Ann

Barbara, I am so glad you were able to "visit" with Bill. That's how I always refer to my dreams of Dennis...as a "visit." Like you, I always feel safe and comforted after one of these visits and I seem to know that he is alright and that he is somehow managing to look out for me. It's funny how unpredictable the dreams are but I seem to always have a dream about Dennis when I'm really stressed to the max or when I'm struggling to make a big decision. It's almost as if my inner being is reaching out to him, asking him to help me. Regardless of what happens, or why it happens....let's just be glad that we have our special "visits" that always make us feel so loved afterwards.

SPOOKY

Good morning, everyone. OMG...I love this weather! Our high for today is supposed to be 82 and tomorrow the high may only reach the 70's. I am so glad that I can turn off the A/C and have my windows open. This means that FPL will be getting less of my hard earned money for their electricity!!! Bud, I do know what you mean about the job situation. Although I try to remember that I am blessed to have a job when there are so many people out of work....I HATE MY JOB!!! I used to love the job and thought I would never want to leave. But, when people start treating you like a slave rather than an employee...things change. I keep getting more responsibilities and now, I'm to the point where I literally can't do any more work. There is no time to fit anything else in but people still think they can get more out of me! I'm now doing the job of at least four people and I am still getting paid the same lousy amount for over a year now. So...thanks for allowing me to let off some steam. It I was a pressure cooker, I would have already exploded!!! Judy...I will continue saying prayers that your tests results are really GREAT!!! You are always just a thought away and I always say a little prayer when I think of you! If you have any waiting time when you're at MDA, could you please check and see if there is still a Clinical Nurse on staff named Trudi Graves? She was Dennis' nurse at MDA and she is such an angel!!! I would love for you to know her! If you should see her, just tell her Ann King (Dennis) from Melbourne says "hi." Hope everyone is having a beautiful fall day in your little corner of this big, beautiful world!!! Ann

haunted ....as in haunted house

A guy had been marooned on a desert island for a long time. One day, out of the water,walked a tall, curvy, beautiful woman wearing a black wet suit with many zippers. She said, "You have been here all alone for so long, is there anything you would like?" In a low, sexy voice. "Yes," he said, "I would love a nice cold Martini." The woman opened a zipper on her suit, took out the makings for a martini and a shaker. "Is there anything else you would like" she purred. "Now that you mentioned it, I would like a good cigar" he said. Again, she opened a zipper and took out a big, thick cigar, clipped the end and when he put in his mouth, lit it with a lighter. "Anything else," she said giving him a sexy look. "No, I'm quite content." he replied. She was surprised by his answer and said, "You mean after being here alone so long, you don't want to play around?" "Hey," he said in surprise, "Don't tell me you got a golf course in that suit?"

THIS ONE IS A HOOT. A Lady went into a bar in Waco , Texas and saw a cowboy with his feet propped up on a table. He had the biggest boots she'd ever seen. The woman asked the cowboy if it's true what they say about men with big feet being well endowed. The cowboy grinned and said, 'Shore is, little lady. Why don't you come on out to the bunkhouse and let me prove it to you?' The woman wanted to find out for herself, so she spent the night with him. The next morning she handed him a $100 bill. Blushing, he said, 'Well, thankya, ma'am. Ah'm real flattered. Ain't nobody ever paid me fer mah services before.' 'Don't be flattered...buy yourself some boots that fit.'

It's so nice to report that we're actually having some really great weather here on Florida's Space Coast. The high today is supposed to reach about 82 and the skies are beautiful. Last night was another perfect evening for turning off the A/C and opening the windows. I even woke up at about 4:30 this morning and found myself reaching for an extra cover....what a different feeling. Funny...I wonder if we're still going to be referred to as Florida's Space Coast now that the Kennedy Space Center is laying off workers right and left? The Space Program took some hard hits in the 70's and I have been told that people were just up and abandoning their homes, as there were no jobs and no one looking to buy a house in this area. I truly hope there is a way to keep the space program afloat. I hope everyone had a Monday that went better than mine. Funny, today is Tuesday and life seems all nice and normal again. It was such a crazy day at work yesterday that i found myself very close to tears several times. So, I'm hoping the rest of the week stays nice, calm and uneventful. I am really looking forward to our Sock Hop on Friday night. So far, we've sold over 100 tickets so there should be a great crowd. I still think Becky Snowflake should crank up the Big Blue Bus, pick all of you up and head for Florida. So...here's hoping you have a beautiful day in your little corner of this great big world! Ann

Let's play a game using a word associated with Fall or Halloween. Just use the last letter of the previous post as your first letter. Let's start with: SWEATER

