Un-Whiny Wednesday. I'll try harder next time.

It couldn’t be more lovely outside. Blue skies. Everything in bloom. It’s just about as pretty as spring can be.
Still can’t find my mascara. Guess I’ll have to come off of the wallet and buy some more. It should be replaced every few months anyways.
I’m wearing a new spring dress with a long, flowy skirt. Bitty kitty freaked out trying to capture the evil skirt monster this morning. I have the scratches to prove it.
He’s such a baby doll, though, that you can’t be mad at him. I’ll pick him up, look him in the eyes and say, “no, that hurts mommy” and he leans forward and licks me. We have to get him declawed asap. He has a vet appointment Saturday morning for his first shots. They won’t declaw or neuter until he’s 4 pounds or 4 months, whichever comes first. I don’t think he even weighs a pound yet. The total cost for all his shots, declawing and neutering is about $350. Yikes. But it’s spread out over the next three months so it’s doable. As long as we mind our expenses and don’t eat out.
Per Austin’s instructions, I gave his official vet name as Furr-o-shus. Spelled just like that. I usually just call him Bitty Baby or Bitty Kitty. Just like I refer to Stubby as “Mow-Mow”.
On the way to ballet Monday, Jamie was coughing… I offered her a cough drop… she (tentatively) accepted it. After a few minutes she said, “you know, Aunt Heather, the strange thing about the cough drop is that when you have it in your mouth you don’t cough”. I guess they should call them, “don’t cough drops”.
Yesterday was a busy day at the office for me. Lots of new business, new policies, meeting with people, etc. The day went by fast and I went home tired.
I was torn last night between watching American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and The Office. I flipped back and forth. I’ve never been a fan of DWTS but I watched last week because of Kate and WAS SURE she’d be voted off, bless her uncoordinated self.
I mentioned a memorial service for my children’s grandfather that is coming up. One of the people organizing the event sent me a message from the brother of my kids’ grandfather asking that they give me his number. He wants to know about the kids. I’m touched but also a little nervous. I’ll call him, mainly because I want the boys to not have any missing pieces from their family tree.
Austin went job hunting yesterday. I haven’t DIScouraged him from working but I haven’t exactly been chomping at the bit for it. It just creates another huge responsibility for ME and quite honestly, I’m not sure he’s ready for it. Just basic things like being able to fill out an application when he has such horrible handwriting and doesn’t always remember his address… his perception that he can dress however he wants… but he’s a good worker when he wants to be. He helped a lady move yesterday. I really need to find people in the church who need help around their farm/property who don’t mind showing him how to do stuff. He learns quickly if he’s interested and motivated.
Emailing with Purple Michael and Candice today. They are plotting an upcoming rendezvous or two. I’m only a tiny bit jealous. I love that she loves my first gay man. It shows that I have good taste in ‘mo’s.
I love this new dress I’m wearing but I just caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I looked like Kirstie Alley. Have mercy.
I’m setting up an online Pampered Chef party. I desperately need a new baking stone because mine was discarded during the Darby Era (along with all of my flipflops, my fuzzy slippers and my precious scrapbook). I’ll give y’all details of how you can participate. Help a poor girl out.
This is supposed to be Whiny Wednesday but I’m not feeling very whiny. I’ll try harder tomorrow.

2 minute entry

I can't find my mascara.
Bitty kitty tried to attack the drawstring to my pj pants. While I was in them. Ouch.
The sun is shining bright today. Looks like a beautiful spring day in the mountains.
I think bullies need prayer.
My coffee is awesome. Amaretto creamer is the new jam.
Got cute pics of the girls on the way to dance yesterday with their ballet hair.
Will post when I get a chance.
Salad for dinner last night. It was great.
But then I ate runts. Party foul.
I'm wearing a new scarf that I bought on clearance at walmart.
Planning a thrift store run in two weeks.
I'm sleepy but energetic. Does that make sense?
Love y'all!
gotta run!

People are getting on my nerves today so if you’re people… I apologize if I’m short with you. It’s one of those days that it needs to just be me and the cats. However… later… I’m picking up Jamie and Sarabeth from school and taking them to dance class. That always makes me happy. That will help my crummy mood.
Austin got into some trouble last night. I won’t go into great detail here. Normal, stupid, rite of passage kid stuff that would be one of those things that people who have a reliable co-parent would be able to discuss with the other person in the world who brought that child into the world and who loves them unconditionally and wants the best for them and those two people would make a loving but firm decision on appropriate discipline and stand firm together. Unfortunately, that person doesn’t exist in Austin’s world. In the past when I’ve attempted to discipline my children in a manner that I considered appropriate, they’ve been able to find a softer path to follow. Trust me when I say it makes parenting that much more difficult, knowing that exhibit A and exhibit B both bailed out when I disciplined them in a manner that I considered appropriate for their infractions. So I either A) do nothing and allow my child to continue down a path that I consider a poor choice for him or B) I stand firm, discipline him and know that it might mean, for the third time, that one of my birdies flies the nest too soon. It makes me sick.
So… that has me in a foul temper.
I’m also fairly aggravated that my youngest brother, who was a HUGE part of my children’s growing up years, is bailing out of Cody’s wedding for some dance thing that his wife has. I think it sucks. I flew to Memphis on the 25th anniversary of Elvis’ death right in the middle of a run of my first professional theatre gig and missed a very important event in a very special friend’s life to be at this brother’s wedding. It was a miserable and exhausting time for me but we moved heaven and earth to be there for him. I was broke – other than theatre, I wasn’t working – I had to get a buddy pass from a friend to be able to fly there… on standby… on the 25th anniversary of Elvis’ death. But I did it. I made him a priority. My kids have been raised that family obligations are not optional. They go to little cousins’ birthday parties and baptisms and whatever else comes down the pipe. If his wife can’t come – fine. He should be there.
Of course, this is the same brother that caused me to have to spend this past Christmas alone. Since he and his family were going to be at my aunt’s for Christmas I was uninvited. I’m not bitter. I just think he’s making some poor decisions. I am not quite sure how Jim and I managed to develop a close bond and appreciation for family yet he missed it. I was certainly there for him throughout his young life. I took him to school. I attended all his little shows and dance recitals and ballgames. I CRIED when I missed his first tball homerun. I took him to Panama City after graduation. Cody was extraordinarily close to him and… he’s just blowing him off. And I think that sucks. And since this is my blog, I’m going to complain about it here.
Especially since one brother will miss because it conflicts with his religion. They aren’t allowed to attend any other type of church service other than their own.
I could understand if it was Bryan & Candice not coming since that involves a huge travel expense with them coming from New York. But… at last check… they’re coming.
Jim and Angie are the most highly scheduled and obligated people in the family. It’s the last day of school. Yet they’re managing to come.
Priorities.
So… yeah… that’s aggravating.
Between kids and brothers and the fact that I’m the only intelligent life left on this planet… (ok… maybe there are a FEW others)… I’m frustrated.
Looking forward to some girly girl pink happy ballet time this afternoon.
But I am happy with Cody and Ryan and the fact that they’re both working hard. Marquee is doing awesome in school. Thank goodness she’ll be able to one day support Cody. She’s going to be a pharmacist.
I’m loving my sweet fur boys even if it takes an act of Congress for me to be able to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night since they both sleep on top of me.
If I could just convince Bit-Bit that my toes are not the enemy and he doesn’t have to chew them.
Ever tried to put on pantyhose with an attack kitten around?
I’m working really hard at not coughing today. Last time the bronchitis caused so much irritation in my throat that even after the lung part was cleared up, I still coughed for another month afterwards. I’m trying to keep those coughs under control.
Yes, possibly, this whole coughing thing has me a bit irritable as well.
Maybe.
My birthday is in one month. That makes me happy. I still love birthdays.
My friend A.T. is getting married on the 24th. Her husband to be is a huge bowler. The reception will be at the local bowling alley. I think that’s way cool, although I probably won’t bowl.
I spoke to a guy this morning who is part of a Vietnam Vets association. They are doing a memorial for some guys who attended a local college who died in Vietnam. My children’s’ grandfather is being honored. They wanted to make sure we’d be able to be there. He wanted to see how much my kids knew about their grandfather’s death. He said, “do they know he’s a hero?” I told him that yes, I had always raised them to understand the sacrifice he made. He thanked me. It’s hard sometimes to reconcile the numbers of war dead with actual families… to realize that it’s not just about a widow or a kid or two… but the generational impact of these lives that are lost. That’s on the 17th.
Austin will be going to my parents for spring break so although I’ll be working, I’ll have a little break.
My wheatmeal from breakfast is wearing off. Lean cuisine pizza for lunch. I meant to do some beans in the crock pot for dinner and forgot. Oops.
Hope you have a happy, joyful, peaceful, grump free Monday. The best thing about Monday is that once it’s over you don’t have to do it again for a whole week! Woohoo!

my exciting weekend... ish...

