Sunday, July 31, 2011

Meeting The Grizzly Bear Cubs (Aww Mondays)



These two Grizzly bear cubs are new to the Cleveland Zoo. Gerard and I just visited them Saturday and got there just when they charged into the exhibit. I think they are SO cute and mentioned that several times in the video--sorry for repeating myself! They were very active: forging for food, getting a drink, walking the log down and up the hill, playing with the big ball and just lumbering around their exhibit. We were fortunate to have a zoo volunteer there at the time who was able to answer our questions about these two bears so if you turn up your volume, you can hear our questions and the answers on the video.

Find more Aww Mondays at Comedy Plus and feel free to link up a picture that will make us say "Aww."

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Our Favorite Reads for July: "Divergent" and "Faith" by Jennifer Haigh

Karen's favorite read for July was Divergent by Veronica Roth.

It was by far my favorite.  Usually, it's hard to choose but not this time. We both read this one! I loved Divergent by Veronica Roth because it is thought provoking. I kept thinking, “What would I do if in Beatrice’s position?” and it was fun to try guessing the background of different characters. It is a futuristic science fiction novel about value, ethics, choices, friendship and community. Although Beatrice was born into the selfless faction, she didn’t feel that she was selfless enough to stay and at 16 left her family to choose to join the dauntless. Her brother chose education and the other two choices were honest and peaceful.

Divergent is about control and manipulation, friendship, love, character and survival. When Beatrice was tested, she discovered she had a secret she had to keep to stay alive—she was divergent!

This book drew me in very quickly and I even quit reading another book to read this one sooner. Once I started this, it was difficult to put it down because it has lots of action, interesting characters, romance and some mystery with twists and surprises along the way that make it both a fun and interesting read. I can definitely recommend this one! (This was Gerard's favorite for last month!)

Gerard's Favorite was Faith by Jennifer Haigh

WOW! Double Wow! Faith by Jennifer Haigh is good! It is told by a sister who has two brothers. One brother is a priest, accused of molesting a child. I loved this book, especially enjoyed the family. A loving family, this is not. Brother vs. brother, sister vs. brother, husband vs. wife made for great reading. The last 75 pages are some of the best pages you will read all year! It was impossible to put down! The ending is a shocker! I highly recommend you put this on your TBR list--it's SO GOOD!

To read all our book reviews (and see cute pictures of our cats with the books), visit Grab A Book From Our Stack.

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Saturday, July 30, 2011

When I Grow Up (Dare To Share)

This week's prompt over at The Lightening and The Lightening Bug is to share about your dream job, what you wanted to be when you grew up as a child...what you want to be now. Tell us about your dreams and how you're going to make them come true.  (click on the picture above to find more or link up yours)


For me, my dream as a kid was not to have to work but be a stay-at-home mom with nine boys (enough for a baseball team) and a pet for each!   I even made a floor plan of my dream house.  That dream went out the window once I found out what a woman went through to have a child. Forget it!

My next dream job was to be a gym teacher--getting paid for playing all day sounded good to me and having the summers off was also a plus. That dream bit the dust when I discovered I would probably have to teach health and take anatomy.

When I reached 9th grade and took typing, I thought that would be the best job ever! It looked so easy and the teacher got to have the whole summer off. All she taught all day long was typing classes, something of great value that was a very practical skill. (This was before computers entered the world.) I loved the timed speed tests and can still remember her shouting A-S-D-F-J-K-L-Semi.  I loved typing and really felt I could be a good teacher so I went for it.

I actually did do student teaching in some business classes and got certified to teach grades 7-12. I did some substitute teaching but didn't find a full-time teaching job which worked out for the best. I worked some jobs as a temp on my summers off and landed the secretarial job I currently have which has really been a very good fit for me and a wonderful place to work.

What about you? What was your dream job as a kid and are you doing it now?

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Friday, July 29, 2011

7 Things We Learned This Week 30 of 2011 (holidays, zoo, food, technology, NFL)

Thanksgiving and Pardoned Turkeys

Over at "We Give Books" I read Pardon That Turkey by Susan Sloate and learned that we have a national Thanksgiving Day because Sarah Halt wrote to five different presidents until finally Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November. President Bush started a tradition to pardon a turkey and let it live out it's days on a nearby pet farm.

New Bear Cubs

The Cleveland Zoo recently got two Grizzly bear cubs from a zoo in Montana to replace the two they had that died.

