Scrapbooking my life...one page at a time

This is me ... "List No.3"

                     

List No. 1 "50 Inconsequential Lessons I have learned along the Way"
List No. 2  "50 Things I Love About Spring"
List No. 3 "50 Things I take for Granted Everyday but for which I am Truly Grateful."

      Here is List No. 3  -

"50 Things
I Take for Benefit from but Granted Everyday ...
but for which I am Truly Grateful."

This was going to be List No.1 but it was a hard list to compile - I wanted to include only those almost 'invisible' things which  touch my life EVERY DAY but which I 'take for granted' almost daily. 

Things I rarely ever think about ... but don't ever want to have to live without! (I know many of these overlap but that's the problem with getting so old - everything starts to blur together)

Here is my list (it is not in any particular order) -

• 1.)   Modern Technology - Electricity, lights, telephone & all other forms of technology .  WOW – what the heck would our world look like with no technology to keep us warm, heal us,  feed us, distract & entertain us & so much more? How many people today - don't have access to these conveniences.                                                                                                                             

•    2.)   The Postal Service - The convenience, cost & reliability of the US Postal Service . It only costs me .41¢ to mail a First Class letter anywhere in the USA.  I can mail a letter today & Kate will get it in 2 days – they are open 6 days a week too!  And, they will still bring packages right to my door!  I know a lot of people complain about the post office and the cost but I think ….  it's a bargain & a convenience that I don't ever want to have to live without.          

• 3.)  The Sun - I take for granted that it will always rise again!  I love watching the sunrise and prefer it to a sunset hands down. I love getting up earlier enough to see it climb over the mountains.

"Three things cannot long be hidden, the sun, the moon & the truth.' - Buddha                                                                 

• 4.)   Longevity -  according to the CIA World Fact-book (2008) my life expectancy is approximately 80.97 years compared with 100 years ago it would have been 51 years.  Today, the USA  ranks 29th in the world and Canada is 10th.  The life expectancy of a woman living in Canada today is 83.86 years (sorry guys -  the male of our species living in Canada only average 76.98 years).   

• Wow – to put that in context - Andorra (located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France) has the greatest life span at 86.23 years while Swaziland has the lowest female life span at 32.62 years!

My favorite quote on 'Aging' is from the current Indian Jones movie - "you've now reached the age where life beings to take more than it gives."

• 5.) Sewers -  The number No. 1 reason for the increase in life expectancy is sewers! While there are other reasons that have contributed to our longevity – the largest increase in human life expectancy came with the introduction of the sewers. They may not be pretty but It's pretty amazing to think about just how important those sewer pipes really are.  I would imagine they have a great sewer system in Andorra and a non-existent one in Swaziland. Next time you curse as you drive by a 'traffic snarl' because of those guys out there putting in sewers pipes think to yourself:                                            
  

• 6.)  Literacy -  I read every day – We all read everyday - whether it's the back of a  cereal box, the newspaper, the computer,  C.S. Lewis or a set of directions.  I take being able to read for granted but I cannot even imagine what my life would be like if I could not.  Whether it's the education provided to read, language barrier or a disability that prevents some people from being able to read - I can only imagine the frustration, fear or sadness that must accompany being illiterate.  Reading is everything - because it is what makes all things possible. 

• 7.)  The Global Conveyor Belt - This deep water heating & cooling system in the Northern Atlantic Ocean drives our planet's climate system.  Many scientist believe that 'Global Warming' will paradoxically drive most of North America & Europe into another Little Ice Age.  This massive yet fragile system depends largely on the Polar Ice Caps remaining frozen because their melting would dump millions of gallons of 'fresh' water into the oceans & disrupt or stop the 'conveyor belt' which would result in a complete breakdown of the earth's climate system. (Click on 'title The Global Conveyor Belt"  to be linked to the  David Suzuki Foundation and read more on the Belt & Climate Change.)

