melslifeinaNUTshell

WTF

2007-12-13T09:30:00.001-08:00

WTF...Why didn't anyone tell my how hard this was gonna be?

I absolutely despise 'empty nest'!!!! It should be getting better by now shouldn't it? I should be getting used to cooking for 2! I should be enjoying the peace and tranquility of my home! I should like that I only have to do laundry twice a week! I should like that my house stays clean, except for dog hair! I should be enjoying time with my husband! What's wrong with me? I don't enjoy ANY of that! I'd kill to have total chaos in my house once again. I'd give anything to have to drag Bre's grumpy ass outta bed or tell Dustin to pick up his dirty cloths. I thought I was starting to adjust and THEN...BAMMMM the holidays. Christmas is just not the same without the kids in the house. They did come home last week-end to decorate the tree but now I won't see them again until the 22nd, makes it seem senseless to have the house decorated at all. Dustin will only be home for a couple of days because he has to get back to work. Bre, my freshmen, the one who was supposed to come home every break for at least a couple of years...WELLLLL...She's moving into an apartment on January 1st, so I'll only have her for two weeks too...and she won't be home for the summer because the lease is for a year. Sometimes I really think that child is trying to kill me! I long for the simplier years...the ones when I KNEW that I was needed. I'm really getting sick of crying myself to sleep at night...

Will it ever get better? PLEASE lie to me and say YES!

Dustin and his girlfriend...didn't I mention that he has a girlfriend?

Bre and Ozzie - the ONLY trustworthy man in her life (other then daddy) Did I mention that she and Mr. Perfect broke up...lol

Becca - Bre - Dustin...Did I mention that I miss them?

Ozzie likes THIS tree

Bre...did I mention that she wants to be a Cow girl?

Rain Rain Go Away!

2007-08-25T04:49:00.001-07:00

We had our annual redneck reunion last week end....it rained!!!! A few die hards still showed up and the in-laws (the hosts of the party) seemed to be happy anyway. As promised here are a few pictures of the big event.

Me and BOTH of my children, when did they grow up?

Bre and Dustin...gotta love his face

Hubby's sister and family

Hubby dear stuffing his face

Even with the cold rainy weather everyone that attended seemed to enjoy themselves.

Bre and Justin are away on their very first 'grown-up' week end. They are camping at Old Orchard...without adults...lol. They planned it themselves...paid for it themselves...and I'm sure are enjoying the freedom very much. Bre has gone to Justin's (he lives with his parents) house for the week end several times this summer but this just feels SOOOO very different to me. It's not just about her being gone it's that they are responsible for themselves...I guess it's just one more 'right of passage'...on her journey to NOT NEEDING her mommy any more. I miss being NEEDED!

Guess this is just a preview of what

life will be like after September 3,

College moving day....!

It's REALLY Happening

2007-08-18T04:52:00.000-07:00

We went to Bre's College Orientation yesterday, she leaves on September 3 to life 2+ hours away. I won't see her every day any more...I won't know what she's wearing...what's she's doing...who's she's with...if she's happy or sad...I am NOT liking this at all. I knew that the time would come...I always knew that my children would 'move on'....haha...They ARE supposed to...right? What I didn't know is how much I'd hate it...how hard it would be for me. WHY DO WE PUT OURSELVES THRU THIS????????? Sometimes the cycle of life makes NO sense to me whatsoever.

Last night both of my kids were home...we lazed around watching movies and chit chatting about the past and the future...It was nice...then it hit me...THIS could be the last time that the 4 of us are together until Christmas. With both kids in school and working the likelihood of us ALL having time off together is slim...and with the kids living in opposite directions the possibilities of going to see them BOTH at the same time are slim as well. I guess that it's a good think that Lloyd and I have NO life outside the kids because we may be on the road alot the next few months.

I feel very alone at the moment, I try not to bring the kids down, especially Bre since it's all new to her, with my insecurities. My mom is gone...my dad is useless...the ONE person that i'd usually talk to about this kinda stuff, my sister Terri, deals with NEVER seeing her child again, so I don't feel comfortable talking to her about it...in comparison it seems very insignificant. My hubby tries...but...well....hmmmmm....haha.

I know that I'm not the first person to go thru 'empty nest' syndrome and I won't be the last! I'll survivie....I always do...BUTTTTTT...I don't have to like it.

On a lighter note....The summer has been pretty good. I've spent some quality time with the kids and with Terri as well as Hubby poo. We made it to our 24th wedding anniversary...Everyone is healthy...Kids are happy... Life could be worse...

Here are a couple pics for you viewing pleasure...haha

AWWWWW, young love

Contentment

Pure Happiness

Watch Out Justin....She may have a NEW man!

Friends

New Hair...AGAIN

YES...for those of you who are wondering...I DO have a son...and I DOOOOOO love him as much as Bre...however, HE HATES PICTURES (he gets it from his mother, haha).

This is proof!

We have our annual 'redneck' reunion today so I am going to TRY to get a few more pictures of him...haha.

Hello From Greenville

2007-07-17T06:39:00.001-07:00

I Can NOT believe how quickly my summer is going...PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE slow it down!!!!

Random Bulletts of Bull#$&#$

DUSTIN - 21 year old Son

1. Headed back to College in September. He took a year off to 'find himself'...lol. He's sticking with his previous major, which is Psychology.

2. Will continue to work full time while he goes to school...full time.

3. Turned 21 in March...how to hell did that happen? He is enjoying being 'legal' very much.

I had been very concerned when he took a year off from college that he may never return...HOWEVER...now i know that it was the best thing he could have done for himself. He needed to know what the 'real world' was like in order to 'grow up'. He lives in an apartment about 1 1/2 hours from home with Ben, his room mate.

Bre - 18 year old Daughter

1. Graduated on June 9

2. Accepted at Husson College, Feb. 2007....all set to go...

3. Decided to NOT attend Husson, July 2007...WTF

4. Applied to college at Central Maine Community College in Auburn (twice as far away from home) July 2007 - awaiting acceptance

5. Back with her first 'love' Justin....guess where he goes to college?

Bre has had a very interesting summer, she's been talking about transferring outta Husson after first semester, almost since she got accepted. I'm glad that she decided to do it NOW, instead of waiting until she was already in debt 10 grand. She's decided to get her associates degree to be a Medical Assistant, then possibly go into radiology of some sort. She'd also like to work towards getting her Cosmotology lisence. It's a good plan and I think that she will be happy at CMCC and I know that even if she changes majors that she'll be OK...She's strong and sensible.Her jobs haven't worked out as well as she'd hoped but she'll be ok....just mite have to live on love the first semester of school....lol.

Lloyd, my hubby of 24 years
1. Still working very hard
2. Still playing WAYYY to much WoW
3. Still loves ME...go figure

ME...hmmmmmm
I think that may be a topic for another post.

Happy Summer Everyone

Graduation

2007-06-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Bre Anna-Marie Erickson

June 9th, 2007

Graduation Day

Daddy's Little Girl

My baby graduated from Greenville High School on June 9, 2007... It's amazing to me that 18 years have passed since the day that she came into this world. On January 8, 1989, the day she was born, there was a terrible snow/ice/sleet storm...the roads were so bad that she had to be delivered at our local hospital, which didn't usually do deliveries, because they felt it was too dangerous to send me to Bangor, 1 1/2 hours away. After 24 hours of labor she made her appearance...all pink and white and full of attitude. That hasn't changed much over the years...she's still full of attitude...lol.
The Family - Dustin 21 (WOW, when did that happen) Hubby, Bre and ME

Bre and her Boyfriend and his cousin

She has turned into quite a young woman...Beautiful...Confident...Intelligent, I'm very proud of her. She is headed to Husson College

Bre and her future roomie

(1 1/2 hours away) in the fall, I can handle that...I may NOT like it but I know that Ican handle it. She is doing a dual bachelors degree in criminology/psychology...ultimately she'd like to be an FBI profiler. I know that she will succeed in anything that she sets out to do...it may not be an easy road but she'll make it and her dad and I will be right behind her to help any way we can.

Greenville High School - Class of 2007

Bre and My Niece Becca, she's next in 3 years

Dustin (He goes back to College in September), Bre (my baby girl), Christal (she's moved to Bangor now) and Ben (Dustin's roomie)

End Of An Era

2007-05-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

SENIOR PROM

Bre and Steven, her date

Mother...Leave ME alone
Live...Love...LAUGH

Our Futures are BRIGHT!

Bre and buddy Matt

The Fearsome Foursome

Smile Purty

Three Amigos

Senior Prom...Wow...seems like yesterday I was putting my baby girl in her very first 'formal' dress for her Christening. She's grown up so very quickly. She's become a lovely young woman...both inside and out. She makes me proud each and every day.

As usual Bre was the 'beauty consultant' She had several of her friends over to get ready for the big night. She helped with hair and make up...helped with finger nails and jewelry...My house looked like a dressing room with all the formal garb hanging all over the place. I LOVED IT.

Five Simple Rules To Be Happy

2007-05-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Doesn't it sound simple?

OK...HERE GOES!

2007-04-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

I know that it's been forever since my last post and that my posting has become very 'undependable' 'boring' 'superficial'....haha...BUT...that's really all I've got.

Bre and I went to the 'city' this week end for an overnight trip, it is the first time in 'forever' that we've done something like ALONE...we usually have extra kids with us. IT WAS FANTASTIC! No stress...No drama...No fighting...Just a really good, relaxed time. We saw both The Reaping and Disturbia (we love scarey movies)Both were very good. We shopped for some summer cloths and found some really good deals. THEN we found her very last PROM DRESS, it's beautiful and she loves it (I will post pics after prom). Kinda bittersweet that we won't be doing anything like that for a very long time, probably the next time will be for a wedding dress. She graduates on June 9th and is thrilled to death to start her NEW live. HUSSON can NOT come soon enough for her. I'm happy that she is happy but I'm also SAD that my baby will be leaving.

Here are a few random pics.

Here Bre is doing Christal's toes...notice the gloves...haha, The other girl there was NEXT...haha

This is Bre and Katie....Bre gave her a make-over...Cut her hair, did her make up, plucked her eye brows and even did her toes...they had FUN

Bre and Ozzie...sharing a popsicle on MY couch...That DOG really thinks he owns the place

Bre and Tom, her date for Winter Carnival '07, The nite wound up being a flop for them but they looked GREAT

Four of the Senior Girls at Winter Carnival

One more thing...HERE in Greenville, Maine...We have gotten more snow in APRIL...then we got ALL WINTER LONG...This is NOT funny any more!

Who AM I?

2007-03-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

This is a question that I truely wish I had the answer to...I've been trying to figure it out for quite some time now but it's become a bigger issue as of late, I'm assuming because my daughter is about to head off to college and I'm worried about being an "empty nester". My whole life I've been a 'label'...
During school it was:

Donna & Ralph's 'middle' daughter
Terri, Kristi & Ralphs 'reliable' sister
The middle Murray girl
The Smart one...the shy one..

Then I grew up...kinda ... and added to those labels:

Lloyd's 'dependable' wife
Anna & Henry's daughter in law
Dustin & Bre's 'doting' mom
Maid, cook, laundress
Luke's secretary
Everyone's shoulder to cry on

Somewhere along the way I lost MELODY...or maybe I never knew who she was to begin with. How did I make it to 43 with absolutely NO idea of who to hell I am...most days I can't even remember who I was....and I have absolutely NO clue who I want to be. Aren't we supposed to know this when we grow up? I'm always asking my kids who and what they want to be when they grow up...why should I expect them to know the answer when I don't!

Maybe I should look in the lost and found and see what I can come up with. Maybe I should read loads of self-help books. Maybe I should seek counciling. Maybe I should drink ALOT more and then I wouldn't really care.

First "Solo" Road Trip

2007-02-23T05:04:00.000-08:00

My baby girl...OK...so maybe it's time to STOP calling her 'my baby girl', she's 18...Anyway, I digress....
Bre (baby girl) is away for a couple of day with 2 of her girlfriends. She is actually going 'out of state'. This is the first trip for these girls without their parents...They were all so excited, you'd have thought that they were going across country, they are actually just going to New Hampshire, which is only about 5 hours away from here. This is the first time that they could rent a motel room without one of their parents doing it for them.
I've been on the verge of tears since she left, in fact when she stopped at my office to say good bye I actually cried when I said good bye...THIS IS STUPID...I know, She'll be in college in less then 6 months and I'll never know what she's up to. I think what's upsetting me so this time is that I KNOW in less then 6 months my entire world is gonna change. I just don't think I'm ready for this...OK...Truth is...I KNOW THAT I'M NOT READY! I'm trying very hard to not let Bre know how freaked out I am over the whole 'empty nest' thing, I don't want her to start stressing over it, I don't want her to know that every time we do something together I wonder if it'll be the last time we do it (yeah...I know a little dramatic-but that's how it feels). I don't want my fears to keep her from being excited to start her new life. I wish that she could see things from my perspective once in a while but I know that until she has children of her own she won't be able to...JUST like I couldn't until I had children. I remember my mom telling me that...she was right!
GROWING UP really sucks at times...It's kinda odd how most days I'd give just about anything to be a kid again and EVERY day Bre would give anything to NOT be a kid...If she only know what the real world had in store for her! I hope that her life, as an adult, is all she hopes it will be.

I'm Still Alive And Kickin'

2007-02-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

So...Yeah...I've been MIA for a month or so...Sorry...really I am..ME BAD!!!!
Lots going on in my life. So Lets go with a 'Random Bulletts Of Crap' post today

I survived the holidays...always a joyous event for me...sooooo very glad it is behind me
My baby girl turned 18...holy shit...most days I don't feel much more then 18 myself...how did this happen!
Christal is still with us and things are going quite well...two teenage girls...with raging hormones in the house plus ONE ME...is not always an easy mix...I feel very bad for my poor husband at times...I get over it quickly though...lol
Bre had an emergency apendectomy 2 days after her 18th birthday - she is recovering nicely but had to quit basketball for the rest of the season...which means FOREVER since she is a senior now...boohoo
Both girls were fit for their caps & gowns for graduation...YIKES it's really gonna happen...I'm truely gonna be an 'empty nester' soon...too soon.
Taxes are DONE...Yippee...this means that my FAFSA forms are completed as well...what a relief
We are not going on vacation this year - Whoa is me. It seems that nobody thinks that they need to pay their bills this year...we have more money on the books this winter then we've ever had...Sometimes I hate hubby-poo being self employed.
Sister Terri and I went to the movies the other day, we saw Dreamgirls...It was a spectacular movie... I just loved it
We have had nearly no snow this winter and no...Just as I can nearly taste spring...we are supposed to get two feet of the fluffy white shit...Oh well, the businesses in my area will be very happy, not to mention my girls - they can't wait to get out there snowmobiling

That's about it for now just wanted to let you all know that i'm still "alive and kicking"

9 Things I Hate About Everyone

2007-01-18T04:17:00.000-08:00

It's kinda funny how things happy sometimes...I work in a Real Estate Office and I've noticed lately (even talked about it with co-workers) The the list of people who call that I do NOT like gets longer and longer...Small things that they do/say annoy the hell outta me...AND I got this email this morning that just seemed soooooo very appropriate that i decided to post it and share it with all of my blogger friends (all 3 of you...lol).

