Heaven x2

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.


He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.

'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.'

The man gestured, and the gate began to open. 'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.

'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'

'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump,' said the man.

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree. 'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said.

'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

Home vs Society

Here’s a scary thought, I’m as white as a ghost.

To you maybe, but to me I’m just right.

I don’t need fashion magazines to tell me otherwise,

To tell me to be tan, or to be orange to fit in.

Here’s a fun fact, I’m don’t fit in Hollister pants.

Apparantly they look good on me,

With their high price tag.

I don’t need society to tell me that I need those pants

To fit in.

So why am I concerned with the way that I look?

The way that I dress, or the way that I sound?

Is it really that important to change the way I am,

To fit in, to be cool, to give the right impression?

At home I do not need to act a certain way

Pretend to not care or breathe smoke in

I can say what I care about for that’s who I am

Not a Barbie doll from the future of society

Also at home there are differences too

I can have my own opinion, but keep it to myself

Cook the meal! But let auntie add in the spices

Could it be that I’m stuck not in a reality?

To The Girls

What's so poignant about this picture?

Well, it shows a line of little girls holding hands facing the immensity of ocean waves.

Alone they might be washed away, but together they stand strong.

Thank you each for holding my hand somewhere along the way

when I was facing a wave of my own.

I hope you will reach for my hand when your own wave threatens.

All of us girls..

Old and young...

Near and far...

Hold special memories of good times we've shared.

We've had our share of hard times when our friends were there to make us feel better.

We've shared...

our hearts

our time

our secrets

our fears

our hopes

and our dreams.

Let us never break the chain of friends!

If you get this twice or more, you are lucky to have more than one girlfriend.

Someone will always be prettier.

Someone will always be smarter.

Their house will be bigger.

They will drive a better car.

Their children will do better in school.

And their husband will fix more things around the house.

So let it go, Be Happy!

And love yourself and your circumstances.

Think about it.

The prettiest woman in the world can have trouble in her heart.

And the most highly favoured woman on your job may be unable to have children.

And the richest woman you know, she's got the car, the house, the clothes....might be lonely.

And the Word says 'If I have not Love, I have nothing.'

So, again, love you.

Love who you are.

Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say

'I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed!'

I like that!

'Winners make things happen.

Losers let things happen'

Be Blessed ladies and pass this on to encourage another woman.

'To the world you might be one person,

But to one person you just might be the world.'

SEND THIS TO YOUR FAVORITE WOMEN - I JUST DID!

HERE'S TO YOU MY FRIEND

DOES GOD EXIST?

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair

Cut and his beard trimmed.

As the barber began

To work, they began to have

a good conversation.

They talked about so many things

and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God,

the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer.

'Well, you just have to go out in the street to

Realize that God doesn't exist.

Tell me, if God exists,

would there be so many sick people;

would there be abandoned children?

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.

I can't imagine a loving God who would

Allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment,

but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer

Left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop,

he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.

He looked dirty and unkempt.

The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber:

'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked the surprised

Barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I

Just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't

Exist, because if they did, there would be no

People with dirty long hair and untrimmed

Beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens

When people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!

That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help..

That's why there's so much pain and suffering in

The world.'

If you think God exists, mention this to other People---

If you think God does not exist, don't read it!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS!  

Expiration Date

Enjoy Life - It Has An Expiration Date

Give this heart to everyone you don't want to lose in 2011 including me if you care.

Try to collect 6; it's not easy!

YOU HAVE 20 MINUTES TO TELL 6 FRIENDS that they are important to you

(INCLUDING ME).

TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED.

SO , cherish your friends! GO!

