PENSIEVE

Is this common knowledge?

Did you realize there's a difference between "addiction" and "chemical dependence"?  You can be chemically dependent (on drugs or alcohol, etc.) but not be addicted to those substances; one doesn't necessarily mean the other.

Addiction carries with it a psychological attachment that chemical dependence doesn't.

It took a little while for the distinction to sink in, but once it did, it made a lot of sense...especially as I thought about people in my life who've suffered with one or the other...or both.

Explaining, stalling and admitting an addiction

1)  Now that Fun Monday is done for the week, I've got "naked blogging" to catch up on (and NO, scarypeople, that isn't about sitting--undressed--at your computer...or standing, for that matter).  The thing is, I'm also wrist deep into finishing our Western Adventure series.  Why can't I finish it?  Is it because I have a.d.d. when it comes to writing?  Is it because I'm meeting my husband for lunch and having a very-necessary pedicure before my feet start looking like THIS?   (click that link ONLY if you're very, very b.r.a.v.e.)?  Is it because of on-going technical difficulties?  Or because we took so many pictures I slip into a dreamy, ethereal state when I look at them and I'm instanta- neously mentally (where it counts) teleported back to the Grand Tetons or meandering through the 2,000,000+ acres of Yellowstone instead of writing about it ...? 

That would be a reverberating "y e s! thankyewverymuch!"

2)  The addiction spoken of in the title can be explained with this:

What is it you ask?  A spice jar-sized creamer and sugar set, much like the similarly-packaged picnic-ready salt and pepper shakers you might find on aisle 7 at your local grocer's.

What it is, is not relevant.  That I bought it in the first place, is.  A)  I certainly didn't need it; and B) the singular reason I bought it was it cost 10¢...one thin dime.  Originally $1.75, for some inexplicable reason, I HAD to have it!  One of the BEST bargains I've ever found!  I wanted to buy several of them to give away as enviable prizes in some kind of spectacular blog giveaway... hmmm, or maybe Ree will want a few for her photo caption contest, yes? .  WHAT THE HECK IS UP WITH THAT???  IT MAKES NO SENSE, EVEN TO ME!      

See?  a true addiction...I'm so ashamed...my need to buy something just because it's 95% off.  Sick, I tell ya, sick!

[3]  Here's a sursee I bought myself recently.  Seems like I'm developing "plaque", too...and not just the kind a little dab of Crest will take care of.

This joins the other plaque I featured in a previous Fun Monday.  Gosh, if you super-size the picture and read the baby cercie I bought myself at the same time, you're gonna think I NEVAH clean my house.

Would that be the worst thing in the world?  Tad, you are NOT allowed to comment! ;)

Personality...plus!

Although I've seen this floating around the blogosphere, I've been curious to take it myself since seeing it first at Grace's site.

 

For personality type, I'm an ENPF, an Advocate.  According to this test, "ENFPs are introspective, values-oriented, inspiring, social and extremely expressive. They actively send their thoughts and ideas out into the world as a way to bring attention to what they feel to be important, which often has to do with ethics and current events. ENFPs are natural advocates, attracting people to themselves and their cause with excellent people skills, warmth, energy and positivity. ENFPs are described as creative, resourceful, assertive, spontaneous, life-loving, charismatic, passionate and experimental." 

Without taking time to read through all the other types, this seems about right for me; obviously, with exception, but not too far off, either.

Probably the funniest thing to me, though, is the apparent company I "keep"--other famous ENFPs include (among others) Carol Burnett, Bill Cosby, Sandra Bullock, Lewis Grizzard, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Bob Dylan and.........James Dobson.  Interesting and somewhat amusing list, yes?

For the Multiple Intelligences side, it's not a surprise (to me) to score high in Verbal/Linguistic and Interpersonal; it is a bit odd that the next highest category is InTRApersonal.  Extroverted AND introverted?  Comparing the characteristics of those two lists, no wonder my husband calls me "complex" (please note: complex is NOT the same thing as high maintenance...).

