This Too Shall Pass

Terror Attack on the United States of America

2014-09-12T12:15:00.001-07:00

Impending Terror Attack

Ok I have to speak out. Yesterday tensions were high. A vast majority of the population was freaking out thinking we were going to be attacked by a terrorist group on the anniversary of 9/11. I am no military strategist but if I were planning to attack someone I certainly would not do it on a day that every individual in the country willing and capable of picking up a weapon and fighting back is on heightened alert. I would pick a run of the mill typical day when people are most at ease. My thought on that... Be prepared. Don't live in fear because then they win. Just be alert be prepared and be ready to fight back when the time arises.

There is a photo going around the internet of a suspected ISIS member in their "uniform" buying a sandwich at Jason's deli. Seriously people?? Why on earth would a member of a militant group that needs anonymity to carry out a covert mission send a member to the local deli in broad daylight in "unform" to make a sammich run? I know I know I hear it... Hiding in plain sight but I seriously don't buy that.

Stop the paranoia! Breathe!! Live your life without fear!

Here are my thoughts on this issue... Do I believe we are a target? Yep sure do. Do I believe members of ISIS or ISIL or some other terrorist group have entered the US? unfortunately yes I do. Do I believe there are sleeper cells here? Yep.. I think it is a distinct possibility.Do I think that some were born and raised here to fulfill their twisted wrathful agenda on us? Actually yes I do. Do I think that at some point in the near future they will strike again? Yes I do. Do I think they will leave us in Peace on our homeland? No I do not. Do I feel something brewing, a threat coming but not knowing from which direction or from whom? I'm sad to say but yes I feel It. I think sooner rather than later we will have to fight back.

With that being said... If they do strike us again it will be a short lived event. Their initial strike may hit us hard and result in a high number of casualties. But... Once they show their hand they better run! They are not dealing with an unarmed population that has been oppressed and beaten down for generations. We are armed! We are tenacious and we will not go down without a fight!!

I do believe we need our borders closed. I still think we should allow those wanting to come here through the proper channels to do so. I think we need to do our best to stop the flow of illegal immigration because I see that as one of our weakest areas. I also feel that if they want to get in they will regardless of our precautions.

So people please... Chill a bit. Yes we are a target. Yes I feel something is on the horizon. We will Overcome and I refuse to live In fear!! Don't become ignorant of your surroundings or blind to what is going on in the world but don't let the fear of the unknown take over your lives.

Live!

Carry on With Love,

~ Sharon

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MRSA - What is it? How to Identify and How to Treat It.

2013-01-02T21:29:00.001-08:00

MRSA - Methicillin-Resistant-Staphylococcus Aureus¹

This image is of an infection on
my son's hip. Please note the circular
pattern around the center of the wound
opening.This infection was only a
little bump when I saw it in
the morning. This is what it
looked like that afternoon.

MRSA¹ is a strain of Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria which has become resistant to Beta-lactam² antibiotics. Beta-lactams include methicillin, oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. It is a very fast acting bacteria which can become life threatening in a very short period of time.

If you notice a bump that looks like a pimple and it hurts to touch; may be warm or hot to the touch and gets worse very quickly then it may be a MRSA infection. These infections used to occur mainly in the hospital settings but they are now much more prevalent in the general population. They are very aggressive infections and it is extremely important that you seek the advice of your physician. Your specific situation will determine how aggressively the physician will approach the infection. My son's immune system is compromised due to his overall medical condition so his physicians respond very quickly and aggressively to these infections. Normally we will give him Cleocin®, an oral antibiotic and Bactroban® ointment to put on the wound. We will bathe him in Hibiclens® antibacterial soap during an active infection.

Most likely your physician will prescribe some oral and/or topical antibiotics and send you home. The infection should begin to respond within 24 to 36 hours. By that time it should start looking better. It should not look worse. If it looks worse or hurts more than previously go back to see your doctor. The antibiotics you were prescribed may not be working on the particular strain that you have.

Please be diligent in the treatment of these infections. Pay close attention to how it is responding to the antibiotics. Be sure to wash your hands with an antibacterial soap any time you touch the wound or around the wound to reduce exposing others to the bacteria. Wash any clothing which may have come into contact with the wound or the drainage from the wound in hot water. If possible wash with a small amount of bleach.

When I bathe my son during normal circumstances we use Safeguard® soap by Procter & Gamble® because of it's effectiveness as an antibacterial agent. I can't say for certain that it has prevented infections but I truly believe that it has contributed to reducing the number of infections that have occurred. I recommend that if you have had an infection that you switch your brand of bath soap to Safeguard®. I believe it really does help.

Again, I can't stress this enough, if you believe you may have a MRSA infection please go see your doctor for advice and treatment. There is no need to panic but we can't be complacent either regarding these infections.

If you are like me and this is your first encounter with a MRSA infection you are most likely scared to death and want to read anything and everything you can on the topic. I can't tell you how many times I have scoured the Internet looking for information. I feel confident now that with the help of my son's physicians that we can combat and beat these infections when they occur. If you have more questions than answers provided in this post please see the links below.

Best of Luck to you in your battle.

~ Sharon

¹ More information on MRSA may be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) website at: http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/

² More information can be found on Beta-lactam antibiotics on the following website:
US National Library of MedicineNational Institutes of Health (NCBI) or to go directly to the Beta-lactam page you may follow this link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20065329

³ WebMD website has a wealth of useful information regarding MRSA. Please follow this link to the MRSA query page on WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/search/search_results/default.aspx?query=MRSA

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Work from Home

2013-01-02T15:47:00.001-08:00

Have you discovered the secret to working from home? I have not.... Yet.

I have been working from home for almost a year now. My primary job is in a sense a traditional position but the difference is that I work remotely from home. While I research other opportunities online during my off hours I can still count on a steady income from traditional employment. I have begun researching opportunities for making some disposable income online. Here is a list of things I have tried:

Blogging: I have tried blogging with little return from affiliate advertising. I have several different sites where I post articles. I have several blogs on different topics on Blogger. I also have some on WordPress, LiveJournal, Hubpages, Squidoo and Bravesites. I get a fair amount of traffic but I have been unsuccessful at earning any revenue. My problem is that I can not seem to find the key to enticing visitors to click on my advertising links. I have tried many different tactics all above board I promise. I don't want to trick anyone into clicking on something without them realizing what they are clicking on. So I clearly label my ads. I am still toying with this and I will continue to blog as I truly enjoy writing with or without revenue.

Online Surveys: I have tried online surveys. That was an adventure I did not enjoy and I am still trying to clean out my inbox. I wish I hadn't even tried this one. Comparing the amount of return and the amount of time invested it was not worth the effort. Unless I am doing something wrong. I haven't found the secret if there is one.

Writing Articles: This one I can't say is unsuccessful. The site I signed up with ranks you according to how many articles you write. The only articles that were available were for higher ranking writers so I am not sure how you are supposed to advance if there aren't any articles to write. The title of this site should have been Catch22 writing!!

Avon Independent Sales Representative: I have begun selling Avon. This one has been positive and I truly enjoy the process. I will continue with this endeavor. A link to my online Avon store is shown towards the bottom of this page. Here is another link: http://sharonbramlett.avonrepresentative.com/.

Zazzle products: On this website you add designs to products they already have. You make your designs and then you can post your items for sale to the public. I have created only a few items but I haven't seen much movement on this site. Here is a link to my online store: http://www.zazzle.com/hummingbirdlanding. You have creative license on this site but you are locked into the products they have available and I think the products are actually priced a little too high. I am not sure this one will be profitable.

