"The Comfort Zone"

Balancing Act

2013-01-18T06:29:00.001-08:00

I haven't been doing much writing in the past few months, because I went back to work. Not doing anything in my field, but it is necessary to take whatever possible to keep the household running. I think I forgot how difficult it was to keep the house clean, cook and take care of the family all while holding down a job. I work the odd ball shift of 6:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., which makes it even more difficult. I am sleeping during the day and awake while everyone else is sleeping. My days off are spent cleaning and running errands. So, I have very little time to myself to spend on writing and much of anything else.

We are still here, the world didn't end in 2012

2013-01-10T23:41:00.001-08:00

Well, the world didn't come to an end, because in the year 2013 I am sitting here writing about surviving the end of the world. There is nothing wrong with being prepared. I wasn't one of them on the day the world was supposed to come to an end.

I have put some deep thought into the correlation of the world coming to an end and our current society. You have to ask yourself, "What has become of the United States?" from time to time. What has our society become?

As I look back, I think about how our generations that was children of the 70's and 80's took life in stride. We graduated high school, went to college, got a job, got married, bought a house and started a family. Life strolled on the financial path with a few bumps in the road without too much struggle. Our generation could quit a job one day and find a better job in a week. Life isn't like that anymore. Today if you lose your job, it may years before you find another one. You worry about what you will lose along the way.

There are several reasons we are in this situation today. For example, our government did not make the right decisions concerning overseas trade and allowed the American people to be outsourced. Forcing millions of people out of work while our jobs are sent over to overseas countries. China's middle class is rising while the middle class of America is falling into the trenches.

Technology is replacing people. We love our technology, but we don't think about how many jobs the technology has replaced. It was a time coming, but our government did not prepare us for the time that technology would replace people. Maybe the government will understand when the question if asked in terms they may understand. What do we do with all the surplus people the policies we pass will put out of work?

Crime is at an all time high, neighborhoods are abandoned and filled with homes that have been either vandalized with graffiti and have become rest havens for criminals to do their dirty work in or they have been burned down and are a danger to the neighborhood children. Maybe your neighborhood doesn't look that today, but there are plenty that do.

Millions of families who have lost everything they own and can barely afford to feed their children or worry about if they will be able to keep the heat on in their house during the winter months.

The quality of our children's education has fallen as schools lay off teachers and schools are shut down.

No, the world hasn't come to an end just yet. Some day our children's children will be reading about how our life was during this recession. Just as we read about the Great Depression. This is a recession that will make the history books. But, I am curious why they are still calling it a recession. I think we have passed a recession a long time ago.

My theory which has nothing to do with the Mayan Calendar, is that we are going to experience a new way of life. The wheels started turning long before December 21, 2012. It all began when millions of Americans lost their jobs, their homes, cars and struggle to survive. We are entering into a new way of life, a new way of life that is going to be much harder. The cost of living has risen while the American household income has gone down. It is becoming a society where America's Middle Class is disappearing.

So, if you are reading this in the year 3012, this is what our life was like in the year 2012. People were more worried about if they were going to be able to give their children a Christmas dinner or put presents under the tree or maybe just worrying about where they would sleep or if they could even feed their child that day.

Meet Ruby

2012-09-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

We finally decided to get Max his baby, one that wouldn't be leaving him. We found our adorable little Ruby Thursday. We have Max, so we named her Ruby after the kids cartoon Max & Ruby. The name fits her, she is a little gem.

Max loves any little animal. Whenever they leave him he get's upset and won't eat, so we decided to get him a little friend for him to watch over. Since, we brought him little Ruby, he quit chewing on his feet. Wheaten Terriers were used to herd, watch and guard the sheep and farm animals. So, we thought maybe part of his anxiety problem is he doesn't have any animals to watch. So, we got him a little kitty cat to watch over and protect.

Sex Reassignment Surgery for Inmate

2012-09-06T15:06:00.001-07:00

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mark Wolf ruled that prison inmate Michelle Kosilek, who is serving life in prison for murdering his ex-wife in 1990, would be permitted to have the sex reassignment surgery on the tax payers. His attorney argued Kosilek is suffering from a mental illness, referred to as gender- identity disorder. Wolf ruled denying the surgery would violate Kosilek's Eighth Amendment Rights by denying him adequate care for his mental illness, gender identity disorder.

