Picture of the Day 151

1...
May 31st: Romans 6; 1 Samuel 15; Psalm 60

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 6:23

Days of June

June
1	National Cancer Survivors Day
	Pen Pal Day
2	Leave the Office Early Day
	Yell "Fudge" at the Cobras in North America Day
3	Donut Day
5	World Environment Day
6	D-Day
	National Hunger Awardness Day
7	Do-Day Day
8	Banana Split Day
	Upsy Daisy Day
10	Ball Point Pen Day
12	Loving Day
	Crowded Nest Awareness Day
	National Peanut Butter Cookie Day
13	Blame Someone Else Day
14	Flag Day
	World Juggling Day
15	Family Awareness Day
16	Bloomsday
	Fudge Day
19	Recess at Work Day
20	Take Your Dog to Work Day
	Toad Hollow Day of Thank You
21	Vinegar Day
22	America's Kid Day
	Stupid Guy Thing Day
23 Let It Go Day
	Public Service Day
24	Celebration of the Senses
	Fairy Day
26	Hand Shake Day
27	Decide To Be Married Day
	"Happy Birthday To You" Day
28	Great American Backyard Campout
29	Log Cabin Day
30	Please Take my Children to Work Day

The Dos and Don'ts of Text Message Flirting

We live in a texting world. So let's see what the web says about says about texting and flirting.

• Do say text me when you give out your number.
• Don't text just saying "hi".
• Don't purposely send him a "mis-text."
  
• Do text him back within 24 hours.
• Do ask him out over text. Wha???
• Don't kid yourself. If his texts are only after 10pm he's lookin' for booty.
• Don't TUI (text under the influence).
  
• Do use the phone on certain occasions.
• Don't go overboard with the abbreviations and acronyms.
• Don't send a sexy message before you are in an exclusive relationship.
• Do learn how to throw him into the friend zone.
  
• Don't text your ex.
• Do send a thank-you text post date, but if it was a great fireworks kinda date call him the next day to thank him.

And there you have it!

Go forth and properly text-flirt.

Picture of the Day 150

May 30th: Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14; Psalm 59

But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
-Psalm 59:16

Picture of the Day 149

You haven't met this little guy yet. But you will, someday soon.May 29th: Romans 4; 1 Samuel 13; Psalm 58

"Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
-Romans 4:7-8

Katie graduated from Merced!

Life as I know it...

I've got so much going on right now. And at some point when I have time while I'm at home AND my internet is working I'll get you updated. Here's a couple quick things for you:
-I had a fabulous birthday dinner surrounded by friends and family.
-Followed by a wonderful(ly hot) day at the Lodi Zinfest.
-I found a puppy a week and a half ago. After keeping an eye out for lost puppy signs without avail, my brother is keeping him.
-Memorial Day weekend was just what I needed. Sunday was packed with friends and activities, but yet relaxing at the same time.
-Monday Riley started having a seizure. Within 24 hours she had another one. I took her to the vet. She made it all day yesterday and through the night without having one.
-Tonight I'm going to a BBQ.
-Tomorrow is a graduation.
-Weekend...??? Nothing...yet.
-Then a new week begins.

I honestly may have forgotten things. I've been busy at work. Busy at home. Busy inbetween.

Did I forget anything? Fill me in, I'm drawing a blank.

Have you ever tried to draw a blank, it's hard.

Or easy.

5 Types of Women that Men Avoid

Oh dang! Am I one of these loonies? Coleman read the title of the article on my computer and said that it's easy. The kind of women that men avoid are the crazy, crazy, and more crazy.

As I'm on this pursuit of finding my Mr. Right, I stumble across articles that I think might be helpful. And well, to be quite honest I want to know if I'm one of the types of women that men avoid.

Eek! What if I am?

So let's find out these types, shall we...

The Flirty-Bird - Basically this gal is great! At first... then it becomes apparent that she suffers from low self-esteem and gets the bulk of her confidence from flirting. And she flirts with everyone! Her boss, random people, the guy's brother...everyone. The guy will probably realize that it's too hard to get her to give him the time needed to date.

The Commitment-Phile - Girls, note to self, don't start talking about your wedding and the future you're going to have with your dude until after a few dates. Ok, more like many months of dating. The quickest way to scare a guy off is to talk about your future together, or not together, either way it's all planned out.

The Cling-On - No, she's not a trekker. The guy is her everything in terms of a social life. Wanting to know where her guy is always, calls him numerous times a day, relying on him for her entertainment. Girls, you're gonna drain your guy of all his energy by being clingy.

The Party Girl - Can this gal have fun without alcohol? Or without being the social butterfly at every party? If your entire life is a party you may want to re-evaluate.

The Windbag - Basically, this one talks to much. About herself. Never about her date. Shut up for once and ask questions drawing him in. For Miss Chatty Cathy there is no such thing as a two sided conversation. Silence is golden...

