Posted 10:41 AM by Bonnie

It's Thursday! Yes, I know it's Christmas but we still had a weigh in for TOPS this morning, for any brave souls wanting to weigh in over the holidays. I braved the cold and... okay, it was a bit brisk but not that cold :-)... but I went and weighed in and lo and behold! I managed to lose another pound this week. I was very happy to see that as I haven't been as good this week. Only 69.5 pounds to go!

Posted 10:35 AM by Bonnie

Merry Christmas: Happy Holidays to everyone and I hope yours has been as special as ours has been. We live in a small town and the people at the post office and those who deliver our mail have come to know me. Our postman knew I was waiting for the pkg. from CT because my sister was sending me home made cookies. I don't bake so this was a very special package so we would have some Christmas cookies. When the mailman brought the pkg. to the door yesterday he had a big grin and said Merry Christmas as he handed me the pkg. from CT. It wasn't until we opened it we realized how very special this pkg. was. Not only did Victoria send a nice assortment of very good cookies, but awhile back I had mentioned I had not had time to read the two latest Harry Potter books, so what did she do? She copied her CD's onto tape for me because I listen to books on tape at night before going to bed. But it didn't stop there! She had also made a beautiful calander with pictures of us as we were growing up and pictures of our parents when they were young. We received a lot of other gifts from friends and family, but this one box stood out among the rest as the most special and precious gifts received this year. Thank you again, Victoria, this package really made our Christmas.

Posted 5:17 PM by Bonnie

COUNTRY WISDOM:

Don't name a pig you plan to eat.

Country fences need to be horse high, pig tight, and bull strong.

Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

Keep skunks and lawyers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stumps.

A bumble bee is faster than a John Deere tractor.

Trouble with a milk cow is she won't stay milked.

Don't skinny dip with snapping turtles.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.

Meanness don't happen overnight.

To know how country folks are doing, look at their barns, not their houses.

Never lay an angry hand on a kid or an animal, it just ain't helpful.

Teachers, Moms, and hoot owls sleep with one eye open.

Forgive your enemies. It messes with their heads.

Don't sell your mule to buy a plow.

Two can live as cheap as one if one don't eat.

Don't corner something meaner than you.

You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, assuming you want to catch flies.

Man is the only critter who feels the need to label things as flowers or weeds.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

Don't go huntin' with a fellow named Chug-A-Lug.

You can't unsay a cruel thing.

Every path has some puddles.

Don't wrestle with pigs: You'll get all muddy and the pigs will love it.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about never happens.

The Ten Commandments display was removed from the Alabama Supreme Court building. There was a good reason for the move. You can't post Thou Shalt Not Steal, Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery and Thou Shall Not Lie in a building full of lawyers and Politicians without creating a hostile work environment.

Posted 3:15 PM by Bonnie

What Zephyr thinks about the current political condition: I don't usually write a lot about politics for a couple reasons. There are a lot of other blogs and sites out there who can say it better than me and I am not as politically savvy as most so my views can be a bit blurry at times. But the election in 2004 has me concerned and I have been paying more and more attention. Subversity posted a great missive and it made me think very hard about the type of campaign the democrats have been running. He is right. there is too much bad mouthing each other and not enough about what they will do to get Bush out of office and give America back to the people again. While I would prefer to see Dennis Kucinich on the ticket, I feel America is not ready for him and unfortunately he would not win. But Subversity's idea of the Dean/Clark ticket and getting together on the issues and running together NOW instead of killing each other with words would be the strongest statement for the Democratic party. We need to win and we won't win by dividing forces. Together we stand, divided we fall. American can't afford to have the democratic party fall again.

Posted 4:42 PM by Bonnie

TMJ is a pain in the ..... jaw!! Every once in awhile I get this stupid condition called TMJ. It hurts like hell and you can't eat anything that needs chewing and talking is out of the question. Today I felt a bit better so started cleaning and just the moving around made the pain worse. I can't do much of anything until it goes away and the only treatment is aspirin and diazepan (valium). Thank goodness I have plenty of both. At least my husband has enjoyed a quiet weekend and the cats are getting away with more without me yelling at them. It just hurts too much. But, just wait... in a few days I will be back to my old self again!!

Posted 6:44 PM by Bonnie

It's Thursday and if it's Thursday that means it's TOPS day and weigh in day. Today we had our Christmas party, but we still weighed in and I lost.... 2 lbs.!! Yep, another two pounds gone and only 70.5 more to go. I figure if I lose 1.5 pounds a week I can lose it by the end of next year, so that is the goal I am setting for myself. Now that my car is paid off I am going to join the Y and start working out there a few days a week. This is more exciting than I would have thought, but it's starting to show and people are noticing, so I can't stop now!

