I was watching a show the other night and for some reason got particularly interested in the names of the people they were talking about.

These days it seems we have a veritable army of Ashleys, Brittanys,  Joshuas  and Brians in the world. Know what we're running out of?

Joyces. And Thelmas, Bernieces and Marilyns. Male names are fading away too. How many Edwards do you see who aren't members of the AARP? How about Elmore, or Fred?

And I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg. How many other names are there that should apply for endangered species protection?

So, I'm beginning to fantasize over the upcoming holiday weekend and the thrill of the barbeque, while lounging in the pool.

What among the summer barbeque fare do you most look forward to?

I'm ready for some seriously ripe cherries, steaks cooked over an open fire, homemade ice cream and mojitos...not necessarily all at the same time :o)

Anyone else have something good to look forward to? Even better, how about a recipe? I'll spill my secret cowboy beans recipe if someone else spills theirs...

Now that we're at the end of another TV season, I started thinking about the TV shows I used to love watching. Some of my all-times favorites were Fraiser, Just Shoot Me, Homicide, Wings (boy I guess NBC has really fallen off my map) and Everwood.

Going back even further, there was Hill Street Blues, Roseanne, Newhart and WKRP in Cincinnati (funniest Thankgiving episode ever).

How about you? What shows were the ones that you scheduled your evening around?

Took a little digging, but I found a little puppy cuteness to share!

Enjoy

>^..^<

What fad, fashion or otherwise, would you most like to see come back?

For me, I'd love to see some good, original tie-dye again.

And maybe some dance music without a bass thump that shakes the dishes out of their cupboards.

Oh, let's get away from "pocket" dogs and back to real, dog-sized dogs.

Anyone else have something?

Both the message and the production of this piece are pretty amazing.

Enjoy.

I figure there are two types of people out there --- ones who collect things and ones who can't for the life of them cannot understand why people collect things :o)

I have a couple of collection weaknesses. The first, for sheer quantity, is my cat figurine collection. I didn't really set out to have a collection, but more and more people started buying me different figurines as gifts for birthdays and holidays, that I think there are now over 150 pieces or so. Most of them are displayed inside a chine cabinet, and I have to admit, I love them. There are crystal cats, wooden cats, and every other material I think a cat can be made of (except for actual cats, of course). I'm a complete sucker for a cat statue.

My second collection is smaller, but only because I've been doing it for a short time. I started collecting vintage dog licenses a couple of years ago. My favorite pieces are a Bulgarian one that dates back to the Ottoman Empire, and an African one dated 1898. For me, there's just something fascinating about the idea of pets and their people living together a century or so ago.

How about you? Any odd collections in your closet?

Wow...doesn't anyone have anything nice to say these days? So much of what is on the blogs lately is so contentious. Makes a kitty want to stick her head in a bag of catnip!

How about if we all take a few minutes to share:

• a good movie you recently saw
• your favorite song on the radio
• a good book you just read
• someone doing something nice for you
• someone you admire

C'mon people, you can do it!

I read a study that was recently published that said people have fewer trusted friends then ever before.

In fact, the number of people who say they have no trusted frineds is at nearly 25%.

The rest of the people surveyed averaged barely two trusted frineds, and fully 9% of the people surveyed said they completely rely on their spouse.

So, how about it, folks? Do you have friends?

I'm talking about the kind of friends you can call at 2:30 a.m. on a workday and they'll answer the phone.

The ones who's house you can show up at 10:30 p.m., needing a place to crash, and they'll let you stay there without prying when you say you don't want to talk about it.

Here's the link for the article.