Posted 11:10 PM by Bonnie

Today is TOPS ... and I am now 93 lbs from my goal weight. My house sitting job has ended and life gets back to normal again. For awhile. Saturday I will be attending a leadership meeting for TOPS. This should be interesting.

Posted 5:54 PM by Bonnie

Something a little different :-)

Multiple choice test Definition of the derivative
http://www.univie.ac.at/future.media/moe/tests/diff1/defabl.html

You have achieved 18 out of 19 possible points.

Posted 5:25 PM by Bonnie

For anyone interested here is my weekly workout program:

Monday: Beat around the bush, Jump to conclusions, Climb the walls, and Wade through paperwork
Tuesday: Drag my heels, Push my luck, Make mountains out of molehills, and Hit the nail on the head
Wednesday: Bend over backwards, Jump on the bandwagon, Balance the books, and Run around in circles
Thursday: Toot my own horn, Climb the ladder of success, Pull out all the stops, and Add fuel to the fire
Friday: Open a can of worms, Put my foot in my mouth, Start the ball rolling, and Go over the edge
Saturday: Pick up the pieces!

Whew! what a workout! You are invited to use my program without charge :-). (author unknown)

Posted 12:42 PM by Bonnie

I'm a little late on the Friday Five but here goes...

1. Is your hair naturally curly, wavy, or straight? Long or short?
Short... uh sort of curly, sort of wavy...some parts straight... a friend of mine in TX described my hair as having the J.F. look ...
she said my hair always looked as if I had Just Fucked :-)!!!

2. How has your hair changed over your lifetime?
Besides experimenting with colors, have decided to let the natural gray take over now... it is much thinner with age and I am actually
losing some... female pattern baldness, maybe?

3. How do your normally wear your hair?
On my head :-)... and however it wants to sit after I try to comb it into some semblence of order.

4. If you could change your hair this minute, what would it look like?
It would be long and thicker like when I was younger. I would love that hair in gray!

5. Ever had a hair disaster? What happened?
I went to get a perm and told them a friend had recommended them. I had really long hair and just wanted a slightly curly perm... tried to explain I didn't want big hair just some curl. well!! when they combed it out I had hair at least as wide as I am tall!! okay, a slight exaggeration, but it was big!!!! I complained and got very upset, but they insisted I had said I wanted my hair like the woman who had recommended me..no I said she had sent me, but I didn't want BIG hair! Well, they couldn't fix it, but when I went to visit my sister, Victoria, in TX she had a friend who did hair and she managed to turn me back into a person with a perm, rather than a PERM with a person.

Posted 12:26 PM by Bonnie

Life is great... I am loved :-)... I don't know how long ago I casually mentioned to my husband, a movie buff, I would like to have a copy of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, when it came out on DVD and went on sale. Last night my husband stopped off at Blockbuster and when he came home he handed me ... yep! My Big Fat Greek Wedding, saying, I thought I remembered you saying you wanted this one. Last night I house sat and stayed over night, so we watched it today when I got home and it was wonderful! Even Hubby liked it and gave it high ratings.

Posted 6:48 PM by Bonnie

In a response to a recent blog, I made the comment that recently the words "choice" and "abortion" are becoming synonomous. And not just from the so-called pro-life people. Of course, they prefer to use the terms 'anti-life' or 'pro-death' rather than choice, but to them when you say you are pro-choice, they translate that to 'I believe only in the choice of abortion and no other choice.' And I have talked with pro-choice people, who when I say, for myself I would not, could not, have an abortion (and my past has proven I could not make this choice), jump on me and start arguing the pro-abortion stance. It is as if everyone is caught up in that one part of the word choice. To me pro-choice means I can choose!!! If I want to have an abortion, I can and I will. If I want to keep and raise the child, I can and I will. If I want to give the child up for adoption (my choice 30 years ago) I could and I did! I had a choice!!! And I did not HAVE to choose abortion just because it is available. I say thank goodness it is for those who need it, and I used to have a bumper sticker that said... Don't want an abortion, Don't have one. And I believe that to this day.

The anti-choice people need to get off that pro-death kick and realize what the word choice actually means. And I think we also need to regroup the pro-choice people and remind them that abortion is only one of the choices, not the only choice.

Thank you for listening to my rant...

Posted 6:42 PM by Bonnie

Went to my weekly T.O.P.S. meeting this morning and have lost another pound. That is 14.5 pounds lost since I started. I have decided to post each Thursday how much I lost and how many more to my goal... so here goes... I am 93.5 lbs away from my goal weight.

