I could have been Jamie Marie

2011-12-03T16:44:00.002-05:00

I guess it's a good thing that no one reads this blog. I'm sure they would think I'm suicidal. I'm not. My life is spiraling out of control and I don't know where to turn. I feel so helpless. I don't really have anyone to talk to thus the blog entries after such a long time. I've finally gotten to the point that I can't deal with much more.

2011-12-03T02:45:00.002-05:00

I am so tired. I just can't take anymore. I'm tired of beating my head against a brick wall day after day after day after day. It never gets any better. I'm tired of beating my brains out trying to figure out how to pay the bills every month. I'm tired of struggling. I'm tired of people telling me to just go out and find a job. That's what I've been trying to do for the past 3 years!!! Unless you're unemployed you will never know what we face. I do have a part time job but it's just not enough to keep things going. I've had to put so much on my credit cards that they are nearly maxed out. I HATE doing that but it's the only way. I'm miserable. I feel like I've let my family down. I feel worthless. I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm lost and I don't know if I can ever find my way back.

Ooh, girl, love the hair!

2010-12-03T14:31:00.002-05:00

Papa on video

2009-12-13T10:20:00.002-05:00

I didn't realize I had this until today. As far as I know it is the only video of Pops. It was taken on 4-22-06 when we had the cake for Andrew's and my birthday.

Father's Day...not so happy

2009-06-21T08:23:00.003-04:00

I miss you, Pop.

Leopard at Pete's Pond 5-22-09

2009-05-22T17:58:00.002-04:00

2 More Candidates for the Hang 'em High Club

2009-04-30T17:24:00.000-04:00

Man Accused Of Sex Abuse Of Girl, 5

Abused Baby Dies; 18-Year-Old Charged With Homicide

Hannibal and Spooky "duke" it out

2009-03-31T21:46:00.004-04:00

Another one of those crazy names...

2009-03-21T20:48:00.000-04:00

KOVOCUS RONEZ

Some people should NOT be allowed to name their children without assistance

2009-03-15T11:28:00.002-04:00

Another in the installment of strange names...

Bocephus (no, really)

Staccato Tahitian

In case anyone noticed...

2009-03-15T11:25:00.000-04:00

I've been gone for a while! Hello, hello...(crickets chirping). Well, whether or not anyone reads my little blog, that won't stop me from posting eventually! HA!

Another candidate for the Hang 'em High Club

2008-11-28T19:58:00.004-05:00

What could a 7 year old possibly do that would warrant his being beaten to death with a metal mop handle?

Easley father charged in death of 7-year-old son

Photo from WYFF4.com

Greenvilleonline.com
By Anna Simon
STAFF WRITER

EASLEY -- A 40-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of his 7-year-old son Friday at his home near Easley, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

The boy was found dead at his home in by EMS workers who responded to a 9:30 a.m. call about a child in possible cardiac arrest, said Susann Griffin, spokeswoman for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

James Theodore Dickerson Jr., 40, of 215 W. Church Road, was charged with one count of homicide by child abuse and one count of unlawful neglect of a child, according to arrest warrants.

The deceased child, Jeremy Wade Dickerson, was a first grader at Hunt Meadows Elementary School in Anderson County School District 1, said Anderson Deputy County Coroner Don McCown.

The boy suffered multiple injuries, McCown said, but declined to elaborate, saying the injuries would be documented by an autopsy Saturday.

When paramedics arrived at the mobile home on a country road outside Easley, they found the father on the phone with 911 and attempting CPR on the child who was in the father’s bedroom, McCown said.

The father said he had put the child in his bed because he wasn’t feeling well, McCown said.

According to the warrant the child was beaten with a metal mop handle.

A five-year-old boy, brother of the dead child, also had injuries and was removed from the home and placed in DSS custody, Griffin said.

Only the father and two boys lived in the mobile home, McCown said. The mother, who lives in Liberty, and the father are involved in a “bitter” custody dispute and the father had custody of the two boys, McCown said.

The mother went to see her sons Thursday and wanted to take them to her home for Thanksgiving dinner, but the father wouldn’t let her see them, McCown said. She spoke with the boys on the phone later that night, McCown said.

When the 5-year-old was taken from the home, he was worried about who would care for his cat, a gray tabby named RC, Griffin said. Animal Control was contacted to keep the cat safe, she said.

It wasn’t known Friday evening whether there were any prior indications of abuse, Griffin said.

From a number of academic awards in his room, the 7-year-old appeared to be a gifted, intelligent child, McCown said.

“It’s a very tragic event,” McCown said.

Hang 'em high

2008-11-26T09:38:00.003-05:00

Normally I'm a peaceful kinda gal. Although, there are times when I think public hangings might not be such a bad idea. If this guy is guilty of this, he is a prime candidate:

WYFF News Greenville, SC

Greenville Man Accused Of Raping 5-Year-Old

Alleged Incidents Took Place Over Several Weeks

POSTED: 6:09 pm EST November 25, 2008

CHESTER, S.C. -- A Greenville man has been arrested after being accused of raping a 5-year-old girl.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said Stephen E. Beasley, 32, is charged with first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

According to the arrested warrant, Beasley raped the child at her Chester home between June 1 and July 11, 2008 while the child’s mother was at work.

SLED investigators say the child told her mother about the alleged abuse, and the mother called police.

Beasley was arrested in Greenville Tuesday. He is being held at the Chester County Detention Center.

SLED’s Pee Dee Agents and The Chester County Sheriff’s Office assisted with this investigation.
If convicted, Beasley could face up to 30 years in prison.

The WMDs have been found!!!

2008-11-18T08:54:00.003-05:00

Some more odd names

2008-11-09T18:43:00.001-05:00

(All names are either first or middle names, no last names)

Kesra Venun
Werbert
Zadgery
Carpentellis
Tremenous

Another beautiful poem from Rod McKuen

2008-11-07T11:06:00.004-05:00

Photo from Mainetoday.com

THE MORNING OF MY LIFE
(from official Rod McKuen site )

The planting
of my new life
now begins.
Not starting over,
for this month
I'll be little more
than one year old
having had my birth
the night I fell down
in your arms last year
only to rise up
and fall back down again.

And so it is
the morning of my life.
Here I am,
naked, like a child man
open to you always.

In some other life
I started building
all I've built for you,
never knowing you
never knowing
it would be you.

The planting of my new life
now begins
and you will be the farmer
tending me till harvest.

- from "Calendar Poems, " 1968, 1988

Strange names

2008-10-31T11:35:00.007-04:00

Being the strange person that I am, and being intrigued by strange names (see post below), I've decided to start a new category listing the strange names I come across in the news. I already have several doozies:

DEJONQUAVI

SHALONTEZ

TYRASSASSAZZION

Have you come across any stranger than this?

What kind of parent names their child "Wyatt Earp"?

2008-10-31T11:24:00.005-04:00

It's sad that this man was shot, for whatever reason, and my condolences go out to the family. The suspected shooter's name intrigues me though...Wyatt Earp...what on earth would possess someone to name their child Wyatt Earp??? It takes all kinds, I guess.

