Must shave legs, must plan events for the New Year......

Ah yes, a "New Year" with all prospects of new and exciting things to encounter in the days ahead.

My Cousin Sara got me started on this "Bridget Jones" thing the other day by printing a "BJ" sounding title on her blog.

Ever since then......I've had odd "Bridget Jones" type sentencing coming into my head. You know how you talk to yourself....ummm......"silently" like in "thought?"

Reading that crazy title of hers.....caused to to begin thinking things things...like in those types of "phrasings"...which is odd I know. But also it's been funny.

Yesterday while getting ready to take Miss Priss to the Dentist...I was thinking of everything I was going to attempt to get done. And the thoughts were pretty normal like....."must do this, must do that.....must go here....must go there.....must get this and must not forget that".....then things switched a bit and all of a sudden my thoughts went to....
"Must shave legs."
Weird.
So I did. Don't want to end the new year without doing that important thing now do we?

I mean what if I had been in an accident and they had to cut my jeans off of me and I had.... you know...weren't looking so great. Not that they were bad in that way to begin with because they weren't but....just in case.
Whew!
Glad I got that accomplished before the year ended.

Now....I've done some searching and have found what some of "Bridget's thoughts" were regarding "New Years Resolutions.

I for one PERSONALLY never make them anymore.

I've learned not to set myself up for "failure."
Because I always used to make New Year's "Resolutions"...and would always "CRASH and BURN" within say...a month or 6 weeks.

Then I used to just make some "New Years Goals."
That pretty much stunk too.

Especially the year I "found" my "Goal sheet" from the year BEFORE in some drawer somewhere...I can still remember the paper.....it was like a nice gold color..and I what I had written on it was the SAME stuff I was going to do that very SAME year that I was currently into already.
Not good......

IT was the same ol'....

#1. Loose weight....
#2. Learn Spanish....
#3. Backpack across Nepal....
#4. Move to a Foreign County...You know....that kind of stuff. EASY things.
Right.

I always had things like.....
"Strenghten my relationship with the Lord and with my family" on there too.

Now I will say......those last items I would work on big time.

And I normally DID loose some weight..then it might slip back somewhat..and I would always learn a few more Spanish words.

But I'm not "fluent." I just speak "Spanglish" which is better than nothing I say.

Now I try to relax a bit more at the New Year's and I take it day by day by day and with God's help....I accomplish what HE wants me to get accomplished. I still have some goals....but I don't freak out if I can't do them. I'm not really in control of so many things right now. But I connected to the one that is.

Don't get me wrong. I DO make lists nearly every day....and I think we should have some sort of "goals" in life and of course DREAMS.

Believe me.....I am SO the "dreamer."
But dreamers can become disillusioned if they DON'T accomplish their dreams...say like in 5 minutes. Or in some BIG WAY.

Here's some things I have learned....about goals and dreams and resolutions.

Because I am ONE who DOES set the "goals" way, way, high.

However.....in the past two years.......my life took a drastic "change" that I didn't expect.

As a result..my life was thrown into a tailspin and although I've had tailspins in my life before....this was very different.

I am recovering from that downward spiral..it's took me some time...and I may never be 100% again in my body unless I experience something SUPERNATURAL....which I am believing for ....but it's okay..it's all part of the "journey."

I'm not mad. I'm not bitter. That's the important thing.

We all have a journey that we are on.

It won't always be easy at times.

A person MUST stay positive as much as possible and you must stay CONNECTED or just forget it....you'll be pretty much doomed just by your thoughts and attitudes.
Faith and TRUST are super important.

You must have them to get through the hard days. And you will rest in them on the GOOD days. Because there will be both.

I've learned to just let it go and not to freak out. Well.....I freak out on occasion. But it doesn't last long.

Sometimes.....it's all about the "Season" we are in.

Sometimes......we have to wait.
Sometimes "The dream" is not for now.....it's for later.

It just depends. I can't figure it out for you. I'm still figuring it out for me.

Talk to the ONE who knows already and see what is going on for your life.
You can do that you know?

Back to Bridget...here's how she felt about New Year's Resolutions.

"I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system.

Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second." ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary

Good points Bridget.

She's not exactly the best "role model" out there...but she does show us how "frail" a person can be. She made bad decisions. She made resolutions she couldn't keep.

She just wanted a "Relationship."
And don't we all?
We all do want "relationship"....but she always fell for that very bad Hugh Grant AKA "Daniel Cleaver."