Kosilek strangled his wife Cheryl and dumped her body in a car at the Emerald Square Mall, north of Attelborough Massachusetts and then fled to New York state before being arrested. Kosilek was convicted of First Degree Murder in 1993 and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Judge Mark Wolf feels the tax payers owe Kosilek a $20,000 surgery as treatment for his disorder. Now any person who is not in prison and who is working and contributing to society who also has the gender identity disorder and wishes to have the surgery can not have the surgery unless they have the money to pay for it. Sex reassignment surgery is considered an elective surgery according the insurance companies. The usual treatment is hormone therapy. Before Judge Mark Wolf decides he wants to waste the tax dollars of working citizens to make history, he needs to start with the people who are not in prison who wish to have the surgery and can not afford to pay for it.

In my opinion, prisons are just given way too much in prison. Kosilek had no regard or sympathy for his wife as he choked the life right out her and dumped her body like it was trash. Prisons should only have the absolute basics in prison. Cable television, computers and internet access which is a huge mistake, because they give the prisons access to the outside world which defeats the purpose of them being in prison and now a judge says they should be allowed to have sex reassignment surgery as treatment when honest hard working individuals doesn't have that right because they don't have the money to pay for it. Judge Mark Wolf that is bullshit!! How about giving that $20,000 to the poor hungry children in America who are starving? Well jeez whiz, that would actually make too much sense. Wolf should be yanked off the bench and stripped of his rope and gavel for that ignorant ruling.

The reason I am disturbed by this ruling is because there are so many people who need help, losing their homes, starving, children without adequate food and clothing or shelter and are working so hard just to keep their head of the water and this judge wants all of us to pay for a $20,000 surgery for a prisoner who is serving life in prison for murder, who will never travel outside the prison walls to ever be a productive contributing member of society to attempt to repay his debt he has forced upon the citizens of the United States.

Does a prisoner really need cable or internet access while they are in prison? Now a person on the outside can not have cable or internet if they don't have the money to pay for it. There are children who go to school that need computers and the internet, but don't have it because their parents can not afford cable or internet. It drives me ballistic to hear prisons have more rights than us on the outside working and being a productive member of society.

Yes educate prisoners, but do it by giving them a books, make them learn the old way, teaching them their Three R's if need be. Treat them for their illnesses and give them therapy for their disorders. But, do not give them rights the average person on the outside doesn't have, then tell us we have to pay for it.

Here is a few questions for you, Judge Mark Wolf. Where do you plan on putting Kosilek after he has the surgery? Legally, he would have to stay with the males. His gender at birth was a male. He lived as a male the majority of his adult life. Are you going to force the women who are prison to live with a man who killed his wife? What about the psychological damage that may be caused to women in the prison who may have had similar experiences in the past, but survived? Wouldn't that be considered causing undo psychological harm to another human being and Judge Mark Wolf and Kosilek should be held to the same laws as everyone else. What if he decides to strangle another woman? On the other hand, if you put him back in with the men, he will just be used as everyone's toy, if he already isn't. So, here is the really big question "How is that ruling in the best interest of him, the tax payers or even other people in prison. No matter how Judge Wolf tries to justify his ruling, he can't. His ruling was made with very little common sense or research. Continuing with psychotherapy and hormone therapy would have been the appropriate ruling in the best interest of Kosilek and everyone involved or burdened by the judge's ruling.

Max's New Baby

2012-09-03T07:56:00.001-07:00

All weekend we heard a whining outside and we didn't know where it was coming from. Yesterday, the hubby went outside to check and see where the whining was coming from and discovered a baby squirrel in the back yard. Max had been wanting to go outside a lot and would not come in the house for hours at a time. He was laying in the grass in the same spot. He was watching his baby. The only time we heard whining was when he was inside. The baby squirrel was calling for him. Max, our dog loves any kind of baby. He will watch it and protect it. He loves just about any animal smaller than him. He will take it on as his baby if they let him. He does the same thing anytime my parents bring their little Maltese over or our friends bring their little rat terrier over. He will share his food and water and the little dogs can do anything to him and he will just lay there and let them walk or climb on him or even pull his hair trying to get him up to play. When ever they make a sound, he will run to them to check on them.

We called someone from the local wildlife rescue and found someone to come and pick up the squirrel. Max went crazy when he saw the woman holding his baby. He was jumping and whining, trying to get outside to his baby. She said, he could come out and say goodbye to his baby. He went straight to the baby squirrel to sniff it and he tried licking his baby. She said we could name the baby since we found it. We decided to call him Max after his adoptive daddy. He sat on the living room couch looking out the window watching her pull away with his new baby. Poor Max, he lost another baby.

