Monday Morning Blues

I Make My Tea in a Mr. Coffee Coffee Maker

2012-01-22T07:22:00.000-08:00

I have made tea in my Mr. Coffee Coffee Maker for years....we drink a lot of tea and its easier and faster than making it in a tea pot or one cup at a time. I use 3 Lipton tea bags, two are black tea and one is green. But, we haven't a water softener and we live in an area where the water is rock hard, full of two minerals -- calcium and magnesium.

I always have major tea stains in my sink and coffee cups. Plus the tea looks murky. The tea leaves a filmy layer in the cups and if I don't rinse the cups right away, the stains "set" and are very difficult to remove. If I do rinse them in the sink and do not immediately clean the sink, it gets really yucky too and I have to scrub it with cleanser. It sounds like I'm a terrible housekeeper but actually I'm not. I just have this problem with tea bag stain.

Last week my husband suggested that I put a coffee filter into the coffee pot, put the tea bags into it, and let the filter catch the residue from the tea bags. Zoweeee, it works, my tea is clear and the flavor is as good as ever.

This residue stuff does not always appear. I think that our water utility company treats the water differently at some times of the year. It depends on the water itself. Our water is taken from either wells around Omaha, or from the Missouri River...a scary thought. It is purified and treated and passes all its' inspections, but.........

Surviving the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's

2012-01-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

A friend emailed this to me. Wow, I was born in the 1930s and can remember doing most if not all of the dangerous things mentioned. Even putting my children on their tummies and letting the toddler stand between Daddy and I as we drove down the street.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight.

WHY? Because we were always outside, playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If YOU are one of them ........ CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ?

Finding some go with everything boots

2011-12-29T08:27:00.000-08:00

Guest post written by Nathan Reese

I really think that my sister is slowly trying to change up my fashion style. But I know that I could use some major help with it, so I'm accepting it. I've been telling her about which things I like to see other guys wearing and then she's translating it in a way that's pulled together for me. One thing that she's decided that I need to have for this fall and winter is a pair of good boots. I see all these other guys wearing boots with their skinny jeans tucked into them and I want some of my own.

My sister promised to help me hunt down a pair. While I was online looking at some with her, I ran across some CLEAR wireless reviews and after I looked through them some I decided to change over my apartment's internet service to a new package.

We eventually tracked down a really good pair. They seem like they're pretty tough so I'm excited about them and think that they're going to go with all kinds of things.

Halloween Buzz Lightyear Twins

2011-12-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

Andrew's Day Care had a Halloween Party and parade on Monday, October 31 (Halloween this year) He had such a great time. The staff was dressed in costumes and the kids were excited about walking to the stores near the Day Care center. The first stop was a dental office (expected toothbrushes but actually got candy), then was the Pizza Place and Kwik Shop. More candy....nothing was turned down, there will be lots of trading when they get back to the center.

Last on the parade route was Jensen Tire and Auto which is next to the Daycare complex....the parade leaders evidently forgot that Jensen was expecting the little guys to stop and the parade walked right on past. The front door flew open and manager, Mike, came running out after them.

"Hey, hey, don't forget us, we've got lots of candy for the kids", the parade made a reverse turn and went back to the auto shop. Who said that Halloween was just for kids? The adults have fun too!

Ken and I were there to take photos of the costumed "beggers" and didn't notice that Andrew had a twin....he and another little boy were wearing Buzz Lightyear costumes. They weren't identical but Andrew was thrilled that he had a "brother"...."Grandma look!!!! he's just like me"   They walked around each other .... Andrew had boots and gloves, the other boy didn't. But....he had a belt that talked "I'm Buzz Lightyear"...I think Andrew would have gladly traded his boots and gloves for that belt!

The BEST cookies in the World!

2011-12-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

Chocolate chip cookies are the best!

mmmmmmm What could be better than a warm, homemade chocolate chip cookie!

My friends, Joleen, Marte, Mari and I have cookies whenever we play tennis with our friend Diane.....big, gooey ones full of chocolate chips and nuts. Diane is a WONDERFUL cookie maker and her cookies are to die for! We usually wash them down with a couple of cups of Starbucks....but just about any coffee will do.

She swears that she uses the Toll House Cookie recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag....but somewhere there is a secret! We've found that she uses a convection oven (OK, #1 difference) and she doesn't use Nestle chips...she uses Ghirardelli chocolate chips (difference #2). Slowly but surely these little secrets are being revealed. And, because of using a convection oven, she doesn't bake them as long as suggested on the package.

We are warned by friends (who do not have access to these bites of Heaven) that cookies are not good for us....too high in fat, too full of calories...all those things that people tell you as they scarf down your cookies, cookie after cookie.

For the Shopper in You

2011-11-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

Those informative little boxes on the right side of this blog are inviting you to "have a look at this"....click on them and you'll be taken to that particular item. They are up-to-date and keep up with what's new in books, clothing, jewelry and miscellaneous items you may be interested in.

To my children

2011-11-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

I've made mistakes being a Mom, more than I'd like to admit. I am not perfect at all. But I'll always be there for you, to hear you, to cheer for you, to laugh or cry with you, to protect you with my life and tell you things you don't want to hear.

I will love you even at those times when you don't love me. No matter how old you get, no one will ever love you more than I do, because I am and always will be your Mom.

Horses---my first love

2011-11-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

Back when I was a pre-teen, horses were the love of my life. Now that I'm a grandmother, I have passed that love onto our youngest granddaughter. "Becca" is 14 and loves to ride....luckily we have friends with horses! Our friends also have 3 goats......playing with the goats is fun, but nothing compared to playing with the horses.

INSANE New Show

2011-11-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

Authored by Leandro Delgado

Have you seen Christina Applegate and Will Arnett’s new comedy about parenthood? It’s called Up All Night and I find myself looking forward to watching each week’s episode on my Direct TV Summerfield the day before it airs. Having a baby about the same age as the couple Applegate and Arnett play is just one reason I am hooked. Applegate is as funny as ever, just as you expect her to be after all those years as Kelly on the Bundy’s. Will Arnett makes you wonder why he hasn’t been in more stuff that you’ve actually seen. I love that he’s a stay-at-home dad. That role reversal gets lots of laughs at our house since I stay at home and my husband goes to work. Of course it always starts the conversation of why my husband can’t stay at home and I go to work but that’s a whole additional story! In addition to Applegate and Arnett, Maya Rudolph of Saturday Night Live fame rocks it as Applegate’s demanding boss. It’s in-SAHN (watch an episode and you’ll get it)!

100 Years from Now.......my legacy

2011-10-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

..........................100 Years From Now.......

It will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or what kind of a car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child...

Grandma

Jenny and the Ostrich

2011-10-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

Last spring we were on a cruise to the Caribbean and one of the ports was Aruba. We took a day tour and visited an ostrich farm. Our two grandchildren Austin and Jennifer had a chance to feed the ostriches….Austin was not sure if he liked them and was worried losing a finger or two in the process. I don’t blame him, they were about 8 feet tall and had big hard beaks and big eyes that stared at you (not friendly). The feed was a small type of pellet and the trainer poured some into their cupped hands. The birds would reach over the fence and peck the food from your hands. Jenny didn't like them either but the guide gave her the feed bowl so we could take a photo of her "feeding" the ostrich.

I didn't feed them, didn't even give it a thought. I never did like ostriches. The trainer made a huge ostrich squat down and the children in the group were allowed to sit on it’s back so the parents could take photographs. This was one of the few tourist stops that didn't charge for photographs and the parents were clicking like crazy.

When it was Jenny's turn she climbed on it's back and the ostrich decided to get up and take a walk around the enclosure. The ostrich was probably getting tired of the whole thing and just wanted to be left alone.

It started off as a walk but it was more of a trot with the trainer trying to grab it's neck. The trainer didn't have a rope or leash on the bird (obviously it wasn't supposed to go anywhere).

Jenny didn’t know that it was planning to get up and take off....when the other kids were on its back, it just sat quietly as they had their pictures taken. Suddenly Jenny found herself 5 feet in the air on the back of an ostrich who was squawking and flapping it’s wings.....doing it’s best to get away from the trainer. Jen had a look of pure terror on her face! The trainer wasn't looking too happy either.

He kept telling her to hold onto the wings, but she was afraid she’d hurt it. And, grabbing two big flapping wings is easier said than done.......so she floundered from side to side trying to keep her balance for three full gallops around the pen. Once it slowed to a stop, she slid off it’s tail. I don’t remember if she was laughing or screaming but she was definitely relieved to be on solid ground.

I’m sure she’ll fondly remember her first (and last) ostrich ride.

She is now the star of a whole bunch of home movies. The other passengers thought the whole episode was hilarious.

Rebecca, Andrew and Jenny

2011-10-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

Our youngest grandson, Andrew Michael turned 4 on Monday.....where has the time gone! We had his birthday party at our cabin on the Platte River. Andrew enjoys the cabin so much. There is a fishing pond, playground, meadow where he can fly kites and enjoy the fireworks on July 4th. Occasionally he will see the wild turkeys and deer that come out of the surrounding woods.

He loves his sister Rebecca and cousin Jennifer and just beams when Jenny's brother Austin, a gangly teenager, plays ball with him.

Seven Wonders of the World

2011-09-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

Eager to work out

2011-09-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Author of this post is Cheryl Martinez

I decided to join a gym not far from my house. I have never really been one to be really committed to exercise, but after my last doctor’s appointment and poor health report I decided that I had to get serious. I like the gym because it is close to my home, has a friendly staff, new equipment, great classes, and is open early. If I don’t exercise early in the morning before I go to work, I will not exercise the whole day. The first day after joining the gym, I showed up about ten minutes until five. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I thought the door may be jammed and shook it really hard. I even saw the HOMESECURITY101 sticker on the window. Before I knew it, I had partially opened the door and set off the alarm. The staff inside came running. When they got the siren turned off and opened the door for me, they started to tease me and give me a hard time. They call me the only client that they have ever had that was so eager to work out that I broke into the gym! I still have not lived it down.

Riverview Park aka The Henry Doorly Zoo

2011-08-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

We live in Omaha, Nebraska, home of the Henry Doorly Zoo, a wonderful place to lose yourself for hours. I grew up a block away from the zoo and consider it one of my old 'stomping' grounds. Prior to becoming the world renown zoo that it is now, it was called Riverview Park. In 1898 Riverview Park was part of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition. The next time you watch the original WIZARD OF OZ with Judy Garland, look at the hot air balloon Dorothy is going to use to return to Kansas....it says STATE FAIR Omaha!

Anyway we, the neighborhood kids, would play softball where the antelopes now roam, make dams in the stream that wanders through the park, ending in a big lagoon where we would ice skate in winter. Things have changed a lot in those 60 years...but is it still a wonderful place for kids.

We took our almost 4 year old grandson to the park on Friday....we wanted to see the new Madagascar exhibit and show Andrew the baby animals.....he has been to the zoo many times in his young life and thoroughly enjoys walking the paths in the Lied Jungle, seeing the monkeys high in the tree tops and hearing their screeching calls. We were there from 10 Am to 3 Pm and had a great time......Andrew ran, climbed and splashed his way through everything he could find.

But, by 3 o'clock, he was ready to have a drink of water and settle back in his car seat for the ride home. We are so fortunate to have our grandchildren in Omaha where we can call their parents at a moment's notice and say "Hey, we'd like to take Andrew, Rebecca, Jenny, Austin, Mason, Connor or Hayden to the zoo with us for the day"

Some surprising twists on smoothies

2011-07-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

Guest post written by Tamara King

One of my favorite things about being so great at cooking is knowing what strange little things I can put in things that I cook and come out with unexpected but good tastes. Sometimes when I cook for my fiance and my friends I like to sneak in little unexpected things and see what they think about it. Most of the time they really like it, but then again sometimes they don't because they're not as adventurous when it comes to food as I am.

I kind of got on a smoothie kick earlier this summer and it's still going pretty strong. I was looking online to come up with some different recipes to try out for that and while I was doing that I saw the website clearwirelessinternet.com. After I browsed through it a little bit I decided to change over my home internet service to it.

Well, I did get some pretty good ideas about what I could do to change up my smoothie recipes. Like I found one where you add ginger to a peach smoothie. It was so crazy that it ended up being really good! I kind of suspected that might be the case though.

Pink Sorbet and Mosquito Bites

2011-06-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, this year, spring and early summer in Nebraska means rain, lots of it. When the rain stops, we have puddles. Mosquitoes love water puddles. Andrew, our three year old little grandson was covered with mosquito bites last week and just to be safe, we took him to his pediatrician. Lisa the doctor’s cute little nurse (looks straight out of high school) took us to the exam room….she is the fashion expert in the office and she was wearing a new set of hot pink scrubs. Lisa is a devotee of Blue Scrubs, a company known for Made in the USA quality and design and this was one of their newest colors, Pink Sorbet. This is a bright, girly pink which gives a more personal feminine touch to a medical scrub.

Andrew loves to go to his pediatrician…Dr. Dowl. Dr. Dowl has cared for Andrew since birth and seems like one of the family. He also dresses for the office….sometimes in a lab coat but most often in medical uniform tops and pants (he’s not into Sorbet Pink however). I think children are much more at ease with bright colors….not as scarey as the “old” days when nurses and doctors wore starched white uniforms and lab coats.

Andrew was given a shot, yep the ole hypo, and a prescription for anti-itch medicine. He had been scratching the mosquito bites pretty hard, and several had scabs forming. We spray the yard frequently trying to knock down the mosquito and other flying insects population but in truth, it’s a losing battle.

