Valentine's Day is looming

What is the deal with Valentine's Day?

When you are a child, it's all about the candy and 'Valentine's' cards which are shared with every student, not just the girls. As you get older, the day takes on an entirely different persona.

Having never had a Valentine on Valentine's Day, I can honestly give an outside opinion. The whole 'holiday' (and I use that term loosely considering there isn't anything 'Holy' about it these days) seems to have taken the same commercial route that all the other holidays have taken. You have to buy flowers which are exponentially priced compared to 'off season', special candy that is put out just for the occasion, a card full of glitter and gushy words that someone else thinks might reflect your love and devotion, a 'real' gift like jewelry or a weekend away, an expensive dinner out, some kind of activity such as dancing or a show, not to mention a new outfit or two of them, if you are married. If you're *really, really* in love, you could spend a couple thousand dollars on this day!

If you are not in a serious relationship, you can be left to feel loveless or worthless or hideous if you don't have 'that special someone' who will shower you in this way. That is ridiculous! I know personally, I felt this way for many years before I realized that I didn't need a man to shower me with superficial things that I can buy for myself. It can really drive a person to feel bitter and sad and depressed! As if having a man in your life will make all those feelings go away. Well, it's simply not true.

And since when is it all the man's responsibility to go overboard trying to set up this forced environment of love? I don't really understand why the burden of this day always falls so heavily on the man...and women buy into it as well, as if they are entitled! I've seen women basically assume they will get X, Y and Z or their man is 'in trouble'. What??? Ugh...don't get me started you pampas arrogant princesses! Of course it's nice to be appreciated, but how dare you go there? You don't think your man shows you his love and devotion every day when he gets up and goes to work when he'd rather do something for himself like go fishing or sleep in just once? And that's just one way men show their commitments. I think the women today take WAAAAAAY too much for granted. They threaten to leave when things don't go their way and there is nothing sadder and weaker than using fear to gain control over your mate. Do you really want him if he's acting on fear or with his wallet? What ever happened to your vows? For better or for worse or for until I can no longer get whatever I want and need? Wake up women who act this way! Stop taking it for granted and focusing on the bad things in your mate. Why not look for the good that's there and find out what he needs for a change? Better yet, invite God back into the equation. Remember, you made your vows to Him!

Now there's nothing wrong with doing something nice for each other. Flowers are great! Cards are wonderful and so are notes left on the steering wheel just letting them know you are thinking of them that day. And who wouldn't enjoy a small gift of candy every now and then? Every couple has an anniversary, a date set aside in their lives for them to reflect on the past, evaluate the present and dream of the future! So why do we need an anniversary and some other day as well, that everyone celebrates? Do we really need to be reminded to be loving to each other? Is it really that special if everyone is doing it? Hmmm......

Down with conformity!!!

Well, as usual, I'm pretty sure I am alone in my convictions. So if you'd like a chance to win a $70 gift card for ProFlowers.com, go over and leave a comment on my friend Patrick's blog on his contest post called 'You Got Me What!' It's only open for a week so hurry in for your chance! There's nothing to sign up for, just leave a comment and you are entered. Anyone can play along.

Happy Halloween!

Hope your day is spooktacular!

"Spike" Halloween in Maryland, 2008

Should the driving age be raised?

This is a hot topic lately. Looking at statistics and crunching insurance rate variables is one way to take a look at it, I suppose. One could argue about experience levels playing in but how would an 18 year old have any more experience than a 16 year old if not allowed to practice until then? It's kind of like not getting the job because you don't have experience, but you can't get experience because no one will give you a job! And don't even get me started on the increasing number of distractions all people seem to try and balance while operating fast moving 1/2 ton machines of potential death & dismemberment:

Radios
MP3 players
Cell phones
Blue Tooth (Yeah, I said it. It's better, but you still have to fuss with it.)
Food & drinks
Kids & other passengers
Cigarettes (?)
TomTom type GPS units
DVD players
Make up
Shaving
Reading the newspaper
Oh yeah, and traffic, just to name a few!