1. People who point at their wrist while asking for the time.... I know where my watch is pal, where the hell is yours? Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the toilet is?
2 People who are willing to get off their ass to search the entire room for the T.V. remote because they refuse to walk to the T.V. and change the channel manually.
3 When people say "Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too". Damn right! What good is cake if you can't eat it?
4 When people say "it's always the last place you look". Of course it is. Why the hell would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they? Gonna Kick their asses!
5 When people say while watching a film "did you see that?". No Loser, I paid $12 to come to the cinema and stare at the damn floor.
6 People who ask "Can I ask you a question?".... Didn't really give me a choice there, did ya sunshine?
7. When something is 'new and improved!' Which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it, couldn't be new.
8. When people say "life is short". What the hell?? Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever does!! What can you do that's longer?
9 When you are waiting for the bus and someone asks "Has the bus come yet?". If the bus came would I be standing here, dumbass?

Christmas

2006-12-24T05:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to All .... And To All A ..... Insert wish here!

My Favorite Things

2006-12-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

Scotty is doing his second 'annual' Christmas post of his "Favorite Things" and has invited anyone to join him.... So here goes!

Melody's Favorite Things

1. A happy child - yes this is probably the single most rewarding thing in my life, there is absolutely NOTHING else that can bring a smile to my face as quickly as seeing my children happy.

2. Memories of my mother - she's been gone for nearly 7 years now and I still miss her as much as I did the day after she died. I miss her every day. Christmas used to be HER holiday...all of our traditions revolved around her so it is only natural to miss her more this time of year. I cherish the memories that I have of her and as time has passed the memories make me smile more often then cry.

3. My niece Savannah - She died in 2002. Our last Christmas together was very special...she spent it trying to teach her mother and I how to do the BUTT dance...You'd think that with an ass the size of mine that I'd be good at that but NOPE...I wasn't.

4. The smell of hazelnut tea or coffee - it sooths me somehow...not sure why exactly but I love that aroma.

5. A quiet evening with my entire family just curled up in the living room watching stupid movies. The simplicity of it brings me comfort.

6. My husband - There is definitely something to be said for the comfort that can be found in his arms...I always know that, no matter what, he loves me...even when we are angry at one another there is never a question about our love.

7. Walking in a light snow storm - I just like it...that's all

8. The smell of a baby right after a bath - PURE HEAVEN

9. The feel of silk against freshly shaved leggs - of course mine are seldom freshly shaved...but??????

10. The smell of Old Spice - My grampy's favorite cologne

11. The sound of church bells - I'm not very religious but that sound it beautiful

12. Watching the sun rise over the lake - mmmmmmm beautiful

13. Smiling and making OTHER people smile

Well...There it is...Just a FEW of my favorite things

Plus One

2006-12-13T04:47:00.000-08:00

We have a new addition to our family. My daughter's best friend has moved in with us. Her name is Christal and she is a 'hoot'. She is a senior this year and has already been sworn into the Army where she will be an MP, she leaves on July 12 for Missouri for Basic Training. This is somthing that she has wanted to do for a very long time...the only thing that can get in her way now is NOT getting her diploma so we are all pushing her to do well in school this year. Her moving in with us made it necessary for her to transfer to a new school system, which is not exactly BEST cast scenario but she seems to be adjusting well. She and Bre are very compatable and seem to bring out the best in one another...I hope that it stays that way. I'm glad that she is with us but, like with any change, it is taking some getting used to and I'm always a little nervous about the 'what ifs'. I try to not think too far ahead...to live in the day...but that's not always all that easy.
Oh yea....Christal also brought her CAT ozzie with her....just what I needed was another animal!!!!

Just a Few Funnies

2006-12-08T05:47:00.000-08:00

GAMES FOR WHEN WE ARE OLDER

1. Sag, you're It.
2. Hide and go pee.
3. 20 questions shouted into your good ear.
4. Kick the bucket
5. Red Rover, Red Rover, the nurse says Bend Over.
6. Musical recliners.
7. Simon says something incoherent.

8. Pin the Toupee on the bald guy

Note from ME: How many of these to you have to play to be considered OLD?

SIGNS OF MENOPAUSE:

1. You sell your home heating system at a yard sale.
2. You have to write post-it notes with your kids' names on them.
3. You change your underwear after a sneeze.

Note to self: Buy more underwear...

OLD IS WHEN:

1. Going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.
2. You don't care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don't have to go along.
3. Getting a little action means I don't need fiber today.
4. Getting lucky means you find your car in the parking lot.
5. An all-nighter means not getting up to pee!

Note from ME: God I'm ready for an all nighter!

Thoughts for the weekend:

Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctr+Alt+Delete' and start all over?
Just remember...if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.
Aspire to inspire before you expire.
If raising children was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor!
Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
But Most Of All, Remember ...

A Good Friend Is Like A Good Bra: Hard to Find, Supportive, And Always Comfortable.

My wish for you is that you all have many a good "bras"

What's "Deemed" Reasonable

2006-11-19T05:12:00.000-08:00

First off here are some of Bre's Senior Pictures

I'm having a really hard time deciding which ones I like best.

I have no idea HOW she got so damned beautiful.

Last week was a trying one for use here in good ole' Greenville. My daughter got sent home from school not once...but TWICE for inappropriate attire. Our dress code is very vague....It states something to the effect of "What's Deemed reasonable". The only CONCRETE thing it says is that skirts must be below the finger tips. Well bra is a fashion expert of sorts....She doesn't just grab something out of her closet and throw it on...NOPE...not BRE...She Picks outfits..."LOOKS"...she is always coordinated from make-up to hair to cloths to shoes... She puts a great deal of time and effort into each and every selection and she always looks like she just stepped out of the salon or away from some photo shoot. She is far from the IDEAL size...definitely NOT a size 6 but she always looks terrific. She is quite...ummmm...shall we say....Voluptuous. The first time she got sent home she was wearing a pretty coral colored tank top, one of those formed ones with the cups in it...with a 'mega' bra under it and a black V-necked sweater over it...She was told by one of the female teachers that she was showing too much 'skin'...Did she have cleavage? YES of course she did...she's a D for christ sake...it is impossible for her to HIDE that and she shouldn't be made to feel uncomfortable about it either...There were at least a half dozen girls in school the same day with lower cut shirts on but they did not get sent home because they were all "tiny" with no chests. The second time it was for a short denim skirt...the same one that she has worn countless times and DOES pass the finger tip test...Bre is 5'10" with very long legs...so YES again...there was alot of skin showing...but NOT inappropriate...tasteful and stylish...She was told to go home and put 'skins' on under the skirt....AGAIN many girls were in school that day with short skirts on (happened to be in the 60's that day) who did NOT get sent home. AGAIN...they were all small girls. I was IRATE...I wanted to march right into the school and ask them what to hell there problem is with my KID... She gets good grades...she is respectful to the other kids and to the teachers...she keeps her mouth shut...she is in key club and on year book staff...she plays basketball...AND yet they find it necessary to single her out because of her attire...I was LIVID!!!! Bre, however, did NOT want me to go anywhere near the school...and I did as she asked and stayed clear. She spend the entire day home crying and feeling bad about herself...She has decided that they school thinks she is too FAT for such clothing and that she dressed 'skanky', which isn't true at all, but to a teen aged girl who has always been a bit overweight that is where he brain went. I hate that just a couple of words from some 'unthinking' people could strip her of her self esteem so quickly and with so little thought. NOBODY at the school has told her what a great job she is doing adjusting to her new curriculum...her new surroundings...how glad they are that she has decided to come back to good ole' GHS...NOPE...they just pick on her choice of clothing...WTF!!!!!

MEME

2006-11-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

Another meme shamelessly stole this from Lime. I thought the questions were good.
1. Explain what ended your last relationship? Never happened...I'm married to the only real relationship I've ever been in....maybe that's why it's so hard for me to watch my daughter goe thru all this shit with these ass hole boys....
2. When was the last time you shaved? This morning
3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.? Already at work...probably sifting thru an hundred junk emails to find the ONE very important one.lol
4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago? Chattint with Julie
5. Are you any good at math? NOT even a little
6. Your prom night? I didn't go to my prom...My date ended up NOT coming because the kid he was coming with, my sisters date, wound up in jail
7. Do you have any famous ancestors? Considering how Italian my family is there is probably a 'mob' boss or something in my back ground...I've always been afraid to look into it.
8. Have you had to take a loan out for school? For My kid...not for me.
9. Do you know the words to the song on your myspace profile? I do know what My Space is but I don't have one.
10. Last thing received in the mail? Bills...always bills
11. How many different beverages have you had today? Coffee, water, diet pepsi...that be it
12. Do you ever leave messages on peoples answering machines? Yes, I always perfer NOT to talk on the phone so if I get a machine I will happily leave a message.
13. Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to? J Giles...
14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach? Yes
15. What was the most painful dental procedure you have had? Not sure
16. What is out your back door? Grass that should have been mowed one last time...woods...
17. Any plans for Friday night? Headed to Augusta for the night with my sister.
18. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair? Yes...as long as its from a tropical island
19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns? Yes, every christmas
20. Have you ever been to a planetarium? Don't think so
21. Do you re-use towels after you shower? Yes I do...now if I could get Bre to use hers more then once...
22. Some things you are excited about? Today....not much...:(
23. What is your favorite flavor of JELLO? None
24. Describe your keychain(s)? It's a star that says Worlds Greatest Mom
25. This question is MIA. In that case, I will take this opportunity to thank our troops!
26. Where do you keep your change? In a popcorn tin-we roll it right before vacation every year and use it for something 'fun'
27. What kind of winter coat do you own? Columbia...it's very pretty but I've had the same one for years.
28. What was the weather like on your graduation day? Rainy if I remember correctly.
29. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed? Closed so that none of the animals get in
30. Did U read this far? I hope you did! Now you are tagged!

Remember When?

2006-10-31T05:23:00.000-08:00

AH, SUCH SWEET MEMORIES!
Just for a second, close your eyes ... And go back...
.Before the Internet or PC or the MAC......
.Before semi-automatics and crack....
.Before Playstation, SEGA, Super Nintendo, even before
Atari...
.Before ce ll phones, CD's, DVD's, voicemail and e-mail....
.way back...
.way.....way....way back.....
I'm talkin' bout hide and seek at dusk
Red light, Green light
Red Rover....Red Rover.....
Playing kickball & dodgeball until the first ... no ...
second, no, third streetlight came on
Ring around the Rosie
London Bridge
Hot potato
Hop Scotch
Jump rope
Duck....duck....GOOSE!!!
YOU'RE IT!!
Parents stood on the front porch and yelled (or whistled) for
you to come home - no pagers or cell phones
Mother May I?
Hula Hoops
Seeing shapes in the clouds
Endless summer days and hot summer nights (no A/C) with the windows open
The sound of crickets
Running through the sprinkler
Cereal boxes with that GREAT prize in the bottom
Cracker jacks with the same thing
Ice pops with 2 sticks you could break and share with a
friend
But wait.....there's more....
Watchin' Saturday Morning TV.... Roy Rogers, Sky King, Lone
Ranger
Watchin' Sunday morning oldies (Abbott & Costello, Three
Stooges)
Shirley Temple movies, Little Rascals, Ma & Pa Kettle
Catchin' lightning bugs in a jar
Christmas morning
Your first day of school
Bedtime Prayers and Goodnight Kisses
Climbing trees
Swinging as high as you could to try and reach the sky
Getting an Ice Cream from Mr. Softee
A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers
Jumpin' down the steps
Jumpin' on the bed (and getting hit with the yard stick when
the bed broke)
Pillow fights
Sleep-overs
Runnin' till you were out of breath
Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt
Being tired from PLAYING
WORK: meant taking out the garbage or doing the dishes
Your first crush
Your first kiss (I mean the one that you kept your mouth
CLOSED and your eyes OPEN)
Rainy days at school meant playing "Heads up 7UP" or hangman"
in The classroom, Remember that?
Oh, I'm not finished yet....
Kool-Aid was the drink of the summer
So was a swig from the hose
Giving your friends a ride on your handlebars
Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school
Class Field Trips with soggy sandwiches
When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got
there.
When a quarter seemed like a fair allowance;and another
quarter a MIRACLE
When ANY parent could discipline ANY kid, or feed him,or use
him to carry groceries...And nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing
compared to the fate that awaited you at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because
of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc.
Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And
some of us are still afraid of em!
Didn't that feel good? Just to go back and say, "Yeah, I
remember that!"
Well, let' s keep going!!
Let's go back to the time when...
Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo"
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"
"Race issues" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in
"monopoly"
Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old, referred to anyone over 20. (CRAP! I'm officially
old!)
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was
cooties.
Nobody was prettier than Mom
Scrapes and bruises were kissed by mom or grandma and made
better
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big
people" rides at the amusement park.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare"
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for
giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
Water balloons were the ultimate, ultimate weapon.
Older siblings were your worst tormentors, but also your
fiercest protector.
If you can remember most or all of these, then you have
LIVED!!!
Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their "grown
up" life .....
I TRIPLE DOG DARE YA!!!!!!

This did make me smile...at the simplicity of era I was raised in...then it made me a little sad to realize that alot of the things on this list my kids had never experienced. Being raised in the age of 'technology' isn't necessarily all good. I'm sure, due to the fact that we live in such a rural area, that my kids experienced more of these things then alot...but still NOT nearly enough...That's kinda sad. What will it be like for my grandchildren?

Winter is in the air

2006-10-29T05:21:00.001-08:00

We set the clocks back today so from now on I'll be getting out of work in the dark...in a couple of weeks I'll be going TO work in the dark too. It's been very cold here the past few days and we've even had a few snow flurries. I am NOT ready for a long...cold...boring winter. I'm definitely a summer girl... Maybe if I get enough people together to have a long serious talk with 'mother nature' we can convince her to even off the seasons around here a bit...I mean...Come ON...3 months of summer and 9 of winter just is NOT fair!!!!
Well...let's see...what else is going on around here? Hunting season has started...Hubby poo is an avid hunter and looks forward to the season every year. This year he and Bre had to take a hunter safety course, she decided that she wanted a license so last week they spent 4 nights at class, they seemed to really enjoy it and it was good for them to 'bond'. Bre is usually very girly and she and her dad don't spend that much time together. Well yesterday Bre and daddy went hunting together...in the pouring rain...high winds...cold as hell...BUT they both came home with smiles on their faces and are excited for next Saturday...Dustin is coming home to go with them too...I do NOT hunt.... I'm actually going on an 'Outing' with my CURVES buddies... Should be fun!
Bre is adjusting to being back at good ol' GHS and is beginning to settle into her new routine. She still talks to alot of her Dexter friends but is also hanging out with friends here at home...and with her family.

Full Circle!

2006-10-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

It's strange how things in live often are cyclic...MY life, has once again, taken a turn...in face it has come "full circle"...My baby girl is HOME... She has moved back home and is attending the local high school. I can NOT tell you how happy I am to have her back...even happier that it was HER decision...that I didn't have to force her to come home. She finally came to the conclusion that she still NEEDS/WANTS her good ol' mom and dad. It feels great. She will have to work her butt off to catch up at school but I know and, more importantly, she knows that she can do it. She will be graduating from with all the kids that she started Kindergarden with from the same high school that her brother graduated from, that I graduated from and that my mom and dad graduated from. This morning was the first time since February that I knew what she wore to school...it may seem petty...but it was a wonderful feeling! This is the way it's supposed to be...We are supposed to be together during her senior year. She has even decided that she actually LOVES the small town that we live in....she has learned that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence....She has learned to appreciate her home town...her family...her life. I AM HAPPY....very very very happy!

Why oooohhhh WHY?

