Ghetto FABulous

It's been a couple of weeks since I've updated the blog! It's always on my "Would Like To Get Done" mile long mental list, but I just don't sit down long enough to do it.

I love December. It's like finishing a big, long to-do list....just in the knick of time. This season has been especially meaningful because I've really wanted to do everything under the sun to really celebrate it.

We've taken Libby to see lots of lights, decorated our own house more than usual, gone to the "Tour of Homes", a band concert, a Christmas Cafe', had people over for dinner, office parties, Breakfast with Santa, and the list goes on. The only thing I haven't gotten to do that I really wanted to do, is to see "Rock City's City of Lights". Maybe next year, right?

After my sister and I went on the "Tour of Homes", we decided that there should be a "Middle Class Tour" along the lines of "Ghetto Fabulous" where you've done the decorating yourself, you're there to tell about it, you're still working outside the home on a daily basis, and you have some rooms that aren't viewable! Here's our house during the holidays, compared to the "Tour Homes", I think it's ghetto fabulous! :)

This is our house. I'd love to put more lights, but don't want to buy a ladder to do it.

This bookshelf just has winter items and things people have given or made us during past Christmases.

I took this picture of the Christmas card holder so early in the season, that there weren't many cards. Thanks to Anna, her card was first.

Our tree is done in candy and minature winter items.You gotta love the ghetto fabulous snowman that's turned around to show his "made in China" sticker". Straight outta Gatlinburg that snowman is!Our Dept Fifty Something tree. We have it in our kitchen. It's ornments are miniature and so cute.

I need thicker garland, but when you're ghetto fabulous, you just use what 'choo got.

These are a few of our favorite ornaments that I hung from the dining room light. I don't like the style of the light, so why not just jazz it up with some ornaments?


Yes, Libby....he's real.....have you been good?

This was the one of the funniest parenting moments ever. We went to "Breakfast with Santa" for Libby. For the past couple of years, she's gone into full meltdown mode and wouldn't have anything to do with Santa. This year, she was in a state of shock. She could hardly talk. If she moved her head to look at him, she moved it very slowly. She was nervous and just kept fidgeting with the candy cane he gave her. When he'd ask her a question, she'd answer very softly. It was funny.



The Tour of Homes

Me, Sanna

Sanna, Me




This is a pic from a child's room from "The Farm". This was the largest house we toured.

This is the parent's bathroom from "The Farm" house.



This is an unusual picture, I know. I also don't know why they didn't close the lid before the tour started, however....it was cool because in the girl's bathroom, she had decapodged (sp?) pics. The rest of her bathroom had more square footage than my first apartment.

I have no idea why I didn't take my coat off for this picture, but I didn't. This was taken as we were leaving "The Farm" house. The weird thing was they made you put on shoe covers to take the tour. TACKY It's a fundraiser tour. If you are wealthy enough to put your house on this tour, you are wealthy enough to have someone clean up the germs or mess. TACKY

This was the home theater in the germaphobe's house. Very cool. (By the way, Steven likes how the curtains around the theater screen are already embroidered with a giant "B" so that we won't have to change that when we move in...can't blame him for dreaming, right?)

This is a picture from, though not the biggest, but defintely, the "bestest". A house on Mt. Sinai was on the tour and it was very welcoming and beautifully decorated for the holidays. The views were breathtaking. The driveway was tricky. Smallest world ever, though, my friend Mandy is cousin's with the daughter-in-law of the residents. Draw a chart to connect that one out, but I made the connection very quickly! :) I want my friend Terri to make me covers for my dining room chairs similar to these. I loved the initals on things.

Us on the Porch of the great Sinai house....I just loved the welcoming feel to the house. Not to mention all the great decor.

Great Room of the welcoming Sinai house

That's all folks...................

Fa La La Laaaaa

Before I got married, I used to think, "what possesses people to marry and then separate out stuff?" Separate beds, separate cars, separate bank accounts...I did not understand the point of marrying someone to just "draw the line" down the middle of the room.

Ten Years Later.......
Fact: Libby jolts out of bed in the middle of the night as though our house has just been in the midst of an invasion in the Middle East. Steven moves to the guestroom with her about 3 am. Someone has to get sleep. The more that do, the better. No one understands what it is like to have a kid that doesn't ever get soundly to sleep. Then, to be a mom that has to have still and quiet to hopefully get back to sleep because she gets her day started around 5 a.m. NEVER tell me to get her in her own bed until you live about 3 days in this life. Preferably the Monday 13 degree car duty at 7:10 days. Therefore, lots of times, the last two hours of our sleep life is in separate beds. I get it. I may not want it. But, I get it.

Fact: I downloaded lots of my favorite songs for the Christmas Season to my IPod. Notice the word "my". I decided to play some of the songs as we were out and about yesterday. I've never seen someone cringe as much as Steven did. He said the artists I chose did a terrible injustice to the songs, not to mention disservice as they left out verses. He said it nicely, but he said it. Ugh. My IPod. Miiiiine. I could imagine riding in separate cars. :) Add to that fact: I drove us around yesterday evening because he forgot his wallet at home. It was funny because I just pulled off the road when I felt like it and got a slushy. It was hilarious not to have to have a preface and 5 reasons to stop. I just did it. See, if we just rode separately......I may never arrive. LOL

Fact: We don't have enough money to have separate bank accounts, but if we did, I bet we would. I can't buy him a gift without a Purchase Order and a money trace on it.

