Like seriously for real

Things to Do in Denver When You're Un-Dead by Mark Everett Stone

2011-08-26T19:00:00.000-04:00

I love creepy creatures. Name one. There's a 97.3% chance that I'm interested and ready to geek out over it. I have a crazy imagination and still haven't grown up. Reading allows me to be dropped in that wicked fairy tale and soak it all up. Which leads me now to type to you about Mark Everett Stone. No, that's not some new slang for a gargoyle, but a friend of mine on Twitter and fiction author.

Mark Stone has wrote this pretty awesome book called, "Things to Do in Denver When You're Un-Dead." The book has been well-received by readers, other authors, newspapers, and reviewers. I'll leave it up to Mark to describe the story to you, below:

"For ten years Kal Hakala has been the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation’s top man, the longest surviving agent in its blood-soaked history. The World At Large has no idea that The World Under exists. And its vampires, demons, zombies, and mythic monsters are growing increasingly restless. In all Kal’s time with the Bureau, there has been no case he couldn’t crack, no monster he couldn’t kill. Then a plague of zombies comes to Denver, along with a vicious serial killer dubbed The Organ Donor. A childhood encounter with a legendary monster has left Kal with an endless supply of rage and hatred for all things Supernatural. But now the target is on his forehead, and the Un-Dead don’t die easy. The Bureau has some aces of its own—a few magicians and a cyber-ghost. Unfortunately Kal is a perennial loner ... And the World Under is wise to His tricks."

Now, come on... doesn't this sound like a fun read?

So... Where to Buy "Things to Do in Denver When You're Un-Dead":

Ebook Format:

Amazon.com

Smashwords
Trade Paperback and Ebook:

Barnes & Noble
Trade Paperback:

Amazon
Also available on iTunes as an iBook

You can follow Mark Stone on Twitter: @MEverettStone
Or visit his personal site: http://markeverettstone.com/

Disclosure: I did this promotional blog entry without any compensation.

Guest Spot Blogger: Ian Fydell, author of "Breathing Space: Book One Of The Exodus Trilogy"

2011-08-18T09:14:00.003-04:00

I've made a lot of friends of Twitter. Meet Ian Fydell, a science fiction author that wrote up a guest blog post for yall to read...
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How many of you have ever looked up at the stars and wondered what's out there? I bet many of you have. When I was seven years old my parents took me to see a movie some of you may know. It was a "little" film called Star Wars. I can remember pulling up to my house and when I got out of the car, I lagged behind and stared up at the stars wondering...was there a Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker out there battling for control of the universe? Or were there other forms of life somewhere in space...and that's where it all started for me. Later on in Junior High School, my English teacher would encourage me to continue writing as I did well in creative writing assignments. This was before we had computers at home and I remember handwriting many short stories and sharing them with my teacher and family members. Before I knew it, along came my teen years. Friends, cars and girls took up most of my free time. In my junior year of High School, I had met the girl I'd eventually marry. Flash forward a few years and I was working a full-time job, then came children, a house with a mortgage and big responsibilities. Writing was always in the back of my mind, but I never could find the time to write. Unfortunately, one day at my job I was severely injured by a piece of machinery. This injury forced me into a new role...Mr. Mom. It was a tough adjustment going from bread winner to bread baker. It was a stressful time in my life and I was told I should look into a hobby. Playing sports and working out weren't an option because of my injury. One day it hit me! I thought, why not go back to that time when I was a seven year old kid who loved to look up at the stars and dream.
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Breathing Space: Book One Of The Exodus Trilogy takes place in the year 2095, and the Earth is in severe ecological decline. Pollutants, wars, deep mantle mining, and everyday disregard for our planet have finally taken their toll, and now earthquakes, droughts, volcanic eruptions, and plagues are regular occurrences. Within a few decades, a century at most, Earth will no longer be habitable. Terra-forming and conservation efforts have been ineffective; it's just too late to stop the decline.

The novel's action focuses on veteran Air Force Captain John Lewis, commander of Triton Station, an American space habitat dedicated to sending out probes to nearby stars in an attempt to find habitable new worlds. John is a troubled man faced with a daunting task, plagued by memories of his life back on Earth. Especially haunting are the recollections of his participation in the Third World War, and of those he lost during those dark days.

It takes 17 years, but the quest to find a new Earth pays off: a probe locates a habitable planet eight light years away. The Exodus-class probe transmits a video-feed back to Triton, allowing them to see what it discovers. The new world is teeming with life, including (to their wonder and dismay) a primitive species of aliens who appear to be the builders of a series of amazing pyramidal structures. The U.S. government immediately clamps a tight security lid on the discovery. After weeks of debate, the President and his advisors decide to put together a small advance team to explore the new world and to forge an alliance with its natives.

Given his decades of leadership experience and previous knowledge of the Exodus situation, Captain Lewis is tapped as the team leader. After a brief but intense period of training, the team heads for the new planet, Exodus, in a cutting-edge faster-than-light vessel that appears to have been reverse-engineered from alien technology. After a six-month flight, they arrive to find much more than they'd bargained for.

A malfunction strands them in a sea of tall grass hundreds of miles away from their intended landing site. As they make their way across the plains, they encounter a variety of animals, including intelligent felinoid predators. Eventually the team makes contact with the primitive Toborg, furry hunter-gatherers who appear to have constructed the great pyramids observed by the Exodus probe.

