Showing posts with label #blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #blogging. Show all posts

Reign of Rhonda: Roadtrip

Trying to approach how to handle my enormous task of unpacking.  According to this out of reach planner I created, I'm going to stage cookware and kitchen ware before putting them away into the cabinets.  That's all nice and fine but the physical effort that will require doesn't peak my interest at this time.

I'm also not trying to waste the morning and make the wrong decisions later by not following the plan and goofing around later. 

All the sight seeing I want to do is depending on getting some of these boxes unpacked.  I'm complaining and rebelling about the self-imposed restrictions I've set but as long as I'm able to generate a blog post, humor and muse my readers, it makes all the trouble worthwile.



The series I'm working on concurrently for RoyalSnub.Blogspot.com
  • Reign of Rhonda:Roadtrip
  • Movie Monday
  • Movie Trivia Tuesday
  • Glocal Temperature Check: Education
  • 5 years, 650 miles
Want to go to Walmart now and grab a few things but need to work on my appearance some.

My toiletries and clothes didn't get packed in a gymbag last night like I wanted to.



I also forgot to pack a lunch for myself to avoid the drive thru.

Did however accomplish some kitchen unpacking.  Noticing several items that don't really have a place yet that are staying boxed up for now.

This combo utility room/garage space has so much potential.  The cars  have been camping out on the driveway since the movers were here.  Really wanting to move this stuff around to get the autos back into the garage.

Lego Vision show of revolving Hand Unloaded

Learning that I might be in the wrong profession when I'm a day late and a dollar short.  Blaming genetics on being given male pattern baldness.  Playing with privacy.  How'd she say 'don't worry' tour.  How'd he say 'we just missed her.'  How he asks if the Lord is still with him.

  • Birds Ive seen in my yard and flying by
  • Cardinals
  • Woodpeckers
  • Sparrows
  • Geese
  • Hawk (might be someones pet)
  • Crows
Being blamed for losing your mind.  Looking the part but not playing it well.  A burrito from Tiauanna Flats, reading Romans 12:1.  Being badgered because all you know is a lie.  Because its too good to be true.  Needing to ignore myself and my intuition long enough to hear myself think.  Burned bridges.  Wages.  Trying to determine where God rests his hand again realizing that its where the power resides and is missed.  My mental absentee record causes me to outsource and gets me into trouble.  Pissing off city hall.  They want their recall numbers back.  Fashion ruts.  Fitness ruts.  Where's my strength and where is it spent.  Avoid being blind-sided.  Adult child concerned with being mistaken as a predator.

.......Cause there's this guy that walked in a bar and freaked out.... all because someone shouted "HoDown"....
 @KLGandHoda on the +TODAY show sweat it out for 10 days to bring us Everything Halloween!

For your at home Halloween party, Chef Ryan of +Food Rush TV created a special menu.
Chicken Bat Wings.  Fondue Desert Bar and the Trick-or-Treat-atini.

Looking for cool ways to decorate your office space?  Check out these pages for digital décor, photo stickers, screen savers and sound effects for your TV.  What if the reception area of your doctors office was tricked out with an MP3 doorbell spooky Halloween tune?  Cheer up your guests with personalized candy gift baskets and Halloween donuts from +Dunkin' Donuts

Style editor for the KLH on Today Bobbi D wore a classic Duck Dynasty costume.  Katlyn, Massie and Michale dressed in Black and White as movie or TV stars from that era.  Melissa, Mcayla, Jason and Mia dressed as Pull it together team.  Michelle and Mark were Candy CrushWhitney, Cameron, Andrea and Evan were in costumes inspired by the big screen.  Finally, Cj and Michael were Believe it or not Zombies.  All costumes were recycled and constructed from stuff around the house.
 
Some adorable pet costumes were showcased.  Bambino and Blake dressed up as Wine and Cheese & Crackers.  Howard the bulldog was dressed as Country Pumpkin with Farmer on the Dell.  Spike the boxer was dressed as Hot Dog.  Sadie was Marilyn Mutt-Roe.  Finally Remi was wearing an organ grinder monkey costume. 

