Just a Dog

Originally posted on Multiply June 3rd 2007

JUST A DOG

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog."

They don't understand the distance travelled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a dog," I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog," but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man or woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog" just smile . . . because they "just don't understand."

The picture above is from my darling little Tara. And she's not "just a dog", she's our little baby.

Writing Can Heal

Originally published on Multiply February 4th 2007

Writing Can Heal

Tim Giago

Feb 1, 2007

I received this by email this morning from a friend and though that many of you could probably benefit reading this, so here it is.

Why do some children survive abuse by growing stronger while others whither and die as the result of alcoholism, drugs, suicide or even as murderers at the hands of an executioner?

And why do many of those abused as children become abusers themselves in adulthood? These are questions I was asked last week by a reporter from the Albuquerque Journal and I don’t think I answered them to the best of my ability.

The writer was doing an interview for my new book “Children Left Behind,” a book that is a partial biography of the horrors I observed while growing up at the Holy Rosary Indian Mission on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

The press release by the publisher the reporter read goes, “Tim Giago weaves a memoir, commentary, reflection and poetry together to boldly illustrate his often-horrific experiences as a child at a Catholic Indian Mission boarding school where Indian children were forcefully molded to fit into mainstream America. This unholy experiment contributed to many of today’s modern problems in an entire generation of Native Americans.”

When she asked me how it was that I survived the experience and came out stronger my reply was that I attributed to my parents. I believe this was not the complete answer. Make no mistake that I loved my parents, but after giving it much thought, I do not believe they were the only reason I made some success of my life after the boarding school experience. I think it was because I loved to write. When I was seventeen and on my way by ship to Korea in 1952, I started to write poems about my school days, the good, the bad, and the very ugly. I continued to write these poems for nearly 19 years and one day I mailed them to a Cahuilla Indian man named Rupert Costo, the publisher of the Indian Historian Press in San Francisco.

Costa, a victim of the boarding school system himself, called me a few weeks later and said, “Tim, these poems must be published.” And his publishing house named the books of poetry, “The Aboriginal Sin.” It was published in 1978. Many of these poems are included in my new and expanded book on the Indian mission boarding schools, “Children Left Behind.” From the day the book of poetry was published the Catholic Church hierarchy and the Jesuit priests at the mission school went into denial. They denied that I ever went to school at the mission and they attempted to erase any evidence of it. I had to get affidavits from my former classmates to prove I attended school there. It seems that my small book of poetry was hurting the school’s ability to solicit money.

By writing about my life, and the lives of my friends at the mission school, it was a cathartic experience for me. By putting my thoughts down on paper I was able to see my life’s experiences for what they were, to analyze them, and to put them behind me. Many Indian people who read my book, then and now, write to me and say how much this has helped them to understand their own fears and anxieties. You must understand that America’s “Cultural Genocide” against the Indian people encompassed more than three generations beginning in the mid-1880s and lasting until the 1960s.

When I read the reviews of the movie “Freedom Writers” in the New York Times I thought about my own life and how writing proved to be the catharsis that lifted me out of my pain and sorrow. When I was in the sixth grade I was writing down everything that was important to me. One day I handed ina composition assignment to my teacher, a Catholic perfect who would later become a Jesuit priest, and he read it, slammed it down on my desk, and accused me of plagiarism, I had no idea of what he was talking about. He said, “As a writer you will never amount to a hill of beans.” His critical comments made me work all the harder to improve my writing skills.

Many years later I was given the Distinguished Achievement Award in Journalism by the University of Missouri School of Journalism. When I was asked at the banquet that night, “If you could name anyone in the world, who would you like to have sitting at your side tonight?” I replied, “A Father Fagan from the Holy Rosary Indian Mission boarding school who told me that as a writer, I would never amount to a hill of beans.”

Anna Quindlen, writing a review on “Freedom Writers” in her weekly column for Newsweek quoted novelist Don DeLillo when he wrote, “Writing is a form of personal freedom. It frees us from the mass identity we see in making all around us. In the end, writers will write not to be outlaw heroes of some under-culture but mainly to save themselves, to survive as individuals.

I say amen to that. Writing was my salvation and it was writing that took me all of the way from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to Harvard Yard. It was writing that helped me to see past the horrors of rape, psychological and physical abuse, and the sanctimonious religious indoctrination of the Catholic Church and enabled me to write a book that would remind all Americans that there is a portion of their history that has been swept under the rug and buried because of the shame it not only brought to the Church but to the Nation.

