Wordless Wednesday

Check out these modest sunbathers! LOL

Tribute Tuesday

My blogger friend Wayne created "Tribute Tuesday" where we take time in our lives to honor those friends and family who are near and dear to us. This week, I chose Diana who is my close friend of mine from work. I have known her for over 14 years and think of her as my "Second Mother." She has 4 daughters of her own and does in fact call me "Daughter #5." Our inside joke, is that she had a wild time in Vegas and hooked up with an Elvis Presley impersonator who is my "real" father and because she couldn't afford another mouth to feed she gave me up for adoption at birth! Now where is Brad and Angelina when I needed them...LOL!

I truly feel blessed to have Diana in my life. As I am writing this, I find it strange for me to call her "Diana" because everybody at work calls her "Rara" which is the name that her grandchildren lovingly call her. Even the kids at school call her "Rara" but my special name for her is "RaMa!"

"Rara" is the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her back if she knew that you needed it. She is always there for me when I need her and taught me that you should always "Bloom where you are planted." What I took from that is that even if we aren't where we want to be in life, don't look back with regret and be content with what God has given you. When you show contentment and reach out to others, God will indeed bless you. My beautiful "RaMa" you have done that for me and much more! Please know that I am always here for you and that there isn't ANYTHING that I wouldn't do for you! I love you so very, very much!

This is a picture of me and "Rara" at our staff Christmas party. She dragged me kicking and screaming because I didn't want to go! She begged me and said that I could be her "date" because we were both "dateless." That is a doll that I am holding...I said that he was our "date" because I was afraid that once she saw me in that dorky hat, she would in fact stand me up! LOL!

Not Me Monday!

Well here we are again at the start of a brand new week and you know what that means...It is time for another fun round of "Not Me Monday" where I tell you about ALL of the things that I did NOT do. Yeah, right!

I did NOT make a quick Wal-Mart run yesterday without realizing that I hadn't combed my hair ALL day. You can imagine my surprise (or NOT) when I looked in the mirror and saw that I looked like a rooster! By the way if you happen to have seen me when I was out and about, please note that THAT WAS NOT ME!

I'm also NOT going to tell you that when I went to the Wal-Mart I had to buy these cool looking Pop Tarts.

Seriously, how cool are they? What will they think of next? Do you think that they are sending out a subliminal message by putting Barbie's picture on a Pop Tart? I'm just sayin' people..."Oh No,That Was Not Me Thinking THAT!"

Speaking of Barbie, I am going to go off on a tangent here because while my little girlfriends growing up were playing with their Barbies and dreaming of being one day just like her, I ripped off my Barbie's head from her body and stuck her on the end of my pencil just for the fun of it! What a nice little girl I was huh? Oh...I forgot, that was "Not Me!"

I am so glad that I did NOT go to the dentist and have to get shot up with novocaine twice because the first shot wouldn't take. That just wouldn't happen to sweet lil' old me now would it? "No, Not Me!" I also wont tell you that I ended up being so numbed up that I didn't realize that I was biting the dental assistant until she yelled at me to stop! I actually could feel bad about that but it served them right for hurting me in the first place! Do you think that feeling two novocaine shots and a drill digging so far down into your gums that you feel it all the way down to your toenails is something that I particularly look forward to? "No, Not Me!"

Do I tell you that when I went to the dentist, I took a magazine from the waiting room and didn't put it back? No, I WON'T tell you that but if I did, let me first say that by the time I pay my dental bill, they will have enough of my money to not only redecorate their waiting room but they'll also be able buy a whole new slew of magazines as well! I soooooooooo wish that wasn't me but as I sit here looking at my brand new "People" magazine, I think of it as a parting gift! (Okay, ya'll before you start branding me as a thief, haven't you done something like that?) Actually...it wasn't me that did that...Oh NO, NO, NO...it was my "alter ego." Yeah that's it!

Finally, I most certainly won't tell you that on my way home from work, a beautiful flock of birds went flying over my car and decided to relieve themselves ALL over the hood! At least my sun roof wasn't open! Needless to say, I didn't make it home right away...thank goodness for drive thru car washes! Do you think this is a sign of my week to come? "NO, NOT FOR ME!" It will be a good week! It will be indeed! So there you have it in a nutshell my friends...I pray that you have a better start of the week than I did!

