LIFE IS GETTING COMPLICATED

You would think that by now I would know how to handle people, especially the ones living in my house. Also the fact that I am a counselor should give me the upper hand. But I am finding that my health has taken my fight away. I am now with the attitude that I am too tired to deal with all the garbage that I used to. As you all probably already know (if you have been following along) is that I have had a guest now for over a year. I DO NOT mind helping others....I feel that is so natural for me, I do not give it a second thought-until NOW. Well this guest has worn out their welcome. Today is a quiet day compared to what it has been. This person told me when they moved in because I have been so ill that they would keep the house up so that I did not have to worry about it. Also having my nephew here (she knows) keeps me sharp sort of speak. Well I have kept my end of the deal up yet she has NOT lifted a finger to help us. Now that she knows my hunnie is fixing to go OFF big time...she has been disappearing every weekend so that she does not have to do anything here. She also comes home and picks up the kid and leaves until late at night and SNEAKS in so that no one confronts her. I have lost all control over the situation.

Now I know you all are saying JUST KICK HER OUT. But it is not that easy. She has a little boy, and he is just starting to lay down roots and become the lil boy he should be because of all the garbage that has happened in his young short life. Also Where is she going to go? There is no talking to her because it works for a day or two and then her mind draws a blank. She is also very volatile and impulsive. She has so much anger built up inside of her that she has no idea how to get herself together.

I guess I could go on and on about this situation but tonight I just needed to vent a bit before my mind left too. I am trying to do the right thing and understand it all and be christian about it....but now I feel like I am getting lost in all of this. Sorry to lay this on anyone--but I guess that was one of the reasons I started this journal-so that I could vent instead of saying something in real time and it be a mistake.

Some good sleep might help.........PEACE!!!!

ANYMORE STORMS?

Well I might have spoke too soon about surviving the storm with no problems...ever since the storm past through our electric keeps going on and off. When it is off, it stays off for a few hours. Now I would not mind this too much but in the "summer" heat it is the most uncomfortable feeling. It gets so stiffling that you feel like a huge weight is on your chest. Well enough about that...I really am blessed because after 4 hurricanes I still have a home. There are hundreds, maybe thousands that cannot say that.

Now today's hot news is that I got to see one of my sons. It was a nice surprise. He had some sort of appointment in this county so he decided to drop by and say hi. It was a short visit but well worth the time. He really does make me laugh. I also think that since he has moved out we have become closer. We really enjoy the time we have together and that means alot to me.

Of course those of you that have been keeping up with my "crazy" life know that running cars are a major issue in my household. With all the DARN cars that are sitting around NONE (yes I said NONE) are running. The one my hunnie was using has died. It figures because it is just the way my luck seems to be going all the time. Well while my son was here....he said for us not to worry because he and his brother are getting us a car...OMG....they are just tooooooo cute. My boys can definitely fix up cars and get them going. At least their hearts are in the right place.

Well I guess we will see what happens tomorrow with the weather and the electric and everything else. I am too tired to worry about it now. I will have to fill you all in on my houseguest that has been living with us for over a year now...but I will have to wait to see how that ends...everything has come to a head and it is not a pretty sight.

Until Next Time ..... PEACE!!!!

HURRICANE JEANNE

OMG...What A Ride!!! Again another hurricane...and Thank God again we survived it. Lots of outside damage this time but we are all safe and the house is fine...so I am a very Happy Camper. Only lost electric for a bit which is alot better then 8 days. It seems that florida will never really recover from the hurricanes...We are still trying to settle out damages from Charley...we have not even gotten to the rest of the hurricanes. This really is insane. My hunnie and I went outside during the last part of the hurricane winds...WOWOWOW--Now that was wild. But it is such a different feeling from your "nornal" windy days. I was able to take just a couple of pics...in between rain bands.

 

 

 

 This was the tree in our front yard...As you can see-what the other hurricanes played around with--Jeanne decided to finish off. Also as you may notice that our ditches are full and now the water is creeping up our front yard.

