Wednesday, November 12, 2008

WHERE HAS TIME GONE?

You mean to tell me it has been two months since my last post? YIKES!! I guess the old saying is true, time flies when your having fun.

Okay, here's a quick update on the tidbit. Massage school is going VERY well, Mike and I are all caught up on lost, well, almost, the 4th season DVD does not come out until Dec 9th, I am sucking at Fantasy Football. #6 out of 10 people. ::HANGS HEAD::

I am not looking forward to the holidays, I already hustle and bustle enough and do not need to add to it but as always they will keep on approaching so, bring it on!! However, I am ready for some pretty decorations. I love to look at the lights!

Okay, there's my quick and boring post so that you know I am alive. I promise to make it up to you later!!

See ya!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Are you ready for some football......

According to my husband Mike, it's been a long 8 months waiting for the 2008 football season!! Me personally, I don't get it. Why must grown men feel the need to jump, push, and shove each other over a little pigskin ball is beyond me. But you know what they say, to each is own.

I will confess that I enjoy it more now than I use to because last year I played on a Fantasy Football league and it was fun trying to get my players to score points for me. Overall, I lost, but it was a blast.

At times, I still feel a little awkward but perhaps it's because football has been around so many years that I feel like I am coming into a play after 2nd curtain. I just can’t figure out what is going on. Which team should I cheer for? Do I choose my home state Falcon’s? Mikes favorite Cowboy’s? Or what? What made you choose your team? Was it because of a certain quarterback, running back, or coach?

For now, I will continue to be entertained just watching him. Yesterday at lunch we went to the local Taco Mac Restaurant and to see all these grown men staring at the TV like a little kid waiting on their favorite cartoon show is quite the sight. It’s amazing that only one person per household needs to watch the game because I can be in the kitchen and if I hear a YES hollered then I know they did good and if I hear a few not so nice words uttered followed by the players name, then I know they goofed.

In closing, to all the football fans, ENJOY, and to all the not so football fans, ENJOY watching the football fans.

Until next time, Rena

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Georgia On My Mind

Have you ever just sat and reminisced about your childhood and how things seemed so simple then? Well, I do. One of the things that continue to come back to me is how much different Georgia is today compared to then. It's just not the same.


Don't get me wrong, because without a doubt my roots are dug pretty deep in the Georgia red clay but as time goes by, the dirt around my roots are getting pretty loose and starting to erode. For me, it's kind of sad but for now, just sit back, relax and join me on my journey to the past.


Now I can't throw out dates, years, and such like when Georgia was founded and by whom. Nor can I tell you a great deal about the political stasis as to when cities and counties were formed but what I can tell you are my memories as a child. Like when we would play outside on those late summer night trying to catch lighting bugs, we could walk to the corner store and not worry about crossing a busy highway, when going to a baseball game and only a few hundred were there, when you never locked your door, when you could ride down the hooch, and when everyone would wave at each other no matter if they knew you are not.


Today, there is too much pollution in the air to stay outside for a long period of time, forget the corner store because now they are called Wal-Mart, forget crossing the street because most roads are becoming 4 lane divided highways, the hooch has more trash than water, people will break their necks trying to keep from looking at you because their afraid you might wave and they will have to break their arm by lifting it and waving back, and don’t say hey to a strange because they may think you are hitting on them. What happen?


I just remember hearing someone on TV one day say that Georgia needs to step up to the next level. Building brings jobs and jobs bring people and people bring revenue to the state. Please don't tell me that because of the ole mighty dollar that our kids will never have memories like this, because of greed another tree will fall, and to make matters worst, another landmark will fall because that newly employed out of state person doesn’t even care about preserving it.


I remember baseball games at the Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. Upon our arrival I ran as fast as I could to visit Chief Noc-A-Homa and watch him do his rain dance on the pitcher's mound (which I still have his autograph), where Hank Aaron became the homerun king (and always will be in my mind), and you could get a good seat for next to nothing, well that is all it will ever be, a memory, because all that is left now is a parking lot to the new stadium. Why do people tend to think that bigger and newer is better? How about exercising the less is best theory every now and then?

