Is It Bumper Cars Or A Highway?

Christmas Eve in Oklahoma was a crazy day. A blizzard rolled in dumping fourteen inches of snow in a short amount of time with 47 mile an hour winds blowing sleet and snow sideways into your face. It was like getting sand blasted.

People were crashing into each other and running into ditches. Three people were killed: a couple while getting out to survey damage done to their vehicle, which was the wrong thing to do. Insurance companies have been swamped with calls and the worst part is most drivers don’t have a clue who hit them.

One poor woman had both her legs broke from getting hit by two vehicles at the same time. She was trapped and couldn’t get out. The ambulance that came to her rescue was hit. A police car was totaled.

The governor called a state of emergency and the National Guard was brought in to rescue people trapped on the turnpikes.

We got 14 inches of snow total but there were drifts that were six feet tall. People coming out of malls and shopping centers couldn’t find their cars because they were buried under snow. It came down just that quick.

I have anywhere from a foot to three foot of snow in my backyard. My poor little dog was real confused and kept looking at me as if to say, “Where did this come from?”

My youngest son was rear-ended and my oldest son’s car went into a ditch. It wasn’t damaged; just stuck. My brother in law’s van was hit twice.

You can’t find a tow rope or chain anywhere in town; they are sold out.

It’s not even the good kind of snow. You can’t make a snowman with it, which really confuses me.

I was at home cooking all day and my car was in the garage so I am fine.

If you like excitement you should move to Oklahoma we always have something going on around here, if tornadoes and firestorms don’t do it for you we’ll bring in a historic size blizzard to liven things up.


Annie Lennox - A Whiter Shade Of Pale

Tis The Season To Bite Each Other's Heads Off

First of all I want to wish all y’all a Merry Christmas. I hope Santa brings you everything your little hearts desire. And I hope those of you snowed in have plenty of food and heat.

I’m taking time off from commenting on Topix for a bit. My close friends know where to find me.

No one has run me off or hurt my feelings and I certainly wasn’t banned. I’m just tired of all the bickering and childish name-calling. People have forgotten how to have an adult conversation with each other and I’m just tired of it.

It amazes me the number of people that get enjoyment out of sitting at home on their computers anonymously ridiculing other people. Do they honestly think this makes them look better? Do they really feel more important calling others derogatory names?

I work from home and don’t get to be around people as much as some of y’all do so it’s a way for me to visit with others and have fun. When it is no longer enjoyable I leave. A few months back I mentioned I was going to take a break and a few people talked me into staying so this time I’m not telling anyone in the forums. Kind of sneaky, I know and I’m sorry, truly I am.

The same nonsense goes on in other forums, whether it’s music, a YouTube video or a blog, they feel the need to pick them apart saying ridiculous things that are often irrelevant to the material at hand.

On another subject that is equally pertinent to the title is our lovely holiday break. We look forward to time away from work and getting to spend more time with the people we are supposed to love only to find they drive us nuts.

There is nothing like togetherness to bring out your significant other’s flaws and annoying habits. Suddenly they chew too loudly, step on the breaks too hard and use the wrong knife to make a sandwich. While absence makes the heart grow fonder togetherness drives us to distraction.

You can’t brush your teeth because they are using the sink to shave so you shower first only to realize later you forgot to brush your teeth because your whole routine is messed up. Making your breakfast is also difficult because someone is in your way even though you have other counter space available you both seem to need the same square foot of Formica.

Sometimes I understand the hermit on the hill that lives away from all “civilization” because people aren’t really civilized after all. Are they?

Up On The Roof Tops

Okay, that title doesn’t really have much to do with this blog today but I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think of gift ideas so there isn’t much left for writing.

I do however have a couple gift ideas to help you out if you are like me and still shopping in between baking cookies for that last minute party and making wings for little Suzie’s Christmas program.