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/

Remodeling the Rental House

2011-06-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of updating and installing a new bathroom in our rental house….well, it isn’t exactly a rental, our son lives in it but according to the property tax folks and the names on the home loan, it’s ours. The house is over 100 years old, has old bathroom fixtures and leaky pipes. It sits on a hill and overlooks the Missouri River.

The bathroom is the first major project that we’ve undertaken….the stool and vanity are in, but are still looking for a mirror medicine cabinet and will also put in a bathroom linen cabinet. I prefer medicine cabinets that are good-sized and have three mirrored glass panels with movable shelves on the inside. With movable shelves you can adjust the shelves to fit large shampoo bottles or smaller for medicines and deodorants.

The bathroom is really big but did not have a linen closet. The bathroom linen cabinet we have in mind has two pull-out drawers and two doors. It’s large enough to hold towels and large personal items that won’t fit in the medicine cabinet. Possibly a hamper for wet towels and dirty clothing.

While online searching for the cabinets, I found the neatest purple Queen comforter set. Nope, not for the rental….for me! After spending a long day, working my fingers to the bone on this computer hunting for online bargains, I feel I deserve something…and we actually do need it.

Good-Bye All My Children, Erica Kane and Susan Lucci

2011-05-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

In September, one of my favorite daytime TV shows will be cancelled…..no more Erica, Jack, Kendall, Tad or Opal. Pine Valley will be gone. I won’t say that my world will come to an end, but I will really miss All My Children. I do know that I will not be watching The Chew….it is an idiotic name (sounds like its about chewing tobacco) and, if anything, should be on the Food network. Paula Deen and Mario Batali have shows of their own….let them stay there.

I don’t know how ABC determines the number of watchers for individual shows, nor do they know how many people tape shows to watch after work. That’s what my daughter does. And if I miss a episode, I watch it on SoapNet that evening. I have watched TV for over 20 years and have yet to be called or asked what TV show I’m watching. How can the “powers that be” say that the show is not being watched? Or know the age of the watchers. As for not using products advertised on the show, HEY, I babysit and buy diapers for my grandchildren, wash clothes using detergent, mop my kitchen floor, eat yogurt, buy cars and want to lose weight.....and I have the money to pay for these products.

This year, I was given Susan Lucci’s autobiography for Mother’s Day. My daughter knew that I am a AMC fan (as is she) so when Susan came to Naperville, IL to promote her book, ALL MY LIFE, Christine and Connor, my grandson, went to the bookstore, bought the book for me and Susan (Erica Kane) autographed it. I didn’t realize how much training and schooling Susan Lucci herself had before going into show business. The book tells all.

If you have a chance and you are an AMC fan, buy the book and read her life story. Especially about the car accident she had as a young woman. She was thrown through the front window of her fiance’s car and her face was badly cut by the shattered glass. Although Erica Kane has had more marriages than a cat has lives, Susan Lucci has only been married once (happily) has 2 children, grandchildren and lives in Garden City, New York.

Another Thing to Consider

2011-05-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Gosh, as a parent, you have so many things to think about in order to keep your family safe. Some natural disasters, floods, tornados, earthquakes are totally unavoidable. If you live in areas where these happen, there is practically nothing you can do to keep your family safe. But you can provide protection by installing monitors in your home to alert you to conditions which would be dangerous to your family.

That's also possible when it comes to something like carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a colorless gas and can make you ill and in many cases can kill. ADT home security barling can install a system that will provide both smoke and heat detectors, and can monitor your home for the presence of CO gas. Their sensors can detect the smallest amounts of carbon monoxide in the air of your home and will set off alarms....loud enough to wake up even the heaviest sleepers.

Oh yes, how did I come to be an expert on natural and unnatural disasters? I’m one of the many people who subscribe to a DirectTV system and take advantage of updates on the Weather Channel. If there is a flood, tornado or forest fire in my area….I know about it and can take the necessary actions to keep my family out of harm’s way..

Liven Up Your Booth to Gain Attention

2011-05-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

If you have a small business or even a large one, you probably take part in several trade shows every year. To show your product to the best advantage, you may be renting trade show flooring. You realize of course, that renting flooring or trade show carpet will add to your overall cost of attending and showing your products. It’s just plain expensive. Do the math, how much you would spend on rental of hardwood flooring or carpet and multiply that figure by the number of times you would use it. You would be much better off to buy flooring, carpeting or even a few logo mats.

Trade show flooring comes in a variety of styles and shapes. Buy your own, it comes in shipping cases. Put it in your truck or van and you’re ready to go. One thing that you can’t rent is a logo canopy. That needs to be yours…your logo, your advertisement.. They can be printed in full color, have whatever logo you want printed on it and you’re ready for indoor or outdoor events.

Summer is a great time to present your goods at county fairs, neighborhood garage sales or city festivals. Even if your “goods” handmade rugs, pots and pans or are “the best doggone hot dogs in the Midwest”, you need to A-D-V-E-R-T-I-S-E.

Why I Love Mythbusters

2011-05-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Normal television shows just don't cut it for me. They always seemed a bit too planned out. In other words, they didn't reflect reality enough to appease me. Even the so called reality shows don't make the cut. They just seem so fake! The one show that I truly enjoy on TV for multiple reasons is Mythbusters. Mythbusters is a science fiction TV show that I watch on my Satellite TV from Directstartv.com.

Here's what Mythbusters all about. Have you ever heard that whirlpools can be deadly? We've all seen the movies where a giant whirlpool sucks up a ship or a little boat and the person is never heard from again. But can these whirlpools really get this big and if so, are they fast enough to harm anything?

This myth was confirmed in a sense but busted in another. As far as a single person being in trouble in a whirlpool it is entirely plausible. But in order to get a full size ship stuck in a whirlpool the pool would have to be miles wide and be traveling above the speed of sound which just doesn't exist. In other words, whirlpools can be deadly to a person but aren't a threat to any type of ship.

These and other myths are tested all of the time!
Guest post written by Arnoldo Acevedo

25 Manners You Should Know

2011-05-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

These 25 Manners were printed in 2011 in PARENTS magazine. A list of 25 manners every kid needs to know by age 9. Unfortunately many teenagers and adults didn't learn them at all. Consider this a refresher course in things your mother may have told you--or should have.

Manner #1

When asking for something, say "Please."

Manner #2

When receiving something, say "Thank you."

Manner #3

Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking

Manner #4

If you do need to get somebody's attention right away, the phrase "excuse me" is the most polite way for you to enter the conversation

Manner #5

When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from many hours of grief later.

Manner #6

The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends, and out of earshot of adults.

Manner #7

Do not comment on other people's physical characteristics unless, of course, it's to compliment them, which is always welcome.

Manner #8

When people ask you how you are, tell them and then ask them how they are.

Manner #9

When you have spent time at your friend's house, remember to thank his or her parents for having you over and for the good time you had.

Manner #10

Knock on closed doors -- and wait to see if there's a response -- before entering.

Manner #11

When you make a phone call, introduce yourself first and then ask if you can speak with the person you are calling.

Manner #12

Be appreciative and say "thank you" for any gift you receive. In the age of e-mail, a handwritten thank-you note can have a powerful effect.

Manner #13

Never use foul language in front of adults. Grown-ups already know all those words, and they find them boring and unpleasant.

Manner #14

Don't call people mean names.

Manner #15

Do not make fun of anyone for any reason. Teasing shows others you are weak, and ganging up on someone else is cruel.

Manner #16

Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit through it quietly and pretend that you are interested. The performers and presenters are doing their best.

Manner #17

If you bump into somebody, immediately say "Excuse me."

Manner #18

Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and don't pick your nose in public.

Manner #19

As you walk through a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else.

Manner #20

If you come across a parent, a teacher, or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help. If they say "yes," do so -- you may learn something new.

Manner #21

When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile.

Manner #22

When someone helps you, say "thank you." That person will likely want to help you again. This is especially true with teachers!

Manner #23

Use eating utensils properly. If you are unsure how to do so, ask your parents to teach you or watch what adults do.

Manner #24

Keep a napkin on your lap; use it to wipe your mouth when necessary.

Manner #25

Don't reach for things at the table; ask to have them passed.

Proudly Made in America

2011-04-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

Just to add to my “made in America” campaign, I want to bring everyone’s attention to Data Graphics Inc, located in Mount Dora, Florida. Data Graphics has been making and delivering superior custom labels, nameplates and overlays for 25 years. They are trusted by companies in the manufacturing, aerospace, telecommunications, medical and military industry because of their high quality workmanship and industrial strength materials.

Their decals and custom labels come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you want a custom label in round, oval, square or rectangle design or in colors, Data Graphics Inc. has both the material and machinery to make it for you. Labels can be made of aluminum which is ideal for industrial applications where machinery is constantly running, generating heat. They also offer polycarbonate plastic, a material that can withstand some of the harshest environments, yet maintain crisp and clear printability. Polycarbonate can tolerate high temperature, prolonged exposure to the sunlight, resistant to scuffs and abrasions and impact resistant.

If you are in the market for a custom label or decal to promote your company, consider a company producing a product which proudly can say “manufactured in U.S.A.”

How about Playing with Model Trains

2011-04-26T16:43:00.001-07:00

If you enjoy seeing and learning about model trains and also some full-sized ones, have a look at this blog.

Trains Big 'n Little Models 'n Real

H-e-l-l-o SteamTeam....we need help!

2011-04-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Ken decided that the back deck needed to be “power cleaned”….what a mess! We rented a power washer and he started power washing the deck…evidentally he had the thing turned on full force because he nearly wiped off a layer of paint. It just peeled off...goodbye last year’s paint job. He had planned to power wash the house also, but after the fiasco with the back deck, decided that maybe (MAYBE!!) a professional company would do better.

We called the SteamTeam and said we needed someone with experience in power washing a deck in Austin and also power washing the house in Austin. We didn’t need to worry, they have the guys who can do the job. Della said they would send someone out the next day. And they were here with power washing unit in hand.

We have used the SteamTeam several times but never for power washing. Last summer we used the carpet cleaner in Austin and they did an awesome job. We have two big dogs, Kwinnie and Kuper, a couple of happy-go-lucky Keeshounds Both are housebroken and we have no qualms about leaving them in the house while we were at work. Unfortunately, we had grilled out and put the steak bones into the kitchen trash can. Both dogs were in 7^th heaven….they got into the trash, drug the night’s leftovers into the living room and proceeded to have a picnic there and then. Since we NEVER feed them table scraps….their tummies were not accustomed to fat and grease…which was evident when we returned home. Need I say more!!!

Oh Brother What a Printer

2011-04-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

Oh Brother What a Printer

Some months just are full of problems. March did not start off well. Our furnace stopped working on March 23^rd. Right smack in the middle of March’s cold, snowy weather. We survived the30 degree temps (45 degrees inside) until it was replaced a week later. I kept thinking of the pioneers who actually lived through much worse. Obviously my pioneer blood has been deluded.

Yesterday I needed to print some articles that I wanted to use in this blog….yes, I really do research the things that I write about. I clicked on PRINT and my printer made some funny grinding noises and gave me the “paper jam” message. I’m not mechanically inclined and printers are mechanical. But I unplugged it and basically tore it apart. There was NO paper jammed. So tried again. Same message. This was not making me happy. I’ve had several printers in the past and this one is about 6 or 7 years old so perhaps there is an age problem. (wish I could attribute several of my other problems to age!)

Since I wasn’t getting anywhere with this one, I decided to surf the internet and see what brands of printers were available and what they would do. I came across one named Brother….its funny, I have a Brother sewing machine and didn’t ever associate the name with a printer. My Brother sewing machine has given me many, many years of great service and if Brother printers are as good, I may consider buying one.

Theres a Blue Sky Smilin' at Me

2011-03-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

Medical scrubs are getting more popular with the “in” set. You don’t have to be in the medical field to love the comfort of wearing a scrub set. They make great “hanging around the house” outfits. Washable cotton scrubs are colorful and easy fitting. The waist bands tie in front so gives a lot of expanding room. The only downside would be that your neighbors will constantly ask you for medical advice….you’ll look like you should know!

But, if you ARE a part of the nursing staff or work in the medical lab, you need a hospital uniform. There is no place better than Blue Sky Scrubs to buy your medical lab coat or scrubs. There are many choices in color and style….for those who work with young children, animal patterned scrub tops are the best idea…no more stark white. The little ones are usually scared to death to be in a hospital and bright colors and fun patterned clothing puts them more at ease.

Child's Train Engineer Cap, Bandana and Whistle Age 3+

2011-03-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

Andrew's Favorites

Child's Train Engineer Cap, Bandana and Whistle Age 3+

Have a little train enthusiast in the family? Our 3 year old grandson Andrew loves his train cap, bandana and of course the wooden train whistle. He does his best to sound like a train whistle but he needs a little more ummmmpth when he blows!

I have two engineer train hat, bandana and whistle sets for sale....one with a red bandana and one with blue. They are new, never worn or blown.. The bandanas are triangular and are 29" x 19" x 19". They are one thickness since the square bandanas doubled over made it too bulky for a child.
The Engineer's hat is adjustable in the back to allow room for growth! The wooden whistle is 6" long.

The set costs $12.00 including postage. Contact me at jeanjb@cox.net if you would like one.

I Love To Bake And Decorate

2011-03-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

I Love To Bake And Decorate

This guest post from Rafael Hodge

I have always taken pride in birthday celebrations. I like balloons, great food, and host of great friends and family members to help me celebrate. No birthday is complete, however, without birthday cakes. Parents that are interested in making the best birthday cakes should check their local listings for a great surprise in the art of caking making.

There's a great show called "Bake Decorate Celebrate!" that I watch on DirecTV. Anyone that wants to makes any kind of sweets should find this show. It's one of the best baking shows on television. They have concepts for cakes, but they also have episodes for cookies, cupcakes, candy, and a variety of other treats. ! This is one of the best shows because it talks about decorating and designing.

