Tuesday, September 30, 2003

A VERY LAZY MONDAY

Monday is over and I really had not noticed. Boy was I ever lazy today. I just have not been feeling up to par and the minute my body felt like sleeping I indulged it. It was wonderful. Just to relax and vegetate in front of the T.V. or sleep. I watched all kinds of fun programs and just enjoyed the laziness of the day. I think everyone should have one of these days... just every so often to do absolutely nothing and vegetate... no deadlines, no stress, no phone calls...just relax and let your mind relax. I know many people who cannot do that.... they have to keep so very busy otherwise they fall apart... Thank God I do not have to be that way...I used to.... but when the stress gets so bad that it overtakes your life, thinking and personality it is time to re-evaluate and try something else. Life is way too short not to take a day just to do nothing...no don't even clean the house or make the bed...just keep on your most comfortable clothes and enjoy doing nothing. I am getting to the point where not feeling well is pushing closer and closer to that edge.... I am so SICK AND TIRED of being SICK AND TIRED.... I do not remember what it was like to be well at this point... so I guess I have alot of those lazy days... it is better for my emotional well being to think of them as lazy days rather than getting sick again... trying to stay on an up note here. Take a Lazy Day for yourself...just do not wait until you are sick to do it...Trust me....PEACE!!!!!

Sunday, September 28, 2003

A DAY OF CELEBRATION-I AM A GRANDMA

YES!!!!!!! You read it right-----I am a grandmother------

Name: Jazmyne Leigh

Born: September 25th 2003 at 3:22pm

Weight: 6lbs 3ozs

Length: 18 1/2 inches

Baby..Mommy...Daddy--all doing GREAT!!!!!

JUST HAD TO SHARE THE EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!

Welcome Jazmyne!!!!!

Saturday, September 27, 2003

ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Yesterday was quite an eye opener for me. I was so honored to be chosen as the editor's #1 pick and thrilled that so many people checked out my journal...after all it is here for anyone to look at and walk away with something. I was not ready to receive some WONDERFUL touching emails from people that actually told me that my journal meant so much to them, or that my journal really touched them so much that it inspired them to start a journal of their own. WOWOW!!! That is probably the highest compliment I could have ever received. Imagine-my simple no nothing journal that I just get to say what is on my mind and how I feel about things and my perspective on life actually inspires another human being. I have always believed in the philosophy that one person can make a difference. I used to teach youthful offenders that were in the state prison that they had the ability to change the world around them...that it only takes one person...and sure enough my own philosophy has come back to me to prove me right. It is so surreal for me-and simple words just cannot explain the feeling that words-just my words-can make others feel inspired enough to do something positive. That is so AWESOME. I printed out those emails to save in my scrapbook just so I know that my life is worth something. I think every once in a while everyone needs to feel that way-that we make a difference to the people around us whether or not we know them. As crazy as it may seem this journal really has brought a new meaning to my life-a new purpose of sorts that I plan on cherishing. I know that may sound mellow-dramatic but like I said simple words really cannot describe that feeling. Keeping this journal and creating things in my paint shop pro program are such stress relievers and I think worth every second spent on them. I love to create and make sig tags and such for others-because it makes them feel good and special. So now my journal does too- that is tremendous in my world. Well just wanted to share that tidbit with everyone..I hope you truly know that YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE- with words you say, things you do, comments you write, well you get the idea....PEACE!!!!!

Friday, September 26, 2003

#1 EDITOR'S PICK

WOWOWOW!!!!! What a wonderful surprise to click on the link to the main page for journals to see my face plastered there as the editor's number one choice for today! How awesome is that. I am so very very excited and so very thankful to AOL and the editors that picked me, words seem to escape me at this point. I am also so grateful to all those members that have come and checked out my journal and even left comments. It is wonderful. This was a GREAT surprise of which I will remember for a very long time. I will really wish I knew how the editor's came to their decision...I really did not think I had anything special going here...other than sharing my thoughts and my opinions. I did receive an email about 10 days or so ago that I was being considered for it...but never imagined that I would actually get picked... WOW...I know I will keep up with my journal...it seems the majority of people really liked it and liked the things I had to say..which really touches my heart. This really brought up my spirits....If you do check out my journal PLEASE leave a comment with the url for your journal...I think I am going to start sharing links to other journals that also touch my heart or have decent things to say...it is only fair to share and share alike.... so if anyone wants to exchange links-definitely let me know...Well just quickly-the weekend is finally here..again my kids all have plans of their own so I guess that gives me time to work on puter stuff that I have been putting off..like updating my websites and such.... it is suppose to rain all weekend so it is the perfect time to play inside!!! AGAIN thanks aol and you Editors for picking my journal-I am truly honored...PEACE!!!!

FRIDAY HAS COME QUICK

Yes I disappearred for a couple of days...have been quite sick and still trying to recover...kidney infections are not something I wish on anyone...very painful. But I think the worst of it is over. Other than that, it has been a typical week in our merry lil household. Kids busy doing their own things, zoo causing chaos in the house, and hunnie and I hiding in the puter room away from everything..LOL. I really look forward to the weather cooling off a bit-the humidity seems to be hanging in the late in the season. It is suppose to rain all weekend long-UGH! Which means the kids will probably be more in the house then out. Have I mentioned yet that now both my sons have their driver's license. One son has had it since august but the other one just got it two days ago. Lordy watch out on those roads. I will say that both boys think our vechicles are their pleasure to drive in-I DON'T THINK SO!!! It has come as a shock to both of them-however these are also the two that have a couple of cars each sitting in my yard...now it seems it is not so much fun having a vechicle and working on it and pouring money into it when there are other vechicles that run perfectly-boy were they surprised when their dad and I announced get your own car on the road, register it, get insurance for it and then you will have something to drive. They looked at us like we had 12 heads each- A look only a mother could love-and a lesson they were not ready to learn. Well hopefully this weekend will be a run of the mill weekend...I could sure use the rest. PEACE!!!!!

