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February 27, 2007
Good Sportsmanship
At one point during a game, the coach called one of his 9-year-old baseball players aside and asked, "Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?"
The little boy nodded in the affirmative.
"Do you understand that what matters is whether we win or lose together as a team?"
The little boy nodded yes.
"So," the coach continued, "I'm sure you know, when an out is called, you shouldn't argue, curse, attack the umpire, or call him a dunder-head. Do you understand all that?
Again the little boy nodded.
He continued, "And when I take you out of the game so another boy gets a chance to play, it's not good sportsmanship to call your coach 'a dumb butt' is it?"
Again the little boy nodded.
"Good," said the coach. "Now go over there and explain all that to your grandmother."
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<3 GrandMom Love ~ Sent by big sister and edited (cleaned up) by Omie. :)
Posted by Omie at 01:01 AM
February 26, 2007
More Finger Painting
Double click to enlarge ~ Enjoy!
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<3 GrandMom Love
Posted by Omie at 12:55 AM
February 23, 2007
Finger Painting
Folks, There are more fingerpainting pictures of this wonderful creative project and I will add as time permits. Just double click to enlarge. More tomorrow. Enjoy.
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<3 GrandMom Love
Posted by Omie at 07:39 PM
February 21, 2007
I Believe...
I believe -
...that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I believe -
..that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I believe -
..that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I believe -
....that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I believe -
....that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I believe -
...that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I believe -
....that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I believe -
....that you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I believe -
....that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I believe -
...that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I believe -
..that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I believe -
...that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I believe -
....that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I believe -
....that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I believe -
....that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I believe -
....that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I believe -
....that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe -
....that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I believe -
...that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I believe -
....that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I believe -
....two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I believe -
..that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I believe -
....that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.
I believe -
....that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I believe -
.... that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
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<3 GrandMom Love
Posted by Omie at 02:22 PM
Church Gossip
Mildred, the church gossip, and self-appointed monitor of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several members did not approve of her extra curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.
She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon.
She emphatically told George and several others that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.
George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just turned and walked away. He didn't explain, defend, or deny. He said nothing.
Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house...walked home....and left it there all night.
Don't ya just love old George.
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<3 Grandmom Love
Posted by Omie at 02:03 PM
February 18, 2007
Uh Oh!
To my darling husband,
Before you return from your trip, I just want to let you know about the small accident I had with the pick-up truck when I turned into the driveway. Fortunately, it wasn't too bad and I really didn't get hurt, so please don't worry too much about me.
I was coming home from the grocery store, and when I turned into the driveway, I accidentally pushed down on the accelerator instead of the brake. The garage door is slightly bent, but the pick-up fortunately came to a halt when it bumped into your car.
I am really sorry, but I know with your kind-hearted personality you will forgive me. You know how much I love you and care for you, my sweetheart. I am enclosing a picture for you.
I cannot wait for your return........
Your Loving Wife
P.S.
I almost forgot.... Your girlfriend called.
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<3 GrandMom Love
Posted by Omie at 01:02 PM
February 16, 2007
Rant
The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
So being the knuckle dragger I am, I starting thinking, "What we are so unhappy about?"
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.
How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.
Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the Good Lord we live here.
I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a "general" discharge, an "other than honorable" discharge or, worst case scenario, a "dishonorable" discharge after a few days in the brig.
So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. "If it bleeds it leads," and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way...... Insane!
Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.
WE ARE THE MOST BLESSED PEOPLE ON EARTH, WE SHOULD THANK GOD SEVERAL TIMES PER DAY.....
Ted Nagel
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Wish I had written this... NOW, Folks, go out and read "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman.
<3 GrandMom Love ~ Omie
Posted by Omie at 10:49 PM
February 14, 2007
Things Dogs Should Remember
We've probably all seen this before, but it's still clever. Happy Valentine's Day!!
I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's on the toilet.
The trash collector is NOT stealing our stuff.
I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm lying under the coffee table.
I will not roll my toys behind the fridge.
I must shake the rainwater out of my fur BEFORE entering the house.
I will not eat the cats' food, before or after they eat it.
I will stop trying to find the few remaining pieces of clean carpet in the house when I am about to throw up.
I will not throw up in the car.
I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc.
I will not lick my human's face after licking myself.
Kitty box crunchies are not food.
I will not eat any more socks and then redeposit them in the backyard after processing.
The diaper pail is not a cookie jar.
I will not chew my human's toothbrush and not tell them.
