Happy Hour Chatter

Peace within your heart Love from family and friends Faith to guide your way Hope to to make it through each day Sunshine to light the day Heavenly Stars to wish upon Rainbows to to let you know there is a tomorrow A tear to show compassion A heart to hold the love But most of all I wish for you to feel my hand in yours, To know I am here if you stumble or fall. To bring you cheer, to bring you love, to return the love you always share with me. Author Unknown

Holy Cow!!  I'm sitting here in my warm toasting house darn glad that I'm not out in this howling wind.  It's got to be gusting over 50 mph out there right now!!  I'm hoping that everyone is safe and sound at home, snuggled in, watching movies and drinking hot chocolate (with a little something something added in, know what I mean?!). How the heck is everyone doing?  It's been sooo long since my last post.  When I took the last two weeks off from teaching yoga, it seems I took it off from everything - including my blogs! My bad!  I've been busy as all get out - not sure doing what, but I've been busy!!  :-) Christmas was different for me this year.  It took me a long time to get in to the spirit of things; I'm not entirely sure why.  It really didn't find my heart to Christmas Eve day. When it did find my heart though, it filled it with warmth and love.   As is tradition, we spent Christmas Eve with my sister Peggy and he...

I’ve pretty much had enough of it already! These days I’m bundled up in three layers of clothes just so I can stay warm!  It takes me 15 minutes to pile everything on just to head out the door so I can ride in a cold vehicle.  I know I can use my astro start and warm it up, but have you seen the price of gas lately?  Nope! I’ll pile on another layer of clothing, thank you very much.  I already walk like a stick man…what’s another layer! ! Oh, and while were driving in a cold vehicle, we might as well mention that the snow on my roads gives a whole new meaning to “four wheelin!”  Cripes!!  I lock it in, put the pedal to the metal and hope to hell I make it through and don’t get stuck! My skin! I’m not EVEN going to mention what the cold weather is doing for my skin!  I own stock in Jergens lotion company right now.  I swear I go through a family size bottle every week!  My hubs won...

…since my last blog post?!!  Scary!!!  Have I been THAT busy?!  I guess the obvious answer to that is “yes!”  For the most part, life has been good.  Oh sure, there have been minor ups and downs, but in the grand scheme of things it’s all been good. So what I have I been doing?  Good question!  It’s hard to remember back a month.  I  guess the safest answer would be yoga, yoga and more yoga.  I finished up my Saturday yoga classes at Tia Tanning and Well Being on November 13 th .  I miss them, but I have to say that I enjoy having my Saturdays off from yoga to enjoy housecleaning.  (Ok!  Who said that?!).  J   Seriously, although my house isn’t super clean (and probably never will), it has been nice to have the extra time on the weekend to do a few things.   Thanksgiving came and went so darn fast I hardly had time to enjoy the pumpkin pie.  I did the obl...

I was standing in line to check out at Stop-N-Go yesterday.  A construction worker was standing off to the side.  I ask, “are you waiting in line?”  He says, “no I’m in no hurry.  Actually I’m looking at your sandals  Nice.  Nice toenail polish too!” I say, “Thanks…. I’ve actually gotten a few compliments on them today” (which I had, from two different officers – male, I might add.) He says, “yeah, you should’ve….they’re nice.   If you can get away with wearing strappies like that, go for it.”   Okayyyyy????  (chuckle) Never thought guys would notice shoes, let alone the color of my toe nail polish…  but oh well!  Kinda made my day, in a creepy kind of way!  (hahahaha)            

This found its way in to my mailbox over the weekend.  I couldn’t agree more with the words, so thought I’d share it with all of you as well.  Perhaps you’ve seen it, perhaps not.  Either way, it’s a wonderful read and definitely so true.  We, as sisters, need each other each and every day.  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*******~*~*~*~*~**~~~~~~~~*~*~*~*~**************~*~*~*~*~*************~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   A  young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.     " Don't forget your Sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love you...

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!      

