Jeri-Lynn's 2009 Blogs

Enjoy my daughter's original songs

2011-04-17T11:48:00.001-07:00

For Jeri's 2010 blogs go to:

2009-12-31T01:37:00.000-08:00

Jeri10-2010blogs.blogspot.com

Eulogy

2009-12-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

I ran across this the other day and wanted to save it. It would make a great eulogy. (and if nothing else, it is a great wake up call to what is really important in life. We should all make a New Year’s resolution to live a life that matters.)

"Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won’t matter where you came from or from what side of the tracks you live on at the end. It won’t even matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave. What will matter is not your success, but your significance. What will matter is both what you learned and what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence, but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone. What will matter is both your memories as well as the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.’" (paraphrased and edited from a talk by Michael Josephson).

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

Myspace Graphics, Christmas Graphics at WishAFriend.com

A Christmas Prayer

2009-12-24T00:08:00.000-08:00

“Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the Wise Men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift, and good desire with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessings that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts; forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. “

-- Robert Louis Stevenson
.

The Spirit of Christmas

2009-12-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

To catch the real meaning of the “Spirit of Christmas,” we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the “Spirit of Christ."

--Thomas S. Monson

"Our Search for Jesus"

2009-12-18T07:29:00.000-08:00

Are you serious about putting Christ back in Christmas?

The only way we can really know another person is to "walk in his shoes..." Think what He thinks...learn what He knows...say what He would say...and do what He would do. Christ said, "Be ye therefore perfect." We can only accomplish this as we become like Him. Faithfully follow this 7-day walk with Christ. you will come to know and understand him better.

Day 1: Question: How can I follow His steps?
Read: 1 Peter 2:21, Abraham 1:2, Moroni 7:48
Ponder: How can I follow in Christ's steps today? In all my decisions I will ask: What would Christ do?

Day 2: Question: Am I seeking Christ's help?
Read: Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Jacob 4:7, and Ether 12:27
Ponder: Am I seeking the Lord's help in all I think and do? How can He help me overcome my weaknesses?

Day 3: Question: Who is the vine" Who are the branches?
Read: John 15
Ponder: From whom do I get my strength? How can I bring forth much fruit for the Lord? Is social pressure getting me down?

Day 4: Question: How do I guard against Pride?
Read: Proverbs 6:16-17, Proverbs 8:13, Alma 5:28, D & C 38:39
Ponder: Am I being truly honest with others? Do I do the right things for the right reasons?

Day 5: Question: Do I love Christ?
Read: John 13:34-35, John 14:15, and Nephi 13:2-32, 24, 33
Ponder: Do I keep all the commandments? Have I put another God before Christ?

Day 6: Question: Does Christ love ME?
Read: John 3:16
Ponder: Do I believe?

Day 7: Commit to Daily Scripture Study
(The more you read, the closer you will feel to the Lord. You will start to feel His presence. You will see His hand in your life - AND you will find strength, purpose, peace, and joy.)

These Boots Aren't Made for Walking

2009-12-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

These McQueen boots definitely are NOT on my Christmas list.

The Four Stages of Life:

2009-12-09T00:08:00.000-08:00

1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.

(I warned you that there would be "tacky" posts this year)

Christmas Bunko

2009-12-07T00:53:00.000-08:00

Oh how I miss Bunko. The group broke up in January of 2007 (when Jen moved to Nashville). I had the last Bunko Christmas party at my house. We all wore cheesey Christmas sweaters and had a contest to see whose was the cheesiest. My friend Sue won (hers lit up! She's the one in the middle of the front row).

Merry Christmas y'all.

Christmas Ideas

2009-12-06T00:41:00.000-08:00

This was the live nativity scene from last year's stake Christmas program.
The costumes were all my costumes (part of my Moroccan costume collection).

Go to my last year's blogs for lots of Christmas ideas, like
Holiday parties, Christmas poems, and How to keep Christ in Christmas

nobodycareswhatthisoldgeezerthinks.blogspot.com

for service opportunities, go to:

youngmothersservingothers.blogspot.com

My Favorite Christmas Quotes

2009-12-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

“There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child."
~ Erma Bombeck

“It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one's fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit."
~ Isabel Currier.

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?"
~ Bob Hope

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more."
~ Dr. Seuss From 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas'.

Remember this December,
That love weighs more than gold!
~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it came around, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." ~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Stressed Out?

2009-12-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

Are you frazzled by your Christmas list? Keep in mind that Christmas isn't really about the gifts under the tree. It's about the people surrounding that tree.

Christmas has gotten way out of control - and we let it. Why not use the current economic situation as an excuse to cut back. Suggest that family members draw names. Or, have everyone bring a universal gift and just have everyone choose from the lot.

If you still have a long list of people you want to give to, START EARLY. By early, I mean take advantage of sales all during the year, and have all your Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving (not wrapped, just purchased). This will allow you to enjoy the holiday lights and spirit of the holiday without having to stand in lines (it also frees you up so you can participate in any charity opportunities that arise over the holiday).

Our Video Christmas Card

2009-12-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas Card : (click here)

.(p.s. the song in the background is one of Jennifer's original Christmas songs and she's singing it)

Is Christmas in YOUR heart?

2009-12-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

“If you ain’t got no Christmas in your heart, you ain’t gonna find no Christmas under the tree.”
Anna Nicole Smith

Well, I swan. That’s about the purtiest words that ever came out of her mouth. She had a reputation for being really ditsy and tacky. But apparently Christmas was important, even to her.

Tacky Décor

2009-12-01T09:28:00.000-08:00

Nothing brings out the tacky in us like Christmas. Last year my favorite blogger posted this on her website in December and I thought it deserved another run. Enjoy.

“It really is tragic that people only feel the Christmas spirit one month a year. In our house we try to be better than that, and invite the spirit of Christmas every day into our home. Which is why this-

has a permanent spot in our living room. Nothing says Christmas like a leg lamp, and who are we to hide the leg lamp under bushel? We let that light shine 12 months a year.”

Tacky Gift: Poo Pourri $24.95

"Spritz the bowl before you go, and no one else will ever know," urge the makers of Poo-Pourri, an all-natural essential oil spray for the loo that claims to trap "embarrassing odors." I ask you…What's more embarrassing--a little bathroom odor or having this sitting on the sink?

Snowball Fight!

2009-11-30T16:42:00.001-08:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

An Open Letter to Congress

2009-11-29T20:50:00.001-08:00

GLENN BECK got a letter from a woman in Arizona . She wrote an open letter to our nation's leadership. Here are some of her complaints (to read the entire letter go to http://letterreadonglennbeckshow.blogspot.com)

The STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.

Universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down! Fix only what is broken -- we have the best health care system in the world -- and test any new program in one or two states first.

Growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more.

I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes -- how did they pull that one off? Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations.

Redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs -- and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. And, what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from nonpoliticians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened?

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long.

Note: If you agree, make a copy of this letter and send it to your congressmen. (And when the next election rolls around, DON'T VOTE FOR THE INCUMBENTS! - unless you know they are working for US)

Obamacare

2009-11-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

"Gratitude is of the very essence of worship. … When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives”.
--Gordan B Hinckley

Oh Happy Day

2009-11-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

Now that's what I'm talking about. I got this card from my daughter, Jennifer. Just because she's thankful that I'm her mom. (The inside note was even sweeter than the message on the outside). Lucky me.

Welcome Ainsley!

2009-11-23T01:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the World!

2009-11-22T20:15:00.000-08:00

Ainsley Elizabeth - 7 lbs. 14 oz.

(number three for Amy and Kyle!)

Thanksgiving Prayer

2009-11-21T18:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Heavenly Father,
As we sit down at our Thanksgiving table once again, we want to thank Thee for all our many blessings.

