Stream-of-Bloggingious

A few random thoughts are going through my head and thought I'd throw them in a post.

Spring is here! We spent a nice part of the day raking (4 lawn bags just from the front yard!) and getting ready for the "big improvement." Our back yard has sucked for quite some time. We recently had a tree removed and now we're taking the plunge....new front deck and patio, new big patio in the back, actual *landscaping* and a new privacy fence. Needless to say our back yard looks like the badlands at the moment, but the improvements commence this week! And other than some scratches and burning nose (damn allergies), we had a nice outdoor day!

Easter is coming. Got the required eggs and dye. Woot! We're ready to go!

The Sopranos is on tonight...and 24 is on tomorrow night. That likely means I won't be blogging until Tuesday. Heh.

The man and I went out and had some adult time Saturday night. A great meal, and a couple of drinks. We didn't know what this whole "dating" thing was all about so we picked up the kids and went home. ;-)

Hubby's evil boss comes back tomorrow and my new boss is supposed to get us all in a room and tell us about the "great secret" he has been working on all week. I brace myself. Between wiping away my hubby's tears (and hiding his guns) and spending hours and hours trying to figure out this new boss, I may not blog until *next* week. Between all of that and my extreme lack of creativity lately.

Saddam is bad, Osama is bad, murders, child abusers and molesters are all bad, too. The weather is good, except for those tornadoes in Tennessee, I was basically told today that I'm evil (along with a few of my friends) and I need to cook dinner. Wow....that was a bit streamy, wasn't it?

Take care and see you all around!

Where's Your Hostess?

Where, oh where has your hostess gone?
Oh where, oh where has she been?
Well, she's felt real crappy
Hence no posts for a while
...and now she just feels like shit.

Okay, so various combinations of medicine have a way to make even the most stupid stuff seem funny to me, so if you don't like my little song above, I apologize profusely!

I've felt like crap all week. Started with a sore throat and headaches and now seems to be something full blown (add sinus, nose and ears to the mix). I hate being sick, especially on the weekend. If I feel like this when I wake up, 1) no work and 2) doctor appointment. I can only take so much.

Bleh. Hope to be back soon!

UPDATE: Woke up this morning late for work (didn't even hear the alarm that I can recall) and feel even worse. Get to see the poor doctor at 11:15am. I hope he gives me some good drugs. I HATE BEING SICK!!!

UPDATE to the UPDATE: I got antibiotics! Sinus infection, ear infection...they didn't test for strep, but suspect I may have it (but the antibiotics will get it anyway) and thought if it wasn't strep, my allergies may have started all of this. Damn body! We'll see you on the other side of 24 tonight, after some much needed rest!

Hee Haw!

I grew up in a household full of country music, and shows like "The Osmonds" and "Solid Gold." One show I clearly remember gracing the television regularly was "Hee Haw."

Washington - Buck Owens, who popularized country music in the United States with a string of 1960s hits and a long-running television show, died Saturday, associates said. He was 76.

Owens' family said he died in his sleep at his home in Bakersfield, California, according to the website of a concert hall and restaurant he owned. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Now, with shows like Hee Haw, one gains useless, non-disposing information. Like these lyrics from a Hee Haw song:

Where, oh where are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over and I thought I found true love...
But you met another and PHPPPHT you were gone.

G'night, Buck!

The Lost and Found

The lost...

MILWAUKEE — Police expanded their search for two missing boys to a 100-square-block area and announced a $17,000 reward as they began a fifth day with no substantial leads into the youngsters' disappearance.

"We absolutely don't have any information about where they would be and why they would leave of their own accord," police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said at a news conference late Thursday morning. "We just simply don't know where they are."

Purvis Virginia Parker, 11, and his 12-year-old pal Quadrevion Henning aren't the type to have wandered away, their families said. Purvis is a quiet boy who dreams of becoming an artist, and Quadrevion has a stack of honors from his school for good behavior and attendance.

These boys sure don't seem to fit the profile of runaways. I hope no harm has come to them!

The Found...

SELMER, Tenn. — The family of a slain Tennessee minister was found safe Thursday night in Orange Beach, Ala., the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.

Authorities were looking for Mary Winkler and her three children — Breanna, 1; Mary Alice, 6; and Patricia, 8 — who had been missing since church members found her husband, 31-year-old Matthew Winkler, shot to death in his parsonage.

Orange Beach police spotted the family's Toyota van stopped on the side of the road and pulled over to help around 7:30 p.m. CST.

Mary Winkler and her daughters were in the van and in good physical condition, and no one else was with them when they were stopped, said TBI spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson. Authorities started questioning her Thursday night.

The mom is being questioned, but she is not under arrest. I hope, for the sake of the children, that the mom isn't involved. Losing one parent is hard enough, but to lose one to the other would be unthinkable. There will certainly be more to come in this story. I'm happy they were found safe! From what I've read of Minister Winkler, he will be sorely missed by many. What a tragedy for his family and the community.

UPDATE: So the wife/mom confessed to killing her husband/father of the children. Wow....what a shame.

It's *MARCH* People!

The forecast from our Channel 7 Storm Center (emphasis mine):

Saturday Night: Snow after 1:00am. Low 29. Sunday: Morning snow, 2"-4" accumulation possible. Snow tapers during afternoon and early evening. High 34. Sunday Night: Snow redevelops, heavy at times. Low 27. Monday: Snow, potentially very heavy into Monday Night. High 32.

Extended Forecast:
Tuesday: Snow early. Total accumulation 12-15". Low 25. High 33.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Low 18. High 36.
Thursday: 40% chance of snow. Low 20. High 35.

Um...Mother Nature, it's late March and we want to get some stuff done in the yard. HELLO!

Well, I may just get to use those moon boots after all! Hahahahahaha

Yes, I am a Woman!

My lady friends over at The Cotillion have a number of posts up relating to us wimmin-folk and our body parts, and some women's altering of said body parts. I personally got to thinking that over the last few decades, women haven't just been altering their parts, but they have truly tried to change what a "woman" really is. So, at the risk of putting myself out there, I do have an opinion on this. And not one that many may like or agree with.

I am a woman. All my life I've had boobs and a vagina (mind you, never altered with surgery but altered somewhat with age!). Once I got older, I got a bitchy attitude once a month, I bled thanks to Eve's whole Adam scandal, and I have bought a million dollars worth of tampons, pads, and other various items I try not to ask my husband to buy for me. I carried two babies in my womb, and I can cry watching a game show, as long as the contestant tells us their winnings are paying for their child's cleft palate surgery (don't ask, but it did happen). I like reading People Magazine, and In Touch, and Star, but will pick up a nice novel if I could have more than a 30 minute attention span at any given time. And some times, even if I've never seen any Oscar nominated movies, I can still tune into the damned awards show.

My husband would say I drive like a woman, but I would have to turn around and thank him for the compliment. I can scream and cheer along with any man watching a Husker football game, but I can watch Rachael Ray and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition right after the game. Anyone who reads my blog knows my addiction to 24, and it ain't just cause Jack Bauer is hot. I'm also in touch with my feminine side and I'm proud of it.

I love being female, and that we are different than men. I like the fact that I can wear lots of diamonds, and that hubby bought them for me. I love it when he opens the car door. I love it when he protects me (he's got guns, yanno!). I love to shop...especially for pretty kitchen items or purses, or clothes, especially for my little girl. I love the fact that I could get away with owning a pink car, if I really wanted to. And I like chick flicks. I really do!

Do I think some version of women's lib was needed? Absolutely. I value my right to vote. I do not think men are *better* than women - merely different. I want my man to take care of me, but don't want him to treat me like I'm an idiot. I can do more than clean house, be pregnant and cook. I hold a pretty high position at the company I work for - not because I'm a man or a woman, but because I'm good at what I do. I capitalize on those things that I do well, I work hard, and I try to inspire others to do the same. I'm loyal, I believe in the organization I work for and know that each day I can make a difference to people around me if I try. But in the course of all of that, I don't make a big stink about being a woman, even though other women around me think I should. In the grand scheme of things, my employer can't write "Merri is great because she's a chick" because they'd get sued up one side and down the other (albeit not by me). So I let my work stand on its own merit and it gets recognized.

There are things that really bother me about how some women have approached women's lib, women's rights, etc. I like my bra - don't make me burn it, especially that nice lacy number in black.

Let me vote, but know that I'll vote to to change abortion laws, too. I think the father of a baby should have equal say in whether a pregnancy should end, even if the baby is "housed" in my body. A baby is not a medical condition and it isn't the Immaculate Conception. It took a man and myself to create this human life and it shouldn't be just my decision to murder that human life by myself.

Sure, let me be in combat, but I better be able to meet the same standards the fellow in the next row over has to meet in order for me to get there - and if I can't meet those standards, I probably shouldn't be standing next to him holding the same rifle and the same backpack (okay...so whatever they call them...I ain't in the military so pardon my lack of terminology!). It doesn't make me weak, I'm not discriminated against....God made me different for a reason. In all of that, no one says I'm less intelligent, no one says I'm not a solid contributor to society. If I want equal rights, by God I've got it! But truly make it equal - don't give me special priviledges just because of my appendages or the lack thereof.

In the meantime, Kim Gandy, Gloria Steinem and the rest of the Useful Idiots of modern day feminism can kiss my lace covered, perfumed, flower and diamond loving, Santoku knife wielding ass.

A Brave Act to Follow

It's good to focus on some good things that happen in the world.

It's too bad that some people may have walked on by, or stood in fear, but these two boys chose to do the right thing.

Life and All That!

Thanks so much to all of my readers for having patience with me while I've been away. A lot has been between me and posting - let's just leave it at family illness (including my own), work, getting geared up for some major work on our yard and home and well, Season four of '24.' ...and season four only has four episodes left and there should be a little bit of free time after that. :-)

A good blogging friend of mine has moved to her new site - send congratulations over to Laura at The Wide Awake Cafe. ...and who, may you ask developed such a beautiful website for Laura? None other than Sadie of Apothegm Designs, our most favoritist designers! Seriously...take a tour at The Wide Awake Cafe and be sure to add Laura to your blogroll!

Over at Hubby's place, you'll see a new face! I'm not quite sure if Muslihoon knows for sure what he got himself into, but at least hubby let's everyone know the extent of his evil ways!

Beth over at MVRWC shared her thoughts on Debbie (thinks she) does Blogging and I, as always, had a good laugh...and then the next thought that came to mind - about bloggers who think they can get away with bullshit such as Debbie - was only something a person traveling through the world of CTU could appreciate. Heh.

And while I want to spend sometime venting about Baby Charlotte and the mistrial for the woman who hacked off her baby's arms (oh, poor girl was insane!), I feel the need to ponder on those two items for a bit. What's happening with Baby Charlotte is no less than a tragedy...hell, what's happening in that court case is right there as well. But if you read my blog regularly, you'd already know how I feel about both of those issues.

Anyway, I hope to be back to regular posting very soon (or even now?). Again, thanks for sticking with me! Now...Bauer calls...and when Bauer calls, you better not only answer the phone, but you better do what he says. ;-)

...a Sigh of Relief

Most people are thrilled to win money, realize there is an error in their favor in the checkbook, thrilled that their child won in some sport or got A's on their report card. Today, I'm thrilled that our little guy is getting back to normal.

