One of my latest addictions...

I can't seem to get enough of these stupid things!

Whole World Needs a Leader Like this (email I got)

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks..

Separately, Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'

'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented.. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'...'

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

Dancing with the Stars this week...

OK, so watched last night & really thought that Melissa did a great job! I am so not a 'lil Kim fan so I just don't think that I coudl bring myself to vote for her, but my hubby said she did a great job! (I missed her dance). That sexy guy from Sex and the City did an incredible job too! I really liked Shawn last week, but did not like her this week. I'd like to see Steve & Holly go this week. Like David Allen Grier, but not his partner so much. Steve-O is a cutie & I'd like to see him stick around. That's who my hubby wants to win it all! Ha...

Still enjoying the "change" that came with your vote?

Was emailing with an old friend of mine the other day & when she sent this back to me: I did vote for BO, but now I'm not so sure about him. I am a little scared at the direction our country is going, it is becoming socialist and that really scares me. I thought that was pretty funny. Wonder how many others are second guessing their decision...
Things that make ya say hmmmmm

Funny bumper stickers...

Fun stuff for Easter!

Found a darling website today with lots of cute Easter stuff! I remember this book from my childhood...check it out! http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/

Easter basket alternatives...

Have way too many baskets at your house!? I know we had too many growing up & my Mom now likes to get Tanner basekts...gets a little crazy & you have too many! Anyways, I like the alternate idea that she did last year! After his first year (got 3) it was a welcome change!

Pottery Barn Kids has these cute containers that can be used for so many different things after Easter! They have primary colors too which may be better for a boy.


Get a cute personalized bucket from a website like: http://www.polkadotsandwhatnots.com/category_9/Personalized-Buckets.htm




A dumptruck for a boy would be good as Spring is coming & they can never have too many trucks!



This cute purse from Bath & Body Works would be great for a young girl or "tween"! They had three different dogs to choose from.




I thought this dragonfly bucket was cute too & they had other designs to choose from as well: http://www.polkadotsonline.com/products.php?catID=9902029

what a great movie!

Monsters vs. Aliens came in with $58.2 million in sales this weekend. WOW, I believe it! The theater we were at on Sunday morning for the 11:30 show was packed! We were at the 3-D one and funny thing, I don't even remember knowing that there was a 3D option for the movie! Anyways, wish Tanner had been feeling better as I know he would have enjoyed it more. He kept talking about it last night telling Dad all about it so I guess he did enjoy it to some degree. THe last time I remember seeing a 3D movie they handed out the paper glasses with blue and red! These were like plastic clark kent glasses & way better than the old kind...Better be for $9.95 at the first show of the day that is usually just about $6.00! Thank Goodness Tanner is still free.

Here's a picture of the boys before the movie started...You can totally tell Tanner wasn't feeling well. I asked him several times if he was sure he felt OK and wanted to stay and the answer was yes.

Rough weekend

Well, it was a rough weekend around our house. Hubs had to report for work on Friday night at 10 with the snow they were calling for. Even though it wasn't supposed to start until 3 or 4 in the morning, they were making the night crew show up at 10! STUPID...He got home at 4 & slept until sometime around 11 I think? Trying to keep Tanner quiet was not the easiest thing to do! Then it did finally start getting nasty & he had to report back at 7:30 for snow plow duty again! I ended up cancelling my haircut b/c I didn't want Penelope sticking around just for me! I took Tanner to Grandma's house (just around the corner) at about 7:20 as he wanted to stay the night & play over there. At 8:40 I got a call that he wanted to come home so I went back out in the snow to get him. Good thing he did come home b/c he was up at 11 with an ear ache. I took him into bed with me since Chad was out plowing & we slept until 5:30 when he said he was ready to go back to his bed. So, carried him in crawled back in my bed and it was not 10 minutes later & his ear was bothering him again so I gave him another dose of Motrin. Poor guy...It got worse so I took him to the Urgent Care at CMSH. We were in and out in hour so that was really good! Espeically when I hear stories of people being in there for like 3 hours waiting sometimes. There was no one in the waiting room when we got there. They said that it seemed like his eardrum gave way in one area so fluid was coming out. Poor little guy was in a lot of paint! We went home after we got his meds & he fell asleep. He had insisted that he still wanted to go see Monsters vs. Aliens so I woke him up & we went. You could tell he was not himself & we didn't make it through the whole movie. Seemed to be feeling a lot better though after his nap and was OK this morning too. It's not been hurting anymore so obviously the meds help him pretty quick! It's been like that with his past two or three ear infections. Almost as soon as I get him going on the meds he starts getting better. I've never had one so I have no idea what it's like.

