Li’l Devils, Spark Plugs, Burps & The Mechanics of Life!

“Li’l Devils, Spark Plugs, Burps & The Mechanics of Life!” What? Well, first off? I’m changing’ my spark plugs today. No. Not in my car. In me! Cuz, those l’il devils are not firing up. Just causing burps! I always loved working on cars and loved mechanics. I know, I know. I'm a girl. What? Let me explain. See, basically, a spark plug is an electrical gadget that fits into your engine’s cylinder head where it “sparks” to ignite the fuel. The plug is connected to the ignition coil that generates the high voltage needed to spark the fuel and create combustion. And, it’s this combustion that causes your engine to run. So, no spark plug means no combustion, which means no go. And, I def wanna go. I get tired of the “no-go” health days! But, no one works harder at trying to find ways to “live” with this than yours truly, Trace. My new spark plugs are all about tryin’ some new food ideas and attitudes and prayer. I guess It’s been a tough few years but I am coming clean today so I can spark things up. Literally! I admit. I’m a burper. And, it wipes me out. At least, I’ve never had to be wiped off from burping or someone near me. PIMP LOL. Coming clean? PIMP LOL. What? I have to keep humor in this picture. After all? Life is a gas. And, I repeat. I burp and if I don’t burp, I can pass out from the toxins. See, ever since I had a cancer surgery to remove most of my stomach and intestines, etc., I can’t digest or eat much. I didn’t have cancer, though a rare disease. And, this surgery was normally for cancer patients in their last 6 months to have ease. Well, I am uncharted territory because, for me, it was to actually try to save my life. Enough of that. So, I get very serious and scary reactions every day and have to keep records for myself. I study the body and foods extensively on a daily basis and could probably be a Dr. You locals have probably heard me burp a time or 2, and thought, “what a hog” or “must have been something good.” Actually, it’s a bad reaction and hard to breathe. Affects the heart, etc. Not saying this to make you feel sorry for me. Not at all. Jus’ so you know… I’m tough. But, my strength is not my God. God is my strength. I just wanted to remind us all that there are so many who suffer with life’s burps in all different ways. Though, suffering does bring us closer to God. And, finding that joy in the suffering, even closer. You just never know what suffering is going on behind a smile or a burp. Kindness may be that spark plug someone needed to ignite their fuel and give hope. Brush up on the mechanics of life. Oh! And, my t-shirt says L’il Devil Spark Plugs. I wear this when I need reminded to get to work on those spark plugs that need changing. Cuz those Li’l Devils are causing too many burps in my engine called life. Those burps can be li’l devils. And sometimes, we just need excused! And that's just the mechanics of life. Excuse me! Trace —

Buttermilk WWOW’s!

"Buttermilk WWOW’s!” What? What better way to warm up their day? Than to make home-made buttermilk and winter wheat onion rings with cayenne pepper and Lawry’s Season Salt. Mmm! I call them Buttermilk WWOW’s! Not just cuz they are like wow!!! But, also another one of my home-made acronyms. I'm always cookin' up something. Acronyms, food, music, humor... Anyways, WWOW's! Stands for “Winter Wheat Onion Wings!” Said in “Elmer Fudd” or baby talk, of course. PIMP LOL. So, anyways, I can’t have heavy protein or breads or glutens much, so I use Lily white winter wheat for a lot of our home-made stuff. Making shrimp, too, and cookin’ a meal with just 1 burner working on our stove isn’t really cookin’! But, it’s life. And, sometimes? Life cooks on all 4 burners, sometimes it cooks on 1. And, sometimes? It’s put on the back burner! Hope your day cooks. Make do and get cookin’. If your life is on the back burner? Put a lid on it and simmer down. PIMP LOL. You’ll be cookin’ again soon. Just ask this cook! But, right now? I am off to finally relax today. Still very stuffy and dizzy, but hanging tough. BTW, I like to cook in the kitchen AND the music room. But, then, I do have wild tastes. Hope your day is like wwow!   Trace

Signs!

“Signs! Signs! Everywhere, Signs!” I was looking for a sign today. Saying: "Go ahead! Let yourself relax and be lazy". So, practice got cancelled, went down in the 30’s overnight and family is sick. Signs? Umm, well, I love to practice, so, no, but I decided to give myself a sign and save time. I hung out my “L A Z Y Day” Sign on the door today. My acronym for L A Z Y? Ummm…”Laying Around Zzzing & Yawning"! Yep. That kind of day. Now! If I can just get my mind and body to read it! That would really be a sign that my sign was a sign. Ya read me? Yes, sometimes we just gotta keep driving on and quit lookin’ for signs. If you're so busy lookin' for a sign? And, hurrying life by exceeding the speed limit? You’re gonna miss the turn on. You know? Where you get turned on to a cool happening in your life. You def don’t want to miss that road to opportunity. And, sometimes, we make our own signs. You know what I mean. To see or hear what we want to. We hang it on the door and never hear opportunity knocking. I’m always ready for both. I may have my sign on the door, but I always got my heart open... Trace

Dreaming...