Story courtesy Greenvilleonline.com

October 31, 2008

Authorities seek suspect in Greenville slaying

By Nathaniel Cary
STAFF WRITER

Authorities have named a suspect in the shooting death of a man Wednesday and are continuing to search for him this morning.

Wyatt Earp Harper, 51, of 33 Seventh St. Judson in Greenville, has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and unlawful weapons possession in the death of Lonnie Bernard Oglesby, 53, of Anderson, who was shot in a yard at 114 A Taylor St. and later died Greenville Memorial Hospital.

Master Dep. Michael Hildebrand of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said investigators were able to "locate witnesses" who provided information in the case.

Hildebrand said they still had not determined a motive for the case, which happened between Greenville’s West End and Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital.

Investigators believe Harper is still in the area and should be considered armed and dangerous, Hildebrand said.

Anyone with information may call CrimeStoppers at 23-CRIME.

3 months+ and still no job

2008-10-17T09:22:00.003-04:00

Well, here we are 3 months and 2 weeks since I was laid off from my job. The job market in this area is horrible. I've put in approximately 30 applications and still no luck in landing anything. My unemployment compensation will run out in about 2 1/2 months. I have no idea what we will do then. One of my sons has a part-time job and has been looking for full time, the other is still looking also. Then the news comes today that the BMW plant here will be laying off over 700 contract workers in December. I don't know what will become of us. I just wish I could see some light at the end of the tunnel..that wasn't a train!

Waiting for supper!

2008-10-16T22:28:00.003-04:00

Hannibal and the ice cubes

2008-10-11T13:41:00.003-04:00

Hannibal loves water...Spooky, not so much

2008-10-06T13:08:00.005-04:00

Hannibal and Spooky's big brouhaha

2008-09-30T14:33:00.004-04:00

Rod McKuen the greatest poet of our time

2008-09-23T10:59:00.003-04:00

(source of photo unknown)

AUTUMN AS IT IS (Rod McKuen Official site)

Autumn as a season
and autumn in a life
are different
than I first expected.
The first, an abstract;
the second, a subtract.

The leaves turn crimson,
the hair turns white.
The leaves fall down,
as do testicles and
the firmest breast.

The dream goes on
for trees and man.
The difference is
the tree survives
the harshest winter,
but man may get
a simple cough
and raw will be
the days that follow.

It is as it is. It was as it was.
Nothing changes
but the scenes and seasons.
Worry not. It is only life
and that is all we have.
It often isn’t much
but nearly always quite enough.

-from A Safe Place to Land, 2002

These dolphins are AWESOME!

2008-09-20T13:08:00.000-04:00

One year ago today...

2008-09-17T13:34:00.004-04:00

We miss you Papa.

Hannibal's at it again

2008-08-06T13:00:00.004-04:00

Hannibal and his mousie

2008-07-29T17:57:00.004-04:00

Pete's Pond Revisited

2008-07-06T20:04:00.003-04:00

In past posts I have raved about the wonders of Pete's Pond (aka Wildcam Africa). This fantastic site is presented by National Geographic. The number of different species that visit the pond is quite diverse. There are frequent visits by impala, kudu, wildebeest, ostriches, elephants and numerous other animals and birds. We have even been lucky enough to view some big cats. Recently a pack of wild dogs was released near the pond and they have been coming every now and then. Their visit today was one of the best. Wild dogs say hello to Fatty, the resident Nile crocodile. The video is a bit long at 10 minutes but well worth it for anyone with an interest in wildlife. Many thanks to the "pondie" who captured this! Enjoy!!!

I'm in the poor house now...

2008-07-03T21:30:00.006-04:00

Well, it's official. I'm unemployed as of today. It was so hard to leave. I told my boss today, with total honesty, that it was the best job I'd ever had. Did I bitch and moan and groan on occasion...sure I did. But all in all, still the best ever. Most of the people I worked with were top-notch (some of the others, not so much). Same with the boss. He could drive me absolutely batty sometimes but he always went the extra mile for me because he knew that when I walked in that door every morning that I was there to give 110%.

What now? I'm frantically searching for another job but the job market is not so great right now (to put it mildly). I do have an interview on Monday...WISH ME LUCK!

Hannibal and Spooky

2008-06-20T16:33:00.003-04:00

Donations

2008-06-05T15:55:00.003-04:00

To those of you who have been kind enough to donate to the "heat pump fund" I offer my sincere appreciation. I wasn't able to do everything at once so I got the heating unit in and am working on the air conditioning.

Once again, thanks so much for your generosity!

This is where I work...sigh.

2008-03-13T15:18:00.004-04:00

My life just keeps getting better and better...yeah, right.

Cox CustomMedia Inc. to close at the end of April

Nearly 90 people will lose their jobs

Nearly 90 people are losing their jobs with the shutdown of a homegrown custom publications company in Greenville County.

Cox CustomMedia Inc. has notified the state Commerce Department that it will be closing its operation at 122 Smith Hines Road, said Kara Borie, department spokeswoman. The closure will affect 87 employees, with the first round of layoffs scheduled for April 30, Borie said.

The company produces newsletters for apartment complexes, retail chains and assisted-living communities and other printed marketing materials.

It was founded in 1989 as Resident Update Newsletters Inc. by Greenville businessman Todd Taylor. He sold a stake in the business to a private equity firm before selling the entire company in 2000 to Cox Enterprises Inc., the Atlanta-based media conglomerate.

Cox Newspapers, the newspaper division of Cox Enterprises, said in a brief statement that it had sold Cox CustomMedia to a competitor, Uhlig LLC of Overland Park, Kansas. But Cox didn’t mention the lost jobs or say whether the dismissed employees would be getting any severance package.

Cox said the sale was based on its "strategic decision to focus on its news-driven and direct mail advertising properties coupled with Uhlig’s desire to expand its profile."

Uhlig also produces custom publications. Its holdings include a newsletter company called Illustratus.

Mark Uhlig, the Kansas company’s chief executive, said in the statement released by Cox that Cox CustomMedia "has been a pioneer in the development of high-quality custom periodicals, and has contributed greatly to the marketplace we share. We are very pleased that we will be able to combine our respective strengths in the years ahead."

An Uhlig spokeswoman said her company didn’t have anything to add beyond the statement.

Taylor, who left Cox CustomMedia in 2005, said Uhlig apparently figured "it made more sense for them to fold (the Greenville facility) under their operation in Kansas City."

Taylor said he thought the talented employees at Cox CustomMedia would quickly find other jobs.

"I feel very confident those folks are going to land on their feet," he said.

New Eagles Video!!!

2008-01-24T21:31:00.002-05:00

My Papa is gone

2007-09-19T21:55:00.000-04:00

"Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!"
-William Shakespeare's Hamlet

It is with a heavy heart that I must report that my dear, sweet Papa is gone. He passed away Monday, September 17. He was the kindest, most gentle, genuinely sweet, most big hearted man I've ever had the pleasure to meet in this life. My bright and shining star has gone out. My heart is broken. Goodbye, Papa, I miss you so much.

James Alexander ........, 79, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, died September 17, 2007.

