Just When You Think.... Ah-Ha! There's the Problem

Yes, life has been very hectic and very busy for TheBusyFamily.
It started back in January... and I thought it was getting better...
That's what I get for thinking!

Wednesday... so NOT my favorite day of the week anyway... they always seem to go horribly wrong at our house for some reason.

So, yesterday was Wednesday.
A good Wednesday.
Jul-la-la-poo's birthday in fact.
Oh, she's Manboy's girlfriend of  what, 6 years?

Which means that today is ManBoy's birthday.
Yikes.... gotta run to A STORE and get him something... soon...

Anyway, Wednesday is not a great day traditionally but I thought it was over and done with - scott-free, clean as a whistle, no worries...

Until ...

At work last night I opened my laptop and it took forever... like 40 minutes!
to boot up...
Only to have a big screen come up that said...

Internal Hard Drive undected...blah, blah,blah blah, blah and so on, and so on, and so on...

After the first 3 words I was done and so too was Wednesday as the clock silently flipped over to 12:00
and the computer screen went blank.

So... today is ManBoy's birthday. He's 22 now.
Maybe today will be better, it is afterall, Thursday.

And I promise NOT TO THINK about anything at all...

At least for a little while, that is.

It's Definitely Wednesday

If waking up this morning from the pain in my hip wasn't bad enough,
SIX  slamming into my bedroom to tell me the dog ran off ...


AGAIN
was not helpful...


But the rainy, dreary, cold morning made it positively awful.


Then of course came the morning news...
a serial killer is racking up bodies... oh goodie


kindergarten kids in Maine are getting i-Pads... I can't even afford one


the state legislature has decided that we need to pay more taxes to cover the state budget deficit... Gee what a novel idea


Sometimes not getting out of bed sounds like a wonderful idea...


and then a kid bursts into the room yelling that the beloved family pet has escaped... 
with the radio collar still on and functioning... 


and you realize the kids are about to miss the bus and everyone else is out the door to work 
leaving you, just you, to don your tracker hat and head out to scour the neighborhood
in the cold, wet, dreary early morning hours of yet another


Wednesday.


All the while thinking to yourself... 
"I got out of bed for this?"

Re -Thinking Who You Are

I like that show...

My Grandmother- Erma Nichelson -
From a good Pennsylvania German Family
Her family had names like Noah and Phoebe

The one where the celebrities search for their ancestors...


Who Do You Think You Are?


No. Not You, silly.


That's the name of the show I like. 


It comes on Friday's at 8pm.
Actually, I think this week is the final episode.
It's got Ashley Judd, which pretty much means we'll find out the history of all the Judd women.


This season has had Lionel Richie and his amazingly forward thinking emancipated ancestor...


Rosie O'Donnell and her Irish Immigrant ( yeah like that was a shocker) ancestors who game to the US via French Canadian territory...


Gweneth Paltrow  ( was Paltrowicz  in Poland... maybe we're related?) whose family was filled with dark secrets and half truths, and people that came from Barbados so she HAD to go there to do research just when a terrible snow storm hit here...

And Kim Cattrall who searched out and found out about the man who had left her mother's mother to care for 3 small girls in the midst of poverty and economic depression in England...


Yes, they have to be rich and famous to be able to pick up and fly to Canada, Ireland, Barbados and Europe.


But the stories they have found, the secrets they have uncovered...

My Grandfather- Raymond Suchocki- Yes, he is Polish
and was a first generation Polish-American born her.
His family had names like Katarzyna and Jadwiga

They are not only theirs.


They are the stories of many families over many generations from many places around the globe.








Tales of poverty and famine, of work houses and concentration camps, of abandonment -both  freely chosen and at the untimely and often very painful hand of the angel of death...




These, and so many more, are the tales that tell the story...


Not of individuals...


But of THE Individuals who built a Nation...


this GREAT NATION we Americans call...


HOME.

Random Thoughts that just have to come out... or something like that

So many things run through my mind
Jumbled and confused and unintelligible

Dreams make no sense
Random thoughts bouncing 'round

Writing helps me focus
On what, I have no idea

Until my fingers find the keys
And the words come forth

Flowing freely from my mind

From my heart

From my soul

My thoughts still run streaming through my mind
Like a pixilated digital channel
Or a grainy black and white film from the 1930's
The kind with no sound...
And I can't read lips.

