FN NEW YEAR HAM SPREAD!

HAPPY FN NEW YEAR My Friends! :)

Now, I know you're looking for some Hors Deuvres to make for all your friends to come over and play tonight, and I know you wanna FN Recipe for one. So....Here ya go!
My FN Ham Spread!



FN HAM SPREAD


1 1/2 cups ground cooked ham (FN left over from the Holidays)
1/8 cup minced onion
1/8 cup minced celery
1/8 cup minced dill pickle
1 minced pickled Jalapeno pepper (Yea! FN put it in!)
1 teaspoon Gahlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper (NO FN salt. ham's salty enough)
1 tbsp Yellow mustard
4 tbsp Mayonnaise


1. Grind the ham in a food processor. If ya don't have a food processor, go FN buy one. You need it.
2. take all ingredients and put them in their own separate lil bowls like the chefs do on tv.
3. Then get a bigger bowl and chill it in the frig overnight.
4. Skip steps 2 and 3 and just get out a bowl big enough to mix all the ingredients in.
5. Put all ingredients in said bowl.
6. Mix like a FN Human stand mixer.
7. Enjoy on crackers, celery, or even a FN sammich.
8. who cares how much it makes. It's FN good.
9. I'm just thinking of things to write cause I want a list of 10.
10. HAPPY FN NEW YEAR YA'LL!


TADA!

*****

Quote for the Day:

"Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. " -- Og Mandino

I don't Bake...I Burn

Yea, so....when I cook on a stove top or even sometimes roast in the oven, I make deeeeelicious food.

My curse is baking things. Like cookies and such. I totally burn them, no matter what I do. I could blame it on the oven. I could blame it on the altitude (sha!). I could even blame it on the ingredients. But, no matter WHERE I am or what I'm baking, if it's dessertish, it's toast.



Good example?

Ok.

Here's my friend's baking prowess with which I helped (meaning I watched).

Yummy! Like 4 or 5 different types of cookies, all made from scratch.

Here's mine...

Looks tasty right?

Store bought, in the frig sextion, ready to bake lil squares. All I had to do was follow the instructions. Yea, I followed em. Then I added like 1 minute at a time cause it wasn't even brown after the maximum cookie baking time on the FN instructions.

FINALLY it looked done, so I took it out. VOILA! looks like in the picture.

After only adding SIX fn minutes.

Take one bite, it crumbles into dust.

FN cookies.

I'll just buy em already fn burnt from now on and save me the trouble.

*****

Quote for the Day:

"They certainly give very strange names to diseases." -- Plato

A Very Merry Christmas to You!

During this Christmas season,
Though the Blues may come,
Though the money ran out,
Though the family may fight,
or the Food may not turn out,
You have but to remember,
The Reason of the Season.
Have faith that you are loved.
The Blues will turn to Joy,
The Money will return,
The Family will make up,
And The Food will still burn,
If I'm trying to bake.
A Very Merry Christmas to you,
My Friends and Family!
Above All,
Remember to Live,
Remember to Laugh,
and Remember to Love.




Josephine Ruth Brown
Oct 10, 1938 - Dec 26, 2007

God Bless you Mom!


*****

Quote for the day:

"Shared laughter creates a bond of friendships. When people laugh together, they cease to be young and old, teacher and pupils, worker and boss. They become a single group of human beings. " -- W. Lee Grant

Noggin Joggin!

Try this sometime....
Give yourself 3.5 minutes to write a poem and see what comes out of your noggin.
This was my Noggin Joggin for the day... lol (and no, I never said ALL my effin poems were good so :P )


Ode to this CA Weather...


Oh this California weather peaks,
This Global Warming,
It surely Does Reek.
My pool froze over,
Just the other day,
As if I was in Iceland,
Some city by a bay.
What the HECK!
I didst decry,
All the while,
Mine nasal passages,
They did die.
My Nose Runneth over,
My lungs they did sneeze,
My toes went blue all over,
They surely did freeze.
It never rains in California!
HA! They were oh so wrong,
Eff those dang Liberals who wrote that song!
Give me back my warmth,
Oh Great God in the Sky,
I can’t rhyme with warmth,
So I’ll just say Bye Bye.




yea yea. it sucked...
so what?
:)
I get to go pick up my son at the airport tonight! YAY!

Have a great weekend everyone!

*****

Quote for the day:

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. " -- Robert Frost

Another Project in the Books

Yes, I completed a small project commissioned by a good friend of mine!

