Or however you spell it. So here we are at the end of yet another year. How we got here I couldn't tell ya. All I know is it's about to be 2009 and I'm not quite ready.
In 6th grade my Occupational Investigation teacher (I love you Mr. Mayfield. I pray that you are frolicking with angels and watching your family with love) showed us a quick video done by a comedian that basically said when you're a kid, life is so slow. But once you hit about 30, everything moves in super speed. Well, I'm passed 30 and life is moving in SUPERSPEED. That video has stuck with me all this time and it hits me every now and then. I look at my kids and gasp at where they are in the life circle.
We are done with our first half of school. When it started it seemed like it would never end. We had a huge curriculum that I thought I was crazy to have tackled. But we got through it. Sometimes not well, and sometimes not pretty, but we got through it.
I realized that I took on too much. Not just school, but dance and co-ops and JAM. Not that we wouldn't have done it anyway, but the manner in which I did them was too much. We are in town four days a week for dance. There are four of us dancing and we each have a different day. Sometimes two co-ops a week. And a very full Wednesday. But here's what I've learned, and how we will do things differently.
I can no longer take on so much responsibility at JAM. It was too much for me and too much for my kids. We were at church some weeks four and five days, just trying to coordinate JAM stuff. I cannot do that anymore. The kids suffer, their school work suffers, and I suffer. I get stressed out, which I take out on the kids. I'm not always available to help them with problems in their school work. We'll do it later became my mantra. They shouldn't be doing work at 6 at night because I had to run to the church and do one quick thing that actually took 2 hours. So although I am not resigning, I will not compromise my children's work and their self esteem to do one more quick thing. That will have to be done by someone other than me.
Our co-ops are fun for the kids, and for me, too. But now our days will not be as work intensive as they have been on those days. We get done what we get done. If all the math problems don't get done, we'll work around it. Do you have the basic concept? Can you demonstrate that concept effectively? Then only do 10 problems instead of 25. That is a fantastic flexibility that I refuse to give up. If you know something, you don't have to show me 25 times that you know it. And whatever needs to get done, will get done. That means I take my time for myself during non-school hours. Like that's a big change.
And I have learned not to expect so much of myself. If the bathroom doesn't get cleaned twice a week, stressing about it doesn't get it cleaned. It will get that way again. And delegation is crucial. The big girl started hanging up all her own clothes. So that's one more person that puts away their own laundry. And one more chore off of me. My shoulders feel a little lighter already. The baby started cleaning her own room. The big girl helps sometimes which takes a huge burden off me. I can spend that time eating bon bons while laying on the couch watching soaps all day. Hold on, laugh break. Just let me wipe my tears of laughter and blow my nose real quick.
So hopefully, 2009 will also bring insight into myself and the dynamic of my family. 2008 was good and fruitful and brought lots of opportunity for love and laughter and joy. I have a small party planned with a very handsome man and three of my favorite little people. Maybe smallish people, because they are not as little as they used to be. Enjoy your celebrations, whatever they may be. And may the new year bring new and joyous opportunities.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Funny strange or...
funny ha ha? God sure has a sense of humor. And sometimes I'm the butt of the joke. That's the part that I don't like. But let me start at the beginning.
Hubby has been dealing with a new computer system at work. The system wasn't meant for telephone work. It has been rearranged and reprogrammed and all kinds of fun things just for his company. The test markets didn't test well. That should have been clue number one, but when trying to sell a company, instead of focusing on the positives of the company like the work force, the company tried to get automated and look high tech.
It didn't test well because the techs in the test areas didn't want the system. They complained and complained, productivity went down, and major problems insued, one being a total revamping of the system. But instead of finding out why, the company proceeded to launch the new software.
Now I should preface any further remarks by saying that stupid is as stupid does. And higher ups that are stupid really piss me off. Don't get me started on the bailout that I didn't want. Anyway...
There have been so many complaints about the new system that I think hubby's boss stopped taking phone calls and asked for emails. I can understand. That way he has them all in one place and can access them instead of trying to remember everything or finding all his post it notes. Been there, done that. And still the bugs are rampant. I could fix the system, but nobody wants to listen to me.
The system can extend your roster, or the time that you are supposed to clock out. That means if there is overtime available, it will let you know automatically. Only it hasn't been. Well it almost did. It would extend hubby's time, but then there wouldn't be any jobs available. So he would call up the dispatch people and they would tell him no jobs. Only when he got to work the next day, they had carried over 4, 5, or 6 jobs. But the computer and the dispatch people didn't see them. So hubby has missed out on several hours of overtime this week.
We shouldn't depend on overtime, but we do. We need it to make the mortgage, pay the bills, put gas in the cars, buy groceries. You know the drill. Without overtime, we sink. We don't even have lifejackets. So because of this crazy system, we are floundering. Until tonight.
It seems that the powers that be are trying to get a handle on things, finally. So hubby is working at least until 7. Yeah, overtime. But here's where the story gets really good.
My friend Scott wrote a blog the other day called "Colds are Icky". And guess what? I have a cold. I have a one runny nostril, one clogged nostril, settling deep in my chest cold. I just want to take a hot bath, curl up in my pj's, and pull the covers over my head cold. But hubby won't be home until late and somebody has to take care of the kids. But why me today? Oh, yeah, I'm the mama.
So tonight it's fingerling potatoes baked in the oven, a Pillsbury French loaf, left over penne and broccoli from last night, and a veggie with fake Salisbury steak. The left over penne because if we don't eat it tonight, I'll probably end up thowing it out, and it was too good to throw out. Fake Salisbury steak because I just thawed some hamburger, browned some patties, then added 2 cups of water and a packet of Lipton onion mushroom to make gravy. I also added some fresh mushrooms because I had them and onions because why not. Put the lid on and let it cook for about 30 minutes. And microwave a veggie. Then I'm making some plates for the kids and falling back on the couch.
So God is laughing because I was complaining about no overtime. And now it's here and I want hubby to come home early. I have a cold. And owls are assholes. You have to read Scott's blog to appreciate it. It's an older one, so scroll through. At least the kids have been outside most of the afternoon playing. So they should eat good, shower well, and sleep even better. Whoo!
Hubby has been dealing with a new computer system at work. The system wasn't meant for telephone work. It has been rearranged and reprogrammed and all kinds of fun things just for his company. The test markets didn't test well. That should have been clue number one, but when trying to sell a company, instead of focusing on the positives of the company like the work force, the company tried to get automated and look high tech.
It didn't test well because the techs in the test areas didn't want the system. They complained and complained, productivity went down, and major problems insued, one being a total revamping of the system. But instead of finding out why, the company proceeded to launch the new software.
Now I should preface any further remarks by saying that stupid is as stupid does. And higher ups that are stupid really piss me off. Don't get me started on the bailout that I didn't want. Anyway...
There have been so many complaints about the new system that I think hubby's boss stopped taking phone calls and asked for emails. I can understand. That way he has them all in one place and can access them instead of trying to remember everything or finding all his post it notes. Been there, done that. And still the bugs are rampant. I could fix the system, but nobody wants to listen to me.
The system can extend your roster, or the time that you are supposed to clock out. That means if there is overtime available, it will let you know automatically. Only it hasn't been. Well it almost did. It would extend hubby's time, but then there wouldn't be any jobs available. So he would call up the dispatch people and they would tell him no jobs. Only when he got to work the next day, they had carried over 4, 5, or 6 jobs. But the computer and the dispatch people didn't see them. So hubby has missed out on several hours of overtime this week.
We shouldn't depend on overtime, but we do. We need it to make the mortgage, pay the bills, put gas in the cars, buy groceries. You know the drill. Without overtime, we sink. We don't even have lifejackets. So because of this crazy system, we are floundering. Until tonight.
It seems that the powers that be are trying to get a handle on things, finally. So hubby is working at least until 7. Yeah, overtime. But here's where the story gets really good.
My friend Scott wrote a blog the other day called "Colds are Icky". And guess what? I have a cold. I have a one runny nostril, one clogged nostril, settling deep in my chest cold. I just want to take a hot bath, curl up in my pj's, and pull the covers over my head cold. But hubby won't be home until late and somebody has to take care of the kids. But why me today? Oh, yeah, I'm the mama.
So tonight it's fingerling potatoes baked in the oven, a Pillsbury French loaf, left over penne and broccoli from last night, and a veggie with fake Salisbury steak. The left over penne because if we don't eat it tonight, I'll probably end up thowing it out, and it was too good to throw out. Fake Salisbury steak because I just thawed some hamburger, browned some patties, then added 2 cups of water and a packet of Lipton onion mushroom to make gravy. I also added some fresh mushrooms because I had them and onions because why not. Put the lid on and let it cook for about 30 minutes. And microwave a veggie. Then I'm making some plates for the kids and falling back on the couch.
So God is laughing because I was complaining about no overtime. And now it's here and I want hubby to come home early. I have a cold. And owls are assholes. You have to read Scott's blog to appreciate it. It's an older one, so scroll through. At least the kids have been outside most of the afternoon playing. So they should eat good, shower well, and sleep even better. Whoo!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Merry F-ing Christmas
I always wonder what about this time of year turns people into raving lunatics. Is it that they place too much emphasis on finding just that right present? Or is that they place too much emphasis on things? I think it's a combination of alot of things, but that those two figure pretty high in the balance.
We had to run some errands today. We did the bank, library, post office, and Wal Mart. We should get it straight right now that I have started avoiding that big box store unless I absolutely have to go. Every time I go I feel like screaming "I hate this store!" Anyhoo, all of our errands involved getting out of the car. But my kids were troopers. But some people we ran into were just serious bah-humbugs.
There was a lady at the library who had the look. You know the look. The one that says she just smelled something bad. And it's her. Yeah, not nice. My kids were kind of staring, and I had to refocus their attention on something else. I have also decided that the boy is not allowed to check out books unless they are previously approved. He has been getting books that are well below his reading level. And most of them were read by the time we got back to the house. But the clerk was nice enough and even wished us Happy Holidays. I always say Merry Christmas back. I don't really care if they celebrate Kwanzaa or Hanukka or whatever. They can say that and I would still respond with a Merry Christmas.
The clerks in the post office were a little rude. I understand that they are butt slamming busy this time of year, but really. I didn't ask you to take this job. You accepted this position when it was offered to you. Get the hell over it. I wanted the clerk to run my last minute cards through the happy postage machine and then I would pay for it. She didn't. She handed me 11 stamps. Thank you for letting me play stickers with my kids. I let the kids help and then we all put them in the slot. "Next!", she yelled before I had even put my change in my pocket. And Merry Christmas to you.
And the parking lot at Wal Mart was horrible. The traffic alone to get into the parking lot was miserable. People just don't want to wait. And if they do, they don't want to wait for long. I had two people do the daredevil pulling out in front of me stunt. I told the kids, stay close, it's a madhouse. The boy was funny. We had been in the store all of 2 minutes, when he said he thought it was just the parking lot. But the store was crazy, too. He makes me laugh. I told him that's why I wanted him to stay close.
And nobody had any patience in the store. People were just running their carts wherever they could, not giving anyone an inch. My poor kids. At one point they had to let go of the cart to get through a small space. Then somebody got between us. I pulled over until they could catch up, which got me a couple of rude looks. They're lucky I didn't push all the carts out of the way to get to my kids. It wasn't the baby, though. She stayed with me.
And speaking of the baby. She copped a little attitude with her brother at one point. But don't feel bad for him. He has a tendency to treat her like crap, so sometimes he gets what he deserves. Unfortunately, when it was time to say goodbye to the lobsters in the seafood department, she didn't want to go. I had to literally drag her back to the cart. Then the litle bugger let go of my hand and tripped on her shoe. Her sprawling out in the middle of the floor of WalMart made me look really bad. Then as I'm trying to talk to her about it, some old guy starts "Oh, poor baby" crap. Dude, I do not need your help. I really hope I don't see it on the news. I don't have time to go to jail before Christmas, because it looked like I flung her to the ground. Great.
And the cashier. She was another one that looked like she smelled something bad. No personality, no smile, no nothing. The boy was loading the cart for me, my big helper. When I asked him if that was everything, she barks, "That's it." Okay, and thank you. And Merry Christmas to you. And the parking lot was no better on our way out than in. People still trying to pull out in front of me. As I was backing out, a car stopped to get my spot. They could have stopped a little sooner and actually given me room to back out. I had to do a three point turn. Merry Christmas.
And through it all, I just smiled. My Christmas shopping is done, Santa is coming, and I get to open my big box in two days. And God gave us a Savior in his son Jesus. Aaahh!
I know why people get stressed out during this time, and I can say I have to try really hard not to give in. But common courtesy and a smile seem to get me through. That and blogging about it. Thank goodness for a blog.
If I don't blog between now and Christmas, have a great one. Please read the Christmas Story, Luke 2:1-20. Also read about the angel's visit to Mary in Luke 1:26-38. Matthew 1:18-25 is Joseph's story. I urge all of you to focus some time on the real meaning of Christmas and to keep Christ in Christmas. Enjoy the fact that we have a Savior that was sent to us. And enjoy your time with those that you call family.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We had to run some errands today. We did the bank, library, post office, and Wal Mart. We should get it straight right now that I have started avoiding that big box store unless I absolutely have to go. Every time I go I feel like screaming "I hate this store!" Anyhoo, all of our errands involved getting out of the car. But my kids were troopers. But some people we ran into were just serious bah-humbugs.
There was a lady at the library who had the look. You know the look. The one that says she just smelled something bad. And it's her. Yeah, not nice. My kids were kind of staring, and I had to refocus their attention on something else. I have also decided that the boy is not allowed to check out books unless they are previously approved. He has been getting books that are well below his reading level. And most of them were read by the time we got back to the house. But the clerk was nice enough and even wished us Happy Holidays. I always say Merry Christmas back. I don't really care if they celebrate Kwanzaa or Hanukka or whatever. They can say that and I would still respond with a Merry Christmas.
The clerks in the post office were a little rude. I understand that they are butt slamming busy this time of year, but really. I didn't ask you to take this job. You accepted this position when it was offered to you. Get the hell over it. I wanted the clerk to run my last minute cards through the happy postage machine and then I would pay for it. She didn't. She handed me 11 stamps. Thank you for letting me play stickers with my kids. I let the kids help and then we all put them in the slot. "Next!", she yelled before I had even put my change in my pocket. And Merry Christmas to you.
And the parking lot at Wal Mart was horrible. The traffic alone to get into the parking lot was miserable. People just don't want to wait. And if they do, they don't want to wait for long. I had two people do the daredevil pulling out in front of me stunt. I told the kids, stay close, it's a madhouse. The boy was funny. We had been in the store all of 2 minutes, when he said he thought it was just the parking lot. But the store was crazy, too. He makes me laugh. I told him that's why I wanted him to stay close.
And nobody had any patience in the store. People were just running their carts wherever they could, not giving anyone an inch. My poor kids. At one point they had to let go of the cart to get through a small space. Then somebody got between us. I pulled over until they could catch up, which got me a couple of rude looks. They're lucky I didn't push all the carts out of the way to get to my kids. It wasn't the baby, though. She stayed with me.
And speaking of the baby. She copped a little attitude with her brother at one point. But don't feel bad for him. He has a tendency to treat her like crap, so sometimes he gets what he deserves. Unfortunately, when it was time to say goodbye to the lobsters in the seafood department, she didn't want to go. I had to literally drag her back to the cart. Then the litle bugger let go of my hand and tripped on her shoe. Her sprawling out in the middle of the floor of WalMart made me look really bad. Then as I'm trying to talk to her about it, some old guy starts "Oh, poor baby" crap. Dude, I do not need your help. I really hope I don't see it on the news. I don't have time to go to jail before Christmas, because it looked like I flung her to the ground. Great.
And the cashier. She was another one that looked like she smelled something bad. No personality, no smile, no nothing. The boy was loading the cart for me, my big helper. When I asked him if that was everything, she barks, "That's it." Okay, and thank you. And Merry Christmas to you. And the parking lot was no better on our way out than in. People still trying to pull out in front of me. As I was backing out, a car stopped to get my spot. They could have stopped a little sooner and actually given me room to back out. I had to do a three point turn. Merry Christmas.
And through it all, I just smiled. My Christmas shopping is done, Santa is coming, and I get to open my big box in two days. And God gave us a Savior in his son Jesus. Aaahh!
I know why people get stressed out during this time, and I can say I have to try really hard not to give in. But common courtesy and a smile seem to get me through. That and blogging about it. Thank goodness for a blog.
If I don't blog between now and Christmas, have a great one. Please read the Christmas Story, Luke 2:1-20. Also read about the angel's visit to Mary in Luke 1:26-38. Matthew 1:18-25 is Joseph's story. I urge all of you to focus some time on the real meaning of Christmas and to keep Christ in Christmas. Enjoy the fact that we have a Savior that was sent to us. And enjoy your time with those that you call family.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Clearing the air and other misc.
