O Holy Night!

Our blessed Lord and Savior was born on the holiest night of all! It's so wonderful to remember this event, even if it wasn't "exactly" on 12/25. It's the symbolism and the tradition of what Christmas really means. The Christ child born to teach, lead and then sacrifice his humanity for our souls. Thank you Holy God!!

As we embark on this, the holiest holiday, I pray for peace, love and joy in all of your lives. I hope your celebrations are the most wonderful this year of all! Family & Friends are the MOST important part of this holiday, presents are just a nice addition. Of course, don't tell the kids that, they'll think you're nuts!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Final Prep for Christmas

After work today, I'm going to start my final food preparation for Christmas Eve dinner. We have a Honey Baked Ham and a Honey Baked Turkey Breast (1st time for the turkey). Having both mashed & sweet potatoes, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, salad, applesauce, hawaiian rolls and carrot cake for dessert. Plus, some treats to snack on.

I'm making my grandmother's recipe for ham salad and will be gifting some of it to my friends. It's always a big hit and I haven't made it in 4 years! Hope I don't forget how!! (see yesterday's post about my memory - hehe!)

Making the dressing for the big family gathering on Christmas day. Will do the prep for it tomorrow, while I'm baking my cake.

Everything else is done - maybe a little swiffer action through the house to clean up!! I'm really looking forward to Christmas eve, Christmas day and even the day after, having another couple over for dinner to celebrate the season.

In case I don't write again, Merry Christmas to everyone!!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

memory

OMG! Don't you hate it when you can't remember someone's name or where you put your keys or what you just did???? I am so trying to remember my friend's granddaughter's name. We met them in California, I haven't seen them in over a year, but I should remember her name. We took her to the Del Mar Fair!! YIKES!! What is it?????

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas!!

A couple of weeks back, we attended my company Christmas party. I have to say, besides being totally elegant, it was one of the best Christmas parties I've been to. I had a chance to chit-chat with lots of folks and sing songs and we even danced!! Lovely!  

I think the preparation we well worth it too! We bought new dressy clothes, had fun with the hairdo and showing off our new duds! Thanks for the fun night!! 

We are a good couple, a partnership through and through!! I love you honey! 

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

The Year In Review

We've been living back in Cincinnati for a year now. Bought our house on 12/19, moved in the same day!! What a wonderful year it's been.

Jake and Michelle lived with us for about 7 months. In September, they moved to Kansas City, MO. They love it!! I'm so glad they are happy. Michelle is pregnant and expecting in March. Even more exciting!! A Grandchild in March! Awesome!

Tamara stayed behind in San Diego. It was hard to leave her, but I knew she loved living in San Diego so much, so off we went. She got a couple of roommates, has had a wonderful year working, hanging out with her friends and even fell in love. Her boyfriend is a really nice guy, is in the Navy and this last October was transferred to Rota, Spain. They have been missing each other so much that she is planning a trip to Spain in February! Maybe wedding bells are in her future.....!!

Beka moved back to Cincinnati 3 months before us. She ended up living with her dad, then her oldest brother and today is apartment hunting, ready to live on her own. She has taken some time off from school - but has had a year of growing, learning and experiencing life as a 21 year old. 

During the year, of course we've had Snicker living with us, direct from California. But later this year, we adopted Charlie. Charlie is a dachshund and has fit in really well in our family. So now, it's just the 2 of us and the 2 dogs living here.

We've thoroughly enjoyed the yard, our nice lifestyle, quiet and peaceful. We started going to Loveland United Methodist Church in October. His sister and brother-in-law attend church there, so we thought we'd give it a try. Well, turns out we really like it. We've volunteered to help out at the Turkey Dinner, bake sale, attended the Living Nativity, which I highly recommend to everyone to see. I'm going to help with the video equipment during one of the services and he's going to start playing in the Praise Band. I'm very proud of him and happy that he likes it so much.

We've decorated the house for Christmas, inside and out. We have a beautiful tree and all of our lovely decorations. I am really happy to see all the presents under the tree, all the surprises that are held there.

One thing that is different living here. We haven't spend as much time with my friends as I would have liked. Partly because we're really busy, between my working full time and doing some volunteer activities, and his dialysis treatments 3 times a week, we're not always feeling social. I could go by myself, but I really don't want to go without him. I don't mind doing things alone, but I would prefer to be with him, especially after not being with him for 30+ years.

Work is going really well. My project took a change of direction when we were entering the development cycle. We thought that we would hand off the requirements and receive status, questions and provide answers and approvals. However, that changed in an instance and suddenly we were doing Agile Method. Daily activity and involvement is required. I even became a Certified Scrum Master in July. In November, at my annual review, I received my promotion! Hard work paid off all the way around. Delivered a great project on 11/25, nearly a year to the day of starting on it. I'm really proud of the accomplishments of my team, including all the challenges and successes!

