The Answer

an·ti·dis·es·tab·lish·men·tar·i·an·ism

/ˌæntiˌdɪsəˌstæblɪʃmənˈtɛəriəˌnɪzəm, ˌæntaɪ-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[an-tee-dis-uh-stab-lish-muhn-tair-ee-uh-niz-uhm, an-tahy-]

–noun

opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the Anglican Church in 19th-century England.


Bet you didn't know that, did you?

Did You Know?

The second longest word in the English language is antidisestablishmentarianism. Do you know what it means?

Stay tuned for the answer.

Making Miracles Happen

I've been doing some reading about cosmic ordering. What that means is just as the name suggests: ordering something from the cosmos (God's universe) and receiving it. The information I am reading is fascinating. It reiterates what I have heard time and again—that we are the rulers of our own destiny. We do, in fact, create our own lives. By our positive or negative thoughts, we draw the good or the bad towards us. If we change the way we think, the possibilities are endless. It is the power of positive thinking, it is faith that knows no bounds, it is unwavering belief in yourself, your abilities, and who you really are and want to be.

If you would like to read about this, check out Kathryn Cassidy's blog, right here on Blogger. This is her link: http://cosmicorder.blogspot.com/

If you read that and come away saying "hogwash," then we know what the cosmos has in store for you—exactly what you believe you will get!! I'm placing my order now and going to work very hard at not wavering on my belief that it will all come to be. I'm not good at waiting, mind you, so it will be difficult, but I will persevere just as I have my whole life, but this time with a whole lot less negativity and a lot more positivity.

Go ahead, read the blog, as she suggests from the first entry at the bottom back up to the top of the page. Give yourself a gift—a change of perspective! I'll bet you won't regret it.

More School Shootings

The news from Virginia Tech today is devastating. At the time of writing this, it is estimated that 33 are dead and 29 injured. Four are currently in surgery.

It is unbelievable that people feel that they have the right to walk into a school or any place of business or any public place for that matter and just begin shooting and killing innocent people.

A criminal profiler said that we should not be surprised. Society is creating these monsters. That many children are already deemed to be shooters like this from the early age of 9.

Please, tell us what we have done wrong, and let's work at fixing it. This is so sad ... so incredibly sad.

May the souls of the dead rest in peace, and light perpetual shine upon them. Lord, may those who are wounded heal quickly, and may the emotional scars of all those whose lives have been affected by this find a way to heal. Help them all, Lord, as only you can.

Ten Simple Home Remedies

Thought for the Day: Does Cyclops wink or blink?

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto, the blockage will be almost instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. You can avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat just by using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use an egg timer.

5. A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget all about the toothache.

8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are:

In life, you only need two tools - WD-40 and Duct Tape.
If it doesn't move but should, use the WD-40.
If it should not move and does, use the duct tape.

9. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

10. Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.

Happy Easter!

This day is considered to be the most joyous day of the year. The day that brings the greatest news known to humankind. It is considered a day for new beginnings. May this day bring a new beginning for you too, in whichever way you wish for it to start anew.

Happy Easter to you all!

Bits and Pieces

Turn Fries
For the life of me, I can't figure out why the package of fries says "Turn fries after 7-8 minutes." Have you ever tried to turn fries? If you use a egg flipper (or whatever turn you use for it), you can't flip them all. You miss some, sure as anything. If you use tongs, you are there forever trying to turn every fry. Why can't they make fries you don't have to turn in the oven?

