Owner: Here's to Happy Women... URL:http://herestohappywomen.blogspot.com Join Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2007 21:13:04 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Teri Gray Franta is a freelance writer working from (stuck) behind what she affectionately calls "the Orange Curtain." Her thoughtful, funny and at times sarcastic essays are drawn from her observations of life in the O.C. They are written for the despera Site statistics:Click here
There’s no taste like home 2007-04-06 21:39:00
Recently, I inadvertently sent my son contraband. The custom officials confiscated the forbidden goods, but I’m certain they didn’t just toss it away, unless it was while tossing a nice green salad—a nice big and expensive salad. I was trying to give our youngest a little taste
of home—home, home on the ranch. He’s in Australia for a semester and won’t be back until the end of July. Needless to say, he’s having the time of his life, but once in awhile he gets a twinge of homesickness. Not so much for us folks back home, but for the flavor of home. When I spoke with him a few weeks back, he said he was missing Mexican food—more specifically, salsa and tortillas. Then he said he was missing his favorite salad dressing—Ranch dressing. As his birthday was coming up (and Easter), I decided to send him a care package...knowing it would be expensive. I justified the cost by telling myself that at least he would eat a few greens with his Fosters. So off my husband
Born to whine... 2007-04-20 22:18:00
I’ve come to the realization that some people are born complainers. Not born to be wild, but born to whine. They complain and whine about everything. If they have to work an extra few hours, they complain. If they have to work on a weekend occasionally, they complain. If they don’t have enough work to keep busy, they complain. If it’s not sunny enough outside, they complain. If it’s gloriously sunny, it’s “too” sunny. If it hasn’t rained in a while, they complain. If it rains a lot after a long dry spell, then it’s raining “too” much. Everything is an inconvenience—or injustice—that they take to heart, as if meant specifically for them. What amazes me about complainers is they complain about things beyond their control—or anyone’s control for that matter. The things they complain about which are in their control, they do little about—except, of course, complain. These are the folks that are lucky enough to go on a nice vacation and then co
The word...according to Teri 2007-04-30 22:29:00
Words have always been my friend. Communication has always fascinated me. I’m not sure when my love affair with linguistics and etymology began, but I suspect I was predisposed in the womb. Genetics. Both of my parents were voracious readers—even though their choice of reading materials differed significantly. They both also enjoyed a love of music. Again, the differences were notable. As a result, I grew up reading everything and exposed to all types of music—and music is a form of communication. Christmas always meant many books and records under the tree. It comes as no surprise then that English was always my favorite subject in school. My junior year in high school exposed my to a quirky little English teacher who was notorious for rarely giving an A. My friends dreaded this class each day. Not me. I loved his weekly tests. He chose 25 words that none of us had ever heard of before. We had to research the etymology and then each week we were tested on these words, thei
Different strokes 2007-05-08 19:04:00
There’s a good reason the saying, “Different strokes for different folks” has been around for a long time. It’s true—especially when it comes to affairs of the heart. The dynamics between men and women have been analyzed since the beginning of time—and yet they continue to mystify. What works for one couple apparently doesn’t work for all couples. Sure, there are similarities, but some couples relate and communicate in what I can only describe as a foreign language—complete with foreign customs. Foreign to me, that is. That’s fine, because what works for someone else doesn’t have to work for me. It’s not my business, not my life. So it goes that I have my own pat answer at the ready whenever someone says, “I would never put up with that, would you?” I respond consistently with “It works for them.” Now, whether or not it actually works for them, I’ve no clue. Every couple has different boundaries, different rules, and different sensitivities.
Et tu? 2007-06-21 18:40:00 I’ve recently decided that life is too short to have a grocery basket that won’t turn to the right—regardless if I am picking up groceries for the week or it’s just a quick stop for milk and eggs. Sure, I used to suffer through with the status quo, but not anymore. Just the other day, I signaled to the store manger and asked that he help me transfer my food to another cart—one that wasn’t a constant source of irritation and a danger as I couldn’t get out of the way of the mother who was quickly bearing down on me with three children in tow and enough groceries to feed an army. This was an epiphany moment for me. It was one in which I consciously gave way to my subconscious—that little voice that’s been whispering “quality versus quantity chica” for the past three years. When I was working 95 plus hours a week all I could think of was a safe and secure retirement—knowing that with the California lifestyle I would most probably work in some way or another for t
Please don’t crush the nuts! 2007-08-16 10:28:00
I think that whoever invented the bra should be punished…or at least forced to wear a bra for 18 hours. Since I’m sure that the actual person who invented the bra has already left this world, my point may be moot, but I trust you get my drift. As for the true inventor of the bra, there has long been a debate, fueled by rumor, myth and the wonderful songstress, Bette Midler. Was it Mr. Titslinger or Mr. Brassiere who came up with the idea that we needed to manhandle our bosoms into these contraptions? I’m guessing it was Mr. Brassiere, thus the wonderfully descriptive name of the “bra.” If it was the industrious Mr. Brassiere who invented the brassiere, I give him one nod of appreciation—going “bra”-less sounds much better than going “tit”-less. Regardless of the name, I’m betting the inventor of the bra was a man. I am as sure of this as I am that the inventor of the seatbelt was also a man—and possibly related to Mr. Titslinger or Mr. Brassiere. I refer Read more:Please
, crush
Last one in... 2007-08-21 12:14:00
‘Tis the season for laughter, yelps and squeals. ‘Tis the season for echoes of “Marco Polo” and belly dives into the community pool by the neighborhood children. ‘Tis the season for remembering when we were young, and our children were young…and others who were not so young (and those without children) weren’t tolerant of the laughter and yelps and squeals that echoed off the chlorine-saturated water…resonating with gleeful abandon the uninhibited joy that only those so young can experience on a hot August afternoon.
