Messiness

I was cleaning up my room and the top of my desk. My FIL had finally given me the recipe for the stuffing he makes every Thanksgiving. It is a secret he has guarded for years. I printed it out and could not wait to make it. Except for the fact that I lost it. I have no idea where I put it. I didn't even have it saved in my computer anywhere. I had to very humbly email him and ask if he would resend it. He did and I have it in about 14 places now. This post actually has nothing to do with that or cleaning, but what I found when I was cleaning. Tricked you again.

I found a list of books that I have read. One of the big things with my friends awhile back was a list of books that really had an affect on you. It could be good or bad, it just had to mean something to you in some way. I never posted my list because I didn't have enough books to list. I just couldn't think of more than a handful that had a profound affect on my life either way. I'm sure there are many, but here are some of the ones I found.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. That is my go to book. If I need something to read, something for the pure joy of reading, something to fill my time, whatever the reason, that is my book. I have loved that book for many years. It is one of the few that I actually saw the movie first. The movie was incredible in itself, but the book is so much more. It is moving and telling and leaves so many emotions and thoughts and feelings raw about justice and injustice and love of all kinds. When I saw the movie, I didn't know there was a book. My mom used to sit and watch "old movies" and we had to watch, too. That was the time of one TV in the house. Mom always said since she paid the bills she controlled the TV. I hated that as a kid, love it as a mom. When I found out there was a book, I was all over it. It is my number one book on any favorites list. Read it if you haven't.

Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton is an awesome book. I tried to read Jurassic Park and couldn't. It bored me, until the movie came out. After I saw the movie, I decided to pick up the book again. I actually enjoyed the book that time. I decided I needed to read everything he had ever written, so I went to the library. Eaters of the Dead kept me up way past my bedtime, but it also kept me engaged and reading until I was done. Most books I can put down and finish in the morning. Not this one. It also wans't a huge book, so that helped. It is not what you think it is. It is about a foe that comes in darkness to fight Vikings. This foe eats the flesh of the dead warriors. It was done as The 13th Warrior, which was a good movie, but was in no way the book. It was different than his other books and I have already requested it from our library so I can reread it again.

Whispers was the first Dean Koontz book I ever read. It scared the crap out of me. It scared me so bad I reread it as soon as I was done with it. It started a long love affair with his books. I normally love them and have read most of them. There were a couple that I didn't think were up to par, but there's always a couple. I could not figure out the twist in this one until almost the end. I pride myself on being quite intelligent, and with as many books as I've read, I usually figure out the plot at least half way through. Not this one. And when I did, I almost slapped myself silly. I just thought, duh. That is also one that I like to reread from time to time. If I see it on the book shelf at the library, I grab it. That, to me, is one sign of a good book- rereadability.

Nancy Drew and the Mystery of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. When I was a youngster, this was the first one of the series that I read. I had to read every one of them. I even read all the Hardy Boys because of this book. My imagination led me on great mysteries while I read this book and all the subsequent ones. I love it so much, I have led one of my girls to them. Too old right now for the baby, but the big girl loves them. This is a fantastic series for female empowerment. If you have not read them, or your female children have not, I highly recommend it.

That's just a few out of the millions I'm sure I've read. A friend from high school that I reconnected with through Facebook sent me some books. I have only read one of them so far, but I am looking forward to some time to sit down with a little peace and quiet, and devour some written words. I am not one of those people that wants a Kindle for any reason. I don't want digital reading. I want to hold the pages in my hand and and feel the paper. I love the feel of a book in my hand. And if it's a great book, that's always a bonus. I like to turn off all the electronics, turn the lights down low, snuggle in bed, and travel the world and universe at my leisure. Any reading suggestions from the peanut gallery?

Excuses are like...

I could finish that thought, but we all know where I'm going with that. They are all the same and they all stink. I am surrounded by people who say "I would, BUT". You would but you don't want to take the time. And that's OK. Just say "I don't want to". I would much rather you were honest, with me and with yourself, than start offering excuses.

