Thoughts and Antics

A Changed Relationship

2011-06-29T09:52:00.003-05:00

I have so many thoughts running around in my head today. I really am trying to understand what has happened to my relationship with my daughter. We use to be so close....not a day went by that we didn't talk, now I am lucky to hear from her once a week. She seems so distant.

All of this brings back memories of my own Mother. She and my father were divorced or separated for most of my life. She never remarried. Her whole life was spent with us kids....me in particular. We stayed close while my children were small. She went on vacations with us and was a big part of our lives. When my kids starting getting older, I found that I kinda resented her going on vacations with us.....I still loved her, but wanted my family to myself or something.

I have always tried to be mindful of my feelings towards my Mother, when it comes to my daughter. I know she has to find her own way in this world and I guess growing away from me is just what all children do with their parents. I really thought we had something different than most Mother's and Daughter's. There was no generation gap. We shared the same zany sense of humor. We could talk about anything and again shared so much of the same views. Now, I feel overlooked. On her list of priorities, I don't think I even make the list anymore. There are so many examples, but the most recent was yesterday. She was out of town on her birthday so I told her to pick a day when she got back that I could come over, give her her presents and do a little celebrating with her. She told me the day and I got myself ready and went over for our visit. On my arrival at 11:30 she was doing her exercises, which she does religously. As she is finishing she is telling me that she has made other plans and didn't have time to let me know. Now, in this day and age, one can text, email, or call a person in a matter of just a few seconds, but I guess it just didn't seem important enough to her. She was all in a flutter, trying to hurry and make herself ready for her excursion with her friend. I said, "guess I'll just go", "happy Birthday" and I left. No matter how you look at it.....she was RUDE! I would never do anybody like that. If I make plans with someone, that's what I do and if not I would definately let the person know my plan had changed. Dr. Phil says, you teach people how to treat you, but I did not teach my daughter to be so disrespectful.

I know she loves me....just as I loved my Mother.

Where I Am Now

2011-06-23T08:14:00.003-05:00

Here it is 2011. I am soon to be 57 and I find myself in a small....very small space of about 600 sq.ft. I know to the world looking in.....we must seem crazy, but in our quest for as much simplicity and freedom as one can have in this life, this is where we have landed.

I have no desire to live in a big house or own a new vehicle. It is the hunger for THINGS in our life that kept us like prisoners. We labored every day to maintain our American dream.....owning our home, driving nice vehicles.....keeping up with the Jones's, as they say.

I had no clue that there was any other way. It had been instilled in me since birth. I watched my Mother work every day of her short life. I think....if she could do it all over again would she do it differently? As I grow older and I see my life speeding by, like a runaway train, I know, with crystal clear certainty, that is NOT what I want. Unfortunately, we are not independently wealthy and we've not been avid savers, so we still rely on work, for now.

This little, 1 bedroom, green house holds, not only our last few pocessions, but the promise of the freedom we seek. As I see the rest of the world still laboring towards their dreams of things, I wonder WHY? In the end, when we are moments from closing our eyes for the last time, will it be a house or a car or any other THING our minds will be filled with or will it be the memories of a life that you chose to fill with all the love and adventure you could. We come into this world with nothing and leave it the same way, so why do we choose to carry that heavy load of things through out our lives?

2009

2008-12-31T08:54:00.004-06:00

A new year starts tomorrow, but it is my reflection on this one that fills my thoughts. What a grand year this has been. Wayne and I have had one of the most memorable years so far. We traveled to Hawaii, Colorado, Mississippi, lakes and about and filled our lives with some very memorable moments. With our children and family close it has made our adventures that much better. We are experiencing the freedom that we always wanted. We go and do as we please, when we please.....it's GREAT! I actually feel like an adult.....no one to answer to. I am so looking forward to 2009, though the world is in kind of a mess right now, our little world is serene and fulfilling. I want lots more travel and adventure for Wayne and I. With old age creeping up on us, we surely have to seize the moment and I for one intent to. From here on out, it is the moon and the stars in our grasp all we have to do is rein them in. 2009......HERE WE COME!!!

Election Day

2008-11-04T08:00:00.004-06:00

Today's the day
the votes are cast

Which one's gonna
fix the past

Turn out in droves
the lines are long

Must get the one
to right the wrongs

Each of us thinking
ours is best

He's the one
who'll pass our test

We think, ANY ONE'S better
than what we've had

Poor ole George W
for him, I am sad

Do you think, HE single handed
created our troubles alone

All the finger pointing
and the throwing of the stone

He's the one
with all the grief

His reign to end
is HIS relief

I anticipate a
big let down

The smiling faces
will turn to frown

The job is HUGE
and is gonna be rough

The Guy we elect
finds his tasks VERY tough

We shall see
if the one we admire

IS the one to run
our country, if not
our future's dire

The Vote

2008-10-29T10:52:00.011-05:00

The last debate now over
proved to be quite
boring and mundane

Democrats STILL for Obama
Republicans STILL for McCain

Back and forth, right and left
we have to pick out the truth
amongst the lies

The vote draws near
they scramble about
mud slinging is on the rise

I'm quite perplexed
how do I vote,do I
vote for the one who lied least

Politicians and lying
go hand and hand, it's
just the nature of the beast

Democrats blame the Republicans
for our country's woes and mess

Republicans point the finger
at the Democrats, no wrongs
for them to confess

The stubborn Donkey and
the can't forget Elephant
the two shall never mix

With Closed minds and short
sightedness, OUR country
they CANNOT fix

WHY?

2008-10-09T09:37:00.004-05:00

WHY, are there hairs
growing out of my chin

while my eyebrows
have become narrowed and thin

WHY, is my body
shaped more like a pear

more junk in my middle
that once wasn't there

WHY, is my face filled
with wrinkles and lines

to show of my age
through physical signs

WHY, when I listen
is it so hard to hear

I concentrate and try
but it still isn't clear

WHY, is my eyesight
that once was so keen

now, blurry on things
that once could be seen

WHY, do I get sleepy
in the middle of the day

like a child who's
worked hard, busy at play

WHY, do I ask why
they are common, I know

in time we ALL have them
they appear as we grow

The Debates

2008-10-08T08:36:00.004-05:00

The debates are on
Mud slinging about

They spew their lies
Our tension, it mounts

Each wanting our vote
they prepare their attack

I'll reform Government
get Wall street back on track

Finger pointing to all
To themselves, they do not

One promising change
the other, HE fought

If I really believed
They had Americans at heart

I'd give them my vote
I'd do my part

I see no difference
just politicians at work

collecting our money
then going berserk

I can't truly say
one is better than the other

Their POLITICIANS, first and foremost
second job, for one, is MOTHER

I give them no praise
In their own minds, their GREAT!

It's scary and sad
cause, our country's at stake

NO MONEY!

2008-09-30T09:01:00.009-05:00

The bailout monies
did not go through

Now, what's the Wall Street
gang gonna do

why, the CEO's will
collect their pay

Run off to the tropics
play in the sun all day

There's no accountability
none to take the fall

Except the naive Americans
somehow, to take it all

Make no mistake it's not just them
there's more to take the blame

Americans on a beer budget
but chose to drink champagne

Who would pay the mortgage
when the interest rate went higher

I guess they had magical thinking
and to themselves a liar

The house, now gone, their credit trashed
What good did any of it do

Life, now harder for all of us
biting off more than we could chew

Money Down The Drain

2008-09-25T08:07:00.011-05:00

Bail out to come,
for the Wall Street crooks,

Our hard earned money,
to fix their books;

The figure is high,
cannot be repaid,

They won't even try,
just a promise they made;

The white shirted bureaucrats,
won't feel a thing,

The American people,
to feel the sting;

How much money,
how much more can they need,

The amount just grows higher,
we can't fill their greed;

The whip lashes harder,
on ALL workers backs,

What we get for our toil,
Just higher TAX.

Politics....PHOOOEEEYYYY!!!!

2008-09-11T08:14:00.010-05:00

It makes me mad, this push and pull,
between Republicans and Democrats;

Their ALL politicians, in it for themselves,
some snakes, others, they are rats;

Sitting high above, they're placed on pedestals,
hand extended and waiting for their pay;

We've come to believe, it's a privilege,
to send our hard earned money, day after day;

It started, I thought, to run our country;
It's our lives, that it's now overtook,

Too much money, too much power, it's a magnet,
attracts the power hungry, greedy and the crooks;

Americans, open your eyes, we must WAKE UP!,
it's slipping away, each and every day;

We see it happening, but sit idly by,
NO BENEFITS FOR YOU, their gonna say;

Until the core of government is fixed,
the common man back at the reigns;

Someone who will fight, for the hard working Americans,
Shoot down the Senate, the Congress and their games;

It's gonna be the same old, same old,
no matter who they decide to elect;

Go to work, pay your taxes and get older,
Say nothing that's politically incorrect.

Tree Of Knowledge

2008-08-22T09:13:00.009-05:00

I contemplate, and think and think,
about things, I use to not know of;

The tree of knowledge, I did partake,
Now, this wisdom, I will never be rid of;

My thoughts are clear, I'm not afraid
for there's a Lord that is true to me;

He is not vengeful, holds no wrath,
It's through love, that I can see;

Man's laws and stipulations,
are what most, believe are true;

They set their goals, for MANS eyes,
To reign over all they do;

It's so ironic, I'm quite perplexed,
That the masses, have come to believe;

In the dreams of some ordinary men,
When the thought, could have been to deceive;

If one should dream and tell today,
That the Lord had spoken to him;

He'd be called a false prophet, or just plain nuts,
We would think that his lights are just dim;

It is such magical thinking,
The dreams, that they had then;

Somehow, interpreted and written down,
For eternity to rule over men.

The Fifties

2008-07-28T08:10:00.004-05:00

Seems that July is coming to and end. July has always been my favorite month, I guess from childhood cause it is my birthday month and as I got older it is the month that represents freedom to me......from school and then the anticipated vacation. Yep, people I turned 54 on the 21st. I am liking my 50's. The old body hasn't completely crapped out yet and I still have some resemblance of coherency a few moments at a time. A poem has come to mind.

At fifty four, I'm young no more,
but a child I may become;

For in my mind, thoughts float about,
and some are really dumb;

I like this age, it has it's perks,
She's old, just let her be;

Get away with most things I say,
but, DANG I cannot see;

Where are those specs,I search and search,
They're nowhere to be found;

I know they're here, I search some more,
THEY'RE HERE IN MY HAND....CONFOUND!

Disorienting and troublesome,
These things, they come my way;

Yep, the fifties, are proving to be quite great,
Now, the sixties????? I can't say

Till next time.

Beautiful Hawaii

2008-07-23T08:40:00.012-05:00

I just watched the Movie of our Hawaii trip and it really was as much fun as it looked. I can't believe how fast the days went by. The flight over and back is the only draw back to a wonderful trip. We found that smoking is a thing of the past in airports and everywhere in Hawaii. Wayne really got edgy at times. They have it set up to where you can't go outside after you've gone thru security at the airports and you don't go making problems with security. The most amazing thing is that in Hawaii even outdoor events allowed no smoking. Most all the businesses are totally open to the outside....doors and windows open,but you not only couldn't smoke after stepping outside, you had to go all the way to the street, before lighting up. I know this was troublesome for Wayne, but he did not complain once, frustration could be seen in his eyes tho.

Hawaii is the most enchanting place. You actually can live with no air coolant. It would get a little hot thru the day, but there always seemed to be a cool breeze blowing......funny, but there would almost be a nip in the air, kinda like the first cool breezes of fall. It made it so nice. After returning back to good old Texas, I have my sinuses going crazy. Nose running constantly, with a case of dry eyes on the side. I didn't have any of that in Hawaii.....I guess from all the moisture in the air. They were actually having a dry spell there. Wayne didn't get to see one waterfall. Everything was still all green and plush with blooms on most every tree and the most luscious fragrant in the air. Dan would absolutely love it there. The coolness of the breeze is right up his alley. I tell you, we don't realize just how HOT it is here until you go somewhere like that. This is fainting weather here...GEEEEZZZZ!

My hair was one thing that didn't take to the Islands. It stayed flat on my head and looked dirty all the time.....yuk, I didn't like that. I am used to that dry, fly away look.

I am still quiet jet lagged. I thought I was fine, but am finding that I am wearing out very quickly. Wayne and I went to bed at 6:00 Monday afternnon and slept the night thru, but I don't think we have gotten back on Texas time yet. Guess I'll close this for now and say, till next time.

Pulled Back In

2008-07-03T08:17:00.003-05:00

The pull towards this blog gets overwhelming at times especially when I go read other blogs. I keep trying to get out, but IT KEEPS PULLING ME BACK IN!.....hence the old movie line.

I am eager and proud to say that my last endeavor of losing weight has really come thru for me. Remember the just don't eat one....well it has proved to work. I have lost almost 15 lbs. I kept track of every morsel put in my mouth. I watched the calories instead of the fat intake and limited my calories to 1000 or less a day. I am afraid that with vacation will come the weight gain. I will try and not go crazy, but do intend to have a good time and then I guess I can go back to the stiff rigors of counting every calorie. It hasn't been extremely hard. It is just a matter of portion control and they have come out with some pretty delicious, low cal foods, even in the sweets category and I'm not talking about Jello.

The topics of today seem to be wearing me out. I tire of the political crap. To me, one politician is no better than the next. Republican.....Democrat, no matter. One can screw us as well as the other. Politician's are just like serial killers. They all have their own MO, each very distinct, but in the end, the outcomes they produce are the same.

I am trying so hard to distance myself from all the hub-bub, be it political or religious. I don't want to waste one moment of this life trying to discover or uncover the truth or meaning of this life nor who is going to be more apt at making it better......or worse. If things should worsen, it will be blamed on which ever candidate is in office and if things should begin to be somewhat better the Christian will be praising the Lord for that outcome. Christians make comments about people who had horrible things happen to them because they did not believe in God. Those same Christians cannot explain why bad things happen to the ones that do. Just last week a family leaving Church was hit by another vehicle and all of them were killed.....did they not believe deeply enough? I know, it will be said that they have gone to a better place, God called them home, but let it happen toooo, say, a gay couple and it was Gods rath that struck out against them for their sinful ways......don't ya find it pretty ironic? The same thing can happen to two different people and it is their belief that determines whether they were just called home or whether God struck them dead for their sins? It is always the judgers of this world that will answer that question.

DANG IT!!!! I didn't mean to go there. The very topics I wanted to steer clear of and that's what I write about.

I got the want to write, so I did. I wish life could be simple like it was as a child.....no burning questions nor approval or disapproval of anyone, just being glad of the sunrise, long days and moonlit nights to play in. Care free and happy, just to be. Till next time.

Still spinning

2008-06-09T08:12:00.004-05:00

I had one interested reader in my vertigo blog, so thought I would give an answer back to them.

My light headedness is STILL with me. Not near as severe as it's onset, but there all the same. My wasted trip to the hospital was just that....WASTED. They ruled out things and told me what it wasn't, but never diagnosed what it WAS. They said I might have an inner ear infection, but NEVER even looked in my ears. I was Xrayed and tested in every other capacity, but NO ONE ever even looked in my ears. I chalk it up to my own fault for going to the hospital in the first place....I should have waited and just went to a family practitioner......THEY would have looked in my EARS, nose AND throat.

In getting back home that day, I took some antibiotics that I had left over from another sinus type infection from not too long ago. They may have lost their potency, I don't know, but as I said, I still have woozy spells.

It usually happens when I hold my head back or when lying down in bed...I can feel my head start to spin. It seems to be worse when my head is more to the left or I turn on my left side in bed, it does go away in just a second. I do still intend to have my regular Dr. look into this. I am not crazy nor am I a hypochondriac, as I feel the staff at the hospital thought. All they gave me was a sedative to take, which I didn't know until I received the bill or I would have refused it.

I am healthy and feel good except for that one thing. I am inclined to think that it has to do with my sinuses, although I did take antihistamines and the antibiotics to no avail.

My suggestion to you is to go to your regular Dr. and see what's going on in your ears, nose and throat. If you are having REAL vertigo and not just dizziness that requires a more extensive look. No one should feel dizzy or have the sensation of a room spinning unless they have popped the cork off of a couple of strong ones....know what I mean?

I hope this has been helpful. When I do make my trek to my Dr., I will give a full report as to what they find and hope that it can help someone else.

Till, next time?

The End Of The Truth

2008-05-29T09:27:00.003-05:00

I have decided to take a hiatus from this blogging. I don't think people really want to know my opinion or thoughts on things. I grew up always keeping my thoughts to myself...making no one angry or upset by my words. I really thought that by expressing my views people would come to know me better. I have come to the conclusion that that is NOT the way of the world. Most, keep their inner thoughts to themselves, never allowing the outside world to know what goes on in their minds. There are good reasons for doing so, but To me, that is hypocrisy at it's best. We do it in the name of politeness. We all give up little pieces of ourselves every time we give over or act like we agree when we actually don't. My question, isn't it better to know a persons TRUE feelings rather than someone who portrays one thing, but is yet another. The TRUTH shall set you free.....AHHH! the truth, nobody really wants to hear it. Till some future date.

The Heart Wrenching Truth

2008-05-22T08:01:00.002-05:00

I HATE this topic, but once again I will stand upon my soap box and give my opinion. Trace sends me an Msnbc article titled....ONCE AGAIN, CHILDREN ARE STARVING IN ETHIOPIA. First question....when have they ever NOT been starving? It tries to make it sound like, they are just down on their luck and have had a bad harvest. I read on and the more I read the madder I got. It goes on to say that 5 MILLION receive aid EACH year whether harvests are good or not.How many HUNDREDS of years is it going to take for them to see that FARMING isn't working for them. There have been droughts there since the beginning of time, yet some 80% live off the land. On that statement I beg to differ.....They DO NOT live off the land, they live off the charitable offerings of others. It said that their Government owns the land and buys ALL crops at a fixed low rate, so you see, it is their own people, THEIR Government that starves them. Why do we not hold them accountable? WHY do the people not hold their Government accountable. Do we not fight for our rights....there comes a time you have to say ENOUGH, we won't live like this another day. They have been victims long enough. ENOUGH with the flies in the eyes and the big swollen belly's of the poor little children that did not ask to be brought into such a world. What would we say to a woman HERE in America that kept having children even tho the last one died of starvation and the one she carries will likely die too, because her situation has not changed. I have asked this question before......WHERE ARE THE MEN????? They never show them standing there with big eyes filled with flies. You know why?? Cause they wouldn't get the sympathy that the women and of course ALL THOSE CHILDREN get. It is a BIG HUGE Money making business. Even our so called NONE PROFIT charities are making a killing. Have you ever done any investigating on the FEED THE CHILDREN charity....well, I have and it astounded me, the monies that the president and vice president made, when they are suppose to be NON PROFIT, well, let me tell you they profited, taking home hundreds of thousands of dollars. Money we think is going to help starving kids. It is that way across the board of charities supposedly there to help the needy. Charities are BIG business and we all know the corruption that comes when there are millions and millions of dollars at stake. There MUST come a time that the people of Ethiopia and everywhere hold themselves accountable for their plight in this life. The starving people need to be educated in the practice of BIRTH CONTROL.....would that not help them more than anything else??? Quit having children that you cannot feed. It is so amazing to me that they are starving to death, but can still have the energy and want to have sex. What loving parent would bring a child into this world knowing their fate and be willing to watch them suffer. The do gooders of this country and elsewhere that think they are helping, are just enabling these people to continue into a life of constant need from others. The way and only way to stop WORLD hunger is to stop the procreation. Till the populace can provide for themselves this will continue to be a problem with no end. No amount of money can end it. It only allows generation after generation to inherit a life long struggle filled with agony and pain. If they so choose to keep having children, then it is they that need to provide for those children. America cannot and should not keep helping those that do not help themselves. I hold each and every human being responsible for themselves and their offspring. Nothing is ever gonna change as long as we all keep thinking that throwing money at it is the solution......actually, it is a big part of the problem. Till next time.

