Tsunamis, Earthquakes and Other Things

God bless those poor people in Japan....and New Zealand.  I know I'm a little late on the New Zealand thing but I'm sure all is not back to normal.
Isn't it creepy to think how fast something like that can happen?  Without warning?
I'm one of those people who likes things to stay the same and familiar.  That makes events like this twice as scary for me.  You can't  anticipate a natural disaster like that and it might effect you directly or just the people in the next town or even the next street.
Hopefully, in times like this we all behave at our best.  Not counting looters.  Although, in Japan today it didn't look like anyone had any time for looting.  They were too busy running for their lives.
We focus a lot on bad behaviors.  On the news, they talk about bullying and terrorism and despots.  People generally treat one another pretty poorly if you listen to them.  So it cheered me to see that the whole world's attention was grabbed by a video of a baby who laughed its head off over his dad tearing up paper.  The kid even made it on television.
I was glad to know that the best of us still attracted as much attention as the worst of us.  They should run it on Jumbotrons in Japan in a few days to help people smile--at least a little.

Some Free Advice

Mike Huckabee, why don't you spend your time thinking of ways to create jobs rather than take potshots at Natalie Portman and her unborn child?  What she chooses to do is none of your business.  You're a politician--help fix the economy, lower taxes, fix Social Security.  That should really  keep you too busy to do sound bites about celebrities.
Rush Limbaugh, leave Mrs. Obama alone.  She isn't fat.  She is encouraging people(especially the young) to live a healthy lifestyle.  You are no slim pickin's yourself.  Don't talk about someone who probably weighs less than you do. Oh yes, and if she eats something she "shouldn't" every once in a while....it's none of your business...or mine, for that matter.
You people in the crowd that verbally attacked some citizens who might or might not be Muslims.  Did you ever hear of freedom of religion?  It's why the Pilgrims came here in the first place.  Oh, I know you have a right to express your views because of freedom of speech but to families and children, I mean, little children.  What is the matter with you?  Freedom of speech doesn't mean you have the right to verbally assault someone until they are frightened.  Stay home and tend to your own children.
You people who picket soldier's funerals.  Did you ever hear of kindness?  How about respect?  How about mind your own business?  I know the Supreme Court supported you.  They are wrong.  Do you remember how you felt when someone close to you died?  These kids die horrible deaths for the likes of you and me.
Oh, yes and did you ever hear that God is Love????  Not just love for you but for everyone.  I learned that in Sunday School when I was five years old.  Stay home and read up on God's love.
If any of you aforementioned folks read this blog, I know advice is cheap and you will never take mine because I'm a nobody. But really, it's time to stop all this and look into yourselves and try and find peace of mind so that you and your neighbors or your First Lady or your movie stars can too.

One Thing Leads to Another

We painted our bathroom and we ended up swapping out handles, door knobs, shower head and hinges because once you do one of those things the other things look......well, used.  I used to think that painting was easy-peesy but it does kind of snowball.
Take our kitchen for example.  I wanted to paint but I also wanted a new backsplash.  I didn't want to paint where the backsplash would go but it turned out I had to because you could see a tiny slash of the old color between the appliances and we couldn't have that.  Then as I removed the painters' tape from one of the wall cabinet, it seemed loose.  OHMYGOSH, the whole cabinet was coming apart and all my dishes were in there!  Painting and backsplashing stopped and emptying the cabinet became the number one priority.  Good thing we noticed it or one day we may have had a catastrophe!
Catastrophe averted and my DH thinks he can fix the cabinet.  Anyway, while we scrutinized the cabinet we thought the hardware doesn't suit our new kitchen and we need new handles all over our kitchen.  So now I have to find something that suits it and me.
And you know, you think you are so clean.  If you move your stove and your fridge, I bet you'll change your mind.  Even behind my hutch, it was pretty dusty and cobwebby and I thought I cleaned behind there at least....every six months or so.  HAHA!  You better believe I'll be getting back behind there once a week now that I saw it.
Anyway, if you have a painting project in mind(especially a kitchen) I have some advice for you.  Be ready to clean up sticky, greasy messes and have a mop and broom on hand.  Don't be shocked by what you see just clean it up and be done with it.  A painting project doesn't mean just paint.  Don't let those experts on HGTV fool you.  They must have a team of lackeys that do the clean up before they come to paint.  If you don't have a team of lackeys then you have to do it yourself. 
Oh, and don't forget to tape.  Tape is your friend. Tape keeps the paint off the woodwork and the ceiling and anything else you don't want paint on.  If you forget to tape, you have to stop painting and do it right then or you will be scraping off paint years down the road and you will be cursing your self.  If you don't believe me, read my blog on nail polish remover.  That is something that is handy to have around also...before painting or even taping to get the old stuff off the woodwork you previously didn't tape.
Actually, when it comes to a painting project, painting is the easiest and fastest part of the job.  So be prepared for any eventuality......your cabinets could be secretly falling apart too!