Fact: My getting dressed routine takes on a life of it's own that leaves clothes in the crossfire. We've got separate closets. And. I. Like. It. And. He's. Good. With. It.

Off to Perry, Georiga to finish our Christmas shopping----in one car, with one ATM card, ****and he's frantically searching for his wallet****. :) "Fa La La Laaaaa", sings Leann Rimes on my IPod.

Dedicated to Sanna

My sister Sanna has to work today. She likes to read my blog while she is at lunch. She can't find the time in any other part of her day to give a rip about my boring ongoings. So, because I know she is working today and I am not, I decided to write a post just for her so she'd have something to read at lunch. Today, Steven, Libby and I are contemplating a trip to Perry, Georgia tomorrow. It is a 3 hour drive. We have a list of things to pick up at a store there. Libby has pretended to swim in the floor because she is so bored. She created a swimming pool in her bathroom. We asked her what she wanted for Chrimstas and she replied: a Scooby Doo doll, Charlie Brown toys, a firetruck, a helicopter and a white guitar like the guy at church. We asked her what we should buy Kaylee and she repeated her Christmas list and added that she'd giver her the flower shower curtain from her bathroom because she wants a monkey shower curtain. So giving...NOT. Steven decided to get into some mass project with downloading all of the pictures I've taken from the old camera, the new camera and the cell phones. So, Sanna, we are at home....all dressed up, no where to go. We can't even agree on lunch today. I want hamburger and feta cheese pizza from the pizza place downtown and he wants one of 3 items he eats: chicken fingers (yuck, the title is just gross), Taco Bell (in Murray County for the chilito), or Chinese food. There's our blah of a day. Have a great day! Oh, I plan to work on some school stuff Sunday and to get the pumpkins off this blog and change it to Christmas. It's harder than it looks because I have to import the blog roll. Anyway, have a good one!

You Say "No", I Say "School".

After today, no school for a few days. I am rather excited to have time off with Libby, see family and enjoy the yummy things of Thanksgiving that kick off the Holiday Season. Hopefully, I will get some recent pics taken and downloaded to post. I hope to also get a research project done and several other things from my to do list. We'll see. You say, "No", I Say "School".

Ugly Truths About Me

I wonder how many times I start a blog with "Okay" or "Well"? Probably too many, which is precisely the reason I started out with the first two words of this entry.

Here's the deal, the "ugly truth". Just say those two words with an echo. U-G-L-Y T-R-U-T-H.

I haven't written an entry because I haven't had time, I haven't really had anything to motivate me to write, and I sometimes feel like people really don't care. I know that's dumb, but hey, honesty is what this blog is about.

Sometimes, people think that I seem like I try to be "perfect". That couldn't be farther from the truth. I care what people think of me only in the sense that I hope to inspire, help or model doing what's good or right. As I've worn in the 30 year age range (go ahead and hold that thought at 32, at least for a few more weeks), I've become clear on the fact that being "perfect" isn't as important as just being you. Just being.

Since, a couple of readers (yes, it's dropped from 5 to 2, hahaaaa), wanted to know what's up with me, I decided to megaphone out some ugly truths. These ugly truths are truly what's up. They will all be taken care of soon because I'll snap out of my blur of a run in life as time off is near. :) I must say that an ugly truth, however, is that I really love to work. I love the people I work with a lot. They are awesome. What they do on a daily basis with a tough to teach population is so insirational. I suppose much of the reason I have ugly truths is I take pride in working myself to the bone for the profession that inspires me so much. Hey, if you've ever thought about being a teacher. Do it. It is amazing. I'd do it without pay if I could afford to. I just love figuring out how to teach kids to think. It's a cool process. Ooppsy, major side track, there. My ugly truths, mmmmkay, here goes:

Here're some ugly truths that lurk right inside 2010 Rolling Hills Way:

1) I have a crockpot, some bowls and spoons in a picnic basket sitting in my garage from Tuesday of last week. They have dried up remnants of a luncheon from work. I plan on washing them, but the dishwasher needs to be emptied and I'm tired.
2) I have a dryer of towels that need to be folded.
3) I have stroller in my trunk that I was tired of hitting my foot on when I walked to the other side of the car, so I just put it in my trunk to keep from having to think of what to do with it.
4) I have storm shelter underground behind my house with a glass paned door?? Go figure.
5) I have a TV with no clue where the remote is in the sitting room.
6) I could eat pasta 3 meals a day and not care.
7) I have a load of laundry in the washer that could have to be re-washed because it's been in the washer for a bit.
8) I have used my CitiBank credit card for breakfast all week because I can't find the little stash of cash I'm supposed to manage.
9) I despise laziness. Are my ugly truths a sign of laziness? hmm
10) I let my kid watch "Word Girl" and "SuperWhy" more than she should just so she'll be still for a few minutes so I can get things done.
11) I have all the intentions in the world of making stuff perfect, and fast. I try.
12) The door on our mailbox stays open because it has lost some latch thing that we can't seem to get fixed and it gets on our nerves---bad.
13) I think our mailman sorts our mail and delivers it in the following pattern: Monday: Junk Mail, Tuesday: Bills, Wednesday: Utilities, Thursday: Nothing, Friday: Cards, Personal Type Mail, and Saturday: Sales Ads. Seriously. He could be a blog entry of his own. He ran into us at the local BBQ place, recognized we were in his mailing area because of our car and proceeded to counsel us about debt. Yeaaa, kinda cooky in a weird way.
14) I have a land line, but don't see a need for it. I can't keep my cell charged for the life of me.
15) The 7 on our cordless basically doesn't work. You have to dial a 7 for all local numbers. Our cordless sucks.
16) I say a swear word here and there when I get upet, not in front of Libby. I pinky promise. But, I do. I say a swear word with my teeth clenched. I have a favorite one, too. Ugly truth...
17) My shampoo has been sitting upside down in the shower because I'm pretty much out and I haven't gotten around to getting more. It hurts the palm of my hand every morning because I refuse to use Steven's store bought shampoo on my dye job.
18) Our shower, yuck.
19) My sunglasses only have one temple because the screw came out and I haven't taken time to do anything about it.
20) I have a gym membership I haven't used in.............since..........gosh, June? July?
21) I have 4 dead trees in my yard that look like firewood ready to happen.
22) I hate to sleep.
23) I really feel embarrassed at what organized religion has done to some people. I really do. I hate to say that. It's an ugly truth for me, however. I fight that feeling a lot.
24) I like FaceBook. I like it during meetings. I like it during times when I should be listening to others and can choose to just social network in a "blackberry prayer" pose.
25) I'm not ambitious enough to enjoy cooking, but I love to eat. Ugly truth.
26) I like TV. I'm not one of those, "who has time for TV". Nope. I watch it. And I like it.
27) I think mean kids are interesting. I think it's intriguing to figure out what makes them tick.
28) I hate collections of things. I think there's enough unique stuff in the world that you don't need to collect items of sameness.
29) I don't like the number four. I love the "fiveness". The number five is cool.
30) I don't like people who don't keep promises. Life is so short and people are so precious that you should do what you promise and promise only what you'll do.
31) I hate $5 bills? I know. I love 5's, but not $5 bills. They seem just wrong. I love $10 bills.
32) Orgami. I can't stand it.
33) I miss people. I miss people that I don't even know well, but am accustomed to seeing.
34) Once someone has disappointed me, I can pretty much look past them, though. I can move on after the disappointment and not worry about them anymore.
35) I worry about stuff. Not as bad as I used to, but I worry. I don't worry about what people think of me, but if people think of me.

Ugly truths. No pictures needed. Do you have ugly truths?

Sicker Than A Dawg

Well, I've managed to get a case of the Dalton crud at the usual time of the year. I feel like dungwholio. That is dung-who-leo. I made that up. I think it's a derivation of a word from Beevis and Butthead. I never watched that show. But, because Steven did, it was quoted frequently during our dating years---and usually met with an eyeroll from me. Libby is doing well. Steven is doing fine. Maybe, I'll post a nice update sometime this week so you don't have to read a gripe or complaint from me. I'll spare you from me posting my real thoughts today. I think it best to keep them to myself. Later.

What Happens Here, Stays Here

Obviously, that title is a total joke. What happens here SO does not stay here. Let me just say that today, I am going to gripe and solicit advice. I'm putting it all out there.

When I was younger, my Nanny Ree would tell me not to complain, to "be thankful". If I was having trouble getting my hair to look like I wanted it to and whined about it, she'd say, "be thankful, you could be bald." That used to make me so ill. It's not that it's not true, but for crying out loud, in this pollyanna world, can't we just b*tch every once in a while? Don't get me wrong. I am thankful for so much. If you don't want to hear me gripe, just don't read this one. I'm okay with that. It's really more about me just getting it out than actually thinking there could be a solution. I imagine this era to be a tunnel with a light at the end, however the light is probably just a lighted sign that reads, "Out of Order". You can see I didn't have my dose of optimism this morning.

First, my dear sweet child is in a stage of repeatedly asking questions......especially "why" questions that just don't even warrant an answer short of a possible thesis for someone's graduate school paper. It's driving me batty. I need headphones with white noise. For about the first 500 questions, I tried to answer them. I tried to "sieze that teachable moment" and not just say, "because it does". Now, I am to the point of just trying to tune it out over my audible cry for peace. If she isn't asking why questions, she's just repeating questions OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER................................................

Secondly, the whining. Dear heavens, please, please give me relief from the high maintenance whining. My stars. Does it ever end? It's absurd. I can't even watch "Jon & Kate Plus 8" anymore because their kids whine and I feel like I get enough of that at home.

