Who put the extra in extraordinary?

So, if ordinary is usual, basic, plain, etc... why is extraordinary beyond the ordinary and special? Why wouldn't extraordinary be a more ordinary than just usual ordinary? Do we get to count it as an oxymoron?

Well, needless to say, I'm home. We have collected the pooch from the country kennel. The last load of trip laundry is in the wash and I've spent the entire day practicing my couch potato skills.

I love my family. I really do. But the chaos and drama that surround them is simply exhausting.

We did happen to see on the atlas a small town in Missouri named "knob lick". My husband really wanted to stop by on our way home...

Ah, my daughter just pulled another tooth. That's the third one she's pulled in the last 10 days. That's my cue. See you all tomorrow!

Crappy Poetry Hour

Swirling crimson liquid, thrums with vibrations;
Whirls spread out, farther, faster, stronger;
The soul's elixir vociferous with discord.

A moment's breath and swell, the flood rushes;
The sea of red reigns over all.

With a scream the barrier is torn asunder;
The deluge breaks free and
Life glistens with its dew.

It.... LIVES.... Muhahahahah

*gasp* It's been so long since I've been able to play on the internet. I'm dying over here! Between having major projects at work, scheduling and pulling off a birthday party for an "ADD" child, few physical hurdles (pulled my back and had a nasty migraine for two days), and looking for a new job... I've not had any time!

A few of those major projects at work are moving along nicely so I can relax a little on those. The birthday party has come and gone... the Pea Pie is now a proud parent of a crazy haired guinea pig, fondly named Scooby. Flexoril fixed the back. Relpax and sleep fixed up the migraine... and I've got a phone interview on Monday for a job I really want... ready for the title? Associate Consumer Strategist, Global. Sounds cool, huh?

So... how are you doing? Have a post you made in the last week or two that I should make sure I read while I'm playing catch up? Give me the link so I can be lazy and go right to it!

Scheduled for this weekend? Picture of Scooby to share his crazy hair with ya'll and maybe some of those book reviews finally!

In the meantime, how internet addicted are you?

You Are 75% Addicted to the Internet

In your opinion, life without the internet is hardly worth living. Could be, but you probably need a bit more fresh air and sunshine to think clearly.

Are You Addicted to the Internet?

13 things that have kept us apart!

I haven't even spent five minutes in the blogosphere since last week. The craziness from Friday continued on through the weekend and early part of this week... Let's see what's happened since Friday morning - here they are... 13 things that have kept me 5,000 miles from the blogosphere.

1. Severe abdominal pain of unknown source.... or so says the ER release form that I got when I spent a day in the emergency room with my 9 year old. She had some severe pain a month or two ago and I took her to the doctor and he saw nothing troubling and eventually it went away. It's back and this time we took her straight to the hospital. It's incredibly tender to touch... but blood tests and xrays couldn't identify it... so now we play the waiting game.

2. The joy of seven year glee... The pea pie turns 7 this month and I've been trying to get her party scheduled and invitations together. The party is this Saturday.

3. My mother who loves me.... and feels the need to call me every evening to ask what my daughter wants for her birthday or how my other daughter is... or if I saw American Idol... or if I wrote my grandmother...

4. Lincoln Child's Deep Storm (book I finished and need to write a review on)

5. Trudi Canavan's Priestess of the White (which I also finished and need to review)

6. Trudi Canavan's Last of the Wilds (ditto)

7. Read Blanchard's Raving Fans.... not by choice mind you. I was given a week to read it for work and starting soon we're all going to talk about our thoughts on customer service... every day... each morning, before we start our day. Oh may the joy never end.

8. The job which has lost it's appeal. The CEO completely wigged out on Friday, treated the employees in a completely unacceptable fashion and when I let him know he was pushing me to look for another job he responded by telling me they may just go ahead and hire some one soon so that there isn't a gap in the service provided to the clients (yeah, I really felt appreciated after that).

9. The beginnings of the job search. So I brushed off my resume and sent it out on Saturday. I've already had five calls in response. I'm thinking it's a good sign so far.

