The Misadventures of Bailey and Landry

In case anyone cares - it was cold last night! It was a three dog night and I'm short on dogs. Lady and Daisy aren't quite enough. We could have had four dogs in the house. We did for a while.Just imagine two mini-dachshunds and two labs all in the same room. Let's see I fished two toys out of the labs mouths yesterday. Hum. The labs usually stay outside but...

Annie got a call saying her dogs had gotten out and were roaming the street. Luckily they were found and brought back. Bailey and Landry (named after characters on "Friday Night Lights") were very, very naughty. Yes, even Supernanny, Jo Frost would probably not have been happy with them. So how did they get out? Over the last several weeks I had seen them standing at the fence. They would stand on their hind legs watching me take Lady or Daisy out in the front yard. Bailey and Landry would bounce around on their hind legs, wagging their tails. They wanted to play. It occurred to me that if they gave it some thought they could easily jump the fence. So when they went awol Annie and I figured that might be what they had done. When they escaped a second time, we really got worried. I was outside walking Lady when the two labs came bounding up the street to see us. Want'a play? We ended up bringing them inside until we could think of something.

Of course bringing two BIG dogs inside was not what Lady and Daisy wanted, not to mention what Willy, the cat, thought. So after grabbing the toys out of the "big mouths" we had to clean all the toys up and put them out of reach. The labs just wanted a little fun. Willy was not happy with the chase game. Daisy bared her teeth every time they came near her. "Don't you dare put your paws on me" she seemed to say. Lady just growled. She stood her ground against the giants. Daisy tried to run and hide, except when Annie brought the BIG rawhide bone inside that Bailey and Landry like to play with. Daisy actually swiped it out from under them!

For some reason Bailey and Landry liked to follow me around the house. Every where I went they followed. They oddly seemed at ease around me and stayed "calm and submissive" as "The Dog Whisperer" Cesar Milan would say. I would think it a little crazy myself but for the fact that most dogs seem to like me. I don't know how many times I have been some place where they was a mean or annoying dog. The owners would always tell me "He's mean or he bites..." Not me! I sit down and almost any dog thinks suddenly I am the best friend! Maybe they think I look like a dog? I don't think I smell like a dog. At least no-one has told me that. Sometimes I wonder if dogs liking me is a good thing or a bad thing.

Later when Jason got home from work he went out to the back yard, thinking that Bailey and Landry might have to be tied onto a lead outside for a while. Let's face it. Two big, lovable dogs and two little boys could spell trouble inside a house. The dogs could stand up at the counter and steal supper with no problem. Lady and Daisy have to wait until something drops. But Jason found the problem. The dogs had not jumped the fence has we had suspected. They just walked out the back of it. It seems that one side which was connected to the neighbor's fence had come loose making a nice open door. Aha! The escape route had been found. Once Jason solved the problem, the fence was once again intact. The adventures of Bailey and Landry came to an end. Further escape was foiled. That is until they really learn how to jump the fence.

Woman Gets Ticket For Not Speaking English

A Dallas area woman's daughter missed the school bus. So naturally the mother was a little bit upset. She hurried to her car to take her daughter to school. In her rush she apparently forgot to grab her driver's license. Oops! That was her first mistake. I'm sure there are many of us who have done the same thing. Shame, shame.

The woman got pulled over by a Dallas police officer for making an illegal U-turn. He also ticketed her for no driver's license and then he also gave her a third ticket for being a non-English speaking driver. Say what? Well there is a federal law that says commercial drivers must speak English. But there is no such state law for individual drivers in Texas. The woman is learning English so it is not as if she spoke no English at all. For most people it is humiliating enough to get one ticket while taking a child to school. She got three.

Of course the media jumped all over this story. The Dallas Police Department regretted what happened and said they thought it was clearly a mistake by an officer in training. The woman said it seemed to her that the rookie cop needed more training. A court dismissed the non English speaking driver ticket. I just hope she doesn't plan on getting a job as a commercial truck driver. At least until she has learned to speak English a little better.

