Late For Christmas

Well, as usual, I'm late dealing with Christmas. I am not doing much gift giving this year due to being poorer this year, but what little I'm doing is done. I still don't have any decorations up, not even a wreath on the door. The problem is that, living in a condo with limited storage, everything is in my storage unit. I just haven't gotten there yet......today for sure.

I got out of the habit of decorating for awhile because we always went to Washington to be with my Son's family. The last few years have seen us home for the Holidays due to my Mom's illness and last year,her passing away. This year will see us home again due to the fore mentioned poverty. Since I'm going to be moving soon, it seems easier to forgo decorating, but I will probably put my small tree up anyway.

The most important thing for Christmas is a loving family and friends and remembrance of the meaning of the Holiday and I've got that covered.

The Power of Love

Have you ever noticed how much hate there is in the world? If you spend much time watching TV News or reading the newspapers you have. There seems no end to the hate that people feel. The seem to hate those that are not like them or their group. They hate people who are the wrong color or the wrong religion or those who speak a different language. Even people with the same catagory of religion, like Islam, hate each other if one is Sunni and one is Shia. Christian religions are just as bad. I live in Utah where the predominant religion is Mormanism. The Baptists have protests at the Mormon's semi-annual conferences and say the Mormans are not Christians.As near as I can figure it out, it's because of a disaggreement over what constitutes the "Godhead".

My theory is that people hate what they fear. They fear the "other",that which is not me or mine.What if I'm changed by assocciating with the "other" and my people don't recognise me anymore. What if being "gay" is catching?

I once heard that the opposite of love is not hate,but fear. That really made sense to me. So what if we combat hate, which is really fear, with love. Sometimes it's really hard to understand the "other" because we really are quite different, with many different experiences and traditions. Maybe we could agree to be different and accept those differences that we can, then look for samenesses. There has to be ways we're the same given we're both human. Maybe then we could work to love that sameness about the other and eventually,if not love the differences, at least give them some respect.

It's not likely that we'll get world peace tomorrow, but maybe we could make some peace in the office or nieghborhood to start, work on the world later, if it's still around.

Busy, Busy

It seems that I'm forever too busy to post anything. I'm working full time until after the holidays, so that takes care of 5 days a week. Some nights I am just too tired to do anything but sit in front of the tube. If that keeps up I'll vegetate! We've been listening to Christmas Caroles since Thanksgiving and there are some I'm heartily sick of and there's 3 weeks to go. I generally love Christmas music, but so much of what you get on the radio gets really old really quick.I could really get to hate "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree". Most of the time, I enjoy my job. I get to be a little creative and I get to feed people fun foods, especially around the Holidays. Still, it's a little disconcerting to find out that there are adults around that don't seem to remember that stoves are hot and you shouldn't grab something from a pan that's just come out of the oven. I guess they just get caught up in the moment, afraid they won't get their turn. Did I mention these are adults? Oh well, we're all kids at heart.

Gratitude Day

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day or as I like to call it, Gratitude Day. One of the things I was grateful for is that I didn't cook this year. Although I generally enjoy cooking the Thanksgiving meal, it was nice not to this year. My job often entails cooking and serving food demos, so it was a nice break. The weather forcasters were predicting rain mixed with snow and we were driving about 40 miles. I'm grateful that the sun came out and we had a perfectly lovely drive.The gratitude didn't stop today either. The company that I work for is grateful for we employees hard work in dealing with a successful grand opening for our new store and at the same time working hard to make holiday sales soar.They are providing our lunches for three days to thank us. Just think! the more you are grateful for things, the more the Universe provides. What a nice arrangement!

Some Observations

Did you ever notice that the harder you work and stress to fix a problem,the slower your progress gets? Maybe this does'nt happen to everyone, but it seems like the more I stress about something, the less efficient I get. I'm talking about negative stress here, the kind that gives "fight or fright" ir's name. When I get this way, I find that taking a break and relaxing can sometimes get things back on track. Sometimes it takes more than a break, it takes getting away from the problem completely for a day or two, just to hopefully, get a new perspective.