A man is stumbling through the woods totally drunk when he comes upon a preacher baptizing people in the river. The drunk walks into the water and subsequently bumps into the preacher. The preacher turns around and is almost overcome by the smell of booze. Whereupon he asks the drunk, 'Are you ready to find Jesus?' 'Yes I am' replies the drunk, so the preacher grabs him and dunks him in the river. He pulls him up and asks the drunk, 'Brother, have you found Jesus?' The drunk replies, 'No, I haven't.' The preacher, shocked at the answer, dunks him into the water again, but for a bit longer this time. He pulls him out of the water and asks again, 'Have you found Jesus, my brother?' The drunk again answers, 'No, I have not found Jesus.' By this time the preacher is at his wits end so he dunks the drunk I n the water again, but this time he holds him down for about 30 seconds.When the drunk begins kicking his arms and legs, the preacher pulls him up. The preacher asks the drunk again, 'For the love of God, have you found Jesus?'The drunk wipes his eyes and catches his breath and says to the preacher, 'Are you sure this is where he fell in?'

A 54 year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience. Seeing God she asked 'Is my time up?' God said, 'No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live.' Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck. She even had someone come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth! Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it. After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance. Arriving in front of God, she demanded, 'I thought you said I had another 43 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the ambulance?' - God replied: 'I didn't recognize you.'

An elderly lady was standing at the railing of the cruise ship holding her hat tight so that it would not blow away in the wind. A gentleman approached her and said, Pardon me, madam..I do not intend to be forward but did you know that your dress is blowing up in this high wind?" Yes, I know," said the lady. I need both my hands to hold onto this hat." But madam, you must know that you are not wearing any panties and your privates are exposed!" said the gentleman in earnest. The woman looked down, then back up at the man and replied, "Sir, anything you see down there is 75 years old. I just bought this hat yesterday!"

The Italian Secret to a Long Marriage. At St. Peter's Catholic Church in Toronto, they have weekly husband's marriage seminars. At the session last week, the priest asked Giuseppe, who said he was approaching his 50th wedding anniversary, to take a few minutes and share some insight into how he had managed to stay married to the same woman all these years. Giuseppe replied to the assembled husbands, 'Wella, I'va tried to treat her nicea, spenda DA money on her, but besta of all is, I tooka her to Italy for the 25th anniversary!' The priest responded, 'Giuseppe, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands here! Please tell us what you are planning for your wife for your 50th anniversary? 'Giuseppe proudly replied, " I gonna go pick her up."

You go, Katie. As a trusting person myself, I know how it can hurt to find that you don't know someone as well as you thought you did. We just have to go on and continue to believe in people and know that the good, sincere and honest people outweigh the bad by far!!! Judy...hope you're enjoying your trip. It sounds like Stan's reunion was a lot of fun. Glad you were able to get that hubby of yours in the dancing mood. Sorry you missed time with your family. I know you'll catch up with them soon. These kids of ours always manage to stay very busy and it's hard to coordinate with them. Bud...that's definitely my kind of weather. I have to say that both yesterday and today here have been absolutely beautiful. Yesterday was the first day in months that I've been able to turn off my A/C. I threw open the windows and loved every minute of that cool breeze blowing in. Our high today was in the low 80's and this morning it was 67 on my way to work!!! Yoo-hoo...fall is finally headed this way. Here in Florida, we get a lot of false alarms before the cool temps arrive but we're thankful for every cooler day that we get. Saturday night is our annual Crusin' to the 50's Sock Hop at our American Legion Auxiliary. I've been going nuts for weeks planning this event and I so hope we have a good turnout and that everyone has fun. I wish you all were going to be here for this event. what a great time we would have. Hey...maybe Becky Snowflake could start up the BIG BLUE BUS and head for Florida. I'm sure she could pick you all up and still make it to Florida by Saturday night. Hope everyone is having a nice fall day.... Ann

I am so envious of your cooler temperatures, Bud. I'm hoping it cools down a bit here in a couple of weeks. We're getting a lot of rain today and it sounds like there's more to come. I guess we officially have a tropical depression brewing out there. By the end of the day, she may be named Nicole. Hopefully, she will stay calm and just dump rain our way. I can't believe it's 3:00 already. Today has been very busy and that always makes the day go fast. Today has been a good one and I got a lot of well needed rest last night. I got home around 6:30, played with the dogs a while, took a shower and then just took it easy. I watched Dancing With the Stars and am still trying to decide if I have any early favorites. I know I'm torn between Jennifer Gray and Kurt Warner...but you have to admire Florence Henderson for getting out there and giving her all. I still have no idea why Bristol Palin is on this show, but I guess it's all about ratings. I was tempted to change channels while they interviewed her mom last night. So...I have a feeling it's going to be raining here for the entire day. If so, it will make a good evening for curling up, listening to the rain and pretending it's cold outside. Hope everyone has a wonderful afternoon!!! Ann

