What Kind of Soda Are You?

* bleh* I am not a diet COKE drinker... caffeine free pepsi more like..

You Are Diet Coke

You are energy in its purest form. No need to complicate things with sweetness. And while people may hate your aftertaste, you are seen as a necessary evil. Your best soda match: 7 Up Stay away from: Coke

What Kind of Soda Are You?

Tired Thursday

My day kicked off at 5am and I'm still going, only right now, after this post, I'm going to the shower to cool off and then hopefully catch a cat nap before I spend the evening baking for the bake sale tomorrow.

I spent the day down at the VFW Post setting up for the yard sale tomorrow. Wow. I'm beat and dirty and sore. It was fun though. I even got to sneak in a game of pool. I haven't played in about 20 years but I showed Mr M I could still knock his balls around *grin*

I got some neat stuff I've been wanting at a really good price from the yard sale stuff. Call it one of the perks for volunteering and helping out. I'm delighted with my purchases.

To The Other People In My Life:

My RP Partner: The brain is ticking, I just can't find enough time to get to the keyboard for any length of time. I'm working on it. You didn't write anything, did ya? *grin* Maybe I'll get something done while yer off doing yer sonny-do list. *snicker* I'm up to my eyeballs in cookie dough and cupcakes this weekend.

WESM: You hang in there, Lady. I have been through some of that CA court stuff with FB and Daughter over his daughter, Shel. It friggin sucks and he finds himself in basically the kind of position.

E: I'm happy for you.

GQS: Enjoy your time home and recharge the cell, will ya?

Fried

Yep! I did it. I fried my mouse. It was totally stupid too. I knew better but I just wasn't thinking. I think the humidity is making my brains into mush (oh hush). I had a glass of diet 7-UP with ice on the table, far away from the computer and stuff. I reached for the box holding my monthly bills and it tipped over the glass sending the contents onto the table. I managed to pull the keyboard to safety but the mouse was surrounded. I thought I managed to get save it, but this morning it was gone. So with a sniffle I consigned it to the garbage and got a new one. I went to Best Buy with the intent to buy just my mouse and walked out of there with *cough* a couple of other items. Now I really am going to have to give in and let Mr M have that NASCAR leather jacket he wants. I have been dragging my feet on that because the man has more jackets than he can possibly wear in his lifetime, but he really wants this one. I think I'm going to tell him though that before he gets it, he really needs to clean out his closet and get rid of the jackets he hasn't worn in over a year. Give and take, right?

Weather wise, the temps have dropped but the humdity has increased to the point I'm wilting. Hopefully by next week we'll be back to normal.

I hope all of you on the East Coast are safe with all that flooding going on.

Be safe and Keep cool....

Got Company?

Misery. The last two days have been just that, misery. It's been like living in a sauna. The worrisome thing is that the sky is sporting some nasty looking cloud cover and that spells thunder/lightning storms. The thunder I dont mind but the lightning we can all do without. Needless to say that around here, it's all you can do to stay cool and comfortable. I've got a little rumbly in the tummy that's put me under the weather. That's not going to stop me from my errands this week. Thursday through Saturday is locked up pretty darn tight. It's a goo thing that Sunday is my day of rest.


The things that amuse men... *shakes head and sighs*.

Oh yeah! And YOU! Stay clear of my flat clearing... BE NICE!

Tail End Of The Weekend And Into Monday

Oh UGH! Yesterday this town broke the heat record. We recorded 117 degrees. My swamp cooler wasn't putting out as much coolness as it should have so Mr M braved the heat and headed for the roof only to find that mineral deposits coated the outside panels which in turn didn't allow air to flow through. Bless his heart, Mr M is about as fair skinned as they get. I'd say he's about as fair as GQS. No matter how much he slathers on the sunscreen, he still manages to burn and given his medications, the heat really takes a lot out of him. In the evening, when the sun was setting, the boys helped him get the window air-conidtioner into our bedroom window, which has been a blessing. I'm still worrying about the electric bill but we'll manage. I got up early this morning to get my baking done so that I didn't have to do it when it got hotter. Considering as I write this it's 92 degrees, it's going to be probably about 115 degrees again this afternoon.

LOL. No blog wars. You were venting, which tripped my venting. No harm, no foul.

Weekend In The Grove

It's been another busy weekend in the Grove and a hot one as well. Friday night we had company/family over for dinner and a good time was had by all. I chose to keep the grandkids that night as well as Saturday. It's been good, busy but good. Yesterday we took the kids to Wild West Days in Cottonwood. This is the first time they put this on so it still needs improving but the kids loved the bank shoot-out. It was really loud according to Topper. We went around 10:30 am and stayed until about noon and by then it was getting very hot out. The temp outdoors got to about 115 degrees.

