Ann

A Strong Woman Versus A Woman Of Strength A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape... But a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape... A strong woman isn't afraid of anything... But a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear... A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her... But a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone... A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future... A woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessing and capitalizes on them... A strong woman walks sure footedly... But a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls... A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face... But a woman of strength wears grace... A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey... But a woman strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong... ~~Marta S. Hardy

Good Morning Ginny! Like you, I have been mailing all of the junk mail back for a while. I put all the advertising and offers in one pile and all the return envelopes in another. Then, I shuffle each pile and randomly grab one offer and one envelope. Of course, nothing ever matches. Working in an office, I can only imagine how frustrated this can be for the people opening the mail.

Here in Florida, we almost always seem to have sweltering heat. I think I'm ready for that blizzard. I can only imagine how some of these Florida drivers would perform in a little bit of snow and ice!

HOW TO TELL THE sex OF A BIRD This Is AMAZING!!! Until now I never fully understood how to tell, The difference Between Male and Female Birds. I always thought it had to be determined surgically. Until Now. Which of The Two Birds Is a Female??? Below are Two Birds.. Study them closely... See If You Can Spot Which of The Two Is The Female. It can be done. Even by one with limited bird watching skills. (scroll down.)

Tips for Handling Telemarketers Three Little Words That Work !! (1)The three little words are: "Hold On, Please..." Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off (instead of hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt. Then when you eventually hear the phone company's "beep-beep-beep" tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task. These three little words will help eliminate telephone soliciting. (2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end? This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone. This technique is used to determine the best time of day for a "real" sales person to call back and get someone at home. What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as quickly as possible This confuses the machine that dialed the call and it kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer !!! (3) Junk Mail Help: When you get "ads" enclosed with your phone or utility bill, return these "ads" with your payment. Let the sending companies throw their own junk mail away. When you get those "pre-approved" letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the ret urn envelope. Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them more than the regular 37 cents postage "IF" and when they receive them back. It costs them nothing if you throw them away! The postage was around 50 cents before the last increase and it is according to the weight. In that case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little, postage-paid return envelopes. One of Andy Rooney's (60 minutes) ideas. Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express. Send a pizza coupon to Citibank. If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them their blank application back! If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anything you send them. You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just to keep them guessing! It still costs them 37 cents. The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the mail, but folks, we need to OVERWHELM the m. Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of junk mail, and best of all they're paying for it...Twice! Let's help keep our postal service busy since they are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits, and that's why they need to increase postage costs again. You get the idea ! If enough people follow these tips, it will work ---- I have been doing this for years, and I get very little junk mail anymore. Andy Rooney was the writer...Just had to share...

Close your eyes...And go back... ....Before the Internet or PC or the MAC...... ....Before semi-automatics and crack.... ....Before Playstation, SEGA, Super Nintendo, even before Atari... ....Before cell phones, CD's, DVD's, voicemail and e-mail.... ....way back.... ....way.....way.....way back..... I'm talkin' bout hide and seek at dusk Red light, Green light Red Rover....Red Rover..... Playing kickball & dodgeball until the first...no...second...no...third Streetlight came on Ring around the Rosie London Bridge Hot potato Hop Scotch Jump rope Duck....duck....GOOSE!!! YOU'RE IT!! Parents stood on the front porch and yelled (or whistled) for you to come home - no pagers or cell phones Mother May I? Hula Hoops Seeing shapes in the clouds Endless summer days and hot summer nights (no A/C) with the windows open The sound of crickets Running through the sprinkler Happy Meals Cereal boxes with that GREAT prize in the bottom Cracker jacks with the same thing Ice pops with 2 sticks you could break and share with a friend ...but wait.....there's more.... Watchin' Saturday Morning cartoons Fat Albert, Road Runner, Smurfs, Picture Pages, G-Force & He-Man, Schoolhouse Rock Watchin' Sunday morning oldies (Abbott & Costello, Three Stooges) Wonder Woman & Super Man Underoos FONZIE.....AYYYYYYYY Playing Dukes of Hazard Catchin' lightning bugs in a jar Christmas morning Your first day of school Bedtime Prayers and Goodnight Kisses Climbing trees Swinging as high as you could to try and reach the sky Getting an Ice Cream off the Good Humor Truck A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers Jumpin' down the steps Jumpin' on the bed Pillow fights Sleep-overs A 13" black and white TV in your room meant you were RICH Runnin' till you were out of breath Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt Being tired from PLAYING WORK: meant taking out the garbage or doing the dishes Your first crush Your first kiss (I mean the one that you kept your mouth CLOSED and your eyes OPEN Rainy days at school meant playing "Heads up 7UP" or hangman" in The classroom, Remember that? Oh, I'm not finished yet.... Kool-Aid was the drink of the summer So was a swig from the hose Giving your friends a ride on your handlebars Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school Class Field Trips with soggy sandwiches When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there When a quarter seemed like a fair allowance; and another quarter a MIRACLE When ANY parent could discipline ANY kid, or feed him, or use him to carry groceries...And nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it. When your parents took you to McDonalds and you were COOL When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited you at home. Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of us are still afraid of em! Didn't that feel good? Just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that!" Well, let's keep going!! Let's go back to the time when... Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo" Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!" "Race issues" meant arguing about who ran the fastest. Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "monopoly" Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends. Being old, referred to anyone over 20. (CRAP! I'm officially old!) The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties. Nobody was prettier than Mom Scrapes and bruises were kissed by mom or grandma and made better It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park. Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true. Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare" Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles. The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team. Water balloons were the ultimate, ultimate weapon. Older siblings were your worst tormentors, but also your fiercest protector If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!

