This Crazy Adventure I Call Life

This crazy adventure I call life

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:57:00 +0000

First, yes, I realize that I titled this post the same as the name of this blog. That's because life is a crazy adventure and I'm feeling adventurous lately. Wanna see why? Ok, I can do that. Here's what life has been about lately....

If you want to see more, you can head over to my newest site, underground ink, by clicking here.

Have a great day everyone! I'll be seeing you around.

Hopefully I won't get crazier...

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:39:00 +0000

Some of you know that I've been through a lot in my lifetime. I've had more to deal with than most people I personally know. I'm sure there are people out there that have been through worse, but for me, it's been a rough road.

For those of you that actually know me, you know the issues I deal with on a daily basis... OCD and Agoraphobia just being two of them. Today I go to my doctor to try some new meds. I'm a little worried about how they are going to make me feel. Send love my way please. I'll need it just to get through the trial and error period. Hopefully we'll get the right stuff the first time and I'll still be me.

The continuing epic saga of Biggie Smalls

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:25:00 +0000

Yes, my puppy is up to no good already! Here she is trying to rule the bed against my 4-pound chihuahua...

Small but mighty

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:54:00 +0000

My new dog Biggie Smalls attacking a t-bone :)

The ones we lost in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:38:00 +0000

It's January 1, 2012...Happy New Year everyone!

For those of you that have hung out with me for a while, you already know what this post is about. For you newbies, well, I'm a little obsessed with death. Particularly famous death. Because of this, each year I write a post listing famous deaths of the past year. We lost some good ones in 2011. May they all Rest In Peace.

January

10th
John Dye, 47, American actor (Touched by an Angel), heart attack.

11th
David Nelson, 74, American actor (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), colon cancer.

14th
Mississippi Winn, 113, American supercentenarian, Louisiana's oldest person.

Dr. Creep, 69, American television host.

Georgia Carroll, 91, American fashion model and actress (Yankee Doodle Dandy).

16th
Milton Levine, 97, American entrepreneur, inventor of Uncle Milton's Ant Farm.

19th
Bob Young, 87, American news journalist and anchor (ABC World News).

21st
Tony Geiss, 86, American television writer and composer (Sesame Street), Emmy award winner, complications from a fall.

Jay Garner, 82, American actor (Pennies from Heaven, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century), respiratory failure.

26th
Shawn McGrath, 34, American professional wrestler, suicide.

27th
Charlie Callas, 83, American comedian and actor (Silent Movie, Switch).

31st
Doc Williams, 96, American country music performer.

Eunice Sanborn, 114, American supercentenarian, world's oldest living person at time of her death.

Charles Sellier, 67, American film and television producer (The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams).

Michael Tolan, 85, American actor (The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Mary Tyler Moore Show), heart disease and renal failure.

February

2nd
Bill Foster, 78, American television director (Benson, Full House, The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults), cancer.

5th
Martin Quigley, Jr., 93, American publisher, spy and author.

Peggy Rea, 89, American character actress (Grace Under Fire, The Dukes of Hazzard, Step by Step, The Waltons), heart failure.

Donald Peterman, 79, American cinematographer (Flashdance, Men in Black, Cocoon), complications from myelodysplastic syndrome.

John Paul Getty III, 54, American heir and kidnapping victim, grandson of J. Paul Getty and father of Balthazar Getty, after long illness.

6th
Gary Moore, 58, Irish rock guitarist and singer (Thin Lizzy), heart attack.

14th
John Strauss, 90, American film and television composer (Amadeus, Car 54, Where Are You?), Parkinson's disease.

16th
Len Lesser, 88, American actor (Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond), cancer-related pneumonia.

28th
Jane Russell, 89, American actress (The Outlaw, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), respiratory illness.

March

6th
Mike DeStefano, 44, American comedian (Last Comic Standing), heart attack.

11th
Jack Hardy, 63, American singer-songwriter.