Of course there's the positive stress of being excited and turned on by a project.That's a whole different thing. Usually, the problem here is stopping long enough to relax and get some rest. If you get over-tired, you may find that stress going to the wrong kind and spoiling the "high" you got over the new project.

Most of the time, I'm just doing my job, trying to do my best work and feel good about it. I can hopefully do that without getting tired and/or discouraged enough to bring on the bad stress.

Looking Forward to Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is only 8 days away. It's a Holiday that most of us enjoy, but seems to get lost in the shuffle on a comercial level-except for grocery stores. My handicapped daughter loves Halloween, but this year she put all her Halloween decorations away a day early and started talking about "Turkey Day".(her term). She even forgot that her birthday was the week before Thanksgiving until I reminded her. I'm not sure what excites her, the food, the preparations, but mainly the traditions. She really gets insistant about traditions and it can be perilous to make changes without making sure you discuss it with her. I like Thanksgiving, the family together, at least as much as possible. I enjoy watching the Christmas parades on TV. This year, instead of pumpkin pie, we're haveing pumpkin cheesecake. I believe that we should practise thanksgiving every day of the year, not the eating, but the gratitude. Every single day of our lives there is something to be thankful for, even if it's just waking up still breathing in the morning. Most of us can find multiple blessings to count every single day, we just need to be aware of our lives. I try to think of "gratitudes" every night before sleep. It's great for your perspective!

A New Day?

Just a couple of things today. First, sorrow at the death of Ed Braddley, a reporter of honesty and integrity. He will be missed!
About the election results. Finally, the American People remembered that we have the power to change things if we'll only use it. Hopefully, the Democrats realise that the vote was more of a vote against the Republicans and less a vote of confidence for the Dems. Now it's up to the Democrats to show what they can do and to lead, not just occupy space or play political games. Hopefully, they can build some bipartisan bridges and actually get some work done.

Serving Pizza

Yesterday, in my demo job, it was time to sell pizzas. we sell a very nice, freshly made "take and bake" pizza, at a very good price. My job was to bake pizzas, cut them into sample pieces and distribute them to customers with the goal of selling a lot.
These are 16 inch pizzas and we cut them into good sized squares( 2 to 3 inches). We usually do this on Saturdays when people are interested in a good, quick meal for the weekend. Usually the whole family comes into the store as well. This was my first time doing the pizza demo. I knew it was popular, but WOW! It is amazing how fast you can go through a 16 inch pizza! I'd take one pizza out of the oven, put another in for 15 minutes and think I would be back to the oven in that much time. I found that I frequently went through a pizza in 5 to 7 minutes, including the cutting. I could come out of the kitchen, go to my table and start cutting and there'd be no one there. It only took a couple of minutes before the scent of hot pizza would have people waiting in line. Amazing! It was kind of fun being the most popular lady around for a few minutes at a time. It's also fun having a product be so appreciated. Needless to say, we sold lots.

Members of the Family

I just heard news from my Daughter-in-Law that thier little Shelty, Angel is ill, possibly seriously. My grandchildren are understandably upset. For that matter, so am I. Angel is a very sweet dog and has been in my extended family for several years. My Aunt's dog, Lady, got a severe spider bite last month and has been recovering. I had to put my Siamese cat to sleep a couple of years ago and I still miss her. I have had many pets in my lifetime, both dogs and cats and even a bird or two. Every one of them has been missed. Every one of them had a place in my life and family. Sometimes, losing a pet hurts so much, you vow, "Never again", but eventually, the loss eases, and you try again. Pets add so much to our lives and they really ask so little for all the love they give us. Meanwhile, my heart goes out to my Grandchildren and thier parents and I'll say a little prayer for Angel.

If You're Unsure or Don't Know-Google It!

Well, it's pretty sad, but I guess I don't get $160,000 after all. I did a lot of resarch on Google and I guess my lottery win is a veriation of the Nigerian scam. I knew I hadn't bought a lottery ticket, especially in the Netherlands. Oh well, It was fun to think of what I'd do with the money. It never hurts to dream a little either. Just don't put yourself in danger of losing money you can't afford or getting your identity stolen. It pays to not let greed blind you. When something seems to good to bet rue, it usually is.
We had a really beautiful day in Salt Lake City today. Blue sky just that slightly lighter shade that it gets when the air starts to cool off. There were some puffy clouds and new snow on the mountain tops. It was a little cool, a sweater felt good in the morning, but the sun was nice and bright in the afternoon. If you practise appreciation, life gets very good.

