"Flowers, Flowers, Flowers!"

While surfing through my Bloglist and checking out friends of friends, I came upon the most delightful site yesterday. It is called Today's Flowers, and it's full of the most beautiful flowers. It's run by a woman named Denise who is really sweet, and evidently, she allows people to become "Guest Friends" and post their own pictures of flowers on her site. Here is her logo:



I'm going to start searching for flowers around here that are worthy of photographing so that maybe I can become a "Guest Friend". I would love to do that! Here's a photo that would probably be ok:



Flowers have always been such an important part of my life, whether they be real, plastic, or even silk. My husband, Dion and I are just preparing to overhaul the window-boxes on the house and replant the flowers. The flash sleet-storm that we had on the 25th of June really destroyed a lot of our flowers. I'm just glad that I hadn't purchased our hanging plants yet or they would have all been destroyed, too. When we're done with the project, I'll take photos and post them, and then you can tell me what you think, ok? But before I go, I'll post two more of my favorite photos of flowers for your enjoyment. Here they are:

This one, of course, is a multi-colored rose. The rose is the most popular flower, by far, and is available all year-round, in all the colors of the rainbow.

And, each color has a different meaning meaning, so before you send them to your loved one, it's best to ask your florist. Here's a brief list of the most popular ones used:

• Red Roses—Red roses speak of love, romance, passion, and beauty. The color red is the most popular of rose colors, expressing clarity and boldness of feeling. Red roses are perfectly suited for romantic adventures.


• White Roses—The white rose symbolizes purity, innocence, virtue, girlhood, and happy (bridal) love. It also stands for truth, humility, secrecy, spirituality, and reverence. White roses add harmony to red or yellow bouquets. And, a single white rose bud represents pure and innocent youth. White may be the most widely used in the meaning of rose colors.


• Yellow Roses—The meaning of yellow roses was once infidelity, jealousy, and dying love. This image may have been due to its once malodorous nature, which has long since vanished. The yellow rose is now admired for its sunny good looks. It represents joy, delight, friendship, and freedom (from romantic entanglements). Send them for “Congratulations” and “Get Well Soon.”


• Pink Roses—Appreciation and gratitude capture the primary meaning of pink roses. Their cheerfulness sends a message of gladness, joy, happiness and fun. Their grace and gentleness make them appropriate to send for friendship as well as for sympathy.


• Yellow Roses With Red Tips—Yellow roses with red tips represent friendship with the promise of love. We can easily hide our meaning behind the sunny disposition of the yellow rose, in case our feelings are not returned. But who knows what might happen if we add special meaning to our gift of flowers with a hint at attraction. Already have someone special in mind? Consider sending them a yellow roses with red tips birthday ecard.


• Coral Roses—Coral roses speak of passion and desire. They are not quite as hot-blooded as red roses, a useful nuance in the language of flower colors.


• Black Roses—The meaning of a black rose is death, farewell, and mourning.
  “Black roses” are actually dark red or deep burgundy in color. They are the closest thing to a true black rose, which does not exist in nature. There are a few appropriate occasions when you might like to send black roses. You can send a black rose birthday ecard anytime.


• Hot Pink Roses—Dark pink and hot pink roses express thankfulness, appreciation and gratitude. Use them on any occasion when you would like to say “Thank You.”


• Blue Roses—Light blue roses are often called lilac or lavender. They tell a recipient of your enchantment with them, and of love at first sight. The blue rose also symbolizes mystery and yearning for attainment of the impossible.


• Peach Roses—Peach roses express appreciation, admiration, sincerity and gratitude. These positive and gentle emotions are perfect for sending flowers to friends and business associates...to say "Thank You" and "Congratulations."


• Purple Roses—Among blue colored roses are the purple roses. The purple rose represents majesty and protection. It has also come to symbolize love at first sight.


