Illegitimis Non Carborundum

Friday, July 31, 2009

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you but I NEED this weekend! Real bad too!

I need to do something, get out of the house and have a little ME time!!

I should make a list of what I want to do or where I want to go. I want to hit this one thrift store and it's not that far from the cemetery. Ok, I know that sounds weird but in my crazy world, it makes perfect sense. I want to stop at the cemetery because Sunday is my friend's one year anniversary. She passed away very suddenly last August 2nd. I want to take some flowers up since I haven't been there since the actual funeral. Then I figure, I'll need a little pick me up so the thrift store and the craft store could do just that. See, I'm always thinking!

Then I want to be selfish and take some time to take pictures. I really want to find a few places to just go and take some pictures and play with my camera. Usually my husband will say let's go here or there and you can take some pics. Then when we are there, he'll say here let me see the camera. Ok, I know this might sound mean but IT'S MINE! I want to play with it. Do I ask to shoot your bow? Do I ask to check out your rifle? You have your toys and I have mine. I'm 44, I don't have to share!

I really want to take some pics of the kids too because I found my photo paper and I want to print out some 5x7s for this one wall in my kitchen. I want to get some black frames and hang the three down in a row on this one part of the kitchen wall. In my head it looks great and when I'm done, I'll take a picture to show! I also want to put some of my pics that I've taken onto my digital frame that I haven't even opened yet.

I also need to get my mother a birthday gift and her birthday was yesterday. It's ok, she's not around to give it to anyway since she's away. So I'll find something over the weekend. She didn't seem too thrilled with that digital keychain I gave her for mothers day so I might just go with a gift card and call it a day.

I also need to get the hubby to bring home these boxes of books he keeps telling me I have at his shop. It's killing me not knowing what books are in these boxes! We must have put them down there about 5 or 6 yrs. ago when we were moving. I'm pretty sure they aren't anything really good, probably a lot of my old books that I've read and was saving for my "library". If they aren't anything I want then I'm going to donate them to the hospital here for the patients. But I have to admit, the curiosity is killing me!

And of course I want to sit on my deck and read. Now, I've said that out loud so that pretty much secures the fact that we will be having rain in the area! Heaven forbid I get a Friday night on the deck without rain! The book I'm reading is really getting good and I want to dive into it and try to stay awake long enough to finish more than 2 pages!


Other than that, I just want to relax! I just want to breath without feeling rushed and tied into a schedule!


What can I say? I'm a dreamer!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

I love....

magazines! I have about 5 baskets of them throughout the house. Mostly I have the magazines that we pass around in work like Women's Day, Redbook, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping and a few others that I can't think of off the top of my head.

I love sitting on the deck in my favorite chair paging through my magazines.

Women's Day always has a page called Simple Inspirations. It's always the last page and has quotes, inspirational ones of course! I always have these grand ideas that I'm going to cut them out and glue them to the cute little book marker strips that I made. Then I'm going to have these fabulous, inspirational book markers! Maybe one of these days!

I love reading the book suggestion sections that they have. Family Circle's August issue has "Summer Page Turners". I've seen a couple of their suggestions on some book blogs. A couple look really good! That's just what my TBR pile needs, to be increased!! They have the "Staff Picks" too. Sometimes when I read what others are reading, I feel like I'm really shallow. I just can't read some of that really deep stuff. I read to get away and lose myself in a good story. Not that some of these books aren't good or even great stories but sometimes when they are too deep, it really gets to me. I guess that's a sign of a really good book though! But sometimes I just can't take it.

I love the recipes! Ok, let me rephrase that. I love the pictures of what the recipes should turn out looking like. I always think yum, I would eat that. And I even fold the page so I remember to read the recipe and maybe even......gasp......make it! I really need to work on following up on that!

Good Housekeeping usually has a good short story to read! They also have a section called good/family. The August issue has a great article called 5 Mistakes (even smart) kids make on line. I'll have to leave that one laying around in the bathroom. Maybe one, or dare I dream, three of my very smart kids will pick it up and see what it has to say. If not then I'll make sure I leave it on their beds!

I always love the pictures that show me how beautiful my home can look with just adding these 5 simple things! Yep, someday I'll do those too.

Almost every magazine I have has some tips on how to "better organize" my home or how to "declutter" my home. I'm willing to be that if I started with the 5 or more baskets of magazines that I have, I'd be half way there!

Ah, who needs "a clutter-free" home!





Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Changes.....

Let me start by saying this first. I. DO NOT. LIKE. CHANGE.

Whenever there is change, I have a hard time adjusting. I mean I do it but a lot of time, I'm not happy.

Over the last few years, our school and parish as a whole has gone through a ton of changes. First, our pastor left. Then our principal left. Our vice principal became our principal. She got a new VP. The VP got let go the next year. Budget cuts. One of our priest left. Then we got another priest. He had charges brought against him which are turning out to be unfounded. But he was taken away. Then we had another priest who also just had charges brought against him. Those charges aren't looking too good either but we still lose the priest because of the laws, even if the allegations are unfounded. In June, that VP who became Principal, she left too. We're getting a new principal.

Now, I like our new pastor. I wasn't crazy about the VP who became P so I'm ok with her leaving. One of my son's teachers for 7th grade left so I don't know who he is going to have for some of his classes. And I've heard that our Music Director for our church was fired too. I liked her but it's not going to affect my life so I can deal with that one. Maybe they won't expect us to sing at church anymore! Fat chance.

So I'm thinking, this is a lot of change. And I know catholic school are in trouble. There are schools that have closed as of June. There are others that are on the short list. This scares the crap out of me. Then today, my son comes home with a rumor that one of the deacons at the church said that our school could be closing. Ok, now I know it's not going to happen this year because there's a process and we would have been notified. But this scares me! I have 2 kids in this school, grades 6&7. I need this school for 3 years.

I know what you are thinking. Just send them to another school. We can't do that in catholic school. We have to send our kids to where they tell us to send them because they subsidize the high school tuition. It's their rules and to get that $1,1oo. a year sent to my kids high schools, I have to follow the rules or pay it myself. I'm already paying $815 a month for tuition. I can't do anymore.

I know what you are going to say, send them to public school. That's not an option here in Philadelphia. Those schools are a disgrace. They are dangerous and I will not do that to my kids. I know it might seem dramatic but I would be worried too much and it's just not a safe environment to send them into. I'd scrub people's toilets before I would stop paying tuition and send them to public schools.

Part of me is thinking that everyone inside our little school and church knows there is writing on the walls and that's why they are running! Ok, I understand you have to have a job and you need to go to a place where you have security. I get that and I sympathize with that. But what about us poor suckers who don't have other options! I really need to know what the hell is going on over there!