He was the son of the late Albert Waverland ........ and Elizabeth Mae Mauney .........

Mr. ........ was a machinist with General Electric for twenty years, and an avid woodworker. He served in the National Guard during World War II, was a state constable, and a member of West Greenville Baptist Church, where he held the positions of deacon and Sunday School secretary.

Surviving are his wife of 59 years, Ruth ........ ........; two daughters, Ruth Anne ........ of Greenville, and Linda J. ........ of Atlanta, Ga.; six grandchildren, Andrew ........, Brian ........, Crystal ........, David ........, James ........, Rick ........; and five great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by one sister and two brothers.

Memorial Service and visitation will be held Thursday, September 20, 2007, at 2 p.m. at West Greenville Baptist Church.

Memorials may be made in his name to West Greenville Baptist Church, 551 Perry Avenue, Greenville, SC 29611.

I AM PISSED!!!

2007-08-25T12:46:00.001-04:00

I mean I am completely, totally, utterly, royally pissed! For the past 15 years or so my 3 sons have been eating Rice Oriental. Now it seems that the corporate meanies at General Mills have decided they're no longer going to manufacture it. Let me tell ya there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth around my house after I spoke with General Mills customer service on Friday and was given this disastrous news. Boo, General Mills. BOO! If you've used and liked this product and would like to express your displeasure at its being discontinued, let General Mills know!

Pops is still holding on

2007-08-12T17:51:00.000-04:00

Pops is still hanging in there. He is very weak and getting weaker. His oxygen level has been dropping and his heart is getting weaker every day. The doctors are saying that he will probably not last as long as they had originally anticipated. I love him so much and cannot imagine my life without him in it.

Update on my Pop

2007-07-22T17:15:00.000-04:00

Pops came home from the hospital on Monday, July 16. He is, and will continue to be, on oxygen full-time. He went to see his cardiologist on Thursday. The news is not good. If he is lucky and doesn't have any more trouble such as he's had for the past few weeks, he may possibly have 6 - 12 months.

I go to their house every day after work and feed his dogs and cats, do the laundry and anything else that needs to be done around the house. It's tough after working all day but they've done so much for me that I couldn't possibly say no. Unfortunately for them I'm all they have. I do the best I can but I wonder if it's enough.

A rough couple of weeks

2007-07-08T16:02:00.000-04:00

Shortly after my last post my dad had to go to the hospital. Pops has not been well for many years. He's had 2 quadruple by-pass surgeries. He also has emphysema, spinal arthritis and osteoporosis. He had been coughing really badly and having trouble breathing for several days. Mom finally convinced him to go to the ER. They admitted him and he was in for 5 days. The day he came home, June 28, he seemed to feel fairly well. He went to the drug store and had his prescriptions filled, ate lunch and fed his dogs. He laid down to rest and woke up a couple of hours later not feeling well. Mom helped him to the bathroom and he began vomiting blood and having diarrhea. Again she had to talk him into going to the hospital the next morning.

After examination in the ER they determined he had a bleeding ulcer. It seems that during the previous hospital confinement someone had given him aspirin...on top of his blood thinners. They began giving him transfusions and went into his stomach and put clamps on the ulcer to try to stop the bleeding. He was moved to ICU.

Friday morning, June 29, Mom called at 6am...the hospital had called and said he was not doing well and that the family needed to get there ASAP. My sons, daughter-in-law and I all took off up there. I called my sister in Atlanta and she got on the road too. We were at the hospital for 12-13 hours. He stabilized and we came home that evening. He was doing so well on Saturday that they were even talking about moving him out of ICU and putting him in a regular room on Sunday.

At about 8:30am Sunday morning Mom called and he was in trouble again and the hospital had advised that the family needed to come quickly. Apparently the strain of losing all that blood and undergoing the procedure to clamp the ulcer had put too much strain on his heart and he had had a heart attack. Since he still had the aspirin in his blood (Dr. told us it takes 7 days for 1 aspirin to clear out of your blood stream) they could do nothing to treat the heart attack.

He did finally stabilize and was moved out of ICU on July 4. We don't know when he will be able to come home. We are hoping it will be soon. There will be a lot of restrictions. He will basically be bed-ridden. He's going to need oxygen and a hospital bed. His room will need to be as dust-free as possible. He will not be allowed to drive and cannot go into his woodworking shop without a mask. It's going to be so hard on him to give up what little freedom of movement he's had.

I am just completely worn down.

The hits just keep on a'comin'

2007-06-17T19:05:00.000-04:00

I'm just not sure how much more I can take. On Monday, June 4 there was a company meeting at work. Seems our "illustrious" President (aka the spiky haired, ugly Hawaiian shirt wearing little bastard) has decided the company no longer needs the print department where I work. The only up side is that we have been sold and will still have a job at least for a while. The down side is that we're going from being owned by a multi-billion dollar company with 10,000+ employees worldwide and tremendous benefits to being owned by a small businessman with no benefits except health insurance with premiums so high that I won't be able to pay them. So, I've lost my pension, health insurance, life insurance, short/long-term disability...pretty much everything that gave me some hope for the future. And I STILL don't have heating and air for my mobile home. I'm just not sure how many more hits I can take. Will anything good ever happen in my life again?

It's been a while...

2007-06-03T17:53:00.000-04:00

I have so badly neglected my poor little blog. I've been working a TON of overtime trying to save up enough money to replace the heating and a/c unit that was stolen (if any of you kind souls out there could spare a few bucks to help me replace the unit, it would be truly appreciated - PayPal link to the left). So far, I'm still not there. I have been making some progress on cleaning the pig sty though. You can see the difference on the wall where I've been washing it. The whole place looks like that. Every wall in the home is going to have to be washed down. It's really gonna be fun when we get to the cathedral ceilings in the living room! I really get discouraged sometimes. It seems the harder I try, the harder it gets. Hopefully I'll be able to find time to post a little more often. Have a GREAT day!!!

Pervo Update

2007-04-24T19:46:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of Greenvilleonline.com

The guy who impregnated a 9-year-old child has finally been sentenced. Somehow even 25 years doesn't seem like long enough for this disgusting, repulsive bit of human garbage. The boys in the cell block are gonna LOVE him. A word of advice...keep your back to the wall and don't drop the soap in the shower.

Virginia Tech

2007-04-17T19:31:00.000-04:00

To the families of the students and faculty members slain at Virginia Tech: our thoughts and prayers are with you. My heart breaks at the thought of all of these young, promising lives brought to such a horrible end. And the knowlege and wisdom of the faculty members that is lost forever. Also, we must remember the family of the troubled young man who brought about the carnage and the trememdous burden that has been thrust upon them. May God be with you all and give you strength.

This is VERY bad...but

2007-03-25T16:11:00.000-04:00

A 4-year-old child was killed in the parking lot of the apartment complex where she lived. A 15-year old who was driving without a license has been charged in the accident. But, I have a question...why was a 4-year-old in the parking lot at 11 pm???!!! Where were the parents? Why wasn't someone watching over this little one? My thinking is that the parent(s) should be charged with neglect and jailed. There's no reason in the world why that child should have been there at that time of night. Why, people, why?

