Shel Silverstein Poem

Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein was one of my most beloved poets. I guess that does not say much for my intellect, however, sometimes simplicity is better. I spent many delightful hours with my son nose to nose as we wound our way through the imaginary worlds created by this magic poet. The funny thing is, I still love these books as much as I did back-in-the-day! Shel Silverstien was from the great city of Chicago, just like our new 44th president. The poem I chose also seemed fitting in that President Obama faces tough challenges in this crazy world we live in. I hope that you can still find a spark of the child within as you enter the silly, sprinkled with some serious brand of humor of Shel Silverstein.

If the World Was Crazy by Shel Silverstein If the world was crazy, you know what I'd eat? A big slice of soup and a whole quart of meat, A lemonade sandwich, and then I might try Some roasted ice cream or a bicycle pie, A nice notebook salad, an underwear roast, An omelet of hats and some crisp cardboard toast, A thick malted milk made from pencils and daisies, And that's what I'd eat if the world was crazy. If the world was crazy, you know what I'd wear? A chocolate suit and a tie of eclair, Some marshmallow earmuffs, some licorice shoes, And I'd read a paper of peppermint news. I'd call the boys "Suzy" and I'd call the girls "Harry," I'd talk through my ears, and I always would carry A paper umbrella for when it grew hazy To keep in the rain, if the world was crazy. If the world was crazy, you know what I'd do? I'd walk on the ocean and swim in my shoe, I'd fly through the ground and I'd skip through the air, I'd run down the bathtub and bathe on the stair. When I met somebody I'd say "G'bye, Joe," And when I was leaving--then I'd say "Hello." And the greatest of men would be silly and lazy So I would be king...if the world was crazy.

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Angie

Pet Finder Link Angie is my Black Lab/Border Collie Mix who was a rescue. This is a photo of Angie at three months old when we first brought her home. Angie's mom, a border collie, was rescued by a fantastic group of people in a tri-state area who take in abandoned, abused and neglected pregnant dogs from all over the United States. Angie's father was, it would seem, a black Labrador retriever. I found this group (and Angie) through the link I have posted above, (Pet Finder). As most of us are experiencing first hand the downturn in the economy, so too are our pets. Shelters are over flowing with pets turned over by owners who simply do not have the means to feed another mouth. This is in addition to the millions of animals that are left to roam and breed. So many end up in shelters only to be euthanized. I am sharing Angie's story in an effort to urge those who may have the ability and the heart to open their homes to one abandoned dog or cat. You will be especially blessed by the animal angels if you can save just one! When I decided to open my home, as heart is always open to animals, I searched the Pet Finder site. This is where I saw Angie's picture along with a little Angie "Bio". The rest is history. Angie has added much to our family dynamics. Of course she is now a 50 pound bundle of energy and as well as very smart. She is still a puppy at nine months so we still have to deal with many "Marley" like antics. They can be very humorous.......and sometimes not. We have been through one round of obedience school but will need a refresher course. Our manners are still not quite up to par nor do we always know our own strength. However, she is true to form, a retriever. This has worked out to my advantage and she is now my doggie office assistant. I will explain. My printer is located in another part of the house from where I work on my computer. Each time I print, the printer makes that printing noise that printers make, and she quickly caught on that something mysterious floats out of this machine wherever she hears that noise. I was awe struck to watch her sheer delight as she sat perched eking little noises of anticipation of what was to come. What I did not anticipate was how quickly she could grab and shred in the blink of an eye. Wow, if only my reflexes were half that good. The cuteness wore off as it got to be a waste of paper and ink. So, I thought, maybe I can put this ability of hers to good use. This was how (Angie) doggie office assistant was born. It only took me two training sessions, (of course with treats in hand) to teach her how to gently remove the paper from the printer and without so much as one toothmark, make her delivery. So now, as soon as she hears the printer rev up, she is there waiting to retrieve and deliver. This is just one example of her intelligence. There are many homeless animals like Angie, that would make a wonderful family addition. I wanted to share the Pet Finder site to get the word out that Pet Finder is a good place to go if you have the inclination to save a life. I might just make a video of doggie assistant to post on YouTube.....Kat

A Prayer For the Obama Family

A Day in History

~My Prayer for the Obama Family~

This is a day for all Americans to feel proud and for ALL children to know that no dream is too far out of reach if one believes, works hard, believes, does not give up.......believes.