I must be dreaming! I’m looking at my car and getting in it to go out. Yep! I drove and made it out to a party and to church and to sing. For the 1st time by myself in a long time. I didn’t go far. Just a stone’s throw away! A few miles. Yes, it was tough. But, still, it is a major milestone for me. Or, miles-stone! PIMP LOL. I usually depend on family, etc. They were both too sick. I still am, but better and I felt THAT urging to go and found myself doing just that. And, when that happens? That urging? I gotta obey! For my milestones? I depend on the Rock. To rock… Hope your night does. Remember! Any milestone rocks. Every milestone in my life, no matter how insignificant is significantly marked with thankfulness. Every mile marker on life's highway should be. Trace

The Doggy Shakes? Get Rid Of That Excess Water-ever!”

“The Doggy Shakes? Get Rid Of That Excess Water-ever!” What? Well, when my girl was li’l, and she would get the shivers and would ask: “Mama? What is that?” I would say: “Sweat Pea, I call those the doggy shakes. And, we can do that after swimming and bathing, too!” I explained to her that even dogs know to shake it off! If they know to shake off the shivers and the excess water and excess “whatever is stuck to them”, shouldn’t we? Yep! You can learn a lot from dogs. So, speaking of dogs, we all feel like and look like dogs. Well, not the pretty ones. The dirty, matted up, drooling, shaggy mixed breeds. And, everyone knows how much you love those the most, right? We all have big hearts for them. So, there is sickness in the house again. All of us! But, no complaints. Gonna get the day shakin’ with a shower and the doggy shakes. Gonna shake off the excess water and the excess “whatever”. I call it the excess “water-ever”! PIMP LOL. Waterever you’re fighting? Paws for prayer and then shake it off. PIMP LOL. Hope our tails are waggin’ again soon. And, yours. What? We all sound like we’re barkin’! Why shouldn’t our tails be waggin’! Remember, people sometimes feel or act like those shaggy, drooling, barkin' dogs and need some love, too. Sometimes, even a bath. PIMP LOL. Love these shots and my fave is the one in the front right. Sometimes, you just gotta growl when you shake! Ciz, life can get ruff! Okay, okay! Shake it off. I’m done barkin’! Go, love you some people and some dogs, and some pets. Cuz, sometimes, dogs are like people to us and people like dogs. And, we forget that even though people can be dogs? They should so be loved. For God loves them, too. After all? If He can love me… Trace

Nature...

I walked outside to get some fresh air and see some gorgeous nature. And, though, nature is not my God, God should so be my nature. 

Just had to post one last photodrama before I get to work. Work? That’s my nature, too. Only today I need a push. PIMP LOL. Here’s your push! P U S H! Strength? That's my nature, too. But, I don't make strength my God. God is my strength. Love you guys. It's my nature. Thanks for loving me, naturally.    Trace

Marching into March…

Marching into March… Of course, it’s to the beat of a different drummer. We all be marching into March, but each one of us have our own cymbal of hope to remind us that the beat goes on. Stick with it. Keep marching. Keep beating… A li’l dancing won’t hurt, either. My cymbal of hope? God. Yes, I am strong, but strength is not my God. God is my strength! Come march and dance with me to this song. To gain strength: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54vjGWVLCgE   Trace

BURNIN'' UP THE KEYS! JUST A FURD-UP FRERD!

"BURNIN'' UP THE KEYS! JUST A FURD-UP FRERD!" What? Well, my girl was telling me she has STEAM on her laptop. I said, “Man, that’s nothin’! I have blazing fire on mine. My fingers are burnin’ up the keys, as you can see in the photograph. PIMP LOL. Have a fun day. Don’t get steamed up! Get fired up! Me? I’ve got non-computer work to do and besides I need to give my legs a rest. They get very swelled at the computer when I get fired up and furiously work on songs and videos and stories. I need to find me a good computer chair. So for today? Desktop? Off. Mountaintop? You are so on! Every once in awhile you just gotta climb down off the desktop and climb that mountain called: Real Life Range! Hope Hills. Yes, they have ups and downs. But, with a short stay at Front Porch Rest Home first, I’ll be ready for the ups and downs of reaching that top of the mountain goal today. You can bet that in real life there will be a range of ups and downs! WHAT!?! Do you mean there is something I have to accomplish WITHOUT the internet? Um…yep! Mercy me! Can I do it? Yep! But, I’ll be back to surf the Internet Ocean again soon. Today, I must get my closet back in order as it all fell down. Then, vacuum, cook and practice some music. Gotta get my pipes fired up and working properly. Been hearing strange sounds coming from them at night. What? I’m like an old house with character. Well, I’m an old character, anyways. I sure hope to burn it up on the old mic. And, yes, I know what STEAM really is. A hub for video games and other stuff. I AM a computer and video game frerd, after all. Freak + nerd. Yep! I'm just a fired up old character/frerd. If you speak country like me, you could say fired like furd and say I was a furd up frerd. DUH LOL! Have a wonderful day. Climb that mountain with fire in your soul. Waving and fired up, from the bottom of the mountain, Hope Hills, the start of today’s ups and downs… with a wide range of motion, Trace