Make a floral/candy bouquet!

Valentine's Day will be here before you know it, so I wanted to give you an idea for a candy bouquet you can make at home. I've seen some beautiful chocolate bouquet arrangements advertised different places, but the downside of the bouquets is the cost. Using just a dozen chocolate candies in a bouquet with a little bit of greenery and tissue paper can cost you a small fortune-I saw one yesterday on a website that cost over $80!!!! That's 12-TWELVE- pieces of candy!!! Making your own makes it more personal, plus you get to use the colors you prefer, and the candies you like best. And you will most likely save around $60!!!

This is a little bouquet I made up with mini peanut butter cups and mini peppermint patties.

We will be posting more very soon, but this will get your started! You may have so much fun with this, that you want to make one for everyone you can think of--sisters, your female boss, your little brother's new girlfriend, your wonderful mother, or any candy addict you can think of! :)

Just Like Everyone Else

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful start to 2010!

I'm going do what I've seen other bloggers do in their most recent posts-I'm going to share some of my goals with you!

I have been very excited about 2010, and now that it's here, I'm starting the year off with my goal list in tact! They aren't resolutions-they are goals!

I have a notebook with my personal goals, my spiritual goals, my financial goals, and my family goals. I won't bore you with all the details-just a few!
1. I am going to lose an UN-DISCLOSED amount of weight! I've started this one already, and lost about 8 pounds! And then....well....then the holidays hit, and everyone and their BROTHER was out to sabatage my efforts, practically FORCING all that apple pie and chocolate cookies down my throat! (Just the mention of it makes me shudder all over again!) And so, I'm still down about 4 or 5 pounds. Sigh.
2. I'm going to read 3 books a month. Amelia Bedelia books don't count. I have this CRAZY addiction-filling my bookshelves! And why this is crazy is because, I never get around to reading the books I bring home! So! If I read 3 a month, I should be able to empty the bookshelf by the end of the year, or at least rotate the collection!
3. Dan and I work with the youth, and I want to devote much more of myself to this.
4. I'm going to work diligently on my website. We aren't sure the direction of our future, but I do know that we need to be figuring this out! We aren't starving, and we've been fine, but we have no real income at this point in time, so we need to make plans for our year. Dan's injuries from a fall have caused our lives to have some changes, including his inability to work for the past 8 months.
I do plan to make my website profitable, so it has to be worth visiting! But don't get me wrong-if you'd like to visit http://www.achocolatebouquet.com/, there are no membership fees or any of that-thankfully there are affiliate programs that I've added to my site, and my viewers are not obligated to do any purchasing in order to enjoy my entire site. There are lots of good articles, humorous articles and thoughts, and other things.
I have some additions that I am really excited about adding in the coming week and month, so we're working on that! I gave you a sneak peek at a video, and there are some great things coming up! (If I do humbly say so myself! :D) As you probably can already tell, how-to videos will be added to my site, and let me give you a small heads-up: we want our videos to be remembered, so each one will have a short touch of humor to help viewers remember us!
My website is an online magazine of sorts, but we are going to have our main focus and our videos on 4 main topics:

1. Chocolate bouquets
2. Floral bouquets
3. Decorating on a small budget(Why, yes, I AM the thrift store QUEEN!!!)
4. Hairstyle how-to's

Of COURSE this is the time my new camera would decide to function abnormally-after I told everyone that I would be uploading videos the first couple of weeks in January! If you watch the videos, you'll see where MY camera blurs in and out, while making a cranking noise all thru video-ing! But thank you, Mama, for lending me yours until I get mine back from repair! My viewers will also thank you, I'm sure! :)
In order to make the most of my time online, and making my blog and website the best I can, I am going to delete my other blogs shortly. When our home burned down, this is the blog I continued to post on, and the others have dwindled, as far as my efforts and posts. I'm adding many of the posts from those blogs to my website, so the content will still be there, just in a different place.
5. I plan to blog 3 times a week. I also plan to write 3 articles a week for ezine articles. (Is there REALLY that much knowledge packed in this graying little head of mine??? I guess we'll see!)
Boy, for someone who is home most days, I'm going to be one WORKING woman!!! But that's fine---it's fun when I see progress! Plus I get to stay in, in the warmth! This girl does not take for granted warmth---when you heat with wood for 10 years, and never could keep the house warm enough, you don't need to learn how to be thankful for a real, forced air heater! Thank you Lord! :)
I'll share one more short clip with you, and then the real ones are coming real soon(to my website)!
Thank you all for your time-I hope you will continue to come visit me! I still have to tell you about Bianca the rat, my children's "rescue" of the barn kitties, and more!
Wishing you all the very best in 2010!!!
Love,
Josanne

Can You Offer Comfort To A Soul In Need?

