AFTR's Daily Commute

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:07 pm

Saints "Long Lost Loves" thread made me share this quote:

Margaret Mitchell

I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together again and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken -- and I'd rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.

For those of us who have experienced a divorce after a long term marriage ........myself included.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:17 pm

It's All In The Game

(Carl Sigman and Charles Gates Dawes)

Many a tear has to fall

But it's all in the game

All in the wonderful game

That we know as love

You have words with him

And your future's looking dim

But these things

Your hearts can rise above

Once in a while he won't call

But it's all in the game

Soon he'll be there at your side

With a sweet bouquet

And he'll kiss your lips

And caress your waiting fingertips

And your hearts will fly away

Soon he'll be there at your side

With a sweet bouquet

Then he'll kiss your lips

And caress your waiting fingertips

And your hearts will fly away

Here's a link to the actual song: (One of my favorites)

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:26 pm

Your Catfish Friend

by Richard Brautigan

If I were to live my life

in catfish forms

in scaffolds of skin and whiskers

at the bottom of a pond

and you were to come by

one evening

when the moon was shining

down into my dark home

and stand there at the edge

of my affection

and think, "It's beautiful

here by this pond.I wish

somebody loved me,"

I'd love you and be your catfish

friend and drive such lonely

thoughts from your mind

and suddenly you would be

at peace,

and ask yourself, "I wonder

if there are any catfish

in this pond?It seems like

a perfect place for them."

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 5:32 pm

From Yahoo:

Noisy lovebirds expose Russian smuggler

(AFP) – 4 days ago

MOSCOW — A Russian woman was caught at a border checkpoint in Russia's far east attempting to smuggle 50 lovebirds from China under her coat, officials said Monday.

Border guards spotted the woman after the birds "woke up and began to talk loudly among themselves," the Russian border guards service said. "It was impossible for the customs inspector and tourists not to hear them."

The birds were hidden "under a coat in a special apron with pockets," the service said in a statement.

The woman had been visiting the Chinese town of Heihe and was returning to the Russian town of Blagoveshchensk, which is located on the opposite bank of the Amur River separating the two countries.

Border guards described the birds as "parrots" but published a photograph apparently showing lovebirds, which are native to Africa.

The birds, whose total value is about 10,000 rubles (329 dollars), have been confiscated by environmental inspectors, and the woman faces a fine.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:50 am

How Do I Love Thee?

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:59 am

A little about the author of the poem from the previous post:

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett, an English poet of the Romantic Movement, was born in 1806 at Coxhoe Hall, Durham, England. The oldest of twelve children, Elizabeth was the first in her family born in England in over two hundred years. For centuries, the Barrett family, who were part Creole, had lived in Jamaica, where they owned sugar plantations and relied on slave labor. Elizabeth's father, Edward Barrett Moulton Barrett, chose to raise his family in England, while his fortune grew in Jamaica. Educated at home, Elizabeth apparently had read passages from Paradise Lost and a number of Shakespearean plays, among other great works, before the age of ten. By her twelfth year she had written her first "epic" poem, which consisted of four books of rhyming couplets. Two years later, Elizabeth developed a lung ailment that plagued her for the rest of her life. Doctors began treating her with morphine, which she would take until her death. While saddling a pony when she was fifteen, Elizabeth also suffered a spinal injury. Despite her ailments, her education continued to flourish. Throughout her teenage years, Elizabeth taught herself Hebrew so that she could read the Old Testament; her interests later turned to Greek studies. Accompanying her appetite for the classics was a passionate enthusiasm for her Christian faith. She became active in the Bible and Missionary Societies of her church.

In 1826 Elizabeth anonymously published her collection An Essay on Mind and Other Poems. Two years later, her mother passed away. The slow abolition of slavery in England and mismanagement of the plantations depleted the Barrett's income, and in 1832, Elizabeth's father sold his rural estate at a public auction. He moved his family to a coastal town and rented cottages for the next three years, before settling permanently in London. While living on the sea coast, Elizabeth published her translation of Prometheus Bound (1833), by the Greek dramatist Aeschylus.

