that even those children classified as having “minor” problems are going to be tough on the average parent. And, that single child is often part of a sibling group they hope to place together. To make the children attractive, substantive facts are often left out and parents end up walking into something ill-equipped or uninformed. The State has kids—they need to place them—what are they going to do?

I was a foster parent–and I wanted to adopt more eventually. My adoption experiences and the problems those children experienced made me feel quite competent to take the next step. After going through the training and orientation, consulting foster mentors, and after having poured over mountains of information to prepare myself, I was still unprepared for what happened. I ended up with two siblings—one following the other a couple of months later—and had to coordinate visits with yet another sibling located in another foster home. My parental exuberance knew no bounds at this point.

Details of their tenure in my home aren’t really important. I did my job—getting them through a myriad of issues, struggling to find resources within an overworked, understaffed agency, and helping them finally receive the termination of parental rights they needed to start life anew. But, it was a job—and a hard one. I never had a social worker come to my home, never received additional training or information once some significant issues were identified, and pretty much ended up in a heap of blubbering goo the day they were moved to therapeutic care, which took me months of advocacy to get for them. They system is broken.

The other day, an acquaintance asked my advice about fostering/adopting older kids. Even now, after all the years have passed since my experience, I still remember the pain etched in their faces and the pain that wracked my entire body when they left. I sat down with this acquaintance, I laid out the potential scenarios, and I showed her how to identify the buzzwords in the website descriptions so she’d know what questions to ask. I spoke to her about the courts, the social workers, the adjustment problems and inability many of the children have to attach. I gave her a list of books to read and recommended foster support folks with whom to speak. Mostly, I let her know that far from being “easier than having another baby,” it was going to be an experience that would test the strength of her marriage and her family in untold and unpredictable ways.

I don’t regret my tour of duty. In fact, once mine are grown and gone, I’d be open to fostering queer teens who might need some help transitioning to adulthood.

My fervent desire would be that instead of pouring kajillions into the war machine in Iraq, perhaps we could just take a teeny, tiny portion of that tax money and expand the ability for our weary old social services system to ensure its charges and the foster/adoptive parents receive and continue to receive the services and support needed to create the best chance for ultimate success for these kids. Increase pay for social workers to identify and investigate abuse and monitor placements, hire more of them, create more therapeutic facilities and staff them appropriately with the medical and psychiatric professionals it needs, provide mandatory ongoing training and respite services for foster parents, and provide a solid way to help teen foster kids who are going to “age out” of the system set themselves up for success. Maybe, we can stop this endless cycle dead in its tracks, once and for all. Now, wouldn’t that be a good way spend our tax dollars? Building our future.

Link Call: Two things I like (and one I detest)

I was working on something to post here before the "I like" link call came out. Since that post -- about something I think I like, but I'm not 100% certain of yet -- isn't ready, I'm going to write this one for you, instead. It's about two things I like -- and one I absolutely detest.

Less than two months ago, on December 29, 2007, I stood by the side of a snowy road, dressed in three layers of pants, three layers of tops, my snowboarding gloves, and my boarding hat -- and the nifty new snow boots that were rated to -45 degrees… so long as you weren't standing mostly motionless by the side of a snowy road.

The scene was the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. I was part of a group of 27, including guides, and our mission that day was to find the famed wolves of Yellowstone.

We did.

We saw the new pack that's trying to form. Currently called the Silver Pack, they are made up of a breeding pair (the qualifications of a pack, I'm told) and a third friend. They are horning their way into territory between -- or maybe including -- that held by two others: the Slough Creek Pack and the Druid Peak Pack. They may or may not succeed.

Others in our group saw the Slough Creeks. I only got to see the remnants of an elk they'd killed, but our entire group spent a very long time watching the Druids. We watched two yearlings play with a stick underneath some nearby trees. We watched an intruder who'd been chased off and injured. We saw the Druid alpha female check on each member of her pack.

(click on the picture, and then once again to blow it up so you can REALLY see)

I like wolves.

That's why the article in today's paper has me outraged. Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana -- incidentally the three states that Yellowstone National Park straddles -- have stopped offering any sort of protection for wolves. They are fair game, and hunting parties are already forming. It's a new sport! Or a return to an old one; take your pick.

What's the offense of these wolves? They kill a few of the ranchers' cows.

Now, I'm not going to say that killing cows is a good thing. It's not. The ranchers lose money and have to be reimbursed by the Feds. The wolves learn it's an easy way to get food and some of their sharp hunting instincts are dulled. Their natural prey -- elk, for instance -- flourish. And as we've seen since the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone, the elk have a huge impact on the flora and fauna in the park. A negative impact, because there are so many elk and so few predators.

But killing wolves for being themselves is horrible, pure and simple. Surely there are other ways to manage the animals and keep them away from cows.

One solution isn't entirely practical, but allow me the pipedream, please. You see, I like bison, too. I like them more than wolves, truth be told. They are big, they are cantankerous, and they do whatever they damn well feel like and the hell with you if you don't like it. Plus, they taste good.