ABC's of Relationships

2012-08-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

After my most resent question from a reader regarding relationships, he inspired me to create my own blog talking about the basics of relationships. I thought, why not? I have plenty of life experience of bad past relationships and I have a BA in Family Life Education, so naturally I am curious about what does make relationships work? Read more..

Sanity is essential.

2012-08-20T00:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their own way of escaping from reality for a few minutes and just breathe. As a mother if you don't do this you will lose your sanity and your ability to be rational. Yes, this is true, it has been scientifically proven that you must take a break to just be alone to breathe or you will lose all common sense before your job is completed as parents.

I have a couple of ways I do this. First, one of my favorite ways to lock out the world for a few minutes is to lock the bathroom door, open the door to my room, turn on some blues music loud, turn off all the lights and lay in the bathtub soaking in Epsom salts with the candles lit to fill the air. But, not before letting the tweenies know, that it would be in their best interest not to disrupt me while I take a bath. Yes, i am guilty of trying to escape from my family at times. I admit, I have a tendency to take too many baths.

One of my other favorite things to do other than sit on the ocean and watch the sun come down is sitting outside own my swing, just relaxing in front of the fire drinking a cup of hot tea. It is so relaxing and I don't have to be alone for this one. I even enjoy my quiet time I spend in front of the fire with my children.

One thing I love to watch in the dark is a fire. No, not a burning house, I am not that demented. I like tiki torches, fire pits and soft lighting. Here are some pics of my sanctuary.

My patio, with my antique umbrella that actually shields the sun
and rain. This was made in the U.S.A.!!! This has been used as my work space a lot through
out the week. I surrender the house and seek shelter outside.

The perfect fire to stare into as my thoughts drift off and I am able to sanely
return to my family.

My favorite swing. I have done a lot of thinking on this swing.

Don't be ashamed if you have a secret hide out to regain your sanity in. It is essential to your mental health and your child's opportunity to grow up to be a healthy productive member of society.

McDonald's, your next.

2012-08-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

But, that doesn't mean I will be awake when I cook your order.

Has anyone else noticed when you go through the McDonald's drive through, no matter which McDonald's you go to in the same state or a different state about 50% of the time they get the order wrong? It's on the receipt right, but they still get it wrong in one way or another.

I have been to McDonald's in different states and different ones in the same state. Every time we pick up an order through the drive through window, something is wrong.

Over the weekend, the adults got Chinese and we picked up McDonald's for the kids. Yes, we had a lot of take out over the weekend. It was just one of those weekends where I did not feel like doing a lot of cooking. Well, back to the story. My daughter's sandwich was supposed to be a fish sandwich plain with no cheese or sauce. The fish sandwich had everything on it that we asked not be on the sandwich. My son's chicken sandwich was also supposed to be plain. They gave us the his sandwich with mayo, lettuce and tomato. So, back to McDonald's we went to get the right sandwiches.

Then yesterday, we picked up McDonald's for dinner, because I was sick and couldn't drag myself to the kitchen to cook for everyone. So, McDonald's it was again. Once again the order was incorrect, they were missing a french fry. Considering we just went through this whole ordeal, I checked the order before leaving the parking lot. There is nothing more annoying than having to run back and exchange food, because the order is wrong. That's right up there with the wrong food being delivered. It is called fast food for a reason.

I am beginning to wonder if this is a McDonald's trade mark. Is it a secret joke among all the McDonald's employees? Do they teach this technique during training? If you are a former McDonald's employee, please answer these questions for me. I am puzzled how so many McDonald's nationwide do the same thing.

Maybe know they have us addicted to the fries and the secret sauce on the Big Mac. So, they sit around laughing saying those fools will come back anyway.

Bad food combined with bad service cont.

2012-08-14T05:30:00.001-07:00

Sorry it took me so long to get back. The kids just returned and I have been working on getting the little munchkins ready for school and get settled in after returning from Grandma and Grandpa's house. Just a mental note, this is my first bad review. But, with all the mistakes made and the order totaling over $57.00, I think this one was well deserved.

So, now back to Bad food combined with bad service. A little refresher, the order was placed at the Cottage Inn in Westland was:

Order

One large pizza with pepperoni.

One medium pizza with just cheese.

Order of bread sticks that came with the special.

One large order of chicken wings with BBQ sauce on the side.

One 6" Italian combo sub with olive oil on the side.

One 6" ham and cheese sub with mushrooms, minus the onions and peppers with olive oil on the side.

The last item on the list was, one 6" ham and cheese sub. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, you think it would be. But, not quite so easy for the Cottage in. What we got was one 6" ham and cheese sub with mushrooms with no lettuce and tomato, very little ham and a side of mustard sauce on the side.

