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I have chosen "Summer Love" by Justin Timberlake for Music Monday. This is a live version, I like to see him dance.
My friends are on their Myrtle Beach vacation, and they tried out some really nice Myrtle Beach Golf this past week. They said it is fabulous down there, and it is just like golfing in paradise! They said it is nothing like golfing at home, something is special about being down there.
So now they are suggesting that we look into the Myrtle Beach Golf Vacations that they offer for our next vacation. I take that to mean that we are all going to go to Myrtle Beach for our vacation? They are absolutely in love with the golf courses down there, they said they are wonderful and the heat isn't too hot, and there is a nice breeze. They said that the deals are unbelievable, and had they gone with one of the Myrtle Beach Golf Packages, they could have saved a ton of money! See, they booked their trip, but did it separate like the hotel they paid for, and then paid for golfing and meals and travel and it just cost way too much.
If we book a package deal, we can stay right there and have our tee times already booked, and only pay once. The deals are amazing and I was looking at the quotes online and the prices are very reasonable! And they have so many different golf courses to choose from, with lodging right there too!! I think this would be the ideal way to go for our next vacation. That way we wouldn't have to worry about finding a course that we like, only to be told that there are no tee times available?
I don't golf well, but maybe I could put in some practice before next year, and then I can Golf Myrtle Beach like no tomorrow!! And if I really don't do well, I can always go to the beach and leave my friends, the golf pros, on the golf course!! Leave it to them to find the best golf courses while on vacation.
Till Next Time,
Take Care,
Kat
I was over at Stacie's blog, Super Mommy to the Rescue, and I saw she was doing a Saturday Linky Love!! I signed up my blogs, and thought I would share it with all of you, so you could link up too!!
If you would like to jump in then link up. Please do visit the other blogs and share some comment love! It is always appreciated!!! :)
Have a great weekend everyone!
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When I dropped my friend off after work, I immediately noticed the shutters on her house, because first of all they are my favorite color, red, and second, because they really dressed up her house!
These were gorgeous shutters and she said that because she lives on the water, that they need them whenever a storm arises to protect the windows in the house. She said that whenever the winds are high, her husband goes out and shuts the shutters to protect the glass in the windows!! Wow! What a great idea? I have shutters, but they are decorative only and they are non-movable. These are functioning shutters that really protect her windows when it's needed.
I said that I liked them because they were red and wooden, and she corrected me and told me that they are exterior vinyl shutters and I couldn't believe it. They looked like real wood to me! She said she got them from The Larson Shutter Company after doing a lot of research on the internet. She also told me that the vinyl is durable and strong and she got a really good deal on her shutters. I am going to have to head over there to check them out, especially now since she told me that Larson is offering free shipping on any orders over $99.00!! I hope that I can get as good a deal as she got, and maybe I will soon have red shutters too!
Till Next Time,
Take Care,
Kat
Edward (Ted) Kennedy has passed away last night. He had been battling brain cancer, and it made me wonder if something was really wrong when he didn't attend his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver's funeral last week. Speculation was that he wasn't well enough to attend, so this news, although it is a shock, is not totally unexpected.
President Obama who is vacationing with his family on nearby Martha's Vineyard said that he and the first lady were “heartbroken” to hear of Kennedy's passing.
“An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time,” President Obama said.
I am not foolish enough to have forgotten Chappaquiddick, and I don't think many people have, but he semed to have moved past that and redeemed himself somewhat by all the good he has done while holding his seat in the senate.
Massachusetts will miss Senator Ted Kennedy............
Till Next Time,
Take Care,
Kat
I am going to upgrade my kitchen, and I have decided to do all my shopping online with ShopWiki. I love this site because it is so easy to navigate, and they actually show you the items and prices from all the stores, not just the ones who have paid for placement like in some of the other searches!
Anyway, I started by going to the Kitchen and Dining buying guide, so that I could get some really good ideas on what I needed and even some things I probably don't, but will end up buying anyway, just because they are easier or cool, and I have never had them before. What good is an upgrade if you can't splurge? So the first thing that I desperately need are pots and pans. Now, I have never in my life had a Dutch Oven, but I will have one shortly! They are big enough to cook just about anything, and I heard that they were great for slowly simmering a nice stew? Yum!