This blog has helped me see that I, too, am good at offering excuses. I can hide my head in the sand with the best of them. If there is an issue I don't want to deal with, I can put it to the back of my mind and not think about it. I can convince myself that I am doing the right thing. Not always the smartest egg in the bunch, but there's my excuse #1.

I was talking about budgeting and menus on Thanksgiving. I make my menu for at least two weeks, but usually three. I base it around hubby's paychecks and our organic co-op. It helps me know what I need from the co-op, and what I need from the store. It helps me stay on budget. It helps me know what coupons I'm looking for. It helps me not feel so panicked about dinner on our long days and nights we're gone. It helps me be accountable. "We could never do a menu or budget. We always change our mind about dinner and have a hard time with a budget." You can't because you don't want to. It's not for you. Continue to live your life, but don't offer excuses. I do it because I want to. I have a financial goal I am trying to reach. i think about being debt free and a trip to Hawaii.

I had a friend who wanted the boy to go to a Boy Scout meeting with her son. I said no, because I didn't want the boy to think he was going to be in Boy Scouts. I have no desire to put him in Boy Scouts. I don't have the time, and it's not my thing. Yes, I know, we're talking about the boy. But we're also talking about the person who would take him to meetings. That would be me. We're talking about the person who would have to shuttle him to all the activities. Again, that would be me. Hubby has been working so much that I am responsible for getting all the kids to our activities. Not shuttling around and making a tight schedule even tighter. Thanks, but no. I told her that was not an activity that we would be participating in, but thank you for the offer.

One of my favorites is "I could never home school". Yes, you could. You don't want to. And that's fine. You don't have to is the glorious thing about it. I didn't think I could either. I love it. Here's the other that just kills me. "I don't want to spend that much time with my kids." Then why did you have kids? Really? It's a choice that not all of us have to make, or feel we have to make. We were forced into a situation and this was the best solution. It has been amazing for us. If you don't want to, don't. But be honest about it.

Hubby is the excuse king. Some of our conversations are him making excuses and me tearing them down. It's like taking down a wall brick by brick. It can be exhausting, but I want him to know what a great man he is and what he's capable of. I do know that he comes by it honestly. I come by my bitchiness honestly, too. Some things just travel generation to generation. The baby is getting really good at offering excuses. I just work on her like I work on her papa. And people wonder why I'm so tired. I bust down walls all day.

I don't always realize that I am offering excuse after excuse. It's like I suddenly hear myself and realize I am doing what drives me crazy about other people. I have to stop myself and just get honest. Isn't that always the way? I point out what others do, then turn around and do it myself. I've done that most of my life. Look, there's excuse #2.

To Give or Not to Give

Interesting discussion hubby and I had tonight. I love my hubby. He talks like a redneck, he acts like a redneck, and well, he is a redneck. But he is also one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. I tell him one of the things that attracted me to him was his brain. Don't get me wrong. I am an ass woman and he has a mighty fine one, but I can't have a conversation with it. I love the fact that I can talk about anything with him. Sometimes he has to walk away and think about it for a little bit. That gives me time to think and see his point of view, too, so that's not a bad thing. As quickly as stuff flies out of my mouth, I can't guarantee I'm keeping up with me either. You've read my blog. You can't keep up all the time. Here's another wild ride.

We talked about charity as gifts. I have this great idea that maybe this year we will give donations to a charity or organization that our family members support, or like, or think is a great organization. If I don't agree with the premise and views of a certain organization, I'll find an alternative that meets the needs of both parties. He didn't like the idea at first. He had to go work in the shed and think about it for awhile. That led to a great discussion about the reason for the season and who's responsibility it is to raise children. We were all over the place with that one.

You should all know that Jesus is the reason for the season. Without Christ there would be no Christmas. It is a time of year based on giving- of ourselves, our resources, our emotions, every thing we have should be for others. We were given the greatest gift ever. How can we not turn around and give that gift to others? How can we not show others by our actions, words, and deeds that there is a precious gift waiting for them?

