March 18, 2003


  • Disclaimer Alert!!!


    I have several friends whose life circumstances could cause them to be offended by some of the statements in this very funny piece.

    I am not trying to disrespect anyone, but I also don't carry so-called "policital correctness" to absurd extremes, either. If anyone reading the following entry, is unable to laugh at it --- as well as the whole bunch of us in general --- that's unspeakably rough on them, and I regret their pain ; but the blurb is as humorous as it is "biting" and truthful, and ..... I didn't author it, I'm just passing it on ...... mostly for it's entertainment value.

    So-o-o.....Please don't shoot the messenger!

    ~Shelley

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    "TRYING TO HELP"
    By
    Dennis Miller


    All the rhetoric on whether or not we should go to war against Iraq has got my little brain spinning like a top. I enjoy reading opinions from both sides, but I've detected a hint of confusion from some of you. Maybe this can help.

    As I was reading the paper recently, I was reminded of the best advice anyone ever gave me. He told me about the "KISS" method ("Keep It Simple, Stupid!"). So with this as a theme, I'd like to apply this theory for those who don't quite get it. My hope is that we
    can simplify things and recognize a few important
    facts.

    Here are ten things to consider when voicing an opinion on this important issue:

    (1) Between President Bush and Saddam Hussein ... Hussein is the bad guy.

    (2) If you have faith in the United Nations to do the right things, keep this in mind: the UN has Libya heading the Committee on Human Rights and Iraq heading the Global Disarmament Committee. Do your own math here.

    (3) If you use a Google or Yahoo search and type in "French Military Victories," don't be surprised if your computer panics at its inability to respond to your inquiry.

    (4) If your only anti-war slogan is "No War For Oil," hire a pit bull lawyer and sue your school district for having allowed you to slip through the cracks and robbing you of the minimum education that any non-troglodyte deserves

    (5) You can take this one to the bank: Saddam and bin Laden will NOT seek UN approval before they try to kill us.

    (6) Despite common belief among some, Martin Sheen is NOT the President. He only plays one on TV.

    (7) If you are anti-war and even an outright "America Basher," to bin Laden you are still an "infidel" whom he wants dead.

    (8) Be careful: If you believe in a "vast right-wing conspiracy," but not in the danger that Hussein poses, the only job you may be able to get is as an Ivy League college professor.

    (9) Even multiculturalists who try to browbeat us into believing that all cultures are equally deserving of respect have trouble explaining the past 500 years of Islam.

    (10) Whether you are for or against military action, our young men and women overseas are fighting to defend our right to speak out on these issues. They deserve our unreserved support.

    I hope this helps

    ~~~~~~~~~~
    LINKS
    Miller's Official Site
    Unusual Fan Site
    Fan Selected Miller "Rants"
    "Mamma's" Search Results

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    finis



  • I Was Sitting On The Fence.....

    About 3 decades ago (in my early-30's), I grew up a bit, and finally became generally interested in current events. I made preparations to start voting, and after careful consideration of the subject, I registered as a Non-Partisan Independent.

    I remain an Independent today.

    The motivation for such a choice, runs deep across each stratum of my being. I see both the pro and con of life in general, and I cannot --- in all good conscience --- jump onto one or the other bandwagon of extremity.

    (This open-minded quality creates a healthy balance for me, as a counterpoint to my intense, and basically extreme, Scorpio nature!)

    In reference to the world-wide controversy of going to war with Iraq ..... when it comes to conflict, I am mostly a pacifist in my philosophy, but not an extremist or fanatic about it. As a result of all factors in the mix --- I was undecided as to where I stood on the issue.

    Then on March 17, 2003, I read the following item sent via email by a friend.

    Indecision escaped on the wings of Clarity, and I have bid that proverbial fence, "Adieu".

    (Now I know some people will be offended by my using the French word for "Goodbye", and want to punish me in some way.

    My response???


    The issue is not a problem for me --- and I don't intend it to make it so.

    However I would like to offer a suggestion:

    Maybe all those folks who want to over-react by changing the name of French Fries to "Freedom Fries", would enjoy an even bigger act of protestation.

    They could gleefully toss the Statue of Liberty into the Atlantic Ocean --- after all, she WAS a gift from FRANCE!!!

    Continuing (now that I've probably made an armload of enemies!) .....

    I present the words which helped me to make up my mind. Perhaps you will let them rattle around in your brain for awhile too, and see if they do something for you, one way or the other.