If you're like me, it's hard seeing your little ones sick. Our eight-year-old boy was so sick that I took him to the ER last night and he was moved ahead of every other child there because he was so sick. Dehydrated from days of illness and lack of eating and drinking. You could see his dry lips and sunken eyes, poor guy. He quickly got over his fear of needles when he heard about "snow man spray" and was braver than I ever imagined when they had to do a second poke for blood draws.

I find it amazing what an IV can do...he quickly became himself...moving from the nervous, shaky boy to the talkative, silly kid I know....even as late as 3am, talking about Jimmy Neutron while throwing in his fascination that he had a "straw in his hand." They thought they may have to keep him overnight, but he recovered so quickly I was able to bring him home. And for the first time in days, he REALLY SLEPT. From about 3:15am until 1pm today.

And why is Mom so thrilled? He actually ate Jell-o and had some water. Yippeeee!

P.S. I firmly believe that kids are quick to heal - he'll probably be running around playing with his cars and video games by the end of the day. Me and hubby? Well, it'll take weeks for us to recover. ;-)

Family Values

I've recently been enlightened to the fact that what I thought was the definition of family isn't quite what I expected.

I thought family looked like this...

...usually a group of people associated due to birth, marriage, etc. In this day and age, it isn't necessarily a Mom and Dad who have given birth or adopted children...it is also husbands and spouses, grandmothers and grandpas, cousins, aunts and uncles.

...family tends to care for one another, and even in the most challenging circumstances they can recognize the value of being together.

...takes a "together" approach when needed versus abandoning one another at times when togetherness is the most important thing.

...recognizes how stressful life can be and tries not to hold it against one another.

...instead of judging and sentencing, understands and acknowledges.

In my adult life, going quite a number of years back, I've come to discover that family isn't all it is cut out to be. When a family member dies or is incredibly ill, people argue over trivial things that isolate them for years. Money and posessions become the most important things versus the grief and the loss and the need to lean on one another for support. I heard the classic story of the great-aunts who wouldn't speak to one another for 40+ years over....a quilt. A damn quilt. And when they did start speaking, it was almost too late....one of them had suffered a stroke and wasn't quite herself. At least they made the decision to reconcile before life ended for either one of them. And what of the quilt? No one knows for sure.

When stressed out, people do things that aren't necessarily noble - at times they can be downright ridiculous and are usually directed at family or close friends. The death or illness of a family member always seems to take a toll. Stress sucks...responsibility sucks...throw them together and it can be like napalm in the morning. But funny thing...how things go next will dictate the character of those involved. Resolving the stress, helping one another, working together, offering forgiveness and the occasional, well-placed apology goes a long way.

In the toughest of times, instead of punching your sibling or your cousin or your parent when they are trying to do what they feel is right - as hard as it may be - offer a hand, an ear, your heart. Forty years from now the quilt won't matter, but your memories and your family will.

Love and Kids - the Best Therapy

It was this time last year that we were reeling from the death of my mom. She died of cancer after a very long battle. I feel very fortunate that I had time with her. Time to talk with her about life - to reflect on childhood, funny memories and all of that. We had closure, she and I.

Last night, we needed to admit my mother-in-law to an inpatient mental facility. She is struggling with what they believe to be Alzheimer's Disease. Her progession has been quick - way too quick for many of us to grasp.

I'm proud of my husband for stepping up and taking care of her and being there for her. I struggle with how his siblings are handling it, although I imagine they don't know what to do or how to react.

The best thing to see was the smile on her face when she saw her grandkids tonight. As hubby said, we saw Mom again...telling us not to worry about the kids horsing around...asking to hug Emily when she ran into the TV stand, etc. You can bring in every nurse and doctor known to man...I swear the best therapies are love and kids...hands down.

We'll take one day at a time. Alzheimer's is an unfair disease, robbing everyone, including the family of their most cherished things - memories. But even if she can find 5 minutes of joy, it's worth the time we spend helping her be comfortable...helping her feel safe. She may not be my biological Mom, but she raised my husband and helped him get on the path to being the amazing father and husband and son he is today...and for that I owe her a lifetime of gratitude. She's also treated me, from the moment I met her, like a daughter. I never felt like an outsider...always warmly embraced. I hope I can give back even a fraction of what she has done for me.

F*&%#ng Groundhog!!!

We've been spoiled in Nebraska. Since mid-December, our high temperature has been well above 32 (the average for this time of year). I'm talking days in the 60s, even. Well, until yesterday...and today. It's freaking cold and the 7-day forecast doesn't get any better. I blame that f*&#ng groundhog...I think it's all a big super seekret conspiracy...they've been planning 6 more weeks of winter for months now, dammit!

His day job:

The *real* groundhog:

What?!?! I ain't been watchin' Bauer on 24 for nuthin....!

2-Month Old Miracle

It's nice when something that had a purposeful and expected bad ending doesn't quite turn out that way.

SAO PAULO, Brazil - A baby girl found inside a plastic bag floating on a lake in Brazil was released from hospital Sunday in good condition, doctors said.

The girl, apparently two months old, was rescued Saturday afternoon by a couple who heard her crying in the Pampulha Lagoon in Belo Horizonte, a city about 300 miles northeast of Sao Paulo.

Amateur footage broadcast on Brazilian TV showed rescuers using a long tree branch to pull the black plastic bag out of the water. They opened the bag and found the girl inside, dressed in a pink dress.

Just how did this little one, only 2-months-old, end up in a plastic bag in a lake? We may never know...

Authorities arrested the mother of the baby later Sunday, but she denied throwing the girl into the lake, Globo reported. The mother said she gave the baby away to a group of homeless people because she didn’t have enough money to raise the child.

While it is important to find out who did this so justice can be served, it is a joy to know that this little girl survived. I wish for her a safe and happy life, away from anyone who doesn't care enough for her that they thought it was okay to throw her away like every-day trash.

Real Life, Rachael Ray and Please Pass the Next DVD!

Hi everyone!

This is just a quick post to let you know I am still among the living. There have just been certain things that have gotten in the way of me posting anything of note:

The next "Every Day with Rachael Ray" is on my nightstand. Review will commence once I've read it cover to cover!

Work has been unbelievable! I'm running a million miles a minute there and I just don't want to do anything when I get home so my excuse is...

We are now on Season 2, Disc 3 of "24." Hubby and I have been averaging oh, about 3-4 hours a night immersing ourselves in terror plots, assassinations and wannabe first ladies. The suspense! Pretty soon we'll be throwing our kids a loaf of bread and some juice bags for dinner as we watch "the next episode." Whatever will we do when we reach the end of season 4? I don't know if I can wait a WEEK between episodes! Gah!!! Which is my reason for.....

Laundry, cleaning and bills are waiting in the wings to get done. It's really sad when you wash a load of mismatched laundry in "cold" with Woolite, just to get you through tomorrow. But it's "24." Gimme a break!

Don't you love my new skin? THANKS AGAIN SADIE LOU! I figured that for those of you who come here for Rachael Ray, John Cusimano and recipes, a nice "food" skin would be just the thing. do you like my Wusthofs? Heh!

Well...back to our warped world of counter-terrorism. I'll peek my head out from under my rock again soon!

I'm.An.Addict

I started watching "24" with the 5th Season Premiere last weekend. I was hooked immediately within 1-2 minutes of our 4-hour Tivo viewing.

We had bought season one on DVD, and I've been neglecting life in general (sleep, work, cleaning, dishes, cooking) as I've been immersed in the life of Jack Bauer.

I just returned from Wal-Mart and Best Buy, during which time I bought seasons two, three and four on DVD.

Is there a 12-step program for this show?

Baby's Body Abandoned in Cemetery

What happened here?

OMAHA, Neb. -- Council Bluffs police are investigating a fetus abandoned in cemetery Saturday.

A couple walking in the Cedar Lawn Cemetery made the discovery in the crest lawn section and they called Council Bluffs police.

An autopsy was performed on the fetus at 10 a.m. Monday Investigators said it was a 17-week-old male.

"We have a fetus; we believe it's about 17 weeks in term and it's possibly been outside for two weeks," said Sgt. Jerry Mann, of the Council Bluffs Police Department.

My heart breaks thinking about him being abandoned. Understandably this could have been a miscarriage, but to abandon the child's body in a cemetery (obviously he hadn't been buried as a couple happened upon his body as they were walking) invokes such sadness in me.

I can't help but think those who rally to allow women to suck their babies out of the womb and into a sink has had some influence on the woman who abandoned this baby. Human life should mean more than this.

Send Up Your Prayers!

Please pray for a fellow MuNuvian. He needs our support!

Twelve Miners in WV

Here is what I posted last night, right before bed:

Absolutely a miracle!  While one miner was found dead, the remaining twelve were found ALIVE!

All I have to say to that is AMEN! 

I pray for the family whose miner didn't survive...may their hearts heal and may they find peace.

As we now know today, that report was false.  It's heartbreaking to know that the opposite was true, and the vast majority of these miners lost their lives.  I truly pray for all of their families at this time.  I hope answers can be revealed about why this happened.  To bring joy to the families for a number of hours and then take it away is tragic in and of itself.  This is one post I wish I never had to update. 

Oh, Yeah!

Nebraska 32 - Michigan 28

OH YEAH!

P.S. Sorry, Dad, you Michigan fan, you!

Sick...Again...Ugh!

So, I woke up sick again.  Decided to go to work anyway.  Stuck it out most of the day, albeit miserable.  Came home, took a couple of hours nap thinking it would make me feel better.  And I did feel better...for a bit.  I hate being sick.  I just want to get two productive days at work this week so I don't feel so behind after all the sickness last week.  And I want to have fun with the kids and their new toys.  And I want to find something to post about...nothing I read tonight sticks out for me.

New Year's Resolution?  Trade this sick body in for one that works.  Dammit.

Stephanie Dietrich...an Every Day Hero in My Book

...I wouldn't call this an "obsession."  I'd call it a personal sacrifice.  A gift for a mother grieving for her missing children.

AKRON, Ohio — The Ohio woman who found the bodies of two missing New Hampshire children said Monday she had been searching with her dog for months on a personal mission that her friends and family considered an obsession.

Stephanie Dietrich, a grocery store cashier, said she was motivated to look for Sarah Gehring, 14, and her brother Philip, 11, by their mother's public plea for help.

Most of us pale in comparison to Stephanie Dietrich.  We read the news each day, or hear it on TV or the radio, and think "how awful that someone has to worry about where her children's bodies are."  This amazing woman, Stephanie Dietrich, didn't just listen - she took action.

Dietrich, 44, said she went out searching with her dog more than 40 times since July near her Akron home because of clues suggesting the gravesite could be in the region. Investigators had concluded in 2004 that pollen found on dirt on Gehring's minivan and shovel suggested that the soil most likely came from northeastern Ohio. 

How often have you inserted yourself in a mission such as this?  Me?  Never.  I would venture that most of you have not. I look to Dietrich as an everyday hero.  A person who sacrifices in order to assist others.  Because of her persistance, a mother can move forward.  She knew her worst fears were true, but can now lay her children to rest because of one brave and persistent soul.

Dietrich said she kept a 2-inch-thick folder of news articles and tips from the Internet and often woke up in the middle of the night to read it.

"It was like a personal challenge. Not like it was a game. I knew it was serious," she said. "My family members and friends were like ready to have an intervention because I was obsessed with it."

