It could really make a difference in someone's day

So, this is what I don't like. You are talking with a lady, a friend (sorta) and they say, "We should do that sometime" and you think YES... but you say, "that would be great, we should" and you smile and walk away thinking "....we should" But it just doesn't happen. Ever. How do you cross that line? How do you make it happen? How do you make a new friend?
Females are awful. Catty, mean, opportunistic, selfish, evil really. They can also be kind, caring, motherly, devoted, loyal and giving. We woman protect our own.

But, how do you get into that realm with a woman? How do you 'make nice' become a friend? Be the one they defend instead of the one they stab and spit at?

Making friends is not easy. It is not easy for adults and it is becoming quite obvious that it is not always easy once Kindergarten is over.

My girlie is having problems making friends. Her best friend moved to a school across town leaving her to fend on her own. She had friend trouble last year too but always had her b.friend to fall back on.

I have done all I can personally as far as getting involved. I have been in the classroom, I know the girl, I have observed on the playground. I have talked to my Girlie. What I have learned (and some of what I already knew) Third grade is a hard year for girls - they start to grow up. The pre-hormones kick in. They start to notice boys and vice versa. They learn there is power with words and with no words. They get bitchy.

After trying everything we knew my hubby had a moment of inspiration - instead of telling our girl to go make friends and to ask people to play (in which she countlessly gets turned down and hurt) he backed WAY up and decided to teach her the basics of socialization and friendship. Today's lesson - give someone a compliment, just one girl, one compliment. Say something nice to one person in your class and tell us what happened when you get home.

Guess what - she did it (after crying for 1/2 hr the night before at the mere thought of it). She told one of the nicer girls (let's call her Ann) in her class that she liked her shirt (I told my daughter a few of the girls to avoid - let's make this easy on her) and Ann asked Girlie to play at recess. WOW! It worked.

Tomorrow's lesson - two compliments, one to Ann again and one to another girl. Plus if I can sneak in a suggestion I will tell her to mention to Ann how much fun she had playing on the playground with her the day before.

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This has got me to thinking. We all need to be nicer to other woman - my dear women friends. We protect and support our friends, but do we make it easy for other woman to get in, or do we leave them standing alone on life's playground sad and feeling lonely?

Today's lesson - Compliment someone today. Just one lady. It could really make a difference in someone's day.

This just in from Facebook, and Twitter confirms

I do not watch the news. You know that. It irks me to no end. If I do watch I will watch BBC - because they seems to be a bit more for promoting news.

However, here we go - I turned on the news again. Headline News on CNN to be exact. Why? I guess so I could have fodder for a blog post.

If I hear another news reporter say- from Facebook.....
or
on their Facebook page.....
or
we are getting off from our Facebook page.......

Ok Ok I get it - Facebook is the top place for information - but for news? really? I don't think so. That is saying the water cooler is the best place to get your facts from.

Let's keep Facebook for our family updates, drunken messages on Saturday night for some, pictures and other random tid bits..... But NOT for the news.

Thank you, and carry on.


all the ......'s were for you Os. Sorry. Got a bit carried away!

"Ruby" Big brown eyes.... loves to be pet

Photography by Julie Saari

“Ruby”
Downtown Bemidji
April 2010

Ruby “works” at KD Floral flower shop on the corner of 3rd St. and Minnesota Ave. I find myself returning to this shop time and again not so much for the flowers (which are always fresh and beautiful) but, rather to see Ruby. Always friendly and happy to see you, she greets customers with her caring brown eyes and a wag of her tail. ‘Pet therapy’ is what I call it, what would you call it?

If you haven’t already,

Meet Ruby:

Squirrels, birds, frogs, trails, snow banks, lakes, and creeks. It’s the perfect place for a dog. There’s always something to do where I live. You should see all the forest left to explore! I love to run on the trails that are out by our house. You can run and run and tumble and nothing gets in your way. And in the winter sometimes the snow is so deep my head barely shows above the top. Yea, it’s pretty great living here.

I didn’t always live here.......................

You can read the rest HERE

To view a slideshow of Ruby’s photo shoot click here

No More Sorrow

Dancing in the Rain!

Photograph by Jon Heller

Trying to wake the dead!

(if you notice this was in a cemetary)

F-U-N, t.v. crew, dancing in the rain!!! Join me with a smile

Today our Public Television station followed me on a photo shoot for my project - This is my town: Bemidji. I took pictures of a gal while they filmed me. It will be featured on their Common Ground show (see link). It will air in June I believe. It was a lot of fun to do.
Then when I got a home a local photographer popped into my Facebook page and said he wanted to take pics in the rain. I told him I wanted to dance in the rain. So..... I am going to dance in the rain while he takes pics! How fun! Absolutely F-U-N! (maybe it will look like this (but I will wear a bra) )
Then I am going to come home and collapse! I am dead tired. A short rest will be in order. I forsee take out tonight......

What I meant to say - you know you love it!

K - I am warning my mother and my friend Deb, just down the page there is a pic or two of the middle finger.... do not proceed if you are going to grumble about them. My blog, my pic choice. Look through your fingers if you have to - warned you....
Oh I am so excited to play again! It has been awhile!Let the fun begin!!!!

WIMTS ---->

To the d*ck head that scraped my black van with your red car door: What I said was (in front of my pre-schooler who is 5) "OH MANNNNN!!! look at this, someone put a ding in my door."
WIMTS- "You suck! Seriously suck, I am going to hunt you down and put huge black van door marks all over your red car. Further more did you have to push the door so hard it slid and put about a 1 inch mark instead of the standard ding with trace remnants of paint? Again, to be clear, YOU SUCK!!!!"

To the person who irked me via email Monday night: I said WIMTS here, in yesterday's post.
(what I did say was too long (via email) to post here, I won't bore you)

To my period: What I said was "ohhh, hello you again. Looks like it is you and me for the week."WIMTS- I am so over you. I could be fine if you would go away and not come back. My child bearing days are over. Thanks for the years of pain, bloating, irritability, discomfort, and fall out to others you have caused. You provided a nice warm safe environment for 5 babies.... but those days are done now - go away. (But don't leave in your place the horrid hormonal side effects that you tend to leave when you go away )

To my cat: When he tried to trip me down the stairs because his food bowl was empty (his means of getting my attention) What I said was, " ohh, are you hungry? did I forget to feed you?"pic by Jules

WIMTS -" If you kill me you idiot beast, there will be no one left to feed you. That water bowl that gets fresh water in it several times a day? gone.....it will dry up and no one else will notice. Your limp half dead body may be noticed by the rest of my body, but only after notice they are stepping over my body at the bottom of the stairs (or the smell gets to them first) So, don't kill me on these stairs cat, because it will be the death of you too!!"