Verbal/Linguistic Common Characteristics

• Notices grammatical mistakes (yep)
  
• Often speaks of what they have read (yep)
  
• Likes to use "fancy" words (weeelll...if the shoe fits...)
  
• Loves word games (Scrabble, anyone?)
  
• Cherishes their book collection (they are "little trophies", aren't they?)
  
• Easily remembers quotes and famous sayings (maybe not easily, but I like 'em)
• Likes puns and rhymes (Reigning Limerick Queen, aren't I?)
  
• Enjoys writing (check)
  
• Enjoys foreign language (can't speak 'em, love to listen even though I no not what they say)
• Always enjoyed English class (A's in every one.  Maybe.)

Interpersonal Common Characteristics:  Empathetic, Extraverted, Enjoy social events, Love groups and crowds, Enjoying teaching others, Have many friends, Enjoy team sports, Like to counsel others, Love meeting new people, Cooperative in groups, Sensitive to others' moods

Interpersonal Common Characteristics:  Introverted, Prefers working alone, Philosophical, Self-aware, Perfectionistic, Often thinks of self-employment, Enjoys journaling, Intuitive, Independent, Spends time thinking and reflecting, Likes learning about self

If you decide to take these, let me know...I'd love to know entirely too much more about you. :)  Make sure to include your blog URL and I'll link back to you here.

Karen (Praise the Lord and Pass the Prozac)
Debbie  (at her Melon Patch)
Michelle (Just a Minute)
Karmyn (Dreaming What Ifs)
Kris (On Foreign Soil)
Tiger Lamb Girl

Profound in its simplicity...

...or is it simple in its profundity?

Either way, I liked it.

"I matter most
to the One who matters most
& that's all that really matters."

Kelly O'Rear

This one headed a page in my journal today and I liked it, too.

"Life's greatest happiness
is to be convinced
we are loved."

Victor Hugo

There's no such thing as "bad press"... R I G H T?!

Well, shut mah mouth...!

We get back from the beach laaaaaaaaate last night, were greeted VERY enthusiastically by our adoring Australian Shepherd and a less enthusiastic and purring-in-spite-of-herself Calico, unpacked....and crawled into bed. 

Mmmmm, OUR bed, OUR sheets, OUR room (I had my pillow with me, so that wasn't missed), there's just something about sleeping in your own spot that does a body good!   Good sleep--uninterrupted sleep for hours at a time--has become rare for me the past few years, so when I have it, 1) I'm thankful, and 2) I think I could solve world hunger and world peace and come close to curing cancer IF ONLY I were a wealthy, humanitarian physician. 

This morning I opened email and in the midst of reading Pensieve comments (thanks to those of you who kept my blog from getting lonely!), discovered I had not only been nominated for an award, but I was also a finalist!  Kailini at An Island Life is hosting the Bloggy Hoss Elections, EXPLAINED HERE, and I have to say, I'm not quite sure what to think.  I'm definitely proud to be associated with many of the finalists, several of whom are regular reads of mine--even Bluddies, no less--I just can't decide if someone is trying to "tell" me something about myself...friendly correction?  Loving rebuke?  DON'T FORGET GOD GAVE YOU TWO EARS AND ONE MOUTH SO YOU'D LISTEN TWICE AS MUCH AS YOU SPEAK?!

Let me explain--

Amber, that Crazy Bloggin' Canuck is nominated for "Most Athletic"...

I can't think of a sweeter dorkier "Class Clown" than Mert at Almost Somewhat Positive ...

I did scratch my head on Willowtree at ADGMB being nominated for "Brainiest", but simmering under the surface of all the profane snarky beast-lovin' prolific posts of his, I've found Peter to be very smart about a lot of things, sometimes unexpectedly so.  I didn't notice him complaining about being nominated, so either I missed that post skimming through Bloglines or he doesn't know it yet or more likely, he's writing a scathing rant about why he's going to accept decline the nomination ;)...

