Saturday, May 5, 2012
Happy Cinco de Mayo
Today is Cinco de Mayo...a day when we give thanks to the Mexicans for tequila and burritos. Of course I am kidding, I have no idea why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo unless I Google it and then I could tell you about the battle between the French and the Mexicans. I don't care to do that since this is not a post about history. Actually, I just need a reason to write today.
Why do I need a reason to write today?
Mostly because I wanted to follow up on my last post, I said I was going to write more and then we changed cable providers. What happened after that was neither of my notebooks would connect to the internet and I only had my kindle fire which is great for reading and not so great for writing. My husband and I went over the idea of fixing the old notebooks so we could use them and we probably will eventually, but I wanted an iPad. Finally, yesterday for my birthday which is next month I got my iPad. Guess I don't have an excuse not to write. I have actually been looking forward to putting more into my writing.
For most of my life I have wanted to write and make money writing. For a variety of reasons I have stifled my creativity and not made use of my talents. As I mentioned, next month is my birthday. It is my 40th birthday an I have decided that it is now or never. I either need to get some good ideas written or I need to give up my dream. Guess what? I am deciding not to give up my dream.
First I need to find out what I would like to write about? Fiction, non-fiction...action, drama, comedy, romance, science-fiction. There are so many options that just figuring out what I would be best at is going to be a large task. Also I have to commit to this just like I would commit to any other job. I need to set up an office where I am comfortable and distractions are at a minimum. Each day I need to spend a certain amount of time working.
Currently, I am reading some books about writing. That sounds funny but I think that there is something to be said for those who have experience and mentoring. My access to other writers is simply that of reading books and seeing what is out there already. Coming up with something original is going to be another difficult task. That is where I am calling upon my creativity for sparks that hopefully will turn into full blown Bon fires.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Death of a Super Star
First of all, it has been way too long since I have blogged and that is just wrong. I should be putting my thoughts somewhere so they don't clog up my brain. Just like your digestive tract, your mind should be flushed frequently so that it works properly. So, dear readers...it is time for a mental detox and today is day one of my mental cleansing. I will probably offend a few people in this post and then there will be those who agree with me. Either way, I hope that each of you finds my point to be more important than the way I am approaching it.
Death of a Super Star: I'm going somewhere with this...probably not where you think.
Saturday a week ago Whitney Houston, pop diva of the 80's and 90's, died in Hollywood the night before the Grammy Awards were to be presented and televised. To say I was shocked would be a lie - I was not shocked to hear the news and briefly it did sadden me. Whitney Houston was known to struggle with addiction for many years. She allegedly drowned in her bathtub, with her entourage and visitors sitting in the next room oblivious to her state until it was too late to revive her. How did this happen? We don't know the details yet, no toxicology results have been made public but we do know that there were prescription drugs found in her hotel room. Her life was lived out on TV and in the news media, the media made sure we knew that she had issues well before her death over a week ago.
In her death she joins the ranks of other great voices or Super Stars that died too soon and similarly dealt with addiction issues including most notably Elvis and Michael Jackson. Oh, and there are a host of others as well, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison are a few more that come to mind when I think about musicians who were talented and because of their demons and struggles with substance abuse came to a sad demise. Of course (once again I will point out) toxicology reports have not been made public about her death yet but one can speculate that she may have been under the influence when she passed...I am speculating.
Can you blame any one person for her drug abuse? I don't think so...being in the business that she was in, drugs were around all the time and readily available. Celebrity rehab is big bucks in Hollywood and why do you think that is? Probably because there are so many "yes" people and doctors who are willing to prescribe to celebrities because they want to be well known and cash in on the popularity of that celebrity. When someone is locking themselves in their bathroom and smoking crack for days...(as it was rumored that Whitney did) there are people who just look the other way and act like it is no big deal. Whitney was known for her famous words "Crack is Whack" saying that she was too good to be a crackhead...and just because she denied it doesn't mean it's not true. Addicts are known liars and you cannot convince me that she was not a crackhead.
So, you can blame her, blame her people, and lot's of people are blaming Bobby Brown but I think to myself...it was allowed to happen. Where were all of her friends when she was sucking on that crack pipe or mixing medications and alcohol? Some of them may have just been sitting outside her door and basking in her popularity yet, they did not really care what she was doing in that bathroom until it was too late. That is the thing about being a celebrity, there are way too many people who are just hanging around for their own selfish purposes. You can apply this to Elvis and Michael Jackson and their own situations as well. No one was taking Elvis' meds away from him or telling him to slow down on the mac and cheese and fried chicken.(BTW food kills you just like drugs do). No one was concerned that Michael Jackson had a personal doctor putting him under so he could sleep or that he was addicted to pain killers because of all the plastic surgery he had had done on himself. Here's an idea about blame...blame anyone who had a chance to step in and intervene for Whitney but sat around and just watched her kill herself. You can't tell me nobody knew she was partying on the night she died. I don't buy that.
Now, I am going to talk about the homegoing, which is a funeral for us white folks. First of all, four hours is a long funeral, I don't care who you are. I realized there were a lot of celebrity tributes and there were several sermons and speakers. It was a who's who of the black entertainment community, and those who weren't there including Aretha Franklin are being speculated about why they were absent. My thoughts on Aretha are that maybe she was one of the smart people who realized how messed up this whole situation was and decided that she wasn't going to be part of it. Bobby Brown evidently brought too many people and was irritated that he couldn't sit where he wanted nor could all his people sit with him so he left before the funeral started. I think Bobby wanted recognition and some of the spotlight and maybe he should have not shown up at all. That is my personal opinion...I have no love for Bobby Brown, especially because he is known as a wife abuser. He should have stayed wherever he was with his people and went on about his business. Listening to Tyler Perry speak and Kevin Costner was very moving but personally I do not share the same feelings for this woman as so many obviously do. I believe faith of believers and what is right and good in the world was misconstrued in so many ways during her homegoing.
This is why I feel like I do...
If Whitney Houston had not been a Super Star, she would have been just another addict who had died and very few people would have described her as an angel in Heaven, nor would they make statements such as the one Kevin Costner did about her being escorted to Heaven by an army of angels. Now let me be clear, I am not judging Whitney nor where her soul lies in the afterlife. That is not my job. If she is in some kind of crazy celebrity choir in Heaven with Elvis and Michael, then when I get to Heaven, and hopefully I will go to Heaven, it will be a big ol' surprise to me...the Lord does work in mysterious ways...right?
Here it is...if she were not so famous, she would not have been so well spoken of by so many famous people. In my opinion, these famous people who were claiming her soul is with God or in Heaven were themselves judging which is not their job. Only one person knows where Whitney is and that is Whitney...and God who we have the hope that he is full of grace and mercy has the answer to that as well. I know I hope the grace and mercy part covers me just as it would cover anyone no matter who they are, because nobody is perfect and we all have problems...famous people have famous problems...which is part of the point I am trying to make.
So, am I the only one who is tired of watching all of the news coverage for this one famous person? There is tragedy that happens every day in many people's lives that does not get media coverage but should. We have become focused on the wrong things. Super Stars are big news...but the war dead get little honor, and while I cannot judge even the war dead on where they will spend eternity, I am more comfortable hearing someone say that angels speed them away to be with God...because they died doing a job that whether you agree with it or not, is way more important than singing songs, winning awards, and being famous. I'm done with this. Tired of hearing these anthems from my youth played over and over honoring a woman that without her voice and her Super Star status would have been just another dead drug addict and sadly no one would care.
My feelings about this will probably rub some people the wrong way, but I did not write this as a tribute to the life of Whitney Houston. I wrote this because I think it is sad that she died and I feel that in the end, all there was to love about her was the songs that she sang. Not knowing her personally...I am not anyone other that someone who listened to her music as a child and later as a young adult. I will not miss Whitney, because I am not her family. By the way someone needs to help her poor daughter get a hold of herself or she will fall into her own downward spiral, if she is not already there. No, Whitney Houston is no longer a Super Star...she is a Star whose light has gone out. She has truly died...and I am hoping that the media will soon let her die...because there are more important things going on in this world...and as hurtful and unfeeling as that sounds, if we don't wake up...we might all be finding ourselves in a bad place sooner more than later.
Wake up America...don't let this death of one person be all we focus on...there is a war going on...and there is a major world threat that most people aren't paying attention to over our dependence on foreign oil. We might be paying $5 a gallon of gas by the end of the summer. Our country could economically collapse if that happens. We are allowing the wrong people to lead us in my own opinion but they are not the only one's to blame. Think of the USA as our Super Star (Super Stars and Stripes if you will) and what is happening is that she is dying (being killed if you want me to be blunt) and everyone is sitting around and letting her die. When she is gone - it will be too late to revive us at least not to the great country we once were, yes I did go there I compared the death of a Super Star to the impending death of our country. As an American I am not comfortable with just sitting around blaming everyone else and not crying out for change...or an intervention of some kind. Let's get off the crack people...the dependency on foreign oil is our country's crack. And just like a crack head, people are going to pay whatever the government tells us we gotta pay??????? Does anyone hear what I am cooking? This is the USA, this is the USA on foreign oil dependency (picture the egg frying in the frying pan for those of you old enough to remember the war on drugs commercials). Any questions?
