And so it starts....

The Government is now telling us women that we don't need mammographies until we turn 50! I'm almost 42 and I had my first one at 40 and had to have a biopsy. I'm not considered high-risk, but I be damned if the government is going to tell me that I don't have a right to have peace of mind under my personal insurance. Ask yourself this: why are they telling us not to worry about doing self-exams? That doesn't cost a freaking dime. Hmm.....unless you feel a lump or something odd and you go in to have it checked out. Next, the insurance companies will stop paying for mammograms until you reach the ripe old age of 50. It's total bullshit! This is the first step to a long list of the wonderful change you chicken shit liberals voted for. Welcome to the administration that puts little value on a woman's life. What's next? I shudder to even think. In case there is any question - Obama's idea of health reform doesn't give a crap for women. I'm pissed off that the government puts very little regard to preventative care. We are wives, mothers, sisters and daughters that deserve better. It's just sickening.

Let's push back the age of getting prostate exams for the big boys in Congress to...oh, let's say 80 just to be safe. That way they if they aren't already terminal or dead, they won't cost us as much. And just for kicks and giggles let's make them fill out a survey about their thoughts and personal feelings on the effects of a terminal illness that will alter their quality of life before we give them the exam. That way we can just pull a Dr. Kevorkian on their stupid lame sick asses before they bleed another dime from us Americans that pay for their lifestyles. Screw their peace of mind!

Happy 40th!

It's a car, it's a plane...no, it's just a POST!

Hey There! How y'all doing??? Ready for the State Fair? We are...just another week and we will be there eating our obligatory Fletchers Corny Dog with our neighbor David & good friend Teresia! Ready for some football...Monday night football? I am. Go Cowboys! Ready for some softball? Yep...this evening we have some games on the schedule! Yea!!! The 8U team Robbie's coaching has a game tonight so Aubree and I will be working the concession stand. Come on out to see us if you are in town.

Yesterday, we took a small road trip to Healdton, OK to visit Robbie's mom & brother. I drove up there and Robbie drove back. The leaves are going to turn in the next week....some have already started. I want to go back with the camera and get some shots of the changing of the seasons. God paints us beautiful sights all the time. I can't wait to see this season's colors. Next week we shall make the trip again, but take our time up there so I can get some good shots. We laughed ourselves silly the entire trip with Aubree and her little take on life! That is one funny little kid. Bless her heart, she has her own language and unless you are around her enough to understand it you will be totally lost. From the time she opened her little mouth and started jiber-jabbering, she has made up her own words. She's a hoot and such a blessing to be around. When we headed back home, we stopped by some dear friends for a quick visit. They just moved into thier new home. They have a lovely place and an even more beautiful family. We enjoy their friendship so much. We ended our quality family day eating a quick, yet delicious supper at Verona's. We sat at the same table I sit at when I have lunch with my friend, MommaBecky. I mentioned this and Aubs asked very nonchalantly if MommaBecky was "magicary"? Like a cross between "magic" and "imaginary". Uh...no, MommaBecky is neither and I guess it's time to get back in church so Aubs can be re-introduced to Dan & Becky and we need to have them over for dinner so she can get re-acquainted with them. Dan & Becky are a sweet, God-loving couple and Becky is an awesome mother-figure to me. I'm so thankful that God has brought her into my life. She is a constant that is full of wisdom and motherly advice. No matter how old I get, I find that I need a mother's voice in my life. She isn't afraid to tell me what I need to hear which may not be what I want to hear. She has taught me so much and I really should share her with the rest of my family. I see her often. Mostly during the week at lunch & even though she's not around Aubree & Robbie much, she's very aware and in touch with what is going on in their lives as well. She has known Robbie for over 20 years so she knows what challenges I have here at the house. Just kidding! He's a dream......most of the time! One thing she has taught me lately is that no matter how badly you want something or how hard you work for something if you don't let God have his hand in it, it won't be fruitful or give you personal satisfaction. How true that is. Her and Dan do God's work everyday and are a true testament to "living the word". Just having her be there for me is such a blessing. She really has come through for me when others have bailed. I told Aubree that MommaBecky was a part of our family and wasn't at all "magicary". After we reminded her of who Dan & Becky were, she remembered & said "oh, I remember them...she said she loves you like you were her own daughter". Then Aubree replied with "Momma, we really have the best family, ever".... So sweet and true and that's our sweet girl - always seeing the good in people, not taking everything so seriously, and being able to laugh out loud at herself. What beautiful traits my daughter has. Truly, an inspiration for us all.

Today the house is super quiet except the washer, dryer and dishwasher working nearly as hard as I am at this very moment. ;) I'm going to try to make this short and about to head out in a bit to get the Oklahoma dirt & bugs washed off my 'burban and then it's a trip to Sam's to get a few things to re-stock the concession stand. A busy day planned, but working hard is good for the soul. When I work hard, I sleep good. When my machines work hard, I sleep even better. Ha!

I don't know how the Sam's trip will go....I am still having a devil of a time getting around with my bum foot and this clunky boot. I think my foot is actually getting better, but it sure is taking it's sweet time. I'm just glad I don't have to wear a cast. At least I'm able to take the boot off and get a shower.

I'm still working on my house & yard. Fall has not exploded as of yet...a few tiny derailments came up this weekend and we didn't get everything put out or into place. Robbie did, however get a field mowed in our neighborhood for the kids to play softball, football, soccer, or whatever they want to do. Mr. Freeby and my sweet hubby mowed for over an hour on a two acre patch for the kids to pick-up some neighborhood games. It will be good for them to have a big area to play some ball. While Robbie & Mr. Freeby mowed, Aubree and I worked the concession stand and we enjoyed it so much. We will work it again tonight while Robbie coaches the 8U team.

I've started working on our 2nd Annual Neighborhood Block Party. Notices should go out by the end of this week so be on the lookout! We are shooting for the weekend of Halloween just like last year. Hopefully, we will get another bounce house for the grown-ups. We let the kids get in when we need to take a break. Oh, and you must have the smoker going for days smoking up some good foods. I've got a few new recipes to try out on it so I can't wait. I hope we have another great turnout. It's always great to meet new neighbors and visit with the ones that get around and know everything (y'all know who you are ;D )! This year at least we don't have any big complaints since the water issues are all but resolved. No griping, no attorneys, no water companies...just good neighborly get-to-know-ya fun, food and kids...lots of kids everywhere!

It's amazing what a few days "off" can do to your responsibilities in this game of life. I'm not sure what kind of crud we had exactly, but it lingered for about 2 weeks and was totally exhausting. At first I thought it was just the SAD affecting me, but my whole family has had it. You don't feel bad enough to go to bed, and not sure what, if any medication would make it better and yet, you don't feel good enough to do much of anything else so you just find yourself sitting and sleeping alot. Basically it felt like we were fighting off something bigger, but it never showed up. I suppose that is the good thing. Some days we all had horrible upper respiratory symptoms with coughing, sore throats, & stuffy heads. Some days we had aches and a mild fever. We just kept praying that it wasn't the piggy flu...maybe we all had the SAD. As y'all know I get that crap pretty bad if I can't get outside and enjoy the sunshine. We had a few weeks of dreary, wet, cool days but at the time I seemed to really enjoy them. Odd I know - go figure. I guess maybe it was because I wasn't feeling well and the cloudy rainy days made for some good napping weather. We did enjoy some Fall type foods during all this which is always a plus. Comfort food at its best: Chicken tortilla soup, taco soup, roast and on tap for this week is chicken & dumplings...yum-O! Probably Thursday since they are predicting a rainy, cloudy day. So, this weekend the sun finally came out, blessed us with its presence and goodness. FYI: anything under 75 degrees is hibernating weather for me. Anyway, we were able to get outside as a family and I know we all felt better getting some fresh air.

Now it's time to play catch up. Catch up on laundry, washing rugs & sheets (isn't that the closure we all need after a sickness sweeps through the family?) I need to do some grocery shopping before there's an uprising in the house because there isn't anything to eat. And hopefully this week we will be able to play some softball and possibly catch up on a few games we missed due to the rain. We've had two games get rained out and our next games are scheduled for Thursday and hopefully one on Saturday. We pray it doesn't rain them out, too.

Oh, here's a few pictures of Aubree and her Homecoming "date". Aren't they oozing cuteness?

~til next time...

Softball gets shafted on ALL levels

This was a disappointing week for our beloved sport, Softball. From the Olympic level all the way down to the city of Decatur, TX.

First, on Thursday the IOC (International Olympic Committee) decided against including Softball in the 2016 Olympics. This was shocking to anyone that follows the sport or the USA team. In 2008, softball had much interest and the girls made great strides in the sport. To have nationwide exposure for a sport we have grown up loving was quite amazing in itself. To make it to the Olympics and come away with the Gold was simply a dream. Sadly, that dream won't see the light of day in 2016. Instead, the IOC has on it's short list for the 2016 Olympics Golf and Rugby. While this is great for their sport, we are still saddened by the IOC's decision to exclude softball. The ISF (International Softball Federation) did a great job with the BackSoftball Campaign. We still have the World Championships played by countries from around the world and those games shall go on. Team USA just won the title of World Champions this past July. Next July they will defend their title in Oklahoma City. USA & International Softball will live on and we will watch it on the Internet and cable channels throughout the year. Hopefully next Summer we will be in Oklahoma City to see USA play live!

