April Fools Day is known for practical jokes and other humorous stunts. For me I always think of my grandfather, Bubba. He loved April Fools Day and he loved to pull pranks and jokes on others, especially on my Mother. He would get her every year. Even the years she would remind herself of what day it was, he would still trick her. His favorite prank was to call her and tell her that our dog George was down at his house, which would be possible the years we lived on the same block. The year after we moved he called her and told her George had managed to return back to the old neighborhood, which was a 10 minute drive. She grabbed her keys and headed for the car to go after George. I ran outside to stop her and tell her that Bubba had just pulled another April Fools joke on her. She and I have continued the tradition of pulling pranks on each other after Bubba passed away in 1984. It was our way of honoring him. Here are two of our most memorable pranks:
1) I had my own phone line when I got in junior high school. One April Fools Day my Mom calls me from work and tells me that she was sorry but we couldn't afford my phone line anymore and I needed to unplug all my phones and put them on the porch for the phone company to come pick up. Being the dutiful daughter I was, I didn't think twice and did exactly what she told me to do. I called her back to tell her that I took care of it and she laughed and simply said "April Fool." Trust me I felt like a fool!
2) One year I had been dating this guy that was quite a bit older than me and my Mother didn't like him or the way he treated me. He was simply very selfish and arrogant. I knew she wasn't thrilled with this relationship so on April Fools Day I called her up and pretended I had been crying and told her we were breaking up and I was on my way back home. I waited 5 or 10 minutes giving her time to think about it. Little did I know she had started planning a celebratory dinner and had told all the girls at work the good news. Imaging her disappointment when I called to say those infamous words, "April Fool."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Super Bowl Ads
One great tradition was very disappointing last night, the Super Bowl Ads. This is something that men and women talk about at the water cooler every Monday morning after the Super Bowl. It's an experience everyone can share in whether they cared about the football game or not. First I must say the ads were a big let down last night and part of this was CBS's fault. They used the ad time for promo time on all their programming. There programming was literally shoved down your throat. I can understand taking advantage of the millions of viewers but they went a little overboard if you ask me. There was one ad about "Casual Fridays" that was just down right gross. I don't even remember who the ad was for! There were of course a few winners but there were more losers than winners this year. Now all we can do is wait for next year's competition.
PS Congratulations New Orleans Saint fans!
EJH
PS Congratulations New Orleans Saint fans!
EJH
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Super Bowl
The opening game of the 2009 NFL season was won in OT (over time). The NFC Championship game was won in OT. The NFC Championship game decided who would represent the NFC Conference in the Super Bowl. If you read my earlier post in September regarding the NFL's Overtime Rules you would know that I'm not very happy with the outcome. Luckily, I feel the right team won but I still feel the OT rules need to be revised. I still feel that today's OT rules aren't fair. As a football fan I've very excited by the teams that are going to the Super Bowl, the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. I think it will be a great game between the top teams in both divisions. Both teams almost had a perfect season, so I feel this Super Bowl will definitely be the game to watch. If I wasn't such a die hard Peyton Manning & Indianapolis Colts fan I would root for the team I think should now be called "America's Team" the New Orleans Saints.
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina came through Central Florida to Texas as one of the most expensive and one of the deadliness hurricanes America had ever seen. New Orleans and South East Louisiana were hit the hardest. People went to the Louisiana Super Dome were the Saints play football every year for refuge. The Super Dome had damage and the people were later moved elsewhere. People were relocated all over the country. The New Orleans Saints played all their games that year away, they never had home field advantage or a dome filled with their fans. However they found fans rooting for them all over at every game. They've come so far from being the team that had no home to the team that almost had a perfect season and is now going to the Super Bowl. I think they have earned the title of "America's Team."
Who am I rooting for? The Colts! I'll proudly be wearing my Peyton Manning Colts Jersey that my Mom got me a couple of Christmases ago. Who are you rooting in the Super Bowl, this Sunday, February 7, 2010? Whichever team you may root for, I think it will be a great game to watch!
EJH
Here is my previous post from September regarding Overtime Rules:
On September 10, 2009 the National Football League (NFL) opened its season opening game with the Super Bowl Champions the Pittsburgh's Steelers vs. the Tennessee Titans. It was a great game well played by both sides, a really tough, hard fought game that ended in overtime. For most sports overtime is an exciting, nail biting time. Sadly this isn't always the case in the NFL. The nail biting time is during the coin toss when the game is almost always won by whoever wins the coin toss. Not the actual overtime period. Due to the rules of the NFL, whoever wins the coin toss gets the first possession of the ball. The game is won by the first team to put points on the scoreboard. So whoever wins the coin toss just needs a field goal to win the game. The problem I have is the other team doesn't get an equal opportunity to score. So the winner is almost always decided by the coin toss. The NFL has brought all kinds of changes to the game over the years. One huge example that covers everything from a referee's bad call, to a catch or no catch, inbounds or out, and many more would be the coaches team challenges that introduces video replay to the game. If we can improve and change the game to make it more fair, so please tell me why they won't do something about our overtime rules? Other team sports give each team a chance to score. Think about it. College Football, Basketball, Hockey, and Baseball all give each team a chance to score in overtime. The NFL doesn't and I think it is time to sit down and make a change to the rules for overtime play.