The Babies Knew It All Along...Great!

So did they know something that we didn't? Your guess is as good as mine!


Ah! How sweet it is to share some laughs...


Isn't it nice to have a shoulder to lie on?...

And then sometimes we need just to be reassured with a nice warm hug! And then there are those times...

When we really don't have ANY words to say...LOL "May God Bless America!"

"Let Sleeping Dogs Lie..."

Sorry that I haven't posted these last few days...it seems that I have been "Lazy as a Dog!" but after my little time of rest, I will be back better than ever!

Favorite Things Friday!

What are a few of My Favorite Things you say? Well let me tell ya!

1. My Family - That of course is a given but they are ALWAYS there for me and love me faults and all...I'm also very proud of the heritage that they have given me.

My dad is Swedish and my mom is Puerto Rican...I lovingly refer to myself as "Sweder-Rican!"

2. Red Velvet Cupcakes...my VERY favorite indulgence! (I've NEVER met a cupcake that I didn't like!)

3. The story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle...it reminds of 2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, new things have come." When I grow up I wanna be a beautiful butterfly!

4. Dandelions because "a weed is a flower that just doesn't know it."

5. Mrs. Beasley - I had a Mrs. Beasley doll when I was young and she is a favorite memory of my childhood. Mrs. Beasley, I think that you still rock! It looks to me like she has had some "plastic surgery!" LOL

6. AND it wouldn't be a "My Favorite Things Friday," if I didn't mention The Sound of Music...Yes, it is one of my very favorite movies...A classic!

Wordless Wednesday...Sort of!

Why do we try so hard to fit in with the "In Crowd?" Be an original...be YOU! Now I am off to go find my "Rabbit Ears!"

I know that this post says "Wordless Wednesday" but I can't help it, I have the "gift of gab" or is it the "gift to blog?" That's more like it!

Tribute Tuesday

My blogger friend Wayne created "Tribute Tuesday" as a way to honor our friends and loved ones who are near and dear to us. The person that I wish to have the very first honor on my blog is my beloved Nana. Her name was Delight and she held true to her name. She always had a twinkle in her eye and quite an ornery streak as well! She loved to sing, dance and play the piano and when she entered a room everybody lit up because they knew that when "Dee Dee" as she was affectionately known as, came around we were all going to be in for a jolly good time!

One of my favorite memories of Nana when I was young, was when she would go out to play bingo with the nuns. Now mind you, we weren't catholic but she said that it didn't matter because she loved God just like they did and not only that, they had great wine as well. Honestly, I think that the wine was supposed to be for communion purposes ONLY but I NEVER did bother to ask. I could go on and on and I know that I will post more stories about her in the future but I also wanted to mention that Nana was a great woman of faith. She had her struggles and endured some very tough times but through it all if she taught me anything of value, it was to learn to forgive myself and others, embrace life and find laughter in everything! Oh yeah, AND don't forget the most important thing..."a little sip of wine will make you feel mighty fine!" I love you Nana so very much and you will always be in my heart forever and always!

I LOVE this picture because I think that it captured her great sense of humor which was a BIG part of who she was. When she took this picture she was trying to be "Oh so hip!"

"Blue Monday"

They say that "Blue Monday" is supposed to be the most depressing day of they year. Why? I really don't know...maybe it is because of all of those unpaid Christmas bills, broken New's Years Resolutions or because many people start coming down with the post holiday blues. Well it's time to do something about that! I have decided to shake off my own "blue" feeling by showing off some lovely blue things that are inspired by Designer Rachel Ashwell who is know for her beautiful Shabby Chic designs. I love the Shabby Chic look! Some people call it "secondhand stylishness" or "loveable eyesore." Well I happen to think that it is quite beautiful and elegant!

Isn't it pretty! Now I am ready to go out and "paint the town shades of baby blue cause red is so passe!"

Not Me Monday!

My, my, my time sure does fly! It seems like I was just doing this a week ago...oh yeah I was. Well it is another round of "Not Me Monday" where I can be "real" and admit the things that I supposedly did NOT do this week!

I did NOT cheat and look up who the Golden Globe winners were on the web because I didn't want to waste my time watching if none of my favorites were going to win! Why would I do that? Honestly, it's NOT like I'm an impatient person..."No. Not Me!"