Death of a Super Star: I'm going somewhere with this...probably not where you think.
Saturday a week ago Whitney Houston, pop diva of the 80's and 90's, died in Hollywood the night before the Grammy Awards were to be presented and televised. To say I was shocked would be a lie - I was not shocked to hear the news and briefly it did sadden me. Whitney Houston was known to struggle with addiction for many years. She allegedly drowned in her bathtub, with her entourage and visitors sitting in the next room oblivious to her state until it was too late to revive her. How did this happen? We don't know the details yet, no toxicology results have been made public but we do know that there were prescription drugs found in her hotel room. Her life was lived out on TV and in the news media, the media made sure we knew that she had issues well before her death over a week ago.
In her death she joins the ranks of other great voices or Super Stars that died too soon and similarly dealt with addiction issues including most notably Elvis and Michael Jackson. Oh, and there are a host of others as well, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison are a few more that come to mind when I think about musicians who were talented and because of their demons and struggles with substance abuse came to a sad demise. Of course (once again I will point out) toxicology reports have not been made public about her death yet but one can speculate that she may have been under the influence when she passed...I am speculating.
Can you blame any one person for her drug abuse? I don't think so...being in the business that she was in, drugs were around all the time and readily available. Celebrity rehab is big bucks in Hollywood and why do you think that is? Probably because there are so many "yes" people and doctors who are willing to prescribe to celebrities because they want to be well known and cash in on the popularity of that celebrity. When someone is locking themselves in their bathroom and smoking crack for days...(as it was rumored that Whitney did) there are people who just look the other way and act like it is no big deal. Whitney was known for her famous words "Crack is Whack" saying that she was too good to be a crackhead...and just because she denied it doesn't mean it's not true. Addicts are known liars and you cannot convince me that she was not a crackhead.
So, you can blame her, blame her people, and lot's of people are blaming Bobby Brown but I think to myself...it was allowed to happen. Where were all of her friends when she was sucking on that crack pipe or mixing medications and alcohol? Some of them may have just been sitting outside her door and basking in her popularity yet, they did not really care what she was doing in that bathroom until it was too late. That is the thing about being a celebrity, there are way too many people who are just hanging around for their own selfish purposes. You can apply this to Elvis and Michael Jackson and their own situations as well. No one was taking Elvis' meds away from him or telling him to slow down on the mac and cheese and fried chicken.(BTW food kills you just like drugs do). No one was concerned that Michael Jackson had a personal doctor putting him under so he could sleep or that he was addicted to pain killers because of all the plastic surgery he had had done on himself. Here's an idea about blame...blame anyone who had a chance to step in and intervene for Whitney but sat around and just watched her kill herself. You can't tell me nobody knew she was partying on the night she died. I don't buy that.
Now, I am going to talk about the homegoing, which is a funeral for us white folks. First of all, four hours is a long funeral, I don't care who you are. I realized there were a lot of celebrity tributes and there were several sermons and speakers. It was a who's who of the black entertainment community, and those who weren't there including Aretha Franklin are being speculated about why they were absent. My thoughts on Aretha are that maybe she was one of the smart people who realized how messed up this whole situation was and decided that she wasn't going to be part of it. Bobby Brown evidently brought too many people and was irritated that he couldn't sit where he wanted nor could all his people sit with him so he left before the funeral started. I think Bobby wanted recognition and some of the spotlight and maybe he should have not shown up at all. That is my personal opinion...I have no love for Bobby Brown, especially because he is known as a wife abuser. He should have stayed wherever he was with his people and went on about his business. Listening to Tyler Perry speak and Kevin Costner was very moving but personally I do not share the same feelings for this woman as so many obviously do. I believe faith of believers and what is right and good in the world was misconstrued in so many ways during her homegoing.
This is why I feel like I do...
If Whitney Houston had not been a Super Star, she would have been just another addict who had died and very few people would have described her as an angel in Heaven, nor would they make statements such as the one Kevin Costner did about her being escorted to Heaven by an army of angels. Now let me be clear, I am not judging Whitney nor where her soul lies in the afterlife. That is not my job. If she is in some kind of crazy celebrity choir in Heaven with Elvis and Michael, then when I get to Heaven, and hopefully I will go to Heaven, it will be a big ol' surprise to me...the Lord does work in mysterious ways...right?
Here it is...if she were not so famous, she would not have been so well spoken of by so many famous people. In my opinion, these famous people who were claiming her soul is with God or in Heaven were themselves judging which is not their job. Only one person knows where Whitney is and that is Whitney...and God who we have the hope that he is full of grace and mercy has the answer to that as well. I know I hope the grace and mercy part covers me just as it would cover anyone no matter who they are, because nobody is perfect and we all have problems...famous people have famous problems...which is part of the point I am trying to make.
So, am I the only one who is tired of watching all of the news coverage for this one famous person? There is tragedy that happens every day in many people's lives that does not get media coverage but should. We have become focused on the wrong things. Super Stars are big news...but the war dead get little honor, and while I cannot judge even the war dead on where they will spend eternity, I am more comfortable hearing someone say that angels speed them away to be with God...because they died doing a job that whether you agree with it or not, is way more important than singing songs, winning awards, and being famous. I'm done with this. Tired of hearing these anthems from my youth played over and over honoring a woman that without her voice and her Super Star status would have been just another dead drug addict and sadly no one would care.
My feelings about this will probably rub some people the wrong way, but I did not write this as a tribute to the life of Whitney Houston. I wrote this because I think it is sad that she died and I feel that in the end, all there was to love about her was the songs that she sang. Not knowing her personally...I am not anyone other that someone who listened to her music as a child and later as a young adult. I will not miss Whitney, because I am not her family. By the way someone needs to help her poor daughter get a hold of herself or she will fall into her own downward spiral, if she is not already there. No, Whitney Houston is no longer a Super Star...she is a Star whose light has gone out. She has truly died...and I am hoping that the media will soon let her die...because there are more important things going on in this world...and as hurtful and unfeeling as that sounds, if we don't wake up...we might all be finding ourselves in a bad place sooner more than later.
Wake up America...don't let this death of one person be all we focus on...there is a war going on...and there is a major world threat that most people aren't paying attention to over our dependence on foreign oil. We might be paying $5 a gallon of gas by the end of the summer. Our country could economically collapse if that happens. We are allowing the wrong people to lead us in my own opinion but they are not the only one's to blame. Think of the USA as our Super Star (Super Stars and Stripes if you will) and what is happening is that she is dying (being killed if you want me to be blunt) and everyone is sitting around and letting her die. When she is gone - it will be too late to revive us at least not to the great country we once were, yes I did go there I compared the death of a Super Star to the impending death of our country. As an American I am not comfortable with just sitting around blaming everyone else and not crying out for change...or an intervention of some kind. Let's get off the crack people...the dependency on foreign oil is our country's crack. And just like a crack head, people are going to pay whatever the government tells us we gotta pay??????? Does anyone hear what I am cooking? This is the USA, this is the USA on foreign oil dependency (picture the egg frying in the frying pan for those of you old enough to remember the war on drugs commercials). Any questions?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Lack of Postivation
Yeah, I have been in a funk for a while and thus the lack of "postivation" which is a word I just made up. Use it if you like, I'm not going to try to own it or anything. But for reals, I have been in such a mood that I have not had a whole lot to shout out about or rant over...even real life has been so mundane that I find myself searching for a dull spork to gouge my own eyeballs out with.
Yes, I love to write and converse over current events, but given that I have only a few lame topics to choose from I have found myself quite bored. So...in light of the recent snoozfest I am going to compile a list of not so newsworthy commentary...just because I am bored and I need something to do right now.
Lindsay Lohan...what a sad sad train wreck she has made herself...we can't look away though, mostly because this is considered NEWS and is getting her share of coverage. Crazy thing is she gets worse as the weeks go by. She supposedly stole a necklace...what's up with that? Is she a glutton for imprisonment? I think so.
Charlie Sheen...prostitutes, drugs, weird ramblings....it's a matter of time before that last brain cell burns out...so glad they took those boys out of his house until he gets serious about his recovery and starts acting like he isn't from another planet.
Quadaffi....give it up already...nobody likes you...and you make no sense when you speak. Not sure that the alternative to no Quadaffi is going to be super awesome. Those middle eastern people never get along...just sayin'. I'm not even sure I am spelling his name right...just that I have seen enough to know here is another person who clearly is not in their right mind...which is also a common thread among leaders in the middle east evidently.