That being said, there are people out there that would be ungrateful whatever the gift. There is nothing that is good enough except what they want. I have definitely been one of those people. If I didn't get what I wanted, I was disappointed. Hubby and I talked about car stereos and not getting one. Practical gifts suck. Socks, underwear, and rocks are not appropriate for gifts. Because you need them is one thing, but who likes to open that gift. Yeah, I've been ungrateful way too much in my life.

But who needs to explain to the children that a charitable gift is a great gift? Is it my responsibility as the aunt to make sure that my nieces and nephews know that there are those less fortunate that need the money in a far greater way than they do? Hubby's brothers and their families are not well off by any means, but neither are we. We lived for way too long above our income level, but there are times when even that can't be helped. When you have to feed your family and keep a roof over your head, you do what you have to.

Do my nieces and nephews really expect great gifts from me, or do they expect that from their parents? When you were a kid and you opened a gift from your aunt or uncles, did you expect the greatest gift ever? Or did you just know that you were getting a hand knitted sweater with your name across the front? And that it was made a little big so you could wear it for a couple of years? The matching hat was always atrocious. Who did you expect the good gifts from? Your mom and dad, and Santa. We could have the Santa discussion, but that would really piss me off. (Here's your hint that we still believe in Santa in this house.)

I still have some nieces that are too young to understand that a gift to others made in your name is a great gift. When you're 4 and 5 and 6, you really just want the Betsy Wets Alot doll instead of a piece of paper that says you donated $50 to children less fortunate than you or an animal rights group to make sure that pandas will still exist in 50 years. So is that fair to the older kids that can understand? Will they want that piece of paper instead of a gift card to the local video game store? Maybe that's what we'll do. Betsy Wets Alot to all the little ones, and gift cards for the big ones. But what can you get for $10 at the video game store? Not much. We were there last night.

Where do you stand on gifts? What opinion do you have about charitable gifts? Would you rather get a gift card, or a flannel nightgown? Practical, or fanciful? The real reason for the season, or what I want is what I want? We're still talking about it. Hopefully we'll have it figured out by Christmas.

Gobble, gobble

No, this isn't a post about what I am thankful for. My friends have these thankful journals going on Facebook. Every day they list something new they are thankful for. Not me. This post is about one of the most self absorbed I could post. It's about Thanksgiving at my house.


My in laws are getting older. My FIL had a stress test recently and failed. Because of that, the doctors want to do a heart cath. They are doing that in the morning. If that doesn't work, they are talking surgery. My MIL said we may not have Thanksgiving. Whatever! It's on my calendar and I'm ready. I love turkey day. I like to eat so much I put myself in a turkey coma. Do not think for one second that I am not concerned about my FIL. I very much am. I am also worried about how much more crap the doctors can fill him with or prescribe for him. But they come from the time of trusting that doctors are doing what's right for you. They don't understand that we live in the time of I need to pay off my house on the golf course and need to prescribe more stuff for you to pay those bills. They won't even consider that there are alternatives out there that can work better than a prescribed pill. But back to me.


My BIL is going to smoke a turkey. I should mention that I cannot stand smoked meat. Everytime he smokes a roast, or turkey, or ham or whatever, hubby tries to make it a good thing. I just give him that look that says, "We have had this conversation so many times and I cannot believe you want me to be happy about this." He has a rough job being married to me. I know he wants me to be supportive, but I am not eating even one bite. I won't be having any of his turkey because I am making one of my own.


I really want to make oyster dressing. Have you ever had it? My step mom makes it, and it is wonderful. The drawback is that my SIL is allergic to shell fish. Although we don't have the best relationship in the world, I don't want her dead, either. If we do Thanksgiving here, I need to make a traditional dressing. But I am going to make an oyster just for my family, or for whoever wants it. I also have some other things working that are a little different. I don't like being like everyone else. I like different things than most people.


I would like to get the recipe for my FIL's stuffing. It is moist and delicious. I can honestly say that I had never had stuffing before, but had always had dressing. It was never in the bird. This is cooked in the bird. He has done stuffing longer than hubby can remember. It is a recipe that comes from my FIL's mother. I am hoping that he will come off the recipe soon. I try every year, but he isn't ready yet. He's so funny because he always hides a little for himself. He puts what he can on the table, but there's always that secret stash. The funny thing is, nobody is really sure where he's stashing it. We have looked, but can never find it.