Dennis' favorite Beatles song was In My Life . That song was on the very first album, Rubber Soul, that he actually bought with his very own money that he had saved. He always loved that song and just a few days before he died, he asked me to play it for him. That song is so special for me know and every time I hear it, I know how much he loved me. He told me that although he loved the song before he loved me, that was his song for me. At his memorial service we played that song...along with a lot of other music he loved. I think some people were a little taken back at Stevie Ray Vaughn tunes at a memorial service. I didn't let it bother me, as that service was all about Dennis, who he was and what he loved!!!

A young man was lost wandering in a forest, when he came upon a small house. He knocked on the door and was greeted by an ancient Chinese man with a long, grey beard. "I'm lost," said the man. "Can you put me up for the night?" "Certainly," the Chinese man said, "but on one condition. If you so much as lay a finger on my daughter, I will inflict upon you the three worst Chinese tortures known to man." "Ok," said the man, thinking that the daughter must be pretty old as well, and entered the house. Before dinner, the daughter came down the stairs. She was young, beautiful, and had a fantastic figure. She was obviously attracted to the young man since she couldn't keep her eyes off him during the meal. Remembering the old man's warning, he ignored her and went up to bed alone. But during he night, he could bear it no longer, and sneaked into her room for a night of passion. He was careful to keep everything quiet so the old man wouldn't hear. Near dawn he crept back to his room, exhausted, but happy. He woke to feel a pressure on his chest. Opening his eyes he saw a large rock on his chest with a note on it that read, "Chinese Torture 1: Large rock on chest." "Well, that's pretty crappy," he thought. "If that's the best the old man can do then I don't have much to worry about." He picked the boulder up, walked over to the window and threw the boulder out. As he did so he noticed another note on it that read: "Chinese Torture 2: Rock tied to left testicle."In a panic he glanced down and saw the rope that was already getting close to the end. Figuring that a few broken bones was better than castration, he jumped out of the window after the boulder. As he plummeted downward he saw a large sign on the ground that read, "Chinese Torture 3: Right testicle tied to bedpost."

I believe that someone posted a request for jokes....so here goes. Let's use this topic to post our best ones today. UCLA STUDY (very interesting and short) A study conducted by UCLA's Department of Psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle. For example: if she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features. However, if she is menstruating or menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with duct tape over his mouth and a spear lodged in his chest with a bat up his butt while he is on fire. No further studies are expected on this subject.

Randy...I can't believe I missed this post. I am so sorry that I didn't respond to this that very day. I well remember the day you lost your lovely Deb and I cannot believe that it's been that many years already. December will mark 8 long years since I lost Dennis, the love of my life. There are so many times that it all seems like yesterday and then there are days that I struggle to remember each little detail. Pain...still very real...but now it's tucked away in a safe place, along with the love and memories.

That sounds really good. If it's lost quality I can't imagine how good it must have sounded originally. Wow...you just can't get any better than the Beatles. Some of the happiest days of my life have been spent with Beatles tunes playing in the background. Now, my grandbabies love the Beatles. Wow...where has time gone. See, your music took me on a really good journey!

Bud, YOUR weather sounds like what I would like MY weather to be. I loved the fall so much when I was in Tennessee and it was my favorite season. Here in Florida, it seems that we just skip fall and spring and have hot and cool...or cold if you count last winter. YES...do all of the research you can about the water at Camp LeJune and please keep us updated on your findings. So, it's just another manic Monday here! I woke up this morning already wishing that today was Friday. I know that wishing life away is never a good thing but I just am getting to the point that I hate going to work every day. I have been so thankful to have a job, since being out of work for 6 months in 2007, but I need a break. I haven't had any time off in years and it's beginning to get to me. I suppose that I need to find a job in the non-profit sector so that I can feel I'm really accomplishing something. I hope everyone has a wonderful day today!!!