Too many Indians have been sacrificial victims of the boarding schools for me to ever let America forget. And I encourage all teachers worth their salt to take their students to see “Freedom Writers.” It could change their lives.

© 2007 Native American Journalists Foundations, Inc.

(McClatchy News Service in Washington, DC distributes Tim Giago’s weekly column. He can be reached at P.O. Box 9244, Rapid City, SD 57709 or at najournalists@rushmore.com. Giago was also the founder and former editor and publisher of the Lakota Times and Indian Country Today newspapers and the founder and first president of the Native American Journalists Association. He was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard in the class of 1990 – 1991. Clear Light Books of Santa Fe, NM (harmon@clearlightbooks.com) published his latest book, “Children Left Behind”)

"Our Daily Frybread"

Just One More Day

Originally published on Multiply December 9th. 2006

A Letter To Santa Claus

The following letter was found in the 'Letters To Santa's box at the Post Office in Thompson Falls, Montana.

Dear Santa:

What do I ask this year? I have perused each ad in my mailbox, pored over the colorful ads in the newspaper. So many lovely things, and yet I need nothing.

I realize this as I walk up the hill on my strong legs. I can hear the air fill my lungs. I feel the cold on my cheeks. I smell the smoke of the fire that warms my home. I see the snow-capped mountains and the slate gray river peppered with fat geese.

I need nothing: there are people who love me. There are people who forgive my sometimes wretched temper and who touch me with loving hands. There are neighbors who smile in the store. There are shopkeepers who are tolerant when I don' have enough money. There are kind faces in public places.

There is a fat pregnant cat who sneaks into my garage. Dogs and other cats share my hearth; I love to feel their fur with my feet. There are hawks that teach their young of flight, right there behind my house. There are deer that tiptoe into my yard and savor the fat apples in the snow.

Rows of glassed vegetables; green beans, tomatoes, peas and carrots color my pantry. And a rusty bucket of hand tools and neatly dried seeds promises next year's riches.

I need nothing! Christmas promises already fulfilled redeem my foolish life, and occasionally I glimpse the feast that awaits me when this earthly one is done.

Today I discovered a hole in my jeans. I felt the December air slither down my leg. How mighty is the hand that sweeps the wind along the mountains. Santa, dear old soul, just give me another day like this one in my life

The truth about reindeer

Originally published on Multiply December 6 2006
REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeers grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeers 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.

Julie Andrews

Originally published on Mutiply December 4th. 2006

For everyone my age this is worth reading or singing & for everyone younger than me it's a good laugh. But don't laugh too hard because your time will be here SOON!!!!

To commemorate her 69th birthday on October 1 2006, actress/ vocalist Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she per formed was "My Favorite Things" from the legendary movie "Sound Of Music".
However, the lyrics of the song were deliberately changed for the entertainment of her "blue hair" audience. Here are the lyrics she recited:

"Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillac's and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak,
When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets, and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heat pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache,
When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad."

*~*

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd
That lasted over four minutes and repeated encores.

Finnegan the Squirrel

Originally published on Mutiply November 23rd 2006
This is the actual true story of a squirrel who was found injured and nursed by this lady and her dog who was having a litter of puppies adopted it as her own. I have verified the story on Snopes.
I got this in my mail today, and I had seen it before, but I'm sure some of you haven't, so I thought I would post it here.

For about as long as she can remember, Debby Cantlon says, friends and strangers have brought her animals in need. So it wasn't much of a surprise when someone asked her if she'd care for a newborn squirrel found at the base of a tree somewhere near Renton.

Debby Cantlon, who plans to release Finnegan, the young squirrel, back into the wild, bottle-fed the infant squirrel after it was brought to her house.

When Cantlon took in the tiny creature and began caring for him, she found herself with an unlikely nurse's aide: her pregnant Papillon, Mademoiselle Giselle.

Finnegan was resting in a nest in a cage just days before Giselle was due to deliver her puppies.

Cantlon and her husband watched as the dog dragged the squirrel's cage twice to her own bedside before she gave birth.

Cantlon was concerned, yet ultimately decided to allow the squirrel out and the inter-species bonding began.

Finnegan rides a puppy mosh pit of sorts, burrowing in for warmth after feeding, and eventually working his way beneath his new litter mates.

Two days after giving birth, mama dog Giselle allowed Finnegan to nurse; family photos and a videotape show her encouraging him to suckle alongside her litter of five pups.

Now, Finnegan mostly uses a bottle, but still snuggles with his "siblings" in a mosh pit of puppies, rolling atop their bodies and sinking in deeply for a nap.