May God bless and protect the Obama family;

May God walk beside President Obama and help guide him through these troubled waters;

May God ensure that he is surrounded by the loyal & faithful;May God bless him on this difficult journey;

May God Bless this country and each and everyone of us........God Bless America..................Kat

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Why I Like Dogs Better

Angie Has Better Manners Than That

A simple mundane trip to the grocery store is the epiphany for this post. It also serves as a realty check as to why I kinda, sorta, well hum....OK, like dogs more than people. There, I finally said it out loud. It feels good to just throw it out there for all the world to see. Remember, I'm that really really private kinda gal. Even dogs have a certain set of rules....dog courtesy so to speak. So why are there so many humans out there have none? YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! You are the people, that, thank you Lord, were not on the U.S. Air flight that went down in the Hudson Bay without one casualty. Had YOU been on that flight, the outcome could have, indeed, been much different. The reason, you would probably trample a baby trying to save your own sorry butt! Yes, I have lived long enough to entitle me to use the word (butt) in public. If that offends someone, then please feel free to leave my little corner here in cyberspace. Now on to my story:

The grocery store was a little more crowded than usual for a Monday afternoon. This, of course, created longer than normal waiting on line. Here is the scene. There was the person at the checkout unloading a large cart full of groceries. Behind her was a very sweet cute little old lady with only a few items in her cart. She obviously had a curvature of the spine as she could not stand up completely straight. She gripped that shopping cart for dear life, as it probably was the only thing separating her from the floor. She did not utter a complaint as she patiently waited her turn. The store, not wanting unhappy customers, opened an additional checkout lane next to ours and the clerk announced that the next person in (our) line could move over to the new line. We've all experienced this.....right! At least those of us who are stuck with the chore of grocery shopping. Of course, that's usually the woman...there I go off in another direction totally. It's the ADD. So anyway, the very sweet cute little old lady is the rightful person on line to move over...but wait, wow.....easy there fella..as the (nice) guy behind me almost knocks the two of us, me and the sweet cute little old lady into the next isle. This guy was like a mad dog with rabies intent to make sure that no one would beat him to being first in the new line. Magazines were knocked off the racks and M&M's were flying through the air as he and his cart, (which had now become a lethal weapon) hurdled into us as he made his way to the new checkout opening up. You would have thought that there was a really good prize waiting in the other line or something. It's hard to get my head around the fact that the "prize" was that he got to checkout 10 minutes ahead of the sweet cute little old lady. Horrified and preoccupied with putting the magazines and M&M's back in their places, I just shrugged my shoulders at the sweet cute little old lady, as I was speechless. To this fella, I bequeath the "Rudeness" of the week award......Kat

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Sunday's Dose of Humor

Exaggerated Version of a Colonoscopy (I cracked up reading this) ABOUT THE WRITER: Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald. This is from newshound Dave Barry's colonoscopy journal: I called my friend , a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis. Then explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, quote, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!'I left the office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America's enemies.I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous. Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor. Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-literPlastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons.) Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose, watery bowel movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here, but: Have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet.After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep. The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on him?' How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough. At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked.Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this is, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand. There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA. I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' had to be the least appropriate.'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me. 'Ha ha,' I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling 'Dancing Queen, feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood. Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that It was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ. On the subject of Colonoscopies...Colonoscopies are no joke, but these comments during the exam were quite humorous..... A physician claimed that the following are actual comments made by his patients (predominately male) while he was performing their colonoscopies: 1. 'Take it easy, Doc. You're boldly going where no man has gone before! 2. 'Find Amelia Earhart yet?' 3. 'Can you hear me NOW?' 4. 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?' 5. 'You know, in Arkansas, we're now legally married. '6. 'Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?' 7. 'You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out...' 8. 'Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!' 9. 'If your hand doesn't fit, you must quit! 10. 'Hey Doc, let me know if you find my dignity.' 11. 'You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?' This is my personal favorite......... 12. 'Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up there?' ~~~~

