A RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA

The previous entry was just a fictional story, loosely based on my house and some of the little furballs that hang out here from time to time. 

                                

It has rained hard and steady for several hours now.  We really need the rain, but this is a torrential downpour.  I have a really bad leak in my spare bedroom, which, before tonight, wasn’t THAT bad.  Now the water is dripping from the ceiling onto the hardwood floor.  Guess Monday I will be contacting the landlord……………sigh.

                               

I am truly surprised I still have an Internet connection.  Usually with this much lightening, the signal disappears.  I am not complaining though.  I usually have to link through the First Baptist Church across the street, but tonight I am connected through the city’s free wifi. 

 

I have had a chance to catch up on reading some of the journals I have neglected.  I have missed a lot, it seems.  I am also getting to know some new journals by way of scanning the “other journals” list in some of my regular readers’ journals.  Some of these I will be adding to MY list of “other journals”.

 

I am still trying to upload the rest of the “Granny Gone Wild” photos, but something is keeping me from doing so.  I thought it was my weak connection, but that hasn’t been the problem tonight.  One of my readers mused as to whether or not the photos of Granny were retouched…………nope.  After I get the others into the entry, you will see that they are all of Granny herself, all 50 pounds of her, lol.  I didn’trealize they made thongs that small, lol.

 

I made a really big mistake at work on Saturday.  What I did later, though, is really what counts.  There is a woman who works with me that most everyone has problems with at one time or another.  She is elderly, from the north (hates the south and living here) and is quite intelligent, which causes her to “talk down” to people in a very condescending way.  Most of the regular customers know her and her personality.  I had a customer ask a question about pricing of a couple of items and I made a comment that wasn’t very flattering about the person who priced them, who just happens to be the women mentioned above.  That woman is on vacation this week, so there was no fear of her hearing me.  Normally, the comment would have been made and I would never have given it a second thought.  But today, one of my other co-workers heard the comment.  She called me on it.  And then she told another co-worker, who also called me on it.  At first I was shocked they heard me…..I had been caught.  Then, I felt badly that I had said what I did.  I took a moment and went back to the back and called the 2 women who knew I said it to the corner and apologized to both of them, saying I was way out of line for doing what I did.  Theyboth waved off the offense as if it were nothing, and said they really thought nothing of it, but at the time they approached me about it, they were both very upset, as well they should have been.  But I set things right with them, which lifted a very heavy burden off my own shoulders.  A lot of ill is spoken around that place, about everyone at one time or another.  Never has anyone else apologized for something they said or did.  So I feel I did what my heart and conscience dictated, and I can sleep really well tonight.  Ok, so maybe I am patting myself on the back a little………

                            

 

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THE HOT SURPRISE

the puffy white ball of fur climbed cautiously up the side of the ancient oak.  she knew her destination.  all she had to do was climb this tree, jump to the side porch roof, climb the gutter pipe a couple of feet and then make it across the 8 feet of front porch roof to the little alcove outside the hall window.  easy.  only, she wasn't aware there was something called summer.  in the month she was born, the wind blew cold, and she nuzzled and snuggled against her mother.  it was much warmer now, and she had been slowly venturing out of the garage where her mother had been hiding the litter until they were on their own.

she had often sat there on the grassy spot next to the driveway, staring up to the roof, on past, to the window in the alcove, where she saw something  move from time to time.  as she sat there, staring, she would try to think of what could be behind that glass in the window.  was it another furball like herself?  was it one of those strange animals that walked on 2 legs and used their front paws to carry stranger objects?  she just had to know.  of course, she also worried it might be one of those furry creatures that you think is a furball until you sniff it and it yaps at you and dances around on the end of a long strap of some kind, held by the front paw of one of those upright animals. 

once again, she looked at the task at hand.  leaping to the tree-covered roof of the side porch was easy.  then over the drain pipe, and then one more pounce to the roof of the front porch......................YIKES!!!!   OUCH!!!  OH!!!!!!  the tin roof, baking in the afternoon summer sun was hot.......no.......beyond hot. 

suddenly the quest for the window in the alcove was forgotten until another time, as  the furry little ball turned, ran for the cool of the tree branches, and off to lick her small, now very pink, paws.

