Good Morning Friday July 31, 2009

Good morning! It's a wonderful morning! It's going to be Hot again, and humid; and a good chance of more severe storms. But, it's Friday! :) We actually did get a little rain yesterday. It wasn't very much, but every little bit helps. Keeps me from going out and watering! LOL!
I was a little bit productive last night. I never do as much as I think I should; but, I made a small amount of progress on several different projects. I hope to get a LOT done this weekend .. cleaning, organizing, and sewing. We'll see how long that resolve holds up! LOL!
I can't believe I forgot to tell y'all earlier .... there are 147 days left until Christmas!! No, I won't tell you every day. :) I meant to note when it was 150 days. However, it won't be all that long before a daily countdown begins. :)

Today is "Anniversary - US Patent Office" ... "System Administrator Appreciation Day".

Quotes of the Day:
"Passion is the quickest to develop, and the quickest to fade. Intimacy develops more slowly, and commitment more gradually still.
-- Robert Sternberg

"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."
-- John Wanamaker

Today in history:
In 1498, on his third voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad.

In 1792, director David Rittenhouse laid the cornerstone in Philadelphia for the U.S. Mint, the first building of the federal government.

In 1964, Ranger 7, an unmanned U.S. lunar probe, took the first close-up images of the moon.

Today's birthdays include
- Author and jurist James Kent in 1763
- Confederate Army guerrilla leader William Quantrill, in 1837
- Pollster Elmo Burns Roper Jr., in 1900
- Economist Milton Friedman in 1912
- Former TV talk-show host and columnist Irv Kupcinet in 1912
- Actor Don Murray in 1929
- Actress France Nuyen in 1939
- Geraldine Chaplin in 1944
- Singer Gary Lewis in 1945
- Australian tennis player Evonne Goolagong in 1951
- Actor Wesley Snipes in 1962
- Actor Dean Cain (Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) in 1966

Everyone have a Great Friday!

Good Morning Thursday July 30, 2009

Good morning! It's a beautiful morning. There's still just a touch of morning "haze" out, but it's bright. It will be hot, mid to upper 90s, later. And, of course, the "usual" afternoon storms. There were more last night .. and also, as is more often than not the case, they missed us. I'm not sad to miss the hail and wind and all; but sure would love some more rain! (would you believe - I've never actually *seen* --as in "live"-- hail!!).
I had to stop on the way home yesterday for gas and groceries; so I didn't get as much done as I would like. But, I got a few little chores done - at least I didn't spend the entire evening zoned out in front of the TV! LOL! And, I actually turned it off and went to sleep early! :)

Today is "Independence Day (Vanuatu)"

Quotes of the Day:
"write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it down on."
-- Beryl Pfizer

"Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done in this world by hesitation."
-- Thomas H. Huxley

Today in history:
In 1619, in Jamestown, Va., the first elected legislative assembly in the New World -- the House of Burgesses -- convened in the choir loft of the town's church.

In 1733, the first Freemasons lodge was opened in what would become the United States.

In 1932, Walt Disney released his first color cartoon, "Flowers and Trees," made in three-color Technicolor. In 1936, author Margaret Mitchell sold the film rights for "Gone With the Wind" to MGM for $50,000, most ever for a first novel.

In 1976, Kate Smith made her last public appearance on this date, singing her signature number "God Bless America" on a TV program honoring the U.S. Bicentennial.

Today's birthdays include
- English novelist Emily Bronte in 1818
- Auto pioneer Henry Ford in 1863
- Baseball player/manager Casey Stengel in 1890
- English sculptor Henry Moore in 1898
- Baseball Commissioner Allan Bud Selig in 1934
- Film director Peter Bogdanovich in 1939
- Singer Paul Anka in 1941
- California governor/actor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1947
- Actor Ken Olin in 1954
- Actress Delta Burke in 1956
- Actor Laurence Fishburne in 1961
- Actress Lisa Kudrow in 1963
- Actress Hilary Swank in 1974

Everyone have a Great Thursday!

Betty

alone?

OK, I am now officially depressed. No followers any more. Am I truly that boring? I guess so. No comments. No nothing. I really do feel all alone out here. :(

Good Morning Wednesday July 29, 2009

Good morning! It's a wonderful morning! There's no mist this morning, but it appears to be a bit overcast. They're calling for another hot and humid day, and a good chance of afternoon storms. There were a few storms yesterday, but (as usual) they skipped my house. Perhaps we'll get some rain today; maybe I better remember to shut the car windows, "just in case"! LOL!
I was more productive last night. Of course, it helped that TV was either boring or reruns. :) I got some "hot spots" picked up, and made a lot of progress on one of my Christmas projects. Unfortunately, it wasn't a sewing project; but needs to be completed nevertheless. It's still only July ... I have a chance of finishing things! :)
Tonight (I think?) is Dancing. I hope I enjoy it more than I did last week.