Superman and Wonder Woman

2007-03-18T17:27:00.000-04:00

59 years together!

My parents will celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary on March 20. We had a little get-together today since we won't be able to be there on Tuesday. Happy Anniversary Pop and Gm. LOVE YOU!!!

Some things I'll never understand

2007-03-16T16:34:00.000-04:00

I'll never understand how a father could molest his daughter. What kind of sick mind must you have to do this? 30 years. That's all. He will eventually be released but that child will have to live with those memories for the rest of her life. How very, very sad.

Back to work!!!

2007-03-07T16:12:00.000-05:00

The population of this country is 300 million.

160 million are retired.

That leaves 140 million to do the work.

There are 90 million in school.**

Which leaves 50 million to do the work.

Of this there are 35 million employed by the federal government.

Leaving 15 million to do the work.

2.8 million are in the armed forces.

Which leaves 12.2 million to do the work.

Take from that total the 10.8 million people who work for state and city governments.

And that leaves 1.4 million to do the work.

At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals.

Leaving 1,212,000 to do the work.

Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons.

That leaves just two people to do the work…you and me.

And there you are, sitting on your ass, at your computer, reading jokes.

Nice. Real nice

**(this did say 85 million but it was brought to my attention that the numbers just didn't add up - oopsy - anyway it was intended as a bit of humor, not a statement of fact) :-)

Literary Excellence

2007-02-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

It REALLY sucks to be me!

2007-02-13T18:16:00.000-05:00

As I previously posted, some p.o.s. made off with the heating and air conditioning unit of my mobile home. Well, today I got the lovely news that it will cost $4500.00 to replace it and repair the duct work underneath. Whoo!! The hits just keep on a'comin'. I was expecting $3000 - 3500. But this just caught me completely by surprise. I'm pretty much speechless. Think I'll go and curl up into the fetal position in a corner somewhere. I've added a PayPal button on the sidebar. If anyone would care to help a gal out it would be greatly appreciated.

Back again

2007-02-08T19:32:00.000-05:00

In spite of my best intentions, I haven't posted in a while. Things have really busy at work and I've just been too pooped. My divorce is final and I am getting ready to start cleaning the mobile home and preparing to move in...as soon as my son gets a job, that is. Can't pay all of the bills on my salary, that's for sure! At any rate, the cleaning is going to take, literally, weeks. This is some of the mess my dear ex left for me:

I'd lie about that too!

2007-01-18T19:20:00.000-05:00

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "My dear child, why are you crying?" The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.

The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with pearls. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a silver thimble ringed with sapphires. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

Again, the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a simple leather thimble. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, "Yes."

The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.

Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When the seamstress cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?"

"Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney. "Is this your husband?" the Lord asked.

"Yes!" cried the seamstress.

The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"

The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt. Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney.

And so the Lord let her keep him.

The moral of this story is: Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and is always in the best interest of others.

That's our story, and we're sticking to it.

Signed,

All Us Women

Birthday Calculator

2007-01-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

This was fun! Here's what it says about my birthday. What does it say about yours?

20 April 1949

Your date of conception was on or about 28 July 1948 which was a Wednesday.

You were born on a Wednesday
under the astrological sign Aries.
Your Life path number is 11.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 3 & 6.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path number 9.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2433026.5.
The golden number for 1949 is 12.
The epact number for 1949 is 0.
The year 1949 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 1/29/1949 and ending 2/16/1950.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Ox.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Beaver; your plant is Wild Clover.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Paony, the second month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 21 Nisan 5709.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 22 Nisan 5709.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.16.15.7.2 which is
12 baktun 16 katun 15 tun 7 uinal 2 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Wednsday, 21 Jumadiyu'th-Thani 1368 (1368-6-21).

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 17 April 1949.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 24 April 1949.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 2 March 1949.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 5 June 1949.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 12 June 1949.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Saturday, 24 September 1949.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Thursday, 14 April 1949.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 1 March 1949.

As of 1/10/2007 8:59:30 AM EST
You are 57 years old.
You are 693 months old.
You are 3,012 weeks old.
You are 21,084 days old.
You are 506,024 hours old.
You are 30,361,499 minutes old.
You are 1,821,689,970 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Joey Lawrence (1976) Carmen Electra (1972) Don Mattingly (1961)
Clint Howard (1959) Luther Vandross (1951) Jessica Lange (1949)
Ryan O'Neal (1941) George Takei (1940) Nina Foch (1924)
Lionel Hampton (1908) Harold Lloyd (1893) Joan Mir¢ (1893)
Adolf Hitler (1889)

Top songs of 1949
Riders In the Sky by Vaughn Monroe That Lucky Old Sun by Frankie Laine
Cruising Down the River by Blue Barron (also Russ Morgan) A Little Bird Told Me by Evelyn Knight
Mule Train by Frankie Laine Some Enchanted Evening by Perry Como
You're Breaking My Heart by Vic Damone Slippin' Around by Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely
Forever and Ever by Russ Morgan A You're Adorable by Perry Como

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 8.25205479452055 years old. (You old hound dog, you!)

There are 100 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 58 candles.

Those 58 candles produce 58 BTUs,
or 14,616 calories of heat (that's only 14.6160 food Calories!) .
You can boil 6.63 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1949 there were approximately 2.8 million births in the US.
In 1949 the US population was approximately 131,669,275 people, 44.2 persons per square mile.
In 1949 in the US there were approximately 1,595,879 marriages (12.1%) and 264,000 divorces (2%)
In 1949 in the US there were approximately 1,417,000 deaths (10.8 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

In 1949 the population of Australia was approximately 8,045,570.
In 1949 there were approximately 181,261 births in Australia.
In 1949 in Australia there were approximately 72,999 marriages and 6,572 divorces.
In 1949 in Australia there were approximately 75,260 deaths.

Your birthstone is Diamond

The Mystical properties of Diamond

Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities.
Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)
Opal, Quartz, White Sapphire

Your birth tree is
Maple, Independence of Mind
No ordinary person, full imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-respect, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, many complexes, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

There are 349 days till Christmas 2007!
There are 362 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was in its last quarter.

It Sucks To Be Me

2007-01-07T11:36:00.000-05:00

As I have posted previously, I am in the middle of a nasty divorce. Things had been looking up for the past few months. My soon-to-be-ex and I went through mediation and finally reached an agreement on ownership of our former home. I am supposed to take possession and make monthly payments to him until I have paid his share of the value of the mobile home. Our final hearing is scheduled for January 11. Well, yesterday my oldest son and I decided to just walk around the place and look things over. I could not believe my eyes when we walked around the corner of the house and the freakin' heat and a/c unit is GONE!!!!! Some low-life p-o-s came up, cut the wiring and carried the damn thing off. I am just at the end of my rope. I don't have the money to replace it and we can't live in it without heat and air. Does anyone know of a nearby bridge that I can jump off? I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE!!!!!

The last time I saw it:

Miss Beatrice

2007-01-01T17:57:00.000-05:00

Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all. One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.

As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a cut-glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom! When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat.