Um...gas prices...what the heck? I am not understanding this at all...I think it is wholly fear based around what is going on in the middle east. Lets get everyone all freaked out about gas prices...rich getting richer every day and people have lost their jobs, not getting raises, losing their homes. And from what I can tell, nothing is being done about this.
Oscars...who saw The Kings Speech? I didn't...and not going to either. Dinner with Schmucks was the best movie I saw last year...and Tron (the new one) in 3D was awesome. This Academy thing must be made up of a lot of old farts who don't go to the movies a lot. Oh and I probably won't see that Swan movie either..even though Natalie Portman is very pretty..
So, this past week has been kind of borish...but somehow I am making it. Missed the guys on Idol tonight because we were watching some weird movie my husband selected off of Netflix. Eventually I will get through the week but for now I think I need to get some rest and try not to think about anything too serious.
Yes, I love to write and converse over current events, but given that I have only a few lame topics to choose from I have found myself quite bored. So...in light of the recent snoozfest I am going to compile a list of not so newsworthy commentary...just because I am bored and I need something to do right now.
Lindsay Lohan...what a sad sad train wreck she has made herself...we can't look away though, mostly because this is considered NEWS and is getting her share of coverage. Crazy thing is she gets worse as the weeks go by. She supposedly stole a necklace...what's up with that? Is she a glutton for imprisonment? I think so.
Charlie Sheen...prostitutes, drugs, weird ramblings....it's a matter of time before that last brain cell burns out...so glad they took those boys out of his house until he gets serious about his recovery and starts acting like he isn't from another planet.
Quadaffi....give it up already...nobody likes you...and you make no sense when you speak. Not sure that the alternative to no Quadaffi is going to be super awesome. Those middle eastern people never get along...just sayin'. I'm not even sure I am spelling his name right...just that I have seen enough to know here is another person who clearly is not in their right mind...which is also a common thread among leaders in the middle east evidently.
Um...gas prices...what the heck? I am not understanding this at all...I think it is wholly fear based around what is going on in the middle east. Lets get everyone all freaked out about gas prices...rich getting richer every day and people have lost their jobs, not getting raises, losing their homes. And from what I can tell, nothing is being done about this.
Oscars...who saw The Kings Speech? I didn't...and not going to either. Dinner with Schmucks was the best movie I saw last year...and Tron (the new one) in 3D was awesome. This Academy thing must be made up of a lot of old farts who don't go to the movies a lot. Oh and I probably won't see that Swan movie either..even though Natalie Portman is very pretty..
So, this past week has been kind of borish...but somehow I am making it. Missed the guys on Idol tonight because we were watching some weird movie my husband selected off of Netflix. Eventually I will get through the week but for now I think I need to get some rest and try not to think about anything too serious.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year
First of all Happy New Year to all of my readers. May 2011 find you more blessed than ever and may you always seek ways that you can improve your life each year as well as ways that you can be a blessing or influence to other people. Which brings me to the purpose of this particular blog posting, which is the dreaded New Year's resolution list.
Last year my resolution was to not have a New Year's resolution. Probably most of that was out of fear of failure and wanting to be a little Mrs. Smarty Pants to go against the proverbial grain. But this year I feel very motivated to set goals and even if I don't achieve what I want to, at least I am going to give it a try. My son's school principal said something very wise to me last year and that was that they were "equipped to meet both of my son's where they are at in their learning and that any progress is just that...progress". I thought to myself, that I could apply this in my own life. Even though I might not be at the level I want to be in my own journey that any thing that I accomplish is progress and progress is a wonderful word...and a good thing.
So, here is my list.
1. Fitness goals...I have set some pretty large goals for myself in terms of physical fitness. We joined The Rush last year and I have been faithfully attending at least 5 days a week. However, I have not nailed down my diet routine and therefor I feel I have fallen short of my fitness goals. Yes, I am more physically fit, I have a stronger body...but I am nowhere near the place I feel I should be. This year I am committing myself to continue work outs and to also be more dedicated to consistency in my diet plan. Still working out the diet plan as a whole but the main things are that I want to cut down on sodium, bad sugars and bad carbs. Also to work on not eating so many pre-packaged foods or processed foods.
2. Spiritual healing and health. A major part of my health depends on the fitness of my mind and soul. This year I want to hone in on those things that will make me stronger in spirit. This includes but it not limited to activities in church and interaction with people who share the common bonds of spiritual worship with me. I do not exclude those of different faiths but welcome others to share their light with me. We all live in this world together and I believe we are meant to be united and not divided. Nuff said.
3. Being servant minded. This is something that is not really a new concept to me but one that I never actually think I have acted upon in a real way or given my whole attention to. It is stepping out of my comfort zone but the small things that I have already participated in have made me want to do more. I've had placed in my path a few servant minded people who are really fired up and want to look for ways to help other people and it has inspired me. This year I want to be the year that I make a real change in my life to be less self serving and more minded of other people. I truly believe, and this is not being selfish it is just an observation...that when I have chosen to help others and have stepped outside the normal level of what I have done in the past. That I find myself appreciating more in my own life. I think what goes around comes around and you get what you put out there. This is probably the most important of my resolutions this year as I look around and find so many people who are in need of compassion. In my personal life I have friends who have parents that are in their last stages of life, friends who are fighting sickness and others that just need a kind word once in a while. I've been in the position where I have had personal needs that have been met by those others who are servant minded and that also has made me want to put acts of kindness back out there. I could go on all day but I fear that I would lose my readers if I haven't lost you yet. :-)
In conclusion I just want to send out blessings to all of you who chose to read this blog for a prosperous New Year and hope that 2011 is a year that we all learn new ways to improve ourselves as well as search for ways to be better friends, family and even reaching out to others that are not in our "comfort zone".
Peace be with you, may you be renewed in this new year and above all may your light shine...wherever you are, because progress is just that...progress. Wishing all a very progressive 2011.
Last year my resolution was to not have a New Year's resolution. Probably most of that was out of fear of failure and wanting to be a little Mrs. Smarty Pants to go against the proverbial grain. But this year I feel very motivated to set goals and even if I don't achieve what I want to, at least I am going to give it a try. My son's school principal said something very wise to me last year and that was that they were "equipped to meet both of my son's where they are at in their learning and that any progress is just that...progress". I thought to myself, that I could apply this in my own life. Even though I might not be at the level I want to be in my own journey that any thing that I accomplish is progress and progress is a wonderful word...and a good thing.
So, here is my list.
1. Fitness goals...I have set some pretty large goals for myself in terms of physical fitness. We joined The Rush last year and I have been faithfully attending at least 5 days a week. However, I have not nailed down my diet routine and therefor I feel I have fallen short of my fitness goals. Yes, I am more physically fit, I have a stronger body...but I am nowhere near the place I feel I should be. This year I am committing myself to continue work outs and to also be more dedicated to consistency in my diet plan. Still working out the diet plan as a whole but the main things are that I want to cut down on sodium, bad sugars and bad carbs. Also to work on not eating so many pre-packaged foods or processed foods.
2. Spiritual healing and health. A major part of my health depends on the fitness of my mind and soul. This year I want to hone in on those things that will make me stronger in spirit. This includes but it not limited to activities in church and interaction with people who share the common bonds of spiritual worship with me. I do not exclude those of different faiths but welcome others to share their light with me. We all live in this world together and I believe we are meant to be united and not divided. Nuff said.
3. Being servant minded. This is something that is not really a new concept to me but one that I never actually think I have acted upon in a real way or given my whole attention to. It is stepping out of my comfort zone but the small things that I have already participated in have made me want to do more. I've had placed in my path a few servant minded people who are really fired up and want to look for ways to help other people and it has inspired me. This year I want to be the year that I make a real change in my life to be less self serving and more minded of other people. I truly believe, and this is not being selfish it is just an observation...that when I have chosen to help others and have stepped outside the normal level of what I have done in the past. That I find myself appreciating more in my own life. I think what goes around comes around and you get what you put out there. This is probably the most important of my resolutions this year as I look around and find so many people who are in need of compassion. In my personal life I have friends who have parents that are in their last stages of life, friends who are fighting sickness and others that just need a kind word once in a while. I've been in the position where I have had personal needs that have been met by those others who are servant minded and that also has made me want to put acts of kindness back out there. I could go on all day but I fear that I would lose my readers if I haven't lost you yet. :-)
In conclusion I just want to send out blessings to all of you who chose to read this blog for a prosperous New Year and hope that 2011 is a year that we all learn new ways to improve ourselves as well as search for ways to be better friends, family and even reaching out to others that are not in our "comfort zone".
