Quote of the Day 04/25/2008

I just love, love, love quotes by Albert Einstein. Today's quote is no exception. Enjoy!

"There are only two ways to live your life. One as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
German-born American Physicist

Quote of the Day 04/10/2008

"I have always held firmly to the thought that each one of us can do a little to bring some portion of misery to an end."

~Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
Humanitarian, Theologian, Philosopher, Physician, Nobel Peace Prize 1952

Quote of the Day 03/20/2008

"Great work is done by people who are not afraid to be great."

~Fernando Flores
(1943-, Chilean engineer, philosopher, entrepreneur and politician)

I have succumbed...

...to the pressure of populating a MySpace page! The only reason I mention it here is that it does have a few more details about me than my blog. It's a smackdown of Details vs. Philosophy!

Enjoy,
J.

Quote of the Day 02/26/2008

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.

~Peter Ustinov
(1921-, British Actor, Writer, Director)

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Ok, ok... I know it's unpardonable. I have no excuse for not posting since last July. I am shamed to admit I left all of you hanging in the middle of my summer vacation. I will quickly summarize the rest of the D.C. family extravaganza: All's well that ends well. Ha!

It was wonderful and now that I look back on it, it was quite amazing that all 14 of us got together in one place for a whole week. It's now a precious memory.

This post is going to be a quickie... I've got Anthropology class tomorrow (which I love!) and I need to study. In other news, I am anxiously anticipating the concert in Asheville Monday night: James Blunt. His music is simply astonishing... Soulful. Inspiring. Click on his name above to get a taste of his musical stylings.

Check back soon to hear how I have started reversing hyperthyroidism (Grave's Disease) through nutrition. It's exciting stuff!

Cheers,
Jaime

Day 4: Directionless Day

Today can best be described as pockmarked without directions. We came close to having a SSS - Super Sister Smackdown! To make a long story short, Jennifer and I have wildly different driving styles. Having been broadsided in my MINI within the last year, I nearly went over the edge when she came to a full stop in the right lane of a 4 lane road (speed limit reduced because of a school). That was preceded by a 35 minute driving tour of the broken back roads of Leesburg! You see, we were going to my aunt's house for lunch... Jennifer says her house is minutes from the hotel and that she has "navigation." Alright, no problem...

I should have known that the address wasn't registering with GPS when we sat in the hotel parking lot for 10 minutes before taking off. Once we got going, I followed her car as it jumped from lane to lane (sometimes across two lanes to make a last minute turn) while Jennifer was on the phone the whole time trying to get the directions to work. After stopping in the middle of the road, I finally had enough and headed back to the hotel. We were, after all, on every road but the right one within MINUTES OF THE HOTEL! Arg!! I snatched easy directions off of Google Maps and we were at the house in no time at all. All I can say is that's family for ya! No one was in a car accident and the Smackdown passed within 6 hours.

Later, we went to the Leesburg outlet shops to get a gift for Ricky's upcoming birthday. The above picture was taken by my mobile at the shops. We were really late getting to dinner, but eventually found ourselves at Blue Ridge Grill for a wonderful dinner and excellent service. After false starts at TWO other restaurants, Mama at Blue Ridge Grill took great care of us... I can't remember when I've had such excellent service at a restaurant. We finally got to have a great family conversation in a comfortable location. Maybe it was just me and the stress was finally exiting my consciousness, but it was more relaxing than any other places we've eaten to date.

To underscore the 'directionlessness' of the day, even Donna commented that she heard, "Follow me, I know the way there" too many times today! Ha! It's all good 'cause... I have navigation! :)

Peace,
Jaime

Day 3: Low Key Day

After all the power outage and ensuing adventures, all of us were content to just relax, recover and settle in. I took a picture during the power outages: see one on the left. Ha!

Mostly we spent the day by the pool, playing water with the kids. All the kids, including Kiowa, love the water! Taylor (8 years old), being the oldest cousin here, is having a great time showing the younger cousins the ropes. In fact, Erin (5 years old) has been steadily watching Taylor and emulating her eating habits (penne pasta and water at dinner, for those of you who want to know). It's all very adorable.