Posted 10:16 PM by Bonnie

Stolen from Victoria who borrowed it from her husbands page, who picked it off a friends page, who….

1. Newspapers or magazines?
Magazines. The only day the newspaper is of any use is Sunday when I get my coupon supplements.

2. Books-on-tape or regular books?
Regular, but have to admit I am getting hooked on books on tape. I love to listen to them at night in bed. For awhile there I was having some issues with my eyes and reading was difficult, but now that my glasses have been corrected I am enjoying actually reading the books again.

3. Paperback or hardcover?
Paperback. As I said I read a lot in bed and even though I am now reading a hardcover, they are harder to hold onto in bed.

4. Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction. I have to agree on the trashy mysteries. But I also get into the Saga’s.

5. Sci-Fi/Fantasy or romance novels?
I was going to say none of the above, but then I did enjoy the Dune series and have read a few other Sci-fi books I enjoyed… and I do enjoy the Harry Potter books. It’s funny how those books appeal to every generation. From my older sisters grandchildren to my mother!

6. Borrow from library or buy books (either new or used)?
The library here is so convenient you would think I would borrow more, but I find I have a tendency to forget when I am supposed to return them. Plus I like to share books I really enjoy. Once I read them I send them onto my mother who then passes them on to other people. (Victoria) I will have to bring my latest batch to CT now to see if you would like any… bet I have a few you haven’t read.

7. Subscribe to magazines or buy on newsstand?
Subscribe. Cat Fancy, of course! Newsweek. Consumer Guide.

8. Current best-sellers or classic literature?
Whatever appeals to me. I don’t go by what is on the best seller list, or what is considered a classic.

9. Read books once, or re-read favorites every so often?
Read once and pass them on.

10. Here in the U.S., we have two hot best-sellers...former First Lady Hillary Clinton's memoirs, and the new Harry Potter book (coming out June 21). If you had to read one, which one...Hillary or Harry? Why?

Harry, of course!! He is definitely the more interesting of the two and I get to take flights of fantasy instead of… well, I haven’t read Hillary’s book, but I get the feeling it would also be a flight of fantasy, but not one that would intrigue me.

Posted 8:03 PM by Bonnie

This week from We Have Brains we have the following question:

So I ask you, is it fair to label someone a feminist if they don't claim it? Is it important to label others as feminists, even if they won't march with you at the Feminist Pride Parade? How do you feel when the woman next to you on the bus, in class, at work states, "Oh, I believe I should be paid as much as Dan, but I'm not a feminist!"

I question the labeling of people for the sake of labeling. When we label people what we are doing is grouping them and putting them in little boxes to keep everything neat and orderly. A control thing in a way. Why do we need labels? If someone wants to label themselves a feminist, a racist, a pro-lifer, or anything at all then that is fine. But, for someone else to group people together, including those who would be offended by the label, for the sake of convenience seems a bit lame to me. I for one, would have a hard time defining a label for myself. And truthfully I like it that way. I don't want to be put in a little box with a group of clones. Do I have the same beliefs as others... yes! Do I fight for the same causes? Of course! But there are also areas within the same beliefs, causes, etc where I differ with the others... so to label me or anyone else according to a group they happen to associate with is wrong in my book.

Posted 10:50 PM by Bonnie

The Dartmouth lecture page makes this statement and raises a good question. The most profound questions give rise to Creation Myths.
Who are we? Where do we come from?
Where does the world come from?
What is the purpose of life/death?
What is our place in the cosmos?

Myths organize the way we perceive reality, ourselves and the world.

Creation myths express our awe before reality.

The power of myth is not descriptive but existential:
Myths are "true" to the extent they are effective.

I have long believed man created their god out of a need to explain that which they did not understand. It was much simpler to believe an unseen god had created them and therefor this god held all the power. They created a god myth to control the masses and frighten them with an all powerful god who could see everything, knows everything, and would sentence them to everlasting hell if they did not obey the laws put forth by man. Man created their god and made their laws the gods laws. The myth grew to the point where over time it became "true" to the believers, because keeping this god figure gave them control over the masses. Do you believe god is a myth created by man to control other humans? Do you believe we allow myths to become reality? Opinions?

Posted 9:50 PM by Bonnie

ORIGIN OF SAYINGS...