Soon after, they find that they are privileged to make first contact with not just one alien species, but two. The protectors and mentors of the Toborg, the highly advanced Zeta Reticulans, arrive several weeks into their stay. The Zetans are spindly humanoids with large heads, gray skin, and huge almond-shaped eyes who closely resemble the gray aliens of UFO lore. The Zetan spokesman reveals details of humanity's origin and history that were previously unknown to the humans, including the fact that Earth is one of only a number of planets with human populations. Seventy thousand years before, the Zetans saved humanity from a fate similar to the Toborg's. They remain in danger, however: two malevolent alien species, the Skreeeyep and the c'Cassra-fik-pta, plan to invade Earth and enslave Terran humanity. The Zetans are aware of the U.S. government's plan to start colonizing Exodus, and approve of the plan if for no other reason than to save some of the human population from the invaders.

As a parting gift, the alien gives Captain Lewis a pyramidal ark containing various blueprints for more advanced faster-than-light drives and other tools they can use against the invaders. It is during the six-month ride back home that John Lewis discovers that the Zetans themselves aren't all that they pretend to be...
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I spent almost a year writing Breathing Space and about three more months of working with my publisher on editing and cover design. After it was all said and done, I was nominated as a finalist in the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category. The Long Island Authors Group recently accepted my application after reviewing my book. I also signed over 200 copies of my book at Book Expo America NYC and made several guest appearances on Sci-fi talk shows such as, The Kevin Smith Show, Cover to Cover and That Sci-fi Show. I will also be a guest on the VRO show on 8/24 @ 9pm and from 10/13/11 - 10/16/11. I will sign copies of my book at Comic Con NYC. My dream is to see the pages of my trilogy leap onto the silver screen and entertain moviegoers just as I was entertained when I was a seven year old boy.

I am not a fan of "predictable endings." Why should the guy ALWAYS get the girl...why does the good guy ALWAYS have to win? When reading my trilogy, I warn my readers to expect the unexpected. If you'd like to order a signed copy of my novel, you can go to my website, IanFydellExodusTrilogy.com or you can purchase a copy from Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com. Feel free to check out the website for news, interviews and more about me. I am also on Twitter: @IanFydell and Facebook: Fans of Breathing Space: Book One Of TheExodus Trilogy. Feel free to contact me, I'd love to chat with you.

#fsincentivized @kimmyxoxo : Let me tell you about Falling Skies...

2011-06-23T01:59:00.000-04:00

And you're like, "What is Kim talking about?"

(see my hat! I've joined Twitter's @2ndMass )

I got selected by Klout to be part of the social media campaign to promote Falling Skies on Twitter. These are my honest opinions, I wasn't paid or anything. I got my "survival kit" today that included a free hat, compass, map, backpack, and mini poster. We are ranked by our "social influence" tweeting out the message about the show. At the end of this, the person ranked 1st place wins a walk-on role on the show complete with airfare and hotel!

I am currently in the top 10 and trying soooo hard to move up. Follow me on Twitter: @kimmyxoxo and pretty, pretty please RT/retweet out my tweets that are marked with the #fsincentivized if you have a Twitter account. It would help me out so much.

Now let me tell you about the show!
Falling Skies is a new sci-fi series on TNT. It's freakin' awesome!

The show takes place in Boston after aliens have invaded and taken over the world. It focuses on a group of people calling themselves 2nd Mass, as in 2nd Massachusetts, that are fighting back.

The aliens look pretty slick, movie quality in my opinion. There's the 6-legged aliens and then the 2-legged ones. The aliens have started kidnapping the kids and equipping parasitic looking harnesses on their backs that completely brainwash them into slaves.

How painful does this look?

(credit: http://twitter.com/2ndMass Follow them for clues &insider pics, tell them @kimmyxoxo sent you! )

So why should you watch?

Stars Noah Wyle as Tom Mason, a father of 3 boys that hasn't let the invasion completely jade him. He wants the aliens gone, but still has a heart. His oldest son has been kidnapped by the aliens. Perfect mix of sweet, strong, and maybe sexy too?

The sons are complete cuties. You may recognize Drew Roy from ICarly/Hannah Montana. He's obviously growing out of the teenie-bopper type shows and did well on as Hal Mason on Falling Skies. He's bitter, sarcastic, exactly how you expect a guy this age to act.

The thing I like about Spielberg (OH HOLY! I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS SHOW IS BY SPIELBERG! You should probably check out this show just because of this fact alone!) is he "gets" kids. He shows kids in a realistic view. I also sorta appreciated the kids are carrying around guns bigger than themselves. You don't see that sorta thing too much on TV, but hey, that's what would happen if an alien invasion happened. The youngest son on Falling Skies is beyond adorable. Having a 6 year old son myself, I see a lot of him in this kiddo.

(credit: http://snowlullaby.tumblr.com/ )

I enjoy the story-telling process. The first episode starts off slow, but you need that in order to introduce the characters, the situations; otherwise why would you care about them. Falling Skies isn't dumbed down. They want you to think, to connect the dots. There's plenty of action of course to balance this out. By Tom Mason picking to keep 'A Tale of Two Cities' foreshadow something? Maybe symbolic since their group is called the 2nd Mass. Is there some sort of fight between the aliens themselves as they are two different kinds? I don't want to spoil anymore! There's ton more I could go on and on about, but ummm, I think this blog post would end up being really long.

If you missed the first episode, you still have a chance to catch it this weekend on TNT at:
11pm EST on Friday
10am EST on Sunday

If you already IN on this show, it regularly airs at 10pm EST on Sundays with a repeat airing of the same episode at 12am EST the same night.

