High tech Pope

I just thought this was an interesting story. Pope Benedict now has an e-mail address. benedictxvi@vatican.va. So if you have a prayer request or just want to drop the guy a line it is simple as a few key strokes away. I guess Pope John Paul II was the first high tech Pope and was seen typing away on a laptop. It's good to see that trend continued.

You can read the story by clicking below.

Yahoo! News - Pope Benedict XVI Gets E-Mail Address

Why Do They Need Nipples?

Is this necessary?

So I was shopping this evening and I noticed in JcPenny that all the women mannequins had nipples. Why I'm not sure. Was it really cold in the store or is it just that mannequin manufactures need to throw more sex into the mix because sex sells? As if the overwhelming majority of clothing wasn't sexy enough, you have to sell it this way? I don't know why this bothered me so much today...maybe I'm a little older or maybe my morality has caught up with me. Either way, is there any place it's safe to go without being assaulted with sexual images such as this?

'HABEMUS PAPAM'

It's so interesting watching the annoucement of the news of the Catholic Church's new Pope, Pope Benedict XVI. First the smoke came and then the bells tolled for a long time. Soon St. Peter's Square was packed, I mean packed. They announced Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany and people screamed in jubilation. For a Catholic who has never experienced a Pope's election it is extraordinary to watch the ceremony and the excitement of people. He's got huge shoes to fill and many things to do. So a little prayer comes from me for him to have the wisdom and grace to do God's work. And remember Pope Benedict XVI, "Do not be afraid." Amen..

Cleaning at 1 a.m.?

Ok, so how many of you out there clean your house starting at 10:30 p.m.? Am I the only one? If you think I'm crazy, I must be a little. Because the past week my home has managed to explode in dirtiness and I don't hardly even seem to be home. Today my Aunt and Uncle are coming to visit and I don't want to think I'm a slob. So I dusted, threw crap away and swept the floor at 1 a.m. If I'd just learn the art of cleaning as you go along, these things might stop happening to me.

The World Grieves for One Man

Not Only the Eternal City, But a Packed One

They Are There for One Man

24 hours.
That's the amount of time some people faced waiting in lines to catch only a brief glimpse of the body of Pope John Paul II.
Pilgrims slept in the streets when the lines were closed over night, and sang and prayed in line. And once inside the Basilica, there was silence.
Reverance for the man whose death brought more than 1 million to pass him yesterday and another 2 today and tomorrow. A man who an estimated 2 to 3 million Polish country men and women boarded trains, planes and buses to pay their respects at his funeral Friday. A man where more than 200 heads of state, including Fidel Castro, will attend his funeral.
I am awe struck at the photos and video coming from the Vatican and around the world this week. Who knew one man could stir the world like he did?
While everyone didn't agree with what he said, I don't know any one who didn't respect him. One who stood up for his beliefs and took them to the world like few others evagelizing. Yes fellow Catholics, he was one of the great evangelizers of our time. He went to the corners of the world to tell of his love for God and made sure everyone from the rich to the poor heard his message.
I feel lucky to be alive at this time. To be a witness to the life of a great man. And to watch the millions who dropped what they were doing and went to Rome and the Vatican just for those few seconds to see the small man dressed in blood red vestments who changed the world.

Gone Home, Never Forgotten

A New Journey Begins

At approximately 9:37 p.m. Rome time Pope John Paul II died and went to be a peace.

It has been extrodinary to watch and listen to the media accounts surrounding his illness, decline and now death. More than a billion (yes, that's with a B) Catholics around the world have been offering prayers as well as people from all walks of faith. This was a a great man who had the admiration of many including myself. He held tight his beliefs and refused for others to corrupt it. He was loved by the young, and everyone who I have ever heard who had met him spoke the the energy, the passion the love they felt, even as his age and Parkinsons disease took hold of his body.

So today I am in mourning with the world but I am at peace because I know the Pope is now starting a new journey, a journey to be with his best Lord, and because of this it is also a joyous time. And in honor of a man who stood for peace I submit to you a Prayer for Peace from St. Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

At Peace

Terri Shiavo died this morning at 9:05 a.m. in Pinellas Park. What a shame that even to her last moments her family and husband couldn't come together to be with her at the end. They couldn't even be in the same room when she died. And now there may be a fight over her funeral and burial arrangements. How horrible this is. That her family hate each other so that this poor woman was put in the middle of that hate and made the subject of it.

Be at peace Terri

An Easter Miracle!

So I came back from taking Friday off and low and behold, my neighbor, the great Randu, had completely cleaned his desk, minus the few crumbs and dust he left. I was speechless. Unfortunately he is not here today so I couldn't enquire what came over him. I guess if you wish and pray hard enough, anything can happen, even Randy's desk being clean.

Quote of the Day

"Nothing will work unless you do."
- Maya Angelou (poet/writer)

I am beginning to understand this more and more. Even if you are not working at a paying job, there is always "work" out there that needs to be done.