We thank Thee for meeting our needs every day - for food and shelter and clothing, and for the many extras Thou hast provided that we so often take for granted.

We thank Thee for our family and friends who enrich our lives.

We thank Thee that we are blessed to live in a country where we are free to worship Thee and to read Thy word.

Most of all, we thank Thee for Thy Son, Jesus Christ, who is the 'light of the world.' We are grateful for His sacrifice for our sake.

We ask Thee to bless this food of which we are about to partake, that it may strengthen our bodies so we may have more energy to serve those around us in need - thereby showing our love to Thee.

We say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T19:08:00.000-08:00

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
Happy Thanksgiving!

What I'm Thankful for

2009-11-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

1. Health
2. Eyesight
3. Hearing
4. Speech (I added this one when my sister’s husband had his vocal chords removed due to cancer – I had taken it for granted until then)
5. Husband, children, parents, great son-in-laws, grandchildren
6. Health of family members (husband, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings)
7. Friends
8. Home (not just a beautiful house, but a place everyone enjoys spending time together)
9. Employment (and ability to live on income)
10. Freedom (of Religion, of speech, to pursue individual dreams, free agency, etc.)
11. Living in a peaceful neighborhood (in these days of “drive-by shootings” it’s really a blessing to live in a peaceful neighborhood)
12. The ability to travel (and the fascinating cultures and beauty you find when you do travel)
13. Food (the abundance of it and its variety)
14. Beauty of the earth (sunsets, dawn, trees, flowers, meadows, mountains, rivers, streams, etc.)
15. Memories (What a wonderful gift it is to be able to remember the fun times of our lives.What it we had no memory?)
16. Holidays (great family bonding times)
17. Good books to read
18. Good music to listen to
19. Professions that contribute to the quality of our lives:
20. Authors, poets, musicians, artists
21. Scientists, doctors, surgeons
22. Teachers,
23. Inventions that have improved the quality of our lives
24. Automobiles, airplanes
25. Washing machines, electric dryers, ovens, vacuum cleaners,
26. Telephones, (I’ve added cell phones, ipods, and computers)
27. Recreational facilities for our use: National Parks, Disneyland, Legoland, etc.
28. Resorts, golf courses, tennis
29. Television (My husband added Monday night football)
30. Movies, Videos (I’ve added DVD’s)
31. Live Theatre, Concerts, etc.
32. Talents (not just art, music, and dance – which I love, but the qualities we each have that make us special: Compassion, Ability to negotiate, Thoughtfulness, Being good in a crisis, Patience, Tolerance, Flexibility, Ability to get along well with people, Leadership, Organization, (I’m also grateful for Jennifer’s songwriting talent – I really enjoy listening to her music.)
33. I’m grateful for the callings I’ve had in the church – they’ve made me a better person.
34. I’m grateful for the restoration of the gospel and that we always have a prophet to guide us.
35. And, I’m grateful that there is a God who lives, watches over us, CARES about each one of us and wants to help us with our problems. All we have to do is ASK.

Last, but not least, I'm grateful that I realize all the things I have to be grateful for.

For some ideas of what you can do around your Thanksgiving Table,
click HERE

Lincoln and Emmy at the Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

Now THEY are certainly something worth being THANKFUL for!

(and their little sister is due any day now - Lucky Gramma J)

[photos by Jessica Davis Photography]

Thanksgiving ...All Year

2009-11-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

Myspace Graphics, Thanksgiving Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and appreciate the many blessings we have recieved. But let's not forget these feelings of gratitude when the season is over. We need to learn to live in DAILY thanksgiving.

We cannot be bitter, resentful, or mean-spirited when we are grateful.

President Monson said, "While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right. We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious of sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."

Elder Wirthlin adds this, "Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful. They tend to brighten all around them. They make others feel better about themselves. They tend to be more humble, more joyful, more likable."

How can we get ourselves in the habit of daily gratitude? Elder Wirthlin suggests three things:

1. Open our eyes. See the beauty of this world.
2. Open our hearts. Let go of negative emotions and self-pity
3. Open our arms. When was the last time you reached out to someone in need?

The Lord said, "He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious."

Gratitude

2009-11-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” –Melody Beattie

Jennifer at the Blue Bird Cafe

2009-11-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville after Jennifer's performance last night. Video to be posted soon. Watch for it.

On the flight home I was reading a book and I ran across the following paragraph about flying – we’ve probably all had these thoughts:

“ When the captain announces we’re beginning our descent, and we’re still pretty high above the city, I’ll think. If the plane went down now, we would definitely not be okay. A bit lower, and no, we still wouldn’t be okay. Maybe now, now we might be low enough that if it crashed, we might be okay.” Amy Krouse Rosenthal

She made another observation about travelling that I found thought provoking:

“You Say: How It Sounds:

I’m going overseas Sounds like you’re going to the Orient, or

Somewhere really far away.

I’m going abroad Has junior-year-in-college undertones

I’ll be out of the country Sounds like you’re a spy. Mysterious,

Ambiguous.

I’m going to Europe Well, la-di-da, good for you. Pretentious

I’m going to France Fine, but compels people to say, ‘I see

London, I see France, I see___’s underpants.’”

Apparently you can’t win. I guess you’re not supposed to tell people when you go overseas/abroad/Europe…. ‘cause you’ll tick them off. So if I ever go again, I’ll just say I’m going on vacation.

I'm Thankful for GUILT

2009-11-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

I love guilt. I wanted my kids to feel guilty when they lied, or disobeyed. Guilt is a good thing. It keeps you on the track to doing what you should be doing, and becoming who you should become.

Where I draw the line is feeling guilty about everything I’m not doing. I refuse to feel guilty if I miss visiting teaching for a month or two. But if I don’t go for a year, yes, I feel guilty and I deserve to feel guilty. I do genealogy, but I don’t do it all the time. I go in spurts. I don’t feel guilty when I’m not doing it, because I know I have done a good job and will continue to do so. There are bigger things to feel guilty about.

My kids happen to be perfect (in my unbiased opinion), but if they weren’t, I wouldn’t feel guilty about it. You can’t feel guilty for things you can’t completely control. When there are other forces working against you, and free agency in the mix, you have to do your best and hope for the best, but the cards will fall where they may and you are not to blame.

The good thing about feeling guilty is that it validates your belief system. If you don’t believe what you’re doing is wrong, you don’t feel guilty. So when you do feel guilty, do something about it.

"No Cigars or Giorgio perfume!"

2009-11-02T00:16:00.000-08:00

I’m almost finished with my Christmas shopping and I’m down to buying perfumes. There are sooo many to choose from. But someone suggested that you think about who your favorite designer is, and pick their fragrance – if you admire their taste in clothes, there is a good chance you’ll like their fragrance. I immediately thought, “yes, I’ve always admired Chanel and Chanel No. 5 was my favorite fragrance for years.” The trouble is, nobody I know buys designer clothes. So I started thinking about what designer clothes my friends would look best in. The problem, I discovered, was that designers don’t design for normal people. The clothes we actually wear would look ridiculous on a catwalk – and the last time I checked, Coldwater Creek and Marshall’s don’t have signature scents. So I went to Sephora and just started sniffing the bottles I thought looked attractive and would like to see on my own vanity. I was drawn to “The One” by Dolce and Gabbana. One sniff and I felt like I was on my way to Heaven. Would I ever wear Dolce and Gabbana? (fat chance – even if they designed a plus size line they are too too out there for my taste.) I finally just pictured the person I was shopping for, and imagined them smelling like the fragrance I was testing. That was fun.

One thing I kept in mind was that the fragrance shouldn't be too overpowering. It wasn't long ago that there were actually signs posted in fine restaurants saying, "No cigars or Giorgio perfume!" (and I'm sure we've all been in an elevator with someone who was on perfume overload).