No intervention needed, Ms. Dietrich.  Because of you, a mother was reunited with her lost children and she can give them a proper burial and gain some closure on her loss.  You are a hero in my book.

Happy Ball & Chain Day, My Love!

My dear hubby,

Your post about our 10th anniversary today was, well, amazing.  We *have* come a long way, haven't we?  We've been through so much, you and I, and through it all you have been the strength I've needed.  There are many women in the world that look to their husband as an "equal partner."  Call me old fashioned, but one major reason I fell in love with you is that I knew you would be my strength, my rock.  I don't always want to be "equal partners (okay, maybe with the exception of the household chores...hehehe)."  I love that you pamper me, that you tell me what's important, that you take care of me when I need it most.  When Bradley was coming almost 2 months early, I needed to look in your face to make sure things were going to be okay.  When I've had health issues, you took care of me on the days I don't think I even knew my own name.  When my mom got sick and was dying, yours was the only strength I had on many legs of that journey.

Ours was definitely a union of fate - we lived two doors away from each other, yet it took AOL to bring us together.  I remember that first Christmas after we met.  I didn't want to really celebrate as the prior year had been so bad.  But you got me through it, and I actually enjoyed that Christmas:  Mannheim Steamroller and Champagne and Christmas lights.  And with tremendous debt and not much incoming money, we entered into this marriage.  Ten years has brought us two beautiful and amazing children, a home and much more financial stability than I imagined 10 years ago.

I know you walk around in my brain and my heart regularly.  You have endured "the rat" Chi Chi even though he seems to hate you.  You rushed out to buy Winston when I was heartbroken when Stanley died.  When Cosmo escaped, you made Bradley happy again by buying Wanda.    Standing in front of the fountains at the Bellagio, you know I got emotional.  Honey, it was at that moment that I was overwhelmed at how happy I was and how much in love with you I still am.  There have been a number of points in our marriage, particularly early on, that I felt that I needed you.  But I have recognized over time that I don't need you.  I want you.  And at that moment in front of the fountains, I wanted you more than I have ever felt before.

I could write forever and ever in a feeble attempt to put into writing how much I love you, but it wouldn't do my feelings any justice.  Just know that I love you with my entire being and will do everything I can to make our 2nd ten years even better than our first.

I love you, Honey!

Merri

We're Back!!!

Eric and I are back from Las Vegas (we celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary!).  We had a great time...we actually didn't really lose money on the black jack tables (now for me, the slots were another thing, but let's just say I stayed away from them after the first couple of hours...hehehehe).

We stayed here:

We saw this:

...and this...

...oh, and this....

...and this, and this and this:

I would add that we gambled, saw Celine Dion, had a few AMAZING meals, but the rest is none of your damn business.  Remember, what happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas, right?  Hehehehe 

But Eric is right, the time we had pales in comparison to seeing our two little ones throw themselves into our arms at the airport.  As much as I loved to spend "couple time" with my hubby, we just don't feel as complete as we do with our kids.  The kids had a great time, too, other than the great "puking incident" we heard about.  Enough about that!

Anyway, many many thanks again to Raven for getting my back while we were in Vegas (and Vancouver!!).  I truly appreciate her taking care of my site while I've been gone!  Now, off to fix football food for the big Nebraska-Colorado game today.  Woot!  GO HUSKERS!

A Bit of a Hiatus

I'll be out of town on business starting Tuesday morning, and I won't be returning until Friday afternoon.  I'm hopping on a 7am flight (ugh...I don't do mornings well, let's just say the girl traveling with me convinced me...and at least she's giving me a ride to the airport so I can sleep on the way heh!), so chances are I'll be pretty busy Monday night, spending time with the munchkins and hubby and packing.  So, this will probably be my last post until Friday night or Saturday.

I'm not bringing my laptop because, frankly, I will be either flying, or working (my agenda is jam packed!).  At this point, I'm hoping we get to at least look around a bit!  I just don't think I'll have time to blog.  I'm hoping those of you with a set of keys feel comfortable throwing up a post and linking the hell out of your own sites, just to boost your stats!

This is what I'll be thinking about, and would have posted about had I been here this week:

1. The trip hubby and I are taking to Vegas for our 10-year-wedding anniversary.  I'm PUMPED!  Our first trip without the young'uns!
2. GO PEYTON MANNING!  Earn me some SERIOUS Fantasy Football points, dammit!
3. I don't have to cook for at least 3 days!  And that means there won't be dishes for me to do either...LOL
4. I've never been where I'm going, and I've never had to go through customs.  Perhaps there will be a story there when I get back?
5. What will the political atmosphere be where I'm going?  I'm imagining fairly liberal, but it will definitely be interesting to observe!
6. I'm looking forward to 2 1/2 days of hearing about issues that we need to work through.
7. Even though I'll be working, I'll have a week's worth of work backed up back here at my home office.  And only 4 days to do it before I'm on vacation.  And a full calendar.  ::: shrug :::
8. Will my chihuahua be alive when I return, or will he be taking the long, wet nap for biting my hubby?
9. Will my kids miss me?  Will my hubby miss me?  I'll miss them terribly!  I did the last business trip I had!
10. Will my DVR hold all of my shows?  LOL

Take care, have a great week and stay out of trouble!  Oh, wait.  DUH....I keep forgetting who my audience is!  Heheheheheheheheheeheheheh!!!

November is...

It never fails to amaze me that the changing of the calendar brings with it new observances.  No, not talking about Thanksgiving, not talking about Veterans' Day...I'm talking about the unusual observances that are assigned to each and every month of the year (and then every week of said month, and every day of said week).  Here's what the month of November brings us:

• National Fun with Fondue Month (um....no, ain't gonna touch it!)
• Georgia Pecan Month (hmmmm....won't the pecans in other states feel discriminated against?)
• National Peanut butter Lover's Month (mmmm....peanut butter!)
• National Impotency Month (eh....ain't gonna touch that one either, although is it intended to celebrate impotency or make us aware of it?  Hmmmm....nope.  Ain't gonna go there)

There are a few weekly and daily celebrations that I couldn't pass up as well.  This week includes:

• National Fig Week (YAY!  It's National FIG week!)
• Plan your Epitaph Day, Wednesday (I'm just not ready for that!)
• National Men Make Dinner Day, Thursday (now THAT's what I'm talkin' about!)
• National Sandwich Day, Thursday (hey...who decided to put SANDWICH day on the MEN MAKE DINNER DAY?  This should be National 7-course-gourmet-dinner-day!)
• National Chicken Lady Day, Friday (whah?!?!?)
• International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, Sunday (okay, I put this one in for two reasons...1) it is the world's longest title....how do you get this on a bumper sticker anyway? and 2) Read it again...yeesh!)

There you have it!  Be sure to mark your calendars and plan your celebrations and events for November!

I Got Nothin'!

Work was crazy today, I didn't get much sleep last night and my eyelids are closing without my permission!

All of that being said - I've got NOTHIN' to post.  My attention span is about 1 minute (barely enough to post this note).  I hope to have more inspiration (and more sleep under my belt) by tomorrow.

Hubby - there ya go....I posted something.  :-)

What a Day!

Life has given me the royal finger today, I think.  Do you ever have one of those days that bad thing after bad thing happens and you just want to crawl under your rock until tomorrow?  Hello!  Today was my day!  My son has pneumonia (luckily caught early enough he didn't get full blown illness and it is treatable with antibiotics!), a co-worker's twin brother passed away (and way too young, I might add), I had to go to the doctor because of some pain I'm having and now have to have some more tests tomorrow, and so on, and so forth.  </whining>

I know there's lots out in the news, so please visit my blogroll and read some newsworthy stuff.  I ain't so newsworthy today.  BUT...as I tend to have an opinion on everything, I will point out a few things. 

I have to say that Cindy Sheehan is an idiot.  She doesn't KNOW the meaning of the words "roughed up."  I had one tiny pin-head of sympathy for her - I mean, after all she did lose a child.  But she's gone too far and I'm sick of hearing about her being a "Peace Activist."  She needs to shut the hell up and go home and get on with her life.  She's even an embarassment to her peace-nik peers.  Sheesh.

Stoopid Hurricane Rita should get the hell away from the gulf!

...and my hubby should quit blogging about hairy, pasty men mowing lawns without shirts and with their man boobs hanging out (okay, logic tells me he should pay me back since I made him watch the men on Biggest Loser II taking off their shirts during weigh in - oh, and during dinner...sorry Honey!)! 

Anyway, like I said - there's much talent and entertainment on my blogrolls - please stop over at their sites and tell them I said "Hi!"

Whew!!!

Nebraska 7 / Pitt 6

Two field goal attempts by Pitt in the last 7 seconds.  One bad, one blocked.  There is a God, and he must be wearin' red!

Susan Anne Catherine Torres

I was saddened to learn that the baby born to Susan Torres, a severely brain-damaged woman who was on life support for 3 months while her baby grew and developed, passed away.

The infant's condition had deteriorated rapidly during the weekend, according to the family. The baby's prematurity led to an intestinal disorder and an infection that overwhelmed her body, and she died just after midnight, the hospital said.

My prayers are with the family.  I imagine little Susan's daddy must be grieving more than I will ever know or comprehend.  I pray that he will find some level of peace after losing his wife and his daughter.

Remembering 9/11

As anyone would probably tell you, September 11, 2001 started out as any other day for me.  It was a Tuesday and just two days after my son's fourth birthday.  My daughter, born on May 1, 2001, was only slightly over 4 months old, and fussing for her morning bottle.  Working nights, I was always tired, but woke up like any other day to get the day rolling.  My routine in those days was to get my daughter's bottle ready first, then go to her room and change her diaper, then settle down to feed her while I watched the morning news on Fox.  At the push of a button, that day was no longer "routine" or "ordinary."

Timing seemed to be everything.  At the point I had turned on the news, they weren't showing images of the planes, but just the explosions.  I immediately got a feeling of extreme doom in my heart.  My first thought?  We were being attacked by missiles or something similar.  My second was of complete distress...what kind of world will my kids grow up in if we are, indeed, being invaded?  About that time, my husband burst through the front door and all I could muster was "What the HELL is happening?!?!?!?"...a moment etched in both of our minds forever. 

As the day unfolded, there were many tears shed and as many moments of sheer anger.  And grief.  I had to go find the pictures of the World Trade Center - I felt so fortunate that I had a chance to see those amazing buildings during a trip to New York.  I felt that I had to look at them just to let the whole idea that they were gone sink into my heart and my head. 

Before I knew it, the time had come for me to go to work.  It was so hard to peel away from my family, and from the news, but I thought that work could bring just a bit of "normalcy" to my day.  Of course, I was wrong.

Getting to work was a challenge.  We shared an office building with a local radio station and the parking lot, as well as the roads in, were clogged with cars.  People were donating money to aid the victims and their survivors.  I had *no* issue with being late that day because of this.  Once I got into the office, you could feel the distinct change in atmosphere.  A place normally abuzz as hundreds of employees talk with customers on the phone, an eerie quiet was in the air.  We barely were getting phone calls, which makes complete sense.  Those that did call in felt guilty, and said as much.  Then there were those who called in because they just needed to talk with someone.  Those were the hard calls, because America's people were grieving whether the knew anyone affected by the events at the WTC, the Pentagon, or in Shanksville.  A wonderful lady who reported to me was at work, even though a very close cousin of hers was missing, working in the Pentagon.  She asked me if it would be okay if she kept her cell phone on, which is usually not something we allowed on the production floor.  Of course I told her okay, but also encouraged her to be home with her family.  She came to work, she said, because she had worried all day and wanted something to take her mind off of it.  I cried for her.  I didn't know what else to do but offer her support and prayers.  Finally a moment of sheer joy hit our production floor when she got that cell phone call.  Her cousin, while seriously injured, was found and okay.  It didn't matter if a customer was on the phone, the whole room burst out in cheers, clapping and tears.

