WHICH DONUT ARE YOU?? (Different Donuts represent different personalities)

Here's some fun for the day......

TRIVIA:  (Answer below)

What city was talk show host Jerry Springer Mayor of from 1977-1978?

JOKE:

Q:  What do you need if you see a kangaroo 20 miles away?
A:  I don’t know, but you sure don’t need glasses.

QUOTE: 
I love to be near Washington - if only to be near my money.

(Bob Hope)

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

When everything else changes, God's presence never does.

Here’s an extra tidbit:

USA TODAY’S PICK FOR TOP 12 DONUT SHOPS:

Dough, Brooklyn

Dat Donuts, Chicago

Doughnut Plant, New York

Bouchon Bakery, Yountville, California

Sublime Doughnuts, Atlanta

Mighty-O-Donut, Seattle

Cafe du Monde, New Orleans ( been to this one)

The Doughnut Vault, Chicago

Voodoo Doughnut, Portland

Randy’s Donuts, Los Angelos

Dinkel’s Bakery, Chicago

(I’ve only been to one of these, but if you’re ever in Houston, TX, you must try Shipley’s Do-Nut shop.   Amazing!)

RANDOM OBSERVATION:

I love donuts and was grabbing a Vanilla Kreme at Dunkin’ Donuts the other day & took a look at the variety.   So many to choose from.  I started thinking about how the different types of donuts could be similar to the different types of personalities & people  in the world.  (there’s different history/info on the spelling of Doughnut vs Donut.  I’m going with ‘donut’)

Here’s the different types of donuts with first the description of the donut & then the personalities they could be if they were people.

Yeast:  Light & airy  (carefree.  Maybe even like to get a ‘rise’ out of people)

Cake Donut:   crustier, denser   (stuck in their ways.  Not as bright)

Old Fashioned:   Irregular shape, jagged edges, plain sweet base  (doesn’t fit the norm, a little rough around the edges, but generally good person) 

Glazed:  sweet, sugar glaze  ( basic happy-go-lucky)

Cruller:  twisted, fried, oblong   ( a bit strange)

Twist:  twisted around itself  (strange & self-involved)

Jelly filled or cream filled:  Sugary surprise on the inside.  (may seem crusty on the outside but sweet & surprising on the inside.  Take a chance & get to know them)

Apple Fritter:  (a bit bumpy & chunky.  Maybe more of a body type than personality)  

Donut holes:   (The missing center.  Autonomous.  Completes the picture for others)

Mini:  (Smaller version of original.  Likes to copy)  

Beignets:  Deep friend & covered with powdered sugar.  (Just a good ole, down home person.  Sweet)

OK, I'm getting hungry.  Which donut are you??

TRIVIA  ANSWER:
Cincinnati, Ohio

Until next time.......

GIFT BAGS VS. WRAPPING PAPER

Here's some fun for the day.......

TRIVIA: (Answer below)

On the TV show “Friends”, what are Rachel’s 2 sisters' names?

JOKE: 
Q:  What is a boxer’s favorite drink?
A:  Punch

QUOTE:
“I don’t exercise.  If God wanted me to bend over, He would have put diamonds on the floor.”
(Joan Rivers)

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:
When you set a goal, don’t focus on the problems, focus on the promises.  Find a promise in God’s word that will take you to your goal.

RANDOM OBSERVATION:
I’m missing the wrapping paper of the ole’ days.   The crinkly kind that made lots of noise when you opened your presents.  It also shredded majorly when your ripped it.  It was a little stronger than tissue paper, but not much.    Off the top of my head I can think of two classic Christmas movies that have this kind of paper represented.  “A Christmas Story” &  “The Walton’s Homecoming”.  I always love the sound when I watch the kids open their present in these movies.   

As years pass, improvements are made, although I think the old time paper was great & didn’t need improving.   Innsbrook wrapping paper is all the rage now & has been for quite some time.   It’s a good quality paper, but pretty thick & doesn’t have that fun shredding deal going on when you’re unwrapping it.  In fact, sometimes you need to lift weights & get in shape before you can rip it.

