so the day began....

The way Blogger has been acting so sluggish this afternoon, I thought I'd post this early for Wednesday...










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Some added photos to today's post. The temperatures have been ideal for me right now. And the humidity is low [well, low for the coast]...Mid 80s and 40%!! Bud and I have been working our tails off outdoors the last few days. Trimming. Raking. Planting. Painting. Etc. etc. etc. Last week while unlocking the yard's gate to let the meter reader in the yard, I happened to notice that the pomegranate tree I planted just last Spring had flower buds!!! I was so happy to see that the leaves were back, but never even thought it'd bloom this year!! I've been keeping a close vigil on its progress. Here are a few photos from the back yard for the season---

Don Juan Climbing Rose above the roof this year!
New flower bed with Orange Zinnas

My favorite floribunda rose "Scarlet Knight"

Pomegranate blossom
Sweet William - Petunias

Yellow & Red Mini roses just planted yesterday

POSTED [early]: for Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
4:50 P.M. [Tuesday]

Generations 'gap'?

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Irene
1975





















Me
1955

















While going through all the photos and albums last week I came across one of Irene...that I'd totally forgotten. But the thing is, I immediately remembered one of me that was so nearly identical to hers!! Nearly the same pose and both in front of my mother's favorite climbing rose. And what seems to be a true generational thing with the two of us, each and nearly always things happen that seem ironic; twenty years apart. She graduated in 1987, I graduated in 1967. Irene's birth year, 1969 - mine 1949. Her first born, 1989, mine 1969. Things like that; all the time.

Now these two photos, what's written on the backs of both, in my mother's hand writing---mine 1955 and Irene 1975. Again twenty years difference. Look closely, and the hair color is nearly the same, but the biggest thing to check is the hair style!! Part in the middle, bangs AND the way the hair lays off the head...nearly the same wave and how if flows.

I had to laugh, after I scanned them and sent them through email to Irene...she said "How could they be the same species of rose bushes when mine [MINE not hers] is purple. I had to then reply...it's the quality of film back in those days...you know, colors fade. But they ARE the same...Blaze Climbing rose. And they're both in mom's back yards...one in Nebraska and the other in Colorado!







POSTED: Tuesday, March 30th
12:15 A.M.

Supersize it please....and a diet coke!!

The other day I read an article about being overweight...as most Americans are. There were eight top reasons...fast food, sitting and lack of exercise, genes, etc. etc. etc. But a small part of the article was about Body Mass Index. And, that the U S Government changed the index years ago, making more of us overweight by government standards.

"The Government In 1998, 29 million people suddenly became overweight without gaining an ounce. That summer, the U.S. government announced new guidelines lowering the threshold of what classifies a person as overweight. Previously, if your body mass index (BMI) was less than 28 for men, or 27 for women, you were considered "normal." Now only BMIs of 25 or below are considered healthy. (BMI is a ratio of weight to height, and is considered an indicator of how much body fat a person has.)" So, me being me, I had to go to check out just what my body weight mass was. It's simple and a lot of sites have the BMI calculators. I did a couple of them to make sure they're near the same. I had one come up that my index was 25. 2 while the other states I was at 25. 6....Not bad, considering I sit at the computer a lot-------snacking. LOL And I'm certainly not gonna lose any sleep over it, even if the results show higher than 'normal'!! Maybe for a second or two, but that was all. Pffft!!

• Underweight = < 18.5
• Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
• Overweight = 25-29.9
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

....Check your BMI....

....HERE'S ONE FOR METRIC....


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Now that you've found yourself above the average in weight....that puts some stress on your lifestyle, even like me-for just a fleeting moment or two. LOL And what can you consume that is not adding to the obesity and still curb the stress factor? Read on...

1] Blueberries - Their antioxidants counteract the effects of stress hormones like cortisol on your body. [personally, I love 'em fresh, with no sugar added like I find in cakes, muffins, and pies]

2] Spinach - Studies show that magnesium, which you'll find in leafy greens like spinach, improves your body's response to stress. [cooked spinach? ewwww....I can handle it raw in salads, but cooked is way too slimy, like eating boogers!]

3] Sunflower Seeds - A good source of folate, which helps your body produce a pleasure-inducing brain chemical called dopamine. [the pleasure inducing brain chemicals sound good...oh wait, we're talkin' seeds here. Never mind!]