I've been asked some questions about my blog topics and my stance on those topics. So I thought I would take a minute to clear the air. Enjoy! And I do welcome questions. If you don't understand all my ramblings, I am always here for clarification.
I am pro-choice, not pro-abortion. There is a difference. I believe that the option needs to be there. I believe that God gave us free will, which includes making a choice. As I have previously stated, I know several people that have done it. Although I do not believe in the procedure, I understand the reasoning behind it. And in most cases I sympathize with the painful decision. And it was a decision that was made after serious thought and debate. But in the end, it is not my choice to make. I do not think that it should be used as a form of birth control. That, to me, is an "abuse of power" if you will. There are other options. But, again, not my decision to make or support.
And no man should tell a woman what to do with her body. It is her body. It is the woman that will have to change her life for the care of the baby, not the man. It is the woman that has to deal with all the changes to her body, not the man. And no other woman should make that decision for anyone either. The only one making that decision is the woman who is pregnant. The best thing that I can do is listen with an open mind, ear, and heart. And if my opinion is asked, I'll give it. But I can always say "I will pray that you make the right decision." And then pray. And ask if she wants to pray with me. And then pray. That may seem passive, but having been in the situation, that was the best thing I could do for my friends.
I am very much for gay marriage. I have friends that are gay, and they are judged from every sector of the community. And why? Because they choose to love someone who is the same sex. And that is bad how? Aren't they experiencing those things that most people want to experience? Don't we all want to find that one person in our lives that we can share with? Have a family with? And call our own, our family? Why should it be different for a man who loves a man, or a woman who loves a woman? They are people, too. We all bleed red, we all breathe the same air, and we all need the same things to live and thrive and survive.
I do not agree with constitutional amendments that prohibit or define marriage. That is not what an amendment is for. An amendment is for how our government should act and operate, not who our citizens should marry. To me an amendment like that goes against the grain of what this country has stood for for so many years. Haven't immigrants been coming here to pursue a dream?
And yes, Virginia, there is a difference between a pedophile and a homosexual. So please do not leave any comments about homosexuals stalking our young children and trying to molest them. Or trying to turn our youth of today into homosexuals. Have you been in the hallways of a public high school? Society and the media are doing a fine enough job of exploiting yet another segment of our society. Don't blame that on homosexuals, blame that on the media.
And I really don't care to hear, "Well if gay marriage is approved, then that opens the world up to all kinds of marriage, like adults and children." Are people really that stupid? Molesting children is illegal, homosexuality is not. Interracial marriage was shunned for decades, and now look. I am the product of an interracial marriage, and so are my children. We need to get over our self righteous attitudes.
Which brings up topic number 3. I am very much a Christian. But I am also a pretty liberal Christian. Growing up outside the church, in the world so to speak, my opinions don't necessarily follow the path. I have to reconcile my ideals with the ideals of the church. But the thing that comes up most often is the love of Jesus Christ for us. So Jesus doesn't love everyone, just people he likes? Not according to what I've been taught. Jesus loves us all. And God made and formed each and every one of us. He knows the decisons we are going to make, the thoughts we are going to think, and the actions we are going to take before we ever do. And thank God that He is there for us at all times. When we make a good or bad decision, He is there. We just need to open our hearts and minds to Him and listen to the good words He has for us.
Having said that, I will restate a previous opinion. Get the church out of politics. Our government is there to protect the majority of the people. The saying "You can't please all the people all the time" should apply here. The government is here to do what is right for the people, not the church. If we had politicians that were in it for the people and not themselves, I think we would see that the policies and laws would follow what God wants for us. But when you have shove it down your throats, super Christians trying to make policy instead, that convulutes the process. They are lobbyists, they just work for a different team. Most lobbyists are just leeches anyway. Pushing an agenda for a self absorbed, self involved entity just leads to laws that no one wants and no one needs. Digital TV? What was so wrong that Congress had to make a law that we needed digital TV? And if we need it so bad, why are we being charged for the converter box?
And now to degrees. I do not have a degree. Several of my friends do, and are working very hard on continuing their education to attain more degrees, or a higher level degree. I don't have a problem with that. I have even thought about going back to school to finish my degree. Or just to get one. My problem is with those that have one and seem to think that because I don't, I'm not as good or as smart. Yes, I know that it is tied to my abandonment issues and feelings of inadequacy. In my dealing with the medical community, there are several people that treat others like dirt because they do not have letters behind their name. I do not have letters behind my name. But if you count the apostrophe in my middle name, I have 26 characters in my name. Does that count? We all have an area of expertise, whether or not we have a degree or certificate or whatever.
And when things get a little further along in our homeschooling adventure, I would also like to get back to school for myself. I am seriously thinking about a degree in nutrition. I'm thinking about becoming an herbalist of all things. I have really enjoyed our explorations into the world of nutrition and herbal remedies and supplements that hubby and I have been taking. It fascinates me that something as common as ginger and peppermint can have so many different uses for our bodies. I really want for my family to eat better and feel better and get away from the over preserved and over processed foods that are on our grocery store shelves.
I hope that I have cleared up some things. I probably made some even muddier. But I am an evolving person still, as we all are.
I am pro-choice, not pro-abortion. There is a difference. I believe that the option needs to be there. I believe that God gave us free will, which includes making a choice. As I have previously stated, I know several people that have done it. Although I do not believe in the procedure, I understand the reasoning behind it. And in most cases I sympathize with the painful decision. And it was a decision that was made after serious thought and debate. But in the end, it is not my choice to make. I do not think that it should be used as a form of birth control. That, to me, is an "abuse of power" if you will. There are other options. But, again, not my decision to make or support.
And no man should tell a woman what to do with her body. It is her body. It is the woman that will have to change her life for the care of the baby, not the man. It is the woman that has to deal with all the changes to her body, not the man. And no other woman should make that decision for anyone either. The only one making that decision is the woman who is pregnant. The best thing that I can do is listen with an open mind, ear, and heart. And if my opinion is asked, I'll give it. But I can always say "I will pray that you make the right decision." And then pray. And ask if she wants to pray with me. And then pray. That may seem passive, but having been in the situation, that was the best thing I could do for my friends.
I am very much for gay marriage. I have friends that are gay, and they are judged from every sector of the community. And why? Because they choose to love someone who is the same sex. And that is bad how? Aren't they experiencing those things that most people want to experience? Don't we all want to find that one person in our lives that we can share with? Have a family with? And call our own, our family? Why should it be different for a man who loves a man, or a woman who loves a woman? They are people, too. We all bleed red, we all breathe the same air, and we all need the same things to live and thrive and survive.
I do not agree with constitutional amendments that prohibit or define marriage. That is not what an amendment is for. An amendment is for how our government should act and operate, not who our citizens should marry. To me an amendment like that goes against the grain of what this country has stood for for so many years. Haven't immigrants been coming here to pursue a dream?
And yes, Virginia, there is a difference between a pedophile and a homosexual. So please do not leave any comments about homosexuals stalking our young children and trying to molest them. Or trying to turn our youth of today into homosexuals. Have you been in the hallways of a public high school? Society and the media are doing a fine enough job of exploiting yet another segment of our society. Don't blame that on homosexuals, blame that on the media.
And I really don't care to hear, "Well if gay marriage is approved, then that opens the world up to all kinds of marriage, like adults and children." Are people really that stupid? Molesting children is illegal, homosexuality is not. Interracial marriage was shunned for decades, and now look. I am the product of an interracial marriage, and so are my children. We need to get over our self righteous attitudes.
Which brings up topic number 3. I am very much a Christian. But I am also a pretty liberal Christian. Growing up outside the church, in the world so to speak, my opinions don't necessarily follow the path. I have to reconcile my ideals with the ideals of the church. But the thing that comes up most often is the love of Jesus Christ for us. So Jesus doesn't love everyone, just people he likes? Not according to what I've been taught. Jesus loves us all. And God made and formed each and every one of us. He knows the decisons we are going to make, the thoughts we are going to think, and the actions we are going to take before we ever do. And thank God that He is there for us at all times. When we make a good or bad decision, He is there. We just need to open our hearts and minds to Him and listen to the good words He has for us.
Having said that, I will restate a previous opinion. Get the church out of politics. Our government is there to protect the majority of the people. The saying "You can't please all the people all the time" should apply here. The government is here to do what is right for the people, not the church. If we had politicians that were in it for the people and not themselves, I think we would see that the policies and laws would follow what God wants for us. But when you have shove it down your throats, super Christians trying to make policy instead, that convulutes the process. They are lobbyists, they just work for a different team. Most lobbyists are just leeches anyway. Pushing an agenda for a self absorbed, self involved entity just leads to laws that no one wants and no one needs. Digital TV? What was so wrong that Congress had to make a law that we needed digital TV? And if we need it so bad, why are we being charged for the converter box?
And now to degrees. I do not have a degree. Several of my friends do, and are working very hard on continuing their education to attain more degrees, or a higher level degree. I don't have a problem with that. I have even thought about going back to school to finish my degree. Or just to get one. My problem is with those that have one and seem to think that because I don't, I'm not as good or as smart. Yes, I know that it is tied to my abandonment issues and feelings of inadequacy. In my dealing with the medical community, there are several people that treat others like dirt because they do not have letters behind their name. I do not have letters behind my name. But if you count the apostrophe in my middle name, I have 26 characters in my name. Does that count? We all have an area of expertise, whether or not we have a degree or certificate or whatever.
And when things get a little further along in our homeschooling adventure, I would also like to get back to school for myself. I am seriously thinking about a degree in nutrition. I'm thinking about becoming an herbalist of all things. I have really enjoyed our explorations into the world of nutrition and herbal remedies and supplements that hubby and I have been taking. It fascinates me that something as common as ginger and peppermint can have so many different uses for our bodies. I really want for my family to eat better and feel better and get away from the over preserved and over processed foods that are on our grocery store shelves.
I hope that I have cleared up some things. I probably made some even muddier. But I am an evolving person still, as we all are.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Shoulders as Earrings
Do you ever feel that way? Like you're wearing your shoulders for earrings? I get that way, but mostly it is self induced. It comes mostly from those stupid abandonment issues I have.
Sometimes if a group I belong to has a function that I don't know about, and then I hear about it later, I think,"Why didn't anyone say anything to me?" It has nothing to do with the group, just me. I have the devil sitting on my shoulder telling me that nobody likes me. Nobody wants to be around me. They tolerate me because of my kids. They tolerate me in spite of me. I could go on and on, but I would rather brush him off my shoulder.
That's when I have to open my ears to really listen to the angel that sits on my other shoulder, the one that tells me taht I am worthy of love. The one that tells me that my family and my friends love me. The one that says that just because I wasn't invited, that doesn't mean that I wasn't thought about.
We had a really great night tonight. It was chili dog night. I like mine with onions, sauerkraut, cheese, and chili. Mustard is alright, but in the grand scheme of things, I can't taste it. So I just don't bother putting it on sometimes. I made homemade french fries and they were so good. It was one of those nights that had me thinking how blessed I am. Do you ever have those? I am married to the best man in the world (my blog, my opinion counts), my kids are phenomenal, and I am able to stay home with my kids and teach them all the wonders of the world. I could not have a better life. We finished our latest Christmas book, which means a trip to the library, because I'm all out.
And then I get on the internet. I won't even tell you what has the shoulders hitting the high ground. It's stupid and childish and I refuse to give it light. But there I went, shoulders up. And over stupid shit. Some of you may have an idea, and you're probably right. So I'm hoping that by revealing my Achilles heel, I can finally let stuff like this go.
Instead I will count my blessings. I will take inventory of the positive things in my life. I will be grateful for the small things and the big things. I will be thankful that we have presents under our tree. I went a little more extravagant than I was meaning to, but I did. And I paid cash for most of it, so I feel better about that. I will be thankful for my friends that I have and my family that I love and loves me. And I will have my husband help me take my shoulders off my ears.
Sometimes if a group I belong to has a function that I don't know about, and then I hear about it later, I think,"Why didn't anyone say anything to me?" It has nothing to do with the group, just me. I have the devil sitting on my shoulder telling me that nobody likes me. Nobody wants to be around me. They tolerate me because of my kids. They tolerate me in spite of me. I could go on and on, but I would rather brush him off my shoulder.
That's when I have to open my ears to really listen to the angel that sits on my other shoulder, the one that tells me taht I am worthy of love. The one that tells me that my family and my friends love me. The one that says that just because I wasn't invited, that doesn't mean that I wasn't thought about.
We had a really great night tonight. It was chili dog night. I like mine with onions, sauerkraut, cheese, and chili. Mustard is alright, but in the grand scheme of things, I can't taste it. So I just don't bother putting it on sometimes. I made homemade french fries and they were so good. It was one of those nights that had me thinking how blessed I am. Do you ever have those? I am married to the best man in the world (my blog, my opinion counts), my kids are phenomenal, and I am able to stay home with my kids and teach them all the wonders of the world. I could not have a better life. We finished our latest Christmas book, which means a trip to the library, because I'm all out.
And then I get on the internet. I won't even tell you what has the shoulders hitting the high ground. It's stupid and childish and I refuse to give it light. But there I went, shoulders up. And over stupid shit. Some of you may have an idea, and you're probably right. So I'm hoping that by revealing my Achilles heel, I can finally let stuff like this go.
Instead I will count my blessings. I will take inventory of the positive things in my life. I will be grateful for the small things and the big things. I will be thankful that we have presents under our tree. I went a little more extravagant than I was meaning to, but I did. And I paid cash for most of it, so I feel better about that. I will be thankful for my friends that I have and my family that I love and loves me. And I will have my husband help me take my shoulders off my ears.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Lap Books
Here are the pictures of the lap book that I completed. It was so much fun. We are taking the kids a little at a time, but we should be done by Thursday. You'll get to see theirs then. My favorite part was putting the mini books together. And when I say mini books, I mean little, tiny books. They are folded different ways, have different info, some you write on, some you color. There is so much you can do with a lap book. Enjoy!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Weird science
Hubby and a friend that he works with have been looking at some really funky websites. I think they're weird, even if the boys don't. Apparently, there is a planet that has quite the elliptical orbit and it is heading this way. It only comes this way every 3600 years or so. Frankly, how "they" (the scientist) know this, I don't know. But you should see the number of websites out there that support this theory.
Frankly, I don't believe it. But I guess in a couple of years if the government tells us that a planet is headed this way and on a collision course, I was wrong. This planet hit us once before, and that's what made this planet liveable, "they" say. I want some of what they are smoking. But just a little, 'cause it is some freaky shit.
Apparently, and I don't know where hubby gets this except those tabloids at the grocery store that declare women are having alien babies and weird stuff like that, psychics can't see further in the future than 2012. That's a little disconcerting. I was hoping for grandkids one day. I want to spoil the little buggers silly and send them home with my kids. That's the way of things, isn't it?
This planet is called Nibiru. Or you can Google planet x and see the thousands of websites that pop up. It amazes me that people have time to spend on stuff like that. But I guess we all have our priorities. Mine are a little cooky, too.
I've been downloading activities for a Christmas lap book. One of the homeschool moms in my group sent an email with these great activities, and I saved it. Or so I thought. When I went to pull it up today, I only had one page. I emailed her to resend it, but I also googled Christmas lap books and got a ton of hits. So I spent some time going through some different sites and getting some great ideas.
For those of you that don't know what a lapbook is, let me explain. You take a manilla file folder and fold it. You take the two outside flaps and fold the outside edge into the main fold. Then you fill it with information about a certain subject. Google it and you'll see. The are really cool. This will be our first one ever and I am really excited. I want to do a couple with our science next year, animals, and this will help get our feet wet. You can make little mini books to glue inside or big pages. You can have fold over flaps. You can do all kinds of things. Two of our homeschool moms did a workshop, but I wasn't able to go. We had just gotten back from vacation and I just did not have the time. But this will be quite the learning experience. And hopefully, the planet won't come to an end before we get it done.
There was a website link on one of the sites that hubby went to that said we are in the sixth seal already. The book of Revelation is actually quite interesting if you have never read it. I have read the "Left Behind" series, so I was a little reluctant, but hubby has been reading it and is loving it. I have a friend that says she finds it very comforting. I just need to shake it off and read it. Get rid of the fear and just go for it. Maybe I'll post some thoughts about it and we can read it together.
I think I have exposed you to enough new things tonight. So here is your challenge. Read Revelation, and Google lapbooks and Nibiru and Planet X. Report back here with your findings. I'll be waiting here while I finish my gin and ginger ale. Happy Googling!
Frankly, I don't believe it. But I guess in a couple of years if the government tells us that a planet is headed this way and on a collision course, I was wrong. This planet hit us once before, and that's what made this planet liveable, "they" say. I want some of what they are smoking. But just a little, 'cause it is some freaky shit.