How can you argue with Ree, that oh-so-confessionary Pioneer Woman being voted "Most Popular"?

5 Minutes for Mom twins, Janice and Susan make PERFECT "Head Cheerleader"

...and, in the past I've enjoyed Spirittibee's ("Most Artistic") comments on blogs we read mutually, and Boo Mama ("Nicest Personality") has one of my FAVORITE taglines EVAH!

So me...what am I nominated for? 

"Most Talkative".  Hmmm....M.O.S.T.  T.A.L.K.A.T.I.V.E.

I'm thinking m a y b e it has something to do with me continuing to blog while I was on vacation, even after I said my blog would be quiet...is that it?  Gosh, I HOPE it's not just because I'm bloviation prone...:/.

In any event, I'm choosing to take it as a compliment...knowing it had to be one of three of my favorite blistahs who nominated me (yes, I know who you probably are, I'm not gonna blow your cover;) ), I was pretty fired up to make it to the finals.  If by some freak of nature, I win (currently, I'm lagging in the polls), I will wear the bling proudly, knowing someone thought enough of my little Pensieve to nominate it for this (ahem) honor.  Thank you.

And, since I apparently don't know when to STOP TALKING, I'm humbly asking for your vote :).  Click this link to go straight to the polls, and you can vote daily between now and July 10--that's Tuesday, y'all, so please don't wait!  If you're open to suggestion for the other categories, please consider my bluddies listed above--they're all more than worthy of final honors :).  And to my friends in real life who read but NEVAH COMMENT, getchur butts over to the polls and vote for me!  NOW!!  You don't have to have a blog to vote!  And tell YOUR friends...and tell your friends to tell THEIR friends, okay?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

After I've had time to decompress from vacation (HA!), I'll be posting results from my little comment contest...stay tuned :).  Hmmm, it'll probably be Tuesday or Wednesday since tomorrow is Fun Monday and the carpenters will be back to repair some damage to our house....

 

What's the opposite of the "Midas Touch"?

I'm not sure what it's called, but I think I've got "it". 

Everything I'm touching lately is plagued with "something" wrong...it's reaching Biblical proportion :/.  I might get a bit twitchy if frogs or gnats or locusts show up on our back door step.  It'd be funny if it w.a.s.n.'t.!!!!

Yep, this is me...an uncharacteristic Eeyore season.  Oh, bother....

I'm six miles past ready for the OCEAN!  THAT will restore heart, mind, soul and body like NOTHING else!  Mmmmmm, I can almost see and smell and hear and touch and taste it now.

Praise God A'mighty, in four days I will be!!

And that, my friends, just turned my frown upside down :)!

Tad's a lucky man...!

...but the picture that goes with this quiz scares the snot outta me.  Would you wanna kiss THAT???  (fixed it ;) )

Your Kisses Are Spicy and Wild

Your kisses are powerful stuff. They'll start a fire in almost anyone you kiss. You kiss with passion, skill, and endurance. Anyone who kisses you is in for a long, intense ride. You better watch out though. Your incredible kisses are likely to get you in trouble!

How Hot Are Your Kisses?

Don't try this at home...

No, I'm not hijacking Chili's blog, but I thought it'd be fun to share how we spent our Sunday afternoon.  After church, after lunch, after dessert, after the egg hunt.......but before the kitchen was cleaned. 

For several years now, Tad has been on call over Easter weekend.  This means rather than traveling to South Carolina to join the rest of his family for an annual gathering, we celebrate in Tennefreakinssee.  We have several friends here who don't have other relatives in town, so we pool our culinary prowess, cook up a mighty fine lunch, and enjoy the simple pleasure of fellowship around our family alter...our dining room table. 

Of course, afterwards, stuffed, getting the children--and ourselves--outside is not up for debate--it's necessary!  I'm always thankful for sunny Easter Sundays, aren't you?

