A Good Time Was Had By All...

Our View from Sect. 216 Row 12. Normally we are in 151, which is here.... orange arrow points to my seat. The visitors bull pen is between the wall with the advertisements (yellow line is top of that wall), and the green wall, with "Get Tickets Tigers.com" GREAT SEATS!

A Swing and a MISS!!!


My New Tiger... Cabrera... because he's cute ;o)

I must add that a comment was made that I pick the majorly good players, which IS NOT TRUE... because Mike Maroth was my Tiger and now he's down in AAA.

Denny and I... after a few pops over at the Elwood. Don't ask why my hair is blonde. I have no idea why it appears that way.
I was going to quiz if y'all know Jason Carr from Fox 2 news, then realized that a lot of you westsiders might not watch Fox Detroit News. He's next to Denny with the microphone. VERY cool guy. Talked to him quite a few times. I think he would have rather hung out with us drinking! I bet he is a really fun guy. He has a very fun personality.

ALCS Game 4 Detroit Tigers Walkoff

Crappy Video, but excitement is INSANE! And to think I gave up my tickets for this game... what was I thinking?!!

Ding, Ding, Ding... We Have a Winner!!!

Way to go Mel! Woooohoooo!!! Opening Day is Monday! It's supposed to be 53 degrees! Denny was chirping that we were in section 216, and I told him to shut it! Last year we were parked under the score board and I swear to god it was like 35 degrees. I would sit in the nosebleed section as long as it was in the sun! And it is!! lol. Normally we are in front row, section 151... and Katerina Vitt.... I do believe we have multiple dates against the White Sox! I just need to get the other "ticket" holders to give up their tickets at the same time! Maybe I can give up my seat for a couple choice games, so that we can all go "visit" the ball park again!

Did I ever tell you all that Katrina and Kraig "KNOWS" the pitching coach for the White Sox? I bet if you pop over to her blog, she will put a posting about her brush with fame, hint hint hint. lol

So. YES! We will be there on Monday afternoon. 1:05 start... and I wonder.... will Kwame throw out the first pitch? I will be SURE to tape the booing! lol

And it's supposed to be warm...

Amazing Grace

As you saw from my previous post, I made my Holy Communion and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. It was an amazing experience. The 2 hour ceremony started with the church lights out, and Father Mike Cooney up in the choir loft. He lit a fire, then proceeded to mark and light the 5' Easter Candle. He then carried it down the stairway, with the alter servers behind him. As the RCIA group stood lining the aisle, he stopped in the middle of the church, and let us light our candles. We all then proceeded to walk and light the candles down the aisles. Shortly after, the entire church was glowing, only by candle light. Candles held by the parishioners. It was amazing.

It was also the fastest 2 hours of my life. When the RCIA members receiving the sacrament of Baptism went up - the violins started playing, and the water was pouring. The gentleman in front of me went up, and I started to cry. He is a recovering alcoholic that has been working on his addiction, and his marriage. I wish him the very best in his life. As the water poured over his head, I prayed that he is strong in his recovery, and that it will work out between himself and his beautiful wife (who sat beside him). I prayed that he is strong willed and that he will be successful in pulling it all back together again.

The rest of us followed the Baptism and stood in the santuary, facing the pews. I looked at my dad, and saw him cry, and I cried too. As I stood there, the moment I had waited my entire life for, was happening. It was one of the most moving moments of my entire life.
One that I will NEVER forget.

Happy Easter

To all of you, I wish you a very happy Easter. Saturday night I will make my sacraments at the Easter Vigil. I am so excited, emotional, and nervous all at once. Thank you so much for all of your well wishes. It means more to me than you could ever know. Religion is a very personal thing, and I was very nervous about sharing it with you. All of your comments were amazing, and I am so glad that I didn't hold back. For that... Thank You. I wish you a safe, peaceful and warm Easter.

Valerie

I Have a Website!

I am SO excited to announce that I have a website now! As I said before about why I joined Tastefully Simple, it is mainly because of the reorders that I always had when I would order for my own family. Well now, people can reorder for themselves right off MY PAGE!!!

Check it out and tell me what you think... on and btw... that raspberry dressing on the top of the page is one of my #1 picks right now. On spring mix lettuce, crumbled blue cheese, craisins, and fresh fruit... it is to die for.

Enjoy!

Uncle Jay Explains the News - September 3, 2007

Renewed

This day has totally renewed my spirit.

I have been so down today. I realized that some of my priorities are askew and need to be re-evaluated. I realized that I have been dropping the ball as a mother, and a homemaker. I am not the same person that I was when Emily was a little girl. My house was ALWAYS clean. Their rooms were ALWAYS clean. The laundry was ALWAYS done. I made dinner EVERY DAY (now we eat out a lot). Their homework was ALWAYS done. We read books EVERY NIGHT.

What happened?

I'm not sure what happened. But I suddenly realize that it has happened and that it needs to be put back together. As I helped in Greg's classroom today, I was in the worst possible mood. I felt like all I wanted to do was get the hell out of there, go home and cry.

But I didn't.

I thought about Melanies previous post on her "thinking".

I AM IN CONTROL. I AM IN CONTROL OF MYSELF, MY THOUGHTS, AND MY EMOTIONS.

Most of all...

I am in control of my current situation, which I am not happy with...

And today, I started to change that. And I feel SO MUCH BETTER.

Ching Chang Wadda Wadda Bing Bang!

Well. Let me tell you. I had one HELL OF A BUZZ going today. I had more coffee in ONE DAY than I have had in over a WEEK!

It started out like this...

Denise comes over (Den's sister). We make coffee. I have a cup. Get the kids ready for school, and out the door. Refill cup. Then I get ready, and we head off to Paulies for a Larry Nevers sighting, and breakfast. More coffee. Plus 2 refills.

Come home. Go potty, grab forgotten cell phone, go to Lakeside Mall. Shop. Come home.

Denise crashes out, I put in Tastefully Simple orders. Denise wakes up (she had surgery recently, and I made her walk through the mall with me). Denise leaves.

10 minutes later, Autumn (piano teacher) arrives. She comes early as she is coming from Saline. We leave. Go to Starbucks. Triple Grande, Non-fat, white mocha, with whip, por favor. WAIT!!!!
Did someone say TRIPLE? As in 3 shots of espresso? HOLY CRAP. I'm going to be tackin out, throwing pvc's like crazy! (cardiac talk).

3:30 pm - Emily is in piano lesson, I call Dennis - who proceeds to laugh hysterically at my sudden spastic, hyperventilating phone call. Then chuckles through the conversation and ends it with "STOP IT! You're stressing me out!".

3:35 pm. ENTIRE KITCHEN is clean.

5 PM, too hyper to eat dinner. Eat 3 dino chickens (don't ask), clean kitchen again.

6:30 pm babysitter arrives. Drove in mach speed to religious ed class. Has entire phone conversation with Laura in 2.2 seconds.

7:00 pm. Arrive to see class in organized frenzie, putting 900 drip stoppers on candles. I do an entire box of 300 by myself. Then proceeded to bounce knees, tap pens and scratch neck through entire class. So spun up... I could gouge my own eyes out.

And now... 10:21 pm. Typing SO FAST... making multiple mistakes. It has been a FUN day, but... I am SO ready for this to be over with. I vow that I will NEVER.... EVER.... drink that much coffee in one day. Again.

In fact... I think I'll take tomorrow off. From Coffee that is.

