Give Me Five Monday Meme #51

Monday, September 14, 2009

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five of your favorite ways to be crafty or creative.

1. I love to cook! Can't wait to get my hands juicy and hear that sizzle.
2. Scrapbooking, I love to be creative showing off my pictures.
3. Photography. I've always enjoyed taking pictures of .... well, everything!
4. Crocheting. I'm just getting into it and I'm already creating my own patterns.
5. Various sewing projects. I think it's a lost art, not many of my friends know their way around a sewing machine, sad.

So, how about you? What crafts and crea-tivities do you enjoy?

Warning: Political post on health care reform

I don't go into politics much here on BeccA's Buzz. From time to time I do come across information on various current issues that I share with my readers and that sometimes includes what's going on in our government. I'm on record as saying, I'm not one for picking political sides....liberal vs. conservative or democrat vs. republican...I dislike politics on many levels but I get the need to have more than one choice.

Today I'd like to share a piece written by Jordan Sekulow. He and his father Jay Sekulow are out there on the front lines fighting and winning legal battles for you and me with the American Center for Law and Justice. He has written a very important article called Obama should be apologizing, not Congressman Wilson.

I do agree there needs to be health care reform...I do not agree with the current proposal. Do be careful if you choose to comment. I will be moderating comments closely. Go to the ACLJ.org and sign the petition if you want to say NO to government run health care.

Gold into Cash, serious cash!

Seriously.

When I first thought about that old broken, thin gold chain that was in my jewelry box...I never imagined it would be worth anything. Once I began to go through my old jewelry, I found a few thin chains, a heart locket that was dented and scratched and a big silver cross pendant that would NEVER stay polished. It was a gift and never looked very good because it tarnished faster than I could shine it up!

So I decided to find out how much cash for gold I could get. I went to the website, entered my info and they sent me a FedEx package in the mail. You simply put your gold, silver or platinum in the bag, fill out the inventory sheet (4 necklaces, 1 locket and 1 pendant in my case), seal up the prepaid package and drop it off at a staffed FedEx location! A couple of days later, they send you an email with an offer! Here's a picture of the small items I sent in:

I thought perhaps I'd get $20 or $25 for it. After all, one of the chains was broken and more than one was stamped with 10k, not even 14k. The locket was scratched and dented....anyway, what was taking up room in my jewelry box for usable pieces would certainly not be missed by me. I was delighted to receive an offer by email for $69.85!!! Say what?! Wow, I'm impressed. Now it's a couple of days later and the money has been deposited into my PayPal account. I think I'll go back and see what else I may have in there just taking up space! :) This was a very fun and exciting and profitable experience. I'd do it again! I need to get one of those metal detectors and go out on treasure hunts! LOL

Paul Harvey - The Testing Time!

I hope you have the time to listen to these 3 parts (about 24 minutes in all) that make up a very pertinent piece from Paul Harvey...from the early 1960's.

Part 1 of 3


Part 2 of 3


Part 3 of 3


Thank you for listening :)

'Fearless' by Max Lucado: Book review

"Fearless: Imagine your life without fear"

Wow, what a book! This couldn't have come at a better time for me. This book is a reminder to Christians everywhere that God is still in control and His plan is working to His divine specifications! We are never promised not to have trials. No, we are warned they will come! As Max so eloquently states, 'Fear not' (and it's variants) is the most common Christ-issued imperative!

I have 2 favorite chapters in this book. The first one is the first chapter called 'Why are we afraid?' It certainly helps to gain an understanding of where fear comes from. One of the statistics he gave was that 'ordinary children today are more fearful than psychiatric patients were in the 1950's.' (The Report Newsmagazine Jan, 22, 2001)

He then goes on, discussing letting faith be your default reaction to threats instead of fear. Take the story of the great storm that rose up when Jesus and the disciples were all in the boat out on the Galilean sea...he says, "...this story sends the not-so-subtle and not-too-popular reminder: getting on board with Christ can mean getting soaked with Christ! ... Christ-followers contract malaria, bury children, and battle addictions, and as a result, face fears. It's not the absence of storms that sets us apart. It's whom we discover in the storm: an unstirred Christ."

He also explains that fears cause us to raise doubts about Jesus' character. "Fear corrodes our confidence in God's goodness. We begin to wonder if love lives in heaven. If God can sleep in our storms, if His eyes stay shut when our eyes grow wide, if He permits storms after we get on His boat, does He care? Fear unleashes a swarm of doubts, anger-stirring doubts. And it turns us into control freaks. Fear at it's center is a perceived loss of control." "Fear drains us dry of contentment." "When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. When safety becomes our god, we worship the risk-free life. The fear filled cannot love deeply, it's too risky!"