So there you have it!

I would say if I had to categorize myself, I'm a minor case of cling-on (like, really minnute) and a silent (it's all planned out in my head) commitment-phile.

So, what would you say you are?

Picture of the Day 148

May 28th: Romans 3:9-31; 1 Samuel 12; Psalm 57

The righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
-Romans 3:22-24

14 Shortcuts to Everyday Tasks

If you know me, you know I'm a shortcut taker. When driving I take shortcuts. In day to day activities I take shortcuts where I can. Now, this isn't meaning that I don't get the job done or even that I do a half ass job, I just look for ways to be more efficient. So let's see what Real Simple says about shortcuts...

1. Running Errands - Plan your stops in order of a clockwise direction, then you won't have to make any time consuming left hand turns.
2. Dry your Tears - After cutting an onion, stick your head in the freezer. The cold air will stop the tears and reduce redness and puffiness. Not near a freezer? Dab, don't wipe away the wetness.
   
3. Keep a Journal - Who here keeps a journal or diary of some sort? If yes, who here lags in writing in their journal? But who here sends updates of your life via email to friends and family (or in a blog)? Print 'em up and glue 'em down! Tada, now you're caught up with your journal.
   
4. Turn Day Wear into Evening Wear - Work is over and you're ready to go out for cocktails. Keep in your car an extra pair of earrings, a lightweight shawl, a fancy pair of shoes, some black eyeliner (for smoky look) and some peach blush. You've just transformed your outfit in a matter of minutes.
5. Get Cut Flowers to Bloom - Cut stems at an angle, then place in a vase of warm water.
   
6. Speak a Foreign Language - Instead of taking a course, just get a little pocket language book. Instead of learning the entire language, just learn a few key phrases.
   
7. Get Your Daily Vitamins - Eat cereal, like Total, that's fortified with loads of vitamins and minerals. And if you drink the milk it counts as a serving of dairy!
8. Buy Clothes without Trying them On - Make a mental note of how your favorite clothes "look on you" when you hold them up to your body. Then when you're out shopping you can hold up your options and avoid having to try them on.
9. Catch up on Current Events - Scan sites like cnn.com for headlines. Have a station like C Span on in the background while you pay bills.
   
10. Duck out of a Party - If you know you need to be somewhere and will have to leave early, tell the host once you get there. If the party is a complete doozy, skip out and call (of send a thank you note) the host the next day thanking for a great time and apologizing for leaving early.
11. Do Your Math After Spicy Food - When you find you've eaten something a bit too spicy for your taste buds, don't run for water. Eat bread or rice. Or try dairy products. You can't handle the spice?
12. Thaw Meat - Whatever you do, don't zap it in the microwave. That will just start the cooking process, from the inside out. Instead, soak your meat (in a water tight bag) in cold water for about 2 hours before needing to cook it.
    
13. Feed and Water Plants - Cut your watering time in half by adding some Osmocote and Soil Moist to the soil when you pot your plants. Osmocote, a slow releasing fertilizer, feeds the plants each watering and Soil Moist, a water retaining polymer, maintains moisture.
14. Get to Know Someone - The quickest way to get to know someone is to be quiet. Just let them do the talking.
    

So there you have it. 14 easy shortcuts.

Did you learn anything new? Do you have any tips to add?

Picture of the Day 147

May 27th: Romans 2:1-3:8; 1 Samuel 10:17-11:15; Psalm 56

"I do want to get rich but I never want to do what there is to do to get rich."
-Gertrude Stein

Picture of the Day 146

May 26th: Romans 1:16-32; 1 Samuel 9:1-10:16; Psalm 55

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
-Romans 1:16

Diving Dog

Skippy loves the pool. But really only when people are in it. Other than that he does his nightly walk around to check for foreign objects.

But Skippy loves the pool.

Let me demonstrate...



Back to the diving board.
Let's do it again!

Please note, the dog wears a life jacket because he will continuously jump in the pool, exhausting himself. But never stopping until people are out of the water. The life jacket is so he will continue to stay buoyant.

Picture of the Day 145

May 25th: Romans 1:1-15; 1 Samuel 8; Psalm 54

"I count it as a certainty that in paradise, everyone naps."
-Tom Hodgkinson

Terminator Salvation

Dun dun dun...

Humm... Well... I honestly probably could have gone the rest of my life without seeing this movie. It wasn't horrible. Just not my taste.

Why did I go you ask? Well, people were leaving my little Memorial BBQ Soiree and headed to the theater. And well, I didn't work today. So I didn't have to be up early. And well, my new "interest" was going. Therefore, I had to be there too. Although, while at the theater he would have rather stayed at my parent's house, hung out with my dad drinking home brew beer and smoking a pipe. Talk about make my heart swoon.