I need this school to stay open for 3 years. Is that asking too much?

I also need to get some Miss Clariol because all this change is affecting my naturally beautiful blond hair. And I wonder where all these "light light hi lights" are coming from.

Change is NOT good!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Library Loot.....

I stopped at the library today to try and find the Harry Potter books on tape. Of course the 3 libraries I stopped at didn't have them. But while I was there, I decided to get a few things. Of course I always see books I want in a certain spot or at the end of a section, on display. I saw a couple of blogging books at the one branch but when I got there today, the books weren't on display anymore. I didn't really have the time to ask the librarian for help today since I needed to be in and out fast.

I'm determined to complete this Harry Potter challenge that I signed up for so I ordered the first book on cassette from the library and hopefully it will be in soon. I was looking forward to listening to it tonight at work.

While I was there, I looked around a little and found 2 really cool books that reference the areas of Philadelphia that I wanted to check out. One book I found is called Philadelphia Area Cemeteries. I was looking for another book and stumbled across this one. I would love to take my camera to a few of these cemeteries and get some great pictures. Some of the cemeteries are within an hours distance from my house so maybe we can take a couple of long drives one day.

The other book I found is a History book for a few of the little areas I live in or around in Philadelphia. The pictures in this book are great! Seeing the Washington Tea House of Tacony in 1900 is so awesome! I love finding out about the history of our little towns in our big historical city!

I'm still waiting on a few books I reserved from the library so hopefully they'll be in soon and I'll get caught up with the books that I have at home. I'm still reading The Last Child by John Hart. It's getting pretty good but I've been so tired lately with my crazy schedule that every time I pick up my book, I start to doze off. Hopefully, I'll be further into it by the weekend.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Your dream job.............

On Friday night two of the kids were at friend's houses so that left hubby, Jerry & me to fend for ourselves. We decided we should go out to eat! We went to TGIFriday's since I had a coupon and we had a really nice night together. It's not often that we get one kid all alone.

We were sitting there at TGIFriday's reading the sugar packets. They had questions on them. I never knew this before that night. Some of the questions were really cool like "What is the first color on the American Flag?" I said red cause you say red, white & blue. I have no idea if there is a correct answer.

One of the questions was "What is your dream job?". The husband's wheels were turning since we all know it isn't the one that he has. Jerry was thinking too since he's only 15 and just not really sure what he wants to do yet. I on the other hand, I had my answer without even thinking about it. They both asked me what my answer was. I told them, my dream job would to be a Stay At Home mom. I told them I had my dream job, I would just like to have it again. Jerry asked why it was my dream job instead of a writer or something more interesting.

I just couldn't explain it well enough, I just couldn't do it justice. But I tried. I told him how I thought it was a gift to be able to stay home and raise my kids. How I valued and treasured every day that I had to do that and how important it was to me that I was there for everything that they did, went through, experienced and learned. It means the world to me to know that they told people that I taught them how to tie their shoes, count, say their ABCs and even go potty. I consider that a privilege! Those years that I was waking up with the kids, spending the whole day with them and then enjoying the evenings as a family were some of the most special times of my life. I cherished bath time, brushing hair and making them smell so good with their lotions. I didn't care that the job started at 6A.M. and went till all hours of the night sometimes. I got paid in hugs and kisses, I got rewarded all the time, I was praised for my job well done every time I heard "You're the best mommy ever". Man, I loved that job!!

And I guess like all jobs, there are changes. There have been good changes and some bad. I wish the bosses didn't have to grow up. But I enjoy my relationships now with my kids, it just bothers me that they don't let me put lotion on them after shower time or that they won't sit in a bubble bath and tell me stories with some toys. Guess they are too cool and grown up for that all now! But those sure were the days!

So, yes, my dream job is still the one that I treasured way back when they were little babies and toddlers. It was a gift, it was heaven and it was amazing!

It's 3:17AM......

and I have work to do.

And what am I doing instead??? Checking out blogs!

I really need to get back to this work. I have to email these schedules to my boss before I leave at 6AM.

I need to log off now. Like right now.

Seriously.

Ok, I'm going.

Say Goodnight Lori............

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Shower day.....

Today was my niece's bridal shower. It was very nice but way too fufu for me. It was in a gallery in the middle of an area that is surrounded by Center City and 2 colleges. That means no parking unless you park at the meter or in a paid garage. I was smart, I made the husband drive us down and drop us off. My sister in laws were not so smart. One had to keep leaving to feed the meter and the other paid $35 for being in a garage.

Maybe I'm just an old fart, but I like the more relaxed showers where you get a comfy seat, fill up a styrofoam plate with lots of good homemade food and sit around with family and friends to gab. I'm not big on finger sandwiches or salmon with cucumber slices.

I wish Crate & Barrel was around when I was getting married. I don't even remember registering anywhere when I got married. We took whatever gift you wanted to get us. And I sure as hell never expected someone to buy me the KitchenAid Stand Mixer with all the attachements.

I do like sitting back and watching people at these things. And I'll admit, I sometime just happen to overhear a few things. Why would you have a shower on a Sunday afternoon when some of the guests, who were aunts, are from out of town. They were able to stay for about an hour after the bride got there. I think if I lived in Washington D.C, I would have just mailed a card! That must have been a heck of a ride with the storms and traffic. I guess sometimes people just don't think.

I've never been to a shower where the groom stayed, sat next to the bride and opened gifts. Dude looked bored to tears.
One thing I was kicking myself over and over about was not taking my camera. There were so many great shots on the way down and on the way back that I could have gotten. Hey, it's only 15 minutes from home, we can take another road trip!

Well, at least it's over and I don't have any "scheduled" events for the next few weekends!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Harry Potter reading challenge.....

This sounds right up my alley! There's a Harry Potter reading challenge but you don't have to read all the books. I'll admit, I'd love to read them, I really would. But you know how it is, you're busy, you have so many other books to read. And let's face it, there are so many other books that I really want to read. But.....don't you love buts? With this challenge, you can listen to the Potter series!

Why didn't I think of this sooner???

I can still read all the books in my TBR pile and all my new favorites that are coming out, all while I listen to Harry Potter! I can listen in the truck, I can listen on the eliptical, and let me tell you, it has to be easier to listen than read on that eliptical.

Why not join me? Give it a try! The challenge runs from August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010. I'm thinking the next trip to the library should be to get the Harry Potter books on CD! I'll start slow, one book a month maybe? Sounds like a plan!!! Oh and did I mention that there will be prizes and gifts? Just sign up by August 15 to be in the running for the first giveaway: a complete set of the Harry Potter books. Awesome!!!

Follow the link below and jump on the Hogwart's Express with me!








Hope to see you there!


