Apparently, and I don't know where hubby gets this except those tabloids at the grocery store that declare women are having alien babies and weird stuff like that, psychics can't see further in the future than 2012. That's a little disconcerting. I was hoping for grandkids one day. I want to spoil the little buggers silly and send them home with my kids. That's the way of things, isn't it?
This planet is called Nibiru. Or you can Google planet x and see the thousands of websites that pop up. It amazes me that people have time to spend on stuff like that. But I guess we all have our priorities. Mine are a little cooky, too.
I've been downloading activities for a Christmas lap book. One of the homeschool moms in my group sent an email with these great activities, and I saved it. Or so I thought. When I went to pull it up today, I only had one page. I emailed her to resend it, but I also googled Christmas lap books and got a ton of hits. So I spent some time going through some different sites and getting some great ideas.
For those of you that don't know what a lapbook is, let me explain. You take a manilla file folder and fold it. You take the two outside flaps and fold the outside edge into the main fold. Then you fill it with information about a certain subject. Google it and you'll see. The are really cool. This will be our first one ever and I am really excited. I want to do a couple with our science next year, animals, and this will help get our feet wet. You can make little mini books to glue inside or big pages. You can have fold over flaps. You can do all kinds of things. Two of our homeschool moms did a workshop, but I wasn't able to go. We had just gotten back from vacation and I just did not have the time. But this will be quite the learning experience. And hopefully, the planet won't come to an end before we get it done.
There was a website link on one of the sites that hubby went to that said we are in the sixth seal already. The book of Revelation is actually quite interesting if you have never read it. I have read the "Left Behind" series, so I was a little reluctant, but hubby has been reading it and is loving it. I have a friend that says she finds it very comforting. I just need to shake it off and read it. Get rid of the fear and just go for it. Maybe I'll post some thoughts about it and we can read it together.
I think I have exposed you to enough new things tonight. So here is your challenge. Read Revelation, and Google lapbooks and Nibiru and Planet X. Report back here with your findings. I'll be waiting here while I finish my gin and ginger ale. Happy Googling!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Guilt by Association
The big girl has gotten "hooked" on a show. And of all things, it's "Wife Swap". Now normally that is not a program that we watch. The name alone is enough for me to send the kids out of the room when it comes on. But she has me hooked on it as well.
For those of you who have never watched or don't know what it is, two women trade families for two weeks. The producers usually pick people from two different life styles. And usually the life styles are way different. And there is always some kind of conflict. But I can understand that.
When hubby and I first moved here, we lived with his oldest brother. I could not find a job to save my life, so I was home all day. And it sucked. Target wouldn't hire me to answer the phones, and that was with 5 1/2 years of retail experience, with at least 3 in management. They thought I would be bored. No, I needed a paycheck. But I digress. I did finally find a job. I worked 4 days a week in the office of the temp agency I applied at. And I loved it.
After we had lived here a year or so, hubby's brother started dating the woman that would become his wife. She practically moved in after their first date, but to each his own. Hubby and I only knew each other 6 months before we decided to get married. But again, digressing. Friction occured when I started feeling like she had come in and tried to take over a role I had been playing for quite awhile. It is hard to have someone come in and tell you that you suck at whatever it is you are doing. And some of that friction is still there today after all years, but that is so another blog.
One of the moms in an episode we watched tonight homeschooled 4 of her 6 children. Her youngest 2 were running around the house and basically were disrupting the flow of knowledge, but she didn't discipline them or try to occupy them with other things. It was chaos, at least to me. I do not think I could function, or my kids could function, in that type of atmosphere.
The other mom worked a full time plus job, as did her husband. The kids went to school and daycare. They were both very well educated and were trying to provide for the future of their family. I can understand that. I would love for the future of my family to be as financially secure as possible. But what we want and what we get are two different things. We're working as hard as we can to do that.
The friction came when the educated husband didn't understand the point of homeschooling. And frankly, I don't think the mom did a very good job at explaining or demonstarting what homeschooling is about. At one point the dad said that he had yet to see a pencil touch a piece of paper. He even broke one of the new mom's rules and sent the kids back to school.
At the end, the working mom asked what would happen if the homeschooled kids wanted to go to college, but were unprepared. She didn't think that they would be academically ready. It was almost like a comedy show in my head when someone says something and you hear the needle scratch the record. Hold up one minute. So here's where the blog gets good. Are you ready?
There are so many reasons to homeschool, and each reason means something different to each family and person. Our reason was because the big girl could not get a decent teacher in her school. That meant that when the boy got older and into those grades, he would have to cycle through those teachers. That was not happening. So we pulled our kids out and brought them home.
There are many philosophies and ways to homeschool. One very popular way is called "unschooling". To some, this means schooling through real life and not using textbooks, except when absolutley necessary. And even then, an alternative can usually be worked out somehow. The thought behind it is that every day life is used to teach. Grocery shopping can be a math lesson in addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. You could also use it for algebra. Geometry is stretching it a bit for me, but you never know how others do it.
Some rely on books. Not text books, but actual books you read. Wow, what a concept. The art of the written word is such an important one. Sometimes I think that technology just sets us back years and years instead of pushing us forward. The concept is that all things can be taught through living. I admire people that can school that way.
I am tied to curriculum, but at least it's curriculum that I choose. We do as much real life learning as we can, but sometimes, book learning is easier for me. But you would be amazed at what my kids know. They amaze me daily with their abilities and incredible minds. But, there I go again.
At one point homeschool mom was playing musical instruments with her "new" kids while dad was trying to put the baby down for a nap. He asked her at one point to go in the basement with the kids and play. She refused and he had a hard time getting the baby to sleep. He was angry and I don't blame him. She said he didn't get the point about living in the moment. Well, yeah he did. He was living in the moment of getting the baby to sleep. Take your crap and go in the basement and live in the moment there.
I was upset at the end when the working mom said the kids would not be ready for college. First of all, learning is not always done out of a book. Sometimes it's easier to learn by doing. Don't we learn about life from living it? Don't we learn how to act, react, and feel from the situations in our life? Why does all learning have to be done with a pencil and a piece of paper?
I felt defensive with our choice of homeschooling and the example the mom set. Not all homeschoolers are that way. We choose what we do for different reasons. But just because she came off as an idiot, doesn't mean there aren't smart people out there teaching their kids.
Some teacher unions want laws passed that require homeschooling parents to have a degree. I have an IQ of 152. Do I really need a degree, a piece of paper that says I spent a ton of money to get a piece of paper? Now all you that have a degree, good for you. But just because I didn't finish college doesn't mean that I'm an idiot and don't know my kids. It means that life stepped in my way and I took a different path.
I know that I have blogged on the joys and the reasons for homeschooling. But, apparently, I feel the need again. Not all homeschoolers are looking to hole up in a cave, and not be around people. Not all homeschoolers are people that are lazy and just want their kids at home. Not all homeschoolers do it for the same reasons. But don't let one family that is homeschooling one way give others a bad name. Keep an open mind.
For those of you who have never watched or don't know what it is, two women trade families for two weeks. The producers usually pick people from two different life styles. And usually the life styles are way different. And there is always some kind of conflict. But I can understand that.
When hubby and I first moved here, we lived with his oldest brother. I could not find a job to save my life, so I was home all day. And it sucked. Target wouldn't hire me to answer the phones, and that was with 5 1/2 years of retail experience, with at least 3 in management. They thought I would be bored. No, I needed a paycheck. But I digress. I did finally find a job. I worked 4 days a week in the office of the temp agency I applied at. And I loved it.
After we had lived here a year or so, hubby's brother started dating the woman that would become his wife. She practically moved in after their first date, but to each his own. Hubby and I only knew each other 6 months before we decided to get married. But again, digressing. Friction occured when I started feeling like she had come in and tried to take over a role I had been playing for quite awhile. It is hard to have someone come in and tell you that you suck at whatever it is you are doing. And some of that friction is still there today after all years, but that is so another blog.
One of the moms in an episode we watched tonight homeschooled 4 of her 6 children. Her youngest 2 were running around the house and basically were disrupting the flow of knowledge, but she didn't discipline them or try to occupy them with other things. It was chaos, at least to me. I do not think I could function, or my kids could function, in that type of atmosphere.
The other mom worked a full time plus job, as did her husband. The kids went to school and daycare. They were both very well educated and were trying to provide for the future of their family. I can understand that. I would love for the future of my family to be as financially secure as possible. But what we want and what we get are two different things. We're working as hard as we can to do that.
The friction came when the educated husband didn't understand the point of homeschooling. And frankly, I don't think the mom did a very good job at explaining or demonstarting what homeschooling is about. At one point the dad said that he had yet to see a pencil touch a piece of paper. He even broke one of the new mom's rules and sent the kids back to school.
At the end, the working mom asked what would happen if the homeschooled kids wanted to go to college, but were unprepared. She didn't think that they would be academically ready. It was almost like a comedy show in my head when someone says something and you hear the needle scratch the record. Hold up one minute. So here's where the blog gets good. Are you ready?
There are so many reasons to homeschool, and each reason means something different to each family and person. Our reason was because the big girl could not get a decent teacher in her school. That meant that when the boy got older and into those grades, he would have to cycle through those teachers. That was not happening. So we pulled our kids out and brought them home.
There are many philosophies and ways to homeschool. One very popular way is called "unschooling". To some, this means schooling through real life and not using textbooks, except when absolutley necessary. And even then, an alternative can usually be worked out somehow. The thought behind it is that every day life is used to teach. Grocery shopping can be a math lesson in addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. You could also use it for algebra. Geometry is stretching it a bit for me, but you never know how others do it.
Some rely on books. Not text books, but actual books you read. Wow, what a concept. The art of the written word is such an important one. Sometimes I think that technology just sets us back years and years instead of pushing us forward. The concept is that all things can be taught through living. I admire people that can school that way.
I am tied to curriculum, but at least it's curriculum that I choose. We do as much real life learning as we can, but sometimes, book learning is easier for me. But you would be amazed at what my kids know. They amaze me daily with their abilities and incredible minds. But, there I go again.
At one point homeschool mom was playing musical instruments with her "new" kids while dad was trying to put the baby down for a nap. He asked her at one point to go in the basement with the kids and play. She refused and he had a hard time getting the baby to sleep. He was angry and I don't blame him. She said he didn't get the point about living in the moment. Well, yeah he did. He was living in the moment of getting the baby to sleep. Take your crap and go in the basement and live in the moment there.
I was upset at the end when the working mom said the kids would not be ready for college. First of all, learning is not always done out of a book. Sometimes it's easier to learn by doing. Don't we learn about life from living it? Don't we learn how to act, react, and feel from the situations in our life? Why does all learning have to be done with a pencil and a piece of paper?
I felt defensive with our choice of homeschooling and the example the mom set. Not all homeschoolers are that way. We choose what we do for different reasons. But just because she came off as an idiot, doesn't mean there aren't smart people out there teaching their kids.
Some teacher unions want laws passed that require homeschooling parents to have a degree. I have an IQ of 152. Do I really need a degree, a piece of paper that says I spent a ton of money to get a piece of paper? Now all you that have a degree, good for you. But just because I didn't finish college doesn't mean that I'm an idiot and don't know my kids. It means that life stepped in my way and I took a different path.
I know that I have blogged on the joys and the reasons for homeschooling. But, apparently, I feel the need again. Not all homeschoolers are looking to hole up in a cave, and not be around people. Not all homeschoolers are people that are lazy and just want their kids at home. Not all homeschoolers do it for the same reasons. But don't let one family that is homeschooling one way give others a bad name. Keep an open mind.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Group Pictures
Before we left for vacation, there was mention of a family portrait. Once, but not so much after that. Then when we get there, Oh by the way we're taking pictures. Eeerrr. We worked it out and it was something that has never been done, on either side of the family. So Tuesday was the day.
We all had to wear red, white, or denim. Now if I would have been reminded, I had stuff I could have brought. But alas, that was not the case. So off to WalMart on Monday to try to find some stuff. I got a red shirt, hubby got a red flannel plaid, and the boy got a red and black plaid flannel. The big girl got this really great fuzzy white shirt and these really cool jeans that have sparkly, silver pockets. If you know the big girl, you know that she likes anything sparkly. The baby already had a white shirt that I had brought with me.
Tuesday my mom and stepdad had a doctor's appointment that couldn't be rescheduled. That was alright, because it gave us a little time to breathe. When my mom called at 3, she couldn't believe that we hadn't left already. Our appointment was at 5, and we were leaving at 3:30. She failed to mention until then that traffic is horrible when you get closer to civilization. So scrambling around, we finally get ourselves together and head out the door. It was a little crazy, but not as bad as we had anticipated. And boy, did we ever look good!
We got to the mall right on time and actually met my mom and one of my nieces in the bathroom. We all primped a little and out to the photo studio. This should be a warning that all would not go well. And it didn't.
There was only one person working the photo studio. She had to answer the phone, take the pictures, and help the customers in the store. Apparently, her help didn't show. She had placed a call and help would soon arrive, but not soon enough.
We had 13 people (there are 19 on hubby's side) with 7 children ranging in age from 11 to 3. They were actually very good for having to wait as long as we did for the actual picture taking to commence. We didn't get started until after 6. There wasn't that much whining (cringe, cringe), and they all got along really well.
So once the picture taking got started, the fun began. There was blinking, startled expressions, eyes closed, mouths open, heads turned, and who knows what else. We did each family pod-my sister and her family, me and my family. We did all of us together. We did Mermie with her babies. And then there was Mermie and Uncle Jessie. They were great pictures. And to finally have them done was a huge relief.
Hubby and my brother in law took four of the kids with them to a play area in the mall that is free. It is all padded. There is one way in and one way out. And it's free. It's like having a park at the mall, and it was a tremendous help to our children and us. Because that's when the fun really started at the photo studio.
The girl uploaded all of our pictures, and let us look and meander and decide. My sister had called earlier that day and checked on the use of some coupons she had. She made sure that certain ones could be used certain ways and was assured it was so. Until we got there and found out that we couldn't do it that way. I cannot stand that. It took us forty five minutes to figure out the prints, the groupings, the number, the size, the sharing, the giving away, and all the other details that come from a family portrait. And then we were told that we couldn't do it. We wasted almost three hours of our time that we cannot get back only to be told that we couldn't do what the coupons said we could do.
My sister was hot. My mother was hot. And I was, too. I think by that time the poor girl that was working with us was so frazzled by her day she didn't give a rat's ass what we did or what we thought. And we were very vocal about how unhappy we were. Everybody in the studio knew, and so did everyone in the store. We left without placing an order and almost refused to come back.
But it was one of those things that had never been done. And it was one of those things that we wanted. So my sister went back the next day and ordered some prints. We had a buy one get one free coupon that she used. No where on the coupon did it say that you had to order the same print to get a free one. But by golly that was what you were supposed to do. So she did. When we had questioned the girl about it the night before, she said we were expected to know. Yeah, way to advertise. My sister is going to call the customer service number when the order comes in and give them heck. Whoo hoo! Go get 'em, Tiger! When asked if she wanted to pay an extra $3 per sheet to have them printed same day, my sister said she wasn't spending any more money than she absolutley had to.
We will never use Sears photo studio again. Yep, that's who did the pictures, and the round about coupons that were misleading and not clear. That's who, after being over an hour late to take our pictures, gave us the run around and wouldn't work with the customer. But hopefully, we'll get our copies soon and have some to share.
And if we ever do this again, maybe we'll be a little better prepared.
We all had to wear red, white, or denim. Now if I would have been reminded, I had stuff I could have brought. But alas, that was not the case. So off to WalMart on Monday to try to find some stuff. I got a red shirt, hubby got a red flannel plaid, and the boy got a red and black plaid flannel. The big girl got this really great fuzzy white shirt and these really cool jeans that have sparkly, silver pockets. If you know the big girl, you know that she likes anything sparkly. The baby already had a white shirt that I had brought with me.
Tuesday my mom and stepdad had a doctor's appointment that couldn't be rescheduled. That was alright, because it gave us a little time to breathe. When my mom called at 3, she couldn't believe that we hadn't left already. Our appointment was at 5, and we were leaving at 3:30. She failed to mention until then that traffic is horrible when you get closer to civilization. So scrambling around, we finally get ourselves together and head out the door. It was a little crazy, but not as bad as we had anticipated. And boy, did we ever look good!
We got to the mall right on time and actually met my mom and one of my nieces in the bathroom. We all primped a little and out to the photo studio. This should be a warning that all would not go well. And it didn't.
There was only one person working the photo studio. She had to answer the phone, take the pictures, and help the customers in the store. Apparently, her help didn't show. She had placed a call and help would soon arrive, but not soon enough.
We had 13 people (there are 19 on hubby's side) with 7 children ranging in age from 11 to 3. They were actually very good for having to wait as long as we did for the actual picture taking to commence. We didn't get started until after 6. There wasn't that much whining (cringe, cringe), and they all got along really well.