Finnegan and his new litter mates, five Papillion puppies, get along together as if they were meant to.

Finnegan naps after feeding.

Finnegan makes himself at home with his new litter mates, nuzzling nose-to-nose for a nap after feeding.
The following is the story as extrapolated from Snopes.

Origin

It isn't at all unusual for an orphaned infant of one species to be accepted by a litter of a completely different species. Dogs, cats, and squirrels are among a variety of mammals whose females will often raise another's offspring when it is introduced into their own litter — nursing, washing, protecting, and playing with the newcomer as if it were one of her own.

Such was the case with Finnegan the squirrel, who was found injured and malnourished in the Seattle area in September 2005, when he was but a few days old. He was brought to Debby Cantlon, an area resident with a reputation for taking in sick and injured animals and nursing them back to health.
What happened next was a bit unexpected. Ms. Cantlon reported that her black and white Papillon dog, Mademoiselle Giselle, who was pregnant at the time, twice dragged the kennel in which Finnegan was being cared for across the house and deposited it next to her own doggie bed:

"She would go and take the kennel and drag it through the dining room, through the kitchen and the hallway and park it next to her bed. I didn't know if she wanted to the squirrel to eat it or to nurse it."

After Mademoiselle Giselle gave birth to her pups but continued to pay as much (or more) attention to Finnegan than to her own litter, Ms. Cantlon decided to let Finnegan out of his cage and see what happened. And what happened was that Mademoiselle Giselle adopted Finnegan as one of her own:

"I just gave her the squirrel and she was just ecstatic. She was all over him — lick, lick, lick, lick, lick. Instinct is a wonderful thing. It sort of takes over and tells you what to do."

Ms. Cantlon said that once Finnegan learned how to forage for food on his own she planned to release him back into the wild.

I wish I knew if Finnegan actually made it back into the wild, but there was nothing further written about it.

Friendship

Originally published on Multiply November 21st 2006

The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back! Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart but if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy.

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.



When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.



Share this message with those who mean something to you, to those who have touched your life in one way or another, to those who make you smile when you really need it, to those that make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down, to those whom you want to let them know that you appreciate their friendship. And if you don't, don't worry, nothing bad will happen to you, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone's day with this message...

Crazy Christmas Lights

Originally published on Multiply November 17th 2006

I saw this video last year, and someone sent it by mail today, so I got it off YouTube (everybody and his brothers uploaded that one...lol) and here it is for those who never saw it. Oh and it is complete with music.

It's awesome!!! I certainly wouldn't have the patience to do that......lol






And here is another one. and at the risk of repeating myself, these are just awesome, and if I dare say so, I think this one is even better :))

Have a great week-end!

Dirty little facts! Ladies a must read - and men too :)

Originally published on Multiply November 19th 2006


OK, this might not be a cute little story or something I usually would share with the world, but I thought everyone would benefit from reading this.

I was reading the November issue of the Canadian version of the Reader's Digest this afternoon, while I was, where else, in the bathroom.......lol.......doesn't everyone do a little reading while they're in there :))

Anyway, I got to reading this very insteresting tidbit about the TOILET and thought I would share it with everyone. Ladies, you need to get your mate to read this and get him to star getting used to close that lid BEFORE flushing.

OK, here it goes:

DIRTY LITTLE FACTS

It's one of the most unpopular chores, but 81% of Canadians clean the toilet once a week; 11% wait as long as 14 days - dare you sit on those toilets!

People in Quebec are more likely than any other province to clean toilets weekly.

So, why are some people not cleaning? Twenty percent say it turns them off.  Others say it's their inability to clean under the rim. What can happen if you don't clean properly? Germs commonly found in toilet bowls can contribute to hepatitis A, Norwalk virus, salmonella and shigella. So ge to scrubbin'!

And if men need a reason t keep the lid down: Dr. Charles Gerba from the University pf Arizona proved that leaving the lid open while flishing causes bacteria to disperse through the air, contaminating hairbrushes, towels and toothbrushes. Yuck!

I'm proud to say that I live in the province of Quebec :) 

I showed this to my husband, so hopefully HE will start closing that lid BEFORE flushing. I'm fortunate that we don't share a common bathroom in my house, well not the main one anyway, he has his and I have mine :), but we do share the powder room which is on the main floor. So now I have to train him.....lol. By the way, the maths above total up to 92% - guess that the other 8% wait longer than 14 days to clean their toilets!!! YIKES, how disgusting is that!

