Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Hump Day Humor....

There are two statues in a park. One of a nude man and one of a nude woman.

They had been facing each other across a pathway for a hundred years, when one day an angel comes down from the sky and, with a single gesture, brings the two to life.

The angel tells them, "As a reward for being so patient through a hundred blazing summers and dismal winters, you have been given life for thirty minutes to do what you've wished to do the most."

He looks at her, she looks at him, and they go running behind the shrubbery.

The angel waits patiently as the bushes rustle and giggling ensues. After fifteen minutes, the two return, out of breath and laughing.

The angel tells them, "Um, you have fifteen minutes left, would you care to do it again?"

He asks her "Shall we?"

She eagerly replies, "Oh, yes, let's! But let's change positions. This time, I 'll hold the pigeon down and you shit on its head."






WHAT WERE YOU THINKING????

OK....obviously, I'm having some technical difficulties. The real inspirational story for today, is one down. I messed up the dates when I set them to post. It's an awesome story, though, so please scroll down and read it if you have time.

AND...Son #1 had a pretty bad accident last night - this morning (12:30 am). He's okay, but we're pretty sure his new car of 3 months is totaled. He'd come to town to visit us during his break, and had gone downtown to see some of his friends.

I'm headed out the door with him now to go back to Raleigh, and to run a bunch of errands today to get as much taken care of as we can. He goes back to class tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm going to have to leave this "as is." Sorry.


Happy hump day!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

What an Inspirational Story!!

Today's post is a little longer than my normal Tuesday Food For Thought, but WOW!! A lot of the quotes that I share come from a daily e-mail that I receive from Peggy McColl, New York Times Best Selling Author.

On Friday's, we get "The Friday Story." They're usually a bit long, and I don't read them because...well, I just don't take the time to read them.

Unless...I have a very strong sense that it has something important to say. Maybe one out of every two or three months will give me that feeling. Last Friday, I had that feeling with this one, and I'm so glad I did.

I've been really struggling with getting this story finished for the writing contest. I've written every single day since the beginning of May. Some days I write just a few hours, most days, I'm sitting at my computer all day. I haven't cleaned my house since this project started (I don't think, and it sure as hell doesn't look like I have). My back hurts all the time, and my wrists are starting to hurt all the time too.

I've not considered giving up, becuase I'd never forgive myself if I missed this opportunity. But I've not been a very pleasant person to be around lately. LOL I'm so grateful I received this story. It's given me the boost I need to get through the next seven to ten days and get this story submitted. I hope you enjoy it too!!!


"Reaching for the Sky"

It was so difficult. We inched our way up, climbing the "Snake Path" of Masada, a fortress in the mountains of ancient Israel where the Jewish people held off the Roman emperor's army for three years.

As in the days of Masada, my "trip" up the "Snake Path" was very difficult. However, I kept reminding myself as I inched up the path with my father, "The easy things in life are usually not worth doing."

I had learned that lesson the hard way. I had been involved in an "accident," that almost ended my life at the young age of 19. However, I did survive with much help and determination. Some say I have "turned surviving into thriving," but I just try. I have disabilities as a result of the injury; however, I believe that all humans have some kind of disabilities.

I kept repeating that statement to myself as I attempted to climb the steep mountain. There were many places on the path where there was not enough room for both my father (who was holding me tightly) and myself to climb side by side. My father, therefore, held me perhaps even tighter as he followed me slowly- -VERY SLOWLY- -up the path.

As we climbed higher and higher, I was also remembering how difficult it had been to train for this climb. Months before, my father and I would climb the stairs of the tallest hospital (25 flights) in Houston, St. Luke's Hospital. At the end of several months of training we had reached the point where we were climbing the hospital stairs 3 times in a row. Because of that exercise routine, I was breathing easily as I climbed much of the mountain, as I was basically in good shape. However, because of the very steep and often narrow paths, there were times when I, as well as my father, was having difficulty breathing because of tension and strained nerves.

However, as we approached the top of the "Snake Path" a broad smile came over my face at that moment. It did not matter how much I was hurting; also, it did not matter that we were thousands of miles away from our home in Houston; actually, for a brief moment in time nothing seemed to matter, except that I was able to accomplish my goal--climbing the steep fortress Masada.

Just then, as I was 20 steps from the top, I heard a group of Israeli soldiers at the top of Masada all applauding my achievement. (OK, I guess they might have also been clapping for my father.) I was so proud, not because I had climbed Masada and not because Israeli soldiers had applauded my achievement, but because I had achieved my goal.

Everyone in life has his own "mountains" to climb, some small, some big--but "mountains" nonetheless. I believe the important thing in a person's life is trying to overcome one's obstacles.

