Where did March go?.....

I can't believe that the month of March is gone already. It just seems like it was only a couple days ago that the calendar page for February was torn off.....now March will join it. Time flies, there is no doubt about it.

Today my neighbors were outside pushing their little 2 year old on a brand new swing set they had put up. When did she get so old? Seems like it was only yesterday that mom was still in maternity clothes. Before you know it she'll be heading out the door on the way to her prom.

My co-worker took a little vacation to sunny Florida for a week so I had to work every day, Wednesday through Friday last week and Monday through Wednesday this week. This old butt is hanging pretty low to the ground about now.....I'm not used to working every day like that. But its over and I made it.....I made it and am alive to brag about it. LOL Sorry I let my blog come to a complete stand-still but some nights I was so tired I just came home, let the dog out and back in and then went to bed. Pretty exciting, huh?

This week was sort of a strange one though. It was quiet for the most part. I even noticed a difference in traffic. It was like a lot of people were out of town.....and maybe they were. But the warm weather has finally arrived. The big sign along the highway said it was 77 as I drove past it on my way home. I know it may not stay for long and I also know that we could still get a snowstorm....that's happened many times before.....but they are predicting a high of 79 on Friday and that's music to my ears!

You know I'm always reading something and I just love to share unusual things I read so I'm going to tell you a nutshell version of something I read yesterday. They have found that honeybees have a sense of smell as good as any tracking dog and they've also found that they can be trained and furthermore.....its far cheaper to train them than a dog. They are fast learners too. They have found that if the bees are 'conditioned' to think that the smell of explosives is a food source, they will stick out their little tongues in anticipation. Scientists have figured out a way to enclose them in a device (not harmful to them or to the handler of said device) and when the device is "scanned" over a person (say at an airport for example) if there is any hint of an explosive odor, the bees will react and set off an alarm in the device. Their conditioning lasts for a couple weeks, then they have to be re-trained but it only takes a day or so to train them again. Amazing, isn't it? One article I read said that they are thinking of putting this to use at airports as early as next year. Read one article about it here and another article here. (both are short)

Well, tomorrow is April 1..... so you all be good....no nasty tricks! Above all, keep smilin'.

Thank you!!.....another award!

My dear friend, Linda, of The Good, The Bad, The Worse has given me another award. I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart for this......my friends mean a lot to me and to be included in a Circle of Friends makes me feel very special. So thank you again, Linda, and here are the rules that accompany this sweet little award:

First, you post about your award, advising who gave it to you and create a link back to their blog.

Then you list five things that make you happy.

Last, pass along this award to five bloggers who make you smile.

Five (more) things that make me happy:

1. Although I know my children and grandchildren aren't things, they make me happy when I see that they are happy.
2. Close, loyal friends and the bond we share.
3. A really, REALLY good book.....one that you don't want to put down. I've read more than a few that fall into that category.
4. Being greeted at the back door by my dog enthusiastically and lovingly even if I've only just walked outside to get the mail.
5. My faith in God and the peace that comes with that.

So, I pass along this Circle of Friends Award with much love to the following bloggers who have made me smile and in some cases, laugh out loud. I hope each of you will accept this award and pass it along.

1. To Dana of Life is Good. Dana is so talented and so funny. Her posts have made me grin, snicker, laugh out loud and almost pee my pants. Yep, she's that good.
2. To Jamie of Everyone Thinks I can Fix It. Jamie is definitely within my circle of friends and she puts a smile on my face because I so enjoy chatting with her. She makes you feel so at ease and comfy.....you feel like you're in the same room with her.
3. To Soul of Soul Survivor. Soul is an extremely talented writer with the ability to make you feel like you were sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and chatting. Some of her stuff is really funny....some of it really deep and we all know that only the talented can go from one extreme to the other and do it well.
4. To Smocha of Cats on the British Counter. I love how this woman writes and she's made me laugh out loud more times than I can count. If you were going out and about and she was in your group, you just KNOW that you're gonna have a fun time!
5. To Christine of Real Men Don't Watch American Idol. Christine is hilarious in her 'tell it like it is' posts. Her sense of humor is unique, terrific and rated "R".

I hope each of you will accept this award and pass it on. I wish I could have given it to everyone on my blog roll, but past experience has taught me that when you do that, everyone gets all shy and they don't want to take it. Keep smilin' and remember that laughter is the best medicine of all.