I don't know why there aren't more shows like this on television. It really gives the audience so many ideas on how they can improve cakes. It gives sweet treats so much character. Everyone will appreciate what these two ladies can do. Nancy Siler and Melanie Glasscock are the hosts, and they are so incredibly warm and sweet. They are easy to follow, and their instructions always yield great results.

One might believe the show is over the top because of the title, but it's really not. These are practical women with a real knack for decorating.

Mudpies and flowers

2011-03-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

Our grandson Andrew is an active little guy and loves getting outside and playing in the yard. Yesterday the sun was out and the day was beautiful, so we were planting flowers in the garden and taking photos of the proposed garden layout... Drew was having a great time digging in his sandbox. He's 18 months old and thinks everything he picks up can be eaten. Just wish he'd be more selective.

I looked over at him and he was laying on his tummy next to the garden hose. He had dripped water onto the patio, mixed in a little dirt and was stretched out licking the dirt off the concrete...yummmmmm.

Luckily I had the camera with me because it was a "kodak moment:" I yelled, in my strictest grandma voice..."Andrew! stop that" He looked up, grinned at me and took another lick. Then leisurely got up, gave me his usual "smilin' Jack" smile and babbled something like.."hi grandma, whats the problem?"

Since he was mud from head to toe, we stripped him then and there and into the house we went, straight into the bathtub....one of his favorite places to be.

Back I was a young mother and our children were babies, I
would have been a lot more upset with having a muddy little boy to deal with in the middle of my busy day but as a grandma, its just FUN!

Andrew's Four Letter Word!

2011-03-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Andrew is nearly 3 ½ years old and is now going to daycare which is both a good thing and a bad thing. It’s good because he is learning to play with children his own age and not rely on Grandma and Grandpa to cater to his every wish. But, it’s turned into a bad thing because he has been exposed to and caught every germ the daycare has floating around. Everyone says “well, he has to build an immunity to those childhood illnesses”....trust me, thats not a particularly welcome comment.

First colds, sore throats, sinus infections and now he will have surgery to place tubes in his ears to relieve fluid which has accumulated behind his ear drums. Do his grandparents feel guilty that he was in the dreaded daycare and not safe at home with us…..yes we do.

This morning I read an article by Sarah Warren a contributor to Momaha.com in Omaha, NE. She writes about a four letter word that Andrew has learned (from where?) and uses regularly. How embarrassing when he’s with a group of mothers with their sweet children. But, Sarah reminds us that children have their own “Rules of Engagement”. And, this is one of Andrew's favorites!

1. If I like it, it’s MINE
2. If it’s in my hand, it’s MINE
3. If I can take it from you, it’s MINE
4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s MINE
5. If it’s mine it must NEVER appear to be yours in any way
6. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are MINE
7. If it looks just like mine, it’s MINE
8. If I saw it first it’s MINE
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes MINE
10. If it’s broken, it’s YOURS

Sound familiar?

What is THAT! Company An Advertising Agency?

2011-03-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

OK, I give up….what is THAT! Company?

You've seen it advertised on Google, watched a commercial on TV or maybe read the name THAT! Company in a magazine, but just what is it?

In plain terms, THAT! Company is an Advertising Agency …it ties together traditional and online marketing efforts into a clear, effective and measurable campaign. THAT! Company offers clients a one-stop shop for all their marketing, advertising and public relations needs. The staff is young, energetic and have grown up with computers and what computers can do. They are not typical advertising staffers, they were born digital, the internet is their backyard and playground. They work to bring their clients into the 21^st Century. They understand the trends and know what it takes to develop advertising campaigns that will both catch the eye of the consumer and hold their attention.

Are you familiar with PPC ads (Pay Per Click ads)… you click on an ad and it takes you to the advertiser’s webpage….the well-known Advertising Agency THAT! is a leader in producing them…with the help of expert web developers, a creative team of writer and graphic designers and a team of professionals who care about your company’s success. You want to know what is the return on your investment….its an important and pertinent question to ask. THAT! Company is committed to answering the big questions….after all that’s why you hired them. Their software can track your advertising campaigns minute to minute and day to day. If a campaign isn’t working, it means its time for a different strategy.

Why do they care? Because if their marketing strategy does not bring your company success, they have failed….and THAT! Advertising Company does not intend to fail.

Barcelona, Spain Vacation

2011-03-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

I have been busy corresponding with my friend Nancy who in April will be on a vacation in, believe it or not, Barcelona, Spain. Nan’s husband won a trip (best salesman of the year) and off they will go to beautiful Barcelona. They will be there over the Easter holiday and will have a whole range of things to see and do….Saints feasts spring up throughout the city and the whole city is in a party mode.

When she found out about the trip, she and I did some online research… at the Barcelona Tourist Office site. Wow, what a wealth of information we found… what to wear, what to expect in the way of weather, available tours and opening and closing times for museums, churches and other attractions. Even suggestions….i.e. although Barcelona has a beautiful beach front, it is frowned upon to stroll through town in flip flops and beach apparel….

They will be staying at one of the Eixample apartments…from the photos online, they look very modern….even have kitchens (Hah! Nancy has NO plans to cook anything!!) According to a review from a former guest, it is a perfect location for exploring Barcelona on foot and one of the best self-catering apartments this person has been in. The apartments are in Barcelona’s center core which has everything that old world cities are famous for….busy outdoor markets and restaurants , shops, museums and public areas where you can sit and enjoy peoplewatching. Public transportation is also close by…I’ve driven in foreign countries and you DO NOT want to spend your vacation dealing with strange cars, strange signs and drivers who think blowing their horn is an absolute necessity of car etiquette.

Barcelona is in the Spanish region of Catalonia, and Spanish is the spoken language. Unfortunately, English is the only language Nan and Jon know.

My Act of Kindness

2011-03-03T17:33:00.000-08:00

Winter is cold in Nebraska and today was typical – 4 degrees above zero at 11 am. The tail end of a sleet storm had hit Sunday night and the streets were covered with both snow and ice. It was windy, cold and spitting snow.

The best place to be was at home. But, here we were, attending the funeral of an old and loved friend.

As we were leaving the church, preparing for the long drive to the cemetery, I felt a tug on my arm. An old gentleman who had been sitting in front of us in church was standing there with his car keys in his hand. He said “would you please go to the parking lot and bring my car to the door….I’m afraid that my wife will slip on the ice.”

Now mind you, I did not know this man and he didn’t know me, but here he was giving me the keys to his car. I took the keys, asked where he had parked and what kind of car it was…”white”…”Ok, but what model” “it’s a van”….

Because the departed was a dear friend, we had been asked to ride to church in the mortuary’s limo. The other occupants, her daughter and son-in-law, were starting to leave the church so I didn’t have time to quiz him about his van. I planned to push the horn button until a white van answered.

I told my husband to wait in the limo and I would find the van. The funeral was not large. Many of the older family members and friends did not attend due to the weather.

To make a long story short, I found the van, (using the honking horn as my guide) and drove it to the church door. The elderly gentleman and his wife were waiting for me. They did not go to the cemetery nor to the luncheon following the ceremony so to this day I don't know who they were and I have never seen them again.

Although this wasn’t an outstanding act of kindness, in my heart I felt that I had done something very good.

Like to Save Money? Who Doesn't?

2011-03-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce you to free discount offers. Maybe you've never heard of Groupon, but it is a great way to stretch your dollars.

Groupon will send you a daily email offering discounts in your own city….and, if you are a business, you can also take advantage of the Groupon magic.

Groupon constantly negotiates huge discounts—usually 50-90% off—for restaurants, stores and services. A few questions about yourself will enable Groupon to offer specially discount coupons just for you!......like to play golf, tennis, have massages, get your car detailed, or get a new hairdo (or color)? There may be a discount coupon waiting for you right now!

And, if you plan to travel...type the name of the city you'll be visiting and get discounts for places there....

To make the deal even sweeter, you can earn $10 in Groupon Bucks by inviting friends.

Need Baseball Tickets?

2011-02-04T13:49:00.000-08:00

Need Baseball Tickets?

Ken and I are avid baseball fans, and, if possible like to visit as many well-known baseball stadiums and professional baseball teams as we can. And that means getting tickets to the games. Since we live in the Midwest, we rely on Ticket America to find us the best, most reasonably priced tickets available.

Looking for tickets to a New York Yankees game? No problem, TA has them. Yankee Stadium here we come!

What about a Minnesota Twins game at the Target Center or the Los Angeles Angels playing at Dodger Stadium….Ticket America will have you sitting anywhere in the stadium that you want to be.

Personally, since the weather here is cold, snowy and a typical Nebraska winter, I would opt for something in a warm state….watching the Oakland Athletics in the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in California would be good. But Ticket America can get tickets for many other stadiums in warm or even hot areas.

I dream of watching the Tampa Bay Rays in comfortable box seats at Tropicana Field in Saint Petersburg, Florida or sipping a long, cool one while cheering on the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas.

Some day, if I ever win the Lottery, look for me at them all!

Andrew and the Model Trains

2011-02-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

Andrew's Grandpa Ken is a member of the Nebraska-Iowa RR model train club here in Nebraska and Andrew learned to love trains at an early age (yep, even earlier than his 2 1/2 years).

The club has a free train facility at Nebraska Crossing located on the Interstate between Omaha and Lincoln where the guys keep their trains and run them for the general public. Its a big place and has plenty of room for the trains and for the children and their parents to wander around looking at each of the modules. Members are always willing to discuss their trains, show them off, and invite the visitors to join the train club.

The facility has 7 different train layouts each suited to whichever size model trains the members own. Some are 0 scale others are HO, N and O27. Each layout has buildings and scenery, some have mountains and tunnels and enough track to run 2 or 3 trains at a time.

Andrew and I went to see the trains on Saturday. He was awed by the many different trains, but his very favorite was the Thomas the Train layout. Thomas, Percy, James, and Gordon were all there. (double click on his photo to see the awe in his face when he first saw Thomas the Train)

Chick, one of the train club members, was in charge of the Thomas the Train table. He showed Andrew how to press the red button that made the train whistle blow and from then on he was Andrew's best friend! Andrew would stand next to Chick and would gently tap his arm and say "I blow whistle now?", Chick would nod "yes" and Andrew would have Thomas toot tooting all around the track.

It was a fun way to spend a hot Nebraska afternoon....in an air-conditioned building surrounded by model trains, train books and guys who were more than willing to pick up little boys and girls to give them a better look at the trains going around the tracks.

And, if you're lucky, you'll see a real train engineer dressed in his striped overalls and cap....he'll make his train toot-toot for you too!

World's Greatest Hobby - Model Railroading

2011-01-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

It was a busy weekend for my husband Ken. Ken has a hobby…
O scale model trains. This week Omaha had a huge model train exhibit/show the World's Greatest Hobby that showcases the hobby of model railroading.

Ken’s train club, Nebraska-Iowa Railroaders were showing their train layouts, running model trains and talking, talking, talking about their hobby. Ken was amazed at the amount of people who attended, over 18,000 and that crowd control was not a problem. The biggest hit by far was the free Thomas the Train ride….children were lined up behind the velvet rope barricades which stretched along one whole side of the Quest Center showroom.

Whoever came up with the idea of putting stanchions and barricades in front of some of the train layouts was really thinking…..hundreds of children and their parents gathered around the trains and trying to touch everything would have been a real problem if there were not some sort of crowd control. Ever try telling a 3 year old that he CAN’T touch the trains? Not easy.

Ken and his club members felt that this show was a definite success….the club is always looking for new members and quite a few people were interested in joining. It’s funny to watch people, especially the men…..they are fascinated by the trains, almost if not more so than the kids. The layouts are so realistic that you can’t believe you’re not watching a real train wind its way through mountains, over rivers, into cities and farmlands. It’s a great hobby.

Information For The Child Care Provider

2011-01-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

Information for the Child Care Provider

Guest post written by Rolf Tate

Pre school children are fun to take care of and so full of questions, you can never answer them all. But when you take care of young children as a profession, it helps to know all you can about them. There are many programs available for the student teacher to use as a learning to regarding young children and how they think. New information is becoming available all the time on health issues, family issues and how to entertain a child in your care. You want to know all you can so you can provide the best care and entertainment for the children. It will make the parents a lot more confident in your ability to care for more than one child at a time and when they pick up a happy child, it makes for a happy adult.

You can use your DVR to record programs on Cable TV Sports Deals that provide information and studies on young children for care providers and you can even keep a collection of programs meant to entertain and teach children about number, letters and relationships with families. It is a great benefit to every student teacher and child care provider in order to learn the right way to handle problems and questions from happy children and children in need.

Christmas and My Mom Make Good Sense

2011-01-12T16:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas and My Mom Make Good Sense

Authored by Leandro Delgado

I wouldn't spend a Christmas without my mother. She's a lot older these days, and time moves more slowly when I am with her. However, her mind is strong and she enjoys Christmas. We may not be able to decorate a tree together anymore, but we can share the good times.

My parents live two states away. Sometimes I fly out for Christmas at their home, while other times I will drive. It really depends upon my work schedule and how quickly I need to come back from the holiday. One thing I can feel safe about is that I set my HOME SECURITY before I left. Now that's peace of mind!

When I get to my parents' home, Dad and I get busy decorating. While he's not as frail as my mom, he needs help getting the Christmas tree down from the attic. I have no problem helping my parents fill their home with cheer. It's a great way to give back for all the wonderful things they have done for me.

My parents are popular in their little neighborhood. Because so many senior citizens live there, they usually spend holidays together. We take turns eating at each other's homes, and the food is really good. Everyone brings a pot luck dish.

