tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34945623186458058332024-02-06T21:11:07.650-06:00A Pinch of This and a Dash of ThatLocquacious Ramblings from an Addled MindSweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-4789792428419857352013-10-04T14:05:00.002-05:002013-10-04T15:46:04.341-05:00Dear Mr. President<br />
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Mr. President,<br />
I wanted to express my concern over your exasperation. Thank you for being president, when you are needed most!<br />
<br />
How I'd like to thank thee..... For making me work harder so those that don't work can have the right to live as I do. The "right" to have healthcare rather than the "right" to earn it. I feel silly for never understanding that if a family can't financially provide for one child that one, two or several more makes perfect sense. The "right" to extended extensions for unemployment because it's real hard to walk past the many "Now Hiring" signs and I'm pretty sure Google doesn't work on their expensive cellular phones to help find work. Since I'm on that subject. Maybe you could do some research and verify since I'm forced to appreciate you bringing it to my attention that the "right" to cellular privacy and the "right" to bear arms are merely overrated and that they can be forfeit at any time. <br />
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I feel so selfish for seniors (Vets and their spouses not included) not having healthcare when my retirement age is 78+ years of age and the social security that they are enjoying that comes out of my paycheck won't be there for me. Hell I won't ever see a pension or retirement for that matter, since nobody will be working more than 40 hours! I feel so selfish for not hopping aboard the "right" for immigrants to come to this country and take our citizens jobs (or start their own business for that matter) and benefits without speaking the English language. I now understand that the first bankruptcy of Chrysler was just a trial run and that it's ok to not learn from their many mistakes. (by the way these Union Members are exempt from your ACA but yet most make more than $25/hour in a nearly entirely robotic industry) I shouldn't question the fact that you run the US funds like a teen fresh out of high school with their first credit card. I shouldn't question that you act like a child well before high school when anyone in this country stands up to you, but yet take your balls off with any foreign related topic.<br />
<br />
You have won your presidency through ignorance. You won your votes through the uneducated, unmotivated, and unemployed by giving them encouragement and acceptance that those are all the great qualities this country needs. You came into presidency assuring that you would do whatever it takes to make sure that both Republicans and Democrats would communicate and be heard and yet it stands divided. The worst it's been in years. I hope you've at least improved your golf game so that you might have the ability to say you've accomplished something in the last several years. I don't even have faith that you've done that. You not only lead this country into the belief that it is alright to be less than average but make it tempting and worthwhile to do so. You sir, are a failure! Bush was a horrible president as well, but you far surpass him. You have destroyed the hope that this country can climb out of the debt by devaluing the US Dollar, and borrowing more from our competition or just printing more. You run this country like an episode of Jerry Springer that continually repeats itself. And now.... When the country needs you most... You stand there pointing fingers?! Anxiously awaiting someone else to take the lead because you have no idea how. Can't sidestep this one like you did with your ACA can you? People are becoming aware of your crimes, your phony healthcare and leadership.<br />
<br />
I figured I'd piss and moan since you want to fully financially support minorities. I work 60 hours a week and get paid for 40. I have no kids but pay for everyone else's. I help my elderly neighbors with their lawns and yard work. I regularly donate to many charities for vets, children and local authorities. I AM THE MINORITY YOU TWIT, AND YOU HAVEN"T DONE A DAMN THING TO HELP ME!!! See, I could have the "this country owes me" so get out your big ass rubber check book mentality too, but I'd rather do what's best for the majority of this country and ask you to step down. Might be a pleasant change of pace from the swan dive you have this wonderful country of ours in.<br />
Yours Truly<br />
<br />
<a href="http://tohellwithpoliticians.newsvine.com/">tohellwithpoliticians</a></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-19629496478238044942012-10-28T13:52:00.001-05:002012-10-28T14:37:12.671-05:00Vote!!<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span>My apologies for the formatting, apparently Marxists aren't very conscientious, and really I just don't give two shits about their wanton behaviors. </span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span></span></span></span></b> <b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span>1. Abolition
of private property in land and application of all rents of land to public
purpose.</span></span></span></b>
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;">The courts have
interpreted the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (1868) to give the
government far more "eminent domain" power than was originally intended, Under
the rubric of "eminent domain" and various zoning regulations, land use
regulations by the Bureau of Land Managementproperty taxes, and "environmental"
excuses, private property rights have become very diluted and private property
in landis, vehicles, and other forms are seized almost every day in this country
under the "forfeiture" provisions of the RICO statutes and the so-called War on
Drugs..</span></span></i></b> <br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span> 2. A heavy progressive or graduated
income tax.</span></span></b> <br />
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;">The 16th Amendment of
the U.S. Constitution, 1913 (which some scholars maintain was never properly
ratified), and various State income taxes, established this major Marxist coup
in the United States many decades ago. These taxes continue to drain the
lifeblood out of the American economy and greatly reduce the accumulation of
desperately needed capital for future growth, business starts, job creation, and
salary increases.</span></span></i></b> <br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span> 3. Abolition
of all rights of inheritance.</span></span></span></b> <br />
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;">Another Marxian attack
on private property rights is in the form of Federal & State estate taxes
and other inheritance taxes, which have abolished or at least greatly diluted
the right of private property owners to determine the disposition and
distribution of their estates upon their death. Instead, government bureaucrats
get their greedy hands involved .</span></span></i></b> <br />
<span> <b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;">4.
Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and
rebels.</span></span></b></span> <br />
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;">We call it government
seizures, tax liens, "forfeiture" Public "law" 99-570 (1986); Executive order
11490, sections 1205, 2002 which gives private land to the Department of Urban
Development; the imprisonment of "terrorists" and those who speak out or write
against the "government" (1997 Crime/Terrorist Bill); or the IRS confiscation of
property without due process.</span></span></i></b> <br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span> 5.
Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank
with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.</span></span></span></b> <br />
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;">The Federal Reserve System, created by the
Federal Reserve Act of Congress in 1913, is indeed such a "national bank" and it
politically manipulates interest rates and holds a monopoly on legal
counterfeiting in the United States. This is exactly what Marx had in mind and
completely fulfills this plank, another major socialist objective. Yet, most
Americans naively believe the U.S. of A. is far from a Marxist or socialist
nation.</span></i></b> <br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span>6.
Centralization of the means of communication and transportation in the hands of
the state.</span></span></span></b> <br />
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;">In the U.S.,
communication and transportation are controlled and regulated by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) established by the Communications Act of 1934
and the Department of Transportation and the Interstate Commerce Commission
(established by Congress in 1887), and the Federal Aviation Administration as
well as Executive orders 11490, 10999 -- not to mention various state
bureaucracies and regulations. There is also the federal postal monopoly, AMTRAK
and CONRAIL -- outright socialist (government-owned) enterprises. Instead of
free-market private enteprrise in these important industries, these fields in
America are semi-cartelized through the government's regulatory-industiral
complex.</span></span></i></b> <br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span>7. Extension
of factories and instruments of production owned by the state; the bringing into
cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in
accordance with a common plan.</span></span></span></b> <br />
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;">While the U.S. does not
have vast "collective farms" (which failed so miserably in the Soviet Union), we
nevertheless do have a significant degree of government involvement in
agriculture in the form of price support subsidies and acreage alotments and
land-use controls. The Desert Entry Act and The Department of Agriculture. As
well as the Department of Commerce and Labor, Department of Interior, the
Evironmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of
Reclamation, Bureau of Mines, National Park Service, and the IRS control of
business through corporate regulations.</span></span></i></b> <br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span> 8. Equal
obligation of all to work. Establishment of Industrial armies, especially for
agriculture.</span></span></span></b> <br />
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;">We call it the Social
Security Administration and The Department of Labor. The National debt and
inflation caused by the communal bank has caused the need for a two "income"
family. Woman in the workplace since the 1920's, the 19th amendment of the U.S.
Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, assorted Socialist Unions,
affirmative action, the Federal Public Works Program and of course Executive
order 11000. And I almost forgot...The Equal Rights Amendment means that women
should do all work that men do including the military and since passage it would
make women subject to the draft.</span></span></i></b> <br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span> 9.
Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of
the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the
population over the country.</span></span></span></b> <br />
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;">We call it the Planning Reorganization Act
of 1949 , zoning (Title 17 1910-1990) and Super Corporate Farms, as well as
Executive orders 11647, 11731 (ten regions) and Public "law"
89-136.</span></i></b> <br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"><span>10. Free
education for all children in government schools. Abolition of children's
factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial
production, etc. etc.</span></span></span></b> <br />
<dd><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;">People are being taxed
to support what we call 'public' schools, which train the young to work for the
communal debt system. We also call it the Department of Education, the NEA and
Outcome Based "Education" .</span></span></i></b> <br />
<hr width="50%" />
<h2>
So, is the U.S. a "free country" today? Hardly! Not compared to what it
once was. Yet, very few Americans today challenge these Marxist institutions,
and there are virtually no politicians calling for their repeal or even gradual
phase-out. While the United States of America may still have more freedoms
than most other countries, we have nonetheless lost many crucial liberties and
have accepted the major socialist attacks on freedom and private property as
normal parts of our way of life. The nation, whose founders included such
individualists as Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, James Madison, John Adams and
Patrick Henry, has gradually turned away from the principles of individual
rights, limited constitutional government, private property, and free markets
and instead we increasingly have embraced the failed ideas and nostrums of
socialism and fascism. We should hang our heads in shame for having allowed
this to happen.</h2>
<h2>
But, it is not too late to reverse these pernicious burdens and instead
enact pro-freedom reforms to put our nation back on track again. It can be
done.</h2>
<h2>
In some ways the Left has a head start over us on the pro-freedom Right.
