Believe it....or not!

It's too hot to use up too much brain power this morning and our cousin Kay sent me some helpful hints and tips.. I'll bet most (if not all) really work....and I think we actually have all the necessary "potions" on hand (or other various places!)  Thanks Kay :-)

1. Budweiser beer conditions the hair
2. Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish
3. Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes
4. Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair
5. Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads if any. ( so tempted to try this)
6. Shiny Hair - use brewed Lipton Tea
7. Sunburn - empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water (works!)
8. Minor burn - Colgate or Crest toothpaste (yep)
9. Burn your tongue? Put sugar on it!
10. Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in.  It kills insect stings too (Lee's Grandma stood for several minutes in a fire ant nest.... this was our only saving grace!!!!!)
11 Bee stings - meat tenderizer (yep)
12. Chigger bite - Preparation H
13. Puffy eyes - Preparation H
14. Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)
15. Stinky feet - Jello !
16. Athletes feet - cornstarch
17. Fungus on toenails or fingernails - Vicks vapor rub
18. Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet. (Wow, and we drink this stuff)
19. Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint also Kool Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a finger paint, your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if they eat it!
20. Peanut butter - will get scratches out of CD's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper
21. Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray
22. Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby
23. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls
24. When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on
25. Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar !
26. Body paint - Crisco mixed with food coloring. Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour in to an empty film container and mix with the food color of your choice! (??? why)
27 Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak
28. Preserving a newspaper clipping - large bottle of club soda and cup of milk of magnesia , soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years! (interesting...will try)
29. A Slinky will hold toast and CD's! (toast?)
30. To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste (this works)
31. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt.
32. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
33. Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with Peanut butter! (yep)
34. Baked on food - fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the Bounce towel will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets , soak overnight!
35. Crayon on the wall - Colgate toothpaste and brush it!
36.. Dirty grout - Listerine
37. Stains on clothes - Colgate toothpaste
38. Grass stains - Karo Syrup
39. Grease Stains - Coca Cola , it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from car batteries!
40. Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax- sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours.
41. To keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little Clorox , or 2 Bayer aspirin , or just use 7-up instead of water. (7-up and aspirin work)
42. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you 'squeeze' for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie.
They are:

Monday = Blue,
Tuesday = Green,
Thursday = Red
Friday = White
Saturday = Yellow.

And keep Gatorade around for nasty headaches....it works....

Happy Week-end all and let me know what works for you.....

House Hunters

Looks like our renters aren't going to be able to purchase our Locke house:-(  Very sad as they love it and have been such good caretakers.  There seems to be a upturn in the housing market but on the flip side, bankers are more cautious in what they lend and to whom..... as they should be since they caused this entire debacle to begin with.  I hate starting back at square one but the crappy capital gains laws dictate that our time is waning and I sure don't want to pay huge taxes.  That would pretty much defeat the purpose. Holding the mortgage really doesn't make sense either and I'm not sure I should be the one searching for options. It's a pretty sweet house for the asking which is over $30K LESS than the assessed value.  New roof, all new windows, huge lawn and oozing with charm makes me wonder why it wasn't snatched up long ago.  My realtor said, "It's simple.  It's in Locke."  Well you know, I lived there for 56 years and it was a pretty good place to grow up and later raise my family.  I can see it being a home for Seniors, a Funeral Home, even a lovely 2 family home but it sure is a great place for a family. I remember someone saying that we were nuts to put it on the market before our new house was finished.  "It'll sell immediately and then you'll be looking for a place for the interim.......That was SIX years ago!!

To market to market we go...........