Persistence Pays, Or How to Annoy the Hell Out of People

We are often told when we are young to work hard and be persistent. Chase those dreams, never give up. Keep trying. In everything from school work to athletics, to job hunting, we are told keep trying. But how much persistence is too much?

I remember how annoying a whining child can be. Sometimes we give in just to shut them up. I even remember how annoying spouses can be. I really don't miss that. My dogs sit up and beg for what ever they want at the moment. They will sit there in front of me, just staring at me until I notice them. Then, of course, I have to get up and do something for them. Once again they get what they want.

Let's not forget the telemarketers, sales people or bill collectors either. Just how many times do I have to tell those cemetery plot sellers that I will only be there three days, don't bother me again. Even if I tell them I want to be cremated they want to sell me a plot to bury my ashes. Have you ever gone to the mall only to be accosted by some sweet young woman who wants to spray the latest perfume on you? No thank you, let go of my arm! I almost slugged one gal for following me. Talk about persistent!
There is a bill collector who calls everyday to my cell phone number. I wonder who had that number before me. They keep leaving a voice-mail telling me to call a number.I wonder if I can block them from calling my "SmartPhone". Then again maybe the phone just isn't that smart...

But the high point of annoying persistence happened this morning. Poor Annie has been beset with a bad case of allergies. She can't sleep and sneezes a lot. She was really tired this morning so she went back to bed. In the meantime, a friend of hers called, and called, and called. You'd think she would get the message that Annie is not going to answer the phone. No she kept calling, first the house phone, then Annie's cell phone. I lost count after the tenth time.

What was the reason the woman persisted in calling? She had driven by the grammar school and saw an ambulance there. She assumed that it was there for one of Annie's children. Why would she automatically assume that? So she tried to call Annie over and over. Thinking the worst the friend would not give up. When she could not get Annie to answer the phone, she then called Jason's office only to find out that he was not there. He was out on business. But the woman assumed that there must be something wrong. Yeah, there was! She was annoying me! How could Annie get any rest with the phone ringing so often? I have always thought that if no-one answered, leave a message. If she had called me that many times, she might not have liked what I would have said.

To get ahead in this world we do have to try hard to achieve out goals and never give up.It's a good mindset to have. Never back down, keep fighting for what you want. On the other hand, we can persist to the point of annoying the Hell out of everybody. Who's up next and what the Hell do you want now?

Good Advise

This was written by 90 year old Regina Brett of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8 It's OK to get angry with God.. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
26. Always choose life.
27. Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29.. Time heals almost everything.. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
32. Believe in miracles.
33.. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
34. Don't audit life Show up and make the most of it now.
35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
36. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back..
40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
41. The best is yet to come
42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
43. Yield
44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
45. Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves

Don't think This Top 10 came From Letterman

Top 10 Reasons God Created Eve

10. God worried that Adam would always be lost in the garden because men hate to ask for directions.

9. God knew that Adam would one day need someone to hand him the TV remote.

8. God knew that Adam would never buy a new fig leaf when his seat wore out and would therefore need Eve to get one for him.

7. God knew that Adam would never make a doctor's appointment for himself.

6. God knew that Adam would never remember which night was garbage night.5. God knew that if the world was to be populated, men would never be able to handle childbearing.

4. As "Keeper of the Garden," Adam would never remember where he put his tools.

3. The scripture account of creation indicates Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him hiding in the garden.

2. As the Bible says, "It is not good for man to be alone!"

1. When God finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, scratched His head and said, "I can do better than that."

Slow News Day? Females in the News

First Lady Michelle Obama is now an "action figure" doll. Would you buy it? She is wearing her signature sleeveless dress.Even the doll's arms look good. Of course there is no word on what "action" the doll does. Nor is there any comment from the White House about the doll.

Maria Shriver is in hot water with her husband Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. She's been caught using her cell phone while driving. Yes, some photographer caught her and now the pictures are all over. Gov.Schwarzenegger vows to "take swift action". Will the First Lady of California have her driver's license suspended by the governor?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she is at "peace" with herself and has no plans to run for President or even governor of any state. Really? So if the current President does not get re-elected what will she do? Somehow I don't see her as the happy homemaker type.