Also sad and maybe more infuriating than disappointing because it's on the local level is the City of Decatur's lack of support for our youth...namely the girls. This year we are venturing out and having our very first Fall league for the girls of Wise County. The boys have had a fall league before and the turn-out has been really good. We've had several requests over the years to have a girls fall league, so this leads me to believe that not all girls play soccer, volleyball or cheer and those that do may want to do both. This is no different than in the Spring where we schedule games and practices around track, volleyball or other activities the girls participate in. Also, we have quite a few girls that are home schooled that love the opportunity to play a sport with other girls their age and get active in a team sport. So this is the year we will do it...with or without the support of our city.

The first sign of a problem was the resistance and the lack of communication between the Parks Director and myself. I've left messages and received no call backs. I did, however receive a message via one of the board members on the boys league to say that we could have Kenny Renshaw Park Monday nights, Friday nights and Saturdays. This park is the girls' primary park...the one where we built our very own concession stand because well, that's another issue entirely...the park where we have played for the past 10+ years...5 of those I've been involved with the girls softball. So, they gave us Monday nights (ok, that's decent) and Friday nights (Uh, Houston, we have a ginormous problem...are you serious? We are supposed to schedule softball games on Friday evenings...during football season...in Wise County? That's not going happen and you know it!) Oh, and we can have Saturdays (after Pee Wee Football and the girls cheering the football teams on that morning, of course). Why wouldn't we be able to use the park that is primarily known as the girls' softball park on other nights of the week like Tuesday or Thursday nights? Because the Men's Church & Rec leagues have taken it over. Don't get me wrong, I'm not down on the adult leagues...I do not hold any ill will towards Jay Layton or Clifton North...they are just doing their thing and playing. I play on these leagues during the summer, so I understand the enjoyment that comes from playing softball. I do believe, however that the youth should come first - NO MATTER WHAT! I'm upset with the city giving the adults preferential treatment over our girls by giving them field space and pushing us to other parks within the County...Bridgeport has called to offer their fields, Boyd has called me offering their fields. This is shameful that Decatur doesn't have enough fields available for all. It's clear that part of the problem could simply be resolved if they moved the adult leagues to Jones Park. Let the girls use the park where our concession stand stands. The solution for us this year is that we will not open our concession stand for our games as we will be traveling all over the county for our "home" games.

Let's get talk about Jones Park. Who, exactly was this park built for? The boys? The adult leagues? Who knows. It clearly wasn't thought out very well. It's not user friendly or accessible for players lugging full coolers, huge equipment bags, batting tees, etc. up and down that hill. We played some of our church co-ed games at Jones through out the summer, but it was only used for "over flow" so it begs the question: Who was this park built for? Bottom line is it certainly wasn't built for the girls. Harmon Park is strictly for the boy's and that's been clear for years. The girls should have a park for the girls, too to use year-round if they wish. Harmon Park is off limits to everyone but the boys...adults don't play there and the girls aren't allowed there either. Kenny Renshaw park is used by our girls, select teams, co-ed teams, men's leagues, the church leagues, & tournaments for charity and such. That's a lot of use for one little park that doesn't get much attention from the city. Ah, yes...they put up some foul poles, they worked our fields and mow our grass, but they did that for all the parks as well. We didn't get a new, clean concession stand built...we had to purchase our own, finish it out in order to be in a place fit to serve food out of without having to endure the stench and rat feces. Our bathrooms? They are portable toilets set up in the parking lot that I wouldn't let my dog use. They are filthy. Our fences around the fields? They are a mess...not safe at all as we had a girl get caught under one this past spring as she slid into home. Our dugouts are full of mud or dirt, the benches need sanding and to be re-painted. They give anyone that sits on them splinters & snags your clothing. If anyone has any doubt that what I'm saying is not the truth, feel free to go check out all the fields mentioned and make your own determination. Then I urge you to make a call to the City of Decatur and let them know you support the youth of Decatur and they deserve much better.

It's been widely understood that boys get more than the girls...that's been going on for years. It was this way even when I was a kid playing softball in Grapevine over 30 years ago. They built the new fields for the boys...when those got old they built new ones and the girls got pushed to the old boy hand-me-downs. We didn't complain, but it was obvious who the prize winners were.

Things have not changed a single bit over the years and the girls are still getting short-changed. Having a daughter, being active in her interests and being the president over an association, I have made it my personal vow to ensure the girls get what the boys do. They deserve equal treatment. When the boys fields get new conditioner, so should the girls. When the boys get break-away bases, the girls should too. Their safety is no less important than the boys, are they? They shouldn't get second best, they shouldn't be an after thought, they shouldn't get the consolation prize. And we shouldn't have to raise hell just to get what we rightly deserve! This is an outrage.

Decatur prides itself as being "a small-town family-friendly home town". Apparently, as long as your "family" consists of only boys. They feel it's perfectly ok to exclude the little girls that just want to play ball twice a year like their brothers do. Decatur needs to wake up and realize that the youth are the future. We, as adults, parents, leaders need to put a priority on our kids and get them involved in activities that help them grow into great young adults that will want to put roots down in a great city to grow their families up. Decatur needs to have a Rec center, a public pool, and decent basketball courts for our youth and families to play together.

Wise County girls will have a league and if we can't get our fields back or decent field times we will be able to play in the other towns on their fields...after all this Fall it will be a Wise County Softball League and our teams will have girls from all towns come together to play the sport they love.

One more thing before I step off my "soap-box"...IF, and that's a big if, Decatur had any foresight whatsoever, and IF Decatur had a planning committee for the Parks & Rec Department they would invest some tax-dollars into programs for our kids. Lord knows we pay enough in taxes there should be some for the kids and families. I could see a public swimming pool that will actually make money to help support itself (ie. Denton Waterworks), a rec center for families (indoor basketball courts, racquetball, an indoor track) where residents pay a yearly fee to use and our kids can play their basketball games there instead of relying upon the schools to provide their courts. We are in need of our soccer fields being repaired. They are in horrible shape. the netting is torn, their are holes the size of Dallas in front of each goal which become mud pits with a little rain. We need more fields for baseball AND softball so we could host tournaments that will bring money into our city. The oilfield is crawling as a snail's pace and we have all these nice, big new hotels sitting empty that would be put to great use if we could host tournaments and provide entertainment for families. Our City is growing...it's up to the City officials to make sure they are ready for it and plan accordingly. It's up to the City officials to ensure they provide our youth with activities that other cities around us provide for their residents. It's a shame we have to go to another town to swim in a public pool and apparently the girls will have to go to another town to play softball this fall.

I expect things to get better because we have great people that speak up for the youth in this city. It will take some time and some complaining and I'm just sick of it being the rule instead of the exception that the youth aren't treated better in this community.

Summer...

Hello, my neglected pitiful little blog. It's been too long & I feel so bad for ignoring you. I got some encouragement from 2 very nice respectful blog friends to continue with my blogging if it's something I enjoy. So, I will. Actually been a little too busy living my wonderful life and don't have much time to blog like I would like. I love twitter...it keeps those close to me "in the know". I've allowed some comments through that weren't very nice, but that's ok...says more about the chicken shit anonymous poster than it ever will about ME!



It's been a busy, busy summer for us. We have done a little bit of it all. Had a few small trips, hit a few water parks, had some picnics, worked in my flowerbeds which I SO enjoy. We played softball every week from the first week in June until last week. We had friends over for burgers, spent time with friends hanging out & spent an entire month walking around lost in our own home. This year was tough missing the baby girl while she was visiting her dad during the month of July. Aubree is back now & all is right with the world again!



The summer was a season to remind me that youthfulness is not in my corner so much anymore. It started out with me recovering from gall bladder surgery. It only took a few days to actually recover from the surgery...it took several weeks for my body to adjust to my new diet. All of a sudden I couldn't eat lettuce and that was not good. The doc said to not try gravy...that's not a problem since I'm not a fan anyway. Gravy has got to be the most disgusting concoction known to man.

Then there was this rash...an unexplained crazy, nasty rash that apparently I got in San Antonio. God only knows what it was, because it looked really bizarre. Looked like chicken pox, or shingles but didn't act like either. It didn't itch, but felt like fiberglass & kept spreading up my arm. Strange, for sure. Anyway, after several rounds of shots, multiple creams & steroids it finally went away.

Next little reminder that I'm crazy thinking I'm still 20. Softball game-playing on third-batter up. A mean line drive aims directly at my leg/ankle & the sound of the POP/CRACK was heard 'round the park. I didn't cry (then, anyway. I waited till later). Basically, the ball missed my glove (yeah...I know it was my fault by not getting my glove down) & kapowed my leg. It hurt like a mother for weeks. Over 3 weeks went by & it didn't seem to get any better...oddly enough it was only getting worse. I finally broke down & went to see Doc (after my hubby threatened me) & they did some x-rays to make sure it wasn't broken - the good news is that it wasn't broke, and the bad news is that it wasn't broken. Huh? Yeah, that's what I said, too. It's an injured tendon which is actually worse than a break in terms of healing. I'm still walking on it just fine, but now I'm adding 600 milligrams of ibuprofen a day & icing it 2 times a day. That's helped a whole lot with the swelling and the pain. All of this has taken away from my training for the 3-Day event, but I'm determined to not let all of this get me down.

Which brings me to this: I've taken on an exciting, but huge challenge this summer and have entered the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day. I will be walking 60 miles over 3 days & camping out in tents. Even though I've had a few little road blocks in my training, I will overcome!!!