So, as we end 2008, we have so much to give thanks for:
Happy, healthy kids
Solid, Happy, Loving relationship, a true partnership. We really do help each other (even when he's a jerk !! hehe!)
Perky little dogs that love running around here.
Great old friends and new friends 
Good career, part of a company that is amazing

Goals for next year:
1. study for pmp - take the test in the April timeframe
2. wrap up my current project and move onto another challenge
3. take a trip to Florida in February
4. put in a big vegetable garden in the spring

Those things will keep us busy!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Happy Holidays

Wow, I totally have not written since October! I have no excuse...it only takes a few minutes to jot something down. I have had a tough time writing all year this year. I've even tried to have a "theme" to help me commit to writing. That didn't help!!

So, Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope you experience the Peace, Joy and Love of the Holy Advent Season.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Happy Birthday Mom

October 16th - well, yes, I'm late but it's due to my surgery and my business trip. Sorry Mom - but I have a tribute to you on this 'would-be' 92nd birthday.

My Mom is Florence. My friends just loved her, I am forever in her debt.

Happy Birthday, Mom,
I wonder what you would think about how the world has changed in the last 16 years, since you've moved on to heaven.

We're experiencing economic tough times, the toughest I've ever seen in my lifetime. People are losing jobs, 1-in-3 houses in California are in foreclosure, prices are high and people are begging for a change. It's just that the change they are asking for sounds more like socialism than capitalism. Increase taxes on the richest and 'redistribute the wealth' to the poorest. And here I sit somewhere in the middle and I will have to help pay for some of this redistribution - in higher taxes.

The election for president is very heated, but I think you would support John McCain. McCain is part of that "tried and true" politician, the one that has experience, understands how to make a quick decision and has a plan that keeps us out of the socialism pathway. You would like his VP pick, Sarah Palin, too. She is from Alaska, just a "regular" person who has the desire to fight big-business and politics as usual - it's actually refreshing.

But you wouldn't like to see how the feminists and celebrities treat her. They smear her, make fun of her, scream about how much they hate her. It's HORRIBLE! You always taught me that it is about equal pay for equal work (which still doesn't happen) and not the actual politics of that person.

You know, this is the first time in our history that an african-american is running for president and it is exciting. It would be even better if he didn't want to end the culture in our company from what you would recognize to this NEW change - socialism. You know, like Robin Hood, steal from the rich and give to the poor. In theory, I'm sure it's fine, but in reality this is INSANE!

We have to elect John McCain - I am interested in keeping the America that we know and love and are willing to die for as I am sure you would be too.

P.S. You'd be happy to know that your great-grandson is a very charming young man. You would be totally proud! Your grandchildren are doing good, in fact, Tamara is moving to Spain, Jake is married with a baby on the way and living in Kansas City, and Beka is still figuring things out, but she pays her bills and takes care of business. In fact, you have taught me so many valuable lessons that prepared me for life. I hope I have prepared my kids as well as you prepared me.


Hey Mom - I love you and miss you! Sherry, Steve, Roland and I had dinner on your birthday and toasted you! We miss you so much! And I think of you all the time, even after 16 years!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Raise my taxes!!???!! Oh Please!!

This is too true to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.


A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it's releases.

A.
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.

D.
A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E.
A billion dollars ago was only
8 hours and 20 minutes,
at the rate our government
is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain...

let's take a look at New Orleans ..

It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number... what does it mean?

A.
Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.

B.
Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C.
Or... if you are a family of four... your family gets $2,066,012.


Washington, D. C HELLO!

Are all your calculators broken??


Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago... and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt... We had the largest middle class in the world... and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?

Can you spell 'politicians!'


What the heck happened????? Enough is ENOUGH!!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

12 Day past surgery

Day 12, I'm doing pretty good - my foot seems to be healing very nicely. I can get around quite well with my "moon boot". I plan on going back into the office tomorrow afternoon - I managed to come home Monday at lunch and stay home each day until tomorrow. But it's ok, I need to get out of the house for a while. Besides, I have meetings with my project team, so I need to be there.

Glad that I went to Dr. Roof - I go see him Friday morning - hoping for good news!!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

American's are grieving the economy and the devastation to their retirement/savings

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/16294/

this was VERY interesting - when I was in college 10 years ago (OMG! it was 10 yrs ago!!) I learned of the 5 stages of GRIEF: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Grief

When it comes to our economy, I think I'm at the anger stage, although the country is considered to be at the bargaining stage - but depression is next (and for all of you non-historians - it's not depression like recession vs depression - but depression like PROZAC!) and then I picture it to be GRIEF - like grieving over the loss of our wealth - not that I'm wealthy - but more like the loss of our 401K's.

