American!
We moved here in 1980 and my mother spent years as a legal alien of the US. She was always nervous to take the test.
My parents have heard a few horror stories where one spouse (the legal citizen) dies and the legal alien is forced to go back "home". Well, after 28 years and 3 kids this is "home".
So she went and took the test, passed, and she traded in her British citizenship for an American one.
Today she is Proud to be An American!
Go mom! :)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Lessons From A Dandelion
Lessons From A Dandelion
The following isn't by me, but by another "Donna". I really enjoyed reading it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lessons From A Dandelion
By Donna Doyon
I recall as a young child bringing bouquets of brilliant yellow flowers to my mother. It didn't matter that the stems felt sticky or that both my parents cursed the presence of these flowers in the lawn. I thought they were beautiful!
And there were so many of them! We spent hours picking the flowers and then popping the blossoms off with a snap of our fingers. But the supply of dandelions never ran out. My father or brothers would chop off all the heads with the lawn mower at least once a week, but that didn't stop these hardy wonders.
And for those flowers that escaped the honor of being hand-delivered to my mother or the sharp blades of the lawn mower, there was another level of existence.
The soft, round puffs of a dandelion gone to seed caused endless giggles and squeals of delight as we unwittingly spread this flower across the yard.
As I worked in my garden last week, pulling unwanted weeds out of the space that would become a haven for tomatoes, corn, peas and sunflowers, I again marveled at the flower that some call a weed. And I thought, "If only I had the staying power of a dandelion."
If only I could stretch my roots so deep and straight that something tugging on my stem couldn't separate me completely from the source that feeds me life. If only I could come back to face the world with a bright, sunshiny face after someone has run me over with a lawnmower or worse, purposely attacked me in an attempt to destroy me. If only my foliage was a nutritious source of vitamins that help others grow. If only I could spread love and encouragement as freely and fully as this flower spreads seeds of itself.
The lawns at my parents' homes are now beautiful green blankets. The only patches of color come from well-placed, well-controlled flowerbeds. Chemicals have managed to kill what human persistence couldn't.
I hope you and I can be different. I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough that the strongest poison can't reach our souls. I hope that we can overcome the poisons of anger, fear, hate, criticism and competitiveness. I hope that we can see flowers in a world that sees weeds.
The following isn't by me, but by another "Donna". I really enjoyed reading it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lessons From A Dandelion
By Donna Doyon
I recall as a young child bringing bouquets of brilliant yellow flowers to my mother. It didn't matter that the stems felt sticky or that both my parents cursed the presence of these flowers in the lawn. I thought they were beautiful!
And there were so many of them! We spent hours picking the flowers and then popping the blossoms off with a snap of our fingers. But the supply of dandelions never ran out. My father or brothers would chop off all the heads with the lawn mower at least once a week, but that didn't stop these hardy wonders.
And for those flowers that escaped the honor of being hand-delivered to my mother or the sharp blades of the lawn mower, there was another level of existence.
The soft, round puffs of a dandelion gone to seed caused endless giggles and squeals of delight as we unwittingly spread this flower across the yard.
As I worked in my garden last week, pulling unwanted weeds out of the space that would become a haven for tomatoes, corn, peas and sunflowers, I again marveled at the flower that some call a weed. And I thought, "If only I had the staying power of a dandelion."
If only I could stretch my roots so deep and straight that something tugging on my stem couldn't separate me completely from the source that feeds me life. If only I could come back to face the world with a bright, sunshiny face after someone has run me over with a lawnmower or worse, purposely attacked me in an attempt to destroy me. If only my foliage was a nutritious source of vitamins that help others grow. If only I could spread love and encouragement as freely and fully as this flower spreads seeds of itself.
The lawns at my parents' homes are now beautiful green blankets. The only patches of color come from well-placed, well-controlled flowerbeds. Chemicals have managed to kill what human persistence couldn't.