WOOP WOOP!

She asked me to make her a children's picnic table for her daycare business and even had the plans. How could I say no to THAT kinda fun!

She knew I needed something to do and I knew she needed the table so we got to work....

She made the tea whilst I made the table and VOILA!

A kid-sized pic-a-nic table!!

The kids were SO happy and proud of their little table! It made me feel good that they loved it and my friend loved it. Heck, I'm still grinnin from it!

It was a fun little project. If anyone is interested you can Clickety click clickaroo

RIGHT HERE!

for the website with the plans...

What a fun and fairly quick project! Thanks for the fun J!

*****

Quote for the day:

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Two-fer today!:

"Never feel self-pity, the most destructive emotion there is. How awful to be caught up in the terrible squirrel cage of self." -- Millicent Fenwick

Caption This! 12-16-08

YAY! It's that time again....


What comes to your mind first when you view the pic below? Hmmmm??? Commmmmennnnnntttttt! :)

*****

Quote for the day: (ok more like a question for the day...)

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" -- Dr. Robert Schuller

Dream Interpreters R Us

After yesterdays post, I was curious as to what flying means in your dream.
So, being the nerd that I am, I googled "Dream interpretation" and found a website (Link is below).
This is what it told me about flying in your dreams:

Flying dreams fall under a category of dreams where you become aware that you are dreaming, known as lucid dreaming. Many dreamers have described the ability to fly in their dreams as an exhilarating, joyful, and liberating experience.
If you are flying with ease and enjoying the scene and landscape below, then it suggests that you are on top of a situation. You have risen above something. It may also mean that you have gained a different perspective on things. Flying dreams and the ability to control your flight is representative of your own personal sense of power.
Having difficulties staying in flight indicates a lack of power in controlling your own circumstances. You may be struggling to stay aloft and stay on course. Things like power lines, trees, or mountains may further obstruct your flight. These barriers represent a particular obstacle or person who is standing in your way in your waking life.
You need to identify who or what is hindering you from moving forward.If you are feeling fear when you are flying or that you feel that you are flying too high, then it suggests that you are afraid of challenges and of success.In reality, we do not have the ability to fly. Thus such dreams may represent that which is beyond our physical limitations.
In your mind, you can be anybody and do anything. Another way of interpreting flying dreams is that these dreams symbolize your strong mind and will. You feel undefeatable and nobody can tell you what you cannot do and accomplish. Undoubtedly these dreams leave you a great sense of freedom.



Pretty interesting huh!!
I favorited that website instantly.
I'll be back there today checking out what last nights dream meant. It was ummm....weird to say the least.
Going down to the local community college today to get my transcripts and see what I actually need to finish my Associate in Arts Degree. I'm pretty sure I only need a few classes, and I want to make sure I take the right ones. I may re-take a class or two as well. But, I need that FN transcript to make sure. YAY! Fiellllld Triiiiiip!

Oh, here's the link to that website if you're interested:

CLICKETY CLICK CLICKEROO RIGHT HERE!


*****

Quote for the day:

"Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary. " -- Robert Louis Stevenson

*foot note: Where was RLS during our last election???

Book-Scape

Everyone's had a dream that they didn't want to wake up from, whether it was sexual, inspiring, or just a really great adventure. I had a dream that I didn't want to wake up from this morning. No, I didn't wake up with morning wood, (lol) but it was an inspiring really great adventure.
These types of dreams, when I have them, are usually book material. And, this dream was no exception to that rule that may be uniquely mine. (I know it's not, and people that are born on the same day as me usually have strange dreams as well.)
Without getting into the details of the dream, it had to do with "energies" again. This strange compulsion I have with internal energy is almost annoying. If it wasn't so fascinating to me, I may have stopped talking about it already. (Ha Ha!)
In this dream, I got to fly again. I've said before that I fly alot in my dreams. I haven't for quite a while, so this was a treat for me. I haven't dreamt of flying for months. Perhaps, only when I'm at peace with myself or surroundings do I dream that. Hmmm, something for me to think about more. By the way, in the dreams, it's not flying in an airplane or a some contraption, it's me flying all by my lonesome, like some kind of power or gift. I'm sure most of us have been asked the question, "If you could have a super power and could choose, what would it be?".
DUH! Mine would be the power of flight.
No, it's not one of the greatest super powers, but hey, that's my pick. Yea, I'm a nerd. So what?
If they ever make some kind of technology that lets us fly around by ourselves, I am SO there getting one. Scientists... HURRY UP ALREADY!
Hey, that would solve our energy problems regarding cars. A family could just fly their way to their vacation. Ya know, tether the kids to the parents so they don't fly off by themselves.
Men could just unzip and pee on a forest or something if they had to...or ummmm they could make outhouses in mid-air. (Ok that was dumb, outhouses don't have a bottom to them and the pee would just fall to the earth anyways lol)
Tannnngent.
Anyhoot, I had a great dream that I didn't want to wake up from this morning and I wish I could share, but I like to keep these to myself. If I dream it again, then I really know that it's novel material. And, this particular one, would be of great interest to some people. I'll have to talk to one of my BFF's about it just to get it off my chest (so to speak). Methinks I'll start one of those dream journals someday. I've got one sitting right here on my desk. It could easily be used as such. I even have a pen! WOOHOO!
Had any good dreams lately?