Project time

OK, it's time for a project.  I have a small one in mind and very large one...(project not mind:-).  My small project is to find a decent sized, older wooden table that I can decoupage.  I absolutely shouldn't watch Flea Market Find on HGTV.  They decoupaged an older dresser in one of the episodes.  They bought a box of old love letters from a flea market (kind of disturbing.. they really should be with the family but I'm sure they were discarded in an old box at an estate sale and ended up filtering down to flea market status:-(  Anyway, it looked awesome. I have a large stack of mechanical drawing drawings that my brother drew in high school in 1960-61. They're 18 x 12 and there are several.  I think I'd like to decoupage them onto a table top and then poly it for use.  It seems that script fabric, rugs, lampshades etc are an up and coming decorating style.  I also have a wonderful stack of ribbon tied love letters that my Dad sent to my Mom through their college years.  They could continue to "live" on a wonderful piece of furniture that could be passed down.  So, tomorrow I'll be perusing the local auction website on the lookout for the perfect pieces. I will find them !  ( Don't ask where I'll put them......I may have to add a room :-)

My large project is a little ambitious and a lot expensive but hey, we only take this trip once. I want a swim spa (endless pool!)  They're above ground, easy to care for, provide a swimming and exercise venue (which is my main objective........not,) can be used all year round and can be placed anywhere from basements to backyards.  I'll opt for the backyard.  I miss the water and my creek is occasionally dry, shallow and buggy and the falls might prove hazardous to take a quick, cooling dip.  Bailee needs a place to learn to swim and where better than Grandma's! See, I can rationalize almost anything.

Memorial memories

Saluting at her first Girl Scout parade march!

Memorial Day week-end 2013 provided us with lots of things to deposit in our memory bank.  Bailee and I had a four day week-end to share and we were busy. Out to eat, movies in our theater and then off to see "Epic." We ate lunch for breakfast, went golf cart mud bogging, danced to West Side Story and The Music Man, made reservations for Cats at the Merry Go Round Theater, flew a kite at Great Grandpa's, spotted the eagle, marched in a parade and finally got to shoot her Christmas BB (which obviously was named for Bailee Brown) gun after a lesson from Papa! Pretty eventful 4 days. Last night I slept like a baby!

Ready, Aim, Fire

Dead Eye!!!

Perfect Kite Day at Great Grandpa's

Colorful Day

Despite the rain in the sky and the chill in the air, today has had a colorful start.  This morning I got to have breakfast with my favorite Brown eyed girl then got a phone call from Illyssa Green (Tim's wife), with an OK for Tim to come to MFES and maybe Moravia Middle School too, to visit with the kids and sign his newest book, First Team starring coach Buzz Hewitt. That won't be until next fall (2014) but I am already over the moon excited.  I was telling Dad all about his new role the other night when the earth shook (just a little), lightening struck and thunder roared.  I think that was his way of saying thanks. (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

That's all I've got for today.  I have some serious business to attend to.....we're taking Barbie to the prom in her new car we just got from Kinney's, I'm going to continue to get my butt kicked in Birdopoly, we're eating lunch AT Subway and then we have 2 movies to watch in the theater (with soda, whoppers and popcorn!)..Mom will be so proud when she gets home :-0

Opticrectalosis..an ever increasing disease

I continue today to be dumbfounded....and I'm fitting in quite nicely. A few , and I realize it actually is just a few, people have been taking to the streets of local social media with their views about our schools and education in general.  One individual said he couldn't see one thing in the budget that directly affected the kids except the library..     I'm assuming, and you know what that does, that he's referring to the

Powers Library proposition.  Unfortunately once again, we have no control over that.  That is the

avenue they are allowed to use to raise funds.  Let me be clear.... I have always disagreed with the use

 of the school as a venue to raise money for a private organization.  I feel it's ambiguous to voters and

is never clearly explained.  If, on the other hand, he was meaning the school library....they all use it.

Every single line on the budget directly affects the students.  The teacher salaries and benefits

should be a no brainer. Safe buildings and grounds should be a given...Look at Oklahoma or

New Town. Let's not begrudge our children or anyone's children....SAFETY.  Programs...this gets

tricky.  

It would be nice if districts were given the luxury to teach what and how they were trained to do.

Legislators should not be mandating things they have no knowledge about.



 Can you spell MANDATE?  I'm not sure anyone, unless involved directly with

 education, has any idea what is out of the hands of our local districts and their staffs.  And let's be

 perfectly clear....most mandates come with no funds attached!!!!


Once again, it's a matter of being not just uninformed but more and more of

being misinformed. 
 