The next thing I am going to splurge on is a countertop blender. Would you believe that I have never had a blender?? That's right, all these years and no blender! When my daughter was young, she used to want a milkshake, and I did it the old fashioned way of putting the milk and ice cream into a shaker, and shaking her up one. Funny how that was okay then, but now that I am on my own, I really want a blender. One that can make smoothies. I think if I could put my own ingredients in, I would probably like it. So yes, a blender is on my list.
And another thing I am finally going to get is a nice set of Wine glasses. Again, I have never had wine glasses, I just have my wine in a glass, or mug or paper cup, whatever is handy at the time I want some wine. Can you believe it?? I feel so lame now, and realize that the wine would probably taste a whole lot better if I drank it out of a nice wine glass, with a long stem. Just the thought makes it sound better.
So for now, that is all the splurging I can afford, but I still have lots of upgrading to do. I need appliances, and dishes and I'm sure a whole host of other things too.
Till Next Time,
Take Care,
Kat
Just like on my other blog, I have chosen to highlight the movie "the Notebook" with my Music Monday Selection. I'll Be by Edwin McCain
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I have just come across a new way that I am going to try to drive traffic to my blog and I wanted to let all of you know about it too! I wrote another article about ways to get more blog traffic earlier this month, but this is giving it a run for it's money!!
rss Hugger is a fairly new website that has been developed to bring readers and bloggers together in one place. Here readers can search through the listed rss feeds from blogs that have signed up, and subscribe to their feeds if the want to. This is one place that readers can go, rather than to search aimlessly over the entire web, hoping to find a blog that might interest you.
rss Hugger will help bloggers to promote their blogs, just by submitting their rss feed, and then the feed will be listed in a directory so that readers and visitors can come and discover blogs on the categories and subjects that they are interested in.
Now, I have my own page on rss Hugger for you all to peruse, only it has to be approved first, but no hurry, my page will be registered here for 10 years! That is 10 years of having my feed out there to be noticed and read! I think this is a fabulous idea!! Why didn't someone think of this earlier??
When you sign up to register your blog, there are two ways you can do it. There is a $20.00 one time review fee, UNLESS.... you write a review of rss Hugger, like I am doing here, then you can have your own page on rsshugger for FREE for 10 years. How cool is that?
What I really liked about rsshugger when I was looking into it, was that Collin has spent a lot of time figuring this whole thing out. He has offered a service for the bloggers and the readers in one place. Bloggers can promote their blogs, build backlinks for better SEO and also may gain some new subscribers to their rss feeds. Readers can now search for subjects that interest them in categories such as: women, health, travel, fashion, movies, humor, web seo, and so many more, and once they find ones that they didn't know about before, they can easily add the rss feed to their reader or even bookmark it.
I am hoping this will bring in traffic for me and new readers....I love my visitors! And I hope that everyone will subscribe to my rss feed!! That way you can keep up on the daily happenings of Soy Wax Candles Blog.
Till Next Time,
Take Care,
Kat
Dion's Doc: Her New Baby Came From 8-Year-Old Frozen Egg
Celine Dion is pregnant again at the age of 41, and the child that she has conceived came from an embryo that she had frozen eight years ago, when her husband Reme Angelil was diagnosed with cancer. If you remember, that is how she got pregnant with her son Rene in 2001 by artificial insemination of a stored egg.
Celine's doctor, Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, tells People magazine that he performed the in vitro fertilization for Celine's pregnancy, and that when he informed her that the pregnancy had taken, he "could hear her chuckling" with joy. "She was very happy. So was René [Angelil, her husband]. They are both very thankful."
"She came back to have the embryos transferred back because she wanted to have another baby," Rosenwaks says. The doctor says that "there have been embryos that have been frozen for more than 10 years, and even more than 15 years, that have successfully thawed and resulted in a pregnancy," so the eight year time frame with Celine Dion was of no major concern.
Rosenwaks says Dion "is feeling well. So far, so good. I look forward to hearing the fetal heartbeat. Rene and Celine are both looking forward to pregnancy that is a healthy one."
What do you think of that?
And do you think that she will cut this child's hair??
Till Next Time,
Take Care,
Kat
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Okay, so I have to say that I wasn't thouroughly impressed by the premiere of Project Runway Season 6 on Lifetime?
It was okay, but a little disappointing for me.
There is a huge variety of contestants, and I think there will be drama, and crying (there already was crying) and I am hoping they weed out the weirdos so we can have a really good fashion competition.