*****

Staff update:
I've stripped, sanded, sanded again, wiped, stained, and stained again the majority (all but two) of the staves (ok, I'm gonna spell it staffs from now on...) that I'm making for Christmas. The staining and clear coating process takes several days, as each coat needs to dry well before another coat is applied. Between the staining and clear coating the staffs get another light sanding to knock off anything that has risen in the grain from the staining process. I've completed 6 staffs now, with the last 5 to be completed soon. WOOHOO! It's been a fun project. I'm happy about the results. I started a new one yesterday, scraping it down to the bare wood. I think that's the hardest part of the whole process. Time consuming it is, but such an important part of it. I'll post a video of the completed staffs after I've finished them all....


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Quote for the day:

"If any one faculty of our nature may be called more wonderful than the rest, I do think it is memory. There seems something more speakingly incomprehensible in the powers, the failures, the inequalities of memory, than in any other of our intelligences. The memory is sometimes so retentive, so serviceable, so obedient; at others, so bewildered and so weak; and at others again, so tyrannic, so beyond control! We are, to be sure, a miracle every way; but our powers of recollecting and of forgetting do seem peculiarly past finding out." -- Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

and another just cause:

"The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy." -- Florence Shinn

Dec 7th 1941, a date which will live in Infamy!

The following is the now famous Pearl Harbor speech delivered to a joint session of Congress by President Roosevelt, 67 years ago today, the day following the attack upon our country by the nation of Japan which entered us into World War II. NEVER FORGET the sacrifice of our nation and our military.



Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:
Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

*****

Here is the Audio of that very same speech...



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Quote for the Day:

"I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions." -- Augusten Burroughs, Magical Thinking

OMG my SON is SIXTEEN TODAY!

Yes, it's true. Leyen is the big 1...6...today.
UGH! I'm gettin old.
and I need more nectar....so I video'ed me goin to get it for ya. LOL
I'm a dork. SO WHAT!
I can live with it...
Yes. This video is dark. I have a FN cheap video camera. Go Figure.

*****

Quote for the day:

"I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty. " -- George Burns

What is "NORMAL" Anyways?

I was having a conversation with a friend last night about “normal”.
We came to the conclusion rather quickly that there IS no normal anymore.
“Normal” is only what you have experienced.
It’s totally different for every single person. Even in a family situation, there may be some correlations with other family members, but normal for one child or one adult is and can be something extremely different. Normal for the Father is (or should be) going to work and providing for the family. The mother, keeping the house, or the second income, etc. Anyways, you get my drift.
So, normal could be being socially accepted or politically correct. I say eff those. Do what you want within the realms of civility and the law.
Wear your hat crooked if that’s normal for you. (no don't, that's what I do, you can't be normal like me.)
I suppose the word “Individual” could now be interposed with “Normal”, because since it’s different for everyone, we could use it instead.
You’re “normal” is your identity. Fit into it. Shape it. Be who you are. If someone doesn’t like you for it, Eff em! Of course, this doesn’t give you license to be uncivil and a total asshole. Well, I suppose it does, if you want to be “Normally” without friends. That would be on you.
ASSHOLES UNITE!
Ok. Tangent there.
So, back to being norrrrrmal.
Oh, wait, that’s Individual for me isn’t it.
HA! HA!
Here’s the challenge for the day.
Don’t say “normal”. Instead, say “individual”.
I wonder what kinds of comments you’ll get…



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Quote for the day:

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." -- Samuel Johnson, (attributed; also attributed to Ann Landers)

Caption This!! 11-30-08

Hey ya'll!