The sun!!  It’s absolutely beautfiul to see the sun so bright in the sky.  I’ll take this over snowy, cold, gloomy days anytime!  Those types of days are just around the corner (brrrr!). I always have good intentions of posting on my blogs every night….but by the time I get home, eat supper, clear the table, do the dishes, and yada-yada-yada….I’m just plain exhausted!   (And NO!  I am NOT getting older!!) So how the heck are you all doing??  Been feeling well?  Been starting to think about Christmas shopping?   Ya, I know!!  It’s not that far away, is it?!  It really hit home for me when I went in to a retail store and they were sporting Christmas decorations already.   For chrissakes, it wasn’t even Halloween yet?!  Oooooo…did you all get a lot of trick or treaters??!   We didn’t!  I bought a mountain of candy – why I don’t ...

Last Sunday, while working on the computer, I heard a crash, a loud bang then the pitter patter of feet coming from the basement.  As time went on, I heard rustling in the furnace vent work.   I KNEW no one had broken in the house (certainly no one small enough to be in the vent work).  Boris (the cat)was sitting on my lap, so what ever could it be? Only one answer…..a SQUIRREL!!  I promptly dialed hubster on his cell phone and relayed the bad news.   Of course, he was busy in the field and couldn’t  (wouldn’t) come home to save lil ole me from the big bad squirrel (which sounded like a freakin heard of elephants on the rampage, I might add!).   Nope, he waits until sundown to come home and declare war on the critter.  ( showdown at sundown! How Ironic! ) Anywho, he gathers up the gun, loads himself down with ammo (that ammunition for you city folk!) and proclaims, “If I’m not back up in an ho...

ProArgi-9. Never heard of it, right? Me either, until a good friend (Brad) started talking to me about its health benefits to the cardiovascular system – heart and veins. What exactly is ProArgi-9? Good Question. ProArgi-9 contains L-arginine, which is a vital amino acid that plays a role in a number of physiological functions in the body, but is best known for its cardiovascular benefits. In the body, L-arginine is converted to nitric oxide, which relaxes the blood vessels and regulates blood vessel tone and flexibility. This, in turn, reduces stress on the heart, improves circulation, and lowers blood pressure. It also contains: Citrulline - The amino acid citrulline is metabolized to yield more l-arginine, which in turn provides additional nitric oxide. Citrulline helps to optimize blood flow throughout the body and promote healthy energy levels. Folic Acid, Vitamins B6 and B12 - These ingredients work together to naturally decrease homocysteine levels. Red wine ext...

So….two weeks ago…hubs says “you know, there is a stand on south main street selling big cabbages…you should pick one up to make pigs in a blanket, cuz the leaves will make good blankets.”  I’m like, “ok…yeah…that sounds really good!” Last week I stopped and picked one up….freakin huge!!  Thought “yeah..this will work out great!” and was all excited about it. Last night – after our supper of French toast and bacon, I commence to making pigs in a blanket.  (This is around 9pm!). I always cut around the core to loosen the leaves, then place cabbage in hot water to steam the leaves off and soften them up. Didn’t have a pan big enough.   Thought, “OK…I’ll just put a roaster full of water on the two front/back waters,  get the water nice and hot and put the cabbage in there…that should do the trick.” I got everything set up…...

Hello peeps!  It’s been a little while since I’ve posted something, so thought I’d better get to it.   Every once in a while I run across something on someone else’s blog and it kind of touches the heart.  I found this awhile ago and have meant to post it prior to this.  Today is kind of a blue day in my world (even though the sun is shining and its warm for October!), so it kind of touched me when I re-read it.  I hope you enjoy it. How To Make A Beautiful Life. – Author Unknown Love yourself. Make peace with who you are and where you are at this moment in time. Listen to your heart. If you can't hear what it's saying in this noisy world, MAKE TIME for yourself. Enjoy your own company. Let your mind wander among the stars. Try. Take chances. Make mistakes. Life can be messy and confusing at times, but it's also full of surprises. The next rock in your path might be a stepping-stone. Be happy. When you don't ...