Time after time, Jesus called us to courage. Matt. 10:31, Matt. 6:25, John 14:1-3, Luke 24:38. These are just a few examples. Matt. 8:26-27 "He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'"

My second favorite book hits pretty close to home. I must admit having some issues with disheartening direction things seem to be going lately. It is called 'What if things get worse? Fear of global calamity' Jesus has equipped us with "...far-sighted courage. He listed the typhoons of life and then pointed them to the end. Trust in ultimate victory gives ultimate courage!" This book is just filled with encouragement for believers and biblical reminders that we will face storms and it's likely to get worse instead of better. But don't be fearful because it's all part of His divine and providential plan, even the ugly and painful persecution which seems to be on the rise! Max says, "Nature is a pregnant creation, third-trimester heavy. The universe is passing through the final hours before delivery. Painful contractions are in the forecast." Matt. 24:6-8

I highly recommend this book. Max Lucado is an extremely talented writer and I feel blessed to have this book in my library to give me strength and encouragement..not just for me but for those around me too! We all need to be reminded of what God's Word says about this life and the next. Order Fearless today and let me know what you think about it's message to you! "Imagine your life without fear!"

Give Me Five Monday Meme #50

Monday, September 7, 2009

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five end-of-summer wrap up thoughts.

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer time. I had some goals for this summer that went unattended. Also, some of you might want to sum up some of the summer time excitement that you did actually get around to...or some combination of both! :)

1. Visit the river. Easily one of my favorite summer time activities...didn't happen once this year. :(

2. Finish the kitchen project. Some of you may remember stories I've posted about getting a new floor in my kitchen and how everything was in my living room....well, there are certain parts of the kitchen that have yet to make it back into a new home in the newly designed kitchen. Still working on it though!

3. Take advantage of opportunities at my second job. This I have been able to do! I try to say yes whenever my schedule permits. I figure, if I don't work when someone asks me, that is a wasted opportunity to make money that will only come that one time around. So it's been nice to have the extra money. Only trouble is, I seem to need it when it comes instead of getting ahead. Oh well, sometimes keeping up is just as important as not getting behind!

4. Hang out with friends. Clearly affected by #3, I did not enjoy this one as much as I would have liked this summer. But there were a couple of fun times with friends :)

5. Give Me Five meme is back! After a few months on hiatus, I revived the GM5 meme for Mondays and it seems to be a hit, again!! Keep up the great work everyone!!

I hope you are sitting down...

I'm about to talk about makeup! Yes, you heard me right and I warned you to be sitting down!

I had fun learning about Bare Minerals makeup and all that it offers, including SPF 15: priceless! I love the idea that it is made from real minerals and not chemicals and preservatives. I always felt like a clown when my friends put makeup on me with the way the other traditional foundations and powders felt packed onto my face. If someone isn't used to the feeling of it, a little feels like a lot! Bare Minerals claims to feel weightless, well I'd love to give that a try! I do have a birthday coming up...Hmmm.....



Happy Birthday me! I'll just email her the link and I'll be blended and flawless in no time! Well, after some trial and error and a couple of turns on that instructional DVD too! LOL

Give Me Five Monday Meme #49

Monday, August 31, 2009

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five places in the world you'd like to live for a year.

1. New York, New York
2. England
3. Italy
4. Greece
5. Hawaii

Hey, I can dream, right? I'm feeling that strong desire to get away lately. Last week was very trying. There have been some changes to my life this week that actually have me contemplating moving. That's right, as in pack up some moving boxes and have new keys on my keyring! Until I can make those kinds of changes, I just want to dream about new places to live.

Give Me Five Monday Meme #48

Monday, August 24, 2009

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five back to school memories.

1. Butterflies in my tummy.
2. Planning that perfect 1st day of school outfit.
3. New school jitters.
4. How heavy books seemed after the summer off.
5. Meeting my new teacher and hoping she was nice.

Dinner for 1 at the car wash

Friday night after work I decided to go by the car wash and give my car a good once over. It's been a long, long time since I've washed or vacuumed it and frankly, it was filthy inside and out! I love using those clean up wipes for all the interior surfaces and knobs and dials. It's crazy how fast a car gets dirty!