We can have a relationship right now......and a good one. I

We can "fall" into the arms of a loving and caring Father who will help us through EVERY day of this year and every year to come.

I'm ready to get into 2008.
Must make plans.....must move on.

Oh....don't you just love Colin Firth's "Reindeer Jumper?"

P.S. IF this makes you hanker to watch a "Bridget Jones" movie now....don't rent it. Wait unitl it comes on TV and is filtered better.
There are At LEAST 2 MILLION "F" bombs in it.
"Must use caution."

“Must stop playing and get serious”

It's New Years Eve Day, and the the weather has been GORGEOUS outside...it's 70'ish right now...hard to imagine for the LAST day of 2008.

And although I feel like I have so many emotions and thoughts running throughout my mind....I've been doing CRAZY things all day long.

Like.....taking Miss Priss to get a "root canal" this morning at 9:00am...usually I can't even MOVE at 9:00 but today was a real "GIFT from God" to me so... off we went.
Amazingly.....I was up at 7:00 and getting ready to run for the day.
Good. Very good.

Once getting Miss Priss settled and after chatting with our dentist's wife.....who is a friend of mine....I "ventured" up Perkin's road which is NORMALLY a "nightmare" road here in B.R.

Ugh.....HORRIBLE construction...widening of the road..etc. etc....and then once you get close to Bluebonnet....it's like "PULL MY HAIR OUT SOMEONE PLEASE" because the traffic is so horrible...add in the construction on a major new "UPSCALE" Mall "Perkins Rowe" and Condo's AND...road construction.

The Baton Rouge city "planners" are nuts, I must say.

I know about these things because we lived here for 8 years...before moving away for 7 years.
Then we moved back and the city's "infrastructure" still was BAD.

Then....South Louisiana got hit by TWO not one....but TWO "Category 5hurricanes" within ONE months time of each other.

Baton Rouge was overwhelmed by Hurricane Katrina evacuees already....and I mean....thousands.....and thousands.....by some estimates......our city grew by 300 thousand people OVERNIGHT. Then add in some Rita evacuees.....

I'm not complaining about people fleeing and coming here to town.
God bless them I would have done just what they did and we all were very welcoming of them all coming.

The thing I'm talking about is an already "busting at the seams" over-CROWEDED city......cramming more people onto the roads.
Roads are just part of it....the schools have been hit hard too but that is another subject for another day.

Lord have mercy. It's been crazy ever since.
Not as bad mind you as those first days after hurricane Katrina but it's never, ever, been the same. Nor do I think it ever will be.

Traffic has always has been pretty bad in this city.....but now certain areas are even MORE wretched.

This area I was in today....I normally "boycott"....but I took a chance at traveling into that "zone" because it was already after the "8:00am work traffic".....today it is New Years Eve and people are off work...AND I had some spare time that I had to burn in that part of town.

First thing I did was......I checked out the brand new grocery store called
"Fresh Market" and it's lovely. Very nice and new and prissy.
It has a "to die for" Deli. Absolutly impressive.

However...I thought this store was going to be like another "Whole Foods" which I LOVE to shop at.

In fact, it's not similar to them at ALL. But they had some fine "Classical music" going on in there. That was nice.

This grocery store is mainly "Gourmet" type foods......which wasn't what I was looking for.
I was looking for the "Organic...Gluten Free....Natural" stuff...and that's not what they are all about...so I was in and out in a flash.

I spent an entire $4.00 there...I purchased some overpriced Banana's because I needed some at the house and some discounted German Chocolates, Truffles and such to eat tonight....yummmmm.

I remembered that they had just built a brand, spanking NEW "Barnes and Noble" store beside one of my MOST favorite restaurant's in ALL of Baton Rouge...."Le Madeline's"...so it was either go to Le Madeline's and EAT or go to Barnes and Noble which was open at 9:30am.....so since I had JUST ate one of my newly purchased Banana's....I choose Barnes and Noble.

Now I LOVE a good book store. I could NEVER work in one (unless I owned it) because I would spend MORE than what I could ever make working there.....inside the store.

I rarely go to Barnes and Noble here in town because the one we had is so far away from me and I don't like it that much.

I always go to Book's a Million.....it's not as upscale but their discount card is a greater discount and they have a decent coffee shop, etc. AND it's close to where I like to shop at......so I go there ALL the time.

But I have to say......this new store...."took my breath away"....I felt bad for my sad, dumpier looking "BAM store." I felt like I was "betraying" them.