I just thought I would share this article with everyone, as I know that every country produces their own version of Reader's Digest and this article certainly applies to all countries :)

12-point albino buck in Wisconsin

Originally published on Multiply, November 14th 2006

12 point albino buck from Wisconsin and were taken October 2 2006.

Test for Alzheimers

Originally published on Multiply November 14th 2006

Ever wonder if you were possibly beginning to suffer from Alzheimers? Well this test was developed as an Alzheimers test by the R&D department at Harvard University.



Take your time and see if you can read each line aloud without a mistake. The average person over 50 years of age can't do it!



1. This is this cat

2. This is is cat

3. This is how cat

4. This is to cat

5. This is keep cat

6. This is an cat

7. This is old cat

8. This is fart cat

9. This is busy cat

10. This is for cat

11. This is forty cat

12. This is seconds cat



And I'm happy to announce that I haven't had any problems with this test :), things are looking up......lol

50 Quotes by Ronald Reagan

Originally published on Multiply November 16th 2006

I got an email today including some of Ronal Reagan's famous quotes, and I went in search of more, and I've included them here, but there are hundreds more..........lol.............but I didn't want to bore you with all of them. Hope you enjoy these, some of them are quite insightful.

"We win, they lose."

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just that they know so much that isn't so."

"Of the four wars in my lifetime none came about because the U.S. was too strong."

"I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandment's would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."

"The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination."

"Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."

"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."

"I've laid down the law, though, to everyone from now on about anything that happens: no matter what time it is, wake me, even if it's in the middle of a Cabinet meeting."

"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."

"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."

"Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."

"No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

"They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong."

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again."

"Whatever time I've got left now belongs to the Big Fella Upstairs." (spoke these words while recovering from gunshot wounds that almost took his life while serving as President).

"Our forbearance should never be misunderstood. Our reluctance for conflict should not be misjudged as a failure of will. When action is required to preserve our national security, we will act."

"There are no easy answers ... but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right."

"I thank you, thank you for inviting us here today. Thank you for your kindness and your patience. May God keep you, and may we, all of us, keep God."

(Remarks at an Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast in Dallas, Texas August 23, 1984 http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/resource/speeches/1984/82384a.htm)

"Why should we be frightened? No people who have ever lived on this earth have fought harder, paid a higher price for freedom, or done more to advance the dignity of man than the living Americans, those Americans living in this land today."

"I'm convinced more than ever that man finds liberation only when he binds himself to God and commits himself to his fellow man."

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" (Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate West Berlin, Germany June 12, 1987)

"The house we hope to build is not for my generation but for yours. It is your future that matters. And I hope that when you are my age, you will be able to say as I have been able to say: We lived in freedom. We lived lives that were a statement, not an apology."

"One way to make sure crime doesn't pay would be to let the government run it."

"Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."

"There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect."

"There are no such things as limits to growth, because there are no limits to the human capacity for intelligence, imagination, and wonder"

"...I know it's hard when you're up to your armpits in alligators to remember you came here to drain the swamp. (February 10, 1982)"

"I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life."

"We are never defeated unless we give up on God."

"Most of my dreams came true. (told to biographer Lou Cannon in 1991)"

"I was raised to believe that God has a plan for everyone and that seemingly random twists of fate are all a part of His plan."

"To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last -- but eat you he will."

"We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much"

"The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much."

"Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure."

"Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man."

"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."

"Today, if you invent a better mousetrap, the government comes along with a better mouse."

"Man is not free unless government is limited."

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction"

"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book." And I guess President Clinton learned from that one :)

"Today we have done what we had to do. If necessary, we shall do it again."

"We need you, we need your youth, your strength, and your idealism, to help us make right what is wrong."

"Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith."

"These young Americans sent a message to terrorists everywhere. . . . You can run but you can't hide."

"Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith."

"Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means."

"When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat."
"Peace is more than just the absence of war. True peace is justice, true peace is freedom. And true peace dictates the recognition of human rights."

Ronald Wilson Reagan ... February 6, 1911--June 5, 2004

Food for thought

Originally published on Multiply November 12th 2006 As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

~anonymous~

Extreme Make-Over

Originally published on Multiply November 12th 2006

This photo was taken at a  competition in June 2006. The competition was between 9 women who had to  have makeovers, they had every possible beauty treatment available to them  over a period of time, look at the before and after photos.

Conclusion  - there are no ugly women, only poor  women......if you had the money.... BUT would YOU do it??? I know I would never go through such horrific operations!!!!

Shocking huh!

Laws of...................

