Off to Houston & Big Brother

I leave for Houston to see GI specialist number 3 in the morning, so I'm trying to keep nothing but positive thoughts in my head... (and the Big Brother 11 scandal). Yes, I do watch "reality tv". I have to have something remind me that my life "isn't that bad"!!!

As a fan of the show since season 1 & an avid sociology & psychology "student in life", if you will, I have been asked by many friends what I think about what has happened in the past few days. Well, I'll save the BIG POST for when I get back, because I want to make sure it's clear and concise, so I'm not to misinterpreted... at least by the fewest number of people possible.

But, what I will say is this... As an adult, Chima needs to accept responsibility for every single action she took, and every word that came out of her mouth, as does every single other house guest. I absolutely DO NOT agree with the way Russell treated A LOT of the people in the GAME! Yes, people, it is a game, but at least he accepts responsibility for his actions and words, and he has apologized. It will NEVER cease to amaze me the lengths people will go to hurt others.

I was reading the BB Forum last night, and people are actually emailing a former employer of Chima's and threatening to no longer read their website if they continue to employ her and telling them what she's done on the show. First of all, as I stated in the beginning of the sentence, she no longer works there, and hasn't since last year, so that point is mute, but what are the chances that an "entertainment" website in Hollywood wouldn't know what was happening in the Big Brother house? It is the 2nd highest ranked reality show in the US. Plus, as I've often stated before, WHAT ON EARTH WOULD POSSESS SOMEONE TO BUTT THEIR NOSE INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S BUSINESS LIKE THAT? In this instance, particularly, it is clear that Chima has done a fine job of making things pretty bad for herself.

***I can't believe I didn't post this before I left. I guess I accidentally clicked on the wrong button and only saved it. That's why it's just now showing> Oooopsie!!!

11 Years

WOW!!! Today is a day for many people I know to celebrate the day they were born, but most importantly, to me, is my nephew, Spencer. I can't believe he's 11 years old. It seems like just yesterday that he was learning to walk and make himself throw-up. A beautiful picture, isn't it? But isn't that what kids do? Anyway, here's to you, Spence...


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!



And, since he's still a child, and I feel it's very important to constantly be teaching them the best of EVERYTHING, here's a WONDER quote someone just sent me. I don't know if I've actually ever heard this one before, but I definitely believe it's true.

This is the way of peace: Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.
~ Peace Pilgrim

Update & QOTD

I haven't posted in a while, because my health has gotten MUCH worse, and I just don't have the energy. I'm afraid something that could have been cleared up with a short and simple procedure back in March has now developed into something that could possibly become life threatening, pancreatitis. HOPEFULLY, the doctor I'm going to see in Houston in a week will be able to keep that from happening, but we just can't know. I hate to speak negatively about doctors as a whole, but out of 5, I have only come across 1 that would listen to me, and from the research I've done, that seems to be a VERY COMMON occurrence with this "affliction", if you will, and that doctor can only do so much, as his specialty is pain management.

This quote doesn't have anything to do with what's going on with my health, but I got it in my email today, and I really liked it, so I thought I'd share it.


Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
~ Marianne Williamson

Baby Shower = Success!!!

On Saturday, my sisters, great aunt and I gave a baby shower for my youngest brother's wife, and it turned out to be a GREAT SUCCESS!!! Not to "toot" my own horn, but I did do most of the work, and I organized everything, although... had I not had my sister, D & her daughter, J, along with our great aunt, JC, we couldn't have pulled it off. Now I see why my old friend encouraged me to open a party planning business so many years ago. We'll have to wait & see on that one, because I have been in excruciating pain for the past 2 1/2 days, but I thought I might share a few photos of the amazing cake & cupcakes one of my best friends made. She just started her own business, as a fluke, and we can't stop talking about how talented she is. Not only does everything look wonderful, but it takes even better than it looks, and how often does that happen? So, take a look.



This is the entire presentation; the 3 layer cake with 3 dozen cupcakes


This is 3 of the 5 types of decorations on the cupcakes. By the time I took the individual pictures, these were the only ones left, and everything except the wrapper is edible


A baby with a blue blanket


A baby with a green blanket



A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.
~ Anonymous

QOTD

I love Twitter!!! I've written several posts about this, but have yet to post one of them. Soon, I will post my "Top Ten" Reasons for loving it, although there are many... MANY more. But, one of them is the number of quotes I get in just one day. It's amazing. Most of them are things I've heard before, or very simple, although, sometimes some of the most simple are the most profound, but every once and awhile, I see one that really means something to me, gives me goosebumps... leaves me speechless.