Mr.M went to the 3pm funeral but he and the guys managed to stay out of the heat. I got a phone call from a couple of the Ladies of the Auxiliary asking me to come down and shoot a little pool with them and visit. Unfortunately, I wasn't home when the phone call came in so when I dropped Mr M off for the funeral, I dropped in to thank them for the invite, but perhaps another time as this weekend I had the grandkids. I also picked up my application for the Ladies Auxiliary. They were thrilled, personally, I have this "we'll see" attitude. In the meantime, I have obligated myself to helping the Ladies get their stuff ready for the yard sale/bake sale on Friday and Saturday, which will require dragging Mr M down with me Thursday morning. *grin* I get this feeling the VFW post members have been little help with or for the Ladies... if so... things are going to get a little shaken up around that place. That old saying of "you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar"? Well, I've got some honey stored. hehehe. Besides, I like to bake and I'm fast becoming known for thanking people by baking. You get my drift.

The kids go back home this afternoon and that means a day of relaxing before I dive back into righting my house. It's not so much that the kids make a huge mess, it's more like things get shoved to the side while they're here. I like to enjoy my grandkids, housecleaning can wait. Sooner or later my babies are going to be grown enough where they won't have so much time for their old "Meh-Meh". They'll be too busy with their own friends and their own interests, that's the way it should be.

The money situation with Daughter and FB has been resolved. So, Daughter is breathing a lot easier now. They certainly have some 'catching up' to do where their bills are concerned but hopefully, over the next several weeks, when FB's pay checks start coming in, they'll get that all done. I don't stress about my daughter's and my grandbabies well being too much anymore. My daughter is more like her mother than I give her credit for. She finds a way to get take care of business and this time she did it with very little help from us. I'm proud of her.

Other than that, there's little going on in The Grove.

Ohhh... I do want to add this little footnote though. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and thoughts and that said, when we articualte them in public, someone may well feel like responding in public with their own feelings and so, in that vein, I ramble forth.

I use the word 'hubby' and 'puter'(when I'm being too lazy to write the whole word out) and I certainly don't consider myself trailer trash nor do I consider myself uneducated, lazy at times, yes, but not uneducated. In fact, I find that whole phrase 'trailer trash' offensive, for all that word may be meant to describe ignorance, laziness or lack of social graces, I'm sure there are more 'educated' as well as humane ways of description.

I guess it comes down to how we look at ourselves, how we determine our place in the world and how we label others. We all have our little pet peeves and we're all entitled, that's for sure. I've lived in trailer parks, with little income and probably a lot less educated than I am now and had doses of laziness. I still use words such as 'hubby' (which I see as an endearment. For cying out loud, I call my hubby 'honey bunny' ... now that can be sickening *grin*) or 'puter' when I'm feeling too lazy to write the whole word out.

I find it interesting how some things that are an individual's quirks, are others' peeves. How does that all come about, I wonder? Maybe, that's all part of the celebration of individualism that's makes this old world tick.

At any rate, everything is a personal endorsement to our own outlook. Anyone who wants to look down on me for how I choose to express myself, have at it. We can't please all the people, all the time... and who would want to? I certainly can't sing, but I'm not about to stop singing because I hurt the ears of others. If my soul feels like singing, I'm singing.

Okay..that's my little view for the day...

Stay cool out there...

Friday?

I just glanced at the calendar and it says it's Friday. This week has been a blur of heat and has been time consuming. As usual, I've been dealing with Daughter and FB through their current crisis. Why those kids don't think ahead, I haven't got a clue. Usually Daughter is very good at that, she just not good at squirreling away money. She's gotten so much better at not spending money and that girl can squeeze a nickel like I can't even believe. If I were in her current situation, I'd be a basket case by now. I just can't live like that, not back then and certainly not now. However, she holds it together with a bit of help from us. FB starts his job training tomorrow. Because of the crazy schedule this week, I'll be picking up the kids tomorrow for their usual stay over.

Mr M has done funerals all week this week and has another one tomorrow. I really ddn't want him to go to the one tomorrow because it's scheduled for the hottest part of the day but apparently, the captain of the Honor Guard has spoken with the funeral home and the family and they have agreed to let the men do their part of the ceremony so the guys can get out of the heat.

As for the heat, well, just let me say that it was 93 degrees last night at 9:30pm. Um, yeah. Tomorrow is suppose to be somewhere around 110-115. I guess summer is officially here. The Grove works a whole lot differently in the summer. We either get stuff done in the early morning or late at night, like after 8:00pm. Usually from around noon through 8:00pm it's at its hottest around here and if it's going to be a real scorcher, it'll drive me out of bed in the early morning hours. This house uses a swamp cooler for central cooling and usually each room is equipped with a window air conditioner. This year, I opted to try something different in hopes of keeping the electric bill down. Both Troll and Sprout have their window air-conditioners functional because their windows face in the west so they get the brunt of the heat in the afternoons. The master bedroom faces the east so it's pretty cool in the mornings and the afternoons. We're using the ceilking fan and the swamp. The livingroom is guarded by the low hanging branches of the old oak right out front of the picture window and I'm using two floor fans besides the swamp. It does okay..so far. I may end up installing the window air-conditioner later in the summer, we'll see how that goes. The office uses a window air-conditioner because it is not accessible to the swamp and because of the computers... *grin* okay so now you've gotten more of a rundown about The Grove's cooling system than you would have liked. I really do need to get the pool functional because midnight swims sound awfully good right about now.