And therein lies the solution. Instead of eating cows, let's all eat bison. Lower in fat and cholesterol than cattle, they are higher in protein. And they taste better. South Dakota is brimming with bison farms, including the farm the Tour Manager and I buy our bison meat from. Run by Dan O'Brien, a writer who did his MFA at the same school that granted me mine (see how it all gets back to books?), these bison are turned loose in the pasture to graze and do their bison thing. When it's time to slaughter, O'Brien and company have a specially outfitted truck that they toss a food inspector into, and off they go. It's less stress on the animal. That makes them taste even better. And believe me, the Wild Idea bison are amazingly yummy.

Best of all in my plan, wolves find bison harder to kill than cows.

Like I said, this isn't a perfect plan. Not while cattle ranchers in Wyoming are killing bison that wander out of Yellowstone during the winters, in search of food. Their grounds for this needless slaughter is that bison might -- might! -- transmit a disease called brucellosis. Nevermind that the transmission can only happen during calving, which happens in spring. Nevermind that there is yet to be a recorded instance of this transmission happening.

Of course, if we get rid of the cows, we get rid of those particular fears.

Not everyone sees the eradication of wolves as bad. I know that. I get that. But from where I sit, having seen wolves in the wild with my own eyes, they deserve to be there, helping keep nature in balance.

That's what it's all about. Balance.

Surely, there has to be a better way to achieve this balance with our cattle ranchers. Killing for the sake of killing, to eliminate the things that might happen or to make sure that this wolf doesn't do what the other one did…

Surely, there has to be a better way.




If I may deviate to another thing I like, that's giving away books. I'm still trying to reach Paula, our own BRBer, who won my copy of State of the Onion. Paula, if you e-mailed me, I didn't see it. Can you try again, please? I'd hate to give this to someone else!

Lady Rose's Favorite Things

Since I've been eating healthy for the over 90 weeks now and also trying to drop a few pounds, I won't be listing any of my favorites foods (like pizza with extra cheese of course, mashed potatos with extra butter of course, chocolate, macroni and cheese,). No yummy or decadent foods in this post! Instead I'll focus on a few other things that are much more rewarding and dearer to my heart.

The first on my list of course is my daughter, Angelgirl - she is truly the light of my life. Here's a photo of her from last Halloween 2007
Of course Teacherman, my hubby, is definitely high on my list of favorite things (he always makes me laugh and hey he puts up me so you gotta love him). Here's a photo of us from Dec. 07
I really enjoy doing a variety of arts and crafts, but the last few months I've been on a crocheting binge. I've already started making a lot of gifts for birthdays and xmas this year. I've also started collecting vintage crochet patterns to try out. So I'd have to say for now crocheting is my favorite craft, and hopefully I can tackle Yarn Mountain (thats me under all the yarn with my giant crochet hook at the ready!).
My favorite crochet project that I have made so far has to be the Mrs. Weasley Sweater (from the Harry Potter movies) that I made for my dear friend as a Christmas gift last year.
Some of my other favorite things include way too much TV, with my favorites shows being Monk, Pysche, Law and Order (all versions, though SUV is top of the list), and Ghost Hunters.

I love curling up with a good book, my favorite books are the Harry Potter Series. I love books that are mostly fantasy and some vampire series. And of course I am a HUGE Harry Potter movie fan too. Last year I through a HUGE Harry Potter Party for my daughter who turned 11 last May. It took over a year to plan and put together, and we even rented a hall at the local firehouse. The party lasted 6 hours, with 22 kids and lots of adults in costume helping out as Hogwarts staff, guest enjoyd snacks at the 3 Broomsticks Inn, Diagon Alley shopping, 9 magical classes, a wizard tournament, a big feast and a Hogwarts castle cake. Photos and Details HERE.
Here we are at the party with my best friend's family:

And of course blogging is one of my favorite things too.

Health and Happiness, Lady Rose (founder of Diet Pulpit - the blog with Fattitude!).

Link Call: Your Favorite Things

It's time for another Link Call to our Contributing Authors. We would love all of you to do a post about 'a few of your favorite things'!

So, Ann, Beth, Carol, Chesca, Colin, Dixie, Drew, EmmyRose, Eric, Georganna, Graciel, Jackie, Janice, Jeane Michelle, Jo, Jos, Judy, Karl, Kathleen, Kim, Lady Rose, Linda, Linda, Lori, Lyn, Mags, Maunie, Mo, Robin, Sanni, Santa and Susan, why don't you surprise us with a little story about your favorite book, movie, music, video clip, person, flower, animal, perfume, clothes, sitcom, excuse, uncle, picture, artist, car, brand, destination, drink, planet, blog, chair, city, actor, pencil, blooper, tool, sport, commercial, or day of the week... We would love to read about it!

Beautiful Disaster

Where there is pain, there is comfort. Where something shatters, something forms. Where darkness presses down, light rises. You, in your great despair, take notice. While you are plummeting, Angelic forces are lifting you up. While in the midst of turmoil, out of the corner of your awareness, you will see and feel and sense the beauty in your disaster.

Nothing is ever completely bad or wrong or more than you can handle. Signs and omens of utter goodness abound in the center of a whirlwind, in the center of a life in transition. In a torrent of tears and confusion, keep one eye open and half an ear tuned. A savior will call on the phone, a bird of exquisite color will alight outside your window, money will suddenly manifest in your washing machine. Signs of grace and truth and mercy will shower themselves upon you in your darkest moments, shower you until you notice even one of them.

