Some Mindless Trivia

CAN WE BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT WE THINK WE SEE?

DO YOU SEE A FACE OR THE WORD 'LIAR'?

DO YOU SEE BLACK BLOCKS OR THE WORD 'LIFT'?

TWO FACES OR SEVERAL PEOPLE?

DO YOU SEE FOUR PEOPLE?

FOCUS ON THE DOT IN THE CENTRE AND MOVE YOUR

HEAD BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS - HOW CURIOUS IS THAT ?

What's in a Word?

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes;

But the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,

Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice;

Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,

Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet,

And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,

Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,

yet hat in the plural would never be hose,

and the plural of cat is cats, not cose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,

but though we say mother, we never say methren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,

but imagine the feminine she, shis and shim.

Don't You Love The English Language? :-)

Apples and Pears - Art and Poetry

Apple Art

Bet you thought my teeth were soft!

Pear instrument plays real sweet

Butterfly Apple

*****

Apples

by K. C. Cox

I traded you for an apple one day

It was half eaten before I knew

That nothing in the world could ever replace

The love I have for you

We served each other mud pies

Climbed up in the mulberry tree

Played all day long in the camper

Daddy set up for you and me

We played store on the back porch

The neighbor kids joined in

Ran barefoot through Dad's garden

Playing tag, I let you win

And, as we grew older

We talked nearly all night long

About boys, and school, and other things

And on the transistor was our favorite song

Now we are grown and you are my best friend

Each person in life has a place

That every time I see an apple

I get a big smile on my face

Poet - Erma Bombeck - 'If I had My Life to Live Over'

Poet - Erma Bombeck - 'If I had My Life to Live Over'

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER...

by Erma Bombeck

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less when reading - and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance

in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said,

"Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you’s"… more "I'm sorrys"... but mostly, given

another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it...

live it...and never give it back.

• In memory of Erma Bombeck

*****

Erma Louise Bombeck (February 21, 1927 – April 22, 1996), born Erma Fiste, was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for her newspaper column that described suburban home life humorously from the mid-1960s until the late '90s. Bombeck also published 15 books, most of which became best sellers.

Erma Bombeck wrote over 4,000 newspaper columns chronicling the ordinary life of a midwestern suburban housewife with broad, and sometimes eloquent, humor.

Erma Bombeck was born in Dayton, Ohio. She grew up in a working-class family. Her father, Cassius Fiste, was the city crane operator; her mother's name was also Erma.

In 1942, Bombeck began to work at the Dayton Herald as a copygirl, sharing her full-time assignment with a girlfriend. She completed high school in 1944. While in college she began to write for the university publication, The Exponent and she graduated in 1949, with a degree in English.

In 1949, Bombeck also converted to Catholicism, from the United Brethren church, and married Bill Bombeck, She remained active in the Church the rest of her life.

Doctors told the Bombecks that having a child was improbable, so they adopted a girl, Betsy, in 1953. Erma decided to become a full-time housewife, and relinquished her career as a journalist. Despite the former difficult diagnoses, Erma Bombeck gave birth to a son, Andrew in 1955 and she stayed home for the next ten years.

She continued writing and by 1969, 500 U.S. newspapers featured her "At Wit's End" columns, and she was also writing for Good Housekeeping Magazine, Reader's Digest, Family Circle, Redbook, McCall's, and Teen magazine. Bombeck and her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to a lavish hacienda on a hilltop in Paradise Valley.

By 1985, Erma Bombeck's three weekly columns were being published by 900 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada and were read by over 30 million readers, She was also making twice-weekly 'Good Morning America' appearances. Bombeck belonged to the American Academy of Humor Columnists.

Erma Bombeck was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. In 1996, she was brought to a San Francisco hospital for a kidney transplant, which was performed on April 3. However, she suffered complications following the procedure, and died on April 22.

Her remains are interred in the Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio, under a large rock from the Phoenix desert.

*****

I read Erma’s columns during the years of raising my children. She always gave a very amusing slant to typical everyday family situations and I could relate to so many of her stories. She had such a great sense of humor that she was able to capture with words.

peacesojourner

February 29th - Today is Leap Day

Today is Leap Day!