It’s all about tolerance and understanding. There wasn’t much of either at my community pool the other day. Youngsters playing in the pool inadvertently splashed my friend and me. I laughed at their antics, my friend…not so much. She got up in a huff, threw a few dirty glances and left. It seems that she didn’t want to get wet. Yet she was sitting and reading poolside. How does the saying go? If you don’t want to get burned, stay away from the
Whom's not on first... 2007-09-07 10:26:00 I believe that English is one of the most difficult languages to learn for non-natives. It’s not because of the conjugation of the verbs. After all, Spanish has the subjunctive conjugation, such as, “If I were a rich woman.” It’s not the exceptions to the rules either, as in, “‘I’ before ‘e,’ except after ‘c’…and a host of other heinous examples that we don’t learn about in grammar school. And it’s not because of the different regional accents and nonstandard colloquialisms that are sprinkled in local dialects, state to state, and country to country. Do y’all get my drift? I ain’t aiming to confuse. Why then, do I believe that we have a difficult language to learn? To begin with, to err is human, but to receive riches as an heir to a fortune is as divine as breathing clean, clear air on a sunny afternoon. Get it? Err, heir and air? And an “e” before “i” without a “c” in sight—or do I mean site? Whew…that was close. Should I clos
Friends don't let friends... 2008-03-08 08:51:00
Why do we do things that are bad for us...knowingly? It seems like only yesterday that my mother was covering my face with zinc oxide, telling me to stay out of the sun — that it was bad for my fair Irish skin. Did I follow her advice? Not always. My father smoked and suffered with emphysema. I witnessed the health risks firsthand — yet I took up smoking in my late twenties, and struggle with quitting every few years. I am a mature, intelligent woman. Yet I still go out in the sun unprotected and occasionally smoke.
But that’s me. I’m not looking for any lectures on the perils of smoking — I know all of them. In fact, I knew then what I know now. Will I quit again soon? Yes. Will it last? I don’t know. I’m also fully aware of the effects of sun damage. Would have, could h
Oh no! I'm Invited! 2008-02-26 12:53:00
Why is it that the invitations we don’t get can be as agonizing as the ones we do receive? We’ve all experienced the pain of not getting an invitation. Like the Christmas party that all of your friends were invited to, but not you. How about the time when several of your friends got together for a movie—without calling you? This always hurts, so we put on a good show and say that we were busy and wouldn’t have been able to go anyway—even if we weren’t and we could have. Sometimes not being invited is due to miscommunication. Someone was supposed to call, but forgot. Perhaps the invitation was truly lost in the mail. Other times, you just weren’t invited. As hurtful as this is, there are times that I wish certain invitations had been lost in the mail, or someone had forgotten
That's not my suitcase! 2008-02-17 10:05:00
Why is it that we have some friends who make us feel good about ourselves, and then we have other friends who always tend to bring us down? And just like a marriage, for better or for worse, we hang in there with the downers for as long as possible. Faithful until the end. These days, many friendships outlast marriages. This makes me wonder...do I make my friends feel good about themselves? Or am I a downer friend? After all, I’m opinionated, pragmatic, and if you ask me a question, I generally tell the truth…as I believe it to be. On the plus side, this means that I will always tell my friends when their mascara is smeared or if they have a poppy seed or a piece of spinach in their teeth. But honesty is not always popular, and sometimes difficult to maintain—especially when a frie Read more:suitcase
No fondue for you! 2008-02-08 10:53:00
Why is it that perfectly happy couples easily fall prey to the most lethal "Hallmark" holiday of all — Saint Valentine's Day? It's like quicksand. Once you fall into the pit, you can't get out. Fights, arguments and hurt feelings, which can all lead to the playing of the hazardous "no sex" card, are more commonplace than you may think on the supposedly most romantic day of the year. Once this card is played, it's easier to use it again — and again. Once sex is held hostage, it's all downhill from there. Just ask your mother. Trust me on this...she'll know.
Now you may think that single people have dibs on the heartache and hurt that Valentine's Day can cause. They don't, but they do have a good case. After all, if you're not one half of a couple then it's right there on your calendar
Love thy neighbor... 2008-03-26 09:27:00
What should we do when someone wears out their welcome? A friend of mine is currently struggling with a space invader. He has a friend who loves to stop by unannounced. This used to be okay, but lately it’s become a daily habit. My friend is threatening to develop a nasty habit himself — rudeness. He’s dropped subtle hints, then not-so-subtle hints. Neither has worked. It’s not like he can hide from this friend — he lives right next door.
I told him to be direct — just tell him that you need some time to yourself. This provoked an interesting reaction. I guess some guys have a hard time telling other guys to go away. Next, I suggested that he put a “closed” sign on his door when he doesn’t feel like having company. He thought about this for a moment, but then decided hi
Only the good... 2008-05-19 11:28:00
Today I am reminded of a Billy Joel song: "Only the Good Die Young." I know it's not rational to take this song verbatim, as many bad people die young. But having just heard that a dear friend passed away in his prime, the song haunts me.
If it weren't for this person I wouldn't know the difference between a one-way sprag clutch and a shaft drive. I wouldn't have the life I have now because thi
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