Faith, Hope, & Charity

2009-11-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

November is here and I start thinking seriously about things of the spirit, and things I am thankful for. Today I'm thankful for the blessings that come from "faith," "hope," and "charity."

Faith: “Faith is defined as, ‘an attitude of confidence in the reality and trustworthiness of something that cannot be absolutely proved; as faith in the victory of a righteous cause or in the existence of God.’ Faith is not the same as knowledge, else it would not be faith. One of the great definitions of faith is in the Epistle to the Hebrews: ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ (Hebrews 11:1) In this Epistle, faith is conceived as ‘…a vision of the eternal realities of the unseen world – God, His righteousness, His salvation, the better country' – the vision of these realities and the conviction that they are more enduring than the things we see and touch.”
(from Christ’s Ideals for Living by Obert C. Tanner)
.
Hope: “Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope. The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we ‘might have hope’….Hope is critical to both faith and charity. When disobedience, disappointment, and procrastination erode faith, hope is there to uphold our faith. When frustration and impatience challenge charity, hope braces our resolve and urges us to care for our fellowmen even without expectation of reward. The brighter our hope, the greater our faith. The stronger our hope, the purer our charity.” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency
.
Charity: Charity and service are often used interchangeably, however there are differences. Charity is a noun. It is described in the Bible as “the pure love of Christ.” Service is a verb. It requires action. Service is the natural consequence of charity. When you love someone, you have a natural desire to serve them.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

Another Sneak Peek:

2009-10-26T01:35:00.000-07:00

Emmy (20 months old) is Tinkerbell by day ...

and Minnie Mouse by night - Trick or Treating at Disneyland!

First Halloween party of the season. Lincoln (3-1/2 yrs old) is Buzz Lightyear, Kyle is Woody, Amy (8 months pregnant) is a bee keeper, and Emmy is a bee.

How Much Obamacare Costs the Average Family

2009-10-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
Monday, October 19, 2009

"Whether or not you now have health insurance, Obama’s health care bill will cost you dearly.

If you don’t have insurance, you will be required to buy it. The legislation specifies how much you will have to pay for the coverage before any subsidy kicks in. All during the campaign, Obama kept speaking about affordable coverage. Now it appears that his definition of “affordable” might be a bit elastic.

If your household income is $66,000 a year, slightly above the national average, Obama’s health care bill will require you to spend 12 percent of your income -- about $8,000 a year or almost $700 a month -- to buy health insurance before you get any federal subsidy.

Even those making less will have to reach deep into their meager resources to satisfy Obama’s statutory requirement. Families scraping by on only $44,0000 a year will have to pay 7 percent of their income (about $3,000) on insurance. Even those making just $33,000 will have to ante up 4.5 percent of their income (about $1,500) for health insurance. The required payments reach so far down the scale that those who are living at the federal poverty level of $22,000 will have to shell out 2 percent of their totally inadequate incomes ($440) for insurance.

That Obama is charging premiums to those living at or on the border of poverty is absolutely incredible! And this from a candidate who pledged that he would not tax the middle class!

If you have insurance, you will get hit by his proposed 40 percent tax on insurance premiums.

When the tax -- and the legislation -- takes effect in 2013, all families making about $120,000 or more in combined household income (14 percent of all families or one in seven) will have to pay the tax.

By the next year, 2014, the tax will hit every family making more than $100,000 (about 18 percent of all families or one in six).

By 2019, 10 years hence, the tax will reach down to affect every family making more than $75,000 a year (31 percent of families or one in three).

The tax will take 40 percent of all premiums above $21,000.

So if you don’t have insurance, you will be socked with a mandate to buy coverage and pay a hefty proportion of your income to do it; and if you have insurance, you will be hit with an excise tax on the coverage.

(In theory, it is the insurance companies that have to pay the tax, but the Senate Finance Committee “assumes” that they will pass the tax along to their policyholders).

These costs make a mockery of Obama’s oft-repeated pledge to avoid any tax increase that would impact those making under $250,000 a year. He finances about half of his health care plan on the backs of the elderly by cutting Medicare and inducing scarcity and the other half by premium taxes and insurance purchasing mandates on the middle and lower middle class."

Just thought you might be interested!!!!! What can you do to STOP Obamacare? Donate to the League of Voters to support their ad campaign. Donate as little as $25 HERE

Halloween Sneak Peek:

2009-10-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Do I have the cutest grandkids on the planet, or what?

Jennifer Performing at the Tin Roof in Nashville

2009-10-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

Jennifer's Twitter: "I'm beginning to think that the same fairy who lives in my dryer and steals all my socks also has a collection of guitar picks".

Jennifer is performing at the Bluebird Cafe!

2009-10-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hey friends, Jennifer will be performing at the legendary Bluebird Cafe on Friday, November 6th ( 9:30 to 11:30 p.m.). If you happen to be in Nashville, stop by. (I'm going!). I'll be posting a video when I get back so watch for it.

P. S. I'm not sending out Christmas cards this year. I'm sending out Jen's CD's - so if you're not on my Christmas card list, and you want her CD's, email me your address and I'll send them to you.
Jeri10@aol.com

The Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-13T01:15:00.001-07:00

Up until last Friday, there had only been three U.S. Presidents who had won the Nobel Peace Prize:

Theodore Roosevelt (Republican : 1901-1907) in 1906 for his efforts in mediating the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

Woodrow Wilson (Democrat : 1913-1921) in 1919 "in recognition of his Fourteen Points peace program and his work in achieving inclusion of the Covenant of the League of Nations in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles."

Jimmy Carter (Democrat-: 1977-1981) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."

Now Barack Obama has been added to the list for his…..what? He’s only been in office nine months. What exactly has he done that deserves this kind of recognition? “A little less conversation, a little more action please”. What about Ronald Reagan? I seem to remember the Berlin Wall coming down during his term of office, and um, Russia no longer being a threat to the planet. Those were kinda big deals. He never won the Nobel Peace Prize and here stands Obama, whose presidency began less than two weeks before the Feb. 1 nomination deadline for the prize and has yet to yield concrete achievements in peacemaking. What's going on?

Best Ways to Ward off H1N1:

2009-10-12T23:17:00.001-07:00

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications)..

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe).

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. Gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc/bioflavonoids to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

7. Get at least 7-1/2 hours of sleep a night.

All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside public hospitals.

(Don't go to urgent care unless you have a fever. If you have difficulty breathing, call an ambulance)

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

2009-10-11T00:00:00.001-07:00

Here's an email I got from my daughter telling a story about what Lincoln, her son (my grandson) has been saying recently ( he's 3 years and 3 months old):

A car pulled out in front of Kyle and Lincoln asked, “Daddy, is that man a douche?” Kyle said “no” and Lincoln asked, “does he know how to drive?” Later, Kyle passed a Porsche that had an ugly paint job and was mocking the owner of the vehicle when Lincoln asked, “Is that man a douche?”

A few days later, we were in Utah and Kyle was complaining that he hates Utah drivers. Lincoln asked again, “dad, are they a douche? Do they not know how to drive?”

Because Kyle is the one to blame for our 3-year-old calling drivers douches/ douche bags, I got back at him. Kyle went over a curb and the car bounced violently from the impact. He apologized for throwing us all around and I asked Lincoln, “does daddy know how to drive?” to which he replied, “No, he’s a douche bag!” I laughed for an hour!

I call and raise you one...

2009-10-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Now these guys are die hard poker players! (This is my mom’s idea of “storing” Jennifer’s Halloween skeletons for her. She set this up in her driveway so her visitors would have a good laugh. I told you “tacky” is an inherited trait. She’s over 80 and still has an awesome sense of humor).

Click on the photo to get a good look at all the details.
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Computer Geek

2009-10-09T06:31:00.000-07:00

This scares me because it could be me someday!

Halloween is coming!