I try to remain calm and answer questions as simply and accurately as possible. I try to

 explain what is a misconception and reroute them to the truth.  If I don't know the answer,

 I find it!!! There is no shame in not having an answer. The shame is pretending you do and

promoting the snowballing affect of misinformation.

We have 4 weeks to correct the misguided information and disseminate the facts.  I don't

believe it's anyone's intention to lie, or "work the numbers" or "spin a story" or "threaten"

anyone.  The facts are there, the numbers aren't pretty but it is what it is and the worst


case scenarios have been addressed.  If the "what could happen in the future"" info wasn't

 given


 to the public, people would be furious, when and if it happened, that they had no idea it was a

 possibility.  As I told

 someone this morning... It's a lot better to be annoyed now than blindsided in the future.


I think if a few people got their head out of their asses now, they would see the whole shitty

situation a little more clearly.

 That darn "opticrectalosis!"  It strikes so many!

Fixing Stupid

Our school budget was defeated last night.  With all the political "speak" and rules and mandates and gap eliminations and bullshit (sorry), it was mandatory that our budget for 2014 be passed by a super majority (60%)..Unfortunately, we are a community that has within its voting base, super, stupid uninformed voters.  I know that seems harsh and judgmental and even a bit haughty but our Board of Education, Business Manager and Superintendent did everything possible, short of going door to door for one on one sessions, to explain this budget. Seriously, maybe it isn't possible to fix stupid.  I now realize that even intelligent folks can be stupid... Now there's a real oxyMORON. Even my husband who is keeper of the machines, came home and remarked, "Well a nearly 10% increase in taxes is pretty steep!"  So much for my recliner being a peaceful perch at that moment.  A 9+ % increase in the tax levy DOES NOT MEAN YOUR INDIVIDUAL TAX BILLS WILL INCREASE BY THAT AMOUNT!!!!!!!   Like he's ever even looked at a tax bill in the last.....................forever!!  He's not an idiot! OK, maybe he was for that 3 minutes!  He voted yes and then was passing on what he'd heard at the polls.  Maybe he was jolted by lightening and was short circuited for a few minutes.. That's my story and I'm sticken' to it!

We sure don't want to go to contingency.  Please notice that I've used several we's and our's...We all own this problem.  We get a pretty hefty tax bill and I squeal in September when it arrives... but I also squeal with delight when Bailee dons her newest outfit and we take those "back to school" priceless pictures that begin a new chapter of her life each fall.  I still have the photos of me that Mom took every year on the first day.  It is OUR responsibility to see that each one of those years is filled with the best of everything.....from the best teachers to the best lunches to the\best opportunities. If that doesn't happen, we have no one to blame but ourselves. Stupid is as stupid does!

Book Smart

During the past three days, something amazing happened! Let me take you back to the 1940's.  My Dad, Buzz Hewitt, was attending Colgate University. His loves were my Mom and sports.  I'm unsure of the order:-)  He was a gangly, young man.... too blind to serve his country, too frail to play football, too lean to bash a baseball but stronger from the neck up than most.  An excellent student with knowledge far above his years. A whiz at statistics, economics and English with an amazing talent for pen to paper!  In the spring of '42 when graduation was on the horizon, decisions needed to be made.  His aspirations were to be a sports writer or in some way affiliated with sports but he felt his obligations should lead him home.  He was the only son of the owner of a large family business in a very small town.  He was expected to return and take his place at the right hand of God the father...............nope that father.....his! Not a very warm and fuzzy kind of guy but what man was in 1942?  That generation had it's expectations...great or otherwise.  The day following commencement, Dad became an integral part of Hewitt Brothers, Inc. and left his dreams behind.

Fast forward to the 60's where I was a strong willed teenager and the baby of three children.  A lot like my Dad in knowing what I wanted and more of a rebel in thinking I knew how to get it.  Dad, being the master of "notes," found it easier to communicate with me through the written word versus mouth to mouth combat. I have copious notes that I have received throughout the years explaining to me his views on everything from  my car might need washing to was I maintaining a healthy balance in my checkbook in case of emergencies. I have each and every note! Forever a writer.