I'm so glad my parents are around to spend Christmas with!

Water Damage and Floppy Fish....Oh My!

2011-01-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

YUCK! Seems like this is the year of water damage jobs austin….lots of rain causing drains to…not drain. Luckily many people do not have basements to worry about. But if you do, you know what a miserable mess that can be. Water seeps through the foundation and drains across the floor, carpets get wet and furniture is damaged. Some costs will be covered with water damage homeowners insuranc e austin but its still a mess.

But rain and snow isn’t the only way water can cause damage. We had a problem several years ago with salt water. We had a LARGE fish tank in our den…beautiful tropical fish. One morning we went into the den and found ourselves walking on a squshy, soggy Oriental rug. And, the fish tank was nearly drained (onto our floor). The tropical fish were flopping around in the remaining 5” of water.

And the floor, the beautiful water damage hardwood austin floor, looked awful. After we finished crying, we called the Steam Team and they were at our home within an hour. We only lost three fish, have a new fish tank and the Oriental rug and hardwood floor look as if nothing ever happened. In fact, the hardwood floor looks better.

My Christmas Angels

2011-01-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

Peace and quiet reigns again in our household. The grandchildren are back in their own homes (including two dogs which were unexpected) and Ken and I are left to ourselves. Three of our children live in our home town, Omaha, NE and one daughter and family live in Naperville, IL. The cousins love getting together and enjoying each other's zanyness......they have a closeness that distance can't diminish.

I find it hard to believe that our oldest grandson, Mason is a college freshmen at North Central College in Naperville, IL and Jenny our funlovin' "pumpkin girl" will enter the Univ. of Nebraska in 2011. Both are planning to enter the medical field, Mason in Dentistry/Oral Surgery and Jennifer plans to major in Lasik Eye Surgery.

"Sweet Boy" Andrew is now three....and still would rather stay with Grandma and Poppa instead of attending day care...which he tearfully tells us each time he leaves to go home.

Rebecca is a talented artist....she excels in drawing cartoons and "animae" figures. She will be a freshman in high school in 2011. She is the image of her mother, tall, willowy and beautiful.

The three remaining grandsons, Connor, Hayden and Austin are all active in sports in their schools. Connor and Hayden are following in their brother Mason's footsteps (and grandma's) by playing competitive tennis....I take credit for their success.....I taught them tennis when they could barely hold a racket.

Austin plays soccar, runs track and plays football. Aus is definitely his father's son...a fisherman and a hunter. He bagged his first buck this fall....the head of which is now mounted and on his bedroom wall.

We feel so blessed.

One Happy Mom

2011-01-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

One Happy Mom

Guest post written by my buddy Fidel Hernandez

As a parent I try very hard to monitor what the children watch on the Satellite tv offers, but there is one program I don't mind them watching. After a busy morning of breakfast and getting chores started, I need the break when the kids are settled down to watch Sesame Street on PBS. I look forward to AM, not only because they enjoy their program, but they are really learning at the same time.

They enjoy Oscar, Elmo and Big Bird and I enjoy hearing the laughter and singing that comes from the family room. They learn so much from this program, giving them a little head start before they actually start the school situation. Not only do they learn the alphabet and numbers, but manners and sharing, as well. It is a wonderful show for them to watch before lunch time and then a nap. I'm thrilled that it has a positive impact on them, knowing it co-ordinates with I'm trying to teach them. I get a kick out of taking them to a store and they can point out the characters on the show and relate to the things they have observed during the show. Sesame Street has been on for years and should continue, as it is one show you don't object to youngsters watching.

Our Two Grown up Grandchildren

2011-01-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

Meet our two oldest grandchildren .....Mason is 19 and Jennifer is 18. Mason lives in Naperville, IL and Jenny in Omaha, NE.

Jennifer is a Senior in High School....she is active in basketball and soccer...both of which she loves. She also is a qualified licensed soccer referee and particularly enjoys working with the young soccer players.

She is sweet, loving and beautiful inside and out. We are so proud that she is our granddaughter.

Mason graduated in May of 2010. He is a varsity tennis player and also plays bass in a rock band...Runaway Freight Train.

Along with that, he is a great student and in general, enjoys his life in Naperville, Illinois. Mase started North Central College in Naperville this fall starting on his journey to become a dentist/oral surgeon.......this summer he is worked part-time in a dental office. With his looks and personality, he will have all the young ladies in Naperville beating down the door to have their dental problems taken care of. We couldn't ask for a better grandson.

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, and I Love You!

2011-01-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, and I Love You!

I appreciate the guest post, Jamie Guy

How can anyone not love the outstanding HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! every year? It is extremely entertaining and memorable, not to mention fun to watch.

I read once that the great Boris Karloff, who does the voice for the mean old Grinch, almost didn't get cast for the part because some thought he might make the green one too scary. Personally, I think that is so funny. The Grinch has to be scary, or there's no point to this story at all.

I love this animated special, and it is without a doubt my most favorite one to watch seasonally. I just finished watching it on Cable TV deals again, and the truth is that I watch this hour long program throughout the year.

It's not just Karloff and the animators who make How the Grinch Stole Christmas! a success. To be honest, I think it's the singer who does that deep, "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch," and all of the other lines. That has stayed with me since childhood.

All of the verses are so haunting, and they have a great beat to them. I live to hear that song sung throughout the animated show.

Second to that, I just love little Cindy Lou Who. The name in itself makes me smile. Let's give credit to that funny mutt, too. What fun he is!

ESPN: The Gold Standard

2010-12-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

When I have work to do at home, I turn on sports. I find that sports provides me with good background noise while, at the same time, providing me with a great viewing experience when I'm in need of a break from what I'm working on. As such, there's nothing that I enjoy more than turning on my direct tv offers and flipping the channel to ESPN. The men and women from Bristol, Connecticut are the gold standard for sports reporting for a reason; they know how to be informative and insightful about the subject of sports while still providing entertainment in the bargain.

My favorite show on ESPN is easily SportsCenter, especially during the mornings. I usually don't wake up in enough time to watch the start of a show, but that just means I can watch the next show until it roughly loops around to the point where I came in and then I'm all caught-up on my sports knowledge. It's particularly fascinating nowadays, with SportsCenter often being live and flipping from coast to coast between hours. Still, I don't feel that I miss anything. Most importantly, SportsCenter provides me with the sports knowledge I'm invested in while allowing me to finish whatever pressing task I have in mind. I haven't found that combination with any other channel. Thats why I cherish SportsCenter and ESPN; information and productivity in the same package are not to be taken lightly.

Thanks for the post, Lorraine Gregory

In-Store Christmas Music

2010-12-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

In-store Christmas Music

Guest post of the week by Moises Henderson

Christmas shopping is one of my favorite activities during the holidays and nothing makes it more special than the lovely selection of Christmas music that plays over the loudspeakers of the stores I visit. I appreciate a wide variety of music, both religious, serious, and playful, as I shop for the items that my family will love the most. It's one of my most cherished Christmas traditions and something that I look forward to every year. My family tags along sometimes, but when I'm shopping for them I'm always on my own. I don't believe in bringing them anywhere near the store where they can sneak to see what I'm buying them.

Before I leave for my shopping adventure, I always set my home security alarm from www.securitychoice.com/ to make sure that the Christmas presents I already have in my house will be safe while I'm away. It does no good to bring home more Christmas presents if the presents I've already bought have been stolen.

As I shop I think about the wonderful feelings I have during Christmas music and how it makes me feel closer to my family and the spirit of Christmas in general. I love the kind of things that make me get more into the spirit of Christmas and I will always do my best to make sure that I bring this spirit to my family.

Corky's 2010 Christmas Letter

2010-12-24T06:23:00.000-08:00

Corky is a distant cousin, I have never met her in person....only through her emails and letters. She is not young in body but is young in spirit and her outlook on the world is wonderful. This is her 2010 Christmas letter and I'd like to share it with you.

Dear folks,

Christmas is almost here and as usual It conjures up feelings, and memories that are different from any other time of the year. To me I feel excitement, a feeling of eagerness, and expectation, yet for some reason I feel a quietness, a silence, and a feeling of peace and Love surround me as I go into a dim corner, and sit quietly in my rocker and mentally think of the day we celebrate as Christmas, the Day the, Christ Child our Savior was born.

I was a Child of the Great Depression. In those days we looked forward to Christmas in great excitement even though we knew Christmas would be mighty slim. In everyday life, we seldom had fruit, but on Christmas Eve. the fireman gave away oranges, apples, and sometimes other things such as nuts and sometimes candy canes. we'd pull our little red wagon that was about worn out, but would still roll along, and wait in line for our turn. We loved those firemen.

I could seldom sleep on Christmas Eve, It was the same feeling I get now before I leave on a long flight across the world. I just can't sleep and don't know why. Christmas Eve was the longest night of the year. I waited in agony for the break of day, and as soon as the sun rose over the horizon, sending it's pale glow into my window, I was up and in the Living room, where our small tree, trimmed with hand strung Popcorn and small paper ornaments we had made in school stood rather crookedly , but was fresh and smelled like the pine scent of the woods. It was beautiful to us. Remember Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder.

As a rule my parents managed to have at least one small gift for each of us. As a parent now I know why I heard my Mother crying one night, and as I slipped out of bed, I saw my Dad patting her on the back, I wondered what was wrong, Now I know, Times were so bad and she couldn't get the things for her babies that she would have liked to have given to them.

I sat and pondered over past Christmas's, I thought about the day the Savior was born, How Mary and Joseph must have felt. How the pressure upon them that day and night had to be frightening, the Baby soon to be born and no place to have a dry and private area for her to bring The "Savior," into the world. How grateful they had to be for the Stall and the bed of sweet Smelling hay to lay the," King of Kings," on as they wrapped him in Swaddling cloths and gazed into his glowing face. I though how unaware of the blessings we were given, even in the bad times when we had no money, and food was hard to come by. No matter if we have gifts, money, or fancy food, the gift of the Savior was the Greatest Gift anyone has ever been given.

On this day, I want to feel the hugs of my family, I think of the days when I was young and it was no problem cooking a 25 pound turkey for Christmas dinner, (I had Ralph wrestle that big bugger around) HA. I had to fix Yankee Dressing and Southern. His had toasted bread, and mine had Corn Bread. My Children hung their stockings on the mantel, and although we didn't get the fruit and nuts from the firehouse any more they had their stockings bulging with small present's and nuts,

Ralph and I would sit up after the children were in bed, we would drink homemade Egg Nog, listened to Christmas music, and cuddled together on the couch. If we had money, he would buy me a piece of Costume Jewelry, but as a rule the money went to the Children's Christmas. I look back into my memories and see all of them as plain as day, How I love the gift of memories, and thank the," Lord," for the gift of family, and of all the great times I have been given to remember them in my life. How grateful I am for Randy, My son who gives me pleasure to see and visit these days.

I do hope y'all are building memories and making dreams come true, that no matter if you have Yankee dressing, or Southern, or both, if it is served with gravy, and LOVE, You have it made.

So gather your family, make the memories, Love one another, and remember, Christmas is the time to give gifts, but the reason for it is to remember it is in memory of the gifts the wise Men brought to the one born on this day in a Manger in Bethlehem, the,"Christ Child ,"who was born to be our Savior and Redeemer .

I wish y'all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, I for one am grateful for the gift of another year to be able to write to you , build memories with each one of you. I want you to know how grateful I am to all of you, for being the wonderful, and kind friends and family to me that you are, and for this wonderful Life, even for the hard test we often have to overcome, because after the Storm, the Sun does cast her warm and beautiful rays all around us once more. Life is wonderful even with the bumps we often stubble over.

Until we meet again next Christmas, I leave you my, Love and I Hope Y'all will have, Good Health, a Job, and lots of happiness in your family life.

Love to you all, Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Corky

Designer Scrubs for the Medical Community

2010-12-21T20:12:00.001-08:00

I always wanted to be a nurse…that is until I discovered that nurses learn how to give shots and draw blood by practicing on each other! But those immaculate white uniforms and cute little caps were very tempting. And, the possibility of finding a doctor to marry seemed pretty good.

The white uniforms have long gone by the wayside, and in their place are “nursing scrubs”. The typical nurse uniform you’ll see in hospitals now is much different, very colorful and probably much more practical. Wearing white in a hospital surgery probably wasn’t the best idea in the first place.

I’ve seen scrub tops in various colors, but shades of green and dark or light blue seem to be most popular. In the children’s areas the nurses wear scrub tops with animals or toy motifs….once in a while you’ll see one with bubbles…strange.

Even my dentist and dental hygienist are wearing scrub clothing…..which no doubt makes scrubs pants and scrub tops the designer uniform of choice of the entire medical community.

Intense School, Your Future in Cisco Networking Fields

2010-12-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

What are CCENT and CCNA?

CCENT stands for Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician and CCNA is Cisco Certified Network Associate…ok, what are they? A certified CDENT/CCNA professional can install, configure and operate programs which are necessary for successful careers in the Cisco networking Field.

Intense School is a leader in training and certifying computer professionals who require hands-on practice and exercises to succeed in real-world, skill building training. Their course is designed to take a student through the authorized Cisco curriculum which results in certification in this field.

These courses are offered in the following areas…Chicago CCNA, San Diego CCNA, Virginia Cisco Course and Virginia MCITP

Since CCNA certification is a key route for network professionals careers in the Cisco internetworking field, Intense School has created an Authorized CCNA training course designed specifically for network engineers and administrators.

I LOVE BigCrumbs

2010-12-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

Do you sell items online? Have an Ebay, Etsy, Amazon store? Or do you find great buys on the internet for yourself?