I am not! I really realized it today when I was discussing the fact that my Android phone loses it's battery power so quickly while at work.  My friend, a "techie" says to me, "You need to get the AC adapter with the USB port on the end, then you can just plug it in to the USB port on your computer and let it charge all day." I was like, "Really?  I didn't know they made one like that."  He was like, "oh yeah, it works great."  So I'm like.."Kewl...I'll save a copy of this text (yes, I DO text!) and take it to my phone store and pick one up. As I'm sitting at my desk ruminating over the text conversation, it dawns on me that I have an AC adapter.  I go and get it...and imagine my surprise when I pulled off the end and discover....a USB port!  I texted him back and said, "don't laugh at me!  Promise??!!"  then shared my discovery with him. He was nice  (Thanks Brad!) and didn't laugh at me...(...

I don’t know how any of you feel, but here’s my thoughts:    it’s freakin cold outside!!   I’ve been snuggled up to my heater (that’s under my desk) all day long.   I’m even seriously considering buying some of those fashionable gloves with the fingers that can come off. (Remember, Madonna used to wear them?!)  Seriously!  I would even pay to have a hot flash right now!! J Supposedly the building has a state-or-the art heating and cooling system.  Right! I think they forgot the heating part because it’s 60 degrees in here 12 months out of the year!  If this is a prelude to what winter is going to feel like, I’m moving SOUTH!  Anyone have any good beachfront property they want to rent to me?  So, now that you’ve listened to me whine just a little bit… how the heck are you doing?? Me?  I’m doing good.  I’m listening to my favorite DJ on the radio (...

I hope everyone is having a Fabulous Friday!!  I can tell you this – I haven’t met a Friday yet that I haven’t liked!  J   Today I indulged in my “once in a while” guilty pleasure; a chocolate chip muffin!  Oh my gosh!  It was freshly baked and still warm.  Coupled with a piping hot cup of New England Blend Coffee, well let’s just say it was pure ambrosia!!  If truth be told, I only had ½ of the muffin as I didn’t want to sabotage my weight loss efforts too much.  Yes folks, you heard correctly.  Once more, I am watching my weight…go up, and up, and up.  ~L~  Seems that when I give myself permission to eat on special occasions (such as my birthday), I go for the gusto!   Indulge in caramel rolls, pizza – with extra cheese – Mike’s Hard Lemonade (several of them!) and I find myself up 4lbs on the scale.  I know, what WAS I thinking!!! So now I get to spend even MORE time at the gym than I normally have been and I...

Good Morning Peeps!!!  I hope all is sunshiny in your world, because it certainly isn’t outside! L If you haven’t visited my yoga blog in a while, you may want to do so today . http://www.betterlifethroughyoga.blogspot.com/    I posted some information regarding events happening on Friday night and Saturday morning.  What else is going on?  Not much.  Well, that isn’t entirely true.  I seem to be running at Mach1 speed these days.  I’m looking to downshift in to low gear any day now!  (lol).  That day may just be when the snow is on the ground and I don’t want to go out in the cold.   Now, you may be thinking…”How can she be looking forward to winter?”  I’m NOT…..I just need to slow it down a little bit so I have time to breathe.  When the weather is nice (relatively speaking) and the sun is shining, I feel the inexplicable need to be doing something!...

Good Morning Everyone.   At 11:48 am – 48 years I go – I entered this earth.  Today is my Birthday.   While I do not necessarily look forward to advancing my age number each year, I do look forward to the yearly celebration of my life.   This year has been no exception.  I’ve been blessed with wonderful family and friends who have truly made this day special once more by wishing me a Happy “Birth Day” through emails, text messages, Face book greetings, phone calls and hugs.  And – yes - even gently ribbing about my age. J  I’ve heard a song recently that pretty much describes me and outlook on my life.  I hope you enjoy the words and can envision me in them.   Sherry My Best Days are Ahead of Me – By Danny Gokey Blowing out the candles on another birthday cake Old enough to look back and laugh at my mistakes Young enough to look at the future and like what I see M...

