WATCHING AND WAITING FOR 2015

Slim is standing guard.

IT'S NOT ABOUT A MOVIE

Blessings for all of your holiday celebrations!

TIS THE SEASON....YUK!

Question Of The Week 12-8-14

WHAT CHILD IS THIS.....

This child pictured with his parents is our father.  He was born on this day 100 years ago.

 12-05-1914 Dad's 100th Birthday today.

June 19, 2008 Ronnie Bennett of THE ELDER STORYTELLING PLACE was kind enough to share the story I wrote about our dad's life titled "LITTLE OWEN".   He was an amazing man and minister in the Methodist Church for 40 1/2 years and beyond retirement.  He was loved immensely by family, friends and church members. 

Happy 100th Birthday Daddy:)

DON'T GO THERE

Question Of The Week 12-1-14

AND IT WAS

FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS

HAPPY THANKSGIVING:-)

(Slim is the only one awake to join me in sending this wish. Precious family is scattered everywhere in slumber. Soon the place will be rocking.)

THE GATHERING

The question was, “When can you NOT come?” She was looking for a special party date and ask the intended attendees for this information. We provided our occupied dates which left her our free dates and narrowed it down to one day that we all would be available. The gathering was scheduled. There would be eight of us. All showed up.

It took place Friday. There was lots of hugging. There were lots of tears. There was a tremendous amount of raucous laughter. The delicious meal was hardly noticed for all the non-stop talking and remembering.

A little bank had been started in the 70's and we were the early crew. The founding President and his spouse had invited us to their home to talk about old times. It was a great feeling to recall when banking was fun, fair and honest. A time when loyalty had been a primary part of the hiring equation.

A time when trust had been a primary part of the bank and customer equation. A time before deregulation and “merger madness” when you would go to sleep working for one bank and wake up working for another.

The retired bank President, CEO and major shareholder of our little bank had called us together to say “thank you” for all we did to grow that little bank and his personal success.

We said “thank you” to them for bringing us together to remember a time when our career choices counted for something good and lasting friendships were formed.

Have any of you attended company reunions after retirement and were they good or bad experiences? If you haven't retired yet, do you believe you would ever attend such a reunion? Have you formed any genuine friendships among coworkers or only passing acquaintances?

UNFAIR? I WILL SHOW YOU UNFAIR!!

Question Of The Week 11-24-17

SHOULD CHILDREN BE SHELTERED FROM UNHAPPINESS?

LAME PEACHES JACKSON

This is the funniest email I have received in ages.  Our blog friend RIOT KITTY sent it to me. Just have to share it to make you laugh too.  Don't skip it just because it looks long.  It is a fast and funny read.

MUSIC 101: RULES OF THE BLUES
(unknown author)
1.
Most Blues begin, "Woke up this morning..."

2.
"I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, unless you stick something nasty in the next line like, "I got a good woman, with the meanest face in town."

3.
The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it. Then find something that rhymes... sort of: "Got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Yes, I got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher, and she weigh 500 pound."

4.
The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a ditch--ain't no way out.

5.
Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and broken-down trucks. Blues don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or Sport Utility Vehicles. Most Blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft and company motor pools ain't even in the running. Walkin' plays a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to die.

6.
Teenagers can't sing the Blues. They ain't fixin' to die yet. Adults sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis.

7.
Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or any place in Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just clinical depression. Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City are still the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the blues in any place that don't get rain.

8.
A man with male pattern baldness ain't the blues. A woman with male pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg cause you were skiing is not the blues. Breaking your leg 'cause a alligator be chompin' on it is.

9.
You can't have no Blues in a office or a shopping mall. The lighting is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster.

10.
Good places for the Blues:

a. Highway

b. Jailhouse

c. An empty bed

d. Bottom of a whiskey glass

11.
Bad places for the Blues:

a. Nordstrom's

b. Gallery openings

c. Ivy league institutions

d. Golf courses

12.
No one will believe it's the Blues if you wear a suit, 'less you happen to be a old ethnic person, and you slept in it.

13.
You have the right to sing the Blues if:

a. You older than dirt

b. You blind

c. You shot a man in Memphis

d. You can't be satisfied

14.
You don't have the right to sing the Blues if:

a. You have all your teeth

b. You were once blind but now can see

c. The man in Memphis lived

d. You have a pension fund

15.
Blues is not a matter of color. It's a matter of bad luck. Tiger Woods cannot sing the blues. Sonny Liston could. Ugly white people also got a leg up on the blues.

