Category Archives: Opinions

We Are Having a Heat Wave !!!

Posted on June 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Today is June 5, 2011. Summer officially begins on June 21. The song that keeps coming to my mind is –

We’re having a heat wave,
A tropical heat wave,
The temperature’s rising,
It isn’t surprising…

It already feels like August weather. The grass along the sides of the road are dry and brown looking. Today the thermostat read 100 degrees. It was the kind of day that you want to be inside the house with the air conditioner turned down. Since we had a new air conditioner installed this Spring, the house feels rather cool – that is if you are sitting rather still like you do when you watch TV. I did go outside a few times. Just for a few short seconds the warmth of the sun felt good upon my skin. But once those few seconds are gone, the air would start to feel heavy and hot. It was hard to breathe the hot humid air. It was such a relief to get back inside where the air is cool. The next few days are fore-casted to be just as hot as today. This summer is beginning or rather the end of spring is ending as a hot one.

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Posted in Interesting Tidbits, Opinions

One of Those Days

Posted on May 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

Today was one of those days that I had the hardest time choosing what to wear to worship services this morning. Pretty sad since my closet is full of clothes. The first outfit was a floral skirt and coral colored knit top. Something must have happened to the knit top. I put on my slimming camisole but low and behold I had “boobs” on my back. Decided that I need to get serious about my dieting or better yet just buy a new top to go with the skirt. (Will most likely try to lose weight since it is that time of year that more skin is shown.) On to outfit number two – this one was a flowing dress that has one of those V-necklines. If I do not wear a camisole underneath then all the world would be able to view a part of my body that I personally do not want to show everyone. Anyway the dress has cream polka dots. I do have a cream camisole but nowhere to be found. Must be in the laundry and I am too lazy to dig it out – No I would not were something that needed washing to church. One to outfit number three – a new knit dress that has geometric designs. It is black, tan, gold. Slipped it on and I think it looks great. It is sleeveless. I had to find a black camisole to go underneath so everything was covered just in case I needed to raise my arms. Yes, a black camisole was in my lingerie draw. It is a go – I would post a picture but it look me forever to post some pictures yesterday so your imagination will have to do.

I think I will make it to worship services on time.

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Posted in Interesting Tidbits, Opinions, Reflections

Spring is Here

Posted on February 25, 2011 | 1 comment

It only seems a short time ago that I was shivering from cold. Today I took my Sony Cyber-shot camera with me on my morning walk. I did not take my Nikon D40 since it is hard to carry a larger camera and to walk with Maximus. I have owned this camera for several years but have not learned about all the settings. I took these pictures using the telephoto setting, the wide angle setting, and then the normal setting. My pictures are not very good but I did want to show everyone of the beauty that I saw on my walk.

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I also saw a cardinal and several mockingbirds. I heard a woodpecker but could not see it. I hope everyone has a good day today.

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Posted in Interesting Tidbits, Opinions, Reflections

It Is Cold Today!

Posted on February 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

It rarely gets this cold during winter here in the Houston/Galveston area. This morning when I awoke the thermometer read 24 degrees. Last night we turned off the water into the house as a precaution to freezing pipes.

This morning I was having a hard time deciding on whether or not to walk Maximus. Finally, after enduring sad dog eyes, I decided just to walk around the block one time. After about 5 minutes my hands were red and turning numb. My face was hurting and numb. I have always wondered what it felt like to be in a really cold area – where the temperature is in the negative numbers. I can not handle temperatures in the mid-20’s. Supposedly, it is suppose to be cold for a couple of more days. All I want is the sun to come out and warm the earth.

Maximus

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Posted in Opinions, Reflections

Christmas or Xmas?

Posted on December 1, 2010 | 1 comment

Yesterday I was at the hair salon and the hair dressers and customers got into a lively discussion on whether or not the word “Xmas” was disrespectful to Christians since it is like taking Christ out of Christmas. I am always interested in how words change and how people understand the words. I made the comment that I had heard that the word “Xmas” was taking Christ out of Christmas but I was not sure that was correct. I said that the word “Xmas” probably had a different meaning when it originated. Most of the participants in the discussion were pretty sure that “Xmas” is a way to take Christ out of Christmas. One lady even discussed a sign that had “Xmas” in the wording and how she went in and discussed with the proprietor how this was being against Christians and the holiday of Christmas. The sign was then changed by the proprietor.

