Monday Memories #10 How To Enjoy Memorial Day #FixThePlus

For all the Armed Forces, The Fallen,

Men,Women,Families, Wives,
Husbands,
Babies,
Children,
I thank you for your sacrifice  for my freedom.
I have one of my own in the Armed Forces, it's been seven years now.
I love you.









                                 Enjoy this video I thought it was great!

Monday Memories #9 #FixThePlus

Continued from last Monday...

I needed a date to the Prom. Thanks to the diligence of my wonderful friends a boy was singled out. Poor guy didn't know what hit him! He was 6 feet tall with black longish hair, wore jeans & black T-shirts and had a set for seven days a week. We met and a few weeks later became a couple and then lovers, I was one month away from turning eighteen. 

 I loved his mother and we would go to his house after school and she would cook hamburgers for us after school. Between that and a roadside restaurant which served up the greatest burger and fries I would gain a few pounds then have to starve myself to lose the extra pounds. Been that way all my life with the yo-yo dieting. We had a great time together but unfortunately it just didn't work out, but I did make it to my Prom which we left early. I discovered the Prom wasn't all that great.

It's funny when you think a part of your life is over as far as your concerned but he has found me again after thirty some odd years which totally blew me away. Found my brother Chris also and talked to both on the phone, not at the same time. It felt like time had stopped rewinding itself. The Internet and Facebook can be wonderful thing.

Mexico is the best place in the world. Or one of the best places. My family and I must have gone at least twenty times maybe more. As an adult now I know why “one piece of baloney” and “one glass of milk at night with dinner” etc. was for going on vacations. It would have been nice to be told this! But again that’s why I insisted on any kids I had we would communicate. Sometimes loudly but communicating either way.

Going through customs at the border you are already getting the feel of Mexico flavor. We actually had our car stripped once which I watched with great interest. The border police were looking for contraband. 

You drive through dusty streets with vendors in the streets selling giant powdery treats for a quarter calling out their wares. Little kids are surrounding you yelling “por favor” with their little dirty brown hands stretched out pleading for money. I had been warned three things...DON'T DRINK THE WATER...DON'T GIVE CHANGE TO THE LITTLE BEGGARS...and whatever you do DON'T EAT TACOS from a street vendor it could be a ~shudder~ dog. Which of course to the teenage lover of dogs grossed me right out.

I loved the shops with the smiling vendors; it was like a covered Flea Market with Mexican shawls, shoes, toys, etc all hanging all around you. I loved it. I vaguely remember staying in a hotel once and it wasn't a very good experience with a broken A.C. and the room was filthy. When we went the next time we had a camper. I loved riding on the top bunk in that camper. I would always pass out and later when my little brother Christopher came along when he got older we would ride up bunk together giggling and laughing.

I remember meeting a young girl my age and her introducing me to my first papaya walking along the beach line not being able to speak each others language but still laughing and smiling. It was so pretty with blue skies and the water was so warm like bath water. We would run in and out at will.

Snorkeling was a lot of fun. I remember one time my cousins came with us and me and Mark, my cousin, decided to snorkel. It was a gorgeous day with a blue sky, the warm water, wetting my mask I put the plastic mouthpiece to breath in my mouth, looking at my cousin doing the same, we sunk into the water and started swimming wearing the fins my parents had bought. I loved them pushing me through the water so much faster than bare feet. 

We swam up to a giant coral hill and started circling it and a bunch of small colorful fish came swimming by which I thought was just amazing. I went to touch the cool and felt stinging on my fingers then they started bleeding. My daredevil cousin made me get out of the water and onto the beach so the blood wouldn't attract sharks. I sure miss him. That's when my cousin was alive may he RIP...

...to be continued next Monday 

Do you like my story so far?

It's Going To Be a Chilly Valentine's Day

Sunday is Valentine's Day. I love the way time zooms on by, you look at the Calendar and presto, there's another holiday, in this case, being Valentine's Day.

Pretty cool it landed on a Sunday for the working folks and all around just plain everybody. I personally like to take advantage of the candy sales although at this point I won't be doing any candy sale shopping for the start of March will start watching what I eat.

My earliest memory of Valentine's Day was in grade school where students would either make or our mother's would buy Valentine's Day cards. I remember moving to San Deigo, California when I was eight years old and having a big Valentine's Day card sent to me from my third-grade class and teacher.