Pies are a big thing at Thanksgiving for me. I like to bake pies. I like pecan pies, chocolate pies, pumpkin pies, whatever. I love to make cheesecakes. I do an awesome Oreo cheesecake that is out of this world. I made it for Easter a couple of years ago to rave reviews. By rave reviews, I mean there wasn't anything left when everyone finally went home. I might do the Kentucky Derby pie. That is sooooo good. Sugar in a crust is what I call it.


I got to cook with my mom last year. That is something I haven't gotten to do in so many years I cannot remember. It was a very special Thanksgiving for me. It was great for my family. We got to spend time with Mermie and Uncle Jessie. I loved that part. We used to try to get to my dad's for Thanksgiving. He lives much closer and the trip is easier. The last few years, though, it's been really hard for hubby to get the day after Thanskgiving off. Stinkin' seniority. I would really love for my dad to come here. That would be great for us.

I really am not as superficial as this post may make me seem. I like what I like. I am a great hostess. I want you to like what I like, too. If there is something new that I can show you or give you or expose you to, then bully. I like nice things, good food, and great company. You should stop by sometime. We'll see how much I can get you to focus on me.

History 101

We have very interesting discussions at the park. Most of us are not native to this area, even though there are a couple. One of our moms grew up as a military brat and has lived in several interesting places. One of the moms grew up in family ministry performing and traveling. I grew up in a little Texas town proud to be an American, a Texan, a Southerner. I have always joked that if I stepped foot above the Mason Dixon line I would burst into flame. I used to say that about church, too, but for that we have God's grace. Good thing. As much as I'm at church, I would be nothing but a pile of ashes.

I love to get free curriculum. Don't we all like to get things for free? I have subscribed to a homeschooling magazine for the last couple of years that I absolutely love. For being on their preferred customer email list I get two free e-books a month. Sometimes I really enjoy them. They are uplifting, or supportive, or have some really good ideas that I can implement into our schooling and our lives. Today, I got one that just pissed me off. It really is just my attitude and doesn't reflect on the author, just the subject.

The e-book was an interview with a woman that wrote a book about the Civil War. Her slant was slavery. One of our discussions at the park one day was about the real reasons for the Civil War. Just a quick clue, it really did not have much to do with slavery. It was for the same reasons as most wars. No, not oil. It was about power and money and political gain. Slavery became a go to that most Northerners could get behind and support. That was the red herring.

Most of the cotton at that time was grown in the south. In order to make lots of money, the plantation owners needed a source of free, expendable labor. That happened to be the slave. This is the point that I should tell you that it was not just black men that were slaves. Native Americans were also a source of slaves for many years. They were shipped all through out the south and to Cuba to work sugar cane plantations. The cotton was then shipped up north where it was processed into whatever product it was bought for. The north was advancing far quicker than the south due to the industry. The south was still bogged down in agriculture as it's main source of income. The north wanted the cotton, but also wanted as much money as they could get out of it. That's the nature of business. They wanted the plantation owners to start getting mechanized when it came to harvest time. Faster harvest means more cotton in a faster manner. That would have cost the plantation owners a pretty penny they didn't want to spend.

Politicians wanted to redo the lines of jurisdiction. Gerrymandering is a really cool word I think. I like the way it sounds, I just don't like what it means. It means that the lines are redrawn to give one political party more votes, or more power. The more votes you have, the more power you have. In the case of the Civil War, it also meant more money. The south was very against redrawing lines. It would change boundaries and borders and they would lose out. Instead of playing nice, they had to fight about it.