The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist. "Miss Beatrice", he said, "I wonder if you would tell me about this?" pointing to the bowl.

"Oh, yes!" she replied, "Isn't it wonderful? I was walking through the Park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease.

Do you know I haven't had the flu all winter."

A Woman's Brain

2007-01-01T10:06:00.000-05:00

A coworker sent me this cute email. I got a pretty good laugh out of it, hope you will too! If you know who designed this let me know and I'll certainly credit them!

Have you ever wondered how a woman's brain works ? Well .... it's finally explained here in one, easy-to-understand illustration:

Every one of those little blue balls is a thought about something that needs to be done, a decision or a problem that needs to be solved.

Good thing a man's brain requires only two balls.

Back to the old blog

2007-01-01T09:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I tried Blog Charm for a while and things went pretty well. Now, it's decided not to publish my posts. So, I'm back to the old faithful blog.

I know I've sorely neglected my poor little blog. Things have been crazy the last couple of months. My divorce is still pending. The day before the hearing was to be held, my attorney's secretary called and said the hearing was postponed because the judge's mother passed away. So, that's rescheduled for January 11. I will be so glad when this is over. In addition to that, I've been working nearly 60 hours a week at my job, trying to help my son with his job hunt and helping my parents out around their house whenever I can. I guess I'm just tired.

And, I guess I'm a tad depressed too. Even after the divorce goes through my two youngest sons and I won't be able to move back into our house until at least one of them finds a job to help pay the bills. As much as I hate to do it, I'm taking one of them to McDonalds to apply. Not that there's anything wrong with working at Mickey D's, don't get me wrong. It's just that he worked so hard during his 4 years in college to get good grades so he could get a good job. Every where he applies it's the same thing...no experience. Well, how the hell do you get experience if no one will give you the opportunity to work??? It really just pisses me off big time.

Well, enough complaining. I'm gonna try to get back in the swing and keep my blog up-to-date. Wish me luck!

Happy New Year to one and all!!!

Trying something new

2006-08-12T18:41:00.000-04:00

I'm trying out a new blog over at BlogCharm. If you'd like to check it out, follow the yellow brick road....uh, I mean link. About the same content at this blog but with a little different look.

Let's hear it for...extended warranties!

2006-08-06T11:01:00.000-04:00

About 3 weeks ago I turned on my CD player to listen to a little music at bedtime. Expecting to hear the dulcet tones of Don Henley, I was quite displeased to hear "bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" instead. WTF??? Okay, maybe it's the CD. Let's try another one "bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" again. After trying all 5 CDs in the changer (I'm nothing if not persistant) and getting only "bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" on all of them, I finally come to the conclusion the damn thing's busted. CRAP! So, after being totally pissy, I decided to check my warranty just to see how screwed I was. Well, what do ya know! Seems I actually bought an extended product replacement warranty! And, wonder of wonders, it doesn't expire for 2 more weeks. Woo hoo! So after getting on the Best Buy website and getting the return authorization, I boxed that bad boy up and took it to the post office (postage was prepaid too!), then sat back and impatiently awaited my replacement voucher. Really, the whole process was quite painless. It took about two weeks to get the voucher (actually a Best Buy gift card for $104.98) and I was off to Best Buy to get another player. They didn't have one exactly like the previous one but I did find one I liked. This one still has AM/FM radio, casette player and 5 CD changer but is about half the size of the monster one I had. It was a little more expensive and with the extended warranty, it cost me about $60.00. Not too bad really. I'm just tickled pink to have my music back!

Rock Daily

2006-07-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

Rolling Stone has a new rock blog. Lots of interesting stuff. If you love music, this is a good place to go to catch up on lots of rock news. List of the Day has some really fun things. Rock on over and check it out!

I can't work up too much sympathy here...

2006-07-22T10:07:00.000-04:00

I had to read this twice because I couldn't believe my eyes the first time.

This is an announcement of an Author Discussion/Signing at a bookstore next month:

"Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete"
New York Times sportswriter William Rhoden talks about how the star system in sports often rewards athletes with wealth but little freedom.

After reading a review of the book with some excerpts, I will concede that in decades/centuries past black and white athletes were indeed oppressed, taken advance of and used until they were worn out and then tossed aside. Most, if not all, of them were left with nothing, having been robbed of their earnings by unscrupulous managers and/or promoters.

But, that was then. Big time athletes today, black or white, cannot, in my opinion, be considered as slaves to anything except their own greed, selfishness and excesses. I cannot by any stretch of the imagination think of tens of millions of dollars a year as "slave wages." Here I am trying to support my family on WAY less than 30 grand a year while these guys haul in more money in a week than I do in 10 years. If anybody's making slave wages, it's all of us regular working people struggling to put food on the table and pay our rent and utilities. Pardon me if I just can't shed a tear over their "tough life." Puh-leeze!

How heartless can you be?

2006-07-18T20:50:00.000-04:00

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read this story. Three children being literally starved to death. I never cease to be amazed at the evil that exists in this world. I truly believe something like this should be punishable by death.

The accused:

Photo from WYFF4.com

Shine on you crazy diamond

2006-07-15T10:49:00.000-04:00

Syd Barrett, founding member of Pink Floyd

January 6, 1946 - July 7, 2006

I hope he finally has the peace that eluded him in life.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

2006-07-08T09:38:00.000-04:00

If you haven't done so already, RUN to your nearest theater and see this movie! Johnny Depp is absolutely fantastic in this second segment of the "Pirates" saga. The man is a comedic genius. Orlando Bloom seems born to play the swashbuckling Will Turner (I never thought he could top his performance as Legolas in LOTR but this, in my humble opinion, runs a very close second). Keira Knightly, though not one of my favorites, also does a good job in her role. A word of warning, some of the scenes may be a bit too much for younger children. One of the members of our party brought a 7 year old and I was concerned that he might be a bit frightened by some of the scenes involving Davy Jones and his crew. But for the older kids and the really old kids (myself included) this movie is well worth the price of admission. I'm already looking forward to Pirates 3!

Happy 4th of July!

2006-07-04T08:39:00.000-04:00

Hoping everyone has a safe and happy day!

I wish you peace

2006-07-03T17:13:00.000-04:00

I turn once again to The Eagles for a heartfelt message:

(I consider this an Eagles song only because Bernie Leadon was a member of the group and it was on their One Of These Nights album. Otherwise, there is no other connection to the group. The song was written by Bernie Leadon and Patti Davis - Ronald and Nancy Reagan's daughter). I do like the words though.

I Wish You Peace
(P. Davis/B. Leadon)

I wish you peace when the cold winds blow
Warmed by the fire's glow
I wish you comfort in the, the lonely time
And arms to hold you when you ache inside

I wish you hope when things are going bad
Kind words when times are sad
I wish you shelter from the, the raging wind
Cooling waters at the fever's end

I wish you peace when times are hard
A light to guide you through the dark
And when storms are high and your, your dreams are low

I wish you the strength to let love grow on,
I wish you the strength to let love flow.

I wish you peace when times are hard
A light to guide you through the dark
And when storms are high and your, your dreams are low
I wish you the strength to let let grown on,
I wish you the strength to let love flow on,
I wish you the strength to let love glow on
I wish you the strength to let love go.

