Let's Get This Party Started

As I sit here reminising over the last year, it was really a pretty good year. On January 1, 2011 I had a party for all my family and friends to celebrate the most important event of my life. My marriage to my soulmate. Everything was pretty simple, I even had my friend Donna cater the event with homemade, pan fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls, pot of blackeyed peas with ham and cornbread (it was New Years Day) and as I knew, the food was a hit. Donna Burton rocks and I will be the first to sing that song!!! Donna's Diner is where it's at. Just ask me and I can hook you up.

Then I started my position down in Springfield on the 15th. It was a scary move but one I needed to do to keep my sanity. It was leaving fast and I was very, very stressed where I was at. It was a positive move and there are alot of good people down there. It is hard to explain because I met some really good people up in the Northwest section of the State but the people in the Southwest section are more your rural way of thinking. Not meaning to say this with contempt or anything. It's just such a nice change and being in the middle of the bible belt isn't bad, you just have to try not and cuss as much. :o) Growing up in the area that I grew up I can relate to this population better. Of course I am a chameleon though, I can blend into any type of crowd. I benefit that gift from all the years of restaurant work and growing up in restaurants when I was a little girl. I use to say the crap I'd do for a quarter when I was waiting tables. LOL.

Then everything was pretty even keeled until a good friend of mine passed away. It was a kick in the belly because we didn't even know that she was sick. Faye Carter is who it was and we all miss her very much. God took away another angel whose work was finished on this earth. She had to be one of the nicest people around and such a joy to be around. We went to school together and she was a fine product of the graduating class of 1974. We have lost 4 students at this time and we were a small class of 22. Even though we were the largest class to have graduated from there. The one under us had like 13 or so and the one before us had like 9. We grew up in an awesome era in an awesome town. We have stayed close friends all these years and have a strong bond, underclassmen or upperclassmen. It doesn't matter.

Then we had the All-School reunion, an event I hardly ever miss. I love going and see everyone that ever graduated from Lowry. Well this year I got finagled into being Prez of this hear organization. It's okay because there really isn't much work involved. We are going to make it more streamlined though and maybe send invitations out via e-mail.

We took the boys on vacation this year and went to Memphis. Spent Labor Day weekend there and it was wonderful. I found a cabin outside of Memphis on a lake, on the Arkansas side, only 30 minutes from Memphis. The first night we were there we went into Memphis and bought some groceries. Fruit, sandwich makings, chips, pop, water and the guys bought junk. Imagine that, thank goodness for me. That morning we woke up, ate and took a ride around into small towns close to the cabin. Then headed into Memphis to Beale Street and then that evening went to Tunica and gambled a little. It was so much fun. I spent $20 and had an extra $10 if I felt froggy and that 20 kept me busy for a little over an hour. The guys spent more but they are high rollers. LOL. Then we went back to the cabin and played some gin rummy.

Next day we went and rode the riverboat. We went down the Mississippi and the guide talked about the history of Memphis and the Mississippi. It was really cool too, then we went to Sun Records and the boys loved that!!! We didn't go tour Elvis' mansion, it was $70 a person. We think maybe because it was Labor Day weekend but we instead stood outside the gates and took pictures. It was really neat too. Then we went and ate some Memphis barbeque. Yummy, yum, yum. It was fantastic. Went home played a final game of rummy and got up and went home the next day. It was great.

Terry and I went to our first NASCAR race this year and both of us enjoyed it immensly. A friend of mine's friend had free tickets. We went into the in-field and low and behold Matthew McConaughey walked right past Terry. He was in such shock it took him a while to tell us and Matthew had walked past us. We got to see the back of him but Terry said they made eye contact and Matthew's was like "Crap, this guy recognizes me." Jimmy Johnson ended up winning the race and now my husband not only loves baseball and football, he's started watching NASCAR!!! LOL.

We went and saw Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald this year too. I have always LOVED Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs was always okay but now I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Boz Scaggs. He did an awesome job and him and Michael got on the stage and sang together. It was awesome. I really enjoy concerts at Starlight. The sound is so good and each one we have been to the weather has been good.

Halloween was fun. We live next to apartment buildings and we get lots of children. They are so stinking cute but once the teenagers start coming around we turn the lights off.

Had a good Thanksgiving with Terry's family and the boys. I was expecting around 11-12, 9 came and I fixed enough food for 109!!! It was all good though and everyone enjoyed it all.

Then we had my family Christmas and we have so much fun with that. We do the Chinese give away thing and everyone brought appetizers and we ate, laughed, visited and then went home. Then there was the Christmas with just Terry and I and the boys. They wanted to finish up the rummy domination that Terry and I had over them. Well Brandon beat the pants off all three of us and posted the score on the refridgerator. LOL. Had a good time and had the annual Christmas breakfast and if you read previous posts you know exactly what happened during that trauma!!! Going to do it a little different next year. To say the least.

For the final day of the year my girlfriend and I went shopping in Lee's Summit, Independence and Belton. We always have a good time when we hang out and always go to Dixon Chili to gorge on chili. I don't know what it is about Dixon's Chili but it is so dang good. President Truman use to go to Dixon's all the time. On the window it says it has been open since 1919. I told Carole, my friend, do you realize that in 7 years they will be open for 100 years and that 1919 is a long time but it is something we've always heard about through our life. I mean my dad was born in 1913 and mom was born in 1915. I don't know, things like that just fascinate me and make me realize I am getting older.

We came home and Terry and I have just been sitting around not doing much. Ringing in the New Year is something that we usually do sound asleep. LOL. I will probably watch Saturday Night Live tonight. That show, I took a break from for a while but those people they have on now crack me up!!! There has been some awesome actors come out of that cast.

Quoting my friend Jennifer about the coming New Year,

"I personally expect great things within next year and although I'm not sure what opportunities I will be presented with, I do not intend on missing out on any of them, even if it means going outside of my comfort zone - let's get this party started!!!"

Bring it on 2012, I can't wait!!! Happy New Year friends and family. Be safe, I love you all.

Happy Anniversary

Today is the day that I married my best friend and we have had the best year anyone could ask for!!! The year before when we were getting to know each other hasn't been to shabby either. When I got home this evening I ran though the house, having to pee so bad. I stopped in Springfield before I left town and got me a Route 44 Diet Limeade at Sonic. I drank the entire thing and by the time I got half way through my 2 hour drive I had to go to the bathroom but kept thinking I'll stop at the next town. Then the closer I got to Harrisonville the more I thought I could wait until I got home. By the time I got home my eyes were floating and I ran though the house and said in my best Forrest Gump imitation "I gotta payee" Then when I came back into the living room I saw it, as big as Ike. My husband had bought me roses for our anniversary. It made me tear up, I've never had anyone buy me roses. He is a super man and very, very considerate. And has to have one of the most beautiful tenor voices I have ever heard and love, love, love to hear him serenade me. He said his dad had a beautiful singing voice and would always sing Bing Crosby tunes and I told him it couldn't be any clearer and beautiful then his. He said it was but I still don't know.

With that all said I cannot wait to see what the following years has to offer to me. I'm very lucky and I know it. It's not like I have always been that lucky but finally the tables have turned to my favor.

Anyway, today at work was just like all the others. Before I left for the day I took my desk calendar and replaced it with my new 2012 calendar. Then over Christmas I bought a calendar for my wall at work. It is a garden calendar and has beautiful garden pictures on it. What was the first thing I did when I took the cellophane wrapper off the outside of the calendar. I turned straight to my birthday month to see what picture they put in there. I do that every year, then I looked at Josh, Brandon's, Terry's and Madison's birthday months. Then I thumbed through to see what day of the week everyone's birthdays fall on and then last but not least I checked out the holidays. I do that every year when I get a new calendar. Is this wierd or does everyone else do the same thing??? When shopping for a calendar I will even look on the back of it and see what picture is on my birthday month. LOL.

We went out and ate at the little restaurant here in town. The name is Donna's Diner and her grilled tenderloins are the bomb. Josh came up and was going to buy for us but I told him no, to save his money. Being Josh and being a kid he turned it over to us. We went out last night and ate too and told him Brandon bought. LOL. We were pulling his leg and it is always fun to do so. With both of them.

This weekend I always worry about all that are out drinking. It is so dangerous and makes a mother worry. Like I said when Josh was younger I use to pray to God when he left to go out and Praise God when he came home fine. I still do the same and think as a mother we all probably do for some reason or another.

Well, tomorrow I have to go shopping and see if I can find something to wear to a wedding in Springfield. The invitations said formal attire so I am going to see what I can find. I saw some really nice things when I went shopping last weekend. Should have gotten my hair colored and trimmed before now but am going to see if I can get into any beautician in Springfield next week. It's tough trying to be beautiful!!! I do like "cleaning up" though. Especially when you have such a handsome man on your side. :o)

I will talk to you guys tomorrow. Take care of yourselves.

Hi there.

Well, I've come to the conclusion I like mankind, it's the humans I hate!!! Today was a trying day for me and I didn't even deal with my clients. Just people in general. It's okay, I'm just tired. Terry and Lamar came down here today to be with me. They are going back tomorrow as I will too. All is good in that aspect!!!

Second day of walking really makes me feel good. I'm going to like this new exercise regime I've started. I was thumbing through my bible tonight and came across a verse I had highlighted. I have done several different weight loss programs throughout my life and when I went to the Baptist Church in Garden City I did one called First Place. We read the bible and did the program. One of the verses I had highlighted was in 1 Corinthians 9:24, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." Another verse in the same book but 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." Those are a couple of powerful verses.

