At Least It's A Plan

Pokey and I were talking during his lunch break and discussing how we were going to do Christmas.  He said that he had an idea and knew I was worried over it so he has been noodling it around for a little over a week.  I appreciate the fact that he has been wracking his brain to come up with a solution.  Some people simply fuss and make snide comments that are of no value.  Some will even pull out their own personal version of oneupmanship, ranting about all that they have gone without so others could be spoiled in their stead.  Not helpful, really.

Yesterday I was truly having a Lorelei Friday Night Dinner moment with "Emily" in fine form.  I will never understand the mentality behind such behavior.  Is their life so shallow and empty that they only feel better when they are attempting to make others feel awful?  The dialog served no purpose.  It wasn't helpful, insightful, assisting or entertaining - it was simply mean.  It wasn't even as though "Emily" was unaware of my current mindset regarding holiday shopping, as comments were made regarding my previous posts.  No, "Emily" thought it best to belittle and browbeat me for her own amusement.

While Pokey's idea is not the greatest, he has thought it out all the way through and worked to figure out a solution that would please me.  He approached the situation from a standing of love, unlike "Emily", so while I might not be a super huge fan of Pokey's idea, it is an honest heartfelt effort to offer a solution... at least it's a plan, and not heaps of insults coupled with a splash of ridicule and a dash of superiority.

Most things in this world are forgiven simply because of love and family ties - but if those ties are pulled on long enough, soon they will get strained, run thin and break.  Be gentle... be gentle.

Paul Mcartney - Wonderful Christmas Time

Where Has The Time Gone?

Oh my goodness, time is running out!  Christmas will be here in 26 days and I am no where near started, forget about finished.  This year has been a financial disaster and even though we have been keeping our noses above water, if it weren't from some extraordinary circumstances the situation would be a million times different.

I have so much to do still.  I have decorated the house and the kids have decorated the tree.  Pokey is going to do the outside this weekend.  I have a few items for the girls but notepads and a CD each don't really scream "Merry Christmas" to me... you know.

Hobbit has stated that all she really wants is this horse and carriage for her Barbies and I am praying that I can get that for her.  An actual doll to go in it would be heavenly too.  Peanut is of no help because she bought all that she wanted with her report card money from my parents.

I swear - next year, I am starting Christmas shopping in January and hoarding it up in my parent's room until Christmas.  I will not let this happen again because it completely sucks the Christmas cheer right out of me.  I'm sorry for such a depressing post but I needed to get that off my chest.  Here is a photo I took to make you smile and erase the 'doom & gloom' I just spilled all over the place.

Merry Christmas.

My Sweet Pokey

Pokey has an amazing gift.  He knows just what I need, when I need it.  Lately I have been super worried about funding Christmas and had almost worked myself up into a good cry when all of a sudden, I hear the lock on the front door click.  In comes my hero with these...

He really is the most amazing man.

Why Would You Say That?

Every time I go to this one group on CafeMom, I wonder why I bother.  They post things like "If you could go back in time, would you still marry your husband" or "Describe your husband in only two words".  You would think that the majority of women would say sweet things in response to these posts, right... wrong!

These women write some of the most hateful things I have ever read.  I can't believe anyone would put their responses out there for the world to see.  Just because you have a screenname and a slight bit of anonymity, that doesn't negate the fact that you are speaking about another human being - one you chose to commit yourself to for all eternity.

Would you like an 'example' of what I'm talking about so you can better understand?  I can do that for you - let's use the post about describing your husband in two words.  My two words would be compassionate and loving.  My two words would have been in the minority.  Most of these women posted things like (and I'm going to clean up the profanity because I see no need in it - you get the idea... for a truer picture, change my verbiage to something a million times more vulgar) ~ "hiney hat" or "jerk face" or "complete retard".  Why would you say that?

