All Kids Should Hear This

As the new year fast approaches I am going all philosphical on you. Blame the fact I have 2 bratz underfoot for the school hols, or the fact I got testicles for Christmas (nope, still not over it!), but there are some truths which society today needs to hear in my opinion. So look out! Babe is on the soapbox and not blowing bubbles.

Today's tell-it-like-it-is comes from Bill Gates. Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this!

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talked about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing (getting rid of lice) the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

If you agree, pass it on.
If you can read this - Thank a teacher!
If you are reading it in English -Thank a soldier!!

Have A Good One!

What Did You Get For Christmas?

Crikey, talk about bring out the Christmas nuts! Out of all the wonderful things out there, this is what my boys got me! They reckon I get stressed because I'm the only one in the house who doesn't have a set. Hmmm... Could be some truth in that. I think maybe I should start a whole collection then. Wadda ya reckon? I'll ask the Easter bunny for a carving knife.

I may be talking to the boys again by February. Maybe.

What did you get for Christmas? Maybe we can swap. :-)
Hope you had a real ball, er... good time.

God Bless You All

Wishing all my friends and readers a blessed and merry Christmas. May all your secret wishes come true,

Much love,

Babe

Tell Me the Truth-- Is This Too Much?

He, He, He. You have to love a time of year when you can be over-the-top gaudy and no one thinks anything about it. :-)

And if, like me, you're looking for something yummy to nibble while you're wrapping a mountain of presents, try this.


3 cups popped popcorn
3 cups nacho cheese flavored snacks
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 cup Cheerios® or Nutragrain cereal
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1. Heat oven to 300ºF.
2. Mix popcorn, snacks, pretzels and cereal in large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients. Drizzle over popcorn mixture, tossing until evenly coated. Spread in ungreased jelly roll pan, 15 1/2x10 1/2X1 inch.
3. Bake uncovered 15 minutes, stirring twice. Cool. Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

Microwave Directions: Place butter, chili powder and garlic in 3-quart microwavable casserole or bowl. Microwave uncovered on High about 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir. Stir in popcorn, snacks, pretzels and cereal. Toss until well coated. Microwave uncovered 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until toasted. Cool and consume in huge quanitities.

Yummy!

Yummy!

My kitchen didn't smell right, but now it does, thanks to these delicious Greek biscuits.


Ingredients:
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
4 Tablespoon Brandy
2 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 2/3 Cup Flour Self-rising
5 Oz Olive Oil
1 Whole Oranges Squeezed
1 Pinch Salt To taste
4/5 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Walnuts
2/3 Cup Water
Directions:
* Beat the oil and 1/3 c sugar well, add the brandy, orange juice and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and blend.
* Sift the flour with a pinch of salt and the soda and add it gradually into the oil and sugar mixture, mixing it with a spoon.
* Knead the dough well for about 10 minutes.
* If too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons more flour and mix it well.
* Knead until it feels soft and pliable.
* Flour your hands and take egg-sized portions of dough.
* Roll and shape them into small oval shapes.
* Place on an unbuttered baking sheet, and flatten them with the palm of your hand.
* Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas no. 4/ 350 grades F/ 180 grades C), for 25 minutes.
* Let them cool and harden for 24 hours before dipping them in the honey syrup.
* Prepare the syrup by mixing in a saucepan the honey,1/2 c sugar and water.
* Bring slowly to the boil, skim with a spoon, then simmer for 4-5 minutes.
* Dip the cold melomakarona in the hot syrup, three or four at a time only.
* Let them stand for 1 minute and take them out with a slotted spoon.
* Place on a decorative platter and immediately sprinkle with a little cinnamon and chopped walnuts.
* If they are not consumed during the next 3-4 days they should be kept in airtight tins, like biscuits.
* Allow two melomakarona per person!

Free Stuff

Maybe this will help your Christmas cheer, esp if you live in the USA and can get all the things banned to us in Oz. Wow! But even if you don't, there's free tags to finish off your pressie wrapping and desk top decorations and stuff. Make sure you play "Clause! The Other Side"- my kids had a ball and didn't drive me nuts for almost an hour!
http://www.christmasfreebies.com/

Ho ho hum

I think my holiday spirit evaporated in the recent bushfires. Got my tree up, menu planned, next ironing. Ugh, what a life. How are your holidays going?

Big GOOD Wolf

Wed and widowed in one day, stunning socialite Amelia Sinclair's honeymoon is anything but typical. Then again, neither is Amelia--rebellious and impulsive, marrying Robert Collingsworth was the one sensible thing she ever did. Now he's dead and she must escape the vicious creatures stalking her--even if it means relying on a stranger. Well, maybe not a complete stranger. Amelia first glimpsed Gabriel Wulf years ago on the busy streets of London; since then he has haunted her dreams. But in the flesh, Gabriel is much more tantalizing than she ever dreamt, and much more complicated…

Gabriel Wulf, the strong one, the sensible one--the, and the curse that plagued them, were his only priorities; there was little time for women and none for love. Now, he must protect an enticing beauty--and not just from the dangers that prowl the woods around them. Gabriel has secrets, dark ones he's sure Amelia must never know and could never understand. But she has already awakened his heart...and the beast within. Will Amelia be the key to his salvation, or the architect of her own demise?

