You would think that I would eventually learn, given my "certain age!" But, NO!!!! Again, I have said "never" when God was listening, and He set out to "make me."
What's up, you ask? I'll tell you! I have friends who regularly visit Branson, MO, and talk about how much fun they have there. These are friends who walk, talk, and act like they're over 70, rather than the 40 - 50 year olds they are. To me, Branson is the epitome of geezer-dom - where people go to line up for buffets, drink nothing but sweet tea, take in a Wayne Newton tribute show, and head to bed at 8:00 - to SLEEP!
I'm more of the "pass the champagne, how late can we stay up, how many different restaurants/ foods can we try this week, live in the hot tub, how many times can we have fun" kind of person. So, Branson doesn't seem like that kind of a happening place, compared to, say, CANCUN.
I did it. I said "never" when God was paying attention. And He chose to teach me a lesson gracefully. I said that I would never go to Branson. That I had absolutely no desire to EVER visit it. That you couldn't PAY me to go.
What happened? I won a trip. Yes, to Branson. Missouri. The place of buffets, 8:00 bedtimes, and the like. Airfare, nice hotel room, meals, rental car credit - the whole shebang.
God knows. He knows that sometimes He's just got to show you something. So, tomorrow afternoon, my husband & I are flying off to Branson for a weekend (encompassing Monday) trip.
I'll let you know when we get back how it was. Right now, I'm expecting that anything could happen!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
May your days be merry, and bright; and may all your Thanksgiving turkeys be moist! Have a great day today!
Monday, November 23, 2009
The week we've ALL been waiting for!
Ah, Thanksgiving week. The beginning (for me, anyway) of the holiday season. The week that signals, "hey, stupid! Christmas is a month away!" (look at the calendar - it's in 32 days) The week that makes me slap my cheeks with my hands & scream, ala Maccaulay Culkin. That's the bad part of the week.
The good parts of the week are legion: as an 9.5 month employee of my local school system, I've got the entire week off; a week to sleep late (for example, I slept until 6:45 this morning), read the paper in bed (THAT, I did), and drink my tea in bed. Also, I "get" to cook most of an entire Thanksgiving dinner (including as 23# turkey this year), sleep till 5:00 am that day, and do my best NOT to eat an obscene amount of food that day. Trust me, I did the opposite once. It was not pretty. Ask my dad.
ANYway, as I was saying, this is a great week. I totally enjoy this time of year, love taking walks in the cool air & pretty foliage, and get to sleep (relatively) late. So my advice to you is, don't sweat the small stuff, even if the small stuff is a previously alive, 23 pound turkey.
Eat lots of turkey for me. Enjoy the cranberry sauce. Try some of my grandmother's meat dressing - it's a Rinaudo family tradition. I may even share the recipe, some day. Have a great week! See you whenever (who knows when)!
The good parts of the week are legion: as an 9.5 month employee of my local school system, I've got the entire week off; a week to sleep late (for example, I slept until 6:45 this morning), read the paper in bed (THAT, I did), and drink my tea in bed. Also, I "get" to cook most of an entire Thanksgiving dinner (including as 23# turkey this year), sleep till 5:00 am that day, and do my best NOT to eat an obscene amount of food that day. Trust me, I did the opposite once. It was not pretty. Ask my dad.
ANYway, as I was saying, this is a great week. I totally enjoy this time of year, love taking walks in the cool air & pretty foliage, and get to sleep (relatively) late. So my advice to you is, don't sweat the small stuff, even if the small stuff is a previously alive, 23 pound turkey.
Eat lots of turkey for me. Enjoy the cranberry sauce. Try some of my grandmother's meat dressing - it's a Rinaudo family tradition. I may even share the recipe, some day. Have a great week! See you whenever (who knows when)!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
What's Wrong With This Picture???
Dear Mr. Gore,
(as in Al - the global warming "guru" who lives in a house which sucks up enough energy to power a small planet)
I believe that I have found the solution to our problem of "climate change" - you see, here in the TRUE South, it's often easier to leave your car running, thus making it "easier" to cool back down once you get back into it after your errand or whatever.
Before I offer my solution, which I assure you is fail-safe, and will offend no one, I offer as Exhibit A the CAUSE for all this so-called warming:
(as in Al - the global warming "guru" who lives in a house which sucks up enough energy to power a small planet)
I believe that I have found the solution to our problem of "climate change" - you see, here in the TRUE South, it's often easier to leave your car running, thus making it "easier" to cool back down once you get back into it after your errand or whatever.
Before I offer my solution, which I assure you is fail-safe, and will offend no one, I offer as Exhibit A the CAUSE for all this so-called warming:
Take a close look, friends..... this guy is sleeping in a running car. I exited my car in a local shopping center to do a little..... shopping (go figure). I noticed this individual in the car next to me - a rather new Chevy Tahoe, sleeping away, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. I went into the store (Barnes & Noble, the finest bookstore within reach), made my purchases (books, duh), and came back out to my car. The time elapsed (I checked) was 30 minutes. That's half an hour, people.
This guy was STILL asleep, STILL with the engine running, and, with the AC STILL running.