Beautiful Catholic Church in the Town of Puerta Plata

Beautiful Stain Glass

Catholic Church Puerta Plata

In the town of Puerta Plata in the Dominican Republic the ugly face of poverty lurks in every corner. How sad for a country so rich in natural resources and beauty. Shantytowns surround the immediate area of the Town Square which consists of quaint well kept buildings and grounds. In the center of town you will find the beautiful catholic church where these photos were taken. Just about anywhere you ventured brought images of an impoverished people living in squalid conditions. Homes made of scrap wood, corrugated metal and plastic sheeting could house a family of adults, children and wild dogs that looked for any shady spot for relief from the sun and heat. These shantytowns were landscaped by lush tropical foliage, beautiful wild flowers, mountains as well as the clear blue ocean. Such a total dichotomy. It's hard to comprehend what your eyes are showing you. This, however, does not seem to deter the spirit of most Dominicans we met. The majority are of the Catholic faith. They hold strong to that faith...it's what sustains and helps shield their souls from the abject poverty and hopelessness that threatens to suffocate them. The stain glass inside of this church was magnificent. The photos do not do it justice. The entire church was a work of art....Kat

-An Irish Blessing-

May God grant you always...

A sunbeam to warm you,

A moonbeam to charm you,

A sheltering Angel to watch over you,

A bit of laughter to cheer you,

A few faithful people near you,

And whenever you pray....

Heaven Will Hear You

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Helpful Tip to Remove Carpet Indentations

This Really Does Work

Today my post will be short and sweet. It is one of those hints from Heloise, or one of those other helpful people out there who have nothing better to do than convey ways to help us keep a neater, cleaner and better organized home. Based on the nice income she has earned from this, one would assume that there are many of us needy people out there. Prior to writing this post, I had no idea if there even was a real Heloise. Welcome Internet, I jumped right on and looked her up. Well here she is on the front cover of her book. The picture is fuzzy, but considering I have heard about Heloise since I was a child back in the days of dinosaurs, she looks pretty damn good! I hope that my showing her book front on my blog is not some kind of copyright infringement or something. I really can't afford law suits or fines right now and my dogs would be terribly sad to find that I was sent to copyright infringement jail. That said, give me a shout if you know I have violated something. My dogs will thank you. Now to the tip. We had four very large in diameter, indentations in the carpet in our spare room from a weight bench. When we decided to move the bench to another location I tried for several days to vacuum, vacuum and re-vacuum the areas to coax the pile in the carpet up. My efforts were useless so I decided to try this tip. I filled each indentation with ice cubes as was instructed. Now we get in to a little science here, but the water causes the expansion of the fibers which then make the fibers stand back up. Well was I surprised the next morning to find that there was not a sign of a prior indentation anywhere to be found. I did, however, have four very wet spots which was easily taken care of with a paper towel. So folks.....you know what to do to get rid of carpet indentations...........Kat