Gaining notoriety for her work in the 1830's, Elizabeth continued to live in her father's London house under his tyrannical rule. He began sending Elizabeth's younger siblings to Jamaica to help with the family's estates. Elizabeth bitterly opposed slavery and did not want her siblings sent away. During this time, she wrote The Seraphim and Other Poems (1838), expressing Christian sentiments in the form of classical Greek tragedy. Due to her weakening disposition she was forced to spend a year at the sea of Torquay accompanied by her brother Edward, whom she referred to as "Bro." He drowned later that year while sailing at Torquay and Elizabeth returned home emotionally broken, becoming an invalid and a recluse. She spent the next five years in her bedroom at her father's home. She continued writing, however, and in 1844 produced a collection entitled simply Poems. This volume gained the attention of poet Robert Browning, whose work Elizabeth had praised in one of her poems, and he wrote her a letter.

Elizabeth and Robert, who was six years her junior, exchanged 574 letters over the next twenty months. Immortalized in 1930 in the play The Barretts of Wimpole Street, by Rudolf Besier (1878-1942), their romance was bitterly opposed by her father, who did not want any of his children to marry. In 1846, the couple eloped and settled in Florence, Italy, where Elizabeth's health improved and she bore a son, Robert Wideman Browning. Her father never spoke to her again. Elizabeth's Sonnets from the Portuguese, dedicated to her husband and written in secret before her marriage, was published in 1850. Critics generally consider the Sonnets—one of the most widely known collections of love lyrics in English—to be her best work. Admirers have compared her imagery to Shakespeare and her use of the Italian form to Petrarch.

Political and social themes embody Elizabeth's later work. She expressed her intense sympathy for the struggle for the unification of Italy in Casa Guidi Windows (1848-51) and Poems Before Congress (1860). In 1857 Browning published her verse novel Aurora Leigh, which portrays male domination of a woman. In her poetry she also addressed the oppression of the Italians by the Austrians, the child labor mines and mills of England, and slavery, among other social injustices. Although this decreased her popularity, Elizabeth was heard and recognized around Europe.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning died in Florence on June 29, 1861.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 2:59 pm

My Funny Valentine

~ By Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

My funny Valentine

Sweet comic Valentine

You make me smile with my heart

Your looks are laughable, unphotographable

Yet you're my favorite work of art

Is your figure less than Greek?

Is your mouth a little weak?

When you open it to speak, are you smart?

But don't change a hair for me

Not if you care for me

Stay little Valentine, stay

Each day is Valentine's Day

Is your figure less than Greek?

Is your mouth a little weak?

When you open it to speak, are you smart?

But don't change a hair for me

Not if you care for me

Stay little Valentine, stay

Each day is Valentine's Day

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:40 pm

I remember those cards from when the kids were young and gave them to their school friends.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:09 pm

I remember the cards from my childhood as well.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Valentine from me to myself:

. Fall in love with yourself. Think about what makes you You. Just like a flower that needs watering to grow, learn to nurture yourself in every way. Love yourself for all the good that you see and accept your flaws and the fact that you are imperfect. This does not mean that you do not learn to change from your shortcomings; instead, you are being gentle and kind to yourself despite all your “flaws. Look in the mirror and fall in love with the reflection that is You.

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.

Oscar Wilde quotes (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

2. Eliminate Self Criticism. Do you often berate yourself over the tiniest thing? Is there a little voice inside your head that often tells you that you are no good because you are stupid or make mistakes. If you find that you criticize yourself often, make an effort to stop the self criticism.

“I CAN is 100 times more important than IQ. — unknown

3. Be Kind And Positive. When you start to think kindly and positively about yourself, the love you have for yourself just grows. Make it a habit to praise yourself everyday, while in the front of the mirror. Because of such thoughts, you naturally undertake empowering actions that support your development.

4. Acknowledge Your Effort. It’s not always about winning or having success in everything that you do. Many times, it is the effort that counts! Acknowledge that you’ve done your best, even if you have failed to produce tangible results.

Bring Your Dreams to Life!

Just released – The Dream Manifestation Wizard. A powerful software that uses a quantum approach to help you manifest all your dreams. Download your copy here.

5. Let Go Of Worry. Loving yourself requires you to let go of your worry. It is a horrible way to live a life filled with constant worrying. I can attest to that! Worry does not help in any way. It cannot, on its own, make things happen. Only wise actions can! So instead of worrying, spend time thinking about what you can do to help in the situation. If the situation is beyond your control, then ask the Universe for your desired outcome and let things work out on their own. Things will come to be, if they are meant to be.

