Years

By LaVyrle Spencer. My grandma introduced me to Mrs. Spencer's books over 10 years ago. I have read every one, many of them 5 to 6 times. She has since retired and I have not found another author close to her style of writing. Years is my favorite book by far that she has written. I usually read mystery, suspense or science fiction books. Romances are VERY few and far between for me but for some reason LaVyrle Spencer takes the typical romance and leaves out all the fodder that usually turns me away from them. I most definitely prefer her historical romances to her modern day ones also.

Anyone interested in telling me a book or two you have recently finished? I went to Goodwill today and picked up 4 new authors but I am quite picky and don't expect to have much luck with my choices.

Call Me "Bugs"

Or NOT! Very rarely do I like to look at photos of myself or talk about myself. I talk a lot and I mean A LOT about things I have done and tell other's stories but in all honesty, don't dig too deep when it comes to me, myself and Bugs. Bugs was my nickname as a child. The story goes that my dad and grandpa were looking at me in the nursery of the hospital and one of them said I wasn't any bigger than a potato bug. Shorten that and I became Bugs. That name has produced different emotions as time has gone by. After my mother and father divorced, I did not hear my dad call me that again. My mom did, however and often. When I was younger, I liked it when she called me Bugs because that was my special name for her alone. In my teen years and early twenties, being such a mature person (yeah), I really despised it and cringed whenever my mom called me that in front of friends or in public. Now, I love it again and realize how special a nickname is. What it means to have someone like or love you enough to call you a "pet" name. An endearment, a time honored "tag" that evokes emotions like many other words, ordinary everyone, words can't.

Another nickname I had came from my grandparents. I was very close to both of them when I was younger. My grandma is part German and called me weitz or weitzy. I love and have always loved this name. No matter how many times they have called me this name, my heart still starts beating slightly faster with pride. It could have meant big cow butt and it still would make me puff up with pride that I had a my own special name from birth from people I loved very much.

My cousin Faith, one of the funniest people you will ever meet, is the person who got me thinking about the picture below. This is little 'ole me feeding my grandma's chickens. We used to "milk" the chickens. I would say this every time we went to feed the chickens and my sweet grandma would laugh every time. This picture hung on my grandma's living room wall for many years before she gave it to me for Christmas one year. It holds a special place in my heart full of good memories and innocence. Bringing back the days I would line up my grandma's shoes in her living room and put each pair on her over and over again like a fashion show. Or my grandpa taking us grandkids for rides in the cart behind his lawnmower, their dog Wolfer trailing us the whole way.

My mom and dad on my Baptism Day.


What on earth were they feeding me?



The yellow pants don't bother me, what does are the pants I am wearing in this picture!

Bird Woman

You may know her as Sacajawea. In my late teens, I was borrowed a book about Sacajawea. Always eager to read anything I can get my hands on, I had no idea that this book would spark a great interest in this historically known Native American. I was and still am fascinated by her and her short life. Many books and stories are based on speculation and theory but there is no way around the fact that this courageous and brave woman made her mark in history.

On a vacation years ago in Sedona, Arizona, I came across the most beautific bronze statue of Sacajawea. The photos are scanned and grainy but still depict the great detail put into this amazing statue. I personally doubt she was as stunning as this artist made her, yet if I were asked what I thought she might have looked like, I would not change a single detail from these photos about her.




Her first born, Pomp, or Jean Baptiste. She carried him the many many miles during the Lewis and Clark expedition without a word of complaint.
If you are interested in learning one author's tale of Sacajawea, get this book by Anna Lee Waldo. It is 1408 pages long and worth every page. I have read this book at least five times and it is in my top ten favorite reads.

Here is another great read if you like history. This is more historical and features Lewis and Clark's journey by Stephen Ambrose. Mr. Ambrose does his homework and takes you back in time.

Properly Identifying Your Weenus

I have decided to take on a task of great importance. Now that we all know what a weenus is and that most of us have two of them, I feel it is pertinent to know the type or "style" of weenus God gave us. I imagine there are a gazillion different types of weeni out there and while I will never identify them all, I must try to do what good I can and educate people before it is too late!

I have collected and documented a few specimens below. Please check to see if your weeni match any of the examples. If so, then great! If not, feel free to send my pictures of your weeni or weenuses and I will post and identify them for you. I will remove all names during posting to of course, protect the innocent.




Sun-bleached weenus. This weenus has been abused by an afternoon of sun and becomes bleached when given attention. This is very bad for your weenus and can result in permanent scarring.


Saggy bottom weenus. This weenus has clearly seen better days. Proper care and attention has not been given to this weenus in many moons.