If you lose something, you will always gain something, though it be in a form too subtle to see through your tears. Keep crying. Keep cleansing your vision and one powerful moment between sobs, the light of mercy will shine through and you will know. You will know that nothing painful is as it appears to be. You will know that the lessons being learned through the grief and the sorrow will shape you into a more eloquent human being. A more capable human being. A human being who knows that love is ever present for everyone. That love is always the beauty in the disaster.

Text copyright (c) 2008 Graciel

My Daily Seven

My new health goal is to live healthy to over 100!

As a part of my overall lifestyle health plan I want to make each day be a great day. A great day doesn't mean it's perfect or that nothing bad ever happens, but rather for me it's more about attitude - appreciating each day and making the most of it, and also asking myself what can I do to make each day a little more special for myself and others. I came up with a list of things I feel are imporant to me and I want to be a part of my daily life.

My Daily Seven (in no particular order):

1. Smiling - find lots of reasons to smile.


2. Giving thanks - show my gratitude to friends, family, and those around me for being a part of my life, as well as giving thanks to the Universe for the many blessings in my life.


3. Share a hug or better yet lots of hugs, and be sure to say I love you.


4. Be aware - slow down and experience the little things, focus on the moment.


5. Acts of kindness - helping make the world around me a little nicer and helping others smile more too, rather then just focusing on the problems I want to be proactive in helping to lessen some of the burden.


6. Be true to my word and to myself.


7. Begin and end the day with positive thoughts, and in between fill the moments with respect, laughter, love and other positive energy.

Wishing everyone health and happiness now and always, Lady Rose
Cross posted on the Diet Pulpit.

Hello from Sanni

Special thanks to The Blue Ribbon Bloggers for inviting me to join this phantastic community - and my deepest apologies for joining in so late.

For those of you who are not regulars of my main blog Coffee2go:
I´m Sanni - born June 11th, 1974 in Germany... many moons ago, when my parents named me "Sandra". I´ve lost that name somewhere ages ago - most of the people call me Sanni today, including my (online-) friends, parents and family.

Online friends include many Blue Ribbon Bloggers, like Mo, Susan Helene Gottfried and Linda.

My family... that´s

- Frank, the best hubby I can imagine,
- or little son Luis (a busy toddler, looking forward to his 2nd Birthday in April impatiently),
- Jersey - the furry diva (our chocolate labrador),
- the little baby girl "Hamster 2.0" (she will be born by the end of June) and
- me, Sanni, the coffee- and shopping-addicted, currently pregnant mommy of a busy toddler, caring significant other and puppy-lover, who´s trying to juggle the pregnancy hormones, her tons of projects and everyday life.

Tons of projects? Yes, I also got the addiction to keep myself way too busy with several projects - like my Project 365, where I post a photo a day taken on that day... or the Pimp Your Blog Template Design.

I´m not good in writing about myself... that might be the reason I joined in here so late.
Yes, I prefer someone else to write this "about me" *g*... because I´m Sanni, that´s why.

But did I mention I´m proud to be a member of the Blue Ribbon Bloggers? I am!

That´s why I´d love to share the Wisdom Award with all members:

Please visit today´s entry "Flattered on Friday" on my main blog to find out more. Thanks!

Owed to Readers

Favorite Post: You Know You're Middle-Aged When...

I had an idea—a brilliant idea to reduce my stress and shake up my routine—an event to anticipate with relish. I was going out. Really—outside of my actual house to a place that doesn’t have the name of the company I work for on the door. An establishment that serves adult beverages and only lets adults inside. Or if not actual adults, people who have an ID that states they are over 21. Where nubile young women would be dancing and enjoying some frivolity.

Two of my dear friends, both slightly younger than myself, and I went to dinner Saturday night at a place that had a surprisingly good menu considering its outward appearance. We enjoyed watching the gay men gather at the bar, the transgendered folks out on a “girl’s night out,” and various other hip and trendy habitués of mid town. The laughter built to a fever pitch before we headed first to the sex toy shop on K.

We were casually perusing the product line when the young man at the counter asked if he could help. Then, as though we were his mother (hell, I was probably older than his mother), he asked, “Do you think I need braces? All my friends say I should get braces.” Like we’d know. Of course, we all had to provide an opinion. Then, we were off to the new club, “Badlands,” which I kept referring to as “Batman” for some reason.

I was heartened to see that the early crowd (post 8 pm, but well before any actual partying occurs, just how I like it) was much the same age as the three of us. There were pleasant conversations occurring at various comfortably appointed seating areas and bar service was immediate. Interestingly, one of my friends knew some of the fellow geriatric club crowd from 10 years ago when she lived in another place. My other friend and I tried our best to drown out the “thump, thump, thump” of the dance music with our version of “It’s a Small World,” to no avail.

As time went on, the music increased in volume, and the conversations diminished. The crowds started to stream in, each person successively younger than the next. I decided to order a drink. But, it appeared as though I’d forgotten how. I had no idea what to order. As it would be my only drink of the evening, I wanted to make it count. The bartender rolled through various drink names which caused my brain cells to start smoldering on overload. I’d not heard of any of them. I finally opted for a Margarita, predictably less than exciting.

“Oh, look,” one of my friends said, “There are some middle-aged women!” We all eagerly craned our necks to the right. Well, nice try—it turned out to be a couple, dressed as bookends, with hair to match and a very ugly drag queen. I forgot that Lesbians usually travel in pairs. So much for sightseeing.