Another reason was the forcing of one's beliefs on another. I will never agree with the fundamentals of slavery in any way. I also do not believe in forcing my way of life on others. The way I live and raise my family is the way that I live and raise my family. If I want or need your help, I'll let you know. The pride of the southerner was at stake. Pride comes before a fall. Abolitionists were becoming more and more vocal about their views. The more attention you can draw to your issue, the better your argument, the more people will agree with you. It is the same way today. I love a good debate. It has me drawn to both sides as a spectator, passionate as a particpant. Abolitonists drew many supporters and eventually the underground railroad was formed, which encroached on the rights of the plantation owners and the way of life of the southerner.

Did you know that the South won the war? All of the history books that you read say the north won and the slaves were freed. Let me tell you a story that I learned in the eighth grade. My American history teacher was Rhonda Bowen and she was phenomenal. The woman could tell a story like nobody's business. Here is the story that I love to share and am now sharing with you. She did all the research and I would love to have her info. If any of you know how to get in touch with her, please have her contact me. She was one of my favorite teachers. Here we go.

When Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops, he did not have the authority to surrender all of the southern troops, only those he was in charge of. In those days, there was no cell phone, internet, or radio. There was no way to contact all of the troops and tell them that Lee had surrendered. There were troops in Texas that didn't get the message and continued to fight. After running out of ammunition, food, and the ability to care about war anymore, they laid down their arms. Both sides agreed to stop fighting without either side surrendering. They basically just walked away. Many, many years later, a gentleman doing research on the war realized what happened. He was able to find the last remaining southern soldier and the last remaining northern soldier. He had them both agree that they would play a chess match in Denver, Colorado to determine the winner of the Civil War. The flight carrying the northern soldier crashed, killing all aboard. He never arrived at the chess match, which meant a forfeit. The south won.

I love that. When we were discussing the war at the park, it was amazing to me the many different ways that we were taught about a basic fact in our country's history. Many of our northern moms only knew about the slavery aspect. They had no clue about the socio-economic factors or the power struggles that actually led to the war. Many of us raised in the south had different views given to us as well. We will rewrite history many times, distorting truth from fiction. There are things that are going on right now that are causing strife in our country. It may be written that all Americans were in favor of these things. Abraham Lincoln was one of the most hated men of his time, but history shows him as a man of greatness. How do you know truth from fiction? You do the research. You look at all angles, all views. How will history remember you?

Ramblin' Again

I think I have an obsession with bullet points, and it's all Hillside Hollow's fault. Yeah, I'm calling you out. I was fine until I saw them on your blog. Now, I love to use them. I did a homeschool post last night and forgot to use them until after I had posted it. Yeah, I could go back and edit it, but that just screws it up. That and I'm too lazy.

• A professional basketball player got fined because he criticized the officiating at a game. It seems he felt he was called for too many fouls, and the other team was not called for enough fouls. Since I didn't see the game, I can't really say if the refs were doing a good job or not. Anyone rooting for the other team would see things differently, I suppose. The problem I have is that he was fined for expressing an opinion on his own time, on his own blog. Yes, millions of people read it. That's the point sometimes in having a blog. When did his freedom of speech disappear? When he signed his multi million dollar contract? When Obama took office? They didn't, at least not yet. More and more employers have gone to searching the internet and social networking sites to determine if they should hire/fire an employee. I am still a firm believer that if my after work activities do not affect my work performance, get over it. Who cares if my side job is a stripper? Am I still the most productive worker? Just don't slide a tip into my G-string when you come into the club. You're more embarrased that I saw you in a strip club, than worried about what kind of worker I am.
• Speaking of our illustrious leader, I think it's funny that his staff has declared the reporters and commentators from Fox News persona non gratas. It just makes me smile. When you flip the coin, he won't even go on Fox to defend his policies because he's scared they will rip him to shreds. That's their job. If you were doing a better job, they wouldn't have anything to talk about, now would they? His Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, is a full of himself, nothing but hot air jerk. There, I said it. Please don't tell me I'm going to be fined because I have expressed my opinion on my own time. I guess all my time is my own. No one to fire me. Who would do the laundry if they did fire me? I'm not sure why Obama has decided to surround himself with the people he has, but I really don't understand that weasel. If Emmanuel has enough time on his hands to call for a boycott against Fox, he has too much time on his hands. We're fighting a couple of wars, the economy is in the tank still, unemployment is rising and rising quickly, and he wants to whine about reporters. You have all the main stream in your pocket, why are worried about Fox? Oh, that's right. They tell people how crazy you are.
• We have gone back to Direct TV. What a happy move that has been. We switched to DISH Network because we got a discount through hubby's work, but we have never been happy about it. DTV will pay for our disconnect fees, in a round about way, but we are all so happy. I have to say that my favorite channel is Fit TV. I am not a work out junkie, but they have Namaste yoga. It is so good. It was the first thing I set to record on the DVR. The big girl and I did some last night and I may do some shortly. It makes my body feel so good. It is not mamby pamby yoga, but strength training. It makes my body feel longer and leaner and stronger. I don't have near the back problems when I do this yoga. It is great for taking off weight while building strength and makes me feel in order, straight, and tall. For someone who spends a lot of time walking sideways, that is amazing for me.
• We are in the middle of open enrollment. I hate this time of year. Thankfully I have an insurance background and can wade through most of the BS. Most people can't and are even more confused when things change. And big changes are happening. Hubby is supposed to bring the paperwork home tonight so we can look it over. I am not happy with the changes, but I can't do much about that. Hubby and I have been wondering when employees becme unimportant. Without employees, you don't do business. Not much business anyway. With unemployment the way it is, though, the employer has all the advantages. I think Obama should take care of that. He won't because he gets paid too much and he is the ultimate employee. He has millions of bosses. You can't tell, but that's not what we're talking about. Now I need to check if our doctor is on the plan, check for coverage for certain things, blah, blah, blah. Add it to the list.