• 8.)  Energy - What will we do when it is all gone?  Gas, Coal, Nuclear etc ... Forget the gasoline - I think I could successfully live without a car.  In fact, I think that when Mike's old 1985 Honda finally dies (if it ever does - because it just keeps running & running) we will go down to onIy one car.  A major life change to be sure - but definitely one for the better I think.  I am more worried about energy we need to fuel our furnaces, fridges, hospitals, universities & other essentials. I am not sure what will happen - if we will go nuclear but my prediction is that we will move towards a hybrid mix of energy sources - nuclear, gas, natural gas, wind, bio etc ... I only pray that we can get there without digging this planet into and early grave ...

• 9.)  Privacy Rights -  This is something I actually do think about often - I think about who freely many of us and willing to give up our 'Right to Privacy' - under the guise of so-called security.  I think the people / countries around the globe that do not have the incredible right to privacy either in the home  or outside of it that we so often take for granted.  The right to medical confidentiality, personal & financial privacy - the right to secret ballots & phone conversations. Can we even imagine living in a society that did not afford people these rights - why are we so willing to give these rights away -     "When liberty is taken away by force it can be restored by force. When it is relinquished voluntarily by default it can never be recovered." - Dorothy Thompson                                                                   

• 10.)  Freedom -  How do you define Freedom?  Which do you value most ~ the 'Freedom from' (hate literature) or the 'Freedom To' (free speech) ?   Both Big in my book - Both very tentative and often very hard to define.  When does 'Freedom From'  cross a line and become a lose of freedom (censorship) and when does 'Freedom To' cross the same line and infringe upon another person's lose of freedom)? 

I am grateful to live in a society where we are 'free' to debate & define for ourselves which freedoms we value most.    

• 11.)   Red Cross - while I have been blessed to never have needed the services of the Red Cross  - it seems that I hear about them more & more all the time.  They are the 'World's First Responders' whenever there is a natural disaster.  Is it just my imagination or does the globe seemed plagued by more frequent & bigger disasters every year.  The Hurricane in New Orleans & the 2004 Tsunami in Indian Ocean which "is estimated to have released the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)" & left 150,000 people dead or the earthquake last month in China measuring a 7.9 or the cyclone in Myanmar.  How can anyone be prepared for this kind of devastation.   Mike just went through Red Cross Certified Emergency Response Training (C.E.R.T) last year to help our community become more Disaster Emergency Prepared.  We  also made up 4 Disaster Barrels for our garage and we are now prepared for a 2 week disaster but still ... I am grateful for the incredible work the Red Cross does ...

• 12.)  Curiosity / Imagination - I love that my curiosity & imagination!  I love that I am always wondering about the what  ifs & whys and that we humans are always thinkin, thinkin.  Does our curiosity get us into trouble - yeah but it also  us to think & dream beyond the known ...  As Albert Einstein said ...  "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created the problem".  So true, So true!  

         Curiosity killed the Cat but Satisfaction brought it back and all that ... 

• 13.)   Color -  Imagine living in a Black & White world!  Seeing in Black & White, Thinking in Black & White, Creating Art in Black & While ... I think there was a movie made about a town that lived in Black & White because color was scary and created too many emotions ... something like that.  I have never seen the movie so I don't remember what it is called ... but I couldn't imagine living in a black & white world.  I am grateful for we live in a colorful box of crayons.

• 14.)   ATM's - Trite - maybe but it's hard to imagine life without the "Good Old $2.50 a pop" ATM (although I could live without the $2.50 part).  I remember back in the olden days when you HAD to make it to the bank by 5pm on Friday or you had no $$ for the weekend.  Remember if it was a long weekend and you had to get off work - get to the bank & then get to the liquor store before everything closed (no after hours beer stores either).  I think they were supposed to save us time and the bank money (less tellers, less paper) so they were free in the beginning but somehow that idea got lost ... Now they are everywhere - I believe even that there are even churches with ATM's in the lobby - how's that for divine convenience!   In Japan they actually have 'traveling' ATM's like the one it the picture!  Crazy!
  

