Happy Father's Day!

I remember Daddy´s hands, folded silently in prayer.
And reaching out to hold me, when I had a nightmare.
You could read quite a story, in the callouses and lines.
Years of work and worry had left their mark behind.
I remember Daddy´s hands, how they held my Mama tight,
And patted my back, for something done right.
There are things that I´ve forgotten, that I loved about the man,
But I´ll always remember the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

I remember Daddy´s hands, working 'til they bled.
Sacrificed unselfishly, just to keep us all fed.
If I could do things over, I´d live my life again.
And never take for granted the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love .....
In Daddy´s hands.

"Daddy's Hands"
~Holly Dunn~

Jack Benny Quote

I do not have any idea who Jack Benny is, but I found the following quote both humorous and applicable to my own life.

"I don't deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either."
-Jack Benny

Coconut Bliss!

I made a fantastic discovery a few days ago. I was walking through the frozen food section of Whole Foods, minding my own business, when I suddenly remembered seeing something about coconut milk ice cream sweetened with agave! The appeal should be obvious since I can't have dairy or cane sugar. (Agave is a natural sweetener.) Anyway, after looking at a couple of different brands of coconut milk ice cream, I found it! It really DOES exist!!! I decided on a tub of "Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge." I must admit that, even though I was pretty excited, I did not have high hopes for the flavor of this concoction. My experience with non-dairy ice creams in the past has led me to believe that non-dairy ice cream substitutes hardly qualify as substitutes. In my opinion, they are, at best, something designed to trick the mind into thinking one is eating ice cream, even thought the taste buds do their best to make sure the attempted trickery is not successful.

At any rate, after an incident that involved a watermelon falling to the ground and exploding, I finally got the chance to taste the chocolaty ice cream substitute that I had purchased. It was amazing! Never in a million years had I imagined that it would taste so delicious! It may even be better than real ice cream! My hopes and dreams are again alive and well, based solely on the fact that I can once again eat ice cream! I had it in a modified banana split that had fresh strawberries added. So yummy!

Just this morning, I found out that there are even more flavors than I originally thought, too! What great news! If you get a chance, you should try some. The brand is "Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss." Om Nom Nom Nom...

You're Out

The national pastime's shocking death toll.

About weird deaths in baseball, this article shows how committed fans and players are to the game of baseball.

PS-My Braves beat the Cubbies in 12 last night! Woohoo! Oh yeah, and my man, Chipper Jones, is leading the team with a batting average of .319, 5 home runs, 22 RBIs, and an on base percentage of .436!

To Hug or not to Hug?

Following in the footsteps of the Pledge of Allegiance, hugging is now on it's way out of schools in the US. Hugging is being banned in primary and secondary schools across the nation. This article from the Times actually mentions students feeling peer-pressure to hug! Wow! I was also surprised to find out that parents are sometimes very uncomfortable and concerned about their children hugging peers. Hmm...and I thought we had it a little rough in high school when "Five Dollar Fines" were handed out to students caught holding hands, kissing, or um, other things of that nature.

Here Kitty Kitty

A kitty in Chongqing, China, is getting some extra-special attention these days: The furry feline has developed wings! Though born looking completely normal, once the cat hit the age of 1, he began growing wing-shaped appendages on either side of his spine, the U.K.'s Daily Mail reports.

While some think the bony limbs may be a mutation of some kind — or even a Siamese twin growing inside the cat — others speculate it's a genetic change perhaps caused by chemicals ingested by the kitty's mother while she was pregnant.

According to the cat's owners, he doesn't seem to mind his new wings — and he’s loving the attention he's received because of them!

Strange as the case may sound, winged felines are not unheard of. Back in August 2008, the U.K. Telegraph reported that tomcats in China's Sichuan province developed wing-like growths on their backs.

Veterinary experts said then that despite the hard inner core, the "wings" don't harm cats' quality of life or safety. According to the Telegraph's report, scientists believe the appendages developed due to grooming habits, a genetic defect or a hereditary skin condition.