Paul Smith

No, you probably have never heard of him but he is a man of inspiration.

Born with cerebral palsy did not deter him from painting....................................

How????

Using his typewriter!!!

Why is it some people sit down and say "I can't" and others find a way to get it done?

http://www.paulsmithfoundation.org/index.html

I'm Back

I often ask myself why I do these trips and of course I know the answers:

1. I love meeting new people
2. I love learning new things
3. I believe that change produces growth
When I get home I try to remember this little list because with trips and travel comes people you don't like, things that aren't what you thought they would be and changes you may not have anticipated......such is the nature of travel.
This was my third trip with the Elderhostel program and it was titled "Heroic Hounds"
Our base was the DoubleTree Inn in Rohnert, Ca.

The facility was VERY nice and the food, although all buffet for our group, was good.

Our focus was to learn about those gentle giants that help people have full lives in spite of the obstacles they face.

The training that goes into these dogs is not only very time consuming and intense but also very expensive and for the most part, accomplished, on donations. The breed of choice is mostly yellow labs due to their strength, health, intellect and........................................

gentle, calm spirit. She calmly sits with her paws crossed while our group of 26, ask questions and take pictures.
We also had a demonstration of two of the of the California K9 dogs that sniff out drugs, bombs and help catch the bad guys. You would not believe how this dog changed when fellow officer acted as if he was going to attack the woman police officer he was trained with.........good thing he had a very padded arm shield.

Also on the agenda was a trip to the Charles Schulz Museum (Creator of Peanuts) and although I am not a comic fan, many of the displays were quite amazing...................

This was a floor to ceiling display made up of his different cartoons and using the dark colored cartoons to make this scene of Peanuts and Lucy.

I am very blessed to be able to travel with and without my husband and for the most part I find it very rewarding. This does not mean that it is smooth sailing and an easy task. When traveling alone, just being responsible to get yourself to the airport, remember where you parked, find the baggage claim, lift your own bag (hopefully you didn't over pack), find the shuttle and be sure you are on the right one, have the right change because they don't accept credit cards and on a group tour after you find your room, it's time to meet 25 new people that are couples as well as a few singles and somehow all blend together. You often do not get to choose your meals so you need to be flexible about that and the days can become quite long when you are traveling to and from places on a bus. This trip was different than the others that I have previously taken because it was subject focused where the others were area focused. I found this one specially taxing due to the four women who would not take directions and constantly detained the group asking endless questions. In any group you always have those that have to be first in line, first of the bus, hog the petting time and monopolize the conversations and express their political/religious views as if there were no others, but these four were just exasperating to me............................

Note to self: be sure to listen and don't ask too many questions

Keep a watchful eye

Just a little helpful reminder...................

I am off on a jaunt.....see you when I get back:)

An educated guess

LOOK OVER THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING TWO HOUSES AND SEE IF YOU CAN TELL WHICH BELONGS TO AN ENVIRONMENTALIST.

HOUSE # 1:

A 20-room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house all heated by gas. In ONE MONTH ALONE this mansion consumes more energy than the average American household in an ENTIRE YEAR. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2,400.00 per month. In natural gas alone (which last time we checked was a fossil fuel), this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not in a northern or Midwestern "snow belt," either. It's in the South.

HOUSE # 2:

Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university, this house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. The house contains only 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on arid high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in winter and cools it in summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas, and it consumes 25% of the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Flowers and shrubs native to the are! a blend the property into the surrounding rural landscape.

HOUSE # 1 (20 room energy guzzling mansion) is outside of Nashville,Tennessee. It is the abode of that renowned environmentalist (and filmmaker) Al Gore.

HOUSE # 2 (model eco-friendly house) is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas. Also known as "the Texas White House," it is the private residence of the President of the United States, George W. Bush.
This is totally true folks.......................Another example of leaving your brain on the doorstep.

Golf Ball

Why do golf balls have dimples?



It's not so that they will look cute.......................................
The dimples maximize the distance golf balls travel......they travel four times farther than smooth-surfaced golf balls.
The science of aerodynamics helps explain the dimples phenomenon. The dimples reduce the drag on a golf ball by redirecting more air pressure behind the golf ball rather than in front of it. The higher levels of pressure behind the golf balls force them to go farther distances.
Now, how could you not live without that tidbit today...................Do you golf?

Boredom and excess results

You are driving down the highway near Yarnell, Az. and you see a white thing in the distance.......
Can't imagine what this could be.......can you???

Just your average painted rock skull.
This massive rock was painted by Santa Fe Railroad workers around 1900. Supposedly the crew was in charge of painting the mileposts and other signs along the track and had left over paint and too much time on their hands:)
This article appeared recently in out AAA magazine..................................................

