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One of the advantages of growing up in the South when I did was helping my grandmother’s in the spring and summer in their respective flower gardens. As different as these two women were, they were both master class gardeners and very active in their towns garden clubs. I didn’t know it at the time but “helping” would allow me to learn a few things about arranging flowers on the cheap. If you don’t have flowers in your garden that you can cut, go to one of the large warehouse stores where you can pick up fresh cut flowers in bulk. This will give you many flowers to choose from that are nice and inexpensive.

Simply cut some floral tape or electrical tape to crisscross and create a grid at the top of the vase. Take one strip and secure the grid by wrapping it around the top. Use the grid to arrange the flowers the way you like with your favorite cut flowers and finish it off by wrapping the vase with a nice ribbon of some kind. Once you experiment with this several times you will see how quick and easy flower arranging can be!

Of the three Twilight movies, Eclipse is the best one. However, in the scheme of things, that’s not saying much. My girlfriend swears it’s because I “Haven’t read the books” and in all fairness, she may be right. But why make a movie if you “have to read the book” before you “see the movie”? You should be able to make a movie that is entertaining and goes somewhere. But my biggest issue is character development.

Edward, Bella and Jacob are boring as they brood over each other. Edward is cold (he is the undead) and Jacob is warm in his wooly wolf buff body and both have the teens and some adult females swooning over them and I get it. What I don’t get is whatever do they see in Bella? My girlfriend spent thirty minutes telling me why Bella was so intriguing to these two guys. I finally got it after what she told me but that didn’t come across in the movies at all. If I don’t care about the characters then I don’t really care about the movie. But since I do have a Twilight lover as a lover, I can’t wait for the fourth and final movie in the series. If for no other reason, so she can explain to me the rest of the story.

I have always known that there was a portion of our populace that may not keep up with the times but lately I have realized that we seem to be going backwards as a nation; or it’s just more obvious these days. Looking at what people are watching on TV is one indicator of what is most important to people and the other is where they place their hard earned money.

First, let’s start with TV. If you pick up your remote on any given day and scroll through what is being shown on regular and cable TV you will understand what I am talking about. Shows like The Bachelor and Jersey Shores that everyone at work talks and obsesses about are asinine at best. We are under one of the most difficult financial struggles in our nation’s history and we are debating TV shows or Edward VS Jacob? And I am talking about adults not teens!

Why don’t we feel safe to discuss the hard questions? I believe it’s because the answers to those questions have direct consequences to our situations and we are afraid of them. It is easier to put our heads in the sand when it is important than to risk someone disagreeing with us and, heaven forbid, challenging what we think or believe. It’s just easier to not think about those things and hide in the entertainment and dummy down.

As difficult as the economic situation has been on some, you would think it would be a no-brainer to extend the unemployment benefits to those who have been without a job for over a year or more. However, there is a backlash in this country in regard to the long term unemployed that says these people are lazy or not trying to get a job. The fact is, there are no jobs to be had in some areas and in other areas such as manufacturing these jobs are not expected to come back. So what do those people do?

Our Republican dominated government ran up a deficit from 2000 to 2008 that far exceeded anything we have ever seen in the past and yet these same Congressman and Senators are now screaming to balance the budget and making the very people who paid for the banks and wall street to be saved starve and go without? Yes, we have a deficit problem but I say it’s a deficit of ideas, of common sense and of truth. We need people of both parties who are more about Americans and less about party lines. Until we get those people into office, I am afraid we may all loose at the expense of partisanship.

There are a few people who really enjoy putting together and following a family budget but for most of us we’d rather endure a day of fingernails on a blackboard. The question is why so many of us “budgeting adverse”. I know for me, it’s the fact that I don’t like to be restricted by or told what to do even when I am the one doing the restricting and the telling! It sounds a bit crazy but I know more people like me than not.

When I am out shopping, I don’t want to ask myself if this is something I need or not even though I should. I don’t want to ask myself if this is something that is helping my situation or something that is hurting my situation; I’m shopping and that means I am looking to have a little fun and satisfaction! The thing is, after I buy something I don’t need I feel guilty about it and wonder why I bought something I don’t need yet again that has blown my finances up. Thus the circle starts again.

I realize I hate to be told what to do because I was not allowed to make my own decisions growing up but I am also no longer a child so it’s time to stop acting like one. I am now listening to the adult in me and she and I are sitting down today a creating a budget. It’s time to grow up whether it’s fun or not; it’s necessary.