Photodune: I have now found a website where I can sell my photographs. This has just begun but it seems promising and I can't wait to see where it takes me. Check out the website through the link below. See what you think. I would love to hear some feedback on this website.

I am set on succeeding while working from home. Not because I am lazy and I don't want to go into traditional employment but because I have a child with disabilities and I am needed at home. I desperately desire to be home for him but I am determined to uphold my responsibilities to my husband to help with meeting our financial obligations.

As 2013 begins I am still searching for a viable source of income from the Internet. My Mother told me many times in my life "you can do anything you set your mind to do." I am determined to make this work and I will find a way. Once I find the secret I will be sharing it with all of you so that you too will have the opportunity to be at home with your family. If you happen to know some of the secrets to successful employment online please feel free to share with me. :)

Thank you for visiting.

~ Sharon

Avon update: visit my facebook page... My career continues to blossom!!! https://www.facebook.com/AvonIndependentSalesRepresentativeSharonBramlett

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2013 Message

2012-12-30T23:29:00.000-08:00

From my home to yours....

CHEERS!!!

and....

Here's to a better year in 2013!

Happy New Year!!!

~ Sharon
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MRSA Plush Toy

2012-11-21T21:20:00.001-08:00

GIANTmicrobes®

Rarely do I get so excited about a product that I will devote a post to it but the plush toys created by GIANTmicrobes® are that product.

MRSA

I am an Affiliate Network Marketer and I came across and registered for the GIANTmicrobes® affiliate program. I have always been very interested in Microbiology and if anyone were to ask me what my dream job would be I would say Microbiomechanical Engineering. I would love to be able to combine the body with a device but not like a cyborg or the Borgs on Star Trek. Rather, I would like to develop a suit that my son could put on like a wet suit. It would monitor his electrical impulses and would become rigid or weaken in areas to allow him to walk. It would be able to read the impulses and determine the logical reason for the impulse and respond accordingly. Well.. I can't quite explain it although I can see it clearly in my mind. That isn't the reason for this post. It is however, the reason I love microbiology. Anything on the cellular level excites me and I want to learn more.

As I mentioned before I signed up with GIANTmicrobes® and I love it! I can see these little guys being used in a Biology class. For most of us anything on the cellular level is very abstract and difficult to wrap our minds around. These little guys bring the microbes into a tangible hands-on playing field. I believe that when students are studying a particular microbe this toy could be introduced as a tool to help them to understand the microbes design. It is something they can see, feel and inspect. I think they would be great teaching tools.

Even if you aren't interested in microbes you should take a look at the website. Some of the descriptions they have listed for each microbe are quite comical. The illnesses these microbes cause can be deadly and in fact are no laughing matter but this is a lighter way to learn more about them.

~ Sharon

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My Top 10

2012-09-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

The following photos are my top 10 scenic photos from our summer 2012 trip to Colorado. I had a hard time choosing only ten because I love every picture I take of Colorado. These made the cut based on subject matter, lighting and coloring. These photos were taken with my Samsung Digimax D53. These photos have not been digitally enchanced. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do.

1

2

  #1: This photo was taken from the steps of our camper in Gunnison, Colorado just after a rainshower. I love the soft colors in the sky and the bold colors of the tree on the right.

#2: This photo was taken from the highway about 5 miles from the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado.

3



#3: This photo was taken at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. The little specks in the background are actually tourists. Some would walk all the way to the top of the Dunes and slide down on sandboards. It was HOT here.

4

#4: This photo is of one of the Twin Sisters Mountains in Colorado. I chose this picture because if you look near the center of the picture you can see a near vertical line. That line is actually a rock ridge running down to the base of the mountain. The picture didn't truly capture the beauty of the scene. Zoom in and see what you can see.

5

# 5 This barn and windmill were along the highway in New Mexico. It makes a really nice black and white photo also. My Mother loved old barns. Every time I look at this photo I think of her.

6

#6: This photo was taken from the highway about 20 miles from the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. I love the old farmhouse. This stretch of the highway was at least 20 miles long and the image you see in the photo is what the whole drive looked like. I thought that section of road would never end.

7

8

#7: This photo was taken from the highway at 70 mph. If I had asked my husband to stop every time I wanted to take a photo I would have been left on the side of the road somewhere in New Mexico. :) I thought this photo was really neat because the only thing in focus is the old windmill and the dead tree in the center.

#8: This photo was taken along highway 50 in Colorado just before sunset. I like the way the sun lights up the trees.

9

10

#9: We reached Salida, Colorado about supper time. We searched for a restaurant and came across the Twisted Cork Café. The food was amazing with stellar service. We sat out on the patio, from our table we could see the stream below. This photo was taken from my seat at the table. If you are ever in Salida I highly recommend this restaurant.



#10: This photo was taken from a boat on the Blue Mesa Lake. We were trolling for Salmon at the time. The scale of the mountain doesn't seem like much but if you zoom in on the left center portion of the photo about a 1/4 of the way up the mountain from the waterline you will see what looks like a little black box, that's actually an 18 wheeler on Highway 50.

These photos are just a sample of the beautiful pictures I have from our trip to Colorado. I am certain I will be posting more. I still have photos of the Black Canyon and of our fishing trip to share with you. :)

Thanks for visiting.
~ Sharon

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Home Again

2012-07-30T10:30:00.000-07:00
Hello Readers, We are finally home. We have been on vacation in Colorado for the last two weeks. I anticipate posting tonight. If not tonight definitely tomorrow. Thank you for visiting my site. Please come back again to read further posts. ~ Sharon
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God and the Universe

2012-07-11T07:09:00.002-07:00

After creating the post entitled "You are Your Thoughts" I began to do some soul searching. I questioned my motives... my faith... my devotion. I wondered to myself... by posing my wishes to the Universe am I questioning God's existence? The conclusion I came to is this... No I am not questioning God's existence. I am simply attempting to change my mindset, my reality filter, so that I can create a path for the things I wish for to come to me.

“You're life is a print-out of your thoughts.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Of all the things I listed in the post one thing I did not ask for was for my son to be whole. Don't get me wrong... every day I wake up and I pray that today will be the day that his body is whole and works as it should. If given the choice to have all the material things I wish for myself and my family or to have Alan walk to me and speak to me... in a heartbeat and without a thought I would choose that for Alan. So yes... sometimes I question God as to why He has never granted that request. Why do we all believe He will answer any of our prayers when He doesn't answer the requests of parents the world over to heal our children? The only answer I have is Faith. I have faith that the challenges that Alan faces and that we face in caring for him are for a higher purpose. God has a purpose for us and in order for us to be prepared for whatever challenge or test is coming our way this is in preparation for it. Or perhaps Alan is to impact someone or maybe many someone's and in order for him to complete his purpose his body has to be in the form it is now, perhaps his message would not be heard otherwise. I do not have the answers but I have faith that God will use our situation to have a positive effect on others.

I recently watched a video by Stephen Hawking in which he made the statement that there is no God. Now, I admire Stephen Hawking's achievements, his intellect, his perseverance and his determination to overcome all the challenges in his life. So... let me say again... I truly admire him. However, I disagree with him as I have noticed that many others do as well. Approximately 95% of the human population believes in a higher power. The other 5% apparently think we are all delusional. It seems that Science is always trying to disprove the existence of God.