Okay this is a pic of the right front part of our yard and our neighbor's yard and the street...as you can seee the water has no place to go...and this was only half way through the hurricane. The water you see there is approximately 1 1/2 feet deep.

This is my neighbor's yard...the water goes from the street and ditches right to her front door. This is insane. The water will probably be sitting for quite some time...The land has just not had time to recover.

Well that is a bit of a glimpse on how things were during my weekend. I am so glad it is all over. Now Hurricane season does not end until the last day of november...I think tho that florida has seen its share for the next few years. The mountains are looking better and better to retire to..LOL

Gotta go watch my Monday Night Football---PEACE!!!

AGAIN ANOTHER ROUND OF HURRICANE

AGAIN...another hurricane heading for florida. This is getting to be a very BAD habit. Of course it is heading for east central florida - where I live. This is really getting to be very aggravating and downright fustrating. PLEASE if you pray - pray that it just skims the coast line and goes north. There are some people of the coast that just got their electric back yesterday and just in time for it to go out again. They say by sunday it will hit full force. I really do not think we could go through another one- it does zap the energy right out of you. The pic shown was sent to me by a friend...who thought this was too funny--unfortunately most of the houses do look like that. (ugh) Well I can make it through the hurricane as long as it does not touch my electric...that is THE WORST feeling in the world. Also if I have not said this before-our electric runs our water and bathrooms.... no electric no nothing.

Mind you there are two other storms right behind hurricane jeanne. Now this is ridiculous. I wander what florida did in a past life to deserve all this destruction. Well I must go listen to the weather reports so we can start planning. My nerves cannot handle much more.

Hope your day is filled with sunshine!!!   PEACE!!!!

HAPPY AUTUMN

Finally officially fall is here....this is my favorite time of year. The sunsets are more vibrant, the air seems more crisp and it seems that the earth is getting ready for the winter ahead. I absolutely loved the fall when I lived in New York. I could never get enough of the beautiful changing colors of the leaves. Of course, here in the sunshine state leaves really do not change color the same way... I think that is what I miss most about living up north. However I do not miss snow in any way shape or form. Living in buffalo during my college years cured me. Since I cannot have the same colors here as up north - here is a small pic of some wonderful looking colors.

 I know you can never find such naturally beautiful colors then what God created so simply. So if you live where the leaves change..TRUST ME--enjoy every breath taking moment- because there are some of us who do not see that at all. It is definitely time for me to go out and get some pumpkins and carve away and bake some pumpkin seeds...awwww the GREAT memories that brings back for me.

I wish you all a BEAUTIFUL AND VIBRANT Fall Season!!!

PEACE!!!!

BECOMING CLOSER

Now that the boys do not live at home anymore (sniff sniff) my hunnie and the lil girl and myself get a chance to spend ALOT of time together. I had no expectations on how this would go. As it has turned out...we do everything together. At least once a week we all go out and eat lunch or dinner out and go shopping or just go "window" shopping. We really are having a great time. The three of us actually each have our own computers (my daughter has one but she wants to use my laptop so she can be in the same room with us) and we are constantly sending each other messages and jokes an pics and such. We are just being way tooooo goofy....

The picture is of my hunnie and lil girl at a restaurant called T.G.I.F at a mall near us. We decided to splurge on a huge lunch and spent hours just eating and talking. We really had a good time.

I think this time has been GREAT for my hunnie and his relationship with lil girl. When the boys were around they monopolized his time with fixing cars and racing. But now he spends alot more time with her and they run errands together and work on cars together and ride go-carts together. So they are becoming ALOT more closer which does my heart GOOD.

Now he is teaching her how to drive because in the lovely state of florida you can receive your driver's permit at the age of 15 (I personally think that is WAY too young). So of course the first thing she said when she got up on her birthday was " Dad- you taking me to get my permit now?" Now it is time for my grey hairs to come in droves. I cannot handle the fact that she can be behind the wheel of a car.

