For Beautiful Eyes...

I found this Audrey Hepburn quote, and thought you might enjoy it :)

If you're wondering about that amazing graphics job... haha, no, I just have a lot of time one my hands. Well, okay, not really, but I have discovered picnik, and I make time for it!! I've done sooo many pictures... it's addicting [to the point where it's not even funny].

Goodness, Slacking off again! But hey, Fall is here!!

The lovely month of October is:

• Adopt-A-Dog Month,


• Computer Learning Month,


• National Apple Jack Month,


• National Car Care Month,


• National Clock Month,


• National Cosmetology Month,


• National Dessert Month,


• National Pickled Pepper Month,


• National Popcorn Poppin' Month,


• National Pretzel Month,


• National Sarcastic Month,


• National Seafood Month,


• National Kitchen and Bath Month, and


• Vegetarian Awareness Month

In addition... FALL IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![etc.] Words cannot express how happy this makes me! Autumn is by far my favorite season! I mean, you cannot deny the beauty of this:

(Yes, I stole this from flickr. I'm a bad girl. I can't claim to have taken this, but the person who did has amazing artistic ability. And, of course, GOD, who created it in the first place! Isn't he a genius??)

I can smell the cinnamon and cloves now... well, actually, not really, because our kitchen has been torn apart this last week; we're getting new counter tops! There is dust everywhere!! But, the kitchen looks fantastic!

Does anyone else find Autumn one of those seasons that inspires feelings of nostalgia and warmth? Something about the crisp October air, the vigorous wind whipping the fire-colored trees about, your hair across your face, yet something about it fills your soul, and your very being laughs with sheer joy at being alive. Then stepping across the threshold, greeted by the warm sensations of cloves, vanilla, and crackling fires, with orange-clove tea cozy in our hands, makes some cheesy part of my being well up, and sends a zest for life coursing through my veins... dang, I'm being poetic! I've got to remember this! Ha, but anyway, Fall is indeed my favorite season! What about you?

You never know what it could mean to someone...

**Disclaimer: I didn't write this (Sadly) I wish I did! It was written by a brilliant person named Barbara Hauck (Sadly, I don't know her either).**


Smile

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile made him feel better.
He remembered past kindnesses of a friend
and wrote him a thank you letter.
The friend was so pleased with the thank-you
that he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
bet the whole thing on a hunch.
The next day she picked up her winnings,
and gave part to a man on the street.
The man on the street was grateful;
for two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
he left for his small dingy room.
(He didn't know at that moment
that he might be facing his doom.)
On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
and took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
to be in out of the storm.
That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked til he woke the whole household
and saved everybody from harm.
One of the boys that he rescued
grew up to be President.
All this because of a smile
that hadn't cost a cent.

The Month of Rice and Papayas?

Goodness, how absent minded I am!! A week into September, and I totally zoned out my little monthly feature!! However, I have come through. And I suspect you didn't formerly know September is...

• Self Improvement Month,
• Be Kind To Editors and Writers Month ( Nice comments, please!),
• International Square Dance Month,
• Cable TV Month,
• National Bed Check Month, (What, for bed-bugs or something?)
• National Chicken Month,
• National Courtesy Month,
• National Honey Month,
• National Mind Mapping Month, (Does anyone care to elaborate?)
• National Piano Month,
• National Rice Month,
• National Papaya Month, and
• Classical Music Month

And I just have to add this: September 28th is National Ask a Stupid Question Day. I find it interesting... partly because, well, have you heard the saying, "There is no such thing as a stupid question?" Thus... well, whatever! Cheerios :)

Back in the Day...

Here is an email I received from a friend; I suppose it's been making the rounds (*sighh* forwards... but that's another story.), yet I still found this pleasantly interesting and thought I'd share it with you :)

LIFE IN THE 1500

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water..

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying .. It's raining cats and dogs. [[Okay, I find that to be an interesting visual!!]]

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, Dirt poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way. Hence the saying a thresh hold.

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old..

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat..

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a ...dead ringer..

And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !


Indeed, quite engaging, is it not?
While I'm on here, I must share my silly pleasure with you for a moment!! I got to use TWO big words on my English assignment!! Ha, I know that sounds odd, but I cannot express how pleased I was to find an assignment where the words "idiosyncratic" and "skulduggery" could be used in context!! Speaking of words- my new favorite website: Merriam Webster Online I was nearly overjoyed to find a website with both a dictionary and thesaurus!! I know, I could be categorized as a geek for this (If I wasn't already!), but hey- What can I say? I love words!

