Sunday, December 31, 2006

Here Comes 2007








New Year's Wishes

May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, your cardiologist, your gastro-enterologist, your urologist, your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your plumber and the I.R.S.

May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift, your abs and your stocks not fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise.

May New Year's Eve find you seated around the table, together with your beloved family and cherished friends. May you find the food better, the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure much more fulfilling than anything else you might ordinarily do that night.

May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them. May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.

May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, may the commercials on TV not be louder than the program you have been watching, and may your check book and your budget balance - and include generous amounts for charity.

May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse, your child, your parent, your siblings; but not to your secretary, your nurse, your masseuse, your hairdresser or your tennis instructor.

And may we live in a world at peace and with the awareness of God's love in every sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every baby's smile, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart.

I wish I had written this, but I got it in email, just like many other good things my friends send me. May you never stop!







Saturday, December 30, 2006

Helpful Hints for the New Year


I cannot vouch for the truth of this; I got it in an email.


I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do -- probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm the paint job on the truck.

WD-40 -- who knew?

The product began from a search for a rust preventive solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water displacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their Atlas missile parts. Ken East (one of the original founders) says, " there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you." When you read the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. Then try it on your stovetop... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed. Here are some of the uses:

1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) Removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor!
Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly so hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37) Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.
38) The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be
catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.
P. P. S. I keep a can of WD-40 in my kitchen cabinet over the stove. It is good for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned feeling away and heals with NO scarring.

Friday, December 29, 2006

I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'.........

but there are always cartoons, no?  Posted by Picasa
 Posted by Picasa

Our Weather.....


has been worth bragging about lately, with the exception of Christmas Day, when it rained buckets full. Our daytime temperatures have been bouncing from the 50's to the 70's and back, and we surely can't complain about that. The only problem I see is that if we don't have at least one hard freeze this winter, we will be inundated with fleas, ticks and mosquitoes next summer.

People have been responding to the warmth by wearing lighter clothing, for the most part, but yesterday I saw someone who carried it to extremes. A woman got out of her car at the post office wearing denim Daisy Duke shorts and flip-flops. The temp, according to the gauge in my car, was 49*. I checked her car, expecting to see a Canadian plate, but she was from right here in NC. People all around were doing double-takes, nearly jerking their heads off their necks while gawking at her lack of clothes. She seemed unconcerned - or maybe she didn't realize the reaction she was causing.....LOL.

The first time our family went to DisneyWorld in FL was in the month of December. We quickly learned to tell who were our Canadian neighbors; they were the ones in tank-tops and sandals, while the rest of us shivered, wearing hats, jackets and sweat suits. As I recall, the temps were hovering in the high 40's and low 50's then, and I couldn't believe that northerners thought that was warm enough to wear so little clothing. Everything is relative or so it seems.

As we go through life, we cannot help but notice little differences like that, but one thing I have learned through this blog (and yours) is that under the skin, we are all alike. We all want and need the same basic things, whether we are from the US or the Ukraine. That is one of the real perks of reading/writing blogs, I think. I have said it before, but if more of us could and would read each other's blogs (from all over the world) there would be no wars, since we would be loathe to start one against people whom we perceive as our neighbors and friends.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

75 thousand of you can't all be wrong!

My statcounter just turned turned 75,000!! When I added the Statcounter to the blog, in June 2005, I had no idea that this many people would find a reason to click onto here. Since there are many fewer comments than there are people counted, I would really like to know more about some of you. How about coming out of the closet (so to speak) and leaving a comment? Lurk no more, people!

To those of you who do come here I give thanks. It is very gratifying that so many of you come back day after day, leaving thoughtful and often humorous comments. Your comments and your blogs give me so much pleasure and I am bereft when I cannot visit you as often as I'd like. Here's to many more years of blogging for us all!

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Quotes of Note


Without books the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are the engines of change, windows on the world, "Lighthouses" as the poet said "erected in the sea of time." They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind, books are humanity in print.