TV-Camcorder

I finally tried playing a video from my camcorder on our big screen HD TV and it worked! I plugged the cords into the back had to choose AV button on the remote to view the video I taped of the skit at VBS that our Pastor and his wife did. I still don't know how to get it loaded to the computer from the camcorder. Can anyone tell me how?

What's a Beignet?

Over at "The Canine Beignet Party" in West Africa, Sheba, a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback dog shared about this delicious treat. Beignets are bean donuts deep fried in peanut oil and served with chili powder. The pictures showed a lady making them and the dogs waiting anxiously for these treats!

Eating Tips

Source:  from an email
I got these tips from an email so can't say if they are actually true or not, but it said to eat fruit on any empty stomach or before your meal.
If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes--all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.
Another thing it said was not to drink cold water right after a meal. Warm water or hot soup is better. If you would like to see the whole email, let me know in a comment and I will forward it to you.

Crackle Nail Polish

There is actually nail polish called Crackle that is made to look like it's chipped. I saw someone wearing it this week.

NFL Lockout

I was so happy to hear the NFL Lockout is over and we will have football this fall. The Browns dumped one of the back up QBs, Jake Delhomme, this week but I really wasn't surprised.

Visit Half-Past Kissin' Time to find more Friday Fragments and to link up some of yours.

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Sonsurf Beach Blast VBS

Last week I took vacation to help in VBS at our church and had a great time, even though it was extremely hot. We used Gospel Light’s Sonsurf Beach Bash material. I always enjoy helping in this because it’s quite fun with so many kids attending (roughly 700 each day, most from the community!). The offering of $2400 for the week went to the Chain of Love orphanage in Brazil.

When I asked the boys in my 5th-6th grade group what part about VBS they liked best, I got a variety of answers that included recreation, crafts, and everything. For me, other than developing team spirit and a sense of belonging for my team (who came in 1st place), I enjoyed the skits done by our Pastor and his wife each day that taught the lesson. They write their own material and play well off each other while making the point of the lesson memorable with humor.

I wish I had videotaped them each day, but I plan to next year if they do skits again. I did get the last day taped with my camcorder and an edited version of Thursday’s with my digital camera. I was disappointed that I didn’t take the video right from the beginning on Thursday, because the beginning was really the funniest part when “Shark” didn’t follow directions and got the kids playing instead of teaching the lesson.  This is the shortened video that I did by inserting titles and still shots at the beginning:






Lessons for the week were:

Monday: Meet Up: Jesus is God’s Son and loves everyone!

I Jn. 4:9—This is how God showed his love for us. He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him.

Tuesday: Look Up: You can trust Jesus all the time because He does what He says.
Psalm 56:3—When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

Wednesday: Join Up: We need Jesus because he is the only way to God the Father in heaven.

John 14:6—Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.

Thursday: Open Up: Confess our sin and be forgiven.

Daniel 9:9--The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.

Friday: Fire Up: Tell others about Jesus.

Matthew 28:19-20—Go into all nations and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always

What do you think of our VBS?  Does your church have a VBS week?      

You can see more pictures at 2011 Vacation Bible School Sunsurf Beach Bash and VBS 2011--More Great Pics on the Parma Heights Baptist Church blog.

(I tried posting this on our Always Looking Up blog but I couldn't get to the new post section so finally posted it over here.) 
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

I Like Scavenger Hunts--What About You?

Go Tribe!
When I was walking along reading on my break outside of where I work a couple weeks ago, a group of about 8-10 people with blue "iCleveland" came up to me and asked if they could take my picture because someone wearing Indians apparel was on their scavenger hunt list. I had the hat on in this picture. I wear it because when I read outside it keeps the sun out of my eyes. I was happy to help them out and it brought back a lot of fun memories.

I think scavenger hunts are fun. There are several different kinds you can do: a list of items to get, just trying to find something bigger or better than the other groups get, a video one or a photo one when you have to get video or pictures of things on a list. With the video or photo one you can give extra points if the whole group gets in the picture. When I was youth director at our former church, we used Polaroid cameras so we had the pictures right away. The harder things on the list counted for more points. The most fun picture we got was of our whole group in some one's bathtub (it was a neighbor of someone in our group!

Over at Make and Takes, Marie suggested a scavenger hunt to occupy her young children in her post: Summer Camp For Kids: Photo Scavenger Hunt. I thought this was a wonderful idea!

Did you ever go on a scavenger hunt?  What do you think of them.  Which kind do you prefer?  Would you let a bunch of people you didn't know in your house to help them with their scavenger hunt?