Peace be with you, may you be renewed in this new year and above all may your light shine...wherever you are, because progress is just that...progress. Wishing all a very progressive 2011.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Well here we are and another Thanksgiving is about to wrap up and now we are going to dive into the Christmas season head on. Some of us will be up early to find the best door busters at Walmart or Target, some of us will sleep late and enjoy a long weekend and still others will have to trudge back to the workplace tomorrow to complete the work week. Whatever your plans, it is now the official kickoff of Christmas and Hanukkah otherwise known as the "holidays" and as always, I am just as excited as if I were still a kid.
This year we decided to have Thanksgiving at my brother's house with my parents, my sister IL's parents and brother and her siser IL, plus all the kiddos. My brother made his first turkey and it was one of the best I've ever tasted...juicy and full of flavor. We did the mid-day Thanksgiving meal and by 3:30pm my hubby and the kids were back home and sacked out in front of the TV. I finally had to give it up and take a short nap after all of the turkey enzymes kicked in.
Thanksgiving this year has been more than just Turkey and hanging out with my family. Each day I have tried to reflect on the important things in my life and I have chronicled them in my Facebook status updates. Some of these things have been the obvious things that all of us tend to be thankful for like family and friends and other things have been less obvious or maybe things that we take for granted because they are so common such as clean water. Big and small there are so many things I have been blessed with and I think that a little part of each and every day should be dedicated to giving thanks for those things. Thanksgiving should not be limited to one time every year.
This year I have been blessed with the gift of healing, not of my physical body but of my "heart". I feel that my heart has been changed in such an amazing way and that my spirit has been lifted up to a new place. There is an awakening in my spiritual life that each day is being strengthened. There have been positive influences that have been put in my path as well as new connections with other believers who have had similar experiences in there life journey as I have had. That feeling of not being alone in my struggles has been encouraging and I am so happy that God has put those people in my path.
One of the most important things I have learned is that I don't have to live a life based on what has happened in the past. I am more than the poor choices I have made in the past. What I can be in the future is so much more than all of that because I am constantly renewed. What a blessing to be forgiven and live in the light as opposed to the desperation of darkness that can often overcome one's life when you don't seek the light. Also a live lived in fear and doubt is not much of a life so I am seeking to overcome weakness that comes with those toxic elements.
As the day comes to an end I just want to give thanks once again for my family, friends and all that I have been blessed with. This year I feel loved and have more love to give than I remember ever having. I'm looking forward to the holidays with the anticipation of opportunity to share more special time with my kids, my husband, parents and close friends. Also I am looking forward to connecting in the spiritual sense with others and yes also with the Lord. I feel him making a real difference in my life and that truly is a reason to celebrate.
Happy Holidays to everyone, may your prayers be answered and your blessings be many. May the light shine in your path and the darkness shrink away. And let love be your answer, because love is of God and to know love is also to know him. God is love...God is love...
This year we decided to have Thanksgiving at my brother's house with my parents, my sister IL's parents and brother and her siser IL, plus all the kiddos. My brother made his first turkey and it was one of the best I've ever tasted...juicy and full of flavor. We did the mid-day Thanksgiving meal and by 3:30pm my hubby and the kids were back home and sacked out in front of the TV. I finally had to give it up and take a short nap after all of the turkey enzymes kicked in.
Thanksgiving this year has been more than just Turkey and hanging out with my family. Each day I have tried to reflect on the important things in my life and I have chronicled them in my Facebook status updates. Some of these things have been the obvious things that all of us tend to be thankful for like family and friends and other things have been less obvious or maybe things that we take for granted because they are so common such as clean water. Big and small there are so many things I have been blessed with and I think that a little part of each and every day should be dedicated to giving thanks for those things. Thanksgiving should not be limited to one time every year.
This year I have been blessed with the gift of healing, not of my physical body but of my "heart". I feel that my heart has been changed in such an amazing way and that my spirit has been lifted up to a new place. There is an awakening in my spiritual life that each day is being strengthened. There have been positive influences that have been put in my path as well as new connections with other believers who have had similar experiences in there life journey as I have had. That feeling of not being alone in my struggles has been encouraging and I am so happy that God has put those people in my path.
One of the most important things I have learned is that I don't have to live a life based on what has happened in the past. I am more than the poor choices I have made in the past. What I can be in the future is so much more than all of that because I am constantly renewed. What a blessing to be forgiven and live in the light as opposed to the desperation of darkness that can often overcome one's life when you don't seek the light. Also a live lived in fear and doubt is not much of a life so I am seeking to overcome weakness that comes with those toxic elements.
As the day comes to an end I just want to give thanks once again for my family, friends and all that I have been blessed with. This year I feel loved and have more love to give than I remember ever having. I'm looking forward to the holidays with the anticipation of opportunity to share more special time with my kids, my husband, parents and close friends. Also I am looking forward to connecting in the spiritual sense with others and yes also with the Lord. I feel him making a real difference in my life and that truly is a reason to celebrate.
Happy Holidays to everyone, may your prayers be answered and your blessings be many. May the light shine in your path and the darkness shrink away. And let love be your answer, because love is of God and to know love is also to know him. God is love...God is love...
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday Minute
"The Outsiders"
*One genre of music needs to be banned. Which genre?
Banned, isn't that a little harsh? I don't like Kidz Bop, so if I have to pick - I pick Kidz Bop.
*All time favorite candy?
Chocolate
*How 'flawed' is your driving record?
No points
*What was high school mascot?
Um, Bulldogs, Bison and Tigers (I went to three different high schools)
and finally
What color socks are you wearing?
I'm not wearing any.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Yeah, It Pours...
You know the old saying that "When it rains, it pours"...meaning that when you have bad luck, you have really bad luck. Well, I believe that can be applied to the terrible couple of weeks I have been having. First I was sick, after we came home from the beach, then we realized we were going to be behind on several large bills. I made arrangements for those bills, realizing that we were going to barely scrape by this month and then Sunday a week ago my car stops running. That's when I knew it...here comes the rain.
Thank goodness my car wasn't a difficult fix and it helps to have family close by who are willing to step up. But as soon as I started feeling a sense of relief, the A/C in the house stops working. All I can think is what the mess? Another hot hot hot week and we don't have anything but fans, which do little to alleviate the humidity. Add to it, I think I am getting sick again.
We called in the A/C repairman who says we will probably need to replace the whole unit. That's going to cost a lot of money, which we do not have right now. Our credit isn't so hot since we have been behind on bills so we won't be financing anything either. What I think might have to happen is for us to get a window unit until we can save up the money for a new A/C which will need to be replaced before the winter so we can also run the heat pump. Otherwise we will have to use the wood stove.
It's times like these I get very discouraged and I wonder...what next? My marriage and relationships with my kids suffer. I feel like I am just barely holding it together. It's also very difficult to let go and put it all in the Lord's hands, that he is going to take care of us just like he has in the past. Somehow we always find our way through hard times and I don't believe that we do it all alone. It's times like these I feel the need to lift up prayers for my own patience and sanity so that I may make it through these rough patches.
That doesn't mean that I can just sit back and do nothing. As a matter of fact I think that doing nothing is unhealthy and only worsens the problems with feeling helpless and depressed. I need to actively search for opportunities to help myself. Feel free to send prayers and blessings our way, and if you know of anyone who has a working window unit they would like to donate or sell for a low price, by all means let me know.
Thank goodness my car wasn't a difficult fix and it helps to have family close by who are willing to step up. But as soon as I started feeling a sense of relief, the A/C in the house stops working. All I can think is what the mess? Another hot hot hot week and we don't have anything but fans, which do little to alleviate the humidity. Add to it, I think I am getting sick again.
We called in the A/C repairman who says we will probably need to replace the whole unit. That's going to cost a lot of money, which we do not have right now. Our credit isn't so hot since we have been behind on bills so we won't be financing anything either. What I think might have to happen is for us to get a window unit until we can save up the money for a new A/C which will need to be replaced before the winter so we can also run the heat pump. Otherwise we will have to use the wood stove.
It's times like these I get very discouraged and I wonder...what next? My marriage and relationships with my kids suffer. I feel like I am just barely holding it together. It's also very difficult to let go and put it all in the Lord's hands, that he is going to take care of us just like he has in the past. Somehow we always find our way through hard times and I don't believe that we do it all alone. It's times like these I feel the need to lift up prayers for my own patience and sanity so that I may make it through these rough patches.
That doesn't mean that I can just sit back and do nothing. As a matter of fact I think that doing nothing is unhealthy and only worsens the problems with feeling helpless and depressed. I need to actively search for opportunities to help myself. Feel free to send prayers and blessings our way, and if you know of anyone who has a working window unit they would like to donate or sell for a low price, by all means let me know.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
What Goes Around Comes Around
Or...Thankyou Kharma
As I was sitting here reading through some of my favorite blogs and pondering what I should write this morning, I stumbled across an article written by a blogger who was describing her vacation and all the many hours spent in the car with her kids. It reminded me of my childhood and the never ending trips in the car, at least once a summer, in the middle of July to Mississippi.