Is It a Scam?

A few days ago I recieved a check in the mail for close to 2 thousand dollars. It looked real and was issued by a bank that is real on the account of a company that is a real company. It has my name and address on it. Do I cash it? The problem is with the letter that came with it. It seems that I am the partial winner of a lottery prize drawn in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, I never purchased said lottery ticket. I used to buy Canadian Lottery tickets quite a few years ago,even won a couple a very small amounts, but I never, to my knowledge played the lottery in the Netherlands. The amount of the win quoted is pretty substantial and I could really use the money, but still, I'm very skeptical. I've done some research on line, some looked okay, other things looked scary. My choices are to just ignore the whole thing,but what if I lose the chance at some real finacial help? The other choice is to call the phone number included and hope it's not a scam to get my bank account number or participate unknowingly in some money laudering scheme. I've got about 3 days to decide. Scary!

Where is America Heading?

I've been concerned for quite some time about America's future, but I've always felt that "we the people" would keep things on track in the long run. I still have hopes for that. But at the moment, I'm concerned that we aren't paying enough attention to what has been going on. Going to war for the wrong reasons and being lied to about it is bad. Incompetance in the government is not unheard of, though not quite at the level of today. Cronyism, certainly is not new. But now, the Bush Administration,along with a compliant Congress has gotten rid of habeas corpus, just to protect themselves from past deeds and allow the President huge powers over prisoners he considers terrorist. There does'nt seem to be enough outcry on this.
It really seems that the quality of our leaders is going down hill.You'd think that the old saying, "cream rises to the top" would mean that the brightest and most honorable people would rise to become leaders. Look what we've got! I certainly don't count the bulk of Congress the "cream of the crop"! I guess since we elected them, maybe we deserve them, but there's got to be better people out there. We need to figure out how to get them to serve their country, while we've still got the freedoms we have.

Is Violence Our First Option to Solve Problems?

I'm sure many of us are apalled at the violence committed in schools lately. It seems that the innocent and available make good targets. Today I was reading the Letters to the Editor section in the Salt Lake Tribune and I came upon a letter written by a woman from a small town south of here. She said we shouldn't be surprised by people using guns to kill to try to solve thier problems. That seems to be the way Americans handle problems and grief lately. We were attacked by a small group of terrorists who killed nearly 3000 people. Did we get international police units to catch the perpetrators? No, we attacked another soverign country, destroying it's arguably cruel government,killing many others and still didn't kill or capture the mastermind. Then before that project was done, we invaded another soverign country, with a nasty dictator whom we had previously supported, and destroyed that government,telling the people they had to form a government of our chosing.How arrogant is that?. Our children and teens spend hours playing video games using guns to wipe out imaginary people, but does that deaden thier sensabilities? We watch movies that glorify violence and "might makes right" themes. Our young boys join gangs where shooting someone is a right of passage. I'm just paraphrasing her letter here and much of my own opinion is here. Her last paragraph though is very meaningful. She says of Americans, "We are better than that" and hopefully, she's right. Hopefully, we can reclaim our humanity and some civilised behavior. As she mentions, if the shooter in Colorado had been armed with a ballbat, the outcome could have been different.

The Perils of Sore Feet!

You know the old saying,"When your feet hurt, you hurt all over"? Well it is absolutely true! On my new job, I'm on my feet the whole shift except for breaks and lunch. Most of that time is just standing in one place on cement floors. It's actually a relief when I have to run back to the kitchen for something, or walk a little ways to show a customer where a product is. I'm amazed at people older than me and doing better than I am. Granted, they've been doing it longer. I've had blisters on both feet, I've tried gel inserts in my shoes, still I'm in pain most of the day and go home to soak my feet in hot water. This is what I get for all the years sitting at a desk. I even remember wishing I could work standing up at my computer. Maybe I'm getting my wish now. Hopefully, my feet will get stronger, or more calused. Maybe I'll get used to it or learn how to ignore my feet. Maybe I should just pretend I don't have any feet while I'm at work. Who knows, mind or matter might work.

