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DoyleSoft: Just stopping by!
Clarisse: DROPPING BY, SAYING HI!
Taniah: Heyy,just blog hopping. Nice blog, by the way!Have a nice day! =)- Taniah
Clarisse: I have a song dedicated to y'all for 2009 in my New Year Post. And oh, I hope you can find some time to tell me what you are most thankful for in 2008 (general, personal...anything!)! It's in my Prayer of Thanks post. Thanks, I'll be waiting...
Krishna: Hi, Nice blog! Have a great day!!
Clarisse: Hi! I'd like to invite you over for a cup of coffee at my site. If you like your stay, feel free to link up! I got you down...coz I like coming back here! Thank you
Gee: hi, nice blog you got here, care to exchange link??
PikaBucks: Ever think of monetizing your blog?
Hazel Quinn: Mmmm...save me some teriyaki beef - it's REALLY hard to come by here in the UK
Boink: Congrats! It's JOTW!
katiebug: happy to be here! have a good one. :)
Kerri: Hi, I just finished posting to my other blog (not the one linked here -it is http://bibleblog.braveblog.com if you want to see it to _ just put on video of hubby singing any way now I was just doing some surfing. Congrats on winning JotW. Seeing the hot air balloons must have been neat and even neater that you road in one once. I think that would be too cool!
PikaBucks: Great work! COngrats JOTW!
Boink: This site is officially BOINKED!
Hazel Quinn: Congrats on JOTW!
lili: Congrats on JOTW. Wow ...
Angie: Hi! Just visiting here and making friends. Hope to exchange link with you sometime. Take care!
Clarisse: Congratulations! You're blog is awesome! "What's for Dinner" always draws me in. Care to exchange links?
ia: blog hopping
J'laine: Hi, out blogging-love your site-care to ex links? Pic of your cat is awesome!!
bobbie: hi i like your blogs and i was wondering if i can add you cand if we can x-link
bobbie jean: i like your posts,would you care if i added you and x-link
Hazel Quinn: The new Indy film's not out here yet..doh!Your dad's looking very handsome in his uniform.
AdamFan: Happy Easter Francine
Cowgirljones: Hope you get to feeling better soon.
Camera_chic: I like the new picture, Francine. That looks really sweet.
ALC: Happy New Year, Francine!!!! :)
GK: happy new year..care to exchange link?if so let me know so I can add your link to my blog.
Afton: Hey, AD...just poppin' by to see how you were.
cowgirljones: Hey, AD, your new office decor sounds a lot like our nursery. Yay for having a bunch of bonanza stuff. LOL
Camera Chic: Happy Easter, Francine!
indyanna130: Happy Easter!
Rachel: Hey! Congrats on the new car! Happy driving!!
Moonie: Was out blog-hopping and landed in your neck of the woods. Nice place you have here. Will visit again soon. Wishing you a spiffy Tuesday!
Sulome': Hi, Nice blog. Hope you're having a great day. Kindest Regards, Sulome'
Sharon: Hi just blogging by..... Have a great day!!
Camera Chic: Happy Valentine's Day, Francine!!
Elizabeth: Hi Francine! Thanks for the invite to BW. It's been a while since I've been there, but I'll have to stop back over again. Miss you guys too!
Els:
daydreamer: A little late, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY Francine! Sounds like you had a great day
Elizabeth: Sorry I haven't been on Cool Beans to welcome you sooner, but I see that you joined. Hope to see you back again!
daydreamer: Happy New Year Francine!
January: Happy New Year AD.
Zebra3: Happy New Year Francine!
Christine: Happy Holidays!
Sierra: Merry Christmas, Francine!
indyanna130: Merry Christmas, Francine.
January: Merry Christmas AD.
Elizabeth: Hi Francine! I FINALLY got to the latest Bonanza Gold. I wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed your article. It was interesting, informative, and well written. Good job!!!
indyanna130: Glad things are going well for your Mom, Francine.You managed also to echo most of the thoughts I have about the holidays this year. Thanks for sharing.Merry Christmas.
JeanieC: Happy Thanksgiving, Francine

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Thursday, November 19th 2009