10. Longer than usual work days... It's called the work harder, get criticized more, get more tasks, have shorter timelines and get nothing in return business model... oh yeah... I love working 10 to 11 hour days. (see #9)

11. Hunger Strike in response to Idol and oh how it surfs through the net - really... I don't know

if I want to criticize the stupidity or pity the thought that this is the most important thing in someone's life. Unless it's all a great big joke.... then Har Har Har

12. Family funday. Saturday (to release some of last week's pent up energy and before #1) we went to the Children's Museum as a family outing.

13. Let's see... Oh yeah, a UTI, a special gift for me from the "Life Sucks Fairy, Ha Ha Ha".

So, it's been an interesting couple of days for me.

Geez... question for you astrology folks

Is mars traveling through "Uranus" in retro or something... (sounds uncomfortable to me) I mean, completely crappy day at work, my kids are home less than an hour and screaming with temper tantrums... what is up?

Is Cosmic Karma's evil twin on the loose?

Time for some serious link love!

I've been a little busy and distracted lately... it happens, right? And I've been pretty quiet in the blogosphere. I pop on just to make a fast announcement to the world at large: "Yay! I finished something important. I AM syked! WoooT!"

And along come the wonderful people in the blogosphere to pipe in and make me feel even better. One of the reasons why being involved in the blogging community is to have a support network of friends and like-minded associates.

My mother sent me a lovely arrangement - let me share it with you... and a special thank you to the folks that stopped in to say hello!

Heather Muses

Christine D’Abo

Undercover Angel

December Quinn

The one, the only! Susan!

Laughing Muse

Joely Sue

Mike Berta – where ever you are!

Wylie

Angela the SciFiChick

Sabrina at the Coffee Quill

Amy Ruttan

Rob with Paxton Fiction

Katie with Slightly Savage

The Domestik Goddess

Visit them, tell them how wonderful they are :) and let the bloggy karminess continue!

One life goal down... BOoYah!

My husband and I met in high school. When I graduated, my mind was not on my education, but on other things. I had a 3.9 GPA, scholarships aplenty, and enough acceptance letters to go where ever I wanted. I managed to finish a year of college and then found myself married, working full-time, and shortly after - pregnant.

I love my husband and my children. I have no regrets and I thank the powers that be everyday that I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful family.

Not having that degree though... that was a burr in my saddle. As I matured and as my children went off to school the annoyance became a fever. In 2004, I signed up for University of Phoenix online campus. Today I am finished. Yes!

I am raising two children, maintaining a solid - loving relationship with my husband, working a full-time career which often requires 50 or more hours a week of my time, blogging, writing a book, trying to keep a house clean... and I spent the last two and a half years in accelerated college courses writing at least one (usually two) papers a week - every week. (Which is, of course, why my house is often a mess and I'm only a third of the way into my first draft!)

Life goals 1 & 2:

1. Complete my bachelor's degree: Is officially taken care of.

Now I can focus on 2. Complete a novel.

You are never too old to finish something you started - or start on a completely new path for your life. No matter who you are or where you happen to be, never give up your dreams or your goals. No matter how unattainable they may seem to be. No matter how many obstacles you think you face. With determination and dedication anything is possible.

If you like photographs...

My husband has entered the blogosphere. He's working on getting a website/blog together for his photography.

If you'd like, you can pop over and give him a warm welcome!

Shutter and Light Photography

Yup... shameless promotion of family and friend blogs is completely acceptable! :)

Happy Valentine's Day

Another edition of the weekly Thursday Thirteen.

Happy Valentine's Day all you guys and gals. Today is the day of LOVE! Yes! I have a darling husband that I love dearly and I could certainly start a list here telling you all the reasons why I love him... but, I'm thinking you probably won't find those reasons nearly as important as I do... so how about a love list that we can share?

I love blogging and let me count the ways...

13. My husband says that I'm a happier person when I'm blogging. See... it is good for you. It's good for your soul!

12. You get to find someone who shares similar interests, a sense of humor, and strike up a friendship... much like my blogging buddy - Susan at West of Mars.

11. You get to step on top of whatever soapbox you want and rant or rave or vent... and develop a fan base while doing it.

