Wednesday, October 22, 2008

to my followers...


You know who you are.
I give you this. it's called the "Gratitude's Glow Fall Bouquet" from ftd.com. Love you. Mean it. (Seriously, like, why does it give me the "captain of the cheerleading squad" kinda butterflies to see my followers number grow? why!?!) on to more important things... Well, not much is more important than my followers, and their recognition for being sooooo cool. Rather, I should say, on to other things...


Speaking of flowers, I pass a certain florist in my wee-little town quite often. It's on Main Street. Can't miss it. Their little billboard outside says "Can't find the words? Flowers will take care of that!" Each time I pass it, I think to myself, "Hmmm. Rodney passes this sign 2 times each and every day" - at least during the business week... And come to think of it - he passes it on Sundays too, because it's on our way to church. Where am I going with this - I don't know. But I bet Rodney could tell you because he obviously has no problem finding words. (*Just fyi, my little schmoopsie-poo. I really could care less if you got me flowers. But if you ever thought about doing it, tell me. It might make me smile!) LOL!

Speaking of "its" (which I used in the last paragraph - I just HAVE to tell you how excited I was to learn something about grammar a couple weeks ago. I pride myself in having pretty mad skills in that department (not an English major or anything like that, I just "like" it, to be quite honest), YET have somehow found it completely and utterly impossible to remember when it is ok to use the apostrophe in its. Like, when to use "it's" and when to use "its." Weh-hea-Hell. I stumbled on a website the other day that somehow finally impressed it upon my brain enough to not forget it. Wait, let me go check and make sure I've not mixed it up in my head again. (pause...) Yep, I had it mixed up again. ANYWAY, let me tell you what it said... And I quote (in case the link for "it" didn't work ...

It's is a contraction for it is or it has.
It's been good to know you. Contraction: it has
It's a bird! It's a plane! Contraction: it is

Its is a possessive pronoun meaning, more or less, of it or belonging to it.
The dodo bird is known for its inability to fly. Possessive pronoun: its inability = the dodo bird's inability

And the tests:
If you can replace it[']s in your sentence with it is or it has, then your word is it's; otherwise, your word is its.
Its is the neuter version of his and her. Try plugging her into your sentence where you think its belongs. If the sentence still works grammatically (if not logically) then your word is indeed its.


To conclude, if you ever see me use "its" and "it's" incorrectly. Just know that it would kill me to know it. So just keep "it" to yourself. Especially you followers. You know who you are.

Ok. Now. I must answer my tags. Oh me. I... Uh... Don't remember who tagged me. Oh, yes! Emily did. I'll do her's first.

#1. I'm really in an oreo phase right now. I kid you not. At least 9 out of the last 10 nights (at least!) I've had a tall glass of milk accompanied by at least 10 oreos just before bed. I'm talking 11:30 before bed. What?! And don't even try to tell me there's any other way to eat an oreo than first dunking it for 5.25 seconds, then eating the first half, then dunking again for 3 seconds and eating the second half. Just don't.

#2. Soap. Betchoo guys didn't know that Rodney & I have only ever bought one specific brand and scent of soap our entire marriage.
Yep. Irish Spring with aloe! "Why" is probably the first question that enters your mind. Well, I will be GLAD to tell you why. It started in 1999, right before we got married. I lived with Joella and James for a semester, and it was the soap they had in their apartment. I really liked it. And decided to keep buying it. I never thought I'd be posting 9 years later that still, I'm using that darn soap. But here I am. Committed. I have no reason to change. There, I said it.

#3. Did you guys know I wear my watch on my right wrist? Cause I'm left handed like that, yo.

#4. Did you know that I am not a fan of people who choose to be down-right hateful. Like the lady I met yesterday. I extended my hand to greet her (as I should - I can't tell the rest of the story, as to "why" but I absolutely needed to introduce myself) and she didn't extend hers. And spoke to me like hired help. Speaking of hired help. Nobody has any right to speak to hired help rudely. Ugh!

