What A Dumb Name!

I was looking out my office window today (actually, my boss's window) and saw the Fifth Third Bank building.  I think that is the dumbest name I ever heard for a bank, or any company for that matter.  I could see how it could be a 5th bank or a 3rd bank, but how could it be a Fifth Third Bank?

My boss, being inquisitive and liking trivia put the question to to Yahoo Answers and we found out that Third Bank and Fifth Bank actually merged in 1908 and they kept both names.  You may wonder how they chose Fifth Third rather than Third Fifth.  The answer said "the merger took place during a period when prohibitionist ideas were gaining popularity, it was believed that "Fifth Third" was better than "Third Fifth," which could be construed as a reference to three "fifths" of alcohol."

I would think the executives would be able to think of a brand new name that would be better, wouldn't you?  

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Aww Monday With Abby and Monday Mischief With Spunky

toweling off after my walk in the rain

This morning when I tried calling in my refill prescription, Spunky Doodle came walking on the phone covering the keys so I had to start all over.  Then, when I hung up, she actually pushed the receiver off with her head, doing a head bump!  After initially being annoyed, I went for the camera realizing it would make a perfect Monday Mischief post, but Spunky Doodle had her own idea of what mischief to use:

I don't want to do it again, mom!

I refuse to do it again, I'm done and away I go!

She can be so stubborn sometimes!

Joining up with AWW Mondays and Monday Mischief.


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Sunday Sharing: God Is Fair

Most of what I read in Ezekiel this week was how God was going to punish Israel and Judah for worshiping idols and sexual sins so they would know that He was the Lord God.  However, for my highlight of the week I chose these verses that stood out from the rest:

(23) I do not really want the evil person to die, says the Lord God.  I want him to stop his bad ways and live.  (31) Get rid of all the sins you have done.  And get for yourselves a new heart and a new way to think.  Why do you want to die, people of Israel?  --Ezekiel 18:23, 31 (ICB)

Doesn't this sound like rehab?  Perhaps it struck me this way because I've been reading A Chance To Win--Boyhood, Baseball, and the Struggle for Redemption in the Inner City by Jonathan Schuppe.  God is all about reconciliation.  Today, God wants us to turn from sin to trusting and following Jesus, who died on the cross and rose from the grave so that we can be forgiven and have a new heart, one that desires to do God's will and please Him.

When reading these verses, II Corinthians 5:17 & 18 came to mind which says:

(17) Therefore, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  (18) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

What scripture highlight did you come across this week?  I'd really love to hear.  Please share in the comments or feel free to comment on this one.  

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5 Things We Learned This Week (animals, pets, life, food)

Friday Fragments is hosted by Unknown Mama for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post to give Mrs. 4444 a break for the summer. Here we go:

Turtles

Painting a turtles shell is harmful to them so Never Paint on a Turtle.  I learned this from a turtle blog called "Underneath the Shell" where you can find out more.

Poop Tip

Using a zip-lock plastic bag for the cat and dog poop keeps the stinky smell trapped in the bag. See "Yes, "Pack It Out" of the Wilderness Means Your Poop Bags Too" about being a responsible pet owner. This blogger even picks up others poop!

Weigh In

Our Spunky Doodle went from being obese down to heavy at 11 pounds. At least we are heading in the right direction, but the vet said her ideal weight is 9.5 lbs. I'm already barely feeding her as it is, only about 1/8 cup of dry food per day!  Her blood work came back good and no parasites, yippee!

 

Email Aggravation

When I went to access my Spunky Doodle email account, I got this message:

AT&T Service Suspension Alert
AT&T Yahoo! services suspended

You no longer have access to your AT&T Yahoo! account spunkydoodle@sbcglobal.net because your ATT Yahoo! Internet services have been suspended. If you are under 13 years of age, your parents need to re-approve your access to your email account and other ATT online services. Your parents can log in with their User ID (gkzemek@sbcglobal.net) to give that approval.

This is the one we use for our book blog and which gets requests for book reviews. I was able to get it reset but then a few days later, it came up again and I couldn't get it to reset. I called ATT technical support and after spending at least 20 minutes, mostly on hold, Vanessa said she would escalate it and I should be fixed in 24-48 hours! I told her to change it from a child's account and gave her my birth date instead of my cat's.

This was Wednesday and it is STILL not working!  GRRRR!  The Good news is that it finally was fixed as of Sunday!  Yea!!!