Last night we had company for dinner and that's always fun. There was much teasing, laughing and eating, just the way I like it. Tonight may be another night for such things. I'm not sure yet. I have to make a few phone calls. Indian Fry Bread is on the menu. That's always a hit around here.

Well, sitting here posting isn't getting my exercise done nor is it getting my housework done so I guess I better scoot on out of here and get something accomplished before the heat wave hits.

Blessings~

It Seems Fitting...

A Happy Summer Solstice or Litha to one and all. May your summer be productive and joyful.

Here, the heat is starting to kick up a notch or two...or three. By next week, we'll be about 110 degrees. It'll be up in the 100's today and yes, I have to go out in it. I have to wait for Mr M to get back from his 2 funerals (since I have to pick him up) and then I'm dragging Troll out to do the grocery shopping..muhahaha.

Yesterday I vanished from the radar because of a developing migraine, thanks to FB. How or why my daughter puts up with him is nothing short of amazing. Of course it didn't help that while trying to get a nap to dispel this evilness, the migraine not the daughter/FB, that my daughter calls again and after dealing with that, I started to relax and drift off and who comes out of his bedroom yelling, " Morning, Mom.. I love you!" but my very own Sprout. So much for the nap. There are days I truly want to wring that young man's neck. Sigh. It's just that sometimes he is like this overgrown puppy... that I want to smack on the nose with a bit of rolled up newspaper.. HEY... I wonder how well that would work? I finally chased him out of the house (go bug someone else, boy. Leave your Momma in peace) and I was able to swallow a couple of Tylenol and close my eyes, for all the good that did. Around midnight or so it was gone, finally.

The Grove is gearing up for a family 4th of July cook out. Troll and I are going to be working on getting the kids' pool set up, moving chairs and tables and such under one of the great oak trees on the south side of the house. I'm still working on the menu. I haven't done something like that in a while so we're due.

In the meantime, I'm also gearing up for the Ladies Auxiliary (VFW) bake sale/yard sale at the end of the month. I'm still rather undecided about actually joining. Every time I thnk about it, I get this suffocating feeling. I think that speaks volumes, don't you? I probably should be a bit more extroverted. but that's never been my forte.

The Grove is literally bounding with leaping kittens. One of my other 'sons' was over the other day and he sure was having to do a dance to avoid stepping on a kitten. They're not quite give away age yet, just about though. The two pyscho momma kitties are getting much better and seem to be tolerating Oliver a bit better. Poor Ollie still can't seem to leave the bedroom, but that doesn't seem to affect him overly much.

A quick message for you-know-who-you-are: Hey! Quit picking on my 'flat clearing', that's not nice. *grin* We'll talk.... later, Brat Man.

I need another cup of coffee...

Stay cool out there....

Here's A Chuckle

Because I Said So!


After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing He said to them was, "Don't."

"Don't what?" Adam asked.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said.

"Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve! We got Forbidden Fruit!"

"No way!"

"Yes WAY!"

"Don't eat that fruit!" said God.

"Why?""Because I'm your Creator and I said so!" said God, wondering why he hadn't stopped after making the elephants.

A few minutes later, God saw the kids having an apple break and was angry. "Didn't I tell you not to eat that fruit?" God asked.

"Uh huh," Adam replied.

"Then why did you?"

"I dunno," Eve answered.

"She started it!" Adam said.

"Did Not!"

"DID so!"

"DID NOT!"

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.

How popular is/was your name?

Check your name.

Sharon - Means: A Flat clearing (a flat clearing,hm? I wonder where they got that from? That's just not cool, man)

Decade Popularity......Rank

1900's...................1000

1910's...................1000

1920's....................763

1930's.....................87

1940's......................9

1950's.....................14

1960's.....................24

1970's.....................65

1980's....................168

1990's....................301


Rank shows how popular the name is in the corresponding decade. A rank of 1 means it is the most popular name for that gender. A rank of 1000 means it is the 1000th most popular.

Statistics are compiled and published by the Social Security Administration, based on samplings of applications for Social Security cards.

Doctor's Report

I went to the doctor's this morning and all is well. My blood pressure was acceptable even if it was a little high when I first went in but she checked it out before I left and it was good to go. My weight isn't budging but I'm working on that and I had to drop some of the tension on the bike because of my blood pressure ( was getting light headed by the time I got to the end of my workout). She gave me the ideal pulse rate she wants me at and she suggested dropping the tension. I tried it out during my morning workout and I did fine, no light-headedness.