Picturing Weight Loss... literally

2011-04-25T15:21:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty visual, so thought maybe seeing this would motivate me, but for some reason, goal weight doesn't look that much different than current weight. Agree?

World Autism Awareness Day...

2011-03-29T21:08:00.000-04:00

is April 2nd if you didn't know. I wouldn't know if I didn't have an Autistic son myself, but it was this month last year when our little world changed. Last year in April is when Sam quit talking. It's also when he quit looking at people and started the moaning and quit playing with toys and and and... I could go on forever.

It all finally hit me seeing him around other people at Dylan's birthday party. He wasn't just shy or being stubborn; something was tragically wrong with him. I wish it didn't happen. I wish I knew why it happened. I wish I could freeze time to have the other version of my Sammy back. It still feels like I have had a child taken away from me, like I've lost him. I'm being honest, but don't get me wrong; I still love him to pieces and believe in him. I don't want pity and I hope everyone else can and will take Sam for what he is, what he can aspire to be, and see how sweet and awesome he really is.

I swear this boy is like the real-life Caillou, he'll never grow a full head of hair. Ha!

I try not to be down about it. I don't let his Autism consume my every living moment and thought. I think more to making all of our lives as normal and happy as possible instead. I'm not in denial by no means. Therapies and diets won't completely fix my Sam, but slowly will alleviate some of his issues. He's not going to be "normal" and I'm getting to the point where I'm okay with that, because, well, I have to be. I celebrate all the little things he has progressed to do. Life is going to continue to go on. I choose to be as positive and optimistic as possible.

I miss this. Holding him on my lap, no squirming, totally content.

Now I'm not Mary Frickin' Sunshine, but I refuse to live my life as a Debbie Downer. I still have my days and moments. I don't enjoy scrapbooking anymore for instance. It outright sucks to document the times when everything was fine and knowing it will never be like that anymore. It also sucks trying to scrapbook the present, because it just reminds me and starts those negative thoughts. There's only so much I can do and I'm trying my best everyday to better Sam. Dwelling over every new study and news article isn't going to change anything for us, except make me more depressed about what I can't change. Even if Sam gets worse with age, every little thing is gonna be alright, because when you think about it, it really does get to the point where you can accept that it's alright.

It's my mantra.

Now onto actual awareness... I don't tell every person on the street that Sam is Autistic. Sure, workers in the church nursery know, close friends, and of course my ,family; but I don't feel the need to tell every single person. I'm not embarrassed. If he has a meltdown around someone that doesn't know, then oh well. He starts saying LA LA LA over and over again non-stop, again, oh well. I do a little trick my Grandma taught me: Just smile and nod - smile and nod. I don't care what people think of me. No, really, I don't. I don't feel it's my job to run around educating everyone about Autism either. But for the sake of this blog post about awareness; there are some things I wish people did know, things I wish were common knowledge to everyone, like:

There's a quote somewhere out there that basically says this: "You've seen one person with Autism, then you've seen ONE person with Autism." This is true! That's why it's called the Autism Spectrum. Every person with Autism has different traits and behaviors. Some are worse than others. How you have seen one Autistic person behave in a Lifetime movie, is not how ALL Autistic people are like.

Speaking of movies, Autism does not mean my child will grow up to be like the Rain Man.

It also doesn't mean my child will be some prodigy like you have seen on The Discovery Channel that can figure out any math equation, memorize every baseball stat, or can paint an entire city view with one glance. There's a reason these people are documented on these type shows, because they are unique situations.

I asked Sam to smile for the camera and this is the huge, cheese grin he gave me!

Autistic people are capable of having feelings and most do express and show feelings of love. Sammy can give hugs, smile, and laugh. Just because an Autistic person isn't looking at you or saying anything, doesn't mean they aren't listening and comprehending. Lots of Autistic adults go off to college, get married, and raise children of their own just fine. Maybe not ALL Autistic children will grow up able to be a member of productive society, but it has been done. Sam is not brain-dead. With the early intervention we are receiving, I have high hopes for my son.

Many Autistic people do understand the word "no." Sam is diagnosed in the moderate to severe range of Autism and understands this. He may not behave like I would always wish, but he is capable at times when he wants.

I have heard many times said to me, "Oh he's Autistic, he has no fear." This is not true. For example: Sam is a climber, but he does understand he can fall and hurt himself. If he didn't, he wouldn't teeter on the edge. He would fall down all the time, every time. He's a boy! That's how boys are! If he hurts his hand on something, he doesn't immediately go and do it again. And sometimes, he does, but he's just "testing the waters" so to say. He tries to figure out how much he can do before he does hurt himself, but that's a part of learning and his personality.

Sammy & Cliff - my handsome men

All Autistic people are NOT alike, in Sam's case he is generally good-natured and not violent. Just because he's Autistic, it does not mean he is a complete menace unable to be disciplined. If he is misbehaving and pushing a kid, I want to know so I can try my best to correct this in him. I don't use his Autistic behaviors as an excuse because I think he's some "special angel" which grants him some pass allowing him to get away with anything. I know he can be naughty just like any of other kiddo. Maybe he can't help a lot of things, but it doesn't excuse violence towards others. But there's also a line of what some think is misbehaving where I see as just fine, like with him opening and closing a cabinet door for an hour. It's fun to him. He knows exactly where to stop the door so he won't squish his fingers too. Yeah, I'm aware it's annoying, but he's not hurting anyone by doing it.