A New or Renewed Pet Peeve

In my new job, I demonstrate new products, mostly food. Recently, I decided to open a new box of the product even though I was close to the end of my shift. I figured I could give away larger portions of the product. It was a Saturday, lots of people shopping with their kids, so I was able to give out quite a lot of the product. Unfortunately, by the time I needed to finish and get everything cleaned up, I still had 2 unopened cartons of product left. I ended up having to discard them in the garbage. That night I got to thinking about all of the food that gets thrown away, demo products opened but not completely used, products at their "use by" date, foods that some customer has dropped or otherwise disturbed the packaging,all this stuff that may be still consumable, but which can't be given away or donated due to whatever regulations there are. There's a lot of food just going to waste! You'd think that it could be given to the homeless, or even to animals in the zoo for pete's sake. I think of how wasteful Americans are and it bothers me. It doesn't help my feelings when I see the public service ads on TV about the children in third world countries who are starving and seeing their pictures. I guess that we're generous with donations and food and that is good, but what about all the food that ends up in the landfills? There should be another way!

Dream Life

Have you ever had a dream that just sticks with you and won't let go? It's not fun if it's a remembered nightmare, but even if it was a pleasent dream it can be uncomfortable when it seems like an obcession. Most dreams start to fade after you awaken and start getting on with your day,though if it was really nice, the feelings it engendered last awhile. This morning I was rudely awakened by my cat just as this dream was getting intense. There was a kind of "magicness" about this dream that has lingered all day long and the actual scene of the dream has remained clear as well. When I have a dream like that, I always wonder whether it has meaning. Is it prophetic? Gee, I hope so, but I don't think I've ever had a prophetic dream before. Is it something I really want or need and my subconscience is tryiny to give me a nudge? Maybe. Maybe I'm supposed to make a story out of it. Hmmm?

The Feel of Autumn--Wonderful

I suppose not everyone welcomes Autumn, but it's my favorite season. Maybe because school starts then, it feels like a new beginning to me. I get a little of that feeling in spring too, but in Utah, spring starts and stops so often, it's more frustrating. Here, the leaves are turning and it's getting colder. In fact, we have snow on the tops of the mountains already, a dusting that we received a few days ago. That is a little earlier than usual, but it's not that rare. Now I'm thinking of pumpkins and corn stalks. Soon I'll be putting something spooky on the front door. I usually try to decorate my door with colored leaves or autumn flowers that can be left for Thanksgiving and use the spooks on the deck where they can be taken in. Sometimes the pumpkins even survive for Thanksgiving. We haven't had them smashed for a couple of years. Hope that isn't an invitation. We usually drive in the mountains to see the changing leaves, but the early snow may have knocked a lot of them down. Oh well, this year I have a different job and I'm working weekends, so I may not have time anyway. I can still enjoy the rest of the season and it's inevitable slide into winter which I only enjoy for a week or two, then I get tired of cold and snow.

The Path to 9/11

After making such a big deal about the ABC production of "the Path to 9/11", I figured I should at least watch it, or part of it. Sunday night's presentation was 3 hours long. I managed 2 hours, then turned over to Ted Koppel on Dicovery network and watched an hour of that.
At the beginning of the ABC presentation, I noticed a small reference to the fact that the presentation was taken from many sources, one a book called "The Cell" and of course the 9/11 Commission report. They noted several times that this was a dramatization. It wasn't that badly done I guess, but thoughout people make statements and you're left to wonder, did that person really say that or was it part of the dramatization to make good theater? That was the problem for me throughout the 2 hrs that I watched. What was real and what was theater? Was someone trying to make a point or just entertain?
Parts of it got a little tedious, with lots of jumping around. Had it been a purely fictioal story, I doubt I would have lasted 2 hours. Will I watch the rest tonight? Maybe, but probably not.