Mr M continues to do well and I am a bit more settled because of it. His therapy group is going well at its old location. I continue to feed the guys with homemade cookies. There's a bit of commotion in the pipeline where the veterans in our community are concerned and they're getting ready to raise a ruckus. I don't mind Mr M getting into it but I swear, I'm going to buy a shock collar. I can sit across the street at the little cafe, sip an iced coffee, use the binoculars and press the remote control when the man gets a bit too rowdy. *grin* Well, I am tempted so tempted. LOL.

FB GOT A JOB!!!!!! the question is, will he keep it and for how long. Since he is not going to summer school this year and has to feed his family, I daresay he'll keep this one until he starts school again and then there will be some excuse for dropping the job. Daughter has had problems with the arch of her foot, it's been painful. The doctor says it's the arthritis.

Say good-night Gracie.

Which Are You?

Yes, it's one of those things again. *grin*


You have a strong sense of responsibility toward others and a deep respect for other people, even strangers, though you are not always sure what the best course of action is. You are Lucy, the brave child who is wise beyond her years and kind to all she meets.

A Good Cause

It's a site about promoting cervical cancer information. if you order the free bracelet Merek will donate one dollar to Cancer Reasearch and Prevention Foundation. You can find the site here.

Saturday?

Really? So, where have I been?

The county fair ends tomorrow and we're suppose to go tonight as Mr M wants to attend the car races. I don't know though. It's going to get very warm outside, somewhere in the vacinity of the mid-nineties. It's 9:16 am now and already 75 degrees out. Yep, gonna be a warm one today.

Nothing other than the usual stuff has been going on around here this week. We did go down to the new Walmart Super Store. I have to admit that I liked it. I can get all my shopping needs met in one store. I like that. The grocery section is pretty good. Now I can get my Yule shopping done little by little over the year. Unlike some people, I don't wait until the last minute.

Nothing on the writing or role-playing front, both of us have just been too dang busy taking care of our personal lives. I miss it, but sooner or later, life is going to settle back down into a pleasant roar.

I'm not even halfway through my first cup of coffee, so I can't seem to jumpkick my braincell.. what day is it anyway? Well, damn, it's my turn and I'm being a slug bug. That's not a good thing.

Wrangled

I think I've been wrangled and by two very wily women. I underestimated their charm. Yesterday evening when I went to go pick up Mr M from the VFW Post, they charmed me. I still haven't agreed to join the Women's Auxiliary but I'm leaning in that direction. I have made it quite plain however that I have no patience for politics, period. I have endured my share of of those and I don't have the stomach for it. I also will not be pursuaded into holding office. That is simply not my thing. However I have offered up my knowledge, whatever that may be, along with my talents to help them out. I like these two ladies. They're sweet, fun and got just that dash of vinegar I appreciate so much. So, while I haven't exactly agreed to join, I probably will. It'll give me something else to do, like I need more irons in the fire, hm?

We aren't suppose to get rain, but guess what? It's raining. I saw lightning a little while ago. I hope it doesn't strike and is just flash because things are very dry around here.

Our county fair starts tomorrow. Mr M and I are waiting until Friday or Saturday to go because he has expressed an interest in the car races. For me, they're nothing big. I use to go alot when I was younger. The youth of our town didn't have a youth center and so I got interested in racing. I use to work the pits for a guy who ran in the races. That was kinda cool. I was the only female at that time who did. I use to wear a military pilot's jumpsuit. Love all those zippers. *grin*

So, now I'm all pampered and stuff. I got my nails done, had a pedicure (while sitting in a back/head massage chair) and I got my hair cut today. I had to get the nails and hair done but Mr M talked me into the pedicure. My hair dresser noticed I've been losing weight ( isee her about every 3 or 4 months) so that was kinda nice. I know my family notices but when the people around you start to, that's just awesome. I got in trouble for whacking my bangs off when I was sick about three weeks ago but the short hair is nice to have back. She's noticed the additional white hair I seem to be cultivating... *eye roll* I' ve earned those by golly.

So from a wrangled Tuesday evening... I bid you all a good night

Quote For The Day

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.


- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Weekend Catch-Up

Wow. I'm not sure if I am relieved that the weekend is nearly over or if I am in a state of disbelief because it has gone by so fast. The one thing I do know for sure is that my old bod is telling me it wants to collapse early tonight.

The Grandmonst---grandkids:

I am convinced more and more that Pookie is starting to go through this hormonal phase and she doesn't even know, let alone understand, what is going on with her. It's not so much with me that she's giving a hard time, but it's her parents. I remember Daughter at that age, it gives me something to go on in regards to Pookie. FB says he can undrstand hormonal flux, yeah, right. He wasn't raised with any girls. His mother had all boys. He hasn't got a clue, but for the sake of my private amusement, I'm willing to let him go on thinking he does, the poor disillusioned boy.