Your local area zoo may be holding a creepy yet and educational tour of all animals Halloween related.  Ravens, Fruit Bats, Snakes and Black Cats are just a few creatures associated with this occasion.

Visit the +TODAY online page for even more trendy seasonal swag and giveaways!   
  • Creatures of Halloween
  •  Halloween pet costumes
  •  Halloween gadgets
  •  Halloween costumes
  •  homemade Halloween parties
  •  Halloween cooking
  • Starting a blog

    So far with this series of posts we have discussed: choosing a theme for your blog, how to generate posts, choosing the right blogging platform for you, and contributing to established blogs. We haven't discussed much about photography or video publishing yet.




    Vimeo

     
    +YouTube

    Twitter

    +Tout

    +Instagram

    +Flickr

    +Picasa


    It seems almost second nature to see these names doesn't it? If you want to learn more about how each of these platforms can be used for your blogging pleasure, follow the links. Along with the capability of your main blogging web page, adding photos and video is a common way to get an idea across.

    Save time when adding video and pictures you've captured to your posts by using a SD card reader.  SD cards are like little disks.  They allow you to save photos and video from your mobile phone, camcorder or camera without needing to be logged into a particular site.  With a SD card reader you can upload the saved media files to a PC for editing and sharing on your own time.  The device is a USB plug and play reader. 

     

    Starting a Blog

    So far we have discussed how to decide the theme of a blog and how to keep a blog alive. Now, lets discuss a couple other things.

    Compare the idea of your blog page to the similarity of a company with a website. It took me some time to understand this fully. I knew I wasn't a store selling merchandise or a municipal district sharing information about licensing or how to report a down tree. I was simply someone who saw an opportunity to document and share some of my everyday experiences. I don't refer to my blog as 'my webpage' although that's what it is. That is where some of the confusion happened while trying to gain more followers- we'll cover that in a later post.

    So now that you know starting a blog is like having your own webpage. There are several free blogging platforms as well as paid ones. According to this review, several blogging platforms offer free mobile apps.  Are you still wondering, 'Why bother?' Here are some statistics about social media engagement by other bloggers.  Try not to get too hung up on the details. All you need to know is if the platform is compatible and available for your mobile device and if you are able to generate a post offline. You don't want to have to whip out your laptop and try to find somewhere with WIFI every time you're inspired to post to your blog.

    Get Excited!

     
    Follow the Instagram blog.  Every Friday they announce the Weekend Hashtag Project (WHP)  I'm particularly excited about this one #WHPMyLibrary

    Tweets from some of this year's participants in the Rock 'n Roll Virginia Beach Marathon and Half



    +TODAY show Natalie Morales will host a +Hangout On Air Live Discussion with author +Samantha Shannon about her first book Bone Season.  Electronic versions of this title now available in the Google Play Store and Amazon for $5!
     
     

     

    Similar Circumstance, Different Experience

    Although it was never discussed plainly while I was growing up, we were a household whose income was supplemented by Government programs. Disabled after working 18 years as a merchant marine, my Dad became eligible when I was 5 years old. When I was 9 years old he became ill, was hospitalized and passed away shortly after due to complications with Pneumonia and an unhealthy body mass index. He was 42 years old.

    My mom struggled with depression and a bad relationship after his passing. I was old enough to know that much. The circumstances as to how and why my household grew dependent on public assistance is not the main reason for this post and really none of your business if you have calculating, ignorant, gossipy critical tendencies. I digress. Separating the feelings I have about my past is necessary for me to be able to bring attention to this topic. No one wants to bite the hand that feeds them so I'm sure this is me walking a narrow line between the 'hated' and 'tolerated' of society. That's why some genius-rebel-opinionated-tech-gamer-types, likely from my generation, invented the blogosphere to inclusively share ideas in a non-confrontational setting.      