Good morning everyone!!! Ahhhhhhhh....Friday....my favorite day of the week. My hubby always asks me why Friday is my favorite and not Saturday or Sunday. Well, I think it has something to do with the anticipation of the upcoming weekend....knowing I don't have to wake up early on Saturday....knowing I have some time for myself...knowing I can spend the morning in bed (if my golden retriever, Tanner, agrees). On Friday, everyone in the office always seems to be in a wonderful mood. Everyone is always smiling and asking about your plans for the weekend. On a weekday, no one ever asks you what you're doing that evening. Of course, everyone is always really friendly on Friday because they get their pay checks...and I'm the one that prepares the checks. So....everyone loves me on Friday....lol Nice morning here, not too hot and a little overcast. We had a lot of rain here last night, which we're always thankful to get. All eyes here are on Tropical Storm Matthew and we're all watching and waiting to see what he's up to. After Francis, Jeanne and Charley in 2004, the TV weather forecasters love to see a storm brewing out there. The "scare" tactics begin as soon as a storm gets a name and comes anywhere near the state of Florida. Thanks for the comments on the fraternal organization rumbles. Now, I feel more "ordinary"...whatever that is. The longer I live, the more I become convinced that NORMAL is just another setting on my washer and dryer. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Let's all savor every minute of the weekend and make Monday take as long as possible to roll around! Oh...for any Brothers & Sisters fans, season premiere is Sunday night.

Jill....it is so good to hear from you! Other than worrying about your Dad, how have YOU been? I do know that being lonely is a terrible thing and unfortunately, your Dad didn't have time to get adjusted to being alone after losing your Mom before he met someone else. Now, he has to adjust and it isn't easy. It sounds like he's got a great support person in you and I'm sure he's very grateful to have you on his side. Please keep in touch and let us know how both YOU and your Dad are doing. Ann

First of all, I love the pictures. The fall bows are perfect and a great way to remind me that this is the first day of fall, despite the 90's here in Florida. Judy...hang in there and know that although I haven't been able to post lately, I've still been sending good thoughts your way. Work is terribly busy but I'm so thankful to have a job. Volunteer activities are absolutely crazy and if I live to be 100, I'll never understand why there is so much hostility and petty jealousy at fraternal organizations. If any of you are members of any, I'm sure you can agree...or sympathize...which ever comes first. SO happy that tomorrow is finally Friday. As usual, I'm always amazed at how quickly the weekends pass and how slowly the weekdays drag on. Hope everyone has a great evening in your little corner of the world. I'm headed to the Post to transform 40 pounds of ground chuck into meat loaf for Friday night dinner! Ann

Good morning everyone!!! I'm sure that you all thought I had fallen off the face of the earth...but I'm still hanging on! Between work and volunteer work, I have been slammed. I think of you every single day and feel so guilty for not being here. So....I'm back...just as nutty as ever! I've been getting really involved in the issue of homeless veterans and it has become one of my new passions. I'm going to a training session this afternoon that will prepare me for hands-on volunteering with these misplaced men and women who have served us so bravely. I'm sure you all know how God can really work on us when he's trying to tell us where to go with our lives. Well, He's really been working on me about this project. I would so love to quit my job and give 200% to this effort, but the sensible side of me keeps reminding me of bills that have to be paid...so I keep on struggling with God on this one. Please say a little prayer for me on this one! This group has prayed me through a lot of tough times since I first met you in 2001 and I know you'll help again! So...still hot here in central Florida. Temps did drop down to 70 last night but expected back up to 90 today. Of...the mere thought of fall and cooler temperatures makes me happy!!! I would love to be somewhere where the leaves change color. All of or trees here are two shades...green and greener. I do have a little sycamore tree in my back yard that I planted several years ago that "thinks" he lives in a northern area. In a couple more weeks, regardless of the temps, he will drop every one of his little leaves and he will remain bare naked until spring. I love that poor little tree! He looks so sad and breaks my heart!!! Hope every one of you has a wonderful day!!!

Well, it's blazing hot here on Florida's Space Coast and I really hate the thought of leaving my office and hitting the heat. When you open a door to go outside, the heat just overcomes you and it takes the body a few seconds to adjust to the sudden temperature change. I'm just hoping that this really hot summer doesn't bring us a tough hurricane season. I can take the heat better than I can live through a hurricane...any day! KW Judy...so sorry to hear you're having RV woes. I know what a pain it can be to be dealing with any type of auto repairs and the waiting is unbearable. Thank goodness you have a generator so that you can keep cool. I hope you're up and rolling long before you even read this message. Judy ...I hope it cools down for you because I can't imagine selling hot dogs in this weather. I marched in our 4th of July Parade, helping carry a huge American flag. It was so hot and the parade route was about two miles. We were in full uniform dress and it was miserable. But...the cheers from the crowd when they saw us carrying Old Glory somehow made it all seem very well worthwhile. Sorry I've been quiet for a few weeks. Life is just way too hectic for me right now. I have so many irons in the fire and have very little time for the things I really love to do...like chatting with all of you!!! Have a good one and remember.....it's getting close to FRIDAY!!!