I thought about that as I reached the very top of Masada--and then I collapsed for a few minutes. Lying with my face to the ground I thought: "I did it. I did it." However, I quickly realized that I had many more goals and different goals to still reach. But I smiled and thought, "Which one is next?"

Michael Segal


Michael Jordan Segal, who defied all odds after being shot in the head, is a husband, father, social worker, freelance author (including a CD/Download of 12 stories, read with light backgroud music, entitled POSSIBLE), and inspirational speaker, sharing his recipe for happiness, recovery and success before conferences and businesses. To contact Mike or to order his CD, please visit www.InspirationByMike.com.

If you have an extra 8 minutes, you might want to watch this video. It's very compelling.




Go out there and reach for those goals! Make yourself proud!!!

Peace and love,
Alannah

Friday, June 25, 2010

Sizzline Sixteen is here!!!



Here's the deets from her website:

Trenton, New Jersey, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has inherited a “lucky” bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, Uncle Pip didn’t specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck....

BAD LUCK:
Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of $786,000 with mobster
Bobby Sunflower and is being held until the cash can be produced. Nobody else will pay to get Vinnie back, leaving it up to Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lula to raise the money if they want to save their jobs.

GOOD LUCK:
Being in the business of tracking down people, Stephanie, Lula, and Connie have an advantage in finding Vinnie. If they can rescue him, it will buy them some time to raise the cash.

BAD LUCK:
Finding a safe place to hide Vinnie turns out to be harder than raising $786,000. Vinnie’s messing up local stoner Walter “Moon Man” Dunphy's vibe and making Stephanie question genetics.

GOOD LUCK:
Between a bonds office yard sale that has the entire Burg turning out, a plan that makes Mooner’s Hobbit-Con look sane, and Uncle Pip’s mysterious bottle, they just might raise enough money to save Vinnie and the business from ruin.

BAD LUCK:
Saving Vincent Plum Bail Bonds means Stephanie can keep being a bounty hunter. In Trenton, this involves hunting down a man wanted for polygamy, a Turnpike toilet paper bandit, and a drug dealer with a pet alligator named Mr. Jingles.

GOOD LUCK:
The job of bounty hunter comes with perks in the guise of Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, and the dark and dangerous, Ranger. With any luck at all, Uncle Pip’s lucky bottle will have Stephanie getting lucky---the only question is . . . with whom?

Sizzling Sixteen . . . so hot, the pages might spontaneously combust!

I had to stick with tradition and buy this on release day. Even though I'm only allowing myself to read it while I eat breakfast. LOL Otherwise, I'll sit here all day and read, and won't write.

Anyone else started on it?

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! Stay cool and have fun!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Thursday, June 24, 2010

What's Happening?

Once again, I got nothing. So, I thought I'd do a "this is what's going on with me, how about you" type of thing.

First - as I was getting ready to type this, a bald eagle flew over my house. We see them several times a year, but I never tire of it. Hubby was mowing one day and saw one swoop down into the pond and snatch up a fish. That would have been cool!!






LOL...change of blog topic. I'm so ADD. As I was beginning to type, he came back. Apparently, he had food on the side of the pond (On my in in-laws side, so my pics are taken from almost 1/4 mile away). He was there about 10-15 minutes, until the stupid geese ganged up on him and scared him away.











While I was trying to get really good pics of him, one of my beloved fox squirrels strolled past. We've always had a few, but last year, the neighbors dog got hold of one and killed her. We could tell she had babies, and when we found the nest we were crushed to realize there was nothing we could do to help them. It was 60' in the air!!!





Fortunately, the they were old enough to survive, and a few weeks later we started seeing a black one with a white nose and a very small white tip on it's tail. He even climbed up on my window sill one morning and looked in the window at me. The one in this picture, is one of his siblings that survived. And now, we have more small ones that we've seen running along the edge of the woods.


And, last but not least, we had more baby ducks. I haven't seen them since I snapped this picture, and I hope it's because the mama kept them at another pond, not because something happened to them.

Watching her move them across our property, to the pond on the adjoining piece of property was very enlightening. It also explains why we have a bazillion geese, and very few ducks. When the geese have gosslings, both parents raise them (geese mate for life). When the move from one pond to another, they move in groups, so there will be three or four sets of parents with all the babies. AND, there are two other geese that guard the back of the flock.


This poor mama duck was all on her own.

I also saw two hummingbirds collide - they crack me up. And, as soon as I walked out to the kitchen this morning, Hoover (my baby bunny) ran past my door. Hubby thought it would be fun to get a rise out of me and ask me if I thought the eagle was eating the bunny. I emphatically informed him the eagle was eating a fish!