I'm really needing donations badly so if you can, please donate anything...anything at all - it all adds up! My website is www.the3day.org/goto/terri.ivie (Cut & paste if the link doesn't work...sorry, I can't get html to work)

For the most part softball dominated the Summer so far with 1-2 games per week. Last year I played on two teams so I played a lot more. This year's pace was much better and it was more fun because my husband not only played on the team, he coached it. We had a great team even though we lost every single game. We made new lifelong friends & had tons of fun. So many people commented on our sportsmanship & attitude even while we were losing. We didn't go out there to slaughter our opponent & get the trophy, we were going out there for fellowship, fun & playing together as a team. Our team consisted of players that have never played a sport - EVER! Our church had 3 teams...the original "core" team that I played on last year-River 1, the other team that most players were new to the sport-River 2, and a youth team-River 3. We were River 2 and I will venture to say we had the BEST season ever just because we came together as a team and looked forward to playing each week knowing that we really did our best & enjoyed our time together on the field and then off the field as well.

Finally, we have had a few projects around the house...we rewired the landscape lighting, replaced all the lights with the energy efficient bulbs, cleaned the shed & garage, Robert built a rabbit hutch for Elizabeth, the bunny & currently we are working on the backyard's newest flowerbed. Robert bought a huge bag of rocks...not sure of the poundage, but it's huge...on a skid & takes up the entire bed of his truck. Over the next few days we will spread the rock between the flowerbeds which is a lot of work, since I spread two skids worth last summer.

This weekend I'm so excited to be hosting a childhood reunion get-together with my girlfriends. I've known most of these girls since before kindergarten. We don't get much time to catch up these days in person, so when we do it is a huge deal. Our husbands just shake their head at us as we travel back in time and relive the good times. It will be a very fun weekend & I can't wait to have the house full of friends that I love like family.

And thank you in advance to all my wonderful family & friends for helping me reach my goal of $2300.00 for the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Y'all are the absolute best!!!!

Ahhhh....

~Let me just say that having a housekeeper that knows & does what she is hired to do is so refreshing! She went above and beyond...better than any other housekeeper I have ever had and was so respectful, too. I feel like I've hit the lottery!

~Still tired from being up with the storms last night, but I'm pushing through to my second wind with the help of a cup of tea.

~The top picture is Aubree's first day of Kindergarten and the next on is her 1st day of 3rd grade. Wow, how time flies and look at the attitudes...sweet and unaware and then in 3rd...not really looking forward to summer ending! She's so cute I could eat her up!

~Craving Mexican food. Can you call it a craving when you have it 24/7?

~Got a ton of filing done in the office today - that makes me very happy!

~Found some school pictures of Aubree that I was going to send out...oh well, doesn't matter at this point.

~Still no regrets committing to the Breast Cancer 3-day in November. Each participant has to raise 2300.00, so that's what I'm most worried about. Walking 60 miles/20 miles per day will be fine since our team has already started training. Camping out? I'll deal - it's for a good cause.

~My website is set up - you can go donate if you feel your arm twisted hard enough! LOL! It's www.the3day.org/goto/terri.ivie

~Our team is the Faith Warriors - I think that is the coolest name ever!

~I wish it was dry outside so I could go play in the flowerbeds...

~Had our first softball church co-ed game last night, we lost but still had fun. Played in the pouring rain, had a girl get hit with the ball that caused mass chaos in the dugout with blood, lots of it. Softball isn't supposed to be that rough.

~Gonna talk to the school tomorrow and opt out of the Summer School option they suggested for my A/B honor roll daughter. It's ludicrous and we WON'T be taking time away from our summer vacation for such silliness.

~Signed Aubree up for Church Camp...a sure sign my baby is growing up. She can't wait to go which means I've raised her with the good sense to go have fun with her friends!

~The first thing she wants to do when school is out is have a girls day with her Momma...that's cool and I'll take 'em while I can get 'em...one day she will be too busy being a rebellious teenager and want to spend all her time with her friends.

~2 more getty-ups and we are out for Summer - can't wait to have time to do just whatever the heck we want.

~There's talk about the hubby going to Mexico, Spain & Pennsylvania. I don't want him to go to any of the above, but they didn't ask my opinion and it's his job. Sometimes his job takes him away too much - sometimes it doesn't keep him busy enough. There is very little middle ground in the oilfield...you are either busy-busy or bored and panicked.

~I made enough pasta salad yesterday that you could feed an army. It's good too...lots of veggies, cubed meats & cheeses.

~Tonight it should be even better since it's had time to "marry" in the dressing.

~There is not one single thing on the calendar for this evening - I think LuLu & I will take advantage of that situation and hit the hay early. She is tired too after that late game and the storms.

~Tomorrow we have a swimming party to go to celebrate the end of school for Aubree's class. Her class has been together for 2 years. I predict many, many tears from the kids, parents and Miss Renfro. Even though they get her for Language Arts next year in 4th grade it's gonna be hard for them to cut the cord and not have her all day everyday. The amazing thing about that class is they are such a little family. They stick up for each other, fight like siblings and love like siblings. They are all so cute the way they interact. I know my heart is heavy for these kids. They don't want school to end because they will miss their Ms. R. That speaks volumes on how a teacher can touch your life and hold a special place in your heart forever. I can't imagine Miss Renfro's heart right now. Those are all "her" kids and she loves them so much. I had a favorite teacher that came back into my life yesterday (oddly enough through facebook) and I loved her dearly. Ms. Ebersole was the best - she hugged on us kids and we all worked very hard to please her. I had this little white and dark blue dress with butterflies all over it. She loved it so I wore the dog hair off that little dress. Kids look for approval where they can get it. My daughter and her classmates will never forget the love, knowledge and experiences they gained from Ms. Renfro. They will forever remember her fondly just as I remember Ms. Ebersole over 30 years later.

~Speaking of teachers...here's a nugget. First, there are teachers and then there are certified educators. A teacher will teach, an educator relays what they have read and learned. Anyone can get an education, but to truly learn requires a desire and that's instilled by a teacher with heart. A child will only learn when they are nurtured. Looking back on all my teachers in life I respected and got more from the ones that showed respect and love. If they had passion for what they taught - I would have passion for learning it. It's a basic, simple formula for success in a child's learning.

~Standardized testing sucks! When I become leader of the universe we will have no more of that nonsense. I can see having benchmarks to see where a child falls, but to base their passing on a stupid test if they have passed all other subjects is insane. Texas has deemed the TAKS a failure, but when they do away with it they will replace it with something just as stupid. INSANE - doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

~My daughter is a 4th grader....just trying to get used to saying that. Seems like yesterday she was spitting up formula & pooping in her diaper.

~GM is depressing...I still haven't wrapped my head around it and probably don't want to. I'm glad my dad isn't here to witness this cluster. It would break his heart.

~Had my gall bladder out after dealing with the pain for over 6 months. I feel like a new person and kick myself for waiting so long.

~I was down for the count for a week and hated every minute of it. Mainly due to the 11 staples in my abdomen. I think if it weren't for my skin feeling like it was ripping I would have been up and around sooner. Once I got those out 8 days after the surgery then I felt GREAT!

~Now, I feel like a new person. I have also found that I can eat anything I want. Some had warned me that I would have to change my diet, but I haven't changed a thing. I can even eat lettuce which is supposed to be a big no-no.

~Dr. Long did an awesome job. The nurses were great and it was honestly the very first surgery where I didn't get sick from. I still can't get over that one...it's a shocker. I don't do well with anesthesia, but I had no problems at all. They gave me all this stuff beforehand to prevent sickness and it worked like a charm. Gotta love a doctor that knows his stuff!

~Gotta schedule a hysterectomy before the year is up...my gyno doctor wanted me to have it last year, but I couldn't find the right time. I don't think there is ever a "right" time - you just have to bite the bullet and do it. Now, that the deductible has been paid it will be a "freebie".

~For some reason I don't get too excited over a "freebie" surgery when it involves me getting cut on. Dr. Long is going to do it as well...he did such an awesome job and he told me that he does a little tummy tuck while he's in there, so that's cool. After my c-section there's that little bit of tummy that won't firm up. At least I'll get something out of it.

~Was going to have it in July while Aubree was at her dad's, but now I've got softball games scheduled and some intense training for the aforementioned 3-day walk in early November, so I'm going to have it closer to Thanksgiving.

~I hate being sick or couped up when I can get outside - hopefully late November will be cold, wet, windy and miserable so I don't feel bad being stuck inside after I get home. Early November we want warm, sunny and pleasant for walking & camping out.

~That's about it, I need to get busy and write out some thank you cards for all the nice folks that brought food to the house when I got home, visited me in the hospital and brought or sent flowers when I had my gall bladder out. I am surrounded by some awfully nice, sweet & thoughtful people. I look forward to returning the kindness they showed some day....

Pictures from this weekend...

A few of them anyway!


















The Band was Awesome!

Some friends hanging out by the fire trying to keep warm...it got pretty chilly.

My husband and his son having a good time.

Rainy Monday...UGH!

