A Wedding Tradition Gone Bad?

As it turns out many years later ... Maybe for her ... but not for me !!

This upcoming tale sounds a little freaky but I assure you THAT IT IS THE 100% TRUTH!

Way back in the day, certain wedding traditions took place at almost every wedding, today NOT SO MUCH! Many current brides now have a modern day approach and do it their own way, not the way everyone in the past had done it.

The tradition that I refer to is the throwing of the bridal bouquet.

(No, this isn't me!)

As stated in Wikipedia,under the section labeled United States Customs / Christian weddings:

The bride tosses her bouquet over her shoulder to the assembled unmarried women; the woman who catches it, superstition has it, will be the next to marry. In some social groups, the process is repeated for unmarried men with the groom tossing the bride's garter for the same purpose.

I put emphasis on the statement ... will be the next to marry. You wonder where this is all going - don't you?

In my case, the superstition took on a completely new meaning,

because THE YOUNG LADY WHO CAUGHT THE BOUQUET AT MY WEDDING (not a guest invited by me, I should add)

Are you ready for this ??






IS NOW MARRIED TO MY EX-HUSBAND!!

Thank God, that he is now HER problem and NOT mine!

Fun Monday #7 - Your Favorite Treat

Beckie at Give It A Try is the hostess with the mostess this week and wants to know what your favorite treat is.

Her assignment is:

I want to know what your favorite treat is. Is it sweet or sour? Is it plain or salty? Is it candy or chocolate? Is it homemade or store bought? For instance, if your favorite is chocolate, tell us what kind specifically - sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes not so much. I have heard a lot of talk about Junior Mints, but is it your favorite or just a tasty treat? It can be anything, popcorn, peanuts, ice cream or chips, maybe you have more than one favorite - that is ok, just show us your favorite(s) and tell us why you like it so much. C’mon, what gets you all juiced up?

My favorite treat is .... Well, I absolutely love dark chocolate but one can get that any time they want. A treat is something special, something that isn't readily available when you "just have to have some!" So ....

My favorite treat is both sweet and salty and tastes best (in my opinion) when you can devour it freshly made. You can't go to the grocery store and buy the real thing (although you can get something close, but it just isn't the same). You have to go to a fair, a craft show, flea markets, the beach or just about any place where a special event might just happen to be taking place.

My favorite treat is KETTLE CORN !




If I smell it in the air, I have to buy some. If you are with me, I might share (a little) but usually I eat the whole damn bag all by myself !! Not too sweet and not too salty - but oh, so good!

Make sure you check out all the other special treats - I wonder how many of them will be chocolate of one variety or the other ?

What is a Plout?

While sitting and eating my lunch today, I decided to take a peek at the supermarket ads that had come in the paper on Wednesday (yes, today IS Saturday) and came across an ad in the Safeway flyer for Sweet Plouts for $1.99 lb. I say, what the hell is a PLOUT? The picture showed something that looked like a nectarine or an apple. My curiousity got the best of me, so I checked out the trusty Wikipedia and this is what I found:



A pluot (plü-ot) is a tradename for a fruit developed in the late 20th century by Floyd Zaiger. In the United States, the fruit is known by most regulatory agencies as an interspecific plum[1]. It is a complex cross hybrid of plum and apricot, being ¾ plum and ¼ apricot in parentage.

The fruit's exterior fairly closely resembles a plum's. Pluots are noted for their sweetness (due to a very high sugar content) and for their intense flavor. They are also very, very juicy. Pluots are also rich in vitamin A.

"Pluot" is a registered trademark of Zaiger's Genetics.

Who knew?

Also, there are fruits called Apriums, Peacotums, Plumcots and Grapples.

Doesn't Floyd Zaiger have anything better to do? Like, say, find a solution for World Peace?

My Summer Secret Swap Has Arrived !

After having such a rotten Sunday (I got over it!), It was a welcomed surprise to have a "parcel" leaning up against my door when I arrived home from work. My SUMMER.SECRET.SWAP had arrived across the ocean from the wonderful lady at Peppermint Tea. She definitely made my day a much better one. First things first - before changing my clothes or doing what I normally do - I had to open the package (like a little kid on Christmas morning) and this is what i found.

