Say a prayer...

Angelina Jolie goes to Afghanistan. Take a look.

Thank the good Lord for what you have, and say a prayer for those in distress.

Are you voting?

Each state is different. Find out what you need to do for your state. If you haven't registered by now, you can probably kiss your right to complain good-bye. But check anyway.

Here are the requirements for Florida:

1. Be a citizen of the United States
2. Be a legal resident of both the Florida and of the county in which you seek to be registered
3. Be 18 years old (you may pre-register if you are 17)
4. Not now be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other State

Registration deadline: 29 days before the election

We voted early. I hope that works out in the long run for the country. I hope the election goes smoothly. I hope there are no kinks in the armor of the voting machines, and ballots and the people who are responsible for them. I hope people don't decide not to vote because "their side" appears to be winning. I hope this is the biggest voter turn-out ever, and that it turns out to be fair.

Kenny had a Birthday!

Dear Kenny,

Happy Birthday to one of the way coolest kids I know, and that is taking into consideration the entire planet! I am proud to be your Great Aunt and friend. I truly love you, (and your mama and your daddy and your big brother!) I am proud of you. I am proud that you show your love for your family, and that you make a great effort at your school work.

I still remember going to the hospital the day you were born. You have grown into such a great kid. Remember to keep trying hard to be the best you can be. You were born into a family of people who love and care about you. Don't ever hesitate to call any of us should you need anything.

You will do great things. You are one of the best!

Love you greatly,
The Great Aunt Sasha

Note: Re: photo --
Kenny and his brother Kody had a great baseball season! We enjoyed some of the best baseball we have ever seen while attending one of their games. They have continued to show improvement. You can't ask for any more than that! Our family looks forward to good things from both these young men!

It's all good

Last week I was going to blog about how Flylady.net was my new best friend, as my house keeping situation was just peachy keen and aesthetically pleasing. Then, somewhere along the line, all the stuff that I had put away flew out of its assigned place and wanted to show itself and collect some dust.

It is frustrating. For me, at least.

But, I have learned enough with Flylady, whom I still highly recommend, that you can jump back on that train at any time, and it doesn't take much to get yourself back in place, well, some place...

I think I left off at the part where I was supposed to take down my shower curtain and wash it. Somehow, that job overwhelmed me.

I was torn between a dollar and a dime. I couldn't decide which was more cost efficient i.e. buying a new shower curtain or using soap, water, energy (both mine and the world's -- and if we got all existentialist we might say they were the same thing),

so I belabored the task, as if it might be the end of the world, traveling in and out of the store, unable to make the decision to buy the shower curtain (or not),

Such procrastination, as this, is foreboding and pit falling. Which is just a fancy way of saying, I really didn't wanna mess with the shower curtain, so basically I shot myself in the foot, meaning, I stopped doing most things in the house, ran out of every cleaning necessity I had, while avoiding the store emphatically because of that blasted cheap vinyl shower curtain, and so I began an exercise program.

I decided that my state of mind was caused by depression which in turn must be caused by something I was or was not doing, and since I was not doing exercise that must be the root of all evil, as alas there must always be something to blame, after all this is America and nothing is our fault, you know, and everything has a root.

So, I've been exercising for two days. There is not a place on me that does not ache, twinge or creek.

As for that shower curtain - well, it's not dead yet. NASA was knocking on my door asking for samples of a new life form that was signaling from my house on their radar screens, as my shower curtain was, well...let's just say, *gross* can have several meanings, shapes and forms.

NASA is making me sign papers that exempt them from prosecution, after I agreed to let them tent my house, and spray us down with some powdery stuff that smells like kool-aid; they say it's routine, so at least I know I'm not the only one with problems of this sort.

I realize now that I'm also having problems in the area of decision making and should, most likely, seek counseling on this. After I make that appointment, I'll be getting in touch with the orthopedic surgeon and taking physical therapy and it looks like that shower curtain could end up costing a whooping Three Grand.

For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost ....
that's the way it goes sometimes.


For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Nothing , maybe, something, maybe

One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything. ~ George Lichtenberg

Is coming to terms another word for acceptance?

I posted that the other day, and then today, I found this quote by Robert Frost --

"Always fall in with what you're asked to accept. Take what is given, and make it over your way. My aim in life has always been to hold my own with whatever's going. Not against: with."

I thought that was so interesting. In doing that, making it over your own way, you are no longer the salmon swimming up stream. You are the flower growing along side the weeds on the side of the railroad track. People will notice. They will drive by quickly, but a little glance at you might help them through their day.

My thoughts are much consumed by the election coming up in our country. I want to like and respect all the candidates, but I can't.

I do feel we, as in the 'we' meaning our country, are in such a mess. Maybe I feel that way because we are among the unemployed. Maybe it is because of the money needed to pay for the insurances required to live in the country. Insurance companies have such a grip on us. Maybe it's because gas is crunching our food budget. I do like peanut butter and jelly, so perhaps, I will be one of the survivors.

Madam B has a job now. And because of the gas she uses to get to work, she was talking about quitting. But, jobs are hard to find these days. I remember a time when I didn't like a job, I'd quit, and go out immediately and get another one. Not so anymore. So, we are wrestling with wanting her to have the experience. Chalking the cost of gas, insurance, etc. up to education, experience and something on your resume. Do I know if this is best? Not any more.

There was a time I might have known for sure, but not now. Not right now. I'm not sure right now of what I know for sure. Maybe tomorrow I might. Than again, not. Seems that the surer you are of things, the closer you are of your expiration date on the planet. But, that could be wrong, too.

Are you sure?

One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything. ~ George Lichtenberg

Is coming to terms another word for acceptance?

An absolute can only be given in an intuition, while all the rest has to do with analysis. ~~ Henri Bergson

So no matter what you decide, it came from your gut anyway?

If you're not confused, you're not paying attention. ~ Tom Peters

I am so paying attention.