So once the picture taking got started, the fun began. There was blinking, startled expressions, eyes closed, mouths open, heads turned, and who knows what else. We did each family pod-my sister and her family, me and my family. We did all of us together. We did Mermie with her babies. And then there was Mermie and Uncle Jessie. They were great pictures. And to finally have them done was a huge relief.
Hubby and my brother in law took four of the kids with them to a play area in the mall that is free. It is all padded. There is one way in and one way out. And it's free. It's like having a park at the mall, and it was a tremendous help to our children and us. Because that's when the fun really started at the photo studio.
The girl uploaded all of our pictures, and let us look and meander and decide. My sister had called earlier that day and checked on the use of some coupons she had. She made sure that certain ones could be used certain ways and was assured it was so. Until we got there and found out that we couldn't do it that way. I cannot stand that. It took us forty five minutes to figure out the prints, the groupings, the number, the size, the sharing, the giving away, and all the other details that come from a family portrait. And then we were told that we couldn't do it. We wasted almost three hours of our time that we cannot get back only to be told that we couldn't do what the coupons said we could do.
My sister was hot. My mother was hot. And I was, too. I think by that time the poor girl that was working with us was so frazzled by her day she didn't give a rat's ass what we did or what we thought. And we were very vocal about how unhappy we were. Everybody in the studio knew, and so did everyone in the store. We left without placing an order and almost refused to come back.
But it was one of those things that had never been done. And it was one of those things that we wanted. So my sister went back the next day and ordered some prints. We had a buy one get one free coupon that she used. No where on the coupon did it say that you had to order the same print to get a free one. But by golly that was what you were supposed to do. So she did. When we had questioned the girl about it the night before, she said we were expected to know. Yeah, way to advertise. My sister is going to call the customer service number when the order comes in and give them heck. Whoo hoo! Go get 'em, Tiger! When asked if she wanted to pay an extra $3 per sheet to have them printed same day, my sister said she wasn't spending any more money than she absolutley had to.
We will never use Sears photo studio again. Yep, that's who did the pictures, and the round about coupons that were misleading and not clear. That's who, after being over an hour late to take our pictures, gave us the run around and wouldn't work with the customer. But hopefully, we'll get our copies soon and have some to share.
And if we ever do this again, maybe we'll be a little better prepared.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Back Again
Hello, and how have you been? I know it's been awhile, but we were on vacation. And it was just a little inconvenient to blog while I was away. I did one day, but it felt weird on someone else's computer. And I could go on and on about how hard it was to get on a wireless network at the hotel, but that's for later in the blog.
We left for Texas on Saturday and did about 711 miles the first day. We went a different way this time. We felt the need for something a little different, so hubby and I planned a route that took us up the back roads of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. That hooked us up with a pretty major state highway in Mississippi. And that took us to Jackson. Yea for Jackson. That meant we were done driving for the day.
We stayed at a Best Western that was pretty conveniently located. It was on the west side, which meant we were closer to our destination. And there was an Applebee's in the parking lot. There were also a couple more restaurants, but we chose Applebee's because we could walk. And we all needed to walk. We wanted a hotel that had a heated or an indoor pool so we could work out the kinks from the drive, but that didn't happen. What we found out as we were leaving the next morning was that there was a Pizza Hut that had a play land for the kids not too far away. If we had known that, we would have had pizza.
The drive was beautiful and really gave us an appreciation for a time that seems long gone in our hurry up society of today. There were beautiful farms and quaint churches and small towns. It was nice to know that there are still places like that. Some of the country side through our route was very steep land that didn't seem like people could live there. Yet there were houses in places that looked as if the house was about to slide down a hill or steep cliff. It is amazing to me where people choose to live, and where they choose to make a life.
Getting to Texas was the best part of day two. We got to my sister's house and were met by my beautiful nieces. My oldest niece is almost as tall as I am. Not that I'm that tall, but she is twelve(almost). She's not supposed to do that. And the youngest of my four nieces was walking, talking, and whining. She was just a baby that last time I saw her. How does time go by that quickly? I know, tick-tock, tick-tock. It was a glorious week that at some times seemed to fly and others seemed that time couldn't go fast enough.
I got to see my friend Scott. We have known each other for so long and spent quite a bit of time together. It was so wonderful to make a connection again. We have been corresponding through email and blogs, but it was nice to hug him. I think back to the things we've done and said and smile. He has always made me laugh. And he is part of my family. He spent so much time at my house, I thought my mother was going to start charging him rent. He and his partner Jeff brought pizza and soda out to my mom's house. That was no small feat since she lives in the middle of frickin' nowhere with narry a street light around. We were so happy they made it.
And I got to see my friend Ruthie. It was about time for that to happen as well. We got to meet her boyfriend, who is a really nice man. And her son was there as well. I can remember when she was pregnant with him and now he is 15. Once again, how does that happen? I know, you don't have to repeat it. We had dinner at TGI Fridays and went bowling, then back to her house for a little while. The boy was amazed at her son's prowess at Guitar Hero. And it was good to get that hug. It is the physical touch that nurtures us and our souls and makes us feel alive.
I'll post more about our trip later, and more on my other blog. We are so glad to be home in our own beds. But as soon as we pulled out of the driveway at Mom's, the tears began to flow. Some of them were mine. We miss the family, we miss our friends. But we have more memories to add to our stockpile, to pull out when we need a family fix. I hope you all enjoyed your holiday and hope you all continue to be blessed.
We left for Texas on Saturday and did about 711 miles the first day. We went a different way this time. We felt the need for something a little different, so hubby and I planned a route that took us up the back roads of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. That hooked us up with a pretty major state highway in Mississippi. And that took us to Jackson. Yea for Jackson. That meant we were done driving for the day.
We stayed at a Best Western that was pretty conveniently located. It was on the west side, which meant we were closer to our destination. And there was an Applebee's in the parking lot. There were also a couple more restaurants, but we chose Applebee's because we could walk. And we all needed to walk. We wanted a hotel that had a heated or an indoor pool so we could work out the kinks from the drive, but that didn't happen. What we found out as we were leaving the next morning was that there was a Pizza Hut that had a play land for the kids not too far away. If we had known that, we would have had pizza.
The drive was beautiful and really gave us an appreciation for a time that seems long gone in our hurry up society of today. There were beautiful farms and quaint churches and small towns. It was nice to know that there are still places like that. Some of the country side through our route was very steep land that didn't seem like people could live there. Yet there were houses in places that looked as if the house was about to slide down a hill or steep cliff. It is amazing to me where people choose to live, and where they choose to make a life.
Getting to Texas was the best part of day two. We got to my sister's house and were met by my beautiful nieces. My oldest niece is almost as tall as I am. Not that I'm that tall, but she is twelve(almost). She's not supposed to do that. And the youngest of my four nieces was walking, talking, and whining. She was just a baby that last time I saw her. How does time go by that quickly? I know, tick-tock, tick-tock. It was a glorious week that at some times seemed to fly and others seemed that time couldn't go fast enough.
I got to see my friend Scott. We have known each other for so long and spent quite a bit of time together. It was so wonderful to make a connection again. We have been corresponding through email and blogs, but it was nice to hug him. I think back to the things we've done and said and smile. He has always made me laugh. And he is part of my family. He spent so much time at my house, I thought my mother was going to start charging him rent. He and his partner Jeff brought pizza and soda out to my mom's house. That was no small feat since she lives in the middle of frickin' nowhere with narry a street light around. We were so happy they made it.
And I got to see my friend Ruthie. It was about time for that to happen as well. We got to meet her boyfriend, who is a really nice man. And her son was there as well. I can remember when she was pregnant with him and now he is 15. Once again, how does that happen? I know, you don't have to repeat it. We had dinner at TGI Fridays and went bowling, then back to her house for a little while. The boy was amazed at her son's prowess at Guitar Hero. And it was good to get that hug. It is the physical touch that nurtures us and our souls and makes us feel alive.
I'll post more about our trip later, and more on my other blog. We are so glad to be home in our own beds. But as soon as we pulled out of the driveway at Mom's, the tears began to flow. Some of them were mine. We miss the family, we miss our friends. But we have more memories to add to our stockpile, to pull out when we need a family fix. I hope you all enjoyed your holiday and hope you all continue to be blessed.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Reading Again
Getting ready for vacation, packing, making lists of the things I don't want to forget, I suddenly realized that I was forgetting something really important for our trip. I was forgetting a book. I love to have something really good to read, something that will make the miles just fade away. So while we were at church for one thing or another, we checked out the church library. The kids love it because it is cozy and comfortable. I love it because I know that there is nothing inappropriate for my kids there. So while I was looking around, I saw a book that I had seen a million times. And finally I picked it up.
I am reading "Pigs at the Trough" by Arianna Huffington. I usually am not an Arianna Huffington fan, and usually disagree with her take on politics and the world in general. And I believe that that was one reason I avoided picking up the book for so long. But now that I have, it is almost impossible to put down. Which means I will probably have it read before we leave in the morning.
It is a non-fiction, also not really my preferred style of reading. It is the story of corporate greed in America. It is a story of how CEO's that have no idea how to run a company, and have in fact run several in to the ground, are continually rehired by company after company after company, with huge compensation packages, and run those into the ground as well. Not only do they run them into the ground, laying off thousands of workers in the process and contributng to the downfall of our economy, but they are very well paid, and keep most, if not all of their benefits.
And when I say benefits, I mean serious benefits. Some CEOs are guaranteed life time insurance, use of company jets, bonuses, stock options, and a salary that is equivalent of their working salary. And those salaries have grown over well over 100% between 1990 and today. How many of our salaries have grown 10%? Not many that I know.
And it's not like they really do much to earn that type of compensation. They do a horrible job (Enron ring a bell anybody?) and are still expecting compensation. If we do a horrible job, we get the boot and no benefits, sometimes not even unemployment. How does this happen? It's all tied into Wall Street and politicians and being friends with the compensation committee.
And not to sound like I am on the side of the CEO, because if you know me you know I am not, but somebody signed at these companies and said this was ok. Somebody OKed these deals and is allowing this to happen. Whether it is the compensation committee or the board or the stockholders, somebody said it was alright to pay these guys. I want to be friends with them.
We all know what is going on with the economy today. We know that the big automotive companies are asking for a bailout. And the ripple effect of the companies shutting their doors and closing down are huge and far reaching. Millions of people that are not employed by these companies, but depend on their workers to make a living are going to go down a rough, ugly road. And who knows where that collapse will lead. But again, why did they show up in personal jets?
One comment was, "I am very busy and need to be places." Really? That's your excuse. Again a question, "Why don't you cut your salaries to $1 a year." Again, a response, "I think I'm good where I'm at." No kidding. I would be great pulling in an eight figure salary as well, maybe nine with benefits. Meanwhile, to cut costs, instead of looking in the mirror and starting at the top, they continue to close factories and lay people off. How do you earn a salary from a company that doesn't exist?
And I do not know anyone that wanted to bail out the banks. I understand that the implications are far reaching and could cause our financial system to be owned by foreign investors, but did the current administration think about that when they put us into such incredible debt? When we have to borrow money to fund our government or we collapse why is that a good thing?
And then the banks still want to pay out bonuses to their top executives, who once again under performed. Hello, your bank collapsed. What was your first clue that those bonuses were undeserved? If you are at the helm and your bank loses so much money they need a bailout from the politicians that are apparently in their back pocket, you still get a bonus? I want that job. And how fair is that to us, the little people, that have to pay for that? Because you know that when all is said and done, the CEOs and executives at those banks don't pay taxes to pay for anything.
Yes, I know. The top so many percent pay the most taxes. Sure they do, when they aren't hiding their money in false shipments of art, setting up off shore accounts, and claiming citizenship and corporate head quarters in places like Bermuda, which the IRS says is legal, yet denies this country a much needed inflow of $$$$. Bullshit.
So, needless to say, this book has me pretty wired. I am so angry that more people aren't angry. I am angry that more people either aren't aware of the situation or don't care. You should care. This is our economy and our country that is being shoved down the tubes by the one thing that all people feel at one time or another-GREED. When is enough, well, enough?
Think about the things that you are greedy about. Money, time, food, video games, whatever. I feel greedy about certain things. I am not very good at sharing chocolate. Or time alone with my husband and my family. And I am greedy about so many other things. But I don't earn an eight figure salary that I don't work for, or destroy a company for. That doesn't make it different. It just means the finger of blame is pointing somewhere else.
So I would recommend that you read "The Pigs at the Trough" if you want to know more about corporate greed and the things that are causing our great country to stumble on the path to greatness. Read it with an open mind. And if you get fired up like I did, let me know. And let others know, specially our elected representatives.
I am reading "Pigs at the Trough" by Arianna Huffington. I usually am not an Arianna Huffington fan, and usually disagree with her take on politics and the world in general. And I believe that that was one reason I avoided picking up the book for so long. But now that I have, it is almost impossible to put down. Which means I will probably have it read before we leave in the morning.
It is a non-fiction, also not really my preferred style of reading. It is the story of corporate greed in America. It is a story of how CEO's that have no idea how to run a company, and have in fact run several in to the ground, are continually rehired by company after company after company, with huge compensation packages, and run those into the ground as well. Not only do they run them into the ground, laying off thousands of workers in the process and contributng to the downfall of our economy, but they are very well paid, and keep most, if not all of their benefits.
And when I say benefits, I mean serious benefits. Some CEOs are guaranteed life time insurance, use of company jets, bonuses, stock options, and a salary that is equivalent of their working salary. And those salaries have grown over well over 100% between 1990 and today. How many of our salaries have grown 10%? Not many that I know.
And it's not like they really do much to earn that type of compensation. They do a horrible job (Enron ring a bell anybody?) and are still expecting compensation. If we do a horrible job, we get the boot and no benefits, sometimes not even unemployment. How does this happen? It's all tied into Wall Street and politicians and being friends with the compensation committee.
And not to sound like I am on the side of the CEO, because if you know me you know I am not, but somebody signed at these companies and said this was ok. Somebody OKed these deals and is allowing this to happen. Whether it is the compensation committee or the board or the stockholders, somebody said it was alright to pay these guys. I want to be friends with them.
We all know what is going on with the economy today. We know that the big automotive companies are asking for a bailout. And the ripple effect of the companies shutting their doors and closing down are huge and far reaching. Millions of people that are not employed by these companies, but depend on their workers to make a living are going to go down a rough, ugly road. And who knows where that collapse will lead. But again, why did they show up in personal jets?
One comment was, "I am very busy and need to be places." Really? That's your excuse. Again a question, "Why don't you cut your salaries to $1 a year." Again, a response, "I think I'm good where I'm at." No kidding. I would be great pulling in an eight figure salary as well, maybe nine with benefits. Meanwhile, to cut costs, instead of looking in the mirror and starting at the top, they continue to close factories and lay people off. How do you earn a salary from a company that doesn't exist?
And I do not know anyone that wanted to bail out the banks. I understand that the implications are far reaching and could cause our financial system to be owned by foreign investors, but did the current administration think about that when they put us into such incredible debt? When we have to borrow money to fund our government or we collapse why is that a good thing?
And then the banks still want to pay out bonuses to their top executives, who once again under performed. Hello, your bank collapsed. What was your first clue that those bonuses were undeserved? If you are at the helm and your bank loses so much money they need a bailout from the politicians that are apparently in their back pocket, you still get a bonus? I want that job. And how fair is that to us, the little people, that have to pay for that? Because you know that when all is said and done, the CEOs and executives at those banks don't pay taxes to pay for anything.
Yes, I know. The top so many percent pay the most taxes. Sure they do, when they aren't hiding their money in false shipments of art, setting up off shore accounts, and claiming citizenship and corporate head quarters in places like Bermuda, which the IRS says is legal, yet denies this country a much needed inflow of $$$$. Bullshit.
So, needless to say, this book has me pretty wired. I am so angry that more people aren't angry. I am angry that more people either aren't aware of the situation or don't care. You should care. This is our economy and our country that is being shoved down the tubes by the one thing that all people feel at one time or another-GREED. When is enough, well, enough?
Think about the things that you are greedy about. Money, time, food, video games, whatever. I feel greedy about certain things. I am not very good at sharing chocolate. Or time alone with my husband and my family. And I am greedy about so many other things. But I don't earn an eight figure salary that I don't work for, or destroy a company for. That doesn't make it different. It just means the finger of blame is pointing somewhere else.
So I would recommend that you read "The Pigs at the Trough" if you want to know more about corporate greed and the things that are causing our great country to stumble on the path to greatness. Read it with an open mind. And if you get fired up like I did, let me know. And let others know, specially our elected representatives.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Politeness
We had a church night at a local restaurant last night. The youth at our church were doing a fundraiser. I showed up with the kids about five last night and hubby joined us later. He was coming from work and had a little further to drive than we did. But we ordered and food got to our table as he got to our table.
When the hostess seated us she took our drink orders and handed us our menus and was very polite. All the kids said "Thank you" as she handed out menus and said "Please" when she took their drink orders. I was so proud of them. That is something that we have worked on with our kids from the time they started speaking.