2009-10-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

At my age, I don't have to worry about what to wear for Halloween. I don't go anywhere. But I like to dress up, so I look for excuses to look ridiculous. The last two years I went to my daughter's house to pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters in her neighborhood. I was a witch.
Why is it that when we are young, we want to be something glamorous (a Princess, a French maid, etc.), but as we age, we don't care. (That's a rhetorical question - don't e-mail me with the obvious answer - I don't want to hear it ). I think I'll be Snow White this year.
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Good luck on your search for the perfect costume.

KISS

2009-10-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

I was having lunch with my two daughters (who have both been married for over five years now) and the youngest one (who has no children yet) said, "Wouldn't it be fun to have four kids and dress them up for Halloween like KISS?"
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(Was she serious?)
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Helping Others

2009-09-25T01:29:00.000-07:00

I know - you'd love to help other people, but you have No time and No money.

Do you have a "desire" to serve? That's all you need. If you do, I promise you that you will find something on this website that you are able and willing to do. You can donate as little as $2 and make a difference. If you can drive to the post office, you can make a difference. If you have 15 minutes, you can make a difference. If you can install a toolbar, you can make a difference. You can play an online game, and make a difference. You can just be a good example, and make a difference. Check it out.

Youngmothersservingothers.blogspot.com is not just for young mothers. It is for anyone who wants to help others, and/or just make the world a little better.

Cafe Rio Style Pork

2009-09-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

to serve 6 people:

3 lb. pork shoulder roast (or boneless tenderloin pork roast)
1 cup Pace Picante sauce (medium hot)
2 cups brown sugar

Place in a crock pot and cook 6 to 8 hours (until pork can be "shredded" with two forks.)
(If you like a thicker sauce, don't add the Pace Picante and brown sugar in the beginning. Just cook the roast for about 3 hours, drain off the liquid and THEN add the Pace Picante sauce and brown sugar - OR, take lid off crock pot and let sauce reduce)

We use this for burritos (Put pork, rice, beans and cheese on a flour torilla and wrap) Yum!

"Happy Turtle Day!"

2009-09-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

I love anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays. Makes you wish every day was a day to celebrate. My 3 year old grandson has the right idea. Every day is a holiday to him. Every time he leaves our house he says, "Happy Turtle Day." It all started last Thanksgiving when everyone left, they said, "Happy Turkey Day" and he thought that was great. He said it for a week or two then one day decided to change Turkey to Turtle. It's been Turtle ever since.

Maxine tells it like it is

2009-09-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

She's obviously been married 50 years - see previous post

(Did Grampa call it or what.)

Thanks kids

2009-09-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

It's so great to have thoughtful children. Amy and Kyle sent flowers, Adam and Jen sent candy. Both arrived on our anniversary. I've been enjoying both :)

Our 39th Wedding Anniversary

2009-09-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

My grandfather used to say that when a man and woman gets married, she has 50 angels on her shoulders and he has 50 devils on his shoulders. For every year they are married, he gets one of her angels and she gets one of his devils. So by the time they are married 50 years, she has all the devils and he has all the angels. (That explains why women get so crabby in their old age and why old men are so sweet).

In our early married years Alan used to keep telling me not to let people walk all over me. He kept saying things like, "you need to learn to stand up to people" and "you need to learn how to say 'No' once in a while." Now he complains when I stand up to him. So I remind him that he's the one who always said that I should speak my mind. But he answers, "Yeah, but not to ME." I guess I've just gotten way too many devils on my shoulders. Maybe after 50 years we'll start trading back again ...you think?

New Weight Loss Tip:

2009-09-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Self-Check your way to saving money and losing weight! Use the self-checkout line at the super-market. Your impulse buys will drop by 17 to 32 percent. (Not incidentally, this translates to an annual weight loss of 3.1 pounds for men and 4.1 pounds for women.) --Source: Consumer Reports

Who knew? (If I cut MY impulse buying, I'd lose 4.1 pounds a MONTH!)

Never Forget

2009-09-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Remember all who were affected by September 11th - those who died, and those who live.

The people who say that the U.S. Government is behind this attack, in any way, are just as crazy as the skinheads who say the holocaust is a hoax. There are people who just like to jump onto "conspiracy" theories. Just recently there was a newspaper article quoting a Neil Armstrong interview saying that the moon landing was a hoax. The paper apologized for running the story without checking the facts. there was no such interview and Neil Armstrong was very upset to see his name attached to such a ridiculous claim.

If anyone out there is wondering where God was during this attack, read this!

Are you Fabulous?

2009-09-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

Bazaar Magazine is currently running a contest and is asking women to write in and tell them, in 50 words or less, how “Fabulous” they are. They are going to pick someone in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s and do an article on them (the winners also get $5,000 each and some prizes).
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I thought to myself, “Hey, I’m pretty fabulous” so I started writing. Ha! There is NO WAY anyone can tell someone how fabulous they are in 50 words or less. Come on – try it. I double dog dare you.
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All I could say was, “I’ve been married 40 years to a man who thinks I’m fabulous. I have two married daughters who say I’m their best friend. And my two grandchildren run through my front door saying, ‘hey, hey, hey Gramma’ and jump in my arms. That’s pretty fabulous.” - I win.

(Now my husband thinks I'm obnoxious - but I say, "Hey, if I don't like me, who else will??")

Sham Wow!

2009-09-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

"I never thought I'd see the day when an infomercial could sell a product with the word SHAM in it and still be a huge success. I mean, wow!" Jennifer Zuffinetti (my daughter - she gets it from me.)

Definitions:

2009-08-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

(Definitions form Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)

Marxism: the political, economic, and social principles and policies advocated by Marx; especially : a theory and practice of socialism including the labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, the class struggle, and dictatorship of the proletariat until the establishment of a classless society

Socialism: 1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

Communism: a: a theory advocating elimination of private property b : a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed

As I read these definitions, one name came to mind...Obama.

Is Obama a Marxist? A Socialist? A Communist?

2009-08-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I was concerned about Obama even before he was elected. But since January those concerns have been proven to be warranted. As more people are delving into his associations, there is more reason to be concerned. Here's what we know so far:

Obama's mother was a Marxist (as was his biological father). Obama was a member of the Democratic Socialists Party.

You can tell a lot about a person by the friends he has. Who are Obama's friends?

Frank Marshal Davis, a communist, was his childhood mentor.

Jeremiah Wright was Obama's pastor for 20 years. You remember him. He's the one who said blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but rather "God Damn America." Obama's comment was, "I don't think my church is actually particularly controversial."

Bill Ayers, the founder of the Weathermen Terrorists group is a Marxist: And he held a fundraiser for Obama at his (Ayers) home.

Carol Browner, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is a Marxist. She recently was heard praising Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez.

Hilda Solis, Obama's Labor Secretary is not only a Marxist, she has ties to the Communist Party.

Henry Louis Gates teaches African American Studies at Harvard and is Director of the W.E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. So, what's wrong with that? 1) Du Bois was an avowed Communist and a Socialist sympathizer. 2) Henry Louis Gates has recruited radical black activists to his university department.

Anthony Van Jones was Obama's pick to make sure the $30 Billion from the stimulus earmarked for green-jobs funding attached to it gets "doled out appropriately." Who is Van Jones? He is a self-professed Communist who dreamed of a multicultural "Socialist Utopia."

Both Anita Dunn (Communications Czar) and Ron Bloom (Manufacturing Czar) praised Mao Zedong in public speeches in the last 17 months for fighting his own war and going against public policy. Are you serious? Mao Zedong? Leader of the Chinese Communist party from 1935 until his death in 1976. Known as the greatest mass murderer in history? (70 million Chinese, and countless others). That's like admiring Hitler for his "determination."

