DEAR MR. PRESIDENT....

AN ELEPHANT STORY....

I know that I'm a softy but even if you are NOT........this story will touch you!

Thank you, Courtney, for this heart warming moment!

In 1986, Dan Harrison (see picture above) was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University . On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Dan approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Dan worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Dan stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned , and walked away. Dan never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty years later, Dan was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Dan and his son Dan Jr. were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Dan, lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man. Remembering the encounter in 1986, Dan couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Dan summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Dan's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.

A SHOUT OUT~

I wanted to ask each of you

....and you KNOW who you are....

to say a special prayer for a dear friend of mine.

AMIAS, and her husband Robert are moving today.

They are down-sizing to help prepare them for retirement and well, I wouldn't know for sure but I would imagine that might be a little emotional for several reasons, and it is most certainly a physical challenge no matter how little you lift.

So, if you would, please ask for them, peace of heart and physical protection.

I also asked God this morning to bless the new home that they are moving into.

Hey, who couldn't use that!

AMIAS and her husband plan to move once more, in less than 2 years, to Mississippi.

For AMIAS, it will be returning home and I just cannot WAIT for her to get here!

{{{Smiles}}}

Anyway....

McShane....

A dear old friend of mine that I happened upon for the first time in over 5 years.

His name is McShane.

Every one in this area knows Mac!

He will always be remembered for his kind and most helpful manner in any given situation. He has been riding only his bike for over 15 years and is the picture of health. He is precious to me and my family for many years. As a matter of fact, when I went into labor with Isabella, he was the FIRST one to the hospital and stayed until he was able to hold her. Precious Mac....I was given MUCH enlightenment after spending an hour with him just "catchin' up". He revealed to me that he is approaching his 79th birthday this week. Saturday to be exact. And you know what? He is still riding that bike all over town!

Whew!

What a good fella!

I sure have missed him.

A CHRISTMAS CARD....

Yup, I think this will be my Christmas Card for this year.

One of them, anyway!

PICNIC WOOD....

THE OLD IRON CAULDRON....

WATER....

Guess which pair I was interested in?

Um, size 8.

I could wear them to blog in.

There is no water left around these parts.

It rained last night almost 1.5 inches.

I heard it thunder then went outside to check it out.

I opened the door and all I heard was, "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuullllllkkkkkkkk".

The ground sucked all the water up immediately.

This morning it is completly dry out there.

QUOTE....

Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of GOLD but so does a hard boiled egg.

~Anonymous

DO YOU KNOW WHO i AM?

An award should go to the United Airlines gate agent in Denver for being smart and funny, and making her point, when confronted with a passenger who probably deserved to fly as cargo.

During the final days at Denver's old Stapleton airport, a crowded United flight was canceled.
A single agent was rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter and said, "I HAVE to be on this flight and it has to be FIRST CLASS."

The agent replied, "I'm sorry sir. I'll be happy to try to help you, but I've got to help these folks first, and I'm sure we'll be able to work something out."

The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the passengers behind him could hear, "Do you have any idea who I am?"

Without hesitating, the gate agent smiled and grabbed her public address microphone.

"May I have your attention please?" she began, her voice bellowing throughout the terminal.

"We have a passenger here at the gate WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to gate 17."

With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man glared at the United agent, gritted his teeth and swore "(Expletive-Fword) you!"

Without flinching, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to stand in line for that, too."

The man retreated as the people in the terminal applauded loudly.

Although the flight was canceled and people were late, they were no longer angry at United Airlines

SO I WAS THINKING OF ANOTHER GAME WE COULD POSSIBLY PLAY...

Let's invent the "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM" game!!

Go to the comment section and type in:

1.

2.

3.

Now write down three words that "to you", describe OTHER people.

~This is really interesting so leave a comment~

I will get back with y'all soon and let you in on a little secret!

WHY?

I am in a wierd mood today. My mind is spinning and I am thinking about alot of stuff. Crazy stuff. I mean, things that have never caught my attention before are now taunting me with the question......WHY?