“When things get too complicated, it sometimes makes sense to stop and wonder: Have I asked the right question?” ― Enrico Bombieri

Maybe instead of asking 'how can we prove God doesn't exist' maybe they should rethink the question and begin to ask 'How can God not exist?' Do we honestly believe that we are here by sheer luck? From absolute nothing to *poof* here we are?? How arrogant to assume that we exist because of the luck of the draw!! I do not understand quantum physics and I will never claim to but I can not see how our universe could have been spontaneously created from absolutely nothing without a Greater Power initiating that creation. I do believe in the Big Bang Theory but I believe it is a result of the intervention of the Great Creator. I read a story by Piers Anthony that I believe truly bridged the gap between God and Science. The passage was in one of the books of his series the 'Incarnations of Immortality' I am afraid I do not remember exactly which book it was in but in the story, yes it was fiction, he confronted the question of how God created all that exists in seven days... well six if you are considering the fact that God rested on the seventh day. We humans try to grasp the concept of God creating the world in seven days but we can't comprehend it because it makes no sense... it seems an impossible assumption.... but if we stop to think.... God's time is different than ours.. why would He be limited or confined to our reference of time and days? Remember when He was creating the universe... our days did not exist yet so how can we assume then that a day for God is 24 hours? We can't. Perhaps one of God's days is a million years to us? Perhaps the stages in the creation of our world were only a few hours to God. Perhaps our entire existence has simply been a blink of the eye to God. When we stop to think that perhaps we are looking at it through the wrong filter and although Science explains the creation of our world along a certain path.... why do we assume that it was not by God's design? Why do scientists believe that because they can explain things scientifically that their explanations contradict the existence of God? Who do they think orchestrated physics, reality, the universe.... life? God did! Once we step back and look at creation in that manner we can begin to rationalize that yes it is possible. Not only is it possible it is true.

I believe that every thing that exists or ever will exist is by God's Design. If we are to believe that our universe exists simply by spontaneous creation then why don't we see things in our world spontaneously appearing now? In the video Stephen Hawking also stated that before the Big Bang there was nothing... no time... no universe ... nothing. How can nothing just become the universe we live in?? I'm not buying that! The spark of life was ignited by a greater power. My belief is that the hand of God was the initiating, controlling and determining factor.



Another question that arose from the creation of my post was do I believe the Universe will grant my wishes simply because I want it. Well, actually in part yes I suppose I do. The reason I believe that what I want will come to me is the fact that I believe that we are in control of our own realities. That our experiences are subjective to our mind sets, our filters. If we anticipate negativeness then that is what we will see, feel, receive and create for our world. If we anticipate positiveness then we will see, feel, receive and create positive experiences in our lives. I suppose it is a matter of perspectives.

“Remember, you see in any situation what you expect to see.” ― David Schwartz

In my post 'You are Your Thoughts' I sent out my wish for the Universe to grant me a modified wheelchair van for my son. Well... we actually had a van but it was parked in the backyard because it had a transmission leak and the air conditioning was not working. Since creating that post my husband has fixed the transmission and the air conditioning. My van is now running and we will be taking it to Colorado. Two days after I published the post my husband received a phone call from one of his friends telling him they knew of someone who had a wheelchair ramp. Today my van is running and we are several steps closer to having it modified. Now... was that the Universe responding to my command, my request? Was it the power of suggestion? Did my husband see my request and did that initiate him to take the steps to make my desire a reality? or was it mere coincidence?

"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." ~ Albert Einstein

When you glimpse the pattern in the tapestry of life remember there are no coincidences and all things are by design. You may call it whatever you like... the Universe... Fate... Destiny... Karma... Quantum Mechanics... but when things line up just right and I get a glimpse of the pattern I call it a God thing. As God is everything... God is Fate... God is Destiny... God is the pattern... God is the Universe. If you can't see that try changing your filter.

“ The question is not what you look at, but what you see. ” ― Henry David Thoreau

~ Sharon

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You are Your Thoughts

2012-07-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

You Are Your Thoughts

Is it true that you are what you think? That you become what you imagine? That your dreams really can come true just by the power of your thoughts?

Butterfly in the Mountains

I recently watched the video "The Secret" , according to this video the Universe is ours to command. That we simply need to focus on the positives and the things we want in our lives will come to us via the law of attraction. Can it really be that simple? Well we are going to find out. I have begun the exercise to make my dreams realities. I have followed the steps outlined in the video. They state three main objectives: Ask; Believe; Recieve.

Ask: First you must Ask for what you want. Meaning decide what you truly want in your life and focus your thoughts on those items. It was also stressed that you must release the thoughts of the things you do not want as focusing on the things you do not want will actually attract those things to you. So as the video states... "instead of saying ... I don't want to see bills in my mailbox... say I want to see checks coming to me in my mailbox." One speaker stated that using a vision board helps you to channel your thoughts to what you do want. So.... I will insert some things that I do want below. There are some things that I am unsure how to show you visually so I will mention them here:

1. Good Health for myself, my husband and my family & harmonious relationships between us.

2. To work prosperously from home and to have $1000 checks coming to me in the mail four times weekly.

3. To provide a happy healthy home for my family.

now  I can post some pictures in random order of the things I do want in my life.

Home in Colorado

A Million Dollars

1966 Blue Convertible Corvette

Horses

Wheelchair accessible van

Ok.... now I have listed the things I want in my life. Time to move on to the second step:

Believe: the video said to believe these things are yours that they are already in your life. They stated that the life we are living now is the result of residual past thoughts. Meaning that what we have thought in the past is now our reality. So... for our lives to be different in the future we must start thinking it now..... as Mike Dooley, author of "A Note from the Universe" and other inspirational books, says... "Thoughts Become Things.... Choose the Good Ones". So in this step we are to believe the things we want and have asked for are ours and are coming to us now. We just have to be patient and keep focusing on those things in the present tense. So.... from the things I listed above. Myself, my husband and my family have good health and we have harmonious relationships between us. I am working prosperously from home with four thousand dollars in checks arriving in my mailbox weekly. I have provided a happy and healthy home for my family. We have a home in Colorado with horses and we have a 1966 blue convertible corvette and a wheelchair accessible van in the garage and a million dollars in my bank account. :) Perhaps they aren't here at this moment but those things are mine and are on their way. They will be arriving soon.

Now we move on to the third step:

Receive: To receive the video says to remember all the things you are grateful for in your life two to three times daily and imagine and dwell upon how you will feel when these things become realities. To fully visualize... for instance... I am visualizing standing at my full wall window in my pjs, fluffy slippers, coffee in hand and looking out at my mountain view from my home in Colorado... I feel the coolness of the window pane and I see the breeze gently moving the blades of grass as the horses graze. I smell the coffee in my cup and feel the warmth on my hand... I hear my family laughing throughout the house calling my name... they want to go horseback riding... I am fully visualizing my dreams. This is what you must do as well.

Are you ready to start living your dreams???

Dear reader I challenge you to do as I am doing.... Ask for what you want... send out the positive energies, think of the things you want in your life. Believe the things you want are already on their way to you. Receive these things when they arrive... fully visualize the things you have asked for. Check back with me in a year and let me know how the power of positive thoughts has changed your life. I will be in Colorado by then but I will still have this blog site. :) For more information on "The Secret" please visit the following website: http://www.thesecret.tv/index.html

~ Sharon

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Pulling Tractors

2012-07-04T20:00:00.002-07:00

Breathing Life Into Old Garden Tractors

old garden tractors waiting to be
revived

If you look in any field or backyard across the country you will most likely see the rusted remains of a garden tractor. Anyone with more than a half an acre of land to maintain can attest to the necessity of a riding mower. The garden tractor is a riding mower of a different class. The difference is made up in the attachments that a garden tractor can utilize. Such as a dozer blade, limb and leaf mulcher, tiller, shear plow, twin discs, cultivator and a push bar to push cars and trucks. It is more powerful than a typical riding mower but equivalent in size. Most people use a riding mower for its utilitarian purposes until it wears out. Then it becomes a rusted shell, a bee's nest, something to mow around with weeds growing from beneath. Instead of these tractors rusting away to obscurity my husband breathes new life into them and uses them for something other than their original design

....   Entertainment!!