If you're planning to retire sooner than 2018 all I can say is GOOD LUCK!! I doubt that you can and if you can, I'M JEALOUS!! I wish I could retire in 6 yrs but NO WAY now!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Presidential Debates

If I offend you - SORRY - and I really don't mean it, well, maybe I do, afterall you are a socialist and I am not. SO, if I offend you, it's because you support Obama. AND HE IS A DANGEROUS MAN!!! I want to have the America I grew up in BACK and it's NEVER coming back. I can just hope that I keep a job and am able to pay my bills. GOD BLESS AMERICA even if we are stupid enough to support Obama - do you think he's the ANTI-CHRIST?? Some think he's the MESSIAH - I have news for you, he's not MY messiah - ONLY JESUS CHRIST IS MY MESSIAH!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l46t_nrySg4

Our Economy

TO ALL MY FRIENDS....LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE...

George Bush has been in office for 7 1/2 years. The first six the economy
was fine.

A little over one year ago:

1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.
4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +
5) American's were buying new cars,taking cruises, vacations overseas, living large!...

But American's wanted 'CHANGE'!  So, in 2006 they voted in a Democratic Congress and yes--we got 'CHANGE' all right.

In the PAST YEAR:

1) Consumer confidence has plummeted ;
2) Gasoline is now over $4 a gallon & climbing!;
3) Unemployment is up to 5.5% (a 10% increase);
4) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12 TRILLION DOLLARS and prices still dropping;
5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
6) as I write, THE DOW is probing another low~~
$2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS HAS EVAPORATED FROM THEIR STOCKS, BONDS; MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS!

YES, IN 2006 AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE...AND WE SURE GOT IT! ....

REMEMBER THE PRESIDENT HAS NO CONTROL OVER ANY OF THESE ISSUES, ONLY
CONGRESS.

AND WHAT HAS CONGRESS DONE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

NOW THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT CLAIMS HE IS GOING TO REALLY GIVE
US CHANGE ALONG WITH A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS!!!!

JUST HOW MUCH MORE 'CHANGE' DO YOU THINK YOU CAN STAND?

John McCain for President

McCain Palin for President Vice-President

Not Obama:
1. too radical
2. backed by long-time anti-American/Anti-Semite leaders
3. limited experience
4. don't trust him
5. seems that he lies alot

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

10 days post surgery

I went back into the office today for the morning. It was quite the adventure. It took me over an hour just to get showered, dressed and ready. By the time I did all that, I was ready to go back to bed!!! But I went to the office, felt my normal self-cursing the stupid drivers on the road :) Just kidding! But I haven't had to deal with the stupid drivers in 10 days so it wasn't very pleasant.

But, getting into the office was excellent. I had a couple of meetings, got some work done and came home at lunch. Man, I was tired when I was on my way home, so much so that I thought I was going to pass out while I was driving home. I don't even remember ever feeling like that. Despite that, I've had a great day.

Day 10 recap:
1. allowed to remove the bandages put on my foot on Friday
2. my incision is 100% closed
3. today is the first day allowed to take a shower
4. I've got tons of dry skin on my foot from being bandaged for 10 days - amazing how much skin can die in such a short time. - washing my foot felt so good :)
5. went to work for half day
6. propped my foot up on my upside down garbage can and a pillow :)
7. came home and propped up/iced down and kept working
8. been relaxing, working rest of the day

More tomorrow in the recovery adventure.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

Welcome to American Political Satire:

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Surgery Update

So a week has gone by and my foot is so much better. Went to the Dr. on Friday. He changed the bandage and my foot looked pretty good. I can't wait until the swelling goes down. Now, it's going to take some time to heal.

But as of yesterday I'm off pain meds, in a moon boot/walking boot, am allowed to return to the office part-time. I still have to prop my foot up, keep it iced down, and stay off as much as I can. Might as well get used to the newest fashion accessory! I'll take some pics and share :)

The recovery has been swift, exponential improvement!! I'm so glad. So I've spent a week in a recliner, relaxing, working, watching movies, reading books, and playing games on my computer. The dogs have been cuddling up with me, watching me, walking with me, making sure I get where I'm going ok. :) They have been so good.

So today, we dropped them off at the groomer, they got baths, brushed, massaged, teeth brushed, nails trimmed and had a generally good time. They came home smelling sooooo good - like pumpkin spice - just in time for Halloween!!! They are cuddling up on my lap and keeping me warm.......mmmmmm

I highly recommend my podiatrist: Dr. Rodney Roof @ the Cincinnati Center for Foot Care.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Testing

Hey, I'm testing the email to blog function to see if it will work.