9-11

Baker Company Marines in formation in remembrance of 9-11

You could have heard a pin drop

When in Switzerland at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop George Carey if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush. He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return". You could have heard a pin drop..............................................................

Then, there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room sharing "Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?" A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly;"Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallon of fresh water from sea water each day and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?" You could have heard a pin drop....................................................................................................

A US Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the US, English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. AT a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that 'whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.' You could have heard a pin drop....................................................................

A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently went to France on a tour. Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. 'You have been to France before, monsieur'? the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. 'Then you should know enough to have you passport ready.' The American said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it." 'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!' The American senor have the Frenchman a long hard look and then he quietly explained. 'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find and Frenchmen to show it to.' You could have heard a pin drop..........................................................

What is a Veteran? whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- it is someone who at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his life.'

How easily we forget.............................................................................

Just the two of us

A successful concoction:

One avocado cut in half with pit and skin removed

Several grape tomatoes cut in quarters filling the center and spilling over

Salt and pepper............genius!

The Democratic Donkey and Republican Elephant

Ever wondered what the story was behind these two famous party animals? According to this web site, The now-famous Democratic donkey

was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. His opponents called him a jackass (a donkey), and Jackson decided to use the image of the strong-willed animal on his campaign posters. Later, cartoonist Thomas Nast used the Democratic donkey in newspaper cartoons and made the symbol famous.

Nast invented another famous symbol—the Republican elephant.

In a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin, scaring away all the animals at the zoo. One of those animals, the elephant, was labeled “The Republican Vote.” That's all it took for the elephant to become associated with the Republican Party.
Democrats today say the donkey is smart and brave, while Republicans say the elephant is strong and dignified.

I don't know if there are symbols for politicians in Canada and other countries but these are sure well recognized here in the USA.

Here's my advice.............Pay attention and listen....then VOTE your choice, and then.........shut up and be the best grateful American you can........millions of people around the world would love to have this privilege, don't forget it.

Fast Draw

Lady di tn said she wished I would talk more about my competition days so here it goes:)

My husband was already a top notch competitor in Fast Draw when we married but I just didn't know how much he loved it...............so after several years of whining and complaining about spending every holiday at some competition, I decided if you can't beat them you may as well join them.

I entered my first contest in 1970 and to my great surprise, placed third. We had been trying have a baby prior to my entering competition and I was just thinking maybe I would postpone it a while when puff.............baby on the way. I continued to compete until my holster wouldn't fit me any longer and took it back up when our daughter was about 1 year old. I continued to shoot until about 3 years ago so that would be a grand total of around 35 years. Now to explain Fast Draw...........

It is a world competition that is governed by the World Fast Draw Association. It is shot with a single action pistol (mostly 357 Ruger bored out to a 45 or a Colt 45) and it is reminisce of the shoot out at the OK corral except you do not face an opponent but rather a target with a light in it or on it. After you have readied yourself, you take a command and from 2 to 5 seconds the light will come on which is your command to draw and fire and hopefully hit the target. There are several different types of draws used: Thumbing which means that it is all done with one hand (my husband is the World Champion for this) and many different forms of Fanning, in which you draw with one hand and the other hand cocks the gun (this is my preferred way of competing). I have always held the belief that a picture is worth far more than words.

These are a couple of ladies I shot with and this particular event is called "step back wax". The target is a metal FBI silhouette and the light is in the middle. You shoot a synthetic wax bullet that is propelled by a 22 blank and it must hit the target in order to stop the clock and record your time. The time is calibrated in 1000's of a second. Here is a little helper....it takes about 15 thousands of a second to blink your eye and these gals are probably shooting around a .3900 here.

My greatest claim to fame was winning the International Championships in 1978, held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I continue to hold two World records......Standing Blanks at 10' in 1995 and Walking Wax at 15' in 1997. I won my share of contests like Arizona State, Tombstone, A Canadian competition and etc. but what I was the most proud of, is that I was considered a tough competitor and most always placed in the top 5. I met people from all over the World and traveled to many places most people have never heard of. It was a fun time and people ask me why I have hung it up........ Well, the truth is that World Fast Draw as I knew it, is a dying sport and has been overtaken with other competitions like Single Action Shooting and Cowboy Fast Draw which is similar but yet different and I have decided this old dog isn't interested in learning new tricks. It is a very physical competition and in order to do well you need to be practicing all the time. With only a handful of contests a year in Fast Draw, it just wasn't worth the time for me.