Another Diet

2008-05-21T07:50:00.004-05:00

I don't know what today is gonna be like , but I was quite irritated yesterday. I started a CRASH diet and I think it is already MAKING ME ANGRY! I am keeping total of the calories I eat and am only allowing myself 1000 a day. Yesterday I ended the day with only eating 755. It SUCKS!!!

My motivation is no other than...... WAYNE! Yes, my beloved is shedding pounds like you wouldn't believe. He, as you know does have his cigarettes to help curb his appetite and he gets those energizing packets to take each day. He has totally cut out breakfast and lunch and only eats dinner. He is already down 12 lbs in just a few weeks. The amazing thing to me is that he eats exactly what and how much he wants to at the dinner meal...... including, BIRTHDAY CAKE! I am so freakin envious of him.

I try so hard to lose those pounds in a healthy manner, but I can see that the good old stand by....JUST DON'T EAT!, is gonna have to come in to play this time. All the flushing, watching what I eat, exercising and I haven't lost a pound. Ok, that's it....game on....I AM GONNA LOSE SOME WEIGHT!!!

I looked up a calorie counter web site yesterday and intend to stay with it for as long as it takes. I was amazed that fruit had as many calories as it does. A medium sized banana has 100 calories.....that was my snack yesterday. I also went to a web site that helps you calculate what you should weigh according to your height, well, let me tell you, I would be a stick person if I weighed the 135 to 139 lbs that it said I should. I will be totally happy if I can get down to 150. There was a time, many years ago, that even 135 would have been over weight to me, but that body doesn't exist anymore and I don't even try and think I could get back to the weight I was in High school. That was a young girls body, for some reason the sand gets heavier as we age....or, maybe, we don't have sand as young people.

I really HATE getting caught up in the body image thing....cause that's all it is. I feel great at this weight and do whatever I want to do. My stamina doesn't seem to be affected by my extra pounds. I am like everyone else and would love to be wearing smaller sized clothes and I am going to really try hard this time to make that happen.

I'm gonna work on being happy for Wayne and give him the encouragement I would and do want from him. I think his motivation was his birthday and turning 53. He really gets caught up in the number....I say, it's just a number and ya know what???? so is our weight. Till next time

Toilet Monster

2008-05-16T07:23:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, Trace and I DID meet Granny Doll at AppleBee's. We arrived much too early, which would have been ok, had it not been for the two rounders making havoc of our big girls luncheon get together. Trace and I tried to have some grown up intelligent conversation and DID all the way there, since those two were strapped in and watching a movie. In arriving, we parked and sat in the car waiting for it to get closer to time for our meeting. Well, the boys unstrapped and started making their way all over the car and finally wound up in the front seat with us. Kan perched on Traci's lap and Mason wallowing around on mine. Hands, touching EVERYTHING.... and feet, (with tennis shoes on), trampling and stomping about on mine. They finally get interested in pushing the buttons that make the windows go up and down.....wow!, some momentary relief. Windows UP, windows down....UP....DOWN...UP...DOWN..almost up.....right back down.....OK! OK! ALREADY!!! Let's just go in. We go in and it's like the hostess lady is trying to force us into sitting at one of those HIGH tables that have like bar stools at it....well, HELLO!!! do you see these two little THREE YEAR OLDS! That ain't gonna fly. She kept acting like that was all that was available, when we could clearly see empty tables everywhere. She then said she could put us at a booth, with three on one side and two on the other, just about that time Granny Doll walked in almost miraculously the lady says...OH, I have a table and escorted us to a perfect sized table for the five of us to sit in comfort with plenty of room. I don't know what all that other stuff was, in trying to force us in a table that just wasn't fitten....It wasn't FITTEN! I want to say that anytime I have been out to eat with either one of these grandsons by themselves, it hasn't been like the 3 ring circus it was yesterday, with both of them there. They did sit and eat pretty good. Mason, requested a potty break, so knowing he is still in training on this, I grabbed him up and flew to the bathroom. Well, let me tell you....he is ascared of the TOILET! I know the industrial type toilets in there were not like at home, but I thought, come on, geez....just TEE TEE. We tried sitting, which, you would have thought the thing was gonna swallow him up or something. He kept saying NO!!! NO!!!. So, then I tried to get him to just stand and do his business.....nope, that didn't work either. I pulled his shorts back up and back to the table we go. We start back eating and I am trying to get into the conversation....when, I gotta go TEE TEE was said once again. I know, he really does need to go, but he's terror of the potty was hindering his relief. As soon as we walk in the door he gets this wide eyed, terror ridden look on his face. I was trying my best to put him at ease, telling him it was alright and Granny was right there with him and to just hurry and TEE TEE and we could get out of there, again we tried sit down, we tried stand up. Someone flushed the toilet in the other stall and he throws himself against the wall and covers his ears with his hands. He was having a total freak out. Needless to say, we went back to the table, still needing to potty. We did have a tasty lunch and we got a few conversations in, before deciding...WE BETTER GO! The boys had already finished eating and were up running about trying to climb the walls and stuff. We went out and sat on a bench for just a few minutes and it was then that Mason could hold it no more, for the first time, I had had him, since the day before, he teedled in his pants. Luckily, he had a change of clothes so it wasn't a huge catastrophe. We said our good byes and started home. Man, don't kids make every event much more memorable......some will remain for life and will be told to those two when they are grown, numerous times, I'm sure. Till next time.

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T08:46:00.003-05:00

What a glorious weekend. My Mothers Day actually started at the beginning of the week, when Katherine called and said she wanted to take me out to lunch for the up and coming Mothers Day on Sunday. We had good food with some interesting talk....a really nice time...THANKS KATHERINE!

The week flew by, on Friday Traci presented me with a Gardenia plant...I LOVE gardenia, THANKS TRACE! Saturday morning Traci and I headed to Sherman for breakfast and then to go spend the day with my Aunt's, cousins and various other family members. We had a blast as always. We cussed and discussed everything you can imagine. We tell tales that get us to laughing so hard we cry. My cousin, Sue can tell a funny story better than any stand up comic I have ever seen. We sit and eat and drink coffee, talk, laugh, eat some more, drink more coffee, laugh and laugh, till I get to feeling sick, cause I am sooooo full and laugh so hard.

There is no sweeter person in the world than my Aunt Jo. She makes you feel right at home. She has never put on aires or been uptight about ANYTHING. She always goes with the flow and has never seemed to sweat the small stuff. She is my kind of lady. She has FIVE kids, SIX grand kids, FOUR GREAT grand kids, but still so alive and vibrant, there seems to be no generation gap at all. She is truly a great person. We love the time we get to spend at her house. We didn't get on the road home until around 10:00 that night.

Sunday, Wayne and I made our way to Plano,to take his Mom out to eat. We arrived around 12:30, but decided to wait a little bit before heading to eat...hoping the crowds would be thinning. We left out at 1:30, arrived at our eatin joint at about 2:00 and there were people out the door all over the outside....EVERYWHERE!!! So, we went to plan B, which was to NOT EAT THERE! We decided to check out another one and tho it was pretty crowded, it wasn't quite as bad as the first one. It turned out to be a good choice. The food was really good, all you could eat, great service, nothing to complain about. We visited with his Mom, Dad and sister for a little bit and then made our way home.

Last, but certainly not least, My son, Dan comes knocking on our door and totally surprised me with a visit for Mother's Day.....perfect, absolutely a perfect Mother's day. He had a card for me, that he personally picked....I loved that.

I have the greatest family ever. I love them ALL so much. I am so blessed to have you all in my life. Thank you, to everyone! Till next time.

Space Case

2008-05-09T07:54:00.007-05:00

The week has been a pretty quiet one. Wayne and I had our eyes examined Tuesday, just a check up and new glasses. I have to tell you, Wayne is a real HEAD case when it comes to stuff like that....meaning, he can't seem to get use to anything new. He is always soooo indecisive about what he wants. He comes out with all this info about can't see here, without doing this and can't see there unless doing that. I think those girls think he is Cuckoo!!! The thing is....No matter what he goes with, bifocal, trifocals, he is going to pick them apart until he finally takes them off his head and doesn't wear them at all, as with his last new glasses. He let them talk him into trifocals and he HATED them and never wore them. This time, he did the exact same thing and let them talk him into a progressive lens, which is a no line bifocal....TROUBLE, BIG TROUBLE!! He always asks me my opinion and I am always straight forward and honest and say DON'T GET THAT, you will HATE it. I know those girls think....WHAT A BITCH!!! she won't let him get what he wants....OH, they just don't know, I am trying to save THEM a big headache. I have explained the no line to him a thousand times....remember, I worked putting glasses on peoples faces for 10 years and I know, SPACE CASE, when I see one. Now, as for me. I simply wanted a line bifocal....cause you get more range of vision through them. I asked to have no correction put in the top and just my reading prescription in the bottom. I see fine in the distance and know, if I ever put glasses on that have the small correction in them for my distance, my eyes will adjust to it and then when I take them off things will look blurry....right now, things look blurry to me through the glasses. I have a slight astigmatism and that's it. I usually don't spend anything except what our insurance pays for, but Wayne is a different story. He got the progressive lens which our insurance does not cover totally, so we always have to pay a pretty big co pay for his glasses. I think he should get what he wants and I don't even care that we pay extra for it, but doing that and then he not wear them makes me so mad at him. The last frame he got which was almost two years ago, he had the trifocals put in and let me say, he had THEM remade twice and STILL never wore them. He went back with the same frame so there was no extra expense there, but those lenses.....man, oh man...those lenses. Almost everyone we know wears a no line bifocal......friends and family and I know if he puts that hard head into wanting to wear them...he can. If he can just turn that crazy thinking off and just wear the darn things. It is so comical, but absolutely ridiculous at the same time. He is gonna put those glasses on, start closing one eye, then the other...looking at something close then dart up and look in the distance, alternating, one eye closed then the other, on and on, till I want to slap him off the chair. I think his MAIN problem is...he HATES wearing glasses to begin with. He tried contacts....can you guess how those went over?? The really bad thing is, he actually has already tried to wear a progressive lens before, back when he first had to have a bifocal, some 6 or 7 years ago, but he doesn't remember and I didn't either till we were on our way home...toooo late! I'll just keep my mouth shut, fingers crossed and hope for the best. Till next time.

GRAND WEEKEND!

2008-05-06T09:43:00.003-05:00

The weekend was a BLAST! It turned out to be even better than I had expected. We started it off with an out to eat brunch, Saturday morning, at THE GRAND BUFFET....Wayne's idea, but that's ok, out to eat anything is better than cooking. It was our first meal of the day and my stomach wasn't quite up for it. Wayne's shore was tho. He filled his plate 3 times.

Soon as we were totally stuffed we made our way to Winstar and arrived around 2:00. Wayne told me on the way up there that he was feeling lucky and he had his lucky rock that Trace had given him, so he was ready to go. Man!, the place was hoppin....tons of people were there already. We played and played until around midnight, if you can believe. Wayne WAS lucky and won back all our money at one point, but as with most people, we kept playing, but still walked out with almost half of what we went in there with.....so, you figure, 10 hours of fun and still walking out with money....YAHOOO!!!! BONUS!!!

We didn't get in bed until after 1:00 AM. I haven't been up that late in YEARS. We sure did have fun. Sunday morning we went and had breakfast out. We had planned one last out to eat for dinner, but Trace had called and asked if we wanted to cook out with them, so we decided spending some time with them would be more fun than out to eat alone and...IT WAS! We had pork ribs, Asparagus stuffed chicken breasts, baked beans, corn on the cob, hot bread and the most DELICIOUS cake...you just can't imagine. It was GRAND!!!

Our actual anniversary day, May 5th, was a boring old MONDAY, but that's ok cause we sure made up for it celebrating the WHOLE WEEKEND before. 35 years....WOW! and STILL having FUN!! Till next time.

35 Year Celebration

2008-05-02T08:59:00.005-05:00

I have big plans brewing for this WHOLE weekend. Wayne and I will be married 35 YEARS come Monday....yep, May 5 back in good old 1973, we stood before a preacher and exchanged vows. The day started out Sunny and warm, but by the time the I do's were made and cake had been ate, it was coming a storm. Torrential rains fell just as we are trying to hop in our ride and make our way into our new life. Little did either one of us know that 35 years later, we would still be together. A lifetime of working, raising kids and all the other monotonous moments that filled our lives have flown by, in a blink of an eye.

Now, as we settle into our midlife years and actually have the time to enjoy each other, I know, I wouldn't have changed a thing. Getting married straight out of High school is NOT something I would recommend, but in having done so, we now.....FINALLY, can enjoy the freedoms that having grown kids, at fairly young ages has brought to us. This freedom has been a LONG time in coming and we have earned every moment we spend doing exactly what we want to. Being young parents had it's advantages and I'm sure some downfalls on the parenting scales, but we were always right there with our kids and loved each moment spent with them....and still do.

It is really hard to wrap my brain around 35 YEARS....I just can't believe THAT much time has gone by. I think a celebration of this magnitude warrants a WHOLE weekend....don't you? I see lots of out to eats and maybe some playing at Winstar, maybe, a romantic rendezvous at some nice hotel.....ok, I know I am dreaming. I AM married to the MOST UNromantic man, well maybe, the second most. His Dad, I think wins the gold star in UNromantic, but the nut didn't fall far from the tree. I am going to try my best to make it a joyful weekend for the both of us and I must say, in his older years he is at least TRYING to be more romantic, I guess I can't ask for more than that. Till next time.

TOXIC WATER

2008-05-01T08:34:00.007-05:00

I've not been my ole bubbly self this week....can't put my finger on what's wrong. It may be, from being around Trace, who is, as she said PMS'ing.I actually slept until 8:00 this morning....I couldn't believe it! I have been having these real crazy dreams too. Anywho, in arising this morning, I went in and turned my coffee on and while waiting for it, I decided to fill our new water purifier thing back up. We just got it last weekend. We are trying to do our part of going GREEN, so instead of all the water bottles, we decided to just reuse them with clean clear water from our counter top dispenser.

Well, let's go back to yesterday. RB was having lunch with us and I had my good old reused water bottle sitting there. RB calls my attention to some microscopic particles floating about in my water. I lift my bottle to the light and sure enough there is some CRAP swirling around in my water....GOOD GRIEF!!I didn't think much of it really....just thought, OH WELL, that's just from the dispenser thing being new and some mi-nute particles didn't get rinsed out of it.

Now, fast forward to this morning. I decided to rinse the reservoir, put some water in it and swirled it about. I looked into the small opening....what did I see???? A piece of something rolling around....WHAT THE HECK!!! I took the whole top part of the thing off and found the reason I had particles floating in my water. I am going to clear my name of this right up front, WAYNE put that baby together, but evidentally never even opened the thing up and surely did not read the instructions, for if he had.....the instructions would be in a drawer some place and NOT IN THE RESERVOIR!!! Yep, there floating about is the instructions and right where it should be, is the filter, only thing is.....IT AIN"T OPEN!!! So, there sits the totally wrapped up filter, with the instructions floating close beside it........WONDERFUL!!! I wonder how many toxins we have drank since Sunday?? OH! GOOD! GRIEF! Men and their hang ups with instructions. I know that some how or another, this will be my fault, when I tell him what I found this morning. I do remember him asking about a filter and I did tell him the first one comes with it....didn't know I needed to tell him to OPEN IT! After putting the whole episode together, I have to laugh.....GOOFY, JUST PLAIN GOOFY!!Till next time.

A Painful Mow

2008-04-25T08:00:00.009-05:00

I am up this Friday morning getting ready to take Baxter to the groomers.....he is a MESS!!!!and STINKS!!!, I told you he is a very stinky little dog. He still does a lot of scratching....allergy's, I guess. As for our other GIANT dog, Gus....he is fine, still have to keep him fenced, cause other wise he would run amuck. His area is about 20' by 20', it has big trees in it so he is always shaded and it is really a nice home, accept when we let the grass grow so high in there you couldn't even see him when he was laying down. I got my trusty little red mower and preceded to get that crap cut down to size. With all the tree debris, I first had to do a lot of picking up sticks. There were also rocks and stuff that my little mower would not have liked.....so, after doing my walk through, I began. OMG!!!! It was AWFUL!! I had to walk very slowly as to not choke my mower to the dying stage, even in doing that, it did die on me a couple of times. I pushed and fought through the jungle for over an hour, remember, I said this area is only 20X20 or so. To make matters worse it was hot and muggy that day....just what a menopausal, hot flashing woman needs to be out in and working no less. I was miserable. I did get it conquered and was quite proud of the results. That night came the after shock of my days labor. My right leg started hurting through the night. It wasn't a muscle cramp nor the joint of my knee, but just a deep pain that would kinda start out mild, then ravage into a throbbing pain. I would try and massage it, but couldn't tell that I was ever doing any good....well, I got up took an IBUPROFEN, which helped some and I did get to sleep after that, but this crazy pain lasted for days, all the time I am taking pain pills to ease it, finally, Trace and I got to take our walk yesterday afternoon.....by the time we got back home, the pain was gone and I had no pain through the night last night. Is that not the weirdest thing ever. I know it was the use of that leg in my mowing endeavor that brought on that episode, but who would have thunk that further use of that leg would be the thing to make the pain go away. The other very painful outcome of my taming of the yard was a blister the size of Rhode Island....and that was with gloves on. These aging bodies are really unpredictable. Ya never know exactly what is gonna make them crap out on you. I haven't used my mowing muscles since moving. I guess, I need to get the old bod broke in again. I'm not done yet old girl so just prepare yourself.... Till next time.

No No Wally

2008-04-24T07:56:00.007-05:00

I am going to try and catch you up on some of the things going on in my life right now. Starting a few weeks ago, I decided to boycott Walmart.....yes my beloved Walmart, that I was at, at least once a week. Through stories from Traci and other things I have read, I learned that Wally was being unfair to his workers by cutting hours to the point that they were not eligible for any benefits. I know, you have gone to checkout and though there are 20 check stands that line the front of the store, there are only 4 or 5 that are manned with a real person. You also have the choice of checking YOURSELF out.....didn't ya ever think, WHY are there soooo many check stands, but most are not open??? Tell me, why anyone would want to check themselves out? I have always said, if they gave a 10% discount for doing your own checking, I might be interested, but the fact is THEY DON'T and not only that, every time you do it yourself you are eliminating SOMEONES JOB!!!That is how they are ridding themselves of workers and the cost of having them....again, if they were giving that savings to their customers, I might think, ok, I can go along with this to save some money, but PEOPLE!!!, all they are doing is getting RICHER and RICHER. I used to love that all Walmart carried was American made, not true anymore and hasn't been for sometime now. I just knew, I had to take a stand, don't give them our hard earned money. I do my grocery buying, mostly at Brookshire now. I know I spend a little more by doing so, but if everyone would care how we are being treated and do that, GIVE BACK thing in our own communities, support the Mom and Pop stores these big corporations would have to do better. Now, if and when Wally decides to change some of these policies and once again it is a good American company to work for and shop at, I will return with my money to spend.
Now, having said all that, long before this Walmart thing, I had stopped going to McDonalds. When I heard that their beef was coming from HONDUROUS or someplace, I thought HECK NO!!! Why, would you get meat from another country when you live in the cattle capitol of the world? Unfortunately, I know the answer to that......MONEY!!!I swear, doesn't anyone care about quality and patronage of our own country's products?? GEEZZZ!!! that's why we have all this crap sent over from China and anywhere else they can get it made cheaper than here. We are giving America away each and every day. Foreigner's own so much of American companies and the ones still owned by Americans are using foreign countries and their workers to assemble our products. Ok, that's my, STAND BY AMERICANS, story for the day. Hey, I'm with all this green stuff, but the losing of America IS the losing of the WORLD as we know it. Till next time.

