Which Of Henry VIII's Wives Are You Most Like?

I recently blogged about Facebook and what a time suck it can be. I know I mentioned all of the quizes you can take...well, it dawned on me (I'm slow now that I'm 45) that SOMEONE is creating all of these quizes. Who? The users!

I woke up this morning thinking about creating a quiz of my own. So, I did; the above referenced title.

It was fairly easy since I know quite a bit about Henry VIII and his six wives.

The process was fun, too (creating the quiz). You write out the results, then, write questions and possible answers that match up to said results. So, if someone took the quiz and picked all the answers that I had tied to, say, Anne Boleyn (or most of them), their result would be Anne Boleyn.

I can't cut and paste the questions, unfortunately. I think there were six or seven (you can put as many as you want); you'll just have to find the quiz on Facebook, ladies! But here are the results I wrote. I also included the pictures.

Divorced? Beheaded? Survived? Which of Henry VIII's six wives are you most like?

Catherine of Aragon

Steely, purposeful, intelligent; you are likely also highly religious with firm beliefs of what is right and wrong. You are generally admired and respected (but sometimes viewed as a stick in the mud and/or boring). You will not sacrifice your convictions for anything, which could mean you might end up divorced and alone.

Anne Boleyn

You are smart...maybe to a fault. You're wily and cagey as well as beautiful. Men admired you and most women can't stand you, which means you may have a lot of enemies. You are probably misunderstood; this may frustrate you and led you to do things that may leave you without your head.

Jane Seymour

You give the impression of being a sweet and innocent woman with nothing but good deeds on your mind. However, behind this mask lies a shrewd individual indeed, out for what you can get, which is usually someone else's man. You may land him, but, you may not last as long as you think in the game. And, after you're gone, he'll find someone else, anyway.

Anne of Cleves

You are not the most attractive lady in the world and sometimes you feel out of your element. It seems every other woman is prettier and wittier than you. You might sometimes feel tongue tied. You desperately want to fit in and to be loved. You'd be the perfect stepmother to motherless children because your heart is so big and in so much need of having someone to love. Your husband will likely divorce you, but, it will probably turn out to be the luckiest thing that ever could have happened to you as you'll go on to lead a long, happy life without him.

Kathryn Howard

You are a light hearted flirt who goes a little too far in the "let's fool around" department. Unfortunately, you are not terribly bright and you may find yourself continually at odds with important, powerful people. Although you are very pretty, your good looks will only get so far. Beware of whom you cheat on or you may end up in situation well over your head. Or, without your head.

Katherine Parr

You're no spring chicken and you've likely been married more than once with each marriage being more financially successful than the last. You are fairly smart and a bit stodgy but have a passionate heart, especially for men you are not supposed to have. You have luck on your side, too; at least until that last husband starts playing your own game.

Any guesses as to my result? Ready to go take my quiz?

Mrs. B

Our Valentine's Day Dinner 2009

We decided a few years ago that going out to eat on Valentine's Day, was, simply stated, stupid. Especially on a Saturday night! We all know how restaurants jack up prices for events such as these.

So, last night, like prior year's, we made our own special Valentine's Day Dinner. And, it WAS special; not just the menu (Mr. B picked out the main course and I added on a starter, a vegetable and the dessert) but the fact we prepared most of it together, working side by side in the kitchen pretty much all day and well into the late afternoon. We even took a trip to the wine store to buy wine for the meal.

Here is what we ended up with for the menu and wine and a few pictures of the happy evening:

Insalata di Sedano e Olive (celery and green olive salad; also carrots, red onion, fresh Italian parsley, oregano, white wine vinegar and olive oil). Served with 2007 Villa Lanahta Italian Chardonnay.

Roasted Stuffed Pork Loin Genoa-Style with Garlic Flavored Jus. What was it stuffed with? Italian sausage, fresh breadcrumbs and pesto. OMG. To die for!

Also Wild Mushroom Risotto (Mr. B's recipe; the only thing on the menu we'd had before) and Asparagi alla Parmigiana. We paired the main course with a 2005 Rocco delle Macie Chianti Classico (yes, it had a Rooster on the bottle!)

For dessert, we had Torta di Nocciola (hazelnut cake). Wow, this was also quite good. We roasted the hazelnuts prior to using them. This really brought out the hazelnut flavor. We had a sparkling Mocata D'Asti with this (semi-sweet dessert wine).

For those of you who live close by, you can expect to see this menu replicated at some point for a family dinner.

Lucy did not get to sit at the table but she did get a few scraps

Mrs. B

Pete and Lily Are Growing Up SO Fast!