Malcolm ROCKS!!

2006-07-01T10:56:00.000-04:00

I meant to post this several days ago but I've been so pooped after work that I vegged out every day. This guy, Malcolm, is the absolute greatest!
He rescued an injured kitty and because he is such a compassionate and caring guy, he's spent around $1300.00 for treatment and surgery for the poor little critter. Drop in (no pun intended...you'll understand when you visit his site) and check out the story. If you can donate to the "bionic kitty fund" that would be great. If not, just tell the guy how awesome he is.

Nicole Kidman marries Keith Urban

2006-06-25T18:08:00.000-04:00

Some gals have all the luck. She's rich, gorgeous and she's got Keith Urban too!!!

What was she thinking???

2006-06-20T20:13:00.000-04:00

I don't know what was going through Connie Chung's mind when she thought of this but this is positively horrific. I would think that what credibility she may have had just suffered a massive hit!

Why Women Live Longer Than Men

2006-06-13T19:17:00.000-04:00

Only a man could come up with this contraption!

Foiled Burglar Sues For Emotional Distress

2006-06-10T15:08:00.000-04:00

I don't know what this guy is smokin' but it seems to me he's lucky they didn't kill him with his own gun. This is a frivolous lawsuit if ever I saw one. There should be some way to keep this kind of nutcase from clogging up our already overloaded judicial system. Shouldn't any lawsuit be disallowed by virtue of the fact he was convicted of the crime? Our tax dollars once again going down the drain.

Pop Tarts???

2006-06-05T19:53:00.000-04:00

After reading this, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Why would anyone steal Pop Tarts? Was he stealing just for kicks or was he hungry and couldn't come up with a better way to get food? A really strange situation.

Huh?

2006-06-03T12:25:00.000-04:00

I work in the Shipping Department (actually, I AM the Shipping Department) of a mid-sized company. This is an actual question asked by a Customer Service Rep (college education, former teacher...natural blonde):

CSR: If I ship a package today (Thursday) by UPS Next Day Air, when will it get there?

Me: Uh...tomorrow (DUH!!! Next Day Air...get it...NEXT Day)

CSR: Tomorrow or Saturday at the latest?

Me: No...tomorrow (WTF??? What part of NEXT...DAY...AIR is givin' ya a problem here?)

CSR: Oh, okay! (giggle, giggle)

As she bounced away in her blissful ignorance I was left with mouth agape wondering how the HELL she finds her way out of the parking lot in the afternoon. Dumb as a box of hair.

Green Dog

2006-06-03T08:32:00.000-04:00

Here's another interesting email I received. I don't go in for the "send this email to 46 people in the next 5 seconds or you'll have bad luck for 40 years!!!!!" kind of thing but I did agree with some of the things:

You have been tagged by the Green Dog!
,-._,-.
\/)"(\/
(_o_)

Ruff!!!!!!

1. I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.

2. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won't make you cry.

3. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

4. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

5. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them, knowing you can' t have them.

6. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.

7. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.

8. Don't waste your time on someone, who isn't willing to waste their time on you.

9. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.

10. Don't cry because it is over; smile because it happened.

11. There’s always going to be people that hurt you so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.

12. Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.

13. Don't try so hard; the best things come when you least expect them to.

REMEMBER: WHATEVER HAPPENS HAPPENS FOR A REASON.

Dog and God

2006-06-02T20:09:00.000-04:00

One of my dog loving friends sent this to me today. I think all dog lovers can relate to the problems our canine friends have:

Even if you don't have a dog, you gotta love this one. Everyone should have a dog or 3...

TO: GOD:
FROM: THE DOG

Dear God: Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?

Dear God: When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it still the same old story?

Dear God: Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE named for a dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We do love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the "Chrysler Eagle" the " Chrysler Beagle"?

Dear God: If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?

Dear God: We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent ID's, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Dear God: More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

Dear God: Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God: Let me give you a list of just some of the things I must remember to be a good dog.

1. I will not eat the cats' food before they eat it or after they throw it up.

2. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because I like the way they smell.

3. I will not munch on "leftovers" in the kitty litter box, although they are tasty.

4. The diaper pail is not a cookie jar.

5. The sofa is not a 'face towel'. Neither are Mom and Dad's laps.

6. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.

7. My head does not belong in the refrigerator.

8. I will not bite the officer's hand when he reaches in for Mom's driver's license and registration.

9. I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's on the toilet.

10. Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is an unacceptable way of saying "hello".

11. I don't need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm under the coffee table.

12. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the house - not after.

13. I will not throw up in the car.

14. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt.

15. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch when we have company.

16. The cat is not a 'squeaky toy' so when I play with him and he makes that noise, it's usually not a good thing.

And, finally, my last two questions.

Dear God: Why do humans only have 10 Commandments and dogs have 16?

P.S. Dear God: When I get to Heaven may I have my testicles back?

Noisy blog?

2006-06-01T20:48:00.000-04:00

I had a comment yesterday from an anonymous poster complaining about the "noise" on my blog. Actually the comment was as follows:

Do you have any idea how annoying that noise is on your blog, and how 99% of people dislike that sort of thing? I guess you don't, or you would not have it on your blog...

Yep, I'm aware the music is a bit much. But, if you scroll down the page, you'll find a cute little video involving cats. I really like the video (and cats) and have no plans to remove it. To anyone who may be annoyed by it, I offer my sincere apologies. I don't always like the audio I come across on some blogs but I mute it and continue reading. I really doesn't seem like a huge deal to me. I do appreciate any and all comments even the Anonymous posters!

I am such a slacker

2006-05-29T17:44:00.000-04:00

I've been seriously neglecting my blog! But I do have an excuse. I became addicted to...The Darwin Awards. I have been unable to pry myself away from the site. I finally finished reading all of the entries. I must say I'm stunned at the unique ways people have come up with to remove themselves from the gene pool. Loads of fun in a macabre kind of way.

On the homefront, I've finally received a date for my divorce hearing...June 7. I'll be so glad when it's all over and I can put this nightmare behind me for good and get on with my life. Hopefully that life will include continued contact with a certain "lost love" who has made my days brighter over the past few months. So, for those of you out there who stop by occasionally (uh, is that crickets I hear?) that's the scoop for now.

Happy Mother's Day!

2006-05-13T11:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

This was in an email sent to me by a friend. For all mothers everywhere:

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here."

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes; and all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see.
And, the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes totally unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway?

Is it patience?

Compassion?

Broad hips?

The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?

Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation.

And mature mothers learning to let go

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us. Hang in there.

In the end we can only do the best we can.

Tell them every day that we love them.

And pray.

I am sooooo out of shape!

2006-05-13T10:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my daughter-in-law's birthday. She had decided a couple of months ago that she wanted to have a bowling birthday party. Now, I haven't been bowling since my 35 year-old son was in the single digits! And, being that I'm not into that exercise thingy, you can imagine the protests I'm hearing/feeling from the old bod this morning! Oh, geez, my legs are sooooo sore! But, ya know what, it was so much fun, I can't wait to do it again!