Now I don't know about you but I can sometimes be surprised what ends up in the floorboard of the back seat. Partial drinks migrate back there along with junk mail and papers of all sorts. I've even found gloves buried under there, if that gives you some indication as to how long in between cleaning it all out I get around to.

So the first thing to do is clear out all the trash in preparation for the industrial vacuum which will suck in anything that will fit through it's nozzle in a 2 foot radius. That's $.75 and 2 minutes well spent!

Suddenly I'm aware of a man at the trashcan near my car. And he's rooting around in there. You know, not just walk up and toss...but pulling things out! Ok, searching for 'treasures' of some sort like usable clothing that has been tossed, I get that. These are hard times we're having! No, no...he proceeded to pull out a partially empty Gaterade bottle and opened that puppy up and took a big ol' drink off it like it was fresh from the store! Who the heck knows who had their lips on it before him or even how old it was!!

Now, you might think that was pretty gross but I have to be honest with you when I say, this was NOT the first time I've seen this happen-at this car wash even. I had been there another time and a man was 'dumpster diving' and drank a Yoo-Hoo chocolate drink! Now *THAT* is sick!! Bleh, seriously, I may have just thrown up a little in my mouth at the memory of seeing it.

Dear Lord,

Please let this have been the same man. Surely there aren't 2 people doing this in the world?!

I pretty much figured no one would believe me so I grabbed for my camera. By the time I got it out, he had moved on to the next couple of trashcans where he scored a motherload of various breads. As you can see here, he is lining them up on top of the trash can (of course) and bagging them up to enjoy later.

He then walks off enjoying what appears to be a *scrumptious* bagel, carrying his prized bag of loot. Dinner for 1, car wash style!

Give Me Five Monday Meme #47

Monday, August 17, 2009

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five memorable things you have done before.


1. Flown a few times in a helicopter (loved it!).
2. Floated weightless and care free in one of the pools at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, Nassau Bahamas.
3. Made pasta by hand at a culinary class in Tuscany.
4. Got up close and personal with the ancient stones of Stonehenge in the English countryside.
5. Stood in awe at the edge of the Grand Canyon.

For me, adventures in travel rank high on my list of happy memories. I don't care to sit around thinking about what Medicare supplement will work for me. Unfortunately, in order to afford trips, I have to spend most of my time working :) But even planning a trip makes me happy. I wonder where my next adventure will take me!

Facebook friends, Vote for PJ today!

I entered PJ into a 'Cutest Cat' photo contest on a Facebook Animal Rescue page. You can vote for PJ 1 time a day, each day until the 17th. I don't think he'll win with only just entering him today and there's only a few days left to vote. Besides that, everyone who sees my post asking for votes seems to be also entering their cat photos into the contest LOL And all the photos really are very cute so it's hard to pick just one to vote for. It's not impossible for him to win or even come close but without exposure like promo from this blog and the like, it'd be like trying to score high on the GMAT test without proper GMAT prep! Aint gonna happen :) So go log into Facebook and follow my link to vote...everyday AND tell your friends on Facebook!! Here's a sneak peak at the picture of PJ, see, isn't he the cutest!?!?!?!

Chill-axin' in the sun!

Give Me Five Monday Meme #46

Monday, August 10, 2009

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five random things you've never done before.

1. I've never stood underneath Mount Rushmore.
2. I've never ridden on a camel.
3. I've never been para sailing.
4. I've never driven an 18 wheel truck.
5. I've never built a dog house.

Curiosity can lead you into charted territories

Sometimes when I'm sitting at my desk at work, I get the distinct feeling my desk and the floor are vibrating. Kinda like an earthquake's after shock. Now for the most part, I get that these things happen on minute scales from time to time. Also, sometimes there are crews blasting in the vicinity of our office location due to the construction of the new casino, like we need another one of those here in St. Louis. But I digress.

So my curiosity got the better of me today and I decided to try and find a real time seismograph. Of course, I couldn't find one but I did find the SLU website showing screenshots for recent seismograph readings. Can anyone reading this blog help me interpret this reading from 8-3-09?

Seriously, that's freaky! What do the various colors mean? Other readings listed from around Missouri, Southern Illinois, Tennesee and the like, show similar activity at the same time. I'm sure this is more common that we are told but still. Freaky!

Big changes coming soon!

There are some pretty big and exciting changes coming here to BeccA's Buzz...Mum's the word so stay tuned to find out!!!