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

TUESDAY WAS A BUST OR WAS IT

I say that tuesday was a bust because absolutely nothing happened that inspired me to write about it. Just another regular day in the neighborhood. I am sure I have mentioned it before but I am going to mention it again because some good news has arrived in that particular area of my life. I love collecting-collecting alot of things. I just seem to fall in love with something and must have as many about it as possible. I think that makes me an obsessive pack rat. But that is okay, I am quite proud of that title. Well as I have mentioned before I collect business cards, among many other things..I enjoy collecting business cards because it really is a cheap hobby to have. As you go to places you just picked up a business card and add it to your collection. The only thing you have to pay for are the sleeve protectors to put them in for display and a binder to organize those sleeve protectors. I even belong to an official Business Card Collectors Club...it is a wonderful group..we trade business cards and such and share information about unique cards that we come across. My collection is quite small compared to the majority of members but I am happy with my collection. I am what is referred to a general collector because I really have nothing specific that I look for as far as BC cards are concerned. But that is just a personal preference. Well the point of my lil story is that my hunnie met some really cool people from England through a email group he belongs to.... through conversations with them he happened to mention that I collect BC's... he explained my small obsession and they thought that it was quite unique and different. Well they took it one step further and told a friend of theirs that owns a pub (bar) in England and she now has a box on her bar for people to place their business cards in and it is labeled for "An American Collector" yep that is me. Is that so very sweet of them. They also went another step further and have bought a BC album which is decorated with the flag of England to put them all in so that when they have enough cards to fill it they are going to send it to me. WOW!!! I am so touched by their kindness...it just blows me away...People really surprise the daylights out of me. I think it is awesome of them and I am thrilled beyond simple words. I just thought I would share that bit of good news with you all..... PEACE!!!!!!

Monday, September 22, 2003

JUST ANOTHER MONDAY

Well monday has come and gone and no major problems have arisen...Thank God. There was only one major project that had to be tackled and that was to do the brakes on my van. My son Eric got his driver's license in August (UGH!) and now he prefers to drive to high school rather than take the bus...I guess if I were 18 I would want to drive to school also. Growing up the high school was a short walk from our home so there was no way my parents would let me take the car to school. Well it has turned out okay so far because he is very willing to run errands and such and in turn he gets to go to the movies without having his parents drop him off and he gets to go places without waiting on mom and dad...I know that is important to the ego of an 18 year old boy. Well the brakes are now shot in my van...he knew that if he wanted to take my van to school he would have to fix the brakes...it took him a couple of hours but my van now has new brakes..(YEAYEAYEA) The reason for the rose picture is because I needed to look at pure beauty right now...the weather is going crazy here in the sunshine state and plants are slowly withering away...so this rose (that is in the front of my house) just looks so beautiful I had to share it with all of you...I think the pic came out great...I just love digital cameras. The lil one came home with another smilie face, so he got to go bike riding all afternoon and really tired himself out because he crashed by 8:30 tonight. His personality is really coming out and he is one of the funniest lil ones I have ever come across..it has been such a joy in my life to have him around. It is awesome to see the world through his eyes and he is alot sharper then most people give him credit for-it amazes me. I have found being VERY upfront with him and telling him exactly how things are is for the best. Some parents like to shield their child with half truths and answering a question the long way around...but not with him... he knows when someone is bluffing in a way and it really aggravates him. I think that is one of the qualities I like most about him. Well I am glad monday is over and tomorrow is another day to have fun in... PEACE!!!!!  (P.S. enjoy the rose)

Sunday, September 21, 2003

A SEMI-CHAOTIC WEEKEND

Finally the plumbers arrived yesterday to redo our drainage field and the pipes leading to our house. To start off this adventure the dump trucks showed up with piles and piles of different kinds of dirt...yes left it right in our front yard..lovely site to behold. To make matters a bit more aggravating they ran over our crepe myrtle plants-we waiting two years for those plants to bloom and they were gone in a second. Also the trucks got stuck in our ditch...so that was totally torn up..no more nice looking ditch that was professionally done by the county for us...UGH! Then the plumbers arrived early to start digging the new drainage field next to the old one... did I mention yet that the tractor/ditch digger was toooooo heavy for that part of the yard so it tore it beyond recognition. So all the vechicles that are sitting in our yard had to moved in a mad dash so that the tractor could enter the property from the other end. Well the tractor was tooooo heavy period. Our backyard now looks like a mud bogging field...I do not think there is one stray piece of grass left standing. Three quarters of an acre of a backyard pure dirt and mud...what a lovely site to see....NOT! Well they spent 8 hours redoing it all....300 gallon tanks being brought in and more pipes then there are in a hardware store. Total insanity. Of course now imagine that my 5 dogs are losing their minds because strangers are in our yard and they cannot go outside. Thank God for heavy duty Glass on the sliding glass doors... they were the only things between raging dogs and the very nice messy men. No of course they are not done yet- later today they are bringing a different tractor that is not so heavy to smooth out everything and connect the pipes. This also will take place very early in the morning. I just want my bathroom back... my room looks like a cyclone hit it with the kids going back and forth...of course we have a huge bed in our bedroom and our room is ultra cold from the AC so all the kids just had to lay in our bed and watch movies and hang out...nothing new just added to the chaos tho. We will see what the rest of sunday brings. To make matters abit more interesting it is suppose to rain---oh yea mud fields here we come.   PEACE!!!!!

Saturday, September 20, 2003

TOES GO IN FIRST-PART THREE

I have stuck notes in the pockets of their jackets and inside gloves-or in a school book... if I missed too many days in a row,my children would come home quite upset with me and ask where their note was..again just making the best of life so simply and with joy.Two of my boys are 18 and they still want their notes- they have said their notes make them feel special. Isn't that awesome! Then there is the camera-I have taken pics of everything and anything. My kids love this. I take pics of everyday things and they are just as into it as I am.They are always after me to get my camera and come see something because they now want pics taken of whatever it happens to be. Pics are not just for special occasions. Pictures are to show every day life and how much fun and wonderful it is. You would be surprised how much a simple pic can speak volumes to your kids. It is the little things that have made raising kids such a joy. It is very expensive to raise a child now a days. I just could not afford buying new clothes constantly-and with that many kids it was not financially wise...but there are stores like GoodWill. My kids love to go to these places to buy tons of fun t-shirts and shorts and jeans and such...these are clothes they can play in, hang out in, whatever without worrying about how expensive things are. There is no shame in it...and if you have done this from when they were very little it is nothing to them. My kids have gotten some of their friends into it...now it is a contest to see who can find "cool" t-shirts. We also give back to GoodWill by bringing any clothes that do not fit anymore and books that we have all read already. It is just a big form of recycling and your children are better off. I really have a problem with children playing all over the roads no where near their homes. In this day and age, there are too many 'sick' individuals out there waiting to get a child (that is reality) so my belief is that if you want to play with your friends, bring them on over.They are being supervised by my hunnie and me and everyone is safe and I know what they are doing.A 'creative' house because there are kids in and out all day long. Playing video games, listening to music, watching movies, playing on the puter, riding go-karts...etc. Well I guess you can see where my philosophy is leading....right now I have to go wait for the plumbers and open the gates for them. PEACE!!!!