There are literally points of time at home that I think if I could just run, I would. I mean literally Forrest Gump run until I was completely unkempt, but away. It's absolutely wearing me thin. For those of you that have kids, do you have these same issues? Do they end? What do you do for relief? I love my kid to pieces, for some reason, however, her latest stage is tiring.

Libby Lately: Ten Moments

Successful Visit to the Dentist!

#1 In Sunday School, Libby's class was talking about that God is always with you. A child in the class whose Mom is expecting a baby chimed in that God put a baby in his mom's tummy. Other kids chimed in that they were once in their mommys' tummies. Libby commented that God put her in her Daddy's tummy?! Of all times, I decided to go her from the class to receive that report. All I could do was laugh hysterically, not just at the thought that she said something so "out there," but more so at the thought of Steven.....can't even finish that thought.

#2 Libby still says "Fra-dic-lee-us" for ridiculous.

#3 When I swatted her bottom the other day, she screamed out, "Hey, we don't hit others." Lately, when Steven swats her, she says, "soooo, I'm just gonna scratch..." and scratches her self or mid air.

#4 While sitting at Ben & Jerry's this past weekend on the brick couch outside, Libby decides to look up to the "blue 'ting" (sky) and scream, "God, why won't you talk back to me!?." I said, "Libby, what in the world." She said, "My teacher said if I cry out to God, he will hear me. He never answers."

#5 Lately, Libby has been watching a lot of "Wonder Pets" where they sing about teamwork. When asked to clean her room, she replied, "dat sounds like a time for teamwork."

#6 She threatened to trade me in for "a new mommy". I have no clue where she got that from, but from the way she was acting, I wanted to know where I could sign her up for the trade.

#7 When asked if she'd like a whippin' for her behavior, she replied, "no" and when told not to smart talk, she said, "oh, sorry, no 'tank' you to duh spankin".

#8 Because she blames everything on her cousin Kaylee, she has a cold this week and said, "Kaylee Mad-son gave me her big cough and sneeze." She hasn't seen Kaylee in over a week.

#9 She gives directions to her school by saying, "Turn at the milkshake store." She then threatens to leave school to stay with the 'milkshake girls'.

#10 Anytime we get aggrevated with her, she busts out in the "Smile Song" from Little Einsteins. She thinks because it makes the Loch Ness monster smile, it will work with us.

And The Relatives Came

"In a rainbow-colored station wagon that smelled like a real car, the relatives came. When they arrived, they hugged and hugged from the kitchen to the front room. All summer they tended the garden and ate up all the strawberries and melons. They plucked banjos and strummed guitars. When they finally had to leave, they were sad, but not for long. They all knew they would be together next summer. "

I love that book. It's a children's book by Cynthia Rylant and I've always been able to identify with the family coming to stay for a while. Families don't come to visit anymore. Why you have to practically schedule an appointment to let your kid see a grandparent, however, it wasn't always that way. Used to, no matter how far away relatives lived, they took the time to pile up in the car and come stay awhile. I just love that book. It reminds me of fond times when relatives came.



This weekend, we had an 83rd birthday for our Nanny Ree. She is my dad's mom and lives every second of her life to the fullest. Appetizers were: apples with caramel, cheese and crackers, or chips and salsa. The main dish was: Easy Brunswick Stew and Cornbread Dessert: duh, birthday cake! We had the party at my house, And The Relatives Came:

This is Rich and Nanny Ree

Nanny Ree checking out the cake.

Rodney, in the background doing the tacky and hiding his face, Kaylee and Nanny Ree chatting.

Nanny Ree preparing to blow out the candles.

A lady that works with Steven makes delicious cakes. It was only $35 and it was a big cake.

Anna will probably have better pics on her site. I hardly got any pics as I was running around everywhere. Happy 83rd to Nanny Ree!

Yes. I mean no.

I say yes when I mean no. It's a terrible self destructing thing. After I say yes, I think, "I really wanted to say no." I then mull around in my wish of having said no all the way until I do whatever it was I said yes to. *sigh*

At 32, I am getting no better at saying no. I belong on an Oprah self-help segment with Dr. Someone who could fix this terrible, uncurable, ridiculous problem.

Here's how it usually goes:

Scenerio 1:

Nice Person A: Hey, Meleia. Are you busy?

Me: (thinking) H-Yeah. I constantly have a mile long to do list.

Me: (say) No, not at all, anything for you. What cha' need?

That's where I get trapped. Person A follows with something I SO don't have time for or don't have an interest in.

Scenerio 2:

Barely Know Person B: What are you doing tomorrow?

Me: (thinking) I'd like to do whatever the H I want to do.

Me: (say) Why? Is there something I can help you with?

Barely Know Person B: I need someone to ......

It just makes me want to cuss. Cuss really bad, loud words. It makes me ill, and not the good kind where your 'illin because Lord knows I don't even have time to do that. Here's the icing on the fake cake---NO ONE EVER HELPS ME. *pity party starts and ends here, I promise*

I have had person after person try to help me with it.

My sister said, "Meleia, if you do something you don't want to do, you just might remove an opportunity for someone who really wants to do it." I know, brace yourself, that's the one intelligent thing she has taken the time to tell me---and I listened.