The series of photos I am sharing in the blog post have really touched my heart!

With the new year fast approaching(one more full day before 2010!), I just want to encourage everyone to open your hearts, and be willing to reach out to help someone!

There are times when we are all afraid, or feel lonely or alone, or just need someone to comfort us when we are hurting.

The poor little puppy is so afraid-you can see his tail completely tucked-and the cat is perfectly relaxed. This seems like it is possibly from a shelter. The cat makes moves a little closer to the pup, and it appears the pup moves closer to him/her. And when they meet, this poor little fellow hides his face, and the cat allows him to, and just stays there for him.

Lord, help us to be more compassionate this coming year, as we've all probably heard the saying, for each person is fighting a battle.

I've been completely touched by these photos, and I hope you are too. And let us be reminded that everyone can use a friend in 2010!
(Click on picture to get a larger image.)

Having Fun!

I promise you that my blog is not going to turn into a promotion for my website, although I may invite you all over to visit the website every now and then!

But this was too fun, and I wanted to share it with you all!

The below short video is a few bloopers from our first video that we will be uploading to my site in a week or so. We're going to be doing how-to videos for hairstyles, and also how-to videos for bouquets. Can't wait to add them!

But anyway! I hope you enjoy the video, my wheezing, Amber's blabbering at the end, and the interesting "motorized" noise that my NEW camera makes while filming! :(

Merry Christmas!!!

To my wonderful readers~ On behalf of my family, I would like to wish everyone a very, Merry Christmas, and a very blessed new year! I hope you enjoy this family slideshow I put together for my blog. :) Love, Josanne

This Is Too Cute!

Be sure to watch his expressions too-so cute!

O Holy Night

It's almost Christmas!

In step with one of my only yearly traditions, I have a song to share with you all....just in case you haven't heard it yet!

Get some tissue--this song is a real tear jerker! And be sure to listen to it to the very end.

And my disclaimer: I am a full time Christian, and I do believe God has a sense of humor. When Jesus walked on earth, there is a story in the Bible that tells of how He sat and ate dinner with the sinners, and those who were thought of as "low-life" folks. Althought the Lord is serious in most stories we read in the Bible, I personally don't believe that Jesus was completely serious when He was enjoying their company over a meal. People were drawn to Him--if He had acted high and pious, I don't believe the needy would have been drawn to Him. This story compares sinners to the sick who need a doctor, and God's word also states in Proverbs that laughter does good like a medicine. How fitting it would be for Jesus to provide moments of laughter, since He believes it is good. So! Here you have one of my favorite songs of all time:

Oh, Curses!

I enjoy a good story and love to laugh just as much as the next person. And I have come across a story or two that has made me laugh so hard that I've cried--such as "Toe" by Pat McManus.

Building my website has me searching across the world wide web looking for other great reads by authors that are hoping to get their work noticed, and I have found a few so far!

But nothing turns me away and disappoints me quite as fast as crude humor, and the topic at hand--cussing.

Since what I put on the web myself is meant to be family friendly, I do pass by articles that throw in the occasional swear word. I want to offer something that I would be comfortable with my own children seeing, along with other mothers and concerned adults across the world.

But this is not a sale ad!

No, not at all! I just got to thinking about it last night.....

Our world has tried to limit what young adults see and do with a minimum age limit on different things-rated R movies, or PG-13. Smokers have to show their ID until they are 27(the age minimum is 18, I think), and I think you have to be 21 to drink alcohol. These restrictions are meant to discourage the younger age group, even tho they show the smiling faces of a group full of young, smoking friends having a great time across the large billboards by the highways, or the football party with chips, pretzels and beer all over the coffee table, and guys and gals rooting for their favorite team.

