Big headlines today

This morning's big headlines:

"Tony Blair to serve as a Middle East peace envoy ... Announcement may come today." (Um, didn't it just come?)

"Blonde Justice: Paris Freed From Jail" (Whew!)

"Did this lady dismember her husband?" (Not quite sure why this one caught my eye - I guess I thought it was going to be another Bobbitt story.)

"Tiger Cub Joins Baby Pack" (Maybe I'm having baby cravings, but is this baby adorable or WHAT?! Check out the labradoodle, too!)

Coach, 40, Weds 16-Year-Old Student (Hmm. I have to say that I wouldn't have signed the consent form and still find it hard to believe the police wouldn't step in.)

And, though not a headline, check out what my OC friend did this weekend with her daughter. She's my hero of the day. And what cute shirts! ;o)

Here's the van I drove yesterday. Because our current van's miles are just getting too high for comfort, it's time to make a move. I thought maybe we were done with the van stage and looked at a Honda Pilot but they are just too small for our family. Now to get serious about trying to sell my van by myself...or else take a loss with trade-in.

OK, news is out of the way, and it's time to become a little more productive.

Have a blessed day.

Unbelievable.

It all started this evening when I decided it was time to go outside and do some hand watering. The front went successfully, with the exception of finding my yellow mum plant literally covered with tiny cocoons. Hmm. I'll check these out more carefully tomorrow in better light. Yuck - I hate bugs. The back wasn't as successful. Well, the watering went fine, of course, that's a no brainer. But then I decide to venture to the "orchard" (silly name for the area with 4 fruit trees) and, lo and behold, my new peach/plum tree doesn't seem to have the 10 pieces of fruit it had a week ago. Well, THAT is weird, especially since the fruit is as green as can be and won't be ready at least until August. I spotted one small peach but couldn't see any of the plums (pluots, we're actually hoping for) that I saw on my last visit. Now there weren't many, maybe 10 pieces of fruit TOTAL (the tree's only 2 years old), so this isn't going to be a mystery of Twilight Zone proportions. Still, though, I bought this tree when it was a mere stick in a bucket at a garden show in Hanford in 2005. I lugged it home and have watched it grow, anticipating its first crop.

Fast forward 2 minutes when I notice MY DAUGHTER'S STUPID WHITE DOG CHEWING SOMETHING. "HUNTER!!!!" (said in my nicest "I am so mad at you" kind of voice) I distract him with a cookie (yeah, it was a reward, but honestly I thought he was chewing on something that could hurt him) and discover THE FRUIT FROM MY TREE. Shown below (yes, I know I need a manicure), I believe it to be either a plum or a pluot. And I also think it was the last one. Tomorrow I shall investigate fully, again in better light. Maybe there's another piece out there. I did see one lone peach up high. If he gets it, he's in really big trouble.

The good news is that my Meyer lemon tree has about 40 lemons - my mom and sisters will be delighted - they live for their Christmas Meyer lemon shipments! If Hunter touches THOSE, his new address may have the initials "SPCA" in it... (Just kidding...please, animal lovers, don't hunt me down. I love my dogs.)

Meanwhile, I've been freecycling like a crazy lady (wow, that crazy thing pops up a lot!) and it feels so good to get rid of JUNK! Whatever is left on Monday will go to AmVet's and get OUT of here! And I promise that Hunter won't be with the pile. :o)

Be blessed...

This is where the rubber meets the ... wrist?

Aaah - the mail. Snail mail, that is. You never know what it's going to bring. Not two weeks ago I got what is now known as the "rejection letter" which freed me up for another year (yay!). Today's renderings included a padded envelope in the midst of some junk mail. I was momentarily excited, thinking perhaps it would reveal a new CD or book from Amazon. No CD, but definitely something I needed more and ordered for myself and the girls. Ordered about two months or so ago! The return label read "AComplaintFreeWorld.org." "Oh yeaaaahhhh! The purple rubber wrist bands I heard about on Oprah!" The idea is that it takes 21 days to create a new habit. In an effort to rid the world of complaints, people are encouraged to wear these bracelets, switching from one wrist to the other each time they complain, gossip or criticize. Now, keeping in mind that the mail arrived TODAY, I have worn mine for approximately 7 hours at this point. I have lost track of how many times I have had to change wrists! I didn't realize I was such a whiner!!! (Those of you reading who DID know I am a complainer, please don't make the effort to comment and tell me! LOL) This is gonig to be hard for a number of reasons. Topping the list is that I really don't like the feel of rubber on my wrist (yes, I just changed wrists!) and I am not a big bracelet wearer anyway. That aside, I will press on. My immediate short-term goal is to get through an HOUR without having to change wrists. The bracelets are free, but a 'love offering' is requested and they also included a SASE in my shipment. Feel up to the challenge? Use the link above and join me in doing my share to rid the world of whining! :o)

I am hereby officially...

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult. I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year old again.
I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four-star restaurant.
I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make ripples with rocks.
I want to think that M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.
I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.
I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care.
All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.
I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.
I want to believe anything is possible.
I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.
I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.
I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.
So.....here's my checkbook and car keys, my credit card bills and my 401k statements.
I am officially resigning from adulthood, and if you want to discuss this further, you have to catch me first, cause,
"TAG! You're it!"

Beauty

Some of you may have already seen this video. I love it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT4dpFpiTgk
Dove has a new campaign for beauty using "real women." They have models that are full sized, who don't have flawless skin, whose hair isn't absolutely perfect, etc. Kudos to Dove for using REAL WOMEN. After having weight and appearance 'issues' for 42 years, it's not likely I will wake up tomorrow and be satisfied with my outside appearance...but...instead I will be happy celebrating who I am on the inside. Life is too short to never taste refreshing, cold ice cream again. After all, If Marilyn Monroe was a size 14, then I'm just a little bit more woman than she was.

There are worse things in life...