Later—much, much later…hey, we’re talking about 9:30 pm now, my friends and I started looking at each other. One said to the other, “We should all go to your house and play with the puppy.” Now, mind you, this is the same woman I used to stay up dancing with until sunrise only a few short years ago.

We all happily and anxiously nodded, finished our drinks, and went to play with a puppy. I was home well before 11 but was anticipating with enthusiasm my latest brilliant idea: slipping on my reading glasses, my comfie PJs, and reading a couple of chapters of my book while stretched out in my very own bed.

Middle age is when you’re sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn’t for you. ~Ogden Nash

The Red Carpet

I had not decided yet what to post in response to Another Link Call: Your favorite post. When Sunday, my Sister’s Husband had just returned home from war after his 13 month duty. Hopefully he won’t have to return again. Then sorrowfully the decision about a favorite post of mine from my site has been made for me. Cause mournfully I received the news that a Co-Worker lost his battle with cancer Sunday night. The sad news arrived today, just as a Friend of mine was undergoing a breast biopsy and we are currently awaiting the results. Therefore; in honor of my Co-Worker, I repost the following from my site. May countless Prayers reach his Family and Friends and help them to find the comfort needed during their time of grief. For he may have lost the battle with cancer but he left heart prints in many of our lives and hearts. And I’m certain somewhere above he is dancing on a red carpet to the Pearly Gates.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Awe yeah, the almighty red carpet! When people imagine the red carpet, they often envision – lights, camera, action – Hollywood! Star strutted status of various anticipated prestigious awards! Or Royalty and their entourage. However; there are numerous monumental red carpet moments in every ones life! Be it a Prom or Graduation. Job promotion or Career transformation. Marriage or get the Cradle ready. A Recreational recognition in Sports, Art, the Community, etc. The Cherry runner is afoot endlessly for any ripeness!

Oh, but heed the slippery slopes whence lay the thinly padded ‘blush mat’ of Shame. For even many a President have walked this crimson carpet. For example, he who could not quote “Fool Me Once Shame on You; Fool Me Twice Shame on Me”, has now ironically earned the name, ‘Bush Shame’.

And so there are occasions to proudly roll out the ‘burgundy carpet’ and there are times to tread lightly upon it. Today though; I learnt about the ‘ruby carpeted Encore’. Whence from behind the camouflaged curtain a figure appears to take a final bow. However; if any of us had to walk this red carpet, surely none could ever be as diligent as this distinguished Gentleman.

Scene: Work

Gathering: Employers, Employees, Co-Workers, Friends

Enter: Distinguished Gentleman

Précis of Speech: As most of you all know, today is my last day at work as I have been diagnosed with a rare inoperable stomach caner and will be going to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland for treatment.

This Distinguished Gentleman continued, I am not much of a religious man yet. However; if some of you are – please remember to include my Wife in your prayers also. He then added his usual sense of humor to what has to be the bleakest moment in his life. Having returned home from War some years ago, he promised himself milkshakes! Stating, and though there is no scientific proof rather Arby’s or Wendy’s or McDonald's… milkshakes may have contributed to his stomach cancer; he sure enjoyed them as we all can tell by the size of his belly. He continued by humorously going into detail about how our Security Personnel adamantly would not let him enter the work premises today because he inadvertently forgot his proper identification. Ending, he therefore must leave before Security towed his car off.

Here is a man; already burdened with irrefutable fate, having to put his best foot forward for his peers – Friends…, whilst being ridiculed by his and our own Security System. Yet instead of giving up, turning his automobile around, and just returning home; he – being the Distinguished Gentleman he is - merely parks his auto on the side and walks inside his place of employment, sequentially to pace the ‘ruby carpet’ for us.

Surely cancer does not stand a fighting chance against such a Man with this kind of admirable caliber!

"Is That All There Is" by Peggy Lee

My Favorite Post from Speedcat

My memories from Greenhaven are so strong and vivid. I had a hard time realating them into words. This was a post from my MAIN blog. I have 4 total.


When I was 13 years old, I started playing golf at Greenhaven Golf Course in Anoka MN. It was not the first course I played, but it was the first course to become my home.
It was 1979, and I rode my motorcycle through miles and miles of old backwoods farm roads, and then along a stretch of railroad, to get to this place and see it for the first time. To me, it was like finding heaven on Earth. I walked along the old entrance road (which now does not exist) and was amazed at the beauty and grandure of this course - with majestic oaks linning each fairway of perfectly manicured bent grass. It was one of those perfect "10" summer days and I swear I can still feel the breeze and smell the flowers growing by the clubhouse. As I watched groups of players make there way down the 10th hole, I wanted to be with them, to join them, and take part in this awesome game. I'll never forget this day, and it was one of those pivital moments that everyone has occur in their lives.
My dreams came true, and my Father bought a season ticket for me. I loved him so much for this special gift. I began riding with him to work on weekday mornings, and he would drop me off to play in the junior / senior time slots that were allocated from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM. Eventually, my brother and my childhood best friend joined my golf excursions, and we became our own group of regular golfers. This lasted for two summers, and was probably the best time of my life.
Each round and practice session increased my skills, and I was extremely dedicated to becoming the best golfer at Greenhaven. My future goals became golf oriented, and the sport was now a passion to me, and not just a game.
When I played, I imagined myself in the great Masters Tournament, or playing in the US Open. A low scoring round was a major victory and the best image booster I could attain. When I played with a group of people I had not met before, they cheered and boasted accolades of that young player with so much talent ..... forward 28 years >>>