Topper's attitude isn't hormonal per se, but rather trying to push those boundaries his Elders have set for him. He has this independent streak kicking in and when he doesn't get his way, he wants to have a little hissy fit. Grandma came very close to showing him what those little hissy fits will get him... just one more time... but he was good enough not to push me any further. I think the realization dawned on him when I gave him a good steady gaze that meant business. I do not envy my Daughter or FB. I am glad I am finished being primarily responsible for this sort of thing.

Troll and I took the kids to go see "Over The Hedge". We enjoyed it and laughed a lot. It'll definitely be added to our DVD collection. We sent them home with a bit of a sugar edge. They should have slept like babies Saturday night.

Today, I took Mr M to see the Da Vinci Code. Now he wants to read the book. I knew he would. I enjoyed the movie. The book, of course, is better. When a writer can get people to converse about a topic, then he has done his job well. I also think it's a testament to his skill that he can make people wonder if what he writes has any possibility of being, in some way, realistic. If all you come away with from this movie is along the lines of demeaning the Christian Faith, then you have missed the whole point all together. Some in the Catholic Faith are crying heresay. Bunk. It's an idea that was written and then produced to entertain. I enjoy a good what if. But you know something in the back of my brain is whispering, if the Catholic Church is making a fuss over this movie, why? If their faith is as strong as they say it is, then they would simply dismiss it as nothing... but... it sure does make me wonder what makes them create such a fuss... I guess things like that happen when you don't believe you have a stroung enough foundation... always worrying if the 'faithful' will turn away their face... It makes me think and ponder.

Troll started his week off today. He has one more week he has to use up before Aug. 1st or he loses vacation time. He's not about to do that. So I get to put up with him for a week. *eye roll*

So, it's an early night for me... stretch out, use Mr M for a pillow and watch some tv until I fall asleep.

I hope your week starts out well.

Outside The Grove

Haditha:
Are we calling this a scandal or is it a result of war? Let's take a gander at Kilo Company. Late last year, US Commanders tried to hold Haditha ( a town of about 90,000) which was just peppered with insurgents and at the time it fell to one company of 160 men, yep, Kilo Company, 3rd Batallion, 1st Marines. In 2004 Kilo Company got the short end of the stick. There were days of endless street fighting and even house-to-house fighting. Nothing one would think unusual for where they were, right? Well, during one of these operations, a Kilo unit got ambushed inside a house by about 6 insurgents armed with machine guns and grenades. One Marine died and several were wounded. The unit was trapped inside, with the insurgents in the adjoining rooms. The Marines had little option but to blow up the house in order to kill the insurgents and escape with their lives.

After pulling out of Fallujah, Kilo Company returned home, but they were gearing up for another tour in Iraq. Back in Iraq again, where most of Kilo had one tour to Iraq under their belts, some with two and one was working on his third, it was surprising their attitudes were pretty decent. There was a certain amount of antagonism and frustration but nothing that would seem out of place. During their daily sweep for weapons, the unit uncovered a lot of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) rigged to blow up all over Haditha (where they were assigned on their next tour), insurgents were getting more brazen, once the Marines had checked an area, the insurgents would come back and plant a couple more IEDs.

In the matter of the recent tragedy of Haditha, one can't help but ask oneself... was the tragedy done with provocation? (Kilo had lost a beloved brother in Miguel Terrazas, who was driving a humvee that got blown up) And I say provocation in that these Brothers in Arms lost someone very beloved to them and maybe someone(s) lost their cool and their perspective OR were they merely reacting to a situation, shaped by a previous experience?(It only takes one person to be armed to make a situation explosive). The Marines had no way of confirming, at the time, if others were armed either.

For those of us who have never had to be part of a war, we will never be able to understand what those who face this kind of thing. We can never say for certain, in any given circumstance, what we would do when faced by a situation as those of the Kilo unit encountered. We'd like to think that we wouldn't shoot first and ask questions later. We'd like to believe that. The reality is, we'll never know and we hope to heaven we never do. We thank the Deity we believe in that we aren't walking in those soldiers shoes, facing day after day, year after year, the situations they do, making the decisions they have to and then learning to live with it until the day we die.

As for the situation, the tragic recent happenings in Haditha, I can only hope it didn't come about out of revenge. While I wish with all my heart it never happened, that innocent lives weren't lost, I can hope it happened out of fear and a trigger finger for survival. Those are emotions and skills of survival in a land where the bad guys have no respect for innocents, they just look for a means to an end. Maybe there weren't any bad guys in that house. But placed in the shoes of Kilo Company, how can one be sure of anything? Experience becomes your teacher mighty fast in a hostile place. Kill or be killed. When you think about the young men we send over there, the total time in country, I can't honestly say I would find these men guilty of deliberate slaughter. If on the other hand NCIS finds evidence that points to deliberate slaughter... who do we have to blame for these men's frame of mind? Who created the fighting machines? The attitudes? Fortunately, these situations are not a norm but an exception and yes, someone has to answer for the loss of inocent lives. it's just not going to be me who judges...