Muffler Issue
This morning I received a phone call from my ex, who had dropped by to pick my daughter up for work, to tell me that the muffler on my car was hanging off. The hanger had come loose on one side. Oh great!!! This was near 9 a.m. and I had an appointment in town for 11:15. I had just gotten up, had not even gotten dressed or eaten breakfast yet. Now what? Do I leave the car in the yard and take the bus? Only if I have to. My son is at work and is too busy to take some wire to tie it up for me. I wouldn't know where to start to try it myself. Called the local garage owned by my cousin. He was too busy and couldn't fit me in. So I called a local tire store. They said to bring it as quickly as possible and they would see what they could do. Good thing I showered the previous night. I quickly washed up and threw on some clothes. Grabbed my grocery list (where I was going after my appt), grabbed my make-up bag, threw my hair in a ponytail and out the door I went. Luckily my mother lives next door to the business. I thought I would lose the muffler before I got there. It was dragging on the ground. Now my driveway is on an incline with a little dip just prior to reaching the street. I was afraid it would dig in and rip off when I was backing out. So far so good. I drove at only 40 km/h maximum to get there, being careful not to hit any holes, etc., that might rip it off. Phew ... I made it. They discovered the bolt/screw had rusted off and broke. They replaced it and called to say it was done before I got my make-up on at my Mom's. The cost to me? No charge. God bless them. They saved my day and my budget.

No Tools Required
I'm on vacation this week, and set myself the task of cleaning up my utility room and getting it organized. A few weeks ago I bought a set of shelving to put in there, each shelf holding up to 600 lbs of weight and no tools required to put it together. No tools? Hmmm ... I should be able to do this. I put one set together using tools, so this should be easier. Well ... first of all, I needed someone to carry the sucker to my car. I couldn't lift it. It was heavy as hell. Then I had to enlist my neighbour to bring it into the house because my son had injured his shoulder. No tools? Well, I needed to get it out of the box. That required a utility knife. Is that not a tool? That box was not coming out with me trying to rip it open. No siree. Step one ... take the pieces out of the box and ensure they were all there. Yes, they were. Step two ... put the feet into the bottom of the first set of vertical braces. Do not use a hammer. Do not use a hammer? Holy shit! The palm of my hand was hurting from hitting that sucker. An FBH was sounding good. OK ... the directions are very good with this unit. It was going together pretty good. Then I hit the middle part where the vertical supports are joined. I sure could have used an extra set of hands or some tool to hold things in place for a moment because the plastic connector is not strong. Down comes the top part of the support, right across the top of my head. Ouch!! Damn this no tools! Maybe we just need a second pair of hands to get the job done without injury. They don't put that on the package. Maybe they should.

April's Fool—A Beginning or an End?

April's Fool

Ever wonder how the tradition of April Fool's Day got started? Historians don't know, but some believe that it is associated with the Spring Equinox. If so, the first day of April shares much in common with The Fool in the Tarot deck. Both symbolize fresh new beginnings. The Fool is assigned the number zero, and his place can be either at the beginning or the end of the 22 major arcana - after all, in every ending is a new beginning. Like a child, The Fool embarks on a new journey, not caring where he will end up, but taking delight in all the wonderful sights awaiting him. When The Fool turns up in a reading, he symbolizes a new start in some area of your life. ~ Astrocenter.com

Yet More History Lessons

Thought for the Day: Wonderful things start to happen when you dream outside of your sleep. —Richard Wilkins

Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards, but only applicable to the "Ace of Spades." To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."

I wonder where they got the terms dumber than a bag of hammers, one sandwich short of a picnic, not rowing with both oars in the water. I know there are more, but they escape me at the moment. I guess the list is endless.

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At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint- and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts," hence the term "minding your "Ps and Qs."

Ahhhh ... just tell people to mind their own damn business.

History Lessons for Today

Thought for the Day: God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them. ~ Anonymous

In days of old, personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile." In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt . . . therefore, the expression "losing face."

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Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman as in "straight laced". . . wore a tightly tied lace.

Another History Lesson

Thought for the Day: "Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced." — James Baldwin

In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long, wide board folded down from the wall was used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the "chair man." Today in business, we use the expression or title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board."

Bet you didn't know that, did ya??

Kids and Drugs—How Times Have Changed!!

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question:
"Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?"

I replied, "I had a drug problem when I was young ... I was drug to church on Sunday morning.
I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me. I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in Mom's garden and flowerbeds. I was drug to the homes of family, friends, and neighbours to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed. Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behaviour in everything I do, say, and think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and if today's children had this kind of drug problem, the world would be a better place.

~author unknown~

God bless the parents who drugged us.

More History Lessons

Thought for the day: The woman came out of a man's rib. Not from his feet to be walked on. Not from his head to be superior, but from the side to be equal. Under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be loved.

Yesterday, Keyboard asked me about the origin of another saying similar to "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." It took some Googling, but this is what I found:

A local variant is "cold enough to freeze the nuts off a bridge," a supposedly true story from the early days of iron (not steel) bridges when the nuts of bridge bolts were alleged to have cracked in extreme cold.

Now... for another you may not know

Many years ago, personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smiles, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile." In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt . . . therefore, the expression "losing face."

History Lesson

Thought for the Day: Most worry is about things that can't be changed (the past), things that can't be controlled (the present), or things that might not happen (the future).

In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem ... how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations.

However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey."

All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you??

Scary Time

Thought for Today: Ideals are like stars—you will not succeed in touching them with your hands; but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them, you reach your destiny. ~ Carl Schurz

Last night I had a scary time. I have a condition known as IBS. It is not necessarily life threatening, but by times you might wish you would die. I have developed this condition due to surgery in 1992 and long-term stress, stemming from my past life. It can be controlled to a degree by diet and by watching my stress levels. Unfortunately, some days you just can't win, no matter what you do. It is a difficult condition to live with, and also has resulted in some major food sensitivities and diet restrictions. To say the least, it sucks hard.

However, last night I was awakened on more than one occasion with excruciating abdominal pain, like I have not experienced before. It is times like that when I find it scary that I sleep alone. I wasn't sure I could even get out of my bed, and trying to call to either of my children would have been futile. They would not have heard me. I managed to be able to take care of myself, but wasn't sure for a time. I thought I might end up going to the hospital, but I got it under control and was able to go back to bed.

After all that pain and lack of sleep, I feel like hell today. I am wiped out and feel like I have been repeatedly punched in the stomach. Lord, I hope there isn't a repeat performance tonight. I couldn't take that again. No more chili for me...the suspected culprit...no matter how good it tastes. Good thing I am working from home this week or I wouldn't be working at all today.

Thank You, Halifax!

Thought for the day: Tears are God's way of melting a heart frozen in grief.

Well, today the news is filled with controversy over a decision made by Nova Scotia and the municipal government. After winning the bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, today Halifax reneged on their bid. Several county councillors left the room in disgust as the announcement was made, athletes are threatening to pull out of Nova Scotia, and the critics are offering kudos.

I'm not much of a sports fan. I like a few of them, but I'm not a fan. Never have been. But that has no bearing on how I feel about this decision. I think it will take a while for people to get over the shock, and we will, no doubt, get a bad reputation for this. However, I also offer my kudos for this decision. For the first time that I can recall in my life, I have just witnessed the government making a decision that is financially reponsible to its citizens. If these games would cost us more money than the revenue they could possibly pull in, then there is no question in my mind as to whether or not the decision was the right one to make. It definitely was. All I can say is, "Thank you Mayor Kelly for making a responsible decision about spending the taxpayers money." God only knows we pay far too much in taxes now. I'm glad to know that our money is not being thrown away. Kudos to Halifax!!!

I Miss Him Still

Today is the 4th anniversary of my father's death. It has been a day filled with memories and missing him and, yes, a few tears. I miss his smile, his corny jokes, his jovial nature and deep belly laugh, and I miss his bear hugs. Today was a day when I could have used all of those things.


I miss you Dad. I hope you are watching over me. I sure could use someone to do that for me. Some days I feel so alone and empty. I'll love you always Dad.

Back to Work

Thought for the Day: Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. [I see this thought as being the way it is and should be when you share your life with someone you love. I really want to share my life and experience these things...something I have never really had and have always wanted...I think I'm worth that...]

Today I went back to work after being off 6 working days. I always hate the first day back. It is so busy trying to sort things out and organize what is on my desk and trying to figure out where to start. It usually takes 1/2 to 3/4 of a day to get through the e-mails, the snail mail, and the constant line-up of people coming to my desk to ask questions they couldn't get answers for while I was away. It was 9:40 before the constant line-up stopped and actually 3 p.m. before I could get to the meat of my work where I really wanted and needed to be. It's looking like the next month is going to be filled with deadlines. I've already informed my boss that I may have to take a day or two here and there to work at home in order to appropriately meet deadlines. I have so many interruptions in the run of a day due to the nature of my work that I can't make much headway at all. The type of work I do needs a lot of concentration and a keen eye. It's hard to maintain that (sometimes near impossible) when you have constant interruptions.

To top it all off, construction has begun again. Last Thursday before I left, I was told to empty one of my cubicles into the other so it could be dismantled and/or moved a couple feet towards my other one while they rip down the wall behind me and open up the now unoccupied space and set it up for another of our divisions that is being moved into our building from up in the east part of town. Oh goody!! This means that my partially quiet spot will now be surrounded by other people. So much for the level of quiet I now enjoy. At least I still have a window. After 26 years of dedication, they better not try to take it away again.

It was fun one day recently when I suddenly noticed that my black shoes were becoming white. I looked in the corner and found the gyproc dust of the destruction behind the wall was coming in through the radiator, which was partially opened, and dumped into my cubicle. When I started having difficulty breathing and noticed the mess, they weren't long attending to it and sealing it off and cleaning up the mess. Both my cubicles were completely covered with gyproc dust. I was not impressed. Now with the destruction happening this weekend, if the air quality is not good, I will be working from home. In addition, the painting will be done at night, so the smell needs to be gone. Before they lay the new carpet, they will have to off-gas it first. There are many of us who are sensitive to chemical scents. Not a fun time.

So...here's hoping I can work at home during the messy construction phase.

Eclipses

As I write this, we are in the midst of a lunar eclipse. As I look out my kitchen window, I can see the moon slowly disappear behind the shadow of Earth. The three heavenly bodies are becoming perfectly aligned. If you would like to read about this, there are a several sites on the Internet about it, such as this one.

I knew it was coming. My astrologer has been speaking of it for a couple weeks now. It will be followed by a solar eclipse on March 19. There are always two eclipses a short period of time apart. It is said that some ancient civilizations and the modern astrologers believe that the period between two eclipses opens a portal into a new world. A period of time when the impossible can become possible. So, let's see if something in your world that seemed impossible becomes possible between tonight and March 19. I wish you the best in achieving the impossible in your life. Wish me luck for mine.

It Never Stops!!!

I have been on vacation since last Friday, and I have not stopped. As a home owner and single parent there is never a shortage of things to do, only a shortage of money to do them.

I've been busy cleaning up my house and tidying up my life. I'm culling things from the past that no longer have any meaning (other than negative ones) and getting rid of stuff I just don't want anymore. I've cleaned and I'm doing a few little things here and there to make things better around here.

I found a homemade cabinet downstairs that was left by the previous owners. Once I got a carpenter to remove the spikes that held it onto the 2 x 4 framing for a half-bath downstairs, it sat there for 4 months. This week, I painted it and bought some new knobs for it. Tomorrow or Saturday, it will take up residence in my bathroom. This house has 1.5 baths and neither of them have any storage other than under the vanity. It sucks hard. So, this will help a little in the main bath.

I bought a new dishwasher, which will be delivered tomorrow, and had the old one pulled out and disconnected so they can take it with them when the new one comes. You never know how much you miss one of those suckers until you don't have one for awhile. It's dreadful!

I also bought a new set of heavy duty shelving for my utility room. No tools required. Yeah! That room is totally out of control. If only my kids would get their own places, 2/3 of what is there would be gone!! Totally unruly. In fact, my daughter has stuff that belongs to her spread out in nearly every single room of my house. Definitely means she needs a place of her own.

Today I fixed the legs on my table there were too loose and tightened up the frame on my futon to the best of my ability. Damn...the things I have to learn as a single Mom. Some aren't so hard, but many are things I'd rather not have to have the responsibility for doing. Some things, I've learned, I just don't have the know-how or physical strength to do. Boy...do I need a man to help me out around here!!! Hmmm...I can think of many other positive benefits to that too.

Laundry, meals, dishes, paperwork, tax returns...here I come...again. The work just never stops!!