Boy did my brother and I drive my parents completely nuts.
How did we do that? Besides, the fighting, which is a given anytime you have two or more children in a car, we had several other activities that were amusing to us, but not so amusing to my parents. One of the things that we thought was particularly funny was taking our finger and touching the back of our throat to trigger the gag reflex. It sounds gross but we thought it was pretty darn funny watching each other gag. Thank goodness we never threw up doing that.
For some reason smells were a big deal on those long 12+ hour rides through the heart of nowhere Alabama. There's nothing like a bad smell to get everyone all stirred up. Recently my step-daughter put on some kind Twilight lotion in my car and I instantly figured out how my dad must have felt when I chewed Hubba Bubba grape bubble gum in the car. At least those smells are sweet, even if they are sickening. My brother emitted odors that would choke a horse.
Now that I am a momma, we have our own family trips. Lately I haven't been brave enough to make that long drive to Mississippi to see my grandparents but it is coming. Driving across town is bad enough though. 20 minutes in the car with my kids is equal to at least one hour.
To a child, their "side of the car" is sacred territory. My kids are no exception. If any body part from one child enters into the other child's territory, then all heck brakes loose. It usually ends up in fighting and screaming, then more screaming by me or results in pulling over and trying to calm down everyone including myself.
Recently, my husband and I have enacted the counting system...this system is used by parents everywhere. With some children it works and with others it doesn't but with my two youngest it gets their attention. My husband uses the counting pops system, where he just starts counting how many spankings the kids are going to get. My parents also used this system on my brother and I. As far as I can tell that system didn't work out too well. For the most part, kids are going to be kids and no amount of physical pain can change the fact that they are children. However scaring the poop out of them might dissuade them from fighting for about five minutes.
So one of the "truths" about parenthood, I've found to be relevant to my life is "What goes around comes back around"... or in other words, your kids will be as annoying or even more annoying than you were to your parents. You will not realize how much of a pain in the gluteus maximus that you were until you are a parent yourself and you start to relive those moments through a parental perspective.
The good news is...my parents survived it and there's a huge possibility that I will too. And if Kharma is what she is, then my kids will live long enough to have children of their own to drive them even more crazy than they are making me.
As I was sitting here reading through some of my favorite blogs and pondering what I should write this morning, I stumbled across an article written by a blogger who was describing her vacation and all the many hours spent in the car with her kids. It reminded me of my childhood and the never ending trips in the car, at least once a summer, in the middle of July to Mississippi.
Boy did my brother and I drive my parents completely nuts.
How did we do that? Besides, the fighting, which is a given anytime you have two or more children in a car, we had several other activities that were amusing to us, but not so amusing to my parents. One of the things that we thought was particularly funny was taking our finger and touching the back of our throat to trigger the gag reflex. It sounds gross but we thought it was pretty darn funny watching each other gag. Thank goodness we never threw up doing that.
For some reason smells were a big deal on those long 12+ hour rides through the heart of nowhere Alabama. There's nothing like a bad smell to get everyone all stirred up. Recently my step-daughter put on some kind Twilight lotion in my car and I instantly figured out how my dad must have felt when I chewed Hubba Bubba grape bubble gum in the car. At least those smells are sweet, even if they are sickening. My brother emitted odors that would choke a horse.
Now that I am a momma, we have our own family trips. Lately I haven't been brave enough to make that long drive to Mississippi to see my grandparents but it is coming. Driving across town is bad enough though. 20 minutes in the car with my kids is equal to at least one hour.
To a child, their "side of the car" is sacred territory. My kids are no exception. If any body part from one child enters into the other child's territory, then all heck brakes loose. It usually ends up in fighting and screaming, then more screaming by me or results in pulling over and trying to calm down everyone including myself.
Recently, my husband and I have enacted the counting system...this system is used by parents everywhere. With some children it works and with others it doesn't but with my two youngest it gets their attention. My husband uses the counting pops system, where he just starts counting how many spankings the kids are going to get. My parents also used this system on my brother and I. As far as I can tell that system didn't work out too well. For the most part, kids are going to be kids and no amount of physical pain can change the fact that they are children. However scaring the poop out of them might dissuade them from fighting for about five minutes.
So one of the "truths" about parenthood, I've found to be relevant to my life is "What goes around comes back around"... or in other words, your kids will be as annoying or even more annoying than you were to your parents. You will not realize how much of a pain in the gluteus maximus that you were until you are a parent yourself and you start to relive those moments through a parental perspective.
The good news is...my parents survived it and there's a huge possibility that I will too. And if Kharma is what she is, then my kids will live long enough to have children of their own to drive them even more crazy than they are making me.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Stir Crazy
Since I have gotten home from our beach trip I have found myself feeling more cooped up than usual. Sure, we have been going to the Rush at least every other day but the max amount of time per day the kids can spend in kid care is 1.5 hours and let's face it, there is only so much working out I can do. Also, it has been so hot that we haven't felt like being outside. While we were at the beach at least we had the hotel pools and the great Atlantic pool to jump in. I've found myself wondering what kinds of activities that we can do for free or for cheap around here, because staying at home watching Spongebob and playing video games is turning our brains to mush.
The field trips to Wal Mart aren't cutting it. I need to come up with some other fun things for my kids and I to do until the weather allows us to spend more time outside at the park or zoo. If money weren't an issue I would love to join a pool. Having one in the yard is way too much work and I know the job of cleaning the pool and keeping it up would be mine alone. It is hard to get help doing anything around the house - looks like that is and will always be my job.
I'm also thinking about Winter because before you know it, I will trade my dislike of very hot weather to contempt for freezing cold weather. Or we might have a period where all it does is precipitate and the yard turns into a swampy mess. So any good ideas from all you super moms won't go to waste. Yes, I am soliciting help from anyone who will volunteer it.
Below is my short list, and my plea for everyone reading my blog is for you guys to comment with some of your great ideas. I know a lot of you have children at home or used to have children that you stayed home with on a daily basis.
The public library - I've thought about looking into what they have going on. I know they used to have story time.
Dollar Movie - unfortunately I don't know of one that is open during the daytime, but it would be nice to take the kids to a cheap movie during the day. Even a matinee sometime at the regular theater is a good idea when we have more cash.
McDonalds Play Place - good for at least an hour of air conditioned fun. Sometimes we just get milkshakes or ice cream. They have WiFi too so I can take the DSI or my laptop when I get a battery that will hold a charge.
The Children's Museum - my mom recommended I look into this. Does anyone local to the NC Triad know anything about this and is it fun?
Like I mentioned it is a short list. I would also like some ideas for outside activities local to NC. Between now and when school starts would be a good time for a day trip somewhere that is small child friendly - some things have too many age or height requirements so until the kids are a little older, theme parks are out, besides I wouldn't like to take them to crowded places without another adult. I'm also little nervous about doing the mountains alone...but maybe a state park with a pool or something like that would be interesting.
Help! We are going STIR CRAZY!
The field trips to Wal Mart aren't cutting it. I need to come up with some other fun things for my kids and I to do until the weather allows us to spend more time outside at the park or zoo. If money weren't an issue I would love to join a pool. Having one in the yard is way too much work and I know the job of cleaning the pool and keeping it up would be mine alone. It is hard to get help doing anything around the house - looks like that is and will always be my job.
I'm also thinking about Winter because before you know it, I will trade my dislike of very hot weather to contempt for freezing cold weather. Or we might have a period where all it does is precipitate and the yard turns into a swampy mess. So any good ideas from all you super moms won't go to waste. Yes, I am soliciting help from anyone who will volunteer it.
Below is my short list, and my plea for everyone reading my blog is for you guys to comment with some of your great ideas. I know a lot of you have children at home or used to have children that you stayed home with on a daily basis.
The public library - I've thought about looking into what they have going on. I know they used to have story time.
Dollar Movie - unfortunately I don't know of one that is open during the daytime, but it would be nice to take the kids to a cheap movie during the day. Even a matinee sometime at the regular theater is a good idea when we have more cash.
McDonalds Play Place - good for at least an hour of air conditioned fun. Sometimes we just get milkshakes or ice cream. They have WiFi too so I can take the DSI or my laptop when I get a battery that will hold a charge.
The Children's Museum - my mom recommended I look into this. Does anyone local to the NC Triad know anything about this and is it fun?
Like I mentioned it is a short list. I would also like some ideas for outside activities local to NC. Between now and when school starts would be a good time for a day trip somewhere that is small child friendly - some things have too many age or height requirements so until the kids are a little older, theme parks are out, besides I wouldn't like to take them to crowded places without another adult. I'm also little nervous about doing the mountains alone...but maybe a state park with a pool or something like that would be interesting.
