Just Peeking In

Looks around and dusts off the cobwebs that have begun to form around here. Thought I'd better take the time to stop in here and leave a lil update on whats been going on with me the past couple months. Just in case anyone was wondering. I have missed all my blogger buddies and see that I have ALOT of catching up to do! Especially with Tim, Michael and Buffalo. You guys truely are Certified Blogoholics! :o)

Yes, I'm still alive and kicking.... but the kicking part not so much. I've been moving kinda slow, but getting around pretty well. I was involved in a car accident a little over a month ago. A sixteen year old Highschool girl hit me from behind while I was stopped at a stop light on the way to pick my son up from school. She said, " I wasn't even paying attention". Nice huh? I think these kids shouldn't get their licenses until they are 18 in my honest opinion. Totalled our car. Pretty much turned the Accord into an Accordian. And of course my back and neck were hurt. I've been going to Physical Therapy three times a week trying to get relief from some of the pain. Sadly, we were forced to file a lawsuit for the accident since the Insurance Co. refuses to compensate us for the damages like they should. So we'll see how that goes. As well, I had foot surgery shortly after that to have a bone spur removed from the top of my foot. I had some bone and cartlidge floating around in there and it had to be removed. It went pretty well. Wasn't too bad at all and it's feeling better every day and hopefully will be good as new soon. I put that off way too long and I'm glad that I finally got it fixed. Gonna have to dust off all those sexy shoes I have in my closet that have been hiding too.

But this is why I've not been around here much. It really made me wish that I had a laptop so that I could have been kept up to speed with all of you. I've been doing lots of just laying around and, well enjoying the pain and muscle relaxors prescribed by the Doctors, smiles. So trying to blog would most likely have been a disaster in itself since i'm not very good at it to begin with.

And here it is, November... almost Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner. I can't believe how quickly the holiday's have rolled around again. Time to drag all the "stuff" down again from the attic and begin the yearly holiday decorating ritual. With little ones still at home it's something that must be done. I know if i didn't, I would regret it later on. As for shopping, well.... that shouldn't be too terribly difficult since funds are running low around here. We can never seem to get caught up. Being broke really sucks! I may soon find myself in the market for a job. I've not worked out of the home since the boys were born. Lord, it's been over 12 years and the thought of going back to work scares the crap outta me! Even though I know it will be a good thing for me to get out, meet new people, make new friends and earn my keep and feel a little independant. I don't know what I want to do. Well, i do... Something fun, I know that. I don't want to have a job that I dread going to everyday. I feel so outta the loop, feeling like I've been stuck inside of a shell for such a very long time. I need a little push and words of encouragement to help me along in this venture. So, we shall see. I get nervous and worry just thinking about it.

Other than that, life around here has been pretty mundane. I do what I do. Daily chores around the house, watching Nascar on the weekends (lol, sad I've become a nascar junkie), cheuffering the boys to school and all their school and other outside activities keeps me pretty busy. They are growing up so fast. Toooo fast. One 9 and the other 12. Boys! Never a dull moment in their waking hours. And they both enjoy their time on the computer playing an online game "Runescape" with the rest of their friends. So this also cuts into the time I'm able to spend online. And when I am online it's usually spent at PSPR. A PSP (thats Paint Shop Pro for those who don't know) Runboard Forum Group that I help Asst. Manage. I love the time that I get to spend there and the friends that I've made as well. I consider them my family. I really do love them all to pieces and I'm thankful to have found them to help keep me sane and creative too. Some of them are even opening their own sites here at Blogger which I think is very cool, yeahhhh! I wish them all the very best of luck. I find it amazing and very special all the online friends I've made. That includes all of YOU here at blogger too who I've come to know and love. I've not forgotten you. Never will. And I thank you for boosting my sprits, making me laugh and think and cry with your posts, be them serious or silly, on those crappy days when nothing seems to go right. I may not reply regularly, but I am still peeking in and trying my best to keep up reading.