Arthur Schopenhauer , philosopher (1788-1860)


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they're in the game.


Paul Rodriguez

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He who would be a leader must be a bridge.

Welsh proverb

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

My Childhood Church......


was the scene of this:


CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's 1-year-old daughter, Violet, has been baptized at Christ Church United Methodist, where the actress' parents are members.


Pastor Randall Flanagan said members of the congregation weren't star-struck _ or didn't show it too much _ when the Hollywood couple showed up on Christmas Eve with their daughter.


Garner, a Charleston native, won a Golden Globe Award for her starring role as agent Sydney Bristow in the TV series "Alias," which ended its five-year run in May. Movie credits for the 34-year-old actress include "Elektra" and "13 Going on 30."


Affleck, also 34, is nominated for a Golden Globe Award for playing George Reeves, star of the 1950s TV show "Adventures of Superman," in "Hollywoodland." He won a screenwriting Oscar with Matt Damon in 1998 for "Good Will Hunting."


I was baptized at that church in 1941.

Happy Day After......


Here's hoping that each and every one of you had a wonderful Christmas. Y' all take a nap now, ya' heah?

We did our family gathering on Christmas Eve, and a good time (with great food) was mandatory, as usual. We had ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, broccoli, cranberries, apple and pecan pies, and we all were stuffed by the end of the meal.

The children opened their family presents after dinner, and still had Santa's haul to open this morning. We heard that everyone was pleased with the presents, although some who hate to read directions got a little frustrated when operation of some of the more technical items proved to be difficult. A "build-your-own-radio" had static and Ipod Shuffles had to be programmed (immediately, if not sooner!!)

We watched some sports on the new flat-screen TV at my daughter's house; ice-skating and Olympic quality gymnastics look better on the flat screen, although it made the performers look shorter and chubbier than in real life. The "stretching" of the picture to fit the screen makes that happen, it was explained.

On Christmas Day, we tried to see "Dream Girls" but it was sold out in two places! We drove around in a heavy rain, hoping to find a theater that still had tickets for an early showing, but alas, none did. We came back home and resigned ourselves to watching TV, napping and blogging for the rest of the day....not a bad way to end a busy holiday season.......right?

On BET; not a usual station for me to view, I found a series of "In Living Color" shows, featuring the Wayans Family and Jim Carrey. There were 2-3 straight hours of shows, which would have continued until 10pm, but they replaced some with a retrospective on James Brown, who died Christmas morning. I had been wanting to see some reruns of In Living Color and while they did not show my favorite skits, there were plenty enough to please! They even had Jennifer Lopez as a "Fly Girl".

Tonight I found International Ballroom Dancing on PBS. I love to watch dancing, and this is the creme-de-le-creme of competitions. My favorite - Tony Dovolani - was the runner-up in the Best of Show portion of the contest. You may remember seeing him on Dancing With the Stars.

We start ripping down Christmas decor at the clubs and restaurants this morning, and preparing for a big New Year's Eve wedding. My brother-in-law arrives Thursday for a 4-day visit, so the season isn't really over for me. My presence here might be sparse in the next week, so just in case I don't see you, have a very Happy New Year!

Monday, December 25, 2006

 Posted by Picasa

MERRY CHRISTMAS......


and then do whatever you can to promote peace on Earth and goodwill to all!

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Waste Your Time Here.......

Amuse yourselves with this link, and tell me the results:

http://www.masquerademaskarts.com/memes/peculiartitle.php

Stress Management

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water? " Answers called out ranged from 8oz. to 20oz. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. "If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. "In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. "

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. " "As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.

When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. "So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. "Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!"

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

Never buy a car you can't push.

Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

The second mouse gets the cheese.

When every thing's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

And the one I want printed on a t-shirt:

"It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others."

It isn't very Christmas-like, but it's all I have at the moment. I do hope that all of you have a wonderful Christmas.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Santa's Reindeer



According to the Alaska Department of Fish
and Game, while both male and female reindeer
grow antlers in the summer each year, male
reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning
of winter, usually late November to mid-
December.