Patrick on 'Amuk'

pulling sled

Garden Tractor pulling is basically this: a bunch of guys and gals take old garden tractors beef them up and give them shiny new paint jobs. On pulling weekends they all meet at a pulling track and compete against one another to gain points by pulling a 8500 pound sled the farthest! Two hundred feet is a full pull. They tally the points from all the pulls at the end of the season and then they are ranked by points. That's it in a nut shell.

This tractor is a 1969 model. This one is actually my favorite.
It has a character all it's own. In addition to the mower deck
this true garden tractor can utilize all the attachments
mentioned in the post.

The challenging and rewarding part is in the restoration of an old machine. My husband amazes me with what he can do with a gas powered machine. He can just listen to one and tell you what's wrong with it and fix it. He repairs riding mowers for people as a hobby. I call it tinkering but to him its more than that. It is a release for him from everyday challenges. It is a chance for him to channel his thoughts and clear away the stresses of life. It brings him pleasure to take a machine that has been given up on and breathe new life into it. Some of the tractors he restores to their original state as a mower but some he restores and creates a new life for them. Last year he started a new project. The restoration of our daughter's pulling tractor. I can hear your thoughts now ..... something about redneck! Yes some would call him a redneck. I prefer to call him 'country' and he does truly amaze me with his natural mechanical talent. He can take a rusted tractor or other machine that hasn't run in years and bring it back to life. I have never seen anyone as meticulous as my husband. When he repairs a tractor for someone he doesn't just address the issue they brought it to him for .. he goes over the whole item from top to bottom to ensure that it doesn't have some other minor or major problem before he returns it to the customer. Simply amazing!

Cassidy's tractor that she
had last year. He used
the frame and the
transmission from this
tractor to make her new
tractor

Cassidy's tractor was functional but it needed more flash and power. He began the restoration by stripping the tractor down to the frame. He removed all the wiring and the tires and painted the frame. Then began the rebuild. He rebuilt the transmission and the engine. Ran new wiring and created a really unique juncture point for the wiring. He took aluminum diamond plated sheet metal and formed it to fit the dash panel and he also made foot plates with it.. he cut out the spots for the gauge and the steering column. He also removed the key start and added a start button. He painted each and every bolt, spring or washer that went back onto the tractor. Polished all the aluminum parts then sanded the metal parts to remove the old paint. He primed the metal, applied the purple paint to the metal then hand laid the flames. After painting the green flames he then applied clear coats to make it shine. I have included pictures of the transformation from old yellow and beige to a sparkling purple and green pulling machine.

Patrick and Cassidy are members of the Lone Star Garden Tractor Pullers Association. To learn more about this sport and to see other amazing tractors please visit their website at http://www.lsgtpa.com/.

Fab work

beginning tear down

stripped to the frame

frame sanded, primed and painted

rebuilt and painted rearend

rebuilt axle

spindle buffed and shined

rebuilt transmission and rear end
attached to frame

installing tail lights

metal work painted plum crazy purple

side panels hand outlined for flames

hood with flames and clear coat

hood hand outlined for flames

hood cone painted with 2012
Cheverolet Synergy Green.

formed diamond plate panel

gauge and panel in place

cut foot plates

oil pan buffed

rebuilt painted engine

rebuilt painted engine
side view

rebuilt engine flywheel view

engine complete

engine in place

uncut grill in place

painted hood and side panels

grill with emblem and lights

gas tank mounted on brackets
Patrick designed

wheelie bars

Cassidy pulling on 'Nacho'
She named it Nacho so she could say "it's 'Nacho' tractor"

~ Sharon

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Link to CafePress Products

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Colorado

2012-07-01T12:36:00.002-07:00

Our trip to Colorado 2011

Many years ago I traveled through a section of the Appalachian Mountains known as the Smokey Mountains in eastern Tennessee ... I loved it. From that point on I thought Tennessee was the prettiest place I had ever seen...

until my husband took me to Colorado last year.

I still think the Appalachian Mountains are beautiful but in my opinion the Rocky Mountains win hands down. I wish pictures could truly express the majesty of Colorado. I suppose it is a combination of smells, sounds, sights and oh... the temperature! My husband's parents live in Gunnison, Colorado. Here is the website for Gunnison if you would like more information on this city... http://www.cityofgunnison-co.gov/ . The average high temperature in July is 82 ○F!!! Perfect for someone from Texas when our average high temp in July is 96 ○F. I will refrain from listing the average low temperatures of Gunnison. I'll just say that in the winter months I prefer Texas. ;)

While in Colorado my father-in-law drove us to many different places and provided historical commentary of the sights. I was very interested in all the information he could provide to us.

I would recite some of it here but it's been a year since. We are going back to Colorado in a few weeks. I will post more information upon our return. I will say now that I am very excited to be returning to the region. I would move there in a heartbeat if it were feasible.

These are pictures of our drive up to Cottonwood Pass. I will offer a word of advice for travelers. If you are venturing up to Cottonwood Pass make a bathroom stop before going up!! It is a slow passage up and down and there is NO public restroom at the top!!! I learned that the hard way. Heaven forgive me my trespasses. ;) here is a website about Cottonwood Pass... http://www.cottonwoodpass.net/



These are pictures of our day trip to Historic Crested Butte, Colorado. I love all the little mountain towns. They each have their own personalities. Here is a website about Crested Butte, Colorado ... http://www.crestedbutte-co.gov/

On our way home we have to go over Monarch Pass. There is a sky lift at the top. We didn't go last year but I would love to go this year. We will be driving straight through from Texas to Colorado. It's close to a 14 hour trip so by the time we reach Monarch Pass we are pretty tired so we continue on through. Another good thing about Monarch Pass... they have restrooms!! Here is a website about Monarch Pass ... http://www.takemytrip.com/10utco/08n_25a.htm

We went to the Royal Gorge last year. All I can really say is.... it was amazing and so beautiful! Here is a website about the Royal Gorge if you would like to learn more ... http://www.royalgorgebridge.com/

Beautiful!!!! I am ready to go .... less than a month and we will be back in this place that I feel is Heaven on earth. During this trip I am hoping to go fishing in the Blue Mesa Reservoir and hike in Black Canyon. More to come after our next trip.

~ Sharon

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Crocheted Baby Blankets

2012-06-14T08:34:00.002-07:00

Gifts for My Granddaughter

I was twelve years old when my mother's first grandchild was born. Mom began crocheting baby blankets and she made blankets for every grand baby that came along. Mom had six grandchildren in all and five great-grandchildren. She would make four or five blankets for each one. I was Mom's youngest child and it would be awhile before I had a baby of my own so when I was sixteen Mom made a blanket for me that covered my entire bed. I can remember her sitting in her chair for hours and hours working on that blanket. My mother passed away on January 28, 2011, I am 42 now and I still have that blanket. It is a treasure that can never be replaced. I now know how much love went into making that blanket for me and I cherish every stitch.

