Snow Flakes

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Out of the bosom of the air,

out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,

over the woodlands brown and bare,

over the harvest-fields forsaken, 

silent, and soft, and slow

descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take

suddenly shape in some divine expression, 

even as the troubled heart doth make

in the white countenance confession, 

the troubled sky reveals

the grief it feels.

This is the poem of the air, 

slowly in the silent syllables recorded;

this is the secret of despair,

long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,

now whispered and revealed

to wood and field.

Hilarious Thanksgiving

    Thanksgiving is closing in and I wanna share something that happened one Thanksgiving a few years back.

     Of course it was a typical Thanksgiving day. Skip forward to the cooking. The food is halfway done. When my bird Max comes flying into the kitchen. She crawled out from a crack underneath my door. This was first of many escapes from her. She landed in the mash potatoes. Did I mention that my four cats and dog was also inside? A flying bird certainly got the cats attention. Though she didn't end up as Thanksgiving snack. I grabbed her from the mash potatoes and took her to my room and stuck her in the cage. She didn't like that. She called be a 'bitch'. The mash potatoes were thrown out and the bowl placed in the sink. Fresh mash potatoes were made. The cats and dog were getting antsy with the smell. Finally everything was done and we sit down to eat. The dog on floor with Buttercup, Socks on the chair with my sister, and Shadow and Moonshine were on the table....were the food was trying to take food from out plates. Buttercup and Bandit were kinda the smart ones. The turkey was kept on top the stoves. Buttercup jumps on the counter and Bandit stands on his hind legs. Mama jumps up and puts the turkey back inside the oven. Socks jumps over on mama's chair and just takes her slips of turkey before we even had a chance to react without even touching anything else on her plate though she did give the cats and Bandit the remains of her plate anyway and slips of turkey so that we can finish eating in peace.
    Thanksgiving is especially a challenge if you have pets and you could wind up with a funny memory that will last a lifetime. But you wouldn't change a thing. 

Classic Cartoons

     The controversy continues over the classics and how they influence the kids.
     The newest aimed is the lovable Winnie the Pooh all 'cause he only in a shirt. Its a silent way of saying going half naked is OK. That's what their basically saying. The PARENTS are the one's that buys their kids clothes. DON'T BUY CLOTHES THAT SHOWS EXCESSIVE SKIN FOR KIDS. He's a teddy bear for crying out loud. If your kid is going half naked, I think the parents are to blame. I think Mari Stroman McGoldrick (facebook) says it best: Donald Duck don''t wear pants either and neither does his nephews. Minnie and Daisy's dresses are really short. Bugs and Daffy are naked with the exception of costumes and wearing drag. Then there's Betty Boop and her infamous sexy red dress. Tom & Jerry and their fights. Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote. The list just goes on and on into the Disney realm. Ariel changes herself for a guy.
     The most cartoons today are just completely ridiculous and highly stupid. If you're kids don't realize that cartoons are just that, cartoons. They're not real. Then that fault lies with the parents who's kids have hurt themselves mimicking the classics.
      The classics will ALWAYS be the best.

Balance

Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Heaven, God was missing for six days.

Eventually, Michael the archangel found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired of God, "Where have you been?"

God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael, look what I've made."

Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?"

"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put LIFE on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."

"Balance?" inquired Michael, still confused.

God explained, pointing to different parts of Earth, "For example, Northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while Southern Europe is going to be poor; the Middle East over there will be a hot spot and the Antarctica in the South will be very cold. Over there I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people. God continued, pointing to different countries.

"This one will be extremely hot and arid while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."

The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to a large area and asked, "What's that one?"

"Ah," said God. That's the SOUTH, the most glorious place on Earth. There are beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, streams and an exquisite coastline. The people from there are going to be modest, intelligent and humorous and they're going to be found traveling the world. They'll be extremely sociable, hardworking and high-achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace. A truly great people."

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed, "What about balance, God? You said there will be BALANCE."