16.
If you ask for water and your darlin' give you gasoline, it's the Blues

17.
Other acceptable Blues beverages are:

a. Cheap wine

b. Whiskey or bourbon

c. Muddy water

d. Nasty black coffee

18.
The following are NOT Blues beverages:

a. Perrier

b. Chardonnay

c. Snapple

d. Slim Fast

19.
If death occurs in a cheap motel or a Mississippi Delta shotgun shack, it's a Blues death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to die. So is the electric chair, substance abuse and dying lonely on a broke-down cot. You can't have a Blues death if you die during a tennis match or while getting liposuction.

20.
Some Blues names for women:

a. Sadie

b. Big Mama

c. Bessie

d. Fat River Dumpling

21.
Some Blues names for men:

a. Joe

b. Willie

c. Little Willie

d. Big Willie

22.
Persons with names like Michelle, Amber, Debbie, and Heather can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis.

23.
Make your own Blues name Starter Kit: a. name of physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.) b. first name plus name of fruit (Lemon, Lime, Melon, Kiwi, etc.) c. last name of President (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.) For example: Blind Lime Jefferson, Jackleg Lemon Johnson or Cripple Kiwi Fillmore, etc. (Well, maybe not "Kiwi.")

24.
I don't care how tragic your life: if you own even one computer, you cannot sing the blues

HOUSEWARMING GIFT

Slim about 6 months old.

We had not lived here very long when Slim showed up. She was running with a pack of strays and she was a little less than 6 months old. She almost looked black because she was a tick-infested, scrawny, walking rib-cage of a puppy that moved in through a hail of pellets to become our beloved pet. One of her parents had to be a BMC (Black Mouth Cur) because she has all the characteristics. Slim was/is a good, good beautiful smart doggie!

Ron tried to chase her off in April, 2006, with the other strays but even with pellets flying toward her she got into a crawl and kept on coming. Finally Ron said, “Okay, you can stay.” That was almost nine years ago.

We got her all cleaned up and vet checked but we debated making her a house pet. Ron did not want a dog in the house. He knew she was a good dog by her build and she would make a wonderful farm dog. She was so friendly and happy, I loved her from the get-go and she started right in helping me herd the chickens.

My mom died in 2007 and then next thing I knew, Slim was in the house. Ron simply opened the door to her, knowing she would be a wonderful comfort to me at that time. She is such a good girl and I am always proud when friends and family brag about how smart she is. 

Yes she is smart and so was Ron to recognize her determination to join our family. She remains my best friend especially now that Ron is gone too and we miss him together.

Here is Slim now.

A pampered pet, she always keeps watch and is ready to protect me and all our critters on NOL-NOC Estates.

ROSE COLORED

Question Of The Week  11-17-14

C.S.I. WHERE ARE YOU?

And they dare to call themselves "service providers"!! Today, after taking most of the day, DISH repaired my internet service.  This had to be done by replacing my old Wild Blue equipment with the new Excede and forcing a change to a type of service I really did not want.  This cure was finally determined after a couple of months of trying to repair my existing service.  

So the technician left me today a happy camper with faster service and best of all working service even in a winter blizzard.. And now for the kicker.  

When they changed out the equipment they completely deleted my old email and all the attached documentation.  My friends emails, my medical info, my brokerage, my prescriptions, my saved order records, my church group emails, and the saddest of all, the remaining final emails under Ron's old account.  All  the addresses of his Navy buddies, etc.  All gone.  When I called DISH I was told that their reps have a checklist that includes that information so I surely was told.  I doubt that is a detail I would have forgotten. 

I am still in shock with the simple response from DISH.  "It is gone. There is nothing we can do."  All of my dish mail account information is gone, the account is gone, Ron's account is gone.  We all know the television sleuths manage to restore that kind of data all the time so surely DISH can too.

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS

Question Of The Week  11-10-14

WHAT DO YOU 

MISS THE MOST 

FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD HOLIDAYS?

FAT CAMP

Our health week will not end until tomorrow but I will go ahead and give a summary today since tomorrow will be too busy. (We both have the Galaxy S5 phone and use the S-Health program to set and track all our goals.  It is amazing.)

SIS and ME:) SO FAR SO GOOD.  LOL!!!

My sister has been a wonderful coach and inspiration these 6 days.  We have set a daily calorie goal and have not exceeded one time.  We also have walking goal and have exceeded that each day which is a good thing.  

Needless to say I am far behind my sister on our walks and my goal is not as strenuous as hers.

We have also worked together around the property and caught up on chores which hasn't hurt a bit.

We did cheat a bit  using the golf cart to fetch water and feed for critters.