2006-10-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

Why is it that teen aged girls are so STUPID when it comes to matters of the heart?
Why is it that an otherwise intelligent child becomes incapable of rational thought?
Why is it that when a boy cheats around on his girlfriend that the girl ALWAYS gets madder at the 'other' woman then at the guy?
Why is it that even though these assholes hurt our baby girls it is THEM that they think they need to be happy?
Why is it that no matter what we, as mothers/adults, say they don't believe us?
Why is it that I can't spare my baby girl the pain that boys can cause?
Why is it that kind words from me can not light up her face like those from someone, who in the end, will hurt her?
Why is it that no matter how hard I try I can NOT protect her heart...save her the pain...make her see, not only with her heart but with her head?
Why is it that she doesn't ask my advice?
HMMMMM....I wish that I had an answer to even just ONE of these questions!!!!

Them Bad Boys ARE GONE

2006-10-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

Bre did it...she finally got those huge, nasty tonsils of hers OUT!... We've been discussing the possibility of a tonsilectomy for over a year and finally decided it was now or never. She's been sick so much the past 18 months that we just had to do something. I didn't want her headed off to college knowing that she's gonna be sick every other week with strep on tonsilites.
She did pretty well...she'd been putting on a brave front for the past couple of weeks pretending that it was no BIG deal at all. She's had surgery before, had her gall bladder removed a couple years ago so she figured that she was an old pro...well let me tell you...when we got to the hospital Tuesday she changed her tune...She turned to her dad and said "I changed my mind...get me to hell out of here!"...Of course we did NOT comply. She was just fine after they gave her the pre-op drugs. Everything went well and we were back home by 4. Yesterday was a piece of cake for her...of course she was so drugged up that nothing really bothered her, she's really had very little trouble eating, keeping it to soft stuff but her appetite is definitely in tact. She's in alot of pain today and her throat looks absolutely disgusting but I guess that it's supposed to. She'll be out of school for at least a week and possibly two and will be staying at home while she recovers. She'll go back to Dexter when she's up to it. I'm loving having her home and will enjoy out time together even if it is because she's in PAIN...funny how she still wants/needs her mommy when she's hurting.

PS: When we got to the day surgery unit there was this very strange guy sitting there, he was telling the receptionist that he needed to talk to someone here, he didn't want to go back to the mental hospital in Bangor...he had his suicide note all written and needed to talk to someone NOW! Lots of extra security showed up and it was a little tense for a few minutes...Great way to start the day....

OOPS...I've Done It Again!

2006-09-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yup...I have...I've joined another 'weight loss' blog, The Deep End Of The Pool , I know I've done it before but THIS TIME IT WILL WORK!!!!! Sometimes all it takes is a little 'push' to get motivated...who am I kidding...sometimes it takes a HUGE KICK IN THE ASS!!! But anyway...I've joined. The 'site' offers alot ot tips and encouragement that can be helpful if I let them... but I'm kinds stubborn so I guess only time will tell...lol. First week I dropped a pound, the next weigh in is Friday and I really haven't done that great so far this week, i plan on doing much much much better starting NOW.
OK...Couple of points about me:

I have been overweight my entire life...YUP it's true
I am an emotional eater and I am ALWAYS emotional
I've tried every fad diet going - most have worked - for a little while
I lost 75 pounds about 6 years ago and for the most part have kept it off
I want to loose 25 more - it's time
I enjoy working out but have very little motivation to do it alone - It's true...misery does LOVE company
I joined Curves about 4 months ago - the workouts seem to be working, I've lost 17.5 inches from my body....whoohoo for me. However I have to drive 90 minutes (round trip) for a 20ish minute workout. Luckily I don't travel alone.
I have all the tools that I need to loose weight I just need to USE them properly to accomplish my goal
I know that baby steps is all that it takes...

OK...that's about it for now I guess...

PS: Note to self...you know it's been way too long since you last post when it takes several attempts to sign in because you've forgotten your log in information...BAD ME!

WOW

2006-09-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

Bre's first day of Senior year...Becca's Freshman year

Whoa...time really does fly when you are "melting down". I had no idea it had been so long since my last post.

Well baby girl is all moved and settled into my sisters house and is fully entrenched in her SENIOR year in high school. She is loving every single minute of it. Her academic schedule is very manageable and she is doing very well...so far...and he social schedule is very full as well.

I, on the other hand, am not liking it quite so much. I really miss the day to day interaction with her...simple things drive me insane...like NOT knowing what she's wearing to school in the morning...or not hearing the tv in her room. She is supposed to come home every week end but already that is NOT happening...which I understand. Her boyfriend plays soccer and she has several friends who play foot ball so she likes to see the games. She is still home at least one night over the week end and I'm just going to have to get used to that I guess....After all next year she'll be away at college...YIKES!

I just couldn't let her start her senior year without seeing her off so at the last minute I jumped in my car and drove nearly an hour just to see her pull out of the driveway...and of course to irritate the hell out of her by taking too many pictures.

Notice the disgusted look on her face....

Evil smiles here...I'm pretty sure that she'd just said something nasty about dear ol' mom

Here...her uncle had just said something inappropriate about 'sugar lips'..he just loves to make them blush!

Stop The World...I Want To GET OFF

2006-08-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

My baby girl starts her senior year on Wednesday...I am so NOT ready for this. She will be moving back to Dexter on Monday night and we will be back to 'week-ends'. I hate not being able to give her hug before she goes to bed at night. I hate not knowing what she's wearing to school in the morning. I hate not knowing what she's having for breakfast. I hate not having 'day to day' interaction. We talk on the phone, IM on the computer, I've even learned to text message on my cell phone. It all helps but it's still not the same. We have all gone through so many changes this summer...it's been hard for me to adjust to it all. In case I've never mentioned it before I HATE CHANGE!!!!! I know that I'll get used to it...again... I am almost relieved that it's happening soon...the anticipation has been killing me. With any luck at this time next month I'll be saying "everything is great"..."Bre's grades are terrific"..."we are all happy"...YUP....I've just declared it...That's exactly what I'll be saying in a month!!!! YUP YUP YUP!!!!
Here are a few of Bre's choices for year book picture.

I Think she's going to use the one above, She and her honey both like it best

This is my favorite

Her dad likes this one best

Update

2006-08-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Didn't realize how long it had been...I'd like to say that my life has been just too exciting and fulfill for me to spare the time that it takes to post...but that would be a lie...and GREAT BIG LIE! I've just been extremely unmotivated for the past few weeks.

The shopping trip with my sister and our daughters was a HUGE success. We had a terrific time. Both girls got alot of good deals and some really cute outfits...they will be the best dressed in their respective classes...my baby will be a senior...sisters will be a freshman. I can NOT believe that these two girls have grown up so quickly and it amazes and excites me that they will spend a year together at the same school. I hate that Bre won't be in my house during the week but it is great that the two girls will share a full year of school memories.

Dustin is settling right into his new apartment and his first attempt at being 'grown-up'. He seems to be enjoying it and though I'm still not happy about him taking a year off from school I'm no longer worried about him...I know that he's gonna be JUST fine.

Summer hasn't been a great success for me. Last summer was so fun and relaxing...It's amazing how much difference a year can make.

Well...that's it for now...I really should get to work...haha

SHOP till you DROP

2006-08-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Bre (baby girl), Becca (niece), Terri (Sister) and I are all headed to New Hampshire tomorrow for our, now, annual school shopping trip. The girls just love to shop at all the outlet stores down there. They always find good deals and wind up with stuff that not everyone else will be wearing. I HATE shopping....but I love time spent with Bre, Becca and Terri so I'm willing to withstand the torture of shopping in exchange for time with them. Summer is wizzing by and Bre will be headed back to school, and my sister's house, before I know it...I'm not dealing very well with it!!!! OMYGOD...SHE'S A SENIOR!!!!! I plan on thoroughly enjoying the next couple of days with her. I've promised myself that there will be NO serious talks about her future...her 'boys'...school...feelings....etc. Just light and fluffy chatter. With any luck there will be SMILES all around the entire time.

I don't ask for much, really I don't...Just a stress free couple of days with the ones I love...That's NOT TOO much... is it?....

Come on...TELL ME IT ISN'T...come on...even if

you have to 'fib' a little. :)

MEMEMEME

2006-07-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever.....
Gotten stuck in an elevator? NOPE...of course there are NO elevators where I live.
Egged a person? Don't think so
Stalked someone to find out where they work or live? No, where I live I know who everyone is and where they work...haha
Spent an entire day in nothing but your undies? No, but I have spent many a days in my jammies.
Read some friends mail or other personal papers without them knowing? Yes.
Gone skinny dipping? Yes, but a very long time ago...maybe it's an activity that I should REVISIT!
Been in a fist fight? No, I'm a wuss and my kids say I fight like a chick!
When was the last time you...
Time you tripped? On drugs? Never
Over my feet? At least once dailey
Cleaned up the base of your toilet? This morning...I swear nobody can hit the damned hole.
Gum you had? Trident WHITE
Pair of socks? It's summer time...I stop wearing socks in April and don't put them back on til November...even if my toes turn blue
Beverage you had? Water - BORING
Spur of the moment decision you made? Headed out of town tonite.
Movie you watched? She the man - it was cute
What would you.....Say if your best friend told you they love you? Say it back....We tell each other that all the time.
Right now.....What are you wearing? Peasant skirt and matching shirt and flip flops.
What are you thinking? That I should probably be working instead of doing this BUT.....
What are you listening to? Just the humm of the copiers and computers
Are you annoyed by the length of this survey? Nope...it is a great way to avoid doing what I should be doing.
Are you tired? ALWAYS
How many people in the room? I'm ohhhh so alone and I really like it that way.
Any cuts or bruises on your body? Yup several on my legs from god knows what
Are there any animals in the room? Just ME
Are you eating anything? No but I'm starving
People who I would like to do this? Anyone who is as unmotivated as I am today....

Whoa......Slow it down

2006-07-24T03:07:00.000-07:00

I've been having a really hard time posting lately. Things in my life just seem to be spiralling out of control and I can't stop them. Change is EVERYWHERE and I HATE it. Last summer seemed so perfect. I reconnected with an old friend...enjoyed several outings with family that I actually like...both kids were happy and seemed to enjoy their family time with us...our business was going strong...the future seemed so bright! This summer has certainly been disappointing in comparison. The weather has been better but nothing else seems to be "jelling". Everytime I try to recreate the magic of last summer I fall short....I feel like I just can't get it quiteright. Maybe I'm expecting too much, trying too hard...maybe last summer was soooo good because I expected NOTHING...I just don't know what to do any more....I'm sick of being disappointed and unhappy...I want to ENJOY some of this summer but I just don't know how...STRESS seems to be the only thing that is NOT in short supply...
I know the life is cyclic and the happy, stress free days will return but PATIENCE has never been one of my strong points and summer is sooooo very short...

HELP

Aging?????

2006-07-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

George Carlin's View on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50

And your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90's, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them!"

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9 Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

Island Paradise

2006-07-05T12:34:00.001-07:00

When we were growing up money was TIGHT. There were 4 kids, my mom was a 'stay at home' mom and my dad was often self-employed. We never went without essentials, we were always fed and clothed and had a warm roof over our heads but VACATIONS were definitely NOT in the budget. My dad has always taken care of camps around the area. One 'special' one was Keeps Island. He took care of it all thru my childhood and is still doing it now. As kids 'Keeps' was our vacation spot. When we were young we'd go as a family. Dad would leave the island in the morning to work and we'd spend the days there with my mother. My teen years is when it got REALLY fun. I'd go up there with my friends for a week at a time. Dad would drop us off and we'd settle right in playing house. It was always fun to cook at camp. We had a generator that would usualy break down on the first day but we really didn't care. We'd just bath in the lake, use the propane lights and flush the toilet with buckets of water. There were NO phones, televisions of computeres so we'd make our own fun. We had soo much fun. We'd sun bath topless during the days and go skinny dipping at night. Weather it was just 'the girls' or if we had guys with us it was always a fun time. I have alot of memories from Keeps Island. Some of them are even 'sober' memories. I read my first SMUTTY book at Keeps...LOL. Yesterday there was a fire on the island and the Main camp burned to the ground. I hadn't been up there for years but it still makes me very sad. Like a small part of my childhood is GONE. When I get hom I think I'll look thru pictures and see what I can find of my 'Island Paradise'.

PITY PARTY

2006-07-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

Here it is July 3rd....Fireworks are being shot off at the Wharf and I'm sitting here ... all alone... feeling sorry for myself. Hubby decided to stay at camp, at my urging, Baby girl is out with Mr. Perfect and Their friends and the Big guy is in his very own apartment. Hubby and I had invites to several parties but I opted out. For 15 years we've been having a family 'thing' at camp. Fire on the beach, sparklers, smores, watching the fireworks display over the water. There have always been a dozen or more people with us and every one has always had a good time. THIS year everything CHANGED (there's that nasty word again). I waited all day for my baby to change her mind and decide to spend a 'tradition' 4th with us...but it didn't happen. It's not that I'm mad at her, this is the first time that she's been able to watch the fireworks at the wharf with all of her friends...It just HURTS to realize that she'd rather be with them then with me... I KNOW... I KNOW...It's normal...but that doesn't make it hurt any less. Big guy had to work so he couldn't come, Sister and family chose not to come up this year too, they are having a party at their house tomorrow and stayed to prepare...I'm not mad at them either...just disappointed that things can't stay the same. I know that they all still LOVE me and maybe even need me, a little, But I guess I just needed to feel sorry for myself for a little while anyway.

Change change go away....

Tomorrow WILL be a better day.... :)

5 Things MEME

2006-07-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Heather's site

5 things in my refrigerator:

1. Milk - be sure to check the date before drinking...
2. Soda - Diet of course
3. Eggs
4. Left over pasta of some sort - I have NO idea how long it's been there - might be one of those things I should throw away container and all.
5. Fruit salad - I make it every week in the summer

5 things in my closet:

1. Too many cloths - most that I don't wear
2. An old quilt that Hubby's gram made that I've been promising to repair for almost 15 years.
3. A crate full of wrapping paper
4. My sewing machine (seldom gets used)
5. A beebee gun

5 things in my purse:

1. Hand lotion - can't live without
2. Blistix - I MUST have soft...kissable lips lol
3. Wallet - usually VOID of any cash
4. Savings pass books
5. Contact solution

5 things in my car:

1. Camp laundry
2. Work out cloths
3. Empyty water/soda bottles
4. Dog blanket
5. Sun glasses

That's it for now. I'm headed to camp today - the sun is FINALLY shining - to catch rays and do some kayaking. We have some family coming up for the afternoon...I'm PSYCHED!

Words To Live By...kinda

2006-06-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Received this via email this morning...it was one of those "Chain" things that I dispise but I really liked the content so decided to share it.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

This That & The Other Thing

2006-06-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Stolen from 'others' .... Random Bullets OF....."Whatever"

1. My son flunked out of school. Am I happy?...NO...Will I Survive?....YES. On the bright side he has already put into motion the necessary steps to be reaccepted in January (which he will be doing on his OWN this time).

2. That SAME son is not coming home this summer, he got an apartment in Orono with a friend and is working. I miss him BUT I think it's the best thing for him at this point in time. It's time for him to learn to stand on his own 2 feet. He's even learning to cook.

3. My daughter is STILL in love. I like the the boy (wish he was a tad more ambitious)...I really hope that they continue to be happy together...at least until she graduates...lol (A happy child makes for a happy MOMMY!)

4. My daughter has a friend living with us this summer, Misty, she's a good kid and they BOTH go to work on Tuesday...full time...YIPPEE. I need for them to be working...

