Birthday Memories

Every year when it gets close to my son's birthday he always tells me about his past birthdays. He can tell me every little detail about it. What kind of cake he had, what wrapping paper was on the gifts from Nana, what wrapping paper was on the gifts from Grandma, what he got of coarse, and what he was wearing. He's got a great memory! Why is it that I can't remember every little detail about my birthdays? Oh... too many birthdays I guess. haha!

Well, it's that time of year again for my son's birthday. It's Monday. He is getting very excited. But we're low on money and I still haven't gotten him anything. He heard me tell Daddy this over the phone. When I got off the phone he says "Mom, I know there isn't much money to buy birthday presents. You can go to Dollar Tree and get me a rubber chicken."

WHAT???? Did I hear him right? He is okay with me getting some cheap toy at Dollar Tree? And a rubber chicken at that?? Why a rubber chicken??

I thought to myself, NO WAY! I can see it now - ten years from now he will be telling everyone about his 11th birthday when mom got him a cheap rubber chicken. I don't think so. I'm getting my son something better than that.

It's the End of the World!!

Planets lining up, meteor showers, and the galactic equator causing polar shifts - is it the end of the world?!?! I won't even go there.

I happened upon an article about a meteor shower that has been happening for the past couple of days and it peaked my interest seeing as how I enjoy anything astronomy. The Orionid Meteor shower peaked just before dawn this morning, but can still be seen Thursday before dawn, though not as brilliant. Unfortunately, we had cloud cover this morning. I'm going to try to catch it tomorrow. Where is the Orionid shower going to come from? Close to Orion's belt of coarse. But where is it?? In our sky it is usually southwest and can only be seen in the fall and winter. To verify where it was going to be, I pulled up the website called Sky and Telescope which has a nice interactive sky map that shows you what will be in your sky at what times. It's pretty handy. So I was looking through tomorrow morning at 5 am I happened to notice that 4 planets will line up. At 6 the sun will line up as well. The moon and Jupiter appear to follow the same path during our day time today. I don't think it is an exact alignment because there would have been a big story about it, but they are really close. Is it some kind of universal event? Who knows. I just think it was really very interesting to see how close the planets were lining up.

Maybe it is time to get out my telescope and camera!

New Layout

I just installed a new layout... I was getting rather tired of the plain old normal Blogger layout and felt like something new. It's fresh and clean - though I will probably end up changing it again because I'm not really much of a pastel person. Maybe I should find some chocolate layouts! LOL

Anyways, there's not much else happening around here...just trying to survive and getting ready for winter.

Have an awesome day!

Technology for Country Folk

Not everyone knows technology...

LOG ON:

Making a wood stove hot.

LOG OFF:

Too much wood on fire.

MONITOR:

Keep'n an eye on the wood stove.

DOWN LOAD:

Gitten the farwood off'n the truck.

MEGA HERTZ:

When yer not keerfull gitten the farwood.

FLOPPY DISC:

Whatcha git from tryin to tote too much farwood.

RAM:

That thar thang what splits the farwood.

HARD DRIVE:

Gitten home in the winter time.

WINDOWS:

Whut to shut when its cold outside

SCREEN:

Whut to shut when its black fly season

BYTE:

Whut dem dang flys do

CHIP:

Munchies fer the TV

MICRO CHIP:

Whut's in the bottom of the munchie bag

MODEM:

Whatcha do to the hay fields

DOT MATRIX:

Ole Dan Matrix's wife

LAP TOP:

Whar the kitty sleeps

KEYBOARD:

Whar you hang the dang truck keys

SOFTWARE:

Dem dang plastic forks and knifes

MOUSE:

What eats the grain in the barn

MOUSE PAD:

That's hippie talk fer where the mouse lives

MAINFRAME:

Holds up the barn roof

PORT:

Fancy flatlander wine

ENTER:

Notherner talk fer "C'Mon in y'all"

CLICK:

Whut you hear when you cock yer gun

DOUBLE CLICK:

When you cock the double barrel

REBOOT:

Whut you have to do right before bedtime when you have to go to the outhouse

Artwork by Dennis Cox at

www.djart.com.