Ok...Where is the sun? I miss Mr. Sun. I always try to wake up with the best of attitudes and outlooks, but a rainy Monday morning isn't the ideal day where you just jump out of bed smiling and ready to tackle the long "to-do" list. I put everything aside this weekend for just fun and relaxation. It was a nice weekend for all of us, Aubree had a sleep-over at her friends house, and we went to Cresson for a party and Sunday we rested. Mother's Day was great...we slept in and missed church and I hate that part. Aubree gave me the best gifts. A heart she made to hang in my bedroom. It's beautiful and was made with her own little sweet hands...the best part is what's on the back. Forever I'll have a reminder for Mother's Day 2009. How can you not smile when you see that???

Ok, I'm not as young as I used to be and nothing like trying to pull an all-nighter will prove that fact. I'm getting older whether I like it or not. I used to be able to recover the next day, but this may take a week! LOL, just kidding! Maybe 3-4 days! Or, maybe it's one of those things if you don't keep yourself "conditioned" for or in practice you lose it...kinda like working out? Using muscles you don't normally use? The party muscle? Yeah, I'm going with that theory. Maybe I'm just out of shape for dancing and carrying on like a damn 20-year old.

After a draining weekend of doing nothing productive means that Monday will be cram-packed full of chores, errands & playing catch-up. Mother's Day is one day you don't feel guilty just chilling out and doing nothing and believe me I exercised that right fully yesterday all the time knowing that Monday was taunting me and lurking around the corner. So, here it is and I've got a full day planned already. I have to get laundry done, clean the house, clean the litter box (yuk-o), go through a huge stack of mail, water plants, & do re-schedules for softball games...and looking at the forecast that might get put off another few days. And to top it all off I'm trying to get everything done this week for the next two. Surgery should be the end of this week or the beginning of next. I honestly can't wait. The pain is getting worse and is pretty constant now...everyday and I find that I'm taking more and more Aleve. It helps, but does a number on my stomach. It's been about a year I've had periods of pain in between periods of hoping the pain stays away. The last 6 months I've encountered some sort of pain weekly, sometimes it's acute and puts me down for a few days, then sometimes it's just a dull constant reminder that something is wrong. So it is time for the bugger to come out I guess. I've avoided it this long, but enough is enough and I'm SO ready to feel good again and not have to worry about the pain keeping me from my everyday life.

May Flowers...Roses...2 kitties...

...a few of the my favorite things!

Hiding kitty #1 - Olivia

Kitty #2 - Magatha

Life

~So much has been going on personally in my life...it's all good now - the clouds are clearing and the sun is shining - at least in my mind ;)
~Softball was postponed due to the "flying pig" sickness, but we will be back on schedule Monday if the weather agrees with us!
~My garden has been my "happy place" the last several weeks.
~You never know what's really important until something that turns your world upside down comes along to put everything in perspective.
~Pettiness is so dang petty.
~I fully believe in prayer even more than ever now (if that's possible)
~friends can be a huge source of comfort when hard times come
~chocolate is too...dark Dove treasures...yummy!
~I need to go to Ulta - love that place, then stop by Costco, then top it off with Red, Hot & Blue (that's a dang good day)
~I need new pillows - I love new pillows, fresh sheets...I get giddy and go to bed early the night I have fresh clean linens on the bed!
~I get almost that giddy over new socks!
~I have to have kids socks because adult size are too big which limits my selection, but new socks of any kind are the bomb
~The "flying pig" illness was just a political stunt created by Obama and exaggerated by the media...my blog, my opinion!
~They are making a big deal about the Cowboy's training center, too...I don't know very many things that could stand up to the "microbursts of air" as described by the meteorologists.
~We just got our satellite fixed after being without TV for a month. We thought the boxes went out at the same time - come to find out it was a loosely crimped wire.
~Funny how we didn't miss too much without TV...except all the dramatics played out by the media, the forever stupid commercials (Jack in the Box mini-burgers), and the constant weather updates.
~I love our new furniture although we don't spend alot of time "sitting" around on it...need some throw pillows to accentuate here and there.
~My daughter's new word of late: adore. She "adores" everything and I adore that about her adorable self!
~Speaking of: I adore our new water system - we've had it for awhile now and my hair and skin thank me everyday. I whole-heartily recommend getting one if you don't have one. If you need one I got the perfect company that are AWESOME! They are EcoWater...ask for Paul or Craig
~For Mother's day I just want to spend the day with my baby-girl & husband strolling through a garden center for a special plant...every year my husband has given me something living to plant. I don't care for cut flowers - give me a plant, a rose bush or a baby tree.
~Mother's day will be extra special this year
~My housework has been neglected (it desperately needs a good dusting and vacuuming), but it can't be ignored much longer...need housekeeper-STAT!
~Gallbladders that don't work right suck and must come out...6 months hasn't changed anything so next week the surgeon tells me when they are going to take it out.
~I wonder if I can get the hysterectomy & a bonus tummy tuck while they have me knocked out & are messing around with my innards?
~Aubree & I had a fun day Monday....we gardened, then took a break on the hammock...snacked on peanuts in the shell and topped it off with a nap until we were awakened by raindrops.
~Yesterday we spent the day doing inside activities & chores. We baked 2 upside down pineapple cakes and 2 dz blueberry muffins with fresh blueberries...they are so good.
~Hubby called me "super-wife" last night because I was actually happy he bought a new gun, baked him an awesome cake and did all the laundry and was going to cook dinner...hey, it's called being a wife! I think he was just afraid I was going to yell about the gun - heck no! I love 'em - the more the better!!!
~I wish it would rain like a cow pissing on a flat rock or clear up already - kinda tired of the gloominess of these past several days.
~I know that as soon as it does clear up it's gonna be hotter than hell outside for the rest of the year! I'm OK with that - bring it!
~I can't wait to get the dang gallbladder out so I can get back into the gym.
~My softball team's practices have already started and I'm so excited to play this year...Robbie is going to play!!!
~I'm having cravings of salad, veggies & Melba toast...must be a sign that I need to get back on the diet (especially since I can't workout at the moment)
~I'm addicted to the Memphis style ribs at Red, Hot & Blue in Southlake...I love, love, love that place!
~This past weekend I got caught up on Lost, Grey's, Housewives, & Brothers & Sisters, the Mentalist...dang gallbladder had me d-o-w-n for the count, but did give me a chance to rest up which probably wasn't the worst thing for me right now
~My hair is growing so fast I can't keep up with the root rot!
~I think the MILA is the reason...everyone told me that my hair and nails would grow like mad & they weren't lying.
~Politics on any scale get my blood flowing in the best of ways & the most horrible of ways...lately it's a no-win situation - you can never please everyone. Thank goodness for parliamentary procedure!
~Summer is almost here and I couldn't be happier - except this is our last year with Miss Renfro - we will miss her terribly and 4th grade is gonna be tough for all her "kidlets" since they have had her for 2 years in a row.
~Aubree's got several things lined up for Summer so far, church camp, Coyote College, sleep-overs and we are going on a few little trips here and there. It's shaping up to be a great Summer that I can't wait to get started, plus we have softball!!!!
~The hubby & I have a very cool party to go to this weekend in Cresson...can't wait - it's gonna be so much fun to spend time with old friends and listen to some awesome Texas tunes with a live band (the same live band we had at our house a few weeks back).
~I brought my blog back to life because I know y'all missed me ;) and because I can! So, for all you haters out there - I don't give a flying rip what you think about me...Unlike you, I can look in the mirror and know who I am and know that I'm a good person. You, on the other hand are a very lonely, miserable, hateful person that secretly longs for acceptance. You will never be able to fill the void in your life with all the condemnation you inflict on yourself and others. Your lies will catch up to you (can you hear Lie's footsteps sneaking up on you?) I've got everything you want and you couldn't pay any amount in the world for a tiny slice of it. That's because it isn't for sale. Jealousy doesn't look good on you, darlin'. I really hope you find contentment with something in your life (very soon) and keep your cancerous negativity to yourself. In case you don't I'm still moderating comments and...I'm praying for you everyday!

Sums up my feelings exactly.

Be sure to read all the way to the end ...

This is an actual letter from an Austin woman sent to American company Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph. It's PC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for best webmail-award-winning letter.

Dear Mr. Thatcher,

I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body.. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.' Isn't the human body amazing?

As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customer's monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women.

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants... Which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.'

Are you f------ kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness, is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong'.

Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bullshit. And that's a promise I will keep...Always...

Best,

Wendi Aarons
Austin , TX

The View...get's a -10 today

First my favorite cute little Republican Elisabeth isn't there. I usually try to tune in just to see what she has to say which is probably some kind of common-sense valid tid-bit. She's a momma, a wife, a proud American. Honestly I don't know how she puts up with all that craziness that surrounds her daily. She has her good days and bad days...I like watching what crazy outfits she has one and what kind of a hair day Joy is having on top of watching her fiddle with her paper, a pen or paperclip. She's a fiddler and watching her makes me tired. Or is Sherry's hair gonna be long or short hair? Yep...I'm shallow like that and besides it's "laundry washing-grocery buying-clean the house-go through the mail-Monday" and I got to have something on in the background.