Help! We are going STIR CRAZY!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Is it FALL Yet?
Seriously dear readers, I hate this hot heat. Now that I am back from our summer vacation, I am completely over this season already. The only times in my life when I remember being this uncomfortable during the summer are when I was pregnant. Actually, the last time I think it was this hot was when I was pregnant with my last child. That was four years ago...and I ended up finishing that summer off in the Antipartum unit at Forsyth Medical Center. So, I guess I shouldn't complain too loudly because things could be worse...and nothing really stinks much worse than being laid up in the hospital.
Our vacation was GLORIOUS!!! I love love love North Myrtle Beach SC. We stayed at the Wyndham on Ocean Blvd. That place is huge. We were on the first floor, ocean front and the infinity pool was right beside our room. The weather was a little iffy - it rained most every afternoon. However, we got plenty of fun in the SC sun in for the week.
Now, my parents have been in this timeshare thing for years and years already. This is the fourth year that we have spent at the N. Myrtle property. They are GOLD members, whatever that means. They have to go and sit in some kind of meeting every year and try not to spend more money. This year, thank goodness, they didn't buy into the whole new property scheme. BUT they did get six free adult tickets to Ripley's Aquarium, so guess where we went for a family outing?
The day we went to the aquarium, it was hot and threatening thunderstorms. The line to get tickets was very long. We had to get tickets for the kids before we went in and so started the waiting in line. OMG I forgot how much I hate lines and strangers....lots and lots of strangers.
After about 30 minutes we finally get to enter the Aquarium. This place is large and it was wall to wall people in lines everywhere. I could already tell that this was going to be very difficult. I will tell you that I did manage to get through it but I was constantly worried that I was going to lose one of the kids. Several of the areas where we had to walk were very dark and it was hard to see at times.
It has been a while since I have had to deal with "the public" and I had forgotten how many rude people are just walking the earth needing me to smack them. There was this one jerk who got irritated because people were taking pictures of their kids in front of the the fish exhibits. He actually said (I am censoring for those of you with sensitive ears like myself) "F-ing people taking F-ing pictures, I don't care...I push them F-ing out of the way." Of course he said this when passing me and I was one of the "F-ing" picture takers. Oh my word, I wanted to tell him that if that kind of thing annoyed him that he was for sure in the wrong place. You don't go to a tourist attraction and expect people to not be taking pictures of their children. Sure he meant for me to hear it too...how passive aggressive is that?
Despite having to stand behind this one lady who was filming the jelly fish for about five minutes and wouldn't move out of my kids way, a guy who kept encroaching into my personal space while we were standing on the moving sidewalk, and having to literally drag my kids through a gigantic gift store full of flashy noisy things because that is the way you have to go to get to the exit, I really enjoyed the whole Aquarium attraction. That being said, I will never go back during the busy summer season if ever again.
Now that I am back home, and have been for a week now...By the way, I would have written this blog sooner but our whole house got sick with a mysterious sinus cold that thankfully came after our trip and not before. So, I have been hot, sick and super ready for the leaves to turn red and gold and start falling off the trees. Bring on the Fall....Bring it!
Our vacation was GLORIOUS!!! I love love love North Myrtle Beach SC. We stayed at the Wyndham on Ocean Blvd. That place is huge. We were on the first floor, ocean front and the infinity pool was right beside our room. The weather was a little iffy - it rained most every afternoon. However, we got plenty of fun in the SC sun in for the week.
Now, my parents have been in this timeshare thing for years and years already. This is the fourth year that we have spent at the N. Myrtle property. They are GOLD members, whatever that means. They have to go and sit in some kind of meeting every year and try not to spend more money. This year, thank goodness, they didn't buy into the whole new property scheme. BUT they did get six free adult tickets to Ripley's Aquarium, so guess where we went for a family outing?
The day we went to the aquarium, it was hot and threatening thunderstorms. The line to get tickets was very long. We had to get tickets for the kids before we went in and so started the waiting in line. OMG I forgot how much I hate lines and strangers....lots and lots of strangers.
After about 30 minutes we finally get to enter the Aquarium. This place is large and it was wall to wall people in lines everywhere. I could already tell that this was going to be very difficult. I will tell you that I did manage to get through it but I was constantly worried that I was going to lose one of the kids. Several of the areas where we had to walk were very dark and it was hard to see at times.
It has been a while since I have had to deal with "the public" and I had forgotten how many rude people are just walking the earth needing me to smack them. There was this one jerk who got irritated because people were taking pictures of their kids in front of the the fish exhibits. He actually said (I am censoring for those of you with sensitive ears like myself) "F-ing people taking F-ing pictures, I don't care...I push them F-ing out of the way." Of course he said this when passing me and I was one of the "F-ing" picture takers. Oh my word, I wanted to tell him that if that kind of thing annoyed him that he was for sure in the wrong place. You don't go to a tourist attraction and expect people to not be taking pictures of their children. Sure he meant for me to hear it too...how passive aggressive is that?
Despite having to stand behind this one lady who was filming the jelly fish for about five minutes and wouldn't move out of my kids way, a guy who kept encroaching into my personal space while we were standing on the moving sidewalk, and having to literally drag my kids through a gigantic gift store full of flashy noisy things because that is the way you have to go to get to the exit, I really enjoyed the whole Aquarium attraction. That being said, I will never go back during the busy summer season if ever again.
Now that I am back home, and have been for a week now...By the way, I would have written this blog sooner but our whole house got sick with a mysterious sinus cold that thankfully came after our trip and not before. So, I have been hot, sick and super ready for the leaves to turn red and gold and start falling off the trees. Bring on the Fall....Bring it!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Thinkable or Unthinkable?
Yesterday my husband and I, rented the movie Unthinkable from one of the Red Box vending machines that are scattered all over town. Since watching this movie I have been pondering the main thought of the movie (warning spoiler alert) which is this. Is it wrong or "unthinkable" for our government to use necessary force, torture or even a terrorist's wife and children as means to get information? I suspect that my own conclusions may not be popular ones, but I have to ask myself honestly what is most important to me...and it is hard to choose between someone's civil liberties and that lives of many US citizens.
In this movie, Samuel L Jackson, is the character "H" who is evidently a "black-ops" interrogator who has clearance from the highest authority to obtain information regarding three nuclear bombs from a surrendered terrorist. His methods are brutal and raise questions of what is right and wrong in the name of national security and saving millions of lives.
Let me back up for a moment and get a little deeper into the storyline. It is one that I am sure our government is concerned would happen in real life. An American Muslim named Yusef has obtained nuclear materials from Russia and has made a tape in which he shows three locations. He says that there are three nuclear bombs in major cities in the US. Yusef is captured and a countdown begins, the FBI and "H" have three days to find the bombs and save these cities from destruction. "H" is told he has control over how much torture and how far to go for whatever means it takes to break Yusef. Yusef is determined not to break and "H" decides, in the last hour to bring in the wife and children. "H", in desperation, ends up cutting Yusef's wife's throat and then actually convinces the higher ups to let him bring the children into the torture chamber and while Yusef watches he cuts out the lights and begins to "process" the screaming children.
At this point I was on the edge of my seat. I had to ask myself, could this really happen in real life? Would our government use someone's children against them to save the lives of thousands of other children and adults? Is it ok to do that? Would I stop this from happening if I were in a position where I could. Then I shuddered as I started thinking about my own kids and my family.
The answer in the end is very disturbing. I was left with a feeling that YES, they needed to allow H to use the children against the terrorist Yusef, because there was information that could have saved thousands of lives maybe millions. Let me point out that this was my feeling, not that it is the right or wrong answer here. I don't even know He didn't end up hurting the children, but you didn't know they wouldn't and that was the point. However, they made a grave error in thinking that they got the answers they needed by using the children. Perhaps they didn't go far enough - I was left with that too.
So what is your opinion?
In this movie, Samuel L Jackson, is the character "H" who is evidently a "black-ops" interrogator who has clearance from the highest authority to obtain information regarding three nuclear bombs from a surrendered terrorist. His methods are brutal and raise questions of what is right and wrong in the name of national security and saving millions of lives.
Let me back up for a moment and get a little deeper into the storyline. It is one that I am sure our government is concerned would happen in real life. An American Muslim named Yusef has obtained nuclear materials from Russia and has made a tape in which he shows three locations. He says that there are three nuclear bombs in major cities in the US. Yusef is captured and a countdown begins, the FBI and "H" have three days to find the bombs and save these cities from destruction. "H" is told he has control over how much torture and how far to go for whatever means it takes to break Yusef. Yusef is determined not to break and "H" decides, in the last hour to bring in the wife and children. "H", in desperation, ends up cutting Yusef's wife's throat and then actually convinces the higher ups to let him bring the children into the torture chamber and while Yusef watches he cuts out the lights and begins to "process" the screaming children.