B-b-b-b-r-r-r-r-r-r-rabbits!

I don't know why I say that but I always do, especially when it is really really really cold! Well, it is really really really cold here. We had such nice warm weather then all of a sudden...BAM...we are freezing. And not only just freezing, it is like 10 degrees Fahrenheit. I have noticed that in October we usually get a cold snap like this where it is just insanely cold, but it soon warms back up to seasonable temperatures. But still, when you are in a very old house that has hardly any insulation and you have to heat the house with a fire, it is NOT fun. I sit here at my computer dressed in thermal underwear, sweats, 3 pairs of socks, warm fuzzy slippers, wrapped in two fleece blankets, gloves, a mug of hot tea, and I am still freezing. How on earth do my animals stand this with just their fur??

I finally start defrosting and my husband calls me and tells me that it is 80 degrees and sunny where he is. Add insult to injury why don't you?! haha!

Coping with People You Dislike

Another great article from Daily OM... how to deal and live with people that we dislike. I know there are a few people who dislike me, and I hope that by miracle they read this, they can learn that their dislike for me stems not from me, but from their own insecurities. But if not, then so be it...it is their life, not mine. ;)

************************

As much as most of us wish we could exist in harmony with the people we encounter throughout our lives, there will always be individuals we dislike. Some simply rub us the wrong way while others strike us as deliberately unaware. We may judge others as too mean or abrasive for us to interact with them comfortably. Yet no person should be deemed a villain because their beliefs, opinions, mannerisms, and mode of being are not compatible with your own. You need not embrace the rough traits they have chosen to embody. There may be times in which the best course of action involves distancing yourself from someone you dislike. But circumstances may require that you spend time in the company of individuals who awaken your aversion. In such cases, you can ease your discomfort by showing your foe loving compassion while examining your feelings carefully.

The reasons we dislike some individuals are often complex and, at first, indecipherable. Often, we are automatically averse to people who are different because they compel us to question our values, spirituality, culture, and ideologies, threatening to undermine our self-assurance. Realistically, however, those you dislike have no power to weaken your life’s foundations. In fact, your aversion to specific individuals may actually be your response to your fear that specific qualities you see in them also exist within you. Their presence may force you to face internal issues you would rather not confront. If you meet someone who inspired an intense, largely negative response in you, ask yourself why your reaction is so laden with powerful emotions. Remember that you control your feelings and, if necessary, you can minimize this individual’s impact on your well-being by choosing how you will respond to them.

Though you may not have an immediate breakthrough, your willingness to consider your dislike rationally can help you better understand the root of your feelings. Your aversion to certain individuals may not wane over time, yet the comprehension you gain through reflection can help you interact with them sympathetically, benevolently, and with a greater degree of kindness. There is nothing wrong with recognizing that you are incompatible with some people. You may never achieve a shared harmony with those you dislike, but you can nonetheless learn to modulate your reactions to these individuals and, ultimately, to coexist peacefully with them.

http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2009/20525.html

Going Abroad

I have always wanted to visit the country of my ancestors since I was a young girl. My grandmother was from Germany and told me many stories and cooked so many different foods from there. If I did not know, being in my grandmother's house was almost like being in Germany. But then again, I have never been there before, so I can't really compare. lol

So recently I decided that I am going to plan a trip for my son and me to visit Germany! I am very excited about it. I have many friends there and some of them even stayed with me recently. We had a lot of fun learning about each others cultures and languages. It is very exciting hosting foreign visitors and showing them your country.

I know I won't be able to visit in 2009 - it will take much longer just to plan everything. LOL But I have hopes to make it there in 2010! :D

Ich hoffe gerade, dass mein Deutsch genug gut ist!