We went to dinner at Clyde's at Willow Creek Farm. They boast serving food only grown on their farms around the area. It took about 3 hours to dine, but we had one table outside in the Richmond Terrace. The Terrace had soft incandescent lighting and a fountain/pond complete with lily pads and frogs. The biggest surprise of the evening was my aunt, Lois Ann, paid for the entire meal! Talk about an extravagant treat! We were all pleasantly stunned... my brother-in-law, Ricky, immediately quipped, "If I had known, I would have ordered two more beers..." LOL!

There was one crisis incident with the pond, however. My brother-in-law, Andy, was playing with the girls around the pond and it was decided that a toy turtle wanted to swim with the live frogs... between the two fountains on each end of the pond, the turtle ended up stuck exactly in the middle swimming in circles with a bunch of lily pads! To quote Uncle Andy when asked to save the turtle, "It's ok, he WANTS to swim around for a while." LOL! With the help of two waiters, one patron and two food trays, we were able to rescue the turtle. :D

Cheers,
Jaime

Family Reunion: Day 1 and Day 2

As many of you know, I am taking my vacation in the D.C. area (Leesburg, VA) to reunite with my family. We haven't done this in 5 years or more. We took all 4 puppies and the kitchen sink. We decided to the cats to a kitty spa. The overriding theme of the reunion is to visit with my grandmother, Lois. The picture is of my grandmother in her new hat and matching purse. The 'reunionees' include:

1. Linda -- my mother
2. Lois Ann -- my aunt
3. Lois -- my grandmother
4. Donna (sister), Chris (brother-in-law), Taylor (niece)
   
5. Marti (sister), Ricky (brother-in-law), Carly and Erin (nieces)
   
6. Jennifer (sister), Andy (brother-in-law) and Kiowa (niece)

Day 1 involved getting to Martinsville, VA on Sunday. We originally were going on Saturday, but it turned out that our plans weren't going to work out with seeing my dad, Jim. Aside from that aspect, it turned out well because I was able to clean the house and pack at a leisurely pace. That was a nice break after the past two weeks at work! (We rolled out 174 lab computers - 8 labs in 9 days. Actually, we ended up moving double that number since we had to remove existing PCs. Holla, edneth!) We got there at 4pm (missed my dad again!), got the puppies settled, then had dinner with my sister, Marti and her family. My sister continues to crack me up... she definitely lives by "The World According to Marti." Her perspective on life is truly original!

Day 2 held a host of surprises... some not so pleasant and some just plain strange. It is widely known that if you have genes from my family threaded in your DNA, you are usually running late. Yesterday was no exception. My mother and I were the first to arrive at the hotel in Leesburg! That was just plain strange! We all know that this "late" gene comes from Linda. I really like being early. It gives me a sense of accomplishment! Since we were so far ahead of everyone, we stopped at the Rockbridge Vineyard off of I-81 in Raphine, VA. It was a first for my mom. Imagine that! We left there with 4 bottles of wine, an amazing corkscrew and two fancy bottle stoppers. Woo-hoo!

As everybody was rolling in (Jennifer from CT, Donna from MD, Marti from southern VA), Lois Ann and G-Ma arrived at our room with half of Harris Teeter. What a welcome! They brought fresh fruit, raw veggies, cheese (cow and goat) every conceivable drinkable liquid and hummus. Once Donna and Taylor arrived, we congregated in the Lighthouse Tavern at the hotel (the dining room was closed due to being short-staffed). It was loud and the service was congenial and slow, so G-Ma proceeded to *cuss out* the barkeep and his carousing customers. That's my granny!!

About 45 minutes later and a new table in the corner, Jennifer and family arrived. It was all very exciting because it was the first time my mother, my aunt and my grandmother met my newest niece, Kiowa. She's now 8 months old. Kiowa was passed around the table as we ate food once it started to trickle in. Marti and family arrived a little before 9pm... right before the the power went out! Nobody really paid attention when the brownouts happened a few moments before that, because no one expected it to go completely out. The evening we expected to have - easy-going, chatting, laughing, hugs and kisses - turned into a candlelight vigil complete with meeting the immediate neighbors, trying to get news about what happened exactly.