10. Nothing makes surfing the internet more enjoyable that popping on to someone's blog and seeing what they think on a topic.

9. Learn something new. Learn something new. Learn something new.

8. Get to know your multiple personalities and give them voice!

7. You get to be one with the force! Also known as the internet....

6. You know you love something when you can spend endless hours just admiring it... much like the blogosphere.

5. The Meme... You know it. You love it. You anxiously await it's weekly arrival!

4. I love site traffic. Yes. I like all those little clicks and I lovingly check my traffic meters at least two or three times a day.

3. I've gone to bed at night and as I've drifted off to sleep.. I've thought about the blog post I'd like to research and write... and post...

2. I've clicked on someone's blog and... *gasp* experienced blog envy!

1. Mostly, I love the feeling of community and the group of bloggers I've connected with.... Thank you for feeding my obsession. :) Have a lovely Valentine's!

To Say Goodbye...

is very sad.
Any regular visitor of my site knows that I'm a little nutty about writing. I've always been a voracious reader. But, I've not always loved the act of writing. In fact, while I loved to read... I would shudder at the thought of an English class: commas, semicolons, subordinate clauses, diagrams, past present participles, adverbs, adjectives, find the metaphor, what's the simile here... blah, blah, blah. I hated it. Because I was smart and could read faster and comprehend more than my other classmates I always advanced and received high grades. But - grammar and mechanics did NOT come naturally to me. In fact, I still struggle with them and it's one of my weaknesses that I have to monitor while I'm working on a manuscript.

I hated English...
until my senior year of high school.
I was placed in AP English with Mrs. Noland. Curly short hair topped a cherubic face. Her dresses often made me think of the older gingham ones, and she always had a pin of some kind on her chest. From her tutelage I developed a passion for the written word. I didn't have to be an expert to enjoy it. English could be fun. Many times I felt the lightbulb brighten above my head. In my senior year I was convinced that my calling was in education. I wanted to be a high school English teacher - just like her.

One of my old classmates just emailed me. Mrs. Nolan lost a battle with cancer and passed away the day before yesterday. I have thought of her often over the years. She was the teacher that did not just teach my mind... she taught my soul.

I wanted to share part of a letter she wrote for me when I was applying to college. She wrote:

"...I realized that Erica was an excellent student of literature, an astute reader, and a very sensitive human being. She is excited about learning. She admired some authors we studied and gave profound reasons for the ones she did not like. She particularly respected those authors whose ideas supported the dignity of the human spirit. She is a tenacious student, who refines an idea until she is comfortable with it, not merely until it earns a grade...

Perhaps Erica's ability to lead and to work so well with people is an outgrowth of sincere compassion for others fostered by her own circumstances. Perhaps she is simply as gifted with people as with ideas and academics..."

That letter touched me. I graduated from high school in 1995 and I've kept her letter because it meant so much to me. I know that letter not only got me accepted into several colleges, but it also helped me score some great scholarships. :)

I never mastered the skill of poetry, so even though my heart wants to write a suitable verse of poetic form to properly due her justice... I just can't bring the words together. So let me borrow some from Robert Frost

Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

For all of the teachers who try to enrich the lives of our youth, thank you. You do make a difference...

13 ways music strikes a chord with me

1. When I'm cleaning, nothing is quite so energizing as pulling a cd out of Aerosmith's Box of Fire or one of Metallica's older jams then getting down to the nitty gritty.

2. When I'm thinking on a work project or trying to work through a difficult scene, classical or softer songs help me concentrate and think through the issue. It's usually Beethoven, Sting, or some of the older Willie songs, like Seven Spanish Angels.

3. When I want some entertainment, music brings me such shows like American Idol and Rockstar. I also enjoy going to the ballet with my mother. There is something about listening to great works like those done by Tchaikovsky and watching dancers gracefully twist and turn to the music. I can't watch it all the time, but when I'm in the mood, I'm moved by it.

4. When I'm driving I have to flip through stations until I find a song I can sing along with. I often skip the radio hosts. The ones we have up in Minnesota aren't very good.

5. I used to love listening to Dirty Mike, he had a great relationship with the radio station in New Mexico, and it was more fun listening to him on that station than the one up here.