The enemies of American freedom do admittedly dominate the entertainment
industry, television news media, and academia -- but we have the tremendous
strategic advantage that reality (including man's nature) is on our side; so,
unlike the socialists and "liberals" (welfare-state fascists), we are not in the
position of having to advocate a system which constantly tries to "make water to
go uphill" -- or force human beings into a rigid utopian staitjacket based on
the whims of some clique of central planning bureaucrats. We know that
individual freedom for peaceful people within a constitutional republic works in
practice; our country's history demonstrates that. The piecemeal abandonment of
those principles and institutions which once made America great has proved to be
a a dead-end road to failure. That is why I tend to be a long-term optimist
even though things often look pretty glum in the meantime. Just as Prohibition
was eventually repealed, I feel encouraged that such key statist achievements as
the income tax, government schools, fiat money/central banking (the Federal
Reserve), "environmentalist" regulations, property forfeiture laws, and other
Marxist planks and leftist institutions can be rolled back and repealed
altogether, although it may take several decades.</h2>
<h2>
Those who would carry forward the ideas and principles of self-ownership,
private property, free markets, laissez faire, the rule of law, and
constitutionalism which informed America's founders must become more active on
the key ideological battle fronts. We need more influence not just in politics,
but in areas of entertainment, academia, journalism, think tanks, churches (we
need our own individualist Walter Rauschenbushes), literature, art, and other
venues of expression and activism.</h2>
<h2>
Marxism and socialism have proved to be colossal failures all over the
world. As Frederic Bastiat wrote in his classic <i>The Law</i> just prior to
his death, "let us now try liberty"!</h2>
</dd><h2>
Take it how it's written, that's what we do with the 'Good Book'!!!</h2>
</dd></dd></dd></dd></dd></dd></dd></dd></dd><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-65031003112971520442009-12-31T15:45:00.001-06:002009-12-31T15:45:08.593-06:00Happy New Years!<p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">@ <a href="http://sweetpeasurry.wordpress.com">http://sweetpeasurry.wordpress.com</a></font></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-48495367887871874062009-12-12T01:06:00.008-06:002009-12-12T04:31:02.320-06:00Sleepy Potato Latke's in a Snowbank<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Okay ... so I have a fair few updates to give you, which is why I'm actually writing a full post. As my regular followers know, my schedule does not follow the 1960's model of Monday-Friday, 9-5. I am, in fact, working Wednesday - Sunday 11pm-7am, and even that changes from time to time. So ... armed with that knowledge ... on with the adventures in driving story.<br /><br />On Wednesday night, I was heading into work, through the snow and the muck. Hmm ... for those of you who don't know ... here in Omaha NE we got around a foot of snow Tuesday night. So I'm tooling down the road, I hit the on ramp for the expressway and halfway down the ramp I spun out. Now, mind you, I <em>have</em> a 4x4; it's a baby 4x4 ... but still. However ... when I landed front wheels into an embankment of snow, I was unable to push, pull or prod my little Suki truck out. I was thinking to myself ... 'hell's bells, I'm gonna need to call my dad and have him come out in the cold'.<br /><br />Alas and luckily some VERY excellent sameritans stopped to help. One of these fine fine people had a truck with a winch and pulled my little Suki truck right out!!! Oh good times. Adventures abound. Needless to say I was tense and on the verge of an anxiety attack the entire rest of the way to work. I did get there, without further incident.<br /><br />I have been pretty blessed and have avoided being sick this fall and winter flu season. *knocks wood* However, this evening (after my evening nap before work) I woke up achy from head to foot. I'm hoping it subsides after a good and fair amount of sleep.<br /><br />Speaking of sleep, mah doggies do not let me sleep more than 4 hours at a time. (Which has likely contributed to my illness here folks!) Saturday morning when I get home ... I'm playing with them for an hour, locking them back in the kitchen and closing my bedroom door to sleep for at LEAST 6 hours straight. I must do this, sorry pooches!!!<br /><br />Another note on the Pooches ... Kadee is a loverly doggy ... Sookie can now be renamed 'destructo'. Oh yeah ... if there's a scrap of paper or plastic somewhere ... ANYWHERE ... she'll find it ... and rip it to shreds. My vacuum is getting a workout.<br /><br />On a final note, I do believe I'm going to take some photography classes at the local community college this coming spring. Hopefully, you'll be seeing more original photos from yours truly. I'll keep you up to date on all that.<br /><br />Now, I'm going to crawl under my desk and take a nap, do not disturb. </span></p><br /><br /><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">It is by the fortune of God that, in this country, we have three benefits: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never to use either.<br />Mark Twain</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#df0101;">What’s your favorite movie quote of all time?<br /><br />My favorite? It's still, "Yipee ki ay, Mother F*&$er" Gotta love Die Hard. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></span></center><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Lentiginous<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(len-TIJ-uh-nuhs)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />adjective: Covered with freckles.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />From Latin lentiginosus (freckled), from lentigo (freckle), from lens (lentil).<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"I realised that my freckly Celtic complexion wasn't a curse I had to endure for life, and my offensively lentiginous skin could be smoothed into picture-perfect ivory."</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#0b3861;">Archaic Torso of Apollo<br /><br />We cannot know his legendary head<br />with eyes like ripening fruit. And yet his torso<br />is still suffused with brilliance from inside,<br />like a lamp, in which his gaze, now turned to low,<br /><br />gleams in all its power. Otherwise<br />the curved breast could not dazzle you so, nor could<br />a smile run through the placid hips and thighs<br />to that dark center where procreation flared.<br /><br />Otherwise this stone would seem defaced<br />beneath the translucent cascade of the shoulders<br />and would not glisten like a wild beast’s fur:<br /><br />would not, from all the borders of itself,<br />burst like a star: for here there is no place<br />that does not see you. You must change your life.<br /><br />Rainer Maria Rilke</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#003366;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Tasty Potato Latkes<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC_8UUAGSvbQhGua7XDQJsSVBSsGwTRaGkMF09hwGJZNdyDtPQqJzTmFI3jdWQE2-L20HLEmlOom496C01r0DrjeIli5MEMQ2zYbjQc89tixUHx1RfgRG6eh8giBUEBfTHwB65TmhCCHA/s1600-h/Latkes.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414242711412362674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC_8UUAGSvbQhGua7XDQJsSVBSsGwTRaGkMF09hwGJZNdyDtPQqJzTmFI3jdWQE2-L20HLEmlOom496C01r0DrjeIli5MEMQ2zYbjQc89tixUHx1RfgRG6eh8giBUEBfTHwB65TmhCCHA/s400/Latkes.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Typically served for Hanukkah, latkes are a traditional side dish beloved by people inside and outside the Jewish culture. Grated potatoes are held together with an egg liason and fried for a crispy potato cake made silky from the olive oil. Non-dairy sour cream keeps this dish kosher, but if that's not part of your tradition, try this cake topped with real sour cream or with plain yogurt. Latkes are a crowd-pleasing side dish, but they also make a delicious base for appetizer dips and spreads.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />4 medium potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds<br />3 tablespoons olive oil<br />2 eggs, slightly beaten<br />2 cloves garlic (optional)<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 tablespoons cooking oil<br />Non-dairy sour cream<br /><br />Directions:<br /><br />Peel and finely shred potatoes. In a mixing bowl combine potatoes with olive oil, eggs,garlic (if desired), and salt. Using 1/3 cup mixture for each latke, press mixture into patties about the size of the palm of your hand, squeezing out excess liquid.<br />In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Carefully slide patties into hot oil.<br />Cook over medium-high heat about 2 minutes or until latkes are golden brown, turning once.<br />Repeat with remaining batter. Add cooking additional oil during cooking, as needed.<br />If necessary, reduce heat to medium to prevent overbrowning. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. Serve with non-dairy sour cream, if desired. Makes about 10 latkes. (Nutrition information is given per latke plus 1 teaspoon non-dairy sour cream.)</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></p></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#660040;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-31969216378410390922009-12-10T10:13:00.001-06:002009-12-10T10:17:28.793-06:00The Holidays<p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">Okay … so the Holidays are upon us.  You might have noticed, I haven’t been blogging much.  Honestly, it’s not that I’m so busy … but I am highly addicted to Facebook games at the moment.  </font></p> <p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">I know I know … I’m sort of a dork.  I am however, doing things for the holiday too, got my tree up, got some presents and wrapped them.  So it’s not all FB all the time. </font></p> <p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">I actually only have a few more things to pick up and wrap for Christmas and then I’ll be done.  </font></p> <p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">I’m planning on being back more regularly after the first of the year, until then my blogs will be pretty sporadic.  </font></p> <p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">In the meantime, a short tug-o-war video for you.</font> </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:35b8f7dd-4e27-4517-aaf9-bfb82810e911" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="90f04c64-3540-4c91-9691-f8f20fef0fcf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PuNL2juvLo" target="_new"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDszeP6DqUWtJEuyFNLfdlKlBUTzRHfoPDHKTc-PS515vhXpgNRYTusfryN7KE5qWdLi_W2SZlCb9Kenbcpr4eQVoYCrM1LucH2lL0x7zHLFG8AUBiYkS8rlVqN4wKrdkX9wGYCv8ZTLZ/?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('90f04c64-3540-4c91-9691-f8f20fef0fcf'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/4PuNL2juvLo&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/4PuNL2juvLo&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">I’m thinking I probably should have put it to music.  </font></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-87412762628756530612009-12-10T09:45:00.001-06:002009-12-10T09:45:27.865-06:00Testing 1 2 3<p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">I’m testing out windows live writer, to see what it does on my bloggy blog … YAY!!!</font></p> <p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd"></font></p> <p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtHcybjrxrGoMS2hAy7fmSpzQusAee9azKLrDn57uIJgJIfDnCToT0nnGkfaQcZaORA794NRJjsaqwzfBgveN89iIhi18xzqvAg8aSALYgAitwZtkQ0eyV0sa7g5hkV5VC9Yyjei5tsXc/s1600-h/Picture%2014%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Picture 14" border="0" alt="Picture 14" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzyuV_O4OVYXYznRzMK5-evkfzh8II76vb2PLvjAJ0087DNThIyGxaPxRsSJzj_UBpajK9taIsePXFJhl-hl-1YVV7av3yA4qVrxxI53oOjS0YDifwp_X_ggjWsJYOiiU59r-QLZo-qUF/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </font></p> <p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">Oh … super easy to add piccies!</font></p> <p><font color="#800040" size="4" face="Celtic Garamond the 2nd">I think I’m diggin’ this!</font></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-31599516509477573722009-11-30T21:36:00.002-06:002009-11-30T21:40:18.539-06:00My President, always on TVSometimes it's hard to be human<br />Sometimes you have to have empathy<br /><br />But not always<br /><br />My President doesn't have to be on TV all the time!!!<br /><br />Could he be doing something better? Like LEADING the country? YES he could!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-82176803898078210592009-11-25T10:43:00.003-06:002009-11-25T20:56:08.612-06:00Some Canine Kid shots ~ edit<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4aP6BpmpwBfikjwl6WUFUCqrUAXCH6flVnaRpT4QMXhtI4g64zRABQRbnwyYc2bnbLgx5uxLTUKM1gYVw5qSxnwGX1iDQwhyphenhyphen_oA4XIsyyavJY8Rpp-qGoHntl9K91aCNJKyLw1rYRMAc/s1600/Sookie-Kadee4.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 378px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408240404917984882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4aP6BpmpwBfikjwl6WUFUCqrUAXCH6flVnaRpT4QMXhtI4g64zRABQRbnwyYc2bnbLgx5uxLTUKM1gYVw5qSxnwGX1iDQwhyphenhyphen_oA4XIsyyavJY8Rpp-qGoHntl9K91aCNJKyLw1rYRMAc/s400/Sookie-Kadee4.jpg" /></a><br />Hah ... I got them playing tug!!!!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYRSh5ISqMe-jlGD-rJlRhMWh2HnEH530Yna-kbvv6s9AyTlWuWNJ92-MdEGm_Fgch2PhYA53nb69FuEK4UY_ATQZ13d2TubnOsL4ZIvunkT6f9qBu8ZfaRApUkNFsERZVVPIrhzGIWll/s1600/Sookie-Kadee3.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 232px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408092154827619442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYRSh5ISqMe-jlGD-rJlRhMWh2HnEH530Yna-kbvv6s9AyTlWuWNJ92-MdEGm_Fgch2PhYA53nb69FuEK4UY_ATQZ13d2TubnOsL4ZIvunkT6f9qBu8ZfaRApUkNFsERZVVPIrhzGIWll/s400/Sookie-Kadee3.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Napping together, earlier I had missed a shot of them playing tug with the rope. I need to be quicker on the draw. Plus my camera is SUPER DUPER slow!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-flOccIV2olo14bwvyRVNWWrpLdkLI_cwV7OydVazJC8QUDO0vqtK8kT8zxT1DdsiFNDozRlPvdMjQkvZ15scb4AY1yzJggJt4t5NSSuC6xwZ2YPD4X71x6RJwC-qbIGXvr9wVyNAdOA/s1600/Sookie-Kadee2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408092099509673746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-flOccIV2olo14bwvyRVNWWrpLdkLI_cwV7OydVazJC8QUDO0vqtK8kT8zxT1DdsiFNDozRlPvdMjQkvZ15scb4AY1yzJggJt4t5NSSuC6xwZ2YPD4X71x6RJwC-qbIGXvr9wVyNAdOA/s400/Sookie-Kadee2.jpg" /></a><br />Here are Kadee and Sookie waking up from naptime!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWR02rhRokzFPz4-nkHhnVnQLJ-Z9RKjSd0G10tE4JEtgAX6tmE-NTdZfFef1XvDhJ8JGMmKJiST-S6VHHggLsezeiliFGPbRN2r22bYgciUB3W76hsBfg2vL70SPi_DSk37FLnLAJUQAH/s1600/Sookie-Kadee1.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 142px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408092091820161346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWR02rhRokzFPz4-nkHhnVnQLJ-Z9RKjSd0G10tE4JEtgAX6tmE-NTdZfFef1XvDhJ8JGMmKJiST-S6VHHggLsezeiliFGPbRN2r22bYgciUB3W76hsBfg2vL70SPi_DSk37FLnLAJUQAH/s400/Sookie-Kadee1.JPG" /></a><br />More of the two of them, playing with their respective toys, atop my 'big dog' jammies!<br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-85565443632078597182009-11-11T17:31:00.005-06:002009-11-15T05:41:22.182-06:00Ode to Sookie, Kadee and Solitude<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hullo folksies and bloggers and whatsiwhositers!!! How's your weekend going so far? Mine was pretty fantastic!!! I have Thursdays and Fridays off ... so the beginning of my workweek is Saturday at 11pm. Really not too shabby but there's always something wrong with starting your week on a Saturday. *sighs*<br /><br />Such is life when you live in a world that's 24/7/365!!! I know you all are happy for your produce, pampers, scott towels and such ... which is why I LOVE to come to work on the weekends!!!