:)
Sent from my BlackBerry device from Cincinnati Bell Wireless

Junking

I spend my Saturday mornings with a friend of mine, out "JUNKING".

What is JUNKING?? We go to Yard Sales.

Not only do we go to yard sales, we have lists of things we are looking for, then we prioritize the yard sales that we want to go to.

This summer has been pretty successful:
Tiller
16' house ladder
car roof carrier for Jake
stihl chainsaw
warner iron skillet (replaces the one I sold a few years ago)
warner soup pots
beautiful wicker furniture with pads for my SUN room (my latest acquisition)
lots of jewelry
an entire autumn wardrobe
spring form pan for my honey (looking forward to homemade cheesecakes)
lots of small flower pots & home decor
a beautiful runner for my front hallway
a door stop
a box of butterfly surprises for my baby girl
Christmas gift sets, brand new in the box still
Tommy Hilfiger bedding
designer purses/bags
dog bowl
set of antique glasses
meat grinder
pictures for the house
yard torches
and lots more

Total spent on all of this over the course of the summer: Approx $250-$300. I could have spent that much on the wicker furniture alone!!

Totally cool - what a great way to save money and RECYCLE!! Support your local yard sales!!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Surgery Update

Yep, the long awaited left-foot surgery was this past Thursday. You may recall that in December 2006 I had reconstructive surgery on my right foot and the recovery was horrible, long, drawn out, painful, and I think I never even wore a regular shoe until April or May of the following year! This is NOTHING like that!! THANK GOD!!

The procedure included breaking the halex (big toe) bone about halfway between my toe and foot joints. Then he secured it with titanium brace, screwed it down to hold it in place. That will help to straighten out the bone thus the toe. Then my second toe bone and toe are too long, which is the source of these problems. He shortened my toe. He's counting on my foot readjusting itself. The procedure was less than 1 hr. I was home a little more than 2 hrs after the surgery started. Very Cool!

My honey is here taking good care of me. I'm so relieved, I couldn't have done any of these without his support and help. He's cooking for me, giving me moral support, helping me around the house, driving me crazy (but in a good way). He's sweet. The dogs have been really good too. Charlie, the wiener dog, is steering clear of me - maybe it's the surgical shoe, maybe it's the cane - but whatever it is, he's not getting in my way at all. Snicker has been great, he follows me around, makes sure I get where I'm going, sits and waits for me to get done or get in bed or get into the chair - it's more than cute. Then, he just hangs out and watches me.

Thursday was a breeze, in fact, they sent me home walking on my heel into the house. Instructions pretty simple: elevate foot, intermittent ice packs, only walk to go to the bathroom and wear the surgical shoe and walk on my heel. That all sounds pretty simple. Until Friday!!!! OMG! It was painful! My strategy for Friday was to stay in bed (close to the bathroom) and take enough drugs to sleep all day. It was a good strategy and I only came into the living room Friday night to watch the Presidential Debate.

Saturday, I saw a marked improvement, so I came into the living room and camped out all day. Stayed off the phone, took lots of drugs, ice packs, and just recouped all day. The best part, I really got good sleep when I went to bed - I actually slept from 11pm - 4am before I took more pain killers. The cool part, I woke up and listened to 2 hoot owls in my back yard calling to each other. It was sooooo sweet! I loved it. The dogs were quiet, and didn't react to them hooting out there.

And today, I'm feeling even better. Wow, I've been up since 7 and only taken 1 pain pill about an hr ago. But I'm still keeping it elevated, iced and only going to the bathroom and walking on the heel. I'm very hopeful that the rest of the week I will feel better and better. I think I'll take Monday and Tuesday off - but by Wednesday, I should be able to get involved some - just check in and read emails. Maybe I can have friends over by Wednesday night for wine night! Wouldn't that be good!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

John McCain & Sarah Palin

Wow! What a BIG surprise, Sarah Palin for VP! I, for one, am very pleased with the announcement.

To be honest, I didn't care for either candidate - I don't care for Obama and especially NOT Joe Biden. If this is touted as "change" then - wow - I don't want it. If Obama would have ask Hillary to run with him - now that was the winning ticket - no one could have stopped him. Whether I liked Obama or not, he would have been my new president on Nov 4th. But picking Joe Biden - yea, like that's really "change". To me, it's politics as usual.

I'm not an ultra-right-wing conservative, but I am conservative about some issues, more moderate on others. Fortunately for me, many of my views are shared by McCain. By adding Palin to the ticket, it equalizes many of those issues, enhances many of the others. It's perfect! It also breaks down the "good old boys" network!