It is very important to us that our children learn to be polite. It seems to be a lost art. So many people don't emphasize it in their homes. But don't you feel better when someone says please or thank you? I do. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling that makes me smile. And a smile is a wonderful thing.
The hostess last night said her mother had read Dear Abby for years. A woman had written in and said that "your welcome" was an inappropriate response to thank you. It should actually be "my pleasure". And of course that got my brain spinning. Your right, it doesn't really stop spinning, sometimes it's just faster or slower.
I think she may be right. I know that "thank you" came from "thanks be to you". But I don't know where "your welcome" came from. I like the thought behind "my pleasure". Like it really was a pleasure to do something for someone else. I like the sentiment behind that.
It's not always easy to be polite if you've never been taught to be polite. It feels uncomfortable. But it gets easier the more you do it. And easier. And then it's part of who you are. And it starts to feel weird when you don't do it. Before you know it, people all around you are being polite. What kind of trend is that to start? It's a fabulous trend to start.
2 Corinthians 9:7 says "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." This is in the parable about the widow who gives her last two mites for the glory of God. But we can take that one step further and give of ourselves. Isn't that our most prized possession? We can put on a happy face and one step in front of the other and let our manners shine.
I challenge you all to say please and thank you and your welcome and my pleasure for one week. See how many strange looks you get, but also see how the people around you might start to change just a little. Maybe you can put a chink in a little armor this week.
It's time to start school now. But, thank you for reading.
When the hostess seated us she took our drink orders and handed us our menus and was very polite. All the kids said "Thank you" as she handed out menus and said "Please" when she took their drink orders. I was so proud of them. That is something that we have worked on with our kids from the time they started speaking.
It is very important to us that our children learn to be polite. It seems to be a lost art. So many people don't emphasize it in their homes. But don't you feel better when someone says please or thank you? I do. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling that makes me smile. And a smile is a wonderful thing.
The hostess last night said her mother had read Dear Abby for years. A woman had written in and said that "your welcome" was an inappropriate response to thank you. It should actually be "my pleasure". And of course that got my brain spinning. Your right, it doesn't really stop spinning, sometimes it's just faster or slower.
I think she may be right. I know that "thank you" came from "thanks be to you". But I don't know where "your welcome" came from. I like the thought behind "my pleasure". Like it really was a pleasure to do something for someone else. I like the sentiment behind that.
It's not always easy to be polite if you've never been taught to be polite. It feels uncomfortable. But it gets easier the more you do it. And easier. And then it's part of who you are. And it starts to feel weird when you don't do it. Before you know it, people all around you are being polite. What kind of trend is that to start? It's a fabulous trend to start.
2 Corinthians 9:7 says "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." This is in the parable about the widow who gives her last two mites for the glory of God. But we can take that one step further and give of ourselves. Isn't that our most prized possession? We can put on a happy face and one step in front of the other and let our manners shine.
I challenge you all to say please and thank you and your welcome and my pleasure for one week. See how many strange looks you get, but also see how the people around you might start to change just a little. Maybe you can put a chink in a little armor this week.
It's time to start school now. But, thank you for reading.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Crud Monkeys
To quote the adorable boy that lives in my home and I call son, "Crud monkeys." When we fuck up as a country, we really fuck up. I am not happy about the choice of our new President. I know some of you are, but this is my blog and I feel the need to get on my high horse.
I cannot stand politics. All of the "I will do this" and "I will do that" is a bunch of shit from those aforementioned crud monkeys. He can't do a thing without the consent of Congress, which is another issue entirely. It was set up that way so the President would not have absolute authority, making this a dictatorship or a monarchy. If he had said "with the aide of Congress" that would have made it more like a team effort, as it should be, and more true. I think that would motivate Congress to live up to their end of the bargain.
And for the sake of all, he is half black. To me, to consider him as strictly African-American is a misnomer at the very least, but also a denial of his heritage. He was raised by white relatives after all. Once again, people are celebrating for the wrong reason. They should be celebrating because a highly qualified candidate was chosen to lead this country. I don't feel like that happened either. I prefer to vote for the person that I think is the most highly qualified to run our country and lead us to better times for the whole country. To me, it is more about voting for the someone who is an outstanding leader that will defend and protect this country and it's citizens as opposed to who is what race. We are constantly asked to forgo the consideration of race, but that didn't happen in one of the most important elections of our time.
The broadcasters of several programs last night kept bringing up slavery. I do not know anyone that was forcibly removed from their hut in Africa, put on a ship for weeks or even months, then sold at public auction to a plantation owner to do manual labor for free. Can we get over it? Once again, let's not bring race into it, yet it was a huge part of the focus last night.
Did anyone see "The Pursuit of Happyness"? That was a great movie. It proved the point that hard work will take you far. He raised a son while homeless, living in a bathroom at the subway station or where ever he could find to lay his head. He worked hard and became successful. Here's the point: he worked hard. He was a black man that worked every day, no matter his circumstances to provide for his family.
I could care less that about his skin color. If he were purple with bright green spots, I would not have voted for him if I did not think he was qualified to be President. I will not tell you who I voted for. After all there were 12 people on my ballot. And a spot for a write in.
And to say "I will never lie to you". That is such a great sentiment, yet untrue. Let's chalk up another lie and he hasn't even been sworn in. He hasn't heard the phrase "plausible deniability"?Of course he's going to lie to us. He's a politician. If he can be on Oprah and tell her and her millions of viewers that when he decides to run for President he will announce it on her show, and then not, he can tell us anything he wants to. That has been a huge pet peeve of mine from the beginning. I do not like being lied to, whether from him or friends or family or the clerk at the grocery store.
There were some things in this election that went right. I feel like voting out one of Senators that has represented the state of Florida for many years will be a refreshing change. When your staff is voted "most beautiful", something seems a little off to me. If you can leave your sick wife who is losing her sight and hearing, and let her raise the kids alone while this is happening, then marry a 23 year old staffer, something is wrong with your sense of right and wrong to begin with.
I was upset to see that the marriage amendment passed. I voted a big, fat NO. I think that we are better served by letting love rule than basing who can marry by what sex they are. There certainly isn't enough love in this world to begin with. It seems that spreading love would make this a great world to live in. But, like my friend Scott said, maybe one day. Maybe one day we will all wake up and see that we are better served by loving and accepting each other. And the money spent in California could have helped so many more people than it did. It sure paid for a lot of trees to die. What about starving people? And missionaries that are working with less than nothing? And sickness that could be controlled by digging wells that only cost $5,000 to dig and provide safe, clean water? And the horrible healthcare crisis that could be served by free or at cost clinics?
It's done now. I can't change it, and neither can anyone else. We will see what our new President can and will do. I am praying for a stable economy, low gas prices, peace over seas, our troops coming home safely, lower grocery prices, better managing of our lands and governments, and a pony. No wait, strike the pony. That's just more crap I'd have to shovel.
I will go into the next four years hoping that the greatness of this country will return. I will be praying that our new man can live up to his promises and not drive us further into a hole. I will open my mind and my eyes and do my part to make this a country that we can be proud of. Ranting over. Cowboying up now.
I cannot stand politics. All of the "I will do this" and "I will do that" is a bunch of shit from those aforementioned crud monkeys. He can't do a thing without the consent of Congress, which is another issue entirely. It was set up that way so the President would not have absolute authority, making this a dictatorship or a monarchy. If he had said "with the aide of Congress" that would have made it more like a team effort, as it should be, and more true. I think that would motivate Congress to live up to their end of the bargain.
And for the sake of all, he is half black. To me, to consider him as strictly African-American is a misnomer at the very least, but also a denial of his heritage. He was raised by white relatives after all. Once again, people are celebrating for the wrong reason. They should be celebrating because a highly qualified candidate was chosen to lead this country. I don't feel like that happened either. I prefer to vote for the person that I think is the most highly qualified to run our country and lead us to better times for the whole country. To me, it is more about voting for the someone who is an outstanding leader that will defend and protect this country and it's citizens as opposed to who is what race. We are constantly asked to forgo the consideration of race, but that didn't happen in one of the most important elections of our time.
The broadcasters of several programs last night kept bringing up slavery. I do not know anyone that was forcibly removed from their hut in Africa, put on a ship for weeks or even months, then sold at public auction to a plantation owner to do manual labor for free. Can we get over it? Once again, let's not bring race into it, yet it was a huge part of the focus last night.
Did anyone see "The Pursuit of Happyness"? That was a great movie. It proved the point that hard work will take you far. He raised a son while homeless, living in a bathroom at the subway station or where ever he could find to lay his head. He worked hard and became successful. Here's the point: he worked hard. He was a black man that worked every day, no matter his circumstances to provide for his family.
I could care less that about his skin color. If he were purple with bright green spots, I would not have voted for him if I did not think he was qualified to be President. I will not tell you who I voted for. After all there were 12 people on my ballot. And a spot for a write in.
And to say "I will never lie to you". That is such a great sentiment, yet untrue. Let's chalk up another lie and he hasn't even been sworn in. He hasn't heard the phrase "plausible deniability"?Of course he's going to lie to us. He's a politician. If he can be on Oprah and tell her and her millions of viewers that when he decides to run for President he will announce it on her show, and then not, he can tell us anything he wants to. That has been a huge pet peeve of mine from the beginning. I do not like being lied to, whether from him or friends or family or the clerk at the grocery store.
There were some things in this election that went right. I feel like voting out one of Senators that has represented the state of Florida for many years will be a refreshing change. When your staff is voted "most beautiful", something seems a little off to me. If you can leave your sick wife who is losing her sight and hearing, and let her raise the kids alone while this is happening, then marry a 23 year old staffer, something is wrong with your sense of right and wrong to begin with.
I was upset to see that the marriage amendment passed. I voted a big, fat NO. I think that we are better served by letting love rule than basing who can marry by what sex they are. There certainly isn't enough love in this world to begin with. It seems that spreading love would make this a great world to live in. But, like my friend Scott said, maybe one day. Maybe one day we will all wake up and see that we are better served by loving and accepting each other. And the money spent in California could have helped so many more people than it did. It sure paid for a lot of trees to die. What about starving people? And missionaries that are working with less than nothing? And sickness that could be controlled by digging wells that only cost $5,000 to dig and provide safe, clean water? And the horrible healthcare crisis that could be served by free or at cost clinics?
It's done now. I can't change it, and neither can anyone else. We will see what our new President can and will do. I am praying for a stable economy, low gas prices, peace over seas, our troops coming home safely, lower grocery prices, better managing of our lands and governments, and a pony. No wait, strike the pony. That's just more crap I'd have to shovel.
I will go into the next four years hoping that the greatness of this country will return. I will be praying that our new man can live up to his promises and not drive us further into a hole. I will open my mind and my eyes and do my part to make this a country that we can be proud of. Ranting over. Cowboying up now.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The Bible and Other Quandries
For those of you that follow this blog, and for those of you that are new, I am a Christian. I have not always been one. For many years, and specially after the death of a very close friend, I decided that there was a something, but I didn't know what that something was. For many years, I viewed God as Milton Berle in a dress. Some of you may remember Unle Milty doing that, but I can no longer remember the characters name. But that was how I thought of God. Then I met my husband.
The circumstances under which we met, my almost zero faith in a creator, and a very low self esteem after a very verbally abusive 5 1/2 year relationship all headed up in a bar one night. I realized very quickly that my husband had been brought to me not by mere circumstance, but by design. But that is a history lesson for another time. And after 11 years of marriage and family, we decided that it was time to get ourselves and our family to church. We have a fantastic church family that has been very supportive of our family and our endeavors. But again, I digress.
I am unlike many Christians. Of course, I am unlike almost any one else you may meet. I think that the church should stay out of politics, and get back to the business of spreading the word of God and the love of Christ. I also think that we need to let God judge the actions of people and not us. Does that mean that I don't judge people? No. It means that I am human, just like every one else. But here are some of the issues that I have that contradict my faith.
I have opinions about abortion. I know several people that have had them, some more than one. I should say now that I am pro-choice, which is unusual for most Christians. You will never find me standing outside a clinic that offers abortions holding those horrific signs that are intended to scare the dickens out of pregnant women who no longer want to be that way. Here's how I think we would be better suited to help them- PRAY.
It is not for me to decide how any one else will live their life. It is not for me to decide if someone is going to Heaven or hell. I will never walk in anyone else's shoes. I will never breathe their air or think their thoughts. Most days I have an issue reading my own thoughts. They will face our Creator and He will judge them. He will judge their actions, thoughts, deeds, and words. It is not my business to do that. But I will pray that they do the right thing, whatever that right thing may be for them. That sounds a little cooky, but that's me.
Psalm 139 says that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." We are. We are decided on and created in the eyes of God before we are even in the womb. And God knows our actions and thoughts and words before they are ever known to us. And it is for us to use our free will to make the right decision. Would I ever make that for any one else, or presume to know what the right decision is for them? No. I am a better servant to them by praying for them and asking God to guide their lives.
Did you know that there is homosexuality in the bible? Scholars may disagree and know the history and the customs of the time, and I don't. But if you read the following two passages, it sounds like King David and his friend Jonathan were very close. 1 Samuel 19:41 says: "As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so." David was with his friend Jonathan, whose father, Saul, was trying to kill David. There is more to the story, but there is also another passage.
2 Samuel 1:26 states: "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan: You have been very pleasant to me: Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women." David had just found out that Jonathan had died and had written a song for him. The last line is what really gets me. So many people are quick to point out that homosexuality is wrong and sinful, yet here are two examples of men loving each other. Platonic? It doesn't sound that way to me.
But what about King David? He was a very sinful man. When he fell in love with Bathsheba, he had her husband sent to the war front to make sure that he would be killed. He wanted her all to himself and couldn't have her as long as she was married. He also cursed Abigail's husband so that he would die. And he did. Then David was free to marry her as well. So he wasn't a saint. But was he gay? I don't know. What I do know is that we are all made in the image of God. God knows what is destined for our life before we are ever formed in the womb. Don't you think he knows that some people are going to be homosexual?
Many churches have opened their doors and welcomed gay men and women into their congregations with open arms. These are the churches that show the love of Christ to other people. These are the churches that show that not all Christians are pushing their own agenda, but pushing the agenda of God. Aren't we supposed to love all people?
Want to know the difference between someone who is gay and someone who is not? There isn't one. We all have thoughts and actions and words and deeds that are judged by someone higher and greater than us. And we will all be judged using the same standards. And what are those standards? Only God knows that.
I very rarely agree with the political agenda of "Super Christians". I think that the bible thumping, shove it down your throat Christians have given the rest of us a bad name. People see that you are a Christian and all of a sudden, we are held to a higher standard. Is that reasonable? Maybe, maybe not. While we are judging other people, we are being judged ourselves. How many times have you been cut off by someone driving a car with a Jesus bumper sticker? Makes you wonder what church function they are late for, doesn't it? Then they cut somebody else off pulling into the parking lot of the liquor store. They must not be Baptist.
Politics is such a minefield any way. Let's leave religion out of it. Isn't it hard enough to figure out where all the candidates stand without wondering who's pushing for their own religious agenda. Joyce Meyer says, "Jesus didn't die so we could have a religion. He died so we can have a deep, meaningful relationship with God."
When we are in public as a family, we pray before we eat. It used to make us uncomfortable. We felt like people were staring at us, pointing fingers. And they may have been. But we don't care anymore. We try to treat people with respect. We say please and thank you and leave a good tip for our server. We say thank you when a new drink comes, or a dirty plate gets taken away. My children are treated especially well, because they are polite. Many have commented on the fact that manners are so lacking in our society and what a fantastic thing it is to see some children using them. Do I have perfect children? No!!!!! But they model the behavior that they are shown.
People are people. We all make mistakes, we all put our pants on one leg at a time, and no one person is better than the next. I say let's just all spend some time getting to know each other, and treating each other with love and kindness. What a great place to live that would be!
The circumstances under which we met, my almost zero faith in a creator, and a very low self esteem after a very verbally abusive 5 1/2 year relationship all headed up in a bar one night. I realized very quickly that my husband had been brought to me not by mere circumstance, but by design. But that is a history lesson for another time. And after 11 years of marriage and family, we decided that it was time to get ourselves and our family to church. We have a fantastic church family that has been very supportive of our family and our endeavors. But again, I digress.
I am unlike many Christians. Of course, I am unlike almost any one else you may meet. I think that the church should stay out of politics, and get back to the business of spreading the word of God and the love of Christ. I also think that we need to let God judge the actions of people and not us. Does that mean that I don't judge people? No. It means that I am human, just like every one else. But here are some of the issues that I have that contradict my faith.
I have opinions about abortion. I know several people that have had them, some more than one. I should say now that I am pro-choice, which is unusual for most Christians. You will never find me standing outside a clinic that offers abortions holding those horrific signs that are intended to scare the dickens out of pregnant women who no longer want to be that way. Here's how I think we would be better suited to help them- PRAY.