But anyway, what if.....what if we tried to discourage cussing? Is it possible? Sure it is!

What if they took all of the cuss words, and made them at least 5 syllables long? My suggestions are:

Hooty-patooty

Hocker-doodle-maimy

Nose-pickin-cracker-cruncher-head

Sweatin-orangutan-face

Muffle-strigger-riggin

Uses for these words would be:

The car won't start AGAIN?? That thing is just a hooty-patooty piece of JUNK!

Who came up with THAT hocker-doodle-maimy idea, anyway?

The nose-pickin-cracker-cruncher-head washer overflowed this morning.

How DARE you call me names, you sweatin-orangutan-face PUNK!

I can't get the muffle-strigger-riggin door open-it's stuck!

Now, I think words like these would be great deterrents for two reasons:

1. These words would be much harder to say, so there would be fewer of them on the big screen, and also much harder to spell. Authors would not want to stop while feeling inspired, because they had to look up how to spell hocker-doodle-maimy.
2. The glamorous Hollywood star in all her painted perfection, and the big screen "hunk" in all of his masculinity would not say these words because it would make them sound very, very.......stupid. "I don't care if you pay me TWO million dollars for this movie-I'm not saying hooty-patooty!!!"

And the author of the romance novel would not write, "Beau Remington looked at Dynasty Dalton's velvety red dress, up-swept 'do, and dangling diamond earrings. He slipped her hand into his as he said, "You're looking muffle-strigger-riggin fine this evening, Dynasty." Kind of spoils the moment, don't you think? Good thing he didn't decide to use a different cuss word for that compliment, such as, "You're looking sweatin-orangutan-face fine this evening, Dynasty." THAT romance novel would stir some confusion for sure! Uh...was that a compliment, or is he trying to LOSE her because he's really in love with Chloe Wynchester? We'll never know.....unless there is a sequel. And then what if he uses the same line on Chloe Wynchester? Is he now trying to lose her because he realized what a good woman Dynasty Dalton is? We'll never know.....unless there is a series.....actually, with lines like that, we may never know.
So anyway! Stories are much better without all of the foul language that they throw in, and this fabulous idea I've come up with could change authors and writers all over the world! Of course, if they ever did implement my idea, all movies and books would probably be categorized as comedy. But I can't imagine the big screen actors and actresses plastered all over highway billboards with big smiles on their faces while saying "hocker-doodle-maimy". Everyone else seems to be smiling, why aren't they? And why are their cheeks all red?

It's Almost Here!!!

Am I talking about Christmas? Or 2010? Not really.....

I'm talking about my 40th birthday!!!

Have you already been there? Do you know how it feels to want to grab someone, anyone, by both arms and shout, "I'm turning 40!!! Aggghhhhh!!!!!"???

My birthday is February 3rd, so it's less than two months away. Which brings me to an announcement that I decided to make! I figured that I would share this with my blog readers, so that you all can hold me accountable! Make me feel like a heel if I don't follow thru!

So what is my great announcement, my declaration that is so important???

I am officially on a diet!!! (Excuse me while I wipe my tears and blow my nose.......boy, it seems that is becoming the norm in my blogging these days!)

No more chocolate, no more chocolate cake with chocolate icing, no more half gallons of ice cream, NO MORE!!! (Sniff!)

Let me give you a little hint---house fires cause you to get FAT!!! I've gained 15-20 pounds since our fire! UGH!!!

Anyway, a couple of the reasons I am on a diet:

1.) My poor, poor knees. They feel it, oh, do they feel it!!!

2.) My poor, poor clothes, THEY feel it, OH, DO THEY FEEL IT!!!!!!

Since I had to replace almost all of my dress clothes, you would think they would fit! Not so! They're screaming for mercy!

I love clothes shopping as much as the next woman, but there is a limit! I mean, how many new wardrobes do I actually want? Just one! Not 3 in separate sizes! I have winter jackets and sweaters and skirts that I want to wear! I also want to be able to BREATHE while wearing them!!!

3.) Among the other things that feel it are my wallet, my car, my furniture, and Dan's lap. :D

4.) I ain't no spring chicken no more, and the older I get, the harder it is to lose! I better do something now before I'm another few years older! And how I wish I would have listened to that wise, elderly lady who told me this truth, when I was about 19-back when I was thin!

