Pink Boys and A Question or Two

I hope that all of you had a fabulous, wonderful, blessed and happy Christmas.

Having said that, let me begin my litany of complaints and questions.

We bought the boys a play stove for one of their Christmas gifts. It's really cool, it has light-up burners and makes the cooking sounds and what have you. Grover was reluctant to purchase it at first but after listening to my lucid and persuasive argument, he agreed to buy it. The reason he was hesitant in the first place is what was irritating to me. He didn't want to buy the boys a stove because they're BOYS. The fact that most of the world's greatest chefs are MEN must have escaped him momentarily. The funny thing to me is that he put off buying it for soooo long that the only one that he could find was pink and white. He's still trying to adjust to that;). ( Meanwhile, the boys love it and have been busy cooking fake pancakes and putting real apples in the fake microwave. Yeah, sounds like fun until you're forced to eat apples alllll day or face the wrath of a 3 year old and a 2 year old:)) So, what is the problem with boys and pink? Girls get to wear blue all the time and no one cares but put a boy in a pink shirt and every man within a 5 mile radius feels a sudden rise in their testosterone levels and runs to his rescue. It's a pink shirt, for crying out loud...I'm not trying to put them in heels and pearls here. It's a color people, just a color. Besides, someone's gotta wear it...and pink looks awful on me. But so far, I cannot get Grover to come over to the pink side. (Have you also noticed that it's just the men that have the problem with the pink? Most women could care less)

Another question....why are so many "horror" films these days so dependent on all the characters spending most of the movie screaming and/or a massive amount of carnage versus simply being dependent on a good plot? Psychological thrillers are the best and they just don't make 'em like they used to. I don't need to see someone's head being lopped off every 10 minutes to enjoy a movie.

Grover got upset with me earlier today. He thought that I had done something which I had not done and went completely off the deep end. When I pointed out to him that I could not have possibly done what he thought I had done, I told him that I would accept his apology any time he was ready. His response was "well, I'll apologize for it but you're were being really difficult last Monday." What the heck does that have to do with anything?!?!? Qualified apologies.....I hate 'em, I really do. If you screwed up just admit it and be over yourself.

Fortunately for him, he did get me the Little House on the Prairie book set so I cut him a little slack;)

Now, let me eat one more fake pancake and one more apple and I'm going to bed before all that fiber catches up on me.

Peace allllll...............

24th

From the depths of my flour spattered kitchen and from the middle of my pieces of toys that require adult assembly living room, I wish each and every one of you a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Please take a moment to remember those whose holidays may not be so bright. Thank you.

Happy birthday Jesus:)

Merry Christmas!

And God bless us every one.

Peace alllllllllll...........

Just A Suggestion

I have a recommendation for churches all over the country. This may sound a bit petty on my part, but, hey...it won't be the first time.

I think that churches should really rethink the way that they treat visitors. I'm not saying don't be polite, and I'm not saying don't introduce yourself and make the visitor feel welcome. This is what I AM saying:

1. Stop making visitors wear a carnation, or a mum, or any other flower that has been genetically designed to be bigger than a human head.

2. Please don't make them wear ribbons, "Hello, my name is......." stickers, or big purple bows on their heads (okay I made that last part up...but you get the point)

3. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, point them out in the middle of the service and ask them to stand up before the entire congregation.

The reason for this request is simple: most visitors feel a little self-conscious in the first place. After all, they are in a new place full of people that they don't even know. Most of them would like to just try to blend in for a while, not be pointed out like they have a scarlet letter. It often makes them uncomfortable to the point that they would rather bite off their own fingers than come back.

Like I said, be polite, be friendly, be welcoming. But knock off all the ornamentation. What I'm trying to get across in the most Christian like fashion is this: BACK OFF!......please

Peace allll..............

My Favorite Christmas Gift

I received my favorite Christmas gift of all time when I was 9 years old. Due to the fact that my father (you know, the raging drunk) had recently abandoned his financial responsibilities to the family, we had no money. None. This was the year that we had tacos for Christmas dinner. (My mom, however, made that much better by referring to it as a "Mexican Christmas";)) Anyway, since we had no money, I was not expecting anything for Christmas. Being a typical 9 year old, I was much distressed by this of course, but I didn't want to make my mom feel bad, so I never let it curb my enthusiasm for Christmas. (Now, many years later and being a mom myself, I realize that a mom's guilt over some things can never be assuaged no matter what happens.)

When I woke up that Christmas morning, I had a gift under the tree. This is what it was: a Barbie doll.......but that's not all. My mom had taken empty cracker boxes and turned them inside out and somehow made a bed, a dresser, a couch and a chair out of these boxes. She had taken scraps of fabric that she had around the house and "upholstered" the couch and chair and made a pillow and lovely comforter for the bed. Also, she had taken some more fabric and made my Barbie a whole new wardrobe, including a little Barbie coat. I was absolutely fascinated by this. I didn't know that you could make furniture out of cracker boxes. I didn't know that my mom knew how to do this kind of stuff. (Is it any wonder that I thought my mom hung the moon?)

I think that the reason this is my favorite gift of all time is that it came from the heart, not the wallet. I kept it until it just flat wore out from being played with all the time. Over the years, I have received many more gifts, some quite expensive, others not so much. But none have meant so much to me as that one, not yet.

Thanks Mom.

Peace allll..........

Christmas Masochism

I love the Christmas season. I really, really do. The shopping, the cooking, the family, the decorating, the really good church services, the sense of peace and goodwill amidst all of the stress.

So, I don't know why I do this. I will deliberately listen to Christmas songs or watch Christmas movies that I KNOW are going to make me cry. Not just cry, but break down bawling crying. As soon as I hear the Eagles "Please Come Home for Christmas" on the radio, the official crying season begins for me. Then I must, just must, listen to "The Christmas Shoes" and "Angels Among Us" by Alabama, or "Silent Night" by the Temptations or "I'll Be Home For Christmas" by the Carpenters. I know that others have done versions of all of these songs but these are the absolute best and guaranteed to have you crying in your eggnog in no time.

And in my opinion, "It's A Wonderful Life", "Scrooged" (Bill Murray) and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" are the top three Christmas movies of allllll time. Just grab some cookies and Kleenex and I'm there.:)

So, call me a Christmas fan. Call me sensitive. Or just call me crazy. I don't care. I'll be too busy sniffling and blowing my nose to hear ya.

Peace allll.........

Goodwill Overtakes My Brother:)

My brother sent me the following in an e-mail yesterday and I thought it was so nice that I had to express the sentiments to all of my blog friends:

Today, I wish you a day of ordinary miracles........

A fresh pot of coffee that you didn't have to make yourself...

An unexpected phone call from an old friend...