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will. — Epictetus quotes (Greek philosopher associated with the Stoics, AD 55-c.135)

6. Trust Yourself. Have confidence in your abilities. Know that you have the ability to make important changes for yourself, for as long as you put your heart to it. You can also support yourself by visualizing desired outcomes.

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.

Benjamin Spock quotes (American Pediatrician and Author, 1903-1998)

7. Forgive Yourself. If you have made mistakes in the past that had caused you to feel less worthy, then you need to forgive yourself. All of us make mistakes; so there really is no need to beat yourself up over them. Or if you’ve been carrying around a baggage of emotional hurt because of a childhood trauma, learn to forgive yourself.

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.

Lewis B. Smedes quotes

8. Be Truthful To Yourself. Loving yourself requires you to be truthful about your own feelings. If you are happy, acknowledge the joy. If you are sad, acknowledge the sorrow. When you are truthful about your feelings, you do not try to lie to yourself or seek to bury your negative emotions. Instead, acknowledging what you feel provides a good guide to what your thoughts are. And as we all know, thoughts can be changed, so that healing and self growth can take place.

9. Grow Spiritually. When you spend time growing spiritually, loving yourself is an automatic thing. You become more peaceful, connected, kind, loving and compassionate. You nurture a mind that grows more beautiful by the day. How to not love yourself in the process?

10. Make Positive Affirmations Everyday. Post affirmations that can help raise your self esteem everyday. For instance, say this to yourself “I love and accept myself completely and unconditionally. Read your affirmations out loud several times a day.

11. Express Gratitude. Express gratitude for the person that you are. For instance, cultivate an appreciation for your strengths and gifts. Also, feel a sense of gratitude that you are alive and well, and fully capable of making a difference in your life.

Bring Your Dreams to Life!

Just released – The Dream Manifestation Wizard. A powerful software that uses a quantum approach to help you manifest all your dreams. Download your copy here.

12. Nurture Your Dreams. Why deny yourself your dreams? When you nurture your dreams, you would love the life that you are leading. Every moment that you live is a joy because you are expressing yourself fully.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. —Mark Twain

13. Boost Your Self Confidence. Make a deliberate attempt to look for opportunities that can help improve your sense of Self. For instance, if you are particularly good at doing something, set aside more time to indulge and improve your skills on it. Knowing that you have particular gifts can boost your self esteem.

14. Relax. You need to give yourself space to take breaks every now and then. If you spend your time working, without paying attention to your health, it also means that you do not love yourself well enough to take care of your own body. Fill your time with silence, soothing music and visions of beauty; anything that nourishes your Soul.

15. Have Fun. Inject some fun into your life. Life is meant to be an enjoyable. Don’t take life or yourself too seriously. If you can think of life in this manner, you automatically relax and quit worrying over things that do not matter.

16. Look After Your Body. It is important that you strengthen yourself with proper nutrition and regular exercise. Your body is a temple and you should treat it with respect, love and care. It has been found that the lack of self love is often the root causes of conditions like eating disorders, obesity or even terminal diseases.

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.

Jim Rohn quotes (American Speaker and Author. He is famous for motivational audio programs for Business and Life. )

17. Learn To See Beauty. When you learn to see beauty in every thing, you will also see beauty in yourself. Hence, stop to smell the flowers. Notice everything. Feel everything. The pink blush of the flowers in your garden, the greenness of the plains, the whisper of the gentle wind, or the myriad hues of an evening sky.

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:41 pm

wow, so many things to think about.

I love your Valentine Tree, what a beautiful idea!:-6

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:03 am

Hey Odie!

This poem I found is for you.

Valentine Smile

On Valentine's Day we think of those

Who make our lives worthwhile,

Those gracious, friendly people who

We think of with a smile.

I am fortunate to know you,

That's why I want to say,

To a rare and special person:

Happy Valentine's Day!

By Joanna Fuchs

Here's some smilies you can use if you want to. Click on the two on the top.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:59 pm

Heres some more valentine trees...................one is natural;

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:57 pm

along-for-the-ride;1288779 wrote: Hey Odie!

