Complaint-Free World

Tonight I ordered a 'complaint-free world' bracelet for Todd and me. The object is to wear the bracelet to remind yourself not to verbalize complaining, criticizing or gossiping. If you slip up, you switch the bracelet to the other wrist. The object is to keep it on the same wrist and go 21 days without complaining. A church in Kansas City started this and it has been featured on the Today Show, Oprah and other shows. The church's web site says more than 2 million (free) bracelets have been ordered so far in just a few months. There is an optional donation of $3 per bracelet, which I gladly paid. The Kansas City minister said complaining about the weather, pain or other things you can't control is all off limits, even just to make conversation in the elevator.

Things I complained about today:
(1) Computer was slow
(2) Couldn't find needed information on the credit card statement
(3) Woman was going 45 on the Interstate
(4) It was hot
(5) Stack of bills had piled up

I've got a lot to work on!

St Paddys Day in Jackson

Jackson, Mississippi goes crazy every St. Patrick's Day with a big parade. Reportedly 50,000 people attend the parade downtown and it's not all locals, either. The Sweet Potato Queens have revved up interest in the fest, called Mal's St. Paddy's Day Parade. I went to the parade years ago - I think it must have been 1997 the last time I went. Since then, I have always attended the out-of-town convention held by my employer on that weekend and I have not been able to go. This coming Tuesday, I will go to that same convention, and I'll be gone until Sunday, so I will miss the event again. A group of our friends call themselves the Krewe of Blarney and they all chip in a lot of money and do an elaborate 'float' for the parade, tossing out beads Mardi-Gras style and having a great time. For some reason they dressed as cows a couple of years ago, and last year it was Dr. Seuss characters. I have only seen pictures, but I can tell it's a blast. Anyway, this t-shirt is my tribute to the festivities.

Box of Hammers

This one was Todd's idea and I like the stop and think factor on this one.

CAbi Party

My friend Laura is a sales associate for CAbi clothing, and Thursday night I went to a CAbi party at our friend Julie's house. Julie had a feast for us, so we all grazed on food and grazed on clothing as well. Every mirror in the house was blocked by someone trying on a skirt or a sweater. It was comical and a lot of fun. I bought a skirt and two tops that will be perfect for summer.

Mayflower

Saturday we had a great dinner with our friend Bobby and our friends from Dallas, Jeff and Grace. You cannot beat seafood from the Mayflower Cafe in Jackson. And we did not have to wait for a table, amazingly. The last time we visited, it was on a Friday night and we had to wait 40 minutes for a table. Grace and I had the superb seafood pasta, and the boys all had redfish, which they heartily recommended.

Brookhaven 2

We taught Mama, Todd's 100 year old grandmother, to use the digital camera and she took this photo of me and Mike, Todd's dad. This is a pretty darn good photo for her first time. I have to say the Silver Cross Home in Brookhaven is just about the best nursing home I have ever been in, including the staff and facilities.

Brookhaven

We visited Todd's grandmother in Brookhaven this weekend. I took this photo of her.........

Dream House (of the Week)

We're always looking at houses, and last weekend was no exception. This house is a spec home in Madison with a great kitchen that Todd really liked, so he took me to look at it. It's truly huge - almost like 2 houses. The part on the left has a 3-room living area upstairs and 3-car garage downstairs.

Delta Adventure 4

This was our destination tonight, the Indianola Country Club, the site of the work-related function Chad and I attended tonight. It was my fifth or sixth year to attend the 'Quail and Catfish Supper,' which is hosted by Planters Bank & Trust each year. The company was great and the food was divine - this is quail and catfish country, after all. Dessert was Mississippi Mud Pie from the Crown Restaurant in Indianola.

Delta Adventure 3

This is my favorite of the Belzoni, Mississippi, sunset shots from today. I moved over a few steps away from the drainage ditch to get this shot. I was standing in a field of dead corn stalks left from harvesting, but at the event I went to tonight, I heard from others that the crop dusters began their work this week, so I'm sure this field will be planted soon. There were unseen birds and crickets everywhere, so it was by no means silent. Also, the Delta is flat land so sound carries easily. I could hear a car coming far before I could see it. I stayed in the field less than 5 minutes (while Chad sat in the car), but it was very peaceful.

Delta Adventure 2

I like this shot - this is typical Mississippi Delta - a juxtaposition of breathtaking and butt ugly. It's a Belzoni drainage ditch at sunset. We had reached Belzoni at 5:30 pm today, sunset time, and we pulled over so I could get some shots of the last moments of sunlight.

Delta Adventure

Chad and I had a Mississippi Delta adventure today. We traveled 2 hours to Indianola for a work-related function. A front had just moved through Mississippi and there were lots of clouds in the sky, so it was just gorgeous. This is a shot I took somewhere near Yazoo City of a rice field and the clouds above it. At bottom right is a reflection of the F-150 Chad was driving.