Green traffic lights on your way to work or to shop....

I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in....

The fastest line at the grocery store..

A good sing-along song on the car radio...

Finding your keys right where you look.....

I wish you a day of happiness and bite-sized pieces of perfection that give you the feeling that the Lord is smiling down on you, holding you so gently because you are someone special and rare.

I wish you a day of Peace, Happiness, and Joy.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire lifetime to forget them.

Merry Christmas!

So, I guess my brother ain't so bad after all;)

Peace allllll........

My Weekend

So, we had to paint a foyer and a garage this weekend. You would think that would be a very simple, very quick job......you would think. However, that was not the case. See, the foyer had a staircase directly in the middle of it. I could deal with that, just not a lot of room to move around. However, it was the 20 foot ceilings in the foyer that got to me. I happen to have a deathly fear of heights, so there was no way I was getting on a ladder to paint that far up. So I made Grover and Rachel do it while I edged the baseboards and painted the garage:) The garage would have been simple except for two things: the extraordinary amount of cobwebs on the ceiling and in the corners that it took me two hours to clean off and the upright freezers that I had to move off of the wall. Yes, they were full and yes they were heavy....and between them and the dead spiders I think I would have done better taking my chances on the ladder in the foyer;) But, hey it's extra Christmas money, right? Right.

Speaking of shopping, I have exactly one half of my Christmas shopping done. I am proud of me, considering I normally wait until like the 23rd to try to get it all done in one day. This way I am feeling far less stress (and probably spending a lot more money without realizing it;)) Now, if I could only keep the kids from trying to eat the tree lights and the dog from trying to eat all the candy canes, I would be almost stress free this holiday season.

They're teasing us with the lie that it will snow a little here on Thursday. Yeah, sure it will.

And last but not least, if anyone out there has a good fruitcake recipe, please send it my way. Yeah, I know they're gross to most people but fruitcake is a holiday guilty pleasure of mine. I love the things, I just don't know why.

Sorry for the boring post guys. Must be all that Christmas cheer and goodwill overtaking me;)

Peace allllll.................

Stanley

I have been following the story of Stanley "Tookie" Williams for a while now. And like most people, I have my opinion. This is it:

Stanley, you, according to a jury of your peers, committed 4 murders. You, by your own admission were a co-founder of the Crips. Your work has destroyed the lives of 4 people, not to mention the lives of their families, their parents, children, brothers and sisters. Your work and what you helped to create in the Crips has damaged and destroyed thousands of more lives.

You have been in prison for 24 years now. You have been in solitary confinement for 6 of those 24 years. It has only been after you were placed in solitary confinement that you decided to go on your journey of 'self-reflection' at which time you decided to write your anti-gang books and develop your anti-gang coloring books for children. All well and good but let's face it...it's a little too little and a lot too late.

Remorse for what you have done is good, even if it comes after 20 years of incarceration. Being shameful of your past is good too if it brings about a change in you. Accountability, however, is also necessary. Accepting the fact that you have done what you have done and being willing to accept whatever the punishment may be is what makes us adults.

I am not a cruel person by any means. I am sure that you are consumed with anxiety at the thought of your impending execution. No one wants to die after all. I am sure that the 4 people you murdered didn't want to die either. I am also sure that the many victims of gang violence, be they territory murders, drug murders or just the innocent bystanders of drive-bys didn't want to die either. I am sure that there are a lot of mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers out there that didn't want to have to go to a funeral but they did. Their choices were taken from them.

And now you ask for mercy. You ask that your 'good deeds' be considered and that they nullify the fact that there are at least 4 people dead by your hands, and many more as the result of your work. You want coloring books to take the place of people's lives. I'm not sure there are many families out there who would put a coloring book at the dinner table in place of a loved one.

You have many people and many celebrities to back your cause and to fight for you. Good for you....too bad they weren't there when you were snuffing the life out of your victims.

You reap what you sow, Stanley. Please stop trying to manipulate the government, the justice system and the general public at large. Accept the punishment that has been handed to you. Even if I can't respect you, I could respect that.

Please give these people's families the closure that they need. Be a man....for once.

Peace alllll.......

Two Traditions

I have two non-negotiable traditions for the holiday season. ( I actually have several but these two are the only ones it's actually time for.)

1. I always put my Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving. Don't know why, it's just what my Mom always did, so it's what I do. It's a bit of a headache coming on the heels of all that work being done the previous day but it's always worth it when you see the end result. My boys are old enough this year to really enjoy looking at the tree so it's really been a labor of love. Plus, Lukas got to help hand the ornaments to me and Grover while we put them on the tree. Jakob? Well, he just played in the Christmas tree box. Wonder how soon he will start redecorating for us.:)

2. I never, ever, EVER shop on Black Friday. It's stressful, nerve-wracking, and if you're not careful, dangerous. All of these people lining up at 4 in the morning to stampede through a store just to save a little money. I'll spend the extra or I'll do without thank you very much. Some people thrive on it.....I am not one of those people. My mother used to love it and used to drag me to the sales every year on the day after Thanksgiving. Not a tradition I decided to keep. I did venture out today to buy some Christmas decorations and I kinda wished I had stayed at home. Why are so many people so darn mad during the Christmas season? Isn't this supposed to be the season of happiness, good will and peace on earth? (Yeah, I know it's supposed to be but oftentimes it's not.) If you're gonna be angry stay at home. If you're going to be rude, stay at home. If it's not your cup of tea, stay at home. If everyone did that the stores would not be nearly as crowded and I could get some shopping done;).

I'm going to go eat some turkey soup now, along with turkey sandwiches and turkey salad. Hmmmmmm......wonder if anyone has a recipe for turkey cookies??

Peace alllll..........

T Day:)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE !!!!!

Hope everyone has a safe and lovely Turkey Day with the ones that you love. God Bless!

Peace alllll............

Painting, Puberty and Pumpkin Pies

Okay, so this is the weirdest thing to happen to me this week. Grover and I (and Rachel too) were painting a house for this lady. Didn't start off too bad, really. We were contracted to do the kitchen, living room, hallway and two bedrooms. So, after we had finished painting the kitchen, hallway and living room and pulling the paneling from the bedrooms (which is pain in the tuchus let me tell ya!), we were ready to begin the painting in the bedrooms. Now, we had told the lady that she needed to move her furniture, or at least the bulk of it, out of the bedrooms so that we would have room to do the job in there. She knew she had to do this but did she? Of course not. So she left the keys with us over the weekend because she was going out of town. So we are in this house, alone.