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Empty Nester

When the Last One Leaves the Nest

It seems like only yesterday that we loaded the mini van with our dearest possession, our son, and the miscellaneous stuff needed for life in a college dorm. And believe me we had stuff (lots of stuff) as we headed off to Philadelphia where our son would be attending college. As it neared the time of his leaving, there was a Disney TV commercial airing which depicted a couple saying good bye to their daughter as she left to go away to school. The daughter was doing her best to cheer up the obviously (or so it seemed) distressed parents. That is, distressed until child was out of site. Then Mom & Dad take on a whole new demeanor of delight. Apparently they had secretly planned a trip for themselves to Disney. Each time I saw this commercial, I would feel waves of guilt wash over me because I really did look forward to "a life after kids". Dear God, what kind of mother really looks forward to an empty house (one which stays clean for at least 5 minutes.) Dear God, what kind of mother looks forward to a relaxing vacation (one which allows time to actually use the spa). Kids have that sweet way of making sure your are never bored while vacationing. Dear God, what kind of mother looks forward to reconnecting with her husband. (one which allows quiet dinners for two and spontaneous romantic evenings). Just having a conversation with each other uninterrupted by kids just doing what kids do best.... Being Kids.... Dear God, what in the world kind of mother looks forward to that!! This one did, or so I thought. The ride home after dropping our son off at school was the longest and most silent ride ever spent on the road. Neither Hubby or I could open our mouths without fear of getting all blubbery and emotional. Not a good state to be in while driving vehicle. So we stayed utterly silent. I mean like as in the entire 4 hour trip. It was an overwhelming feeling of aloneness. (no such word in Spellcheck) but it sums up the feelings pretty accurately. However, this did not prepare me for the complete meltdown I had once inside the house....oh no it was not a pretty sight. But Hubby and I talked through it and I adjusted nicely in my own way and time (and without professional help). However, I did not stay kidless long and now have three (4) four legged kids. Yes....they are very much like kids. Dogs are amazing. I have not been working latelyas my profession is real estate......I'm sure I can spare you the details. I have enjoyed time at home and I have gotten a chance to see how many real similarities there are between kids and dogs. Contrary to what some think, dogs do have very similar emotions to humans. They are also creatures, just like little human creatures, that are in constant need of something. All three can be taken out to do their wee-wees and the minute I sit down in front of my computer, they are at the door pawing and gyrating as though they will have an accident right then and there. Of course they don't have to go, they just don't want to be ignored and take 2nd place to my computer. The same goes with the phone. They can all be content chewing on their favorite bones all nice and quiet like. But once that phone rings and I'm on it more than two minutes, the attention getting behavior begins. They will whine, start bickering with each other or whatever other maneuver will work to get my attention. Tell me this is not exactly like a child. Sometimes it's downright scary. The last year I have been at home all day, just the dogs and I. Unfortunately I can't spend time shopping, which I love to do when I can acutally buy something. Window shopping is more like torture to me. I don't enjoy looking at all those to die for "things" that I can't afford to buy. My shopping fix these days is when I splurge at the dollar store. Based on the fact that I leave with several bags containing purchases for very little money activates that feel good chemical in my brain and all is well with the world again. But this time has really given me the opportunity to gain insight into a dog's psyche. I have witnessed how deeply canine emotions can run and it has been fun really trying to get inside the mind of a cannine. Suffice it to say, they have been keeping me busy but not done much in the way of keeping up my verbal communication skills. Hence, my blog! Blogging seemed to be a good outlet .......Kat

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Find Gifts for People Who Bug You - wikiHow

I Found This Humorous so I'm Passing It Along Find Gifts for People Who Bug You - wikiHow

Texas Inmate

People - The Good Bad & Ugly .... and really crazy too No wonder I have trouble sleeping......Kat

Review - Vacation Purchased by Auction

Tropical Beach Resort & Spa -Dominican Republic This post will be my attempt to review the overall experience of purchasing a vacation on line through a vacation auction site. I will rate both the auction experience as well as the resort. I am sharing this information for those who do not know what a travel auction site is; or know but have never pursued that avenue with regards to travel. I will be upfront and let you know that many really unpleasant auction stories abound. I am also letting you know that I am not promoting purchasing a vacation through an auction but just wanting to shed my own little piece of light about my own experience. I am the consummate bargain hunter. It runs in my blood. I will spend inordinate amounts of time to "find that best price". This was once upon a time a challenge, now it's a necessity! When I decided to pursue the auction venue, I did use due diligence in doing my research. This included research about the type of vacation I wanted as well as pricing allowing me to compare apples to apples and not apples to elephants or something stupid like that....you get the idea. I have to admit that this bidding thing is a bit like gambling and you can really get carried away in the excitement and suspense of it. However, I stoically remained focused on task not even allowing myself a potty break until "mission complete". I admit that once I hit the "purchase auction" button, it was only a matter of nanoseconds when the fear and doubt swept up through the "enter" key and straight to my brain like a tsunami causing me to break out in a cold sweat and start imagining all the horrible things that could, and most surely would, go wrong. This was frightening, but worse was knowing I would hear the four dreaded words from Hubby, "I Told you so"! I envisioned arriving at the resort and being escorted to our room located directly behind the trash dumpsters of the seafood restaurant. This, of course was in conjunction with the fact that the room had no A/C...you get the whiff. Our transportation to the resort was also a source of heartburn, as I could picture the second leg of the journey to be by rowboat. This was a wake up call with regards to my lackadaisical attitude about my gym membership and usage (or lack thereof) and I vowed to do better at getting physically fit. Well folks......my dread and fears were totally unfounded. I found the whole experience to be excellent in all regards. You can imagine my sigh of relief once securely tucked in to our lovely room with a beautiful view of the gardens and ocean. The very relaxed quiet colors of our room's decor was just right to blend with the overall ambiance of the resort. The balcony was an added bonus to sit a have a drink as you prepared for your evening. The grounds were meticulously maintained and the staff was polite and courteous. The downside is you do get pestered to take the "tour" of the time share offering. Be polite but firm and they will eventually leave you alone. When staying at this resort, there are different levels of service and amenities. Those folks that purchased their little piece of the resort are offered more privileges. This might be a real negative to some but did not bother me or Hubby. The buffet had enormous amounts of food but no matter how hard they tried to add variety, it was still somewhat monotonous. There are several other specific cuisine restaurants in the resort but the food was mediocre at best. There was always plenty of fresh fruits and salads so even the pickiest eater can find something. This resort is not a (5) star resort. I give it an overall rating of (4) based on the type of resort it is. There are many who would disagree with this rating. The resort did not have much in the way of nightlife and entertainment but is more the type of resort to just kick back and relax. I would not penalize a rating, as some do, because they did not do their research and choose a vacation and location right for them. The auction experience was quite an easy process and I would give it a rating of (4) out of (5). The only glitch I experienced was with getting the exact date I originally wanted. This was resolved and the date was pushed up only by a few days so you must have some flexibility when purchasing through an auction. The only other negative was the slowness of communication with regards to questions. This could use some improvement in my humble opinion. Now to the nitty gritty - the total price for both Hubby & I was $1,700. This included trip insurance to boot! This was a 7-night all-inclusive vacation. I mean all-inclusive (yep..alcohol too). Wow - did I quickly jump on that, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere" bandwagon and breakfast was a pina colada! The only things not included were airport transfers and tipping. A word to the wise...tipping is strongly advised. This is how these people make their living so don't PISS them off or you may find yourself using the same dirty wet bath towel for a week and find pool water in your bahama mama! Take a look at the photos and you be the judge.........Kat