I hope you and I can be different. I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough that the strongest poison can't reach our souls. I hope that we can overcome the poisons of anger, fear, hate, criticism and competitiveness. I hope that we can see flowers in a world that sees weeds.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
11 things
I was tagged by Mark aka DoodlesNPoodles www.flickr.com/photos/31097516@N04/3442900777/ to do 11 things about myself. Thanks Mark :) I've done a couple in the past so I hope I haven't repeated anything, but if I have forgive me! ;-) I am terrible about these things.
PS This photo was taken of me a few years ago on a park that my sisters and I used to frequent as children. Good memories!
11 things about me
1. I was born in England and have dual citizenship. We came to the States when I was 5. I would never go back to live, but it is fun to visit.
2. I have boy/girl twins, and they were born almost a full hour a part. I had a regular birth and an emergency c-section in the same day. In my wildest dreams I could never imagine my first hospital stay being quite so eventful, lol.
3. I've got a "British" sense of humor, and I am prone to dirty jokes and very cheesy comedy cracks me up. I can't help it!
4. I love Tex-Mex, my rear end does not. >.<
5. I love all animals and insects, except mosquitoes and ants. They can go straight to... well you know.
6. I am a Scrabble fanatic. If I was stuck on an island with only one game and one person to play it with, that would be the one.
7. I once was pulled over by a police officer for turning into the wrong lane. I tricked him into thinking I was a British foreign exchange student to get out of the ticket (I was 18). I guess my accent was believable. I know, it was terrible of me. I was poor and desperate! lol
8. We only had one breed of dog while I was growing up, Chow Chows. I loved them as a child but I would never own one as an adult with children around.
9. My husband told me that the day he met me he knew I was "the one". Which, when I think about it, is pretty awesome. I didn't feel the same way but I was 5 years younger and had no idea what I was looking for yet. (I did think he was sweet and cute though!)
10. I am stubborn and can be a bit bossy. I blame it on being the first born (1st of 3 girls-my poor dad) and being a Virgo. I am very "Virgo" in many ways. I am very easy to get along with though! I just tend to be the one doing the pushing and prodding in groups and at home. It has it's good and bad ends.
11. I worked as an office manager for 2 years. Unless I am desperate I never want to work in an office again. It was far too monotonous (it was busy though!) and is not for me at all. On the plus side I did meet some great people while there :-).
PS This photo was taken of me a few years ago on a park that my sisters and I used to frequent as children. Good memories!
11 things about me
1. I was born in England and have dual citizenship. We came to the States when I was 5. I would never go back to live, but it is fun to visit.
2. I have boy/girl twins, and they were born almost a full hour a part. I had a regular birth and an emergency c-section in the same day. In my wildest dreams I could never imagine my first hospital stay being quite so eventful, lol.
3. I've got a "British" sense of humor, and I am prone to dirty jokes and very cheesy comedy cracks me up. I can't help it!
4. I love Tex-Mex, my rear end does not. >.<
5. I love all animals and insects, except mosquitoes and ants. They can go straight to... well you know.
6. I am a Scrabble fanatic. If I was stuck on an island with only one game and one person to play it with, that would be the one.
7. I once was pulled over by a police officer for turning into the wrong lane. I tricked him into thinking I was a British foreign exchange student to get out of the ticket (I was 18). I guess my accent was believable. I know, it was terrible of me. I was poor and desperate! lol
8. We only had one breed of dog while I was growing up, Chow Chows. I loved them as a child but I would never own one as an adult with children around.
9. My husband told me that the day he met me he knew I was "the one". Which, when I think about it, is pretty awesome. I didn't feel the same way but I was 5 years younger and had no idea what I was looking for yet. (I did think he was sweet and cute though!)
10. I am stubborn and can be a bit bossy. I blame it on being the first born (1st of 3 girls-my poor dad) and being a Virgo. I am very "Virgo" in many ways. I am very easy to get along with though! I just tend to be the one doing the pushing and prodding in groups and at home. It has it's good and bad ends.
11. I worked as an office manager for 2 years. Unless I am desperate I never want to work in an office again. It was far too monotonous (it was busy though!) and is not for me at all. On the plus side I did meet some great people while there :-).