    ~~~~~~~~

    Thoughts and words from one of the planet's wise and experienced elders:
    (he is ~95 years old)


    An Excerpt
    From
    "PEACE FOR OUR TIME"
    by
    Alistair Cooke

    Respected
    BBC Broadcaster


    About the author:
    "In 1936, the NBC network invited Alistair Cooke to do a weekly broadcast of reflections on British life called London Letter. Cooke then emigrated to the United States in 1937, and asked the BBC to let him do the same thing in reverse. Eventually he succeeded, and `Letter from America' is now the longest running radio broadcast in human history. In the process it has won a faithful worldwide audience of several million and many friends in high places. When Cooke was awarded an honorary knighthood in 1973, the Queen is reputed to have expressed bewildered admiration at his ability to sit down, week after week, and communicate so directly with his audience."
    -WBUR-


    Now ..... let's hear from Sir Alistair Cooke!

    ~~~~~~~~


    Monday, 3 February, 2003, 11:45 GMT

    "...I promised to lay off topic A - Iraq - until the Security Council makes a judgment on the inspectors' report and I shall keep that promise.

    But I must tell you that throughout the past fortnight I've listened to everybody involved in or looking on to a monotonous din of words, like a tide crashing and receding on a beach - making a great noise and saying the same thing over and over. And this ordeal triggered a nightmare - a day-mare, if you like.

    Through the ceaseless tide I heard a voice, a very English voice of an old man - Prime Minister Chamberlain saying: "I believe it is peace for our time" - a sentence that prompted a huge cheer, first from a listening street crowd and then from the House of Commons and next day from every newspaper in the land.

    There was a move to urge that Mr. Chamberlain should receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

    In Parliament there was one unfamiliar old grumbler to growl out: "I believe we have suffered a total and unmitigated defeat." He was, in view of the general sentiment, very properly booed down.

    This scene concluded in the autumn of 1938 the British prime minister's effectual signing away of most of Czechoslovakia to Hitler. The rest of it, within months, Hitler walked in and conquered. "Oh dear," said Mr. Chamberlain, thunderstruck. "He has betrayed my trust."

    During the last fortnight a simple but startling thought occurred to me - every single official, diplomat, president, prime minister involved in the Iraq debate was in 1938 a toddler, most of them unborn. So the dreadful scene I've just drawn will not have been remembered by most listeners.

    Hitler had started betraying our trust not 12 years but only two years before, when he broke the First World War peace treaty by occupying the demilitarised zone of the Rhineland. Only half his troops carried one reload of ammunition because Hitler knew that French morale was too low to confront any war just then and 10 million of 11 million British voters had signed a so-called peace ballot. It stated no conditions, elaborated no terms, it simply counted the numbers of Britons who were "for peace".

    The slogan of this movement was "Against war and fascism" - chanted at the time by every Labour man and Liberal and many moderate Conservatives - a slogan that now sounds as imbecilic as "against hospitals and disease". In blunter words a majority of Britons would do anything, absolutely anything, to get rid of Hitler except fight him.

    At that time the word pre-emptive had not been invented, though today it's a catchword. After all the Rhineland was what it said it was - part of Germany. So to march in and throw Hitler out would have been pre-emptive - wouldn't it?

    Nobody did anything and Hitler looked forward with confidence to gobbling up the rest of Western Europe country by country - "course by course", as growler Churchill put it.

    I bring up Munich and the mid-30s because I was fully grown, on the verge of 30, and knew we were indeed living in the age of anxiety. And so many of the arguments mounted against each other today, in the last fortnight, are exactly what we heard in the House of Commons debates and read in the French press.

    The French especially urged, after every Hitler invasion, "negotiation, negotiation". They negotiated so successfully as to have their whole country defeated and occupied. But as one famous French leftist said: "We did anyway manage to make them declare Paris an open city - no bombs on us!"

    In Britain the general response to every Hitler advance was disarmament and collective security. Collective security meant to leave every crisis to the League of Nations. It would put down aggressors, even though, like the United Nations, it had no army, navy or air force.

    The League of Nations had its chance to prove itself when Mussolini invaded and conquered Ethiopia (Abyssinia). The League didn't have any shot to fire.

    But still the cry was chanted in the House of Commons - the League and collective security is the only true guarantee of peace.