Decisions, Decisions...

We are in need. Our coffee pot has decided that it is done. Funny thing, is that it is relatively new. We keep finding copious amounts of grounds in the bottom of the carafe, yet I have cleaned this thing out religiously. I have tried every method in the book, trying to salvage it, as my brother Mike gave it to us a couple years ago. But alas... we are drinking grounds. :o(

So we have been searching. Searching for the perfect "pot". I do have the Barista, but that is for fancy Starbucks type drinks.

Inquiring minds want to know... aside from the Keurig, and Tassimo or any other machine that uses pods, what is your recommendation? What is the best coffee maker you have ever used?

It's Confirmed...

This winter has us all running in circles!

Welcome Back!

Thank you for accepting my invitation, now we will get back to our regularly scheduled programming. For those of you that are wondering what the hell happened, let's just say that some two year olds got a hold of my blog and weren't very nice with it! So I put my foot in their asses. :o)

Enough Already!

I was getting Greg ready for school today, and he starts talking about the weather.

"Is it going to be 70 tomorrow?" he asks.
"No, it's going to be like today", I said.

Then he just went off...

"I AM SO SICK OF THIS WINTER!!! WHEN IS THIS GOING TO BE OVER?! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!" and he starts to cry.

My sentiments exactly Greg. I feel like we are living in the movie Groundhog Day.

The "A" List

I LOVE my friends. I do. I love my family, don't get me wrong, but friends are the family that you choose - or so it goes.

Yesterday we had the ultimate pleasure of attending a birthday party, held at our friends (Greg's godparents) house. I made the cake. The theme... Tiger Baseball. Joey and Zack were turning 10 and 5.

Shortly before the cake was served, I sat in their beautiful living room, "people" watching. As I looked around, I realized that we were the only "friends" that were invited. Everyone else was a blood relative, and WE were invited. Us. No other friends... just US.

I felt so amazed, and honored. As I looked around, I looked at all the Aunts & Uncles, Rook & D's parents, siblings, cousins. And they all know us, and we know them, because we go to almost every function held at Rook & D's house, and they come to ours. We have shared many vacations with them as well. It is an amazing friendship that we have - that extends well BEYOND friendship. We are family. A truly amazing gift.

Sick Day

Emily caught it. She has the bug. I kept her home from school today because I just KNEW if she went (which she wanted to), I would be getting "the call". Charlie has been next to her all day.

How May I Help You?

Wow, I know from reading the other blogs, people are busy! As for me, my life is exhausting me! I always manage to put too many irons in the fire. And here I am again. I have so many things going on at once, I can hardly stand it.

One thing that will be finishing soon, is my religious education class. I am in the home stretch. Lately it has been very demanding. It seems that I have been at the church multiple times a week for the past few weeks. Last Sunday we went for the 10 am mass, and stayed until almost 5:30! It was a lot of sitting, but very strange how so much sitting can be so tiring!

This Saturday, I have a 12 hour scrapbook crop at another church. For Laura, Stephanie and I, this is "our thing". Stephanie's sister puts on the shindig and this will be our 3rd year attending. If you have never done something like this before, it is something you HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR! There is nothing worse than sitting for 12 hours, spinning your wheels!

With so much going on, do you even think I'm prepared for Saturday? Nope. I have SO much to do, as I sit here hammering away at the keyboard, lol.

The whole point to my story is.... that I am Thankful. Today while picking up Greg at the bus stop, my neighbor Steve asks, "Can I get the kids after school today"? (Usually I pick them up). "Absolutely!" I replied.

Then a few moments ago, I spoke to Laura aka "Bonita". I told her that in a bit Greg and I are going to get my check from work. She asks, "Do you want me to drop it off to you after I get out of work tonight?" Is she kidding? ABSOLUTELY!!! This is unbelievable! Now I don't have to leave my house at all for the rest of the day!

So with that, I am so thankful for the nice things people do for me and for each other. I am so thankful that my family has been so patient with me and my craziness lately. I am so thankful that my husband (who is very refreshed from his vacation), hasn't busted my chops about me constantly being on the go. I am fairly certain it is because he knows that this is just "glimpse", and that soon enough, everything will calm down, and we will just.... be.

While you may not have updated your blog lately, just know that I am thinking of you...
Namaste

Mumbo Jumbo

I'm sorry it's been a bit since my last posting. I have been "ailing" a lot lately. I think I mentioned before that I had a sinus infection, well long story short, it isn't completely gone, and now I'm on an inhaler. What a train wreck! I guess that goes directly to the comments from Jro and Katrina about what Steroids will do to you! I haven't been able to go visit my Grandma with my photo's either, as I don't want to make her sick too.

Anyway, I did get my photo's and here they are...

Myself, with Cardinal Adam Maida, and my sponsor Donna

The alter of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament

The view at the back of the church...

And the Award Goes To...

I think I deserve the wife of the year award. Dennis has been in South Carolina visiting my brother and sister in law since Sunday. Not too long ago, I realized that he is doing so much... for everyone BUT himself. He has been diligently working at my parents on their bathroom for a couple months now. He works, and works overtime, and NEVER does anything for himself. He's such a wonderful guy.

BUT.....

Everyone needs a break. He NEEDED this break. So I gave it to him. I bought him a round trip ticket to S.C. to go swing golf clubs for the week. He arrived on Sunday to 74 degree weather and has golfed almost every day, including a tournament with my brother. Those two are a piece of work when they are together. My brother jokes that Dennis's driver is a dinner plate on a stick. Trust me. When golfing, if you don't watch his ball leave the Tee, forget it. You'll never see it again. He's the only person I know that can drive the green on a par 4 hole.

It has been a crazy week. While he has been gone, I've been running full speed with Tastefully Simple and decided to "organize" our office in the process. WHAT was I thinking? Now I'm running full speed with a garbage can to get it all back in place! I mean what is the point of sending him away to "refresh" if he's going to come home to the reminants of an F5 tornado? lol.

I miss him so much, but sincerely hope that he got what he needed. He's such an amazing person, and very giving at that. I look forward to his arrival tomorrow.

Rollin' Like a Freight Train!

That's how I feel after attending the Tastefully Simple Regional conference in Dearborn this weekend. I can't express to you enough, how happy I am that I joined this company. You know... you have a party from some other type of company and do you ever hear about the person that started the company? At our conference, not only did we learn more about Jill, the CEO and Founder, but she showed up TWICE! I swear to you, it was like Oprah. One of our team members was up on stage talking (to about 215 ppl), and was going to introduce a man, next thing you hear is, "Wait a minute, I have something to say", and at the same time, Jill, comes bolting out of the curtains. Everyone went bananas!

I joined this company because A. I love their products as most of them are preservative free, B. Most of them are all natural, and C. I love doing the parties. Jill talked to us about so many different things, including why and how she started this business. It was after her husband died suddenly and she was alone with her 5 year old son. She just had an idea, and thought it would help them to get by, and it took off from there! Now Tastefully Simple is nationwide!

I came out of there so jazzed, I can hardly stand myself. I had a party yesterday at a friends house, and we had a riot. It was so much fun, and now I'm working on getting my calendar filled. So this week, while the kids are out of school, I'm devoting some time to "office organization" and to getting more parties on the books for March.

The new Spring/Summer line starts on March 1. I can NOT wait to try the Samba Sangria. Helloooo Lover!

Cheers!!