Twitter much?

How many of my blogging friends are on Twitter? Let's follow each other! Follow me here and I'll follow you, too. :)

Give Me Five Monday Meme #46

Monday, August 3, 2009

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five words that describe your blog!

1. Random
2. Faith
3. Oddball
4. Pet Peeves
5. Fun!

Give Me Five Monday Meme is coming back!

I know it has been a few months I've decided to take a break from the Monday meme called Give Me Five! My apologies to all those who enjoyed playing along, I just have not been able to get back in that blogging place where GM5 is my priority. Well, that is about to change!

Very soon, I will be starting the meme again and we will have all sorts of new topics to post about! As always, please leave a comment or email me with your topic suggestions. Just try to remember that they need to be neutral...you know, they need to be open to a wide range of people. For instance, I might ask you to Give Me Five songs from your Mp3 players that you just can't help but to sing along to. Or something like that :)

So stay tuned, The GM5 is coming back!

Count me in...

I've been thinking about alot of random things lately. One particular thought that lingers is how lazy we are these days with all our modern inventions. I remember hearing my grandma talk about making soap. Yeah, making it into bars to wash their clothes and persons. What???

We are so lazy now, we not only have liquid soap with a pump dispenser on top, oh no! We now have pumps that give off foaming soap suds! Are we really so lazy it's too much effort for us to rub our hands together to lather up the soap, we need a pump to dispense it out that way? What's next? A diet pill for cats?

Eh, why not? Besides, with Bath and Body works, the foam dispensers come in such wonderful flavors! LOL My fave for the kitchen is Coconut Lime Verbena, just in case anyone wants to pick one up for me as a gift sometime. Or Dancing Waters is great for my bathroom! :) (Pssst, they are on sale right now, too!)

I need something.......

Today feels like a needy day. I can just tell that there's something I need today more than other days. What can it be? Breakfast? No, that's not it. Exercise? Probably, but that's not quite it either. Horse supplements? No, most likely not since I'm fresh out of stallions this week. Oh I know what it is! I woke up at 5 am today in an effort to get to work by 6:30 am. Didn't happen. There were a couple of days this week I didn't get my full 8 hours in and today I have to leave early to get to my second job. I did get here at 7 am which is like 3 1/2 hours earlier than I have been in the past! Oh, did I mention I didn't go to sleep until 2 am? No, today, I need COFFEE!!!

Good morning, coffee. You're just what I need! And keep em' coming, between the two jobs, I'll work 15 hours. Not too much but more than I'm used to. And waaaaay more than the 3ish hours of sleep I got will cover! Pray for me!!

Sweet contest, sweet prize!

I just found out about a sweet contest that Kat is having over at My Single Mom Life. The prize is this great apron called 'Summer Lemons' that would go perfectly in my new kitchen!!

This apron is just one of many created and available over at Jessie Steele's website. I happen to love this bright yellow and green print so I'd be very excited to win! If you are interested in trying to win as well, go over and read up about the contest and all the ways you can enter. Or not, that would give me a greater vantage point :-P

UPDATE!!!!!

I won the contest for the apron!!! Thanks Kat for hosting the contest and thanks to the people over at Jessie Steele for giving away this beautiful apron. I can't wait to wear it in my kitchen!!

Crazy weather we're having!

Please don't take this as a complaint but we are having some crazy temperatures for the middle of July, the hottest time of the year in the Midwest!

Today's forecasted high was only 70! You heard me correctly...although, the weather.com website says it's actually 77 right now in St. Louis. There is rain all around us but the ground is dry from what I can see out of my office window.

So much for sweating off the pounds, guess I'll have to buy diet pills online! Well, perhaps I can hold off on that....actually this is *perfect* weather for getting outdoor exercise! No beaming sun to burn your skin, no humidity to steal your breath away but you can still get a sweat on! LOL Too bad I'm either working or in class or helping with VBS or at meetings every night this week! Ugh already, I never get to do what I want to do...bleh!

'Wicked' movie buzz

I'm hearing some buzz about a production company making the Broadway musical 'Wicked' into a movie in 2010. Everyone here should already know, I am a *HUGE* Wicked fan, it is magnificent! The music, the characters, the costumes, the story, the music!!! I've seen it both times it has rolled through St. Louis and I have the CD soundtrack handy at all times for those Wicked moments I need to sing about. I already know the musical production will be coming back around again to the fabulous Fox Theater in St. Louis in June of 2010, so how will the opening of a 'Wicked' movie within the same year affect the still touring production of the musical?