Tuesday, July 26, 2011

What Is Your Favorite Amusement Park Ride?


My favorite ride is the Roller Coaster.  Not the upside down ones but the ones that have lots of hills and turns.  The first roller coaster I rode was “The Little Dipper” at Memphis Kiddiepark.  I don’t have a picture of me on it when I was little but this is one of me on it when I went with our Sparkies from our AWANA Club.
The first big roller coaster I rode was the “Blue Streak” at Cedar Point.  I loved it!  It only has one really long steep hill at the beginning but after that has a lot of smaller hills which are just fun.  I even sat in the first car sometimes.  I love that I fly off the seat as it rushes down the hill.  I either have to hold my glasses so they don’t fly off or use a band to hold them on like my dad used to wear.  I always scream when going down the hill.
I have ridden many different ones since and like the wooden ones best.  Unfortunately, Gerard hates roller coasters.  He will go on to please me but he grips on so tight that his knuckles turn white and refuses to scream (which is the problem).  Screaming actually helps you cope.  He does not see the fun it them at all!
I took the quiz and here’s what my favorite ride says about me:

 You Are Restless
You're never one to feel too settled in your life - you're always looking to shake things up.  (It's true I like some variety and don't want to get stuck in a rut.)
You are lively and energetic. Even when you feel done for the day, you usually still do something else.  (This is absolutely true!  It seems I always find something to do.)
You are enthusiastic and optimistic. Many things sound good to you, and you are reluctant to rule options out.  (My mom taught me to keep my options open so yes, I am optimistic and usually enthusiastic about facing a new day.)
You are quick to respond. You sometimes get a little tired of waiting for everyone else. (I am getting better at this by slowing down myself.  I find then I don't have to wait so long for everyone else.)

Take The Amusement Park Test to see what your favorite ride says about you.

What about you?  Do you like roller coasters or are you more like Gerard and hate them?  Take the quiz to find out what your favorite ride says about you.  Look forward to your comments and don’t forget to vote for which animal we should donate through Heifer International this month!


Monday, July 25, 2011

40-Year Anniversary Surprise

$1100 in Gift Cards--WOW!

Gerard has worked for only one company 40 years. It is nice to be appreciated and the company sure overwhelmed him when they surprised him at work last week with a cake (decorated in blue for his high school colors which he appreciated), $1,000 gift card and a $100 Hometown Buffet gift card in addition to his paying for a 2-yr. zoo membership that includes special behind-the-scenes events! The cake was huge and he brought half of it home which he told me to take to church to share with the VBS staff.

Now we are deciding what to use the $1,000 for and are thinking about definitely getting a new chair, maybe two, perhaps an awning for the front of our house over our porch, or something else.  His company had offered to give us an all-expense paid trip to a Boston Red Sox game which would have been very special but we turned that down since we aren't travelers.

Do you feel appreciated at your job?  What would you spend an extra $1,000 on?

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Friday, July 22, 2011

6 Things We Learned This Week 29 of 2011 (books, games, blogging, vets)


Fun With Books

Just for Fun: If you are on Shelfari, there is a fun group for "Divergent" by Veronica Roth (her first book!)  It's fantastic. There is also a page on Facebook for Divergent where you can take a faction aptitude test! My aptitude is Erudite: The Intelligent.  Both Gerard and I liked this book a lot!  You can read our review at "Grab A Book From Our Stack."

Super Scrabble

I played Super Scrabble for the first time this week. It is a bigger board with quadruple spaces and more letters. I also learned that if you use all 7 tiles in one turn, it is called a "Bingo."  I had two "Bingos" early on and won with 480 points! 

Blog Traffic

I don't bother checking blog stats often but happened to look at Blogger stats and discovered that I get most referral traffic from Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop and Tuesday Teasers (We do this one on our book blog).

Favicon

I made some favicon's for my blogs but don't know how to create square pics. Had to use my EC card pics and the picture is hard to see. In Blogger, under design, it's up in the left corner. All you do is browse for a picture but it has to be square.

Share Buttons

I finally got around to adding share buttons on here including the Google +1 following the instructions at www.bloggerplugins.org. If you are on Google Plus, it lists all the posts that you click on that +1 on your profile page under the +1s tab. I like this feature because it's easier than using Stumbleupon or Delicious to mark posts I like and may want to refer back to. As far as I know, you can only view your own +1s, not what others mark.