I have spent the day watching TCM... The Good Earth, Sunset Boulevard... yesterday I watched Gigi... now I'm watching The Egg and I. I love old movies. I think part of my enjoyment is that they simply told the story... there was no excessive use of nudity or profanity or violence or any other egregious efforts to hold people's attention. It was a story. Like watching a play. For people who have the intellect and creativity to enjoy a story without all that shock value.

It's been another pajama Sunday for me. I love my church. I love God. I just have a serious lack of motivation on Sunday morning to do anything.

And... well... I've got a bunch of chest congestion and it's making everything take a little more effort and instead of resting this weekend, I spent time with my boys and did a little more housecleaning than usual (after Cody made fun of my dirty fridge) and scrubbed the bathroom. I gave in today and took a decongestant but I wasn't happy about it. Not at all. I refuse to believe this is bronchitis. I refuse to GET bronchitis again. I'm sure this is just allergy/asthma stuff. It's just aggravating. This is what the pulmonologist said I'd deal with every year but I thought I could will it away.

Sarabeth did a great job at her talent show. She got third place! She was absolutely precious! Jorjanne was awesome too... great stage presence... and my friend Alisa's daughter took 3rd place in her division. I posted pictures on my facebook. Sarabeth made a cute little nun. Austin is already trying to pick out a song for Jamie to sing next year when she's old enough to be in the show...

I did some spring school shopping for Austin yesterday... got him two pairs of jeans and a new pair of shoes. We bought a nintendo ds game for Sarabeth and Jamie (it was on clearance). I got two new dresses... one for the wedding but it's too green. I didn't have a sample of the color with me so I just guessed at it. It's a pretty dress, though, I think it will be my easter dress. It was only $15 at Ross.

Cody and Marquee were in town yesterday to do their marriage counseling with Bubba so we were able to go out for dinner last night. For the second time in two nights we tried to go to a restaurant around here that was closed before it's posted closing time. That's how it works here. They roll up the sidewalks when they get ready. Glenda's was open, though, so I was able to get a southern specialty - salad bar with a piece of fried chicken. Seriously.

That's our exciting weekend. I can't believe it's almost Monday again. And almost April.

what's in your garden?

Mary said...
We're getting ready to plant the garden ~ what would you like in it?
March 25, 2010 10:37 AM

Mmmm.... this got me thinking about fresh produce! My granddaddy Pennington always had a fabulous farm... the things I remember most are the strawberries, blackberries and figs. There was other good stuff, too, healthy stuff, but those are the things I remember. Well. That and worms. He kept an old refrigerator turned on its side in his tool shed - filled with soil and earthworms. He sold the worms for fishing bait. They ate worm chow. Seriously. Purina Worm Chow.

Anyways... *AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION TIME*.... if you were planting a garden, what would you grow? What tastes best when it's freshly harvested? Here's my list:
tomatoes
all kinds of peppers (i love colored bell peppers and they're so durn expensive)
parsnips
cucumbers (nothing tastes like a fresh home grown cucumber!)
cilantro and parsley and other herb-y things
sweet onions
any kind of bean
corn
melons

When I was in California with Jen a few years back, my number one favorite tourist spot was NOT the Golden Gate Bridge or beautiful Monterey or the historic Presidio or getting sick on Lombard Street or feeling hip and groovy in the Castro District... my favorite place that we visited was the little farm stand where they sold artichokes. The had artichokes prepared every which-a-way. We had fried artichoke hearts and steamed artichokes. We bought artichokes to have for our hotel picnic later that evening. My favorite thing to do on the weekends here in the summertime is to visit all our favorite little farm stands. I guess I'm an agri-tourist!

So... to paraphrase the credit card commercial... what's in your garden?

ten minute entry - again

Hair done. War paint on. Dressed. Fed. Lunch prepared. Dinner selected. Cats fed. I can spend ten minutes on a blog entry.

Yesterday my friend and co-worker, Theresa, gave me a pink nintendo DS for Sarabeth and Jamie. Theresa bought it for herself and ended up not really enjoying it... so she gave it to the girls. I wondered if they would even know what it was... but Jamie (who is five and in pre-k) opened the case and said, "A NINTENDO DS!!!!" Her parents said, "how do you know what that it?" It was cute. It had one game - brain age - which my insanely brilliant nieces knew how to play. Go figure. I'm looking for some age appropriate games for them.

My greatest joy, though, was being able to hand Sarabeth a blank greeting card and say, "we need to make a thank you card for Mrs. Theresa"... and having SB - completely without any further instruction - know exactly how to do that. The only help she needed was knowing how to spell Theresa. When I say that these are the sweetest, smartest girls in the world, I'm not kidding.

Sarabeth's big performance at the talent show is tomorrow night! Dress rehearsal today. Praying that she doesn't get a case of nerves. Praying also for our friends Jorjanne and Haili who are also in the show.

My allergies are some better today. I had a grocery list of aches and pains when I woke up at 4am today... but I'm feeling better.

Austin brought me a daffodil yesterday. My apologies to the people who own the yard he stole it from. The thought that counts... right?

Two more minutes...
great coffee this morning...wearing red today... great bible study group last night... love my girls and love our leader, Alisa... rain on the way... haven't lost weight.... wheatmeal for breakfast, salad on tap for lunch... baby kitty is playing king of the mountain with Stubbs....

have a great day, friends! love and hugs!