    Times have changed dramatically from the grammar school days of that generation. Teachers are in constant contact with parent(s)/guardian(s) via email. Any one who feels compelled can check to see what their kid is eating for lunch during the week thanks to online web pages launched by the school district or Parish, updated regularly through social media. The punk kid next door can post a video of the fight that happened on the playground after school for mayhem to break out among adults. 

    Some things have stayed the same. Like the social-economic class divide between grammar-school aged children that were born to younger, less established parents and those born to older, more educated and experienced parents. Like the way kids earn popularity among peers, regardless of household income, by wanting and having all the latest and greatest 'thing' advertised on TV.

    With the last statement mentioning that kids still follow trends with devotion, my assumption is this: Regardless of household income, every school aged child since around 2005 has grown up exposed to some form of Internet ready PC (excluding gaming systems and touch screen devices) at home. By having the World Wide Web at their disposal for homework help, grammar school children have been given a level playing field to a degree, right? How that household decides to share time between one computer, who counts their smart phone as a computer, child safety online and the cost of keeping an ISP is an entirely different post.  Please accept my advance apologies if you are a parent  put on the spot by your school aged child that suddenly has an interest in household finances.  Try not to snap, be positive and honest.  Be proud of your parenting style thus far; just think,  "My kid asked me that?"

    How do Government supplement household incomes and the way grammar school has changed or stayed the same come together effectively in this post? I don't know. I simply want to engage you as a member of my reading audience by asking,  What is your perspective?  Do you hide behind a calculating, ignorant, gossipy-critical disguise just to fit in and act exclusive? If so I'm sure you'll just keep being your self-absorbed, high and mighty self.  If not,  you should agree that there is always more to what doesn't get communicated. You should also agree that similar circumstances don't always result in the same experience. 



     

    Earmarks: Invented Annoyances



    Mass media broadcasts. Impossible to avoid. Like the damp, musty air lingering in a clinic waiting room.

    I don't like knowing that pages I 'like' or allow access to on facebook are able to post as other pages I follow.


    when I wake up and realize Ive settled, I hear a cranky vehicle driving down the street

    when I lay in bed and visualize what Ive just slept to, I'm afraid of what machines do to me.  Feeds off me.  craves interaction.

    I notice myself in the morning realizing that I'm on a beach hiding from people.  Afraid of being frightened.  Disturbed by how I frighten someone.

    heard corn being thrown, feeding the birds.  The sound of a child's voice shrieks and says "Mommy, the birds are back!

    Trying to make sense.  Been writing most of my life

    Walking on my treadmill.  Remember noticing weeks ago walking on the beach.  With my dogs.  Go talk to a judge a voice says, then an apology.  Familiar face and older distinguished person

    Earmarks annoy

    How I'm vaguely blended into a greater working of some sort, translated to something else somewhere else.  Generating monetary assets like a dead force

    Is there a connection between my computers and has  neglect developed since I unfairly spend time on the shared computer

    Suddenly Ive realized a weight associated with connections online and feeds off me, draws on me, instantly accessing me when and where ever.

    Tendency towards being overconfident, almost confrontational on my own when it doesn't matter, opposite spectrum with my self preset predetermined people living within a structured society, municipalities.
    Making correlations between how I receive something and how its interpreted.


    Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

    MartiGras

    Navytimes ran a article about the closing of some base theaters.  Due to extensive budget reviews several military base theaters will be discontinued.  The reason I gathered from reading is a matter of cost relating to the expense of upgrading some outdated facilities.  On base theaters are competing with a demand for Imax ready cinemas that have become popular off base.  Fortunately the Navy decided to compensate by upgrading.


    1/16 What people were talking about this afternoon

    During the most recent episode of the Steve Harvey show I was paying attention to the topic of discussion.   

    Teens defend their contribution of exposure to sexual content online as peer pressure.  When a parent encouraged her daughter to stop using sexy pictures online, the teen described the competition for her between other classmates to post those types of pictures.    