Oh this is a riot!  I received this little gem in my mailbox and couldn’t resist sharing with all you blog stalkers out there.  Now, for those who know me (and know me well), you KNOW how much I love wine!!  (Haven’t met a bottle I haven’t liked yet!).  This tickled my funny bone!  A real man is a woman's best friend. He will never stand her up and never let her down. He will reassure her when she feels insecure and comfort her after a bad day. He will inspire her to do things she never thought  she could do; to live without fear and forget regret. He will enable her to express her deepest emotions and give in to her most intimate desires. He will make sure she always feels as though she's the most beautiful woman in the room and will enable her to be the most confident, sexy, seductive, and  invincible.....               ...

I needed to read this today.   Namaste`  J   Sherry   One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport . We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. J...

Seems like I barely had time to catch my breath let alone sit down and send/return emails or update blogs.  But that is alright; once the frost/snow hits (perish the thought!) things will slow down a little and I’ll have more time. The weekend in review: 1)       Staff Debriefing at The Buff.  Always a good time, for sure.  My good friend Becky and I were there but unfortunately we were the only ones that showed up.  No worries. As I was following her to her house to pick up some garden fresh zucchini, our good friend (and co-worker) Jerome was headed towards The Buff.    I returned to The Buff to have one more with him and catch up on what is going on in his life. It’s why we have these debriefings.  We work at the same facility but rarely get the time to chat and catch up with each other.  He’s sooo devoted to his granddaughter Taylor that his smile is beaming whenever he talks about her....

Yesiree…..I got my blue jeans on and I’m ready for the weekend…..bring it on!!  What’s on deck? Well, I’m off work today at noon (woooo hoooo!) and I’ve got an entire afternoon mapped out.  No appointments, just running errands like crazy.  A very good friend and co-worker is having an open house at her new apartment tonight at 7pm.  It’s kind of a “girls gone wine” theme, so I need to make sure that I pick out just the right bottle of wine to take to her house.  Should be a good time and I’m looking forward to it.   I won’t be staying super late though. I told hubster I’d be home by 8 or 8:30pm.  As we’ve been like two ships passing in the night lately, I need to be home to spend time with him. Thank goodness he’s an understanding and tolerant husband.  He keeps the reins loose, but one of these days he’s gonna reel me in!  (That’s not ...

  I’m feeling a little sleep deprived right now.  Yesterday was an extremely LONG day – even by my standards. I was up yesterday at 5:00 for work and didn’t hit my bed for sleep until 1:00 am this morning – and up again at 5:00am for work. Add to that waking up around 2:30 this morning due to the storm that blew through our area.  Four hours of sleep is not enough for me.   What was going on you ask?  Besides the normal day of work, I had yoga classes last night (rescheduled from my normal evening of Thursday – tonight- due to availability of The Bunker). I then made a quick trip to the grocery store for the “emergency list of items” my hubster said we couldn’t “live without”, you know….pop, ketchup, toilet paper, bread, and the most important…… chocolate! ~L~ Then up to the hospital to see my sister Peggy who had surgery yesterday. Nothing serious, though she will be...

Yes, I FINALLY have a weekend home and nothing, absolutely NOTHING planned.  Yeah!!    Now, I’d like to say that I’m being productive on the home front – you know, cleaning, cooking, baking, being Suzy-homemaker and all that jazz.  Yeah….not so much! ~L~ Nope, I’m enjoying the afternoon and roaming around the house looking at all the projects that I should be tackling, then promptly sitting down at the computer to play on FB, download music, update blogs, or even search for new and interesting books to read for the winter days ahead.   Productive –schmuctive! ~L~  (That’s a new word!  You heard it here first!) I’ve been living life with both guns blazing recently.  Do not get me wrong, I’m enjoying the hell out of it.  But every once in a while, a person needs a little downtime to rejuvenate the body and the spirit and prepare oneself for the days ahead.  I have been cooking hubster some meals this weekend.  Trust me...

