HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

I usually don't make resolutions for the New Year because I generally start out like most people with great gusto and find by the middle of January, I have lost all interest in keeping them. I have vowed this year to get back to blogging, however! I fell off the wagon sometime in the middle of summer and just didn't think I had much to offer to anyone who found their way onto my blogsite. I had fallen into a negative way of thinking that seemed to spill into this blog and really, people want to feel good when they peruse their way around blogland, so I just thought I would take some time out to chill. For those of you who have stopped by and found nothing new posted, I apologize for the abrupt absence and lack of warning. Truly I know of only a few close friends who stopped by on a regular basis. I didn't feel like I would really be missed. I found that surprisingly, it was I that missed blogging. Unlike those who go on Facebook, which I don't do, I don't really feel a need to tell people everything I'm doing right down to the last detail. I haven't really visited those friends who were loyal readers as part of my forced vacation from blogging. I need now to catch up and find out what they are currently doing as far as projects go and interesting things that happened at the end of 2009 and into 2010.
I have vowed to catch up more, be a better blogging friend, and to like myself more and smile more in 2010. I think these resolutions are ones I can keep! I also will love people more and try to be there for those I love and who love me. What are you vowing to do this year?

Wishing You A Fulfilling 2010!
Jan

When I Was Born.....in 1955!

Boy, how things have changed! I received an email from a friend of mine about comments you heard 54 years ago. These were the concerns of average people like you and me and how the price of everyday living was disturbing to them. Close your eyes and imagine your mom or dad or perhaps your grandparents uttering these words!

"When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 25 cents a gallon! Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage!"


"I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's woth of groceries for $10.00!"


"Have you seen the new cars? It won't be long before $1000.00 will only buy a used car!"


"Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging 7 cents just to mail a letter?"


"The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch
on!"


"There is no sense going on a short trip anymore for a weekend, it costs nearly $2.00 a night to
stay in a hotel!"


"If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store."


"Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $50,000 a year just to play
ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President!"


"It's too bad things are so tough nowadays, I see where a few married women are having to

work to make ends meet."

"No one can afford to be sick anymore, at $15.oo a day in the hospital, it's too much for my

blood!"

"It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so

they can both work."

"I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies anymore. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with

saying "damn" in Gone With The Wind, it seems every new movie has either "Hell or Damn"

in it."

"If they think I'll pay 30 cents for a haircut, then they can just forget it!"

Who would have thought the cost of things would escalate to the level that they are today? Hope you enjoyed a step back in time. Have a blessed week!

Hugs, Jan

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING??????

I am a peace loving person. I love my country. I appreciate that I live in the best place in the world. I am mad as hell right now! I am distraught at the thought that as I sit here in my home, the lawmakers in Washington are thinking about a bill that will change the way all Americans will live and feel about each other. It is called the AMNESTY BILL.

Lou Dobbs on CNN reported on the absurd provisions of this bill. Read on to find out what this bill would provide. It is not to be believed. If I hadn't heard it from Lou Dobbs I would have said it was a bunch of hooey. The House Minority Leader -John Boehner called it ,"...a piece of s..t" legislation, and I have to agree with him.

Amnesty Bill provides:

1. Immigration legislation to allow legal status after just one day(24 hours) even without a complete background check.

2. Taxpayers will be paying for all the lawyers to represent illegal aliens in courts.

3. Temporary visas can be renewed indefinetly therefore making them permanent visas.

4. Illegal gang members will be given amnesty. All they need do is just say that they don't want to be gang members anymore and amnesty is theirs. The Heritage Foundation estimates that there are 30,000 gang members currently in 33 states! How safe do you feel now!

5. Our tax dollars will help pay for Mexicans to stay in Mexico! This will happen by incentives like getting a better education in Mexico and by getting health care there too. Gee! I wish we could use this money to help pay for those things here in this country for those of us who have worked our whole lives for those things.

6. Illegal aliens don't have to pay for back taxes! LET ME REPEAT THAT ONE! ILLEGAL ALIENS DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR BACK TAXES!!!! Please try that one your self and see how far you get with the IRS.

7. The North American Union ( Mexico, US, and Canada) would be given the "fast track" priority. Meaning no borders to help along amnesty. Border security is not even first in this bill. Can't even find out what is expected of the Border Security to do at this time.