6. Some songs are just great to get creativity going, they don't make me think, it's just as if they help open the flood gate. Bob Marley's Redemption, Metallica Nothing Else Matters, Tom Petty's Last Dance with Mary Jane, Gnarls Barkley Crazy, Five For Fighting Superman, Foo Fighters Everlong... Hmm, I guess I have a lot of them because I can keep going. I guess these songs just stimulate me.

7. When I'm writing I have to have a shuffled playlist going. I listen to all of the above and more!

8. When my husband proposed to me, we had gone for a drive and it was quite late. As he popped the question, Not enough hours in the night played on the radio. It is our song.

9. I've got many movie soundtrack favorites, but I've got a special spot in my heart for the Princess Bride soundtrack. Not only do I love that movie, but we used it as the music during our actual wedding.

10. When Pea Pie was 4 she gave a rousing performance of Kung Foo Fighting, I don't think I've ever laughed so hard and I didn't realize she had learned so much of the song.

11. My mother plays about 10 different instruments. When she was young she auditioned to be a concert violinist. She played good enough to get in, but was told she lacked the confidence to be a professional violinist. I suck at the violin.

12. My children have inherited a bit of the music bug. The heir apparent (9) plays the piano and now the Pea Pie (6) plays the guitar. A couple of weeks ago they decided they would start their own band. My heir came running up the stairs calling for their father to come and help them. She had a bit of panic to her voice so he quickly went to see what he could do. She asked him to play for them, because their band didn't sound good!

13. I can't sing or play. In fact, I think I may be a little tone deaf. But my life is filled with music and it brings me joy. I hope that music has touched your life.

Happy Thursday!

A Sunday wish, prayer and plea

Oh Dear Lord,
Next Sunday is a very important day.

Please let the Saints beat the Bears.


We have watched them get their asses kicked all our lives, yet our support and our loyalty for the Saints has never waivered.

GO SAINTS

Some days just suck... until they get better, that is.

13 reasons why I don't have a clever and creative new TT list.

1. I had a sucky day at work today. Nothing really bad happened, it's just my direct supervisor tends to "motivate" by demotivating people. He criticizes on issues that the employee doesn't really have full control over. He talks about how much of a piss poor job you're doing and how the company may not last a month, and then adds "I'm not making threats. This is just the way it is."

2. I feel completely unappreciated as an employee. I was the only administrative employee that remained from one company that merged with another... the other had no employees... just the owner and a couple of independents. I have worked three full-time roles during the merging trying to keep the organization stable.

3. I had this clever idea for a list of 13 ways music impacts my life... but then I drank a bottle of Fat Bastard's merlot. Now I can't seem to recall what was so clever about that list.

4. It was more entertaining to watch my daughter show me what she learned in gym class today... apparently they've now added square dancing to the curriculum. I have no memory of square dancing EVER being on ANY PE class I attended.

5. My husband had a crappy day at work today and after a few captain and cokes.... well, let me just say he's being VERY attentive... and quite entertaining.

6. Did I mention I polished off a bottle of wine?

7. I had a thoroughly enjoyable phone conversation with my mother. No one drives me as batty, but I love her in a way that I just can't honor with written words.

8. She let me know that my only remaining grandparent failed her competence test to live on her own. The family has an important decision to make regarding her care. It really puts a damper on my thoughts.

9. The Pea Pie really wanted to wash the dishes and I just had to let her do it. Naturally, it required my supervision. Never leave a 6 year old ADD child alone with a full sink of warm soapy water and breakables. Trust me.

10. After 10 hours in front of the computer, sometimes you just HAVE to step away.

11. My husband and I are thoroughly enjoying a rousing game of Gears of War... on the insane level... co-op is the ONLY way to go...

12. Once the kids are asleep we'll hit the ranked matches online to really release today's tension by blowing up other people.

13. Well, that about wraps it up! :)

Cheers, until next time.

Where has all the willpower gone?

Today marks the first day of a new year. Across the word people are starting their New Year's Resolutions. Of course, only 75% of those folks with resolutions will make it past the first week. Only 64% will make it past the first month.

