The Happy List

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Hmm lemmie think...

(this is working)


My local (kinda' local. I live out in the middle of the country so "local" is what they call "a relative term" )


Anyway.

I love the local "dollar store".

LOL I don't know what better the nice folks who work there or the fact that I can buy things without costing a fortune. It's the people. The place is a cross roads of people. All kinds of folks shop there because it's closer than the big town up the road. Doesn't matter how much you have in the bank, if you live here you're going to end up at the "dollar store".

Only place I like as much?

Lemmie think...


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The Happy List...

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Smiling yet?

(I am. I lived in a "dry town".)

I looooove to listen to country music and country music stations.


Especially like the small town local ones that give the school lunch menu and talks about what's happening at the local nursing home.

LOL I spent my teenage years working at a store that used to play one of those stations.

Oh and the swap shop.

And the local hunting forecast.


There wasn't an Internet them but now you can hear alot of really good country on the Internet.


Why country music?

Because I also listen to opera.

LOL Yep. I spent part of my college time listening to the Metropolitan Opera on Saturdays. It was an art gallery.

:D

My favorite country music that reminds me of opera?

That's easy

Lorretta Lynn

Go youtube her music and listen.

Try to find "The Pill" and think about when it first came out on the radio.

Can you imagine?

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The Happy List...

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One other thing on the list?

I collect college lit textbooks and Norton's Anthology books. LOL I don't know why. Guess I always wanted to take the college lit courses but wasn't able to because of all the science courses. Just never seemed to be time.


And then?

I like to read the lessons and try to answer the questions.

Yeah, to some folks it seems lame but I'm happy with it.

Add it to the Happy List.



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Some folks have a "bucket list"...

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I have a "happy list"




Things that make me happy?


I read poetry. Honest.



Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening


Robert Frost


Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.



I don't know about you Gentle Reader but I'm starting to smile.




:D



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Sometime you just got to

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... take this "unhappy" by the horns and shake it.


Things I've done right during the last 24 hours.


Got a good nights sleep.

Honestly, if someone had told me the difference getting sleep would make to my life.

That and the blankets.

And the warm pjs,

And well good company is good too.


The dogs are happy. I'm happy. I thought to myself, "Self, we got a good nights sleep. We aren't cranky. What happened? Ah yeah, I got to bed early. Yeah."

And I smilled because even though I'm still a bit sleepy? I woke up happy.

:D


Second,

I made biscuits and I'm gonna eat them. With butter.


LOL

Third,

Even though it's cold? I'm gonna do something that truly will make me happy. I'm gonna hug the people who I love.



And think about this Spring and the boat.



I finished reading The House of Mirth this weekend so started reading another book, LOL the main character in this book was trying to finish reading The House of Mirth. I'm not sure what's going to happen, yet, but another character has approached him to pose nude for a painting. (Wake up the post is almost over.)


Well that's it.




Tonight I'm going to read a book under layers of blankets, listening to the dogs snore, AND with my head on the biggest stuffed dog I've ever seen. Lovely. Oh and there's one other thing...


LOL

I'm truly sorry if your life is crap. I really am. I can offer you a virtual hug and a shoulder, an ear to hear your troubles, but I'm pretty sure that I didn't cause your troubles. If you're angry? Here's a hug. Lord knows I've had my troubles too. It's pretty awful. Not sure how to help but this "taking troubles by the horns and giving them a good hard shake?" thing is working.






Come on. Give it a try. (Oh and a good swift kick to the nuts while you're doing it works too. :D )



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Well hugs to you Gentle Reader. This "Early to Bed. Early to Rise." thing is really working out.


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AuthorAnn.





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Hey now.

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Come on lemmie see you shake your tail feather.......




Hey now, how's it going?


Heard that today is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year.

Can you imagine? If your birthday is today and you're maybe turning some mile stone like 50 and it's on the most depressing day?

Ah no. that's not going to work.

Yeah, I know that bad stuff is happening but I'm hear to tell you how to take the sad off the day.

Smile.

Find something happy in the world and smile.

And then shake it like Frosty.

Yep dance.

We might have to go looking hard for a reason smile but it's there.


If you can't find it? Not to worry.


Do something nice for someone and then watch them smile.

Teach someone to dance.

Tell them a joke (even if it's lame it'll work.)

Give them a hug.





Then think about it. What you did caused someone to smile.