This first one doesn't really fall into any of the categories I explained above, but it is one of my absolute favorites. It is, however, something I strongly believe in, while I also believe that you have to learn to pick your battles. It's amazing how much you learn as you age. I've always been told, "You're very mature for your age and very wise," and hung out with women much older than myself, so I guess that's where I got it. I can also remember being 25 and telling a 40-something year old man I worked with, "I've already figured out I don't know anything, and my parents know everything." He said, "Well, my friend, you're the smartest 25 year old I've ever met." Unfortunately, it took a horrible boyfriend who took everything I owned from me, except my car, thanks to my dad disabling it, for me to learn that lesson. But, other than that, I think the other two most important lessons (for living life, at least) I've learned are that finding balance in EVERYTHING is imperative, and that "forgiveness is a gift you give yourself." (Suzanne Somers) By holding a grudge and not forgiving, the only person you're really hurting, is yourself. Sure, there are exceptions to that theory, but more often than not, if you are that angry at someone for a legitimate reason, they don't care one flying flip!!! So, let it go!!!! The best revenge is to go on and live a happy, constructive and successful life!


Never, "for the sake of peace and quiet," deny your own experience or convictions.
~ Dag Hammarskjold

A time comes when silence is betrayal.
~Martin Luther King Jr.

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.
~ Lewis B. Smedes

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
~ Indira Gandhi

Forgiveness begins where blame ends.
~ Leo Bucaglia

All blame is a waste/time. No matter how much fault you find with another,and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you.
~ D. Dy

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
~ Plato

You have to give up all your excuses. 99% of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.
~ George W Carver


Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.
~ John Wooden

Winners never quit and quitters never win.
~ Vince Lombardi

We don't have to be friends, but we don't have to be enemies.
~ Teri Willingham (my super duper good friend who ALWAYS cracks me up & can put me in a good mood NO MATTER WHAT)

This next one, I REALLY need to try to put into action, is something a friend told me several years ago. Funny guy, that Kip, eh? Oh, and much props to him & his speedskating team, SWIFT Speedskating. As I told a mutual friend a few months ago, Kip is far too talented & knows way too much about the sport to not still be involved. Good for him. I'm just a "tad" jealous (in a good way, tho) that he beat me to the punch with the first REAL US team that works like pro teams in the Netherlands. I wish he and Inge the best in EVERYTHING they do. No matter what it is, I know it will be successful!!!


Don't think, Tex. That's what I do, and it works.
~Kip Carpenter

I believe that peace will start with the children, and that if we can get the children to lose the hate we can get the world to stop hating. And with that, we can make the world a much better place.
~ Greg Smith, who entered college at age 10

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.
~ Anne Frank

Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.
~ Unknown

Don't let the darkness of the past cover the brightness of the future.
~ Unknown


I think that's enough for today.

Blog Things - Keys to My Heart

I TOTALLY forgot blogthings existed until I just saw this one on a friend's MySpace. I'll have to say, for a quiz that asks questions ONLY about animals, this one is 100% spot on!!! I don't know who makes these things up, but this one is muy bueno!!!

Your Heart Takes Love Seriously

You are attracted to good manners and elegance. In love, you feel the most alive when your partner is patient and never willing to give up on you. You'd like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful... that you'll never change. You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please. Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred. In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

QOTD

I am sooooooo tired. Between trying to watch the Tour de France, finish the final plans for the baby shower, get things ready for when I have surgery & just take care of my general health, I am beat!!!! In addition to that, we had a dinner party last night, and the fresh halibut my dad caught a few weeks ago in Alaska did not sit well with me. It was so tasty, but even the smallest piece was no bueno minus a gallbladder.

With that, I'll share a couple of quotes I've heard in the past couple of days that have touched me.


To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
~ Leo Buscaglia

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.
~ Beverly Sills

When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.
~ Japanese proverb

If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.
~ Mary Pickford


You always pass failure on the way to success.
~ Mickey Rooney

The minute you feel like giving up think of all the reasons why you held on for so long; fall seven times… stand up eight.
~ Source Unknown

We should not feel embarrassed by our difficulties, only by our failure to grow anything beautiful from them.
~ Alain de botton

And, on the flip side.....


I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.
~ Booker T. Washington

Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.
~ Henry Emerson Fosdick

A Rattlesnake, if Cornered will become so angry it will bite itself. That is exactly what the harboring of hate and resentment against others is - a biting of oneself. We think we are harming others in holding these spites and hates, but the deeper harm is to ourselves.
~ E. Stanley Jones

Hate cages all the good things about you.
~ Madrianne Arvore

The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less.
~ Eldridge Cleaver, Soul on Ice, 1968

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

We hate some persons because we do not know them; and will not know them because we hate them.
~ Charles Caleb Colton

You lose a lot of time, hating people.
~ Marian Anderson

And, one of my favorites, because I believe it is very true, as sad as it is....

I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.
~ James Baldwin