Thanksgiving Meme

Thanks to the Pampered Wife for this one
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A) Home or somewhere else?
Sparky's Mom's house (I affectionately call her my mother-in-law because she has always been so wonderful, loving, accepting, & kind to me)

B) Anything out of the ordinary this Thanksgiving?
No desserts since Sparkman & I are on diets

C) Will there be a football game on at your place?
We watched "Miracle on 34th St", but I did have to switch to check the score for the Cowboys--go Dallas!!!

D) Apple, pumpkin, or mince pie for you?
pumpkin pie

E) Everyone at one table or is there a ‘B” table?
There were only 3 of us so we all got to sit together LOL

F) Will someone say grace?
Usually MIL does but this year we did not say grace. I missed it

G) Who does the cooking?
MIL, but I do cleanup & putting away leftovers

H) What wish will you do on this virtual wishbone?
Love, happiness, prosperity, peace, & blessings for my tribe.


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Beautiful Sunday everyone!!




Blessed be...

Thanksgiving

Today...& every day I am thankful for:

• My tribe (the friends & family of my heart/soul)
• My health
• My faith
• My ability to survive
• My love of humanity
• My love of Nature
• Great Spirit's love for me
• The blessings that come upon me unaware
• The time I was given to say goodbye, I love you, & all else to my brother before he left this world for the next
• Having loved & been loved
• Loving myself
• Learning to accept myself just as I am at this very moment
• Learning to trust my instincts
• Learning to say "no" & not feeling guilty
• Learning to ask for what I need even when I don't get it
• Accepting others just as they are at this very moment
• A home that is safe, comfortable,warm & dry
• The ability to put food on my own table
• Generosity
• Beauty
• Graciousness
• Honesty
• Honor

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Blessed be...

Meme

Thanks for The Pampered Wife Goes Thrifty for the meme. Feel free to play if you wish.

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1. Who is the most famous person you’ve talked to?
Rock Hudson--he was filming a movie in Vegas when I lived there & ate in the bar I was managing.

2. How many bags of potato chips (crisps) are consumed at your house per month?
I don't eat them since I am on my diet

3. What foreign dish do you prepare from scratch and serve?
Stirfried noodles &/or rice w/veggies--lots of middle eastern spices.

4. What is your favourite section of the supermarket?
I love the produce section

5. What was your high school’s team mascot and colors?
Bulldogs--red/white

6. What’s under your bed?
A vintage formica kitchen table

7. Over easy, or sunny side up?
Omelet--when I eat them

8. Favorite pie?
Blueberry cream

9. Storms - cool or scary?
Love storms--very cool especially in OK springtime

10. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently we
wearing?
Softspots

11. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
From my friend/almost sister-in-law Cheryl asking me to call. She used to be engaged to my bro & was really feeling down.

12. Where did you live in 1987?
Las Vegas, NV

13. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
Work in OK

14. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
Spanish-I took it for two years, but would really like to be more proficient

15. Can you change the oil on a car?
Yes
16. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
He lives in WA & teaches NRA classes, living off his inheritance.

17. Gummy bears or worms?
Neither

18. Your favorite food?
Mexican or Thai

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Blessed be...

Fill in the blanks

1. The last band I saw live was _________. The Who//OKC Ford Ctr

2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is _________. (if you don't celebrate thanksgiving, insert your favorite holiday). Dressing (or stuffing as some call it, but in OK it is Dressing & my favorite part of the meal. I eat it with cranberry sauce).

3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is __________. Something I don't do. We gave up presents, etc years ago.

4. Thoughts of _____________ fill my head. Key West. I am missing the beach. It is colder than h..l in OK today. Brrrr

5. I wish I could wear ______________. Mini skirts. I miss them because I do have great legs, but short skirts are a thing of the past for me.

6. Bagpipes ________. Remind me of my brother's funeral. They were the only live music. A good friend played & piped my bro to his grave as his casket was carried between rows of his fellow police officers. It was awesome.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____! Putting on my sweats & watching TV with my furkids. Sat will be sleeping in & taking it easy. Sunday means laundry & reading the papers.

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Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!




Blessed be....

Blessings

These Are My Wishes For You

Sandra Sturtz Hauss

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

May the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them. Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.

It is the content of the encounter that is more important than its form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see beauty and love in the world around you.

Realize that what you feel you lack in one regard you may be more than compensated for in another.

What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.

Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

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Blessed be...