The challenge was to make a "red carpet" dress that is fitting for the Emmy awards, or the Academy awards, or something that requires a red carpet....
I have to admit that there were a few that I liked, including the one that won, but for the most part, it was lame.
The person who left in last nights show was the woman (?) in the back row, 2nd from the left. She designed (if you can call it that?) a honeycomb looking hoodie with short shorts underneath?? What was she thinking?? Who would EVER wear that on a red carpet? I felt bad for her model, because she gets eliminated too. But still, I am glad to see her gone early, her designs were just too weird for me!
I hope it picks up, and the designs get better, but I really thought that this would be the best challenge to showcase their talent, and most of them failed miserably!!
We'll see what next week brings??
Oh, and I haven't watched the All Star Showdown yet, so I might have something good to tell you about that once I watch it.....stay tuned.........
Till next time,
Take care,
Kat
I am getting a rain barrel after reading about them and wanting to do my part to help. From all the research that I have done on rain barrels, I think this is a wonderful idea!
If most of us purchased a rain water barrel for rain harvesting, we could all go a little greener, and help to conserve water in our lives. Most of the water that an average household uses ends up as waste anyway, so why not utilize what we are given so freely by catching the rain and using that?
Just think, if you harvested rain and stored it, you could still water your garden or lawn when the city declares a water emergency, like they do here every summer. You would have rain water already stored and ready to go! You could also use this water for doing the dishes, or washing your clothes. Another great idea to use the rain water is for washing the car! How many of us use the garden hose and leave it running? Or just use lots of water when we do wash our car, and that all could be done with rain water! It is good for the environment and good for your wallet if you pay a water bill every year too!
There are many rain barrels for sale and there are lots of different styles, shapes and types, depending on what your needs are. If you bought a couple of rain water barrels, then you could have unlimited water available if you needed it. I know our water supply has been tainted with E coli twice now, and we have had to buy bottled water for everything, and they the stores run out of it, and we have no water?
The only thing is that if you want to use it for drinking or cooking, you would have to have a filtration system in place, because you want to make sure that all the impurities are taken out prior to ingesting the rain water.
It just seems like a good idea to me, that when it rains, harvesting the water for future use is taking place as long as you have your rain barrel or barrels. I am going to check out the secure site, and they usually offer free shipping or low cost shipping, and try to get a rain barrel for sale so that I can start storing up the rain. I wish I would have known about this in June! It rained here every single day except for 3 days that month!! Think of how much rain water I could have already??
Will you go green with a rain barrel too?
Take Care,
Kat
I can't wait for the new season of Project Runway to start!
I have watched every season of the show, and I think it just gets better and better. It premeires on a new station, Lifetime, and at a new time, 10:00 pm. I don't care as long as I get to see it. It was held up for months because of some litigation, over what I don't know. But they are no longer on Bravo.
Also, at 8:00 pm tomorrow night, they have a 2 hour special of an All Star Showdown, featuring some of the past seasons contestants. This sounds like it will be a hoot!! They have Santino Rice, and Uli and Will Scarlet and Daniel all coming back to compete one last time. It should be fun to watch.
And after Project Runway they are having another show "The Models of the Runway" which will show the models they use, how they are selected, and what goes on behind the scenes and in the dressing rooms. Sounds good to me, but I will have to tape it.
Anyway, I can't wait to see Heidi, and Nina and Michael and especially Tim Gunn, I think he is my favorite!!! Remember, it is on tomorrow night, season premeir. I don't know if they will keep showing repeats throughout the week like Bravo did, so I have it set to tape, in case I miss it.
Till Next Time,
Take Care,
Kat
There is now a new dry erase board that is so much better than the old ones! This one actually works! And it can fit in nicely with your decor.
Who doesn't love the idea of a dry erase board? They are so easy to write things on and then erase them off to put more things on. I love the fact that it isn't a slip of paper that I can lose! I am terrible with losing paper, so if it can hang on my wall and hold the information that I need, then I am all for it!! In fact I use 2 of them here by my computer for just that reason.
One of them is a Dry Erase Calendar that I use to put all my important dates on so that I don't forget them. And since I am at my computer every day, I see the entries that I have put on the calendar and I don't forget things! How cool is that? These are unmounted vinyl and they will stick directly to any flat surface. You would just peel off the backing and place the calendar or dry erase board on a clean dry surface. The other one is a plain dry erase board that I use to take notes while I am working here at my computer. It is very handy.