I have a friend....

that I met on the internet years ago. Now that I'm thinking back, it was probably about nine or ten years ago. Wow, time is flying!

We got really close and she even came to visit me one time from Ohio where she lives. We always talked about if only she could move here or if I could move there, oh the fun we would have together. We were really tight!

Over the last couple of years, we kind of lost touch. It really bothered me and I would wonder if maybe I had done something. I would email and she would reply but it wasn't every day or even every week anymore. It got to the point where it wasn't even every month. And I'll admit to being very mature and feeling that it was a little one sided and I had my feelings hurt. I would email, she would reply and then I would never hear from her unless I emailed again. Like I said, I got my feelings hurt and wasn't acting very mature.

I got an email from her today. Shocked the crap out of me because I was just talking about her to my son the other day on the way to work.

She wrote me and told me that a very good friend that she grew up with died the other day. She was killed in a horrible accident. Having that happen made her realize that she wanted to reach out to me. I cried when I read her email. I know the pain of losing a friend suddenly. My best friend that I grew up with died 12 1/2 yrs ago and I think about her all the time. I also lost another friend suddenly last summer. Her anniversary is coming up on August 2nd and I was just thinking about her today.

I also cried a little because it really touched me how she reached out and told me that even though we don't talk as much anymore, we were great friends and she loves me.

I miss her a lot. I wrote her back. I think I'll probably write her again during the week. And then probably the week after that too.

Life's too short to be petty!


Friday, July 24, 2009

This has been all over every blog I read and follow so I thought I'd jump on the wagon!

Which do you prefer? (Quick answers–we’ll do more detail at some later date)

Reading something frivolous? Or something serious? Frivolous
Paperbacks? Or hardcovers? Hardbacks
Fiction? Or Nonfiction? Fiction
Poetry? Or Prose? Poetry
Biographies? Or Autobiographies? Autobiographies
History? Or Historical Fiction? Historical Fiction
Series? Or Stand-alones? Both
Classics? Or best-sellers? Best-sellers
Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose? Straight-forward, basic
Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness? Plots
Long books? Or Short? Long
Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated? Non-illustrated
Borrowed? Or Owned? Borrowed
New? Or Used? Used


Book Worm.....

Today I grabbed our little local newspaper and while the london broil was defrosting in the microwave, I decided to take 10 minutes and browse through it.

I found this great article called "Book Worm" by Dr. Harry Silcox. He's a local historian for my area of Philadelphia and writes a few articles for the newpaper about historical places in my area of Philadelphia. I love his article. And I knew I was going to love this week's story just based on the title.

Turns out it's a great historical story about our library system and how it was founded by Ben Franklin and a few other men. One thing that was neat was the fact that the men who were a big part in our libraries here have streets named after them right in our area. One of the names is the street that's right at my corner. I never thought about how some of the streets were named but when I started reading the names, it clicked and I just thought that was cool!

Here's the article! Hope it doesn't bore you! One thing I thought was really cool was how people carried 4,000 books 4 blocks to the new library! And that's the library I go to today. I grew up in Tacony and I go to the Holmsburg branch since it's about 5 blocks from my house!

I just loved this article! I could just picture the people of the times and how it must have been to be there for the beginning of libraries! How cool was that! I hope you enjoy it too!