Good Treats for Dogs

According to the summer 2013 issue of "DogFancy's Natural Dog" blueberries and cranberries can benefit dogs. It said 2 or 3 berries are great for a small dog, a 50-pound dog could have a dozen. I'm going to check with our vet though first before letting our dog have any. So far, we only give her a little peanut butter once in a while.

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What's The Big Deal? (Writer's Workshop)

Today I am doing Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop prompt to capture a conversation you had with someone that made you laugh.

My husband and I were discussing the birth of the royal baby which went something like this:

Gerard:  Was the royal baby born yet?

Karen:  Yes, I saw something about it on Yahoo News.  I don't get why it's such a big deal though.

Gerard:  It is a big deal!  He's royalty-he's going to be a future king and never have to work a day in his life..

Karen:  Oh, I think he will, he'd be bored.  Do they still have a king who rules over there?

Gerard:  No, the royal family doesn't make any governing decisions.

Karen:  Well then who does? 

Gerard:  The Prime Minister who is like our President.  The royal family is just a tradition.  Didn't you take history in school?

Karen:  I didn't study England history.  Now I really don't get what all the excitement is about if they don't have any authority?  He's going to be a king with no authority??  Aren't there two brothers ahead of him anyway?

Gerard:  Actually there's a guy ahead of William but this baby passes up Harry because Harry is married.

Karen: Wait, that's not fair! That makes no sense at all! (laughing)

Gerard:  Good night.

Next day:

Gerard:  It's nice to have something happen that makes a lot of people happy for a change.

Karen:  True.

When I saw the pictures of all the people outside the palace on Yahoo news, I couldn't believe it!  People actually made a special trip to be there, even people from other nations!  I really don't see why this is such a big deal.  It did get me wondering how the birth of Jesus would have been different had he been born in this decade.  I wonder if He would have been in the news throughout the world.

What do you think about all the hoopla about the birth of the royal family baby, Prince George?

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Poor Cat--Please Help Yum Yum?

I was sad to read about Yum Yum at Everyday Living this morning.  This beautiful Siamese cat has gone blind in one eye, is in lots of pain and its owner cannot afford the surgery for an artificial eye which would enable Yum Yum to continue life pain free.  Tim Hicks has set up a PayPal button on his post about Yum Yum and is begging for help to raise $1,509.83 for the surgery.  He would appreciate any amount you could spare for Yum Yum.  Here is the link:  Yum Yum Needs Your Help.

Tim has been blogging for several years and was kind enough to create my blog button for me.  He has written many wonderful posts about Yum Yum and doesn't like to ask for help, but is desperate to help his cat.  I'm sure all of us cat owners can relate.  He made it very easy to donate.  Please help him out if you can.

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Aww Mondays: What's Abby Eating?

Celebrating National Ice Cream Day Yesterday

Special ice cream for Dogs

 Joining in the Awww Mondays blog hop and Monday Mischief.

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Sunday Sharing: Would God's Message For The U.S. Be The Same?

I'm continuing to read Ezekiel and this week came across the following verse that made me wonder if God would say the same thing to the people of the United States.  Here it is:

So say this to the people of Israel:  "This is what the Lord God says:  Change your hearts and lives.  Stop worshiping idols.  Stop doing all the things I hate." --Ezekiel 14:6 (Children's International Version)

I can't help but think God must be so displeased with our injustice and the deterioration of morals in this country.   Legalizing sin (abortion, homosexuality) is just plain wrong!  There, I said it.

On a more positive note, I had a blast at our Vacation Bible School with the Sonwest Roundup theme.  I helped in the 5th and 6th grade group and had both boys and girls in my small group.  I really thought I was going to win three years in a row, but this year my group came in second place because we had some who missed some days after they started.  I am happy to report though that everyone who was there Friday and even one who wasn't said all five verses during the week.  I love seeing children memorizing God's word and hope they will remember these verses:  John 3:16, John 16:33, John 11:25, John 6:35 and John 13:34-35.

What was your scripture highlight of the week.

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3 Friday Fragments (books, costs, heat)

Friday Fragments is hosted by Unknown Mama for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post to give Mrs. 4444 a break for the summer. Here we go:

What To Do With Books You Have Read

Beth Ann from It's Just Life shared a new way to pass on books to others in her post "Releasing Books Into the Wild" that I haven't heard of before called bookcrossing.com.  Personally, I use paperbackswap.com--it's not just paperbacks and when you post books that someone wants, you send it to them and get credits to use for a book you would like that someone else posted.  The one sending the book pays the postage.