It is not just the above appointments that disturb me. Obama consistently appoints people who have no business running the departments to which they’ve been assigned - Kevin Jennings for example: Kevin Jennings as the Safe School Czar? Are you kidding me? That’s putting the fox in charge of guarding the chicken coop. A sixteen year old boy goes to him and admits to having sex with a 30 year old man and Jennings response is, “I hope you’re using a condom.” What? He should be reporting the abuser. Jennings hangs with members of NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association), he wrote the foreword to a book about moving homosexuality into the schools Queering Elementary Education: Advancing the Dialogue about Sexualities and Schooling ,Curriculum, Cultures, and (Homo)Sexualities, and Obama appoints him to be the Czar of keeping schools safe?

And - Oh yeah, what about Obama's comment during an address to ACORN, "You will have a seat at my table during my administration."

Some critics have warned that "with friends like these, you not only don’t need enemies, you might actually be one."
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Are we really going to just sit back and let Obama turn our Democracy over to Communists, Marxists, and Socialists? His health care plan is just the first step. If he gets his way, what will be next? He is single handedly bankrupting America. . We’ve allowed our government to borrow $80,000 per household, a debt our children will inherit when they become adults. My grandson is 3. At the rate we are going, by the time he enters the workforce, the government debt per household will probably be two or three times what it is now. He shouldn't have to clean up our mess.
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As for me, I don't buy it when Joe Biden tells Americans that the debt we are creating is what will save America from going bankrupt - Does he really believe we are that dumb?
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Two quotes from Benjamin Franklin leap to mind: "You have a republic, madam, if you can keep it"; and, "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security."

(p.s. If you do a Google search on "Obama's communist ties" you'll get 807,000 results)

I liked "Northshore's" comment so much I decided to put it out here for all to read:
Harold B. Lee's Quote on America:
"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. ... Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail. I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges.I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through. (Ye Are the Light of the World, 350-51)

Okay, in light of this quote, I'll back up just a little bit. I don't want to preach pessimism. The good news is that this is a free country and we are each entitled to our personal beliefs (including Obama). The other good news is that he can't do anything without OUR approval. The only way for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. There are a lot of good men shining bright lights on and around Obama.

Is America on its way to becoming a Communist nation?

2009-08-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here is just a sampling of the 45 "Current Communist Goals" which were included in the Congressional Record on January 10, 1963 in the House of Representatives under unanimous consent. (They were identified as an excerpt from "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen) As your jaw drops, consider how many of these goals have been achieved:
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“Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.”
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“Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces.”
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“Do away with all loyalty oaths.”
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“Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.”
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“Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum.”
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“Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.”
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“Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.”
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“Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.””
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“Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis."

"Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV."

"Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

If you want to read all 45, go to: uhu.com/nwo/communisim/comgoals.htm

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933

2009-08-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

"…This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ...

…Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone. …

…More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return…

…Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men….

. ..Faced by failure of credit they have proposed only the lending of more money. They know only the rules of a generation of self-seekers….

…The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men. …

…Our greatest primary task is to put people to work….

…in our progress toward a resumption of work we require two safeguards against a return of the evils of the old order; there must be a strict supervision of all banking and credits and investments; there must be an end to speculation with other people’s money, and there must be provision for an adequate but sound currency…."

Sounds eerily like today doesn't it??? Read the whole address at: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/

Big Tractor Night

2009-08-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

What is "Big Tractor Night"? Big Tractor is a publishing company owned by the Senior VP of Warner Records. Every so often they put on a showcase to show off their songwriters. My daughter Jennifer is one of their songwriters and this was her night to shine.

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I flew out to Nashville just for this performance - and I was glad I did. You Rock Baby!
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You can hear and download (for free) her music at myspace.com/zuffinetti

Barack Obama - Exposed!

2009-08-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

We've Figured Him Out
By Ben Stein on 7.24.09 @ 9:45AM

"Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?

Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:

The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008. They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-leftists that they simply took him on faith.

They ignored his anti-white writings in his books. They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.

They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student. They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and Senator.

The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.

Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth. Barack Obama is a super likeable super leftist, not a fan of this country, way, way too cozy with the terrorist leaders in the Middle East, way beyond naïveté, all the way into active destruction of our interests and our allies and our future.

The American people have already awakened to the truth that the stimulus bill -- a great idea in theory -- was really an immense bribe to Democrat interest groups, and in no way an effort to help all Americans.

Now, Americans are waking up to the truth that ObamaCare basically means that every time you are sick or injured, you will have a clerk from the Department of Motor Vehicles telling your doctor what he can and cannot do.

The American people already know that Mr. Obama's plan to lower health costs while expanding coverage and bureaucracy is a myth, a promise of something that never was and never will be -- a bureaucracy lowering costs in a free society. Either the costs go up or the free society goes away.

These are perilous times. Mrs. Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, has given Iran the go-ahead to have nuclear weapons, an unqualified betrayal of the nation. Now, we face a devastating loss of freedom at home in health care. It will be joined by controls on our lives to "protect us" from global warming, itself largely a fraud if believed to be caused by man.

Mr. Obama knows Americans are getting wise and will stop him if he delays at all in taking away our freedoms.

There is his urgency and our opportunity. Once freedom is lost, America is lost. Wake up, beloved America."

Say "Thank You" to the Military

2009-08-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to say thanks when you saw a service man, but didn't - then you wished you had? Watch this video to see the easy way to express your gratitude for their service:

Chick Flicks

2009-08-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

There is nothing good to watch on TV in August so that's when I usually break out the old movies. I love chick flicks (especially mindless, ridiculous, silly, sappy, and fun ones). Here is a list of my favorites (in alphabetical order)

An Affair to Remember
Big
Bridget Jones Diary
Can’t Buy Me Love
Casablanca
Clueless
Confessions of a Shopoholic
Cutting Edge
Dance with Me
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Father of the Bride (I & II)
Ferris Bueller’s Day off
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Gidget (& Gidget goes Hawaiian)
Grease
High Society
Legally Blonde
Meet the Parents
Miss Congeniality
My Best Friend’s Wedding
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (LOVED it!)
Much Ado About Nothing
Overboard
Pillow Talk (a classic!)
Pretty Woman
Pride and Prejudice (also: An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Ernest)
Roman Holiday
Romy & Michele’s High School reunion
Runaway Bride
Sabrina (both the 1954 & 1995 versions )
Sleepless in Seattle
Some Like it Hot
Something’s Gotta Give
Strictly Ballroom
The American President (I LOVE this movie!)
The Devil Wears Prada
The Holiday (my all time favorite)
While You Were Sleeping
You’ve Got Mail

Live Your Dream

2009-07-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

I have always loved fairy tales. They always ended the same way: "...and they lived happily ever after." One of the problems in life is that we are told over and over again that this happy ending is not possible in real life. But I say, "Why not?" Why can't we expect to live happily ever after. Why can't that be our goal? Just because we run into some bumps in the road, the road can still take us where we want to go. The bumps just slow us down a little. The only thing we have to worry about is making sure we are on the right road.

The Power of One

2009-07-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

In the book called, “The Power of One” it demonstrates how one person can influence and change the lives of others. I found a quote by Catherine Oxenberg (the actress) in her review of that book that I’d like to share with you. After reading the book, she identified a person in her life who had and continued to influence her, but he was no longer there:
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“…Whom could I turn to? As soon as I asked that question, I knew the answer; I had to honor myself as my own best guide. I thought again of Peekay, who ultimately learned that ‘the power of one’ is the power to believe in yourself so deeply that you can prevail against any opposition. I saw that I had to access my own wisdom..., and connect to a higher source within to take my life to the next stage.”
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Sometimes we forget that we have the power to change our lives. We need to quit blaming our lot in life on our upbringing, or lack of education, or bad karma. We need to take control – make a plan, and start moving in a different direction. We are not victims of circumstance. Circumstances are often just consequences of the choices we have made. (But what if they are not. What if something terrible happens that was totally out of our control? - We still have to suck it up and deal with it. It is not what happens to us in life that counts - it is how we deal with what happens to us that we will be held accountable for).