SAG

SAG are my initials and I am doing my darnedest to live up to them.  You see, I am sagging everywhere.  The first thing that started to sag was my butt.  It is so saggy now it has disappeared.  Did you see Lady Gaga in the black ...um....outfit at the Grammys?  It molded over her but and I wish I had that but I would wear it on the inside of my pants not the outside.
Beside my saggy butt, my boobs are saggy too.  I know there are all kinds of jokes about sagging boobs and even greeting cards but to tell the truth I didn't notice it much until my son's birthday.  His girl took a pic of our family and my boobs are almost at my waist!  When did that happen?  It sure sneaked up on me.  I feel like I need one of those iron bras like the divas in the opera wear(and Bugs Bunny for that matter) to hold 'em up where they belong.  Obviously, my present bra just isn't doin' it.
My face sags now too.  I know one can get a facelift nowadays.  I hate pain though.  I could probably get Botox but that just scares me.  See, I am allergic to bees....and I hate snakes.  So if it's bee venom or snake venom, I just think I would be injected and probably become horribly disfigured instead of uplifted.
My mouth turns down and my jowls jiggle just a little.  It is a little frustrating.
Well, sagging is not the worse thing that can happen to you.  Actually, it is probably nothing to even mention.  But if you read this, you know me.  I had to mention it.  Especially when I thought of the Initials thing.  Come on, it was inevitable that I would write about it!
So the next time you see me you won't be shocked or surprised if I am saggy.  Just don't call me SAG!

Su.s.an

Well, it is official.  I am an oldie.  Really, an oldie.  I just watched the Grammies and half of the time I didn't know what they were singing about or who they were or if they were even singing at all.  The group that won the album of the year I never even heard of and their performance was all strobe lights and guys riding bikes and someone screaming into a bullhorn while a couple girls played violins and another beat a drum.  I couldn't get passed the strobes.  Now I know why they say they can cause epileptic fits.  I almost had one and I don't even have epilepsy.
The young women hardly had any clothes on.  Not in a pretty or scanty kind of way--the costumes looked like ugly bathing suits gone wild to me. Lady Gaga even had some weird prosthetics on her head and her shoulder.  She changed clothes at least once but when she got her award she was wearing something that looked like a Lego snap on suit.  It was heavy plastic molded over her body....even the butt cheeks.  To tell the truth, since I have no butt, I was a little jealous of that part.  The boobs had hooks on them?????????
Not that the folks representing my generation did much better.  Barbra Streisand sang like a timorous mouse and Kris Kristofferson looked downright feeble.
Bob Dylan performed and you could barely understand a word he said and he had a bunch of kids for back up which he needed....badly.  Mick Jagger pranced around the stage singing YO yo yo.  All I could think was that even though he has a lot of youthful energy if he took his clothes off he'd look like Mr. Burns on The Simpsons!
I loved Eminem.  I can't help myself.   He reminds me of my kids at school back in the day.  Even when he raps about terrible things, I can't help myself... I just love him.  Frankly, I never understand a word he raps but that's ok.  I'm sure he could care less.
I loved Will.i.am wearing his red leather gloves.  I want them.  Oh and now I am a fan of B.O.B.  Apparently I can't get enough of those names with periods.   I am now going by Su.s.an as you saw above. It's pronounced  Su- Ess- Ann.   If you run into me, feel free to use my new moniker.  It is the only thing new about me because as I stated earlier, I am an oldie.  And you'll recognize me by my disappearing butt.

Tea For Two

I'm getting ready to serve my Book Club a lovely "low" tea.  Did you know that a high tea really means an entire meal with an entree and everything?  Well, I didn't know until I started looking for recipes that would work for me and my group.
There will be little sandwiches with cucumber or tuna or shrimp salad or cream cheese.  There will be scones with jam and lemon curd with Devonshire cream.  We are serving tiny little cupcakes and shortbread dipped in dark chocolate.
Doesn't that all sound yummy?  Add in some mixed nuts and some Valentine candy and you have the whole menu.  I have 6 different kinds of tea also.
It is the second anniversary of our Book Club so we are pulling out the stops(so to speak)!

The only real problem is the weather.  It is supposed to snow like crazy and some of the women might not feel like driving.  Then it will be a tiny group--possibly even tea for two.  I'm hoping everyone will be brave and show up--otherwise my DH will be taking finger sandwiches to work for lunch!!  Won't he love that?

Magic Elixir

Well, I've been painting my bathroom and I was so shocked to see how much paint I had gotten on my woodwork in the past.  It was downright embarrassing.  So I looked up on the Internet how to remove paint from wood and they suggested a product which made me gag and get a little light headed.
I toyed with the idea of painting the woodwork but then I thought I'd try something in the least noticeable spot and guess what, I found the answer to my problem.
I used nail polish remover and it took that latex paint off in no time--even stuff that had been there for years! It did take some of the sheen off the woodwork but nothing a little orange oil couldn't fix and they look practically brand new.
So I love nail polish remover.  I used it to get old paint off the door knobs too and it worked like a champ.
Who'd have thought the answer to my problem would be right in the cupboard?
Oh, nail polish remover, thanks for being you.  I love you now more than ever.  I just wish you could see what you have done.