At this point I was on the edge of my seat. I had to ask myself, could this really happen in real life? Would our government use someone's children against them to save the lives of thousands of other children and adults? Is it ok to do that? Would I stop this from happening if I were in a position where I could. Then I shuddered as I started thinking about my own kids and my family.
The answer in the end is very disturbing. I was left with a feeling that YES, they needed to allow H to use the children against the terrorist Yusef, because there was information that could have saved thousands of lives maybe millions. Let me point out that this was my feeling, not that it is the right or wrong answer here. I don't even know He didn't end up hurting the children, but you didn't know they wouldn't and that was the point. However, they made a grave error in thinking that they got the answers they needed by using the children. Perhaps they didn't go far enough - I was left with that too.
So what is your opinion?
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Hemp & Beaded Jewelry
Some of my new hobbies, beads and hemp... Here are a few of the bracelets I am making. I love these.
These are made using large wooden
beads, smaller seed beads and some interesting beads that I think are made out of some kind of resin.Haha! It's hemp, let's make pretties!!!
Not sure when I will be putting some of these on Etsy, I have to take some better pictures.
:-)
Monday, June 28, 2010
It's Summertime and it is HOT!
Hello blog friends, it seems I have not blogged in over a week. Shame on me. In my defense, I have been busy with the kids and last week was VBS. So it was VBS in the mornings and working outat the Rush in the evenings. I have also been making hemp jewelry and beaded bracelets to sell on Etsy (pictures to come). The arrival of summertime has also brought with it some HOT weather here in the Piedmont of NC so we have been suffering through the on again off again functioning of the air conditioner in my Volvo.
My attempt to lose weight and look better is still ongoing. My abs are finally starting to shape up really well. My husband and I have been doing ab excercises all last week together and he has showed me one floor excercise using a medicine ball and balancing on your rear with knees off the floor moving it from side to side. This really works the core out and I am seeing results....Woot Woot. And I also was able to button a pair of jeans I have been wanting to wear again. While I have resigned myself to not having lost all of the weight I had planned on using, I am happy with my results so far and I am still committing myself to keep up my workout regimen.
Last week I took my kids to VBS Monday through Thursday. I know some of you are rolling your eyes thinking about how your parents used to drag you kicking and screaming to the church building for a whole week during the summer and I too used to think the same negative thoughts whenever VBS was even mentioned. BUT, boy and girls has VBS changed, at least from what I used to suffer through as a kid. OK, ok I say that jokingly, because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings...but seriously we never had a smoke machine, bubbles, cool videos of songs with dance/hand moves and prizes. I think the most we ever did was sing some songs, maybe "If you're Happy and you Know It" was the most exciting it ever got. Which is not saying a whole lot. The adults did such a great job of decorating the church and making it fun for the kids. I had no problem getting them to get up early and go to church for a few hours, which is difficult at best on Sundays. I'm so happy for change especially when it is uplifting and exciting.
Oh and VBS was in the mornings and unlike old school VBS did not require the parents to attend some kind of adult VBS so after dropping the kids off I had a rare few hours of alone time. I will be eternally grateful for that too. Only a mother can appreciate shopping without kids whining and screaming or fighting the whole time.
Our beach trip is coming soon. I am really looking forward to it. One way I am hoping to make a little cash to spend at the beach or have when we return is selling some hand made jewelry on Etsy. I am going to begin listing it hopefully today and there will be pictures and links so take a look. Some of these pieces I really like so much I want to keep them for myself, but if I want to keep this hobby alive I will also have to make enough money to buy supplies to make more. So far I am experimenting with beaded jewelry and hemp. I think hemp is summery in style and looks great with bathing suits and sun dresses. I've had so much fun picking out my beads and trying to find new patterns, knots and techniques for making this type of jewelry. It is definately more laid back and youthful looking. I think some of the nicer pieces can be dressed up though with the right outfit. Anyway more coming about that.
OK, well it seems everyone has finally made it out of bed this morning so I need to get motivated and back into our regularly scheduled Monday. You guys have a great day and stay hydrated because as I mentioned earlier, it is HOT...
My attempt to lose weight and look better is still ongoing. My abs are finally starting to shape up really well. My husband and I have been doing ab excercises all last week together and he has showed me one floor excercise using a medicine ball and balancing on your rear with knees off the floor moving it from side to side. This really works the core out and I am seeing results....Woot Woot. And I also was able to button a pair of jeans I have been wanting to wear again. While I have resigned myself to not having lost all of the weight I had planned on using, I am happy with my results so far and I am still committing myself to keep up my workout regimen.
Last week I took my kids to VBS Monday through Thursday. I know some of you are rolling your eyes thinking about how your parents used to drag you kicking and screaming to the church building for a whole week during the summer and I too used to think the same negative thoughts whenever VBS was even mentioned. BUT, boy and girls has VBS changed, at least from what I used to suffer through as a kid. OK, ok I say that jokingly, because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings...but seriously we never had a smoke machine, bubbles, cool videos of songs with dance/hand moves and prizes. I think the most we ever did was sing some songs, maybe "If you're Happy and you Know It" was the most exciting it ever got. Which is not saying a whole lot. The adults did such a great job of decorating the church and making it fun for the kids. I had no problem getting them to get up early and go to church for a few hours, which is difficult at best on Sundays. I'm so happy for change especially when it is uplifting and exciting.
Oh and VBS was in the mornings and unlike old school VBS did not require the parents to attend some kind of adult VBS so after dropping the kids off I had a rare few hours of alone time. I will be eternally grateful for that too. Only a mother can appreciate shopping without kids whining and screaming or fighting the whole time.
Our beach trip is coming soon. I am really looking forward to it. One way I am hoping to make a little cash to spend at the beach or have when we return is selling some hand made jewelry on Etsy. I am going to begin listing it hopefully today and there will be pictures and links so take a look. Some of these pieces I really like so much I want to keep them for myself, but if I want to keep this hobby alive I will also have to make enough money to buy supplies to make more. So far I am experimenting with beaded jewelry and hemp. I think hemp is summery in style and looks great with bathing suits and sun dresses. I've had so much fun picking out my beads and trying to find new patterns, knots and techniques for making this type of jewelry. It is definately more laid back and youthful looking. I think some of the nicer pieces can be dressed up though with the right outfit. Anyway more coming about that.
OK, well it seems everyone has finally made it out of bed this morning so I need to get motivated and back into our regularly scheduled Monday. You guys have a great day and stay hydrated because as I mentioned earlier, it is HOT...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Wednesday Wickedness
Hi and welcome to Wednesday Wickedness. We are like other memes in that we will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday. But our little "twist" is that each week we will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes. Each of our questions will be based on the quotes. Got it? Great! Let's begin this week's meme!
Today we picked Bruce Springsteen. Here's Wednesday Wickedness!
1. “When it comes to luck, you make your own.” Do you believe you have that type of control over your luck? Not really. It wouldn't be called luck if we were able to control it...duh!!!
2. “You've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above.” What is something you have had difficulty rising above? Ugh, having to deal with my oldest son's father. I'd just assume not deal with all of his drama.
3. “Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings, and a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything.” Would you want to be rich? Of course...but if it never happens I will try to be happy with all the blessings I already have.
4. “The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.” Tell us about a song that helps you "face the world." It's Five O'clock Somewhere by Alan Jackson
5. “In America everything's about who's number one today.” Have you ever been a fan of someone you thought would last but turned out to be a flash in the pan? No because I am pretty right on with what is going to last and what is not.
6. “Is a dream a lie if it don't come true, or is it something worse?” Has any dream of yours come true? Yes, several times.
7. “Our American government has strayed too far from American values. It is time to move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting.” What would you change if you became the president? I think we see what happens when certain presidents promise so much "change"... Americans will have to change themselves because we can obviously see that no one leader is going to do it for all of us.
8. "Yeah, I had gay friends. The first thing I realized was that everybody's different, and it becomes obvious that all of the gay stereotypes are ridiculous." How do you feel about gay rights? I think people have the right to be gay if they want...however this is one of those questions that I feel I am not the best person to answer. Being a heterosexual, I cannot imagine how it is to be gay or have someone hate me or treat me differently because of my sexual preference.
9. " It's a sad man my friend who's living in his own skin and can't stand the company." Have you ever been disappointed in yourself? Oh boy and how.
10. "The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with." What's your favorite type of music? What's your favorite band? I love many different types of music. One of my favorite artists is the late Bob Marley. His music and lyrics still have meaning today as they did decades ago.