It's time to go. I need to school the kids and get the crockpot going. Tonight I think will be Italian pork chops. I had to deviate from the menu, but so far, so good. I'll try to stay out of trouble, but I'm still looking for the SUVs.

Healthcare, Smealthcare

It's time for another political post. I feel like our elected representatives are falling down on the job we hired them to do. I also feel like enough people aren't paying attention to what's going on around them. I am trying to educate you before our taxes go up to support people you do not know and stretch our already tight budgets even tighter.

The main problem with the job the House has done is that we don't all need insurance. At the very least, we certainly don't need all the insurance we have. I can tell you that the cost of insurance is about to skyrocket and even your employer doesn't care. They only have to provide the insurance, not pay for it. Let's take this point by point.

The house is insistent that all Americans be covered. What they have failed to do is realize that the system of insurance is broken. Their version has included some bandaids to some critical issues: pre-existing conditions and insurance stopping coverage, for example. The healthcare bill does not say that you have to be covered for a PEC, but it limits the time the insurance compnay has to look and assess a PEC. If you have a PEC, you more than likely need coverage. Most PEC, with the exception of pregnancy, don't go away.There was a time that pregnancy was considered a PEC. Who is the idiot that thought that was right? The idiot that wanted to make money and not pay out for a temporary condition. The bill that passed did have a clause that insurance could not drop your coverage if you were sick. There have been many cases in the past of this. It's like dropping your home owner's because you filed a claim. The issue is limitation of all coverage. Once you've maxed out your lifetime max for benefits, no more benefits for you. That seems right how? Let's just leave a big loop hole for them to wiggle through.

Employers must offer coverage. It can be really crappy coverage, but they're offering it. Our insurance is changing because of two reasons. One is the beginning of the year. We are in the process called open enrollment. The other is that hubby's company just got taken over. Their insurance options are horrible. But they don't care. Many companies have gotten out of negotiating rates, which they could do, and have gotten into charging the employee more. We'll make them pay for it. While I don't have a problem paying my share for insurance, it should at least be insurance that I need and use. Maternity is not an option that we need. Why does a single man in his 50s with no spouse or partner need that coverage? Just wondering. Insurance is too all inclusive and not specific enough. And we all pay for it.