True, experience does come with time and practice. You develop good driving habits by repeating them so often, they become like second nature. Granted, but you should never rely on 'second nature' to take over like an autopilot. People who are just starting out don't even have that yet. In other words, whether they are 16 or 21, they will still be inexperienced new drivers.

Perhaps a better solution would be an extension of the 'learner's permit' stage. No matter how old you are, you get your learner's permit and then have to complete a say, 2 year program with various state regulated tests to be passed along the way. This method would give learners time to get first hand experience alongside an established driver over a longer period of time and through a varying range of seasonal weather climates and road conditions. Also, it would keep learners on a path of progression building instincts and good driving habits well in advance of being licensed to take on independent driving responsibilities.

The above 2 crash photos were taken last night near our church. The driver of the gold car is the 17 year old daughter of one of the families at our church. The call came during the church service and left us all in tears and prayer. She was alone returning from a school game. Her friend planned to get a ride with her, even had her belongings in the car but at the last moment decided to get a ride from another friend. She was not wearing her seatbelt. She was talking on her cell phone. All normal things we do while driving. She was making a left turn and was hit on the empty passenger side. The driver of the other car had had a couple of beers but registered under the legal limit in a field test. He was traveling above the posted speed limit.

Praise the Lord, she will be ok! She's banged up from hitting the steering wheel and her knees are bruised but she will be ok. I believe she has only had a driver's license for a few months now. I can't help but wonder how this situation could have been different, if the crash would have been more avoidable if she would have had a longer period of monitored driving practice as I outlined above? We're all very thankful it ended as well as it did. The worst kind of accident is the kind that could have been prevented in some way.

My own mother was 47 years old when she got her 1st driver's license. She would most certainly have benefited from an extended learning period.

Parents remember: You still make the rules in your house. Why wait for the state government to tell you how to teach your kids driving safety and skills? You can choose to extend the period of time as a 'learner' beyond state guidelines, giving your child some much needed experience before spreading their solo wings to drive! I'm sure the kids will complain about it and cry out, "It's not fair!" But then again, who said being a good parent makes you popular?

Pet Peeves - Kid T-Shirts

It's no secret that I have a few pet peeves. Come on, we all do at some point! One of my ongoing pet peeves which has suddenly taken off again is bad attitude t-shirts for kids.

If you put this on your kid, people will read it and laugh or snicker or gasp, your child will begin to enjoy the attention, possibly begin to believe it's true and then do his/her best to live up to the advertisement. Your child will think it's expected behavior, mom put this on me intentionally! Well, I say, "Enough!" There's nothing funny or entertaining about it.

Is it too much to ask to encourage your kids to be better than their sin nature?! Why, oh why would you spend hard earned money to dress your kids with a billboard of bad attitude? You know, until recently, bad attitude from children was looked down upon in society. Now people laugh in their faces and wonder why 14 & 15 year old kids are pregnant or killing people for $20 worth of crystal meth! And don't even get me started on images & symbols of death on kids!

If you feel the need to dress your child in a worded t-shirt, try looking past the naughty ones disguised as funny and find some actual funny t-shirts? Just like everything else out there, you have to weed through to find something acceptable but it's worth the search! My nephew is 1 1/2 years old and I bought him one that says, "I still live with my parents." See? Funny, not negative.

FREE SILVER JEWELRY!

I think I'm losing my mind! I've been turned on to a new website where you can get FREE sterling silver jewelry. The only thing you pay is $6.99 shipping! And I just can't leave it alone!

The home page has 4 different items that are displayed for 15 minutes each, then they go away and another comes on. There is another page that shows the next few items that will be available and you can even have it email you when selected items are available, FANTASTICO!!! I'm so addicted, I've already received 2 pr of earrings that were nicer than I expected and have a few more pieces for myself and gifts for others on the way.