Things all and all have been pretty good. I just am tired so when I'm tired I get cranky. So to speak. Plus I put my back out Monday and am still paying for that back pain. Should have went to the chiropractor this week but didn't. May go tomorrow. Drove to day to Rolla and back and tomorrow will drive home. Plays a tow on this ole body. It was a 4 hour drive today. 2 hours there and 2 hours back and will be another 2 hour drive tomorrow. Oh well. Terry said that next year we are going to upgrade my car, I'd like to have a Lexus like my friend Toyka. LOL. It is a GREAT ride but there is no way I could afford that. I love my Ford Focus but will get a bigger car which really is a better ride.

Well, Lamar is falling asleep in Terry's lap and I am getting tired. I will talk to you all tomorrow.

Ya Never Know!!!

You are never going to guess what I did tonight. My friend at work hit me up today and said lets start walking tonight at the fitness center here at the apartments. I'm like, but I will be getting home late. She said how late and I told her 6:30. She laughed and said, Glenda THAT isn't late, let's walk for 15-30 minutes so I said sure. We did but we decided this week we'd only walk like a mile a night, which took about 15 minutes. It usually takes me 15-20 minutes to walk a mile. We will do longer next week but are going to get in the swing of things. I'm getting a few together to help me because we all know we need someone to keep us motivated. If not you are doing better than me because I can talk myself out of everything except that extra piece of chocolate cake, or vanilla ice cream cone or that bag of potato chips. I suck. I've said it about myself before and will say it again. I suck. Now I am going to have to go to the store next week and get food that will compliment my new exercise regime. I did eat a grilled salmon salad from a little restaurant down here in Springfield that is so good, St. Michaels. Their lunch isn't that expensive. There are alot of quaint little restaurants and bistro's in downtown Springfield.

Just got off the phone with my cousin Carol. She always gets a kick out of me saying that and she is an avid follower of these blogs of mine. We aren't as good as we would like to be keeping in touch. Our mom's were sisters and she grew up out in Nickerson Kansas. I use to love going out there in the summer and visiting and she tells me she equally enjoyed coming out to the farm in Lowry City to see me. It was two completely different worlds but yet the same. She is 6 years older than I but we were always very, very close because of our mom's. My mom and her sister's had a special bond that is so hard to explain, and they were such interesting ladies.

These ladies were born in the early 1910's and grew up in rural St. Clair County in a small community called Chalk Level. They went to school until their 8th grade year and then they all went to Kansas City and worked, because that is what you did during that time. One of their older brothers went on into Osceola, lived with a Dr. and finished his high school degree and became a pharmacist in Enid Okalhoma. Pretty cool. These ladies grew up with great dignity and everyone that ever knew them loved each and everyone of them with all their heart. Whenever I speak with people that knew them when they were little girls and even when they grew up, these people would have so much kindness and love when they would speak of them. Aunt Nina and Aunt Josephine ended up in Los Angeles in the 1930's. Aunt Nina worked at MGM studios with Van Johnson, Judy Garland and the such. I remember her telling me how much she enjoyed Van Johnson, he'd bring his sack lunch and eat it with "the girls". She'd look at me and tell me, "Judy Garland was everything that they ever said about her!!" Aunt Josephine worked at Cecil DeMille's estate. They were such neat, neat ladies.

I had a special place in my heart for Carol's mom. Her name was Theodocia but we called her Aunt Ted. Her and Uncle Harold owned a farming impliment store in Nickerson when I was growing up and I always thought it was so cool. The year Carol got married I was 13. She married a high school sweetheart and he was in the Navy and in Vietnam. She was an only child and was the world to Uncle Harold and Aunt Ted. I was out there that summer and stayed after she got married and Uncle Harold took me everywhere he went. We traveled all over the farming communities in that section of the state and I remember it like it was yesterday. He missed Carol and hated seeing her move on to the next chapter of her life but all was fine. It was just a transistion, he was helping me with the transistion of my dad passing away that summer and I helped him with the transistion of Carol getting married. Kinda cool when I think of it now.

Well, there is quite a story about these gals and one of these days I may tell it, but this is just a synopsis. LOL. Carol lives in Granite Falls Washington. A beautiful place in Washington State just North of Seattle. I usually tell people that she lives in Seattle when I speak of her because it's easier then explaining where Granite Falls is. LOL. We plan to go up there and see them next summer and I am looking so forward to it. I love my family and especially my cousin Carol. LOL.

It's been a heck of a day at work and this next few weeks are going to be interesting to say the least. I would love to be able to retire but can't yet. September 30, 2016 but who's counting!!! Hopefully I can retire at that time in my life. That is when I can retire from the State. I have seen alot of different things going on within the State through my tenure and am sure I will see alot more before it's all over with. I started in 1996 and you can retire with 80 and out so I can leave when I'm 59. Rock on, wish I'd started before but glad I started when I did.

Well, I am heading out of here. I have had a good day and even better evening between my new exercise regime and talking to my cousin. I will post more tomorrow night and hope each and everyone of you have a wonderful evening and day tomorrow.

It's beginning to look alot like 2012

As the last of the year is vastly approaching us I am sitting here pondering what I am going to do better next year. Of course I think about this stuff all year too but there has been a time or two that I have actually fulfilled my resolutions and have been able to keep up the good work. One resolution is to learn something new every year and I have succeeded in doing that for at least 10 years. I pick something that I have always wanted to do or something that interests me and I learn it. Of course I think I have brought this up a few times in posts in the past but I plan to join a kite club in KC this year. They learn to make kites and have workshops teaching children and adults how to build kites. Growing up as an only child in Lowry City I would fly kites alot. I would buy my kite at the Ben Franklin's in Clinton or Mattingly's and go to the railroad tracks behind my house and fly my kite. When Josh was little we use to fly kites sometimes too but his attention wasn't long enough and I was usually spending more time chasing him down and trying to keep him interested that I ran out of that enthusiasm REAL fast!!! Anyway, I have a friend that is also interested in this and her and I are going to make it sometime this year to a meeting and join. I think it will be fine.

Then my friend Jennifer made a resolution last year to read at least 4 books. I know some of you are laughing and saying, what the hey, I read that in a week. Well it takes alot more work for me to sit down and read a book. I love reading though once I get into the book but it is not something I just pick up and read. If some of you connoisseur's of books, hook me up on some of your favorites. I think the last book I read may have been Lovely Bones. I'm not sure. It was right after it came out and not in the movies. I took a Women's Literature class at Longview a few years ago and LOVED reading those stories. I like to read, I just have to make myself sit down and read. I will be getting the Jon Grisham book The Brethern and that will probably be my first book to read. If you remember right, I checked out the book on tape and it started skipping about the 4th or 5th chapter. Ticked me off big time because I was like, I think I'll like this book. Grrrr. I'm going to read everyone of Mitch Albom's books too. I've read "the five people you meet in heaven" and saw the Hallmark channel movie "Have a Little Faith" and plan to read that book. My friend Carole has that book. Then I am going to read "Tuesday's with Morrie" and "for one more day". His readings are very easy and I read "the five people you meet in heaven" one night, maybe two in a hotel room. I had training in Jefferson City and took it to read. Anyway those books should only count for 1. Not the Brethren but Albom's books. If I read more than 4 then I will be doing good.

Then I want to get into couponing. I did when Josh was little and could buy a huge bunch of stuff for practically nothing. Two people that I am going to have help me achieve this goal is my co-worker Laura. She amazes me the deals she gets on traveling and on foods. She is a guru. Then there is Jenn, Terry's Josh's fiance'. I am so impressed at the way she does things too. The money I save I am going to put in a pot and that will be our vacation fund. Yea, haw!!!

Last, but not least I am going to take better care of my health. I have done it in the past and have done really good but I slacked off when I got me a man. LOL. If you ask some of my friends, I fell off the wagon and got ran over by it!!! Getting back on it. A couple of years ago I said the same thing and within a year I had lost 50 pounds. It can be done, as long as you set your mind to it. I've got me a support team together and I am going to get er done!!! I feel better and was able to get off my blood pressure medicine. I'm back on it and would like to get off it again if I can. Not going to until I can though. I want to live a long productive life. Healthy and not falling down, losing my balance at an old age.

Any hoots. That's the scoop poop. I'm going to work at it but will have to stop baking cinnamon rolls and burning down the neighborhood while I do it. LOL. You guys have been having some fun ribbing me on that one. That's okay.

I'll talk to you guys later. Good night.

Christmas with Madison

The day was alot quieter then it was yesterday. My friends Donnie and Cheryl came by after a day of shopping in the city. Cheryl got her some really, really good deals. Next year I am going to do the same. Just didn't budget my money into a move for this month. Didn't get to do anything I wanted to for Christmas but still had a good one. Donnie was going to loosen the tension on my bow but we didn't have any allen wrenches. We aren't a functioning tool place here but I need to buy some for my bow if I am going to be shooting. I did get my bow out though and look it over. I was going to take it down to Springfield this week but will wait until next week. Not a problem.

Madison came by while Donnie and Cheryl was here. It was all okay. She is always so appreciative of everything that she gets and loves it all. Her favorite thing that she has gotten so far was the gigantic teddy bear that her memaw had gotten her. She was excited because she was going to go over and spend the night with her too. I asked her how she liked her train ride over here and she said it made her nervous but was okay. She said she had to walk to another car to the food car and the ride was bumpy. Then she proceeded to tell me that "some dude's fell" when it got bumpy. I go really??? Wow!!! She goes yeah, they were like a bunch of grandpa's. LOL.