Julius Caesar (with help from his astronomer, Sosigenes) added Leap Years to the calendar in 45 BC. They discovered that there are actually 365.2425 days in a year and decided to compensate by adding one extra day to “Februarius” every four years. Under normal circumstances, a date that falls on a Tuesday one year will fall on a Wednesday the next year. However, in a Leap Year we “leap” over one day of the week, which is how this phenomenon got its name.

There are many traditions and superstitions associated with Leap Years and Leap Days. According to an Irish legend, women have the privilege of proposing marriage in a Leap Year, and any man that refuses must offer a gift in recompense. People born on a Leap Day are known as Leaplings or Leapers. Each country has to have a policy about when a February 29th birthday is legally observed in a non-Leap Year!

Leap Day comes around just once every four years, so take some time to celebrate this unique occasion!

So ladies, this is your chance to propose to the person of your choice - let me know the outcome if you do :-)

peacesojourner

Super Bowl Sunday

Don't know much about football!

To my friends who enjoy the game - may the best team win :-)

British Humour

*Some 'Quips' from British Newspapers *

Commenting on a complaint from a Mr. Arthur Purdey about a large gas bill, a spokesman for North West Gas said, 'We agree it was rather high for the time of year. It's possible Mr. Purdey has been charged for the gas used up during the explosion that destroyed his house.'
(The Daily Telegraph)

Police are being handicapped in a search for a stolen van, because they cannot issue a description. It's a Special Branch vehicle and they don't want the public to know what it looks like.
(The Guardian)

At the height of the gale, the harbour master radioed a coast guard and asked him to estimate the wind speed. He replied he was sorry, but he didn't have a gauge. However, if it was any help, the wind had just blown his Land Rover off the cliff.
( Aberdeen Evening Express)

* Heard On The London Underground Tube *

A list of actual announcements that London Tube train drivers have made to their passengers...

1) 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I do apologize for the delay to your service. I know you're all dying to get home, unless, of course, you happen to be married to my ex-wife, in which case you'll want to cross over to the Westbound and go in the opposite direction.'

2) 'Your delay this evening is caused by the line controller suffering from E & B syndrome: not knowing his elbow from his backside. I'll let you know any further information as soon as I'm given any.'

3) 'Do you want the good news first or the bad news? The good news is that last Friday was my birthday and I hit the town and had a great time. The bad news is that there is a points failure somewhere between Stratford and East Ham, which means we probably won't reach our destination.'

4) 'Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay, but there is a security alert at Victoria station and we are therefore stuck here for the foreseeable future, so let's take our minds off it and pass some time together. All together now.... 'Ten green bottles, hanging on a wall.....'.'

5) 'We are now travelling through Baker Street ... As you can see, Baker Street is closed. It would have been nice if they had actually told me, so I could tell you earlier, but no, they don't think about things like that'.

6) 'Beggars are operating on this train. Please do NOT encourage these professional beggars. If you have any spare change, please give it to a registered charity. Failing that, give it to me.'

7) During an extremely hot rush hour on the Central Line, the driver announced: 'Step right this way for the sauna, ladies and gentleman... unfortunately, towels are not provided.'

8) 'Let the passengers off the train FIRST!' (Pause ) 'Oh go on then, stuff yourselves in like sardines, see if I care - I'm going home....'

9) 'Please allow the doors to close. Try not to confuse this with 'Please hold the doors open.' The two are distinct and separate instructions.'

10) 'Please note that the beeping noise coming from the doors means that the doors are about to close. It does not mean throw yourself or your bags into the doors.'

11) 'We can't move off because some idiot has their hand stuck in the door.'

12) 'To the gentleman wearing the long grey coat trying to get on the second carriage -- what part of 'stand clear of the doors' don't you understand?'

13) 'Please move all baggage away from the doors.' (Pause..) 'Please move ALL belongings away from the doors.' (Pause...) 'This is a personal message to the man in the brown suit wearing glasses at the rear of the train: Put the pie down, and move your bloody golf clubs away from the door before I come down there and move them for you'

14) 'May I remind all passengers that there is strictly no smoking allowed on any part of the Underground. However, if you are smoking a joint, it's only fair that you pass it round the rest of the carriage.'

