What Happened on Your Birthday?

Your birthday year highlighted

Over the years I have run across books and cards that showed what main events occurred on my birthday or what "other" famous people had a birthday the same as mine. I have even sent cards to relatives that highlighted their birthday.

Now, there is a website we can visit that let's us know what was going on around the world the year we were born. Among the highlights are the pop culture sensations to the news of the day.

If you are bothered by the type-appearing-slowly thingy, just hit your refresh button and then hit cancel; everything will load at once.

To check out the site, go to www.whathappenedinmybirthyear.com.


Photo Blogs and Tips

Another group of sites I enjoy are those that are devoted to photos. I recently read there are at least 14,536,786 photo blogs to choose from. How in the world are we going to check out each one? Sound pretty confusing?

Well, there is a site that will help sort out all those photo blogs. www.Ilovephotoblogs.com. The site highlights some of the best from travel to fashions and weddings. There are also posts providing helpful tips for photographers,including studio lighting tips, how to pose for photographers and models and the top ten photos you can stop shooting.

Hope you enjoy these two sites. If you hear of any particularly interesting sites, please let us know. We are always on the lookout for the next best site. You can check out some of our favorite on the sidebar.

Minnesota vs New Orleans

We are in the midst of a hard fought game between the Vikings and the Saints. 3:00 minutes left in the 2nd quarter and it is 14-14. Brett taking a lot of hits, but is hanging in there so far.

Birthday weekend went well. Chinese dinner delivered to our door, phone calls and cards from family and friends, numerous birthday wishes on Facebook. All in all, a good weekend so far. Of course, the perfect weekend would have Minnesota winning tonight.

Spent several hours on Warrior Forum learning much about niche blogging, article marketing, SEO, and much more. So much to learn - not sure why I didn't go out to that particular forum before. They certainly have the information I need to make more money online than I am currently making.

I feel like 2010 is going to be a good year. I just need to keep plugging away at my websites and not giving up when times are tough. Being a caregiver and also having such a almost straight-up learning curve can be a bit daunting at time.

I have long been a positive, day-at-a- time, look-ahead kind of person, and that's the way I feel about this year. We don't know what is going to happen with Dad, now at 87, but I also have much to look forward to that is positive.

I love the blogs and websites I write for, and I am enjoying learning how to set up websites. Although I have a lot to learn, I know that keeping my focus on the prize will get me a long way.

I titled this post with the names of the two football teams who are playing tonight. Unfortunately, one team will lose and not move forwad. The other will continue to keep their eyes on the prize and continue to move forward. Much preparation for the Super Bowl. Both these teams are tough and this should be a good game.

In life, we quite often take a lot of hits as do the football players. But, we have to get up and keep moving forward toward the goal. That is the only way we will make it to our goal.

How is your game? What are you looking forward to this year? Do you have a game plan? Are you keeping your eyes on the prize? Are you on your way to the goal?

Birthday Girl Looks Forward

Today is the big day - my birthday. We are ordering Chinese to be delivered this evening. Every year since I was a child, my birthday usually involved some kind of special meal. Looking forward to seeing what my fortune cookie says.

As birthdays go, this day will be laid-back and quiet. I plan to work on my niche websites today as I have a lot to do, but otherwise no wild partying or anything like that. Now that I'm in my sixties, I can look back at my 20s and 30s with fondness, knowing I usually had a great time dancing the night away with friends.

Now, the day is spent more in reflection by honoring the past and continuing to look forward to the future. I believe as long as I have the desire to look forwad and move ahead with my life, I am okay. I love life. I love to see what is happening in the lives of friends and family. I am curious about the future, and want to stay around as long as possible.

Every January I write out my goals sometime during the month. I haven't formally written them down yet although I have jotted a few notes here and there. This would be a good day to get them written out.

I am glad I was born in January. It is great to be an Aquarian with the Age of Aquarius theme song rolling through my mind. The Age of Aquarius has kept me looking ahead when I see so many others dwelling on the past.

