Happy Dance Friday

Time to move it........
Do it.......(you know you want to!)
Happy Dance Friday Everyone!

Peace

Message in a Bottle Meme from Mimi

**Start Copy
Here are the rules:

You are about to send a virtual Message In a Bottle across the Blog Ocean. Leave a message in the sand or on the bottle. Write anything you wish. Be a pirate or a poet. Serious or silly. Anonymous or not.

What message would you like to send out to the universe?

Message In A Bottle Meme

1. Compose a message to place in your virtual bottle
2. Right click and Save the graphic below
3. Use a graphics program of your choice to place the message on the picture
4. Post the meme and these rules on your blog
5. Return your "Message In a Bottle" to me via email ~ mimiwrites2005 at yahoo.com, sign the Mr. Linky below and leave a comment HERE telling me you've finished. IF YOU WANT YOUR MESSAGE TO BE ANONYMOUS PLEASE SAY SO.
6. Tag a minimum of five people - or your entire blogroll - to do the same. Notify them of the tag.

A Prayer

I don't mean to keep getting all mushy on you, but hey, this is my blog and I can write what I want. This is a "Hopi" Indian Prayer that was on a card I recently received and I thought it was beautiful. Although it may sound sad, and altho it makes me cry, it gives me strength and that's something I need a lot of these days.

Do not stand

at my grave and weep.

I am not there,

I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints

on snow.

I am the sunlight

on the ripened grain.

I am the gentle

Autumn's rain.

When you awaken

in the morning hush,

I am the swift

uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars

that shine at night.

Do not stand

at my grave and cry:

I am not there,
I did not die.

God's finger touched him, and he slept. -Alfred, Lord Tennyson Peace

Find the HIdden Surprise Announcement

Reindeer running...in Alaska. It's the new thing. I just heard it on the news... Nothing new hear unless you count the case of the missing soap bar in the bathroom. There's so many LED lights here I don't need to turn on the lights. But those little tiny green lights are bad for my eyes. I hate paper cuts. I got this new toilet bowl fragrance-cleaning hanging thingy. Has a nice smell. I saw hawk in the tree yesterday. I wish Spring was here. I love oranges. Snot dog doesn't care about cats. He walked right by one yesterday. The wimp that he is. (sorry snot). Coffee sprinkled with cinnamon is good. Remember the time I put cayenne pepper in by mistake? I love baskets. They're good to put "stuff" in. Have them all around the house. Have lots of "stuff" in em too. Hub used to collect bells. Should I ring them? Ding dong. (Avon calling). I'm retiring from my job on March 28th! I think I'll take up golf in the Spring. I need more sleep. I'll get it soon enough. Today is Tuesday. As they say on Seinfeld, Tuesday has no feel. My people will call your people. I love saying that. I have to shave my legs. Does it matter? Yeah it does. OK, that's decided. HiHo, Hiho, it's off to work I go. (but not for longgggggg ;-)
Peace

Happy Monkey Monday

I woke up an hour later than usual today. I have a good excuse. I was awoken in the middle of the night by ghosts. The picture on the wall, which has been hanging there for awhile deicided to fall off the wall and hit the lamp which knocked over the flashlight I keep there, which turned the alarm clock off. Nice huh? Oh well.

I didn't watch the Academy Awards, did you?

Ok, gotta run, have a good Monday.

Peace

Once Upon a Time In America.......

SCHOOL 1967 vs. 2007
Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1967 - Vice principal comes over to look at Jack's shotgun. He goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, and FBI is called. Jack is hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1967 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail; nobody is arrested; nobody is expelled.
2007 - Police called. SWAT team arrives. Johnny and Mark are arrested and charged with assault. Both are expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1967 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the principal. He returns to class, sits still, and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is diagnosed with ADD and given huge doses of ritalin. Becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a learning disability.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1967 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and be comes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is placed in foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself, and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist .

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1967 - Mark shares aspirin with principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called. Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. Car is searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1967 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given a diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.
1967 - Ants die.
2007 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Homeland Security, and FBI called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates parents; siblings are removed from home; computers confiscated. Johnny's dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Heather. Heather hugs him to comfort him.
1967 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Heather is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in state prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy.

. . . and the beat goes on!



Peace

Book Meme

Patti, of Late Bloomer tagged me with the Book Meme

Here are the Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people & post a comment here once you post it to your blog, so I can come see.




I'm currently reading The Kite Runner "an unforgettable story of honor, courage and betrayal set in war-torn Afghanistan as two small boys test their friendship to its limits. Compelling, heartrending, and etched with details of a history never before told in fiction, The Kite Runner explores the ways in which we’re damned by our moral failures, and of the extravagant cost of redemption."
I'm enjoying the read...even though it is sad.