We start moving the furniture out of the bedrooms, blah, blah, blah. And this woman has a collection of Barbie dolls. You know, the seriously collectible ones, like the holiday Barbies, etc. in the original packaging. Well, I thought that was interesting, considering this lady is in her late 50's but hey, to each his own. She also had a fabulous Mickey Mouse collection. Anyway, I'm moving all of this stuff to a third bedroom and I finally get to the closet which of course needs painting also. I move some stuff out of the way in the top of the closet and guess what is staring me in my face? A Sleeping Beauty doll........in a glass coffin. A real miniature glass coffin. WHAT THE HECK? She could have told us about this before I ran across it in a strange house, alone in this room in a strange neighborhood in the almost the middle of the night! What kind of weird woman is this?? I mean, yeah, I had a Sleeping Beauty doll when I was like 6 but it wasn't in its own little coffin. Morbidity aside though, the glass coffin thing was really kind of pretty......but disturbing.

Lukas decided the dog was hungry today and dumped a 50 pound bag of dog food in the bedroom floor for her. Not so worried about the mess, just concerned as to how a 3 year old could drag a 50 pound bag of dog food into the bedroom and flip it upside down onto the floor. What, am I raising the Hulk here?

Jakob has decided to start calling me and Grover both Mom. Guess just one of us isn't doing the job well enough;)

Joshua had his first "puberty" class in school today. You know, the one that we used to call "hygeine" or "watered down sex ed." He was more than a little disgusted by the fact that he and a room full of boys had to watch a video showing nothing but penises for 30 minutes. (I can understand this....penises are not the most attractive things in the world...but I don't guess they have to be to get the job done huh?) One of his classmates made the remark that he wished they had accidentally switched the tapes so they could have watched the girls video (disgusting little troll;)) but like I told Josh, what women have is just as ugly as what men have so don't sweat it. They aren't going to be entered in any beauty contests anyway. (although I wonder who would win "pretty penis of the year".....okay, now I'm just grossing myself out)

Two things I want for Christmas this year....the entire set of Little House on the Prairie books (I love those) and.....The Magic Bullet! Have you seen the infomercials for that thing....pretty nifty.

Anyway, for those of my friends and family who have issues with the traditional Thanksgiving greetings: happy day before Turkey Murder Day....or Anniversary of Native Americans Getting Screwed Over by the White Man Day. (I'm half-Cherokee so I can use that one freely while stuffing my face:)).......I'll eat your piece of pumpkin pie if you don't want it....you being so ticked off and all.

Now, I have to go see if all of my Christmas tree lights work.....and hope that the dog doesn't try to eat them if they do.

Peace alllllll..........

FGM and Free Piglet

Couple of things have been bothering me lately.

1. Was reading the other day about a bill being proposed in Nigeria to ban female genital mutilation (FGM), otherwise referred to euphemistically as 'female circumcision'. Most people are in favor of this bill and, in my opinion, anyone with half a brain would be. However, there is a very vocal opponent to this proposed bill. This person is a doctor. This person wrote a very eloquent dissenting opinion, preaching the value of FGM as a cultural and religious 'tradition'. This person just happens to be a man. Now, may I ask, what does a man really know about this issue and having to live with it? He doesn't have to deal with the fact that he will never be able to fully enjoy sex due to being cut on. And as long as it's not happening to him, I can see where it would be irrelevant as to what millions of others want, especially if they happen to be just women.

This is the kind of attitude that a lot of governments around the world have and it is just sickening. I know that to a lot of people I sound like a man-hating feminist with an attitude problem. I assure you this is not the case. I just do not understand why so many areas in the rest of the world live in this backwoods existence and with the belief that women are no more important than, say....cattle or a loaf of bread. It's this kind of thinking that has so many little girls languishing in orphanages in places like China waiting on someone to validate their existence as humans. In this country we pat ourselves on the back for our 'progression' in the area of women's rights but how can we do that when we ignore so many little girls and women being mistreated, tortured and killed because of 'tradition'??

2. There is a group of Muslims in Great Britain who have complained about the use (advertising) of Piglet...you know Winnie the Pooh's Piglet..because they feel that because he is a pig, it is an offense to Muslims. And now, in response to this coercion, London and number of other cities are removing any and all images of pigs, i.e. Piglet, piggy banks, etc. You get the picture. Can we get off of it please???? I mean, Jews don't eat pork, 7th Day Adventists don't eat pork. But the difference is, they don't care if YOU do, as long as they don't have to. I can't pray freely in public or read my Bible on a street corner without getting harassed. If a pastor in Canada says that homosexuality is a sin, he runs the risk of going to jail for 'hate speech'. So why in the name of common sense are entire governments bowing down to one religion's wishes in the name of 'tolerance'? You wanna be a Muslim, be one. That's your business, but please don't think that I am going to set my beliefs aside to make you comfortable. Tolerance and forebearance work both ways and I am really having an issue with non-Muslims being expected to make all of the concessions here. (And yes, I have discussed this issue with my Muslim friends and most of them can't make heads or tails of it either). So, I guess the squeaky wheel really gets the grease huh? While the rest of us just get greased.

Okay, I am now going to finish painting my "Free Piglet" t-shirt while I cook a pound of bacon and feed my dog some S'nausages.

Peace alllll..........

Easier Said Than Done

This is a list of the thoughts that have gone through my head at least once this past week since I decided to be a SAHM.

1. I didn't have a clue that this house was this dirty.
2. How many mismatched pairs of socks are in this house?
3. If I run across a body in this closet I won't be surprised.
4. Is that cheese?
5. Is this candy from this Halloween or last?
6. Can you name dust bunnies?
7. I'm glad that Cheerios are flushable.
8. I'm shocked that my husband doesn't know how to build a fort with blankets and chairs.
9. I'm not so shocked that my husband doesn't know how to really clean a bathroom.

Yep, this whole stay at home mom thing is a lottttt harder than it looks in the magazines people!

As soon as I get my house clean and the laundry done I'll let ya know. Shouldn't take more than a week or two.....if I'm lucky.:)

Peace allllllll

Done Deal

Well, I finally did it. I decided to quit my job in favor of being a stay at home mom for a while. Well, a part time SAHM at least. The rest of the time I will be working for Grover and the painting company, painting murals. The time that I will be working will be limited and it is something that I really enjoy doing, versus something that I am just used to doing.

So call me Grandma Moses and wish me luck on this, the latest fun filled chapter in my life! (Because right now I'm torn between being reeeeeeallllly excited and reaaaaaalllllly terrified;))

Peace alllll............

Listen Up

The Listener

"For who listens to us in all the world, whether he be friend or teacher, brother or father or mother, sister or neighbor, son or ruler or servant? Does he listen, our advocate, or our husbands or wives, those who are dearest to us?