The Great American Insult

2008-04-20T11:33:00.007-05:00

The Chinese are insulted,
We don't like their junk;

It's full of lead and poisons,
The quality just stunk;

Think Americans should want it,
Think anybody should;

Ship that crap, to somewhere else,
We really wish you would;

It's cheap and non essential,
We'd never miss a piece;

Junk America can do without,
Less toxins to release;

Just because it's made cheaper,
then to us it is shipped;

We stop buying all that crap,
One less way, we get ripped.

My Blog

2008-04-18T08:08:00.004-05:00

Oh, What a beautiful morning,
Oh, What a beautiful day;

Sitting here at my computer,
Thinking of something to say;

My being is happy and joyful,
There will be no outbursts of rants;

I am full of, YES I can do it,
No voices that tell me I can't;

So glad a goodwill demeanor,
In me, is alive and is well;

I use this blog, to expel it,
Good thoughts and good wishes, to tell;

Until the next time of my bidding,
I close with a farewell to thee;

Can't say what the next blog will bring us,
It's a mystery, to you... and to me.

Kids

2008-04-17T08:05:00.004-05:00

Today, I start out with blissful happy thoughts. Today, my grandson Mason is coming over to spend the day. I haven't seen him in a few days and I miss him. He is quite the character. He is still small and does a lot of yammering, three year old yammering. Most times, I haven't a clue to what he is talking about. When I do get what he is saying, it is usually something quite funny and he DOES make me laugh. He can be quite the stinker when he gets tired or doesn't feel good....the same can be said for my other 3 year old grandson, Kannon. Think of two, 3 year olds, now that'll turn your hair gray. I do enjoy them and as I have said each one of my 4 grandsons are very special to me. They are all characters in their own right. I haven't yet announced that we are expecting our 5th grandchild in October. I wait in great expectation!!! I LOVE babies. This one comes to my Son and his wife....Mason's folks, yep, Mason will no longer be an only child. He doesn't quite get it yet...as I said, he's only three. I know there is nothing like having a sibling, through the rivalry and all, there is a special connection, a bond that only brothers and sisters share. I am so glad Mason will experience that feeling. I go and prepare for my day. Hope you have a good one too. Till next time.

Business Matters

2008-04-16T08:27:00.009-05:00

Hellooooo and Good morning! You think I must be in a better mood this morn.....NOT SO!!! As usual I have already had a complication from my Mortgage company, that I was soooo certain was taken care of. It starts out by our Insurance company NOT cancelling a policy before another was taken out, in which, made our escrow lacking in funds and we were notified that there was a shortage and our Mortgage payment WOULD be going up. I immediately get on the phone to our Insurance company, cause I see on the analysis that TWO, mind you TWO insurance policies were on our house. They totally admit dropping the ball and would get the other policy canceled and get a rebate check to us ASAP. Now, the statement I received from the Mortgage company CLEARLY stated that we had until MAY 1st to get the shortage paid and keep our payment from going up and as a matter of fact it will be lower because of a lower insurance premium. I get up this morning and a draft has come out of our account for the HIGHER payment.....MY HEAD ALMOST BLOWS OFF!!!!! I immediately get on the phone and ask WHAT THE #$@#@$?????? I was informed that though the statement said the payment would go up May 1st, because we have it electronically drafted out of our bank account the payment is made a month in advance.......well, no one bothered to write that on their Summary and as a matter of fact, the stupid payment had already gone up BEFORE we even received the notice saying it was gonna. I just LOVE the service you get from these MULTI MILLION dollar Corporations. They tolerate no jack assing from you, but let them totally screw up and it's OH WELL, with no compensation or apology for their actions or lack there of. I had just got my head cooled off from all the paperwork from last week, taxes and the insurance crap.....now, I am gonna have to start all over again. I really don't like even thinking of business matters or politics and try not to as much as possible. I am quite the easy going, fun loving person when not ruffled by acts of ignorance by companies, I unfortunately do business with or delve into the political arena and think of all the misuse of our hard earned money by the government and so, I'll think no more on those subjects and say till next time.

Watch Out! Opinion's Ahead

2008-04-15T08:41:00.004-05:00

There is so much going on in the world right now, to which, I have an opinion, I don't know which one to start with. I guess I will go with this presidential election....for which, I say, PHOOOOEEYYYY!!!!! They are all nuts! It is so easy to get up there and say the exact things, they know, the American people are concerned about. When in reality, probably NOTHING will get changed, except for maybe, some NEW form of Taxing us. Ya know, money is the fix all......if they could just get us workers to put more in the pot.....HECK! they could..... END world hunger, house the homeless, educate the illiterate, save the world from GLOBAL WARMING.....why, there would be nothing they couldn't accomplish....if we would just COOPERATE! For just a few cents a day the worries of the world could get fixed.......HA!!! are they kidding me!!! Now, speaking of money, brings me my next form of torture and that is ALL THIS GIVING!!!! Aren't we GREAT people.....we GIVE and GIVE and GIVE....yet ABSOLUTELY NOTHING really changes, but we LOVE for everyone to know just how much we GIVE. YOU DANGED IDIOTS!!!!! AMERICANS are losing their homes, jobs, SANITY!!!, but yet NO ONE is putting on a show for them, no one is standing up and saying....WE GOTTA HELP THESE PEOPLE!!!! Let's have a SAVE THE HOMES drive.....if everyone would contribute, just what you can, think how many homes can be saved. America and Americans are going down the tubes, but we are so desperately trying to help everyone else, we are the ones being forgotten. There are Americans trying to live on Social Security and it is a struggle, now mind you, these are folks that worked all their adult lives and paid and paid and paid into our wonderful government and now they get to live below the poverty level....when we have our government aid going out to people that have never contributed a dime. To give OUR Social Security to those that DO NOT deserve it, is a crime against tax paying Americans. What other country would take better care of foreigners and other undeserving leeches, with grants and loans and even our hard earned Social Security monies, supposedly set aside for us that worked and put into it. I don't know....there is something wrong with this picture. I think we have all gone deaf, dumb and blind. I just sent off our taxes to which we paid in more this year than every before. There were no earned income credits for us.....nope, we just work our butts off all year, why would we think we might get some money back or just break even. I don't know how it got to be, that the less you do the more you are rewarded. This stupid rebate or whatever you want to call it that we are suppose to be sooo grateful for, I would like to stick up the IRS's @#!@#. Does anyone get that in so many instances we have taxation without representation. Think of all the people that don't and have never had children yet they pay school taxes....why is that....how are they represented???? I agree with my daughter, we ARE becoming more and more a dictatorship. My angst isn't at the rich of this country....not anymore, at least they are out there pulling their weight, paying their taxes....it is all these do nothings that are sapping up the money meant for hard working Americans. How did it ever come to be that one person could sap off the sweat of anothers brow??? I've made my opinion quite clear. If everyone would just stop and think. Expect MORE from your fellow man, as in PULL YOUR OWN WEIGHT! Life wouldn't be so hard on any of us. Till next time.

Get Ready

2008-04-11T08:12:00.004-05:00

Into this life, we set our course,
but mostly stumble through;

Have no idea what tomorrow brings,
Things change, they always do;

Just when you think you understand,
Life shows you that you don't;

Prepare yourself, as best you can,
Though, most of us just won't;

The unknown comes, that we must face,
Whether ready, scared or brave;

For all of us, the day will come,
It's him, who will, us save.

April 2 Blog

2008-04-08T08:09:00.003-05:00

I just, today posted my April 2 blog. Check it out. I debated whether I wanted to post it or not and decided, that is how I feel and to say otherwise would be hypocritical and I'm not ashamed to express my view. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Till next time.

Camping Trip

2008-04-07T08:12:00.005-05:00

We went a camping,
a camping we did go;

packed the trucks with all the things,
you have to have, ya know;

We went up into Arkansas,
the terrain was mighty tuff;

We pitched our tents and made a fire,
but the sleeping, it was rough;

The wind blew hard and it was cold,
the night, it had no end;

Till finally sunbeams thru the trees,
warmth from them, they did send;

The day was spent, quite joyful,
we looked and hiked about;

We grubbed out on the daily meals,
we ate too much, no doubt;

The second night was really nice,
but the potty trips were scary;

into the dark, bare butt exposed,
it really was quite airy;

two days pass, bathe, we did not,
our hygiene, it was lacking;

Sunday morn, cold weather back,
yep, we started packing;

All and all, it was fun,
some times, were quite rough;

So,at the end of our camping trip,
we agreed, we had had enough;

We'll probably go again sometime,
after we forget how hard it was;

It's definitely something different,
and we do it, just because.

WWJD

2008-04-02T08:23:00.004-05:00

Why is it, that a Preacher can,
use a city to make a stand;

But, in no way can the city be used,
for others, who have different views;

I ponder this and wonder why,
Why is he such a bias guy;

To use a church in a political way,
seems, bureaucracy has come in to play;

Suppose to separate church and state,
more like, church and God, is my debate;

To judge, I thought it was a sin,
where did acceptance go and intolerance begin;

A preacher sues, what does that teach,
followers, who listen to him preach;

Throwing stones, is alive and well,
while hidding behind a Christian vail;

A Christian act, I ask you?
I ask, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

Visiting And Working

2008-03-31T08:02:00.003-05:00

Oh my, I must say, the weekend went by very quickly and is nothing ,but a blur. We were up early Saturday morning. Wayne and Dan were doing some electrical repair at Wayne's sister's house. Katherine, Mason and I went to spend the day with Wayne's Mom. We arrived and she hadn't even had her toast yet,she was sipping on a cup of coffee, sitting in the living room. She has had some severe back pain for sometime now.....just watching her trying to make it to the kitchen and then stand to make her toast was just about all I could stand. She moans in pain with each step. Her Dr. has told her there is nothing more he can do for her, so, pain killers are her only defense. I just wanted her to get her toast ate so she could take a pill and get some relief. I hate that she spends most of her waking hours hurting, as does Wayne's Dad. He was up and headed over to see what the guys were doing and get his cane poked in for his two cents. We sat and talked, while Katherine napped and Mason played. Katherine had worked late the night before and rose much too early. We were there till late in the afternoon. Sunday was another working day for us....man was it HOT! The air was so thick and sticky. We went to do our weekly clean at the shop, missing last week , that place was a mess! We made a quick stop by Wally's to get some lunch fixens and find us a blow up mattress for our camping trip this next weekend. After getting home and having some lunch we got out and hooked up the RV to move it to the front, cause we have decided to sell it. The way gas prices are and just having a new plan for our future has ignited a new game plan. I intend to get it cleaned up and ready for display. We called it a day after moving it and stayed in the rest of the day. Wayne immediately fell asleep on the couch and I watched movies in the bedroom. He finally woke up about 7:30 or so and watched the end of a movie with me, then we were off to bed. That's it for our weekend, so I will say, till next time. Exciting stuff....HUH!!!

Boiling Blood

2008-03-27T08:04:00.006-05:00

Hey There! I have gotten intrigued with my TV shows....all reality ones. There's AMERICAN IDOL, DANCING WITH THE STARS and SURVIVOR. I didn't think I was gonna like the people chose to dance this time, but ya know what??? I am really enjoying them. Though I think Pricilla Presely had one too many face jobs and looks quite weird when she smiles, I give her kudos for getting out there for the world to see. She is really quite a good dancer. Now, Idol has been really interesting, but they are starting to advertise "Idol Gives Back" which makes my blood start boiling. Look back through my posts and you will find, my rant and rave over this topic. They raised 75 MILLION dollars last time, but it seems, go figure, that these problems are still there. They always make it sound like that just a little change can feed a child, but for some reason 75 million doesn't get the job done.....so here they go again. Idol gives back.....HELLL FIRE!!!! Idol gives what they can get the American people and American corporations to donate to them. Oh, I am sure that for publicity purposes they will dig deep to offer up some minute figure, of that wealth that the show has brought in. Ya know, when you have thrown money at a problem for decades and the problem still exists, ya got to think......THIS AIN"T WORKIN!!!!! I am all for helping people and getting them back on their feet, but then they have to stand on their own and take responsibility for them selves. I love this adage....as long as the training wheels are on, you will never learn to ride the bicycle. Haven't we been the training wheels long enough? I know, I come off hard hearted, as I did last time, but I say what I know, most Americans feel. We really aren't doing these people any favors....it's just like the grown kid that doesn't want to leave the nest.....WHY WOULD HE???? He is being taken care of and doesn't have to do a thing. NO one in America should be starving.....that's why we have food stamps, Lone Star Cards and soup kitchens. What more do we need to do.....go shopping, bring the food home and cook it, then deliver to them ourselves. Come on people....get a grip! The African situation is more complex, but there again, we have tried to help for DECADES and though things may be somewhat better for some, the problem will never be solved unless the money is used to cultivate their lands and bring in some form of irrigation so they can start growing their own crops and start working towards a better future for their children. There again, they have to be willing to take the training wheels off and ride that bike by themselves, once they have been steadied and heading in the right direction. I do hope that some money has been put towards a new levee in New Orleans and that all this rebuilding is for not. New houses and businesses are just a temporary fix if something wasn't done about the LEVEES. Ya can't live in a desert and ya can't think your safe living in a place that is below sea level....HELLLOOOO!!!!Heck, we might as well relocate ALL of these people, it might just be cost effective in the long run. As for Survivor, they have really got some bird brains on this time. They vote off the strong helpful ones and keep the weak do nothings...what are they thinking??? I have just about had it with the ones that get lucky enough to be chosen to be on survivor and then decide they can't hack it and want to go home. I know I couldn't and wouldn't want to be away from my family that long and under those conditions.... especially under those conditions....what did they think it was gonna be like....a luxury vacation? Then there is poor Jonathan, crying cause he had to leave....sad, just sad. Well, that's my take on my beloved shows. Till next time.

Easter Frolics

2008-03-24T08:01:00.005-05:00

We had one absolutely terrific Easter. We decided to celebrate on Saturday since the weather was so nice. We had heard of colder and maybe wet weather coming in for Easter Sunday. The guys had been cleaning up the yard....mowing and gathering leaves and sticks on Friday so we got us a little campfire going, gathered some chairs around and sat and talked and laughed. The ole Easter bunny had previously hid some eggs for the little un's to find. They had the BEST time ever.....ya know the hunting of those silly eggs is the funnest part, to HECK with the candy and diddies.
We had a ROARING campfire going.....heck, even the neighbors came moseying up to join in on the antics. We decided to not let the fire go without roasting some wienies and marshmallows.....so Katherine made a mad dash to the store for HOT DOGS, BUNS, and MARSHMALLOWS.....boy! did we grub out when she got back. It was like a three ring circus with everyone talking at once.....I need the wienies, where's the buns, who's got the mustard.....DANG! this fire is hot....WATCH THOSE KIDS!!!! It was a real blast. All that night air and smoke and laughter got Dan to hankerin for a CAMPING TRIP!!!so with just a little discussion and coming up with a date we have made our plans to go camping up in Arkansas in a week or two.I LUUUUVVVV TO GO!!! doesn't matter who's going where, I wanna GO! We have decided to Tent it....yep, no RV as a matter of fact, where we're going there's nothing.....I mean NOTHING! No water, electricity....just you and nature. I know it will be a blast.....I CAN'T WAIT! What a glorious weekend....guess that's it. Till next time

15 DAY WEIGHT LOSS

2008-03-21T08:51:00.003-05:00

I am on a never ending quest trying to shed some of these pounds hanging on to my mid section. Do you know that I can't even bring my knees all the way to my chest because long before I reach my chest, my thighs are obstructed by a large roll of flubber........geez, I can remember being able to fold up like an accordion. My biggest peeve, is that I can't sit on my ankles anymore....ya know, down on the floor, legs folded underneath you and buttocks resting on your heels......MY dang left knee won't bend enough so that I can sit flat on that side......These are the things that I really hate about getting older and the thing is, they creep up on you slowly and unnoticed until that moment you want to sit on your freakin heels and cannot. I think, when the crap did that happen???? My ability to do such a simple thing..... the roll around the middle, I have noticed for some time now, always knowing I ain't gonna be pulling my legs up to my chest. It's kinda like being about 5 to 7 month pregnant, ya know that little belly sticking out just enough to inhibit some of your wantings to sit a certain way? Well, my newest weight loss plan has come from the Natural store. They are pills that resemble molded grass and smell like a blend of all kinds of herbs. This is called the 15 day weight loss CLEANSE & FLUSH. Now, if that doesn't sound intriguing and make you want to say....HEY!!! I WANNA DO THAT!! I don't know what would. I love the thought of being CLEANSED and my body FLUSHED.....I am a neat freak, ya know. My inner house has always had a problem with digested garbage getting stuck on my floors and walls....HEEE, HEEE, HEEE....get my meaning? Ya know, the old poop story. I have always been jealous of Wayne....dang him! He can be going to the bathroom before he can get his last bite of food swallowed. He'll go at night and then again in the morning.....there I would be, wishing I could go at least twice or better yet three times a week. AWWWW, the free feeling of being CLEANSED and FLUSHED. I think I am still in the cleansing stage, this is just my 3rd day. We shall see if their promise of a flatter belly really happens. I don't usually buy in to that product hype stuff, but I do have wishful thinking. HEY GOTTA GO!!!! I have a CLEANSING A CALLING!!! Till next time.

Spring Day

2008-03-15T10:36:00.005-05:00

I love this day with all it brings; To my sight and touch, to my heart, it sings. The sunny day, warmth of the sun; To smell a flower, it's life, just begun. Clouds, soft and white, go floating by, to bring about a clear blue sky. The wind it whispers through the trees, to catch and blow about the leaves. The grass so green, cool to the feet; I sit and feel the moments fleet. A bird it sings up in a tree, the song it sings so blissfully; The stillness comes from deep within, the quiet calm, I know will end; I soak it up, bask in it all; The glories of the day, I saw.

My Ego At Play

2008-03-14T08:08:00.004-05:00

Yesterday didn't turn out quite as warm and pretty as I had thought.....it stayed cloudy and very windy all day, despite this Trace and I took Kan and Mason to the park. They had the best time. They ran, climbed, jumped, and jabbered to each other as only they can. Most times we don't have a clue as to what they are saying, but they seem to understand each other with ease.
Trace and I have been in deep conversation about the Eckart Tolle book. I am almost to chapter 4 and as I am sure you know, Trace has finished it and even gone back thru a couple of times. I understand and get some of his thoughts and ideas, but then there are some that I don't agree with. I have trouble with ME, not really being me, but I...is who I AM. I know there is a deep inner self that we, ourselves only know. That thinking and the voice that is our thoughts, I believe IS us, not some egoistic thing that comes out of us to leach on to forms. God made our brains and made each of us individuals with our own personalities and ideas. I get that each of us has an inner connection. In the deep core of us all, we are the same, but to say that all forms around us are nothing, but gatherings of our egos seems to take all importance away...even from life itself. I guess if we could all just go frolic thru the meadows picking unlabeled things and gazing at....what I call a tree, we could easily go to that mystic and idealistic place that Tolle seems to have permanent residence in. I would be the first to say....stop and smell the roses along lifes path and live each day to the fullest and don't be tied down to materialistic things. I have voiced my opinion on THINGS, long before Tolle's reading. He diminishes LOVE to nothing, but a power to rule over someone else. That's not what LOVE is to me. Anyway, I don't want to come off like him....that I have some greater understanding of life and its meaning......that I have figured out the answers to questions that have been asked since time began. I just know, that I have to be true to ME or I or myself.....HECK!!!! all three of us. I know that God knows my true feelings so I might as well stick with what feels true and right in my heart cause that's the bottom line.....HE knows and that's all that matters. I am still reading the book and hope to gain more insight into the psyche of people. I have no fear of being swayed in my beliefs and am always open to the ideas and thoughts of others. Some of his words hold a lot of truth and can be very insightful. I do wonder how a person can take on the magnitude of such a profound topic and feel confidant enough with their interpretation that they would share it with the world and not at least "LABEL" his thoughts, as I think.....but then, that would be HIS ego....right? Till next time

A Day To Savor

2008-03-13T07:53:00.003-05:00

I am up this morning and finally back on my regular schedule....since the time change I was having a hard time going to bed at normal time and not getting up till almost 8:30. This just didn't feel right to me. In awakening this morning it was still dark looking which fools my mind into thinking it's still early, when I look at the clock I see that it is after 7:00.....time to get up!
Yesterday, did turn out to be an absolute beautiful day. I had some errands to run....bank, Wally's, stuff like that. Trace and Kan road with me. We got back home right at lunch time, filled our belly's and decided to make a run to Grapevine to fuel up Traci's car. It was such a nice ride. I hate to say we didn't really do much out in the sunshine....didn't even go for our walk, but it was an enjoyable day none the less. Today, I am going over to pick up Mason so he can spend the day with me. The weather looks to be gorgeous again, I am hoping we can have some fun outdoors. He loves coming over and always is excited to play with Kan. Kan, kinda relishes in his new found power and likes to come and then go making Mason very upset.I always tell Mason that he will be right back, but that doesn't seem to soothe him any. He just hasn't gotten it yet. Being the only child with no other kids to play with makes being around Traci's three sooo exciting to him. He usually gets into a giggling state and anything Kan does just cracks him up.
I am going to get up and get going......I don't want to waste one moment of this day. I intent to savor every moment.Good health and light loads....till next time.