I'm having some reservations about the 'Wicked' movie being able to live up to the very theatrical and dramatic musical production. Will it even be a movie-musical or will they simply make it a movie more like from the book? We'll have to see I guess, but if you have not already seen Wicked the musical, do that first before you consider seeing the movie.

I am excited at the thought that the movie could be a good representation of the magic and pageantry that is the musical because every time it's over, I want to watch it over again! Stay tuned folks, this is a story I will be keeping my eyes on as it develops.

'Deuce' bag

Today I saw a man walking his two small dogs through the neighborhood. The first thing I looked for was, well to be honest...I looked to see if the man had a poo disposal bag on hand. You'd be surprised at how many people come unprepared but this guy was packin'. Great!

What I saw next baffled me a bit.

Perhaps he was contemplating some term life quotes he received earlier in the day and just wasn't paying attention but after one of his dogs copped a squat, the man just walked on! Clean bag in hand. The poo was just left there on the neighbor's lawn! What's the point of a 'deuce' bag if you don't use it!? The City of St. Louis has provisions for feces removal according to section 10.04.310 of ordinance number 66384, for just such an occasion. Obviously he knew this because he brought the bag along, right?

Perhaps he carries the empty bag as a criticism deterrent. He cares *just enough* to keep the watchful eyes at bay. You know, if a neighbor happens along, he can put it to use. If not, the poo is as good as fertilizer and the unused plastic bag lives on for another day. Win, win, win.

Hello, Friday!

What a great day to enjoy a nice tall hot cup of joe! I like mine sweet and creamy, how about you?

This weekend's plans are a mixed bag for me. Saturday I have off work from both jobs but have alot to do at home. Cleaning and much needed laundry and I *need* to work on my yard sale stuff! So there goes Saturday!

Then on Sunday, I have to be up and at my second job at 7 am! Now for those of you who know me, this is going to be a real trick for me, Queen of late nights and late mornings! Then I need to get some rest because Monday and Tuesday I am working from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm at #1 and then 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm at #2! Two days in a row! It's all good though, I need the cash. I really need to start looking for another full time job again, though.

My boss is hounding my mom about her getting a part time job because he can't afford payroll. Well we have more than enough work here to keep us busy beyond full time so...I don't know what to tell him. Our clients just aren't paying us even though we're doing the work! But I digress, that is for another post entirely!

So, working on Sunday morning means, yep you guessed it, NO CHURCH AGAIN! It has been like 2 months or more since I've been to church on Sunday morning. I just can't seem to get there! That's another reason why it sucks that our church only has Sunday morning service. If you have to miss, too bad for you! You'll have to wait a week and hope for the best....don't get me started!

So that's it! My weekend is already spent and it's still Friday! LOL How about you, any plans for fun this weekend?? It's supposed to rain for the next 7 days here in St. Louis, perhaps your part of the world will have better weather for fun!

New addiction: Restaurant City on Facebook

Ok, here I go again! No, not shopping for much needed lighting for my way too dark apartment, I'm spending my free time (and some not 'free' time) playing yet another Facebook game!!! This time, it's not farms and crops, it's chefs and menus!!

Journeyman's Inn 7/8/09

Restaurant City is a really fun game by Playfish, kinda like a Sims game. You have employees that you have to assign jobs to, a restaurant to name and decorate and also make functional, a menu to gather ingredients for and restrooms to keep clean so your customers don't complain and give you thumbs down. It's great! I'm having a blast with it trying to keep my approval rating up as high as I can get it. The highest I've had it was right around 48 and the highest possible is 50, so that was a good day. Of course you get a bigger restaurant and more employees as you get more and more gourmet points for serving customers who pay $2 each or the meal. Your employees have individual energy levels that you have to maintain at a decent level, otherwise they begin to work more slowly and your customers will complain and leave, giving you a thumbs down LOL

If you are on Facebook, why not check it out! And if we are friends, we will get 1 free ingredient the first time we visit each other's restaurant! :)

Momma's coming home today!

No, she hasn't been gone shopping for industrial supplies, she's been in the hospital!

She had been up all night throwing up and having a terrible fever. By the next morning, you could see she wasn't feeling well at all. So we took her to the ER and sure enough she had a 103.1 degree fever!