Email From the Democrats

I just got an email from the Democrats describing a new docudrama that's to appear on ABC TV as a mini series entitled "The Path to 9/11" It supposedly follows the path leading up to the 9/11 event and lists as source the 9/11 commission. The only advisor listed from the commission is a Republican congressman. There supposedly have been some prescreenings but only to conservative bloggers and commentators. The Democrats have done some digging to find out what is in the docudrama and have fould some things that indicate that the blame for 9/11 will be laid at the Clinton adminstration's door. Tom McMahon,the writer of the email, lists some things included in the film that are actually things that never happened. Of course, this could be propaganda by the Democrats, but then, it is an election year and the Bush team is playing the "fear card" as often as they can. I wonder if those 14 prisoners to be transferred from CIA custody to Gitmo would ever have seen the light of day unless there was a political payoff for the Bush administration?

Sharon's opinions

A Touch of Fall,
Here in Utah, we've been having some cooler weather.In fact, I've needed to close my balcony window the last 2 or 3 nights and even felt a bit chilly in the mornings. I love this timeof year! The end of September and through October are usually the best time of year. October can sometimes fool you though and we even get freezes in September.

It won't stay cool though. It's supposed to warm up in a day or so. We can get some warm Falls too. Then I'll be hoping for a freeze to ease my Autumn allergies. Some people are never satisfied, Right?

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsToday, Salt Lake City had all it's demonstrations. I'm glad to report there were only 5 people at the "Down With Isreal" demo. Sort of restores my faith in my fello citizens. President Bush said all the things he usually says, nothing new. I guess that's to be expected. Looks like Salt Lakes 15 minutes of glory is over and we survived. All in all, I prferred the Olympics.

President Bush to Visit the Reddist of Red States

It's that time of year again, the American Legion Convention. This year, President Bush will speak, as he did last year. This year we even get Sec Rumsfield and Sec Condi Rice. Both spoke on Tuesday, saying the usual things about the war. Mr. Rumsfield thinks that anyone not in favor of the war in Iraq is morally confused. He said these were the same kinds of people who tried appeasement with Hitler. (same old rhetoric) Sec. Rice was more diplomatic. That is, after all her job. She admitted there were some unhappy things coming out of Iraq. She also said we had the right to protest. (tell that to the Utah GOP) She was upset that people were saying bad things about her boss, the President. She believes he is a truthful, moral man. I suspect Pres. Bush believes that too.

We here in Utah have around 5 demonstrations scheduled for today. One at least pro Bush, one against the war, one pro imigration and one called "down with Isreal". That last one bothers me a bit. Still, they got their permission, went through all the proticals, so they've the right to express themselves.

Lots of people in the state don't believe our SLC mayor Rocky Anderson has that right though. He's supposed to be the office,welcoming the federal office. Just play nice. The GOP in this state thinks their the only party(they almost are) They took out radio ads asking people to flood the city phone lines with protests. The city added people to answer the phones. When someone called the Republican party headquarters to ask some uncomfortale questions, the receptionist hung up. Such is politics in Utah. Can't wait to hear what Pres. Bush has to say, assuming it will be any different from previous speeches, of course.

On Being My Own Worst Enemy

In my last post, I talked about needing to find a job. I am actually doing some looking and doing some online applications, but many want a resume. There's where I'm shooting myself in the foot. I have it started, but I just can't seem to finish it. I'm using a different program, so when I get problems, I try once or twice to get past them, then throw up my hands, save what I have, and quit. I have an interveiw on Thursday and thought I should go get my shaggy hair trimed today. Instead, I took a nap. Of course, getting awakened by a fire engine and an ambulence at 3 am this morning didn't help. There I go making excuses for myself again. At least I got my daughter-in-laws birthday gift shipped yesterday. Maybe if I recognise the things I do get done instead of carping on and on about my failings, I'd start doing better, ot at least feeling better.

Changes -But I Don't Want To!

I've been home, not employed for over 2 years now. The first 2 years I was the primary caretaker for my 80 something Mom who needed dialysis 3 bdays a week. I was'nt just sitting around, but I had time to keep up the house work, do some reading, play on the internet, etc. I had my early retirement money and the severance package my company gave me when I was downsized, plus Mom's social security and what we'd managed to save. By the time Mom passed away,we'd gone through quite a bit of the money, but not all.