Car Crash

He switched off the cars ignition and took in the mangled wreck. She was fortunate to survive, the bride that is. The groom however, unfortunately was not going to live through the accident. Even with the best doctors on call and standing ready, the newly wed was not going to live to see the sunrise, or be able to kiss his wife again. He was pinned between the chair and the dashboard of the 2002 eclipse, the windshield had slid in a
unkind way to sever the man just under his torso.
The other medics, clustered behind the car, waiting for me to finish the dreaded part of the night, were calling his next of kin.
There was a cellphone ringing in the back of the car, a child was singing... "You're phone is ringing silly head!" repeatedly. The man smiled in the front seat even though his breathing was becoming more labored. "That's her cellphone," he whispered. "She's the first on my ICE list." He had a slight accent on the ICE, almost like he was saying hice like lice instead of ICE. He asked for my cellphone and asked if he could leave a voicemail on her phone, "Just in case if I don't make it." He added. I obliged and dialed the number for the dying man.
The cell phone rang again in the back, but this time we knew who was on the other end. It let the voicemail pick up and the unfortunate groom began speaking. "Becky," he began, already a catch in his throat. He was
trying to be brave and not succeeding.
"Becky..." He tried again. "This is Rick, I love you and I always will. You were there for me in every possible way, there is no way I can repay you, not even after I made you the happiest woman in the world. Please make me the happiest angel and live for me now baby." The tell tale beep of a message running too long rang out of the mouthpiece.
I thought to myself that I should get a more updated phone. But never a better job. Although I hated to lose a person, a living breathing human being, no matter how far gone they were or if the world would be a better place with out the person, I still hated the weight I carried when I heard their last words or felt the last beat of their hearts as their lives ebbed away. I almost envied them, as their never perfect lives ended. When
Their eyes closed for the last time or when they stare off into their personal Nirvanas I often wish I knew what they were seeing. What loved ones they knew helped them cross pass the Holy Gate or whom they met on the other side of the white light. What waited for us on the other side? Was there one? I wasn't ready to find out myself and I was jarred out of my rev ire by the dying man. He had placed his bloodstained hand upon my medic robe and looked me in the eyes. It took all my will power to not mimic his tears as he voiced his last wish before he faded away, before his family could arrive.
"Please," he said, as tear broke free and rolled down his dirtied cheek. "Please take care of my angel." He was fading fast. I yelled for another attendant but I knew in my heart as Rick and I were in held each other in the often seen poses of medics and their patients that help would not arrive in time. "My Angel." Rick repeated. "Take care of my angel. I trust you..." And Rick was gone. He had gone beyond, and like most accident victims, he was watching something on the other side. Reverently I closed his eyes, bloodstained as they were from keeping Rick from falling over in the precarious position that he was sitting in, when he was alive. The photographers from the police station dispatched around the accident, trying to catch every Last detail of the gruesome crash. I wished that Rick didn't have to die, as I often wish for all those that I am witness to die. Gone, and on the best day of his life too. On his wedding day. Rotton day for a wedding it was, downpouring. Heck, the windshield whipers were still whipping back and forth against a missing windshield.
The poor girl needed twenty stitches and her arm needed to be reset too, I could tell this from where I was sitting next to Rick, her dead husband. As for the apparant coma she was in, well, who knew how long she was going to be in that for. I fished around in the shambled backseat for a pocketbook of some sort so I could find out who they were. To my surprise there was her name, ReBecca Angel Frome. So she was an Angel.

Lonesome Dove

This novel was 845 pages long, but definetly worth the read. Not one page was boring and all flowed beautifully. As it turns out the story is historically accurate, with tales of the sympathetic and of cunning killers, beautiful whores and honest cowboys.

The story opens up with a group of men in thier ranch keeping an eye on the peace as it is. There's Call and Gus, two leaders who grew up together rather quickly when they were selected to assist in the war, as they were cowboys. Gus loved to be in his rocker, a cold drink and enjoy the day. Call was a worker, and would not let slackers be around, besides Gus. This relationship was at peace for many years, as they ran the Hat Creek Outfit, renting out horses, help but not the blue pigs that Gus liked to watch.

The peaceful life became changed when an old member of the Hat Creek Outfit rides in and announces that he killed a man, and knows of undocumented land that could be claimed by the men. The Outfit jumps up and prepares for a long haul ahead, packing in food, clothing, and a few momentos from home. In preperation they also steal a few thousand steer from the Mexican border, but no one really minds since the Mexicans are busy running from another Outfit.

Within this tale there are a few other side stories. Lorie, the local whore convinces one of the Hat Creek Outfit to take her north planning to give up whoring forever. Along the journey she becomes a stronger woman and finds a place where she can finally call home.

July Johnson comes along and chases down Jake as he did murder his brother in the middle of the day, in the middle of the street and with witnesses around. July finds his way around the wild west and finds a better life for himself and for his young son whose mother is as wild as tumbleweed.

I chose this book because it reminded me of the untamed desert out in Arizona, and I wondered how the Wild West was before buildings replaced the mountians and homes replaced the plains. I wish I had a time capsule to see the world and enjoy the world before it became so small.

On a side note, I liked this picture as there are a few *ahem* loose women in the novel...

Creating a Rescue

Colin guided the men to the back of the mangled train and asked the women to remain calm and assured them of their men's safe return. After all, he thought to himself, the dragon wouldn't dare crawl into the tunnel where they now rested.

The mermaid, named Kailey as the young adults soon learned, raced to the back of the train to instruct the passengers of the next step of the attack, although they did know of the part they were to play. Kailey promised to herself that she would not scare the men, and in turn scare their women and children. She reached the smoldering ruins of what once held her cage and waiting for the slow humans.

Jordan crawled between the carriages and checked the links between the filled ones. Her phase was to keep the train as short as possible, to help pick up speed and to escape the dragon with minimal damage to the passengers. There was not enough time to allow mistakes, and too many lives that could be lost, and today there will be none lost.