GRANNY GONE WILD

i have been trying to upload a series of pictures to my journal, but they won't load.  i was able to get one to upload, so i am going to put it here and hope that it comes through when i save the entry.  i will try to add the others as my computer allows me to.  the following picture was in a series of several of a woman, well past her bikini years, carousing around the beach in some place where most of the sunbathers are a little overweight.  this is entitled......GRANNY GONE WILD.

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it allowed me to upload another..........i have to admit, she has guts.......

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ANOTHER GOOD DAY

i got paid today (actually i have had my check since tuesday, but couldn't cash it till today) and it was truly much more than i anticipated.  i usually put off things because i don't have the money to do them.  well, today, i did some of those things.  i got my hair cut...........off.............i am nearly bald, lol.  it cost me about $6 more than i had anticipated, but i didn't even care.  i never do anything specifically for me, so i said i deserved it.  the woman who cut my hair was a customer of mine from the new job.  we couldn't place where we knew each other at first, then it occurred to me that she was a customer.  she took her time, examined every aspect, and did a great job.  of course, my neck feels completely naked......oh, it is, lol.

i went to burger king for lunch (actually i had been to 5 other places first, and since it was the noon hour, i couldn't get near any of the others, so went to bk, where there was no line).  the guy behind the counter was one of the young men who does community service or volunteer work (not sure which), at the salvation army, and he recognized me from there.

i paid my rent, my electric bill, had my oil changed.  then went by the store to use the bathroom and ended up staying to eat blueberry cobbler and going through 4 huge containers of yarn and craft items.  i bought some items and then went to radio shack over by where i used to work.  i had to get some rechargeable batteries and a charger for them to use with my digital camera.  dang they were expensive.  $21 for 4 batteries and a compact travel charger.  oh well.......at least i had the money.

i went by the old job to see who was working, and my twin sister, annette, (who is black, and i am white, but we are still twins, lol) was there and said she wasn't going to speak to me because i left without saying goodbye.  i told her i had been by there numerous times to see her, and she wasn't scheduled.  we hugged tightly, and then i went to hug anna, my craft store adopted daughter, lol.  the new manager came by, and i spoke to her and she smiled and said hello.  then i went back to say hello to sara, hugged her, and on to see mary in framing.  now, when mary looked up and saw me, her whole face lit up.  that made me feel really good.  after she finished with her customer, she came around and hugged me tightly.  she said she missed me.  she also told me that she and the new manager had a run-in yesterday, and the manager told mary if she didn't like the way things were, she could turn in her resignation.  mary has been with the company for decades.  she has changed stores several times, but has been with them solidly all this time.  i felt so sorry for mary, but was soooooooo glad i was no longer employed there.

when i first walked into the front of the store, i felt like i was in a hospital.  it was stark, white, clean, shiny and almost sterile.  then i noticed that jayson was in a t-shirt, painting the office white.  geeeeez.  that place is scary now.  again, i am soooooo glad i am no longer with them.

of course, i had to brag some.  when asked why i was over that way, i told them i had to come get a charger and some rechargeable batteries for my scanner/copier/photo dock digital camera.  i told them i had never paid that much for a hair cut either, but actually felt good that i had the money to do so.  i didn't rub it in too much, but i did want it to get back to management that i was very happy with the new team i was on over at the salvation army.  i get a bonus every paycheck.  sometimes it is small, sometimes a lot.  but even a small $35 bonus adds up when you have bills to pay.

when i left the craft store, i had a run-in with a buggy.  and the buggy almost won.  there are scratches on the side of my car, but i ran over one of the wheels........bad thing is, or it could be good thing is, it was one of the craft store's buggies, lol.  that used to be my job, going to get stray buggies from the parking lot.  i see someone isn't doing their job, lol. 

there are rumors that the new manager is there to stay.  john, who i DID get sorta used to, may be continuing on doing what he is now doing for 6 months.  either way, i don't want to go back to that store.  i like being on the OTHER side of the counter. 

it has been a really good day.  i thank the Lord for today, AND for all the dismal days i have suffered through.  without the dismal and dark days, days like today wouldn't seem so bright.  THANK YOU LORD JESUS!!!