And, obviously, they are both very healthy eaters!!! Newest pictures taken today, 2.14.09. Also, a few new videos are on You Tube (or will be shortly as soon as they finish uploading).

Mrs. B

Lily September 2008

Lily Today

Pete September 2008

Pete Today

Auntie Mrs. B and Holly

This was taken last Saturday when we were over at Doc and Analee's house. She's so cute! And, it really does look like we're smiling at one another. Actually, maybe she WAS smiling at me!

Last week (and into this week) was definitely "Family Week"! Mom and dad came over Friday night for a visit and dinner (in town for the weekend; taking a break from their hard vacation life in Florida!). Saturday, we went over to Doc and Analee's (mom and dad were also there) for dinner (this is were all the videos I recently posted on my You Tube page came from).

Sunday mom, dad, Jon, Shannon and their girls joined Mr. B and I at a DSO concert. We went over to Jon and Shannon's afterward to share all of the half-full bottles of wine left over from the wine "donation" (I put this in quotes as we had to use the word donation, not sales, as we poured wine and attempted to get $5 a glass from people. Actually, everyone did pay $5 and we even got a few tips!) and to visit more with the girls.

Wednesday, Shannon called and asked if I wanted to meet her and the girls at the mall for lunch. Sure!

So, it has been a wonderful family-filled week for me!

And, might I add, although I don't have any children of my own, I am lucky to have my three fantastic nephews and my four beautiful nieces. Auntie I can manage!

Mrs. B

A Fresh Perspective: Part Two

There was an obvious difference in Lucy's reaction to this new dog (young and male) than to the dog that had just vacated the room (older and female). The moment he came into the room, her ears perked up (which, actually, is not a good thing; you want the dog's ears to be laid down and forward; sorta floppy) and she immediately started her weird talking/crying noise. I can't describe it; I'll have to video tape her maybe and post it (not that I want a video of my dog misbehaving as evidence I'm a crappy parent!) Anyway, Lucy was far more agitated with this dog. Obviously he had not yet been completely trained in how to calm other dogs down! He looked directly at her several times (and also kept looking at Samantha for guidance; the other dog pretty much new exactly what she was doing).

Samantha got a bit closer with the young male and Lucy's tail started to bush out. Her hair wasn't yet rising on her back yet (a sure sign of aggression and/or fear or both) but she was looking perturbed. Samantha informed me that the bushed out tail was usually a sign of arousal, not aggression (great, that's all I need, a horny Lucy; but, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised what with the way she lays on her back with her legs spread wide open all the time, ha ha).

Samantha suggested something new. We each anchored our dogs to the wall on opposite sides of the room. We pulled out a movable fence that went from wall to wall width-wise across the room. The fence was about up to my upper chest and it, too, anchored to the wall. She instructed me to let Lucy off the wall (ha; as if!) and she did the same with her dog. They both went running up to their side of the fence and started to investigate one another with Lucy still waving that bushy tail around and, unfortunately, her hackles going up somewhat. Samantha told me the purpose of this was to let them get to know one another in a safe environment, meaning, if Lucy chose, she could run away and the other dog could not come after her. She advised me that when dogs are aggressive on the leash, it almost always stems from their fear of not being able to get away (because they are on a leash) if they decide they don't like the other dog/what is going on. So, as is often the case with fear in dogs, they become aggressive as a defense mechanism. The slobber and drool and all of that is from anxiety. BTW, this sort of slobber/drool is not the same as the slobber/drool a dog may get when, say they are panting or certain dogs that just are slobbery as a general rule.

After observing Lucy for a while, she noted (which we had already realized) that Lucy was ok with sniffing another dog but when it came time for that dog to sniff her, she freaks out. She said it was very apparent Lucy needed to build up her confidence around other dogs and the only way that could happen would be if we made sure she always felt safe around them. What does that translate to? Never allowing another dog to approach her on leash (and vice versa) when she'd feel she couldn't escape if she felt (in her doggie brain) that something was not right/was going wrong and, of course, being mindful of her interaction with dogs off leash (providing an opportunity for them to get to know one another with an escape hatch built in).

After five or so minutes of Lucy and the other dog running alongside their own side of the fence, Lucy visibly calmed down. Some of this was due to the fact the other dog was very subservient and only wanted to lick her. Samantha said he was SO subservient, he would try to put his head into another dog's mouth! Lucy never actually ran away from the fence (e.g., back to the other side of the room) but she did, at first, run towards me several times. Samantha said this (and she'd also observed Lucy standing pressed up against my leg when the male dog first came into the room) was indicative of Lucy looking to me for security. Eventually, Lucy did allow the other dog to sniff her and they actually started to play with one another through the fence. On this positive note, Samantha put her dog in the other room. Lucy looked perplexed as she stood there with a big goofy grin on her face. Another point from Samantha: Always try to leave her experiences with other dogs on a positive note; maybe when she's not even quite ready to say good-bye.