That's all. Thanks for reading :)

Any Suggestions?

I'm such a sentimental girl.... I've been feeling the need to watch a "tear jerker" lately. Often, they're my favorite types of movies- not because I'm depressed or anything, but they're just so touching!!

My sister, mother and I recently watched a taped version of an episode of "Touched By an Angel" (A TV show that is no longer airing; it's about these three angels sent to do work on earth disguised as regular people. It may sound cheesy, but it's so beautiful!!) , called "Petey Comes Home." It deals with a little ten year old boy with a fatal disease, and the angels are sent to help him through it. It was so touching, because the little boy [Petey] was all about others! His list of things to do before he died centered mainly around helping others, and finding someone to help his mom when he is gone! It was so sweet!! I cried my little eyes out to my hearts content, shaking the entire couch.

But anywho, does anyone have a name to recommend of a tear jerker to watch? Truly moving ones are rather hard to come by, I find. So if you could help me out in this area, I would be deeply gratified! Thank you dearies!!

Musical theatre perhaps at its PEAK?? Official favorite musical in the entirety of the universe!

**Note, prepare for major rambling like you have never heard before!**

If I were to pick a single word to describe it.... I doubt I could actually decide. Maybe, "Beyond-wow" (The dash makes it one word ;) ), "thrilling," or perhaps, "Indescribable!!" Or, there's always the cliched "Wicked," that being the name of the object under scrutiny.

Yes, I had the wonderful experience of seeing "Wicked: the Musical" on stage.

What a darn gift!! So much I could say! It is my favorite musical in the entire world of musicals!!! The subtle hints toward the "Wizard of Oz" movie; ("Lemons and peaches and mango's, oh my!," "There's no place like home," etc.) The costumes-- oooooh, the costumes!! I could write an entire post going off in tangents about their costumes!! Galinda's sparkling ballgowns, Elphaba's discreet yet powerful black gowns, and the chorus' costumes - Each one seemed to tell it's own story!

And, of course, the cast and the music. Wow. To put it simply, I cannot imagine a cast to work better together! There was such amazing chemistry between all of the characters! Ah, so much talent!!

OK, the music-- I can't even begin to describe.. I laughed delightedly at the lightheartedness of "Popular," and I got chill-bumps when I heard Marcie Dodd belting out "The Wizard and I." Then, there was the long-awaited for "Defying Gravity." Neither words, nor even youtube videos can ever do it justice. There is so much energy and passion in that song... I mentioned I got chill bumps in "Wizard and I?" My heart was pounding so fast at the end of the song, my mind racing with the sheer energy in the theatre... I honest-to-goodness thought I was going to defy gravity myself (Cheesy as it sounds, yes.)!

Oh, here is an amaaaaaaaazing gift God gave to me while we were there! During intermission, my friend and myself ran down the stairs to rent some binoculars to use during the show (This is the most inspired idea perhaps in the universe!), and ran back up the stairs. We then realized how amazingly these worked (seriously, we were in the balcony and, with these handy little devices, could see every single facial expression on the stage!- wow!), and were sent back down the stairs for another pair! (Note that I was still on a high from the last hour-and-a-half, and hadn't tired yet of the stairs) Once we were down to the lobby, and had the binoculars in question, I turned to my friend and suggested that, "Since we are already heeere, why don't we go to the orchestra level and see the stage from there!" Now my friends is a very level-headed person, and suggested we go back to our seats since intermission was almost over. A valid point. But, being a stubborn little moi, I said something to the effect of, "Come on! Intermission is FIFTEEN minutes!! It hasn't been that long!! Let's just go take a look and seeeeee, then we can go back up stairs!" She gave in.

We walked to the stage, so close that we could see into the orchestra pit and probably could have walked onto the stage if we had a mind to... when, all of the sudden, the lights dimmed. The show started. And we were not in our seats.

For ten blissful minutes, I watched the most thrilling musical closer to the stage than I ever thought I would be that night. How darned sensational!!!! It was a highlight of my night! ( After the aforesaid ten minutes, an usher realized our plight and escorted us out of the orchestra level. Or else, you can bet your best bucket I would have stayed there all night!!) But is God good or what?!

That is all I can say for the moment, as it is getting rather late, but I can most surely state that I will be on a major high from this for [at least] the next month!! As I told an usher on the elevator I took up, "Musical theater goes to my head like wine." (My level-headed friend gave me a warning look at this, so I stopped. Otherwise, I probably would have pulled an Anne of Green Gables, and went on with something to the effect of, "At least, that's is how I imagine it would be; your face is flushed, your head is reeling, your heart is beating a mile a minute ; everything is vivid and exciting, and you just want to drink it all in so that you never forget it!")