On the writing front, I'm just a little behind schedule on the story I've been writing to enter the Brava Writing with the Stars contest. I should finish my paper edits tomorrow, and then I can retype the edits in and finish writing the story. I have six days until the contest opens, and I think I can make it.

I think I can. I think I can. I...will!!!!!

So what's going on with you?

Sending tons of peace and love on this Thursday!!
Alannah

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Hump Day Humor....

Skinny Dipping

An elderly man in Florida had owned a large farm for several years. He had a large pond in the back.


It was properly shaped for swimming, so he fixed it up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some orange, and lime trees.

One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't been there for a while, and look it over.

He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some fruit. As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee.

As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond.

He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end.

One of the women shouted to him, 'we're not coming out until you leave!'

The old man frowned, 'I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked..'

Holding the bucket up he said, 'I'm here to feed the alligator.'

Some old men can still think fast.


Sorry for the late post. Internet issues hung me up!

Have a great hump day!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Food For Thought...

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your mind. Put your whole soul to it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803-1882, Essayist, Philosopher and Poet


Have a great, enthusiastic Tuesday!!!!

Peace and love,
Alannah

Friday, June 18, 2010

What I'm Reading...


Yay!! The 4th book in Larissa Ione's Demonica series came in yesterday and I'm so excited. I'm trying to use it as a reward, only reading a few pages AFTER I've done my editing.

Paula - glad you're loving the series!!

Here's the deets on the 4th book, for those who aren't familiar.



A Demon Enslaved…

Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master’s assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister’s life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he’ll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.

An Angel Tempted…

Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She’s determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary—even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.

Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again—hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction.


I hope it's a fantastic weekend for everyone!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Woo-hooo!!!!

I have great news. A milestone, of sorts.

The doctor said (with heavy French accent), "Your brain looks fantastic. No growth, no change, no brain deterioration. Everything looks great. And we can back your appts up to every 3 months, instead of every 2. We'll do that twice, and then we'll go to every 4 months."

We are sooooo excited! It's a great psychological boost, for sure!

Hope ya'll have had a great day!!
Hugs to all,
Alannah

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Hump Day Humor....

A couple were celebrating 50 years together. Their three kids, all very successful, agreed to a Sunday dinner in their honor.

"Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad," gushed son number one .... "Sorry I'm running late. I had an emergency at the hospital with a patient, you know how it is, and I didn't have time to get you a gift."

"Not to worry," said the father. "The important thing is that we're all together today."

Son number two arrived and announced, "You and Mom look great, Dad. I just flew in from Los Angeles between depositions and didn't have time to shop for you."

"It's nothing," said the father. "We're glad you were able to come."

Just then the daughter arrived. "Hello and happy anniversary! I'm sorry, but my boss is sending me out of town and I was really busy packing so I didn't have time to get you anything."

After they had finished dessert, the father said, "There's something your mother and I have wanted to tell you for a long time. You see, we were very poor. Despite this, we were able to send each of you to college. Throughout the years your mother and I knew that we loved each other very much, but we just never found the time to get married."

The three children gasped and all said, "You mean we're bastards?"

"Yep," said the father. "And cheap ones too."

Happy Hump Day!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Food For Thought...

"One half of life is luck; the other half is discipline - and that's the important half, for without discipline you wouldn't know what to do with luck."

Carl Zuckmeyer
1896-1977, Writer and Playwright



Peace and love,
Alannah

Friday, June 11, 2010

What's Everyone Reading?

I've finished with the first 3 books in Larissa Ione's Demonica series, and I'm so relieved!! LOL I loved those books and had a really tough time putting them down.

That caused me problems, because I was having a tough time getting my own writing done. And I'm on a really tight deadline, if I want to get this story ready in time to enter it in Brava's Writing With the Stars Contest.

So what's everyone else reading?

We're off to the river for the weekend. Today is kidlet's 15th birthday and we're going to celebrate. For the past year, he's planned on driving us to the river. However, the driving school didn't call until tonight to schedule his three days of driving, so it's going to be another week before he gets his permit. :( He's not happy, but there's nothing that can be done until he does his driving time.

I hope it's a great weekend for everyone!!

Peace and love,
Alannah

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Yard Update

Rather than doing a peek at my iPod (which I think I haven't done in weeks), I thought I'd give you a yard update. Complete with pictures. We still have a ways to go, but now I kind of wish I'd taken before/after pictures. I didn't, because it looked so horrible I didn't figure I'd ever show them to anyone. But it's hard to really appreciate all of our hard work, without knowing how bad it was before.

Just imagine, the grass had moved into the plant beds, and since there was other stuff in the plant beds, we couldn't mow it. You get the idea. BAD!