A very cleverly done (although I have to admit, I kinda did the same thing) note that started out ...

Hello Beth

I've been lurking on your site ever since you sent my mum (I love the way the English folks call their mother MUM )(chrisb) a parcel as part of frannie's secret swap.

(it must be destiny that Beccy got my name - I have Irish blood in me (she lives in Ireland) and I sent my Secret Swap to her wonderful Mum in the UK (Beccy is a born English girl and I have English blood also) - we all truly are connected to each other in one way or another like one big happy family.)

S unflower egg cup


- sunflowers are so summery

U mbrella


- have you seen the rain in Ireland this summer?

M ousse au chocolat bar


- needed to get over all the rain !

M aeve binchy - whitethorn woods


- Ireland's most famous author.

E nglish breakfast tea cup


- from an English girl, with summer flowers

R eusable drink coolers


- because I'm sure your weather is better than ours.

All those goodies ! WOO HOO!! The umbrella has an incredibly long handle which is awesome. The chocolate was a little bit squishy when it arrived but it wasn't anything the refrigerator couldn't handle! The drink coolers will look fabulous in my next cold beverage and the tea cup will definitely be used for some hot tea. I can't wait to find a few free moments so I can start reading my new book. I have never used an egg cup before, but what better time to start than now?

Beccy ended her note with "I hope you enjoy your summer parcel". You bet, I will !!

Many thanks to CPA MOM for organizing this Summer Secret Swap. It has been fun - both receiving and sending !!

Credit Card Scam Info

I received this information at work and decided to send it out so no one gets scammed. People in the Northern VA area have received calls of this nature. Be careful !

VERIFIED ON SNOPES IF YOU CARE TO RECHECK

"This is happening in southern Alberta right now and moving. This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.

By understanding how the VISA & Master Card telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself. One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "Master Card".

The scam works like this:

Person calling says, "This is (name) and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460, Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?"

When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives your address), is that correct?"

You say "yes".

The caller continues - "I will be starting a Fraud Investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1-800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works:

The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card." He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers." There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the last 3 are the Security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card.

These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 number to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?"

After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do" and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number.

But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back. Within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.

We made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master Card directly for verification of their conversation.

The real VISA told us the they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card" If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you are receiving a credit.

However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchased you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of Master Card" with a Word-For-Word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening. I dealt with a similar situation this morning, with the caller telling me that $3,097 had been charged to my account for plane tickets to Spain, and so on through the above routine.

It appears that this is a very active scam, and evidently quite successful."

Fun Monday - #6 - Aprons and Tea Towels

Ms Cellania all the way over in the UK is the gracious host of Fun Monday this week. She is trying to keep us in the kitchen but it ain't happening here in VA.

Her assignment is:

'show your aprons' it can be your favourite or an unusual one or more than one. Be creative as you like; and secondly if, like me, you have lots of 'tea towels' that are brand new (or could be an old favourite) I would like to see those as well and hear the story behind the picture- was it a gift from a holiday, a present from auntie that you only use when she visits etc...........

I have accepted the assignment and will show you all TWO of the aprons that I own. I own them but have NEVER used them! My "try to keep my clothes clean" approach is to use a paper towel sitting on the counter or say "the heck with it" and wipe my hands on my pants or whatever I am wearing !

I don't have a clue how I obtained this first one.



It is authentic - the real thing - straight from an A&W (I didn't swipe it - that much I do know - but evidently someone did!)



I do have memories of visiting cousins in Essex Junction, VT as a child and walking down the street from their house to get a big frosty mug of root beer at the drive up type of establishment that A&W used to be. No paper cups - a real mug that was cold! Of course, you had to stay there to drink it because you couldn't keep the mug. Not like the fast food joints of today, that's for sure! And come to think of it, I don't think there was inside seating. You drove your car up to the "lane" spots (kinda like a parking spot under a tin roof) and someone came out to take your order. They put one of those tray thingys on your almost rolled down all the way window and then brought the food out to you.