8. Our 800 mile border fencing would be slashed to just 200 miles. The Senate Bill, the so called "Dream Act" gives instate tuition to illegal aliens and gives them the ability to "cut in line" in front of everyone who has been waiting for years in their own countries to enter this country legally!

9. Amnesty for absconders- offering citizenship for those who have been ordered to be deported. The Heritage Foundation says that our courts could effectively be shut down with this legislation as judges must close down any immigration proceedings and allow any illegal aliens to apply for amnesty.

10. Senator Jeff Sessions says that there is another loophole, Oh My God! Hope you are sitting down on this one. ENGLISH IS NOT REQUIRED UNTIL THE 9th YEAR OF AMNESTY!
If you are already miffed at pressing #1 for English or like my bank #2 for English, this should make your blood boil.

11. ILLEGALS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT! THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY BACK TAXES BUT CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR EARNED TAX CREDITS!!!

I have no problem with people trying to better themselves, but I do have difficulty with them doing it on my dollar so much so that I can no longer sustain myself and my family. I am not happy to support others who ignore the law in their land and come here to disrespect the laws of my land. I see no need to send money to a country to upgrade it so the citizens of that place want to stay there! If that country doesn't want to spend its own money to improve it, why do I need to work each and every day to send my dollars there? My own state needs dollars badly to improve the lives of citizens here. Why on earth would I want to pay for a free ride to college when I can't even send my kids to school without a loan that I am expected to pay back with interest?WHAT ARE THE LAWMAKERS IN WASHINGTON THINKING? WRITE TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND TELL THEM WHAT YOU THINK!! LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE WATCHING AND PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT IS GOING ON! GOD SAYS MY PEOPLE DIE FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND WE AMERICANS ARE BECOMING AND ENDANGERED SPECIES.

Respectfully, Jan

LET US NEVER FORGET!!!

The USS NEW YORK

As we approach the eighth anniversary of September 11, I wanted to share some facts and photos of the USS New York. This was made from the scrap and steel from the World Trade Centers after the attacks. The ship was made in I believe, Avondale, Louisiana by men who felt a huge sense of purpose and respect for all that this ship represents. They reportedly treated each and every piece of this ship with care and ownership as they prepared it for the nation's purpose of using it for the "war against terror throughout the world." It will carry men in service of our country to areas where the struggle to prevent terrorist threats exists. It carries the memories of those lost on that fateful day with it as it strives to make sure that

not only shall we never forget their sacrifices, but also that we as a nation will never forget them and our struggle for what is inherently right. To live in a free nation. As we remember those lost on this day, let us also pray for those who fight for our freedom across the seas and in the desserts of far off lands. Let Us Never Forget!

For those of us who can read this, let us thank our teachers and because we read it in English, let us thank our soldiers!

Hugs, Jan

Embracing Imperfection

As with many of the things I share here, I didn't write this originally. I find other people are far more creative in their wordage than I am ,so often times I paraphrase those ideas to make it more easy to read here. My friend Annie sent this one along and I loved it so much I wanted to share today.


A small boy remembered that his mom would sometimes make a meal of breakfast food for his family instead of what some might call tradtional dinner fare. He recalled that one night she did this after a hard day at work for their family. This time in particular, she placed a plate of eggs, sausage and some extremely burned toast down in front of his father as his meal. He recalled that he waited for what seemed like an eternity for a reaction to the toast. Yet, all his father did was reach for the toast, smile at his mom and ask about how the boy's day at school had gone. He said that he didn't remember what he had told his dad. He said that what he did remember from that day was watching him smear butter and jam on that burnt toast and eat every bite! He remembered hearing his mother apologize later for burning that toast to his dad and his father's reply. He said it was "Baby, I love burned toast!"

At bedtime that night, when the boy went to kiss his dad goodnight, his curiousity got the best of him. He couldn't help but ask if indeed his dad really DID love burnt toast. His dad scooped him up in his arms and told him, "...little buddy, your momma put in a hard day at work and she's really tired, and besides a little burnt toast never hurt anyone! You know that life is full of imperfect things and people. I'm not perfect either."

That single little talk put me on a path of understanding said the boy. He learned to accept other's faults and to choose to celebrate the differences of others and to use his father's ideas to create healthy,growing, forgiving and lasting relationships with those he loves.