I played Greenhaven again one week ago. The course is different. The majestic trees are gone. The plush bent grass fairways are now a mix of blue grass and fescue. The grand clubhouse is replaced with a nice updated building, yet has no character. The people are different, and it is surrounded by a decaying neighborhood. It's class and prestige have all but left this place, and so had I.
I never found my dreams of the Masters or the US Open, and realize that I never will. I never will be the best.
Something magical happens still, as I walk onto the first tee box at Greenhaven. I feel the fire and ambition of that young boy, and his love of the game bubble to the top of my soul. I smile and feel alive again. Don't get me wrong, I'll take almost anyone in a golf match, and still feel the same love and ambition that that 13 year old did. I still take great pride in being able to demolish a golf ball 340 yards with the driver, and like nothing better than to play every Sunday.
Many things in my life have slipped by and away. Things did not turn out as I had planned, but there is always one more round to possibly become the best of "my" life. This is what is important to me now.
Most people that stop by my blog do not play golf, nor do they know much about it. I do not post as much golf related topics as I used to. When I do, please bare with me, knowing that a 13 year old boy with a dream is writing it :-)
One last note....my favorite person to play golf with at Greenhaven? My Father

Come win a book!

Hey, Blue Ribbon Bloggers and our readers!

I am tickled to have the chance to give someone my reader's copy of the great new Julie Hyzy book, State of the Onion.

Come on over to West of Mars and enter yourselves (if you qualify!) for a chance to win this great read. I know the chances of you winning are better if you don't help spread the word, but ... do a girl a favor, will ya? I can't have the same six people entering each time!

What to do with a penguin, a historical marker, and a couple of spare hours

Many thanks to the Blog Fairy for helping me get set up here for the first time. :)

So, that's a long title, but it pretty much sums up how I spend a lot of time between January and November each year. A long time ago, when I was doing a treasure hunt to find historical markers I discovered that seldom were the markers where the guidebook said they should be. Eventually I figured I'd just go ahead and find the California ones and put their locations in a web page--until I discovered that every state in the USA, every province in Canada and even every country in the world had plaques snap-shotting a moment in history.

The website, meant to help you find such items in the USA, Canada, British Isles and Australia (for now) is called Markeroni. It's quite deliberately set up to be tongue-in-cheek...but there's still something to be gained from the hunt for historical markers.

There's something quite quirky about tracking down markers to their lair. You are taken to remote places, or the heart of towns full of wonderful old buildings. You might just be reading a few lines, but after a while you find other markers that expand on the story and before you know it you're getting an education in local history, all without picking up a book. Of course, many Markeroni members do eventually pick up a book, or visit museums to find out more.

Each year I run a challenge to find 25, 50 or 100 markers before November. Because many of the members are a) camera shy and b) have a sense of humor I suggested that they either photograph themselves with the marker or b) photograph a mascot. My mascot is Mr. Penguin, a $1 bean bag toy that I picked up from Walgreen's. He's traveled thousands of miles with me and visited many of my 1300+ finds. It's a light-hearted kind of thing, and a fun way to pass a couple of hours. Either research what's in the area and go hunting, or go to an area and see what leaps out at you. Markeroni gives you a place to log those finds, a bit like a diary.

If this sounds like fun, come on down! Markeroni can be found at http://www.markeroni.com and we'd be delighted to have you. :)

-- Linda The Chief Markeroon ;)

My Favorite Posts: Diet's Don't Make You Happy

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone from me, Lady Rose, the lady with the funny hat and F.A.T. Attitude (living life Fabulous, Awesome and Tenacious) and founder of the Diet Pulpit (preaching our motto: don't be a fool, eat for fuel). I chose this post as my favorite because it helps me to remember what is really important in life - being happy, loved and loving, being with family and friends, and to keep the new year's resolutions I made that really matter. Sure getting healthy is important, but obsessing over numbers on the scale is really not important in the grand scheme of things.

Around here at the Diet Pulpit, happiness is valued very highly - comes in just under Health as being a top priority. Here are some tips to unlock those feel good feelings.

Be Your Best - don't wait until you reach a certain number on the scale, treat yourself to some new clothes now and then along the way, treat yourself to a manicure and facial (create your own little home spa). Putting your best foot forward helps you to radiate happiness and confidence.

Family, Friends, Community - Staying connected is an important key to longevity and healthy. Take time to really be with your loved ones, have some fun together - schedule "play" time or time just to chat. Nurture your support system so they can nurture you in return.

Nurture your spirit, be true to your inner wisdom, live your life's purpose and you'll find yourself empowered from within. Purpose doesn't have to be on a grand scheme, every day acts of kindness and sharing simple joys are awesome, purposeful ways to express who you are and express your life's purpose.

Happiness also have phyical components - get enough rest, take care of nagging pain - stop trying to tough it out. Boost your serotinin levels - get some sunlight. Exercise is a wonderful way to keep serotinin levels up, as well as eating healthy grains and carbs. If you need help - reach out, you are not alone.