Female reindeer retain their antlers till after
they give birth in the spring.
Therefore, according to EVERY
historical rendition depicting
Santa's reindeer,
EVERY single one of them,
from Rudolph to Blitzen,
had to be a girl.

We should've known...
ONLY women would be able to drag
a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit
all around the world in one night
and not get lost.


The Santa above is another piece of the ephemera I have saved. It was a package of red yarn, for use in tying presents, and was probably from the '70's.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Dizzy Blondes

Two blondes, Becky and Sally, were putting siding on a house.

Becky, who was nailing down the siding, would reach into her nail pouch, pull out a nail and either toss it over her shoulder or nail it in.

Sally, wondering what she was doing, asked, "Why are you throwing away all those nails?"

Becky explained, "When I pull a nail out of my pouch, about half of them have the head on the wrong end, so I throw them away."

Sally got completely upset and yelled, "You moron! Those nails aren't defective, they're for the other side of the house!"

A Hearty Thank You!

Mr. kenju and I want to thank everyone who voted for him. The team will be picked in February, and we will let you know what happens.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Help Me Out, Will Ya? Puh-leeeeeeze?

Mr. kenju wants your help! He played basketball for Georgetown University and they have a project in progress, to name the top basketball players in Georgetown's 100 year history, called "The All Century Team", to which he has been nominated.

We'd be much obliged for your vote. Go to this site:


http://www.guhoyas100.com/vote.cfm


There are three sections for nominees. Mr. kenju (Jim Carrino) is in the "Classic" section. If you hold the mouse over his name, you can click on it and see a photo and a brief profile. You can also go here to see a full profile:

http://www.hoyabasketball.com/thoughts/top100/j_carrino.htm

You MUST vote for any two people in the Vintage Era, any eight people in the Classic Era (INCLUDING JIM) and any fifteen people in the Modern Era. If you do not vote for the full number in each era, your vote will not be counted.

Then fill in your name and email address and click "Submit" to cast your votes.


You would make mr. kenju a very happy man, and me too, of course! We'd also like to know how many vote, so could you leave a message here if you did? THANKS!


One of the Best Posts I've Ever Read

can be found here:

http://trinamick.blogspot.com/2006/12/do-i-make-you-offended-baby.html


You owe it to yourself to read this! Please come back and tell me what you thought of it.

Christmas Riddles

I hope these don't make you groan too much!

Q: What do elves learn in school?A: The Elf-abet!

Q: If athletes get athletes foot, what do astronauts get? A: Missletoe!

Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? A: Frostbite.

Q: Why was Santa's little helper depressed? A: Because he had low elf esteem.

Q: Why does Santa have 3 gardens? A: So he can ho-ho-ho.

Q: Where do polar bears vote?A: The North Poll.

Q: What do you get when you cross an archer with a gift-wrapper? A: Ribbon hood.

Q: Why do birds fly south for the winter ?A: Because it's to far to walk.

Q: What was wrong with the boy's brand new toy electric train set he received for Christmas?A: Forty feet of track - all straight!

Q: What kind of bird can write?A: A PENguin.

Q: What do you call a cat on the beach at Christmas time? A: Sandy Claus!

Q: How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas? A: Fleece Navidad!

Q: What nationality is Santa Claus?A: North Polish.

Q: Why does Santa's sled get such good mileage?A: Because it has long-distance runners on each side.

Q: What do you call a bunch of grandmasters of chess bragging about their games in a hotel lobby? A: Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer!

Q: What do you get if you deep fry Santa Claus?A: Crisp Cringle.

Q: What did the ghosts say to Santa Claus?A: We'll have a boo Christmas without you.

Q: What did Santa shout to his toys on Christmas Eve?A: Okay everyone, sack time!!

Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast? A: Snowflakes.