<br /><br />I'm so freakin' pleased that I've installed Windows 7, I can't even begin to tell you how much better it is than Vista!!! I love love love it!!! *end gush*<br /><br />My kidlets were pretty playful this weekend. I got a couple of shots of them ... but they were rather supine at the time. Hehe!!<br /><br /></span><center><span style="font-size:130%;">Sleepy Sookie Bear sleepin' on da bed</span></center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bkmEYQwT1hqOJfIQKvvp21bwlbB0-TguyFbtbR4bN2rfRLpyaWnF8xQkrj0CyArdRf11zbdJReSKA-FNgs42D4gO6KQKqA7TZUEDrpAIsN9XXrJwHfxS2O89x13-pd_G_sxc6yEALY88/s1600-h/Sookie+supine+001.JPG"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403013300267180306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 205px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bkmEYQwT1hqOJfIQKvvp21bwlbB0-TguyFbtbR4bN2rfRLpyaWnF8xQkrj0CyArdRf11zbdJReSKA-FNgs42D4gO6KQKqA7TZUEDrpAIsN9XXrJwHfxS2O89x13-pd_G_sxc6yEALY88/s400/Sookie+supine+001.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><center><span style="font-size:130%;">Kadee Belle Burrowing in da laundry basket</span></center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAH9cAiDVMQnX2z2mFmtrPVH5bl1qmO6PW1Zx4-NkBww2-BtEQHxTh0BjlEcHCHlg1WX9lKbGwi6lHsNPnHv3LjYIvnnW0mDFXzLVxkTz_x2ckLZ46JJizzT5lrCuVHvu2tcnOfsi3LdL/s1600-h/Kadee+supine+2.JPG"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403013294901073138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 224px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAH9cAiDVMQnX2z2mFmtrPVH5bl1qmO6PW1Zx4-NkBww2-BtEQHxTh0BjlEcHCHlg1WX9lKbGwi6lHsNPnHv3LjYIvnnW0mDFXzLVxkTz_x2ckLZ46JJizzT5lrCuVHvu2tcnOfsi3LdL/s400/Kadee+supine+2.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I have no more news ... so here's a bit of a funny for ya ... and then on with the show!<br /><br />What is Generation Y? I've wondered this myself... Now I know.<br /><br />- The Silent generation , people born before 1946.<br /><br />- The Baby Boomers , people born between 1946 and 1959.<br /><br />- Generation X , people born between 1960 and 1979.<br /><br />- Generation Y , people born between 1980 and 2009<br /><br />Why do we call the last one generation Y? I did not know, but a cartoonist explains it eloquently below...Learned something new today!<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMz2iaY0WeNAiqW32IkQQ096DIqqPcS1bVZ7xbo4pa3FXRnV7lPPrioQAkcHDcBSKgl-jSfGyiZWjBkGeikk288x9y1DvBZWIcgG0QvnEeexyIJ1POkD-FQe5hgiqOdQi384UozcgmqXP/s1600-h/GEN-Y.bmp"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404291235399469426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 337px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMz2iaY0WeNAiqW32IkQQ096DIqqPcS1bVZ7xbo4pa3FXRnV7lPPrioQAkcHDcBSKgl-jSfGyiZWjBkGeikk288x9y1DvBZWIcgG0QvnEeexyIJ1POkD-FQe5hgiqOdQi384UozcgmqXP/s400/GEN-Y.bmp" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><br /><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them, And they flew...<br />Guillaume Apollinaire</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#df0101;">If you could go back in time to another decade, which decade would you choose and why? Would you want to return or stay there? What if you could bring one other person with you?</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></span></center><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Nihilarian<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(nih-i-LAR-ee-uhn)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />noun: One who does useless work.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />From Latin nihil (nothing).<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"You may find yourself worrying that you're turning into a nihilarian."</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#5e5a80;">Ode on Solitude<br /><br />Happy the man, whose wish and care<br />A few paternal acres bound,<br />Content to breathe his native air,<br />In his own ground.<br /><br />Whose heards with milk, whose fields with bread,<br />Whose flocks supply him with attire,<br />Whose trees in summer yield him shade,<br />In winter fire.<br /><br />Blest! who can unconcern'dly find<br />Hours, days, and years slide soft away,<br />In health of body, peace of mind,<br />Quiet by day,<br /><br />Sound sleep by night; study and ease<br />Together mix'd; sweet recreation,<br />And innocence, which most does please,<br />With meditation.<br /><br />Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;<br />Thus unlamented let me dye;<br />Steal from the world, and not a stone<br />Tell where I lye.<br /><br />Alexander Pope</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#003366;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Stuffed Shells w/ Arrabbiata Sauce<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwq8QjwSsOsRLtdkI49yo88_h8VIpm_eUNw_FJXuyt65_NWi7_BlrXT1rOwPop6cQp-gY8w_5zpzYQApzrQeyL4JugoAEnAgA_c0ld3svo0MvTfdbRB17OerXOPS4YIwbWmkPI2ZeeDOqG/s1600-h/ei1c08_stuffed_shells_lg.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400513606980502850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwq8QjwSsOsRLtdkI49yo88_h8VIpm_eUNw_FJXuyt65_NWi7_BlrXT1rOwPop6cQp-gY8w_5zpzYQApzrQeyL4JugoAEnAgA_c0ld3svo0MvTfdbRB17OerXOPS4YIwbWmkPI2ZeeDOqG/s400/ei1c08_stuffed_shells_lg.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 36 shells)<br />2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing baking sheet<br />6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, diced<br />2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes<br />2 garlic cloves, minced<br />5 cups marinara sauce<br />2 (15-ounce) containers whole milk ricotta cheese<br />1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan<br />4 large egg yolks<br />3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves<br />3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves<br />1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves<br />1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese<br /><br />Preparation:<br />Lightly oil a 12 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish and set aside. Lightly oil the baking sheet and set aside.<br /><br />Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. You will continue cooking the shells in the oven after they have been stuffed. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on oiled baking sheet, spreading them out so that they don't stick together and allow to cool.<br /><br />Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.<br /><br />In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.<br /><br />Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella.<br /><br />Bake in the lower third of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></p></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#660040;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-37052056376090708412009-11-10T23:30:00.002-06:002009-11-11T01:00:05.959-06:00Sookie the Terrorist of V-Day<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;">I really am around folksies ... AND I have some excellent news too!!! I finally upgraded my home laptop to Win7 and it's speedy fast now. What does that mean, you ask? It means that I can read and comment on blogs from home now. I can upload piccies and whatnot too. I can do a lot more on blogger than I could ever do before!!! WOOT WOOT!!! I love that!<br /><br />Other than that ... I have been reading your blogs. I haven't really felt very good the last few days, sort of addled in the brain due to sinusitis ... so nothing clever is coming to mind.<br /><br />I'll tell ya a little bit about Sookie and Kadee though. Sookie of course always wants to play ... and sometimes Kadee does and sometimes she doesn't. Kadee backs herself into a corner and Sookie won't let her out. I've resorted to using the water torture method for curbing this behavior. Sookie is now shooting me quizzical looks at this new phenomenon!<br /><br />However, on Tuesday night ... the two of them were tearing after eachother through the apartment ... Kadee was chasing Sookie, it was good to see.<br /><br />I was a bit afraid that Kadee would feel tortured yet again by another dog. (The reason she was at the shelter was because her original owners had her and her sibling. Kadee's sibling was a bully, and Kadee isn't very good at sticking up for herself)<br /><br />My food plan is a bit shot again because of my schedule change, but I'll get back on track with that next week. I'm maintaining the loss I've had though, and being sick this week will probably help a bit too. *winks*<br /><br />I will be settling in on my Sunday Book Stroll and I'll be doing that once a month. Probably the last Sunday of every month. I'll give you notice before it goes up though. The next one will be on <i>The Lovely Bones</i><br /><br />I'm going to be super sleepy Wednesday morning (I'm writing this on Tuesday but you'll probably be reading this Wednesday night so this will be in the past tense then. I sort of feel like I'm Hiro from Heroes ... travelling through time and such)<br /><br />I only got four hours of sleep today, owing to the fact that I had to pick up my pc, get on the horn to the cable company, and then reformat my harddrive. Which by the way is EASY PEASY LEMON SQEEZY with Win7. Win7 is my NEW best friend!!!<br /><br />That's all ... on we go with some other stuff ... *sneezes and sniffles*<br /><br />I'd like to extend a special thanks to all of our veterans. Thanks so much for ensuring our freedom. It's certainly more than our government does for us! Bless You!</span><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you<br />Wayne Dyer</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#df0101;">If you had one night left to live, what would you do? Would you prefer to spend your final night with a loved one or alone? What would you choose for your last meal?<br /><br />(wow this one is kind of morbid!!!)<br /><br />If I had one night left to live ... I'd spend a little time with my family ... and a lot of time getting it on with someone ... really ... nearly anyone would do! LOL</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></span></center><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Daymare<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(DAY-mayr)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />noun: A terrifying experience, similar to a nightmare, felt while awake.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />Coined after nightmare, from a combination of day + mare (an evil spirit believed to produce nightmares). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mer- (to rub away or to harm) that is also the source of mordant, amaranth, morbid, mortal, mortgage, ambrosia, and nightmare.<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"Reports like these give me a deep and sickening feeling, somewhere between a daymare and deja vu."</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#5e5a80;">Will V-Day Be Me-Day Too?<br /><br />Over There,<br />World War II.<br /><br />Dear Fellow Americans,<br />I write this letter<br />Hoping times will be better<br />When this war<br />Is through.<br />I'm a Tan-skinned Yank<br />Driving a tank.<br />I ask, WILL V-DAY<br />BE ME-DAY, TOO?<br /><br />I wear a U. S. uniform.<br />I've done the enemy much harm,<br />I've driven back<br />The Germans and the Japs,<br />From Burma to the Rhine.<br />On every battle line,<br />I've dropped defeat<br />Into the Fascists' laps.<br /><br />I am a Negro American<br />Out to defend my land<br />Army, Navy, Air Corps--<br />I am there.<br />I take munitions through,<br />I fight--or stevedore, too.<br />I face death the same as you do<br />Everywhere.<br /><br />I've seen my buddy lying<br />Where he fell.<br />I've watched him dying<br />I promised him that I would try<br />To make our land a land<br />Where his son could be a man--<br />And there'd be no Jim Crow birds<br />Left in our sky.<br /><br />So this is what I want to know:<br />When we see Victory's glow,<br />Will you still let old Jim Crow<br />Hold me back?<br />When all those foreign folks who've waited--<br />Italians, Chinese, Danes--are liberated.<br />Will I still be ill-fated<br />Because I'm black?<br /><br />Here in my own, my native land,<br />Will the Jim Crow laws still stand?<br />Will Dixie lynch me still<br />When I return?<br />Or will you comrades in arms<br />From the factories and the farms,<br />Have learned what this war<br />Was fought for us to learn?<br /><br />When I take off my uniform,<br />Will I be safe from harm--<br />Or will you do me<br />As the Germans did the Jews?<br />When I've helped this world to save,<br />Shall I still be color's slave?<br />Or will Victory change<br />Your antiquated views?<br /><br />You can't say I didn't fight<br />To smash the Fascists' might.<br />You can't say I wasn't with you<br />in each battle.<br />As a soldier, and a friend.<br />When this war comes to an end,<br />Will you herd me in a Jim Crow car<br />Like cattle?<br /><br />Or will you stand up like a man<br />At home and take your stand<br />For Democracy?<br />That's all I ask of you.<br />When we lay the guns away<br />To celebrate<br />Our Victory Day<br />WILL V-DAY BE ME-DAY, TOO?<br />That's what I want to know.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />GI Joe.<br /><br />Langston Hughes</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#003366;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Spaghetti w/ Pinot Grigio and Seafood<br /><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM2PAHDKdEaXSwmc7C6Q1kfAif3H5viN7Kl0mXb8BTP4gkD25S02TP7eCP8SF9EHLzINtFT0VePuviL4T4Bnp9n2reD4uj-pMKg4aUH2kbEXCdGo4G9Gj0t_6xDmOUnHA99nnhJz-lnPn/s1600-h/ei0914_spaghetti_lg.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400513425999019410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM2PAHDKdEaXSwmc7C6Q1kfAif3H5viN7Kl0mXb8BTP4gkD25S02TP7eCP8SF9EHLzINtFT0VePuviL4T4Bnp9n2reD4uj-pMKg4aUH2kbEXCdGo4G9Gj0t_6xDmOUnHA99nnhJz-lnPn/s400/ei0914_spaghetti_lg.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 pound spaghetti pasta<br />1/4 cup olive oil<br />3 shallots, chopped<br />3 cloves garlic, minced<br />3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes<br />1 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio (or other white wine)<br />1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined<br />2 pounds clams, washed<br />1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />2 cups arugula<br /><br />Preparation:<br />Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.<br /><br />Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until tender but not brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add the wine, shrimp, and clams. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the shrimp are pink and the clams have opened, about 7 minutes.<br /><br />Add the spaghetti to the seafood mixture. Add the salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the arugula. Stir gently and place on a serving platter. Serve immediately.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></p></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#660040;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-21632922085997330722009-11-06T15:00:00.000-06:002009-11-06T15:00:00.432-06:00Hark Hark ... the new schedule is barking rediculous!<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Okay ... I have a really quick funny about Sookie Bear. The other night, I was getting ready for work, and she was sitting on the edge of my bed. From her location she could see herself in the vanity mirror. She went ballistic on herself ... barking and carrying on, until I took her to the mirror. I'm not quite sure if she's gotten that she was barking at a reflection of herself. It was pretty funny thought.<br /><br />I'm starting to get used to the two of them barking, I guess I had just gotten used to it being so quiet in my apartment for so long. But it's easy to fall back into ignoring the craziness that small dogs have with the barking.<br /><br />Sookie is learning how to entertain herself ... and is getting to be a bit less of an attention whore. Although, I still need to pick Kadee up and give her personal snuggles so Sookie isn't always attacking us during our snuggle time.<br /><br />They're both getting into the feeding and walking schedule, however with my personal schedule change, I'm not diggin on it so much ... heh!