Do the stars listen, when we turn despairingly away from man, or the great winds, or the seas or the mountains? To whom can any man say- Here I am! Behold me in my nakedness, my wounds, my secret grief, my despair, my betrayal, my pain, my tongue which cannot express my sorrow, my terror, my abandonment.

Listen to me for a day - an hour! - a moment!

Lest I expire in my terrible wilderness, my lonely silence! O God, is there no one to listen?

Is there no one to listen? you ask. Ah, yes, there is one who listens, who will always listen. Hasten to Him, my friend! He waits on the hill for you.

For you alone."

Seneca

The most desperate need of man today is not a bigger car, a bigger house, a better job. It is not more associates and acquaintances. It is not more gadgets to keep him insulated from the rest of the world. It is not cell phones, ipods, palm pilots and computers. It is not entertainment...big screen televisions, stereos. It is not lights and noise and activity.

His real need, his most terrible need, his deepest desire is for someone to listen. Not as an afterthought, not while they are busy doing something else. But to sit down and really listen to what he has to say. Those thoughts and fears and dreams which come from their very soul.

We need to tell someone what we think when we are trying to fiugre out why we were born, what our purpose is, what our legacy will be. And we need responses that come from the heart rather than the latest self-help best seller. We need someone to just try to understand....to listen.

I am sure that you have done a lot of talking today....your parents, your kids, your wives and husbands, your friends, your bosses, your co-workers. We have done a lot of talking but have we really listened?

Who have you listened to today? Whose burden have you offered to take up?

Who have you listened to today? Really listened, with patience and kindness, not while you were waiting to do something else, not while you were waiting on your turn to talk.

We were born with a need to express ourselves without fear. We were also born with a need to be heard, truly heard.

Who have you heard today?

Better yet, who have you listened to?

Peace alllll...............

Reality Check

When I was 18, I was going to change the world. I was going to be different. I was going to make a difference. I was going to be like E.F. Hutton....when I talked, people were going to listen. I was anyway.......

20 years later and I realize that life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. I'm different alright;).......sometimes that's a good thing and other times, well.....maybe not so much.

Who knew that when I was making all of those plans 20 years ago, that today I would be dealing with two toddlers with colds, snotty noses, a household that looks like it was just turned upside down and a dog who likes to chew on the handles of my husband's tools?

Who knew back then that the only thing that I would have managed to change today is my clothes? (and I consider myself fortunate to be able to do that;))

Who knew?? Not me.

And looking back, if I could change anything that got me to this point today, would I change anything? Anything at all?

Not a thing:)

The kids will eventually get over their colds, the house will one day be clean (yeah, right...one day), the dog will understand what a Jumbone is for and I will be able to take a leisurely bubble bath, versus a 5 minute shower with the bathroom door open while the kids are napping. So,things change on their own. They don't need my interference.

So, if I had the power to change it I wouldn't. My life may not be as glamorous or as high profile as I had thought it would be when I was 18. I may not be rich, or famous, or stunningly beautiful. But look what I got in return...Josh, Lou, Boo and Grover. Who in their right mind would give that up?

Not me.

Yeah, they're loud, messy, sometimes grouchy and always funny. But they're mine:)

(See, I told y'all I was a little nuts;))

Peace allllll............

Remind Me Never To Do This Again.....Until Next Year

Well, this past Saturday night was my much aniticipated Halloween party for the kiddies. What fun, what fun, what fun we did have! Just a few glitches:

1. We were expecting 15-20 kids to show up at this shindig. HOWEVER, the other neighborhood kids just looked so pitiful we told 'em to come on in and stay a while. So the group went from 20 to 50 in about 10 minutes. The more the merrier I always say (I'm just reallllly glad we bought all that extra "just in case" candy:)...not to mention the air horn came in really handy as well;))

2. My best friend's cousin-in-law made the pinatas. Two of them. Now, she didn't know that most pinatas have a little thin spot in the middle to help with the breaking process. So hers did not have one. In other words, they were just like little boulders on strings. We had to have two grown men finally, FINALLY break them open for the kids...five good whacks with really big sticks. Okay, so we'll know better next time;)

3. We had kids over there and we didn't know who some of them were and where their parents were. So, we fed them, candied them and waited for their grown people to come and get them...didn't take too long. But I don't know how you can let your little one go over to someone's house that you really don't know and just leave them. Good thing we're safe, normal, sane people. (okay, okay....scratch the sane part....and the normal;))

All in all we had a great time.....even though it took about 24 hours to clean up all the mess.....and I don't even want to THINK about that many kids in one place for at least another year.

Not sure if we'll have many trick or treaters around the neighborhood tonight, but I've got plenty of leftover candy just in case. Oh, by the way, did you know that if you don't get the candy mix for candied apples JUST right that it will eventually slide off of your apples?? I didn't either but I do now. Oh well, live and learn.

I will not clean my house today...I'm still trying to figure out how to get melted chocolate out of my socks. (Don't ask..it's a long story).

Happy Halloween everybody!!!!

Peace allllll.......

One of These Days

One of these days:

I will have a clean house for over 2 hours at a time.
I will find a job that I truly enjoy.
I will look in the mirror and like what I see.
I will be able to say something tactfully;)
I will tell my boss(es) off and leave for something better.
I will tell those girls with the belly button rings how ridiculous they are going to look in 20 years.

I will be my own boss.
I will wear ugly hats and sit on the front porch with my cat.
I will be known as 'the really cool old lady down the street';)
I will have pretty feet.

I will buy a belt for every man I see with sagging pants.
I will buy an extra yard of material for every girl I see with not enough clothes on.

I will be satisfied.
All of my questions will be answered.
I will not grieve any more.
I will be a role model.

I will look back on all of this and laugh....and maybe cry a little too.

One of these days is not today....
But one day it will be.

Peace alllll...........

Rosa

Thank you Rosa Parks.

Thank you for expecting to be treated like an equal at a time when equality was unheard of.

Thank you for 'standing up by sitting down'.

Thank you for being at the forefront of the civil rights movement without even realizing it at the time.

Thank you for living a life of dignity when there are so many who have abandoned that principle.

Thank you for not being interested in your 15 minutes of fame but rather your lifetime of influence.

Thank you for being good, kind and decent. There are fewer and fewer who are and now there is one less.

Thank you for being one of my heroes.

God bless you and yours.

Peace alllll..........

Bizarro Family of the Year Update

Lukas is three years old. You would think that his favorite programs would be....oh, I don't know....Barney, Blue's Clues, Dora..something like that right? Oh, nooooooo....not my child! His favorite shows all come on one channel....The Food Network....that's right...the food channel. Do you know how tired I am of watching Emeril, Everyday Italian and the Barefoot Contessa???? Yeah, I've improved my cooking skills but that is not the point.