My daughter told me in March that I will be a grandmother. Addison Ray is due November 10th. Like my mother did I began crocheting baby blankets. If anyone had told me before March I would be crocheting I would have said they were nuts! But.... here I am five blankets done and still going and I love it! I learned a few basic stitches and have experimented with a few others but not quite so successfully. I am sure I will try some other techniques in time but for now I just use the simpler stitches. I had never crocheted anything more than a single chain before these blankets. Mom tried to teach me when I was young but I didn't have the patience or the desire to learn. When I reached the age that I wanted to learn Mom was no longer able to do it. Most of the blankets I have made were either single stitched or made with a granny square.

This is the website I used to learn to make the granny squares http://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Granny-Square. It's really easy to do once you get started and there are so many different colors and textures to choose from.

These blankets are creations of my heart and gifts made by my hands for those I cherish. With every stitch I thought of the new addition coming to our family and how much I am looking forward to meeting her. At the same time I thought of my own mother and all of the 'stitches' she made in our lives. I played in my memories talking with her, choosing yarn colors and watching her take the yarn and turn it into a precious token of love. I wonder if she knew then how precious these blankets would one day become. Perhaps one day long from now these blankets will be as cherished by my daughter and granddaughter as I cherish the one my Mother made for me.

~ Sharon

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MRSA - the 'Superbug' from a Mother's Viewpoint

2012-06-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Methicillin-Resistant-Staphylococcus Aureus

Methicillin-resistant-Staphylococcus aureus also know as MRSA is Satan's gift to modern medicine and our "reward" for the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in the 70's and 80's!!!!! This is not the whole truth but as the mother of a child who has fought these blasted things for many years it is my truth!!!

If you are not familiar with MRSA count your lucky stars!!! I will provide what limited knowledge I have on the topic in this post. MRSA is Methicillin-resistant-Staphylococcus aureus. This means that this bacterium is resistant to Methicillin based antibiotics. MRSA is also called the 'Superbug'. As a result of the over use of antibiotics this bacteria has evolved and developed an immunity to standard antibiotics. Humans have staph bacteria on our bodies naturally. It is part of the natural flora of our skin. When a person has repeated exposures to MRSA or has repeated infections they can become colonized by the methicillin resistant staph. In essence the bad staph moves in and takes over the place of the normal staph. You can be tested to see if you have become colonized with MRSA by having your doctor perform a nasal MRSA swab test.

At one time MRSA was predominately hospital acquired. This means that if a person developed a MRSA infection it was typically via exposure to the bacteria in a hospital setting when the individual's immune system was low and they had suture sites, openings in the skin or injuries which allowed the bacteria an access point into the body. Now MRSA is becoming not only hospital acquired but publicly acquired. This means that it is more prevalent in the general population and in public ares than in previous years. Please understand that MRSA has been around for a very long time but the occurrence of it has been increasing for decades. I have been recently informed that publicly acquired MRSA has been linked to Osteomyelitis. From the Mayo clinic website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/osteomyelitis/DS00759 Osteomyelitis is defined as “the medical term for an infection in a bone. Infections can reach a bone by traveling through the bloodstream or spreading from nearby tissue. Osteomyelitis can also begin in the bone itself if an injury exposes the bone to germs.”

This is what a MRSA infection looks like in the early stages:

MRSA infections have very distinctive characteristics:

Extremely rapid onset.

Red circular appearance with a dark raised center. It looks very similar to a spider bite.

Localized swelling

There will be a hard central circular inner core.

If there is drainage it will have a greenish/brown color.

Extremely painful.

It may feel hot to the touch. (Please use gloves!!)

General symptoms:

I have noticed with my son that he will start to feel weak and agitated. He will not sleep well and simply feel sick. He will have no other symptoms before the spot appears and I am often trying to figure out what may be wrong so I start paying very close attention to his skin. I am always on guard and watching for these things so we have been fortunate and have caught them early so far. There has been a couple of the times they have started developing for a few hours to a day before I caught them. When I said they have rapid onset.... I am referring to hours not days!

I have researched this topic for many years now. Although I am not an expert I have dealt with several infections my son has had. During my research and experiences I have found many many articles on the internet that recommend this or recommend that. I have tried many but I have found no 'cure-all'. We can get him to a point where he is infection free for approximately six months but it seems that six months is the limit. I was once told that if one can keep it from recurring for six months then it may be possible to eradicate it from the body. The reasoning for this is that the MRSA staph will die off and be replaced by the naturally occurring staph. I haven't seen it happen yet. However, I do believe we have suppressed the outbreaks to an extent.

The following are instructions that are based upon recommendations from the infectious disease doctors with Children's Medical Center in Dallas for treatment of active infections:

First and foremost:

Go see your doctor or go to the emergency room now!!

Please do not delay as early treatment is key to recovery. These infections are extremely fast moving and can become life threatening in a very minimal amount of time! Remember they can and will be fatal if not treated quickly and appropriately. You should not attempt to treat this on your own. Get the advice of your doctor!!

Start oral antibiotics ASAP. If your infection is severe they may suggest IV antibiotics... If they do offer DO IT!! Through IV the antibiotic will get into your system much faster and will begin battling the MRSA quicker than oral antibiotics.

If you suspect your infection may be MRSA insist that your healthcare provider perform a swab culture on the fluid inside the wound to determine if it is MRSA or not. The culture will tell the doctors exactly what you are dealing with and which antibiotics will have the most impact. Please remember that it is crucial you insist upon a culture! There are still antibiotics that will work although the choices are limited. After receiving the results of the culture your doctor will know which antibiotics to use to treat the MRSA strain you have. They will start treating you with a general antibiotic known to be effective for treating MRSA but if the culture indicates the need for a more specific or a different antibiotic they will contact you and change your treatment plan.

Always perform good hand hygiene. Wash your hands with warm water and a disinfectant soap after treating the patient. I use Hibiclens® when he has an infection. If your child uses diapers use gloves when you change the diaper. The MRSA staph will be in the urine too! Once there is an infection it can travel throughout the body and will be in the body fluids.

Bathe the patient three times a day with antibacterial soap. Soak the wound in the warm water. This will help it to drain. Again, I use Hibiclens.® I have heard that you can also use bleach in the bathwater but I have never done so. I feel that adding bleach to the water when there is a break in the skin is not a good idea. That is just my opinion and preference.

After each bath use gloves to encourage the pus to come out by gently but firming pushing from the sides towards the center. The goal is to remove the core and keep the wound draining. You want to get as much of the junk inside the spot to come out. As Alan's doctor has said … “it either comes out or goes futher in” you do NOT want it to go further in and spread throughout the tissues under the surface!!! To be graphic and kinda gross I will describe it this way.... you want to try and pop it like it is a big zit. Sorry... gross I know but it is the truth! I can't stress this enough... you as a caregiver MUST WEAR GLOVES !!!! while treating your child or anyone who has one of these infections to lessen the possibility of contracting MRSA yourself!!!

Please realize this step is extremely painful for the patient but it must be done. What I have begun doing is when I start squeezing I have someone slowly count to ten. At ten I stop and let him recover. Depending on how the wound looks and how much stuff is coming out I may repeat that step. Again … have someone count to ten so your patient knows there is a momentary end coming. If the wound appears to be getting worse but isn't draining go to the emergency room immediately as they will need to lance it so it will drain. Keep this in mind … “it either comes out or it goes further in”. You do not want this stuff going deeper into the tissues.