For example:

1) I just returned from the bank, which is obviously not open this early in the morning, where I went through the DRIVE thru ATM. Nothing really spectacular about that. It is a common event for most of us. But, I noticed something odd about the DRIVE thru ATM at my bank today. There, on the numerical keypad, is brail above the written numbers. WHY? Some one please help me with this one as I cannot for the life of me imagine why. It is a DRIVE thru ATM and not to be mistaken with the park and WALK up to ATM's which are located near the parking lot and attatched to the side of the very LARGE bank I use. Geeeeeze............If you can DRIVE, shouldn't you be able to see at least a foot in front (or to the side) of you?

2) Also, I wonder.....WHY beer does not come in an assortment of flavors? Say, like kool-aid and even water does these days. After I left the bank with my head tilted to the left, I wanted one. But I am not in the MOOD for the taste of beer. Yuck! So.........WHY NOT?

3) And finally............WHY in the hell is President Mahammoud Ahmadinejad even IN our country and WHO in the hell really wants to hear what he has to say? Oh yeah, and how sweet and thoughtful of him for wishing to visit the Memorial site at the World Trade Center. Imagine this......no one wants to accompany him so as to provide him security. Awwwwwwwwwwwww..........WHY?

MISS MANNERS....

Proper Southern Manners

Make no mistake about it, manners matter in Dixie! Good manners make life more pleasant for everyone. Good manners are what make Southerners different from those who aren't from here. You cannot take good manners too seriously in the South.

The Fundamentals of Good Manners

These five fundamentals should set you in good stead. Good manners are extended to everybody, regardless of whether you know them, on which side of town they live, or whether they tithe.

Be Humble: Others first, yourself last. Self-denial and deference to others ("After you") are the cornerstone of good manners, acting selfish or uppity is not. This commandment is indisputably rooted in the Bible Belt theology ("the first shall be last, and the last shall be first").
Be Courteous: Remember the Golden Rule. Go out of your way to be helpful and kind to everyone you encounter.
Behave Yourself: Don't be uncouth, rude, brash, loud, coarse, or cause a commotion in public. Only trashy types do such things.....and obviously this is because they weren't raised to know better.
Be Friendly: Put your friendliest foot forward, whether you've been properly introduced or don't know the person from a hole in the ground. Be sociable and neighborly, just like you learned in Sunday School ("Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself").
Be Modest: Never be high-falutin'. Practice modesty in all situations. "Why, shucks, I guess I was in the right place at the right time" would work just fine upon learning that you had won the Pulitzer Prize. "Of course I won it, I deserve to" would absolutely categorize you as too big for your britches.

Common Courtesies in Dixie

Say "please" without fail. Please, always say "please" when you make a requet, no matter how trivial or important.

Always ask, never tell. The only way to make a request is to ask for it, directives are much too surly. "Would you please carry me up the road a piece?" is correct. "Give me a ride to the market" is most assuredly not.

Say "Thank you" without fail. Upon being granted your request--be it a personal favor or impersonal transaction--always look the other party in the eye, give them a pleasing smile, and cheerily say, "Thank you". To show them you're really grateful, dress it up with "Thank you kindly," "Thanks a whole lot," "Preciate it". If your request is denied, say "Well, thank you anyway." Using your best turn-the-other-cheek manner.

Say "ma'am" and "sir" without fail. If any adult your senior addresses you (or vice versa), automatically attach the appropriate title to your response ("Yes ma'am, "I reckon so, Sir", "Pardon me ma'am"). Neglecting this rule is apt to be interpreted as arrogance or insolence or just plain bad upbringing.

Always refer to those of the female gender as Ladies. The descriptive woman is usually reserved in Dixie for females of questionable respect. If you are a gentleman, then treat all ladies with courtness, deference, and respect you'd accord members of the royal family since, in the South, ladies occupy such status.

This is an immutable rule of order in Dixie, no matter what may be happening elsewhere on this planet.

Chivalry may not be well appreciated outside the South today, but you can be sure that around home territory a true gentleman will so honor a lady:

Hold the door open for all members of the fairer sex, regardless of their social station.

Stand when a lady enters or leaves a room.