I asked her if she was done with Christmas yet and she said no, every single person in Jenny's family has gotten her a Christmas present. I said, every single one??? WOW. Jenny is Madison's daddy's fiancee' and I really like her. She seems so nice and is so good to Madison. She had her camera out taking pictures of Madison and her daddy opening up their presents. I hope it works out for all three of them.

Well, as my buddy A. Joe says, I'm about ready to call it a day. It's a day!!! Good night everyone.

Hope this one posts!!!

The evening is slowly coming to an end. I have to admit, I had a very nice holiday. Josh came back over last night after being at his Grandma's for their supper. Brandon came back with the movie "Badder Santa", we decided to play games and then watch the movie. We played "the game of things" first but not without some adult beverages. I had gin and tonic and Terry and Josh drank beer. Brandon said he was going to be the Designated Scorekeeper and didn't partake. We were hilarious and laughed so hard at some of our answers. Then the Rummy shakedown began. Brandon won, guess we shouldn't have partaked in the adult beverages, maybe then we'd won. Hmmm, wondering if that was his strategy all along???

Then when we finished, I had one to many gin and tonics and went to bed missing the movie Badder Santa and never made it outside to hear the silence. Maybe I should have done what my friends John and Paula did, listen to Michael Buble's Silent Night and made that count as so. LOL. I slept like a baby until 6am, that was when the texts started rolling in, my friends that are on crack started texting me Merry Christmas. Seriously, they don't even have little one's waking them up early for Santa or anything. Crack heads. So I stumble out of bed and start cooking the perverbial Christmas breakfast finally at 8am.

All excited about trying out this new cinnamon roll recipe my niece Renada told me about. She said to put the rhodes frozen dough in a bundt pan the night before and on top of it put a cup of pecans, dry butterscotch pudding mix, melted together butter and cup of brown sugar. She said let it raise over night and that it would be all over the place but push it back in the pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Granted, I had a bag of Texas Dinner Rolls by Rhodes left over from Thanksgiving so instead of buying the other kind I used these. WRONG!!! When I woke up the kitchen looked like some one had shot the pillsbury dough boy. There was a mess everywhere on the counter so I start pushing and proding the dough back in and finally get it all in the pan. I'm like okay, 30 minutes. I start smelling something and crap is falling into the bottom of the oven and the dough is coming over the pan again. CRAP!!! So I put a pizza pan under the pan and try it a little longer. I've got like 10 minutes left in time. Still smelling heavy smoke I pull the dough mess out of the oven. The top part is done but the rest is raw. I turn the pan over in a cookie sheet and proceed to fix breakfast. I put the biscuits in the oven and put the doughy cinnamon rolls back in and then it happened. The bottom of the oven caught on fire. I threw salt in there to put it out and salt went all over the biscuits. While I am doing all this I am also trying to make sausage gravy and it was sticking to the pan and soupy enough we could of had a glass of milk out of it. Anyway, I get the fire out and hollar at Terry to help me. He is stirring the gravy and I am thickening it up, all the time keeping a smoky tear soaked eye on the oven. Didn't get the breakfast casserole done enough, the biscuits were smoky tasting, the gravy and bacon was awesome, and the cinnamon rolls finally got done and were really good but looked like Josh had ran over them with his truck.

After all that, note to self!!! Don't drink the night before and think you are going to be Paula Deen in the kitchen the next morning. It doesn't work. The guys all ate it and loved it (so they said) but after the guys left for the day and I got the dishes in the dishwasher with all the burnt pans soaking Terry decided I needed to get out of the house for a while so we went on a ride to see what all was open and what was closed for the holiday. Stopped at Quik Trip to get something to drink and they were out of unsweet tea so I got some of their Unsweet Pineapple Mango Green Tea and it really was good. After we got home I told Terry I was going to take a nap and would get up to finish the kitchen and Lamar and I went in to pass out. When I got up Terry had cleaned my kitchen for me and put all the dishes away. He is so awesome to me.

OH, the kicker I forgot to tell you guys about. While I was cleaning the kitchen up I thought, self cleaning oven~I will put it over on clean and it should be okay in a few hours. Then I started smelling it again.....FIRE!!! The bottom of the oven was on fire again so decided to just wait and get the piles of brown sugar, butter and butterscotch pudding out of the bottom of the oven before I clean it again. That is going to be a tomorrow project. Whew. I'm exhausted. LOL.

I still had a wonderful Christmas and don't regret any of it. The four of us had a blast last night though and that is all that matters in my book. The day was beautiful and while we were driving around lots of people were walking their pets. We should have been walking too but I was to tired after the trauma I had over the breakfast. LOL..

Well, going to go. Can't believe it is past 10 and I am still tired after my wonderful nap. Talk to you tomorrow!!!

Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal/Craisin Cookies are done. Will make some no-bakes here in a few and then get things together for the annual Christmas breakfast. I will get the breakfast casserole together and put in the refrigerator for the oven in the morning. get the Monkey Bread ready to raise and bake in the morning, bacon, sausage and biscuits are ready to cook in the morning also. The menu consists of Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Bacon, Breakfast Casserole, Breakfast Burritos, Cinnamon Monkey Bread and fried apples. Josh and I have been doing this the last 3 years and we don't plan to stop it anytime soon. He's looking forward to it as is Terry and Brandon. If not they make me think they are. Oh, and will put the roast in the crock pot tonight and in the morning make the BBQ beef for sandwiches throughout the day. All will be good.

Today was sure a nice day. I took Lamar for a walk and it was so pretty. Tonight I was reading some Facebook posts and someone said every Christmas eve night he goes outside and listens to the silence. I know exactly what he means, I have done that before and there is a silence like no other. It is always so beautiful and if we are lucky enough to have a snowfall, well that is just an added bonus to a magnificent evening.

Well, I want to wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas and look forward to keeping in touch within the next year.

Kewl

"Done,done,done,done,done!!!"

That is the little dance that I did this afternoon. Terry and I went and got the last of the presents and then I went to the grocery store this afternoon and got all the food for this weekend. It's going to be fun, fun, fun and I can't wait to post the festivites. All I am going to say is that the parental units are going to rule!!! We will keep the reigning title!!! We played Rummy while in Memphis and Terry and I beat the guys at every game. I have another game called "Things" and I plan to break it out and play it. It will be fun.

Found out Miss Madison isn't going to be here until Christmas Day. She is going to ride Amtrak with her Step Dad and his children and her daddy will pick her up at the train station in Blue Springs. I didn't know Blue Springs had a station, I knew Lee's Summit and Independence did. It will be fun for her I hope. I'm excited to see her and see her open her presents. Bless her heart.

It's been nice having the christmas lights on in the evenings. I also have the Charles Dicken's Christmas Village that Josh and I bought mom one year. It is lite up too. Then my Nativity Scene. I noticed I don't have a single Santa Claus in here, just a bunch of snowmen. I like that. Hoping I can pick a few things up on the sales after Christmas but if I don't that is okay.

Was going to start baking today but have decided to wait until tomorrow. I can do it while the Chiefs are on. And just cook all day long. Yeahhhhh. I feel so sorry for those that are having a struggle during this time of the year. Those that are standing by their loved one's bedside, not sure when they will be taking their last breath, the abuse going on these next two days because of drugs, alcohol or just worried about money situation. I am sorry for the one's that have lost their jobs because of unforseen circumstances either through them or their bosses. I am sorry for all the sadness in the world today but praise all the happiness.

Well all I can say is MERRY EVERYTHING!!!

Poke A Hontas

Woo Hoo. I'm home for the Christmas break. I don't have to be back to Springfield until Wednesday and I am really, really looking forward to being home. When I was driving up here it snowed on me from Bolivar all the way up to Lowry City. Nothing major, just flurries but a couple of times it was coming down at a pretty good clip. Then I made it through Clinton and outside of Clinton a car passed me and it was an old beat up Taurus. Very, very dirty and you couldn't read the liscense plates because it was so dirty but the kicker was the guy had a string of Christmas lights on the inside roof all around the windows and such. Talk about in the Christmas spirit. He looked like he had probably gotten off work at one of the businesses in Clinton. It was pretty funny and did my heart good.

There was alot of traffic tonight and most of the cars were loaded down. Everyone going where ever they needed to go for Christmas. Of course it will be all over with after Sunday and thank goodness we can go on with our lives as we should. LOL.

For those of you that are unaware, A couple years ago I would go to competition bow shoots with 3 of my good friends. I wasn't good by far but enjoyed it so much. Well, met my man and got out of it. Had bigger and better fish to fry. Last fall I started shooting again (just practicing) and injured my shoulder. Like a dippity doo dah, I didn't think about releasing my tension from 40 pounds to like 25 or so, since it had been so long since I had shot. I went to the dr., then to physical therapy and finally the ortho doc and he said I had a frozen shoulder. Got a cortozone shot (ouch) and he said come back in 6 months and get another one. Well, I don't do well with going back, especially that long of a time.

I was talking to my co-worker who runs in marathons and one time hurt her hip. She recommended a massage therapists that works on sports injuries there in Springfield. Can I say OMG. I feel so much better. I should of went to her a year ago. She told me it would do me good to get back into shooting but be sure and have someone release my tension. This weekend I plan to get in touch with a couple of my friends and see if they can do that for me. I have so wanted to get back into shooting again and am excited about it all. It's fun and it is so relaxing to shoot. I don't care what anyone says, its an art.

Well, going to head to the ole bed. As always I wait until the evening to write and get tired. talk to you guys again tomorrow.

All I Ask Is Just One Thing!!!

Today I read something that said, you are not a failure if you have friends and I thought to myself. How true is that. I wish people were more apt to realize that and maybe there wouldn't be so much sorrow, loneliness and hate. Times in my life I should have realized that. Some good food for thought there.