In the days that followed, when there was no air traffic, I tended to get spooked out.  Late at night, for about an hour, I was the only person in the building I worked in.  It was so quiet, you could hear every noise, every rattle, every creak.  And a few nights, you could hear the jets taking off from Offutt AFB (we were in the midst of their flight path).  Imagine yourself, already spooked, sitting alone in a huge building late at night, knowing planes aren't supposed to be flying.  At that most panicky moment, that's when the large jet managed to zoom past the building.  The first night that happened, I swear I was under my cubicle, thinking I was about to die.  Then when I ran and looked out the window, I did the whole "DUH" thing (slap on forehead included), but proceeded to pack up my stuff and got the hell out of there.  My heart was still racing - even when I pulled into my driveway.  That's when I realized, that for such a "distant" attack, it had even changed *my* life forever.

I remember the day that Bush declared we were at work with Afghanistan.  I remember thinking "Hell, yeah....those bastards deserve everything we've got!"  ...and got it, they did.  I remember watching the footage each night and day, an eerie green-hued Steve Harrigan etched into my mind.  I would stay up until 3-4am, just to watch the footage, only to start it up the next day.  I remember my 4-year-old son asking if Osama bin Laden was going to kill us.  My son, I will say, is brilliant.  At the age of four, he was asking me about the news, and the mastermind behind a major terrorist plot - but at the same time, my very sensitive son had fear on his face - he was genuinely concerned.  I explained to him that the army guys were "beating him up" and he'd never be able to hurt us.  From that day on, "Army guys" were my son's heroes. 

Each year, there have been vigils and memorial services to remember those lost in the 9/11 attacks.  They have served, for me, as a reminder of what we have lost. 

There was a unity for some time in this country.  Flags flying, people crossing the aisle to say "let's work together and support this cause."  We don't see that anymore - at least on the outside (i.e. the media).  We have the Michael Moores and Cindy Sheehans of the world who will tell you that GWB and anyone who believes in his leadership is putting soldiers in harms way for no reason.  However, most "every day Americans" have faith that the Bush Administration is leading us in the right direction in the War on Terror.  President Bush has never said that road would be easy, and he never said the war would be swift, no matter where the war took us.  He did let us know these efforts will preserve our freedoms and that soldiers would die for this cause.  That's what war is - freedom has a price.  3000+ Americans paid a heavy price on 9/11 and I believe in assuring their deaths were not in vain.

Update:  There are a number of sites commemorating the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  I suggest to get started you stop over at my hubby's site, Rusty's site, Beth's site, and SC&A's site.  But don't stop there.  Pretty much move down my blogroll and you will find a number of excellent posts out there about 9/11. 

New Orleans Memories

Last night, I was frantically looking through a number of my CDs for pictures from my trip to New Orleans last summer.  I was so happy to find them and only wish I had taken more - most of mine were from the convention I was participating in. 

I'll admit, I'm a pretty sentimental person.  Watching the news last night, a sense of profound sadness really washed over me as the images of the convention center area moved across the television screen.  You see, I was in New Orleans on business last year, participating in a very large convention.  I stayed at the Mariott at the Convention Center and walked the few blocks between the hotel and the convention center every day.  Seeing the images of death and despair touched me even more strongly than I imagined.  This is more like the Convention Center I remember:

This is the "lobby" of the Center - which many of the survivors were in to get out of the scorching sun.  The Convention Center is a grand place - many rooms and a huge convention floor.  There wasn't a single time I was greeted by the convention center staff with any less than friendliness and hospitality.

Having a chance to work at the Convention Center was nice, and I had the luxury of spending quite a few hours at the New Orleans information booth.  This was a booth right at the entrance of the Convention Center that was staffed by New Orleans convention center employees and event staff together.  In these hours, I worked with a couple of incredible women who told me all the places and things I should see in New Orleans, if I could get a chance.  They were the ones that helped me make the decision to go to Jacque Imo's - which ended up being my favorite restaurant during my trip.  They were the ones that made the day a little easier.  Not only were they extremely hospitable, but extremely funny and always true "ladies."  I loved hearing about their families.  I especially loved watching them work their customers.  The most angry or upset customer would be turned around, merely by their charm.  They also knew their stuff.  They could get a person to the right place in a heartbeat.  If a person came up and asked what a good restaurant would be, they'd know what questions to ask and could give great advice.  People would come up to them the next day and thank them for their advice, and ask for more advice for dinner that night. 

But now, when I think of the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, I think of these wonderful ladies and wonder if they were able to get out of there safely and if their family was able to get out.  I wonder if they will return to their city once they can, or if they will choose to live elsewhere.  I imagine their hearts break 100 times more than mine when they see the footage on television. 

Ladies - I pray you are safe and that you have the strength to move on with your lives.  I hope your grand babies and your family members are all safe, too.  You will be in my thoughts and prayers!

I also think of the restaurants we went to (of course Jacque Imo's as well as the Acme Oyster Bar in the French Quarter stand out in my mind) and wonder if they are still standing and if they will return.  I think about the river walk, which was a mall area that connected the convention center and the hotel.  I think about all of the businesses there that I bought my souveniers from and how they all faired in the hurricane.  I think about that poor sales guy at Clark's.  After the first day standing on my feet on concrete flooring (I want to say it was a 13-14 hour day as I recall), I recognized that my shoes were not acceptable - I think it was the blisters that gave it away!  On a recommendation, I stopped by Clark's and this sales guy brought out no less than 10 pair of shoes for me to try on, so I could get the best for my feet.  Those shoes are one of the best purchases I ever made.  It certainly made the rest of the cenvention more bearable, and I still wear them frequently.  They are one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I have ever owned. 

Then there was the fudge place in the mall.  I had never seen a fudge company that actually sang while they prepared fudge.  They had a whole routine.  One night my boss and I stood there and watched them for about an hour (and of course had to buy fudge!).  The workers were young men and women with voices of angels.  You could tell they had fun at their jobs!  I hope they are all okay, too!

I know my memories of New Orleans are but a tiny spot in life, and I'm certainly not saying that this tragedy impacted me directly.  But it has truly given me some perspective on how enormous this tragedy is.  I was there for merely days.  A lifelong citizen - in any of the communities hit by Katrina - has lost something so significant I'm not sure how they could possibly shoulder the sadness.  But they will.  For those that don't wish to return or rebuild, they will be welcomed in the many communities taking them in and they will start their lives over.  For those who want to stay, they will rebuild - better and stronger just to prove they can't get beaten back by this tragedy - and they will welcome the rest of us when it is time to take advantage of their hospitality. 

Peter Jennings Succumbs to Cancer

Peter Jennings was a fixture in my home growing up.  My parents both loved the guy, and always watched him on the news - ever since I could remember. 

Moving on into adulthood, I moved away from watching him on the news as it seemed his views - very noticable to a young republican - weren't always unbiased.  Still, this is a man with a career that spanned through 5 decades and undoubtedly he touched many lives through his coverage and broadcasts.  He passed away today, Sunday, at the age of 67.  May he rest in peace.

Random Thoughts

I'm pretty tired tonight, and was looking for something to post on.  There are so many stories that have been blogged on particularly well today, that I really didn't feel I had much to contribute tonight.  There have been so many things that have surfaced in my thoughts so thought I'd chronicle some of them...

My husband's mom is ill and we don't know exactly what is wrong, but it is affecting her significantly.  I worry about her as I lost my own mom early this year.  We await tests.  I'm happy that it seems like she has been connected to a good physician.

My kids both just got over pink eye, but a couple of mornings they have both woke up with slightly gunky eyes - I am thinking it may be making a comeback.  I wash my hands with fervor multiple times per day.

My house is a pit - when do people find time for laundry, cooking, dishes, cleaning, dusting and all other things "unholy?"  Don't those damn dust bunnies know I've got a blog to take care of?

I may be wrong, but I think our stupid breeder mouse momma is pregnant again.  I hope I'm wrong - she just had babies not that long ago and our snakes won't be able to keep up with her.

My son starts school in 3 weeks.  School clothes shopping....gak!  Why can't we have tax free days like Iowa is having this weekend?  Damn greedy Nebraska government!

Why can't people learn from their mistakes in their job?  My least favorite part about managing a department is having to separate a person.  If people would just work hard and stay focused and positive it would make things so much easier.  Um, yeah....I guess I can dream, huh!

I had to have my radiator & thermostat replaced in my truck the end of June....a few days ago, the "check engine" light came on.  That caused me some level of paranoia, but happily the light isn't lit any more.  Which now cases me some level of paranoia...

Why is it that I am the only one that remembers a "between cartoons" animated thing called Dr. Henry's Emergency Lessons for People (H.E.L.P.)?  Why do I remember full lyrics from songs popular in the 80s, but I can't remember what I need at the grocery store?

This is one screwed up world...why do adult women rape boys, adult men rape girls (and boys), why do our judges let pedophiles and sex offenders out after a slap on the wrist when they know they'll generally do it again, and worse?  What goes on in the mind of a person who decides to murder another human being?  What is messed up in the mind of a terrorist who is willing to blow himself or herself up just because of a level of hatred toward us they can't begin to explain?  How do I protect my kids from this evil, or should I?  What will life bring for them as adults, what will life be for their children? 

Why did I worry about the mandatory testing I had to do at work?  I aced all of them.  Sheesh.

I'm so happy that the gardens are doing so well here....fresh green beans, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers....I love summer!  My favorite veggie stand is right across from my favorite meat place.  Nothing better than a steak and fresh grown sweet corn....and a salad....yum!

Why is it that we have to now practically beg our son to eat a hot dog, but he has great joy in downing a steak he used to turn his nose up at?

How is it possible that a grocery cart, not even overflowing, can still bring a food bill of $150 or more?  Oh, wait....it's probably the STEAK. 

What do 7 year-old-boys think about?  Ours bit his 4-year-old sister because she was "annoying him."  How was she annoying him?  She was dancing to the beat of the music coming from the video game he was playing.  ...and I quote "I don't like it when she keeps the beat to my music, Mommy."  So he bit her on the shoulder and was upset when I took the game away and sent him to his room.  Our 4-year-old daughter is okay, and will recover following ample amounts of drama.   

Well, there you have it.  A small walk around my brain.  I'm sure it's frightening, but boy do *I* feel better!

Out of Tragedy Comes Life

Susan Torres, a 26-year-old researcher for NIH, who kept alive through life-support with hope of delivering her child, passed away today.  Susan had melanoma, which spread to her brain and caused a stroke, leaving her clinically brain-dead.

Her family decided to keep her alive to give her fetus a chance. It became a race between the fetus' development and the cancer that was ravaging the woman's body.

Doctors said that Torres' health was deteriorating and that the risk of harm to the fetus finally outweighed the benefits of extending the pregnancy.