Wouldn't you like to be a weenus too, weenus. This weenus is fit and supple. This weenus is the apple of it's owner's eye.


Muscular weenus. An ideal picture of a weenus in top form. This is one happy weenus!



An example of a weenus in it's natural state. Most of us cannot see ours, so I thought this guy with the pipes would be a good working model.
Yes, I am very tired tonight and have no idea what I will be when I grow up!

Getting To Know Xander

I have one lazy frog! Yesterday, Xander stayed in one spot the entire day and only opened his eyes when I talked to him like a newborn, then he looked at me in disgust and went back to sleep. I have been reading any information I can get my eyes on to make sure he is living the high life. White's are nocturnal and rarely are active during daylight hours, so his inactivity didn't alarm me, I just couldn't stop looking at him! I turned off his tank light around 8 last night and he immediately started exploring. I gave him a few crickets and the ate them within minutes. He has a big, fat, light pink tongue that isn't long at all. He basically just chomps the crickets a few times and swallows them. I took him out for a few minutes and was surprised at how different his color is from when I brought him home. If you look down to my first post about him, he is very lime green. That must be his slightly stressed color. His I am happy and love my new home color is the color you see below, a deep reddish brown. I think he is very pretty and could sit and watch him all day. I am waiting for the lazy boy to come out right now so we can have what will probably become our nightly chat.



I love the white spots on his back.

Here is after he jumped for his first cricket. I was so excited he ate because that means he is happy! I ran downstairs to tell John and he looked at me like you look at your Grandpa when he farts in church!

Love at First Sight

For those of you that think my frog is an odd or exotic pet, check out the cute fuzzy pet below. After we took Xander out of his cage, we walked around the pet store a bit as the owners were busy with other customers. A door that is normally closed was opened and Pam saw LARGE reptiles. We first looked at an 8 foot boa that looked quite hungry. By that time the owner was back and told us to turn around and check out the guy behind us. Well, that was it for Pam. She oohed, aahed and fanned herself as the owner took the lizard out of it's cage.

This is an Argentine black and white Tegu. It looks ferocious but is actually a very nice pet. This is a male and about five years old, with some more growing to do. Pam and I looked them up online when we got home and discovered they are quite easy to raise (for a lizard) and very tameable. He was friendly and allowed Pam to pick him up with no qualms.

So I get to be a lizard aunt sometime in the near future. Can't bring Pam anywhere!


What would you do if you saw your neighbor taking this for a walk?

Meet Xander

Xander...after Vin Diesel's character from XXX. I have a story of course behind Xander finally arriving to his new home. We ordered him from our local pet store last week and were told a shipment of a few would be in this Friday. I spent the week cleaning out my fish tank and converting it to a hopefully posh frog palace. I also spent many hours on the internet looking up how to best care for my new baby, trying to find what kind of environment would keep him happy and healthy. I went to the pet store almost every day this week looking at all the neat animals and getting more information on White's Tree Frogs from the owner whom is very knowledgeable and friendly.

Friday arrives...I am a basket case and have a hard time sleeping the night before and an even harder time concentrating at work. Pam had these same symptoms as she is almost as excited as I am! Friday at noon I call the pet store, "Nope, the shipment isn't here yet." Ok, I wait until 4:10 and call again, "Everything came in BUT the White's. They have rub marks on their noses and couldn't be shipped." HUH! Maybe if I hang up and call again, they will tell me they are playing a cruel joke and I should come right in. I was in deep frog depression...

This morning, John gets a voicemail from the pet store saying they were cleaning out a cage last night and a White's Tree Frog pops out at them! The owner thought his wife sold it and his wife thought he sold it! I was so thrilled I couldn't do anything but walk in circles and mumble to myself. Then I called Pam and told her to come on over!

Xander is a few months old, so he is already a decent size. He should get to be almost double the size he is now. He is a very deep brown and changes to green when he is held. He likes to squirm a lot and will climb anywhere he can get. He makes the coolest deep ribbit when you take him from his cage. He certainly doesn't mind telling you he wants to be left alone. I think he is wonderful and while I am trying to leave him alone a bit so he can adjust to his new surroundings, I had to take him out a little bit ago and even though he yelled at me, he sat nice for some pictures.
That smile is pure joy!

Xander took to Pam right away and was content to sit looking at her for a while at the pet store.
Then he said he loved her hair color and wanted a closer look!

He was getting stuck in her hair so Pam took him out and they had a talk.

Look how big my eyes are! I think I might like him a little!

I put him back in his new tank very reluctantly.