WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?

Tonight I saw the movie "Valentine's Day."  Well, I don't know if any of you have seen it or not, but in my opinion it wasn't anything special.  The best part about it was the ending -- not just that it was over, but it was a sweet ending.  What I couldn't stop thinking about the entire time I watched it though was "This is rated PG???"  Isn't PG supposed to be 13 or 14 and over?  I certainly wouldn't want my thirteen year old grandson watching it.  Believe me, I am not a prude, but REALLY.  Some of the subject matter should not have been PG rated.  If any of you have seen it, let me know your opinion. 

I LOVE/HATE FACEBOOK

As some of you are aware, I have been the victim on Facebook of a hacker.  It is called a money transfer phishing scam.  Yesterday morning I got a call from a friend to let me know that she had received an instant message on Facebook purporting to be me mugged and stranded in England and asking for financial assistance.  Quite a few of my FB friends received the same message from the hacker pretending to be me.   I hope they all realized that #1, I was not in England and #2, I certainly wouldn't be asking them to wire money to me.  Some of the FB friends are actually blogger friends, whom I have never actually met.

I immediately changed my password, but within a few hours Facebook closed down my account (as if it were MY fault) and are totally unresponsive about reinstating it.  If you will notice, Facebook does not post any contact number or e-mail if you need to get in touch with them.  I finally filled in a form which was directed to someone -- all I received was a standard canned reply.  I did a google search and learned that this is what Facebook does.  They deactivate accounts and then are unresponsive about reinstating them.

According to a recent  article on CNN's online report, "Seventy percent more companies reported spam and malicious infections arrived via social networks in 2009 vs. 2008.  By the end of last year, 72% of companies expressed concern that their employees' use of poular social sites could result in a security breach.  And 60% of companies now consider Facebook to be the riskiest social network out there."  In addition, Facebook has new privacy settings that are opening members' information up to more cybercriminals.

I did not have a lot of "friends" on Facebook, I did not play the games, I was cautious.  And still I was victimized.

While waiting for Facebook to allow me access to my account, I opened another account.  However, as I sat and pondered the enormity of it, I stopped.  Do I really want to do this again?  I miss my Facebook.  I miss the running commentary of messages between old classmates reunited through FB.  I miss my pictures. I miss knowing what people are doing.  But I am just plain ANGRY at Facebook for being unresponsive and unhelpful.  So for now, I am giving up on it.

One interesting note is that I had been receiving anonymous messages here on my blog which led me to moderate my comments and require registration to leave a comment.  My blog address is mentioned on my Facebook.  Is there a connection?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!   I woke up to a sweet Valentine, a funny, little stuffed bear and chocolates!  How sweet of hubby!  Twenty-two years ago he gave me an engraved gold locket.  I think that might have been the last jewelry he ever gave me, but I still love it.  I will make him his favorite Tollhouse (chocolate chip) cookies and a nice dinner.

As you can see, I have changed my blog layout a little.  I was up last night (this morning) until two a.m. fiddling with it.  I got tired of that same old violet, but I may go back to it eventually.  Right now it is still a work in progress.  I wanted a different photo, something more personal, but that is all that I could find in my photos. 

I hope you all have a SWEET day.

NOTE:  I JUST FOUND THIS IN MY "DRAFTS".  I THOUGHT I HAD POSTED IT ON SUNDAY.   HOPE YOUR DAY WAS NICE!

BEACH BLIZZARD 2010

A *Facebook* friend of mine posted these pictures she took at the beach right after the blizzard.  She doesn't read my blog, but just in case, thank you Adriane for sharing these.  They say it all.

 

 

I am off to the local estate auction.  Not in my budget to get anything today, but it is always fun to eat hot dogs and watch the show.

MORE SNOW??

Two blizzards in five days.  You know what they say -- be careful what you wish for.  I have always complained (since I moved to southern Delaware from Pennsylvania) that we never get any snow.

The snow over the weekend gave us about 18 inches I think.  And this one I think is about 8 inches, maybe 10.   And other areas in Maryland and Wash. DC and Virginia were hit even harder.  I think Pennsylvania also is getting really dumped on.

It has been drifting a lot and it is totally drifted over my front steps about a foot or more and I shoveled them at six o'clock -- it is now after eleven p.m. 

I have not been out since Friday except to walk Beau.  My husband drove me to the grocery store in his truck yesterday.  A lot of people are snowed in -- my friends who are on Facebook are keeping in touch with the status in different areas.  Some people still hadn't regained electricity since the last storm.  I filled the bathtub with water in case it would be needed to flush toilets (we have a well with a pump which is electric, of course.)  We have plenty of candles, two oil lamps and a few flashlights.  We have two gas fireplaces.  And plenty of food.  So we are set if the worst happens.  The snow has finally let up, though.  I think I have gained five pounds in the last few days.  Cook and eat, cook and eat, it's all I have been doing.  Sometimes not even the cooking, just eating constantly.  Apparently, I am not alone.  I guess that is what we do when we are snowed in. - Celebrate snow days with comfort food.

 If you are in this blizzard, stay warm and safe, everyone.

THE GREAT BLIZZARD OF 2010

The snow finally stopped last night.  Our cable is back on.  I am so glad we never lost our electricity like so many thousands did in Sussex County.   The sun was out today, and miracle of miracles, a snow plow actually was plowing the streets in our community.  That is the first time I have ever seen that happen.

Our driveway is still full of snow.  My husband can barrel through it in his truck, but my little Toyota is snug and safe in the garage.  Neither of us intend to shovel the driveway and risk having a heart attack.  Maybe I am a "wuss", but better safe than sorry.  I did shovel the front steps and a little of the walkway.  We don't have sidewalks here so that is not an issue.  I do wonder about the teenagers that used to appear years ago with their snow shovels to earn some extra money.  Guess they are all sitting in front of the television or computer nowadays.

Here are some pictures of the Great Blizzard of 2010.

LOOKING FOR A LOST BLOGGER

If any of you can help me find someone, I would appreciate it.  There used to be a blog I followed and she didn't write anything for a very long time so I took her name off my list.  Then, apparently she closed her blog, but started another one.  I lost the name of the new one.

Her name was Kris, she lived on a lake in Minnesota, she had a poodle, and she loved to garden.  Her blog was primarily devoted to her gardens.

Does anyone know of this person?  I would love to follow her blog again, but can't find it.

Update:  Just found her blog:   http://gardensbythelake.blogspot.com  but see she hasn't posted since last August. 

I have often thought of stopping my blog, but even though I don't have a lot of readers, it is fun to keep up with people and I miss the ones who don't blog anymore.  Don't you agree?