This is a man to whom you have pledged your undying love and devotion to... a man that you will spend all eternity with and you choose to describe him in a way that is most repulsive.  I don't care if I know your real name or not, that just isn't right.  Actions online and actions in the real world should mirror each other.  It doesn't make you look cool to insult your husband online.  It makes you look cold and callous.  How would you feel if you were to stumble upon something of the like that was written by your husband?  Do you think he would feel honored by having such a title bestowed upon him?  Would you?

I love my husband.  I love him dearly and am truly blessed to have him.  I attempt to show him this daily just as he attempts to show me daily.  Our actions speak much louder than our words some days.  A simple kiss on the forehead turns me to butter.  My online comments about my husband reflect my love and adoration for him - and in many cases, reinforces it as well... makes you wonder what their comments are reinforcing.

All I can say is that these women should review Proverbs 27:17 ~ Just as iron sharpens irons, one person sharpens another.  And with that in mind, I have left the group in search of iron.

Mean Moms: A New Kind of Bully

TP Turkeys

So now that I am awake from Hobbit's nightly tummy ache, I thought I would be more creative regarding my time alone in the wee hours of the morning.  I checked my Facebook page.  I wrote an email to Hobbit's teacher explaining how she would be absent today due to my taking her to the doctor.  I researched possibilities as to what is causing this nightly distress.  All in all rather productive, no... but wait - I have more!

Nothing gets the creative juices flowing more than lack of sleep and delirium... right?  Right!  I have just figured out how to create a TP Turkey for the kids to make over the break for our Thanksgiving table!  Oh yeah, it may be 4 a.m. and I'm averaging 3 hours of sleep a night but this baby rocks.

Here's what I've figured out you need for each TP Turkey:

1. Empty TP roll - if you feel the need for bigger, go for a paper towel roll!
2. Construction paper - any color for the kids but if you're a stickler then try for orange, yellow and red.
3. 2 Googly eyes - we have animals so I will not be buying these... we can draw them on just fine too.
4. Markers
5. Glue
6. Tape
7. Scissors

Now, here's is what I figured we are going to have to do to make the TP Turkey:

1. Cut out feathers in oblong shape.  I'm thinking about 9 or 10 feathers for the little fella.
2. Cut out an orange folded triangle for his beak.
3. Cut out the little red floppy peanut shaped gobbler (it's late, y'all know what I'm talking about here).
4. Draw the feet (or cut out of orange paper and glue if you want) on the TP Turkey.
5. Draw or glue on the eyes, beak and gobbler thingie.
6. Tape the feathers to the back of the TP Turkey.

There you have it.  One TP Turkey fit for any Thanksgiving dinner!  If you wanna be super cute, write the names of the people coming to supper on the feathers and use as a place holder... oh yeah, creative juices are really cranking now.

Imagine once I have some coffee... look out world.  I'll post up a photo of one as soon as I make it... it's going to be so cute!

*Update ~ Here is the photo, as promised! *

Not bad for a 5 and 17 year old... they explained that they don't have feet because they are sitting on them.. lol.

2 Weeks From Saturday

That is when Pokey's Christmas party is and we are going to try, yet again, to go.  For the past few years we have had things happen that have prevented us from going - his emergency appendectomy two years ago, my torn knee ligaments last year - and this will be our last year to attend for a while because Peanut is leaving for college this coming summer so we won't have anyone to watch Hobbit which is why we thought we'd better give it another go... anyway, here is my challenge... I bought a beautiful Christmas plaid taffeta skirt three years ago that has yet to have the tags removed and I desperately want to wear it to the Christmas party this year but it's a tad too small.

I put up a post on my "mommy forum" to see if anyone had any suggestions regarding jump-starting weight loss.  I hope to find some really great suggestions in a few hours time but in reality, I'm sure it will be full of things that I won't do.  I refuse to do starvation or medication things and I right now my exercise capabilities are limited - not to say I don't push it but it I do have to be a bit careful.  I already have a few ideas - increase water and walking.  My dear friend, LoriJean, let me borrow two of her "Sweating to the Oldies" dvds so I'm going to do that as well.  I do have a bit of a game plan but I feel frazzled because Pokey just told me about it last night so I haven't had time to organize and figure out how to 'attack' the situation.