TOES GO IN FIRST-PART TWO

Okay..to continue on..I believe that your house has to be geared towards your kids..there is plenty of time after your children are grown up and out on their own to worry about how good your house looks and how precious your 'things' are. My belief is that people have become more concerned with things then people..remember this is just my belief. Again- I am not my mother so I like to have dishes that are hard plastics and colorful-not glass or pottery that if broken it just irks you that you do not have the perfect set again. The bedrooms should be decorated in the child's eye, what they perceive to be cool and fun and something that they really want to play in and sleep in and have friends over in. When I was growing up I had this awesome and beautiful doll collection. Dolls from all over the world that my parents had collected for me while I was growing up..the secret was I was not allowed to touch or play with them. They were there on special shelves in my room just for the decoration...now what kind of fun is that? I refused to do that to my daughter-if it is in her room it was fair game. That is what 'toys' are for. To be played with and handled and enjoyed. One of the biggest secrets we have going with our kids is we have a family dance...yes you read that right-a family dance. The tune is "Can't Touch This" (by MC Hammer). The point is everytime someone came home with good news, exciting news,fun news...we all went outside in the middle of the street and danced to that song....we would hum it loud and danced...our neighbors do not pay attention-and if they have-they think we are not your ordinary family anyway. We have done this ever since our kids were young and still do it to this day..my kids have no inhibitions about this and it has gotten to the point that they come home with good news and announce when they come home that everyone needs to go outside to do the family dance. How awesome is that? Just celebrating life. Also since they were very young- I have always written lil notes and have snuck them inside their lunch bags or back packs (whatever) just to tell them something for the day-like "I love you", "You are the world's greatest Kid", "can't wait to see you after school", "I'm sending Big Kisses Your way", whatever it is I felt like writing. These notes, if you ask my kids meant the world to them. (Onto Part Three)

Friday, September 19, 2003

T.G.I.F. (Toes Go In First)

Okay-I am abit more ready to divulge abit more of myself...I have led a colorful and eventful life to say the least. When friends and co-workers, neighbors, even family hear of things that occur in my life they have a habit of trying to get me to write a book or books on different subjects of what I have gone through...I am still going to keep you all in some suspense but If I had to start on a book-and I have seriously thought about this one for a long time-it would be about raising children. No I do not claim to be an expert in any way, shape, or form. Far from it. But my way of raising children has caught many people off guard and believe it or not they are truly amazed at things that we do and how they have worked. It is not difficult to do the things we have done-nor does it take alot of effort-just a joy for life and your kids. I figured every once in a while I would throw in my lil quips and stories about my kids and what we do in our house to make it a home. Let me start by saying I am not my mother. Do not get me wrong-Lord I love my parents-they are still around and kicking at the young age of 80. They are people who do all they could for the children and raised us to be independent and go for the gusto. Our family trips and get togethers and family outings, dinners, movies, shopping sprees, everything was always centered around giving their kids the best that they could.For that and their unending support- I will always admire and be thankful for. My mom is also a NEAT freak...I am not. I am a firm believer that a crazy house is a creative house-and that definitely describes my house. I did not want furniture that my children could not cuddle up on and enjoy and have friends sit on and so on- I remember that from growing up and always thought then what was the point of having furniture. I wanted my children to be able to do crafts on my kitchen table instead of just using it for meals and only for meals- isn't that what tables are for. We have two bathrooms in my house...one that is in the masterbedroom and one for the kids. The one for the kids is the main bathroom for guests also...but that bathroom is not all prim and proper with special towels and soaps...no no no it is a bathroom decorated by kids with murals and cartoons and fun things to check out...I am probably running out of space here so I will continue this lil lecture a lil later on....PEACE!!!!

Thursday, September 18, 2003

JUST AN EARLY EVENING NOTE

Tomorrow is my baby's birthday.......... I just can't believe has time has flown by... she will be turning 14 years old and she is just so full of life, laughter, and compassion. I am speechless really when it comes to describing my baby...she has been through the bad and the good.... that most people do not see in a lifetime yet her bright spirit keeps going...I really admire her. Her brother Eric really wants to just drive her crazy for her birthday.... and the fun has already begun. She was sitting in the puter room with me and Eric came in and asked what is the date today..she of course had to chime in and say DON'T forget my birthday is tomorrow..and I expect gifts and cards to start at midnight.... well of course he had to meet her terms sort of speak and mooned her.... just right then and there.... the expression on her face was PRICELESS... and I laughed my tushie off...as did she... Eric really can come up with some wild things....and that was wonderful. She did not expect it from him because he is more conservative that way with her.... he is the funniest but acts very much the big brother with her rather then the clown.... so the mooning was perfect...it is going to be a long night of craziness here at the old homestead but I just know it is going to be fun.... having three teenagers in the house definitely makes life interesting to say the least. I will let you all know what happens next.... and of course pics are going to be put up about the birthday. PEACE!!!!

A LONG NIGHT OVER WITH

Another night gone and nothing accomplished. At around 8:30 last night I tried to sign on to AOL like I  always do however this time was a bit different... I could not connect... nope...silly me followed all the lovely directions you get when there is a problem and nothing helped. I tried for over two hours to get on... then my computer savvy son came home from wherever it was he took off to-so I told him that there has to be some wire/cable that has come loose from the puter... I tried to reset, reconnect, redo cables and lines... drove myself into frustration frenzy, and then gave into that lil voice in the back of my head that said call AOL. Lord I hate calling AOL.... first you have to deal with a voice recording for the first 15 minutes...before you find the right extension you are suppose to press... then i waited another 15-20 minutes before someone (an actual human) came on line and helped me... I could not believe there was a real person-I thought it was a voice recording again...lol well I explained my problem but off course I had to answer 5 minutes of questions about my system and identifying information and version of AOL.... and after all this (now it has been about 3 hours of dealing with not being able to get online) I am told that AOL is off line from Connecticut all the way down the east coast to central east florida (of course where I live). So I screwed with my system for nothing. I was told something about how the lines are being kept clear because of the hurricane that is going to hit the Carolinas. I guess they wanted to keep the lines ready for emergency purposes... I think the tech person was guessing as much as I was... but it made sense.... I would not mind really but I don't like playing around with my system because the error message said it had to be my fault-when other friends of mine in florida in my area also had the same problem-it can't all be our systems...Well I am thrilled to be back online and now I can go through the 700 emails sitting in my box and figure out what to do with them-yes I know there is a delete button but I belong to lists and if I did not want their mail why would I be on their lists--this just means I will be online for quite sometime. We will see what the rest of the day brings....PEACE!!!!!