After Mom died, I didn't know quite what to do with myself and I was more depressed than I expected. I figured Mom had been released from a lot of suffering that last 6 months so I expected to bounce back. I didn't really and I made some bad decisions with money.I bought so many things that were going to get me earning great money on the web, but either did'nt work. I couldn't understand, or I didn't follow through on.

The result is, I need to go back to work. On the one hand, I'm okay with that, but on the other, I'm as scared as I was when I had to take care of myself after my divorce.There's the added problem of being embarrassed and a little ashamed of myself.

I'll survive, but It's a pain too. I guess some things we don't seem to outgrow.

Early Mornings are Worth It

I usually get up early every morning because my cat insists on being fed. Imagine that! He's very persistant, first patting my arm or face, then jumping on me. I usually grope my way downstairs and feed him, then make coffee and sit, half asleep waiting for it. Yesterday, while on my first cup of coffee, I looked out to the east through my patio door and became mezmerised with the unfolding of the sunrise. I live in a valley with mountains on both the west and the east so both sunrise and sunset can take a little time.
Yesterday, there were just enough clouds to really hi-light the changes in the light. First the lower surfaces were a deep pink with small spots of white on top. Gradually,the pink lightened and spread higher in the sky and farther west with the cloud tops brightening. Within minutes, the clouds closest to the mountain became rosy gold and pink spread farther across the sky. Amazingly, hundreds of small birds chose this time to leap into the air, flying toward the mountains as if welcoming the sun. By now, the clouds on the east were bright with sunlight.
The fun part is, it can happen again tomorrow, different each day, but always the same.

Fish Tank as Decor

At this years National Kitchen and Bath Assocciation Show in Chicago, HGTV showed some of the new ideas. One of those ideas turned out to be an aquarium of fish as an island in the kitchen. They showed it with colorful gold fish, illuminated to show it off. There's a small opening on top with a lid which allows you to feed the fish. They didn't mention if you were also expected to clean the tank through that small opening too.

Another company showed a toilet with a clear,double tank which also held goldfish. Due to the double tank, the fish don't get flushed.I imagine feeding and cleaning are still problematic.

Deconstruction versus Demolishing

I read an article in the Sept issue of Better Homes and Gardens about a couple who discovered a way to get the bigger space they needed without betraying their principles on recycling. They didn't want to move as they enjoyed their location living on the shore of a lake. They looked at their options and dicovered a deconstruction company that would carefully dismantle their present one level home and save the reusable material for their new contruction or save it for someone else's construction.

They ended up with a new 2 story home with more size and they even got a tax credit for the deconstruction. They used some things from the old home and other things from elsewhere. They even carted up stones from their lake front to build a new fireplace. Considering all the deomolition and construction material that ends up in the nation's landfills each year, this was a great solution.
If you want details, go to Better Homes and Garden, Sept issue or try their website at http://www.bhg.com

People and Reality

I just read in the news that nearly 50% of the people polled believe that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq before we invaded. The article went on to wonder how so many people could have such a disconnect from reality. My simple answer to that question is that they choose to disconnect, from a reality they find uncomfortable due to currant news from the war, or wanting to disconnect from a reality where they might have to feel some bit of responsibilty for keeping the Bush administration in office. I think some of these people only pay attention to news sources that will bolster their version of reality, like Fox News and conservative talk radio and blogs. If you don't open yourself to anyone who might disagree with you, you don't have to change your mind or feel any guilt. You can remain somewhat comfortable. I'm afraid that sooner or later, reality will intrude though. (hopefully before 2006 elections.)