So Happy to be 36!

Yesterday was my birthday. A few days prior, all I kept thinking was... In four years, I'm going to be 40. I'm the youngest in my family of six... and I'm going to be 40. It was sort of sad, because I realized how fast life is passing by.

Then something happened.

On the 12th, I visited my dentist to have some cosmetic work done. She gave me the novocaine injections then waited for a few minutes. Those few minutes seemed to be the longest minutes of my life. Something happened to me. I felt extremely strange. My arms and legs were numb and tingly. My chest felt heavy and my breathing seemed labored. OMG... am I allergic to novocaine? was all I could think.

I suddenly started thinking about life threatening allergies. Unfortunately when someone finds out they are "allergic" to that degree, the consequences are fatal. I remembered giving Emily and Greg kisses that morning as I sent them out the door for school. Would that be the last time I would see them? Would that be their last memory of me?

The tears started streaming down my face. I was suddenly scared that whatever reaction I was having would take me away from them. I had to sit up and regroup. I felt bad for the dentist because I know all too well, that an uncooperative patient can really take it's toll on you as a health care provider. I told her I felt strange, but in my mind, I also thought... am I that nervous about this procedure?

After a few minutes, the bizarre symptoms had passed, and we got on with it.

Yesterday I turned 36. I can't tell you how wonderful I feel that I turned 36. Suddenly the sun is brighter. I am so happy to be ALIVE, no matter what my age is. Truth be told... I still feel like an 18 year old... so it's all good.

Keep your eye on the ball...

Today after picking up Greg from school, we went to "Mom's Cafe", aka the kitchen. He sat up on the counter while I started to make his macaroni and cheese.

Mr. Man has a loose tooth. It will be the first to fall out. As a mom, it is so sad to see, because it is yet another indicator that your baby, is indeed growing up. He's getting "man teeth".

During our dental inspection, I wiggled his tooth to find it is getting looser by the day. Then I checked out the "man molars" that are coming in too.

Suddenly it became an anatomy lesson. He has the cutest little uvula I have EVER seen. It is so short and pointy.

u·vu·la: the small, fleshy, conical body projecting downward from the middle of the soft palate.

Photo taken from the internet.

I inspected his tonsils (The tonsils are on the R & L of the Uvula) and his teeth too. Then I showed him my uvula. At first he didn't see it, then there it was... "I SEE THE HANGY BALL!".

I Have A Confession...

Well here it is. Only a few of you know this, but now all of you will know.

Since September, I have been attending the RCIA classes (think catechism for adults) at our church. Out of everyone in my family, with the exception of my baptist mom, I am the only one that has never made my holy communion in the catholic church.

When we were married, we were married by a catholic priest, but did not have a mass at our wedding. Our children are baptised Catholic, and Emily has made her holy communion. It is very strange to sit in the pew and watch your child walk up ALONE to receive communion. It just doesn't feel "right".

I have not spoken too much about this to anyone, because it is very personal to me. It is something I have wanted to do, my entire life. It completes my religious education, and completes a missing piece of my life... to me.

One of the main reasons I have not blogged about this, is because I don't want anyone to think I am becoming a bible thumper or holy roller. It doesn't change who I am to you, but changes part of who I am... to me. Plus I can walk with Emily up to communion. Does that make any sense?

Now you are wondering why I would even choose to tell you this now.... Because today, I had an amazing experience. With my confirmation sponsor, and my entire RCIA class, we went to mass at our church, then went down to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, where we were presented to Cardinal Adam Maida.

I can not even tell you how stunningly beautiful the Cathedral is. Never before have I ever seen anything like it. My eyes were as big as baseballs, trying to take everything in, hoping to not ever forget this AMAZING experience.

As if it couldn't be any better, they announced names of people that attend St. Mary's Parish in Milford... where I was baptised. I took it as a "sign" that this is the right time for me.

At the end of it all, we took a tour. Where we learned that an artifact from a saint is embedded into the alters of most churches, including that of the Blessed Sacrament. Finally, we met the Cardinal. I equate this to meeting the Pope, which I may never do in my lifetime. He is a very gracious man, and very warm. He asked a few questions, and I answered. Then we had a photo taken together. The photo is on my instructors camera, so that is why I haven't posted it yet.

For some very odd reason, I have ALWAYS been very uneasy around priests, and nuns. Don't ask why, because I'm not sure of the answer. But I can tell you that meeting the Cardinal and speaking to him, was like meeting the neighbor next door. The man who watches out for you.

I will be making my Holy Communion and Confirmation on the Saturday before Easter, at the Vigil - during a candle lit ceremony. To make things even better, my niece (who is also my god daughter) and my nephew will be making their sacraments with me on that special night.

Snow Day!

Finally... after watching the children of Livingston County have half a month off due to snow, our kids are FINALLY out for a day. The kids have slept all morning. Plus I awoke to the smell of FRESH brewed coffee... the best coffee I've ever had, made by my dh.

It's the start of a WONDERFUL Day!

54 days and counting...

And it ISN'T about spring..... It's coming. The excitement is almost palpable.

It's Coming....

You can almost smell it in the air.... 55 Days to go...

Some Things Never Die...

Mike and Donna are our daughters godparents. We spent Saturday afternoon with them, enjoying their company, and that of Donna's sister and her parents. It was their little girls birthday. For some odd reason, things from 100 years ago always seem to rear their ugly head when we are together.

Last night... Toilet Paper. A while back... approximately 10 years ago, when they lived in another house, I informed them that after using their bathroom, I "fixed" their toilet paper. They had it going under, instead of over. My theory is that you should have it going over so that it is a couple inches closer to you.

Mike swore up and down that it had to go under so that it came off the roll easier or some odd reason that I chose not to remember.

For a long period after that discussion, I would "fix" their toilet paper, and he would "fix" ours. Then last night... It came up AGAIN. It was then that I realized that I hadn't "fixed" theirs in a long time.

So now a poll... and a comment. If you would, please vote your thoughts. Over or Under. And if you want to comment, go for it. I would like to know what you chose and why.

Happy Voting!

State of the State

I admit. I have always been the first one to complain, when most times, I had no idea what was really going on. Did you watch the State of the State address tonight? For the first time in my life, I not only planned on watching it, I DVR'd it too. For years and years, I thought that it would be over my head. That they would be speaking a different language and that I wouldn't understand what they were talking about.

I am SO glad I watched. Because a lot of what Granholm discussed, had to do with MY family, and probably yours too. While you may remember my post a few months back about the new mall and how I thought I would end up in jail for making a comment about Granholm. Well, I have come to find that the state of our state isn't entirely her fault. We can thank good ole GWB for this sticking in the rear that he has given not only Michigan, but the entire country. This "war" that he has us involved in is costing trillions of dollars. Where do you think that money comes from? You and I my friend... and all of our neighbors. Jenny Granholm has done the best she could do in this situation. I feel bad for being so pissed at her, but it was because I was uneducated.

I would be willing to bet that most of my family, if not all of them, did not watch the State of the State. Even though this state is going through extremely difficult times, why wouldn't anyone want to watch to see what "happens next"? How can we sit there and complain, if we are going to sit there and watch everything else take place without knowing what the intentions were in the first place?