I'll start and you guys keep adding on...... In my perfect world, I would.........

Some people are like Slinkies ... Not really good for anything...... But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

This game seemed to go on for a long time when I posted it a while back. Let's try another round. Take the last 2 letters of the word to start the new word. Like: dish .......next person could post shed My word is.... originate

Good one Frank! See guys...remember this lesson and always do as a female says. It will always save you a lot of grief in the end!!!!

OK...let's say you have your choice today. Which will it be? Sweltering heat or a waist high blizzard?

Joanie...sounds like time to get out the party hats for a celebration. I know how relieved you must be. I know how you feel about the heavy pressure that working with disagreeable people can bring on. I don't mind working...not at all. But...I do hate working with and for overbearing, mean spirited individuals! Hey...I think we should all go to the pub for a drink! I'm buying! Where's Cindi???

So very happy that your Dad received this wonderful news, Jen. So very happy for you and your family.

Oh Gail, I am just so very sorry. I know how very much you loved you Dad. You were a wonderful daughter and caregiver. Remembering you and your family in my prayers.

The Bathtub Test It doesn't hurt to take a hard look at yourself from time to time, and this should help get you started. During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized. "Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub." "Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup." "No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?" DID YOU PASS, OR DO YOU WANT THE BED NEXT TO MINE?

Hey...I seem to do this all the time and don't have a reason. I am one that usually just says what's on my mind and sometimes, I just don't stop and think who I'm talking to. Usually, I just leave the foot there and go on, rather than trying to explain what I meant to say.

Peggy...thanks so much for posting this. I have read this before but today was a day that I needed to read this again and be reminded to be thankful for what I do have!

Heartfelt prayers for our Rich!

Jen, I am so sorry to read this news about your father. I know how terrified you must be right now. Know that we will be keeping you and your father in our thoughts and prayers. Please let us know how today goes at the hospital. I pray there is something they can do to help your father.

Do you often "put your foot in your mouth?" If so, do you just leave it there or try and come up with some nice words to expxlain what you said and make it go away?

I'm not the greatest at remembering names but I always remember faces. Seeing the face always helps me to remember the name, by putting the face in a particular setting and working from there. Well, when I was shopping in Target recently, this lady came up to me and started asking me how I was doing, how my boys are (by their names) abd talking about Dennis' death. I knew that I knew this face but couldn't figure out who in the world this woman was. I had to know her, as she knew so many personal things about me. Well, I guess I pretended to know her fairly well, as she didn't seem to catch on that I didn't have a clue. She walked away and I spent over an hour tyying to figure out who this woman was. Then...it hit me. She owns a little shop that I used to visit frequently. I think this was the first time I had seen her outside of her shop and that threw me. What a scary feeling that was. After that, I can imagine how terrifying it is to face memory loss.

Can't believe it's been two years since TBone left us. He is missed on this board by so many. Thank you so very much for your post. I hope it will touch the hearts of so many here that are grieving for their loved ones.

Carleen...so very sorry for your pain. I know just how you are feeling. There's nothing any of us can say that will take away your pain. Time is a wonderful healer. Even time won't heal all of the wounds but it seems to make them hurt a little less.

I am so glad to hear that you're up to this project, Andrea. Please know that I will be volunteering my time and services. I have already asked a lot of friends and co-workers to share some of their wonderful recipes!