Get Cash Back On What You Already Buy and Cash Back from Your Referrals

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If you already buy online from stores like A Pea in the Pod, Tractor Supply, Buy Costumes, CafePress, Kohls, Holabird Sports, why not get a little money back on your purchases??

Put BigCrumbs on your desktop and start shopping. Click on the alphabetical referral links to visit your favorite stores, then shop as usual. Don't forget Ebay....you'll receive a portion of the seller's final value fee on anything you buy.

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Andrew's Favorites

2010-12-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

Child's Train Engineer Cap, Bandana and Whistle Age 3+

Have a little train enthusiast in the family? Our 3 year old grandson Andrew loves his train cap, bandana and of course the wooden train whistle. He does his best to sound like a train whistle but he needs a little more ummpth when he blows!

I have two engineer train hat, bandana and whistle sets for sale....one with a red bandana and one with blue. They are new, never worn or blown.. The bandanas are trianglar and are 29" x 19" x 19". They are one thickness since the square bandanas doubled over made it too bulky for a child.

The Engineer's hat is adjustable in the back to allow room for growth! The wooden whistle is 6" long.

The set costs $12.00 including postage. Contact me at jeanjb@cox.net if you would like one.

Things to Look forward to in 2011

2010-12-13T07:44:00.000-08:00

Our youngest son has decided to buy a home of his own…..he’s single but with “possibilities” of marrying in the near future. He’s always been one of those “pay cash if you can” guys, so although his credit is good he hasn’t built up a substantial credit rating and we’ve been trying to find a lending agency to work with. I’m not sure if he is ready to take on the responsibility of owning a home, especially with upkeep, lawn work and all things associated with home ownership. Right now he lives in an apartment and these things are taken care of.

Gosh, there are so many lenders out there….how does one know which one is the best? Who is the right lender? What kind of mortgage is needed….an adjustable rate (ARM) or fixed rate. My husband and I have experience with ARMs…..not good. So our advice was for him to get a fixed rate, which as a first time buyer looks to be fairly good.

Since he’s not a veteran, is not disabled and although his income isn’t the greatest, he probably isn’t considered to be a person with low income so VA or FHA loans wouldn’t be an option. When do parents stop worrying and helping their children? The answer in our case is NEVER!

2010-11-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

Even on a good day shopping is not my favorite pasttime and the craziness during last year’s Black Friday was the worst. But nevertheless my daughter and I headed downtown on Friday at 5:30 AM…she just to have a certain item for my grandson but instead of going to a big name store, we drove to a little hole-in-the-wall store that had a tiny ad for it in the Shoppers Guide. I think everyone in Naperville, IL had the same idea….why fight crowds at Wal-Mart when we could buy at a store that practically no one knew about…..Wrong!

After standing in the cold and foggy parking lot and being elbowed by some not-so-nice shoppers (who obviously did not have their morning coffee) we were able to buy the thing (I don’t even remember what it was), trudged through the parking lot, packed it in the car trunk, and prepared to leave.

Hello….there was a man with an over-loaded shopping cart standing behind our car….I waited for him to move….he didn’t. Actually he's lucky I didn't back over him since I didn't notice him as I prepared to put the car into reverse. He just stood there … we could see each other through the rear window. Finally I opened the car door and asked “can I help you?” We were parked in a “senior citizen” parking spot and although I am 73, I thought maybe he was going to say something about “this parking place is for people over 65” Yaaaaa doggies…..maybe I can pass for under 65!

He stared at me for a few seconds and said “I think I’m at the wrong car!” He was a store employee and was supposed to be helping someone take packages to their car…..with the shopping frenzy going on and the early morning fog, he lost sight of her on the way to her car…..when saw us getting into our car he thought “ah, there she is!”

Later, all I could think of was “buddy, be thankful that we are honest people otherwise my grandson would have had the best Christmas ever !!”

Jenny and Andrew at Halloween

2010-10-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

Our granddaughter Jennifer is a senior at Millard West High School and her club holds a Halloween Party every year. The party is held in the school gym and club members man various booths, the basketball toss, donuts on a hanging string, golf, face painting, everything little kids like to do. And, no matter how they did, they received a prize. Thats the best kind of party.

Jenny's cousin Andrew was old enough to really take part in the fun, although his favorite was the basketball toss. He was a little uncertain about some of the other kids' costumes......ghosts, vampires, mummys. They scared him. He did like the Power Rangers and funny ones though. We wanted to take photos of Jen and Andrew, but he was too occupied with the games...so we had to bribe him...."Andrew, come over and stand by Jenny and I'll give you this tootsie pop".

He'll do anything for a tootsie pop, so he ran over to Jen, stood for a minute, smiled and was gone again.

Grandchildren are so much fun!

County Fair Memories

2010-10-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

When I look back on my childhood, one of the favorite things that I always looked forward to every year, almost as much as Christmas even, was the county fair. I was a little daredevil back then, or I at least thought that I was, so I would make my mom worry and ride all of the rides.

I was looking online at some info about the state fair because I want to take my family there this year when I found some info on some internet deals and decided to click on them instead.

Now that I'm a little older and some sports injuries have come back to rear their ugly heads, I don't really do fair rides and when the kids want to ride them my husband will ride them with them instead. But I still love going to the fair and eating all the fair food and how much my grandkids love going to it. The kids love the food too, but they're still preoccupied with the rides now.

Fredthedog Loves Nylabone Dog Chews!

2010-09-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Our Cocker Spaniel, Fredthedog (aka Copper Valley Flintstone) is getting old, but is in darn good shape for his age. He's in great health and even his teeth are in good condition, except for one that cracked after biting into a steak bone.

We have a Costco membership and each month a coupon book with lots of bargains and sales comes in the mail.

This time, one of the coupons was for Nylabone Nubz, Edible Dental Dog Chews, and was for a whopping $3.50...talk about great bargains ! Fred loves Nubz Dental Treats....we buy a box of 18 large size bones and break them into 36 small pieces. Hey, we like to be thrifty even when buying treats for him. We try to buy the healthiest, natural dog foods and treats that we can find. That's one reason that at age 14 he is full of energy and scampers around like a frisky 9 year old.

Nubz are made with real chicken, have no added sugar, salt or preservatives and are made in the USA. Do your dog and yourself a favor...fresh breath, healthy gums and white teeth ......what more can you ask from a dog treat!

We Need Regular Exercise

2010-08-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

What's so good about regular exercise? Apart from the well-known and significant cardiovascular benefits, regular exercise helps you maintain, strengthen, and continually upgrade your store and supply of connective tissue - muscle and bone.

Weight-bearing exercise is the key. One of the primary structural purposes of bone is load-bearing. Your long bones are designed to support the weight of your body and carry that weight around in three-dimensional space. Your skeletal muscles (voluntary muscle) support the functions of bone. Muscles are the tissues that move bones and joints. The bones passively bear the loads and the muscles actively move around those weight-bearing loads.

But your body is very smart. If you're not doing enough physical work your body will begin to break down muscle and bone tissue and use those biochemical components elsewhere, where the need is greater. In order to maintain the optimal health of your muscles and bones, you need to do sufficient exercise - regularly and ongoingly.

Grandma's New Stores.....Goodbye Ebay

2010-08-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

After several years of selling items online, I have decided to close my Ebay store. Ebay has changed their policies, resulting in higher listing and final value fees for sellers. I am a small seller, I do not have volumes and volumes of merchandise and although it was once fun and a little profitable to sell items, it no longer is. Remember when Ebay first started...."sell those unwanted items in your basement, attic or clothes closet" Its not that way anymore....the big merchandise sellers have taken over, and many of the "sell your unwanted items" sellers have been left behind.

Three new auction sites are on the market. I have stores on each of them.

Three new auction sites are on the market. I have stores on each of them.

Come over and have a look!

MJs Closet

Starchilds

Le Boicour Boutique

And don’t forget about BigCrumbs Save money on 1000+ online purchases!

If not, you'll never know what you're missing

Almost a Disaster!

2010-05-27T05:38:00.001-07:00

Wow...I woke up with a really stiff neck on Saturday morning....I didn't do anything to cause it on Friday, so attributed it to sleeping with my head off/on the pillow, having no pillow or I just plain "slept wrong"....whatever....happens sometime.

By Monday it was really bothering me, aspirin and Ibuprofen wasn't helping...so decided to put heat on it (yeh, wrong, should have iced it) Anyway, I rolled up a hand towel and popped it into the microwave for a minute to warm up.

It did a nice job of warming and it felt great on my stiff neck.

Ken was reading the morning paper, looked up and said "are you cooking something?" By then, I could smell something.....actually it smelled pretty good. Then I saw a wisp of smoke float past my nose.

I took the towel off my neck and noticed that I had burned a spot on it. When I unrolled the towel, there was a smoldering fire in the middle...it was round, about the size of a dime and looked like a cigarette burn....the edges were red and smoking. When the towel was unrolled, it exposed the smoldering area to air, and wham, bang, I had a little fire in my towel.

I had absolutely no idea that the microwave would cause the center of the towel to catch on fire. I suppose that's how food cooks, from the inside out.

A little longer and it could have burst into flame, caught my hair on fire, and do some serious damage. As it was, I only smelled like a bonfire ....

Grandpa and Andrew

2010-05-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Both Ken and Andrew had a busy day....Ken was working in and on my flower garden, and Dru spent his time feeding Cheerios to Fredthedog on the back deck. A few hours of fresh air wore both of them out.

This spring we planted a flower garden around our little pond in the back yard. Then, after the dogs found it was fun to hop into the pond on hot days, had to put a decorative wrought iron fence around it. This also cut down on the visits from the many rabbits, possums and raccoons who used it as a watering hole. Unfortunately, we have a little bunny rabbit who visited last night and nibbled ALL the blooms from Ken's favorite daisies plus ate all the lower leaves from the Asian lilies, making them look like palm trees, bare stalk with a mass of leaves on top.

I am really miffed at the squirrels that make their homes in the two oak trees in our front and back yards. I didn't mind them jumping off one tree and bouncing along the roof to the red oak in the back.....even though it is usually about 6:30 am when I'd hear them ta-bump, ta-bump, ta-bumping as they pranced along on the roof above our bed. But, when they started to dig up my newly planted tulip bulbs and either replace them with walnuts or acorns....that was tooooo much~!

We bought a "humane" critter trip in hopes of catching them. The little bunny who has eaten most of my husband's prize Asian lilies is also on my list...I've put fresh sweet pea pods and carrots in the trap, hoping that he/she will be enticed to stop by and have fresh veggies instead of our flowers......much cheaper too.

We have caught several possums and once, the raccoon who had been supplementing his diet with fresh fish from our neighbor's goldfish pond. All we could do is to turn the possums and raccoon lose.

The raccoon was a cute little guy, he didn't snarl and show his teeth like the possums did. We just opened the trap and out he scampered, right to the nearest tree and up. Since this was early evening, I imagine he came back down when it got dark and returned to where ever his home was.

The goldfish are still disappearing from the neighbor's pond, so spending a few hours in a cage and in an unfamiliar tree wasn't too traumatic.

Politeness and manners

2010-01-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

Our little Andrew is 27 months old and he's learning basic manners. Of course "please" and "thank you" are top on the list. Every time he is given something, the giver says "thank you"....eventually he will learn that this is what is expected and said when given something or someone does something nice to help him.

On Halloween he and his sister went to a Halloween Party at Becca's school. He did his best to say "thank you" when something was put into his bag, but the best he could do was "fu fu"...its a start.

"Please" is another favorite word around our house, "Andrew, please drink your milk" or "please do not brush the dog with grandma's hair brush". As he gets older, he will understand that please is a very good word to know.

Our other "must know" is opening a door and holding it open for others, ladies in particular, i.e. not rushing to open a door and then bolting through it, leaving it to slam in the face of whoever is behind him. Or, if someone opens a door or holds it open for him, to use the #1 word, "thank you".

If a person, male or female holds a store door open and allows me to enter first, I always say "thank you"..(my mother was big on manners too)...sometimes, especially with younger folks, they get a look of surprise on their faces and almost always say "you're welcome". And, I'll bet they have a good feeling about themselves for the rest of the day.

When our 16 year old son started dating, one of his many girlfriends remarked to me...."I've never had a boy open and hold the door for me".....well kiddo, Jeffrey had that drummed into him before he was 5 years old.

Although Andrew doesn't pronounce words too well (after all, he's barely over 2) another thing he hears and will soon say on his own is "Love you"...whenever anyone in our household leaves the house on an errand, we say "love you" . Our grandchildren hug us and say "Love you Grandma" or "Love you Grandpa" ... whenever they leave.

Words like "please", "thank you", and "love you" only take a few minutes to say but create a good feeling for both.

Politeness and manners....Please and Thank you....just the beginning !!!!

For the musically inclined two year old!

2010-01-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Andrew is a charter member of the "terrible twos" club. He is opinionated, stubborn, inquisitive, and his favorite word is "NO", right up there with "MINE" . He has a passion for lights, wanting to turn them on and off, on and off...our electric bill will see a definite increase this month. He wants to do everything himself and has a tantrum if he cannot. When I threaten him with "do you want a time-out", he'll mellow out, shake his head and say "no, no". His time-out is spent in the much used play-pen.

Andrew's cousin Mason lives in Naperville, IL and plays in a band, Runaway Freight Train....Mason graduated from high school this year as did the other 3 band members. Mase sent us a video of one of their 'gigs' at the RibFest Festival in Naperville.

Andrew loves the music and stands in front of the TV singing and dancing to the beat. Or, he will pull out his set of bongo drums, a pair of his sister's old drumsticks and whack the dickens out of the bongos, alternating with clang, clang, clang on the cymbals. Its a hoot!

