Gardens, Big Brother and Guest-Lots Going on Including a Genuine Garden Video Tour

It's smack dab in the middle of the growing season and we've got a smashing, genuine video tour of the gardens.

Also, an intro to "Big Brother 8", a guest writer tells of the greatest gift of all and a personal email from the world-famous Pennsylvania Hand Band with video from "America's Got Talent" 2007 to accompany.

Pic of the Day

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Quote of the Day Classic Quotes by George Orwell (1903-1950) English writer A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him. --------------- All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. --------------- All the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting. --------------- At 50, everyone has the face he deserves. --------------- But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. --------------- Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.

Web Site Worth the Visit Draw Things A personality test where you make a drawing online and it is instantly analyzed by the computer to give you a personality profile. ABOVE SITE HERE

TIDBITS Tick Removal Please forward to anyone with children. Or hunters, etc!! Thanks! A School Nurse has written the info below -- good enough to share --And it really works!! This is great, because it works in those places where it's sometimes difficult to get To with tweezers: between toes, in the middle of a head full of dark hair, etc. Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball And let it stay on the repulsive insect for a few seconds (15-20), after which the tick will come out on it's own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. This technique has worked every time I've used it (and that was frequently), and it's much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me. Unless someone is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be damaging in any way. I even had my doctor's wife call me for advice because she had one stuck to her back and she couldn't reach it with tweezers. She used this method and immediately called me back to say, "It worked!"

 


Straight from One of "America's Got Talent"'s Biggest Loser

Heh. Well it would seem the giant hand from the infamous Pennsylvania Hand Band, featured in THIS BLOG POST, has contacted me with a correction to my post.

Pat:

For the record, Leonid the Magnificent on the bottom left of your loser montage didn't lose this year. But those dopes on the top right...you hit the nail on the head ha ha!

(the Giant Hand)
Pennsylvania Hand Band

So just for giggles and grins I videotaped the Pennsylvania Hand Band segment, below, that this group be forever immortalized.


The Gardens on the Fourth of July

Below are three videotaped snippets of a garden tour I took on the Fourth of July. Each video features a close-up on a garden.

There's no need for much wordage here as the video tours are narrated.

Enjoy!



Video Tour 1


Video Tour 2


Video Tour 3


The Greatest Gift of All

Now we're even.

Almost forty-five years ago, my mother gave me the gift of life.

Today, I returned the favor.

I left my vacation spot at a little after 6 this morning, expecting to stop at my mom's (around 9), stay long enough to have lunch with her, then bring my kids (the dog and cat) home, and get myself unpacked. I arrived at my mom's around 9:30, to find her sideways in her usual chair, incoherent and making baby sounds and faces. She was drenched with sweat and cold to the touch. I tried to get her to talk to me, but I couldn't understand her words. I did get a definite "no" shake of her head to "Are you in pain?"

I called 911. Two fire trucks and an ambulance responded, and I didn't think of locking up the animals until the guys (six? ten?) arrived. By then, the dog was barking and the cat was nowhere to be seen and the front door was wide open. I spent some hectic moments answering paramedic questions ("Does she live alone?" "Were you here to see what happened?") and searching for Kona. I found her under my mom's bed, and locked her in with Bounty in the bedroom I use when I stay there.

The paramedics discovered that my mom's blood sugar level was 25 (normal range for her is supposed to be 80 to 130; she's diabetic) and once they'd given her some sugar solution, she started making more sense in her words and recognized me. She sounded surprised that I was there, and seemed even more surprised to see all those tall, handsome men in her living room. (Shame she won't remember them, eh?)

A whirlwind of activity took place in a mere fifteen minutes or so. We had trouble getting her to agree to go to the hospital, but she needed to and finally said yes. I stayed behind to lock up the house, gather a few things for her and then follow.

Parking at the hospital was hard; they had a parking garage but I wasn't sure the Tundra would fit. Turns out they do a valet thing (and triple park vehicles; smart) so that was relatively easy once I figured it out. It didn't cost any extra, either.

When I got into the hospital, she was already doing well. Making sense, unhappy at being in a hospital but even remembering what happened. She remembers checking her blood in the morning (54) and taking her daily insulin. She wasn't hungry, but knew she had to eat, so figured she would do that in a few minutes. The next thing she knew, all those guys were in her living room.



It took a bit, but we decided she should stay overnight so the hospital staff could keep an eye on her blood levels. I stayed with her awhile at the hospital, until they brought her a sandwich, then went back to the house to get some more things (and to eat; it was about 12:30 and I hadn't eaten yet). I gathered her glasses (folded and in the chair she'd been sitting in), her reading book, and some clothes. Back to the hospital.

The valet thing wasn't happening anymore and the guy said there was plenty of room at the top, so I drove (the Tundra, still) up to the roof of the parking garage but there were only two very small spaces left. I drove back down and one of the valet guys valeted my truck after all. This time my mom was in a regular room and I had more trouble finding her.

When I did, she looked good (she said they'd fed her TWO sandwiches) and was able to tell me stories of her week with the pets. She wasn't very happy about staying overnight, but would do okay.

I got home around 4:30. Tomorrow morning I go back to be there for when they release her.

Tonight I give thanks to God that my mother is still alive, and I count my blessings on my timing. I also have a reminder for all of you: The doctors tell us to do things because those are the things we should be doing. When a doctor says "with food," you'd best take that medication . . . with food.

Michelle
The Desk Drawer writer's exercise list
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"Big Brother 8" Premieres

I review reality shows very frequently on this Blog but I have NEVER watched a "Big Brother" series. One must suppose that by the time it's all over my wise self will be very knowledgeable about this series. For now I have my notes from watching the premiere of this year's show on 7/5/07.

Now for some info. This show's web site HERE. The host is Julie Chen. The BB house features 51 cameras, 74 microphones and will begin with a population of 14 men and women. The contenders must live in confinement with no contact with the ouside world. All BB house occupants must compete for food, luxuries and a chance to be the beloved "Head of Household". The BB house has a 24/7 web feed.

The last contender in the BB house will win a million bucks.

As I understand it there is a new twist to the series this year. For three of the first eleven contenders introduced would also be sharing the BB house with a person from their past. On the premiere these three blasts from the pasts were introduced. One was "Evil Dick" who is the father of contender Daniele. This Dick fellow has earrings in his ears and eyebrows and has arms covered with tattoos. He doesn't look like anyone's father.

Another past for contender Joe is Dustin. Joe is a homosexual and Dustin is a former lover. It seems these two went their separate ways but a lot of hostility and anger were left behind. Contender Carol will be living in the BB house with a former high school friend named Jessica. I don't quite know what the bad blood was between Carol and Jessica although a five buck bad debt was mentioned.

Kail won the HOH title this week for remaining on a spinning mushroom the longest. Joe revealed that his friend Dustin gave him gonnorhea leaving me wondering how homosexuals can pass on this venereal disease but please don't enlighten me.

This year there is a new twist in that Eric is "America's Player". Viewers will be able to vote for the moves Eric must make on the series' web site.

It seems that CBS is sprucing up this mother of reality shows. We shall see how it goes.

For now, below a montage of pics with no further commentary.











Beginning List of contenders for Big Brother 8:
Jessica
Nick
Eric
Daniele
Dick
Jen
Mike
Kail
Joe
Carol
Amber
Zach
Jameka
Dustin

Remaining Contenders as of this writing:
Jessica
Nick
Eric
Daniele
Dick
Jen
Mike
Kail
Joe
Carol
Amber
Zach
Jameka
Dustin

Links to prior reviews of Big Brother 8
The 2007 Competition Begins

More TV Reviews HERE
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