So there you have it. Where I've been and basically what I've been doing. Take care and have a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving! Catcha later.
Love & Peace,

A Day To Remember

Can you believe that today marks the fifth anniversary of the horrific events that happened in the United States on September 11th, 2001? I hope you'll never forget. I know that I never will. It saddens me still deeply and I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to cope for those who lost their loved ones, family & friends. Peace be with you all on this day.

Brave and Free
By Julie Yahnke, age 11

September 11th, here we are again,
When we lost so many women and men.
The Twin Towers came crashing down,
and the crash was heard the world 'round.

Fire and ashes and broken lives,
The weapons they brought were box-cutters and knives.
They took airplanes into buildings and ground.
And the crashes were heard the world 'round.

We rose in great numbers to help and to cry.
Why, why, should so many die?
Yet we are stronger than they will ever be;
We are the home of the brave, and the land of the free.

For all our lifetime we will fight
For what is good and what is right;
Let the shouts of love for our country resound.
And let it be heard the world 'round.


This website, is a most powerful and beautiful reminder and I hope you'll take a moment to view it.

http://www.fdnylodd.com/BloodofHeroes.html

The Truth Be Told

I've spent alot of time thinking this past week about myself and this problem that I have. Not just one problem, but a number of them. It's really difficult for me to find the words, much less express them in writing when it comes to talking about me, things that I've experienced, not experienced, thoughts, feelings, dreams. Why?

For quite some time I've suffered feelings of worthlessness, low self esteem and not much in the way of self confidence. I struggle with believing in myself. It would be so nice to be able to remove some of the doubts that I have about myself, maybe change some of the things that are stopping me from making the most out of my life. I would much rather.... and find it much easier to give priority to other peoples needs and happiness.

Both my parents always instilled goodness in me. They always encouraged me and did their very best to lead me down the right path. I've always been a kind of quiet, shy person and never wanted to be put in the spotlight. I've always been more of a follower than a leader. Often times believing most anything someone would tell me. I guess I'm also a bit gullible. I've always had a tendancy to take things that were said to or about me to heart. Some of the things, most of the bad.... I have a difficult time letting go of. People, both children and adults can be so mean with their words. I beat myself up alot over things that have hurt me and wish that I could just let it go.

I've never been one to brag or be selfish or conceited because it never seemed like the right thing to do. Over time I suppose I've come to not like myself and believe that I don't deserve happiness in my life. Not such a good thing because my self esteem has suffered and my self worth has been forgotten. Now, I'm beginning to realize that first and foremost I need to learn to love, value, respect and take care of myself. Hopefully this will make me more responsible and more at peace with myself so that I can love and help others to the very best of my ability.

So I'm on a hunt... searching for that which I lost sight of, my worth, confidence and innate value. I know it's there, I just need to recover it. Wish me luck.

Peace & be well,

The History of Labor Day

When my 12 year old son asked me earlier in the day "What exactly is Labor Day"? I wasn't completly happy with the answer I had for him so took it upon myself to do a bit of google search to find out exactly how it came about and what it means. I know... I should remember this from school, so spank me! ;o) Of course two weeks into the the new school year, the boys are just happy to get a day out of school. And if you must know... It's true that mom is more excited about school starting back than they are.

Anyways, I just thought I'd share it with you what I learned about Labor Day.

Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

So... It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

To all of my wonderful, hardworking friends here and there that I've come to know and Love.....Take care and have fantastic, laid back and safe Labor Day weekend! You deserve it. :o)

The Sturgis Experience

Really hard to believe that Summer is almost over and the kids will be starting back to school next week. I've been kept busy though, so I can't complain about that.

It's been a few weeks now since I was last here and see that I've been instructed to post... so guess I'd better, huh?

Just arrived home a few days ago. We went to Sturgis, South Dakota (our third year now) for the 66th Annual Bike Rally. If you've never been, this place is legendary. And once again it was a great big party!

