• The daughter to a friend on mine was pregnant during her senior year (last year).  A much younger boy, maybe thirteen or fourteen, began bullying her while she was pregnant.  He managed to shove her to the ground and then on another date, tried pushing her down the stairs.  When it was brought to the principal’s attention all he could say was “well, you know he’s not all there mentally.”  Had this particular individual been able to push her down the stairs would he have felt the same way?  What if he would have injured her and that unborn baby?  Her husband and mother pointed this out to him and all he could do was shrug his shoulders, assure them that he would keep better watch and once again, that he was not all mentally there.
• My nephew (not really blood related, but whatevs) is bullied non-stop.  Teachers watched as student’s threw water bottles and books at his head.  They chose to turn their heads away and pretend as though they saw nothing.  When we approached the principal, he just shrugged the whole scenario off.  He did not have any other eyewitnesses to these accounts.

Watching bullying take place in the schools makes me sick to my stomach.  Reading in a seniors memory book that they did not enjoy their school years because of the years of bullying they had to endure broke my heart.  It makes me think of that episode of Glee, where two of the biggest culprits created an anti-bullying coalition.  Obviously, my intentions are more pure and true.  As I do believe parents, students, faculty and community members need to take a course on bullying prevention.

My two biggest projects are my kitchen and dining room.  I’ve sort of changed my original plans on those rooms.  There is a wall that separates my kitchen from my dining room and if the gentleman working on my floors gives me the go ahead, I will be tearing our that wall completely.  It would open up those rooms completely, give me more entertaining space and quite honestly, the open concept that I love about so many areas of my home.  It’s amazing how many different styles and tastes one can go through when they begin a process like this.  I’ve gone from wanting rustic bedroom furniture to a having a more modern kitchen. My style is all over the place and quite honestly, it’s getting harder and harder to make it all blend together– especially between my kitchen and dining room!

Of course there is also another matter at hand when it comes to my home renovations.. the back yard.  I’ve declared that it is in dire need of an overhaul, as it’s just completely hideous.  My shed has no siding, the yard is just sort of blah and it’s missing a nice big ‘ol deck.  My big plans for the space?  I am planning on blocking off the back yard with a partial privacy fence.  I will not be completely enclosing my backyard, but just enough to eliminate the view from the road into my yard.  I will be putting a rather large hole in my backroom wall to install french doors that will lead out to a large deck.  I’m still tossing around layout ideas for the deck and furniture.  And then there’s the whole flowers, shrubs and trying to find a place for the kids swing set.

What I’m trying to say is renovating is hard work.  It is so completely time consuming, frustrating and exciting simultaneously.

Either way, I was asked to go sit on the sidelines in a lawn chair and look pretty, while reading a book and marvel at the size of the fish he may or may not snag.  Oh, Gazelle.  You know I love you, but something tells me that you are losing your mind.