Hugh Martin, 96, American songwriter ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") and film composer (Meet Me in St. Louis), natural causes

14th
Big Jack Johnson, 70, American guitarist and blues singer.

15th
Nate Dogg, 41, American musician, heart failure.

17th
Ferlin Husky, 85, American country music singer, heart failure.

21st
Pinetop Perkins, 97, American blues musician, cardiac arrest.

23rd
Elizabeth Taylor, 79, British-American actress (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Cleopatra, BUtterfield 8), heart failure.

27th
Farley Granger, 85, American actor (Strangers on a Train, Rope), natural causes.

April
5th
Gil Robbins, 80, American folk singer (The Highwaymen) and actor, father of Tim Robbins, prostate cancer.

6th
Skip O'Brien, 60, American actor (CSI).

May
3rd
Jackie Cooper, 88, American actor (Skippy, Our Gang, Superman) and director (M*A*S*H).

20th
Randy Savage, 58, American professional wrestler.

25th
Lillian Adams, 89, American actress (The Suite Life on Deck, Bruce Almighty).

27th
Jeff Conaway, 60, American actor (Grease, Taxi, Babylon 5).

30th
Clarice Taylor, 93, American actress (Sesame Street, The Cosby Show).

June
3rd
James Arness, 88, American actor (Gunsmoke), natural causes.

18th
Clarence Clemons, 69, American saxophonist (E Street Band) and singer ("You're a Friend Of Mine"), complications following a stroke.

20th
Ryan Dunn, 34, American reality television star (Jackass, Viva La Bam), car crash.

23rd
Peter Falk, 83, American actor (Columbo, Murder, Inc., Pocketful of Miracles, The Princess Bride).

July
8th
Betty Ford, 93, American First Lady (1974–1977) and co-founder of Betty Ford Center.

12th
Sherwood Schwartz, 94, American television producer, creator of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island.

23rd
Amy Winehouse, 27, British singer-songwriter ("Rehab"), accidental alcohol poisoning.

August
3rd
Bubba Smith, 66, American football player (Baltimore Colts) and actor (Police Academy).

September
16th
Tom Wilson, Sr., 80, American cartoonist (Ziggy).

27th
Johnny "Country" Mathis, 77, American singer-songwriter.

October
5th
Steve Jobs, 56, American computer entrepreneur and inventor, co-founder of Apple Inc., pancreatic cancer.

14th
Chuck Ruff, 60, American drummer (Edgar Winter, Sammy Hagar), after long illness.

November
2nd
Sid Melton, 94, American character actor (The Golden Girls, Green Acres, The Danny Thomas Show), pneumonia.

4th
Andy Rooney, 92, American journalist, 60 Minutes correspondent (1978–2011), surgical complications.

7th
Joe Frazier, 67, American boxer, World Heavyweight Champion (1970–1973), liver cancer.

8th
Heavy D, 44, Jamaican-born American rapper ("Now That We Found Love") and actor (The Cider House Rules, Life), pulmonary embolism.

Bil Keane, 89, American cartoonist (The Family Circus), heart failure.

21st
George Gallup, Jr., 81, American pollster, liver cancer.

Anne McCaffrey, 85, American science fiction writer (Dragonriders of Pern series), stroke.

29th
Patrice O'Neal, 41, American actor and comedian (Web Junk 20, The Opie and Anthony Show), complications from stroke.

December
1st
Alan Sues, 85, American comic (Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In), heart attack.

7th
Harry Morgan, 96, American actor (M*A*S*H, Dragnet), pneumonia.

8th
Dick Sims, 60, American keyboardist (Eric Clapton, Bob Seger).

Dan Spears, 62, American musician (Willie Nelson and Family), exposure.

Alan Styles, 75, British roadie (Pink Floyd), subject of the song "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast".

16th
Slim Dunkin, 24, American rapper (1017 Brick Squad), shot.