The other thing that’s big nowadays are gift bags.   They’re easy to use and look nice, but here’s the problem.   I’m totally incapable of throwing them away.  Can’t do it.  Now I have gift bags running out my ears.   I could wallpaper a room in gift bags.   Throwing away wrapping paper is no big whoop, but I feel wasteful throwing away a perfectly good gift bag.   So now I have more Christmas, birthday & shower gift bags than I’ll ever be able to use in a life time.  No telling how many gift bags I’ve re-gifted.  I think there should be a place on the bottom of the gift bag to track it’s trail.   You write your name & who the gift is too & the date & pass it on.  Then they pass it on & so on & so on.... (tribute to an old Fabrege shampoo commercial there)  Just imagine 20 years down the road seeing the travels each gift bag has taken.

I recently found vintage wrapping paper on ebay that is the ‘good stuff’.   I’ll be wrapping some Christmas presents in it this year & I look forward to hearing that awesome, crinkly sound.  So when it comes to gift bags vs wrapping paper....I’m a wrapping paper girl.   But odds are, if you receive a gift from me.....it’ll be in a gift bag.....because I’m drowning in them.  Help!!!  

TRIVIA ANSWER
Amy & Jill

Until next time.......

WHICH WAY DO YOU PUT ON YOUR SOCKS & SHOES?

Here's some fun for the day......

TRIVIA: (Answer below)

Who played Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars movies?

***on my last blog I forgot to answer the trivia question.  I eventually went back &       updated.  Here’s the trivia & answer if you didn’t see it.   

Q:  Where are the crown jewels kept in London?

A:   The Tower of London

JOKE:

Frank:  I left my job because of illness & fatigue.

Joe:  Oh really?
Frank:  Yeah, my boss got sick & tired of me.

FUNNY ONE LINER:

On the 90th day of Christmas, my true love said to me: “You take Christmas way too seriously”

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

God can handle any situation you give Him.  No problem is too tough & nothing is beyond His ability.  Talk to God first when problems come.

RANDOM OBSERVATION:

Growing up in the 1970’s, we used to watch a lot of “All in The Family”.   It was one of the #1 shows back in the day.   There are lots of classic episodes, but there was one debate on the show that stuck with me.   Not one of the political ones between Archie Bunker & Michael Stivic as you might imagine.  Nope, it was the one where they had the debate on how to put on socks & shoes.   According to Archie, you put on a sock and a sock, then a shoe & a shoe.   According to Mike, you put on a sock and a shoe and then a sock and a shoe.   Their debate back & forth is extremely funny & I’ve included the youtube link of it below.   According to Archie.... the whole world ( or woiryld as he pronounces it) put on a sock and a sock and a shoe & a shoe.   They both give compelling arguments for their point of view.  Archie thinks his way is best if you had to run out of the house in a hurry because your feet would be even.   Mike thinks his way is best because if it was snowing outside, you’d have a sock & shoe & could hop on one leg & your feet wouldn’t get wet.    Archie’s last line in the scene cracks me  up.

Check out the video for a good chuckle.   I’m a sock-sock-shoe-shoe person myself.   Every now & then I find myself crossing over to the other side of sock-shoe-sock-shoe.   Whenever I do that, I think of this episode and smile.   Which one are you?

Youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFuniFSP2fo

TRIVIA ANSWER:

Mark Hamill

Until next time......

DID I REALLY TRY TO DO THAT??

Here's some fun for the day......

TRIVIA: (Answer below)

Where in London are the crown jewels kept?

JOKE:

Q:  What instructions did Noah give his sons about fishing off the ark?
A:  Go easy on the bait, boys.  I only have 2 worms

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

Many God-ordained dreams die because we aren’t willing to do something that seems illogical.

QUOTE:

“Here’s something to think about.  How come you never see the headline “Psychic wins lottery”?

(Jay Leno)

RANDOM OBSERVATION:

One of the perks of being a kid is the ability to feel that you can conquer and do anything.   The cynicism of the world has yet to set in.  Children live in a world of limitless possibilities.   When asked what they want to be when they grow up, they'll often answer with ‘movie star’, ‘superhero’, ‘princess’, ‘sports star’ and the like.  It seems that as we grow older, our list definitely changes.    

When I was in kindergarten, I thought I could do anything, as the following story shows.  It was the early 1970’s, & my mom had this huge brown Cadillac.  I’m not sure how it fit in the garage quite frankly.  One day, after she picked me up from kindergarten, she pulled into the neighbor’s driveway before we went home.   She was popping in quickly to pick something up & I stayed in the car while she ran in.  While she was inside, the car started rolling down the driveway.  I was concerned for my Mom's car.  Whenever I watched TV shows as a kid, it seemed that anytime a car hit something it blew up.  I didn’t realize this wasn’t the case.   