<br /><br />You know ... when I get into the swing of things ... I have my Quote, Question, Word, Poem and Recipe of the day ... I'd love it if my readers (if I still have any) would let me know if they make use of the word of the day or the recipe of the day at all. When I post the WOTD I usually try to use it in a sentence that day or the next ... sometimes it can be a challenge! Anyway ... let me know!<br /><br />I'm going to be off work the next three days ... so I won't be posting again until early Monday morning ... I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!</span><br /><br /></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">What a blessing it would be if we could open and shut our ears as easily as we open and shut our eyes!<br />Georg Christoph Lichtenberg</span><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#df0101;">If you could change one major thing about your life, whether a relationship, your job, your living situation, your school, etc., what would it be? Are you currently working toward a serious life transition?</span><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></span></center><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Acnestis<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(AK-nist-uhs)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />noun: The part of the body where one cannot reach to scratch.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />From Greek aknestis (spine), from Ancient Greek knestis (spine, cheese-grater).<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"In what has to be the longest post-election season in living memory, the last five months have felt like an acnestis upon our collective soul; like that little patch of skin on our backs that we just can't reach to scratch ourselves. It's irritating. It's annoying. It's left us reaching and spinning around in circles."</span><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#0b3861;">Hark! Hark! The Lark<br /><br />Hark! hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings,<br />And Phoebus 'gins arise,<br />His steeds to water at those springs<br />On chalic'd flowers that lies;<br />And winking Mary-buds begin<br />To ope their golden eyes;<br />With everything that pretty is,<br />My lady sweet, arise:<br />Arise, arise!<br /><br />William Shakespeare </span><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#003366;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Rosemary Chicken and Balsamic Ravioli<br /><br /></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66Beu_H0Ic9YjLaO1CxeHccccw-TggiBnW8I9YHyi87kxU9QCDfs0CSnastFUSiwGPdhQ45jbWBHwbuHOdKXrodLFkRr2CzY3626o9M_ATEuaCS3Gp3WiB9tgm6VVgFBG-YD-zEnuxVhD/s1600-h/AROSECHIX.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400513308809909362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66Beu_H0Ic9YjLaO1CxeHccccw-TggiBnW8I9YHyi87kxU9QCDfs0CSnastFUSiwGPdhQ45jbWBHwbuHOdKXrodLFkRr2CzY3626o9M_ATEuaCS3Gp3WiB9tgm6VVgFBG-YD-zEnuxVhD/s400/AROSECHIX.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />Chicken:<br />4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, 6 to 8 ounces each<br />2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, eyeball it, just enough to coat chicken lightly<br />2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<br />3 stems rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped, about 2 tablespoons<br />Salt and coarse black pepper<br />4 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin with a whack against the flat of your knife<br /><br />Ravioli:<br />1 package, 12 to 16 ounces, fresh ravioli, any flavor filling<br />3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces<br />2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar<br />2 handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano<br />Salt and pepper<br />1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls<br /><br />Spinach Salad:<br />6 slices pancetta, chopped<br />2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan<br />1 small shallot, finely chopped<br />2 teaspoons sugar<br />2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, eyeball it<br />1 bunch, about 10 ounces flat-leaf spinach<br />Salt and pepper<br /><br />Preparation:<br />Coat chicken in balsamic vinegar, then olive oil. Season chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper and let stand 10 minutes.<br /><br />Bring a large pot of water to a boil for ravioli. Salt water and drop ravioli in water. Cook 8 minutes or until raviolis expand, float to top of water, and are al dente.<br /><br />Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts and cracked garlic to the pan. Cook chicken 12 minutes, or until juices run clear, turning occasionally. The balsamic vinegar will produce a deep brown, sweet finish on the chicken as it cooks.<br /><br />When the chicken is 2 or 3 minutes away from done, heat a second skillet over medium low to medium heat. To the second skillet, add butter to the pan and let it begin to brown.<br /><br />Remove chicken from the first skillet and transfer to a warm platter. In a skillet over medium high heat and add the pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits, about 2 or 3 minutes, then transfer to paper towels to drain and return pan to heat, reducing heat to medium. Add oil and shallots to the pan and let the shallots saute 2 minutes.<br /><br />When the butter for the ravioli has browned, add cooked ravioli to the pan and turn in butter to heat through. Add balsamic vinegar to the ravioli and cook a minute or 2 longer to reduce the vinegar and glaze the ravioli. The vinegar will become thick and syrup like. Add cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to the pasta and remove the pan from the heat.<br /><br />To the sauteed shallots for the spinach salad, add sugar and cook sugar with shallots 1 minute. Add vinegar to the pan, scraping up pan drippings. Add spinach to the dressing and turn to wilt and coat it evenly in sweet vinaigrette. Add crisp pancetta to the salad.<br /><br />Serve chicken along side ravioli and spinach salad, all on the same dinner plate.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></p></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-32464022340228734822009-11-04T01:42:00.006-06:002009-11-04T04:59:16.793-06:00Ears in the Turrets Hear ... Wonderdog<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Okay ... so you all know what a TV junkie I am ... right? Well I have to say this no TV situation ... is sort of FREAKING me out. I'm heading online to check on my Library card, make sure it isn't expired. I may have to go check out some TV programs. Oh but I'd forgotten, I don't have the remote for my DVD player ... so I can only watch the first episode of each disk. There goes that brilliant idea.<br /><br />Other than my TV withdrawl symptoms, things have been maddening around my apartment. The complex is laying new carpet in the hallways and on the stairs which has been making my doggy Kadee freak out ... literally she's been Barky McBarksalot ALL day long.<br /><br />I'm thinking to myself (and if truth be told telling her at every waking moment) ~ Mama's working nights, mama needs to sleep during the day babycakes ... mama needs little miss Barksalot to shaddup already!!!<br /><br />So this afternoon ... I finally just shut her out of the bedroom. Not in a mean way, I just shut my bedroom door while she was at the front door barking out her peace. I suppose I could have just left both dogs at home and gone to my mom's house to sleep. Hindsight, 20/20<br /><br />I'll tell you what happened instead though. Kadee would go bark at the front door, then come scratch on the bedroom door ... then back to the front door; return to the bedroom door. Finally ... she figured out that if she barked she couldn't be in the bedroom ... but if she was in the bedroom, she couldn't bark ... I suspect it was a real conundrum for her. One of those 'things that make you go hmmm' moments. In the end, she decided quiet sleep was the best choice. Ahhh ... thank the gods for small miracles and two hour naps.<br /><br />In the meantime ... Sookie the wonderdog (this dog can FLY man!) was pouncing on my head at every given opportunity.<br /><br />Sookie also nearly scared 10 years off my life. I woke up from a stingy 1 1/2 hours of sleep (my last nap of the day) and made my way to the living room. Bear in mind here, Sookie is usually right at my heels whenever I move around. So I was surprised she wasn't following me.<br /><br />Slightly alarmed -- thinking perhaps I'd left her shut out on the balcony or possibly that I had forgotten I'd duct taped her to the wall somewhere -- I started looking around for her. My apartment is not huge, there aren't that many hiding places. I looked in the pantry (more on that later), in the bathroom, in the bedroom closet, in the laundry room, on the balcony and under the bed. Sookie was NOWHERE to be found. I looked in all those places again ... calling her name. Still NOTHING.<br /><br />Now I was fully alarmed! Then ... THEN I spotted a suspicious lump under the covers at the end of my bed, and lo and behold ... there's Sookie, so deep in sleep and downy comfort; with one of my socks tucked happily between her teeth, that apparently she couldn't or wouldn't hear me call. Funny dog, trix are for kids! Now, go make the bed!<br /><br />Sooo ... back to TV ... because really it's my obsession. I've gone through all my Harry Potter movies. I've watched The Day After Tomorrow, Armageddon and Deep Impact. I'm thinking that on my three day weekend, I'll do the LOTR trilogy one day. Then I'll do Titanic and Gone with the Wind the second day. And on day three, The Dune Saga! Sounds good n'est pas? Needless to say ... I'm going to have a lot of tv catching up to do once it's all 'back on!'. Yup. I maybe off blogger for a while when that happens ... so you all better bloody well enjoy while you can!<br /><br />You're all welcome though, bring your own popcorn, beer, soda, whatnot ... I have tea ... and rice puffs!<br /><br />That's all folks ... beedah beedah beep beep!</span></p><br /><br /><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">Ocean: A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills.<br />Ambrose Bierce</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#df0101;">Do you tend to forgive and forget or hold grudges? What is the longest you've ever stayed angry with someone? Is there anything the other person could say or do to win back your friendship and trust?</span> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></span></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></span></div><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Nihil Obstat<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(NY-hil OB-stat, NEE-)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />noun:<br />1. Official approval.<br />2. In the Roman Catholic Church, a statement by a church censor that a book is not offensive to the Church.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />From Latin nihil obstat (nothing hinders), from nihil (nothing) + obstare (to hinder), from ob- (against) + stare (to stand). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sta- (to stand) that is also the source of stay, stage, stable, instant, establish, static, and system.<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"The Army Corps of Engineers last week gave its nihil obstat to the Hudson River Park, New York City's scheme."</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><div align="center"><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</span></div></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#0b3861;">Ears in the Turrets Hear<br /><br />Ears in the turrets hear<br />Hands grumble on the door,<br />Eyes in the gables see<br />The fingers at the locks.<br />Shall I unbolt or stay<br />Alone till the day I die<br />Unseen by stranger-eyes<br />In this white house?<br />Hands, hold you poison or grapes?<br /><br />Beyond this island bound<br />By a thin sea of flesh<br />And a bone coast,<br />The land lies out of sound<br />And the hills out of mind.<br />No birds or flying fish<br />Disturbs this island’s rest.<br /><br />Ears in this island hear<br />The wind pass like a fire,<br />Eyes in this island see<br />Ships anchor off the bay.<br />Shall I run to the ships<br />With the wind in my hair,<br />Or stay till the day I die<br />And welcome no sailor?<br />Ships, hold you poison or grapes?<br /><br />Hands grumble on the door,<br />Ships anchor off the bay,<br />Rain beats the sand and slates.<br />Shall I let in the stranger,<br />Shall I welcome the sailor,<br />Or stay till the day I die?<br /><br />Hands of the stranger and holds of the ships,<br />Hold you poison or grapes?<br /><br />Dylan Thomas</span><br /></span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#003366;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Cider-Glazed Turkey<br /><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SA0bs5PpS3ZOPg3n6l85n8vkhhKHvDYxp09aYQ-0yMZFLAJ78ZPEUpN4sKBCHhpjIqzRzzDxw3jiHyq75cF-4HJDqYJNdN9MvHXAIwUyFj8QyW9X9PPBXgbNFERzkSljX6fv8b8_kCcE/s1600-h/CIDGLAZTURK.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400188587944942802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 330px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SA0bs5PpS3ZOPg3n6l85n8vkhhKHvDYxp09aYQ-0yMZFLAJ78ZPEUpN4sKBCHhpjIqzRzzDxw3jiHyq75cF-4HJDqYJNdN9MvHXAIwUyFj8QyW9X9PPBXgbNFERzkSljX6fv8b8_kCcE/s400/CIDGLAZTURK.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />For turkey:<br />1 (12-to 14-pounds) turkey at room temperature 1 hour, neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for turkey stock<br />1 apple, cut into chunks<br />1 small onion, quartered<br />1 small bunch thyme<br />1 cup water<br /><br />For cider glaze:<br />1 cup unfiltered apple cider<br />2 tablespoons sugar<br />1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons<br /><br />For gravy:<br />2 cups dry white wine<br />Melted unsalted butter if necessary<br />1/3 cup all-purpose flour<br />About 4 cups hot turkey giblet stock<br /><br />Equipment: a 17- by 14-inch flameproof roasting pan with a flat rack; kitchen String; a 2-quart measuring cup or a fat separator<br /><br />Preparation:<br />Prepare turkey:<br />Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.<br /><br />Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and season inside and out with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Put apple, onion, and thyme in large cavity. Fold neck skin under body, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with string.<br /><br />Roast turkey and Make cider glaze: Add water to pan and roast, without basting, 1 hour.<br /><br />3Meanwhile, boil cider and sugar in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until emulsified. Let glaze stand until ready to use.<br /><br />After turkey has roasted 1 hour, rotate pan 180 degrees. Roast, without basting, 40 minutes more.<br /><br />Make gravy while turkey rests:<br />Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-qt measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat.<br /><br />Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Strain through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices.<br /><br />Put 1/2 cup reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter) in a 4-qt heavy saucepan and whisk in flour.<br /><br />Cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add pan juices and stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Briskly simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.<br /><br />Serve turkey with gravy.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></p></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-66460410483269170172009-11-01T18:36:00.002-06:002009-11-01T18:43:41.861-06:00Fun Dip and a Lemon<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hey guys!<br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-size:130%;">(Do ya'll remember this format? It's been a while eh?)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-size:130%;">First I wanted to thank you all for voting on the names of my canine kids. Obviously I was only able to use one, and Sookie had been my first choice, and seems to be working well for the kidlet ... as she's a little powerhouse of energy and spunk!