They have a large variety of sizes and styles, and we even have one of the larger ones at work to post everyone's vacation times, days off, and meetings, so that it is easily accessible to everyone and large enough to read. It has come in very handy on more than a few occasions when there was a discrepancy about who was taking what days for vacation.
If you happen to own your own business, the Large dry erase board would be very useful for you to put your specials on, like what is on sale this week, or even a best selling item. For a restaurant it would be ideal for you to list your specials on and maybe even your times for breakfast, lunch and dinner so that your customers would know exactly what you were offering and when.
There is also a Dry Erase Games Board, which is a large board that has games on it like hangman and mazes, that you can play over and over again! What a great idea for schools or day cares centers? The kids would have a blast with these. They come in all sizes, one of which takes up an entire wall. Imagine the looks on the faces of the children when they see a games board that big?
I love this idea!
Till Next Time,
Kat
I think I have told everyone that some of my family lives in England, right? Well, whenever they are looking for presents to buy for my daughter or myself, I have turned them to this wonderful new UK Fashion Search Engine for women. I have found that they have the latest styles and the site is extremely easy to use.
Say for example you wanted to look for cheap dresses? You can go directly there and put in the type of dress you would like to see and the color and also specify a price range. It will only give you what you ask for! How nice is that? No more looking through pages and pages of dresses in all price ranges, only the ones you want show up.
Now, I happened to go to the page marked sale jeans , and I typed in my size, and that I was a regular (from the choices of short, regular or long), and the color I wanted which was black, and I didn't specify a price range, because I wanted to see them all, and it filtered out all the other jeans and just showed me what I wanted!! I also had the option of selecting a sale amount like: 50% off or 25% off. There are so many ways you can filter your results it is amazing!! I love it!!
The jumpsuits or rompers are called playsuits, and they are either shorts or pants all in one piece with a top. They can look so stylish on some people. Not me I'm afraid. But this is a young and hip look that works well on the younger set.
They have some really nice cheap t-shirts here too that are more to my liking and I usually go here when I want to select a present. The styles and colors are fantastic and again, you can filter your results any way you choose! I like that I can just see certain colors and not have to weed through all the other t shirts to find what I am looking for.
I have purchased cardigans for both my Grandmother and my Aunt by going to the cardigan (sweater) page and using the filters to come up with the perfect cardigan for them. The English women love their sweaters, and I have seen some stunning ones that I would love. I don't go for the button down the front like they do, but I love to stay warm and sweaters are a must for me!
If you need to look for fashion, try them out and see how easy it is to filter your results and not have to spend hours looking for just what you want!!
They also have everything under the sun for you to look at, from clothes to jewelry to lingerie to shoes and boots! They have so much, you might never leave!
Till Next Time,
Happy Shopping!
Kat
It's hot here and sticky, and I have been miserable all day and evening!!
I didn't get anything done that I had planned to do today. I had a list of things to do today, and not one of them got crossed off the list.
I had big plans for today, and wanted to get so much accomplished, and instead, I just lazed around. I have to get back on track and try to get some things done tomorrow and the rest of the week.
I did just finish watching Big Brother and I am surprised at the nominations, but glad too. And I heard that one of the contestants loses control and gets sent packing...looking on the internet, I found out it was Chima, and yay!! I am glad if she's gone. I like the fact that she said she was a strong woman...but she took it a little too far, and it was just painful to watch her week after week. So, somehow she broke the rules and the producers kicked her off the show, with the announcement that it will be explained on a future episode. So I'm guessing on Tuesday we will find out what happened?? I wonder what rules she broke??
Till Next Time,
Stay Cool,
Kat
If you are looking for the perfect maternity clothes to wear while you are expecting, now is the time to do it! Kikisfashions.com offers the best in fashions for the soon to be Mom. They always have new items because they are always adding new things to their store! The clothing is fantastic and looks great on almost everyone!! You can be a Trendy Mom to Be with teh clothing from this store, and people will comment on how nice you look and how you "glow". And who wouldn't want the extra attention that you will get from wearing clothing that doesn't hinder you, but enhances you?