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image
was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington
showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back
while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by
painters were not based on how many people were to be painted,
but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs"
therefore painting them would cost the buyer more.
Hence the expression "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."
**********************************************************************
As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths
only twice a year! (May and October).Women kept their hair covered,
while men shaved! their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs.
Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. The wigs couldn't be
washed so to clean them, they could carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the
shell and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and
fluffy, hence the term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes
the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
**********************************************************************
In the late 1700s many houses consisted of a large room with only one
chair.Commonly, a long wide board was folded down from the wall and
used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while
everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Once in a while an invited guest
would be offered to sit in this chair during a meal (who was almost always a
man). To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge.
Sitting in the chair, one was called the "chair man." Today in business we
use the expression/title "Chairman..or Chairman of the Board"
**********************************************************************
Needless to say, personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a
result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The
women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their
complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to
stare at another woman's face she was told "mind your
own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence
the term "crack a smile." Also, when they sat too close to the
fire, the wax would melt and therefore the expression "losing face."
**********************************************************************
Ladies wore corsets which would lace up in the front. A tightly tied
lace was worn by a proper and dignified lady as in "straight laced."
************************************************************
Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax
levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "ace of
spades." To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead.
Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid
or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."
**********************************************************************
Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what
was considered important to the people. Since there were no
telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns,
pubs and bars who were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's
conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched
at different times. "You go sip here" and "You go sip there.." The two words
"go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and
thus, we have the term "gossip."
********************************************************************
At local taverns, pubs and bars, people drank from pint and
quart sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the
customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention
and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in
"quarts." Hence the term "minding your "'P's and Q's."

So now you know.....

Happiness comes through doors you didn't know you left open.

Posted 10:16 AM by Bonnie

How Fair is This? My husband is a college professor. He teaches the first summer semester each year, for students who can't make it during the regular school session. This is an intense four week course which includes Saturdays. One of the students, who makes a point of letting everyone know she is a Reverend and should therefor have more respect than the other students. has written a letter of complaint....believe it or not... regarding noise BEFORE class starts. She has constantly yelled, belittled and spoke condescendingly to the other students because they would not sit in their seats, hands folded, quietly awaiting the arrival of the professor. She felt they should not talk to each other, wear headsets and play music, etc. She said this upset her so much she is forced to wait in the hallway for the arrival of the teacher and the other students call her names. She stated over and over this made it difficult for her to learn the material.

Okay, now did she go to my husband during his office hours to discuss the issue or to get extra help in areas where she is behind? No. She wrote a letter to the dean to which my husband now has to respond, taking more time out of his busy schedule.

The point of my question is...is it fair for one student, who thinks she is above the others due to her Reverend status, to force the rest of the class to follow the rules she sets down for before class behaviour? And is it fair to write a letter to the dean regarding this, when as Victoria stated in a previous blog, this is like running to mommy saying Johnny called me a doo doo head. It seems to me this person is the one who is out of line. Any opinions?

Posted 10:24 AM by Bonnie

From the Friday Five

1. What's one thing you've always wanted to do, but never have?

Played in a band. I had my chance back in the 60’s, but was too shy at that time. A friend of mine had his own band and was teaching me guitar and got me singing, but I never had the nerve to actually play with the band or perform in public. Now that I’m older and realize you really only do go around once I wish I had taken the chance.

2. When someone asks your opinion about a new haircut/outfit/etc, are you always honest?

Oh boy… I used to until I realized people didn’t want an honest opinion. Now I just say don’t ask unless you really want my opinion. Otherwise, if I can’t say something nice, I say something neutral. Like, if you like it then that’s all that matters.

3. Have you ever found out something about a friend and then wished you hadn't? What happened?

Oh yeah! To make a long story short I found out the young woman a friend of mine was “with” was using him and setting him up, simply because she knew her mother was interested in him. She bragged to me of what she was doing and then set it up to turn him against me, so he wouldn’t believe me when if I told him. I did try to warn him. She was right that he would believe her over me. In the end, though, it all turned out for the good. They got married and are very happy now. The mother is with someone else so all turned out good and we're all friends.

4. If you could live in any fictional world (from a book/movie/game/etc.) which would it be and why?

V. I. Warshawski. Because she is such a cool character and leads an adventurous life, but is also quite human. I just like her!
She makes her own rules, is her own boss, she is not the typical woman we usually find in fiction, she doesn't worry about men, laundry, bills (she throws them out when she can't pay them), or what she's going to wear. If you don't like it, tough, she is happy with her self and her life.