We did find out that a nearby substation caught on fire. The power was out until 1:30am. We preserved the air conditioning in the room as best we could. Three members of my family are forming conspiracy theories. There happen to be 30 people from a United flight that was canceled yesterday due to "something" hitting the plane and also lots of Secret Service in training at our hotel. They believe that's how the power was restored so quickly, considering that the substation was on fire. I am a believer of Occam's Razor which states, "All things being equal, the simplest solution is the best one." I'm just glad to have the AC back. We're surfing a heat wave here in D.C.!

After all the hijinks yesterday, we are taking it easy today. Mostly lounging by the pool, playing with the kids and lots of good ole' southern visiting. I hope that we'll get to see the monuments, historic plantations and a few ghost tours. We are staying at a historic hotel that has reported ghosts. All my favorite things!

More soon,
Jaime

Shock and Awe

Since I may have shocked some of you with yesterday's post, I thought I'd post something a little lighter today. Plus, I wrote so much over the weekend, I'm spent. I'll let someone else do the writing!

The following is a personality test at Tickle: Put Life to the Test. It's called "What's Your Goddess Identity?" If you have a moment, I recommend taking it... just for funsies, of course! My results:

Jaime, you're Angel!
Just like the haloed and winged guardians of good, you truly have a heart of gold, sweet Angel. Whenever there's a chance to pitch in, save the day or just make life easier for the people around you, you're the one for the job.

You don't just jump in without planning — you use your angelic head to figure out how to do things right the first time, like only the most dependable goddesses can. Whether brainstorming a new solution to a problem, planning a surprise party for your parents, or lending your friends a wing to cry on, you've got the right instincts, so follow them whenever you can. As natural as it is for you to take care of the people around you, don't forget to treat yourself right, too. The best friendships, and loves, of a lifetime tend to blossom when you become your own guardian angel.

So don't listen to those who say nice girls finish last. People have always seen you as a goddess of thoughtfulness and good intentions, and it hasn't slowed you down a bit. All in all, Angel, you've got it made with your glowing attitude and ability to see from on high. So get out there and change the world!

If you decide to take the quiz, be sure to post your results as a comment to this post. I wanna hear from you all!

Cheers,
Jaime

To Date or Not to Date... That is the Question!

Many of you may be wondering why I am single. Well, I have pretty good reasons and it was reinforced by my latest excursion to the M4W on the Asheville Craig's List. Or the M4W on the Greenville Craig's List! Take your pick!

It has, in fact, been four years since I seriously dated anyone. My rule of thumb is to wait at least two years in between serious relationships (to clear out any bad ju-ju), but the last one was a double dose! He worked in the Medical Information Technology field. He not only had a psychotic ex who stalked him from NY State and a bankruptcy, but his reasoning for not marrying the mother of his daughter was that she was trying to trap him. The breaking point (when I ran out of there, terrified) was when he told me he had been served with a summons by the Buncombe County Sherriff's office. Do I know how to pick 'em or what?!?!? I met that lovely boy on the Internet. Chemistry was so-so. He's also affectionately known as Boyfriend #4. He still has the book I loaned him: The Prophet by Khalil Gibran. It was inscribed by my mother for my 21st birthday. :(

Boyfriend #3 was a local boy who I met at college. This one is pretty much my fault. I knew he was a player from the get-go. Instead of letting things evolve naturally, I dared him into going on a date with me. I should have never forced it... he left me broken-hearted. Not only did he want to get me with child (there was some question as to whether he could), but also ended up cheating on me. Needless to say, he did not get me pregnant and I did not go back to him when he came sniffing around again a week later. He wanted a camping partner, of all things! I told him he literally looked like a walking willy and to go call the chick with which he cheated on me. Chemistry was OK.

