These Monday Madness questions were suggested by Otto's daughter (my niece).

1. List three words to describe yourself. WITTY - STRONG - HONEST
2. List three words to describe your job. ENJOYABLE - GIVING - RECEIVING (the job i'm working toward)
3. List three words to describe your computer. IT'S - NOT - MINE

That was fun - Great job Alex!

In a sing song voicy (no specific melody,) I used to hear this..

dozey dotes and maresy dotes but little lambsy divey. I remember wondering to myself why is she singing such strange lyrics? perhaps the word lyrics didn't actually come to mind at that point in my life.

Later in life I realized (but don't remember at which point) what the words really were. I sure hope I'm right. Does eat oats and mares eat oats but little lambs eat ivy.

Even after realizing the correct words, I don't know the point of the song (if that's what it is.) Perhaps Mom knows. Maybe my sisters know; I'm sure they've all heard it too.

From Otto's Monday Madness.........................

How much would I pay for....
1. a pair of dress shoes - $15 to $85 depending on how often I intend to wear them
2. a pair of jeans - my favorite jeans have been my cheapest which were about $10, but I've paid more
3. a pound of ground round - I don't buy ground round
4. a music cd - on average, I've paid $14 at stores but when I cleverly joined BMG and bailed out (about 4 times,) I paid on average $3.87 - yup, I figured it out with S & H.
5. a computer ---- $800.00
6. a loaf of bread - $2.50? I don't know!
7. a dvd movie - I haven't bought one yet
8. an ironing board - nothing
9. a hair cut $10 - $30 ; sad but true, the more expensive ones have been the better ones
10. a magazine - $2 - $6 dollars depending on the magazine, but I haven't bought one in quite a while

I am thankful everyday for every day. On Thanksgiving day, I had the pleasure of meeting a 93 year old woman who inspired me. Susan and I went North (in California) to visit her family and with them I met a 93 year old woman; her name is Tess.

Upon meeting her, I just kind of blew her off and joked as she asked who I was, "I just smelled the good food and came in off the street." This woman ended up being the main source of entertainment - she talked seriously about her days as a counselor in a high school, told me about one of her students who was dedicating a book to her and joked and cussed about her sister (i believe.)

After dinner, I gave a few massages (Tui Na) - a "clothes on" type massage that has protocols for specific issues. She was one of my clients - although everyone was genuinely appreciative, her appreciation totally energized me. This woman (93 remember) totally appreciated my touch. This is when I knew that I will take this class (Tui Na - disharmonies for post surgery and geriatrics.)

Before meeting her, I didn't know what an "old" person felt like. I was surprised to feel bones and a lot of loose skin, I touched her a little differently (less vigorously) than most younger people who still have a lot of muscle tone and it just seemed to come naturally.

Touch - a very good form of communication, don't you think?

Touch someone you love!

Random Questions; Random Days... Thursday, December 4
With winter fast approaching, how do you feel about snow? I think the snow is beautiful when it's fresh and looks clean. I would probably still enjoy playing in it, but once a year would be enough. Driving is a different story; it makes me tense and isn't good for me.

Random Questions; Random Days... Tuesday, December 9
Today's question is from OttO
What is your favorite wintertime beverage? I had to go put some water on; now I can answer this question. As a treat, I enjoy hot chocolate; Swiss Miss has a sugar free hot chocolate that includes splenda (sucralose) which is derived from sugar.

My all seasons hot drink treat is Chai green tea; it is green tea with spices added - they include: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, ginseng, chicory, cloves and black pepper. This tea reminds me of a hot apple cider type treat and it has an added benefit because it is green tea.

One more tea which I just recently became fond of is called "Africa's Miracle"; it is naturally caffeine free and anti-oxidant rich. For you tea lovers who have not generally enjoyed herbal teas, this tea is for you. It has a robust flavor and is good for you. This tea would be a good coffee replacement for those of you who have thought about cutting down on the coffee.

I'm drinking Africa's Miracle right now.

I'm sure you've already heard of my great chicken and beans which I ate for both breakfast and lunch. Now, I'm going to tell you about the "gringo" chicken enchiladas I made.

I followed the Campbell's soup recipe to a T and they were delicious. I made them all by myself - from cooking the chicken to putting it all together. Mmmmmmmm Mmmmmmmmmm.

The next day, Susan did even better (of course) she cooked a cornish hen. She stuck in a few branches of rosemary, threw in some garlic and potatoes. My contribution was calling Mom (thanks to Sprint) and asking if we should just throw the potatoes in from the beginning. Mom's first suggestion was "yes" and that's the one we went with. The little bird was yummy Mom - thanks. Most of all, thanks to Susan - wait,,,, oh yeah, i did the dishes!

Monday Madness asks......
On a scale from one to ten.........
1. How proficient are you in typing? 6 or 7 (I think)
2. How well-organized are you? 9
3. How adventurous are you? 9
4. How cool is the outfit that you're wearing right now? 2
5. How well do you sing in the shower? 5
6. How cool do your kids think you are? my kid? Bravo? 10
7. How well do you manage your money? when I had some, 10 I manage no money well also.
8. How efficient are you when it comes to meeting deadlines? 10 -I meet them
9. How much do you like winter? in San Diego, 8 ; in Michigan, 5 if I have to drive but as a kid, it was fun playing in the snow
10. How big of a 'pack-rat' are you? 0 a big fat zero! If I don't enjoy looking at it or it doesn't have a purpose, it is gone!

The science of seasoning! I'm sure the master chef's of the world have probably taken chemistry type classes concerning seasonings ---- or......... is it just supposed to come to us naturally?

I was determined to cook some chicken and was faced with the dilemma of ............... which seasonings am I supposed to use?!

I do know that more is NOT better; I've made that mistake before, so I used some cayenne pepper for the taste and color, a little dash of garlic 'cause it's good stuff, and black pepper, my most familiar seasoning. End result? That is some pretty darn good chicken.

I ate it with some chili beans ...........mmmmmmm mmmmmmmmm good stuff!

Gas? you ask? ah - no more than usual - WOW!

It's finals week! Luckily, my week gets a little easier as it moves on. I finished my most difficult finals yesterday and today. Oriental Medicine 1! That was a tough one; yeah, I know you're probably thinking.... sounds like basketweaving, but hey I tried that once in Hawaii - it wasn't all that easy either. Today, I had my anatomy 1 final - three more to go ---- whew - this is more difficult than my business classes were at Georgia Southern. But..... this is also my most difficult semester - I'm changing my program a little - nothing I really need to state here since I never told you exactly what I was taking in the first place. I'll keep you posted - Love yas!!!!