And then there are two more reasons I will share with you!

1.) Family pictures are coming up!

And the BIGGIE!!! The biggie is......

I have to renew my driver's license in Feb, 2010!!!

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but if you've ever had an awful driver's license photo that you had to carry for 4 years, you would totally understand! Oh sure, you may drive the speed limit, so you aren't worried about it, but don't forget to figure in that you have to give the nice policeman your license when you are in a fender bender, even if you aren't the guilty party!

I know this first-hand! The time a truck came in my lane and hit me is the same time that I had my license picture taken during the time I was pregnant--I never stayed small when I was expecting, and I looked like someone had punched me right between the eyes! The nice policeman asked for my license, and my face just dropped. He asked if it was bad, meaning, is it expired or something? And I thought, Yeah, it's REALLY bad!!! I started rambling about how I was pregnant at the time, and he told me he thought all pregnant women were beautiful. That was BEFORE he looked at my picture! I'm sure I became the exception! And of all things, this HAD to happen in my small town, so that I would not be able to escape the embarrassment at a distance!

So there you have it! I won't bore you with all the details of my dieting, but might update you on the progress, since I've now admitted it to the world! Everyone except Dan---he's heard this one before, but this time I'm serious! :D

So feel free to send me your best and easiest low carb recipes and desserts! And think of me when you eat your desserts! :)

Things I Forgot About Kitties

Well, we've had our new babies for about a month, and there are many things that are coming back to my remembrance about kittens. So if you get a kitten or two, keep these things in mind:

1. Kittens like small round things, like hair bands(ponytail holders) and milk rings. Thus, you will find them laying all over the house, and it isn't because your kids were just being sloppy. (My baby Jazz liked to drop milk rings in our shoes. When she was a kitten, she would drop them in the shoe and swat at them. I would think she couldn't get the ring back out, so I would help her. She would then pick up the milk ring and drop it back in the shoe!)
2. Kitties like anything that dangles. Pullies for your ceiling fans(we hold our babies up in the kitchen and let them bat them around for a little bit), strings from your ironing board cover, fringe from your scarves, hair when you bend down, and snowflakes you hang on your banister for your Christmas and winter decor. Take a tip from me--forget the snowflakes on the banister! I had 8-10 or so hanging on mine, looking so pretty. There are none left on the banister--the kitties re-decorated for me, leaving flakes, glitter, and the little metal wires you use to hang them, all over the house, and on two seperate levels of the house.
3. Kitties have sharp claws that snag furniture and sheers. (Okay, I'm crying now!) When you have more than one kitty, the game of "chase" is a favorite across the backs of your couches. When you have tall dining room chairs, small kittens can't always aim perfectly for jumping up on them, thus allowing you to hear their sharp little kitty claws digging in while they get a grip.

A couple tips from me:

• You can buy cardboard scratch posts for your babies-this gives them the pleasure of scratching like they desire(our kitties don't scratch the furniture on purpose, thankfully, but they obviously don't realize what running across the back of the couch does to it, and me(SSSNNNnnnniiifffffff!!!!---excuse me while I wipe my eyes and blow my nose....).
• Instead of declawing your wonderful felines, there is a wonderful product on the market that I discovered, and they definately help! With kittens, they can be a little work, but it definately will ease your nerves when they jump on the furniture. The product is called Soft Claws. They come in different sizes and colors! They are little rubber caps that you glue to your kitten's claws. They do not hurt the kitten, and they turn their sharp little nails into soft, rubber ones. Sometimes kittens will try to get them off, until they get used to them. They should stay on for 8 weeks or so. We team up when we put them on our kitties--one holds the kitten and feeds her treats, while the other extends her claw and puts the cap on. You can find them on ebay, and I'm sure other places on the web. I'll put them in my sidebar on this page for now...you can also trim their nails, but be ever so careful not to trim them too short! Check on the web how to do it!

So there you have it! A few things to remember when getting a kitty. You will also need to have many, many treats on hand, lots of toys, and you will need to remember how to talk baby talk, and call yourself Mommy, Daddy, Sissy, Grandma or Grandpa. :)

Our New Babies

These are our new kitties, Diamond and Chloe. Technically, these are Elissa's kitties. Jazz is still my baby--I guess I'm just Grandma to the new kitties. They can be our little princesses, but Jazz is still the QUEEN!