Today is "Anniversary - NASA"

Quotes of the Day:
"Furious activity is no substitute for understanding."
-- H. H. Williams

"The most important thing she'd learned over the years was that there was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one."
-- Jill Churchill

Today in history:
In 1836, the Arc de Triomphe in France was inaugurated.

In 1914, the first transcontinental telephone linkup was completed between San Francisco and New York City.

In 1981, Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, married Diana Spencer at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

In 1993, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Today's birthdays include
- French historian Alexis de Tocqueville in 1805
- Novelist Booth Tarkington in 1869
- Grigon Rasputin in 1871
- Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1883
- Composer Sigmund Romberg (Lover Come Back to Me, When I Grow Too Old to Dream), in 1887
- Actor William Powell in 1892
- Bluegrass star Henry D. Homer Haynes, member of the Homer and Jethro musical duo, in 1920
- Actor Richard Egan in 1921
- Former U.S. Labor Secretary and Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., in 1936
- TV anchorman Peter Jennings in 1938
- Actor David Warner in 1941
- Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns in 1953
- Country singer Martina McBride in 1966
- Actor Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) in 1972

Everyone have a Great Wednesday!

Good Morning Tuesday July 28, 2009

Good morning! It's a lovely summer morning. Well, it will be lovely, when the mist burns off. :) It will be hot -mid 90s- and humid, cloudy sometimes, maybe storms. Last night we had some very powerful storms move across the state. A few places got wind damage, even close to work. At home, we got lots of welcome rain, but not so much of the wind and lightening.
It was another unproductive evening. When I got home it was still stormy, so I decided to sit and watch the news. Hmmm ... I did see *some* of it! LOL!! Mostly, I dozed. I need to remember to be careful of that. My eyes get tired ... but if I doze too much, I won't sleep at night when I need to. Tonight hopefully I'll do better! I keep losing track, but I *think* AGT is on tonight. If not, something will be ... for me to ignore while I fold laundry or cut fabric! LOL!

Today is "Anniversary - Singing Telegram" ... "Anniversary - World War I Begins" ... "Independence Day (Peru)".

Quotes of the Day:
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
-- Anne Frank

"Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius."
-- Comte de Buffon

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought."
-- Wallace Stevens

Today in history:
In 1984, U.S. President Ronald Reagan opened the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Today's birthdays include
- Beatrix Potter, author and illustrator of the Peter Rabbit stories, in 1866- Surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp in 1887- Comedian Joe E. Brown in 1892- Singer/actor/band leader Rudy Vallee in 1901- Conductor Carmen Dragon in 1914- Former U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1929- Peter Duchin, pianist, bandleader, in 1937- Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori in 1938- Former U.S. Senator and basketball star Bill Bradley in 1943- Garfield creator Jim Davis in 1945- Actress Linda Kelsey in 1946- Actress Sally Struthers in 1948- Former baseball pitcher Vida Blue in 1949- Actress Lori Loughlin in 1964

Everyone have a Great Tuesday!

Oops!! 27th, not 2nd!!

Good grief! LOL!! I can't even "copy-and-paste" correctly!! Today is July 27th!!! :)

Good Morning Monday July 2, 2009

Good morning! It's a wonderful Monday morning! It's a bit overcast, which may serve to keep the heat down ... to around 90 instead of upper 90s! LOL! It will most likely be hot and humid, with chances of afternoon storms. We didn't get any rain here again yesterday, though we ran through a brief shower near Raleigh.Yesterday didn't turn out quite like I thought, but it was a good day. I got a few things done in the morning, and we had a nice mid-day dinner. We took our niece home, and had a lovely visit with my sister and another niece (and sorry we missed seeing the 3rd niece - maybe she'll come visit us some time?). We stopped on the way home, and that stop turned into another -even longer- visit, so it was actually getting late by the time we got home. Hopefully I'll be able to stick to my resolve to get things done in the evenings after work! :)

Today is "Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day" ... "Walk on Stilts Day".

Quotes of the Day:
" Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."
-- Edgar Allan Poe

"Let grace and goodness be the principal loadstone of thy affections. For love which hath ends, will have an end; whereas that which is founded on true virtue, will always continue."
-- John Dryden

Today in history:
In 1866, the Transatlantic Telegraph Cable was completed.

In 1909, Orville Wright set a record by staying aloft in a plane for 1 hour, 12 minutes, 40 seconds.

In 1921, at the University of Toronto, Canadian scientists Frederick Banting and Charles Best successfully isolated insulin -- a hormone they believed could prevent diabetes -- for the first time.

In 1986, Greg LeMond, 25, of Sacramento, Calif., became the first American to win cycling's most famous contest, the Tour de France.