What's that? Oh, you want to know where to find such a website? Well, I'm sure you do! Just like teenagers want to find a cure for blackheads, women will become obsessed with this site. I'm warning you, it's highly addictive...don't blame me later when you find yourself checking back over and over and thinking about what you might be missing when you are in the shower.....I'm just sayin'. SilverJewelryClub.com. Again, you've been warned! If you have any questions, drop it in a comment on this post. Or if you too have already been turned on to this site, let me know what fun items you've gotten so far! Enjoy!

What is wrong with people?

Seriously, I'm asking, what is wrong with people?

Ok, I know I can be a stickler about some things...but we all have our ways. I took my car in this morning before work (yes, I actually got up EARLY!) to my local Firestone for an oil change, new fuel filter and tire rotation. I use the same store where I bought my tires earlier this year.

In conjunction with making sure they will perform all necessary pre-arranged services to my car, I specifically mention to the man that I have a cloth steering wheel cover that they need to be especially careful NOT to mar or dirty up with their black mechanic hands (not in those exact words but he got the point). He stated that they use steering wheel protective coverings to guard against this. Somehow I still wasn't convinced but somethings you have to trust.

He checks in my car, I walk 2 doors down to the Jack-In-The-Box to have breakfast and get started on my homework for my bible study. An hour and a half later (keep in mind, I was only getting 3 small services done) they call to inform me that I am ruining my tires by not getting an alignment. They keep pushing me to get the 'lifetime alignment' @ $150. Huh! I inform them that I have a source to get a free one when I need it. By the way, 2 other trusted mechanics I've spoken to makes it sound like alignments aren't as often needed as these guys make it out to be. "You could hit a pot hole and need another alignment!" Whatever.)

So I pack up my books and papers, refill my drink and walk back over. I check out and retrieve my keys. Once I am back in my car, I am instantly enraged! Guess what!? That's right a big permanent black mark on my beige colored cloth steering wheel cover! What the H man? Have they blown all their brains from between their ears by standing too close to the air tools? If they can't even do this right, after I made a *specific* request for them to be extra careful....and to top it off, they already supposedly have a system in place which would guard against such things.....hello! It's like they did it on purpose! Is this too much to ask now, to be careful when handling someone else's possessions?

So I called the guy and let him know I wasn't happy that I brought it to their attention specifically ahead of time so this wouldn't happen...the guy acted like it was a surprise to him because "they use covers so that wouldn't happen." I was like, "Well, I don't know what to tell you. This morning it wasn't there and now it is. Covers or not, now I have to stare at it forever. It's not the end of the world but I just wanted you to know it's there." He reluctantly offered to replace it at his expense, of course, but I said that's not the point. There's a principal here. It's something so simple. SO SIMPLE and they didn't get it right.

I am not sure I want them working on my car anymore.

Now, on rare display...

A museum in Jerusalem has decided to display the 24 ft. scroll with the text of the Bible's Book of Isaiah this week - more than four decades after it was last seen by the public. It has been in a dark, temperature-controlled room at the Israel Museum since 1967. They have decided to put the scroll back on show for three months as part of Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations.

I am very intrigued by these kinds of things. I always did marvel at all the artifacts in our museums because I just can't believe anyone would still have so much stuff from way back when! I love the testament to God's word and that it can still be proven true over and over, even to the original manuscripts of many days gone by! I'd love the chance to go see it, and although my passport may be good for 9 more years, my savings account is empty! :(

The AOL news article I read said this:

The priceless manuscript, written by a Judean scribe around 120 B.C., was in a long glass case Tuesday, its neat rows of Hebrew letters distinct and legible. President Bush, visiting Israel this week for the anniversary celebration, will be one of the first to view it.

Very interesting!!! It makes me want to go read Isaiah in my Bible!

I like it, I don't like it

The Rain.