Man, today was a little different. It has been crazy this week. Maybe because Christmas is coming or maybe because the end of the year or maybe there is a full or new moon coming up.....but it has been bizarre to say the least. For instance, today I talked to someone that the description sounded like it was Santa Claus and by golly, he could have been Santa Claus or one of his elves. A very nice man and very educated, I truly enjoyed talking with him. I really appreciate hearing other's opinions on topic's as long as they don't try to make me feel inadequate because I won't follow their lead. As mom would always say, "That's one man's opinion!!"

Then I went to talk to someone that is very sick and in the hospital. He was working on his menu for the next day's lunch and writing away while he was talking to me. While I was there the dietician came in and he was madder than a wet hen that they didn't bring him ketchup for his french fries. He goes, no tomatoes does not mean no ketchup. It means I don't want anything at all with the texture of a tomato, no seeds, no mealy stuff, no tomato period but I do want ketchup. Then he went into another explanation that no apples means no raw apples but he likes applesauce, apple juice.....blah, blah, blah. You get the drift.

Before the dietician had came in he was telling me that he had won Miss America one year. Yes he is a Drag Queen and was not to happy to come back to MO but realized for right now he needs his family. He is very, very sick right now.

Sometimes I look at these people and I listen to there story and it makes me wonder. What has transpired in your life to bring you where you are in your journey? And then I think about my own life and wonder what transpired me to do what I have done in my life. I really don't have an explanation and truly don't have a clue. I think alot of it was that I was a victim of circumstances and it just happened. There is a reason I do the things I do and say the things I say and act the way I act but I really don't have an explanation for it all!!!

Wish I had the answers but I don't. I can't believe that God hates these people just like I can't believe God hates me. I am not a bible thumper and never will be. I won't judge people for their actions and never will. Everyone has a story and they are the only ones that know if it is true or not. Along with God and that is between them. Do I think it is right some of the choices people make in their life, no. Sometimes my choices aren't right.

Anyway, one of my favorite quotes is:

“I don't care if you're black, white, straight, bisexual, gay, lesbian, short, tall, fat, skinny, rich or poor. If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you. Simple as that.”
― Eminem

All I can say is Amen!!! I agree so much. I have another one of my favorite quotes in my office. It is by Nelson mandela and the gentleman that I visited with today commented on it and how true it is. I told him that it is on the end of all my presentation slides I do at schools and to the nurses. It goes as follows:

"Education is the most powerful tool you can use to change the world." This is so true in so many ways.

Something else I want to bring up tonight before I sign off is all these people within the United States doing so much good right now. No matter if it is the individual that dropped the $2000 diamond into the Salvation Army kettle and or the one's that are going around KMart's and paying off lay a way's and then this morning I heard of an individual that went into McDonald's and bought $500 worth of gift certificates and told them to give them to someone that needs them. McDonald's matched this man's contribution and gave the coupons to a homeless shelter. Is that not AWESOME!!! There are alot of good people out there. Step away from your televisions and take a look around. Stop listening to the negitivity that the news media harps on day in and day out. 9 times out of 10 their information is wrong anyway. Do one thing a week that brings joy to your heart and then step it up some. I wish I could do so much more than what I do, but it sure makes me feel good when I do something that brings joy to my heart.

I love you guys and will talk to you tomorrow!!!

It's Addicting

Every evening when i get on here I think to myself. I am not going to mess around so late on this dang computer and get to bed. Here it is 9:18pm and I am tired and I am just now starting to blog. My nemisis is Facebook and for those of you that are on there also, you know exactly what I mean. It gives me so much entertainment and get an opportunity to connect with people I haven't seen or talked to forever. I love all my friends and love laughing, praying, crying and just connecting with them. Then I got started on this dang game on there. It is called Words With Friends. WWF for short. That is what Alec Baldwin was playing on the airplane when he got all ticked off and was kicked off last week or so. It is addicting but I have always loved crossword puzzles and one of my favorite games in the whole wide world is Scrabble. It is hard to find people that will play that game with you because not everyone enjoys it as much as I do. I play on Facebook with some of my friends and sometimes get as many as 20 people hooked up. We don't all play at the same time, sometimes I only have a handful that are playing with me at the same time. The only gripe I have and it could be my computer is sometimes it is so slow moving the tiles in place and all. I don't cheat and I don't use words I never heard of but sometimes I put tiles together to see if it is a word and low and behold....walla!!! I got me a word. The largest score I have gotten on it was 131 on one word. The word was Divorcee and I used all my tiles up and got extra points. My friend I was playing with didn't even get ticked off. LOL.

Anyway, that is what most of my evening consists of, updating Facebook, talking to friends and playing WWF. I know, I know, I need a life. Maybe I will start one soon but don't bet on it. Winter is just starting and I like to hibernate and get all fat. LOL. Not really like it but end up doing it anyway. When the warm weather starts I do more stuff outside.

Got a pleasant surprise tonight in the mail. I got part of my cleaning deposit back from the other apartment that I didn't even think I'd ever get. The reason why is because I had Lamar over alot at the other apartment and when we'd leave him alone he'd get bored and chew the window sill. Little bastard. Not sure why he'd do it but he'd tear hell out of the window sill. I just kept quite about the whole incident and didn't cause to much of a commotion on where my deposit was and low and behold they paid it to me. Bless their pea picking hearts. I told Terry they have probably came into worse situations than that but I don't know. I do like this new apartment though. It is so much bigger. Can't wait until after the first of the year I am going to be hitting thrift stores and such and decorate it up. Make it a little homier!!!

Well, I am going to sign off early. I tell you one thing, after the first of the year I have GOT to get me some new glasses. Man, these puppy dogs are not good at all. It's been a couple of years and before I know it I am going to be getting headaches and we don't want that. I may try contacts again. They are good to have to switch back and forth with. We'll see though. Even with insurance the dang things are so expensive. Oh well, at least I have insurance. That was one of the reasons I started with the State 15 years ago was medical, dental and vision insurance for Josh and I. I had to do something, the little buger was going into football and I could see things happening. LOL. I complain because of the deductible we have to pay now but am so thankful that it is only $600 because that is alot cheaper than having to pay 10's of thousands of dollar on hospital bills. Would be nice if it was the day that it was all free but that life is over with. Nothing is free in this life toots!!!

Getting off of here. Going to go take my meds (BP and Cholestrol) and hit the sack. Maybe I can get up in the morning but doubt it. That ole bed is so dang comfortable in the morning but let it be the weekend and I am up before 7 every morning. Makes me so dang mad. Oh well. Good night friends. Love ya all!!!

Went to Joplin again today. Had two new Syphilis cases and can I say grrrr. Not sure if it is the weather, Christmas coming up or the fact that these two guys were sluts and didn't really care one way or the other if they had syphilis. I'm like okay, I drive over an hour down there and over an hour back and you two are royal jerks. Oh well, not everyone on my caseload are worth the 2 cents I get paid to do this job!!! It's okay.

Talked to both boys today. When Josh was a little boy (around 10) I got him a guitar. His daddy plays guitar and I thought this would be good for when he went down to his dad's on the weekends. They could play together and maybe he could learn from his dad. I even paid to have guitar lessons for Josh. I couldn't get him interested in band or choir in school but thought this would be good. It lasted a while but he tired of it so we set it on the backburner. A couple years ago he wanted to get back into playing the guitar and I asked him what happened to the nice guitar I had bought him. Grrrr. Another sore subject. He'd pawned it when he was in college, imagine that. Sure we needed a six pack of beer or something so I told him he was going to have to buy him his own and he did. There is a really nice guitar shop in Harrisonville where the guy has new and used guitars and Josh bought a really nice one, taking up lessons again.

He has a friend over in Holden that they just sit around and pick all day long. He said the other day that they played for 6 hours. I so enjoy listening to him play, he plays alot of blues, country and music he grew up with which is music I played on the radio and CD's, Creedance, Allman Brothers and such. You get the drift. Anyway he told me tonight that he was going to put his guitar in the shop over in Holden. There's a really nice guitar shop there too where I bought his first guitar. I am so proud of him and so proud when he uses that energy toward something productive like that.

Brandon texted me today too and I just called his dad to give him the good news. He is pulling another 4.0 and only one more semester and will have his Masters. That young man is so amazing and we are so proud of him!!! When he texted me I texted back and said, "Rock on!!! You are awesome, I don't care what Lamar says about you!!!" LOL. I don't know which boy I am prouder of, him or Josh. They both are pretty awesome young men.

I am proud of Brandon's brother Josh too. It seems he's getting his life together too. Life has dealt him a pretty bad hand but of course some of his problems were self inflicted but he realizes his mistakes and is working at making them better. He seems to have a really awesome lady in his life that seems to be very stable and I hope so for him. Madison is very happy with her and she seems to be so good to her. They will be getting married next summer and I can't wait. I pray for each of the boys that God will watch over them and help them. It seems to be working but we all know how that can work.

Welp, it's getting late again. Went to the WebDesign class again tonight. If nothing else it gets me exposure to the language and how to do various things to make the page look awesome. We'll see how things work out. Every once in a while I do something cool on here but haven't for a while. Oh well.

Talk to you guys again tomorrow night. Good night everyone.

It is what it is!!!