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

IT'S MORNING TIME

Another morning has arrived and another night of sleep has eluded me... I could not get into that REM sleep...every 30 minutes I was up and only became more frustrated that I could not sleep-vicious cycle. Well my creative juices are not flowing yet- I seem not to be able to get in the flow of things...but hopefully something will kick in soon. The big news lately has been the weather...I guess that hurricane looks like it wants to check out the Carolinas...so the wonderful Florida coast is fairly safe...That is a slight relief for us-but I worry about the people further north. All last night and today it has been raining here, I guess we needed the rain but it just makes it miserable to look outside-rain seems to change people's moods.I personally am not a rain person- I prefer the fall type of sunny days-where it is nice and cool outside and the sun is shinning-now that I could live with 24/7. I do have one complaint today-it seems that once I get rolling with a thought for my journal I am highly limited by AOL and how many total characters I can have. This is putting a bit of a crimp in my style. I hear threw the grapevine that this might be changing in the near future-i hope so- I think people will start really going crazy expressing themselves and AOL will be surprised at how hot this journal thing is. Expressing oneself can never be limited to so many set characters- it must be allowed to flow and stop when the thought/idea/moment decides to come and go. IF you are reading this-PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT- I would love to hear what others have to say.... PEACE!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

ODDS AND ENDS

Just Playing around today in paint shop pro and finishing up some odds and ends that I had to do. Still no sleep here...figures-I think I just have way too much on my mind to just relax-why I do not know. Everyone is home from school or wherever it is they had to go-so the house is full of hustle and bustle and the dogs are going crazy because they cannot go outside in the front yard and tackle the kids. I am trying to get ahead on my paperwork for homeschooling but the motivation is just not there right now. I guess I do not have the same discipline as my parents or siblings. They all seem to be well organized and just do what has to get done but that is just so not me. I guess I am the odd one in the bunch...I always had to be different. Anyway- The lil one (my nephew) came home with smilie faces today so I made sure one of the others kids took him out to go bike riding. That is his passion right now-he also had a smile from ear to ear because he knew he did well so how could I not make sure that he could go bike riding. One son is working on some car he got-a ford probe. I know nothing about cars-tho if you look at our yard you would think I would know alot but alas-my boys and my hunnie have this strange habit of wanting to work on as many cars as possible. Yes we are the neighbors you do not want. There are always strange noises coming from our garage and cars are our middle names...scary isn't it. But I cannot stop them really because I indulge in so many passions of my own that I really have no place to say they can play with their passions. Tho I am waiting for my hunnie to get done working on the motorcycle so that we can go riding. We love leaving in the late hours (when it is cooler) and just ride all night long everywhere. Then we watch the sunrise and it is off to home to get the household ready for another day-AWWW that is what I am waiting for. Well- I am off to check on the kids--PEACE!!!!!!

ANOTHER EARLY MORNING

Again I am up during the wee hours of the morning.... actually I have no set sleeping time but it would be nice if all my lil nap time sleeps could get together and let me have an 8 hours stretch of sleep..well maybe that is not in the stars for me. Actually my best creative time is during the early morning hours when it is so quiet in the house and there are no distractions. I managed so far to get through a ton of email. I even sent off mail to all the lists I run, made some tags for a few people and downloaded alot of tubes to use for other projects....so I guess I am off to a good start today. I decided to write another entry just to have this date written down somewhere that I actually got some things accomplished. I hear you all laughing hysterically at this point however for me this is a major hurtle I have overcome. I always remember my mom being so organized and matching sure everything had a place but I am definitely not my mother. My basic philosophy is that I have children who are going to grow and make messes and break things and so on and so why have a house where you care more about things then your children... Once they are all grown and on their own there will be plenty of time to have the "perfect" lil house with wonderful things that won't get broken...I love having a home where you can come in and take off your shoes and feel so comfortable to put your feet up on the coffee table and help yourself to whatever there is in the fridge and if you are hungry enough-cook yourself something. Mi Casa es Su Casa... I do not like formalities or a place where you are afraid to touch anything-that is my mother's house. Awwwww. I can feel the creative juices really hitting now so I am off to scrapbooking some more pages....PEACE!!!!!!

Monday, September 15, 2003

EARLY MORNING START

I have been up for a couple of hours now.... just could not sleep soundly-tossing and turning is not my idea of a good night's rest. So I have been online trying to get through way too much email and enjoying the quiet and peacefullness of the house. Even the dogs are just laying around being mellow. I have alot of paperwork to do to get my homeschooling things in order. I have definitely been laxed in that area. The kids are doing their work-it is me who is unorganized. Another project I really have to work on is my scrapbooking. I know this is a big fad but I found it to be really expensive after a while.... and it was definitely too much for me to keep using regular film and cutting up pics my parents have kept for the 50 something years they have been together. So I scanned all the pics my family would let me get my grubby lil hands on and found a program that you can do scrapbooking on the puter. It is absolutely wonderful and the albums I have already done in the past as gifts were a hit...I highly recommend doing scrapbooks this way....less mess, less expensive, and it goes so much more quicker. Anyway-did I mention that the kids cleaned up the front and back yards and cut the grass and now it also looks wonderful. The picture above is my lil pond garden that my children made me two years ago for mother's day. It is so nice to look at and the goldfish that live in it love it too. People in the neighborhood have stopped by to check it out- it is a great conversation piece..lol. Well I am off to get somewhat organized-PEACE!!!!!

Sunday, September 14, 2003

A QUIET SUNDAY

What a quiet day today has been. I have not slept well-only about 90 minutes in total. Too restless, still too upset over losing a friend, and just feeling kind of quiet and pensive. The plumbers never arrived- at about 3 this afternoon, we finally received a call, the parts needed for our pipes and drainage field did not come in, so the work has been delayed for another week. Lord- it figures, just another disappointment. You really do not think about pipes until you no longer have use for most of them. I think I will just vegetate the rest of the day-really not feeling up to par and really feel empty as what to say today. Usually the topics are just swirling in my head and I always have to make a choice-but not today. Just overthinking today. (which is not always good). Even the kids are extra quiet and calm...interesting. On with the football games and off to lay back on the recliner.  PEACE!!!!!!