Has Spring Sprung?

2008-03-12T08:25:00.003-05:00

Looks like it's going to be a gorgeous Texas day. The temp is suppose to be close to 80 today....YAHOOOOO!!! I am so ready for Spring. Wayne and I went and played at Winstar over the weekend. I always have so much fun there. No thoughts of anything just doin my thing and watching the other people doin theirs......I love it. Saturday night Mason came and spent the night with Pa Pa and me. He must have had a busy day cause he fell asleep by 7:30 and slept all the way till almost 9:00 the next morning. We all went and did some last minute moving out of stuff at Traci and RB old house. There was just a small amount of staging stuff. Dan took the old trampoline to restore for Mason and with one quick trip back to load the swing set we finished up. That's about it folks. I am still kinda in a fog when it comes to my writing. Lots of thoughts up there but seems the river has been damned up. Anyway, just thought I would jot down a hello and a few tid bits. I am gonna go and start planning some great adventure for this beautiful day. Till next time.

The Flow Is Blocked

2008-03-05T09:12:00.005-06:00

>
I still can't seem to get back to wanting to write.

My mind is blank,
what can I say;
I'll have to blog,
another day;
I'll be back,
I know I will;
This writers block,
is there until;
So, till the words,
can flow, once more;
Out of my brain,
with ease, can pour;
Till next time,
I'll say ado;
Till the words, you seek,
are there for you.

Our Thoughts

2008-02-29T09:50:00.003-06:00

Ah!!!! That daughter of mine......she is the deepest thinker. She does come from a long line of mind provoking women. Though, the book Oprah is promoting right now is an eye opener to a lot of people, I can't say....OH MY GOSH!!! My life's been changed. All the things it says somewhere in my soul, I have already felt and believed. I'm not saying I am more enlightened than other people, but I have taken each experience of this life and embraced it. I have always tried to find the lesson to learn from each one. Some are harder to find than others. If we all put more thought into our actions, just think of all the negativity that would end. In really thinking about what we say and do and how it is going to affect someone else we could eliminate a lot of conflicts. It is our thoughts that can bring about our true selves and help us live the kind of lives we really want. We hide behind masks, always afraid to be our true selves. My first thought comes to what Traci and I talked about yesterday, how we are all so ate up with what everyone else thinks of us....what we say, wear, drive, where we live.....who are we trying to impress? Why do we spend our lives comparing ourselves to each other....always trying to look better, have more....I just don't get it!!! I just want to live, get joy from each God given day. So much emphasis is put on money and the THINGS it can buy us. Sometimes, I feel like, I would like to shed myself of all my worldly possessions, just go back to being totally free or least as free as you can be in this adult life. I know, it is not possessions that make me happy. I have serenity and joy from each sunrise and sunset..... the breath of life breathed through all the hours in between and living in the moment. That's my thought for the day......Live in the moment, each one is a precious part of our lives. Till next time.

It Could Be Coming In The Wind

2008-02-28T09:34:00.002-06:00

I am here....just absorbed into my everyday life. My blog site has made me upset and I am kinda rebelling against it....it won't do the way I want it to. I had patients in the beginning, but it has been months now and I am still having issues with it. Anyway, I think I am having a dry spell and can't or don't want to pick my brain with new or funny goings on in my life right now. I am feeling really well, but still have a swimmy head at times. I am eating healthy and Trace and I walk almost everyday......that always makes me feel better. My mind is filled with all the foreclosures going on.....I just keep thinking....there's got to be some big bucks in it for me and Wayne, somewhere. This just might be our payoff for establishing and keeping good credit all these years. I hate to be the vulture circling the dead and dieing, but someone is going to profit off the misfortunes of these ill advised mortgages. I feel it might as well be us. We are long overdue. I am keeping an open mind and my thoughts are optimistic......I see good things on the horizon for Wayne and I.....I just don't know the packaging it is arriving in. I am staying open to all avenues. It could come with the next blowing of the wind........so subtly, I will have to be very vigilant, eyes and ears open..... I wait in anticipation. Till next time

My Life

2008-02-21T07:31:00.008-06:00

To describe my life,
with just one word;

Would be impossible,
would be absurd;

So many joys,
I've had to date;

So very much more,
to contemplate;

There's been sorrows,
filled with pain;

Growth and
lessons,
there to gain;

With each day,
I am in awe;

Through these eyes,
the beauty, saw;

When looking
back,
on childhood days;

My journey, just starting,
my path,
a maze;

To know the right turns,
the forks, to take;

Were my decisions,
my choice to make;

My travels
through,
this life of mine;

I feel have been,
a test in
time;

Don't know the answers,
but, true to heart;

I will always stay,
till I depart.

Taboo Talk

2008-02-20T07:49:00.003-06:00

I awoke this morning feeling pretty refreshed. I took a Benedrel and an Advil just before going to sleep last night. My head seems to be getting better. I still have a light headed feeling, but no vertigo. Trace and I went on a walk yesterday morning. I think getting out and about helped me a lot. We did some other running around after that, making a quick run to Sprout's. Wayne and I are both trying to shed some pounds, so I am fixing really healthy meals and cutting our portions. Wayne told me a story last night about a delivery guy that he sees at work. The guy is a little shorter than Wayne, but much bigger around. They were comparing their weight and Wayne was astonished to hear that he weighs more than this guy. That was a no brainer to me......I told him......it's because muscle weighs more than fat. Luckily Wayne is still pretty active at work and gets in some physical activity there, cause he just won't do anything with me at home.....remember our walks, they didn't last but a few weeks and he was done with them. I get so irritated that with just a little effort he could shed those unwanted pounds, where as with me, I diet and exercise and .......NOTHING, ZIP, NADA, not one pound lost. I can't diet like I did when I was young. I feel my old body needs the nutrition and if I did go on a fast all it would do is make me lose what muscle tone I have.....see, it's danged if you do and danged if you don't. I do notice than when I cut the fat intake of my foods I have fewer hot flashes and they are less intense. I had one hot flash during last nights sleep and it wasn't until early this morning. I didn't get nearly as hot and it only lasted a few seconds. I like that. I often wonder about those hot flashes......do THEY burn calories??? Your body is working...steaming up like that, surely they burn calories.....not that I want to have enough hot flashes to lose the weight I need to..... heck, I'd rather be a little over weight than suffer through those dang things. Anyway, I am trying real hard to think up good tasting, nutritional things for us to eat. I could totally go on a Lean Cuisine diet. I like most of them and my portion is already figured for me. I can know exactly how much fat and calories I am taking in with each meal. It's just like the Jenny Craig or the Nutra system diets, it's just portioned out meals that are cooked in a less fatty way. Now, if you want the comradery or the weigh in's to help you, you will have to seek out the highly advertised groups. I want to ask a question.......why is it that of all the women I know that are around my age and I KNOW must be going thru the change, just like me, never talk about it. I have not had one discussion with friends or family members about the changes going on in our bodies and how it is affecting our lives. Is menapause still a taboo subject....things women don't talk about? I hear all the talk on TV and have heard and read all the jokes about it, but where are my menapausel sisters....why aren't we sharing our stories with each other.....maybe, we could enlighten each other with little tid bits of how we cope with our changing bodies and minds. Is it that you just don't want to think about it....WHAT IS IT?????? I want some feed back. Surely, I'm not the only 50 something woman experiencing these symptoms, who is willing to talk about it. I can remember as a young girl hearing stories of women who went thru the change and.....lost their minds......hey, I can relate to that. Other than horrifying tales like that, I never heard any of the women in my family speak of menapause or the symptoms it brings on. I had two grandmothers, but didn't know their menapause stories. They are both gone now. My Mother had cervical cancer as a young women in her 30's and survived it thru radiation, but the treatment caused her to go thru the change at that age. She was never on hormones or anything.......again, as close as she and I became, we never talked about what that had done to her physically or mentally. This is a common bond that we as women share, each of us having our own take on it. I have told my story, quite openly. I feel, menapause is just another stage of life that has it's rewards as well as it's pitfalls. I want to embrace each and every stage of this life, take from it the lessons we need to learn and use those lessons to enrich the remainder of our time on this earth. We are in it together, most of us experiencing much of the same things. It's comforting to know we are not alone in our journeys. Talk to me people!!! Till next time.

Monday, Monday

2008-02-18T07:30:00.002-06:00

Here it is Monday morning. I have tons of things to do today. We got quite a lot of rain over the weekend and you know what that means.....MUD......EVERYWHERE! Baxter going in and out brought in most,but Wayne did his share also. I have floors to sweep and mop, clothes to wash, bathroom duty and just a whole gambit of things.
My dizzy headedness is still with me, but not as bad. I'm not experiencing the vertigo, like I was, just a little light headedness. I still can't figure why this came over me. I have had many sinus problems, but none ever took on this side affect.
I want to say, Wayne was so sweet to me.......I think, he thought, I may just croak on him. He worried over me most of the weekend. This was quite an awakening for him. He seems to think he wouldn't be able to go on without me......but he could. I told him, I would want him to. He would need to be there for our kids and grandkids. They would all help each other through. I know it's kinda morbid to talk of death, but it is a reality......we are gonna die. We don't know when or how, but it is coming for us all. I have never minced words about wanting to live to be an old woman, but it may not be in the cards for me....who knows. I worry so about Wayne and his health and he may live longer than me, despite his smoking.
I better get up and get going. My list grows ever longer and I need to start getting things checked off. Hope everyone has a great Monday. till next time.

My Head Is Spinning

2008-02-17T07:50:00.004-06:00

I have had quite a weekend.....which actually started sometime Thursday night. I had done some yoga Thursday morning, everything seemed fine. I had been feeling a little drug out, not near as much energy as usual,but not sick, anyway, I suffered with back pain through my sleep Thursday night. I got up Friday morning with pain middleways down the right side of my back. I figured it was caused from a pose I had done with the yoga thing. I decided I would do a little palates and work it right out.....well, I got down in the floor and just as I got started the room started spinning and I was so drunk I couldn't even get out of the floor. I finally did make it on to the couch. The vertigo stopped, but I still felt dizzy or kinda light headed. I decided I better just sit on the couch and put the heating pad on my back. The vertigo thing was still happening , but not all the time. This was scaring me to death. I have never been dizzy like that before. Wayne, just so happened to call and of course in hearing his voice I felt like I could let go, so I started crying.....just in relief.....you know, how we women do. He instructed me to just take it easy and rest on the couch for the day. I took heed and stayed on the couch all day. I did get to feeling better and by late that afternoon got up and made Wayne his Valentine....Late Valentine, dinner of Pork Chops, Rice and Gravy. Things seemed pretty good until we went to bed and I tried to lay down.....OH MY GOSH....the room began spinning. These spells were so intense, I would feel sick to my stomach. Now, I had not been sick, as you know, I had nursed Wayne thru what we thought was the flu, but I had kept it at bay as far as I was concerned and aside from feeling tired, I thought I was fine. We debated wether or not to go to the Emergency room. Though this was scaring me to death, I decided to wait till morning and see how I felt then. Well, the night was long, with many awakenings and several dizzy headed trips to the bathroom. I got up first, I knew I still felt light headed, but wasn't having the vertigo sensation. I sat down on the couch and decided to try and lay down and THERE IT WAS AGAIN!!!! As soon as the room stopped spinning I got up and went and told Wayne he was gonna have to get up. I was in panic mode....WHAT THE CRAP WAS THIS?????? I thought of a blood clot, or blocked vein, CANCER...something causing this weird spinning. We dressed and made our way to the Emergency Room. The closer we got the more I didn't want to go.....I kept running it over and over, do I really want to go? Do I really need to go? NO, I thought, I don't want to go....do I need to???? Now, that I didn't know. In we go. We went through the usual things, all the questions and explanations of what brought us there that morning. They did a complete once over on me. Blood tests, Cat scan of my head, Xray of my back, EKG, urinanalysis....the whole nine yards. We were in there for HOURS and HOURS!!!!! The dizziness was still there, but all tests come back absolutely negitive. No signs of any malfunctions or anything that could contribute to my condition. I got a clean bill of health, with some dizziness on the side. Their diagnosis was that I had an inner ear infection of some sort that was causing the spinning. They gave me a Anti Vertigo pill, had me sit there for a few minutes and then sent me home. I do seem to be better, but I still feel somewhat lightheaded, just sitting here typing is causing me to feel drunk. I took an Allergy pill last night and slept like a baby. The spinning wasn't nearly as intense when I sat up for the first time this morning, but it is still there. The Dr. said the ear thing will correct on it's own. I am just gonna have to wait it out. This is one Valentines I will never forget. I was suppose to get to go out for dinner Saturday night, but had to settle for......Jack In The Box. Not that I wanted anything to be wrong with me, but I hate that ALLLLL that money spent was for nothing. I guess I can think of it as my yearly check up. I was given a clean bill of health and peace of mind does go a long way. Well, that's my wonderful weekend story. Till next time.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T07:35:00.003-06:00

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!! I had the most beautiful arrangement of red flowers in a gorgous red vase delivered to me yesterday. I have never been so surprised. I have had one great Valentines this year. It started out with a gift of old coins....which I love. There was a braclet made up of an Indian Head nickle and very old Indian Head penny's on either side of it.....I love it! That was last week....then, I think it was Monday, Katherine brought me a HUGE heart filled with MY FAVORITE chocolate covered cherries and a very pretty card. Then, yesterday....the flowers. Man, I am truely blessed. I know the old coins idea came from Traci and I know she did the foot work at obtaining them, but I guess I can give Wayne credit now, for I think he did the flowers all on his own. They were such a surprise....it made me cry. I was feeling pretty lonely and taken for granted. Those arrived just in time to renew me and make me feel loved.....by Wayne, that is. He can be a real downer to live with sometimes. He gets it in his head....OH WOE IS ME.....and he can't seem to get out of it. When in this state, he does a lot of sleeping and sitting. He comes in from work, eats his dinner and as soon as the last bite is swallowed, he's asleep. I sit there the rest of the evening by myself, listening to him snore. Nothing, I say or do can make this mood of his go away. I always think, if he would just get up and get to moving he would feel better. I think lack of sunshine plays a big part in his moods. It is so amazing, that a person can be one way when they are young and then be totally different as they age. I would have never dreamed he was such a couch potato when we were dating. We were always out and about, doing things, LIVING!!! I also believe, the less you do, the less you want to do. Your energy level just keeps getting lower and lower. I wish it were in my power to make him feel better, but unfortunately it is up to him. He's not good at doctoring himself....he doesn't even try. Sometimes, I think he likes being so down and out. Anyway, I hate it for him. I want us to live each day with vigor and happiness. I want our old heads to be filled with fun memories of all our adventures. You have to work at everything in this life....your mental health is vitally important to your physical well being. I hope he can get into a better place in his mind.....it will certainly help me. Till next time.

I'm No Couch Potato

2008-02-12T08:49:00.000-06:00

Gosh, I can't beleive it is already Tuesday....seems, I was just writing a blog here and I look and see that was last Thursday. I'll start with Friday. All us girls were already together so we called the guys at work and asked if they would like to go out to eat that evening. I am always glad that the kids bring it up cause Wayne is more likely to go if they ask. Out to eat is like some kind of a torture treatment to Wayne....why....I don't know. It's not like he has to cook it or something. He is the BIGGEST couch potato I have ever seen and it seems, my energy and want to go have fun makes his butt stick to that couch even more. To me sitting and doing nothing is a sin....to sit in a house when the sun is shining and the weather is warm and gorgous is just a SIN!!! Anywho, the guys made it home and we loaded up and went to On The Border for some of their all you can eat enchiladas. We got there and GOOD GRIEF!!! the whole town of Denton was there. I went in and put our name in the pot and was told it was gonna be a 45 minute wait. We did wait for about 15 to 20 minutes then decided to go to a place in Sanger where we figured there would be less people and Dan and Katherine said it was sooooo good. I take the little light up thing back in to the girl and tell her to remove our name from the list. Off we go to Sanger. This is a small town just north of Denton. We got to the Mexican restaurant there and tho not as bad as On The Border there were still quite a few people there. We waited and waited and waited, what seemed to be 30 minutes at least. We finally got in and seated, but then another 20 minutes went by before we ordered.....well, I guess you have figured that we didn't get home till around 9:00. We started all that around 6:00. Saturday was a long dull day. I got up and went to Wally's while Wayne sat on the couch. We sat for the rest of the day. I did get him up to go pick up Hunt at Dan's and K's around 6:30 and we picked up some KFC while we were out, then back home to sit some more. Sunday morning we were catching up on reading our emails. One from Wayne's Mom concerned us. She was telling of a fall she had taken and now had a sore and swollen foot. We called her and Wayne being his usual tact self gave her a good chewing out for not calling us sooner. He asked if there was anything we could do to help and of course she said no....I said let me talk to her. Hey, I'm a housewife, I know that when I'm down ain't nothin getting done....at least not right anyway. I asked what I could do to help and asked about their meal situation....good gosh...I can't imagine relying on Glenn T. to feed me. I know Wayne learned everything he know's or doesn't know from watching his Dad . They could get in the kitchen and try to fix a meal and probably think they are doing a bang up job when in reality they have absolutely wore you out from all the questions.....where's the this, how do you do that, how long do I cook this for, do we have any?????? and so on. Just shoot me now cause the mess that's gonna come from that one little meal isn't gonna be worth it....I'll do without. After talking to her on the phone I got myself dressed and went to the closest store and got ingredients for a couple of casserole type dishes. I got back and went to cooking. We were on our way to their house by about 12:00. We had lunch together and I had time to throw a load of clothes on to wash, but it got to be almost 4:00 and we still had to clean the shop, so off we went. Man, if it weren't for the trip to Plano and the cleaning of the shop we would have vegetated on that freakin couch. Oh well, I got a fix yesterday with some running around with Traci. Target and Walmart and even lunch out......THANKS TRACE!!!!! I needed that. I am just like a dog.....if a car starts, I want to go and hanging my head out the window is a bonus.....I love to goooooo, and so I must for now. Till next time.