Today is a day for me to be thankful for all I have - a comfortable and peaceful place to live, my health is in fairly good shape although my body could do with a little fine-tuning, and my mind is still sharp enough to accomplish what I want in the world of freelancing and blogging. I should give a shout-out of thanks to the creater of the dictionary - helps out greatly when I need it the most. Spell checker on my computer is also an wonderful aid.

So, it is currently 32 degrees F when I am living and it is 8:20 a.m. Looking foward to a wonderful day. I hope you are too. Take care and enjoy the day for what it is and for whatever it brings into your life. I know I will.

Take care,

Facebook is Alive and Well

We have a growing number of friends and family joining us on Facebook and we are having a blast. So far, it is the best Social Media source for keeping in touch with family. I love most everything about the site, including the photos, all of the old friends and new that I am connecting with, the ease with which I can communicate with family, and did I mention photos?

I have photos of my grandson, my brother and his family and my sister all have their photos, and it is an easy way to see how each person has changed. We all live in different US states, and don't get to see each other all that often. Having such an easy availability of photos and the ability to comment is great.

If you haven't checked out Facebook as yet, why not give it a try. After all, you may connect with an old high school or college friend, relative you haven't heard from in quite a while, or meet new friends who have similar interests as you.

If you are reading this, go ahead and friend me. I would be glad to get to know you. If you do stop in there, please let me know what you think of the site.

Take care and have a great weekend.

Football Season in Full Swing

With football season well underway, and my football chick shirt available every Sunday (all day) and for Monday Night Football, I found this year my loyalties changed. For many years I have strongly supported certain teams. Not just because they were winning, but because I liked certain players or the coach, lived in the area during that season and supported the local team (Lions, Redskins, Cowboys, Cardinals - I've moved around a bit).

But this year, back in Michigan but not fully loving the Lions just yet, my heart moved towards Minneapolis. For one thing, it's not that far away from Michigan. But really, for some reason, I have taken a liking to Brett Favre for some reason. Not sure why, but there it is.

The other team I am keen on is the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to returning to Michigan in 2006, I lived in Arizona. Although I live in this sometimes freezing cold Northern state, my heart is still in the Southwest. I am so excited that Arizona is playing as well as they are. The win last Sunday was a highlight of this season.

I love fall! Not only for the beautiful fall colors as the leaves change and the great holidays that are associated with this time of year, but for the football games and camaraderie that comes with watching games with or at the same time as other family members no matter where we live. Numerous phone calls are sometimes exchanged when games and rivalries are getting hot.

Football season still has a couple of months to go, and of course the Super Bowl is the culmination of the season, but the week to week frenzy is a joy and continues on for a while longer. I am definitely looking forward to this next Sunday and will avidly follow my favorite teams.

How about you? Who is your favorite team or player? If you don't like football, what are you doing instead?

Fall Is On It's Way

It's that time of year again. This is Labor Day Weekend, every one's last chance to spend quality time at their cabin up north, and hours trying to navigate through the traffic compliments of their fellow travelers.

How do I really know that fall is on it's way? Here are the signs:

1. The temperatures in mid-Michigan are beginning to hang in the 70's nearly every day.
2. The Lions and Tigers are overlapping.
3. Michigan State football fills the pages of the Lansing State Journal, with extra sections detailing who the players are and how MSU will go about earning a winning season.
4. Local high school football also fills the pages of the State Journal and local papers.
5. Not to mention all the sports news on the various local TV stations.
6. Coaches Mark Dantanio and Rich Rodriguez (MSU and U of M, respectively) fill the airwaves and print.
7. Rich Rodriguez is again in some kind of trouble, somewhere.
8. The neighborhood has emptied out now that the kids are back in school.
9. The big orange school bus goes rumbling by, much to fast for our small side street.
10. The local athletic students, male and female, run in packs or alone up and down our streets.
11. Farmers Markets are closing down.
12. Ads for holiday goods are increasing.
13. Organizations are starting their monthly meetings once again.
14. Local Swiss steak dinners, spaghetti dinners, chicken dinners, and pancake breakfasts are once again in action.
15. Politicians are robocalling.
16. Fall is in the air. In some areas the leaves are beginning to change, already!
17. Ox-roasts and beer fests are on the agenda for September and October.
18. Summer music festivals are events of the past.
19. Networks are not only announcing their fall schedule, but viewers are inundated with promos.
20. David is coming from SE Texas to visit his Grandma this month.