After squeezing the wound you will need to apply a topical antibiotic. Be sure to ask your doctor for a prescription for Bactroban® ointment or an equivalent. Apply liberally over the wound. Loosely apply a clean dry bandage. I usually place a non-stick bandage on the wound and then apply a gauze bandage over the top. I secure it in place with paper tape. I have used the silk tape but because of how many times you have to remove and replace the bandage and the tape it tends to irritate the skin. Paper tape works best for him. Learn from my experience: when paper tape gets wet it is extremely hard to remove from the skin. Be sure to remove the bandages and tape before bathing. Always use a clean bandage! You want to be sure to cover the wound with a loose bandage. You want it to drain but you don't want the clothing or anything else to come into contact with the fluid draining from the wound. Also, anything rubbing on the wound such as clothing with actually be very painful. Since the bandage is there to catch the drainage and protect the wound it does not need to be a pressure bandage so applying it loosely is fine.

Please consider giving ibuprofen or acetaminophen per directions for pain while there is an active infection. This isn't a requirement but I do it because of how extremely painful these infections are for my son.

Clean anything in your household that can be cleaned with bleach. I clean the bathtub with bleach after each bath to try and sanitize the tub so that whoever takes a bath next isn't stepping into MRSA soup! Clean your counters with bleach. I wash his clothing and his bedding and in hot water with bleach added. I clean door knobs, light switches (carefully), his wheelchair, his car-seat... anything I can I disinfectant. If it can't be washed or soaked in bleach then I spray it with Lysol® disinfectant spray. I can't quantify the effectiveness of these actions but I feel I am fighting back on some small level.

Be sure to follow your doctors instructions exactly and return to see him/her if your symptoms are worsening or just not getting better. I suggest going back to see your doctor within three to four days of starting the antibiotics. You want to be sure your doctor knows exactly how you are responding to the treatments.

ALWAYS TAKE ALL OF THE ANTIBIOTICS EVEN IF YOU SEE A MARKED IMPROVEMENT!!!! ALWAYS ALWAYS FINISH THE TREATMENTS. This is in part how MRSA has become so virulent. Patients would take their antibiotics until they felt better or their symptoms were gone and then stop. Just because you seem better does not mean the bacteria has been killed. It is still in your system and if you stop the antibiotics before the time instructed and before the bacteria has been killed then you will actually be helping it to develop a resistance to the antibiotic you were using. If the MRSA becomes resistant to our final defenses as a result of the misuse of the antibiotics.... Heaven help us all!!

Those were my suggestions for an active infection. Now for the routine care and prevention when there is no infection.

After an infection bathe daily using the Hibiclens® soap.

After each bath take a cotton swab and place a small amount of Bactron® on the tip and insert into the nostril. Don't go deep into the nostril. You want to get just inside the nose and swirl the tip of the swab so that the antibiotic ointment is applied all around the inside of each nostril. Be sure to use the tip in only one nostril. After you apply it in one nostril rotate the swab and use the other end in the other nostril. MRSA lives in the nostril so you are trying to get it where it lives and kill it.

Once you have treated the nose then apply the ointment underneath the tips of the fingernails.

After the first week this treatment can be performed once a week for a month. After the first month perform the intense daily treatments of the antibiotic soap and the antibiotic in the nose and under the nails once a week for one week of the month. Do this indefinitely. During the weeks that you are not performing the intense treatments I suggest using Safeguard® soap . Be sure to change bedding at least once a week and add bleach to the wash. If you have a cut or broken skin apply the antibiotic to the site until it has healed.

Be ever vigilant and watch for any sign of the beginnings of a MRSA infection. Remember that early treatment is the key to recovery!!!

And one final thought ...

THE BATTLE IS ON AND IT IS US AGAINST THEM!!!

For more information on MRSA try the links below:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/
WebMD - http://www.webmd.com/search/search_results/default.aspx?query=MRSA
PubMed Health - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004520/
Mayo Clinic - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
Medicine Net - http://www.medicinenet.com/mrsa_infection/article.htm
Texas Department of Health - http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/health/antibiotic_resistance/mrsa/
Medicine News Today - http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/10634.php
The New England Journal of Medicine - https://cdf.nejm.org/register/reg_onestep.aspx?promo=ONFKG61B&prc=ONFKG61B&cpc=FMDAALLP0612A&query=PPC
The American Journal of Medicine - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleListURL&_method=list&_ArticleListID=2103997179&_sort=r&_st=13&view=c&_acct=C000062335&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=4143358&md5=25456579d1f953962e4b81d59bb0fc8a&searchtype=a

Please feel free to leave comments or suggestion. Shown below are links to website where you can purchase items listed in this post and other medical products.

~ Sharon

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Hello

2012-06-02T10:26:00.003-07:00
HELLO!!!! to anyone reading this post. It has been ages since I have been on this site. There have been many many changes in my life some wonderful some horrible. As time passes I will most likely post about of each of these but for the time being I just wanted to say "Hello Again!!!" and let the fun begin. :)

Sharon

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Disillusioned

2009-04-24T16:42:00.000-07:00
Hello Dear Blog Site,
It has been quite some time since I have visited you.
Why have I been away so long you ask?
Well, I became disenchanted, distracted, dispatched, disgusted, disinterested, disconnected, disappointed, disarmed and disillusioned.
With what you ask?
With life, laughter, love, with everything, everyone, no one, myself, nothing; with all that was, all that is, all that could be, all that never will be.
Life is a succession of never ending challenges. I work hard and try my best to do the 'right' thing by myself and those around me. But I fail. Not all the time, but I do fail.
I keep trying and struggling and reaching for what you ask?
I don't really know. Success, happiness, peace of mind.... serenity? I don't know, but I keep reaching.
I think peace of mind is what I am striving for, to know when I lay my head down at night I have accomplished something; that I have set something right in my little world.
But what you ask: what have you accomplished? what have you righted?
Therein lies my problem. I have lost my focus, my vision, my drive. How can I attain my goals if I have become so blinded by daily frustrations that I cannot see my goal? I feel I am free-spinning. Just moving in place, not moving ahead or behind... just .... stationary.
I believe I am coming out of the fog, the darkness, the void that is hopelessness. I am writing to you now so that must mean I am ready to address these issues. Right?
Instead of viewing my world through tainted and skewed lenses I need to step back and clear the viewfinder. Hell... just change lenses all together. Get a fresh look at the world I have created for myself and my children and realize that I haven't done so bad and the game has just begun.

Sharon

image from movie: City of Angels

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Walk for JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

2008-09-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Walk for a Cure: JDRF

Saturday morning the city of Plano hosted a 5K walk to raise awareness and to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The hospital I work for participated in this event. I would venture to guess we had over 500 employees, family and friends participating. There were many other organizations represented. The number of people participating was phenomenal.
For the past several weeks our hospital has been hosting many events to raise funds to support JDRF, from bake sales to dunking booths. In preparation for the walk each department was encouraged to design a flag. I was elected and volunteered for this challenge. For weeks I avoided designing the flag. We are always busy here in my home and this task seemed to keep getting knocked to the bottom of the priority list. It came down to the wire so I had to get it done. My kids pitched in and helped me. They had a blast designing the flag and I think it turned out nicely. Alan really enjoyed getting his feet painted and putting his mark on the flag. Erica helped to paint and design the flag. She painted her hand and placed her mark upon the flag as well.
We participated in the walk. It started at nine in the morning and my daughter had to be to work at ten. She could have opted out of the walk but she didn’t. She supported me and she supported the effort. She walked her three miles and then went on to work. My son, when he woke up he didn’t want to go anywhere and in fact was a little upset for the mere suggestion of getting out and doing anything. When I explained he was helping to make sick children better. He was all for it. My kids amaze me sometimes. They are very compassionate, generous and caring individuals. Wow… I have done something right! One of my friends from the hospital helped me to get Alan’s wheelchair to the walk. Without his help we would not have been able to participate. A big Thank you to him. A couple of the ladies from my office and one’s husband walked with us. We enjoyed the outing and my point-walker. ;) Thanks for clearing the path for us.
Many people from our hospital showed up for this event. One of the gentlemen at the registration tent said our numbers amazed them. We all wore yellow shirts and he said when he looked up when the walk started he saw a ‘sea of yellow shirts!’ It is nice to be a part of such a caring and involved community.