We just got a new addition to my already fun filled family: a fox terrier named Foxy (yeah, I know...how unique. That was already her name when we got her) Our apartment managers gave her to us because they had rescued her from an abusive home and thought we would be the perfect people to take care of her. She's still really skittish but she's coming around slowly but surely. The kids absolutely adore her. (Lukas won't give me a kiss but he'll kiss the dog when she's not looking. Go figure.) And she has already developed a serious taste for macaroni and cheese (Alpo London Broil I buy this dog and she wants mac and cheese.) I figure a few months of living with us and she'll be losing Grover's keys too.

Jakob is in the terrible twos full force. He runs full speed through the house as often as possible and yells as loudly as possible. No reason....he just likes to yell. Not like the 'oh, I'm pitching a fit' yelling but the 'oh, I'm at a football game' yelling. And when the dog licks him in the face, he just licks her in the face right back.

Grover is still Grover....working all the time, sleeping when he can, grouchy most of the time and he still hasn't learned how to wash the pans in the kitchen. However, he has learned how to give the kids a bath when I ask him to. What? Do it when I don't ask him to? Now that would be too much for me to take.;) He also is still telling corny jokes. For example:

Two snails were in a car race. (Don't ask how a snail can drive a car....I don't know) Anyway, to identify the cars, each one had a letter on them. The blue car had a "B" on it. The red car had an "S" on it. In the middle of the race, the red car pulled away from the blue car and was well on his way to winning the race. The snail announcer became so excited that he shouted "Look at that S car go!!!. Get it?? Snails....S car go (escargot)???

This is what I live with. Someone please help me. Please.

And now my children are sharing a coffee cup of BBQ chips with the dog. Why a coffee cup? Why BBQ chips? Why the dog? If I could answer those questions that whole 'meaning of life' question would be a snap ya think?

Peace alllll.............

Bracelets, Baubles and Other Trinkets

Sorry I have been slow to post lately.....lots of hours at work and lots of work at home. It won't happen again....today anyway;)

I have noticed a lot of people wearing these bracelet things lately. You know the ones...."Live Strong", "Hope", "Freedom". And quite frankly, I hate 'em. I don't hate the concepts, mind you. Living strong and being hopeful are certainly admirable and freedom is something I don't take lightly. I think that may be why I have a problem with these bracelets. It's the same problem I have with the ribbon craze....you know the red ones for aids, the pink ones for breast cancer, the yellow ones to show support for our troops.

Now before you all get in a tizzy, let me explain myself......it all started off with a cross.

I am a Christian. Anyone that knows me knows this. I have one cross. It is the one that Grover gave me a long time ago. It belonged to his dad and I was quite moved that he gave it me because he and his father were very close. It means a lot to me. I don't wear it very often, however, mainly because I 'm kinda tough on jewelry and I don't want to accidentally break the chain. I also don't find it necessary to wear it all the time because I don't need a piece of jewelry to advertise what I am. Talk to me long enough and you will find out what I am and what I am about. (Not to mention there are plenty of people who wear crosses all the time and the word "God" never escapes their lips unless it is in the middle of a curse word....but that's another story for another day.) Christianity is my lifestyle. It is about who I am, not what I wear. It is not about paraphenalia.

Same thing goes with the bracelets. You wanna live strong? Then do it. You wanna be hopeful and fight for freedom? Then do it. Don't advertise it. Don't fall into these ridiculous trends just because you want to appear fashionable and cover it with a label of social consciousness.

Ribbons? Do I support aids research? I most certainly do. I have a couple of friends who have died from this disease and I have seen the absolute horror of it. Breast cancer research. Yes I support that as well. Our military? I wholeheartedly support our armed forces. I may not agree with this particular war, but I certainly support the men and women who are fighting it for us.

See, the thing is....when I say I support something......that's what I do. I donate money and time to aids research, breast cancer research, the homeless, the hungry, the abused. I don't, however, walk around with some pointless accessory to let everyone else know about it before they even speak to me. Trust me, talk to me for 5 minutes and you will know what I support and what I don't.

The Bible says that when you do something for someone, do it in private. Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back for it and don't make a big production of it. See, it's not really the rest of the world at large's business what you are doing for someone else. As long as you know it and God knows it, that's all that really matters.

And I don't think that something as important as aids, breast cancer, the abused, the homeless, the hungry, the impoverished and so on and so forth should be reduced to a trinket. That in and of itself is absolutely insulting to me.

If people would take the money that they spend on these bracelets, ribbons and 0ther baubles and actually donate it directly to the charity of their choice, then maybe they would actually start BEING socially concious instead of just looking like they are.

Peace allllll............

Confusion Ahead

The temperatures around here have not gone above 82 degrees this week and that means only one thing: SUMMER IS OVER!!!!!!! Ah, what a glorious feeling....oh, what a glorious day! I have made it through another summer season and am reaping my reward of cool, crisp, clear fall weather:)

We are forging ahead with our work for the Halloween party for the kids. We are making two pinatas....a pumpkin and a spider...which are medium sized. I have 50 pounds of candy to fill them with. Will that be enough? I'm a pinata virgin so I really don't know. I am also making a haunted gingerbread house....my first gingerbread house ever. (I'm okay at the arts things....just the crafts things I have never really tried my hand at so.....anyway....moving on.)

Parents: a question for you. Do you ever feel like a split personality, kind of like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing sometimes? I mean, you are one thing for your kids....you love them and nurture them and try your absolute best to lead by example....but sometimes you are another thing completely around grown-ups or co-workers (which are not always the same thing ya know;)). Let me explain my situation here...

At home, I love playing with my kids, doing stuff with them, having quality time, snuggle time..I just absolutely LOVE being a parent. I try to teach them to be nice, and to resolve disputes peacefully as much as I can.

At work, I am sometimes referred to as a 'pit bull'. The reason for this: you all know that I work 3rd shift at my local IHOP...well, sometimes we have a customer(s) who are drunk, rude, belligerent or all of the above. When one of my co-workers has a customer or customers who are giving them a hard time, they ask me to please go and deal with them. This may be because I am loud, or because I am not intimidated by most people or it may be simply that I will not, ever, let a customer reduce me to tears. Don't get me wrong, most of our customers are very nice people. But occasionally (2 or 3 times a week), we have some people in there who have to be educated about proper restaurant etiquette and my 'teaching methods' have been known to be quite effective.

My problem is my kids don't know me as this person .....they know me as 'mom'. (some of my customers call me 'mom' too but that is a whole other story for another day:)) And I often feel like two people sometimes with one shared, very confused brain.

Sometimes I want my kids to know me as a real person one day. Sometimes I don't want to disappoint them with the reality of me so I just want them to know me as "mom" for as long as possible. Is this confusing you? Not half as much as it is me.