High Winds

Before Dan and I went to bed last night, he had checked the weather report online. There were warnings of high winds, and the suggestion of securing light objects. All of those blown up yard ornaments could be in danger!!! I could even hear the wind whipping while sitting in my bed!
So anyway, I wondered......
While I slept, I wonder if Santa rolled thru my yard like a tumbleweed last night? Did Frosty, or several Frosty's do somersaults down the hill out back? Hmm.....maybe even the big guy in the red suit drove across the front yard in his Nascar car!
All of this could have been quite a site!

Speaking of quite a site, here you go.....

As Always, Check With Your Doctor First

I was working on my website tonight, and just put an article up for healthy, low-carb snacks.

Although I am not trying to persuade anyone into low-carb dieting, I personally have had good success with it, at one point having lost 20 pounds, and seeing my normally very low energy level raise to a point of not feeling the need for a nap every day.

But anyway!

I got to thinking.....

How often have any of us come across a crash diet that promised to help you lose 10 pounds in a week? Or 5 pounds in two days?

Chances are you've seen them in all the ladies' magazines, and friends have passed them around, plus the many websites that are eager to share the info with you as well.

What struck me as funny is.....

Most diets you see tell you to be sure to check with your doctor before beginning the diet.

So I am wondering.....

How many of us have checked with our doctor before going on one of these crazy, WAY out of balance diets?

I can see myself talking to my doctor, and saying, "If it's ok with you, I'm going to only drink 3 orange juice/honey/banana concoctions for the next two days, so that I can lose 5 pounds."

Or...

"Doc, I found this great diet, and I just needed to check with you....I'm going to lose 10 pounds in 3 days, and I get to eat ice cream and hot dogs to do it!"

I can sort of see my doctor staring at me as if I just grew a third eyeball. And like he's really going to say, "Great! That will help lower your cholesterol level too-I noticed it was a bit high from your last blood work!"

More likely, he is trying to come up with a polite response, instead of taking a deep sigh and rolling his eyes far enough back to see if he has a rooster tail in his hair, and exclaiming, "Who in the world comes up with these CRAZY IDEAS???"

I, for one, will continue to do what I've always done. I will buy all the new women's magazines that have large, bold print across the front, telling me about the latest breakthrough in lab research that has discovered how to lose 18 pounds in just 7 days!

And then, when I get enough will power, and only 3 of my skirts still fit around the waist, I will go back to eating salads, veggies, and other low-carb foods, since that is what has worked for me. :)

Sometimes Life Hands You.....

Sometimes life is so sweet, as if to hand you a delightful bar of richest milk chocolate on Earth.

Such as my new next door neighbor, Hope, seeing me many times at my house before we actually met, and thinking I had to be a sister, instead of the mother, since she thought I looked so young! Bless your heart, Hope!

And then......

Sometimes life squirts a lemon right in your eye!!!

Like today......

A friend of ours used to work at our local Walmart, and she married and moved away. She waited so long to find Mr. Right, and she really did marry a very good man at the age of 28. She just had a precious baby girl, and we're so happy for her!

When Amber and I were in Walmart today, our friend's former manager said hi to us, and we let him know that our friend had a baby. He was SO happy for her, and he told Amber and I he was very happy for us.

That seemed just slightly different, but that was fine. She was a very close friend to Amber before she moved.

We chatted another minute or so, and again, he told us that he was happy for us. And then...THEN.....THEN...........

He said, "Congratulations, Grandma!"

UHhh.......what was that???

It finally donned on us. The manager thought I was our friend's MOTHER!!!

Okay, I'm doing okay with nearing 40, sort of.....but our friend is nearly 30 years old, and he thought I was her mother!!!!! So of course I had to burst out into tears and hide my face while my shoulders shuddered....

Okay, the crying and shuddering shoulders were and act.... :D

Anyway, we figured it out....

Amber was with our friend so often, and both have very dark, curly hair---many people thought they were sisters!