i went to the library to use the computer today and was only in there long enough to type something on word and print it out.  a total of 10 minutes, and that included a bathroom break, lol.  i had to print out my rent receipt because i am still too lazy to hook up my new copier.  maybe i will get that done on sunday, my next day off.

thanks to all my readers that have stuck in there with me.  even the ones who just stop by and say "have a good day".  each of you are so very special to me.  and of course, some are truly inspirational (wewon'tmentionanynamesindigo).  LOL

i have prattled on long enough.  i must gather my dirty dishes and put them in the sink of hot and soapy water.  not that they will get washed tonight, but at least my heart is in the right place, lol.

i am sure i will be back before i go to bed, but in case i don't come back, i hope everyone has a blessed and peaceful evening.

SKYPE

when i bought my 1 gb flashdrive, it had something on it called skype.  i didn't understand it at the time, and actually, still don't, but it allows people to talk to one another online, without cost.  both parties have to have skype downloaded onto their computer, have to have speakers and a microphone.  you enter your friend onto the list and then you can call each other.  not sure how it works because i don't have anyone to call yet. 

so if you already know about skype calling, and have it downloaded, let me know, and then we can talk online like we are talking on a phone.

you can go to skype.com to download and get all the information.  it is really cool.

AN ANSWER......AND A QUESTION

i think i found the answer to my sleepiness question.  i think it is a sinus condition.  i know, not very profound or romantic.  but i DO think it is the answer.  i finally got to the drugstore today and bought something for severe sinus congestion.  for a couple of hours i felt "drawing", "pulling", "shifting" and heard "gurgling" in my forehead.  there were moments of intense pain, then suddenly i felt lightheaded and after, um, blowing into a tissue (for some length of time), i felt like the world had been lifted off my shoulders, er, i mean, lifted off my head.  for another couple of hours i wasn't sleepy, nor did i need to clear my head.  as soon as the medicine started wearing off, i started getting sleepy again, and, instead of taking more pills, i opted to lay down for a nap.  a nap that ended up lasting 4 & 1/4 hours.  so, at least i think i have that solved.

now......for the question..........

i don't really buy into those memes that go around, for i feel sometimes you open your private self up for strangers online.  but sometimes a thought provoking question will come across my mind, and i wonder what others would do if confronted with the situation.  even though this is not a BIG question, it is one of interest to me, and hopefully, to you.

if you could spend a day with one person, living only, who would it be, what would you do, and why.

think about it before you answer in my comment section.  i have a list that comes to mind, but each for an entirely different reason.  so........give it thought. 

GOD'S GIFT OF BEAUTY

i think it is a shame that only the thai people get to enjoy this gorgeous creation of God.  but at least we can enjoy these pictures.  an online friend sent me these pictures of a flower, known as the parrott flower, that only grows in thailand.  enjoy...............

 

 

 

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POLITICAL CONFUSION

i am not usually a political being.  i do have my opinions, and i do study the news coverage of the people running for office, both national and local.  but i don't usually get deeply involved.

this election year, being one that will go down in history no matter what happens, has me very confused.  the press wants us to view this election as the "white woman" vs the "black man".  that isn't exactly the case.  obama isn't black.  he isn't white either.  he has strong heritage on both sides.  so, can we really call this a black/white political race?  i recently read something, that if believed, would be quite disturbing.  it is alleged that mrs. obama,, when at princeton university, wrote her thesis "against" the united states government.  of course, not having actually read this thesis myself, only alleged excerpts, i cannot say that her opinion of this country and the preservation of "blacks, first and foremost", is one she still holds dear to her heart. 

though i am not overly fond of hillary clinton, my main reason for not wanting her in office would be having bill back in there.  hillary ran the white house when he was in there before, but she couldn't control bill.  would things be different this time around?

i agree with one thing.............this country needs change.  but do either of the democratic candidates provide a platform for change, one they can actually live up to realistically?  and the republican candidate, though a tried and true american veteran, does not fit the profile of a conservative republican.  i don't agree with many of his views.  and i am quite fatigued by voting for the lesser of the evils every time.  when are we going to get someone as a candidate that we can truly get behind and support because he/she has the best interest of our country at heart.

unless something happens to change my mind between now and election day, i will more than likely be writing in my choice for president.  and though he might be a better choice than what we have, i will NOT be writing in mickey mouse this time around.

we need to get a grip on this country of ours.  we are literally going to the dogs.  don't get me wrong, i love this country......MY country.......and wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world.  but i worry what kind of country will be left to my grandchildren (which i don't have yet) and my great grandchildren.  i won't be around to see most of it i am sure, but i want them to have a quality of life that so many have fought to preserve.