Walk on the streetside of a side-walk, when accompanying a lady.

Order for both of you when at a restaurant (excluding business meals).

Always call his mother "Mamma" or "mutha" or "Mrs. -------"-never by her first name, no matter what his age.

My Daddy Said

As my daddy told me many years ago, "Good manners do not cost you anything to exercise, but the lack of them may cost you dearly further down the road".
My daddy also told my brother, Greg, "Treat all ladies as ladies, no matter what you have heard and continue to do so until she proves to you that she is not a lady".
He also said " A man's word is his bond and that you come into this world with only your name and will leave this world the same and how you are remembered is how you kept the honor of your name".

The last quote that I will make of my daddy's is...

"The manners that your children exhibit to you and the public are a direct reflection of you".

THE "I WISH" GAME....

I will be away for several days so I thought I would give another blogger's idea of a game a try. I will be popping in every so often to check my email and such. So, lets play the ‘I Wish Game’ originally brought to us by Kristine, stolen by Tammy, stolen by Memphis Steve and then stolen by me.

Here’s how it goes:

The person above you in the comment section makes a wish (”I wish I had a banana!”), and then the person below grants your wish, and then wishes something else, but here’s the fun part...............Your wish is messed up!

Example:

WIXY'S GONE BANANAS—-I wish I had a banana.

RDL—-Granted, but the banana tastes bad. I wish I had a ticket to a concert.

AMIAS—-Granted, but it’s a Barney concert. I wish…etc.

It really turned out funny on Steve's blog so, we'll see what we can come up with here. If anyone knows O.J. Simpson's email address, please invite him to come and play along with us.

(Some of you will appreciate, ah-hum, my mention of inviting him. Some of you will not. Apologies to those who do not but it is just a test, ah-hum)

I FOUND THIS.....FUNNY!

LIFE: EXPLAINED....

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs.

I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."
"And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

And the moral of this story is:

......... Know where you're going in life... you may already be there.

OKATIBBEE RESIVOIR....

Or rather, what's left of it. It is sad that we are nineteen inches below average with rainfall amounts this year and the lake has been off limits to ski and sail but it sure is nice to now have a "beach" to walk and play upon right here in our backyard. Yes, we missed the water sport events this summer but only to realize that now,

WE HAVE A BEACH!

PLAYING CATCH....

Bubbles is chased by Trickle........"Who's going in first!?"

She is fast but he is strong....

BANANA TREE....

This was blown away from the waterpark, "Splash-Down", located across the lake. Hurricane Katrtina demolished the place and this banana tree survived at the bottom of the resivoir awaiting to re-plant itself on the sandy beach two years later in our backyard.

WHEEEE.....

Mr. Liquid tosses the youngest, Waterdrop, back into the cool refreshing water!

OUR NEW BEACH.....

This has become our place to walk and dig up treasures from summers' past. This is where we would ususally ski or drop anchor. Now we stroll and swim....sometimes.

DOOO-DE-DOO....

Lou-Lou is sooooo my dog! Despite the possible dangers lurking in the tall grass and flowers....Lou chases a butterfly!

....Fa La La Fa La La La....

A GREENER PATH......

ENJOY YOUR SWIM.....

Daisy and Lou take out to get a big refreshing drink of water with a swim between.

....La La La La La La La....

AND THEN.....THE VISITOR!

An ALLIGATOR Surfaces....about 20 feet from the shore.

Woops!

"Well, hello there stranger..... and how hungry are you today?"

ON THE MOVE....

I'm sure he hears the dogs playing and thinks they are a wounded buffet.

YIKES....

Swim girls, SWIM!

RELIEVED....

Once out of the water, Lou-Lou, refuses to go back in but runs along the shore line barking profusely at the dark stumps near shore. Crazy dog! (...Or smart, rather...)

ON GUARD....

My choice of beach side weaponry.

Well, my gun and my camera, that is.

Guess if nothing else I'll get some cool footage to blog!

{{{slapping the top of my own hand}}}

FOLLOW THE LEADER....

Notice Daisy and Lou are no longer frolicing in the water!

THREE OF THE LITTLE LIQUIDS....