• Orange Roses—Orange roses “turn up the heat” and represent enthusiasm, fascination, even desire. Consider these to add "spice" to your floral message.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Then, some added information that I thought that you may like to have:

Meaning Of Color Combinations
Red and White.......... Unity, harmony, and bonding
Red and Yellow......... Happiness, joy, celebration, and congratulations
Yellow and White...... Harmony
Yellow and Orange.... Passionate ideas

How Many Flowers To Send?
Single Red Rose........... I love you, I still love, new love
Single Rose, Any Color... Thank You
Rosebud..................... Pure and lovely, beauty and youth, innocent heart
Two Roses Entwined..... Engagement or marriage is eminent
Bouquet in Full Bloom.... Suggests "full flowering" of the emotion conveyed
One Dozen Roses......... Gratitude
Two Dozen Roses......... Congratulations
Four Dozen Roses......... Unconditional Love

I hope you've enjoyed this posting about flowers as much as I have. Don't forget to visit Today's Flowers as soon as you get a chance. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"This Sure Has Been A Looonnngggg Week!"

Dion and I finally have our new (to us) car on the road. He took off a couple of hours from work on Tuesday and we went to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to have it registered, etc., and everything went perfectly.

Sadly, on Wednesday evening, we had to attend the calling hours for the father of one of my two best friends named Penny. I think I've spoken about them before. I call them: "My Penny's From Heaven". One Penny's name is Penny Flora (she's not the one from Wednesday night) who used to work with me for Cayuga Auto Parts and also Allan's Auto Repair. We also used to be roommates and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding. She's been my best friend for about twenty years and I love her to death! The other Penny is Penelope McGill. She's been my hairdresser and my best friend for about eighteen years. I've known her father for just about as long, plus, when I used to rent an apartment from Penelope's sister, Patti, her father used to live right next door to me.

He was a sweet man who was lonely and just needed someone to love. He married two women that were not right for him and seemed to abuse him. They took advantage of his giving spirit and I do believe that they broke his poor little heart, but he never complained. He always had a smile upon his face. And now, praise God, he is with the Lord and reunited with the wife of his youth, the mother of his four loving daughters: Patricia, Pamela, Pandora and Penelope. Frank Peabody is now in Glory; he is happy and without pain. We don't have to feel sad for him anymore. I thank the Lord for that!

Please remember to say a prayer for Penelope and her family, won't you? Her husband, Doug (I call him Doogie!) and their children, Jon Philip (J.P.) and Faith, will be missing Frank and will need prayers for comfort during these coming weeks as they adjust to this tragic loss. Please also pray for Patricia, Pamela, Pandora and their families as well. Thank you.

My 84-year old mother made a peanut butter birthday cake for my twin sister and me (it's our favorite!) and it turned out so cute. Let me describe it for you: The cake itself was a yellow cake with peanut butter icing. (Yummy!) There was a bird in the middle of the top of it, flowers and candy sprinkles surrounding the bird, then chocolate buttons lining the whole outside of the cake. In addition to it being a very pretty cake, it was very moist and delicious! Check out the pictures. Am I right or am I right? (hahahaha!)

Mom also sent over enough ziti and meatballs for a couple dinners for both of us. That was scrumptious as well. My mom is an excellent cook—the best in the county, for sure and maybe the best in the state! I guess I'm prejudice, though, right? I've always thought that Mom was actually the best cook in the whole world, but I didn't want to go overboard and say that. That would make me sound quite juvenile, wouldn't it? ("Well, too bad! That is what I believe! So there! Naa-naa! she says, as she sticks her tongue out at the people looking backing at her.) LOL!

Speaking of moms...Dion's mom—one of my favorite people in the entire world—is in the hospital right now. She drove herself to the doctor's office yesterday, because she hadn't been feeling well for several days and thought it was because she had switched medications, and they sent her to the hospital. She had them call Dion at work so that he could take her to the Emergency Room (ER). I'm so thankful that he was not delivering a part or a car out of town, because then he would have felt terrible. This way he was able to take almost the entire day off and wait at the hospital with her until she was waited on, then when Aunt Betsy (his mother's sister) got there, they waited to hear what the results of her CT-scan and x-rays were.

In the meantime, we had gone to check on her the night before and brought Max, her dog, up to our place to watch him because it was getting too hard for her to keep letting him in and out to go potty, so we're going to keep him for a few days. He always settles right into the schedule here like he's always lived here because he had to live here for three months one time when she went into the hospital. She had major surgery and we almost lost her—it was pretty scary. Max was so glad to see her when we were finally able to return him to her. It was so precious when they were reunited. He must have thought she was gone forever! That's him in the photo. We just adore him, and he loves us right back.