Q: Why did the elf push his bed into the fireplace?A: He wanted to sleep like a log.

Q: Why did Santa spell Christmas N-O-E? A: Because the angel had said, "No L!"

Q: What goes Ho, Ho, Swoosh, Ho, Ho, Swoosh? A: Santa caught in a revolving door!

Q: Why does Santa Claus go down the chimney on Christmas Eve?A: Because it " soots " him!

Q: What do you do if Santa gets stuck in your chimney? A: Pour Santa flush on him.

Q: Did you hear that one of Santa's reindeer now works for Proctor and Gambel? A: Its true . . . Comet cleans sinks!

Q: What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus? A: Claustrophobic.

Q: Why does Scrooge love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?A: Because every buck is dear to him.

Q: How come you never hear anything about the 10th reindeer "Olive" ?
A: Yeah, you know, "Olive the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names"

Q: Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?A: You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.

And last but not least...

Q: What's a good holiday tip?A: Never catch snowflakes with your tongue until all the birds have gone south for the winter.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Our Dickens Village


I said in the last post that I wouldn't be posting anymore photos from my house, but I thought you would enjoy seeing the village.

Mr. kenju started collecting these houses and other buildings about 12 years ago. We have about 12 of them, plus a lot of accessories, such as people, trees and animals.


I didn't go "all out" with it this year. Sometimes I use cotton batting and pad the corners of the books I use to raise some of them to different levels.


This year I used a smaller mirror to make the ice skating "pond". You can see a portion of it in the middle left of the second pic down.

I didn't show you here, but I also put a 3 foot lit tree among the houses. It is out of proportion, but it adds to the twinkle of it all and the grandchildren will like it. Scroll down to see that pic.
Posted by Picasa


Here is the pond, with the ice skaters. The effect is lost when the mini-blinds are reflected in the "ice", but you get the idea. Posted by Picasa

My House ~ One Last Time















The tree looks impossibly skinny in the photos, but not so much in real life.

Another court jester ornament. He is standing on the crescent moon and holding the hands of a monkey which is sitting on his shoulders.
















Another frog; a wooden "shelf-sitter", all dressed up for Christmas. Posted by Picasa
And one more frog.....a hand towel, with a frog holding a candy cane. A friend gave that to me last year. Posted by Picasa

Monday, December 18, 2006

Come Onna' My House, My-y House......


Christmas at Casa Kenju.

Scroll down for the rest of the post. Posted by Picasa

Some of my favorite ornaments. Are you surprised that they're frogs??



The top photo shows one that Mr. Kenju gave me on wednesday morning. He usually doesn't buy frogs for me (only once before), saying that I have too many already!



The second photo is a frog that is one of a pair. I got it at the neighborhood ornament exchange party last week. It may be hard to see here, but the lady frog is carrying a tiny purse on her arm.

Next is a purple velvet frog.
















Last is "Two frogs hugging", but it didn't come from the store of the same name in Kauai. I got it at the ornament exchange party 2 years ago.  Posted by Picasa

A frog king with wings., holding a gilt oak leaf.

















A court jester. I have a few of these in different types and sizes.

















A banjo-playing frog, also one of a pair.
















The snowman is the oldest ornament I have. It was my mother's and she bought it in the 40's. It is one of the earliest examples of plastic ornaments. He has a hole in his side to hold a candy cane.
Posted by Picasa

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Maxine the Magnificent

This is the last of my already prepared posts, so after this one, I may have to resort to posting from the archives until my brain registers something new to talk about, which could be a long while! But we all enjoy Maxine, don't we? I love the one directly below and the one about "rise and shine". What's your favorite?


























P.S. At church today, they took up a special collection for an orphanage in South Africa. Our average number of people each Sunday (in 2 services) is 450-500, and the collection amount averages $11-12 thousand. Last year, our special collection gleaned $35k and today? Today we gave $89 thousand dollars! I am so proud; the church is only 2 yrs, 10 months old and we have weathered our share of problems!