My hubby and I also use to perform Gun Shows around the valley for conventions in some of the big hotels. Here is a picture of him firing at a balloon that I dropped out of my hand............ Yes, this is a VERY old picture (I almost don't recognize myself I am so skinny) taken in 1992 but it was hard to find pictures of us in action instead of with fellow shooters. Blanks are a 45 shell filled with black powder and it is the unburnt powder that breaks the balloon. It creates a spread like a shot gun would. It is the fastest kind of shooting and is popular for the twist fanner's which shoot elimination type competitions and their times are in the 20's.

This is me shooting at the balloon target used in competitions and as you can see....I broke the balloon.

This was the last Championship I won in 2003 at Big Timber, Montana

I sold my custom made gun at the competition last week-end so folks....I won't be coming back but thanks for the memories.

A Trek

Hubby and I often go on "week-end jaunts" but when it adds up to 993 miles, think I best call it a trek:) and so was our trip to Durango, Colo. for a shooting competition this past weekend (I just went along for the ride as I quit competing about 3 years ago).

We left by 5:00 am and made it to the Cliff Castle Casino in time for breakfast, and my always lucky hubby added $300.00 to our pocketbook:)....not to worry he lost it on the way back haha. This is such a pretty casino and their dinning room looks just like the Grand Canyon...truly amazing.

The highlight in Durango for me was staying at the Historic Strater Hotel. It is on main street and a easy walk to all the festivities and of course it is beautiful. The ceilings were just so pretty......

as seen in our room and of course there was

antique furniture everywhere. Their dinning room was just the best with great food so how could you go wrong. We had come here back in 1985 and did all the other fun things like the train ride to Silverton and rafting down the river so just a quiet restful time to be had by me.

While there we wandered into a gun shop and found the most amazing display of stuffed animals I think I have ever seen............here are a few pictures I couldn't resists to take

Was such a treat to get out of the hot summer heat but as always........ miss my bed and my animals.

Careful

A picture is worth a thousand words

Did you know

The humps on a camel's back do not hold water but are actually heaps of fat and flesh and can weigh as much as 80 pounds!

This is why camels can go for as long as two weeks without water.

Here are a few more interesting camel facts:

Camels can produce up to 600 liters of milk a year.

Camels can't close their nostrils.

If a camel is really hungry it will eat anything including people's tents, sandal's and blankets.

Camels can run as fast as a horse, if not faster.

In some countries camels are a source of entertainment......camel fighting attracts audiences of all ages in several countries around the world.

Have you ever rode a camel?

Motivation

I don't know if you are like me but many times I need to find something to motivate me to get things done.......like for example

New wire organizers for some kitchen drawers...................My kitchen drawers desperately needed a going through!

A new revolving spice rack (some of my spices were so old I was afraid to use them) haha

We also did a little updating by removing the carpet in the family room and putting in some tile and we had the grout for the rest of our tile re-colored.

It is amazing how refreshing just a few new changes can be!!!!!!!!!!!

Just the two of us

Tuna Meltaways

1 3 oz. package tuna

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

1/4 cup finely chopped carrots

1 tbl. Miracle whip

3 English muffins split

Heat broiler. In medium bowl combine all the above ingredients except the muffins and mix well.

Spread it equally on the muffin halves and place in broiler pan, broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until lightly browned and bubbly.

Serve with sliced tomato's and chips

Gifts

Several years ago I made it a habit to give handmade gifts, especially for baby showers, but over the years I have let it dwindle away. Recently I came up with an idea that is sort of handmade but without all the work.........................................

I go to my local used clothing store and find a cute basket and fill it with baby items. This one has disposable diapers lined around the inside, a rattle, a small baby bottle (from the dollar store) and a little cotton summer outfit that happened to be in the same color scheme of pink and purple. Makes for something a little different and saves money not buying one of those gift bags.
Do you have a favorite way to give gifts?

Summer Olympics

Don't know if you are fan of the olympics or not but think about all that is involved than what we see. The years of training and sacrifice that has been required and the times of winning and losing to establish whether or not you can qualify to go. Doing everything in your power to stay healthy and stong to be able compete and the injuries along the way.

One Cowgirl brought to my attention some information about the equestrian team that is competing there this year.

and I was amazed to discover that the horses have to have passports!!!

and here I thought I was a big deal for getting my passport....................................................