Figures.

If it's not one thing .... it's THE DOG

On our trip south for the New Year holiday we visited my sister in law.
She was planning to move to a new city in a different state and could not take THE DOG with her.

THE DOG originally came from us. He was a rescue. I got him from a patient who went into a coma leaving her 3 dogs without a home.

Actually, the schnauzers had homes, but THE DOG? He had been to 3 homes and been returned in the course of about 6 weeks.

He is part mini-dachshund and part regular dachshund. This means he has a regular sized body on itty-bitty little legs.

Because of this he was beat up on by the dogs in the other homes he went to before I took him in. The poor thing was terrified of other dogs, even our 8 week old lab puppy who was half his size!

We took a trip our trip South with both the dogs that year and my brother in law fell in love with THE DOG, so he stayed.
When my brother in law died 2 years ago HeMan Hubby said we would take THE DOG back if it ever became necessary.

Well, apparently it became necessary. And I found out like the day before we were supposed to take him home with us!

THE DOG is now 10. He is accustomed to the warmer climes of the south so he has football jerseys, a winter coat and hat to keep him warm. Yes, I have a dog with a wardrobe!

THE DOG

Remember how I said he has short little legs?

Evidently he has also become accustomed to living in a one level house.
He spent yesterday moaning at me on the couch.
He acted like he had a tummy ache so he went out and, well, went. Then he seemed okay.

Today he came bounding down the stairs and took a header off the 3rd step from the bottom. He jumped up and shook himself off and then began to moan.

BratChild took him out and he did his business then plopped himself right down.
Then BratChild promptly left to go out and watch the snow fall, from someone else' back yard!
SIX took off right behind...
TeenBoy? Oh he went to play video games at a friend's house as soon as he got home...

Yes, here I sit with THE DOG, listening to him whine while I try to figure out how to come up with money for an emergency vet visit.

Did I mention today is my birthday and I get to spend it with THE DOG...
the one every one but me wanted.

A day in the Life of BusyMom...

We went to Pennsylvania yesterday, my sister-in-law and I.
We left when I got home from work, she drove.
We went for the Christmas Gift and Craft Fair in Harrisburg.

This is the second year that we've done this.
This year her sister met us there and we spent the day browsing, shopping and having a good time.

I had to get some new links in a bracelet I got there last year.
The vendor wasn't there, but I found another one who, after I bought a replacement bracelet, decided they could add a few links to the original after all.
Now I have 2. I guess I'll give SmartGirl the new one too.

I got some glue. Really, serious glue- " The Last Glue You'll Ever Need" glue.
Really, that's what the guy called it and if it fixes the shoes the dog chewed then I will be sold on it for life.
I'll let you know how it goes.

I got a hanging planter.
It's made of copper wire and stained glass with a bud vase suspended in the center..
I'm going to put it in the kitchen window.
I'll let you know if that works too.

I got some shirts for the guys... I think they'll get a kick out of them.
Their ego's definitely will!

We ran out of time. The place is huge and I would have loved to spend more time but...

Back to real life.
The life of BusyMom.

I got home in time to get SIX and HeMan Hubby into the car and out the door to SIX's football banquet.
He got a trophy for his team being a finalist in the Division Championship....
The game his hand got shattered in.

Then he got another trophy.
MVP for Defense.
For making his presence known in that game, and every game of the season..
The coach said, " No matter what the score was the other team ALWAYS knew we were on the field with (SIX) taking them down"
Every one clapped. Everyone cheered. The defensive coach grabbed SIX in a bear hug and said...
"I asked you to give your all and you always did, offense, defense, special teams... you even gave up your hand, but you never gave up the points... You are THE MAN ! You are an awesome kid"

I worry that I make too many mistakes with the kids.
I worry that I'm not doing my job.
I worry that they will not become the wonderful people that I know they are...

Then someone else steps in, or several someones.
They teach my children, they praise my children, they make my kids feel good about themselves and...

I know that HeMan Hubby and I are not doing this alone.
It takes a Village to raise a child is what I've heard.

But I think that maybe what it really takes
 is a Football Team...

Thanksgiving 2010 Part 3- the finale

Black Friday... long lines, stampedes of people, waiting for an eternity in the dark, cold hours of the morning...

Yeah, that's what I thought too... Until they came up with the Midnite Madness sales!
Stores open at 12:00 AM ...these sales were made for Night Shift workers like me!