Or even better? Taught them to sing and dance through their troubles.






That's reason enough to smile.


Hugs,

AuthorAnn


PS So much trouble in the world. Austrailia to Arizona. Sometimes the best thing you can do is pray and then try to get the person sitting next to you to smile.


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Dear Gentle Readers,

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You may have noticed that there's been no mention of the Arizona shooting in my blog. If this were the old 12 dogss I'd have talked about what happened. I'm not going to do that in this blog. I will say onlly this, "My condolences to those families who lost loved ones in this tragedy. Hugs. I'm happy for the families who have survived. Prayers to all."

That's it. I know that there are politicians who are trying to use this terrible thing for political advantage. I'm sorry but that's wrong. This is not the time to be taking advantage of situations or people. It is the time for healing. There is time later to with calm hearts and minds look at what has happened and find out why it did but not now.

Prayers to everyone.


Love and hugs,


AuthorAnn

PS

Well. The washing machine is broken.

I'm going to be very busy for the rest of this week. Might not post until the weekend. But before I go...


Because this has come up on other blogs that I've written. Please note that I am a writer and this is first and foremost a writer's blog. That's important to note. I create characters because I write mostly fiction. I test them here to see how they sound and work. When you are a writer, you step outside of yourself into a world of fictional characters. Some of those characters are based on my real life and some aren't. If I'm good at what I do you forget that the characters are fictional creatures and instead treat this world and it's inhabitants as a kind of fictional reality.

As I used to say on my 12dogs blog?

Welcome to 12 dots and a blot.

Fact and fiction exist here.

If you don't know which is which.

Please.

Don't worry or ASSume.

Ask.


Thanks.

Again I am glad for the survivors of the Arizona shooting and I pray for those who lost family members in this tragedy.

That's not fiction.

Hugs,

Ann


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Winter storm 2011. Well the good news?

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Yay. Auburn won and are BCS champs. I'm not sure what that means exactly but the folks who are Auburn fans are really happy. Great interview with Cam on The Tonight Show.

Yay.

Now for the storm watch.

Look this is boring. I'm not kidding.

It would be nice if it weren't but it is.


Do something.

Quick.











I'm going hop in bed and get some dancing done.



LOL, I'm watching the LLS Paula Abdul interview.

Oh and the washing machine jumped and then broke.


I'm ignoring and hoping for the best but I'm thinking that it's nolonger functioning.

:D

Could be worse.




I love watching the Paula Abdul interview.



"What did I learn?"


I learned that I should have gone to bed earlier and how to unplug a malfunctioning washing machine.


Yay.



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Winterstorm Watch 2011

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Day 3

I learn the value of online retail therapy.

WB cleans the fridge.

Pup lectures me about leaving the lasagna in the microwave.


Good news?

There was homemade chocolate and I finally finished reading The House of Mirth.

yay.

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Okay

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WB just sat on the dog.

The movies on the tele are from the 1960's.

The movies from the rental are - well - popcorn testosterone.

And WB just sat on the dog.

Again.

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Wake me up when the LLS comes on. Otherwise?

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Baby it's cold outside.



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Winter wonderland?

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Winter storm hint #25.

In conditions where you and your loved ones are stuck together in one house during a winter storm?

Stick to the soy hot chocolate.

As much as you might think it's funny, the rest of the folks watching the movie think that fart is stupid and stinks.

And for mercy sake stay away from the chili.


Who picked this movie anyway? Could there be more testosterone? Where there noooo romantic comedies.

No American Pie is NOT a romantic comedy.








Is it over yet???

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Good day sunshine...

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Hello! This is AuthorAnn's answering machine. Baby, it's cold outside. Only one thing to do is keep warm. Now some folks choose hot chocolate. Some folks choose long walks.

But me?

When it's cold I like indoor sports.

So leave a comment.




Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Oh for the love of Pete,

I just (accidentally) farted on the dog. She was sleeping behind me on the couch and it was not something I did of purpose. LOL This is a dog who seems to love smelly smells but even she wasn't having any part of it.

Poor dog.

Add messed up digestive tract to the list of indignities we're experiencing here.

Hugs I'm REALLY out of here.

Going to bed.

Ann



I had too. You know I had too.

Oh mercy. Another day of Crockpot chili.

ACk.

I don't know what they're feeding the cat but I know what's going in my stomach.

ack,.