Rest and Renewal - Sleeping enough is an extremely important aspect of feeling good. This is especially true for women, who are nurturers by nature and they give and give and give to everyone else, often neglecting their own needs. It is important to stop-rest-renew in order to fill yourself up first so you are not totally depleted. Find ways to pamper yourself and take time to put you, your health, and your well being at the top of your to do list each and every day.

Instead of making the usual diet New Year Resolutions this year, try making resolutions to pamper You, to have fun, to get out and exercise more and enjoy life. If you take care of your health and happiness first, the body's weight will more easily reach a healthier number too.

Related Posts:

Diet's Don't Make You Beautiful,
Diet's Don't Make You Healthy

My favorite Post: Death By Cheese

With such a large body of work on my blog, it's hard to pick a favorite post or two. After all, most of my blog is made up of fiction and I wouldn't be posting it if I weren't proud of it.

Every now and then, this one pops into my brain and teases me. It's seriously underappreciated.

If you're new to the gang, this fictional outtake -- not really a short story but a moment -- features my wildly successful rock band, ShapeShifter, during their early days. Yep, four boys around the age of twenty... this is how it is...

(with apologies to Cheesy)


Mitchell kicked the pizza box out of the way and, with a burp that shook the room, stretched out his legs on the coffee table. It bowed under his weight.

"M, man," Daniel said wonderingly. He picked up a drum stick and scratched his back with it. "You just ate the whole thing. I thought you weren't going to do that anymore."

"I wasn't," Mitchell slurred. He laid his head back on the grimy dressing-room couch. "But I wasn't gonna drink this much anymore, either." He burped again.

Trevor held up a hand, all five fingers splayed. Slowly, he dropped each finger in turn, starting with the index finger. Just as he tucked his thumb in, Mitchell sprinted for the bathroom.

"Death by cheese," Eric laughed.

"Should we save the box as a reminder for next time?" Daniel asked.

"Dumb fuck," Trevor said, shaking his head and, for a few minutes there, feeling in tune with Daniel and Eric.

My Favorite post

Rotten Neighbor

Locate, Rate, and Share Good and Bad Neighbors Before and After You Move

Have you ever looked at the top Technorati searches?

What a hoot!

There's a new site called 'Rotten Neighbor,' where you can research good or bad neighbors in areas you select.

Thinking of buying a house in a certain area?

Plug in the address and away you go.

Want to know what your neighbors think of you?

Put your current address and click 'search.'

I have not tried it, and don't think I will.

Posted by Beth at 10:33 PM

Link Call: My Favorite Post

Our Friendly World

By, Graciel © 2008

The world is populated by wonderful people. Kind people. Loving people. In every corner, in every climate, in every culture. Do not listen to the fickle, fan-flaming media and grandiose governments who wish us to live in fear of each other. Listen instead to the heartbeat of the collective human subconscious that knows unequivocally there is more positive energy than negative. More good stories than bad. More triumph than failure. More similarities than differences. More peace than war.

Every culture breeds fabulous human beings. Every culture harbors more friends than we can possibly enjoy in one lifetime. The glory of our shrinking world is the unlimited opportunities that now exist to share wonder and kindness and love with people who live beyond our own borders and people who move from other parts of the world to within our own borders. It is up to us to take the opportunities. To be open and willing and reciprocal with potential friends from afar. To embrace the swift river of love that flows around the world.

There are dynamic women in England. Helpful men in France. Gracious women in Australia. Intelligent men in Canada. Pick a location, pick a culture, there will be people worth knowing and befriending. French Polynesia, Sweden, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Algeria. Each brimming with big hearts and fast smiles, waiting to be discovered.

The more curious we become about each other, the more time we take to learn from each other, the more we take each other into our hearts, the less illusionary sway will be felt from institutions-of-influence behaving badly. The less we will be inclined to numbly wage war for false reasons. The more we will insist on policies of peace in our cultures, peace in our religions, peace in our corners of the world.

Because friends honor friends and love honors love.The more comfortable we become with the wonderful people of the world, the more friends we will have, the more love we will have, and the more balance we will instill in the soul of our species.

{My blog, http://www.evenstar-art.blogspot.com/, is my small attempt to add positive energy and the vibration of love into whatever corner of the world it is read. Thank you for the invitation to add this post!}

Another Link Call: Your favorite post

Thank you all for your fabulous reactions to the previous Co-Authors Link Call: Smiles Wanted! We have seen a wonderful response on that call, and are expecting quite a few more...

Yet, this is already another Link Call: when you see this link coming in, please take a few minutes to repost one of your favorite posts from your own site here on the Original Blue Ribbon Bloggers. ...And it would be smashing if you would include a few lines about yourself and/or your blog, but you don't have to :)

Again, we are calling upon Ann Clemmons – Beth Allen – Carol – Chesca Silva – Colin/Cotojo – Dixie – Drew – EmmyRose – Eric/Speedcat Hollydale – Georganna Hancock – Graciel of Evenstar Art – Jackie/Shinade – JaniceNW – Jeane Michelle Culp – Jo Coiner Burzycki – Jos van Liempd – Judy/SugarQueensDream – Karl/Frogster – Kathleen Maher – Kim/Purplefrogcat – Lady Rose – Linda – Lori Hahn – Lyn Luv – Mags – Maunie James – Mo – Robin Lee Sardini – Santa Claus – Susan Helene Gottfried

Doggone Funny!