These are not the fashions you are used to seeing for expectant mothers, no, these are young and hip, or stylish and classy, but never boring and plain! When you are expecting, most people say that you look your best...so why not express that in your clothing too? Usually you see pregnant Moms in peasant tops or mui mui's that aren't very flattering at all, but now there is so much more that you can look forward to when you are pregnant. Why wear something plain and dull, when you can have a polka dot form flattering dress? Why would you wear something that looks like a tent, when you can stylishly show off your baby bump?
I love the fact that they cater to young and older Moms to be, and that the fashions reflect that. They are also offering a 20% Off coupon just to us bloggers! Just use the coupon code "blogfriends" during the checkout process to apply. And they are always running sales, and markdowns! This in addition to being very low pricd to begin with. They are well below the average maternity boutique stores in the prices of their items!
If you or someone you know is expecting, it would be worth your while to check out kikis fashions.com and see all the fabulous pieces they have!!
Take care,
Kat
Atniz - Work From Home:
It seems like everyone is now going on vacation, and they are definitely not going to Ohio like me!! One of my best friends just told me this morning that she and her hubby are going on an all inclusive vacation to the Caribbean!! Awww, I would really like to go there? Just look at this!
She said that they got the best deal through the internet and buying right there online, and they weren't even looking for Caribbean vacations! She said they went looking for a romantic vacation with all intents on going to Florida but then they saw the great deals going on right now for the Caribbean, so that when they started to look at those options, they quickly changed their minds and decided to go to the Caribbean instead.
What they purchased was an all inclusive vacation package which means that they get all their meals and snacks included, all drinks, their accomodations, which I have to say I am impressed with the pictures that she sent to me!! And also, they get loads of adventures they can go on included too!! They are going snorkeling with a professional instructor, and on a tour of the island. I think I really like the idea of the all inclusive package because it seems to include everything!! She also told me that tipping is not excepted...ever!! So there is no hidden fees you have to worry about. They are so looking forward to the romantic dual massages that are offered at the resort too! They both have been working so very hard, and needed a break, and this will be perfect for them!!
I have to admit, I am a little envious of them, but I wish them complete happiness and I can't wait to see the pictures when they come back!!
Till Next Time,
Take care,
Kat
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My friends are going to Myrtle Beach at the end of this month, and I am not going to be able to go with them. I have been looking over the staying arrangements that they might choose, and have seen some absolutely lovely Oceanfront Myrtle Beach Hotels that would be fabulous to stay in!! I love the whole idea of having the ocean right outside your door, and being able to open the sliders to the deck and hear the waves crashing on the shore.
I am going to suggest that next summer, or early in the year, we plan a trip where we can all go and stay at a Myrtle Beach Hotel together and enjoy the beach and the sun. There is no better vacation than to have a bunch of girlfriends go together and leave all the stress of the work and home behind!!
I don't know where they are going to stay this month when they go down there, but I am going to suggest that they get an Oceanfront Myrtle Beach Hotel and they can let me know just how wonderful it really is. That way when we go down next time, we will have a blast like we always do whenever we are together. It is always a fun time, and we will end up with drinks on the balcony overlooking the ocean and giggling like schoolgirls! I can't wait for my next vacation to come around so that I can go to Myrtle Beach too!!
I hope they take pictures while they are there, so they can show me where they stayed, and I can let them know about my plans for next year and a beautiful place right on the beach. I will be dreaming about my vacation now, and imagining the sunset on the water, and the waves on the beach.
Till Next Time,
Kat
WOW! I can't believe a whole year has gone by already!!.
My poor Marcus......
He fell while running and this is the result!! His poor little knees are all skinned and bleeding!!
I felt so bad for him! His hands are a little skinned too, but not at all anything like his knees!!
He was running with sandals on, and we tell him not to, because his feet slip out of them. They are the kind that you just slide your feet into? Well, even walking his feet come out of them, because you don't have anything to grip onto, and they don't strap on, and so, this time when he was running, Down he went!
Awwwwwwww, I gave him lots of kisses and hugs!!
Till next time,
Take care,
And no running in sandals!!!!! LOL
Kat
I still haven't replaced my mailbox since it was knocked down and I think the mailman is getting angry with me? I have been looking at the ecco mailboxes, and I seem to like them and how durable they are. They also guarantee fast delivery, so that would be a big plus.