6:43 PM

From Ambulances to Christmas Tree Skirts

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: Chicken corn chowder soup
  • Recently Viewed: Premonition ------------
Photobucket

Yesterday morning I saw an ambulance with lights flashing moving along at a normal traffic pace. I figure it must not be an emergency if they're not sounding the siren or driving fast. That always makes me wonder what the story is and who's inside. My mind flashed to the Designing Women episode when Bernice wanted to go to the hospital because Charlene was there having her baby. A blizzard had all the public transportation halted, so she called an ambulance to come get her and take her there. All throughout the episode she was wearing a Christmas tree skirt that Mary Jo had given her for a gift.

Mary Jo: Bernice, why are you wearing your Christmas tree skirt?
Bernice: Well, this is the skirt you gave me for Christmas.
Mary Jo: Yes, I know. It's not to wear. It's a Christmas tree skirt. You're supposed to put it around the base of your Christmas tree.
Bernice: Oh! Well, no wonder. I like to never got this thing on. I finally just let the waist out and tied it with a belt.

So I was sitting in my car laughing like an idiot thinking about that. How's that for a random thought process?
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Tuesday, November 17th 2009

6:34 PM

I Actually Could Care Less

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: Spaghetti and salad
  • Recently Viewed: National Treasure -----
Photobucket

The way we can twist and mangle the English language fascinates me. For instance, take the phrase, "I couldn't care less," which expresses a person's total apathy about something and indicates that they do not care at all. However, you'll also hear people say, "I could care less," to indicate the same thing. This phrase actually means the opposite though; if you could care less, you must at least care a little. So it really makes no sense in the context it's being used. It makes me cringe every time I hear or read the "could care less" phrase. Must be the former English major in me.
~~~~~
When I got up this morning it was still dark so I looked out my window for the meteor shower, but I didn't see any. I was kinda bummed because there was one several years ago that was awesome. The sky looked a little cloudy this time though, so I guess that messed up the view.
~~~~~
We ordered Chinese for lunch at work today and got no fortune cookies. That's the second time in a row that's happened to me now. I'm beginning to feel like that guy in the Flash Forward TV promos who doesn't see himself in the future like everybody else does. Photobucket I need a good fortune soon! Where are you, Confucius?  
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Monday, November 16th 2009

8:56 PM

Shopped Till We Dropped

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: Arby's Roast Beef sandwich and curly fries
  • Recently Viewed: Charlie Wilson's War -
Monday

It's always tough to get out of bed and go to work on a Monday, but it's especially hard when it's the Monday after you've had vacation. I survived though. Whew!

The best part of the rainy days I had off last week was the nap I took on Wednesday afternoon. When I woke up, all the pain and stiffness was gone from my neck and shoulders. After weeks of dealing with that and a nagging tension headache, poof, it was all gone. We'll see how long it takes before stress puts me in knots again.

The rain finally tapered off Saturday, and my mom wanted to go clothes shopping, so off we went. A word of advice -- avoid the shoe department when they're having a buy 1 pair get 1 pair free sale. You might get trampled in the stampede. I have never seen so many people in a shoe-buying frenzy. We passed on those and got some new pjs and robes, and a few other odds and ends. There just wasn't much that appealed to us. Plus it seemed like they raised the prices before they put the stuff on sale, so the discounts didn't appear that great to us. We went out to dinner afterward and got stuffed shells. Yummy!

Sunday was finally gorgeous and spring-like. It's awesome to be able to go without a coat in November. My mom had a $10.00 gift card and I had a 20% off coupon for another store, so we tried our luck there. We did find a few more things we liked, but still not all that much. I think I may have to start shopping in the men's department for shirts. I couldn't find a simple button down shirt in women's.