Wednesday Random stuff

I’m so glad that I’ve never had good enough credit to accumulate much debt.
My sister-in-law asked me if I was having a better week this week. I don’t even remember what last week’s drama was. Each week holds its’ own trials and tribulations. This week I have faced aggravations and frustrations and situations that weren’t necessarily my ideal. But honestly… life is good. I have nothing to complain about.
I broke down and bought a new straightening iron last night. I decided it was a necessity, not a luxury, for a girl with naturally curly hair living in the south.
I’m on hold… have been for twenty minutes… this haughty heifer who works in our billing department tried to get smart with me earlier in the week. I knew what I was talking about. She didn’t. It took me a few well placed calls but I prevailed. Or – I should say – the customer’s best interests were served.
Another problem this morning… out of the dozens of reps in that area… I end up with the same haughty heifer. She’s being very cautious with me today and it’s taking FUH-ever for her to review things with her supervisor. I’m right again. She just has to come on to my way of thinking.
Bit-bit the Ferocious Warrior got spooked by a piece of pink yarn last night. I’m not sure what he thought it was but he jumped about two feet and caught his claw on my hand. I’ve got little puncture wounds all over me from his claws. When can they have them removed?
I’m sure it’s purely coincidental but the cats have been rotating between sleeping with me and Austin. One night they both sleep with me… the next they both sleep with him.
They never split up. They’re always together. Whether we’re watching tv or whatever… it’s kinda sweet. Bitty kitty was up on his tippy-paws last night with his two front paws on either side of Stubby’s head trying to wash behind Stubby’s ears… and Stubby’s motor was purring full blast. He could barely reach him but he was giving it his best effort. Stubby needed a friend.
This week is speeding by, thank the Lord.
Sarabeth’s talent show is Friday night. We’re so excited! I’ll be taking lots of pictures.
Confession time. I ate a whole foot long meatball sub last night. I was stuffed to the gills and sick as a dog afterwards. It was soooo good!
I just bought a bbq ticket for a benefit bbq… supporting missions in Mexico. They deliver the bbq to our office on Friday. Since the money goes to a good cause, those calories won’t count, right?
More anonymous comments. Accusations that the phrasing of the bill is being twisted. The sad thing is… even if only parts of it were true… it’s still a socialist endeavor and it goes beyond what I believe government involvement in health care should be. Beyond that… the process of passing this bill walked all over the Constitution and makes me fear for our future freedom. Don’t Tread On Me.
There are a lot of people out there who don’t pay their taxes as it is. Raising taxes won’t make the dishonest people any more honest. It just creates more of a burden on the law abiding, hard working citizens. And a TANNING tax? Seriously?
I think goldfish crackers need Tabasco sauce.
By the way – previously mentioned issue – resolved. I’m good like that.
Since Candice joined the urban organic food delivery service, I’ve enjoyed going to the website to see what they’re getting in their box. Gives me ideas on what produce to buy for us! (or... I'm stalking my brother's menu....)
I’m doing a salad with jicama for lunch tomorrow. Didn’t have time to put it together today. I love getting a salad from the salad bar at the local grocery store for lunch. I could eat nothing but produce and be happy. Don’t know why I find myself eating meatball subs. And goldfish.
I just emailed my brother to see what we’re having for dinner at church tonight. Am I obsessed with food?
Lunch time! Healthy Choice sesame chicken. High sodium... low cal.

anonymous = afraid to back up what they say

Y'all know how much I HATE anonymous comments! Here's one I received on my earlier post:

Anonymous said...
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/frazer.asphttp://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/jul/30/e-mail-analysis-health-bill-needs-check-/As you know, Snopes is an urban legend debunking site...and these "facts" turn out to be exactly that. Doesn't mean your opinion is invalid -- but that forward you got sent turns out to be horse-hockey. Either someone's yanking your chain, or they don't know how to Google.

Well... I'm sure that the Democrat (not Democratic - because they aren't) Party would like us to believe those are not facts. However... I DO know how to google. I took time to pull up copies of the bill from several different sources to verify the content. Yep... they're really in the bill. Urban legend? I wish. Now... as far as how the bill will be implemented... who knows, really... but our unfortunate reality is that we've elected people into office who have demonstrated contempt for the Constitution.

If you believe what you're posting, sign your name to it. I do.

as promised - the forward on healthcare

This is a forward I received from a lifelong friend who works for AFLAC. I googled "health care bill" and was able to find a pdf of the bill to do a fact check on these things. I encourage you to do the same. I am not including a link so that you can do your own research and find your own legitimate sources. The language of the bill is legalese so those of you without your J.D. may not be able to interpret but you can at least verify that what they discuss here is legitimately IN the bill.

-------------------------------------
This letter appeared in the Indianapolis Star (which is owned by the same people who own the Arizona Republic ) and was sent to a very popular Indiana Senator. This just goes to show everyone what pressure these Democrats are currently under, so continue to let them know how you feel about the healthcare bill. Bill Stough

An Indianapolis doctor's letter to Sen. Bayh about the Bill (Note: Dr. Stephen E. Fraser, MD practices as an anesthesiologist in Indianapolis, IN )

Here is a letter I sent to Senator Bayh.. Feel free to copy it and send it around to all other representatives. -- Stephen Fraser

Senator Bayh, As a practicing physician I have major concerns with the health care bill before Congress. I actually have read the bill and am shocked by the brazenness of the government's proposed involvement in the patient-physician relationship. The very idea that the government will dictate and ration patient care is dangerous and certainly not helpful in designing a health care system that works for all. Every physician I work with agrees that we need to fix our health care system, but the proposed bills currently making their way through congress will be a disaster if passed. I ask you respectfully and as a patriotic American to look at the following troubling lines that I have read in the bill. You cannot possibly believe that these proposals are in the best interests of the country and our fellow citizens.

Page 22 of the HC Bill: Mandates that the Govt will audit books of all employers that self-insure!!
Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill: THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.
Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill: YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Page 42 of HC Bill: The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC benefits for you. You have no choice!
Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.
Page 58 HC Bill: Govt will have real-time access to individuals' finances & a 'National ID Health card' will be issued!
Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Govt will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer.
Page 65 Sec 164: Is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations: (ACORN).
Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the 'Exchange.'
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans -- The Govt will ration your health care!
Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. (Translation: illegal aliens.)
Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Govt will use groups (i.e. ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan.
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. (AARP members - your health care WILL be rationed!)
Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. (No choice.)
Page 12 4 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt monopoly.
Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors/ American Medical Association - The Govt will tell YOU what salary you can make.
Page 145 Line 15-17: An Employer MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan. (NO choice!)
Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part-time employees ANDtheir families. (Employees shouldn't get excited about this as employers will be forced to reduce its work force, benefits, and wages/salaries to cover such a huge expense.)
Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option will pay 8% tax on all payroll! (See the last comment in parenthesis.)
Page 150 Lines 9-13: A business with payroll between $251K & $401K who doesn't provide public option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay.) (Like always)
Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of the GOVT HC Admin.. will have access to ALL Americans' finances and personal records. (I guess so they can 'deduct' their fees)
Page 203 Line 14-15 HC: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." (Yes, it really says that!) ( a 'fee' instead)
Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors. (Low-income and the poor are affected.)
Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill: Doctors: It doesn't matter what specialty you have trained yourself in -- you will all be paid the same! (Just TRY to tell me that's not Socialism!)
Page 253 Line 10-18: The Govt sets the value of a doctor's time, profession, judgment, etc. (Literally-- the value of humans.)
Page 265 Sec 1131: The Govt mandates and controls productivity for "private" HC industries. Page 268 Sec 1141: The federal Govt regulates the rental and purchase of power driven wheelchairs.
Page 272 SEC. 1145: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
Page 280 Sec 1151: The Govt will penalize hospitals for whatever the Govt deems preventable (i.e...re-admissions).
Page 298 Lines 9-11: Doctors: If you treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission -- the Govt will penalize you.
Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. (The Govt tells doctors what and how much they can own!)
Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion. (The Govt is mandating that hospitals cannot expand.)
Page 321 2-13: Hospitals have the opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. (Can you say ACORN?)
Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: The Govt mandates establishment of=2 outcome-based measures. (HC the way they want -- rationing.)
Page 341 Lines 3-9: The Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. (Forcing people into the Govt plan)
Page 354 Sec 1177: The Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of 'special needs people!' Unbelievable!
Page 379 Sec 1191: The Govt creates more bureaucracy via a "Tele-Health Advisory Committee." (Can you say HC by phone?)
Page 425 Lines 4-12: The Govt mandates "Advance-Care Planning Consult." (Think senior citizens end-of-life patients.)
Page 425 Lines 17-19: The Govt will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. (And it's mandatory!)
Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: The Govt provides an "approved" list of end-of-life resources; guiding you in death. (Also called 'assisted suicide.')(Sounds like Soylent Green to me.)
Page 427 Lines 15-24: The Govt mandates a program for orders on "end-of-life." (The Govt has a say in how your life ends!)
Page 429 Lines 1-9: An "advanced-care planning consultant" will be used frequently as a patient's health deteriorates.
Page 429 Lines 10-12: An "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans.. (AN ORDER TO DIE FROM THE GOVERNMENT?!?)
Page 429 Lines 13-25: The GOVT will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order.. (I wouldn't want to stand before God after getting paid for THAT job!)
Page 430 Lines 11-15: The Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end-of-life! (Again -- no choice!)
Page 469: Community-Based Home Medical Services = Non-Profit Organizations. (Hello? ACORN Medical Services here!?!) Page 489 Sec 1308: The Govt will cover marriage and family therapy. (Which means Govt will insert itself into your marriage even.)
Page 494-498: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, and rationing those services.