Memories of my first and only Love

2009-12-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

You're listening to the radio when suddenly "that" song comes on. You know the one ....it was "your" song when you were dating that special person. You stop what you're doing and the memories come flooding back.

I am back in high school, walking down the halls of South High School in Omaha, Nebraska. I remember the joy of seeing my special guy and holding hands as we talked on the way to our next class. Somehow I knew that he was the "one".

We dated throughout high school and spent many evenings in his car, parked in "lover's lane" (with about a dozen other cars) and listening to Johnny Mathis, Pat Boone and other crooners of our era.

We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in April 2009 and he is still my one and only and my best friend. This is our special song and it can still bring tears to my eyes.

**********

The Twelfth of Never by Johnny Mathis

You ask how much I need you

Must I explain

I need you oh my darling

Like roses need rain

You ask how long I'll love you

I'll tell you true

Until the twelfth of never

I'll still be loving you

Hold me close

Never let me go

Hold me close

Melt my heart like April snow

I'll love you 'till the blue bells forget to bloom

I'll love you 'till the clover has lost its perfume

I'll love you 'till the poets run out of rhyme

Until the twelfth of never

And that's a long long time

Until the twelfth of never

And that's a long long time

*********

Is there a special song in your life?

Mr. Sandman Bring Me a Dream

2009-12-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

“Please Mr. Sandman, Bring me a Dream”…. Remember that old song? So, just who is this Mr. Sandman? The Sandman is a well-known character in many children’s stories and the favorite of mothers of little children everywhere. “Time for the Sandman”…”Oh, oh, Mr. Sandman is on the way”

The Sandman comes at night to sprinkle “sand” or “dust” into the eyes of sleepy children (or adults) and send them off to dreamland.

What! You don’t believe me! Didn't you ever wake up in the morning with gritty eyes with maybe a little grain of “something” in the corners? Yep, its Mr. Sandman at work!

Hmmm, you’re too worldly to believe that aren't you. Actually the "sand" is dried mucus secreted from glands near the eye. The mucus helps the eye retain moisture at night and protects it against foreign particles. When you sleep, the closed eyelids retain the moisture allowing the mucus to gather in the corners of the eye. When you wake, the dried mucus feels like sand in your eyes or a little piece of grit in the corner.

And another myth bites the dust!

Christmas Shopping...Bah Humbug!

2009-11-18T13:59:00.000-08:00

Yep, its that time again…..presents under the tree, mistletoe and bright colored lights. I enjoy Christmas, but always dread looking for presents for our grandchildren….we have seven, ranging in age from 18 years to age 2….both boys and girls. What on earth do I get the older ones that is up-to-date, trendy and something their friends wouldn’t find at the local mall…...or do I just settle for gift cards? Its a no-brainer this year… its time to visit Ed Hardy .

What! You’ve never heard of Ed Hardy !! Ed Hardy is one of the great clothing lines featured at Zappos, an online store. Ed Hardy’s line has unique clothing, shoes, fragrances, belts, eyewear, hats plus Ed Hardy kid’s shoes. I let my grandkids each pick out one item from the store.

Jenny and Becca usually choose one of Ed Hardy’s colorful, fitted tee shirts or one of the new fragrances, Connor, Mason and Hayden look for sunglasses or the wildest shoes they can find, Austin wavers between shoes and hats.

Our little 2 year old grandson Andrew, isn’t old enough to choose, so Mom gets to pick out his gift. Ed Hardy has some really sharp clothes for the little guys too. And when I buy Ed Hardy items from Zappos, the shipping is FREE!

H1N1 Flu Shots - Got mine..Did you?

2009-11-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hi....have you received your H1N1 flu shot yet.....how about the kids?

We've been having a mega push towards getting the shots....all kids in school, with permission slips, received shots either yesterday or will get them today. I've never seen such a frantic drive to get everyone inoculated.

Nancy, Rebecca, Andrew, Ken and I got our shots at Burke High School yesterday. Shots were to be given between 4:30 and 8:30 at Burke and Benson High Schools....they will eventually be given in more areas in Omaha, but these were the only ones this week. Supposedly you were not supposed to be there until 4:30.....ha, people were lining up at 1:00....and making a real mess with school traffic. Practically every kid in Burke High has a car and at 3:00 it is a ZOO ... add a thousand extra cars and it was chaos x 10.

Soooo, since the traffic around Burke was horrendous, we decided to walk up and back. We only live 5 blocks away from the campus and it was a fairly decent November day. We started out at 4:15, when we got there we went to the end of the line....according to the newspaper, it stretched for 1/2 mile around Burke and ended at the edge of the Soccer field. Ken was fit-to-be-tied and was ranting all the way..he has no patience and standing in line does NOT make him happy.

We took our place in line at 4:45 and didn't get into the school to get our shots until 8:15....they said there were more than 4,000 people in line waiting. At 8:30 they cut off the line and anyone standing behind a certain spot would not be able to get the shot. I would not have wanted to be the person who announced that. And, for 4,000+ people, there were 2 porta potties....the lines there were L-O-N-G .... can you imagine all those little boys tinkling into a porta potty or at least trying to.

Luckily the temperature wasn't too bad but did get pretty chilly after 7:00. However live-wire Andrew was happy as a clam....he was running as fast as his little legs could carry him around the campus green area. Both Becca and I were busy chasing him. When we got closer to busy Burke Street and the school gravel parking lot, I put his "child harness" on him....don't know what the people in line thought as they watched us. I was waiting for some one to say "poor little boy on a leash" or some other comment....I would have set them straight right away...."would you like to be holding or chasing a 2 year old for 3 hours"

Ken and I had to get the shot because we "take an aspirin" a day...Poor little Andrew had the shot because he had a regular flu shot a month ago. Nancy and Rebecca were lucky and just had the mist.

All in all, we're all glad it's over!

Our Sweet Boy is now two!

2009-10-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

Our little Andrew will be two years old on October 17. The time has just flown by and he has changed from a colicky newborn to a know-it-all two year old. His favorite word is “NO”, accompanied by a vigorous shake of his right hand. Obviously he heard the word “NO” from adults since I don’t think babies are born with that word in their vocabulary.

On his way to becoming a two year old, Andrew went through a period of colic - the worst pain he had ever experienced. (I don’t think childbirth counts)

Hours upon hours of crying, not sleeping and being walked, walked, walked was guaranteed to make his mother burst into tears. “What is wrong with him?” “Should we take him to the hospital (this is usually at 2:00 A.M.)” and the old standby “Call MOM!” (also at 2:00 A.M.)

We finally did find something that helped….Colic Calm Gripe Water. I didn’t know if “Gripe” meant to complain or annoy or if it meant a pain in the stomach but whatever it meant, it did the job.

Andrew is now old enough to tell us what his problem is – generally it’s the dreaded GAS!! He still gets a drop of Gripe Water if necessary!

Love that kiddo!

Are we done yet?????

3 ways to make money at home

2009-10-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

Making money at home....Nope, I’m not talking about a “get rich quick” scheme….you do have to work a little. These are three of my proven favorites.

1. Big Crumbs …BigCrumbs is free to join, and to start using it you simply need to login to the BigCrumbs site through JeansJeans and use their links to retailers to shop, rather than going directly to EBay or the retailers' page.

BigCrumbs is completely FREE! It costs you nothing to join so you can’t lose! You not only get money back on your own shopping, but you get cash back on the shopping of everyone who signs up under you. And it never costs you a dime! You just keep collecting money. It’s a win/win situation.

I use BigCrumbs every time I shop, both on Ebay and on the listed stores. It only takes a minute to sign up ...Put BigCrumbs on your desktop..as a reminder to start there. I travel a lot and it’s amazing how much money is deposited in my PayPal account every month thanks to using Ortiz or Travelocity for airfare and hotel charges. It just keeps coming and coming.

2. Ebay...the tried and true online auction house. I have recently opened a new store Finally Foundit Collectibles .
I offer New & Used items including: books, glassware, Home Decor, model trains, S&P shakersPlus clothing items : Tee shirts, jeans, toddlers and pre-teen, women, teen girls, men, teen boys

Mark us as a favorite and come back often as we list many items each week.

PLUS, purchases in this store will qualify you for BigCrumbs refunds. (be sure to join BigCrumbs by clicking on JeansJeans )

3. eBid....eBid is a new-kid-on-the block sales site. It is similar to Ebay but since eBid does not have the high listing, plus Final Value Fees and requirement that the bidder/buyer use Paypal, items tend to be less expensive. You can find me at MJ's Closet.

The Blueberry Kid

2009-07-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Andrew loves blueberries...he has them for breakfast nearly every morning. But, he's a typical 16 mo. old guy and insists on feeding himself ... of course, he makes a great mess out of it. Its a 50/50 situation....50% in his tummy and 50% on the floor.

Today he had a bowl of Cheerios and blueberries....I have a 5 lb bag of them in the freezer and I scoop out a quarter cup to mix with the Cheerios...no milk added. He is learning to work with a spoon but much prefers to just grab a handful and stuff them into his mouth.

Either way, he has a healthy breakfast. Top that with a sippy cup of milk and he's good to go. I'm thinking of buying a few 3 yr old Blueberry plants ....might as well start growing my own.

Oh well, times a wastin' .... there's chairs to climb, blocks to build, and his morning romp with his ever present pal, Fredthedog. (who is patiently waiting for his 50% which ended up on the floor.)

Time for Grandma to smell goooooood

2009-06-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

I don't usually buy items from "across the pond" but decided to try some perfume from an internet seller, Fragrance Online....It was fairly inexpensive, was the designer perfume that I usually use but I had some doubts about how good it would be.

Much to my surprise it had a really great smell which lasted easily as long as my name brand perfume did. And at a MUCH cheaper price...not a cheap perfume, just at a cheap price.

I bought some perfume for my daughter and also for myself...Lancome for both of us. Since I am the caregiver and, of course the grandmother of little Andrew, I felt I could treat myself once in a while.

Andrew snuggles up and seems to like it a lot, but that could be because I smell so much like his mother!

Candy, gotta love the stuff

2009-06-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

Remember those old fashioned candies....names that you seldom see any more. Try these sites:

http://www.oldtimecandy.com/
http://www.nostalgiccandy.com/
http://www.sweetnostalgia.com/

OK, I admit it, I like candy. When I was a kid, Hersheys was my very, very favorite choice.....those nice sized bars (either they have shrunk or my memory is getting bad) that MELTED.

Now this is a secret just between you and me. I would take a Hershey bar (wrapped of course) and stuff it into my back pocket to soften. Then after the bar was no longer solid, really nice and gooey, I would take it out and unwrap it. Yummmm, licking the melted chocolate off of my fingers and then licking the wrapper was one of the joys of my young life.

At 8 years old....joy came easily.

2009-04-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

What will you find in MJ's Closet ??
**************************
(Anything that you'd expect in a cluttered closet!!!)

Why mothers wear out!

2009-04-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

We are again taking care of our grandson while his mom and dad work. After being in daycare for 4 months, and dealing with colds, runny noses and finally a bout with bronchitis, we decided that grandma and grandpa would feel much better if he was here with us.

BUT, he is now 15 months old and he runs, he climbs, and he is constantly testing to see what he can get away with. He wants to touch or handle everything and gets very upset when we tell him "no, no". He will look at us (me) and purposely touch or grab the object....daring little stinker. The baby doctor says that this is normal....I suppose when our children were young they did the same thing.

And climbing!!! He has discovered that if he stands on the bottom rung of a kitchen chair, he can climb up to the seat, and then after reaching everything he can from there, onto the table itself. Of course, he isn't left alone in the kitchen for this to happen, but its not because he hasn't tried.

On Friday, I had a bowl of green beans sitting on the kitchen counter covered with plastic wrap. He managed to stand on tiptoe and grab the end of the wrap, pulling the whole bowl of cold green beans down on top of himself. The bowl didn't hit him, and didn't break, but he was covered with beans and juice, and totally surprised at how he got himself into this situation.

He considered himself a big deal when he managed to climb onto the living room couch and chair. He climbs up, and sits like the King of Siam with a big, "see, I knew I could do it" grin on his face. How can you get mad at a impish little squirt like that. But don't get me wrong, he is not allowed to run wild....grandpa and grandma are way too experienced for that.

A friend remarked that taking care of a 15 month old will keep us young.

We shall see!

2009-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

What will you find in

MJs Closet ????

Something OLD or Something NEW

Shirley Goodnest and Marcy

2009-03-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes cute little articles are sent to me by my friend Corky...this is one of them.

A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe.

So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her. The neighbor said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.

The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Jeffie as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did this for the whole week. As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Jeffie's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.

Finally she said to Jeffie, 'Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?' Jeffie nonchalantly replied, 'Yeah, I know who she is. 'The little girl said, 'Well, who is she?

''That's just Shirley Goodnest,' Jeffie replied, "and her daughter Marcy". ''Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us?

''Well,' Jeffie explained, 'every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!'

May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always.

Admitting to ENVY!

2009-02-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

I am not a perfect person....... I know that and I regret it (but not always)

When provoked, I do have a temper, I do not clean my house on a regular basis, I do not love holidays (I tolerate them but not love them), and I am often filled with ENVY!

I am envious of people who have tons of money but didn't work to get it. Do they deserve it just because they were lucky enough to be born to rich parents? Are their genes better than mine? Why should they drive expensive cars, buy shoes that cost more than I make in a month, and spend their time at luxury resorts!

I am envious of singers who have no talent but stand on a stage and yell out words to the beat of loud guitars and drums. It's a good day for them if they are sometimes actually on key and the words they yell are not too obnoxious for small children to hear. I envy the money that they receive and even envy the smirks on their faces, knowing they have no real talent and those who buy their photos, disks and tickets to concerts haven't a clue that they are being laughed at.