5. Above mentioned daughter got a speeding ticked...it's cost her $263 and she lost her lisence for 30 days...she'll be getting it back July 7.

6. Daughter 'loverboy' got a speeding ticket TODAY....$185 and will be loosing his lisence for 30 days...I hope that they have both learned a lesson here!!!!

7. Camp is OPEN and I've started Kayaking again...

8. Hubby had to let his employee go...High gas prices, insurances and vehicle maintenance were killing us. Hubby had a very hard time with this, but it is for the best

9. Work still sucks...but at least I have a job...

10. I go to curves 3 times a week with 3 other women. The work out is "OK" but the comraderie I share with the other women is "Priceless". I'm actually surprised at how much I look forward to the trips (The nearest Curves is 45 minutes away from me).

11. My brother and his wife want to have a baby...I am soooooo very ready for a baby in the family again...I hope it happens soon.

12. I'm headed to New York with my sister for 3 days in August, I'm looking forward to the trip.

I guess that's it for now.

Semi-Formal Week End

2006-06-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

This week end I had two nieces who were attending 8th grade semi-formal socials. I went to both houses to watch the festivities. Becca, my sister's daughter and her friend Amanda went on Friday night, Bre helped with their hair and did their make-up. On Saturday we headed to Madison to see Julie's daughter Kristen and friend Sasha get ready for their dance, Bre did the hair and make-up for both girls, she really has a knack for that kinda stuff. I've been told that all the kids had wonderful times at their respective events. I know that I enjoyed being a part of the 'before' activities. They all looked beautiful and Bre enjoyed helping them get ready. This was the second time for Becca and Amanda and I was amazed at how much both girls had changed since last years. They both looked 'uncomfortable' in their skins last year. This year they looked right at home. AMAZING how much difference one year can make.

Holiday Week End

2006-05-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

The SUN is shining and I actually got my first 'natural' sunburn of the season. Spent the morning at camp laying in the sun and reading a 'fairly good' book. I also took my kayak out for the first time this season, my arms and abs will be sore tomorrow....I am so glad that summer is here. My hubby is fishing for the week end, his brother came up Saturday with some friends for the day and my sisters hubby is here for the entire week end. They are staying at camp, I chose, to let the MEN be MEN, and stay at home...where it SMELLS better and there are not bugs (camp is still not clean to my specifications). Big guy didn't come home this week-end because he is frantically searching for a job, it's really a shame that he didn't LISTEN TO HIS MOTHER and start looking 2 months ago...I'm not too worried, he'll find something. He moves into his first apartment on the first, he's very excited about it. He will be taking a semester off from school to get his 'shit together', he'll be returning in January if all goes well. Baby girl was home Friday with a girl friend and Saturday with her honey, they went back to Dexter a few hours ago, they are grilling burgers and playing basketball with friends. Her honey has an early game in Millinocket tomorrow so she's going to go and watch that. She is still doing very well in school and is glad that she made the change when she did. She'll be coming home on June 13th and will start work on the 26th... She really needs to earn some money this summer, she is a very expensive child. She got stopped for speeding last week she had picked a friend up for school and was running late...as usual...$263 fine...also will be losing her license for a month starting June 7 and has to pay a $35 reinstatement Fee...A VERY EXPENSIVE mistake. Hopefully she will learn from this mistake....or I'll wring her little neck...lol. I still haven't decided if I'll be going into work tomorrow or not, it depends on the weather. All in all this has been a pretty good week-end. SUN...FAMILY...WATER...it's all good.

Week-end

2006-05-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

Both my kids (and mr. perfect, of course) were home for the week-end...it's soooo very nice to have them all under MY roof, even if it's just for a couple of nights. Big guy played poker with his dad today, he won, and left around 5. Baby girl and her honey hung out with me for the day and left at 8. I know it should be getting easier...and I guess that for the most part it is...at least I don't cry...but I still hate seeing them all leave, it just makes me feel kinda blue. I really miss the days when I felt like I was in control...on top of things. I can't put my finger on the exact time that it happened...but I am definitely NOT in control any more. They have both grown up far too quickly. Next year at this time my baby girl will be getting ready for graduation...I'll be thinking of sending her off to college...it is so hard to believe that I will soon be a REAL empty-nester. I'm not looking forward to it and I guess that I'm just gonna stop thinking about for now anyway. I'm just going to look forward to the summer...her being back home and big guy visiting as often as possible, he's not living at home this summer, lots of sunshine (I hope) and all of us enjoying the time that we have together.
Here's To Long SUMMER Days and Warm SUMMER Evenings spend in the company of family and friends!

Mother's Day

2006-05-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is my mother and my son 20 years ago

These are my grandmother's

All of them...with Vannah

All these wonderful women are gone now

I miss them EVERY day...but more on day's

like today.

I MISS YOU, MOM
I used to think that people didn't needtheir moms so much after they grew up.But I've realized that's not true.So often, when I'm making a decision,I wish you were hereso I could ask your advice.
And so many times,when something happensthat I know you would enjoy,I wish you were hereto share it with me.
Now that I'm olderI've realized how special our relationship is.And while I'm thankful for this bond,somehow it makes me miss you more..Mom, I love you so very much.
~By Renee Duvall~

I hope that everyone is appreciating their mothers, grandmothers

daughters and friends today!!!

Happy Mother's Day

So Many Changes In A Year

2006-05-09T02:35:00.000-07:00

Prom 2006. This is baby girl and the new 'love of her life'. He is a very sweet kid and we all like him very much. She has fallen very quickly and very hard this time around....I just keep my fingers crossed that the smile on her face (which has been there since they met) stays for a while.
Here they are again with the newest addition to our family...that's Ozzie. Any of you who know me at all know that I am NOT a dog person....in fact I'm not much or an animal person in general. The rest of my family has wanted a dog for years....they finally wore me down...I still can't believe that I caved!
This is the crew that baby girl and Mr. Wonderful went with. Baby girl only knew a few of them and those she didn't know very well. Very different from last year. She was queen bee...called all the shots...did everyone's hair and make-up...everything was at MY house. I was a bit concerned about her because she seemed very 'disconnected' for most of the day but I worried for nothing, she had the time of her life and made some good friends.

Here they are with my niece, the one that baby girl now lives with. They are all growing up so very fast. This was taking in front of 'Savannah's Garden' at my sister's house. I was concerned that the whole "PROM" thing would be too much for her (the last time we were all together with Vannah was her senior prom day), but she was gracious enough to let us use her house as a 'base' for the day. She did very well....until we left....then she had a little melt down. She said that it was worth it she wouldn't have wanted to miss seeing baby girl so happy.

All in all, even with all the change (I HATE CHANGE), eveything went well and the smiles on the kids faces is certainly proof of that.

I'm BAAAAACK!

2006-05-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quicky post to let you all know that I survived my vacation at SEA...nobody pushed me overboard....no fires....no tour bus accidents....no lost luggage....and most importantly....I didn't want to kill either hubby poo or baby girl....It was a successful experience.

Weather was PERFECT and we all enjoyed the sunshine, however, we have decided that 'cruising' just isn't for us...everything starts to LATE. Even when we are on vacation we are up and moving by 6, at the VERY latest, and most of the 'good stuff' on board doesn't start until 11...YIKES! Still...all in all we had a good enough time that we are all glad that we went.

I'll post pictures and more details later...Still trying to get back on schedule.

STRANGE? No doubt!!!

2006-04-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

Got this meme from Sheri and thought it would be a good thing to leave you all with...I leave for vacation on Sunday...YIPPEE FOR ME!!!

Anyway...here goes...6 STRANGE things about ME.

1. I can NOT leave my house in the morning without making my bed. The rest of the house can be a disaster but my bed MUST be made. This is kinda strange since I don't think I made my bed more then a dozen times all thru my teen age years. haha.

2. I talk so fast that people look at me funny...Yup...it's true. This is quite an issue since a good part of my day is spent on the phone...being NICE. I have to make a concious effort to slooooowwww dooowwwwnnn when I answer the phone, I've been known to trip over my tongue more then once in any given conversation. Unfortunately I have passed this trait on to my baby girl. Why is it that the bad things are always what get passed on?

3. I stare at the tv, sometimes for hours, and have NO idea what I'm watching. If hubby askes me "what'd they say" I truely can not tell him because NOTHING has registered.

4. I can get completely lost in a good book. I 'become' the story, I even start reading (in my head of course) in whatever dialect the book is in. I can NOT put down a good book until I'm finished, I've been known to stay up all night reading. Hubby laughs at me and says..."You know the good thing about a book is that even IF you put it down...the story will still be there!"...isn't he funny?

5. I hate to talk on the phone...remember this is how I make a living!

6. I am willing to listen to the problems of ANYONE...really ANYONE...even people that I don't know will tell me their life story, I must just look or sound like I CARE. Total strangers who call the office will tell me all about their recent divorce...or the problem that they have with their kid...or that their spouse has cheated on them....GUESS WHAT PEOPLE? If I don't know you (these people I'll listen too all day)..I really do NOT care about your problems. Maybe this makes me a bad person...but I can live with that.

Ok...soooo looking back at this list maybe I'm not all that STRANGE...hmmmmmm...or maybe I'm just blocking the really strange stuff.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post I'll be leaving for vacation. We leave the 23 and will be back on the 30th. Royal Carribean Cruise with hubby and baby girl. I'm very excited. Will touch base when I get back.

Happy Easter

2006-04-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to EVERYONE! Spring is in the air (along with the raindrops).
Kids are still sleeping, I miss the days when they were so excited to get up and see what the Easter Bunny brought them that they'd be up before the Sun was. Holidays just aren't the same when your kids start to grow up. Oh Well...They'll be happy when then FINALLY do get their butttttts out of bed. Hubby and I have been up for hours and already finshed off a pot of coffee...haha.
Headed to sister's house around 11 for dinner at 1. Family gatherings are always a bit tense but at least the kids will all be around to lighten the mood a bit. Still planning on talking to sister about baby girl, hope it all goes well. It's raining here right now, I hope it stops long enough to fit in a walk. Sister and I talk better while we walk...we trip alot...lol... but the more we talk the faster we walk so it ends up being a really good workout.
That's it for this AM...hope you all have a fun and relaxing day.

A Little BUMP In The Road

2006-04-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

My sister and I are co-parenting my baby girl...now I know what it must be like in a divoced family...we have very different parenting techniques. She's a RULES person and I'm not.
I'm probably guilty of spoiling my kids too much but I believe that kids should be happy as often as possible. Life will kick them in the gut soon enough and responsibilites will weigh on them for the rest of their lives. Not that I don't think my kids should have responibilities, they've always had those, they've always worked and had chores (minimal ones). The older they got and the more of a 'life' of their own they developed the less I expected of them at home. I always put a ball game above the laundry. A smiling face from one of the kids means more to me then clean dishes, laundry, dusting, ect.
Baby girl came for a visit tonite and she was just so frustrated with her Aunt. Some of her complaints are valid and some were just frustration and I think that she knows the difference. Her biggest complaint is her 9 o'clock curfew. She thinks, and I agree, that at her age she should be allowed to be out, or have company in, until at least 10, as long as her grades are good. My sisters problem is that she doesn't sleep until baby girl is in the house. I never fell asleep until she was home either, however I was always willing to sacrafice an hours sleep if necessary. If she decides to play basketball, there will be many nights that she's not home until way after 9. Sister is trying to apply the same rules to baby girl as she does to her daugher, the trouble being that my niece is only 14.
I was trying to stay out of things as much as possible but after seeing the frustration on baby girls face tonite I guess that I'm going to have a chat with my sister. I REFUSE to let this co-parenting stuff come between us. I'm pretty sure that we can come to some compromises that all parties involved can live with.
Baby girl is so happy with everything in her life, except for her living arrangements, I think that some of it is just her being homesick. It still hasn't been very long and nobody has adjusted completely yet...maybe we never will. I told her that she needed to really think about things...weigh the pros and cons...remember why she made this move to begin with and decide if she's willing to 'give a little'. I hope that she takes some time to do just that.
She'll be home for the next two weeks...I'm not sure if that will make things better or worse.

Utopia

2006-04-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Perfect week end!

Started out with my baby girl and her boyfriend showing up at 6, followed by my 'good' sister and her family at 6:30. We all went to the schools production of Cinderella, it wasn't terrific, but was certainly worth the $5 bucks it cost for admission. After the play we went back to my house for a very STRESS FREE chat, very light and funny with nothing to bring you down. Sis and fam left and I relaxed and watched a movie with the kids.
Saturday started with a trip to Curves with my 'lady' friends with more lighthearted conversation and several REAL belly laughs. When we got home I got a Pedicure...yippee for me...My tootsies look B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. Waited for the kids to get up and dressed and then we headed for Bangor to see a movie. We dropped boyfriend off at home so he could do some stuff for his dad. I was very happy to see that baby girls attitude stayed bright and sunny even when boyfriend wasn't attached to her hip. She was bubbly even...telling me all sorts of things that I'd missed out on while she'd been at my sisters. We met the big guy for dinner and he was even had a bright sunny attitude. We all sat at dinner chatting it up while the kids tried to embarrass their father...One conversatoin went sort of like this.
Big Guy..."I went down to the frat last night"
Baby Girl..."Did you have a good time"
Big guy..."yeah it was kewl"
Baby Girl..."Did you get shitfaced"
Big guy..."had a few"
Baby Girl..."Did ya get laid"
Big guy....hahahaha...Look at dads face!
Hubby poo had to pick his jaw up off the table...Baby Girl was VERY pleased with herself for causing the shocked look on her dad's face...She just LOVES to shock him! By the way...Big guy NEVER did answer that question.
We all went to the movies after and saw Benchwarmers...It was a riot, all of us laughed our asses off...well not literally, I checked and mine ass, unfortunately, is STILL there!!!! Dropped big guy off at campus and settled in for the 90 minute ride home...it was great.
Baby girl left a bit ago to head back to Dexter. This whole thing is working out better then I'd expected. She is doing terrific and whenever she is Here with us she is HAPPY! AND she is on HIGH HONORS...that would be STRAIGHT A's. I am very proud of her and more importantly SHE is proud of herself. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

Mother Nature

2006-04-05T05:07:00.000-07:00

I Never realized before what a CRUEL BITCH

'Mother Nature" really was.

This is what I got up to this morning, April 5. It's Pretty....IN JANUARY...It really really really sucks in April. Over the week-end we had bright sunshine and temps in the 60's. WTF is going on in the world. I just took care of the winter coats and was very close to packing up all of my fleece and sweaters. We even talked about taking the studded tires of baby girls car...HOW STUPID CAN WE BE? I really should have known better then to get my hopes up...I am SOOOOO very ready for summer!

Catching UP

2006-04-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since my last post...I've been having a hard time thinking of what to say...and I've been busier then usual. Nothing exciting has been happening around here but I'll give you all a quick overview anyway...I know that you are ALL sitting right on the edge of your seats waiting to hear what goes on in my life.....lol

I joined CURVES with 3 other women from town, we have to drive 45 minutes each way to get there but we've been having a great time. The workout is fun and different but what I really enjoy are the trips...It is so much fun just gabbing with these women, one of them has been my friend for a long, the other two I've known forever but never really been friends with so it's been alot of fun getting to know them. I measure on the 9th and I'm really excited to see the results. Somedays it feels like I get a better workout from the laughing then the GYM...

My kids...
Baby girl is HAPPY. She loves her classes, her teachers, all her new friends...she says the only bad thing is that she can't live at home (soooo sweet). She also has a new boyfriend, he is a real sweetheart and they seem very happy together.