The plan was to change our eating habits and I believe we both have. 

This was a wonderful oven-baked potato with Asian salad and a bit of canned salmon. Sis was in charge of every meal and each snack and I simply ate when and what she said to eat. We also kept track of our water intake to make sure we stayed well hydrated.

Today we will make a large batch of the cabbage soup for me.  She brought some we have shared this week and it has virtually no calories, is delicious and can satisfy sudden cravings so you don't go overboard. (You might be able to guess there is a slight negative to that soup...) 

Parting tomorrow will NOT be sweet sorrow, just sorrow.  We will be on our own to continue the success we have had. I believe we will do it.

Health and habit change has been more important than weight but I have lost 5 pounds.  WhooHoo!  Plus we both feel great!

BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP

Question Of The Week 11-3-14

DIET QUARANTINE

Tuesday my sister will arrive and will stay with me for 5 days.  During that time she is going to plan our meals and our exercise routine.  I moaned and groaned that it was my wish the doctor would just put me in the hospital for a week and monitor my food intake so I could get my weight loss going.  My sister had a light bulb moment and decided to she would come to my home and do that for me as well as for herself (though I have never thought of her as overweight even once.)

I do not plan to even go near the kitchen one time during that five days.  My biggest problem with my hip and my heart disease is caused by my excess weight.  Hopefully this will get me on the right path.  I have tried everything else. 

AGAIN AND AGAIN DARN DISH

I awaken each day between 3 and 4 am. Start up computer first thing. Rain usually means no satellite service for my Internet and I wait for the weather to break.

It has nown been almost two weeks that I have not been able to access my Internet until later in the day and the weather has mostly been clear . Calling Dish has me jumping through all kind of hoops. Unplug modem, wait, plug back in. Check cables, jump down turn around pick a bale of cotton. Finally they keep me busy enough until I realize my service just finally comes back up and it has been a Dish service problem all along.

There has been one suggestion from a customer service rep that I upgrade my equipment. That only entails a new contract, less data available and faster speeds. WHAT? Say that again. "Less data?" Me thinks there might be a method to their madness. "Let's get this gals usage reduced by driving her off the old plan."

Are you wondering how I am posting this so early? It is because I have 4G on my phone thank goodness I can do some things but am still crippled without my desk top or my laptop.

Anyone out there with satellite Internet having problems?

HUMAN BONE IS AS STRONG AS GRANITE

Question Of The Week 10-27-14

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING FACT YOU HAVE EVER LEARNED?

Be sure and look at my post from yesterday to learn who won the "GUESS WHO" contest and see the photos of the subjects next to the drawings under post titled "NO PAIN NO GAIN".

NO PAIN NO GAIN

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

1st Place Brighid  Correctly guessed 5 out of 6.  Brighid will receive a special prize in the mail.

2nd Place Snaggle Tooth. Correctly guessed 5 out of 6 and was a day after Brighid so she takes 2nd and receives honorable mention and a shout out.

3rd Place  Gigi Hawaii  Was the first to correctly guess 2 out of 6. She receives an honorable mention and a shout out.

I apologize for any pain these drawings cause the subjects and hope they gained some attention from other bloggers who might not have seen their blogs before.

It is my goal someday to sit on a street corner and draw caricature portraits as fast as I can and have the subjects be recognizable.  Or I might like to try being a court room artist.  The faster I go, the better my pictures turn out. I love to draw pictures from the television shows I watch.

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING AND 

COMMENTING ON THIS FUN CONTEST.

GUESS WHO

I did this several years ago with my marker art and now I will do it with my digital art by EAGHL.   Who can guess all or most of these blog friends first?  Comment that you have guessed and email your answers to lizziebethgeneral@gmail.com

Don't post your answers in your comment. I will announce the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner after everyone has had time to guess. Hopefully the subjects of each drawing will at least be able to guess themselves.  LOL

blogger 1

blogger 2

blogger 3

blogger 4

blogger 5

blogger 6

Each of these bloggers are on my sidebar among the blogs that I read.  A lot of you read the same ones but if you need to search for the answers, check the profile pictures or pictures they have posted of themselves in their blog.   

SUNDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 26, 2014, I WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS AND POST THE ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THESE INDIVIDUALS NEXT TO THE DRAWINGS.  GET YOUR ANSWERS TO ME BY NOON C.S.T. THAT SAME DAY.  THANKS!

WANDERING, PONDERING

Question Of The Week 10-20-14

Inquiring minds want to know what you think and how you would fill in the blank.