Well I just know we are in for more adventures together. I think in October- we might be going away for 4 or 5 days to north florida for a State Corrections Shooting Match and then hit all the OLD TIME flea markets that pop up this time of year. It should be GREAT.

Gotta go and watch some great poker on t.v.,....PEACE!!!

FOOTBALL FANATIC

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL????
Have I mentioned yet what a HUGE football fan I am. I have no idea why. I actually can keep up with the teams...I know who drafted or traded who...I can even call the flagged plays before the ref says anything. I even belong to a group called foorball freak fanatics....Just My Style. I love BOTH the NFL and COLLEGE Teams.

I actually can outdo my boys on info about football...and to this day even tho they live in another part of florida..they still call me to get the low down on games and scores and news. But this is just the beginning...now my mondays, saturdays and sundays are totally engulfed by football and my family knows just leave mom alone with the tv remote and feed her once in a while...LOL

 Now of course because I live in florida I must be true to the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS. I just about went "hog" wild when they won the superbowl...but this year I am extremely disappointed that they did not ask Warren Sapp to return...He was that teams spirit. But I am thrilled that they got rid of Keshawn Johnson..he was bringing the whole team down and badmouthing everyone...That man knows how to break the spirit of a team.

Okay.......after you stop laughing at this poor team...I am extremely loyal to them. I went to the University of Buffalo for college...and besides snow, that football team provided a blast during my college years and for that I will be forever grateful. They will always have a special place in my heart. I have great memories of sitting at games and FREEZING my tushie off but it was all well worth it.

NOW this is my ALL TIME favorite college team. THE FLORIDA GATORS. I was totally broken hearted when steve spurrier (the head coach) left them to go coach the washinton redskins (he did such a lousy job there). I did not like Coach Zook at first--I thought of him as an invasion on my team. But this year I am willing to give him a chance and see what happens.

Now my hunnie LOVES the florida state seminoles....BUT WHO CARES? LOL We are constantly cheering against each other when it comes to these two teams. All over our house are Gator and Seminole Memorabilia...it is such a BLAST!  We have even gone as far as to naming our cats..Seminole and Gator...we really have a sick sense of humor...LOL

Well I must be off and watch the rest of the game...halftime is over. THANK GOD FOR FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!!!

PEACE!!!!!

MY BABY'S BIRTHDAY!!!

WOWOWOW--I cannot believe that my little girl turns 15 today...it seems just like yesterday that she was born and time has just flown by. This picture was taken when she was 2 1/2 months old...she was a twin. Her and Joshua were born three months early. I could not believe how tiny they were--I remeber that their entire hands fit on one fingertip of mine. Their skin was transparent. But after 2 1/2 months of fighting for their lives they were able to come home. Crystalyn weighed 2 pounds when she was born, Joshua weighed around 1 pound. It was a very trying time in all our lives..but they made it home. Joshua lost his fight for life and passed away at 5 1/2 months of SIDS...It is a day my heart was truly broken...but I just had to go on because Crystalyn needed me. That is how I know she is my reason for me being born.... Without her I would not have made it this far. I was nothing like her at 15...She amazes me. VERY VERY SHARP and VERY VERY INTELLIGENT. She has a wisdom about her that stumps me everytime. She also has the BIGGEST HEART of any teenager I have ever met. Her compassion and understanding of people stuns me. God truly BLESSED me when he gave me her.The only thing she wanted for her birthday was to get a card...and for us to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her. She says that being with her family is the only thing she wants. WOWOWOW how many teenagers do you know think that way? Well of course I want her to have teenage stuff -- so her Dad and I bought her a cellphone. She of course was thrilled....and thinks we are the coolest parents on earth...(my job is done) LOL

This is my baby NOW....A BEAUTIFUL KID INSIDE AND OUT...I truly HOPE that all her DREAMS and WISHES come true....because she has made all of mine come true for me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CRYSTALYN ROSE!!!!    I LOVE YA KIDDO!!