I will not chew crayons or pens, especially not the red ones, or my people will think I am hemorrhaging.
When in the car, I will not insist on having the window rolled down when it's raining outside.
We do not have a doorbell. I will not bark each time I hear one on TV.
I will not steal my Mom's underwear and dance all over the back yard with it.
The sofa is not a face towel. Neither are Mom and Dad's laps.
My head does not belong in the refrigerator.
I will not bite the officer's hand when he reaches in for Mom's driver's license and car registration.
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Thanks to my sister, who really NEVER reads this blog, but still sends me interesting blog material. :(
Posted by Omie at 10:54 PM
February 13, 2007
Beautiful Rainbow
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.
So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.
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Posted by Omie at 09:07 PM
February 10, 2007
The Concert
When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing
Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star."
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit." "Keep playing."
Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato.
Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.
The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played, only the classic, " Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
Perhaps that's the way it is with God.
What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy.
We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.
The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit." "Keep playing."
May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.
Remember, God doesn't seem to call the equipped, rather, He equips the 'called.' Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire.
May God bless you and be with you always! Remember, "Don't quit." "Keep playing."
*************************Thanks Marie*****************************
~ Omie will be off for a few days. She is going to greet and welcome her first grand baby into this world. Happy Happy Day!
Posted by Omie at 10:51 AM
February 09, 2007
Farewell
One early Sunday morning, when my dad, PawPaw, was in the nursing home, in walked Aunt Edith with two enormous pimento cheese sandwiches for him. She had left church to go home and fix a hearty meal for my dad because she thought the nursing home was not feeding him well enough and she stated that our men had big appetites. She wanted to make sure he was taken care of. Bless her.
She endeared herself to me forever with that small act of kindness.
And there are many thousands such stories. I wish that I could tell them all.
Thank you, Aunt Edith, you will be missed.
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Posted by Omie at 12:55 AM
February 07, 2007
You Know You Are From Alabama If.....
You know you are from Alabama if.....
1. You can properly pronounce Chickamauga, DeKalb, Dahlonega, Smyrna, Vienna, Buena Vista, Valdosta, Okefenokee, and La Fayette.
2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states are sissies.
3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.
4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.
5. Stores don't have bags or shopping carts, they have sacks and buggies.
6. You've seen people wear bib overalls at weddings and funerals.
7. You think everyone from a Yankee-state has an accent.
8. You measure distance in minutes.
9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.
10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.
11. You know cowpies are not made of beef.
12. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.
13. You know someone who has a belt buckle bigger than your fist.
14. Almost everyone you know is either Baptist or Methodist.
15. A Mercedes Benz isn't a status symbol. A Chevy Silverado Extended Bed Crew Cab is.
16. You know everything goes better with Ranch dressing.
17. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.
18. You actually get these jokes and are "fixin'" to send them to your friends.
19. On one side of the road there's Wal-Mart and on the other is a cotton field.
20. The directions to your house include "turn off the paved road."
21. "Ya'll" is a word.
22. Fried chicken is a major part of your diet
23. Krispy Kreme dounuts are the only kind of dounuts you eat.
24. You call it a cold Christmas if you don't break out in a sweat in your new sweater.
25. Your whole town completely shuts down for 1 inch of snow or just the threat of snow.
26. People actually grow, eat and like okra!
27. You know the difference between a hillbilly, a redneck, and a Southerner.
28. Your dog and your wallet are both on chains.
29. Panama City Beach, Florida is a big deal.
30. You understand that at least once a year your car will turn yellow with pollen.
31. You know at least one Bubba, and maybe a few guys named Bo.
32. You say "tuna fish sandwich."
33. You use "Sir" and "Ma'am" if there's a remote possibility that person you're talking to is least 30 minutes older than you are.
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Thanks, Marie
Posted by Omie at 09:56 PM
Chattanooga Barbie
Mattel recently announced the release of the improved limited-edition Barbie Dolls for the Greater Chattanooga Area
"Big Ridge Barbie"
The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Wind star Minivan and matching gym outfit. She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.
"Rhea County Barbie"
This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit. This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills) ..unless you are a cop, then we don't know what you are talking about.
"Signal Mountain Barbie"
This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or Hummer H2. Included are her own Starbucks cup, credit card and country club membership Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper. You won't be able to afford any of them.
" East Ridge Barbie"
This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and tweety bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Bud light and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's ass when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.
" Soddy Daisy Barbie"
This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of East Ridge Barbie's house. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through halter-top. Also available with a mobile home.