Trickel, Bubbles and Waterdrop now taunt each other as being alligator food.

JUST SHAKIN' IT ALL OFF....

Lou-Lou as she wallows then shivas in the sand!

CHATTY....

PROOF....

That WE were there.

NINE / ELEVEN....

Today I find it best to be silent myself and to direct each of you to CATHY'S BLOG. Much love to each of you today and please know how much I appreciate your visits here and your support through comments and emails. But just for today........go see Cathy.


~Liquid

COMMON COURTESY.....

Today I ran into a stranger as he passed by.

"Oh, excuse me please, sir...." was my reply.

He said, "Why 'Mam, please excuse me too....I was so caught up, I wasn't even watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.

We went on our ways as we said "Good-bye."

But at home a different story is told, how we treat our loved ones, our young and our old.

Later that day, while cooking the evening meal, my daughter stood beside me and she stood very still.

As I turned to the oven, I nearly knocked her down.

"Move out of the way..." I said with a frown.

She walked away, with her little heart broken.

I didn't even realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed, I heard God's small grand voice as He came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the children you love more than anything in this world are the one's you seem to abuse.

Look on the kitchen floor, you'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers she'd brought for you.

She picked them herself, pink, yellow and blue.

She stood quietly as not to spoil the surprise, and you didn't even notice the tears that welled in her eyes."

By this time, I felt so very small as the tears in my eyes began to fall.

I quietly went into her room and I knelt by her bed;

"Wake up, Isabella, please wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked especially for me?"

She smiled and said.... "Yes 'mam....I found 'em, out by the tree. I picked 'em because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said to her with a knot in my throat, "Oh Bella, I'm sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.

She said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay. I know you were busy and I love you anyway."

I said as my heart skipped a couple of beats....

"My sweet Isabella, I love you too, and I do love the flowers, especially the blue."

Are you aware that:

If we were to die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family - an unwise investment indeed.

MUD PIES....

If it's been raining in your area, but the sun is starting to come out, there's no better time for making mudpies. Just grab some old plates or pie tins, some spoons or sticks for stirring and head for the nearest puddle of mud.

Babies will enjoy squishing their toes in the mud while older children can put together pies decorated with leaves, flowers and pebbles. Just be sure not to eat 'em!

For a mudpie that you can REALLY eat, try this recipe:

You'll Need:
1 Prepared Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust
An 8 ounce container of Cool Whip
1- 4 ounce package instant chocolate pudding
1 cup milk
1 cup Chopped Oreos
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix the milk and pudding.
Add Cool Whip, cookie crumbs and chocolate chips and mix thoroughly.
Pour mix into crust and refrigerate.

Especially posted for RDL

SHALL WE INITIAL IT?

Southerners have recognized rites of passage with shiny sliver items bedecked with the honoree's initials since the time of Sir Walter Scott. Monograms have graced everything from silver boxes to watches to teapots. And every bride's hope chest was filled with doilies, towels, sheets and shams sporting her soon-to-be initials.

Today we treasure these timeless talismans of a bygone era. Vintage linens sport monograms of relatives, passed. Silver teaspoons marked with a grandmother's name are handed down to namesake grandchildren. A mother's initial pen is cherished by a newly-aged daughter, who wears it with pride on her business suit lapel.

Such a Southern thing, this marking of items. And should you lack these handed down objects in your silver chest or linen press, never fear: estate sales and antiques shops abound with long-ago treasures.

A few guidelines to consider: Your own monogram belongs on stationary and new bath towels. Displaying those never used graduation gifts with your maiden-name monogram is okay too - assuming that everyone knows who you were.

Silver should be marked with a mother's or grandmother's initials. (A hint to charity shop buyers of pedigreed articles: just make sure the silver in question bears some initial belonging to a forebear.)

You have more leeway with linens. Almost any initial will do. One time-honored tradition is to search for letters that spell out your name, if it is short, or a holiday sentiment like J-O-Y, and display them together.

Whatever the item, however it is marked, whenever two or more letters are gathered (or a name), you can be sure the monogram is a Southern thing.