Well for now, I will conclude this blog, in time I will touch on the fall of the hooch and other tidbits I mentioned but for now I am riled up enough. I leave you with a few of my memories.


Atlanta Fulton County Stadum
I am not sure what year this was taken
Look at all the trees!!








Chief Noc-A-Homa and his Teepee

Here's a little history: From 1967 to 1971 the teepee stood on a 20-foot-square platform behind the left field fence. In 1972 the teepee was moved to right field. From 1973 to 1977 it was back in left field. From 1978 to August 1982 the teepee was moved to left-center, occupying 235 seats between aisles 128 and 130, rows 18-30. From August to early September 1982 it was removed in anticipation of additional revenue in the playoffs, "causing" a disastrous tailspin for the first-place Braves. Its replacement coincided with the Braves comeback to win the division crown in 1982. The teepee's removal on August 11, 1983, saw another losing streak that could not be overcome by its return on September 16. It stood as a permanent outfield installation until the Braves moved to Turner Field.


Hank Aaron the homerun king






















All that's left of my memories (you can click on the picture to enlarge).

One day I may look around, see nothing familiar anymore and on that sad day I may decide that it is time for me to leave my roots, but if and when that day comes, you can be sure that no matter where I am Georgia will forever be on my mind.

Friday, August 22, 2008

What's All The Hype








In the beauty world today, every slogan is booming with words like Dead Sea Mud, Dead Sea Salts, All Natural, Essential Oils, and Herbal, this is just to name a few. What is all of this and what is it all about?

Well, in the age of being more conscience of what we put on and in our bodies, I decided to take a further glance into the world of natural health.

Dead Sea mud & salt is from the Dead Sea in Jordan and Israel and studies have shown its natural abilities are very healthy for your skin. Before we look at the how, let us look at the ways it is beneficial.

Improves blood circulation and skin generation





Proven to provide relief for skin disorders such as eczema, acne, wrinkles, and psoriasis.





The find mud grains cleanse the skin and gently peel away dead skin cells to reveal a more youthful and healthier skin underneath.





It also helps with ailments like arthritis, muscle stiffness and aches, rheumatism, and joint inflammation.

Now, how or why can dirt from a sea do all of this? The Dead Sea contains a high concentration of salts and minerals, which are absorbed into the mud. By using Dead Sea products, you are giving your skin natural minerals that your skin needs everyday such as, potassium, magnesium, sodium, bromine, and calcium. In addition, as it dries it pulls out toxins that may be present in your skin cells from everyday diets. With all these combining factors, it will keep your skin looking healthy for a long time.

Essential Oils are oils distilled from plants, shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds. They are oxygenating and help transport nutrients to the cells within our body. One of the most popular applications is the field of aromatherapy, however, using products will essential oils are beneficial because our skin absorbs them into our body. Some people love that they can provide stress relief, soothe inflammation, act as an antiseptic, and revive us. Each oil has its own natural ability and with a combination of many oils, you receive many benefits in one application.

Well, I could talk all day about this subject but we can give it a more detailed look in the future. For now, I have been making my own Dead Sea and Essential Oil products and I must say that it does have its benefits. If you look to your right you will see my link if you want to sneak a peek at them.