Senator, I guarantee that I personally will do everything possible to inform patients and my fellow physicians about the dangers of the proposed bills you and your colleagues are debating. Furthermore, if you vote for a bill that enforces socialized medicine on the country and destroys the doctor-patient relationship, I will do everything in my power to make sure you lose your job in the next election.
Respectfully, Stephen E. Fraser, MD

Dear Reader, I urge you to use the power that you were born with (and the power that may soon be taken away) and circulate this email to as many people as you can reach. The Power of the People can stop this from happening to us, our parents, our grandparents, our children, and to following generations

ten minute entry

I have ten minutes to do this so I'm not going to edit for spelling or content. Don't judge.
Allergies are out of control this morning. Having trouble breathing. This is no good.
Jamie has a sinus infection. She had to go to the doctor yesterday. When they stopped by the office on the way to dance she gave me a monologue about her day, "got up, went to the doctor, went back to the house, waited a little while, daddy took me to mommy's work, mommy took me to get sister... " She cracks me up. Such a doll.
Jamie has decided that Bit Bit is the perfect name for baby kitty. She said he looks like a tiger.
So his official name is Bit Bit the Ferocious Warrior Kitty.
He's rotten. Has to sit on my chest or shoulder. That won't work for long, especially if he grows into his huge paws.
Kate Gosselin on Dancing with the Stars. Wow. Honey... point your toes. I can't stand it. I wanted her to do well. She looked great but her dancing was just sad.
I'm having a hard time writing this entry because Bit Bit is sitting on my chest grooming himself and he keeps moving his head in front of my face where I can't see the screen.
Breakfast was "wheatmeal" and a banana. Yum.
Bit Bit thinks I'm supposed to share everything I eat with him. I'm trying to teach him "no". Stubby understands "no".
Another bad hair day. Ugh. I found the straightening iron I want on Overstock.com for $35. I may go ahead and order it.
Or I'll check at walmart to see if they have it first.
It may sound vain but ... my hair isn't long enough to leave curly... it won't do the ringlets. And I can't NOT straighten it.
Two more minutes.
Austin called Cody last night. It's interesting... he's really starting to try to connect with his brothers. I think that's cool. Austin is looking for a job and Stasha suggested he could be a busboy so he called Cody to find out what that entails (since Cody did that for awhile).
Time for work!
Hugs!

happy monday!

Yeah. I have a lot to say about healthcare but no time to say it today. No editorial… just a “forward”…
Had a wonderful time Saturday with Stasha and Austin in the big city… but suffered for it Sunday.
My body can no longer take fried, rich foods. Oy.
Yesterday I fixed pasta primavera for lunch and a veggie frittata for dinner. I think I may avoid meat this week.
Banana for breakfast – kashi veggie meal for lunch.
Austin loved the veggie frittata. He went back for seconds. It was super easy.
I desperately need a new flat iron. I'm tired of bad hair days. I found one I want but it's on hold until child support comes.

Below is a forward about the healthcare bill. I haven’t checked out all these statements but I will. The bottom line is that the bigger the government gets, the smaller your individual freedoms get. You may be ok with that… but I’m not. Even if it meant that I would be getting better, cheaper health care (and I’m not).
Ask your military friends how much they like Tri-care (or whatever it’s called).
Ask your parents/grandparents how much they like Medicare.
I have an older client who has medicare and Medicaid and has been shopping for a personal supplemental insurance because she can’t find a doctor to accept her Medicaid. This is our future.
So not only will it not be cheaper or better – you may not even be able to get it. Period.
Anyways… the more I research this, the more I will share…
Liberals will call me racist… which is laughable… but that’s how “free” speech works these day.
Well. Never mind... the forward is a mess when I copy and paste. No time to clean it up now.
I'll review and post later.
Hope you're having a great Monday!

pop's perspective

This is my dad's response to my railings against the health care bill. Since he's worked in the insurance industry for nearly 43 years he MIGHT know a little something about it. Posted without his permission... but he won't care.

--------------------------------------

Since you brought up the subject:

(1) According to the New England Journal of Medicine (not Fox News), 46.3% of primary care physicians have indicated they may give up their practice if the healthcare reform act is passed. If you have ever enjoyed a cozy afternoon sitting in your doctor’s waiting room, then you are in for a treat – now the wait will be all day or perhaps even more.

(2) Healthcare costs will NOT go down – for several reasons:
a. Forcing insurers to cover uninsurable risks will cause all premiums to rise. Yes, I know promises have been made to restrict rate increases. But, like the power company, it only means the insurance company will have to demonstrate loss to get a rate increase. And that, won’t be hard to do.

b. Supply / demand forces will drive costs up.
c. No provision is made to force hospitals to reduce charges due to no longer having to foot the bill for the uninsured. And you can bet that hospital emergency rooms aren’t going to voluntarily reduce their fees.

d. There will still be uninsured people – primarily the very young and the people who fall in the gap. And, yes there will be a gap – only it will be with people who actually work and pay taxes and won’t get a subsidy. The lack of contributions from the healthy will drive up the overall medical cost. (According to the reconciled bill, the charge will be $695 a year - $58.00 a month)
(3) Taxes will go up. President Obama has promised to not increase taxes on anyone earning less than $200,000. But what he doesn’t say is”
a. Your state income taxes will rise dramatically as the increased cost of Medicaid is passed on to the states – who will have no other choice than to increase taxes.
b. The $200,000 will NOT be indexed – so as your salary increase – due to inflation brought on by the trillions of dollars of debt – more people will be impacted. Don’t believe this? Well, take a look at how the Democrats passed the taxation of Social Security benefits. The level where Social Security benefits are taxable was set in 1992 (18 years ago) at $27,000 for single; $32,000 for married. Want to guess what the level is today? $27,000 and $32,000.

(4) The imposition of a tax penalty for not covering employees will entice many employers to drop medical insurance – particularly where the employer portion of the medical cost exceeds the 8% of salary penalty. The reconciled bill would charge $2000 per employee per year - $166.67 per month. Most employers pay much more than this for employee only coverage.

(5) The imposition of a tax penalty for employees not having insurance is not a incentive to buy insurance. Many employees pay much more than 2.5% of pay in premiums already. Unless there is another mitigating factor, most young employees will risk not having coverage knowing that if a chronic or life threatening illness occurs, they can get insurance coverage.

Scary isn’t it. Of course, these points have been made over and over again - and have been dismissed by the current administration and the Democratic leadership as “scare tactics” by the Republicans. Well, no… these are hard economic facts that WILL come to pass if the legislation passes.

Now, as for the “deem and pass” tactic – yes, Republicans and Democrats have used it in the past – but never for legislation with as many far reaching implications as this. When the Democratic leadership uses this tactic, they are tacitly admitting that this legislation would not pass if presented to the House in a traditional manner. If this legislation is so good for America, then it should not have to resort to backroom deals and legislative tricks to be passed. But the bill is NOT good for America in general – only for a limited few.

Should this legislation pass, Americans need to be reminded over and over that this administration refuses to listen to the collective voice over its agenda. In order to blunt future actions by this administration that lead to socialization, we MUST VOTE to remove every sitting Democratic member of the House and every sitting member of the Senate in November 2010. We must campaign to defeat President Obama in 2012 and replace him with a President and a Congress that will repeal this horrific legislation.

That’s my 2cents.