Alot of the bikers that go there ride their bikes and spend the week "roughing it". Not us. That's just not my idea of fun. It's about a 16 hour drive from where we live here in Oklahoma to Sturgis, so we trailer our bike and golf cart in our RV (toy hauler) travel trailer. The golf cart, new this year... we used to cruise around the campground & get silly. And I must must say that it gets reallllly crazy around there every night. Smiles, just imagine.

Our trip included the following Not-So-Good things:
- intermittant air conditioner not working in the truck on the way to Sturgis.
- a dead battery
- generator for the RV went on the fritz
- flat tire on the RV (blowout on the interstate) which ripped the fender off and twisted the hell out of it.
- me attempting to read the map and getting us lost a few times.
- another flat/blowout on the trailer on the interstate on the return home that caused even more damage.
- The price of Diesel gas averaged about $3.39 the entire trip, sighhhhhh.
-hubby got a speeding ticket on the way home
- i got a speeding ticket on the way to pick up the boys at my parents house.

Other than that.... we had a great time once we got there. Lots of sex, partying, and rock-n-roll! We went on a few great rides on the bike even though it was hotter than hell. At our RV campground, they had 4 concerts a day for 5 days that included: Sammy Hagar, Nickelback, Keith Urban, Big & Rich, REO Speedwagon, Steve Miller Band, Joe Cocker, Shooter Jennings, The Black Crowes, Foghat, .38 Special, Steppenwolf, CheapTrick, Live, Gin Blossoms, Georgia Satellites, Cross Canadian Ragweed, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Gregg Rolie (Santana). Whew, i think i gottem all.
We didn't see them all since they started early in the afternoons when we were out riding, but we did get to see quite a few and that was awesome!

So yeah, we had a really good time. Much needed time away together. And there were 5 other couples there as well who we knew who camped around us. They all got plenty of pics. which I'm pretty positive that I would be very embarassed to share if I were to see them. Our camera had to be sent in Canon before we left to be fixed, sighs. But we did take our old camera so hopefully we'll get a few decent pics.

If you've never been, South Dakota really is beautiful country. And there's nothing like seeing hundereds and thousands of Harley Davidsons barreling through the ponderosa pine covered mountains and Black Hills. MT. Rushmore and Crazy Horse both continue to amaze me. And I can't forget to mention all the scantily clad women (and men) traipsing around everywhere. Ohhh, my... but thats another post! Another year gone by and I didn't get that tat or piercing I've been wanting. Guess I'm just too chicken even though I'm quite confident I would enjoy the pain. I also think it would be cool to get my own bike and learn to ride well enough to do the Sturgis thing on my riding my own. Perhaps, one of these days.

It always feel good to get back home though. I wish you all could have come along with and made it an even more memorable time. I've got lots of blogs to catch up on so guess I'd better get busy. Peace & be well my friends, until next time....

I discovered...

....tonight what "Punishment" from Blogger is for not posting for so long. That would be to EAT it! I kid you not, I finally finished the post that I had been working on for what seemed like forever. Updating all of my blogger buddies, at least those of you who can still muster up the nerve to stop by here to see what I've been up to, if anything. Which really isn't alot, but seemed like alot after the long essay that I created. Sighssssss. That's right, after hearing all those stories out there from others saying that Blogger "ate" their post. I said, oh that will never happen to meeeeee. And sure enough it did. So until I find the time once again to release my mad blogger brain endorphins that are boiling over.... ughhhh. I will attempt to post again what I had previously posted.

I do want all my blogger friends to know that I've not forgotten about you and I am still reading your Blogs. Even if i don't always post a comment doesn't mean that I don't still love you. Long story short, Summer has been crazy. Lots going on and never enough hours in the day to post here as much as I would like. Especially when I have to share my computer time with two little boys. But school starts back at the end of August and I'm looking forward to having more time to hang out around here.

The Michael has been after me to get in here and post and I promised Him that I would.... or else. But I think that Blogger has punished me enough this time around for my absence. Growls... Thanks alot.