Vet Trips

I'm worth it!
I took Spunky Doodle to the vet at PetSmart because they say you don't need an appointment. I got there a little after one and found out all their vets were out to lunch until 2:00 p.m. and then they had four appointments at 2:00 p.m. I called Bartell's and their vets were at lunch too. I went ahead and made an appointment for tomorrow then for her at 2:00 p.m. Hope she goes in the carrier as easily as she did today!

Found out Spunky Doodle has a slight ear infection and I have to squirt ointment in her right ear and use some cleaner for 21 days!  Hope I can do it right! This is not going to be fun.  Then she also needs a dental cleaning too because she has some tartar built up.  Hope they don't have to extract teeth like they did for Abby and Manny!  This seems to be the year of the teeth for us!

Find more Friday Fragments or link up some of yours at Half-Past Kissin' time.

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Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Best Game Ever! (Writer's Workshop)


One of my (Gerard's) most memorable sporting events involved my high school football team, the Benedictine Bengals vs. J.F.K. This game was going to decide who was going to win the East Senate and go to the stadium to play on Thanksgiving day for the city championship. I was a junior and knew most of the players on the team. The field was packed with fans on both sides. It was a close game all the way and I yelled myself horse. Benedictine held on a goal line stand and the very next play, our running back broke loose and almost scored. We went on to win, and then won on Thanksgiving Day!

I took a girl to the game, but I enjoyed the game a lot more than her. It was my last date with her even though I bought her a pom-pom. Oh well, Go Bengals!

What is your most memorable sporting event?  Were you a fan of your high school teams?  Are you still?  I Am!


This post was inspired by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop prompt: "Write about a memorable sporting event."

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

We Went To A Dog Reunion Picnic by Abby



I went on my first dog picnic ever on July 16 and had lots of fun meeting other dogs and their owners.  It was at Longwood Park in Macedonia, Ohio.  Yes, Karen and Gerard actually went outside of Cleveland and did not get lost!  It was a long car ride--about 40 minutes.   Canine Lifeline had a reunion for all the dogs that got adopted through them and included me too because the founder, Barb, was my foster mom just a little while before she actually started Canine Lifeline.

There were other dogs there who were looking for a good home still. I am glad I found one with Karen and Gerard. They have had me two years now. I weighed 55 lbs. and the vet said I was "obese." Now I weigh 37.8 lbs. thanks to all the walks I go on with Gerard. (It's not that they don't feed me, I eat very well.) I get lots of treats and even bones on special occasions.

Have you ever been to a doggie picnic? If you watch the video, you may be surprised that the dogs did not bark much at all but were mostly very happy. Lots of tails were wagging. It was hot, but they even had a fan in the shelter so it was comfortable in there.

Canine Lifeline has a Facebook page where you can see pictures of ALL the people who brought their dogs to the picnic. Ours is the first one!  If you are a nice person and do not have dog, I think you should!  I highly recommend PetFinder.  You can find exactly the kind of do you would like that is near your area!  Please give it a try and see what dogs still need homes.  Woof!  Woof!
Visit Bozo's Pet Pride for more pet posts.

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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

On of the games I used to play as a kid was called Lie Detector. It had a bunch of cards with different people and their testimony on the back. The object of the game was to acquire evidence based on the testimony of the witnesses and by process of elimination, arrest the criminal. The lie detector let you know if the testimony was true or false.

I can help but imagine how nice it would be if the lie detector tests were perfected to be 100% accurate. Just think, we wouldn't need any attorneys for criminal law. No juries would be necessary and no long trials.

When the jury came with a "Not Guilty" verdict in the Casey Anthony case, it seems many feel she got away with murder but because the prosecution didn't prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, she was declared "not Guilty." Wouldn't it be nice if the police could just give her a lie detector test and ask her if she killed her daughter? It would be so easy.

The fact is people lie and the defense attorneys do a good job of presenting their cases in such a way that sometimes even guilty people go free. Other times, innocent people are wrongly convicted. Our criminal justice systems is far from perfect but it's the best we have. It would work so much better if people didn't lie. The fact that they get sworn in to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is meaningless to liars.

I think money would be well spent on developing a fool-proof lie detector test. It would make justice so much simpler!

What do you think would be nice? Did you ever play "Lie Detector"? (I still have it by the way.) What do you think of the Casey Anthony verdict?

