Finally

The NY State Senate has agreed to vote on the same-sex marriage bill before the year is through. Urge your senator to vote YES!

QOTD

Do you remember the things you were worrying about a year ago?
How did they work out?
Didn't you waste a lot of fruitless energy on account of most of them?
Didn't most of them turn out all right after all?

~ Dale Carnegie

Winter in NY

This is a little different version of the winter in NY state thing that has been going around for years and made me LLOL (that's Literally Laugh Out Loud in case you were wondering)...


When the temperature is:

+ 60 above zero:

Floridians turn on the heat.
People in Upstate New York plant gardens.

+ 50 above zero:

Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Watertown sunbathe.

+ 40 above zero:

Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Upstate New York drive with the windows down.

+ 32 above zero:

Distilled water freezes.
The water in Saranac Lake gets thicker.

+ 20 above zero:

Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats.
People in Upstate New York throw on a flannel shirt.

+ 15 above zero:

New York landlords finally think about turning on the heat.
People in Lake Placid have their last cookout before it gets cold.

+ Zero:

People in Miami all die.
People in Pulaski close the windows.

+ 10 below zero:

Californians fly away to Mexico
People in Upstate New York get out their winter coats.

+ 25 below zero:

Hollywood disintegrates.
Girl Scouts in Upstate New York sell cookies door to door.

+ 40 below zero:

Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Carthage let the dogs sleep indoors.

+ 100 below zero:

Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Folks in Potsdam are upset because the Mini-Van won't start

+ 460 below zero (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale):

ALL atomic motion stops.
People in Upstate New York start saying--"Cold 'nuff fer ya?"

+ 500 below zero:

Hell freezes over.
Upstate New York public schools will open 2 hours late.

DigiDare Scrapping

So I spent today doing some digital scrapbooking. With all the photo editing I've done, I've never really done it, but when the ladies over at DigiDare offered a whole kit to anyone who even tried, I thought I'd give it a shot! It was fun! Now, if only I had a better computer so PSP wouldn't keep crashing on me, and a better printer so I could print it out! ^-^

Here's the challenge:

• 3 Photos in 3 different shapes (circle, rectangle, and heart)
• 3 Papers (polka dots, dots & stripes, and lined)
• 3 matching elements somewhere on the page (3 groups of 3 rhinestones)
• 3 different alphas (I think I used 3x2 different alphas! ^-^)
• 3 spots of journaling (Yup!)
• Extra credit for those who take the THREE theme and run with it even further! (Well, it's his 3-Month birthday, and their are 3 items in each of the groups of rhinestones; does that count?)

It stumped me for a while - what to scrap - but then I remembered that Benji-boo just had his 3 month birthday! Perfect! So I found some great pis of him having a bottle from each month, et voilà!



I love how it turned out! If anyone wants to know about any of the papers or elements or anything, let me know, and I'll post the details. Otherwise, I'm gonna be lazy and not do it. XD

BlogCarnival: Holiday Movies & Specials

The holiday season will soon be here - what's your favorite holiday movie or special? Why?

I used to love cuddling on the sofa with a lap cat watching holiday movies and TV specials. Today it's not the same. I used to get so excited when this would come on the TV:



But now, you can DVR it, buy the DVD (have some), search it up on YouTube (hee, I think I did that...), get it shipped from NetFlix (do this every year)... and watch those things any old time.

But I *still* have favorites! Of course I can't limit it to just one, I love too many! So here's my top ten...

10. The Little Drummer Boy - My favorite song as a child made into a TV special... awesome!
9. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Who doesn't love this?
8. Frosty the Snowman - I still say *Messy, messy, messy* in that voice... XD
7. A Charlie Brown Christmas - The ending still makes me tear up...
6. Miracle on 34th Street - Not just tearing up with this one, bawling...
5. Will Vinton's Clay-mation Christmas - Full of awesome holiday music!
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas - This was a favorite of both my mom and me, we can even recite lines! Hee!
3. The Little Princess - Not really a Christmas movie per se, but one that always gives me the Christmas spirit...
2. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - This is actually a book I read every year, and I haven't seen the special since it aired in the 80s, but it's still a favorite.

And my number one, lovelovelove this special, is John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together. The songs are *my* Christmas Carols and without them it's just not Christmas. I wish they'd put out a DVD, so I could buy it already!

I can't wait to read about everyone else's favorites! How about you?

Get Paid to Tweet!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Sponsored Tweets. All opinions are 100% mine.

IZEA, the company behind SocialSpark.com, has recently released a new form of advertising marketplace for Twitter users called Sponsored Tweets, where much like sponsored blogging, a twitter user will post something specific in exchange for a fee. Advertisers connect directly with tweeters to create tweets that promote their site, service, or product. Tweeters can set their price and then accept or reject offers from potential sponsors. Payment is credited to the tweeter’s account within 24 hours.


As with all of their online properties, IZEA has a strict code of ethics, which means you always know who you’re dealing with; you say what you want to say, not what someone else wants you to say; you pick who you deal with; and there is 100% disclosure. On top of that, IZEA does not keep or store your password, and they have gone through Twitter’s API approval process, meaning you can trust them with the safety and security of your information.

They even have tons of celebrity tweeters already signed up: Kim Kardashian (with her 2,610,063 followers), Bob Vila (making $2,941.25 per tweet), and even Kendra & Holly previously from The Girls Next Door!

In fact the only reason I can see why you might not want to sign up for sponsored tweets would be that you have to have $50 in your account before you can cash out, and for someone like me who hardly tweets at all, that might take a very long time.

