New Calendar Page on Super Bowl Sunday

One of the best things about a new month is turning over the calendar pages. The "glitter" calendar I got this year is so beautiful--how do you like this colorful page?


Was hoping to get a few items in the mail yesterday (Sat. 1/31): my Mary Kay order, and the part for my dishwasher that was supposed to be 3 day shipping which has turned into 5-6 day shipping. Nothing in the box but a couple of items for Sam and nothing for moi. Tomorrow, then, should be a great mail day for me. Later this week, probably Friday, the kids will get their new monogrammed backpacks from Land's End. You know, the kind with lifetime zipper guarantee! :)


To make a note of this day in history - GO STEELERS! I had to get the kids plain old "Super Bowl XLIII" balloons since all the Steeler balloons were gone.

Nintendo Watching

Unbelievable as it sounds, when John Sam plays his Nintendo DS, Caroline is quite content to engage in "Nintendo watching." You'd think she would want to play her own DS, but she has always liked watching him play. Most of the time, when they are totally quiet, it's disastrous. On this day, though, it was because they were hanging out and just being with each other.

Upping the post count 1/30/09

Nothing specific to say today, really, just wanting to try to up the post count for January. Another lousy day at work marked down in the record books. Anyway, the morning rain wasn't so bad, and it looked deceptively warm when the sun came out. Brrrr! Again! Our flannels are all clean and ready for wearing.

If I could only choose one movie to see in the thea-tah, it would be "Frost/Nixon." Caught Frank Langella on CBS' Sunday Morning. He's very forthcoming about a lot of his life. I liked that.

A few movies I'd like to see in the theater, but will probably have to wait until they get to DVD:

1) Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood's still got it, even in the trailers on TV. Yes, ma'am!
2) Last Chance Harvey
3) Doubt - LOVE it when Philip Seymour Hoffman says, "Where is your compassion?" and Meryl Streep says with a sneer, "Nowhere you can get at it."
4) Revolutionary Road

Movies I most likely won't see:

1) Bride Wars
2) New in Town - Renee Zellweger bugs me. Her hair usually looks great in the films she makes; yet on every awards show I see her on, she's got a strapless dress, manly arms, and hair pulled as tight as a face lift. Very unflattering.
3) Taken - for the same reason I can't watch the TV show Criminal Minds anymore.
4) Curious Case of Ben Button - 'cause Brad Pitt bugs me now, too.

Speaking of curious--on one of the local TV stations today, they showed a big feature on body language, and tonight on 20/20, they also did a story on the brain chemistry involved with body language and being in or out of love. Very interesting to me. Goes into the notebook to remind me to get more scoop on that.

Search and Destroy

Tokyo got a new chewie from Granny for Christmas. The love affair lasted a few hours (see picture of them in chair), but once she ripped it open and the white puffy stuffing started to come out, it was ON, jack! We've enjoyed watching her growl and shake it around, and the kids have been nice enough to pick up the stuffing. There is so much more of it in there than you'd think. ;)

Which is bigger?

My behind or my large mouth?

Some days it's very, very, VERY hard to keep my mouth closed. I did it today. But I damn sure didn't want to. :(
I guess when it gets all built up, it'll come out. But one of the good things about delayed gratification is that it gives me an opportunity to choose appropriate words instead of the words I really want to use.

Honestly? I hate waiting. But I suppose it's for the best. This time I will let the Universe help save me from myself.

Looking within

Today had a rocky beginning. Ice on the windshield, hose frozen solid, heater in the old Yukon still doesn't work. Got to work late, and a tiny bit of unintentional misinformation passed from one to another, and it sure didn't take long for me to get into a snit. *sigh* Why do I always freak out and ask questions later? Why can't I be one of those placid, patient, unflappable people? When I was a kid, I always figured that was a "grownup thing." Little did I know that how I was when I was young was how I was gonna be when I'm old, er, middle aged. Welcome to semi-maturity.

I've found the times I most need a friend is when I'm feeling on some level that I'm not all that deserving of a friend. After letting me vent, my amiga W. reminded me, "That's not good for you, and you have to let that go." Instead of avoiding me when I'm a downer (like a lot of people would), she made the time to make a truthful statement and help me remember not to give other people the power to take away my peace. I did give a voice to my emotions. I pinpointed what made me upset, and I acknowledged it. After that, my day improved immensely. Another thing I considered with a clearer head: the life lessons that you keep getting are the ones you still haven't learned. Ah, there it is.

Here's a card I made for W. last month. She loves yellow and (IMHO) the card turned out lovely.
























Since it says "Happy" on the front, here's something else that I hope will make me happy once I finish reading the instruction book. And it could take a while ;-)















Concentrating on what brings happiness is the secret to more happiness. Getting a handle on changing some of my thought patterns and reactions isn't pretty, but in the end, it's going to help me. I feel like the stuff that happened on this Thursday was worth it.