It's become a tradition for my girls and I to travel over the Bay to the outlet mall for a night of shopping, bonding and serious people watching... topped with a greasy breakfast at Denny's.
BratChild has been talking about it for weeks... her second year being a part of Girls Nite Out.


Except this year we went to the mall near our house. Which has outlets for stores like Timberland and J.Crew and BASS... and a lot of regular stores.

But not a lot of deep discounts like they have over the Bay.

Or as many people to watch... and laugh about ( seriously? shopping in PJs and bedroom slippers in the rain with your newborn and a 2 year old at the OUT DOOR MALL!!!)

Or as much bonding... with only a 10 minute drive the trip is over before it starts.

But there was The Skanky, I mean Hunky Santa... a stripper Santa... I mean really...Ick!
And the promise of Chocolate Chip Pancakes at IHop!

HeMan Hubby took the midnite WallyWorld watch to make sure we got the deal of the century... we relieved him by 2:30am.... that's how much Madness was not going on over at the Mall...

Well, except for that one little thing.... where I slipped off the curb and my foot slid in my shoe-
the shoe that BratChild wore earlier and walked on the sides of her feet in and stretched all to hell so they're too wide for my feet now.... so I cracked my knee on the curb and scraped my palms and twisted my ankle...
And the paramedics came running, full speed, to my rescue.
I felt sorry for them.
They had just moved the ambulance from one side of the mall doorway to the other and back again... probably from boredom.
I'm pretty sure one had just said how boring the night was and Jinxed me!

After hanging out at WallyWorld for 2.5 hours with visions of Skanky Santa dancing in our heads...
and BratChild psyched for some IHop... that wasn't open!???

Yes, I managed to find a Denny's and thanks to the NEW MENU which now includes Chocolate Chip Pancakes... she got her Black Friday Breakfast.

But it was just... not the same.
Not fun.
Not what she was looking forward to all month long.

Sometimes it's not about the shopping and the savings.
Sometimes it's about the things that are priceless....
A night spent with daughters, sisters, Mom...
A tradition that just isn't the same when it's really just about the shopping...

A tradition we will be doing the right way.... OUR WAY
Next year!

Time to find the Christmas decorations... Thanksgiving 2010 2 1/2

Oh - I almost forgot... as  I sit here with my knee on a pillow thanking GOD that we had green beans instead of the Frozen Peas for T-giving dinner...( you'll find out why in Part 3)

the boys- the ones with only one good hand each... the ones I asked to ask HeMan Hubby where he put the Xmas tree... go walking up the stairs with a step ladder... as I call out to them to NOT GO INTO THE ATTIC... yeah yeah we got it they say...

Then THUMP! CRASH! WHAM! 

Yeppers, drywall and insulation and one TeenBoy falling thru the ceiling...

Can this HOLIDAY be over yet?

I used to feel sorry for kids left at boarding school for the holidays...

Now?

I sort of envy their parents!

PS

HeMan Hubby came to the rescue.

He pulled some drywall that was just chilling in the basement and got the hole covered.

The really cool part is that he made TeenBoy help him... to atone for his stubbornness

But that's not the cool part, the really cool part is that I could hear HeMan Hubby explaining how to measure the area and how to cut the drywall and put it up so the seams would be hidden once taped and mudded and the stucco pattern to match the rest of the ceiling was done.

And TeenBoy? He listened and asked questions and actually learned a thing or two...

While spending some time hanging with his Dad doing some Guy Stuff...

I guess sometimes things really do happen for a reason...

A Road Trip to Remember

Through the years I have taken many road trips with my children.
Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall... no matter the season, if there was enough time to squeeze in a quick trip to visit my Grandma and cousins in Ohio we loaded up the car and away we went.

One of my favorite trips was Independence Day 1989.
My daughters were 9 and 4 and my son, he was 8 weeks old.

My car was my favorite one to date. A red Hyundai Accent 5-door with a sun roof and soft, fluffy upholstery.
It was also my very first New car.

We set out early on a weekday morning, traveling Rt 70 into Pennsylvania, then following the winding roads that cross into West Virginia with a detour to the cemetery to put flowers on my grandparent's and brothers graves.