Cute Valentine idea for a teacher

The idea came from Family Fun magazine...thought it came out pretty cute!

I can not believe it...

OK, so my title makes me think of Little Einsteins, Quincy in particular! Yes, I have seen far too many kids shows! I often think of Dora during my day too if I say "Oh man..." Swiper for those of you who know the show... :-) Love my boy though & I'll watch anything he wants too (most of the time...) Have been watching a lot of The Sandlot and Beverly Hill Chiuawa (sp) lately. This weekend we are going to see Aliens vs. Monsters. I can't wait! It looks pretty cute. So anyways, back to the real subject of this one...

American Idol last night. I'm sorry but seriously Matt was in the bottom three last night and for SO long!? I can't believe that he was in the bottom three at all. He did SO good! I even downloaded his performance on itunes!

Was sad to see Michael go as I think he's got a good voice & seems like such a genuinely nice guy. But, that being said, I don't think he's an "American Idol" or actually meant to win a contest like this. I do hope he gets some opportunities for good things though from the exposure on the show.

Obama's plan...

the secret of aging gracefully...

A doctor on his morning walk, noticed an older lady sitting on her front step smoking a cigar, so he walked up to her and said,
"I couldn't help but notice how happy you look! What is your secret?"

"I smoke ten cigars a day," she said. "Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint. Apart from that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels every week, and eat only junk food. I pop pills, have wild sex every day, and don't exercise at all."

"That is absolutely amazing! How old are you?"

"Thirty-four," she replied.

American Idol...

I will have to say that Mowtown week is my FAVORITE one on American Idol! I love the music, all of the music! Those artists really know music and can sing!
Adam & Matt are consistently giving great perfomances & Danny too!











So I don't like what I think is a cocky attitude. BUT Allison sure did bring it last night!
I thought Kris did really good too & for some reason I really do like Meghan!

Going a little too far!

OK, so I'm not a lesbian...but I think people have a right to live as they want to. Who am I to judge you? It's not my place & you're not hurting me. Anyways, I definatly think THIS is going way too far! Why can they say that a girl HAS to wear a dress? That is just crazy. I hope this girl wins & gets to wear her pants!

Unlike some people we went to high school with, one Indiana teen is hoping to keep her pants on at the prom this year. In fact, she's suing her school so that she can wear pants to the big event.

The unnamed 17-year old lesbian is suing because she thinks Lebanon High School's dress code for prom, which obligates her to wear a dress to the dance, is discriminatory. In her opinion, dresses are not part of her sexual identity.

The ACLU has got her back on this one, saying the school's policy violates the Constitution by creating a disparity in the treatment of male and female students.

Found the article here: http://www.lemondrop.com/2009/03/13/lesbian-fights-for-her-right-to-wear-pants-to-the-prom/

Oven Fried Pork Chops

OK, so I've made these before, but boy really decided they are a favorite after I made them again this week for dinner! Go to allrecipes.com & look for Oven Fried Pork Chops - submitted by Rachelhacker

INGREDIENTS
4 pork chops, trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Pour butter into a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Stir together egg, milk and pepper. Dip pork chops in egg mixture, coat with stuffing mix and place in pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn chops and bake for another 10 minutes, or until no pink remains in the meat and juices run clear.

Enchilada Casserole

Made this for dinner on Saturday evening & it was really good! My casserole hating husband even enjoyed it! I didn't tell him we were having a casserole, but rather just said "enchiladas" when asked what's for dinner. Of course I got my recipe from All Recipes, my favorite website! Enchilada Casserole III submitted by Kathy. Give it a try!

INGREDIENTS
1 (1.5 ounce) package dry enchilada sauce mix
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix the dry enchilada sauce according to package directions, replacing tomato sauce with the tomato paste and water
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with garlic salt and onion powder; drain fat. Mix refried beans and 1/2 cup of the prepared enchilada sauce with the meat.
Dip enough corn tortillas to cover the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish in the remaining enchilada sauce. Arrange tortillas in the dish. Spoon in half of the meat mixture, covering the tortillas. Spread half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses over the meat. Cover with another layer tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Spoon in remaining meat mixture and top with a final layer of tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Pour any remaining sauce over the layers and top with remaining cheese.
Cover and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

CHANGE I MADE - I was cutting the recipe in hald, so I did only use 3/4 pound of hamburger & I did use more than 1/2 of the enchilada sauce.

funny pictures that made me laugh...