24th
Cheeta, 79, chimpanzee who appeared in a number of "Tarzan" movies in the 1930's and 1940's, kidney failure.

Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:10:00 +0000

Christmas was pretty different than normal this year. For lots of reasons. It was still good. I didn't think it would be so I was pleasantly surprised. We basically had a big dinner with my kids & grandson Braedon. Brae got some gifts and played on the rocking horse....

Sorry for the red eye. My computer died and I am on a loaner which has none of my good editing programs. Grr. You can still tell how TOTALLY ADORABLE little Brae is though!

I know I promised y'all Dirty Santa party pictures but, sadly, I haven't seen any yet. IF and when I get them, they will get posted. I promise!

Tomorrow is the beginning of another new year. I hope 2012 will have less grief and more happiness. For all of us.

Some time between now and tomorrow evening, I will fine tune my annual list of famous people we lost in the past year and get it posted.

AND if you like tattoos and haven't checked out my new site, underground ink, you should go see it when you get a moment.

Happy New Year everyone! I'll see you in 2012!

Merry Christmas Eve

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:57:00 +0000

This photo and story is being passed around Facebook right now. I found it absolutely beautiful and impossible not to share this Christmas Eve.

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.

Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.

Love, God

Merry Christmas everyone. Love,

Dirty Santa party

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:21:00 +0000

I went to a Dirty Santa party last night at my favorite little bar here in town, Shovelheads. It's a cool place filled with mostly cool people. I feel right at home there. Around all the bikers. That's my kind of people if we get right down to the nitty gritty of the matter. They have big hearts & know how to have fun. I think that's mostly because being a real biker can be dangerous. Motorcycle accidents are increasing as motorcycle popularity increases. There are an average of 50,000 motorcycle accidents each year in the United States and thousands of lives are lost. If you choose that lifestyle, you tend to live each day as your last. You know there are no guarantees in life and you want to be free on the open road. Those are attitudes and ideas that appeal to me.

So it should come as no surprise then that a biker bar is the type of place I like to hang out at more than anyplace else. I've grown to love most of the people at Shovelheads and think of them as family. They've been there for me in times that I felt like I had no one. I really appreciate that.

Last nights party was a lot of fun. I would have pictures but my friend hasn't posted them yet....maybe tomorrow I can share all the fun we had!

Are you wondering what I got as a gift? Is it making you crazy that I'm dancing around the subject and not just getting to my point? Well chill out! I was just fixing to get there...

I got....drumroll please....

rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat...sorry, that's the only way I know how to do a drumroll...

I got Strawberry flavored motion lotion...and no body wanted to trade with me. Imagine that. (haha). It wasn't all bad though...I'm sure I could've ended up with something much worse...like the bag of butt wipes & tampons that one girl ended up with.

Well, I'm kind of stuck here...

Without pictures this really seems like the place to end this post....

Just keep looking forward to tomorrow when you can see pictures ☺

Have a great day everyone...I'll see ya tomorrow!

Howdy-do

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:57:00 +0000

Hello all you beautiful residents of Blogland! It feels like forever since I've been here, or even wanted to be here. I've decided that I really do miss blogging though & that I shouldn't just let my blogs sit around and collect cobwebs (at least TWO of them shouldn't do that....sadly the other ones will, but I believe I've given them a proper sendoff so that's all good.). I've been trying to come back to life for some time now. I think maybe I've finally arrived. I guess only time will tell that story. I hope you'll hang around with me. There are links on my sidebar & across the top of the page. If you have a few extra minutes, maybe you'll be kind enough to check that stuff out. I WILL be back here soon, talking & showing off pictures, I promise! I hope you all have a very merry Christmas & that all your Christmas wishes come true! As always, with love....

Weather

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:35:00 +0000

I've always loved the saying...

Whether the weather is hot or whether the weather is cold, we'll weather the weather, no matter the weather, whether we'd like to or not.