It is not for me to decide how any one else will live their life. It is not for me to decide if someone is going to Heaven or hell. I will never walk in anyone else's shoes. I will never breathe their air or think their thoughts. Most days I have an issue reading my own thoughts. They will face our Creator and He will judge them. He will judge their actions, thoughts, deeds, and words. It is not my business to do that. But I will pray that they do the right thing, whatever that right thing may be for them. That sounds a little cooky, but that's me.
Psalm 139 says that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." We are. We are decided on and created in the eyes of God before we are even in the womb. And God knows our actions and thoughts and words before they are ever known to us. And it is for us to use our free will to make the right decision. Would I ever make that for any one else, or presume to know what the right decision is for them? No. I am a better servant to them by praying for them and asking God to guide their lives.
Did you know that there is homosexuality in the bible? Scholars may disagree and know the history and the customs of the time, and I don't. But if you read the following two passages, it sounds like King David and his friend Jonathan were very close. 1 Samuel 19:41 says: "As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so." David was with his friend Jonathan, whose father, Saul, was trying to kill David. There is more to the story, but there is also another passage.
2 Samuel 1:26 states: "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan: You have been very pleasant to me: Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women." David had just found out that Jonathan had died and had written a song for him. The last line is what really gets me. So many people are quick to point out that homosexuality is wrong and sinful, yet here are two examples of men loving each other. Platonic? It doesn't sound that way to me.
But what about King David? He was a very sinful man. When he fell in love with Bathsheba, he had her husband sent to the war front to make sure that he would be killed. He wanted her all to himself and couldn't have her as long as she was married. He also cursed Abigail's husband so that he would die. And he did. Then David was free to marry her as well. So he wasn't a saint. But was he gay? I don't know. What I do know is that we are all made in the image of God. God knows what is destined for our life before we are ever formed in the womb. Don't you think he knows that some people are going to be homosexual?
Many churches have opened their doors and welcomed gay men and women into their congregations with open arms. These are the churches that show the love of Christ to other people. These are the churches that show that not all Christians are pushing their own agenda, but pushing the agenda of God. Aren't we supposed to love all people?
Want to know the difference between someone who is gay and someone who is not? There isn't one. We all have thoughts and actions and words and deeds that are judged by someone higher and greater than us. And we will all be judged using the same standards. And what are those standards? Only God knows that.
I very rarely agree with the political agenda of "Super Christians". I think that the bible thumping, shove it down your throat Christians have given the rest of us a bad name. People see that you are a Christian and all of a sudden, we are held to a higher standard. Is that reasonable? Maybe, maybe not. While we are judging other people, we are being judged ourselves. How many times have you been cut off by someone driving a car with a Jesus bumper sticker? Makes you wonder what church function they are late for, doesn't it? Then they cut somebody else off pulling into the parking lot of the liquor store. They must not be Baptist.
Politics is such a minefield any way. Let's leave religion out of it. Isn't it hard enough to figure out where all the candidates stand without wondering who's pushing for their own religious agenda. Joyce Meyer says, "Jesus didn't die so we could have a religion. He died so we can have a deep, meaningful relationship with God."
When we are in public as a family, we pray before we eat. It used to make us uncomfortable. We felt like people were staring at us, pointing fingers. And they may have been. But we don't care anymore. We try to treat people with respect. We say please and thank you and leave a good tip for our server. We say thank you when a new drink comes, or a dirty plate gets taken away. My children are treated especially well, because they are polite. Many have commented on the fact that manners are so lacking in our society and what a fantastic thing it is to see some children using them. Do I have perfect children? No!!!!! But they model the behavior that they are shown.
People are people. We all make mistakes, we all put our pants on one leg at a time, and no one person is better than the next. I say let's just all spend some time getting to know each other, and treating each other with love and kindness. What a great place to live that would be!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Book Review
I love to read. Some of what I read is really good, and unfortunately, some of it really isn't. But I just finished a book that really made me think about some things that hubby and I have been talking about.
Hubby and I have decided that we would like to do some things for our bodies that we have never really thought about before.In fact, I have some friends that do this, but for many years I have discounted the effects. We are trying to get our bodies more healthy and rely more on natural cures and supplements. He has been listening to a radio program that promotes healthy living and a healthy life style.
Of course we know that when some one is promoting a product that they produce, there is an inflated positive overview of the products. So I went to a friend of mine that has no special interest in the products to ask her opinion. She was very positive about the changes we wanted to make and about the products that we wanted to try. She agreed that we should take things slowly until we are comfortable and happy about the results. Hubby got a multivitamin and I got a B vitamin combo that is supposed to help with your energy levels. Hubby says he's scared to see me with more energy. I am too, to tell you the truth.
On to the book review.
I just finished "Against Medical Advise" written by James Patterson and a friend of his. The friend has a son that fought a 13 year battle with Tourettes, OCD, and a severe anxiety disorder. It was very moving and thought provoking and it brought up some questions that I have already been having about mass produced pharmaceuticals.
The boy in the story, whose name is Cory, had an urge at four, almost five, to shake his head. And he didn't have the urge to stop for a very long time. Over the next few years, he saw countless doctors and was put on over 60 medications. They tried meds for Parkinson's, Alzheimers, anxiety, allergies, and who knows what else. His mother had to quit her job to manage the number of pills and MD visits that Cory had. In the end, the only medication that worked for him was alcohol.
He was a chain smoker. He fell asleep in a drunken stupor one night and almost set his house on fire when a cigarette fell out of his mouth and onto the couch cushions. His attendance at school was almost nothing because he couldn't cope with his conditions and his meds. His body would decide that it needed to make certain movements or gestures and he would do them. Whether they were appropriate for the situation or not, he would flip people off, or even just raise his hand. When he went through door ways he had to do a shuffling skip hop move before he could actually enter a room.
Cory made his mother wreck her car pretty badly and could have been killed when he grabbed the steering wheel one day and turned into the path of an oncoming vehicle. He was riding in the car with his father one day and had the urge to tap the steering wheel. His father made him sit in the back seat. He would touch people whether they wanted to be touched or not. He had almost no friends, and although he had an almost genius IQ, he was relegated to remedial classes because of his behavior.
He had no real friends to speak of. The people that he hung out with were the ones that had issues of their own, but only wanted to be around him when they wanted something from him. He excelled at baseball and later football, but had to quit both because of the fog the meds put him in. He couldn't function or control some of the worst of his body tics. The worse he got, the higher his anxiety. The meds did horrible things for him and to him. At one point he weighed almost 300 pounds because he couldn't stop eating. He had no control over his body or his emotions.
His parents had done everything they could do for him and were going to put him in rehab. The rehab place scared him so bad, he refused to go. His parents finally relented and checked him out AMA- against medical advise. And then he did something for himself. He quit all the meds and the alcohol and went to Wilderness Camp.
It was the camp that teens go to to clean themselves up. Sometimes his body would start ticcing and he couldn't do anything about it. Several times he fell behind the rest of the group and had to fight to catch up. He went without meals because he was unable to prepare them. If you don't help, you don't eat. He realized after several days that he no longer wanted or needed a cigarette or a drink. He worked his butt off, literally and figuratively, and got to come home.
His parents put him in a very advanced prep school that focused primarily on academics and working hard. He would stay up well into the night trying to catch up all the work and keep up. He finally ran away and went home. His parents were relieved, saddened, and angry all at the same time.
I am not doing this story justice in my description, but he eventually made it. And his Tourettes, OCD, and anxiety issues became a mute point and disappeared almost entirely. It is a fantastic story about perseverance and love and doing what is best for you.
So here's how all of this ties together. I am not a health nut. I have switched from regular white, empty carbs to healthier whole grain and whole wheat carbs. I have added more fresh veggies into our diet and have tried to cut down the sugar and the junk. My next big accomplishment would be the elimination of high fructose corn syrup, but that is a slow process, since it is in everything that is packaged and processed.
I wish that more MDs would look at healthier alternatives than just a pill. Watching the ads for some of the meds that are out there now, I cannot imagine why anyone would even attempt to take some of the meds that are out there. The side effects are scary. Why do I want to take a pill that gives me both diarrhea and constipation? How does that work exactly? Is it putting in a plug, and blowing it out? Eeewww!
Looking at some of the healthier alternatives and listening to people that have no vested interest in a certain product, I think I would rather take the alternative route. Native Americans and indigenous people all over the world have used alternative medicine for centuries. With great results I might add. I would rather take a pill that had nothing but naturally occuring plants than take one that has man made things in it. Seeing all of the recalls from the FDA makes me extremely leary of any medication that had been approved. There are no long term studies to see the significant effects over a period of time. And yes, I know that every body is different and reacts to meds differently, but I don't care.
I wonder if Cory could have been helped all those years ago by a doctor that believed in alternatives to a magic pill. None of the pills did anything for him except drug him up. He still had his tics, he still had horrible mental thoughts, and he still did things that he could not control. His mother at one point had to give him several doses of Benadryl to help him sleep through the horrible side effects of some of the medicines. I find myself leaning more and more to the "healthy alternative" lifestyle than the "please give me a pill". I do like my Oxycodone, but that's for the buzz. Don't judge, just read and respond.
I'll wrap this up by saying that we will no longer immunize our children. It is not your place to tell me I'm wrong. I have no confidence in the drug companies or the major pharmaceutical companies. I am more scared of the side effects of the immunization than not immunizing. We are trying to keep as many positives in our lives and in our bodies as we can. A freind of hubby's made a comment one day about his preference for a certain herb that shall remain nameless than drinking alcohol: God made ---, man made beer. Who do you trust?
This is a decison that we have given considerable thought to and was not made overnight. We are looking into alternatives for the boy's allergies and the big girl's headaches, as well as our own aches and pains. We have done the research and know where we want to go and where we want our bodies to be. We are choosing a healthy alternative to the same old, same old.
Hubby and I have decided that we would like to do some things for our bodies that we have never really thought about before.In fact, I have some friends that do this, but for many years I have discounted the effects. We are trying to get our bodies more healthy and rely more on natural cures and supplements. He has been listening to a radio program that promotes healthy living and a healthy life style.
Of course we know that when some one is promoting a product that they produce, there is an inflated positive overview of the products. So I went to a friend of mine that has no special interest in the products to ask her opinion. She was very positive about the changes we wanted to make and about the products that we wanted to try. She agreed that we should take things slowly until we are comfortable and happy about the results. Hubby got a multivitamin and I got a B vitamin combo that is supposed to help with your energy levels. Hubby says he's scared to see me with more energy. I am too, to tell you the truth.
On to the book review.
I just finished "Against Medical Advise" written by James Patterson and a friend of his. The friend has a son that fought a 13 year battle with Tourettes, OCD, and a severe anxiety disorder. It was very moving and thought provoking and it brought up some questions that I have already been having about mass produced pharmaceuticals.
The boy in the story, whose name is Cory, had an urge at four, almost five, to shake his head. And he didn't have the urge to stop for a very long time. Over the next few years, he saw countless doctors and was put on over 60 medications. They tried meds for Parkinson's, Alzheimers, anxiety, allergies, and who knows what else. His mother had to quit her job to manage the number of pills and MD visits that Cory had. In the end, the only medication that worked for him was alcohol.
He was a chain smoker. He fell asleep in a drunken stupor one night and almost set his house on fire when a cigarette fell out of his mouth and onto the couch cushions. His attendance at school was almost nothing because he couldn't cope with his conditions and his meds. His body would decide that it needed to make certain movements or gestures and he would do them. Whether they were appropriate for the situation or not, he would flip people off, or even just raise his hand. When he went through door ways he had to do a shuffling skip hop move before he could actually enter a room.
Cory made his mother wreck her car pretty badly and could have been killed when he grabbed the steering wheel one day and turned into the path of an oncoming vehicle. He was riding in the car with his father one day and had the urge to tap the steering wheel. His father made him sit in the back seat. He would touch people whether they wanted to be touched or not. He had almost no friends, and although he had an almost genius IQ, he was relegated to remedial classes because of his behavior.
He had no real friends to speak of. The people that he hung out with were the ones that had issues of their own, but only wanted to be around him when they wanted something from him. He excelled at baseball and later football, but had to quit both because of the fog the meds put him in. He couldn't function or control some of the worst of his body tics. The worse he got, the higher his anxiety. The meds did horrible things for him and to him. At one point he weighed almost 300 pounds because he couldn't stop eating. He had no control over his body or his emotions.
His parents had done everything they could do for him and were going to put him in rehab. The rehab place scared him so bad, he refused to go. His parents finally relented and checked him out AMA- against medical advise. And then he did something for himself. He quit all the meds and the alcohol and went to Wilderness Camp.
It was the camp that teens go to to clean themselves up. Sometimes his body would start ticcing and he couldn't do anything about it. Several times he fell behind the rest of the group and had to fight to catch up. He went without meals because he was unable to prepare them. If you don't help, you don't eat. He realized after several days that he no longer wanted or needed a cigarette or a drink. He worked his butt off, literally and figuratively, and got to come home.
His parents put him in a very advanced prep school that focused primarily on academics and working hard. He would stay up well into the night trying to catch up all the work and keep up. He finally ran away and went home. His parents were relieved, saddened, and angry all at the same time.
I am not doing this story justice in my description, but he eventually made it. And his Tourettes, OCD, and anxiety issues became a mute point and disappeared almost entirely. It is a fantastic story about perseverance and love and doing what is best for you.
So here's how all of this ties together. I am not a health nut. I have switched from regular white, empty carbs to healthier whole grain and whole wheat carbs. I have added more fresh veggies into our diet and have tried to cut down the sugar and the junk. My next big accomplishment would be the elimination of high fructose corn syrup, but that is a slow process, since it is in everything that is packaged and processed.
I wish that more MDs would look at healthier alternatives than just a pill. Watching the ads for some of the meds that are out there now, I cannot imagine why anyone would even attempt to take some of the meds that are out there. The side effects are scary. Why do I want to take a pill that gives me both diarrhea and constipation? How does that work exactly? Is it putting in a plug, and blowing it out? Eeewww!
Looking at some of the healthier alternatives and listening to people that have no vested interest in a certain product, I think I would rather take the alternative route. Native Americans and indigenous people all over the world have used alternative medicine for centuries. With great results I might add. I would rather take a pill that had nothing but naturally occuring plants than take one that has man made things in it. Seeing all of the recalls from the FDA makes me extremely leary of any medication that had been approved. There are no long term studies to see the significant effects over a period of time. And yes, I know that every body is different and reacts to meds differently, but I don't care.
I wonder if Cory could have been helped all those years ago by a doctor that believed in alternatives to a magic pill. None of the pills did anything for him except drug him up. He still had his tics, he still had horrible mental thoughts, and he still did things that he could not control. His mother at one point had to give him several doses of Benadryl to help him sleep through the horrible side effects of some of the medicines. I find myself leaning more and more to the "healthy alternative" lifestyle than the "please give me a pill". I do like my Oxycodone, but that's for the buzz. Don't judge, just read and respond.
I'll wrap this up by saying that we will no longer immunize our children. It is not your place to tell me I'm wrong. I have no confidence in the drug companies or the major pharmaceutical companies. I am more scared of the side effects of the immunization than not immunizing. We are trying to keep as many positives in our lives and in our bodies as we can. A freind of hubby's made a comment one day about his preference for a certain herb that shall remain nameless than drinking alcohol: God made ---, man made beer. Who do you trust?
This is a decison that we have given considerable thought to and was not made overnight. We are looking into alternatives for the boy's allergies and the big girl's headaches, as well as our own aches and pains. We have done the research and know where we want to go and where we want our bodies to be. We are choosing a healthy alternative to the same old, same old.
Friday, October 24, 2008
So much to say...
... so little time.
I wa sitting at dance class tonight talking to one if the other moms. She is a teacher and apparently there was an incident at one of the schools. Since my kids no longer go to public school, I was not privy to the story.
Apparently, at the middle school next to the elementary that the big girl attended in first grade, a girl performed oral sex an a boy. Or maybe more than one. I'm not really sure. I went into a little bit of shock. The boys surrounded the girl so that the teachers wouldn't see. Somebody found out. But in the big picture, we are talking about 11-13 year olds. What the hell is going on? How bad do things have to get before people wake up from their comas and get a grip on their children?
When did working and having things over shadow the importance of raising our children to have a sense of self worth and knowing that giving a blow job in middle school might make you popular, but it will also make you a slut? Where are her parents? Where is the safe place that she can go to open her mind and not her mouth? What the hell is happening and what is going to happen to our future with these types of children running our country? Where did the sense of entitlement come from?
When Paris Hilton becomes a role model, do we not know that our country is in critical condition? And Jessica Simpson? I am embarrased that she and President Bush are from Texas. I moved to Florida so that I wouldn't live in a Bush run state. Little did I know that his brother Jeb would become the governor of Florida. But Jeb actually did some really good things for this state. He did some not good things as well, but I digress. Where have the morals and values gone?