BOBBING ALONG

We loaded up the van and we headed for Beverely....for the movies to see THE JUDGE.  The vote was unanimous among these friends from the Senior Center for all thumbs up.  But, reading the reviews this morning, I see everyone is not a fan, so I guess you will have to be THE JUDGE.  

It showed some great courtroom drama and villains deserving the title.  It was a tough one to get through in some places but many of us have seen the same or worse in caring for persons with illness.Take a box of Kleenex  for both the crying and the laughing.  

All the "Bobs" were great.  Robert "Bob" Duvall, Robert "Bob" Downey Jr., and Billy "Bob" Thornton.  Plus Vincent D'Onofrio did a great acting job in this so you can call him Bob if you want. He is a favorite of mine.

Here is a sketch of Billy Bob Thornton that I did on my
Kindle drawing app while watching
FARGO the TV series.

CATCH UP NOT KETCHUP

1.)
My friend Janet surprised me with a nice warm flannel jacket. She made this for me with her own two little hands (and her sewing machine) as a gift for no reason other than our friendship.  How nice is that?!

2.)  
Mama David lives.  How can I explain that my cat which was eulogized a while back for being run over by a car, is actually alive and well? Chewbacca Kitten had looked and acted just like Mama David since the beginning.  Chewy was very elusive and I had not been able to catch her to have her spayed.  Finally I did and learned that the cat I took to the vet for spaying was Mama David.  It was her identical daughter Chewbacca that was struck and killed by a car.  Kind of a  happy/sad tale.  Mama David is resurrected.  She is also much nicer since she was spayed. I have changed the memorial photo for Chewy's short 4 months of life.

CHEWBACCA RIP April 14, 2014 to August 1, 2014

The other siblings turned six months old yesterday and are due their neutering next.  Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia (both boys) and Han Solo and Yoda, both girls. Hope I don't go broke before they all are fixed.


3.)  
I was able to light the pilot on my furnace all by myself.  The cold came in and I called my son to come 160 miles round trip and light the pilot for me until I realized I should be able to do such things myself and I did.  I told him he did not need to come after all because "I am woman, hear me roar!" and he said "No surprises there.  I have been hearing you roar for 44 years."  LOL


4.)  
The neighborhood vultures are standing wait at the back of my field.  I hope it isn't me they are looking for in eager anticipation of their next meal. 

At least they aren't circling.

BESIDES YOUR BOOK OF RELIGION

Question Of The Week 10-13-14



HAS ANY PARTICULAR BOOK OUTSIDE YOUR PRIMARY BOOK OF RELIGION (SUCH AS THE BIBLE, ETC.,) INFLUENCED
YOU OR MADE A LIFE CHANGING IMPACT?

THIS ABOUT COVERS IT

MY 50TH HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

42 people who haven't changed a bit so why didn't we recognize each other?

Believe it or not, this is our high school English teacher with me.  She is 92 years old and was amazing.  We were thrilled to have her there because she had been everyone's favorite.

Our DJ Ronnie Kaye a local celebrity from our era.  (I posted this for LL Cool Joe)

Our town theater has been restored and they welcomed us for a special showing of 1964 movie GOLDFINGER. Surprisingly no couples sat on the back row of the balcony to make out during the movie.  We really are old!

It was an overwhelming party filled with happiness, sadness, nostalgia, and fun.

BOO!

Question Of The Week 10-6-14

Are you afraid of ghosts?

Have you had any supernatural experiences?

NO SCRATCHING AND PATTING

I am not a person who can scratch my head and pat my belly at the same time.  Today I leave for my 50th high school reunion and cannot think about anything else.  I have packed and re-packed at least a dozen times.  So I have not been commenting on your blogs.  Forgive me.  I shall catch up when this is over. Taking my senior picture, my senior ring, my memorabilia charm bracelet along. Oh and my 68 year old self.  Yikes!!

JUNGLE JIVE

Question Of The Week 9-29-14

STILL UNDER $5.00

No more frozen chicken water this winter and it only cost $1.38. Of course that doesn't include my son's labor costs or the cost of the other supplies that I already had on hand, like the concrete block, the extension cord and the light bulb. I saw the process on YouTube and immediately knew it was the answer to my problem. Plus I did not want to pay a minimum of $40 for pre-made water warmers. A notch was cut under the block to allow the cord through and my purchase of the plug in for the socket and the bulb was set in the cord. Plug it in and set the water on top and there you have it. Hooray! I can wake up with snow on the ground and go back to sleep because I will know the chicken water is not frozen. Thanks son!

Cut the concrete block in half and carve out a notch for the cord.  Insert plug and light bulb.