Seems like we've had quite enough around here lately considering how high the water levels are already. I've heard the rain will be intermittent for the next few days so I guess you can put away your golf clubs for a couple of weeks until the rain stops and the ground has time to dry up some.I really hope we aren't looking at another Flood of 93'. Our office was about 3 feet high in water...I couldn't imagine all the work it would take to evacuate that office of all the boxes of files and computers and such...what a mess! So, although I am loving how green and lush everything looks and how much it reminds me of England's green rolling landscapes, I don't love the threat of higher waters!

Note to children everywhere: (& husbands, too!)

Mother's Day is less than a week away...please plan ahead for your mother and/or wife...or both! I hear the ladies like flowers and jewelry. Just make sure you don't blow it by waiting until the last minute to get something and end up with a fist full of orange silk flowers from a Wal-mart craft isle or a gum ball machine type bracelet. I myself am not a wife or mother, so I can't get any more specific than this as to what your lady might like to get, sorry. I know women love gifts of your time too, doing something alone with that person could put a nice smile on their face. Women need to build fond memories to reflect on for those times you end up in the dog house. Anyway, you have now been warned! This is your 2 minuted warning (well, actually, your 6 day warning, but we are talking realtime here)

Maybe it's me, maybe it's PMS

Lately, I've been finding the regular things to be annoying. You know, not like go-get-a-gun annoying, but not unlike when you have the captioning turned on while watching your favorite DVD and can't seem to figure out how to turn it off. Like that. You can't help what's coming at you, only how you react to it. Throwing the remote at the TV isn't helping either.

I am praying about it and I recognize it's happening, which is 1/2 the battle sometimes. I have alot going on in my mind, probably more than most people know about. There are some big things coming up that require alot from me and I'm trying really hard not to let things get to me. So if I seem distant right now, don't take it personally, I'll be fine, I'm just trying to work some things out. I need more candy...did I say candy? I meant prayer, I need more prayer! Candy couldn't hurt too though :)

End of an era! Ode to Poloroid

Guess it's time to trade all those penny stocks on Polaroid! The company has decided to end it's production of this much loved icon of instamatic photographic wonder. So on that note I add this:

Ode to the Polaroid:

Polaroid, You were there
When I met Dweezil Zappa.
And always ready to capta’
Someone doing something they weren’t supposed ta’!

We will miss watching all the idiots
Fanning you around,
Trying to speed up a chemical process
Sealed inside and bound.

Thanks to you,
We will remember our trips to the zoo.
And all the other childhood places
We used to take you to.

We are sad to see you go,
Of this you surely must know.
It’s with a tear in our eye,
And a stack of old photos this high
That we shall say goodbye.

And now, a moment of silence for our fast acting friend of yesterday. With your help, may we always remember the good times of days gone by!

1,5,3...2,4...5,7,3...1,6,7...2,7...7,7,SEVEN!!!

To all those who have a sweetheart today on Valentine's Day,

Have a happy, fun and safe February 14th!!!

I hope you weren't sucked into the hype that has become Valentine's Day. I believe Hallmark-type stores have become a franchise just to make money from 'holidays' like this. Why is it even considered a holiday anyway? No one is off work and the banks are open.

When you are a child, Valentine's Day is cute and fun and you get candy and sweets. Maybe it's because I've never had a Valentine on Valentine's Day but I just don't get it. It's supposed to be two people who are in love celebrating that love but correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that what anniversaries are for? If you pay attention to all the jewelry store commercials and the many other commercials around this time, you would think it's a day designed for men to have to go out and buy stuff to make the women happy! And women who put any expectations on this day are just setting their own stage for disappointment. Hello, love and gift buying should go both ways!!!