    But after the Rhineland the maverick Churchill decided there was no collectivity in collective security and started a highly unpopular campaign for rearmament by Britain, warning against the general belief that Hitler had already built an enormous mechanised army and superior air force.

    But he's not used them, he's not used them - people protested. Still for two years before the outbreak of the Second War you could read the debates in the House of Commons and now shiver at the famous Labour men - Major Attlee was one of them - who voted against rearmament and still went on pointing to the League of Nations as the saviour. Now, this memory of mine may be totally irrelevant to the present crisis. It haunts me.

    I have to say I have written elsewhere with much conviction that most historical analogies are false because, however strikingly similar a new situation may be to an old one, there's usually one element that is different and it turns out to be the crucial one. It may well be so here.

    All I know is that all the voices of the 30s are echoing through 2003..."

    ~~~~~~~~

    LINKS
    Recap
    COMPLETE Transcript
    Index of Show Transcripts
    Cooke's Profile

    Additional Resources
    The BBCi
    NPR
    WBUR
    BU

    ~~~~~~~~

    Final Note:

    On which side of the issue have I come to rest?

    President Bush is applying the well-known Sports Principle:

    "The Best Defense is a Good Offense"

    I'm supporting him.

    ~Shelley

    ~~~~~~~~

    finis

March 8, 2003


  • "Get your kicks, on Route 66
    ....."


    (Tra-La-La)


    For those of you who dream of becoming (or already are?) real estate tycoons, I've discovered the niftiest opportunity. My area of the planet -- affectionately dubbed "Sunny Southern California" -- now offers a very interesting commercial property for sale.

    It's an entire small town ..... with a few homes, a working post office, cafe, motel and more, in the Mojave Desert ..... on Route 66.

    I wonder how many of you reading this, are old enough to remember the adventure and drama of the 1960's Classic TV series "Route 66", which starred Martin Milner, along with George Maharis, and a YUMMY CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE (DROOL!)?

    I have had occasion to recall the show, many times over the years. I was in my early 20's when it aired, and (having inherited the spirit of wanderlust from my dad), I've often wished I could've traveled with them. The series is a great "Oldie but Goodie"!

    An episode filmed at the now long-gone Pacific Ocean Park ("P.O.P."), on the beach here in Venice/Santa Monica, happens to be one of my fav episodes (and the only one I can significantly recall!). I loved that park, and I gleefully frolicked there many times before it was demolished.

    The place finally went belly-up, because they only charged $2 to get in, and all the rides were free --- awesome! (Even in the 60's, that was dirt cheap!) During the P.O.P episode of the show, I felt really close to the guys, as if they were visiting my house. (I've liked Marty Milner's work ever since, and it didn't hurt one little bit, that he was totally good looking!)

    As a result of the series, and my wanderlust spirit, I am always interested in anything having to do with the famous highway. So-o-o ..... when I heard a human interest blurb on my local all-news radio station yesterday, about an entire town being put up for sale on good ole' Ebay, I had to go online and check it out. The town's Ebay auction page provides great photos and graphics available for viewing, plus history of the locale (and of course, physical details about acreage, etc.). If I had the moo-la (opening bid is just under $1-Million ..... that ain't bad!), I would snap it up in a minute!!!

    I would love being the mayor of my own town, which brings me to the story of a similar situation from my past..... It was around the early-to-mid '80's, and my mom had somehow gotten hold of a special catalog. It contained pages of broadly various items, available for purchase by extremely wealthy folk.

    The most profound and memorable "object" for sale, was a private island in the middle of some sea. There was an aerial color photograph of the place -- probably by helicopter, because it was a clear, close-up view of the entire island and surrounding ocean, and it was quite magnificent. (It's not exactly the same, but check out this equally lovely for-sale item, a private island off the coast of Brazil.)

    I forget exactly how many acres (sorry for my senior moments); however my research for this weblog, leads me to "guess-ti-mate" there were 75-125 acres of oblong and oval-shaped land. There was a 3 or 4 story mansion and separate staff quarters at one end of the place (think of the gardening duties here!); plus elsewhere, a pier for boats and a helicopter landing pad. There was plenty of land for horseback riding and other outdoor activities, and I believe I recall the mention of livestock.

    It was a beautifully verdant spot, and I think one of the neatest things about it (other than the absolute privacy), was the fact that the owner would be king or queen or president -- of their own country! Whoever bought the place, could give it whatever name they wished, as well as pass laws, charge taxes, etc.