So, what had I learned so far from this training session (and, yes, I really was getting the bulk of the training here!); first and foremost not to put Lucy in a situation with another dog where she feels she's trapped and can't get away. Second, don't let her socialize with any dog that is aggressive towards her. Third, something apparently bad happened to her (which we'll never know what) and that is causing this; it's not her fault. Fourth, it's up to me to protect her and fifth, she really does want to be friends with other dogs so long as (and this is no different from us humans), they are nice to her.

Regarding the protect Lucy aspect, Samantha advised me to always, always, always keep my body between Lucy and another dog while we're walking. Meaning, if we are walking down the street and another person and their dog are approaching, make sure the order is other dog, me, Lucy. Even better if the order was other dog, other person, me, Lucy, but, obviously we can't control the other person. She showed me a quick technique of how to switch sides if need be while always keeping me between Lucy and the other dog. She told me to take long strides and just walk on by the other walkers; emitting to Lucy the signal that, "Nothing is going to get you; it will have to go through ME first!"

I'll wrap this up next time with a few more pointers Samantha gave me about our walks and how to keep Lucy from jumping on people when they enter our house.

Mrs. B

Ranting About The Health Insurance Industry

It's Thursday morning and I'm in the mood for a rant!

Seriously, I am a bit annoyed!

My COBRA coverage (through Mr. B's former employer) runs out 2/28. It's been pretty decent coverage through Aetna but it's also been awful having to pay the monthly premium (Mr. B is covered through his current employer at no cost to him which is nice but to cover me would be real expensive).

Maybe two months ago, I began exploring options for my medical coverage. I'll tell you, it is a confusing process. There are so many plans, levels, options, caveats, etc. I finally decided to utilize eHealthInsurance.com to help me weed through it all.

I plugged in my basic information and up popped several different insurance companies each with several plans (e.g., lower monthly cost but higher deductible, office visits covered before deductible or not, etc., etc.)

I decided on one from United Health Insurance as it fit my needs pretty well (and my doctors are in their network, which is pretty important to me). The monthly premium is actually less than what I'm currently paying (albeit the plan itself isn't quite as comprehensive but good enough).

They required a three month premium be submitted with the application (refundable, of course, if the application was denied).

Last Saturday I got a call from them wanting to know about my prescription for Clarinex; the dose, how much I take, how long I've been taking it, etc. Well, gee (I thought), if that is all they have questions about, I'm set.

Today I got word that I'd been approved BUT the premium would be more than they originally quoted me PLUS there were certain restrictions. What restrictions? Oh, and the email said someone would call me within three weeks to see if I'd accept the terms.

Say what? Three weeks? Sounds like a hostage situation to me since my other coverage runs out in three weeks!

Thankfully, I'd kept the number from last Saturday's call on the answering machine. I called them and, after a LONG hold period (I'm sure they do this on purpose in hopes people simply give up and hang up), I talked to a representative.

This is what she told me. They'd moved me from preferred premium to standard, which meant another $25 a month (not awful; still cheaper than what I am currently paying). And, they assigned a $1,200 deductible for brand drugs. It was $1,000 before. So, in essence what they had done was change it so they would never pay for the Clarinex (a brand drug; can't get it generic). There is no deductible for generic drugs, just a $15 co-pay. As for the premium, she told me that all on-line applications are automatically given the premium rate but almost everyone moves to the standard (more expensive) rate after going through underwriting. As for me, she said since I had an on-going prescription, that meant an automatic move to standard rate because it indicated I had some sort of medical history.

Well, no shit, Sherlock; I'm 45 years old; of course I'm gonna have some sort of medical history!

Anyway, I told Mr. B, fine, I'll get around this by having my doctor write me a prescription for some sort of allergy medication that can be had in generic form. I'm not married to Clarinex; it's just what I was first prescribed and it worked so I stuck with it. I'm sure Allegra or some other such medication will also be fine. And then they'll have to pay for it.

I'm ranting about me, of course, but whenever something like this happens, it always makes me think about all those people out there who cannot afford their medication (and cannot easily switch it or simply stop taking it). It is against the law (now) to not cover a preexisting condition (so long as a person has been continually insured) BUT it's not against the law, apparently, to put a high deductible on brand drugs before they are covered; so high, in fact, that they are NEVER covered. I know a lot of certain medications that people need TO STAY ALIVE are not in generic form. I know there are a few prescriptions that I've received of late for "menopausal" issues that are still under patent and therefore there are no generic forms of them and I'll be stuck paying full price (good thing I loaded up on them this week while they are still covered by my current insurance company).