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Photos - Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort & Spa

I Can't Find Me

Who Am I I'm not exactly sure whether my Journal will ever evolve into a particular niche. This is partly due to the fact I have a touch of ADD. Hell, I have a load of ADD, who am I kidding? I move around a lot. Literally, body parts, houses, jobs, husbands (this one's the one though) and my thoughts. Sometimes I am not even sure who I am. I feel like will the "REAL" Me please stand up. Gosh, maybe it's not ADD but something much more serious and sinister. Immediately after finishing this post I will consult Wikipedia on the definition of Schizophrenia . I do talk to myself but I haven't answered yet so I'm probably OK. ..right? Wow, this journaling stuff really is therapeutic! Now Hubby, he has a touch of OCD. He will shout from the rooftops that this is not so, oh no, oh no; but it is. I will give one example; you be the judge. This occurs each (and every) time we leave the house. Hubby backs out of garage. As we are backing out, Hubby & Me watch garage door descend. Descend (go down). Not only is it a very large door - it also makes that awful garage door noise! The second we are out of view of the garage door Hubby asks, "Did you see the garage door close?"; " I don't think I closed it." My same response each and every time; "yes dear, I saw it close". Having that touch of ADD, my impulsive reaction would be to leap out of the car while screaming and pulling my hair out as I jump up and down in front of the (CLOSED) garage door, but I can't cause what in the world would the neighbors think? That's right, 29 years together proves that ADD and OCD are a very compatible match! Maybe EHarmony can add that to their profile....Peace to the World...Kat

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Virgin Post

Virgin Post Well here I sit creating my virgin post here in blogosphere. It feels a little weird and uncomfortable, kinda like a new pair of shoes. You know; a little tight and unfamiliar. But like shoes, the more you wear them, the better they feel. Well, not all shoes. I can’t imagine 4” stilettos with those pointy toes could ever feel comfortable…could they? I don’t even know why I’m here. No, not literally, but here in blogosphere land where anyone can lurk. You see, I’m a very (I mean very) private kinda gal. So I figure there are one of two reasons for me to so expose myself this way; I’m a masochist (or is that sadist) I don’t know which one likes receiving the pain or I am using this in lieu of therapy (which I can’t afford at the moment). As I'm not into any kinky stuff it's the later of the two, hence my journal title, “Green Eggs NO Ham”. In any event, here I am in cyberspace for all the world to see. I thought that the first thing I would like to share is my vacation that I purchased through an auction site. I will post about the specifics with some photos later। Right now my three four legged children are vying for attention so I must go now (or they will gooo on my floor). Peace to the World....Kat ~~~~