Miley Cyrus has quit Twitter. Oh how the world will just have to do without her tweets. Daddy,"One hit wonder" Billy Ray Cyrus wants her to get back on the bird and continue tweeting. Her boy friend doesn't. Now what was that song...? Oh yeah -"Achy, Breaky Heart". Get a life Billy.

But the most interesting (sort of) news of the day is the story from Akron,Ohio. Chetania Davis,22, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault. Apparently Ms Davis attacked her 52 year old co-worker in the face with a stilleto heel. It was the co-worker's first day on the job. The attack occurred in the co-workers' dressing room. They both work at a club as exotic dancers. The younger dancer said she did not think the club needed any more dancers. The judge on the case sentenced Ms. Davis to one year probation and suspended a six month jail term. Ms. Davis accepted the plea because she wanted to move on with her life. Hopefully she was wearing a different pair of shoes when she said that to reporters.

I Used to Do It but Now I Don't Remember

Uh, now how do I do this again? Have you ever thought about something you hadn't done in a long time? When you thought of that did it occur to you that you might not remember how to do it? Do you ever really forget things, or wish you could?

The other day my son in law said something about fixing a favorite meal. We all have meals that we have as our "specialty" to cook. Some people grill steaks very well. Others make great chili or soup. In the South there are people who make really good Southern fried chicken. Here in Texas there are people who take great pride in their Mexican style food.

As I thought about this I wondered. Let me see...it's been seven months since I have actually cooked any thing. I thought about different things I used to fix for supper. Then the thought struck me - how do I make that? I don't remember. I used to do this all the time. Now, uh what do I do? Most of the things I have cooked were not "recipes" from a book. They were just things observed or tried.

Then my mind wandered. What/who else is out there that I don't remember? I haven't driven in a while. I'm going to have to take the whole driving test over to get a new license. Hum, will I be able to answer the questions, or drive on the correct side of the road?

I remember a game that was popular in the seventies that my first husband taught me to play. Too bad I can't remember the name of the game. But after I learned how to play, I used to regularly beat my husband. Of course he would immediately go into a snit and complain that I made stupid moves. When he got mad and quit playing I had to remind him that the stupid moves were the ones he taught me. But if I tried to play it today I would not know how.

I have relatives that I would not know if I bumped into them. Of course there are people I could have met yesterday and I still would not know their name.There are old friends I wish I could remember. Then there are old boyfriends/husbands I wish I could forget. Did you know that Elvis sang a song called "I forgot to remember to forget"? The song was about trying to forget about a lost love.

There is an old saying - "Use it or lose it". Is that really true? If we don't do something routinely, do we forget how? Hum, well, I haven't had (close your eyes children) the "Big S" in a while. When the time comes (if ever) will I remember how? Would it be fun re-learning?

What else don't we do any more? Who writes letters? Letters? It's easier to Twitter or IM. Get or read directions? Who reads a street map? It's easier to buy a GPS system for the car than ask someone which way to a street. Yeah, just remember that GPS (also known as Bitch in a Box) might show your street as a vacant field or to turn left in one half mile after you have already turned into your driveway. Remember the Lexus that can parallel park itself? I want to take the driving test in that Lexus.

I know there have to be other things that I used to do. Can I do them now? I don't know, I can't remember what they were. So how can I remember if I used to do them? Well I guess I didn't use/do them enough, so I've lost them. Where am I? Did I forget to eat again?

Church Bulletin Bloopers

Mrs. Johnson will be entering the hospital this week for testes.

Due to the rector's illness, Wednesday's healing services will be discontinued until further notice.

On a church bulletin during the minister's illness: God Is Good--Dr. Hargreaves is better.

This Sunday morning following services we will have our monthly feelowship.

Said during a congregational prayer when leading prayer for unsaved loved ones: “Father, we just want to pray for our unloved saved ones.”

Lift up our Messianic brothers and sisters in Israel who are suffering during our prayer time.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even though he diets, yet shall be live.”

On a church postcard: “I have received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I would like a personal call.”