God made me fat

Headline on CNN: Kirstie Alley: Scientology helps me with my weight. Um. Not exactly making me want to run out and sign up.
God didn't make me fat. Gravy biscuits did.
In our office bracket contest, I’m leading – 10 correct picks to 9 against Duane. He saw a lot of basketball this year. I did a lot of research. We’ll see which works better.
My sister-out-law Candice has discovered a cool program in NYC where you can have organic produce delivered. It’s actually cheaper than going to the store to buy, which I think is amazing, especially for New York! You can check www.urbanorganic.com to see more about it. They have good recipes too.
Used to be that we’d head to grandma and granddady Pennington’s on the weekends and would come home with the back of our Volkswagon Station Wagon loaded up with fresh produce. My parents had a pretty good sized garden too, when I was growing up. Where I am now there’s lots of great fresh produce available in season but out of season it’s hard to find.
State Farm is now offering a course for agents who want to involve Facebook and Twitter in their business. I think it’s a fabulous idea. I am a huge proponent (as you can tell) of social networking. It helps me a lot in creating/maintaining relationships with people at church… it helps me keep up with people that I lost touch with years ago… it helps me keep up with friends who aren’t local. I love social networking. There’s a girl at my church that I adore but our paths don’t cross often… she’s on Farmville, though, so I am able to interact with her.
In the new bible study I’m doing – Loving Well – Beth Moore talks about how we’re ten miles wide and an eighth of an inch deep. We have relationships with lots of people but they’re not deep relationships. I agree with her… however… I know that in MY life, a shallow relationship is better than none at all. I am able to be more involved in the lives of those I care about by getting a snapshot once every couple of days than I would be otherwise. Otherwise it might be a phone call or letter once a year. I don’t mean for it to be that way but honestly… I’m usually too tired for in depth interaction.
Factoid… did you know that State Farm’s “like a good neighbor” jingle was written by Barry Manilow?
I just tried to quote someone for car insurance who claimed they didn’t remember what their birthday was… either (a) they were not being honest or (b) they’ve got no business behind the wheel or a car.
Interesting interview with Vice President Biden on www.abcnews.com
BIDEN: Well, I'm telling them two things. One is that, look, this is going to be something when the American people realize -- once it's passed -- that, A, it does take care of preexisting conditions; B, you're insurance rates aren't going to skyrocket; C, the insurance companies aren't going to be running the show like they were before; D, you're going to be in a position where you can keep your insurance that you have. That once the American public realizes that, you're going to get a reward for this. They're going to be rewarded.
How would you like to know that the government wants to destroy the industry you work in? You don’t have to be a financial genius (because I’m not) to realize that if insurance companies are no longer able to control the risks they accept that they will not be able to keep rates the same. Increase out-go without increasing in-come? How does that make sense in ANY industry? How in the WORLD could D be true if A, B & C are true? The answer is that a+b+c in his statement simply does NOT = d.
You know how frustrating it is to deal with social security? Or the IRS? Or the DMV? Congratulations, America. You’ve elected people who will give you those same pleasant experiences when dealing with your health. Let me know how that works out for you.
The fact that it’s being shoved through before anyone has time to review it… the fact that the only way it can be voted in is with bribes… has to make people wonder what they’re hiding. What’s the hurry? We start paying for it now but don’t benefit from it until 2014.
Of course, I’m looking forward to the raise I’m going to get when my insurance premiums drop by 3000% percent.

OBAMA: How many people are getting' insurance through their jobs right now? Raise your hands? A'right. Well, a lot of those folks, your employer, it's estimated, would see premiums fall by as much as 3,000%, which means they could give you a RAISE!

Good deal! That means that my insurance premium is going to go down by over a hundred thousand a year! I’ll also be getting a chicken in every pot, 40 acres and a mule, no new taxes… happy days are here again! Glad Barry Obama is in Washington! So when I’m out of work from my industry being decimated by the single payer healthcare system that he is forcing on us… at least I’ll have that free healthcare available.

The weekend countdown has started for me. The weather is gorgeous and I want to be outside soaking up the sunshine. Between the basketball tournament, the healthcare issue and the weather – I’m having a hard time staying focused today. I wonder if it also has something to do with the fact that I took my allegra this morning. I had to. My eyes were mucked together and I couldn’t breathe. I hate it. I’ve been meds-free for two and a half months.

Hope y’all are having a beautiful day… love and hugs!

editorial thankful thursday

Rielle Hunter. John Edwards.
Jesse James.
Tiger Woods.
Fidelity, anyone?
Not to be overly self-righteous but … come on! It’s sorta like that biscuit and gravy that I like to have on Saturday mornings at Glenda’s in Cleveland. Yeah… it’s good stuff. Rich, creamy gravy. The biggest, densest, most tender biscuit ever. But it lasts about 10 minutes and then it’s gone… and I always wonder if the damage that indulgence does to my weight loss efforts is worth those few moments of pleasure. Lifetime of impact for a few moments of bliss. Think about it. MJD. Cheated on your first baby mama while she was still pregnant. Cheated on the only woman you had the (in)decency to marry – who knows how many times. Likely, if you can find a willing subject, cheating on the woman who wrecked her children’s lives to be with you. John Edwards… cheating on a woman with cancer. How much longer will she live? Could you have not held out a few years? Jesse James… that sweet Sandra Bullock putting up with your baby mama drama and helping raise your child… giving you a lifestyle you never would have had on your own… Tiger Woods… making a mockery of marriage. Ain’t no gravy biscuit that good.

Maybe that’s the sort of thing that has come to me with experience… learning that not everything that makes you happy for a minute will make you happy for a lifetime. And you oughtta spend more time working on the things that can make you happy for a lifetime.

And I'm sorta struck by the phenomenon of women disrespecting other women by trying to move in on their men... and on women disrespecting themselves by going after sloppy seconds. Rielle's photos in GQ were sad... half naked with her daughter's toys? Mmm. Much like those totally inappropriate photos the MJD had of his paramour. Online. In a public folder. Smart women... doing stupid things. Sad.

My favorite things this week aka my thankful list:
1. The tv show Parenthood which features a kid with Asperger's.
2. The tv show The Office (which has a new episode tonight)
3. The NCAA Basketball tournament
4. My nieces – all dozen of them – I looked around at dinner last night and realized I was surrounded by girls! Me! The boy mama!
5. Going ITP (inside the perimeter) for a birthday lunch at the Hard Rock Café with my Stasha on Saturday
6. Orange, jasmine, passionfruit green tea
7. “wheatmeal” my hot wheat cereal that I had for breakfast. Mmm!
8. Thursdays which are infinitely better than Mondays
9. Beth Moore bible studies – we’re doing “Loving Well” right now and I … well, I love it.
10. Itty bitty kitty
11. Stubby the 3legged wondercat being tolerant of IBK
12. Payday
13. Groceries
14. Allegra. I have been completely free of meds this year but I realized today that I’m going to have to take allegra to survive spring in Georgia. Glad I got it filled last year before my deductible reset so I don’t have to pay for any to get through the spring.
15. My friend Sarah got married last Saturday. She has been waiting patiently for God’s will for her life. God has blessed her. That blesses me.
16. I’ve been watching a few other friends who have gone thru some yucky stuff start to see the happy side of things. That makes me happy.
17. Good times. Good friends. Good things that keep happening. Good things that are gonna happen in the future.
18. My shy little niece is going to be in the local talent show singing, “How do you solve a problem like Maria” in a nun costume. I can’t wait!
19. Cinnamon flavored “hot” gum

So about this healthcare bill… I completely agree that there needs to be some kind of affordable health care for those people who fall in the gap as far as eligibility and/or ability to pay. However… I think that you fix what’s broke and keep what works. This whole move to socialized medicine is insane. As a nation we just can’t afford it. Yes, it would be great to give everyone in our country everything they need… but it’s fiscally impossible. I’ve been poor most of my life. I’ve done without health insurance for years at a time. I know what it is to struggle to pay medical bills. I know what it is to struggle to pay health insurance costs and high deductibles and out of pocket expenses. I know what it’s like to have to choose between food and healthcare. I get it. I also know that from a business standpoint, having the government dictate what risks we have to accept – and allowing people to wait to purchase health insurance when they need it – is going to put health insurance companies out of business. The kind of behind the scenes deals that are going on to bribe votes is illegal. This “by any means necessary” style of governing is wrong. This “we know what’s better for you than you do” arrogance is wrong. And… I knew this is what would happen if Obama was elected. So… ten years from now when your health care still sucks and you’re giving more than half your paycheck to taxes and/or having to learn to speak Chinese because China OWNS us… I’ll be saying, “I told ya so”. In the meantime… better stockpile my allegra.