I am so happy that at this time in my life, I am taking a genuine interest in my government, and how it affects me, my family, my friends, and neighbors. I no longer feel dumbfounded about why things are happening, but more so that the light may be at the end of the tunnel. I am ready to make changes in my own life to help make a change in my world. And I'm starting with those little coily light bulbs that I despise so much. I admit that I have always hated the light that they give off, but my thought is that if I can use these in areas of the house that are not "hot zones" it is a start in the right direction.

I urge you to check out the State of Michigan Website and read up on Granholm's plans to pull us out of this mess. I am on board with her... FINALLY and am eager to see Michigan rise above this sucking sess pool we are currently in.

Oh Thank You, Thank You!!!!

Omg my prayers have been answered. Ok, so occasionally I have posted a photo of a cake or two that I've attempted to decorate. While my skills scare me, but please others, there is NO cake supply shop around here.........Until now.

As I jump up and down in my seat I am so excited to announce that a new store has opened up. And not only is it near here... I don't even have to sit at a stop light to get to it!!!!!

Welcome Party Cake Supplies!!!!

Well, there is a store that isn't too far away, but I am a very big fan of "nice" when it comes to privately owned stores. The owner of the "other" store makes you feel stupid, and treats her customers as if they are putting her out by asking a question.

Today as I stalked the new store for the 10th time, I found it finally is open. And I went to it. And I LOVED it. And I am getting my list together because I have a Dora cake due this Saturday.

The new store has GREAT prices and get this... she even carries the cake mixes right there in the store! Now you may not realize how monumental this is, but to me, it tells me I can stay out of the local grocery store.

I am very excited about this... if you didn't notice. My awesome artist husband decorates many of my cakes too, so we are going to do fondant classes together. Watch out Ace of Cakes! lol.

I think I may do a wedding cake class too... to learn how to properly tier cakes. I'm so excited. lol. Ok going to go hyperventilate now!

Standoff!

Funny how they don't look like little piggies. They don't have little snouts, or curly tails. They have fur and don't resemble bacon. But yet the sure act like little piggies. And that is why I refuse to put their bowl back down. They followed me around for 2 hours today, trying to guilt me into putting their bowl back down. Yet look at this mess! I just filled their trough yesterday and Chunky tried to get up on his little soap box and knocked it over. There was cat food all over the laundry room floor! So I wasn't giving in. They want to live like little piggies, they can eat it off the floor.

Update... I'm a sucker. I picked up the food, put it BACK in the bowl and put the bowl back down on the floor. Good lord. You would have thought I pulled some sort of abuse on them. They were so worn out from worrying, that they crashed out for the REST of the day! Must be nice!

Undecided...

As you can tell, I can't make a decision on my blog colors. So I am back to this refreshing, soothing and calming template. It fits my soul at this moment.

Inquiring minds want to know....

What Happened To Sunday?

A few years ago, Melanie and I decided to meet on a Sunday for lunch. The arrangement was to meet at the Appetizer restaurant in the little village of Milford. I was the first to arrive.

I drove to the bank to use the ATM. It was then that I noticed that all of the stores seemed to be closed. Shortly after, I noticed that the restaurant was closed as well.

Every store on mainstreet was closed for the day.

I contacted Mel and we agreed to meet at Lu & Rubys Bar and Grill on Milford Road.

We had a great lunch and even shared a deep fried snickers bar for dessert!

So my question is, What happened to Sunday? It was so nice to see a quiet town completely closed up, the way it used to be. Some of you may not know that I lived right outside Milford. That is where I met Melanie and Katrina. Mel was my neighbor, and Katrina was my friend from elementary school.

As a child, I remember that NOTHING was open on Easter nor Christmas, including Sundays. If you needed something, you had to either prepare in advance, or you were out of luck. To me, life was so much simpler then. So much more laid back.

Now we are all so busy, it is amazing we don't run into ourselves coming and going.

I miss this simple way of life. It makes me want to try and hold on to Sundays and to try and keep life the same way for my kids. I want them to grow up appreciating their time, and to remember that they don't always have to be running. They don't always need to have something else to do. Sometimes it's just about being. Being in the moment.

I can do this. And I'm going to try.

Nothing New...

No new news on the homefront this week. Little drama at work regarding a babyshower, chiefs and indians. Oh - I guess I am more "sensitive" than I thought when it comes to laundry detergent. Always made me itch a bit. Suddenly my little scratches turned into major hives, a steriod shot in the booty and a weeks worth of Methylprednisone. It started with a quick trip to Costco. I thought that the "burn" I was feeling was a great workout with a buggy full of crap. Instead it was hives covering my body. That was nice. It has been a very bizarre week, but everything seems to be under control now.

HOWEVER.... I must say that the steroids are making me a bit..... shall we say.... OFF? Have you ever taken this stuff? OMG... sometimes I can't stand myself! I will be fine one moment, then 2/10ths of a second later, I've just snapped someone's head off. NOW I see what my DH went through a few years ago. I begged and begged the doctor to take him off the steroids, because he was snappy (like I am now), he couldn't sleep (kept turning on the TV because apparently if he couldn't sleep, no one else was allowed to either) which I might add is not a problem for me because sleeping is my FAVORITE past time. He was just not himself and now I can sympathize. Just took me a couple years to experience it myself.

It was a good thing I went to Costco that day, because I bought my old favorite laundry soap. Kirkland Brand Free and Clear big ole bottle for $11. Helloooooo Luva! So as of this moment, I am itch free.

Yes. My life is boring at this moment, but at least my bit o' drama may bring someone else joy. lol.

An Email Sent To Me... I'm speechless.

A VISITOR FROM THE PAST by Thelen Paulk

I had a dream the other night, I didn't understand. A figure walking through the mist, with flintlock in his hand. His clothes were torn and dirty, as he stood there by the bed, He took off his three-cornered hat, and speaking low, he said:

"We fought a revolution, to secure our liberty. We wrote the Constitution, as a shield from tyranny, For future generations, this legacy we gave, In this, the land of the free and the home of the brave."

"The freedom we secured for you, we hoped you'd always keep. But tyrants labored endlessly, while your parents were asleep. Your freedom gone, your courage lost, you're no more than a slave, In this, the land of the free and the home of the brave."

"You buy permits to travel, and permits to own a gun, Permits to start a business, or to build a place for one. On land that you believe you own, you pay a yearly rent, Although you have no voice in choosing how the money's spent."

"Your children must attend a school that doesn't educate. Your Christian values can't be taught, according to the state. You read about the current news, in a regulated press. You pay a tax you do not owe, to please the I.R.S."

"Your money is no longer made of silver or of gold. You trade your wealth for paper, so your life can be controlled. You pay for crimes that make our nation turn from God in shame, You've taken Satan's number, as you've traded in your name."

"You've given government control to those who do you harm, So they can padlock churches, and steal the family farm, And keep the country deep in debt, put men of God in jail, Harass your fellow countrymen, while corrupted courts prevail."

"Your public servants don't uphold the solemn oath they've sworn. Your daughters visit doctors so their children won't be born. Your leaders ship artillery and guns to foreign shores, And send your sons to slaughter, fighting other people's wars."

"Can you regain freedom for which we fought and died? Or don't you have the courage or the faith to stand with pride? Are there no more values for which you'll fight to save? Or do you wish your children to live in fear and be a slave?"

"Sons of the Republic, arise and take a stand! Defend the Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land! Preserve our great republic and each God-given right, And pray to God to keep the torch of freedom burning bright!"

