"Anyway, We're Married Now"

 

“Yeah, Emma mentioned it. You’re here stag?”

“Yeah.” Del smiled slowly. “You never know, do you? Check out the blonde in the blue dress. Those are some nice pins she’s got.”

“Yeah. I always thought Laurel had great legs.”

Del choked on his beer. “That’s not … Oh,” he managed when she turned, laughed, and he got a better look. “Not used to seeing her in a dress, I guess.”

Bed of Roses

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Rachel Samanyi from Seattle.WA, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

People Are Sharing The Exact Moment Their Friend Accidentally Turned Them On, And What Happened Next

BuzzFeed via YAHOO!

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Earlier Jack and I were standing around, and I was scoping the crowd, the way you do.”

“The way you do.”

“Okay. I spot this blue dress with a great pair of legs and …” He made a vague gesture that gave her a clear picture of the and. “I thought, nice, very nice indeed, and made some mention of same to Jack. He pointed out that the legs and the rest I happened to be scoping were yours. It gave me a hell of a jolt, I admit.” He gauged her reaction, judged surprise led the way. “In the interest of full disclosure, I also admit it wasn’t the first time. So whether or not it was the right thing to say, it was accurate.”

Savor the Moment

🦅 Happy Birthday Griffin 🦁

"Happy birthday, baby."

Blue Dahlia

_________________________

FALL INTO THE STORY of GRIFFIN ENTRANCE

🦁

Wild One First Birthday Party Theme

The Best Ideas for KIDS

🦅

Eagle mini cheese balls

Hallmark

_________________________

"A griffin."

"Good eye."

"Symbol of strength—and vigilance."

She turned her head, cocked it so that she could see his face. 

"You know the

oddest things, Jack. But yeah, that's why I chose it."

Captive Star

What happens to your body when you cry?

“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“I cry easily. You should see me after a greeting-card commercial on TV.”

All I want for Christmas

______________________

By Rob from Sydney, Australia - Tears, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10289118

Whether triggered by sad movies or happy reunions, 

stubbed toes or allergies, 

crying seems to serve many purposes.

MNN

______________________

He brushed the hair back from her face. "You've got a right to break

down. I don't know anyone else who'd have made it this far without a blowout.

But don't cry anymore, M.J. It rips me up."

"I hate to cry." She sniffled, knuckled tears away.

"I'm glad to hear it."

Captive Star

Kitchen Sink Soup

“It can’t be more or less. It’s not like cooking up a kitchen-sink soup.”

Blood Magick

_________________

 At home I often make a variation called Kitchen Sink Soup, where everything but the kitchen sink goes into the pot to simmer away. What doesn’t seem like much to begin with can add up to something quite satisfying.

Healthy Families BC

_________________

On impulse, she got out a pot. Then minced, chopped, poured, tossed in cubes of herbs

she’d frozen the summer before. With a kettle of soup simmering, she went back up to

finish her orders.

An hour later, she came down to stir, then glanced toward the window as she heard a

car. Surprised, pleased, she hurried to the door to greet Jack.

“Well, hi.”

“I had a meeting, and managed to wrap it up early. I left my jacket here again, so I

thought I’d swing by on my way … You’re cooking?”

“I took a walk, and it started cooling off, which put me in the mood for kitchen sink

soup. There’s plenty, if you’re interested.”

Bed of Roses

Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

“I’m not as tidy as you.”
“Tidy’s such a fussy word, don’t you think?” He gave her an easy smile. 
“The sort that makes you think of your great-aunt Margaret and her tea cozies.”
“I don’t have a great-aunt Margaret.”
“If you did, she’d probably be a tidy sort with a tea cozy. I prefer the word organized.”


Vision in White

_____________________

You might recognize her name from her highly-popular book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. See how she will help clients “spark joy” as they declutter and organize their homes.

Better Homes & Gardens

_____________________

“Confused by closet organizers, I figured why not consult an architect?”
“You want an architect—a man—Jack—to organize your closet?”
“No, to give me a vision of what to use to organize it.”
Emma gave Mac a dubious look. “You’ve now entered Parker territory.”
“Maybe, but have you seen her closet? It’s like a layout in a magazine. It’s like 
what the Queen of England probably has. Without all the odd hats. 
Jack! Just the man I wanted to see.”
He stood in the doorway, tall, clad in jeans, work shirt, and boots—and very male. 
“I don’t want to come in there. You’re not supposed to touch anything at a crime scene.”
“The only crime here is that.” She pointed at her closet. 
“An empty closet with one stupid bar and shelf. You have to help me.”
“I told you we needed to design the closet when we altered the space.”
“I was in a hurry back then. Now I’m not. I know I need at least two bars, right—a lower one. 
And more shelves. Maybe some drawers.”
He glanced around. “You’re going to need a bigger boat.”
“I’m purging. Don’t start with me.”
He walked in, hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “Roomy.”
“Yes, which is part of the problem. All that room, I’ve felt obliged to fill it. 
You can make it better.”
“Sure I can make it better. A kit from Home Depot would make it better.”
“I’ve looked at them. I want something more . . . More.”