As the oldest children , Rachel and Thomas no longer hunt eggs, but the DO get to hide them; I'm pretty sure they have just as much fun doing this as the seven younger children do in finding them.

Looks like Ryan found one whale of an egg there!   There were a bunch more cutie-pie pictures of Wendy's and Jay's, and Steph's and Chas' babies, but this is really about me, not them I didn't ask if I could post them;).

Once the eggs-travaganza was over, the little girls twirled in the hammock, the little boys played basketball, and the big boys and girls hung out.  The kids dragged the pogo stick out, but no, I didn't show off my pogo-jumping skills....

I'm not quite how the following occurred, but I think it had something to do with Chas schooling my boys in the finer points of ball handling.  After a "swoosh" I'm thinking Steph said "Show her how you can touch your toes." 

Not easily impressed, I'm thinking Chas is six years younger than me, he SHOULD be able to touch his toes!  Uh, huh, yeah, well, I was slightly misguided.  THIS is what she meant:

This was his first attempt to "touch his toes" and my first attempt to photograph him.  The subsequent tries didn't yield near this good of a shot (although he repeated the action multiple times). Not to be outdone (WHAT WAS I THINKING??), I marched upstairs, got a pair of tennis shoes, and came back out.  For heaven's sake, I was a cheerleader 1,000 years ago!  in highschool, took ballet for ten years, surely I was still limber enough to match his toe-touchin' skills.

Um, yeah, wrong again.  Apparently, when I cooked the turkey, I fried my brain, too.  I cannot believe I'm about to show ANYONE (who wasn't present) these pictures.  They aren't pretty...lol, but they are funny. 

Wait...first, my boys!  Thomas and Stephen thought it looked easy (s i g h, the arrogance of youth...:/).  Thomas actually did impress me--while simultaneously reminding me I forgot their haircut appointments on Saturday :(.  Stephen should stick to soccer.

 

 

 

And, now, me...

Good gracious, I look like one of the flying monkeys from "The Wizard of Oz"!

Let's try again. 

Is anyone else thinking "The Bride of Frankenstein"?

What if I stretch some more?  See?  If I can kick my leg this high, jumpin' and touchin' my toes should be a piece of cake (maybe I was sabotaged by Steph's FANTASTIC carrot cake she made in honor of the day...maybe all this was a conspiracy, cooked up by her and Charles to make him look like a gymnast and me look like a freak show...).

Look at that expression!  I AM a freak show!!

Personally, this is what I think:

1)  Chas purposefully took the shots AFTER I hit the mark...

2)  HE didn't have to worry about wettin' his britches...I mean...I've had three kids...the third one wreaked havoc on my pelvic floor...I was having to concentrate on a lot of other things than just touching my toes. 

At least I succeeded in that.  That was MY sad little "thrill of victory". 

Now, I'm just feeling the "agony of defeat". 

Remember that episode of "Cheers" when Sam was a guest sports broadcaster for a local newsstation and he was AWFUL?  He tried everything from ventriloquism to rap?  What does THAT have to do with this?  That little rap keeps trilling through my mind...."Time to rap about a controversy / Gonna take a stand, won't show no mercy / Lotta folks says jocks shouldn't be / Doing the sports new on TV / I don't wanna hear the latest scores / From a bunch broadcast school boys / So get your scores from a guy like me / Who knows what it's like to have a groin injury. G-g-groin, g-g-groin injury."

** s i g h** g-g-groin injury....:/

---

Friday Randomries...VERY Random!