<br /><br />Kadee obviously (I finally looked at her records to see how the original owners had spelled her name) couldn't have her name changed, as she was way way way to used to it. Again, though, thank you all for voting.<br /><br />CD I loved the way you looked at it ... how they sounded when you yelled them. That cracked me up!!<br /><br />In the spirit of All Hallow's Eve ... over at the </span><a href="http://oneminutewriter.blogspot.com/2009/11/todays-writing-prompt-treat.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">The One-Minute Writer</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> the writing prompt was what was your favorite sugary treat growing up.<br /><br />I'll tell you, I'm not all that big on sugary treats these days ... but my favorite one growing up was the Fun Dip with the Lick-a-Stick.<br /><br /></p></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedju3-_v2_0J2dw3jxw0edSX5yDJq1OSxWV_Kr2doHj3Y4-Jc-KkSRH9S4P1fXh9mJLbrKbMq5zXZZ-bIJpi8MZGLMbjHR-q0tdL1WM5bXtGrKH5NyT1Sp0MJjvruD7Xo_QwFwBEiNveH/s1600-h/lick-a-stick.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399298780276153122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 383px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedju3-_v2_0J2dw3jxw0edSX5yDJq1OSxWV_Kr2doHj3Y4-Jc-KkSRH9S4P1fXh9mJLbrKbMq5zXZZ-bIJpi8MZGLMbjHR-q0tdL1WM5bXtGrKH5NyT1Sp0MJjvruD7Xo_QwFwBEiNveH/s400/lick-a-stick.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Basically (in my time) you got three pouches of kool-aid like dry sugary powdery stuff and a candy stick that you would lick and dunk into the powder ... man that stuff was tart and good!!!<br /><br />I remember getting that stuff and attending my brother's baseball games. Ho boy was I boy crazy then. All those cute ball players. I would be cheering them on and seductively dunking my stick in the candy goodness on the sidelines. Hmmm yeah ... those boys would come running like a pack o wolves. Stealing kisses behind the bleachers. *sighs* Those were the days.<br /><br />It also reminds me of those long summer days ... my siblings and our friends; racing our bikes up to Stop-n-Go, getting our favorite candy and racing back home. Playing baseball in the cul-de-sac. Laying in the sun with my girlfriends; reading Seventeen and Teen Beat magazines. Giggling and laughing and running and playing. That's what Fun Dip reminds me of!<br /><br />(no wonder the candy never landed on the hips back then!)<br /><br />These days, eating candy is few and far between for me ... I'm not all that into sweets. As a matter of fact ... I find it difficult to get the proper fruit intake in most of the time, but I'm doing much much better on that these days.<br /><br />In honor of All Hallow's Eve ... last night I had a baby snickers bar!!!<br /><br />That's my story and I'm sticking to it.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><br /></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.<br />Rene Descartes</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#df0101;">What was your favorite sugary treat as a kid? Do you have a specific memory attached to it?</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></span></center><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Bowdlerize<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(BOAD-luh-ryz)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />verb tr.: To remove or change parts (of a book, play, movie, etc.) considered objectionable.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />After Thomas Bowdler (1754-1825), a British doctor, who edited the Family Shakespeare, an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's works. Bowdler believed the original wasn't suitable for the delicate sensibilities of women and children. He also edited other books, such as Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and the Old Testament in a similar manner.<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"The film [The Birth of a Nation] faced more courtroom challenges than any movie before or since, and many locales did ban or bowdlerize the movie."</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#0b3861;">A Lemon<br /><br />Out of lemon flowers<br />loosed<br />on the moonlight, love's<br />lashed and insatiable<br />essences,<br />sodden with fragrance,<br />the lemon tree's yellow<br />emerges,<br />the lemons<br />move down<br />from the tree's planetarium<br /><br />Delicate merchandise!<br />The harbors are big with it-<br />bazaars<br />for the light and the<br />barbarous gold.<br />We open<br />the halves<br />of a miracle,<br />and a clotting of acids<br />brims<br />into the starry<br />divisions:<br />creation's<br />original juices,<br />irreducible, changeless,<br />alive:<br />so the freshness lives on<br />in a lemon,<br />in the sweet-smelling house of the rind,<br />the proportions, arcane and acerb.<br /><br />Cutting the lemon<br />the knife<br />leaves a little cathedral:<br />alcoves unguessed by the eye<br />that open acidulous glass<br />to the light; topazes<br />riding the droplets,<br />altars,<br />aromatic facades.<br /><br />So, while the hand<br />holds the cut of the lemon,<br />half a world<br />on a trencher,<br />the gold of the universe<br />wells<br />to your touch:<br />a cup yellow<br />with miracles,<br />a breast and a nipple<br />perfuming the earth;<br />a flashing made fruitage,<br />the diminutive fire of a planet.<br /><br />Pablo Neruda</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#003366;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Chicken in Dill Mustard Sauce<br /><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAS9EqzOEBxQpUCt3fx23Pw0aV_NAISni2h2ZXPQjb-KOW-utItr9UpRhVELlhpu8F5QA06pnpvMevSyzPqloHglP1-KzIonGMrZtjnGlNEmce0HPGuF8xWysFFecEvE_gcV4NcPfNYJp/s1600-h/CHX.DILL.MUSTARD.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399298775271550082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 304px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAS9EqzOEBxQpUCt3fx23Pw0aV_NAISni2h2ZXPQjb-KOW-utItr9UpRhVELlhpu8F5QA06pnpvMevSyzPqloHglP1-KzIonGMrZtjnGlNEmce0HPGuF8xWysFFecEvE_gcV4NcPfNYJp/s400/CHX.DILL.MUSTARD.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1/4 cup all-purpose flour<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 teaspoon black pepper<br />4 whole chicken legs<br />3 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />3/4 cup chopped shallots<br />1/2 cup dry white wine<br />1 cup low-sodium chicken broth<br />2 teaspoons whole-grain or coarse-grain mustard<br />1/4 cup chopped fresh dill<br /><br />Preparation:<br />Whisk together flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a pie plate or shallow bowl. Pat chicken dry, then dredge legs, 1 at a time, in flour, shaking off excess. Transfer to a sheet of wax paper, arranging chicken in 1 layer.<br /><br />Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, skin sides down first, turning over once, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate, then pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet.<br /><br />Add shallots to skillet and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and deglaze skillet by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Add broth, mustard, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.<br /><br />Bring to a simmer, then return chicken to skillet, skin sides up, along with any juices from plate, and cook over moderate heat, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter and boil sauce until reduced to about 1 cup and slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in dill, then pour sauce over chicken.<br /><br />Yield: 4 servings<br /><br />Sidenote: This is actually something I can eat on my program ... less the veggie oil and flour and using chicken breasts. I'm going to give this one a try next pay period!</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></p></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-85352531808543298782009-10-30T20:49:00.004-05:002009-10-30T21:16:47.018-05:00Dead Tv's and Super Dogs!<span style="font-size:130%;">Well folksies ... my new doggies are getting used to being 'home' with me. As a matter of fact ... Sookie Bear has made several an attempt to literally eat the nose right off my face. It was cute the first 50 times ... it's getting a swat on the bum now.<br /><br />Katie Belle keeps putting Sookie right in her place ... a well placed growl and a cute little lick. KB has the bad cop/good cop thing down pat!!!<br /><br />Now for some other news ... I've had some difficulty with my cable company. I keep asking them what my monthly payment would be with taxes and each time they give me a number I dutifully change it in my billpay in my bank account ... then about 3 months later they cut off my service and say that I'm 300 bucks in arears. Un-freaking-believable. So here, I thought everything was hunky-dory and all my bills are paid and accounted for ... then all of the sudden ... service is cut off! </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm patting myself on the back ... 'good girl ... you've got your shite together, it's fantastic, let's go get some dogs!!!' But NO NO NO NO NO ... Here I find out ... AGAIN ... that the cable company has effed up my account and they cannot account for it! Shocking? I'm no longer shocked!<br /><br />Bloody hell ... I can't get it back on until the 10th of November. Which also means that I don't have INTERNET access until the 10th of November as well, AND that I have to pay a reconnection fee. Needless to say ... It may be a while until I comment ... as really ... being able to comment on some blogs from work has been hit or miss forever now. I'm reading you though!!!<br /><br />So ... I'm going to look into what the charge is to get internet through my cell phone provider. And I'm going to call and have the cable company recalibrate my package to exclude internet and phone service and just cable service.<br /><br />If the difference isn't that much ... I'm changing.<br /><br />I don't know what the hell is wrong with my cable company ... that they can't help me get my bloody account balance to zero ... and then give me the exact amount that I should be paying with tax for my package each month. (Which by the way I've asked them time and time and time and time and time again ... yes really that many times and each bleeding time it's a different bloody amount!)<br /><br />I do believe I'll be writing them a very strongly worded letter as well. It's getting rediculous! I was in 2 months ago ... paid my balance down to zero but for the re-connect fee and sat there in front of the rep and asked her how much my monthly bill was including tax, excluding purchased movies. She said ... 177.34, I tapped the amount into my blackberry. Then I set up my bank billpay for 178 bucks a month ... that's an incredible amount of money. NOW NOW ... the lady I spoke with on the phone yesterday ... says it's 183 a month!!!! #$%# THEM!<br /><br />Okay ... I'm off now ... to look at Verizon's internet access info.<br /><br />I'll let you all know how it goes. (#$%#in bloodsucking vampiric cable companies!!!)<br /><br /><br />Brightest blessings,<br /><br />Surry</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-71680617164072109752009-10-27T20:00:00.003-05:002009-10-27T20:03:32.061-05:00Katee Belle and Sookie Bear<div align="center"><br />Introducing the Canine Kids</div><div align="center"><br /> </div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jDVj1PWd9rctdLThQKaSKsXLnfTBJapkmCPp4z5KdE097fYhvzpPTvRQFA1V_qIdam2_XcblJG3c7MQYI01HUlWPeFadsGLnXAhRS8BhSISLXGsUsj5mS7DcnugNk8ym0w8cAv46Ttrb/s1600-h/Sookie.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 397px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397449833104578034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jDVj1PWd9rctdLThQKaSKsXLnfTBJapkmCPp4z5KdE097fYhvzpPTvRQFA1V_qIdam2_XcblJG3c7MQYI01HUlWPeFadsGLnXAhRS8BhSISLXGsUsj5mS7DcnugNk8ym0w8cAv46Ttrb/s400/Sookie.JPG" /></a>Sookie Bear </div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixH989uAFToDcILbcW_bAqcxYc831A4-4Df69gOSxE6NT4M5o4txVtX6lOUOfpziaTKvnKw-vsW4-WpSCH_tECtYttfUlgZdGvq9BiTo2ZelLRYM9jwUkrw6D84ammKxv3UfZoej3x6Gew/s1600-h/Katie.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 379px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397449767676318882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixH989uAFToDcILbcW_bAqcxYc831A4-4Df69gOSxE6NT4M5o4txVtX6lOUOfpziaTKvnKw-vsW4-WpSCH_tECtYttfUlgZdGvq9BiTo2ZelLRYM9jwUkrw6D84ammKxv3UfZoej3x6Gew/s400/Katie.JPG" /></a> Katie Belle<br /></div><div align="left">Stay tuned for hopefully better images ... my camera died ... these are all I have right now. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Blessings, </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Surry<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-28604943717351087632009-10-23T19:24:00.004-05:002009-10-23T19:30:06.632-05:00Canine Kids<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663366;">Well folksies ... I mades my decision. I'm about to adopt 2 new canine kids.<br /><br />I have a short list of names that I'm thinking of using. Let me know what you think.<br /><br />1. Nixie<br />2. Breena<br />3. Eliska<br />4. Sookie<br />5. Myka<br />6. Alysia<br />7. Edain<br /><br />I've put up a poll in the upper right hand corner of my blog. Vote away!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#663366;"><br />Brightest Blessings,<br /><br />Surry </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-53524915368130159112009-10-17T15:58:00.005-05:002009-10-17T16:11:24.568-05:00Everybody Tells Me Everything<b><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Well ... I do believe that my annoyance and thus yesterday's rant can be explained away by an excess of femininity this week. That's right folks ... PMS!!!<br /><br />Excellent ... we all love it ... even you guys out there, you know you secretly do! I mean ... it's like the WWF of relationships week when this happens. It's incredible!<br /><br />Anyway ... since my good friend Ian got all pissy about my last post ... and just flat out started being a big huge snotty meany-pants, I'm all about saying good riddance. Really, it's for the best ... I never wanted kids ... so his snot-nosed whining won't really be missed. And really 'J' you do deserve much better than that. (My opinion ... take it as you will girl, ya know I think you're the bees knees!)<br /><br />Moving onward ...<br /><br />How about that boy in the balloon? That poor kid ... actually all that man's kids ... really could we get a bit of child services intervention going on with that family? Those parents need some serious council and those kids need some serious help. Dad makes the kid lie on national TV? (shakes head in disgust) What a disgrace!<br /><br />Mayhaps we'll see them all again on yet another episode of Wife Swap or whatever little reality show alien balloon daddy is trying to tout, I'm sure we can all only hope.<br /><br />Elsewhere in the news ... well really ... there's no real news ... only Obama ... whew ... I guess nothing is really happening anywhere that's newsworthy. Cult of Personality anyone? Did I hire Obama to be on TV? NO I DID NOT ... I hired him to lead this nation, if he wanted to be a TV star ... he really should have changed his resume'. Luckily, I have about 24 hours of non-media television to keep me entertained. WEET!<br /><br />Speaking of TV ... on Sunday ... I'll be posting at my new </span><a href="http://surrythecertifiedtvjunkie.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;">Certified TV Junkie Blog</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> my take on the week of shows that I watch. Highly uninteresting, aye. But if you missed watching something, you can pop over there and see if it had been worth your while to miss it. I'm kind and generous that way! (hold your applesauce)<br /><br />I'm seriously considering getting new doggies. We'll see how I feel about that in a week, I've been dogsitting and my mom's dog, god bless her, is completely neurotic.<br /><br />That's all folks; here's a little funny ...<br /><br />GRIT (Girls Raised In Texas)<br /><br />Someone once noted a Texan can get away with the most awful kind of insult just as long as it's prefaced with the words, "Bless her heart" or "Bless his heart." As in, "Bless his heart, if they put his<br />brain on the head of a pin, it'd roll around like a BB on a 6-lane highway."