5. What's one talent/skill you don't have but always wanted?
Hmmmm… if understanding math is a talent, then I would have to say being able to understand math and work equations in my head. After I saw A Beautiful Mind it just made me even more frustrated that math and equations have always eluded me.

Posted 9:42 AM by Bonnie

Just a note to let everyone know I haven't died or something. Life got real busy for awhile there and computer time became a precious commodity. I will be back with more of my insightful :-) inputs.

Posted 3:11 PM by Bonnie

This old Simon and Garfunkle song keeps going through my head and won't leave, so maybe putting the words here will clear them from my head :-)

April Come She Will

April come she will when streams are ripe and swelled with rain.
May, she will stay resting in my arms again.
June, she'll change her tune, in restless walks she'll prowl the night.
July, she will fly and give no warning to her flight.
August, die she must. The autumn winds blow chilly and cold.
September I'll remember, a love once new has now grown old.

Posted 3:05 PM by Bonnie

A is for Alltel the cell company we will be leaving this month
B is for Books – catching up on my reading
C is for Cats who so far have all been well this month
D is for the Dogs who eat the food we put out for the stray cats
E is for Elephant Parts – a tape I found and sent to my friend Rick in FL
F is for the new Friends I’ve made in TOPS
G is for Girl – a prepubescent female. I am Woman hear me roar J.
H is for Harry Potter – new book coming out June 21
I is for Istanbul – no reason it just popped into my head
J is for June!
K is for Keith having to teach the first summer semester at the college
L is for Love and Laughter – something we have much of here
M is for Marriage… I can’t believe we have survived the first year and more J
N is for Naomi getting moved to the new Wendy’s closer to her home and in a much nicer location… J
O is for Once Upon a Time and childhood dreams
P is for Planting time…wish I had even a small garden!
Q is for Quiet time
R is for Rants and Blogs and all the fun things we get to do online
S is for Sisters… I have two of the greatest J
T is for Trashy drive in movies… still fun to watch
U is for the Unicorn on the new nightlight my sweetie found for me
V is for Victoria and all the help she has given me on my blog
W is for Wal-mart… and why did they have to put up a super walmart here in sumter!!!
AAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!
X is for Xavier – the happy hooker… just because I like to write about happy people J
Y is for Yawning ….. morning J
Z is for Zen Buddhism

Posted 12:32 AM by Bonnie

Another fun IQ test.
Congratulations! Your general IQ score is 133.
A person whose IQ score falls in the range of 129-143 is considered to be "highly intelligent".

Posted 12:17 AM by Bonnie

Quick and fun personality test. My results are: You come to grips more frequently and thoroughly with yourself and your environment than do most people. You detest superficiality; you'd rather be alone than have to suffer through small talk. But your relationships with your friends are very strong, which gives you the inner tranquility and harmony that you require. You do not mind being alone for extended periods of time; you rarely become bored.

Posted 6:50 PM by Bonnie

From We Have Brains. Do you and each member of your family - past and present - have their own space as well as a common space for all to come together? How do you define this space? Do you feel that this is a necessary space for you? Do you feel that females are more willing to compromise their space to nurture a space for others? And, if you could have your ideal room - space - that was all yours, how would it look?

This is interesting as it is a topic that comes up regularly in our little domain here. Right now only my husband has his own space. When I moved here he was already settled in this apartment for years, and has the second bedroom set up as his office. He has two desks and two computers of his own. He also has books shelves and filing cabinets. He even has a door he can close.

Sharing an apartment with 6 cats and one spouse leaves little room for privacy and yes, I do complain I have no space of my own. Right now the kitchen is my “private?” space. Crammed into a very small kitchen are a kitchen table, chairs, my computer, a small bookcase, my desk, and a rolling plastic three drawer filing bin. It must roll as it sits in front of a long cupboard and must move to allow us to open the cupboard. My work space is the kitchen table. On it I pay bills, sort and file my coupons, work on my scrapbooks, write my letters, wrap my packages… etc etc etc all with help of at least 3 cats.

If I am at the table working and someone wants to get to the refrigerator, sink, or cupboard I must get up and wait for them to finish before I can get back to my projects. I have no space to store my stuff so live out of bags…

My coupon binder is in a long canvas bag, my scrapbooking materials are in a plastic scrapbook bag, my TOPS materials are in a black brief case, my personal papers are in a portable plastic filing box… all my stuff is packed behind the space between the couch and the wall… a wall that is lined with a large metal shelf containing video tapes and another rack containing DVD’s.