It would make my day to be able to put that skirt on and wear it out, for many reasons.  I guess it's time for a little faith, trust and pixie dust... I did buy it from Disney after all.

The Monkees - I'm a Believer

Good Morning!

30 Days of Thankfulness

I've seen this around but never thought to put it down on paper, as it were.  I use it as a reminder to show my thankfulness every day - regardless of the month - but I thought I would share with you all that I am thankful for as well.

1.  The love and understanding of my husband.  He is my rock, my foundation, my light and without him I would truly be lost in this world.

2.  The blessing of my Peanut who has taught me what beauty and grace truly mean.

3.  The honor of my Hobbit who is teaching me what patience and humility truly are.

4.  My parents - the two souls who continue to show me the way I wish to be.

5.  My brother for his perfectly timed oddball sense of humor that can make anyone smile.

6.  Amy1, who is a dear friend that I have yet to meet but brings so much love and light to my days.

7.  April, who reminds me to stop long enough to gaze at the wonder of the moment.

8.  Kathy, whose silent strength screams from the rooftops and lifts us all up with her graces.

9.  Becca, whose compassionate and gentle soul leaves us all soothed in her wake.

10. Jacque, my best girl friend in the world who is more like my sister.  She has the most understanding heart that I could only dream of emulating.

11. My knitting.  The rhythmic motion and melodic clicking of the needles, coupled with the scrumptious feel of the delicious yarn keeps me grounded.

12. The ability to cook delicious meals from scratch for my family.

13. The ability to bake sinfully.

14. My education.

15. My health - no matter how wonky it gets, it could always be worse.

16. My camera so that I can capture moments in time that I don't want to forget.

17 - 19. Music and movies and books - ways to get lost in fantasy worlds to recharge.

20. My dog who always loves me, no matter what happens around here.

21. My cat who brings joy to my girls which is more important than my allergies.

22. My home - the trim and trappings don't matter, it's what's inside that counts the most.. and my house is filled with laughter, love, music and joy.

23. My coffee.

24. The sun on my face and the gulf breeze in my hair.

25. Sidewalk chalk - because not all masterpieces are done on canvas.

26. Hugs - from anyone really.  There is no way to have a worry in the world when you're being hugged by a loved one.

27. My crock pot - yes, I love my kitchen appliance because it makes delicious pot roasts.

28. Wisdom though the years and the humility to learn through my missteps.

29. My sense of humor because the only one who can truly cheer yourself up is you.

30. God - for walking along with me on this journey and wrapping me in his loving arms every day.

One A Week

That's all I'm going to focus on right now. Finishing one project a week until Christmas presents are done. I have already resorted Pokey's sweater vest for Father's Day so that will help with the additional requests received from the kids.

This week - the long forgotten Lacey Scarf Pattern for Peanut to match the long finished hat for college. Here's a photo to jog your memory. Wish me luck!

Happy Dance, on me

Uh Oh!

Countdown-Clocks

It Truly Amaze Me

The filters in our hearing ability truly amaze me.  I find it fascinating how a person can say one thing, believing themselves to be rather blunt and yet the other party is still able to twist and turn things through their filter and hear something completely different.

Case in point, I'll share an actual conversation that has had me bumfuzzled on how this person got from Point A, clear across to point Point Q without hearing anything in between.  This is not written in malice, mind you, just sheer bewilderment over the situation is all.

Let's set the scene:  It's late and one person is feeling a bit worn out.  One works inside the home and one works outside the home.  Both jobs are stressful in their own ways.  The woman is a bit frazzled because it's late, she's exhausted and for some reason has found a set of sheets without pillowcases.  The man is tired and would like to go to sleep but is waiting on the woman to make the bed since she is a bit anal retentive and will not accept help in this department.  Can you picture it?  Alright, so here is how the conversation went:

The man asked what was wrong and the woman shared that she was just a bit frustrated that no one ever helps around the house.  The other members of the household just assume things will get done because she will do them.  Now she takes full responsibility for creating this situation since she has made it so that the man and children do not have to lend a hand.  All chores are taken care of and there really is nothing on their plate so it is her fault for creating the situation and she is sorry.  She is also sorry that her priorities are different than his regarding what needs to be done - since she does not work outside the home, she doesn't want to be stingy and uncaring so she forgoes the things she thinks need to be done until there is 'extra' to get it accomplished.  Perhaps they could figure out a better way of making this happen.