I think you can celebrate love any day of the year (especially your specific special day of love remembrance also called your anniversary). I fully believe you can show someone you love them in little ways that don't cost a bunch of money too. I just don't get this extra day for everyone to celebrate something so personal to you and your lover. Well, like I said, maybe it's because I have lived all '25' of these years without celebrating Valentine's Day, I still don't get it. LOL

Clarification-for all those who might think I speak from bitterness:
What I don't get is the commercialization of people's affections for monetary gain. It's fine to celebrate love! Don't read more into this than what I am saying right here. It falls in line with how over-commercialized Christmas and all the other actual holidays have become as well. "Oh, it's a holiday, let's all run to the mall with our credit cards" instead of draw closer together and give of ourselves and our time. Not interested! I'm not saying giving a gift is bad or wrong or that I'm bitter about not receiving any particular gifts, I get lots of gifts! I find treasure in the company and affections of my friends and loved ones. I show them I care in other ways as well as small gifts, if I see something. I just disagree with going out and overspending and climbing further into debt on people for the sake of a holiday tradition that's gotten way out of hand or because society puts pressure on us to give as much or more than we can to show our love....it's asinine and ludicrous to be a poor steward of your money just because society wants you to! People will remember you for what you bring to their lives...not what you bring for under their tree or in a card and chocolate.

Welcome in, 2008!

Greetings to all you passers by. Just a little note to welcome in the new year and kick off my blogging. Things are in full swing around here, plenty going on, the Lord certainly keeps us busy doesn't He? For all those people who think Christianity is boring, think again!

One thing I would like to do this year, and I am seriously considering it...is to get my own domain. I know I have talked about it before but I would really like to get away from this free site. If for no other reason than they don't even seem to be able to maintain stability of the heading. It's small it's normal it's small again...too frustrating. I have no control over that. For now I will continue to use this blog. I may have to start posting about commercial real estate or the like to earn some extra income and afford my domain hosting costs.

For now I will forge on and just deal the header thing. I would also like to take this opportunity to shout out an "I'm sorry I did/said that!" to anyone I spoke to or acted in a way I shouldn't have. Individually I have sent out a couple already but there are going to be some changes I'm making this year that some people may not understand. They will seem contrary to things I've said very recently. All I know is, I didn't say what I wanted to say then and I am excited about some upcoming issues. Things don't always fit the way you think they will and sometimes you have to make adjustments and compromises. I feel the Lord is leading me in a direction and I am very happy about it. I hope you can understand and if you have any questions at all, please talk to me about it. I am now an open book and a neutral party, just call me Switzerland baby!

2008 is going to be great!

I have so many things to look forward to in 2008! I have many goals and am going to be refocusing my attentions back towards myself and what I need to get done. I have neglected certain parts of my life for a very long time now and have decided that I am going to make some changes to kick off my future!

I am not going to make any 'New Year's resolutions' per se because I find those to be extremely disappointing and frustrating. I don't want to set myself up for failure, after all, some of these changes are going to be in effect for longer than just the year of 2008. So without further adue, here are some of the things I'll be cooking up for the next step of my life:

• A new part time business opportunity to earn extra income.
• A new baby on the way (no, not mine, my cousin's) who is due in June.
• A rekindled interest in keeping my house clean and organized.
• More reading and studying, less TV.
• More activity and exercise, less bad food choices.
• Pay off my new tires.
• Pay off atleast 1 credit card.
• Spend more time with family than I do now. I see friends more often than family!
• Accomplish more while I'm at work.
• More writing.
• Explore a new opportunity to contribute to a woman's conference for women in transition.

This is just a few of the things I'm considering for change in 2008. It's time for a change...I can feel it!

Long lost post

Well, you may have thought I was somewhere in drug rehabilitation like Britney you-know-who should be because I haven't posted in almost a week! Well, I assure you, I have no need for that, it's just been one of those things. I have been frustrated about my header and not knowing how to fix it for the past week and a half. The most frustrating part for me was spending aaaaaaaaallllllllll this time constructing it and adding the wording and getting a great background to match it and all that, just to have it ruined and I am now unable to share with my readers, my Christmas banner that I made! Grrr.

To my knowlege, there still isn't any kind of fix for the issue, I keep visiting boards and people say they will help me, but it's been a week and a half and no one has actually came through with a solution. If you have experienced this issue and know of a fix, please let me know! All the boards I've been reading say to find "header-inner" and "header-wrapper" and fix the dimentions on there, but I do not have either one of those in my html! So now what?