Jackie fueled the fire and brushed away the tears that were from the cause of her father’s death. She didn't have much time to accept that her father was dead, and used the time alone to mourn his death. His body was still in the small chair in which he had died, but covered in a blanket, for she didn't want him to be burned from the inferno that she was creating within the engine. They were to succeed, and damned if it was her fault if she was the one to blame for them not surviving!

The dragon blew the last of the trees down with his mighty weapon. Below he could hear the snake moving, with its awkward clackity-clack of its scales on its trail. Odd sound, even for a snake. He recalled the silent way the smaller snakes moved and the shushing sound they made when they crawled before him on the leaves and rocks when he was a smaller dragon. But this brand of snake was strange, they only seemed to move in one of two directions, their noses were on top of their heads, although their faces were menacing, they never did change shape. He was afraid, every time, that the snake would breathe fire and prevent him from eating the snake's delicious inner layers, but it never did. It would continue spouting its grey smoke until it went out a few days later, high up in his lair. The snake was strange too. The ones when he was younger were of one shape, long and wiggly. These snakes were odd, when he picked it up with his giant paws it would snap into different pieces. Granted, these pieces made the snake easier to carry up to the cave, but  it was still odd. And the layers inside the snake moved, and screamed, as if each snake was female and all her babies were inside the different sections. It made sense. Once he tried eating a very large grey fruit that was hidden in the bushes, larger than he had ever seen one before. Turned out the grey fruit was a very large snake that had lots of little snakes inside of it, which were very hard to catch. Perhaps they were moving looking for a safer place to hide, and this tunnel certainly wasn't making it any easier to eat its babies!

The men worked together with Kailey to guide the back half of the train away from the carriages that held their wives, girl friends, sisters and mothers. One of the craftier sons moved quickly with the scraps of metal he had collected between the tracks to create a makeshift nose and winter plow. It was a risk, but hopefully it would pass inspection. His eyes wandered to where Kailey stood above the men directing where they were to push from. As most men did, he fell in love with her looks, then realizing that from his position he could see up her makeshift dress, he blushed and turned back to his work, unaware that his father had seen his action.

Time was not on their side, as all could hear the mountain tumble again from above. The dragon was on the move again, the heroes knew, but they did not know what was coming with him.

Next Time: Plan in Action  

S.O. [12]

"Sometimes, the smell of some one's body is better than any perfume, gets you higher than any drug, and leaves you more breathless than space." - Anon.

If you can, close your eyes, (if you are on a train, driving, or otherwise already doing another task, keep your eyes on the road and ignore the previous three words to this tangent...) and think of a out of the way shop. Now open the door to your shop and take a whiff. What does it smell like? Does it smell like freshly made chocolate? Brand new candles? Or does cinnamon make its way to your nose?

What do you sell in your shop? Or did your shop turn into some one's house perhaps? Say it's Grandma's kitchen, full of goodies and fresh cookies? Or is it Grandpa's or Dad's workshop full of old equipment, grease and the stove smoke in the winter?

Or do you smell that one person that you are in love with? Do you smell his (or her) Cologne or perfume? Is this what you smell?

If anyone has ever experienced this, then they know of what heaven smells like.  

There is one smell, that sets me on my toes, has me close my eyes and have the flash backs start again. Of summer nights in the rain, watching the stormy skies, counting stars, chasing the milky way, of hugs and excited laughs, of sorrow and friendship, of the one boy that I owe so many stolen summer nights to.

This one smell leaves me begging for more, for another hug, for another night, for a chance to keep it. I live on the smell, mixed with his cologne and his own tantalizing smell. Others wear what he wears, but only he can make it his. It is as common as snow in winter and yet I keep chasing it, forever out of my reach.

The most beautiful part of this scent, is that everyone has this scent on their mind right now, whether it is vanilla coffee, fresh fall leaves, snow that fell during the night, the crackle of bonfires, everyone chases it until the end of their days. And the cause of the scent sometimes don't even know that their existence make ourselves so happy. I can just barely remember it now, but the moment that I see him I will be over powered by his scent to the point that again I will swoon... ♥

Education for Dragons

Inside the train the passengers calmed down and settled into the middle cars, knowing for sure that they were safe. After all, isn't that what the conductor had said? The children were growing sleepy; the dark passages echoed those of their nurseries at home with the low lights and dark windows. Safe and warm they fell asleep in their mothers arms, oblivious to the war that was to rage outside. 

The mermaid and the young adults were preparing for the war that would save the train and their future. In the dust that had gathered on the floor the mermaid drew out their war plan. First, the dragon's fire had to be taken care of, and that could only be done with great amounts of water.