Church sign: “Jesus Saves!” Safeway sign across the street: “Safeway saves you more!”

Bare With Me Before I Throw a Fit

I got a wild hair up my backside to change my template. I picked out one I liked and finally with Annie's help got it up. Of course nothing in my life seems to be easy. After I got it up and started to customize it I discovered that I had forgotten to write some of my lists down. So forgive me if I get cranky. I am trying to remember what I need to put on here and where it will go.

Right now I have a headache. My grandson and I were going to take Daisy for a walk. Then he decided that he would rather throw leaves at me then walk the dog. Then he got in trouble by telling me that I'm not "the boss". So we didn't go for a walk and he cried all the way home.

And that's not all. It seems that Daisy has taken a liking to sticking her head into the cat's box and getting the little droppings out and eating them. I sure hope they are tasty! I've spanked her several times, to no avail. She didn't do this at Traci's house and that box doesn't have a top. Go figure.

As of right now, I'm getting frustrated because I have so much to do on this. I do like the picture because we have some lakes in Texas that look a lot like it. For I quit, for now. I didn't realize how much extra work I would have to do here. Hopefully I will get it set up better soon. Otherwise I am going to be in a bit of a bad mood.

Right now I am going to get something to eat and a glass (maybe two) of wine. I hope tomorrow will be a better day.

Top 10 Mom Scolding in the Bible

10. Sampson, get your hands off of that lion, you don't know where it's been!

9. David, I told you not to play in the house with that string! Go practice your harp. We pay good money for those lessons.

8. Abraham! Stop wandering around the countryside and get home for supper!

7. Shadrach, Meschach and Abendeco! I told you, never play with fire!

6. Cain! Get off your brother! You're going to kill him some day!

5. Noah, no you can' t help them. Don't bring home any strays.

4. Gideon! Have you been hiding in that wine press again? Look at my clothes.

3. James and John! No more burping at the dinner table, please. People are going to call you sons of thunder.

2. Judas! Have you been in my purse again?

1. Jesus! Close the door! You think you were born in a barn.

What's That Smell?

Something smells in the neighborhood. What a wonderful fragrance to start the day. I had not even had my coffee. The smell is giving Annie a headache. She says it smells outside. Intrepid adventurer that I am, I decided to check things out.

I had seen Annie's labs, Bailey and Landry, watching something intently in the shed/chicken coop. There are no chickens here. The dogs like to hang out there in rainy or cold weather. They kept looking around, but refused to go near.They did voice their opinions loudly. What do they see? Nothing seemed amiss as I walked toward the shed. Then I saw something move. No, not a snake or a buzzard which I had seen a few days ago. In the back corner, behind the bicycles was a skunk.

First thing we had to get the dogs out of the way. I'm surprised they hadn't already attempted to battle the real life "Pepe la Pew". But they had apparently kept their distance. Annie herded the labs into the house. Then we looked for a number for some kind of animal control. It's not an easy number to find in the local phone book. Annie ended up calling a number in Ft. Stockton to find out some information. Thankfully since Ft. Stockton is about 1 1/2 hrs away, they were able to give her some numbers of local "animal" people. Most of her calls went straight to voice-mail. She did finally get hold of a guy who happened to be near. He was working on something in a pasture and said he could be here shortly.

So I spent the time waiting for him babysitting a skunk. First it moved around in the shed. Then it got out and wandered around, but could not figure out how to escape. Well, actually he did escape through the fence but when he saw the big dogs across the alley he decided I was better than them. Back into the shed he went. Then he got brave and tried to run to freedom along the side of the fence. Not the brightest animal in the world, I thought.

As he ran around the back of the yard, I wondered what he thought. Apparently not much I guess. As I followed him around the back yard he ultimately trapped himself. He made a mistake of crawling into a length of pvc pipe. As I stood watching the pipe, the animal control guy came in. He was the "substitute". The official animal control person is also the local bailiff and was in court. She had all the traps. Naturally. So the other guy and I decided to leave the skunk in the pipe which was 8-10 feet long. He blocked the ends with cinder blocks which Annie got a couple of garbage bags and some duct tape.