    When parents are acting responsible and taking the necessary precautions for what their children are exposed to online, teens should take responsibility as well.  For example, one guest of the show was a student who, alarmed by the blatantly obvious overexposure and desensitized nature of online communities, decided to  begin creating a documentary.  

    Suppose the school systems, predator alert law enforcement, parents, TV/Radio personalities like Steve Harvey, and responsible young adults were not engaged and didn't pose a threat to suspicious activity online?  Isn't societal peer pressure pointing toward the greater good being discussed almost everywhere all of the time?     



    Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

    People with Kids

    Disclaimer: When I blog, my focus isn't always centered on an audience.   I cant stand someone who insists on finding ways to outwit and calculate everything, especially when I pour valuable time and effort into generating a post.  This i attribute to my strong dislike of teens.  If you are between the ages of  9 and 15 please stop reading my blog.  I like to write encouraging words about light and easy to manage topics but sometimes my posts end up being a discouragement and difficult to read.   I suppose I could be compared to an estranged unexpected guest with my blog about finding passion then an endless voyage to remove myself from the spotlight.
     I'm admittedly not interested in any of the stereotypical concepts that surround the idea of family.  this is the reason I find myself troubled when it comes to discussing sensitive topics like kids, politics, where I'm from and of course what I believe. 

    I was however enlightened by watching the recent episode of Dont Sleep on BET hosted by the super fine TJ Holmes.  The panel was awesome.  Loved the conversation, especially the diversity of individuals and their backgrounds.  I was blushing a little too listening to the young woman who founded a movement based on her own struggle as a teen mom "knocked up."
    My focus when blogging isn't always centered on any audience in particular however I easily placed myself as a member of  that audience due to the universal theme and easy to relate with guests. One comment in particular resounds with me about people with kids and parents.  There is a difference and I'm  glad that point was so eloquently made. 

    One subject I hoped someone would have brought up during the discussion was the integration of simple technology and family relationships.  I don't like my folks out of the loop but it seems almost impossible to stay current with My adult cousins in Michigan, My mom in Ohio my in laws in Illinois and my-always in the know, Pseudo Extended Family in New York.  Am I thinking too broad? Seems like I'm short changed somewhere because of the generation gap and I'm assuming  everyone doesn't has a mobile phone made in the last 3 years.  I know for sure my mom doesn't like anything new.  Its like  I say lets Skype and she acts like I'm the guy on ESPN First Take(Steven A. Smith) arguing with her (Skip Bayless.)  I'm not trying to impose or ask her to review her will or discuss something she doesn't know or bash her for being completely wrong about the color blue.  Its just me.  Are my expectations too high?  I live states away from them all and have no control over that.  Its difficult.  Show me you care and learn how to take pictures, video call, text message and use your places on facebook or foursquare! I'm sick of calling myself friends over social media with people that intentionally isolate others and those you would consider 'gold diggers.'

    Now about Black Friday; I don't plan on shopping because I'm just not interested in herding around with crowds of people at the stores.  Impulsively though i decided to go just because Starbucks was open and I figured I could play it cool with a cup of coffee and finding posts for my instagram.  Suppose I did go shopping.  Suppose I did have the appropriate means to indulge into this grand gesture of holiday shopping.  The first places on my list of stores to visit would simply be the furniture and hardware stores.  I'm not fond of having a 'guest-unfriendly' home in Florida.  It doesn't make sense.  I'm the only person I know who lives like a homeless person with a house. 

    Before I take this post in a depressing direction centered around me and my troubles,  I remember the people still piecing back together their lives in the wake of SuperStorm Sandy. Numerous media and community outreach groups are reminding us that they need money.  HillsongNYC is actively engaging with the immediate needs in the Rockaway community highlighted by TJ Holmes.  In order to continue to be of assistance to the Rockaway community please contribute to the rebuilding efforts directly to places like their library, the congregation mentioned on the program by TJ Holmes: Full Gospel Tabernacle, 361 Beach 42nd Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 and the HillsongNYC Congregation through PayPal online. 