Defeated
My hubby was reading an article in a magazine a few weeks ago. It was about this game, Settlers of Catan. He suggest we get it and play with the kiddies.
So I ordered it from Amazon (btw I love Amazon :P). It came this week and we've been playing it.
So far we've each won a game. Matthew and Michael love it, Moira enjoys it but gets distracted easily. I can take it or leave it. For me it's a bit boring.
Michael really seems to love it though. He's always asking us to play with him! I do like that it is different every time you play. There's some strategy and some luck involved.
Matthew is obsessed with collecting ore. That's rather funny.
This picture is totally set up. I won the game (first time, woo hoo) and asked them to all look dejected, lol.
They are too good! hee hee
So I ordered it from Amazon (btw I love Amazon :P). It came this week and we've been playing it.
So far we've each won a game. Matthew and Michael love it, Moira enjoys it but gets distracted easily. I can take it or leave it. For me it's a bit boring.
Michael really seems to love it though. He's always asking us to play with him! I do like that it is different every time you play. There's some strategy and some luck involved.
Matthew is obsessed with collecting ore. That's rather funny.
This picture is totally set up. I won the game (first time, woo hoo) and asked them to all look dejected, lol.
They are too good! hee hee
Fast Food Nation
In my small"ish" SE Texas college town we have too many fast food places to count. We even have double of several of them. In the last year there's been at least 4 new ones crop up. You can smell the grease in the air as you drive by.
I'm not immune to the draw... in fact this photo was taken at the local Jack In the Box drive thru. By me. >.> The kids got out of school early and I thought it would a fun "treat". We tried the Burger king first, but the line was so long (hmm) that we turned around and went to the JITB.
I've had periods where I am completely anti- fast food. Then, eventually, I come around again and dive in.
I have to admit the thought of french fries nowadays totally turns me off. But I do like a good burger!
We are trying to eat healthier more "whole" foods these days. But darn these fast food places everywhere you turn! The good news is the prices are getting so high these days it's easier to pass on them. For the four of us it can go up to almost 30 dollars depending on what we get. Far too much for "fast food" junk IMO!
I found some interesting things on the internet:
Did You Know?
*At many fast-food restaurants, a single meal gives a disproportionate share—sometimes more than 100 percent—of the recommended daily intake of fat, cholesterol, salt, and sugar.
*In the United States, an estimated 65 percent of adults are overweight or obese, leading to an annual loss of 300,000 lives and to at least $117 billion in health care costs in 1999.
*A recent study showed that children who drink sodas and other sugar-sweetened drinks are more often obese and that this risk increases another 60 percent with each additional beverage consumed.
*McDonald's, which operates 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries and serves 46 million customers each day, earned $15.4 billion in revenues in 2002. On opening day in Kuwait City, the line for the McDonald's drive-thru was more than 10 kilometers long.
*India's fast-food industry is growing by 40 percent a year and is expected to generate over a billion dollars in sales by 2005. Meanwhile, a quarter of India's population remains under-nourished—a number virtually unchanged over the past decade.
*China is now home to 800 KFCs and 100 Pizza Huts.
*Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, the world's two largest soft drink companies, are the thirteenth and twentieth largest advertisers in the world; together, they spent $2.4 billion on ads in 2001.
*Coca-Cola sells more than 300 drink brands in over 200 countries and employs 60,000 people in Africa alone. Its net revenues reached $19.6 billion in 2002—with more than 70 percent of its income originating outside of the United States.
More information here:
www.worldwatch.org/node/1489
I'm not immune to the draw... in fact this photo was taken at the local Jack In the Box drive thru. By me. >.> The kids got out of school early and I thought it would a fun "treat". We tried the Burger king first, but the line was so long (hmm) that we turned around and went to the JITB.
I've had periods where I am completely anti- fast food. Then, eventually, I come around again and dive in.
I have to admit the thought of french fries nowadays totally turns me off. But I do like a good burger!