I had to wonder how safe all of this was. The plastic bags were thin and tore easily.But he managed to seal the ends of the pipe and took the unwanted guest, pipe and all away in the truck. He said he'd release it out on some farmland a couple of miles down the road. I hope the farmer doesn't mind. Then he asked if Annie wanted the pipe back. A resounding "NO!" was the answer.

Such is life in the hamlet of Ozona. I thought buzzards were looking at me for a meal the other day. Grasshoppers bounce all over the place. The one thing I have yet to see are the turkeys that walk around town unmolested. Apparently they are a common sight. Wonder what I'll find next?

The Re-birth of Me

The last few months have been a roller coaster ride for me. Up and down, over and under, my feelings and thoughts have been on a wild ride. At times it has been easy to feel defeated. Then there have been moments of peace. Those moments which were few have now moved in with me. I think they are here to stay.

Call me crazy. I don't care. A few weeks ago, before I decided to visit Annie, I was sitting in my bedroom in Waco thinking.Too much time on my hands? Some would probably say yes. Me, I was struck by a thought. How I came to this thought I can't really say. This thought, oddly enough, left me with a good feeling. To explain or describe this feeling is difficult at best. It's as if someone spoke to me and said, "You'll be ok, I have a plan for you."

This feeling was spooky to the skeptic in me. The more I thought about it the more I questioned myself. Yet this feeling would not, and has not changed. I know, somehow, there is something out there waiting for just the right time for me. Is it my fertile mind dreaming or it this some sort of an epiphany? I don't know. I can't shake this feeling. I can't explain how or why I have this. How do I explain this to anyone? How do I not sound nutty.?

I've heard that God sometimes speaks to a person's heart. I've never really believed it before now. Trying to explain this hasn't be easy. So Annie suggested I talk with Chris, the Pastor of their church. Well... I'm not sure about that. What good would that do? I'm like, eh? Well, ok. It couldn't hurt, right?

Yesterday I had a meeting with Chris who is a very nice, very young, and very tall man. He and his wife are a nice couple and have two adorable little boys. His wife teaches the women's study group. I've gone a couple of times with Annie and Jason to church. He brings out good thoughts in his sermons. So I thought, what the heck. I'll give it a shot.

I told Chris about what had happened to me and my current, unshakable feeling. I asked him all sorts of questions. He was thoughtful and gave me some insight into things. We talked for over an hour. He listened and offered suggestions. Messages or feelings such as mine can be true. I must continue to listen. Yes, he told me I will be all right. I am in the right place and with continued study and faith, the plan will happen. I must be ready. When will the plan come to fruition? That question will be answered when the time comes. Not my time - His time.

I'm ready. Sling all the arrows you want, throw all the rocks you have. I won't be defeated. I only need patience. My time will come. I have the Power with me.

Zen Sarcasm

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.

2 The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt or a leaky tire.

3. It's always darkest before dawn, so if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. If at first you don't succeed...Skydiving is not for you.

10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

Fall Has Fell - Maybe

We all woke up this morning to a cool breeze. Obviously the cool front has now arrived. It should be nice around here for a few days. Then toward the end of the week it will be back up to the warmer temperatures again. Gotta love it. This kind of weather keeps you guessing about what to wear each day.

This weather also made Annie and me think of stew. So we put some stew meat in the crock pot. Hopefully we'll make enough to put some in the freezer later. Throwing stuff into the crock pot is not hard. Now yesterday was a time consuming candy time. Annie made peanut butter cups. That takes a little time to make the peanut butter balls and melt the chocolate. Pouring it over the balls can be a little interesting too. But we did it.

Now that Fall is officially here, it's time to say good bye to Astros manager Cecil Cooper and good bye to the Astros chances to get into the playoffs again. I'm surprised that Cooper lasted as long as he did. There many people who wanted him fired earlier in the season. All things considered,
I feel a little like singing "They're breaking up that old gang of mine..." Next year could see a different Astros team.

