LUCKY ME... walked into the dealership to have an oil change on my car...and ended up buying this one instead...well...I was in the right place at the right time. Love this car...HHR LT.

Even heated seats ~ which will come in great this winter.

Yippee Skippie!!

NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD DO IT........BUT.....

Went for an Oil change for my vehicle...and walked out with a new car. Yepper...

HHL ~ LT. Love it. Always wanted a black shiny car.

Has everything I could want ~ including heated seats which will be awesome come winter.

Fall is finally here and won't it be great to finally have some cooler temperatures. Heat.....get thee behind me!!

FANTASTIC SUSAN BOYLE!!

Thursday, April 16, 2009, 12:26 PM CST [General]

IF EVER YOU HAVE DOUBTED WHAT LIFE CAN BRING...

Or, if ever you have felt or believed that life is not all what it is cracked up to be, I suggest you connect with the below link ~ which will take you to a site where Susan Boyle ~ now an overnight sensation ~ came from absolutely nowhere in a small village in the UK ~ not on the British side, but the Scottish side...in a little unknown place called, West Lothian, Scotland..to become an absolute overnight sensation on the airways...singing her heart out on Britain's Got Talent ~ atuned with American Idol ~ to be judged and either being voted off or remaining for yet another week.

If you have ever felt for an instant that life has given you nothing but Lemonade ~ you must go to the link, once there, click on the photo on the right ~ to see and hear Susan as she presented her song and talent to not only the vast audience present ~ but to the three judges who were to determine whether she would go on to the next level ~ or be booted off.

www.susan-boyle.com/

I can guarantee you that you will be both thrilled and amazed at her lovely voice ~ her humbleness ~ and her lack of attempts to appear "Hollywood" in any sense of the word.

After hearing her sing, I have become one of her greatest fans ~ and my unrelenting quest is to now find her home address in the villlage in which she lives ~ so I can personally write to her and encourage her ~ to speak with her ~ and to be forever positive in her attempts to find her way in this mirage of inspirational singers.

She caused me to root for her instantly ~ and to only wish the best for her and whatever will come of this for her.

Never have I seen such immediate talent ~ being hidden for so many years while her life continued on. Being a single lady at the age of 47 ~ nearly 48 ~ she has sprung out of nowhere ~ living with her cat, Pebbles ~ never married and has professed to never being kissed.

I suspect this will change in the future; in the interim, her life continued on ~ singing for her church and for Karaoke..and that was the extent of her singing.

What a blessing and refreshing piece of this planet is Susan Boyle!!

As I continue my quest to find her in her small village in West Lothian, Scotland, my prayers that she become successful go without saying.

Do take the time to click on the included link, here...and listen for yourself. You determine ~ as have I ~ whether this awesome voice is a God Given Talent...

Without question ~ God has given this to her ~ and now is her time to shine.

Take the time to listen..but I must warn you...bring along your Kleenex...because her wonderful voice will literally bring you to tears!!

There is, indeed, hope for all of us in this life...and Susan proved it!!

www.susan-boyle.com/

What A Blessing to know we live in a wonderful free-country. One where we can choose to attend the church of our choice ~ sing His praises ~ and be part of a life where freedom reigns!

Being brought up in a home filled with spiritual values ~ and church attendance each and every week, I never felt deprived of my rights to choose not to go. I went freely.

Attending church as a child was something I thoroughly enjoyed. One of the most enjoyable for me was the singing ~ how it blessed my heart. How it thrilled me to hear lovely voices joined together in awesome harmony, singing praises to Him ~ my Heavenly Father.

The joy to hear the alternate pitch in music became such a staple in my life. I began to participate in every musical event held at our church ~ where my Dad was pastor.

When I was small ~ still unable to walk but could stand up in my crib ~ I would be singing. My Mother told me that my Grandmother would pass by, pat me on the head and say, "...sing on, little hen..."

I think I need that inscribed on a T-shirt ~ just so I can remember it. I think I will do that next week. As a tribute to my Grandmother ~ though I never knew her. All of my Grandparents were deceased before I could ever remember anything. I never knew either of my Grandfathers and only within the last 7-years, have I ever even seen photo's of them ~ with black suits on ~ stove-top-hats ~ reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln!

All my life ~ music has been a part of me. Instilled. Singing became a way of life for me ~ and thus, singing in church choirs ~ in Community Choirs ~ and 4-years of Honor Choir in High School became yet another staple for me.

Branching out into solo-singing was another area that provided me another avenue of ministering to others.

  So, at this Easter ~ remembering those times ~ knowing the freedom we have to attend ~ to hear beautiful music that inspires us ~ I sincerely hope and pray that you will take the time to spend time at your local church ~ to learn, to be taught, to sing, to hear...and to Praise Him.