Originally published on Multiply October 29th 2006

1. Lorenz's Law of Mechanical Repair:

After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to

itch.



2. Anthony's Law of the Workshop:

Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.



3. Kovac's Conundrum:

When you dial a wrong number, you never get an engaged one.



4. Cannon's Karmic Law:

If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat

tyre, the next morning you will have a flat tyre.



5. O'brien's Variation Law:

If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster

than the one you are in now.



6. Bell's Theorem:

When the body is immersed in water, the telephone rings.



7. Ruby's Principle of Close Encounters:

The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with

someone you don't want to be seen with.



8. Willoughby's Law:

When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.



9. Zadra's Law of Biomechanics:

The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.



10. Breda's Rule:

At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive

last.



11. Owen's Law:

As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you

to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.



12. Howden's Law:

You remember you have to mail a letter only when you're near the

mailbox.



And the last and best :

13. Murphy's Law

What has to go wrong will go wrong

Sweet Memories.....a funny for you :)

Originally published on Multiply November 6th 2006

The House Behind The House

One of my fondest memories As I recall the days of yore was the little house, behind the house, With the crescent o'er the door.

'Twas a place to sit and ponder With your head all bowed down low; Knowing that you wouldn't be there, If you didn't have to go.



Ours was a multi-holer, three, With a size for every one. You left there feeling better, After your job was done.



You had to make those frequent trips In snow, rain, sleet, or fog-- To that little house where you usually Found the Sears-Roebuck catalog.





Oft times in dead of winter, The seat was spread with snow. Twas then with much reluctance, To that little house you'd go.

With a swish you'd clear that wooden seat, Bend low, with dreadful fear You'd shut your eyes and grit your teeth As you settled on your rear.



I recall the day Ol' Granddad, Who stayed with us one summer, Made a trip out to that little house Which proved to be a bummer.

'Twas the same day that my Dad had Finished painting the kitchen green. He'd just cleaned up the mess he'd made With rags and gasoline.

He tossed the rags down in the hole Went on his usual way Not knowing that by doing so He'd eventually rue the day.

Now Granddad had an urgent call, I never will forget! This trip he made to the little house Stays  in my memory yet.

He sat down on the wooden seat, With both feet on the floor. He filled his pipe and tapped it down And struck a match on the outhouse door.

He lit the pipe and sure enough, it soon began to glow. He slowly raised his rear a bit And tossed the flaming match below.




The Blast that followed, I am told Was heard for miles around; And there was poor ol' Granddad Sprawled out there on the ground.

The smoldering pipe still in his mouth, His eyes were shut real tight; The celebrated three-holer Was blown clear out of sight.

We asked him what had happened, What he said I'll  ne'er forget. He said he thought it must have been The pinto beans he ate!

Next day we had a new one Dad put it up with ease. But this one had a door sign that read: No Smoking, Please!



Now that's the story's end my friend, Of  memories long ago, When we went to the house behind the house, because we had to go.

For those who never had to trot out in the Cold.....

Deep Thoughts for Those Who Take Life WAY Too Seriously

This was originally published on Multiply on October 5th 2006 (all blog entries being moved here due to the closing of Multiply)  


    1. Save the whales. Collect the whole set.

    2. A day without sunshine is like . . . night.

    3. On the other hand, you have different fingers

    4. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

    5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.

    6. He who laughs last thinks slowest.

    7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

    8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.

    9. Support bacteria.  They're the only culture some people have.

    10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

    11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

    12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

    13. How many of you believe in psycho kinesis? Raise my hand.

    14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?

    15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

    16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

    17. Every one has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.

    18. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?

    19. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

    20. What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

    21. I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.

    22. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?

    23. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.

    24. Just remember - if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.

    25. Light travels faster than sound.  That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Widget's First Movie

This was originally posted on Multiply on October 6th 2006 (all blog entries being moved here due to the closing of Multiply)


It's the cutest little Shitzu, it's a must see video, with music too :)

News of our trip

This was originally published on Multiply on August 31st 2006 (all blog entries being moved here due to the closing of Multiply)


OMG where has the month gone, and the summer, 'tis the last day of August already!!!! Time goes by soooooooooooo darned fast doesn't it.

Well, I've been away from blogging for a week...............and during that time, we went to a wedding in Whitby, Ontario. Our nephew/godson was getting married. The picture is of the happy couple after they did the deed.......

As you can see, the wedding was help outdoors, the location was facing lake Ontario, great spot, and luckily mother nature cooperated. A great time was had by all.