Big guy is doing much better with his grades....he is gearing up for finals and has to start thinking about classes for next year...he's contemplating changing majors but hasn't decided yet. He is also looking for an apartment in Bangor so he can move off campus...he may NOT come home for the summer....YIKES.

Hubby is staying busy, as usual, still plays poker with the guys on Thursdays and now is getting addicted to WoW...just like his son.

Hubby and I went to the Lucern Inn for the week-end with a couple of our friends, we had a very good time. It was nice getting away for a while....with just adults....It was very relaxing.

Vacation is coming soon...!!!

That's it for now....Have a lovely week.

OH YEAH THE SUN IS SHINING!!!!!!!

&&**@(@#*Uncle Sam

2006-03-22T07:25:00.000-08:00

He's NOT a good relative...A Classic TAKER!!!!! YUCK! I remember as a kid, and even as a young....er married woman, looking forward to tax time...It always meant a little extra money...FUN money...A GIFT (I was too young then to realize it was MINE to begin with). My kids still get excited because they know they'll get a refund....

REFUND...just a distant memory now...**!!#&@*@## Uncle Sam always TAKES from me now...It really sucks.

Hubby-poo has been 'self-employed' for quite some time now, he's doing relatively well, increases his profit margin every year, he's even added a full time empolyee and a second service van, but between TAXES and INSURANCES, most of it STILL gets eaten up..It really does suck. He is sooooo very happy running his own business but there are days that I wish he still worked for someone ELSE...you know...just brought home a paycheck, had insurance...401K...NO worrying about inventory and scheduling, just put in his HOURS and leave the worries there...

Most people don't realize how much stress goes along with running your own business. So many times I hear (often from family)...Hey He works for himself...he can take time off whenever he wants...Yeah RIGHT...He's a heating contractor...he's on call 24/7...AND has to do all the ordering and paperwork...WAKE -UP people...this is NOT a game we are playing...it's OUR LIVES!!!!

DONE RANTING!

My MOMMY would be SOOOO Proud!

2006-03-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

Only 30% EVIL....that leaves ME with

70% of SWEETNESS...Yup, Mom WOULD be proud!

You Are 30% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well.In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

A Day In The Life....

2006-03-11T05:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday everyone...Yeah just another mundane

day in the life of MOI!

The sun is shining, it's about 40 degrees out and the wind is blowing like crazy. Both of my kids are home and sleeping, til after noon I'm sure and hubby poo is watching "this old house". A typical Saturday around here. No great plans for the day. Baby girl is headed to a 'dance club' about 90 minutes away with a bunch of friends this evening, her FIRST trip there. I'm a tad nervous but I know she'll have a blast and I've convinced myself that there is SAFETY in number. The Big guy has plans with a friend from High School. Hubby and I might go out to dinner or something, there not a whole lot to do around here.
Big guy and a friend looked at several apartments over the past few day, they'd like to move OFF CAMPUS next year. They are finding that it's not going to be an easy task. I warned them that they'd most likely be living in a 'dump', that's all they'd be able to afford...but of course they didn't believe MOTHER, until they saw it for themselves...lol. I'm actually fine with him moving OFF CAMPUS and even with him not coming home for the summer, if he can afford it, I just hate the uncertainty of it right now...I like to know what's gonna happen!
MY big plan for the day is to pluck my eyebrows...work out....take a shower...and then...NOTHING..IS that exciting or what!!!!!? I am just SUCH a party animal.

Wishing YOU ALL a happy happy happy Saturday!

Winter Carnival

2006-03-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

Tonite Was Winter Carnival....Bre played hair dresser/make-up artist for several of her friends...she did a very good job.

Here she is with he best bud since kindergarden...

This is her date for the evening...isn't he a cutie...they made an adorable couple and they had a terrific time.

This is some of the girls that got ready at my house...I'll be trying to get rid of the glitter from my living room for a month.

Baby girl said the the dance was a very good time...she danced with everyone and got to touch base with all of her 'greenville' friends. this is the first time she'd seen alot of them since changing schools. She also talked to some of her old teachers. It was great to see her come home with such a big smile on her face. Now she is at an after party with friends...I won't get much sleep until she is safe and sound in her very own bed.

Tomorrow we will be moving the rest of her stuff to my sisters house, the room is finally ready. She will be much more comfortable with her own stuff around her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTTY!!!!!!

Don't Be Offended!!!

2006-03-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

I just can NOT resist a good joke...especially when it has

REDNECK in it!!!!

Three Lovers The Italian says, "When I've a finished making love with my wife, I go down and gently tickle the back of her knees and she floats 6 inches above the bed in ecstasy."

The Frenchman replies, "That is nothing. When I've finished making love with the wife, I kiss all the way down her body and then I lick the soles of her feet with my tongue and she floats 12 inches above the bed in pure ecstasy."

The Redneck says, "That isn't nothing. When I've finished porkin the ole lady, I get out of bed, walk over to the winder and wipe my weener on the curtains. She hits the freakin' ceiling."

This...That...AND The Other Thing!

2006-02-25T04:57:00.000-08:00

Wow I can't beleive it's been nearly a week since I last posted...time certainly does FLY!!!!
Baby girl came home on Friday night, she and her dad went to a hockey game and had a great time, they didn't get back here til 1ish though so everyone was tired (I waited up for them). It was great to have her back in the house and she was genuinely happy to see us...for a few hours! I'm not sure why but I expected her to want to me joined at my hip or something...you know "I love you so much mommy...I missed you" that sorta of stuff. I guess that just doesn't happen at 17. She then left on Monday to spend a couple of days in Orono with the Big guy...she did want to see him but there were alterior motives as well...she had a BIG date...she wanted to go to the tourney games...getting her hair done...and she was taking my car to the shop to get the Spedometer fixed (still broken, had to order a part). She had a good time and came home all smiles. I took Thursday afternoon off to spend with her, went to Newport then home for movies with her and a friend...it was nice.
Big guy was supposed to come home last night but couldn't because of bad weather...yes we finally got some snow, just when I thought that spring might be right around the corner, he's coming home today to celebrate my birthday with me...Both of my kids will be here...YIPPEE for me! I'm hoping for a relaxing evening...dinner at my dads...movies with hubby-poo and the kids...maybe some cribbage...Yup...that's all I want. Oh...and to turn back time about 10 years...not cause I'm going to 42 (YIKES) but because my kids would be 7 and 10...My babes would be back...ha ha ha.
I really wish I had something exciting to talk about today but I just don't. Same old same old...THE SUN IS SHINING...I think it's only about 10 degrees out but it sure does look pretty.
Hope everyone has a great day.

SAY IT SUNDAY #......?

2006-02-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

Success

2006-02-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

Baby Girls First Day at her new school was a SUCCESS. She came home with a smile on her face, of course I couldn't see it thru the phone but I could HEAR it in her voice. She said that the teachers were nice, the students were friendly and LIFE IS GOOD! I only cried for a minute when I hung up with her. I'm doing better then I expected, could be because I know it's only for 3 days and then she's home for a week, I hope that I handle it as well after vacation...when she'll be gone for a full week. As long as she keeps doing well and being happy I can handle anything.
We met with the ENT guy on Tuesday, She will be having her tonsils out in June, after school is out, Dr. told her it would be the most painful thing that she'll ever go thru...it WAS a man...never GIVEN birth so I doubted him right away...LOL. She'll be laid up for about 3 weeks so she'll miss work but at this point work is less important then SCHOOL!
I really have to learn to cook for 2 now...Hubby and I are going to be eating leftovers from tonite for at least a week.

CHANGES

2006-02-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

It's been one hell of a week! Just when I think that our lives are starting to level out I get blind sided...BAMMMMM! The roller coaster ride just intensifies!

Our school system has issues...major issues...it has been going down hill steadily for over 20 years. We live in a very rural area, the school is very small with 20-25 students per class, the academic offerings are very limited with very few options, other then the basics. The guidance office, one man, is a joke and doesn't help much at all. Most of the kids are ON THEIR OWN! I had always hoped that I could just get my kids 'outta there' and onto college with no major issues. I never wanted to be one of those people that lived in a town but didn't want her kids to go to the school...after all a big part of our decision to settle here after we got married was because there was a school right in our back yard...the kids wouldn't have to be bussed an hour or more away.

Baby girl has been complaining for over a year about wanting to go to a different school for many reasons, I'd always felt that most of them were social, see she's a social butterfly and likes new and exciting people around her.

This week she came home in tears...tears of fear...she went on to tell me that she was stupid...that she'd never get into college...that she'd learned nothing here since middle school and if she didn't do something very soon she'd never amount to anything. She's seen how hard things have been for her brother since entering college and he graduated with honors from good ol' GHS. Baby girl struggles to keep B's & C's. It is impossible for me to tell her that it's HER because I know how terribly our school is lacking. I now many other kids who are going thru the exact same things/ Our english department has had 8-9 different teachers in the past 4 years, One year alone there were 4 different ones. There is NO consistency throughout the school and it is very hard to RESPECT many of the teachers. Anyway....enough babbling...the bottom line is that my baby girl is LEAVING!!!

She starts at a new school on Monday, about 40 minutes away from ME! She will be living with my sister and family during the week and coming home on week-ends, vacations and summers. I know how lucky we are that this option is open to us and I know that it is the RIGHT thing...but it is so hard to think of not seeing my baby girl every morning, even if she IS grumpy, and getting a hug every night before I head to bed. Not interacting with her on a daily basis...HELL...I was supposed to have another year and a half before dealing with that.

I am doing pretty well...today...no tears for almost 48 hours. I know that the waterworks will start again as soon as I leave my sister's house. I will talk to my baby every day on the phone, probably several times in fact, and IM is a GREAT thing, I'll be visiting often too.
I may even see more of her when she's not living in my house then I did when she was...AND...maybe...just maybe...we will appreciate each other and our time together even more. Yeah...that's the attitude...I can do this...We all can!

Here's To New Beginnings!

American Idol

2006-02-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I watch American Idol, one of the few shows that we can both tolerate. While watching last week I could kept wondering WHY anyone would put themselvs thru such humiliation. How could these people really think that they had talent...I mean some of them actually sound like they are dying a slow, painful death. They are sooooo bad that I actually get imbarrassed for them and then they come out all mad at the judges because they really think that they were 'wronged' by the mean Simon. It's really quite pathetic....but....then....YIKES...I though back to my high school days, so very many years ago, and remember performing on stage several times. We used to have variety shows and concerts several times a year and for some reason I felt it necessary to stand up in front of my classmates, teachers, family...ect. and SING, or at least my version of singing. I, of course, thought I was terrific, I WAS WRONG! I remember my friends always avoiding me when I'd ask how I'd done, they'd kind of hem and haw and say very little. I also played the Saxaphone and did solo's quite often...this I did fairly well and my performances were quickly complimented, by friends and family...why did it NEVER dawn on my then that the lack of compliments on my singing was because I really SUCKED! Why Oooooooo why hadn't someone told me to STOP making a fool of myself. Oh well....considering the fact that I usually had more then a couple of drinks BEFORE the show, I probably wouldn't have listened anyway. So....I guess the Point is that everyone thinks they are better at the things they enjoy then they actually are! I'm just thankful that I never performed anyplace except on the auditorium stage at my very small school in my very small town. Thank heavens I only tortured those who I knew.

Are YOU grown up?

2006-02-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

25 SIGNS YOU HAVE GROWN UP

1. Your house plants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them

2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.

3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.

4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.

5. You hear your favorite song on an elevator.

6. You watch the Weather Channel.

7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up.

8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.

9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."

10. You're the one calling the police because those %&@# kids next door won't turn the stereo down.

11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.

12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.

13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.

14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers.

15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6 PM!

17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.

18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM now severely upsets, rather than settles, your stomach.

19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and>pregnancy tests.

20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff."

21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.

22. "I just can't drink the way I used to," replaces, "I'm never going to drink that much again"

23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.

25. You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and can't find one to save your SORRY OLD ASS

SADLY, nearly all of these applied to ME....YIKES!

HAVE YOURSELF A GOOD DAY!!!!!

What To Say

2006-01-26T06:16:00.000-08:00

What to say…what to say….what to say! I’ve been having a hard time lately trying to come up with something interesting to post about, so I’ve decided to give up on interesting and just talk about some of the mundane things that have been going on in MY world.

FIRST OFF: My baby girl has been sick since September, she’s had strep throat 3 times and has missed way too much school. FINALLY her doctor has decided it’s time to yank her tonsils, we go for a consultation with the surgeon on Feb. 14 (yeah happy Valentines Day baby). I’m really hoping that they can get it scheduled for Feb. Vacation so she doesn’t have to miss too much school. Her grades are starting to improve a little and she HAS been doing more studying lately, I hope that it is a trend that continues.

NEXT: My son’s dorm mate has left him, I have to say that Big Guy is VERY VERY VERY happy about this, he now has the dorm room all to himself. He spent yesterday cleaning (yeah right) and rearranging the room. I hope that this change makes him a happy camper – a happy camper that gets good grades would be EXCELLENT! Baby girl is headed down to help him “break in” his single room this week end. On the down side his vehicle is dying, a slow painful death, I hope that the poor thing makes it until summer. Oh and Big Guy thinks he’d like to stay in Bangor for the summer to work and live…I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Whoa is me.

AND: Hubby has his weekly card game tonite so I get another ‘girls night’ out, I’m looking forward to it. Baby girl will be home alone but I’m pretty sure that she can live without me for ONE evening. She’ll be sitting in front of the computer playing WoW and catching up with all her cyber buddies.

STILL: Waiting for snow, my skis haven’t even been retrieved from their summer resting place in the basement yet and the snowmobiles have only been taken from the side of the house to the back of the house. Our area really depends on snow for the economy and I’m sure that all of the businesses must be really hurting. We are due for a really big storm and I’m actually ready for it. The kids (especially baby girl) will be happy to be able to snowmobile.

FINALLY: That’s It….My life, as of late anyway, In a NUT shell.

I AM a New Englander

2006-01-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

Forget Rednecks... here's what Jeff Foxworthy has to say on New> > > Englanders
If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping it will swim by,you might live in New England

If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights each year because Mt. Washington is the coldest spot in the nation, and Boston gets more snow than any other major city in the US, you live in New England.

If your local Dairy Queen (hell I don't even have a local dairy queen) is closed from September through May, you live in New England.

If you instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the year, you live in New England.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance, and they don't work there, you live in New England.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in New England.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in New England.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A NEW ENGLANDER WHEN: "Vacation" means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend. You measure distance in hours. You know several people who have hit a deer more than once. You have switched from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day, and backagain.You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching. You install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked (I do this). You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend/wife knows how to use them. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit (every single year). Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow. You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and> > road construction. Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your blue spruce.
"Down South" to you means Philadelphia. Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new shed. Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost. You have more miles on your snow blower than your car. You find 10 degrees "a little chilly." You actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your New England friends.

6 Years...It doesn't Seem Possible

2006-01-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Mom at about 6

Dear Mom,

Six years ago today you were taken from me. I still catch myself picking up the phone whenever something happens in my life that I want to share with someone special. It doesn’t happen as often as it used to but it still happens. My memories of you are starting to fade a bit. I’m afraid that the day will come that I don’t remember your face, your smile, the ball on your chin, those pesky hairs on your cheek that you hated so, and most of all the way it felt to be wrapped in your arms….you were the best hugger in the world.

A lot has happened in the past 6 years…all of your grand children have become young adults, even the baby is nearly 14. I think that you would be proud of all of them. Of course, Vannah is with you now and I hope that the two of you are taking good care of each other.