I love it for several reasons. One is, it's true. Another is, it's hard to say after two or three tries in a row. I know that's an odd reason for liking it, but that's me....odd.

I didn't really lie when I said I'd start blogging again. I'm just not blogging on a regular basis again...yet. I'm working on it though.

On that note, I thought I'd share some weather pictures I've taken lately. I hope you like them. I'll see you again as soon as the weather permits ;)

Dogged determination

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:57:00 +0000

I know I kinda quit coming to my blogs, but I've been thinking about them a lot and thinking about coming back to them. Then this morning I read this story and watched this video on this amazing dog rescue and knew it fit right into my Crazy Life blog :) I'll try to come back more often now!

Dogged determination: "Steve Porter tells why he brought in specialist equipment to move 45 tonne of rock to save his trapped four-year-old jack russell terrier."

(Click on the link above to view the video)

The ones we lost in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:22:00 +0000

This post is particularly hard for me because...well, because. I've had it written for several weeks. I was working on it the night of December 17th and we had the following conversation:

Tim: Whatcha workin' on baby?

Me: My list of famous folks who died in 2010. You know I do that every year.

Tim: Am I on there?

Me: NO. Quit that.

Tim: Well, I'm just saying.

Me: Well, quit saying.

Tim: K, love, just for you.

The next morning he had a major heart attack. We went to the hospital.

This list did not cross my mind again until the 20th. That's when I made the last entry, Steve Landesberg. I had come home to shower and get some fresh clothes. I went back to the hospital and the list once again left my mind.

Then, after also suffering a stroke, and fighting so hard, two days after Christmas my Love passed away.

Last night, while looking through things on our computer, I saw the list. I said to myself, just forget it. But then I remembered the conversation Tim & I had had about it and I decided that not only should I post it but I should include him on it. He deserves that honor. He was more important to me than anybody in the world.

This years list is not as "clean" as previous lists. I haven't done much editing to it. I normally add photos but I just can't bring myself to do that. Except for my husband. He gets his photo here.

January

6th- George Leonard, 86, American writer, editor and educator, pioneer of the Human Potential Movement, after long illness.

12th- Brian Damage, 46, American punk and rock drummer (Misfits), complications of colorectal cancer.

13th- Teddy Pendergrass, 59, American soul singer, complications from colorectal cancer.

17th- Erich Segal, 72, American professor, author (Love Story), and screenwriter (Yellow Submarine), heart attack.

19th- Jennifer Lyon, 37, American reality TV personality (Survivor: Palau), breast cancer.

22nd- James Mitchell, 89, American actor (All My Children), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

27th- Barry Blitzer, 80, American television writer (Get Smart, The Flintstones), complications from abdominal surgery.

J. D. Salinger, 91, American author (The Catcher in the Rye), natural causes.

Zelda Rubinstein, 76, American actress (Poltergeist, Picket Fences), natural causes.

30th- Aaron Ruben, 95, American television producer (Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., Sanford and Son), pneumonia.

February

1st- Justin Mentell, 27, American actor (Boston Legal), car accident.

David Brown, 93, American film producer (Jaws), renal failure.

Jack Brisco, 68, American professional wrestler, complications from open heart surgery.

8th- David Froman, 71, American actor (The Edge of Night, Matlock), cancer.

Bill Utterback, 79, American illustrator and caricaturist.

19th- Lionel Jeffries, 83, British film actor, screenwriter and director.

25th- Andrew Koenig, 41, American actor (Growing Pains), suicide (body discovered on this date).

28th- Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, 58, American bass guitarist (Hall & Oates), heart attack.

March

4th- Nan Martin, 82, American actress (The Drew Carey Show), emphysema.

10th- Corey Haim, 38, Canadian actor (Lucas, The Lost Boys, License to Drive), pneumonia.

11th- Merlin Olsen, 69, American football player (L.A. Rams) and actor (Little House on the Prairie, Father Murphy), mesothelioma.