As I awoke he vanished, in the mist from which he came. His words were true, we are not free. We have ourselves to blame. For even now as tyrants trample each God-given right, We only watch and tremble, too afraid to stand and fight. If he stood by your bedside, in a dream while you're asleep, And wondered what remains of our rights he fought to keep, What would be your answer, if he called out from the grave? Is this still the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?

Must See TV

I hate the TV. It totally sucks you in, then leaves you hanging. Providence was one of my FAVORITE shows. I totally loved watching it. I wanted to move to Providence and live in that show. They cancelled it. I do have the series on DVD, however it is only episodes of here and there that are compiled. It would have been nice to have seen every single episode ever made.

But.... I moved on. I moved on to Desperate Housewifes, Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters and all those awesome shows that grabbed a hold of my brain and ripped me out of my current reality. And now the strike. Baseball players go on strike... sorry, but who cares. Hockey players... who cares. But the writers... I understand why they are doing this and I don't blame them, however, I miss my tv. I miss my shows and I don't think I can wait until next fall for new episodes, if they even come back.

I guess now I have time to read. CRAP.

What do you want?

Lol, I had to title it that, because I have a Tastefully Simple recruiting book (that is what it is titled) in front of me. I am SO relieved that I signed up with this company. It has been such a fantastic ride already and I'm loving every minute of it. I am finding that a lot of people in my area are looking for something fun to do and they are coming my way. I am so excited about that too!

On another note... the neighbor. After not hearing from her at all over the weekend, I called yesterday and informed her that I had hoped to receive a phone call by now, and that because of what happened on Friday, I can no longer help her out. She was very upset, but I'm done being a door mat.... and it feels so good.

What else, what else... So in the land of scrapbooking, I thought I had it all. I have almost turned from cropper to collector, but thanks to Ebay, I unloaded a very large amount of stamp sets and pricey equipment, as I'm saving up for the Mojo of scrapbooking... the Cricut Expressions.

I am almost ready to purchase my new baby, but need to come up with a few more dollars. This past weekend, I found out that there is this unbelievable tool called the Xyron sticker maker. I had never even thought of purchasing one of these... until I turned ribbon into a long sticker. HELLOOOOOOOO LOVER!!! Have you EVER tried to glue ribbon to a page? What was I smokin trying to accomplish that?
Anyway, this year is starting out to be a GREAT one. I'm loving every second of it. I hope you are too!!!

I'm Trying...

I've taken on this new year with a positive attitude. Believe me when I say that it takes a lot of work. I am focusing on sending out good Karma, not because I expect it back, but because it just feels better that way. But there is something very negative going on and I'm trying to be nice, but it is starting to get the best of me. I don't know what I should do.

For school, we carpool with 2 other families on our street. The dude next door drives in the morning, then I pick up. But there is this other family that we only drive home. Their mom gets them to school in the morning. While for the most part it isn't bad, today pretty much hit the nail on the head. On more occasions than I can count, the parent of the pm riders, has forgotten to tell me that they were not coming home with me, thus leaving me standing out in the cold with a Gregsicle, waiting for people who aren't even coming. I have told her about this more than once, asking that she notify me about this.

Today the kids got out at their usual time. One of the two pm riders showed up. "Where is your sister?" I asked. "I don't know". He gets in the car. 15 minutes later, I am still standing outside the car. The crosswalkers have left, all the other parents have left, and no one is coming down the catwalk from the school. "Are you sure she is coming?" I asked again. "yes", he replies. We wait. Finally we leave. Her mother will have to go get her.

We come home and unload all 5 kids from the car. I come in, to find the voicemail light blinking. It is the school. Frantic. Where is the boy from across the street? People are all over the school, the grounds and surrounding areas frantically searching for the boy (whom I might add is a very large, tall 4th grader). I call the school. "I have the boy. He is sitting on his front porch, waiting for the older sister as always". "Can you bring him back to school?"

Of course I'm not going to let him sit out there and freeze. We load up the car again and head off to the school. We arrive in the office to find everyone taking off their coats from the "boy hunt". After he goes to Latch Key, they ask, "What happened?" I proceeded to tell them that his mom never called me to tell me they weren't coming home, and that he "forgot" he had to go to latch key. Apparently the mother forgot to tell Latch Key that they were coming too.

Stick a fork in me.... I'm done. Like I mentioned before, I am trying to be positive. I am trying to help this woman out. But she is inconsistent in way of letting me know when they will be there and when they won't. Our normal 5 minute ride home took over a half hour, and additional trips back to the school.

I don't know whether to brush it off AGAIN or just end it right here. I'm sick of being a doormat, and a positive one at that.

Light as air...

It is truly amazing how much different I feel after that spell of warm weather. Literally. Now my gloom and doom dh will say, "We still have February and March to go through". "Thank you King of Joy" I reply. But really. I aired out the house for 2 days! It smells fresher, it smells like spring, the air feels lighter, and it literally tells me that we are on the down slope of winter. I am so rejuvenated. I am ready! It's amazing how much better we sleep with a window cracked open. Out like a light!

We did it!

Beaudreaux and I took on a new adventure today. I must start this posting by telling you that my son is for some very odd reason, obsessed with Japanese people, their army and sushi. This has been going on for months and months. For Christmas, my dear hubby gave Greg the gift that almost had him wet his pants... a 3' x 5' Imperial Japanese Naval flag. Greg has been parading this thing around more than you can imagine. It is a very strange obsession, however it is a passing trend, just like Teletubbies, Bob the Builder or anything else. It just happens to be a country, the people that live there, and the food they eat.

Now on to my story. Sushi. I vowed that I wanted to try Sushi with either Katrina or Vivi. Well, Katrina may as well live in Japan for as much as I see her, and Vivi is now with child and will not be eating anything with Mercury in it. Last night while at work, the front desk girls started talking Sushi and where it is good to get. They said, "Try the California roll first".

Today Greg and I went to Ninos for some veggies. While there, we passed the sushi kiosk. We stopped and looked at the huge selection. We settled on a tray containing some with cucumber, some with carrots and some with avocado. Oh and there were really huge ones too that had imitation crab. I LOVE crab so this was the winner.

We brought it home and put everything else away. The moment of truth. I opened the tray. Rule #1. Don't smell what you area about to eat. It didn't smell rotten or spoiled, but more... like FISH.
I took a cucumber roll and popped it in. Not bad. A little bizarre, but not bad. Next I took a slice of ginger, and ate it. 2/10ths of a second later, I had my mouth under the faucet because as much as I LOVE ginger, I didn't realize it would burn a hole in my mouth.

Then I took another roll, but the ginger on top of it, and a dab of green goo. It was MUCH better and MUCH more palatable. Next I decided to shoot for the crab roll. I put it in my mouth, and suddenly had the uncontrollable urge to wretch. I actually felt my innards spasm upward a couple times, but I was going to finish eating it - because Greg was watching me the whole time. The only thing I can say is that it is a texture thing. Too much squishy at once.

Finally Greg took a roll. He was so excited to try Sushi. He grabbed a carrot roll. He took one bite.... lets just say the sport setting on my camera was not fast enough to catch his face as he bolted out of the room, leaving the little roll on the counter.

That's the end of that!

What's in a Name

He used to be Charlie. Then he became Chuckie. Now he's Chunkie.

And he isn't even one yet.