As we aged and mellowed, we bonded in a strange and wonderful way....through sports.  He knew every statistic, every salary, every name, every record and the every rule and regulation of every sport. We had breakfast together at our local diner 6 days a week and our morning conversations hashed over the prior night's (or week-end's) games and all the fodder that followed. We had breakfast on Saturday December 23, 2006.  Sunday morning, December 24th, he was gone! I was so sad...sad that our conversations would be no more, sad that I would never get another "epistle" in famous Dad form and sadder yet that he made sure our dreams came true while dying before his did.

May 18, 2013, the day 5 years prior that I had buried Dad.....leaving with him for eternity, the sports section of the New York Times, (one of the many newspapers he read daily) and notes from my children....the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree, I was perusing Face Book (I know, shocker) and Tim Green had posted an open call for character names for a coach in his upcoming book.  I thought how awesome it would be if Buzz Hewitt could be that name.  I "nominated" him and low and behold he was one of 12 finalists. Time to rally the troops.

Last night, with the help of Tim Green and my amazing Face Book family we made Dad's dream a reality.  He will be Coach Buzz Hewitt in First Team.  He and his love of sports will forever be together in print for posterity! To Tim it probably seems a trivial thing, a great way to involve existing readers while broadening his fan base.......smart man but to me and my family, it's everything!

There is no doubt that in 2014, it'll be a Green Christmas in Moravia

.  Thank you Tim, Thank you Face Book friends and family who put up with my begging and endless instructions. Thank you all for the wonderful texts, emails and posts about their memories of Dad and Thank you Dad, wherever you may be, for being the kind of dad that put your heart into our dreams instead of yours.... Go get 'em Coach! ♥♥

The end of an era:-(

Yesterday was the end of an era for those of us "on the lake" and many in the area.  Our beloved Baylors was sold at auction. Thankfully, my memories are many and fairly intact.  Other than babysitting, it was my first real job.  I was raised on the lake and our family lived there more than half of each year for over 50 years..  Baylors was a staple as was Scotty's Boatyard.  It was just part of our week, our summer, our lives!  It's where I learned to love liver, it's where I took my first date (at 6 years old) and he blew chunks of lobster randomly on his way to the bathroom, it's where we celebrated all occasions that warranted Mom not cooking, it's where we listened to the same band every Saturday night and snake-danced through the double doors to the kitchen. it's where I played my first arcade game, it's where I made my first real money, it's where I learned to "take" the big tables on the week-ends because usually everyone was loaded and each end didn't realize the other had already tipped me, it's where we celebrated our rehearsal dinner on July 18, 1975 and it's where I learned real work ethic from the Baylor family.  In more recent times, it was where we socialized and made many new and lasting friendships.  It's where my family celebrated marriages, birthdays and anniversaries. It's where I learned to play poker, drink more than one alcoholic beverage while remaining upright and it's where we all ended up after a long, fun day on the lake.
 I'm a little resentful. I can't believe that the place isn't still flourishing today.  It remained the only "show in town" for boaters and provided a venue of relaxation and enjoyment on the lake.  It may just be a part of aging but we all hate to see anything end, especially something we loved.  Once you reach our age, endings mark a pretty scary finality.  Without a docking spot, I can see our days on the water will be few.  It's not as easy to launch the pontoon boat, sail the seas and reload at the end of the day. It's actually easier...not to ( I know, it's a preposition.)
Joyously, we'll have stories to tell as long as our memories allow. We can reminisce with old friends and tell tales to our grandkids. I guess it's all part of the process.....a part that makes me sad:-(

Ginny (Baylor) Moore shakin' a leg after a hard night at work..Notice the white uniform...if you were a waitress, you looked and dressed like one!!!!!

cruising on the inlet.....Wish it looked like this today!!!

The old hotel....before my time

Lots of wonderful memories made right here!

So, you think you can....sing?