Thanks for checking out our Wednesday craziness. We hope you join us again. Please visit our other player's posts and make a comment. Join us next week for our next meme!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Getting to Know You
1. If you could have one of Superman's, powers which one would you want? Superhuman strength..Flight..Superhuman speed..X-Ray vision..etc
Superhuman Speed, so that I could get anything and everything done...imagine being able to clean the whole house and do the laundry in like 10 seconds.
2. The best thing I ever won is....?
I never EVER win anything. Why do I keep buying lottery tickets? One time when I was a kid, I called a radio station to request a song. I was the 107th caller or whatever and won a Miami Vice album. Yes, a vinyl record with the Miami Vice soundtrack on it. Yay me!
3. Have you ever skyped with a bloggy friend?
No
4. What is your favorite Summer month?
June, because by the time July and August gets here I am already tired of the hot weather.
5. Pool, Lake, or Ocean?
Ocean, but not to swim in. I'd rather be at the beach, plus there are pools to swim in at the hotel so BONUS!
6. One of my favorite Summer memories is.....?
Going to the beach when I was 20 with my whole family, my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. That year I drove my Volks Wagon and got to do a lot of fun stuff independently of my parents.
7. What's your favorite secret bargain?
Since we have 6 people in and out of the house, I'd have to say anything that I can find on sale and freeze.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Third Day - Revelation
Hey, have you ever been listening to a song that is really cool and realize that it is a Christian rock song? Well, Third Day kind of hit me that way. Not that I am complaining.
Just want to share this with all my friends who are into music and those of you who are Christians will probably love it. Hey, I am an equal opportunity offender...so you guys that aren't into Jesus, I'll invite you to have a peek as well but I want to warn you that despite the rock and roll sound, this band is a Christian rock band. So please don't hate on me - the message is one that I believe will inspire some that really need a dose of inspiration today.
Give me REVELATION...because I want it and need it.
Just want to share this with all my friends who are into music and those of you who are Christians will probably love it. Hey, I am an equal opportunity offender...so you guys that aren't into Jesus, I'll invite you to have a peek as well but I want to warn you that despite the rock and roll sound, this band is a Christian rock band. So please don't hate on me - the message is one that I believe will inspire some that really need a dose of inspiration today.
Give me REVELATION...because I want it and need it.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wednesday Wickedness
From a new meme called Wednesday Wickedness...check it!
"Hi and welcome to Wednesday Wickedness. We are like other memes in that we will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday. But our little "twist" is that each week we will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes. Each of our questions will be based on the quotes. Got it? Great! Let's begin this week's meme!"
Today we picked Frank Sinatra. Here's Wednesday Wickedness!
1. “I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.” How often do you drink alcohol? Dr. Oz says that it is good to drink a glass of any type of alcohol every day because the ethanol is good for you. That being said, I have a hard time just having one drink so maybe every day is not the best. However, I do enjoy glass or two of wine three or so times a week. ;-)
2. “The best revenge is massive success.” Have you ever gloated or wanted to over success? Why yes, I have gloated over successes. However, I believe the best revenge is to be left up to God or the universe or whatever. Kharma is a what? You know that's right!
3. “You gotta love livin', baby, 'cause dyin' is a pain in the [butt].” What do enjoy most about your life? I love my husband, my children, my family, my friends, good food, good drink and being spiritually filled. That being said, I live life as if each day might be the very last. Always making sure to tell the one's I love that I love them and doing my best never to go to bed angry.
4. “I'm not one of those complicated, mixed-up cats. I'm not looking for the secret to life.... I just go on from day to day, taking what comes.” Do you ever overthink a situation in your life?
I could have not said it better...I am not complicated at all. However, I think there are times when I actually get stuck on a situation and fall into the trap of obsessing over a problem. However, I am striving to let things go...and not get so uptight about stuff. Everything will pass.
5. “I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, fine family - and I don't think I could ask for anything more than that, actually.” Tell us about your best friend. I actually have several people I consider to be "best friends". My husband, my friend since jr. high, Amy, and my mom round out the top three...not in any particular order...LOL. Something similar about all of my best friends is that they are all strong figures in my life...people who I look up to and admire. They know me and love me for who I am and we all laugh and cry together on a regular basis. Also people who I can tell just about anything in most cases without feeling judged. There are a few other people who I consider best friends or life long friends and you know who you are and this applies to those people as well.
6. “I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn't be a staring contest.” How important is intelligence when picking (or having picked) a s/o to you? Very important...but lets not confuse being a nerd with being smart. You don't have to be a rocket scientist but it is nice to be able to enjoy an intellectual conversation IMO. I hate it when people try to talk over my head as well. It is the well rounded individual who impresses me more than simply having brains. Plus, it helps if they are charming and handsome...LOL.
7. “I drink to the confusion of our enemies.” What's the closest situation that you've had to dealing with an enemy? There are too many times I have had confrontations in my life... Once I slapped a girl in fifth grade who would not let me use the crayons. That being said, I have a short temper and do not deal well with angry people.
8. “Orange is the happiest color.” What's your favorite color? Well it is not orange...LOL. I like red, black, purple and blue.
9. “Dare to wear the foolish clown face.” Are you ever a clown? No way...clowns are scary. Have you ever seen "It"?
10. “Don't get even, get mad.” Have you ever tried getting even? It's better to let people reep what they sow. Most of the time they will get back way more than I can ever dish out.
Thanks for checking out our Wednesday craziness. We hope you join us again. Please visit our other player's posts and make a comment. Join us next week for our next meme!
Super Stoked
It will be exactly one month from today that we embark on our long awaited summer vacation. If all goes as planned I will be well on my way to the beach with all of my family, including mom, dad, Ian and Laura and their kids on the 9th of July. This is our annual beach trip to N Myrtle beach SC, which has become a sort of family tradition.
This year I had hoped to lose 20 lbs before our beach trip. Despite the fact that I am looking better and have really strengthened my core, I have not dropped that 20lbs yet. This is frustrating as I have worked out every day except for three in the past two months since I joined the gym. I have made an effort to change my diet and eat more chicken and fish instead of red meat and pork. The plain truth is that this is going to take more time and I may still be wearing the "mom" bathing suit this year.
Oh, but don't think for one minute that I will quit or that I am in any way going to back off. Now I am more determined to "kick it up a notch" as my favorite chef Emeril would say. I'm increasing my cardio workouts to 40 - 60 minutes a day keeping my heart rate in the fat burning zone. Oh and I am going to sacrifice even more in my diet - which doesn't mean I am not going to eat but it does mean that there are certain things I haven't given up yet. What I figured was that when I wanted this weight loss bad enough I would give up those unhealthy things. Here we are at that point...and now it will get very interesting.
Perhaps with a little more weight loss this month and a killer tan, I will ROCK the "mom" bathing suit at the beach instead of simply hiding under it. Now I must go charge my ipod and get ready for some workout time.
This year I had hoped to lose 20 lbs before our beach trip. Despite the fact that I am looking better and have really strengthened my core, I have not dropped that 20lbs yet. This is frustrating as I have worked out every day except for three in the past two months since I joined the gym. I have made an effort to change my diet and eat more chicken and fish instead of red meat and pork. The plain truth is that this is going to take more time and I may still be wearing the "mom" bathing suit this year.
Oh, but don't think for one minute that I will quit or that I am in any way going to back off. Now I am more determined to "kick it up a notch" as my favorite chef Emeril would say. I'm increasing my cardio workouts to 40 - 60 minutes a day keeping my heart rate in the fat burning zone. Oh and I am going to sacrifice even more in my diet - which doesn't mean I am not going to eat but it does mean that there are certain things I haven't given up yet. What I figured was that when I wanted this weight loss bad enough I would give up those unhealthy things. Here we are at that point...and now it will get very interesting.
Perhaps with a little more weight loss this month and a killer tan, I will ROCK the "mom" bathing suit at the beach instead of simply hiding under it. Now I must go charge my ipod and get ready for some workout time.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Getting to Know You
1. If a person has a booger in their nose. and you can see it, do you tell them? If it were a close friend or family member yes. If it is a random someone no.
2. What are you passionate about? Life, I like to live each day as passionately as possible.
3. How long have you been blogging? I've been writing first on Myspace and then Facebook for several years. Now I have this blog which has only been up for about a month.
4. What is your favorite "summer" drink? Well most of the time I drink water, especially during the summer because it is important to stay hydrated. Of course a cold beer is nice every once in a while.
5. What is your favorite type of music? Rock and especially electric guitar.
6. Something I do before I go to bed is......? Kiss my husband goodnight.
7. My Summer vacation plans are...? Going to the beach in JULY and it can't get here fast enough.
8. My favorite must have, can't live without, beauty product is? Lipstick
Friday, June 4, 2010
Zachary and His Mof (Moth)
Zachary caught a new moth. He calls it Mof. Every few days or so he finds a new creature to befriend. We have some rather large moths around here. Anyway, I took some pictures of Zachary and his new Mof buddy.
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