Just Amy's World

The Philosophy of Coffee Mugs

2012-02-11T09:25:00.000-06:00

Pink Flamingo mug. For days when I wish I were at the beach watching the sunrise. My usual afternoon coffee mug when I need a bit of a pick-me-up. The I-need-bright-colors mug. I have a coffee philosophy. Most specifically, I have a philosophy concerning my coffee mugs. In my home you will find a coffee bar dedicated only to coffee, separate from the rest of the kitchen. It is made of

My Daughter Is A Lesbian

2012-02-07T17:23:00.001-06:00

Today we learn that Prop. 8 in California being unconstitutional is being upheld. I don't know all the legal jargon, but I do know this makes me happy and gives me hope. It is one step in the right direction of what I hope with all of my heart and soul will someday be a reality for everybody -- equality. Because, you see, my oldest daughter is a lesbian. That describes her sexuality but it

Tuesday Morning Thoughts

2012-02-07T09:43:00.001-06:00

I'm sitting on my backyard patio in my bathrobe, enjoying the sounds of the morning with my cup of hot coffee and my laptop. The birds were singing and it was quite lovely in spite of the chilliness and the cloud cover. I can hear a woodpecker somewhere close. I was listening to the lovely bird song as the birds called back and forth to each other through the trees. A hawk flew overhead and

A Cat Dilemma

2012-02-06T08:22:00.000-06:00

These are my fur babies. The top is Puck, who is a Pixie-Bob and Raven, who was born at the Crawford Peace House. Puck is about three or four years old, Raven is about six years old. They are both males. They look pretty laid back in these pics, and they usually are pretty laid back, sweet kitties. They were demon kittens when they were young. Raven would run through the house as fast as

Saturday Morning Storminess

2012-02-04T07:59:00.000-06:00

I awakened about 5:30 a.m. this morning to an incredible light show in the sky. Constant lightning across the sky all around me but no thunder, no wind, just a sprinkling of rain. So I stepped outside in the morning quietness just to have a peek at the beauty of this delightful wonder of nature. It was that time you hear about, the darkest of the night, just before the daylight begins to

My Take on the Susan G. Komen Foundation to Quit Funding Planned Parenthood

2012-02-01T17:54:00.000-06:00

The decision has nothing to do whatsoever with the so-called investigation initiated by a very conservative member of Congress. It has everything to do with conservatives doing every thing they can to work around Roe V Wade and make abortion not only illegal but impossible to get. They are trying, with every means at their disposal, to shut down Planned Parenthood, an organization that for

Follow Up

2012-02-01T08:02:00.000-06:00

I've written about my friend, Jill, and her family. In fact, my last post was about Jill and the struggles of her family. Today I give you an update. Last Thursday, Jill had a stroke and is now in the hospital in Salt Lake City. I don't know the seriousness of her stroke, but I do know she was in the ICU for awhile. Her family has somehow been able to get a reprieve from their 5 day eviction

When What Can Go Wrong Does Go Wrong

2012-01-23T08:57:00.003-06:00

It’s one of those cases where everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. You have to wonder how this person got into this situation, what happened in his or her life to bring them to this point. At first, when I heard this story from the person it is about, I couldn’t – and still can’t, really – wrap my tiny little brain around it. But as I think about it, the more I ponder the situations and

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

2012-01-21T13:17:00.000-06:00

It kind of feels like the old TV show Cheers, where a customer walks in and everybody knows his or her name, going to Mancuso Harley Davidson, the place we bought our 2010 Softtail Custom motorcycle a little over a year ago. You walk in and the salesman who sold you your bike remembers you, comes over to shake your hand or, in my case, give me a hug. The store manager knows you, the customer

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

2012-01-16T22:28:00.000-06:00

I was too young and I lived in the wrong part of the country to remember much about Martin Luther King, Jr. When he was assassinated, I was only six years old -- not old enough to remember or to understand. But I have lived my whole life with the legacy he left behind. His work for equality for all people has touched me the most. Since I grew up in what was then mostly a "white" part of the

Branham Quality Woodwork

2012-01-14T17:07:00.001-06:00

The challenge: Make cabinet doors for an existing kitchen that did not have cabinet doors. Match the finish on the existing woodwork as close as possible. We did not make the drawer fronts, just the cabinet doors. And, as you can see, we did a pretty good job of matching the finish!! This is just one of the many things we can do. BQW is a "mom and pop" company, everything is handcrafted

Frustration

2012-01-13T15:43:00.000-06:00

It's been six months or so since I lost my job and a medical transcriptionist. At first I didn't mind so much because I needed a break. I'd been doing my job for many years and was bored with it. It was something I could pretty much do without much of a challenge except the part about having to sit at my desk all day. I was also happy to be giving my hands and arms a much needed break as I