God replied wisely..."Wait until you see the loudmouth obnoxious people I'm putting north of them.

http://www.confederateamericanpride.com/humor.html

Kick Your A**

1) Don't order filet mignon or pasta primavera at Waffle House. It's just a diner. They serve breakfast 24 hours a day. Let them cook something they know. If you confuse them, they'll kickyour ass.

2) Don't laugh at our Southern names (Merleen, Bodie, Ovine, LutherRay, Tammy Lynn, Darla Beth, Inez, Billy Joe, Sissy, Clovis,etc.). Or we will just HAVE to kick your ass.

3) Don't order a bottle of pop or a can of soda. Down here it's called Coke. Nobody gives a flying damn whether it's Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper, 7-Up or whatever -- it's still just a Coke. Accept it. Doing otherwise can lead to an ass kicking.

4) We know our heritage. Most of us are more literate than you e.g., Welty, Williams, Faulkner. We are also better educated and generally a lot nicer. Don't refer to us as a bunch of hillbillies, or we'll kick your ass.

5) We have plenty of business sense (e.g., Fred Smith of Fed Ex, Turner Broadcasting, MCI WorldCom, MTV, Netscape). Naturally we do, sometimes, have small lapses in judgment e.g., Carter, Edwards, Duke, Barnes, Clinton). We don't care if you think we are dumb. We are not dumb enough to let someone move to our state in order to run for the Senate. If someone tried to do that, we would kick their ass.

6) Don't laugh at our Civil War monuments. If Lee had listened to Longstreet and flanked Meade at Gettysburg instead of sending Pickett up the middle, you'd be paying taxes to Richmond instead of Washington. If you visit Stone Mountain and complain about the carving, we'll kick your ass.

7) We are fully aware of how high the humidity is, so shut the hell up. Just spend your money and get the hell out of here, or we'll kick your ass.

8) Don't order wheat toast at Cracker Barrel. Everyone will instantly know that you're a Yankee. Eat your biscuits like God intended -- with gravy. And don't put sugar on your grits, or we'll kick your ass.

9) Don't fake a Southern accent. This will incite a riot, and you will get your ass kicked.

10) Don't talk about how much better things are at home because we know better. Many of us have visited Northern shit holes like Detroit, Chicago, and DC, and we have the scars to prove it. If you don't like it here, Delta is ready when you are. Move your ass on home before it gets kicked.

11) Yes, we know how to speak proper English. We talk this way because we don't want to sound like you. We don't care if you don't understand what we are saying. All other Southerners understand what we are saying, and that's all that matters. Now, go away and leave us alone, or we'll kick your ass.

12) Don't complain that the South is dirty and polluted. None of OUR lakes or rivers have caught fire recently. If you whine about OUR scenic beauty, we'll kick your ass all the way back to Boston Harbor.

13) Don't ridicule our Southern manners. We say sir and ma'am. We hold doors open for others. We offer our seats to old folks because such things are expected of civilized people. Behave yourselves around our sweet little gray-haired grandmothers or they'll kick some manners into your ass just like they did ours.

14) So you think we're quaint or losers because most of us live in the countryside? That's because we have enough sense not to live in filthy, smelly, crime-infested cesspools like New York or Newark. Make fun of our fresh air, and we'll kick your ass.

15) Last, but not least, DON'T DARE come down here and tell us how to cook barbecue. This will get your ass shot (right after it is kicked). You're lucky we let you snowbirds come down here at all. Criticize our barbeque, and you will go home in a pine box -- minus your ass.

http://www.confederateamericanpride.com/humor.html

Sky

"The rainbow comes and goes.

And lovely is the rose.

The Moon doth with delight.

Look round her when the heavens are bare.

Waters on a starry night.

Are beautiful and fair.

The sunshine is a glorious birth.

But yet I know where'er I go.

That there hath past away a glory from the Earth."

Struck Gold

     This ghost story was told to my grandmother who told it to my mother who told it to me. Its been awhile since I've thought about it. So its a very short story. 

     The story goes this couple were visited by a ghost. It told them where there were hundreds of dollars. (I can't remember if it was a cave or their basement.) Together they go to that destination. Low and behold there's the money. 

    I wish a told me ghost where there was tons a money.