But here's after a month of pulling weeds, putting down new landscape cloth and 208 bags of mulch. That sounds totally ridiculous!! LOL The close-up purple plant is lavendar, and I have it scattered all around the house. There's also daylillies, knock-out roses and verbena. My oleander hasn't started blooming yet, and in the fall, there will be a whole different set of things blooming.

There's also a picture of our baby ducks. We started with ten and ended up with two. :( And we have a bazillion geese, they seem to have all made it. And my bunny rabbit, Hoover. There's actually two of them. They don't like weeds but love Lirope and Thyme. LOL

























LOL...Okay, that's all for show-n-tell today. Thanks for listening.

Happy Thursday!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

An 86-year-old man went to his doctor for his annual check-up...

The doctor asked him how he was feeling, and the 86-year-old said, "Things are great and I've never felt better. I now have a 20-year-old bride who is pregnant with my child! So what do you think about that Doc?"

The doctor considered his question for a minute and then began to tell a story. "I have an older friend, much like you, who is an avid hunter and never misses a season.

"One day he was setting off to go hunting. In a bit of a hurry, he accidentally picked up his walking cane instead of his gun.... As he neared the lake, he came across a very large male beaver sitting at the water's edge.

"He realized he'd left his gun at home and so he couldn't shoot the magnificent creature. Out of habit he raised his cane, aimed it at the animal as if it were his favorite hunting rifle, and went 'bang, bang'....Miraculously, two shots rang out and the beaver fell over dead. Now, what do you think of that?" asked the doctor.

The 86-year-old said, "Logic would strongly suggest that somebody else pumped a couple of rounds into that beaver."

The doctor replied, "My point exactly."


Happy Hump Day (no pun intended)
Peace and love,
Alannah

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Food For Thought...

"Maybe you can't change the whole world, but if you have love in your heart you can make small differences every day, which really does change the world, one life at a time."

Kristina Koncz



Have a great day!!

Peace and love,
Alannah

Friday, June 4, 2010


Forbidden Temptations…

Serena Kelley is an archaeologist and treasure hunter—and a woman with a secret. Since she was seven, she’s been the keeper of a powerful charm that grants her health and immortality . . . as long as she stays a virgin. But Serena isn’t all that innocent. And when a dangerously handsome stranger brings her to the brink of ecstasy, she wonders if she’s finally met the one man she cannot resist.

Fatal Desires…

Wraith is a Seminus demon with a death wish. But when an old enemy poisons him, he must find Serena and persuade her to give him the only known antidote in the universe—her charm. Yet, as she begins to surrender to his seductions, and Wraith senses the cure is within his grasp, he realizes a horrible truth: he’s falling for the woman whose life he must take in order to save his own.


This is the 3rd book in the Demonica series and it's just as good, if not better, than the last one. I'm not too far into it, only about 50 pages, but so far, I'm loving it.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! Oh, and happy 16th Anniversary to me and my hubby!!!

Peace and love,
Alannah

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Coming Soon...

Like, in a few hours. LOL

I have the new video for Savin' Me ready to go. Almost. I just need to get it published and uploaded to Youtube. But, I had to take my youngest to a doctor's appt first thing this morning, so it's going to be a little later when I finally get it posted.

Be back soon....

Peace and love,
Alannah

Update: I've hit a little snag. I can't get into my Youtube channel, so I can't post the video. I've emailed the person who did the Reaction Time video for me, to see if she could help me out. As soon as I hear back from her and am able to get in, I'll upload to Youtube and then post it here.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day!!!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Hump Day....well...

I have to confess, this made me laugh. A lot. And I seriously considered sending it to my brother. He's a preacher. But in the end, I decided not to send it along to anyone in my family, because it would - sooner or later - end up in the hands of those who would accost me the next time I go home. They'd drag me to the river, and throw me in. Probably with weights attached to my ankles. LOL

I'm going to apologize right up front. If this offends anyone, and your beliefs, I'm sorry. That is not my intent, and I would never purposely do that. But I think everyone here is open-minded and might find this as enlightening as I did. And humorous as hell!

In fact, if it offends anyone (my regular readers), I'll take it down. Just send me an e-mail and it'll be gone.



In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet. Very informative.

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan.

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia


PS: It would be a damn shame if we couldn't own a Canadian :)


Have a great humpday!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Food For Thought...


"When you give someone a book, you don't give him just paper, ink, and glue. You give him the possibility of a whole new life."

Christopher Morley
1890-1957, Novelist, Journalist and Poet

This seemed like a great quote for a bunch of book lovers! :)

Have a great day!
Peace and love,
Alannah