And the part that is the most frightening: there have been five rapes at that school. We are talking about a middle school, not high school or college. It would be bad enough at those schools, but middle school. And people wonder why I don't want my kids in public school. Well, there's one reason, or five.
When did our country become "all about me"? And I know that not everybody is like that. But go to the mall and tell me that you can only count on one hand the number of girls wearing clothes that are too tight, too low cut, too whatever for their age. I saw it at the high school football game that we went to. I just wanted to tell them that could cover up. If a boy doesn't respect you for your mind and then your body, he is exactly that: a boy. Save some of your self respect.
I am trying so hard to raise my daughters to respect themselves and it is not easy in today's society. I am trying to raise my son to respect women, not slobber all over them. But we need that for all of our youth today. I am hoping, and praying, that this country will somehow get back on track to realize what is important. And it isn't how much leg you have showing or anything else. It should be about the size of your brain.
I wa sitting at dance class tonight talking to one if the other moms. She is a teacher and apparently there was an incident at one of the schools. Since my kids no longer go to public school, I was not privy to the story.
Apparently, at the middle school next to the elementary that the big girl attended in first grade, a girl performed oral sex an a boy. Or maybe more than one. I'm not really sure. I went into a little bit of shock. The boys surrounded the girl so that the teachers wouldn't see. Somebody found out. But in the big picture, we are talking about 11-13 year olds. What the hell is going on? How bad do things have to get before people wake up from their comas and get a grip on their children?
When did working and having things over shadow the importance of raising our children to have a sense of self worth and knowing that giving a blow job in middle school might make you popular, but it will also make you a slut? Where are her parents? Where is the safe place that she can go to open her mind and not her mouth? What the hell is happening and what is going to happen to our future with these types of children running our country? Where did the sense of entitlement come from?
When Paris Hilton becomes a role model, do we not know that our country is in critical condition? And Jessica Simpson? I am embarrased that she and President Bush are from Texas. I moved to Florida so that I wouldn't live in a Bush run state. Little did I know that his brother Jeb would become the governor of Florida. But Jeb actually did some really good things for this state. He did some not good things as well, but I digress. Where have the morals and values gone?
And the part that is the most frightening: there have been five rapes at that school. We are talking about a middle school, not high school or college. It would be bad enough at those schools, but middle school. And people wonder why I don't want my kids in public school. Well, there's one reason, or five.
When did our country become "all about me"? And I know that not everybody is like that. But go to the mall and tell me that you can only count on one hand the number of girls wearing clothes that are too tight, too low cut, too whatever for their age. I saw it at the high school football game that we went to. I just wanted to tell them that could cover up. If a boy doesn't respect you for your mind and then your body, he is exactly that: a boy. Save some of your self respect.
I am trying so hard to raise my daughters to respect themselves and it is not easy in today's society. I am trying to raise my son to respect women, not slobber all over them. But we need that for all of our youth today. I am hoping, and praying, that this country will somehow get back on track to realize what is important. And it isn't how much leg you have showing or anything else. It should be about the size of your brain.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Tying up some loose ends
Hubby was talking to his boss today and the subject of the transfers came up. His boss said that if he hasn't gotten a phone call yet, he probably didn't get the job. But that's alright, too. His boss asked him what area he was trying to get to. Hubby told him and he said he would make a few calls.
Sometimes, I'm not sure how to take his boss. Hubby is the "go to" guy. If they need someone to do a serious job, or one with a very demanding customer, then hubby is usually the one to go. He has this very laid back attitude and I think it helps calms people down. It's hard to be angry at someone that doesn't get angry back. He listens to their problem and does eveything he can to solve it. How can you stay angry at that?
He has had two complaints about his work. One was from a woman who called and complained about everyone they sent out. Normally, he's the one that gets the "way to go". He has several of those. He's even had customers get on the phone while he is there and tell his boss what a good job he did.
But it seems like his boss would really like for him to go somewhere else. Almost like hubby makes him look bad. Then other times, he can't go another day unless hubby is there. Maybe he's not taking his meds. Or maybe he isn't taking enough. Maybe the voices are telling him what to do. No, that's the voices in my head.
But we are still going to try to come home for Thanksgiving. I miss my family. It gets pretty bad this time of year. I have no family out here, it's all hubby's. They are great people, but I still want my family. Christmas can be a real downer for me. Halloween is my favorite holiday. There isn't much sentimentality attached to it.
It's late. I'm going to bed. And hopefully I'll get to see you all soon.
Sometimes, I'm not sure how to take his boss. Hubby is the "go to" guy. If they need someone to do a serious job, or one with a very demanding customer, then hubby is usually the one to go. He has this very laid back attitude and I think it helps calms people down. It's hard to be angry at someone that doesn't get angry back. He listens to their problem and does eveything he can to solve it. How can you stay angry at that?
He has had two complaints about his work. One was from a woman who called and complained about everyone they sent out. Normally, he's the one that gets the "way to go". He has several of those. He's even had customers get on the phone while he is there and tell his boss what a good job he did.
But it seems like his boss would really like for him to go somewhere else. Almost like hubby makes him look bad. Then other times, he can't go another day unless hubby is there. Maybe he's not taking his meds. Or maybe he isn't taking enough. Maybe the voices are telling him what to do. No, that's the voices in my head.
But we are still going to try to come home for Thanksgiving. I miss my family. It gets pretty bad this time of year. I have no family out here, it's all hubby's. They are great people, but I still want my family. Christmas can be a real downer for me. Halloween is my favorite holiday. There isn't much sentimentality attached to it.
It's late. I'm going to bed. And hopefully I'll get to see you all soon.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Who I Am
I think that we can all agree that who we were is not necessarily who we are. If you had known me when I was younger, you would not think that I was the same person. But sometimes, when life steps in the way, we just have to dance around it.
When I was a kid and growing up, I was so incredibly shy. Most everybody that knows me now is laughing. No, really, I mean it. But there was my "out there" side that very few people know about. If we had a project that had to be presented to the class, I almost couldn't do it. My palms would sweat, my face would turn red, my heart would race. I would feel like I was going to pass out.
Some of you have heard my story about calling to order a pizza for the first time. I was 15, and my mom was out of town. She had left enough money for my sister and I to feed ourselves for the weekend and I wanted pizza. My sister was working and I was hungry. So I called and ordered a pizza. I thought I was going to throw up. How crazy is that? I didn't have to see the person, but the act of ordering a pizza the first time made me almost lose my mind with fear.
But then there was that other side. The side that got really tired of people telling me how good I was. And how sweet I was. And how my sister was always getting into trouble and I was so good not to get in trouble. They knew so little. And it all started when I was about 16.
Most of you don't know that I was high most of the time from about 13-14. The first time I smoked a joint, I thought I could do that for the rest of my life. None of my friends knew, none of my teachers, not my sister or my mother. And my father would have killed me dead on the spot if he had known. Mom would drop me off in the morning and I would find my dope friends and get high. Then I would get high between classes. And then at lunch. And then after school. I still graduated with a 4.+. It's my darn IQ. It's off the charts, on the high side.
I finally quit when one night after I had hallucinations. I was riding around the lake one night, smoking dope with my friends. I saw lights coming at us, but I couldn't make out what they were. And then I saw them again. And then again. The last time I decided I would see if I could see where they were going. When I turned my head, the lights turned red. It completely freaked me out. I was too high to know that they were cars that were passing us. I decided that was enough for me. Not that I quit for good.
I picked it up again later when I lived in Austin. What a great town that is. I actually worked with my dealer. I was her boss. Sounds crazy doesn't it? Live my life, man. But never walk in my shoes. Where was I? Oh, yeah.
My best friend and my sister's best friend were sisters. We used to watch our sisters do really stupid things and get caught. I would look at my best friend and say, "Not only can we do that, but we can do it better and not get caught." And boy did we do it better. And we never got caught. I did get busted by my mom one time when I was drunk, but she told me to never come home drunk again. I did, I just didn't tell her. I could tell you stories that would make you wonder how I am still alive. The only thing I can tell you is by the grace of God. One day I'll tell you about getting left at a party where I knew nobody once my friends left me. The guys who gave me a ride home could very well have given me something else as out of it as I was, but somehow I got home in one piece, and alive and unhurt.
I had decided at one point that I didn't want to be the shy, wall flower that I had been all my life. So to compensate I went way the other way. I was bold and out there and in your face. And man, could I ever get in your face.
When I moved to Austin, I got to be really good friends with the decorator that worked in our store. She was amazed that at 22, I knew who Peter Frampton was. His "Frampton Comes Alive" album is the second greatest live album behind Cheap Trick's "Live at Budokan". She asked me to go dancing one night. She had had a really bad wreck a couple of years previously and had pins and screws in her knee. She had just had them taken out and finished rehab and was ready to try it out. She didn't know that I was one hell of a dancer. Still am actually. I love to dance, but again, that's for another time. After dancing our asses off for a few hours, she deemed me worthy to party with. I am pretty cool to hang out with. That was all it took to let it all out with my new group of friends.
We were out partying with a group of female friends when one of them spotted a really hot guy at the bar. Of course, nobody would go talk to him. But they dared me to grab his butt. I just rolled my eyes at them, finished my drink in one swallow, and headed for the bar. I walked over to him and introduced myself. I pointed out my group of friends, and told him that they wanted me to grab his ass. So I politely asked if it would be OK if I did that. He agreed and let me grab his fine, fine ass. And what a nice handful that was. Then he bought me a drink. He said that was the first time a beautiful woman had approached him like that. I told him he would never meet anyone quite like me again.
When I got my job in Vegas, I was nervous as anything to move to another city where I knew 1 person. I told you I was out there. I think that I overcompensated the other way. I was too bold, too out there, too in your face at times. I drove out there all by myself from Ft. Worth. My mother was so scared for me. Sometimes I was, too, but I made it. I did get to see a part of the country that was new to me. And it was beautiful. But a word to the wise. Do not drive in New Mexico or Arizona during a hail storm. That wasn't the smartest thing I have ever done, but again, I made it.
My first night in Vegas sort of set the tone for the year I lived there. I called my friend, who at that time was really a friend of my mother's. She said her husband had just left for Saudi Arabia, and I should come out to the bar with her. Alcohol? OK. So I fixed myself up and out the door I went. I had my big Texas hair, a shirt that showed off the ladies, and I was driving my Eagle Talon. I looked damn good in that car. I miss it sometimes while I'm driving my minivan.
No sooner had we walked in the bar, that happened to be on the Air Force base, that I get propositioned. But not even directly. We walked into the bathroom almost as soon as we got there and this girl walks in behind us. She asked if I had seen the guy sitting at the first table. I said sure. She said, "He would really like to fuck you." Yeah, stand in line, buddy. I told her if he was enlisted, he didn't make enough money. I was really high maintenance. And the rest of the time I was there, I was surrounded by men. I loved that town. Even when I started dating my husband, they didn't care. When I got engaged, it was like a red flag to a bull.
The first time a bunch of us got together to go out, we went dancing. Vegas has some really awesome clubs, by the way. And if you play the cleavage just right, you can get in anywhere. I have plenty of cleavage, and I'm not afraid to use it. I dragged a male friend out onto the dance floor and shook my ass all night long. It was after 3 am when I got home. I had to work the next day and it was time for me to go. I did hear a conversation the next day about the way I dance. It was all complimentary, so I was pretty happy about that. It always makes me feel good when someone tells me I really know how to dance. I spent enough time dancing by myself in my room, I better be able to do something on the dance floor.
But wouldn't you know that life again stepped in the way. When the babies start coming, priorities get readjusted. And responsibility starts rearing it's ugly head. Responsibility sucks. But I still wouldn't trade the things I've done, or the places I've been, or the people I met for anything in the world. It helped me become the person I am now. And the mother. And the wife. And the friend. And all the other parts that make up the whole. I took a part of my life and changed it. I changed it again when what I was doing and how I was behaving wasn't working for me anymore. It shaped the way I think and feel. It shaped the way I am now. And I know what to look for when my kids think they are getting away with something.
When I was a kid and growing up, I was so incredibly shy. Most everybody that knows me now is laughing. No, really, I mean it. But there was my "out there" side that very few people know about. If we had a project that had to be presented to the class, I almost couldn't do it. My palms would sweat, my face would turn red, my heart would race. I would feel like I was going to pass out.
Some of you have heard my story about calling to order a pizza for the first time. I was 15, and my mom was out of town. She had left enough money for my sister and I to feed ourselves for the weekend and I wanted pizza. My sister was working and I was hungry. So I called and ordered a pizza. I thought I was going to throw up. How crazy is that? I didn't have to see the person, but the act of ordering a pizza the first time made me almost lose my mind with fear.
But then there was that other side. The side that got really tired of people telling me how good I was. And how sweet I was. And how my sister was always getting into trouble and I was so good not to get in trouble. They knew so little. And it all started when I was about 16.
Most of you don't know that I was high most of the time from about 13-14. The first time I smoked a joint, I thought I could do that for the rest of my life. None of my friends knew, none of my teachers, not my sister or my mother. And my father would have killed me dead on the spot if he had known. Mom would drop me off in the morning and I would find my dope friends and get high. Then I would get high between classes. And then at lunch. And then after school. I still graduated with a 4.+. It's my darn IQ. It's off the charts, on the high side.
I finally quit when one night after I had hallucinations. I was riding around the lake one night, smoking dope with my friends. I saw lights coming at us, but I couldn't make out what they were. And then I saw them again. And then again. The last time I decided I would see if I could see where they were going. When I turned my head, the lights turned red. It completely freaked me out. I was too high to know that they were cars that were passing us. I decided that was enough for me. Not that I quit for good.
I picked it up again later when I lived in Austin. What a great town that is. I actually worked with my dealer. I was her boss. Sounds crazy doesn't it? Live my life, man. But never walk in my shoes. Where was I? Oh, yeah.
My best friend and my sister's best friend were sisters. We used to watch our sisters do really stupid things and get caught. I would look at my best friend and say, "Not only can we do that, but we can do it better and not get caught." And boy did we do it better. And we never got caught. I did get busted by my mom one time when I was drunk, but she told me to never come home drunk again. I did, I just didn't tell her. I could tell you stories that would make you wonder how I am still alive. The only thing I can tell you is by the grace of God. One day I'll tell you about getting left at a party where I knew nobody once my friends left me. The guys who gave me a ride home could very well have given me something else as out of it as I was, but somehow I got home in one piece, and alive and unhurt.
I had decided at one point that I didn't want to be the shy, wall flower that I had been all my life. So to compensate I went way the other way. I was bold and out there and in your face. And man, could I ever get in your face.
When I moved to Austin, I got to be really good friends with the decorator that worked in our store. She was amazed that at 22, I knew who Peter Frampton was. His "Frampton Comes Alive" album is the second greatest live album behind Cheap Trick's "Live at Budokan". She asked me to go dancing one night. She had had a really bad wreck a couple of years previously and had pins and screws in her knee. She had just had them taken out and finished rehab and was ready to try it out. She didn't know that I was one hell of a dancer. Still am actually. I love to dance, but again, that's for another time. After dancing our asses off for a few hours, she deemed me worthy to party with. I am pretty cool to hang out with. That was all it took to let it all out with my new group of friends.
We were out partying with a group of female friends when one of them spotted a really hot guy at the bar. Of course, nobody would go talk to him. But they dared me to grab his butt. I just rolled my eyes at them, finished my drink in one swallow, and headed for the bar. I walked over to him and introduced myself. I pointed out my group of friends, and told him that they wanted me to grab his ass. So I politely asked if it would be OK if I did that. He agreed and let me grab his fine, fine ass. And what a nice handful that was. Then he bought me a drink. He said that was the first time a beautiful woman had approached him like that. I told him he would never meet anyone quite like me again.
When I got my job in Vegas, I was nervous as anything to move to another city where I knew 1 person. I told you I was out there. I think that I overcompensated the other way. I was too bold, too out there, too in your face at times. I drove out there all by myself from Ft. Worth. My mother was so scared for me. Sometimes I was, too, but I made it. I did get to see a part of the country that was new to me. And it was beautiful. But a word to the wise. Do not drive in New Mexico or Arizona during a hail storm. That wasn't the smartest thing I have ever done, but again, I made it.
My first night in Vegas sort of set the tone for the year I lived there. I called my friend, who at that time was really a friend of my mother's. She said her husband had just left for Saudi Arabia, and I should come out to the bar with her. Alcohol? OK. So I fixed myself up and out the door I went. I had my big Texas hair, a shirt that showed off the ladies, and I was driving my Eagle Talon. I looked damn good in that car. I miss it sometimes while I'm driving my minivan.