The answer to the question is – No. The word “Xmas” has been around for a long time and it is not taking Christ out of Christmas.

Quoted from Wikipedia (For those who are interested in the whole article here is the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas.)

For those with less time because of the Christmas season here is the quick version.

“Xmas” is a common abbreviation of the word “Christmas“. It is sometimes pronounced /ˈɛksməs/, but it, and variants such as “Xtemass”, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation, /ˈkrɪsməs/. The “-mas” part is from the Latin-derived Old English word for “mass“,^[1] while the “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, translated as “Christ”.”

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Posted in Holidays, Interesting Tidbits, Opinions, Reflections

Pumping Gas Question?

Posted on October 13, 2010 | Leave a comment

I hate to pump gas. However, I do like to drive my car. So every week or so I find myself at the gas pumps. It makes me very happy when I can time the chore of pumping gas when my husband is driving my car so he can do this for me. I know that if I monitored the gas gauge a little closer and then asked my husband to do this for me he would. But for me, I am usually in a hurry to get to work. I look down at the gauge and then I wonder if I am going to make it to work. Long story short, I have recently discovered that there is a rumor that some states like Oregon and New Jersey do not have self-service gas stations. That it is against the law to pump your own gas. So I began to wonder how many states have laws such as this? Does it affect the price of gas? As a kid growing up, I can remember having gas stations with attendants. My grandfather was an owner of an Exxon gas station (at the time I think the name was Enco or something like that ) and he would pump gas for the customers. That was a long, long time ago. Now I do not think there are gas stations here in Texas where someone comes out to pump your gas So I thought I would throw out this question – Do you live in a state that it is against the law to pump your own gas? Or is this just an evil rumor? How much do you pay for gas at a self-service station vs. a full service station?

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Wanted: Your Opinion on Nail Polish

Posted on June 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

This morning I read an article in the July/August edition of Health called “Beauty in the Heat! A Total Pro Guide”. The section that really caught my eye was titled “A Foot Model’s Pretty-Summer-Feet Tricks”. Well I think I deserve pretty feet. So here were the suggestions.

Soften those calluses with caution. I learned that calluses serve a purpose. The purpose is to prevent blisters. Imagine that!!!
Moisturize before bed. It is better to put moisturizer on at night and then curl up for a nice snooze. Putting moisturizer on in the morning and then putting on sandals is a dirt magnet. Who knew that?
The last suggestion is the one I like the most. Wear opaque polish so dirt will not be visible under your nails. Wow, I don’t have to wash my feet as often! Just cover up that dirt up with nail polish.

All joking aside. I did decide to paint my nails. I saw a woman at church with blue toenails. When I went to the store I noticed all these colors like blue, green, and yellow just for toes. I thought “how cool is that”. Well, I painted my nails this beautiful shade of blue. The only problem with my blue toes is that my husband does not like them. I nearly fell over backwards that he even noticed them. (This coming from the man who does not notice when I change my hair style.) So here is my dilemma. Should people of a certain age wear blue nail polish? (I am nearly half a century old.) Should I change my color to a “more respectable color” (my husband’s words) like red? I would really like to hear what everyone else thinks about these new colors for toes.

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Blue Monday

Posted on January 17, 2010 | Leave a comment

I learned from the Houston Chronicle that tomorrow is Blue Monday. A psychologist in the United Kingdom calculated the most depressing day on the calendar. That day is the third Monday in January which is on January 18. To calculate the most depressing day on the calendar such factors as weather and debt were considered.