For more details: Casey Anthony Verdict: Found Not Guilty
Casey Anthony Juror:  'Sick To Our Stomachs' Over Not Guilty Verdict 


Sunday, July 17, 2011

Be Careful What You Wish For by Spunky Doodle



Yesterday was my 7th birthday (aka Gotcha Day).  I have had a good seven years here in my house.  I lived outside only for about 8-10 weeks maybe.  Karen was impressed with me because I was so cute and brave.  When I was just a kitten, I a great ambition to climb a very big tree.

Well, thanks to all the votes on "Spunky Doodle and the Kong" I got my very own little tiny iddy bitty one for my birthday.  It is not as much fun as I thought it would be though.  It's hard to get the food out.  I only got a few pieces the first time I tried.  Karen ended up rolling it for me.  She says "You are smart, you can do this, Spunky."  I am not so sure.
stick game:  I find stick under towel or pounce on top.


I got so frustrated that it made me throw up.  Karen's battery died so she didn't get that on the video, but then she switched cameras and took some of her playing stick with the paper towel with me to make me feel better.

After Karen left, I didn't give up and continued to learn how to do this.  I did it!  When Karen came back later she was so happy to find my little Kong over by my tent (so she knew I had moved it) and only one piece of food left inside. 

Sometimes we think we would like what others have but then when we get it, find out it doesn't make us as happy as we thought it would.   Did that ever happen to you?


Find more pet posts at Pet Pride on Pets Forever and link up one of yours!

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Friday, July 15, 2011

7 Things We Learned This Week (play, animals, Google+, news, relationships)


Play

Over at the Conscious Cat I learned that there is actually an National Institute For Play!
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.--Plato
I love to play tennis, with my pets, box games and review games with my Sunday School Class. What do you like to play?

Howler Monkeys

The male Howler Monkeys are black but the female and young ones are tan. Howler monkeys are so loud, they can be heard up to two miles away!

Google+

I guess if Facebook isn't enough for you or you are dissatisfied with it, an alternative is Google+. Mrs. 4444 posted a great tutorial about it. She also invited me to join but I'm still debating if I want to get on yet another social network. She says she loves Google+ so far.

Which Animal?

So far a goat is the animal of choice for our Heifer International donation. Please vote in our poll at the left if you haven't yet for the animal you would like us to donate and be sure to comment on our blogs so we can get enough for one of these bigger animals.

Jaycee Dugard

A Stolen LifeDid you see the special about Jaycee Dugard this week?  It was the first I heard about this unbelievable story.  We watched the special about Jaycee Dugard, a girl kidnapped at age 11 while going to her bus stop, abused, raped, and held captive for 18 years before she was finally reunited with her family. She wrote a book about her experience called A Stolen Life which Gerard is on the waiting list for at the library. If you didn't see the show, here is a short video about it:







pets

When Abby rolls around on the grass, sometimes her leash comes off! Today I am taking her to get one of those micro chips so if she ever does get lost, a vet or shelter can scan her and find out where she belongs.

Men vs. Women

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More FunFrom The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin a tidbit I learned that was interesting to me is
the difference in how men and women approach intimacy. . . . women's idea of an intimate moment is a face-to-face conversation, while men feel close when they work or play sitting alongside someone.
So, for men, just watching TV together is quality time for them.  There are lots of ideas to increase your happiness level and interesting research and quotes in this book that I won in a giveaway from Ann at Up North.  Check out Gretchen's website about the project at www.happiness-project.com.

Find more Friday Fragments or link up your own at Half-Past Kissin' Time.


Thursday, July 14, 2011

A Joke That Always Makes Me Laugh (Writer's Workshop)

Our Mr. Moe-lived 15 yrs. (est.) R.I.P.

A cat died and went to Heaven. God met her at the gates and said, 'You have been a good cat all these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking.'

The cat thought for a minute and then said, 'All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on.'

God said, 'Say no more.' Instantly the cat had a huge fluffy pillow.

A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all went to Heaven together. God met the mice at the gates with the same offer that He made to the cat.

The mice said, 'Well, we have had to run all of our lives: from cats, dogs, and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller skates, we would not have to run again.'
God answered, 'It is done.' All the mice had beautiful little roller skates.

About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found her sound asleep on her fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and asked, 'Is everything okay? How have you been doing? Are you happy?'

The cat replied, 'Oh, it is WONDERFUL. I have never been so happy in my life. The pillow is so fluffy, and those little Meals on Wheels you have been sending over are delicious!