No sooner had we walked in the bar, that happened to be on the Air Force base, that I get propositioned. But not even directly. We walked into the bathroom almost as soon as we got there and this girl walks in behind us. She asked if I had seen the guy sitting at the first table. I said sure. She said, "He would really like to fuck you." Yeah, stand in line, buddy. I told her if he was enlisted, he didn't make enough money. I was really high maintenance. And the rest of the time I was there, I was surrounded by men. I loved that town. Even when I started dating my husband, they didn't care. When I got engaged, it was like a red flag to a bull.
The first time a bunch of us got together to go out, we went dancing. Vegas has some really awesome clubs, by the way. And if you play the cleavage just right, you can get in anywhere. I have plenty of cleavage, and I'm not afraid to use it. I dragged a male friend out onto the dance floor and shook my ass all night long. It was after 3 am when I got home. I had to work the next day and it was time for me to go. I did hear a conversation the next day about the way I dance. It was all complimentary, so I was pretty happy about that. It always makes me feel good when someone tells me I really know how to dance. I spent enough time dancing by myself in my room, I better be able to do something on the dance floor.
But wouldn't you know that life again stepped in the way. When the babies start coming, priorities get readjusted. And responsibility starts rearing it's ugly head. Responsibility sucks. But I still wouldn't trade the things I've done, or the places I've been, or the people I met for anything in the world. It helped me become the person I am now. And the mother. And the wife. And the friend. And all the other parts that make up the whole. I took a part of my life and changed it. I changed it again when what I was doing and how I was behaving wasn't working for me anymore. It shaped the way I think and feel. It shaped the way I am now. And I know what to look for when my kids think they are getting away with something.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Changes are coming
From day to day, minute to minute, things just keep changing and evolving. Sometimes it's for good, sometimes it's for evil. But at least things aren't stagnant and stale.
Hubby's company is undergoing a "restructuring". It doesn't have anything to do with bankruptcy. It has to do with wanting somebody to buy the company. The company has asked for voluntary transfers to different jobs within the region. It actually started with the union president of all things. The company was going to be bought, but when the stock market went crazy and banks stopped loaning money, the company that was going to buy, couldn't.
There has been a big push for layoffs. Why stock holders are more important than the workers, I'll never understand. But profit is the bottom line. The union president stepped in and had a few suggestions. One was that if the company got rid of contractors, the co. could shift full time employees around to fill those positions and keep their jobs. Lo and behold, the company listened. What?
So here's the skinny. There are several positions that have come open that were previously held by contractors. I have nothing against contractors, since hubby has been one off and on over the last fourteen years. Hubby has applied for a position dealing with special circuits. It has to do with towers, and I don't know what else.
The job doesn't entail any climbing of the towers (thank you God). It has to do with the lines and cell phones and I'm not even sure. During lightning season, he would have a ton of overtime. He would also be on call at least once a month. But we are OK with that.
The money will definitely help. If we could get the credit cards paid off within the next year or even two, that in itself would be worth it. And to actually be able to put money in savings. I don't even know what a savings account looks like. We had to drain the kids' a couple of years ago when hubby got back from Miami. That was hard to deal with. But when you either do that or starve, or lose the house, well the decision makes itself really. But that's another blog for another time.
And enters the flexibility of home schooling. If hubby is working late, I can keep the kids up if I need to. There is nothing set in stone that says we have to be up at the crack of dawn, and start school at 8:30. We can start, or stop, whenever we want to. If we don't get started until noon, we don't get started until noon. It's nobody's business but ours. I love that aspect.
On the downside, when hubby is working serious overtime, so am I. That means I don't have the support or help that I get from him. He helps so much with the kids. But I have become very good at getting over it and moving on. But when I am ready for the kids to go bed, I am ready for the kids to go to bed. I have to get over myself at times like that. We were pretty used to the overtime, but then last year, it never really started. A little here and there, but not like before. So now we would be back at it. I get really spoiled when hubby is home a lot.
We should know tomorrow whether or not hubby is transferring. I wish they were doing this for the areas around the country that his company is in. It would be great to get back to Texas. My mom would be happy. My dad would not be so happy, since he is in Tennessee. But I would love to come home. Who knows? If hubby gets the job, maybe we could save enough to move. Wouldn't that be great? So ifit's meant to be, it will happen. Wish us luck whichever way it goes.
Hubby's company is undergoing a "restructuring". It doesn't have anything to do with bankruptcy. It has to do with wanting somebody to buy the company. The company has asked for voluntary transfers to different jobs within the region. It actually started with the union president of all things. The company was going to be bought, but when the stock market went crazy and banks stopped loaning money, the company that was going to buy, couldn't.
There has been a big push for layoffs. Why stock holders are more important than the workers, I'll never understand. But profit is the bottom line. The union president stepped in and had a few suggestions. One was that if the company got rid of contractors, the co. could shift full time employees around to fill those positions and keep their jobs. Lo and behold, the company listened. What?
So here's the skinny. There are several positions that have come open that were previously held by contractors. I have nothing against contractors, since hubby has been one off and on over the last fourteen years. Hubby has applied for a position dealing with special circuits. It has to do with towers, and I don't know what else.
The job doesn't entail any climbing of the towers (thank you God). It has to do with the lines and cell phones and I'm not even sure. During lightning season, he would have a ton of overtime. He would also be on call at least once a month. But we are OK with that.
The money will definitely help. If we could get the credit cards paid off within the next year or even two, that in itself would be worth it. And to actually be able to put money in savings. I don't even know what a savings account looks like. We had to drain the kids' a couple of years ago when hubby got back from Miami. That was hard to deal with. But when you either do that or starve, or lose the house, well the decision makes itself really. But that's another blog for another time.
And enters the flexibility of home schooling. If hubby is working late, I can keep the kids up if I need to. There is nothing set in stone that says we have to be up at the crack of dawn, and start school at 8:30. We can start, or stop, whenever we want to. If we don't get started until noon, we don't get started until noon. It's nobody's business but ours. I love that aspect.
On the downside, when hubby is working serious overtime, so am I. That means I don't have the support or help that I get from him. He helps so much with the kids. But I have become very good at getting over it and moving on. But when I am ready for the kids to go bed, I am ready for the kids to go to bed. I have to get over myself at times like that. We were pretty used to the overtime, but then last year, it never really started. A little here and there, but not like before. So now we would be back at it. I get really spoiled when hubby is home a lot.
We should know tomorrow whether or not hubby is transferring. I wish they were doing this for the areas around the country that his company is in. It would be great to get back to Texas. My mom would be happy. My dad would not be so happy, since he is in Tennessee. But I would love to come home. Who knows? If hubby gets the job, maybe we could save enough to move. Wouldn't that be great? So ifit's meant to be, it will happen. Wish us luck whichever way it goes.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Don't Worry, Be Happy
It took me a while to think about what to blog. I've felt kind of dry of material, if you will. Through looking at other blogs and talking to my husband, I finally figured it out. Hold on. We may be a while.
I had an appointment with the periodontist. Or whatever it is. Anyway, I have several thousand dollars worth of work that needs to be done to my teeth. Let me say now, Mom, I'm sorry. I know you paid a lot of money for my teeth. It is completely my fault for not doing the upkeep. And it's not like I didn't know what was happening. I was just too (insert adjective here) to do anything about it.
I need another root canal. Great (read shit!). I didn't love my first one enough to want another. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't fantastic and something I would choose to do on a day off. But wait there's more. He wants to pull my four front teeth on the bottom and put in a partial. I'm not forty yet. Not that it matters how old you are. Some people are just destined to lose teeth. I just haven't done anything about it.
And where is the money supposed to come from? I can't get the money tree to flower to save my life. Stupid Florida sugar sand. We can barely get tomatoes to grow. And if I could pull it from any orifice, I would be pulling every day. Sometimes twice a day. But I digress again. I told you to hold on.
How is that going to look until I get the partial? I shudder to think that I would have to wait an extended period of time with no front teeth. Granted bottom teeth, but still four of them. They said something about fittings, and temporary something, and I can't remember. If I don't have something that looks half way decent, I told hubby I wasn't leaving the house until I had teeth. No church, no co-op, no grocery store, no anything. He laughed and asked what he was supposed to tell people. I said I didn't care. He could tell them anything he wanted. He could tell them I had dental work done and I wasn't showing my face until it was right. I told him to ask them to pray for me. Which brings us to the second half of the blog.
I was reading a few blogs earlier and I came across one that was in Chinese, but it was translated in English. And in as small a nutshell I can get it in, here's what it said.
A blind boy was sitting on a street corner with a sign that read, "I'm blind. Please help". He had a hat open in front of him with a few coins inside. A man walks by and reads the sign. He drops coins in and and picks up the sign. He changes the sign, puts it back, and walks away. He comes by later and the hat is full.
The blind boy recognizes his footsteps and stops him. "What did you change my sign to?" he asked the man. "I changed it to tell the truth." It read "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."
Both signs tell the truth. The boy's sign said simply that he could not see. The second sign made people realize they were happy they could see. Have no regrets in your past. Learn from it and improve your future. Live life to the fullest and love with no regrets. The most beautiful thing to see is a smile, specially if you are the reason for the smile.
Fine. I know that things are not always perfect. Life is what you make it a lot of times. You can choose to stay in a nasty funk and be unhappy. Or you can cowboy up and get on with your day. Our lives are not always easy. And good relationships take time to cultivate. And who has any of that now days? But in the grand scheme of things, couldn't things be different for all of us. Put your life in perspective and figure out what's important. And then cherish it with everything you have. Love it with no regrets. Hold it as long as you can.
We made it to the end. I know, I took the long way. But did you really expect a post of mine to be short? Or take one road? You know me better than that. But, right now, I'm going to go hold one of those things that I cherish, and I may not let go until morning, if then.
I had an appointment with the periodontist. Or whatever it is. Anyway, I have several thousand dollars worth of work that needs to be done to my teeth. Let me say now, Mom, I'm sorry. I know you paid a lot of money for my teeth. It is completely my fault for not doing the upkeep. And it's not like I didn't know what was happening. I was just too (insert adjective here) to do anything about it.
I need another root canal. Great (read shit!). I didn't love my first one enough to want another. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't fantastic and something I would choose to do on a day off. But wait there's more. He wants to pull my four front teeth on the bottom and put in a partial. I'm not forty yet. Not that it matters how old you are. Some people are just destined to lose teeth. I just haven't done anything about it.
And where is the money supposed to come from? I can't get the money tree to flower to save my life. Stupid Florida sugar sand. We can barely get tomatoes to grow. And if I could pull it from any orifice, I would be pulling every day. Sometimes twice a day. But I digress again. I told you to hold on.
How is that going to look until I get the partial? I shudder to think that I would have to wait an extended period of time with no front teeth. Granted bottom teeth, but still four of them. They said something about fittings, and temporary something, and I can't remember. If I don't have something that looks half way decent, I told hubby I wasn't leaving the house until I had teeth. No church, no co-op, no grocery store, no anything. He laughed and asked what he was supposed to tell people. I said I didn't care. He could tell them anything he wanted. He could tell them I had dental work done and I wasn't showing my face until it was right. I told him to ask them to pray for me. Which brings us to the second half of the blog.
I was reading a few blogs earlier and I came across one that was in Chinese, but it was translated in English. And in as small a nutshell I can get it in, here's what it said.
A blind boy was sitting on a street corner with a sign that read, "I'm blind. Please help". He had a hat open in front of him with a few coins inside. A man walks by and reads the sign. He drops coins in and and picks up the sign. He changes the sign, puts it back, and walks away. He comes by later and the hat is full.
The blind boy recognizes his footsteps and stops him. "What did you change my sign to?" he asked the man. "I changed it to tell the truth." It read "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."
Both signs tell the truth. The boy's sign said simply that he could not see. The second sign made people realize they were happy they could see. Have no regrets in your past. Learn from it and improve your future. Live life to the fullest and love with no regrets. The most beautiful thing to see is a smile, specially if you are the reason for the smile.
Fine. I know that things are not always perfect. Life is what you make it a lot of times. You can choose to stay in a nasty funk and be unhappy. Or you can cowboy up and get on with your day. Our lives are not always easy. And good relationships take time to cultivate. And who has any of that now days? But in the grand scheme of things, couldn't things be different for all of us. Put your life in perspective and figure out what's important. And then cherish it with everything you have. Love it with no regrets. Hold it as long as you can.
We made it to the end. I know, I took the long way. But did you really expect a post of mine to be short? Or take one road? You know me better than that. But, right now, I'm going to go hold one of those things that I cherish, and I may not let go until morning, if then.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Clarification
There was another post on our discussion board. Ebonics is not recognized as a language. It is just not corrected in schools. students can speak in Ebonics, but not do assignments or papers using Ebonics.
But that brings me back to helping the students that are in our trust. Shouldn't the schools be preparing their students for the real world. Ebonics will certainly not get you a high paying job. It will allow you to ask if people want fries with their order.
So here is my rant, call it what you will. I don't really care, because it's my blog.
We went to the homecoming football game at the high school that hubby went to. The joke was that the team had already won their one game for the season, so there was no pressure to win homecoming. Being from Texas, high school football is fierce. It is the one thing that drives the social, economic, and political lives of many small towns. And the bigger the school, the bigger the pressure to win and win big.
The crowd was huge and the people were rude. Where did the common decency and courtesy go in our society? If you bump in to someone, say excuse me. It was an accident. There was none of that. Cutting in line, specially in the bathrooms, was horrible. And as nasty as they were, I didn't bother to go.
We had to park in the front of the school, which is behind the football stadium. And of course nothing was labeled. There was no signage that told us where to go. at one point we found where the gate was open. And then some man fussed at us that we needed to go around. Here we are with our three children and he thinks we're trying to sneak in? For those of you who know our children, sneaking is not possible.
Then we get fussed at by another man who tells us we're going the wrong way. There was also a group of black teenagers that were ahead of us. They were trying to find their way to the game, too. He accused them of jumping the fence. I said no, actually they came from the gate we just came from. They were as lost as we were. He finally led us to another gate and unlocked it for us. Then he fussed again about people not going where they were supposed to. I made a point that this was the very first time I had ever been to this school. If he wanted us going the right way, there should have been someone directing us or they needed to put up signs. Kiss mine is what I felt like saying.
The crowd was like every other crowd at any high school game I had ever been to. The woman next to me reminded me of my mother. She was very vocal to say the least, but didn't use bad language. When the cheerleaders were throwing small footballs, she even gave us three, one for each child. That was nice.
The teenage girls need to put some clothes on. The friends we went with made a comment about that being the style. My comment was that my daughters wouldn't go out in public unless they put some clothes on. I would rather be remembered for my brain and my accomplishments than how short my skirt was, and how much I showed when I bent over. Life today is so crazy.
When the crown thinned out a little later, it seemed most of the rudeness had gone as well. Maybe it's too many people in too small a space. But it did get better and our team won. Two in a row. It's a banner year.
But that brings me back to helping the students that are in our trust. Shouldn't the schools be preparing their students for the real world. Ebonics will certainly not get you a high paying job. It will allow you to ask if people want fries with their order.
So here is my rant, call it what you will. I don't really care, because it's my blog.
We went to the homecoming football game at the high school that hubby went to. The joke was that the team had already won their one game for the season, so there was no pressure to win homecoming. Being from Texas, high school football is fierce. It is the one thing that drives the social, economic, and political lives of many small towns. And the bigger the school, the bigger the pressure to win and win big.
The crowd was huge and the people were rude. Where did the common decency and courtesy go in our society? If you bump in to someone, say excuse me. It was an accident. There was none of that. Cutting in line, specially in the bathrooms, was horrible. And as nasty as they were, I didn't bother to go.
We had to park in the front of the school, which is behind the football stadium. And of course nothing was labeled. There was no signage that told us where to go. at one point we found where the gate was open. And then some man fussed at us that we needed to go around. Here we are with our three children and he thinks we're trying to sneak in? For those of you who know our children, sneaking is not possible.
Then we get fussed at by another man who tells us we're going the wrong way. There was also a group of black teenagers that were ahead of us. They were trying to find their way to the game, too. He accused them of jumping the fence. I said no, actually they came from the gate we just came from. They were as lost as we were. He finally led us to another gate and unlocked it for us. Then he fussed again about people not going where they were supposed to. I made a point that this was the very first time I had ever been to this school. If he wanted us going the right way, there should have been someone directing us or they needed to put up signs. Kiss mine is what I felt like saying.
The crowd was like every other crowd at any high school game I had ever been to. The woman next to me reminded me of my mother. She was very vocal to say the least, but didn't use bad language. When the cheerleaders were throwing small footballs, she even gave us three, one for each child. That was nice.
The teenage girls need to put some clothes on. The friends we went with made a comment about that being the style. My comment was that my daughters wouldn't go out in public unless they put some clothes on. I would rather be remembered for my brain and my accomplishments than how short my skirt was, and how much I showed when I bent over. Life today is so crazy.
When the crown thinned out a little later, it seemed most of the rudeness had gone as well. Maybe it's too many people in too small a space. But it did get better and our team won. Two in a row. It's a banner year.
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