High Costs

If you think things are expensive here in the U.S. just read "The World's Most Expensive Cities" at CNNMoney and you will soon feel better. For example, they list common items in U.S. dollars such as bread, wine, cigarettes, gas and a 3-course dinner with wine for four. The city who had the most expensive price for a loaf of bread was Coracas at $9.40! In Sydney, a pack of cigarettes is $15.48! For the 3-course high end dinner for four, it costs over $1,000 in Zurich, Paris and Geneva!

Hot Enough

We enjoyed being off this week and are so glad Gerard didn't have to work in that hot warehouse during this heat wave--it's been over 90 every day this week! We spent the mornings helping in our VBS and fortunately, our church is air-conditioned. In the afternoons we mostly stayed inside unless walking our dog except for Monday when we do play miniature golf.

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July Note Card Party For Spunky Doodle

In honor of my cat, Spunky Doodle's 9th birthday today, I chose pictures of her for my note card collection:

Take a deep breath and s-t-r-e-t-c-h!

Life is Like a Melody--May Yours Be A Happy One!

On Guard--Protect The Things You Love!

Wishing You A Happy Day!

Happy Birthday, Spunky!  We love you!

Join the Note Card party and find more at A Haven for Vee.

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Somtimes Spunky Doodle Listens

This video shows proof that cats can and do listen to instructions sometimes (if they feel like it). :

Does your cat do what you tell it to do?

Joining in with Cats on Tuesday.

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AWW Monday

Belly Rubs Are Best!

Join in AWW mondays with a picture that makes you say "AWWW."

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Sunday Sharing: The Lord Punishes But Warns First

I started reading the book of Ezekiel and it reads like a fantasy book!  God called Ezekiel to be a prophet to Israel when they were in captivity and Ezekiel saw lots of different visions.  So far I have read chapters 1-9 and found them to be quite interesting.  In chapter 1 he saw a living creature with four faces:  one side a man, one a lion, one an ox and one an eagle.  This just got things started off with a bang for me.  My interest was piqued to see what other visions God showed Ezekiel.

It's kind of hard to pick a key verse of the week as a highlight because all the chapters so far are God telling Ezekiel how he will punish the Israel for turning against Him and insulting Him.  Here is one passage that stood out to me in Ezekiel 3:12 & 18 which says:

(v. 12) Then the spirit lifted me up and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me.  A voice said, "PRAISE GOD IN HEAVEN." (v. 18) When I say to an evil person "you will surely die" you must warn him.  If you don't speak out to warn the evil person to leave his evil way, he will die in his sin.  But I will hold you responsible for his death.

Whoa!  Poor Ezekiel!  Wouldn't that be so scary?  I wonder how the people will react when Ezekiel warns them to turn from their sin back to God.  I wonder if they will accuse him of being judgmental like people accuse Christians so often today if we speak out against sin.  This makes me wonder if God will hold Christians responsible for the people we know who die in sin without hearing about God's love and gift of salvation if they are willing to repent of their sins and put their faith in Him as their personal Savior who died for them and rose from the grave.

I'd love to hear a scripture highlight that impressed you this week! Or, feel free to comment on this post. Have you ever read Ezekiel?

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Friday Fragments (funny, authors, tips, crafts, learning)

Friday Fragments is hosted by Unknown Mama for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post to give Mrs. 4444 a break for the summer. Here we go:

Laugh

This video made me laugh out loud when I saw it this week. I would like one of these to wear when I greet at church!

5 THINGS WE LEARNED THIS WEEK:

Cowboy Vest Craft

Helping in a group of 80-100 kindergartners for VBS takes a lot of time on preparation. We both learned how to make a cowboy vest using a paper bag. You can too by following the instructions listed in yesterday's post. Gerard will be working in this group this week and had to make 50 cowboy vests out of paper bags. Lots of cutting and taping. We worked on cutting them out while we watched most of the Indians game last Sunday and Joel Osteen. Then I taped around the neck of them and did a little Monday through Wednesday to get them all done. Whew! This is one reason I don't like to work in the younger groups.  It's actually a pretty neat craft--older kids could make their own though. I think the kids will love these--they get to color patches and glue them on! (At least we didn't have to do that part.)