<br /><br />I was thinking about this the other day when a friend was telling about her new transplanted northern friend who was upset because her toddler is just beginning to talk and he has a Texas accent. My friend, who is very kind and, bless her heart, cannot do a thing about those thighs of hers, was justifiably miffed about this. After all, this woman had CHOSEN to move to Texas a couple of years ago.<br /><br />"Can you believe it?" said her friend, "A child of mine is going to be "taaaallllkkin liiiike thiiiissss."<br /><br />Now, don't get me wrong. Some of my dearest friends are from the North, bless their hearts. I welcome their perspective, their friendships, and their recipes for authentic Northern Italian food. I've even gotten past their endless complaints that you can't find good bread down here. And the heathens, bless their hearts, don't like cornbread!<br /><br />I have a friend from Bawston, bless her heart, who thinks it's hilarious when I say I've got to "carry" my daughter to the doctor or "cut off" the light. She also gets a giggle every time I am "fixin" to do something. And, bless their hearts, they don't even know where "over yonder" is, or what "I reckon" means!<br /><br />My personal favorite was my aunt, saying, "Bless her heart, she cain't help being ugly, but she could'uh stayed home.."<br /><br />Texas girls know bad manners when they see them:<br /><br />1. Drinking straight out of a can.<br />2. Not sending thank you notes.<br />3. Velvet after February.<br />4. White shoes before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.<br /><br />Texas girls always say:<br />1. "Yes Maam."<br />2. "Yessir."<br /><br />Texas girls have a distinct way with fond expressions:<br />1. "Yawl come back."<br />2. "Well, bless yer harrt."<br />3. "Drop by when ya can."<br />4. "How's yer mama?"<br />5. "Love yer hair."<br /><br />Texas girls know their three R's:<br />1. Rich<br />2. Richer<br />3. Richest<br /><br />Texas girls know everybody's first name:<br />1. Hunny<br />2. Darlin'<br />3. Shuger<br /><br />Texas girls know the movies that speak to their hearts:<br />1. "Gone With the Wind"<br />2. "Fried Green Tomatoes"<br />3. "Driving Miss Daisy"<br />4. "Steel Magnolias"<br /><br />Texas girls know the three deadly sins:<br />1. Bad hair<br />2. Bad manners<br />3. Bad blind dates<br /><br />G.R.I.T. = Girls Raised in Texas !<br /><br />Now you run along, shuger, and tell this to ANY females aspiring to be GRITS--Even the northern ones, “Bless Their Hearts", and tell it to men who think Texas women are precious.</span></span><br /></span></b><b><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;"><center>ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</center></span><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain't nothin' can beat teamwork.<br />Edward Abbey</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;"><center>ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</center></span><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#df0101;">What's the best pick-up line you ever heard (or tried)? What's the worst? If you're instantly attracted to someone, will a stupid pick-up line dampen your interest?</span></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></span></center><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Mausoleum<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(maw-suh-LEE-uhm, -zuh-)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />A large tomb, usually an ornate stone building.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />After Mausolus, a Persian governor in 4th century BCE. His monumental tomb was considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, after which any grand tomb is now called a mausoleum.<br />Also see columbarium.<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"Wu is leading a delegation to attend the 80th anniversary of the burial of Sun Yat-sen at a mausoleum in Nanjing."</span> </span></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;"><center>ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</center></span><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#0b3861;">Everybody Tells Me Everything<br /><br />I find it very difficult to enthuse<br />Over the current news.<br />Just when you think that at least the outlook is so black that it can grow no blacker, it worsens,<br />And that is why I do not like the news, because there has never been an era when so many things were going so right for so many of the wrong persons.<br /><br />Ogden Nash</span></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;"><center>ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</center></span><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#003366;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Spicy Thai Soup w/ Lime Shrimp<br /><br /></span></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMStpoWWJr10KdKedg57QbWLh0SBXMd6B27m3NU-W9wmSgQkayVAR3VSmUersfKkIh8_kqW5dI2CSOrI1_98LXw3L6K6TInblnxEQ2pDbU92FfNVskIK6AV44-sf3Ht_HTFxqFkAwm42e/s1600-h/ASoup.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393676305922681810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 330px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMStpoWWJr10KdKedg57QbWLh0SBXMd6B27m3NU-W9wmSgQkayVAR3VSmUersfKkIh8_kqW5dI2CSOrI1_98LXw3L6K6TInblnxEQ2pDbU92FfNVskIK6AV44-sf3Ht_HTFxqFkAwm42e/s400/ASoup.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 1/4 cups Mashed Sweet Potatoes<br />1 cup Onion and Garlic Mix<br />1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth<br />1 teaspoon green curry paste<br />1/2 teaspoon ground ginger<br />1 cup Lime Shrimp<br />1 cup frozen peas<br />Juice of 2 limes, divided<br />Slices from 1/2 lime<br /><br />Preparation:<br />Blend Mashed Sweet Potatoes , and broth in a blender until smooth; pour into a medium pot over low heat. Whisk in curry paste and ginger. Cook 10 minutes.<br /><br />Quick tip:<br />While cooking, arrange the enchilada bake and prepare the topping for the shepherd's pie.<br /><br />Turn heat to medium. Add Lime Shrimp and peas; stir frequently until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add lime juice (from 1 1/2 limes). If not eating immediately, pour into an airtight container and freeze. Otherwise, serve, garnished with lime slices.<br /><br />To reheat:<br />Microwave on high 4 to 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Stir in juice of 1/2 lime.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><p><br /><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-75182020917021479932009-10-16T21:08:00.004-05:002009-10-16T21:46:32.875-05:00Screaming at an Old Chat Love ... I'm that retarded!<span style="color:#663366;">Oh dear ... I've been chatting with an old online friend of mine. A love actually, in my naivety. I started chatting with him about 10 years ago, and at the time we would phone eachother often. Nearly every night. At the time, he claimed to be in love with me. Yay ... I found chat love 10 years ago!!! </span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">Moving on. </span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">He and I started chatting again about a month ago. It was normal at first ... talking about old times, what's going on these days. Yadda yaddda mudda fadda!</span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">The situation is that he's now fascinated with this girl. He claims to be in love with her. This girl happens to live in Canada. Ian lives in Oregon. Obviously it's a long-distance type relationship, yay and good for them! He does nothing but talk about it non-stop ... asking what he should do ... should he stay with her, should he dump her? I understand ... he's frustrated by the failed (and seemingly false) attempts by her to visit. </span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">Their problem is ... she's been trying to get down to visit him and each time, something has come up that prevents her trip. She hasn't been able to make it. All he talks about is whether he should continue the relationship or not because she hasn't dropped every damned thing in her life to go and visit him. I'm tired of it. I'd like to continue our friendship (and I'm striking up a pretty good friendship with her too) but I'm sick to death of talking constantly about this one and only issue. I'm sick of being in the middle of them both. It's bloody annoying!<br /><br />So last night I was forced to work a double ... 16 hours. Ian gets online today and starts in about himself and Jen. No hi ... no how are ya ... no whatcha been up to ... no how's work? NOTHING!!! Just ... what should I do, stay or break up? </span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">Um ... hullo? What am I, chopped liver?<br /><br />Finally I told him (quite flippantly) that in the end ... his selfishness will drive her and me both away ... and he'll not have to make any decision at all. So he probably shouldn't worry over it so. What does he say?<br /><br />Ian: "So ... should I break up with her? Maybe she doesn't deserve me!" (literally this is what he said right after I said the above)<br />Me: "I don't think you deserve her, you're a selfish crybaby!"<br /><br />Ian: "So ... what should I do ... leave her alone, break it off?"<br />Me: (mouth agape, really? he's asking yet ANOTHER EFFIN TIME?) "Do what you wanna do"<br /><br />about an hour later ... </span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">Ian: "So ... should I tell her I don't want to talk to her anymore?"<br />Me: "Tell her your going to the gorram moon for all I care, I don't really care what you choose to or not to do"<br /><br />Ian: "crybaby yahoo smiley"<br />Me: "You know what Ian? I worked 16 straight hours yesterday. I got about 2 hours of sleep, and it's likely I'll have to work another 16 hours tonight ... you messaged me ... no Hi how do you do ... you just went into your selfish egotistical diatribe and questioning about what you should do with or about 'J'. Some friend you are."</span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">and finally ... </span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">Ian: "How am I selfish?"</span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">Me: "I worked a 16 hour shift last night ... and lucky for you ... I'm tired and pissy enough to repeat , as I've literally <em>JUST</em> told you this. I was forced to work a double shift last night -- 16 straight hours, I got about 2 hours of sleep. I'm charged with dogsitting my mother's dog, and really can't be gone 18 hours a day while I'm doing that. I am being forced to do another 16 hour shift tonight. BUT ... when you first messaged me today ... you said Hi. You never asked me how I was, what I was up to, how things were going, if I'd grown horns or halos, or perhaps sprouted a tail since the last we'd chatted? No no ... can't do any of that ... don't really care what's happening with anyone else or in anyone else's life ... as long as you can talk about 'J' ... and repeat over and over and over and over the same stupid bloody questions, that I told you before only you can answer as I don't live inside your rock hard head, that you've been asking me for the last sodding month!!!! So thanks so much for your friendship ... but I'm tired of it ... tired of you being a big inconsiderate whiny little baby brat. And I'm tired of talking to you today, see ya!"<br /><br />What a doofus!<br /><br />End Rant.<br /><br />I feel much better.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-76814240810172625052009-10-15T17:36:00.002-05:002009-10-15T17:39:50.046-05:00The Odyssey<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;">I have some good news. I know I told you all about the 6 Week Body Make-Over that I've been trying to get into. Over the summer months with the scheduling of my Safety Culture classes, and then moving out of my perma-desk and into a vacation relief job, I haven't been very diligent with the plan.<br /><br />However, two weeks ago I started it up again. I'm taking it slow and I've veared off plan a time or two. (I had the worst craving for cheese EVER!!!) However, in the two weeks that I've been working on the plan, I've lost 10lbs. YAY me! And I'm back to it again. (weekends are tough)<br /><br />I'm not overly concerned about losing a specific amount in a specific timeframe. I just want to be back to my normal size by June or July (notice how that coincides with bikini season, jeez I miss having a tan!!!). So that gives me ... 8 months to lose around 35-40lbs ... I think that's a doable goal. That puts me back to about 115lbs and into a size 5/6. This is good, and like I said ... I have no fear of not being 'Perfectly on Plan' throughout this process.<br /><br />I do however fear that my clothing will soon be falling off of me, and I'll be paying a fortune in alterations. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.<br /><br />What I am doing though, is really concentrating on making this a permanent change in my lifestyle. I feel really good when I have six small meals/snacks a day. I don't feel sleepy after my meals like you would if you had a big bowl of pasta or a couple slices of pizza. I never feel overly stuffed or unbelievably famished. It's fantastic!!! (and they say I will in fact be able to re-introduce cheese into my life at some point *sighs*)<br /><br />So ... that's where I am with that. I know you all have been chomping at the bit for an update on that situation ... and there you have it.<br /><br />I have another little bit of news. I've actually launched a second blog strictly for my TV watching endeavors. I figured if any of my followers/lurkers were interested, they could pop on over there. I'll put it in a link on the sidebar, at some point. I don't have anything in it quite yet, as I haven't decided if I'm going to post each week or each day. It's a horrible ordeal for me to make decisions like that 'fo sho'!<br /><br />I think the bi-monthly book stroll is going pretty well, so I'll keep that up for a while. I hope you are all enjoying it!<br /><br />On a final note, I think it would be kind of fun to see what other people answer on the question of the day, perhaps ya'll could make a blog post out of it, it's a pretty fun one!!!</span><br /></p><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center>ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</center></span><p></p><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#b40404;">A waist is a terrible thing to mind.<br />Jane Caminos</span><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center>ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</center></span><p></p><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#df0101;">If you had your own radio or television station, what would it be called and what kind of programming would it play?</span><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center>ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center><p></p><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Imprimatur<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(im-pri-MAH-tuhr, -MAY-)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />noun:<br />1. Approval or authority; imprint.<br />2. A license to print or publish, especially one issued by a censor of the Roman Catholic Church.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />From New Latin imprimatur (let it be printed), from imprimere (to imprint), from in- (in) + premere (to press). Ultimately from the Indo-European root per- (to strike) that also gave us print, press, pressure, compress, impress, express, and espresso.<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"The fact that the answer has the imprimatur of Cabinet does not necessarily mean that the information is correct or relevant."</span><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center>ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</center></span><p></p><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#b40404;">Lines 1-20 in The Odyssey<br /><br />Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns<br />driven time and again off course, once he had plundered<br />the hallowed heights of Troy.