(regina steps down off her political soapbox)

A SICKNESS??

all i ever want to do lately is sleep.  easter sunday i slept most of the day, got up and ate, slept some more, watched some tv and then back to sleep, getting up only to get ready for work.  at work today all i wanted to do was nap.........

i have heard that the more you sleep, the more you want to sleep......but why??  is there something medically wrong with me, like a sleeping sickness, or something to do with having uncontrolled diabetes (i take meds for it, but don't always eat right)?  or is it the cold spring weather we are having, coupled with the pollen?  i want to be cleaning house, decorating, getting ready to move my big furniture into the apartment sometime in may, but i have no desire to do anything but sleep.  i am fighting right now to keep my eyes open,  but i don't have to be at work till 10 am tomorrow, and i have an internet connection, so i need to be here online, lol.

does anyone else want to sleep all the time??  i used to be this way years ago when i stayed depressed all the time, but i am not depressed now.  i am a little upset over my daughter being the way she is, but i am not depressed.  God has been so good to me, i have little to be upset or depressed over.  so what is my problem???????

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZ

oh, sorry, i fell asleep, lol.

a young man doing his court ordered community service at the salvation army today was talking to me about his colorblindness and for some reason i asked him how old he was and what school he went to.  when he told me, i asked him if he knew my daughter.  he did.  in fact, they have been friends since sixth grade, lol.  he has since married and has 2 kids, twins, a boy and a girl.  he told me to tell my daughter hello.  so when i got home from work, i texted her with the message.  she texts back and asked who i was.  slap in the face again.  she claims she doesn't have my phone number, but i recently gave it to her twice.  and she still hasn't bothered to add me to her address book.  after i texted her that i was her mother, she texted back "oh, tell him i said hi".  end of text.  sigh.  like some of my readers have said.........i have no control over how she is acting right now, so pray for her and let her have her space, and hopefully she will realize the importance of a relationship with her only mother.

i have  to work tomorrow, but get 2 days in a row off, wednesday and thursday, so hopefully i will feel more like doing some spring cleaning and furniture moving.  i also want to get out and about with my camera and take some spring shots.  i am slowly learning my way around the little bugger.........i hate something mechanical or electronic that is smarter than i am, lol.

well, not much else to share with you tonight.  i hope this will go through, since i have a very slow connection tonight.  at least i HAVE one, lol.

MY WILD KITTY, GRAY

a close-up of my outside wild kitty, gray, in the "food box".  their dishes kept blowing away off the back porch onto the roof below, so i put their dish in the box to keep it in place.  worked, too, lol.  only one cat at a time in the box, though.

isn't she beautiful???  her eyes used to be a little more crossed, but as she matures, they are straightening out some.

this is gray, on the landing of my back steps, licking her chops after dining "in the box".  see the food bowl to the right?  that is where they usually end up if not in the box, lol.

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LAST WEEKS STORM CLOUDS

my computer will only let me upload one photo at a time, then i have to save the entry and upload the next one.  so forgive the constant alerts.........

the 2 pictures below were taken last week when we had the severe thunderstorms and tornadoes here in the atlanta area.  i rushed out with my new digital camera and snapped a couple of shots.........my first time using the camera.  not too shabby, huh??  the shot is taken from my front yard looking northward.  i have been trying to get them in my journal for a week, lol.  i have some of my outside wild kitty, gray, as well, but will have to put those in another entry..........sigh.........i hate slow computers.  but at least i have internet access.