As for the feminists around, I haven't heard of many reports where they are actually happy or supportive. I don't understand why. I am a feminist, I fought for equal rights since the 60's/70's. I believe in equality. Equal pay for equal work. Sarah Palin is one of many women in political office with a good track record, strong ethics. Gotta love her!!

So, now the left-wing media is accusing McCain of choosing Palin just because Obama made the terrible mistake of choosing Biden instead of Clinton. I think their thinking is hilarious. I think they just can't stand that McCain one-upped Obama.

So let the race begin! 2008 Presidential Campaign read.....set.......start......

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Bob Dylan

Last weekend we went to see Bob Dylan at Riverbend. I was so excited, I just couldn't wait to see him. You see, a couple of years back when he started on this tour, he was coming to San Diego's Cox Arena. I had KILLER seats, just the best ever and I was soooo happy. But then my son called me to tell me that he and Michelle were moving the wedding up and it would be 3 weeks from then! 3 weeks! Ok, Yeah, Excitement until I realized it was the same weekend.

Sold the tickets on Craigslist to a guy in Anaheim. He told me later how great the concert was and thanked me for the KILLER seats!! So, some time back when I saw that Bob Dylan was coming, we decided to go to make up what we missed out on 2 years ago.

Honestly, I should have kept the money in my pocket. I won't go again. And here's why.....
every song had basically the same arrangement. New or Old, didn't matter, they all sounded alike.
Then they were all dressed alike, in some black suit Amish style with hats and everything. They kept the stage lights down low - probably because it was soooooo hot and humid out. After every song, they turned out the lights and when the applause died down, they started another song and turned the lights back on. Bob Dylan played keyboard all night with a little harmonica. He was faced in the same direction all night away from us. That sort of ticked me off.

But the clincher was - he didn't sound that great, I don't know if it was him or the sound system, but you couldn't understand what he was singing until every once in a while you'd hear a familiar word or two. And he NEVER spoke to the crowd until the encore in which he said 'thank you friends' pointed and mumbled something about his band and that was it.

It was very disappointing for us. We were ready to go and at one point I almost fell asleep!! Never again.....I guess somethings are better left in the past - and for me - that's where Bob Dylan will stay.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Another day in project paradise

I haven't complained too much about Sharepoint MOSS 2007 up to this point. My current project is being developed in SP, it's a publishing site. I actually read and believed the MS propaganda about all the cool things SP can do right out of the box. Yes, me, the MS skeptic, actually drank the koolaid. But today, when I watched my team of some of the most intelligent people I've ever worked with struggle with the content web editor, all the steps to publish a page, all the hoops to jump through, I really felt this disdain bubble up for Sharepoint.

It's like they must have sat in a room and decided to make this the absolute WORST publishing tool EVER!! I have been far better off with notepad that SP. And my poor teammates! It's their site, they have to maintain it from now out and it's not intuitive, easy, or even make sense in most cases. The success of this project means so much to our team and I fear that once we've negotiated and compromised over the limitations SP presents that now that the content mgmt portion is so horrid, the up-keep will be dreaded.

I hope they find better ways to accomplish what they want. I hope that as time goes by they can hire an intern or someone to come in an just enter content. But in the meantime, I wish them the best and hope they are happy with the end results.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Charlie

Our poor doggy - Charlie - is sick. He's at the vet's since yesterday evening. They are running tests to see what's wrong with him. X-rays, blood tests, barium study, IV because he was dehydrated, and a few more things. They thought at first it might be Parvo - and even though he's been vaccinated he could still contract it. They checked his blood to see if he ate a small animal that might have been poisoned, thus poisoning himself and luckily it was neither of those. But they still don't know what it is.

They are looking either for something in his stomach that he ate and can't pass OR for something outside of his stomach (like a tumor) that is pushing on his stomach. And unfortunately, it's sooooo expensive that it's hard to know how much cost is too much. I'll keep you posted.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Rod Stewart: Cincinnati Concert - Friday, August 8

What a treat!! Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart on a Friday night, last minute and FREE!! Gotta love it! I received tickets from work and got to go to Riverbend to enjoy PERFECT weather and PERFECT music! The show was totally enjoyable, much like the Tom Petty concert. There were tons of women at the concert, you could tell it ranked as a good "Girls Night Out". And why not, Rod Stewart might be 63 years old, but let me tell you - he's HOT (thanks Paris!) and is still sooooo SEXY! My my my.

He is also a perfect gentleman. He thanked the audience for spending their hard earned money to come to see him perform. He promised to give them their money's worth - which he did! He graciously shared pictures of his family with us with a slideshow during a song. He sang many of the standard Rod Stewart songs, but there's so many I don't think he could manage all of them in one show. He had many very talented, hot female musicians, so for the guys that were in attendance there was plenty of eye candy on stage for them. Not to mention the women in the audience.