Hope you all have an awesome Thursday! Love and hugs!

whiny wednesday

I'm sleepy. I feel like I can't get enough sleep this week.

I moved the couch on Saturday and my back was already hurting from that... then this guy ran into me yesterday on my way to work. No damage to my car - no additional damage - it's already messed up from where Michael ran into me "as a joke" two years ago. I'm not incapacitated or anything like that... just a little sore.

I finally opened a checking account with a local bank yesterday. That will make life a little easier on payday.

I got an email from the kids' dad yesterday. Two months ago he had the best job ever and was going to catch up on child support. He paid for one week. Then two weeks ago he had another brand new job and was going to start paying. The email indicated this new job still hasn't worked out. Parts of me feel sorry for him... parts of me think he's just trying to bide his time until Austin turns 18. This is nothing new for him, though.

We are still really enjoying the baby kitty although he is spoiled rotten. His favorite game is to chase the cursor on my laptop. He's so affectionate... loves cuddling. Stubby is more of a "tolerator" than a cuddler.

I'm so tired. Need to get up and make coffee.

Working on a positive attitude.

The blender wouldn't work... tried to make a smoothie.
Austin did a poor job (again) loading the dishwasher and broke one of my favorite dishes. Last week it was the measuring cup.
That wiped out plan b for breakfast - hot wheat cereal - because it had to be measured.
If I can just survive until Austin is grown, life will be a breeze. Seems like every day there's a new crisis or new expense related to him. d
I've raised the bar on him... I told him I expect to see adult behavior from him... I expect him to understand by now that dirty dishes go in the sink/dishwasher and trash goes in the trash can and laundry goes in the laundry room. Basics.
I expect him to take out the trash when it's full, not wait for me to ask.
I had a baked potato with sprouts for breakfast.
In Superpoke Pets the gardening function was not working and I had some things to harvest. Seems minor... but it was just one of those little aggravators.
My head hurts.
My back doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would.
I was supposed to have the follow up cystoscopy this afternoon - following up on what they did the week before Christmas. The expense was prohibitive - between $300-$500 out of pocket plus missed work. Last time it took about ten days before I felt well. Longer before I was pain free. I haven't had any other symptoms so after talking to the nurse yesterday, we decided to put it off until June. Ish. I don't wanna. I don't like it. Of course... if I have another kidney infection between now and then I'll do it.
Have to finish my bracket for the NCAA basketball tournament. I'm going with a lot of underdogs. I'm a big fan of underdogs. I'm entering several contests with it... there's only a small chance that I could win but ... it's free to enter so why not?
I'm sick to my stomach. Must be the potato and sprouts.

Short day at work today... then church tonight. I bought these huge suckers for Sarabeth, Jamie and Jorjanne. Austin picked them out. I love giving surprises. I include Jorjanne because she's always just as excited to see me as Sarabeth and Jamie... and because her mom is a single mom... a great single mom... but I know how stretched those single mom resources can be. If I could afford to, I'd adopt another dozen nieces... so much fun... hate that David's kids are so far away - both geographically and emotionally - because I would spoil them too. It's my greatest joy to be able to give gifts to others.

Still working on that attitude but it's getting better.

Love and hugs.

sunday

The second cup of coffee always feels so indulgent. The first cup is maintenance... like brushing your teeth... that thing that must be done to get your day started. The second cup means you have a few extra minutes to linger... you can enjoy it... I'm having a second cup now and it's amazing.

Remember me saying I was excited to see how God would provide? He has. Not in a big unexpected large financial blessing but in more of a "manna from heaven" kind of way. I had a grocery list written out to get on Friday with the bare essentials to get us through until payday and I just haven't felt like going to the store... yet every time I go to the pantry at meal time, there's something there that I hadn't realized was there before... a few extra chicken breasts in the freezer... a can of soup I didn't realize I had... we've eaten well this weekend and the miracle of that daily bread is not lost on me. Maybe it's a miracle I wish I didn't have to see but it's a miracle none the less. He cares so much for us.

I made an awesome casserole yesterday... baked chicken breasts in coconut milk and spinach. I had a little fresh spinach left - about half a package - and 3/4 can coconut milk. I thought... it's crazy enough that it just might work! And it did! I added a little lime salt and garlic powder and it was so good!

I'm watching University of Kentucky play in the SEC Men's Basketball championship game. I have been a UK fan for years... long before Michael turned me on to the Gators.... and I'm so proud of this young team for what they've accomplished this year. There are few schools in the country that have the kind of strong basketball tradition Kentucky does. (North Carolina - Duke - can't really think of any others this deep). I love the passion of the Kentucky fans, especially Ashley Judd who cheers like a crazed woman on the sidelines. I'm more excited about the NCAA tournament this year than I have been in years. Can't wait to do my bracket! My friend Michelle messaged me yesterday that I'm a sportsaholic.

Bit-bit the unnamed ferocious kitty is so rotten that he drinks from a glass now. He has a water dish but he prefers for us to hold a glass and tilt it so he can drink. I'm thinking that this may be a cat that I can actually toilet train. I'm going to research it. He's a quick study. He's already figured out that he has us wrapped around his little paws. Stubby is still mostly tolerant of him. If bitty kitty gets on his nerves Stubby just gives a low growl and a nudge. I caught him hissing once or twice and popped him on the nose for it.

Had some issues with Austin last night that I won't elaborate on here... he's got a few bad habits that he insists on enjoying that needed to be brought under control. It cost me from getting much sleep last night... I slept from about 4am to 7am... and am wiped out today. But the only thing on my agenda today is a shower and a small grocery run.... and some basketball...

Hope you have a great Sunday...

ugh. but at least it's friday.

I have a fever and a sore throat. I’m dizzy and my head hurts. I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus. This is not good.
I’m bound and determined to work the whole day. I’ve warned my co-workers to keep a healthy distance. I’m washing my hands. I’m using hand sanitizer.
But I am definitely sick.
And exhausted.
Sick and exhausted is different from “sick and tired”. The former is physical, the latter is emotional. At least in my neck of the woods.
I’m drinking hot tea by the gallons and trying to stay upright. Doing a lot of leaning.
I haven’t got time for the pain but I’m so glad it’s Friday. At least I can nest and rest without losing the farm. So to speak.
It’s stormy weather here. Austin has a day off of school for teachers work day. I’m hoping for a clean house.
Last night he cooked dinner – one of those Wanchii Ferry dinners and blueberry muffins. It was really good.
Bit-Bit the unnamed Kitty is so light that he was sleeping on my hip last night and I didn’t know it until my hand brushed across him.
He walked across the scale this morning and it didn’t even register.
I think he weighs about 4 ounces. He’s tiny and ferocious.
I got a great video of him fighting Stubby’s tail last night. It’s hilarious. I’ll try to post it when I get a chance/take the time/feel up to it.
Stubby is so patient with him… I’m really proud of him. He lost his temper a bit last night so we separated them for a little while. Bit-bit has learned to find a “people” when the big kitty is grumpy. It’s like we’re “base”. He climbs up in our laps and looks down saucily at Stubby as if to say, “ha, ha! Can’t get me now!”
He’s rotten.
Austin (loosely) tied a (very light) string around Stubby’s tail with a (mini) piece of laffy taffy at the end. Stubby was sitting on the end of my recliner with his tail hanging off so the laffy taffy was dangling. Baby Kitty was on the floor trying to catch the laffy taffy while Stubby ignored him… swishing his tail and sending the taffy all over the place. We could have watched them for hours. We didn’t. Stubby finally realized there was something attached to his tail.
They’re just so durn cute!
I think I’m gonna use the rest of my lunch time to just sleep. Maybe a nap will help. I can do this.