4] Walnuts - They've been shown to help lower blood pressure, which is critical for those whose hearts are already working overtime thanks to high adrenaline levels. In fact, research so strongly backs their health benefits that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration goes so far as to recommend 1 1/2 oz per day. [But, but....aren't walnuts fattening? Seems I read somewhere that the natural oils produce fatty tissue...hmmmm]

5] Salmon - Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids-abundant in fish like salmon-can help reverse stress symptoms by boosting serotonin levels, and that an omega-3-rich diet can also help suppress the production of the anxiety hormones cortisol and adrenaline. [I try to sustain myself from anything Alaskan in nature these days. LOL ---just kidding! I do love this salmon!]

6] Oatmeal - Carbs help you produce serotonin, a calming hormone that helps fight anxiety's negative effects-which is probably why many of us crave them when we're stressed. Go with the craving and choose healthy sources. Oatmeal is high in fiber, which means that your body will absorb it slowly. In one fell swoop, you'll prolong the serotonin boost, keeping yourself feeling full for longer (and on less) and making sure your blood sugar's in check. [It works in lowering your cholesterol naturally too! What you hear on commercials is true...it does lower the bad LDL levels!!]

7] Skim Milk - Turns out that a glass of warm milk really is calming. One study found that women who drank four or more servings of lowfat or skim milk every day were about half as likely to experience stress-related PMS symptoms than those who drank less than one serving a week. [I'm beyond the PMS symptoms, except for Bud's - I still have to contend with his PMS moods ---you know the Prideful Male Selfdom!! [yes, there IS such a word] But, I tellya, warm milk is NOT for me. I remember the days in school when you had a pint of milk...the delivery dude would purposely put the carton of milk containers on the radiator....ewwww, yuk. Warm milk. Nasty.]

...and last but certainly not least:

8] Dark Chocolate - High in flavonoids, which are lauded for their relaxing properties (chamomile tea is another great source), chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a chemical that enhances your mood. The darker the chocolate, the more healthy substances you're getting in your diet, so look for bars that are 70 percent cacao or higher.


stress reducing food list borrowed from Yahoo Health






POSTED: Monday, March 29th, 2010
1:10 A.M.

Forever and always...

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Sunday Stealing: The 35 Questions X 2 Meme: Part One

1. How far away is the last person you kissed? Right now, within a few feet of me. Same room.

2. Has someone ever told you they would be with you forever? Yes, the last person I kissed as a matter of fact.

3. Last person you were in a car with? Ummmm, same as #1 and 2nd question!

4. Any plans for tomorrow? Let's see, tomorrow's Monday or so it's said. But then Monday, tomorrow would be Tuesday and so on and so forth. Have you ever heard the line "Tomorrow never comes"?

5. How long does it take for you to take a shower? As long as it takes.

6. Best friend or close friends? Yes. Both actually.

7. Is tomorrow going to be a good day? See #4

8. Did you kiss anyone Friday? Every day actually.

9. Ever thrown up in public? In school, when I was a kid. Now, I know better than to go out in public if I'm sick...don't wanna spread the germs! [It'd be nice that everyone would STAY HOME if sick!!]

10. What's on your mind RIGHT NOW? Besides answering this -A layer of protection, a bit of skull and some hair!!

11. Who was the last person you talked to? See #1, 2, and 3.

12. What is the WORST subject they teach at school? Well, when I WENT to school, I hated History. Now-a-days I'd think it would be World Geography, a total waste of time and energy to study, since the countries, boundaries, and capital cities change over night.

13. Have you seen anyone lately that you don't get along with? No, I tend to stay clear...out of harm's way so to speak.

14. What is your favorite color top to wear? Purple, Black, Green. Not necessarily together.

15. Have you ever been in a car accident? Yes. It certainly makes your heart pound right out of your chest!!!

16. What's the closest thing to you that's green? My wedding band...has emeralds.

17. Where would you like to be right now? Out to eat...Cracker Barrel. I'll see if I can talk Bud into taking me for Breakfast.

18. Write down some lyrics to the song you're listening to? Queen..."We are the Champions my frie-e-nd!!"

19. How many dogs do you have? None!! They tend to tear up the yard, chew, dig, bark, and neighbors don't like their loud barking, nor do I. Besides, I like my flowers and yard too much. Cat's are much less destructive.

20. Is anything bugging you right now? The Questioneer!!

21. Is life going right for you now? I try having a good outlook....I tend to find the silver lining if I can. Sure I complain, but there's always good if you look in the right place.

22. Is there someone you care about more than yourself? Family!!!! But I have to care about me in order to be there for them...so it's an iffy question/answer.

23. What made you laugh today? You Tube...I watched Jeff Dunham a bit.

24. What was the last movie you watched? Yesterday during my lunch...HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS with Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey! [Yum on the M*M!]