After all the tests were ran and she had some various medications going in, she was beginning to feel better. As it turns out, she had cellulitis and we didn't even know it! There are a few other health issues going on including being diagnosed with diabetes. So be looking for lots of diabetic talk in upcoming posts as we begin a journey together to change our lives to be diabetic friendly. I am on a mission to learn as much as I can about the foods and eating plans of anyone and everyone diabetic! I want to create yummy recipes to prove that a diabetic diagnosis isn't 'the end of the world' like most people think. More later on that but for now, momma is coming home today and there is lots to do!

PJ update

Well, it's time again for PJ to return to the vet for a check up. They will draw blood to check his levels and determine where he is with his kidney disease and diabetes.

He has been on twice a day insulin shots that are 3 units of U40 type insulin, which is better formulated to the way an animal would process the insulin vs. human insulins. He also take 1 pill a day of a med called Benazapril, which is a medication that helps slow the progression of the kidney disease. A side affect of the kidney disease causes his tummy to make too much acid, which in turn gives him an upset tummy. He desires to eat but he would just go to his bowl, smell his food and then look up at you with a sad look on his face. So the vet prescribed Omeprazol which is the medication inside over the counter human meds for the same reason, like Prilosec. This medicine is in the form of tiny pellets. Each capsule has .5 mg inside and his daily dose is .25. So I get 2 days out of 1 pill, a little creative finanical ploy going on there since you pay for each pill, not what's inside apparently!

So PJ is at home right now, not knowing that in a few short hours, I will arrive home early and figure out a way to get him in his carrier, not an easy task usually. And off we go to the vet's office and to pick up a RX from the drugstore. It will be a couple of days for the test results so I'll post that info when it comes in then.

Caption This! "Local graffiti"

Leave a comment with a caption that you think would go with this photo. Who knows, I might even pick my favorite one for a 'special' prize..... ;-)

'My Life in Ruins' - a movie review

I went to see the new movie 'My life in Ruins' on Saturday night with a friend. I had been seeing the previews for it for a while now and I was really looking forward to it.

The movie was no disappointment! It was full of funny blurbs and Nia Vardalos was beautiful and witty as usual. I don't know if she's been working out and eating right or if she's taken some Atrophex or what, but she had a great figure in this movie! Her clothes fit her really well and she was not overly skinny. Her skin was pretty and her hair was healthy looking too! She looked great and the part was a great part for her. It wasn't exactly like the part she played in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' so that was nice too.

I also really enjoyed the scenery of Greece, the ancient cities and ruins were wonderful! I may never actually get to visit there, so I really enjoyed the many stops along the tour route. Overall it was a great movie to go see with a friend. There is a bit of a love story that sprouts up and for that it might actually make a good date movie, as well. I'm glad I went to see it!

Where, o where o where is 'Gavin and Stacey'?

Did anyone else watch this show? 'Gavin and Stacey' was on BBC America and it seems like FOREVER since they've had a new episode! Have they been canceled or what? They left us on a clif hanger, of course...and I need me some 'Gavin and Stacey'!!! It's like watching 1/2 of a really great movie and then getting up and leaving, never to see how it comes out. Ugh! Why must they leave us hanging like this? Maybe they are off discovering the new best diet pills for Smithy and Nessa....how many cameras are actually on them? LOL Just joking, that's part of their charms! BRING BACK GAVIN AND STACEY ALREADY!!

Time for a new career?

In these harsh economic times, a growing number of people are considering going back to school to learn a new trade. I have considered this option. I have always been interested in forensic science and crime scene investigation. I also have a love of photography so I'm thinking......perhaps a mix of the two?

I really enjoy tv shows such as The First 48, Crime 360 or Forensic Files. I feel like I've learned alot from watching real shows like these over the years but of course there's always more I could learn. We have a client at my work who is a forensic anthropologist and she was telling me about a class that St. Louis University has that I am considering. You don't have to be employed in the field to take the class, which is nice. Not 100% sure I can afford the class, it's $850 but I can make payments on it until it's paid for.

The class is called 'Medicolegal Death Investigators Training Course'. It's a 1 week course offered only 3 times a year that covers 29 topics of study ranging from 'Are you sure it's a natural death?' to 'Identification techniques' to 'SIDS' and more! I am really considering taking this class...I mean, it's not like I'm capable of creating a new wonder acne treatment that will make millions! I certainly don't like hearing my boss say it's time to close the office because he's out of money...again! I need a little better stability and there will always be crime! How about you, considering education for a new career?