smitten with my kitten

I think anyone who is depressed needs a new kitten. There is no way to NOT laugh at a tiny fur ball who thinks they’re a ferocious lion pouncing on such dangerous prey as an empty toilet paper roll. Our home has become Bit-bit’s playhouse. He can (and does) go anywhere he durn well pleases and it’s hilarious to watch his little adventures… scaling Mount Bed… hiking up the great pepto bismol colored recliner… climbing anything that dares to dangle in his presence. He’s bold and brave and adventurous and then… he will cry if he notices there’s no one else in the room with him. He can’t sleep unless he’s tucked in beside me or Austin or Stubby. He’s so curious and nosy… I was eating popcorn last night and he was trying to get the popcorn out of the bowl with his tiny paw. Austin had a tuna sandwich and he actually reached into Austin’s mouth trying to get tuna for himself. He is not content to be beside you, he has to be on your shoulder or chest – all up in your business. He is tiny enough that he can sit on my laptop while I’m online. (that will not work for long). He’s just absolutely precious and I am completely smitten with my kitten.

It’s a rainy day in Georgia and I am trying something new… making Thankful Thursday more than just a blog entry. We talked last night in bible study about making prayer time more than just a big spiritual wish list… or a mundane drive thru order, “Lord, I’ll have an order of patience, some financial blessings with good health on the side…oh! and bless all the starving children in Africa, amen.” What if… we went for 24 hours without asking God for anything… and only THANKED Him for what He has already done without making those prayerful accusations, “Dear God, please change Michael’s rotten, cheating heart… please make my kids’ dad stop being a deadbeat…” WHAT if… we kept an attitude of completely positive gratitude for a day. Save the gimmes for tomorrow. Save the pleas for Him to fix all that’s wrong in the world for another day. They can wait. One day of me not begging and pleading isn’t going to cause us to miss out on a chance for world peace. And I’m thinking if I focus a bit more on what’s right instead of what’s wrong, I’ll feel a bit better myself.

Today is a significant day in our family. On this day in 1969 my childrens’ grandfather, Robert Ned Sauls, was killed in Vietnam. He was a hero and every year on this day I thank God for his sacrifice, for his service and for the legacy that he left for my children. There are three monuments that mention him – the big one in DC, there’s one at the local military college here in Dahlonega (about 30 minutes from us) and there’s a big one just to him in Atlanta that was placed by a group of Atlanta businessmen that are Vietnam vets.

It’s also the birthday of my sister-out-law Candice. Candice and I couldn’t be more different… and she lives far away in NYC… but she has taken the time to get to know me and bond with me. We have been able to focus on enjoying our similarities instead of trying to change each other. She’s the city mouse to my country mouse. I refer to her as my “Sex and the City sister in law” She lets me live vicariously through her… enjoying the stories of her world travels and her fabulous experiences in New York. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s articulate and somehow she manages to put up with my brother and his crazy family… so in my book… she’s good people.

My straightening iron and curling iron both broke in the past 24 hours, we have rain predicted through Monday and I don’t get paid until the 16th. I’m resigned to bad hair for the next few days.

I still haven’t lost any weight. I’m still trying… but today I had a bacon biscuit for breakfast. Last night at church we had spaghetti, salad and garlic bread with pound cake for dessert. I traded Sarabeth my cake for her garlic bread. We were both happy. Typically whenever she and I have a meal together there’s some swapping going on… she always goes after my French fries…. Which benefits us both. Someone mentioned in front of Austin last night that North Georgia BBQ has reopened for the spring. (Thanks y’all!) so he’s jonesing for some bbq. His unfortunate reality is that we’re living on wish sandwiches until payday. It will be awesome to see how God provides for us over the next few days… He always does. I’ve learned… am learning… present tense… to not stress… it always works out in the end. Sometimes it’s as simple as getting our wants in line with what God has already provided.

Just had a young client stop by. Her son was born in September with cystic fibrosis. He’s spent all but a few weeks of his life in the hospital. He just had another surgery yesterday. She asked about life insurance… his life expectancy is less than a year… gives me a little perspective.

little bit

Here's the new baby! Jamie was sick tonight so he's still unnamed. Apparently he's a Jewish kitty... we'll name him on the 8th day. I just call him "Bit-bit" or "Little bit"...

it's a boy!

We have a new baby… a tiny little fur baby… an –as yet unnamed- sweet little kitten who still needs to – according to Austin – “grow into his eyes” – they’re huge. He’s a real cuddler… loves to be held… loves to cuddle Stubby the 3legged Wondercat… he cried this morning because I was busy getting ready for work and couldn’t hold him. Consequently… I peeled an orange with one hand so that I could hold Little Bit. Little Bit – or “Bit Bit” is what I’m calling him. Austin has given him some Japanese name based on one of his anime characters. Jamie wants to name him Pawly (that’s how they decided to spell it, which I thought was rather creative) and Sarabeth wants to name him Leigh (after her mama). We decided to let the girls name him so I’ll consult with them this evening about an official name.

Stubby is adjusting beautifully. Since Stubbs is a “nurse cat”… meaning that he has a sixth sense about people who are sick or sad and watches over them (usually me)… he makes a great nanny. I woke up this morning to Stubby bathing the baby and the baby was purring like a motor. I’m not sure how old the kitten is…. A little over six weeks…. And he’s weaned but not real sure what to do with kibble. This morning he climbed into the bowl to eat (which made for some precious pictures) He’s using the scratch box like a champ.

Right on cue I’ve become the crazy cat lady… taking a couple dozen pictures of the kitties. They both slept with me last night… Little Bit slept on my chest… right up under my chin… for most of the night… but then I woke up in the middle of the night to find him curled up with Stubby. I think it’s going to be good for Stubby to have a friend. I didn’t sleep well last night because I was worried about how they would get along. They were doing laps around my bedroom at 1am. Stubby hissed once… and I scolded him. I made sure to pet Stubby more than usual so he wouldn’t feel unloved. I even put the laptop away to be able to hold them both at the same time. Two is enough, though. I won’t be one of those cat-hoarding people you see on the news whose homes turn into litter boxes. Two very manageable sweet, loving, cuddlebugs.

