Football Season in Full Swing

With football season well underway, and my football chick shirt available every Sunday (all day) and for Monday Night Football, I found this year my loyalties changed. For many years I have strongly supported certain teams. Not just because they were winning, but because I liked certain players or the coach, lived in the area during that season and supported the local team (Lions, Redskins, Cowboys, Cardinals - I've moved around a bit).

But this year, back in Michigan but not fully loving the Lions just yet, my heart moved towards Minneapolis. For one thing, it's not that far away from Michigan. But really, for some reason, I have taken a liking to Brett Favre for some reason. Not sure why, but there it is.

The other team I am keen on is the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to returning to Michigan in 2006, I lived in Arizona. Although I live in this sometimes freezing cold Northern state, my heart is still in the Southwest. I am so excited that Arizona is playing as well as they are. The win last Sunday was a highlight of this season.

I love fall! Not only for the beautiful fall colors as the leaves change and the great holidays that are associated with this time of year, but for the football games and camaraderie that comes with watching games with or at the same time as other family members no matter where we live. Numerous phone calls are sometimes exchanged when games and rivalries are getting hot.

Football season still has a couple of months to go, and of course the Super Bowl is the culmination of the season, but the week to week frenzy is a joy and continues on for a while longer. I am definitely looking forward to this next Sunday and will avidly follow my favorite teams.

How about you? Who is your favorite team or player? If you don't like football, what are you doing instead?

Fall Is On It's Way

It's that time of year again. This is Labor Day Weekend, every one's last chance to spend quality time at their cabin up north, and hours trying to navigate through the traffic compliments of their fellow travelers.

How do I really know that fall is on it's way? Here are the signs:

1. The temperatures in mid-Michigan are beginning to hang in the 70's nearly every day.
2. The Lions and Tigers are overlapping.
3. Michigan State football fills the pages of the Lansing State Journal, with extra sections detailing who the players are and how MSU will go about earning a winning season.
4. Local high school football also fills the pages of the State Journal and local papers.
5. Not to mention all the sports news on the various local TV stations.
6. Coaches Mark Dantanio and Rich Rodriguez (MSU and U of M, respectively) fill the airwaves and print.
7. Rich Rodriguez is again in some kind of trouble, somewhere.
8. The neighborhood has emptied out now that the kids are back in school.
9. The big orange school bus goes rumbling by, much to fast for our small side street.
10. The local athletic students, male and female, run in packs or alone up and down our streets.
11. Farmers Markets are closing down.
12. Ads for holiday goods are increasing.
13. Organizations are starting their monthly meetings once again.
14. Local Swiss steak dinners, spaghetti dinners, chicken dinners, and pancake breakfasts are once again in action.
15. Politicians are robocalling.
16. Fall is in the air. In some areas the leaves are beginning to change, already!
17. Ox-roasts and beer fests are on the agenda for September and October.
18. Summer music festivals are events of the past.
19. Networks are not only announcing their fall schedule, but viewers are inundated with promos.
20. David is coming from SE Texas to visit his Grandma this month.

All in all, it should be an interesting Fall. As the leaves change and the temperature drops, the air is filled with the promise of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The stores begin to fill up with shoppers, and the world seems to pick up its pace once again.

I hope all of you have a great Fall and your favorite sports team wins! Let the tailgating begin!

How to Waste Time Online

There comes a time each day when one needs or wants to step away from their work for a time. The mind grows weary, the fingers seem to hit every key but the one you want, the brain waves refuse to cooperate.

Sometimes you just need to set aside a few moments, or even hours, to get your creative energy flowing again.

After you take a physical break, i.e., get away from the computer, grab your favorite beverage, walk around for a while, then come back to the computer and - procrastinate.

I probably know better than most anyone how to waste time on, and off (Freecell anyone?), the internet. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Visit various network or cable network sites and read about the actors or actresses. If they have a forum, all the better.


• Sign-up for newsletters on any topic. Have the newsletter sent to your main email account and really clog it up. You can spend hours reading newsletters.


• RSS to your Google Reader or any other reader you would like so that you can get the latest blog post from your favorite websites.


• Endlessly read the latest news. With new headlines popping up all day long, you will never run out of ways to waste time and gain knowledge at the same time.