• 15.)  Standards -  I cannot imagine a life without regulated Standards.  It would be chaos - I cannot imagine what life would look like ... Time, Currency, Weights, Measures, Maps & Temperature to name just a few of the places where 'standardization' creates order.  Even with standardized units things do not always run smoothly.  I wish the USA would discard the Imperial or Customary System and go Metric ... but trying to talk an American into changing their ways (IE: admitting someone else's way is better) is like trying to talk a dog into thinking it's a cat ... Arf, Arf, meow.  But seriously - it would make shopping in a Canadian grocery store easier  - does anyone remember when Canada went metric?  Did you know only three countries have not adopted the metric system - Myanmar, Liberia and the United States.
  

• 16.)   Salt -  Did you know - not only does 'Salt' makes food taste better but more importantly it is essential to all animal life.  In human history salt has been used as currency, religious rites and offerings (salt is mentioned in the bible 35 times), for most of human history Salt was our most important food preservative and as a food flavoring.  Imagine eating corn-on-the-cob without salt, Popcorn without salt, French fries without salt or how about mashed potatoes without salt.  Yep, salt is a often under appreciated & overlooked necessity - no doubt about it.

• 17.)  Woman's Suffrage Movement,  (Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B Anthony) - While they might not look like crusaders - these two women worked together for over 40 years campaigning for universal suffrage, woman's rights and  in the anti-slavery movement.  Both died before seeing either of there dreams realized - the right for woman to vote & the end of slavery.  And while they may not look like - crusaders these two woman definitely were and they paved the way for the passing of 19th Amendment (woman's right to vote), the ERA which although first proposed in 1923 still remains 3 states short of ratification and the American Civil Rights Movement - every woman in America owes them a great deal - Thanks Ladies!                                               

• 18.)   Reference Books - OMG, where would I be without a Dictionary, Thesaurus, Atlas, Recipe Book or any other reference books?  Lost, starving and unable to spell S.O.S. to signal for help!  I use some kind of reference book at least once a day - today I counted: dictionary or spell check -4x, thesaurus -2x, mapquest -1x.  That's seven times just sitting at home doing nothing at-all!

• 19.)   Free Elections - okay, okay - I admit ... they ..are... getting.. on.. my.. nerves.. right now but I still marvel at the whole process - 'Free & Fair Elections and the Peaceful Transfer of Power are the Hallmarks of democracy!   Does Free & Fair = Secret & Counted ??? 

            Secret:  nobody gets to see my vote not even Mike - because we vote absentee                 we get our ballots mailed to us and we vote at home and mail them back in.  Mike             & I always  We have a little 'election ritual' we always follow - First, we gather all the voting                 pamphlets and get our ballots.  Then we read through the pamphlets - discuss the issues - then             vote and we almost never tell how we voted on each issue until the ballots are sealed shut.  We             almost always vote the same but still - we      vote in secret - without influencing each other.                
            Counted:  Ever think your vote wouldn't be counted - humm ... How pissed would I be feel right             now if I was from Florida and my Democratic nomination ballot was NOT being counted. 

• 20.) Clinical Trials - I am grateful for all the brave humans that have undergone thousands of clinical trials to bring about safer, improved & more efficient medicines & treatments for all of us.  Every time we are sick or injured we are benefiting from their sacrifices - I know my sister has been brave enough to participate in several trials.  I have not and to her & others I am grateful. 
  