#5. I am not a fan of silence. MUST keep my fan on in my bathroom at night to sleep. My mom will confirm that when I'm at her house, and I can hear the clock ticking on the wall, I've been known to rip the batteries right on out. And still place the clock under a pillow in another room. Just in case.

#6. Whew. I'm getting there. My Christmas wish list at this very moment is "a new front door."

#7. My new favorite series this season is My Own Worst Enemy on NBC. Only two episodes have aired so far. I've DVR'd them both, and about to go watch #2 for the firs time. But still, it can be my favorite, can't it?! Oh, here's a little scene. MMM. Very Alias. Good Times.

I did it!!! (Oh, if I didn't answer your tag - please forgive me.
It's
not you. It's me.)

10 comments:

Tricia said...

You are too funny! I just can't tell you how much I enjoy reading your posts! By the way-I have a certain affinity for oreos too and you are right about the dunking!! (I haven't had any in quite some time-they don't work with the diet-I did cheat have one deep fried at the fair on Sunday though)

Joel said...

Leah, I too find grammar fascinating. I'm not a very good speller, but I try to be *at least* grammatically correct whenever I can.

I used to have lots of trouble with "it's" and "its". The most confusing part was thinking that the apostrophe indicated the possessive, like "Joel's" or "Leah's".

But fear not, "it's" v. "its" is understandable, while "their" v. "there" v. "they're" is the most common but seemingly simple grammatical error out there.

Honorable mention goes to "your" v. "you're" too.

(People in my freshman History class didn't know the difference between "too", "two", and "to". Sad.)

Joel said...

Follow-up...

Just try to remember the possessive PRONOUNS ("it" is a pronoun...unlike "dog" which is a noun):

My, you, his, her, its, our, their, whose....

NONE of these have apostrophes like possessive NOUNS:

Joel's, Leah's, The Steelmans', The Hancocks'...

So if you just try to think of "ITS" as a POSSESSIVE pronoun like HIS or HER with no apostrophe, you'll remember to use the apostrophe any other time it's used (it is used).

Joel said...

Haha, and the list above of possessive pronouns should read

My, YOUR, his, her, etc...

Joella Hancock Morris said...

Le - I'm so flattered to know I'm the reason you always smell so good! I would have not been able to tell you if I had ever used that kind of soap. It must have been the MVP special at Food Lion. I get to use all kinds of brands thanks to the MVP specials.

Strommer Family said...

I'm so proud to be a follower!! And funny kwinkydink, those flowers grow here in the "land of the not quite right" or rather I mean it's supposed to be "Land of the Morning Calm"...one sounds much better but the other is much truer!! Well I'm so glad to know you haven't fallen off a cliff or something because you left us FOLLOWERS hanging for a while wondering what you were up to!! You can't do that to me anymore girl, I just can't take the torture of not knowing!! *lol* ;)

Amber said...

Thanks for the puppy pic comment! I love that little man :)! hehe... and, I am now an official Shady Willow Lane follower! I love reading your blogs. You are such an inspiration! PS... thanks for all the info via Linz! I truly appreciate every bit of it!

*ChElSeA fAyE* said...

Leah, Thanks for the comment :) The words you described were exactly my feeling for the wedding. I wanted the romantic feel :) Now hopefully I can find the fabric's to go along with it! I couldn't agree with you more about the wedding planning that would be such a FUN yet stressful job! Hope everything is going good for you. How is the photography business coming along? I just photographed my first paying session, a WEDDING a couple of weekends ago. I was so nervous but the bride loved my photos, even though it was not a pretty day outside at all!

Kirsty said...

Hey Leah
I found your blog via your comment on mine-thanks for that and so happy to make your aquaintance :) I hope you will stop "lurking" ;)

Love your blog and your family is beautiful!

Btw, Genevieve (who also comments on my blog, send me an email a while back pointing out my incorrect use of it's/its. I was appalled! At least I had not been using your for you're. I had that much going for me. Now I am completely paranoid about messing it up!l

leigh anna said...

where are you??
we miss you!!