Well this year's Voice and American Idol competitions sure proved there are a lot of people who can!!  Last night's Idol finale was the best ever.  I thoroughly enjoyed every performance, including Pit Bull and I never thought I liked Pit Bulls!  I pretty much disliked all the guys from the beginning.  I found myself having to close my eyes to even enjoy their mediocre performances. The girls, on the other hand, were sick.... I now understand, through the world of social media, that sometimes, that's a good thing!!  The top 5 girls were my top five all along. I favored Amber in the beginning but edged my way toward Angie at the end.  I thought her stage presence was far above the rest and that's certainly part of the star package.  Strictly voice went to Candice, hands down. When she sang Somewhere from West Side Story, I rewound my TiVo and listened one more time! I will say that her performance ( after winning) of her new single, "I am Beautiful" was flatter than piss on a platter. I know she had no ear bud and was exceptionally emotional so maybe they just shouldn't make them sing at the end...just sayin' "listen up Ryan!"
The judges....I really liked.  Nicki Minaj left a little to be desired in the beginning but she kind of grew on me and actually gave some decent and helpful critiques. Mariah was wonderful, Randy his usual doggish self and I am now officially a Keith Urban fan. He is sincere, handsome, a great artist and he can rock a tee shirt!

The beginning shows of The Voice I LOVE!!! This year's judges were awesome.  I was not a Christina Aguilera fan nor a Celo fan.  In fact, I'd never heard of Celo before The Voice but Blake and Adam are now favorites too. Maroon who?  and now I even move like Jagger!!  Shakira and Usher,  are right up there too.

As you can tell, I'm a TV junkie.  I head for my recliner by 8 with the remote in one hand and my iPhone in the other.  I'm an avid watcher throughout prime time with the exception of commercials when I mute and turn on my game face.  I close my eyes through the gory parts, I laugh at all the humorous ones, I definitely tap my feet, sometimes even get up and dance (not all that pretty I might add) and I always, always sing along. Do I think I can sing?.................Na.  Do I care.........No way!!!

Such snobbery, my dear!

    I am an English snob!  No, not the high tea, chauffeured in my limo on the wrong side of the highway type snob..........a real ENGLISH snob.... the grammar, punctuation and spelling kind. I know that's not news to most but the snob part came out in full bloom last night as I began reading a new novel.  I read...a lot!  If I'm into the story by chapter two or three, the author "had me at hello"..so to speak.  If not, it's garage sale for a bookshelf book or delete for my Kindle!  I generally only read books from known authors that have pleased me in the past.  My favorite, by far, is James Patterson.  Others I enjoy are Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Nicholas Sparks, Janet Evanovich (occasionally), Danielle Steel (her repetition of late has me pretty bored and disappointed), Mary Higgins Clark and Sidney Sheldon.  I'm not a re-reader but I am returning to Sidney Sheldon's books as he was the author who piqued my love of reading.  He has since passed and I can no longer look forward to something fresh from him. I have read several biographies and a few random, local authors if they offer me something I'm overtly interested in....either a connection to someone local, someone in sports or to someone I know..ie: Andy Rooney.  ( I didn't actually know Andy but he and my Dad were great college pals that stayed in touch. He would sign his books for Dad and I would read them before gifting:)
    Back to my snobbery debacle.  I'm reading a new book by a new author who just happens to be a dear friend (and relative.)  I am so proud of her ambition and so envious that she has done something (6 somethings to be exact) that I have longed to do forever. Her books are offered on Amazon.  The closest I have gotten to Amazon is subsidizing their profit margin!  She has never professed anything less than she needs a good editor in her camp.  I concur! Enter snob.  I'm only in the middle of chapter three of the first in her second series.  Thankfully, I am reading on my Kindle or my red pen would have been near empty.  Content gets exemplary grades but I find myself constantly drawing mental circles on poor punctuation and awful grammar......and then I feel bad. (btw-fyi, it's not badly as you do not add the ly if the adverb describes a sense!  Thank you Shirley, my English Saviour.)  I just need to get past the point of ending a sentence in a preposition, word placement and punctuation.  I will make that happen and put my grammatical haughtiness behind me and my sheer joy for her talent and success in front of me.  See, I am truly a snob!  Unfortunately, theses issues are preventing me from enjoying, what I know will be a story I will love.  I see so much of the author in every sentence and every scenario and her skills at putting pen to paper and capturing a great story with her personal experiences intertwined are marvelous. Then a grammatical error throws on my anti lock brakes.  I don't want to stop but the slope gets slippery and it's caused my mind to skid... CRAP!  I will continue once I've salted the path because I want to know if there's a future for Brody and Emma.  That in itself proves she can write!
Congrats M.J. for having the guts and fortitude to do what I only seem to complain about...You ROCK!♥

Walking

The Importance of walking:
Walking can add minutes to your life.
This enables you at 90 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $10,000 per month. 