This poem I found is for you.

Valentine Smile

On Valentine's Day we think of those

Who make our lives worthwhile,

Those gracious, friendly people who

We think of with a smile.

I am fortunate to know you,

That's why I want to say,

To a rare and special person:

Happy Valentine's Day!

By Joanna Fuchs

Here's some smilies you can use if you want to. Click on the two on the top.

awwwwwwwww thanks hun, this year you have no idea what that means to me!

love the smiles, so cute!

xo

along-for-the-ride;1288817 wrote: Heres some more valentine trees...................one is natural;

where did you ever get the idea?

I've never seen these before in anyone's home!

These are just so sweet, you should advertise them and sell them.:-6

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:36 pm

:wah:

This poem is cute:

Timeless Valentine

As time goes by from year to year,

One thing is surely true, my dear;

Though decades come and decades go,

Just seeing you sets me aglow.

Time shifts my body; I start to sag,

When I pass a mirror, it can make me gag.

My joints all ache; I can hardly move;

Still a smile from you, and I’m in the groove.

Getting older can be a pain,

But with you along, I can’t complain.

Despite the things that we go through,

I know I’ll never stop loving you.

Your loving heart turns life to play,

As we laugh at time from day to day.

So I write this poem, and I’ll hang my sign,

Saying, "Always Be My Valentine."

By Karl and Joanna Fuchs

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:43 pm

Just some images of tender loving care:

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 7:12 pm

along-for-the-ride;1288817 wrote: Heres some more valentine trees...................one is natural;

I missed your real tree!

how cute it is!:D

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 7:13 pm

along-for-the-ride;1289483 wrote: Just some images of tender loving care:

awwwwwwww

I made the pic of the cats my background.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 3:33 pm

Just in case you wanted to know:

St. Valentine

Patron of Love, Young People, Happy Marriages

269

St. Valentine

Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on finding all his promises to make him renounce his faith in effectual, commended him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards, to be beheaded, which was executed on February 14, about the year 270. Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole to he memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly, Porta Valetini. The greatest part of his relics are now in the church of St. Praxedes. His name is celebrated as that of an illustrious martyr in the sacramentary of St. Gregory, the Roman Missal of Thomasius, in the calendar of F. Fronto and that of Allatius, in Bede, Usuard, Ado, Notker and all other martyrologies on this day. To abolish the heathens lewd superstitious custom of boys drawing the names of girls, in honor of their goddess Februata Juno, on the fifteenth of this month, several zealous pastors substituted the names of saints in billets given on this day.

The Origin of St. Valentine

The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.

The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in a The Nuremberg Chronicle, a great illustrated book printed in 1493. [Additional evidence that Valentine was a real person: archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine.] Alongside a woodcut portrait of him, text states that Valentinus was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II]. Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus made a strategic error: he tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't do it, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269].

Saints are not supposed to rest in peace; they're expected to keep busy: to perform miracles, to intercede. Being in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."

St. Valentine was a Priest, martyred in 269 at Rome and was buried on the Flaminian Way. He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 5:36 pm

"Why the valentine snowmen?" you may ask. 'Cause it is actually snowing here in Southeast Georgia this evening. My photo below is a quickie from our back porch. The snow is falling still. I may be able to add more photos tomorrow in the daylight.

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 5:54 pm

along-for-the-ride;1290034 wrote: "Why the valentine snowmen?" you may ask. 'Cause it is actually snowing here in Southeast Georgia this evening. My photo below is a quickie from our back porch. The snow is falling still. I may be able to add more photos tomorrow in the daylight.

they are so pretty, love your back porch.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:41 am

Good morning!

We opened up our front door and these three photos are what Hubby and I saw:

(A rare and magical sight for this part of the country)

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:01 pm

From Yahoo:

What numbers and letters do you key on you keyboard to make a heart symbol?

This should work in any Windows word processor, text editor, browser or email client.