He looks like he's saying "CHEEESE..."


He looks like he's thinking "Oh the shame..."

Funny...Someone's stolen my fashion sense!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1164748/Kate-Silverton-loses-cool-finger-pointing-display-host-mocks-frumpy-shirt.html

This gal lost her cool with her co-host when he made a comment like "Kate will have another marvellous blouse for us to admire..."


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1164748/Kate-Silverton-loses-cool-finger-pointing-display-host-mocks-frumpy-shirt.html

People are even going so far as to point out this resemblance...



I do have to say I am not a fan of the shirt, but I think her hair is sure cute! She would be much cuter if not in a shirt like that...

this guys views on BO's speech last night...round of applause please

Saw this on CNN:

Commentary: Obama a one-term president? Editor's Note: Republican strategist Alex Castellanos was a campaign consultant for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign and has worked on more than half a dozen presidential campaigns. Castellanos is a partner in National Media Inc., a political and public affairs consulting firm that specializes in advertising.
(I'm just listing a few that I really liked, but you can read the whole article at
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/25/castellanos.obama/index.html

(CNN) -- Things I learned Tuesday night from President Obama's press conference:

Obama and congressional Democrats are angry that greedy Wall Street executives took $165 million in bonuses that the president and congressional Democrats gave them.

We have made them give it back, but they have to keep the trillion-dollar bailout.

Apparently, our education system is worse than we thought. Neither the president nor Democrats in Congress actually read the bailout-bonus bill.

Per-family household debt more than doubled from 1989 to 2007, going from $42,000 per family to $97,000 per family, in inflation-adjusted dollars. Most of it, 85 cents of every dollar, is home equity or mortgage debt. This is not the consumer's fault for borrowing it, nor Congress' fault for legislating it, nor the Fed's fault for enabling it, nor Fannie Mae's or Freddie Mac's fault for packaging it. This is all Wall Street's fault. It is also all George W. Bush's fault.

If there were an inheritance tax on problems, Obama could pay off any deficit.

Taxpayers living next to a toxic waste dump is a bad idea. Taxpayers buying a trillion dollars worth of toxic assets is good idea.

Taxpayers borrowing a trillion dollars to buy those toxic assets is an even better idea. Though it is still Bush's fault.

If we all loan a lot of money we don't have to each other, we will all be more prosperous.

An Obama press conference offers hope to everyone. Both those who want to drive the deficit up and drive it down receive encouragement.

Bush was laughed at for saying, "Yes, we are getting the job done. It's hard work," though it's OK for Obama to say only hard decisions reach his desk.

Enhanced border security was a bad idea when Sen. John McCain and Republicans proposed it but a good idea now that Obama is for it.

Washington was doing such a great job making things work before the meltdown that we should give it more to do, like running health care, the energy industry, banks, Wall Street and the car business.

Our economy is so complex that millions of Americans can't plan for it, but Timothy Geithner and a couple of other smart guys in Washington can.

Impatience lies not deep beneath the surface of Obama. There is no shortage of self-confidence in this young man. It is a short step from such confidence to arrogance.

Arrogance in a politician is not healthy. Hubris, combined with inexperience, can be fatal. Obama could be a one-term president.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alex Castellanos.

Komodo dragon kills Indonesian fisherman

(CNN) -- An Indonesian fisherman has been killed by Komodo dragons after he was attacked while trespassing on a remote island in search of fruit, officials said Tuesday. Muhamad Anwar, 32, bled to death on his way to hospital after being mauled by the reptiles at Loh Sriaya, in eastern Indonesia's Komodo National Park, the park's general manager Fransiskus Harum told CNN.

"The fisherman was inside the park when he went looking for sugar-apples. The area was forbidden for people to enter as there are a lot of wild dragons," Harum said.

Other fisherman took Anwar to a clinic on nearby Flores Island, east of Bali, but he was declared dead on arrival, he added.

Komodo dragons, the world's heaviest lizards, can grow up to 3 meters (10 feet) in length and have a toxic bite that they use to kill prey such as buffalo, returning to feast when the animal succumbs to the poison.

Despite their ungainly appearance, the carnivorous reptiles can run as fast as a dog in short bursts, jump up on their hind legs, and kill animals with a blow of their powerful tails.

Attacks on humans are rare, but Monday's incident is the latest in a series in which the monster lizards -- which have forked tongues and fearsome claws --have killed or injured people.

