212/365

PUT YOUR OXYGEN MASK ON BEFORE ASSISTING OTHERS

You won't be any good to anyone else if you are dead. It's as simple as that. Would you put your oxygen mask on before you put it on someone else? You should. You kind of become the other person's life line when you do. It seems like a selfish move but it really is more selfless.

Teachers don't go into a classroom without a lesson plan. Firemen don't go into a burning building dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. Doctors don't go into an operating room without the right surgical tools.

You need to be prepared. You can't help anyone until you help yourself first.

I'm noticing a couple trends these days. There's two camps on this. It seems that a lot of people want to rush to save someone else without saving themselves and the others want to believe that the only thing they need to do is look out for themselves alone. Screw everyone else.

There's a theory in Buddhism - by myself alone - which means I, alone, am responsible for the state of my world, of my mind and of my heart. When you start taking responsibility for where you are today and stop blaming the people around you that is when you can truly understand where you are and where you are going. That's a good thing. Just don't start ignoring the people around you when you do.

211/365

Happy Birthday, David!

We Love You,

Jeannine & Lily

210/365

Art by Stephen Huneck.

209/365

DESERTED

You know that show on the History Channel - Life after People? That's the look I'm going for here.

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And for something fun...

check out this video. I love the bulldog at :58 and those tongues. ;-)

and this photo blog. I found it a couple weeks ago linked from another friends blog. So something I would do. ;-)

208/365

TEN ON TUESDAY (little bits of random)

1. What the heck am I hitting? I somehow keep taking a screen capture on my phone.

2. Within SECONDS of putting a box on the floor - this happens.

3. I keep getting these blocked calls on my cell phone... The other morning it was 5:23 AM... saturday 8:23 AM... I answer but no one says anything. When my mother died I used to think hang ups were her calling to hear my voice. I'm serious. I obviously have a hang up - pun intended - for (remembering) voices since from when I was younger.

4. I just may have to get these. She WAS "born" on my birthday.

5. Turns out it looks like I'm getting a mini house after all.

6. I bought a bikini over the weekend and actually didn't look half bad. I was thinking about taking a photo in the mirror like all the trampy girls on Facebook but I couldn't perfect my duckface pout. ;-)

7. I love this time of year.

8. Some things I hate: I could do a whole TOT for this but here are a few: people that say "vaca" for vacation, french pedicures, people that talk on headsets while you are in a store, kids that call someone else's parents mom or dad... there's more but those things all occurred over the weekend so they are fresh in my mind.

9. Every time I go up to the third floor I "see" this. Hard to believe RoseBud was ever that little!

10. This guy reminds me of eating Bubba's in that parking lot! ;-)

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I forgot to mention this last night so this is going to be an EOT (Eleven on Tuesday) ~

11. The what seemed to be sixteen year old waitresses (who were probably really 25) in Hanlon's were all talking to each other about how Joey Fatone looks OLD. They thought JT still looked good but one of them saw Joey in the Producers and was slightly put off by it. The other girl tried to reason with her and just had this to offer. "Cece - he IS really old." Poor Chris - they must think he's ready to collect Social Security.

207/365

ENTWINED

All people with dogs wake up like this, right?

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Aunt Gloria hasn't been feeling well especially over this weekend... she called and got an appointment today and it turns out it's Shingles. Had some questions about that that I finally got answered... Funny. Turns out I was right. ;-) Anyway, I called her to remind her to take her pills and she told me she was watching Never Been Kissed. I was just thinking about that movie today. One of my favorites. Going to go watch it now. Even though I hate Mondays it turned out to be ok - and we got to go to Hanlon's too - one of our favorites as well.

I love little dive places. ;-)

206/365

SKINNY DIP

I feel like I need watered. Like a plant.

My poor plant friends were in desperate need after my couple days at the Dad's house and this 90+ degree heat. I hate seeing the poor things all shriveled up. They really don't ask for much yet I seem to not have the time to take care of the only thing they really require from me.

When I was little I was ALWAYS in the pool. Morning, noon and night - I was like a little fish. You could never get me out of there. My dog Pepper would be right there with me. She was a good swimmer but preferred to be in her little red blow up Indian canoe.