Authors

I discovered some new authors this week after reading A Bride For All Seasons--Mail-Order Bride Collection. Four authors contributed to this book containing four historical romance novellas that I thoroughly enjoyed. I already read some of Mary Connealy's books but also look forward to reading more of Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, and Robin Lee Hatcher's. Have you read any by these authors--recommendations of what to start with?

Just Right-Click

Pic I made my big discovery on

All my blogging skill I learned along the way on me own with a little help from other bloggers. I am still learning! I started blogging in 2008 and just now discovered that when loading pics from my camera to the computer, all I need to do is right-click on a pic and choose the rotate counterclockwise option from the drop down menu to change it to portrait from landscape! All this time I was saving it to my computer, then opening it up and then choosing rotate.

Juggling Update

My juggling is coming along and I am confident I can learn this. I'm practicing with two balls now! Are you currently trying to learn something new?

Dog TV

A new channel is coming soon for dogs! Yes, it is for dogs who are home alone all day to watch. Abby is not a big TV watcher, but Gerard is eager to see this. Get more details at dogtv.com. Do you think your dog would like it?

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Instructions for How To Make A Western Vest From a Paper Bag (Writer's Workshop)

As a kid I loved anything related to cowboys so would have loved our VBS this year which uses a cowboy theme.  For the Kindergarteners, one of the suggestions was to make western vests for them to wear and add a patch to each day using a grocery bag.  Thanks, Giant Eagle, for donating the bags!  Gerard and I made 50 of these! 

1.   Get a paper grocery bag and cut it open, cutting a straight line up the back of it.
2.   Cut out a diamond shape in the center of the bottom of the bag for the head to go into.
3.   Put strips of masking tape all along the four edges of the neck to soften the edges by the neck.
4.  
   
   Cut along the side edges of the bottom of the bag.
5.   On each side of the bag starting at the bottom of the bag, cut out big arm holes.
6.   Turn the bag inside out.
7.  
   
   Cut 2" long strips around the top edge of the bag for fringe.
8. Set it aside if you have a cat, and I bet they will either enjoy sitting or lying on it!
   

Joining up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop using the prompt:  Write a post with 12 lines.

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Trying Something New (Mama Kat's Vlogging Workshop)

I am trying to teach myself to juggle using The Great Juggling Kit by Stuart Ashman (click the link to see part 1).  This video is part 2 in my series showing my progress. I have started learning to juggle two balls but still need to practice some more to get my arcs consistent. Try it, it's not so easy!

This post is part of Mama Kat's Vlogging Prompts:  Try something new.

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Wordless Wednesday: Lunch Time Walk by Lake Erie

View from 9th Street Pier

Big Boat

Sailing

Looking out to Lake Erie

It was a beautiful day so I wanted to make the most of my lunch so walked farther than usual.  

Join up with the Wordless Wednesday blog hop over at In Him We Live and Move and Have our Being.

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My Cats Don't Like It When I Get Home Late

Karen:  Look what you did, Spunky!  

Spunky:  I'm sorry, mommy

 Hi, Spunky Doodle here wanting to tell my side of the story.  See, we are on a very regular routine, supper is served between 6 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.  Earlier is okay with us, but not later!  Well, my mom got home late from work because there was a special free concert by the Cleveland orchestra on Public Square last week that caused a big traffic jam downtown.  My mommy's bus could not get through so it caused her to be an hour late getting home.

We were very hungry kitties so were glad our dad fed us at least so we didn't have to wait until 7 p.m. to eat.  We were still upset with mom though and stayed upstairs all evening instead of watching her at the computer.  She came up to say goodnight but I jumped at her and caught her off guard.  My tooth connected with her arm and when she pulled away, she had a big scratch mark that bled a little bit.  She said I hurt her and left.  I felt a bit bad then.  I really didn't mean to hurt her.

I let her know I forgave her for being late by joining her in the bed a bit later and she was happy to see me.  We are on good terms once again because neither of us hold a grudge.  Do you?

Join up with the cats on Tuesday blog hop if you have a cat (or are a cat blogger)! Also joining Monday Mischief a day late.

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I'm So Pretty, Oh So Pretty (by Abby)

Abby Dabby Doo Happy to be Home after Her Spa Day

I had my spa day Saturday and got all washed, rinsed, dried, perfumed, and even my nails were clipped. I dread going though as you can see in this video that my dad thought would be funny.


Once I actually get going though, it's really not so bad. My mom likes how much softer my fur feels now and that she can pet me up without get a handful of fur. She used to be able to pull chunks right off me but not now. She doesn't complain about it though because she is just so happy my fur all grew back from after my surgery when I was attacked. I especially like my patriotic scarf. It was a hot day so the bath actually felt good! If you want to see me actually being groomed here is the longer version.