My Nanny Ree says, "If you don't break the cycle of saying yes to everything, you just may model that same behavior for Libby and she'll be stuck like that."

None of it has sunk in.

I end this post leaving to do something for someone that I didn't really want to do, but I didn't want to hurt their feelings, so I said yes.

Goodbye.

Listener Supported

As a friend of mine recently said, "If you want unsolicited, stupid advice, wear a t-shirt that says, 'I just had a baby.' " He is so right. However, I like to hear what people have to say because the normal flow of my life is that which is opposite of what most experience. You know the commericals that are like, "4 out of 5 people who chew gum don't get cavities...". I'm usually the 1 out of 5 that defies the odds in an unfavorable way. Therefore, people's advice usually lets me know what I won't need to expect.

As Libby gets older, it gets easier. Now, if you are my friend Hannah, and were on the phone with me this afternoon as my child and Kaylee performed acts that would have caused Super Nanny to wince, you could disagree. The fact that they'd been studying fire safety at school and decided to have an emergency evacuation hurling everything important down the 2 flights of stairs while I was on the phone caused me to scream an explitive. See, you weren't on the phone with me, and because Hannah is a good friend she'd have never told that about my household happenings. However, because I'm honest with my 5 readers, I will tell you, "ain't no pollyanna of an upbringing over here". Nope, but I will say that the most common thing people said from day 1 is (and please use a deep toned red neck twang to read this), "enjoy it now 'cause it gets harder."

LIE. It gets MUCH easier. I mean, the afternoon phone call that overheard the 10 on the Ricter Scale moment is a several times a day happening. However, every day gets easier. I mean when Libby was little she could only cry inconsolably and puke. Now, she can tell us to, "kiss her butt," and "no". And we can gently respond with a properly aligned punishment. Well, as the days get easier, there are good moments and moments that our parents would feel proud that we are getting the paybacks we probably deserved. So, here are a few pictures of the past few days.

Libby's first decision was to not sleep anymore and to watch TV all night. VETO The old routine of daddy rocking her in the bonus room while watching old episodes of 'Seinfeld' have been replaced by her falling asleep on her "nap". The "nap" is her mat from school that she recently outgrew, but she still loves it dearly. I have no clue what the wings were about. You pick and choose your battles. Another thing that puzzles me is that in approx 2000 sq ft, she plants herself on the 3 ft in front of the bathroom. At least she got herself to sleep.

Sunday, we were just running 15 minutes behind and couldn't make it to church. Usually, if you don't make it, you feel kinda bad for like 5 minutes and then you are over it. Not Libby, she tortured us about it for about an hour. "I want to go to chuuuuurch. I want to sing about Jesuuuuuss. You don't care about any-ting. Don't eben tok to me. Stop lookin' at me. You duh meanest people eber." Needless to say, we'll work a little harder to be on time next week.

Crampin' My Own Style

Okay, so this weekend has been rather interesting. I have 4 things to do. Notice the present tense...that's because I've done about 5 things, none are the 4 I needed to have done.

Here's why my style is cramped: I went to a NW game Friday night (realized I am not young, nor cool), ate at Waffle House (so now my thighs are cramped in my clothes, j/k-slightly..), went to Starbucks (had a to-die-4 signature salted caramel hot chocolate), HAVE NO IDEA WHY I KEEP TALKING IN PARENTHESIS, and that all sounds good, right. Wrong.

Woke up Saturday morning at 6ish am, puked---puked. I'd guess it was a hang over, but I've never drank in my life. Sorry if I'm now a bigger dose of uncool for you---but, that's true. The triple S pledge from 7th grade just sticks in my OCD head and I can't bring myself to take a plunge like that of which would nullify my memory, possibly act as a truth serum (yes, I hold SOME thoughts in my head), and make me pukey. My mom, who BTW must have dropped off my frequent readers list as I haven't gotten any attitude from her about my references to her in the blog (I suddenly hear an Ali McBeal style chorus of George Michael's song "Freedom") asked if I was preggars and besides thinking she was oblivious to my lack of life being the mom of a 4 year old, I told her, "yes, with a food baby." Gross. I know. Sorry. But after an "All Star Breakfast at 11:00 pm in the presence of a football team, I couldn't resist being truthful to you my beloved readers in the single digits. So, I puked, sent an email to someone I was worried about, took a shower and got ready all by 7:30 am on a Saturday. I went to a party with Steven, Libby and Kaylee at Chuck E. Cheese's. Well, I made a late entrance in that I was still pukey feeling and hadn't gotten a gift for the birthday boy, so I dropped them off and went to NG Mall where before buying the gift I ACCIDENTALLY BOUGHT 2 DRESSES for myself and 1 for Libby. It's better than the couch I accidentally bought in '95. How do those accidents happen? Just think what would have happend if I hadn't felt pukey. I might could have gotten some shoes to match the dresses. I did also manage to get a perfume sample of something I now have to add to my neverending wants list. Oh, the lottery. If I'd just play, I might could win and afford something for people besides myself. It's brutal, but honest today folks. I think I puked out my integrity filter.

