My Thoughts on 9-11

I was sitting on the couch watching a program on cable. Jim was sleeping but the TV was on in the bedroom, and they were showing it on the channel he was watching,....he came out and said something about a plane crash. I said a prayer for those aboard, not quite understanding the gravity of what he was trying to say...he came back out and said turn the channel to local...I did and it hit me quickly what happened, and I burst into tears, for the terrified people in that building that had no idea what was going on through the smoke and the noises and the screams of their friends and fellow workers... ..that day is something I think about a lot, not just on 9-11 but throughout the years...I think about the families of those that had died, and wonder how are they doing today...how does mom or dad tell the child why they won't see them anymore...how do you explain that to a child...so yes, I remember the day very well...and I will never forget it. It was a day that I saw America come together as one...mourning for so long what had happened, helping each other out...random acts of kindness being preformed......and I pray that it will not happen again, and now I see America is divided again, bickering over which political affiliate did what to whom, random acts of violence happening all over the country, kids running up and punching people in the face..why? Because they can......I watch as America is no longer a christian nation, and we are not politically correct if we say we are a christian, and I cry when I hear wearing an American flag on a t-shirt in school is wrong as it might offend somebody.I am saddened as I hear about a girl that gets suspended for saying God bless you to somebody who just sneezed because the teacher said she does not want that kind of talk in her classroom...and I pray some more...for America, for our government to work for the people not for what they can get out of it,I pray for our soldiers, and I humble myself before God, that He help our land...our precious land that so many have fought and died for our rights...for our land of the free and home of the brave ...and I pray some more...But God gave us free will.(Joshua 24:15) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, to whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. ...and people have chosen, and it saddens me that I see so many people serving themselves, to hear...Oh I'll save myself on my deathbed, right now I just want to have fun... to watch Sunday morning christians become Monday morning self servers......but God gave us all free will to chose who we will serve...and I will continue to pray...that our land will once again be land of the free and home of the brave, and I will not apologize for praying,...and I will not pray in secret for fear that somebody sees me and gets offended..but I will continue to pray for the souls not yet saved. and I will not stop asking...are you saved? because it's not PC to ask those kinds of questions....and I will say to you if you want to be saved and don't know how to be ask me, ask a preacher ask somebody who knows the Lord with their whole heart...just ask...and I pray some more...that we will once again become a christian nation........and that America will once again be the land I used to feel safe in from attacks like this...land of the free, and the home of the brave...and I will not apologize for posting this, because somebody will be offended...and I will not argue about this post either. This is how I feel about this day...9-11-01...and I will pray....

The Family That Hunts Bugs Together...

So one night I was in the bathroom washing my face...I looked up in the mirror, looked down, then quickly looked up again. What's that on the ceiling? Drat...darned rain will bring the palmetto's out quickly...apparently this one did not get the message that he will die a horrible death if he enters my house! I think he was about the size of my head...JIM!! JIIIIIMMMMM!! What WHAT? Bug...what? BUG! There's a bug in the bathroom! Get him! Fine...where is he? On the ceiling....well I can't reach him, (as I was reaching for the step ladder), here...I'll shut the door on my way out so he can't get out...slam...crash bang, $&%^#@ is basically what I heard coming from the other side of the door...I said...did you get em?? I open the door a crack...Where is he? Jim gives me his famous puzzled look as he ponders telling me where the not so little critter is...I said again WHERE IS HE??? I knocked him down and he fell into your clothes you have hanging on the rack...MY CLOTHES??? Oh that's it...I shut the door and begin frantically shaking the clothes out...I do NOT want bug goo on my clothes! I shake a piece..toss it in the hamper...shake another...toss in the hamper...sigh...he's gotta be in here, and now I'm ticked at the creature even more...stupid bug...shake toss shake toss...Jim's just watching at this point shaking his head...he says, you're gonna wash all them, even tho they're clean? YUP! Why? Because now they have bug goo on them, and what if it laid eggs? I refuse to wear clothes with bug goo and eggs on them, I've heard stories ya know about bug eggs... do you have a problem with that?? Nope...just thought I'd ask...I'm just shaking my head in wonder that bug goo and eggs did not dawn on him...just find the bug...finally I shake my overalls and the bug falls out scurrying across the floor...hmmm...I forgot to grab something to smoosh him with...so I grab the wastepaper basket...the flimsy wicker wastepaper basket...SLAM SLAM SLAM...Jim in the mean time is trying not to laugh as I'm frantically trying to smoosh this thing with something about as sturdy as a piece of paper...didja get em?? Well..I hurt him but he's still alive...but I think I broke his legs so he can't walk.....gimme your shoe...Why? You have shoes! Heavy sigh... Yes, but I can't toss my shoes in the washer!! Just gimme your shoe!! SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM! The bug is now laying there in an unrecognizable state...Jim looks over and says...geeze...talk about overkill...He grabs some toilet paper since he knows I'm not going anywhere near that mess...and flushes him down the toilet...catastrophe over...as I sat there trying to reshape the basket, Jim says...want me to take your clothes to the laundry room? Sigh, wait...I gotta put these in the wash too....the ones you're wearing?? Why?? I think he splattered on me...Jim just shakes his head, waits while I change and walks out with laundry in tow, looking up to God and muttering something under his breath...he does that a lot...