25. What's the last conversation you had about? Ms. Palin and McCain's coverage on CNN. It wasn't pretty. The coverage/speeches/cheers...and our conversation wasn't pretty either!

26. What were you doing at 7:00 this morning? I'll tellya later...when it's actually 7:00.

27. Do you like your hair long or short? I like long hair to make French Braids...but lately, I like my hair short!!

28. Do you want to see somebody right now? No, I'm not ready to see anyone in P Js.

29. Do you like the rain? Yes...don't have to scoop it!!

30. Did you have a valentine this year? Yep, for the last 41 years as a matter of fact.

31. The last person you kissed needs you at 3 am, would you go? Of course.

32. Would you honestly say you'd risk your life for someone else? I have...every time I get behind the steering wheel!! Seriously, you take your OWN life too in your hands these days; driving in the city and on freeways.

33. Honestly, if you could go back 1 month and change something would you? I can barely remember a week ago. Why even think about the fact, when change things you can't?

34. How do you feel about boys smoking? That's a trick question...or discriminatory--what about girls smoking?

35. Could you see yourself with someone forever? Yep...I'm working on it!!

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NOTE: A blogger yesterday left in my comment box a comment regarding copyrights on posting comic strips that I have scanned. I just wanted to let y'all know I respect that very much. And I emailed the author for permission to keep the comic up on my post...if permission would've been denied, I was more than willing to take it off my post. This morning, I received a reply in my email...and posted a screen shot of the response on yesterday's blog...just below the weekend funnies segment.






POSTED: Sunday, March 28th, 2010
6:00 A.M.

Photos, Birdie, and Easter Scare....[joke]

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AND


[linked each week below]


six word saturday

LITTLE TIME FOR ANYTHING; COLOSSAL PROJECT!

You may have asked..."Where's Anni? She hasn't been around all week to leave me a comment?" LOL -----The past five days, from sun-up to sun-down, I've been working on something that I've been wanting to do for nearly 6 years. Yes, it's taken me that long to build up the courage even to begin. But, in the last month, since I've been going through all my photo albums from the days of 'single-dom' to moving to Texas; to scan a photo here and there for my blog, or a family member who remembered a picture I have and wanted it emailed to them---things like that...well, the photos were becoming loose, the pages were getting knocked around and getting torn from the bindings and the 3 rings were slowly tattering the loose leaf pages....etc. etc. etc. It was time to redo them. And this past week, I took on the project------






And as of yesterday, the thousands of photos are all torn out and categorized in boxes! [about ten of the 14 albums I had used the 'sticky' back photo pages...and I literally had to 'pull them loose, one by one'] The pages for albums over 100 each, six photos to a page on both sides!!! The boxes are labeled, they're now stored with much easier access than before, and I don't have to fight to keep them pasted onto the album pages nor try to keep the pages within the album covers!!! Someday, I may even get enough gumption to put them all on disks. Ya, right!!!



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camera critters

One White Winged Dove
sitting in a tree...
C-O-O-O-I-N-G...
First comes Mate
Then comes Nest
Then comes mate's turn
nurturing with zest!!

PS...sorry for the link error in your comments!!! I goofed.















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weekend funnies




Pending permission for use.
I've emailed the author...
if it's infringement, I will take it off immediately.
Sunday addition: GRIMMY.COM
Response from my email/copyright permission to post the comic:





POSTED: Saturday, March 27th, 2010
5:40 A.M.

"Oschter Haws" and cups

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SHOW N TELL

Our Living Room Coffee Table



I've got tons to show today, so I'll keep the "tell" part short and simple. Since my Thursday post was all about the beautiful Easter Eggs I received as a gift...last year, I bought an Easter Egg Cup...One single one...a 'chocolate bunny' ---the collection has increased nearly 30-fold this Spring! As tradition goes, they're found hidden in nooks and crannies all over the house [with mouseover captions].

















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FLASH FICTION 55

***CRACK***!!!
"I got it! I got it---it's mine".
"I got it....I got it...I got it"!!!
I'm looking into the bright sun, blinded temporarily...
The orb is coming closer...
"Stand clear...I got it"!!!
I caught it...."It's mine I tellya"....
"Dang, that stings my hand".
"Just how fast was it traveling"?
***Hurts muchly***



To explain...I have caught many-a-fly-balls at baseball games that come into the foul zones. I remember one time, a Rockies' player was on first base, when I caught it...he told me "Remember, it's a Colorado ball." I had on a Diamondback's T-shirt. The game was against the D'Backs -Rockies the 'home team' in Reid Park.

POSTED: Friday, March 26th, 2010
4:50 A.M.