Oh, how'd my style get cramped? The puke started it and then I slept 2 of my Saturday hours away. My sleep wasn't even a cool sleep it was one of those weird, "what kinda MSG did my food have" dream sequences where I was all over the place in my sleep.

Ewww. I need to get back to myself. My style is so cramped with this weekend's events. Fall Break, here I come. Peace out. (And sorry for the series of parenthesis......)

I'm it
I was tagged by Terri, this morning, so here goes. Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

10 years ago I:
1. didn't realize how laying up all day during the summer was such a privilege
2. was teaching my first year at Orchard Knob Elementary
3. had been married less than two months
4. worried about things a lot more
5. didn't have a clue how much Jesus loves us

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. make sure everyone is fed and bathed
2. make sure house is being maintained (laundry, clutter thinned out, etc.)
3. finish Staples grant for school at home b/c most websites are blocked at school
4. read the next chapter in the book I have to read for school
5. follow up with umpteen people about umpteen things

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. chocolate
2. almonds
3. yogurt
4. fruit
5. cheeze its

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. hide out
2. pray for clarity
3. call my accountant (aka Steven) to meet me somewhere
4. pay everyone's everything off
5. establish something that would give back to the community


5 places I have lived:
1. Browning Place, Ooltewah
2. Terry Lane, Hixson
3. Mercer Drive, Dalton
4. Mountain View Drive, Tunnel Hill
5. Rolling Hills Way, Rocky Face

5 jobs I have had:
1. Teacher
2. Legal Assistant
3. Optometric Assistant
4. Receptionist
5. Cashier

The rules say I have to tag 5 people. So I'll tag:
1. Anna 2. Carley 3. Mandy 4. Lee/April Hope 5. Sanna

Random Is As Random Does

Here's a snapshot of some totally random junk that happend today:
R-Rare Occurance: I took a personal day.
A-Assanine: I woke up at 4 am.
N-Not Happy: Lost it with the neighbor's crazy-a** dog that barks nonstop (see earlier post from months ago). Sorry about my potty mouth. Isn't lent over?
D-Directory: I couldn't find my neighborhood directory (partially because I only like the Farmers, 1 of about 20 neighbors). I really wanted to use another word for d. I confess.
O-Oh. Yes. I. Did. : I called 911.
M-Movie & Moved: Saw one. My sister did.

Moment of Confession:

Sorry, this is going to be a theraputic, poorly written

ramble for my purpose of thinking:

Steven told me that we are supposed to love our neighbors as Jesus tells us to. I told him that if I remember correctly, somewhere in the Bible it said you could dump hot coals on someone's head. He said I had misconstrued that totally. He asked me what I thought Jesus would think of our neighbors and I told him he might could get them turned to stone. He did not think that was funny. He finally tried to get me to interpret, observe and apply some verse about loving your neighbor and I decided I could love my neighbor, I guess (which he really didn't like my tone on that one), but I don't have to love their stupid dogS. (plural emphasis, there) Appreciate. Do you think I have to love them? I just really, really, REALLY, don't like inconsiderate people and they have worn me out. The only sympathy I got was from the 911 operator today. Random is as random did...........

"We Ain't Right"

Okay, let me start out by saying that I slipped on a ballpoint pen while sitting down and I think I cracked the top of my foot on a desk that was like six inches away from the chair I was in. Yes, you may need to go back and read that once more. I'm not even gonna go any further about that. What more could you even need to know? I'm getting an xray Monday because my husband's work is a rip off on the weekends.

On a brighter note: We went to the Creative Arts Guild's Annual Arts Festival today--that was before my ridiculous injury. Here are pictures from the perfect time:

Kaylee and Libby demanded to ride the Senior Shuttle bus. They loved it.

This was the childrens' art exhibit from the local schools.

The girls loved the bug sculptures.

Storytime was a big hit.

Silly Putty making was not only cheap, but fun. That's the cool thing about the art festival, the kids get to do art! You could paint tiles, make bracelets, get face painted, get painted tattoos, make flip flops and much more. Nothing was more than a couple of bucks for the kids to do. It was great fun.So, amidst the perfection of a day of arts, Libby had to pitch a fit because Kaylee wouldn't share the bench. Here's the thing.....IT WAS NOT MEANT AS A BENCH, IT IS A SCULPTURE. You can take the kid out of the country, but not the country out of the kid.

Here's Libby's painting that she did. Just kidding! This is the oh-s- cute art I bought. It's for Libby's room. You need to see it in person to really appreciate it. It's made on recycled wood, which I thought was cool. It will go in Libby's room.

I can't wait until next year's festival!

Vols, U.S.A., Jesus---What more could a parent want?

I think she is a closet Georgia fan.

Patriotic for Constitution Day Movie Clip: Keep i nmind she set the scene up herself with the jellyfish prop and suit hanger.

'Cause I'm So Happy Song Clip

Is it time to FREAK out yet?