Torture On The Massage Table

2008-02-07T08:38:00.000-06:00

I started on my way to my massage yesterday with what I thought was plenty of time, but in getting behind a slow moving TRACTOR of all things, I started stressing out. I frantically made my way around him and took off. I was going to make one, mind you one little stop, by the mailbox to deposit a letter on my way.....dang if it didn't almost make me late. I did manage to pull in with a couple of moments to spare. I got in there, met my masseuse, filled out a short questionare, and then dissrobed and climbed onto the table. I was quite comfortable....the room was dimmly lit, soft tranquil music playing and I was totally covered with a sheet. She started at my head.....yep, the old noggin. I really did enjoy the kneading of my skull and neck. She talked non stop, which really interrupted my wanting to just zone in on the massage.....I wanted to lax out, have no thoughts and just take in the relaxing atmosphere. She took my arms, one at a time and starting at my fingers working her way up. She used soothing oil that smelled sooo good. Just when I thought this was going to be a GREAT, STRESS RELIEVING encounter......she started digging into my shoulders. Her fingers seemed to be trying to break the skin and get right into the muscle. In my mind I was screaming.....HELLLLLLLLL FIRE!!!!!!!! LADY....THAT HURTS!!!!! I thought, ok, she will move on and that excruciating pain of her digging digits will stop, but it seemed she found a spot she truely disliked and wanted to cast it from my body. Just when I thought I was gonna have to make a break for it and go running out the door, she moved on. I loved the rubbing of my feet, legs and my back....oh goodness MY BACK....that was soooo good. She did this thing where she would stop and lay her hands on me.......I would almost feel like I was being levitated off that table and that she was making something release and flow from my body. So, aside from the pain inflicted on my shoulders, I really did enjoy the rest. I would like to go again, but will be telling her ENOUGH ALREADY on the shoulders. They are so tender to the touch this morning and I don't know, maybe that's what a real massage is suppose to be like, but all I can say.....how do they think you can relax a get destressed when you are being TORTURED!!! There's my review....cornball as it is. Till next time.

LUUUCCCYYY!!!!!

2008-02-06T07:53:00.000-06:00

Those of you that read Traci's blog know that I didn't get my massage yesterday.......DANG IT!!! I had myself all siked up for it and everything. I will say, that the closer I got to the place yesterday the more this feeling of....AIN"T GONNA HAPPEN.... kept crossing my mind. When I pulled into the parking lot and there was not another car in sight....first clue, then, my appoinment was at 10:00 and IT WAS 10:00.....second clue. Sometime after 10:00 I called Trace to let her know....HEY!!! there's no people here....what the ?!@$#@. She calls the lady and low and behold the date is for the next day, which is today....this morning....2 hours from now....GEEZZZZ SIS, could this be from all the extra hard thinking you were doing to make that girl spin the other direction???? Maybe, you better just stick with the right side of your brain....your left side seems to get you in trouble....or is it, that your trouble comes from being a right brain thinker? I don't know...... LUUUCCCYYYY!!!!, but Ethel always seems to get pulled into your antics.

Well folks, as I said, I only have a couple of hours. I am determined to do some Yoga this morning so I better get to crackin. AAAHHHHH!!!! the tranquillty of a soothing massage, has become one stressed out mess for me....SERENITY NOW!!!!! Till next time.

Massage Day

2008-02-05T07:58:00.000-06:00

Some rain did come thru last night, but the ground is barely wet. There were some big claps of thunder as it went on it's way. Kinda dreary looking this morning, but I see the sun peeping out, so maybe it will be another warm sunny day for us.

This morning I, for the first time in my life, am going to go have a massage. This was a Christmas present from Trace and I am just now going. I am looking so forward to this, but yet am a little anxious about the whole thing. I just hope I am at ease enough to really enjoy it. It's hard to imagine a stranger putting their hands all over you and NOT freaking out about it. Oh well, the jury is out on it for now.....I'll let you know what I think after this is over.

Wayne is well on his way to a non sick state and I am still doing ok too.....man, if we can make it thru this winter with just small bouts like this, that will be GREAT!!! I better knock on wood.....just as I write the words I feel something will happen to show me once more....we have no control over things like this and we will come down with a bad case of the flu, like we did last year.

I am gonna get myself up and start getting ready. Well wishes, to everyone. Till next time.

Chit Chat

2008-02-03T08:54:00.000-06:00

It's Sunday morning and I seem to have a reprieve from my nursing duties. Wayne, in hearing of some MAN fun, decided he felt well enough to go off with the guys.......some big tank is to be moved and I don't know a man around that wouldn't buy a ticket just to watch, much less get to participate in.
It is Monday morning now, I kinda got side tracked. Trace called me over for a cup of coffee and some conversation. Talk about GORGEOUS weather.....we are having a little heat wave here in Texas. We hit the eighties and today is suppose to be just as warm, but we may have some rain heading our way. Katherine, with Mason in tow, came over for some lunch and then we sat outside and watched the boys run and jump on their trampoline. Mason absolutely loves to play with his cousins especially Kan. They had the best time. Us girls sat close by and refereed while chatting and just enjoying the wonderful warmth of the day. Not long after our sit down the guys returned......Wayne, not being any worse for the wear. I think getting out and stirring around may have helped him. His cough is just about gone and he is sleeping so much better. He made his Monday morning work call. Now, as for me, I am still hanging on to wellness.....but by a thread, I think. I can feel some congestion building up in the back of my throat.... I am taking everything I can think of to keep it at bay. I still feel alright, just a little tired, maybe. I need to get up and get somethings done in the house this morning. I am gonna strip the bed of the germ infested bedding and get us all clean stuff. Hope all is well out there in blog land. Till next time.

Nursing The Sick

2008-02-01T07:44:00.000-06:00

He is home with me today.....I saw it coming yesterday afternoon. He could barely talk and has a horrible cough. His night was very fitful with sweats followed by cold chills. I feel so sorry for him. I know he has full blown FLU!!! Man, I don't want to catch it from him. We haven't kissed in a week....not goodbye or hello as usual, in hopes of keeping his germs to himself. He is in bed, hopefully getting some rest from the restless night. I wonder why it is when you are sick all the symptoms seem to worsen in the night time especially when trying to sleep. I figure you have guessed by now that I speak of my beloved husband. I will have to get things rolling this morning and go make him some nouishment for the old belly. He is gonna need to start in with some meds and you can't or shouldn't do that on an empty stomach. Ahhhh, men and sick, not a good combo. I will wait on him and nurse him because that is the treatment I would like to have if and when I get sick, but I dream on.....men or at least my man has no clue how to care for another human being......what am I talking about???? He can't or doesn't even take care of himself. Oh well, I am gonna be the good nurse maid and hopefully my Karma will bring it back to me in my time of need. Guess, I better cut this short and punch the old time clock....the sooner I get started doctoring my sweet, the sooner life can return to normal...our normal anyway. Till next time.

These Stressful Times

2008-01-31T07:32:00.000-06:00

With all my vitamin taking and exercising I have remained well........so far. Wayne, on the other hand has come down sick. He has a horrible cough and has almost lost his voice. I really feel that his cold would not be quite so severe if he hadn't picked up the cigarettes again. Yes, I hate to say it , but he has been back to smoking for about 2 months or so. Now, as bad as I hate to see him do something so adversely to his health, I will say.....so what!!! Ya know, we all have our vices, wether it be, over eating, drinking too much, popping pills, even those prescribed from a Dr. that we tend to want to over medicate ourselves with. We are a society of addicts. Our lives are so full of stress, even watching TV at night has become a nail biting experience. It is no more wrong to smoke a cigarette than to take a mind altering drug, like those prescribed to the vast majority of people who suffer from depression. I wish for us all, a country that would instead of bombarding us with pills, would give us time off from our stressed out lives. That's what we need....people......time off!!!. I wish Dr's would prescribe a long walk down a shady country road or a nap in a soft cozy hammock hanging in a tree and nothing but birds singing filling the air, with a warm breeze to calm the nerves. I know, we should do these things for ourselves, but we can't get passed what we keep being fed every day and that is you MUST work for that new car, bigger home, college for the kids......MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!!! It is so sad to me to think we live our whole lives getting up going to a workplace that most of us hate, to spend the entire day, come home to the family that has experienced their own stressed out crap, have a little interaction with these people, go to bed, start the whole thing over again. Over and Over till one day we wake up and we are OLD.....wow! then we get to retire. All our youth spent, we finally get to do what we want to....which is spend our days sitting and thinking where did my life go?? I'm OLD and TIRED and used up. WHY....OH, WHY did I want that new car every year....WHY, did I think I had to have a HUGE house when there was just two people to live in it. If we could just know back then what we know now, I know I would have definately strived for that freedom to come much much sooner. I'm not going to condem Wayne for smoking. The sad thing is that he really doesn't enjoy it like he did in his youth. The knowledge we have today is stressful in and of itself. Ignorance really is bliss. I remember when I too enjoyed smoking. I also remember when I didn't feel guilty everytime I drank a coke or ate a candy bar. I never thought a bag of chips could lead to my death. The very worse part of this whole thing is that we do try so very hard to live healthy and happy lives, but we are like that deprevated child that is told No over and over again. It just makes us want those things that much more. I will be the first to say that with all my cutting back on my fat intake and drinking nothing anymore but water, I still am over weight. I would venture to say that I don't eat half as much as I used to and do no frying, but yet cannot lose the extra pounds. Wayne has put on extra weight also, but he does still eat pretty much anything he wants and I will say in pretty big quantities. If he was doing like I do, he would look like a male model.....it's not fair......absolutely NOT FAIR. I always say, I would hate to see what I would look like if I didn't try so very hard. Old age is gonna get us in the end anyway. I think, what's the big deal...even in death do I still crave and desire acceptance, wanting people to view me and say...WOW, she looks so young....and slim......MAN!!! we are really ate up with it. We work so hard for ALL the outwardly things....cars, houses, bodies....always trying to impress, wanting to feel accepted...for the world tells us we should have and desire these things and I know I will keep trying, but I will say, I do think I do it more for just me. Unless and until Wayne can put those smokes down for HIMSELF he will continue to smoke. It has to come from a love you have for yourself. If we all could just love ourselves a little more and give ourselves the gift of time, we might could get more enjoyment out of this stressful world we live in. Till next time.

A Friend On Guard

2008-01-30T07:30:00.000-06:00

I got word today that my sister in laws house was broken into. It was in broad daylight and luckily she wasn't home. I have heard of too many burglaries gone bad when a crook is surprised by someone in the house. They were scared off by diligent neighbors who had the sense of mind to take in a description of this potential robber. He was caught and identified by said neighbor. Thank the Lord for people who still will get involved.....so many today would have turned a blinds eye and thought....not my business.

Now, for all you lady's that live alone........GET A DOG!!! In the first place, I can't imagine life without my trusted old friend. I have always had a dog. Our first family dog was Butch, a screw tail bull dog mix. He was one of the family and we loved him dearly. We grew up together. He came into our family when I was a small girl and was with us until I was pregnant with my first child. There have been many dogs since him, each one loved for their own uniqueness and special personality. Dogs can be a great companion. I believe there have been study's done to the fact that people that own pets live happier longer lives. To have something to care for and think about help us not only mentally but physically. I am a true believer in the power of loving, be it animal or human. I know I will always have a dog. They are my hearts desire. Those loving little faces that adore you no matter what. The security of owning a dog is just a bonus. I know they can be pains and troublesome at times, but isn't that true of everything in life. Sister in law.....GET A DOG! Start this new year with a whole new outlook. A sweet little thing to look forward to seeing and greeting when you come home from work. A companion to go on walks together. A warm body in your bed at night. Vigilant eyes and ears that will sound the alarm for your safety. Everyone deserves piece of mind especially in their own homes. Till next time

Old Lady Thoughts

2008-01-29T07:39:00.000-06:00

Ok, here I am. I am experiencing a slump in my writing. I don't seem to want to think of things to say, and feel....who cares anyway??? I know I have one avid reader and it is for she that I sit here and write.

Seems that for the past few weeks, my age and the aging process keeps coming to the for front of my thoughts. I am continuously reminded of my decline, in body and mind by almost everything around me. I can be thinking that I am a real hip granny, but then am knocked down with the words that I am NOT with it.......Oh, can it be that I am so delusional. There have been a couple of conversations where I had no clue my metamorphosis into old ageism was rearing it's ugly head. When pointed out to me, I could see it ever so clearly, but when and why did my mind and thoughts go there??? If not for the youthful and always open thinking of Traci, I would be delving into the deep dark corners of my mind that hold the OLD LADY thoughts. One of the conversations I was having was about a commercial on TV with Jessica Simpson accidentally unplugging all the lights in a totally decorated store and saying....MY BAD. I said....what in the world does that mean....that is soooo stupid and ridiculous. I couldn't even get my total statement out of my mouth till Traci is saying.....MAAAA!! that is no different from some of the things your generation said....like groovy and cool.....I was taken aback. I knew she was absolutely right......MY BAD....exactly. Yesterday, the topic was the sagging baggy pants wore by most of today's youth, where the crotch of the pants is down around their knees. In my old lady wisdom, I expressed my dislike of the whole concept of this sort of attire. Once again, I am reminded that each and every generation had their own way of expressing themselves. Mine was halter tops and hip hugging bell bottoms....something, I'm sure even my hip Mom would have never worn, but allowed me to wear it. The generation before that had their own unique style, Bobby socks and Penny loafers and let's not forget the all lurid, gyrating, ELVIS PRESLEY. You would think that at least one generation would stay hip and not condemn the youth for doing the exact same thing they did in their youth. Now, I know there is always the straight laced crowed that never stepped out of their boundaries and thought their own peers were crazy. It was in fact all those ground breaking, thought provoking hippies of the 60's that brought about most of the changes in this country. Now, I know that there are those of you who will say that the demonstrations of the flower children, spreading Peace and Love, was the downfall of this country.....but was it??? Where would we be today if not for women's lib and the burning of the bras. I simply pose the question, it is up to you to decide what you think the right answer is. I am fighting with all my might to stay young, not only in my heart, but in my mind. I feel that if I work on the inside with youthful thoughts and desires the outside will reflect what the inside feels. As with every aspect of our lives, be it relationships, health or just a positive way of thinking, it is a job we must work at continuously. I want to keep myself in check and I know that Traci is gonna be there to make sure I do......THANKS TRACE!!! Till next time

Do You Know Me?

2008-01-15T09:30:00.000-06:00

Well folks, I got almost everything I wanted to do yesterday done. I moved furniture....which is almost a need to do thing for me and swept, mopped and wiped all the surfaces of this house. I felt soooo grand at the end of my cleaning spree. Now, my closet is still a mess, but at least I can close the doors on it and know that it awaits my attention when I can spare the time. I have BIG ideas for our computer room......Ya hear that....HONEY!!!! I am gonna need his brute force to get things arranged and brought in from the garage. I know he is gonna be soooo excited to help me in my endeavor.

In reading other blogs of people my age, I am feeling kinda left out. As crazy as it sounds, I feel like the 11 year old trying to hang out with teenagers. I always think I know my age, but when I read some of the statements made from those bloggers, I think good grief, am I the only 50 something person that still has the same likings as they did when they were teens? I know I have grown and matured intellectually, but I am still the same free spirited, fun loving person that I have always been, tho my outer package has changed. I still sing in the car and listen to the radio at every chance. The music transports me and my old body back to my youth and I sing and dance and get down to the vibes........I LOVE IT! I don't stop to think that the young uns in the car next to me probably think I am having a seizure or something. Ageing is a very peculiar thing. It kinda sneaks up on us. The years speeding by ever so quickly. I have been married for almost 35 years, have two grown kids and 4 grand sons, but in my minds eye I am still Sonia. In my heart of hearts, I am still Sonia. I love all the titles that I carry, but I never want to forget that girl named Sonia. No matter the age, that girl lives inside of me. All that I am now, are just appendages of that little girl. In losing sight of that would be losing a big part of me and who I am. If growing up means to forsake that, then I refuse. In order to know me....the real me, you have to know who I am in my core and I feel it to be the same with any of us. Acquaintances, are just that, people we know slightly. Friends, true friends are the people that know you to your core. I feel lucky, in that I have a few FRIENDS in this life. Till next time.

Cleaning Day

2008-01-14T08:04:00.000-06:00

I have lots on my agenda today. Our home is in need of some attention this morning. I have let my floors go and they are FILTHY!!! I am gonna have to drag out the mop and everything. My little quick runs through have caught up with me. Everything is soooo dang dusty. You would think we live in Death Valley or the Sahara. I will say, don't think I have actually dusted once since our move in.....yikes!....I hate to admit that. I have really been giving things a lick and a promise, but unless some unknown force stops me, I intend to get things in shape. With the holidays over I am feeling like a spring cleaning coming on. My closet is a nightmare. I just chunked stuff in, forcing things from a nice sized walk in closet to a maybe 4 ft wide 2 ft deep space. It ain't fitten, it just ain't fitten. I don't know that I am gonna go that far today, but it is in my near future. I have already washed a load of clothes and am starting on the second one. I need to strip our bed, which will make 3 loads for the day. Anyhow, I am rushing thru this blog this morning in hopes of some real cleaning to take place. Have a great Monday. Till next time.

Weekend Hello

2008-01-12T08:36:00.000-06:00

The house is quiet this morning. I am the only one up. My eyes just seem to pop open a 7:30 every morning. My body and brain doesn't get the weekend thing......I CAN SLEEP LATE......HEEELLLOOOO! Oh well, I am much the morning person. I have energy to spare in the A.M. I feel like putting on my Tenny's and strutting it down the street. Well, the morning couldn't get any better...I just got a call from my brother. I always love to hear from him. Anyway, I don't have anything new to report.....just wanted to say Hi and wish everyone a beautiful weekend. Till next time.

Did Someone Say Girdle

2008-01-10T07:36:00.000-06:00

Let's see....what shall I blog about today?? I can start off by saying that I had a wonderful nights sleep. I didn't wake up to go the potty till almost 5:00. I had a couple of brief hot spells, but all and all, I slept GREAT!!! It sure is amazing to me that as soon as I start back with some yoga, my sleeping automatically improves. Wayne and I were turning the lights and TV off at 9:00 last night. I fell right to sleep and I think he did too. I even heard the alarm go off this morning, which is very unusual because he usually is up before it can go off......so I'm thinking, he was doing some pretty deep sleeping.

The sun is coming up and it looks like it's gonna be a gorgeous day. We are having a little cold spell here in Texas this week, but nothing too drastic and as long as the sun shines I kinda enjoy the crisp cool air. Nothing can replace the good ole summertime for me tho. I love the sun, capri's and flip flops. It is always so easy and simple to know what your gonna wear. I have long since stopped wearing shorts, not that my legs are bad looking or anything.....I don't know, I just don't think it fitting for a woman my age to wear shorts. I have what they use to call pedal pushers, which is just another phrase for long shorts. I do wear those and have some guy shorts that hit me around my knees. Something has happened to my body's shape for I can't wear dresses anymore. I keep trying on little sun dresses and am always appalled at the fit of them on me. I think I have come to the place where I need a body girdle to smooth out my midriff rolls. I just never think about a girdle. They weren't part of the bra burning 60's nor the halter top, hip hugger pants of the 70's. I can remember my Mom wearing a girdle and thinking.....what the heck!!!! is she kidding me.....I would never wear such a contraption. Well, here I am eating my words at 53. I can see their place in society now. If you have ever seen Steel Magnolias, Dolly Parton has a line stating that her body doesn't go out without Lycra on it . I still have the 70's mentality, tho my body is definitely in 2008. I'm gonna have to broaden my horizons, step out of my norm and maybe just maybe, I might find a little dress that I feel looks quite well on me. I swear, just the thoughts of putting on that gut squashing thing makes me cringe tho. It's gonna smooth out the middle but then that stuff has to go somewhere.......right? Is it gonna bulge out the bottom, so I can't walk or pooch out the top and suffocate me??? I can see it now....I wear that thing out and within a few hours I am taking it off and sling shooting it across a field somewhere. Now, that I think about it....who needs dresses anyway??? I'm gonna have to get back to ya on this dilemma. Till next time.