My family did end up moving back to Palm Springs, I kept that Valentine Card for a long time.

I thought I would look up Valentine stuff, as inspiration for this post, coming across this link of how cold it will be this weekend. Stay inside with your pets and eat candy. Sounds like Halloween!

http://abcnews.go.com/US/arctic-outbreak-set-records-valentines-day-weekend/story?id=36871734

The links below are for anyone who procrastinates myself being a big fan of. Either I procrastinate or I'm done way ahead of time. I hope this can give you some ideas.

Happy Valentines Day early to everyone. May it be a nice, warm, relaxing day for all.

http://www.opentable.com/start/home

http://heavy.com/social/2016/02/best-last-minute-gift-ideas-valentines-day-gifts-for-him-men-boyfriend-husband-guys/

http://dating.about.com/od/valentinesday/qt/lastminutevalentine.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/last-minute-valentines-day-gifts/

http://www.marthastewart.com/874690/last-minute-valentines-day-ideas

http://www.bustle.com/articles/140267-15-last-minute-valentines-day-gifts-that-you-can-totally-make-before-february-14

Happy Chinese New Year!

As Beijing celebrates, the Chinese New Year party in London will be the biggest outside of Asia. Here's your guide to the celebrations.

This year, Chinese New Year - The Year of the Monkey - begins on February 8th and lasts until Jan 27th, 2017.

Celebrations have started around the world, as London waits to join the festivities on Monday.

People have gathered at one of Hong Kong's best-known temples - the Wong Tai Sin - to make their new year wishes.

I would love to join in the festivities of the Chinese New Year party, it looks so colorful. I went to see what my Chinese Sign was and it's the dog.

What is Your Chinese Zodiac Animal Sign? Click on the link to find out. I love stories so do tell.

http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/

100 Exquisite Adjectives
By Mark Nichol

I love words and came across a list of them. I'm going to add a word a day to my posts as long as I don't forget.

Word #21 Dilatory: causing delay, tardy

I wish Jo wasn't so dilatory coming to work making me late as well. 

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the web, ads from all over was clicked on and read.

Loved ones from all over sent emails well-wishes, people everywhere were taking pictures of delectable dishes.

Bloggers all over were putting their posts up, in hopes of lots of likes  and the comments won't suck.

"Now Facebook! now, Pinterest! now, Reddit and Twitter!

On, LinkedIn! On, Google +!, on HootSuite and Tweetdeck!

To the top of the list! to the top of Google!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

And now I end my post with a wave and a shout out.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Here Comes 2016

Three more days until Christmas. The kiddies and most adults are getting excited.

It's raining at the moment and I still love the sound of it.

Christmas day is supposed to be in the 60's so I expect to see kids trying out their outdoor presents although snowboards and skies are out of the question at the moment.

Christmas day we are invited to my niece's through marriage house for opening up presents and Christmas dinner.

My niece has four children, the two older kids and the twin boys I can't wait to see. They are a year old.

I'm going to be making, as requested, a baked macaroni and cheese casserole and bringing a frosted tube cake.

It will be lovely. It's my Grandson's first Christmas with lots of presents under my son and his wife's tree.

I can see it now with Barrett cooing and waving his little arms around.

Earlier I was going through some of the pages of this huge soft-covered book.

It's called Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions. I decided for the New Year I was going to start posting some of the tips, things that you can do and not even know about, to help with chronic pain, for the New Year.

Humor dulls the pain, but I want to help as much as I can.

Could you use a few tips on making your life a little easier from chronic pain? I do love stories so do tell.

My Green Fairy

Hello everyone, I am sitting here on my third glass of wine, (Happy Holidays) not a care in the world. It's rare I relax enough to know that my problems are not that taxing, it's the holidays. Weird no snow yet but be careful what you wish for.

I have my headphones listening to all the songs from my past, of course mostly Classic Rock on YouTube. Kid Rock, Shania Twain, Eminem, the list goes on. I think I'm describing myself.

So I'm sitting here thinking of all the things I think of plus all the new information today has brought. One positive touched on my 'Empty Nest' thingy. I was reading Chumplady who I have followed since July, (I'm a groupie) don't laugh, and she touched on some really positive non-guilt reasons you cheer when your kids move out.