Boyfriend #3 Update: I saw him a few years later at a local restaurant. He was with the woman he cheated with and they had a baby with them. I assume the baby is theirs and they got married. Better her than me!

You all still with me? Ok, great!

I really thought Boyfriend #2 was my soulmate. This was a long distance relationship... he lived in Tacoma, WA. Yet another I met on the Internet. Bad girl! Leave it!! Leave the Internet alone! And, yet, I go back to it time after time...

Anyway, Boyfriend #2 was pretty intense. He was in training to be in the Olympics -- Karate. We wrote an infinite number of letters (emails) and had endless chat sessions, phone and IM. I even made a book out of our correspondence. A frickin' book! He came to visit once - for a week. We had a wonderful time, at first, until reality began to wedge itself in there. It became readily apparent we were living in fantasy land. At some point during that week, he asked me to marry him and I said yes. No ring, but lots of talk about one. Not long after he returned to WA State, the relationship began to crumble. I began to come out from under the fairy tale and started asking questions. He didn't like that, so we went our separate ways. He called me a few months later, wanting to get back together. This wasn't as easy as Boyfriend #3, but ultimately I knew that the relationship would never be 50/50... no matter how much adoration he bestowed on me. Chemistry was enchanted, but not entirely real.

Now I wind up my journey of relationships with the beginning... Boyfriend #1. He was also a local boy, born and bred in the mountains. I was 19, he was 21. He was the best boyfriend by far. We simply enjoyed each other's company. We'd spend countless hours talking, laughing, and dancing. He was an excellent dancer! We loved to go camping... in fact, he gave me a tent and sleeping bag for my birthday that year. (Ed. Note: He was the only boyfriend I spent a holiday with. All the others were in between holidays, birthdays, etc. Isn't that shame?)

Boyfriend #1 had a variety of jobs during the time we dated, but his genius was his creativity. He could write, sing, act... pretty much anything in the Creative Arts. He was a very sensitive kind of guy, which I thought was very sweet. We ended because I developed a raging case of claustrophobia. He never wanted to be too far away from me. Literally. Over time, it turned suffocating. I turned into someone I didn't recognize (a nag). At the time I didn't know how to vocalize that I needed space, so I broke up with him. It was the only way I knew to catch my breath. I say it was the best relationship to date because I know that he truly cared about me. Chemistry was incredible! Of course, he was my first boyfriend (first kiss, first holding hands) so I had nothing to base it on. (Ed. Note: I think "firsts" are like this with everyone, no?)

Boyfriend #1 Update: I saw him just a couple of years ago at the college where I work. He is happily married and sublimely stable. His wife is very good for him. Better than I could ever be. They both have regular jobs, but they frequent Renaissance fairs throughout the US. He makes leather armor and she makes period costumes for the ladies.

So there it is. The history of the whole history of my love life. The length of each relationship was progressively shorter: 9 months, 5 months, 2 months and 3 weeks. Either I am getting smarter or I am getting pickier! The one thing they all had in common was at some point they all tried to change me. Half of that was my fault since I allowed it! This is the main reason I don't jump right back in the dating arena. I like me, just as I am! The other two reasons are laziness and wariness. I don't want to be in a relationship if the significant other is going to tamper with my core. The flip side to that is that I don't entirely trust myself to choose wisely for myself. My lazy nature is completely supportive of these aims! Ha!

Most of the "eligible" bachelors I meet are very one dimensional. I once described myself as a "mass of contradictions" meaning I have multiple facets to my personality. For example, I love technology, as well as history and humanities. I am very detail-oriented and I have a big imagination. I really enjoy an evening out with my close friends, but I have to have equal amounts of time to myself. I need philosophical conversations, as well as giggle fits. I'd like my significant other with the same depth (width?) to his personality. Someone who wants me for me and won't try to change me. Someone to grow with. Someone to share the holidays with. One person to spend the rest of my life with. Until then, I am content to carve out my path and make merry along the way.

Cheers,
Jaime

An Ode to My Love Life

WHY so pale and wan, fond lover?

Prithee, why so pale?

Will, when looking well can't move her,
Looking ill prevail?
Prithee, why so pale?