Old Age And Deep Thoughts

2008-01-08T08:30:00.000-06:00

I am going thru this aching hips, shoulders,and legs syndrome at night. I am continuously waking up to pain that only my constant turning relieves. I always start blaming our mattress for my discomfort, but alas, I think it be just me and my old body reminding me that I am getting older. I can take a pain reliever and it does seem to help, but this is not something I choose to do on a daily basis, so hence, I suffer.
I did some yoga this morning.....first time since before the holidays. I hate that I let so much time go by with no exercise except for an occasional walk. I can definitely tell the difference in the way I feel when I slack off on my exercising......heck, that may be one of my sleeping problems. Those old muscles and bones get all stove up and then tell me about it at night. I too, am having several bouts of hot flashes thru the night. My diet, went to the wayside while doing all the celebrating over the holidays. I am trying to get back to some kind of normalcy......get rid of all that left behind sweets and heavy foods. I think I am gonna try cutting out a BIG portion of the pasta dishes I love so much. I am gonna try the protein route....eating mainly lean meats and veggies. I think I am even going to try to eat more raw veggies, of course, pesticide free.
My thoughts are kinda all over the place this morning. I read The Boomer Chronicles and I find it quite perplexing that I am so out of the norm. All the Boomers talk of their moving away from parents and in doing so, grew up. My family's dynamics seem so completely different than most. Now, you know I was basically raised by a single parent, which I'm sure had something to do with the way I see the world and interact with others. I have always felt that the outside world views the closeness of my relationships with my children, somewhat weird. I got that wanting of always being a part of my children's lives from my Mother. She stayed engaged in our lives till her death and we were the better for it. There were times, when I was a young wife and Mother that I felt she hung on too much. I wished a more self gratifying life for her, apart from us kids. I try to keep myself in check on this point with my own children, trying to make sure they have the space they need as adults living their own lives. It was harder for my Mom because she was always alone. She truly lived vicariously thru her children. I wouldn't want to hinder my kids in any way or take away from their independence. My part is to simply be there for them and enjoy them as the wonderful adults they have become. I know the true love of a friend is scarce. To find friendship in my own family members is the best relationship I can think of. No one loves you like your family does. They will be there till the end......at least that's true in my case. Till next time.

Einstien.....PHOOY!

2008-01-05T08:22:00.000-06:00

Last night Wayne and I were invited over to Trace and RB's to watch some educational programs from Nova. The first we watched was Einstein's theory of relativity. To start with, I personally can't imagine anyone sitting around, putting so much thought into such things. I know, if it were left up to me, I guess we would still be dwelling in caves and hunting our food. I just don't get how some people have this drive to solve the questions of the world. I say......WHO CARES???? When and if we really know the answers to some of the questions , will it make any difference as to the outcome of our lives......I think not. Einstein was a real A?? HOLE. He cared nothing about feeding his child nor being a good husband, all he cared about was his deep thought process into light and how it works and the part it plays with everything else. The time devoted to coming up with E=Mc2, totally took away from his family......so I ask, was it all worth it? I wonder if he could have relived his life and changed things........would he??? At the end of his life, as he lay on his death bed, did he think of those he wronged or was he laying there thinking......now, if I am dying, how much energy does it take from my body and is the mass the same.....when and how does the light affect this process......I DON'T THINK SO!!!!! I understand that Science has played a huge part in the way we live and view the world. My way of thinking is so simplistic and I know would have no big impact on our lives, but I do believe that sometimes ignorance is bliss. There are somethings, I just don't want to know, don't have the need to know. These people always searching, hungering for more and more knowledge of our existence miss out on the important things. The biggest being......we are only here for a short time and we have to spend it wisely. I for one think that in the end, all will be unvailed, we will know the truth......that is how it should be. To lust after the question of our existence and how it all works is futile, for only in death will we all know the true answer. Till next time.

A German Town In Texas

2008-01-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Traci, me and the boys traveled to a little town just north of us called Muenster. It is a small German town. We partook of the German cuisine for lunch, which consisted of Reuben sandwiches, Bratwurst, Schnitzel and delicious fried potatoes done with a German flair. We then drove about town. We found a town clock perched above a small grocery store. It chimed every quarter and had figurines of girls and boys dressed in typical German attire. They danced around as the whole thing pivoted around itself........quite interesting. The antique stores beckoned to us and we felt it only right to answer the call. I think the kids enjoyed this outing immensely. Hunt was quite the antique scavenger and found himself some treasures. I, being an old coin lover, found a Mercury head dime pendant. I am thinking the date is 1935, but even with my glasses on it's hard for me to be sure. I do love old coins. I always think of the journey each one must of had. The number of hands and pockets it had been in. The people lives, of whom each one was part of for probably a short time. It can boggle the mind when you really get to thinking about it. We ended our trip with a visit to the German bakery. Traci bought two very delicious smelling strudels to take home. We had an Apple Fritter to delight our taste buds on the way home, with a stop a Sonic for some coffee to go with it........PERFECT!!!! Man, was I full. It was a great, memorable day. Thanks! Guys! Till next time.

My Resolution

2008-01-01T09:38:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! It is officially 2008. Wayne and I were actually awake at midnight. We finally crawled in the bed about 1:30 or so. I slept till 9:30 this morning.....I haven't done that in years.

I started this blog yesterday morning and am just now getting back to it after a quite extensive interruption. My thoughts still linger and are clear to what I was planning to say. So, here goes.

In this new year, I too am making some resolutions. I intend to work at bettering my relationships with the people I love. I truly believe Dr. Phils adage, that to have a good husband, you must first be a good wife and this holds true for all relationships. I want to be a better person all the way around. I want to know at the end of this year, that I brightened someones day, made someone feel loved, and truly made people feel and see what I hold in my heart. I am and have always been a very soft hearted person. I may spout out things that would lead you to believe that I am hard hearted or cold, but that is so not me. When I love, I love completely and will fight tooth and nail for any one I care about and would go out of my way to help anyone. I feel this is my last encore for this world, never to come again. I so get the meaning of life and what is important. I don't know how many lifetimes it has taken me to get to this knowledge that I have, probably many, but I intend to use it well. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying, I am the perfect person and do no wrong. I am just saying, I try to keep a peace full and forgiving heart.......meaning, I can't stay upset with any one for any length of time. My heart breaks at the idea of some one being hurt or upset at my doings. My intent is never to hurt. Any hurtful words said or wrong deeds done is simply my armor that protects my much to soft heart. I start this new year with the same good in my heart, but I will try and show it more to the outside world. With each passing year, life becomes more precious. The time we have to spend should be spent wisely. We all have to look deep within ourselves, take responsibility for our actions and be the best, we can be. I truely believe, if you put good out, it will come back to you ten fold. Till next time.

My New Year Wish

2007-12-29T08:37:00.000-06:00

The end of December

The New Year draws near

What lies before us

In the 2008 year

The end of a war

I pray in my heart

A new leader to vote in

His reign then will start

The issues before us

Illegals and such

Must find a solution

America, can't be their crutch

Americans stand together

In this endeavor

What we do now

Will affect us forever

We still are united

I hear it in talk

We do it in whispers

Now, we must walk the walk

2008 must be the year

Stand by our convictions

We have nothing to fear

Americans, to learn Spanish

Should be simply by choice

It is they, to speak English

The language of our voice

Politically correct

I guess, I am not

I stand with the soldiers

For this land, who have fought

Americans are all colors

Red, yellow, black and white

They speak English, love this country

Fly our beloved Stars and Stripes

Health Care And Insurance

2007-12-28T08:13:00.000-06:00

Today I am thinking about Doctors and Dentists. I read some stuff from the Boomer Chronicles and found , much to my surprise that there are lots of folks out there with no Dental Insurance. They spoke of broke teeth from soft breads and other dental catastrophes that required astronomical costing trips to the dentist for repairs. My thoughts go to a dentist, in the small town we lived in for over 20 years. I think his practice was rather new when we first started going to him, but this guy could teach some of these new fangled dentists a thing or two. His concern was not what our insurance would pay for , but what our dental needs were. He never forced any procedure on us, but was extremely thorough in his examinations and conveyed exactly what he thought we needed for our dental health. I always felt totally secure in his judgments. I can honestly say, he never hurt me....not once and this man not only did fillings , he did crowns, bridges and I even had him pull a tooth for me that I had , had a root canal done on years before we moved there from an incompetent guy that DID hurt and tortured me for hours. Most dentist today are more concerned with the cosmetic part of dentistry. They make you feel that you just don't measure up if your teeth are not perfectly straight and glowing white. Now, I care about my appearance as much as the next 50 something bleached blonde female, but the health of my teeth and gums are the reasons I visit the dentist. I am sad to say that since our move we have been unable to replace our beloved dentist and we have sifted through quite a few Doctors too that don't live up to the understanding and care we recieved from the Doctors in that same said town. Our search is ongoing and I do hope that maybe there is the same dedicated dentist and doctor out there in our area just waiting for us to call and make an appointment. I will keep trying in the quest for those same kind of professionals we were blessed to have for all our years in that small town.
That's my thoughts for now. Till next time.

Back To Normal

2007-12-27T07:58:00.000-06:00

Things are getting back to some kind of normalcy. I spent yesterday de Christmasing the house. I get great joy in taking my house back over....all the decked halls and holiday tidings are once more in their resting place in the attic. When it comes time to put it all away, less is more....ya know, what I mean? I know, most people keep the cheer going until after New Years, Christmas trees still standing and lights still burning, but for me,the 26th of December brings an end to the actual holiday celebrations. Now, don't get me wrong, I like the festivities of New Years, but here of late I find it harder and harder to even be awake when the New Year comes in. We have never been big partiers, but we did use to at least stay up until the New Year rang in........Man, we are sooooo over the hill.
I ventured out for some errands yesterday also. I took back some shoes to Sears, I had bought for Wayne. I swear, that man's feet are almost sub human. They are just about as wide as they are long and get this, he is the only person I have ever seen with a left foot larger than his right, usually it's the other way around. I always have to get a wide and did so, in this pair, but for some reason they were still too tight. He is so persnickety and hard to buy for especially in shoes, but getting him in a store is like pulling teeth. He's gonna have to go if he wants new shoes tho.....I just got my money back yesterday and thought.....I'm not gonna make a dozen trips back and forth trying to find a shoe that fits......he ain't Cinderella. From there I went to the Bank, making a deposit I have been meaning to make for a week now. My last stop was at Brookshires. I had already cooked a pot of Red Beans and was going to put hamburger in them, which I didn't have.....uuuummmmm, I LOVE Red Beans. I put them on to cook, first thing yesterday.......I was really on top of my game...... don't ya think? I cooked them with onions and seasonings first, then add two cans of Rotel and browned hamburger. I did a real NO NO too and fried Wayne and I some potatoes. I don't fry anymore so it has been ages since we had home fried taters. Red Beans and fried taters......it just don't get any better than that. A real Texas treat. I would have loved to have had a big ole piece of corn bread, but I thought that took us over the top. Wayne had his beans over a bed of rice and I ate one slice of whole grain bread with mine. Some down home cooking after all the holiday stuffing and sweets was a welcomed change. Amongst the other things I mentioned, I also got two loads of clothes washed. I feel sooooo free today. I love the feeling of being caught up on everything.
I am looking forward to 2008 and my wish is for many great adventures and lots of time spent with the ones I love. I will say for now, till next time.

Our Christmas Schedule

2007-12-21T07:19:00.000-06:00

FRIDAY!!!!!! AGAIN!!! This one is very important.......the one right before Christmas. I woke up this morning making a list in my head. The last minute things I need to get done and today's the day. Oh, I do still have tomorrow, I guess, but I hate waiting till the very last minute. Tonight we are suppose to go Christmas light looking......I LOVE to ride around first of all, and then getting to see beautiful lights draped on big gorgeous houses is just a bonus. The trip will be topped off with a stop at STARBUCKS.....UUUUMMMMMMM!!!! GOOOODD!! Tomorrow night is the HSE Christmas party......my BIG babysitting night. This is one of the huge draw backs of everyone working for the same Co. I will have all 4 of my grandson's. The two older ones will pose no problems, but the two 3 year olds will undoubtedly make up for it. I think things will be fine until it starts drawing near bed time.....nothings worse than 2 tired and grumpy 3 year olds. I will make it thru....no doubt, just think, last year I had 2, 2 year olds and OH MY GOSH!!! before that 2, 1 year olds. It's a wonder I am still here. Anyway, after tomorrow night it will be smooth sailing. Sunday morning is the start of our family day. First, we go out for breakfast. On our return, we will open presents. The rest of the day is going to be munching on delectable tidbits, playing games and just sitting around talking. I am looking so forward to Sunday. Monday we will be traveling to spend some time with Wayne's Mom and Dad and sister Jan. I am taking home made Lasagna, hot bread, green beans, and some kind of delicious dessert. Then, we have Christmas Day.....our plan for that day is.....WORK. Yep, we had to fit it in somewhere and it just so happened that Christmas day was the best time for it. We will miss Christmas with Wayne's other sister in Tyler, but the drive was just more than we could do this year. Sounds like a pretty tight schedule to me. I am looking forward to every moment of it, believe it or not, even Wayne and I spending Christmas day alone with one another.....after our chore, we will have time to recoup from the previous days and make ready for the rest of the work week. This may be the last entry on my blog till after Monday. I wish a Merry Christmas to all. Be safe, till next time.

Texas Weather

2007-12-20T07:21:00.000-06:00

How great is this weather??? Wow! people, you that weren't lucky enough to be born or transplanted in Texas have no idea how wonderful the weather can be. We do dream of snow for Christmas and usually don't get any, but the beautiful sunny crisp days well make up for it. I always think that a white Christmas would be just perfect, not thinking of all the turmoil that comes with it. I dare say we Texans have no clue how to drive on ice or snow covered roads.....heck, from what I have experienced most are having a hard time with their driving skills on dry roads. I am one that craves sunshine.....dark gloomy days can get me down in a hurry. Trace was just telling me yesterday, that Texans are amongst the lowest numbers experiencing depression. I truly believe our weather has a big influence on that. The one big draw back on all this nice weather is NO SCHOOL or JOB CLOSINGS. I think we all need a break, a reprieve from the day in day out drudgery. I can remember sitting in front of the TV as a child waiting to hear if my school was gonna close due to bad weather. It always seemed like my school was the last one to call in to say they would be closed, so us kids still had to get up, get dressed and sit and wait. I am really gonna date myself, but I can remember the first time I could wear pants to school.....yes PANTS people. Little girls wore dresses and boys wore pants, now when the temperature went below freezing they would permit us little girls to wear pants, now get this....I didn't even own any pants, jeans or whatever so I had to put on a pair of my brothers. OH MY GOSH!!!!! I loved them! My little legs warm and covered and just the comfort that wearing pants had over a dress. I can't remember exactly what grade I was in....maybe the fourth, sometime in the early 60's....and I can't remember when exactly the dress code changed and girls were allowed to wear pants just like the boys, but I know it was a time of celebration for us girls. Gosh, how times have changed. Well, anyhow, I do love my Texas and all it's crazy weather, be it 80 degree temps in the winter or snow falling in the spring. You can always count on NOT being able to count on our forecast. It's any ones guess what the weather is gonna be from one day to the next. A great big ole Texas, Howdy and take care.....till next time.

A Christmas Vacation

2007-12-18T07:51:00.000-06:00

Trace and I ventured out once more to try and find an end to this present buying......good grief!!! will it ever end. Ya know, Trace and I have talked for years about polling our monies spent on presents each year and traveling off to some exotic destination for Christmas.......wouldn't that be a blast! The only shopping that would need to be done is for the new clothes we might want to take. We have dreamed of a cabin in some snow covered mountain where we have nothing to do, but play games, sit by a roaring fire drinking hot chocolate and enjoying being together......or..... some warm tropical place just might fit our fancy. We could sit on a warm beach, watching the waves roll in and out......feel the warm tropical breeze on our faces and just lax out and enjoy the atmosphere.....WOW! that sounds soooo great! I wanna do it. To escape from this money generated, over the top, carnival that has become Christmas would suit me to a tee. I know that you don't have to buy into it and that it can remain as simple as you like.....but....geez, why not spend it somewhere that totally transforms it into a wonderful vacation. I do see it in our future....maybe not next year, but sometime in the near future......I can't wait! Till next time.

Once A Year Gathering

2007-12-17T07:49:00.000-06:00

It seems just like yesterday I was blogging about seeing family that I only see usually once a year at our annual Christmas feast.....now, here it has come and gone again. There were certainly faces I missed seeing due to illness. There was a big void from the absence of my Uncle Bud and Aunt Billie. I wish them well and hope good health is restored. It's hard for my brain to wrap around the idea that I am getting closer to being amongst the oldest generation in our family. WOW! I sometimes still feel like the young generation, like me and my cousins should still be hanging out and talking and doing the things that we did in our youth.....boy, am I delusional???? I just can't seem to convince myself that, girl, you are getting to be an OLD LADY. I have been growing my hair out long....just one more time, I keep thinking. I ask Traci, just the other day.....do I look like an old hag with this long hair? She assures me that I do not, but the reflection in the mirror tells a different story. There are days that I think I can pull it off, but then, like the day I was in a fitting room in a store trying on clothes and I thought....GOOD GRIEF! I look HORRIBLE! I so want to blame it on the lighting and of course the carnival mirrors they use in those dressing rooms didn't help my situation either. I vote for candle light and NO mirrors, we can just go by how the clothes feel and not worry about how they look. Oh Well, at least I know that everyone of my age and generation are dealing with the same issues and I am not alone. I do have some solace in that. I am just glad to still be here and healthy enough to enjoy it. I hope that the new year brings health and happiness to us all and that next Christmas all absent this year will be able to attend our once a year gathering. Till next time.

Christmas Follies

2007-12-15T07:27:00.000-06:00

I am up this morning blogging and it isn't even 7:30.......on a Saturday morning! I really wasn't ready to get up, but Baxter was having a nature call, so when I got up to let him out, I just stayed up. I have still been shopping, tho I thought I was almost thru on my second trip out. I never seem to be able to say....OK, THAT'S IT! I still have a couple of things to get and I am gonna HAVE to say DONE!

Trace and I watched several Christmas movies this week. Our all time favorite, It's A Wonderful Life. That one touches the heart like no other and makes a profound statement. I never tire of watching the old classics. Gone With The Wind is one of my all time favorite movies....I read the book too and enjoyed it, but the extra children seemed to take away some of the romance for me. I like Bonnie Blue being the only child. She was the one true thing in their mixed up relationship......the bond, they both loved so much. I am a sucker for a good Love Story.

I don't know what this day brings. Wayne and I are suppose to go to the movies. The new one with Will Smith in it came out yesterday......the one where he is the last man on earth. We are on our own today. Trace and family have left this morning traveling to her in laws. It is their tradition to go out in search of a tree the week before Christmas. I hope the weather is accommodating for them and they find the perfect tree. I don't know what Dan and his family are doing today......I'm sure playing catch up. With both of them working, they have a lot on their plate on the weekends to take care of.

I have one more thought before I go. Ya know, I said I was gonna try my hardest to have the Christmas spirit while out and about, saying hello, Merry Christmas and such.....well, yesterday posed quite the test. There were people out everywhere. I had cars pull out in front of me, ones that would not get out of the way and countless other brain dead acts that really got on my nerves and provoked horn blowing and yelling of words like, STUPID JACKASS!!!! I tried so hard and kept telling myself....keep the Christmas spirit, Sonia.....couldn't do it, lost it. Hopefully I have renewed myself and can start again the next trip out.

Be safe and take care. Till next time.