I highly recommend this tour - and as always, Riverbend is a perfect venue (to me). Cool, starry night, right by the river. This property holds a lifetime of memories for many Cincinnati natives. Those of us that remember Coney Island, swimming at Sunlight pool and then the emergence of Riverbend music center. It's just a great place to go.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Tom Petty

Thanks to all the wonderful fans that were MUCH closer than I was to capture videos and post them! They're AWESOME!!

Saving Grace:


Even The Loser:


Breakdown:


Honeybee




More concerts coming over the summer:

Bob Dylan
Alice Cooper

gonna try to go see Huey Lewis, Journey with Heart and Cheap Trick, and Rod Stewart. mmmmmmmmm

Riverbend, a great place to see concerts! Much better than any venue I went to in CA.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

more Tom Petty

More Tom Petty concert on You Tube:

Learning to Fly


Don't Come Around Here No More


Running Down a Dream





You Don't Know How It Feels


Free Falling

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Steve Winwood & Tom Petty Concert

Concert update:

Went to see Steve Winwood open for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers this week. Wow, was it ever a GREAT concert!

Steve Winwood was so good, ever true to his style for all of these years. I was so thrilled to finally see him in person. He has such a great career and over the years on all the bands he's been in, he has stayed true to his musical style. Read about Steve Winwood here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Winwood

Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith, Traffic, on his own, all my favorites. He's played with everyone - Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Dave Mason (who I hope to see perform Sunday evening), Jimi Hendrix, and many more. He is so awesome and his sound is totally unique and consistent. Great performance!

Then Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers came on and what can I say?! It was so much fun, the crowd at Riverbend Music Center went crazy! Everyone was dancing and singing (word-for-word!!) and the crowd average age was much younger than I expected. Oh yea, there were some "old farts" like me there, but there were TONS on younger fans in attendance. It was nice to see.

Here's some links to You Tube to see clips of the concert. I hope you enjoy it as much I did live!!

Mary Jane's Last Dance

You Wreck Me!

Won't Back Down

American Girl


and more.......in the next post!!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Happy Independence Day - July 4th

This time of year is pretty fun for me and full of memories. My oldest daughter was born on July 2nd 1976. The bi-centennial year of our nation's birthdate. I was hoping she'd wait just 2 more days and be born on 4th of July! Every year we'd celebrate with the immediate family on her birthday, but at all cookouts and camping or wherever we were, we'd celebrate with everyone on July 4th. So she was kind of lucky to have 2 birthday parties. The down side was many times her friends were out of town on vacation when it was her birthday, so party attendance was a little lacking. (So, we moved it a little later in July :)

I also get pretty patriotic at this time. I think of my Dad who served at the end of WWII and during Korea. He was a 'lifer' and a patriot. No matter what sort of problems he had, he was first and foremost a veteran. My "husband" is also a patriot. He served in the Air Force and then was a 'lifer' working for Dept of Def for the Navy. He is a wonderful man and I love him very much. I am proud of his service and his sense of duty.

So, Happy Birthday Tamara - I love you sooooooooooo much!!! And Happy Birthday US, stay strong, we need you the most right now.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Butterfly Show @ Krohn Conservatory

On May 3rd we went to the annual Butterfly Show at Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati, OH. This years theme was China, and our sister city in China was the focus. There were butterflies indigenous to both the US and China at the show. There is even a "incubation" area in a back room where the caterpillars and cocoons are hanging, eagerly awaiting the emergence of some of the most beautiful butterflies I've ever seen. Here's a link to some of my pictures.

Butterfly Show

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Dogs

We now have a new dog - Charlie is a 6-year old, red, smooth coat dachshund that we rescued. He's really great! He's quickly adjusting to his new home and new best bud, Snicker. They have become pals and follow each other around. Charlie is a bit barky and when he barks so does Snicker, but we're working on that too. Here's some pictures:

Charlie resting

Snicker and Charlie butt-to-butt at Sharon Woods on a walk

Charlie and Snicker getting ready for bed

the boys waiting to greet me after work :)

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Revival Lakeland Florida

What a pouring of the Holy Spirit!! Todd Bentley is leading a revolutionary revival - 50 days in Lakeland Florida. There are so many people coming from all over the country and the world that they quickly outgrew the church and now they are in a building at a small airport close-by with plenty of room for parking and camping.