PEACE!~

MY BROTHER'S BIRTHDAY

Today is my brother's birthday...First I should point out that he is the youngest. Today he turned 42. WOW--he does not look a day over 35. The only nice pic I had of him was his wedding picture..it really does not do him justice. He is 6'4" and weighs maybe 180 pounds. He has always been skinny (lucky thing). He is a true artist - his work is unbelieveable. He is a master carpenter and now he runs a real estate apprasail business with his wife. They have a daughter in college and a son who is 13. My brother has always been eccentric--I think that is the artist in him. Unfortunately we are NOT close at all. My brother seems to have a deep seeded hatred for me-I just do not know why. He is definitely a product of my father because they both have that nasty attitude when they think they are all that. But ever since my last year in college he really wants nothing to do with me. It figures. IT BOTHERS ME TO NO END. But it is something that I have come to accept.

The way I feel is--it is his loss that he does not know the real me...and his loss that he does not share in the joys and sorrows in my life. I love him to death and that will never change-but I have no regrets. I have always sent him a birthday card for his birthday--I always remember him and his family at christmas and I always call them during the holidays to wish them well. Of course he does not reciprocate the same but that again is his loss.

So I sent my card and I know he received it--There is nothing left for me to say to him except----

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIE--I LOVE YOU

PEACE!!!!

MORE HURRICANES

This is the newest postcard representing the sunshine state--UGH--unfortunately after this summer it seems to be true. Well Ivan did not hit our state directly but it is raining from the outerbands. We can't win for losing-there is no where for the water to go. Now the news has announced today that another tropical storm has turned into a hurricane--WELCOME Jeanne. That one is heading for us--it just seems that the tropics have it in for Florida. I do not know of anyone who is still NOT cleaning up from the other two hurricanes, everyone is still trying to recover- and now Here We Go Again. If this keeps up--Alaska is looking good to me! My heart does go out to those who have been directly affected by Ivan...he was definitely nasty. On the brighter side - I have not floated away yet--LOL

Well I thought I would just share my warped sense of humor this morning with you all....I am the only one here and I needed to tell someone what I was thinking.

Until Next Time---PEACE!!!

ONE FLEW OVER THE COUCKOO'S NEST

Since I have not displayed my companions lately I thought I should give them equal billing. So here are my babies--

Now aren't they just the prettiest lil birds. The yellow one is called Angel and the grey one is called Spike. They are a blast - Spike talks alot-yes he actually speaks words and short phrases. Angel sings- Apparently this is normal for cockateils. They are about 4 years old (give or take 6 months) I absolutely love them. They keep me company in my puter room and when the dogs are not in here then I let the birds out and they fly around and hang out on the puters and crawl up on us so that we will scratch their heads. ( THEY LOVE GETTING THEIR HEADS SCRATCHED) it is so much fun.The only thing that drives me crazy is that Angel loves to grab my earrings (which are posts) and bite them and try to remove them...that could be a painful battle for me. LOL. Now the monitor you see them on is not mine- it is my hunnies--mine has too much STUFF on it (but I will leave that topic for another time) so they perch on his and come to me for affection. AWESOME.

PUPPIES

Have I mentioned yet that during Hurricane Charley my female rottie again gave birth to pups...the good news is that this time she only had three (Happy Camper here). The better news is that they are all males. They are also adorable to say the least. Here is a picture of them at 3 1/2 weeks.

 

Now it is not like I need more dogs or that I planned this out. But I would never have them put to sleep so we will enjoy their antics and find GREAT homes for them.  Now I am trying to convince hunnie bunnie to let me keep one.I know we need another dog like we need another hole in our heads.... but I cannot resist... below is a picture of him and now you tell me if he is not just toooooo cute.

He is the biggest and the fluffiest and always hungry...and I just love getting puppy kisses from him. How could my hunnie look at that face and not fall in love?

HURRICANES

 This is our fence or what is left of our fence in the back yard..as you can see some of the branches that helped bring it down. All the panels will have to be replaced because the wind just blew them apart. We did have F.E.M.A. come and check out what damage we had from the hurricanes- the front roof part of our garage also collapsed. If I can get a picture of that I will definitely post it...