It's been 4 years

It has been four years today since my darlin' brother lost his battle with cancer. He fought a good fight, never felt sorry for himself, & always lifted up those around him. He would not want us to grieve. He would want us to live fully, & I have been trying so hard to do just that. To live the life he could not finish. He was 47 yrs old, just 2 1/2 months short of his 48th birthday when he crossed from this life to the Other Side. His faith was unwavering & he left this life with smile of joy on his lips. So, I have lifted a glass of wine in his honor. I have toasted his life, I have thanked him for not only teaching me how to live, but also how to die.

He loved the beach, the sun. He loved to ride (he was a biker at heart) & the wind in his face was his therapy. Today, as it did on the day he left & as it has continued to do each November 15th since, the weather turned. It is cold & the wind is blowing strongly. Each anniversary of my brother's death brings winter to whatever part of OK I am in. Today, I was in Dallas all day (Sparky planned the trip & took me everywhere I wanted to go shopping. He knows the day & he honored it as, I think, Dave asked him to...taking care of me) & winter arrived there too. I know you left in the sunshine that broke through that morning, but it brought winter to my heart & to OK that day. I love you, I miss you & I will with each breath I take. You are my hero!!

Cheers, bro!! til we meet again in our Father's House.

Blessed be...

Every Woman...

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A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE... .something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...a youth she’s content to leave behind….
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to retelling it in her old age….
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE... .a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…how to fall in love without losing herself.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…that she can’t change the length of her calves,the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…that her childhood may not have been perfect…but its over…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..whom she can trust,whom she can’t,and why she shouldn’t take it personally…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…where to go…be it to her best friend’s kitchen table…or a charming inn in the woods…when her soul needs soothing…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…what she can and can’t accomplish in a day…a month…and a year…
-Pamela Redmond Satran

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Blessed be...

Lost Puppy

"I'm selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I'm out of control and at times I'm hard to deal with..but, if you can't handle me at my worst, then you don't deserve me at my best."- Marilyn Monroe

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Well said, Marilyn!! The same could be said about me. In fact, I am saying this about myself. But that is not really what's on my mind today. Today I am, as I have been since the weekend, thinking about my weight. I have had weight issues all my life. Thought I was fat when I wasn't, had anorexia twice, ballooned overnight & found out my thyroid is less than functioning. I lost alot of weight after that & maintained many years. Came to grips that I would never be rail-thin again. Didn't own a set of scales for 10 yrs. Well, clothes aren't looking quite right on me, my doc prescribed the wrong thyroid hormone dosage, got that corrected, felt better, began to hate my body, bought a scale. OMG!!!! I am 50 lbs heavier than I thought &, quite frankly, after some research I really need to lose about 100 lbs. OMG!!! I am so depressed!! So, what did I do this week?? Ate all the crap in my kitchen (sweets, etc) to get rid of them because I hate throwing away food. Now I have to get my butt (my big-assed butt) in gear, begin again with yoga, pilates, walking, running, anything to get this blankidee blank weight off. I am so sick of being this size. I used to be one of those women who walked into a room & guys stared. I was a presence. Now I am just old & fat!! I don't mind being older-I relish the white hair (I earned it), I embrace the wisdom that I have now (boy, did I lack wisdom at 20, 30, early 40's). But I just hate the weight. I have to get motivated.

I think the motivation thing is hard right now because while I am not unhappy, I am not happy either. I don't dislike my job, I just don't particularly like it. Life just is right now. I exist. While my Mom & I are speaking again I don't really care if we communicate or not. While I see Sparky every weekend I don't care if we spend time together or not. I just seem to have hit a blah stage. Nothing excites me. My only joy is spending time with my furkids. They make me laugh & give so much love. I have love in my life--my sister-in-love, Butterflies, my son & grands. I can honestly say I don't want a man in my life full time because I don't want to put up with what it takes to make a relationship work. I have never been in a really good relationship so maybe I just don't know what I am missing.

But right now I have to lose this WEIGHT!! HELP!!!

Blessed be...

The Times They Are A Changing...

Our New President, Barack Obama

May God Bless him, give him courage, & guide his every decision




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John McCain, a class act to the end as evidenced by his speech last night in conceding his defeat for the office of President of the United States of America.

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MCCAIN: Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you for coming here on this beautiful Arizona evening.My friends, we have — we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Sen. Barack Obama to congratulate him.

(BOOING)

Please. To congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love. In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving. This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight. I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Sen. Obama believes that, too.

But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.

A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.

Let there be no reason now ... Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth. Sen. Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer him my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day. Though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her Creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.

Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans ... I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans.

