Tuesday, May 29, 2007

THE TIME HAS COME

Finally the time has come....If you have been reading my sporadic blog here...you might remember that I mentioned that Allen (my hunnie) retired from the Department Of Corruption (sorry--Corrections...oooopssss)...Well in order to TOUCH his retirement fund so that we can pay our mortgage payments ahead and not have to worry about it and also to get a new kitchen and roof...we had to wait 90 days...Well when Allen put in the paperwork...they decided to inform him that the rules changed...that the 90 days starts the following month AFTER you retire...(SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT CORRUPTION)...the department is FAMOUS here for screwing their staff....never informing staff of policy changes...that is just par for the course sort of speak. So instead of us waiting until May 1st to put in the amount we needed for whatever....we have had to wait an extra month....here lies the problem---the mortgage company has started the paperwork on foreclosure....GEEEEZZZ!!! I definitely understand their position but I just knew that we were going to get screwed having to wait an extra month...and sure enough....BUT...the day has arrived....today...Wednesday...Allen meets the retirement investor to sign the papers to withdraw the money (THANK YOU GOD)...so I am asking you all for a lil prayer that all goes smoothly and by the beginning of next week...our mortgage is paid up and all is well...makes me crazy to worry about it.

Okay...John at BY THE WAY had a photo activity that I did but just never got to post it...but I think once you have made one...if you think about it...they just may make some great gifts....you can save the results and then print them out on photo paper and frame them and give them as gifts....Any way....here are my results...

Just a couple of samples of what I did...of course they are resized...but I really like this...
Here is the link to make your own:
PHOTO POSTER

Well I think the forum is going pretty good....people are starting to share...I am amazed...and everyone is soooooo nice....I hope you will register and join us...I really think everyone will enjoy it!!! Here is the link in case you have not had a chance to check it out: THIS AND THAT

Well that is all the news fit to print up to now....I HOPE everyone had a GREAT holiday weekend....Here it was peaceful...which is my favorite kind of holiday!!

Remember to HUG THOSE YOU LOVE....PEACE!!!

Sunday, May 27, 2007

MEMORIAL DAY

First I just wanted to say to all of you that have lost loved ones, friends serving our country...my thoughts and prayers are with you on this Memorial Day....
Came across this poem and wanted to share it here...BE SAFE...enjoy your day and take a minute out to remember all those you gave for your freedom!!!

Freedom is not free

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Service man saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

LCDR Kelly Strong, USCG - Copyright 1981
 
HUGS THOSE YOU LOVE..........PEACE!!!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

A PACKAGE FOR ME

I hope you all have gotten a chance to check out the "THIS AND THAT FORUM"..slowly but surely people are registering...which is peachy....there is no way at this time to let anyone know of updates to the forum....HOWEVER suffice it to say that every day I go there and keep adding to the content...recipes, graphics, art projects, craft ideas, and general stuffies...so PLEASE go check out the forum and register...I really would love to see everyone there...it is different and laid back.....

Anyway...yesterday (wed) I received a package....it was my ZEN-MP3 PLAYER...that was really fast service....Here is a picture of it:

It is SO SMALL...but cute and holds ALOT of music, photos and videos....it also has a data center for your personal address book and a calendar...and an fm stereo radio...and it records...I am amazed....I have spent the evening going through my music and downloading it to the zen....it has GREAT sound quality...such a tiny lil fun toy...LOL

We heard from our son AJ today...who has been stationed at Goodfellow AFB in Texas...he graduated as a full fledged firefighter on the 17th and received his orders yesterday .... he is presently on the road to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.....he is glad because that was one of his choices....from there-we have no idea what will be happening.

I just uploaded this picture from Mother's Day.....it is the BEST gift I could have ever gotten...so much LOVE was put into it....here is the picture:

Just BEAUTIFUL.....My hunnie and daughter planned out to go to the store and buy all the stuffies for it...and then my daughter made it and baked it....it was so soft and light and DELICIOUS...that cake did not last too long here...LOL

Well that is it for the news right now.....THANKS for stopping by....and remember to HUG SOMEONE YOU LOVE......PEACE!!!

Monday, May 21, 2007

THANK YOU AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT

 

Well First I want to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU..all for the beautiful comments and emails I have received...I just sat here and cried while I read each one....you all have touched my heart more then you will ever realized...your support means the world to me....I wish I could reach out and HUG YOU ALL....here is the next best thing...((((((((((HUGS)))))))))

Now .... I am finally going to tell you about a project I have been working on for quite some time...and today was sort of the grand opening for it!!!
I created a forum....a place to be positive....a place where friends can get together and share stuffies or chat or be creative or just be....with NO STRESS AND NO DRAMA.