So why share this story? Because I often strive, miserably, to be perfect in whatever I do. No one person is perfect but we often forget that. This is my prayer for you today...that you will learn to take the good, the bad, and yes the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. In the end, he is really the only one who will be able to give you a relationship where burnt toast isn't a deal breaker!

Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket. See through God's eyes and feel through God's heart and you will appreciate the value of every soul including yourself.

"People will always forget what you do, and they will always forget what you say, BUT they will never, ever forget the way you made them feel!"

Here's wishing you a lovely week of embracing life's imperfections! Hugs, Jan

They Walk Among Us!!!

The Clueless are walking among us. They have been brought to light with such comedians as Bill Engvall and his"Here's Your Sign!" routine. Here are some candidates for the new installment of idiot sightings:

At the airport- A man was at the airport checking in at the gate. The airport employee asked him "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without you knowing it?" He replied"IF it was without my knowledge, how would I know?" The employee smiled knowingly and nodded,"That's why we ask!" Beware, this was in Birmingham, AL.


At a stoplight - The light buzzes when it's safe to cross on the corner of the street. A woman was crossing with "an intellectually challenged" coworker when the lady asked her if she knew what the buzzer was for.. the enlightened woman tried to explain that it signals blind people when the light is red. Her coworker was annoyed and said"What on earth are blind people doing driving!" True story...the coworker....a probation officer in Wichita, KS... I kid you not.


At a Taco Bell restaurant - I insert here, could be ANY type of fast food chain. A woman ordered a taco and asked the person behind the counter for "Minimal lettuce." The young employee said that he was sorry but iceberg lettuce was the only type they served. Hello Kansas City!


Fast food but slow math - at a local fast food chain an order was placed for a total of $4.25. I gave the clerk a $5 bill and also handed her a quarter. She then told me "You gave me too much money." I said that I knew, but this way she could just give me back a dollar bill as change." She sighed and went to get the manager who asked me to repeat my request. I did so , and he handed me back the quarter and said, "we're sorry but we cannot do that kind of thing." The clerk then proceeded to give me back $1 and 75 cents in change.....lesson learned....Don't confuse clerks at fast food places....."New math...phooey!"


At a car dealership - a couple arrived to pick up their car and was told the keys had been locked inside. They went to the service area and found a technician working at a fevered pace to unlock the driver side door. On a hunch, the owner who was watching from the passenger side, tried the door handle to find it was unlocked. "Hey," he said to the technician, "It's open!" He replied, "I know, I already got that side." Ford dealership in Canton , MS. He'll never live that one down!


A parking lot in Florida - A man was transferred from Hawaii to Florida for work. Still having not transfered his plates yet , they still read Hawaii on them after being shipped here to the mainland. Another man asked him "Wow, you drove from Hawaii to here?" The first man looked at him and quickly said "Yep, I took the Hawaii/SanFranciso 20 Bridge!" None the wiser the other man nodded his head with approval and said "Cool!" and got in this car and drove off waving.


Stay alert people! They are out there, they vote, they drive....AND ......they reproduce!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great week! Hugs, Jan

What A Choice!

This is option number one.........or ...........

you may choose this option as number two........before you make your decision, read the following email I received from a dear friend who found it in her emails as well.

I admit I didn't write this myself. I wish I had, for I love it with all my heart!

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and very tanned woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said, "This Summer Do You Want To Be A Mermaid Or A Whale?" A middle aged woman, whose physical appearance wasn't as we say like the poster, decided to respond to the advertisement publicly. This is her response........

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends, dolphins, sea lions, even curious humans. They have an active sex life, they become pregnant and give birth to adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and as such have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than we humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone the world over.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis issues ..am I a fish or am I human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how on earth would sex be an option, look at their anatomy. This would pose the notion that they would never have kids either. Not to mention who would get that close to a girl that smells like a fish store? The choice I think is perfectly clear to me. I want to be a whale!

P.S. We are in an age when the media puts into our heads the notion that only thin people are beautiful. I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my children, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a coffee with my friends. The following sentences are really the best part of the message......

With time,we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room up there, it begins to redistribute out to the rest of our body. So we aren't heavy at all, we are enormously cultured, educated, and very happy. Beginning today, when I look at by butt in the mirror I will think to myself "Good Golly, look just how smart I am!"

I like this lady's thinking! Sign me up for the whale option....Oh I see I'm already there!

Hugs,Jan