Now we can move on to the real sport of fall, football. I was not happy with the Texans first game which they lost. I was a little worried during the second, but they came through in a street fighting style. That will teach the Titans to start a brawl with us. I hope we'll continue to improve. My college teams are doing well. Texas is #2 and Alabama is #3. I find these high rankings a little worrisome since it is still early in the season. One loss could ruin chances for a national championship. We shall see.

I'm looking forward to this fall. Who knows? Maybe this will be a good season for me. Seasons of life change just like the seasons of the weather. I haven't seen much in the way of color yet. The leaves haven't changed yet. But I know that with each season there is a new beginning and new challenges. I'm ready. Of course I have no intention of raking leaves.

How Do You Get To Heaven?

"If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into heaven?" The teacher asked the children in his Sunday school class.

"NO!" the children all answered.

"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into heaven?"

Again the answer was, "NO!""Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my wife, would that get me into heaven?" I asked them again.

Once more they all answered, "NO!"

"Well," I continued, thinking they were a good bit more theologically sophisticated than I had given them credit for, "then how can I get into heaven?"

A five-year-old boy shouted out, "You gotta be dead!"

Well That's One Way To Open A Can

Right now I am smelling the aroma of pot roast as it cooks in the slow cooker.Ummm. I love roast done in a crock pot with veggies. We're gonna eat good tonight.

But there was a small crisis this morning as Annie was putting the ingredients into the pot. Obviously the roast and veggies were easy. Then she got the cream of mushroom soup ready. One can went in easy. Sure you say. How hard can it be to open a soup can? In this case, it was maddeningly difficult.

I'm in the bedroom when I hear Annie call me to the kitchen. Apparently one of the soup cans had an idea that it would not give up it's contents without a fight. When she pulled the tab,instead of opening the can, the ring came off. Guess that can is just wasted. That's what Annie thought. Oh ye of little faith - Mom is here!

Have you ever battled a can? I mean really battled? I asked Annie where the electric can opener was. She pointed to it, but said it didn't do very well. True, as I discovered. Ok. Where is the church key opener? That didn't work either. Let's try a knife - no luck. I did manage to get a small opening but since the soup was thick, it was all but useless. Now, I'm ticked off. No can of soup is going to get the best of me! "Do you have pliers or a screwdriver?" So we get both from the tool chest. I manage to get the hole a little bigger, but not enough. Now I am really irritated. I hate to waste things. So I got the hammer from the tool chest. How could one little can cause so much trouble. The war was on! Ever take a hammer to a soup can? It's not pretty. But a mom on a mission is dangerous! Mountain get out of my way! Ha! after a few less than delicate pounds with the hammer, the can gave up it's contents.

That should teach any can of mushroom soup not to do battle with me! Of course it wasn't pretty. But what war is? I will not be denied. Yeah, it probably would have been easier just to throw the can in the trash. On the other hand I am stubborn when it comes to some things. Just ask any member of my family. Obviously I would not recommend opening a can of mushroom soup this way. It can be messy. Yes, it was an odd way to open the can, but it worked. Now when do we eat?

He Was Going to Get the Family Dog

Eight years ago Christopher C. Newton got on American Airlines Flight 77 to California. He and his family had moved to Ashburn, Virginia so he would not have to travel so much. He was head of Work/Life Benefits which was founded in 1982 to provide work, life training to corporations for their employees. He was educated at California Polytech University and the Anderson School at UCLA. His wife Amy, son Michael and daughter Sarah were happy that he would not have to travel so much.

Christopher Newton was a very private person who loved his family and a good game of golf. He took American Airlines Flight 77 on September 11, 2001 so that he could go back to California to get the family dog. He never made it there. Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon that fatal morning.

We all, as Americans, remember that day. Many of us watched our televisions as the horror of the attack on our country began. We watched helplessly as the Twin Towers fell. We watched as the Pentagon was breached. We learned of the heroism of passengers who fought off the hijackers and probably saved more lives by crashing the plane in that empty field. We remember. The images are seared into our brains. Let us never forget those 2996 people who lost their lives that day. Let us always remember what this country has stood for and why we must honor these brave people who lost their lives on 9/11/01.