Get this - they hit a new level of craziness this morning. Barbara can't be there (she's in LA) so they have her on a TV screen propped up on the table (with greenery to soften the hard edge of HD!) broadcasting life and FULL-SIZE. Good Lord. It's a trip to watch. I can't imagine "speaking" to a TV screen, but they are expecting their guests to...mainly IL Gov. Ron Blagojevich. His impeachment trial begins today...I think Gov. Blagojevich is such a weasel. I don't now if he is guilty, but the fact that he won't answer the questions with a straight answer posed to him by anyone kinda screams guilt. A wire-tap has him talking about selling the senate seat. Sounds like that's exactly what he was trying to do. Dang, the guy is a total glutton for punishment...and a media whore. It's just freaking hilarious that Barbara is broadcasting from LA looking at him as he looks back at her in HDTV. It's different when Meet The Press or Face The Nation do interviews like this - that's kinda expected, but this is a daytime...jump on the couch...sit and talk kind of show. Gotta hand it to the guy...he's not giving up. Wow! Now we have Father-In-Law drama! It just keeps getting worse. Oh, and his tie hurts my eyes!

[commercial break]

OK...now he's with real-life hosts on the couch and they are questioning his potty mouth and the potty mouth of his wife as well. "Where did you learn to talk like that?"..."Blah, blah, blah...you have kids, do you think that's appropriate?" Jeez, they guy was in his private home having what he thought was a private conversation. One one hand I couldn't imagine my house being wire tapped then have every single word I say scrutinized and taken out of context. I'm a nobody and that would be a nightmare. I can see how my sometimes potty mouth and speaking in confidence in my private home could get me into trouble. Just goes to show that you should always watch everything you say and how you say it.

[commercial break]

Coming back with Nancy Grace...I hope they show a picture of her twins! I like her...oops...gotta hit pause...time to get the laundry from the dryer and switch out some loads!

Happy Monday (NOT!) I used to love Mondays...it was my day to get a ton of stuff done, but I've had a day and a half already and it's not even 11:00 yet. Expecting the EcoWater plumbers out here any minute to put in a sand filter on our water system. We are still getting sands through our faucets. The water issues are never-ending. Such is my life.

OMG! Whoopie is a certifiable moron! She just asked Nancy Grace if Baby Caylee accidentally met her death and the family "maybe just" panicked and wrapped her up in duct tape sealed with a heart sticker and disposed of her little baby body. This show is making my head pound. Thank gawd in greyhound it's almost over!

Our Traditional New Year's Party

We had a blast on New Years Eve! We had our little same group of folks that we had last year and throughout the year when we have dinner's, birthdays, shopping, etc.

It's so much fun to hang out with these crazy folks I call my bestest friends. Here's a picture of the "girls". First, we have Pammy. Pam has been a part of my life since the dawn of time. I think we became friends when we were about 6-7. Pam has been there for me my entire life through thick and thin. We have seen each other through just about everything one could imagine. Best friend just doesn't describe our relationship...it doesn't do it justice, really. She is more like my big sister (she will have some smart-ass remark to say about that, although she is older than me!). Pam has been a loyal friend for over 30 years and tries her best to keep me out of trouble, to no avail. I've watched Pam grow into a beautiful woman, wife and mother of 2 teenagers. How she has hair left upon her head is beyond me. She has been married to Kevin for over 20 years. She's the role model in the group and the mother hen of the brood. The rest of us have been married and divorced at least once! Pam & Kev have been through it all and are stronger than ever. Next we have Teresia. I met Teresia several years ago when I went through a very rough patch in my own life. Physically, I was at an all-time low. My health was deplorable and I had to go to many doctors all the time. She was (and still is) my pharmacy tech so I at the time I was seeing her all the time. One day we just started talking and haven't stopped yet. We can gab for hours and hours. We just clicked (which I don't usually do with women - I have always gotten along better with men because I'm the tomboy type and love all kinds of sports). Teresia has the biggest heart and the prettiest, warmest smile I have ever seen. Her sweet little daughter Zoe and my Aubree are the same age, the best of friends and have their own little sisterhood going on! It's sweet to watch my daughter form relationships that will last her a lifetime. I love little Zoe like she was my own child. Finally, but never last is Kelly. A fiery little red-head that has the spunk of someone on crack! She is a total spaz, a blast to be around, always smiling, can be a bit crude (ok..alot crude), rude and not very politically correct, but she, too has a big heart. I've seen her do man random acts of kindness that inspires me to be a better person and do little things to make the world a better place. Example: we went to dinner one evening and there was a soldier eating with his family...a wife and 2 little ones. She paid for their meal and insisted the soldier never know who paid for their meal. She does things like that all the time. Yeah, she's sugar and spice and sometimes awfully nice, but she has a potty mouth that would make a sailor blush! The hardest thing she drinks is sugar-loaded, caffeinated Dr. Pepper. Oh, and she doesn't mind throwing the truth out there even if it hurts. Gotta love that! We went to HS together, but just recently reconnected and have really grown close.

I thank God for my friends everyday - we all get together often and we all fit together well. Ya know how sometimes you have friends that don't like the others or one will refuse to hang out if that person is going to be there also? Well, thankfully we have no drama like that. We all get along great! Without them and their hugs, and their little nuggets of wisdom I don't know where I would be. We all have kids that we have put first. We have men that we love endlessly (and would love to strangle at times). We love the Lord with all our hearts and we have the same priorities and values. I know that I'm very blessed to have such great awesome friends. In the end we four amigos are a force to reckon with. We think alike, act alike and can have fun doing just about anything or nothing at all. I just wanted to take some time to thank my girlfriends for being in my life. The new year has started off very good. It was such a blessing to ring in the New Year with my bestest friends!

What I got for Christmas

I'm a very blessed person. I have a family that loves me unconditionally and a loving generous husband that gives me things I could never even dream of. I'm a practical type. Love diamonds, but I had rather have things that I could use and be productive with.

When Robbie asked me what I wanted for Christmas I said I didn't really want anything...certainly didn't need anything and that since the economy is not certain that we should err on the side of caution and keep Christmas as trim as possible. I should have known that would have been a curse. I think this year we spent more than we have ever. At least we didn't put anything on credit. Santa got the entire family a Wii! Wii all wanted a Wii...so far it's proven to be a good choice! Go Santa!

Just a month before Christmas I got what I really wanted when I traded my iPhone (I never jelled with it) for the Blackberry Bold. I've always been a Treo girl and had an HTC 8525 which is now known as the Tilt. Since they had Windows OS they always synced up nicely with my PC. Even the Treo w/Palm OS synced better than the iPhone ever did. The folks at iPhone told me that in order for it to sync with Windows PC, I would have to purchase a $99.oo program called MobileME. And then it may not do what I wanted it to do....SO, I gave the iPhone an honest try, but I never did jive with it and couldn't wait for my upgrade to come around to get something that worked with my lifestyle. Sure, the iPhone was fun and playful, but when it came to relying upon it to keep me on track with appointments and tasks, I was at a loss. It wasn't the best system for business minded or those that need a good calendar. I even considered switching every computer I have for the Mac to see if I could sync my calendar, contacts and tasks, but iPhone doesn't have a task app that was satisfying to me. I was extremely spoiled by the Treo and for the past 6-7 years has always had a touchscreen. The Blackberry Bold is not touchscreen, but it is a powerful little jewel that does everything I need and more. It's fun and I'm still learning little tricks it does. It's got a ton of memory in the way of a memory card and so I can do lots with it. The memory factor is what sent me over to the Blackberry side. It holds as much as the 8G iPhone. It's great!

I'm still wondering about a MAC and how it may fit into my future at some point especially since I am getting more into photography. Yes, photography. The very thing that I have caught much flack over, endured many a joke about, but also have a great passion for. I consider it as a huge compliment when people make jokes and call me Duty Jr. when they see my camera come out! I could only hope to someday be half as good as Mr. Joe Duty. Seeing I have absolutely NO background in photojournalism getting to a place where I could be considered good is going to be difficult, at best. I hope the love and passion I have for photography and the respect I have for those that are good will help inspire me. I love documenting our lives as a family. Aubree isn't shy and quite the ham. I have enjoyed looking back in her scrapbook watching her grow up. When I see something pleasing to the eyes like a perfect bloom on one of my favorite plants, or a beautiful sunrise or a storm coming in the first thing that comes to mind is snapping a picture of it to preserve the wonderful memory of such a beautiful moment. I also see things that make me laugh and I want to snap a picture of it. I see things that might someday prove an injustice and to have a time-date stamped photo proof has already proven to come in handy - case in point our latest court hearing on the water issues.

Over the summer I had to replace my little 2-year old metal Canon Powershot with another Canon model that's a step up from the simple point and shoot. I handled it like a champ and although it took some time to understand the different settings, I really enjoyed learning what kinds of photos I could take using different settings allowing different lighting. Then I was hooked and my husband said he watched me as my eyes lit up every time I looked at these big complicated high-powered digital SLR cameras. I had purchased Adobe Photoshop Elements awhile back and I'm slowly learning it, but think a class or two would be most helpful. For Christmas my dear loving husband thought I needed this huge Canon Rebel XTI to get me started on my road to be a semi-wanna-be-professional photographer. So, now I have no excuses.

I think my husband is afraid that I'll be technologically deprived. He also got me a new iPod in my other favorite color...green! A few months ago my pretty favorite color brown Zune I received last Christmas just died while I was at the gym. The gym without my podcasts or tunes is just pure torture, but I was managing and doing without and even borrowed my daughters one time. Now once I start back at the gym next week I will be rocking and jamming while I work it out on the treadmill and weights. I love my husband and his thoughtfulness. I was really missing my tunes and now I can listen to my podcasts and music doing all kinds of things. I love listening to my 80's hair bands while I mow, so mowing season will carry on without fail!