May your Easter be filled with all that Blesses your life. May He be a part of you ~ and may your joy be unending. And, if you are in need of prayer ~ and your heart is shattered this Easter ~ I pray for your healing and well-being.

Joy and Peace to you and yours.

God Bless you.

LAST FRIDAY....

Callie became so listless...not eating..not moving ~ I became gravely concerned. She stayed on her pallet on one of the beds ~ and I continued to check on her every single hour. She slept most all the time ~ only raising her head now and again to acknowledge me.

With her cone still around her neck and about her head ~ it became apparent to me that she had just given up. On everything. AFter all, she could not even clean her face with her paws...could not scratch where she itched...and could not eat properly. I believed she felt this would be her life and nothing else.

I could see the signs.

I cried for her ~ and then called the Vet's to inform them of the above. They suggested I could bring her in and board her ~ and they would "force feed" her. I had visions of all that going on ~ and it didn't look good to me even in my own mind. More constrictive movements for her ~ added to her cone ~ and then the inability to move about even if/when she wanted to?

Could not bear that thought.

I made up my mind ~ and as I picked her up and soaked her paw in Epsom Salts once again as directed and she simply cried...I knew that I would give this one more day, but Saturday ~ she would be free of the cone around her head ~ once and for all. Though the suggestion was that she needed to wear it until Thursday of this week when she went back to have stitches removed ~ this had now become a major situation and my instincts kicked in.

On Saturday afternoon ~ while she was quiet, I placed her on my lap with some small scissors and removed the ties around her neck that held the cone in place. She did not move, did not try to escape.

The tears welled up in my eyes as I did this ~ because I felt she quietly understood. And, in another minute, she was freed from this piece of equiupment that restricted her so since Monday. She had been a good trooper in wearing it ~ though never understanding just why.

I patted her head, looked at her paw which looked great and clean...and then placed her on the floor.

For the first time since a week ago ~ she began cleaning her little beautiful face. And she then cleaned for hours...and I gave a sigh of relief and wonderment at Mother Nature ~ who both blesses us with beautiful animals ~ and the wonder of how they do things on their own ~ instinctively.

Now ~ Callie lies around me wherever I am. She has not made attempts to go outdoors ~ and loves to languish on the beds and in her little box in the living room...turning every which way with her little paws stretched out before her.

She seems content ~ her paw looks terrific ~ she is eating ~ again ~ and her life will hopefully continue for many years to come.

Thank you, God ~ for sending me such a sweet and loving ball of fur in 1998!!

SINCE HER MAJOR SURGERY ON MONDAY (30, MARCH)...

She is hanging in there and doing as well as expected. Lots of babysitting her going on with me ~ and this process will just take some time. Still wearing her "cone" around her neck ~ and she is still "backing up and going reverse" in trying to "unwear" the thing...it prevents her from doing damage to her right paw until it heals better and the stitches can come out next Thursday.

This is about to wear me out; other than that ~ she is coming along, nicely. Thanks for your thoughts and emails. I will keep you updated along the way.

Happy Easter ~ Happy Spring!!

ONE OF THE SWEETEST CATS I KNOW...MY SWEET CALLIE:

Last week, began limping a bit...for a few days. Did not pay too much atttention to it at first until it began to get a bit worse.

On Friday past (27, March), she really was limping and holding up her right front paw. Could not see anything from outside...no apparent swelling going on that I could see...but I knew this was hurting her.

After she returned indoors, I quickly held her and placed her in her carrier and off to the Vet's I went...

After exam, Blood work ~ it was decided that perhaps more X-Rays would be needed and to keep her another evening to make sure and to decide what was going on. On one of her toes, there was a hardened mass, which disallowed her to retract her front claws on her right front paw.

Saturday, I went to retrieve her ~ saw the new X-Rays and the doctor states she needs surgery on this to amputate. This would be a partial amputation of her right paw, but would relieve permanently her limping once this was healed.

The problem with this is that there is a possibility she may have Bone Cancer. And, only after removal and sending to the Lab to find out her results will this be determined.

  I cried all the way back from the Vet's office on Saturday, knowing that today ~ Monday, March 30, she would be undergoing this dramatic surgery. And, the outcome is yet to be determined.

I have two other kitty-animals in my home ~ lovely and sweet as they are ~         Callie is my first ~ with an amazing and sweet disposition. She shakes hands...holds out her paw to shake...and taps me sweetly on my face. She has never, ever destroyed furniture or tried to mark furniture with her claws.

She is a true-long-haired-Calico ~ with her wonderful chest-mane. Lovely to look at, a "talky-cat"...and wonderful to be around.

Here's to you, SWEET CALLIE...fight the good fight, Sweet Girl!!