I plan to make some changes in the near future, probably to coicide with the upcoming new year, to make this blog more about me, and my thoughts and my writings and such. I don't care too much for all the different meme's I've been doing and when I look back at my blog, that's about all I can see lately. I didn't even do my own 'Give Me Five' meme this past Monday. I think that it mostly bothered me because none of my readers even noticed or commented or anything. So really, it's not a big deal. I'll just start again next week.

For now, I want to share with you something I wrote to a friend about some issues they are having with a friend and potentially in the throws of breaking up a long friendship. Obviously I have changed the names, for my protection LOL I am putting this here just in case someone out there is going through something similar and my words can be encouragement to move on or find clarity.

You know, X doesn't seem to be in a reasoning mood right now. If she didn't pay to have the coat cleaned, she's not going to even entertain the idea of the duckie stuff. She might actually turn it around and how dare you when you did blah blah whatever and figure out some way you owe her! She might not ever see things from the other side, that's her problem. She just has to learn that other people don't share her single sided view of the world. It's a small price to pay for a big lesson learned, I guess. At this point, you might as well cut your losses and just try to separate with the least amount of collateral damage as possible. Nothing will ever or could ever give you back the years of service and dedication and loyalty you put into your relationship. I'd sure hate to think that everything crumbled because of one comment from you. There has to be a whole lot more going on here, you just gave her the out she was searching for, it seems. I've seen her do that, be on the way out with someone and then the first little thing, she's ceasing the opportunity to take the victim role. Like with M, "She never called me back". Boo. Hoo. 6 years wasted. There was so much more going on than 'she never called me back'. We all suffered for that one.

I surely hope she can find a way in her life to stop thriving on the drama and all the attention ploys and feeling the need to contrive and belittle and control everything around her. If she keeps doing that, she's someday going to realize all she has around her are lies and fakeness. No one wants to be controlled like that or talked down to. X has soooo much potential of being this awesome friend and person to be around. It's all lost when she begins to twist and dig and self center everything. What will she do when she realizes the world doesn't revolve around her likes and whims? She has been catered to and spoiled for so long, her sense of entitlement has reached a soaring new height. No one on earth owes her anything. I can't spend my life being caught up in all that. I have a life of my own to answer for. A future to build with God as my focus and the eternal life to come has to be my priority! I can't be bothered with all this high school senseless and fruitless drama. We are supposed to be living purposeful lives to be more like Christ! Frankly I don't see how any of this bickering and not getting along and petty squabbles over who said and did and all that is furthering the glory of God!?!? As a matter of fact, it's going full steam ahead in the opposite direction taking down the witness to onlookers who would rather get along just fine without their Christian friends and all the dumb drama that goes along with it.

I think you have enough going on, that you should try to declutter your plate a little. You have a full and happy life and have so much to look forward to and things to keep you busy! It's great, God has blessed you in so many ways. I'm sorry you are having so many physical issues right now, but I just know in my heart that de-stressing will help you feel better physically too. I hope the doctor can get some relief to you too. Let me know what you decide to do about the X stuff. If I were you, definitely don't do any of this stuff in front of other people like at that thing on Sat. Even though you know they aren't that happy with her or her kids, don't put them in the position of taking a side and standing up with you against her. Remember, not many people have the balls to stand up to her and the whole thing might backfire. Just cut your losses. Sometimes life isn't fair, but you have to let God be the judge and jury on that and He *will* do that thing He does! :) We have to give Him room to opperate!!!!
Love,
Me

This Just In: A newsflash

A dramatic scene played out across the street from my office today. I do not know all of the details, and I cannot reveal the source of my inside information. That being said, here's what's up:

A man started a not for profit type organization because his son has an illness. The main office of that organization is in the building across the street from my work. Somewhere along the way he went astray and embezzled lots of cash (over $300,000). He would supposedly do things like raffle off houses, of which 2 of them he won. Blah blah blah, there was a trial, things were going down. The jury is currently deliberating on the case. We heard many sirens this morning rushing to the building across the street.There were 8 police cars, 1 ambulance and 1 fire truck. We contacted our inside information contact and were only told that whatever it was, they were calling off the rescue units. Shortly we saw both the ambulance and the fire truck leave.