I FORCED myself to "behave" in there...and put some things back on the shelf.....and only bought "discounted" items that I found for 50% off. Good girl.

Although I do plan on going back though one day with my friend Nora and we might as well do lunch next door too.
Yikes!!

Poor Miss Priss called......she had so much drainage and infection in this tooth she was having fixed that they couldn't really complete it. Ugh!
She has to go back in a week.....after another ROUND of anti-biotics she's started today.

I went back to get her at the Dentist then we went to another plaza area....and returned a robe....bought Miss Priss a purple scarf...and a greatly discounted.... "Red wooden box" chock full of "Godiva Chocolate" products and some nice "Lindt Chocolates in a very sweet, little tin that I will keep and use as well.
I would have just bought the very CUTE box for the money but the Godiva stuff was a bonus we figured.

Next...we had to drop the prescription off and get some groceries....in FACT..I bought enough groceries to get us through a "Midwest Blizzard"...what's up with that?
As if there won't be any food left in town tomorrow?
That was crazy.

Then we grabbed some "drive through" lunch.....not good. Then rented some movies to watch tonight, then went to the bank.

We drove home and ate....I checked my e-mails....and then Miss Priss took a nap.....and I left and went to TWO more shops!

What is this "Shopping madness" today??

I have other stuff I need to do important stuff....like "reflect".....which I have done and will continue to do throughout the afternoon and evening.

For now...I am "playing"...I went out into the yard and snapped this photo of one of my rosebushes that is going WILD....it's a climber but it's been blooming like mad since Christmas Day!

Don and the two boys were home very early and were getting in on the crazy day themselves by "lifting weights" on the back patio.
That was crazy.
Even my husband was doing it....his poor face was so red and I was afraid he might have a brain aneurysm....but he said..."let us be MEN!"....

To which I said....."Booooo RRRah...you GO for it guys!"
And then left them to continue to flash their testosterone around like cave men.

Since the weather is sooooo wonderful....people in our neighborhood are mowing and raking and taking down Christmas decorations outside.
OF course..I started to do that too.

I just took down my little outside "yard flag"....the Christmas one....and replaced it with a "Valentine's Day" one.......hummmmm.....that feels WEIRD.
Sort of early huh?? It's only December 31st. I keep forgetting.

Today I bought all the ingredients (and more)to make that "Mexican fifty thousand layer bean dip" for tonight while we are watching the movies I rented.

My house is cluttered...I'm scattered as "Buckshot" today for some reason....and I have a million things I COULD be doing...yet here I sit typing my brains out.

I "MUST stop playing and get serious!!"
Does that sound like "Bridget Jones??"

My Cousin put that on her blog the other day and she wondered if it was a
"Bridget Jones quote." But I sort of checked into it and I don't think it is actually from the movies.

Although I am not a Bridget Jones authority.

We are going to ponder that Bridge Jones stuff a bit more later.....because I have a few "thoughts"....hummm so stay tuned.

Possibly if there is too much Mexican bean dip happening around here...because that's as wild as it's going to get at our house tonight...and I don't make it back on here to say so....
MAY you all have a HAPPY AND BLESSED New Year.
Cheers!
JM
See you next year!
I hate when people do that. HA!

Help Stop "World Ironing"....

I saw this article on the BBC the other day.....about
"Political Protest Slogans".....apparently they had people send in photos of themselves with their "protest sign" and they printed them on the site.

I am all in favor of protesting "good and decent causes" when it IS the right thing to do.

So I couldn't resist looking and thought to myself...."let's take a look and see what's going on."

Of course there was your "anti Bush" and "anti war" signs....those are typicalof course.

Then there were a few other signs that I didn't quite understand their meaning or have knowledge of the cause they were protesting.....I believe some were specific "country" issues I take it. The type where"you had to be there to understand it"kind of thing.

But then I found this "little gem of a protester and his sign".....
and I thought...."hummm.....this is interesting."

I'm ALL ABOUT "not ironing"....I think I'm getting in on this thing.
It's a worthy cause huh? "Not ironing."
Works for me.

"Crumpled stripes" may just be "part" of the key....to unlocking "world peace"....or "global warming" or whatever.

BUT..... they are going to have to "run up and down" for me my friend."

No "horizontals" for me.
Is that too "conflictual?"
Yikes!

"The Wretched Ones, The Poor Ones.....Les Misérables"

Nothing discernable to the eye of the spirit is more brilliant or obscure than man; nothing is more formidible, complex, mysterious, and infinite. There is a prospect greater than the sea, and it is the sky; there is a prospect greater than the sky, and it is the human soul.
Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
French dramatist, novelist, & poet (1802 - 1885)

I SO love this story.