(who couldn't use that extra 50K...I'm thinking swim spa)

My Mom started walking
five miles a day when she was 70.
Now she's 91 years old
and we have no idea where the hell she is.

(and neither does she!)

I like long walks,
especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me.

( You've seen all those people walking...haven't you?)

The only reason I would take up walking
is so I could hear heavy breathing again.

(that's entirely different than wheezing!!)

I'd have to walk early in the morning,
before my brain figures out what the hell I'm doing...   

(sometimes my brain even walks without my body....I don't get so tired that way)  

I joined a walking club last year,
spent about 100 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to do it!

( It seems the IRS didn't think it was a non-profit group....believe me..it is)
Every time I say the dirty words "walk, jog or exercise",
I wash my mouth out with chocolate :-)

(I say them a lot!)

Walking won't help everythingWe all get heavier as we get older,
because there's a lot more information in our heads.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

(True Story at that!)

AND

Every time I start thinking too much
about how I look,
I just take a trip to WalMart...... by the time I leave,
I look just fine!!!


P.S.  I can still walk..... It might take me a little longer than it used to and I might not go as far as I once could but it beats the hell out of crawling or rolling!!

   

Happy Mother's Day

Yes it was...I woke up to texts and emails from many I love (and who must love me), went to breakfast with my 2 favorite girls, received handmade gifts and a perfect new mug.  We went to visit Mom who was having a good day then home to play Birdopoly (monopoly for birdbrains) and await my Mother's Day feast.  We donned our bibs (which I'm told I need when eating a normal meal) and dug in to freshly cooked live lobster (dead now), baked potatoes smothered in butter and sour cream, fresh beets and beet greens, squash drenched in cinnamon butter and Italian bread to dip!! Lucky, lucky Mom and Grandma was I!!  No Mother's Day buffet could have beat that.  Jess did dishes and Papa and B took off on the golf cart and I settled in for a few chapters in my book....just about perfect.  If only Jeff could have joined us, then all would have been right with the world!!  After a few hours in my recliner, it was time for a double dose of Revenge and a nice piece of homemade chocolate mayo cake chased by an ice cold glass of milk.  All that settled right on top of that butter soaked dinner and I crawled to bed to settle...and you know where it did! Oh well...Mother's Day comes but once a year and the other 364 I manage... so this was a sweet treat indeed!

Bailee's gift for her Mom

Flowers for Grandma

My beautiful new cup and heart shaped stone

She "touched" it!



I touched it too!

Today.... I got......

                                Creativity for today?  I got....."nuthin' "    and everything:-)

The art (and value) of observation!

Observation is an activity of a living being, such as a human, which is necessary in order to receive knowledge of the world or about the environment through the senses, which often later involves the recording of data via the use of scientific instruments. The term may also refer to any data collected during this activity. ( I know...what's with all this dictionary crap?)

A woman's power of observation is a must.... and is completely opposite of the power of a man's...in fact I believe a man's observational powers may be near extinction.  Let me give you two personal observations of my own.

Recently, I rearranged some furniture and moved some larger objects in our great room.  No comment from my dear husband........................still... to date!      The other day I cleaned a cupboard and moved the scotch a fraction of an inch.  "Who the hell moved the booze, he quizzed?"  Case in point!

Yesterday, he came home and remarked, " You got your done!!"...  Yes, yes I did get my hair cut and permed................LAST FRIDAY.   He arrived home the other day and said, "How's my hair look?" I calmly questioned, "Which one?"  He appeared irked at my lack of observation and my curt reply.. Whatever!