The Flamingo

    This story is more of a 'sign'. A warning of something bad to come. They are real. Signs can be a number of things, but it doesn't mean that your house is haunted.
     When you think of a flamingo, you think of a pink bird with long legs, right? That's not the case sometime ago. It was a flamingo, but it was brown and seeing a flamingo in Virginia, even very rare considering they don't exists in Virginia....as far as I know.
     It was a school day, I remember that much. We (me & my sister) got up earlier than usual because mama was taking us out for breakfast. Outside getting ready to get in the car, we see down by the creek running through our yard, a brown flamingo. We're thunderstruck. We just stand there looking at it. It walks underneath the bridge. We continue to stand there, but the flamingo never comes out. I walk down there, look underneath the bridge and there's nothing there. I shrug to let them know there's nothing there. They don't believe me. I mean we're standing there watching it the whole time. We never took our eyes off. The only exits are in sight. They walk down to the creek and peer under and nothing. Again we're thunderstruck. How can that be?
     We head back to the car with a million questions. We sit there at Dairy Queen discussing it. One of the things is that some days before our rent lady's grandmother fell ill. We took that as a sign. A very bad sign. Few days after the disappearing flamingo, the grandmother dies. 

The Lady In Pink

    Most of us have ghost stories. Since its Halloween, I'm gonna tell my stories. My first memory experience is this beautiful thin, blonde shoulder length hair lady wearing a light pink gown.
     The room I was sleeping in was at the end of the hallway, which was dubbed 'Grandma's Room'. Across the hall is another room where our cousin stayed with our granddaddy (Its was we (me and my sister) called him.) It was late at night (typical) and I woke up to this lady in a pink dress walking the doorway. I didn't see her walking down the hallway. I only saw her when she reached the edge of the door frame and walked into my cousins room and disappeared into blackness. I didn't feel threaten or anything. I just went back to sleep.
     In the morning I asked my cousin did she know that someone was in her room last night. She had no clue.
     Every night after that I spent at granddaddy's I saw her. It got to be a regular thing. Walking the frame of the door and disappearing into the back wall. One night as she was walking the familiar path; she stopped and looked towards me. Though she was transparent, we met each others eyes. We both knew each was there. I was startled, but still, I never felt threaten. Just stood there looking for a couple seconds before she continued her 'path'.
     Every few nights when I was at granddaddy's, she would stop and we gaze at each other. She never entered the room.
     Years later, I heard from my cousin one night that he heard the door rattle. He slept in granddaddy's room. By then he was closer to us in a nearby nursing home. He lived there with his brother, mother, stepfather, and cousin. (The one I mentioned earlier.) He never saw anything, but every now and then the door would rattle.
     It was by then that I remember something from my childhood. It was Mother's Day. My cousin 'T' was was baking a cake for her mother. A few minutes before the two had an argument over money, but she still made the cake. Something happened and she all of a sudden didn't feel so good. She left the unfinished cake on the table to lay down...in 'Grandma's Room'. We hear a collapse and we see her on the floor not moving. Me and my sister were immediately asked to leave. Not to worry, we had family next door. We stood watching from the window. We saw on a gurney a white sheet covering someone. We were told that she had died. 'T' is who brought my sister and cousin (door rattler) close. They looked up to her. Her heart as burst. I think it was rupture. I don't remember much and she was four and a half months pregnant. It was a little girl, but she took didn't make it. I guess 'cause she was delivered too early.
     'T' was buried in a light pink dress with the baby resting on her arm. She had shoulder length hair. Tall and thin. She was ghost I saw all the time. That's why I never felt threaten. My granddaddy has since past and the house sold. His son's wife all doing. My mama had nothing to do with it. We wanted to keep the house in the family. It was paid up. She just wanted the money, but that's another story. Anyway, I wonder from time to time, do the new residents ever see her? Or was it just meant for me? To know that she's alright?

Have You Ever Ditched Class?

I never have, but my father has. He's told me countless stories of him and his buddies ditching school and heading out to the nearby woods to fish and hang out. 

