The world today . . .

There is a trend that I hear, over and over, whenever people are in conversation. It is the use of 'like' three or four times in the same couple of sentences. LIKE is sprinkled like pepper midst the subject matter like it, well, mattered! Nine out of ten times, LIKE is not necessary to the sentence structure or progression of the idea in the conversation. With all the available vocabulary in the world, why would this one word be favored so much? Unfortunately, the overuse of 'you know' has not entirely left the stage. We now hear stuff like, "He was, you know, like really interested in, like, what I was saying, you know, and he, like, seemed to, you know, want to say something, you know, like he meant it."

Sigh . . . This is our future adults, like, you know!

The sign of our times . . .

"Television is the first truly democratic culture - the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want."
-- Clive Barnes

Bits and pieces of truth . . .

"Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Give a fish a man, and he'll eat for weeks!"
-- Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata

"I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly."
-- Michel de Montaigne

"People ask for criticism, but they only want praise."
-- W. Somerset Maugham

"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing."
-- Redd Foxx

Summer cometh . . .

I can't complain about summer, so far! June Gloom has outdone itself and I've still been able to bake in the oven without inciting a muntiny amount my family. I'm thankful. That is always a downside of the sunny days because I always get to craving stews simmering on the stove and bread baking in the oven - not great on 110-degree days!

College children with vastly different schedules has kept us on our toes and on the road this summer. You love seeing your children become independent but wish you could catch a glimpse of those toddlers, again. The years truly fly by.

Quilting is still happening. I've gotten over my addiction to making pincushions - after making over 25 of them! Just purchased my second bolt, of the year, of batting. I wait for those 50% off coupons and save $80 on the item. It's just storing 40 yards of quilt batting! It's like trying to hide a body as I move it from place to place hoping to keep it unobserved. It is residing next to me right now which is an improvement over being in the entry way!

I've got more pattern ideas than I have time these days. I also have five quilt tops that need completing. I've picked a great economy to make quilts no one can afford to purchase. Hey, I should try selling them to senators and congressmen as they don't seem to be suffering the income problems of us 'little' people!

Loved celebrating Father's Day as husbands do a lot more than they ever get credit for. Respecting health dictates, I made a cheesecake with half non-fat cream cheese and the rest 1/3 less fat cream cheese. It retained the same flavor and texture of the full-fat version but didn't leave you feeling bloated and guilty over having indulged. A 'fat-free' fresh strawberry topping finished it off nicely and my husband was happy.

Quote for salvation!

The way to Heaven is straight and narrow: they who wish to arrive at that place of bliss by walking in the paths of pleasure shall be disappointed; and therefore few reach it, because few are willing to use violence to themselves in resisting temptations. –St. Alphonsus Ligouri

Quote of the Century!

QUOTE OF THE CENTURY……….


This quote came from the Czech Republic. Someone over there has it figured out. We have a lot of work to do.

"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president.

The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

My unfavorite time of the year . . .

July is looming on the horizon and I am already getting that feeling of dread. An important, national holiday takes place on the fourth yet it will be another day of loud, blaring music and illegal fireworks smoking up the sky from early afternoon until the wee hours of the morning.

Don't get me wrong, a celebration IS in order but if you asked the children running around with lit sparklers WHAT the event is about, would they know? Every year, there is some very sad story about a child being severely hurt by fireworks. A look around our neighborhood on that evening could count more than a few accidents ready to happen. I just don't think that fireworks that light up the sky above tract homes are the ones for sale at the local stands. One year, some children burned down their house with illegal fireworks set off in their garage.

I often read about the early days of our country when the Fourth of July was a great holiday with speeches, homemade picnics, meeting friends at the park, and enjoying a band and fireworks in the evening. We sure have come a long way and I'm not sure it is a better way.

Anyway, in anticipation of the day's events, we will prepare in our now traditional manner - soaking down the roof in case of a flying cinder, wetting down the foliage for the spent yet burning firecracker papers that fall into our yard, and treats for the dogs who will, again, be traumatized by what they do not understand. I think I'm with them on that feeling!

Interesting quotes . . .

I love quotations so in place of posting, I'm providing a few more I discovered this morning. In other words, no time to carry forth on my current vents!

"Channeling is just bad ventriloquism. You use another voice, but people can see your lips moving."
-- Penn Jillette

"I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said I don't know."
-- Mark Twain

"Boys will be boys, and so will a lot of middle-aged men."
-- Kin Hubbard

All worth a read . . .

"A bore is a man who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company."
-- Gian Vincenzo Gravina

"Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight."
-- Phyllis Diller

"I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts."
-- Bethania McKenstry

"An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today."
-- Laurence J. Peter

Who am I?

Try to Guess WHO I AM

I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women.