The top resolutions tend to be about health, like I'll eat better or I'll diet or I'll stop smoking or I'll exercise on a regular basis. Then there are those resolutions like, I'll be a better friend, parent, spouse or I'll save money and get out of debt.

I've got my own resolutions for this year. I wonder if I'll be able to make it past the first week, the first month... I know that I'm not healthy. I know that I don't eat right. I know the ramifications of a poor diet. I know I'm at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer. I'm not stupid. I know that fast food is bad. I know I should drink more water. I know that just 15 minutes of cardio workout a day would do wonders for me...

Why haven't I attempted to change before? Why do we wait for a new year?

I think I know why. I lack the willpower to accomplish these goals. I know that I should do things differently. I feel guilt when I eat too much sugar or sit on the couch watching a rerun when I could be taking the dog for a walk or stretching.

For some things it seems I have endless amounts of dedication - my job, my children, my husband. I can accomplish much... but when it comes to myself, I just lose that ability to remain focused and on task.

So, I'm not going to wish that you lose those inches off your waistline. I'm not going to hope that you eat greens each day. I'm not going to hope that you become a better person.

I'm only going to wish that you have the willpower and dedication to stay true to your desires. If we are able to keep the willpower strong, then we'll be able to achieve our new resolutions.

My resolution this year is that I increase my willpower to give me the strength I need to meet my goals.

Happy New Year and Good Luck!

I've been tagged!

Well, West of Mars tagged me!

Four Jobs That I've had
1. DJ in high school at the local TINY radio station
2. Nursing assistant (I lasted two weeks. I just wasn't cut out for it)
3. Manager of International Distribution for a Cosmetics Company
4. Manager of Client Services

Four Favorite Foods
1. Any kind, form or shape of Chocolate
2. Crawfish
3. Rice & Gravy
4. Spaghetti

I just love food... I can't seem to stop myself from eating it :D

Four Movies I can Watch Over and Over
1. Boondock Saints
2. Dodgeball
3. Constantine
4. Does being forced to watch Spongebob over and over count? What about Barbie and whatever fruity animal she has as a sidekick...

Four Favorite TV shows
1. House - course... I'm not too happy about recent developments
2. Heroes - that show just rocks
3. Project Runway/America's Next Top Model/Extreme House Makeover (basically, whatever silly reality show I come across as I'm flipping channels)
4. Rockstar/American Idol... yeah, I watch em.

#1 and #2 I watch religiously. I also try to catch all the CSI's. But I don't usually spend that much time actually watching the television.

Four Places I've travelled

Well, I refer to a previous boss as the devil... so does that count as hell?

1. Paris, France
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Dubai, UAE
4. Taipei, Taiwan

Business trips :) for fun, mostly the states. I've lived in: Missouri. Florida. Indiana. Arizona. New Mexico. Minnesota.

Four Websites I go to daily (I go to quite a few every day but here are probably the top four)
1. My own blog
2. My stat counter page
3. West of Mars
4. Miss Snark

Four people I'm now torturing uhh... tagging
1. Written Wyrdd
2. Bernita
3. Sean
4. Thomma Lyn

Now, let's see if any of them participate!

Even the clown prince celebrates Christmas.

The cookies are baked. The presents from mom and dad are wrapped... the count down has begun.

However, Boudreaux (aka the clown prince) got to celebrate a little early and got his present from the Pea Pie today around 1:00 this afternoon.

The Pea Pie, the clown prince and Ralph.

He really loves his new friend...

He loves him A LOT... in fact, Ralph suffered severe trauma after only a few hours of play and needed emergency surgery. We hope he survives the night!

Note the lovely PJ's on the Pea Pie? That's the Christmas Eve gift and she's anxiously waiting for dark time. She just knows Santa will be peeking in her window as soon as it's dark enough!

TT: Happy Birthday To Mememe

Thirteen Things about Rashenbo #3
TT Edition #72 12/21/06

Today is my birthday. So, I'll just make a post for 13 all about me and my presents and whatever tickles my fancy.

1. From my husband: A Keurig Special Edition B60 coffee pot. It's one of these machines that has little cups and I can have coffee... and tea... and hot chocolate... it's SOOO cool.