Why so dull and mute, young sinner?
Prithee, why so mute?
Will, when speaking well can't win her,
Saying nothing do 't?
Prithee, why so mute?

Quit, quit for shame! This will not move;
This cannot take her.
If of herself she will not love,
Nothing can make her:
The devil take her!

Sir John Suckling, 1609–1642

Inspiration

In the past few weeks, I've had several people comment on my blog. One said, "I never knew this side of you." Another said that she read what I put on my blog and it gave her another perspective of certain situations. I thought to myself, "Wow! My blog is having an impact!" And then I had difficulty remembering, in detail, what I wrote. Uh-oh! So I just finished reading all my posts. Is it retarded to be inspired by my own written words and thoughts?? Then, so be it... I just found out the other day that I am a milktard, too. (Thanks to Edward for bringing urban term to my attention!) Why not be inspired by myself? My conclusion from reading my entire blog is one of excitement. I'm thinking, "This is pretty good! Not nearly as boring as my left brain would have me believe!" If nothing else, the construct is pretty smooth. Stupid left brain! Wait... what?

In reading my posts, I noticed one glaring omission: I am Episcopalian... and proud of it! The Episcopal Church is a member of the Anglican Communion. "Episcopal" derives from the Greek word "episkopos" meaning overseer, namely a bishop. Just like the state fair has fried dough, we have Apostolic Succession. I attend St. John in the Wilderness in Flat Rock.

I chose the Episcopal Church because of it encourages tolerance of diverse peoples and creeds, searching for the truth in the Gospel and practicing Christ's love in your own life. My ancestors have been members of the Episcopal Church for the last 400 years, but that did not factor too heavily in my decision. Over the course of many years, I investigated many other major religions and some Christian denominations, such as Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism. To this day, I believe Astrology to be true.

That's what I love about TEC: it allows for spiritual discovery and emotional growth. At first, I felt embarrassed that I didn't know when to sit or stand or my part in the responsory. Once I fell into the grace of the Episcopal liturgy, I came to understand its' purpose: to include, to embrace all who participate, to "bring into the fold." It's a wonderful feeling. I love my Church. It's truly a place where you can worship, pray, express yourself and ask questions without fear of dogmatic reprisal. Some would call us a bunch of upstarts! If you have the opportunity, I highly recommending trying it! I guarantee you will be welcome.

If you are interested in reading more about the Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Bookstore in Seattle, WA is a great place to start. It's the online store where I get most of my spiritual reading. One of my favorite authors on this subject is Bishop John Shelby Spong. I see his literary mission as liberating the Scriptures from hatred and intolerance in order to reveal the love and grace of God. It's good stuff.

I will close with one of my favorite prayers, attributed to St. Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Peace be with you,
Jaime

P.S.~ I had a piece of fried chicken and a slice of cherry pie for dinner tonight!

Inner and Outer Thoughts

Once again, I've been slack in my blog. I apologize to all my faithful readers; it's heartless of me to just leave you hanging out there in cyberspace.... forced to read other blogs. Sacré bleu! So here goes... what's new with me...

Recently, I've had a resurgence of soulmate happenings. Hints that lead me to believe I'm on the verge of something very good. Whether waking or dreaming, the air around me almost seems heavy with those warm fuzzy feelings that a soulmate engenders. Music, which is very important to me anyway, has been imbued with a renewed idealism. I've had dreams just about every night on this very subject. Some I remember, others I just wake and feel cozy all over. Other times, I've had déjà vu. Overall, I've had a great sense of peace fall over me, which is very nice. The tricky part is I don't know who this person is. Could be someone I talk with everyday OR someone I've never met.

The concept of soulmates is esoteric, at best... To me, it means two people who are perfectly matched. Not that either is perfect, but the fit together is perfect. In a Platonic phrase, split aparts. Soulmates complement each other in ways that encourage growth, emotionally and spiritually.

