I shouldn’t have to live in fear, but I do. I shouldn’t have to sneak up on my slippers, but I do. It’s spider season and none of us is safe. I’d rather find a snake in the house than a spider. What about a bat? A bat wouldn’t scare me as much as a spider. Why, you ask?  Because spiders are sneaky little arachnids. They hide in the worst possible places, hunting for food, always at night. Pesticides don’t kill them because they don’t breathe. They play dead – I hate that. I’ve passed by a curled up dead one thinking I’d sweep it up later, and later…. it’s gone!!! But where? And here’s a piece of information I wish I didn’t know: You are never more than twelve feet away from a spider. I did not need to know that.

So I live in fear, sneaking up on my slippers, looking behind cushions, under the toaster… But where is the worst place to find a spider? I say on your white sheets while you’re in them.

Anyone?

Sue sent this sad note today…

“Good Lord Jenny does it ever end!! Teka has just been diagnosed with a splenetic tumor!!  She went to the vet last evening and they called us back this evening with the results of her blood work. She has elevated levels in her liver and kidneys which means that her cancer has spread  Our hearts are so heavy right now. I hate to ask again, but please friends pray for her. We lost our first dog, Sheba, from this disease. I can’t believe this is happening again!! We took her for a 5k walk this morning and she wanted to keep going. Kya saw my jeep and ran for it!!

I’m so sorry to bring sadness to your website again, but you all know how much my dogs mean to me. Sorry JJ but please pray for her. Unlike Jess, this is cancer and it has a very low survival rate. I have to take off Monday to take her for an ultrasound. With that we will know where it has spread. Ugggghhhh!!! Just Pray friends!! Again, I’m sorry to be so depressing and needy!!”

Every time I leave the house, which is usually to go grocery shopping, I find comfort in knowing that if I wind up stranded on a desert island, I will have everything I need to survive. I’m always adding new things to my “just in case” assortment of essentials and I think I need a bigger purse. Here’s what’s in it now…

Wallet – Scratch pad – A pen – A backup pen in case it runs dry – Breath mints – Reading glasses – Sunglasses – Folding glasses (for Denis) – Tissues – Handywipes – Bandaids – Neosporin – Teabags – Floss – Tooth soft-picks – Measuring tape – Roll of quarters for parking – iPad – iPad car charger – Cell phone car charger –  Hand lotion – Lip moisturizer – Sunblock – Vaseline – Hand sanitizer – Nail file – Nail clippers – Ear plugs for too loud movies – Chewable aspirin for anyone having a heart attack – A comb.

What do I still need?

The contest is on my new Healthy Home Cooking page on Facebook.

Here’s the link: http://www.facebook.com/JennysHealthyHomeCooking

If you’re lucky, I might include a lovely soft pair of homemade rabbit slippers… 🙂

As a standup comedian, I adored Phyllis Diller, who passed away today at the age of 95.  Not only did Ms Diller pave the way for all women comics, she was really, really funny. I was beyond excited when she appeared on my talk show in 1991 while it was only a test run in Las Vegas called Just Between Us. What a genuinely nice person she was. Thank you, Phyllis, for the decades of laughter.