Torres gave birth to a daughter, Susan Anne Catherine Torres, by Caesarean section on Tuesday at Virginia Hospital Center. The baby was about two months premature and weighed 1 pound, 13 ounces. She was in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Dr. Donna Tilden-Archer, the hospital's director of neonatology, described the child as "very vigorous." She said the baby had responded when she received stimulation, indicating she was healthy.

Following the birth of her daughter, Susan was removed from life support early Wednesday with the consent of her husband, after she received final sacrament.  Even in the midst of his grief, Jason Torres, Susan's husband, thanked everyone who has prayed for and supported his family.  Susan's courage, as well as Jason's courage is amazing.  I imagine their wee one will be a fighter, too.   

A Web site was set up to help raise money for the family's mounting medical bills, and as of two weeks ago, people from around the world had donated around $400,000. The family said it must pay tens of thousands of dollars each week that insurance does not cover.

May God bless this family and give them strength.  I'm certain Susan is one of the most beautiful angels in Heaven watching over them.

Missing Person - Cheryl Ann Magner

Cheryl is a 17-year-old girl missing since the beginning of June 2005.  She was last seen in Marin County, CA.

Anyone who has seen this 17 year old girl please call 415-472-2994.  This is her mother’s phone number…please do not call unless you have information that would be helpful.

Or call the San Rafael police dept. @ 415-485-3000 or www.srpd.org
Any information or help would be greatly appreciated by her family.

My Perfect Conservative Moment

True story....

I needed some stamps, so I went to the post office this morning. 

As, we were waiting in line, my daughter points to the collections they have on display.    Her first exclaimation was "Mommy, look at Mickey Mouse - there's candles here!" (there was a display that had Mickey Mouse candles and some stamps with it). 

At the next display...  "Mommy, look at that guy on the stamps!"  I told her "that guy" was Ronald Reagan.  Right behind me was a couple, and the guy said to the girl something along the lines of "I don't know why anyone would even waste the paper to put Ronald Reagan's picture on it.  He was one of the worst presidents we've ever had."

Me, being the ever-polite person - and for fear of police action - chose not to turn around and deck him.  Instead, when it was my turn to buy stamps - and in a very loud voice - I asked the clerk "Do you have any of those Ronald Reagan stamps in stock?  I'd like to buy some!" 

I could feel the redness in his face across the room!

Cross-posted at MVRWC

Independence Day - a Tribute

In honor of Independence Day, ladies of The Cotillion are getting together to honor and recognize our Milbloggers.  A heart-felt thanks goes out to every soldier - active, retired, or in a better place.  Thank you for freeing our country - thank you for fighting in wars to preserve our freedom and to ensure freedom and protection from tyranny exists for those in dire need.  Thank you for the sacrifices you have made to make this country a place I can raise my children.  I'd like to highlight a handful of Milibloggers - please go to their sites and offer your support and encouragement.  They have done so much for our country!

American Soldier is on a journey home and made a stop along the way to visit Arlington and to pay respects to some of the soldiers - friends - who are buried there. 

I finally found one site. I sat down next to it as if he was there, sitting beside me. The stone was to the right of me and I was looking out at the sky. Like two buddies’ who were taking a break from a mission. I stayed there for a bit. I then got up and said goodbye and that I wished things could have been different. I touched the stone and said I’d see him on the other side. I visited a few other friends and said my peace with each of them.

May God bless you on your road to recovery. 

Ma Deuce Gunner gives us the perspective we need state-side as he serves in Iraq.

A lesson in patience is in order. Again, my wife would not say I am the one to give it. Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, the current Prime Minister of Iraq, said "You cannot fix in six months what took 35 years to break." Think about that.

There are hundreds of things that are better in this country, just ask Arthur Chrenkoff, who compiles a bi-monthly list of good things happening here. There are hundreds of things that need work. These things take TIME. These things take EFFORT. To this effort we must continue to add RESOLVE and PATIENCE. In the grand scheme of things, the two years that have passed since the end of 'major' hostilities, in all reality, is a very short time to reestablish a nation.

You are right on, MDG.  It is obvious that the work you do in Iraq is impacting the Iraqi people positively every day.  Thank you so much for *your* resolve.

Drill Sergeant Bob at An American Soldier points out the interesting flopping of liberal judges with regard to the Supreme Court Ruling on Kelo v. New London (seizure of private property for development by other private citizens or corporations):

I thought it was particularly interesting that the more liberal justices voted against the little guy and in favor of big business, (It’s not just developers. Pfizer benefits greatly from this deal now.) and the Conservative justices all dissented in favor of the private citizen. Not quite the picture the Liberals like to paint in their PR blitzes huh?

Eagle1 at Eaglespeak publishes a reminder from America's past which is at the core of our Independence Day celebrations:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

As an American, I recognize that there are so many things to be thankful for.  In particular, I am thankful for the freedom we enjoy.  Freedom, they say, isn't free.  That is a statement laden with truth.  There are thousands of families in the U.S. sacrificing as their loved ones fight to preserve our freedom today.  There are even more families who suffered loss of a loved one who gave their life in the line of duty.  May God bless each and every man and woman who has made the sacrifice to serve their country.  So many would be lost without you.

Thanks to Teach over at Pirate's Cove for the great pics!

Susan Torres

Jody from Steal the Bandwagon has a post up regarding Susan Torres, a young woman, who is brain dead, who is also carrying their very premature baby.  I can only imagine how heart wrenching this situation is for Susan's family, but I think I would want my family to keep my body alive so my unborn baby has a chance to live.

Read more about Susan's story here and be sure to hug your loved ones extra tight - life can change instantaneously!

Our American Hero

Now here's a story of a TRUE red, white and blue American hero:

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2005 – For the first time since World War II, a woman soldier was awarded the Silver Star Medal today in Iraq.

Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester of the 617th Military Police Company, a National Guard unit out of Richmond, Ky., received the Silver Star, along with two other members of her unit, Staff Sgt. Timothy Nein and Spc. Jason Mike, for their actions during an enemy ambush on their convoy. Other members of the unit also received awards.

Hester's squad was shadowing a supply convoy March 20 when anti-Iraqi fighters ambushed the convoy. The squad moved to the side of the road, flanking the insurgents and cutting off their escape route. Hester led her team through the "kill zone" and into a flanking position, where she assaulted a trench line with grenades and M203 grenade-launcher rounds. She and Nein, her squad leader, then cleared two trenches, at which time she killed three insurgents with her rifle.

When the fight was over, 27 insurgents were dead, six were wounded, and one was captured.

Just reading this story, you can get a sense of the person behind the uniform.  Sgt. Hester says it best:

"Your training kicks in and the soldier kicks in," she said. "It's your life or theirs. ... You've got a job to do -- protecting yourself and your fellow comrades."

People like Sgt. Hester - brave, heroic, yet humble - have put their lives on the line to build America and have protected America from evil that has lurked throughout history.  I am so greatful to have people like Sgt. Hester protecting me.

Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines sums it up nicely:

My heroes don't play in the (National Basketball Association) and don't play in the U.S. Open (golf tournament) at Pinehurst," Vines said. "They're standing in front of me today. These are American heroes."

I'll second that!

Update:  Mr. Kurtz's Neighborhood has a great post that also has some history - a woman who won the Silver Star in WW II - Lt. Mary Louise Roberts.  A great story!

punta del capello: CitzCom

Oh, the Good Old Days in a Small Town

Growing up in the 70s and 80s in small town Nebraska, I felt safe.  We left the car doors unlocked, we left the house unlocked and I don't think I saw a house with a dead bolt.  We could leave the windows open all day and all night and the last thing that crossed our minds was someone trying to break in.  I was only 10 minutes away from "the big city" and I still felt safe.  The last thing anyone in my hometown would have expected to hear about was a child being sexually molested, killed by their parents, or murdered by their sibling.  I think the worst thing that happened in my childhood was a classmate who committed suicide. 

As I became a young adult, I moved into "the big city."  Mind you, the "big city" in Nebraska would fit squarely inside many other cities across America, but even with that I became just a bit more paranoid.  I always locked my car doors - after all, I heard about carjackings.  I always locked the door to my home because there had been some home invasions.  There was always murder or arson or gang violence on television or in the newspaper.  But even with these periodic news-makers, I always felt relatively safe.

Then I became a parent and the world has changed.  I have a compelling need to protect my children, be involved in their schooling, their interactions with friends, their televison shows, their video games.  My doors are always locked and my husband has safely stowed a small arsenal in order to protect ourselves and our property.  Oh, and we have a dead-bolt.

What has our world come to?  I'm starting to see the world through my childrens' eyes with my adult mind and it is rather scary.  No playing out in the front yard unless a parent is there, no running down to the park without Mom or Dad.  No walking to or from school, we take the car.  When I was in grade school, I played with Barbies, watched Looney Tunes and my biggest worry was whether my friend Jenny was mad at me.  My children are faced with Stranger Danger, Bad Touch/Good Touch, DARE to keep kids off of drugs, an increasing number of kids who don't have more than one parent in their lives, limitation of what they may learn in school because it may be "religious" in nature, softer approaches to grades in school and purple ink versus red ink so kids can feel "good" about themselves.  I feel that our future world is spiraling out of control as a segment of society responds to the likes of the ACLU, other "advocate" groups, or even some parents of children who attend school with my kids.  And these responses seem to become the doctrine by which society acts. 

How do we relate to our children their world as it exists today?  How can I explain to my son or daughter that Brendan Gonzales was killed by his own father because he thought he was satan?  How can I explain why Jessica Lundsford was killed?  Or why Dylan and Shasta are still missing?  Or why Osama Bin Laden hates America?  I remain strong for my kids, and assure them they are safe, of course.  But inside, my mind and my heart are heavy with my concerns. 

I look at the news, and it seems like we are seeing a rash of issues impacting our children.

Brenda Groene, 40; her boyfriend, Mark McKenzie, 37; and her 13-year-old son, Slade Groene, were found bound and beaten to death in their home on May 16. Groene's two other children, Dylan, 9, and Shasta, 8, had vanished.

There are no suspects and no motives and little Dylan and Shasta are still among the lost after a search of 800 tons of trash in a landfill didn't turn up any new clues to their disappearance.  I pray that they are okay.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A 7-year-old boy beat his baby half-sister to death with his fists, feet and a two-by-four because he was jealous of the attention the girl was receiving and because she would not stop crying, police said Wednesday.

The State Attorney's Office is deciding whether to file charges against the boy in an attack that rattled even veteran homicide detectives.

"The veteran detectives who worked on this case have never seen a case with someone as young as a 7-year-old show so much violence and so little remorse," Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

His sister, seven-month-old Jayza Laney Simms, was pronounced dead when she was taken to the hospital.  Seven months old, and murdered by her seven year old brother.  The State Attorney's Office hasn't yet determined how to proceed, or whether they will press charges.

Hillsborough County State Attorney's spokeswoman Pam Bondi said prosecutors were just beginning to review the case and the complex legal issues involved with bringing charges against such a young child. Among the elements prosecutors will have to consider is whether a child so young is competent to stand trial for a crime, Bondi said.

"There are a lot of issues," Bondi said. "This is the first time we have dealt with a 7-year-old accused of such a violent crime."