An Award......Happiness

Smocha, of Cats on the British Counter, gave me this award. Thank you very much for thinking of me. Your blog makes me happy too.

The rules that come with this award are as follows:

1. When you receive this award you must thank the person that awarded you in a new post.

2. Name 10 things that make you happy.

3. Pass this award to other bloggers who make you happy.

So here are my 10 things, in no particular order:

1. The sweet smell of puppy breath.
2. The sounds of crickets and frogs on a warm summer evening.
3. A comfy couch, excellent coffee and a good book.
4. Watching horses run across a field with tails and manes flowing in the breeze.
5. Snuggling against you, the little grunting noises a contented newborn baby makes.
6. The delightful smell of freshly cut grass.
7. The sound of an old wooden screen door opening and closing...(squeee, creak, squeee, bang, thump, thump)
8. Having enough guaranteed income every month to cover my expenses.
9. The wonderful fragrance of freshly washed air right after a thundershower.
10. A close friend, good conversation and hot coffee.

I pass this award along to the following bloggers that I look forward to visiting because they truly make me happy in various ways. Some for their love of animals, some for their love of other people and some for their love of life....just plain and simple LIFE. Each of them have broadened my horizons and awakened a spirit within me. I'm glad I found each of you and in some cases, you found me....but I'm the better person for it. Thank you to each of you for that.

So, in no particular order: I pass this along to 8 Bloggers that make me happy.

1. Jamie of Everyone Thinks I Can Fix it.....(such a strong lady who has her priorities straight)
2. Linda of The Good, The Bad, The Worse....(Oh, Linda just makes me grin and giggle and is a terrific FRIEND)
3. Gypsy of Teardrops and Rainbows....(my Pisces soul-mate from down-under)
4. Joy from Joy of Six.....(another true soul-mate....someday we'll have coffee and chat)
5. Sheryl of Ain't For City Gals...(A city gal would surely curl up in a pool of tears...awesome blog)
6. Mikey from The Horseshoeing Housewife....(one awesome lady who can do Anything!)
7. Grace from Hope 4 Grace....(she's found the secret to Happiness and is such a terrific role model for her children)
8. Karen from Life is Good (she truly finds good in everything)

I love you all. Enjoy your award and please pass it on.

'Tis the Season.....for skunks

My friend, Jackie, had a birthday just a couple days before me and her sweet little dog brought her a nice present.....she had gotten herself skunked! Jackie had an old recipe for removing skunk odor on hand. What's different about this one is that it actually works!......and you don't have to do anything exotic like using gallons of tomato juice either. She told me that maybe I should post this so anyone needing it can take advantage of this little miracle concoction. So with Jackie's permission, here goes. Copy it down and keep it.....you never know when you might need it and the skunks are coming out of hibernation now.

SKUNK ODOR REMOVAL RECIPE
Buy a quart of hydrogen peroxide (3%) at the drugstore. Add to this 1/4 cup of baking soda and one teaspoon of liquid soap (or dishwashing detergent). Bathe your dog or cat or yourself....whoever got skunked.....in this solution, then rinse in plain tap water. That's it. Obviously you double or triple the recipe to accommodate the size of the one getting bathed. I hope none of you have to use this, but feel confident that it works if you do. *Note: Do not save any leftover mixture in a sealed container as it may burst due to the bubbling qualities of the peroxide.*

All our snow is gone now, even the huge piles that were shoved to one end of the parking lots. My hairdresser told me yesterday that we have snow forecast for this weekend. Living here as long as I have, I know that we've gotten some impressive snowstorms in April before so I'm not surprised, just disappointed. I am sooooo ready for spring this year.....actually I think I say that every year. LOL

Big Anticipations.....

A whole lot of years ago when I was dispatching, the Township let the State use the Township garage as a distribution point of tree seedlings. People had signed up weeks previously to pick up a designated amount of them which they would, in turn, plant. It was and is a good thing for our environment. Most of these people were new to the program and signed up because they wanted to do their share in helping to replace trees.

The time to distribute was set up for a Sunday morning because it was felt that would be the least busy time since the Township offices were closed. Nothing was open but the police and fire departments. It was my shift that Sunday morning and one of the officers on duty and I watched with keen interest as people started coming into our back parking lot. They were coming in droves and coming in big rigs. Dump trucks, stake trucks, pickup trucks, vans and station wagons with huge trailers. Each of them would report to me and ask where they could pick up their trees. Most of them were picking up 250 but some were picking up 500 or more. They would ask if they should back their rigs up to the garage door to make loading easier. Stifling laughter, we would advise them to check in at the garage first before they moved their vehicles. We watched as they walked into the garage and came out carrying a flat with all 250 trees in it; this flat could easily fit in the trunk of an ordinary car.