I read a drunk woman the riot act the other night because she referred to one of my co-workers as a b**** because we were out of carry out boxes (don't shoot the messenger right?) and then I went home and made my kids bacon and eggs for breakfast like any other mom.

The older I get the dumber I feel sometimes.

I think I'll go bake something now;)

Peace alllll........

7's, 5 and 3's

I got this from Bav/Andrea, who got it from someone else. Anyhoo, I decided I liked it so here goes:

7 things I plan to do before I die:

1. Stop smoking completely
2. Learn how to ballroom dance
3. Watch my kids grow up
4. Become a grandmother (after my kids grow up of course....no babies having babies for me please!)
5. Get my degree in Romance Languages
6. Write a book (it may never be published but I'm gonna write it anyway!)
7. Design and grow a real English tea garden


7 things I can do:

1. Speak three languages
2. Calligraphy
3. Offend people (I am a little pushy ya know;))
4. Car repair (good for every woman to know)
5. Multi-task
6. Make up a good bedtime story
7. Carry two kids on my back while playing horsey


7 things I cannot do:

1. Fry chicken
2. Sew (Grover does that!)
3. Swim
4. Shut up
5. Origami (tried it....just can't get the hang of it)
6. Rub my belly and pat my head (or vice versa) at the same time
7. Wiggle my ears


7 things that attract me to my husband:

1. Beautiful eyes that change color depending on his mood ...from light blue to blue green to bright green
2. Great legs....great, great legs
3. An almost bald head
4. A wicked sense of humor
5. His work ethic
6. The finger that he broke that's now kind of not exactly straight but not crooked either
7. His nose (I have a thing for ....ahem....'unique' noses (aka big noses;))


7 things that I say most often:

1. Lukas....stop that!
2. Jakob....stop that!
3. Come on with it
4. Peace
5. Let's get it done
6. What's goin' on?
7. Take it easy


7 celebrity crushes:

1. Victor Garber
2. Kevin Spacey
3. Anthony Hopkins
4. Jeremy Irons
5. Vin Diesel (don't ask)
6. Hugh Laurie
7. Lou Ferrigno (a holdover from my childhood:))


5 things about myself:

1. I laugh like a braying donkey
2. I am loud
3. I have horrendously ugly feet
4. I have one tattoo on my upper right arm (a phoenix)
5. I am ambidexterous


MY CLOSET

3 Random Facts About My Closet:

1. It's too small
2. It has a light in it
3. It's too small!!

3 Items I've Never Worn But Still Haven't Tossed Out:

1. A pair of waaaaay too small jeans (hey, I'll be that size one day!)
2. A maroon turtleneck
3. A pair of faux snakeskin pumps (they were a gift)


3 Items I Never Get Rid Of No Matter How Ugly They Get:

1. My Winnie the Pooh sleepshirt
2. My old turnover fuzzy houseshoes
3. My plaid sleeping pants


3 Items People Wouldn't Expect to Find in My Closet:

1. Two knives
2. A boxcutter
3. A bag of rocks (from Canada...they're Grover's....I don't know either)


3 Items That Made Me Go "What Was I Thinking?"

1. A fuzzy red pullover
2. A pair of MC Hammer-esque pants
3. A lime green t-shirt with spaghetti straps


3 Things I Have A Surprising Number Of:

1. Socks
2. Hair clips
3. Rubberbands


3 Dominant Colors In My Wardrobe:

1. Blue
2. Green
3. Brown


3 Items That Never Fail To Put Me In A Good Mood When I Wear Them:

1. The cross that Grover gave me years ago that belonged to his dad
2. My overly big sweatshirt (if it's cold enough to wear it that means summer is OVER!)
3. Fuzzy socks

If you actually read all of this, bless you for tenacity!

Anyone who wants to do this one just jump on the bandwagon!!

Peace allllll...........

Gripes

In my line of work, I have ample opportunity to do something that I really enjoy...watch people. Since I was a little kid, I have had a fascination with people. I love to talk to them, to observe them, to see how they interact with one another, to try to figure out what makes them tick. I have an insatiable curiousity when it comes to how the wheels turn in a person's mind. Sometimes, I am pleasantly surprised;however, as of late, it seems that people, by and large are becoming....well....shallow.

I don't know when it became fashionable in our society to become so self-absorbed. Did it start with our parents and their unwillingness to 'damage' our psyche with such concepts as remorse, shame and accountability? Or did it start with my generation? The teens of the 80's (the biggest ME generation that has ever been)? Or did it start more recently, with our college students and their overwhelming sense of hubris and pomposity?

And, once it started, when did it become OKAY? Okay to think of no one other than yourself, okay to have the attitude of 'screw the world, I've got mine'? When did it become OKAY to acknowledge only your rights and never your responsibilities?

Money=class.....when did this become an accepted school of thought? Why do so many haves look down their noses at the have nots?

Why do so many 'children of privilege' not have a clue about what it means to actually work for a living? I understand the concept that parents want their children to have a better, easier life than they have had. I certainly do not want my kids to go through some of the things that I have had to go through in my life. However, what is wrong in raising kids with a sense of common courtesty, social responsibility and a real work ethic?

What is wrong with teaching kids to say 'thank you' and to hold a door open for someone? What is right with teaching kids that they are the big dogs on the porch?

I am full up to my eyeballs with rude people. People who think that common courtesy and civility are for everyone else, not them. The ones who think that 'me first' is actually okay. The ones who think they are the only reason for this world's existence. I have a couple of points for them to consider:

1. The world does NOT revolve around you. Never has, never will.
2. Money does NOT equal class. You can have all the money in the world and still be a tacky, classless slug.
3. You are NOT the beginning and end of my existence. Your thoughts and opinions have very little relevance to the rest of the world, just like mine don't.
4. No one cares if you are in a hurry, or a huff. Get over yourself.
5. I don't have to like you and you don't have to like me.....but can't we at least do that mutual civility thing? It really works well.

Well, as usual, I have probably made no sense to anyone but myself today. But, I have grown used to that over the years.;)

Peace alllll.............

Aftermath

My feet are numb.....still. My back is sore....still. And I have been having this recurring dream where I am being chased by a Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity. Every year I know this is going to happen on A&M homecoming weekend and every year I lack the common sense to just go out of town instead of going to work.

But, on the plus side, my voice is back...much to the dismay of the many drunks I have had to yell at over the past couple of days:)

Now I just have to clean my house. I know there's one here under all this mess.

Peace alllll.......

P.S. Thanks for all of the laryngitis remedies! I pretty much tried them all, so I don't know which one did the trick but one of 'em did!