<br />Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,<br />many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,<br />fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.<br />But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove--<br />the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all,<br />the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun<br />and the Sungod blotted out the day of their return.<br />Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,<br />start from where you will--sing for our time too.<br />By now,<br />all the survivors, all who avoided headlong death<br />were safe at home, escaped the wars and waves.<br />But one man alone . . .<br />his heart set on his wife and his return--Calypso,<br />the bewitching nymph, the lustrous goddess, held him back,<br />deep in her arching caverns, craving him for a husband.<br /><br />Homer</span><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center>ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</center></span><p></p><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#585858;">Lime and Honey-Glazed Salmon w/ Basmati and Broccolini<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvleTDXICWIl-5cOyBHWwHGU1MspXmwzTnJBRagk5WK_FaHRuR_awDSVJjgf0ugBaJeVBnLCHr3D99NEl1Rm9FCfrVKj9BMf_wFDZmos1-T0zByNWkaX75XaQATFoZsv7vMPY0uheTqc0/s1600-h/ASALMON.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385156091799130034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 330px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvleTDXICWIl-5cOyBHWwHGU1MspXmwzTnJBRagk5WK_FaHRuR_awDSVJjgf0ugBaJeVBnLCHr3D99NEl1Rm9FCfrVKj9BMf_wFDZmos1-T0zByNWkaX75XaQATFoZsv7vMPY0uheTqc0/s400/ASALMON.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1/4 cup fresh lime juice<br />2 tablespoons finely grated lime peel<br />2 tablespoons honey<br />2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for sprinkling<br />4 teaspoons soy sauce<br />1 tablespoon olive oil<br />3/4 cup sliced shallots (about 3 large)<br />1 1/2 cups basmati rice (9 to 10 ounces)<br />3 1/4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth<br />4 5-to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets<br />1 bunch broccolini, bottom inch trimmed, stalks separated if necessary<br /><br />Preparation:<br />Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk lime juice, lime peel, honey, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and soy sauce in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in large deep ovenproof skillet or casserole (with lid) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, then 3 1/4 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid; place in oven and bake 10 minutes (rice will be almost cooked through and most of broth will be absorbed; mix in more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry).<br /><br />Remove skillet from oven. Sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and arrange on rice, pressing in lightly. Tuck broccolini in around fish, with stems anchored in rice. Spoon 1 tablespoon lime mixture over each salmon fillet. Cover skillet tightly and return to oven; bake until salmon is just opaque in center and broccolini is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle remaining lime mixture over fish and rice; sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and serve from skillet. </span><br /><br /><p><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></p></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-66437733016463327322009-10-11T15:06:00.006-05:002009-10-12T19:36:52.767-05:00Sunday Book Stroll: Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder<b><p align="center"><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Sofie's World by Jostein Gaarder </span></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391442487878041042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 236px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHgk8R9sQy3rVyom54qr22WgOxplC6YWc73xvRfTi3ramFtBdwz-SRyWbW_uvzMyfVbEvG1ybqZ2gKFGmbaPl-3HlhFCcqfsPxYcItue_Wd-ae7qfKdH4JcA3SCHg0x4vb15quLDl3_O3/s400/ASWBook.bmp" border="0" /><br />Sophie's World is a novel about the history of philosophy entwined with an interesting story. What I loved about this book is that it allowed you to learn about some of the great philosophers while trying to figure out a mystery.<br /><br />Sophie is a 14 year old girl, and up to her fourteenth year her life has been pretty uneventful. Sophie's enlightenment begins with an anonymous note in her mailbox, which asks questions that set her mind in motion and prepare her for what follows. The questions challenge Sophie's outlook on nearly everything.<br /><br />Throughout the story and as Sophie takes on the challenging questions she learns about the history of philosophy from the earliest mythological philosophers to the most modern thinkers of our time. Unbeknownst to her, the information she is garnering could be crucial to her very existence ... I won't give away the ending.<br /><br />One of the things I adored about this book is the basic knowledge that is derived from the dialoge between Sophie and her 'philosophy' teacher. (Who happens to be an old hermit that lives in the woods near her home.) The wonderful thing is that you're learning about philosophy whithout even meaning to, and the story that wraps up the information is intriguing if not intricate. It's a textbook with hutzpah! The downside is that there's very little plot or character development, so if you're into reading novels for those purposes alone, I'd stay away from this one, however, if you're interested in learning about philosophy on a rudimentary level ... this would be better than your average dry textbook. I really enjoyed learning about the different philosophies involved, and then after reading the book, learning more about those that interested me.<br /><br />The philosophers that are included in this novel are as follows:<br />Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza and Locke; Hume, and Bjerkely; Kant; Hegel, Kierkegaard and Marx; Darwin and Freud. (All of you teachers out there, don't mock my lack of ability to produce a good list here, it's been ages since I've been in an english class, and I just don't write often enough to warrant going back. Don't even get me started on mathematics, I couldn't long divide my way out of a paper bag! Also I may have missed one or two philosophers.)<br /><br />I was given this book by a boy that I had met online when I was about 25. (yet another love of my life I'm sure) He apparently thought I was philosophically stupid and gave this to me to enlighten me. Little did he know he was about to set off a FIRESTORM of informational and classical reading frenzy in me. He he! I believe he's married to a Vegan, which is fine by me as ... if nobody minds ... I do enjoy myself some clovenhooved meaty goodness, thankyouverymuch!!!<br /><br />In two weeks ... Brazil by John Updike</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">In addition to that ... I should be back to my regular postings. So yummy winter recipes to come. Winter is all about the comfort foods!! Yumm-O!!!</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">Blessings, </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">Surry</span></span></span></b></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-75534624045396195012009-10-04T19:24:00.002-05:002009-10-04T19:25:10.643-05:00Sunday Book Stroll ~ The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">AND it's the next installment of Sunday Book Stroll!!!<br /><br />The Unbearable Lightness of Being<br /><br />It's been quite a long while since I'd read this book, just shortly after I'd graduated from college actually. I was going through an intellectual reading phase. We'll skip over the history on that though.<br /><br />The novel itself delves into what makes us need companionship in life so badly!!! What I found fascinating about this book was the depth to which the characters picked apart and agonized over their relationship, or relationships. A man torn between thought and emotion, between love and lust. A woman who lives for rebellion. Another whose body is simply an amplifier for her emotions. Tomas, the male protagonist, falls in love with Teresa and marries her, while still having many one-night stands in an attempt to give weight (meaning) to his life. Moreover, he maintains a love-affair with Sabina. I was of the opinion that every one of these people, due to their intellectual dives into the meaning of companionship, suffered, for all of the self-knowledge made them both stilted and uncertain.<br /><br />What I loved about this book though was that it really brings into focus how much we tend to overthink things in our own lives. Especially in this day and age ... with more open and less intimate relationships. With the internet and the rampant sexuality that lies therein. (Funnily enough, the person who gave me this book to read was a female online friend that I'd started hanging out with.)<br /><br />Since I started reading this book in the midst of my 'classics' phase. (I'll explain that in detail at a later date.) It didn't really impact me in a profound way, except to perhaps stop myself from overthinking everything. What I mean by that is that I was a bit more open to different 'adventures' in the relationship department. I'd like to fall in love, someday ... but like Tomas, I feel that there's no reason for that to be the only thing in life. (at least until I find 'the one') However, I don't know that I could knowingly hurt someone as he did. Not that I don't think Tereza should be free of some serious fault-finding though. For her, love and sex were intertwined, whereas for Tomas they were separate. Tomas was within that unbearable lightness while Tereza was plagued with the heavy weight of life. The whole aspect of love and happiness simply shows us how vulnerable we are. AHA ... look how profound I am already!!! Oh Freud ... where art thou?<br /><br />Excellent read though. I mean ... life might be a cabaret old chum ... but really ... there's only the one. No repeats, no take-backsies, no dress-rehearsals. So in short kids ... try not to mess it all up by over thinking it! </span></span></p><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Light and Love, </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;color:#600040;">Surry!</span></p><br /></b><b></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-34906136228591877842009-10-02T22:55:00.003-05:002009-10-02T23:13:24.138-05:00Cure JM!!! And happy Bday Mrs Uncool!<a href="http://www.curejm.com/"><img src="http://thecheekofgod.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/badge-this-blog.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Kevin of <a href="http://blogonkevin.blogspot.com/">Always Home and Uncool</a> has asked me to post this as part of his effort to raise awareness in the blogosphere of juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease his daughter was diagnosed with on this day seven years ago. The day also happens to be his wife's birthday.<br /><br />*<br /><br />Our pediatrician admitted it early on.<br /><br />The rash on our 2-year-old daughter's cheeks, joints and legs was something he'd never seen before.<br /><br />The next doctor wouldn't admit to not knowing.<br /><br />He rattled off the names of several skins conditions -- none of them seemingly worth his time or bedside manner -- then quickly prescribed antibiotics and showed us the door.<br /><br />The third doctor admitted she didn't know much.<br /><br />The biopsy of the chunk of skin she had removed from our daughter's knee showed signs of an "allergic reaction" even though we had ruled out every allergy source -- obvious and otherwise -- that we could.<br /><br />The fourth doctor had barely closed the door behind her when, looking at the limp blonde cherub in my lap, she admitted she had seen this before. At least one too many times before.<br /><br />She brought in a gaggle of med students. She pointed out each of the physical symptoms in our daughter:<br /><br />The rash across her face and temples resembling the silhouette of a butterfly.<br /><br />The purple-brown spots and smears, called heliotrope, on her eyelids.<br /><br />The reddish alligator-like skin, known as Gottron papules, covering the knuckles of her hands.<br /><br />The onset of crippling muscle weakness in her legs and upper body.<br /><br />She then had an assistant bring in a handful of pages photocopied from an old medical textbook. She handed them to my wife, whose birthday it happened to be that day.<br /><br />This was her gift -- a diagnosis for her little girl.<br /><br />That was seven years ago -- Oct. 2, 2002 -- the day our daughter was found to have juvenile dermatomyositis, one of a family of rare autoimmune diseases that can have debilitating and even fatal consequences when not treated quickly and effectively.<br /><br />Our daughter's first year with the disease consisted of surgical procedures, intravenous infusions, staph infections, pulmonary treatments and worry. Her muscles were too weak for her to walk or swallow solid food for several months. When not in the hospital, she sat on our living room couch, propped up by pillows so she wouldn't tip over, as medicine or nourishment dripped from a bag into her body.<br /><br />Our daughter, Thing 1, Megan, now age 9, remembers little of that today when she dances or sings or plays soccer. All that remain with her are scars, six to be exact, and the array of pills she takes twice a day to help keep the disease at bay.<br /><br />What would have happened if it took us more than two months and four doctors before we lucked into someone who could piece all the symptoms together? I don't know.<br /><br />I do know that the fourth doctor, the one who brought in others to see our daughter's condition so they could easily recognize it if they ever had the misfortune to be presented with it again, was a step toward making sure other parents also never have to find out.<br /><br />That, too, is my purpose today.<br /><br />It is also my birthday gift to my wife, My Love, Rhonda, for all you have done these past seven years to make others aware of juvenile myositis diseases and help find a cure for them once and for all.<br /><br />To read more about children and families affected by juvenile myositis diseases, visit Cure JM Foundation at www.curejm.org.<br /><br />To make a tax-deductible donation toward JM research,<br /><br />go: <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/rhondaandkevinmckeever">HERE</a><br /><br />or <a href="http://www.curejm.com/team/donations.htm">HERE</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-54429266417312801622009-10-01T15:10:00.003-05:002009-10-01T15:46:49.643-05:00Friends Departed & Fall Television<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">I'm often talking about Television and the programs I watch ... so I thought I'd give you all a bit of a list of what my weekly TV intake is. I believe you'll find it pretty full.<br />Keep in mind that a lot of the programs I watch during the day while I'm doing housework and stuff on my 'Rest Days' so I'm really not watching 4 or more hours of TV a night. On my rest days, the tv would be on for company or the noise anyway.<br /><br />Here's 'The List'<br />Sunday:<br />Family Guy<br />Mad Men<br />Three Rivers<br /><br />Monday:<br />How I Met Your Mother<br />Two and a Half Men<br />The Big Bang Theory<br />Heroes<br />Castle<br />CSI: Miami<br /><br />Tuesday:<br />NCIS<br />NCIS: LA<br />Hell's Kitchen<br />So You Think You Can Dance<br />The Forgotten<br />The Good Wife<br /><br />Wednesday:<br />So You Think You Can Dance<br />Criminal Minds<br />Glee<br />Eastwick<br /><br />Thursday:<br />Flash Forward<br />The Vampire Diaries<br />Supernatural<br />Fringe<br />(Grey's Anatomy is being relegated to watching On Demand)<br />The Mentalist<br />Private Practice<br /><br />Friday:<br />Ghost Whisperer<br />Smallville<br />Dollhouse<br />Ugly Betty<br />Numb3rs<br />Sanctuary<br /><br />Saturday:<br />Robin Hood<br />I know ... I know ... I'm rotting my brain. Although not nearly as bad as if I were watching everything on Hulu, according to the ever beloved Seth McFarlane!! Woot Weet!!!<br />Anyhow, that's my post for the day ... because I'm sort of lazy like that!