• Leave comments on the articles that you read. Many times you can leave an anonymous comment and speak your mind with abandon.


• Visit any forum that interests you. I've signed up for more than I can even remember, and every once in a while I check out one I haven't visited lately.


• Work online crossword puzzles and other games.


• Check out Yahoo! Answers and have a blast responding to the numerous questions. I can't even tell you how much time I spent one night on a thread that discussed baby names and asked for suggestions. What fun!


• Read free online books from DailyLit. I love the classics.


• Visit YouTube. One of my favorites. One day I caught up with a whole bunch of Y&R clips. Katherine looks better at 80 than she did 20 years ago. And, there are the great videos like the dancing prisoners, my son-in-laws fishing trip, and all kinds of other ways to waste a couple of hours.


• Keep an eye on all the entertainment sites such as TMZ, Perez Hilton, E! Online. They update all day long so there is always new information coming along that you just wouldn't be able to live without knowing. Right?


• Create as many Squidoo lens and HubPages as possible. Well, that might not be such a waste as you can earn some money, but if you pick enough crazy topics you will actually have fun and make money too.


• Go to photo sites like Fotosearch and Flickr, and have a blast looking at all the crazy and cool pictures people take. Wikimedia has some great photos as well, and I subscribed to their photo of the day so that I can see the best images they offer. I especially am enthralled with the closeup photos of insects. Fascinating.

As you check out the list above, I wanted to share one that I saw quite some time ago, then forgot about. I'm shocked that I haven't returned to the site because it is one of the all time best time wasters.

Remember bubble wrap?

Remember when you were a kid and your mom let you pop the bubble wrap? Maybe you even pop it now. The all time time-waster website has to be the bubble wrap popper site. Click on the link and you can spend hours popping bubble wrap to your hearts content.

I'm sure you can think up lots more ways to waste time online, but this list will get you started.

Women Under Pressure - Sotomayor and Palin

News in recent months highlights the pressure women are under when involved in politics, and how being in the spotlight can affect their personal and public life.

This past week I watched portions of the grueling questioning of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. I was very impressed with the way Judge Sotomayor conducted herself under extreme pressure.

The white male establishment did their best to undermine and derail Sotomayor's obvious march to become the first Latina and third woman on the Supreme Court.

It was interesting to watch as the older white men (OWM) struggled to find any nugget that they could grab onto (much like a dog grabs a bone or piece of meat and hangs on for dear life) in order to see how many ways they could ask the same question.

It appeared to me that some of those OWMs are afraid of the Judge, specifically replacing a man (Souter) with a woman. OMG, what will the world come to if there is another woman on the highest court in the land? And a Latina, at that!

What cracked me up was that they clung to a phrase uttered in 2001, and they worried that her ethnic background might somehow play a role in her decisions.

Well, what part does being an older white male play in their decisions?

No matter where one is in life, the longer they live the more their background, ethnicity, and gender is going to play a role in the decisions they make. Come on guys, you know that. Isn't that why you were so worried? Are you afraid she won't play by your rules?

Good! We need another voice on the Court. We need someone who might have a different view of life and the law than an OWM. We need change and we need it now.

Here's hoping that Judge Sotomayor's advancement to the Supreme Court goes as quickly, and more smoothly, as the hearings this week. Congratulations for a job well done.

As for Sarah Palin...

Many will not agree with her decision to step down as Governor of Alaska, or the way Sarah Palin quit mid-term, but there is a valid reason why she did what she did that most men will not understand.

First of all, the so-called joke by David Letterman was too horrendous for words. That the 62-year-old male (Letterman) never did get that joking about a 33-year-old baseball player (Rodriguez) having inappropriate sex with a teenager (whether Bristol or Willow) is sick and disgusting shows how out of touch Letterman is with decency and good taste.

His half-baked so-called apology proves he is clueless when it comes to the lack of appropriateness of sick sexual jokes about female teenagers.

Secondly, Palin said in her announcement about stepping down from the Governorship that adults had been making inappropriate remarks about her young son who has Downs Syndrome. Inexplicable!

No wonder the mother of five was tired of the spotlight! What kind of society do we live in where senior-citizen talk show hosts and other adults can blast a public figures family and think their behavior is funny or appropriate?