Here's a fun lil game I call "Caption This!"

See that lil picture down there?

The idea is for you to put a caption on the photo (in the comment section).

Whatever comes to mind'll be wonderful I'm sure!

Funny, Sad, nonchallant! They ALL work!

So...here ya go...CAPTION THIS!

*****

Quote for the Day:

"To die is nothing; but it is terrible not to live. " -- Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Teachers Don't Think Of Themselves

I’ve mentioned before that I have some very strange dreams.
Last night, I not only had a strange dream, but I had one that’s been making me think.
Go figure!
I was working in a movie theater again. I wasn’t the Manager, I was the manager’s assistant. (That’s the strange part to me)
I was busy doing weekly chores that one does in that business, and the District Manager showed up. Apparently I was working in the theater he was based in. After a while, my chores led me past a meeting he was holding and I overheard him saying there were openings he was looking to fill in theaters in his district.
Later, I asked him about the openings.
He told me that no, there weren’t any openings.
We both knew that he was not telling the truth.
So I said, “Let’s be honest with each other. Do you not want me holding a Management position again?”
His reply was “No.”
I stood there waiting for an explanation with a stupid look on my face.
He stated plainly, “Teachers don’t think of themselves.”
I heard what he had said, but didn’t absorb it right away.
He continued, “I see a shift in you in the right direction. But you’re not there yet.” He smiled, put a hand on my shoulder, then walked away to continue his work. (what’s funny was I bothered him in the middle of him ‘testing’ a video game…)
I walked back to my desk, at the top of a dusty hill where a friend (I assume) pulled up in their truck. I sat down with a smile on my face, and then I awoke.
I woke with the same smile on my face, in the same profound thought as I had been in the dream before I woke up. And, I’ve been thinking about it since.
The depth of that single sentence, coming from a man I’ve looked up to for years, is still hitting me in ways I never expected.
“Teachers don’t think of themselves.”
This isn’t just talking about academic teachers. Teachers can be found in so many other positions and professions if you think about it.
Heck, Parent are teachers. They’re the most important ones in my mind.
As I woke up this morning, thinking in wonder at the small revelation I had just had,
I thought to myself, “Thank you God (for that wisdom you’ve bestowed upon me)”.
I’ve thanked God several times since then.
Now, I’m not here to preach, but I may be here to teach.
My thoughts have wandered to things I’ve done, and the motivation for which I did them.
Sometimes, I’ve done things in the name of something else, when all I was really doing them for was because of the way it made Me feel or because of feelings I was having that I had to cope with.
Quite a different sized revelation to me.
I’m sure I’ll continue to think about the phrase that came to me in my dreams last night, delivered by the entity I look up to.
Only good can come out of it.


*****

Quote for the day:

"If you don't risk anything you risk even more." -- Erica Jong

*****

Update on the tree...

Let's Try This Video Thingy

YAY! My first video upload ever!

yea so I look stupid...so what... lol

Anyone know of a good free movie editor??

******

Quote for the day:

"Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose. " -- Evan Esar

Healing Personified

I just saw an article on a local news station about a phenomenon called Reiki (pronounced ray-key).
It's interesting how this subject keeps coming up and being brought to my attention. (or maybe I'm just noticing it more because it interests me.)
Here's the clinical definition of Reiki:

"Reiki is the Japanese word for Universal Life Force Energy. It is an ancient, natural energy healing art that balances energy in the body and promotes health on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. “Rei” means universal, higher power. “Ki” is the life force energy that is flowing through everything that is alive. Ki is similar to Qi (chi) in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Prana in Hinduism, and the Holy Spirit in Christianity. However, Reiki is not a religion or belief system. Reiki is simply a healing force that follows the Universal Laws of spiritual consciousness and unconditional love. It is a powerful tool for healing and balance. " - from the Transformational Healing website (email me if you'd like a link)

So basically, this has to do with what I've been blogging about lately.
Energy!!
This energy, however, is channeled through you, instead of using your own energy, you're using the energy around you to help people heal. From what I've read so far, this healing doesn't cure diseases, but can help ease pain and such. I'll definitely be doing more research on the subject.
This is getting weird. LOL
Why does this subject keep coming up??
I suppose I'm searching for some meaning to it all. That's a good thing. Nothing wrong with learning something new.
I'll continue to let you know what I find out about this totally interesting phenomenon (to me anyways).
What do you think? Are there such energies, in, and around us?
I'm interested enough to believe that there 'could' be.
I mean, what if there IS some energy we can tap into to help others and ourselves!
That would be amazing and life altering for everyone.
Yep, definitely have to look into this more....