When I called to place the order, I told them I would be paying with a $100.00 bill and if they could not make change for it, I could use my bank card over the phone. The person taking the order said, that is fine, I will make sure the driver has the exact change for you. When the driver comes, He had no idea I would be paying with a $100 bill and did not have the correct change. Between my parents, us and our son , we managed to come up with enough money to pay for the order. Do not put me in that position when I am doing delivery. You never know, I may not have been able to come up with the money. Then what?!

Now onto the other mistakes. They said the order would arrive in 35 minutes. However, we received the order wrong and the subs were just too skimpy and wrong to let this one slide.

When I called back to let them know the order was wrong, I spoke with a girl and she took my complaint, put me on hold and disconnected the call when placing me on hold for the second time. I called back to talk to someone and when I noted the was disconnected, she got very mouthy and told me the call was not disconnected, I must have hung up. Which I did not do. Rudeness, another strike against them.

Finally, I get to a person to talk to about the order and they said they would make new subs and have them there in 15 minutes. Then he would give me a $5 credit. Did he not get that I told him we paid cash and the driver did not have the correct change? Another problem, they seem to be off in space somewhere and are not with you when you place the order.

Problems

It took almost two hours to receive the complete order after two attempts, four phone calls and two hours later, we finally got the order. But, of course they still did not get it completely right. They were missing the side of olive oil, they sent another container of mustard sauce. If you veer from what is standard, they seem to have problems with getting the order correct. Poor pizza delivery guy got blamed for everything because he is the new guy. They gave me a $5 credit towards my next order. I told him "You actually think I will place another order with the Cottage Inn? Not a chance in hell, the $5.00 credit is not worth the aggravation.

Bad food combined with bad service.

2012-08-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

There is never anything good that comes out of bad food and bad service. That's exactly what I got when I ordered food tonight from the Cottage Inn in Westland. It was a big disappoint to find out that one of my favorite pizza places to order from near me was terrible and most definitely my worst pizza delivery I have ever experienced.

For years while working, I used to order Cottage Inn Pizza in Dearborn. The food was always very good and I never had a problem with any of the orders I had ordered from there before. I ordered Cottage Inn in Westland and it was horrible. I am not one to hand out bad reviews, but this one was welled earned.

To begin with, when I called and the girl who answered the phone put me on hold and we got disconnected. I should have just took my money somewhere else. Then I called back, it several tries to get the order right. Finally, we get the order right and he say's cash or credit. I told him all I have is a hundred dollar bill, but could use credit if the driver could not give me change for it. He says, yes I can have him be prepared to give you your exact change. Great response, but it's such a shame he couldn't follow through with that promise.

Order

One large pizza with pepperoni.

One medium pizza with just cheese.

Order of bread sticks that came with the special.

One large order of chicken wings with BBQ sauce on the side.

One 6" Italian combo sub with olive oil on the side.

One 6" ham and cheese sub with mushrooms, minus the onions and peppers with olive oil on the side.

By the way, I am enjoying a absolutely mouth watering checkerboard ganache cake from Kroger.

Not too complicated. Right? this is what we got from our worst pizza delivery order ever.

One larger pizza with pepperoni, barely warm and nothing makes it any different than your below average $5 hot and ready. That is not a good thing when mass production pizzas that you really don't know how long it has been sitting in the warmer pizza.

One medium pizza with just cheese-same as above. Strike two.

One order of bread sticks-cold. Strike three, it's not looking good.

One large order of wings with BBQ sauce on the side- Nothing to write home about.

One 6" Italian combo sub with olive oil on the side. This one is funny. We got a 6" sub of some kind with two very small pieces of salami that looked like eye balls staring up at you from the skimpy bed of ham it is laying on, cheese you would have to use a microscope to see, onion, peppers with a side of mustard sauce. missing ingredients- lettuce and tomato. I think that one is worth two strikes.

Well, it's 1249a.m. and my I am very exhausted. I will have to finish up this review in tomorrow. I never thought it would take me this long to write a review.

Hast la vista baby!

Batman The Dark Night Rises Massacre

2012-07-25T05:26:00.002-07:00

It is really pathetic that the United States has come to a point they can't even take their children to the new Batman movie. My 12 year old son wants to go see the movie, but I think that will be the one he will see at home because of the fear of a copycat. I really don't understand how this man could do something as hideous as he has done.

