sweet award

My wonderful bloggy artist friend Jesse gave me a sweet award :). Visit Jesse's blog if you want to see some awesome artwork and really see into the heart of a pure friend and designer. If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged!

I will now follow instructions, which is something I rarely do lol...

Here are the suggestions:

1. Link the blogger who gave you the award on your post... Did it :)

2. Write 10 things that make you happy... Doing that now :). This will be interesting, since I never really think about what makes *me* happy, but how I can make others happy.

3. Share it with at least 10 friends... Do I have 10 friends lol??

Have fun!

I am happy with I work with beads and create pretty things that make people smile...

I am happy when I can serve others...

I am happy when I hear my children laughing and having fun...

I am happy when I spend time with my husband...

I am happy when I get to sit in the desert sun...

I am happy when things seem to come together and I didn't think they would...

I am happy when I sing praise and worship music...

I am happy when I can curl up with hot cup of tea and a good book...

I am happy when I see how beautiful my daughters are growing up to be...

I am happy to be under the grace of God, when I know I am not deserving of such love...

fracking freaks at kohl's

Stephanie and I went to Kohl's today to get her a dress for the Valentine's dance at school. Found a gorgeous black and white dress and naturally, needed a black bra, so, off to the lingerie section we go.

We find the first one and head over to the fitting rooms. There are two rooms, and one is already being used, so after knocking, even though the door was a tad ajar, Steph goes in to try on the bra with the dress. After I get her going, an old lady, not looking too happy and seeming really pissy (I had dubbed her the "fracking freak"), walks, no, tromps in. She knocks on door one, tries the handle, and find that it is occupied. She then walks over to the room my daughter is in, and mind you, I am *speaking* to Steph when she is in there, and *opens* the door! Steph had forgotten to lock the door, a mistake I know she will never do again. The FF then plops her big butt down on the chair, huffs for a moment, then gets up and stomps off. A moment later, here she comes again. I look at her, nicely, and say "There are some fitting rooms up front you can try", me smiling all the time. She snarls at me and says, "Those are for merchandise *only*, not lingerie. These are for lingerie." Okay, no prob. Huff, huff, stomps off. Stephanie tells me that the one she has doesn't fit very nice, so I go to get two more. I come back, and FF is there, steam coming from her pointed hairy ears. She sees me hand the bras to Steph, telling her to try the new ones. FF then walks over to the other rooms, grabs the handle, and tries to *force* her way in. The woman inside is saying, first calmly, "I'm in here." The FF is now *pulling* on the door and trying to force the handle to turn. Now the woman is almost yelling, "Hey, I'm in here!!!" FF then turns to me and asks, "Is *she* trying on clothes???" "No," I tell FF, "she is trying on bras!" FF says a final, "Ugh. Whatever!", and stomps away for the last time. OMGosh!!!

Well, we finally left with the right bra for her dress, and a nervous chuckle with the other molested fitting room customer.

For the love of heaven, if the fitting room door is *closed* and *locked* consider it occupied and stay out!!!

friday fill in and i'm just saying...

1. I know I talk about Texas too much, but it is in my blood...I can't help it nor do I really want to. Love me, love my Texas 'tude.

2. Any month that I lose a loved one feels like the longest month.

3. You can't help but love a Texan Zombie Girl.

4. You think you can break me? Tear apart my spirit? Take away who I am? Well buddy, I have one thing to say: bring it on and be prepared to taste my Texan wrath!

5. Where is the strangest place have you looked for your keys?

6. My sarcasm is now available in a multitude of sizes and colors. There is some for everyone!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to chilling and watching "Reservoir Dogs" with Don, tomorrow my plans include nothing really and Sunday, I want to sing worship at church in the morning then go to the Superbowl party at Lake Louise that evening!

A mini wini, teeny tiny vent... Last night, I was at practice to sing worship for a church some friends go to, and one I have sung at before. Now, as a P & W singer, I am full of energy. I smile. I welcome those who have come. I clap. I throughly enjoy what I do. The pastor of the church I have been asked to sing at called the other two singers and the band together and told them, get this, to "Smile and look like you are having fun." Um, seriously? Then I looked around. A more subdued, depressed looking bunch I have never seen before. Here I am, making jokes, singing my heart out, figuring out a new song I had only heard once, *smiling*, and I am surrounding by the Doldrum Gang. They are all nice people, every one of them, but if you are going to stand in front of a congregation and lead them in worship, for heaven's sake, look like you like it! I'm just saying....

so, how'd that feel?

I seriously doubt that there isn't a woman in the world who hasn't been spoken down to by some male who thinks that, just because he is male, that he is better and smarter than you are. Doesn't matter how capable and knowledgeable you are, walk into any Home Depot or Pep Boys, look at tools, and suddenly there is man there ready to help the stupid women pick out the right item for her husband. That just ticks, nay, pisses me off to no end. I had a car salesman show me how to properly open and close the trunk of a car so as not to "break a nail", and, while checking the oil in my car, a man ask me if I knew how and where to put the dipstick back properly. I almost showed him where I thought it should go...