Book Worms
Living in the Past
By Dr. Harry C. Silcox
For the Times
he history of libraries in the United States tells much about the intellectual development of the nation. When settlers arrived in America in the 17th century, they carried few books besides the Bible. The primitiveness of the new frontier forced them to bring only essential items like household utilities, tools for cutting trees, and seeds for growing food.
Recognizing a need for discussions and books, no less a man than Benjamin Franklin organized a group of men into a "junto," or a select group. They met weekly during the 1730s to discuss the events of the day in Philadelphia.
It was not long before they became frustrated by the few books available. To solve the problem, Franklin proposed the first library in the colonies. His concept was simple: Each member would pay a monthly fee for books to be purchased in Europe and brought to Philadelphia to become part of a "Library Company." Any book could then be borrowed for a week at a time by any contributing member.
This lending library, available only to a wealthy few, set a pattern for early libraries in this country.
The first local community to imitate Franklin's library company was in Northeast Philadelphia. In 1794, a meeting was held at the Byberry School House for citizens who'd previously met to organize the school. They resolved to use their influence "to promote a library in Byberry." It was decided to immediately open such a library in the home of Ezra Townsend of Bensalem.
By December of that year, a constitution was adopted and signed by 29 residents of the area. Among them were names still familiar to us today as street names in Byberry: Ezra Townsend, John Comly and Paul Knight. In 1798, the library was moved from Townsend's residence to the schoolhouse. In 1799, the rules were revised to allow the community greater access to the books.
This system lasted until 1916, when books were transferred to Joshua Gilbert's store during rebuilding of the schoolhouse. The work was completed in 1918, and the books have remained there ever since.
Although the library contained only 3,000 volumes, the collection was carefully chosen to encompass history, poetry, science, literature and art. Works by Prescott, Bancroft, Bryce, Lord Bacon, Kingsley, Emerson and Carlyle were all to be found in the library, quite a feat for this small, isolated farm community removed from city life.
The library was so successful that local leader Nathan Middleton and his friends set up a fund, the interest from which provided money to buy books each year, thus freeing the original stockholders from any annual payment.
Closely tied to the library was the Byberry Philosophical Society, which met and housed its collection in the same room. The society was formed in 1829 for "the acquisition and promotion of scientific knowledge," and its minutes show that it was at one time actively engaged in scientific investigations and acquiring Native American artifacts.
Many of the birds and animals still in the collection were mounted by Charles Comly and Dr. Isaac Comly, both skilled taxidermists of that time. Isaac Comly later wrote a history of Byberry that formed the basis of Joseph C. Martindale's book on the area, A History of Byberry and Moreland.
The large collection of waterfowl is still in the library and was a gift of Nathan Middleton. An additional case of animals and birds was the gift of Isaac Comly's wife Elizabeth. Near the library was Thomas Shallcross' home, "The Pines." His love of learning and his position as president of the Twenty-Third Ward School and membership on the Philadelphia School Board made him a primary supporter of educational opportunities in Byberry. A public school bearing his name remains in the community to this very day.
A second library was formed in Northeast Philadelphia in 1823 when a group of civic-minded men met in Holmesburg. Benjamin F. Crispin, Jonathon Rowland and Dr. W. Scott Hendrie formed a lending library to be housed in Hendrie's house. Hendrie lived next to a Methodist Episcopal church near the center of town, and his informal library was well-known to the better-educated families.
Hendrie was an Army surgeon and a colonel in a regiment of local Pennsylvania volunteers. He had a large practice and was extremely popular in Holmesburg. Through his efforts, a large number of books were collected - a collection that officially became the Holmesburg Library in 1867.
Because of his active interest in village improvements, Hendrie became the first president of the library. With full support from its owner, Benjamin Crispin, the books were moved that same year to the newly opened "Athenaeum" building on Frankford Avenue.
An early report by Hendrie showed that the library contained 2,000 books on shelves; there were 6,000 book borrowings over the course of a year. When Hendrie died in the late 1860s, Crispin became library president; the librarian was J. Edger Morrison, who lived nearby.
In 1880, the Holmesburg Library was formally recognized by the Trustees of the Lower Dublin Academy, which promised continual financial support. The trustee minutes indicate that $300 was contributed yearly to buy new books.
The Athenaeum building remained the home of the Holmesburg Library until 1906, when a grant from philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie built the library that has stood at Hartel Street and Frankford Avenue. The Lower Dublin trustees purchased the ground to fulfill Carnegie's requirement that land be provided to obtain his construction grant.
On the day the books were moved, more than 100 Holmesburg residents arrived at the Athenaeum to carry 4,000 books four blocks to the new library on Hartel Street. This festive and happy day of work assured that books would continue to be available to the community.
Frankford was the largest community in Northeast Philadelphia at the time and also developed a library. The earliest record of a Frankford library appeared in an 1831 article about a group of citizens who spoke of sharing their book collections.
When Joseph Wright built the Wright's Institute in 1854, he provided space for a library room "with heat and light to be used perpetually as a reading room and library." Located at Griscom and Unity streets, the library remained in the Frankford community until the Wright Institute closed in the 20th century and a public library was built.
The only other early library in Northeast Philadelphia was established in Tacony. The first thoughts of a public library for the neighborhood surfaced in 1876, when a public meeting led to formation of the Keystone Scientific and Literary Association on Oct. 24. Meetings were held weekly and featured debates, recitations and readings.
The group met in the original schoolhouse at State Road and Longshore Avenue. Nothing was done to formally establish a library until January 1877, when a committee was appointed to prepare a circular to solicit money and books, as well as to procure a room with lighting fixtures for night reading.
On Feb. 6, 1877, the first book was presented to the group - along with $40.50 that was used to purchase 78 books. The library officially opened in the school on March 6, 1877. This room served as Tacony's library until Jan. 1, 1880, when the library was moved to the Community Hall and New Era newspaper building on State Road.
The Tacony Literary and Library Association then applied for and received a charter from the U. S. Congress. On April 30, 1884, the Keystone Scientific and Literary Association was dissolved and its books were transferred to the newly chartered Tacony Library. The inventory boasted 1,284 books.
When the Henry Disston Saw Works contributed money and promised continued support, the library was renamed the Disston Library and Free Reading Room. Disston rented the third-floor rear room in the Tacony Music Hall for the library. With its high ceilings, stately appearance and easy access, the space was ideal. In 1893, the number of books in the library increased to more than 3,000, leading to the acquisition of space in the bank building at Longshore Avenue and Tulip Street.
In 1906, a Carnegie grant was obtained to build a library on land donated by the Mary Disston Estate. The site at Knorr Street and Torresdale Avenue yet again encouraged a community to turn out and walk the books one pile at a time to the new library.
Northeast Philadelphia's early efforts to develop libraries came from within each community. Long before any City of Philadelphia initiatives, the Quakers in Byberry, the wealthy, civic-minded citizens of Holmesburg and the industrialists of Tacony and Frankford established the blueprints for libraries in their communities, with the support to ensure their growth.
While the Carnegie grants at the turn of the century were instrumental in the establishment of libraries in Holmesburg and Tacony, clearly Northeast communities were already committed to the idea of having libraries, a home for books available to all.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Some old....some new.....

As I type this, my two sons, ages 15 and 12, are home watching Harry Potter #4. They've been watching the Potter movies all week together, getting caught up so that they can go see the new one that is out. Honestly, I can't remember a thing from the books and I haven't read them in years. I used to read them with my oldest. We read them passionately! I did voices and was very dramatic in my readings. I remember J was in first grade when we started and he was hooked right away. By the time book three rolled around, he took the book from me and told me he was going to read it on his own because I was only doing a chapter or two a night and I just wasn't fast enough for him. I think that book three was the last one I read and I can't even honestly tell you which one it was or what it was about. Which makes me think that I should start all over from book one.

Or I could just watch the movies.

I know I know, I'd miss a lot. I'm usually the one saying that, "Read the book, it's always so much better and you miss a lot if you don't read the book first". There are a lot of movies I haven't seen because I have the book. I won't watch until I read the book.

But I really want to see the Potter movie and I know there is no one on earth that I'm going to get all those books done in any kind of timely fashion WHATSOEVER! So I am going to cheat and watch the movies. But I will go back and read all the books because I know I'll enjoy the books just as much as the movies with this series!

Speaking of series, I'm almost done Undone by Karin Slaughter. I'll actually be done it by the time I leave work at 6 AM. It's a good one and I love this series. I love these characters. And I'm not a patient person so waiting for the next book is going to kill me. Why can't authors release a book every 6 months when they do a series? Is that really asking too much?

I guess that means I'll be starting a new book tomorrow morning to help me doze off. I'm thinking I'll start The Last Child by John Hart. I've seen some good reviews for this book so I'm looking forward to getting into it!
And last but not least, thank you to my friend Karen at http://karenintx.blogspot.com/ for my new pretty tag!


Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Every day!

Every day I drive my son to work and I drive right past the Starbucks that they just built. Every day there are people sitting outside, sipping their drinks, relaxing with their books or laptops. Every day I think, that just looks so relaxing.

I'm not a big coffee drinker but I'm sure I could find something on their menu to make me happy. I would love to do that some day. Just stop in, get a drink, go out on the patio and pull out my book, prop up my feet and chill.

In theory, it sounds heavenly. In my head I'd be thinking, I could do this at home and then I'd be there when the dryer goes off, be able to throw another load into the washer. I'm sure my mind would wonder. I'd be looking around at the cars that drive by. I'd start wondering, thinking of all the things I should be doing instead. I'd notice that one of the cars has a light out. I need to get a headlight for my truck. I'd be wishing I had my camera to get some pictures of things, like the plane taking off from the airport next to the Starbucks. I would love to get a shot of that huge flag on the car dealership. I need to run to school and pay the tuiton. I need to get to the credit union, stop at Walmart and hit the grocery store for dinner. I could be doing a mile on the treadmill or some time on the elipitical. I could be catching up with my shows on demand. Or I could be going back to bed since I only got 4 hours of sleep before I took the kid to work!