I would hate to say it, but parents are failing their children. James Holmes has parents, somebody raised him. It is something a lot parents don't want face the truth about. Too many children are being raised without compassion and morals. We have to admit, this generation is being raised different than when we grew up. Children raise themselves with the internet, most parents try to raise their children with compassion and morals, it's just seems that too many parents do not put compassion and morals on the top of their list. Take the computers out of the bedroom. Children from this generation feel they have the same rights as adults. However, their mind is not as mature as an adult. This generation is a generation with very little fear of authority, which is very dangerous.

James Holmes is not a child or even a teenager, but he is part of the computer generation. The internet can be a great tool to use for knowledge. But!!! It is also a very danger world that is NOT appropriate for children. There is so much going on in the internet world. Children need to monitored on the internet. If your child is developing an obsession, nip it at the bud. I am sure Holmes parents thought his obsession with Batman was innocent, but it grew into an obsession that drove him to massacre all those people at the movie theater. His mental instability combined with the obsession drove him to do something as crazy as going to a movie theater and kill all those innocent people. Someone had to have known about his plans. He had his apartment set up as a trap. Tell me, nobody in his circle of family and friends had no idea what he was planning on doing.

Anytime my children get an obsession with something, I pull them away from it. Then before you know it the obsession fades.

I try so hard to teach my son compassion, but it is such a difficult thing to do because of the interference with school and friends teaching him he has complete freedom and to tell on your parents if they do something you are uncomfortable with something your parents are doing, tell on them and they will be punished. Things are just taken too far. Parents have of fear of punishing our children, because if a child becomes angry with you, they can go to school and tell them you punished them in inappropriate ways even if you didn't and the parents can land themselves in jail even if they haven't done anything wrong. I know people who have been arrested, spent a night in jail and on probation because their child had went to school and made up stories about them because they were angry with their parents. They almost always believe the child.

For example, look at the father who shot his daughters laptop and placed the video on YouTube. There was an outcry of people who said he violated his daughter's rights. He didn't spank her or do anything physical to her for not doing her chores. Thirty years ago, it wouldn't have been a problem. Shooting his daughters laptop landed him under investigation with children services. She should be doing her chores. You have to teach your children, they have to work for the things they want. Children now a days have a sense of entitlement, feeling their parents owe them to give them everything they want without working for it. Children need to learn to work for what they want and learn how to be responsible. If they don't learn how to work for things as children, responsibly does not grow over night when they graduate from high school. They have to learn compassion to teach them understand and hopefully it will help prevent future crimes or self destruction. If they have no compassion as a child, they will never have it as an adult. They have to understand their actions affect others.

How are children going to grow up and have sufficient life skills to care for themselves and to become a productive member of society if they are not taught to work for the things they want. Doing chores is how they learn to take care of themselves. When they get their own place, they need to know how to cook, clean and how to support themselves. If they are not taught compassion as a child, how are they going to have compassion as adults.

It is too late for James Holmes, he is looking at the death penalty. Now it is too late for all the people he killed. But, it is not too late for your children. Their lives and the lives on others rely on us doing our jobs as parents.

Just Ask Diane....

2012-07-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

I went out with my husband and friends Saturday night. The bar got really hot, so I went outside to get some air. As I am sitting there on the bench, I watched the couples as they walk out of the bar. Almost half of the couples came out either looking angry or was arguing. Oh, and let's not forget the occasional drunk or some what drunk husband walking around the parking lot looking for his drunk wife, who is off puking somewhere.

Listen, drinking to relax and have fun is one thing, but when did puking in a dirty bathroom stall or off in the parking lot somewhere become fun? Just about everyone is guilty of having their own "I don't remember" drunk moments. Somewhere along the line the drunk moments have to come to an end.

My second issue is, all of the couples coming out of the bar arguing. Why are you going to go out to a bar with your partner if your just going to argue when you both get there. Why not just say, I won't go with you to the bar, because we argue every time we go. Go out to dinner instead. Please people stop being so damn petty in your relationships that you argue in your relationship over everything. Men cannot read our minds as we cannot read their minds. You have to tell them how you feel. Men and women operate on two different levels. The woman is the nurturer and the man is the provider. The problem now a days is the couples clash, because the women have also become the providers and still play the role of the nurturer. Women are feeling exhausted and beaten down and the male doesn't have the understanding of the stress being put on the woman for having to play two roles. Therefore, she ends up trying to make him understand him in a way that doesn't work and he is resenting her for it.

