Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Even Italians like Glee!


I'm following a couple of the Glee cast members on Twitter & one of them shared this video today. I'm always amazed (and get emotional) by Flash Mobs!

There are TONS of videos on YouTube if you don't know what I'm talking about. Molly also shared one that she thought was cool on her blog early last year. If you still don't know what a flash mob is, you've probably seen this GIANT version that took place in Chicago just for Oprah!

Anyway ... watch & enjoy! Oh ... and if you aren't watching Glee, you've got a few months to get caught up on Hulu, Netflix or get the DVDs before it picks up again in April. It's one of my all-time favorite shows. A must for anyone that likes music!

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Saturday, December 19, 2009

Canine Instincts

I think it's so funny to see dogs (that have NEVER been wild) show their canine instincts. Just a few weeks ago, I shared a video of Minnie howling, which I had never really heard her do. What was she howling at? A fire-truck driving by. Seriously.

One of the other things she does is pretend bury things in blankets or comforters. When I have my phone laying on my bed, Minnie finds it immediately and starts burying it with my covers. Where did she learn this? She has NEVER buried anything ... we don't even have a yard!


I was quick enough to grab my camera tonight to take a short video of the latest treat she was burying. Do any of your dogs do this?

P.S. If you listen close enough, you can hear when I was doing on my kick-ass Saturday night. Yes, that's SNL playing in the background. I decided it was too cold to go out ... AND ... I have from now until January 4th to enjoy my break!

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

WOW


Beautiful sunset on my way home from work! It's nice to see some color in the sky after many, many days of gray skies!

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A feel great story that is also a bit sad

Someone on Twitter posted a link that led me to the following story:


Couple together for 59 years; die moments apart


DEFUNIAK SPRINGS – He was quiet. She wasn’t. He liked to hunt, while she loved her potted plants.

She was 16 when they met in a skating rink. They eloped in a dump truck later that year.

After 59 years of marriage, James and Lolie Brackin died Saturday morning only moments apart.

“They say when you die, you’re immediately in the presence of Jesus,” said their youngest daughter, Dana Troublefield. “I think she got up there and said, ‘Where’s my husband?’ And Jesus said, ‘Just a minute. I’m working on that.’

“She didn’t like to go anywhere alone,” Troublefield added.

At the time of their deaths, James was 79 and Lolie three years younger. They called each other “Honey” so often that one of their granddaughters thought it was her grandfather’s name.

They had four daughters, Carol, Debbie, Cindy and, finally Dana, who came 20 years after their first.

James told their oldest daughter, Carol Gruver, almost a decade ago that he was worried about dying first because he didn’t think Lolie would be happy without him.

“He was just waiting for her to go home to heaven so he could go with her,” Gruver said.

James spent more than 25 years in the Army, completing tours in Vietnam and Korea. Lolie was a homemaker, who stepped into her husband’s duties during his absences and stepped back into hers when he returned.

They faced challenges over the years, but never argued in front of their children.

“They completed each other,” said their third oldest, Cindy Spence. “I remember as a teenager, my parents had a big Mercury station wagon. My mom would always sit next to him.

“When they would walk somewhere, they would always hold hands.”

Recent years had brought increasing health problems to the couple. Both had memory loss. He was blind and had suffered strokes. She was in a nursing home on and off for years, while he stayed at their home with their youngest daughter.

The week before the couple died, it had become obvious that he was too weak to stay at home and arrangements had been made for him to share his wife’s room.

They spent one night together before they died, waking up Saturday morning and having breakfast together.

They were watching Animal Planet, one of their favorite shows, when a nurse’s aide checked on them.

“I’m going to die today,” Lolie told the aide, who asked her if she needed to go back to the hospital. No, she just felt “different,” Lolie told her.

When the aide came back a short time later, Lolie wasn’t breathing. Moments later, they discovered James had also passed away.

The doctor said he believes James heard that his wife had died and the shock killed him.

James and Lolie had always dreamed of having a church wedding, but it never happened. They will be buried together and share a funeral service on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Woodlawn.

“We’re going to miss them terribly, but we’re glad this happened the way it did,” Gruver said. “He was waiting. It’s a good thing that he was in the room when she passed.”


You can click here to go to the article & to see pictures of the couple.

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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Crossing my fingers!

The snow FINALLY decided to show up tonight! Every teacher I know is crossing her fingers, jumping & and down, wearing her PJs inside out, sleeping with a fork under her pillow and saying the hopeful chants for a snow day tomorrow!


I don't want to get too excited, because last night I stayed up too late (thinking we would have the day off today) and I was dragging ALL day! The snow really is pretty ... I just don't want to have to drive in it and get up early to walk Minnie before work in it.


Okay, enough whining. I'll just leave you with a few nice pictures I took tonight. I hope you are all staying warm!


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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Happy Birthday, Ellen!


At this time, exactly a year ago, we were at the hospital, visiting Molly & Erik and meeting Ellen for the very first time. That day was so hectic & crazy. I was holding my cell phone all day just waiting for updates from Mom or Molly. Some people at work didn't understand why I was so excited, "You know that YOU aren't having a baby today, right?" They didn't really understand. My only sister was having her first baby. A wonderful milestone in my life!


Aunt Susan told me that she fell in love with each of her nephews and nieces the first time she held them. I felt that, too! It didn't really matter what else was going on or had happened on that day ... December 3rd will always be Ellen's birthday! Emilie told me that Aunt would be my favorite title ... and she was definitely right!

We've had quite a first year together as Aunt Betsy & niece Ellen ... I'm so lucky to live close and be a part of Ellen's (almost) weekly life. I know not everyone is able to live near their families, so I do my best to not take that for granted! I've also been lucky enough to share our past year with all of you through this blog, the photo blog, Facebook and talking with you in person (whether or not you had asked - thanks for listening)! I can't even begin sum up how much I love Ellen & how lucky I feel to have her in my life. For that ... you'll just have to keep coming back when I post about her! :)

The birthday celebration will actually be happening with family on Saturday. I'll be sure to post afterwards!

Happy Birthday, Ellen!
I love you to pieces! :)

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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Do Johnson County dogs have anything to howl about???

Apparently, they do!

We are REALLY close to the highway, but in the 18 months that I've lived here, I've gotten used to the sounds that are always coming & going. The first few nights, I couldn't sleep ... now the traffic helicopters don't even wake me up in the morning.

Last summer, I was sitting on the couch, when a fire-truck drove by our condo on the highway. All of a sudden, Minnie sat up & started howling at the sirens going by. I've NEVER heard her howl ... I didn't even know that she knew how to make those sounds. It just goes to show that dogs have canine instincts, no matter how cush their lives are. She "makes her bed" before she lays down to sleep, she likes to "bury" my phone or remotes in blankets ... and now this!

I was fast to get out my handy flip camera just in time to catch her howling at the trucks going by. Excuse my howling to get her started ... I couldn't let this moment pass my flip by! :)


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