(I re-posted this for Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop: Share a joke that always makes you laugh from Dec. 31, 2008 over at my other blog, Favorite Cat Joke In Honor of All Dads Cats and My Moe.)


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Abby's Summer Workout Plan (by Abby)

Abby and her Daddy--Pack of Two
I want to tell you about my summer workout plan. On weekdays, I leave my house at 5:45 p.m. to meet Karen at the bus stop.

Once I get her home safe, my daddy and I visit Bartells passing two ice cream places along the way where I stop to let people pet me. I get compliments too that make me feel good! All the nice ladies know me at Bartells because I go so often. They pet me and give me cookies and water for free! Daddy says, "If it's free, it's for me."

Then we come back home through the park, making new friends, chasing squirrels up the trees, and taking breaks lying down in the nice tall grass in the shade. It usually takes us about an hour and 45 minutes with all my stops along the way.

Then when we get home, my daddy and I go in the basement to cheer on the Red Sox. My mom doesn't like going on my long walks because she likes to go on the computer but daddy does not mind. It takes the stress of his day away--the traffic and worrying about the Red Sox.

We are a pack of two! Woof! Woof!  What do you think of my summer workout? 


Monday, July 11, 2011

Aww Mondays

Aww!   
This is the first time I'm participating in Aww Mondays--all you do is post a picture that makes you say Aww.  Link up at Comedy Plus or add one of yours.


Sunday, July 10, 2011

Gerard's Top 10 Old TV Shows (Writer's Workshop)


Since we got so many comments on my list of TV shows, here are Gerard’s old favorites that he’d like to see make a comeback (some not so old):


Combat - Season 1, Campaign 1









Combat: This a a World War II drama. Karen used to watch it too!

Fame - The Complete First Season 
 Fame: I am enjoying watching the reruns.


The Carol Burnett Show - Collector's Edition, Vol. 1









The Carol Burnett Show: Loved the skits!  Remember the dentist one?




The Very Best of the Honeymooners









 The Honeymooners: We have some episodes on a VHS tape that Karen did.



Saturday, July 9, 2011

3 Things We Learned This Week 27 of 2011 (birds, disabilities, chimps)


Bald Eagle

Over at Comedy Plus, I learned some interesting facts about our national bird, the bald eagle. It only lives in North America and is no longer considered endangered but threatened. It is a felony to shoot an eagle. Visit her post to find out more!

Special Olympics

Mama Kat actually went to Greece to cover the Special Olympics for Blogland and listed 7 Things You Should Know About the Special Olympics. I didn't realize what a huge event this is not that you do not have to be physically handicapped to participate. I was also surprised to learn that these athletes are actually talented.

Chimp Sanctuary

Gerard learned there is a sanctuary for chimps when he read The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary. Chimps were rescued from a research lab and moved to Fauna Sanctuary. He says he'll never look at chimps the same way again! Click on the link to read his review. Here is a short video about it:


Visit Half-Past Kissin' Time for more Friday Fragments our link yours up.


Thursday, July 7, 2011

Karen’s Top 10 TV Shows (Writer's Workshop)

One of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop prompts this week is to List your top 10 TV shows that you would like to see make a comeback.  Wow, this was a trip down memory lane!  Here is my list:

McHale's Navy - Season One
McHale’s Navy:  I liked how clever McHale was and how he had the respect of his men.  The PT-73 crew was a well-functioning group of men.  This show was just fun to watch.

Hogan's Heroes - The Complete First Season
Hogan’s Heroes:  I liked this show for the same reasons as I liked McHale’s Navy.  Guess I am fascinated by good leadership and admire good leaders.  It didn’t hurt that Bob Crane was such a handsome man with a cute grin either. 

Gilmore Girls: The Complete Seventh Season
Gilmore Girls:  This was such a cute show and I loved the relationship between mother and daughter and that Rory was a good teen who got along well with her mom instead of a brat.  I loved the mother’s witty humor in this show.

Kid Nation Poster TV 27x40 Jonathan Karsh Morgan Wood Markelle Gay
Kid Nation:  I was sad to see this once canceled so quickly.  I really enjoyed watching the kids run their little community and the group dynamics involved.  The leadership angle again was a fascination for me.  I taped most of the season.

Family Ties - The Complete First Season
Family Ties:  I liked this show because the premise was different--clever, nice kids with former hippie parents.  Alex was so obsessed about money and extremely practical that he was funny so I liked this character the best.  I learned a lot about the actor Michael J. Fox when I read his autobiography, Lucky Man, which is very sad.