" Downtown Barbie"
This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight brown hair, arch-less feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you call her Willow . She does not want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Yellow Springs Barbies and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.
" Highland Park Barbie"
This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll. Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass. Gangsta Ken and his 1979 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.
" Allen Gold's Barbie/Ken"
This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on parts.
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Thanks to Gladys
Posted by Omie at 09:43 PM
February 05, 2007
Return of the Irish Joke
Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up to heaven he said, "Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey!"
Miraculously, a parking place appeared.
Paddy looked up again and said, "Never mind, I found one."
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Father Murphy walks into a pub in Donegal, and says to the first man he meets, "Do you want to go to heaven?"
The man said, "I do, Father."
The priest said, "Then stand over there against the wall."
Then the priest asked the second man, "Do you want to go to heaven?"
"Certainly, Father," was the man's reply.
"Then stand over there against the wall," said the priest.
Then Father Murphy walked up to O'Toole and said, "Do you want to go to heaven?"
O'Toole said, "No, I don't Father."
The priest said, "I don't believe this. You mean to tell me that when you die you don't want to go to heaven?"
O'Toole said, "Oh, when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group together to go right now."
***********
Paddy was in New York. He was patiently waiting and watching the traffic cop on a busy street crossing. The cop stopped the flow of traffic and shouted, "Okay, pedestrians." Then he'd allow the traffic to pass.
He'd done this several times, and Paddy still stood on the sidewalk.
After the cop had shouted, "Pedestrians!" for the tenth time, Paddy went over to him and said, "Is it not about time ye let the Catholics across?"
*************
Gallagher opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read in the obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend, Finney.
"Did you see the paper?" asked Gallagher. "They say I died!!"
"Yes, I saw it!" replied Finney. "Where are ye callin' from?"
**************
An Irish priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut . The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest's breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.
He says, "Sir, have you been drinking?"
"Just water," says the priest.
The trooper says, "Then why do I smell wine?"
The priest looks at the bottle and says, "Good Lord! He's done it again!"
**************
Walking into the bar, Mike said to Charlie the bartender, "Pour me a stiff one - just had another fight with the little woman."
"Oh yeah?" said Charlie, "And how did this one end?"
"When it was over," Mike replied, "She came to me on her hands and knees.
"Really," said Charles, "Now that's a switch! What did she say?"
She said, "Come out from under the bed, you little chicken."
************
Flynn staggered home very late after another evening with his drinking buddy, Paddy. He took off his shoes to avoid waking his wife, Mary.
He tiptoed as quietly as he could toward the stairs leading to their upstairs bedroom, but misjudged the bottom step. As he caught himself by grabbing the banister, his body swung around and he landed heavily on his rump. A whiskey bottle in each back pocket broke and made the landing especially painful.
Managing not to yell, Flynn sprung up, pulled down his pants, and looked in the hall mirror to see that his butt cheeks were cut and bleeding. He managed to quietly find a full box of Band-Aids and began putting a Band-Aid as best he could on each place he saw blood.
He then hid the now almost empty Band-Aid box and shuffled and stumbled his way to bed.
In the morning, Flynn woke up with searing pain in both his head and butt and Mary staring at him from across the room.
She said, "You were drunk again last night weren't you?"
Flynn said, "Why you say such a mean thing?"
"Well," Mary said, "it could be the open front door, it could be the broken glass at the bottom of the stairs, it could be the drops of blood trailing through the house, it could be your bloodshot eyes, but mostly.....it's all those Band-Aids stuck on the hall mirror.
**************
Posted by Omie at 02:18 PM
February 01, 2007
Comfort Recipe for Snowy Day
Vermont Chicken Pie
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups warm chicken stock (my secret is to use one can of chicken noodle soup)
1/4 white pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Salt to taste
4 cups cooked chicken meat, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 to 2 1/2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
Melt butter in large pot. Whisk in flour and cook over medium heat five minutes to make a rue. Gradually add warm stock. Whisk constantly. Stir and simmer about 20 minutes until rue is gravy thick. Add pepper and thyme; salt to taste. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is heated through. Stir in sherry. Pour into 2-quart casserole.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Beat two cups of Bisquick and milk, adding more Bisquick, if necessary, to make a manageable dough. Turn onto a floured board. Knead until smooth, about 30 seconds. Roll out large enough to fully cover top of chicken casserole. Cut to fit, using scraps to make a dough design on surface of crust. (Good for kids activity.) Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
Posted by Omie at 07:17 PM