Ok….  Maybe not here, but in my sunshiny world, I’m thinking I’m sitting on a beach somewhere looking at nothing but blue skies and palm trees!    Oh, how I wish! ~L~ This week has been an absolutely great week!  It kind of makes up from the week from hell last week.  It’s actually quite funny how things work out.  We need to have those rough weeks to make us appreciate the good ones that come along.   So what is going on in my world this morning?   Not a darn thing…. ~L~ I absolutely LOVE Thursdays!!  Why? you ask….   Well, it’s like this.   It’s the prelude to the weekend.   Peeps are gearing up for the R & R of the weekend.  They’re finishing up classes, work obligations, clearing their calendars of everything except all of the fun that they are going to have over the weekend.  Myself, I FINALLY have a weekend where I...

This summer has been a wild ride! Goodness gracious! It seems like everything is always falling on the same weekend. There are many Saturdays where I have 3 or 4 things going on at the same time. Unfortunately I cannot attend everything, but I give it the good ole try! Every weekend of July was pretty much packed with events. I enjoyed each and every one of them too. Never let it be said that this girl didn’t have her heart in anything. Nope. I jumped in with both feet and partied like I was a rockstar wannabee! See, my thoughts are this…. Life is too freakin short to be staying home during the summer when the weather has been superb! I mean, REALLY !!! We’ve actually HAD summertime weather around these parts and it’s been fantabulous. Beautiful sunrises, gorgeous sunsets and the days have been warm, sunny and divine. We really couldn’t ask for more….except MORE….know what I mean? What has been going on to get me in this good mood today….a MONDAY at that? 1) Adrian 125th Celeb...

I had a suprise tonight when I logged on to Facebook.  Someone from my past had found me and was apologizing for hurts done to me in the past and asked me to forgive them. They had "carried around the guilt for 20+ years and needed to get it off their chest". Wow.  Shocked and surprised, to say the least.  To carry the burden of a grudge or hatred is huge...but for 20+ years? I cannot imagine how this person feels to have tracked me down after all this time to tell me they were sorry.   All I know is how I was feeling when I read the message. They weren't expecting a reply to the message, but I gave them one anyway.

Well, I had another killer session with Mark this afternoon.  He kicked my ass once again.  Just when I was getting used to the program he had me on, he went and switched it up on me.  Now I have a whole new routine to whine about! ~LOL~   Seriously, I think I can handle this one.  It has alot more combination of legs and arms (lunge with arm curls, etc), and core work.  I think I’ll like it.  I just need to find the time to get to the gym more.  These summer months aren’t all that conducive to hitting the gym; too much other fun stuff to do.   Like, drag races, Adrian’s 125th celebration, weddings, dances, etc.  I need more motivation and maybe the scale is going to be the motivation.  I nearly croaked last Monday when I stepped on the scale and it showed that I had gained 4 pounds over the weekend!  OH my gosh!!!   I wasn’t pleased then immediately started cursing my slowing metabolism.  So Mark…if ...

So when someone says to me, “My, you look good today.”  …… What does that mean?   Did I look bad yesterday and they didn’t want to hurt my feelings and say anything? What about the other 364 days of the year?  Did I look bad then too, or just “not good” as opposed to “looking good today.”   And really, what does “good”  mean? Could it mean that I look healthy, happy, and full of life.  Or does it mean “good” in the way of “you are breathing and have a pulse, so you are good.”    Might it mean that I’m particularly strikingly beautiful today (in which case the subject needs to have their eyes examined or stop drinking entirely)!  (hehehe) Thoughts to ponder……  J

Oh my goodness!  There was so much going on this weekend that I didn't know which way to turn!  Friday night started out with a surprise birthday party for our friend Karen.  Surprise it was!  Her birthday isn't until Wednesday!  She turns 50 this year.  I keep telling her that 50 is the new 30 and to not stress out over it.  Easier said than done (my time is coming in a few years!).  I wanted to hit the fair also on Friday and listen to a band ( Nightrider ) that was popular around these parts in the late 70's and early 80's.  No such luck.  Hubster and I stayed at the birthday until 10pm then came home and watched a movie (Planet of the Apes - new version with Mark Wahlberg ).   I tell you what.... I loved the first movie with Charlton Heston, but this one was very good too.   Couldn't believe I was watching a movie about apes, but oh well....~L~ Saturday was a huge day for me.   My first Satur...

