Holy Smokes Batman, ewe were fleeced!!

I had to blog this, heard it on the radio this morning and thought there was no way this could be a true story...but here it is:

Wool pulled over Japanese eyes in Poodle scam- April 26, 2007, World Brisbane Times
go *here* to read the story. The Sun has a picture of one of the "poodles" *here* (be careful, some of the ads might not be for little eyes...) If you want a good, long belly-laugh..go see the photo.

I'll sum it up for you, they think maybe 2,000 people were scammed, uh "fleeced" by an import company selling poodles at an incredible discount. It all came out when movie star Maiko Kawamaki went on a talk show and mentioned how strange she thought it was that her new poodle didn't bark and wouldn't eat dog food, and then shared photos of her pet. I have to say it, she must have felt baaaad when she was told her poodle was in fact, a sheep. The sheep in poodle's clothing were sold for $1,600 each. One couple became suspicious after they took in their "poodle" to have a nail clipping and were told it had hooves.

The article mentions how rare sheep and poodles are in Japan, but I still had to wonder how a techno-rich society didn't think to look online for what a poodle looks like. I suspect that sheep farmers the world over are laughing wildly over this.

Maiko Kawamaki was reported as "..crestfallen when told it was a sheep" I have to say it again,
she must have felt really, really, baaadd- to have the wool pulled over her eyes like that.

Update: boy, do I feel Sheepish! It wasn't true! The link Amy left in the comments took me to a story that stated it was a hoax, and that the actress was on a talk show where she might have told a story about a friend who purchased a sheep-but that Japanese talk shows were known for lots of tall tales. I should have gone with my instincts, I thought it was too crazy at first to be true, I am glad it wasn't.. my hopes for human kind are not so in the toilet now.
Have to say it, I had the wool pulled over my eyes!
I did get 29 hits for "Maiko Kawamaki" and 2 hits for "sheep as poodles"...
*it was past 100 hits before the night was over, I've stopped keeping track now...this story seems to have gotten out everywhere!

a little dinner in our hum-drum lives...

"She played and sang;- and drew in almost every style; but steadiness had always been wanting; and in nothing had she approached the degree of excellence which she would have been glad to command,..." - Emma

I've mentioned before that I am a little unorganized in thought and habit. It is a problem, I know; tho I manage to keep things moving along somehow. I really have been strongly desiring to get more orderly in life. The two areas I picked this month to work on are getting to bed at a decent hour...ahem, (just pretend you can't see what time I am posting this)..and the other area is planning meals for the week. I did actually plan meals for 6 nights this past week, it is a world record.

This really goes against my nature and childhood training. My mother routinely went to the store and came back with a quart of milk and one roll of toilet paper. This drove my rational husband who was raised in a family with 7 kids-wild. My mom didn't really see a problem, since she would be back at the store in a day or two anyways to pick something else up needed. This is kind of how I operate, I am doing good if I pick up ingredients for two dinners for the week.

My reason for this rambling post, internets (as BooMama would say)-is to ask for dinner recipes. I need to expand my repertoire if I am going to pull off 7 dinners in a row!!
Recently, Joyful days shared a recipe for cheeseburger casserole-it was a big hit! (except that hubby poured salsa all over his...I am thinking I will add some spices next time...)
and I tried the Ritz cracker chicken recipe Cyndi posted over at her blog, also a big hit. So, if my bloggy friends could send me a recipe, or post one over at their blog and let me know...I would be so blessed. -A recipe your family likes, and one that is not too complicated. I thank ye..

Our inner nerd is showing

Saturday, we went to the grand-re-opening of the Orange Main Library. I have to admit that this event was marked on our calendar months ago. It is so beautiful, big and new!! You realize how much your life has changed when it is no longer the newest hot band in concert that you eagerly look forward too, but it is the library grand opening that sets your heart a' twitter.

This day was really, really crowded. We are looking forward to going back on Wednesday and having the place more to ourselves.

Oh, and we were happily greeted by one of the librarians-in the midst of the huge crowd. We really are regulars...kind of like going to Cheers, without the beer.

no words really

Sometimes your sadness or lack of coping skills seems too big, and then you read something
like *this* and you feel so very small. Please pray for Heather and her family. I only know her through her blog, but I was crying for her as I read this. Please pray for her, and drop her a line letting her know that you are praying for her.

"and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand." Revelation 8:4