Naggy Poster

It has been brought to my attention that when I ask other bloggers to update their blogs, that I am nagging at them to do something like take out the trash. Let me explain... It has been a L...O...N...G holiday for me. I had 2 sick kids for more than a week. As it is, they are still finishing their antibiotics. D and I were basically imprisioned in this house for a long time. I look at your blogs multiple times per day, because I think you all lead such cool lives and your stories are funny, inspiring, sometimes sad, and you post GREAT photos. It's habit. And I'm breaking that habit. I vow that I will no longer ask you to update on your interesting lives. I don't see any of you on a regular basis, so the surprise will be mine when I do see something new. Please accept my apology if I have offended any of you in any way. I didn't mean to do so. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Sex and the River

Last night we had a GREAT time at a Tastefully Simple Awards dinner. Although I was not the recipient of any awards, we had an awesome time. Den and I haven't had a night out together in MONTHS!! Maybe even since last summer!

We consumed a lot of "specials" - drinks that the bartender made up called "Sex on the Clinton River". We had to laugh as it didn't appear to be murky, nor were there any body parts, but it was quite delicious. And drinking... I started thinking about it. Those who know me well, know that I'm not a big drinker. Yet on Dec 28th, I managed to consume 5 bottles of wine with Donna, on this past friday 2 bottles of this AWESOME wine with Helen. I did a wine in review on the Muscato she brought. It is a stellar pick. Then last night those sex drinks. OMG... my liver, lol. Let's just say that it was a very delicious Holiday for me.

Cheers!

Spinster

I used to call her Lynnster, but from my other post, you can see why I used to refer to her as Spinster. What a GREAT lunch! I laughed so hard at one point that surely I thought Sterling Heights Fire Department would be coming to remove the remnants of a breadstick from my gullet. She is EXACTLY the same. And I was worried. It has been 8 years since I have seen Lynn Ann. For some odd reason, after having Emily I was a little "mal-adjusted". Instead of introducing my baby to my life, I adjusted my life around my baby. In the process, I lost contact with quite a few people. I was a bit "off". Or maybe I was "off" to begin with.

Anyway, it was amazing to see her today and to see photos of her kids. The eldest of the two, is shown in a photo, casually putting the angel on the top of their very tall tree, while standing on the floor. He and his brother look EXACTLY the same as they did before, just taller, and older versions of themselves. And the stories... omg the stories. I'm so relieved that I'm not the only one with quicky, witty children. The stories she told me confirmed that my kids aren't the only ones that regularly make me feel old and stupid.

I wish I would have taken a photo of she and I together to show all of you, but I was so caught up in the moment and forgot to take my camera along. Rest assured... if I ever get the courage to tell her EXACTLY where I live, there will be photos. But mostly of her with incriminating evidence of course. Buenos Noches!

Time to Get Crackin!

Notice the little thing on the side that tells who's been here? Suddenly I feel pressure. I always wondered who else read the blog besides the people that comment. Well now I know and apparently there are more people than I thought. Which means I better get crackin!

It's the first week of January and I can report that it has not been the best week, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been either. Both Emily and Greg have been sick. Emily started on New Years Eve with a high fever. When I say high fever, I mean over 103. Unfortunately I am not the type of person that starts handing out shots of Acetominophen or Ibuprofen for a 100 degree temp. One thing I have learned in my many years in the medical field... treat the child, not the thermometer. Plus I don't think a 100 degree temp warrants a medication. Back in the day before the meds, your body had to actually do what it was built to do... fight off infection.

Well, unfortunately we have gone through almost an entire bottle of both meds this week... on both kids. After Emily suffered 72 hours of the high fever, I made the doctors appt for both kids. As you probably know, Monkey See, Monkey Doo. (I need to teach my kids to stop licking door knobs, lol) First the doc looked at Emily. "WOW!" he stated, "her right ear is REALLY infected!" "So is her other ear". Yep... start polishing my trophy for Mother of the year... and it's only the second of January. He leaves the room then returns shortly. "She has strep throat too".

Amoxicillin x 2 please. Yep. Both little people are on antibiotics. Another holiday in the trenches. They were to return to school yesterday however they were both still out due to fevers. Luckily Emily has turned the corner, and went to school today. Greg on the other hand, has been up all night still running a fever. But I did tell bedsore boy at 10 am today that he HAS to get out of bed eventually. He needs a bath desperately. Plus I need him better so I can get his haircut. He is beginning to look like one of the Hanson Brothers. Hence the name Beaudreaux for his bouffant hair doo that he sometimes fancies.

On a happier note today I have a lunch date. I am meeting up with Lynn Ann after 8 LONG years. She and I worked (if you would count that as working) together at Crittenton Hospital. We pulled some horrendous tricks on each other. She put my car up for sale once... as it sat in the front parking lot next to University Drive. I put surgilube on her secretary phone. She put over 100 signs in my front yard... I dumped powder into her vents and turned her air on HIGH so that when she stared her car, it would look like a flour bomb exploded into her car. While I left Crittenton on my own, I am shocked that she and I were not asked to leave prior. Did I mention that one year McDonalds had some sort of fish theme on their Happy Meals, so we turned one of the doc's cars into a fish bowl? Yep. We're meeting up for lunch today at Olive Garden. And I am very excited about it.

Have a GREAT January 4th everyone!

Nothing else to do but take pictures...

My blogger friends, aside from Pioneer Woman, must have insanely crazy lives. They haven't updated their blogs in D...A...Y...S. I on the other hand have been taking childrens temperatures q 4 hours and passing out shots of Ibuprofen, and Acetominophen as if I owned a local bar. Don't ask what they have because I have NO idea.

In between those shots however, I have been playing around with my camera. I love my camera and the fact that it is always charged, and always ready to go makes it even better. For your personal enjoyment are some photos I have taken over the holidays... because I had nothing better to do.

I loved Melanie's "tree" photos. For some odd reason, the one of her mom's tree got me really nostalgic. I have known her for so long and had seen almost every tree they had - every Christmas for as long as I lived on Jeni Lane. With that, I vowed to take more photos this year so that my family can remember the highlights...

Emily & Greg with their GREAT Grandma.

Dennis, myself, Emily and Greg with Great Grandma

This stellar house at 25 Mile W/ of Dequindre. Photos don't do it justice, but you get the point. Even the back yard was done. It was the most spectacular thing I had EVER seen in Christmas Lights.

The Christmas Tree at the Nursing Center where Grandma lives. I LOVE the floating presents above.

My neighbors tree after a winter storm. Shot through my kitchen window.

Our Tree... because I wanted you to see it.

The snow on the swing.

Evolution of Dance

Happy New Year Everybody!!!!

Bittersweet Ending

I'm ready, or at least I thought I was ready. I'm ready to dismantle the tree, and put all the decorations away. I already put away my Christmas dishes so the ball is rolling. I feel somewhat refreshed and renewed this time of year. I'm ready to watch HGTV to get some new ideas, and I am ready to declutter, and unload a lot of items. This is the time that I love to spring clean. Tonight as I sit and peruse my first issue of Martha Stewart Living, I noticed that the cover consists mainly of whites and yellows. As refreshing as a fresh cut lemon. I'm ready.

And then I had to go look to see what was recorded on the DVR. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas. Suddenly I don't feel so eager to move on with things. It isn't even New Years yet and I'm suddenly so sad. I'm so sad that the culmunation leading up to that one glorious day is over. I'm so sad that once again it all has to come down for another three hundred and some odd days. I'm so sad that time is going by so fast and I feel like I'm stuck spinning in the wind. My children will never again be 8 and 6 at Christmas. I'm so sad that in the whirlwind of time, I never did get my Christmas cards out.