I didn't think the rain was enough last night so I figured I better go out and water. I just put the hose up in the air and let it fall down. I came inside soaked. I figured running through the sprinkler by myself would have been a little insane. ;-)

I've just been craving water. Dr. Tighe says you need to drink half your weight in ounces a day. I don't think that's my problem. I was planning to run up to the cemetery to take some pictures this morning... maybe I should run into the church for some holy water while I'm up there? Or jump in the river? Or take a bath... Hmmm, are those champagne tub rooms in the Poconos dog friendly??? ;-)

For the record - That little "boy" in the pool is me with my Dorothy Hamill hair cut. I used to love going in the pool at night. Topless. ;-)

205/365

REMEMBERING NORFOLK

I often wondered what she was thinking...

Him - on the other hand - I know exactly what he was thinking.

Hello!

204/365

Puzzled.

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When I look at this puzzle I think of a lot of things. I think I'll keep most of them to myself though. What I will share is this - This puzzle makes me think of the Blackberry being turned off and finally getting that message. I clearly remember saying " I don't want him to die alone..." That puzzle will always remind me of that. I must have used up all my compassion in that statement years ago.

Back at Dixon House today... all that time Motorcycle Pigs teetered in a precarious position and tonight - CRASH!!!

203/365

Give me that ball!

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Back at my Dad's... haircut tonight. I think I may have gained all my weight back these last couple days back and forth here. I made a garlic infused pork loin with balsamic reduction today. Yummy.

Lily has been acting really weird today... Seems like she's not handling change very well.

She insisted she would sleep in her baby bed at the Dad's.

And when she would go out - she wanted to lay out in the sun. Way to get all dirty now, Lily Bud, now that you've had a bath!

202/365

Get me away from this water!!!

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Speaking of getting away from water... Lily got a bath tonight!!!!!

Her THIRD bath ever.

CRAZY DOG!

Since she doesn't like the hair dryer she got dry this way:

I guess he was her own personal bath butler!

201/365

Ten On Tuesday (some beach memories...)

1. Have Percy & Spider (and Bunny) - WILL TRAVEL!

2. It'a not the destination - it's the journey.

3. Make yourself at home.

4. "I don't care how far you drove or how much you spent on this tent - I'm NOT sitting by that stupid pool!"

5. Seeing the sights... RoseBud saw so many places on her trips - more than some people ever get to see! Still need to work on that Traveling Dog thing... ;-)

6. Fish out of water in VA Beach.

7. My EAR hurts!

8. Frank & Patty's - cutest name ever.

9. DANGER!!! DANGER!!! If we only listened...

10. When I think of Chicken Fingers I always think of her...

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I was looking up the news story about that accident yesterday... didn't find any photos but it did say that they knocked out the over height truck detection. Anyway, I found THIS while I was searching. I guess that's why so many people like Pittsburgh so much - every time I go through those tunnels it is a nice view. I was out with my cousin for lunch today joking that I was from the South and don't know what's out in the East anymore. I remember a time when I wouldn't drive the Parkway at all - now I don't know how many times I've been back and forth. My Mother only drove it once and went up the down or down the up ramp at Churchill taking me to my violin lesson. That was the last time for her! If I do decide to come out East and not stay somewhere South I will miss this side of town. I'll miss Dixon House (but I'm so ready to go) and the neighborhood and Lily's walks and this street sign...

200/365

Wanna play?

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It was planes, trains and automobiles tonight... Well - trains and automobiles at least. No planes really. Lily and I were riding out to my Dad's tonight and saw a REALLY bad car crash right before the Fort Pitt tunnels. It had already happened and not sure what exactly DID happen. Looks like they were going too fast headed to the West End (I think that's it) and they must have flipped up and over and were completely sideways mangled in between the signs. In the morning I almost got hit by the T. When it says stop at RED I think the sign should be completely red - not FLASHING. Flashing seems to be more of a warning. ;-) Let's just say I'm glad I was paying a little attention and the guy on the other side of the tracks was stopped! Then, later in the day, I saw this:

All the times I've been on that road it was very rare for me to ever see a train. There's still a little time left in this day... Let's hope no planes go down in the next couple hours.

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Probably my favorite beach photo of RoseBud... just looks like she's saying come on - race you to the beach... come play with me!

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I went down to put the garbage out and just spent 45 minutes sitting on a rusty beach chair in the middle of the garage - just looking around. I've been doing strange things lately. Turning the car off while still in DRIVE... Misplacing the phone in the refrigerator (sadly, not the first time!) Not much to say tonight... Just this: Goodbye, Stella! :-(

198/365

...my puppy has a first name. It's R-O-S-E BUD.