I'm just wondering.....is it time to freak out yet? Because I stay in a constant state of OMG and freaking out is only a degree of difference for me. I'm thinkin it's time to freak out for at least 2 or 20 reasons:
1) There's no gasonline anywhere.
2) VALIC (who holds our miniscule investments) is sinking like Titanic in quicksand.
3) Our candidates for the presidential election look no more qualified than school council members.
4) The voices on the new episodes of Dora are different which freaks Libby out because she swears they are "in Spanish".
5) Our neighbors dogs bark are on month 3 of incessant barking. Yesssss, they now have two dogs.
6) Our adjacent neighbors must mow the twilight zone because we hear the constant hum of someone's mower and there couldn't possibly be any grass left.
7) I haven't taken recycling seriously and I probably should---sorting trash just seems undesirable.
...............Is it time to FREAK out yet?........................Just wondering.

MLK was a Republican

I think people who make decisions should be informed. I know that this article might not be of interest to you, but it was to me.

Why Martin Luther King Was Republican, written Rice (NBRA)

It should come as no surprise that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. In that era, almost all black Americans were Republicans. Why? From its founding in 1854 as the anti-slavery party until today, the Republican Party has championed freedom and civil rights for blacks. And as one pundit so succinctly stated, the Democrat Party is as it always has been, the party of the four S's: slavery, secession, segregation and now socialism.It was the Democrats who fought to keep blacks in slavery and passed the discriminatory Black Codes and Jim Crow laws. The Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan to lynch and terrorize blacks. The Democrats fought to prevent the passage of every civil rights law beginning with the civil rights laws of the 1860s, and continuing with the civil rights laws of the 1950s and 1960s.During the civil rights era of the 1960s, Dr. King was fighting the Democrats who stood in the school house doors, turned skin-burning fire hoses on blacks and let loose vicious dogs. It was Republican President Dwight Eisenhower who pushed to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sent troops to Arkansas to desegregate schools. President Eisenhower also appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren to the U.S. Supreme Court, which resulted in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision ending school segregation. Much is made of Democrat President Harry Truman's issuing an Executive Order in 1948 to desegregate the military. Not mentioned is the fact that it was Eisenhower who actually took action to effectively end segregation in the military. Democrat President John F. Kennedy is lauded as a proponent of civil rights. However, Kennedy voted against the 1957 Civil Rights Act while he was a senator, as did Democrat Sen. Al Gore Sr. And after he became President, Kennedy was opposed to the 1963 March on Washington by Dr. King that was organized by A. Phillip Randolph, who was a black Republican. President Kennedy, through his brother Atty. Gen. Robert Kennedy, had Dr. King wiretapped and investigated by the FBI on suspicion of being a Communist in order to undermine Dr. King.In March of 1968, while referring to Dr. King's leaving Memphis, Tenn., after riots broke out where a teenager was killed, Democrat Sen. Robert Byrd (W.Va.), a former member of the Ku Klux Klan, called Dr. King a "trouble-maker" who starts trouble, but runs like a coward after trouble is ignited. A few weeks later, Dr. King returned to Memphis and was assassinated on April 4, 1968.Given the circumstances of that era, it is understandable why Dr. King was a Republican. It was the Republicans who fought to free blacks from slavery and amended the Constitution to grant blacks freedom (13th Amendment), citizenship (14th Amendment) and the right to vote (15th Amendment). Republicans passed the civil rights laws of the 1860s, including the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Reconstruction Act of 1867 that was designed to establish a new government system in the Democrat-controlled South, one that was fair to blacks. Republicans also started the NAACP and affirmative action with Republican President Richard Nixon's 1969 Philadelphia Plan (crafted by black Republican Art Fletcher) that set the nation's fist goals and timetables. Although affirmative action now has been turned by the Democrats into an unfair quota system, affirmative action was begun by Nixon to counter the harm caused to blacks when Democrat President Woodrow Wilson in 1912 kicked all of the blacks out of federal government jobs.Few black Americans know that it was Republicans who founded the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Unknown also is the fact that Republican Sen. Everett Dirksen from Illinois was key to the passage of civil rights legislation in 1957, 1960, 1964 and 1965. Not mentioned in recent media stories about extension of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is the fact that Dirksen wrote the language for the bill. Dirksen also crafted the language for the Civil Rights Act of 1968 which prohibited discrimination in housing. President Lyndon Johnson could not have achieved passage of civil rights legislation without the support of Republicans.Critics of Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater, who ran for President against Johnson in 1964, ignore the fact that Goldwater wanted to force the Democrats in the South to stop passing discriminatory laws and thus end the need to continuously enact federal civil rights legislation.Those who wrongly criticize Goldwater also ignore the fact that Johnson, in his 4,500 State of the Union Address delivered on Jan. 4, 1965, mentioned scores of topics for federal action, but only 35 words were devoted to civil rights. He did not mention one word about voting rights. Then in 1967, showing his anger with Dr. King's protest against the Vietnam War, Johnson referred to Dr. King as "that Nigger preacher."Contrary to the false assertions by Democrats, the racist "Dixiecrats" did not all migrate to the Republican Party. "Dixiecrats" declared that they would rather vote for a "yellow dog" than vote for a Republican because the Republican Party was know as the party for blacks. Today, some of those "Dixiecrats" continue their political careers as Democrats, including Robert Byrd, who is well known for having been a "Keagle" in the Ku Klux Klan.Another former "Dixiecrat" is former Democrat Sen. Ernest Hollings, who put up the Confederate flag over the state Capitol when he was the governor of South Carolina. There was no public outcry when Democrat Sen. Christopher Dodd praised Byrd as someone who would have been "a great senator for any moment," including the Civil War. Yet Democrats denounced then-Senate GOP leader Trent Lott for his remarks about Sen. Strom Thurmond (R.-S.C.). Thurmond was never in the Ku Klux Klan and defended blacks against lynching and the discriminatory poll taxes imposed on blacks by Democrats. If Byrd and Thurmond were alive during the Civil War, and Byrd had his way, Thurmond would have been lynched.The 30-year odyssey of the South switching to the Republican Party began in the 1970s with President Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy," which was an effort on the part of Nixon to get Christians in the South to stop voting for Democrats who did not share their values and were still discriminating against their fellow Christians who happened to be black. Georgia did not switch until 2002, and some Southern states, including Louisiana, are still controlled by Democrats.Today, Democrats, in pursuit of their socialist agenda, are fighting to keep blacks poor, angry and voting for Democrats. Examples of how egregiously Democrats act to keep blacks in poverty are numerous.After wrongly convincing black Americans that a minimum wage increase was a good thing, the Democrats on August 3 kept their promise and killed the minimum wage bill passed by House Republicans on July 29. The blockage of the minimum wage bill was the second time in as many years that Democrats stuck a legislative finger in the eye of black Americans. Senate Democrats on April 1, 2004, blocked passage of a bill to renew the 1996 welfare reform law that was pushed by Republicans and vetoed twice by President Clinton before he finally signed it. Since the welfare reform law expired in September 2002, Congress had passed six extensions, and the latest expired on June 30, 2004. Opposed by the Democrats are school choice opportunity scholarships that would help black children get out of failing schools and Social Security reform, even though blacks on average lose $10,000 in the current system because of a shorter life expectancy than whites (72.2 years for blacks vs. 77.5 years for whites).Democrats have been running our inner-cities for the past 30 to 40 years, and blacks are still complaining about the same problems. More than $7 trillion dollars have been spent on poverty programs since Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty with little, if any, impact on poverty. Diabolically, every election cycle, Democrats blame Republicans for the deplorable conditions in the inner-cities, then incite blacks to cast a protest vote against Republicans.In order to break the Democrats' stranglehold on the black vote and free black Americans from the Democrat Party's economic plantation, we must shed the light of truth on the Democrats. We must demonstrate that the Democrat Party policies of socialism and dependency on government handouts offer the pathway to poverty, while Republican Party principles of hard work, personal responsibility, getting a good education and ownership of homes and small businesses offer the pathway to prosperity.