Now that is the start of the conversation.  No voices were raised.  No tones were given.  No attitudes were dropped.  Simple words were exchanged between a tired woman and a tired man.  The part that has me completely confused is that the tired man simply heard "I do nothing"... how did that happen?  Where in the course of the conversation did the woman say that the man did nothing?  Not once did she point a finger and say "You do nothing" - she did make a statement that she worked to create a place where the man could come home and relax and in hindsight, perhaps it was wrong to do it all since it created this type of situation... even used the example of wanting the garage cleaned out and waiting a month before finally doing it on her own... or the example of begging for the bathrooms to be cleaned since she can't do it because the fumes aggravate her asthma... or the kitchen sink still needing fixing four months later... or the dog poop that hasn't been picked up in weeks.  These examples were not stating that the man did nothing.  The examples stated that she did not harp on him because she knows  he works hard all day and deserves to have a break... but they always get forgotten about and never done unless she just does them herself.

Granted, we talked it through since we have the understanding that we won't go to bed mad.  Yes, we have stayed up once or twice to the wee hours of the morning talking things over during the beginning of our marriage.  Situations like this rarely occur but when they do, we put all we have into correcting them and understanding the other person's point of view.  I am blessed to have such a great husband - and truly amazed at times how filters get clogged.

Vampires Bit Me

It's true!  I had to go the vampires yesterday to be bitten so they can figure out what I'm allergic to - sounds useful right, turns out that it's not really.

Blood work for determining allergies is not that fabulous.  The reason that they opted for this first round of tests is because of the high dose of antihistamines and steroids that the hospital put me on.  Apparently, and obviously so, these would mess up the standard skin scratch tests which are the best option in such situations.

So what does all this mean... that as soon as they get a general direction from which to proceed, I'll more than likely have to be scratched, poked and prodded some more once I'm done with the ER medicines... oh joy of joys.

Bright side of it is all is that hopefully it will be pretty clear what direction we'll have to go from there and a repeat performance will never be an option... hopefully.  Fingers crossed and all.

Amazon Refuses to Pull Pedophilia "How To" Book

There is a book on Amazon.com entitled "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure".  I'm not making this up.  It exists - you can click the title and see it for yourself.

Many people are outraged by the fact that Amazon.com is supporting this self-published Kindle only available e-book, myself included.  A 'how to' book on molesting a child.  This is not freedom of speech that can be protected under the First Amendment.  This incites others to commit criminal acts, something our forefathers thought about and protected us against.  That is, unless you don't consider our precious children to be people worthy of protection, even under this recently celebrated "Hate Crimes Law" that our 'commander and chief' bragged about creating and signing into law here recently... oh wait, that's right - they aren't... yet.

For those who are going to bring the fact that other countries in the world today still practice some forms of pedophilia as a right of passage into adulthood and that perhaps this book is for them, I challenge you very simply.  If, and that is a huge if, that were the case then the last sentence is his poorly written "product description" would not be needed.  The phrase regarding how reading this book "will result in less hatred and perhaps liter sentences should they ever be caught" does not bode towards those countries needs - as it is not illegal.  I'm not putting words in this fool's mouth - he is hoping that pedophiles will buy this book, learn how to be a more gentle sexual offender in the hopes of pleasuring themselves (or even worse, thinking they are pleasuring the child) so that when they are arrested for their crime, they can say "hey, I was gentle" and the jury goes "oh, okay... we're sorry... our bad... you can go now".  Yes, that is the goal of this book.  Sort of like a "how to be a better lover" but for those of a deviant mindset - like society needed another tool to assist it on it's downward spiral.