Why doth I vent on this a touch? Simple. My husband had it happen to him hehee. Here is what occurred...

Last Saturday, my husband and I went out to have some dinner and maybe a movie. Things didn't go as we had hoped, so after we grabbed a bite to eat, we went to Jo-Anns Etc. so I could get some felting yarn, and Don wanted to look for some princess fabric to make Nana some curtains for her room. My hubs is very very good at the sewing machine, and can make some dang good window coverings. Fifteen minutes later, we met up again to check out, and he had this odd smile on his face. He looked at me and said, "Now I know how you must feel." I asked him what in the world he was talking about. Don, after finding the perfect princess fabric for the aforementioned curtains, took the bolt over to one of the women to have it cut. He told her how much he wanted, and she cut it...not big deal. Then she looked and him and said, "Do you need any new sewing needles or thread?", to which he replied, "No, thank you." She starts to fold up the cloth, and while doing so, says, and this is where you have to laugh, "Well, if your wife didn't tell you to pick up any, then you probably don't." She talked down to my 6'4 husband as if she were a grease monkey at a garage. If you are a woman, you have got to love that!!!

So, see ladies, there is equality in the world. A small win. I'm just saying...

friday fill in

1. Wouldn't it be easy to just pick up and go.

2. My hatred of Michigan is better than ever! (No, that isn't proper English, but I couldn't think of anything else.)

3. I love the taste of Parrot Bay Coconut Rum.

4. The girls are watching t.v. in the living room.

5. The first thing we're going to do is sit in the sun, have a drink and watch the clouds go by.

6. They fell like red pearls from her fingertips, so very slowly...silently...drip, drip, drip; the blood like red pearls on white lace.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to freezing to death, tomorrow my plans include freezing to death and Sunday, I want to not freeze to death, but I know that that isn't really an option!

pure michigan b.s.--i'm just saying

~~This is an "I'm Just Saying", so you know the rules~~

I know I haven't been around in a while. Haven't had anything to say actually. But, when I saw this on the news today, it made me laugh in a way I never thought I would. Firstoff, let me say this: we are blessed. Don has a fantastic job, we have money in the bank and heat in our house (which we still own). If Don ever, God forbid, lost his job, Michigan would be a nasty ink stain in our rearview mirror. For people who don't live here or know anyone who lives here, the media monster can make a pot of s*** look like gold.

Michigan has had this "Pure Michigan" campaign for a while now. Buy Michigan, keep money in Michigan. Yeah, I get that. We have some okay foods, great wine, beautiful vacation spots. It isn't this that makes me do a deep belly chuckle. It is the new "Pure Michigan Living" campaign they are starting now. Read their description for yourself:

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A new "Pure Michigan Living" campaign is being rolled out to promote the state as a place to call home.

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority on Tuesday launched a "Pure Michigan Living" Web site to highlight positive stories about the state, which has been struggling for years with a poor economy.

"...struggling for years with a poor economy." What a gentle way to put say "no money, no jobs, no home." The picture I chose is from a magazine for vacationing here in Michigan, but I thought it was totally apropos for my rant here. See, most Michiganders *are* living in tents, since no one can afford to live in their homes, since no one has a job and prices on food/gas are on a criminal rise. I know that as this campaign takes off, they will lie lie lie about how wonderful life here in a completely dead state is, but if I had my chance to write my opinion, this is what it would be...hehee...ready?

Tired of living in a house?

Sick of living somewhere where the sun shines and warmth surrounds you?

Fed up with having a job, house, car and food to eat?

If this is you, I have one thing to say:

Welcome to Michigan!!

"Why Michigan?" you may ask??

We have one of the highest jobless rates in America! Not many state can boast that!

Love you a good corrupt government? We have that in *spades*!

Desire to have no schools for your children to attend because they are all being shut down due to that corrupt government? Have we got the place for you!

Love freezing to death for 6-8 months a year, driving on roads that are completely iced over and never plowed, unless you are one of the handful of uber-rich? Slid on over!

Leave those silly comforts of living and making a living behind!

Michigan:

When being happy is just not an option for you anymore!

I dunno...was that too harsh lol?? The news was actually taking a poll: would you recommend to your friends that they move to Michigan? 'A' for yes...'B' for no. They forgot one: 'C' Hell, f*** no. That would be my choice.

doldrums

This is a picture I found on the web when I looked up the word "doldrums". Wikipedia (don't laugh), has this information about them under the word the heading of 'Reputation':

This region is also noted for extremely calm periods when the winds disappear altogether, or are light and shifting. Hurricanes originate in this region. Because of the unpredictable weather patterns, the Doldrums became notorious with sailors because this region's periods of deadly calm could trap ships for days or weeks on end as they waited for enough wind to power their sails.

Even today the doldrums have a nasty reputation and may cause unexpected delays for the circumnavigators. Yachts may get stuck to the intertropical convergence zone for days for seeking suitable winds.

So, let's play a game. What does this picture say to you? How does it make you feel? What does it say about being in the doldrums? I'll give you my thoughts and feelings tomorrow.