It turns out that Barbara has a very mild case (thank the Lord!) of diverticulitis and she also has a urinary tract infection (UTI)—not good, either one! She must be absolutely miserable. No wonder she hasn't moved an inch off her couch in days. And now she's going to miss the festivities for her "60th High School Class Reunion". That is such a shame. Please pray for her speedy recovery, ok? I love her so much! She's been just like a second mom to me ever since I've been 14 years old—that's fourty years! Can you imagine that? Wow!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Cars, cars, cars!"

Dion and I have been driving ourselves crazy trying to find a car (pardon the pun) these past several months, and there just hasn't been anything worthwhile out there. For the past 20 years, Dion has always bought his cars for a substantially reduced priced through his job, but that is not an option anymore. I can't imagine why they have taken that employee benefit away, but it has really caused hard feelings throughout most of the rank and file. Thankfully, Dion is not the type to let it bother him—he knows that the Lord is the one that provides for him, not his employers, so he doesn't worry or hold a grudge. I'm so blessed to have Dion for a husband—I love him so much!

Anyway, to make a long story short, I think we've finally found one. We're really excited. It's a 1999 Mercury Marquis LS, Limited Edition. It's light blue in color, just like the one that we had before it that we loved so much. We had to let my twin sister, Sande's husband, Allan, tow that one away because it had a broken frame and it broke our hearts as well because we loved that car, but with a broken frame, it just wasn't safe to drive anymore, and Dion feared for my safety. He's such a good man.

So, if all goes well, they'll deliver the car some time today and we should be able to drive it on Monday. I've posted a picture of the car so that you can see what it looks like. Isn't she beautiful? Those wheels are the exact ones that we have, also.
Now all we have to do is come up with her name. Do any of you out there have any ideas? Let me tell you the names of some of our other vehicles so that you'll know how we usually name them:

• 1963 Chevy Impala = "Bullet"


• 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass = "Rocket"


• 1973 Honda motorcycle = "Punkin"


• 1970 Honda motorcycle = "Goldie"

I'd appreciate it if you'd post your ideas by commenting to this posting. Then I can choose the one that I like the best. I'm really having a hard time thing up a name for this one and usually they come to me quite easily. I'll be trying to think up one tonight, but I sure would like it if someone out there would give me a helping hand!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"We Went To Court For Our Pistol Permits And It Was A Nightmare!"

My husband, Dion, and I both needed to go before the judge on Thursday regarding our applications for pistol permits and for me, it was an absolute nightmare!

Let me start off by saying that it is our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. With that being said, the following is the story, to the best of my recollection, of what happened on Thursday:

Dion and I submitted our permits, and because I wanted to be honest, I stated that in addition to wanting to use a pistol for target practice, I also wanted one for personal protection. I submitted a letter with my reasons, which included the fact that Dion drives for his job now and quite often gets home late, plus we live close to the Five Points Correctional Facility. My biggest reason was because of the stalker that I had and although I had hoped he wouldn't bother me again, I always wondered about it in the back of my mind and I wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

Had I opted to request the permit for target practice only, which would have meant that I would have had to have been less than honest, I would never have had any of the problems that I am going to describe to you and that is why I think this whole episode was ridiculous and uncalled for.

Almost as soon as I entered the courtroom, the judge, after saying a polite "Good Afternoon, Mrs. Hammond," put me on the defensive. He treated me as if I were a defendant in a criminal case. He wanted to know what medications I was taking, what dosages, and how often, and I wasn't able to list all of them precisely, but I also told him that I wasn't sure what he was getting at. He also wanted to know what my disability was, so I told him that I had osteoarthritis in both knees and both hips and also RSD. Then he wanted to know why I wanted the permit now, when I could have asked for it anytime. I told him there were all the factors in the letter, but he didn't seem to think those reasons were good enough because: Five Points had been there for five years, so why now? And the stalker hadn't been around for eight or nine years, so why now? I told him that for one thing, we had just now saved up enough money to buy a gun. Then Dion also explained, also, that our 17-year-old son had just become interested in target practice, so that was another reason, plus the fact that he had just started the new driving job. He wanted to know why I had to have a 357-magnum. I explained to him that the gunshop owner had specifically picked that gun own for me because it was a "ladies gun" and that I would be able to cock it, because of my hand problems. I told him he could call and check with him if he didn't believe me. I also told him that it was a little tiny thing, but he said the bullets were a large caliber. The judge said he would take it under advisement and that he needed to send my file to the sheriff so he could do some checking.