My Space Liasion:

Will someone please tell me how a sixteen year old cons her parents into getting her a passport? What pausible reason can there be if she isn't traveling with her parents? And can someone tell me how a sixteen year old manages to get out of the country on her own?

My Space is not to be held responsible. This responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of parents. There's no way in hell one of my underage children would get a passport, let alone get her hands on it. A sixteen year old has no business socializing with a 25 year old man (if that's what he truly was). What is happening to our society that we haven't instilled into our children that this sort of thing is unacceptable? Hell, I had a fit when my daughter wanted to date a boy who was a mere two years older than her. I'm sorry, but today's standards, as a general rule, are far too lax. Parents are actually influenced by their child's whinings. Parents don't want to be the bad guy. HELLO! That's part of the job description. Children are walking all over their parents and parents are wondering where the respect is? Again, I say HELLO!

My children (well two out of three, but I'll get to that) were more scared of me than to try drugs or do a host of other things that were not acceptable (translation: not within the boundaries of their good health). Hell, yes, I threatened to beat their backsides until they couldn't sit down for a week if I caught them doing something they knew damn well wasn't right (within reason of course). I never did use corporal punishment as a usual means of punishment, that was saved for the 'big ticket items' or hard heads that just wouldn't get it. It gave them something to use with their peers and trust me, they used it. They knew I meant it and they had to live with me. I don't know how many times, in the course of our conversations these days that they have said to me, " Mom, I use to tell the guys no because you would beat the tar out of my butt when you found out and I was always more afraid of you than what they thought." When I asked them how that went over with their friends, "They say, 'You're afraid of your mom?' 'Damn straight, you don't know my mom.'" Those that did, would back the kiddo up. I have always been fair and tempered, but there were definite boundries and cross them at your own peril. Maybe by today's standards that's harsh, but my children have never been in trouble with the law, are respectful of their Elders and of women. I'm rather proud of their ethics and their outlooks. We don't always agree, I don't expect us to, they're all free thinking adults now.

My oldest son, years ago, had a conversation with me and it came to light that he secretly tried pot. I never had a clue. I waited for that shoe to drop, I just never thought it did. Let's just say that at the age of twenty something, the young man got slapped up the backside of his head for it and what did he do? He grinned. he said, " Sorry, Momma, but I'm a good boy now, I promise." That got an unladylike snort from me. There's still one standing rule around here that they're still answerable too, no matter how old they get, " You better think twice about doing something you know Mom wouldn't approve of because eventually, be it days, months or years from now, she's going to find out and you'll still answer for it."

Damn Straight.

I will no longer have the responsibility of being a parent the day I draw my last breath. I have never given up on one of my children and I never will. I'm just too damn stubborn that way when it's something detrimental to their well-being.

I'm Mom, I'm their role model. I chose to give birth to them. It's a life long contract. If I don't do it, who will?

TGIF

Already? Where did this week go? Well we got the appointment in Sacramento over. We have another one on the 5th of next month and after that, well, we'll see. I'm also due to go to Sac for an eye appointment next month. They're going to check up on my eye and see if there have been any changes. If nothing has changed, there's a good chance I may not have macular degeneration, then again, there's really no way to prove it. To continue to be on the safe side, I follow all the preventive stuff I was informed about. It's definitely better to be safe than sorry and if it is there, at least I can slow it down.

My diabetes continues to do well. I have the numbers down where the doctor finds finds them acceptable, despite my occasional lapse into a carb overdose (those are getting less and less. I must be learning something). My blood pressure seems to be doing okay and I am almost sure the doctor will find it acceptable. I'll know on the 19th when I go back and see her. The only thing at a stand still is my weight, darn it. I continue to lose inches but the poundage is being a stubborn piece of work. I am not not concentrating too hard on watching the scale but rather on making healthier eating choices and keeping on track with my exercise. I have to admit my exercise routine has flagged terribly this last week and I just got right back into it starting today. I really do feel so much better afterwards, but darned if I don't feel taxed while doing it. LOL.

Mr M continues to do well. This last month has been so much better than the ones preceeding it. We talked about it over breakfast the other day. I told him how I felt and I hoped he would continue to have some patience with me when it comes to letting him have the truck again. I just need to see something beyond two month's worth of effort. He's always lapsed back after that time period.

Though I can't make it up to Mr M for not being able to go to DC this weekend, I think I have found somethng we can do at the end of next month. I found this place in Eugene, Oregon, which is only about 200-300 miles from us. It sounds like fun. We'll make a weekend of it. Lots of picture taking for sure (none of me though). Then we'll be going to Vegas for a week, probably in Sept. We need to use our time share week before we lose the credit for the year. There are no cruises planned for this year. Can we say pay the bills off from the last one? *grin* The next cruise is probably going to be Alaska.