Back to Work

My off days for the week are through. Tonight begins a weekend of festivity for me....yeah , right. One of our local colleges (Alabama A&M) is having their Homecoming game this Saturday. This means that they will start all of their pre-parties tonight and it will continue until well after the game Saturday night going into Sunday morning. What does this mean to me? Business.....lots and lots of business. Quite possibly ugly business at that. See, this is like the second busiest weekend of the year (asided from Oakwood alumni weekend, which is a whole different annoying animal) and the final score of the game will determine how rude my customers are this weekend. They will be rude of course....that's a given. But the worse the game goes, the ruder they get......what fun!;) Still, there is always the standard 15% on parties of six or more (thank God for that or I wouldn't make any money at all this week) and there will be several, several of those.

Plus, I still sound like a frog so I hope I don't have to yell at anyone this weekend. There goes all of my fun;).

Wish me luck good peoples!!! I'm gonna need it!

Peace alllll.......

Speaking Of.....

nothing.......I have laryngitis. It first started last weekend (not this past weekend but the one before that)....I was really, really hoarse and once I had a couple of days off I was fine. Then I went back to work and by the time the weekend was over I was hoarse again. Now my voice is almost completely gone. Does anyone have any home remedies for laryngitis? I know the number one thing is to rest your throat and not speak if at all possible but....I have toddlers and I am required to do a lot of talking (if not yelling;)) in my job. So if anyone at all has any type of home remedy, folk cure....anything, please let me know.

One more thing.....why, when someone knows you cannot speak any louder than a whisper, do they choose that time to ask you to repeat yourself?? Just curious.

Peace alllll........

Memories of Norman

My father loved Tammy Wynette. Most of you probably don't know who she was. She was a wonderful country singer of the 60's, 70's and 80's. Her classic hit "Stand By Your Man" is still played today. But, I digress......

My father also, as most of you know, was a raging drunk. One of the things that he liked to do when he was drunk was listen to Tammy Wynette. I never had a problem with that in theory. It was the WAY he used to do it that was a little.....different.

He would knock back a couple of six packs on a Saturday morning to start the fun. Then he would go in my room or my sister's room and get our record player. Not a stereo, not a CD player, but a real live little kids record player. (Yeah, I know ....most people don't remember those either;)) He would then proceed to take this record player out on the front porch. You heard me....the front porch. Then he would get his collection of Tammy Wynette records out (about 20 of them) put one on the record player and turn it up all the way. He would then lie down on the front porch, listen to Tammy and cry. Yes, cry......loudly.....very loudly. So, when I came home from playing at a friend's house, there would be Norman....lying on the front porch, schnockered out of his skull, wailing over Tammy. When he got drunk enough, he would pass out on the porch and we would go and get the record player and the records and put them back in the house. Him? Well, we learned after a few rounds of this that he was just too heavy to move....so we left him there. Sound like a horrible thing for us to do? Well, as a 9 year old I was also smart enough to know that it was better to have him sleeping on the front porch drunk than in the house awake wearing his drunk out on us.

As the years went on my father continued and perfected his ability to pass out on the front porch. Not always with music...but always just in time for me to come home from school. By the time I was in high school my parents had long since divorced but good ole Norman still came around occasionally to catch a porch nap. I remember one day my friend Val had given me a ride home and she had to come in the house for something...I forget what. But as we pulled up I saw my father drunk, lounging on the porch, right in front of the front door. I was mortified. But Val parked the car, got out, walked up to the porch with me, stepped over him, said "Hey, Norman, what's up?", got what she needed and left. She has never said a word about it to this day. For this she has my eternal gratitude.

Once my mom called the cops on Norman because he was drunk and raising a ruckus. However, this was back in the day when the police would not remove a man from his home just because he was drunk and being a jerk. The cop told my mom that the only way he could arrest Norman was if he was in the street drunk or even on the curb. Then they left. So my mom waited until Norman passed out, then rolled him down to the edge of the yard. He was arrested for public intoxication. Horrible? Once again, better him sleeping it off in the drunk tank than terrorizing the house with it.

There were occasions where my father was sober....not many but there were a few. And when he was sober, he was one of the most charming, urbane, witty people you could ever meet. He could tell a tall tale and make you believe it was the gospel truth when you knew it was a lie. He was brilliant, he could make you laugh at just about anything....and he could make you forget for a time what a monster he could be. I just wish that there could have been more of the good days.....but I'll take what I can get.

And, looking back, the incidents with Tammy and the front porch were really quite funny. Maybe not so much at the time but.......(did I ever tell you that I inherited my father's sense of humor too?)

And one of the reasons that I don't drink is that I just love Patsy Cline and Luther Vandross waaaaay too much decimate their music like that;)

Peace alllll.............

Random Happenings Around The House

Joshua has joined the Boy Scouts. He joined last week. And oh my goodness, what a round of excitement this has generated in my home. See, Grover is an Eagle Scout and has always considered his experience in the Scouts to be one of the greatest times of his life. So, fast forward 20 years and now he gets to impart all of his knowledge to a younger generation. (Of course, he is going to be an Assistant Scout Master, what else?) We had always planned on Lou and Boo being Cub Scouts but this is like Christmas come early for Grover. It's really cute to see him all excited over it. (Seriously, the man couldn't even sleep last night!)

I am throwing a Halloween party for the kids next month. We really don't like them all going trick or treating because so few people around here actually give out candy any more. And we could take them to the church festival but there are so many people there and trying to keep up with little kids in the midst of all those people and all that noise is a daunting task for even the most active of parents. Soooo, to save time and trouble, Grover and I decided to have a party for all the kids that we know...friends and extended family. It's still in the early planning stages but all the grown ups we know have come on board and it looks like it might turn out to be a lot of fun. If any of you have any suggestions for any kind of games or activities, they are more than welcome.

The painting business is finally starting to get warmed up. We have the contract for our apartment complex to start doing the rip-outs next month when they start renovating...so between that and two other full time jobs and Scout meetings and kids and the holidays coming up......well, I may get to sleep sometime around January.

Oh, dear, I think I may actually be a soccer mom in the making...and given the fact that I was the punk rocker in high school with the safety pins in my face and the shaved head....now THAT'S funny.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go bake some cookies.....or something like that.

Peace allll.........

38....Not Just A Bra Size

I am 38....there....I said it. And it feels good. It feels very good.

I was reading CCB's blog earlier today and he was listing the advantages of growing older. And I must say that I agree with alllll of them (except the silver haired fox thing...you're right...that only works for guys;)) And I also must say that I am sooo grateful to be where I am now in my life.

When I was 18 I thought that was great too...looking back however, I realize that there was just so much about the real world that I didn't know....I just thought I did at the time.