My husband also has an office at school that he no longer has to share with a co-worker. Sometimes I feel caged in with no space to just store my stuff within easy reach. Yes, space is necessary to me. I am a person who loves to be with others, but also needs time to relax and no I am in a space that only I can occupy.

Yes, I do stay at home while he works, and the argument could be made I have the whole apartment to myself while he is at work. And that would be great if there was space for me and my projects, but when I look around and don’t see myself at all in the surroundings I feel as if I really don’t have any space at all.

To me the entire space is my husbands. He had it filled with stuff before I arrived and continues to fill it with more and more stuff. Yes, I did rearrange the furniture and clean up the area to make more space and to make it liveable, but it is not my space. The bedroom and living room would be our common space. The two rooms we share but again both are filled with his belongings. Shelves line all the walls filled with videos, books, and other collectibles of his. It's a good thing I am not a collector or we would be in real trouble space wise :-).

What would my ideal space be? It would be a room with a window looking out on scenery, a desk with lots of drawers for bills, letters, stamps, etc. I would want a nice computer desk and comfortable chair and of course my computer J. A row of filing cabinets on one wall and bookcases on the other. A closet for storage. Oh, and a space for my boombox so I could play tapes, CD’s or the radio as I worked. Also, a place to keep my violin and guitar and a door I could close so I could practice and play in piece. A nice wingback chair with a lamp and table beside it for reading. Sigh!!!

Is it easier for women to compromise on space to nurture others? NO! We want and need space just as much as anyone else. So, until the world is perfect and everyone can have whatever they want, I will live in my kitchen J.

Posted 9:50 PM by Bonnie

MY PARENTS DREAMS
by Bonnie Johnson
Edited by renowned poet Victoria Rivas
(thanks Vic for making a good poem a great poem)

My father dreamed an artists life,
creations of his mind and soul.
Those shapes and colors, his design,
were what he felt would make him whole.
My mother did not dream
my father’s dreams.

My mother dreamed a wealthy life,
far from poverty and strife,
a splendid home with perfect kids.
A life of leisure, rich man’s wife.
My father did not dream
my mother’s dreams.

The dreams were lost, forgotten as
the children came along. They tried
but time just passed so quick, too quick.
The bills got large, then Lydia died.
and sorrow, pain interred
my parents dreams.

First Linda married, Bonnie too.
Then Vinny went to ‘Nam, to war
Victoria went to college. Joe
just left. The dreams were dead, no more
was hope. My mother wept
my parents dreams.

My father, old, with anger black,
survived his factory worker life.
My mother, old and bitter, hate
at ending up a poor man’s wife.
Neither cared about, dreamed
the other’s dreams.

My father dreams an artists life,
creations of his mind and soul.
My mother dreams a richer life,
with all the things to make her whole,
They do not talk, nor share
each others dreams

Posted 2:49 PM by Bonnie

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning...to the end. He noted that first came her date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.(1934-1998)For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth. Now those who loved her know what that little line is worth. For it matters not how much we own: the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard. Are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left that still can be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real; always try to understand the way other people feel. Be less quick to anger, show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before. If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile, remembering that this special dash may last only a little while. When your eulogy is being read with your life's actions to rehash...would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash? ,

Posted 9:56 PM by Bonnie

WHEN I’M AN OLD LADY….. by Joanne Baxter

When I’m an old lady, I’ll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness – just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they provided,
Oh, they’ll e so excited
(When I’m an old lady and live with my kids…)

I’ll write on the wall with red, whites and bluesk
And I’ll bounce on the furniture – wearing my shoes.
I’ll drink from the carton and leave it out,
I’ll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they’ll shout!
(When I’m and old lady and live with my kids…)

When they’re on the phone and just out of reach,
I’ll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they’ll snap their fingers and shake their head,
And when that is done, I’ll hide under the bed!
(When I’m an old lady and live with my kids…)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I’ll not eat my green beans or salad or meat,
I’ll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry, I’ll run-if I’m able!
(When I’m and old lady and live with my kids…)

I’ll sit close to the TV, through channels I’ll click,
I’ll cross both my eyes to see if they stick.
I’ll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud ‘til the end of the day!
(When I’m an old lady and live with my kids…)

And later in bed, I’ll like back and sigh,
I’ll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan, “She so sweet when she’s sleeping!”