1. Make sure your keyboard is in NumLock mode.

2. Hold down the ALT key and enter the number on the numeric keypad. (Note that many laptops have a blue FN key that changes a set of keys, also with blue numbers on them and usually in the 7-8-9-U-I-O area, into a numeric keypad.)

for ☺ 1

for ☻ 2

for ♥ 3 <===

for ♦ 4

for ♣ 5

for ♠ 6

for • 7

for ◘ 8

for ○ 9

for ◙ 10

for ♂ 11

for ♀ 12

for ♪ 13

for ♫ 14

for ☼ 15

for ► 16

for ◄ 17

for ↕ 18

for ‼ 19

for ¶ 20

for § 21

for ▬ 22

for ↨ 23

for ↑ 24

for ↓ 25

for → 26

for ← 27

for ∟ 28

for ↔ 29

for ▲ 30

for ▼ 31

Hope that helps.

First one is simple <3

And the second one is ♥. You make this one by pressing ALT and 3 at the same time. But the 3 must be the one from the number pad to the right of the keyboard.

THE ALT KEY HAS TO BE THE ONE TO THE RIGHT!

AFTR wants to play. Here goes.............

§♣UM!333♥U♥♥♥♥♥♥♥3

♥♥3♥♥♥3♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥333333333♥♥♥

I think I got it! :wah:

I ♥ You

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:09 am

Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. Franklin P. Joneson :-4

:)

Happy Valentines Day to all my FG Buddies! ☻♥☻

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:59 pm

Happy Valentines!

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 2:31 pm

Here in the States:

Presidents Day 2010: facts about a holiday with an identity crisis

Presidents Day 2010 is not observed the same way – or even the same day – in all states. Which presidents get top billing depends on where you live.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Yvonne Zipp Correspondent

posted February 15, 2010 at 11:25 am EST

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Washington’s Birthday.

Shh! Don’t tell any auto dealers, school boards, or mattress salesmen, but today isn’t officially Presidents’ Day across the United States. The more accurate term would be “Washington’s Birthday, according to the federal statute designating the third Monday in February in honor of the father of our country, who was born on Feb. 22, 1732. So, why the confusion?

In 1968, an attempt to officially change the day to Presidents’ Day, to celebrate both Abraham Lincoln (who was born Feb. 12, 1809) and Washington on the same day, died in a congressional committee. (Lincoln’s birthday is observed, but it’s never been designated an official federal holiday.) Since that failed effort, 12 states have designated an official Presidents Day.

As far as schoolkids are concerned, as long as they get the day off, you can call it anything you want.

In honor of the day, here are some fun facts about Presid – err, you know what we mean.

1. Blame it on Nixon. In 1971, President Richard Nixon proclaimed one federal holiday, Presidents' Day, honoring all past presidents. Nixon mistakenly thought that a presidential proclamation carried the same longevity as an executive order. Since 1971, the common term has been "President's Day." (No word on why the apostrophe got moved.)

2. Virginians accept no substitute. Washington’s home state is celebrating George Washington Day today. And that’s final.

3. Massachusetts honors the home crowd. Despite the fact that Washington’s Birthday is the official holiday in the Bay State, every year Massachusetts issues a proclamation honoring the four presidents who hailed from the commonwealth: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge, and John Kennedy.

4. Washington forced to accept double-billing. In Arkansas, Washington has to share his day with Daisy Gatson Bates, who worked to end segregation in the 1950s and '60s.

5. Louisiana Purchase Day? In Alabama, President’s Day honors both Washington and his fellow Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. (Jefferson's birthday actually is in April.)

6. In New Mexico, you’re already three months late. The Land of Enchantment gives its government employees the day after Thanksgiving off for President's Day. (Well, it is the biggest day for sales of the whole year.)

----

Hail to the Chief! :yh_flag

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Tue Feb 16, 2010 4:27 pm

Here is a link to a website that has a list of ALL celebrations or rememberences this month:

February Holidays 2010 (Official) Bizarre, Crazy, Silly, Unknown Holidays & Observances by Brownielocks.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 3:03 pm

Our pet turtle died recently. Buddy was part of our family for over 10 years.

My Hubby dug a small hole in the back yard and we buried him there.

This post is for our turtle:

Turtle by Kay Ryan

Who would be a turtle who could help it?

A barely mobile hard roll, a four-oared helmet,

she can ill afford the chances she must take

in rowing toward the grasses that she eats.

Her track is graceless, like dragging

a packing-case places, and almost any slope

defeats her modest hopes. Even being practical,

she's often stuck up to the axle on her way

to something edible. With everything optimal,

she skirts the ditch which would convert

her shell into a serving dish. She lives

below luck-level, never imagining some lottery

will change her load of pottery to wings.