Joint Custody? Of Me?

Annie has wanted me to come visit her at her home for a while now. Since I don't have a car I've had to wait until she had time to come get me. She decided that she would take me when she came back Sunday after the birthday week-end in Houston. From what I understand, blackmail could be an issue after what I heard and saw about the party. Ahem, we shall just leave it at that.

An interesting thought crossed my mind due to something Annie said to Traci. Granted it was a little odd but, this is my family. Most of the time we think of joint custody as between divorced parents with kids. Mom usually has the kids most of the time and dad has them for a time.We've all known someone in that situation. For some reason I found it funny when Annie spoke to Traci about me going home with Annie. I guess it now can be said that Traci and Annie share "joint custody" of me. Huh? Well, it could be thought of in that way. I'll be here with Annie for a few weeks. Then I'll go back to Traci's...

Oh yeah, apparently someone even mentioned "joint custody" to my son Pat. Alas, he has no room for his dear, darling, demented mother. That's ok Patrick. I know what is important to you. Snicker...

Joint custody of me - what a concept. Then again, this could get interesting. Bobby said he would miss me. Guess he'll miss talking to me. And oh dear, Aryn cried and cried when we left. Brad and Aryn didn't want the dogs to go. Sigh. Wonder what Skylar and Michael will do when I go back to Waco. I am reminded of when the kids were growing up. Maybe I should start plotting to get Annie and Traci against each other?? Shades of when they were in their father's custody. Be still my evil heart. Payback? Who me?

With Apologies to Secretary Clinton

Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Al Gore were in an airplane that crashed. In heaven, they found God sitting on the great, white throne.

He addressed Al first. "Al, what do you believe in?"

Al replied, "Well, I believe I won the election in 2000, but it was your will that I did not serve. I've come to understand that now."

God thought for a second and said, "Very good. Come and sit at my left."

God then addressed Bill. "Bill, what do you believe in?"

Bill replied, "I believe in forgiveness. I've sinned, but I've never held a grudge against my fellow man, and I hope no grudges are held against me."

Again, God thought for a second and then said, "You are forgiven, my son. Come and sit at my right."

God then turned to Hillary and asked, "Hillary, what do you believe in?"

She replied, "I believe you're sitting in my chair."

Shut In, Shut Out, Forgotten

How many people do you speak to on a daily basis? Sure you speak to your family, friends and co-workers. You probably speak to your neighbors on either side of your house. You wave to them as you leave or come home from work. But what about that old lady down the street? Do you know anything about her? Have you noticed that she rarely gets out? Does she even have a way to get out?

We are so caught up in our daily lives that we may not even think of the people we don't see often. They may not live near you, but they are there. One day you could be one of them. These are the people who for any number of reasons could be called shut ins or maybe even forgotten. Maybe through no fault of their own, they are single, widowed, or divorced and have no-one to turn to in a time of need. Maybe they are poor and hungry. Maybe the only contact with the outside world for them is the people from Meals on Wheels who bring them food. Just imagine that the only human contact you have is a person bringing you a meal. On the other hand, maybe they don't need the Meals on Wheels program. Maybe they have a neighbor or relative who occasionally stops by to take them to buy groceries or just to walk the mall. Imagine how good that must feel, just to get away from the confines of those four walls, even if only for an hour or two.

There are a lot of people who are alone. They are not all old or shut in. Some feel shut out because it seems that nobody cares. No one seems to want to take the time to stop by and say "Hello". How much would it cost to stop by and ask, "Do you need anything? Can I take you somewhere?" or even just "How are you today?".

Some day we will all be alone. Some of us will have family that we can depend on for help, love and security. Some of us will not have that luxury. Some will not know where to go or who to call. Yes, there are outreach programs thanks to some religious or state and local governments. Still, some people will either not know how to reach for help or will be too proud to ask for help.

Remember when you know someone who is alone, or see someone who is alone, that could be you. Give them a smile, or a helping hand now and then. Talk to them. Don't let them be shut in, shut out, or forgotten.