Open Thread - so our guests can let loose and discuss whatever they want.

I've given up on starting seeds in used egg cartons; Diane will be along anytime now to say, "I told you so!" Not sayin' I got NUTHIN' from the experience; just sayin' that I didn't get much. What I got I stuck outside where I'd planted seeds of the same species. Then, I tried to decide what I REALLY want in the line of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant and started more seeds in small makeshift pots with more of a dirt-like mixture. After watering, I put them outside in the sun. Did a few days of weeding what I thought looked like foreign substances outside, as well as a few days of updating the recipe database, as well as a few days of marathon cooking and I'm now ready for a break. What have y'all been doin'? How's the world treatin' you? Spill it!

Happy Birthday

du nu nu nu na nu "They say its your birthday!" du nu nu nu na nu "We're gonna have a good time!" That totally didn't turn out how i wanted it to... time to cheat! http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/yousayits.htm Happy Birthday Ing!

Cosmo question of the day

I was visiting up at work yesterday, and the question was asked: Is it important that your significant other gets along with your friends? We had mixed answers, but I wanted to see if anyone else had any other comments to make. General answer was no, but it would make big group events easier and more enjoyable. Somewhere along our conversations, I even found myself quoting my mother, who had quoted someone else in stating about relationships, "You don't want a peacock, but you don't want a hedgehog, either." Most of the people agreed that they weren't even sure what a hedgehog (the animal) was. That distracted a lot from the message I was trying to get across, but a couple people got it. :)

We've made a few changes (which you might have noticed, or might NOT have noticed).

We've added an ability to see who posted comments to each thread and when the comments were added. This information is in the sidebar. It works like THIS: If the first thread shows 1 comment, the first comment on the sidebar is the comment made to the first thread. If the second thread shows 3 comments, the NEXT three comments on the sidebar correspond to those three comments. Yadda...yadda...down to the last comments on the main page. Get it? If you click on the name, you're directed to the user's profile, but if you click on the TIME, you're directed to the comment made. Since most of us leave our profiles blank, time is the way to go on that one. We broke a few things trying to include this feature, but I think everything is fixed again now. There's a different weather feature at the bottom, but different might be better.

Hard to Type

It seems that cat #2 has gotten tired of waiting for a real mouse to show up and has been trying to chase the one on the computer screen. I wasn't sure if cats could see 2 dimensional, but I am trying to see thru her head while typing this. Funny that they called it a mouse. :)

#3: Could you see your way to a mini-reunion with your sibs down here in early May?

#1's getting her Associates Degree on May 12th and (unlike you) she enjoys the pomp and circumstance, so we're gonna make sure we dress ourselves real cute and put on our best manners to attend her graduation. I remember when your dad got HIS Associates Degree he wanted the pomp and circumstance, too... just thinking that he wasn't sure he'd get the next one. He was about the same age, too. Might be that ALL of y'all want to spend a weekend in North Texas, get a few newer pictures, meet Michael, his parents, etc. No. 2 said that SHE was coming for the event. We don't have room to HOUSE more than #1, #2, and #3, but there are GREAT hotels up the road if your dad and his wife would like to attend the ceremony; I'd be willing to cook the three square meals for everybody willing to come down. Think about it, y'all, and let me know. Dad...wife...that includes YOU!

I WANT!

Now that this puppy is starting to grow, I wanted to suggest a few usability features. Is it possible to set this up as a forum? I'm not saying that the main page needs to abolished. I just think that it is kinda tedious to Dig through all of the topics, to the bottom to see the last comment... Does anyone know of an alternate viewing option? If it were a personal setting, that would be much better, so i don't screw up anyone else's good thing. Oh, we might be getting a decent internet connection!!! Oh, joy!!!

Saturday night

I had a really fun time at the bar on Saturday. I thought it would be dead while people recovered from their Friday night hangovers, but we had a pretty good crowd. There was a lot of people I graduated high school with there, including Jenny and Jenny!!! It's always fun to be the one responsible for your friend's drunkiness. I was so happy they came to visit me. Thanks guys!!!! xoxo

We have weather!!!!!