Today as I was messing around on here I thumbed through other blogs. At the top of the page it says next blog. Sometimes you go and then can't go any further because next blog isn't at the top of the page but I was able to scroll through several. Most of them were of arts and crafts, like embrodiery, tatting and other needlework I absolutely love. I found it so interesting and some of them were just blogs like mine. Nothing in particular, just writing what is in their head or what happened during the day. I can't wait to expand a little further. I am going to go to the class I missed last week on WebDesign and will try and take better notes. I am going to try and make it a little more interesting. I'm getting a little bored AGAIN. It's okay but there's links and buttons I want to put on. Fun, fun, fun.

I talked to a long time girlfriend tonight on the phone while I was driving down here. I hadn't talked to her in like, forever. Alot of you know her and alot don't but I went to school with her. Her name is Nadine Taber Hyde Cundiff. She married Pete Hyde from Osceola after we graduated and they had two children. Brady and Brian. Brady is 29 and Brian is 24 and they are smart, smart young men. Just like their mama. Both have Bachelor's degrees but with the economy the way it is today have not found a job yet. Brady went to Chicago and got his degree in Art and Brian quit high school at 16, took his GED and missed one question, went to University of MO Rolla and got his Bachelor's in Business. Nadine said he is thinking about going back and getting higher education in Computer. He is such a good kid and so smart. Both of them are and Brady's art work totally blows me out of the water. Art is one of my favorite things and Nadine has pictures he has drawn that are totally outstanding. Wish I could help them find a job.

Well, Christmas is just around the corner. Talked to my Josh and Brandon today. I can't wait till this weekend and I wrote Terry's Josh on Facebook and asked if that beautiful little girl was going to be in town and he said she sure is. Can't wait to see them and her either. Going to start cooking and baking Friday. Terry told me the Chiefs game is on Saturday afternoon so that will work out perfect. Brandon was telling me about his grades. He is so smart and Aced his classes. Pretty good since he also taught all semester too.

Have a full day tomorrow, I am going to go to Joplin. I have a new Syphilis case down there but it sounds like the guy is pretty cooperative, plus he wants to get his syphilis taken care of. Him and his sex partner came in to be tested because he thought he'd been exposed a while back. Well, he had been and he is very infected now. Like I said, it will be interesting to say the least.

Before I sign off, remember this:

"So being a hippie is not a matter of dress, behavior, economic status, or social milieu. It is a philosophical approach to life that emphasizes freedom, peace, love and a respect for others and the earth. The way of the hippie never died. There have always been hippies from the first time society laid down rules, to Henry David Thoreau, to John Lennon, to you and me. I believe there's a little hippie in all of us. It's just been repressed by our socialization process. We need to find it and cultivate our hippie within. Only then can we reach our true potential."
~Author Unknown

With that said good night everyone. Peace, Love & Tranquility!
...glenda

A Repeat is A Repeat only when it is Remembered

Okay, before I get into this I have to post this. If you go to Google and type in Let It Snow and hit enter it is really cool. Once the screen frosts up you can either hit defrost or use the cursor to draw pictures, write things or whatever on the frosted screen. Those programmers at Google are the bomb in my eyes. They come up with some of the neatest things. :o)

A slow day was had by us but it was beautiful out. We ran to the grocery store and that was about it. Had Chicken Pot Pie and I don't care for supper. That is one of the best comfort foods around in my book. Haven't got foods and such for next weekend when everyone will be around for Christmas but will get most of that stuff Friday. It's going to be a fun weekend but because of Stalkers and Haters that follow my blog I can't post anything until after the fact because they will make it harder on all that is involved. Sorry guys but it will make for a good read after it's all said and done with.

Hopefully my camera will take better pictures than it did over the Family Christmas. Got some really good picture of the children in our family but my camera played real dirty pool. I'll get them downloaded though and posted. They are a crew of third generation children in my family. They are my Great, Great Niece's and Nephew's. Wesley is the oldest at 15 and Dyllan is the youngest at 3 or maybe 4. Can't remember, these babies are growing so fast!!!

Sounds like we might have some nasty weather about Tuesday night. Hope it stays north and comes no farther south. I am going back down to Springfield Sunday night instead of Monday night. I have to work Monday but am taking Friday off. Have I already told you guys that??? If so, sorry. I can't remember but I won't have to go back to work until Wednesday. Rock on!!!

Got Christmas Cards filled out tonight and will place them in the mail Monday. I'm later than usual but just couldn't get into the addressing Christmas cards mode. Of course I did better than last year, last year I didn't send any cards. :o( It was a bah humbug month but not really. If I remember correctly I had totalled my car the first of the month, taken a job promotion, found an apartment, moved, bought a new car and planned a wedding all in 30 days. And I wonder why I am on medication!!! LOL.

One of my pirate friends got me a Michael Buble' CD and I have been enjoying it so much. A couple of songs will not play on the CD but the ones that do....Can I say Outstanding. I did tell my son if he wanted to buy me the CD I would love him forever. That and Adele 21 but I know I've told you guys that in an earlier posting.

Starting to repeat myself so guess I will sign off. Stay toasty warm guys....love ya all. Even the Stalkers and Haters!!!

Is it Really Funny???

Before I start tonights blog I want to make sure you guys read the blog under the joke blog I posted last night. I posted my regular blog and then someone posted that joke and I thought it was hilarious so I posted it as a blog post. Then I realized that it was posted on top of my regular nightly blog. Anyway, I just wanted to bring that to your attention in case you missed last nights blog.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, sun shining but cold, cold, cold. I realize that this is just part of the season change that I love in this fair State but I actually prefer warm over cold. Sometimes it takes me so long to warm up but am thankful I have a home to get warm in and have proper clothing. There was a time I didn't and it wasn't fun at all. I lived in Wyoming in 1980 or 1981 and was not use to the cold. Plus didn't really have proper clothing. I do remember how neat it was when you would walk across the parking lot and the snow was powder dry and would just push away from your feet. It was pretty cool, the part that wasn't cool was the cold weather. I left in February though and came home to Missouri never to return.

We've been watching a Walton's marithon tonight. I always loved that show. When that show was in it's hayday I was traveling around the United States living in differents states. The Walton's would bring me back to where I grew up in Lowry City. The Baldwin Sisters would remind me of the neighbors up the road, Lesta and Margaret Akers. They didn't do moonshine but they were sisters that lived on their parents farm. Lesta taught my dad in the one room school house, Landaker and up until she died she would tell me stories of when she taught my dad. Margaret, she worked at the St. Clair County Library and drove the bookmobile. They were awesome ladies and had some of the most beautiful flowers in their yard.

Those two awesome ladies lived across the road from Mr. and Mrs. White. I never did know their names, they were always Mr. and Mrs. White. They farmed with horses, had two Clydesdale horses. Now remember, my memories come from the late 50's, early 60's. Mom and I would stop at their house sometimes and the one thing that stands out in mind the most would have to be their rain barrel. We didn't have one and I use to think it was so cool and sneak around to where it stood and just look at it.

It's funny what you remember about people when you were a child. Then on top of the big hill (and it's still a big hill) Roy and Zoe Copenhaver. We shared the party line with them and Zoe was a talker. It was harder than all get out to get on the phone when she was on. Mom and dad would play cards in the winter time and we would go to each neighbor's homes. They'd play at Flay and Dimple Snyders, Herb and Genevia Duvall and Roy and Zoe. Sometimes the Eddleman's would play cards with them too. They would go to each others houses and I was always the only child, because everyone else had grown up children. See, my brother was 18 years older then me and my sister was 21 years older. So mom and dad were about the same age as the people that were their friends and none of them had children my age but the women would always try to find something for me to do. I'd always watch TV but I would bring stuff to do. I'd make scrapbooks out of pictures from a magazine or paste a colage on a piece of posterboard. It was all cool, boring at times but lots of memories.

We had a little country store too, called Damascus. Art and Margaret Mitchell ran it. I use to ride my bicycle in the summer time there. I told a friend one time that it was about 5 miles to the store so we clocked it and it was only a couple of miles. LOL. There were hills and all to ride and during the hot summertime it was quite a hall but we'd jump at the opportunity to ride. Mom never let me do it alone but if there was someone to go with me, she'd allow it. I think about it now and I am like....WAS SHE NUTS!!!! I can't believe the stuff she let me do as a child and as a teenager. She should have drowned me at birth!!!

It's funny, Terry's sister Sheila is in the hospital in Appleton City MO. Let me rephrase that, it's not funny she's in the hospital and seriously I'm not even sure what is funny. Anyway, for those of you that know nothing about the town, it is extremely small, maybe population of 400 and they have always had a little hospital. It had been years since I had been there and I thought it was still over by the railroad tracks. I pulled up and thought, hmmmm. This doesn't look like a hospital anymore but I got out and went to the door. There was a doorbell and I was like, nope, that isn't a hospital so I got in my car and drove down an alley and there were some ladies standing outside and I asked them where the hospital was and they proceeded to tell me. I drove over there and was totally impressed. It is such a nice little hospital for a rural community and saw the wall of doctor's and was equally impressed. I know the state of MO has a program that will pay physicians student loans if they serve in an underpriviledged area and St. Clair County would meet that criteria.

There was a little volunteer lady sitting at the front desk and I walked past the chapel and they had it decorated as a little snow village with the nativity scene on top of a snowy hill. The entire room was decorated as a village. Of course the room was about the size of my laundry room, except my laundry room might be a little bigger. LOL. Sheila said the food was really, really good. I told her they probably don't have a lot of people in there and I could run over and whip her up something. Anyway I was very impressed with the hospital. It was very nice.

Well, not sure what tomorrow is going to bring forth. Might do some Christmas shopping and might not. We will just have to wait and see. Only have a couple more things to buy and plan on getting it at Kohl's or I am going to have to just wait until one day next week and run and pick it up in Springfield. I hate shopping on the weekend this close to Christmas. Can I say cluster!!!