No wonder this mother of five who loves her family decided to leave the spotlight for a time.

Those of us who have a sensitivity for how loving mothers, teenagers, and those who are handicapped should be treated, understand Governor Palin's desire to step out of the public eye for a season and concentrate on her family.

The David Letterman's of this world should be ashamed of their behavior. Unfortunately, he still doesn't "get it" and probably never will.

Review: Historical Twitter

Going by the premise that Twitter did not begin in 2006 as believed, but has actually been around for centuries, Historical Twitter shares what tweets might have come across the airwaves in the past.

The site was started in October 2008, and you should start reading from the beginning so as not to miss anything. Although some people may find a few of the tweets inappropriate, the posts are hilarious!

Historical Tweet examples

For example, if Abraham Lincoln had Twittered it might have read like this:

"Anyone got a more creative way of saying '87 years'?"

Or, Anne Boleyn to Henry the VIII:

"Sorry I lost my head the other night."

Most historical tweets are accompanied by related photos, that are often themselves very entertaining.

Not only does the site allow you to read the alleged historical tweets, but you can submit your own examples.

Twitter defined

For those who don't know, according to the definition in Wikipedia, "Twitter is a free social networking...service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters."

Check out this great site, and leave a tweet or two of your own.

Do you have a favorite humorous site you would like to share? Just let us know.

Spring Arrives in Full Force

I am pleasantly surprised at how green our lawn is this early in the year. When the snow melted, the grass was already green over three-quarters of our yard. The recent rains contributed to a thick growth of green grass that spreads like a soft comfy carpet over our lawn.

As I write this post, it is 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, the birds have awakened and are singing their morning song, and I, with a cup of coffee at hand, am doing what I love - writing and enjoying the quiet early morning atmosphere.

This Sunday, midway between Mother's Day and Memorial Day weekend, spend time, if you will, appreciating the beautiful Spring weather with it's accompanying promise of new beginnings, fresh starts, and warm and glorious sunny days ahead. I know I will!


Note: The picture above is not from our yard. I just enjoy the colors of this beautiful flower and its leaves.

MSU Rolled Over UConn - 82-73

The MSU basketball team rocked the Motor City last night as the Spartans whipped UConn 82-73! The Izzone was alive and well at Ford Field Saturday night.

Not a long post today - but you can read the story on the Spartans official site.

Here is a link to Coach Tom Izzo's website - CoachIzzo.com

Detroit needed good news and they got it Saturday night. Congrats to all who played a part.

Now, on to Monday night's final against North Carolina! Best of luck to the MSU Spartans!

Rainy Days and Sundays Always Bring Me....

Although I work from home, there still seems to be something special about early Sunday mornings. With a cup of coffee at hand and the computer warmed up and ready to cruise, I feel like I am this close to heaven.

What saddens me today is that I have not posted on this site in over a month. This is the favorite of my blogs - the one I truly enjoy posting. The other blogs I maintain seem more like a job, whereas this one is a fun, anything-goes kinda place to let loose and express myself.

This Sunday morning I'd like to share some good things that are happening in my realm:

Rain Can Be a Good Thing

Today, as I look out at the cloudy skies and light rain, I am so glad that we have our current weather. For some reason we have a lot of green grass after a very heavy snow-filled winter. This rain will help our grass grow and thrive. I feel for those who are battling the floods in Fargo, ND and the blizzards in the central plains area. The snow is heading towards my sister and brother, but hopefully it will settle down before it reaches us.

NetFlix is Cool

My daughter, Deb, really impressed upon me the benefits of NetFlix and how much enjoyment I could get from the variety of movies and TV shows they have available.

When the British TV show Midsomer Murders were showing on A&E, I could hardly wait for Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening to watch these magnificent mysteries staring John Nettles.

Unfortunately, A&E stopped showing all the good shows: Midsomer Murders, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and many more. I miss them all!

Now, thanks Deb!, I get to see all the Midsomer Murder shows. A&E only showed a very few, and then repeats. There are now more than sixty original shows completed, and with the recent announcement of John Nettles retirement (he is now 65 after all), there will not be very many more.

However, I have a list of the first 59 and have my NetFlix choices in order by episode so that I receive the shows as originally shown. So far I have watched eight. I will happily continue on with my very favorite movie pastime for quite some time.