I found a book that is really funny and even people with little time to read will enjoy it. The author took old advertisements from back when we weren’t quite as careful with our children’s safety and poked fun at them. In many cases the ads themselves are funny enough but he includes his bit of humor that makes it even more side splitting. I love the cage they put kids in outside of a window. It’s hard to believe they approved some of these things.

http://www.amazon.com/Mommy-Knows-Worst-Highlights-Parenting/dp/1400082285/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261148803&sr=8-1

I noticed when I went to Amazon that he also has a book on food. I haven’t seen this one but I can see how it might be just as entertaining.

http://www.amazon.com/Gallery-Regrettable-Food-James-Lileks/dp/0609607820/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261148803&sr=8-2

He has a website if you want to see a sample of his work.

http://www.lileks.com/

Another gift idea I found was a travel pillow. I have one in my car and any time someone has rode with me they go on and on about that pillow so I decided to buy one for a dirty Santa gift. It’s polyester, really soft and has it’s own pillowcase to store it in. I hang it on the back of one of the seats to keep it clean. The “U” shape goes behind your head and keeps you from getting a crick in your neck. I got mine at Target.



Here’s a silly website for you to play with when you have a few minutes to spare. Type a Christmas song in the bar and hit the “sing it” button and watch the little characters sing your song. Over holiday break it will entertain your kids for a few minutes. I love it when they don’t know the song, “We don’t know that song, we’re just little kids.” lol

http://www.sundog.net/carolofthechins/flash/card.swf

Thank A Tree

I am a tree hugger and do try to plant and conserve trees but today I am going to talk to you about a few things made from trees you might not be aware of.



A few of my clothes have an ingredient called modal. (I’m not sure if ingredient is the correct word to use here.) It feels like a really soft cotton fabric. I had no idea what modal was so I decided to look it up. It turns out it comes from beech trees. According to Wikipedia it is reconstituted. Do they add water?



The online dictionary says that adding water is one of the definitions of reconstituted but it also means to bring back to its original state. My panties don’t look like a tree.



We wear a lot of clothes made from trees these days and many people don’t even realize it. I try to be aware of these things but I’m a bit of a hypocrite sometimes because I have to admit that clothes made from trees are really nice.



Another fabric made from trees is Tencel and Lyocell. These fabrics feel similar to linen only it doesn’t wrinkle as easily.



I’ve recently seen clothes and linens made from bamboo. I have some dish clothes that are very nice. So far I haven’t bought any clothing but I might look for some. Who knew bamboo could be so soft when spun into cloth?



We aren’t the only ones that build our homes out of wood. Of course we know about woodpeckers and a few other animals but did you know that wasps nests are made from wood? They chew up tree fibers, add saliva and turn it into a paper type material. I’m glad we don’t have to do that to build a home.



I finally put my Christmas tree up this weekend. We have an artificial one that is in three sections with the lights attached. I used to have a really big one that was seven and a half feet tall. You had to put each individual limb on and there were like ten rows. It was really pretty and looked like a real one but took forever. A couple of years a go I got rid of that one and bought a smaller one. This tree is about six feet tall and not near as big around but much easier to assemble.



If not for trees we wouldn’t have all of these things so next time you are cursing those leaves you rake or thinking about cutting down a tree because it’s in your way remember all of the things trees give us. Shade, a home for birds, the house we live in and our Christmas trees.







And if you have an Iphone, David Choi has figured out how to play Oh Christmas Tree on it. Sounds pretty good.

I’ve been known to make serious people with very little sense of humor smile just because I was cracking up. My laugh seems to be especially contagious.

When I get a massage I always get tickled, literally. I can’t help it. He’s had to catch me from falling off the table before because I’m laughing so hard. We both end up laughing by the end of my session. My masseur says it means I’m a compassionate person. All this time I thought it just meant I was silly.

Have you ever gotten the giggles at inappropriate times like at a wedding? A woman wore this sweater that reminded me of a jester’s suit and I started getting tickled so I had to leave the room. I know that is so bad but I really did. Sometimes the things I find amusing don’t always make since.

This poor woman got tickled about something and couldn’t even do the weather. It doesn’t even matter that you can’t understand her language just try not to laugh.