In Britain if you travel by train, bus or taxi, you are very likely to hear British humor by the conductors or drivers. They are all comedians :-)

Have You Gained A Few Pounds Over the Holiday?

I received this new information in an e-mail message :-)

I'M SO GLAD I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS!

The correct way to weigh yourself:

I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years.

WE MUST SPREAD THE WORD.

Help - I think I may be addicted to Blogging!

Since I started writing a blog there have been some changes in my life.

Here I am at my new 'convenience' desk. You will notice that I have a new hairstyle -

no time to comb my hair any more.

I think I have a new addiction!

Here's someone I met on-line - one of

the top Bloggers in the nation :-)

Now, about facebook - don't even ask :-)

peacesojourner

Buy Nothing Day - A Social Statement

There are many today who are making a social statement and are advocating "Buy Nothing Day," a 24-hour moratorium on consumer spending coinciding with Black Friday.

I refuse to join in with the shopping frenzy - this is me today as I make my own social statement :-)

Some Thanksgiving Hints

Some before Thanksgiving hints :-)

On a lighter note..................

When I first moved to Buffalo, NY, I was startled to see the sign you see below.

At first I thought it was a joke but then I realized that it is a legitimate funeral home.

One evening Jay Leno mentioned it on his Late Show.

After being amused at the sign above I came across a couple of other funeral related signs

that made me smile. Here they are.

What a Bargain!

A Snowman Funeral

Don't Even Think of Parking Here!

No Comment!

Hope these made you chuckle.

You can't make this stuff up can you?

:-)

peacesojourner

Greetings From A Really Intelligent Woman

And on that note,

I am taking a day off to do lots of reading :-)

peacesojourner

Sunday Reflection - Lighten Up a Little - Smile :-)

Humor is very valuable in Christian communication because it breaks down barriers and most importantly, because we have a biblical mandate to use humor!

God's Bumper Stickers

Psalm 126:2

We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.

And the other nations said, "What amazing things the LORD has done for them."

*****

Don't take life so seriously - smile a little :-)

Bread Art

You're not going to cut my head off!

Most comfortable sandal I ever owned!

Buddy, can you spare a dime?

A Preview of the Royal Wedding

Got to love the British sense of humour -

this gave me the best laugh I've had in a long time. (Amazing look-alikes also)

The T-Mobile Royal Wedding

www.youtube.com

Watch the wedding entrance dance to top all wedding entrance dances. T-Mobile's Royal Wedding Dance celebrates the marriage of William and Kate with the help of a host of royal look alikes and music from East 17! T-Mobile wishes William and Kate a long and happy marriage. Join our Facebook group htt

Click on the blue writing - it is a little hard to see it

Can We Talk? - re: Texting & Abbreviations - part II

Some time ago I wrote a message about modern technology and texting abbreviations. The message was directed at people like myself- the fuddy-duddies of modern technology. Those of you who are experts at texting will probably find this old news and boring :-) but I am guessing that I am going to introduce you to some new texting abbreviations.

The following abbreviations were composed by senior citizens and sent to me by a friend recently. So this message is for my more mature readers and the younger readers may just learn something new.

ATD - At The Doctors ...

BFF - Best Friend Fell ...

BTW - Bring the Wheelchair ...

BYOT - Bring Your Own Teeth ...

FWIW - Forgot Where I Was ...

GGPBL - Gotta Go Pacemaker Battery Low ...

IMHO - Is My Hearing-Aid On ...

LMDO - Laughing My Dentures Out ...

OMMR - On My Massage Recliner ...

OMSG - Oh My! Sorry, Gas ...

ROFLACGU - Rolling On Floor Laughing And Can't Get Up

*****

HAND . . . Have a nice day

If you can relate to what I have written let me hear from you - I am gradually learning this method of communication :-)

So TTFN - that means 'TaTa for now' (goodbye) in England

peacesojourner

:-) :-) :-)