When I was 25 I was depressed about being 'a quarter of a century old'. (of course at the time I didn't realize that I was in the prime of my youth....not the prime of my life mind you, and there is a difference.) And I spent most of my 20's feeling kind of dumb and inexperienced about life in general....there was so much I didn't know how to do and so much that I wanted to learn. So I spent a lot of time trying to impress people.

When I was 30, I still felt like I was in my 20's...still kind of dumb and wondering where the heck my life was actually going.

When I was 33, I was feeling my youth slip away and was trying desperately to stop it. Two jobs, school....run, run, run all the time.

When I was 35, I was having my 'oh my goodness, I am soooo close to 40' phase. That was not a good year because I still didn't understand that being thisohsoclose to 40 was not a bad thing.

Now, I am 38.....I realize that there is still a lot about the world that I don't know, I still feel kind of dumb somedays and I still don't really know where the heck my life is going. But I do know that it's been a good life so far. Moments may have sucked but all in all it hasn't been too bad. And what has been too bad I have managed to get through with most of my sanity and my sense of humor intact.

I still enjoy talking to the 20 somethings when they ask me for advice (one of the great things about being 'older' is people think you are so much smarter than you actually are;)), I like being called ma'am (sometimes)...and I can publicly announce that I actually do listen to Barry Manilow...and enjoy it.

There is just something about being over the age of 35 that is very liberating....something that makes you just not really care what other people think of you. And it makes life a whole lot more fun.

And in a couple of years I'll be 40....that oughta be a blast. I can officially start wearing really ugly clothes and funny hats...after all, that's what southern women over the age of 40 do isn't it?

Peace alll..........

Smoking or Non?

I am a smoker....a cigarette smoker that is. I don't smoke as much as I used to but I still smoke. I don't smoke around the kids and I smoke outside my house when I do smoke at home so that is not a problem. I am used to that.

In accordance with a new city ordinance, my workplace is now non-smoking as well. All non-smoking. It is taking its toll on our business for the moment but I am sure that will be only temporary. People will get used to it and I don't really have a problem with that part of it. This is the part I have a problem with: we have a break area for (smoking) employees in the kitchen by the office (about 30 feet away from any food prep areas). Non-smoking employees have always been allowed to sit out in the dining room on their breaks and that has never been a problem for me either. I don't really want my non-smoking customers to see me smoking either. (Just a politeness thing I guess)

However, according to this new ordinance, smoking employees will have to smoke outside, 25 feet away from the building. This is where I have a small issue. During the daytime hours, even during the early evening hours, this is perfectly fine. But I work from 10 pm until 6 am. Which means if I want a cigarette at 3 in the morning, I have to go out the back door, walk to the dumpster and smoke in the middle of the night....alone. Now this does not seem to be an even reasonably safe practice in my opinion. I know a lot of the more militant non-smokers will say "well, quit smoking then". And yes, for my health's sake I probably should. But shouldn't that be my decision and not local government's? If I am not anywhere in the vicinity of non-smokers (so that I am not infecting them with my second-hand smoke), if I am in the break room in the back of the house, nowhere near customers or food handling areas...then what is really the point? It's not the fact that I would be annoying customers, or endangering them. It is simply, in my opinion, (my opinion only) another way of the government attempting to make the general population cow to their wishes. It is an attempt by our government to regulate my personal actions.

Now, please don't take me the wrong way. I know that smoking is unhealthy and I would not jeopardize anyone else's health by smoking around them, and I know that not everyone is polite with their bad habits and we have to have some sort of rules or else people would do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. However, the issue here really isn't about smoking. It is about the systematic stripping away of our personal freedoms. You can't smoke here today......you can't eat beef jerky tomorrow. You can't eat beef jerky tomorrow and next month you can't marry the man you are in love with because you might not produce aesthecially pleasing children. Think that you reallllly have freedom of speech? Not with the Echelon system firmly in place you don't. You think that the government doesn't know more about your life than you do? Think twice.

To most people this post may sound like the ramblings of a paranoid individual. Not so. If I were paranoid, I would think that everyone was out to get me. As it is now, I have a lot more trust in a stranger on the street than I do my own government. They are already in our workplaces, our streetlights, our computer systems and who knows where else. Where does it end? Does it end when OUR government bans lip synching or tells us we can only have two children per household? We are supposed to be the best government in the world, the model of democracy....a government by the people and for the people, not exclusively for a bunch of old, rich white guys in Washington.

Before I get slammed with a lot of those "you are anti-American" comments, let me make one thing perfectly clear. I love my country. I LOVE MY COUNTRY. It is the best country in the world, bar none. It's our government that I hate. So my mayor can put that in her pipe and smoke it....outside by the dumpster with me.

Peace alllll..........

Man Oh Man

I really hate to complain but sometimes it seems as if women got the short end of the stick on this whole 'man/woman partnership' thing. I know Eve was the first one to bite the apple (or whatever fruit it was) and Adam merely followed her lead. But consider:

1. Women not only have to be the ones who are pregnant for 9 months and then give birth (16 hours of agonizing labor I tell ya....16 HOURS!! (sorry ...just practicing for my son's guilt trip in a few years;))) but we also have: menstrual cycles, PMS, hormonal imbalances, possible osteoperosis and mustaches after a certain age.

2. Older men are considered "dignified", "sophisticated", "sexy". Older women are considered " little old ladies".

3. Most of the time, women are responsible for the whole birth control thing. (Don't even get me started on that)

4. It is far more acceptable for men to walk around with beer guts and saggy pants than it is a woman. (not that I aspire to do that but that's not the point.)

5. Everytime a woman gets upset, so many people assume that "it's that time of the month". When men get upset, they can do so freely and simply be considered a jerk, not a premenstrual jerk.

6. There is still a social stigma attached to older women/younger men...but older men can walk around with some vacant eyed 18 year old girl and their friends are like "HOORAH!" (not realizing they both look equally ridiculous)

7. Women have to wear bras. Men can't even keep their underwear clean.

8.Men will never know the joy of walking around all day in high heeled shoes, control top pantyhose, and enough makeup to cover up how they REALLY look. They also have never had to sleep on curlers.

9. Men can go outside bare chested and not get arrested. Laughed at, maybe, but not put in jail for it.

10. A man can still refer to his wife as 'the little woman' but I have never heard a woman refer to her husband as 'the little man'.

One of these days, when I am 105 and have a lot more to vent about, when I get to Heaven, Eve and I are going to have a reallllly long talk.

Peace allll.............

Moona!!

My, how you have gone from such a serious one year old to such a goofy 12 year old! Just wanted to tell ya HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY my biggest boy.....just one more year and you'll be an official teenager. Now if only time would slow up just a bit so I can enjoy this as long as possible.:)

Love ya Josh!!!!