How do you NOT do something about this?  I'm not for sending this seven year old to death row, but if he is capable of this much violence at the age of seven, what kind of man will he grow up to be?  I'm shocked that a child my son's age would have so much rage.  What happened to him?

And where were the adults in charge with regard to this situation?

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Two students were charged Wednesday with sexually assaulting a mentally disabled girl in a high school auditorium. The former principal was charged with failing to notify police.

The case generated criticism because school officials did not immediately report the allegations to police and said they feared negative media attention if they did.

The 16-year-old girl told a teacher at Mifflin High School that she had been dragged into the auditorium March 9 and forced to perform oral sex on at least two boys as other students watched and one boy videotaped, according to investigators.

Two boys, Brandyn Hobbs, 15, and Timothy C. Armistead, 16, were charged with juvenile counts of rape, sexual battery and kidnapping.

Regina Crenshaw, who was removed as principal because of the incident, was charged with failing to call police. If convicted, she could get anything from probation to 30 days in jail.

Crenshaw said Wednesday she did not break the law because the girl's father called police and the school district's policy on when to call authorities is contradictory.

What about common sense and knowing right from wrong, Ms. Crenshaw?  Aren't you responsible for the well-being of the students at your school?

"I did not expect any criminal charges to be put on me. This came as a total surprise, total shock," she said.

Of course it did, lady, of course it did - it's called being accountable, but perhaps you haven't heard of this concept?

Authorities said an assistant principal at the school warned the girl's father not to call 911 because he did not want to alert the news media. The girl's father ignored the request.

An employee perhaps provided with that directive by Ms. Crenshaw?

The district has moved to fire Crenshaw and a hearing before an independent mediator is set for Thursday. Three assistant principals at the school were suspended and reassigned.

Superintendent Gene Harris said the district will continue to train staff on proper procedures, but said attention should be paid to what students did - not just what adults didn't do.

I would agree that attention should be paid to the crimes the students committed, but do not want to take away from the fact that it happened on SCHOOL PROPERTY and was not reported by SCHOOL OFFICIALS for fear of getting bad publicity.  Let's not forget about THAT, Gene.

How to best approach the challenges my children will face as they grow up?  I personally will continue to hug my kids, provide a level of structure and discipline in their lives to ensure that they can see the difference between right and wrong (as well as consequences), protect them from strangers, drugs, bullies, and whatever else could possibly happen to them, and provide a stable, two parent family environment where they can learn how to treat each other, their friends, their family, their teachers and other adults. 

I'm also going to tickle them until their sides hurt, take them to amusement parks, take them to the zoo and to movies.  I'll take them boating and to Wal-mart (because they love that place!).  I'll do what I can to help them laugh every day, and create the memories of a good childhood that they deserve.  Oh, and did I mention I was going to hug my kids?

Thank You, Servicemen of Longwell Flooring and Sanding!

I admire these men for their sacrifices both in Iraq and at home.  One tends to forget that when our service men and women are called to duty it impacts even more than family, friends, and the soldiers (emphasis mine):

An Omaha company is back in business after being shut down by war. All the employees had been called up to serve.

Jim Longwell and Chuck Ebel are now rebuilding Longwell Flooring and Sanding.

Jim says, "It concerned me, an 83-year-old business closed down for a year-and-a-half."

It was the first shutdown since Longwell's father started the company in 1922 but there was no option.

In December of 2003, Longwell, Ebel and a third member of the flooring company, Dennis Baxter, were all called to duty. The three Army Reserve members were sent to Iraq with the 172nd transportation company.

Longwell says, "It's kind of tough just closing the business down. There's nobody else to run it so you've just got to grin and bear it."

The typical stress of wartime for their families came equipped with a financial burden and an uncertain future. By putting the business on hold there was no guarantee that customers would stay with them.

After a much appreciated welcome home in late March, it was time to get back to work.

Longwell says, "We're all back now, hacking away and seeing if we can get going again."

Ebel's second son was born while he was away and was eight months old when Check got home.

"It was tough," he says. "A lot of e-mails, photos coming through the mail, watching the young guy grow up."

Despite the downside, they have no regrets after seeing the result of their efforts in Iraq.

Ebel tell us, "You've got children who get to go to school for the first time in generations and you see the looks on these people's face and you know that's the majority of people over there."

"I wouldn't trade it for anything," Longwell said. "It was worth going."

God bless these men and their families, and may their business flourish.  If I need some new flooring in the future, I think I know the place to go.

Honor Them Always, Not Just on Memorial Day

There is nothing I could possibly add to what my dear husband eloquently said on his post.

Thank you for protecting us, for your part in preserving my family's freedom.  I will be forever greatful.  There must be a special corner of Heaven for you!

I'm Happy My Children Have the Gifts of the USA

I, innocently enough, looked around the Internet tonight trying to get inspired to put a post up, but was not having a lot of success until I found this piece here, put out by Combined Forces Command Afghanistan:

Afghan children and local police led Coalition forces to three rockets and a missile May 24 near the town of Bamian.

The children reported the location of a cache consisting of a rocket-propelled grenade, three mortars and approximately 40 small-arms rounds to New Zealand soldiers working at a Provisional Reconstruction Team site near Bamian.

"These children were doing the right thing by reporting these munitions to Coalition forces," U.S. Army Maj. Michael Hicks,

As the children took Coalition forces to the cache, local police also led the soldiers to another area where three serviceable rockets and a surface-to-surface Russian-built missile were discovered.

"These children were doing the right thing by reporting these munitions to Coalition forces," said U.S. Army Maj. Michael Hicks, commander of Combined Joint Task Force-76's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team.

"We cannot do enough to remind parents and children that unexploded ordnance is dangerous and deadly. These items explode every day, killing and maiming Afghans."

"The most important thing children should remember if they discover unexploded ordnance is to not touch it and tell a grown-up," Hicks said. "Adults should immediately notify local police or Afghan and Coalition forces."

The cache, missile and rockets were transported to a nearby base where they will be destroyed.

Meanwhile, at a border-control point along the Pakistan border, an artillery round was discovered hidden inside a tree trunk after an Afghan child reported its location to forces there. Afghan forces safely destroyed the round.

Shouldn't we count our blessings every day that we live in a country that affords our children the very precious rights of freedom?  I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday, but when I look around me, people seem to be more concerned about Paris Hilton, American Idol, gas prices, and how much it will cost to put the kids in daycare for the summer.  We tend to forget that we have men and women of the armed forces overseas fighting for the same freedoms and liberties that so often are taken for granted here.  We should be reminded of their bravery every day, but instead we are subjected to lines of crap put out by journalists who want "the story" or think it's okay to get "creative" with their reporting (and causing riots and mayhem).

When I read the aforementioned story, my day-to-day concerns paled in comparison.  So what if I'm tired, at least I have a bed.  Who cares if I had a rough day at work, at least I have enough money to truly "live."  So, it's my son's last day of school tomorrow - at least he *can* go to school and doesn't have to be on the watch-out for weapons buried in the sand. 

These Afghan children, while in a much safer and more livable environment than they had been during Taliban rule, face each day with concerns that many of us Americans would never even be able to comprehend.  Did you ever walk to school and uncover a weapons cache? 

I so admire the bravery and the tenacity of children in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.  I imagine that the challenges they face now will help to build them into the leaders those regions need to bring peace and freedom to countries that had been truly demoralized and held in fear by vicious leaders who had no qualms about slaying people for their own perverted pleasures.  Things that we have taken for granted brings the greatest joy to these children - oh, for my children to be in awe of something as simple as paper and pencils!

As a nation, we should be proud that we are contributing to something as great as helping other nations procure freedom.  It is not shameful, it is not a waste of time and it is not an atrocity.  It should not be a political bargaining chip and it should not be taken lightly.  I am personally grateful for the freedoms we have - so we *can* worry about Paris Hilton, American Idol, the price of gas, and the end of the school year...and thanks to the bravery of our men and women in uniform, I am comfortable in my belief that I will wake up tomorrow with those freedoms intact.

Update:  Chris of Two Babes and a Brain, pointed me to a story of an Iraqi girl, named Maria, who was seriously burned while lighting a stove.  American troops took care of the girl and helped her get on a road to recovery.  Please take a look at her story, one of strength, persistence and a true demonstration of the compassion our troops have for the Iraqi people.  Thanks, Chris!

My Blubber-Fest

The season finale of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is on and they are building a home for the family of PFC Lori Piestewa, who was killed in Iraq back in 2003. 

Lori's mom and dad are raising Lori's two little kids, ages 5 and 6 and the Extreme Makeover team is building a home for them.  Jessica Lynch is the one who nominated them for the show, following through on a commitment Lori and Jessica made to each other to take care of each other's family in the event something happened.  Not only are they building Lori's family a new home, they are also building a Veteran's Center as well.

Okay, I usually blubber when I watch this show, but not until the end.  I started at, oh, 5 minutes into the show.  We tend to forget the sacrifices that are made during war.  Seeing the look on those little kids' faces when they talk about their mom is beyond words.  But they are so proud of Lori - giving her life serving her country.

Off to cry a bit more (and off to hug the kids twice as hard).

A Little Angel Has Her Wings

Erica Michelle Marie Green, or for four years known as Precious Doe, can now rest in peace knowing that the mystery surrounding her violent murder has been solved.  It's too bad that Mommy and Step-dad were the ones who killed her and left her headless body alongside a road.

Being the mother of a 4 year old girl, I cannot fathom what goes on in the mind of a person who decides to kill their child.  So Michelle M. Johnson ("Mom" for lack of a better word for this evil woman) and stepfather Harrell Johnson will probably do their damnest to say that the drugs made them do it.

Police said Harrell Johnson admitted that under the influence of alcohol and the hallucinogenic drug PCP, he became angry with Erica when she refused to go to bed, grabbed her, kicked her and threw her to the ground, leaving her unconscious. After she died, he said he used hedge clippers to sever her head.

WTF?  If the poor girl had already died, what would posess anyone, drugs or not, to sever the head of a beautiful 4-year old girl with hedge clippers???  Drugs or not, these people need to be punished - perhaps with dull hedge clippers around *their* necks while they are still awake and alert.  Here is the rest of the article from the AP.  People need to understand how vile of an act this really was (the emphasis is mine below): 

The girl's body was found near an intersection on April 28, 2001. Days later, her head was found nearby, wrapped in a trash bag.

In the months after she became known as Precious Doe, hundreds attended candlelight vigils, volunteered to answer witness hot lines and passed out fliers with an artist's rendering of the girl. The FBI took blood samples from family members of missing black girls, and the case was featured on television's "America's Most Wanted."

A makeshift memorial of poems, teddy bears and flowers was eventually replaced by a permanent memorial in a park near where her body was found. On Thursday morning, among flowers and balloons, a handwritten sign announced the news: "My Name Is Erica Michelle Maria Green."

Authorities said the little girl was killed in Kansas City, where the family had been staying with a friend. According to court papers, Harrell Johnson beat the girl one night in April 2001 and the couple left her unconscious on the floor for two days. They did not seek medical help, the mother said, because both had warrants out for their arrest.

Selfish assholes.

The child died, and the couple carried the body to a church parking lot, then through the woods, where the stepfather cut the girl's head with hedge clippers, police said.

The break in the case apparently came after community activist Alonzo Washington, who has long championed efforts to find out who the little girl was, placed another advertisement seeking leads in a local paper.