Once in West Virginia the girls started the ritual of calling out which route to take over the mountains.
"Follow the River"
"Over the mountain"
"Go the back way"
"Stop at OUR gas station"

No, we didn't own the gas station, but we always stop at the same stations on our trips.
That way the kids know how far to the next stop- in hours if not in miles- and with frequent trips the employees become familiar and recognize us when we stop in.

After our stop in Bridgeport at OUR gas station to fill up on snacks and fuel I had the girls pick a number between 1-10. The one closest to my number got to pick the route over the mountain.

I don't remember which one got to pick, but we took the route along the river that led through Clark Gable's hometown. We took a short detour to drive past the house he was born in. The girls complaining all the while wanting to know what the big deal about a Black and White movie guy was... years later they saw Gone with the Wind and stopped asking THAT question!

We stopped at a little diner for a late lunch.
The hole-in-the-wall kind that always has the best food ever.

Lesson learned the hard way? Go where the truckers go. They travel the same routes and know where to eat!
And when they see a young mom and her kids travelling they pay attention and keep an eye out.

The girls talked to the waitress and told them where we were headed. I saw a couple truckers nod to each other and head out as we paid our bill.

Yep, they were going our way and they kept pace and looked out for us until we got to the turn off to Grandma's house.

SmartGirl threw up somewhere around Donegal, Pa. Her first ever bout of car sickness. And GoodMom? She got in a snit because she had to sit in the back with 'The Baby' for part of the trip.
But we look back and remember that trip and laugh.

We made the trips for years and years. The vehicle getting bigger as we added more children to our family. The detours sometimes fun, sometimes shortcuts and sometimes not-so-short-cuts.

There was the time ManBoy couldn't figure out if BratChild has spilled her drink or over-flowed her diaper...
We all laugh whenever we remember his little voice calling out " It sure doesn't taste like Lemonade".

Or the time we got a flat tire when a milk crate flew off the truck in front of us. We were headed to Ohio, this time for Grandma's funeral. I was leading the way with GoodMom driving behind.
The kids still bring up 'That time Grandma almost got run over by a Saturn'. Because, well, she almost did. She ran across 3 lanes of the Ohio Turnpike to retrieve the milk crate because... well we still have no idea why... nearly getting clipped by a blue Saturn going 70 miles an hour.

We head South now instead of West. And we travel at night with the truckers watching our backs to avoid the heat and the traffic jams on I-95.
We carry our cooler filled with water bottles and juice and apples and fruit bites... and chocolate to keep BusyMom focused. The kids watch movies and listen to iPods and take turns sitting by me just talking while I drive.

There are lots of memories from lots of road trips and really, when I sit back and think about it,  every trip is my favorite for one memory or another.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Discount Tire blogging program, making me eligible to receive a $50 gift card and be entered for a chance to win a prize valued at $1,000. For more information on how you can participate, CLICK HERE."

Thanksgiving 2010 Part 1

My beautiful family... a couple or 6 Thanksgivings ago!
TeenBoy HeManHubby BratChild Me SIX
SmartGirl ManBoy GoodMom

Ahhh, another Thanksgiving under the belt... or in some cases hanging over it.
A day filled with family and friends. Good food and better drink ... 
Eggnog people! 


Pageants with children dressed up as Pilgrims and Indians
 who dance and sing and yell out 'Hi Mom!'


This is the day that we all love and live...
thru the movies on television, that is.


Mom in a dress and heels, Dad in a suit and tie
The kids are clean and fresh come to the table in shirts and ties
 and skirts with ribbons in their hair.


At my house I'm lucky if TeenBoy puts a t-shirt on before he sits down.


And me?
After cooking a 19 lb turkey and 11 lb ham... making 15 lbs of mashed potatoes and 5 lbs of my wonderful stuffing... 2 pumpkin and 1 deep-dish sugar-free pies... 


Hey!
I'm lucky if I can squeeze in a shower AND put on some make-up BEFORE the guests arrive.


And by guests, I mean family. Who are technically guests, but not really so...
Do I have to observe hostess etiquette and offer drinks and hors d'oeurves?
I sincerely hope not, cuz I don't. 


Not that I would love to, but because I'm too busy trying to get someone to set the table... including the silver ware... oh yeah, and the napkins PLEASE! 


Finally, Finally! 


