Why is it?

~ Why is it that.....
Guys never turn on the windshield wipers until they haven't been able to see anything for at least 15 minutes?

~ Why is it that.....
If people even bother to turn on their directionals they either turn them on after they have started turning or 1/2 mile before they need to turn?

~ Why is it that.....
Guys seem to prefer backing into a parking spot? Is it due to the fight or flight response and the need for a quick getaway?

~ Why is it that.....
Some people insist on stopping everyone behind them when they are in the wrong lane, waiting to get into the next lane over? Why not just go around the block?

~ Why is it that.....
The easier they try to make computers for others, the harder it is for me?

~ Why is it that.....
We used to stop for yellow lights and now we plow through on red?

~ Why is it that.....
The phone company can tell me I need or don't need to dial a one to reach a number but they can't just ADD or SUBTRACT that one and complete the darned call?

~ Why is it that.....
The best tasting foods have the most calories or are the worst for your health?

~ Why is it that.....
Some folks think they need to be the speed limit guardians by driving at or below the speed limit in the far left lane?

~ Why is it that.....
Babies are so cute with little or no hair or teeth?

~ Why is it that.....
I can't leave toilet paper unrolling from the wrong direction on the holder????

Just a little food for thought today....

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Lost in the Fifties Tonight

I was chatting the other day via email with a new friend. I mentioned that the great weather this past weekend brought to mind the song, Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer. I didn't remember who sang it but the tune was stuck in my head. He wrote back that it was Nat King Cole who happened to be one of my mother's favorite singers.

That got me to thinking about growing up in the 50's and being exposed to my parent's music - not necessarily what we were forced to listen to in the back seat of the car (groan), but those delicious slices of Americana from that era.

Our record player resided in our combination den, sewing room, reading room and downstairs sick room (all three kids slept upstairs). Since I was the oldest of three and the only girl, I often lost myself in reading and music and the den was my favorite indoors spot (outdoors was high up in a pine tree in the woods across the street).

A couple of songs stick in my mind to this day:

• Doris Day and Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)
• Tex Ritter and The Red Deck of Cards
• Patti Page and (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window
• Tennessee Ernie Ford and Sixteen Tons
• Gale Storm and Ivory Tower
• Gogi Grant and The Wayward Wind

A special favorite of mine was The Old Philosopher by Eddie Lawrence. I'd play it over and over and over. Anyone who has ever heard that song will never forget it.

Hiya folks.
Ya say ya lost your job today?
Ya say its 4 A.M. and your kids ain't home from school yet?
Ya say your wife went out for a corned
beef sandwich last weekend - the corned beef sandwich came back but she didnt?
Ya say your furniture is out all over the sidewalk cause ya cant pay the rent and ya got chapped lips and paper cuts and your feets all
swollen up and blistered from pounding the pavement looking for work?
Is that whats troubling ya fellow?

REFRAIN

Well lift your head up high and take a walk in the sun with dignity and stick-to-it-ness and ya show the world, ya show the world where to get off.
You'll never give up, never give up, never give up...that ship!

Ah yes, lost in the fifties tonight - your turn!
Top Ten Songs of 1950-1969

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Living Your Dream

While moving files to my new computer I came across this article I wrote 10 years ago for an RVing site. Thought I'd update it a bit and post it again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Live Your Dream Sometimes easier said than done.... When I was little, my dream was to be a nurse like my mother. I could take care of people when they were sick and help them feel better. I practiced for hours on my pets, various rescued wild animals and of course, my brothers. As I bravely marched into my teenage years, my dream changed and I wanted to be a professional actress or maybe a dancer. I loved performing, it helped me forget my somewhat dull (I thought) life and made me feel more glamorous. Reality intruded, as it usually does, and I ended up being the proud mother of two by age twenty. I really wasn't thinking much in terms of dreams; every day was an adventure in itself. Working in a hospital brought back thoughts of nursing, but the idea passed quickly. I did get to travel some, growing up in Massachusetts - moving to New Hampshire in 9th grade - relocating to Florida in my senior year. The service claimed my husband as their own and I got to see Georgia and Delaware as well as revisiting New Hampshire and eventually settling back in Florida. The travel bug was planted, growing slowly but there nevertheless. The twenties flowed into the thirties - a new marriage, a third child and a new state to live in, Iowa. Dreams? Who had time for dreams? I had discovered computers and started a real career! Part-time college student, full-time programmer, over-time mother and wife. I guess I thought I was living my dream - for the time being anyway. One day I woke up and got the news that my mother had passed on at the young age of 61. I was stunned. She was so close to leaving her nursing career for her three R's - reading, relaxing and retirement. She had spent her entire life doing for others but never really found complete satisfaction. Had she lived her dream? I don't think so, she was forced to make so many decisions that took her down a different path. Sitting back, looking at my life, I realized I was following the same pattern. Content with mediocrity in so many areas of my life, I had stopped stretching. I had given up reaching for my dream. Was this what I really wanted? Was this what my mother would have wanted for me? I didn't think so. My oldest children were out on their own, leaving only the eight year old at home. It's amazing what can happen when you realize you have stopped dreaming and start again. My life turned around. I met my soul mate, my husband Michael. My career soared, and I reached a peak that I had never even dared dream about. I did all the things I had always wanted to do, but never quite could find time for. I tried out for community theatre and got several parts. I tried skiing for the first time and I proved myself wrong - not only could I ski, but I even enjoyed it! Moving stayed a part of our lives taking us from Florida to Virginia. From there we headed to Georgia, upstate New York, Colorado, Long Island NY and finally Atlanta, GA. We had good times and we had bad but there was one underlying dream that we continued to talk about - traveling in a motorhome when we retired. But why worry about that now? Retirement was years away and we had so much living to do - right? Catastrophic events have seemed to shape my life in many ways. We had our dream house. Our kids were all grown and on their own. We were both at the top of our careers in well paying jobs. Were we happy? Usually, at least when we got to spend some time together. It seemed like our jobs kept us apart more than together. It was in February of 1996 that my father suddenly passed away. On the long drive back home, I found myself looking at every motorhome that passed by. "Why haven't we done anything towards make our dream a reality?" I thought. We were in the prime of our life, we had everything we'd ever wished for, but were we living our dream? Obviously not ... it was time to do something proactive. The rest of the ride home headed us towards a new life. We both realized that we had a mutual dream that was languishing for lack of effort and if we truly wanted it to happen, we had better get busy. The elusive retirement was closer than either of us wanted to admit and yet we both knew we would want to continue working. Lots of research and reading, many trips to RV dealers & shows, questions - questions - more questions, but we did it. In September we bought our new (used) motorhome with plans to go full-time within 5 years. But before we knew it, our plans had turned into a reality. A perfect job opportunity was offered to us and we jumped at it. It would allow us to work together, travel and live in our motorhome full-time! We would finally make our dream a reality. Is this the end of the story? Absolutely not, this was just the beginning. We lived our dream for several years, loving the RVing lifestyle but once again, reality had to rear its head and intrude upon our lives. Mike was diagnosed with cancer, we relocated to Florida (job promotion) and we had almost 4 more wonderful years together. He passed in November 2004 after seeing me moved and settled in a small Tennessee town. As many know, a year ago I was working on moving back into the RV lifestyle. It didn't work....but who knows what the future will bring. The dreams continue and life is for the living! When will it be your turn to live your dream? Till next time - keep on rollin', Froggi/Donna