14th- Peter Graves, 83, American actor (Mission: Impossible, Airplane!), heart attack.

18th- Fess Parker, 85, American actor (Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone), natural causes.

24th- Robert Culp, 79, American actor (I Spy, The Greatest American Hero, Everybody Loves Raymond), heart attack.

April

1st- John Forsythe, 92, American actor (Bachelor Father, Charlie's Angels, Dynasty), complications from pneumonia.

6th- Wilma Mankiller, 64, American activist, first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1985–1995), pancreatic cancer.

10th- Dixie Carter, 70, American actress (Designing Women, Diff'rent Strokes), endometrial cancer.

14th- Mississippi Slim, 66, American blues singer, heart attack.

25th- Dorothy Provine, 75, American actress, (It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World), emphysema.

May

1st- Helen Wagner, 91, American actress (As the World Turns).

2nd- Lynn Redgrave, 67, English actress (Georgy Girl, Gods and Monsters), breast cancer.

9th- Lena Horne, 92, American singer and actress (Stormy Weather, The Wiz).

16th- Ronnie James Dio, 67, American heavy metal singer (Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Dio), stomach cancer.

20th- Robert L. McNeil, Jr., 94, American chemist and inventor, creator of Tylenol, heart failure.

26th- Art Linkletter, 97, Canadian-born American radio and television personality (House Party, People are Funny), natural causes.

28th- Gary Coleman, 42, American actor (Diff'rent Strokes), intracranial hemorrhage

29th- Dennis Hopper, 74, American actor and film director (Easy Rider), prostate cancer.

June

3rd- Rue McClanahan, 76, American actress (The Golden Girls, Maude), stroke.

6th- Marvin Isley, 56, American bassist (The Isley Brothers, Isley-Jasper-Isley), complications of diabetes.

13th- Jimmy Dean, 81, American country music singer (Big Bad John), actor and businessman (Jimmy Dean Foods), natural causes.

16th- Bill Dixon, 84, American jazz musician.

Ronald Neame, 99, British film director (The Poseidon Adventure) and screenwriter.

24th- JoJo Billingsley, 58, American back-up singer (Lynyrd Skynyrd), cancer.

25th- Richard B. Sellars, 94, American Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson.

July

13th- George Steinbrenner, 80, American baseball team owner (New York Yankees), heart attack.

August

8th- Jack Parnell, 87, British musician and bandleader (The Muppet Show), cancer.

21st- Nancy Dolman, 58, Canadian actress (Soap), wife of Martin Short, natural causes.

23rd- George David Weiss, 89, American composer ("What a Wonderful World", "Can't Help Falling in Love", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), natural causes.

Bill Phillips, 74, American country music singer.

September

7th- Glenn Shadix, 58, American actor (Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas), fall.

11th- King Coleman, 78, American rhythm and blues singer ("Do the Mashed Potatoes"), heart failure.

Harold Gould, 86, American actor (The Sting, Rhoda, The Golden Girls), prostate cancer.

Kevin McCarthy, 96, American actor (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), natural causes.

17th- Bill Littlejohn, 96, American animator (Tom and Jerry, Peanuts), natural causes.

21st- John Crawford, 90, American actor (The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, The Waltons), stroke.

22nd- Eddie Fisher, 82, American singer and entertainer, complications from hip surgery.

26th- Gloria Stuart, 100, American film actress (The Invisible Man, Titanic), respiratory failure.

29th- Tony Curtis, 85, American actor (Some Like It Hot, Spartacus, The Defiant Ones), cardiac arrest.

October

10th- Solomon Burke, 70, American R&B singer-songwriter ("Everybody Needs Somebody to Love"), natural causes.

16th- Barbara Billingsley, 94, American actress (Leave It to Beaver, Airplane!).

19th- Tom Bosley, 83, American actor (Happy Days, Father Dowling Mysteries), heart failure.