I was very tiny & skinny when I was 5 yrs. old & this car was very big.  As the car was rolling back, I thought to myself.  “I must save Mom’s car”.  So, I got out of the car, got behind it & tried to push it up the driveway.  Never thinking for a moment it couldn’t be done.  Needless to say, the car knocked me down & ran over me.   I still vividly remember the first set of tires rolling over me and thinking ‘hey...I made it!’ & then waiting quietly for the next set to roll over me.   Not sure why I didn’t try to move, but it was the right thing to do.  Once the car was in the street, I looked up & was happy to see it hadn’t hit anything & blown up.  Then, I thought ‘wow, how cool.  I just got run over by a car!”.  I couldn’t wait to run in & tell my mom.  I was imagining my story as I was going up the sidewalk to the house.   I walked in....ready with my glorious tale.....& then mom looked at me & screamed.   I thought....‘how’d she know?”   Turns out I had a tire track across my shirt.  

So, I guess it’s not always great to think you can do anything, but most times, it’s a pretty good attitude to take.   The childlike attitudes of curiosity, playfulness, eagerness & yes.....fearlessness....seem to often get defeated with time.   What limits are we putting on ourselves as adults?   How often do we think ‘what if I fail?’, ‘this is crazy’, ‘it can’t be done’?   In the book of Matthew, Jesus talks to the disciples about changing & becoming like children.   It’s good advice for all of us.   Doesn’t mean we have to try to push a car up the driveway, but it is pretty cool to at least ‘think’ we can.

TRIVIA ANSWER: 
The Tower of London

Until next time....

JOHN WAYNE & AMERICA

TRIVIA: (Answer below)
What year did the Continental Congress authorize the Stars & Stripes as the National Flag?   What is a common nickname for the American Flag?

JOKE:
Q:  What protest by a group of dogs occurred in 1773?

A:  The Boston Flea Party.

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:
Don't talk about the problem.   Talk about the solution

QUOTE:  

“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
John Wayne

RANDOM OBSERVATION

The recent events in Boston have been beyond tragic.   Horrific events such as this & the 9/11 attacks unite us as Americans.  During the past week, I’ve thought often of a poem written by John Mitchum & performed by John Wayne.  It’s called “America.  Why I Love Her.”  It is from John Wayne’s Patriotic recording of the same name.   The recording is a collection of American poetry all read by “The Duke”.  I’ve always been a fan of John Wayne.  He was a man’s man & a heartfelt patriot with a deep love for his country.   

I’ve included the lyrics to the poem below.   During times such as these, it’s good to remind ourselves of our love for our America & these words express it much better than I ever could.  There’s also a link to a youtube video that has the audio of John Wayne performing the poem.  If you get a chance, listen to the recording included below the words.   There’s no beating that distinct voice of  “The Duke”. 

Tragedy brings our attention away from our politics & towards one thing, the people who’ve been impacted.  For a brief time, we forget about our differences and rally together to take care of our fellow man.  Let us always remember that we are the ‘one people’ of The Declaration of Independence.  We are the ‘perfect Union’ of The Constitution.  Don’t Tread On Us.....for we are......the UNITED State of America.

America - Why I Love Her

You ask me Why I Love Her?  Well, give me time and I'll explain.
Have you see a Kansas sunset or an Arizona rain?
Have you drifted on a bayou down Louisiana way?
Have you watched a cold fog drifting over San Francisco Bay?

Have you heard a bobwhite calling in the Carolina pines,
Or heard the bellow of a diesel at the Appalachia mines?
Does the call of Niagara thrill you when you hear her waters roar?
Do you look with awe and wonder at her Massachusetts shore,
Where men who braved a hard new world first stepped on Plymouth's rock?
And do you think of them when you stroll along a new York City dock?

Have you seen a snowflake drifting in the Rockies, way up high?
Have you seen the sun come blazing down from a bright Nevada sky?
Do you hail to the Columbia as she rushes to the sea,
Or bow your head at Gettysburg at our struggle to be free?

Have you seen the mighty Tetons? Have you watched an eagle soar?
Have you see the Mississippi roll along Missouri's shore?
Have you felt a chill at Michigan when on a winter's day
Her waters rage along the shore in thunderous display?
Does the word "Aloha" make you warm? Do you stare in disbelief
When you see the surf come roaring in at Waimea Reef?