1)  $1,000* to the first person to CORRECTLY identify what in the world these are:

2)  Woke up at four friggin' a.m. again....round 37 of Insomnia vs. Sandman.  This morning there was a treat, though.  Not long after I was awakened, it started raining.  Hard! Waaahoooo!  a)  I LOVELOVELOVE the cadence of rain, especially when I'm snuggled under covers with no where to be...at 4:00 in the morning, snuggled under covers IS where I'm supposed to be.  b)  someone took a yellow crayon and colored the Tennessee Valley.  I think it was God.  No...wait... it wasn't a yellow crayon, it was yellow dusting powder.  I am soooo thnkin' of Amelia Bedelia "dusting the furniture" right now, lol.  c)  In other words, THE GREAT POLLEN BEAST HAS ATTACKED WITH A VENGEANCE and a nice, steady rain is like running Chattanooga through the Goo Goo car wash...a REALLY BIG car wash :).  Bye-bye itchy eyes, buh-bye scratchy throat and runny nose!  No more cars inviting young ones to commit obnoxious-but-predictable acts of graffiti, usually including the words "Wash me" for the less imaginative. 

3)  I've been blogging by the skin of my teeth this week...between technical difficulties and just tons o' stuff to do, I've barely been able to write, let alone, read my 213 (crap! that many???) feeds.  a)  I had NO idea that writing about black, pointed-toe ROACH STOMPERS would bring anyone to tears.  Y'all are sweet, if I could send each and every one of you a pounder of Peanut M&Ms, I would.  Better yet, I'd love to take you all out for a S-M-O-K-I-N-G Caramel Macchiato; with whole milk, it'd only set you back 310 calories.  Of course, I prefer half-and-half for the ultimate indulgence, Mmmmmm!   b) for my post about GLOVE LOVE, i) I adore the new vocabulary word I picked up from theotherbear:  "swish", as in "My black leopard-print gloves are so stinkin' adorable, they're absolutely SWISH!  ii) I also learned from Chris B, that basic yellow rubber gloves are called "marigolds" and iii) in comments, I learned A LOT about my readers:  Mark's postcard was really a subversive love note, Claudia cleans in black leather and fishnets, Karmyn called my gloves "spiffy", Kristy thought they were "flippin cute", Jenny "loved 'em", Beccy, "decadent", Suz wants a maid, Tracey's a movie trivia buff, and LCO can SING!  Too dang many peeps to link, go read the comments and then check out these favorite bloggers of mine :)    c) and yesterday's post was just lame, even if I do **heart** Demotivators.

I'm sorry guys, here's what you have to look forward to next week: 

4)  Tags.  Beaver dam!  a) Willowtree got me with the *()^&*(% Seven Song Meme (I think he did this to torture me because he KNOWS I.CAN'T.MAKE.A. DECISION!!!), I think I figured out a way to minimize my answers.  b)  Drama Mama Stephanie tagged me with the the down and dirty of being a mom.  Again, that will make me slow down enough to think about my answer before I blog it.  I've enjoyed reading other responses to this one...there are sooo many ways to handle it, but I think as a mom, we share a certain camaraderie...a sistah-hood.  We ALL know the "secret handshake" involves wiping someone else's nose AND behind :/.  c)  And MaryMert...oh, my law, she gave me an early birthday present:  she included me as one of Thinking Blogger Award recipients.  Geezaree, she was soooo ding-dang SWEET!  Among other things, she said, "...Robin's is another writer of such great talent. She writes what she feels, and doesn't leave a thing to be desired. Robin is another blogger who can put anything into words and it sounds so elegant.. but truly heart felt and brutally honest." 

Wow, she blew so much air up my skirt, I'm afraid I'm flashing everyone in town with my Hanky Panky's unmentionables.  MaryMert and I go back to before she came out of her Dork Closet ;).

5)  And now, for another picture...$1,000* if you can tell me what the heck is WRONG with THIS picture!!! 

    

Wait, I'll even give you a CLOSER look:

  If you visit my first PENSIEVE blog (** s i g h **, I miss the design), you'll get a BIG clue.  All I have to say on this one is FIVE MONTHS, PEOPLE!








6)  For all you cutie-patooties who have been extending your birthday wishes, you weren't late...or on time...you were EARLY!  But I thank you anyway.