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What a crazy night... There was definitely something or someone else in the room with us last night. I don't think Lily slept ONE second. She never came under the covers with me at all. She just moved from place to place and sat up at the edge of the bed and huffed ALL night. I was so exhausted I just let her go. Every time I turned the light on she was looking at the floor. So... a visit from RoseBud, maybe??? ;-)

I'm back... Ok - the day is getting crazier. Went to Aunt Gloria's this afternoon and when we came back in our house Lily wouldn't cross into the basement from the garage... she put her tail between her legs and kind of backed up... she was looking at something eye level and really hesitant to walk in. Creepy. When we got to Glo's she immediately went over to the "RoseBud" bed near her fireplace and out of all the bears and toys and balls and pugs she took out this toy. It was the first one bought at the beach (while looking for the tent) at that little hardware store in Duck (can't remember the name of it.) Anyway, thought it was cute.

197/365

TO THE SEA

196/365

MOON & STARS

On our way home from Philadelphia I hesitated to buy this giant star (it's way bigger than it looks in this picture.)

It wasn't only because I was afraid we weren't going to fit it in the car. I didn't know where it would "go" once it made it's way home or, more importantly, if it would actually stay... Chrissy said I was being silly but I kind of knew that once it became mine it was going to be a whole new Wishing Star and I obsessed about it for awhile... I finally paid the man and KNEW then what I was about to be in for. It seems as if I was right. I'm still happy I bought it and kind of excited about it.

While we are talking about stars... I saw this moon at my dad's awhile ago - not sure if I ever posted it before.

An art friend of mine posted this poem on her blog and I liked it... It's in Spanish but found the translation.

La luna by Jaime Sabines ~ Poemas sueltos, 1981 translated by W.S. Merwin

You can take the moon by the spoonful or in capsules every two hours.

It's useful as a hypnotic and sedative and besides it relieves those who have had too much philosophy.

A piece of moon in your purse works better than a rabbit's foot.

Helps you find a lover or get rich without anyone knowing, and it staves off doctors and clinics.

You can give it to children like candy when they've not gone to sleep,

and a few drops of moon in the eyes of the old helps them to die in peace.

Put a new leaf of moon under your pillow and you'll see what you want to.

Always carry a little bottle of air of the moon to keep you from drowning.

Give the key to the moon to prisoners and the disappointed.

For those who are sentenced to death and for those who are sentenced to life there is no better tonic than the moon in precise and regular doses.

I had a talk with a friend tonight and think it's finally time to say goodnight to what could have been...

So goodnight moon and goodnight you...

195/365

YOU'VE GOT MAIL

I was packing some stuff up tonight and wondered this... How many letters and cards and packages were sent from this post office on campus??? I spent a lot of time (and a lot of money) at Wild Card and the other stores up at PSU. I loved picking out the PERFECT card and remember sending my MONSTER long "beginning of semester letters" (in duplicate - sometimes triplicate) complete with corresponding stickers and notes on everything going on in my life. I still have every one of them. I guess I always felt the need to document everything even back then!

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Ten On Tuesday

1. I had to buy this for a friend... loved the paw print clouds.

2. Totally consumed in email. Thank goodness it's not real paper - I have enough of that too.

3. I get a weekly email from Berkley Springs. They are having a Putting on the Dog exhibit at one of the galleries this Friday. ;-(

4. This picture makes me really, really nervous.

5. "I'd get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightening bugs..." Who does that fireflies song??? Seriously, what the hell is up with the friggin lightening bugs??? We went out last night and they were all over again. I googled to see if there is an overabundance of them but can't find anything.

6. My SIL has been laughing at me saying I cook too much. I didn't feel like cooking last night so Lily and I took a little ride and went to Eat N Park (love the drive thru!) I couldn't decide what to order so I pretty much ordered everything I like.

You can create your own Smiley Cookies now. Sorry D & S - looks like no frownie faces - you'll have to go to King's for that - but I'm loving the little mini cookies.

7. I have a ridiculous amount of photographs and am having a hard time figuring out how to go through them.

8. When I throw everything away on trash night since I bought too much food (see #6 above) this will probably happen again like it did this week!

9. Not sure if this is selling out or not? I was in Michaels the other day and saw that Duff Goldman has a line of cake decorating products?!?!?

10. I got coffee this morning. I've probably had two or three cups of coffee since before I was pregnant - so over 6 months ago. I could care less if I ever have it again. It's just disgusting and reminds me of the skunks that live near my Dad's house. Though the little chocolate bar they give you with the mocha IS really cute!