Her only levity is patience,

the sport of truly chastened things.

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:49 pm

along-for-the-ride;1291148 wrote: Our pet turtle died recently. Buddy was part of our family for over 10 years.

My Hubby dug a small hole in the back yard and we buried him there.

This post is for our turtle:

Turtle by Kay Ryan

Who would be a turtle who could help it?

A barely mobile hard roll, a four-oared helmet,

she can ill afford the chances she must take

in rowing toward the grasses that she eats.

Her track is graceless, like dragging

a packing-case places, and almost any slope

defeats her modest hopes. Even being practical,

she's often stuck up to the axle on her way

to something edible. With everything optimal,

she skirts the ditch which would convert

her shell into a serving dish. She lives

below luck-level, never imagining some lottery

will change her load of pottery to wings.

Her only levity is patience,

the sport of truly chastened things.

I'm so sorry.:-1

Buddy lived a long time and he looks so sweet,

R.I.P.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:36 pm

Thanks, Odie. He wasn't warm and cuddly...........but we still loved him. And miss him too.

Today, I thought we'd take a look at that cute lil car, the Volkswagen Beetle. A brief trip through history. (I took my Drivers test driving the "bug"way back when.

The Beetle: From Hitler to Hippies - Photo Gallery, 26 Pictures - LIFE

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 8:11 pm

along-for-the-ride;1291451 wrote: Thanks, Odie. He wasn't warm and cuddly...........but we still loved him. And miss him too.

Today, I thought we'd take a look at that cute lil car, the Volkswagen Beetle. A brief trip through history. (I took my Drivers test driving the "bug"way back when.

The Beetle: From Hitler to Hippies - Photo Gallery, 26 Pictures - LIFE

a pet doesn't have to be cuddly, ask shellbell, she has two huge turtles she devotes her time to.

pets are pets and it hurts when they are gone.

I still see the Beetle cars on the roads here as classics.

so cute!

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 5:57 pm

I present

Ode to Joy..................or in this case............Joy to Odie.

YouTube - Ode To Joy

:wah:

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:32 pm

along-for-the-ride;1291775 wrote: I present

Ode to Joy..................or in this case............Joy to Odie.

YouTube - Ode To Joy

:wah:

:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

I love those two old men!:yh_rotfl

now if you only knew who Joy was.:-5

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 7:35 am

Odie...Odie..........Odie..........my friend............joy is not a "who" but a feeling.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 11:49 am

along-for-the-ride;1291885 wrote: Odie...Odie..........Odie..........my friend............joy is not a "who" but a feeling.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

wonderful poem!

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:26 pm

I heard this song on the car radio today. John Denver's voice sounded so sweet.

Almost heaven, west virginia

Blue ridge mountains, shenandoah river

Life is old there, older than the trees

Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

Country roads, take me home

To the place, I be-long

West virginia, mountain momma

Take me home, country roads

All my memories, gather around her

Miners lady, stranger to blue water

Dark and dusty, painted on the sky

Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye

Country roads, take me home

To the place, I be-long

West virginia, mountain momma

Take me home, country roads

I hear her voice, in the morning hours she calls to me

The radio reminds me of my home far a-way

And driving down the road I get a feeling

That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads, take me home

To the place, I be-long

West virginia, mountain momma

Take me home, country roads

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:10 pm

I remember that song well!

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 9:48 am

“Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature.

Albert Einstein quotes

Do you agree?

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 1:41 pm

Hard times.........hard choices................From Yahoo:

A job, but there's a catch: a 1,000-mile commute

By SHARON COHEN, AP National Writer Sharon Cohen, Ap National Writer

Mon Feb 22, 8:38 am ET

JANESVILLE, Wis. – In the early dawn, after another week building cars, Michael Hanley leaves his job in Kansas. He quickly zips into Missouri, then heads up a ribbon of highway past grain silos and grazing deer, across the frozen fields of Iowa, over the Mississippi River and into the rolling hills of Wisconsin. Finally, he pulls into his driveway — 530 miles later.