I have Pookie and Topper today and tomorrow we're taking them to see "Over The Hedge". Mr M and I have plans to go to the movies ourselves Sunday. Aside from being stuck with Sponge Bob on the tv, the kids are doing great. Shel is visiting her maternal grandfather today and my house is just to small to accomodate another kid overnight which isn't so bad. It gives Shel a chance to have some one-on-one time with her dad while she's here. She'll be over to visit with us more this summer before she is scheduled to go home at the end of July.

The pyscho momma cats from hell are easing up on their vigilance. The babies are growing my leaps and bounds and are starting to play. I think the mommas finally are out of that of 'that's my baby, give it to me!' phase, thank the Lady for small favors. I was about ready to choke the two of them.

While I've been online, I haven't been rping much. I've just been so dang busy around here and I haven't had the opportunity to do any web designs for my Talisman site yet. *sigh* I really want to get around to that, but right now I am drawing a blank. Everything else concerning the channel is in place I believe. Now if only I can jumpstart the creative part, I'd be happier.

That's all from inside the Grove for the moment.
Have a great weekend and be careful out there.

Just A Brief

I'm beat. We went out of town early this morning. There's a lot more to say from the Grove but I' just to dang tuckered out to articulate at the moment. Stay tuned. I'll try again tomorrow.

A Grin For Monday

A LIVING WILL

While watching a football game a couple weeks back, my wife and I were discussing life and death.

I told her, "Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state,

dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens,

just pull the plug."

She promptly got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all my beer.

Some days I hate being married to a smart woman.

From An Email

Read the story, then click on the link at the end.



Sam Bierstock was not in a good mood. It was around 1 a.m., and Bierstock, a Delray Beach, Fla. , eye doctor, business consultant, corporate speaker and musician, was bone tired after appearing at an event.


He pulled up in his car, and the parking attendant began to speak. "I took two bullets for this country and look what I'm doing," he said bitterly.

At first, Bierstock didn't know what to say to the World War II veteran. But he rolled down his window and told the man, "Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you."

Then the old soldier began to cry.

"That really got to me," Bierstock says.

Cut to today.

Bierstock, 58, and John Melnick, 54, of Pompano Beach - a member of Bierstock's band, Dr. Sam and the Managed Care Band - have written a song inspired by that old soldier in the airport parking lot. The mournful "Before You Go" does more than salute all those who fought in WWII. It encourages people to go out of their way to thank the aging warriors before they die.


"If we had lost that particular war, our whole way of life would have been shot," says Bierstock, who plays harmonica. "The WW II soldiers are now dying at the rate of about 2,000 every day. I thought we needed to thank them."

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


"It made me cry," wrote one veteran's son. Another sent an e-mail saying that only after his father consumed several glasses of wine would he discuss "the unspeakable horrors" he and other soldiers had witnessed in places such as Anzio, Iwo Jima, Bataan and Omaha Beach. "I can never thank them enough," the son wrote. "Thank you for thinking about them."

Bierstock and Melnick thought about shipping it off to a professional singer, maybe a Lee Greenwood type, but because time was running out for so many veterans, they decided it was best to release it quickly, for free, on the Web. They've sent the song to Sen. John McCain and others in Washington. Already they have been invited to perform it in Houston for a Veterans Day tribute - this after just a few days on the Web. They hope every veteran in America gets a chance to hear it.

Click here to go to the web site and hear the song.

Did Ya Know...

..that humidity wilts this shroom? Ugh. They say our temps are going to climb again. I can deal with that so long as I don't have to deal with this humidity.

FB and Daughter got Shel. She flew in today from Dallas/Ft Worth. She'll be here until the end of July provided her mother sends Shel a plane ticket back. We'll see what happens. In the meantime FB and Daughter have to unravel some of Shel's mother's work including the fact that Shel thinks it's okay to use a certain 'n' word. It's a word I won't tolerate and I abhor anyone who uses it. My children learned at an early age just how much I won't tolerate that word and it strikes the same note with Daughter. I told her they just need to be patient with Shel and talk to her. She;s a bright kid, she'll figure it out. In the meantime, FB is going to talk to the law facilitator and see about filing for physical custody of their daughter. His ex-wife doesn't seem to have her daddy's money at the moment. Apparently she and her father had a falling out. Maybe karma is coming around, it's due.

Mr M has been resting a lot. He pretty much wore himself out these past few days. We have a date this weekend for the movies. It's either going to be The Da Vinci Code or Over The Hedge. We want to see both of them eventually.

I bought a new book today. LOL. I couldn't resist. When I read the backcover it made me laugh. It's called "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire, something to do with the Wicked Witch of the West and the Tin Man being a victim of domestic abuse (can't wait to findout what that's all about :)and about the Munchkinlanders seeking the comfort of middle-class stability. I told you, it made me laugh and I got curious.