From Alaska's cold to the Everglades, from the Rio Grande to Maine,
My heart cries out, my pulse runs fast at the might of her domain.
You ask me Why I Love Her? I've a million reasons why:
My Beautiful America, beneath God's wide, wide sky.

Here is the link to the audio of John Wayne reciting this poem.  

http://youtu.be/yQM1oLnMLNU

TRIVIA ANSWER:
June 14, 1777;  “Old Glory”

Until next time.....

DO WE NEED RECALCULATING?

Here's some fun for the day.......

TRIVIA:  (Answer below)
Who created James Bond?

JOKE:
Henry:  Do you love me Gladys?
Gladys:  Yes Henry.
Henry:  Would you be willing to live on my income?
Gladys:  Yes, if you’ll get another one for yourself.

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

The praise of people is fickle & short-lived.  We should be more concerned about God’s eternal acceptance than the temporary approval of others.

QUOTE:
“When I played in the sandbox, the cat kept covering me up.”
(Rodney Dangerfield)

RANDOM OBSERVATION:
Travel & getting ‘to there from here’ has definitely changed over time.   When I went on trips as a kid, we used the big Atlas map to get directions to our destination.  I also remember we would frequently stop at gas stations & ask for directions.   That was nice when they knew specifics.  Tricky when they would give directions only using local landmarks.   You know, stuff like:   “well.....you go by Mabel’s diner and turn left.  Then when you see Hank Yancy’s farm, you’ll veer right until you get to Joe’s Walter’s Hardware store”.   

As time progressed, we would go to AAA & get these flip map things where the travel person had highlighted the entire trip of how we were to go.   Every turn & interstate & off road were highlighted with a green highlighter.  I remember being fascinated by this. I think this must have been the first GPS.    

Eventually Mapquest came along & now lots of people have a GPS in their car.   If you have one, have you given yours a name?  Mine is ‘Dora’ as in Dora the Explorer.   I changed her accent to British just for kicks.  My husband changed the voice of his GPS to a man because he didn’t want a woman telling him what to do.   Haha.  We were on a trip to D.C. once with some friends & they got quite the chuckle watching him argue with the GPS lady. (It was theirs, not his, hence the lady)   I’ll give my hub credit though.  The GPS was taking us to the Iwo Jima Monument by way of Idaho (ok, slight exaggeration)  The monument was directly to our left & we just had to turn into it.   Most case scenarios though, we would frequently be lost without the GPS.  I know for sure that I would be.

I think a GPS is a good analogy in our relationship with God.  You may have heard something to that affect over time.   Life's GPS is God’s Protection System.   How many times in our daily journey do we need some ‘recalculating’?  Times when we choose the wrong road or take the wrong turn?  Times when we get distracted by the side roads that take us off the correct path.  God lays the intended direction out for us, even highlights it for us like the old AAA flipbooks, but often we think we know better & choose our own way.   When we do that, we end up lost.   Luckily for us, God is the Master of Recalculation, and if we’ll just listen to Him, He will get us back on course.

TRIVIA  ANSWER:
Ian Fleming

Until next time......

TWELVE ORDINARY MEN

I’ve been reading a book called “Twelve Ordinary Men” by John MacArthur.   Interesting read & I wanted to take a moment to talk about Jesus’ 12 disciples.   Ok, maybe we’ll talk about 11 of them & touch base on Judas in a future post on 'squandered opportunities'.  Something that I really admire & find encouraging about the disciples is that they were very ordinary men.  No grandiose jobs, no priests, no scholars, no scribes or Pharisees.   Just ordinary, regular Joes with common jobs like Fishermen & such.  Pretty cool when you think of what a small group of ordinary people were able to accomplish.  They were remarkably unremarkable people who became a force that forever changed the world.  

I looked at one study that said there were 2.8 Billion Christians in the world in 2012.   The spreading of the gospel & the founding of the church hinged entirely on these men whose most outstanding characteristic was their ordinariness.  Think of that.....just a few ordinary, determined people getting the word out about Jesus & then look at the number it’s grown to thousands of years later.  That’s pretty amazing.  It also gives us no excuses these days to sit back & take it easy when it comes to spreading the Good News or with anything for that matter.   Whether that involve issues with your family, your job or making a difference in your Community.  We don’t have to be something ‘special’ to make a difference.   All it takes is some determination & drive.  A steady focus on your goal.   Don’t let a pity party or ‘I can’t do it’ mentality steer you off course.  You can do it.   The disciples were ordinary people, just like you and me.  They had plenty of hardships, failings & doubts, and yet they achieved their goal beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.