Having said all that, I've had this feeling before and it petered out (obviously since I'm single). I am a romantic at heart, although I hide it well (I think!) in the practicality of everyday life. As I get older, I've come to realize that finding one special person is rather daunting. As such, I also believe that you can carve out a long and contented life with someone other than your soulmate. That doesn't diminish my faith and hope in finding my soulmate.

In other news, we scurrying around at work to deploy 290 computers before August 22nd. In three days we have rolled out 62 PCs. Shoo! I've come home everyday and just fallen out for an hour before I can motivate for the rest of the evening. There is light at the end of the tunnel: there is a finite number of these boogers. Eventually, it will get done. I really do enjoy it; the only problem is my BS tolerance strains under the hard physical labor!

Speaking of BS... I have to make mention of something that leaves me stunned silly: Cheney's declaration that he is neither in the Executive nor the Legislative branch of our government. Come on! Is he joking??? Does he really expect us to believe that he has the right to pick and choose which branch he wants to affiliate with when it's convenient for him? Puh-leeze!

My mini-family reunion is coming up soon. We will all be in D.C. on July 9th for a week. There will be 14 of us reuniting: my mother, my aunt, my grandmother, my three sisters and their families from all over the U.S. I am so excited about this trip. Not only does it satisfy my need to travel, but it also is a chance to reconnect with those who know me best. Whenever I visit with my family, it encourages me to rediscover facets of myself that may have been forgotten since childhood. 4 out of 5 of my nieces will be there and I can't wait to see how they've grown. They are each so wonderful in their own unique ways. (Holla, Morgan, Taylor, Carly, Erin and Kiowa!)

Before we reconnoiter in D.C., we'll be stopping in Collinsville VA where I'll get to visit with my dad, Jim. He's going to show me his cabin in the mountains. We may have time to go visit my great aunt and great uncle. They live on the family farm in Chatham, VA. Hopefully, I'll get lots of great pics to share with you all after I get back. I can't promise I'll be posting during my trip, but I'll sure give it the Harvard effort!

Cheers,
Jaime

A 3-Hour Tour and More Random Thoughts

Hendersonville. Go ahead, say it. Small town USA. I've been living here for 12 years now and there have been a few times this little town surprises me. Saturday was one of them.

I had a regularly scheduled hair appointment downtown at 10:30. Since Willowby wakes me up by 7:30 every morning and I realized Friday that my car inspection was out of date since March(!), I headed out early to get some errands done before my appointment. That only took until 10am, so I decided to wander downtown until my appointment. I had no idea that Hendersonville was the happenin' place to be on Saturday mornings!

In the span of 3 hours, I saw 3 people I know from work, 1 ex-boyfriend, an art gallery named The Silver Fox and browsed the Mast General Store. I had never been in The Silver Fox gallery and I found some interesting items. It not only had art, but furniture, trinkets, jewelry and clothing. I was excited to see some art pieces that my chiropractor has hanging in her office. It's poetic philosophy superimposed on artistic medium. The artist is Kristen Jongen and the series is called Soul Soup. One day I will own a piece of her art! I like what she has to say.

Back to Random Thoughts...

I recently changed the blade in my shower razor... after 6 months. Is that too long to wait? I love how smooth my legs are, but the blade is so sharp that my legs are quickly becoming covered in bandages.

Yes, my car inspection was completely overlooked since March. Oops. I guess I wander under a lucky traffic patrol star. Maybe it's a little leeway since my car was smacked up last August. What reminded that my inspection was out-of-date was a letter from Governor Easley. It said, "Hellooooo! Yoo-hoo! Here's a friendly reminder that you are breaking NC law!" LOL!

Let me preface this next thought with the following facts: I've been single since 2004 and I live in Hendersonville. Yikes! So, I went to the grocery store tonight before picking up dinner from Outback. As I headed to the checkout, there were 3 (count 'em, 3!!) good looking guys (and seemingly available) in my path. What does this mean? I'm not sure, but I do know I get awfully excited when butterflies cross my path. I always heard that that means love is on its way.

My new haircut is very cute. My stylist is going out on 2 months maternity leave and so I wanted my hair cut shorter so it would last until she gets back. I am now advocating short bangs for summer. They look fresh and sexy for summertime.

