Friday, April 28, 2006

Baby news and "Wordplay"...



          "Life is like a beautiful melody, only the lyrics are messed up."
                                                                                    -Anonymous



Good morning and happy Friday everyone!  I got some interesting news a few days ago from my daughter Chelsea.  She was given a sonogram on Monday and they moved her due date up from September 13 to August 24.  Chelsea has a good size belly now and is 23 weeks along.  She wanted me to post her sonogram so I am sharing it with everyone.  Here is the little one.  We still don't know if the baby is a boy or girl because the precious darling moved around so much they could not get a good view.  LOL  Oh my.  Chelsea was disappointed.  I was glad, though, as I do not want to know.  I want to be surprised.  I thought it was going to remain this way, then Chelsea called me yesterday and told me they rescheduled another sonogram for May 11.  I hope the baby keeps hiding its gender.  LOL

              

The baby is already trying to turn upside-down.  If you can't tell, the baby is facing us,  the head is on the right, the left arm is raised to the head and the right leg is raised.  The doctor said that the baby was the most active one she had seen in a very long time.  Chelsea is doing very well.  She is always eating and didn't get too much nausea with this little one.  Chelsea is coming for a visit next Tuesday for a whole week!  I am so, so excited!! 

                                       


Now, time for "Wordplay".  I decided to talk about song lyrics.  I have a wide range of music that I listen to.  Very wide.  I really listen to everything but rap music, although I do understand why people like it.  It just isn't pleasing to my ear.  The one thing in common, though, about the music I listen to, and like, is that I have to like the lyrics.  If the lyrics are offensive or unintelligible or just plain stupid, I tend to dislike the song.  I do like silly lyrics or lyrics that make me laugh.   Lyrics that move me emotionally really grab me.  For "Wordplay" I wanted to discuss a favorite song you have because you like the lyricsPerhaps you have a favorite singer/songwriter who always moves you and you want to discuss him or her.  You don't have to write down all the lyrics.  Maybe you can write down the chorus of a song or two or discuss the gist of their songs.  What type of music do you like and is for the lyrics Can you link us to a song you likeDo you or have you  written any song lyrics?  Leave your participation to "Wordplay" in the comments section.  If you want to do this as an entry in your journal please come back and leave the URL so we can go back and read it!  Thanks so much for participating!

I remember my brother, who is a deejay, doing an emailing, asking us what our favorite song was.  Wow, that is a hard one.  To pick a favorite song of all times.  I remember having to think long and hard on this.  I know I have changed my mind a few times.  I probably will again.  Songs are like colors.  I change my favorite color often.  Here are the lyrics to my favorite song for the moment.  It brings me chills and a wet eye...  Press the link below the song and you can hear it as well.

           What a Wonderful World

     I see trees of green... red roses too
     I see 'em bloom... for me and for you
     And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

     I see skies of blue... clouds of white
     Bright blessed days... dark sacred nights
     And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

     The colors of a rainbow... so pretty... in the sky
     Are also on the faces... of people... going by
     I see friends shaking hands...  sayin'... how do you do?
     They're really sayin'... I love you.

     I hear babies cry... I watch them grow
     They'll learn much more... than I'll ever know
     And I think to myself... what a wonderful world

According to my searches, although there is controversy on who actually wrote this song, most resources say it was written by Bob Thiele, George D. Weiss and George Douglas in 1967.    It is sung beautifully by Louis Armstrong
here
.

What can you participate with?  Thanks!  Have a lovely day! xox




Saturday, April 22, 2006

Trees...



Some of you may have noticed some new additions to my "All About Me" section.  If you want to sign my guestbook, I would be honored!  For those of you who read my journal and don't comment because you don't have an AOL screen name, or for whatever other reason, I would love to know who you are.  Give me a shout in my guestbook!  Thanks!  I am also trying to get a couple more things in there, but am having a very hard time.  Ugh.

I haven't been playing Krissy's
Photo Scavenger Hunt because I haven't been able to upload pictures without going to someone else's computer.  Krissy and I worked something out, so hopefully I will be playing the Hunt and will be having "Up Close with Val" regularly really soon.  Stay tuned!  This week's Scavenger Hunt's subject was "tree or bush".  I knew that I had taken alot of trees in the past.  So I went into my software and picked out two trees that I had not shown before.  These two trees are in my parent's yard.  The weeping cherry tree is in their front/side yard by their driveway.  It is stunning when it is in bloom in the Spring.  I love weeping trees.  I think weeping willows are my favorite tree.  The spruce tree is in their backyard.  They have two blue spruces.  The one shown here is a bit larger than the other.  This tree was planted, I am thinking, about 18 - 20 years ago.  Is that right, Dad?  Interesting, I can remember every tree and bush from my childhood yard.  I love trees and bushes and plants!  We had the most beautiful azalea garden in my youth.  It was stunning!  I miss it.  If you want to play Krissy's weekly Photo Scavenger Hunt visit here.