Amazon.com's position on this is that they "[believe] it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions".  So for a company to not support such things, they just market the 'how to' guide so others can do it for them.

And there we have it.  Amazon.com, who is still feeling the pain of their believed wrong doing regarding the removal of the GLBT book rankings, probably is under the delusion that this book won't sell and therefore they won't be losing any profits over it.  Think again Amazon.com.  I don't believe their position.  Since the release date of Oct. 28th, it has sold almost 13k copies.  That is a thousand copies a day and $65,000 thus far in profit.  To be a 'best seller' you need to sell about five thousand copies a week.  Does that sound like losing money to you - yeah, me neither.

After spending the majority of the evening doing my research and investigating from all angles, I am boycotting Amazon.com until they apologize for their lack of moral compass and remove this book from their listings.  It is self published so they have every right to not carry it... just like their rules and guidelines state but then again, if they upheld those this book would never have made it on the virtual shelf.

Well That Was Exciting...

It was just an ordinary day... in many ways it was extraordinary.  Hobbit finally slept through the night without any tummy issues.  Peanut wanted to help Hobbit with her homework AND Hobbit listened well to Peanut.  I was able to get supper to the kids by 5:30 p.m. and Pokey may have figured out what was wrong with my SUV (fingers crossed it was just the fact it was low on oil).  Supper came out beautifully - Slow Cooked Honey Mustard Pork Chops, Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans... it was pretty and scrumptious.  So then why did this particular little twist have to occur?  Why?  I did nothing out of my ordinary housewife life.

I can see that you are confused and begging the question "What... what happened"... well, I'll tell you.  I apparently have a flare for the dramatic, according to my mother anyway, but that makes for good reading, right, so here goes.  After all the kids were tucked in bed and life was winding down for the day, I hopped on my laptop to play a game with Pokey.  It was late but I had an hour before bed, plenty of time to tool around Middle Earth.

There I am, doing my thing, when all of a sudden my left palm started to itch.  My brain began running through the old wives tale about getting money or owing money and which hand was what (never did figure it out), all the while scratching my palm.  Now, my left palm will rest on a section of the laptop that gets a bit warm after a while so I just figured it was hot.  Then my right hand started to itch.  Well there goes whatever money I may be getting... my itching hands were negating each other on old wives tales.  Then my tummy started itching, my back, my feet, my legs... my face was flushed and even my ears were itching.  "Well this can't be good.  I know no wives tale regarding anything like this" was all I could think.

After logging off my computer and reminding Pokey that it's bedtime, he turned and noticed me wringing my hands.  He could see that they were red and it was creeping up my arms.  Apparently, the look I hold on my face when I am trying to scratch the entire first layer of skin off my body is rather scary for my husband.  He turned on a cold shower, thinking it was just dry skin from the heat being on and the colder weather.  Logical assumption but no.. this was no ordinary itch.  I had had this itch before.. I was praying that the next part wouldn't happen but it did.  The hives made their grand entrance.

The only other time I had this issue was when I was on an alternative generic version of Penicillin this summer.  I had been bitten by an ant and it went thirty kinds of wrong.  I was having an allergic reaction to something - but what.  My food was the same, I hadn't changed laundry soap or drier sheets... absolutely nothing was different.  While my mind was prattling on in the shower, a new twist came into play - I couldn't breath.  It was the oddest sensation... like cotton mouth but a billion times worse.  My throat got so tight it  was rather scary.  "Wonder if my inhaler will fix this" is all I could think of - the answer, by the way, is no.

Needless to say, that made my husband pack me up and haul me off to the ER.  He woke Peanut and gave her the house phone, borrowed her cell phone and told her we'd be back so don't worry.  We get to the ER, which is thankful simply behind our house - a minute away as the crow flies - and got back immediately.  I can only imagine what I look like now - wheezing, shivering (I got so cold it was unreal) and apparently doing my best lobster imitation.  My entire body (oh yes, ENTIRE body) was now bright red.  They did all the paperwork and whisked us off to the back.  I was plopped on a bed, poked 6 times for them to find a vein because apparently I wasn't cooperating and the prodding began.