• 21.)  Vaccinations - (see above too) I just don't understand why so many people are against vaccinations.  In 1966 there were approx. 10 - 15 million cases of smallpox worldwide & about 1.5 million people died annually from the disease.  In 1965, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States stepped up their efforts to eradicate the disease globally.  Between 1967 - 1979 the WHO spent 23 million dollars a year to provide vaccinations, education and intensive monitoring & in 1977 the last reported case of Smallpox was reported in Somalia,  In May 1980 - after nearly 3 years of constant searching & monitoring the WHO declared Smallpox to be first disease in history to be eradicated from the planet.  This is considered to be one of greatest achievements of mankind.  But, even today, 30 years after the eradication of smallpox the US government has built a stockpile of some 300 million doses of smallpox vaccines in event of a reintroduction of the disease. Efforts to eradicate Polio are still underway worldwide but it has been all but eliminated in developed countries due to childhood vaccinations.

• (22.)  Birds - I Love birds - These goldfinches came to visit my feeder at the last house I lived in.  They are so beautiful.  I love watching them, feeding them and listening to them chatter away to each other.  They are music to my ears!  Sure they poop - but don't we all.

Here's a useless bird fact for you: An ostrich egg needs to be boiled for 2 hours to get a hard-boiled egg.  

• (23.)  Laughter / Humor -  Now I may not be able to tell a good joke but I sure can laugh when I hear one ... Seriously - What feels better than a good old fashioned 'Laugh till you pee your pants' joke, event or story! 

        In 2002 thousands of people were asked to participate in a survey to determine the funniest joke in         the world.  Not surprisingly every country had it's own favorite joke. Here is              what Canadians voted the funniest joke:  

When NASA first started sending up astronauts,  they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA  scientists spent a  decade and $12 billion to develop a pen  and at temperatures ranging from below freezing  to 300 C. that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any  surface including glass.   The Russians used a pencil.     

• (24.)  Brains - They all weigh the same - give or take - but no two think alike.
  
  •  I read this description on the internet - that men's brains are like waffles, and women's brains are like spaghetti believe it or not, that is not meant to be insulting to either gender.  You see, men are logical.  They look at things as obvious, and they associate things that are supposed to be associated.  Everything stays neatly organized in the little compartments of the brain.  See?  Waffles.    Women, on the other hand are free thinkers.  Their thoughts flow together crossing and connecting.  Everything has an influence on everything else.  See? Spaghetti.  humph .... I think we are all a combination of both - waffles & spaghetti or pancakes & noodles - your choice!
  
  
• (25.)  Internet- is this a blessing or a curse?  I am still out on this one but I thought I'd better put it on my list because it consume half my day and I love that it brings the 'Whole Wide World' to my doorstep & I believe it is the fastest and greatest supplier of democracy the world has ever seen (Sorry George!). 

• (26.)  Music- Without music I would be forced to listen to myself talking all day.  Scary! The Sweetest music I have ever heard:  my children's newly discovered baby giggles (remember when they just learned & we would stand on our heads to try and get them to laugh), birds singing, ocean waves and the wind rustling the leaves on a tree.

• (27.)  Language & Books - Can't even imagine a world without them or a world with them but being unable to read ...
• (28.) Flip Flops - I hate wearing shoes - always have, always will.  Flip Flops (& crocs) are about as close to being shoeless as you can get.  And they are CHEAP too!  Can't live without em ...
  
• (29.)  Newspapers - I love poking around on the internet but I can read huge amounts of text off it - therefore - I still subscribe to a daily newspaper to get fill up on my daily happenings around the globe.
  
• (30.)  School - Oh My Gosh - I guess we all have a love / hate relationship with school.  We hate it when were there, miss it when we are finished with it & most people take it for granted.

• (31.)  Clocks - I hate wearing a watch but always need to know what time it is!  

• (32.)  Calendars -  Human survival has always depended on the calendar - Knowing which day of  the week my birthday will fall on is important to me but the whole human race doesn't depend upon knowing it but having a calendar does.  

Lunar calendars are the oldest known and date back more than 15,000 years to Cro-Magnon man. We were & still are a part of nature and so understanding and being able to predict the patterns of nature (the weather, daylight hours & tides, for example) ensures our survival!  In fact, everyone probably recognizes the prehistoric cave drawings found at found.