Here's what page 123, starting with the fifth sentence, plus two more, say:

"What I remember next is the blinding light of early morning as I climbed out of the fuel tank. I remember turning my face up to the sky, squinting, breathing like the world was running out of air. I lay on the side of the dirt road next to a rocky trench, looked up to the gray morning sky, thankful for air, thankful for light, thankful to be alive."

Thanks Patti for the tag and in turn, I'll tag the following five peeps:
Deb (Boondoggled)
Echomouse
Real Live Lesbian
Casdok (Mother of Shrek)

Enjoy!

Peace

Happy Dance Friday

Well, it's snowing hard here today. That means I stay home. So I'll be doing a Happy Dance, just because! Hope you have a reason to happy dance today.

I loved this one!

Have a great weekend.

Peace

Empty

The surrealism is leaving.....reality is setting in.
And I don't like it!
I keep expecting everything to be the same.
And it's not.
I keep expecting that phone call at work from hub.
It doesn't come.
I keep expecting he'll be sitting on the couch watching TV when I come home. He's not.
I hate this.

Peace

Joke Day!

I just cracked up when I read this......yes, I'm very sick, but in a good way.

Why Sentence Structure Is So Important . . .
The boss had to fire somebody, and he narrowed it down to one of two people, Debra or Jack.
It was an impossible decision because they were both super workers. Rather than flip a coin, he decided he would fire the first one who used the water cooler the next morning.

Debra came in the next morning with a horrible hangover after partying all night. She went to the cooler to take an aspirin. The boss approached her and said: "Debra, I've never done this before but I either have to lay you or Jack off."
"Could you jack off?" she says. "I feel like shit."

Thanks Tarb

Peace

Award Time

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

- Anais Nin

Casdok,
beautiful mother of "C", gave me this wonderful award! She does a lot for the world by bringing attention to autism and does it with love and kindness for which "C" is oh so lucky and blessed to have such a Mom. This made my day. Thanks Cas!

I'd like to pass this along to all my blog buddies...because of all your great support and love and hugs you've all given me over the past month. It's meant at lot to me.

And....HeartinSanFrancisco
who I love and admire dearly and have been reading for a while now, had this so say:
"Odat at Odat's Mumbling epitomizes a classy lady. She always gives 300% to others with warmth and a wacky sense of humor and asks nothing in return, which is one of the reasons so many of us love her dearly."
Wow.
That made me cry, but in a good way, and I feel the same about her. Thank you Heart.....for this award...which my blog will wear proudly.

I have so many "best blogging buddies" that I've gotten to know and some of you I've even met over the years and some I've spoken to on the phone..... Blogging has opened up a whole new world to me. Thanks to all of you. With that said, I want to pass this award to:

My best blogging buddy:
Michael C, from The Wonderful World of Nothing Worthwhile
I think Michael is the second blog I ever read and have been reading him since he started. He should be writing for Saturday Nite Live ...a very funny guy.

and

Deb, my sarcastic, witty, blogging idol, from Boondoggled
She is the one who got me to blog in the first place, much to my protestations! I thank her for introducing me to this great forum! I also thank her for being a good friend. She's one of the "buddies" I actually met in person, on her way to Scotland she had a 5 hour layover at Newark Airport.

and to

Mike, owner of Notorious Tom.
The creator and director of the Writer's Experiment and the organizer of 55 Flash Fiction Friday
which got me off my lazy azz and got me to write a lil sompin original, and who is just a nice, nice man.

Peace

Happy Monkey Monday

Happy Monkey Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Peace

Movie time.

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Not sure if this holds true for me....but hey, I'll take it.

Happy Sunday!
Hope you get a chance to relax. I've had a real busy week in spite of the fact that I took three days off. Had to get loads of paperwork done and signed, sealed and delivered. At least I've got that done and it's a load off my back. So I feel somewhat better. I'm going to visit one of my best friends today who just go out of the hospital. And that's another story in itself! Let's just say, she'll probably be owning the hospital soon!

Peace

Happy Dance Friday

Have a Great Weekend!
Peace

Valentine's Day

He had my heart. I had his. Ah, the starry eyed bliss of a new marriage. Fourteen years ago today we exchanged our hearts and started down a path of "unionhood". (I made that word up).
My hub was a very private man, (unlike me) that's why I never spoke about him. I wanted to honor his privacy. But now I can tell you all about him!