Check out some of the websites:

Revival Lakeland http://www.revivallakeland.org/
The Florida Outpouring http://floridaoutpouring.com - live video streaming from Lakeland
Fresh Fire Minitries http://www.freshfire.ca/

People are being healed of all ailments; as of the last I heard earlier today 13 people have been raised from the DEAD!! Yes, from the dead - they were clinically dead and are not only alive, but healed and no matter how long they were "dead" they have al brain function - it's awesome!! Read more and judge for yourself.

We're thinking of taking a road trip - kidney healing, arthritis healing, worship with 10,000 + Christians, how totally AWESOME!! I can only imagine what it would be like for Roland to be healed, his kidney disease gone, his diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol all gone - Hallelujah! Jesus is the GREAT HEALER! What a wonderful gift from God to be healed.

check it out and tell me what you think. When I googled Todd Bentley I found skeptics (of course), lots of churches that support him, tons of websites and even a You Tube video claiming he's the antichrist - you judge for yourself.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

planning a WEDDING

August 17th! We're getting married - finally, after 3 (really 33) long years!! Hawaiian theme wedding - shorts, casual :) It's gonna be "dog days" of summer in Ohio! Gotta make us comfy! Main idea: get married, enjoy ourselves, and have the best day of our lives! More details later as plans come together. I'm just so glad to set the date.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

I'm still alive :)

It's been FOREVER since I posted and today I don't have alot of time, but just thought I'd say HI and I'm alive - finally getting settled and into a routine. And considering my last post I was happy that gas was only $2.69, which that was just a couple of months ago - well, on my way home today it was $3.69!! A whole dollar more - INSANE! And to add insult to injury of my pocketbook - Shell posted 25% higher profits and BP 63% -- WTF!!!

I'll post more later, so much has happened and getting ready to happen. Have fun spending your stimulus package on gas to get to work!!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Gas prices

On Saturday, we drove up to Hocking Hills and had a wonderful time. It's a very beautiful area in Wayne Forest Area. It's one of my favorite places to visit in the Ohio area. I took pictures but haven't downloaded them yet. I'll post some as soon as I do.

So, on our way home, we got to our neighborhood and gas was $2.69! The sad part is that I was excited to pay $2.69; the happy part is that I paid #2.69!! It went back up to $3.05 by Monday morning.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Happy Valentine's Day

Here's a BIG KISS to everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!! Hope love is in the air for you.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Baby, It's Cold Outside!! Brrrrrrrrrr

It's been since winter 2004 that it's been 3 degrees where I live. The weather in San Diego is the best, but it's been fun staying in, keeping warm, and watching our dog run in and out in the freezing cold. The sun has been out so that really helps, but admit it......3 degrees is cold.

We went to Trader's World today in Monroe, Ohio. It is so much fun - HUGE indoor flea market. When the weather is good, there are tons of outdoor booths as well. Some of the stuff is just junk, but some of it is really good. I bought wood shelves, some unique solar lights for the yard, a small rug for the recliner, and a new thumb ring to replace the one I lost this past week at work. Plus we picked up some small stuff that we needed. It was so much fun. We spent 2 or 2 1/2 hrs there walking, looking and it was great.

Started going to Weight Watchers last Monday - and I have to admit, it's not been that hard to stick to it. I think the one thing that was the most difficult was a party at my bosses house with lots of snacks, great food, wine, desserts - but I did good. I limited myself to 1 glass of wine, no dessert and sensible snacks. I am proud of myself. In fact, the whole week went well. I don't know how much I lost yet, don't go until tomorrow evening after work, but I'm sure it's at least 2 lbs. Maybe I should buy a scale.

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Everything happens for a reason

"Everything Happens For A Reason" We've heard this saying, probably repeated it from time to time. I know I have. I believe it. The older I get the more I believe it. How can I not believe it? Think of how many things have happened and how many people we've touched in our lives.

I was driving to work this morning and this popped into my mind. One of my routes to work passes by someone's complex that I used to hang out with. It made me think about past relationships and my life. Pretty deep for first thing in the morning. So here's what I was thinking. I dated this guy for a short time. And for people that really know me, they know I'm an easy going person, I love just about everyone. And I don't apologize for that, because of that I have some very wonderful friends everywhere I worked and lived.

Anyway, this particular person really had some big issues in his life. The issues were pretty overwhelming for him and I think that without my critical and organizational thinking, he wouldn't have gotten through it without imploding! After we got it all put together, we stopped seeing each other. Just in enough time to provide him with a place to live. Mission completed!

Another friend had health issues and didn't want to ask for help. But through numerous conversations and persuasion, she finally did ask for help, told more people about her health and actually got quite a bit of support through her family, close friends and health professionals. She had cancer and she did finally pass on. But when she passed she had so much support and love in her life. I'm so thankful.