Don't know how I got it though ... maybe it was years later, after the cousins had grown up and left home - my aunt may have given it me ? Haven't got a clue. Do they still use that style at the places today (you know, you go in and you have your choice of A&W or Long John Silvers). It just isn't the same - those truly were the good old days back then.

I know where I got the second one !!


Bet you can figure it out too!

It was a blood donation gift - one of many that I have received. I have given quite a few a them away but I think I still have one in the original packaging if anyone would like it.

I do have many memories of my grandmother in her kitchen ALWAYS wearing an apron. Making things from "scratch" - especially those delicious donuts that she would make in the frying pan (no written down recipe, either). She never made the "holes" for she and my grandfather but always made them (rolled in sugar) for us kids if she knew we would be there. We always looked forward to her package at Christmas because there were always bags of donut holes inside. No one could ever make them as good as she. How I wish she were still here with us - Christmas has never been the same since she passed away.

And for the tea towels, I don't have any. Well, maybe some packed away somewhere that had belonged to either of my grandmothers but I wouldn't have a clue as to where they would be. My Mom probably has some but I don't have the time to fly to CO to take a picture before this day is over.

This will just have to do in their place ....



It would have been a bit more appealing if he hadn't had on long pants and a sleeved shirt but you get the idea don't you? (He is my nieces' uncle and he cooked the food at her baby shower)

Sorry this is so late - of course I had to work late again - that shouldn't be allowed on Mondays (it makes my post late)! Be sure to check out everyone else's aprons and make sure you stop by and visit Misslionheart - it can't be missed !

Life is Crap .....

WARNING: This post may contain a fair amount of whining and moaning (but I will do my best to put positive things in also - NO PROMISES though!)

Some days (weeks, months ...) just aren't as good as others - that's just the way I feel right now. I am very disappointed in myself ... not only have I let others down, I have let myself down too ... I am stuck in a rut and no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get out of it. And that makes me so very SAD (seriously). Life is what you make it and right now I am not doing a very good job of making it good. I need time or maybe I just need to make better use of my time or maybe I need to change my priorities or maybe - I just don't know - I need to make some changes. Yes, I need to make some changes but I am struggling on how to do that and still do the things that need to get done (for me and not always others).

Whatever ....

That used to make me so angry when others would respond that way and now ... I seem to be using that phrase myself and I don't feel good about that.

For the last week, I have been dog (house and cat(s)) sitting for a co-worker. As a result, my routine has been interrupted and I haven't been able to keep up with my blog reading and posting. (Not that I was doing that great of a job doing so before I went to her house ...) She has multiple computers at her house and wouldn't you know - they were all password protected ... so I couldn't even check my blogs, much less write a post! I have tried to sneak in at work but I have to be careful about that because our Internet activity is monitored and I don't wish to lose my privileges there (that wouldn't be good because I HAVE to have access to my company email !!)

I made a few bucks, but was it really worth it?

Maggie brought me a present last Sunday ! I was sitting in the chair right after letting her out and I noticed that she and the cats were sitting on the other side of the room intently watching something. I didn't think much of it - maybe that is what they do !! (I had never watched these animals before so I didn't know their "habits"). As it got to be time to go to bed, I started upstairs and Maggie followed me but for some reason I glanced back to where they had been sitting and there sat a MOLE on the carpet. Thank goodness, it was a DEAD MOLE! A quick trip to the trash can was made before settling in for the night. Maggie wasn't the least bit happy with me - I guess I didn't praise her for her "catch" as she was expecting.

This is Maggie ...



I just HAD to take her picture because of what type of dog she is ... a Black Lab and Bassett Hound mix! Aren't those short little legs the cutest? What to call her? Maybe a Labsett!! Anyway, maybe not the funniest thing you have seen, but it amused me. And the cats (Sprite and Maxi), they brought me presents too. A dead mouse - TWICE !! Two different times I made the trip to the trash can again. This city girl with no pets isn't used to being brought presents like that !! I would rather have flowers or chocolates any day ...(and it is sad to say, I don't get either unless I buy them myself).