God Bless America!

2009-07-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

18,000 men were used to create this "Human Statue of Liberty" at Camp Dodge, Iowa - 1918

Click on photo for a larger view

Email Warning!

2009-06-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

If you get an email titled "nude photos of Nancy Pelosi," Don't open it! It could contain nude photos of Nancy Pelosi.

When you've got to "go" - Go somewhere else!

2009-06-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

If I walked into someone's bathroom and they had this mural painted on the floor, I'd have to leave immediately and find somewhere else to go. (Maybe that's the idea. This is their way of keeping their guest's visits short).

Proof of Global Warming

2009-06-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

We love you Daddy! You're the man!

- - -

This was my father.

He died April 6, 1998. He was 77 years old (He died of lung cancer. He was a heavy smoker all his life). He was a bomber pilot during WWII and spent the last months of the war in a prisoner of war camp at Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany. He was awarded a Silver Star, Presidential Citation, Victory Medal, European Medal with one Silver Star, and an American Theatre Medal. I'm still very proud of my dad and I miss him.

David Archuleta

2009-06-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Jerry (one of the fan club organizers), me, my youngest sis, my middle sis
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David performed at the Fair tonight - and I went! (I also went to the fan club luncheon at Milton's before the concert - I know, I'm a geek) I've been a fan of David's since I saw him on Star Search when he was twelve years old. (I just want to deedle his cheeks.)

I'm not a concert goer (I haven't been to a concert for forty years - last one was Elton John way back when... even before he "came out") but my two sisters are HUGE fans and drove down from Las Vegas just to go to his concert. I must say, Archelta fans are a great group of people. I go to the fair three times every year and this was the friendliest fair I've ever been to. Tons of people were wearing Archuleta tee shirts and everyone was asking if we were going to the concert and saying, "we'll see you there." It was like going to a family reunion.

This is a photo we took at the concert

(we won the drawing at the fan club luncheon for 3rd row seats - see, it pays to be a fan).

Press Release for Jennifer:

2009-06-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

Big Tractor Music has signed songwriter Jennifer Zuffinetti. (L-R): ASCAP's
Chad Green, Zuffinetti, Big Tractor Music General Manager Jason Krupek and Big
Tractor Music Creative Dir. Cynthia Anderson. Photo: Anna Maki

June 15, 2009 / Nashville , TN – Big Tractor Music , an affiliate of Warner Bros. Records, proudly announces today the signing of songwriter Jennifer Zuffinetti (Locals remember her as Jennifer Johnson). Jennifer was raised in Rancho Santa Fe, went to the Ranch school, and graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1997. After graduating from BYU as a business major, she returned to the Ranch School for two years as a teacher’s aide,

Jennifer started performing when she was ten years old under the tutelage of Susan Magee in an Andrews Sisters-type teen trio called “THREE-D” where she could be found performing at charity events, county fairs, entertaining troops and even opening for the Drifters and Rita Coolidge. THREE-D performed 40's, 50's & 60's music. When she turned fourteen she developed an interest in country music and the group changed its name to “Most Wanted.” When she turned eighteen, she started performing solo.

"I started writing songs because my parents forced me to play piano and after 8 years I was still playing everything by ear and not reading the music. So when I had to practice, I would ignore all the classical songs that were so easy for me and started tinkering around with my own melodies. By the age of thirteen I was putting lyrics to my music and songwriting became my passion."

"Growing up my dad made a mixed tape of Ricky Skaggs, Hank Williams, Ann Murray, and Merle Haggard which we listened to every time we took a road trip. That tape had been my only exposure to country music until 1991 when I bought my first country CD: Brooks & Dunn's Brand New Man, and I was hooked. From that point on, everything I wrote was country influenced. Today, my songs range from ultra girly, fun and flirty, chick songs to the gut-wrenching heart breakers."

Jennifer moved to Nashville 2 years ago to pursue a songwriting career. She started networking and her songs landed at Big Tractor.

"I love the opportunity to sign new writers at Big Tractor,” says General Manager Jason Krupek. “With Jennifer's work ethic and unbelievable talent, she was an obvious addition to Big Tractor and will prove herself with many great songs to come. We are very excited to have her as part of our wonderful team."

Out of the 49 songwriters who signed publishing deals this year, only four (including Jennifer) were women – so she’s managed to break in to the “good ol’ boy’s club.”

Big Tractor was formed in 1993 and has had numerous number one hits and an Grammy Award winning song. It is currently owned by Warner Bros. Senior Vice President of A& R, Scott Hendricks and he immediately made Jennifer feel like part of the family.

"Chemistry isn't something that can be manufactured," Jennifer remarked. "Whether at a publishing company or with a co-writer. Either there's magic or there's not. I knew immediately that Big Tractor was the place for me. Our personalities couldn't be more complimentary and the environment couldn't be more positive."

You can hear, and download, Jennifer’s songs (for free) at Myspace.com/Zuffinetti

Happy Birthday Lincoln! (Three Years Old!)

2009-06-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

(Lincoln is front row, on the far right)

He had a terrific Jungle Safari theme party (as evidenced by above photos) equipped with a jumping house, face painting, games and a petting zoo! No detail was overlooked, the kid food was renamed goldfish (piranas), raisins (dried ants), etc. Upon walking through the door each child got their "passport" stamped and chose an animal hat to wear. Lincoln's mom is the ultimate party planner.

Gramma J with Little Emmy
Little Miss Emmy missed out on the group photo (it was nap time)

Twilight

2009-06-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

I don’t get it. The books were written for teenage girls – but married women are getting so obsessed over “Edward” (the lead character played by Robert Pattinson) that their husbands have forbidden them to see the movie.

I saw the movie. No big whoop. I promise you guys, there is nothing in the movie that’s going to send your wife over the edge. It is entertaining – that’s all.

I see Twilight, and the upcoming New Moon, as the Star Trek for women and teens. Trekkies are predominantly obsessed males. Now there is something for the females. I don’t know what the catch phrase will be for the Twilighters (maybe “Vamps” for vampires), but it’s the same thing.

I also see the Twilight series as the Harry Potter for women and teens – Lucky Stephenie Meyer. She’s on her way to becoming the next J.K. Rowling with more books ready to be movie sequels.

P. s. I want to share with you all the comment I got on this post:

Diane said...
Hi Jeri, I read all the books and got caught up in all the hoopla. I'll tell you what was fun was attending the premiere with every single young screaming teenager in Nashville. A friend of mine rented the theater for the night for all of us "older" Twilight fans. When word got out, EVERYONE wanted to come!! I think there were two token guys in the audience, but seriously....when I say screaming...I mean screaming! I'd have to watch the movie again to hear it. Not high budget, definitely made for those who read the book, and WAY fun! My shirt read..."My heart belongs to my husband...My neck belongs to Edward"!
June 12, 2009 2:21 PM

Self-Worth

2009-06-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

I had trouble going to sleep last night because I’ve been working on family histories and I got to thinking about the things that have happened in my life that were life changing. I’d like to share one of them with you.
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I was PTA president and a member of my board came to me mid-semester, with her husband, to tell me that I would have to find a replacement for her because she was going back to work…as a nuclear physicist! I was in awe and her husband said to me, “don’t think what you do is unimportant. My wife looks at you in awe and admires what you do for this school.” And then he said the words that changed my attitude forever: “We are all important in our own sphere of influence.”
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Wow. Thanks. I needed that.

Thought for the Day

2009-06-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did...'" When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Always remember this.... "The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you."

