You, Sir, Are No Gentleman!

Of course, Rhett then replies to Scarlett, "And you, Miss, are no lady."

I had never watched Gone With the Wind until the other day.  That is a freaking looooooong movie.  But, I was surprised by the progressiveness of the message, considering the time the movie was made.

Don't push everyone away, don't wish for something that simply will never be, don't be in your head so darn much.  If you do go about your life, preferring to think about things tomorrow and longing after an imaginary love, rather than taking a good, hard look at your reality and what is happening to you, in your life, you will have someone saying to you, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!"

I want people to continue giving a damn about me.  So, I think I'll continue working on my giving a damn about the world around me.

*Stepping out from my cave now*

Happy Thursday!  Ooooh, and the Royal Wedding is tomorrow! 

I Know Where the Easter Bunny Goes When His Job is Done . . .

Why, to New Orleans, of course!  I caught him here on Easter Sunday afternoon, looking for a place to take a load off his furry feet and enjoy a beigniet and later maybe a nice cold Abita, because his bunny feet must have been tired from spreading all that Easter joy to the childrens of the world! (What?  Easter isn't about the Easter bunny???  Puuhhhleeeeaasssee!!!!)  (God, please don't strike me down!)

Hope you all have a fabulous Wednesday and can take a moment to pause and enjoy the day!

xoxo 

Sweet Relief

 

That's life.  You're born, you live, you die.  I know, quite macabre this being the Tuesday after Easter, but know that life is short.  And you should live each day like at the end of it, you could completely check out and move on to your next journey in this great, vast Universe pleased with the life you have lived thus far, the people you have touched, the good things you have changed. . .

My point is that you never know when someone you love and hold very near and dear to your heart is facing the possibility of staring at the face of a Venetian Death Mask.  If there is someone that has been on your mind lately, someone that you have perhaps disconnected with through the years, listen to that nagging voice in your head and reconnect with that person.

None of us knows when death will come calling, all we know is that one day it will come calling for us all.  Make certain that your loved ones know they are loved, your bonds are reinforced, and communicate with each other.  No one wants to be the last to know in a situation that could handle some prayers.  Early prayers = better prognosis!

Therefore, please pray for my Judy.  She is 1/4 of the reason I am the person I am today and she needs lots of prayers to get better.  She's a firecracker and I miss her and I want her to know that even though I'm not face to face with her, I'm still cheering her on and remind her she is strong.

Judy, you are strong.  You are going to get better.  Why?  Because you are strong, and surrounded by love and happiness and God.

I love you.  Please get better.

Alligators, Crocodiles, and A GIVEAWAY!!!

Hey everybody!  I hope you had a fabulous Easter weekend and celebrated in the way you all wanted!
Here's a picture of Thibodaux, one of the alligators that my aunt and I encountered on our swamp tour last weekend.  (More on that later)

Thought I'd share a poem with you this Monday morning.

A selection from Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends : "The Crocodile Toothache"

The Crocodile
Went to the dentist
And sat down in the chair,
And the dentist said, "Now tell me sir,
Why does it hurt and where?"
And the Crocodile said, "I'll tell you the truth,
I have a terrible ache in my tooth,"
And he opened his jaws so wide, so wide
That the dentist, he climbed right inside,
And the dentist laughed, "Oh isn't this fun?"
As he pulled the teeth out, one by one.
And the Crocodile cried, "You're hurting me so!
Please put down your pliers and let me go."
But the dentist just laughed with a Ho Ho Ho,
And he said, "I still have twelve to go -
Oops, that's the wrong, one I confess
But what's one crocodile's tooth, more or less?"
Then suddenly, the jaws went SNAP,
And the dentist was gone, right ff the map,
And where he went one could only guess . . .
To North or South or East or West . . .
He left no forwarding address.
But what's one dentist, more or less?

By the way, I have donated to Jon's Blogfest Giveaway!  You can find the information about the giveaway here. (A real genuine alligator head could be in your future . . . just sayin')

And welcome to all the new followers from Jon's neck of the woods!  I'm glad to have ya'!

Have a fab Monday!
xoxo

"Go Ahead and Sell Me Out And I'll Lay Your Ship Bare"

 

"Don't underestimate the things that I will do. . ."   - Adele

Here's the deal.  You see, I guess no one is ever really done baking until the day they die.  Unless you choose to sit around in your own unhappiness and distaste for the world and its many misdeeds against you and yours, then you should be able to shake off all the bull honkey that is thrown your way, continue to learn and grow and have a highly productive life.

I am also a believer in this philosophy - you aren't done baking until you decide to give up.  Licking one's wounds for a bit, taking time to recoup, readjust and really get settled into an entirely new environment takes time.  Unfortunately, when you decide to make a huge change in your life, it doesn't just affect you, it sends a ripple effect out to all the people you have touched in your journey along the way.

Most tend toward feelings of abandonment and loss when someone goes away.  Like a death, your abandonment leaves a giant hole in these people's lives.  It should matter to you and it does matter to you, their sense of loss and abandonment, but when you choose to leave a situation you often have to put up blinders to others' pain because if you paid attention, you would loose your nerve to leap.

Love means letting someone have enough room to grow while still maintaining a strong bond and connection.  Whether that person lives down the street or across the universe, it is important to remind them that you love them, you are there for them and even though it seems like they are in the deep, dark thickest mucks of muck in his or her life, there is still that bond. 

Besides, letting someone repot themselves in a bigger pot sometimes produces even sweeter fruit.  And, in by maintaining that strong bond of your roots, those individuals get to enjoy in the bounty of your new-found fruitfulness.  

Everyone has the power to change their situation, it just takes energy and the perseverance to see the journey to the end.  When I die, I don't want to say that I should have done something when I possess brass ones to actually make a leap that big in the first place.