I'm watching the Democratic Debate in New Hampshire right now. Out of all the candidates standing on that stage, only one believes that English should be the official language of the US. This seems like a no-brainer to me. Clinton argued that the reason for not making English the official language is it restricts bringing in translators in emergency situations, etc. Dodd argued that we live in a global economy and we all should be proud to speak more than one language. Gimme a break! In Europe, plenty of other nations have 1 official language AND their citizens still speak 4 or 5 languages. It's about geography, not a global economy! As I see more and more businesses around town have signs ONLY in Spanish, the more I want English to be the official language of this land. When I went overseas, I was expected to speak the official language. I did so to the best of my ability. It's a respect issue. For how long are we going to be pushovers for people who want citizenship in this country?!? I fully believe in this country's motto, "Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor." I don't, however, believe in it slowly being changed to "Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor... and we'll bend over backwards for them." Immigrants and citizens alike in the USA have to WORK for the benefits of her democratic society.

Having said all that, I am a staunch democrat! I may, possibly, be moving toward the Independent party. What I really want is a Populist President. Did someone say John Edwards? I think the citizens of this country, the USA's backbone, has been ignored for far too long!

I ran across a blog last week that got me to thinking of introducing a new facet to my blog. Every now and again, I make lists in my journal. All kinds of lists: what I like, dislike, hobbies/interests I want to discover, my strengths, my weaknesses, etc. Whenever I come to a crossroad in my journey, I find that making lists brings clarity and gives my self-esteem a boost. Be sure to look for that exciting new feature in upcoming posts.

Peace to all,
Jaime

Random Thoughts

At work, we have chipmunks. Normally I see only one. I knew there had to be more than one around because they have an extensive tunnel system under the sidewalks. Yesterday, I had the utter joy to see two chipmunks playing with each other. To my untrained eye, it looked like they were playing cops and robbers. This went on for about 3 minutes, as they darted in and around the grass and sidewalk I was on. Every so often the one being chased would stop and hunker down in a grassy patch. The other chipmunk would pause and consider his/her options. Suddenly, the chaser would pounce on the "hidden" chipmunk and the chase would begin again. I don't know what the average speed of the chase was, but it looked faster than my MINI's ability to takeoff!

More random thoughts...

The above picture is of my sweet Willowby Bobbin. I took it with my Samsung mobile phone. Check out his long, dark eyelashes. It almost makes him look Egyptian.

Isn't it amazing how ants come in some many different sizes? How many other critters come in sizes as varied as ants and look exactly the same?

Did you know that "fauna" means "the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment?" I learned this from watching "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

Every morning I open the window in my bathroom as I am getting ready for work to let out the shower steam and let in the fresh air. At the new house, there is a cacophony of birdsong. I get a different symphony every morning.

I'll add more thoughts as they occur. I'd love to hear your random thoughts!

J.

I caught the bouquet!

Yesterday, I attended my friend's wedding in Swannanoa. Eric and Crissy were married outside under a gazebo. The weather was absolutely perfect - sunny, not too hot, with gentle breezes. Thankfully, bees and other flying critters weren't out in droves.

As I told the bride and groom, that was the most fun I've ever had at a wedding. Great music, all the traditional wedding rituals and some special dances performed by the groom (read: I'm Too Sexy, Rumpshaker and Cotton-eyed Joe). It was so apparent in each of their faces that they are very much in love. There was beautiful sentiment throughout the wedding and reception.

Funny story: They asked for all the single girls to come up to the dance floor for the bouquet tossing. At first, I was the only one up there. For several minutes I was the ONLY one up there. How embarrassing! Eventually some other single ladies joined me. However, they were out of luck because Crissy threw the bouquet right toward me. The funny part comes in after the single guy, Trent who lives in Asheville, catches the garter belt and then has to "return the garter." To me. It was a beautiful moment. Really. As it turns out, I couldn't keep it because he wasn't entirely single and his girlfriend didn't appreciate it. Uh-oh! So I had to return the returned garter. Um, yeah. Next time I get a garter returned to me and then asked to return it, I believe I'll say, "I think one of the other garter-catchees needs to help me!" Ha! Too flirty?