Scrooge

2007-12-12T07:18:00.000-06:00

I'm disgruntled this morning,

No Christmas bliss;

What used to be fun,

Is somehow amiss;

The hustle, the bustle,

I'm now in the dumps;

Who cares about Santa,

and his reindeer chumps;

The pressure, the tension,

I want to scream;

Be glad when it's over,

This nightmarish dream;

I know we must think,

He's the reason for the season;

but, what I can see,

It's not he, that we're pleasin;

Why can't we just do,

What we all want to do;

To the rest, say BAH! HUMBUG!,

Won't do it, I'm through;

I know I'll get over,

This cranky ole state;

Today's view, is quite fleeting,

It's passing, I'll wait;

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays,

Who gives a crap;

The money we spend ,

All those presents to wrap;

All the time that it took,

Putting under the tree;

In seconds, it's over,

What a mess there will be;

Where is my spirit,

Where did it go;

I have always, loved Christmas,

But, this one thing, I know;

It's lost it's innocents,

The simplicity of youth;

We said Merry Christmas,

and said it in truth,

No, feelings of pressure,

Like those of today;

Just wonderment of Santa,

His reindeer and sleigh;

I want it back,

The excitement and joy;

I hate being grown up,

dealing with things, that annoy;

I want to be happy,

and have lots of fun;

I'll go back in time,

In my mind, till it's done;

I want to say MERRY CHRISTMAS!,

and say it with glee;

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,

Even Ebenezer and me.

Still Shopping

2007-12-06T07:51:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I did some private shopping......No Trace, with me. I have to have time to buy things that she doesn't know about. I started out early.....I was out and going down the road by 7:30 AM. My first stop was at Target's. I found some pretty good presents in there. It was wonderful walking around in a virtually empty store. Next, I went over to TJ Max, I saw a lot of cute things ,but walked out empty handed.......I started that, should I buy this, or should I not. In my argument with myself , I just decided to get out of that store and went to Old Navy. I picked up some more bargains in there and then I was off to Petco......No, I wasn't buying the dogs Christmas presents, but taking back a wireless fence we had bought for Gus. We want him to be able to roam the yard and limit his straying. We thought this thing was gonna be GREAT! It had such good potential, but something, be it all the trees or whatever, it wouldn't do right. The collar would shock when it wasn't suppose to and didn't when it was. I exchanged it for the in ground cable one. We are hoping for good results from it. Anyway, from there I went into the mall. I shopped almost all the stores, wore out and made my way back home. I am so happy that I almost have all my shopping done and did it in 2 outings. Now, comes the wrapping part....UGH!!!! I am always sooooo glad when that is over. I dread it so, but then love to look at all the colorful packages. I start getting anxious about this time and just want to give everyone their stuff. We use to have all our presents opened by at least a week before Christmas. I know, everyone thought we were crazy, but hey, it became tradition with us. Now, that my kids have kids they do their present opening when they want to......we are all pretty flexible on the rules and that there shouldn't be any. Anyhow, I better get up and get myself started on this wrapping thing. Till next time.

Foods And Our Health

2007-12-04T07:25:00.000-06:00

We got a lot of running around done yesterday. We went to the Post Office, Denton Paper, Bank, Walmart.....again, and lastly Sprout's. Hey Doll, do ya'll have a Sprout's in Plano? It is really a great store to get home grown vegetables with no pesticides or any foreign stuff put on them ........finally, vegetables and fruits that taste like the ones I remember as a girl. Yesterday they had sweet yellow onions and an array of other things. This is the store that Trace gets all her organic stuff.....now, I haven't totally switched to all their products........couldn't afford to, but I do enjoy the fruits and vegetables I get there. I don't know why, we Americans put up with our vegetables and fruits having poison put on them and why we allow our meats to be filled with hormones and injected with red dye to make it look fresh when in reality, it isn't. Do we really think we are eating healthy when we are consuming all those additives. Sprout's even has a meat market.....fresh.....really fresh hamburger meat and some very delectable looking kabobs already for the grill, huge stuffed pork chops that can just be put in the oven for a quick and easy meal by throwing a few veggy's around them. I have found the prices on their meats to be very reasonable. I will also say that some of the brands they carry can be found at Wally's.....like Kashi and some others that are totally organic with no preservatives and such. The one thing I had to get use to was preparing what I bought there quicker than the things from the other
stores because without the preservatives things don't last FOREVER like what we are use to. Remember the potato cellar or having to keep things in the fridge to make them last longer.....well, that was good ole FRESH food. We have forgotten about fresh and how good it taste. We want to stock food like we are going to go into hibernation for a year or so......What's up with that????? I don't get it. I know, back in the 80's, I too was enamored with Sam's and loved the idea of going and buying enormous quantities of stuff, that first of all, I didn't have the room to store it all.....I mean, my house isn't set up like a grocery store and second of all, we tired of whatever food I had bought in abundance and usually it turned out to be a waste cause we didn't eat it, it was thrown away. I tired of that scenario very quickly......heck, just carrying in all that was like unloading a semi at a grocery store....who needs that? My sweet Aunt Jo is a die hard, go to the store every day, shopper and I guarantee her meals are as fresh as a meal from a major grocery store can be. She still lives by the old ways. Food should be consumed in a timely matter.....something that has sat on a shelf for months or even years should be tossed out....it was bad enough for us when we first bought it, I can just imagine what the months has done to break down all the foreign ingredients added to these to make us think they are still editable. I tell you, it is a conspiracy! If they can't get us to kill ourselves with their over medicating pills then they will just let us eat ourselves to death.....slowly, being poisoned with their additives. Why, we think our government is looking out for us on these matters is beyond me.....it all goes back to the old mighty dollar. If they can get more meat off of a cow that has been injected with hormones, then that's exactly what their gonna do......who cares what all those hormones do to us. I wonder, is there a study going on, on that?????, or are they still trying to find out what cow burbs do to the environment? We are the walking, talking guinea pigs of all these new money making techniques they have come up with.......no wonder we all suffer from some pretty strange things these days....aches and pains that seem to have no origin, women who cannot get pregnant, our lack of the ability to handle stress.....I think they may all have something in common........what we put in our mouths! Don't you find it ironic that with all the new ailments of today, magically there is a PILL to take for it. Tho, I have not cut out buying preservative loaded foods, I am trying to eat as many fresh foods as I can and I know that to really rid my diet of these poisons I would have to cut out going out to eat......I'm not ready to ban that as yet......but I do wish everyone from our grocers to our restaurants would demand FRESH foods, not tainted with pesticides or preservatives.....that would be the real way to help the American people stay healthier. Maybe, it is all these additives that other countries don't have that make them leaner and healthier than us. Think about it people. Till next time.

Girls Day Out

2007-12-03T07:46:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was blissful.....Trace and I went out shopping, just us girls.....no kids....no men, YAHOO!!! We had the best time. We started out with a delicious lunch at On The Border, Mexican food.....my all time favorite. We then made our way to the Lewisville Mall, quite surprising, it wasn't crowded at all....imagine that? With only 3 more weekends till Christmas we were expecting LARGE crowds of people. I have to admit that I wound up buying more for myself, than presents for others, but I just couldn't resist some of the great bargains on some cute clothes I found. I have many gift ideas swimming around in my head....seems tho, when I get into a store my mind goes BLANK. We left the Mall and zipped back to Flower Mound to an absolutely wonderful Walmart they have just opened there.....we found the crowds of people.....who knew they were all shopping at Walmart? Oh, let me tell you, it is a Grand store, not like any Walmart I have ever been in. I was afraid that the prices were going to reflect the hoity toity atmosphere of this new giant, but as soon as we entered, I saw that yellow smiling head, with a price slashed underneath it and knew.....bargains were to be had. It was great! I can definitely see myself make the drive to shop there. Funny, but when we started our jaunt it was warm and muggy, so fittingly, I wore Capri's and a T shirt. On our way out of the Mall the wind had changed direction and was blowing MUCH cooler air. I was longing for my sweat shirt and jeans. The sun was still shining as we entered Wally's, but on our retreat it was dark and MUCH colder. Texas weather.......you never know what to wear. You can start off fine, like we did, but then in the span of just a couple of hours it's like you flew off to another country or something. Don't get me wrong, I love my Texas. I was lucky enough to be born and raised here, but I have always had a desire to be in a beautiful snow covered quaint little town for the holidays and somewhere tropical.....Hawaii would do, for the rest of the time. I can dream, can't I?

We have a long list of errands to do today......groceries to buy and a trip to the Post Office and so on and so on. I better get up and get things started. Till next time.

Hunter's Bistro

2007-12-02T09:22:00.000-06:00

I want to tell you friends........make way for the new, upcoming, prize winning, chef. That 12 year old grandson of ours is a prodigy in the kitchen. He has an inborn talent with food. Wayne and I were caregivers of Traci's 3 yesterday. This was a late birthday present to RB.....the gift of time, ya know.......that's my specialty.......Anyway, I made a trip to the store and Hunt asked if I would buy some Avocados. He has had his own dip recipe stuck in his head for several weeks now. His prompting on this was home grown jalapenos from Dan's garden. I had told him...NO, but as always, I caved and not only bought the Avocados, but tomatoes and chilies as well. Let me tell you that boy took those ingredients added some of those superb peppers and with a few more dashes of secrets, made the BEST guacamole I have ever had.....bar none. He knows the right ingredients to put together to make a sumptuous taste. He has kneaded together some really wonderful breads, adding spices and cheeses to them, just like a pro. The best part is, that he has a real passion for cooking. To me, the idea of making money doing something you love is about the best thing in the world.......so many of us spend a lifetime working at something we absolutely hate and despise going to every day. Kudos to him.......I want to do nothing , but encourage him and be the first to congratulate him on the opening of HUNTER'S BISTRO.

I don't know what talents lay in wait from our other grand sons, but I know, they each have a uniqueness and when they find their passion and work towards it, they will be successful and have a happy work life. The possibilites are limitless, I have every confidence in each one......words from a doteting Granny. Till next time.

Families At Christmas

2007-12-01T08:25:00.000-06:00

As I lay asleep in bed,

Dreams of Christmas,

Fill my head;

Who I'll see,

What gift to buy,

I love this day,

and I know why;

Together it brings us,

From near and far,

Our travels so distant,

Requires a car;

With packages and food,

The car is packed tight,

Start up the engine,

We're off on our flight;

Excited to see,

Faces seen once a year,

Tho, distance separates us,

We're family, that's clear;

Family's the best part,

gifts take second place,

The hugs and the kisses,

To each other, We race;

It is sad when it's over,

Back to our lives,

Till next year,

When it once more arrives.

Friday Dribble

2007-11-30T07:44:00.000-06:00

Seems to have been a very short week. One day blurs into another. The weather has been just gorgeous. I love the crispness in the air with the bright sun shining........great for walking. This morning is dark and drab.....cool front coming in, I suppose.
Great news! My knee is back to normal.....no pain what so ever......YEAH!!! I am still pampering it and being very careful not to hurt it when doing our workout. We did Yoga using the ball yesterday.....I just skipped over the ones that put too much pressure on my knees. I sure don't want to hurt the other one. I really do love the energy and great feeling I get from exercising.......being able to do it with Trace is just the motivation I need. To me, walking is my acupuncture.....totally de stresses me. Trace and I usually use this time to do a lot of venting, which, I feel helps. It is much easier to meditate or just not think of your woes if you first can talk them out with someone.....a clearing of the mind. Helps me, anyway.
The weekend is here and I am excited. We have so many things on our agenda. I love being busy....makes me feel ALIVE! I don't mean busy, with the day in day out stuff. I am talking about going places and seeing people, busy. I know to sit and do nothing is most people's dream, but I look on it as wasted time. I am trying to get as much living done as I possibly can. I am sure there will be plenty of sit and do nothing days, in the years to come. I love the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I know it is a BIG stressful time for people and most of the joy has been sapped right out of it, but I also feel that most, still love it and get enjoyment of some sort at this time.....be it seeing old friends, being with family, cooking up goodies, decorating the house, what ever brings you happiness is in abundance at this time of year. We just have to take the bad with the good and try and make the positives out weigh the negatives.
Till next time.....be aware of your surroundings, while out shopping. Try and not shop alone....take care and be safe.

Decorations

2007-11-28T07:48:00.000-06:00

I did my Christmas decorating yesterday. My tidings are pretty sparse, but I did what I could. I had 4 or 5 boxes of stuff to go thru and pick from, but I will admit that I only opened 2. My space is so limited that I didn't want to come off junky so what I did choose to display had to be strategically placed. I am definitely omitting the tree. My dining table is holiday friendly and I put a lit wreath on the wall for some merriment with a sign above it wishing SEASON"S GREETINGS. I did put a wreath on my outside door and placed a tower of boxes, made of some kind of basket type material, painted bright Christmas colors, with lights entwined on them to sit at the side of the door and light up the way. I am hoping for Christmas cards this year......last year was pretty disappointing. I LOVE to get Christmas cards. I always send them out. I feel it is the least I can do to reach all the people I love and let them know they are special and definitely thought of . I know the stamps keep going higher and higher, but it is still an economical way of saying HI. All who read my blog, get the word out......Sonia LOVES to get Christmas cards......Now send them.......DANG IT!

I hate to admit it, but I am still having some knee problems. I continued to work out with Trace and I think I keep re hurting it. We did a pretty strenuous work out yesterday and by the time I walked back to my house the back side of my knee was paining me. I tried working it out, but it never felt right. We did not do our walk, which probably would have worked it out. It was feeling much better by last night and I took an Ibuprofen when I went to bed......it's not bad at all this morning, but I am definitely NOT going to do a work out with Trace this morning. I am going to give it time to heal. I do intend to go on our walk tho. I really do love the stretching and slow movements of Yoga......I think it has done more to tone me and lengthen my muscles than any aerobics I have done. You don't realize how our bodies tend to get stove up and it is from nothing but the non use of our muscles that cause this. I felt sore in muscles that I haven't used in years.......flexibility is the key people......we have to keep moving and stretching.....keep our old bodies as limber as possible.

My mind has just turned off so I guess that means the end of this blog.....I will say, till next time.

Good Will To Men

2007-11-27T07:38:00.000-06:00

Oh that Trace!!!! What A nut.....I don't know where she gets it???? Her story of trying to strike up a conversation with a stranger, puts me in mind of a Christmas several years ago. Trace and I were at the local Walmart, waiting just inside the door for a basket. The place was covered over with people....no baskets to be had. We wait patiently, till finally someone comes pushing one into the basket return.....well, before I could grab it, a woman, not standing there waiting, came walking up, snatched that basket and gave us the old, go to hell look. I was totally mortified and appalled and said......WELL, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! She never even looked back, so much for the Christmas spirit and good will to men. People are becoming less and less considerate of others.....hence, road rage and all the other moments of rage we experience in our lives. No one cares about any one else......all out for NUMBER ONE. This impoliteness knows no age. It shows up in the elderly all the way down to our youth in this country. I come from a generation where men would hold a door open for a lady.....not anymore, I have had young guys let me open the door for them, they walk in, never saying thank you or anything. I just don't get it. What happened to manners, simple politeness? That is totally becoming the downfall of this country. It is an anomaly these days to find anyone who has a smile and a greeting for you......even those that work with the public and are suppose to be friendly. We are consumed in our need and greed for the perfect present, for that undeserving person, setting aside all thoughts of consideration or compassion for the other billion shoppers out there on the same mission. It's sad, people.....very sad. With Christmas looming over us, I dare say, this is just the beginning of the encounters with disgruntled people. I, for one am going to try and be polite and use the manners, my Mother taught me. I will smile and say hello even tho, I know most of my greetings will go unnoticed and unappreciated. It's really how you feel in your heart that counts and maybe, just maybe, what I put out there will come back to me........I'm going to give it a try and will report back my findings after the holidays. Till next time.

Yoga, Cooking And Man Problems

2007-11-21T07:26:00.000-06:00

I finally did it.....while doing yoga yesterday, my left knee did a LOUD POP and I am experiencing some pain in that knee, still this morning. It didn't really hurt THAT bad when it popped, but it was after that when I was getting ready to go for our walk that something happened and I got a catch in there and didn't think I was gonna be able to walk. I could bend the knee with no pain , but then when it came back to straightening it, that's when it would HURT!!! I kept working with it, bending it back and forth and putting my weight on it until it was tolerable to walk. I made it thru our walk, but I can still tell there is something not just right about it, because it still catches sometimes and is still paining me a little. I don't intend to let it get me down......onward and upward! I do intend to be more careful with it and not do anymore damage to it.

I am doing my Thanksgiving cooking today. I am fixing fresh green beans with new potatoes and a Strawberry cake......my Mother in laws favorite. I love the warm cozy feel a house gets when there is cooking going on. A cake in the oven is better than any air freshener you can buy. I am trying to get ahead of myself and do everything this morning.......when I have all day and all the evening. I guess I just get excited and antsy.

I want to rant and rave just a little........My dear husband seemed to have a personal problem this morning. Even in sleep, I could hear him slamming and banging about the house......in a few minutes in was standing beside my side of the bed and in a very angry voice asked.....WHERE ARE MY JEANS!!!!! I DO HAVE 3 PAIR.....RIGHT?????? I CAN ONLY FIND 2. Kind of startled, I said, one may be dirty and in the wash......I LOOKED THERE ALREADY, was his reply. With a quick kiss to my forehead and a BYE, with much disdain in his voice, he was gone. I was up just shortly after that, never really going back to sleep. The first thing I did after getting the coffee going was to go see WHERE his jeans could be.....Lord knows, I hide them from him. Well, I open his chest of drawers and.....what do you know, there sat, folded neatly under 2 other pair of jeans he had dug out and thrown on top of.....was the pair he was looking for. I am owed a HUGE apology, not only for being upset with me, but wanting to have this heated conversation, while I was trying to sleep. It really amazes me that the one person, he supposedly loves the most, he can be SOOOO RUDE to. I would never do that to him. I'm going to let him hear about it when he gets home today. I truly don't think he realizes how rude he is sometimes. Ya know, even if the jeans weren't in his drawer, that was no reason to get all upset and act like a spoiled child.

That's my do for the day. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!! Till next time.

Good Cheer

2007-11-20T07:51:00.000-06:00

Holidays are upon us,

They come with heartfelt cheer;

To be with the ones you love the most,

The ones you hold so dear;

Hold this time, in great delight,

A time, our love, can show;

Happy Thanksgiving!

Family and friends,

and all of those we know;

The Holiday's

2007-11-19T09:00:00.000-06:00

I am up and moving fast this morning.....don't know why. I feel like I have so much to do, but really.....I don't. I have already made our bed, cleaned the bathroom, got dishes washing......I'm really ahead of the game. I did our washing yesterday, so no clothes to wash. I still need to get the floors cleaned and I have some errands I need to do, but it wouldn't be horrible if I don't get it all done today. I think I am already getting excited about going to Wayne's sister's house for Thanksgiving. The drive is going to be spectacular. We are planning on taking the scenic route. I guess it has been since last years holidays that we have seen Sharon and family, so it will be a nice visit. I am really looking forward to it.
Sharon was just 12 years old when Wayne and I married. I thought she was the sweetest and dearest little girl. I think we clicked right off the bat. I remember her and I giggling at my first dinner with all of them........I was sooooo nervous and very insecure, she lightened a very tense time for me. I guess for her it is hard to remember life before me. I must say, I have to think way back to get to the time before them. I still had a lot of growing up to do when I married at 18, but you know what, I think I did it, being the best wife and Mother that I could be. I take great pride in my home, my marriage, my children and now, grandchildren. Wife and Mother was definitely my calling in this life. Nothing I could have accomplished in the career world could have been more fulfilling for me. I never even considered a career, not even as a little girl. I always played wife and mother. It is such a great and significant role to play.
Well, it is already after 9:oo this morning and my work out mate still hasn't called......she must be sleeping in this morning. I am such a morning person and you know what.......I never would have believed I could be when I was a young girl....I sure am now, tho. Oh well, enough of the reminiscing.....till next time.