TIP OF THE DAY....WAS MY FACE RED? Yes...yes it was....

When we first go married, Jim had a truck and I had a van...we pretty much stuck to driving our own vehicles. One day I needed to go to Wal-Mart, so off I went. Spent quite a bit of time in there since there were no Wal-Mart's where I lived in Philly...bought everything I needed, payed for it, and went out the van, to put the packages in, and go home...I wandered all over that parking lot! You know how it is...you were pretty sure you parked in one spot, and it's just not there so you just keep walking all over the lot looking for it... I kept going back to that spot thinking, "I swear I parked right here". I wandered for an hour, and just kept thinking...it's GOT to be here! Well...the packages were getting heavy, I was all hot and sweaty, and getting a tad frustrated. It was slowly dawning on me that somebody stole my van! I went back into Wal-Mart told them what happened and they called the police. They came quickly, took my statement and even offered me a ride home which I thought was really nice! We pull into my driveway and there it is...the policeman says... "Isn't that the van you said got stolen"?....sigh..."yes, yes it it is", as I blushed a very bright red, I kept repeating "I'm so sorry"! I had forgotten I had taken Jim's truck that day because it was parked behind my van! The policeman glanced at me with a chuckling look in his eye, but was polite enough to refrain from laughing until I got out of his car, thanking him and apologizing over and over for the misunderstanding.... I'm guessing I was the main topic of conversation for the locker room at the police station and many police dinner tables that night!I did go in and tell Jim what happened...he said, how could you forget you took the truck, you backed over the boys bikes before you left, and came in to tell me about it?? Blank stare....shut up... Tip of the day...Always ALWAYS remember which vehicle you took to the store...always....Def one of those 'Was my face red" moments!

CONVERSATIONS WITH JIM...Smart Guy

Me, (standing behind the couch petting Benji, the kitty).

Benji's personality really has come out since we've moved here

Jim:

He's a smart guy

. Me.

Isn't that an oxymoron

? Jim:.......................................

Conversations With Jim-The Salt Shaker

So one night Jim and I were in the kitchen. We were getting our plates ready to eat dinner. Jim gets the salt shaker and starts shaking it onto his food. Jim. The salt shaker is empty, where's the salt.. Me. (already sighing because he should know where the salt is). It's in the cabinet next to the stove. Jim After a few minutes I can't find it! Me. Fine, let me get it. Open the door, hello Morton! Sitting right there in the front is the salt. So I turn and hand it to Jim...and did not say one word by the way. Jim..thanks hon... Now..I am not really paying attention at this point to what Jim is doing. He did start to hand me the salt back but I'm sure the look on my face says you can put that back by yourself so he did... Fast forward to a few nights later...Jim is at work and I start to make a pot of rice for my dinner..I get the salt shaker out, noticed it felt a little light, but start shaking it into the pot, thinking surely he put some salt in here....No...Really?? There is no salt in the shaker...oh come on...so basically that night he put a little salt in his hand and sprinkled it on his food and put the salt back probably not even thinking he just might need that salt shaker again..... Fast forward about two weeks after the salt incident...I hadn't said anything up until now but it was just bugging me and I had to know... Me. Jim..a few weeks ago when you asked for the salt because the salt shaker was empty...do you remember that? Jim...yup...why? Me..I'm curious...and I gotta know..when you had that carton of salt out...did it even dawn on you to fill the salt shaker? Jim...blank stare... Me..I mean you're standing there with an empty salt shaker and now you had the carton of salt...did it cross your mind to fill up the shaker? Jim. blank look now turns into a sheepish grin... Me. What's that grin mean? Jim...sheepish grin, now followed by the blanket going over his head I hear a muffled... I got nothin... Me...sigh...things to do today...teach Jim how to put salt in the salt shaker...

