A Sign from God

Yesterday while eating lunch with my Mom, she asked why I hadn't made that chocolate cake I use to make all the time.  She was hoping I would make it again soon.


Then this morning I was reading a comment about my last post  from Daddy P and he had pointed out his word verification was a derivative of "gateau" (a cake) and that it was a sign (about exercising). 


After noting that, I went to check my email and received a note from a friend who wanted me to read this:

  http://www.sogoodblog.com/2012/01/18/quick-bite-mcdonalds-oreo-cookies-n-cream-pie/


So I decided God must want me to make a chocolate cake!  I pulled out my recipe for the cake my mom requested.  It's called a Black Devil's Food Cake. 

Hummm....something to ponder.

Exercise dilemma

Trying to catch up on my reading, I came across an article that talked about what you can do to burn off 1,000 calories worth of chocolate (put me within a 10 miles radius of plain M&M's and it can happen). 

You can:

Go bowling for 5 hours - That's fine but what about all the cheese nachos and beer I consume?

Walk for 3 hours - Send me to a shopping mall. I wonder what they have in the food court?

Wash dishes for 7 hours - Not a problem as long as my dishwasher holds out.  7 hours straight might wear it out.

Climb stairs for 2 - Nope.  Heard a nasty story once about walking up stairs so I couldn't do it.  It had to do with boogers on the hand rail. 

Do aerobics for 2 -  I get winded just reaching for the remote. I wonder if I can watch a video for two hours?  

I will be glad when January is over and they stop talking about all the New Year's delusions resolutions tips and start telling us which chocolate is best for Valentine's Day! 

One man's trash is another man's treasure

My parents grew up in a small East Texas town where the people there never threw anything away. They felt there would always be a use for it. It’s a habit my folks took with them in life, most particularly my Dad.

I remember on heavy trash days where we lived, my Dad would drive the streets in his VW van looking for "treasures". He came back with broken fences, chairs, tools, whatever caught his eye.




"It's still good" he said as he piled it up on the back patio. Of course it was horrifying for me; my Dad the garbage collector. If my friends ever found out that the dirty man in the VW van was my Dad, my social life would be ruined!

As all us kids grew up and moved off, he still collected trash but now he had an army of friends who would call to tell him about a "great find" down the road. He had "eyes" all over the city looking for him. How lovely.

Years ago when I bought my house my Dad would come over and help me get settled. One of the things I lacked was furniture so Dad always kept his eye open for me. YIKES! There were some stinkers, literally.

One day he called to say he had found a dresser for me. He had been driving through my neighborhood on heavy trash day (yay me) in his still working hippy van and found a find!

"Come see this. You need to get it. I can fix it up for you" he said

I cringed. "Fix it up" translated into "pile of crap". The dresser was old, dirty and in pieces. None of the drawers had bottoms. None.

"It's in the garbage for a reason Dad. Just leave it"

"But I can put new bottoms in it and give it a fresh coat of varnish. It will look like new" he replied.

I thought he was going to cry. It was embarrassing enough to be seen talking to a grungy old man next to a beat up VW van digging through garbage, but for him to cry! I sighed, and then helped him load it into his van. I surmised I would just donate it somewhere once he was done with it. IF he got done with it.

After about a month, my Dad drove up in his van and brought the dresser over to the house. This is what I received.

What once was a pile of garbage that lined the curb somewhere in my neighborhood is now my most valued treasure; a gift from my Dad. Today, every time that I look at this dresser I am reminded of him, his VW camper van and all that junk he collected and his passion for creating something out of trash. I wish now I could see him driving today in his van picking through someone’s trash.

Predictions from 1911.....

Below is an article printed in the 1900's in the Ladies Home Journal that provided predictions of what will happen in the next 100 years.  You can't see it here but click the link for a better view. http://i.imgur.com/bwUWM.jpg

Topics to note:

Americans will be taller:  because we will live in the "burbs" and transportation into the city will cost only a penny!

No Mosquitoes or flies:  they also included roaches in this.  Alas this is never to be.

There will be no C, X or Q in the alphabet: Maybe if they had eliminated the mosquitoes perhaps this would have happened.