Today after work we had to go grocery shopping. I found a cute little poinsettia that I'm going to put on my desk at work. I'm trying to make my workspace a little more personal and cheerful. Last week I put one of those reed diffusers on my desk and it smelled really nice when I sat down today. It's just a subtle scent, nothing overpowering that would bother my co-workers. Too bad the lady in the store who I could smell from 2 aisles away didn't understand the concept of subtle scents, but I digress...
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Friday, November 13th 2009

7:59 PM

Leaving

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: Turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans
  • Recently Viewed: To Catch a Thief -------
Fall

Will it ever stop raining? I'm doubtful. We've had three days of rain and cold 40 mph wind gusts. Most of the leaves have been driven off the trees already. I must say that the red ones don't look nearly as nice on my driveway as they did on my Japanese Maple. It didn't lose its leaves until Thanksgiving weekend last year. I remember because my mom was here and we both marveled at how the tree had all its leaves one day and all the leaves were piled under it the next. It was like Daffy Duck losing all his feathers in a cartoon or something. I hope this isn't a sign of an early winter.
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Wednesday, November 11th 2009

7:48 AM

It's Not Fair

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: I'm still working on beakfast
Why did I wake up at 5:30 in the morning on a rainy day off? I used to be able to sleep until almost noon. I must be getting old.
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Tuesday, November 10th 2009

8:23 PM

It Only Took Ten Years...

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: Steamed dumplings, shrimp roll, and shrimp with garlic sauce
Photobucket

but I finally have a Chinese restaurant that delivers to my house!  When I got home from work I found a menu stuck in my front door. It's the first Chinese menu I've seen since I've lived here that's stated delivery in addition to take-out. I was still doubtful because I live several miles from the main highway and yet another couple miles from where they're located, but when I called to place an order, the guy confirmed they'd deliver here. Yay!

He didn't give me an order total before he hung up and I forgot to ask, so I tried to estimate how much it would be with tax based on the menu prices. The menu didn't say anything about a delivery charge, just that the minimum for delivery was $15.00. I figured a $20.00 would cover everything nicely, including a decent tip. When the delivery guy got here he just had the total amount handwritten on the back of a piece of paper and no receipt for me. It was about a dollar more than I expected so he got less of a tip than I had planned. I had to get out my calculator to play with the numbers to see how they arrived at their total. I finally figured out that they add $1.50 for delivery. They really should state that on the menu. Does anybody know if that delivery charge goes to the driver or the restaurant?  I never know and it always confuses me when I'm trying to tip.

Anyway, as for the food, the steamed dumplings and shrimp roll were average, but the shrimp with garlic sauce was very good. It was a bit hotter (spicier) than I usually like it, but all the ingredients tasted fresh and it was definitely something I'd order again. I have plenty of leftovers if anyone's hungry. Oh yeah, the one thing that did disappoint me was that they didn't include a fortune cookie.
~~~~~
Jeanie, I would have named the movie with the unsatisfying ending, but I figured it would pretty much spoil it for anyone planning to watch.
~~~~~
Let's hear it for five day weekends!  Whoop! I have off tomorrow for the Veterans Day holiday and I have vacation days Thursday and Friday. No big plans at this point though. I'm kind of sorry I didn't have Monday and today off instead since the weather for the rest of this week is supposed to be chilly, cloudy, and windy with showers. So much for spring in November. Oh well, it's still time off.
~~~~~
At work today I went to a seminar about trying to avoid and manage stress. No big secrets revealed, but some good tips I think. We'll see how they work. 
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Monday, November 9th 2009

8:05 PM

Springtime in November

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: A great big chocolate ice cream cone
The last two days have been absolutely beautiful with sunshine and temps around 70. Weather like that in November is cherished around here. I went for a drive yesterday and was wishing I had a convertible. Today my mom had a doctor's appointment, and since she was such a brave good girl  , I took her for an ice cream cone afterward. I had to get one too...just so she didn't have to eat alone, of course. Good stuff! Ice Cream Cone
~~~~~
Movies that don't end "happily ever after" bum me out. Real life can be depressing enough; I like movies that can take me away from all that. 