The Missing

2007-11-16T07:59:00.000-06:00

My freedom has once more come to me.......yesterday being Traci and Randy's last day of their seminar. The kids were really no problem, as a matter of fact Hunt and Jay stayed at their house most of the time......heck, they slept till around 2:00 in the afternoon yesterday. I had to roust them up the day before that cause I wanted to take them to the park where we were gonna meet Katherine and Mason so Kan and him could play. Everything has gone smoothly except I had a terrible fright night before last. Wayne and I were getting ready to go to bed and I went to put Baxter in his carrier, much to my surprise he wasn't in the house. Now, the cold front had come in and it was cold and dark, VERY unusual for Baxter to be outside, most nights he beats us to bed and gets in his carrier by himself. I was quite puzzled, but thought that maybe he had ran out when Traci came over to tell us of their learning's of the day. I went to the door and nope, no Baxter. I hollered and hollered into the nights air, but there was no sight of him anywhere.......I just couldn't believe it, GONE just GONE. We went on to bed, but I got up several times thru the night to see if he was at the door wanting in. Morning came and still no sign of my little Baxter. I was heart sick. All I could think of was that a coyote or some other wild animal must have gotten him. I got myself dressed and started walking the area. The old guy that lives down the road and walks every morning was out so I asked him if he had seen my little dog. He told me, he had. Baxter was down across the street from his house and ran into the woods on that side of the street. I just couldn't figure........WHY he had done this. He had never ran off before. I got in my jeep and combed the neighborhood.......no sign of him anywhere. I got back home and walked to the back and guess what I found?????? GUS, was nowhere to be seen. The cable he was on was gone and so was he. It all started making sense to me. Gus got loose and Baxter followed him off into the night, well, this scared me more cause I knew Gus absolutely runs amok when not confined. I called and called those dummies. Finally late into the morning, I had gone back out to call some more and here comes little Baxter running towards me.......I was ecstatic.....so glad to see him. I got him in the house and tried to coax Gus to come to me, but he wanted no part of being put into captivity again. I had to just leave him alone and eventually he did come and lay in and around the house all day until he let Hunt get close enough to hang on to him for me. I had to dig up a collar cause his collar and the cable and all were gone. I walked him back to the fenced area and led him in, with only one buck of distain from him. He is safe and secure and my little Baxter, after a good bath and the cutting of stickers out of his little feet is home. We can only speculate what had happened to cause these events to occur. I started it by feeling sorry for Gus. He was in the fenced area and he only has a big carrier thing, not a real dog house and I was afraid he was going to get cold thru the night. I told Wayne he should be moved to the shed that's out back to block the cold wind off of him. So, Wayne went out and moved him and we don't know if the cable wasn't connected or what, but he escaped taking my little Baxter with him in his caper. I really do feel sorry for him.....I know he wants to be free, but he is a bad boy and would terrorize the neighborhood. Our neighbors have two little bunnies that they do let hop about their backyard......I would hate to say what would happen to those bunnies if Gus saw them. We just can't chance it, knowing he is aggresive to cats and other little animals. In my grievance of Baxter's dissapearance I wrote this poem.

Contless hours, I sit and wait,
Where have you gone, what was your fate;
I think of you, alone and cold,
I want you back, my arms to hold;
You loved me always, bad or good,
and I loved you, as best I could;
Into the night, you ran and ran,
thoughts of you scared, I could not stand;
Please find your way, back to my heart,
I do not want, this way, to part;
I pray to God, show you the way,
Come back to me, come back today;

with that I will say......Till next time.

Wonderful Travels

2007-11-13T08:08:00.000-06:00

We are back, since Monday afternoon. Wayne had two more days of vacation so he is home with me till tomorrow. I can't seem to get much done when he is home.......at least, writing wise. It was great seeing Andy and Linda. We had a good time visiting with them and making our rounds to the numerous casinos there. I must say, none were as fun as our good ole Winstar. I did have a run of luck on the Wheel of Fortune. I won over one hundred dollars at one casino and then playing the same game at another one, won over two hundred more. I was ecstatic........YAHOO!!!! finally, I can say......I WON! We came back with almost all the money we went with......BONUS!

The trip going there was absolutely wonderful. I did see the most beautiful sights.......trees all aglow with spectacular colors. We went thru Helena, Mississippi.......which is just about the most gorgeous town, I think I have ever seen. There were BIG old houses that must have been very old and the streets were lined HUGE, towering trees..... Pecans, Oaks, Cottonwoods all in vivid colors. I know those trees were hundreds of years old. The trees grow twice as big there as what we have here in Texas.......maybe the extra moisture that they get there. I don't know, but they are GRAND!

I must tell you tho, that a menopausal woman cannot and should not try to stay in the same room with another couple. I just about burned up.....I couldn't sleep half naked, like usual and there was no ceiling fan. I thought I was gonna melt away like the wicked old witch in The Wizard Of Oz. I don't know what Linda's status is as far as menopause, but she wore long sleeved winter looking PJ's.......with me, still wearing a summery sleeveless tank top and still just dieing thru the night. I wish I could just get back to normal.....my normal, anyway.

Traci and Randy are attending a seminar in Dallas, which started yesterday. They are there from 8:00 AM till 7:00 PM. It is a three day thing, today being day 2. Wayne and I are here with the kids. It is great being so close that the kids can be at their house if they want to and just come over when they need or want something. Kannon has even done real well. I just knew he would wake up yesterday, see his Mama was gone and start crying, but he didn't. He asked where she was and definitely would have liked for her to be here, but he went on about his playing and did fine.

That's all the news I have for now so I will say......till next time.

Combo Deal

2007-11-07T07:44:00.000-06:00

I came down sick.......ugggg! It is just the typical old cold. My head and sinuses are clogged. I have been medicating myself with the usual over the counter remedies, but I also have Hunt using some of his new worldly connotations to pray me well, along with Traci's organically based hot tea laced with, be well herbal ingredients. I do feel better than yesterday, but can't say exactly which helped the most....maybe a combination of all. I still have enough energy to do our ball routine, which we did this morning and I think we are gonna go on our walk also.....see, I'm not too sick. With the kids not going to public school, we thought we would be safe from getting most of the stuff they brought home to all of us, but alas a friend of Hunter's, a school going friend, came over hacking and sick and gave it to the kids and then I caught it from them.

Wayne and I are planning a little trip. We are leaving as soon as he gets home Friday, heading towards Mississippi. We are meeting Wayne's cousin and his wife there.....Andy and Linda. We have a great time together. We all went on vacation together year before last and had the best time ever. Our plan started out to be just a drive to see some of the beautiful colors of the leaves......my idea, of course. Wayne, asked if I would like to go on to Mississippi and invite Andy and Linda to meet us there. They will be coming from Alabama, so it's a little further for us and that's why we are leaving Friday. We should get there about the same time on Saturday. I am looking so forward to it. I LOVE to travel and then getting to be with people you love is just a bonus. I have been packing in my mind all week. It is just gonna be for a couple of days, but with this ever changing weather you never know what type of clothing your gonna need. I guess, I will take a little of everything.....just in case.

I think that's about it for today. I am making ready for our walk, guess I'll stop and say.....till next time.

Dogs and Fences

2007-11-05T07:33:00.000-06:00

WOW! what a gorgoeous weekend we had.....couldn't ask for the weather to be any nicer. I wish I had an exciting story to tell of an adventure we had, but alas, twas quiet and most uneventful.

We spent most of Saturday getting the fenced in area secured for Gus. The fence is 6 ft and we are hoping that he has lost some of his agility over these past few years and won't be climbing out of this fence the way he did at our country home. He was a very bad boy......he would absolutely climb out of a chain link fence. This fence is higher and he is older and fatter so we hope the combination proves to keep him in.

On leaving Sunday we decided to put Baxter in the fenced area with him.....bad idea. That little booger dug his way out. Luckily Gus is not a digger, for one thing can you imagine how deep he would have to dig to get his big ole self out of there? I don't even see how Baxter fit thru the small opening....but he did.

Well, I am hoping to get the signal from Trace to go over and do our ball routine. I am raring to go. Till next time.

Friday and TheTactless Man

2007-11-02T08:48:00.000-05:00

Good Old Friday....once again. It really does seem like these weeks are just flying by. Yesterday turned out to be a stay at home day. I got some more, putting away done. I seem to have a knack for putting things away and finding a place for everything. I have, not used very much, stuff up in the attic. I have cleaned out and stowed away till the place isn't looking too junked up anymore. Now, the over sized furniture, I can't do much about that except to get rid of it and buy new smaller furniture. The bedroom set was a Valentine gift to me from Wayne several years ago. It holds some sentimental value and I really do like it. So, who cares if the bed takes up the whole room......in the bed, is where we're at, when we are in that room.......right?
Traci and I did the ball routine again this morning.......I really do love it! I think I may have to get the tape myself so I can do it when I want to. Trace switches out and does different tapes, but those tend to be too difficult for me. We do still walk too......most every day. That is my all time favorite thing to do. I could walk and walk and walk. This is not to say that I don't get tired, cause I do, but just a little breather and I am ready to go again.
Wayne has totally dropped the ball, as far as doing any kind of exercise. He wants to lose weight so bad, but puts no effort in it.......oh now, he would beg to differ. He thinks that cutting down to one HUGE plate of food at meal times is all he has to do. He's in denial, people. He thinks he can shed those pounds effortlessly, like he did when he was a young man.....just cut back on the intake and WA....LA!!!! He really cracks me up. He was telling me the other day that he just didn't understand how I diet and exercise all the time and .....get this.....get no results. Was that a big ole slap in the face, or what??? As soon as he gets it out of his mouth he starts trying to tell me that's not what he meant, but HELLOOOO, there is no other way to take it. I told him that maybe I don't have the body that I did as a young woman, but just think what I would look like if I didn't watch what I eat and exercise the way I do. It's a dang good thing that I have as much self esteem as I do cause he sure aint no ego builder. He has never been one to give a compliment, but it seems the older he gets the less tact he has. This age brings on so many things for a woman to be insecure about. It's a time in life when a women wants to hear that she is still beautiful and desirable........I think he needs to have a chat with Dr. Phil or have a swift hit to the head with my frying pan. If I didn't know that he comes by this trait naturally I would really be offended. Doll knows who I speak of.....right, Doll? Oh well, I still love him, warts and all.
Have a GREAT weekend. Till next time.

A Ball Of Fun

2007-11-01T07:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Traci and I started yet another exercise routine.....this one is soooo fun. We have big exercise balls that we use and it is really just a lot of stretching and posing. You would never believe how much it works out your body.....I am really sore this morning. It was great fun, very low impact, but yet moves along fast enough as to not get bored with it. The lady on the tape is on a mat outside in Hawaii, the back drop being the beautiful blue ocean with waves cracking on the rocks....how calming and serene is that? That ball can pose quite a test sometimes.......have you ever tried to balance yourself, laying on your back, on a round thing, while kicking one leg in the air.....hey! this takes some real coordination. My first attempt to do a circus act like that, I found myself propelled off the ball and hitting the couch knocking it a few feet backwards. Trace and I found this quite hilarious and had to really work at getting our composer back to finish our work out. Anyway, I highly recommend it.....lots of fun and good for the ole bod.

This was another great Halloween. The kids decided to hook up to one of the trailers and pull the little ones around in the neighborhood that is right down from us. Wayne and I stayed at Traci's to hand out the candy for the little trick or treaters that might show up. She had a strobe light, fog machine and thunder cracking, to get us all in the Halloween spirit. Sad to say we only had one car to stop, but that's one of the disadvantages of living in the country. The kids returned with huge smiles and filled sacks.....seems the neighbors were very generous. I am so glad to know that there are still those out there that hold to the Halloween tradition. The giving of candy to dressed up, excited children that have no malice or wrong doing in their little hearts just the promise of candy by saying those three little words......TRICK OR TREAT!

We never made it to our historical outing yesterday. Today may hold some new and exciting things for us. I will clue you in tomorrow.....Till next time.

Flashes Of Heat Amongst The Fun Called Life

2007-10-31T07:15:00.000-05:00

This is probably going to be short and sweet, but here goes. I must say, seems life has gone into extra fast mode these days. I am busy with the ever challenge to make it thru this menopause status that's likes to consume me every now and then. I have had some GREAT nights, where I slept the whole night thru with no awakenings to a sweaty body, but then just when I think I may be making to the end of this saga in my life, it starts up again. The last two nights have just been horrific. I know I must have woke up at least 5 times to that inner heat that makes me shed the covers. I pull my top up to my chin allowing as much of the cool air to hit my body and make the furnace within me turn off. What the heck IS THAT????? Of all the weird things for a body to do.....why would it heat up like that? I never was much of a sweater. I could run and be out in the heat and never have a bead of sweat run down my face, but now, with no physical activity I can have it pouring off of me. Weird.....really weird. I have panic attacks of wearing something that is too warm for those heated moments. I never know when they shall hit so I have to prepare and make ready for them. Winter is really gonna pose a problem for me cause I love to wear sweaters and sweat shirts, but the thought of having a big WARM thing on me like that makes me sweat just thinking about it.

Now, that I am closer to Traci we have been walking again....I sure do love it. I started a Yoga routine with her the other day.....boy, am I sore over it. We are gonna do it every other day......so today is the day. I hope it will work some of the soreness out of me.

We have down sized once again to a small 2 bedroom house. This has been quite a task, trying to make room for all the things that we acquired while we were in the 3 bedroom very roomy house. Our bedroom furniture is HUGE and does not fit into the small bedroom here. We have just our bed and the two night stands at the end of it to sit our TV on and that is it.....room totally filled. It truly is a BED room. The other two pieces of the set is in the other bedroom along with our office stuff....computer desks and book shelves. Yep, we are wall to wall. It is amazing how much stuff you accumulate and seems the more room you have the more you need. I like this down sizing and the cleansing of our junk, makes the things you keep seem new and special. I love this little space. It has so much charm and is filled with windows allowing so much of the outside in.

The setting is country....which I love. We wake to roosters crowing. I have seen deer on several occasions. We have seen the signs of wild hogs and have heard coyotes howling into the night.....even heard a owl hooting one morning. The sounds and sights of the wildlife are wonderful...we really do love it!

That's it for today....Trace will be flagging me over to start our Yoga. We are taking the kids to downtown Denton to find some the historical places and learn of the things that took place there......FUN! Till next time.

The Writer In Me

2007-10-25T09:48:00.000-05:00

Oh My Gosh!!!! I have been gone for so long I don't even know where to begin. We are residing at a new address and are really enjoying it. I think I will just start anew for too much time has passed to start from there.

I missed my writing,
I really did;
My ideas and thoughts,
whirl in my head;
So many topics, so much to say,
to unburden my heart and brighten my day;
I almost felt postal,
no outlet I found;
I want to write,
be it light hearted or profound;
The ailments of my menopause,
I can handle with quite ease;
as long as I can express myself,
in my writing, if you please;
I am back with a vengence,
hope you readers will see;
this menopausel women,
loves the writer, within me;

Hello to everyone, know that Wayne and I are well and living a fun and fullfilling life....Till next time.

TGIF

2007-09-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

I am so glad today is Friday.......the good ole weekend, here again. Wayne and I both seem to be pooped out. I slept till 8:00 this morning, which is highly unusual. I must admit I did a whole lotta nothin yesterday, but I just can't seem to get rested. I have been wanting Wayne to take another week of vacation.......I know he could really use the time off and I would enjoy him being home.

We went over to Traci's last night for grandson #3's birthday....that's our Kannon, three years old....doesn't seem like we have had him for 3 years already.

We stayed till a little after 8:00 and it was almost bedtime by the time we got home.......of course, Wayne napped in his chair as soon as he sat down. He was already heading for the bedroom by 9:30. He climbed right in and was OUT before I could even get in there. I had made a call to my cousin and talked with her for about 15 minutes before making my way in there. I had actually planned to watch a little more TV, just till I got drowsy, so I had turned it on before making my call....Just to find it off when I got in there. He has this thing about the TV going in the bedroom, Now, he can fall asleep in front of the TV in living room with no problem, but let me want to watch TV in the bedroom and he starts asking me to turn it down and acts like he can't get to sleep with it on.....go figure.

Not much else to talk about, maybe the weekend will bring some new exciting events that I can share with you. So I'll say, Till next time.

Man

2007-09-13T08:34:00.000-05:00

A man with menopause,

Oh, give me a break;

Not one, of the many symptoms,

could he take;

Think of all the things,

A woman goes thru;

starting with those PERIODS,

and giving Life anew;

I have often said,

if man should have a child;

There would be, just that one,

and it would grow up WILD;

A man to HAVE and rear a child,

To this, I have my doubt;

They have no clue to what it takes,

or what it's all about;

The Cramps, the pain of giving birth,

Pains, they could not endure;

There would be no procreation,

their sex drive it would cure;

That's the thing with most men,

couldn't make it to menopause;

Here lies poor Joe, he died ya know,

His FIRST period, was the cause.

Rainy Day

2007-09-10T07:50:00.000-05:00

I sit and drink my coffee,

I listen to the thunder;

The things I planned to do today,

may have to go asunder;

In pouring rain, is not the time,

you want to go outdoors;

All the mess that it will cause,

those wet and muddy floors;

Now, let me see, what can I do,

with time, to spend inside;

I'll wash the clothes and tidy up,

don't want to, I'll confide;

Clothes, they are a washing,

The bed, I've got it made;

Still want to do the things outside,

In bed, I wish I'd stayed;

I may just have to take the chance,

of getting myself soaked;

A little rain, never hurt no one,

No one has ever croaked;

I'll get up and I'll get dressed,

The rain, I hope, will stop soon;

If I get drenched, Oh, so what,

I'll be the creature from the black lagoon;

So, till next time, as I always say,

New things, will be on my mind;

I'll express them to you,

as best I can, with words, I like to find.

Hot Flashes And Stuff

2007-09-07T07:55:00.000-05:00

Here we are, at Friday again. Our much needed rain must have went else where.....the sun seems to be out and bright this morning. I have stayed pretty much house bound the last couple of days. All the moving over last weekend I think finally caught up with me and I just seem to want to lax out on the couch. I did how ever get both my bathrooms cleaned yesterday and all laundry caught up the day before that. Trace and I have a Wally's trip planned for today.

I am still feeling a little drug out this morning. My nights of late are filled with countless awakenings and hot flashes that seem to be quite intense right now. I don't know if my hormones are out of whack or just what the problem is, but I get so sick of having sweat running down between and underneath my boobies....I know that sounds disgusting.....and IT IS! I will awake from a a very deep sleep, just to find that my body feels as if I just ran a 20 mile marathon.....sweat wise, that is. When does this stop???? It has been YEARS now......can't it just STOP!

I really looked forward to the time of no periods, the freedom, I thought I would have, but this all encompassing take over of my body at will is really worse than a monthly visit from the yoo hoo man. At least with it, it came pretty regularly and was gone in just a few days. My one big question is WHY do they have to come thru the night????, can't we get a reprieve for just 7 to 8 little hours. I have them thru the day also, but there is just something about night time that makes things seem so much more intense.

I went right to sleep, but just about an hour later, my eyes popped open, for no apparent reason. I fell back asleep and again, another hour had passed and there I lay with eyes open. I finally got up and took a pm pain reliever and the next thing I knew Wayne was getting up to go to work. That's the kind of sleep I like.....eyes shut and the next thing you know, IT'S MORNING!

I must tell you that I am quite the head case about pills.....I don't like them and usually refuse to take any, be it for HOT FLASHES or whatever these mounting years bring my way. I truly believe, less is more. The less pills I take the better I think I feel. There are just too many side effects to most medication. While trying to get rid of one symptom the pill brings on several worse side effects....why would anyone choose to do that? I am just making it thru, on my own accord. I'm not saying it's easy, but I don't think it would be any easier if I popped a pill. I did take a sleep aid and I take a pain reliever when needed, but all those other remedies for menopause symptoms, I feel are just hog wash......that may be why they would do no good for me. I believe the mind plays the biggest part in our health issues. If you believe something is going to help you, then it is more likely to. My lack of trust and believability in the ever mounting drugs Dr's want to give us, is probably why none will ever help me. You will find that I AM a head case about a lot of things. Till next time.