P.S. I liked this week's CSI much better than last week. I thought the last episode with "Grissom" was great until the end of the episode. Don't like Sara, I always wanted Griss with Lady Heather. I like Lawrence Fishburn's character a lot. Reminds me of someone, ha.

Freezing!

If you're well acquainted with me, then you know if it's below 70 degrees, I'm freezin'. The low temperatures yesterday, today and tomorrow are not something I enjoy. No, I don't like the change even for a few days. No, I don't like the crispy scent of winter in the air. No, I can't wait till it's back to the 70s and 80s. May I remind you all that we live in Florida for one reason, and that is so we don't have to pretend we're in Minnesota?!

Here's where the herbs and tender citrus trees end up when the temps are in the low 30s:

Inauguration Day 2009

It's not a black or white thing. It's not even a Democrat or Republican thing. For me, today is all about the promise of change.

On my way to school, I drove by three young black kids on one side of the street, and an older white lady taking out her trash on the other side of the street. The lady hollered something to the kids with a big smile (I couldn't hear what she said) and they hollered back, and then at the same time, each threw a fist in the air and cheered and laughed. No doubt they were referencing today's historical events. What a sight to see old and young coming together in an expression of happiness and joyous expectations.

At work we all gathered around the TV to listen to President Obama's inauguration speech. Before he was officially announced, media coverage kept showing him walking down the corridor towards the stage where his speech would be given. It seemed to me that his eyes were watering, and I imagined he was drinking in the moment, savoring the beginning steps of his journey. I'm glad to have seen that.

I'm also glad to see how the "younger generation" has embraced the world of politics. It's sort of like the reading frenzy created by the Harry Potter books. Never before, at least in my lifetime, have so many young people been so involved and so interested in the direction of our great nation. Even if they disagree, they're aware and taking part. I celebrate that progress.

I am proud to be an American and I feel lucky to be able to watch history in the making. God bless our country--it's the greatest country in the world today and every day.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Here are a few quotes from Mr. King that haven't been overused.

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."

"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

"All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem."

"When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative. "

Sing a Song!

I'm not 100% sure if this little video clip will work if I put it here, since I've never posted one yet. Here goes:

I hope Caroline will forgive me some day for showing this. You can even hear me laughing a little in the background because it was so much fun watching them enjoy listening to their song lists. Plus those little gadgets are so tiny and cute.

I've always been a music lover--I believe I get that from my Dad. He really enjoyed all kinds of music. Listening to old songs and favorite songs is a pastime of mine. Songs make me think of certain people and events; some are a commentary about my life situation that seems relevant now or recently; and others speak to me about stops along my life journey. While I was burning songs for the kids, I also tried to get all the songs that I consider to be on my "Songs of Life" CD, a/k/a Fran's Top Ten Songs Ever (except now I'm thinking of one I left off).

1) Rock You Like a Hurricane (Scorpions). 2) Hungry Heart (Bruce Springsteen). 3) Goodbye, Alice in Wonderland (Jewel). 4) Born to Be Wild (Steppenwolf). 5) Call it Love (Poco). 6) Sister Golden Hair (America). 7) Against the Wind (Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band). 8) Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton). 9) Something in the Way She Moves (James Taylor).

The one I didn't get yet: Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress) (the Hollies). Now I'm thinking I should have country & western version of the list also.

Here are some lyrics from other songs that I've loved.

"And I remember what she said to me, how she swore that it never would end. I remember how she held me - oh so tight - wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." (Against the Wind, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band)

"Every time I see your sister, Lord, she's with somebody new. She's mean and she's evil, like a little ole boweevil, think I'll try my luck with you." (Little Sister, version sung by Dwight Yoakum, but I think this might be an Elvis song?)

"I've been everywhere, man." (I've Been Everywhere, Johnny Cash).

"Sometimes I find it's easy to be myself. Sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else." (So Much to Say, Dave Mathews Band)

"There's a light at the end of this tunnel, you shout--cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out--and these mistakes you make, you'll just make them again, if you only try turning around." (Breathe, Anna Nalick)

"I might steal your diamonds, but I'll bring ya back some gold." (I'm No Angel, Greg Allman)

"Your mama don't dance, and your daddy don't rock-n-roll." (Your Mama Don't Dance, Loggins & Messina)

Other funny song notes:

• I loved the video of the Poco song because it showed a girl in a black dress with white polka dots jamming out when she thinks nobody is watching, but a group of cute cowboys is having a great time watching her. The dress was so cute, and just because of that video I bought a black dress with white dots.
• I'm convinced I've got a great song or two in me. I need to get them down in the notebook.

Try burning a CD of your "Songs of Life" - do you know which ones are on it?