Another close friend that I love dearly spent time with me and my family, got his self-esteem boosted quite a bit and has been able to carry that on in his music career. He's an excellent musician, close and very dear person. I haven't spoken to him in over a year, but I am certain that he's doing great.

And in these three examples were the outcomes all for them? NO!! I certainly have gained some experience, love, caring, and life lessons from them too. They have all helped me to grow as a person, to learn from their experiences and to share parts of ourselves with each other. I think that everyone we meet gives us a piece of themselves and vice versa.

I am the sum-total of all the life experiences that I have and they have prepared me for the challenges that I face on a daily basis. I don't always handle everything 100% right, but I do try and I try to learn from others to incorporate improvements to myself. So, for all the folks that I have met in my life, I thank you for leaving a little bit of yourself for me to be a better person.

And now the reward for me is my current life - I have been so blessed. I live with the love of my life and even though I have loved others in my life, none have affected me or touched me the same as he has. His love has never left me all my life. How blessed!!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

It's Friday!

Wow, it's already Friday. I love short weeks! Although, I worked on Monday, had holiday on Tuesday, then worked the rest of the week. But having it broken up like this it's great. Plus Friday's are pretty cool for me. I go to work, leave there at 3, head to my company office for the Friday Meeting. All the consultants come in to the office on Friday and we get to see everyone. I love that part of my job. It reinforces the company culture. I love it!!

This weekend we are going to head out to do a few things: Cincinnati Museum Center; Showcase Cinemas to see I Am Legend in IMAX; and get our new (to us) pick-up truck on Sunday! Will be a fun weekend!

Oh yea, I'll try to rake leaves as well.

I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

How does snow and 20 mph winds and 8 degrees F (wind chill –12 degrees) grab ya? Brrrrr! It’s cold!

Poor little Snicker didn’t know what to think this morning. He went out when we first got up and just stood on the porch not wanting to venture down into the snow and wind. But I shut the door and he didn’t have a choice. He got down into the snow (a couple of inches at our house) and ran around it in, every once in a while stepping into a deep spot, finally found a suitable spot for his business, then ran back into the house. He was COLD when he came back in – his poor ears were frozen and he was only out there for a few minutes.

The thing that always gets me about Cincinnati is the traffic when it snows (and sometimes rains). I mean, people act like they have never seen snow and never driven in it. They crawl along even if the roads are ok. In fact, the roads were ok by the time we left and the traffic was still crawling. It took me a little longer than normal to get to work because we didn’t get on the Interstate. They were parking lots for miles and miles. Luckily, I can get to work on surface streets.

It’s cold at work. I need a heater! I am sitting next to some office space reconstruction. The workers are yakking, the heat doesn’t stay in this part of the building. I still have on my wool hat!! Could use gloves if I could type with them on, I would. Besides being cold, the construction workers are annoying. The foreman or supervisor (whatever he is) talks non-stop about politics, Iraq, George Bush, immigration and his views are ultra-liberal so he’s driving me crazy. He is advocating that Pres Bush should be tried in a global court for ‘crimes against humanity’. Believes that the Bush’s and the Bin Laden’s are good pals and their families talk all the time. Says that “terrorism” is just a distraction for the real reason we’re in Iraq – OIL.

You know the type; you hear them. I just don’t want to hear them while I’m trying to work without turning into an ice cube!! I know he totally believes what he’s saying. I don’t care to express an opinion right now, but I do know that he is at work to work, so he should just do that – work!

Happy New Year!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Wow, it's a new year already! I guess it's true that time flies when you're having fun. And boy did I have fun in 2007!!

• Visited tons of places in southern California - beaches, mountains, trails, sites
• Welcomed Snicker into our family
• Made a couple really good friendships - Hi Terry - Hi Damian!!
  
• Got laid-off
  
• Accepted a position and learned hardware manufacturing AND telecom industry.
• Road the Coaster to work
  
• Ate at some of the best restaurants in San Diego
• My Significant Other retired on a disability retirement
  
• Visited Cincinnati a few times
• Went out house hunting
• Bought a house!!
  
• Moved to Cincinnati
  
• Spent Christmas and New Year's with our family and friends.
  

It's a great year and I am sure that 2008 will be even greater!! Some of the things that I want to accomplish in 2008:

• Pay off my bills
• Get the few things that we need fo rthe house
• Get married????!!!!!!!!!???????? Could it really happen??????
• Rake the tons of leaves on our acre!!
  
• Get in shape by raking, shoveling, walking
• Go to Weight Watchers - this week!!!
• Take a vacation to Estes Park, Colorado
• Take another vacation to San Diego to see Tamara and friends
• Take another vacation to Florida by the beach, maybe Tampa / St. Pete
• Enjoy my kids, my family and of course my crazy friends!!
  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"...And in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make."
---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts