http://www.sundog.net/carolofthechins/flash/card.swf

click on the link above and put in a Christmas carol

Here are a few if you can’t think of any:

Twelve Days of Christmas

Silent Night

Away in a Manger

Deck the Halls

Do you hear what I hear

the first noel

Hark the heaald angels sing

joy to the world

little durmmer boy

o holy night

Little town of Bethlehem

Feliz Navidad (a must)

Please read this!

If you are an owner of a dog that belongs to a ‘dangerous breed’ category, and you also have a child, or there is a small child visiting, please take this as a warning.

Don’t leave your dog with a small child unattended under any circumstances!

Only one brief moment was enough for the following to happen.

See the photo below …

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Yesterday, when I got up and walked downstairs…..I looked out the front window and thought my boulder was especially beautiful.

Then as we left for our coffee….Dunn Brothers Coffee today(BOGO)…our neighbors were raking their yard.

This was also especially nice since all those leave would blow into our  yard with the next big wind.  I like the ‘boss’ queen bee who is standing there with coffee while the worker bees rake and haul leaves.

Then I added the pic from a few days ago when we had snow.  Don’t you just love my green thumb to raise such nice sunflowers right on the lamp post?  Yes, that is a *Finally Franken time* sign in the window.  I had to put it on the inside since the last one was stolen.

Tonight when I was doing the dishes, Blips came in the kitchen and said,

“Your deal-e-bob is toast”

I said, “What?”

He repeated it a little louder….but the volume was not the problem.I had no clue what he was talking about and I am FROM here!He was speaking Minnesotan and/or American English.

To what do you think he was referring?

Trader Joe’s has some nice new dark mint chocolates that melt in yourmouthfor the one who gets the closest to the deal-e-bob.

Last week Blips was given tickets to a cruise down the Mississippi River.The day before, somebody decided to make it a Hawaiian shirt competition.Well, I work with a woman from Hawaii, so I called her up and asked her to dress me.She just had a new baby and all her Hawaiian shirts were dirty but she did bring me an original Hawaiian flower for my hair.It was a very busy day for both of us but we managed to meet up and she put the flower in my hair just as they wear them in Hawaii.Here I am with my friend, Kailua.I did get voted most authentic  flower at our table.The winner of the shirt contest wore a brown shirt with yellow pineapple slices (like the Dole can) all over it.He did deserve to win.It was awful.

The cruise was relaxing and so was the strawberry margarita that I was drinking.We had free drink tickets and left about 8 tickets on the table.We had to drive home and work the next day, so just a social drink for us.

My younger brother David retired.His first party was in a bar with all his friends and co-workers.

The second one was at the Casino in Hinkley, Mn in the amphitheater at a George Thorogood concert with Blips and me.We ate at the buffet which was wonderful.Chicken, pot roast, prime rib, b-b-q ribs, spaghetti, baked cod(only I ate that), salads, tons of veggies including the greenbean casserole, corn muffins, garlic breads….. There was a section for pizzas and for Chiniese and European Foods(lots of creams sauces over pasta.They must be thinking France) Then there were the deserts.Let’s see….Blips had pumpkin pie with whip cream, cheesecake, pecan pie(he had not yet found the whip cream).I had an oatmeal/peanutbutter bar topped with chocolate and blueberry pie with whip cream.David had the hot peach cobbler.Then after a great cup of coffee….we went to the outdoor concert.

David and I are fans of George Thorogood and went to a concert about 15 years ago.He was great then and great still.He and the Destroyers are the best party band ever.Blips is a new fan of George Thorogood. Every single seat was sold.Do we looked stuffed?

All I can say is……Get a haircut and get a real job!

Bad to the Bone: (you will recognize this one)

Taildragger: (great sound to see why he is the greatest rock&roll party band EVER)

http://www.georgethorogood.com/

Get a Haircut: (good thing his parents told him to get a real job)

I Drink Alone

McDonald’scorporation has more than 32,000 restaurants in 118 countries.That is a powerful brand name with global exposure.HOWEVER, 34% of revenue came from the US, and 42% came from Europe, and 18% from Asia, the Pacific region and the Middle East.

I am just plain surprised that Europe eats more of that junk than America does.

Any ideas of how that is happening?(I dont’ have an answer, just ran across the statistic and was surprised)

Bye bye Sarah Palin.Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way down and out. I don’t know what that thing is in the bottom right corner.Maybe it is the boot that was used to kick her butt out of office.hehehehhe

I suppose you have all seen it by now.But here is the link to the St Paul couple’s wedding entrance.

The local TV interviewed them and they said they just wanted to have fun and include dance in their wedding.

Darrell “Shifty” Powers.

Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you’ve seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.

I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn’t know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the “Screaming Eagle”, the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.

Making conversation, I asked him if he’d been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made.

Quietly and humbly, he said “Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 . . . ” at which point my heart skipped.

At that point, again, very humbly, he said “I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . . do you know where Normandy is?” At this point my heart stopped.

I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was, and I know what D-Day was. At that point he said “I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem.” I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.

I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said “Yes. And it’s real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can’t make the trip.” My heart was in my throat and I didn’t know what to say.

I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I’d take his in coach.

He said “No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make an old man very happy.” His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.

Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer.

There was no parade.

No big event in Staples Center.

No wall to wall back to back 24×7 news coverage.

No weeping fans on television.

Let’s give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. Please share this memorial with everyone you know, especially veterans.

Rest in peace, Shifty.

“A nation without heroes is nothing.”Roberto Clemente

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