I just can't seem to be able to just sit and relax like I see these people doing. I just lack the discipline to just sit there and do one thing. I really wish I could because it just looks so lovely!
I missed some great shots today because I didn't think to take my camera with me when I went to pick up J at work. I could kick myself. Of course when I take it with me tomorrow, there won't be anything exciting to take pictures of. That always happens!

I did manage to get a mile done on the treadmill today! I really think I'm going to do a few more days of a mile and then bump it up. It's only taking me 20 minutes to do the mile. Time to step it up a little!

I'm still reading Undone by Karin Slaughter. It's really good and part of me wants to savor it because it's going to be a while till the next book in the series. The other part wants to rip through it and see where some of these characters are going! I'll be done by this weekend hopefully! That's if I stop falling asleep while I'm reading. I have a few other books on the back burner that I want to get to soon too.

Off to read my book! TTFN!

Monday, July 20, 2009

It's Monday.....

and it's back to the routine!

J is back to work. This is his third week at this job and he got his first pay check on Friday. They hold one week so it was a one week check. He's a happy camper. We're going to the credit union today and we are getting him his own bank account. He actually has one account that I'm the custodian on but he's not getting his hands on that money yet. He's going to learn how to budget his money and keep his account.

It's funny how kids think of things. They told him they were going to pay him "every other week", so he thought he was only getting paid for every other week. And then they told him they hold one week's pay and he thought he wasn't going to see that week ever again. They'll give it to him at the end of the work program since it's a 6 week program. I'm assuming they do that because they want to make sure they keep them for the full 6 weeks. J has already decided he likes the idea of having money so he is going to start looking for another job after he gets back to school and knows his schedule.

I'm looking forward to those few weeks after his work program is done and we can get back to the summer routine! I miss sleeping in. This sleeping for 4 hours, getting up and driving him in, then going back for 3 hours and getting up to get him stinks. It's really a shame he didn't get a closer job that he could ride his bike to. He loves riding that thing and would do it to save me the trouble in a heartbeat. I don't mind, I have the peace of mind knowing that he's there and safe. But there are days when I'm dragging. And before you know it, the school year will be here so there won't be much down time then either.

My other son G was talking to me Saturday night when I picked him up at his friend's house. He wanted to know if I thought he was too young to go on a date. Well, he's going to be 13 in September and he's a very mature 12. Do I think he should be "dating"? No. But I'm willing to be that's not what he wanted to hear. He wants to ask this girl that he's friendly with to go to the movies some time. He's another one that needs a J-O-B. I told him to feel things out with the girl first and he needs to find out if she's allowed to "date". Of course I'll be the one driving to and from the date so I know there won't be too much going on during this "date". Let's see if he gets the nerve up to talk to her about it and actually ask her. It might actually take till he's 13 to do all that!

Oh they joys of motherhood! Life was so much easier when they were toddlers!!
Happy Monday! Hope it's a good week for you!

In my little world.....

It's still Sunday! So this counts for Sunday.

And since I'm in a really lousy mood, it would be wise to just go along with me.

The weekend was good but way too fast as usual! Why is it that I'm always wishing my week away just to get to the weekend and then poof, it's gone!

I had a great Saturday out with my oldest son. Both of the other kids went to their friends houses so it was just J & me. He made me do my workout, pushed me when I was dying, but it was good and I felt great. We decided to get out of the house for a few hours and went to.......Barnes & Noble. Where else? But we went to a different one than we usually do. It's a little further and much bigger. We had a good time together and the time spent talking was wonderful. I really love that we have that kind of relationship. He's 15 and he doesn't mind being with mom. We both have friends that don't have those relationships and we see how some of his friends are to their moms. It's a shame, they are missing out really!

I only got a bookmarker, of course. J wound up with a book, a cute lefthanded book, a bookmarker and an owl for his collection. Kind of belated birthday gifts from Mom. Which reminds me, I have to write in the front of his book. I usually write a little something inside when I give him a book. I enjoy it and I think he looks forward to reading what I have to say about him. Hopefully, years from now he'll look back and enjoy those little notes!

That was about it for the excitment on the weekend. The rest was spent relaxing, cleaning up, doing wash, organizing, shopping, and just the basic catching up on things.

And I look forward to this every week!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Getting started....

that's half the battle for me! But I've made the decision that I'm getting my butt in gear. I am going to start working out, exercising and doing whatever it takes. I'm not going to say I'm dieting. I will say that I'm going to eat better and smarter. I'm not going to deprive myself. I'm going be better to myself.

I started today by going on the treadmill for 1 mile already. I'm going to do 15 minutes on my eliptical and then later tonight I'm going to do another mile on the treadmill. It's going to be easier for me to workout on the weekends since my work/sleep schedule is insane during the week.

But I'm going to try harder and make a point to do this for myself. I have a great motivator too. My oldest son has decided to be my "trainer". He sits behind me and cheers me on. I told him if he was going to be supportive, he should be on the eliptical next to me while I'm on the treadmill instead of sitting on my bed with his laptop. I guess he could be sitting there eating cookies while he IMs with friends, really making me jealous!

Well, it's time to get off her and hit the eliptical. If I don't blog tomorrow, call 911!

Friday, July 17, 2009

It's not easy.....

to give up this control thing I have. I like things done a certain way.

Since my oldest got a job and my other son has been making money working with dad, that left my daughter feeling like a bum. So I told her she could do chores and get paid. I've tried this before and they very nicely told me they didn't need the money that bad. Don't get me wrong, they'll help out with anything that I ask but they never really did big chores regularly. Now the girl has some work she has to do each week. I told her a dollar a chore. She fell for it! So if she mops the kitchen floor....$1. Vacuums.....$1. Dusts......$1. She's up to $5 this week. I'm liking this! I might even tip her!

Now I see why the kids would sit and watch me do all the work, it's kind of fun to watch someone else doing all this! If I could just get her to do the laundry, I'd be in heaven!

I have to learn that it doesn't have to be perfect and I will not redo everything after she's done. I'm working on that. Slowly.

I think I'm psychic......

because these things that I talk about keep happening. Like the other day, I said to my son "Have you heard from Kayla?". She's his old girlfriend and they said they were going to stay friends since they only dated a little while and they seemed better friends than anything else. Well, he said nope, probably won't either. Then two days later, she texted him. Now they are talking here and there.

The other day I told m husband that if his sister happens to call about a shower gift for our niece, tell her thank you but I'm getting my own gift. He says what do you mean. I said, I know she's going to call and say she bought a bunch of things for Jess and if I want to go in on things, or buy something she has or if I need a "suggestion", she has some for me. Sure enough, guess who called tonight. I saw the caller ID and said it's your sister and don't forget what I said. She starts talking and he just turns and looks at me. Yep, she had bought several things and didn't know if anyone wanted to go "in on it all" with her. That's when I got the look like how do you do this and then he told her what I said.