All in all, it should be an interesting Fall. As the leaves change and the temperature drops, the air is filled with the promise of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The stores begin to fill up with shoppers, and the world seems to pick up its pace once again.

I hope all of you have a great Fall and your favorite sports team wins! Let the tailgating begin!

How to Waste Time Online

There comes a time each day when one needs or wants to step away from their work for a time. The mind grows weary, the fingers seem to hit every key but the one you want, the brain waves refuse to cooperate.

Sometimes you just need to set aside a few moments, or even hours, to get your creative energy flowing again.

After you take a physical break, i.e., get away from the computer, grab your favorite beverage, walk around for a while, then come back to the computer and - procrastinate.

I probably know better than most anyone how to waste time on, and off (Freecell anyone?), the internet. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Visit various network or cable network sites and read about the actors or actresses. If they have a forum, all the better.


• Sign-up for newsletters on any topic. Have the newsletter sent to your main email account and really clog it up. You can spend hours reading newsletters.


• RSS to your Google Reader or any other reader you would like so that you can get the latest blog post from your favorite websites.


• Endlessly read the latest news. With new headlines popping up all day long, you will never run out of ways to waste time and gain knowledge at the same time.


• Leave comments on the articles that you read. Many times you can leave an anonymous comment and speak your mind with abandon.


• Visit any forum that interests you. I've signed up for more than I can even remember, and every once in a while I check out one I haven't visited lately.


• Work online crossword puzzles and other games.


• Check out Yahoo! Answers and have a blast responding to the numerous questions. I can't even tell you how much time I spent one night on a thread that discussed baby names and asked for suggestions. What fun!


• Read free online books from DailyLit. I love the classics.


• Visit YouTube. One of my favorites. One day I caught up with a whole bunch of Y&R clips. Katherine looks better at 80 than she did 20 years ago. And, there are the great videos like the dancing prisoners, my son-in-laws fishing trip, and all kinds of other ways to waste a couple of hours.


• Keep an eye on all the entertainment sites such as TMZ, Perez Hilton, E! Online. They update all day long so there is always new information coming along that you just wouldn't be able to live without knowing. Right?


• Create as many Squidoo lens and HubPages as possible. Well, that might not be such a waste as you can earn some money, but if you pick enough crazy topics you will actually have fun and make money too.


• Go to photo sites like Fotosearch and Flickr, and have a blast looking at all the crazy and cool pictures people take. Wikimedia has some great photos as well, and I subscribed to their photo of the day so that I can see the best images they offer. I especially am enthralled with the closeup photos of insects. Fascinating.

As you check out the list above, I wanted to share one that I saw quite some time ago, then forgot about. I'm shocked that I haven't returned to the site because it is one of the all time best time wasters.

Remember bubble wrap?

Remember when you were a kid and your mom let you pop the bubble wrap? Maybe you even pop it now. The all time time-waster website has to be the bubble wrap popper site. Click on the link and you can spend hours popping bubble wrap to your hearts content.

I'm sure you can think up lots more ways to waste time online, but this list will get you started.

Women Under Pressure - Sotomayor and Palin

News in recent months highlights the pressure women are under when involved in politics, and how being in the spotlight can affect their personal and public life.

This past week I watched portions of the grueling questioning of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. I was very impressed with the way Judge Sotomayor conducted herself under extreme pressure.

The white male establishment did their best to undermine and derail Sotomayor's obvious march to become the first Latina and third woman on the Supreme Court.