TIP OF THE DAY

TIP OF THE DAY... Well...let me explain how I came upon this very useful tip, or tips I should say...last weekend I woke up and came out to the kitchen...turned on the radio, and started the coffee...turned around and noticed Jim hadn't put his soda away...being the very nice person that I am, I decided to do it for him...so I opened up the 12 pack of black cherry soda and, well...maybe this wasn't the brightest move, but it's the way I've always done it...I just kinda tilt the case, pour them out gently and then stack them under the cabinet...then it happened...PSSSSHHHHHHHHHH...right in the face...I searched frantically for the soda that has hit me dead in the face, I ran my fingers through my hair, found the culprit and tossed it into the sink as I grabbed towels, and anything else I could get my hands on to mop up the now pink cabinet, floor and face, shirt and dog...I could still hear the soda in the sink, turned around... DRAT!! the soda was hitting the ceiling which is now the very lovely color of black cherry...(guess this goes with the texture of mashed taters I got up there a few weeks ago)...but def not the color I wanted my kitchen ceiling...finally finished mopping everything up, even the ceiling and dog, got a clean shirt out of the laundry room, and just stood there for a few seconds shaking my head and wondering just what happened, and why haven't I even had coffee yet, Jim walks in...you ok?? Yup...I put your soda away..Nice hair he says as he walks away...he doesn't ask too many questions anymore... TIPS OF THE DAY! Never EVER run your hands through your hair when you just got hit with soda...and NEVER toss the squirting soda into the sink without checking to make sure it's going into the sink and not onto the ceiling...I love my life...really...I do...

TIP OF THE DAY.

..The day started out typical...it's Jim's early day so we were up an hour earlier then usual... he took a shower last night so he wouldn't have to get up early to take one...I got up first, turned on the radio, started the coffee, and went about starting the day...Jim got up a few minutes later ...told him I was gonna take a shower..went in the bathroom, got clean clothes out etc, then I went to turn the water on...sigh...when you take the shower head off it's hook, and then hang it back up always ALWAYS make sure it's not facing the shower door...I let out a yelp...Jim comes in and looks at me...you alright?...I glared at him...he said 'ya know..you really ought to take your clothes off before you get in the shower...you're all wet.....I admire my self control.....

Sweep and Mop...That's all I wanted to do!

SWEEP AND MOP...THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO DO.... Ahhh...sweep and mop the floor day...can't find the cleaning fairy so decided to tackle that bad boy by myself...started sweeping, had the radio on, dancing with the broom and my crutches of course singing at the top of my lungs and enjoying myself as much as you can while sweeping...started to sweep under the island...huh..why won't that scrap of paper move? So of course like when you vacuum I continue to attempt to sweep it rather then bend down and just pick the darn thing up...sweep sweep sweep...ok fine...I'll pick it up...as I bent down...WHAMMO! Hit my head on the island...ok this piece of paper is now the bane of my existence ...as I just klunked my head on the island bending down to get it...ice the bump, and go back to that stupid little scrap of paper...bent down again..this time carefully so as to NOT knock myself out...sigh...the bottom shelf on the island is slatted...it was a tiny little ray of sun making a sunbeam coming from the kitchen window...NOT a scrap of paper...will be making an appointment to see the eye doctor very soon! I just wanted to sweep and mop....that's all...

Conversations with Jim...