Posted 2:19 PM by Bonnie

Mr. Fuzz is home! We got our Mr. Fuzz back today. The vet said it ws not a urinary tract infection, as that tested negative, so they aren't sure what type of infection he had, but he is better and home and regaining his status as the alpha male cat. Ginger is the alpha female of the bunch and while he was gone she started sitting in his favorite spots. Not sure if she was saving his spots for him as the alpha male or if she was planning a take over. Anyway, he is back and the pecking order has been re-establshed.

Posted 4:38 PM by Bonnie

Mr Fuzz update: Well, he had to stay the night at the vets, and when I called back this morning I was told his temperature is down and he ate a few bites of food, but not enough and he still hasn't used the litter box so he has to stay the weekend. Since they closed at noon today and aren't open tomorrow I won't have any more updates until Monday morning. It's funny, but even with the other five cats it seems a bit empty around here without him.

Posted 12:12 PM by Bonnie

Poor Mr. Fuzz!! When I got up this morning to feed the cats, the one who is most vocal and demanding was not present. I went looking for him and found him on a chair in the living room. He was not very responsive. So, I packed him up and headed to the vets when they opened. They checked him and he is running a fever and was still not very responsive. They think he may have developed an infection and have him on fluids and antibiotics to see if he responds. I call back at 4 PM to see what's up. Poor Mr. Fuzz!!

Posted 2:53 PM by Bonnie

TOPS update... as of today's meeting I have lost another pound... one by one they are coming off... I rode my darn stationary bike so much last week I would have thought I would have been down more... Do you think that peppermint ice cream might have had something to do with it? Anyway... I am ... let me do the math to get the right figures up here... I keep saying 70 pounds from my goal, but it is actually 72.5 pounds to go, but I know now it is doable. Having reached that first 20 lb. mark made me realize I really am losing the weight and I can do this if I just stick with it... back to the bike!

Posted 2:50 PM by Bonnie

Took Mr. Fuzz in for his asthma shot and asked about something to clean up Smelly Cat and lo and behold there is a waterless shampoo for cleaning up soiling accidents! Who would have thought! Anyway, I am going to try it on him as soon as I find him... I know just follow my nose.

Posted 8:34 AM by Bonnie

We have a beautiful gray Persian cat. He doesn't like getting brushed, which is not good, since with such long hair he mats easily. But now we have a new problem. The other day he coughed up a hairball and in the process he also let go out the other end and now his other end is covered in poop! Last night I stuck him in the sink and washed as much off as I could before he bit his way out and yet he still smells!! So today, after TOPS and the post office and running Mr. Fuzz to the vet for yet another asthma shot, I must stick the poor cat back in the sink for another bath... Now, I never cared for the tv show friends, but there was one episode people who new me told me I had to watch and I caught it on a rerun. In this episode, the character Phoebe who cannot sing or play guitar is playing for a group of children and she has a song she wrote about a cat who lived in the alley and for some reason this song just keeps popping into my mind these days.

Pheobe Lyrics - Smelly Cat

Chorus:
Smelly Cat, Smelly cat what are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, smelly cat it's not your fault...
They won't take you to the vet.
You're obviously not their favorite pet.
You may not be a bed of roses,
And you're no friend to those with noses.
Smelly cat, smelly cat what are they feeding you?
Smelly cat, smelly cat it's not your fault!

Posted 7:19 PM by Bonnie

What Christmas means to me….

During this Christmas holiday there will be a lot of gift giving and receiving, so I am taking this time to write about the greatest gifts in my life.

My husband, Keith, whom I should have married back in the ‘70’s but due to hap and circumstance we parted ways and thought we had lost each other forever. We found each other again, thanks to the internet, in our fifties and have been together for over two years now and married one year last May. I enjoy our serious discussions about life and death, religion, politics, and love the fact that even though we often differ in our ideas, our discussions remain lively and fun and never get nasty. I am grateful he is able to enjoy my silliness and even get silly himself at times. I love the fact he makes up songs about me and has one for each of our six cats that he sings while he showers in the morning. What could be better than the gift of love.

My parents who tried hard to raise me in spite of myself. My fathers gift to me was an appreciation of art and of my mind. He taught us to exercise our minds by adding columns of numbers in our head. No calculator for us! My mother gave me the gift of words and the love of reading. When my father wanted me to remain safe and keep my feet planted firmly on the ground, my mother gave me wings to fly.

My sisters, who love me unconditionally. My older sister, Linda, has given so much of herself and time to me. When I wanted to get back north this summer to attend Victoria’s 50th birthday party, Linda and her husband Paul drove all the way to SC to get me and then to CT so we could all be there. Who could ask for a more selfless love.