random thoughts

I love The Office.
I had spinach salad with goat cheese, cranberries and pecans for dinner.
The phone is ringing and I'm not getting up.
I tripped over the (very sturdy) stool in my kitchen this morning and was sure I had broken my leg... especially when the part of the leg below the point of impact went numb. It's fine now but wow! That was some awful pain!
Austin has a bad cold. Again.
I'm a little creeped out by Mo'Nique and her "open marriage". No. That's wrong.
Planning a trip ITP (inside the perimeter - I-285 for those of you who aren't from atlanta) for Stasha's birthday. She wants to go to the Hard Rock Cafe.
Ironically... that's where I was supposed to meet Michael when we first met for our blind date.
I didn't want to go into a crowded place so I met him right next door to the Hard Rock... at a Vietnam War memorial... to my first husband's father... ironic, right?
I haven't been back since. It will be good to go. I try to go periodically to put flowers on the monument out of respect to my kids' grandfather. I just haven't been in awhile.
Maybe Stasha and I can go to the World of Coke. I've never been. My friend Gina works there as a German interpreter.
I keep waiting for the part where I hate being single. I spent my whole life afraid of being single and I've been completely unattached for 18 months now... and it ain't bad! Why do people swing from bad relationship to bad relationship instead of taking time to realize how complete they are without a signficant other???
The Oscars last night were boring and predictable and cheesy. George Clooney seemed completely unaffectionate to Elisabetta. I predict that she is on the way out. His women have a shelf life shortly shorter than that of my ex-husband... around a year and a half... clock's ticking sweetie. You'll be a barista or cocktail waitress or flight attendant or whatever you were before you became Cinderella again soon.
Ryan's back home in Pennsylvania. I want to go spend some time with him this summer and see his place. I also want to go stalk Jon and Kate's house and I want to go to Scranton - home of The Office. The Office is filmed in L.A but there are tours of the places mentioned in the show.
My toes are still sort of tingly from where I whacked my leg. I'll live. It just gives me some leverage to make Austin do stuff for me.
Smart Ones are 5 for ten bucks at Ingles this week. Austin loves Smart Ones.
My tv plans for tonight... a documentary on the Warner Brothers on TCM and then the Fashion police on E! I'm diverse. I'll also flip back and forth to the Anthony Bourdains's No Reservations episodes. Love him.
I'm craving cupcakes. I haven't EATEN any, just thinking about it.
Freaky muscle spasms in my foot. Ugh.
Ok... that's enough random for now. Happy Monday evening, y'all!

quick post

Saturday means...
pjs, chickflicks, farmville marathon, breakfast at glenda's, mismatched socks, something in the crockpot, grocery run, don't care hair, catching up on lazy...

Life is good.

Thankful thursday. Really

Exhaustion has come to town. I wish I could say that it was exhaustion from a new exercise program or from keeping my house spotless or from anything worthwhile and constructive. I’m just tired without reason. I’m tired to the point of not being able to think straight, stay focused, be productive at anything… and it’s getting on my nerves. I went to bed stupid early last night but saw every hour on the clock (or on the tv as I don’t have a clock in my room). I’m tired to the point of being headachey, nauseated and cranky. This is not good.

Boo-boo’s work in the ATL is finishing up quicker than he thought and he will not likely be in town this weekend for our sweets party at Café Intermezzo… which is fine because the budget hasn’t stretched as far as I hoped this pay period and we don’t need to splurge any more on Austin’s sweet sixteen. When Ryan heads up i-85 north toward PA he’ll try to work it so that we can meet near the interstate and have a bite to eat or something. If not, it’s ok. I miss him but like I told him last night, it’s not “the last biscuit”… which is my way of saying that good things come back again… we can’t always have everything we want when we want it.

The shift key on my laptop has broken off. My café intermezzo money will likely go to fix that. Ugh.

I’m having a little bit of carpel tunnel in my right wrist. Overuse. Probably due to my Farmville activities.

I’ve started looking for a dress for Cody’s wedding. He wants me to incorporate teal into it… it’s an outdoor wedding in late May in Georgia… which means it will need to be adaptable to different weather situations. I’ve had my stylish sister-out-law Candice and my best gay friend, Purple Michael helping with my wardrobe. I’m also trying to plan for a shower… more on that later.

There is still snow on the ground here and it’s beautiful, bright, white against the perfect blue sky. I drove by a place yesterday where there were daffodils peeking through the snow… it was in a place where I couldn’t stop and take a picture or I would have, trust me! We’re expecting warm temps this weekend and I have to get out and walk.

Austin has been in butt-head mode this week… completely uncooperative. Go figure. We have the opportunity to move to a rental place that my friend Alisa owns. It’s about ten miles further from work but about $150 cheaper each month with lots and lots of land around it. Austin went into complete meltdown when I suggested it and I relented and told Alisa we couldn’t take it… but he’s been pulling the disappearing act this week which makes me think maybe I SHOULD get him out of town and into the wilderness. I love where we live now… and I don’t want to spend an additional half hour a day driving… and I don’t know how in the world we could manage moving… but I am so tired of struggling financially… I’m really looking at anything that will make life easier. I’m going to sit him down this weekend and have a heart to heart about our reality. Alisa is putting an ad in the paper this week to get the house rented so it may not even be available any more.

Still no movement on the scale. Stuck at a 4 pound loss. I didn’t even do measurements this week. I’m at about 75% compliance with healthy eating. I’m eating a lot better than I did three months ago and not as good as I want/need to. I may not win the Biggest Loser but I’m at least on the right track.

I’m ridiculously excited about tonight’s episode of The Office. Jim and Pam’s baby is coming! I love this show! Also excited about Survivor tonight. I’m trying to care about American Idol but I’m just not there. Love Ellen. That’s about it for me.

Craving Mexican today. That is NOT good budget wise or diet wise.

Daylight savings time begins in ten days! Yay for that!

Is it too early to start the weekend countdown for this week? Even with the snow interruption, it has seemed like such a long, long week.

Gotta run now... love and hugs and happy thoughts...

so blessed... not stressed....

Well.... it's been three days since I last updated so I figured I better recap so you don't worry... (Aunt Ginger!)
My weekend break was awesome! Austin came home on Sunday and was overflowing with excitement about the Disciple Now weekend he had just experienced and about his birthday on Monday.
Sunday was a great day at church. I love my church. During church I got to sit between my two big nieces - Stasha and Jessie - and then after church I got to pick up my two little nieces from their classes. Lots of loves and hugs and praise and worship and smiles and ... well, it's hard to explain... it's just an awesome place to be.
Sunday afternoon I napped... and watched hockey... and watched Amazing Race and went grocery shopping and played online. Good times.
Monday was payday and Austin's birthday.
Angie brought the girls by the office to get ready for dance... I had saved a few minutes from my lunch to be able to help with them.... to do hair and get sweaty little feet into tights... shared my snack (pomegranate applesauce) with Sarabeth... with Angie and Jim's schedules over the next two months I'll be the designated Dance Aunt quite a few times and I'm so excited! I've got to put together a dance bag with hair stuff and snack stuff. I think this is God's consolation prize for me being a boy mommy... having two girly girls in my life who need my help getting to dance class! I'm a lucky Aunt!
After work Austin and I went out for chinese which he loved and I mildly appreciated. I'm more for thai food than chinese but... it was his birthday. He ordered "happy family" and we spent a lot of time joking about having to buy a happy family... then the order took a long time to come and we talked about not even being able to BUY a happy family...ha!
Ryan is supposed to be in atlanta this weekend. Austin wants to go have a sweet at cafe intermezzo inside the perimeter... www.cafeintermezzo.com if you want to check it out. If anyone is in town Saturday afternoon and wants to join us... let me know!
After we got home from dinner I had a phone call from a blast from the past. It seems that I can't escape the darby era. It wasn't unpleasant... just more drama than I want or need... it's never ending with his life... I guess if you rotate through women every 2-3 years, over a lifetime you accumulate quite a posse of people whose lives you've impacted.
Once again, I'll say that God has placed me in exactly the place He had for me. I couldn't be happier than where my life has ended up. Not what I would have chosen for myself... so much better! I love having the opportunity to share this with people who might have felt sorry for me in the past... if you'll let Him, God will lead you to your perfect place.
Today... for the 4th time this year... we have snow... and I think this bonus snow is the deepest and prettiest yet. It's been steadily falling since before dawn. Based on the forecasted temps - expected to remain above freezing - I tried to go into work - and it didn't take me long to realize that the temps were much colder and the roads much more icy than what had been predicted. I ended up taking a snow day. School had been called off at 5:54 this morning - that's when we got our phone call from the school system. So we're tucked in the nest just watching it fall. It's a great day, it's a beautiful world and I'm blessed beyond measure!
The temperature should be back into the sixties this weekend... and spring is right around the corner!
Hope you're all happy, safe, dry and warm! Love and hugs!