These ordinary men didn’t have years of history on their side nor did they have the comfort & luxuries we have today.  No cars.  No internet.   They had to get the word out by walking to different cities & telling people the News.  They were consistently persecuted, but they didn’t let that stop them.    

So what’s stopping us today from achieving any of our goals?  No more excuses.   We are all ordinary people and we can do extraordinary things.  You've probably faced or will face some monumental tasks, but don't let them overwhelm you.   Remember the disciples.  If God can accomplish what he did through the lives of those ordinary men.......just imagine what He has in store for you.

Until next time......

ARE YOU A BERT OR AN ERNIE??

Here’s some fun for the day.....

TRIVIA ( Answer below)

Who wrote “Treasure Island”?

TRIVIA BONUS:  (Answer below)

The Sesame Street characters Bert & Ernie were named after 2 characters from what movie?

JOKE:
Q;  What’s the best way to keep a fish from smelling?
A:  Cut off his nose.

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

We may not understand all that we’re going through, but if we keep pressing forward, we will eventually come to a place where it makes sense

QUOTE:  

“If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving definitely isn’t for you.”
(Steven Wright)

RANDOM OBSERVATION:

Growing up, I enjoyed watching Sesame Street & The Electric Company when I got home from school.  (tidbit: Morgan Freeman was on Electric company)  I loved the Muppets on Sesame Street.  I usually wanted the people on Sesame Street to be off the screen so the Muppets could be on.  Grover was one of my favorites & so was Bert.  I always found myself relating to Bert whenever I would watch Bert & Ernie.   He would get stressed over things & be into following the rules.   Ernie was more of a carefree spirit and spontaneous.  I would find myself saying “I’m with you Bert”.   I never said that to Ernie.  Even Ernie’s body language was carefree & Bert’s was stiff & stressed.  

Later in life, I thought of how people are generally either a Bert or an Ernie.  Most of us relate to one more than the other.  I’m Bert with pretty much no Ernie qualities that I know of.   Think of people you know & if they are a Bert or an Ernie.  It’s fun to categorize television characters too.  Here's a small sampling:   The cast of “Friends”.  Chandler, Monica & Ross were Berts.  Phoebe & Joey were Ernies.  Rachel was a bit of a mix I think.  From “The Odd Couple”:  Felix - Bert; Oscar - Ernie.  Characters from Seinfeld.  George Costanza - Bert.  Kramer - Ernie.  Jerry & Elaine- possibly a blend.  (Old shows, I know)  Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory would be a Bert.   Have some fun pegging people as one or the other, then ask yourself......are you a Bert or an Ernie?

TRIVIA ANSWER:
Robert Louis Stevenson

BONUS TRIVIA ANSWER:

Bert the cop & Ernie the cab driver from “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Until next time......

FORMAL FRIDAY

Here’s some fun for the day.....

TRIVIA: (Answer below)

Who was director of the FBI from 1924 to 1972?

JOKE:

Q:  What time of day was Adam born?

A:  A little before Eve

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

Sometimes waiting is the best thing because it helps to develop the character of God in us.

QUOTES:

“I could tell my parents hated me.  My bath toys were a toaster and a radio.”
(Rodney Dangerfield)

RANDOM OBSERVATION:

I suggested in previous posts ideas for a new kind of Casual Friday.  It would involve talking casual & having casual body language.  Details for those can be found in previous posts.  As I was thinking of more new Casual Friday options, I got the idea for something else.  After a few Casual Fridays, I think we should get fancy smancy and have Formal Friday.   Imagine surprising your coworkers, classmates, friends & family with Formal Friday.   I thought about what my trip to the grocery might look like on a Formal Friday.  (I practically live at Kroger, what can I say)  