26th- James Phelps, 78, American gospel and R&B singer, complications of diabetes.

27th- Denise Borino-Quinn, 46, American actress (The Sopranos), liver cancer.

28th- James MacArthur, 72, American actor (Hawaii Five-O, Swiss Family Robinson), natural causes.

November

1st- Charlie O'Donnell, 78, American announcer (Wheel of Fortune), heart failure.

4th- Michelle Nicastro, 50, American singer, actress (When Harry Met Sally...) and voice actress (The Swan Princess), lung cancer.

5th- Jill Clayburgh, 66, American actress (An Unmarried Woman, Ally McBeal, Dirty Sexy Money), chronic leukemia

15th- William Self, 89, American actor and television production manager (Batman, Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), heart attack.

28th- Leslie Nielsen, 84, Canadian-born American actor (Airplane!, The Naked Gun), pneumonia.

December

7th- Elizabeth Edwards, 61, American author, lawyer and political activist, breast cancer.

9th- James Moody, 85, American jazz saxophonist and flautist, pancreatic cancer.

15th- Blake Edwards, 88, American film director, producer and screenwriter (The Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany's), pneumonia.

20th- Steve Landesberg, actor (Barney Miller, The Golden Girls), 65, cancer

27th- Charles Timothy Brakhage Sr., husband, father, son, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, 46. We will always love and miss you babyluv.

Odd Christmas facts

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:41:00 +0000

Most of you know that I have a thing for oddness. For Halloween I gave you some odd laws that were still on the books. Now it's time for some odd Christmas facts.

There are 364 gifts mentioned in "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

America's official national Christmas tree is located in King's Canyon National Park in California. The tree, a giant sequoia called the "General Grant Tree", is over 90 meters (300 feet) high, and was made the official Christmas tree in 1925.

In Armenia, the traditional Christmas Eve meal consists of fried fish, lettuce and spinach.

Alabama was the first state to recognize Christmas as an official holiday, and the tradition began in 1836.

In 1647, the English parliament passed a law that made Christmas illegal. The Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell, who considered feasting and revelry on what was supposed to be a holy day to be immoral, banned the Christmas festivities. The ban was lifted only when Cromwell lost power in 1660.

The Canadian province of Nova Scotia leads the world in exporting lobster, wild blueberries, and Christmas trees.

Electric Christmas lights were first used in 1854.

Every year since the 1930's, Hollywood Boulevard has been officially re-named Santa Claus Lane, during Hollywood's annual Christmas parade.

Christmas wasn't officially recognized as a holiday until 1905 in Oklahoma.

Americans spend approximately $31.9 billion dollars on Christmas.

I've been a busy bee

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:05:00 +0000

I've baked cookies for a week now. A week. It's a little insane. But now I'm done! Woohoo! Oh, but wait, I haven't seen any of you for that week. Boo! Tell you what...you play this game and I'll come visit you as soon as I'm done posting in all my other blogs. Sound like a good deal? Cool beans. Have fun & I'll see you at your place ASAP!

A few of my favorite things

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:49:00 +0000

*Note: I did not receive any compensation or free items for writing this post. I just love these things and wanted to share them with you.*

Christmas is fast approaching & lots of us still haven't gotten the gifts we want to get for people. It's not too late! I found some deals on sites that I visit regularly and wanted to tell you all about them!

Better World Books

Every time you purchase a book from this site, money goes to fund literacy worldwide. You get great books and people get to learn how to read because of it. It's a win/win situation. And every single book I've ever ordered from here has been in excellent condition (yes, even the ones that said they were "used, slight damage" looked brand new!) and I've never had to spend a fortune to get them. Plus right now, if you use their Expidoodle shipping by tomorrow (12/9), it will get there by Christmas Eve.