    Now, I know our American dollar went a lot farther in the 80's; but even back then, the price was beyond reasonable, at only $2-Million for the whole thing! Boy how I dreamed (still do!) of what it would be like to own my own magnificent mini-country. Talk about champagne tastes on a Kool-Aid income!!!

    Thanks for strolling with me, down lanes both memory and fantasy. I hope you enjoyed my word-picture(s), and I hope you'll have fun checking out the Historic Little Desert Oasis called Amboy, California.

    "Ciao Baby!", from The Original Arm-Chair-Traveling Earthmom!

    Tons of love, {{{hugs}}} & blessings,
    s.

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    Want to see more?

    If you're anything like me, you enjoy immersing yourself in subjects that pique your interest!

    With that in mind, here's a few additional links to get you started:

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    The TV Show
    Classic TV on The "About" Network
    "Tv Tome" - Show Data
    Link Index - Four TV Guide Covers
    Show Info - Per "IMDB"

    The National Highway
    Route 66 Photos, Old Postcards, etc.
    Route 66 In The Desert and Elsewhere
    The "About" Network & Highway 66
    "Mamma's" Route 66 Search Results

    The Amusement Park
    Pictures & History
    Detailed Topography
    "Mamma"s" P.O.P. Search Results

    History & Pictures of the General Area
    Venice - "Coney Island of the Pacific"
    Santa Monica Mountains National Park

    Islands For Sale
    Everything in Private Islands For Sale
    "Mamma's" Isles-4-Sale Search Results

    ~~~~~~~~~~
    ~~~~~~~~~~
    ~finis~


February 6, 2003

  • Disclaimer Alert!!!

    Please Note: For MY part, I intend no disrespect for any of those who are parodied in the following entry.
    Shelley
    The Original Earthmom

    "WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?"

    -Author Unknown
    -------------

    GEORGE W. BUSH
    I don't think I should have to answer that question.

    AL GORE
    I invented the chicken. I invented the road. Therefore, the chicken crossing the road represented the application of these two different functions of government in a new, reinvented way, designed to bring greater services to the American people.

    RALPH NADER
    The chicken's habitat on the original side of the road, had been polluted by unchecked industrialist greed. The chicken did not reach the unspoiled habitat on the other side of the road, because it was crushed by the wheels of a gas-guzzling SUV.

    PAT BUCHANAN
    To steal a job from a decent, hardworking American.

    RUSH LIMBAUGH
    I don't know why the chicken crossed the road, but I'll bet it was getting a government grant to cross the road, and I'll bet someone out there is already forming a support group to help chickens with crossing-the-road syndrome. Can you believe this? How much more of this can real Americans take? Chickens crossing the road -- paid for by U.S. tax dollars; and when I say tax dollars, I'm talking about your money. Money the government took from you to build roads for chickens to cross.

    JERRY FALWELL
    Because the chicken was gay! Isn't it obvious? Can't you people see the plain truth in front of your face? The chicken was going to "the other side". That's what "they" call it -- "the other side". Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And, if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens, until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes, with seemingly harmless phrases like "the other side".

    DR. SEUSS
    Did the chicken cross the road?
    Did he cross it with a toad?
    Yes! The chicken crossed the road,
    But why it crossed,
    I've not been told!

    ERNEST HEMINGWAY
    To die. In the rain. Alone.

    MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
    I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads, without having their motives called into question.

    GRANDPA
    In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someone told us that the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for us.

    BARBARA WALTERS
    Isn't that interesting? In a few moments we will be listening to the chicken, telling for the first time, the heartwarming story of how it overcame a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of "crossing the road".

    JOHN LENNON
    Imagine all the chickens,
    Crossing roads in peace.

    ARISTOTLE
    It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

    KARL MARX
    It was a historical inevitability.

    SADDAM HUSSEIN
    This was an unprovoked act of rebellion, and we were quite justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.

    RONALD REAGAN
    What chicken?

    CAPTAIN KIRK
    To boldly go, where no chicken has gone before.

    FOX MULDER
    You saw it cross the road with your own eyes! How many more chickens have to cross, before you believe it?

    FREUD
    The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road, reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.

    BILL GATES
    I have just released eChicken 2003, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook -- and Internet Explorer is an inextricable part of eChicken.

    EINSTEIN
    Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

    BILL CLINTON
    I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What do you mean by chicken? Could you define chicken please?