As time went on it became more and more ridiculous, then it turned into hilarious. The officer and I could barely contain ourselves with each huge truck pulling in. After a while we felt almost......but not quite.....ashamed of ourselves. We tried so very hard to maintain ..... to at least offer some semblance of professionalism but we would collapse in gales of laughter after each person went out the door and headed toward the garage. We held our sides as we watched them get back in their huge rigs with only a small flat in their hands. The looks on their faces was absolutely priceless. Oh I know it was an honest mistake. When you hear the term, 500 trees....you immediately think BIG.

Its been 30 some years since that happened and I still smile a crooked little smile when I think about it. Whenever I see that same officer and ask if anyone needs to pick up any trees we both burst out laughing. I've often wondered how big those trees are now if the poor little things survived. I'm in no way making fun of the people who plant trees for our environment or for any other reason.....God Bless them. I'm just making fun of the situation......I guess its one of those things where you just had to be there to get the full extent of how funny it all was. It sure did put smiles on our faces for a very long time.

Armchair movie reviews.....

Ok, well its been a while since I've reviewed some movies for you.....simply because I haven't really watched any. I had my nose stuck in books and reading blogs.

But here goes. First movie is an older one; THE PIANO with Holly Hunter and Sam Neill. This movie won the Academy Award the year it came out, which I can't remember right now. Also Holly Hunter won best actress for her portrayal of a young mute woman. This is basically a love story set back in the early 1800's in another country which is pretty darn primitive. Her father marries her off to a man whom she's never seen or met and she travels to his home where she and her young daughter will live with him. Her biggest love is her piano and it makes the trip with her. Probably a lot of people would get bored with this movie as its not that fast-moving and there isn't much action, blood, gore, fighting, etc. I liked it because it portrays a woman being forced into a circumstance of which she has no control.....her bravery is amazing. The living conditions are awful....with mud up to your knees and you have to co-mingle with the tattooed, loin cloth wearing natives whose lives are deeply influenced by their superstitions and beliefs. Its an interesting movie and an unusual love story. Some of the landscape is just breathtaking. It does have full frontal nudity of both male and female so make sure no kids are around when you watch it.

The second movie is PRECIOUS starring Mo'Nique and Mariah Carey sans makeup and/or any enhancements. Both of them pleasantly surprised me with their acting abilities. This is a raw movie. Not suitable for children or even young teens as far as I'm concerned. No nudity but the language is laced with obscenities and its used a lot. The subject matter is incest. I can't say that watching it made me a better person for they offered no guaranteed workable options for those who live like this and I am getting the idea that there are many more living this way than I ever dreamed of. Its depressing in one way but uplifting in another because Precious wants her life to be better and she knows she has to be educated for that to happen. Instead of sitting back and just collecting welfare and stagnating like so many in her situation do, she fights for something better. Even so, you know this is not a ....."and they lived happily ever after" type of movie. You hate Mo'Nique's character (mother of Precious) in this movie just like you're supposed to.....she is a true monster and you want her punished but realize her only punishment is having to live with the memories. She doesn't perceive things as a normal mother would. You won't come away from this movie feeling happy. What you will feel is a question in your mind.....how many people live like this, how can it be stopped and no wonder social workers are so cynical.........they've seen and heard it all.

Seeing that made me crave something uplifting and in a hurry so I grabbed THE HANGOVER, which I had been told is full of belly laughs. The movie is full of crude jokes and obscene actions plus male and female nudity. Obscene language as well as gestures. Its about the exploits of 4 guys in Vegas for the Bachelor Party of one of them. In my mind, I felt it was a genuine "guy movie" and probably every guy out there will absolutely LOVE it. The plot was pretty good though, throwing a bit of a mystery in there and it held my interest so it just wasn't a T&A type movie. It basically condones infidelity and the ....."whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" .....mentality, which doesn't set well with most women, me included. It was ok but in my opinion it wasn't as funny as my favorite stand-by....Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