*****

Quote for the day:

"You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. " -- Plato, Dialogues, Theatetus

Honor is Still Among Us

I just read an article about J.P. Hayes, a pro golfer, who disqualified himself because of a small error while he was playing in a tournament.
here's the link if you want to read it:

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/J-P-Hayes-is-as-honest-as-we-like-to-think-we-a?urn=golf,123304

The gist of the article is that this guy told on himself regarding a rule he broke while playing a round of golf in the tournament. Nobody would have noticed the error, but he did the honorable thing after he noticed what he had done.
I think that's cool. Now it may be a minor thing to a guy that's made 7 million dollars through out his sports career, but nonetheless, he did the right thing.
Would I do the same?
I can say yes. I'd rather be able to sleep at night, than play or do something dishonorably.
I wonder if I've passed this kind of ethic on to my son, and whether he knows if I'm that type of man.
It's an interesting topic.
If only our politicians were as honorable...
Good Job J.P.!



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Quote for the day:

"The purpose of life is to fight maturity." -- Dick Werthimer

Who I am to Become

Who I Am To Become

11-19-08




Finding myself
To be someone I’ve become,
A disappointing revelation,
That shook my soul,
Thanks to the one
Who helped me realize.
I’m sorry,
She’s no longer in my life.
I’ll regret that for a long time.
Yet, It’s time to be again,
The person I used to be.
The happy man,
The working man,
The sane man,
The responsible man,
The parental man,
The friend,
The giver,
The caring man,
The man I used to be.
Let the man,
Show him self,
That it’s possible.
I think I’m going to like the man,
Who I am to become.

******

Quote for the day:

"Go to your bosom; Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know." -- William Shakespeare, 'Measure for Measure'

Joke for the day:

Q: Why do Scotsmen wear kilts?

A: Because the sound of zippers scare the sheep away.

Protons, Electrons, and Neutrons

Have you ever worked with someone that was happy ALL the time? (annoying aren't they...)
I mean, I’d rather work with someone that was positive and upbeat all the time rather than someone not those things. They create a wonderful atmosphere, conducive to working in a positive manner. You can draw off of this energy and become energized yourself (because they're actually sharing it). It’s actually quite enjoyable once you think about it.
On the flip side however, is that person that comes in with a negative attitude ALL the time. They suck. Literally! They suck the energy right out of you. Sometimes you can even feel the FN leaches draining your energy right out from your chest. They too affect everyone around them, in a negative way. It’s like they get a kick out of it sometimes too. You know why right? It’s because they’re leaching everyone’s energy and getting a kind of “high” off of it. Only, it doesn’t last long because it was stolen instead of given, and when all that energy wears off, it’s like trying to stop a habit.
Energy is strange that way. It’s almost as if the universe is saying “Hey. Share your energy and you get rewarded, steal your energy and you get the DT’s.”
Then we have those folks that are either taking and giving their energy, usually at the same time, or they don’t do either. They could be devoid of energy. Sometimes I think I get like this. It’s a detachment from your feelings, kind of like when you’re at a funeral or ummm…a wedding (lol). You just build this shell around you and don’t let anyone take or give their energy to you. You just want to get through the day.
So I suppose you could categorize people into those three broad categories when it has to do with the energy I was speaking of in my “Handshake” entry.
I believe it’s a choice to be these types of people. Mind over matter.
If you believe that you get the choice every day to get up out of bed and have a great day, then more than likely you’ll have a good day. I think that’s a healthy mindset to choose everyday. If you choose to have a bad day, for whatever reason, you’re going to have a bad day.
I say, choose to be a Proton instead of an Electron or a Neutron.
If you can’t get up on the right side of the bed everyday, then put that side against the wall so you have to get up on the positive side of life and annoy all the Neutrons and Electrons with how positive you are!



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Quote for the day:

"Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it." -- Henry David Thoreau

NERDS UNITE!

Remember me telling you that I was a nerd?

Here's a good example....I actually LOVE this clock! LOL

Happy Sunday Everyone!

*****

Quote for the day:


"If you do not wish to be prone to anger, do not feed the habit; give it nothing which may tend to its increase. " -- Epictetus

A project and a Half!