First, I’d be wearing a long gown as if I was going to the Oscars.   I’d of course get my hair & makeup done.  Jeeves, the chauffeur would arrive promptly at 10:30am.  I may be only going to Kroger to pick up cottage cheese, Metamucil & deli meats, but I must be chauffeured.  (Formal Friday is getting expensive already) Jeeves, would drop me off at the front door of Kroger.  How nice to not have to walk a few extra feet from the parking lot.  I’m allergic to exercise, so this part seems pretty good.  The deli worker notices that I’m looking & acting quite differently from last week’s Casual Friday.  On Casual Friday I slumped on the counter and said “Yo.  Wassup.  Buff Chick, thick, pound.”  (deciphered - “Hello, I would like Buffalo Chicken breast slicked thick. One pound please”)  So I assume Formal Friday would go like this:  

I would say ‘Good morning madame.  I’m delighted to look upon your selection of delectable lunch meats.  I would be incredibly appreciative if you could slice one pound of the Boar’s Head Buffalo Style Chicken so that I may create sandwiches in my homestead.  I’m extremely grateful to you.  Might I say that the counter’s cleanliness is exquisite today.”  She’ll be quiet impressed, I’m sure.   On Formal Friday I will be accompanied by a String Quartet that follows me wherever I go.   Nothing says Formal Friday quite like grabbing cottage cheese to the sounds of Boccherini’s ‘Minuet’. Kind of makes me want to put on the Marie Antoinette powder wig & dance near the eggs.  We’ll save that for 17th Century Friday.  ( or French Friday)  I think I’ll ask the quartet to play Tchaikovsky’s ‘1812 Overture’ for my jaunt towards the Metamucil.   Toodles dahlings.

TRIVIA ANSWER

J. Edgar Hoover

Until next time......... 

HOT WHEELS

Back to humor today.   If you haven’t read the previous post “Gratitude”, take a moment & give it a read.  It’s about something I do that helps me through difficult times as well as good ole’ regular days.  I hope you find it encouraging.  

And now.....here’s some fun for the day......

TRIVIA: (Answer below)

Which Harry Potter character is part giant?

JOKE:

Soldier 1:  Nobody would want my wife in the armed forces.

Soldier 2:  Why not?

Soldier 1:  Because whenever somebody yells “Charge” she’ll run to the mall.

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

You are not mass produced.  You are not average.  You are one of a kind.

QUOTE:

“I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met.”
(Steven Wright)

RANDOM OBSERVATION:

I’m having a nostalgic moment today & thinking about the toys ‘Hot Wheels’.   The cars my brother & I loved to play when we were little.   They are still around, & that’s pretty cool.  My thoughts today are on the big 1970‘s rivalry between the Mongoose & the Snake.  These were 2 Hot Wheels that seemed to get a lot of attention.  The rivalry came from the Mongoose vs Snake Double Race Track Set.   Boy, was that a gift every kid wanted back in the day.   I guess boys more than girls, but I loved Hot Wheels.   I remember when we got the Mongoose vs. Snake race track.  It was side-by-side orange tracks that had these hot pink connectors.  Each track had a loop which was the really cool part. We set the track up in our basement.  My brother Trent, my cousin Bobby & I played this all the time.  Actually, turns out that I thought I played it.  I just recently realized that I wasn’t really ‘playing’ at all & that Trent & Bobby had a pretty good system going on.  They were a few years older than me, so I thought it was really cool that they would let me play Hot Wheels with them.   If you read my Easter Egg hunt post, you realize I should have known something was up.  The double track  was pretty cool, but there was a down side.  You put the cars at the top of the track, they race down a hill, down the track, through the loops and to the finish line.  That part’s fun, right?  The down side is that you had to get up every second to go get the cars and bring them back to the beginning of the track.  That gets a little tiresome after awhile.  That’s where I came in on playing Hot Wheels with Trent & Bobby.  I was the car retriever.  I would get the cars and bring them to Trent & Bobby.  They’d race them again & I’d get the cars & bring them back.   A continuous cycle.  What a great gig they had going that naive me never caught onto.   Oh well, I still love Hot Wheels & always enjoyed the time with Trent & Bobby.  Here’s a salute to the Mongoose & the Snake and that orange-looped track.  And...an extra salute to all the little car retrievers out there in the world.   

TRIVIA ANSWER

Hagrid

Until next time.....

A MOMENT OF GRATITUDE

I love humor & that is what this blog will usually contain.  From time to time though, I will take a moment to be a little more serious.  Today I’d like to take a look at gratitude.  I believe there are so many blessings we each have that are easy to take for granted.  I'm talking about a variety of things from family, friends, health & our lifestyles.  Certain things become such a part of who we are & part of our everyday lives, that we forget how lucky we are to have them.  However, if we woke up tomorrow without one of them, our appreciation for them would definitely grow.   