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Saturday, November 7th 2009

7:54 PM

Always In Our Hearts

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: Salad
In Loving Memory Daisies


In Our Hearts


We thought of you with love today,
But that is nothing new.
We thought about you yesterday,
And days before that too.
We think of you in silence;
We often speak your name.
Now all we have are memories,
And your picture in a frame.
Your memory is our keepsake,
With which we'll never part.
God has you in his keeping,
We have you in our hearts.
~Unknown

Four years ago tonight I was holding my dad's hand when he slipped away. It's hard to believe that much time has passed already. We miss you, Dad.
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Friday, November 6th 2009

7:25 PM

Leaning

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: Leftovers
Yesterday I watched an old movie on TCM that I'd never heard of, Stars in My Crown. It didn't knock my socks off, but it was pretty good and it was neat to see James Mitchell (Palmer Cortlandt, All My Children) and Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty, Gunsmoke) so young. There was a scene where the gospel minister was talking to a classroom of students and he told them (paraphrasing here), "Don't lean so much on God that you forget how to help yourself." That line really struck me as profound and it's advice I wish more people would follow.

I was reminded of the old joke about the man in a great flood. His town is evacuating as the river rises, but he refuses to leave his home, saying that he has faith and God will save him. The river overflows and as he is standing on his front porch with the water at his feet, a neighbor in a rowboat comes by and tells him to get in and he will take him to safety. He refuses and says, "I have faith in the Lord. The Lord will save me." As the boat passes by, the man prays to God to save him.

The water continues to rise and the man is forced to go up to his second floor. As he looks out his window, another man in a speedboat nears and calls for him to jump in. Again the man refuses, saying,
"I have faith in the Lord. The Lord will save me." As the boat speeds off, the man again begins praying for God to save him.

Eventually the water rises so high the man is forced onto his roof. A rescue helicopter flies over and they shout that they will lower a rope ladder to him. The man shakes his head and waves them off, yelling, "
I have faith in the Lord. The Lord will save me." As the helicopter fades out of sight, the man once more prays to God to save him.

The water continues to rise until the man is finally washed away and he drowns. When he gets to Heaven, he marches over to God and says, "Heavenly Father, I don't understand. I had faith in you. I prayed to you to save me, and yet you didn't. Why?" God gives him an exasperated, puzzled look and says, "My child, I sent two boats and a helicopter. What more did you expect?"

Prayer can be a good thing, but sometimes the answer to a prayer is the obvious solution staring you right in the face or the good advice you may not necessarily want to hear delivered by someone who may not look like an angel. It's not always a miraculous burning bush. And sometimes you may actually have to take action to solve a problem instead of waiting for divine intervention to solve it for you.
    

Just my thoughts for the day.
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Thursday, November 5th 2009

6:55 PM

The Car is Not a Nightclub

  • Mood:
  • What's for Dinner: Pasta with crabmeat tomato sauce
Sometimes I think folks focus so much energy on getting laws passed to ban people from talking on cell phones while driving that they overlook all the other stuff people do while driving that, IMO, is way more dangerous. Today a guy passed me on the right with his head hanging out the window. He was yelling something, and at first I thought he was yelling at me, but then I realized he wasn't looking at me and he was actually singing along with his radio. A little further down the road, I ended up behind him, and I saw his left arm come flying straight out his window. Then his right arm shot up and he proceeded to do an arm wave dance move...no hands on the steering wheel! For about two miles he continued to car dance, hopping up and down, waving his arms, and clapping his hands. This wasn't a kid either. He looked to be in his late 20s, old enough to know better. Meanwhile, I was talking on my cell phone with my hands-free earphone. Now which of us was the greater danger to others?

I also frequently see moms driving, with kids in car seats behind them, turning around, reaching back, and hunting around on the floor to pick up the bottle, book, pacifier, or whatever the screaming child dropped or threw. I've actually been in a car with a mom who did this and it scared the daylights out of me. She told me she was used to it and did it all the time.  Then there was the guy I saw the other day who was holding his super-sized fries in one hand while stuffing them in his mouth with the other. By my count that left no hands to steer the car, unless he was an alien or something.  There are also the folks who choose to read the newspaper or put on their makeup during morning rush hour. Yeah, that's safe.

To me, the people who talk on cell phones with hands-free devices are no more distracted than they would be if they were having a conversation with a passenger in the car. In fact, I believe passengers are more distracting; yet nobody seems to have a problem with them. Cell phones aren't the evil people make them out to be. The real issue is that many folks just lack common sense.    

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