He can spot a woodchuck in a field 1/2 a mile away but he can't see that the drawer remains open where he just removed the knife and the cupboard door's unclosed from removal of the peanut butter.

I think it could be terminal.  I'm not sure if there's medication or even a remote possibility of a cure.  I hear it gets more serious with age but there may be a glimmer of hope to slow the progression. I'm thinking if I remove the remote, the toilet paper and that scotch, his powers of observing may heighten. Once his brain begins to accept that things are different (or changing), he may soon notice more subliminal things such as overflowing trash, missing meals and dirty laundry. I know it sounds harsh but at this stage, tough love is a must.  If it gets to the point where he misses a red light, an oncoming car or a deer in his headlights, the environment through his senses will change.  I'd hate to have him miss the all the wonderful things yet to come....for real!

A Fixer.....

fix·er

noun \ˈfik-sər\

Definition of FIXER

: one that fixes: as

a : a person who intervenes to enable someone to circumvent the law or obtain a political favor

b : a person who adjusts matters or disputes by negotiation

c : A Mom

Almost every industry in today's times has a "fixer."  We always knew they secretly (or maybe not so) existed.  Probably the  genre of politicians would be most known for their fixers.  You are a public servant, you get a speeding ticket or make a scene at a public function. You get a bit light fingered or your find them in other places they shouldn't be or sometimes that darn blue dress gets stained with something other than marinara........you call a fixer.  Journalism has fixers.  The TV and movie industry have fixers.  Attorneys have fixers and even Face Book has a social fixer. Wouldn't you love to have a fixer? ...........................................Well if you're a Mom.. you ARE the fixer. You always have been and you always will be.  Who fixes boo boos and bug bites, homework and hems, hair dos and hang nails and friendships and blems? Who turns science projects into blue ribbons and artwork into masterpieces?  Who makes cupcakes look like the world (literally) and explains that geometry may not be necessary.. only if you want to graduate!  Who makes a house a home and zucchini look like spaghetti?  Who fixes your ego when it's deflated and your heart when it's broken?  Who lets you act 10 at home but wear lipstick when you go out? Who knows how to fix a pukey tummy and a nagging cough?  Who knows how to tighten the toilet seat and stop the leaky faucet?  Who can turn what's in your piggy bank into just the right amount for that new game and who knows just the right thing to say to make it all better (unless you're a teenager then you know nothing)?
Well Sunday is Fixer's Day and a day of rest for all that Fixers do.  A day when, hopefully, somebody fixes a meal for you, fixes a smile on your face and says just the right thing to make it all worthwhile...And if not, then, as they say in the south..."I'll take care of it later, right now I'm fixin' to read my book:-)"  I want an Olivia Pope!

A is for.......

A is for Asinine, Alligator, Ancient, Antique and Aging... there are a few other A words that could relate but I'll pass. It's that time of year where I crave the sunshine and warmth on my skin.  Even at this ripe old age of 61, I find myself inching to that deadly ray of ultraviolet.  It was a sign of spring, of youthful exuberance and of a proverbial, healthy glow....That was then...this is now. I won't say I worshipped the sun, but my prayers were answered when it shone and I could languish in it.  I remember a friend explaining that May's rays were the best tanning of the season.  We would sit on her patio with aluminum foil reflecting the rays on our faces. On our winter escapes to Florida, it was sun, sand and pool from sunrise to sunset. I was lucky to have a skin type that switched from evening red to morning brown. Being lucky enough to live on the lake for over 30 years, the sun was just part of every great day. A was for Accepted during those tanning years.

That was then...................:-)  


Can you say..PURSE?



This is now.............Seriously?


I still agree that puny white doesn't look all that healthy. I still love the feel of the warmth on my skin. (old people chill easily) and I still extol most all the virtues of sunshine. I do not, however, sit in it for long periods of time....anymore.  I am a major stockholder in Jergens lotion and I am quite certain that someone transferred my Aunt Janet's knees, my 91 year old Mother's arms, my deceased Grandma Hewitt's hands and my Grandpa Tice's sagging, wrinkly face  directly onto my body one nght while I was sleeping.  If it was a joke, I'm not laughing!  (OK maybe just a little bit)