I am envious of those semi-talented people who can write a blog about doing home repairs, dredging up old recipes or rant about how to make a million dollars by blogging.....and make a million dollars by blogging.

Why not me! Is my blog not good enough? Are the ads too boring to click on ....surely there is something there to interest a viewer or aren't my posts even provocative or cute enough to at least rate a comment?

Where are the hundreds or even thousands of viewers who wander the internet? What do I need to guide them to my site?

Andrew the farmer

2009-01-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Nancy brought Andrew over this morning and good grief, was he ever a wet little puppy! Soaked clear through his diaper, pajamas and blanket. When this guy tinkles, he doesn't fool around.

Nan was late for work and had plucked Drew straight from bed, popped him into the car seat and off they went. Poor Drew...he was groggy but happy when she walked up the kitchen stairs with him.

He's usually happy and contented but now that he's walking, he's beginning to be a little on the ornery side. At 13 months, he can climb, run, go under or over most of the furniture in the living room and dearly loves the kitchen cabinets. He gets very frustrated when he can't open the lower cabinets (due to the latches we've installed) and will throw a hissy fit. But it doesn't last long....he soon finds something else to explore.

Ken and I were on vacation in October and Drew had his first taste of the dreaded DAY CARE! He did not like it at all. He is there early enough for breakfast (7:30am) but it is a "feed yourself" type of breakfast. Dry cereal, pancakes, juice from a sippy cup, anything that can be picked up. Unfortunately he isn't used to doing it himself and was not getting enough breakfast to satisfy his hunger. The end result was a hungry little guy who was not happy and really crabby.

When we came home from our trip, we decided that although Drew didn't like going to Daycare, he needed to be around other children, learn to socialize and share. Our solution was to have Nan bring him to our home at 7:30, we'd give him breakfast....and feed it to him. Change his diaper, dress him and either let him play for a while and then put him down for a short nap. He'd sleep for about an hour, catching up on all those zzzzzzzz's that he missed in the morning.

At 10:00am we'd drive him to Daycare, which is about 10 minutes from us. By then he is fed, dry, alert and more than willing to play and enjoy the other kids. When he gets a little older and can eat enough by himself to satisfy his empty tummy, he will go directly to Daycare. But for now, this is the best.

And, we get our "Andrew Fix" every morning...we really missed having him with us.

33 promises for a happy marriage

2008-12-30T10:29:00.000-08:00

How many of these promises do you keep? When you stood at the alter before God and all those witnesses, you promised to love and honor your spouse.....don't let the little things get lost in the daily shuffle of life.

1. Start each day with a kiss
2. Wear your wedding ring at all times
3. Be polite....say please and thank you
4. Be gentle
5. Smile often
6. Touch.."touch my hair as you pass my chair...litle things mean a lot"
7. Talk about dreams....ones that you shared in the past and ones you hope for
8. Select a song that can be "our song" (ours is The Twelfth of Never )
9. Compliment twice a day..."that really looks nice"
10. Listen ...turn off television and pay attention to what your spouse is saying
11. Encourage
12. Do it his or her way
13. Laugh together
14. Call during the day if you are away from home
15. Hold hands in public...no matter how old you are
16. Cuddle ...
17. Ask for each other's opinion
18. Show respect
19. Welcome the other person home ... "Hi honey" is all it takes
20. Look your best
21. Wink at each other .. could lead to "something" !!!
22. Apologize .. admit when you are wrong
23. Forgive
24. Be positive
25. Be kind
26. Respond quickly to the other person's request
27. Talk about your love
28. Reminince about your favorite times together
29. Treat each other's friends and relatives with courtesy
30. Be sensitive to each other's sexual desires
31. Watch sunsets together
32. Say "I love you" frequently
33. End the day with a hug
33. Remember that unkind remarks can wound deeply and may never be forgotten

We've been happily married for nearly 50 years (said our vows on April 11, 1959) ... I can honestly say that we keep almost all these promises ...

Its Halloween!

2008-10-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

Our grandson, Andrew, turned one year old on October 17, 2008. He is walking, climbing and, in general, getting into everything. Today is Halloween.....he and his sister Rebecca will be visiting the neighbors, friends and relatives this evening....dressed in honest-to-goodness costumes.

Drew is cutting teeth and things have not been going well for him this week....runny nose, grumpy and out-of-sorts with everyone. Even with his pal, Fredthedog.

We are so blessed to have him in our lives.

The Swing

2008-08-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

When I was in grade school, we didn't have some of the nice things that school rooms are full of now. Instead of watching a learning program on the room TV, we learned to memorize poems, dates and ALL the words to the National Anthem.

I can remember reciting this poem in 5th grade assembly and can't pass a swingset in a park or someone's yard without reciting it in my mind.!!!!

The Swing
by Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

We sat in front of the radio, listened to the nightly programs (The Green Hornet, I love a Mystery, Suspense) and used our imaginations......and like the above poem sticks in my mind, when I hear the first strains of the "William Tell Overture" I think of the Lone Ranger!!!

Summer fun

2008-08-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

Summer is going strong in the prairie state of Nebraska....it was 101 degrees on Sunday and everyone was looking for a place to cool off. Contrary to belief, we do have air conditioning, although it costs an arm and a leg to pay the utility bill when we have it on for any length of time. So the best place for a 9 month old is to be in a plastic pool on grandma's back deck.

Andrew loves being in the pool and giggles when he splashes water on everyone and everything! He isn't afraid to get his face splashed on, but does blink and sputter when it happens.

He has produced two front teeth...they are barely through the skin, but noticable. He enjoys gnawing on his toys and isn't above taking a nibble on one's knuckle if it is offered.

I keep telling his mother how LUCKY she is that Andrew has such a sweet disposition and that he hasn't had any of the usual baby illinesses. Even teething has not been a problem....more drooling but no fever or fussiness. Of course, grandpa and I take full credit for this. If the little guy cries for any reason, at least one of us is there to see what the trouble is. No long crying jags for this guy.

Hmmm I didn't notice his bed-head hairstyle...he will definitely need a haircut on his 1st birthday. Or, learn how to braid.

Ken loves his role of grandpa....when our own children were babies, he worked 40 hours a week so missed out on a lot of their daily lives. (now he KNOWS why when he used to ask me "what did you do all day?" I would all but throw a rock at him....four little kids, what could I do but clean up after them!)

Fred, our cocker spaniel is Andrew's best buddy. Although Fred isn't thrilled about being climbed on and petted not too gently. He "grins and bears it" though and follows Andrew around the house (actually he is hoping to snatch up some of the Cheerios that Dru leaves behind. Fred is our four-legged vaccum cleaner. )

Nebraska Huh!

2008-07-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

Hello, welcome to my home state...Nebraska...that funny-shaped place between South Dakota and Missouri. We have the Cornhusker football team, Chimney Rock, we host the College World Series every June and can expect at least one or two tornados every spring.

Okay, Nebraska isn't known for it's scenic beauty although we do have some....yep, and contrary to the belief of much of the United States, Nebraska does not have wild animals roaming our prairie, we do have hot and cold running water, and 99% of the households have indoor plumbing.

Plus, we have the ever popular, widely known tourist attraction Carhenge.

The old TV series MUTUAL OF OMAHA'S WILD KINGDOM was not photographed in Nebraska. We do not have lions, tigers and bears running loose nor do we have elephants, zebras and giraffes. Not unless you count those in the Henry Doorly Zoo, which IS located in Omaha, Nebraska. Do you think I'm kidding...people on the coasts aren't even sure if we're part of the 50 states. Just ask anyone from the East Coast where Nebraska is....bet they give you a blank stare and say "daaaaaaaaaah".

A long time ago when I worked in the Mutual of Omaha building (Mutual of Omaha is an insurance company) we hosted a nationwide seminar with representatives from all 48 states (I told you it was a long time ago). Some of these folks had never been west of New York and we were in hysterics over some of the questions and opinions held by some of the attendees. I will admit that the majority of them were pretty young....beginner insurance agents.

"Where do you keep the wild animals?" (in our backyards, doesn't everybody?)

"Does Marlin Perkins work in this building?" (only when he's doing commercials and he's paid big bucks to come)

"We weren't sure if you guys had indoor plumbing" (see that little building with the heart on the door..be sure to take your own toilet paper)

"My mother was really worried about me coming out here....she wasn't sure if you had hotels and things like that" (Come'on Mom, this is 1957..we've even got an airport and a Budget 6 motel)

I really shouldn't laugh about their lack of knowledge....I thought that all New Yorkers lived in apartments or row houses with adjoining walls, the only grass and trees that they see were in Central Park, New Yorkers didn't own cars so didn't know how to drive. And, everybody in Kentucky raised race horses.

I've learned so much since I've gotten older! (although having seen some New York drivers on our Nebraska "interstate highway" I think I may have been right about not knowing how to drive!)

Uncle Jeff's clone

2008-07-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

While clearing out a drawer today I found two photos of Andrew's Uncle Jeff. Jeff's sister is Andrew's mother. We have a feeling that Andrew is going to look a lot like his uncle...which considering the fact that Uncle Jeff is not half bad looking, wouldn't be all that bad. (ladies, Uncle Jeff is 42, single and available).

Jeff was about four years old in these photos.....AND about 42 in this one.

Future Cornhusker

2008-06-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

Andrew is getting bigger every day and weighs about 23 lbs....much too heavy for me to try to carry around.

Andrew's dad is a BIG Nebraska Cornhusker fan and can't wait to start tossing around a football with the little guy. But for now, Bubba will have to settle for wearing a Cornhusker ball cap.

He's starting to crawl and can sit up himself....talented kid! Why do we (and all parents) get so happy when their child starts to crawl or walk? Its downhill from there....they are mobile, they can travel, they can get into 99% more trouble than they could before.

Sleepy little boy

2008-06-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

What can be sweeter than a sleeping baby....

But, when they wake up, its play, play play. Andrew is crawling and definitely enjoys a good lunch after a morning of traveling around the front room on hands and knees. He has a play pen, hmmmmm he seems to think its more like a jail cell and gives me that "what'd I do" look when he's put in it.

Sorry little guy, grandma needs to visit the bathroom occasionally and can't leave you on your own without supervision. He has eyes like a hawk and can find more little pieces of paper, dust bunnies and miscellaneous things on the floor than a professional cleaning service could.

His taste buds are developing also....he clamps his mouth shut and refuses anything with pineapple in it....i.e. pineapple & ham (Ugh), pineapple and mango fruit medly, in fact any combination of pineapple and anything.

However, as his photos prove...he hasn't missed many meals.

Andrew the bouncing baby

2008-05-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Our little grandson, Andrew, is occasionally called "Bubba" by his family. He was supposed to be nicknamed "Drew" but somehow that has gone by the wayside. Andrew aka Bubba has a big new toy...a Graco Entertainer. It takes up a good part of the kitchen, and we have to sidestep to get past it. Andrew starts out sitting, and then starts jumping up and down. The thing is on springs, and he can really get some high bounces going.

Everything on the tray gets tossed into the air, and lands on the kitchen floor. I wonder what bright young toy designer thought that one up? Obviously a bachelor.

Today we had an interesting experience with Bubba and the "Entertainer"....Bub was jumping up and down having a great ole time, then suddenly he stopped. Hmmmmm wonder what is going on. His legs are long enough to touch the ground, and he was standing there, red faced and grunting for all he was worth. I knew that that meant....get a dry diaper ready, Bubba meant business.

Whoops, he started jumping again, so I thought I had been wrong. Then he stopped again and it was back to the ole red face grunting. He was certainly having a good time..smiling, bouncing and grunting.

I thought I'd better check on the diaper situation, he is never happy being wet or anything else. Picked him up and found that he was a bit drippy...change that, he was REALLY drippy. I started taking off his jeans and discovered that he was not only drippy, he was smelly.

Wow! what a mess. All that jumping had caused his icky-poo full diaper to squish up and out the back....and down the leg. I needed help.....grandpa to the rescue.

Grandpa had to hold him still while I scraped the icky-poo from his bottom and leg with an icky-poo trail up the crack on it's way to who knows where!...ever try wiping up sticky playdough with a piece of 6 x 4 piece of kleenex....same thing. But Bubba was happy as a clam,cooing, smiling, kicking his feet, waving his arms and trying to roll over to reach the diaper before I could put it on him.

Since Bub has been eating fruits and vegetables, diaper changes can be a real challenge!

Rebecca and Andrew

2008-04-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

Rebecca and Andrew had their photos taken last week. Such photographic kids....certainly don't take after their grandmother!

Andrew is 6 months old and Rebecca is 11....she is such a good older sister and he ADORES her. All she has to do is walk into the room and his face lights up and he breaks into a huge smile. He jabbers something in baby talk which probably translates into "Hi beautiful...long time no see!"

Who Me???

2008-04-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

Andrew is spending lots of time moving around and off his play mat so that he can explore. It was sooo much easier when we could plop him down on the mat and be confident that he would stay there.

Since he can't quite figure out how to get his ample belly off the ground, he rolls from front to back and back to front or spins around on his tummy like a pinwheel.

It's not fast, but is productive....he eventually works his way off the play mat onto the living room floor! And then grins to let everyone know that...... "I can do it!"

Plastic baby bottles - yes or no?

2008-04-18T05:55:00.000-07:00

I think we will replace Andrew’s plastic baby bottles with glass…..today’s news report says that bisphenol, a chemical used to make baby bottles and other shatterproof plastic containers could be linked to a range of hormonal problems.