How children will be taught:  Etiquette and housekeeping would be included in their studies.  Imagine not being able to watch "Hoarders" today! I guess this was scrapped because they were planning on eliminating "Q".

Me First

I work out. 

Sometimes.

Usually its after I eat a box of Oreo Chocolate Double Stuff cookies. YUM YUM!

So when I need inspiration to "move it" I listen to these guys....






I don't know why.  I guess the answer is blowin' in the wind.

Are you a Weirdo?

You Are 24% Weirdo

You're a little weird, but you'd be even weirder if you didn't have a few quirks. You are just strange enough to know it, but nobody else seems to notice your weirdness. That's because, deep down, everyone is a little freaky!

Are You A Weirdo?

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

Desire #2

Learn to appreciate possibilities. 

I may not always get what I thought I desired, but instead of seeing that as a negative I will start to look at the situation for the possibilities it may bring. 

Perhaps there is something wonderful, good and just what my heart always desired buried in there somewhere if only I'd give it a chance.

Theodore Tumbles: the gimpy foster kitteth

This is Theodore Tumbles, my new foster baby.  Not really new, I have had him for about two weeks now.  He is approximately 6 months old and has a broken leg.  He will be staying with me until:

a) his leg heals and he can go up for adoption or

b) its determined his leg may not heal and will need to be amputated which will require a longer stay with me until he fully recovers. So sad.


Anyway, I have been working on his biography for when he is released for adoption.  I have decided he will be known as

Theodore Tumbles. 

Acrobat Extraordinaire!

Aren't jelly beans a veggie?

As you may remember, I'm not that into New Year's Resolutions.  You would think my friends remembered that but alas, they don't. This is a conversation I had the other day with a friend.


Friend:  "What's your New Year's Resolutions?"


Me:  "Not to have any."


Friend:  "What!? Why!? Everyone needs to have a goal. A plan.  You should have one."


Me:  "I don't want one."


Friend:  "You really should have one.  Don't you want to improve your life?"


Me:  "Who doesn't?"

Friend: "I have some.  To exercise more, to lose weight and to eat healthier."


Me: "Then can I have your french fries?"


Friend:  "I'm serious." 

Me:  "So am I."

Friend:  "Starting next week I am going to change my whole routine. You should at least exercise."


Me: "I already do, thanks for noticing."

Friend:  "Maybe you should eat veggies.  That could be your resolution. To eat vegetables. Not more veggies, because you don't eat any, but to include them in your diet."


Me:  "I already eat veggies."


Friend:  "No you don't.  What veggies do you eat?"


Me:  "Candy Corn and Jelly Beans."


Friend:  (Rolls eyes). "Maybe I should add make new friends to my resolutions."



 

Desire #1

To be kinder to myself.  Honestly, if I had a friend that spoke to me the way I speak to myself , I know I wouldn't be friends with them for long.  If I won't tolerate that behavior from others why do I tolerate it from myself?  If I can't be kind, compassionate and respectful of my Self then why should anyone else?

Wish upon a star

Finally! The holidays are over and now we have moved on to the New Year and all the resolutions people are making. Yippee!

I don't make resolutions.  I think they're stupid and a waste of time.  But I am an underachiever so what do you expect from me? 

Well this year I have decided to try to put some order into my life and I will be making a list of "desires". Not "goals".  Not "wants".  "Desires".

Interesting note.  Do you know the origin of the words "goal" and "want"?

Goal - 1275–1325; Middle English gol boundary, limit; compare Old English gǣlan to hinder, impede

Want - 1150–1200; Middle English wante < Old Norse vanta to lack

No wonder people have a hard time achieving what they are looking for.  The words are all wrong. 

Example:

"A goal for 2012 is that I want to make more money."

Translation:

"I want to be impeded as I lack more money."


Interesting what words really mean isn't it.  You know what "desire" originally meant?

Desire - early 13c., from O.Fr. desirer, from L. desiderare "long for, wish for," original sense perhaps "await what the stars will bring," from the phrase de sidere "from the stars," from sidus (gen. sideris) "heavenly body, star, constellation" (but see consider). Noun sense of

Here's wishing that you receive all your hearts desires for the coming years.