Penmanship

My penmanship sucks so this is totally relateable. And lets not forget about cursive. That's even worse.

Advice To Myself

1. Read e-mails before sending them.
2. Don't eat anything for breakfast that would be too rich as a desert.
3. Don't buy anything just because it's on sale.
4. Four-inch stilettos are for runway models and podiatry patients.
5. Make sure you get or give five hugs a day.
6. Don't spend more than thirty seconds a day regretting the past.
7. Don't spend more than thirty seconds a day worrying about the future.
8. Call your siblings once a week, your parents twice.
9. Listen well.
10. Rent a foreign movie every now and then.
11. Don't straighten your hair if it wants to be curly.
12. Eat your vegetables. 
13. Listen to your mother.
14. Don't dwell on hurtful words.
15. Make an effort to say helpful words.
16. Don't drive faster than you want your kids to drive.
17. Watch less than a sitcom's worth of TV a day.
18. Set goals. 
19. Spend less on coffee than you do on groceries.
20. Write out your grandparents' life stories.
21. Read a book a week.
22. Organize your bills.
23. Apologize quickly.
24. Don't procrastinate.
25. Remember names.
26. Be nice to yourself--you may be the only one to be nice to you all day.
27. Eat a favorite food once a week.
28. Find a friend to exercise with.
29. Be a kid every now and then--swing on swing sets, giggle at cartoons, or drink chocolate milk.
30. Learn to say no.
31. Drink eight glasses of water a day.
32. Pick out a new recipe and serve a fun dinner every now and then.
33. Fill the ice trays as soon as they're empty.
34. Learn a new hobby.
35. Make banana bread when bananas get too ripe to eat plain.
36. Get your oil changed when you should.
37. Meet two new people a week. 
38. Work hard.
39. Don't work too hard.
40. Be nice to animals.
41. Don't beat yourself up for not cleaning the baseboards.
42. Clean the baseboards.
43. Get a pedicure or a foot massage when you need to de-stress.
44. Take walks.
45. Stock your car console with monts, maps, and change.
46. Make copies of everything in your wallet in case it gets stolen.
47. Keep insurance and credit card phone numbers in a safe, yet easily accessible place.
48. Drink green tea.
49. Have fun.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19579203-the-bad-hair-day-book

Maleficent

    Maleficent is a Disney movie based on 'Sleeping Beauty'. Sleeping Beauty is only from Princess Aurora's side and not Maleficent's. We knew nothing about how and why she became a cold hearted evil fairy.  In the beginning she is just a innocent little girl who befriends a human. At 16 he kisses her and tells her its true loves kiss and then he ditches her (typical). Now an adult and quiet powerful the king tried and failed to take over the magical forest. Anyone brave enough will marry his daughter. The boy who she befriended as a child, who had dreams of living in a castle takes the challenge. She tells her a story of his absence (typical), but unbeknownst to her it is all just LIES. He literately tried to stab her in the back, but he couldn't do it, so instead he cuts off her wings. Imagine her horror when she wakes up? (No wonder she turned into a cold hearted snake. The one person she thought she could trust turned his back on her all because so he could get his hands on riches.) Well he marries the princess and they have daughter. (You know this part.) The fairies wishes and Maleficent's appearance and her curse, the cottage in the woods. Ok, lurking in the shadows is Maleficent and her raven Diaval. Something happened. Something changed and not even Maleficent really understood it. Now a teenager, Aurora spends most of her time in the magical forest with Maleficent. She tries to take back the spell before her 16th birthday, but a curse is a curse and even she couldn't undo it. Aurora meets Philip who was traveling through the forest while she was practicing what she was gonna say to her 'aunts'. It was love at first sight. They go their separate ways and that's when her 'aunts' tells her the truth. Aurora confronts Maleficent and then races off to the castle to confront her father who locks her up in her room. Maleficent races towards the castle to Aurora to keep her from pricking her finger. But the curse is calling her and she pricks her finger on spinning wheel in the dungeon. Maleficent sneaks into the castle with Philip in hope that he will be one to wake her, but it wasn't so. Maleficent felt so bad. She swore that no harm would come to her while she slept and kisses her forehead. That broke the spell and she awoken and forgave her. While they were leaving the castle Maleficent is captured and the guards are trying to kill her. She turns the bird into a dragon. Maleficent tells Aurora to leave and she runs into a room where low and behold are Maleficent's wings. She frees them. Maleficent carried the king away and told him she was done, but he couldn't have none of that. he fell off the tower in an attempt to take her down. Aurora is crown Queen of both faeries and humans. 