Sharon

Pictures from the event:



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Anson

2008-09-24T19:53:00.000-07:00
Anson

On Tuesday, September 16th at 5:35 pm my great nephew was born. Weighing in at 7 lbs 12 oz and 20 3/4 inches long, Anson came into this world.

Anson is my sister first grandson born to her oldest child, Melissa. Anson had jaundice at birth but is now recovering. My mother, daughter and I went to visit him Saturday. He slept through most of the visit and he is just the cutest little thing. So precious. OH.. and his toes!!! oh my goodness he has the most perfect little toes!!

During delivery my sister kept me updated on the progress. I left work at 5:30 that day. I called my sister's cell phone numerous times in an attempt to get her to put it on speaker phone. I just knew Melissa was giving birth and honestly I just wanted hear him come into the world since I was unable to be there. Unfortunately she couldn't answer the phone because she was busy helping Melissa. My sister did call me after his birth. I told her to kiss him for me and she refused. She was not going to kiss him because they hadn't cleaned him up yet. :) So, I wasn't fortunate enough to hear him come into the world but I was in a sense present shortly after his birth.

I am so very proud for my niece. She was lucky enough to marry a man who is absolutely crazy over her and now they have started their family together. I wish for them many years of happiness and a life filled with simple pleasures.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of Anson and his family.

Sharon

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Gallbladder Surgery

2008-09-23T21:19:00.000-07:00
Wow... I have been neglecting my blogsite. I will catch you up on my latest news and tomorrow I will write a longer post.

On Thursday my daughter drove me back to Paris. Friday morning I went in for oral surgery. Not fun but to be honest it wasn't too bad. I slept through the procedure, a drug induced sleep but sleep none-the-less. Then afterwards I had some really good meds so I floated through the weekend. In between bouts of nausea and hours of sleeping I felt pretty good. I was on a liquid diet for a while. I'm sorry... there may be the same amount of nutrients ingested in liquid form but it just doesn't seem to fill you up as much a nice juicy steak will. I am feeling better today, four days later. Still a little pain but over-all much better.

Also on Friday my brother went in for a cholecystectomy, Gallbladder surgery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholecystectomy He went in for the laparoscopy, which is where they make four small incisions and practically suck the gallbladder out. Unfortunately his gallbladder was so diseased they had to do the abdominal incision and open him up to remove the gallbladder. He now has a scar which can rival mine, which ironically is from the very same type of surgery. We went to see him Saturday night and he was having quite a bit of pain. He is doing really well now and will be going home tomorrow.

Saturday we went for a two hour drive to visit my niece, her husband and their beautiful four day old baby boy. He is absolutely adorable. I will write more about him tomorrow and I will post pictures! He is such a doll.

Now, I think maybe I have caught you up on my recent events.

Sharon
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Little Boy - Best Watch Dog Ever

2008-09-14T09:40:00.000-07:00
Little Boy

Little Boy is a ten month old Shetland Sheepdog. He belongs to my friend's daughter but he is also my friends best buddy and an awesome watchdog. We spent a couple of nights on the beach and Little Boy was on duty the whole time. Protecting us and our section of beach from the invading winged rats and other uninvited guests. I could hear his thoughts as he cleared the beach of seagulls... 'my beach, my beach ... there shall be no birds on my beach !! '

He had a great time running on the beach and visiting the other beach going dogs and other critters. He met lots of people who he charmed with his good looks and outgoing personality. He also stood guard as we slept and alerted us to approaching dangers.

He even participated in the beach fun atmosphere. I was trying to create a Marlin out of the sand.. I would almost be finished when Little Boy would come traipsing up and trample my fish. I decided if he wanted to play in the sand we would play in the sand. So I buried him. I am not so sure he enjoyed the entire experience but I do think he may have enjoyed the coolness of the sand just below the surface.

Little Boy hopes you have enjoyed the pictures of his escapades in the sand and surf of Crystal Beach and Jamaica Beach.

Sharon
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Galveston and Houston

2008-09-13T22:50:00.000-07:00
Images of Galveston Island and Houston before Hurricane Ike

Sharon
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Galveston and Houston before Hurricane Ike

2008-09-13T22:41:00.000-07:00
More images taken last weekend from Galveston Island and the Houston skyline before Hurricane Ike.

Sharon

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Galveston Island

2008-09-13T22:06:00.000-07:00
Galveston Island
As I sit here, over 300 miles from the shores of Galveston, Texas, I watch the rain and the wind whip through the trees as the outer edges of a dying hurricane reach Frisco. I can’t help but imagine how much different it was last night on Galveston Island. My daughter and I feel a special bond with Galveston. I am not certain the exact reason for this connection but it does exist. When I visit the island I feel like I am ‘home.’

With heavy hearts at two o’clock on Saturday morning we sat in our dry, safe living room and watched the destruction occurring in Galveston on our television. As I was just there last weekend I have vivid images of the sights, sounds and smells of the island. Snapshots of smiles, waves, birds and houses flash through my mind. Snippets of conversations echo in my memory. My thoughts keep returning to one young lady, Brandi, on Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula. She was our waitress at one of the restaurants we visited. She had a pretty smile and a very sweet personality. She is the one who provided us with the name for the disgusting ‘lovebugs.’ She had said her son asked her why they were stuck together and quick-wittedly she said they were married and wanted to hold hands. I have wondered where she and her son are and if they are safe. We met many people when we were there and my heart truly goes out to them. I pray they are all safe.

I have several pictures of Jamaica Beach in Galveston from last weekend, six days before Hurricane Ike made landfall. After hurricane Ike thrashed the island last night many of the homes in these pictures are damaged or completely destroyed. Hurricane Ike was a strong category 2 hurricane. The storm surge began to arrive on the island eight hours before the eye wall arrived severing evacuation routes and stranding those who waited too long to leave. Ike was over six hundred miles across with wind gusts of 110 mph and a storm surge that it has been stated reached thirteen feet above normal tide levels. Many of the landmarks along Seawall Blvd. are no longer in existence. Regrettably I did not take pictures of those buildings.

My daughter and I will be going back to the island in early December. I am apprehensive as to what we will find when we arrive. They will have little time before our visit for their recovery efforts after this hurricane. However, this little island is full of tenacious headstrong people who have been through this before and they have, with time, recovered. I have complete confidence that they will hitch up their bootstraps rebuild and carry on as their predecessors have done in true Texas fashion. Our thoughts are with them as they find their bearings and begin to rebuild their lives.

Sharon

Save $120, Kodak Z990 Digital Camera, only $179.99 at officemax.com
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Broken Promises

2008-09-10T19:03:00.000-07:00
Broken Promises

As twilight fades to dawn
And the world begins to awaken
One begins to wonder
Of the pleasures the night has taken

A lover’s kiss
With desire is given
Another’s promises broken
Wait to be forgiven

For those whose hearts are hurting

A wish to twist the fates
Awaiting choices decided
Heartbeats hesitate

Breaking light illuminates
Waking realizations find
The trust once thought shattered

Mercifully, creations of the mind

~ Sharon

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IHOP

2008-09-09T20:50:00.000-07:00
IHOP

It is 2 am Saturday morning. My friend and I find ourselves on Seawall Blvd at the IHOP eating breakfast. I won’t bore you with the details of exactly what we had for breakfast but it was good. Ok ok .. I can’t help myself. I had Waffles. Those of you who have seen the movie Shrek know the manner in which those words are spoken. Donkey made it famous when he said ‘and in the morning I’m makin’ Waffles!’ but my waffles that were covered with whip cream and strawberries and oh so tasty are not the topic of this post. I would like to share with you a little of our experience at the IHOP in Galveston that morning.