*I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me. My mother died at an early age from cancer.

*Later in life, questions arose over my real name

*My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate.

*I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny.

*I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them..

*That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career.

*I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child.

*I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40s. They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit.

*I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks.

*I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances. This bolstered my ego.

*At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy. I was very critical of my country in the last war and seized every opportunity to bash my country.

*But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views on the country's economy. I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better and every poor person would be fed & housed for free.

*I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations. I decided to start making citizens hate them and if they were envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight.

*I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people.

*I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread popular support.

*I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope' , together we could change our country and the world.

*So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor, ignorant to include "persecuted minorities" like the Jews. My true views were not widely known & I needed to keep them unknown, until after I became my nation's leader.

*I had to carefully guard reality, as anybody could have easily found out what I really believed, if they had simply read my writings and examined those people I associated with.

*I'm glad they didn't. Then I became the most powerful man in the world. And the world learned the truth.

*Who am I? *







Scroll way down for the answer.





























I am ADOLF HITLER

WHO WERE YOU THINKING OF?

Scary isn't it?

Hope for the day . . .

"They [souls] have not understood My Heart. For it is their very destitution and failings that incline My goodness toward them. And when acknowledging their helplessness and weakness, they humble themselves and have recourse to Me trustfully, then indeed they give me more glory than before their fault."

How sad is that . . . ?

My daughter and I went to vote later in the morning. The polling place was pretty much empty and absolutely no waiting in line to vote. This is not right! It is sad to think so many people will just let a few decide the fate of many on election day. That is going to be my retort when someone nags about how awful a new bill is or what a terrible governor or whatever is in office - "Did YOU vote?" If you don't vote, you have no right to complain. I love the excuses, too. The polls are open early and don't close until eight. Do people actually think they are being reasonable when they say they don't have time to vote? Uh, there IS the absentee mail in ballot. They could have taken the time to vote weeks ago. Thank goodness, my daughter cared enough to make sure her ballot got forwarded from college so she wouldn't miss out. A twenty-two year old has more sense of this country than people two and three times her age. Just look at what politicians are in office. These non-voters should ask themselves 'whose fault is it they are there?' I still hear the excuse that 'I don't want to get called for jury duty which is why I don't register to vote'. Hate to break it to them but they get the jury count from your drivers license registration!

My vent for the day . . . Okay, ONE of my vents for the day!

The week ahead . . .

Bedroom painting done and we survived the open windows and summer temperatures. At least, it helped the paint dry faster. Oh, yeah! A head's up . . . Never move a dresser with two, open cans of paint on it. Just sayin' and don't ask!

Now, the fun part - cleaning up the painting mess and putting the room back to order. I'd rather be sewing or most anything else.

Spent some 'quality' time surfing the 'net in search of interesting pincushion patterns. I'm addicted to making these small 'treasures' since they take little fabric but have lots of potential for creativity. My little mushroom house one was a great success.

Hate opening up the daily news and seeing what stupidities are coming forth from the mouths of various politicians. Do THEY ever listen to how they sound when they aren't making sense or lying a moment after making another statement? A friend sent a note that had November election day marked on the calendar and said, "Don't forget to take out the trash!" I'm casting my one vote for that!

Fun thoughts for a Monday . . .

"Don't try to solve serious matters in the middle of the night."
-- Philip K. Dick

"You can only be young once. But you can always be immature."
-- Dave Barry

"Always get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day."
-- Mickey Rooney

"Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally."
-- Abraham Lincoln

A beautiful thought . . .!

“In God’s sight, our cross is like a precious perfume which loses its aroma when it is exposed to the air –so we must make every effort to hide our cross and carry it in silence.” --St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Summer time blues . . .

The heat of a California summer is creeping up on us so, naturally, we chose the hottest weekend to paint a bedroom! I have to admit that turning the dirty walls into a lovely, deep blue is pleasing. I get the fun part of the project and will be heading out for curtain fabric and pretty electrical outlet covers to finish it all off.

The best part of a project is the conception of the idea/plan and the last five minutes before completion!

Sewing hasn't suffered. I have gotten into making pincushions from pretty odds and ends of fabric. It is amazing what some fabric, embrodery floss and a cute button will do. I've made twelve of them but, yes, I CAN stop any time I want . . . I just don't happen to want to yet!

Soon, I will have both my college girls home for the summer. It sure is hard for a mom to have her children in four different parts of the world most of the year. I don't know who has more of a problem with this growing up stuff!

Finally, having the promised hot fudge sundaes for my birthday treat. We are only three weeks late but I'll take one anytime and forego complaining. I even have whipped cream on hand.

Got that right!

"After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say "I want to see the manager.""
-- William S. Burroughs