I had a serious gut feeling that my friend is having a girl. She had an ultrasound today! I'm not a pink person but I'm tickled pink today. I actually saw something last week at a store and it made me think of her and that's when I just thought she's having a girl.

There are other things that happen that sometimes give me a feeling that I know what's going to happen or I get a feeling that I know what something is about before anyone else tells me.

Now, wouldn't it be wonderful if I could sit and figure out some numbers??? I could really use a little lottery winning right now!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

My "Go To" music.....

Last night I had a really rough meeting with my Mothers Association and it was really upsetting for a few. I hate some of the things that happened but I'm not going to quit. I signed on for President and I'm going to ride it out. I don't like the one change but, I'm just sneaky enough to work around it and make it work for me.

When I got in the truck last night to drive to work after the meeting, I needed to unwind. I went right for my Go To music. It's only a 15 minute drive so I got a couple of songs in. There is nothing like Earth Wind & Fire for me. I love the song September. After that I found my Barry White CD and played a couple of songs. I have my Bon Jovi CDs ready for tonight! They are just some of the songs that I can blast on my way to work and they make me relax, feel good and put me in a happy place! It helped some last night!

It also helps to have a good show to lose yourself in! I'm hooked on Big Brother again this summer! I'm getting to have a few favorites and there are a few that I would hate to be stuck in a house with. I think I'd have to be restrained a few times if I was in there.


To make it even better, I got to curl up with my book which is really good! I'm reading Undone by Karen Slaughter. This book is the long waited #7 of the Grant County series which is one of my all time favorite. What makes it even better is that the Grant County characters meet up with the characters from another of Slaughter's series which I LOVE too! There is just something about Will Trent that melts my heart!! You really get attached to Slaughter's characters. Karin Slaughter also has a great newsletter that she sends out and I love her humor and the simplicity of her newsletter. I bet she would be awesome to hang out with and meet in person. She sounds like a real down to earth kind of person with a dry humor that I love!!

I'm actually looking forward to going to work tonight, getting all my schedules done and then curling up with my book!!


Dirty little secret

My blog is my little secret. I know it's open to the public and a few of my friends have the link and follow, but no one in my family knows about this place. Well, actually, that's a lie. My husband and kids "know" about it, they just don't know how to find it, nor do I think they care to bother.

No one else in my extended family know about this little secret world of mine. I intend to keep it that way. It's my semi private little place. My thinking spot. My thoughtful place.

I was reading a few blogs and saw that a few had told their families about their blog and guess what, no more private little place. That would stink!

Funny, I'd rather have complete strangers read me than family. Wonder why that is? It's not like I go on and on about them and I would be afraid of them reading and finding out what I'm thinking or saying. But I guess it's nice to know that I have a place that I can do that.

It's like having your own place where no one can find you. I kind of like that. If only my life was exciting and I had some juicy stuff to share!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I have this story....

that I tell on July 15th every year. Fifteen years ago, I was laying in a hospital bed. I had an IV of pitocin that wasn't working for anything! I also had the most stubborn baby in the world inside of me.

After midnight, I was just sleeping, or trying to sleep. My husband seemed to be having no problem doing just that in that big comfy lounge chair they brought him. His belly was full and he was done for the night.

As I drifted in and out of my light sleep, I kept hearing this awful noise, this loud crashing noise. It seems that after midnight is the absolute best time to change flourescent lightbulbs in a hospital hallway on the maternity ward. And so not to tire himself out too much, the dear gentleman that was doing this task decided that instead of going up and down the ladder, it was much easier to "throw" the old bulbs into the empty trash can in the middle of the hallway. What a lovely sound, those crashing, breaking, shattering light bulbs made. One I'll never forget, not even 15 years later.

My darling baby boy did not seem to be annoyed by the noise at all. He stayed put, all snuggly warm, right where he was. He didn't seem to care that people were trying to poke at him, or giving me medicine that would make him come faster. He figured if he just ignored, they would leave him alone.

He decided that if anyone wanted him, they would have to come and get him and he would not be happy when they did. He would have to be pulled out of this wonderful place and he would do so with the loudest of cries, kicking and screaming the whole time.

I went in at noon on July 14, 1994 and did not get to hold my sweet baby boy until 6:06PM on July 15, 1994 after my c-section. He wasn't going to make any of this easy!
I try not to mention too many times that his due date was July 1, 1994. I try not to bore him with the details of the worker in the hallway but it never fails that I manage to tell the story every year. I feel it's my right. I lived through it, like a warrior! It didn't kill me, only made me stronger! I am woman!

So, Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy! I remember every minute of that day like it was yesterday! I love you! Hugs and kisses!






Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Whatcha readin'?

This morning while I was tossing and turning in bed, I managed to finally finish my current read. I finished Judas Child by Carol O'Connell. It was taking me way too long to read this book. It's not that it wasn't good, it actually was very good, but for some reason, I just didn't have my reading groove on. Like I said, it's a very good book and probably would have been much better if I had read it faster without so much time in between picking it up and reading it. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good mystery/suspense type book. I also really liked Carol O'Connell's Bone by Bone.

And since I was such a good girl and finished my book, I got to start a new one today! I'm already about 50 pages into it too. I started Undone by Karin Slaughter. I'm a huge Slaughter fan and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one and dive in. Of course, I'm hooked! I think I'm going to enjoy this one by her and I can't wait for some reading time this weekend on the deck!

So what books are you reading this week? I'd love to hear!


Monday, July 13, 2009

Are there words....

that you just don't like or can't stand?

I hate the word purse. I never use it. I say pocketbook. And no I don't know why it's called a pocketbook. The one I use is much bigger than a pocket and sometimes I carry a book in it but not always because it normally has a ton of other junk in it.

But I refuse to use the word purse. It annoys me.

Another word that annoys me is recipe. It's just the way people say it. I'm not a big fan of cooking and have no need whatsoever for recipes. The word annoys me.

And of course I get an email from my sister in law and the subject line says "Recipes". I immediately roll my eyes. Ok, this better not be an email with recipes in them. It's not. It's an email telling me that I need to print out one of my favorite recipes and bring it to the shower for my niece. Wonderful! Did I mention I'm not one of those people who has "recipes". I have cookbooks. I think they look adorable on the shelves in my kitchen. But they are decorations to me. I guess I could crack one open and make a photocopy on cute little paper. Maybe I'll even add a little note saying "Oh this was always one of my favorites and it's so yummy!"
Or maybe not.


I just can't help it......

and no matter how hard I try and how many times I swear, I do it anyway. I find another book to add to my pile, to my list, to my reserves at the library.