My friend and I are enjoying our meal and listening to the various drunken conversations taking place all around us. Sitting in the booth behind me are two young men, maybe mid-twenties. We are privy to the interactions that had taken place earlier in the night with their friend’s girlfriend. Suffice it to say, their friend might have been proud of them if they were being honest, but he certainly wouldn’t have been pleased with her behavior. As mind numbingly interesting as this is the drunken conversation trophy should really go to the next drunk to enter the scene.

A young man barely 21 years old if he was even that, comes strolling in. Walking slowly, looking as if he walks a bit slower he will stop and his eyelids with surrender to the gravitation pull they are currently struggling against. He staggers through the obstacle course of tables and chairs in the restaurant finally reaching his destination. He has a buddy waiting for him. The buddy didn’t seem to be as intoxicated and maybe even a little annoyed at his friend for his inability to handle his liquor. Once he falls into the booth and without a word to his friend he puts his cell phone to his ear and we hear his one sided conversation.

I will fill in what I believe were the words on the other end of the call:

Ring Ring… ‘um.. hello’ .. Hey, where are jew? ‘I’m at home’ .. I taught jew wuz gonna meet me? ‘No’ … Jew really home? ‘yes’ .. Aww maaanz… an eyes wuz gonna meet jew here. ‘where’ ... at da IHOP .. ‘no’ ... I wuz at da club. ‘oh really, I didn’t see you’ .. you saws me, I saws you. I says I would meet jew at da IHOP. ‘well, I don't remember that’ … Yeahs… well I’m at da IHOP. I wuz gonna buy jew breafas’ and everthang.. ‘well, I am at home’ .. Jew not coming ? ‘where?’ ... DA IHOP!! ‘are you really at the IHOP?’ .. Yez, eyes gonna buy youz zum baycon an zum eggs. ‘well I am at home’ … Jew really home? ‘yes’ ... I’m at da IHOP!! eyes wuz gonna buy jew zum breafas’ and everthang. Jew not coming up 'ere? ‘No’ .. aww manz.. eyes wuz gonna buy jew zum baycon an zum eggs… whateva. Click.
At this point we are really enjoying this conversation. It is fun watching this Casanova wannabe crash and burn and sink into a pit of desperation. I feel a twinge of pity for his idiot self when SHE walks in. Not the ‘she’ he was talking to but a woman of the night. She was a sight. Flesh popping out of her way too small clothes, feet wedged into high heels, buttons threatening to pop from the tension created by her breasts… her all of mid-fifties breasts. Her rickety movements remind me of a high-strung and over- excited chihuahua. She manages to sit in her chair. No sooner does her rump touch the seat than the young idiot behind us calls out to her. ‘Hey baby, come over here,’ to which she responds by shaking her head side to side, giggling and says ‘no, you come over here.’ We have left our booth at this time since we have finished our meal. As we are leaving this young idiot leaves his booth and trudges over to her table and makes himself at home leaving his friend alone in the booth.

Leaving the parking lot we drive past the windows. The young idiot is still at the woman’s table and his friend is on his own cell phone. The expression on his face is priceless. One can almost hear his conversation based upon his expression. I imagine his conversation going something like this…. ‘you won’t believe what he is doing now. First he called her (we never heard her name) and she shot him down and now… oh man… now he is sitting with a hooker!’

Driving down the road away from this insidious debacle we look at one another and my friend says to me… “Eyes wuz gonna buy jew zum breafas’ an everthang.” Laughter erupts in our car.... Karma is so going to get us.

Sharon

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The Lovebug, Tarts of the Insect World

2008-09-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

The Lovebug, Tarts of the Insect World

From the lips of George Jones flow the words: “It’s the little bitty teeny weeny thing they call the Lovebug.” The lovebug has been the subject of songs, poetry, books and websites. In spite of the sweet words written and spoken in regards to this little bug, it is anything but sweet. Quite frankly I find them disgusting. This weekend I was in Galveston with a friend. We experienced first hand the lovebug in all of it's copulating glory and I must admit at times I felt like a used mattress in a rooms-by-the-hour sleaze motel.

A little bit of history about the lovebug. The lovebug, Plecia nearctica, is a member of the family of march flies. The males are 1/4 inch, and females are 1/3 inch in length. The lovebug starts life as an egg. The egg will hatch into larvae which will feed on decaying vegetation. The lovebug will spend five to seven months in this stage of life. Once the larvae matures it will spend seven to ten days in the pupal stage. At the end of the pupae stage the lovebug will mature to adulthood. Adult females will live for only two to three days. There are two mating seasons throughout the year. In the spring and in the fall; April to May and then August to September. During the mating season the lovebugs will form swarms with numbers into the thousands. The flights occur during the day hours when temperatures are above 68º. During mating the male and female attach themselves at the rear of the abdomen and remain that way at all times, even in flight, hence the name ‘lovebug.’ After mating the male will die. He is then dragged around by the female until she lays her eggs.

The lovebugs will accumulate on any object during mating. Landing on anything as they drift about and most annoyingly on people. Thousands of bugs were splattered on the front of the car and on the windshield. Their chemical makeup makes them devasting to the paint and chrome of automobiles. If allowed to stay on the body of the car the chemicals will destroy the paint. The massive numbers can clog radiators making cars overheat. When splattered on the windshield they begin to obstruct the visibility. Despite the chemical make up they are quite timid as they do not sting or bite. They are delicate insects, with very little pressure they can be killed.

In spite of their fragile design they can be quite tenacious. We conducted a completely unscientific experiment. We wanted to determine the average staying power of the female lovebug on the windshield of a moving vehicle. We determined, we’ll say on a closed course, that the average female can hold onto the windshield up to approximately 70 mph before she loses her grip. One herculean female hung on to the windshield until we reached 80 mph. She did not lose her grip at this point. The windshield wipers were utilized to facilitate her departure. Of course all this time the poor male is being whipped about and thrashed into the windshield all the while by being attached to the female by his, well, his abdomen we’ll say. Now, my friend, who was quite unnerved by this fact and all man grabbed his crotch and expressed his dismay by shouting … “Oh My _ _ _ _ !” Now, me being female, I found this extremely humorous, but I was quickly educated, kindheartedly of course, on the subject of the cold hearted nature of the female gender, if I remember correctly the term vice grip was uttered. Now, I countered this notion by stating that if the males could keep that thing out of places they KNOW are going to get them into trouble this type of tragedy would not occur. The entire disaster was then blamed on the pheromones of the female. It was concluded that ultimately all females are solely responsible for the demise of all males which is such a typical male perspective. My final response to this exchange was typically female: ‘Whatever’

I had always been a little curious about the lovebug and I had wondered what they are and what they look like. Well, I wonder no more! I imagined two bugs resembling ladybug couples. I suppose they could be viewed as the phornographic version of a ladybug couple with absolutely no concept of too much public displays of affection. Such a precious name for such a disgusting and annoying insect. If you ever have the displeasure of experiencing the swarming orgy of the lovebug during mating season perhaps you will share my opinion of these tiny little tarts of the insect world.

Sharon

Information compiled from the following websites:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_bug
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG068

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