No More E-Mails

2009-06-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

I am sorry to say that I'm through with E-mails. Things have been a bit tough lately and life is getting shorter and shorter every day, and I want to take time to see this great country of ours. So, I bought a motorcycle, going to quit e-mailing jokes and travel full time with a biker gang to see the country and enjoy life while I still can. Don't worry about me - they all seem like really nice people . It has been nice emailing you all!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Oh, a photo of the gang ...
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and NO - You can't come!

(Why me? Because I can whip up a tasty pan of biscuits.)

Trust in the Lord

2009-06-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Why doesn't God always answer our prayers?

He DOES always answer our prayers - you just might not be getting the answer you expected. Sometimes the answer is "NO." Sometimes it is "Wait." But we rarely get what we ask for immediately. Usually we have to do OUR part first. There is an old Middle Eastern proverb that says, "Trust in Allah, but tie up your camels."

We have to learn to Trust God. He knows what we want before we even ask for it. He knows all our secret desires. He also knows what is good for us and what is not. He knows that we may not realize what comes with what we are asking for. Sometimes He lets us have it anyway, just so we learn that important principle.

My Grandfather always said, "Be careful what you want, you may get it." (and as I mentioned in one of last year's posts, one of the worst gypsy curses is, "May you get what you want.")

We ask for protection. We'll get it - we may just not realize it.

...When you question God - 'why me?'

....always look at the bigger picture....

(click on photo to enlarge)

Audrey Hepburn's Beauty Tips

2009-06-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others."

Pet Names

2009-05-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

"Pucci"

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Jennifer is at it again. Today she started talking about how she wants another dog and what she would call it. A few years ago she wanted a hound dog so she could name it Elvis. Now she wants a lap dog that she can “dress up” and call it Pucci. She already has two dogs: Turbo and Junior, but she hates the name Junior. She says it’s just not right that a songwriter, someone who is so good coming up with the perfect words, has a stupid dog name so she tells people Junior is short for Edmund Von Schnauzer Junior. (She was going to call him "Tyson" because the first day they got him, he bit Turbo's ear - but her husband nixed the name).
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For dog number three she is toying with the idea of calling him “good dog” because she thought it would be funny to say “bad, good dog.” Or calling him “Here Boy” and watching him run to everyone in the neighborhood (or park) who’s calling his dog. The pick right now is “Rut Row.”
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I told her she was just daring me to write a blog. She said, “I double dog dare you.” So – here it is.

Bad to the Bone

2009-05-25T10:27:00.001-07:00

Children’s photos (He's not even three yet!) are sure different than they were when I was raising my kids:

I liked this one so much (especially the "MOM" tattoo) that I used it as the CD label for a selection of Jennifer's "Bad Boy" songs (you can listen to them at myspace.com/zuffinetti )
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It's a Man's World

2009-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

All my life I’ve been grateful that I was a woman. Now that I’m older, and supposedly wiser, I see great advantages to being a man. If you’re a man, you’ve got it pretty dang easy:

“You can never be pregnant.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
Same work, more pay.
People never stare at your chest when they're talking to you.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough

The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades (and your hair cuts are waaaay cheaper than ours)
Your face is good just the way it is (count the number of “must haves” in your wife’s cabinet!)

One wallet (and no handbag to lug around)
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.”
(edited from an e-mail I received lately)

In my next life, I want to be you. No, actually, I’d want to be my daughters. They’ve got it even better than you. I’d trade your stuff for their stuff any day.
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Tacky Grave Site

2009-05-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

There ought to be a law against this:
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If anyone in my family does this to my grave, I'll never speak to them again!

(this is the best argument for cremation I've ever seen - I may consider it after all)

American Idol Finale - Season 8

2009-05-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, I got it wrong. Silly me. I predicted Adam Lambert would win, hands down, no contest. However, I forgot to factor in one important thing: Americans rally around underdogs! At this point, it doesn’t really matter who comes in first and who comes in second. Adam Lambert will leave Kris Allen in his dust when it comes to concert tickets sold and number of records sold. Kris Allen’s support is primarily in the U.S., whereas Adam’s is already world-wide (I know this because I track the number of hits that come to my page looking for Adam Lambert’s photo and they are coming from all over the world – including the Czech Republic, Peru, India, Iceland, and other random countries).
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Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see what past seasons have looked like:
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Season 1: Kelly Clarkson over Justin Guarini (we got it right – but it took Kelly several years to really take off. )
Season 2: Ruben Studdard over Clay Aiken. Both underdogs. But Clay is making more money than Ruben. However neither one could live up to the title “Idol.”
Season 3: Fantasia over Diana DeGarmo. America got it right – or did they? Fantasia’s light is being extinguished by the fourth (or was it fifth?) runner up: Jennifer Hudson (She made $5 million last year. Carrie Underwood is the only one who beat that).
Season 4: Carrie Underwood over Bo Bice. Duh! Carrie has sold 9.6 million albums and made $14 million dollars last year. (Highest paid idol)
Season 5: Taylor Hicks over Katharine McPhee. Talk about an underdog. Taylor’s fans all switched over to the Season 6 contestant - Sanjaya. Taylor has made the least money (only $300,000 last year) Chris Daughtry on the other hand is rockin’ out and living up to the “Idol” name, even though he didn’t make it to the top three.
Season 6: Jordan sparks over Blake Lewis. Eh. That whole season left me cold.
Season 7: David Cook over David Archuleta . They are both currently doing very well. Time will tell.

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Seriously America - Picking Kris over Adam is like picking Pat Boone over Elvis.

Note: As soon as the show ended, I got a phone call from my oldest daughter, Amy. She said, "I'm glad you don't live in a two story house. I'd be calling to talk you off the ledge. Are you okay with Adam Lambert losing?" I just laughed. Actually, being THE American Idol wouldn't really be a good thing for the kind of Rock Star performer he intends to be. He's better off being the runner up. She said, "What was with the 'wings?' " I told her to get used to it. He's going to shock the H. E. double L. out of his fans with his 9" platforms, flaming stages and such. She said, "Are you okay with that?" I said, "Sure. I'm down with it." Then she laughed to hear her 64 year old mother talk about being "down with" platforms, wings, and flaming stages. Just as long as he doesn't come around wanting to date my daughters...and I'm pretty safe in saying that would never happen. So, Adam. Even though I, personally, won't be going to your concerts or buying your records (rock just isn't my thing), I think you are going to rock the world.

"I tink I gonna go over to da couch now. Where da couch? "

(Dean Martin)

The Color of America is Changing

2009-05-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

I just ran across an article in U.S.A. Today (dated 5/14/09) which pointed out that 43% of Americans younger than 20 are minorities and 47% of children younger than 5 are minorities (with Hispanics having the highest growth rate).

According to the census bureau, the Hispanic population is growing three times faster than the total U.S. population due to high birth rates and continued high immigration.

Right now, in America, whites are in the majority (65%) -but that is going to change (as early as 2022 - and by 2050, whites will comprise 46% of the population. Again, the fastest growing group among the non-whites is the Hispanic population.

Note to self: In order to protect my own rights as an American in the future, I have to be sure to protect the rights of minorities in general today because it won't be long before I am one!

Money can't buy happiness - BUT...

2009-05-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Money can't buy happiness but LACK of money can bring you sadness (if you can't provide for your family ) and can certainly cause stress in your life (if you can't pay your mortgage or your car payment, etc.). I think we can ALL agree that it is better to have money than not to have it.
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The best way to have money is not to spend all the money you get. Another way to increase what you have is to decrease what you owe. Cut up your credit cards and only pay cash for what you buy. Learn to distinguish between "wants" and "needs." Only borrow money for things you "need." If you don't have enough money to buy groceries, you don't have enough money to buy a lottery ticket (you might as well flush that money down the toilet). Make a budget and stick to it. All this is easier said than done. But you need to do it.

It's not about having money - it's more about avoiding NOT having it.

Computer Addict Alert

2009-05-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not joining any 10-step programs until I get this message. . . again.