Saturday, September 13, 2003

IT SADDENS MY HEART

I have had many friends in my lifetime..... wonderful people who have touched my life in many ways-too numerous to even explain. Then this wonderful invention of the internet comes along and it opens up a whole new world of discovery for me. I find that I make even more wonderful friends but this relationship is different. You become friends simply by expressing yourself in words. Not deeds, not looks, not "doing" things together but just simply by words. You share things online through words that cannot compare with anything else. An emotional bond starts and is nourished and grows until you truly feel that this person is REALLY my friend. I have belonged to so many groups-but one in particular that I have been with the longest is "Angels In Disguise" A couple of dozen women who had a chat room in common and true friendships have come out of. I have been with this group for over 5 years maybe a bit more. We share everything. There is no "leader" per se. No Rules to be involved. Just wonderful woman (and a couple of men) that have met and have become "FRIENDS". WE tell each other good news, bad news, confusing news, we are each other's shoulder to lean on, we have watched each other's children (and grandchildren) grow and go through changes. We have been there through marriages, divorces, disasters, just you name it we have been through it as a group. It is constant and comfortable. A true family online. Well we have had one member that has shown us true bravery and strength and courage through her life. Her name is Lynda. Lynda has been battling cancer for quite some time, not months, years. Her positive attitude and fighting determination has TRULY been an inspiration to us all. I for one was always totally amazed how this remarkable woman would start another bout of chemo then jump right back to work without a second thought. She refused to let the enemy win. Well today with GREAT sadness her husband wrote to the group and informed us that Lynda lost the battle today at 4:30pm California time. My eyes could not focus on anything but what his words said. I am left with such an empty feeling because that pillar of strength is gone. The picture above I have found to be appropriate in honor of Lynda- for she is now a TRUE ANGEL watching over the rest of us. PEACE LYNDA!!!!

HUMIDITY IS WINNING HERE

It is another humid day in the sunshine state. Lord the heat outside is not fit for anyone or anything. The plumbers have not arrived yet...go figure...are they ever on time? We had a bit of a scare today, one son was cleaning up some dishes and the water just stopped. About 5 minutes later it came on again but stopped soon after. So of course I have to find the hunnie so that he can check on it... The well is only 8 years old and if you have wells where you live you know that is still a new born as far as wells go. Well turns out that the system must have come across a pocket of air because hunnie got alot of air out (i forget what the technical term is) and now everything is back to normal. (THANK GOD) I just know that if we did not have bad luck we would have no luck at all. It is getting crazy and very expensive around here. Right now I am sitting watching college football and letting my birds (cuckatoos) get some exercise by flying around the room and investigating everything they want. I think they are probably one of the best gifts I ever got. The male Spike talks all the time-he does repeat alot of what he hears...pretty cool. The female just whistles alot-her name is Angel. Of course Spike is always wanting to 'hang' with Angel, but today it seems she has had enough of his big mouth. So he is just sitting on my shoulder chirping the same signals over and over again to her to see if she will pay attention. Meanwhile she is just walking around all over the puter desk chewing away at paper and whatever else I have laying around. Do not worry animal lovers out there- I am very careful about what they chew and put into their mouths-these are my lil babies. Spike DOES NOT like my hunnie at all. He has taken some nice bites out of him. On the other hand I can hold a conversation with the bird and pet him and have him on my shoulder for hours and he will just hang out and talk to me or chirp. Anyway...it is too hot outside to do anything-the humidity makes it difficult for anyone to breathe normally. So I think I am quite content with watching football and playing on my puter. All the kids are doing their own thing and hunnie is playing on his puter. So all is quiet on the homefront. Well I am off to tackle some more email- It is always email in my case.  PEACE!!!!!!!!!

Friday, September 12, 2003

THE WEEKEND HAS ARRIVED

Finally the insanity of the week is over and now I do not have to worry about who to get up at what time for school or meetings or outings or anything. This weekend will be busy around here tho because our plumbing needs major overhauling. Some pipes broke under our house about two weeks ago and watered had built up under the house. As a result of the plumbing company coming out they say our drainage field is all wrong and the rest of the pipes are fixin' to go. So with no other choices left to us, this weekend they are coming to redo our plumbing and pipes and drainage field. If you are thinking that we are spending a pretty penny-you are right. It will set us back a great deal. But there is nothing we can do about it. I am finding out if it is not one thing in owning a house it is another. I am so stumped as to the amount of money poured into a house and how there are so many companies and organizations that have you over a barrel with owning it. But I can go on for hours about that-and that would only depress me so I am moving on to a brighter subject. My nephew came home with a big ol' smilie face that winks so he was a very happy camper and because he was happy so am I. He is such a great lil kid and I just cannot stand it when he has these lil pouting eyes. It breaks my heart. Also I am thrilled that the weekend is here because I get to watch football (YEA) so that will cheer me up regarding the amount of money going down the drain (big pun intended). I know I have not mentioned this yet but I absolutely love photography. I am a picture geek. I am always with my camera (a digital one) and will take pics of anything that catches my eye. So I am hoping to start displaying some pics soon of my digital world. I am finding that when you are sick and are stuck in the house for long periods of time-that when you have the opportunity to get out and see the real world again-you see it so differently. Things look brighter and the smells are so sweet. I know that may sound dramatic but it is the only way I can describe how it makes me feel. So I am hoping to show you all the beauty of the world through my eyes. At least what I perceive as beauty.... Well I have to work on my email-way too much for it to be interesting anymore.  PEACE!!!!!!

Thursday, September 11, 2003

HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY-PART TWO

All of my family and friends have contributed to my collection-it is absolutely awesome. I am totally hooked on Angels. The online newsletter that I write with inspirational pieces is called ANGELSTOUCH. Well my fascination with Angels has not died down but I wanted to get into things that were very different. So I started collecting business cards-yes you read that right business cards. It is probably one of the most inexpensive hobbies you can have yet really interesting. There is even an official group of collectors that I belong to. Click here for the Main Site. It would amaze you how many people are really into it. Well my collection is around 2,000 business cards. I have them in huge binders and each card is in a protective sleeve. Some collectors are picky in what they collect in cards, I am what is called a general collector- any and all cards make me happy. Of course if I receive cards that have Angels on them- that is a double bonus for me. I also started collecting postcards with my daughter. She has to be involved in some sort of organization or club and research all about it and be an active member of it. Well she went from this handful of postcards that she had from a cruise trip she took to just about 100 cards in 6 weeks. So the collection is growing wonderfully. Now when I met my honey he thought collecting was GREAT.... and is also a pack rat- and he loves to go to yards sales and stuff- So he decided he was going to collect shot glasses. Now this comes from a man that does not drink. So his collection has grown by leaps and bounds. He really does have some beautiful glasses. He also collects M&M things, so he has taken on my collection and added to it and now claims it is all his. That collection also has some great pieces in it. Very unique. We pretty much do that one together. Okay- one more collection I have yet to mention is my collection of playing cards. Yes another strange one. I collect any and all kinds of playing cards. Some come in some gorgeous tins, and fantastic boxes and such- now that collection is huge.They are so cool to look at. Well I guess that I should leave it at that- more tomorrow- PEACE!!!!

HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY

Have I told you lately that I am QUEEN of the pack rats? Yes I admit it and I am proud of it. Actually I have become this major pack rat because I just love collecting things. Some people have collections of one maybe two particular things that they really concentrate on.... No not me, I collect alot of things all the time because they are there. That is it...no major complicated explanations-I like it and I want alot of it. No it is not because I want to be spoiled or that I am spoiled but I just enjoy doing things because I have the opportunity to do it now. Okay-my mom started me collecting when I was a kid-it was dolls from all over the world. I still have those in a storage box at my parents house for my daughter. Beautiful, elegant looking dolls. Of course in my mother's house it was do not touch just look. Very frustrating for a child. Then I moved onto bells. All kinds of bells. I think I must have had about 1,500 bells but unfortunately they were lost in a fire. Then I just did not have the nerve to start over with the bells again-it broke my heart to lose all of them. So I picked on something different. Which was gorillas. Of course stuffed, but lots and lots of gorillas and monkeys and such, some talk, some sing, some dance, some are wearing cool clothes, lots of different colors-primates. Then that was not enough for me. I started collecting teapots. Now that was interesting. I really enjoy that collection and have some very unique pieces. It is not a large collection but it is very unique and different. Well I wanted to collect other things too- I started onto M&M's (mostly dispensers that were like bubble gum machines). Then moved on to my major collection of Angels. LOTS and LOTS of angels. I am totally fascinated by Angels and all that they stand for and the history behind them and so on. I must have about 500 Angels...of course it entails, paintings, posters, statues, jewelry, pins, buttons, magnets, you name it-I got it. It is probably my biggest passion. I even have a webpage dedicated to angels.JIBS ANGELS. (continue to part two above)

FINALLY NIGHTTIME HAS ARRIVED

I am very thankful that today is just about over with. The humidity has been outrageous outside... and once you are in that heat airconditioning does not seem to be cold enough for you. My lil pond area got all fixed up-thanks to my sons... so it actually looks like it is getting back to normal.... Today my nephew came home from school with a smirk face for behavior. Now yesterday he came home with the same thing, I let it go I figured he was not listening all the time to the teacher. He is on this "behavior" chart of smilies and sad faces so that we can keep track of his behavior in school. He seems to have a problem with throwing things and getting very angry out of the blue. Not a good thing for a 5 year old. Well this was going great until the smirk face yesterday-what is that suppose to mean? Well today the same thing. I called the teacher and her response was that he did not do his morning work in reading. Now first- how am I suppose to get that from a smirk face and two-this is a behavior chart not a school work chart. I have such a problem with that. Am I wrong? Am I looking at this the wrong way? The child is in Kindergarden. There is no way you can tell me that he would understand me correcting him at almost 4pm when this lack of work occurred at 9 am. I really think the teacher now sees that I can correct the behavior part of the kid so now she wants me to do all her work. I am finding in this state-that the teachers are doing less and less and more pressure is being put on the parents to make sure the child finishes what the teacher could not because she has over 20 children in her classroom and has no time for individual attention. I have such a problem with the education system and I just am stuck as to what to do about it. Well I guess I could be wrong but working with children for over 20 years I think I know what I am talking about. Anyway... that just let the air out of my balloon this afternoon. Other then that...I finally got a chance to work on some pics and some webpages for my daughter. So at least I feel like I got something accomplished. Tomorrow we have to run errands (pay bills and things like that) so I am going to enjoy my puter time tonight. I am going to be stuck out in that heat all day-UGH. At least I have my football to watch tonight. PEACE!!!

JUST WANTED TO SHARE-REMEMBERING 9/11

A 911 Call to God 
As the World Trade Centers crumbled,
our lives were crumbling too,
So God, we're dialing 911 -
"We need to talk to you!"We tried to see your face today,
but God we could not see,
The smoke and fire engulfed us,
we screamed, "Who can this be?"
We're watching now with horror, God,
as thousands lose their lives,
At the hands of cold blooded killers,
using planes that fly our skies.
We're weeping, praying, crying God,
our faith in You now wanes,
Where were you God this morning?
Who piloted those planes?
We know you love America,
you've blessed us in many ways,
But God, this scene is so surreal,
the world is in a daze.
This Nation's "Under God" you know,
so will you please come near,
We need to feel your presence, Lord,
our lives are filled with fear.
We need your guidance now, Oh Lord,
we simply cannot cope,
This tragedy has ripped away,
our life, our love, our hope.
And God, these loved ones left behind,
need strength beyond compare,
Their lives are shattered, all is gone,
please show them that you care.
Please put your arms around them,
draw them close unto your breast,
Heal their wounds and mend their hearts,
hold them high above the rest.
As you summon Heaven's angels,
to prepare them for the day,
And you wait at Heaven's portal
for our loved ones on their way,
Will you please be sure to tell them
that their lives were not in vain,
That freedom's bells though silenced,
will surely ring again.
We know your heart is heavy too,
as you stand at Heaven's door,
And watch these deadly scenes unfold,
through hate we so deplore.
Yes...
Though freedom's bells were silenced
for a moment on this date,
They will ring out loudly once again,
as love outweighs the hate.
Author,
Fran Maiers

MORNING TIME

I am feeling abit nostalgic this morning.... the picture is one scenic view from my hometown in New York looking out to the Hudson River...I was raised in Croton on the Hudson. Today for some reason it has been on my mind. I do miss the small town feeling that was very united. When I moved away from New York, my town still only had one traffic light-in the middle of town. But I absolutely love the closeness. Anyway...enough looking back I just wanted to share a pic of my hometown. It just feels good to look at it. All is quiet on the homefront here...kids are at school, hunnie came home from work, the zoo is sleeping and finally I have peace and quiet to play on the puter. I am abit tired today and achie but I guess that is par for the course...tho it is getting old. I am hoping that a creative shock will hit me and I can get some really nice tags and such going for my groups. More on them later. Well I definitely need a cup of coffee so I am off and running- PEACE!!