Thirty minutes. Car running, AC running, guy sleeping. Can anyone say "HEY, STUPID?????"
And it's not the first time I've seen it, either. I can't tell you how many times I've gone into a store & walked by someone sitting in a car, engine & AC running, for eons, while someone else is inside the store, "shopping."
It's not rocket science, friends - car running = CO and CO2 into the air. CO & CO2 accumulate in the atmosphere, creating - let's all say it together - GLOBAL WARMING!
So, mr. gore, here's the solution: a little gadget that shuts off a car after it's been running in idle/park/neutral for 5 minutes. This eliminates the cars that are stopped at red lights, or a train crossing, or are pulled over to pick up a little darling from school.
Eliminate the cars running excessively, no more global warming!
Plus, our fuel consumption will go way down, because everyone who drives will be forced to get out & get back without wasting nearly as much gas.
Sincerely,
George W. Bush (you know, the one you lost the election to?)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
History Lesson
Let's see, what's happened on this day in history? In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president. Exactly one year before that, the Iranian hostage crisis began. In 2008, Barak Obama was elected president, and author Michael Crichton died (no connection, I'm sure!) In 1922, the opening to King Tut's tomb was discovered.
AND, in 1958, my mother-in-law welcomed the birth of her third, and last, child, who happens to be my sweet husband.
AND, in 1958, my mother-in-law welcomed the birth of her third, and last, child, who happens to be my sweet husband.
Happy birthday, love of my life!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Fall
OK, here's the deal: I LOVE Fall. I do. I love it! There's something about the change of seasons that just slays me. Now, a heads-up: I live in northwest Louisiana, where it gets hot with a capital HHHHHHHH. Starting in about mid-April, the temperature here starts rising, and doesn't stop until about mid-September, IF we're lucky. We regularly see temps hovering around 95 - 100, with 100% percent humidity.
There's only one place I've been where it was truly worse than this.... well, 2 places. I lived twice in New Orleans during the late Summers and early Falls; it was miserable, to say the least - and the last time, I was 8 months pregnant!
The other place is Venezuela - yes, the country in South America. My whole family went there on a church mission trip. In July. Go figure. 100 degree weather, 100% humidity, all day, EVERY day! We would walk out of the HoJo's (seriously), start sweating, and didn't stop until we walked back into the hotel (which was thankfully air conditioned - and it had an indoor pool) So, miserably hot, yes. But a lot of good work was done, which is a post for another day.
BACK to the original topic - I LOVE Fall!!!! After suffering through a brutal summer (see above), we get a "cold snap," usually in the middle of September, if we're lucky. It's not so much the drop in temperature - think 88 degrees - as it is the drop in humidity. We go from an average of 100% to 80%. Trust me, if you lived here, that is major! Everyone breathes a little deeper, there's a little more spring in everyone's step, and we are happier.
Then there's the sky. When the temperature & humidity drop, the sky turns a shade of blue that defies description. There's a depth to the sky, a color of blue that is seen at no other time of the year. Don't trust me - go outside & look up! Then, this winter, look up (past the snow clouds if you're that lucky). The color in the winter is this pale, icy blue that makes you shiver. In the spring, it's still pale blue, but the color is obscured by the sound of birds singing and the sight of Easter eggs. In summer? Heat, humidity, and looking for rain clouds.
You'll have to excuse me now - I've got to go get ready to frolic in the season! And no, the sun's not still up, but the hot tub is open and the air is cool!!!! Go, enjoy and celebrate the season.
There's only one place I've been where it was truly worse than this.... well, 2 places. I lived twice in New Orleans during the late Summers and early Falls; it was miserable, to say the least - and the last time, I was 8 months pregnant!
The other place is Venezuela - yes, the country in South America. My whole family went there on a church mission trip. In July. Go figure. 100 degree weather, 100% humidity, all day, EVERY day! We would walk out of the HoJo's (seriously), start sweating, and didn't stop until we walked back into the hotel (which was thankfully air conditioned - and it had an indoor pool) So, miserably hot, yes. But a lot of good work was done, which is a post for another day.
BACK to the original topic - I LOVE Fall!!!! After suffering through a brutal summer (see above), we get a "cold snap," usually in the middle of September, if we're lucky. It's not so much the drop in temperature - think 88 degrees - as it is the drop in humidity. We go from an average of 100% to 80%. Trust me, if you lived here, that is major! Everyone breathes a little deeper, there's a little more spring in everyone's step, and we are happier.
Then there's the sky. When the temperature & humidity drop, the sky turns a shade of blue that defies description. There's a depth to the sky, a color of blue that is seen at no other time of the year. Don't trust me - go outside & look up! Then, this winter, look up (past the snow clouds if you're that lucky). The color in the winter is this pale, icy blue that makes you shiver. In the spring, it's still pale blue, but the color is obscured by the sound of birds singing and the sight of Easter eggs. In summer? Heat, humidity, and looking for rain clouds.
You'll have to excuse me now - I've got to go get ready to frolic in the season! And no, the sun's not still up, but the hot tub is open and the air is cool!!!! Go, enjoy and celebrate the season.
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