• (33.)  Glasses - Old Eyes need Glasses, Spectacles, Eyepieces, Lenses - Whatever you call them - I need them!  That is just a simple fact but I hate them ... I can't read ANYTHING without my glasses on now.   I used to think glasses made you look  dorky but then I saw this picture of Jimmy in his  - does he look incredibly cute he looks in glasses or what!!!  I'm not saying I could ever look that cute - but hey - maybe there's hope for me ...   LOL

            What the heck did people do before they had glasses?

• (34.) Toothbrush - I may hate going to the dentist but every time I go I am thankful that I have a toothbrush and use it every day - oh yah - floss too!!

• (35.)  Legal System - While our legal system is not perfect - it is pretty damn good.

 Lady  Justice, blindfolded, because all men are equal under the eyes of the law and carrying  in her left hand a set of balanced scales representing the courts equal  weight given to the 'support & opposition' to each case. In her right hand she often carries a double edged sword, representing ' the power of reason & justice'.

I have always wanted to be called for jury duty but the one time I was I had finals at school and had to excuse myself.  They have never called me back - Mike has been called for jury duty 3 or 4 times now.  Has anyone else ever been called?  I don't know if I would be able to be an impartial jurist - it would be hard on a child abuse or rape case?? 

• (36.)  Work - Might sound funny for someone who doesn't have a paying job to say but I think everyone needs something to do - everyday.  It doesn't matter what it is - we just need it.  Whether it pays a little or a lot (or not atall) - we all need it.  Too much is not good but neither is too little.

• (37.)  Smoke Detectors - Holy Smokes!  I go to sleep every night under the protection of our 8 smoke alarms.  Better safe than sorry - right!  Mike stuff one up in just about every room in our house and faithfully adheres to the - 'change the time - change the batteries' rule.  Smoke alarms are so cheap - it just doesn't make sense to NOT fill your home with them (smoke detectors have a life expectancy of about 10 - 12 years).  Some woes can't be outrun, outlived or out financed but dying in a house fire can be avoided and I believe if you can't afford a smoke detector most Fire Halls will give you one - right Todd!  Oh &  I know they can be irritating remember that lighting the fireplace with the damper closed incident in Lake Chelan - Click here for a refresher ...

• (38.)  Bees - ColonyCollapse Disorder- Scary stuff.  Click here to Read up on what our world would look like without bees ...

• (39.)  Nation al Parks - One of my Life Goals is to visit every National Park in North America.       
• 
  
•  There are currently 58 National Parks in the US with Yellowstone, located in Montana & Wyoming,         being the oldest (1872) and The Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado the newest (2004).

There are 41 National Parks in Canada with Glacier National Park in BC being the oldest (1886) [there is also a Glacier National Park in the US which is in Montana and crosses into Canada  where it is / was called Wharton Lakes National Park.  In 1932 it & it's US counterpart were renamed the Wharton-Glacier International Peace Park and in 1995 they were declared a World Heritage Site] and the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve in Labrador (2005) being the newest.

• (40.)  Puzzles - I love games & puzzle of every kind (except maybe logic). 
  

• (41.)  Antibiotics - I have benefited from antibiotics several times in my life.  The use of antibiotics can be traced back to ancient China (if you look back far enough into the history of almost any invention or discovery you will find it's origins in China), Serbia and the Egyptians.  The Egyptians used honey to dress wounds and the Serbians used moldy bread.

• (42.)  Stop Signs  - Yikes - I may not see them all but I figure that as long as the other guy notices the ones I miss I am Okay.  The first stop sign was put up in Michigan in 1915. 

• (43.) Thumbs - Yup - my thumbs are really something I just take for granted.  Gardening, cooking, brushing my teeth, operating a car, remote or even holding my keys would be much more difficult without my 'grippers'!
  

• (44.) My Five Senses - Sight, touch, smell, hearing & speaking.  I've been thinking and trying to decide which one I would give up if I was forced to give one up ... My 1st thought is touch but does that mean my arms are both gone?   Yah, I'll have to keep thinking about that.

