RANDOM DOZEN

Head on over and visit Linda. Join in on the fun!

1. Define a great relationship.

I just can't seem to answer this.

2. Why is it called a "drive-through" if you have to stop? (Real question: What was the last food/drink you purchased at a drive-through?)
I seldom do drive-through. However I do the drive-through at the bank!

3. As I type this, the Butler Bulldogs are getting ready to play in the NCAA championship game. Every Hoosier is hysterical about this except me. So in honor of the Bulldogs ... what is your favorite breed of dog? (I tried.)
Well right now I have my Cairn Terrier Skye so she is my favorite. She is like Toto from The Wizard of Oz. But I am a fan of West Highland White Terriers and Yorkies. I love Labradors too but I can't handle the shedding anymore.

4. If you had to move to a state besides the one you currently live in, where would you move?
Well maybe Florida so I could be by my father, sister, brother-in-law, 2 nieces, 3 great-nieces and a great-nephew. I would love to be back in Chicago for the food!

5. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
Well I really had a wonderful childhood. I would have loved it if my mother didn't have a drinking problem in my teen years when I could have really used her help. My father worked nights so I wasn't given allot of discipline.

6. Who's the funniest person you know?
Our son. My husband is very funny but I son has him beat!

7. Did you get enough sleep last night?
Yes I did, thank you for asking.

8. What's the first thing you thought about this morning?
Well since this is done the night before the first thing I thought of was linking my Post Its yesterday. I will often stay up until midnight to link up.

9. Grilled or Fried? --HONESTLY
Grilled.

10. Are you afraid of the dark?
Not in my house but I wouldn't want to be lost in the woods.

11.When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Married with children!

12. If you had one word to describe yourself , what would you choose?
Trustworthy

POST IT NOTE TUESDAY

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Easter Recap

As you know we celebrated Easter on Saturday. It was a wonderful celebration. Our immediate family is all the family we have in California and I love them so much. My son with his best girl, my daughter, son-in-law, Skye, Charlie and of course my husband. It was actually very nice having our dinner on Saturday because Sunday was a great day to rest and our children could go have dinner with the family of their significant others.

We had a wonderful time. We had time to visit, time to eat dinner, time for dessert, time to get silly with the Rice Krispies Treats lamb (warning: there is a picture of a sacrificed Rice Krispies Treats Lamb), and watched a movie! (Men Who Stare At Goats)

These pictures (which are missing silverware/glasses) are of my 38 year old china which I am still in love with. Also some dessert plates that I bought from Hallmark a few years ago that are perfect for Easter and my Ralph Lauren sale tablecloth that goes so well with the china.

I made these nest cookies that I saw over at the blog of my friend Alexis. I ended up using cream cheese frosting that I had to keep the coconut on the cookies. I also decided to try putting Rice Krispies Treats into the lamb cake mold that belonged to my aunt. It turned out cute if you ask me. (warning again about the next photo where my adult children went psycho on the lamb) There is also a picture of my yellow Peep lights.

So we celebrated a birthday with ice cream as requested. We had prime rib, sauteed mushrooms, green bean casserole, corn, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, rolls & olives. We also had a spread of strawberries, blackberries, cashews, candy and the natural Cheetos which seem to be a family favorite. So after slicing up the lamb treats they started saying I should have made the inside of the lamb red like blood. So with the left over frosting and some food coloring a project started up to make the bloody lamb. Remember I warned you!

And why is it that I can't peel eggs. I needed 6 eggs for the recipe I was using so I made 8 and ended up with 4 that peeled well. I have tried every suggestion in the books and I still can't get them to peel well for me! Anyway it was a very nice weekend and I am thankful for all.

HAPPY EASTER

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Hugs to you!

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He Is Risen

He Is Risen Indeed!

~AMEN~

LITTLE RUPERT

A "little guy" like you've never seen before. This tiny deer was delivered by Cesarean section at a wildlife hospital after a car killed his mother. Little Rupert, who is so small he can fit in an adults hand, was born after vets failed in their battle to save his mother.

At just six inches tall and weighing just over a pound, he is now in an incubator in the intensive care unit at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire. He has only recently opened his eyes.

Les Stocker, founder of Tiggywinkles, said, "Rupert's mother had very severe injuries. We brought him out and got him breathing, and then he went into an incubator on oxygen. He is now being fed by a tube."

Just had to share this aww moment! (got this in an email)

SATURDAY 9

Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Head on over and visit with Sam Winters to join in the fun.

Saturday 9: Hurts So Good

1. Tell us about the last time you really got hurt.
The last time I felt pain within my heart with deep emotional crying is when I said good-bye to my dog Angel. But I have a whole history of hurt I could tell you about.

2. What's your oldest possession?
I have my grandfathers Singer sewing machine. He was a tailor. (I am 58)

3. Do you have any phobias?
Irrational fear of my dog getting hurt. (according to my husband)

4. What values did your parents instill in you?
I like to think of it as what they didn't instill in me: Racism

5. What are your plans for Easter?
We are having Easter dinner today. Our adult kids will be here. We are having prime rib and we will also be celebrating a birthday.

6. I like sun more than snow.
Definitely!

7. Tell us about 3 fads from your teenage years.
Tie-dye ~ Mini skirt ~ Bell Bottoms

8. Tell us what is the most important attribute in a lover.
I would normally say a good sense of humor, now I'm thinking compassion.

9. What new piece of technology have you resisted buying and what would it take for you to change your mind?
I think a fancy phone that I could blog from, twitter from, etc. I'm just not ready for that, I like when I finally walk away from my computer. I think I would be doing this all day long!

TAKE TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES

I did not write this it was an email I received.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those people on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said , "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain" And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because people cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'"

When anyone calls my "seize the moment" friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to...not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see their sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

Life may not be the party we hoped for... But while we are here we might as well dance!

Want to join me? (I don't want to throw away the gifts that God has given to me.)

IT'S APRIL FOOLS DAY

But I won't be doing any pranks. Sorry, it's just not my style. If you want to learn some history you can go here. I did have a friend many years ago who played a good one on me. We were parked at the beach and he went to the car to get something. Now I was a total obsessive freak about my car. (My kids never ate in my car) He came back and said that someone hit it. OMG did I freak out. I'm sorry I guess I'm a party pooper but I don't like practical jokes. Okay so there you have it, I'm not much fun ! ! ! !

So Spring is starting to bloom. Sure we have flowers year round but it's only in the Spring when my cactus blooms. Do you remember when you would go to buy a cactus and they would have a little dried flower stuck into it? That was a tiny little 3" barrel plant 20 years ago! I also love when the Hawthorn bushes start blooming. See the ladybug who came to visit my geranium? (click to enlarge photo)

Skye and Charlie (my grand dog) were enjoying the sun last weekend. I think it got up to about 85 degrees. Skye with her kerchief from Pet Smart after her haircut 2 weeks ago.

Colleen at Main Street Memories had a post two weeks ago about Paint By Numbers. Remember those? It inspired me and I thought to myself "I want to do one." (I was never interested when I was younger) So I went to Hobbylinc.com and ordered these two PBN's. I got both of them for under $20. Now I just have to motivate myself to start one of them. (good luck with that, I also have about 40 books to read yet here I sit and blog) I even bought me some nicer brushes at Michaels yesterday.

Have a beautiful Good Friday and have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Love,