We sit, after managing to find 12 chairs... oops! We needed 13 this year...
We sit, except TeenBoy who stands because he has no chair...
we say Grace, er, my father says Grace...


as my lovely granddaughter, FancyPants, sits between GoodMom and I with her little hands clasped in front of her as her great-grandfather says a prayer...


Yeah, that's what Thanksgiving is all about...


yeah, that and a week off from school so kids can drive their parents insane...
But that's another story ... Thanksgiving 2010 Part 2.. COMING SOON!

Today is Sunday... a day for recharging the soul

Sunday. 
The day of rest.
But in reality, is there ever a day of rest for any of us?
Sleeping in ... all the way to 7am!
Laundry and cleaning and preparing for the week ahead.
These are the things I do on my day of rest.

You will show me the path of life.

In your presence is fullness of joy...

psalm 16:11

But more importantly, my day of rest is my day to recharge my soul.


To take the time to watch the sunlight shining through the window, lighting up the dust motes as the float by.


To take the time to relax with a child or 2 and watch TV... infomercials, Disney movies, Phineas and Ferb... whatever. It's a time to just enjoy spending time doing nothing with them.


To make the time to Thank God that I am able to see the gifts he has given me.


To stop and smell the proverbial roses along life's path and remember that no matter what God will accept me, forgive me, boost me up and walk with me...


For as long as I want him there...
and yes, even if I don't.

Writer's Workshop: When I see you smile...

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop:


Prompt #2 - write a poem about a time someone made you smile.



This is about my son's first kiss... the one he gave his girlfriend after the final performance of the high school play she was in. He gave her the bouquet of roses he had picked out for her and then he kissed her for the very first time. I saw this happen from across the lobby. It made me smile as I remembered the awkward young boy his father was the very first time he kissed me... 


Tonight the final curtain call.
Is it the end or only the beginning
of  her career, a hobby, or a dream


A nervous laugh as the lights come up
beautiful red roses held tightly in his grasp
he saunters through the crowd unseen


And then, she turns her face toward him
her eyes gleam, her smile widens
as she watches him draw near


Flowers are thrust into her arms
he sighs then shuffles he feet, nervous
he leans in to give her love's first kiss


I watch from a distance
a smile on my face
and I think how like his father he really is.

Another Day Another Dollar...

Or in this economy it's more likely to be a quarter.

It's that time of year. Time to clear out the old and bring in the new... er, no, that's not right.
It's time to clear out the cobwebs and dust, move the furniture to see exactly what the kids have hidden underneath, clean out closets and cabinets filled with winter clothes and coats and shoes that no longer fit anyone in my household.
That's what time it is.
Once the floors are clean and the corners of the rooms are cobweb free it's much easier to settle into the routine of winter.
Days spent indoors, instead of out, watching all those shows I DVR because I can't seem to stay awake past sundown...
Days spent baking cookies for the holidays and searching out recipes for new things to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
Days spent making gifts for family and friends... crocheting and knitting while watching all those DVR'd shows or Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movies.

I love this time of year.
Not only do I get to de-clutter and clean, but I get to relax and enjoy being home.
Football and Soccer season have finally ended. Not that I don't love them as much as TeenBoy, BratChild and SIX do, but they've been going since mid-summer and quite frankly, five months of practices and games and cleaning uniforms and cleats... there is a limit to what a BusyMom wants to do.
Now we can sit down to dinner, together, instead of eating on the run on the way to some ball practice or another.
Now I can make dinners that don't have to be portable or pre-fab frozen deals that can be microwaved in a snap.

Yes, now I can do all of these things...
but will I?
All?
Probably not.

What I want to BE when I grow up List

Over at SITS I joined a group with activities to help me find my voice, my blog voice that is, and my audience... again the blog-reading one.

This week we were called to write a list- in 10 minutes- and the grocery list was not the one they meant so... here goes.

This is my list of things that I would like to be... when I grow up, or when my kids do, which ever comes first.

1- a Super Hero- any kind will do... I just think it would be cool to have people actually need me for something other than a meal and clean clothes and as a chauffer.
2-a doctor or a PA or a Nurse Practicioner or an herbal healer or Wise Woman - but not the kind that were burned for being witches.
3-a college graduate... a prerequisite to number 2
4-an acclaimed author... with a real book with my Nom-De-Plum or alter ego's name on the cover.
5-the best person I can be... and not feel guilty for wanting to be ME instead of Mom or Wife or person-you-can-always-count-on...