                           
                          
                                  

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone! xox


Wednesday, April 19, 2006

"Wordplay" Wednesday!...



    "I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have,
     beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized
     wiser than oneself."
  - Marlene Dietrich



My week is sailing by for some reason.  Wow, it's already Wednesday!  I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend with their loved ones =).  My weekend was very good.  I spent it with my boyfriend and then he and I went to see Krissy and John yesterday and had lunch over at their home.  Krissy made a beautiful corn beef and cabbage dinner.  It was very, very nice to spend a couple of hours with them.  It was the first time since they had returned from Hershey!  It was so nice to see them!  It's so good to have them home.  My anxiety level has really dropped since they have come home.  Things just seem right now that they are back in town.

                                          

It's Wednesday and time for "Wordplay"!  If you guys have noticed, I like to include quotations often with entries.  I thought I would ask for favorite quotations today.  Maybe you have some quotations that have gotten you through rough times or even quotations that you have started that others have embraced and they have become motto for themDo you have any favorite quotations or quotation storiesPlease tell me about them in the comment section.  When possible, give the quotation an author so they have credit!   If you need any help or need your memory jogged go here
If you want to do this as an entry in your journal, please leave your entry URL so I can read it and leave a message!  Thanks for playing!!  This could be fun!

I wanted to wish my SIL, Shawn, who had a birthday yesterday, a very, very
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
!!  Hi Shawn, I love you!!  Hope you had a wonderful day!

Have a lovely day, all! xox

  
   
"People will accept your ideas much more readily if you tell them
           Benjamin Franklin said it first."
  -  David H. Comins

                  "Life itself is a quotation."  - Jorge Luis Borges




Sunday, April 16, 2006

Happy Resurrection Day!


Then the angel spoke to the women.  "Don't be afraid!"  he said.  "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He isn't here!  He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen.  Come, see where his body was lying."
                                                                                      Matthew 28:5-6 NLT



  HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!!!
    
              Wishing you and yours a very blessed and
                       peaceful Easter!  Love, Val xox


Thanks to Sara for help with the siggie!

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Look what's new and "Wordplay"!...



I wanted to thank everyone for wishing my Matthew a happy birthday yesterday.  That was very nice of you.  So there are a couple new features with the journals that I am very excited about!!  Did you know that the "All About Me" section has gone from 1,000 characters to 25.000!  Wow!  I am so excited about this because I have never been able to fit everything I have wanted to in there and make it as artistic as I wanted to at the same time.  I am so, so excited about this.  Also, did you notice if you type in http://journals.aol.com/andyourscreenname you can pull up a list of your journals.  The most exciting thing about this is there is a search engine at the bottom of this page where you can plug in anyone's screen name and find all of their journals.  No more wondering IF someone has a journal or how many journals they have or sifting through a search on the blog home page!!!  Yay!!  I am very excited about this.  I have bookmarked my page so I can do an easy search.  Neat!  There are a few other things that came out that I need to find out more about, but I am very excited about these two things.  Can you tell?!! =)!!  I wanted to let you guys know if you had not heard about them!

                                       

Now on to "Wordplay"!  Today I wanted to talk about idioms.  An idiom is defined by Webster as 1. Language peculiar to a people, district, community, or class; and   2.  An expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either grammatically, or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements.

I wanted to talk about idioms we use in everyday talk.  I think we could come up with good ones because we are from all over the country!  This could be lots of fun!  Before I put together this entry I talked to my sister, her husband, and my boyfriend this morning to see if they could come up with one or two.  I didn't want to give Krissy's away as she wanted to contribute on her own.  Her husband, however had an interesting idiom that is indigenous to his hometown, Hazleton, PA.  They say, "Haina?" there alot.  Haina is a word of agreement.  They can say, "Nice day, haina?"  Or someone can say, "The color blue is pretty."  and you can say, "haina".  Here in central PA they use "read up" alot.  It can be used as, "Let's read up the kitchen."  It is short for ready up.  It means to clean up.  I have not been able to catch on to that one.  It has been too foreign for me.  I do say, "Wanna come with" alot for, "Do you wanna come with me."   Interestingly, "this" and "next" when I am talking about days of the week and time are different for me and my children.   What I mean is that, if I were to say to my kid's, "I am going to the zoo next Monday." (and I said it today, Thursday), I would mean that I am going in four days.  To my kids, it would mean that I am going in 11 days.  This has caused much confusion!