Now this is my neighbor's front yard (well about half of it) and because of Frances it became totally flooded and the water took days to drain. The amount of water everywhere was a sight to be seen.

Now this picture is just a lil corner of our front yard and a continuation of the neighbor's flood. As you can see in the background the brown dried out debris that is still sitting there from hurricane Charley. Now those piles are double (at least) in size because of Frances. Everything on the street was just floating around...

This is the roof top of a Circle K about half a mile up the highway from us. In the foreground is the awning over the gas tanks and in the background is the overhang of the store itself. That place took a beating which for some reason surprised me. BTW- the pieces to their store have not been found- God only knows where the wind took them.

So as you can see so far..... Hurricanes is our middle name at this point. I am so very THANKFUL that Ivan has headed more west and we will not be so affected. I really do not think the area could take any more.

ANOTHER HURRICANE

Well we are still around......this is a good sign. Hurricane Frances never affected us..Thank God...it scares me to death how many people were so effected by her. Six Million people with electric.... the state was dark......but we never lost ours...I guess it made up for having no electric for eight days with Charley. We are all safe and sound and all is well. Now Ivan is on his way..... I do not think this one will affect us either...right now it seems to be moving more east so that makes me a happy camper. But I will not count my lil chicks until monday or tuesday..we will see how it moves.

Now as everyone knows by now I am sure is that I have an AWESOME daughter. We are so very close that people wonder about us... I find her to be so intelligent and sharp as a tack that it scares me. She has a great sense of adventure and is extremely loyal to those she loves and cares about. It just AMAZES me what a kid I have..... there is a quote that I really believe in concerning her..."My Daughter Is The Reason For Me Being Born"

She gives such life and laughter to everything and really is NOT  selfish at all which stuns me since she is such a teenager...I will say she has her moods that make me stop and think where did she get possessed..but 99% of the time...God really has Blessed me! Since the boys have moved out (which stills breaks my heart) it has only been the three of us hanging out...my hunnie, my daughter, and me...so we really have gotten a chance to go crazy together and have fun and spend some great quality time together....it has been wonderful. At least once a week ( more if we can afford it) we go out to lunch and spend hours just talking and making plans and such. It has really been a life changing time for all of us.

Well now the daughter has started her own journal..Now that could be good or bad..she tends to speak her mind and uses more of that "teen" lingo that makes me nuts but, I find her very very funny. Her journal is called NO BOUNDARIES.  I hope you will take out a minute and check it out...... she is quite different.

Now as you also probably know - football season has started...THANK GOD...I just absolutely love football...So I hope to watch as much of it as possible to last me through the off season--LOL

Any Hoot- When I have the time I will upload the pics I have from the hurricanes...it is very different living through them...I am still stunned!

Until I Write Again---PEACE!!!!

RIDING OUT A HURRICANE

Well I will admit that this has been the worst summer I have had in a very long time....I have lived in florida for 18 years and have never been phased by the weather-especially storms....yes I complain when it is hot but that is normal for a floridian. Now all of a sudden we have had to deal with two hurricanes in a matter of less then 3 weeks. We are still recovering from Hurricane Charley--debris is still all over the place and trees are still down. Last hurricane we had no electric for 8 days - that just about destroyed us...we have our own well and septic and we have to have electric for those things to function unlike the majority of florida. No Electric, No water, No bathrooms....unbelieveable. So today - later late this afternoon Hurricane Frances is going to hit us head on. Geez- we are so worn out from Charley and now Frances is knocking on our door. Well I guess we are in for another ride. No we are not evacuating....I am not worried about my home...as much as not having electric. Now as for my summer....I have had no dsl all summer until about 4 weeks ago...no dsl no puter.....then as soon as our new dsl shows up- charley hit...... now frances....... I cannot get online long enough to do anything except delete mail so my mailbox does not fill up. So I am hoping to get back to a normal schedule soon,,,,,, In the meantime--stay positive for us and I shall return. PEACE!!!!!!!