I'm about 25 pages away from finally finishing Judas Child by Carol O'Connell. Pretty good book but I liked Bone by Bone much better.

I was at the library the other day dropping V off for her summer science program and I noticed this trilogy by Heather Graham. I grabbed it because I thought for sure my other books wouldn't be in and I hate leaving the library without a book. Well, my one book was in so I left with four!

Then my other book comes in on Friday and how can I just leave it there waiting for me? I had to get it.

And I keep reading these book blogs! Why does everyone have to keep reviewing books that look so great? It's not easy saying no. So I reserved The Castaways that I keep seeing reviewed on blogs.

I've come to the realization that I'm a junkie. I can't say no. I have no self control.

I can live with that!

Scent of a Woman.....

I'm in heaven again! I had been without my favorite perfume for a little over a week. Every store I tried was either out of it or it was locked up and I couldn't find anyone with the key. Gotta love Walmart!

But finally, my husband came home yesterday and said hello and you're welcome! Ahhhhh......my perfume!

I had been trying the other perfumes that I have on my dresser that have been there for years. Some of which I really think I'm going to throw away! I couldn't stand the smell of myself yesterday and I had on Oscar! I bet I've had that one for at least 10 years. I did try Sunflowers one day. It was just okay. I know I've had that one for 14 years. J was in the hospital when he was a baby and one of the nurses had it on. I liked it and bought it. Yeah, 14 years that's been sitting there. I had a few Avon perfumes from when I sold Avon, oh like, before I was married. I've been married for almost 18 years. Guess I should let them go too. You would think after having them that long and moving 3 times, they would have been pitched years ago. Not by this pack rat though!

So, I'm back to my old faithful tried and true perfume...Jovan White Musk! I think next time I'm at Walmart I'll grab a few more bottles just so I don't go through this depressing withdrawl again!




Sunday, July 12, 2009

Driving Pet Peeves......

Okay people, what gives! Why do you have to do stupid things when you are operating the largest piece of machinery that you are going to be responsible for ALLLLL day? Would it kill you to pay attention? Maybe not talk to your BFF for a few? Look both ways? Actually do what the big octagon sign says? Is it really that hard for you??

My Peeves:

1. When you are driving, pay attention to those lines on the road. Don't cross them just because you have a phone in your hand and tilt your pretty little head to the side with the phone.

2. Those pretty red octagon shaped signs are for you. You should read and heed them. Pay attention to the traffic coming and if you don't see one of those pretty red signs on their corner, wait. Waiting won't kill you, going just might!

3. I know the girl on the corner has a might fine looking buttocks. I realize that if she is one the right, it's hard to pay attention to the vehicle on the left. But honestly, she's not looking for a 60 yr old man with no hair. Sorry sailor!

4. People who double park right next to a parking space, what is your problem? Are you really that lazy? Or is it just that you can't figure out how to get the rectangle shape into the rectangle hole?

5. And those people who are going to give the parking thing a shot, I strongly recommend putting the phone down cause it's like kinda like hard to turn the wheel with the phone under your one ear and the ciggy dangling from your mouth. Give it a shot sunshine!

6. I'd like to review this one more time. When the little blinky arrow is on the left, you have to turn left and when the little blinky arrow is on the right, you turn right. Maybe if you mark the tops of your hands BEFORE you leave the house, you won't have trouble with which is left and which is right. Good luck with that!

7. Why in the world does anyone have to take 6 small children in a car with them and pile them all into the backseat without seat belts? Where are you going? Do you really not love them that much that you'll just throw them into the back seat with no belts and take that chance?

Okay, I'm done for now. But that doesn't mean I won't be back! I might just be picking up the kids from the mall and that's a whole 'nother driving experience!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

New finds....

are always awesome! No this is not another book/purple/pocketbook/book marker post by me.

I found a new blog and I just wanted to share with everyone if you are looking for someone new to read. First of all, this looks like a great book blog. I haven't played on there a lot yet, I'm saving it for a night at work. Second, you have to love a blog that plays the ocean in the background for you. I actually left her blog running while I was typing just so I could hear the ocean! It's heavenly!!

So here, enjoy..........
http://ilratb.blogspot.com/

Thank you!!!

I can never thank my great friend Karen from http://karenintx.blogspot.com/ for her fabulous graphics! She always makes me the best tags and siggys. She is soooo incredibly talented with her tags and siggys. She made my night tonight with my new little queen up there on my blog! That little girl looks just like me!

Thank you so much Karen! You always make the best gifts for me!

Check out Karen's site where she has grab its all the time. You might find something fabulous for your blog too!

I could never be in a book club......


I've even thought about starting a book club with a few of the girls I know from different groups at school. I've looked up things on line and saved links another friend sent me about book clubs. I think they sound wonderful, fun and interesting!


I just can't see myself reading a book that "I" really didn't want to read. And I can't see myself having the dedication to it. I'd go to the meeting, I wouldn't miss the social aspect of a book club for anything. I think it would be fun to get together with some friends every week or so. I just think I would get too easily distracted by other books. I'd be reading the book assigned and then something on my hold list would come in from the library and I'm not disciplined enough to put that book that I've been dying for on hold. I'm just not that mature. I'd want to dive into that new book, knowing I only have it for 3 weeks.

Another reason would be that I know I wouldn't like some of the books picked and I'm a baby. I only like to read what I like. Very mature I know. But at least I know I should not join a group that would want to me be mature and read books that just don't interest me. I can hear you now, telling me that if I just tried these books, I would love them. And I'm sure I would BUT, I would want to try them because I wanted to not because I had to. I know it sounds stupid. I read to escape, to get taken away, to fill the boredom and help me relax. If I had to read a serious book, something with a deep subject, that would take away from what I really want the book to do for me.

Basically, it all comes down to the part where I don't like to be told what to do. How mature is that!

Maybe I'll start my own kind of book club. You throw out different books and if anyone wants to read them fine, if not, fine, just come to the meeting, bring a really good appetizer and BAM, you're in my book club!




Friday, July 10, 2009

My sweet surprise!

I was just sitting in the kitchen with my laptop, bored and thought maybe I'll check the library website. I have 2 books on hold but I was pretty sure neither were going to be in because the first one isn't out till the 12th and the other one isn't out till August.

Well imagine my sweet surprise when I see that my book is in!!! I threw on my shoes and got V to come with me to run in and grab it for me. I hadn't gotten a shower yet and my hair was up in a clip. Besides, V had a few books she needed to return too.