Dustin has grown into quite a young man, he’s in college now, not doing as well as I’d like but he’s starting to get it and I know that he will be just fine. He still comes home quite often but is talking about staying in Bangor this summer. I'm not sure that I'm ready for that yet, but I will let him do
whatever he thinks best.
Mom Graduated from Adult Ed in 1980, the same year as her oldest daughter.

Bre is a beautiful 17 year old who thrives on her social life, her academics sometimes suffer but she always brings her grades back up to an acceptable level when it’s important. She is looking forward to college, even if only for the social aspects of it. I am also sure that she will find her way and become a terrific woman.

Both of the kids still speak of you often and remember all of the good times they had with you…stealing fudge sickles out of the freezer and going for ice cream in their pajamas are some of their favorite memories. Dustin still talks about the special chocolate cake that you’d always make him for his birthday and Bre remembers the Linguesa soup. I’ve tried my hand at both but they are never quite the same…I’m beginning to believe that you kept at least ONE ingredient of all of your special recipes SECRET!

Your baby boy is now married to a sweet girl, they bought a house and are talking about starting a family. WE are all ready for a baby. He has grown up a lot…finally…still has a ways to go but you’d be proud of him and you’d love his wife, she can talk as much as you could!!! He and dad have even managed to get along, with a little help from me at times. I think that they have both learned to pick their battles.

Terri still manages to amaze me with her strength, she’s been thru some HELL since Vannah’s death but she is surviving, actually she’s doing more then surviving, I believe that she becoming the person that she’s always wanted to be. We are still very close and I don’t ever see that changing. She needs me and I need her, we have become a force united since your death. Together we can handle anything that the world throws at us.

You wouldn’t even recognize Becca she has grown so much. She still loves basketball and field hockey, she gets terrific grades and loves to be with her friends. There is a lot of Vannah in her but it is softer in Becca. She looks a lot like Terri.

Dad has a nice woman in his life, I think that you would like her. She makes him happy and, as you know, he is much easier to deal with when he’s happy. I like her alright but she will never hold a candle to you. At least she is smart enough to not even try.

Lloyd is still doing very well in his business…you’d be amazed at what a success he has made of it. We are very happy together and he takes good care of me and the kids.

Give Vannah and all of my grandparents a big HUG from me. I miss you all. XXXOOO

Your loving daughter,

Melody

Friends....Make The World Go Round!

2006-01-13T06:41:00.000-08:00

One of my girlfriends and I decided, a couple of months ago, that we deserved one night a week OUT...no kids...no men...no cooking...no dishes! Since then we've only made it a couple of times due to 'outside' commitments...holidays...sicknesses...ect.. Last night we finally made it! We went out to dinner and talked and laughed and bitched and complained about our husbands, kids, jobs, life in general. After several hours of this we had solved all of the worlds problems, at least in OUR heads and we both went home with a smile on our face ready to deal with whatever the world threw at us.

When I was a kid my world revolved around reading and friends, books were always my BEST friend...they never lied to me...never hurt me....never disappointed me (that is a topic for another post).

I always needed someone to bounce my stupid ideas off to interact with. I always enjoyed listening to someone elses problems, hopes, dreams. I liked to be silly and have fun, I was always VERY shy so I needed trusted people around me in order to feel comfortable enough to 'let loose', oh...and a couple of bottles of Boons Farm Strawberry Hill or some Allen's coffee brandy never hurt either. I used to LOVE to laugh. After becoming a wife and mother, I began to become isolated, my life revolved so completely around my family, including sick siblings and parents, that I lost contact with the outside world. I thought that was what it meant to be a 'responsible adult'. I'd begun too loose the part of me that could have fun. I watched myself grow very old before I should. I remember thinking that my parents were ancient at 40, they never left the house, never laughed, never were silly. I decided, shortly after my mother died, that I would not give up my 'fun side' without a fight and I've tried very hard to keep that promise to myself, sometimes being more successful then others. I realized that I truely needed friends around me to make me happy, I couldn't exist just thru my husband and kids, I'd even read a couple of articles saying that people who "socialized" lived longer, happier lives.

So now I am in the process of trying to nourish the few precious friendships that I have, renew some old ones and search for some new ones. I have always been a strong beleiver that it is not the 'quantity' of friends that is important but the 'quality'.

LIVE...LAUGH...LOVE!

Boy...Was His Face Red!

2006-01-10T05:45:00.000-08:00

My daughter loves to embarrass her dad, she often enlists the assistance of her friends (and me) to accomplish her task. That was the case on Saturday. Hubby and I had taken her and 2 of her girlfriends to a hockey game in Orono. The girls chatted and laughed all the way down and were very well behaved so Hubby, stupidly, thought he was SAFE. The game itself was very uneventful, other then baby girl threatening (to her dad) to beat up a kid who was dumb enough to wear a Boston College Sweatshirt to a Black Bears game….she was all talk! After the game the fun began!!!! Coming out of the game is a very trying experience, the traffic is bumper to bumper for, what seems like EVER…so we were just creeping along, a battle ensued over the power windows and every time the girls ‘won the battle’ they would yell at anyone walking on the sidewalk …Hey baby…Nice ass…Sweet thing…stuff like that…Hubby was turning several shades of green and thanking his lucky stars for the tinted windows…and the girls were laughing hysterically. We then stopped at Burger King…Hubby should have known that this was a MISTAKE but he’s a very very very slow learner. The girls decided to play the penis game…this game is played, usually in a public place, with a group of people…the first person says the word penis very softly, each person in turn repeats it a bit louder until they are yelling it, or until a player gets too chicken to continue…There were probably a dozen other people in the place, mostly teens, the girls got quite a kick out of making Hubby’s face turn red…they were so pleased with themselves, you’d have thought that they’d just pulled off the biggest practical joke of all times. I just laughed along with them and rolled my eyes…Hubby did a terrific job of just rolling with the punches and letting the girls have FUN. My baby girl is growing up sooooooo very fast that it is always fun for me to see her acting so childish and care free. I also love the fact that she is comfortable enough with her dad to include him in her little games….

Say It Sunday...YUP I'm Back!!!!

2006-01-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

AHHHHH...FRIDAY!

2006-01-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

It is finally Friday...thank god! I don't know what I'll do next week when I have to work all 5 days, it's been almost a month since I've had to work a full week. I've decided that it's not exactly my job that I hate...right now it's pretty much working in general. I'd love to have a month to just sit around and do nothing...or clean my house...or read good books...or watch good movies...or even play in the snow. It's been years since I've had time like that. We take vacations but we are alway on the go and wind up more tired when we return then we were when we started. I think I really need an 'at home' vacation. We are headed on a cruise at the end of April which will be lots of fun...but I'll be exhausted when we return, maybe I'll take 2 weeks off and spend the second one recovering from the first.
My Baby girl turns 17 on Sunday, it is so hard to believe. It seems like yesterday when I was holding her in my arms and rocking her to sleep...where has the time gone. I'd like to rewind and start again but I know that's not possible...one more year and she too will leave the nest and head off to college...I HATE to even think about it. Hubby and I are taking her to a hocky game on Saturday, she is supposed to bring someone with her but, as of this AM, hasn't decided who, she has to work 9-6 on her birthday, which did NOT make her happy...but that's life. I guess she's having a few friends over after work for dinner, she hasn't told me yet how many or what I am supposed to feed them, I am ready to ring her neck. I really want to make her birthday special...but at this point it is in HER hands!

Whatever!!!

2006-01-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying I HATE MY FUCKING JOB!!!!! Ok...that's out of my system....
Had a great trip to the city yesterday, I did NOT like the movie but at least it gave me a good laugh, hubby poo loved it...go figure! Sister and family decided to join us so we had a very nice 'post holiday' 'no stress' visit. She has a 13 year old daughter and the girls gabbed, happily I might add, the whole trip. It is so much fun to listen to them, they are always trying to shock sister and I but it is usually US who gets the best of THEM. Best line from yesterday...Sister explaining what these worm things in the movie looked like to her daugher "Well honey...they looked like big penis with teeth, uncircumcised!!!" Her kid, turning several shades of green "EWWWW Mom That's gross"! of course I had to join in and make it worse...What are aunties for anyway!!!? The girls decided to drop us at the movies and go shopping, they both had gift cards to use and they had a blast shopping without any adults breathing down their necks...it was great to have everyone in such a good mood. I haven't seen baby girl so happy in a long time...I can only hope that it lasts. Of course today was her first day back to school and she had office detention after so I'm not sure how happy she will be when she gets home, but I can live off yesterday's happiness for at least a couple of weeks. I'm still feeling sickly but I have sworn to not let it get me down....tomorrow is another day! Happy happy Tuesday!

Hello My Friend Hello

2006-01-02T02:14:00.000-08:00

Happy 2006...I have decided to treat the new years as a new friend...I will welcome it with open arms...look at it with optimism...anticipation...nourish it...see in it all the possibilities that it offers! I have also decided to make NO resolutions, instead I've decided to make some 'lifestyle' changes (very self-help sounding ha?). I would like for my emotions to level out a bit...therefore I will need to eat right...exercise...get plenty of sleep (drink a little...lol) and stop keeping everything bottled up inside. That said....I shall move on!
We went out to dinner New Years with some friends and had a great time, we were home by 9:30 and in bed by 10 but it was still a good night. Both kids decided to stay at home with friends for the evening instead of going out, which of course made me very happy, I didn't have to worry about them on the road on New Years Eve. They all had a very good time just chatting, watching tv, playing video games...and yes...drinking (I'm sure they think I don't know), but at least they were home and safe! Everyone got up in the am and sat around in the living room talking, one of the kids who stayed was 'new' so we got to know him a bit better and teased and harrassed the others. My kids both worked 11-8 and hubby and I headed to my dads for dinner. We have an annual new years day dinner of home made gnocci's (potato pasta) with sauce, meatballs, sausages ect. This is my dad's speciality and we have it only once a year becasue making the pasta is an all day event. Wellllll this year it was time for dad to pass on the tradition, baby brother was given the priveledge of 'learning' how to make the wonderful treat...he did a GREAT job and dinner was wonderful. Today is my 'official' holiday so NO WORK, hubby, baby girl and I, sadly big guy has to work, are headed to the 'big city' to see King Kong and do a little shopping...Baby girls b'day is next Sunday and I want to pick her up something special. So far the New Year has started out terrific, I have been able to enjoy the company of both my kids and my husband. A Great Start To What Will Be A Great Year!!!!!

Holiday Hangover

2005-12-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas is now 4 days in my past and I think I'm still suffering from a 'Holiday Hangover' and not the kind that you get from having too much fun...the kind you get from 'burning the candle at both ends', so to speak. I'm so glad that this is a short week at work and as a BIG surprise my bossman decided to close this Monday as well...so another short week. Thank YOU!!!! I've also been sick for a week so I'm really draggin' ass...and with an ass the size of mine...that is quite a feet...now let me tell ya!!!!! On the bright side my house is COMPLETELY dechristmassed...the monster tree is taking up space (lots of space) on the back deck where it will most likely stay until spring, all the decorations, pointsettias, garlands, tinsel (well except for what I'll still be picking out of the carpet in july) and lights are gone...Also gone are the chocolates, christmas cookies, breads, pastries, and every other leftover of christmas past. GONE I TELL YOU! Not to be seen or thought of for another year. Life will get back to normal...or at least as close to normal as my life ever gets.
Big guy is home from college until January 16, it is nice to have him home but it's also a bit hard to get used too again. He is such a slob...it took him only 3 days to create a mountain of laundry and to cause a 'stench' in his bedroom...I have NO idea where the smell comes from, he is a very clean kid and always smells wonderful...what can it BE? His grades were terrible, I can't believe that my straight A kid has turned into such a slacker...of course he assures me that he now has it 'all figured out mom'. He says it finally dawned on him that College is DIFFERENT then High school, something I've been telling him since his graduation...guess he's just a slow learner. I really hope that he is telling me the truth and not just blessing me with more of his eloquent 'lip service'.
Baby girl is enjoying her vacation which ends on January 3, it was very short this year and she has done very little, which is what she does BEST! She's been dealing with a few social issues over the past few months and I think she needs a little time to regroup before she takes a next step. We had a great talk last night, first one in ages, and it made me feel very 'useful'. Her birthday is a week from Sunday and we are trying to decide what we will do for it...It really sucks having her birthday so close to Christmas...no matter what we do it's always anti-climatic! Maybe I can convince her to wait until July for a BIG party on The BEACH..that would be lots of fun. I know that I've been babbling a little but that's just the mood I'm in today...babbling...bumbling...hungover...sickly...slightly cranky ME!!!

The Day After

2005-12-26T05:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas is OVER...Yippee!!!! Just about 325 days before I have to start stressing again! Everything actually went very well over the week end. Christmas eve at my house was fun and relaxing, we even got my dad and his woman to play "battle of the sexes" with us. The kids, all teens now, even joined in with the fun and games. We decided to do a 'joke' gift swap this year, every one drew a name and had to get them a gag gift. My hubby got an inflatable wife for those occassions when 'I have a headache'. My son received a nudie calendar...he was very excited until he opened it and found that all of the 'fun' parts had been blacked out.
The look on hubby's face when he opened his new gun was priceless...he almost cried, it made me so happy to see him so happy....AND I can't believe that we all kept it a secret for so long...way to go US!
Kids hate it when I take pictures....here they are tolerating my obsession, Thanks Kids!
Here's my sister (the good one) and her family

My kids are still sleeping and will be for many hours to come...hubby is working and I have to face the daunting task of undecorating my MONSTER tree...If I start now I might have it finished by New Years! Happy Monday

Ha Ha Ha He He He

2005-12-23T05:24:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before christmas....North Woods Style

Twas the night before Christmas

in an old hunting shack

the rifles were loaded

and hung on the rack

Eight hunters were sleeping

all snut in their beds,

while visions of trophy bucks

danced in their heads

Then outside the shack

something moved on the land.

They ran to the window

with rifles in hand

When what to their half open

eyes should appear,

but eight trophy bucks,

eight beautiful deer.

The all raised their rifles

and each took a shot,

they all conncected

belaive it or not!

Then out of the dark

came a voice loud and clear

"You Stupid FLATLANDERS

you shot my reindeer!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

2005-12-22T05:37:00.000-08:00

Just a Few of my Favorite things!

My Favorite MEN

My Baby Girl and Becca

My In-Laws with all of their

grandchildren ages 6-19

My babies pre-prom '05

They HATE this pic I LOVE it!

My Family With Julie and Her Family

This Summer

Our Camp on Moosehead Lake

Where Dreams Come True

GRRRRRRRR!

2005-12-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like breaking something...or screaming until it hurts...or crying for hours for no real reason? I've felt like that all day today and I don't think it has anything to do with the holidays...well not in the surface anyway. I know that my stress level is thru the roof but it's different. I keep going back and forth from feeling like screaming and feeling like crying. I visualize myself sweeping my arm across the top of my bureau, which is covered with 'stuff' and knocking everything on the floor, glass breaking, makeup flying, hairbrushes crashing...Would this help...probably not because it would be ME who would have to pick it all up. Today started with a staff meeting at work...changes in the air, I HATE CHANGE!...Then I got the Mobil/Exxon bill...baby girl had put $135 thru her car this month - she has a $60 limit...then my uncle, Dick the prick-the one who told me only months after my mother's death that she'd be very 'disappointed' in my, called the office for my boss, Dick is a car salesmen (the slimey kind), then I got home and found a mess in the kitchen...not a big one...but enough to set me off. I wound up yelling at both baby girl and hubby poo, for which I later apologized, and crying for a few minutes. Right now I'm having a drink, something I seldom do, in hopes that it will take the edge off. I'm headed to the Gym with baby girl shortly...maybe sweating my ass off will be enough to make my tomorrow better then my today...maybe I should take a dozen eggs outside and throw them at the trees...maybe I should break all the dishes in my cupboard...maybe I should just stop complaining and get on with my evening!!!!! YES we have a winner.