This healthcare bill was written with information and testimony from the American Medial Association, nurse's unions, and hospital administators. They don't have a vested interest in all Americans having coverage, do they?. Let's not focus on the fact that many people use the ER as a primary care physician, but don't pay their bill. Their bills are too high and they could never pay them. It's a vicious cycle that repeats and repeats. That's the nature of a cycle. Then there's the optional abortion coverage for women. How do you know if you need that coverage until you need that coverage? The woman would have to pay for that. Not that I have an issue with that, but why do you need insurance coverage for it? So much stupidity going on.

My plea to you is that you take the time to educate yourselves about what is going on in Washington. The government, as referenced by several horrible decisions in the past, does not have your best interest in mind when they pass bills like these. Get on the phone or your email or Twitter or Facebook or whatever you do and let our reps know that they are our employee. They have insurance and are not going to be a part of this coverage. Listen to both sides of the story. Watch main stream media, but also listen to the other side, like Fox News. I think that's better than being led blindly, by anyone.

More Stuff

Just a couple of things on my mind. You know how that goes. It's time to empty so I can fill up again. That's kind of like eating, isn't it? You eat until you can't move and then a couple of hours later, let's do it all again. It won't stop until my body does, and hopefully that won't be for a while. Hold for bullet points, please.

• We took a great field trip earlier this week. The kids had a blast. The parents had a pretty good time. But the people that work there must be growing their own because they were a little wacky. A couple were just out right rude. If you don't like working with kids, don't. New concept, I know. At one point, the boy and a friend of his were horsing around. Before I could say anything, this old biddy says, "That's not proper decorum, boys. Stop it." in a really prunish, I ate something bad and I smell even worse voice. You know I couldn't let it go. I do not like people chastising my kids that are not involved with my kids. People in stores or out in public or whatever. Their idea of acceptable behavior is usually different from mine. My response was, "That actually is for me to decide. When I need to appoint someone to look after my kids, it sure won't be you." Yeah, I know. Real mature. Whatever. If you don't know my kids, shut up.
• This thing in Ft. Hood just breaks my heart. I know that the Muslim religion is going to take a big hit again. I read a really good book called Standing Alone in Mecca about a Muslim woman that was trying to find the roots of women in Islam. Very good book. Islam started out as a loving religion with Hagar, from the old testiment, playing a large part. I am not pro-Islam or anything like that, but I am not anti-Islam either. It is what it is. And once again, because of one person, it will be seen as a hating cult. Extremists are exactly that-extreme. I do pray for those that lost their lives and their families and all those that are effected by this, including the man that did the shooting. Just another example of bullying gone wrong.
• Hubby still has not gotten the one week paycheck he messed up. It has been a month now. I think it is crazy that they have not resolved the situation yet. According to the person he talked to in the "employee relations" department, there were several hundred people that had a problem, but just a few people doing the processing. To me, that is unacceptable. We're talking about people's lives here. Groceries, mortgages, clothes, and just day to day stuff. The insurance options of the new company aren't great either. But we have to have insurance because they say so. That's a huge load of crap. Such another blog for another time.
• I have found that with my crockpot, and it could be crockpots in general, I need to go a little heavier on the spices. I don't know if it's because the food cooks a little longer, the flavor gets cooked out of it, or just my taste buds. It could just be my taste buds. I don't usually measure spices anyway, unless I'm baking. I just throw a bunch in. I have started adding extra and am much happier with the results. I did lentil stew the other day and really liked it. I have a friend that has a recipe for spicy lentils that I am going to try soon. She had me at spicy.

That's all the steam I have to let out now. I'm sure I'll be back with a great political post soon. There is so much going on in politics, I just can't keep my mouth shut. I can't keep my mouth shut anyway. Just look at bullet point number one for further proof of that. See ya' later.

Hollerween and Chicken Nuggets

Let me say before we begin that I changed my picture. It was taken during the big girl's confirmation weekend. It's not the best picture of us, but I still love it. We actually do not have many pictures of just the two of us because one of us has to hold the camera. It was a bright, sunny morning, and we were on the dock watching the sun rise with some of the kids. Beautiful! I will also say for my new readers, you are allowed to leave comments. You can either leave a comment on here, or Facebook, or email me. I love the comments. You may not be snarky with your comments. You can disagree, but in a nice way. I have the power of the delete button. Those things being said, here we go.