Anyway, good night everyone. Talk to you tomorrow.

Merry Christmas

I just got off the phone with a friend living in North Dakota near the Canadian Border. She said that since early this morning the snow has been coming down, it is nearly waist high and is still falling. The temperature is dropping way below zero and the north wind is increasing to near gale force. Her husband has done nothing but look through the kitchen window and just stare.
She says that if it gets much worse, she may have to let him in.

Haha! Merry Christmas!

Just another day

Another day closer to retirement. I use to say that all the time but don't find myself saying that as much now. I really, really, really miss my husband during the week but I really, really, really like working the area and the population that I work in the Southwest section. Today I went and talked to a lady that is very low functioning. Bless her heart. She has been postive for 20 years now and is in her upper 40's, early 50's and went to the health department to test for HIV. Did not tell the nurse she was positive and the nurse drew her blood. Well, that is an offense but it was her first so I went to talk to her. She was extremely embarrassed. I asked her why she tested and she thought maybe she'd turned negative because her daughter is negative that she gave birth to when she found out she was positive 20 years ago. I explained to her that once positive always positive and that she HAS to tell the nurse that she is positive. She goes "But she wouldn't test me if I told her that." I said true, but it is the law that you tell anyone that draws your blood.

She started to cry and the soft hearted person I am I sat there and talked with her. All she wanted was that hope that maybe she was negative after all this time. She was so disappointed. :o(

I gave her my card and told her that next time to call me. She goes, "They've got that kit you can buy at the store, don't they?" I said yes but think they are quite expensive. You could tell she didn't have alot of money. She goes yeah, my luck they probably cost around 50-100 dollars. I said I don't know. Then I proceeded to say, they are probably around the same price as a home pregnancy test and she goes, yeah those are really expensive. I think they're around $10-$15. Bless her heart. Such a simple life she lives but she wants what we all do. A long healthy life. She can't help it if her daughters dad infected her 20 years ago and she didn't know he was positive. She said when she found out she was positive the only thing that has kept her alive were her children, a son and daughter. She said her son was 24 and her daughter is 19. You could tell she loved her kids because her eyes would sparkle when she would talk about them. She said her son has two children and I said, not only do you have your son and daughter you also have them grandbabies. Her eyes lit up again only like a grandma's would. She was a good person and had alot of love, she just wanted the bad hand that life has handed to her reversed. Then she proceeded to tell me that her daughter can't have babies because she has a "baby uterus". Then worry came across her face and she explained to me about her daughters medical condition.

The nurse at the health department wanted me to yell at her and scold her for what she had done but I couldn't. I needed to explain to her what she did wrong and do it in a caring manner. She probably would have shut down if I would have done it and she didn't do this to be mean like alot of the people I talk to do. They are just heartless people and this woman wasn't. Needless to say, I come across a vast array of individuals!!!

Well, not alot happening right now. Can't think of anything to write about. I did get a few more Christmas presents taken care of. I'm going to sign off. Like I said, can't think of much to write about right now but will be more productive tomorrow night.

Keen Bean is the Scene

Well, got a few more presents bought tonight. Going to pick up a couple more tomorrow and should be about done. If I would quit seeing cute things to buy Miss Madison. I had to step away from the store at one point tonight. I just love buying for a little girl. Never had that opportunity and she is a girly girl too, which makes it alot of fun. A girly girl with a spot of orneriness in her adds to the joy. I wish we could see her more than we do but when she is back here, her daddy wants her all the time. Which I totally don't blame him one bit and he does bring her by so we can see her which I am glad. Plus she gets to go to church with me too sometimes, which is nice. Probably not quite as much now since dad has moved to Adrian MO and not close to us in Harrisonville but I bet things could be figured out if needed.

Been figuring up my menu for Christmas and around the holidays. Tradition is so much fun and am going to do a little different twist on things. I'll have to post it after Christmas to let you know how it went but I am thinking it will go fantastic. Josh and I started something that isn't quite as traditional but once I've started talking about it lots of people do it. So there ya go, guess we are part of the norm. Brandon is pulled in so many different directions during this time of the year that I have to fit things together to where he will be able to spend time with us. It's been Josh and I for a while now and it hasn't been that big of a deal. I'm glad though, I love it. And that is all that matters. As long as mama's happy, everyone is happy. :o)

Can I say wow??? If not, I just did!!! I got to hear the Michael Buble Christmas CD in it's entirety. As I have said before, I love the big band swing music and he has it down pat. He is a very talented young man and not to shabby to look at. LOL. I'm one of those that grew up with that type of music so I truly appreciate it. I told Josh if he was wondering what to get me he could get me that CD or Adele's. I love her music also. Of course there are alot of music I love.

With all that Christmas hoopla said, I do have to admit that I will be glad when it's all over. It is always such a let down too because everything is so maxed out on TV, on the radio and on people's houses that after the big day it's like, what next??? Of course Terry and I have our one year anniversary on the 30th. Not sure what we are going to do to celebrate but whatever it is it will be fine. I will have to work on the day but maybe that weekend we will do something. Who knows what. I am going to better plan next year when this time of the year comes around. Of course I say that every year at this time. I have high expectations and then badda bing, badda boom. I haven't done a single thing until a week or two before Christmas. Oh well, life goes on.

Before I sign off and totally forget it, I want to repost something I posted on Facebook tonight.

"As I make my travels along the byways and highways of the Southwestern portion of our beautiful state, I get the pleasure of finding some of the coolest shops. Mom and Pop, made in the USA type of shops. There is a coffee shop in Mt. Vernon that is the coolest. The name of the shop is Keen Bean. My co-workers and I were heading down I-44 toward Joplin and decided to stop in. When I walked through the door I was like, oh yeah they have a website. I picked up one of their coffee cups and also a card so I would remember to look up their website. I challenge you to check them out and if you are down around their shop, stop in. It has some awesome things in it."

If you click Keen Bean it will take you straight to their website. They are a really, really neat little Mom and Pop place.

Well, I'm going to sign off. I want to keep this from being to long and boring. Which is a little hard for me sometimes because I have a tendency to get wordy. Talk to you guys later.

Got up this morning and it was raining and I was happy. I bought me a brand spanking new umbrella the other day and have not used it. I use to have one many moons ago but I lost it some way, some how through my life excursions and never replaced it. It was so nice. I left the apartment and as I was walking to the car I kept dry under my new purchase. When I arrived at work I parked in the parking garage and walked the block and a half to my office and stayed dry the entire way. One time during the day I walked over to the library and forgot to bring the umbrella with me (big time bummer) but plan to keep this new found friend close to me at all times from now on. It's the simple things in life that brings me such pleasure.

I had to go to Joplin again today. I had a new HIV diagnosis to talk with and he was meeting me at the City Health Department there in Joplin. It was hard to get him to the point where we could visit with him because he was extremely nervous and scared. As any 24 year old would be. My heart always goes out to these clients of mine, no matter what age, race and social background they come from. This young man came from an affluent family and, what can I say, we are in the middle of the bible belt. He has a strong Christian faith and I have a feeling his parents have told him that they are washing their hands of him. He said that he came out with his sexual orientation to them about 2 years ago and they told him if he gets AIDS he's out of their lives. This little scenerio reminds me of something I have said a million times about the holier than thou's. So Heavenly good they are no Earthly account!!!

Excuse me, I am a mother and I love my son more than anything in my life. I made sure that his life growing up was all about him. I gave up so much stuff to assure he was a child and had a good childhood. Was there things I wish I'd done differently, yes but do I have any regrets on anything, no. Anyway I cannot imagine disowning him no matter what he does in his life. I have always said no person can make me cry the hardest or make me feel so disappointed more than him but he could never in his life do anything that would make me not love him unconditionally and he loves me too. Not only are we mom and son, we are buddies.

This child's heart was hurting so bad because he could not share this news with his parents or anyone in his family. How lonely that must feel. I told him that God can turn bad into good and that he is doing so much good in his life and he will make it. I have been praying hard for this young man and will continue. I hope I touched him in a way that gave him hope.

Speaking of child, I just got off the phone with Josh. He has been sick today with a cold and ran to WalMart tonight for some medicine. He was sick enough that he didn't go to work which is really, really sick for him. Of course being the mother that I am, I'm like if you wouldn't run your immune system down to nil you wouldn't get so sick. Two from our office has been sick with bronchitis and my co-workers son got so sick his went into pneumonia. He said he is going to call the doctor in the morning which I am really glad. Dr. Mom thinks he needs stronger stuff than over the counter meds and also, I don't want it to go to bronchitis. I remember when he was younger he got what they call walking pneumonia. I had pneumonia about 3 years ago over New Years Eve and that is the worse thing in the entire world. I pray I never get that again and if I come down with just a little cold, I am at the Dr's in two point four.

It's a busy week at work. I like it but don't like the paper work. Need to get that taken care of this week so I can get ready for the next two weeks. My co-worker is going on vacation and I will get bombarded with not only my work but hers also. It's all okay. It all pays the same. I am pumped that I am going to be giving an STD 101 at my old alma mater, sort of. I am going to talk to 13 students about STD's at Lakeland High School in the FAC's class. It will be lots of fun, I love educating this population.

Well, going to sign off. Going to mess around with some stuff on the computer and then hit the sack.

Meltdown

Had a miniture meltdown today but it's that time of year, not really that unusual for me to do. This is totally the worse time of year and I know not just for me but for everyone. Taxes are due, bills STILL come in, colder weather is here so utilites are higher and then LETS BUY EVERYONE PRESENTS!!! We all know that Christmas is suppose to be all about Jesus' birth and I know it is too, buttttt ya gotta buy gifts too. I'm all good now though but my poor husband, not sure he understands. I don't yell, scream or hollar, just cry. He was so concerned that he went and got my oil changed for me and filled my car up. LOL. Gotta love that guy!!!