It is a tale about nothing but passion and forgiveness.

In fact.....it's purely a story of "forgiveness AND UNFORGIVENESS." "Justice AND INJUSTICE."

You really can't really have one without the other....in either case now can you?

When you have "injustice" many times there will BE "unforgiveness." It's a rare thing when it isn't happening.

Let me assure you though.
It's a GOD thing when it doesn't happen.

We watched the movie last night. We were going to go out to do something but decided to stay home and relax. It had been a busy day for both my husband and myself.

He asked what did I want to watch....it was going to be "It's A Wonderful Life" because I have this entire "stack" of Christmas "MUST WATCH" movies.
And we aren't quite through the stack yet.

Then Don opened the drawer to our TV cabinet and said...."let's watch something else" to which I said....."fine what do you want to watch" and the first thing he called out with a question was "how about Les Misérables."
To which I quickly said......"YES!"

We hadn't viewed it in years so...I was up for it. Plus then Don was "backpedaling" and wanting to watch some gory thing like...."The Gladiator" which he and our boys LOVE. Not happening. They watch it ALL the time on TV. Blah! I can't stand it any longer. Enough of that Maximus guy already.

I settled into my spot on the couch as he popped the movie in and the story unfolded of "Jean Valjean" the man who had accomplished some amazing things in his life despite tragedy and severe injustice during "Pre-Revolution" France began to unfold.

Liam Neeson is AMAZING in this role.

His whole being is into this part. Plus I like Liam Neeson....he's the voice of Aslan in the "Chronicles of Narnia," He's Michael Collins in that story...He plays "Oskar Schlinder" in Schlinder's List.
Plus he's in a host of other great movies and some not so great ones.

I mean the man is excellent at his craft though.
Even though I CAN'T believe that he and Helen Miran used to be an item. Hummm....

Also...small "Joyce" trivia fact here,....Neeson is from a little town in Northern Ireland called "Balleymena" that I've been to.

The most vivid thing I can remember (besides what I was doing there in the first place) was that the town was purely divided.

They had entire what we would call "subdivisions" with "flagging or banners" similar to what our car dealerships put up....over the area where their homes were...of their political preferences. England or Ireland basically. Protestant or Catholic.
It was odd to me. I had never seen something like that at all in Ireland where I had been staying. But then....this was a "hot spot" in the North apparently from what we were told.

So I guess we know where he gets his "inner acting passion" from.

Back to Les Misérables....

It will encourage you to be full of forgiveness when you witness the POWER that forgiveness holds for you and for others.

One man in this story....changed many lives because of his forgiveness....but one man "Javert" changed no one... he only hurt people...could NOT forgive.....and it ruined him as he attempted to ruin others. In the end....he could not even forgive himself.

You will recognize injustices done to people in this movie and feel for them. You will see the "Wretched Ones and the Poor Ones and the Miserable Ones" and you will see how one man who was forgiven in return helps them to feel God's powerful love and forgiveness like he has.

You MUST get this movie and watch it.
It will impact you.

Let me know after you view it what you think and how it affected you.
Because I know it will.

Engagement "Congrats" to Rache

Here's our family friend "Rache" from England looking like a "Blonde Bombshell" and in fact she sort of is....isn't she?

Rache sent me an e-mail early on "Boxing Day" reporting that her boyfriend had just "proposed" to her on Christmas Day and produced a lovely ring and all.
Her parents are......as she stated to me.......
"Over the Moon!"
I'm sure that they are.

No date is set as of now for the "Wedding"...and I have told her since I've known her which was from the time she was 14 years old.....that I would come to England for her wedding one day.

Yikes! So Miss Priss, and I have a "social event" to attend one day in the future.

Rache graduates from Oxford University this year. She tells me though she is in "no hurry" for the wedding because she wants to "plan it perfect." To which I agree.

I tried to get her to "squeeze" it into this new year sometime since we are trying to plan our Anniversary trip over there anyhow.
However..... I don't think she's going to arrange such a big ordeal around my little trip.

Which means.....we will just simply have to go AGAIN!!! HA!

The prospective Bride Groom is a "Professional Footballer"..... in otherwords he is a "Soccer player" to us Americans.....and plays for a Football (Soccer) League in England.

He is a "Midfielder." Whatever that is. HA! Sorry I know nothing about the game really.
He plays for a team called......the "Brighton/Hoves."They are obviously, hence the name......based out of Brighton.