• (45.) Fresh Air - Yes, I take for granted that since 1963 the United States has enforced the 'Clean Air Act' (or some variation of).  When I see pictures of the smog in Mexico City or cities in China where they don't have laws protecting the environment - I am thankful for the hippies & other environmental crusaders of the 60's & 70;s.  I still shudder when I think that I used to smoke - in the car - with the windows rolled up - with my babies trapped in there with me .   Bad Mama Bear ...

• (46.) Beer - Beer has created & solved so many problems for me over the years but it remains my favorite 'after hours' drink.  I LOVE dark hoppy bitter beer - the hoppier the better.  I don't actually drink very much anymore but I still love beer.  Beer is one of the oldest man-made beverages know.   Until the inception of the 'micro beer' industry Canadian beer was better than American beer. 

• (47.) Glue - The first patent on glue was issued in Britain around 1750 but it is known that many ancient civilizations used glue of some sort, for example the Romans used tar & beeswax while others used tree sap, animal bones, hides and skins.

         It is estimated that the average person uses about 40lbs of glue per year in one form or another.              Shoes, furniture, books, band aids - almost everything is stuck together with some kind of adhesive.

• (48.) Solitude - We all need our alone time - some more than others - thats true.

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. 
~ Henry David Thoreau ~

• (49.) Hope - Yep, it is right up there with air & fresh water.  I could not, would not & will not live without it.

         When the world says, "Give up,"  Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." 
            ~Author Unknown ~

• (50.) The Law of Conservation of Energy-Mass - For me, this means that I will live forever!  

 This one is a biggie for me because it was when I learned & understood The Law of Conservation of Energy-Mass that I lost all fear of death. 

I believe that 'physically' I will always be a part of this earth forever & that brings me  tremendous joy & comfort.

Spiritually I will join God & physically I will join the earth.   Next time around I hope to join up with  the endless 'Water Cycle' & fall asleep in the ocean where I hope to spend the next 40,000 years - 

That's what on my list - what's on yours?

Take time to enjoy the still of the day.

~ N ~

PS: Excuse the Mess!

I just posted this entry & I know that the formatting is all messed up.  Typepad has made some changes lately and I am having an awful time working with them.  Sorry.

This is me ... 'Writing List No.2"

                                     

                                                                                   

Because this is my 50th year of life - I have decided to do "50" lists of "50".  I did my first list on my Birthday & here is List No. 2

List No. 1 "50 Inconsequential Lessons I have learned along the Way"
List No. 2 "50 Things I Love & Hate About Spring"

Loves:

1. Green - The earth is saturated in every possible shade of green - my favorite color.
2. Garage Sale Season - A great way to get rid of & a good way to get
3. Bird Chatter Everywhere - Music to my ears!
4. Tulips & Daffodils - I love all the spring bulbs
   
5. Out-of- Doors Living - I love being outside
   
6. BBQ Season - Well, technically we BBQ all year long but it's now official.
7. Return of the Goldfinches - Love them even though I can't have a feeder for them. 
8. Sunshine -
9. Longer Days - Yeah!  Mike leaves for work in the daylight & comes home before dark.
10. Open Windows - Fling them open ...
11. Sheer Curtains blowing in the Breeze - I love to watch sheer curtains blowing in the breeze
12. The Fragrance of Spring  - fresh cut grass, the soil after a rain, mulch
13. Spring Cleaning - I love to get the house all clean,    aired out & organized - all shiny, bright & sunny
14. Car Windows Open - No wonder dogs love it.
15. Dining Alfresco - I love dining outside.
16. Beginning of the fresh local fruits & Veggies - Strawberries, raspberries ....
17. Coatless Days - I hate wearing a coat
18. Packs of Kids outside Playing & Laughing - I love to hear all the kids outside playing - laughing & even fighting
    
19. Morning Coffee outside on the deck - Ahhhh..... Bliss
20. Trips to the Nursery - Any excuse is good for me ... even though I have the world's smallest yard!  I love to look.
21. Going Barefoot - Love bare feet & I hate socks - always have.
22. Cherry Tree Blossoms - I love all the shades of pink
23. Mom's B-Day & Mommy's Day -  Happy Birthday Mom & Happy Mom's Day to all ...
24. Baseball - Let's Play Ball
25. Rebirth & New Possibilities - With the world exploding if feels like anything is possible.