It's been raining for two days now...pretty hard, too! It's ALSO cooled off quite a bit, but there's been no mention of freezes. Rather than constantly updating y'all on our N. Texas weather, I included a weather sticker on the footer. If you scroll ALL the way DOWN, you'll see a 7-day forecast for where we live. The weeds are gonna love this rain! The seeds may end up in the next yard. The sounds and light-shows have been impressive. The town wells might actually start to fill; the drought may already be over! Hooray! (I THINK)... MAYBE... We'll SEE. I'll letcha know.

My new resume

In thinking about my whole "occupation" search, I realized that there's so many skills I possess that I just can't find a spot for on my resume. Maybe you guys can help me out? - I can do a standing back tuck (flip with no hands). - I can eat three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in one sitting with no milk. - I can juggle a little. ( thanks #3) - I can sleep for about 15 hours straight. - I can be polite in just about any situation. - I can walk really, really fast (according to my mom). - I can shower and be ready to go in under 15 minutes. - I can balance a spoon on my nose. (I am a Spooner, aren't I?) - I can make a scrunchie in under 2 minutes (the other jz has witnessed). - I can fit a lot of stuff in a really small purse. - I can get lost in any town, any time, anywhere. - I can make some really strange faces when I get around #3. - I can kick box. - I can tie that knot that can be undone by pulling one string. That's about what I got so far. Any ideas?? :)

Open Thread (Talk about whatever the heck you want!)

I Want us to get into the habit of starting an open thread on every page, because some folks feel funny talkin' about somethin' that isn't what's on the "menu". I had some generic questions this week (for instance): Are Illinois schools on Spring break this week? We've got ALL the local schools on break this week (including Elementary). Em went to a movie on Monday (as is our habit except I didn't go because it was the show that has the bad chairs that hurt my back so he went alone) and he came home because there were too many people there. Is there really "whale watching" in the Pacific Northwest? What's new with YOU?

The hardest question I've ever come across...

No. 2 is back!!! To me, the hardest question in my life has got to be: What do I want to be when I grow up? Over the past couple weeks, I have been really trying to force this one, and I really could use some outside opinions or stories. How did you end up where you are now? What situation or event sparked that decision for you? Were you still unsure about it or was it like a lightening revelation? How many of you really love what you do? As it happens to mostly everyone at some point in their life, I've been finding myself stuck in the same routine, the same exact environment, and with a complete lack of motivation or inspiration. In other words, I'm finding myself feeling like I'm in a slump and too lazy to do much about it. From talking to other people I know or just people I've talked to in the past, they have always said that if you find something that you love to do, it doesn't even feel like work. You're happy to get up in the morning, and feel a sense of accomplishment and wholeness. That is my main goal, but it also seems to be the hardest thing to figure out for yourself. How can you make a decision like that so easily? People will talk to me about it and throw a million ideas at me, but if it were that easy, I would have decided by now! I worry a lot that at some point in trying one thing, I will realize I don't like it, and then I'll feel like I just wasted so much time and money. I don't want to be one of those students who gets all the way through school, and then hates their field in the end. Someone asked me the other day what I was passionate about, and I could not think of ONE thing. Not ONE! I want to say it made me feel useless! Growing up, Momma always told us that you don't go into college knowing what you want to do (unless of course you have had that lightening revelation already), but you go into college to find out what's out there. I know college is a tedious process, but I really feel like I need a change in my direction at this point. Tedious or not, it seems to feel worse when you're questioning why you're even doing it. I've been going for a Bus. Mngmt degree for about 7 years now part time, and I really feel like I need to pursue another angle. Not one of the classes I've taken has seemed to inspire me. The only reason I chose that degree was because it was a general degree and my couselor needed to put SOMETHING on my records. Plus, it was also Dad's request. But not having a clue as to what that will get me outside of college has really been bothering me lately and it has been really affecting my motivation. It seems all of my motivation has been going towards my job, and that really shouldn't be my first priority. Not to mention, I don't really plan on being a waittress/bartender my whole life no matter how good or bad I am at it. I feel like I have more to offer than just beer and burgers. I'm sure this is a problem that most people my age experience at one point or another, but I figure that hearing other people's stories may open me up to more angles to examine, and help me feel like I'm not the only one that has this problem. Chicago Jen has been my main contact for conversing on this subject. Her situation has been a little different since she has gone full force in one or another direction in school, gotten to a certain point, and then seems to lose the passion she had in the beginning. She did finish school, but now wants to again pursue something completely different. At the same time, I feel like I'm ready for another change in my life. I miss the excitement I experienced when I move to Vegas and everything was new and different. I miss the traveling and the never knowing where life would take me next. I had forgotten how depressing this town could be. I'm hoping that whatever college I decide to transfer to, that I could live on campus and experience that type of lifestyle while I'm still young enough to do it. Life is, if nothing else, all about experiences, and I want to take in as much as I can. Not to mention I think that school would run a lot smoother for me if I was surrounded by people with the same goal. There is power in numbers, and I definitely want a part of that. Well, that's all my confessions for now. Let me know if you have any feedback or advice for me. I love talking to different people about stuff like this and learning what fields they were interested in. A decision like this, to me, is made better when you know all of your options. xoxo No. 2