Just because I have one Autistic child does not mean all my children will develop Autism. I think I read that my new baby only has like a 2 - 8% chance of being Autistic. Yes, I worry that it could happen and I will love him just the same as I do with Sam should that occur, but Brett's not totally destined to be Autistic.

But the number one thing that I wish people knew is that Autism DOES exist. I didn't invent it to have an excuse why Sam doesn't talk or acts the way he does. I don't want to hear things like, "Well Einstein didn't talk til he was 5" or whatever. Or "Sam's just taking his time." Or "If you would refuse him things until you forced him, he would do it." I'm not being lazy and I spend a ton of time with Sammy. Don't tell me that you think he seems fine after spending some time with him. I'm not exaggerating for kicks and attention. Ask yourself, why would I want Autism for my child? Why would I take him to these doctors and spend all this money and time? I would LOVE for him to be like other typical children and our ultimate goal is for him to resemble something close to that as possible.

I sometimes consider making pamphlets to hand to the people unaware of what Autism really is with all these points above, but I've come to realize people don't care unless it affects their life. It really is easier and allows me to live happier to continue to just smile and nod, smile and nod.

2011!

2011-01-02T12:19:00.000-05:00

Happy New Years!

{image from brainz.org}

I always try to make resolutions that are specific and can actually be accomplished. For 2010, I kept it simple but meaningful and vowed to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association and walk in my Grandpa's name in our county's Memory Walk. Thank you to all my friends and family that supported me.

For this year, I again want to keep it simple. I'll have a new baby in tow along with my other 2 rambunctious boys. I'm still not sure if Cliff will be in night classes yet for work either. Ahhhh!

#1: Eat at home more!
It's borderline ridiculous how much we spend on take-out and going out to eat. I completely blame pregnancy for this happening so much lately! I want to find more recipes we all will like and are fast to make. I want to find more options for Sammy to eat too since he's on the GFCF diet.

#2: More books for the kiddos!
I want to hit up more garage sales and get some new books in the house. Dylan does Book It! for school and we've hit about 40 or so books and I'm running low on new ones to add to his list that are on his level. Sammy has also quit eating and destroying books and really loves them. I have tons for him at the moment, but Dylan's selection is seriously lacking. If you have any books to recommend in the kindergarten - 1st grade level that boys will love, let me know!

#3: Be more positive
I'm not a complete grump-a-lump or anything, but I want to feel more peace and happiness. I figure the only way to feel that way is to act that way, right? I am pretty sure this year will be tough for me - Dylan going to school, Sammy starting all these therapies for Autism, and then throwing in new Baby Brett to the mix - I don't want to go crazy! So I'm going to look for the bright side in situations from now on - or at least try!

Happy Birthday Papa

2010-10-04T13:05:00.001-04:00

Today would have been your 92nd birthday. I can't remember how you sounded when you said my name anymore, but do still remember how you would say, "Shit, Billie!", which in a funny way cheers me up for forgetting the latter.

I would steer the tractor sitting on your knee while you would sing and whistle "Zippidy Doo Dah" in my ear. Yup, I still remember that. You would put barrettes in my hair everyday for school, even though you were missing your right arm. You could drive a stick, cut a steak, tie a tie - there was nothing you couldn't do. I can still smell you - Old Spice, onions, fresh cut grass, and gasoline.

There will always be a hole in my heart that no one will fill. I think to myself it would all be easier if it hadn't felt like you were already taken away from me early due to Alzheimer's. I wish the greatest man in my life could have really met and given me his blessing when meeting the man I would marry the day I announced I was engaged. Thank you for always making me feel like a princess, Papa. You'll always be my Superman.

Thank You Jenny

2010-09-12T12:47:00.000-04:00

So yeah, this song probably wasn't written in mind in what it means to how I interpret it, but it touches at me.

"We all have a weakness; but some of ours are easy to identify, look me in the eye...
So when weakness turns my ego up; I know you'll count on the me from yesterday if I turn into another. Dig me up from under what is covering, the better part of me..."

For about 3 or 4 months, I've felt something is off with Sammy. I hate to admit, but I am a cynical person. I'm not outwardly pessimistic at all, anyone that hangs out with me would probably describe me as a lot of fun to be around. I was a counselor at a camp for special needs kids for 2 1/2 summers. I had the autistic and ADHD kids in my groups those summers. I know what autism looks like for sure. But with Sam, I kept it all inside to myself. Maybe I didn't want to admit it? I made up tons of excuses for everything.

Why does he have no interest in Little People and their playsets like Dylan did? Sam just thinks that sorta thing is boring I suppose. He loves trucks, but not to roll them around; he wants to spin the tire and moan at it for an hour. He is just really super smart and mechanical minded like Cliff is all! That's why he likes opening and slamming a door for hours - just figuring out how it works. Oh, that's kinda cute, he's making himself dizzy spinning around in circles. He's just teething right now, that's why he's not talking so much right now. He walked early. Sam is just more focused on moving around to chase his brother instead of talking and playing with toys. He's independent, that's why he won't sit in my lap for me to read to him. -- This list of things seriously just goes on and on. --

Then I started to realize the only words he says anymore are "Momma" and "Daddy". Then that even condensed down to "Ma" and barely any "Da" sounds. He used to even say Spongebob and kitty cat for goodness sakes. Why won't he answer to me when I call him? Why doesn't he point? Or clap? Or at least shake his head yes and no? What has happened? I took him to the doctor and since he's only 19 months, Sam is "classified" for right now as suspected autism or however they wanna word it. I don't want this, but it feels good to know I'm not crazy and there really is something going on with my Baby Sam.