And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that. It is natural. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again. We fought — we fought as hard as we could. And though we feel short, the failure is mine, not yours.

AUDIENCE: No!

MCCAIN: I am so...

AUDIENCE: (CHANTING)

MCCAIN: I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We do, too (OFF-MIKE)

MCCAIN: The road was a difficult one from the outset, but your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you. I'm especially grateful to my wife, Cindy, my children, my dear mother ... my dear mother and all my family, and to the many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign. I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me. You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate, and that's been true in this campaign. All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude and the promise of more peaceful years ahead.

I am also — I am also, of course, very thankful to Gov. Sarah Palin, one of the best campaigners I've ever seen ... one of the best campaigners I have ever seen, and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength ... her husband, Todd, and their five beautiful children ... for their tireless dedication to our cause, and the courage and grace they showed in the rough and tumble of a presidential campaign. We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country.

To all my campaign comrades, from Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter, to every last volunteer who fought so hard and valiantly, month after month, in what at times seemed to be the most challenged campaign in modern times, thank you so much. A lost election will never mean more to me than the privilege of your faith and friendship. I don't know — I don't know what more we could have done to try to win this election. I'll leave that to others to determine. Every candidate makes mistakes, and I'm sure I made my share of them. But I won't spend a moment of the future regretting what might have been. This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life, and my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Sen. Obama and my old friend Sen. Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.

(BOOING)

Please. Please. I would not — I would not be an American worthy of the name should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century. Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone, and I thank the people of Arizona for it.

AUDIENCE: USA. USA. USA. USA.

MCCAIN: Tonight — tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Sen. Obama — whether they supported me or Sen. Obama.

I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president.

And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.

Americans never quit.

We never surrender.

We never hide from history.

We make history.

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Blessed be...

Courage

Talk about Courage!!!

Subject: Ed "Too Tall to Fly" Freeman

A measure of heroism that is not so obvious in the Mel Gibson movie:"We Were Soldiers Once......And Young

You're an 18 or 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley, November 14,1965. LZ Xray, Vietnam. Your Infantry Unit is outnumbered 8 to 1, and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the medevac helicopters to stop coming in.You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is 1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day. Then, over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter, and you look up to see a Huey, but it doesn't seem real, because no medevac markings are on it. Ed "Too Tall" Freeman is coming for you. He's not a medevac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the medevac's were ordered not to come. He's coming anyway. And he drops it in, and sits there in the machine gun fire, they load 2 or 3 of you onboard, as they drop off much needed water and ammunition. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire, to the Doctors and Nurses. And, he kept coming back......13 more times..... and took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.

Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died Wednesday Sept. 3, 2008 at the age of 80, in Boise, Idaho.Thanks Ed....... Blue Skies forever.

I was a war protester back in the day, but I married a Vietnam Vet. The war took a toll on him & does to this day I believe. We have been divorced 29 yrs. We had a wonderful son together, but even the father/son relationship has suffered. I was so moved by this story. A man who saw his duty not, I believe, because he was "supposed" to do this-he was not, he was not ordered to do this. But instead he was heroic because that quite simply was who he was as a person. I hope we all become a little more heroic today.

Blessed be...

Election Day

Today, finally, I got to vote. There was a line at my voting place at 7:20am when I arrived & I was out the door by 7:50am. So not too bad. Made it to work on time. In OK, however, you are allowed 2 hours during the work day to vote if need be.

Now the waiting begins anew. No matter who you support I hope you exercised your Constitutional right to vote for the candidate of your choice. It is so important that we exercise this Freedom.

Blessed be...

County Cork Ireland

My people come from County Cork, at least my Irish ancestors. Finding that it is on the coast makes me understand my (& my bother's) love of the sea. The smell of the sea is in our blood-it come to this Country with our ancestors. The beauty of the windswept coastline. It is what touched me about the the Oregon/Washington coast, and why that part of the Country calls me back more each day.

It is from both my Irish & Native American heritages that I get my "second sight", my love of the land, my affinity for Nature, my superstitions. I always, in my youth, had very much the look of the Irish upon me -blue eyes, freckles, reddish hair. But as I matured more & more my Native side surfaces. Most everyone I meet comments that I must be Native. I like the idea that who I am shows so on the outside. After all, who says you can't be a blue-eyed Indian.

An Irish Prayer

May God give you...

For every storm, a rainbow,

For every tear, a smile,

For every care, a promise,

And a blessing in each trial.

For every problem life sends,

A faithful friend to share,

For every sigh, a sweet song,

And an answer for each prayer.

Blessed be...