So before I sign off, I'm going to skip my original thoughts and come back to them. And list 6 weird things about myself. I believe it was Tim who tagged me a while back and I haven't forgotten but have had a hard time thinking of 6, even though I know there are probably loads more. Anyways, here goes:

1. I will NOT fly on a plane unless I'm wearing jeans or pants. I have this phobia that if something happens and the plane catches on fire that I don't want my bare legs exposed. So I never wear shorts, dresses, hose or skirts when I fly. :o)

2. I am basically a right handed person in just about everything that I do. Except shooting pool. I shoot left handed and cannot shoot worth a damn right handed no matter how hard I try. It just doesn't feel right. :o)

3. I cannot put on mascara without opening my mouth. Never fails, if I try to put it on with my mouth shut it ends up on my face and not on my eyelashes. Guess this goes with when I was little and would color. I always colored with my mouth open or my tongue sticking out. When my mom would ask me why I did that I would tell her it made me color pretty. :o)

4. I have to have a huggy pillow when I sleep. One besides the one that my head is on. Preferably on my left side. I don't know what I would do without my body pillow and when I go to a hotel I always make sure to get extra pillows to hug on and wrap my legs around. :o)

5. I like bananas, but I do not like ones with bruises on them. They gross me out and if I peel one and it has bruises on it I will throw it away. When I was little I got in bad trouble from my mom when she discovered an entire bunch of bananas in the trash that I had thrown away because they had bruises on them. :o)

6. I'm not what you call a "Neat Freak" and don't mind a bit of clutter. But my clutter must be organized or it makes me nuts. Hehee... does that make sense. Weird I know. :o)

Well, thats what I was able to come up with. Now I'm crossing my fingers that Blogger will not eat my post before I get it saved and published. Take care, until next time....
Hugs,

Happy Mother's Day

History of Mother's Day

On the second Sunday in May, American children of all ages treat their mothers to something special. It is the one day out of the year when children, young and old, remember their mothers and express their appreciation for everything their mothers have done for them. It is a day for showing your love and respect for a very important woman in your life.

England was one of the first countries to set aside a day to recognize mothers. In the eighteenth century when many people worked as household servants for the rich, "Mothering Sunday" (the fourth Sunday of Lent), was reserved for them to return home to be with their mothers. Though this custom stopped when the Industrial Revolution altered the working and living patterns of the people, one Sunday for Mothers was established as a holiday in the twentieth century.

Mother's Day in the United States was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe who wrote the words to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic". She hoped it would become a day dedicated to peace and organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston for several years. Although other people began to organize meetings in their own hometowns as well, the idea really didn't catch on until the year 1907.

The establishment of Mother's Day was due largely to the perseverance and love of one daughter, Anna Jarvis. Anna's mother had provided strength and support as the family made their home in West Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where her father served as a minister. Anna's mother also had wanted to find ways to heal the wounds left by the Civil War and hoped that mothers would bring their children together in peace. As a girl, Anna had helped her mother take care of her garden, mostly filled with white carnations, her mother's favorite flower.

When Mrs. Jarvis died on May 5, 1905, Anna was determined to honor her. Two years after her mother's death. she asked the minister at her church in West Virginia to give a sermon in her mother's memory. On the same Sunday in Philadelphia, their minister honored Mrs. Jarvis and all mothers with a special Mother's Day service. Anna Jarvis began writing to congressmen, asking them to set aside a day to honor mothers. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day; and a year later, every state celebrated it. In the United States, Mother's Day did not become an official holiday until 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother's Day a national holiday.

On Mother's Day morning, some American children follow the tradition of serving their mothers breakfast in bed. Other children will give their mothers gifts which they have made themselves, or bought in stores. Adults give their mothers red carnations, the official Mother's Day flower. If their mothers are deceased, they may bring white carnations to their grave sites. This is the busiest day of the year for American restaurants. On her special day, family members do not want Mom to cook dinner!

Happy Mother's Day to every Mom and to all the Mother's we've lost.