Just a little bump

I had this little bump on my nose that just didn't seem right so off to the dermatologist I went. After a biopsy I was informed my little bump was a basal cell carcinoma. The next step was to have a procedure called Mohs surgery to remove it. Monday was the day to do so and although I am quite sore and have a black eye, I am so thrilled to have it over with. I am a big baby with needles and etc. and was told that the numbing would be VERY painful....well, you can call it a miracle due to people praying for me but the first numbing was not bad at all...what a shock! The second numbing that was required was a bit more uncomfortable but fortunately it is over pretty quick. Not sure how many stitches there are.........................................

Now, for the really good news....with this Mohs procedure you come out with a 99% cure rate. It is a long procedure because the layers are tested each time before they do the constructive surgery ( I came out clean on the first layer) but the procedure took 6 1/2 hours so it was a long day. Stitches come out next Monday and I should be good as new.

This is going to be my lotion of choice from now on.......or one that has sun protection in it..........

Knick Knacks

Knick Knacks...you never know how much of it you have until you have to move all of it!! I am having my carpet re-stretched today and all of it has to be removed so they can move the furniture and the same in closets...the floors have to be cleared.

Now just take a peak around your place and see if you don't gasp!

Bet you didn't know

There really is a Chef Boyardee but his name is spelled Hector Boiardi. He was an Italian Immigrant that came to the US in 1914 when he was 17 years old.

Upon his arrival, he immediately got a job as a chef at New York's Plaza Hotel, where his brother worked as a waiter. After moving to Cleveland in 1929, he perfected his spaghetti and meatball recipe. His customers kept asking for bottles of his pasta sauce so they could have it at home and he obliged. He then added cheeses and pasta to the sauce.

The result were so popular that he started to sell the products in the area stores, and later in stores outside the area. Boiardi remained an advisor in the canned pasta business until his death at age 87 in 1985. And yes, that is Hector's picture on the label.

Just a little trivia to brighten your day...................................

Runner up for the Nobel Prize

Irena Sendlerowa 1910-2008
May 12 marked the death of a 98-year-old lady named Irena.During WWII, Irena received permission from the Nazis to work in the Warsaw ghetto as a plumbing/sewer specialist.She had an ulterior motive...Being German, she knew the Nazis' plans for the Jews and smuggled infants out in the bottom of the large tool box she carried. Larger children were placed in burlap sacks in the back of her truck. Also in the back was a dog that she had trained to bark each time the Nazi guards allowed her out of the ghetto and back in.The soldiers, of course, wanted nothing to do with the dog, and its barking covered any noise made by the infants and small children. Irena managed to smuggle out approximately 2,500 children before she was finally caught. When she was captured, the Nazis beat her severely, breaking both her arms and her legs.Irena kept a record of the names of all the children she smuggled out of that Warsaw ghetto and kept them in a glass jar buried under a tree in her back yard.After the war, she tried to locate any parents who may have survived so she might reunite the child with its family. Most, of course, did not survive the Holocaust, and the vast majority of the surviving children were placed in foster homes or adopted.Last year Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but she lost to Al Gore, who won the award for presenting a slide show on Global Warming.

Meme

Scattergories
Use the first letter of your first name to answer each of the following.
They have to be real places, names, things - nothing made up. Try to use different answers than the person in front you you that had the same first letter.
You cannot use your own name for the boy/girl name.

1. What is your name: Monica
2. A 4 letters word: Mold
3. A vehicle: Mercury
4. A city: Manchester
5. A boy's name: Mack
6. Drink: Milkshake
7. An occupation: Miner
8. Something you wear: Moccasins
9. A celebrity: Michael Douglas
10. Something found in the bathroom: Mint Mouthwash
11. Reason for being late: Mudslide
12. Something you shout: Mom
13. An animal: Mink
14. A body part: Middle finger
15. Word to describe yourself: Marvelous
If you would like to play just add your name to comments and say I'm in....looking forward to your answers:)

Not your imagination

Yes, I did post a speech that was supposedly written by Andy Rooney and it was brought to my attention that is was not true. I should have checked it myself and here is a site that you can do that on....Truth or Fiction. It was given to me by a friend and I assumed it was on the up and up. Even though I agreed with the content I wouldn't want to publish something that is not true so if you left a comment that is why it is now gone..............................................

Family musing

So many times we know each other simply as part of the family.
Yesterday, I went to visit a cousin who is younger than I and found how little I really knew him. We only saw each other at family gatherings and in the later years these were basically funerals (not a good time to visit). Well, to my great surprise I thoroughly enjoyed my time with him and his wife. I have often felt that this scenario of not really knowing your family was true with family members who were older than I, like my Uncles and Aunts. Rarely did I know them as I would now that I am an adult but more through a kids eyes. Strange isn't it to be related by blood but not by what you have in common. Maybe that is why there are often family strains......................................................................