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

TOO MUCH SLEEP

Well Well Well..... first let me explain my subject today.... yesterday I was enjoying myself playing on the puter, cropping pics I have taken so that I can upload them and share.... when I felt this sudden urge to go and lay down (I told myself it would only be for a short time) at least that is my usual pattern. Well I slept straight through from 8:30 last night to 9:30 this morning. I have NEVER slept that long in my life.... I guess my body decided that while I was in bed it would take advantage and let me stay there..... do not get me wrong... I woke up refreshed and all but unfortunately my joints are extremely swollen and hurt immensely... that is what happens when I do not take my medications on time.... Having my lungs destroyed is one thing and I am still coming to terms with that-but I cannot come to terms with the side effects and my body going through so much pain and so many changes on top of it. Anyway.... I thought I would sign on to my journal and lay a bit of inspiration on everyone BUT... come to discover that my counter has reset somehow... has anyone else come across this... I was up to 170 hits-I know that does not sound like much but it was alot for me. Well that can be frustrating. THANK GOD my children and independent enough and responsible enough that they took care of everything that needed tending to in the house and even took care of my lil nephew and got him to bed on time last night and to school on time this morning. Got him dressed and got his backpack ready and all. WOW my kids amaze me at times.... when I think they have not paid attention to how things should be and how to take care of things around the house.... they jump in when needed and no questions asked. I am blessed... I just do not say it enough. Well- I am hoping to upload some pics about my corner of the world... at least everyone can see what I am talking about when I go on rambling. Well I am off to do more cropping.   PEACE!!!!!

Tuesday, September 9, 2003

THE EVENING HAS BEEN CALM SO FAR

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." -Leo Buscaglia

That is one of my most favorite quotes.... I absolutely fell in love with Leo Buscaglia and all the wonderful books he wrote and all the wonderful speeches he gave. I saw him dozens of times and could never get enough of what he had to say. Unfortunately God needed him more now in this time... so we are only left with the wonderful footprints he has left in our hearts. I was going through my journals that I keep at home-and thought about this quote and how much I really wanted to share it with others.  I just might start including in my journal online poems and quotes that have touched my heart- I really enjoy inspirational messages that make you think. That is one of the main reasons I started an online inspirational newsletter called ANGELSTOUCH If you enjoy reading pieces that make you feel and think please feel free to check out my newsletter for yourself- I would love to see what others sennd that have had an impact in their life. Well I am off to do the dinner thing...perhaps I will return later.   PEACE!!!!

TOO EARLY TO THINK STRAIGHT

Here I am still hanging out on the puter...sleep never arrived so I thought I would update my journal by finally adding pics. That way everyone gets the chance to see inside my Crazy Life. These pics are just a small sample of the zoo that lives in my house. Of course they are all true blue family members but chaotic none the less. All the critters are spoiled rotten, it is the only way to be.... but God help anyone who tries to come to our front door or walk past our house on the street-the dogs alone make their prescence known. I could tell you some wild stories about how people have reacted to our zoo but I don't know if the stories should be read by those with weak hearts...LOL Okay you all convinced me- just one quickie- we ordered pizza one night to be delivered...and finally when the delivery guy finally arrived he ran the door bell and Ginger (who is a very large Rottie) jumped on the glass partition next to the door that is just about the entire length of the door. Well when she jumped on the glass it bowed outwards and the delivery guy jumped a good three feet off the ground and backwards... the pizzas went flying (4 of them) and landed in the flower bed. Needless to say the pizza was ruined and that delivery guy has never returned. To this day when the same pizza place has to deliver to our house they stay in their car and just beeped the horn. I felt bad for the delivery guy but the dogs jumping on that glass partition/window has given a whole new meaning to house alarms....LOL More pics on the way........ PEACE!!!!!!

FINALLY MONDAY IS OVER!!!

Finally monday is over ..... not because it was a bad day because it seemed that it was never going to end.  First I could not let my nephew go to school this morning because he has been fighting a cold and it seemed to have come to a head today so I kept him home to pump him full of medicine so that he can make it through the rest of the week at school. Then the boys have argued all night long about nothing. I still hear the voices ringing in my head screaming at each other yet I cannot make any sense out of it all. Then we had to make a fast dash over getting some laundry done because everyone in the house just realized all at the same time that no one has any clean clothes to wear tomorrow. Then dinner seemed to be a major project to get made-unbelieveable. Just to add a bit more chaos to my day-one of my big dogs climbed unto my kitchen table to grab at something she thought had food in it and dragged the entire tablecloth down along with whatever was sitting on it. Well several glass bowls were sitting on it so needless to say another dog came along and stepped on the glass and started bleeding from one of his front paws. I wrestled with this dog for over an hour to see if any glass was still inside his paw but I lost the battle- actually it was more like self-perservation because I really wanted to keep my ten fingers that are attached to my two hands that are attached to my two arms.... that dog simply wanted to remove them.......sheeeeezzzz. Well sure enough the paw is fine and I was worried for nothing and the dog is now looking at me funny. Then this is the second time that I have tried to write this entry...it seems aol has decided to delete my entry and not let it load up-so I hope this one goes through. Then because the boys were arguing they decided to snitch each other out and fill me in on the secret dirt they each have been doing behind my back-unfortunately I already knew about that dirt so there was no new news-ugh!!! Not even snitching paid off yesterday. Then I had to start a medication again for my cough because it has gotten far worse- and it knocks me out. I have been walking around in zombie land all day-and if I tried to fall asleep one of the kids would wake me up with a personal crisis that I just had to solve at that very second. Well Tuesday has just got to be better- PEACE!!!!!!

Sunday, September 7, 2003

JUST BEING LAZY ON A SUNDAY

Of course sundays are perfect now because I get to watch football...I am so hooked I just do not know what to do. I have been doing a little exploring about different journals/blogs on AOL and first I want to explain that we are only allowed 2,500 characters-so that comes out to about 400 words. So If you see me type Part One Part Two etc..you know that there is one or more entries for one given topic or entry sort of speak. I guess that is the only pitfall I can see using these journals. Now... while I am watching football, my son Eric received a phone call. He has been going to the movies at the new mall near us with a girl from school and her friends...things have been casual. Well this past friday they were not in touch with each other. Until today when she called him from the hospital. Yes this cute lil girl that I know has a crush on him said that her bladder has "burst" and since she is stuck there she wanted him to go visit. Awwww now isn't that cute. Of course he was off and running, who am I kidding. Another son is sleeping since he worked the night shift. The daughter and the nephew are playing on a playstation boxing each other. So I am sitting by myself cheering on teams and playing on the puter...what a strange house I live in. I spent about 2 hours trying to figure out how to use my scanner... it is part of an all in one that is also a copier and printer and fax machine... I can use everything else but the scanner still has me stumped. I really should find the user manual-I suppose that would help...LOL Well I am going to go cheer some more and see what happens. PEACE!!!!!!!!