What reviewers are saying...

"Newest Wild Wulf of London book is intense, sexy and poignant."
Lory Martin, Fresh Fiction on The Cursed One

“Vivid description, wonderful characters, and a story line that holds you tight destine The Cursed One for the keeper shelf. Bravo, Ms. Thompson, bravo.”
5 Kisses, Romance Divas, Kristen Painter

“Though I know I sound like a broken record, I make no excuse for it because the Wild Wulfs Of London are Hot! Hot! Hot!”
Shannon Johnson, Romance Reader At Heart on The Cursed One


“Chills will run up your spine as danger and passion rise, and Thompson works her magic. Succumb to the lure of the Wulf.”
Kathe Robin, Romantic Times Book Reviews
4 ½ stars Top Pick and K.I.S.S. award recipient from Romantic Times

“Ronda Thompson has written a story that will stay with me for a long time. She has put feelings and love into it and came out with a winner.”
Fallen Angels Reviews, Recommended Read

“The latest Wild Wulfs of London (see THE UNTAMED ONE and THE DARK ONE) is a superb werewolf Regency romantic suspense thriller that starts off as a five star howl and never slows down until the final confrontation between beauty and the beast.”
Five stars from Harriet Klausner on The Cursed One

"Author Ronda Thompson has given us a fantastic series about The Wild Wulfs of London and their legendary curse."
A Romance Review (The Cursed One)

13 Bon-bon mots

I know, it's supposed to be 13 THURSDAY, but hey, life got in the way. Anyhow, for your homemade christmas cracker entertainment, here are 13 riddles ready for including in even the corniest of bon-bons.

1. Why do elves go to school?
A: to learn their elf-abet

2.What does Santa do in his off time?
A: he gardens. What did you think all the ho ho hoing was about?

3.Who writes all Santa's lists?
A:The pen-guins

4.What do you get when Santa slides down a chimney where the fire is on?
A: A Crisp Cringle

5. What kind of candle burns longer - a red one or a greeen one?
A: Neither. All candles burn shorter, not longer.

6. What do the elves sing as Santa takes off from the North Pole each year?
A: Freeze a jolly good fellow.

7. Sportsmen get athlete's foot. What do astronauts get?
A: Missile-toe

8.What does Rudolf do in the off season?
A: He works in the red light district

9. Where do Santa's helpers find their job description?
A: In the elf-help section of the library

10. How do we know Microsoft now has a complete monopoly?
A: Even Santa has changed from chimneys to Windows

11. Which is the worst mannered reindeer?
A: Rude-olp

12. How many Surrealists does it take to decorate a Christmas tree?
A: the fish

13. What is the new name for Santa's little helpers?
A: Subordinate clauses

Yibbida, yibbida, yibbida -- that's all folks. :-)

Yes!

Woo diddly hoo! November- December have been good for me. First By Grace Publishing bought "Something Blue" for their bridal anthology next year, then the whole final in Romancing the Tome thing which goes off to an agent in January for final judging, then Medallion asked for a full of "Come to Heal", now Cup of Comfort has bought the short I sent them, "Bloodlines and Heart Strings." Yep, nothing quite like ending the year with a bang. I think 2007 is going to be my year. :-)

E or Print?

Tell the truth -- are you sending e-cards or printed ones this year, or a mixture of both? I have to tell you, e-cards look good. Cute, animated, quick, basically free. I realize you can't hang them on the wall, but when you consider the message still gets there, minus the environmental cost and personal stationary/stamps cost, well, the concept sounds appealing, no? Maybe I'm finally being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century?

Naturally there will be those who you can't send e-cards. Some of the sweet older folk I know still don't have a computer, much less net access. For them it will always be the postman who labors hard to bring their news, usually with a shopping voucher or hankerchief or something tucked in for good measure.

But think about the poor postie. Few outside of Santa's elves work as hard as postmen at Christmas. No knocking twice in December. No, sorry love, no time!

Anyway, for those of you who WILL be sending e-cards, I found this cute, free site.
http://www.fromtheheartpostcards.com/ChristmasLinksPage.html

Happy writing, y'all.

Kristen Tagged Me!

I've just been tagged like a new puppy, so here for your reading pleasure are my history, habits and hopes. :-)

Four jobs I've had:
(Most of you know about the medical stuff, singing career, etc, so I thought I'd put up some of the smaller jobs you may not know I've done.