As I was driving to Springfield today, I stopped at my cousin's (George) house to pick up the FFA fruit that I had bought from his son. For those of you that don't know what FFA Fruit is, you are totally missing out. It has to be the best fruit around and when you buy it from the students it pays for their way to go to the National Convention in Knoxville or some place like that. LOL. I can't ever remember and my son went two years in a row. Use to be in Kansas City but now they have moved it.

Anyway, when I was at George's house we were talking about geneology. Okay, I'm going to hit it this winter. I really enjoy finding out about my ancestors and am going to save everything in a different format then I did the last. My computer crashed with all the information on it but I did print alot of stuff up. I'm going to see what I can't do and if anyone has any suggestions let me know. I used Family Tree software and when I saved the disc's I couldn't pull them up because I didn't have the software anymore. Guess I could save the software and not lose it, because that is the way I roll and I had lost it. Oh well.

I didn't go to the WebDesign class tonight. It is just computerized and isn't with a teacher so I can pick it up next week. I didn't get home until after 5 tonight and I was tired so I stayed here and messed on the computer.

Tomorrow night is when I go to the Master Gardener Christmas party and am looking forward to it. I found my certificate and got certified May 2002. That was the spring before mom passed away and before I took the job I'm in now. The Master Gardener here said I needed my certificate and also a statement from the Master Gardener guy where I recieved my certificate from, to say I am in good standing. Not sure if I am but think I am. I'll call tomorrow and see what I can get from them. Really looking forward to the whole experience. Can't wait.

Well, I'm going to sign off and am going to be glad when this month is over with. It's been rough, especially with this unexpected move. It will all be fine though. I will talk to you guys tomorrow and love all of you!!! I love it that you guys are enjoying my blogging because I am really enjoying it myself.

Just Another Manic Sunday!!!

AGE

The older I get the more I find humor, terror and just plain humbling experience in this term. My first truly humbing experience was when I noticed that State Troopers were no longer old men, they became my age. Then all of a sudden something happened and they became babies. WOW!!!

Then I was going along in life, thinking everything was wonderful and this last year, with my move to the Southwest Region of the State, part of our jurisdiction is Fort Leonard Wood. We have been down there several times to talk to individuals about Syphilis and/or HIV. The first few times we met them either at the nurses office or off base. The nurses office people were young but it really didn't hit me much and the off base individual was an older officer and that didn't bother me. He was probably in him forties but when it hit me. Badda bing, badda boom was when we were on base and had to be in the middle of all our troops and there leaders. Can I say BABIES!!! And what is worse BABIES were being led by BABIES. When you have around 200-300 soldiers, all in their late teens early twenties being led by soldiers in their mid to late twenties it hits home, BIG TIME!!!

Probably not my final humbling experience but one that happened last night. I found complete humor in this and probably aggrivated my Great Niece Christina to no avail. Her daughter Shelby (my great great niece) is learning to play the piano and for a kindergartener she is doing wonderful. Her mama had videoed her performance and it was so good. Anyway Christina was saying that Shelby's piano teacher's church were getting a new piano and Shelby ended up with the piano. Christina said that the piano is really, really old. She said the same piano tuner still tunes the piano and she kept saying how old the piano was and the piano tuner. I asked her, how old do you consider old??? She goes, the date on the piano is NINETEEN SEVENTY TWO!!! Then I proceeded to ask her, how old is the piano tuner??? She goes he's in his SEVENTIES!!! I started laughing along with the rest of the room that was around my age and I told her, Go sit down and don't talk anymore!!! She said 1972 was before I was born!!!! I said yes, but I was a sophmore in high school!!! Granted Christina was born in the late 70's but I found great humor in this.

Terry and I were watching Animal Planet today (one of our favorite channels) and we were watching Dogs 101. This man and his wife had adopted a Jack Russell Terrier from an animal shelter and they were just talking about how this dog had made such an impact on their lives. Of course with Lamar being a Terrier breed too I have a special heart for them. I have a warm spot for Labs and Lab Mixes and also Ain't Nothing But a Hound Dog!!! I love my hounds, no matter if it is a basset hound or a blue tick coon hound or a bloodhound. Hounds are cool in my book. Anyway all this talk about dogs and rescuing them from animal shelters made me think about this wonderful program the Department of Corrections here in MO has for the prisoners and shelter animals that have been abused. The program is called "Puppies for Parole". Look it up, outstanding program that benefits everyone involved. Two legged or four legged.

This Sunday has been a good one. Josh came up and we ate and we ate and we ate. Then we watched Fred Claus. If you have never seen it, none of us had, I highly recommend it. Vince Vaughn has got to be one of my favorite actors. I have never seen him in a bad film and he makes me laugh everytime. At one point he was at a Siblings Recovery Group and Bill Clinton's brother was there along with Alec Baldwins and Sylvester Stallone. That cracked me up big time. Excellent movie and excellent soundtrack.

Well, I tried something different today but don't know if I will always do it. When I was journaling back in the day I would pick up my notebook and just write. Kept it with me most of the time. Today while I was at the house and something hit me as something I wanted to write down I grabbed my computer and wrote. May keep doing it but of course can only do it on the weekend. Think the State would frown if I did it while on the clock. LOL.

Gonna sign off. Its late and I have to think about heading back down south tomorrow. :o( but it's really okay. Talk to you all later and didn't get the pictures downloaded. May do it down there tomorrow night.

Night to all!!!

Really Short

Well, just got back from the family Christmas and a good time was had by all. Had an opportunity to eat some really good food and lots of cool gifts. At the end of the evening the little girls in the family made up a song and sang it to us. It was so cute, The Butterfly Song. I ended up taking Honey BBQ Chicken Wings and brought Chicken Strips for the children and there were no strips left.

I really cutting this off short tonight but am going to hit the hay, so to speak. I will write more tomorrow night and maybe get the few pictures I took tonight uploaded if they even turned out okay. Talk to you guys tomorrow.

Feliz Navidad

Can I say tired AGAIN tonight. Don't know why, just am. I didn't sleep real good last night and no apparent reason unless just excited about coming home for the weekend. Probably not. LOL. Not that I'm not excited to come home because I always am but not that it would keep me from sleeping. Oh well, it is what it is.

Been busy tonight looking up some appetizer recipes for the family Christmas party tomorrow night. I want to make something different or wierd and I can't find anything. I will keep looking. Don't want to do the normal, cheese rotella dip, little smokies or anything like that. I saw candied apples that looked really easy and really good. It was a Paula Deen appetizer recipe. I may do that because I LOVE candied apples. I don't consider that an appetizer but whatever. Paula Deen does and that's good enough for me.

I can't think of to much to write about because not much has happened to me today but yet it's been pretty productive. Oh, I know something I want to share with you guys. When we get our work called into us and it is someone that is a partner they usually give us some descriptions that will help us when we knock on the doors. Anyone I got one called to me yesterday or so. This particular man has been exposed to Syphilis. The description goes as follows:

1. Male
   
2. 60 years old
   
3. heavy set
   
4. 5'8"
   
5. Gray hair
   
6. May work at a department store in Springfield
   
7. May have glasses
   
8. May have a goatee
   

I went into my co-workers office and told her, "I've got Santa Claus on my case!!!" True story, it totally made my day. About as much as getting a partner notification report that said the guys name was Lucky and he lived in Chicago. Yeah, we'll be able to find that one!!! Hope that at least made you guys laugh as much as it did me. Crack me up. I will be able to find this guy because I have a good address and a good number and if I have to I will call the department store and see if this gentleman works at this particular store but is that not a Santa description or what??? Well, I'm really tired tonight but what is new. My puppy is laying on top of me and sleeping right now. Makes me want to cuddle and sleep too. I have had a dry cough all day today and the beginning of a sore throat. I hope I'm not coming down with any type of crud. I spoke today at a training and sometimes I get a dry throat if I don't have water or anything to drink. Should have brought a bottle of water with me. Oh well, all is good. Going to sign off. Gotta go and get me a drink. Talk to you guys tomorrow.

What about Pujols???

Gonna have to make this short and sweet. Got a late start but that is okay. Got things done that was needing to be done. Christmas is just around the corner and then BOOM, everything is back to normal.

I'm pumped tonight. In the early 2000's or maybe it was the late 1990's I took classes through University of MO Extension Center and am a Certified Master Gardener. I love, love, love growing things and once you are a Master Gardener you are to do so much volunteer work. I've done alot in the past but not much lately. Anyway, I heard this Master Gardener program down here is very active and a wonderful organization. I was looking on their website and was like, I could be a part of their Speakers Bureau and go around and speak to groups on various subjects. The lady I talked to today was awesome and so cool. Anyway their next meeting is Tuesday night and is their Christmas meeting. I am going and join their group. I am so excited because I love nothing better than gardening and growing plants. It's exciting and like I told her, I would talk about anything because the more I learn on different subjects the more I grow as a gardener. Springfield also has a Botantical Garden and upon reading the website and they have an outstanding horticulture library. God answers are prayers in so many different ways that we don't even imagine. To, to cool.