     

    American Politics and why I Despise Campaign Season

    The good, bad and ugly all make me sick. Seriously, I'm writing this post while suffering from a mysterious aliment.  My stomach feels weak and I'm having a hard time trying to unwind.

     Its poisonous. The way we become superficial and hypocritical is irritating.  How we set our secret boundaries.  How no one really knows how to approach the delicate issues of abortion, same sex marriage, poverty and education, the criminal justice system, and war- without being over emotional and looking like a complete beast while foaming at the mouth?  How topics like affirmative action and PTSD get treated like cancer.  How everyone wants to be the victim of something just to have a voice.  "I'm a minority.  I'm too fat.  I'm too poor.  I'm jobless. I'm a Christian. I'm from a broken home.  I suffer with addiction. I have no rhythm.  I speak too slow.  I lost someone."   Suddenly religious fanatics, the gay community, the poor, children, and the elderly are the center of attention.  We all mostly just need a fix and superficiality is it.  Superficiality is our heroin, coke, weed or liquor.  Superficiality magically cures perversion and bigotry.  How do we as a people work within this superficial reality without needing to seek humor out of desperation?  I'm sick of the comedians getting beat up on for doing their thing.   I'm also sick of being confused as being comical when I'm dead serious..figure it out.  Finally,  How do we maintain superficiality without needing to use big words and long sentences, lots of expensive food, important titles and new outfits to get our point across?

     Thank God! Campaign Season is almost over.

    The war within


    Picture of a woman having her hair relaxed by a stylist 

    Ok.  What is really going on?  I've been ego trippin with myself about a simple decision.  To relax or not to relax. 

    For years I've rocked a decent head of hair.  Only needing to go to the stylist twice a year for the somewhat magical chemical treatment known to us black girls as a relaxer.  But for some odd reason, Ive been trying to go without one for the last several months.  I don't know why.  I'm not that good at keeping my natural unprocessed hair from looking like bozo the clown.  I'm tired of wearing hats all the time when i carelessly go to bed without wrapping it.  I don't like the smart elic remarks from my significant other about my hair.  We're both mixed kids; one black parent and one white.  He however came out with the non ethnic hair where Ive been doomed. (lol, j/k not trying to piss anyone off cause i know some girls would kill to have my version of ethnic hair)  I'm not a fan of braided styles because they just dont last that long for me.
    I guess I'm fighting over the fact that I like to wash my hair frequently since I go to the gym almost everyday.  I like to go swiming as well.  Its always a big deal having relaxed hair and washing it all the time.  Everytime I go to a stylist and mention relaxing my hair they give me the lecture about how I dont need to.  They don't have to wake up and comb this mess though.  Its like I feel as if I'm failing as a woman when I cant keep my hair looking neat, as shallow as that sounds.  I cant really say why i feel that way.  Why cant i feel the same pride and empowerment about having my hair relaxed as women who decide to go short and natural do?

     Way too much emphasis goes into that visit to the stylist. i never look foreward to that 3-4 hour time block.  S/he needs to be good at what they do or else i dont want to bother.  They deserve to be paid, i just dont like feeling like i'm paying for their services over and over again.  Thats what having relaxed hair is about.  You're a slave to your own hair once the chemicals go in.  Its not the stylists fault. They don't care the texture or legnth of my mane or even how often i show up.  I'm like an easy hundred bucks just because of the ammount of product i'll need since my hair is well past shoulder legnth.

    So thanks to Mr. Chris Rock I'm publicly struggling over what to do with my hair.  Do you know how awful it feels to voice this nonsense to a black woman?!  How my sistas with the european hair run in the other direction or chuckle to themselves about this topic?!  Whenever the topic of hair arises i feel like an idiot, a dog, a fool, a sexist and a racist and that is not fair.