I got my hands on Undone by Karin Slaughter. And it's such a gorgeous book! It's purple! I can't wait to dive into it but I'm making myself finish my current read since I only have about 100 pages left. I really need to read 2 other books that I have from the library too that might now be renewable. I really need to get reading!!!
The only thing that would make it better was if I had a purple book marker. I just haven't been able to find one. Might be time to make myself one!
Well, Friday is over! It was a really good week. My oldest son, J, started his job this week. He actually really likes it so that's a huge plus! He got a job through this work program at one of the schools and he's a classroom assistant at a place that has a summer daycare/camp for special needs children. He's been working in a room with only 2 kids, which he says he can't tell that they have any special needs. They just seem like sweet, cute little kids. They just basically watch the kids and play with them. He's been having a blast and it seems like a couple of the kids are really liking him. Hey, who doesn't like a big kid who brings in his old Transformer toys that he used to play with when he was little. He was the bomb with that one. He even got a picture that one of the boys drew for him. It was so cute!
My other son went to work with Dad for a few days and I'm pretty sure he's decided that he's going to college and getting a killer degree where he'll never have to do manual labor again! But hey, he made a few bucks so he's happy!
My daughter V had her Summer Science Program at the library this week. She was in heaven. It was 2 days of Oceanology! Right up her alley! She took her Mermaid Purses that she found on the beach last week and showed off all her knowledge of the ocean and it's creatures. I think she would have loved to take over the class. Tonight she was on the deck with me, wearing her goggles, rubber gloves and using her instruments to study and research all her shells and doing some experiments that were in the workbook they got from the class. I got a couple of pics that I have to get off the camera later.
All in all, it was another really good week!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

A big thank you to my friend Cyndy at http://luvmydoxies.blogspot.com/ for the lovely award!

There are rules for this award as well:
1. Post a funny or sweet keepsake that tells something about myself.
2. Pass the award on to 10 other bloggers that I think are keepers.




So here's my keepsake. It's actually an area in my bedroom. We have a very large & deep window sill and on there I keep several things that really mean something to me. I have things there that the kids bought me when they were little and did Secret Santa Shopping at their school Christmas party. I have my beautiful bell from Jerry that he couldn't wait to give me so he gave me clues like, it's blue, you can ring it like this, it makes a sound and begins with the letter B, my wind up Bengals helmut head that Gregory gave me because "I thought it would make you smile"and it does every time I look at it. I have my beautiful castle that Victoria made me from clay, my dragon that Jerry made from clay one year and the different poems Greg wrote for me. Just all the cute things that I can look over at and remember, which always brings a smile to me when I'm needing it!

I really need to take a good picture of it this weekend so I'll always have it with me!
My other Keepsake that I really love is my digital photo key chain. I really wanted one and the boys got it for me for my birthday. Of course they found me the purple one and won me over! I really need to add some new pics to it this weekend since I have some great ones from the shore.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

"Waiting On" Wednesday.....


I have some good ones that I'm waiting on too! My first waiting on is Undone by Karin Slaughter. I believe the release date is July 12th and I'm first on the library reserve list for it! I can't wait until they get it and I can dive into it.


My other big waiting on is Fear The Worst by Linwood Barclay. That's not being released until August. I'm first on the library reserve list for that one too! I'm so excited!

I need to get my butt in gear and get some other books that I have from the library done too. I have Best Intentions by Emily Listfield, The Last Child by John Hart and I'm almost done Judas Child by Carol O'Connell. I think I'm going to return Girls from Ames and get it out again later when I don't have so much to read. I waited so long for that one but it will still be there in a few weeks.

Besides Waiting On books, I'm really waiting on Big Brother's return to TV this week! I love some of these reality TV shows and it really helps pass the time at work when I have them to watch on line. The Bachelorette and Big Brother are my summer guilty pleasures.

We're also waiting on a big event for Sassy! Back at the end of school, they told the kids about a summer program that the library runs. Every year they have the Summer Science program. A few times she was interested but by the time we found out about it, the program was full. So this year she heard about it in school and we went THAT DAY to sign up. This year's program is about Oceanography, which made it even more of a must do! Sassy has always told me she's going to be a Marine Biologist when she grows up. So this was right up her alley this year. The big day for the program is Thursday and Friday! Last week she checked out 14 different ocean, shells, reef, and coral books just so she'd be "prepared". Her brother found her a really cool Mermaid's Purse while we were on the beach and she brought it home to share with the class. She did a little research on line about the Mermaid's Purse too so she would really know what she was talking about when she brought in her show and tell. She asked the librarian if she could bring her digital camera to take some pictures of whatever the instructor brings in too. This should be interesting!

Can't wait for everything to happen!!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Am I?

Am I the only one in the entire world that didn't watch Michael Jackson's funeral today? To tell you the truth, I didn't even know it was on. I didn't have the TV on all day. I was sleeping here and there during the day since I had to get J to work and in between driving and sleeping I was throwing in loads of wash, still unpacking from the shore and cleaning up. I didn't have the time during my busy day to watch the funeral.

Am I the only one that gets annoyed when people drive stupidly because they are so interested and invested in their cell phone conversation that they don't realize that they are veering to the left, over the yellow lines? Or that their speed drops drastically because they don't realize they were driving instead of sitting on their couch, all because they are having an intense cell phone conversation?

Am I the only one that notices that more and more men are driving around talking on the cell phone? When did men talking on the phone become so popular and cool? And who are they talking to? Don't their friends, buddies, pals, have to work?

Am I the only one that thinks all these "stars", these celebrities and the hype that goes with them is a load of crap? I get that these people do a lot of good but if they didn't make some of these really bad choices and decisions, maybe they'd still be around to be doing good.
Am I the only one who would rather be curled up with a book that watching all this coverage on TV?
Probably. But so be it!


Monday, July 6, 2009

Special moments.....


I'm not a morning person. I work the third shift and I got to bed in the morning. On my nights off, I have a hard time sleeping so I like to sleep in late. When I see the sunrise, I think cool, time to go home. I do not see nor do I want to see the sunrise on the weekends.

That's why when my daugther asked if we could get up early on Sunday morning to see the sunrise, I almost cried. I knew we were going to get to bed late on Saturday night after the fireworks and I knew I was going to have a little trouble sleeping in that strange small bed. I knew I did not want to get out of bed at 5AM to see the sunrise.

But I knew I couldn't let this special moment pass. How could I deprive my daughter of seeing the beautiful sunrise on the beach? You have to experience the sunrise on the beach at least once in your life. It's one thing to see the sunrise over your house or in your area but it's a completely different sunrise when you see it coming up over the ocean. It's just breath taking. And I didn't want to deprive her of a breath taking moment.

When I rolled over and saw the light was starting to come through the window and then noticed the clock said 5:19AM I seriously thought about telling her I slept through it and we missed it. Then I thought about a few things, a few people, and I just thought I need to do this. I really wanted to be there with my daugther and see the sunrise. I wanted to share her first sunrise on the beach with her!

I'm so glad I did!