It was interesting to watch as the older white men (OWM) struggled to find any nugget that they could grab onto (much like a dog grabs a bone or piece of meat and hangs on for dear life) in order to see how many ways they could ask the same question.

It appeared to me that some of those OWMs are afraid of the Judge, specifically replacing a man (Souter) with a woman. OMG, what will the world come to if there is another woman on the highest court in the land? And a Latina, at that!

What cracked me up was that they clung to a phrase uttered in 2001, and they worried that her ethnic background might somehow play a role in her decisions.

Well, what part does being an older white male play in their decisions?

No matter where one is in life, the longer they live the more their background, ethnicity, and gender is going to play a role in the decisions they make. Come on guys, you know that. Isn't that why you were so worried? Are you afraid she won't play by your rules?

Good! We need another voice on the Court. We need someone who might have a different view of life and the law than an OWM. We need change and we need it now.

Here's hoping that Judge Sotomayor's advancement to the Supreme Court goes as quickly, and more smoothly, as the hearings this week. Congratulations for a job well done.

As for Sarah Palin...

Many will not agree with her decision to step down as Governor of Alaska, or the way Sarah Palin quit mid-term, but there is a valid reason why she did what she did that most men will not understand.

First of all, the so-called joke by David Letterman was too horrendous for words. That the 62-year-old male (Letterman) never did get that joking about a 33-year-old baseball player (Rodriguez) having inappropriate sex with a teenager (whether Bristol or Willow) is sick and disgusting shows how out of touch Letterman is with decency and good taste.

His half-baked so-called apology proves he is clueless when it comes to the lack of appropriateness of sick sexual jokes about female teenagers.

Secondly, Palin said in her announcement about stepping down from the Governorship that adults had been making inappropriate remarks about her young son who has Downs Syndrome. Inexplicable!

No wonder the mother of five was tired of the spotlight! What kind of society do we live in where senior-citizen talk show hosts and other adults can blast a public figures family and think their behavior is funny or appropriate?

No wonder this mother of five who loves her family decided to leave the spotlight for a time.

Those of us who have a sensitivity for how loving mothers, teenagers, and those who are handicapped should be treated, understand Governor Palin's desire to step out of the public eye for a season and concentrate on her family.

The David Letterman's of this world should be ashamed of their behavior. Unfortunately, he still doesn't "get it" and probably never will.

Review: Historical Twitter

Going by the premise that Twitter did not begin in 2006 as believed, but has actually been around for centuries, Historical Twitter shares what tweets might have come across the airwaves in the past.

The site was started in October 2008, and you should start reading from the beginning so as not to miss anything. Although some people may find a few of the tweets inappropriate, the posts are hilarious!

Historical Tweet examples

For example, if Abraham Lincoln had Twittered it might have read like this:

"Anyone got a more creative way of saying '87 years'?"

Or, Anne Boleyn to Henry the VIII:

"Sorry I lost my head the other night."

Most historical tweets are accompanied by related photos, that are often themselves very entertaining.

Not only does the site allow you to read the alleged historical tweets, but you can submit your own examples.

Twitter defined

For those who don't know, according to the definition in Wikipedia, "Twitter is a free social networking...service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters."

Check out this great site, and leave a tweet or two of your own.

Do you have a favorite humorous site you would like to share? Just let us know.

Spring Arrives in Full Force

I am pleasantly surprised at how green our lawn is this early in the year. When the snow melted, the grass was already green over three-quarters of our yard. The recent rains contributed to a thick growth of green grass that spreads like a soft comfy carpet over our lawn.

As I write this post, it is 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, the birds have awakened and are singing their morning song, and I, with a cup of coffee at hand, am doing what I love - writing and enjoying the quiet early morning atmosphere.

This Sunday, midway between Mother's Day and Memorial Day weekend, spend time, if you will, appreciating the beautiful Spring weather with it's accompanying promise of new beginnings, fresh starts, and warm and glorious sunny days ahead. I know I will!


Note: The picture above is not from our yard. I just enjoy the colors of this beautiful flower and its leaves.