Me. Jim, I think our new neighbor, Sam, thinks I'm crazy. Jim...what makes you say that? Me. Well...he couldn't stop laughing when he saw me dancing around trying to get the lizard off my leg. Jim...well..look at the bright side Me. Bright side? Jim...yeah, in 3 months He'll KNOW you're crazy!

Chin Hair Fairy Strikes Again!

Look chin hair fairy...I specifically told you last night to leave me alone...you know I have an appt this morning and just don't have time for your nonsense....but you just had to go there didn't you ya little chicken wing!! Didja have to plant it so deep that it went from my chin to my brain? No wonder I kept scratching my head last night...it was tickling my brain! Sigh....and you just knew tweezers wouldn't work! You're just darned lucky I have wire cutters!! I really don't like you very much right now!!

Contemplating Dinner

Eating dinner last night, I noticed one dog eating Rosemary chicken with fresh spring vegetables. The other had Porterhouse steak with fresh peas & carrots ...I looked down at my plate at the pot pie sitting there...something is really wrong with this picture..

There's a Frog in My House!

Boring can be a good thing...sometimes I welcome boring...last night the boy woke up at 1:30 am to go out..nothing unusual about that...went to take him out...opened the front door...something moved, jumped, leaped, whatever it was, it moved...looked to see what it was, even opened the screen door for whatever it was to go back out...didn't think much about it til the boy was done doing his business and we came back into the house...to see a frog in the kitchen...sigh...ok..put the boy down grab first thing I see, the dog dish and attempt to cover the frog...of course he was having none of that!! And he hopped off towards the fridge...I explained to him that he had a choice..let me take him outside now or let me pick up froggy bits in the morning...in between all this I saw I had left the front door open so without thinking I quickly went and shut and locked the door...back to the frog who was now by the fridge...I look to the right and see I have an audience of Delilah, dancing around and barking, which of course causes the boy to bark, and kitties watching all of this with quite a bit of interest, a few licking their lips in anticipation of a snack later, ....I don't THINK so! Ok so where is the frog...saw movement again...still headed for the fridge...after thought...turn the light on....sheesh...somehow he went into the grate, then up underneath the door, and ended up IN the fridge...great...frogs legs for dinner tomorrow! No no..clear your head, Lincoln, just get the frog and put him outside...furball covered frogs are just not that appealing first thing in the morning...so I managed to clap the bowl over the frog...ok now what...catalog...grab a catalog! Slide it careful, careful....GOT IT!! Ok, now I have to somehow juggle with crutches, walk over to the door with a frog in a bowl, with a flimsy catalog holding him in there...DRAT!! I shut and locked the door!! What was I thinking?? Ok fine....JIM...JIM JIIIIMMMMMM!! GET UP!! Huh, what??? Just get up and open the door! Oh...what did you catch now?? (He knows me so well) what? oh......a frog...who cares just open the door for Pete's sakes....door open frog let loose on the porch...turned around to a few disappointed kitties, but I don't care. All I know is I don't have to clean up bits and pieces of frog in the morning...Here...have some tuna..Boring...I like boring... could I have a dose of boring today please?

Chin Hair Fairy hooks up...

Ok chin hair fairy...you went and hooked up with the gray hair fairy didn't you? You couldn't just plant your little chin hairs and leave, and by the way thank you SO much for planting that HUGE hair on the side of my chin and making sure it was gray...I was NOT amused! I've been getting a lot of compliments on my hair and you just couldn't stand it could you?? Five days before Christmas you tell the gray hair fairy to get to work on me! I got up this morning, went in to take a shower, looked in the mirror and of course let out a yelp when I saw all the gray roots! IT'S FIVE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS! I'm going to be in pictures! When am I supposed to take care of this? You KNOW how busy this time of year is....so I guess this year...gray hair fairy and chin hair fairy win... Merry Gray-mas to me.....

Chin Hair Fairy

Ahhh...chin hair fairy...so we meet again...I'll get you my pretty ugly...and you're little hair planter too!

A trip to the beach, and more of course!