"There's something about it that just bothers me that a child could be thrown away and people forget about it," said Washington, who has worked to raise awareness of missing black children.

Me, too!!  Especially the mother's *own* child!

Washington said a grandfather of one of the individuals involved in the case came forward, talking with him and detectives last weekend. He said the source, who had spoken to police before on the case, sent photographs of the child as well as hair samples from the child and the mother.

Police and prosecutors refused to confirm specifics or identify the source. Washington declined to be more specific.

A photo displayed by police during a news conference, showing the girl with a slight smile and adornments in her braided hair, may have been a picture of the wrong child. Oklahoma police saw the picture and said it appeared to be one of the girl's cousins.

Michelle Johnson was being held on $500,000 bail in her hometown of Muskogee, Okla., prosecutor Michael Sanders said. The prosecutor asked that her husband be held without bail and that the couple be extradited to Kansas City as soon as possible.

Oklahoma records show Michelle Johnson has convictions for theft and forgery. The stepfather, being held in jail on unrelated charges, has convictions for several offenses, including assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing a sawed-off shotgun.

In Kansas City, police closed off the street in front of the run-down home where authorities said Johnson and her husband had been staying at the time of the killing.

People who long had been transfixed by the case welcomed news of the arrests.

Billy Stegall, a retired post office worker and Army sergeant, discovered Erica's head in 2001 and has gone back to the site regularly to pray.

"This is a day I have been looking for," he said. "I just asked the Lord to say who she is so she could be at peace, because she wasn't at peace and I wasn't at peace."

God Bless you, wee one.  You now have your wings and you'll never see those hateful people again.  You'll be in heaven and they won't.

The Greatest Daughter in the World is Now Four

On May 1, 2001, a beautiful little girl came into this world.  She weighed a mere 8 pounds, 8 ounces but brought us tons and tons of love.

Her smile brings so much joy to others - to us, particularly - but to complete strangers routinely.  We have to be on our guard because she wants to hug and talk to every single person that she sees. 

Her biggest wish today, her fourth birthday, was to have a "Giant Care Bear" and it was supposed to be "THIIIIIIISSSS BIGGGGG" so Mommy got lucky and found the perfect one for her. 

You can tell that she really, really liked her presents.  Her Barbie has been dressed, undressed, put to bed, woke up, workout clothes put on and then back to bed oh, about 372 times during the past hour.  She has called her friend Kayla about 85 times on her "Barbie Princess cell phone" and she has done a few cheers as well, with her new cheerleading stuff.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Bug - I love you!  I can't believe it was already 4 years ago that you came into our lives.  We couldn't imagine life without you!

Happy Birthday to me!  Happy Birthday to me!  I'm Four Years today, and now I'm not three!

The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act

Every once in a while, human beings attempt to place at least some value on human life.   

The Bush administration told doctors and hospitals on Friday that they must make every effort to save the lives of premature babies born after failed abortions.

The administration's directive said such efforts were required by a 2002 law known as the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act. Michael O. Leavitt, the secretary of health and human services, said the federal government would "aggressively enforce" the law.

Under the law, the administration said, a fetus that survives an abortion procedure is no longer a fetus, but a person entitled to emergency medical care and protection against child abuse and neglect.

I'm very appreciative that this step is being taken.  While this type of situation doesn't happen frequently, I cannot fathom a decision being made to allow an infant who survives such a situation to die without an attempt at life saving measures. 

In signing the bill in August 2002, President Bush said, "This important legislation ensures that every infant born alive - including an infant who survives an abortion procedure - is considered a person under federal law."

At hearings of the House Judiciary Committee in 2000 and 2001, a few hospital employees testified that infant "abortion survivors" had been allowed to die, the committee said.

Mr. Smith (Dennis G. Smith, director of the federal Center for Medicaid and State Operations) cited the Congressional testimony as a reason for the administration's concern. After one attempted abortion, he said, "the child was breathing, the heart was beating and the child continued to live for several hours."

But Richard H. Wade, senior vice president of the American Hospital Association, said Friday: "These occurrences are extremely rare. The only evidence is anecdotal."

That's okay, Richard H. Wade, if only ONE infant is saved from death following an abortion procedure, I'll take your "anecdotal" evidence and raise you a human life.

By its terms, the law protects "every infant member of the species Homo sapiens" who "breathes or has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles" after expulsion or extraction from the womb as a result of normal childbirth, a Caesarean section or an induced abortion.

So now there is a law in place that protects babies following explusion or extraction from the womb.  It's too bad these whackos and these whack jobs can't see that for a baby to be alive once it is "extracted" from the womb, it had to be alive INSIDE the womb as well.  Murder is what we call killing a live human being - their "surroundings" shouldn't matter.  Instead, these extremists use words such as "potential human being" or "parasite" to describe the miracle of a baby in the womb. 

I think stronger enforcement of this law is one step in the right direction.  You can read the full article here.  Also stop at Raven's place to read more about how the whack jobs try to justify the murdering of babies in the womb.

Musing My Patriotism

As I was driving home from work today, bumper-to-bumper traffic making that drive a bit longer, my mind started to wonder.  It started when I saw a bumper sticker on the truck in front of me - a simple one.  "Proud to be American."  I would say to anyone today that I've always been proud to be American and extremely patriotic.  But today I just had to think back at some of the milestones in my life that paved my trip here.

The first memory I have of patriotism was in Mr. Dvorak's second grade class.  This boy kept getting into trouble because he would remain seated and refuse to say The Pledge of Allegiance with the class.  He told Mr. Dvorak that his mom told him he couldn't participate because he was a Jehovah's Witness.  At this point, Mr. Dvorak promptly sent him to the principal, thinking it was merely an excuse.  Mr. Dvorak got to keep his job (although he would have promptly been fired today, I'm sure) and we watched this kid sit on the floor during the Pledge of Allegiance every day for the rest of the school year.

I also remember very vividly my dad telling me about life in the military.  He told me a story of fate, about not being able to go on a communications interception mission he was assigned to do (the reasons escape me now) and how the entire team was killed in action within the first 48 hours.  I remember being so proud of my dad and how lucky I was to be born because of fate, not because he was afraid to fight for his country.

I remember when Ronald Reagan got shot.  I was in the library at school when it happened and some of the teachers running in with a look of horror on their faces.  I remember watching the TV the whole library period and I especially remember the teacher yelling at some students who were making fun of the President's situation.  I was mad, too, and was happy that someone shut them up.

I remember being asked to sing the National Anthem at a basketball game in high school.  I think back to how nervous I was (it was just me - no piano, no music), and clearly remember choking up toward the end.  I was slightly off key for one or two notes, trying not to cry.  A couple of kids made fun of me.  I didn't tell them why I missed those notes because it was something 16 year olds didn't really brag about.  Except to one of my mentors - my music teacher.  He listened and said he was proud of me, but looked very sad.  He said something my father said before.  He said that kids in my generation didn't know anything about war.  That it almost seemed that they needed a war in order to understand what being an American is all about.  A very prophetic discussion, I would say, and one I'm sure my son or daughter will never have with a school teacher.

I was so excited when I was old enough to register to vote.  I did so within days of turning 18.  I was a senior in high school.  I could share my excitement with my "geek friends" (yeah, we all had our noses buried in books), and they were jealous that I could vote and they couldn't.  I also clearly remember that I registered as an Independent (gak!).  As I look back, my parents - who were registered Democrats - probably kept me from taking the full step over to the Republican party.  It didn't take me long, though, once I moved out. 

I remember Desert Shield....then Desert Storm.  I remember the Heartland Heroes celebration that commenced when our troops came home.  It was at Rosenblatt Stadium and it was filled to capacity.  I remember being there with the company I worked for.  I also remember being incredibly intoxicated, but weeping openly while they played all the patriotic music.  I saw a lot of patriots that day.  But many were fair-weather patriots.  People that you would see a week later who were blasting the war, the troops, and pretty much anything else they could bitch about.  I was pissed.  Especially at my parents for their opinions on the war.  But they were Democrats and I wasn't.

Murder Continues...

We have all been following the Terri Schiavo case very closely in recent months, but Raven points out in a recent post that euthanasia has been occurring regularly in this country - multiple cases have also been logged that allow family members to make decisions that are against the wishes of the patient.  In Raven's post, it is a case of a granddaughter wanting to kill off her grandma due to what seems to be "inconvenience."  And the judicial system favors her. 

In a country where convicted murders get to live out their life awaiting punishment, you would think every day citizens who want to live would have it easy.

Ironic, isn't it?

Update:  ...an update courtesy of Beth.  I'm so sensitive to the subject I felt compelled to post on it, but am with Beth - I don't think there's anything else to say about this particular case. 

Happy Birthday Momma

Momma...now you can have that piece of cake you've missed for so long, or maybe a big slab of pecan pie. 

Happy Birthday, Momma.  I miss you!

It sucks to be him...

The Associated Press reports that a man was stuck in an elevator for 3 days following delivery of Chinese Food.

NEW YORK — A deliveryman who vanished after taking Chinese food to a Bronx high-rise apartment building was found alive Tuesday after apparently spending more than three days trapped in an elevator that had become stuck between floors.

This poor guy must have been having a 3-day streak of bad luck. 

• First he gets stuck AFTER he delivers the food
• No one found him even though he repeatedly cried out and pushed an alarm button in the elevator (yes, it was determined that the security camera and the elevator alarm were both working...um, I would beg to differ, wouldn't you?)
• Authorities conducted a door-to-door canvass of the complex over the weekend specifically looking for him and DIDN'T FIND him
• Most notable:  "Even maintenance workers who were called to check out the disabled elevator on Monday missed Chen, police said."  WTF?!?!?!

So, this guy was stuck on the elevator between the 3rd and 4th floors for 3 days.  This was a 38-story building.  Either there was more than one elevator, or all of the tenants, police, security team members and other delivery people must have taken the stairs!

Those questions aside, Mayor Michael Bloomberg marveled at Chen's good luck.

Don't know that being stuck in an elevator and being missed by everyone who lives there, has a beat there, delivers food there and REPAIRS ELEVATORS there would constitute good luck, but I suppose we could agree to disagree.  Luckily the poor guy ended up being okay.

I will bet that Mr. Chen takes the stairs for awhile.

Shameless Bragging Here!

So we had parent teacher conferences for our 2nd grader, Bradley.  He's very smart - he started proving that at oh, around birth.  I love to go to conferences for Bradley because the teacher always has something great to say about him.  He does great in reading, spelling and math (he comes by this honestly - my hubby and I have been avid readers and both started reading early).  He actually blows my mind as he does addition and subtraction in his head while we drive around on errands. 

So, at conferences this week, we saw the usual outstanding grades.  But in particular, the teacher wanted to show us Bradley's latest spelling test.  He had gotten all four bonus words right and was amazed that anyone at the age of 7 could get them right.  Here they are:  Archaeologist, Archaeology, Paleontology, Paleontologist.  Hell, I had to get spell checker heated up to be sure *I* was spelling them right.  What an awesome kid!

On a different note, our three year old daughter Emily declared today "Butterfly Day."  She says that tomorrow is "My Little Pony Day."  You should all be prepared for such monumental events...we sure are!

Pope John Paul II 1920-2005

                          John 3:16 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

An Anniversary With No Celebration

Today would have been Mom and Dad's 49th Wedding Anniversary.  Dad says "today is just another day to me."  I'm not certain I believe him fully, but he has been doing well in the recent months since Mom passed away. 