I never got "oh woe is me" about all of this, which surprises me actually. I'm a little offbeat and easy-going, never like those perfectionist Stepford type wives. If my child gets weird looks for spinning in circles and moaning, I'm the type that would join in with him. I'm not trying to make this about myself, because it definitely isn't; but this is sort of a little pep-talk I give myself. God knew I was strong enough to handle this. I've always been about preserving the child-like spirits in children, catering to their little quirks so they can become their own person. It may mean I have a rambunctious child - a.k.a. Dylan, my oldest son - but when I hear his imagination and creativity when he tells me the stories he makes, I know all is worth that. So if Sammy wants to walk around the outside of the yard and pass his hand over the chain-link fence instead of playing on the kiddie slide, I'm okay with that.

Word got around about Sam and tons of well-meaning people were soon calling me and emailing me. I'm not embarrassed about Sam at all, but it was just something I didn't want to discuss with people that I am just acquaintances with. And all these people seemed to think autism meant my son wouldn't hug me anymore, be in some sort of catatonic state, and would start confusing symptoms with all sorts of crazy things. Being the Southern raised girl I am, I smiled and nodded; but oh my goodness, I was done with even listening to any of this anymore. The tid-bit that would make me roll my eyes the most and I kept hearing was about how Jenny McCarthy cured her child with a diet. I was at the point that if one more person mentioned Jenny McCarthy and if it wasn't related to MTV, I was going to scream! Then, that day a family member dropped off her book to me at home. May I mention it was a family member I barely talk to and found out about Sammy through a chain of 3 people - all which none I had told myself. But again, I smiled and nodded and the moment the door closed, threw the book across the room. I got us all ready for church that night and was taking Sam for his first time to Awanas where he would get to play with children his own age. I stayed with him and that's when all of this really hit me. Seeing him in comparison of all the other children is when my heart really broke.

I got over myself and read the damn Jenny McCarthy book. And holy crap, besides the seizures, her child and Sam could have been twins - all the way down to playing with straws and slamming doors for fun. Then it dawned on me, Sam's speech regression started around the same time I was weaning Sam from his bottle of soy formula to Lactaid to sippie cups of whole milk. I started the autism diet the next day. It's been about two weeks now and there are DEFINITE improvements. I don't care what any news article or doctor wants to tell me, it works. We had to get rid of his favorite nutrigrain bars and no more spaghettiOs, but it's a lot easier than I had originally thought. I make up a huge batch of a dinner type food like lasagna or a casserole at the beginning of the week and pop in a portion in the microwave. Sam is a picky eater and likes eating the same things over and over. I add the veggies he hates by grating them in to hide them. Thankfully, he loves fruit and yogurt. I know these foods that cost more and all the explaining I have to do to family members that want to give him Oreo's and Cheetos is all worth it when I see my husband bust into tears because his son looked him in the eye and said, "Daaaaaaaaaaaddy" with his arms open to him. He's not looking out of the side of his eyes. He's cut down on all the stims/tics/obsession type things. He's recognizing people. He's saying words again - UP!, Dylan, Martha, Papa, No, Ba-ba. When he looks at things, it seems as though he's finally looking at them, almost like he had cataracts before and that's been removed now. There's a lot more, this is just what comes to mind now. Family members can tell as well, so I know it's not just me imagining things with too much hope. Everything about him just seems genuine now. Even if this is the most improvement that results because of the diet, it's still worth it. And no matter what, I will strive to let my Sammy be Sammy. I love him.

The Wends of Texas

2010-07-06T04:59:00.000-04:00

I had always been told by my Grandma (on my mother's side) that we are German descendants. Her mother was even able to speak back and forth German and English I've been told. After some more genealogy research, I've found out that's not entirely true.

First let me tell you, my Grandma is like a character from a movie. Everything is overly-dramatized and stories are acted out with a lot of flair and probably exaggerated. I know I am just like this and will be worse than she is when I'm an old lady. The best way I can describe is her is as the mother in "The Glass Menagerie" play. Now don't get me wrong, I love her to death, really I do, but getting some sorta actual, factual info out of her for my family research is pretty hard. Instead I get anecdotes like about her Aunt Emma having 44 yellow canaries in gilded cages on the back porch, which is pretty interesting, but are you starting to get my point here?

She led me on to a very good clue for me to research this time. My entire life I have heard my Grandma go on and on about the Wends of Texas. She says it in such a dreamy type voice. She would made it sound like we were born from kings and queens of Germany. She always made a point to mention there's a book written about The Wends of Texas. And hey, guess what? There actually is. And google and roots.com are full of info with just that little key word.

Do you know how the Mexicans have come into the US over in the Southwest area? They may be Americans; but would identify more so as being Mexican. (Just go along with it for my analogy.) This is somewhat how my ancestors were in Germany. The people related to me were Wendish Sorbian people living in a concentrated area of Germany. They were from Bautzen in Saxony, Germany (aka Upper Lusatia region). The Wends from this area are more so of Czech descent.

The Wends immigrated over to Texas on a small boat less than 146 feet long named the Ben Nevis. There was about 588 people stuffed on this boat where they would stay for about 3 months at sea and another month at dock quarantined for illnesses in 1854. On my maternal grandma's side, members from her daddy's and mother's side were on this boat. Grandma's parents are a good 2 generations younger than those on the boat, but still kinda cool to think all the family is from the same town in Germany.