A few years ago, I realized that I was heavy on prayer requests with God, but a little light on the gratitude.   I decided to make a change.  I now keep my nighttime prayers contained to statements of gratitude.  Prayer requests can take place in the morning & throughout the day, but my nighttime prayers are reserved for thanks only.   

Each evening, I thank God for at least 5 specific things from that day that I'm grateful for. It can range from being thankful to being able to drive a car that day to being thankful that I have the ability to speak, see, hear etc.   When I get started on this pattern, I’m amazed & overwhelmed at how many blessings each day contains. 

As of this writing, I’m dealing with my third cancer which happens to be stage 4.   I choose not to focus on that though, because I am truly humbled each day by my blessings.  There are so many things that I know I'm privileged to have each day that others do without.  I feel blessed & unworthy.  The list is endless and I hope to never take any of these blessings for granted.   We all have problems, some more severe than others.  I'm in no way implying that someone should always be ‘up’ during difficult circumstances, but the ‘gratitude only’ prayers at night have helped me through tough times & so I thought it may help someone else too.   It keeps things in perspective for me and reminds me daily that whatever I may be going through, there’s someone, somewhere that is dealing with worse circumstances than I am.   That may not be the best theological outlook, but it seems to help me.  It keeps me aware daily of how many blessings I have to be thankful for.  

I thought I’d list some of the ‘everyday’ things that make my gratitude list in case you decide to start this nightly routine for yourself.   It's a few things that may be easy to take for granted everyday, but the absence of them would definitely affect our lives.  The list is endless, but here is a start.

DAILY GRATITUDES:

If you are able to have a glass of water whenever you want...be thankful, for there are those who cannot. 

If you make it home from an errand, from school, from a trip, from work...be thankful, for are those who do not. 

If you were able to eat a meal today...be thankful, for there are those who were not. 

If you go to bed at night with little to minimal pain....be thankful, for there are those who do not. 

If you sleep at night in a bed, in a home...be thankful, for there are those who do not. 

If you know where your family members are and that they are safe...be thankful, for there are those who do not. 

If you are able to walk to your bed, see it, use your hands to pull back the covers...be thankful, for there are those who cannot. 

If you can read a Bible whenever you wish.....be thankful, for there are those who cannot

If you know God...be thankful, for there are those who do not.

Until next time......

MY SOCIAL APP IDEA

Here’s some fun for the day....

TRIVIA:  (ANSWER BELOW)

What is the name of Spain’s famous cold soup made mostly from tomatoes?

JOKE:

Q:  Why did the Roman chicken cross the road?

A:  Because she was afraid someone would Caesar.

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

Don't get caught up in material things.  All of our stuff is just like Monopoly money.  It all goes back in the box when the game is over.

QUOTE:

“Hors D’oeuvre:  A ham sandwich cut into 40 pieces.”
(Jack Benny)

RANDOM OBSERVATION:

I had a great idea for a new app.  I thought of it the other day when I talked about the generations & Social Media.  I’ve noticed how with each new social site that gets popular, the words people use get fewer.  For instance, Myspace & Facebook you can say as much as you want.  Twitter you’re limited on the number of words you can use.  Then you move to Instagram & basically just put up photos usually without words.  Vine consists of videos you make that lasts 6 seconds & just keep relooping.   Yep, 6 seconds.   Talk about things leading to short attention spans.  Social media keeps getting shorter & shorter in regards to the use of words.   So, when people get tired of Vine, I want to be ready with the next site that they go to.   It has to be something with minimal words.  I think I have the perfect app.  It will be called “Letter”.   You’ll just post a letter from the alphabet.  So, one day you may type “K”, then a week later “T”.   When people get tired of “Letter”, I'll invent “Lett”.  (because it has to get shorter) This will have a new font I create that has the letters of the alphabet cut in half.   Then when they leave “Lett”, I’ll create “Le”......well, you get the drift.  Eventually I’ll create the app “     “ in which people will post nothing & I’ll get millions of dollars for it.  It’s really quite cutting edge.  Or as they’ll say eventually via my social media site   “              “ . 

TRIVIA ANSWER:

Gazpacho

Until next time......