    My Arrogant Flare put me in a headlock..again

    and made me write this post...(casual reader consider yourself warned)
    Ive been here before, uncomfortably.  In the complicated spirit of Job..
    Hurdles. Real life circumstances.  Applying for work in positions that you know you're overqualified or too mature for.  I'm not well connected and cant honestly produce 4 names as references.  I know that nothing really sets me apart from the rest of the applicants who : 1.don't have prior convictions, 2 have served in the armed forces, 3 who have gaps in their employment history 4who are currently enrolled in college and 5don't have dependants.  however I'm not eager to present my best self to just be skimmed over.  I'm not interested in being in the shuffle with average individuals who tend to idolize their employers.  I cant afford to be classified by my credit history. I cant afford to be the job or the game when I'm applying for work.  That happens all the time.  Something you don't agree with will suddenly blind your views about who i am and what i could bring to your company.  I cant sell myself to someone who has a superiority complex and leans too heavily on the fact that they have the ability to hire or fire someone without reason.  I cant afford to be the center of attention for that ''trial period''  where everyone smiles and tells you you're doing great and wants to have coffee with you and tries to open you up.  Im troubled at the idea of being hired at a new place as a potential replacement for someone that is on the way out the door for poor conduct at an establishment. I cant afford to be around people that have starved egos and suddenly take an interest in me.  I cant afford to be around people who are miserable and need someone to blame.  I cant afford to be around chauvinists.  My presence, more times than not, becomes a reason for hidden predjuices and insecurities to surface.  Maybe i just need to figure out a way to not see these patterns although  Its soo obvious to me.  Especially the familiarity thing : you know, where the color of my skin or way i speak or where im from or gender or relationship status scream about who i am without me saying a word.

    How you feel ordering what you didn't want

    Pulling a semi home made dish for lunch today? All you'll need is the following ingredients from the frozen section of your local grocer: Tyson chicken tenders, Italian style stir fry veggies, and a box of Penni pasta.   For me, the simplest way to prepare this meal is using a slow cooker, adding the frozen veggies, a cup of liquid, a tablespoon or so of olive oil, and the Penni.  Cook on hi for about an hour, stir occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking.   Prepare the nuggets in the oven according to the directions on the package.  Sauce is optional.  Spaghetti sauce, Alfredo, or pesto work well. One variation to this dish is to serve with meatballs instead of chicken nuggets.   

    Always find ways to enjoy a hearty meal.  The afternoon this dish was being prepared As I was muddling around, trying to find a way out the door for an afternoon jog.  Way too many steps were involved.  I decided to list the steps as way to further fusterate my efforts.
    Going for a run:

    Have a French toast breakfast
    Check online for activity
    Tune in to local sports talk radio
    Leash one of the dogs, try muzzle training for added control
    Use fingerless gloves to handle leash for hand protection
    Unlock treadmill from upright position
    Find clean socks and tennis shoes in case you haven't already got them on
    A girdle and support bra for bounce reduction
    Since it will be dark before any of these steps are repetitively followed and by the grace of dusk you actually build enough courage to look awkward and go for this run, don't forget to bring along a flashlight.  Wear reflective clothing. Keep your four legged companion close.  Keep an eye out for broken glass or debris on city sidewalks to prevent injury to their paws.

     In response to the overwhelming demand for a new drink from this fountain, here goes.  This only suits an individual that has an appreciation for sketchy people who always seem to know something about everything.  Its called an invisible man.  You'll need a highball glass filled with ice, ginger ale, two dashes of orange juice, .5oz triple sec, .5oz brandy, 2oz of gin.  Pour the gin, brandy, triple sec and orange juice into the highball glass then fill with ginger ale.  Stir and enjoy your invisible man.  Answer a couple questions while you're at it.  If public transportation were available in your neighborhood, would you use it?  Do you believe in fate?  What is more important, being kind or showing kindness?  From your semantic perspective, what describes the concept of wedlock to a congregation best?  How is a broken entrepreneurial spirit repaired? 

    sources
    • plinky.com prompts week of 4/8
    • The Complete Bartenders Guide by Robyn Feller

    Sent from my HTC smartphone on the Now Network from Sprint!