Relationships 101: The Basics of Successful Relationships

Respect one another. Respect your partner's needs and desires. Treat them as you would wish to be treated and nothing less. Be there when they need you and more. Compromise, someone needs to bend, So, stop trying to win and that means both of you stop trying to be the winner. Pick your battles. Save your battles for the important issues. Talk to one another, not at one another. Not only hear what your partner is saying, listen to the what they are saying. Most importantly, don't forget who you fell in love with and why. If neither of those options work for you, then you have some self evaluating to do. Just don't forget, someone has to take the first step forward.

And...there you have the story of Jack and Diane. Love the song, but I wouldn't want to live the life.

Toe Sucker On The Prowl

2012-07-14T04:44:00.001-07:00

A woman called the police Tuesday, after the cashier in an East Georgia Walmart asked her if she watched America's Most Funniest Videos. The 18 year old told her she was part of the show and if she would participate in the show. He then asked her if her toes were painted, then asked if he could kiss her foot. The man kissed her foot and began sucking on her toe. The woman screamed, then called the police. The man said, "It tasted good though."

Wow, some people fall for the craziest things. If someone told me I was part of show and asked me to do something crazy, I would tell them your crazy and run in the opposite direction.

Phoenix Woman Accused Of Giving Her 2 Yr. Old Beer

2012-07-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

Phoenix AZ, 36 year old, Valerie Marie Topete is being charged with child abuse after pouring beer in her 2 year old son's sippy cup on Tuesday. Police say a waitress at the Peter Piper Pizza reported that, she witnessed Valerie Topete pouring beer in her son's cup. She also states, she witnessed Topete leave her son alone at the table for a brief period. The boy's father and two other siblings 4 and 8 were also in the restaurant, but it was not indicated where they were at the time.
When police questioned the woman on why she gave her son beer, she told police she gave him the beer, because he kept reaching for the pitcher of beer.
Stories like this amaze me. First, what were they both doing drinking while out to dinner with their children. Who planned on driving? Second, does she not know how to say no to her child even when it is something that is bad for him? If he asked her to go play in the street with cars, would she let him? Some parents have no common sense what so ever when it comes to child rearing.
The boy was released to his father. In my view, the father isn't any better. She wouldn't have done it if the father ever stepped in and questioned her. The boy was taken to the emergency room for evaluation as a precaution.

Fifty Shades Of Grey Sparks Assault

2012-07-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

Raymond Hodgson, 31 was charged with common assault after throwing a brown sauce on his girlfriends face, because she refused to put down the book "Fifty Shades Of Grey".

Hodgson and McCormick has been in a relationship for five years. McCormick began reading extracts from the best-selling novel by E L James, Fifty Shades of Grey. When she refused to put down the novel, Hodgson became angry and appalled she was reading the book then threw a brown sauce in her face. Well, I guess this book didn't save this relationship, the book combined with Hodgson's jealousy drove a wedge right down the middle.

Family Vacation In St. Augustine FL

2012-07-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

This year for our family vacation we drove down to North Carolina to visit my parents and they took us on vacation to St. Augustine FL. It was one of the most fun vacations our family has ever had. St. Augustine, is one of the best places to go on a family vacation. They have beautiful beaches and lots of attractions for the entire family to enjoy.

Our first stop was the beach of course as soon as Tropical Storm Debbie quit long enough for us to get down to the beach. We stayed in a condo on the beach, which was fantastic. We were close enough to walk down to the beach whenever we wanted to drink our hot tea and watch the sunset.

St. Augustine Beach

The oldest light house that is supposed to be haunted

by a mother and her two daughters.

Top of light house.

The next stop was the Alligator Farm

Where we met our cute new friend.

Next in line the next day was the Old Jail.

Then we were off to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum.

Where my mother who is only 4'9" stood in front of a one of the
tallest men in the world.

Then we spent another day on the beach.

The next stop was the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Ghost Train.

Where we took a tour on the city and all of it's haunted attractions.

Where we visited the Old Fort. It's amazing how something so

beautiful can have such horrifying past.

One of the oldest grave yards in the United States. People are forbidden to enter

the grave yard, because of the age of the head stones.

From there we took a tour of the city at night on a horse and buggy, while visiting the oldest house and other historical buildings of the city while listening to the stories about what took place in the building.

It is very easy to fall in love with the beauty of St. Augustine. The city and the beaches are absolutely breathtaking. We spent seven full days in St. Augustine and we still didn't get the opportunity to see and do everything we wanted to. Next year we plan on taking a few extra days when we return for another vacation. It is definately a good place to take the family for a vacation, you will not run out of fun and interesting things to do with the family.