The ONLY thing my daughter wanted from Santa was a laptop...her size, she said. I thought it would be near impossible to find a reasonably priced-small-little-girl sized laptop. But, to our surprise we accidentally came across these little blue acer Aspire's that are absolutely the cutest things I've ever seen. I have 2 laptops and neither work well. One's a Toshiba that's limited on what it can do and I have a huge metal heavy HP with a 10-key that won't boot up. I really need to get it into the shop and get it gutted and fixed. It also won't connect to the Internet wireless, so that's a bummer. I have a fairly new desktop, but that confines me to the office. My daughter has her own desk in the office with her own desktop (my hand-me-down). It's somewhat obsolete, but it has worked well for what she uses it for. It can get online and she can do her homework online. She works on her spelling words through a website her teacher has set up. It makes it fun for her and she is learning to type and use the computer. When she does her homework this means we were both confined to the office so I could help her and such. We love the office, but the afternoons can get a bit busy with getting homework done, supper on the table, laundry done and the other activities we have. Anyway, to make a long story short we thought the acer Aspire One was perfect for Aubree. My husband snatched one up for her and since I got so stupid-giddy and excited by the cute little thing, he got one for me too. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this little fun gadget and LOVE my Robbie for getting us matching acers.

Since I am also technologically challenged at times. I also received the best gift...encouragement to take some classes of my choosing while Hubby makes it possible. He's so supportive like that. I guess that's the best gift of all...having support for whatever stars I feel the fancy to chase. These days I'm chasing the stars of photography. It's already one of my favorite hobbies...and now I just want to be good at it. I've got a good start I would have to say.

What I Did Today...

It's been a busy week. Today we took the students on a "walking" field trip through the parking lot, down Deer Park Road a bit, a left on Thompson Street, past the middle school up to see The Wall That Heals". It's a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterna's Memorial Wall in DC. What a special treat for our young people. They were polite, respectful and asked very thoughtful questions. I was very impressed by their interest in what the wall meant and all that the Memorial signified. After school Aubree and I went back because I wanted to spend a little more time there and I was told by several people that our kids (Rann & Carson) and the Elementary school age groups were BY FAR the most respectful and interested in seeing the Wall and hearing the story behind it. That made me very proud. We do have a bunch of great kids. They are all very thoughtful, caring and respectful. When I heard about what the HS students did and the way they acted it made me ashamed and mad. I sure hope our kids keep the goodness that has been instilled in them and are still respectful of a "Memorial" when they are teens.

Anyway, when we got there we listened to a Vietnam Vet speak about his time served over there. He was a medic and he is now battling the effects of Agent Orange. I went to the information center and asked them to direct us to my uncle Aubrey's name...which just happens to be Aubree's namesake. His name was Kenneth Aubrey Peterson and it's on the wall as "Kenneth A Peterson". We found it! All the kids helped us find it and I think it brought it to a personal level for them when their classmate had a great-uncle on the wall. Some of the other students mentioned grandparents and other family members, but they didn't remember their names or we could have looked them up as well.

If you get the chance go out there - do. Pay your respects to our Veterans of this great country and see this awesome display. You will never forget seeing something so powerful. It has a spirit of it's own and you can feel it as soon as you walk up to it. Some will never be able to go to Washington DC to see the actual Vietnam Veteran's Memorial and this may be the closest you get to it. It was in Dallas a few years ago, so it doesn't come around often and when it does it isn't usually in a small town like Decatur. Decatur is fortunate to have this very special Memorial and I, for one am extremely grateful for the opportunity to visit it. Thanks, to all of the folks that made this possible. They did a remarkable job!

Here are some pictures that tell the story better than words ever could.

What I Did Today...

The day finally arrived for the 3rd grade field trip. We were SO excited! We made special lunches for ourselves and loaded up with extra batteries and were off. These are a few of the special things we saw at the Dallas World Aquarium. If you have never been, I highly recommend going. It's just as interesting and fun for adults as it is for kids. Although watch out for the birds...Aubree got pooped on. Somewhere I read or heard that it was good luck to have a bird poop on you. Regardless...I don't think she felt "lucky" in any way shape or form.

It was an awesome day. We all saw things that we had never seen before. We also smelled some things that I could have probably gone my whole entire life not smelling, but it's ok. Now at least I know the "worst smell in the history of ever" and it's source. That, my friends would be penquins. Cute, but not so good to spend too much time around unless you have no sense of smell.

Christmas 2008

This is our Christmas tree this year. After I performed surgery on it's mid section. The lights wouldn't light up so I had to change a fuse. Man, those things are tiny and hard to get a good hold of. But, I had success as you can see. It was touch and go there for a moment...the tree is lucky it didn't land in the front yard! I spent over an hour performing the procedure to get life back into it's stupid little lights...damn pre-lit tree. There all good and perfect until a section goes out!


This is probably this tree's last year with us. It's too big and was purchased for our old house. The new house just doesn't have a "spot" in the living room that will fit the girth of the massive thing. The only place it will fit is in the office. Yes, my office is also known as "the fishing room". It's probably my most favorite room in the house. When I can't get outside it's the next best thing...sitting in a room full of outdoorsy things makes me feel good inside.


We have hunting and fishing themed ornaments throughout the tree, but mostly we have snowmen and basic hodge-podge. I used to do a color theme, but that goes out the window with kid's and life. Every year we make our trip to Hallmark to get our dated ornament...this year we picked up three new ones! Here's some pictures of our beautiful tree that's full of ornaments that bring back years of memories.


























The first 5 Christmases & Aubree in 2005



































Our 2005 dated Gingerbread Man & Girls & there's "Bucky" the deer hiding deep in the tree.






















Some pretty Christmas cheer........and.......some tacky "BITE ME" Christmas wishes!

Yep, we got a little bit of everything...something for everyone and every mood.

High-Toned?

Speaking of my princess...here she is at Starbucks. No, that's not coffee in there - it's hot cocoa. Neither one of us drink coffee, but I had a gift card for Starbucks that I recieved from the church for doing something they thought was nice, so we used it after carrying it around for months. We shared blueberry cake and had hot cocoas with whipped cream on top.

We had a girls' day out of shopping, dining and topped our evening off with a stop at Starbucks in Southlake. We went inside so we could a) get warm and b) sit and relax a bit before the drive home.

Notice the pinkie...yep, she thinks she's a little high-toned sipping from her Starbucks cup! She's trying really hard to be so "grown up"...look at her sitting in that oversized chair! It looks almost painful and at least uncomfortable to sit in.

That's my baby girl!

That's my princess Aubree Noelle on the left with her friend Caution at Aub's birthday party last year. I snapped the photo in front of our tree since they looked so cute in their santa hats. These two little girls are the best of friends and are more like kindred spirits...or, like sisters and they love each other so much. A few weeks ago I submitted the picture to Wise Youth Today thinking they may put it in their issue somewhere, but had NO clue they would make it their cover! Imagine my surprise...yep, I'm a proud Momma.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!!!

I hope everyone has the most blessed Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy time with family and have full bellies. I hope the Cowboys win! I pray for all my blogging buddies out there to have a safe and healthy holiday. If you are crazy enough to get up at the crack of dawn on Friday to go shopping, may God be with you! I'll be snuggled up in bed letting the tryptophan wear off (which takes about a week or two, right)?

Free Time

Wow, what a treat I was given today. I was on my way out the door to head up to the school to pick up Aubree when I got a call from one of my friends. She asked if she could pick up Aubree today when she picks up her daughters. Uh....yeah...well....that should be ok....yep, I stammered like an idiot. I didn't know what to say. Our daughters play together and we have had play dates, but it's usually when one of us can't get to the school in time to get our little darlings and it turns into a fun afternoon for our kiddos. I put down my keys and said "heck, yeah!" I can finish my laundry and work on some Softball stuff...this works out great!

There was no real reason except her daughter wanted my daughter to come over and play. Well, how do you say no to that? You don't. Kids need their social lives, too and since Aubree isn't doing dance this year, we have missed out on having an after-school activity. Softball practice starts up the first of March so we will just wait till then to have something to do. Play dates work out great!

Now what do I do with my extra free time? I made up my grocery list for Thanksgiving after finalizing my menu for the big day, I did 3 loads of laundry, got dinner on the stove simmering, cleaned and dusted the house, watered all my plants and made some important phone calls. I was pretty proud that I had a few very productive hours. I'm really excited about that.

It's been a super busy week and it's just getting geared up. Monday was crazy with appointments, the gym and a conference call that was way longer than it should have been. Tuesday was Real Women at church during the day, wash the car, drop off the dry cleaning, Walmart and then back to church then to school and then at 6pm I had a Softball Board meeting that went until 8:30. Wednesday-gym for 2 hours, cleaned up my office (YES!), paid bills, did some light housework, cleaned out some drawers and picked up the kid, got some yardwork done while we played out in the beautiful sunshine and waited for Neenie to come get Aubree, then it was date night with my hubby (DOUBLE YEA!). He had gotten off early and put another coat of stain on the fence while I watered my flowerbeds and picked weeds. We went to Casa Torres and it was SOOOOOO good. I've been trying to eat better and work out and do all the "right" things, but I just needed some Mexican food in my belly...it was worth every calorie. Today is Thursday and I slept in a bit, got up and took a walk around the block a few times since I missed gym and started doing normal housework stuff. It's a full-time job cleaning up after my small crew. They can leave a path of destruction in their wake. Tomorrow is a busy day. Paul, the water guy is coming back out to give us the info on Life-Max, Tye will be here to put up my Christmas lights and 6-foot larger than life wreaths, and I've got the Thanksgiving Feast to attend at Aubree's school and take photographs for her class. Thank goodness Robbie will be off to be here and babysit Paul and Tye and help get some of the stuff put up. Saturday, I'm planning a meltdown of astronomical proportions. My phone will be dead for all concerned and I'm staying in my PJ's all day long. Sunday is church and I've got to stay afterwards with our Real Women group putting together baskets of Thanksgiving Dinners for the needy in our community. Working full-time I do believe was a lot easier than taking on all these volunteer duties...BUT, I do enjoy my volunteer work. I actually try to find time in my schedule to fit more. I think I'll hold off until after the first of the year, though. I have some other irons in the fire that are not on the DL for the moment. Those things are going to keep me pretty occupied for the next several weeks. So, if I get quiet...don't fret...I'm just doing some really cool things by the way of civic duties anonymously.