Did I mention that three of my co-workers were a witness to all this? Yep. Ramona, Monique and Tom. Ramona will be the acting Dean of Continuing Education soon at the college I work at. That added a slight surreality to the whole regartering event. I also taught Ramona and Monique how to do the Electric Slide. Lol!

Carol, Tom's wife who works at a local collegiate honor society, was there as well. We go way back. Between the four of us, the ladies ripped up the dance floor... and I'm not just talking about the Electric Slide! I had no idea they were such good dancers. We had a ball! There were many moments when Ramona was laughing so hard that tears just streamed down her face. :D

Till next time,
Jaime

Quote of the Day 05/15/2007

I was watching Criminal Minds last night and the quote they summed up the show with is:

"Nothing is permanent in this wicked world - not even our troubles."

~Charles Chaplin

Isn't that calming? I know I get so easily caught up in the day to day moments quite frequently. I thank God I have people surrounding me to remind me that most everything is ephemeral.

Enjoy your day,
Jaime

Quote of the Day 05/13/2007

Talk not of wasted affection; affection never was wasted.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Wonderful thought! So the next time you think you've shown too much care and affection for someone else, remember this quote. Provided it's a mutual affection of course. :)

Elton John Concert Update

For a full 12 hours after the EJ concert in Greenville, SC, I remained speechless! It was that great. It took me that long to absorb the whole experience. I paid an exorbitant amount of money for the 5th row floor seat, but it was so worth it! Thanks to my friend, Daniel, I got EJ's autograph. Woo-hoo! I plan on laminating it before adding it to my scrapbook.

He performed several songs from Captain and the Kid and a bunch of his classics, like Your Song, Philadelphia Freedom and The Bitch is Back. I'm more in love with him than ever! He did mention that this was the last new album that he would produce. Oh no! I am not sure if I heard that right, being so caught in the glory of his musical genius. I just hope he doesn't stop touring. I plan on going to see his Red Piano Tour in Las Vegas one day soon. He made mention around his 60th birthday bash that he felt better and stronger than ever. :)

Note: This picture was not taken by me. It was a photo I found on Google images when he performed at Boise State last year, same tour. The only negative I have to mention about the concert were the holy roller homophobes outside the venue with their signs of hatred and anti-Christian messages smeared across them. I got so angry that it made me nauseous. Literally, I had to shield my eyes because it upset me so much. They'll find out sooner or later that intolerance, hatred and exclusivity was not any part of Christ's message. 'Nuff said.

In other news, today marks one week since my grandmother's nephew, Robert Pollard, died at the age of 56. He had inoperable lung cancer. He never smoked a day in his life. I met Bobby once, several years ago at a family reunion in Chatham, VA after his mother, Sarah, died. He was very close to my mother (all the cousins were) growing up. I remember him as being very vibrant and full of positivity. He was a good man; I am certain he found his way home quickly!

We (Mom and I) are in process of planning our mini family reunion in Leesburg, VA this July. My grandmother, Lois, and my aunt, Lois Ann, live there. (Holla, Gramme & Lois!) We were going to Connecticut to visit with my sister's in-laws, but that trip is financially prohibitive. It'll be great because 2 of my 3 sisters will be there with their kids and husbands. Wait, what? They each only have one husband. Lol! Mom will get to meet her newest granddaughter, Kiowa Grace, in person. We will be visiting my remaining sister at her home in Collinsville on the way back. From there, I hope to veer west to my Dad's cabin near Wytheville, VA for a few days. This is shaping up to be a great summer vacation!

To wrap up, I want to send a "Holla!" out to my aunt and uncle from Charlotte, Debbie and Fenton. They had their church retreat at Kanuga two weekends ago. I wasn't babysitting this year, but was promised I would be employed again next year. Apparently, the hectic pace was a little too much for the little ones. :)

Peace,
Jaime