Falsely Accused

     It was Diane's turn to open the bank. On such mornings, as was protocol, she unlocked the door and entered the bank without disengaging the alarm, only punching in her code on the keypad to disarm the alarm after checking to make sure all was secure inside the bank. If the security company didn't receive a disarm signal after forty-five seconds, they notified the police. 

     Unfortunately, she had woken up feeling flushed and nauseated this particular day. Knowing that a) the bank opened a couple hours earlier than most, and b) if she called anyone to sub for her that early in the morning, she might lose the luxury of having air in her tires at the end of the workday, she decided she could at least open the bank and then go home to get well. 

     She drove up to the lot, rushed in, looked around, and didn't see anyone. Growing sicker by the moment, she hurriedly gave the all-clear signal to the tellers. Unfortunately, she forgot one little procedure--disarming the alarm. 

   The tellers came in and Diane bustled out the door. Meanwhile, the police had taken their place behind a building. Diane--in old jeans and an old shirt and carrying her oversized purse which evidently looked like a suitable one for robbing banks--jumped into her older-model van and sped away. 

    The police immediately tailed her and turned on their lights. She reluctantly pulled on the side of the road. At the exact same moment her son happened to pass by on the school bus, saw her getting pulled over, and called on his cell phone. She reached into her purse to answer the phone just as the police officers began to get out of their vehicle. Thinking Diane was reaching for a firearm and believing she had just robbed a bank, the policemen drew their weapons and ordered, "Drop your weapon, raise both hands, get out slowly, and step away from the vehicle."

     Pale-faced and shaking, she dropped the phone and complied with the requests. One officer approached, gun in hand, while the other one backed him up. Diane began explaining with her hands in the air as he got closer. Beads of sweat accumulated on her forehead, which the officer to as a sure sign of lying. As he stepped right in front of her to question her further, Diane, unable to hold her sickness at bay any longer, summarily threw up all over the policeman.

     Obviously, some bad days are worse than others. Sometimes you spill your coffee in the car; other times you are falsely accused of grand larceny and deface the uniform of one of the city's finest. But all bad days have one thing in common: They only last twenty-four hours. 

    (This is from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19579203-the-bad-hair-day-book?from_search=true A mini story by Jerry lane.)

Selena Rides A Horse

Not entirely sure WHY they are making a story about this. People ride horses...especially here in the south. Selena is a Texan herself.  But I reckon when you live in the city you don't see that often so it comes out quite a shocker. The horse is gorgeous.

Skeletal Lovebirds

I came across this photo on Facebook of this skeletal remains of a couple holding hands for 1,500 years. Which is just 'awe'. I searched and I found a article NBCNEWS did of the find. Seems legit. They are of the Roman Era (5th & 6th Century AD) in Central-Northern Italy. While it doesn't really state what happened the article mentioned the Black Plague. They weren't rich. They were buried facing each over and sometime after the burial the husband's head somehow rolled. You can read the full article in the link provided: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44990654/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/roman-era-couple-held-hands-years/#.U1AXyPldWJE 

Pets

  Prissy, Lucky, Rollie, Gypsy, Bear, Tim, Redskin, Peaches, Blackie, Snowball, Betsy, Blackie  (Those are dogs.) Blackie (cat), Little Blackie (kitten), Peter (rabbit), Blaze, Tricksy, Tammy (Those three are horses.) Bambi (goat), Max (bird), Buttercup (cat), Bandit (dog), Shadow, Socks, Angel, Ricky, Sundae, Moonshine, Patches, Rocky, Smokey, (those are cats) Faye (dog) Chocolate, Flower, Star, Tom, Hissy, Cherry, Dallas, (those are cats) Blackie (rabbit), and Paisley (bird). And my sister's dog Bubba. 