I hope y'all ALL have a wonderful Thanksgiving and blessed time with your family.

A Hater by Mayo Angelou

A Hater is someone who

Is jealous and envious and spends all their

Time, trying to make you look small

So they can look tall.

They are very negative people to say the least.

Nothing is ever good enough!

When you make your mark,

You will always attract some haters...

That's why you have to be careful

With whom you share your blessings

And your dreams, because some folk

Can't handle seeing you blessed...

It's dangerous to be like somebody else...

If God wanted you to be like somebody else,

He would have given you what he gave them!

Right?

You never know what people have gone

Through to get what they have...

The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory,

But they don’t know my story...

If the grass looks greener on the other side

Of the fence, you can rest assured

That the water bill is higher there too!

We've all got some haters among us!

People envy you because you can:

Have a relationship with God.

Light up a room when you walk in.

Start your own business.

Tell a man/woman to hit the curb.

Raise your children without

Both parents being in the home.

Haters can't stand to see you happy;

Haters will never want to see you succeed;

Haters never want you to get the victory,

Most of our haters are people who are

Supposed to be on our side?

20 years ago & the Circle of life...GM style

First, I'll apologize for being all over the place on this subject. GM is in turmoil as the 20th anniversary of my Dad's death is around the corner. My head says one thing, my heart says another. I have a deep loyalty to General Motors as it was the primary means to me being raised by 2 loving parents in a nice home in a lovely neighborhood. Mom was a stay-at-home-mom for the most part. She would sometimes get a part-time job here or there just for fun. I guess she got bored from time to time especially when both of us kids were in school. She didn't have to work, Dad provided us with everything we ever needed and most of anything we ever wanted. We always had 2 vehicles, 1 of them (Mom's car) always being newer, we always had a boat (a ski/fish/fun type boat) as I practically grew up on Grapevine Lake skiing, swimming and fishing. We also had a little travel trailer that we took camping. We always took a two week vacation every summer to some really awesome cool place that was an adventure or torture depending upon your level of pain tolerance. Let me just say the Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas was pure 100% torture. Sitting in a HUGE freshly plowed field of the blackest dirt known to mankind in the middle of August with the sun beating down on you as you shovel dirt into a pail just to carry it over to the sifters and wait in a line for what seemed like hours only to discover you have nothing "glittery" in your bucket. I once found a tiny piece of quartz and almost fainted, but I think it was the 115 degree heat and early stages of dehydration that got me...not so much the glittery tiny sliver of quartz. Come to think of it, I think we went during the 1980's heat wave...I remember wearing a shirt saying "I survived the '80's heat wave". Yes, I was proud to have survived such a crazy weather phenomenon. It was all the rage back in the day! All you had to do was tune into Channel 5 and Harold Taft would tell you so, or you could call the station and talk to him directly. That's the way we rolled back then.

Growing up, I didn't know what rich was...I didn't know what poor was. I knew I was a kid with many friends, many blessings and lots of folks that truly cared about me. Later I learned that we weren't rich, but we were upper-middle class. Dad was a blue-collar worker, but back then such things did not divide us. I didn't measure our wealth by massive amounts of money back then and I still don't today. Being rich meant being happy, having friends and family to love and be loved by and being healthy. That's the way we were taught. By our standards we were rich - we had everything we could ever want. GM and the UAW is the reason for that. In our little neighborhood of 6 streets there were at least a dozen Dads that worked at GM. They all were friends, which meant all the kids were friends. We were all around the same age...boys and girls that I still keep in touch with today. It was like having an extended family that you actually liked! I always thought I was the luckiest person ever to grow up where I grew up and during the era I grew up. I loved our little 'hood and the late 70's and 80's were the best of times. Our Dads carpooled and on the weekends they went fishing or worked on each other's cars. Our Moms took turns carpooling all the kids to and from school on the days we didn't walk to school. All of us kids had slumber parties that were totally rad. Sometimes we slept outside in our backyards on cots we got from the Army-Navy Store and during the day we spent hours playing all over the neighborhood. We built forts, we made "trails" in the field behind our neighborhood to ride our bikes on, we put coins on the train tracks and tried to pick them up after they were smashed...they were always burning hot. We had a fishing hole that we would frequent if we could find some bait to "borrow" from one of our dad's bait stash and we played baseball in the street until it got dark then we would spend the rest of the night trying to catch bats. When we grew weary of chasing the nasty little winged rodents we would sit on the curb under the street lamps and tell stories or play "truth or dare". When the porch light flickered we had to retire for the evening. It would all start over the next morning bright and early.

Besides taking that little trip down memory lane, I'm thinking of all the GM retirees I know and the people I know that are currently still working there. GM is one of those jobs they consider cradle to death. You never leave a job like that. It was a job to do your dead-level best to hold onto. My dad worked at GM from 1963 until his retirement in 1986. He had gotten sick and took an early medical retirement. That was probably the saddest day in my Dad's life. The day he realized that he couldn't do the job he loved so much anymore. Dad prided himself on never calling in sick. As a boy in school he never missed a single day of school...ever. He made 12 grades of school and never missed a day. He never missed a day of work either until he got sick. Still, he never "called in" sick. He just took some time off for treatments or surgery, but when it got to be too much he knew he had to retire. After Dad retired he went into a very deep depression on top of being so sick with cancer. I guess with those two things against him he just gave up the will to live. It was hard to watch him deteriorate into a man I no longer recognized. I knew my Dad was in there somewhere, but he was getting harder and harder to reach.

Our home that was always filled with happiness, love and laughter was full of sorrow, depression, anger and bitterness. Dad was all of these at some point or another. Mom was all of these at some point or another. My sister and I just did our best to keep life as normal as possible. I had graduated, moved out, and was working full-time for the City's Library, Mom had gone to work full-time long before Dad was diagnosed and did her best to work and tend to my Dad. My sister was a Senior and trying her best to enjoy her last year of school and as we all had our own lives to live, my Dad was slowly losing the battle of his. Dad was home bound, had frequent anxiety attacks, and sporadic moments of dementia...probably a direct side effect from the pain pills since it wasn't consistent. It was a rough time for all of us. During my Dad's retirement the guys he worked with never forgot about him. There were so many days I would go by to visit my Dad during lunch or when I got off work and there would be some buddy of his from work there with an envelope. All the guys out at GM have nicknames. I rarely knew what their "real" names were. Anyway, it seems these buddies of his took up a collection for him on a weekly basis and they all took turns bringing the envelope over. I had heard of arguments breaking out as to which buddy was going to get to go over and visit my Dad. I know that they all thought they were doing a good thing...they were giving from their hearts and that's never wrong, but it was hard for my very prideful Dad to accept that money. I know it was...he hated being dependent upon anyone and now he was becoming more and more dependent upon everyone. My Dad was very well thought of in the community as well. People at his funeral remembered him as the man that was like a brother to them or the man that would do anything for anybody. He was always stopping to help someone in need or giving money to a neighbor that hit hard times. Since his passing I've heard stories of how many things he did anonymously (or, so he thought) and I can only hope to follow by his example. He was a great man that taught me alot about living. I also learned from him that you have to fight for what you believe in. Dad is the one that I credit with teaching me to fit into a man's world and don't accept anything less than I feel I deserved. Expect an honest day's pay from an honest day's work and politics. Boy, did that man teach me about politics. He was a force to be reckoned with and for the life of me I still don't understand why he didn't fight harder to win the battle over cancer. Maybe the pain was just too much. I guess I'll never know for sure...at least not in this lifetime. In my next life, I'll get the answers I need.

It's hard for me to think that 20 years ago my Dad went home to be with the Lord. I was 20 when he passed away and that was 20 years ago. Just not possible, but it is. How does time get so far away from us? I used to think that it wouldn't hurt as bad over time...time heals all wounds, right? Not so much. I think of my Dad daily and miss him terribly just like it was yesterday when he was happy, healthy, working and fishing. Monday is his birthday, the anniversary of his death and 20 years ago the 24th fell on Thanksgiving Day. It's like a tri-fecta...Dad's birthday, the anniversary of his death, and our beloved GM facing possible bankruptcy. They (who are they, anyway?) say that everything comes full-circle. This feels like it is the circle of life for Dad as well as GM. Maybe it's the wee hours of the morning that have my mind over-analyzing. Maybe I'm just crazy, but I feel like this is the end of GM regardless of what my sources say.