1. Dental Assistant (not qualified for this but I did it for 3 weeks to help the dentist out until he got a proper dental nurse)
2. Sheet metal worker- during school holidays in my teens (amazingly I still have all my fingers! Hard, dirty work and def. not recommended, though they did try to teach me how to weld which was cool.)
3. At age 15 I ran the Myer's Handcraft section and was best shop girl in the whole haberdashery/wools/laces and handcraft section {did this for 6 months full time when I got thrown out of home before I took myself back to school. I was very proud of the fact people would ask for me. The reason was I always told them straight what worked and was worth the money and what didn't, and you know, that translated into more sales, so everybody won. Plus I'd done most of the crafts and often helped if customers got stuck halfway through their project. You can't beat helpful service, even if your shop girl IS not long out of nappies. :-)
4. Face Painter for carnivals (I did the Christmas carnivals year after year and even got regulars. It was lovely to see the kids growing from one visit to the next)
5. Art Dealer's assistant (at Warana)
I could go on, but maybe next time. :-)

Four places I've lived:
1. Brisbane, Queensland
2. Toowoomba, Queensland
3. Sydney, New South Wales
4. Tasmania

Four favorite foods:
1. watermelon
2. seafood- any sort
3. baked pumpkin
4. pavlova

Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. 10 Things I Hate About You
2. Mulan
3. Lord of the Rings
4. Benny & June

Four TV shows I enjoy:
1. Better Homes and Gardens
2. Gilmore Girls (though it hasn't been on in a while)
3. Funniest Home Video Show
4. ack, couldn't think of a fourth. I don't watch much TV.

Four places I've traveled:
1. Nepal
2. Thailand
3. Vanuatu
4. New Zealand

Four places I'd like to visit:
1. Paris
2. Antarctica
3. Patagonia
4. Disneyland

Four websites I go to daily:
1. Yahoo
2. Google
3. Romance Divas
4. Monsters

Four people I'm tagging to do this too:
Heather
Amanda
MG Braden
Eva

Halo, Halo, Halo

'Tis the season for cooking and handcrafts, plus I'd like to give you something for Christmas, so I've been searching and come up with this great free cross stitch pattern. Want to sew this darling angel for someone special? Go to:

http://crossstitch.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=crossstitch&cdn=hobbies&tm=26&gps=134_7_1072_545&f=10&su=p662.5.140.ip_p445.92.150.ip_&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.dawnsxstitch.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/freeangel.htm

Little Angels?

I think not!

I was ranting about my thirteen year old son's great attitude to work, namely, "21st century kids shouldn't have to do any, Mum!", when a friend sent me these stories about other parents and their darlings. I feel better about my own after reading these.

FIRST TESTIMONY:
While in line at the bank one afternoon, my toddler decided to release
some pent-up energy and ran amok. I was finally able to grab hold of
her after receiving looks of disgust and annoyance from other patrons.
I told her that if she did not start behaving "right now" she would be punished.
To my horror, she looked me in the eye and said in a voice just as threatening,
"If you don't let me go right now, I will tell Grandma that I saw you
kissing Daddy's pee-pee last night!"

The silence was deafening after this enlightening exchange. Even the tellers stopped what they were doing. I mustered up the last of my dignity and
walked out of the bank with my daughter in tow. The last thing I heard when the door closed behind me, were screams of laughter.


SECOND TESTIMONY:
Have you ever ! asked your child a question too many times?
My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly.
One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch, in between errands
It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco,
I smelled something funny, so of course I checked my seven-month-old daughter, she was clean. The realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while. I asked him if he needed to go,and he said "No." I kept thinking, "Oh boy, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me."
Then I said, Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?"
"No," he replied.
I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse.
Soooooo, I asked one more time, "Danny did you have an accident?" This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over, spread his cheeks and yelled
"SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!"
While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down. An old couple made me feel better, thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!

Oh brother, WHY do we have kids?

Calling All Elves

Nevermind action at the shoe maker's joint, well, unless you're one of my foot-fetish CPs. (hey, you know I love ya!) This time of year elves are busy finishing off gifts for all the good girls and boys. And gathering coal for the rest of us. :-)

So, if like me you're busy putting glitz into Christmas preparations, maybe you'd like to consider yourself an honorary elf for the season. What's your secret elf name? Shh, don't tell, well, except here, of course. :-)

Mine?

Your Elf Name Is...

Giggles Snaggle Tooth

What's Your Elf Name?

Everything Has a Value

I just wanted to share a little poem found in our Women's Ministries newsletter. Author unknown.

Happiness keeps you sweet,
Trials keep you strong,
Sorrows keep you human,
Failures keep you humble,
Success keeps you glowing,
But only God keeps you going.

May you all glow this festive season. :-)

Keep Your Promises

Maybe I'm titchy because I just spent every living moment this last fortnight getting Come To Heal edited so I could send the full off to Medallion. (Yay!) I need sleep and that always makes me picky -- all right, cranky, nasty, the total bitch on wheels.

BUT I just watched "Collateral", and I'm really annoyed. I hated the ending. The rest of the movie wasn't bad if you can get past Tom Cruise playing the bad guy- sheesh, he reminds me of a boy scout. I want to shake my finger and send him to the corner (especially after what he did to Nicole.)

HOWEVER I feel really let down by the way the film writers wrote the ending. I felt like they'd written themselves into this great hole and saw the word limit fast approaching and just went, what the heck. Have the professional assassin shot by an amateur. Hey,it could happen. Yeah, right!

It's a good reminder to all of us - don't slack off just because you're near the end. Finish with as big a bang as you started with!