CSN Stores

I absolutely adore CSN Stores and have gotten many wonderful things from them. And yes, I have received products from them at no charge for reviews and giveaways on my cookbook, but I've also purchased many items from them and have always been happy with what I received. They have over 200 sites that offer everything from furniture to school supplies. And right now they are offering Stress-Free Holidays: Items that are marked with a snowflake are guaranteed to arrive by Christmas & returns have been extended through January 31st.

Amazon

I actually love Amazon so much that I have my own personal Amazon stores on the sidebars of all my blogs. That doesn't mean you have to shop at my stores (although I wouldn't complain at all!). There are so many things that are available through Amazon that I know you could find a gift or two (or three, or twelve) there. If you qualify for prime shipping then your order arrives two days after it ships. Plus they offer gift wrapping!

JibJab

JibJab is a really fun site! You can Elf Yourself (like I did here), send holiday e-cards and buy personalized gifts starting as low as $4.99. Check it out. I think you'll like it there.

I hope I gave you a few good ideas and took a little bit of stress out of your holiday shopping! Merry Christmas everyone! It will be here before we know it!

My husband thinks I'm crazy

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:36:00 +0000

So we had another one of our odd conversations yesterday. Instead of telling you in typed words, I decided to go high tech and let some very talented animations tell you in ~~their~~ our words.

We really are weird like this. You would like us.

People are crazy

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:07:00 +0000

Saturday our town had their annual Christmas parade. The parade was scheduled to start at 4:00 so we got out there about 2:00. You might think we were the crazy ones for going so early, but by the time 4:00 came around, we were completely blocked in.

About an hour into our wait, people were really getting weird. We saw several almost wrecks and tempers were flaring. Fists were popping out of windows and curse words were in the air. There's nothing like a parade to whip people into a frenzy!

Sitting in our nice, safe spot just off the road, we watched as people tried to jump into traffic after cutting through the parking lot we were in.

Suddenly, a little black...something (I think it was a Neon) came speeding through the lot and bolted into traffic almost hitting a bus that slammed on his brakes to avoid the accident. Tires were squealing, horns were honking and people were screaming. I held my breath.

There was a very heated exchange between the bus driver & the car driver. I could see a fist shaking in the wide front window of the bus, threatening to punch the driver of the car. A head popped out of the window of the car and he began screaming such nice things as "Bring your ass on out of there and I'll show you!" and "Stupid, crazy, mother f****r". I think my jaw was on my chest. If any flies had been buzzing around in the 30° air, they would have had a nice, warm place to land.

Then it was all over. The cars tires peeled out and he was in front of the bus, speeding down the road. The bus started moving again. That's when I saw the back of the bus. And I practically died laughing. I jumped out of my car and snapped a picture for you:

I tried to zoom in for you but all it did was make it blurry....Maybe you can still read it...

Not only were they "insain", they were bad spellers too.

If you're not a Survivor fan, you probably don't want to read this. If you are a Survivor fan, you probably don't either.

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:51:00 +0000

Did you watch Survivor last night? OMG I am SO mad!

Wait. If you DIDN'T watch but are going to watch later, you better leave now. Unless you don't mind knowing what happened before you watch it.

Still here? OK, you can't say I didn't warn you.

Both the super-skank Naonka & the whiny-my-body-can't-take-this Purple Kelly quit. Quit. I am appalled.

So many people WANT to play the game and get denied. Then to make it with only 11 days left and just give up is pathetic to me and a slap in the face to those that are willing to go the whole way.

Oh, but it gets worse.

Naonka was on the team that won reward (a movie & all the good movie fixin's: popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, soda & candy) . Jeff asked if anyone was willing to give up their reward so that the camp could have a new tarp & enough rice to last the rest of the game since theirs was burned up after they (stupidly) built their fire right next to their shelter & then left for the day. Naonka wouldn't budge. She insisted that she deserved the reward EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO QUIT AND KNEW THAT SHE WOULD BE EATING THAT NIGHT.