The light will warm the block and under the water container.

A happy chicken looks forward to water all winter.

DO YOUR OWN THING

OF COURSE THIS WAS A MADE-UP HOLIDAY !!!! THANKS FOR PLAYING ALONG:)


It has arrived!  Another September 26th, Begabonitia Day is upon us and I am wondering how you will all celebrate the significance of this day.  Will you hang a banner or invite friends over to unite their memories of previous years?  What are some of your special memories?  I have drawn the following picture to depict my ideas of the grandeur that binds us.  It is great that Begabonita Day falls on a Friday this year and we can party all weekend. Have a great day!

SHE IS LEAVING HIM

Question Of The Week 9-22-14

GOTCHA!!!

It happened to my friends. They got the call from Microsoft (NOT) that their computer was infected with some virus and they needed to follow instructions from the caller to correct the problem. The wife hung up on the callers. The spammer called back and the husband insisted they follow the directions to fix their computer that actually seemed perfectly fine to the wife. He did as told and immediately the computer went into cardiac arrest and the caller offered to fix the problem (he created) for $245. The husband cursed and hung up. Now my friend's computer is in the shop being fixed for $50. The wife is trying not to smile because $50 is still a lot of money, but she does love it that she was right. 

SCAM ALERT: MICROSOFT IS NOT CALLING TO

 FIX YOUR COMPUTER.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

HOORAY FOR THE AUSSIES!!! WHOOHOO! YIPPEE! CONGRATULATIONS ON FANTASTIC SECURITY AND FOILING WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE MOST HORRENDOUS TERR***ST PLOT!  WAY TO GO DOWN UNDER!.

None of us know what our country is doing behind the scenes.  Everyone in the world is diligent as they watch for suspicious signs of terr***sm and thankfully Australia has seen their efforts come to fruition in stopping the latest horrific plot by I**S.

INTO THE STORM

Be prepared for power outages by making sure all of your computer devices are fully charged.  I have a great light
on my Kindle Fire HD and could carry it all through the house.  I put my smart phone on "power save" to make sure it lasted me through the outage and I was able to play games and work on writing project on my laptop for three hours.  

You might ask why I didn't just go to bed.  Well I tried but my bi-pap (aka Tonto) needed electric power to operate and I am addicted to it for my sleep.

At least the house was comfortable and I did not miss having heat or ac working.  It is time to seriously look into a generator I guess. Especially as I remember last winter. Meanwhile I made it through this storm just fine. Needless to say Slim had no trouble going to sleep. 

DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING

Question Of The Week 9-15-14

What life lesson 

did you 

learn the hard way?

ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY

Question Of The Week 9-7-14

WHAT THINGS DO YOU BELIEVE ARE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO GO TO WAR OVER?

JUST THE FACTS

Okay I guess I have to face the truth. The pain is returning. The orthopedic doctor and my PCP say it is not going to get any better without the hip replacement. At least I had Tuesday, Wednesday and half of Thursday pain free. Next stop surgery consult. Excuse me while I cry a bit:(

Meanwhile I have been reading all about hip replacement surgery and what to expect after.  One interesting thing is that sex four weeks after the surgery is among the physical therapy list. Now I just have to find out  where I get my partner and will Medicare cover that?

HAND ME MY PANTS

Yesterday I had my Cortisone steroid shot in my hip at 10:30AM. They informed me I would be virtually pain free until about 4:30PM then the pain would return for 24 to 48 hours before we knew if it was going to work long range. The moment I stepped off the table I was doing a happy dance. I could get in and out of the car easily, walk up and down the stairs in my home, sit comfortably in a chair and change my clothes putting on my pants with ease!  

Needless to say my sister went along to be my support as well as my chauffeur and my photographer.

Well they lied to me. They said the pain would come back around 4:30 yesterday afternoon. I've been up all night waiting..... and NO MORE PAIN!  Just kidding about the all night part. I climbed out of bed this morning feeling great. Mild discomfort might describe what I feel if anything. Woohoo!

I have many to thank for prayers and well wishes. Looks like this is going to be a successful procedure for me to repeat every 3 months if needed and hopefully prolong the hip replacement. 

The second blown up photo showing the hip joint with the needle going in just below it. There is dye in the cortisone steroid that will flow up and around that entire ball joint during the coming hours.

As Ron always said, "Better living through chemistry.".

(Of course now I have no excuses to call for help. or to put off my housework and laundry, etc.  Maybe I should squeeze a little more sympathy from family and friends before shouting all this news.  LOL)