And for my LAST randomrie, and because I could NOT end on boring ol' #6, I'll give you one more: 

7)  TODAY is my birthday!!  Waahoooo!!!  Forty-four.  Yes, 4-4...I am totally owning EVERY year, because by golly, I've LIVED every freakin' year...I've got the weight...and wrinkles and gray hair (although my special shampoo takes care of that one) to show for it.  And the near-20-year marriage, and the three precious kids.  Call me weird, I happen to l i k e my 40s, it feels g o o d in the skin I'm in these days (although, frankly, I wouldn't mind giving up the wrinkles :/).

And look at the HEALTHY GREEN SNACK Tad and the kids got me for my birthday!!!  DY-NO-MITE DOES come in small packages ;)!

Happy weekend, y'all, we have company on the way ('nother WAHHOOOO!), Tad's brother and his WONDERFUL family, so you know what I'm up to next...*(&*)^ cleaning my house :/.  I'll be back in the swing of things early next week!  Thanks for sticking with me :).

* after I purchase the winning lottery ticket :)

Oopsie.......I meant to include this with the photos on #5.  It's just sooooo sad to me.  T e a r s :/.

Sparrow Guts

I was just looking for a simple answer to the age-old question "Why does eating asparagus make urine smell so nauseatingly disgusting  horrifically repulsive wretchedly rank  violently vile bad?

So off to the library internet I go, spending the morning researching this curiously phallic vegetable.   Interestingly, I got MUCH more than I bargained for.  For a brief window in time, it felt like I was back in school, with the teeniest of tiny exceptions:  I was enjoying what I was learning.

For instance, did you know asparagus is a member of the lily family, along with onions, leeks and garlic?  While it certainly isn't the prettiest, it's probably the most healthy.  At less than four calories/spear, a serving provides 60% of the recommended daily allowance for folacin (necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease).  High in fiber, it's also a good source of potassium, thiamin, and vitamin B6.

In order to allow development of a strong, fibrous root system, asparagus is usually not harvested for the first three years after planting its crowns; a well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for about 15 years without being replanted.  In the U.S., its growing season is late-April to mid-June, and typically, the larger the diameter, the better the quality.

Now, for the ANSWER to my original question, and the point of this stinkin' post (hey!  that's the first time "stinkin'" is literal!)(and thanks to Claudia for letting me know somehow this explanation was "lost" in my original post :/):  According to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, "Most authorities feel that the compound that causes the odor in urine after consumption of asparagus is methylmercaptan, which is a sulfur-containing derivative of the amino acid, methionine. This is disputed by a few individuals who claim that the odiferous compound is asparagine-amino-succinic-acid monoamide, which is derived from the amino acid, asparagine. In either case, the product is formed as a derivative during the digestion and subsequent breakdown of beneficial amino acids that occur naturally in asparagus."   Apparently this malady affects only about 40% of the general asparagus-consuming population...to say the least, I'm not thrilled to be a part of this minority...!

Now...a few treats for sticking with this (ahem, cough cough) educational post.  First, a lovely cooking show, compliments of youtube.  It was quite
i n t e r e s t i n g "meeting" Jolene Sugarbaker to say the least.   I don't think  Rachael Ray or Paula Deen have any reason to be shakin' in their shoes just yet...!

And, last, to celebrate my Mama Drama surprise, a few poems to honor this totally tubular vegetable.

Asparagus

(In Cinquain, using simultaneously both the traditional and modern methods)

Green spear

Healthy veggie

Growing, cleansing, healing

Asparagus tips are the best

Lily

Asparagus

(In Haiku )

Regal vegetable. 
From a crown, green majesty.
Bigger IS better.

Asparagus

(In Limerick)

Asparagus funks up my pee,

Smells like something died inside me.

Only forty percent

Endure this lament

Oh, why does it happen to ME?!

Thank you, I'm done now :).

Everything you wanted to know about asparagus but had no interest in asking were afraid to ask:

Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board

Wikipedia