 

 

 

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A TRULY WONDERFUL GOOD FRIDAY

first, thanks again to the compassionate comments made in my journal.  thanks again to guido for sending me new readers.  (i'm gonna have to send him a payment soon, lol)

because i work for a church-based employer (salvation army), i got today off.  it is good friday.  i got up not really wanting to put on clothing and venture out into the world.  but i had promised my old housemate, betty, i would call her to see if she wanted to do lunch.

i called betty, whom i haven't had much contact with since she moved out of the downstairs apartment about a year ago.  the only times i have seen her are when she and her daughter come into the salvation army store to shop, and that has only been recently.  betty said she would love to go to lunch and suggested baby jane's, which is where the salvation army group goes for most people's birthday celebrations.  i had been once before, but wasn't really impressed.  but i agreed to meet her there at 12:30.  betty's husband has advanced Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home.  she goes to feed him his lunch at 12 noon and supper at 5 pm.  i figured she might be a little late, but she was early, as was i, so it worked out well.

unlike the first time i went to baby jane's, there was mounds of good food on the bar.  seniors eat much cheaper there, so betty and i were both seniors today......well, at least she was legitimate lol.

i pigged out on fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans, salad, roll, iced tea, and a small slice of cheesecake and a couple of spoonfuls of banana pudding.  but the food wasn't what i enjoyed the most.  betty and i had a wonderful time talking about everything.  she is nearing 70 and was a waffle house  cook for years, as well as ran her own restaurant for years.  she is a tremendous cook, and i have missed both her AND her leftovers since she moved out, lol.  we talked about her family, her poor husband, her brother, who passed away last year while she lived downstairs, her new apartment, which is in a large 2-story victorian like where i live.  i talked to her about my daughter, my old job, my new job, the problems i have been having with my new housemate and numerous other topics. 

being in the center of the city where we both live, the restaurant is a meeting place for lots of local people, many of whom we both knew.  i saw and spoke to about 10 people i knew and betty knew several herself.  one of the girls that was doing community service at the salvation army a week or so ago was there and spoke to me.  she said she wanted to come back and work off her fine, but she didn't want to work with that crotchety old woman in the back.........of course, i know who she means, but won't mention her name here. 

betty and i ate and talked for 2 hours.  i piled on the chicken, while betty enjoyed a mound of fried fish.  we were both in need of antacid afterwards, lol.

i walked betty to her car and while we stood there, 2 young men walked past us and betty said 1 was staring as he passed and the other one just walked up to me and said "don't you recognize me?".  i told him no, and he said he and his grandma see me about twice a month.  then i realized it was from the salvation army store.  i hugged him and he hugged back, and then he got into the truck with the other guy.  i still don't really remember him, lol.  but i knew it had to be the store.

as i hugged betty goodbye, she said we were going to have to make this a weekly thing.  she told me she was treating next time, since i treated this time.  it felt good to be able to take someone to lunch and pay the bill and not worry about the money.  of course, there are things i need to be buying with my money, but an occasional lunch is good for body and soul.

i felt so good after lunch (though stuffed) i went to home depot near where i used to work to get some picture hangers.  spring is here and i want to start putting up some pictures.  home depot wanted so much money for such a small pack, i went on over to the craft store to the framing dept. to see if they were any cheaper there.  the pack at home depot was almost $9.  i bought 2 packages of the same amount of hangers for $2 at the craft store.  i also got to see several people i hadn't seen in awhile.  i saw anna, lakeisha, mary, nicole and erin and that young guy whose name i can never remember, lol.  he always comes up to me and talks to me.  he is truly sweet and always remembers to ask me about my cat, lol.

a small update on the cats.........gray has been missing the last few days, but i fed one of the white cats (i think it is whitey) and there is another female around.....callie.....a calico.  i fed them some hotdogs last night. 

today was supposed to be a dark day in our Christian history, but was actually the beginning of our salvation...........the Resurrection.  i had a wonderful day today, something i don't experience much.  thank the Lord for life, here on earth, and in Heaven.

since i never know when i am going to have an internet connection, i will tell everyone here....................HAPPY EASTER.

