National Honesty Day

Did you know that today, April 30th, is National Honesty Day?

Pardon my opinion, but don't you think it's a little sad that our society has come to this? I mean, we now have to legislate when honesty happens?

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2:6-8

Injuries continue - What will happen to the Braves?

Well, it was pretty disappointing news to hear that John Smoltz is probably going to be put on the DL. Even though, Tom Glavine is going to pitch tonight against the Nationals, I'm just not putting a lot of hope in him right now. It's sad about Smoltz and it's sad that we have two others of our relievers that are still on the DL (Moylan and Soriano) and it looks like our "bullpen from heaven" in the spring training is turning into a disaster. Oh well, all we can do is hope things will be okay and the team will be able to pull off some wins.

It's not a sure thing that Chipper will be playing tonight either. I think Escobar is going to be okay, thankfully.

So, it's another crazy season, with so much potential but so many injuries.

Monday Morning Mirth

1. How Do Crazy People Go Through The Forest? They Take The Psycho Path.

2. What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too Long? Polaroid's

3. What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work? A Stick

4. What Do You Call Santa's Helpers? Subordinate Clauses.

5. What Do You Call Four Bullfighters In Quicksand? Quatro Sinko..

6. What Do You Get From a Pampered Cow? Spoiled Milk.

7. What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire? Frostbite.

8. What Lies At The Bottom Of The Ocean And Twitches? A Nervous Wreck.

9. What's The Difference Between Roast Beef And Pea Soup? Anyone Can Roast Beef.

10. Where Do You Find a Dog With No Legs? Right Where You Left Him.

11. Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils? Because They Have Big Fingers.

12. Why Don't Blind People Like To Sky Dive? Because It Scares The Dog.

13. What Kind Of Coffee Was Served On The Titanic? Sanka.

14. Why Did Pilgrims' Pants Always Fall Down? Because They Wore Their Belt Buckle On Their Hat.

Are You Ready For This?

Silence is Golden

We have three dogs that we love and enjoy having around. A yellow lab named Molly that is my husband's duck-hunting companion. She is an awesome retriever and has a very peaceable and sweet disposition. Molly is an outside dog (but we bring her into the garage at night). We also have a miniature dachshund (Annie) that is really more between a mini size and a regular size. She is very opinionated, nosy, but sweet. She is half outside dog and half inside dog. Our third dog is a springer spaniel named Samson. He is very smart and very sweet but stubborn. He is an outside dog and he, like Molly, comes into the garage at night.
Since we have moved into our new neighborhood, we have noticed Molly and Annie have been barking a lot. I don't know if it's because their fenced area is closer to the house or because our house is backed up to a wooded area with critters, but I have noticed the barking a lot more than before. It's almost as if one of them starts to bark which sets off the other and they just won't relent. We have discussed what to do about the barking, because it has become an annoyance. And we certainly don't want to disturb any neighbors; plus, it's really getting "on my nerves".
So, after much research and trying other devices, we have purchased and are now using "anti-bark" collars on the girls. Lest you think we are cruel, let me explain that the collar puts out a shock only if the dog is continually barking. Amazingly, both girls learned very quickly and I think maybe only experienced one correction each. I happened to be out there with them the other day and Molly was grunting as if she was getting ready to bark and I heard a high pitched beep. She immediately stopped. It was pretty amazing. I also think the collars have settled them down and made them less anxious overall. The premise is that when they bark, the collar will beep and if they continue barking they will experience a shock. The barking stopped within the first day!
All of that to say that it is nice to have animals that we can really enjoy again. Before, I found myself correcting and getting frustrated with them every time they started a barking tirade. Now, I can go out there and we can play and they seem much happier. Samson is probably happier too; the women in his life have finally "shut up".

Spring Favorite

Of the many beautiful sights in the Spring, I think my very favorite is the pink dogwood. No doubt, the white dogwood tree is much more popular and seems to be much more prolific, but there is something about the pink dogwood that just makes me smile. I love it; I guess because it is different and somewhat rare and just because it has such a beautiful habit and color. Welcome Spring!!