What The Mayan Elders Are Saying About 2012 by Carlos Barrios

2012-01-07T09:05:00.001-06:00

Carlos Barrios, Mayan elder and Ajq'ij (is a ceremonial priest and spiritual guide) of the Eagle Clan. Carlos initiated an investigation into the different Mayan calendars circulating. Carlos along with his brother Gerardo studied with many teachers and interviewed nearly 600 traditional Mayan elders to widen their scope of knowledge. Carlos found out quickly there were several conflicting

Dear Republican Party Leaders

2012-01-06T13:02:00.000-06:00

I used to vote Republican, up until we got George W. Bush, and then I quit voting for anyone even remotely related to your party. You became so far right of the majority of Americans that I just couldn't stomach it any more. You let the likes of FOX News, Rush Limbaugh, Hannity and Glen Beck become your public mouthpieces and you let religions leaders begin to run your agenda. You forgot that

"We Are Broken Hearts" -- Carlos Arredondo

2012-01-03T20:09:00.000-06:00

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/20220103heartbroken_family_mourns_double_loss/srvc=home&position=3 War always has a heavy toll carried by untold numbers that are never counted as casualties of war. Families bear the burden, the grief while politicians keep pounding the drums of war and sending our sons and daughters to fight. I hope that some day, some how, humanity will

Another First

2012-01-01T19:36:00.000-06:00

Maxx & Betty in November, taken at Point Smith, Texas. This morning we got up early to meet up with the HOGS for a group ride to Onalaska, TX, about 80 or 90 miles from home. We rode in three groups, as there were about 60 people participating in the ride. All in all it was a great ride and a perfect day, even though the toilets were backed up and overflowing at the scheduled pit stop, so we

Goodbye 2011 -- Hello 2012

2011-12-31T00:58:00.000-06:00

Me and my girls, Jaime & Danielle As the year 2011 comes to an end, I pause and think of all that I have experienced, all that I have lived and loved, the highs and the lows and of the blessings I enjoy. My family has grown by leaps and bounds, adding (soon officially) Misty, Alex and Brook, via Danielle, and Charley via Jaime. Dani seems to have found the love of her life and it gives me great

Christmas

2011-12-26T08:16:00.002-06:00

It always feels like somebody is missing when my family gets together, but this year, somehow, my heart didn't ache for the first time and I come away from Christmas feeling ... happy. For the first time in several years my family, well most of us, were together. The only ones missing were my stepdaughter and her family but we were able to talk with them on the phone, which helps some.Mark is

On the Road II

2011-12-11T09:02:00.000-06:00

Wreaths Across America Houston Biker Escort December 2011

2011-12-11T09:01:00.000-06:00

Wreaths Across America -- Houston

2011-12-11T08:50:00.004-06:00

I want to extend a big thank you to Wreaths Across America -- Houston, for all of their hard work, dedication and love in putting together the event at Houston National Cemetary yesterday. Wreaths Across America is an organization that collects donations throughout the year to make sure that a wreath is laid on as many graves as possible in the national cemetaries where the bodies of those who

Mourning During the Holidays

2011-11-30T07:50:00.002-06:00

It's a fact of life that we all have to deal with at one time or another in our lives. People we love die and it hurts down to the deepest core of who we are as human beings when they do. We grieve their passing because we loved them and we miss them terribly.The holidays can be a very, very hard time for us. Because I have so many friends who are going through tremendous loss this holiday season

King Tut

2011-11-22T18:54:00.003-06:00

Monday da man and I went to see King Tut at the Houston Museum of Fine Art. This was not on my to do list for my year of adventure, but hey, I'm taking the opportunities for adventure as they come!I was really excited to see this exhibit and the cost was relatively inexpensive. If you're going to go, I suggest you follow the link I've included above and buy your tickets ahead of time to guarantee

Sadness

2011-11-12T08:02:00.002-06:00

The phone rang about 2:00 in the afternoon or so Thursday, and Maxx answered it. On the other end of the line is our friend Judith... Come get me, I can't drive. Kevin is dead... Kevin is her husband and he took his life in the early hours of the morning at work. She is at the AT&T store where she got the phone call from the medical examiner's office. We dropped everything and drove to be with

Another Experience in My Year of Adventure

2011-10-25T13:27:00.002-05:00

Two weeks completely by myself. That's my new experience, and trust me, it's very new. There has never, ever been a time in my life when I was completely and totally by myself, dependent on nobody but me for my entertainment, food, etc. Okay, so it's not something I had on my to do list when I started this year of adventure, but it certainly counts as something new, and I think it's a pretty big