The biggest question is, can it be proven? Well, as always, what works for one may not work for another so it’s just something you will have to try for yourself. Until next time, Rena



Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Unprofessional View

Today I would like to give my unprofessional view on the camera that will be giving us our words in pictures, the Coolpix Nikon L12. I am not a professional by no means but I love taking pictures and this little gem has the best anti-shake button around. Why is it that when you push the shutter button the little booger just wants to jump around in your hand or why does my hands tends to shake trying to get that perfect shot, which by the way, you do not notice until the picture has been taken and a moment was missed. Well, no more missed shots for me. :o)

Here’s the lowdown (I hope that Mike Pasini from Imaging Resource does not mind me reproducing his article):

The Nikon Coolpix L12 features a seven megapixel CCD linked to a Nikkor-branded 3x optical zoom lens. The L12's lens is just a little wider than most, at 35 to 105mm equivalent. The Coolpix L12 couples this with the company's lens-shift VR (Vibration Reduction) technology, which can be very useful when shooting in poor lighting. A new Anti-Shake button, which simultaneously activates VR, High ISO, and Best Shot Selector, assures that "pictures will be steady, sharp, and stunning," according to Nikon.

My comment: Yes this is true; Nikon did not lie on this one because my pictures come out stunning.

The L12 body is, to our eyes, understated, stylish, and relatively compact. The Nikon Coolpix L12 offers a 2.5-inch display with 115,000 pixel resolution, but like many other small cameras these days, includes no optical viewfinder.

My comment: Gasp, he is correct there is a flaw, because it does not have a viewfinder it is hard to take that perfect shot when you are directly in the sun on a bright sunny day, but, I have not missed a shot yet.

Nikon is also known for a few special features that are included in the Nikon L12, including D-Lighting (which enhances darker images to improve shadow detail), Red-Eye Fix (which automatically finds red-eye in your images, and eliminates it), and finally Face-Priority AF. This last feature will initially keep you, and your friends dancing around in front of the L12 to watch it put a "focus box" around your faces, but once you get used to the mode, you'll find it very reassuring to know that your loved one's faces will indeed be in focus, before you take the shot.

Other Nikon Coolpix L12 features include a wide 50 to 1600 sensitivity range, 21MB of built-in memory, a Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard slot which is also compatible with newer SDHC cards, as well as USB, and NTSC/PAL video connectivity. The Coolpix L12 draws power from two standard AA batteries, with alkaline disposables in the product bundle. The Coolpix L12 ships in the USA from March 2007, priced at U.S.$200.

So, there it is. What do you think? Here’s what the camera looks like and then I will share some of my favorite pictures I have taken from it. Oh, gotta add, this was my Mother’s Day present in 2007. Gosh, I love my family. :o)

Now without further delay:











Yes, I really did take all of these pictures. Well, except the one of the Nikon camera itself. :o) Here's a little disclaimer: If you get the Coolpix and decided its not the camera for you, don't blame me, okay? For one, I am not a professional and two, what works for one may not work for another but I love my little gem.
Hope you enjoyed my unprofessional review and until next time, Rena.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

I have finally been suckered

Well, I finally did it. After hearing "you should blog" from several people, I decided to finally take the time to see what it is all about and with that, here we go.

First about me, I am a native Georgian; I am a wife to a wonderful man, Mike, and a mother of two children. My son, Brandon, is 18 and my daughter, Samantha, is 13. I am an Accounting Manager for a small manufacturer of pet products, I am a student at the Rising Spirit School of Massage, I have a home business making soaps, candles, and other bath & body products, I am a neat freak, I have so many hobbies that I could not even list them all here but my biggest is Scrapbooking, and tend to have OCD qualities at times. In other words just your average person. :o)

On my blogging journey, I hope to make you laugh, cry, and just be all around entertained. To bad we don’t have 100 years so that I could catch you up on my last 39 years because that alone would make anyone laugh and cry, gosh knows I did. Other goals are to explore the world of natural health products, introduce you to wonderful world of aromatherapy, scrapbooking, soaping, candles, and whatever else happens to be on my mind that day.

Well, that’s me in a nutshell. Hugs and until next time - Rena

Oh, so that you can put a name with a face here’s my goofy self portrait

Oh, btw, my name is pronounced Renee, I know, strange, it's a short story on its own but for now Rena = Renee :o)