Now with all this activity you would think that someone would be able to tell me what happened.  That with all the years of medical training combined, someone would be able to deduce from all the information I had to squeak out, what it was that set of such a horrible chain of events.  Nope, not a clue.  I got an IV full of 'liquids', mega dose of what was basically Benedryl and a shot of a steroid to kick the antihistamine up a notch.  I may have made a comment upon learning of the steroid that I always wanted to be buff - I'm not sure though... I tend to joke when I'm nervous.

So here I am, bruised like drug addict who went on a binge, a tad raw in spots from the inability to control myself at all times (admit it, sometimes it feels good to rake the towel across your back when it itches) and no clue what the heck happened.  I do, however, have Rx to take in, a referral to an allergist and a strong desire to simply take a nap.

All I can think about last night was "Well, that was exciting, wasn't it... let's not do it again".

It's Amazing

I love how the little things in life make it all worth it.  A great nights sleep.  A fabulous cup of coffee.  Kids that wake up by themselves on a school day with plenty of time to get ready.  It's the little things like that which make my days amazing.

Last night, I was so exhausted from being woken up in the middle of the night over the last week that I went to bed at 9 p.m.  Now I know most of you are thinking that isn't early but I generally won't begin to think about sleep until roughly 11:30 p.m. so it was really early for me.  I kissed my husband on the head, posted reminder notes about taking Hobbit to the potty before he came to bed and fell fast asleep.  The best part is, I slept all night.  No little fingers poking me to tell me that they had a bellyache!

We elevated the head of her bed with pillows and blanket rolled up to roughly 30 degrees, which looks a lot steeper than you imagine.  She slept beautifully.  I was worried she would flip out of it because she sleeps on the edge of the bed but she stayed in.  Hobbit got such a great nights sleep that she woke up on her own in a fabulous mood!

It's amazing how a simple thing like uninterrupted sleep can color everything rosy!  So now I am off to go pack lunch for my silly little ballerina, find a 'doable' weight-loss and exercise program for me, clown around a bit and enjoy my fabulous day... who knows, just might dance around for the sheer joy of it!

It's Been Quiet

Do y'all remember when I wrote about the dog who lived behind me that wouldn't stop barking?  I thought I'd give y'all an update as to what has been going on - or at least, to our knowledge and speculation.

That same day that I called Animal Control, a truck was out front of the house when I got home with Peanut.  The officer was able to see and hear what I was concerned about... and he also called the owner!  This man had now received two letters from the HOA and an official phone call from the Animal Police - who informed him of the possible charges he could be facing if he did not do a better job caring for his animal.

I am happy, and sad, to report that I have not heard a single bark since... and she's not been outside at all.  Pokey and I think that they surrendered her over to the authorities.  We know this is what is best for her but we also have some trepidation about whether or not they can rehouse her since she's 5 years old with no human interaction and a tad aggressive.

Since I tend to look on the side of sunshine - just call me Nellie Forbush - the baby is now in a home full of love and attention.  She is wanting for nothing and understanding what family is all about... and part of me still wants to leave the owners in the weather with no food or water or attention... just for the week so they can see how cruel they were being because they still need to be taught that their behavior was worse than the barking.

Happy Monday Y'all

So I have been up since around 2 a.m thanks to a little hobbit who has been complaining of a stomachache every evening in the middle of the night.  I am not sure what is wrong with her so I did a little research in the middle of the night - yes, I stay a bit after I put her back to bed to make sure that she is indeed alright and goes back to sleep.

My fear has been appendicitis because it's her belly on the right side.  Pokey had to have an emergency appendectomy a few years ago the day after Thanksgiving so it's always the first thing I think of around this time of year when someone gets a bellyache.  Thank goodness none of her symptoms fit - even the location the right is wrong.

I have it narrowed down to options - one is logical given the family history and the second would make our life a living nightmare.  Option one is simple acid reflux.  Given the family history with heartburn and such, I could believe this to be the case and it's a simple fix.  A little medicine every day and we're right as rain.  I'm praying it's this simple... because option two means a major life change.