    LOUIS FARRAKHAN
    The road, you will see, represents the black man. The chicken crossed the "black man", in order to trample him, and keep him down.

    THE BIBLE
    And God came down from the heavens, and He said unto the chicken, Thou shalt cross the road; and verily, the chicken crossed the road. Then the chicken made an offering of burnt corn unto The Lord. And there was much rejoicing among the roosters, and the baby chicks in the secret places of the incubators; and there were heard great clucks of praise to The Lord, throughout all the house of hens.

    COLONEL SANDERS
    I missed one?

    ~finis~

January 31, 2003

January 26, 2003


  • "VERY PUNNY"
    For all you Lexiophiles (Lovers of Words)

    -Author Unknown
    --------------



    01.) A bicycle can't stand alone because it is two-tired.

    02.) What's the definition of a will? It's a dead giveaway.

    03.) Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

    04.) A backward poet writes inverse.

    05.) In democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism it's your count that votes.

    06.) She had a boyfriend with a wooden leg, but broke it off.

    07.) A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

    08.) If you don't pay your exorcist you get repossessed.

    09.) With her marriage she got a new name
    and a dress.

    10.) Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll show you A-flat minor.

    11.) When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

    12.) The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

    13.) When a grenade is thrown into a French kitchen, the results are Linoleum Blownapart.

    14.) You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

    15.) Local Area Network in Australia: the LAN down under.

    16.) He often broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

    17.) Every calendar's days are numbered.

    18.) A lot of money is tainted. `Taint yours and `taint mine.

    19.) A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

    20.) He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

    21.) A plateau is a high form of flattery.

    22.) The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

    23.) Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

    24.) When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

    25.) Those who decide to jump off a Paris bridge are in Seine.

    26.) When a very beautiful actress saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd just dye.

    27.) Professional Bakers trade bread recipes, on a knead to know basis.

    28.) Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

    29.) Acupuncture is a jab well done.

    30.) Marathon runners with bad footwear, suffer the agony of defeat.


    ~finis~


January 24, 2003


  • .....GOOD FRIENDS ARE ONE OF LIFE'S PRICELESS GIFTS!

    (Infinite thanks to Belindaann38, who wrote to me ... and by doing so, inspired me to post an update of my activities since my last entry of December 22, 2002.

    Belinda is a very dear person, who never ceases to amaze me with her acts of kindness. How lovely of her to send me a personal email inquiry about my welfare. Here is my response to her & my update for everyone else who may be interested.)

    ~~~
    I'm basically okay. I had a lot of invites for the holidays, and was able to do most of them. This was a surprise, because in all of the eleven-plus years that I've been disabled, 2002 has actually been the worst housebound year I've gone through so far; however, I did more socializing and activities, between Turkey Day in November, and New Years, than I did the whole rest of the year combined!

    During and after that, I went on a classic Bi-Polar, manic episode, spending spree (it's always with $$$ that I don't really have to throw away), and became overwhelmed with the mountain of returns I was forced to deal with when it ended! I went into the expected slump afterwards, and didn't have a thing to do with the internet or my email for ten days, til today.

    Add the fact that I was on a terrible eating binge for about 10 days (18 days, counting holiday events)... the worst in a long time, and I had my hands full "up to here" with myself! (Actually, I haven't completely recovered from the effect of the binge. I'm not exactly binging for the last week or so, but my eating is still mildly troubled, and out of control "around the edges", if anyone understands that.)

    Of course, over the 62 year span of my life, this stuff is pretty typical, but it's never easy to deal with ..... no matter how many times I go through it. I take it in my stride and accept it overall --- BUT I DON'T LIKE IT!

    Beyond & in spite of all that (I learned decades ago, how to enjoy myself, no matter what!), I had a really lovely and blessed holiday season! I hope all of you did too.

    I still have to go through and acknowledge everyone who's interacted with my site. I'll do it as soon as I can! (Still trying to play "catch-up" with reams of unfinished personal biz & chores.)

    Lots of Original Earthmom hugs and love to all!

    Shell

December 22, 2002

  • A hearty welcome to new visitors cynthia, AspenJade, and pinkstrawberries.
    Much Thanks to them for eprops & comments, and also to my dear Xanga friend, Belindaann38, for responding in kind on two of my blogs.

    If you've read my recent entries, you know how jazzed I get about folks subscribing to me. However, I am also grateful, honored and doubly blessed, because I received [what to me is] an amazing new subscription this week. Thank you ZangaZine -- Wow!!!!!