Worm Talk: So what am I doing in Detroit?

Bill Cosby (black comedian for those of you born yesterday) had a routine in his stand-up days wherein he had a conversation with God. I was reminded of this routine last evening because #1 and Mike went to the lake nearby and I said, "Buy me some worms while you're there!" It seems that worms come in different types (and I'm not even talking about the parasitic varieties). I didn't think to ask why #1 was questioned on her worm purchase, but she was told that the worms she bought were cold water worms (not to be confused with worms used for agricultural purposes...which is why *I* wanted worms). Instead of buying the 3 dozen I'd requested, she bought 2 dozen because Who Knew????? So, I put the worms in my garden and got to thinking about how they were cold water worms in an agricultural setting and how that was like a country bumpkin in the big city looking up at the tall buildings and how the other worms are gonna say things like, "You're not from around here, are you?" and that got me thinking of that conversation Bill Cosby had with God wherein God said, "I gave you that nappy hair so you could run through the jungle without your hair getting caught in the trees. I gave you that dark skin so you'd have protection from the hot African sun." To these statements, Bill Cosby replied, "So, God...what am I doing in Detroit?" These are the thoughts of someone who's just spent two hours (that I'll NEVER get back) googling "worm types".

FYI:New links added to bottom of blog.

Gotta get movin' right quick as we're off to see a movie followed by more diggin' in the dirt, followed by sleep, followed by a trip to Louisiana for a few days, but I wanted folks to notice that I'm pimping both the Seven Trees blog AND Diane's House That Sweat Built. They're VERY different, but BOTH good. Adieu until Thursday. The second generation now has control of the blog.

Waittressing

I found something to talk about!!!!! So, I just had a meeting at work talking about how our servers need to be more professional. Apparently, I am the one they are choosing to do the evaluation on all the other waittresses. Now, some things are obvious when it comes to good service, but can you guys comment on what you expect from a server at a restaurant to just help me think outside the box. I guess it's not even a matter of what to do, but what not to do. Some of the points I want to address are as follows: Proper greeting Proper language Empty glass/plate removal Timely service Anticipation of customer's needs Follow up/closing Maybe you guys would have some stories of bad service or even just things you've noticed before. Sorry, that's about all I got. Work and school are my life right now, and I doubt you want to hear about Spanish, Algebra, or Accounting! :)

The Power is MINE!!!

I don't know what made it work, but it worked! Here I am. Writing my own posts. Must have been my email since it worked from mom's. AND I was already logged in to the blog. Weird! Anyways, now that I have your attention. Let's talk about something other than gardening for a moment...... Well, damn. I don't think I have anything interesting to talk about. I just left my Dad's house, but we already talked about parents and their clutter... Well, I guess I'll be back when I have something more interesting to talk about. (evil laugh) Ha ha ha! First Mom's blog, and then the WORLD!!!

On Junk (or one man's junk is another man's treasure).