I don't know much about all this British "Football" business, but I do know that these two young people love each other very much.
And I am glad for that.

"Cheers" to you BOTH and the very strongest of "best wishes for a great life together" from our entire family.

Style: Hilary Duff

Actress Hilary Duff knows which type of clothing will suit her the most, which is why she has even launched her own brand of clothing for her audience who are mostly on tweens.

What to wear on New Year's Eve

Here are some fashion ideas on how to become the center of attention during all those New Year's Eve parties!

Christmas Day photos........

Our family had a very relaxing and "quiet" non-eventful Christmas Day.
Just what we needed actually. It was a very nice day inside and outside. The best thing was that we were all together. That is what is most important of all to us....."presence more than presents."

You can't take "things" with you later.....but you can take "people."
Don reading the "Christmas Story" and explaining certain things to the kids.

He does this every year so that they "don't forget the REAL meaning of Christmas"...he then expounds on certain points.. and always asks them different "questions" to make them ponder.....like...."What was the gift of Frankincense used for" and "How do you think Jesus' parents felt about their baby being given the gift of Myrrh?"

To which they then all answer various things. They really get involved in this which is cool. It's interesting to listen to their "thoughts" on these things.

Luke "loving" his accessories for his "new bedroom" which was Caleb's "old bedroom" we have just finished remodeling.

Miss Priss in her new "Peruvian Beanie"....now she can go to "Machu Picchu."
Caleb who also has a "December birthday" received birthday AND Christmas presents this day. He "cashed" in.....if you get what I mean.
Danny O'Shea, being a very "sweet" Christmas Dog.

IT finally all becomes "too much fun" for Big Daddy.....zzzzzZZZZZZ.

Sorry for the "blurrs" and crazy darkness in the photos.....my battery was nearly dead on my camera and I was having loads of fun dealing with it. I was glad I got these shots even. Ugh!

The "Old German"

My Grandfather.

My cousin Sara sent me this photo she took of our Grandfather at the family "Christmas Gathering" they had this year.

My Aunt wrote me and E-mail like she does to "fill me in" on the various "happenings" in our family. She mentioned how well my Grandfather (her Father) is getting along.....he just had his "second" cataract surgery.

He lives on his own, has outlived TWO wives...having lost the second one a few months ago. My Grandmother passed away nearly 24 years ago.

She also was telling me how independent and stubborn he is.
She called him an "Old German!"
That is so funny.
Because HE IS!

I haven't seen him in person for a few years.....we live so far away from where he is.

The last time I called him.....I said......"You should come South and see us".....to which he said......"Your the one that moved!"
Hummmm......"Old German."

He's going to be 93 years old on the same day as Gabe's Birthday.

My Grandfather is the "baby" of 5 children that were born of European Immigrants.
Three of his older siblings are STILL alive.
Old Germans indeed.

I think this is a good photo of him actually.

Gabe's trip to the "Big Apple"

Here's some photos of Gabe's trip to NYC last weekend. He wasn't feeling well.....and he said it was "SUPER COLD" which only added to his misery of having a "cold and a sore throat." I don't think he looks too bad off really for not feeling well.
Radio City Music Hall.

Gabe and "The Girlfriend"
Gabe sleeping on the Staten Island Ferry.....I guess he wasn't feeling so "grand" after all.
At the "John Lennon Memorial"....I asked him "Why in the world would you go see that Memorial out of ALL the things to do in New York.....??" Just me....but I wouldn't have had that on my "List of important things to do while in NYC".....
He said they went there because "The British people that he was (there were two families on this trip) with all wanted to see it." Makes sense....the families are from a town near Liverpool where John Lennon and The Beatles were from.
Okay, I will buy that.
The "Dakota" where John Lennon was shot and where Yoko still currently lives, is the cool building in the background.

Skating at Rockefella Center....Gabe said it "VERY expensive" so he didn't skate but the three girls did.
A "scary person" in Times Square.
Eating a "Chilly Dog" on the street.
Hummmm........

Overall Gabe said he had a "Great time" but would want to go back again when he felt better one day.

Style: Keira Knightley

I used to think that Keira Knightley was pretty - back when she had more than skin and bones in her body. These days, she's super skinny, coupled with her recent choice of clothes, like that toga gown and such. To me, Keira's a woman trapped in a body of a young boy. But that's just me of course.

Some of the gowns that she donned when she was just starting her career were absolutely lovely though.