My mom and dad both stayed and watched me the whole time. That's one reason that they like Bartels and Busack Pet Hospital Resort and Spa--because they treat the people nice too! Even though it's a bit scary, I recommend my dog friends visit a spa near you and get gussied up like me! Woof! Woof!

Joining in with Monday Mischief.


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Sunday Sharing: Helping Others

I finished reading the book of Galatians this week so will choose a highlight from there since it's such a short book. The verse for this week is Galatians 6:9-10 which says:

Don't get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right if you don't give up. We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.

(Contemporary English Version)

I generally like to help others and believe most people do.  It gives me a good feeling if I can help someone and I also am grateful when someone helps me.  This is one of the reasons that I enjoy being a secretary/administrative assistant which is basically just helping others.  It's a good job for me.  Beyond that though, it's fun to surprise people by doing something nice for them.

One day last week, I witnessed one of the beggars downtown who asks people for money every day, ask a lady that was passing by behind me.  I heard her say she didn't have any money, but she could give him her lunch (which she had just purchased) saying it was a burger.  He gratefully accepted it and she gave it to him!

It made me realize I have a ways to go in this area.  I'm fine with buying people gifts, going out of my way to help someone with something, giving time to help with church events, help my husband with things, but don't see me ready to give up my own lunch for someone else that I don't even know.  I thought that was very nice of her!

When was the last time you saw someone help someone else.  How are you doing at helping others?

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Friday Fragments (shopping, learning, politics, news)

Friday Fragments is hosted by Unknown Mama for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post to give Mrs. 4444 a break for the summer. Here we go:

Stupid Store

Last Saturday we went shopping for a new pair of tennis shoes for Gerard at a close by mall. After discovering Dick's didn't have many wide widths, we checked out Shoe Dept. and found a white and black Nike Air Max right shoe in size 10 the fit real well that Gerard liked. Too bad they couldn't find the left shoe to match it! The boxes were all mixed up by sizes too and I just kept thinking I could never work in this store. They did offer to order them for us, but didn't have any idea when they would get in. We returned to Dick's and settled for a nice Size 10 Nike black and blue Air Max even though it wasn't a D width.

Image:  Wikipedia

Interesting Walks

Abby had two interesting walks this week: (1) we saw a skunk! and (2) at the park we saw a vulture! Abby went after both but fortunately the skunk ran off!

Funny Things at Zoo

When we went to the zoo yesterday, I was on the lookout for some funny things which I put into a video. I missed getting the Bald Eagle flapping its wings, the squirrel running through the fence leaving the Red Panda's exhibit, the two chipmunks chasing each other on the path and the real little boy with a Mohawk hair cut being carried my his mom. Here's the YOuTube link to view what I did find: Funny Things at the Zoo

7 THINGS WE LEARNED THIS WEEK:

Worms

When checking out at Dick's, I learned there are lots of different kinds of worms! Dick's sells all these worms for bait: Big Red worms, Green worms, Wax worms, Meal Worms, Butter worms and Night Crawlers. I asked the cashier what kind I find in my yard and he said those would be night crawlers. I would have liked to have seen what they all looked like and taken a picture for you, but the guy already probably thought I was nuts copying down the list.

Air Max Shoes

If you are on your feet all day like Gerard is, Nike Air Max shoes are great!

Facebook

My husband, Gerard, got a Facebook page and is learning how to use it. He says everything is on Facebook or Twitter these days! He likes to follow his sports teams and news but did add me as a family friend.

Mayor Cats

A cat named Morris is running for mayor of Mexican city Veracruz and has nearly 100,000 more "likes" on Facebook than the other four mayoral candidates! I think this is hilarious. Hey, if a cat named Stubbs could be mayor for 15 years in Talkeetna, Alaska, there's hope for all cats! People actually voted for the cat!!!

Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox were the first American League team to win 50 games this year in spite of the "experts" prediction that they will finish in last place this season--Ha!

No. 1 TV Show

Can you guess what it was this week? It was "Under the Dome" based on the Stephen King novel. I read the book and watched the show--both were very good!

USA Security?

I think I saw on Yahoo News or else on Act America this week that Russian troops have been hired to provide security at the super bowl! Is this plain crazy or what? (Thistle Cove Farm wrote about this too!)

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