I know that I will in all likihood not acheive any of these because, let's face it, I am Mom amd Wife and Person-you-can-always-count-on and...

I like who I am and that is probably the thing on my To Be list that matters most...
6-Happy to BE me!

The Heartbreak of Defeat.... or the broken hand... take your pick

SIX broke his hand.
Badly.

Actually, he didn't break it, the kid on the other team did.
Or in the words of SIX, 'Thunder Thighs broke it".

For a team of 11 year olds, there sure were a lot of BIG kids on it.
And by BIG, I mean Thunder Thighs probably weighed in around 230.
No joke!

SIX is 5'5" and 107... just a little difference in size.
But SIX stopped Thunder Thighs from getting the touchdown ... which was good.
His team still lost... which was not so good.

The season officially ended with the play after SIX's hand got crunched... yeah, figures.
No more nightly football practice.
No more Saturday's spent at the field.
No more searching for elusive uniform pads and socks before a game.
That's what our team has to look forward to.

The other team?
According to SIX...
They're at home eating donuts by the fire.
Fattening up for next year.

You know, I think he just might be right about this one.

The Day After...the day after

Today is the day after the day after Halloween.

It was a laid back and relaxing one, for a change.

The kids carved their pumpkins without much fuss or fighting.

They dressed themselves and only asked for help with the little things like the 401k-that-took-a-beating make-up.

Before I knew what happened they were out the door and I was left...
alone
in peace
and quiet.

Just me, the TV and Ghost Hunters Live...

It was wonderful.

And then, they came home...

with 10 pounds of candy each.

Note to self-  call the Dentist!

Writer's Workshop: About Me... do you really want to know?

Another Writer's Workshop post from...





About Me


I don't have an About Me page because, well, I have no idea what to write about myself.
That was sort of the whole reason for the blog in the first place.


My name is Dawn. I started blogging in an attempt to figure out where I'm headed, and how to get there from here.



Why this Blog name?


Dawn means 'a new day' in most dictionaries.
My middle name means 'reborn'.
So my name means 'A new day reborn', which is essentially what a Dawning is.
Every new day is a chance to start over and do it right...


I know.
Sometimes I think too much.


My Family?


I am married.
With children.
Six of them to be exact.

Some are grown.
Some are grown and still live at home.
Some just think they are grown...
and they have to live at home because, well, they're not grown.
(yes this is not a current picture of the kids... but they are still this cute)
















Personal Info... at least the public kind of personal


I enjoy movies and sunsets and walks on the beach...
Tequila and kettle corn and frogmore stew...
Time with my family and friends...
A warm summer day spent on the deck by the pool with a good book...


I HATE Winter and the cold and Snobby people...


I LOVE my husband and children and grand child and Summer weather...
And cheese pretzel Combos and Twix.


My HOBBIES include, but are not limited to:


Crocheting and designing my own patterns to crochet and knit


Painting... the Donna Dewberry Tole painting kind, not the 'this room needs a new color' kind, although I have been known to do that, on a whim, on occasion.


Making jewelry... gemstones and sterling silver all sparkly and girly?
I just can't resist!


Textile crafts - making purses and bags and embellished clothes, like in the fancy magazines, that I can't afford but love... that I always gift away.


Paper crafts... cards, stationary, book marks and don't tell anyone but, scrapbooking- on a very small scale...


What?
My sister is a Stampin'Up demonstrator... gotta support your family, right?




I USED to breed and raise several small parrot species like Peach Faced Lovebirds, Cockatiels and Parrotlets... you can see my aviary website HERE




Yes, I am a bit of a Geek... I mean, Genetics was my hobby!


I have been a nurse for 26 years. Not because I am that old, but because I started when I was so very young...


And I Write.
Stories for my children...
Poems...
Short stories...
My Blog...
And perhaps a novel... if I ever find the time and courage to finish it.


These are just some of the things that I do and like.


They are not Who I Am, but perhaps, in some small way, give my readers a better picture of the person behind the words and wit and sarcasm.


Without having to give away any state secrets or divulge my darkest desires that is.

If THEY say so... it must be true!

I saw on TV the other night, while flipping the channels, looking for something to watch while I took my nap before work, one of those shows with the Ticker Tape thingy running across the bottom with the stock exchange numbers on it.
I have NO IDEA what channel it was, and only stopped on it because these words were at the top left side of the screen in LARGE BOLD print so I could not miss them...