Live Underwater Birth

Donuts are Really Healthy!!

I really love donuts. Good to know they're so healthy!!

Braves Commentary

Here's a good commentary on the first two games of the season. Basically said, the Braves "can do better than this". Enjoy the read by Terrence Moore - AJC:

They were jilted lovers.
That’s all.
So this wasn’t surprising on Monday night at Turner Field: With future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine returning to the Braves after pitching five seasons for the dreaded New York Mets, he made an instant transformation among those in the Braves Nation from baseball Judas to the most blessed person who ever lived.
It was unofficially Thomas Michael Glavine Appreciation Night for what otherwise was the Braves’ home opener. That’s because Glavine received more hugs and cheers than anybody from the frequently lively crowd whenever his name was mentioned. He rose to the occasion. Just one of the two runs that the Pittsburgh Pirates scored off his 42-year-old left arm was earned during his five innings. Still, his efforts weren’t enough to keep the Braves from watching their 4-2 lead become a 9-4 deficit before they scrambled to tie the game with five runs in the ninth.
The Braves’ middle infielders have to do better than this. (I say AMEN!!) Errors by second baseman Kelly Johnson and shortstop Yunel Escobar produced runs for the Pirates on routine plays. The Braves’ bullpen also has to do better than this. After Peter Moylan watched the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman blast one of his pitches into the Washington night for the game-winner Sunday, a series of Braves relievers were pounded by the Pirates for seven runs.
There was Glavine, though, among the reasons why the Braves were supposed to rise higher than everybody thought. In other words, nobody was supposed to know the Braves were going to rise higher until it was too late. That’s why, depending on how you look at it, this is exactly what the post-division-streaking Braves don’t need: Early believers, at least when it comes to those away from the choppers and the chanters. Let’s just say this team can’t do what it was preparing to do, which was hide in the large shadows of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Mets before sprinting to the National League East championship.
Suddenly, the Braves are getting lots of unsolicited love from everywhere.
At least three prominent talking heads at ESPN say the Braves will go from finishing third in the division the past two seasons to capturing it. Fox Sports baseball insider Ken Rosenthal also picks the Braves. (Let's hope they're right)
The same goes for our David O’Brien, along with me, by the way.
This can’t be good, can it? “You know, at first we thought it would have been better for us to sneak up there, and if people wanted to talk about us some and give us a few compliments, we’d take it,” Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur said. “We feel like we’ve got a great team.”
Well, it’s a good team. It was only a decent one last season after a slew of pitching issues for a franchise that was immune to such things during its record 14 consecutive division titles. As a result, to complement the Braves’ impressive collection of returning sluggers and exceptional manager Bobby Cox, management strengthened that pitching in several ways, starting with going back to the future for Glavine.
Victories aren’t as important in Glavine’s world now as innings, and given his latest outing, he looks poised for his normal 200-plus at season’s end. He’s joined in the Braves starting rotation by the efficient Tim Hudson, off to a splendid start after his debut in Washington on Sunday night. Then you have the esteemed John Smoltz, the healthy Mike Hampton and the promising Jair Jurrjens. The bullpen remains a scary work in progress (see those late-inning collapses), but it has potential and flame-throwing Rafael Soriano as a closer. (that's the crazy thing, our opening pitching outings for the last two games have been great!!)
Nothing has happened to shake the confidence of those believers.
“When you look at our clubhouse, and when you talk to our guys, you got a sense as we started rising in the opinion polls that our guys were feeding on that a little bit,” said Frank Wren, the Braves general manager, already making nice strides in his first year on the job. “(Braves players) were used to this for so many years that they were accustomed to being the top dog. So, we liked it early in spring training to be under the radar, but the more attention we got, the more they seemed to thrive on it. So I guess we like it both ways.”
Those believers would like the Braves a lot better if they start fielding and relieving as well as they can.
Which is better than this.