Outside the dragon continued to push the boulder carefully down the mountain. Currently it was stuck upon a rather large string of trees that could only be removed by ripping out the trees. Time consuming work, even the dragon knew that. To save time he inhaled a great amount of air, leaves and a bird’s nest and blew out a great wave of fire and unleashed it upon the line of trees. He would have the snake, and he didn't care what got in his way.

Down below in the mountain the passengers and the makeshift heroes felt the thunder of the falling trees. He was coming closer, but they could not tell what was happening. They needed to move faster, and use the materials they had. Colin got back on the radio and put phase two into play, it was time to bring down the dragon once and for all. 

The fathers, brothers and single men moved toward the back of the train, closer to the blackened remains of the caboose. They were scared, but heeded the conductor’s words, the only reason they stopped was because they were carrying too much weight. In their hearts they knew it was worse than carrying weight, there was something darker outside of the tunnel, and they knew that their help would save all of their lives. 

Next Time: Creating a Rescue

Sense & Sensibility & Seamonsters

Ever hear of Sense and Sensibility? This is the same as the beautiful story, however it is different. Instead of the regular story but theres something differnet. Something a lot different. Something alot different like  ... seamonsters.
The original text by Jane Austen is rewritten in a comic way by Ben H. Winters. There is mayham and gore galore in every chapter, but keeps the charm and wit of the original text.
I throughly enjoyed the retelling of the classic, which included many a battle with the disasterious sea creatures, mer-animals, a giant city under the water and of course the different love interests amongst the men and women. There was a variety of curses, loves and the occasional crazy person. Oh wait, maybe thats the reader. Try reading this lovely novel on the beach and see how long you'll stay out there before you retreat back into the safe indoors!

 

Friday Class

There is a number of reasons why I love this outfit. First off, it is not very revealing, which is great in the classroom, and it looks very slimming due to the one color 'jumpsuit' appearance.

Similar to another outfit posted on here, the outfit contains of long blue pants, a blue 'tiered' tank top, an off-white no button sweater, black silver buckled heels and silver jewelry.  It gives the appearance of being official, professional and a teacher-esq that cannot be found with jeans and t-shirt!

Wish me luck with the interview! 

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
     and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
     and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
     and having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
     though as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
     in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
     Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
     Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
     I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference.

Thank you again for the reminder of all the wonderful times in high school, Ian!  

S.O. [11]

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." ~ Sir Winston Churchill

Everyone knows somebody who is a pessimist. They are constantly complaining about this or that, and who did this and who did that and mentioning everything but what is important at that point in time. Occasionally this type of person would get us down, if they were to comment on an action we had recently done or explain their dislike of the outfit that you are wearing. Pessimist! Imagine an opportunity includes, a group of you are able to go to a concert. Everything is set, the rides, tickets, refreshments, money for pictures, cameras etc. Then Pessimist Penny starts talking. She talks about the trip and how long it would take to get there and how she despises long car rides. When its time to pay for the ticket she moans and groans about how much the (discounted) ticket costs. And on and on and on. Before long when ever Pessimistic Penny shows up, the group wants to shove out. If allowed she could ruin every wonderful opportunity you and your friends could have.

But then there is Optimistic Ollie, who sees the brighter side of life. She believes, if the door is shut, bolted and supported from behind, there will be a way to get through that door. Gosh darn it, she will find a way. And maybe that way will be going through the window three feet off the ground and going back through the door the other way, but she will get through that door no matter what it takes. After the ordeal she will wipe the dirt off her brow and go, "I'm glad I finally got through that door, either wise no one else would have been able to!"

Everyone knows a Pessimistic Penny or a Optimistic Ollie, but what we need to do is balance ourselves between being pessimistic and optimistic. When we balance ourselves more opportunities than ever will appear and a better persona of yourself will be available to your friends and family. 

 

Ice Cream Date

Howdy! And here comes the end of September, already, sigh. Always a favorite month. The trees are changing color, lots of bonfires and did I mention its almost Halloween?
This little number came from another girl who sat next to me during a summer class. Cute outfit? Yes. Snobbish person inside because she payed way too much for it? Double Yes.
Mine, dare I say it, was more than likely $100-$200 cheaper than what she wore that day. And you want to know why? Because the white skirt with the very faint blue stripes was, oh, from my favorite store on Earth. And that blue shirt? Yea, I bought that a few years back for a trip. And the white tank top? Came with another shirt that was already on sale. And that belt? Oh that belt has a funny story. See there is someone called Santa Claus who thought that my favorite one had become too ratty for public viewing last Christmas. I do think perhaps this entire little number only cost me say, $12, and that includes the white sandals that I wore with it to match the off white tank top.
 
Think you can beat that? Let me know!

P.S. I went out to ice cream with a girl friend that night. It was perfect because it was so light coloured! -E