    Occupied

    #HSN has made being a hermit fror the last few days bearable, soaking up as much goodness one can stand.  They might be my new hero.  Move over Capt. Planet!  Indulged further by watching afternoon talk shows.  Agree with a comment made by Anderson Cooper about 'So much pressure goes into having a great time on New Years Eve that its fusterating.'  The Weather Channel featured an article I found interesting-mostly because of the picture....
    5 Cool U.S. Places to Spend New Year's Eve
    Wonder if these people are inside this house?  Me too.
    #HowToOccupy
    Aside from being disapointed with a few random tweets, their obnoxious usernames, the lack there of from one @ChuckTodd,  I'm coming up with resolutions to celebrate the 2012 NBA season.  Sunday was the first day of the long awaited arival of the missing component of Americas passtime.  There couldn't be anything more engaging.  Woohoo the ESPN personalityes are on with their inside scoop.    I'm so caught up in the thrill seeking reality of an outspoken fan, shouldering the weight of an unspoken responsibility.  Somewhere the silence is broken for some long awaited spark to ignite a thrill of some sort. Weight of the air is unusual.  The first resolution is not to talk trash about Kobe.  Suppose that shouldn't be so difficult.  As the halftime show begins, I know that i should seize the opportunity to produce something worthy of reading, however, my attention is drawn away (since i wasn't wholeheartedly watching anyway) shortly toward the direction of a kiosk that demands the return of one video ive rented or will charge a penality fee.  Taking a different approach to forming opinions about the game instead of being mediated to about the players and such is my next resolution.  Overall examination of the institution (poor word choice) of professional basketball is sure help me catch on.

    Glass Bottles and Gingerbread Houses

     

    Have you ever saved those neatly shaped glass bottles of liquor or wine and wondered what to do with them?  Few and far between are my visits to the shelves of a liquor store to find a specific ingredient for a special mixed drink I’ve imagined up or read about in a magazine.  How adorable are the half pint bottles or those mini shooters?  So I've come up with an idea.  Instead of discarding them after their contents have been consumed, save them and follow these steps:

    1)  Soak the clear glass bottles in hot water to remove the labels. 

    2)  Gather small things like shells, fresh flowers, berries, etc.

    3) Partially fill the bottles with the small things then fill with oil

    4) Use wine bottle corks to seal the bottle along with pieces of hemp

    Deciding not to do a Google search for particular project yet, however, am curious to know exactly what will keep the bottles permanently sealed. Suppose I should just be able to play around with the idea without getting myself worked up over how someone else has constructed similar projects. 

      

     

    These are a few images I pulled off the internet related to gingerbread houses.  They look so complex.  Using graham crackers instead of the ginger cookie makes the decorating somewhat faster and I suppose one could mass produce gingerbread houses with that method.  Either way, I think they are adorable. 

    Trial and Error

    What a morning to remember! Something as simple as allowing myself to wake up and instead of letting the dogs wander in the back yard to do their business, I took them out around the block on their leashes.

    when getting dressed goes wrong

    Guess who couldn't put together an outfit? 
    Atleast I got something right at home this weekend. 



    #blackfriday #tout
     In reply to the hashtag 'blackfriday' on my Vlog. 
    What is Thanksgiving to you, a Holiday or only about Shopping?
    Thinking about the people who are scheduled to work during those hours of insanity, all the planing that goes into scheduling the handful of people that might not have a choice due to a mgmt decision and the upset that might cause. And then there's some disapointment when someone might just want the company of friends and family at home. Going along with what your guests want to do sometimes creates disruption.  I feel for the person who goes the distance to open their home for a gathering like Thanksgiving.  Being a good host is a miracle.  When the guests decide to take their show on the road for the blackfriday shopping, the host might feel resentment toward his or her self or toward the guests.  Pray and be mindful of this when you're someone's guest, even if you've been to their place dozens of times.