I digress. We'll have to talk about that later. Some other time.

So the movie. There were no bright cheery colors. There were horribly evil terminator machines. There was the voice of batman, I mean exact same voice from Christian Bale. And there was some other actor dude that I've never seen before but ends up being a new version of a terminator machine. Along with Arnold. He's back...

Kinda, I think the govenator was a fake.

I would give this movie...
2 1/2 out of 5 stars

9 Signs You've Met "The One"

I'm a hopeless romantic. And unfortunately, I also think that every guy that I get close to is "the one". And, well, so far my record isn't that hot. What 0 and ??? I really need to change the way I think, look, feel, and rely more on God.

But in the meantime, let's see what eharmony.com says about how you know you've met "the one". 9 steps, eh? Hummm...

1. You're not chasing the relationship's potential - Relationships are full of obstacles. The way of thinking that once on problem is fixed everything will be hunky-dory is not true, because soon after something else will come up. If it's meant to be, there shouldn't be any chasing to make it right or work, it'll just be.
   
2. Who you are is good enough - You know you've met "the one" when that person loves you for you, for who you are. You don't have to try to impress "the one" because that person is already impressed by you for being you.
   
3. You manage conflict well - Arguments happen. It's natural. What's not natural is when they don't happen. That's when you should worry a bit. When you manage conflict well you communicate. Communication is huge in relationships of all kinds. Communication is healthy and it shows a level of respect, which in turn will make your relationship stronger in the long run.
   
4. The mundane is suddenly interesting - If this person is truly "the one", then every little thing about their life will interest you, work stories, childhood memories, even their hopes and dreams for the future.
   
5. There's minimal drama-or none at all - Drama does not equal fighting. But when you do argue you're both mature about it and admit when you're wrong or apologize when lines are crossed. But if one is trying to use high emotions and manipulate the other...watch out and be careful to commit.
   
6. You're friends and family see what you see - This just goes to show that your friends and family have you as their best interest. And they are good judges of character. They'll tell you if they think the person is not right for you, or on the flip side they'll sing his/her praises telling you how great the person is. This doesn't mean that they are always right, they may try to push you into a relationship that you just don't see happening. But if you're falling for someone that the people in your life want you to be with, then chances are it's the real deal.
   
7. You know how to make them happy - Ask yourself, "Do you know what it takes to make this person happy?" If there is a deep connection, then you probably know the other's needs and wants. It could be something as smalls as making what they want for dinner. But you also should know other things like how to relieve stress, or can you talk to him/her about their hopes and dreams for the future. Does your partner do the same for you?
   
8. You have the same life priorities - Compatibility is key when creating a deep and long, lasting connection. Having your priorities match up gives you a better chance of long-term happiness.
   
9. You respect the person deeply - Respect is key in any relationship. Without respect there is no way to create a secure foundation. But when you respect each other, there is a stronger chance at thriving. Trust multiples and communication deepens.

So there you have it. A list to help you figure out if you've found "the one". It definitely doesn't hurt to have an idea of the basics and develop them from there.

Now to just work on finding "the one"...

Motivation Monday - Ambition

Picture of the Day 144

May 24th: Acts 28:17-31; 1 Samuel 6-7; Psalm 53

"I know myself...but that is all."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Herb Update

It's been 2 weeks since I started my little window garden. And here's the progress...

Check out my basil! My it smells good!
The parsley is off to a slow start...
Basil is winning! It's almost time to plant it outside.
But to add some fun to the competition, this past Thursday I spent $5 more dollars at the Target...
I got tomatoes, chives, sweet pepper, oregano, and strawberries.
They don't come in their own handy little "green house". Maybe I'll use basil's greenhouse once he gets relocated.
So let's see what happens now. Hurry up and grow!

Picture of the Day 143

May 23rd: Acts 28:1-16; 1 Samuel 4-5; Psalm 52

"If love is the answer, would you please rephrase the question?"
-Lily Tomlin

Feed the Dogs

Go to FreeKibbles and answer the question. Get it right (or wrong) and kibbles will be donated to animal shelters. It's for a good cause.

Do it!

How to Catch Small Bugs

Note to self...
Never look up at your porch light. You may not like what you see.
Being as 2 of the 3 light bulbs were also dead, I got a wild burr up my butt and hosed it down. Removing best I could with a spray nozzle all the spider webs and bug carcasses. After allowing plenty of drying time I replaced the bulbs.

Tada!

Picture of the Day 142

My one peach on the tree...

...or maybe it's a nectarine.

May 22nd: Acts 27:13-44; 1 Samuel 3; Psalm 51

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
-Psalm 51:10-12

The Redneck Fire Alarm

Available at most local grocery stores and Wal-Mart.