2. My husband was reading my blog and saw a reference to the new Lecter book... so he got me: (I'll be following up with a review soon!)

3. The next thing my husband got me is a $15.00 gift certificate to itunes to get more music for my ipod!!! :) What should I get? No folk... no rap...

4. My mother is sending me a $100 gift certificate to Michael's to buy some scrapbooking supplies so I can try my hand at scrapbooking... course... I may not actually buy scrapbooking supplies *wink*

5. Work gave me the panic day from hell. I had this great idea that I'd wake up, get the kids on the bus, then slide back in bed and sleep in till 8:30 and then wake up, shower and THEN get to work... but no... 7:30 I get a crisis call and ended being the flame controller on about a dozen issues till about 5:40 this evening. Nothing like your morning shower at 6pm and boy did I need that shower. There is a reason deodorant exists.

6. A birthday memory from my past... I remember my 18th birthday so well. First off, it was the first birthday with my husband. He bought me the crappiest sweater he could find. Wow... it was terrible, I nearly shocked myself to death it built up so much static with its fake chenille (sic?) powers. Anyway, my mother gave me the best Christmas card ever that year... it was a rip off of a romance book and I laughed so hard. I still remember that card. Then she made me my FAVORITE cake - devil's food cake with cherry pie filling and then iced with melted hershey bars... oh yeah. Unfortunately, I had the flu. In true teenager fashion - I couldn't let it hold me back. I remember throwing up in the kitchen sink moments before I strolled out the door to spend the evening with my boyfriend and friends at a party. (Yes.... I wasn't nearly as smart then as I am now. I also recovered so much faster.)

7. One year I really, REALLY, wanted a particular book. I believe it was a Dean Koontz book... anyway. My mom gives me my present and I'm totally excited... I rip off the paper and I say, "oh yes, I wanted this. Thank you, mo..." and then I looked at the cover... it was a book I ALREADY HAD! Oh... the pain. I tried not to let my face show my expression... I know I failed my mom said, "what? I thought that was the one you wanted - you were so excited." And then... she started laughing her ass off and told me to open it up. It was the book I wanted and she grabbed the book cover off my old book and switched it. All she could say through her laughter was, "you should have seen your face".

8. My 21st birthday was six weeks after the birth of my first daughter. If you've delivered children you know what the six week mark signifies... nuff said.

9. This year I got myself a new blog layout. I really like it... What do you think?

10. I signed myself up for a membership at Backspace The Writer's Place.

11. Anyone who has a birthday so close to Christmas knows the joy that is the "combined gift". Yeah... you gift givers know who you are... Hi Rashenbo... I hear it's your birthday... Happy Birthday AND Merry Christmas... here's a mug for ya, it's for both ha ha ha. I'm over it now and really don't mind... but it's tough on the kiddos and teens can be real resentful of it. Even if they tell you it's ok. Unless it's a car, or a trip to Paris, or a new computer... it's not ok...

12. I came home on Christmas day, December 25th, 1976 in a large red stocking from the hospital. My mother still has that stocking in her hope chest. I have my very first winter cap... it's this red knitted thing - it's in my cedar chest... with my signed Spiderman comic... yes, it was the REAL spiderman, not some faker dressed in costume... :P~~~~

13. I'm really looking forward to my year in the realm of "30". I think it's an interesting place and I am looking forward to meeting my fellow 30'ers. Naturally, we are the best age ever... as anyone born in 1976 knows. Those other years only want to be as cool as we are... and if you didn't know... that's the year of the DRAGON... by far the coolest. You tigers just think you are cool. Neiner, neiner, neiner.

Oh, I found this great site today and I wanted to share this blogger with you guys. His blog is awesome. I think I'll keep him for my own and call him George. I was laughing so hard I almost snorted my beer... and that would NOT have been good... although, it might have made for an interesting post! :)

My planet to rule... on my birthday!

Yes... in case you missed the notice yesterday, today is MY birthday. YAY! *does a little dance*

Happy Birthday to ME!