So I'm talking to Mr. Rose about this and I'm setting up the story right. Then I go unless you have a husband. Oh Lawdy, what a laugh. Believe it or not, this came out of me gazing at my Christmas fairy at the top of our tree, an angel is saying WTH aka what the hell?

That 'locker smell' remains with a husband. But it's worth it.

If this post jarred any memories, I love stories so do tell.

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer You Say

When I was browsing memes for my blogging and Pinterest I came across this one of Grandma and cracked right up. 

Take that reindeer. You are now a wall ornament. Too funny.

For years, I have laughed at that song.

As long as it wasn't MY Grandma the song was hilarious. 

Until I became a grandma. Now we are getting serious folks. 

My apologies to all Grandmas reading this. 

Now I love spiked eggnog but not enough to go walking through the woods after drinking too much.

Although I do remember in my drinking days I did get turned around in a wooded area and was fortunate to find a person's house that I knew.

 Being night blind, add no moon, it was dark and scary, scary and very dark. But I heard no wildlife thank goodness.

Enjoy the song.

.

 

I love Charles Dickens

In the process of building up my Pinterest boards which I'm getting more followers every day which I thank you for clicking on my Pinterest button.

Always the more the merrier there is so much to see. I came across this quote.

And I absolutely love it. I myself have been bent and broken and I am in better shape, mentally anyways, but it took a lot of work.

In fact, in my own personal life, I came back full circle to the kind of life I dreaded in my younger years but maybe thats the old person in me talking.



But I have watched people, some of them my friends, not come back from whatever bent and broken state they were in and die.

So I'm happy to say I'm still alive and kicking ready for a great Christmas day even though it will be 13 years not celebrating with my kids.

Do you love Charles Dickens?

FlashbackFriday

This post is later than the last week's have been so sorry about that but I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to 'flash' on specifically I have so many. That's where Mr. Rose comes to the rescue once again!

The Little Drummer Boy is my favorite song in the whole wide world and I really like this youtube video I'm going to share with you now.

I have loved this Christmas song forever it seems, using it as background messages when I had a real live answering machine. I hope you enjoy it as well

TGIF everyone and may your day be filled with glory.

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings".

Do you have a favorite 'flashback'? I love stories so do tell.

TerribleTuesday

Welcome to TerribleTuesday's first post. I know it's a little later in the morning and I am figuring out how to overcome this little hiccup to compensate being a 'night owl' which will be to post ahead. Polishing up my blogging style is coming along what seems like a herd of turtles I like to say.

It's the first of December, to my amazement we have  no snow, as of yet. I say this very quietly  so Mother Nature won't hear me and let those snowflakes fly.

In honor of December 25th, Christmas, my first movie review is Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas which I highly recommend you watch.

And I quote from Wikipedia, The Nightmare Before Christmas, often promoted as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a 1993 American stop motion dark fantasy musical film directed by Henry Selick, and produced and conceived by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a character from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to "Christmas Town" and decides to celebrate the holiday, with some dastardly and comical consequences. Danny Elfman wrote the film score. The principal voice cast includes Chris Sarandon, Kath Soucie, Jess Harnell, Ken Page, Paul Reubens and Glenn Shadix.

On one of my boards on Pinterest, which you can find the Pinterest button on the my blog's right sidebar, I have a board for 'Movies, Mostly Horror' if you would like any other suggestions for a movie to watch. I have watched them all.

Tales From The Crypt was the first horror movie I ever watched. I was eight years old, my father and I went to the Drive-in in his truck, it was 1966 (man I feel old now) and I remember peeking over a pillow as I watched which at that age I thought was a horribly scary movie.

What was the first or scariest film you ever watched? I love stories so do tell.

MemoryLaneMonday

In honor of the holidays, my first Memory Monday post will be about my past Christmas holiday memories with the kids. I'm excited and I hope you are as well. If you didn't catch my past post about my experimenting just follow the link above.

The kids were young, preschool ages. My idea of Christmas was a huge real Christmas tree all decorated with bright shiny bulbs, Christmas lights, tinsel, that particular year I had made popcorn to string around the tree. And tons of presents.

The kids would sit with me and help while I made snowflakes out of white paper and tape them on the two windows in our living room with Christmas songs playing on the radio, telling them stories about when I was growing up and Santa Claus. I was pleased my daughter has remembered the snowflakes on the windows to this day.