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Dear Mother Nature,

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Had enough of this cold weather.
I'm going on "island time".
Warm thoughts and warm hearts all round.

'kay?

'kay.





There is a reason why I live where I do.
That
While it's true that we can have our odd cold, nasty weather?

We try very hard not to make a habit of it.

Yes, I know that we need the rain and the cold temperatures. That makes for the flowers and less bugs,

BUT,

This cold, icy nasty stuff that we're having now is just stupid.

The dogs are cold.
We're cold.
The heatpump is running all the time.

Yes, we have wooly socks, pajamas, sweaters, and blankets.
Yes, I've drawn the water and bought emergency supplies.

But come on. We already have to endure record heat during August, that's why there's no snow and nasty freezing cold in January.


The word is that at 6pm they closed the road because of an impending ice storm. That means an hour drive to the nearest town that is open.

Sigh,

It also means that we'll be here, all three of us tomorrow and one of us will be cranky.

You get three guesses who that's gonna be.

I've decided to take the day off and read my book (currently The House of Mirth) in piece. Then if it's possible I'm gonna eat chocolate and sleep. If it keeps up I'm bring the dogs to bed with me and we'll all have a nice snooze. Very much better than sleeping with heating pads or hot water bottles.

This is so stupid.

No gettting in the car and driving around to see how many trees fell over and no going to the dollar store to buy videos.

Argh....

Anne


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It's your thang...

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As a writer, I have taken to my bed only to rise up to eat and watch Tv's Craig Ferguson and Morgan Friedman do readings of Snooki's new book Shore Thing...






Mmm mmm mm

All you folks who are saying smart azz things about Snooki's book Shore Thing...

Ya'll are just being unfair. Have you read the book? Do you know how hard it is for no celebrity writers to get a book published? Snooki if you are reading this? Because of you a ghostwriter made their carpayment. Hold your head up high, Snooki, and know that Edith Wharton's book , The House of Mirth, got bad reviews when it was released and now it's called a masterpiece. In the future your novel will be looked on as wonderful example of social satire very much like that of Ms Wharton.


In the immortal words of Frank Sinatra?

Do it your way....

Regards from a fellow writer,

@GoatHerderBoy (Twitter)



PS. Dear Tv's Craig Ferguson, thank you for doing readings from this book. Ever since I heard the words uttered from your mouth, I knew that there was refuge in satire.

I'm going back to bed now.

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:D

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Not for under 21 ...

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I was missing some of the folks over on the old Ebay blog.



Funny the people you miss.

There was a blogger who was foul of mouth and boy did alot of the folks dislike him. So naturally I went over to talk to him. What I found was the nicest person. Not once was he rude to me. Just before the blogs shut down I asked where he'd be going next. Naturally ebay shut the blogs down two days early so that I wasn't able to retrieve his nick on FB. I'm hoping that he'll find his way here and I'll catch up with him.

.

So why this song? Well one of the things he used to do was post songs. Some of them, like this song, were rude but some were really good. The first time I heard this song I thought of my father and then nearly fell off my chair laughing at the lyrics. I don't know why. I just did.

My dad would not be amused that I've heard this song.


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Well I never....

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LOL.

So maybe I should post daily just to let folks know that I'm still alive.


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Good morning, good evening.

The sun's out and I'm way too young to be jaded.


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Help me reach my goal.

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At this point in my blog history, I've had views from four out of the seven continents. It's my goal (well one of my goals) to have views from every continent on Earth. Can you help?

If you know someone online from Austrailia, Africa, and Antartica who won't get me in trouble with Homeland Security, could you ask them to view my blog?


My parents will be so pleased that I'm finally goal oriented.

.

Thank you,


GoatHerderBoy


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My favorite Martian

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http://www.chucklorre.com/index.php?p=289


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To the person doing the UK search for "Hannah Murphy", I'm just as surprised at that hussy of ill repute who stole that silk scarf as you must be. Chin up. Hannah Murphy my be my fictional alter ego but that doesn't make her any less real.



OH and hello's to the folks at Getdentalimplants ! I'm not sure why you are linking here but you are correct. Our smile is our best asset.

Welcome!

Seriously.

I'm really glad to see you.

.

Ann

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The Ballad of Cinamon Waffles. The world's first female sumo wrestler.

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Chapter one:


I was hungry so I got Pup to make us some cinnamon waffles.


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