I drove the 5 hours to get there and most of the way back, which took a bit longer, due to bad weather. Dear little Tara was being babysat at home by a friend, and we both missed her.

As nice as it was to go away for a couple of days it sure was nice to come back home. We are just homebodies the both of us, and we'd rather stay home and do out thing rather than travel. To each his own, right?  

Tony took an extra day of vacation on Monday, and we both rested, well not entirely, we had a whole bunch of washing to do......lol, and some shopping, but other than that, just a quiet day.

I saw my gynocologist this week for the 6 week's checkup. And he said everything was healing nicely. When I told him of the pain I had on the right hand side, when I bent and got the sharp pain, he said it was muscular - I frankly am doubtful, but time will tell, if the pain hangs around, then we'll have to see what it is. I am supposed to go and see him in 6 months for another checkup.

Other than that, there isn't a lot happening here, except that Tony's birthday is coming up :)

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Surgery

This was originally posted on Multiply on August 17th 2006 (all blog entries being moved here due to the closing of Multiply)

For those who don't already know, I recently (July 2006) had surgery. A hysterectomy, supposedly Total Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingoophorectomy-(TAH-BSO). Which is the removal of the uterus, both fallopian tubes, and both ovaries, however when I saw the pathology report the doctor gave me, it said the cervix was not there, so I guess I still have it....lol.....but I'll confirm that when I see the doctor on the 29th.

The reason I had a hysterectomy was because I had a rather large fibroid tumor, the size of a newborn's head. Curiously enough, I didn't have any pain, but I would bleed at any given moment, which was a big pain in the you know what......lol.

It was diagnosed back in April 2005 and it took all that time to finally get it done. During that time I had numerous tests, scans, ultrasound, as well as regular visits to my gynocologist, who kept checking on the progress of the size of the fibroid. Everytime I had a scan or ultrasound done, then he would have to wait a few months to get another one done and check again, finally in early July I had a call from his nurse who said I would be going in on July 13th. I was to present myself there at 8am because they had to take another X-Ray prior my surgery to see if my lungs were clear.

The reason for that was that I had a pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs) back in 2002 dur to phlebitis, and ever since then, I am on anticoagulant medication (Coumadin). So that meant that I had to stop taking those pills 7 days prior surgery and the night of the surgery they started me back on Coumadin as well as Fragmin, which is given in the form of a needle and acts immediately, whereas Coumadin would take a week to achieve the necessary result. You can read about it here  (if you want.....lol).

I was in the hospital for 7 days, until they got my blood coagulation under under control. Surgery went very well, but it would a couple of days before I was able to get around, because I had a catheter, but once it was removed I was able to get up and walk around, which was not an easy task, since the operation was an abdominal one, it was difficult to get up, but Tony was there with me every day, not all day of course, I couldn't ask anyone to do that, but he did take 2 weeks vacation to help me through my recovery. It was a big help once I got home that is for sure.

While I was hospitalised, my doctor visited me EVERY single days, to check up on my progress. I had never before seen any other doctors do that, I was rather impressed, considering I had waited so long to get to that point. He also wanted to make sure I wasn't in pain, so I was on a morphine drip, actually one where the patient controls when to get a shot by pushing a button, you can't get an overdose that way and you can control the pain, and free up the nurse's time to attend to other patients.

Once I did get out, it was very hard to sleep, as I couldn't sleep on either side, so had to sleep on my back only, and for a couple of days I slept in the recliner chair in the living room. It did take about 3-4 weeks before I was able to finally sleep on my side. Of course I couldn't do much around the house, and once again, Tony was a great help - as he always is :)

It will now be 5 weeks since my operation, and I'm feeling way better and can finally drive (the doctor had instructed me not to drive for 4 weeks).

Now one of my biggest problem is staying asleep. Now that I can sleep on either side it's great, but I have to get up about every 2 hours to go to the bathroom. I sure hope that will pass, because it's hard to get a good night's sleep. It's a good thing I don't have to work......lol, so I can catch up during the day.

Oh yeah, another thing, when I first came home and was able to sleep in our bed, I would wake up the first time (after 2 hours) and my neck and back of my head were soaking wet, so I thought I'd be getting the "night sweat" and not looking forward to any hot flashes, but I think I lucked out in that respect, that only happened a couple of times. Phew I'm definetely happy about that. Now if I could only sleep the night through.........lol

Now I just have to wait for my checkup on the 29th and hope that everything will be 100%, definetely, the scar is looking very good.

So that's my story about my surgery, hope I didn't bore you too much.....lol.