We are trying to eat healthier more "whole" foods these days. But darn these fast food places everywhere you turn! The good news is the prices are getting so high these days it's easier to pass on them. For the four of us it can go up to almost 30 dollars depending on what we get. Far too much for "fast food" junk IMO!
I found some interesting things on the internet:
Did You Know?
*At many fast-food restaurants, a single meal gives a disproportionate share—sometimes more than 100 percent—of the recommended daily intake of fat, cholesterol, salt, and sugar.
*In the United States, an estimated 65 percent of adults are overweight or obese, leading to an annual loss of 300,000 lives and to at least $117 billion in health care costs in 1999.
*A recent study showed that children who drink sodas and other sugar-sweetened drinks are more often obese and that this risk increases another 60 percent with each additional beverage consumed.
*McDonald's, which operates 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries and serves 46 million customers each day, earned $15.4 billion in revenues in 2002. On opening day in Kuwait City, the line for the McDonald's drive-thru was more than 10 kilometers long.
*India's fast-food industry is growing by 40 percent a year and is expected to generate over a billion dollars in sales by 2005. Meanwhile, a quarter of India's population remains under-nourished—a number virtually unchanged over the past decade.
*China is now home to 800 KFCs and 100 Pizza Huts.
*Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, the world's two largest soft drink companies, are the thirteenth and twentieth largest advertisers in the world; together, they spent $2.4 billion on ads in 2001.
*Coca-Cola sells more than 300 drink brands in over 200 countries and employs 60,000 people in Africa alone. Its net revenues reached $19.6 billion in 2002—with more than 70 percent of its income originating outside of the United States.
More information here:
www.worldwatch.org/node/1489
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Mommy
I think she has babies in this tree. I saw her and when she saw me she ran halfway up the tree.
Then she proceeded to spin around and make noises at me, while swishing her tail around wildly. I thought it was cute and funny but I know she was probably ticked at me, LOL. She definitely had the "go away" stare.
She's a pretty thing though!
Here's a little bit about baby squirrels.
Baby squirrels are born in the spring, without fur. They're blind, and weigh in at one or two ounces each. There are usually four in a liter. The mother will keep the young in the nest and nurse them until they're ready to venture out of the nest, on their own. This is usually in eight to ten weeks. You may see a mother squirrel move her babies, she will carry them by mouth, one at a time.
Then she proceeded to spin around and make noises at me, while swishing her tail around wildly. I thought it was cute and funny but I know she was probably ticked at me, LOL. She definitely had the "go away" stare.
She's a pretty thing though!
Here's a little bit about baby squirrels.
Baby squirrels are born in the spring, without fur. They're blind, and weigh in at one or two ounces each. There are usually four in a liter. The mother will keep the young in the nest and nurse them until they're ready to venture out of the nest, on their own. This is usually in eight to ten weeks. You may see a mother squirrel move her babies, she will carry them by mouth, one at a time.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
April Fools!!!
The kiddos got out at noon today. Moira was ready with a million ways to "fool" us today.
She ran around saying "hey mommy I see a bug in your hair" "Hey what's that on Abby's foot?" "Hey you have something hanging out of your nose!"... Etc Etc.
She tried to get me with the "Hey what's that on your shirt" trick- you know the one. They point at your shirt, as you look down you get a finger coming up at your nose. I saw that one coming, lol.
Matthew didn't seem very interested in any of it but that girl kept it up until she went to bed!
By the way this photo is of her hair after I finished goofing off with it. She wanted a photo of it, lol. It was just a high ponytail that I flopped over her forehead.
She ran around saying "hey mommy I see a bug in your hair" "Hey what's that on Abby's foot?" "Hey you have something hanging out of your nose!"... Etc Etc.
She tried to get me with the "Hey what's that on your shirt" trick- you know the one. They point at your shirt, as you look down you get a finger coming up at your nose. I saw that one coming, lol.
Matthew didn't seem very interested in any of it but that girl kept it up until she went to bed!
By the way this photo is of her hair after I finished goofing off with it. She wanted a photo of it, lol. It was just a high ponytail that I flopped over her forehead.
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