Hates:

1. Rain - Okay - so it rains here all the time but for some reason it feels like it irritates me more in the spring
2. Dusty Furniture becomes more visible - I hate dusting.
3. Mud & Dirt tracked into the house - It's me that does all the tracking in of mud & dirt so I guess I'm making myself mad! 
4. My Dogs Barking endlessly at squirrels - yap yap yap yap yap ..
5. Weedy gardens - Weed - People - Weed
6. Overgrown, weedy lawns - Uncut lawns don't really bother me but weedy overgrown lawns bug me.
7. Flies & Wasps - I hate them buzzing around the BBQ & table while we are eating.  Why have screened in porches never caught on here on the West Coast - everyone has them back East!  Oh ya ... we only get 6 sunny days a year!
8. Bug Bites - Mosquitoes love me ... think West Nile Virus 
9. Dogs Running Around off leash - I hate when people let their dogs run around off leash & don't tell me your giant German Shepard that's snapping & growling at me is really friendly
   
10. Spring Colds - Weird but I usually get more colds in the Spring than Winter.
11. Too 'Short Shorts' - you know 'hoochie' shorts.  I hate them in general but especially on chubby girls, older woman or young girls.  Yuck!
12. Broken flipflops - I hate it when I am out, far from home and my flipflops break. You know - that plastic thingamabob in the middle won't stay in anymore.  at really sucks!
13. Leaky Garden Hoses - My hose drips constantly & even though we pay (through the nose) for every drop of water we use ... Mike refuses to fix it.  I should know how shouldn't I!
14. Tax Time - I know this is on everyone lists.
15. Time Change - it takes me weeks to get it straight!  Why do we need to change it at all?
16. Allergies - I don't have allergies as bad as many people I know but I hate the almost chronic stuffy head.
17. Finding out I don't Fit into Last Years Shorts - seems to happen every year!
18. Not Being Able to have Bird feeders - I really hate that! You would think that after 6 years I would have gotten over it but alas ... no!
19. Dirty Windows - I hate having dirty windows when the sun is trying to come in.
20. No Water on Upper Balcony - I hate not having a water source (except my bathtub) for my upper balcony.  Every spring I think I'll grow some plants upstairs on the balcony and every year they die because watering them becomes a nightmare!
21. Schizophrenic Weather - it can go from snowing - to sunny to raining to freezing and then monsoon rains in a single day / week.
22. Feeling Like I Should Do Something - I always get antsy this time of year feeling like I should be doing something ... anything. Go to school, garden, clean, walking etc - I always feel guilty just sitting & reading or watching TV.
23. Cheap Plastic Flower Pots - I know, I know they are cheap & I have many but I still hate them.  Every spring I tell myself I am going to get rid of them but then I don't.  Maybe this is the year!
24. Dirty Old Welcome Mats - I hate to throw 'stuff' away but then again - I hate dirty old ratty-tatty Welcome mats - shouldn't something welcoming people to your home be cheerful & nice. 
25. Wet Benches - ever gone to the park or coffee shop on a nice sunny day and sat down on the nice wooden bench or chair only to discover later ... when you stand up ... that the bench was wet & you butt is soaked.  Why do I never notice until too late.

May's will be a month of 'On this Day in History' instead of quotes.

On this day in History -
1707 The Kingdom of Great Britain was created as a treaty merging England and Scotland took effect.

Have a great day
Love N