Option two is Celiac Disease and it would mean that she is basically allergic to gluten.  I would think that if you had such a condition, it would have been present since birth but it is the second closest match to her symptoms.  This option, not to be flippant, does not work for me.  In order to make her food gluten free, I would have to make the entire families food gluten free.  I don't have the disposable income to buy a separate pantry full of items to satisfy such a condition... shoot, I don't have the grocery allowance to satisfy such a condition - gluten free is expensive!

Either way, I am prepared and will be calling the doctor's office as soon as they open this morning to try and get her in.  Thank goodness I know he keeps the first hour open for overnight emergencies... love my pediatrician for that.  So the cleaning and laundry will have to wait, Hobbit's got to be checked out... Happy Monday Y'all.

Picture Perfect Morning

I have been snapping photos all morning.  It's a gloriously chilly day, a rare thing in Florida, so I've been out and about enjoying the weather.  The girls have boot scooted out the door already and promise to be home for lunch so I think I'm going to park my hiney in my chair and knit for a bit while they're out playing.

Here are a few of the photos I took this morning and I hope you are having a fabulous Fall day too.

Lookie Lookie

I got one bunny done last night while watching "The Sound of Music". Isn't she cute. I'm still debating about the whole 'tail' thing. Granted, all bunnies need tails but if I put my feet up, it won't be comfy. Thoughts...

Wow, Too Bad

So my sweet friend stumbled across a job opening in Craig's List that would have been perfect for me.  It was home based, the hours were exactly what I needed (9-1) and it was M/W/F... thank you Jesus, right... wrong.  Here is the response I got from my carefully crafted cover letter (alright, so I swiped it from my daddy years ago but it's got just the right amount of 'umph' to get attention.. my friend agrees, she hired me off of it years ago... lol).  Be sure to read all of it... I'd hate for you to miss the kicker.  I made it a tad easier to locate too, hate for you to miss it.


Dear My PA

Thanks for applying for the post, I quite I appreciate it?I read your e-mail and it's reasonable and acceptable. So I will give this a go"

This position is home-based and flexible, working with me is basically about instructions and following them, my only fear is that I may come at you impromptu sometimes, so I need someone who can be able to meet up with my irregular timings. As my assistant, your activities amongst other things will include;

*Running personal errands, supervisions and monitoring. Scheduling programmed, flights and keeping me up to date with them,Acting as an alternative telephone correspondence while I'm away.Making regular contacts and drop-offs on my behalf. Handling and monitoring some of my financial activities..Basic wage is $600 a week .

I'm sure you'll understand I tend to have a very busy schedule at this point, as I am presently in Ontario Canada, I will be back in Three Weeks.I think you're the right person for this post , Please note that this position is not office based for now because of my frequent travels and tight schedules, it's a part-time, work from home basis and the flexibility means that there will be busier weeks than others, so it's a little difficult judging the exact number of hours you'll be doing per week.If you can manage your time properly, this job may even give you some extra while you do something else on the side. As I have said, I'd want us to get a head start with things as soon as possible. I do have a pile up of work and a number of unattended chores which you can immediately assist me with, I hope we can meet up with the workload eventually.

Permit me to use this week to test your efficiency and diligence towards all this, also to work out your time schedule and fit it to mine. I really need to find the perfect person for this job, I'm confident you can take up the challenge and on the long run we should have a relatively sound working relationship between us.. I'm online most of the time as I am hard of hearing so I prefer to we contact each other through E-mails , but if there is need for me to call Okay Here's my yahoo messenger (knowles_randall@yahoo.com) you can also add me to your yahoo messenger so that will can know more each Other

I am glad you are willing to work with me and i promise to be a good boss. I am also glad on the commitment in working. I have been checking my files and what i would want you to do for me this week is to run some errands out to some of the orphanage home, I do that every month . The funds will be in form of Money Order and it will be sent over to you from one of my clients and i have some list to email you once you received the funds,You will make some arrangements by buying some stuff for the kids in the nearest store around you so you can mail them out. I will get you more information on that,I will like you to get back to me with your Contact Details such as:

 Full Name:
Contact Address NO P.O BOX:
City:
State:
Zip-Code:
Phone Number:
Occupation:

Once I have received your contact information, I will get back to you with the task for this week,Understand you will also be paid as well as its important for me to make the necessary steps before i get back from my business trip back to the states. Hope I am clear with that.