A GREAT BIG THANKS

i would like to thank everyone who commented on my last entry.  i was pretty low after writing that.  all the good wishes and prayers and hugs..........they truly made me feel much better. 

but i would like to thank guido for pointing me to someone in j-land that had some similar problems with a daughter.  after reading their journal, i felt a weight being lifted off of me.  thank you so much, guido. 

i have fought all day trying to get online and of course nothing happens till 1:00 am!!!  and i have to go to work in the morning.  but i have to come here when i can to get my journal fix.  someone asked me once what i would do if i won a very big lottery.  of course, i gave the most obvious:  tithe, pay off bills, buy a house and car, send some to cancer research.  but after all that was taken care of, i would love to fly each and every person i know from online to georgia and have a week long celebration, meeting and getting to know the people behind the screens.  i don't play the lottery, but i DO DREAM!!!!

i am going to save this entry and then try another one with some pictures that i have taken recently.  i am not sure they will go through, and i don't want to lose this entry.

THE BLAME GAME

december 1, 1985 was one of the best days of my entire life.  though in a whole lot of pain and suffering, the result was well worth it.  i had my daughter, at 10:55 pm.  almost 10 lbs. (9 lbs. 15 oz.).  i have a rather ugly vertical scar on my abdomen that proves she was a part of me for 9+ months (she was a week post mature).  other than trying to regain my strength while nursing, healing and learning to be a mom, as well as putting up with a husband who had no clue what to do, with me or our child, i was happy about her arrival.  granted, i had never really thought of myself as a mother, and wasn't sure i would ever be able to be one, since i never got pregnant with my first husband.  but after hearing her scream at delivery, seeing her chubby red face shortly after birth, and seeing her smile for the first time, i realized i was going to love being a mother.

of course, there was the colic, the diaper rashes, the constant eating, throwing up, then eating again, the chicken pox (which i, too, got) but motherhood was mostly good the first 3 years.  then daddy decided he wanted to play house elsewhere, and did.  he had a child with another woman and married her while still married to me.  sigh........suddenly my world changed.

i am not good with stress.  most of us aren't.  from the day he left, i stayed stressed, except when i was depressed and would sleep for many hours at a time.  i guess it was posthusband depression, instead of postpartum.  my world crumbled around me.  i lost my home on the courthouse steps.  without realizing it, i pulled away from my daughter in many ways.  but i never let a day go by that i didn't hug her and tell her i loved her.

at age 10, she joined the church and was baptized.  i was elated.  she became a missionary for our church, doing good deeds for others who, like we had been, were less fortunate.  she was a great student, enjoying reading and learning.  then, she became a teenager.  things went downhill.  i didn't know how to cope with that either.  soon, the child i had given birth to......loved.......became a stranger.  i discovered her social activities by reading her emails.  i was shocked she was behaving as she was.  how did i not know?  then, the day before she turned 17, she showed up with a couple of friends and a truck, and moved out...........of our house, and mostly out of my life.  there were signs of healing, then something would happen to divide us again.

now she is 22.  though we were together for 17 years, she has built a completely new and different life in the last 5.  i don't know her anymore.  i take the blame for much of it, due to my not being able to cope with raising a child by myself, with little to no child support and no emotional support from her father.  i don't make excuses for the things i did, or failed to do.  and though she may be part the blame for the wedge between us, as my child, i cannot put that blame on her.  all i want is a decent, healthy relationship with her.

her latest email to me reeked of anger, hurt, disappointment.......all directed at me.  i don't know what to do to repair the damage.  many say the damage cannot be repaired, but a new relationship can be built.  she is not open to that, at least not now. 

all i pray is that God willwatch over her, guide her, and keep her safe until she chooses to rebuild our relationship.  i just hope i am still alive to welcome her with open arms.

keep us in your prayers.........please.

in 1972 i graduated from a brand new high school.  we even had to go split shift at another jr. high while the school was being built.  there was no graffiti on the walls.  the art teacher got permission to allow the lower campus wall leading to the gym to be used for "creative murals", giving anyone who wanted the chance to add to the theme of the mural (with supervision).there were no doors missing in the bathrooms.  toilet paper was allowed in each stall because no one used it for anything other than what it was meant for....or the sniffles.  you didn't have to have a hall pass because when you asked to go somewhere, the teacher could trust you to go and return without incident.  it was during the latter years of the hippy era, yet almost every student in that school respected the staff and took interest in keeping the school "like new".