I got my SETI reloaded on this computer so I've rejoined the effort.

I've also being working on getting my stories redirected to their new site and I think I got it all done. So many links to change over. It's a PITA but it needs to be done. So if any of y'all find a broken one or an old one, let me know please.

The Grove got some furniture swapped about. I got some new flowers for my south garden which will go into the ground tomorrw. They were on sale and in pretty good shape so I did good. Now I just have to get the gravel into the bottom of the pond, get the algae cleaner in it and get fresh water plants embedded an then the gold fish and all I have left to do with the south garden is the remaining ground cover and a few more flowers and I'll be done with that one for the season. Not sure if I am going to work on the front of the house this year or not. I still have a lot of other stuff to see to, including repainting my livingroom, diningroom and kitchen. I'm waiting for our Lowe's store to get built before I tackle tiling the kitchen. I'm getting a lot of flack from the men around here about tiling, but trust me, I'm gonna show them!

last night I baked two lemon meringue pies and Troll and Mr M ate one by themselves. Today there's a sliver left of the second one. *eye roll* You'd think I never bake around here. Maybe if they're really good (translation: a to-do list) I'll make some chocolate chip cookies tomorrow.

Well, I need a shower. I ran into something that had me break out in hives along my inner arms. I haven't got a clue. Oh hush!

Catching Up

I went to the bank earlier this morning and the window cashier said, " Have a great weekend." As I was driving off, I thought, 'weekend? already?' Sure as twiddly winks, it's Thursday and the weekend is just right next door. I guess being busy the long weekend has taken it's toll on my perpsective of a week. So far, I'm on an even keel... (that's said in a whisper just in case)

The weather has knocked me for six. It looks like it wants to rain and stay warm, so can we say, humid as hell? I had a migraine from hell yesterday. I can honestly say that I have never experienced one as painful as that one. I was nearly in tears.

Mr M continues to do well. He didn't go on te trip to Mt Shasta to do a funeral yesterday, thank the Lady. After his long weekend and that angina attack, I wanted him to stay home and recoup. We've both been sleeping a lot lately.

Troll has had a bad few days. No sooner did pay day roll in and he shelled it back out. His second dog (O-zone) needed stitches, staples an antibiotics to the tune of $263.00. He threatened the dog that if the dog slices himself again, Troll is getting out the duct tape and super glue. No sooner did troll deal with that than something else hit his pocket book. he came home from work one evening, sat down, took off his glasses to clean them and they broke. He does have insurance but the shop he needed to go to didn't have a doctor until July. That didn't help. So off he had to go to Lense Crafters for an exam and glasses. He's quite literally blind as a bat without them and they can have the glasses done in an hour. Since he had to work that night, he had no choice to the tune of four hundred plus dollars. That poor man.

FB and Daughter are stretching dollars since FB has no summer school and they're saving to go get Shel this summer. FB 's ex took Shel and left for Tx again. I really feel so sorry for Shel. I wish FB had the funds to hire himself a really good attorney because Shel needs a far more stable atmosphere to grow up in. Topper is all registered for kindergarten this year. Pookie gets out next week for the summer and she can't wait. We're planting sunflowers in celebration.

Memorial Weekend: I have listened to a lot of speeches this past weekend. For the most part, they all said the same thing, but a couple of things stood out. Listening to the news, I heard this Congressman stressing that this was a weekend for remembering our dead, not our living, soliders, past and present. He set my teeth on edge. How in the world, in thinking about the sacrifices of those who has this world, can we not think about those who are still living? His whole thought was that we have days set aside for them. So? My mind, when I think of those who died, I can't help but think of those who may die today in service. I also can't help but think about those men, who have done their time and are, every day, passing from this world, some due to age, some due to their service connected illnesses. yes, we have days to honor them, but like all things, they're twined together. The Congressman is a jerk.

In one of the ceremonies I attended this weekend, someone was quoting the President and how we need to remember the dead and the speaker agreed, but he also said, "What about those who have returned broken?" Blessed Be. This past weekend I also heard this, "To those who sacrificed their tomorrows so we could have our todays." Hooah.

The ceremony up at the Veterans Cemetary was moving. It's tucked back up in the hills with a lot of undeveloped land. Looking around me at the foothills, it surely is Divine Country. The ceremony was thrown together will a little amount of time, but it amazingly came off well. It'll be even better next year. The Honor Guard did us proud, even if one rifle misfired on the last volley. He faked it good. That rifle has been giving them a spot of trouble lately anyway. To hear Taps played by our bugler(s) sent chills down my spine and choked me up. it felt like it resounded through our trees and foothills and boy was it quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Election Time: Next week we go to the polls. I will readily admit there are folks who need to step out of office, but it's who to replace them with. I am not enthused.

Well, apparently I'm getting Topper for the afternoon, so I best check out for now.