From what I understand, heating the baby bottle in a microwave releases more of the chemical. And we wonder why our children and grandchildren have been developing illnesses and health problems in greater numbers.
*

More than 90 percent of Americans are exposed to trace amounts of bisphenol, according to the CDC. The chemical leaches out of water bottles, the lining of cans and other items made with it. Thats a scary statement.....we're slowly but surely being poisoned. A little here, a little there, adds up to a lot more than a trace.

The American Chemistry Council, which represents manufacturers, said the report “affirms that there are no serious or high level concerns for adverse effects of bisphenol on human reproduction and development.”

A spokeswoman for the International Formula Council, which represents baby food makers, said Tuesday added “ that no foreign governments have restricted or banned its use. “

Now why doesn’t that statement put my mind at ease?

Visit this site.......Plastic bottles and diabetes

Almost 6 months!

2008-04-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Our little Andrew will be 6 months old on April 17th.....gosh how time flies! He is sitting up, grabbing for anything he can reach, and is the king of his domain. He hasn't started to crawl and we are of the opinion that he would rather just climb up something and start to walk....patience is not his middle name.

We will be his "babysitters" until October when we take a 12 day train trip from Chicago through Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, White Fish and back to Chicago. He will be at a day care facility from October until January.....then he'll be OURS again!

Andrew is starting on solids....squash and sweet potatoes. He's doing pretty well, but still can't figure out what to do with his tongue....keeps pushing the food out of his mouth. Guess he has to learn how to swallow instead of having his tongue wrapped around the nipple of his bottle.

However, since he's nearly 20 lbs, it doesn't look like he's missed many meals!

Andrew has an older sister, Rebecca who is 11 .... he loves seeing her and having her read to him. She will sit with her books and read, read, read....he enjoys Harry Potter the best but will happily listen to anything Rebecca reads.

He sits in his bouncy chair and attentively listens as she practices her flute....he's not judgmental, a few wrong notes or occasional squeek don't bother him at all. She's his big sister, and any attention from her is welcome.

Grandma took a fall!

2008-02-03T07:01:00.000-08:00

I’ve had minor and major back aches and leg cramps since February…and they have been increasing both in pain and frequency. Finally, after doing the easy stuff, (1) rest; (2) therapy; and (3) medication, I gave up and had an MRI….hmmmm, a herniated disk in my lower back. Well, that’s interesting, I didn’t think it hurt that much. We tried one more thing, the ole epidural shot…which didn’t work either.

So, on May 1st I was scheduled for a diskectomy at 2:00 in the afternoon at Immanual Hospital here in Omaha. My friends were very sympathetic and wished me luck (that’s always spooky….you don’t WANT to b wished good luck!….you want to be wished quick recovery or something a little more positive).

About noon I picked up my overnight bag and started down the stairs to the basement garage….oh, oh, my semi numb right leg slipped out from under me and I began to lose my
balance. I was holding on to the banister but gravity was winning….I started fall. Oh darn…as I mumbled to myself, I thought “this couldn’t be happening”

I was able to hold on to the banister for a couple of steps, but then tumbled down the rest of the 9 steps to the bottom landing. I laid there for a while trying to access if anything was broken…my right leg hurt the worst, and I actually thought “great…its all your fault, so you deserve to hurt!”

My husband had followed me down the stairs and was as white as a ghost and shaking like a leaf…afterwards to told me that he thought I was badly hurt....….cheery thought.

He wanted to take me to Emergency but I said “no, I have to get to the hospital for my operation”….I have fairly high pain tolerance and I had a place to go. I limped a little as we walked into the Procedures section of the hospital, signed in and was taken to the dressing room…I told the nurses that I had fallen and they wanted to take me to have an X-ray of my leg….”no, I’m having surgery at 2:00”….did I mention that I am also a bit bull-headed.

To make this very long story short, I had the diskectomy and am doing very well. My right leg is swollen from the knee to the ankle, my shoulder is sore from holding on for dear life to the banister, I have miscellaneous bruises where I bumped down the 9 stairs, and my glasses need adjusting….I may have landed on them when I hit the landing.

Andrew will still be our little houseguest even though grandma won't be picking him up or carrying him around for a couple of months. Grandpa is a great care giver and will do most of the lifting and carrying....I can easily feed him his veggies and fruits since I can sit down to do it.

He prefers me to feed him anyway....I can get him to eat most anything by holding the spoon up and saying "ooooooopen" -- he opens wide like a little bird waiting for the worm!

Andrew and the Star

2008-01-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

Hello from the world of Andrew!

Ah, to have the life of a baby....no worries other than a dry diaper and full tummy. Just a few sobs and Grandma and Grandpa are there to take care of any problem.

We are so enjoying our little grandson...he has a killer smile and twinkling eyes....

One of his favorite toys is a blinking star that we can attach to his bassinet or to his play gym. It blinks and plays music...Andrew is fascinated by it...

Since we have only one magic star, it travels back and forth from his home to ours....the first thing, well actually the second thing, we ask when Nancy brings him throught the door is "did you bring the star?"

Once she did forget to bring it, and I made a trip back to her house after it. We've got a good thing going with the blinking star, and it's better to have it than to wish we did.

Grandparents - the BEST babysitters!

2008-01-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

We've turned into full time babysittin' grandparents and we LOVE it. When our children were babies, my husband worked full time, and didn't have the opportunity to really cuddle and spoil the new baby. Now things are different.

We love having Andrew with us. He is a good-natured little guy who needs only 3 things to make him happy....an "on demand" bottle of formula, a nice dry diaper, and two loving grandparents to cater to his every wish.

Grandparents make perfect babysitters. We don't have to be anywhere at a certain time...and if we do, one of us is always home to keep an eye on Andrew. Oh yes, it cuts down on the amount of time we spent wandering through the malls or grocery stores. Hmmmm, that will definitely save money.

We aren't concerned that the house has a whole new set of furniture....bassinet, jumper seat, recliner or whatever it's called, baby gym and the never to be forgotten car seat. Andrew doesn't seem to like the bassinet, preferring to take his naps on the family room couch. Could be that the bassinet has high sides and he can't see out.

The couch will work well until he starts moving around. Right now we can plunk him down and we sure that he'll stay put.....as soon as he starts rolling over from back to front, that will end.

Brings back old times!

2008-01-06T04:38:00.000-08:00

There comes a time when mom and dad have to step up and help their child. For many parents its something that they've always had to do, but for us, its a new road.

Our new grandson, Andrew Michael was born on October 17, 2007. Daughter Nan and her husband make a fairly decent living, but both parents have to work to achieve this. So, where does that leave little Andrew? Someone has to babysit him.

Nan called, visited and investigated many, many daycare and private home babysitting sites. I couldn't believe how much it will cost to have someone care for "Drew". The least expensive was $200.00 per week and that was at a home day care.

Yes, I know that private day care,"Mary Moppets" and other business day cares want and have to make money. They would have Andrew for over 40 hours per week and that amounts to less than $5.00 per hour.....minimum wage is more than that. But, taking into consideration that both Nan and John have house payments, utilities, food, car payments, their health insurnce, diapers, baby formula and face the rising cost of gasoline...$200.00 per week will make a BIG dent in their spendable money.

To make a long story short, Ken and I willingly are taking on the job of caring for a nearly 3 month old baby. It will mean a big change in our usual lifestyle and I'm a little scared that the change will be hard for us.

No, watching and caring for "Drew" isn't the problem. But both my husband and myself are pretty active and have committments of our own....and changing to "stay at home" will be something that we haven't had to consider for a long time.

But, you do what you have to do......

A Mouse in My Closet

2008-01-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

Scratch, scratch, scratch...as I lay in my bed, I keep hearing sounds....not loud bangs and thumps, more quiet and subdued. But in my heart I know....there is a mouse in my closet!

He is either in a box wanting to get out, or on the outside trying to get in. Either way, he is not welcome. If he would have just gone about his business without making a sound (quiet as a mouse?), I wouldn't have known he was there, and wouldn't be planning his demise.

Now, I don't generally have food in my bedroom closet, so will assume that he is planning to scamper into the kitchen later on tonight...or possibly my computer room! Both places are guaranteed to have pieces of popcorn scattered around the floor....except for the ones that Fred the Dog found before I went to bed. Fred the Dog is great at cleaning floors....he finds all sorts of goodies on my computer room floor...I like to nibble as I type...and I'm sloppy.

I poke my husband to wake him up..."there's a mouse in the closet"....

"Hmmmm" as he rolled over the other way.

"I SAID THERE IS A MOUSE IN THE CLOSET"

At 2 AM I suppose I shouldn't have expected him to immediately get up and look for a mousetrap. But it was worth a try.

Oh well, I know how to set a mousetrap. So I climbed out of bed, put on my slippers and padded my way downstairs. I was greeted by Fred the Dog and Kuper the Keezie, both of whom prefer to sleep downstairs in the family room......they have heard my husband snore and know that distance is the only way to sleep undisturbed.

"Hi guys, guess what, there's a mouse in the closet"....neither dog was impressed and didn't bother to get up, although they did wag their tails. The mousetraps were in a drawer in the laundry room......when we first moved here, we bought them by the dozen. This was a newly established development and the field mice had no place to go.....what could be better than relocating to a nice, warm, cozy house. I think we caught 27 of them that first year.

Getting back to my mouse in the closet....I piled a gob of peanut butter onto the little latch thingy and went back to the bedroom. Husband was still snoring happily.

I set the trap, thanks to the 27 opportunities I had last year, I was a pro at it. The trap was carefully positioned near the closet door but not where "someone" would step on it on his way to the bathroom. That would have been a definite mistake. Then I went to bed....knowing that tomorrow, I will probably have to attend a mouse funeral.

Wrong....when I woke up and peeked over the back of the bed, the mousetrap was sitting there but no mouse. Disappointment and relief...I really don't like attending mouse funerals.

This went on for a few more days...each night I would position the mousetrip with a FRESH gob of peanut butter. Each morning there it sat, undisturbed.

But finally, hunger or curiousity got the better of him.

The mouse in the closet is gone.....sent away in a little box to be picked up and delivered to his final resting place...the city landfill.

Tip of the Day - foggy shower mirror

2008-01-01T07:29:00.000-08:00

My favorite "Tip of the Day"....clean your mirror with shaving cream!

I like a HOT shower and although we have a fan in the bathroom, the mirror gets steamy and foggy. If you clean your mirror with shaving cream, as you'd do with Windex, it won't fog up.....it will be perfectly clean, no oily film and you'll see your reflection as usual.

But, don't do what I did! I pointed the can of shave cream at the mirror and pressed the button....whoosh, I had a gob the size of Texas on the mirror with rebound splatters all over the wall! And a whole bunch of shaving cream splatters on me.

I know better now!

Tuesday's Soap Box

2008-01-01T07:04:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of our new year, 2008! Congratulations to all of you who have made it!

I’m going to climb on a soap box for a few minutes and rant about something that is not earth shattering, will not cause the 2008 elections to sway one way or another, nor will it make you as rich as Warren Buffett or Bill Gates. But it does cause problems in your personal life (I do not mean your LOVE life)

Split ends, brittle hair, little wads of hair in the drain after you wash your hair? Oh yea, admit it….I could probably throw in dandruff too, but I’m not sure about that.

The shampoo companies are getting R-I-C-H, thanks to the constant TV ads promoting hair products. Head and Shoulders, Dove, Pantene, and many others......how many people walking around your town have silky hair that flows and glistens like the ones on the ad….you buy the stuff and hope for the best.

And your skin.....dry? flaky? itchy?

Read the ingredients on your shampoo bottle, bar of soap or on the bottle of your child’s bubble bath.

Do you really NEED to be that clean?

Ouch! that hurts!

2007-12-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that I was a tennis player? Yes, even though I’m a grandmom, I swing a pretty mean tennis racquet….I took up tennis after having a stroke when I was 29…a long, long time ago.

However…after nearly 40 years, I’ve worn out parts of my body…after 65 things began to fall apart. Right now, my wrist is giving me the most trouble, with leg cramps and “Charlie horses” running second and third.

I played tennis Friday and when my friend saw me wince as I hit the ball, she immediately asked “are you all right?” Pat is an earth mother, she wants to care for everyone.

“No, my wrist hurts like crazy and I’m really miffed because I can’t hit the blasted ball over the net!” The next morning, I answered my phone and she was on the other end….”Jim (her husband, a doctor) said to come down to the hospital so he can have a look at your wrist”…..Oh great!

Its winter in Nebraska and the temp was bone chilling….I did not want to drive down to the hospital for Jim to look at my hand….but, since Pat went to the trouble of telling him my tale of woe, I had no choice. So, I bundled up and drove to St. Joseph’s Memorial Hospital….a really long way from my home.

Jim examined the wrist, tapping on the top and bottom of it, telling me to squeeze, twisted it hither and yon (and getting a few yips out of me in the process.) and did some other tests. “Well, you don’t have a carpral tunnel problem, but you could use some physical therapy” “I’ll call Pat and have her get you an appointment with Phil…he’s the best physical therapist in town.”

It’s great to have a friend whose husband is a doctor….their personal friends are the best doctors in town and all you have to do is mention their name, and Wham! you have an appointment…even though the office receptionist may have told other callers “I’m sorry, Dr. Davidson doesn’t have an opening for at least 3 weeks". It’s even better when the Dr.’s wife calls for you!

I am now getting physical therapy twice a week with a list of exercises that I do daily. The wrist feels stronger and I can write my name in recognizable script. My tennis hasn't improved yet, and I'm still miffed that I feel like I'm trying to hit a marshmallow over the net. Patience is not one of my virtues.

I think I’ll see what Phil can do for my knee, it’s been grouchy lately too. Might as well add those exercises to my list.