I thought I was ready. I really did... and I am, but I'm also sad too. It's a bittersweet ending.

HOB JOBS

"Mom" he declares, "I want the Ove Glove for hob jobs around the house". " Hob jobs around the house?" I question. "Yep. That way when I get older, I have the ove glove for hob jobs and I can make money".

Child B is so eloquent, and so matter of fact. Plus he has such a conscience. The other day while we were out, he said something he shouldn't have. Of course Child A was right there to point the finger. "MOM! He said the B word!". "What did you say Greg?" I asked sternly. And there it was... coming out of my precious childs mouth were the words, "Son of a B****". Immediately, Child A bursts into laughter. Of course, I do too, but don't want him to see me. I could NOT believe my child just said it AGAIN... even though I asked him to. I honestly thought he would say, "I said the B word". But NOPE... he said it and used it in a sentence too!

"If I EVER hear that word or any other bad word, come out of your mouth again, I PROMISE you that you will have soap in your mouth!" End of subject.

Shortly after we arrived home, the kids got ready for bed. I came out of the hallway, to find Greg sitting on the hearth of the fireplace, rocking back and forth, sobbing... holding onto a stuffed Santa. Quite alarmed and sympathetic I asked, "WHAT is wrong?" "I'm getting coal. I just know I'm getting coal. I said the MOTHER of all bad words and I feel so guilty". Speechless. I felt HORRIBLE for him in that very moment and realized how sensitive he is, and that he does indeed feel guilt. Horrendous, looming, elephant on your back, guilt. I reassured him that everyone makes mistakes, and that I was fairly sure he would NOT get coal for Christmas.

Never have I seen a child mind his P's and Q's as much as he did from that day forward... and Santa did NOT leave him coal. In fact, he made out quite well. Lucky boy.

Santa Baby...

Write an AFLAC check out for me... Puhlease...
I got injured playing the Wii... yippie...

Get a Wii for Christmas?

Make SURE the floor is clear when you are playing... and that there are NO toy helicopters for you to land on. Yep. Rotator blade... right into the bottom of my heel.

They don't call me Grace for nothin!

Whats in YOUR stocking???

The Snowman

Merry Christmas!!!

Hilarious Christmas Beer Commercial

Ok, lets try this again...

Pioneer Woman

PW on CNN today!

Hilarious Christmas Beer Commercial

OMG... I can't stop laughing...

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!

Poll Time...

Inquiring minds want to know... do you like receiving Christmas letters in your cards? Today I opened up some of the most wonderful letters. From people that I haven't seen in YEARS!!! Wendi Gallagher... remember her? Great photo came from her along with the news of a new baby in March! And my cousin... his wife homeschools, and they lead a very interesting life. If their kids don't end up being nuclear physicists then something went haywire. They are into so much....

I am debating on doing a letter. There are a lot of people that have no idea what goes on here. But then I think of how boring it is here sometimes. zzzzzzzzzzz... But of course I could go through my blog archives over the past year and pull out the tidbits.

Your thoughts please... Oh and BTW... I'm a crafter. I LOVE paper and usually make my cards, but you know what... Hallmark won. I bought my cards last night because frankly my dear... I just don't have the time right now.

So vote now so I can figure out what to do, because if you know anything about me... I can't make a decision to save my life and by the time I make the decision... the time has run out.... as it did with what card I was going to "make" this year.

Steaming Hot Cup of....

The Starbucks Barista arrived on Monday. THANK YOU Mr. UPS man... for venturing down my knee high, snow covered street.

Since I bought this on Ebay, I was waiting to see what condition it arrived in, before I left feedback. I opened the box, and there it was - packaged better than anything I have EVER received on Ebay before. I pulled it out, set it on the counter, and started removing all of the utensils from the box.

I can't believe I own an espresso machine.

Because it was used once by the previous owner, I thought it necessary to thoroughly clean it, inside and out using Starbucks Descaler. It probably didn't need it, but I am not into other peoples funk.

Two days... It sat for 2 days as I walked by, looking at it.... stalking it.... intimidated by it. Ok, so one of those days I had to work.... but today... today was my day. I woke up with a date with the espresso machine. I bought all the fixings for a Caramel Macchiato or a Cinnamon Dolce Latte (which smells like a warm buttered cinnamon roll btw). Be advised that I drink 1% milk and most times, I get soy in my lattes, so I won't be porking out - more than I have. I have no intentions on making this a daily thing... but $4 per latte, 10x per month.... you do the math.

I followed the instructions and steamed the milk first. Note to self... buy earplugs. I got the milk to 160', then made my 2 shots of espresso. OMG... the color. The way it separated in the shot glasses. 3 PRECISE layers. 2 pumps o' Cinnamon Dolce into the cup. Next in when the shots. Then the milk. YUMMMMMMMMMMMY......

Then for kicks which I don't normally get on my latte's.... whipped cream BECAUSE PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING. As the whipped cream slowly sank down into my cup... it all came together. I could barely stand it. I took a sip.... mmmmmmm warm melty whipped cream..... WONDERFUL.... Morning coffee just got SO much better..... and then I tasted it.....

My VERY first, Homemade Latte.... that tasted EXACTLY LIKE........................HOT MILK -YUK

Next time.... I won't use such a tall cup. lol.

BTW... the kids were eating breakfast, getting ready for school and screwing around the entire time I was at ONE with the machine.

Lash Out...

I Adore These People...

My Mom & Dad

Photo taken 09-14-1996

I know the photo is old... but it is one of my favorites, because there aren't too many photos of the two of them together... at least I don't have that many (remember to change that...).

Today is Sunday. I spent yesterday with my sister, and the kids were with my parents, baking Christmas cookies. They spent the night there, and I spent the night at my sisters.

I woke up early, and went out into the blizzard to pick up my kids. It took me about 20 minutes to clear the 2 feet of snow from my car. The drive to their house was nerve wracking at best. I had atmospheric music on... Thanks to XM Radio Channel 77... to try and keep "breathing".

My parents live in Harrison Township. There is only one road leading to their house. They are sandwiched between Lake Saint Clair and Selfridge Air National Guard Base - which you see on the news frequently.

The road leading in drives next to the fence of SANG, and the Clinton River. When it snows, as it has today, the snow is blown across the airport runways (2 miles of FLAT LAND) and blows all over North River Road. I white knuckled the steering wheel the whole way there. This road winds and curves almost the entire way there. Taking a turn too fast and your car is sliding towards the river, or into oncoming traffic. Today, the road was cleared wide enough for 1 car to fit through... no mather if you were coming in or going out. By the time I reached their house, I was nearly hysterical. I went straight for the bathroom, so I could "let go" and have a quick breakdown. It was that horrendous of a drive... and I had to turn around and go back the other way... with kids.

My parents IMMEDIATELY knew I was a wreck. My mom made me take off my coat and stay. She made me pancakes, sausage and bacon and offered me coffee. Their house was the warmest and most welcoming I had felt in years. Exactly what I needed. As I sat at the table, my Dad came and sat next to me, and broke bread with me.

Shortly after... I was ready to try the journey again... only this time, I wasn't an emotional wreck. Because my parents gave me exactly what I needed. I don't think there is a word to describe what they gave me, but what it was.... it was priceless.

And that is only one small tiny thing out of a million things...

That I adore about my Mom and Dad.