Two Good Videos

Getting ready to exercise!

Don't forget to test your blood glucose at 2pm, then exercise for 14 minutes and test again, and post your results at The Big Blue Test!

ETA: Jacqueline & I both did this. We both had normal breakfasts about 11:30 and haven't eaten since. Our starting BGs were: Jacqueline = 137, Diana = 253. We went for a brisk walk through the woods, which really haven't been cleared for a trail, so it's over & under & around trees and branches and briars... Our ending BGs were: Jacqueline = 98, Diana = 260. Weird.

Liberty and Justice for Some

And to think... here I am, 39 years old, and my stand against the Pledge of Allegiance has only been to not say the *under God* part.

This boy amazes me for his courage and conviction.

21-Gun Salute

I wrote this more than a decade ago; how serendipitous that I should find it on my desk today...

The silence in the cold air was deafening. A light snow began to fall and the sound of 16 feet marching in time faintly drifted the air. Eight men came over a rise in the road; their movements stiff and formal; their uniforms as dully colored as the day. They took their place several yards away and the silence resumed.

My mind began playing scenes from my grandfather's life; some I only knew of from old photographs and the stories that he told, others I had been there for. But I wasn't here because of him today; I was here to witness the final honor of a man I never knew. Perhaps, somehow, my own grandfather, who had also served his country and yet had not had this honor, perhaps he would see, from wherever her was, that in my heart, I was present here for him, as well as for my new family.

A voice called out an order and broke the silence, almost physically. And then the sharp report of seven guns rang out three times in the frosty air. Eerily, almost as if from a dream, the bugler began to blow Taps. The mournful sound carried on the breeze seemed so very final. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I would not let them fall.

As the closing notes faded away, the men began to move. They came toward us with the same stiff formality as before. Staring straight ahead, they arranged themselves around the grave. Solemnly, they unfolded the flag of our country with exact precise movements, a few of the stern-faced men sniffling in the cold. Then they refolded it, placing 3 shells within it's folds.

They passed the flag with great respect to their sergeant, who turned his staid face to my future mother-in-law. With a deep rich voice he spoke. "On behalf of the President..."

The tears now flowed freely down my cheeks and off my chin, not just for the man I never knew, not just for my grandfather; nor did they fall for my new family who had lost one of their numbers. They fell for all the families who had lost someone and for all those someones.

The men eventually left with deliberate and rigid marching and the silence continued. How to end it? How to step in on another person's thoughts? What words could ever be appropriate? A hug was all I could think to do and even that seemed an intrusion. So I stood there quietly, wiping the tears from my face.

I wrote this in the late winter of 1999 after attending the funeral of my future grandfather-in-law. I only ever showed this to my husband. I asked him if it would be ok to send to his mother. He said not to. I regret my decision to go along with him. His mother would have appreciated this. By the time I knew her well enough to figure that out, the hard drive of the computer it was saved on had died, and now she has. I don't remember ever printing it out, but here it is...

Don't give yourself a reason to regret. Thank a veteran or the family of veteran any time you get the chance. Let them know how much their service means to you. They'll appreciate it, even if it seems like they won't or don't. In the end, it matters...

To my Diabetic Friends

And those who aren't, can pass the word on, please...

The Big Blue Test

November 14th is World Diabetes Day and the people at Diabetes Hands Foundation are organizing an online awareness event to take place at 2pm local time.

Its goal is to raise awareness around the importance of blood glucose testing and physical activity for people with diabetes. In the process, thousands of people touched by diabetes will connect with others with diabetes as they participate, testing their blood glucose, doing 14 minutes of exercise, testing again and sharing their results online.

Participation is easy. At 2pm test your blood glucose (BG). Then exercise for 14 minutes, and test your BG again. Then post your results at http://bigbluetest.org; you can even add pictures if you want.

I'm hoping this nice weather we;ve been having will hold so I can take a nice walk. How about you?

Etsy Blogger of the Month: The Fab Miss B

Say hello to November's Blogger of the Month...

A.K.A.

She has two great shops with the cutest things!

Fabulous vintage finds...


And adorable vintage-inspired handmade items...


Don't forget to check her out and see what she has that might be calling to you...

• The Fab Miss B's Blog


• The Fab Miss B's Etsy Shop


• Becky Kazana's Etsy Shop

Product Review: NewTree Chocolates

I recently saw some new chocolate in the store and had to try it!

While New Tree does have a website (newtree.com), I was unable to find the Pink Peppercorn chocolate bar anywhere. However, the first google hit including 'peppercorn' was Walmart, so perhaps it's a special thing just for them... They had several varieties available, I chose the 2 that appealed to me...

The first I opened was the dark chocolate with pink peppercorns. I was overwhelmed by the pepper smell just opening the package. Strangely it seems very floral. The bar was already broken a bit, and I could see the pretty red (fine, pink) peppercorns. Sadly I couldn't enjoy the chocolate much as the peppercorn flavor was very overpowering. The little crunches were nice, but definitely too much pepper flavor. Not *hot* but definitely too much flavor. I rate this flavor...

One Ear Up.

That left the lavender milk chocolate. It had a lovely delicate floral scent UNDER the chocolate, not overpowering it, and I was glad to see there were no lavender stems or flowers in the chocolate. The chocolate was creamy and smooth and melted quickly in my mouth filling it with a subtle lavender flavor before disappearing into a chocolaty aftertaste. I rate this flavor...

Two Ears Up!

Now if only I could find a nice dark chocolate violet...