Many, many thanks to SJ for giving me this award. She said:

#7. BS at The First of Six. Well for starters, for all of you that haven’t figured it out yet, she’s my sister. My older sister. And while I don’t remember, she helped my Mom out by taking care of me when I was a baby. She’s new to this blogging stuff and I’m glad that she finally jumped in with both feet and started one. She does have a lot to say, and a lot to talk about – don’t let her fool you! And well, she rocks.

She is right ... I am her older sister and I did take care of her as a baby and I did start this blog (because of her urging) and I do have a lot to say ... BUT I have let her down - and I have let myself down - and any of you too that have chosen to read because of her ... I am disappointed in myself for letting this happen. I have so much to say ... but can never seem to find the time to post on a regular basis. Like I said earlier, changes need to be made and posting on a regular basis is one of them. I look forward to reading everyone else's posts and do so, but there hasn't been a lot for you all to read. I have ideas, I have lists of ideas, I have intentions ...

I struggle ...

I am a Mother but no longer a Mommy. I have no little ones to write about. I love to read about everyone's day to day antics involving their precious children (especially my nephews - one who is thirsty and the other who is a little stud muffin).

I am a grandmother but my children lead busy lives and I don't get to see my grandchildren (and the boys and their wives) often. Maybe, that is my fault (no maybes, it is my fault) - I need to make and find the time to go to them. Finding them available is a challenge ... a challenge that I need to take HEAD ON. I have always heard the saying "A daughter is a daughter for life, but a son is a son until he takes a wife" (maybe not quoted quite right but you get the drift, don't you?) I never realized how true that statement could be!

I am a daughter but not a good one lately. I don't speak to my parents often enough. Now that they live in CO, the time difference is a challenge but that shouldn't be an excuse. I spoke to my mother just the other night because of a mis-dialed call. You see, I came out to my car after work and my cell phone was beeping - hence a missed call or a new message. It was my Mom's cell phone so I called back. She answered eventually and I said "You called?" (my moment of trying to be cute but it really wasn't). She says "No - you called! As it turned out, she had accidentally rang my number when she was trying to turn off her cell phone and didn't realize that she had called. So, we had a conversation as a result of an error on her part BUT it shouldn't have been that way. I SHOULD just pick up the phone and call from time to time. I do try and a lots of times get no answer ... I give up too easily which is BAD, BAD, BAD.

Got to take a break ... I can't see through my tears. Will be back soon.

I'm back ... I guess, I miss having my parents close by more than I am willing to admit to myself. And today seems to be a day where it would be nice to have "Mommy" close by.

I am a sister too. And, yes, I am failing there also. I don't talk to my siblings as often as I should. They each have a husband or a wife and kids and well, they are busy but that is no excuse. Another change that I MUST make - I HAVE to make.

I have been plugging away at this post all afternoon in between doing the laundry and housework ... and to add insult to injury - I just went downstairs to take out a load of clothes to put in the dryer and the @#$%^&* washing machine is randomly spitting out grease onto my clothes! Go figure ... doesn't it have enough sense to know that I am having a bad enough day already !!

Multitasking ...

The dictionary's definition: the ability to perform more than one task at a time
My definition: the ability to screw up several things at once

Quite a few times during the last, say 5 hours, I have contemplated hitting the delete button and wiping out this entire post, because, well, it hasn't been the most positive thing I have written about. But I decided that NO it needs to stay so I can come back to it later and get my priorities straight and in order. When there is no one here (physically) to talk to, it is a good thing to write and work out your issues. So that is what I have tried to do.

There will be positive things to come -

My life isn't spiralling out of control - it just seems that way to me today.

OH - I did get my Summer Secret Swap mailed out before the deadline !!

Another OH! - I said I would try to put in some positive stuff too so ...

Here are some pictures of my grandchildren that were taken at Tyler's 3rd Birthday party on July 22nd.



Christopher keeping an eye on the little ones on the trampoline.



Trevor playing with one of his brother's new toys.



Jillian just being Jillian posing for her Grandma !



Tyler - the birthday boy - with his new "Big Boy" spiderman backpack.



The youngest of them all - Miss Tori



Just an added note: The time stamp says 1:15 - in reality I finally hit publish at 7:30 !!