Last month a park ranger survived after a Komodo dragon climbed the ladder into his hut and savaged his hand and foot. In 2007 an eight-year-old boy died after being mauled.
In June last year, a group of divers who were stranded on an island in the national park -- the dragons' only natural habitat -- had to fend off several attacks from the reptiles before they were rescued.

Park rangers also tell the cautionary tale of a Swiss tourist who vanished leaving nothing but a pair of spectacles and a camera after an encounter with the dragons several years ago.

An endangered species, Komodo are believed to number less than 4,000 in the wild. Access to their habitat is restricted, but tourists can get permits to see them in the wild within the National Park.

All visitors are accompanied by rangers, about 70 of whom are deployed across the park's 60,000 hectares of vegetation and 120,000 hectares of ocean.

Despite a threat of poachers, Komodo dragon numbers are believed to have stabilized in recent years, bolstered by successful breeding campaigns in captivity.

On Monday, a zoo in Surabaya on the Indonesian island of Java reported the arrival of 32 newborn Komodos after the babies all hatched in the past two weeks, the Jakarta Post reported.

WHY anyone would care if these things became extinct is beyond me! They are creepy and so scary looking! UGH...

a great quote

This was in a desk calendar that my Mom gave me for my birthday this year -

"The Most important work you and I will ever do will be within the wall of our homes". - Harold B. Lee

Really makes you stop & think about how important our roles are at home & that your job really is just that - a job. Raising my little boy into caring, responsible, independent, proud but humble and loving man is way more important than how many change orders I can get out in a day! : )

Food for thought...

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

I got htis in an email I have no idea where it came from or who said it, but I really liked what it had to say...

How cute are these little guys!?

check this out...so cute! You can buy them at Sugar Paperie. I found this "shop" through one of the blogs that I follow...Anyways, check it out! http://sugarpaperie.com/shop/

A few of my favorite scents...

I found this one when we had a temp working in our office about a year ago. I smelled it, asked her what she was wearing & went out and bought a bottle. I LOVE this scent! It's very sweet I would say.



I started wearing this in High School & have worn it since I was 18! That's when I got my first bottle. This was all I wore after my son was about 6 months or so for like a year & a half! It was a subtle scent that wasn't overpowering and it worked well with his baby lotion that I always seemed to have on my hands.



I got hooked on L.A.M.B. when a coworker was wearing this back in December or so & I fell in love with the scent! Bought a bottle in January at Sams Club for way less than department store price.




LOVE LOVE LOVE Sensual Amber! For some reason I can only wear this if I'm wearing browns! Yea, I know that sounds strange...I don't know why I have that in my head.



Another favoriet - Japanse Cherry Blossom! This is such a great scent! I love this with blacks or greys...or reds.

Cutest cakes ever!

Check out this blog...I've stumbled across it before & somehow got back to it again today & am so happy! Their work is just incredible, check it out...






http://www.pinkcakebox.com/

uuuhhhhggg

I don't know how to spell the sound you make when you're grossed out by something...I think this guy is a schmuck!


I wondered who liked him & I guess this is an example of his fans...

Funny comic...

Stumbled across a funny blog today & saw this on there...got a good laugh from me!

YUMMY YUMMY Salad! Can't get enough of it...

Spring Strawberry Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch spinach, rinsed
10 large strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, mix the spinach and strawberries.
In a blender, place the sugar, salt, vinegar, and oil, and blend until smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds. Pour over the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat.

A great Ziti!

Yup, another one from allrecipes.com - submitted by VERDIEIIIS

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Ziti-III/Detail.aspx?prop31=5

Baked Ziti III

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (28 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil


DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Add onions; saute until tender. Drain off fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish, place about half of the pasta; top with a layer of provolone and mozzarella cheese slices. Spread on a layer of half the spaghetti sauce mixture and sour cream.
Cover with remaining pasta, cheese and sauce; sprinkle a layer of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly; serve.



***I use Ricotta cheese rather than Sour Cream. We do not like the sour cream texture in this dish after it's cooked.

A sweet story...just got this in an email.

In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused.

In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need.

Geoff Grewcock and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims: to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.

They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.

The dog had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but Jasmine started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn't matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, probably, a rhinoceros, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.

Geoff Grewcock relates one of the early incidents. "We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them."

"But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.

"She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose."

Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.

And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted in her fur.

"They are inseparable," says Geoff Grewcock. "Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It's a real treat to see them."

Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse.

From left, Toby, a stray Lakelanddog; Bramble, an orphaned roe deer; Buster,a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine

Doing what she does best, being a mother.