Big Day for the Big Man

2006-05-07T12:49:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the Big Man
2006 Graduate (cum laude) of
Presbyterian College

Love them kitties

2006-05-04T10:21:00.000-04:00

I'm a cat lover and not ashamed to admit it! My daughter-in-law showed this to me and I thought it was HILARIOUS. Hope you will too.

As seen on Wimp.com

Momentous Occasions

2006-04-30T20:48:00.000-04:00

There are two very special things happening in my life right now. Last week my youngest son turned 21 and next Saturday my middle son will graduate from college. Where did the time go?

From this

To this...all in the blink of an eye...or so it seems.

If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again

2006-04-28T19:50:00.000-04:00

I found this in one of our newsletters today. If only...

If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise over again,
I'd finger paint more and point the finger less
I'd do less correcting and more connecting
I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes
I would care to know less and know to care more
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites
I'd stop playing serious and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars
I'd do more hugging and less tugging
I would be firm less often and affirm much more
I'd build self-esteem first and the house later
I'd teach less about the love of power and more about the power of love

-Original author unknown

All good things must come to an end...

2006-04-23T13:08:00.000-04:00

and so must the visit with Lost Love. He will be leaving tomorrow. Before returning home he's taking a little trip to Rio (as in de Janeiro) for some R & R. Hope he doesn't OD on the "dental floss" (inside joke)! I can't imagine what it would be like to just say, "I think I'll just fly down to Rio next week and stay for a week or so." It just boggles my mind that you could have that kind of freedom.
Anyway, I've really enjoyed seeing him during this visit. I can only hope this isn't the last time and that "Lost Love" doesn't become lost again. My days have been a little brighter and I've had a bit more spring in my step...something I'm not used to. It's been really nice. And so, Lost Love, I bid you adieu...until we meet again.

Sappy poetry alert #3

2006-04-22T22:54:00.000-04:00

Lament
by Jamie Marie from A Beggar's Rose

If I could turn back the hands of time
And have the love that once was mine
I’d hold it safe within my heart
And we’d never have been apart

This life of sorrow I’d not have known
No sad, long days spent alone
No lonely nights while tears did flow
I didn’t then, but now I know

I let true love slip through my hands
The hurt is deep. I cannot stand
To think of what my foolishness cost
And of the sweet love I have lost

Now in my dreams your face I see
I long for what now cannot be
There is no longer a place for us
Only for me in my loneliness

Saga of Lost Love Continues

2006-04-16T09:29:00.000-04:00

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to again have dinner with my lost love last night. More roses (I do LOVE roses) and a huge GORGEOUS plush rabbit (I'm a fool for stuffed animals). Think I'll call him Herman. After dinner we talked for nearly 5 hours. He's had such an interesting life...traveling around the world and having so many experiences. If I hadn't had the responsibility of keeping a home and raising my children (not that I would trade my kids for ANYTHING on this earth) maybe my life could have been a little less boring. Guess I'll never know. All-in-all an absolutely lovely evening. Can't wait to do it again.

Sappy poetry alert #2

2006-04-09T18:06:00.000-04:00

Your Eyes Called My Name
by Jamie Marie from Fly With Me

I thought I could keep myself out of love’s reach
With a wall built around me that love couldn’t breach
I’d never lose control of my heart. I was much too sane
So I never saw it coming when your eyes called my name

The first time we met the attraction was so strong
I should have sensed then what was going on
Though you never spoke; I heard just the same
Each time our gaze met, your eyes called my name

I tried to walk away from you, to leave you behind
I had too many plans; other things on my mind
I didn’t want the distraction or to play this game
But I stopped and turned around; your eyes called my name

My pulse began to quicken and my thoughts began to spin
My mind cried out to run; my heart would not give in
You put your arms around me; I knew there I’d remain
Each time I tried to turn away, your eyes called my name

You eyes, the color of umber, held my firmly in their grasp
Though I tried to fight it, love was here at last
Each night I lie beside you; my thoughts always the same
I’m so glad my heart listened when your eyes called my name

Sad day...

2006-04-05T17:16:00.000-04:00

I just learned of the passing of one of my favorite singers, Gene Pitney. I was such a huge fan of his. In fact, I just recently purchased one of the albums he recorded with George Jones during the 60's. Such a great singer. What a terrible loss. This picture was taken at one of his concerts that I attended in 1967. May he rest in peace.

Sappy poetry alert #1

2006-04-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

Alone…
by Jamie Marie from A Beggar's Rose

My heart is like a windswept plain
Don’t know why or how I came here
To be so alone, to feel this pain
To have my heart filled with fear

There was a time I had it all
Love, youth and time
Now life’s gone from spring to fall
I'm no longer in my prime

I wasted time, I wasted youth
I threw away true love
Now in my twilight I see the truth
All the things that I let go of

I can’t go back, it’s too late for me now
My life has changed too much
Some things the fates will not allow
I weep for the loss of love’s touch

Did I mention I write sappy poetry?

2006-04-02T10:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I do. It's just stuff that means something to me. I don't expect to win any awards or accolades (oh, that's funny). I could probably be the poet laureate of the local trailer park but that's about it. It's all pretty sappy but, hey, it rhymes! Well, most of the time! I have compiled the poems into 2 "books"...Fly With Me and A Beggar's Rose. Each poem will be credited to Jamie Marie who is, of course, my alter ego. The poems came about as a thought or word which my fevered little brain just couldn't quite let go of so, I built a poem around that thought. I can't imagine that anyone would want to, but if you should (you probably need to seek medical attention immediately), I ask that you don't use any of it without my permission. That would make me angry..."you wouldn't like me when I'm angry" to quote the Hulk. Anyway, I've made the momentous decision to offer myself up for ridicule and post some of it here on occasion. You've been warned!

Uh...excuse me?

2006-04-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

This has to be one of, if not the most, strange things I have ever heard of. Men who willing traveled across the country to be castrated in a sadomasochistic "dungeon." What???!!! I never ceased to be amazed by the people who populate this world. I just don't understand.

It's been one of THOSE weeks

2006-03-29T16:48:00.000-05:00

Need I say more?

Saltine crackers and juice?

2006-03-26T18:31:00.000-05:00

I was stunned and appalled when I read the story about a South Carolina school district that is proposing serving a pack of saltine crackers and a box of juice to children whose parents have not paid their school lunch bills. How cold and heartless is that? Can you imagine the ridicule these children will be subjected to? What kind of people are running this place? I simply cannot fathom what kind of mind would come up with something as totally asinine as this. Turn the slackers in to the a collection agency or the credit bureau. Hell, file a civil suit. But don't punish the children for the sins of the parents.
According to the school district website they "are serious about providing an educational program of excellence. We are serious about preparing our students so that they will flourish in whatever they choose to do after they leave us. Simply put, we want our graduates- your children- to be wildly successful." They want children to flourish and be successful yet they are willing to hold them up to ridicule by their peers for something they can do nothing about?
These heartless cretins should hang their heads in shame.

Mom will KILL me...