(According to Maxine, "Home computers are the perfect thing for women who don't feel that men provide them with enough frustration").

Job Security

2009-05-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Your boss may not always be right - but he's always your boss!

“You can’t please all of the people all of the time,
But I suggest you start with me.”

..
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Women's Lib

2009-05-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

I hate woman’s libbers. There have been some good things to come from legislation they managed to get passed. However, I believe they’ve done more harm than good to our society as a whole.

There are women who would rather have careers than have babies. They have a right to that choice and they should be paid the same as a man doing the same job.

What I object to is that women who chose to have babies have bought into the idea that they should be able to be both mothers and career women. Very few can succeed at both. One always suffers and it’s usually the family. Just look at the generation of young people produced by the “liberated” woman. They were raised by day care workers until they were old enough to be home alone. Mom came home too tired to do what a mother should do – mother her children.

When my daughters were toddlers, I remember going to cocktail parties where the first thing another woman would ask you was, “What business are you in?” Most of the women there had started their own business in town. One opened up a kitchen shop (she was divorced four years later), one opened up an exclusive women’s boutique (she went bankrupt), and another started a catering business (she quit after two years). The point is, at the time, they looked down their noses at me for being satisfied to be a stay at home mom (one had the gall to say, “Oh how plebeian.” )

Being a stay at home mom may not be rewarding and fulfilling on a daily basis. But neither is being a career woman. I know because I was one before I had children. I’ve never regretted being a stay at home mom. In the end, the woman who can look at her offspring with pride can pat herself on the back and say, “Well done.”

I subscribe to President David O. McKay’s saying, “No other success can compensate for failure in the home.”

While I’m on the subject of Women’s Liberation. I’d like to put in my two cents regarding their change of focus over the years. In the sixties, I actually supported the movement because they were giving women options. They supported women. They encouraged women to dare to dream. They gave women a voice. But somehow that has taken a back seat to the current focus which has evolved into a strictly left wing political agenda and they only support women who share their political views. Two current cases in point: Sarah Palin and Carrie Prejean. Their silence in support of these women was deafening.

Are your FEET ready for summer?

2009-05-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Women always stress as summer approaches because they have to get their bodies in shape for swim suits. But it won’t matter how good your body looks if your feet are nasty. Are your feet ready for summer? Before you walk out the door in your favorite sandals, take a good look at your feet and see if you pass the test:

1. Always wear sandals that fit. Toes should not hang over the front, nor should heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of your feet should not pudge out between the straps.

2. Go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free. (Do not cheat and just touch up your big toes. )

3. Use a pumice stone (every day!) and follow up with Dr Scholl's moisturizer to keep your heels from getting dry and cracked.

Take a look in a mirror so you get other angles…did you pass? Enjoy your day. If not, spend a week or two getting your feet in shape.

Fat Girl Shopping

2009-05-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'll bet you all can't wait to run out and buy this figure-flattering outfit. Ha! But this is what I found as high-end fashion at Saks Fifth Avenue. Just the jacket is $492 (well, it is actually on sale right now - for "only" $295 - ooooh such a "bargain"). Sorry girls, but these are the kinds of clothes that are waiting for you once you start wearing sizes 14 and up.

My daughters used to give me grief about the clothes I brought home, so one day they decided to take me shopping. When we arrived at the "fat girl" department, they looked around and Jennifer said, "Oh. I see what you mean. Sorry mom."
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According to the center for disease control, 34% of American women are "obese." If you take a poll, 62% of American women consider themselves to be "overweight" - So, I ask you (again), why aren't there designers out there seriously designing for the over size 14 crowd?? I say seriously because there are a number of big time designers that are making clothes for plus sizes. But they really don't understand the plus size figure. They think to make something plus size you have to lengthen the jacket and widen the sleeves and that's it. Wrong! All that does is make the plus size woman look bigger! They need to get some plus sized models in and design clothes that look good on them. How hard would that be?
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So usually when I say I'm going shopping, what I mean is I'm going "fat girl" shopping - which means I'm looking for shoes, handbags, jewelry, or make up.

American Idol

2009-05-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

Adam Lambert is a "Rock God" - (Told you so ).

Tune in tonight to see if he makes it to the final two...duh.

Wacky Warning Labels

2009-05-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

On a cell phone: “don’t try to dry your phone in a microwave oven” (would anyone really do that? )

On furniture-cleaning cloths: "Do not use as baby wipes" (So that's why baby smells like Lemon Pledge).

Under big rigs and mixer trucks: "Do not use a blow torch near gas tank" (they had to put that warning up after a man died using a blow torch under a concrete mixer truck - I guess people really are stupid)

"The Original Off-Road Commode" won this year's "Wacky Warning Labels" contest, Steve Shiflett of Hampton, Ga., won $500 for submitting the toilet seat's warning that it's "not for use on moving vehicles." (really? Who'd have thunk?)

Daniel Berganini of Fridley, Minn., won the second-place prize of $250 for a line in a wart-removal product's instruction guide that is unlikely to reach its targeted audience: "Do not use if you cannot see clearly to read the information in the information booklet."

"Do not eat the LCD panel," warns a label on a 1-by-4-inch LCD screen, a finalist submitted by David Almcrantz of Goleta, Calif. (must be an attractive nuisance for 3-year olds)

Past winners include a small tractor that cautioned "Danger: Avoid Death," and a warning not to put people inside a washing machine (anyone with small boys wouldn’t think this warning was unwarranted. The only question is, if you warn the boys NOT to do it, will that give them the idea to do it???)
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Mother's Day

2009-05-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

This is my mom - Happy Mother's Day Mommy!

Job Title for Mothers:
"Research associate in the field of child development and human relations"

Things my mother taught me:
My mother taught me CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS when she said, "I just scrubbed that floor. Go outside and bleed in the grass."

My mother taught me HUMOR when she said, "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My mother taught me GENETICS when she said, "You are just like your father!"

My mother taught me JUSTICE when she said, "One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU...then you'll see what it's like."

(ha ha - I actually DID have children that turned out exactly like me...perfect in every way!)

Last, but not least, If at first you don't succeed, do it the way your mother taught you.

Happy 5th Anniversary Amy & Kyle!

2009-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

May 8, 2004
(No, they didn't get married on the merry-go-round. They got married in the San Diego Temple - then took their whole bridal party to Belmont park to ride the merry-go-round and the roller coaster. Then they went to the beach:

Then they went to the reception and danced all night.

Happy 9th Anniversary Jen & Adam!

2009-05-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

May 5, 2000

And away they went...happily ever after

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Women Gone Wild

Daryl, me, Sue

Cinco de Mayo makes me think of all things Mexican - and in particular, the mother/daughter cruises to Mexico we used to take when the girls were teenagers (we started out with the three day cruise to Catalina and Ensenada, then extended to the five day cruise to Ensenada, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas). My two crazy pals and I would be in one cabin, and their daughters and my two girls were in the cabin next to us (so we could keep track of their comings and goings without being in their face). Since we all live in San Diego, it was an inexpensive vacation for us and it was great bonding time for all. We did it every other year until one of the girls got married. Our girls always hit it big with the cruise staff - especially the waiters. After a few years, when we'd walk in for dinner the first night, the waiters would applaud and come hug the girls. They knew the party was starting.

2-Ingredient Drink

2009-05-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

Summer Cooler

Ingredients
3 cups fresh melon (watermelon or cantaloupe), seeds removed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups Minute Maid Lemonade (I use Light - only 15 calories)

Directions
Place ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Chill and serve over ice.

Great for breakfast, lunch, around pool, and especially good with Mexican food.

Happy Birthday Kyle!

2009-05-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

Kyle with Lincoln (age 2-1/2)

Lincoln says, "You are the best daddy on the planet!" We all agree!