at least once a week you hear something on the news about that school.  and it is seldom good.  the campus has grown much larger than when i went there, as well as the number of students attending.  we had a very small graduating class, but everyone knew everyone and at reunions even now almost every person knows how to reach someone they attended school with. 

teachers cannot teach school anymore........they are too busy policing the students.  my daughter, who is now 22, had to attend algebra class in 10th grade in a trailer where the teacher, a first year public school teacher, was too intimidated by the thug-like students to teach the math she was paid to teach. 

i remember little about my early childhood years.  i am not sure why unless my father intimidated me so much i pushed all those horrible memories to the back of my subconscious.  but i do remember a lot of my high school years because i was happy then.  i had friends, i mean real friends.  i dated the same boy all throughout high school, so i never had to worry about a date to the dance or prom. 

i know things have to change.....that is life.  but not for the worse......

share your memories with me about your high school years. 

AMNESTY BILL

let me preface this by saying:  I AM NOT A BIGOT.  I LOVE ALL PEOPLES, WHATEVER THEIR RACE, CREED, RELIGION, ETHNIC BACKGROUND.  I BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IF THEY FOLLOW THE RULES LAID DOWN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THEY WISH TO LIVE.  BUT ONCE AGAIN, I AM LIVID AT THE IDEA OF WHAT THIS BILL COULD MEAN IF PASSED. 

PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK.

ftc-video-CNN-AmnestyBillsWorstProvisions__.wmv   

BEFORE YOU GO

i know it isn't veteran's day, and you probably won't understand why i am adding this to my journal.  a friend, personal, not online, emailed me the following story and link to a song.  i opened it mostly out of respect for my friend, not really interested in reading or hearing something about veterans.  after reading the story and viewing/listening to the slide show, i know now why i opened the email.  too often i disregard the "old" soldiers who fought in past wars, mostly because i knew nothing about the war personally, nor did i know anyone who fought in those early wars.  i grew up during the vietnam era, so ww1 and ww2 were a little foreign to me.  but after this email, i realized that it doesn't matter what war, what era, what men and women....they are all veterans who fought so that i could have the "laid-back" lifestyle that i have.  i can go to my Baptist church, shop at the local mall, say what i feel in my heart, think what i want to think...........live a life of freedom........because of these men and women and what they gave....their time, their sweat, their tears, their futures, and many...their lives.  thank you, all veterans, past and present, for giving me a full life......and thank you for following the example of Jesus, giving of yourselves.........thanks so much.

 

The elderly parking lot attendant wasn't in a good mood! Neither was Sam Bierstock. It was around 1 a.m., and Bierstock, a Delray Beach, FL, eye doctor, business consultant, corporate speaker and musician, was bone tired after appearing at an event. He pulled up in his car, and the parking attendant began to speak. 'I took two bullets for this country and look what I'm doing,' he said bitterly. At first, Bierstock didn't know what to say to the World War II veteran. But he rolled down his window and told the man, 'Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you.'

 

Then the old soldier began to cry.

 

'That really got to me,' Bierstock says.

 

Cut to today.Bierstock, 58, and John Melnick, 54, of Pompano Beach - a member of Bierstock's band, Dr. Sam and the Managed Care Band - have written a song inspired by that old soldier in the airport parking lot.

 

The mournful 'Before You Go' does more than salute those who fought in WWII. It encourages people to go out of their way to thank the aging warriors before they die .'If we had lost that particular war, our whole way of life would have been shot,' says Bierstock, who plays harmonica. 'The WW II soldiers arenow dying at the rate of about 2,000 every day. I thought we needed to thank them.

 

'The song is striking a chord. Within four days of Bierstock placing it on the Web, the song and accompanying photo essay have bounced around nine countries, producing tears and heartfelt thanks from veterans, their sons and daughters and grandchildren.

 

'It made me cry,' wrote one veteran's son. Another sent an e-mail saying that only after his father consumed several glasses of wine would he discuss ' the unspeakable horrors' he and other soldiers had witnessed in places such as Anzio, Iwo Jima, Bataan and Omaha Beach.

 

'I can never thank them enough,' the son wrote. 'Thank you for thinking about them.'Bierstock and Melnick thought about shipping it off to a professional singer, maybe a Lee Greenwood type, but because time was running out for so many veterans, they decided it was best to release it quickly, for free, on the Web.