But goodness, how I ramble! I'm very sorry! If you really read all the way through this post, let me know, I may give you an award or something! I shall stop now, and bid thee farewell!! So long, dear readers!

Auuuuuuuuugust

Time once more for the special monthly feature! Goodness, it's AUGUST already?? Where has the year gone!! Anywho, I'll bet my best bucket you didn't that August is:

• National Catfish Month,
• National Golf Month,
• National Eye Exam Month,
• National Water Quality Month,
• Romance Awareness Month,
• Peach Month, and
• Foot Health Month

Quite the interestingness, no? And other bizarreness:

August 8 is . . . . . Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night! (How random!!)

August 14 is . . . . National Creamsicle Day (yumyumyummmmmmmmmm)

August 17 is . . . . National Thrift shop Day (FUUUUUN!! We have the best little thrift shop about two minutes away from our house!! By the way, when one hears "thrift shop," does anyone else think of the Briers from Regina Doman's books? From some reason I always associate the two.. )

August 30 is . . . . National Toasted Marshmallow Day (Once again: Yuummmmmmers!! Believe it or not, I didn't have my first real roasted marshmallow until quite recently. Last month, to be precise.)

Post title in process of being created... Once author is inspired with something that fits

Goodness!! I've hardly been a good blog keeper! I am distraught to a point you cannot even imagine over the fact that I haven't posted in several weeks!! I am quite sorry.

Now, I check in to share a couple splendid discoveries:

1~ I think I've shared this with you before, but it deserves repeating: Dipping warm chocolate-chip-cookies in hot chocolate is, in few words, the BOMB.com!!

2~ Not that this a particularly new discovery, but I've appreciated it a lot more than usual lately: Sun shine is wonderful. Period. That's one of the beauties of summer; almost every day (When it isn't SCALDING outside), you can step out into the glorious cheerful rays of the sun. It really helps to lift one's mood, just to step out there for a moment and tilt you face to the sun. (The refreshment is especially welcome when your family keeps the house at the approximate temperature of an ice-box, as does mine. I kid you not, I wear my fuzzy socks and a jacket[s] in the middle of July!!)

3~ Improv Everywhere. Oh my crunchy GOODNESS!!! These people crack me up!!! In their words (From the site):

"Improv Everywhere causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places. Created in August of 2001 by Charlie Todd, Improv Everywhere has executed over 80 missions, involving thousands of undercover agents. The group is based in New York City."

Seriously: they are hysterical!!! I would so do something like what they do!! My favorite is the "Food Court Musical" A couple agents go undercover to start a musical out of nothing in an L.A. Food Court!! PWAHAHAHA!!!! A couple of my friends and I are starting to put something together like this, actually! For more splendiforousness, check out the website, http://improveverywhere.com/!

4~ One of my many new favorite quotes: "A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man must seek Him in order to find her." I'm not exactly sure who said that first, but PWAAAA, isn't it wonderful!?! So true, and that is what I am trying every day to do!

Numero FIVE!!: I know I had one... waaaaaiitt, what was it???? GoodNESS, I can't stand it when this happens!! I think it was something to do with a musical...? Oh, yes, I finally got to listen to the entire Wicked soundtrack!!! YES!! It is amazing!! I knew several songs already, somehow, but then I borrowed the soundtrack from the library and realized I'd missed a couple... So of course now I'm singing them all around the house, driving my family to the point of critical insanity!!

[Speaking of Wicked, here is another instance of my being incredibly into my music (Recall my former post "Surely I'm not the ONLY one..."): My brother had kindly loaded a couple songs from said musical onto my ipod (as I'm too technologically inept to do such a thing), including "Defying Gravity." Soooo, as I was listening to it on my little musical gadget for the first time... shall we say I lost myself?? In short, I was brought out of my imaginary little world by the sound of my sister laughing hysterically at the sight of me standing on the couch, passionately singing along to the last part of the song. "So if you care to find me, look to the Western Sky..." etc. What can I say? It's the best part of the song. How could I not? *Sighhhh*


That is all for now; dinner is calling my name! But, indeed, I really will try to post more often! (I really mean it this time!! It's just that I don't want to bore y'all with writing that sounds forced...) So, cheerio dear friends and readers!

As you may have noticed...

I've changed the name of the blog :) (Yes, a rather "Thank you, Captain Obvious" moment.) The address, however remains the same, and if I ever do change that, I'll will give you a warning.