WTC

Okay, I decided to catch up on my emails and the TV was on MTV's "The Hills". Okay, don't even start. Sometimes, I just need mindless entertainment to accomplish tasks that take thought. I'm so...., like, not past the 90's. I just don't get things. (It's a step in the right direction that I at least know that I'm not current with cool, right?) Anyway, the VMA's came on right after "The Hills" and I was still doing other things and didn't get the TV turned to another station. Here's my revelation. ****sobbing****I MUST BE FRIGGIN' OLD. I heard things like this:

"Game on, ...badword...."--My translation--Are we on ESPN? Which game?

"Let the sucking up begin..."--My response--Why? Ewww.

"Holla...."--My thought--Shhh.

"Busted..."---My thought--Oh, too bad, something broke?

"...Just called you out....."--My thought: You got called on by the teacher and didn't know it?

"The Jonas Brothers"--My thought: Not who, but why?

Fall Out Boy sings, "Beat It"---My response: Didn't like it when Michael Jackson sang it.
Here's a thought on the positive: Maybe when the 90's come back, I'll be totally with it. Lots of college, an epidural, a baby and life have me a bit removed from "cool". I guess I'm okay with it, just a bit amused at how oblivious I am to some things.

Precious Ella Marie Cope

So, I've been dealing with something privately, and quite honestly, I'm tired of it. So, for my faithful five readers, I'll unload it all on you. Today marks the end of so many things. My cousin, Hollie's mom died this morning. I wanted to say "passed away", but that just doesn't do the fight she fought any justice. I could go on and on about the poised, strong woman she was, but really you just needed to have the privilege of knowing her. She was one of those "cool moms" that was cool with all the kids, even if you weren't her own. I know she'd probably not love this picture of her from 2 years ago, but it's all I had on my computer and I don't have a scanner to scan the many other great pictures of her. Anyway, I am so exhausted from overthinking her struggle, not only over the last 3 years, or many years, but especially the last five days. I just have to say that man, it just freakin' sucks. It really does. I can only say that if you grieve without hope, you'll grieve yourself to death, so I choose to grieve with hope. I hate it for her kids and family. Hollie and I were best friends in junior high school so her mom was basically like my own mom for a couple of years. It's a tragic loss to me. The world will be empty in so many ways without her sassy, Southern, quick witted self. I'll miss her. I miss her.