It infuriates me, is all.

It also brings to mind how much more people who have no insurance have to pay for services.

A few years ago, there was a blip in my coverage right at the time I had to go to the ER for a minor thing. So, I got all of the bills; from the hospital, from the doctor, from the lab.

If I'd have paid those bills, I would have been out over $2,000 (including $50 for one antibiotic pill and over $350 for a doctor's assistant who came and told me I had a UTI and that's it).

Since my insurance ultimately paid it, I didn't pay a dime. What did the insurance company pay? Well under $500 for the whole sha-bang. That's because the insurance company had agreed to pricing with the doctor, hospital, etc. So, they charge one thing knowing the insurance company will only pay half of it.

But, the poor sap without insurance is stuck paying the higher amount.

Good luck to President Obama in trying to fix this God Damn mess!

Mrs. B

A Fresh Perspective: Part One

After several months of saying "I've got to get Lucy more training", I finally did so yesterday. We had a credit with a facility not too far from us and not far at all from where I pass after dropping The Kid off at school on Tuesday mornings. I definitely did not want to start another class with Lucy until we got her dog aggression under control. Or, understood it enough to realize we could NOT take her to any sort of class where other dogs would be present.

So, I signed her up for two one on one sessions with a trainer named Samantha. Actually, I'd spoken to Samantha on at least one occasion (right after Lucy ran out of our garage one day and jumped on the neighbor's dog). When I'd explained Lucy's aggression towards other dogs while on the leash, she simply said, "Don't let her socialize with other dogs while she's on the leash". That was good advice (and similar to what our vet had said to me).

Anyway, we arrived at the training center early so we sat in the car about 1/2 hour; me drinking my coffee and reading the paper and Lucy thumping her tail and drooling.

Samantha arrived. I took Lucy inside a big long empty room which had several bowls of water placed around it and many hooks (for attaching dog leashes to). Samantha wanted me to let Lucy roam around and get her bearings off leash. And, Lucy did roam. And explore. And drink out of every single bowl of water. And investigate Samantha.

While Lucy pranced around, we discussed Lucy; her history, what her problem areas were, what she did well and what I wanted to work on: Her aggression towards other dogs (especially while on leash), her protectiveness over her food and her jumping on people during the initial meet and greet.

First off I have to admit I probably needed this session just as much, if not more, than Lucy. I was getting frustrated/embarrassed/irritated/angry at Lucy for her poor manners towards other dogs (and for attacking Pete and Lily). Walks were not much fun as they were spent continually telling her to heel and, basically, holding her in place on a tight leash. Not to mention, the rush of adrenalin when another dog (and therefore a potential troublesome encounter) approached. I've said this before and I'll say it again; I've seen more people that do not control their dogs around our neighborhood than do.

Finally (and this is hard for a strong "J" to admit), although I learned a lot from reading Cesar Millan's books and watching his show, I had to admit to myself that not all of his techniques were working well for our Goose (or us). I mean, we just cannot walk her three hours a day to wear her out (Cesar's answer to everything is "go for long walk"). And, since we don't live in LA, taking her to Cesar's Dog Psychology Center where he and his pack of dogs could properly socialize her is out of the question! But, I did want her to be socialized and knew the best way to do it is for another dog to show her how.

Samantha put a different harness on Lucy and attached her to the wall. I had her leash on her regular collar, held loosely in my hand. Samantha brought in one of her own dogs, a 5 year old Boarder Collie. She told me that her dog was trained in calming anxious dogs down. It was very interesting to observe. Lucy was somewhat straining towards the dog as she entered, then, a bit of a growl, then, her weird talking noises; pacing, back to me for some security, back out towards the dog, etc. All the while, the collie did nothing but walk on her leash with Samantha and sniff the ground. She did not even look in our direction. Samantha said she wouldn't until she told her it was okay to do so. After a few minutes of this, Lucy visibly calmed down to the point where she lay down on the floor next to me (still watching the collie). Ultimately they walked closer to us (not within range though) and Samantha said not to be alarmed if I saw her dog's teeth; that was her smile. Sure, enough, I looked at her dog and it was grinning at us.

Lucy managed this pretty well so Samantha put that dog away and went to go get another one; this time a one year old male Border Collie who was not as well mannered as his half-sister!

Mrs. B