It's one heck of a haul: more than 1,000 miles roundtrip, 16-plus hours of driving, every week.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100222/ap_ ... le_commute

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 4:59 pm

And then there's THIS news from Yahoo today:

Superman's debut comic book issue sells for $1M

By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle, Ap Entertainment Writer

2 hrs 29 mins ago

NEW YORK – A rare copy of the first comic book featuring Superman sold Monday for $1 million, smashing the previous record price for a comic book.

A 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1, widely considered the Holy Grail of comic books, was sold from a private seller to a private buyer, neither of whom released their names. The issue features Superman lifting a car on its cover and originally cost 10 cents.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100222/ap_ ... irst_issue

___

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:12 pm

For some reason

, today I'm thinking of this song:

YouTube - Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry

I made some errors in my posting here at ForumGarden. This was called to my attention today by a very nice moderator. I am indeed sorry. Ignorance is no excuse.

PS. I am relieved that I'm not banned.

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:03 pm

along-for-the-ride;1292844 wrote: For some reason

, today I'm thinking of this song:

YouTube - Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry

I made some errors in my posting here at ForumGarden. This was called to my attention today by a very nice moderator. I am indeed sorry. Ignorance is no excuse.

PS. I am relieved that I'm not banned.

we all make mistakes, don't take it to heart.:-6

one of mine was edited last week to.

Odie made a boo-boo!:-5

Amythest · Post by **Amythest** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 7:27 pm

along-for-the-ride;1292844 wrote: For some reason

, today I'm thinking of this song:

YouTube - Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry

I made some errors in my posting here at ForumGarden. This was called to my attention today by a very nice moderator. I am indeed sorry. Ignorance is no excuse.

PS. I am relieved that I'm not banned.

Errors? WHAT errors?:yh_sweat

I'm glad you're not banned too. I like what you post, enjoyed the pioneer lady URL ya posted.

We, or perhaps I need as much of this female energy i can get!;)

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:18 pm

Now............I feel so................funky! It is so good to have friends! Dance with me.

Thank you for letting me be myself................again. :wah:

YouTube - SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE THANK YOU FALETTINME BE MICE ELF AGIN

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:44 pm

I saw thie clip of this Olympic skater on the news this morning. I was touched by the sorrow on her face after her magnificent performance.

Days after mother's death, Olympic figure skater pushes on - CNN.com

I miss my mother, too.

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:08 pm

along-for-the-ride;1292994 wrote: I saw thie clip of this Olympic skater on the news this morning. I was touched by the sorrow on her face after her magnificent performance.

Days after mother's death, Olympic figure skater pushes on - CNN.com

I miss my mother, too.

I couldn't have done it, hats off to her for doing this for her mom.:-4

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 5:21 pm

Figure skating has always been my favorite event at the winter olympics. I truly enjoy watching the skaters on the ice.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 5:30 pm

A mystery partially revealed:

Carly Simon reveals 'You're So Vain' clue - CNN.com

I had always heard it was actor George Hamilton.

Here's a link to Carly singing her song:

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 5:46 pm

I love that song, reminds me of my first X!:yh_rotfl

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 4:30 pm

This is yet another song I heard on the car radio today. Going down the road groovin'. Thank goodness for car radios.

YouTube - Let's Groove - Earth wind and fire -

I dare you to listen to this and be still. :wah:

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:43 am

I have lamented previously at FG on how hard it is to be a "long distant parent". The main reason I opened a Face Book account was to keep in touch with my family, especially my adult children. Occasionally, my younger son, who is single and 23, posts from his i-phone. I see the angst he is experiencing at times. I glimpse his highs and his lows. He does have a job and his own apartment. He has had girlfriends, but no commitments. He does "party" as well. "Partying" involves alchohol. Which results sometimes in a "pity party." I chat with him and advise him as best as FaceBook allows.

I remember as a small child, he would sit on my lap, and we would "talk about stuff". That was our moment, just the two of us to chat and laugh about the day.

One of my precious memories.

He has asked for prayers. I pray. I know he needs guidance and direction in his life, which I am attempting to provide. In my mind I know this is his life, but it hurts my heart to see his turmoil because I will always be his mother.

"Tough love" should not be sent long-distance. Just acknowledgement, encouragement, and maybe some wisdom. He already knows I love him.

These are my uppermost thoughts today.