Finally.......DRAG ME TO HELL. I quit looking at scary movies a while ago.....there was just TOO much blood and gore. They have overdone it horribly and it's ruined the scary movies for me. I got this movie and watched it because I read that there was some comic relief in it so I thought I'd give it a try. It wasn't bad. It had a pretty good plot. She works for a bank, old gypsy woman is losing her house to foreclosure and begs bank for yet another extension. Its her job to tell the old woman....sorry, but no can do. The old woman gets mad and puts a curse on her. So all these strange and scary things start happening to her and she finds out from a medium that she only has 3 days to live under this particular type of curse. So she sets about to find a way to counter-act it or reverse it somehow. The special effects are pretty good and even though there are a lot of parts that make you go.......ewwwwwww.......there really isn't a lot of GORE. And yes, there are a few parts that are a tad funny so it lightens things up a bit. Not a bad movie, just don't watch it while you're eating supper. No nudity and I don't think the language was bad but some words may have slipped by me.....I'm almost getting used to hearing them in movies anymore.

Well, kids, that's it.....my reviews. Hope you find them helpful. If you watch any of these, I hope you enjoy them. Keep smilin'.

Idea For a Great Girl's Party.....

Well, as its been said.....if a bunch of women get together and start giggling, then you know something good is up. If you get a bunch of fun-loving women together, mix in a few drinks and you've got the recipe for a really good time with lots of laughs.

My fun-lovin' friend, Jackie, who is a hoot, sent me this clip. She wants to play this at her next all-girls party. Although neither of us know any of the women in this clip, we sure would like to as they look like a whole lot of fun. That's our story and we're stickin' to it.

Anyway, this might be a fun game at an informal bridal shower if any of you are planning to host one of those. Go here and view it. It takes a bit longer to load than you-tube and its about 4 and a half minutes long. You don't have to watch the whole thing to get the idea of what's going on......but the laughter is infectious.

And you men.....don't cop an attitude about this.....you will notice that this is being done with NO hands and an impressive length.....er...ahm.......pole. So, go check it out and have a giggle for today....just listening to them all laugh is enough to make you walk around with a big smile on your face.

Ahhhhh.......as Jackie would say....."life is good". And as I often say....... Keep smilin'.

'Tis the Season.......for potholes

Around these parts this time of year is "pothole season". Some roads get so bad its an actual obstacle course to drive it. Nothing worse than driving along and hitting a pothole that you didn't know was there. Many times I've feared a bent rim or a tire disintegrating before my very eyes.

The people on the road commission work very hard in all sorts of inclement weather to make sure our roads are halfway decent.....but they can't be everywhere at once and potholes sometimes go without repair for quite some time. That's in the best of times. With the economy the way it is, the cutbacks taking place - less money - fewer workers due to lay-offs.....and the road commission getting their funding through tax dollars....well, you do the math. I think our roads may suffer for quite some time.

The only good thing you can say about potholes is that if you live on the street that has them, it certainly does slow the crazy speeders down. The speed limit on my road is 25 mph because I'm within sight of a school. A block away its 35 mph but everyone does 50 at least......except during pothole season. There is an area right in front of my mailbox that gives way to a big pothole every spring. After a while, I get used to hearing the 'thunk thunk' every time a car passes over it and when bigger vehicles (like school buses or beer and wine trucks) hit it, it actually makes the dishes in my hutch rattle.

A few years ago I watched the road commission workers in front of my house repairing this pothole of which I speak. I made it a point to go outside and yell a THANK YOU to them. Actually, I yelled, "Thank you, you guys are AWESOME". They waved back at me, smiling, and took twice as long repairing it and the repair job lasted much longer than normal. I absolutely know that they appreciated my acknowledgment of their hard work. Have you ever thanked a worker for doing an awesome job? I've been known to pass out cans of cold pop to them on a hot summer's day. Why not? A little bit of kindness gets you remembered and being remembered in the right circles for the right things will sometimes get you extra little niceties ...... like having that worrisome hole in front of your house repaired and repaired well. But, if not......it sure does make you feel good to compliment someone knowing how much its appreciated.

Most of the little things cost absolutely nothing to give out.....like compliments or a smile. I smile at everyone I see, even if I don't feel that well or that jovial. 95% of the people I smile at will smile back at me. Now how awesome is that? I've often ended my posts with "keep smilin' " and I really do mean that. So go do it and see how many you get back. In the meantime, be careful of those potholes......bent rims are nothing to smile about.