Say It Sunday

2005-12-18T04:56:00.000-08:00

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

2005-12-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

It IS snowing like crazy here today and has been since about 9AM, we are supposed to get 8-12 inches of the white stuff. I am not exactly a snow lover, in fact I usually HATE snow, but when this time of years comes around I'd rather see snow then rain and it truely is BEAUTIFUL. I guess it's time to pull out the CC Skis and get the snowmobiles registered and serviced because once the snow starts in my "neck of the woods" it doesn't usually stop until MAY. The snow is lifting my spirits today (strange I know), maybe it will put me in the holiday mood. My plan for the week end is to get my wrapping completed and make a list of anything that I may be missing...Oh and planning the menu for Christmas Eve, which is at my house. I should do some holiday cooking too...or maybe I'll just buy some of those Christmas Oreos and the New Ritz crackers that are shaped like wreaths and call it good. ORRRRRRRR maybe just sleep around the clock. HO HO HO

Christmas Meme

2005-12-13T05:06:00.000-08:00

I borrowed...ummm Stole this meme from Larry...thanks!!! I am hoping that taking some time to think about my answers might help to get me out of the holiday SLUMP that I've been in.

Q: What is your favorite holiday movie?
A: The Sound Of Music, you may not consider this, technically, a holiday movie, but growing up we always watched this movie as a family during the holiday season, we would all sit on the floor in the living room, my siblings and my parents, and watch quietly and smile. After having my own children I carried on the tradition...It's on this week end...YIPPEE!
Q: What is your favorite holiday song (artist and title)?
A: My Favorite Things - Julie Andrews from, of course, The Sound Of Music. We would all sing this, poorly of course, along with the movie. My mood is improving just thinking about this.
Q: What is the best holiday gift you were ever given and why?
A: A silver locket. It's my favorite because it was the first gift the my kids every picked out for me ALONE...with no help or prompting from anyone. And because they were so proud of themselves for having done it.
Q: Do you have someone special to kiss at the stroke of midnight on New Years?
A: Yes, my hubby and my kids.
Q: Name of your favorite reindeer?
A: Strange question...ummm...let me think...You know...I have no PERSONAL relation ship with any of them....plus I don't want to slight any of them either so I think I'll take the 5th on this one.
Q: Favorite holiday food?
A: Mom's soft molasses cookies, she's gone now but I have her recipe nearly perfected. I love everything about them, the feel of the dough, the smell of them cooking, decorating them...but MOST of all the memories that always come flooding back to me when I make them.
Q: Snow day-- Cuddle by the fire or Hand me a snowball?
A: Cuddle by the fire...with a good book and soft music playing.
Q: What was your New Years resolution for this year and did you stick to it?
A: The same resolution for the past 10 years....To become MORE healthy and yes, I have...for the most part anyway. I've been taking baby steps towards my goal for years.
Q: Is there a Santa Claus?
A: If there is I wish the bastard would start paying his bills.
Q: Present, or stocking stuffer?
A: I like both, I'm just a kid at heart.

Ok...it did help a little, I had a smile on my face during most of the post...Thanks again Larry.

Another Sunday

2005-12-12T01:52:00.000-08:00

Today is my 100th post, I can't believe it. I wanted to do something special to commemorate the occasion but couldn't figure out what so I just decided to post about my week-end.
Julie and her family arrived around 10:30 on Saturday morning. They came with enough stuff to stay for a week I swear, Julie is a very good guest and packs everyting, including her own bedding and blueberry bagles..hahaha. Baby girl had gone to pick up her newest 'fella' (not sure yet if he is her boyfriend) to introduce him to some of the family. Maybe this was her way of scaring him away..hmmmm. We all sat and visited for a bit and then then men, baby girl and Julie's baby girl hit the road to attend a hockey game in Orono with Big guy. Julie and I stayed home to start preperations for the big event on Sunday. Of course we started with a drink....or two. Yes, I will admit that I got a bit tipsy, as did she, we chatted, we laughed, we (she) danced, we (I) even cried a little. I really enjoyed her company. We then fried chix and venison for the next couple hours. She FORCED me to go for a walk in the cold. It was only about 1.5 miles but with the way she was 'staggering' all over the road it ended up being 3 miles. Being the party animals that we are we then fell asleep watching Polar Express...Whoo hoo.
I always approach such family gatherings very apprehensively, I always expect the worst, think of everything that could go wrong, whine, complain, ect. ect. ect. Well Sunday was no different. We did get everything ready, in fact it was ready FAR too early. I had laid out all the appetizers at about 11:30 expecting that my guests would begin arriving around then for the meal was to be served at 1. Nobody showed up until 12:50...NOT one person, therefore the appetizers were quickly removed and replaced with dinner. We crammed 21 people into my living room and fed them. Then we removed all of the tables so that there would be room for the kids to open their gifts, which they quickly did....and everyone, except Julie and family, were quickly back out the door before 3. Lots of work and stress for 2 hours. IT IS OVER! Yeah!
My family then headed to Dexter (40 mins away) for a candle lighting ceremony for Children who have died. This is a national event that strated 9 years ago. My sister and her husband founded a chapter of Compassionate Friends after the loss of their daughter 3 years ago. She always invites our whole family and this is the 3rd year that nobody except me and mine has showed up. I know that it really bothers her that the rest of the family won't attend but she hides it well. He daughter sang, people read poems and tell stories of their lost ones. It is a very emotional time, Baby girl cried for an hour. Her away message on AIM was to her cousin Savannah (the one we lost), tell her how much she is missed and how the candle ceremony brought back so many memories both good and bad. She doesn't talk about Vannah very often so it is good for her to get it off her chest once in a while. I'm proud of my baby girl for going with us, she knew that it would be hard but, unlike my dad and siblings, she went anyway...for me...for her aunt...for becca...and for Savannah.

The Finished Product

2005-12-09T05:22:00.000-08:00

I had to resort to Tinsel...the evilest of all christmas decorations...to fill up this monstrosity. My cats will have it strewn from one end of the house to the other, I will still be picking it off the curtains in July and be picking it out of the power head on my vacuum til next christmas. Merry Christmas! HO HO HO HO

The Monster TREE!

2005-12-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made a dreadful mistake, now let me tell you that I seldom make a mistake...well one that I will admit anyway, I let my hubby poo and baby girl pick out our christmas tree. Before they left the house I reminded them that I didn't want a BIG tree...just 6-8 feet...NO BIGGER.
They returned from their shopping trip, pulling into our yard with at least 3 feet of tree hanging over the hood of our vehicle...I have a GMC Envoy, a very large verhicle and there was still 3 FEET of tree hanging over the top...I couldn't believe my eyes. My six foot tree looked to be at least 12 feet but I decided to wait and see what it looked like when they brought it in the house. Hubby poo had to recruit a neighbor to help him haul the gigantic thing thru our front door, he layed it in the living room and it took up the entire floor. Hubby and baby girl were so excited that they had picked the perfect tree...I was beside myself trying to figure out how I would rearrange my living room to accommodate the monstrosity. I tried very hard not to get upset, I didn't want to dampen their, otherwise, perfect day. They cut the end off the tree and begun the task of putting into the tree stand, that was actully a size or two too small for the thing, then well all huffed and puffed and pushed and pulled and twisted and spun the tree into place. Hubby then had to get the LARGE ladder from the garage in order to put the angel on top of the tree...then the lights...then we were all to tired to do anything else. Baby girl recruted a couple of her friends this evening to finish decorating my "6 foot" christmas tree. Here are some pictures of the elves at work...
I will post a picture of the finished product if it EVER is finished!!!!

I am grateful for......

2005-12-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

I think it's time for another one of those post about the GOOD things in life...my life anyway. Here Goes;

1. My kids, they are my biggest cause of stress but also my biggest cause of joy. I love and appreciate them more with each passing day.
2. My hubby dear, he drives me absolutely crazy but I know that he'll always be here for me....thru thick and thin (both literally and figuratively)
3. My health, I am as healthy as a horse. Are horses really that healthy?
4. My sister Terri, Her strength always amazes me
5. My house, it may be dirty but it's comforting...familiar...mine
6. The sunshine, it may be scarce lately but when it peeks thru it energizes me
7. My job, I hate it somedays but others it makes me feel capable....accomplished
8. My co-workers, most of them I've known for 15 years, some of them drive me crazy but a couple have become very important to me. I know that they'd be here for me if I needed them
9. Sheri, my best friend from childhood...she will never know how happy I am to have reconnected with her
10. Julie, my newly found friend, she's been my sil for over 20 years but only recently became my friend....I am thankful for her daily, even when she's stressing me.
11. My sense of humor, without it I would never be able to make it thru the day.

That's it for me...for tonite anyway.

Say It Sunday - Better Late Then Never I Guess. STRANGE!!!!

2005-12-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

Say It Sunday

2005-12-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

Well...I really did do my Say It Sunday post this am...the phone said it posted but where to hell is it? It must have wound up on someone elses site...poor blogger....they won't know what to think.I'll just give you a quick recap....I said "hi everyone...here I am for, yet another, Say it Sunday post...the week has again flown by; how can it be that the days seem to drag but the week go by so damned quickly? Shopping trip went fine....too many people....spent too much money...but I did get alot of stuff done. Hubby decided to take my niece to the movies, Harry Potter, so he was out of my hair for a couple of hours which let me accomplish alot more then I would have with him. Had a good dinner at a new place called Texas Road House, met sister and her family there." I went on to talk about the upcoming week...."I'll be preparing for the big Erickson Party, which is at my house on Sunday, there will be 23-24 people and I am making Parmesans (venison and chicken). We got our outside lights up, while freezing to death, but they look pretty good, also decorated a bit more inside, with any luck the tree will go in on Wednesday night. Sometime during the week, in between working 40 hours, doing regular household thing, cooking every day meals, doing laundry ect. ect. ect., I'll have to find time to clean my house and do a little baking for the big event." I ended with..."well that's all I have to say for now...so til next sunday keep on blogging"...there were probably alot of ummms and yeahs mixed in too, cause I still tend to get a bit tongue tied while audio posting. It's not quite the same but this'll have to do because I can't seem to get thru on the phone lines now! Go FIGURE!

Blah Blah Blah

2005-12-02T12:40:00.000-08:00

It's been raining here for so long that I don't even remember what the sun looks like. Today it has been switching between rain and snow...dark and dismal. Oh sun of mine...where for art thow? .... Speaking of Son, good segway ha?,...mine called me just a few minutes ago just to tell me that he'd gotten a B on his social psych test. This is the first time this semester that he's shared a test grade with me...now, being the pesimist that I often am, I'm wondering if this is the best grade he's gotten...is he keeping the rest of his grades from me because they are so damned bad. Hmmmmmmm...I'll have to dwell on that for a bit. I think maybe I'll take the 'glass half full' approach and believe that all is well. Baby girl is going down tomorrow to stay the night at big guys dorm with him, they seem to be looking very forward to the visit, I think that they miss each other, especially around the holidays and, of course, baby girl will get to hang with lots of college guys and be out of 'mom's sight!' Hubby and I are headed for a shopping trip in the AM...it is time to get serious about all that christmas shopping. Most of the trip will go like this.

Me: "Hon what do you think of this?"
Hubby: tapping foot wildly and trying to look interested "Oh it's fine"
Me: "I was thinking of buying it for your daughter"
Hubby: actually looking at the leapard print, sleezy, nighty in my hands this time "NO, very funny...."
Me: "Well pay attention when I'm talking to you...I just want your advice"
Hubby: kissing up "You always know what to buy for the kids honey"
Me: thinking asshole, why did you come then "thanks honey that is so sweet"
Me: just walk away and get it done!!!!!!!!!
Hubby: head for the 'tool' department

Lunch will be good though.

Have a great week end!

WOW

2005-11-30T05:48:00.000-08:00

My children both play WOW (World of Warcraft), it is a global internet game that you play with other ‘game geeks’. You get to make a character, or several if you’d like, and work your way through these things called ‘instances’, earning ‘gold’, with which you can purchase ‘stuff’ that helps you survive longer in the game. The goal is to work from level #1 to level #60 and then, of course, you start all over again! Baby girl started playing this game about 6 months ago and very quickly became totally addicted to it for months, she laid off it a bit during the summer months but has just recently started playing again. Even with all of her playing she never stopped socializing…with REAL people, but she has always been a social butterfly.

She hooked big guy on it late this summer and, in his typical fashion, he’s thrown himself into it full force. He has now reached level 60 in a very short time frame, which means that he’s been playing way way way too much. He has gone from last years addiction to on-line poker and partying to his newest infatuation with WOW. He is a relatively introverted kid to begin with and now with this new addiction he seldom has contact with ‘real people’, you know the ones with actual DNA and stuff. Of course he does have ‘human contact’ thru his job and his classes but doesn’t do much ‘socializing’ other then that. His grades are far better then they were last semester so I’m not sure if I should be concerned about this or not. Maybe it is just his way of coping with the stresses of college…Maybe I should stop teasing about having NO life…Maybe this game will make him a better psychologist…Maybe the moon is made out of cheese.

I really do believe that kids should come with a handbook.

Say It Sunday #?

2005-11-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

Peaks and Valleys

2005-11-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

The holidays always bring many peaks and valleys for me. Since the loss of my mother and then of my niece I am never sure of what the day will bring. It starts with Mom's b'day on 11/5 and ends with the anniversary of her death on 1/18. I approach each day with aprehension, wondering how it will effect me this year. Some days go by with the ease that I crave and others trudge by with a sense of impending doom. This may sound a bit dramatic but it is the best way I can describe how I feel during this time frame. This week has been no different.

I have been able to spend some time with Sheri, my best friend from highschool, and her family. I have enjoyed it completely. We talked of our childhoods, of some pretty stupid things that we'd done, of our lives since marriage, old friends, and of time spend with my mom. We laughed and I fought tears at times and realized how much we had missed of each others lives during our time apart. I am glad that she remembers my mother with such kindness and it is good to see my life, then, thru someone elses eyes. It is becoming far to easy to forget.

Thanksgiving day was spent at brothers house with the whole family. I was glad to be with sister Terri and her family and too see how much better she is doing now then last year. We sat with all of the kids, hers and mine, and chatted about life in general. We told alot of funny stories which revolved around Savannah (niece who passed on '02), she was always the instigator, of both the good and the bad. It was nice to watch the kids eyes sparkle as the talked about her and also to see Terri's face soften with her memories of her daughter. I am so glad that we have always been close. The day was fun, but in my typical style, when the day was over and I sat alone with my thoughts, I had a complete, and total melt down. I cried quietly for hours until there were just no more tears to be shed.

Now I feel as though my soul has been cleansed and I am ready to face the world YET again. I'm sure that there will be other 'meltdowns' before the holidays are over but I'm prepared for them and will survive.

Now I must get to work decorating my house for Christmas with as much enthusiasm as I can 'fake' and prepare myself for the "big" Erickson Christmas party on the 11th. I am looking forward to spending time with Julie and her family....but the rest of it I could certainly do without. I always expect the worse from this sort of gathering and it is NEVER as bad as I've imagined....The day will go fine I'm sure but I will be glad when it is behind me.