Laughing is good for our health. It’s long been said that optimists live longer than pessimists and finding humor in the little things in life just might help you feel better.

http://helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm

There have been entire shows made up of funny videos. I like them but don’t care for the clips of people getting hurt. Somehow I don’t see the humor in other people’s pain but I must be in the minority on this one because I see people in the audience chuckling.

This is cool. You have to watch the whole thing.

Be Happy And Know That You Are Loved

Friendship with ones self is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world. Eleanor Roosevelt

In our quest for happiness we look for it in many places: Another person, chemicals, objects and religion. The trouble is we cannot truly find our own peace in any of these things but only with understanding and being content in our own skin.

Our past and present affect our future. We have to make peace with our history and the people in it in order to be comfortable with our present. This shapes us as people and marks a path for our future. If we are constantly looking back we will stumble in our journey. If we look behind we will not see what is in front of us.

You need not say anything to forgive people who have wronged you but you must clear them in your heart. Holding a grudge and having animosity for another does not hurt the other person. There are people with little to no conscience that do not care if you are hurt or angry. When you hold these feelings in your heart they have won. They have a hold on you. Do not give bad people the reins to your happiness.

It has become popular to blame others for our misfortune. Life is easier if we do not have to take responsibility for our own actions or our personality. Our childhood, the people we have known, experiences we have had and places we have been all help mold our minds into the person we become. How we react to those things is totally up to us.

You have seen people that have lost loved ones, their belongings, a job and even their health and still were in good spirits. How do these people go on? What is their secret? Someone else can lose a fraction of these things and attempt suicide or take it out on other people. One stands strong while the other wilts.

It's the difference between the glass being half full and half empty. You can look for the positive or you can look for the negative. It's completely up to you.

The people that get through the hard times with a good attitude are still able to count their blessings even when life gets hard. Positive people look at what they have left and how they can move forward. They lost their home but they are still alive. They lost a child but they still have another that depends on them for comfort and support. They lost a leg but they can find new ways to remain mobile. It's not easy and I'm sure even the upbeat citizen will have bad days but they don't let it grow into months and consume their lives. Grief is a normal part of life, we are all sad sometimes but you have to get past it and look to the future and what is up ahead.

No one can put you in a bad mood or make you angry if you don't allow it to happen. Your reaction to people and events are in your hands.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Eleanor Roosevelt

There are online bullies that enjoy nothing more than to create friction. If the mean poster doesn't get a reaction they will go away. This is not always easy to do but really works. Angry people want you to feel emotional pain if they receive no attention it takes their fun away. Not replying to their comments is the worst thing you can do to them. Taunting is only entertaining if the victim is hurt. Reacting to them gives them power. Power to make you angry, sad or depressed. It takes stamina and great will to overlook adversity and not give in to retaliation. A peaceful spirit will overcome all and you will be the stronger person in the end.

Please Don't Bring Me Livestock For Christmas

Some of you may be aware that there are people that consistently check the price of the Twelve Days of Christmas items every year. Personally I’d wonder about my true love if he brought me all of those things but it does make for a fun song that has lasted for decades.

Just in case anyone has thought of purchasing these items here’s the tally, $21,465.56. You’d have to really love a girl to shell out that kind of money.

Here’s the full story if you’d like to read it.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j7ParIRW6Tx-r7eSHVifpu6RWlqQ

Can you imagine a guy showing up at your door everyday with livestock? Hopefully his true love has a farm with lots of barn space.

Some have thought the song had hidden meaning and you can believe what you want, but here’s Snope’s take on that story:

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/music/12days.asp

This song has been redone and resung to all sorts of fun twists of the lyrics. Here’s the redneck version.

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/christmas/videos/13832/title/jeff-foxworthy-redneck-12-days-christmas-funny

If you didn’t care for that version here is a list of others you might enjoy. Most are rated “E” but he warns you if there is naughty content.

http://www.dwarfnet.com/christmas/parodies/parodies.shtml