They have so many mailboxes that I can't make my mind up, and so I have been searching through all the tabs to see the different styles. I like the look and style of a black wall mount mailbox, but I am wondering if the mailman would actually get out of his car to come up to my house and put the mail in it?? Also in the wall mount style is the Victorian design wall mount, that is a very fancy mailbox. It's really quite nice if you had a nice house to display it on. I think this would be more for the richer neighborhoods. There is also an oval shaped mailbox and also is a wall mount. I am just not sure that this would be the right mailbox for me? My house is not grand, and I would have to check to make sure my mail would get delivered if I chose one of these? So maybe an ecco wall mount mailbox might not be the right choice for me right now.
They even have a Victorian tower mailbox that is very fancy. It looks like a pillar that would be on the end of your path, and looks solid and sturdy. It's very high end, and a little too much for around my neighborhood. Again, this would be perfect in the more expensive parts of town. I can picture this at the end of a sweeping drive, just waiting to accept the mail.
So, at this point I am still undecided and although I need a new mailbox, and I like and want an ecco mailbox, I think I will keep looking at what they have and try to make my mind up in the next few days. It used to be that you only could buy a silver mailbox to stick on a post....when did it become so difficult to choose a mailbox?
Till next time,
Kat
If any of you has tried to go to my candle site, I have to apologize and explain.
I was hosting with a company that shall remain nameless, and because of a mix-up, they have now turned off my site, and so now I looking for a different hosting company so that I can get my site back up and running, and I can offer to sell my candles again.
When trying to find a webhosting site, it can become completely overwhelming and confusing. There are just so many companies out there all vying for your attention and money. I like the fact that Web Hosting Geeks offers reviews of the many companies out there, and the pros and cons of each.
In choosing a web hosting service, there are so many things that I have to look for, the most important being how much web space a provider will allow me on their server. I have many photos of my products, so this is a very important issue for me!
The next thing would be support, I don't want or need a company that doesn't offer 24/7 support for me, or doesn't respond to my problems. Hence the trouble I am in now. So support is a big issue for me!
I also know from experience that I need FTP access, because I need to upload new pages all the time as my inventory changes. Without this option, I can't control my website.
The next thing would be price, I know that the most expensive plans aren't always the best, but the cheaper ones might not offer what I need, so now I really have to do some comparing. This is where the web hosting geeks site comes in handy with the reviews they conduct and the awards they have given. They also have a great informative blog where I have been perusing the many articles to help me in my search.
I have a long road ahead, and am going to need luck and smarts to get my site back up and running!! I'll let you all know when I have success!! Thank you for being patient with me while I research the best options for my site.
Till Next Time,
Take Care,
Kat :)
Stouffer's New Panini's are the greatest and they are running a contest that will allow you to win one of three $10,000 cash prizes, Sony Digital Camcorders and Panini's!! YAY!
Stouffers-panini has come up with 4 new flavors to tempt and satisfy you, they now have a Bistro Meatballs & Peppers, a Bistro Chicken Souvlaki, a Lean Cuisine Grilled Vegetables & Goat Cheese, and a Lean Cuisine Mango Chicken Tikka! All 4 of these are brand new and the contest is going on right now!!
You can register here for your chance to possibly win a trip to France, India, Italy or Greece, or a Sony camcorder, or maybe even some free Stouffers products? The only thing is, this offer is available to Canadian residents only, which bums me out because I live in the United States. But at least all my Canadian friends can be aware of this great contest and enter for their chance to win!! And then maybe they will take me on the trip for giving them the contest information??
They only allow one unique UPC code entry per day, so the girls at work are going to save up the upc bar codes from their lunch meals, and we will send them to our friends in Canada. That way they can enter daily with a different UPC every day. That's what friends are for, they help each other out, and eat great meals while doing so!
If you are in Canada, head over to enter this great contest that Stouffers Panini is offering!! You could be a big winner!!!
Till Next Time,
Good Luck!
Kat
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This is a story that I found, and wanted to reprint here, for all of you to read too...
A Trooper's Hunch
I’ve been a highway patrol trooper for 21 years, all of them right here in Alexander County, North Carolina, a beautiful area in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. North Carolina State Troopers work alone. Day in and day out, I’m all by myself behind that wheel, and I can get to feeling solitary at times.
It had been a busy shift that day last February. I’d been on patrol since 6:00 A.M. and was scheduled to work until 3:00. Since I’d worked through lunch, I decided to head home a little early and eat with my wife, Linda.