Squirrel Having His Lunch

2012-07-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

We were sitting eating a snack at the Crocodile Farm in St. Augustine, FL when this cute little squirrel decided to join us. The kids tried feeding him a soft pretzel, but he was not having it. He knocked the pretzel right out of their hands, he wanted something better, he wanted french fries. So, they fed him a french fries and he took the french fry and climbed up in the chair to eat his lunch with everyone else.

Magnuson Hotel

2012-06-23T04:32:00.000-07:00

After 6 and 1/2 hours of driving and a long stretch of highway with very few hotels who have an available room for a family of four, we came across the Magnuson Hotel in Marietta, Ohio. I would have to say I was pleasantly surprised when we walked in the lobby and the room, only because it was a just a random hotel we stopped at looking for some rest to hop back on the freeway in the morning. The room was very clean and the staff was very friendly and helpful, and a nicely stocked continental breakfast waiting for you in the lobby. Perfect little place to stop by and get some rest or even take in some sight seeing in the historical Maretta. You never know what pleasant surprise you will come across when out traveling. We will definitely look for this one when we are out traveling again.

When your traveling a need a hotel a long the way to take a break from the highway and get some sleep, you never know what you will find. It nice to stumble upon a quaint little hotel off the freeway to get some sleep. But, that seems how that is how you find those great little places to stay.

For reservations call (740) 374-7211. Enjoy!

Road Trips

2012-06-22T05:02:00.001-07:00

I always thought as the kids got older, it would be easier to take road trips with them, but that hasn't rang true yet. Instead of packing bags of toys for the trip, we are now packing several pairs of shoes, jewelry, X-box and the Wii. It hasn't got any easier than when the were little. At least when they were little, I could gather their stuff together. Now, it requires their assistance and there are so many things they claim they can't live without.

Except now we have even more complications, nobody wants to sit next to the other one. They are driving me nuts with this sibling rivalry crap. I have no clue how to stop it, everything I try doesn't work. They are 11 and 12 years old and claim they hate one another. My oldest and middle child are 8 years apart, so I didn't have to deal with the sibling rivalry as much as I do with my two youngest, who are only 1 year apart. They live to drive the other one nuts. The only problem with that is, the parents are the ones who are stuck trying to mediate between the two all the time and according to them, we are never fair. No matter how hard we try to be fair, someone is always unhappy with the decision. The sad part about it is, I have two psychology degrees and can't get my two children to get a long, no matter how many different things I try there is always that underlying resentment towards one another and I don't know how or when it began. We adore them both and hate seeing them at one another all the time. It makes it very difficult to do anything together as a family, because they are always arguing with one another.

Sick of Being Sick

2012-06-15T04:21:00.002-07:00

Look out there's a bad cold and flu going around, it hit our entire family and is very difficult to get rid of. The kids recovered in about three days, but my husband and I weren't so lucky. I have been sick for 10 days. It started with a cold, progressed to the flu and a sore throat with high fever, then a sinus infection and my hubby's progressed into bronchitis and it sent us both to the urgent care. I am extremely sick of being sick. I was hoping the antibiotics would kick in and we would both be better by today, no such luck yet.

The Bandit

2012-06-09T04:56:00.003-07:00

This was too funny, I had to share it with you. Mr. Max loves his bandanna. I took it off yesterday to give him his bath, he tried to take it out of my hand, he did not want his bandanna off. As I handed Sammy the bandanna, so I could take a picture of him, he sat up pretty to beg for his bandanna. As if, he was saying "please give me my bandanna back." He is too funny, we nicknamed him the "bandit", because he loves his bandannas and he steals your food when your not looking.

Wheaten Terriers are extremely smart dogs. He is constantly cracking us up with all the crazy things he does. Yesterday, Sammy left the gate open to the back yard. My neighbor calls me out to tell me his is sitting on the front porch waiting for someone to let him in. He was always very easy to train him to do tricks, house break, he will follow you outside, he picks up tricks very quickly. I would have to say one of funniest things he does which was accidental, is to shake his booty. If you tell him to shake his booty, he starts with his head and shakes all the way down to his tale then shakes his butt or when you rub his lower back he starts bouncing on his hind legs then does some little dance with hit front paws planted firmly on the floor.

Wheaten Terriers make excellent family dogs, they adore people, especially children. Just one thing to keep in mind with Wheaten Terriers is they do have a lot of food and airborne allergies. Max requires a special diet of salmon and sweet potato food, he has food allergies to birds, beef, and lamb. So, the best bet is all natural food and treats. We supplement his food with fresh fruits and vegetables. Once you get all the kinks ironed out for their food allergies, they make excellent family dogs. He is very gentle with babies and small children. A wheaten terrier will love you with every bone in his body.