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina came through Central Florida to Texas as one of the most expensive and one of the deadliness hurricanes America had ever seen. New Orleans and South East Louisiana were hit the hardest. People went to the Louisiana Super Dome were the Saints play football every year for refuge. The Super Dome had damage and the people were later moved elsewhere. People were relocated all over the country. The New Orleans Saints played all their games that year away, they never had home field advantage or a dome filled with their fans. However they found fans rooting for them all over at every game. They've come so far from being the team that had no home to the team that almost had a perfect season and is now going to the Super Bowl. I think they have earned the title of "America's Team."
Who am I rooting for? The Colts! I'll proudly be wearing my Peyton Manning Colts Jersey that my Mom got me a couple of Christmases ago. Who are you rooting in the Super Bowl, this Sunday, February 7, 2010? Whichever team you may root for, I think it will be a great game to watch!
EJH
Here is my previous post from September regarding Overtime Rules:
On September 10, 2009 the National Football League (NFL) opened its season opening game with the Super Bowl Champions the Pittsburgh's Steelers vs. the Tennessee Titans. It was a great game well played by both sides, a really tough, hard fought game that ended in overtime. For most sports overtime is an exciting, nail biting time. Sadly this isn't always the case in the NFL. The nail biting time is during the coin toss when the game is almost always won by whoever wins the coin toss. Not the actual overtime period. Due to the rules of the NFL, whoever wins the coin toss gets the first possession of the ball. The game is won by the first team to put points on the scoreboard. So whoever wins the coin toss just needs a field goal to win the game. The problem I have is the other team doesn't get an equal opportunity to score. So the winner is almost always decided by the coin toss. The NFL has brought all kinds of changes to the game over the years. One huge example that covers everything from a referee's bad call, to a catch or no catch, inbounds or out, and many more would be the coaches team challenges that introduces video replay to the game. If we can improve and change the game to make it more fair, so please tell me why they won't do something about our overtime rules? Other team sports give each team a chance to score. Think about it. College Football, Basketball, Hockey, and Baseball all give each team a chance to score in overtime. The NFL doesn't and I think it is time to sit down and make a change to the rules for overtime play.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
My Family Christmas Traditions Part 3
Christmas Morning Breakfast
Growing up most holidays were spent going back and forth between both sides of my family, Christmas was different. It was the rare holiday that was spent primarily at home, not running back and forth between granparents' homes. The first part of Christmas morning was spent with me getting to see what Santa Claus had brought me and then opening presents between my Mom, my Dad, and me. After we had time together as a family we got started on Christmas morning breakfast. My maternal grandparents, Mimi and Bubba, would come over to celebrate Christmas with us and eat breakfast. It was a festive affair. My Mom and I would carefully set the table with her good china and use her silver serving pieces. The table always looked so pretty and grand, after all we were celebrating the birth of Christ. Even after I moved out we still had Christmas morning breakfast together as a family. As time has gone on we have changed a few things about our tradition. Now my Mom and I go to Waffle House and eat breakfast together before we go back to one of our apartments and open gifts. We even bring a gift to our waitress since she has to work on Christmas day. We also leave a tip of course!
I hope you have enjoyed the past 3 posts on my Family Christmas Traditions. Do you have any that you want to share?
Growing up most holidays were spent going back and forth between both sides of my family, Christmas was different. It was the rare holiday that was spent primarily at home, not running back and forth between granparents' homes. The first part of Christmas morning was spent with me getting to see what Santa Claus had brought me and then opening presents between my Mom, my Dad, and me. After we had time together as a family we got started on Christmas morning breakfast. My maternal grandparents, Mimi and Bubba, would come over to celebrate Christmas with us and eat breakfast. It was a festive affair. My Mom and I would carefully set the table with her good china and use her silver serving pieces. The table always looked so pretty and grand, after all we were celebrating the birth of Christ. Even after I moved out we still had Christmas morning breakfast together as a family. As time has gone on we have changed a few things about our tradition. Now my Mom and I go to Waffle House and eat breakfast together before we go back to one of our apartments and open gifts. We even bring a gift to our waitress since she has to work on Christmas day. We also leave a tip of course!
I hope you have enjoyed the past 3 posts on my Family Christmas Traditions. Do you have any that you want to share?
My Family Christmas Traditions Part 2
The Nativity Scene
I was in the 3rd or 4th grade when my family moved to the house I mainly grew up in on Crabtree Road. It was a split foyer with 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths with a large den downstairs. After we first moved in we built a custom bookcase in the den beside the fire place. It was a floor to ceiling bookcase that was at least 10 to 12 feet wide. It really made the large room more balanced. The bookcase would always be my first and favorite place to decorate for Christmas. My Mom would cover the bookcase with velvet material to hide the books. We would alternate what color we would use each year. I think my favorite was the blue velvet she put up as a backdrop over the books, it was the perfect backdrop to represent the night sky. Over the years we would add a piece or two to the scene, but I can still vividly remember our unique Nativity Scene. We would place sheep and shepherds along the bottom of the bookcase. The next shelf up we placed camels and the 3 wise men. On up we put Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus lying in a manger. The shelves above them we had angels. At the very top of the bookcase we had one large star. It was a beautiful Nativity scene, from the bottom shelf up it looked like the path that Mary, Joseph, and the wise men traveled to get to Bethlehem. It was the most beautiful decorations of all, even if I helped to decorate it.