Traditional traditions of The Wends are extravagant egg painting, corn husk dolls, and black wedding dresses.

Cultural foods include sausage and thin egg noodles.

They would decorate the insides of their churches with images I can only relate to looking like the drawings from fairy tale books. They enjoyed wood crafts - burning or carving folksy drawings into wood. I notice a lot of these have a serpent type creature, which I haven't exactly figured out yet. Some even have children playing with these snake-dragon like things.

One of their holidays is called The Bird's Wedding which takes place on January 25th. Children would leave out a little food outside for the birds and in turn receive a small gift or piece of candy.

The women dressed very colorfully and decked out in dainty lace. It's all so pretty and colorful. And such a change from now-a-days.

Etsy Fave Item of the Day - Why did the ostrich cross the road?

2010-05-10T04:33:00.000-04:00

Probably to get a latte

If you don't know me personally, you should probably know now that I am terrified of birds. Hysterically scared of birds. Ostriches even more so. All alien, dino looking and huge. As a child, an ostrich (or was it an emu?) ate my Keds while I was on a trampoline. More like trapped on a trampoline, because about 4 or 5 of them surrounded me taunting me. How does this type stuff always seem to happen to me?

Annnnnyways, even with all that, I love this painting! I love the street lines with the shadow. I love the textures on the ostrich. I can feel the story of this mega-bird. He knows where he's going, why are you asking? That's the attitude I get from him at least. This original painting by revampedart on Etsy is sized at 8x10 and you can view it for sale by clicking here.

Etsy Fave Item of the Day - Ruffle Bag

2010-04-13T11:13:00.000-04:00

aka: the only fanny pack you'd catch me wearing

I love ruffles! The material of this bag is nice too, looks to be corduroy. You can view this item on Etsy from seller Kinies by clicking here.

Finding Family & Tracing Roots

2010-03-30T05:23:00.005-04:00

We've been watching that show, "Who do you think you are?"on NBC, that traces back the ancestry of celebrities. Cliff went ahead and signed up for a free 14 day trial on Ancestry.com. We decided we were going to track family as far back as possible before we had to pay. In 2 days, I have found super interesting stuff.

I live in a town in Georgia. Not the big city, not the country. Take it this way; we have 1.5 Starbucks and 2 Walmarts. ( I've always gauged town sizes by the number of Walmarts, big indicator in the South believe it or not. ) On my dad's side of the family, we have literally been planted in this exact same town since about 1830. This is before the town even had an actual name. My town wasn't really built til around 1950. The home I lived in growing up is a 5 minute walk from the family land border. I know there is a street in town with our last name, but didn't really realize we had that much to do with the history of the town until now. Before living in my town, the preceding ancestors came straight from England to Dublin, Georgia; which is only an hour south of my town and considered the same region of Georgia. I seriously am a local native.

My mother's side of the family is a bit more interesting. My mom never knew her real dad. He divorced my grandma when my mom was 4 years old. Grandma won't talk about it, so Momma has been clueless. Well... I found out a ton of information!

Her father was in the Army during World War II. He was stationed in Hawaii for a very short time before being sent to Marseilles, France on a "hospital" ship during the war. In the war, he is listed as a night watchman. At the age of 18, he was 5'10 and 150 lbs. The most random, bizarre fact of all the documents was that he was a part of undertaker services/embalmer as his job in the military.

Hardy "Dit" Clarence & Bertie A.

Hardy and Bertie are my mom's grandparents! Here they are as a young couple. I think Hardy looks a lot like my brother in ways. Hardy was a collection agent for a loan business.

Bertie A.

My mom resembles Bertie a lot too. Eye shape, nose, cheek lines, same snaggle-tooth before Momma fixed hers' with braces. I see my chin in this photo. I only can find evidence of them having one child.

"M.H." (Martin Harkin) & Wiley F.

Wiley F. (right) is my mom's great grandfather. M.H. (left) is my mom's great, great grandfather. Wow, right?! Both men were farmers with many children.

Herbin Leroy "Lee", Dink Calloway, & Moman Talmadge "Tal"

Now here's a picture I was unsure about at first. How could these 3 men be brothers of Wiley F. from the photo above when there's a car in the background? These men lived a very long time, all into the 90's age range into the 1970's era. So Lee, Dink, & Tal would be my mom's great uncles.

I have a lot more photos saved than just these and can't wait to get them printed out. I'd like to take all the official documents and photos made into a scrapbook for my Momma. If you ever doubted trying out Ancestry.com, I say go for it. (And no, they ain't paying me or anything.) I have both sides of my family traced back to 1675. I have paperwork with my family's actual handwriting on it. I've discovered one of my far-back grandfathers was the Colonel of the 4th Regiment of the Revolutionary War, detailed with reports of what he did in the war. I can look at silly wills promising each child a bed, a cow, and $200. I can gawk at the great, great, great, great, great, great grandpa that had 4 wives and over 30 children. (Yes, this is all true of my family. LOL!) It's all extremely interesting, even more so when it's your own family.

Can we really, Gaga? Please?

2010-03-22T03:38:00.000-04:00

This part was too cute!

I usually just kinda close my eyes to all the Gaga kookiness. I think of her as the new Madonna: catchy dance songs by a girl dressing weird and trying to shock. My favorite song is still "Just Dance."