We have a huge tree in our front yard.

I think it's a fruitless Mulberry.

Every year, we usually trim all the new growth off (from the prior year) and cut the thing down to the huge nubs before or near Halloween.

Last year, we didn't get to it for various reasons, but this year, it's a huge undertaking.

I've been working on it every few days for the last couple weeks and here's several of the nubs I've cut back.

Here's how many I have left.... Needless to say, I've only accomplished about 30% of the entire tree. So, I have all this wood laying around, and I decided to do something with it....
What you say?
Lemme see...long straight sticks....Hmmmm.
Yea, ok. I decided to make Staves. Walking sticks. Plural of Staff.
Why?
Duh!
Cause I want to!

Here's the pile of sticks I've collected for staff making...

And some I've trimmed already...

So I have this pile of trimmed mostly straight sticks.

I figured I need them to dry out so that I can sand them, stain them, and lacquer them. But I had to take off the bark first.

I stripped ten limbs today and have them drying in my bathroom with a space heater to speed up the process...



FUN, FUN!
After they dry well, I'm going to go get several different shades of stain and stain them up, then probably a spray finish....
Ahhhh (sigh)....the things a FN HandyMan'll do to occupy his spare time!


******

Quote for the day:

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." -- Albert Camus


and another one just cause:


"Drink, Sir, is a great provoker of three things, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, it provokes, and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. Therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to: in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him." -----Shakespeare, Macbeth, 2.3.26-37

An old poem revised

The Call



A battle every day.
Helps me sleep.
Cures my hurt.
Used to make my friends laugh.
Costs me my paycheck.
Smoke a cigarette.
I do things I would never do.
Say things I would never say.
Tell Jokes for days.
Fall down.
Struggle to stand up.
Ignore the world.
Walk into doors.
Put up walls.
Get sick.
Life goes on hold.
Drown my sorrow.
Try to forget.
All for the Call,
Of Alcohol.



*****
Today's Quote:

"Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices." -- Benjamin Franklin

Do you know?

Why that Kenny Rogers song is on my play list?



It's cause my mom's fav artist was he.


I miss her.

God Bless you Momma!

Don't Judge a Cover by It's Book

Have you ever known someone that is just a peaceful person?
That’s what I strive to be.
I mean, c’mon! I’m a Lover not a fighter!
But, that doesn’t mean that if I’m pressed, I won’t fight back.
A simple example of this is when I was living with my girlfriend at the time.
She always had thought that because I’m not a violent man that I couldn’t take care of myself in a scrap. One time, she wanted to wrestle (playfully). So, we were rolling on the bed for at least a half hour, wrestling. She got SO mad at me because she couldn’t pin me!
She tried and tried and tried, but she couldn’t do it. She had it in her head that I was peaceful and that there was no way that she couldn’t possibly not win.
She got a lesson in balance, pins, holds, and slips that night. LOL, GOD I was having fun!
She finally got so mad, she broke a nail on me and that ended it.
The respect she gave me afterwards though, was quite interesting. She looked at me in a different light I guess. Not in a bad way, in a good way, and I noticed.
I suppose my point of this diatribe is that one shouldn’t always judge someone just because of beliefs and philosophies. Just because someone uses their mind instead of their physical attributes, doesn’t make that person any less of a person.
I was a nerd in high school and was treated like one. Hell, I still AM a nerd! Just ask anyone that knows me…
I’m a lover, not a fighter. But, when pressed, I WILL fight back. With a ferocity! If I’m going to fight, I’m going to fight to win.
In the meantime, I’ll continue my search for inner and outer peace, and try to be a bright spot in my friends lives.
Love.
Laugh.
Live.

The three L’s of an FN Handyman!

Peace!


*********

Quote for the day:

"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. " -- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Handshake

I'm pretty sure everyone has shaken someone's hand before. We're such a civilized country (harf!).
What exactly is a handshake, or perhaps a better question would be, What should a handshake be?

