Change is good.

"I am my father's daughter".  Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998) Those five words, I find, are quite powerful. Whether or not they were actually spoken by the Queen, herself, or cooked up by a group of writers huddled around a small table in the wee hours of the night, they certainly make a bold statement. Elizabeth the First, being challenged from every angle by those who would dispose of her simply because she was a woman, was not about to skulk away because of fear or intimidation. She was the child of Henry VIII - a man of great power, and as the old adage goes, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree".  This makes me think about my own family tree. My sister has delved into the genealogical history, and found lots of neat things. For instance, I am related to Robert Dudley (who was Queen Elizabeth's favorite - for a while), and somewhere down the line there's Robert E. Lee and Dwight Eisenhower. I must say, I'm proud of my lineage. W

**** This was the first "review" from my other blog, which I've decided to move to a single blog page, rather than having to try to manage two... I posted this one in May of 2011... **** First, I'd like to put the spotlight on a fairly new product - Johnsonville Original Bratwurst Patties. I have just noticed these in the "burger" section of my grocery store, and had to give them a try. I've always liked J-ville Bratwurst - they're about as close to the real thing I've tasted since I was in Germany, many moons ago. They cost about eight dollars for six patties - the very same amount as the Angus beef burger patties that I usually buy - but I find that they are much larger. My husband started them out on the grill, but we ran out of propane, so they were finished on the stove. They tasted fantastic, but I found the texture a little off-putting... those of you who've had the pleasure of eating both hamburgers and bratwurst will know the di

This blog was originally posted on 5/27/11 *********** Earlier this week I had to put my cat to sleep. She was sixteen years old, and had developed a tumor between her shoulder blades that seriously hindered the use of her front left leg, and - I imagine - caused terrible pain and discomfort. Being elderly and frail, her chances of making it through surgery were very slim, so we decided the best course was to just... let her go. So, I dedicate these reviews to my Gracie, and I hope she's in a better place... For starters, I'd like to cover cat food. Cats are strictly carnivores, so check the ingredients on the food you buy... the first ingredient should be some kind of meat. You'll find that most of your inexpensive kibble uses corn meal or other corn-based fillers to cut the cost of the food for both the manufacturer and the consumer, but ultimately, it's your cat that eats it. My suggestion for those who buy food at the grocery store, go with Iams brand cat food

**** This was first published on my other blog page on 6/13/11 **** The first day of summer is creeping upon us here in the northern hemisphere, and we have the temperatures to prove it. This morning when I woke, just before nine in the morning, it was already 82 degrees, and muggy to boot. So, without further ado, we'll cover a few things meant to beat the heat. My first summer savior is, of course, the air conditioner. If you have the luxury of central cooling in your home, kudos to you... but my family uses window units. Not that I'm complaining, after all, last summer all I had were fans. I have 2 small Kenmore models, and one Frigidaire... and all three have been running at full capacity for the last couple of weeks, and I must say I love them dearly. We put the Frigidaire model in our daughter's room. It's simple to operate, and runs quietly...which is great when one doesn't have to turn up the stereo full blast in order to hear the music. T

**** This blog was first posted on 6/18/11   ****   In my never ending quest to shed a few pounds, I keep an eye out for fast food meals that are somewhat healthy, especially ones that are A) foods I can eat "on the go" and B) something I can replicate in my own kitchen. I try to avoid going to drive-through places, simply because of their typical high fat and high sodium content (note: I said "try"). But, like most folks I know, I sometimes find myself in a predicament where I need to grab a bite far from home. My daughter and I were out grocery shopping right around dinner time last night, when the "hungries" attacked, and there was Wendy's right around the corner with a giant sign featuring a lovely, crisp salad... We both got the new Berry Almond Chicken Salad at $6.50 each for the full sized version ...I half expected wilted greens and overripe fruit, but I'm happy to say I was wrong. It came with the almonds separatel

**** I first published this one on 6/21/11 **** Some people have a little. Some people have a lot...No, I'm not talking about money (although the latter would be sweet, indeed). I speak, today, of hair. Every mammal I've ever known has had hair at one point ... My four-legged friends have it on the majority of their bodies... that is, when they aren't shedding it all over my living room carpet. My uncle started losing his while still in his teens (my mother is convinced it was all the chocolate covered graham crackers with bologna he ate as a kid), and I can't tell you how relieved I was to see a certain Disney superstar finally cut his overly-publicized hair. Every day we are bombarded with ads on how to make your hair shiny, keep the hair you're losing, get rid of hair you don't want, and other varieties of ways to tame the mane. It seems as though we are a society obsessed with hair. As a parent, I obsess over making sure my children have clean ha

I'm going to be moving some blogs from "there" to "here"... because, it's tiring having to shift from one to the other... so, you'll probably be seeing a bunch of new/old stuff... Just FYI...