2006-03-25T20:10:00.000-05:00

but I just had to post these pictures of the Dynamic Duo that were taken about 40 years ago.
They are just the best EVER!!! That's me with them in the first one. Sure wish I looked like that now!

A few of my favorite things...

2006-03-18T13:49:00.000-05:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...nah, not THAT kind of favorite thing.

These are just a few things that I like. I don't expect anyone to agree/disagree with me. This is just me!

Bands:
Current band - Green Day (American Idiot was awesome)
Classic rock - The Eagles (of course)
Solo gigs - Don Henley (of course, again)
Newer Country - Garth Brooks
Classic Country - Johnny Cash
60's and beyond - The Beatles (greatest rock band of ALL time)

Songs:
Current band - Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Classic rock - The Eagles - Hotel California
Solo gigs - Don Henley - Heart of the Matter
Newer Country - Garth Brooks - What She's Doing Now
Classic Country - Johnny Cash - I Still Miss Someone
60's and beyond - The Beatles - In My Life

Food:
Mexican - Chicken Fajitas (Yum)
Italian - Baked Spaghetti
Chinese - Sesame Chicken
"American" - Cheeseburgers
My son's homemade chicken quesadillas

Restaurants:
Mexican - Chicken Fajitas (Yum) - Monterrey Mexican Restauante
Italian - Baked Spaghetti - Olive Tree
Chinese - Sesame Chicken - Lieu's Chinese Bistro
"American" - Cheeseburgers - McDonald's (yes, I know I'm a freak!)
McAlister's Deli - Bacon spud (AWESOME)

Colors - purple and red

Beverages - Coffee and Diet Sprite

Clothes - Jeans all the way, baby! I'm not much of a dress up kind of gal. I like to be comfortable and, as those who know me well will attest, I've never been a slave to fashion.

Books - Don't care much for biographies and such. I prefer works of fiction.

Authors:
John Grisham - The Runaway Jury
James Patterson - Kiss the Girls
Stephen King - The Dark Tower Series (love them all but if I had to pick a favorite, I guess it would be The Gunslinger)
Stephen White - Private Practices
Anne Rice - Interview with the Vampire
David Baldacci - Simple Truth
Dean Koontz - Intensity
John Sandford - Rules of Prey

Flowers:

Roses - all colors
Snapdragons
Purple Iris
Fuchsia

Activities:

Spending time with my kids
Blog surfing
Listening to music
Reading

Yes, yes, I know I have such a FULL life - full of what...we won't discuss! But, you know, it is the simple things in life that mean so much. I may not have much financially but I am rich in other ways.

Sixties Music

2006-03-14T19:03:00.000-05:00

I've been listening to some 60's music today. I had forgotten how much I loved some of those old songs. They bring back so many wonderful memories. The Beatles, The Byrds, The Turtles, The Dave Clark 5, Gerry and the Pacemakers. Good stuff. Oh, I still love The Eagles but there were some great songs in the 60's. Ah, memories. A simpler time when all I had to worry about was what I was going to wear on a date. There were no bills, no job hassles. If I could go back in time, I would go back to that time in my life.

Learn to be still

2006-03-13T18:58:00.000-05:00

I've been very introspective the past couple of days. Maybe it was because I finally had the opportunity to talk to my "lost love" or it may be because my oldest son turned 35 today (Happy Birthday, Dan-o). I've been thinking a lot about where my life is going and where I've been. Let's face it, the years are winding down and my time on this planet will someday come to an end. I'd like to do something with my life that will be remembered. Some kind of legacy that could be handed down to future generations. I really don't see that happening but it would be nice to think I'd left my mark on this world. I look at myself now and see a grey-haired, dumpy old lady who doesn't recognize the face she sees in the mirror. Where did that young girl go? Why must she remain trapped inside this aging vessel? She wants so desperately to get out.

This "soul searching" led me to think of a song by The Eagles (of course). They seem to have written a song that fits most every stage of my life. This one is "Learn To Be Still" - maybe someday I'll "learn to be still" and find my place in this world before it's too late.

Learn To Be Still (Don Henley/Stan Lynch)
It’s just another day in paradise
As you stumble to your bed
You’d give anything to silence
Those voices ringing in your head
You thought you could find happiness
Just over that green hill
You thought you would be satisfied
But you never will-
Learn to be still

We are like sheep without a shepherd
We don’t know how to be alone
So we wander ’round this desert
And wind up following the wrong gods home
But the flock cries out for another
And they keep answering that bell
And one more starry-eyed messiah
Meets a violent farewell-
Learn to be still
Learn to be still

Now the flowers in your garden
They don’t smell, so sweet
Maybe you’ve forgotten
The heaven lying at your feet

There are so many contradictions
In all these messages we send
(we keep asking)
How do I get out of here?
Where do I fit in?
Though the world is torn and shaken
Even if your heart is breakin’
It’s waiting for you to awaken
And someday you will-
Learn to be still
Learn to be still

You just keep on runnin’
Keep on runnin’

Did you ever have one of those days...

2006-03-12T08:56:00.000-05:00

when something finally went right?

If you've read my post about lost love (I know there's someone out there who has...helllloooo) you'll know that I had been searching for him for some time. Well, Saturday of last week he got in touch with me through Classmates.com (ya gotta love those folks!). Anyway, he came up from Florida and we went out to dinner last night (he's divorced..I'm not the kind to go out with a married man!!!). We talked a lot about what we've been doing for the past 38 years (he's led a very exciting life. I, on the other hand, have not!!!) and why we broke up all those years ago. All in all, it was a wonderful evening. He brought me roses (see below)! Good things do still happen!

Okay, this is weird.

2006-03-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

It just gets weirder and weirder. A guy has been sent to prison for fathering a child with his 16-year-old daughter. He says he didn't think she was his daughter because she didn't look like his other children. WHAT????? I've heard some dumb things in my time but this takes the cake. Okay, let me get this straight. You've had this child in your home since she was born and have raised her like a daughter. But you think, "Hey, she doesn't favor my other children so I'll just have sex with her even though she's still just a child." WHAT????? That has to be the stupidest thing EVER! Fifteen years isn't long enough for this rube.
Okay, Einstein, out of the gene pool, you're polluting it!

The dynamic duo...

2006-02-28T17:35:00.000-05:00

will celebrate their 58th wedding anniversary on March 20!

My hero

2006-02-28T17:15:00.000-05:00

After the previous post extolling the virtues of my mom, I realized I needed to post about my dad also. Pop turned 78 years old in January. He too is beautiful inside and out. Pop had a hard life growing up. He had to quit school at 15 and go to work to help support his family after his father left. Even with just an 8th grade education he managed to gain the experience to become a Class A machinist with General Electric where he worked for nearly 20 years. After his retirement he set up his woodworking shop (part of which can be seen in the photo) where he built furniture and various other items. He has had both knees replaced with stainless steel joints, 2 quadruple coronary by-pass surgeries and most recently he had a defibrillator implanted. His health won't let him do a lot of things now that he used to do and it is hard for him to realize that he needs to slow down. He's a real go-getter! There'e never been a time when I couldn't go to him with a problem. He's always been there for me. Here's to you Pop! I love you!!!