CASUAL FRIDAY: PART TWO

Here’s some fun for the day....

TRIVIA:  (Answer below)
How many lords are leaping in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song?

JOKE:

Q:  What do you give a sick bird?
A:  Tweetment.

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

Hope does not prevent us from expecting difficulties.  The difficulties are what the hopeful are prepared for.

QUOTE:

“You know you’re old if they’ve discontinued your blood type”
(Phyllis Diller)

RANDOM OBSERVATION:

A few weeks ago I talked about having a new type of Casual Friday.   Typically, a Casual Friday involves dressing more casual to work.   I previously suggested having Casual Friday become a day you talked casual.   So instead of saying to someone ‘Hello.  What are you doing.  Are you alright today?’  You would say “wassup? Ite?”.   I thought of another Casual Friday.   Casual Body Language Friday.   This could alternate with Casual Talk Friday.   So on Casual Body Language Friday, everyone would mosey along kind of slumped & lazy to wherever they are going.   When you drive, you drive with only one hand on the wheel & the other needs to all limp like it’s asleep.   Or if it’s a pretty day, it hangs out the window in a slouchy way.   Maybe on CBLF ( abbreviation) we all hang our heads out the car windows like dogs do.   This is for drivers & passengers.  Wouldn’t that be a sight driving around town.   On CBLF, you would lay your head & shoulders on the table at any restaurants or coffee shops you visited.   Only raising your head slightly to take a bite or a sip.   You must continue this look when you are at your work desk.   So be practicing now how to type on your computer with your head on your desk.   I just tried it.  It’s a little tricky, so I think you’ll have to learn to type with one hand if you’re to keep your head on the desk.  Once again, imagine the scene in your mind at restaurants & offices.  I’m liking it.  If you go to the movies on CBLF, you must sink into the seat & put both feet on the seat in front of you.   Good posture on this day is not allowed.   Last, but not least of course, if CBLF when you go to the grocery.   Your head & arms must hang into the front part of the cart & you’ll push the cart with your upper body.  I haven’t tried this yet, so I’ll give it a whirl today.  This may concern a few people at Kroger since CBLF has not reached the masses yet.   Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure that CBLF needs to be combined with Casual Talk Friday.   That way, when someone sees me pushing my shopping cart in the casual manner & they appear concerned, I can tell them to not to worry, that I’m am perfectly alright.  In other words  “ Chillax....I’m Ite”  

TRIVIA ANSWER:

Ten

Until next time..........

SOCIAL MEDIA 

Here's some fun for the day......

TRIVIA:  (Answer below)

Which state was the first to ratify the 13th amendment abolishing slavery?

JOKE:

RAY:  “I’m not going back to work until my boss takes back what he said to me.”

SUE:  “What did he say?”

RAY:  “He said, ‘You’re fired.’ ”

TRICIA’S TWEET OF THE DAY:

Don’t measure your energy level against the challenges ahead of you.   The issue is not your strength, but God’s, which is limitless.

QUOTE:

"They've finally come up with the perfect office computer.   If it makes a mistake, it blames another computer."

(Milton Berle)

RANDOM OBSERVATION:

I was pondering the changes in social media recently.  Having a 23-year old daughter and nieces and nephews in their teens & twenty’s, helps to keep me a bit in the loop of the younger generation.  I get a kick out of social media & how when the young folks starts using one, us older folks show up & take it over.   Once they see us hanging out in the same social media world as them it sends them scampering like bugs running from insect fogger.  On to the next social media phenom they go.  For example, they were on MySpace, the older generation showed up....they left that & moved to Facebook.   We showed up there....they moved to Twitter.   We’re showing up there, they’re moving to Instagram.   We're merging into Instagram, so I figure we'll soon send them, or fog them, away from that.   So this past weekend, I decided I should find the latest social media that we were chasing them to & try beat my daughter to it.  She’d be all impressed with how ‘in the know’ I was.   So....I got on “Vine”. (thanks to help from one of the nephews)  It's a video app where the video last for 6 seconds & loops over & over ( more on that in a future blog)  So, my nephew helped me get the hang of "Vine" & I was so impressed with myself.   I thought I'd pulled it off & beat her to it when I posted a video.   Turns out.....she’d been on it for a month.   Oh well, maybe next time.   

TRIVIA ANSWER:

Illinois

Until next time.......