What about youWhat can you come up withDo you remember any idioms from your childhood Did you move and have to get used to new onesAny idiom stories?  Please leave your contribution in the comments section.  If you want to do this as an entry in your journal, please come back and leave the URL to your entry so I can go and read it!!  Thanks!!

Have a good rest of the week, everyone! xox


Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Look Who's 18!...

                                       

                             

My "baby" is 18 today!  Oh my!  I don't have any little ones any more.  My children are legal adults now.  Wow!  They are grown.  One is pregnant and the other is 18.  They have grown up so quickly.  They have lived with their Dad most of their lives, so perhaps it seemed like they grew more quickly than they really had and more than I had anticipated they would.  I only saw them summers and some winter vacations occasionally.  Sometimes when they came for a visit they grew inches and looked very different from the previous visit.  Phone calls have kept us in close contact, but there is something about being able to "see" and "touch" a child and be a part of there every day lives.  So I wanted to wish Matt a very, very HAPPY and STUPENDOUS birthday today!!!!  Happy 18th, Matteo!!!!

 

                                 

                                           Happy Birthday to you!
                                           Happy Birthday to you!
                                           Happy Birthday, dear Matthew...
                                          Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!


                            
I LOVE YOU, MATTY!!!!!!!!!!!

Incidentally, it is also Matt's brother's birthday the day before his.  He turned four yesterday.  He is the son of Matt's Dad.   I wanted to wish him a happy birthday, too!  Happy Birthday, Sammy!!!!  I love you, too!!!!

                       

Have a blast this week, guys!! xoxox

I will be back on later today to post "Wordplay" Wednesday! xox


Sunday, April 9, 2006

Feline Friday...



I was stunned the other night when I weighed Baby.  He is now 19 pounds!  He was only 16 months-old in these pictures.  These are the latest pictures taken of him.  He is a camera hog.  He actually gets excited when the camera comes out.  He will sit still and let me snap.  I talk to him and he gets excited and poses for me.   Look how excited he is with his curled feet and his tail wagging!   He will fall asleep most times when I am snapping away.  So funny.  If you want to participate in Feline Friday visit (sometimes)photoblog here.


    

    

 

Thursday, April 6, 2006

"Wordplay"...



"Fear is a question:  What are you afraid of, and why?  Just as the seed of health is an illness, because illness contains information, your fears are a treasure house of self-knowledge if you explore them."
     -Marilyn Ferguson

                                       

Sorry I missed posting "Wordplay" yesterday to those of you who stopped by looking for it.  Illness prevented me from being prompt.  I am feeling much better this afternoon, thank you =).  Now on to today and a posting of "Wordplay".  I chose to post this quote above because it has something to do with "Wordplay" and because I think it is profound.  I have had a problem all my life with fear.  That is pretty hard for me to admit.  I am not talking about just plain fear - the healthy kind that keeps you safe when there is something harmful around, but the unhealthy kind- phobias.  Mr. Webster defines phobias as an exaggerated usually inexplicable and ILLOGICAL fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation.  I was looking at a website about phobias and I was astounded by how many things one can be phobic about - or atleast how many things have been named that one can be phobic about.  I don't know if my problems with fears and phobias throughout my lifetime have been a big symptom of my obsessive-compulsive disorder.  I am sure some of it has been.  I am just not sure to what extent.  I do know they have been illogical, though.  VERY illogical.  Even though I know they have been illogical, I  still have had them.  I have been able to, through therapy and plain old reasoning, talk back to these phobias and quiet them down to a great extent.  I am no longer a prisoner to my phobias, although I do have a bad day occasionally.

For "Wordplay"  I want you to go to this site
  and discover the names of a phobia or two (or more if you would like) of yours, either current or past ones.  Please tell us what they are in the comment section and perhaps tell us a story how you overcame a phobia or maybe even how a phobia started.  Tell us a phobia story, too if you have one.  If you want to do this as a journal entry please come back and put your entry URL in the comments section so I can go and read it.  Thanks for participating!

In searching the list, a few I have found for myself are glossophobia (a fear of public speaking; keraunophobia (a fear of lightning and thunder... just lightning for me... LOL); acrophobia (fear of heights); and at times I have had agoraphobia (fear of being in public places in leaving a safe place... like my home!) and would not leave my apartment for months at a time.  That is one that I fight with on and off, but I am proud to say, have been doing well with lately.

What can you share with us?

On a lighter note, and gee, that WAS a heavy subject wasn't it? Anyway, on a lighter note, Chelsea sent me this picture of her at 17 weeks pregnant.  I thought I would post it so you could see her smile and her tiny little "belly bump".   It doesn't look too big, but she had a tiny waist and a flat stomach just a few weeks ago.

                                  

Have a good rest of the week everyone and take care! xox


"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.  Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
     -Marie Curie