Picture of the Day 141

May 21st: Acts 27:1-12; 1 Samuel 2:11-36; Psalm 50

"Fashion is at once both caterpillar and butterfly. Be a caterpillar by day and a butterfly by night."
-Coco Chanel

Cluelessness

Huh?

Oh my goodness! It's only 2:52pm. Time is DRAGGING by! Why isn't it 5 o'clock yet?

I know, I know. It is somewhere. Just not here.

So here's something random for you. I like songs that have to do with someday meeting your future mate, about waiting, about patience (hummm...). There aren't too, too many of them out there, so when I hear one I'm generally instantly drawn to it. Why? Well, because I'm waiting, and there is someone out there for me. My current favorite song version of this topic is "Someday Soon" by Francesca Battistelli. Love the song! Love the album! A definite must buy.

But don't waste your time going to Borders, 'cause they apparently don't sell CD's in their stores (at least not in Turlock) anymore. Boo Borders!

Someday Soon
I wanna be the one who knows everything about you
I wanna be the one who’s always on your mind
I wanna be the one to get all of your affection and attention
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for, for all this time
And I can’t imagine anything, anything better than

Someday falling in love with you
Holding your hand
Making our plans all come true
Someday under a sky so blue
I’ll give you my heart
Our story will start someday soon

I wanna be the one who does everything with you
Watching stars, washing cars, taking walks, going to the store
I wanna be the one who gets to change her last name someday
To something that sounds something more like yours

Someday falling in love with you
Holding your hand
Making our plans all come true
Someday under a sky so blue
I’ll give you my heart
Our story will start someday soon

Yeah I’ll be telling you I love you
On a picture perfect day
And those words inside my head
They sound like angels singing praise
It’s what I was made to say

Picture of the Day 140

May 20th: Acts 26:19-32; 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10; Psalm 49

"A new dress doesn't get you anywhere; it's the life you're living in the dress, and the sort of life you had lived before, and what you will do in it later."
-Diana Vreeland

When the Make-Up Counter Goes Wrong...

Application...Pucker and smile...
Oops.
Gotta love RED lipstick!

Does that remind anyone of their grandma or great aunt? Can't you just smell their perfume too?
(Thank you for allowing my to show these pictures Kaitlin!)

Picture of the Day 139

Yes, I was that close to the giant black bee! Eek!
May 19th: Acts 26:1-18; Ruth 3-4; Psalm 48

For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.
-Psalm 48:14

The Dog Days of Summer...

are upon us!
I have honestly never understood how Skippy can lay out in the sun on the hot cement in 100 degree weather. My feet hurt walking across it barefoot.

You called?

Picture of the Day 138

May 18th: Acts 25; Ruth 1-2; Psalm 47

"All the sorrow and trouble of this world is caused by unhappy people... The search for contentment is, therefore, not merely a self-benefiting act, but also a generous gift to the world."
-Elizabeth Gilbert

Angels and Demons

Last night I went to the movies with a group of friends. I was ho-hum about seeing the movie, but I also didn't want to miss out of fun or hangning out. So I went. And I had fun. Of course.

I'm not Catholic, nor do I know a lot about the church's history. So I was a bit confused with some of the characters and their titles and what they did within the Catholic church. There are things that I know in the deep recesses of my mind, like the black or white smoke when voting for the new Pope happens.

I went into the movie having no idea what to expect. To be honest, I haven't even seen the DaVinci Code (and was told I wouldn't need to). Nor have I read either of the books. The movie was good though. Action packed. Full of suspense. A little gruesome. There were a few scenes that I had to look away during, or hide behind my hands.

I would give it a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

On a side note, in the Vatican there is an area (you see it in the movie) where there are steps that led down to where the former popes are "buried". My dad when he was younger visited the Vatican, and that area was roped off. My Nana took that as a suggestion and not forbidden, so she lead my dad and his brother down there. Creepy!

New Hair

About 2 weeks ago I got my hair cut. See...
Ok, so you can't get the full effect by the picture. I guess you really need to see it.

Next time I go in though... I need to have something additional to a trim/cut.

I. will. be. getting. my. hair. highlighted!

I haven't had my hair highlighted or dyed in about 3 years. And I've enjoyed not having that extra expense. But, alas, the grays are starting to peek through too much. And I'm tried of plucking them out.

So some nice blonde highlights will camouflage them.

At least it'll be summer time when people generally do something like that done to their hair.

And I'm praying for natural looking. I don't want bold fake streaks.

$2 Herbs

A week ago Friday I planted my own little window herb garden. The Target dollar spot had little kits, so I bought 2. No big loss if they don't grow. Or I kill them.

Basil and Parsley (not pictured). For $1, you get the soil, pot, seeds, and greenhouse (plastic container).
Soil disc...Just add water...
and grow.
And now we wait.
So we all know about my patience issue, right?

I don't like waiting. But I can't force these little guys to grow faster than they're meant to.

Drat.