</span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.<br />Marilyn Monroe</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#df0101;">What are some things you can do today because of technology that you couldn't do five years ago?</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></span></center><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Comstockery<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(KOM-stok-uh-ree, KUM-)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />noun: Overzealous censorship of material considered obscene.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />After Anthony Comstock (1844-1915), founder of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. He crusaded against anything he considered immoral. Nothing escaped his wrath -- even anatomy textbooks for medical students and the draping of mannequins in public view in shop windows were obscene to him. He lobbied for laws against mailing any material that could be perceived as promoting immorality.<br />He was appointed postal inspector and he seized books, postcards, and other materials by the boatload. He boasted that he had arrested more than 3,000 people and driven more than 15 to suicide. George Bernard Shaw coined the word comstockery after him when he attacked the American production of Shaw's play "Mrs. Warren's Profession".<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"The language and thought police are hardly some Orwellian invention; America has been unusually susceptible to plagues of Comstockery and self-righteous tomfoolery."</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">Friends Departed<br /><br />They are all gone into the world of light!<br />And I alone sit ling'ring here;<br />Their very memory is fair and bright,<br />And my sad thoughts doth clear.<br /><br />It glows and glitters in my cloudy breast,<br />Like stars upon some gloomy grove,<br />Or those faint beams in which this hill is drest<br />After the sun's remove.<br /><br />I see them walking in an air of glory,<br />Whose light doth trample on my days:<br />My days, which are at best but dull and hoary,<br />Mere glimmering and decays.<br /><br />O holy Hope! and high Humility,<br />High as the heavens above!<br />These are your walks, and you have show'd them me,<br />To kindle my cold love.<br /><br />Dear, beauteous Death! the jewel of the Just,<br />Shining nowhere, but in the dark;<br />What mysteries do lie beyond thy dust,<br />Could man outlook that mark!<br /><br />He that hath found some fledg'd bird's nest may know,<br />At first sight, if the bird be flown;<br />But what fair well or grove he sings in now,<br />That is to him unknown.<br /><br />And yet as Angels in some brighter dreams<br />Call to the soul, when man doth sleep:<br />So some strange thoughts transcend our wonted themes,<br />And into glory peep.<br /><br />If a star were confin'd into a tomb,<br />Her captive flames must needs burn there;<br />But when the hand that lock'd her up gives room,<br />She'll shine through all the sphere.<br /><br />O Father of eternal life, and all<br />Created glories under Thee!<br />Resume Thy spirit from this world of thrall<br />Into true liberty.<br /><br />Either disperse these mists, which blot and fill<br />My perspective still as they pass:<br />Or else remove me hence unto that hill,<br />Where I shall need no glass.<br /><br />Henry Vaugha</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#585858;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Brisket Braised in Porter<br /><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7RXjJY330A3jN6Czwys6sT4lDjMOfFbEcroAwtUq5s3fNR2vss2TgOPerVXzhjE5Pbn-vUCd5DCLN7-Y9APnfcYh5iumCRNQNyz1FUJ_LSGfamkggni1RvRYqNQQQ4eekgfS-yfRi0EJ/s1600-h/ABRISKET.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385155968222652482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 330px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7RXjJY330A3jN6Czwys6sT4lDjMOfFbEcroAwtUq5s3fNR2vss2TgOPerVXzhjE5Pbn-vUCd5DCLN7-Y9APnfcYh5iumCRNQNyz1FUJ_LSGfamkggni1RvRYqNQQQ4eekgfS-yfRi0EJ/s400/ABRISKET.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Ingredients:<br />1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt<br />2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper<br />2 teaspoons dry mustard (such as Colman's)<br />2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage<br />2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme<br />1 6-pound flat-cut brisket, trimmed but with some fat still attached<br />2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat or olive oil<br />4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth, divided<br />1 12-ounce bottle porter or stout<br />6 whole pitted prunes<br />4 bay leaves<br />2 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar<br />6 cups thinly sliced onions (2 1/2 pounds)<br />8 whole garlic cloves, peeled<br />1 pound mushrooms, sliced<br />1 pound medium carrots, peeled, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch lengths<br />2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard<br />1 tablespoon (or more) malt vinegar<br /><br /><br />Special equipment: Heavy extra-large wide ovenproof pot<br /><br />Preparation:<br />Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Mix first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Rub herb mixture all over brisket. Heat bacon fat in heavy extra-large wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add brisket to pot and cook until deep brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer brisket to platter or rimmed baking sheet. Add 2 cups broth to pot and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Stir in porter, prunes, bay leaves, and brown sugar; bring to boil. Return brisket to pot, fat side down; scatter onion slices over to cover meat, then add garlic.<br /><br />Cover pot; place in oven and braise brisket 1 hour. Remove pot from oven; uncover and turn brisket over so that onion slices fall into liquid in pot. Return pot to oven and braise uncovered 30 minutes. Add 1 cup broth. Cover and bake 1 hour 30 minutes longer.<br /><br />Transfer brisket to platter or rimmed baking sheet; add 1 more cup broth to liquid in pot, then add mushrooms and carrots. Return brisket to pot. Cover and return to oven; braise until meat and carrots are very tender, adding more broth by cupfuls, if needed, to cover vegetables, about 45 minutes longer. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled at least 1 day and up to 2 days.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350°F. Spoon off any fat from surface of brisket pan juices and discard. Transfer brisket to cutting board. Thinly slice brisket across grain. Place brisket slices in large roasting pan. Bring pan juices with vegetables in pot to boil. Whisk in mustard and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding more vinegar by teaspoonfuls, if desired. Pour pan juices and vegetables over brisket in roasting pan. Cover roasting pan tightly with heavy-duty foil and cook in oven until brisket slices and vegetables are heated through, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Serve meat with vegetables and sauce.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></p></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-75342079580398554542009-09-28T15:20:00.000-05:002009-09-28T15:22:14.952-05:00Sunday Book Stroll<span style="color:#663366;">I haven't quite finished The Unbearable Lightness of Being, so SBS will be moved to this coming Sunday ... perhaps twice a month will be fine for this feature. *winks*</span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">I will say I was distracted from reading because of the season premiers going on. WEET!!!</span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">Blessings all, </span><br /><span style="color:#663366;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">Surry</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3494562318645805833.post-78802830936792688582009-09-24T21:00:00.001-05:002009-09-24T15:54:57.473-05:00Bereavement<b><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">I did finally get to the store last night, YAY! I got the fixins for my Veggie Beef soup. I'll post the recipe at the bottom!! It's sooo yummy!</span></span></p><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Last night's TV was pretty darned good! Criminal Minds started this season very strong, still concluding with the reaper storyline!!! Very excellent! Glee keeps getting better and better as well. I love the various underlying lies and stories. That show is like a happy party in my tummy! I thought Eastwick was pretty good. I think I'll stick with it for a while and see how it goes. I like all the characters at least. I'm not jaded by the movie either, as I haven't seen it. So You Think You Can Dance (which will heretofor be referred to as SYTYCD) was still in the try-out stage, still very good though. I am a little tired of Mary and her screams though. Having the HOT HOT HOTTIE Tyse Diorio there as a judge makes up for it though!!! </span></span></p><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Tonight is: Flash Forward (new this season), The Vampire Diaries which I've enjoyed thus far because the celeb love of my life is in it! (That would be Ian Somerholder) Supernatural, Fringe and Grey's Anatomy are also tonight!!! WEET! I'm recording The Mentalist, I missed the first season as it was up against two other shows, and I may not continue watching it, but I've always loved Robin Tunney. </span></span></p><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Today is my FRIDAY, so in case you're wondering how I'm getting all of this TV watching done and still getting some sleep (it's not because I'm a vampire I promise) I watch some when I get home after work during the week, some while I'm getting ready for work and doing housework, and then the bulk of it gets watched while I'm puttering around the house on my rest days. I space it out, as I don't watch daytime tv!</span></span></p><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm plugging through The Unbearable Lightness of Being for my Sunday Book Stroll Post, if you missed the last one the link is </span><a href="http://sweetpeasurry.blogspot.com/2009/09/imitation-of-spenser.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">here</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">. So that's all folks ... let's see if I can find ya a funny. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#600040;">Flat Tire<br />Yesterday I had a flat tire on the interstate. So I eased my car over to the shoulder of the road, carefully get out of the car and open the trunk. . </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#600040;">I took out 2 cardboard men, unfolded them and stood them at the rear of my car facing oncoming traffic. They look so life like you wouldn't believe it! They are in trench coats exposing their nude bodies to the approaching drivers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#600040;">To my surprise, cars start slowing down looking at my lifelike men which made it safer for me to work at the side of the road. And of course, traffic starts backing up. Everybody is tooting their horns and waving like crazy. It wasn't long before a state trooper pulls up behind me. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#600040;">He gets out of his car and starts walking towards me. I could tell he was not a happy camper! </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#600040;">'What's going on here? ' </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#600040;">'My car has a flat tire', I said calmly. </span></p><p><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="font-size:130%;">'Well, what are those obscene cardboard men doing here by the road? '<br />I couldn't believe that he didn't know. So I told him, 'Helloooooo, those are my emergency flashers!'<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">Thought is only a flash between two long nights, but this flash is everything.<br />~Henri Poincare </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#df0101;">If you were to open your own theme restaurant, what would the theme be and how would you express it to the customers? </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ</span></span></center><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#088a08;">Micropsia<br /><br />PRONUNCIATION:<br />(my-KROP-see-uh)<br /><br />MEANING:<br />noun: A defect of vision in which objects appear smaller than normal.<br /><br />ETYMOLOGY:<br />From Greek micro- (small) + -opia (vision).<br /><br />USAGE:<br />"Seated on the chill concrete, I felt a recurrence of my childhood micropsia, a night terror I thought I'd left behind at age eleven or twelve, in my bedroom on Dean Street: the sensation that my body was reduced to speck size."</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#b40404;">Bereavement<br /><br />How stern are the woes of the desolate mourner<br />As he bends in still grief o'er the hallowed bier,<br />As enanguished he turns from the laugh of the scorner,<br />And drops to perfection's remembrance a tear;<br />When floods of despair down his pale cheeks are streaming,<br />When no blissful hope on his bosom is beaming,<br />Or, if lulled for a while, soon he starts from his dreaming,<br />And finds torn the soft ties to affection so dear.<br />Ah, when shall day dawn on the night of the grave,<br />Or summer succeed to the winter of death?<br />Rest awhle, hapless victim! and Heaven will save<br />The spirit that hath faded away with the breath.<br />Eternity points, in its amaranth bower<br />Where no clouds of fate o'er the sweet prospect lour,<br />Unspeakable pleasure, of goodness the dower,<br />When woe fades away like the mist of the heath.<br /><br />Percy Bysshe Shelley</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;"><center><span style="font-size:130%;">ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ</span></center></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#585858;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Surry's Vegetable Beef Soup<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja805SQGy7LQGG1VRBUwOXuo2xBndrmhRHvOZlpjqcWdJXq0HGgy8nbZkGrUZcb1jpgZcPiFX81hLf1Fr8oWRIClh5MwGLbJqbBJbc3Vqq3_u8yPbFipv9VZOiHlwDBgHmbNN-8n9YP6nr/s1600-h/VeggieSoup.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385079275095464386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja805SQGy7LQGG1VRBUwOXuo2xBndrmhRHvOZlpjqcWdJXq0HGgy8nbZkGrUZcb1jpgZcPiFX81hLf1Fr8oWRIClh5MwGLbJqbBJbc3Vqq3_u8yPbFipv9VZOiHlwDBgHmbNN-8n9YP6nr/s400/VeggieSoup.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Ingredients:<br /><br />1 1/2 lb Stew Beef<br />32 oz Carton Beef Stock<br />4 Carrots<br />4 Celery stalks<br />1 large white onion<br />1 small head Cabbage<br />1 Pkg sliced baby portabella mushrooms<br />4 large potatoes<br />1 lg can stewed, diced or crushed tomatoes<br /><br />Preparation:<br />In a large stock pot add the beef stock and tomatoes. Dice the carrots, celery, potatoes and onion and add to pot. Turn on heat until the ingredients are simmering.<br /><br />Brown the beef, strain and add to pot.<br /><br />Add water to pot to cover ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.<br /><br />After the initial ingredients have simmered for about 30 minutes, chop up the cabbage and add to pot.<br /><br />Simmer for 15 more minutes and then add the mushrooms. At this point you may need to add some additional water and salt and pepper to taste again.<br /><br />(As an added oomph ... since I don't use any salt I put in 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper)<br /><br />Simmer for an additional 30 minutes.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#660040;"><span style="font-family:Book Antiqua;font-size:130%;">Brightest Blessings,<br />~Surry~</span></p></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color:#600040;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#993366;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span style="color:#660040;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">If you're viewing in a reader ... come on in and leave a comment, silly!</div>SweetPeaSurryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193034370248526025noreply@blogger.com4