    '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
    Saturday (December 21st), I experienced one of those moments which falls into the category of a "highlight" of life ..... you know, those extraordinary occasions in our life journey.
    I won't go into minute detail here, but the moment was a holiday invitation from a very dear, longtime friend who is "family". It was something I particularly wished for, due to special circumstances at her end of things this year, but would never have intruded on her much anticipated special plans. It was one of those moments when the invitation was as joyous and fulfilling an experience, as I know the actual event will be! The truth is, my heart, soul and spirit will be nourished for the rest of my days (or ... for as long as my swiss cheese memory retains it! LOL), by the myriad suffuson of wonderful feelings created in this situation.

    I've had seemingly smaller incidents occur even as far back as 30 years ago, for which I still remember all the details (!) like a snapshot in my mind, and am still fed by gazing at the "snapshot", and being edified all over again, as if it just now happened. One that comes to mind was an early morning hug from a small 4-year-old neighbor child and friend, when I was sitting on the top stair in front of my apartment, feeling a bit needy. She suddenly came out of her apartment, and looked up at me. No words were spoken prior to the hug. She just came straight up the stairs to me and gave me the hug.

    I commented with an overflowing heart, "Thank you, that was just what I needed! How did you know?" Of course it was a question asked only to make conversation, because I knew exactly how she came to hug me --- she was my angel from God for that moment, sending human comfort to me. Her answer was a quiet and VERY CONFIDENT, "I just knew you needed it!"

    I can still enjoy the memory of the peaceful quiet in the courtyard that morning, recalling how my slightly blue mood felt, and the wonderful comfort, relief and gratitude to her and God that filled me as she hugged me! Ahhhh......

    Back from memory lane to the present, this new invitation had that same snapshot quality. You just know the instant these moments occur, that they are a "snapshot". I, being one who never hesitates to share love and appreciation with folks in the moment I feel it (or as soon thereafter as is physically possible), told my friend how much her invitation meant, and how much I loved her for it. Which of course filled her up too, and I know her well enough to know it was a snapshot moment for her too!

    These are the things that make life worth living! With God's grace and strength, they make the intolerable ... tolerable, the impossible ... possible, and the unlovely ... lovely.
    When all is said and done --- in all things right or wrong ... good and bad ... in blessing or in devastation (yes, not FOR the devastation, but IN THE MIDST of it, and IN SPITE of it) ... in all things great and small --- there is only one thing to be said: "Thank you, God!"

    In these three brief days before Christmas, blessings and love to you all, regardless of what form of celebration (or lack thereof) you may practice.

    Shell

December 19, 2002


  • "CLASSIC   CHRISTMAS   CAKE"


    Take a moment to check out this unique recipe. Even if you don't cook or bake, be sure to read it in detail.

    I think you'll find the experience "deliciously" entertaining!

  • Thanks to all the following friends for eprops & comments.

    It's really sweet of krisinluck to say she missed me. It's always great to be missed! God Bless you M'Dear.

    A HUGE chunk of gratitude to shan41580, for giving a "thumbs up" to my adopting her idea. You're the best!

    Belindaann38 is making a major move to a new state. Moving can be a mixed bag, eh Belinda? Do you know your actual move dates yet? I hope that you, all your stuff, and whichever loved ones are joining you, all arrive in one piece. I think I recall you saying you'll attempt to stay in touch with Xanga while you're on the road. I'll miss you during the times you'll be unable to be with us.

    Lately, I've done more Xanga writing, than reading. I want to stop posting, and browse my friends' blogs for a while. I'm eager to see what all of you are publishing!

    '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
    Will the "Real Butler" please stand up? ..... Oh, wait! There on the TV screen! ..... Is it a bodyguard, an actor? No, it's a night in shining servingware!!!

    While composing this blog, I was also semi-watching a local LA station, airing a syndicated episode of Brooke Shields' sitcom: "Suddenly Susan".

    I nearly fell off my chair, when I saw Mr. T, for the first time in years! He had shaved his Mohawk (and all other scalp hair), as well as his mustache and beard. He was dressed in some kind of funky tuxedo (similar to a butler's!), and the only gold he had on his person, was a huge round serving-platter type of item. It was covering his chest, as if he were using it for the breastplate of a suit of armor.

    It was surreal seeing him like that, after all this time! People are such a trip!

    Luv to everyone,
    s.