So, I decided I'd get myself a planet for my birthday. I'm not quite sure I agree with this particular description... but, all things bloggy says:

You Should Rule Mars

Mars is a planet that shines brightly and loops wildly around the solar system. You are perfect to rule Mars, because you are both energetic and independent. Like Mars, you seems attractive and bright to others - but you're difficult to pin down. You are a great thinker, but you only think in the present and ignore the future. Full of enthusiasm and inspiration, you are into your own thing... and rather insensitive to others.

What Planet Should You Rule?

Look out, Susan! I'm your new neighbor!

Then I decided to find out what my vampire name would be... because, well... it looked fun.

Your Vampire Name Is...

Princess of Pain

What's Your Vampire Name?

And then... I decided to find out my Stars Wars Horoscope....

Star Wars Horoscope for Sagittarius

You are superbly wise and have been known to spread your wisdom widely. You are impatient and pushy when people take your teachings too lightly. And your philosophical side always peeks through. Star wars character you are most like: Yoda

What Is Your Star Wars Horoscope?

Happy Holidays

Admist the hustle and bustle of the holidays it is easy to let the positive energies go and get stuck on some of those less than pleasant negative ones, like depression, frustration, stress, etc.

This time of year is my favorite, for various reasons. I tend to experience each day with excitement and joy. This morning as my pea pie came inside crying from the bus stop, I immediately jumped up to find out what had caused her to come inside only moments from the bus. She sobbed and told me how the neighbor girls were calling her names and hitting her. I escorted my little one back outside, yelled across the cul de sac to the two little bra... err girls and then proceeded to walk over to their house. I then informed their mother of their behavior. I got home and was fuming. This is not the first time the neighbor girls have picked on my girls.

My girls have a few things that make them a little different from their classmates. My older has a genetic disorder that makes her more sensitive to even the most minor injury - and she's very slender and rather awkward in her movements. My younger daughter has ADD and she's been known to annoy even the most patient of friends. My girls are sensitive, my 9 year old cries when she watches many movies because she has a strong emotional connection not only with make believe characters, but with people in general. As their mother, I want to protect them. I don't want them to get hurt.

Where am I going with this you ask?

Well, quite frankly, life is rough. No one has it easy these days. It's easier to get angry than to accept a troubling situation and make peace with it. Some one is always being hurt. There is always something terrible happening, someone is always sick, someone is always struggling to make ends meet and somewhere, a school bully is picking on another kid. Why do we seem to focus on the troubles? When we can make change, when we can make something better... I'm all for it... but it seems to me we fascinate with the negative just so we can be fascinated by it. Sounds sad... doesn't it? It's life... society... our realm.

With the negative comes the positive. Right now, someone is discovering love; somewhere a baby is coming into this world surrounded by family and friends who love unconditionally; somewhere a person has mastered a skill and is experiencing the joy and satisfaction of self-accomplishment; somewhere someone is experiencing peace and contentment; somewhere a person's pain is ending; somewhere a family is sitting together and just enjoying the happiness of being with those they love; somewhere a person's life is being saved by a doctor, a friend, a police officer, a fireman, a priest.

I don't know what you believe in and honestly, I don't care. Whether you celebrate Chanukah, Kwanza, or Christmas; whether you believe in God, Jesus, Budha, Jehovah, Aliens or even if you believe there is no great being... We are here together and we do have the power to make our days brighter.

Don't let the negativity blind you from what is good and bright and wonderful. I wish you the happiest of holidays. May a smile lift your lips each day and a giggle of joy reach your ears.

Happy Birthday to Me! Neiner on you, Blogger Beta!

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me!

Yes! Tomorrow is my birthday. I turn... are you ready? 30!!! I bet some of you feel old :P AND I bet some of you think I'm old. It's ok, you are only as old as you feel.

I had blogger beta since October, but for some reason in the mysterious land of blogger something changed today. I changed no code... had no new comments with funky code, but *poof* my layout took a crap on me. It's ok because....

I bought myself a present.

Nothing like a birthday present to really help you enjoy the festivities. I got myself a new blog layout... what do you guys think? Thank you to Blogs Gone Wild.

Neiner, Neiner, Blogger... I am not so easily thwarted.... MUAHAHAHAHAH