NakeDan - The Remix

Remember NakeDan the Handyman? Well it seems that press release I was making fun of made its way around the media circuit and has gotten the man LOTS of media play. Supposidly he is booked thru almost the end of next month and charges $130 an hour. If you want to read my papers take on the guy you can click below. The best is if you happen to live in the Tampa Bay area and you can pick up a copy of the paper, to see this woman leering at this naked guy is worth your 50 cents.

What Do You Say To A Naked Handyman?

A Little Rain Got Me Down? Nahhh!!

Reason #1

Reason #2

So it's been raining a little here in Central Florida, I just happy I don't have to ever deal with things like this above. My friend Aaron forwarded these photos, he says these are from coastal Mass. and resulted from a bad winter storm. Hey at least I don't need a blowtorch to get into my car here.

Mine Irish Eyes Are Smiling!

Happy St. Patrick's Day. According to the 2000 U.S. Census more than 34 million Americans claim Irish heritage. I am one of those. My mother's grandparents came from Limerick, Ireland, the O'Conners. My Mom talks about her grandfather O'Conner who wouldn't let you leave his home of St. Patricks Day without something green on to celebrate. My bloodline has taken many twists and turns and now includes German from Obergailbach (which is now France) and areas in Prussia, now Poland. And now I'm married to a first generation Hungarian-American.

But today it's all about the Irish. So wear your green and have some Irish brew. I'll be toasting my great-grandparents and thanking them for my grandmother who of course gave me my mother thus allowing me to be here, the mutt that I am.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Briefs Barers Force Stance Against Underpants

Will showing too much of your drawers be illegal in Florida? This legislator is trying. Check out this article, pretty funny! Also, this is one of the better headlines I've seen in a little while.

Briefs Barers Force Stance Against Underpants: From The Tampa Tribune

Briefs Barers Force Stance Against Underpants

Will showing too much of your drawers be illegal in Florida? This legislator is trying. Check out this article, pretty funny! Also, this is one of the better headlines I've seen in a little while.

Briefs Barers Force Stance Against Underpants: From The Tampa Tribune

Thank Goodness They Come Only Once a Year!

So yummy..

They got him. The cute neighborhood Girl Scout caught my husband and caught some of his money. He said he was guilted in to it. He saw the list and didn't want to be the neighbor who didn't buy any. And he didn't want to be the cheap neighbor by only buying one box. So six boxes of Girl Scout cookies showed up in my kitchen last week. Two Thin Mints, Two Dosidos and two Tagalongs (my favorite cookie of all time.)

Now all sense goes out the door when a box of Tagalongs sits in front of me. Something about the chocolate, peanut butter and cookie. It's hard to stop eating them. I am just so thankful that they aren't available in Publix because I know there I would be walking down the aisle and suddenly there would be two boxes in my cart.

Thank goodness they are only available once a year!

May the Starch Be With You!

Au Gratin, I am Your Father!

This is Hasbro's latest Mr. Potato Head, Darth Tater. It is coming out later this year to coincide with the next Star Wars movie. I know my bro-in-law Goo, (That's the nickname he has, he lives in Jacksonville, what do you want?) would LOVE this since he loves all things Star Wars.

For some reason all things Mr. Potato Head makes me smile and this one is no different. I have heard Mr. Potato had an exclusive interview with an editor at the paper I work at and the interview is coming soon. Will post the link when it's published.

What's next? Obi Wan Au Gratin? Princess Fish-fil-e-a? Big League Chewbaca? Thankfully I can't take credit for those above, Pat of Mr. Doodles Dog Fame and the famous Daily Dave came up with those. They are fun no less.

Moi, Paranoid? YES!

So I'm driving my husband's pride and joy today, his car. He's doing some maintenance on mine, thus I'm driving Nichole. Yes, that's the name he has bestowed on his 2000 Sebring. It's Nikki when "she's" acting bad. This is the first new car he ever owned so he has always pampered it. There's rubber mats on the floors (the carpet underneath is immaculate) and a high shine wax job on it. I always like being able to drive it. It's fun, fast, has a sun roof and a nice stereo.

BUT..and that's a big but, I am terrified something will happen to it on my dime. I double-check the mirrors when changing lanes and when I park I get out and walk around it to make sure there's plenty of room on all sides. Today I looked twice. I just can here hubby's voice in my head, watch out when you park, be gentle on the car handles, don't slam the door too hard, and don't pull up too far in the parking spot, esp. if there are curb stops, you could rip the nose right off.

Oye! Talk about car guilt!

Shut Yo' Mouth!

I know it sucks to be sick. I have been there and done it a lot. In fact the past few days I have been fighting a bug off myself. But what is with all the people who are hacking all around me who don't feel they need to cover their mouth when they cough? And you know if all you do is hack all day, why don't you just stay home because I am tired of hearing it.

Just throwing my two cents in...but I think it makes sense.