Cooking with Lady Gaga, Thursdays at 9PM EST

I'm loving the "Telephone" song to pieces! I have been waiting for the new video to release and then be pushed back about 3 or 4 times now I wanna say. I loved the Beyonce and Gaga collaboration for "Videophone" and I don't even really like Beyonce too much.

In the "Telephone" video, (besides all the Kill Bill-ness) the sandwich part is my favorite part. I read some statistic somewhere that said the demographic of 18-34 year olds buying Miracle Whip has dramatically increased some crazy percent since being featured in "Telephone." Lady Gaga just put Miracle Whip in there, they didn't actually pay for a sponsored bit in the thing. I can't wait for a video edit to be made that is shorter with more of the song VS. acting now that we have seen the longer one. I want more dancing in the kitchen please. :) Youtube it if you haven't seen it yet.

loveeees!

Oh! And you gotta see this! I found this art print on the net tonight. It is by Bara-chan and you can buy your own print by clicking here. If I didn't have kiddos, this would go up in my kitchen in a heart beat. It's really adorable. I would love it in post card size to place up on an inspiration pic board too.

Etsy Fave Item of the Day - The Sims Charm

2010-03-14T18:39:00.000-04:00

I love The Sims!

So yeah, I'm addicted to The Sims. I got Sims 3 for Christmas and the internet was ignored for over a month. The Simmies I create aren't even outrageous, I keep them pretty goody two shoes and have tons of babies. And yup, I'll admit when my first Sim died, I may have been hormonal at the time but I did cry.

I thought this phone charm from Etsy seller phatloots was pretty cute. This is a handmade charm that has a lobster clasp to attach it to your cellie, but I personally would probably use it as a zipper pull on a hoodie or zip purse. It's at a nice price and you can view it on Etsy by clicking here.

Etsy Fave Item of the Day - Gold Belt Bracelet

2010-03-11T10:43:00.000-05:00

Darling!

I mostly wear gold toned jewelry. I really like this bracelet that looks like a tiny belt from Etsy seller diamentdesigns. I'm always on the look out for cute, affordable pieces that aren't ginormous. I feel like when you have something too big in gold, it ends up looking gaudy. This is simple yet still unique. Again, in my usual taste for things, it could be dressy or casual. You can view this item in her shop by clicking here.

Etsy Fave Item of the Day - Strong Coffee Poster

2010-03-10T12:15:00.002-05:00

Seriously!

I love this poster print from Etsy seller howfab. It is oh so true in my home! I was stuck with Dunkin Donuts medium blend coffee yesterday and was a complete zombie the entire day. Nothing got done. I like the distressed, stamped typed lettering and that it is red. One day, I'll eventually have a red and pea-green picture wall collage in my kitchen. This would be perfect. You can view this item on Etsy by clicking here.

Etsy Fave Item of the Day - Vintage Deer Planter

2010-03-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

I do not have a green thumb.

I get urges every now and again to play in the dirt, but never follow through. I tell my ambitious, dreamer mind to start small. I wouldn't mind doing some sort of herb we use a lot of like cilantro or oregano in my kitchen window sill. I think I would pay more attention to the plant if it was potted in something cute. I will eventually get one of these vintage Shawnee type planters. I like this one a lot, probably because it has a deer, solid colored, and yellow! You can view this planter from Etsy seller dixiepearl by clicking here.

The Oscars

2010-03-08T10:47:00.005-05:00

So, I am very bummed I didn't get to watch the Oscars this year. Apparently, ABC and the TV networks couldn't agree on the amount of money for their yearly broadcasting contracts. So my channel that should have been showing the Oscars was showing sitcom reruns.

I did get to watch the Red Carpet Pre-Show on E! I'm no fashion expert (completely a jeans and t-shirt type girl), but the dresses this year were just disappointing. Between this and watching The Rachel Zoe Project, it makes me think I'd be a great stylist sometimes! Let's look at the pretty dresses though. Here's my picks of top 3 dresses:

#1 Cameron Diaz

She's making weird faces that are almost "Uma Thurman"- looking in these photos, but I love this dress and how her hair was styled. Glamorous! I'm not even a Cameron Diaz fan, so no bias here! This is what I would imagine the Barbie Oscars Edition would look like. (Although after reading a Best Dressed list review that mentioned Cameron Diaz looked as though she raided Taylor Swift's closet, I can't get that image out of my mind.)

#2 Meryl Streep

Again, not a fan girl of Meryl Streep, but holy crap, AMAZING! And I didn't pick her as #2 because she is 61 years old and looks good for her age (which she does), but because she's genuinely beautiful here on Oscar night. Makeup looking fresh, perfect fit, etc etc. She definitely outshines those younger actresses. This is how it's done. Oh! And did you know this is a dress from Big Chris of Project Runway?!

#3 Miley Cyrus

I hate how people automatically judge what Miley wears to be "too sexy" because of her age. If this had been Britney or Beyonce at 17, no one would have said anything. I really love this dress and how it wraps at the stomach area. I like the cuff paired with this. Her hair is fun and young. I wish her the cup area in the bodice was about an inch taller or maybe she just needs some better posture. I think a delicate thin choker necklace would have been nice too. There's a lot of blank space going on from the top of the dress to her face.

Honorable Mention: Carey Mulligan

I love the cut of this dress. Her shoes are rockin! From what I understand, she's a pretty short girl and doesn't look it at all here. It could have easily drowned her down and looked like a prom dress if not for this too-cute cut. I like the sparkly details and everything. Minus points for her hair. I do not like this blonde dye job. It's almost elderly looking when paired with the cropped, pixie cut. If she had still been red-headed and not styled with blunt bangs, I would have rated her higher.