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsI was noticing recently, that Govenor Arnold Swartznegger of California has joined Tony Blair of Great Britain in trying to do something about global warming.I guess it's no surprise since California has been working on it for quite sometime. Our Mayor of Salt Lake City, Rocky Anderson has been making changes in our city for quite awhile. We've already met and in some cases surpassed goals for lowering greenhouse emmissions. Too bad Rocky isn't running for a third term.
It seems to me that even if you believe that this climate change is just part of a normal cycle, it still is a good idea to lower greenhouse gas emmission if only to give us cleaner air and better health. As far as I'm aware, this our only planet at present and we all have to breathe the same air, plenty to go around, just not very clean or heathful.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinions It was a busy weekend and I hardly touched my computer. After all the heat we've had lately, we got a pleasnt change today. It was in the low 60s this A.M. and I actually had to close mybalcony door. We got a huge rain storm this morning, one of those "frog stranglers" you may have heard about. Really nice. Of course I like rain storms. I just wish I'd had my car out of the carport to get washed, but by the time I thought of it, I'd have gotten washed too and I'd just got dressed. Oh well.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinions I thought today I'd strive to be a bit more positive in my post. Time to stop bitchin about the heat, the world, etc. Have you noticed it does no good to be negative except to bring about more negativity?
I've been reacting badly to the heat lately and it surely doesn't make the weather change. I decided to just go about my business. It was still hot and I still got sweaty and tired, but I didn't feel so bummed out, just living my life in the heat. Obviously, I still drink plenty of water, dress sensibly and rest when I need to, I'm just trying to be accepting of what I can't change. Yeah, and I don't hesitate to get into air conditioning when I can either!

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsThe headline on the front page of the Salt Lake Tribune this morning was very depressing though not totally unexpected. We've had a little 5 yr old girl missing for over a week and last night she was found dead in the basement of the next door neighbor. The buildings had been searched 4 times, but somehow she wasn't found. After 100's of people scoured the area and even into the canyons, she was that close. All the registered sex offenders were checked out and pretty much cleared. The young man who is now in custody has no record, but one instance of domestic disturbance 6 months ago. The police treated the disapperance as a " missing person" and didn't issue an "Amber alert" until yesterday.
It's just a sad, sad, thing when a little girl isn't safe in her own yard! I'm not sure what can be done. Maybe we need to see each other as lovable children of God,deserving love and protection. I don't know.

This is my cat Jake. He's 18 pounds, long of body and short of leg and when you see him walking from the rear, he looks like he's duck-walking. Give Jake 2 square meals a day, a sunny patch on the foor to lie in, birds to watch out the window and a comfortable lap to lie in once in a while and he's a happy camper. He's my alarm clock. I rarely get to sleep past 6a.m.--got to feed the cat! Jake loves tearing around the house for no apparent (human) reason. He has his own stuffed yellow cat that he grooms and talks to. Got to get him a friend. He surely makes life interesting around here

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsWe got the most wonderful rain storm last night, big huge drops at first, then it settled down into a steady rain for 20 minutes or so---pretty good for us. It cooled things off and freshened the air, wonderful! I slept well and this morning was beautiful and cool with streaky pink clouds as the sun was coming up. Of course we'll still probably get over 100 degrees again today but maybe only 98. yippee. It seems like most of the country is hot and even London and Spain are having people drop from the heat. Guess it's summer.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsThank goodness we got some cloud cover this afternoon to cool things off slightly, just 99 degrees rather than 103 like yesterday. We also got some lovely thunder and lightening, love it! Too bad we didn't get any rain. I try to remind myself that in 4 or5 months I'll be gripeing about being cold, right. Human nature---never satisfied, at least not for long. Maybe I should just meditate and learn acceptance.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinions The weather service says it's going to be HOT again today, maybe 104 degrees! My fan on my swamp cooler isn't working so well, so I have fans all over the house. I have a portable swamp cooler in storage--Guess I'd better go get it. Swamp coolers aren't as efficient as central air when it's this hot, but better than nothing. I realise this weather isn't proof of global warming, but it does make you think.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinions I saw the new "Pirates of the Caribean" yesterday. The local movie critics only gave it 2 and one half stars, but we enjoyed it. It was very much a cliff hanger ending this time, as there is a third movie in the can that will be seen next summer.
I also just read Fanny Flagg's new book,"Can't Wait to Get to Heaven". I read it in one sitting! It is a very good book. Give it a try anyone.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinions Well, my grandson's on his way home and it's queter around here. We went to see "Cars" recently. He had already seen it and wanted to see "Click". I'd have liked to see it too, but it's rated pg13 and my grandson just turned 10. It is probably an okay movie, but I didn't want to possibly upset his parents. It's funny. As a grandparent, I need to think of both my opinion, and also his parents opinion, one more opinion to consider than when I was a parent. I guess I could be the kind of grandmother who spoils the kids,(I do a little) but I didn't like being sabotaged by grandparents with my own kids. Anyway, "Cars" is a good movie and he enjoyed it over again.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsMy Aunt and I took one of my grandsons to the zoo here in SLC. It's been 2 or 3 years since I've been there and I knew they had made some positive changes in how the animals were housed, more natural settings etc. It does seem better too. They have some new programs for educating the public as well. We went to a show using wild birds, many of them predators. What beautiful bird! The hawks and owls would fly just over your head, you could feel the wind of their passing. They also used parrots and cockateils for entertainment. The trainer even showed some of his secrets. They had people in the audience participate.They taught the cockateils to take money out of your hand and deposit it in a collection box for projects to protect birds.Needless to say, they collect a lot. If your ever in SLC UT, check out Hogle Zoo!!