Looks like Pepper is laughing

Pepper {female} (Parents: Betzy and Edwin)

10 ways to be a super stud in Florida from least to most important

10. Have hair and own teeth

9. Don't rely on a walker or wheel chair

8. Can speak reasonably well and chew with mouth closed

7. Showers or bathes fairly often...owns white belt and shoes

6. Can make conversation with children and grand children

5. Can dance or at least sway from side to side

4. Available for early bird specials

3. If married..never mention wife

2. Not younger then 40 or older then 80..or 90

1. Most important....can drive at night

How to make a tuna sandwich

Open a can of tuna..be careful of the cat twirling around your legs...get a bowl for the tuna and a flat dish for the cat...put a small amount of tuna in the dish for the cat and put it down on the floor out of the way..go to the refrigerator and get the celery and mayo..oops the phone is ringing..trip over the cat..land with your face on the couch and your knee on the floor..answer the phone..tell them you will call back..answer the door...tell the gentleman looking for hubby your fine..no that's not blood all over your face you just scraped it on the couch...ah okay then could you have hubby call? sure...go into the bathroom and wipe blood off face and knee...pick up the dish on the floor and put it out of the way...chop celery and add mayo and tuna, mix..trip over the cat again..but regain balance this time...answer the door..thank neighbor for the tomatoes....invite her in...stick bowl with tuna in refrigerator and get glasses of lemonade..wipe blood off of face again and explain it's nothing..really..ignore phone ringing...someone else at door is going away for a week can I use extra milk, bread or anything...no thanks just shopped..phone rings again...maybe you should get that..neighbor says...door opens hubby comes in with pizza.. get more lemonade and set out plates three of them sit down while you go back into the bathroom to see to your face and knee..forget the tuna..go back to bed...

Chicken picture for Eric

Smiles

- 'Do you believe in life after death?', the boss asked one of his employees. 'Yes, sir', the new employee replied. 'Well, then, that makes everything just fine', the boss went on. 'After you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother's funeral, she stopped in to see you!'

- It was Palm Sunday and, because of a sore throat, five-year-old Johnny stayed home from church with a sitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying palm branches. The boy asked what they were for. 'People held them over Jesus' head as he walked by'. 'Wouldn't you know it', the boy fumed. 'The one Sunday I don't go, he shows up!'

- One Easter Sunday morning as the minister was preaching the children's sermon, he reached into his bag of props and pulled out an egg. He pointed at the egg and asked the children: 'What's in here?' 'I know!', a little boy exclaimed. 'Pantyhose!!'

- The prospective father-in-law asked: 'Young man, can you support a family?' The surprised groom-to-be replied: 'Well, no. I was just planning to support your daughter. The rest of you will have to fend for yourselves'.

- A little boy in church for the first time watched as the ushers passed around the offering plates. When they came near his pew, the boy said loudly: 'Don't pay for me, daddy. I'm under five'.

- The Sunday School teacher asked: 'Now, Johnny, tell me, do you say prayers before eating?' 'No sir', he replied. 'We don't have to, my mom is a good cook!'

- 'Oh, I sure am happy to see you', the little boy said to his grandmother on his mother's side. 'Now maybe daddy will do the trick he has been promising us'. The grandmother was curious. 'What trick is that?', she asked. 'I heard him tell mommy that he would climb the walls if you came to visit', the little boy answered.

- My husband bought me a mood ring the other day. When I'm in a good mood it turns green. When I'm in a bad mood, it leaves a red mark on his forehead..

- When my three-year-old son opened the birthday gift from his grandmother, he discovered a water pistol.. He squealed with delight and headed for the nearest sink. I was not so pleased. I turned to mom and said: 'I'm surprised at you. Don't you remember how we used to drive you crazy with water guns?' Mom smiled and then replied... 'I remember!!'

- A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, 'Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up!' After a few seconds, Little Davie stood up. The teacher said, 'Do you think you're stupid, Little Davie?' 'No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!'

- Little Davie watched, fascinated, as his mother smoothed cold cream on her face. 'Why do you do that, mommy?' he asked. 'To make myself beautiful,' said his mother, who then began removing the cream with a tissue. 'What's the matter?' asked Little Davie. 'Giving up?'

- Little Connor asked his grandma how old she was. Grandma answered: '39 and holding.' Connor thought for a moment, and then said: 'And how old would you be if you let go?'

Diet Humor

Here's my contribution to Smiles Wanted!

Tip of the day from Lady Rose: Stay on the road to good health, avoid the exits.

Over on the Diet Pulpit I believe it's Health, Happiness, and Humor that are most important - not the numbers on the scale.

(Photo Source: email from a friend)

Funny? HA!

So it's been noticed that my presence here has dwindled, eh? And now you want me to be funny? So not gonna happen...

There's a good reason for it.

Almost three weeks ago, the Tour Manager got sick. Now, he's not named the Tour Manager purely because it's a good rock-and-roll term. No, this man usually acts like a tour manager, keeping me on the straight-and-narrow, organized and happy. He's almost like a wife, except no monthly mood swings (not that I have any, either. Nope. Not me.).

Being the kind man he is, he spent two weeks sick as a dog. He even missed work, and for him to miss work... the man's more devoted to his job than he is to me. I knew that from the get-go, though; he's been elbow-deep in computer guts since we met.