I'm going to hurl....

Where do you put your purse???


This is true see http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/purse.asp

HANDBAGS...Have you ever noticed gals who sit their handbags on public toilet floors then go directly to their dining tables and set it on the table? Happens a lot!It's not always the 'restaurant food' that causes stomach distress.Sometimes "what you don't know 'will' hurt you"!Read on...Mom got so upset when guests came in the door and plopped their handbags down on the counter where she was cooking or setting up food. She always said that handbags are really dirty, because of where they have been.Smart Mom!!!It's something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what's inside our handbags, do you have any idea what's on the outside? Shauna Lake put handbags to the test - for bacteria - with surprising results. You may think twice about where you put your handbag.Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car. Most women won't be caught without their handbags, but did you ever stop to think about where your handbag goes during the day?"I drive a school bus, so my handbag has been on the floor of the bus a lot," says one woman. "On the floor of my car, and in toilets." "I put my handbag in grocery shopping carts, on the floor of the toilet," says another woman "and of course in my home which should be clean."We decided to find out if handbags harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake , and then we set out to test the average woman's handbag.Most women told us they didn't stop to think about what was on the bottom of their handbag. Most said at home they usually set their handbags on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared.Most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn't be surprised if thei r handbags were at least a little bit dirty. It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked.Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick.In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that's not the worst of it. "There is fecal contamination on the handbags," says Amy. Leather or vinyl handbag s tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with one exception. The handbag of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had one of the worst contamination's of all. "Some type of feces, or possibly vomit" says Amy.So the moral of this story - your handbag won't kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat. Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don't put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair of shoes. "If you think about putting a pair of shoes onto your countertops, that's the same thing you're doing when you put your handbag on the countertops"- your handbag has gone where individuals before you have sneezed, coughed, spat, urinated, emptied bowels, etc! Do you really want to bring that home with you? The microbiologists at Nelson also said cleaning a handbag will help.Wash cloth handbags and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather handbags.THIS IS WORTH SHARING!!! AND MEN PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO YOUR WIVES, GIRLFRIENDS OR DAUGHTERS!

The Box of Rocks

Last week, I took Greg to the dealership with me, to get an oil change. As we are sitting in the waiting room, he is perusing the paper, looking for a map of Japan. The woman sitting across from us says, "He is reading the paper... he is a smart little boy". I told her that Mr. Man wants us to move to Japan, where he thinks he is joining the Japanese Army, so he is looking for a map. She chuckles. She talks to him for a moment and out of the blue comes....

My sister? She's... She's a box of rocks.

Everyone in the waiting room is now laughing. And many are laughing, trying to conceal their laughter. See, the night before, Emily - the queen of procrastination, was doing her math homework. And through the whole thing, she is verbally abusing herself, calling herself a box of rocks because she waited till the last moment to do her homework, and now that it is due the next day, she's struggling.

Box of rocks.... the statement still reverberates in my head.

More Templates...

You have all inspired me to kick it up a notch with my template... but I'm so bored with the blogger templates. So I've been working on it and have found some really cool stuff. So bear with me while I try to make the changes. I want it to be very cool, but at this moment, it is getting on my nerves!

I'm telling you... my nephews blog has turned into the total Jerry Springer show. I swear, in the time that he has been blogging, there are maybe 5 comments. Suddenly he posts about a childs death and the flood gates to the trailer parks have opened. It is shocking. The thing I don't understand is, all these people seemed to know this child and obviously her parents, yet they did nothing to prevent what happened. It doesn't make sense to me. But if they don't know this child and her parents... what are they going to do? Go commit homicide? These are some extreme people. I swear they are as guilty as the parents are if they chose to do nothing about this situation.

I think I'm going to quit reading his blog until he changes it. The tempers are flying and so is mine... dealing with this stupid template issue.

Schizo

No, I'm not schizo. If you've peered at my blog more than once today, you will see that I'm on my 3rd template. I'm working on it. I found a ton of new templates online, but of course they are difficult to download. So that is what is up with my blog. If you want a Jerry Springer show, go look at the comments on my nephews blog. Unbelievable.

In Mel's Boat

Wow, am I ever irritated... I am jumping on Melanie's boat and her rant about customer service. For 2 weeks now, I have been waiting for someone over at MarthaStewart.com to reply to my mutiple emails regarding my subscription. On top of that, I have 2 things I sold on Ebay (which I have NEVER had a problem with until now), in which I can not read any emails that I have received on Ebay.com I am waiting to see if something I purchased has been shipped, and can not see if the seller has replied. I wrote to Ebay twice as well.

Finally, I also have a Reward Zone card from Best Buy. On it you accrue points with your purchases and in return they send you checks. We've had this card for at least 2 1/2 years. Have we EVER received a check? NOPE. Not one... but we sure have dropped a lot of cash at Best Buy. So again... I fired off an email to their customer service.

I have a feeling I'm going to be making A LOT of phone calls this week...

Now that I've sucked the life out of you, look over to my nephews blog. You will find a link on the side. Look for Navy Bound Nephew.

Everybody's Doing It!

Merry Christmas!

Click the link, wait a few, then enjoy!

Cuz I'm Crazy Like That....

Grande, 2 pump Ginger Bread Latte w/soy, no foam.

Yep. That's my call sign.

I am back in the saddle again. My headaches are somewhat cured. Well they were, until some virus has invaded my sinuses. The left side of my face is suffocating me.

Rest assured that I am NOT turning into a whine bag, I'm just having an issue and need a tissue.

Soooo, I decided NOT go get a Keurig, OR a Tassimo. Nope. I decided to go for the big guns...

Introducing the Starbucks Barista!

Yep. That is what I got. Because 1. Starbucks clearanced them out and I was lucky enough to find one! So now I can make my latte's for a song compared to the $4.45 that Starbucks charges. PLUS I don't have to go out in the cold to get one. SWEET!

I'm sorry Katrina and Janet. I just can't do it. I just can NOT give up my coffee. My passion runs deep for a good cup o' joe.

Now I'll just have to train my brother how to make my latte's when he comes to visit. Because he IS my coffee Biaaaatch, lol.

Go Fish!

Pretzel Sticks, Gold Fish, and Cream Cheese.

1. Pick up pretzel stick.
2. Dip in cream cheese.

3. Fish for a gold fish.
4. Make sure it sticks!
5. Enjoy!

Kids LOVE this snack. Especially in he classroom. Costco sells cream cheese in the little cups. It is quite tasty too.

Hockey Playing Hooligan

This FUR CHILD needs to STOP playing hockey with the little gifts Child A put under the tree!!!

Notice the undercarriage on this feline... who seems to have an eating disorder.

OMG it's Monday

And I haven't posted since Wednesday. I realized last night that not only have I not posted, but I am WAY behind on reading all of your blogs.... except Mel's in which I have read, reread, and reread again... because she doesn't love us any more. ;o) Just kidding Mel.

Tiffany VS. Debbie Gibson or both?

As I am in my whirlwind of house cleaning, Tiffany came on the radio. I started thinking... as I was dusting... I loved Tiffany, but didn't care for Debbie Gibson. Yet Den liked Debbie Gibson, but didn't care for Tiffany. See where I'm going with this?

Inquiring minds want to know.... Did you like Tiffany better or Debbie Gibson. OR did you like both of them equally the same.

I'm going to post a poll up on the right side for a week. Let's see who wins this one.