I'm not a junkster, but I know and have known plenty of people who were. You wouldn't want to suggest that they get rid of their junk. The following article is from Tightwad Tidbits Daily (TM): Leave Mama's Junk Alone by Barbara Morris A young friend (about age 30) and I (age 75) were talking about all the "junk" we collect over time. The conversation turned to how much "junk" her mother had, and I said I understood because by the time you reach my age, even if you are not a chronic pack rat, "junk" accumulates. My lame excuse for saving things is that I work full time and deciding what to get rid of is not a priority. Another justification is that I grew up during the Great Depression, always wanting "things" of my own -- and now I've got them. Get rid of them? You're kidding! The conversation with my young friend shifted to her brother still living at home. He needed more space in the garage for his car, and Mama's "junk" was taking up more space than he deemed necessary, so he threw some of it out when Mama was not at home. "She'll never miss it," he rationalized. It appears that more than a few adult children feel the same way. On several occasions my Boomer-age daughter, who doesn't live with or near me, and should not be bothered by my junk, has suggested, "Why don't you get rid of all this stuff." What should it matter to adult children, living in their own home with junk of their own, how much stuff you collect? After you are gone, they can back up a garbage truck to the garage, and get rid of it. On the other hand, if they are smart, they will hold on to the treasures, or have a garage sale. Some of the stuff my generation has been saving from "day one" now has antique status and may have value, perhaps not to unappreciative children, but to savvy collectors. Let me explain something to adult children about old people, i.e., their parents: If retired, there probably are no more long or even short term goals, no more exciting dreams or aspirations -- nothing to strive for. Life is lived as a pastime -- golf, gardening, travel, shopping. "Remember when" is an integral part of a typical retiree's conversation. And that's okay. Those scraps of material Mama has been saving that you think she doesn't need and won't miss are tangible evidence of a happy time that can be revisited by touching or seeing those pieces of cloth. It gives her a warm and fuzzy feeling when emotional warmth may be in short supply. Until there is a good reason to do otherwise, leave Mama alone with all her junk. It's not yours to dispose of until she dies or asks you to get rid of it. You would not be happy if she came into your home while you were away and threw out what she considered "junk." After all, you are at an age when you've already collected a few useless trinkets that have great meaning to you but would be rated "junk" by others. What goes around comes around. Respect rights of others, especially your parents. Your young children will learn from your good example and if you are lucky, they will not throw out your precious "junk" behind your back when you are old. Barbara Morris, R.Ph. is a practicing pharmacist and expert on anti-aging strategies. She is the author of Put Old on Hold. Visit her website Put on Hold

Backyard Garden. Some call it a lifestyle; *I* call it a pain in the (pick a place).

Diane sent me a care-package that included not only seeds but live plants, so I got forced into starting my backyard garden [not because Diane forced me, but because the live plants needed to get out there...in the soil...mixing it up with nature.] As Emeril would say, "BAM!" I'm TRYING to use the Square Foot Gardening method. Diane's shipped plants took up the first 6 squares. Well, actually, North End (left to right) 01. Egyptian Walking Onion (whole square) 02. Spearmint (whole square) 03. Fire Ants (whole square) 04. Elephant garlic (whole square) 05. Lemon Balm (whole square) 06. Peppermint (whole square) 'twas yesterday, methinks, that I turned over the soil out there and made the squares; added the necessary stuff to make soil today. On day 1 I got 4 fireant bites with 5 more today (and I didn't even try to go beyond the supplement phase today!) Slot 3 is an open slot until the fireant killer kicks in. Did some errands and still had a little steam left, so did three more squares using seeds and plants acquired during the errands: 07. Planted three Black prince tomato seeds (You gave me enough seeds to test the "fittest will survive" philosophy, Diane!), a few turnip seeds around there, too and a Doone Valley Thyme PLANT. 08. Planted a few Martian Grant Tomato seeds, a few Cayenne Chile Pepper Seeds, a few Top Crop Bush Beans, and a few cilantro PLANTS. 09. Planted a few chard seeds, a few Aztec tomato seeds, a few marigold seeds, and a compact basil PLANT. THEN...I ran out of steam, showered and washed my hair; I smelled like a wild animal. I'll take this up again tomorrow after my teeth-cleaning appointment...the planting, I mean.