I believe it can be so much more than a greeting, an agreement binder, or a simple action that can oft times be so overlooked.
I'll tell you when I had this revelation.
I went to a bbq at a friends house several years ago. I met a young asian woman there who shook my hand. As she did so, she used both hands to grasp my hand, and held on for more than I was used to at the time.
I'm wasn't sure exactly at the time it happened, whether it was the warmth with which she completed the shake, the smile on her face, the look in her eyes, the calming sound of her voice, or a combination of all of those, but I'm quite sure now what exactly happened.
She shared her energy with me!
Whether you believe in karma, aura, soul, or whatever, I believe one CAN share their energy with others, just by a touch. Sometimes just being in close proximity to someone who is adept at sharing their energy can be enough for them to share.
It only makes sense. The human brain is ran on energy. Our thoughts are electrical impulses bouncing around between synapses. We should be able to share this "electricity" with our humanity.
Once I figured out what she had done, I started shaking hands like that.
I may not do it every time, but I do try to be conscious about it.
I suppose I don't necessarily want to share my energy with everyone, but when I'm feeling good about a situation, you'll get the double hand-handshake from me.
Try this if you want...
Hold your hands out in front of you. Close your eyes, and mentally picture the energy inside your chest. Then, take a deep breath and as you exhale slowly, picture that energy flowing from your chest to both of your hands. Concentrate on it. Keep repeating this for at least 30 seconds.
The first time I did this, my hands started to tingle. It was quite amazing really.
If you continue to practice that little exercise, I believe, you'll be on the road to sharing energy.
Now, why share your energy through a handshake?
The reason, I believe, is all of those reasons I stated at the beginning of this entry, and a much more profound one. To remind you that we as humans are all in this together. Humanity is just that, one race. The Human Race.
DUH!
"They" say that you can share your energy with other life forms as well. Try sharing your energy with an ailing plant. Just do that little exercise, while you're touching the plant. Do it once a day (make sure the FN plant is watered) and I'm willing to bet the plant will be replenished.
Share your energy while your cooking. Best of all, share your energy when making love.

The next time you shake someones hand, try grasping as you normally would, then use your other hand to cover the rest of your shakee's hand. Share some energy. I bet they'll remember you for it.


**********

Other notes for today...

The meatballs yesterday were FAN-FN-TASTIC! I hope you try them!

If you'd like to leave a comment, and you don't want to sign up for an account and use the "anonymous" thingy...please leave your name in the comment. I'd love to know who's commenting. If you don't want to and really want to be anonymous, that's ok too! :)


Here's a quote for the day:

"I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas? " -- Jean Kerr

FN ASIAN MEATBALLS

I'm going over to a good friends today for football after church and I'm bringing some sexcellent meatballs for all of us to enjoy...here's the FN recipe!



FN MEATBALLS with ASIAN BBQ SAUCE

4 tbsp Brown Sugar
4 tbsp Rice Vinegar
4 tbsp Sriracha Sauce (asian chili sauce)
The juice Of Two FN Oranges (you can use some zest too if'n ya wanna)
1 tbsp Fish Sauce
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
3 tbsp minced Gahlic

1- 2 lb bag of those frozen FN Meatballs ya get at the FN grocery store
1.5 tbsp Corn Starch mixed with water to dissolve it


Mix all the ingredients except the meatballs in a jar, or bowl, or whatever you FN wanna.
Then open the meatball bag and pour them BBQ sauce in there, seal it, and let them marinate over night in the refrigerator to defrost.
Take them suckers out the next day and put them in a crock pot or a stock pot, and let them slow cook for a couple hours until heated thoroughly FN through.
Then, drain the juice into a sauce pan, mix in the corn starch mixture, and bring just to a boil so that it thickens up. Pour back onto the FN meatballs for a savory gravy!
Serve this over rice, egg noodles, smashed potatoes, or whatever your FN heart desires!

Serves a bunch a FN people. Takes some FN time, but it's worth it.

ok....now I'm gonna finish enjoying my NECTAR of the GODS!
Ya'll have a wonderful FN Sunday!

WELCOME MY FRIENDS!

HOWDY FOLKS!

It's me! 1 FN HandyMan! (aka Darren)

Welcome to my new blog, "FN SHENANIGANS!" where you will find all things that are FN in my life!

Make yourself at home, leave a message, tell a joke, enjoy what you may read, or hear, or see.

I'll have many different things on here as I build my little FN world on Blogger. You may find pictures to comment on, poetry, recipes (with my FN touch of course lol), Political commentary, rants, raves, jokes, Handyman tips, and pretty much anything I feel like adding.

I hope you like it, and I'll be writing again very soon.

I'm not sure if there's a notification thing on here to let you know if I've posted a new blog, but feel free to drop me a line at dudemovie@gmail.com and ask me to add you to my email notification list!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have an FN DAY! :)