I can see why “Blue Monday” is in January. It is winter time. It is too cold most of the time to do the outdoor activities that I like to do. The trees and plants look dreary and dead. Also, the bills for all those Christmas presents have arrived and everyone is trying to figure out how to pay the bills and wishing that they had not spent so much money. According to the article the solution to “Blue Monday” is to get happy. So my question is how do I “get happy”?

As I read the paper, I came upon the solution in black and white. An article in the Parade section of the paper listed the following on “How to Get Happy”.

Act happy – even if you aren’t yet. Does that make me a poser? Supposedly, it will cheer me up and everyone else around me. I definitely will give that a try tomorrow at work.
Seek out positive distractions. Think about what gives me pleasure and do it. Don’t wait for the activity to come to me – take the action myself. This sounds fun. But I will have to wait until the evening to do this. I do not think my boss will like me daydreaming at work or taking time out to go to the movies.
Do one thing at a time – at least for one or two hours a day. Apparently, multitasking can make me feel tense. Focusing on one activity calming and will allow me to enjoy the experience fully. No more watching TV and reading a book at the same time. Or watching TV and washing dishes. My personal favorite is watching TV and falling asleep during the show. Actually, that is quite pleasurable.
Take action. Supposedly, passivity will make me feel worse. Choosing to change, even a very small step, is a mood enhancer. I believe that taking action will make me happy. I just need to remember to take the small step instead of the giant leap. The giant leap is what usually causes me such stress. So the small step that I am going to take tomorrow is act positive about tomorrow in hopes that I will beat “Blue Monday” and have a happy day.

What about you? How are you planning on beating the blues?

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Posted in Holidays, Opinions, Reflections

What is the papers responsibility with advertising?

Posted on August 30, 2009 | Leave a comment

I am upset about an advertisement in the Houston Chronicle that appeared on the last page of the Sunday edition of Lifestyle section of the newspaper. This is my favorite section of the paper. It has the things that appeal to me such as fashion, movie listings, puzzles, Anne Landers and such. I usually save this section for the very last because it is the one I enjoy the most. Now the advertisement that I found so upsetting was a full page advertisement for Sauza Tequila. This page states the following: “This Labor Day weekend, kick back with some ice gold Sauza Margaritas or Shots. Fresh Margaritas? Tequila Shots? Not being at work? There may be a better combination of three things somewhere, but we doubt it? Happy Labor Day.” Way up in the top right hand column were the words DRINK RESPONSIBLY. The pictures and the rest of the advertisement overshadowed these words.

Reading this makes me think that the only way to enjoy the Labor Day holiday is to drink alcohol. And it is a source of irritation to me that this advertisement is acceptable because of these words “drink responsibly”.

I was appalled that this was in a section of the paper that I believe a lot of young people read. I know that it is my daughter’s favorite section.

So I thought I would Google “alcoholism facts”and this is what I discovered. My Google search indicated that there are 1,550,000 sites. So I looked at several and they all basically said the same thing. I decided to list information from the first site that popped up first and it was this site: http://www.medicinenet.com.

In the United States 17.6 million people or 1 in every 12 adults abuse alcohol or are dependent on it. (This sure does sound like a lot of people to me.) Alcohol problems are highest amount 18 – 29 year old and lowest among 65 year old people. People start drinking at an early age 14 or younger. The earliest age I saw was age 12. There is research that indicates that alcoholism may be genetic and does run in families but other factors also contribute such as friends, stress and that it is readily available. (I know that my son received a bottle of whiskey from his friends for his 21st birthday. I also think his friends gave him another bottle of booze for Christmas. Some friends, if you ask me.) By the way, there is no cure for the disease of alcoholism.

It seems irresponsible to me to place this add on the last page of the section of the paper that I feel many young people read. I think that people start drinking at such an early age because this drug is so readily available – just look in the refrigerator and cabinet of most homes. Also, with the economy so bad and people experiencing a lot of stress today may contribute to the possibility of people abusing this drug.

What can I do about this article? Not much since it has already appeared in the paper. But I sure do feel better about writing about it in my blog. What do you think? Do newspapers have some sort of responsibility in what is advertised or is it only about the money?

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Posted in Opinions, Reflections