Enough ramblings from me for today....I'm done with my little Pity Party and ready to face the DAY....

On the bright side....the sun is shining at the momment (temp is 19) and we are going to dinner with Sheri and family tonight....

Hip Hip Hooray!

2005-11-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

My computer is FIXED...I am a happy camper!

The A-Z of ME

2005-11-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

A is for age: 41
B is for booze of choice: either a Sea Breeze or Twisted anything (bitch beer, according to the big guy)
C is for career: Real Estate Secretary/office admin
D is for your dad's name: Robert, he's always been called Ralph
E is for essential items to bring to a party: An Invitation?
F is for favorite song at the moment: Lonesome Road
G is for favorite game: Spider Solitair
H is for hometown: Good old...middle of absolutely No Where...Greenville, Maine!
I is for instruments you play: Alto and tenor sax...haven't played either of them for a while though.
J is for jam or jelly you like: Raspberry
K is for kids: 1 daughter (she's 16...nearly 17) 1 son (He's 19)
L is for living arrangements: Lloyd, Bre, occassionally Dustin, Two cats adn countless dust bunnies.
M is for mom's name: Donna
N is for name of your crush: Johnny Castle....swoon
O is for overnight hospital stays: Two kids....appendix....gall bladder
P is for phobias: Abandonment
Q is for quotes you like: "Smile....it makes people wonder what you are thinking!
R is for relationship that lasted the longest: Hubby poo.....
S is for sexual preference: Male...hehehe
T is for time you wake up: Too fucking early!!!!!
U is for underwear: Hidden treasures
V is for vegetable you love: All of them
W is for weekend plans: Visiting with friends.....dinner with family
X is for x-rays you've had: Chest...they had a hard time finding it.
Y is for yummy food you make: Lasagna....parmesan's
Z is for zodiac sign: Pisces

Say It Sunday -I'm BACK!

2005-11-20T05:04:00.000-08:00

Random Thoughts For Today

2005-11-16T10:27:00.000-08:00

Today is November 16...where in hell did the month go...the year....the decade!!!!? Thanksgiving is right around the corner and then the push is on. The Holiday Season will officially be upon us. YIKES!

It snowed AGAIN last night, just a couple of inches which is already starting to melt but I know that it won't be long before the snow will be here to stay...FOREVER. It seems to bother more with each passing year. Is is because I'm getting older? hmmmmmm!

Baby girls report card will be coming home with her on Friday. I hope that it isn't as bad as I expect it to be, I really HATE having to dicipline her. She's home with the Flu and looks so vulnerable today. I hate it when my babies are not feeling well.

My roof is still not fixed!

Big guy will be home on Thanksgiving Break soon. We had a very nice visit last Saturday, thinking about it still makes me smile. I hope that his grades make me smile too.

I wish hubby poo could get rid of this aweful cough of his.

Christmas is coming too quickly! HELP ME PLEASE.

I really NEED a vacation, someplace warm and tropical.

So You Think You Know Me

2005-11-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

Take my Quiz on QuizYourFriends.com!

Poker Night

2005-11-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

My darling hubby hosts "Poker Night" in our garage every Thursday night from 7-11 and one Sunday afternoon a month. There are usually 14-18 people all sitting around a couple of tables playing Texas Hold 'Em. (I don't play...since baby girl always works on Thursdays this is the one evening that I get the computer to myself.) It is a very strange group of people. Several of them would turn and run the other way if they saw each other on the streets, they all have different political views, come from far differing financial brackets, different family situations, they do not socialize at any other time....but somehow, they get along fine while playing cards. Hubby is a very good host and a fun time is had by all.

Speaking of 'fun times' hubby has been working on Kineo this week, it is an Island on Moosehead Lake, access is via boat ONLY. We do not have a boat, therefore, hubby is dependent on the kindness of others. He has to be at the docks at 7:30 AM and Mr. X picks him up when he drops his son off to catch the school bus and brings him back to the mainland at 3:30 when he picks his son up. It's been working fine...UNTIL today, Mr. X didn't show up. Hubby called me at work around 4, don't know what he thought I could do about it, saying that nobody had shown up and that he and Glen, his employee, were the ONLY people left on the island...what to do. Of course he was royally pissed off and swearing like a parrot, not that it helped at all. He was tired, hungry, cold and most importantly afraid that he'd be late for POKER NIGHT! Rest easy though about a half hour later a guy with a barge showed and he hopped a ride back to the mainland...All is once again calm.......

With the added time at home alone...waiting for Hubby to find his way off the 'island', I made a double batch of Chocolate No Bake cookies - They came out perfect...this may seem like no big thing to most of you...but I have terrible luck with those stupid cookies...and I really DO KNOW HOW TO COOK. Anyway, I'm gonna send half of them to the big guy at school, baby girl is going down to visit him for a few hours tomorrow, I'm sure she has an alterior motive....but WHATEVER...I'm a kewl mom...I'll just go with it....LOL.

ARGH!!!!! I had all of these cutsie little pics to load into this post...but my god damned, gremlin infested, useless piece of shit, computer keeps shutting down on me!!!!!!!!!!!!! FINE BE THAT WAY.

Have a good week.

Happy Birthday Mom

2005-11-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

Today is my mother's birthday...She would have been 62...she died on January 18, 2000 from a heart attack. I had spoken to her at lunch time when she told me she wasn't feeling well and that she was just going to curl up in bed for the rest of the day. Her brother had died on 1/1/2000 and she was still realing from the loss so it was no surprise to me that she wanted to spend the day in bed. ...by dinner time she was dead. I wish that I had ended that last conversation with and I LOVE you mom. It still amazes me just how much I miss her and how often I reach for the phone to give her a call. I always shared my life with her; the good - the bad - the ugly! I miss that.
She was not the perfect person...but she was pretty damned close to being ther perfect mother, at least that is what all of my high school friends thought. My siblings and I always spend alot of time at our house with all of our friends, my mother made everyone feel welcome even the ones that she wasn't crazy about. I guess she figured that every child deserved a chance, therefore our house became the favorite hang out of my circle of friends. She always trusted me, which was not always deserved. I was allowed to go to parties because she trusted that I wouldn't do anything stupid, I was allowed to have parties at the house and often did - sometimes with her knowledge and sometimes without. She always gave me the benefit of the doubt, she beleived that I was capable of making good choices at a very young age. All this trust made it possible for me to get away with anything and I often took advantage of that. I never got in any REAL trouble but the potential was definitely there and when I think back on some of the stupid things I did it scares the shit out of me. I hope that my mother knows how sorry I am for having taken advantage of her trust and just how much that TRUST effected the person that I have become today.

Things I miss most about my mother:
Staying up late at night watching a sappy movie and crying together
Sitting in the living room indian style with a whole group of friends with my mother telling stories of her youth
SEX education talks in front of just about every boy I brought home
Trips to Bangor
HER HUG - she was the best hugger of all times
Late night discussions about 'wrong doings' that always ended with lots of tears followed by lots of hugs
Making chocolates for christmas
Sharing my children with her
The feeling of unconditional love

Happy Birthday Mom...I miss you and love you dearly

Boston or Burst!!!!

2005-11-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

The trip to Boston was a lot of fun. We started by driving 3 hours to Portland (I live in the middle of absolute no where!), from their we got on the train and headed for the big city. The Train was not exciting but since I hate to drive it was a welcome mode of transportation. Upon arriving at the train depot in Boston we hailed a cab (new to both girls, no cabs where we come from) and were deposited at the front lobby of the Mariott at Copley Square. What a beautiful hotel, we were on the 33rd floor which offered a magnificent view of the city and the harbor, it is also attached to a fairly large mall, complete with restaurants and bars and within walking distance to most everything. Here’s Baby Girl with the View behind her. We took a Trolly tour of the city during the day on Friday and spent several hours at Quincy Market just wandering and people watching. Here is a picture of Bre with the ‘kewl’ new fella she met in the square. That evening we did a Ghost and Graveyard tour which was supposed to be scary but really wasn’t…it was fun to walk around at night though…and the girls got to experience the City Toilet – being the hicks that we all are….it was quite the treat…We especially got a laugh out of the directions…first it took a quarter to use it, then you had to decide which side you wanted to enter the potty from prior to entering…then you have a time limit…”an alarm will sound after 20 minutes and then the doors will automatically open….Well after laughing so hard it hurt we all decided that we would NOT want to be the next user if someone spend their entire 20 minutes inside. Here is an interesting picture….notice the thought bubbles….finally proof that teens really to think…hmmmmm….
Sister and I went to Manopause The Musical, it was so damned funny and scary too, I strong recommend that if the opportunity ever arises that you all see it…men women children…all of you - it’s a real treat.

Say It Sunday #3

2005-10-30T04:13:00.000-08:00

Boston Bound

2005-10-27T05:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quicky post to say GOOD BYE...for the week end. We leave at 11ish today to head to Boston for the week-end. I get to play tourist...yippee! Of course being the hicks that we are it will be a huge culture shock but I think we will survive it and come back just overflowing with culture...he he he. Baby girl is sure that she is going to get mugged, I told her that if she did I'd be sure to get pics so that she can remember the momentous event, she didn't find me amusing...go figure! Well If, and that is a big IF, my cell decides to work I plan to do my audio post from Boston on Sunday. 'til then have a great one...I plan too. Can you tell I'm ready to get to hell out of here...This could be why;
SNOW

Kissing 101

2005-10-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

Kissing....One of my all time favorite pasttimes.
My first real kiss happened when I was about 14 (I know - a late bloomer) he and I were snowmobiling (coincidentally this boy was also my first 'drink' & my first 'joint', another day another post) and stopped on the trail to 'take a break', he leaned towards me every so slightly and then his lips brushed mine, gently at first and then with a bit more intensity. I remember wondering how, when it was so fucking cold out, his lips could be so wonderfully warm. This lasted for only a short time but I knew right then that Kissing was going to become a very important part of my life. I 'practiced' several more times with this boy over the next few months and proclaimed myself a Very Good Kisser.

I did NOT sleep around in high school...but I did KISS around as much as possible, it became one of my favorite hobbies. I would often rate the boys I kissed, here are a few of the standouts...both good and bad:.
One boy used to think it was a real turn on to bite my teeth...yup that's what I said, BITE my teeth - this was NOT a turn on! do Not to this gentlemen.

Then their was one who must have been able to dislocate his jaw like a snake can because his mouth would cover my entire face...note to all: If you need a wash cloth when you are done 'kissing' you are not doing it right.

Then their were the ones who were tentative, meak, unsure; sometimes these ones could be taught...sometimes they couldn't be. It was always fun trying though.

Those with BAD breath - always a turn off.

The best:
Of course my first kiss will always have a special place in my heart but in retrospect, even though at the time it was earth shattering, it was not the best kiss I've every had.

There was a boy in high school who, in my opinion, was the perfect kisser. We never really dated but we were friends...you know the kind of friends who made out whenever the opportunity presented itself. Maybe the kissing was so good because we knew each other very well and we BOTH knew that kissing was as far as it was going to go and made the very MOST of it.

The 'bad boy' in school was a very exciting kisser - different from most of the others - maybe it was the element of fear, the unknown, but whatever it was I always looked forward to a kiss from him.

An unexpected Kiss can be great too, the element of surprise can add that little extra needed to push an otherwise average kiss up a notch or two.

I really enjoyed my 'kissing around' days and one of the things that I noticed early on was that the best looking guys were not always the best kissers, in fact they usually weren't. How odd is that?

In Conclusion class....always remember this:
The perfect kiss should be intimate, should make you feel like the most special person on the planet. It should never be rushed. It should never be forced. It should always make your tummy tingle and your toes curl. . My husband is a very good kisser....I'd like to believe that I taught him everything that he knows...or that he was just a 'natural' but the truth of the matter is that he probably liked to "kiss around" just as much as I did. I was very lucky to find a man who could live up to my very high kissing standards.

This is just my opoinion and I welcome and encourage any of you to share with me your idea of the perfect kiss.

Say It Sunday #2

2005-10-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

Google ME

2005-10-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wonder what you REALLY needed? Google your name and needs together, for example: Melody needs... and see what comes up. I stole this from Sue, it's a riot. Of course with a name like "Melody" it took alot of looking to find stuff that wasn't all about music.
Here's what I found out I needed:

1) Melody needs Airplay: well I guess that this could be fun...maybe I'll play the air guitar...or air basketball...or air tennis...I'll be I could be
good at "air"

2) Melody need help with her studies: the only thing that I study right now is a cook book and the weather forecast, but I could use some help with that

3) Melody needs to be stretchable: Hmmmm...I suppose that maybe my hubby would agree with that...or maybe it's more about multi-tasking?

4) Melody needs some work and a little variation: This is part false and part true...I do NOT need any more work to do..but a little variation would be a real treat.

5) Melody needs a sturdy hero: Hey wait a minute...is google reading my blog? How did they know about My spidey-fearing, hubby hero anyway?

6) Melody needs less stress: TRUE...'nough said

7) Melody needs drug treatment: NOT...but she does need some good drugs or drinks...

8) Melody needs to be reduced considerably: Ok now...really...have they been reading my blog...Weight is ALWAYS an issue

9) Melody needs to satisfy 3 critical requirements: Yessah...now I have something to fill all those vacant minutes in my day...I shall go right to work on those critical requirements.

10) Melody needs to change things up a bit: Nope...guess that they haven't been reading my blog...if they had been they'd KNOW that I do NOT WANT OR NEED ANY MORE CHANGE IN MY LIFE!

That was kinda fun and now that I know just exactly what it is that I need I can be completely fulfilled.

melslifeinaNUTshell

WTF

Rain Rain Go Away!

It's REALLY Happening

Hello From Greenville

Graduation

End Of An Era

Five Simple Rules To Be Happy

OK...HERE GOES!

Who AM I?

First "Solo" Road Trip

I'm Still Alive And Kickin'

9 Things I Hate About Everyone

Christmas

My Favorite Things

Plus One

Just a Few Funnies

What's "Deemed" Reasonable

MEME

Remember When?

Winter is in the air

Full Circle!

Why oooohhhh WHY?

Them Bad Boys ARE GONE

OOPS...I've Done It Again!

WOW

Stop The World...I Want To GET OFF

Update

SHOP till you DROP

MEMEMEME

Whoa......Slow it down

Aging?????

Island Paradise

PITY PARTY

5 Things MEME

Words To Live By...kinda

This That & The Other Thing

Semi-Formal Week End

More Then 20 Questions

Holiday Week End

Week-end

Mother's Day

So Many Changes In A Year

I'm BAAAAACK!

STRANGE? No doubt!!!

Happy Easter

A Little BUMP In The Road

Utopia

Mother Nature

Catching UP

&&**@(@#*Uncle Sam

My MOMMY would be SOOOO Proud!

A Day In The Life....

Winter Carnival

Don't Be Offended!!!

This...That...AND The Other Thing!

SAY IT SUNDAY #......?

Success

CHANGES

American Idol

Are YOU grown up?

What To Say

I AM a New Englander

6 Years...It doesn't Seem Possible

Friends....Make The World Go Round!

Boy...Was His Face Red!

Say It Sunday...YUP I'm Back!!!!

AHHHHH...FRIDAY!

Whatever!!!

Hello My Friend Hello

Holiday Hangover

The Day After

Ha Ha Ha He He He

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

GRRRRRRRR!

Say It Sunday

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Christmas Meme

Another Sunday

The Finished Product