No sooner had I finished my soup and sandwich when I got a strong feeling that I should head back to the station.
“Are you sure?” said Linda. “It’s almost three o’clock now.”
“I know. It doesn’t make sense. I just have a feeling I’d better go back.”
Linda didn’t bother arguing. She knew I had little hunches from time to time on patrol. I’d just get the notion to take one exit instead of another, or to hang around a bit longer at a certain spot. But this time the hunch was stronger than usual, almost like something was telling me to get back. Minutes later I was cruising down Highway 90 toward the patrol office.
As I drove along, the radio crackled to life. “Attention: missing three-year-old boy at Hidden Acres Mobile Home Park. Mother’s name Mary Dyer, boy’s name Sammy. Last seen with his dog on the back porch of his home.”
The woods around this area were thick with snow and the temperature was well below freezing. No kind of weather for a three-year-old to be wandering around lost in. I picked up the radio and got the boy’s address, then turned onto a back road that took me straight to the mobile home park.
I was the first at the scene, and Sammy’s mother was plenty happy to see me. “He was right out there on the back porch with his dog. I told him to stay put while I went inside for a second, but you know how boys can be.”
The deputy sheriffs arrived. Their plan was to make a door-to-door search of the mobile home park, then wait for a bloodhound that was on its way from a neighboring county before hitting the woods. With a bloodhound, you don’t want to be traipsing around the search area because it makes it harder for the dog to isolate the right scent. I figured there were enough people on the scene to take care of the situation, so I got back on the road toward the highway patrol office.
I drove slowly and kept my eyes peeled for about a quarter mile down the highway just in case the boy had strayed that far. But there was no sign of him. I sped up.
When I'd gotten maybe a mile away from the mobile home park I saw a van parked on the shoulder of the road. The driver was a young woman.
“It’s my boyfriend's van,” she said when I approached the vehicle. “I just stopped here a minute ago because I thought I was out of gas. But now I see I just hadn’t switched tanks.”
She turned the key and the engine started up. With a wave, the woman pulled out onto the road and drove away. I turned and headed back to my car.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move at the edge of the woods. Three large dogs emerged from the shadows and stood there looking at me. They lingered for a moment, then turned and vanished back into the trees. The boy’s home was a mile away. And no one had said anything about three dogs. Was there any way there could be a connection here?
I walked over to the spot where the dogs had been and peered into the trees. There they were, bounding away through the snow. I started into the woods after them. The trees were thick and the air was bracing against my face. The farther into the woods I went, the deeper the snow got. It was getting harder and harder to proceed. Finally I saw that the dogs had stopped again. They seemed to be milling around something. Could it be Sammy?
Yes! There, sunk down in the snow clear up to his chest, was a very young, very scared-looking boy. With the three dogs barking and jumping around us, I reached down and pulled him free.
I winced when I saw the boy’s tiny, shoeless feet. “We need to get you warm, son. My car’s just a little ways from here. Hang on and we’ll be there in a minute.”
Being chilled wasn’t getting in the way of his ability to talk any. “Take me home!” he shouted. “I’m cold! That’s my dog, Bear. Those other two are his friends. I lost my shoes! I want a blanket!” He kept going on a mile a minute as I retraced my steps to the patrol car. I raced back to the mobile home park, where paramedics in a waiting ambulance got to work bringing Sammy’s body temperature up.
Soon little Sammy was back with his mom, safe and sound, and not about to go wandering off on his own again. And I was back home with Linda, talking about what had happened.
“Honey, how long did you say that van had been on the side of the highway before you came along?”
“No more than a minute.”
“And the lady had already found the gas switch by the time you stopped, so she wouldn’t have been there if you’d come by one minute later?”
“Nope.”
“And if she’d stopped just a little bit farther down the highway, do you think you would have noticed those dogs?” I could see where Linda was going. “I’m sure I wouldn’t have,” I said. The timing necessary for me to spot those dogs was just way too precise to be mere coincidence. Strangest of all was that hunch I’d had to get back on patrol in the first place, almost as if someone were telling me what to do.
Our local paper ran a story about the unlikely series of events that led to me finding Sammy. It began: “Mary Dyer doesn’t doubt that her son has a guardian angel looking over his shoulder.”
These days, when I get to feeling a little lonely on the job, or when I get one of those funny hunches out of the blue, I’ll remember those words. I don’t doubt that Sammy’s mom was right. Young Sammy does have a guardian angel looking over his shoulder. And I have a hunch I just might have one too.