Vision in White

"Call me late to dinner. Just leave my name alone."

He nodded in agreement. "Do I call you Kathleen?"

"I certainly hope not." She grinned. "No one else does."

It took him a moment to understand. "Kasey, then."

Tonight and Always

_________________

By Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - 
Write Your Name, Ethiopia, 
CC BY-SA 2.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29766870

As far as the “you can call me anything you want,” portion of that joke, I can definitely relate. My name — which seems pretty straightforward to me — is apparently a booger to remember, pronounce or get right half the time. You might never call me late to dinner, but one of every 20 people are going to call me “John.”

Clarion Ledger

_________________

"It stands for Magdalen Juliette."

A cough of laughter escaped him. It was the last thing he'd expected. "You're kidding."

"It stands for Magdalen Juliette," she repeated between clenched teeth. 
"And the only people who know that are my family, Bailey and Grace. 
In other words, only people I love and trust, which now includes you."

"Magdalen Juliette," he repeated, rolling it around on his tongue. 
"Quite a handle, sugar."

"It's M.J. Legally M.J., because that's what I wanted. 
And if you ever call me any form of Magdalen Juliette other than M.J.,
 I will personally and with great pleasure skin you alive."

Captive Star

4th Of July Party Ideas

"Hey, it's the Fourth of July. Ball games, beer, parades and fireworks. Some

things are sacred."

Captive Star

____________________

By Tom Walsh - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16252969

You can't skip on America's birthday. And if you're going to it up, you might as well go all out with a star-spangled Independence Day Celebration.

House Beautiful

31 Star-Spangled 4th of July Party Decorations

4th Of July Cocktails You Need To Cheers To America

____________________

When the last boom echoed, she went down to make a fresh batch of drinks. It pleased

her, a great deal, to know her guests had a good holiday experience, and were even now

talking about the show, the feel, the local color.

It pleased her, too, to realize Lizzy wanted her companionship.

She fixed more chips and salsa, plated the pretty mini cupcakes topped with American

flags she’d gotten from the bakery. She left some on the counter for those who came

down, trayed the rest to carry up for those who wanted more time out in the summer night.

The Perfect Hope

Beers of Summer

He moved to the bar, elbowed in and ordered a Bitter Root beer—in a bottle. 

Dobie squeezed beside him, punched him in the arm. “Why do you wanna drink that foreign shit?”

  “Brewed in Montana.” He passed the bottle to Dobie, ordered another.

  “Pretty good beer,” Dobie decided after a pull. “But it ain’t no Budweiser.”

  “You’re not wrong.” Amused, Gull tapped his bottle to Dobie’s, drank. 

“Beer. The answer to so many questions.”

Chasing Fire

_____________________

By Benreis - Own work, CC BY 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22785086

500 beers for those hot summer days ahead.

Popular Mechanics

_____________________

He'd have killed for a beer. A big, frosty mug filled with some dark import that

would go down smoother than a woman's first kiss. A beer in some nice, dim, cool

bar, with a ball game on the tube and a few other stool-sitters who had an

interest in the game gathered around. 

Captive Star

Ryan Reynolds posts hilarious tweets

The e-mail from his father made him grin.

The aliens, having performed hideous medical experiments -of an embarrassingly

sexual nature - on us, have returned your mother and me to Earth. You can hear all

about it on Larry King. Now that I have your attention, maybe you could spare five

minutes to get in touch. Your mother sends her love. I don’t: I like your sister better. Always

did. Guess who.

With a laugh, Jack sat down at the keyboard. "Okay, okay."

Sorry to hear about the alien experience. Typically, they insert tracking devices in their

abductees. You may want to chew on tinfoil while having any personal conversations,

as this is known to jam their frequencies. Just FYI. Recently back in NY. Am keeping

gorgeous Irish redhead prisoner in my apartment. Possibility of exotic sexual favors

from same may keep me busy for the next couple weeks. Love back to Mom. None to

you. I’m not even sure you are my father. You guess who.

Knowing his father would crack himself up reading the post, Jack hit send. 

Three Fates

________________________

Father’s Day gave Ryan Reynolds an opportunity to continue what has been a recurring theme since welcoming the first of his two children with wife Blake Lively in 2014.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the American actor, 41, shared another wise-cracking post about parenthood with his 11.3 million followers.

DAILYMAIL

What Car Mechanics Really Think of You

“When’s the last time you had this serviced?”

“I don’t know. Some time.”

He glanced back at her, a dry look out of smoky gray eyes. “Some time looks to have been the other side of never. Your battery cables are corroded.” 