I told Brandon about it and he was like, okay??? I know I will get the same response from his dad but my Josh is so use to my love of horticulture it won't even faze him. I remember one time, he was in grade school and I have always had a bunch of houseplants. I never cared if there were bulldozers in my plants or dump trucks. Nothing really upset me. I had this rubber tree that was huge, maybe about 6' tall. I had had it for years. Anyway I was cleaning house and went into one room and when I came out into the living room I passed the rubber tree plant and thought I saw something in it but didn't really pay to much attention. Kept cleaning and went past again and it caught my eye again so I went over to inspect the plant a little closer. There were about 20 GI Joes strategically placed on the limbs and such of the tree all holding Q-Tips in their hands like batons. Some holding them with both hands and others with just one hand. I just laughed and went on cleaning the house. A few years later I was reminding Josh about that and he explained to me what the deal was. He had seen the first Toy Story movie and he was playing with his GI Joe's like in Toy Story. LOL. Imagination. It is priceless.

Going to Joplin tomorrow with my job. We have to go to one of our providers and do an education to them. My co-worker and I and another co-worker from Jefferson City. It will be fun and a good networking experience. Networking and Socialization skills is what my son and I mastered in in high school. LOL.

Going to go to bed, I am tired and it is late. I slept like a baby last night and woke up feeling so good. I believe the reason I was in my frump was moving finally caught up with me. And I was a little stressed about it all too. I try not to stress much but that is next to impossible for me. Josh tells me I am just like my mom in that aspect. She was always a worrier too. I went to bed like at 930 last night and slept until 6. Was going to try and make it to bed earlier than that tonight but had company and here I am.

Anyway, good night to all and to all a good night!!!

This Little Blog of Mine

Started the day out in a sort of a frump but got out of it. Not sure what was going on, just couldn't get motivated to get outside of the apartment. I miss the garage that I have never had until Terry became a part of my life.

The last few mornings down here there has been heavy frost and then yesterday morning there was the snow. It will all be fine, Terry just spoils me rotten because when he is around he goes out, cleans off my car and warms it up before I even leave. Yes, that's right....I'm spoiled rotten and I dig it!!! :o)

Have finally decided what I am going to get Josh and Brandon for Christmas but now I need to figure something out for Madison's daddy, Josh, and his fiance' Jenny. I have a few things already bought for Madison and she is so stinking easy to buy for. She appreciates everything. Terry and I aren't going to hit Christmas as hard as we did last year but we still have to buy something. I need to make out my Christmas card list so I can send cards to one's that I keep in contact with each year. One year I did a Christmas letter, man if that wasn't something else but I did enjoy doing it. Probably won't do that this year but may but my blog link in their cards and they can keep up with us throughout the year. LOL. Like they want to do that plus some probably don't have a computer. Oh well.

Had a good long talk with my son tonight. I love it when he calls and we visit about his day and everything that is going on. Sometimes he does that and then others I don't hear from him for a day or so. Mom use to say that when he'd come home from school he would sit up on the corner of her kitchen cabinet while she was fixing him something to eat and he would visit with her about his day sometimes. Those are the best times and I still charish them. When he finally decides to slow down a little bit and find him a good person to live the rest of his life with he will be a good daddy and husband. He has an awesome heart, Brandon too. When we were going to Memphis over labor Day Brandon asked if I thought he would ever find someone that truly loves him. I said, yes Brandon you will, I pray for that for you and Josh all the time. He goes, "Do you pray she has big boobies???" ROFLMAO!!! Those two, you never know what is going to come out of their mouths.

We have a wedding to attend the first part of January and I am little concerned. The reception is formal so that means I have to go out and buy me something to wear. Grrrr. Terry does too, he says but he always looks nice and has some really nice clothes from when he worked. I have good clothes but nothing nice enough to consider formal. Oh well, I love dressing up and being the hottie next to a handsome man at a function, so all will be good. LOL!!!

Two more days and then I get to go home. Yeahhhhh!!! I think part of my frump this morning was that my stay at home last week was cut short because of the move and we had to stay down here Friday night and Saturday. Oh well, all is fine. I need to suck it up BIGTIME!!! Like pull up my big girl panties and get off the pity pot.

Welp, I'm signing off. Can't think of anything earth shattering going on right now. Harry Morgan and Dobie Grey passed away. That's a bummer but Col Potter was 93. He lived a good long life. I posted on Facebook a quote of his that I can remember him saying in MASH, because I watched every show and reruns a million times there after. The quote goes a little
like this, ‎"I've got a soft spot for Klinger. He looks a little like my son, and he dresses a lot like my wife." RIP Sherman Potter aka Harry Morgan!!!

I have been trying to make background music for when you read this but just haven't figured it completely out. But have figured out how to make it where if you click Drift Away it will play one of my favorites from a man that could sing you to "feel good". Enjoy.

WOW!!!

Well, I was playing around tonight and got so disgusted that I decided to wait until another night or keep working on it after I post. Which ever it is I plan to do I promise I will master this dang thing. If it is the last thing I do. I need to contact my buddy that is into this kind of stuff and see what he can do to help me as I cripple along learning. I do have to admit it is fun though.

Today would be my mama's 96th birthday. This week has been tough. December 3, 1968 was when my daddy died and mom passed away December 5, 2002. I was talking to Terry on the 3rd and I asked him why I can remember that stuff. Of course I didn't really expect an answer from him, I was just needing to talk about it. I think I remember my dad's because it was 3 days before my mom's birthday. Him and I had bought her a set of Avon Charisma perfume. Do you remember that fragerance??? Probably not but mom kept that set on her dresser atop a mirror tray until the day she passed. Dad had kept it at his office to keep her from seeing it. It was like a 5 piece of bright red bottles with little gold emblems on it. She had the spray perfume, powder with the puff in it, lotion, body and hand and I can't remember the other stuff.

My mom's sister Aunt Theodocia (We called her Aunt Ted and do to this day) had came to the services and her and I went to the office to get the present. I remember walking in his door at the courthouse and I could see my daddy sitting at his desk chair and turning around and acknowledging me walking through those doors, just as he had so many times before.

Anyway, we went and picked it up and I do not remember giving mom the present or anything about it. I don't even remember why Aunt Ted knew that the present was there, I must have told her because only my daddy and I knew it. Wow. Not only had my Christmas been blown off the map, so had my mom's birthday. Christmas has always been hard for me and I've stuggled for years trying to make it happy. When I was single with no children it was easy to just make myself numb, however that process would transpire but once I had Josh, my feelings were put on hold and I made it as happy as I could. Still the depression but as I said, Josh was my main focus.

Then everything was turned around and mom passed away the night before her 87th birthday. That last week she was out of her head, so to speak, and she kept repeating the same phrase over and over. "I don't want to repeat history." I figured she meant she didn't want to die on the same day as my dad did but wasn't sure. After she had passed and we were going through her stuff I looked in a strong box that she had important papers in and she had a page from a desk blotter calendar folded up and tucked in the bottom of the strong box. When I pulled it out and looked at it, it was December 1968 and that year along with 2002 fell on the same dates. It was a little creepy, so to speak. I often wonder if that what she meant when she just kept repeating. No, I don't want to repeat history. Who knows, the only one is her and God and I will never know the true story until I retire into the next realm and I plan to ask. :o)

All I have to say is love your mama's and daddy's with all your heart because they won't be with you forever, and after they are gone you can't imagine how much you miss them. It is hard when you loose the one but when the second one leaves you all of a sudden realize, I am an orphan. No matter what the age you are at the time. It is so hard to explain but it is an extremely lonely feeling.

When I went to the Women of Faith Conference they had a clip before every speaker where they were being interviewed and one of the questions that were asked to each and everyone of them is "If you had but one question to ask God when you enter the kingdom, what would that question be?" Sandi Patty's response was the funniest and I still laugh at it. She looked at the interviewer and she said she would have to ask, "What's the deal with cramps???" LOL. Isn't that the truth but today as I was getting ready for work I looked in the mirror and I had a zit coming in on my forehead and I thought to myself. What's the deal with that God???? Here I am 55 years old and I STILL have acne problems. I wash my face every evening and all. I guess I should feel blessed that I still have this going on but seriously???

Woke up this morning to a blanket of snow outside and it has been "spitting" snow all day long. Not much accumulation but cold, cold, cold. Suppose to be down to 18* and it makes me think of the homeless out on the streets. I feel so sorry for them but know they have survival skills more so than myself. One time when i had started going to college and picking up my general education credits at Longview I had to read an article in one of my classes in regards to the homeless and I was talking to mom about how I wish there was something I could do. She said that there has been homeless her entire life and she didn't have the answer. Sometimes when I talk, I don't want an answer really, I just need to unload my heart. Maybe that is why I have always found solice in journaling. There was a small creek that went through our property out in the country and I use to go down there and just journal my thoughts. No matter what they were, I would write them down. I wish I had some of those journals now to read but I don't. I have always journaled but never have any around. I have found writings though around that I have just picked up a piece of paper and just wrote. I like doing it on the computer better though because I don't get writers cramp as bad. Plus Thank you Mrs. Six, my typing teacher in high school who taught me to type. I can type 65-70 wpm to this day. Also thank you to my brother Bill. He bought me a manual Royal Typewriter for me so I could practice. Of course I learned in high school on a manual also. We only had one electric and it was at the front of the class room and you didn't get to use it much. That reminds me that I learned how to sew on a Singer treadle sewing machine at the house. That is all my mom had and when I took Home Ec I didn't really know to much about those fancy electric. Mom didn't let me use the Singer much at home because she was always afraid I'd put the needle through my finger. LOL. That still freaks me out!!!

Well, I'm going to sign off tonight. Not seeking sympathy or anything tonight, just journaling my thoughts but do want to thank you guys for sticking with me. I will write more stuff tomorrow. Good night and may God Bless each of you!!!