The Recession is Over!

I saw that and WOWSERS! I thought to myself, good thing they're telling us or else we, the little people, might not have known about it for a while yet!

I had to stop and listen to the analyst who was analyzing the stock market and giving his reasoning for declaring the recession over.

It went something like this:

Obama's stimulus didn't do it.
Financial help for the banking system didn't do it.
Refinancing the National Debt... again... didn't do it.

Corporate America has done it!
By tightening their belts and budgeting.
By re-investing in their companies and their employees.
By increasing productivity while reducing waste and wastefulness.
Corporate America has turned the tide and although Americans are not spending like they were 18 months ago... and the housing market is the worst it's been in 20-30 years... and unemployment is in the double digits nationwide....
Corporate CEO's and head honchos are the reason the recession is over.

We just don't know it.
Or see it.

Yet...
according to Corporate America.

Things I ask myself... sometimes I even answer!

Yes. I talk to myself. Often.
No. I do not often answer myself.
At least I don't think it's often.
You may disagree.

WE've decided to agree to disagree on that point.

Oh, the point?

Is that sometimes one finds talking aloud is helpful and often gives another perspective on a problem or solution.

I know, it's still your own persepctive, but it's out loud, so that makes it totally different! Sheesh!

Back to topic, please...

I ask myself questions all day long like:

"Saturday?"

"Is it still Saturday if I haven't been to bed yet?"

"Dishwasher? Dishes? Dirty? Maybe I should check?"

"Did I vacuum lately? Should I vacuum?"

"Where are the boys?" "Where are the girls?"

"Maybe I should call the neighbors to see if the kids are there?"

Sometimes I even answer myself:

"Saturday! Thank God! Go back to sleep BusyMom... you can get at least another 30 minutes!
You're Welcome."

"Yes- it is still the day before if you haven't gotten into bed yet. So even though you know it's 6am Sunday, for YOU it is still Saturday. Sunday will start when you get out of bed in 2 hours.
You're Welcome."

"Who cares if the dishes are clean or dirty... just use a paper towel! Good Grief!"

"Vacuuming takes so much energy and the floor still looks good... and it's raining and you know the kids will be tracking sand in until the ground dries out...so no vacuuming.
You're Welcome."

"The boys are playing videos next door, the girls are somewhere else doing their hair/makeup/clothes... Thank GOD!"

"And don't bother to call. They won't answer anyway, what with all the maiming and mutiltating going on... those playskool people really are tough!
You wish it was playskool instead of World of Warcraft...
at least the playskool people are cute."


Does answering myself make me nuts?
"No!" I tell myself. It keeps me focused and on track so that I don't forget what I was going to do.

And how else would I solve all the problems that come up in life...
you don't think I actually have time to do it all by myself, do you?

"Why No!" I tell Myself...

Myself says "You're Welcome."

Bon Anniversaire... or in the words of the people in my house... It's Your Anniversary? Today?

Today is a wonderful day at my house.

Today is me and HeMan Hubby's anniversary.

14 years ago today we went to the court house and got hitched.

I wore a watered silk dress- which was a good thing since we had to walk 8 blocks in 90 degree heat so it was gonna look like watered silk whether it was or not!

We stood in the little gray-walled room, complete with No Smoking signs and holes in the walls, and said our vows.

Exchanged rings, oh wait, never mind... no rings at that point. We were too poor. But we did get rings, eventually. Really, I swear!

We went to dinner downtown that night. We had candle light and cold salad, thanks to the power outage that hit as soon as our dinner went into the oven...

Then we hurried home, to avoid the flash flooding and dodge the hail, and snuggled into bed.

Where I promptly passed out from exhaustion.

After all, I had worked the night before and only had a few hours sleep that morning...

What? Full time nights, kids 6,10 & 14... and 6 month old?

You would have fallen asleep too...

And as we started out, so we continue...

Tonight I gotta work.

We'll do something tomorrow.

If I can stay awake...

Oh! I almost forgot... I got a blogger award!
Drum Roll Please.....
TaDa!

And Yes there are some rules to accepting this acolade of the blogging trade...
I'll be posting them on Monday to start help others start their week of right! A big Gigantic Humongous GiNormous Thank You to Cheryl @ 1 Crafty Mom and 2 Ornery Kids!