Bed of Roses

_____________________

Public Domain, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2740201

"People will come in here bent all out of shape, angry at the car instead of themselves. They won’t be honest about what happened."

POPULAR MECHANICS

_____________________

“You think all it takes is a key and a driver’s license?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your battery cables were covered with corrosion, your oil was sludge. Your tires were low and your brake pads damn near shot. I bet you slather yourself with some fancy cream every day of your life.”

“Excuse me?”

“But you can’t bother to get your car serviced. Lady, this car was a disgrace. You probably spent more on those shoes than you have on maintaining it.” 

Bed of Roses

To fall asleep

She fell asleep like a stone dropped in a pond. Up and moving one minute,

submerged the next. He was a drifter, with the movie reel of the day’s events 

and the previews of the next running through his mind 

as his body settled down. 

Bed of Roses

__________________

Evelyn De Morgan [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

How do you fall asleep? It might happen to us every night 

- and maybe sometimes more often - 

but it's still a deeply mysterious process.

BBC

People Who Hate Working Out Are More Intelligent

"I guess the bastard elliptical is doing its job. How do you keep in shape?"

"I use the gym three or four times a week, play basketball, that sort of thing."

She sent him a slitted-eye, accusatory stare. "I bet you like it. The gym."

"Yeah, I do."

"So does Parker. I think you're both sick."

"Keeping in shape is sick?"

"No, liking what goes into keeping in shape is sick. I get doing it, but it should be considered a chore, a duty, a necessary evil."

Bed of Roses 

______________

By Gesundheitshuette - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16548001

Those with a steadfast commitment to the couch potato lifestyle may be onto something after all. According to a new study published in the Sage Journal of Health Psychology, people who will find any excuse to skip the gym have higher levels of a trait called “need for cognition,” or a “tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive endeavors,” according to the researchers. In other words, those who lack any sort of athletic ability may make up for it in intelligence and a general love for deep thinking.

MY DOMAINE

______________

They'd passed mile three with Del taking the lead when Mac dragged herself in.

“There it is.” She bared her teeth at the Bowflex. “The enemy.” 

She scowled at Parker, who finished up her session with basic yoga poses to stretch out. 

“You're already finished, aren't you? I can tell by that smug look on your face.”

Savor the Moment

Just Give Me A Reason

"I think, to get the light back, you have to give her a reason. What you say is
one part, but what you do, that's the big one. I think."


Bed of Roses

__________

Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars

Best Relationships Start as Friendships

"I don't know. I need to think. It's complicated. He's a friend. Our friend. And he's Del's best friend. Del's your brother," she said to Parker, "and the next thing to a brother to the rest of us. And we're all friends, and business partners. Del's our lawyer, and Jack helps out when we need him. Plus he's designing the remodeling. We have all these connections, and they're all tangled up."

"And nothing tangles up the tangles like sex," Mac put in.

"Exactly. What if we end up having this thing, then the thing goes south. Then we're awkward with each other, and that makes the rest of us awkward with the rest of us. We have a kind of balance, don't we? Sex isn't worth upsetting the balance."

"You wouldn't be doing it right then," Mrs. Grady commented, and shook her head. "Youth thinks

too damn much. I'm going to start the wash."

Emma sulked over her pancakes. "She thinks I'm being an idiot, but I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Then set the ground rules going in. What you each expect from each other, and how you'll handle any complications."

"What kind of ground rules?"

Parker shrugged. "That's for you to decide, Em."

Bed of Roses

__________________

By Nina from Australia (Friendship) [CC BY 2.0 

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The big fear about falling in love with a friend is that if the relationship goes bad, you're down both a boyfriend and a friend who might have comforted you through the breakup. It's a big risk, but when it goes right, it pays off big time. Falling in love with a best friend can be the best thing in the world. We all know the best boyfriends are the ones that feel like best friends you get to kiss, anyway.

YAHOO!

__________________

Resigned, Emma let out a sigh and decided she wouldn't wait for Jack to have a glass of wine. The trouble with friends, she thought as she went to the kitchen, was they knew you too well. Sex date, foreplay music, sexing underwear. No secrets among…
She stopped with the bottle in hand. Jack was a friend. Jack knew her very well. Wouldn't he…?
What if he…? "Oh, shit!"
She poured a very large glass of wine. Before she could take the first sip, she heard the knock on her door.
"Too late," she murmured. "Too late to change a thing. Time to see what happens, and deal with it."
She set the wine down, went to the door.
He'd changed, too, she noted. Khakis instead of jeans, a crisp shirt instead of a chambray. He carried a large take-out bag from her favorite Chinese restaurant, and a bottle of her preferred cabernet.
Sweet, Emma thought. And certainly another advantage of being friends.


Bed of Roses