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsIt's warm here in SLC Ut, but not as bad as some years. I can remember quite a few 4th of Julys being a 100 degrees, though we don't usually reach 100 until later in the month. The strange thing this year is that the usual hugh 4th of july program in the neighboring city of Provo, went on on Sat. July 1st, including fireworks. They've done this before when the 4th came on Sunday. Maybe they don't thnik anyone would come out on a Tuesday evening. Funny thing, they don't understand why ticket sales are down.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinions I'm back from my trip. Nornally Portland Orhas temperatures in June in the 70s or 80s. The day I left, it was 104 degrees. Funny, they had record breaking temps in May when I was there last. Coincidence?
I ended up staying an extra day due to full flights. Good for the airline, but not me. You know, flying isn't as fun as it used to be. Maybe I'm just getting older? Nah, couldn't be!

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsI'm getting ready to go stay with my grand children while their parents are away. As a retiree of an airline, I can fly standby when there's space available. Okay when you don't have a deadline, otherwise not always doable. Since 9/11, we're required to list and get paperwork for the TSA. For my company, to list I have to call and talk to a computer. I found myself getting irritated and cross, nearly yelling at a machine! Fortunately, nobody was there to hear but me and the computer.I felt foolish, but sometimes don't you wish there was a way to punish that phone or computer?

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsI've been busy setting up a new website. As usual, I tried to do it the hard way, taking forever. But I got some help and was set up in 20 minutes about.

I've been wondering why we blog.I know some peoplewant to get thier opinions "out there" and hopefully start a dialogue. What about those whose blogs never get read? Are we just using it to show off or to clarify or maybe validate our ideas?
Just a thoght.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsI said I needed know what I was doing! My computer timed out on the first post, so I rewrote it with some editing.
Talk about redundancy!

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsI can't beleive I've spent hours trying to install a new program to one of my websites! It would help if I knew more what I was doing. I seem to be suffering from a real steep learning curve lately.Hope my brain doesn't explode. Speaking of new websites, I have a new trial one:
http://SCornell.successuniversity.com/New.

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinionsI can'tbelieve I've spent hours trying to download a new program to another of my websites and it is still not done! Fortunately I've got a new task chair so I dont have T>B> quite. It would help if I knew a little more.
Speaking of new website, I have one.
hhtp://SCornell.successuniversity.com/New It is a trial balloon for me just now

Sharon's opinions

Sharon's opinions....It seems to me that the bedroom can be the heart of the home if you can make it into a sancuary , a place of comfort to find some peace and quiet, etc. Now my bedroom is also my office, so it isn't really a sancuary, just where I spend an inordinate amount of time. Oh well, someday.

This is my first blog and I'm not sure what to do with it. All of a sudden, I've got no opinion! That may be a first! I'm excited about the potential of blogs and the internet in general. I do beleive that blogs make the internet and it's possibilities available to more people and not just those who can write code. Nothing against those who can, I'm trying to learn myself.

I guess that's it for now.