My sister Victoria who has encouraged my writing and praises while giving hints of how to make my poetry and stories just a little better. She never says she is right, but gives me the idea and the freedom to use the ideas or not. Victoria has helped me with this blog on numerous occasion never making me feel I was stupid for not knowing how do it myself. She just did it. She has a gift of poetry and art she shares willingly. What better gift could one need than to have someone, who in sharing their own gift, makes your attempts better.

My brothers, who I rarely see, but love me. Vinny, who gets mad at me for leaving Erie, but at the same time is happy I have found love and tells me how good I look when he sees me and encourages me to keep working on losing weight. Joe, who always has a place for me if I need it and when we are together, it is as if no time has past. We are comfortable as brother and sister and know even though we are miles apart, we will always be there for each other. What a wonderful gift to be so close even when we are so far apart physically.

I am happy my brother Michael has found work, here in Sumter, and he and his wife have moved close by. Michael, or Mickey, to us is a half brother, but we are so much alike it is as if we were raised together. We have the same strange sense of humor and the ability to not just tease but to take teasing ourselves. We have fun and make each other laugh. What a great gift there is in laughter.

Among my greatest gifts I count my friends. I have few real friends, and one is my dearest friend of forty years. Rick Foster gave me the gift of music. He put my first guitar in my hands and taught me to play. He put my first microphone in front of my face and encouraged me to sing. He gave me much more than he will ever realize and while we have been together and miles apart, we will always share a special love.

I am grateful for the gift of his wife, Naomi, who takes care of my friend and loves him in a very special way. For this she has my undying gratitude and friendship.

I am grateful for my friend, Kimberlee, in VT who writes me every Halloween because that is my special holiday and she always thinks most about me then. What a wonderful gift to have someone, who not having seen me in years, still remembers how I love that day and still thinks about me and all the fun her children had with me in VT.

I am grateful for the new friends I have made here, in my TOPS group, and while I can’t name them due to the privacy pledge we have, they know who they are. They have encouraged me week after week and even when I had a gain would tell me not to worry I would do better next week. They call me to make sure I’m staying on track and get me out walking even when I don’t feel like it J. One in particular, who once told me when I used watching a video as an excuse… Bonnie that vcr has a pause and start button, now put on your shoes and meet me at the park. I did J.

These are my special gifts. My family and friends. To borrow a line from an Amy Grant song, Heirlooms, my friends and my family are more than heirlooms to me. Happy Holidays and to each of you – thank you for being you.

Posted 4:21 PM by Bonnie

audio post powered by audblog

Posted 2:41 PM by Bonnie

This is funny with a very serious message.... A different take on a Christmas song.

Posted 2:12 PM by Bonnie

Well, I've finished most of my Christmas shopping. Just have a couple more, but those are for people here, but since most of my packages have to be shipped off elsewhere I have to shop early to mail on time. I sent off two packages yesterday and three more today and still have a trunk full to get moving. When I found a sale on twin blankets ($3.88) it seemed like such a good deal and a great idea for all the great nieces and nephews... and it was... until it came time to pack them and mail them off and find a relative willing to accept the packages :-). My sister's ex-husband, grandfather of all the little darlings said I could send them to his place, since all the kids gather there on Christmas. So, today I sent the boxes off via UPS. Now, I once worked in customer service for UPS and I can tell some great stories :-). Monday I will mail off my parents packages and then my siblings in Erie. The one going to CT was mailed already. It is hard to get in the Christmas spirit here. Even though it gets cold there is no snow. There is no feeling of Christmas. It's just any other month around here except for the displays in the stores and malls. I put up a little Christmas village complete with train and firestation for my husband, I have a wreath with santa on a swing sitting in it on my door and other decorations on my walls... I have been wrapping like a mad person and still I don't feel like it's getting on to Christmas. Someone please send me some snow!!!!!!

Well, this is calling for a Joni Mithell song so here it is...

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
But it don't snow here
It stays pretty green
I'm going to make a lot of money
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry

He tried hard to help me
You know, he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I'm so hard to handle
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I made my baby say goodbye

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on

Posted 2:02 PM by Bonnie

Anyone who has read my blog knows I have been working on getting healthy and taking off the extra pounds that sneakily piled up on me over the years. Well, as of today, with a 2.5 pound loss over the thanksgiving holiday! I have lost my first 20 lbs. To be exact it is 20.5 pounds. I still have 70 more to go to goal, but this is a big mile stone for me, so I wanted to share the good news. Now if I can just keep it up over the Christmas holidays :-). I know I can do it!!!