Several friends have commented lately that they need more fun in their lives so I have started asking people if they play enough. It didn’t surprise me to find out that the resounding answer to this question is NO! When I asked what they felt like they did with their time the vast majority said work, both at work and at home. For those with kids, driving the kids to and from events and activities was another answer. It has become very apparent that no matter what demographic you are in you’re not having much fun.

For the few that stated they were having fun, I was surprised at what they said was fun. After all, watching TV to me isn’t fun but to some others it is. Hanging out with friends was high on the fun list for guys and gals alike and reading was another winner for the gals and there was the occasional guy who sited his job as being fun, which for them is a very good thing. If all of us could find a little more fun in our lives it just might change the way we look, act and feel. The first assignment is finding out what we deem as fun and getting out there and having some!

Visiting Nashville, TN last week was a treat! I had the chance to go see some of the damage done by the recent flood but more importantly had the opportunity to see first hand all the wonderful things the people of Nashville are doing to help those that were impacted get back on their feet. It was a joy to see.

One thing that really surprised me was the restaurants we ate at; they were magnificent! I have to admit that I went to one of them more than once and want to put a word in for anyone visiting in the future; you must go eat at the Silly Goose in East Nashville! I was amazed at the flavors of the sandwiches and thought I would die for the homemade ice cream. I don’t know how the chef comes up with these flavors but they are truly magnificent! The friends that took me there live in the area and eat at the Silly Goose several times a month and they were telling me about the Honey Beet ice cream and the Peanut Butter and Jelly ice cream just to name a few. I had the Chocolate with Salt and Cracked Pepper which was a wonderful finish to a great meal. I highly recommend it!

Considering the fact that the US is 51% Protestant and the Supreme Court will be without a Protestant on the bench after Justice Steven leaves the court, the answer to the question is no. But that brings up another couple of questions. The US Constitution is clear that there will be “no religious test” when being considered for the Supreme Court so why is it that it seems to always be considered? Also, there is no guidance what so ever as to the makeup of the Supreme as a reflection of America so why does that always come up when a new appointment is made?

I have concluded that it’s because we are dummying down in this country into a media lead society. I run with people who actually have read the US Constitution at some point but the vast majority that I ask outside my circle has never even read it! You would think we should all have a working knowledge of the Constitution if only because we send representatives to Washington that we ought to be able to hold them accountable to uphold the very document that leads our nation. But you can’t hold anyone accountable to something you know nothing about nor can you argue a point with someone who listens to the likes of a Glen Beck or a Bill O’Reilly instead of reading the US Constitution and making up their own mind.

A perfect example of being lead by the nose….

This afternoon, I had some car trouble.  And, as I sat in the hot, dingy waiting room of what will undoubtedly be a an overpriced mechanic, of course the TV show blaring in the corner of the room was Jerry Springer.  Today’s topic was “I Spent All the Money on the Hooker”.  Well.  Now, I’m invested.

As I sat and watched the physical and emotional carnage, I felt absolutely no empathy.  Now, I know that it’s probably staged – all an act.  But, even so what does that say about our society?  That whether it’s real or not, we don’t even stop to check, do we?  We just sit there and gaze, slack-jawed at the screen.  I started to feel bad… well as much as I could until one realizes that someone else in the history of the world has done something MUCH worse.

That’s when it occurred to me, Jerry Springer, and it’s Maury Povich, Judge Judy counterparts are the modern day equivalents to the epic battles, hunts and live executions that took place at the Roman Coliseum.  Royalty and peasants alike gathered around as innocent people were killed, eaten or maimed.  Pure entertainment.  No empathy.  And, these TV shows are no different.

But, like so many others sometimes I just can’t look away.

Everyone knows that the newest James Bond movies have not exactly been at the level that the other James Bond movies of the past have been. Plenty of people like to blame the new actor Daniel Craig for the decline but I do not think that the acting is the problem.

I have seen Daniel Craig in other movies that I have enjoyed. I usually really enjoy his characters. Daniel Craig always looks and acts so cool that you would think he would make a perfect James Bond. I do not think his performance as the super spy was that bad. I think that the script and story line that he was supplied with is the real problem. If they had been up to par with the rest of the Bond movies then people would not have criticized Craig.

On top of that, perhaps the 007 movies need to end. There are more twenty different Bond movies and they have been being made since Sean Connery was a young actor. He was, after all, an early 007. It is just time for the Bond movies to go.