Mom and Dad got married 6 weeks after they met.  They met in El Paso, Texas.  Dad was a GI stationed down there, and met Mom when she was a car hop. 

Dad thought his Air Force buddy needed a wife, and tried to set them up.  Dad happened to slip and tell someone he liked Mom and they were together ever since. 

Their marriage survived many ups and downs - military life takes you so many different directions in terms of travel, tours of duty without the family, war.  They survived it all - a little bumped and bruised at times, but they made it.  I loved to hear their stories about their life while in the military - boy it was a wild ride!

He stuck by her side as their vows said, through sickness and in health.  When sickness came, and consumed Mom, Dad was at her side, helping her every moment of the day, putting his own needs off indefinitely.  I admire my dad, seeing what he endured and what he very willingly sacrificed.  I really loved my Mom, but she was a bit "feisty."  Dad took the brunt of her pain and her ire as she got sick (okay, he also took the brunt of her feistiness even when she was well..ha!).  I can't even begin to imagine the challenges he had, seeing the woman he loved for almost 50 years slowly and painfully leaving this world. 

Dad has now entered another station in life and he's doing well.  He's starting to make things at home and in life "his" instead of "hers" or "theirs."  He's enjoying some of the changes - he just bought his first computer ever, at the age of 72!  He's going to get to go on his fishing trip this summer, and go deer hunting in the fall, both things he was unable to do last year due to Mom's illness. 

Happy Anniversary, Dad.  I know you said it's "just another day" for you, but the date on the calendar is one I'll remember every year.   

A Joyous Easter to You!

I'm bleary-eyed as I finish up my Easter Sunday preparations! Easter baskets are ready, the Easter bunny stopped by to deliver those and to hide the eggs. I know the kids are going to be so excited in the morning! I've got one cake done, pie dough in the fridge, deviled eggs ready to be, um, deviled and strawberries ready to be put into a pie. So many of these things tradition that was set when I was a girl. I'm so happy to share them with my kids and hope they can carry on some of those traditions.

This is also a time to reflect on faith. With the passing of my mom in January, I have experienced so many things that affirm my belief that we are all here for a purpose much greater than we can imagine. I firmly believe that there is something beyond this life on earth.

God bless you and your family this Easter and always. May you find a moment to reflect on life and its blessings.

Real Life Wuz Here...

Hi All,

Seems as though I took a bit of a break from blogging (since Wednesday...ack!). In assessing the past few days, my only excuse is "real life." My hubby had his first run as a den leader for my son's Cub Scout Den (Den 1 - woo hoo!) and since it was at our house we had some fun getting the place presentable. I also made some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for the boys. Gotta keep that KitchenAid motor humming!

Lastly, I can't seem to focus much because of the events in Florida regarding Terri Schiavo. Who wants to think about recipes and cooking when this poor woman is being murdered by her own husband when all she needs to sustain her life is food and drink, just like you and me? My hubby is blogging like mad on his site about it and I encourage you to check it out. Blogging is a powerful thing and he stands keyboard-to-keyboard with hundreds of other bloggers who are equally as concerned and shouting out. Terri is in my prayers and thoughts every waking moment of the day. I can only imagine what she is going through right now, and am pissed off that one man thinks that he can terminate his own wife's life in an effort, I believe, to cover something up and to allow him to no longer live an adulterous life (I mean, he does have another "common law" wife and two children - he sure doesn't talk about *that* much in public, does he?). He'll face the true judge at the end of his life here on earth and be judged appropriately - no Florida judge for him!

I will be back soon - blogging my heart out. Thanks for hanging with me! :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

...to all my readers! I hope your day was a good one!

I had a chance to cook my hubby a nice dinner last night (we celebrated a day early) - cooked him a nice

ribeye steak and some jumbo spicy garlic shrimp with a baked potato. He doesn't like mushrooms, but I made some mushrooms with garlic and other seasonings to compliment my steak. YUM!

I got him a 2-year subscription to Limbaugh Letter for Valentine's Day and he got me this. What a sweet guy!

...and Now....

....back to our regularly scheduled programming!

A Final Tribute to My Mom

To all my friends,Eric, spoke as did my sister and some close family friends. I also had a chance to speak and would like to share what I said during the service. I first read the letter my son, Bradley, wrote to Momma before she passed away. Here is what I said following the reading...

We laid Momma to rest yesterday, Thursday, January 27, 2005. It was a beautiful service, and truly memorialized her life. There were so many flowers and plants - all of them gorgeous...in life, Mom would have been so thrilled with the flowers - roses, day lilies, irises....and so many in her favorite colors of purple and lavender. My husband,

"I remember when I was a little girl, around Bradley's age, I worried about Mom and Dad because they were a bit older than my friends' parents. I feel so blessed to have spent 36 years of life with Momma. She had a profound influence on my life. These are some of the things that will always remind me of Momma:

• Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
• Hobby Lobby
• music - especially Spanish songs and oldies
• peanut butter and bananas
• a good game of cribbage
• spinach - with just a touch of vinegar
• Christmas
• my ability to balance a checkbook
• BLT's with Dad's homegrown tomatoes
• the most recent "As Seen on TV" gadgets
• my love for Southwestern decorations/nic-nacs
• home canned green beans - don't forget the bacon and onion
• Howard the Duck
• Sylvia Browne
• the color lavender
• grackels
• frogs
• Hershey's Peanut Butter Treasures
• strawberries
• Wheel of Fortune

I will miss Momma's laugh, her feistiness, her joy for the holidays, her love of my children, her cards in the mail, her stories about Dad, her frogs, her ornaments and her wit and wisdom. I know that now she's our guardian angel in Heaven, but to me she's been our angel all along."

It's tough for me to believe she's gone. When I think about it, my heart hurts. I think about how sick and in pain she was, and how, just a few days before she died, and well after she could no longer talk very well, she wanted to move to a chair from her bed. We wrapped her arms around me and I virtually carried her over to the chair in a "hug." When we got there, I could tell she was nervous as she was moaning as I was placing her in the chair. I kept telling her "I love you, I love you, I love you" in order to keep her calm. Once I got her sat down, she wouldn't let go of me and, clear as a bell, said over and over "I love you, I love you, I love you" back to me. It was one of the last times my Momma spoke to me. I will treasure that moment in my heart forever.

I wanted to share one last thing - something that was printed inside of Momma's memorial folder. It is so fitting for my Mom, given her brave fight with cancer:

He Only Takes the Best

God saw she was getting tired,
And a solution was not to be,
So He put His arms around her
And whispered "come with Me."
With tearful eyes we watched her endure
And saw her taken away.
Although we couldn't bear to lose her,
We could not bid her stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands laid to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.

I also want to say a heart-felt thanks to each one of you who has had us in your thoughts and prayers. Those prayers sustained us, and got us through some of the toughest days in our life. God bless all of you.

Merri, Eric and family

A Letter to Nannie from Bradley

Hi all,

Things have been pretty crazy here since my Mom passed away. We're doing okay - lots going on both to prepare for the memorial services and to prepare my dad for the next leg in his journey.

I wanted to share out a letter my 7 year old son, Bradley, wrote to his "Nannie" days before she passed away. He had just read a book called "Saying Goodbye." This was a good book to help Bradley understand what was happening with his Nannie. Here's what he wrote (I've included his exact words - no spelling corrections here!):

Dear Nanny,

Love,
Bradley

His pain and grief are my own. I don't think I could have said it any better.

We'll Miss You, Mom

In and out of the Blogosphere

Hi friends and fellow "foodies,"

As noted in a previous post, my mom is terminally ill, entering into Hospice care recently. She truly is not doing well, and we forsee her being with God in a matter of weeks, maybe even sooner possibly. I spend as much time as I can with her, but I like coming here to post as it gives me some connection with "normalcy." I may not be able to post daily, however. I just ask that you stay tuned - I haven't gone away, and will be back to my normal "routine" as soon as I can.

Thanks so much for your understanding!
Merri
RachaelRayRedux

My Mom, the Family Chef

I was thinking today about which recipe I wanted to post, but was having a hard time trying to decide - mostly because my mom had to make a very hard decision today. My mom has cancer. She's been battling lung cancer for quite some time now. They first discovered it when she went in for her double-bypass. They thought they got it all, but during a follow-up visit to see if her heart was okay, they saw that her lung was not. They took a third of her lung after that. We thought we were in the clear. Mom got pretty healthy after that - healthy for a woman in her 70s, that is.

Well, about 13-14 months ago we got bad news. Mom's lung cancer was back and it was back with a vengance. Not only was it in her lung, but it had moved on to her liver. Inoperable was what we heard. Let's try chemotherapy. Let's see if we can lengthen her life by reducing the tumors. Here we are, today, and Mom made the decision to agree to Hospice care. I can't imagine making that kind of decision - it was hard enough being there to support her while she made that decision herself. Now it's all about treating pain and the person - not the disease. All about gaining closure on the things that happen at the end of a person's life.

My mom. She's endured so much - many failed rounds of chemo, runs to the hospital, doctor appointments, meds. I see a woman who has been so strong the majority of my life now a mere shadow of what she had been. Walking is challenging - shoot, standing up is. She can't eat - she's down to 94 pounds. I know she's in a lot of pain. Hospice will be good for both her and Dad. If Mom makes it to April 2, they will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

I think back to growing up as the baby of the family. As is the case in most families, celebrations always centered around food. My parents had the opportunity to see so many things while my dad served in the Air Force - their tours took them to multiple bases in the US as well as bases in Germany and Spain. Mom has some of the best recipes from both Spain and Germany. Dad also brought back recipes from his tours in Thailand. I grew up in a house where cooking and meals were important. We always sat down to dinner together, no matter what was going on. Mom has shared stories of me, barely old enough to walk by myself wanting to help in the kitchen. Okay, maybe it was the batter on the spatula that called me, but I was in there, learning what Mom knows.

Without my mom's influence, I would not have learned the "art" of cooking. She has taught me about how to make gravy, how to can tomatoes, how to make pasties, the importance of garlic and the clear impression that Jasmine rice is the best rice in the world. There are recipes that have been in our family for years that I will be able to pass down to my girl - and she'll know that they came from her Nannie. These are the things I think I've taken for granted. Now that I know her time with us is limited, all of a sudden they are so important to me. I also think about the things I need to learn from my dad - like his secret Thai pepper steak sauce and that recipe for Carne Asada.

I want Mom to be comfortable, and to spend this time with our children, her grandkids, and reflect on the amazing life she has lived. Not too many people now can say that they lived through the Depression, multiple wars, life with no electricity to computers and convection ovens. I treasure the time I've had with her and only hope I can teach my daughter half of what she has taught me.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Bradley & Emily with Santa, Christmas 2004

I wanted to take the time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Probably no recipes the next couple of days, as I've got much cooking to do. As a tradition, we have "finger foods" on Christmas Eve as we open gifts at my family's home (you know, the little weanies, some sausage, cheese and crackers, deviled eggs...all the stuff that's good for you!).

Christmas Day brings prime rib, potatoes gratin, and homemade pumpkin pie (YUM!!!). This, of course, does not commence until the kids have opened every single present and lost at least part of one. :-)

Have a joyous holiday, and eat, drink and be merry (I'll be Merri, thank you very much! hehehe)!