Now, this ranges from when I was little to now. Lucky, Betsy, Bandit, and Socks were murdered (this goes from my childhood to a few years ago). Faye was hit by a car. Prissy died of cancer and kidney failure. Blackie (cat) fell in a pit of oil. Tammy ate acorns. Shadow's kidney's failed him a few years ago. Max died of old age a few years ago. Peter died of old age. Buttercup was catnapped a few months back. Little Blackie got in the motor of the car and my father didn't know and started the car. Star was killed by my daddy's friend's dog. Peaches died of (what I was told) hiccups. Rollie was hit by my uncle. Blackie (dog first one) fell in the barrel of ice water one winter. Sundae, Moonshine, and Chocolate, my grandfather took in 'cause we moved and they didn't allow pets. The rest disappeared when my father died.  Have no idea what became of 'em to this day. It's still a mystery. 

In case you're wondering I just have Paisley, Blackie, Ricky, Smokey, Rocky, Patches and my sister's dog Bubba who stays with her. I grew up on a farm.  Again they weren't all on my farm. Like I said it's just a list of all the animals I had throughout years. 

Since I wrote this in 2014, Paisley has since died and we acquired another cat named Skeeter. My sister's dog Bubba died. She got another named Brandi.
Since I wrote the above, Skeeter died Friday, June 10, 2016. She dearly miss her and I blame myself 'cause I have insomnia and the sleep medicine makes me sicks didn't see the heatstroke signs. I'm an alert person, but when it flares up I don't know up from down. And second, she laid up in some insulation.
Update. Patches died in October 21, 2019. She was anemic and didn't catch the symptoms quick enough.
I now have, Little Bit and Rocky, a bunny was given to us, (Fred) and an orange kitten (Pumpkin Pie Houdini) was dropped upon us. 

Former Disney Stars and Starlets (TV series)

                                             


 I'm startin' with one of my favorite and its one of the VERY first Disney TV series; Flash Foward starring Ben Foster and Jewel Staite. Ben was in Alpha Dog. She guest starred on Supernatural.

Lee Thompson Young starred in The Famous Jett Jackson, but y'all may know him from Rizzoli & Isles.

Rachel Blanchard was also in Flash Foward. She played Becca (Jewel Staite) older sister. Y'all may know her from Clueless.

Erik Von Detten starred in So Weird. And lets not forget Brink along with his So Weird Co-Star Patrick Levis. Anyway, Erik was in The Princess Diaries (first one).

Courtnee Draper starred in The Jersey. She's starred in numerous shows; Ghost Whisperer, CSI: Miami, Tru Calling, Home Improvment, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. And lets not forget The Thirteenth Year and Stepsister From The Planet Weird.

Christy Carlson Romano starred in Even Stevens along with her annoying 'brother' Shia LaBeouf who was in Lawless. Anyway Christy was also in Kim Possible, and the movie Cadet Kelly.

Raven Symone starred in That's So Raven. She also starred in The Cosby Show, The Cheetah Girls, Dr. Dolitle, Zeon: Girl Of the 21st Century, Revenge Of the Bridesmaids, State Of Georgia, and Tinker Bell. Annelise Van Der Pol starred in Vampire's Suck and guest starred on Shake It Up.

Kay Panabaker starred Phil Of The Future. Aly Michalka and Brenda song also starred in the series. Brenda and Aly are still going strong.

Brittney starred in The Torklesons. She went and starred in many hit favorites.

Lucy Hale - You Sound Good to Me (Official Video)

 I knew there was a reason my favorite character from Pretty Little Liars is Aria. Lucy Hale is a southern girl at heart. She is from Tennessee.

Here she is when she was a kid. She has the accent then. 

Here she is in an interview for August 2013. No southern accent. 

More likely its Hollywood's doing of why the change in accent. Happens to a lot of southern actors and actresses. Though at certain points in time, it comes out. For example; Kassie DePaiva aka Blair Kramer (One Life To Live) when she's yelling at Tod.