I was in the 3rd or 4th grade when my family moved to the house I mainly grew up in on Crabtree Road. It was a split foyer with 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths with a large den downstairs. After we first moved in we built a custom bookcase in the den beside the fire place. It was a floor to ceiling bookcase that was at least 10 to 12 feet wide. It really made the large room more balanced. The bookcase would always be my first and favorite place to decorate for Christmas. My Mom would cover the bookcase with velvet material to hide the books. We would alternate what color we would use each year. I think my favorite was the blue velvet she put up as a backdrop over the books, it was the perfect backdrop to represent the night sky. Over the years we would add a piece or two to the scene, but I can still vividly remember our unique Nativity Scene. We would place sheep and shepherds along the bottom of the bookcase. The next shelf up we placed camels and the 3 wise men. On up we put Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus lying in a manger. The shelves above them we had angels. At the very top of the bookcase we had one large star. It was a beautiful Nativity scene, from the bottom shelf up it looked like the path that Mary, Joseph, and the wise men traveled to get to Bethlehem. It was the most beautiful decorations of all, even if I helped to decorate it.
To be continued...
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
My Family Christmas Traditions Part 1
All families have traditions, the two that mean the most to me happen to be right around the corner. Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning Breakfast have been two family traditions that have continued to evolve from my childhood into my adulthood with a few changes. It's so wonderful that the traditions I loved and looked forward to as a child would be able to continue to grow and still be with me even as an adult.
Christmas Eve
For as far back as I can remember every Christmas Eve has been about the Christmas Story. As a child, my Mom, my Dad and I would sit around the Christmas tree and my Dad would read to us the true Christmas Story, the birth of Christ, right before I was put to bed. It was our family tradition. Every year we did this up until I moved out. Later my Mom and Dad divorced when I was an adult, so my Dad and I have kept Christmas Eve as our time to get together and celebrate Christmas. We would exchange gifts and spend time together as family and from time to time my Dad has still read the Christmas Story to me before he would leave. I remember one year we even went to a candle light Christmas Eve church service. For the past three years or so we would go out and eat together, exchange presents, and simply enjoy our time together. We don't always read the Christmas Story together every year, but I always try to sit down and read it myself by my tree right before I go to bed. I can't think of anything better than to spend Christmas Eve with my Dad and reading from my Bible the true Christmas Story.
To be continued...
Christmas Eve
For as far back as I can remember every Christmas Eve has been about the Christmas Story. As a child, my Mom, my Dad and I would sit around the Christmas tree and my Dad would read to us the true Christmas Story, the birth of Christ, right before I was put to bed. It was our family tradition. Every year we did this up until I moved out. Later my Mom and Dad divorced when I was an adult, so my Dad and I have kept Christmas Eve as our time to get together and celebrate Christmas. We would exchange gifts and spend time together as family and from time to time my Dad has still read the Christmas Story to me before he would leave. I remember one year we even went to a candle light Christmas Eve church service. For the past three years or so we would go out and eat together, exchange presents, and simply enjoy our time together. We don't always read the Christmas Story together every year, but I always try to sit down and read it myself by my tree right before I go to bed. I can't think of anything better than to spend Christmas Eve with my Dad and reading from my Bible the true Christmas Story.
To be continued...
Sunday, November 8, 2009
"A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world."
Leo Buscaglia
There are times when I feel like I'll never catch up with the current networking sites. I missed out on My Space and I haven't started Twittering, but I broke down and set up a Facebook profile and am reaping its rewards. Facebook has connected me with friends, family, business contacts and former coworkers that I haven't seen or talked to in years. I even got in touch with someone that I went to Elementary School with! It is so cool to find your best friend from high school whom you've tried to stay in touch with but lost contact years ago. I'm able to find out what's going on in people's lives, see pictures of them now, see pictures of their kids whether they are two legged or four. It's nice to get online and see that Nichole, who now lives in Chicago, is getting ready for a block party, or that Brad finally got out of retail and is a now bank manager.
Just today I got on Facebook and saw pictures of my cousin's newborn baby, her in her Halloween costume, and of course pictures of Mom and Dad. They live 2 hours from me, but this way I can keep up with them and see all the pictures of the baby as if I was right next door. I'm finding that this is also a good way to keep in touch with relatives that do live near me too. Everyone has busy lives these days and just seeing some family only on holidays doesn't always fulfill you, but reading what their up to makes you feel closer to them.
I feel like I'm back in touch with my family and friends thanks to Facebook. In fact I have a whole bunch of friends now!
Do you use Facebook? What do you think about these networking sites?
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