He must not have looked at my youthful skin, gorgeous thick mane and trendy clothing-relaxed fit pullover and jean skirt-and just thought of my daughter being this girl's sister.

I forgive him....

So the next time someone hands you a rich, melt in your mouth, silky smooth chocolate bar, beware---someone is probably waiting around the corner with a lemon for ya! Ha!

Clutter

I woke up this morning, and a great revelation HIT me!!!

If you don't have time for the things in your home, get rid of them! Clutter demands so much time-a real robber in our lives!

So.........

I decided to throw out Dan and the kids, the dishes, the ironing, the bills and the laundry!

....

....

....

....and I'm keeping the kitties!!!

....

....

....

....(wink, wink!)

The New Girls In Town

I'm thankful for my faithful readers, and bearing with me during my slow times....I haven't posted much lately. I hope to get back in the swing of things soon!

I do have some news to share with you all, tho!

We are now the proud owners of two beautiful grey striped baby girl kitties-Diamond and Chloe. Oh, what sweeties!!!

My girls and I went to the mall Tuesday, and we decided to eat in the mall. Well, we had to walk by the pet store to get there, and we stopped to look at the kittens.

I'm sure you all know how it went from there...we've been wanting a cat, but I've been holding out hope to find my own princess, Jazz. The girls "talked" me into the grey sisters, and we brought them home.

We didn't tell Dan that we got them, and it is VERY unlike me to just bring a pet home without talking to Dan first. The thing is, we have talked about getting another cat, so I knew Dan wouldn't object. NOT to mention the times he's brought home puppies, a rabbit, and a black rat without consulting me first! lol After 16 years of marriage, I guess it's my turn! :) (Nah, I wouldn't really do such a thing if I didn't already know he'd be ok with it!)

Anyway, Dan was sitting in the livingroom when we got home, and Elissa was hiding behind Amber with the cat cage, when we came in the house. She opened the cage door and just let the kitties come out on their own, and then Dan saw them. I can't remember if Chloe climbed up on Dan, or if one of us set her in his lap, but his heart was stolen by this sweet little girl instantly! She loved all over Dan, and then curled up on him and stayed there for probably 20 minutes. It was love at first sight! Or lick!

A day and a half later, the little girls are making themselves at home-they are very happy here! They purr and play quite a bit, when they are not sleeping. They are about 9-11 weeks old, and we're glad we got both kitties, because they are quite attached to each other. They cry for each other, if they are apart for very long.

We're very happy in our new home, and now with our furry friends, our home feels more complete. :)

Have I given up on my baby Jazz? Noo....I still hope to find her, and I still cry over her.

The good news is....a friend is moving to our land where our house burned-putting a trailer on the land for a while. I've felt that if we had ever built on our land again, that it wouldn't surprise me if Jazz would show up someday. This is still my hope, but with our friend living there, someone will be out there much more than I am able to be out there, and with the colder months coming, my hope is that Jazz will show up on the doorstep and want in.

Then she would be the Queen of our home, and Diamond and Chloe will be the little princesses. :)

Babies---SOOOooooooo Precious!!!

Laughing babies--one of the most precious things in the world!

I'm Dangerous To Myself!

Am I sure I have a brain??? Well, regardless, I do entertain myself! I just have to make sure I don't HARM myself!

I did two stupid things in two days last week.....

I went out to my burnt house, still looking for my baby Jazz(my cat), and I set food inside the doorway where the kitchen was, on a towel. I then check for animal hair to see if her colors show up. So far, I think I am just feeding a raccoon and an oppossum. But anyway! I also look inside the garage. Hopefully she'll try to take shelter here shortly, since the cold weather is coming, and the garage is still standing.

I pulled into the driveway, and thought, "I'll just leave the car running, since I'm just going to check real quick, and get back in." So, I got out of the car, and.....

the car started moving! I forgot to put it in park!!!

And the next day....

I took my recyclables down to the big blue bins, being a responsible earthling and all. The bins had just recently been emptied, so there was plenty of room for my stuff.

As I threw in my last batch of plastic recyclables, I threw my keys in with them!!!

Oh great! The bin was possibly 1/3 full, and my keys landed on a bag. Well, fortunately for me, I was on my way to a cleaning job, and had my Swiffer extended handled wand with me. I bent it so that the prongs could slip thru my keyring. WHEW!