When we met, I was twelve. He was eleven.

Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. Going on about the kindness of my Tour Manager.

Which is why I sit here today, running a fever despite having taken Advil, unable to bring you the sort of funny I'm proud of.

Can I take a raincheck and get back to you when I'm healthy?

Pretty Please?

Smiles Wanted!

Answering The Blue Ribbon Bloggers Humor Call!:

Who likes doing laundry? Except for those Martha Stewart ‘Washabuzybees’, hardly anyone! It’s another chore on that invisible, endless list of things that need to be done. Like grocery shopping, if you want to eat. House cleaning, if you don’t want your place to be condemned. (Nothing like a wrecking ball to wreck your life.) Work, if you don’t want to be homeless. Yes, that wonderfully invisible, forever increasing - better known as, the 'to-do' list. Wouldn’t life be much simpler if everyone just went around stinking dirty, hungry, and homeless? Think about how much time could be saved! And no more spending your hard earned money on another endless list of ‘things to buy’ to get the to-do list done. Like deodorant, laundry detergent, dish detergent, soap, food, lights, rent, mortgage… Instead of dying filthy rich, by working ourselves to death - we all could just die from stinkin’ starvation. Well, that just seems a little too ‘foul’ for me. So where was that freakin’ list, oh yes laundry. Meanwhile; when we launder those wearable items, wouldn’t it be nice if we could also just wash our problems away! Apparently, now we can with:

Well Happy Washing Readers! May you often see the rainbow, in spite of the rain.

© - Jeane Michelle Culp

Originally Posted on Binding Ink

Technorati Tags Blue Ribbon Bloggers,Binding Ink,humor

I LOVE Blaugh!!

This is one of my favorite Blaugh cartoons so I thought I would share it with BRB's readers. I think we've all "been there" at some point in our blogging right? *giggle*

Smiles: My Living Will

Okay, I never do this, but I interrupted my Saturday morning slavedriver routine in getting the kids to do their chores to read this:

Last night my sister and I were sitting in the den and I said to her, "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle to keep me alive. That would be no quality of life at all. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

So she got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.

She's such a bitch.

Pictures from purplefrog (aka purplefrogcat)

Co-Authors Link Call: Smiles Wanted!

This is a Link Call to our Contributing Authors. When you see this link coming in, please take a few minutes and post one of your favorite cartoons or pictures, or a great joke, or a funny anecdote, here on the Original Blue Ribbon Bloggers.

This time, we are calling upon Ann Clemmons – Beth Allen – Carol – Chesca Silva – Colin/Cotojo – Dixie – Drew – EmmyRose – Eric/Speedcat Hollydale – Georganna Hancock – Graciel of Evenstar Art – Jackie/Shinade – JaniceNW – Jeane Michelle Culp – Jo Coiner Burzycki – Jos van Liempd – Judy/SugarQueensDream – Karl/Frogster – Kathleen Maher – Kim/Purplefrogcat – Lady Rose – Linda – Lori Hahn – Lyn Luv – Mags – Maunie James – Mo – Robin Lee Sardini – Santa Claus – Susan Helene Gottfried to make us smile!
We promise we will all smile right back at you!

Treads of A Murder

In the cloak of darkness the heart pounded detrimentally inside her chest, as if insistent on immediate release; while perspiration dripped from numerous sweat glands she never knew her flesh had. Suddenly, the body she was hauling tumbled to the ground and descended along a steep hill. Panicky, she ran toward the already rotting carcass. In the hurried course her high heels broke as she toppled onto the mossy wet leafed ground, tasting dirt from her moist glossy lips. Her nose was within a few inches of the cadaver, the stench reeked with a combination of dumpster garbage and human sewage waste. Sickeningly nauseated she some how managed to rise, brushing the earths remnants from herself with her now bloodily scratched hands. Then, as if without any forethought whatsoever; she grasped the stiff body and lugged it toward a nearby river bank. Briefly, as if to catch a breath; she sat on the moist ground surrounded by the night. Her fleeting thoughts interrupted abruptly to realize she had not brought a shovel. Frantically she looked around in the moonlight. Broken twigs were scattered amidst the thickening, as she hurriedly threw them aside to at last find a short broken, rigid tree limb. She began to dig furiously right there beneath her feet, until the depth was sufficient. By now the crack of dawn was awakening, worn out she clasped the foul body, dragging it inside the hole. Her bare, scuffed raw hands clumping dirt rapidly over the grave. Content with her undertaking, she staggered toward the river. Achingly she knelt down to fling the icy water onto herself, simultaneously seeming to cleanse some of the filth from her skin and mind. Exhausted, she began the journey toward the hill top where her car was parked. Finally she arrived, fumbling with keys until the door unlocked, she climbed inside. Idle, hands on the wheel; she reflected on the nights’ escapade. If only someone had driven a little slower, perhaps none of this would have happened. Or if someone merely attended to the matter themselves when the incident occurred, than maybe she would not had to taken care of the dreadful situation. For as her bumper sticker states, 'God Bless the animals that cross to and fro, for they know not which way to go'.

By © - Jeane Michelle Culp

Originally posted on Binding Ink

Technorati Tags Binding Ink,Blue Ribbon Bloggers