I'm scared for all the retiree's out there...and the survivors (like my Mom) and the folks that were planning on retiring this December. They could lose everything. That is so sad to me, but my brain tells me that GM's circle of life may be up. They have had some close calls before, but it wasn't meant to be and it wasn't their time. This time, I'm not so sure. GM has been good to us - that's no doubt, but it looks like the good times are coming to an end. Gosh, I hope not. Currently, Mom gets health, dental and vision insurance benefits for life (as long as she doesn't re-marry) and GM employees, retirees and survivors and their immediate family members get special GMS pricing (employee discount) on ALL GM vehicles. I drive an '08 Suburban, my husband has an '07 GMC 3/4 ton truck, my mother drives an '08 Pontiac Vibe. Although I love, love, love Dodge Rams and miss my 4X4 something fierce, it's just crazy not to take advantage of the GMS pricing. A few weeks ago there was talk about Chrysler and GM merging...now, we're talking. If they would extend the GMS pricing to the Dodge Rams I would be burning a trail to trade in my Mommy wagon for another Quad-Cab 4X4 Dodge Ram Diesel-in Black please, loaded out!

The next few days are going to be interesting to see how this plays itself out. Those guys taking private jets to the hearing probably didn't gain them any brownie points, but hey, they are gluttons...they don't know how the other side lives or how to trim fat to live in the slimmed down version of their world. What else would you expect from a true glutton?

I'm not saying the way the Union conducts itself today is right, because it's obviously not. Clearly, there is wrong-doing. Everyone wants to get down on the unions, but there was a day when they were doing good things. They ensured the members (employees) received the best in pay and benefits. It was something to be proud of. The Union afforded my dad to provide for his family when GM hit rough times and had the occasional layoffs. I remember when I was a youngster my parents talking about my dad possibly being laid off for 6 months. I wasn't sure what a lay-off was, but it wasn't good. They were so worried. I can still see my dad's face full of worry and pale as a sheet.

For some reason I can't remember, my dad took me with him to a union meeting. They explained what would happen when the layoffs were announced, what to expect and that those getting laid off would receive 80% of their normal wages. I remember my dad being relieved and excited. He said we just needed to tighten the belts up a bit and we would be OK. That's the first time I heard the word "budget". It was like a cuss-word in our house because we never had to budget, but these were tough times and we had to tighten our purse strings. Of course we were OK, dad fished and worked around the house, he worked on small engines for extra spending money and my mom started selling Tupperware.

So, it's hard for me to say that the union is a bad thing. It kept us in our home and kept us fed and dad would get called back and all was right with the world again. This happened several times during my childhood years.

Here's the thing - today, the union is different than it was 30 years ago. That I know for sure. I hold stocks and get quarterly newsletters and still have life-long family friends that work at GM. I have had many discussions at length about this. I hear the good, the bad and the ugly and right now it seems the media wants everyone to think it's all doom and gloom and there's not much good.

Just for the record: I don't approve of all these bailouts, rescue loans, what have you. I hate to see the GM dynasty turn to dust, but it seems if that does happen they only have themselves to blame. The government on the other hand opened a Pandora's box when they bailed out AIG. How can you bail out one company and not another? What criteria are they using to determine which lucky company gets the reprieve and hits the bail-out lotto? The government needs to stop the madness with these billion dollar bail outs. I, personally don't want my tax dollars to bail out these huge corporations that can't manage their budgets. The Government isn't going to bail my ass out if I get in a bind, but they've already opened the door and allowed it to happen, now they can expect a flood.

Oh, and to be fair and set the record straight...GM is asking for a loan. It's not the first time they have borrowed money and they have always paid their loans back in full and on time. They don't want a handout and keep trying to make that point clear, but the media is lumping them in the same category as AIG. From what I understand, GM is in need of some cash flow to keep them afloat during this temporary economic crisis. This is the info I'm getting directly from GM. Today I was assured that GM is not going bankrupt...they are just having a cash-flow situation. What does that mean? It means they need a little help in the form of a loan that they will pay back 100% and on time. GM says if they don't get this loan that they will be in dire straights and possibly find themselves in trouble and not be able to pay for the retiree's benefits which includes my mother's survivor's benefits.

Is it bad that I hope they approve the loan to GM just so my mother is taken care of? Is that selfish of me? Probably. I know my dad had a peace of mind that my mother would be taken care of (via health care benefits) after he was gone. Dad has been gone for 20 years now (Monday the 24th-time sure does fly...it's hard to believe my dear Dad left us 20 years ago) and he endured alot through his years as a GM employee. Back then it was something to be proud of - GM made a top-of-the-line product and it was one of the very best jobs to have...nowadays, not so much. It's almost a joke. It's sad and I'm extremely torn as to how I feel on this issue and I'm sure my dad would be as well. It's not black and white, right or wrong.

The loyal retirees and employees (most have been there for 30+ years) are the innocent ones that are having the rug pulled out from under them if they don't approve the loan. That's the part that isn't fair. The media is putting pressure on the powers that be to say enough is enough. I agree with them on the "bail-outs". If AIG asked for a loan instead of a rescue bailout I think I would look at this matter concerning GM entirely different. I think.

My Desk

Well, date night has been postponed due to that silly thing my husband runs off to do everyday - WORK. So, I'm taking this as a sign to clean my mess of an office. See, I wasn't kidding!

The big cluttered picture is where magic takes place. Not much magic lately unless you count the piles getting bigger and bigger. That's magic in a sense. All of that and can you believe that over 75% of my bills are paperless and paid through bill-pay. What the heck is all that stuff? Important stuff, I'm sure.

My ever-growing stack of mail and catalogs, plus a book I'm trying to read "How To Hear From God" by Joyce Meyer. All I hear looking at this mess is noisy chaos.

Uh...can you say FOUR calendars...five if you count the one in my Blackberry?!?!?! There's two wall calendars, 1 desktop, my trusty-would-be-lost-without planner, and the phone calendar.

Gator's life the past few weeks

Whew, this has been a busy week. First, I started going to the gym. Yeah, it's about time...better late than never. I spent 1.5 hours on the treadmill Monday. Today, Mitchell (my trainer) said they all thought I was nuts. I had it set on a jog and a pretty decent incline and was sweating like crazy. I am so determined to get the last few pounds of the flab off and tone up what I got left after losing all that weight over the past year or so. Know what I mean, jelly bean?

This past Summer I played on two teams and that kept me comfortably in my size 4's, but when the size 6's got snug last week it was time to change the diet up and get off thy arse and M-O-V-E!!! So, here I am...hitting the gym every Monday-Wednesday-Friday. I go in the mornings and I am pretty sure I'm the youngest one in there. It's OK...I've got my iPod and I'm rocking out or I can tune it to listen to one of the four TVs. Friday I start on weights...Mitchell thinks that I'll like it better than the treadmill and he said that I need to eat more! I'm not eating enough calories and I need to eat throughout the day. So, basically he's saying that I'm making myself "fat" by not eating. MmmmK! Actually, I get the theory of it all...it's just so weird to know that I got belly fat because I'm not eating enough.

Other than the gym, I'm still playing catch up. My desk is a mess, I have stacks upon stacks of catalogs, magazines and mailings that I need to peruse through.

Monday, I got a new phone. I never did like the iPhone, but I did learn to enjoy certain things it had to offer, but as far as keeping me responsible for meetings, appointments, and my to-do list...it was worthless. I'll miss the easy access to Twitter, MySpace and playing on the web. I got a Blackberry Bold 9000 from AT&T. I've actually only had a few hours to "play" with it, but so far I LOVE it. It syncs up nicely with my PC, has reminders and the calendar is very easy to navigate. I'm still learning little tricks and such so I'm positive that I'm just going to fall deeper in love with this little jewel.

My blog has been neglected...it's easy to post a few pictures, but the posts that require me to write something of substance are on the back burner. I'm working on them, so they will get posted when I get them finished. One is about the water issues...yep, still got those going on, and need to update for those that care about such things.

I'm thinking I need to enable comment moderation. I have a hater out there that thinks my husband needs to find someone nice. People can't play nice so I have to moderate my comments on my blog? That's ridiculous, but it looks like it's gonna have to happen. I'm all for free speech and that's the reason I haven't deleted any comments. I do have family and friends that read this blog and email me clearly upset by the hater's comments. So, please go away and do something productive with your miserable life. Leave me alone. I'm not bothering you, but you sure feel the need to spew your venom at me. If you have a problem with me, email me and we can work it out like two adults. I seriously doubt I'll ever hear from them through email, but the invite is out there.

Today I found out that my dentist is retired. Damn. I've been going to him since I was a child. Seeing that I'm 40 I can see that he was going to retire at some point, but it's one of those things that you don't think about until you need one...badly. Since I have to find a new dentist I'm thinking about going somewhere local. Any suggestions? Any certain dentist to avoid? Email me if you don't feel comfortable posting here. I seriously need a good dentist to get my wisdom teeth taken out.

Well, that's about it for today. That's not even a tip of the iceberg that's been going on, but just know that I haven't disappeared...don't pay the ransom...I escaped! LOL! Seriously, I've just been so busy that I barely have time to sit at my desk and if you could see a picture of it you would understand. Maybe I'll post a picture of it later. It's the biggest nest of a mess. Tonight, though it's date night. So, it may be tomorrow that I get to it. Who knows?

Y'all have a great Wednesday night!!!! Date night=Cristina's table side guacamole!