I got back in my car, and laughed myself half of the way to my cleaning job.

They say you're finally mature when you are able to laugh at yourself! I must be VERY mature! And I give myself plenty of opportunity to laugh!

It's a Jungle Out There!!!

Dan and I have one topic that comes up every so often that gets me shouting out my defense statements to friends-my history with wildlife.



Maybe Dan just likes to impress our friends! Maybe he thinks we'll have more friends if he tells them how his wife has survived multiple attacks by the most viscious beasts known to mankind. Whatever the case, I am here to tell you the REAL stories!


As Dan likes to tell it, I was attacked by a lion, bitten by a boa constricter, and mauled by a monkey.


But what REALLY happened are these events:


1. The lion...

When I was little, I lived in Akron, Ohio, and there was a pet store called Tanks a Lot. Anybody else remember it? They had a cub in their store named Peaches. Since I was only about 6 or so, she was about as big as me when she was on her hind legs.

One day, they had let Peaches out of the cage, and she came over and jumped on me! No, I wasn't hurt, she was just being a playful cat who happened to be my size!

2. The boa constrictor...

When I was in fourth grade, we had a man visit our class with a huge snake. I was a bit squeamish with that HUGE thing in the room, so even tho I was sitting at the time, I was able to quickly jump to my feet.

When the man and his slithering friend came to my group of desks, that MONSTER of a worm swung his head right in my direction! I saw it coming, so I jumped out of my seat and moved just in time--the snake's head swung right to where I was sitting! I was nearly kissed by a snake!

3. The monkey...

Again in grade school, I do believe it was 5th grade, I had my encounter with a monkey.

Our school had a carnival, and we had a man visit with his pet monkey. It was so cute--with his little outfit and all.

This little furry thing was permitted to climb on us students, and he climbed about shoulders. I wanted him to climb on me too, so I stuck out my hand for him to climb up my arm....

Instead, the monkey BIT my hand! It really did!

Well, it's probably good that I didn't decide to become a vet in my adult life! With my history, I'd probably get the wrong kind of reputation!

"Yeah, that Dr. Anthony-would you believe she claims that she was attacked by a lion, bitten by a boa, and mauled by a monkey? Next, she'll be claiming a bear swiped her side, a coyote bit her toe off, and she had 17 porcupine quills stabbed thru her heart!"

I guess it's a good thing that being bitten by a mouse once is such a small thing-Dan doesn't bring that story up too often. Maybe he forgot....

Funny tho, I don't tell everyone that Dan has rabies after he got bit by a RAT!!! I'll have to tell you about that story another time.....

Have a great day!

A Little of This And That, And a Quote to Keep You Pondering

Hi Everyone! I hope you all are well! It's beautiful in PA, and fall has arrived! I cannot tell you all how THRILLED I am to have a REAL source of heat this year! WE used to heat with wood at our old house, but now we have forced air heat, and I couldn't be more delighted! And it still amazes me how God has everything in control...with Dan falling out of a tree and having major back and neck surgery, he would not be able to cut wood this year anyway! We could buy it, but it would get costly.

Speaking of Dan, I think we can say that we are thru the worst of pain-he came to church today without his neck brace on, and is working on exercising his neck. Unfortunately, he has developed something called Swan Neck, where his neck goes forward, almost as if he is slouching. But it is very hopeful that it was noticed in time, and physical therapy will start this week. So we're looking forward to the complete recovery!

I'm still calling for my cat--I tell you, if she doesn't become more affectionate when I find her, I will definately have to remind her of the HOURS I've searched for her, and tell her she better start being lovable! Just kidding. :) Actually, my family talks about getting another kitty, but I don't just want a cat, I want MY cat. She has such a sassy personality, and I miss it! She's my little girl, and I just love her to pieces. I've called and called for her--I actually think a cow answered me once! lol Hopefully when the leaves all fall, I will be able to see much better into all of the woods near our house, and hopefully I'll spot her! I just can't bring myself to give up hope. I'm still praying to find her!

Well just a little of this and that to share with you all! And one last thing.....

A great quote to start your week!.....
(The rightful owner of this quote is T. Dowd):


"Things are more like they are now than they ever were before."