The Universe put many challenges in my life early on for a reason.  I'm going to do big things still, are you?

Have a fabulous Easter weekend....a time for renewal, I think.

xoxo

p.s. Peeps are really good if you put 'em in the freezer for a bit! 

Guest Blog Post by Moi at Me vs. College

Hey Everyone!

Just thought you would be interested in the guest blog post I did for Jon's Spring 2011 Blogfest!

You can find the post Me vs. College: Jon is a R-O-C-K-S-T-A-R!

Happy Thursday!
xoxo

Spring Has Sprung, Y'all!

First, let me start off by thanking Jon for asking me to be a part of his guest posts for his Spring 2011 Blogfest!  Sheesh, Jon has been nothing but kind in this here blogosphere and I owe him a lot (including a painting) as far as keeping me going in writing my blog.  A true gentleman and inspiration! 

Of course, by now you all know that Jon as asked us to write about spring and what it means to us, so I thought I would take a moment and share with you what spring has meant for me in the past during my days as a Texan and now what spring means for me as New Orleanian.

You see, growing up in Texas, you know that the weather can be highly unpredictable.  You will have picked out a fabulous little Easter sundress to wear for mass and *BOOM*, you get hit with 3 feet of snow.  Yes, snow in Texas.  I'm not kidding, y'all!  I resided in the Panhandle of Texas (the top square part of the state) and the weather patterns coming off the Rocky Mountains always meant you never knew how your day was going to end up, be it snow, sunshine or tornadoes.  These sort of unpredictable weather patterns happen pretty much all year long but are extreme-extreme from February through May. 

My family never relied on Puxatony Phil as the decider of whether spring had officially sprung.  Instead we used the power of Mother Nature! 

Usually, the scene would go something like this.


Me: "Mom!  It's so cold!  I'm so tired of this yucky weather!  Aren't we ever going to have spring!?!"


Mom: "Well, the weather man says the Rockies got hit again so I think we've got another cold front moving through."


Me: "But it's April 27th!  *Chatter, Burr Shiver* I wonder if the snowballs are blooming!?"

Mom: "You know, I was driving home today and sure enough, the snowballs are blooming! We will be warm in no time!  Put some socks on and you wouldn't be so cold!"

You see, when the snowball bushes bloom, the last cold snap has happened and that means that birds and spring can finally get rolling in the Texas Panhandle.  I love the snowball bushes.  They are not related to hydrangea bushes, but pretty all the same! 

Upon arriving in New Orleans, I quickly realized that we weren't dealing with the same kind of spring-has-sprung weather. Warm 80% of the time, New Orleans is a lady of her own extremes.  She likes it  hot and muggy, and did I mention muggy? 

You all must understand, I came from the driest region possible where smiling made your lips crack to a place so wet that I have mushrooms that grow on my kitchen floor.  The 80% of the time that NOLA spends making you sweat your butt off means that 80% of the time, you need to be refreshingly cooled off.

That's why New Orleans, like my home state of Texas, uses Sno-Balls as a way to gauge whether spring has indeed sprung.  I knew there was a reason why I liked it here so much - we speak the same language!

Seriously, when you have been out and about doing your thing and you need a way to cool off quick, stop off at a Sno-Ball stand here in the city.  These aren't the normal snow cones or snowballs in which you are familiar - the syrups are all homemade, many natural.  They add fun things like cream ( and by cream I mean he pulled out a pitcher of heavy cream from the fridge) and natural juices like pineapple, apple, and nectar juices, chocolate is a popular selection.  The key to these Sno-Balls is that they aren't too sweet.  You don't get too much of the sugar overload like the artificial syrups of my youth. 

The particular Sno-Ball stand we like to frequent is called Hanson's Sno-Bliz.  Seriously, there is always a line out the door, this place has been around for 50+ years and stays open year round.  No closing down when school starts for these guys - remember the 80% of the time heat??

New Orleans Sno-Balls are a definite sign that spring has spring because if you are eating a sno-ball in New Orleans, it means you are hot enough to need some cooling off.  And we started needed cooling off again back in March.

While the Sno-Balls in New Orleans are more colorful and are meant to refresh and bring joy, I think the snowballs back in Texas bring joy and refreshment to those who need a sign from the heavens that spring is indeed on its way. 

Most of all, I think spring is a time of renewal and new beginnings.Time to dust those cobwebs off, get together with friends, smell the roses and enjoy a delicious icy treat in the warm afternoon sun.  Spring - the energy of it is contagious if you just take a moment to stop and enjoy.

Have a fabulous Thursday!

[Upon being widowed]
Scarlett: My life is over. Nothing will ever happen to me anymore.

Biography of me, thus far

So, I am supposed to write my biography for the new work website.  Cool, yeah?  Not really, as it brings to mind really what I have not accomplished thus far in my existence on this earth. I thought I would give this a try, considering my current state and the need to simply give it a go.

Kelly was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas.  Yes, Texas.  She was born with some holes in her heart, but her parents got those fixed so now she's ok.  Except she needs to start paying them back all that money they spent on her care and upraising.  She was really expensive.  She holds a Bachelors in Psychology, which is worthless, and a Masters in Nothing.  She worked at a symphony for a while, but giving up there decided to move to New Orleans, Louisiana. Her parents think it was some crazy wild hair that she moved away, considering the many hardships and struggles that have come her way along the road of transitioning  from Texan to a New Orleanian, but Kelly moved to this city with a fiery purpose of helping continue rebuild with her husband Kevin.  Unfortunately, she continues to disappoint all. 

Overall, I think it needs some work.  Perhaps I should take out another $30,000 in loans so that maybe my first degree would be worth something and I might accomplish something in my life.


Then maybe I would be worth something.