 

They've sent the song to Sen. John McCain and others in Washington. Already they have been invited to perform it in Houston  for a Veterans Day tribute - this after just a few days on the Web.

 

They hope every veteran in America gets a chance to hear it.GOD BLESS every EVERY veteran...and THANK you to those of you veterans who may receive this.

 

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE SONG AND SEE THE PICTURES: 
  
  Before You Go

AN EARLY MOTHER'S DAY

the following was sent to me via email.  it touched me.  since i currently do not have any contact with my daughter, it saddens me to even think of mother's day this year.  so i have decided to put it here tonight so that i can sit quietly at home this coming mother's day and wonder where i went wrong with my daughter............

Before I was a Mom...
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations. 

Before I was a Mom...
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts
I slept all night. 

Before I was a Mom...

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
 
Before I was a Mom...
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom. 

Before I was a Mom...
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom...
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a

Mom.

 

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STILL ONLINE...SORTA

i still have internet service.....sporadically.  i was off all day sunday, and of course, i couldn't get online all day long.  then, as i was preparing for work monday morning, i was able to access the net just as i was about to leave the house.....sigh.

i have had service on and off tonight, mostly off, lol.

thanks to all of you who have commented and given me words of encouragement.

nothing truly exciting is happening right now in my neck of the woods.  i read a couple of journals while i had service, but was unable to comment.  at least i am trying to catch up.  dorn.....yours was one of those i caught up on.  i miss reading you...i have to get back into the swing of things.

i have 2 mechanical cats i got from work.  they are something to behold, believe me.  my kitty was terrified by the first one i brought home, and today i brought one home that was larger and moved around more.  it is almost scary.  i heard from a customer today that you can get them out at the local flea market on the weekends, so of course i am headed out there next sunday.

with this odd weather we are having here in georgia i can't get motivated to do anything.  i need to start getting the house organized to have the rest of the furniture moved in from the storage unit.  i will be so glad to get some normalcy in my life.

i have to get to bed now, but wanted to update while i had service.  goodnight all.

I HAVE A COMPUTER!!!!!!!!

i have a new computer......well sorta.  this man who volunteers at my new job found out that i was thinking about just getting a new tower so that i could get back online and he said he had purchased a used compaq presario tower/keyboard/mouse and a compatible monitor from the salvation army where i work and he didn't need it anymore.  he had recently purchased a laptop, so told me i could have his old one.  so today i went over to his apartment and picked it up.  i got 2 extra "mouses", the monitor, keyboard, and additional coax for other items to be added.  and all for FREE!  thank you friend!!!!!

i had lunch on friday with a woman i have made friends with through contact at the craft store i used to work for.  she said her husband is the IT guy for a major local hospital and he has a program that can retrieve information from "fried" computers and store it while he cleans my computer, then will put it back in my computer.  and then he will build me a really good computer from all the parts they have at home.  so i have this one to use while i wait for him to clean and restore my old one, and then i might possibly get a much better one.........free.  of course, he is quite busy and i might not see that new Frankenstein computer for some time, but i am happy just to have internet from home, though slow.

i hope all is well with my readers.  i haven't had the time to visit journals, but i am off tomorrow, and after i wash 2 loads of clothes at the laundromat, i plan on coming back here and if i have an internet connection, i will read and respond to journals.

i got my tax refund, or at least the federal part, and i paid a bill, got my emissions done, and got my tag.  legal for another year, lol.  then i made the mistake of going to ross to see if they had any sheets on sale.  i bought 3 sets of sheets and new pillows all for $69.  when i got home i found a flier in my mailbox from radio shack.  i shouldn't have opened it, lol.  they had an hp printer/scanner/copier/photoshop copier and docking digital camera for $99.  i was all over that, lol.  so now i have a nice camera to take some pics with that i can put here on my journal.  of course, they won't be great like my friend greg's pics, but they will be better than what i have been taking with my cheap little digital camera without the flash.

the time changes tonight and i am losing an hour, so i guess i need to start getting ready for bed.  hope everyone has a blessed sunday or whatever day it is in your part of the world.