In 2003 sports, Lance Armstrong became the second cyclist to win the Tour de France for a fifth consecutive year.

Today's birthdays include
- French novelist Alexander Dumas the Younger, author of Camille, in 1824
- Baseball player and manager Leo Durocher in 1905
- Actor Keenan Wynn in 1916
- Television producer Norman Lear in 1922
- Actor Jerry Van Dyke in 1931
- Actor Don Galloway in 1937
- Singer/songwriter Bobbie Gentry in 1944
- Figure skater Peggy Fleming in 1948
- Actress/director Betty Thomas in 1948
- Singer Maureen McGovern in 1949

Everyone have a Great Monday!

Stormy Weather

In general, I like storms. When I was very young - maybe 8 or 9 or so - there was an incident which left me terrified of lightening most of my life. Although I certainly have a healthy respect for it, I am no longer totally afraid, but am usually fascinated. It is so horribly beautiful, so powerful, to watch. From a distance!
Last night, there were storms brewing - you could *feel* it in the air. The sky had that strange bruised look. Soon after I got home from work, there were faint distant rumblings of thunder. We had planned to go out to eat, so decided we better go on before storms came. Even though the majority of the time a line of storms seem to "split", and move both north and south of us, this time there seemed a reasonable chance we'd actually get some rain. We headed into Benson (a mere 8 miles away), and before we got there the rain started. By the time we got to the restaurant we were headed for (maybe 2 minutes after the rain started), it was raining so hard you could barely see the road. When we pulled into the parking lot, Jimmy went around the side of the building to turn around so he could let me out at the door. In the time it took to do that, their power went out. A fact which I didn't realize until I made the mad dash, soaked to the skin (from going all of maybe 4 or 5 feet), through their door. The employees were just sort of standing there near the door watching the storm (except the one who went for a mop. I thought that was from me coming in, but turned out it was because the wind was blowing so hard, it was pushing rain under the door!) After a few minutes, it seemed to ease a bit (well, at least the wind did), so Jimmy pulled back up to the door for me. Of course, he forgot the doors lock automatically ... so there I stand in the pouring rain waiting for him to unlock the door!!!! I was very .. um ... WET!!!
We left and headed through Benson ... power was out all the way through town until the railroad tracks on the far side. We went on into Dunn (maybe another 10 miles from that side of town). It rained off and on, but looked like the storms were about passed over us. We went on to the restaurant, and again, he let me off in front. It was still raining, but not that hard. In the lobby, waiting for him, I overheard some people saying they'd heard there were tornados in Lillington (another town down the road, not far), and Benson. Do what??? So anyway, Jimmy got there and we went on in. It was not as crowded as a usual Friday night ... I guess most people had more sense than us about being out in that weather! LOL!
We had gone to a buffet restaurant. Just as we set a tray down on our table ... the power went out!! Good grief, again??? Well, we were by a window, so decided, having already paid, to go on and eat. Everything on the buffet was still hot ... you just couldn't tell what anything was! LOL!! We managed to pick out enough (fortunately for me, the fried shrimp were recognisable!) After the first round, we decided the cold part was probably safer (we really hadn't been there long enough for the hot food to have cooled to "dangerous" levels; but I also know reasaurants well enough to know that the food would be pulled out long before it got to that point. Still, it couldn't still be really good and hot). And, of course, the desert bar was fine! :)
It was barely sprinkling when we left the restaurant, though still a lot of thunder and lightening in the air. The power was out through a large section of town there too. As we headed home, the sky looked like we were heading into a tunnel .... except for a giant gorgeous rainbow!! I just love seeing rainbows, they're a reminder of a promise ... everything is going to be ok!!
It was still not raining more than a light sprinkle when we got home, though the driveway was practically a moat again (indication that the torrential rain from earlier had not missed us!!).
The thunder and lightening continued well into the night. I couldn't turn on the computer of course; and TV was a bit frustrating, because the satelite dish kept going "in and out". I finally gave up, and went and settled in my recliner. Jimmy was still watching TV ... no idea what he was watching. I was drowsy, and not paying attention. At some point, the rain came again. We could hear it really pouring hard; and the thunder and lightening ... while at times would seem farther away ... continued well into the night.
This morning ... after a Really Lot of sleep!! ... it seemed overcast. But now, the sun is peeking out. The forecast is for possbily more storms by this afternoon.

Family

I know I don't post often. I mean to. There are so many words trapped inside my head that want to come out. But I guess I just have a lazy streak or something. When I actually have the time ... I sit here and stare at a blank page.

I've been thinking about family a lot. I feel like they're all slipping away, and it's such a sad feeling. We all .... 4 generations .... have such separate lives, and live so far apart. The location shouldn't make so much difference in this electronic age ... email, FaceBook, cell phones, etc.

Families should stay in touch. Nothing is as important as family.