I did NOT tell a white lie to one of my friends and tell her that I was not able to go with her to see another friend because I had plans to go out and celebrate my father's birthday. Yes, I really did celebrate my dad's birthday BUT that was during the day, and she was planning to go out that evening...when the Golden Globes were on. Well it's a good thing that she doesn't read blogs because she will never, ever know that I did NOT do that. Whew!

I will NOT admit that I am a huge Law and Order fan and am watching a marathon as we speak...really why would I do that when I really need to get ready for school this week?

I did NOT go and wait 15 minutes in line at Petco to buy 20 live crickets to feed to my classroom's pet toad because if I didn't I would have 21 unhappy children who would think that I wanted to starve their beloved "Splatman" on purpose! The things that one will do for kids...They can't say that I do NOT love them cause I do...very much so!

I did NOT forget my dad's birthday last Friday! How could I possibly do that! He is very proud of the fact that he was born on the same day as Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon. You know Dad, I wouldn't boast too much about Nixon, after all he was impeached!

I did NOT watch the Golden Globes and upon seeing Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt try and figure out a way that they could legally adopt me into their family. Really that would be just plain silly but if they wanted to I'm more than willing. I know that Dad would let me go especially now since I forgot all about his birthday!

So there you have it folks...all the things that I would NEVER do because I am just so darn busy...NOT! Have a GREAT Monday...I plan to!

Today on Oprah...

What REALLY happened when Tom met Oprah!

Our Loving Father...

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason that the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1

No Me Monday!

Well it is that time of the week where we can be "real" with on another and admit the things that we have done...or maybe not done..."wink! wink"

First of all, I did not post my weekly "Not Me Monday" blog on a Sunday because I saw that other people from MckMama's blog had done so. I'm not one that wants to be a part of the fun and follow the crowd. No, that's not me!

I did NOT wear bed clothes ALL day long today. Now, I know that Sunday is supposed to be our day of rest but I wouldn't do that literally...really now!

I did NOT contemplate calling in sick tomorrow at work after being off for two weeks. Why would I do that? I had two weeks to be productive and get all that I wanted accomplished done right? Right? RIGHT?

I did not get on ebay and make bids on things that I really didn't need...I mean really it is just after Christmas and I don't need one more thing! Right? Well maybe just one more thing...SHHH! Don't tell okay?

I did NOT break several of my New Year's Resolutions. After all, I even posted them as a reminder so that I wouldn't forget! No I would not do that...never, never, NEVER!

I did NOT forget to put willpower and self control on my New Year's Resolution list. Really now, why would I do that? I have plenty of self control since I NEVER use it...uh oh, I think that it is time to go back to the list.

I did NOT go look at my school calendar and try to figure out when my next day off is...that would be tacky of me. I just had two weeks off why would I want more time off...to play maybe? "No. Not Me!"

Well friends there it is all the things that I didn't do! So tell me now what didn't you do this week? Do tell! Happy Monday Y'all!

"Happy New Year!"

Welcome to the year 2009! Out with the old and in with the new right? A time for NEW beginnings so you now what that means right? It is now time to put that pen to the paper or in this case, keyboard to the blog and make those resolutions that we have been holding off to make! Hopefully for me, writing down everything down will help me to actually stick with it! Who knows maybe I will last more than a week this time! So here it goes!

1. Have the willpower to follow through on THIS list!

2. Make exercise a priority.

3. Keep the 5 pounds that I lost when I had the flu off and possibly lose a few more...thus the exercise!

4. Read more books.

5. Read the Bible EVERY day and find a Bible study class that I will enjoy and actually finish.

6. Make one new friend.

7. Learn to cook something other than microwave dinners and macaroni and cheese.

8. Learn to use my camera and take professional looking pictures...for me professional means not blurry and no red demonic looking eyes! LOL

9. Get back into scrapbooking.

10. Save money!

Well there it is! Simple (I hope), short and sweet! My list for the New Year and EVEN if I skip a day or start falling behind, I will strive to "pick myself up, dust myself off and start ALL over again!" So "Happy New Year" everybody! Wishing all of you unconditional love, acceptance and inner peace knowing that God gives us an extraordinary meaning to the lives that we live. May God bless your richly and abundantly!