Get back as soon as possible..

 Knowles Randall

Breaks My Heart

I woke up this morning slightly more energetic than the past few days and dared to make myself a list.  Definite sign I was feeling better - lists were being made, plans were being formulated and action was going to take place... that is, until the phone rang.

When a person's phone rings before or after certain times in the day, you know it's nothing good.  I looked at the caller ID and saw Peanut's cell phone.  Instead of my normal "Hi baby", she was greeted with a "What's wrong?" because she never calls before school starts - during lunch, sure but never before morning bell.  One the other end I can hear the voice of my little girl, struggling not to cry as she tells me that she was just physically ill... and that's when my heart broke.

It's one thing to be sick but it's a completely different ball game when you toss your cookies at school.  I've been there and I'll never forget it.  It was 5th grade and I was 9 years old.  We were watching a movie about volcanoes and I did not feel well at all.  I would raise my hand but my teacher would fuss at me to put it down.  I tried to get up and tell her that I wasn't feeling well but she told me if I was disruptive again that I would go to the principle's office.  So there I was - afraid I was going to throw up but more afraid of going to the principle's office... what was I going to do.  I can tell you what I did do - I was sick all over my desk at the exact same time a volcano exploded.  My teacher then rushed over and asked me why I didn't tell her... oh yeah, she went there.

This was almost thirty years ago and I can still recall every single detail so I know how doubly awful it is to feel sick and feel sick while you are at school.  I told her to sit tight, I would be there to come get her.  I ran up the stairs, woke up Hobbit and told her we had to run and get Sissy from school because she threw up.  The concern and worry all over Hobbit's face re-broke my heart.  Her was her sister, her hero, who was ill and alone.  Oh yes, we needed to hurry because nothing will make her sissy feel better other than having her by her side.  No time for clothes, nightshirts are fine - it's just the car Mama, we have bigger things to worry about now.

Now would be a good time to tell you that we participate in the school choice program for our state.  Normally, your school is just a hop, skip and a jump away from your home.  Peanut's school is a hop, skip, jump, dosey doe, promenade and back handspring from our home.  Normally, we don't think about it.  The school is great.  She is excelling in her classes.  It's a dream come true... until today.  Today it is a million miles away and I can't fathom why I would agree to such things.

Hobbit and I arrive to find Peanut a crumbled mess against the wall outside the front entrance.  I could see the tear trails glistening in the morning sun.  The door opened and I asked how she was doing.  My poor baby sobbed that she had just gotten sick on the stairs - volcano movie flashback again - heart breaks again.  I asked if anyone said anything and she said no - heart mends just a tiny bit.  Peanut gets situated in the car and we head off.  I told her that if we need to, just tell me and I'll pull over for her.  I took the back way home, just in case, and it's a good thing I did.  Hobbit is looking helpless in my rear view mirror.  Peanut is looking helpless in my front seat and I'm feeling helpless all together.

We finally made it home though.  I got Hobbit off to school in record time and Peanut is still asleep in her room after getting home four hours ago.  I've gone up to check on her a few times and she looks so puny.  She's no bigger than a minute to start with, no need to add this to the mix.  She will be staying home tomorrow.  Being that sick, that often, in that short amount of time really wears a person down so I'm going to email her teachers and let her rest.  I hope when she gets up later on today she's feeling better - and has some color back in her cheeks - gray doesn't work well for her.

Sick babies, no matter what their age, will break a mother's heart - I know it does mine.

Artsy Fartsy Photo Time

I found a new photo editor online and I've been playing with it.  Here are a few of my latest artsy fartsy creations.