Short video of Max doing his little jig.

"Pool Party'

2012-06-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

Every Spring, I go out on this big search for the prettiest brightest pink I can find. I love hot pink starting with my nails and of course, a lady has to have hot pink eye shadow and matching foot wear for all my favorite splashes of hot pink.

I found this Summer's cutest hot pink at Sally's Beauty Supply Store. It is China Glaze's newest neon pink called "Pool Party". This neon pink put's me in a cheerful mood. It's a proven fact colors ignite emotions. This will definitely be my favorite color this summer. I think I am going to have to stock up on this one, my little darling loves this color too.

The color goes on flat to stay true to the color, just add a top coat and your nails will shine like they are wet. I applied China Glaze's Strong Adhesion Base Coat (also purchase at Sally's), then applied two coats of the "Pool Party" and one coat of the Orly.

The dynamic duo.

Perfect for brightening up those toes and fingers this summer.

Outside the color pops and changes the tint in the sun light.

No, this is not an ad nor I was paid to write it. I'm just guilty of loving bright pink nail polish in the summer.

Human's Best Friend Saves Infant

2012-06-07T23:17:00.001-07:00

As I am sitting here with the lap top and my sweet pooch sleeping at my feet. I came across this sweet story I wanted to share with you. I am a dog lover and this story really touched my heart. It is the kind of story that tells how loyal our sweet pooches will be and do almost anything to protect us. I only own one dog, who I loyally adore as much as he does loyally adores his family. So, I had to share the story it brought tears to my eyes.

A farm dog in Ghana spent the night protecting a human newborn baby and was found under a bridge Winkongo (which is near Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional Capital of Ghana), near the farm where he lives , with a live abandoned newborn baby snuggled against is body.

The search party began by looking for the dog, not for the baby. The dog's owner was worried when his dog hadn't returned home that evening. Searches spent tracking the hound, but not until later did they find the pooch curled around a human baby under the bridge by a farm the dog calls home.

It has been reported by the Ghana News Agency the infant is healthy and well. You got to love those faithful pooches. After all... they are humans best friend.

So Proud Of My Baby Girl

2012-06-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my baby girl, she received the Golden Academic Award last night for straight A's. I have to especially be proud of her, she started school when she was only 4 years old, so she is a year ahead of most her classmates and still tests at a higher grade level than she's in. She will only be 11 years old going into the 7th grade.

I am so proud of my little girl, she has always been an easy child since the day she was born, I am so lucky to have her. She always get good grades and never gets in trouble in school.

Epsom Salts For Hives

2012-05-31T04:31:00.001-07:00

For over a year now, I have been suffering from severe break outs of the hives. I have been working with the doctors for a solution (GP,dermatologist, and next an allergist). But, I am not the type of person to completely leave my fate in the hands of doctors. They are always prescribing some sort of pill for something and they just keep adding pills until they think they may have solved the problem.

I get hives that have sent me to the doctors office or urgent care every couple months for over a year now. These are serious hives that cover a T-shaped area on my back and chest that spread and turn into patches of red irritated hives. The hives have gotten so out of control, they come out in huge bumps that look like my back was attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. Nothing seems to work, I have been on steroids, off and on for over a year, steroid cream, and now two different kinds of allergy pills and an anxiety pill, because they also crop up when I am feeling stressed out. All the steroids are not helping me lose weight, They are making it very difficult for me to control my weight.

I have finally found a fix that keep my hives at bay. EPSOM SALTS, they work fantastic for keeping my hives at a very minimum, almost non-existent. After doing some online research, I found that Epsom salts can work wonders for hives and they are gentle enough to use up to three times a day. Epsom salts provides vital minerals for healthy skin. They work fantastic and it is so relaxing. Not to mention, Epsom salts leave your skin looking healthy and feeling very soft. We look for all these expensive solutions to beautiful skin and the solution is good old fashioned Epsom Salts.

I started by using the recommended dosage of 2 cups of Epsom salts in a hot bath 1-3 times a day and with in a few days, you could see the hives disappear. I now take a bath in Epsom salts once every day or so. The doctors have been running tests, adding more pills and creams and can not find a cause of the hives. I hate taking all those different pills and it is so expensive to run to the doctor every couple of months for a temporary solution, then in a couple of weeks the hives are right back. It is easy enough of a solution to take a nice hot relaxing bath in Epsom Salts. I look forward to locking myself in the bathroom with the lights out, burning a candle and a hot cup of tea while soaking in a bath of Epsom salts.