What do you think? What was your favorite dress of the evening? Oh, and if anyone has a link to the John Hughes segment, please link me.

I give up trying to format this post anymore! All photos are snagged from The Huffington Post.

Etsy Fave Item of the Day - Mare Satin and Pearls Ribbon Necklace

2010-03-07T14:10:00.000-05:00

I got the idea of doing the "Fave Item of the Day" posts on my blog after noticing Twillypop's Twitter tweets with her picks of the day. I discovered her Etsy shop not too long ago and could have easily hearted her entire shop.

See why?!

I have a bit of a love affair with pearls. I've paired them up with t-shirts, but sometimes it just didn't work. I wanted that classic look, but felt too stuffy. The necklaces Twillypop make are perfect for this type of look! Change your top and you can still go from casual to a sophicated outfit. I have a lot of blue clothes and overall it looks well with my fair skin. You can view this necklace from Twillypop by clicking here.

Etsy Fave Items of the Day - Atomic Era Starburst Wall Clock

2010-03-06T13:19:00.001-05:00

It's something about the items of this time that get me all giddy. I love to watch the documentaries on how people in the 1950's and 60's thought the future would be. Like how we would all have our own Rosie robot and fly to work like on The Jetson's.

I dream about these clocks!

I'm not kidding! I really do! I've seen updated, similar versions in the stores; but they aren't the same. I do not like the wall clocks with the filled in metal prongs or triangle pointed edges. I love this one from Entwife on Etsy. It's still in working condition and you can view it in her shop by clicking here. I would style this wall clock behind a bright colored wall to really make it pop and its' little details shine.

Etsy Fave Item of the Day - Aerial No 2 Painting

2010-03-05T08:22:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love this!

This is an ORIGINAL painting from crystalljackson. You can view this item in her shop by clicking here. It is titled Aerial No 2. It is part of a pair, hence the No 2. I really like the colors and think it's a really fun piece to put in your home. It makes me think of the crop dusters at my grandma's house when I was a little kid and that makes me smile.

I appreciate this painting, because I am a bit literal when I look at things to draw them. It can be good thing or a bad thing for myself. I like how this is still a bit modern. I don't know crystalljackson, but did notice she was somewhat of an undiscovered seller on Etsy. Give her a heart if you liked it too!

Etsy Fave Item of the Day - Vintage 70's Henry Lee Dress

2010-03-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

I haven't decided if I'll make this a daily blog thing or not just yet, but do intend on tweeting one favorite per day. (You can follow me on Twitter by clicking here.) I like to window shop on Etsy. It's one of the ways I fill the time when I'm up with Baby Sam when he should be sleeping. :) I have hearted a million, badillion things. I figured maybe I should share some of these things with yall!

Today's pick is from a seller local to me, although I don't know her. Her shop is named GeorgiaVintage. If I was a few sizes smaller, trust me, this would be mine! I love the crisp lines and the waisted fit. It comes with a belt that isn't pictured too by the way. You can view this item on Etsy by clicking here.

Savvy N Sassy Ribbon Kit Giveaway

2010-03-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

I love giveaways.

I was on the Savvy N Sassy Design Team last term and have to tell you that these ribbon kits are high-quality, perfectly matched, and pretty big for the price you pay. This kit above is 8 yards in total and you could win it by going to their blog, here, and registering to receive their update emails. After you do that, visit Katie's blog and leave a comment, here.

You can gain another entry by visiting their online store and leaving a link to your favorite item on Katie's blog post of this giveaway, here. Do this as a separate comment. Katie will reveal the winner on March 31st.

Yes, I coupon!

2010-03-03T13:21:00.006-05:00

I never used to coupon. I can't be hassled driving to five different stores. I have no interest in buying random things I'll never use to earn Extra Care Bucks at CVS. Lots of people do well with this, but it's just not for me. I don't want to get a newspaper subscription for a sheet or two of coupons I may or may not even end up using. I explained this to my friend, Katie, aka The Coupon Queen. I just wanted to print out some coupons of things we actually use and go to one store! Katie says, "You can do that at Kroger." Did you know that? She explained it all to me...

Kroger doubles all paper coupons that are .50 and below. They also have one of those swipey cards you put on your keychain. You can go to the Kroger website and it will direct you to 3 sources to where you can load up Ecoupons to that swipey card. You can combine a paper coupon with an Ecoupon. That's how you really save! I usually get my instant potatoes, frozen vegetables, and tuna for free. I get my brand name diapers and wipes at the price of store brand ones.

Another bonus to the Kroger swipey card is that you can earn college money by loading Ecoupons from UPromise.com. You can't actually reduce the price of your shopping trip with these Ecoupons though. When you buy a specified item, that company will give you the amount to add to a college fund. It's normal everyday stuff like toilet paper and shaving razors.

Here's an example of how I got men's deodorant free last week:
Right Guard Men's Deodorant was on sale for $1 at regular store price.
Coupons.com had a printable coupon - Save $2 on any 2 Right Guard products

I don't spend hours comparing prices to the ads to what coupons I need to print off etc. by using Southern Savers blog. Jenny at Southern Savers does it all for you and has it all up and organized for you the day the new sales go in to effect. She will also give you links to have coupon booklets and free samples mailed directly to you.

Disco Dylan

2009-12-18T23:21:00.002-05:00

If you didn't know, Dylan loves Britney Spears. I just couldn't resist posting this.

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