I really have wanted to do that for a long time and finally it is complete...I am still adding more and more topics to it...but I wanted to INVITE you all to check it out and join me at my forum....registration is SO EASY....and you might just like the place...there are no requirements to post/participate...but I am sure there is something there for everyone!
Here is the link:
  THIS AND THAT

Let me know what you think about it......and any suggestions are more then welcome...I figured this would be a good way to try and stay positive....to do postive productive things...keep my head busy in a different direction...so I hope you will join me!!!

Remember to HUG SOMEONE YOU LOVE...PEACE!!!

Friday, May 18, 2007

STRUGGLING

 
Do you know how devastating it is to be so severely depressed that you cannot even function in every day activities? That the things you once enjoyed and loved and found so much joy in just seems like such a chore now.
I realize that probably after this entry....not many people will continue to drop by my journal (my apologies now) because it seems every time I talk about this...people disappear...yes I know people have their own lives and their own problems....BUT when you are depressed and DO NOT have a circle of support of friends and family...it just makes things look so much more dismal.
And looking at things as dismal or feeling things are dismal is so very easy for someone who is depressed.
I really thought that the stigma that was associated with any kind of mental illness was in the past but I am so wrong. When people cannot see something physically deforming about a person...believing they are sick is extremely difficult. I have spent TOO MANY DAYS...WEEKS...crying and screaming for someone to put me out of my misery because I just cannot stand to be the person I am right now.
I have tried with every fiber in my being to think positive...to pray that this would disappear...but NOTHING!!!
 
I have had some good days....and those days feel wonderful...but I just cannot for the life of me keep those days coming...the confusion and fog in my head and all the negative thoughts in my head are overwhelming most of the time.
Well now you know why I have not been around lately...it has been HELL to be me lately.
OKAY NOW....the latest update is that I did manage to go a my lung specialist appointment...now that is a whole other struggle....going out scares the _ _ _ _ out of me...but I did it. I have had this doctor since the beginning of my physical illness. I have built a certain trust up in him so I am sticking to him...he has not stirred me wrong yet.....now this last visit was different in a way...I did not realize it but my doc has a daughter who is a Physician's Assistant...so now she has joined his practice...he is a tall man...about 6 foot and an inch or two...she is tiny...maybe 5 feet tall if that....super nice...like her....she talks to you not at you which is something I look for in doctors....had the usual PFT test (pulmonary function test) guess the old lungs are not getting any better..oh well what else is new (my sarcastic lil self coming out)....they must be getting worse...because now the doctor ordered a sleep test...I would have to spend two days in the hospital with machines hooked up to me to see how many times I stop breathing in my sleep...how many times my heart starts acting up ....among other things...well I just listened to the doc, took the orders he wrote on paper (because I am the one who would have to mail them to WC) but after thinking about it........there is NO WAY IN HELL I am going into the hospital...I cannot even step out my front door on most days...there is NO WAY I can actually stay in the hospital for two days away from everything that brings me comfort. That would definitely put me over the edge that I am walking right now. Just to make my visit a bit more overwhelming, he informed me that he is moving his practice full time to Deland...which is a town almost an hour and a half away from me....now he is just about 25 minutes at the most from me...he assumed that I would look for another doctor closer to home....when I told him NO...I wanted to keep him...he was quite pleased...and so am I.
I still have not found another psych doctor to go to....at this point I am too afraid to find one for fear of what they might say....it really is quite difficult to find any good psych docs under WC...and my trust in them is not the best.
OKAY....for mother's day I got a $50 dollar walmart gift card....from me...actually I belong to a thing called mypoints...they send you mail with offers...you never have to take the offers...you just click on the link that you read the email and you get 5-10 points...well I accumulated almost 8000 points and turned them in for a walmart gift card...too cool...so I found a zen mp3 on sale at walmart online...already had credit with them..so I ordered one for me...my daughter has the 1 gig zen....but the 2 gig was on sale cheaper then what my parents paid for my daughter's...so I ordered it...it is the tiniest little thing....can hold thousands of pictures....5000 songs...has a cd player recorder, fm radio...and a few other lil special features...I am excited...and walmart online is having their 97cent shipping special so that saves a bundle...so an mp3 that costs usually $140 I paid out of pocket $30....not bad if I say so myself. It should arrive in less then a week!!!
Well that is all the news that is fit to print.... hope I did not bring you all down...but my journal is best place for me to vent.
Have a GREAT weekend!!! Remember to HUG THOSE YOU LOVE.....PEACE!!!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY


By the time the Lord made mothers, he was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An Angel appeared and said "Why are you spending so much time on this one"?
And the Lord answered and said, "Have you seen the spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have 200 movable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a lap that can hold three children at one time and that disappears when she stands up, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart, and have six pairs of hands."
The Angel was astounded at the requirements for this one. "Six pairs of hands! No Way!", said the Angel.
The Lord replied, "Oh, it's not the hands that are the problem. It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers must have!"
"And that's just on the standard model?" the Angel asked.
The Lord nodded in agreement, "Yep, one pair of eyes are to see through the closed door as she asks her children what they are doing even though she already knows. Another pair in the back of her head, are to see what she needs to know even though no one thinks she can. And the third pair are here in the front of her head. They are for looking at an errant child and saying that she understands and loves him or her without even saying a single word."
The Angel tried to stop the Lord. "This is too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."
"But I can't!" The Lord protested, "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she's sick AND can feed a family of six on a pound of hamburger and can get a nine year old to stand in the shower. "
The Angel moved closer and touched the woman, "But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."
"Will she be able to think?", asked the Angel.
The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason, and negotiate."
The Angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak with this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak." The Lord objected. "That's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the Angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her disappointment, her pain, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."
The Angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything; for mothers are truly amazing!"
~by Erma Bombeck~
 
**Called my mom today...to wish her a very special day..Wish so much she was here...I miss her...I guess my brother and his wife are taking my folks out to dinner, so that is grand!!! Hope all you MOMS out there have a very GLORIOUS day...
Miss you Mom
My daughter and my Mom....too cute!!!
HUG SOMEONE YOU LOVE.....PEACE!!

Friday, May 11, 2007

REMEMBER THEM

It seems lately that I run across videos that have to do with the army....they touch me and move me beyond words....this video below was done by a 15 year old in Ohio..
I hope it touches you as it did me!!!
Remember to HUG SOMEONE YOU LOVE...and SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!!

Saturday, May 5, 2007

JUST A FEW PICS

I have uploaded a couple of pics that I think I promised everyone I would do....
The first one is of the shrimp catch that Allen caught almost two weeks ago...trust me they were delicious....some were as big as my hand and some small but all just wonderful!!!

About 5 pounds worth.....hmmmmmmmmmm!!!
The picture below is a bag with all the shrimp heads to go fishing with....great stuff to use for bait!!

Okay.....the next picture is of a monkey....my daughter created it out of clay...it has a cup section in the middle that you can put a candle in...as you probably already know I collect MANY things and primates is one of them...lol
I absolutely LOVE this candle holder....we have a kiln where she will fire it and then glaze it....but she just could not wait to bring it home for mother's day....this is probably one of the BEST GIFTS I have ever received.....love those homemade from the heart gifts...

Can you see that adorable smile...lol....I love it!! His ears are just too cute...
Well just wanted to share a couple of things with you all....I hope everyone is having a GRAND weekend...Remember to HUGS those you LOVE......PEACE!!!!

Friday, May 4, 2007

IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE YOU WAKE

SORRY...I tried to save this entry and screwed up.....this video brought tears to my eyes...really touched my heart....remember to say A SPECIAL PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS!!!

Thursday, May 3, 2007

TIDBIT NEWS

Just some minor things ... trying to catch you all up on some news....
Yesterday I actually went out again...I did not leave the truck...but I went out for about 30 minutes....I went with Allen to check out a motorcycle that he would like to get...and we have been really looking around for something that caught our eye....well below is a picture of this find...


This is a 1988 honda goldwing 1500...touring bike....we have an 1100 goldwing and have been looking for a long time to go up in power....it is grey and in supreme condition with low mileage....it is also in our price range....we have been talking about it all weekend...we really miss riding...and we do not like to keep borrowing our friend's bike...so this is looking good!!

Now while I was outside our house waiting on Allen to come out so we could go see this motorcycle....I grabbed one of our lawn chairs to sit and wait...and what do I see but this enormous frog....white.....just hanging out, looking at me as if I was crazy...lol...so I just had to get a picture of him....


He was bigger then my hand....and just amazingly BIG!!!!

Okay....there seems to be a cat who has adopted Allen....he has been feeding this cat for a while now...he is a bit skiddish...we think he might belong to the family diagnol from us....he eats here once a dance and loves to hang out under our truck and tease our dogs....very pretty...so here is a picture ...

Well .... just some tidbits of things around here....hope everyone else is having a GREAT week...

Remember to HUG THOSE YOU LOVE........PEACE!!!!!