He was strong, he was honorable, he was funny. He was always fixing things but never finishing the job....he had tools that could rebuild a city, yet he was a businessman who wore a suit every day and hated it. He loved nature and came alive when we went anyplace outside the city. He would sit all day with a camera to capture a deer eating blueberries from the bushes. He would try so hard to learn to cook a great meal.....and wondering why it never came out the way the recipe said it would. (he was always changing the ingredients to things he thought would work better). I would try to eat it...then laugh, and wound up cooking something a little more palatable. He was always playing practical jokes on me. Some funny, some not. He was a perfectionist, I wasn't. When I hang a picture on the wall I look at the place where I want it and hammer a nail in. He would get out all his tools...and measure and make sure there were no beams or electric wiring ...yada yada yada....took him all day for pete's sake! ;-) And forget about painting walls...that would take months! I always dreaded doing projects with him. But it was those times when we would work together as a team and I believe helped us stay together as a team. Now I have projects to finish and work to do on the house and he's not here anymore to drive me nuts. I wish he were.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart.
Peace

Nothing.

Cracking Up

The Cracked Pot

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung
on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots
had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a
full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to
the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only
one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor
cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it
could only do half of what it had been made to do. After 2 years of what
it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the
stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my
side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The old
woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the
path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always
known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path,
and every day while we walk
back, you water them."

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to
decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not
be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw.
But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so
very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for
what they are and look for the good in them. Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

So, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell
the flowers on your side of the path!

Peace

Happy Monkey Monday

Happy Monkey Monday


Peace

I Hate Roller Coasters.

I hate being on this roller coaster. But I realize it's the natural progression of the grieving process. I have good days and I have bad days. I'm keeping very busy. It's when my head hits the pillow at night when it's the worst. That's when I do all my crying. It's ok. I have faith. And I haven't lost my sense of humor! That's what hub would have wanted. He would tell me to keep on laughing. He made me laugh, a lot. That's one of the things I loved about him. And almost every memory I have of him I can see us laughing about something. Even when we were fighting, we would always say that someday we're going to laugh about this. And sure enough, we did. I thank him for that.

So here's a few one liners to get your day going:

Why do gorillas have big nostrils?
Because they got big fingers!

What's the difference between a woman with PMS and a Pitt Bull?
Lipstick

What does a fish say when it runs into a wall?
DAMN!

What do you call a sheep with no legs?
A cloud
(I like Buffalo's answer better, see comments...)

Have a peaceful Sunday!

Tooty Fruity

You Are a Strawberry

You are friendly, outgoing, and well liked by many people. You are popular, but there's nothing you ordinary or average about you. You a very interesting person, and you have many facets to your personality. Sometimes you feel very conflicted. Your different sides of your personality pull at you. You are a very sensual and passionate person. You are fiery... you can't help it. In general, you keep your passionate side under wraps. You are only wild in private.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

Peace

Not So Happy Dance Friday.

I loved this song when I first heard it. Now I'm living it.
Peace

New Drugs!!!

NEW DRUGS FOR WOMEN

DAMNITOL Take 2 and the rest of the world can go to hell for up to 8 full hours.

EMPTYNESTROGEN Suppository that eliminates melancholy and loneliness by reminding you of how awful they were as teenagers and how you couldn't wait till they moved out!

ST. MOMMA'S WORT Plant extract that treats mom's depression by rendering preschoolers unconscious for up to two days.

PEPTOBIMBO Liquid silicone drink for single women. Two full cups swallowed before an evening out increases breast size, decreases intelligence, and prevents conception. DUMBEROL When taken with Peptobimbo, can cause dangerously low IQ, resulting in enjoyment of country music and pickup trucks.

FLIPITOR Increases life expectancy of commuters by controlling road rage and the urge to flip off other drivers.

MENICILLIN Potent anti-boy-otic for older women. Increases resistance to such lethal lines as, 'You make me want to be a better person. '

BUYAGRA Injectable stimulant taken prior to shopping. Increases potency, duration, and credit limit of spending spree.

JACKASSPIRIN Relieves headache caused by a man who can't remember your birthday, anniversary, phone number, or to lift the toilet seat

ANTI-TALKSIDENT A spray carried in a purse or wallet to be used on anyone too eager to share their life stories with total strangers in elevators.

NAGAMENT When administered to a boyfriend or husband, provides the same irritation level as nagging him, without opening your mouth.

Peace

AND THE WINNER IS...........

Drum roll please........................tada!

The winner of the ODAT NYC Minute Award for the best caption on Monkey Monday's picture is.......................................