Any decent person would have said sure, I'll give it up since I'll have food later anyway. But no. Not her. So selfish. I told you I couldn't stand her.

Holly ended up giving up her reward so that the camp as a whole would benefit. Good for her. She made me proud.

Then at Tribal Naonka played the race card. Talking about how strong she is and how great it is that an African-American woman made it that far. Just what in the hell does her being black have to do with playing Survivor?? And, excuse me, YOU QUIT.

Then Jeff asked Naonka & Kelly what they thought he should do with their torches. What? Why even ask them? When Osten quit Survivor: Pearl Islands, Jeff didn't ask him what he wanted him to do. He just threw his torch in the fire. That's exactly what he should have done to these two girls. But no, Jeff asked & they said put them out. Well, actually, Naonka showed her intelligence, again, and said Jeff should smuff it out & then Kelly said snuff it out. They didn't deserve that. They don't deserve being there at all.

Which brings me to my other angry moment. WHY do they get to be on the jury? They QUIT. They should have been sent home. Not to Ponderosa to eat and laugh and help decide who gets the million dollars. Home. Out of the game completely. That's what they wanted. That's what they should get....nothing.

See what the people who were VOTED off think of this joke:

Muppets. Christmas. Nothing better!

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:55:00 +0000

Just because. ☺

Tis the season...

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:47:00 +0000

To let my goofy self have fun!

My step-daughter Court did this on her Facebook and I thought it was so funny that I wanted to give it a try. And just in case you're wondering, yes, my dog & cat can dance.

☺

R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:57:00 +0000

I was so sad to read of Leslie Nielsen passing away yesterday. His "And don't call me Shirley" line has been said at least a million times in my different homes over the years. Over his long career (he began acting on TV in 1948), he appeared in over 100 films & 1,500 television programs. He died from complications of pneumonia. He was 84.

R.I.P. Lieutenant Drebin. You will be missed.

And the sad thing is, I used to trust them.

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:50:00 +0000

I'm talking, of course, about Johnson & Johnson, a company that has been with me since childhood, and one I no longer trust.

Once again Johnson & Johnson has a product on the recall list. It's Benedryl. Again. This time it's the child's version but still, that's a product I use a lot. I have lots of allergies. I depend on it. I depend on Johnson & Johnson to make it right & have it help me & not hurt me. They've failed at that. Again.

The recall involves cherry and grape flavors of the Fastmelt tablets that were distributed in the U.S., Belize, Barbados, Canada, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, and St. Thomas, as well as 24-count packages of Junior Strength Motrin Caplets distributed in the U.S. Questions? Call the company at 888-222-6036.

If you Google "Johnson & Johnson recalls" you get 419,000 results. Go ahead and see for yourself if you don't believe me. It's enough to make me sick. And they (J&J) are no longer enough to make me better. I used to trust them without question. If Johnson & Johnson were the ones that made the product, it was OK. I would take it and it would make me better.

I don't believe that anymore.

Just an added note here to wish all of you a wonderful & happy Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for following me &/or visiting me here. I am thankful for you! I won't be here again until Friday...I'll be cookin' and eatin' ☺

Answer to Saturday's "Riddle me this" post

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:53:00 +0000

Saturday I posed a riddle to you:

Pronounced as one letter,
And written with three,
Two letters there are,
And two only in me.
I'm double, I'm single,
I'm black, blue, and gray,
I'm read from both ends,
And the same either way.
What am I?

The answer is...."EYE" ☺

Congratulations to Mary, keeper of many blogs (Work of the Poet, Sepia Scenes, Mary Tomaselli's Photos, Window Views, Roman Numerals Helper & Beyond the Basics) and wonderful friend to me, who guessed the correct answer!! Way to go Mary!!

Riddle me this

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:15:00 +0000

More proof that I need serious help

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 20:14:00 +0000

One of my favorite-for-today commercials...

Yeah. I'm warped.

☺