Saturday, September 6, 2003

ANOTHER WEEKEND ENTRY

This weekend seems to be flying by and I am missing it. The kids have their own "things" they do, so I guess that is why it seems that either time moves too slow or too fast. In a way I am so glad that they are all so independent because with my illness there is no way that I can be useful all the time to them or keep up with them. So I suppose this is a blessing. It is interesting to just sit back and watch your children in action and see what decisions they make, whether bad or good and to learn and grow from them. It is hard to not jump in there and tell them how to run their lives because you know that something is going to be a mistake- I guess they have to learn that themselves. But it fascinates me when I hear them talking to their friends or co-workers or whatever and my words and philosophy comes pouring out of their mouths. WOW-they were actually listening to me. That is grand! I take it as a compliment. Well just to fill everyone in on my football team... the Gators lost- broke my heart... but they were leading Miami almost the entire game...they just could not hold on to it. I think they will still move up in rankings because Miami was not suppose to play like they did and the Gators were not suppose to get so many points. Awww-there is always next week's game. I know I will be on my puter tomorrow, the weather report says that the majority of rain has passed us by so we are safe from storms. Well on with Puter Fun...PEACE!!!!!!

TIME FLIES

WOW- This past week has really flown by and has gotten away from me. For the last two days we have been watching the news to see what was going on with the weather because Tropical Storm Henri was knocking on our doors... We really were not so worried about it just too much rain and our front yard and road flood and it seems to take forever to dry out. I guess that is what happens when you live in a rural area. Of course football season has started and I am glued to the TV...my philosophy is you can never watched enough football. Last night we went out to dinner at a steakhouse (Lord that was delicious) and then went grocery shopping at the walmart superstore... I really need to buy stock in Walmart-we definitely spend enough there. Anyway, we saw this display rack with FS AND UF hats on it. (Florida State University and University of Florida) So each of got to choose which hat we wanted to wear for this season. Yes I know sounds like a waste of money but football is something we watch and talk about and relate as a family. It is like a mini rivalry going on and we all enjoy it, plus bragging rights are wonderful. So Allen is a BIG seminole fan (FSU) and Me I am a HUGE gator fan (UF) so of course we knew what hat we were going to choose. Now the true test...what hats are the kids going to choose. One son chose FSU, One chose UF and the daugher and nephew chose UF...again the Gators reign at our house. It really is fun to have something so simple to make a family adventure out of. I highly recommend it. Well we went shopping around and of course I come across Gators paraphernalia. All kinds of things like stationary, notebooks, binders, photo albums, etc... so of course I had to pick up a few things...LOL but the best thing was that I found a huge Gator foam head hat.... I love it... and I found a Seminole foam head hat so of course I got one for me and one for Allen... we wore them all last night. It was great... we laughed and the kids did too and the rivalry began...it was a blast.  Have I mentioned yet that I bought my own domain.  I am slowly building it but if you would like to see a sample of things to come here is the link Just Say It the site address will be changing because my domain name is AngelDesignz.... but for now that is just a sample of things to come. Well I am off to create and watch more football.... PEACE!!!

Thursday, September 4, 2003

NEWS WORTHY TO SHARE

I guess it is about time for me to mention that I am going to be a GRANDMOTHER. I actually cannot believe it.... I never thought I would ever be saying those words before the age of 65 but I am. My oldest daughter from my first marriage (she was the best part of the package) who is very much grown up and has been out on her own.... is going to give birth this month to a girl.... yes she already knows the gender of the child and is due definitely by the 27th if not earlier. I have alot of mixed emotions because I guess most importantly I don't know what a grandmother is suppose to do. I am thrilled, worried, excited, anxious, and again THRILLED. I will save mentioning the baby's name until after she has arrived.... My daughter states she is ready to pop....too funny. The part that saddens me the most is that my daughter lives far away... and there is just no way that I can be there with her... but she has figured out that she is bringing her cell phone with her to the hospital and I will have mind with me at all times and then she will call me when she is in the labor room so that I can be there in voice and spirit. Her and her fiance are planning to come down here so that I can visit with my new grandbaby- just TOO EXCITING. Now the only thing left to deal with is what do I want to be called. I think Grandma is pretty much too common so I am trying to think of something new and different. If anyone has a suggestion-I am open to ideas. Of course the promise of TONS of pics was given so as soon as I get any I will definitely be posting them right here for all the world to see. WOW- I am going to be a GRANDMOTHER.  PEACE!!!!

Tuesday, September 2, 2003

JUST THINKING OUT LOUD

You know what I find interesting...? School started here at the beginning of August and they have already sent home fund raising things to buy to support whatever it is that month. However-we have a state lottery that claims that millions have gone into education and I have yet to see that. I have already recieved fund raising for the highschool yearboook,The football team,School Spirit,The PTA... I mean this is crazy and school has only been in for 3 weeks..... by the way-the football team had three different fund raising things at one time. They must think that the parents grow their money on trees and we have so much that we want to just give it away to the school-and we also had to buy approximately $50-$100 per child for school supplies and that does not include clothes. That is just for items that the school district cut from their budgets so it gets piled onto the parents. I truly see a problem with all of this. Is it just me or what? I just do not remember school costing so much when I was growing up...but if you ask my kids that was ancient history. Now you must remember that we also have to pay for all school trips now... that fund was also cut from the budget. One trip for one child last year cost me over $50 just for the ticket. I know I am whinning and complaining but I have no idea what the school district is thinking about. Where is that lottery money going? Well I wanted to put in my two cents worth about the school system-not that it will do any good but makes me feel better having said it all. I will probably sign on later to add another two cents-right now I really have to lay down and get some rest. PEACE!!!!

FINALLY SEPTEMBER IS HERE

Slowly but surely I think I am getting the hang of using this journal. I know I have missed a couple of days-sorry about that folks but everyone here is sick-yes the dreaded flu has hit my household and it is wiping everyone out. I have had to chance to look at other journals/blogs online and I would say that mine has got to be one of the most colorful for sure. Anyway... the holiday weekend has come and gone and besides the house being sick-finally Allen jr (one son) got a job that I think he really likes. The other son went job hunting yesterday in the dreaded heat and passed out at a store at the local mall from heat exhaustion. He was gone for over 7 hours ( I knew something was wrong). But today he seems to be recovering, still has a headache tho. Well he has a habit of aging me quickly. Have I mentioned yet that I belong and run several online lists... different kinds. Some are inspirational and some are artistic creative. I have alot of creative energy- I always have and if I do not keep the creative juices going I really become lost. So I guess they are my outlet.  I will be adding links to them soon so that you all may have the opportunity to check them out and see what they are all about.  Homeschooling is going well here. A bit slow on the cooperation but I figure it will take my two out of three kids to adjust and just see how far they can test their limits. Well I will be back later.... it seems I have an unending job of going through my email. PEACE!!!!