BY: Tim Tarleton
Chicken Soup for the Soul
We are thinking of getting lockers for work, so we can all store our stuff in them, instead of what we do now, which is hanging our coats on our cubes, and taking up our office drawers with our pocketbooks.
My boss knows I am on the internet all the time, so he asked me to look around and get some prices and ideas. I really like the ones on the left they look professional and not so much like school lockers. Not that there is anything wrong with school lockers, it is just that if we are going to have them for work, I think they need to look more like this. These lockers would fit in with our filing cabinets and other hardware that we already have in the office.
They had some nice Wooden lockers too, but I think that although they are beautiful looking, they would stand out too much in our space. My other thought was to get individual gym lockers to go by each cubicle, and I think I will mention it to my boss just to see what he thinks?
There are so many lockers for sale, that it is really hard to pick just a few, but I did it. I will mention about everyone having their own individual locker, and see how that goes, but if my boss doesn't go for that, we always have the option of the single or double wood locker, which I think would look nice?
I hope he likes the selections that I have made. I think in the winter it will be especially good, because we all need a place to hang our coats, and some of the girls go to exercise class right after work, and bring a bag with a change of clothes in, that has to now, sit on the floor next to them. Once we get the lockers, they can store their gear in there!!
Take care,
Kat
If only we had known about mesothelioma a while ago, we might have been able to do more to save my Uncle Ronnie. It is a deadly disease that is awful to endure.
My Uncle was a very proud man who worked very hard all of his life, to provide for his family. He owned and operated a construction/demolition business in New York, and hardly ever missed a day's work. Little did we know then about the dangers of Asbestos exposure. Back in the 60's and 70's no one was aware of the dangers of Asbestos exposure and that it is linked to Mesothelioma, a very destructive form of cancer.
Continued and daily exposure over the years allowed the asbestos fibers to either be inhaled or ingested by my Uncle Ronnie every time he was working in a contaminated area. Only he wasn't aware of the dangers of asbestos then. Only when he was given the dreaded mesothelioma prognosis, did he realize that all those years ago while working at the company, every single day, that he was exposed to the asbestos fibers with every single building they tore down, or every wall they replaced, or the blown in insulation that the company did. It was really heartbreaking for him when he realized that his livelihood was now taking his life away.
Now, there are 3 types of Mesothelioma with each affecting a different part of the upper body.
1. Pleural Mesothelioma - Lungs
2. Peritoneal Mesothelioma - Abdomen
3. Pericardial Mesothelioma - Heart
The most common form of mesothelioma is the first one that affects the lungs after breathing in the asbestos, but the other kinds are also just as bad. The way the asbestos travels in the body is unreal. Treatment for these diagnoses is usually grim. Once diagnosed you are usually given less than a year to live, because it takes years for the symptoms to show up, and get diagnosed correctly, sometimes decades later, so by then the cancer is in the advanced stages, just as it was with my Uncle. The most common way to get a correct diagnosis is with an MRI, CT Scan or a PET Scan, or perhaps all three. From there your physician will decide what treatment (if any) will be best for you. Sometimes surgery can help, or chemotherapy or radiation, and sometimes medication might help.
Did you know that the manufacturers of the Asbestos knew about its dangers long before they ever revealed it to the public? Thousands of workers and people were exposed to this unnessesarily!
There is a great book written by Paul Kraus, called "Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient's Guide" and for a limited time, Mr. Kraus is giving away free copies. Please head over to www.survivingmesothelioma.com to get your free copy while they last. It may help with the pain you are suffering, or help you with the path that you are on.
God Bless,
Take Care,
Kat
We are going to watch WWE wrestling tonight, LIVE!! Yay!!
I can't wait, and want to take pictures and everything....
My daughter and grandson already made signs to hold up during the matches....
Last year I didn't go, but they had a great time, and even had pics taken outside with some of the wrestlers!!! We are going to leave early to hopefully catch some of the wrestlers before they enter the building. I hope I can get some good pictures!!
I am sure we are going to have a great time!!!
I'll let you know...
Take care,
Kat
I am now officially hooked on Jellycat stuffed animals!It's that time of the month again, time to say thank you for the great blogs that dropped their cards on my little site here, I thank you so very much!!
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