Oh my goodness!  This one will go down in to the memory banks. I had such a great weekend with my family.  Saturday night was spent at my sister’s house.  My brother Ron and his wife were in town doing some electrical work for Peggy and were staying overnight.  So Peg had me and Tom, my brother Terry and wife Marna, and Yentz (sp), a German co-worker from Bremen over for supper.  What a great time we had!!   Laughing and joking around, drinking a little, eating a lot!  It was wonderful!!.   We stayed way past my bedtime though.  I was so tired on Sunday morning, but NOT too tired to accept another invitation for brunch at my sisters house!  (hehehe) Peggy, Ron, Pearl and I had a scrumptious breakfast (thank you Peggy!), and then headed out for a drive around the hometown area.  We stopped down at the cemetary to visit the graves of Mom, Dad, and Earl (a few tears were shed there).  We then headed out on ...

So, when I attempt to leave my house three times and each time I turn back to make sure that I turned the iron off, is it: 1.        cautiousness (because I don’t want the house to burn down and it be your fault), 2.        habit (because this happens every time I use the iron), 3.        short term memory loss (c’mon….three times within 15 minutes!!??!!!) 4.        OCD (if I start doing things in “3’s” it’s going to suck big time!).    

Hello blogstalkers!!!  Hope this finds you all doing well and good.  Personally, I’m doing good also.  It’s been a little while since my last post to this blog, so thought I’d better check in and let you all know what is going on in my life.  In one word…. Nothing!  (hahahaha).   Well, not entirely true.  Nothing HUGE has been going on; I haven’t won the lottery, I haven’t gone anywhere exotic or exciting, and I haven’t gotten to buy anything extravagant or decadent lately.  But, there have been a few little things that have gone on that are just as gratifying, if not more so. I’ve gotten to spend some time with good friends lately.  I love it when that happens.   It seems that life is always so busy for everyone that it takes an act of congress to get together and enjoy each other’s company.  We vow to not let it “go so long”….but sometimes good...

Hubster:  “I need a new phone.” Me:  “Ok, why do you need a new phone?” Hubster:  “Cuz a tree fell on me and smashed my phone.” Me:  “Never mind the stupid phone!  How are you? Are you hurt?” Hubster: “Branch poked in to my leg….not bad.  I need a new phone.”   (rolls eyes….)  This coming from the man who 15 years was going to divorce me cuz he didn’t want a cell phone.   A freakin tree falls on the man and he’s more concerned with his phone than his body.   (hahahahahaha)  J  

“I vow to let go of all worries and anxiety in order to be light and free.”   - Thich Nhat Hanh   Those words are really resonating within me today.   I’ve been experiencing some health issues lately (nothing big, so no need to worry).  I do not know why, but it seems to be human nature to freak out when something isn’t quite right on the health front.  My immediate thoughts are “Oh no!!!  That twinge in my knee means that I’m going to have knee surgery!  Then I’ll be laid up on sick leave and I won’t be able to teach yoga.!”   Like how sad is that?! Geeez!   The next morning I did not even know that I had a knee -no pain.   I basically wasted an entire day thinking of doom and gloom when I should have been enjoying the sunshine and being “light and free.” It’s one of those things that I teach in yoga class…..”let go, live i...

I'm only going to be gone for six days/five nights and already need a steamer trunk for everything that I'm taking.  Sheeesh !  ~L~  I used to have this packing thing down pat when I traveled during my crop insurance days.   N ot so much anymore.   I mean really!  I have my yoga clothes, my non-yoga clothes, my workout clothes (not to be confused with the yoga clothes), my unmentionables ( ummm ...guess they are mentioned here, so does that still make them " unmetionables "?), my toiletries, hair goop, vitamins (so I have lots of energy for four days of yoga!), my yoga bag, my yoga mats, my snacks (to keep up energy during yoga!), two water bottles, my yoga books (continuing education you know!), etc.   I'm going to have to tone it down a little bit I think as poor niece Joan and nephew Matt will not let me come again next year.  On second thought - if I bring a cooler of Schutt Grade-A Choice beef......???...