I love the beach...sometimes I just gotta go and get my water fix...Sue called one day and said...we need water...yes we do, and her son, Rich wanted to introduce his soon to be fiancee' Vickie to us...so we planned to go that weekend...and off we went...beautiful day, got our water fix, and now...time for lunch at our fave Irish pub...Fione MCool's. Love their scottish eggs and their desserts...we went in, ordered our lunch, ate quite a bit, (hush Sue), and were just enjoying our time together although I was not happy that Rich insisted I couldn't have dessert cos I didn't eat enough lunch, kept shooing the waitress away when I tried to order...all in good fun of course.......anyhow.....I had to excuse myself to go to the bathroom...now at McCool's the bathrooms are on the second floor, and given that I use crutches to walk, I had to flag down a waitress to use the elevator, which I think was built in 1862... It has a gate in front that you slide over then open a door then you go in...now this is not your typical elevator...it's looks like half a box and shimmy's and shakes all over the place, but somebody painted pictures on the wall all the way up, so I was looking at them, and of course thinking of a way to finagle a dessert out of Rich....the waitress below is controlling my fate with a key..she kept yelling up...ARE YOU THERE YET?? No I hollered back...almost tho! KLUNK! Hmmm...well...now that doesn't sound good...she peeks up through the door, and looking down through the crack I can see she was a bit frantic, which of course does not instill too much faith in what's going on..she says..ARE YOU OKAY?? Uhh...yeah, but I'm not at the door...just my head, She yells again...DON'T GO ANYWHERE, I'LL BE RIGHT THERE! I shake my head...did she just tell me not to go anywhere??? Alrighty then.I'll stay put if she insists...I hear foot steps running up the stairs, and the door and gate are frantically being tugged on...see...unless the elevator reaches the door, the door won't open. I guess heads don't count as I stood there shaking mine...I finally holler out after the rattling stops,..IS THERE AN EMERGENCY KEY OR SOMETHING TO GET THE DOOR OPEN...silence...HELLO??...silence...and then I hear from below as I look down...YOU OKAY?? Yeah, I'm fine...but boy do I have to go to the bathroom, so I start doing the "I gotta pee" dance while waiting for something...anything to happen! I hear voices outside the door my head is out and finally the gate and door are opened...then one of them says...WAIT RIGHT THERE... again i shake my head...where am I gonna go?? So again, I'm left alone, but at least the door is opened and some fresh air was let in...as I'm standing there I hear...SQUEEK... I look up...there's Jim coming out of the men's room which of course is right across from the elevator...He looks at my head and says...whatcha doin?? He's a man of few words...Just hangin around I replied...fortunately before he said anything else the owner and 2 waiters came up...I lifted my hands and they pulled me straight up..RESCUED! I'M FREE I'M FREE!! They apologized profusely over and over again, and I told them no problem, but excuse me for a sec, went to relieve myself and came out...the owner spoke up...is there anything I can get you??? YUP! Can I have a dessert to go please?? He said of course! On the house! Imagine what I would do for a Klondike bar!

I hate bugs...Especially when they outsmart me.

-No matter how much you want to...you just can't step on a bug when he's swimming in the dog's water dish...even if you take some of the water out and use your husband's shoe..mostly...you just get wet...

I am calling my blog Surviving Myself Gracefully. For those of you who know me, we know that grace is not quite my forte'. Dignity flew out the door probably about the time I was born and tried to come out in the elevator. It seems, a few days ago, I just graduated high school, and had my whole life to plan out. Well,ok in my head it sometimes seems that way, but looking in the mirror and jumping cos some old lady is looking back, I think, whoa! That's really me! So yes, I'm getting older...but then I think...am I getting better? Sometimes most definitely I am..other times...not so much! I would love to know who's idea it was to give us a weak bladder as we age, then toss in some arthritis so 'running' to the bathroom is not quite as easy as it used to be!Sigh...and so it begins.. This blog will have some of the life experiences I've had, some tips on mostly what NOT to do and my view of the world as I see it. Like underwear...a friend of mine, (Thanks Sue), bought me some underwear....this is not something I would usually share with everyone but on the package I was surprised by the claim they made...WEDGIE PROOF! Really?? So if someone tries to give me a wedgie do they get a little shock? ( Oh please I hope not!), Does a little mini mouse trap go off? Or perhaps a little ghost comes out yelling BOO scaring them away from attempting to wedgify someone! Wedgie proof...interesting to say the least...