All of you!!!! I laughed at everyone of them, so it's not fair to chose just one. Since I'm not in the possession of a laugh-o-meter, I believe my haha's were just about equal on all of the comments.

;-) So to each of you, if you chose to accept it, I offer you this award:






HOWEVER, I do have one special award for my friend (although you're all my friends), who is just a litttle more special this week, and that is Sarge Charlie! Here ya go, Sarge.

Love from Ethel! hehe.

(notice the sunglasses ;-)

Peace

Go Giants!

Congrats New York Giants!

Today will be the ticker tape parade for the the New York Giants.

I am going to opt out, being the diehard fan I am (really, I am). However it's raining! Would you want all that wet ticker tape (altho they did away with those tickers a long time ago) in your hair??? Me neither!

(I did watch the game. Altho it was bittersweet. I actually met hub 24 years ago on Super Bowl Sunday. )

Peace

Happy Monkey Monday

Happy Monkey Monday!

An Odat NYC Award will be given for the best caption.

Ok go!!!! ;-) May the best captioner win!

There are no rules, just what makes me laugh the most.

On another note, but still monkey related, I have been given the ultimate honor by Mike (Mike's Homefront) and Notorious Tom (the monkey) of being bestowed Executive Membership in the Monkey Alliance Group! (MAG). What is the monkey alliance group, you may ask? Read on:

Monkey Alliance Group New Member Welcome Packet

Welcome, ODAT to the Monkey Alliance Group. We are a well financed group of monkeys who are in support of returning world power back to our Monkey King, Notorious T.O.M .Here is your membership card:

As an Executive member, you will receive all of the benefits that the MAG has to offer, which includes the following:


1) Entry into the Forbidden City and access to all the cool parties there.
2) Immunity from the inevitable attack on mankind.
3) Free bug removal from your hair by one of our trained specialists.
4) Tree swing training
5) Access to the All-You-Can-Eat Banana Buffet
6) Free access to the world class resort island of Sentosa, where monkeys run free and drink rose petal drinks all day.
7) Free specialized daycare for your pets and co-workers.


As an Executive Member, you will be required to perform recon missions on preselected humans of our choosing and report back as to his or her actions and whereabouts. Daily patterns and routines of these preselected humans must be reported back to the Monkey Alliance Military (MAM), where data is gathered in preparation for the Grand Assault. Failure to do so may result in your membership being disbanded.Your human this week will be: Howard Stern


Once Again, Welcome ODAT


Pretty cool, huh?

Peace

Memories

I've been cleaning and cleaning and cleaning the house...just dumping "stuff". I came across a hat my hub had. I think he wore it when he used to hunt. It's one of those that have fluffy ear flaps that can be tied up or worn down to keep ya warm. Memories came flooding back which made me cry and also cracked me up (yes, that's how it's been for me.....laughing, crying...yada yada).

I used to take public transportation into NYC (which I stopped doing because it took two hours to go 26 miles!). Anyhow, hub used to pick me up at the train station after work. One day, during a very cold winter, I got off the train (and I pride myself in looking nice. I have nice clothes and think I look pretty cool, if I must say so myself). Anyhoo, there he was, standing by the car, with that hat on! with the ear flaps down, calling out in a pretty good redneck accent and loud too: "HEY ETHEL, IS THAT YOU ETHEL???? I brought the rig to pick ya up!!!!" (my name is not Ethel, btw). The other commuters were giving him looks as if he were an alien! I walked right by him as if i didn't know him!

But since that day, we had a lot of laughs over it. So every time I see that hat, I think of that day and smile. (and today I cried too.)

Peace

Joke Day

Mad Wife Disease

A guy was sitting quietly reading his paper when his wife walked up behind him and whacked him on the head with a magazine.
"What was that for?" he asked. "That was for the piece of paper in your pants pocket with the name Laura Lou written on it," she replied.
"Two weeks ago when I went to the races, Laura Lou was the name of one of the horses I bet on," he explained. "Oh honey, I'm sorry," she said. "I should have known there was good explanation."

Three days later he was watching a ballgame on TV when she walked up and hit him in the head again, this time with the iron skillet,
which knocked him out cold. When he came to, he asked, "What the hell was that for?"

She replied, "Your horse called."

Peace

Happy Dance Friday!

Beware: contains cockroaches!


Happy Dance Friday!!!

Peace

Flash Fiction Friday

Swimming in mud, taking deep breaths as I go.
That's what it feels like.
I want this trip to be over with, but I know it will happen in its own time.
I have all the proper tools at my disposal, helping me along - friends and love,
Pulling me through the heaviness of grief.


Peace