Maybe you're wondering why this whole thing has bothered me? Well, first of all, the judge treated me as if I had done something wrong by asking for a permit. I hadn't. It's my Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and that right is not to be infringed upon. And secondly, he wielded his "power" like a sledge hammer and hammered away at me, disrespecting me for no reason at all. I, who have never even had a traffic infraction, was made to feel like a common criminal, for merely asking for something that was my "right" to obtain in the first place.

So, needless to say, I'm not at all sure that either of us will be getting our permits. He may have just wanted to give us a hard time, but it's hard to tell. The court stenographer at least had the decency to act as if his show of bravada embarrassed and disgusted her, which made me feel better at the time.

The only good thing about the whole day was the fact that we got to see the kids. First we went to see Josh and Noah while Chrissy was at work. I wish Chrissy could have been there, too, but it couldn't be helped. I hadn't seen Noah in about a month and he has grown so much. He was all smiles for his grandpa and me.

He is the most adorable little guy, and he's so good-natured, too. Josh took him for his shots on Wednesday, and I guess he cried a little, but was really quite good until later. He probably started hurting later in the evening and didn't know how to tell anyone because, gosh, he's only two months old!

Noah stood up on Dion's lap, all by himself, and just looked around, without any trouble at all. He's so strong, and he's so smart, too! I held him for a while and the moment that Dion looked away, Noah was trying to get his attention. He started crying and waving his arms, and I said, "Look honey, he's trying to get your attention!" so Dion turned around to look at him again and then Noah smiled a great big smile and started cooing. It was absolutely adorable.

Then we stopped in to see Jon for a minute, the went on home. It was a great finish to a lousy day, but after seeing the boys, everything seemed right with the world again.

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Happy Fourth of July Weekend!"

I have some really wonderful news. Chrissy, Josh's wife, got a new job! Remember how she used to work as a cashier at the P&C Foods grocery store right near where Dion works? Well, now she works as a bank teller at the Five Star Bank in Geneva, New York (I'm not sure which one, though). From what Dion says, she basically went in, asked if they had any jobs available, filled out an application, was interviewed, and then was hired on the spot. I'm really not surprised at all. Chrissy is very smart, she is also very pretty, and she presents herself to the public in a professional and pleasing manner. I bet she'll boost the business at the bank, too. Furthermore, I won't be surprised if she moves up to a position with more responsibility in a short amount of time, too.

She's an intelligent girl and I bet she'll do well at the bank. I hope she loves it there. I want so much for her to be happy at her job! I don't know what she aspires to be, but if this makes her happy, then I'm happy, too! It only makes sense that if you are happy in your job, then it will carry over into your home life, because it is equally true that when you are unhappy in your job, it definitely carries over into your home life.

I am certain that this kind of job is bound to increase Chrissy's self-esteem, and I'm so happy for her. I think the world of that girl and I pray that she and Josh will be able to get over whatever hurdles they are experiencing right now in their young marriage, especially for the sake of precious little Noah. I don't know if either of them can even fathom what is really at stake if there marriage were to break up. Let's just pray that it never reaches that stage.





Jon was supposed to spend the weekend with us this weekend, starting right after he was done with work this afternoon, but we never heard from him. Dion's not feeling well, so he said not to call anyone because he doesn't feel like talking to anyone. I hope it doesn't backfire on me like it always does. I usually get blamed because they think I'm the one that's keeping him from calling!

I understand, though. He just did not feel good. And when you're feeling like that, you just don't feel like chatting, and I'm never going to go against what Dion says not to do. He's the boss. And if anyone gets angry, then so be it. I have to obey my husband. They Bible says so, and this was not life or death, or illegal, or anything like that...so my choice is to always obey him in those instances. He would never ask me to otherwise, anyways. He's a good man, and I trust and love him totally.

I'm just hoping he'll feel better by tomorrow. I'm so worried about him. He's so run down and worn out from work. They run him ragged and they don't even appreciate him!

Well, here's wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July weekend! We also hope that the Tea Parties around the country had a great showing. If Dion hadn't have been sick, we would have both been there, too!



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!