Just an update to a previous blog, McDonald's has not ruled out the possibility of using Chinese chickens for their chicken products, like the nuggets and sandwiches. That doesn't really surprise me to tell you the truth. As soon as I saw the article and the restaurant wasn't named at first, I knew who it was. We don't eat a lot of McDonald's anymore. For one, the cost is extremely prohibitive. To feed our family of five costs us almost $30. If I had that kind of cash, we would go somewhere better than McDonald's. We have started eating off the dollar menu if we go to a fast food restaurant. The problem with that is that the items on those menus are horrible for you. You don't see their good salads and wraps for a buck, do you? Beware of McDonald's chicken, is my advice for you.

On a bright note, Kentucky Fried Chicken has stated emphatically that they will not use Chinese chicken. They have a policy that their chicken is fresh and never frozen. They get their chicken as locally as possible. That way, there is no need to freeze. I like their chicken. Once again, though, the cost is prohibitive to us eating there. It really is a special occasion for us to eat out anymore. If you are looking to go out for chicken, I ask that you give KFC a try. We are trying to support those businesses that support the American business. The more we support them, the more they can support America. Just a thought.

And let me tell you the trouble chicken nuggets got me in on Halloween. My MIL serves and uses Tyson products. Great. Hubby had told his dad about what was going on with Tyson and his dad was a little grossed out. His mom, on the other hand, lives in a bubble. None of this stuff matters to her. But you have to know her. My nephew had a friend over and the friend was warming up some chicken wings. I was telling him what was going on and my MIL had a fit. She screams at me "Those are the only nuggets I like and I'm going to keep buying them. It's just dumb to tell people what they can eat and what they can't."

You know that my hackles went up and it was on. First, you don't scream at me. Second, you don't call me dumb. And third, you don't tell me what to do. I did tell her that my kids wouldn't be eating chicken from her house. I also told her that if she didn't care what she pumped into her body, I didn't either. I see it as my responsibility to inform people about what is happening with our food supply so we can all try to stay healthy. Then as we continued to scream at each other I finally told her that she had her opinion and I had mine. She continued to fight as I kept saying, "That's your opinion." I rounded up my kids and hubby to leave, the better option than laying her out, and she went outside to smoke. As I was helping the baby put her shoes on, my MIL comes back in the house and says, "You just don't do that when people are eating. It's not right." I could have said so many things. For instance, when is a better time to do that? When they've already eaten it? I only replied, "That's your opinion" and helped the baby with her shoes. Do you know what she did next? She went outside where hubby and my SIL were and said, "I guess she doesn't want to make up."

WTF?!? That isn't making up, that is continuing the argument. Making up would be something like, "I don't like that we're fighting", or "Can we agree to disagree?" Hubby and I didn't talk about it in the car on the way home, too many little ears. He actually had no idea what had happened. He just knew I was pissed and we were leaving. When we got home and put the kids to bed and finally got to talk about it, he was just as mad as I was. Thankfully he was more upset at his mother than me. But then again, poor baby has to live with me. I am so glad he loves me. I now that my MIL and SIL sat outside smoking their cigarettes, talking about me. It's their nature. Mine, too. But at least I know my side. My SIL and I have issues anyway so she was probably kissing MIL ass. My SIL and I are married to my MIL's sons. There is no blood between the three of us. Thank goodness for that.

I need to go try to smooth the waters one day soon. I'm thinking Thanksgiving would be a great time. The sermon at church the next day was about fighting and saying wrong words. Once the words have been said, they can't be taken back. Yeah, I live that every day. It was also about running to Facebook and posting what ever had happened as soon as it happened. I didn't. I waited until we got back from church to post. And now I've waited two days to post it on my blog. I know it's still not right, but this is my forum. I need to vent and this is the place. Hubby was really good and let me bitch and moan about all Saturday night. Bless his heart (this one means I love him very much and am thankful he puts up with all my junk). Oh, well. Just another reason to not like the Chinese or their chickens.