EVERY DAY, WE TRY TO DO THE BEST WE CAN...

With whatever we have ~ whatever methods are available to us ~ and in the best direction. Given our life-long-learning skills ~ that can either be accomplished, or, leave us scratching our heads over in some corner somewhere ~ wondering just what the number of that truck "was"...and did we get the license plate!

Nothing in this world is easy. Not a single thing. Everything takes consideration ~ a part of us and in our brain which causes us to reason and think things through. Oh....some things may be easier than most ~ but we don't do it without putting on our thinking caps. Blinking, breathing are about the only two things I can "think of" ~ that go on uncontrollably and without thought to the process.

All else, we must consider, determine, decide and process. We have to decide to become a friend ~ we have to decide to shake a hand ~ we have to decide to push or pull on that door to the building/office ~ before we can complete the next step.

We have to walk to the mailbox (most of us) and open the door to get the mail. We must decide which end of the little plastic bag is sealed ...vs open ~ in order to pick up that newspaper off the driveway. Without thinking, we select the wrong end, and, on a windy day ~ that thoughtless gesture causes what most would consider a comedy of errors and on a windy day ~ the Keystone Cops comes to mind.

Mindless, in other words.

Friendships are like that as well. We can sit together, biting and snapping at one another ~ we can determine if someone is "worthy" of our friendship ~ we can pick them apart *first* ~ and then decide if his or her qualifications meet with ours ~ and therefore, if there is something beneficial to us ~ and we can then become friends.

Ever felt like you have known someone all her life? From the very first meeting ~ or conversation ~ you felt gloriously at ease ~ comfortable ~ and know you could simply share your entire life with ~ and she or he would understand ~ empathize ~ be considerate ~ without blaming?

Every felt, on the other hand ~ as though from the very first meeting or conversation ~ this person was simply out to blow you off? And, that regardless of what you said, how you said it, there would never be an opportunity to be any type of friend simply because on their scale vs yours ~ there was just no comparison. Values.

Values...

What are your values. What is important to you ~ how important?

Does it matter the clothing one wears? Does it matter the rings one has on her finger? The car she or he drives?

Can you be as comfortable in a clunker as you can a sports vehicle in your perfect color?

Can you accept someone who might eat chicken with a fork vs. fingers?

What about that toothpick? Does that matter ~ if she does this at the table or in the car? Not at all?

I have pondered over these questions and millions of others over the course of the last several decades...

I have decided that my life ~ for one thing ~ is filled with unanswered questions; certainly friends that I have lost ~ those I have cherished ~ and those I would just as soon forget in a real hurry. Some who go out of their way to embarrass others ~ and then others who do nothing but gripe, spit and complain.

Still ~ others ~ who just wouldn't understand it if it was staring them in the face ~ of, if they were hit with a brick.

Wakeup, people.

Friendships are simply those who love you and care about you just because you are you ~ in spite of you ~ and who come to you when all others fail.

Where is the mind-set in that?

A real mind-set. A real friend. Loved ~ cared about ~ cherished ~

SO...OK...I got tired of the same ol' white coffee pot in the kitchen on the counter..time for a new one. After all, this one didn't have all those additional buttons or whistles and tweeters so popular now...   I buy a new one...a black shiny one....bring it home, run the vinegar through it...clean it all out...get it ready to make the coffee....  

It works...it pings when the coffee is done...pings again just before it shuts off (get that last hot cup, will ya!!)...   It shuts off too soon for me...I hear the pinging...I turn it back on by pressing the "ON" button. Only thing is...there is nothing to "brew"...coffee is already in pot...just want it to stay hot on burner!   Now...this goes on for a couple months without a hitch. It shuts down...and if I am home...and there is more coffee..I simply push the button.  

I go away one morning...come home...find the coffee all over the counter...under the pot....dripping down on the dishwasher...onto my beautiful wood floor...

   CLEAN UP ON AISLE TEN!!!!!!!!  

I think it is a fluke....and give it a go another day...   Same problem...   Ok..something is wrong with the pot....take it back, says I....   I package it all back up...ready to return it to the store...   I get out the "old white pot"..clean her up...plug her in...   I make the coffee....   She shuts down....   I push the "ON" BUTTON...for continued hot coffee still in the pot.   Again...now this one is doing the same thing....leaking...

   CLEANUP ON AISLE TEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Now I get it...   push the button once...coffee good...   push the button twice...bad...my bad...   SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo.......   Out comes the new clean black brewer....  

Hmmmmm....if this is the same problem...retrace same steps...   (monkey learn...monkey see...monkey do).....   Coffe pot is fine...  

No press button second time to keep pot hot!!!  

Me learn....  

Banana, anyone?