We would watch all the Christmas specials in the evenings with the Christmas lights twinkling against the red, blue and gold bulbs hanging down from the tree. Baking and decorating cookies were a tradition, sugar cookies were hung from the tree branches as well.

The shopping never ended until Christmas Eve. I was a great fan of Christmas stockings often over filling them. Christmas Eve was for the stocking filled with candies and little-wrapped presents. Later on, I got the kids off to bed often letting them sleep together they were so excited.

Nice bright and early I would be woken up to Christmas morning and I don't know who was more excited, me or the kids, having my camcorder in hand filming our little family as the kids excitedly opened up all their gifts then we would watch it later on after Christmas dinner.

Do you have a favorite Christmas memory? I love stories so do tell.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

That's one place I try and avoid, the shopping mall.
I'm hoping for all my fellow blogger friends, family, extended family, friends & on-line friends a most excellent Thanksgiving.

Eat turkey, try and save some room for pie, fall asleep during football, cheer loud and often for your favorite team if you manage to stay awake.

I will be out in the country mountains where my family is keeping good company and eating until I'm stuffed.

In A Perfect World, Good Thing Dreams Are Free

If we lived in a perfect world all families that were separated and wanted to be together could be able to magically have Thanksgivings and Christmas's together.

I know there are people who are worse off, but I'm going to indulge in a little daydreaming.

I remember Thanksgiving dinners when I was growing up, every year we would go over to my mother's Aunt for Thanksgiving.

Every year she would forget the rolls or burn them. But the table looked delightful all festive with sparkling dishware and holiday food, we would eat our fill.

Christmas growing up was always awaited with great anticipation for us kids would get that special something we yearned for all year.

One year I slept with my little brother who still believed in Santa Claus while my father put wonder in his eyes by climbing on our rooftop, stomping and ringing bells, ho-ho-hoing pretending to be Santa and his reindeer's.

That would have been a sight to see. Later as I became a mother with children of my own every year I would decorate the house, put up the tree and slowly presents would pile up all around the Christmas Tree.

I will forever miss those days.

Lucky Friday the 13 th

Today is Friday the 13th. I have never been drawn into the superstition its bad luck, don't walk under a ladder, if you see a black cat...run. And don't forget mirrors. Cover your mirrors people.

The only thing scary about today is Black Friday shopping. Now that will make you scream in terror.

So I went web-hunting aka surfing. I came across lots of  13 Facts About Friday the 13th so I am going to quote the best ones at least I think.

2. Yet, the Fear is Very Real...
So real that one scientific name wasn't enough. The fear of Friday the 13th is also called friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia.

 Now say that 10 times really fast!

Friggatriskaidekaphobia comes from Frigg, the Norse goddess of wisdom after whom Friday is named, and the Greek words triskaideka, meaning 13, and phobia, meaning fear. Paraskevidekatriaphobia is also derived from Greek: paraskeví translates as Friday, and dekatria is another way of saying 13. 

Seriously...try and pronounce that what looks like 10 syllable words.

10. And Research Suggests That it May Not be Unlucky After All
There is very little evidence to show that Friday the 13th is indeed an unlucky day. Many studies have shown that Friday the 13th has little or no effect on events like accidents, hospital visits, and natural disasters.

 Now there's a surprise.

All in all, it's just another day and how can it be unlucky. My new foam memory pillow came this morning. It was left in front of a mirror, under a ladder, and a black cat walked bye. Of course, I pun.

How many of you think Friday the 13th is unlucky?

NATIONAL HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS WEEK

This is something close to home for I too had been homeless in my lifetime. I have been in homeless shelters, twice, visit food banks and gone to where there are free lunches where you are guaranteed at least one meal a day Monday - Friday.

In return, I have sheltered my one time or another homeless friends. For the newly broke up especially during the holidays, for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

It wasn't unusual to wake up Christmas morning to one of my male friends snoring on the couch. It didn't matter, male or female, anyone was welcome. I had a few rules and if broken there were consequences.

I didn't charge anyone who came to me for shelter for it was in my opinion that if I took their money how in the world could a person save and get out, with my love of course.

So help the homeless if you can. We can swap stories.
 NATIONAL HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS WEEK