I would also like to see if John Nettles' original very successful series, Bergerac, is available. I believe there are ten years worth of that British hit detective show. Can you see that I am a John Nettles fan?

Big Sunday Breakfast

Every morning I start off with a cup or two of coffee before eating a light breakfast. Why is it that I always feel the need for a large Sunday morning breakfast? Does that stem from my childhood? Or from going out to eat on many a Sunday morning over the years? Anyway, it is a pleasure that continues to this day.

Sunday Morning Country Music

Every Saturday and Sunday morning I listen/watch CMT's Top Twenty videos and Country Insider shows. Prior to those shows coming on, CMT plays about four hours of country videos. My recent favorite song/singer/video, Troubadour by George Strait has been replaced by Carrie Underwood's I Told You So.

I love where singer/song writer Randy Travis surprises Carrie by coming onstage from the back following her singing his song at the Grand Old Opry. It's a great moment of a young singer surprised onstage by an idol of hers.

Rainy days and Sundays have a special feel to them. Rainy days for staying in doors, reading, watching TV, napping, baking cookies, or whatever else we feel like doing at the time. Sundays have their own special laid-back vibe.

How about you? What are your favorite rainy day and Sunday moments?

A True Sign of Spring

Since my late 30's (sounds so long ago, doesn't it?), I have worn my hair fairly short. Imagine my surprise that for the last number of months I have been wearing an increasingly long ponytail. I told my daughter and sister I was finally in style.

There were several reasons for the longer hair. One was the pictures taken when my older daughter and her family visited over New Years 2008. Granted, I also had the flu while they were here, but my pictures were terrible - I blamed it on the short hair. Several weeks later my hairdresser trimmed my hair, and that was it.

The next time I got my haircut was yesterday. Let me explain.

About the time I was thinking about getting my hair trimmed last year, I found out my hairdresser was going through a terrible medical crisis. I thought about going somewhere else, but since I work at home and don't have a great need of looking tip-top at all times, I let it go - er grow.

Short Beginnings

First, I had a little tiny ponytail that actually resembled a little pig tail sticking out the back of my head. But then, wow, it kept getting longer. My hair is thick and grows fast, so before I knew it, I actually had a real ponytail. My hair ended up reaching below my shoulder blades.

Yesterday, my daughter's youngest sister came over to cut her hair. Deb kept asking me if I wanted mine cut too and I finally gave in to a short trim. When Sarah asked how much I wanted trimmed, I said just a half-inch or so.

Well, we were talking about vitamin D and how it helps with SAD with which I have struggled. Suddenly, the weight of my hair was pressing down on me and the girls were questioning did I really want it long. I decided to get it cut short.

Sarah gently asked, "So, how much do you want cut off?"

I said, "All of it!"

Questioning my sanity, we went through the question and answer period several times with my daughter, Deb, chiming in that she thought my decision would make a big difference in how I felt. As Sarah cut away all that long thick hair, my eyes started to well up in tears. Next thing I knew, tears were rolling down my cheeks.

Happy Endings

By the time everything was said and done, I had hair shorter than I have had in a very long time. However, Sarah did such a great job that it looks good on me and I feel a ton lighter. I feel like a heavy load was lifted off my shoulders.

Today I keep reaching back to tighten the ponytail or just run my fingers through my hair, and alas, there isn't any there. But it sure feels good. I have absolutely no regrets in getting all that heavy hair cut off.

I also realized this morning that, until last year, getting my hair cut short was always the first sign of spring.

Watch out, winter, your days are numbered!

What is your first sign of spring? Do you have a spring ritual in preparation of the big occasion? It is just us northeners who notice spring this much?

For a short, cute, related story from yesterday's haircutting session, check out this link.

I'm Dreaming of a White Valentine's Day

Oops! It's no dream. After several days of melting snow and increasingly visible grass, we now wake up to a white Valentine's Day. In fact, it is currently snowing as I write this post. By the looks of the sky, we may be in for quite a snowfall.

I hope everyone out there has a great Valentine's Day. I have already emailed my sibs and kids to wish them a happy day, and Dad and I have exchanged our Valentine's Day greetings. Now we can all go out and make snow angels, or not!