Then the informant called us back to say that the man had called his parole officer to tell him he was going to kill himself. Apparently he wrote many notes all over the walls of the offices saying he wasn't alone in the taking of the cash and gave names and amounts. He then went up on the roof and killed himself! I just heard on the radio that his brother went to his house to pick him up to go to court and he wasn't home. So he came to the office and then found him there.

Soon the crime scene unit arrived and next the coroner. People....if you do bad things, know you might get found out so then take your medicine! Don't wimp out and kill yourself! Wow....anyway, I've blocked out all the street signs and such to try and protect the innocent as much as I can. Just thought I'd share with you all, it's never a dull day, is it?

UPDATE: A news crew just came around asking questions...like did we hear the gunshot and stuff like that. I told the reporter that I had pictures if he wanted to buy them! He replied with, "Pictures of what???" Unfortunately, not much LOL Darn, I could have made some cash!!!

Heads or Tails #4 - 9/11/01 Memories

Today's Heads or Tails is all about September 11, 2001. We are on Tails this week, which means we are to talk exclusively about the topic. That's not hard to do with this one.

Everyone remembers where they were when they began to hear the news of the morning's events. I was late for work, as per usual, and much like Barb over at Skittle's Place, the news came to me via a phone call from my mom. She was already at work and they had the tv on watching the attacks unfold. A plane had been hijacked and flown into the 1st tower. By the time I made it to the office, both towers were ablaze and rescue crews were frantically trying to evacuate the buildings. Both towers were still standing.

I was in complete awe of it all. At first, I was like, "Here? Really???" I felt so sick to my stomach when I saw those towers fall. It's certainly something I hope we don't soon forget. Alot of innocent people died, a lot of innocent kids lost their parents forever. Gone to never know how they grow up. Dead, in the rubble.

By then end of the day, the Pentagon had also been attacked and then there was Flight 93 that went down in a field in Pennsylvania. The more I learn about that flight, the louder I shout back, "Yeah, take that! We are a country of some who will lay down their own life for the sake of their neighbors! In your face!!"

I don't know how many volumes of sad stories this tragic act of extreme terrorism has inspired. It will always be a sad day in American history and a lesson to us all. Do not be naive to their motives. These terrorists have no inclination to come here and convert us to their religion or to take over our country. That's not what they want. They want us gone. They believe with a powerful faith, that we represent everything wrong and against their way of life. They are spiritually driven to carry out a mission bigger than themselves. We're not dealing with rational stable thinking here.
I could go on all day about thoughts and feelings surrounding this day. There are the heros, the orphans, the politics, and the many other aspects. But if I could only transmit one message, it is to express my acknowledgments that these are the types of events spoken of in the Bible as 'end times.' We live in a corrupt world that has an end. Study up, be vigil. Prepared yourself for more where that came from.

I heart St. Louis, MO

Warning, nostalgic feelings are a stirrin'!
Maybe it's because I'm about to leave my fair city of birth, maybe it's because on my way home tonight, I caught a distant view of the Arch, or maybe it's just 'that time' of the month, but I'm feeling the love for my hometown. I have lived within an 8 mile radius for basically my entire life. I grew up in South City St. Louis, MO. Once on the phone with a potential new client at my office, the guy breaks out with, "You are from south city aren't you?" I answered "Why, yes, how could you tell?" He said we have a distinct sound. Well, I don't know about that, but there are a few tell tale signs that you are from St. Louis:

• When you meet someone new, you always ask them "What high school did you go to?"
• You know where both Ted Drewes' are.
• You know what Ted Drewe's even is!
• For vacation, you ask, "Do you want to go to Branson Missouri or Lake of the Ozarks?
• You've had the pleasure of Hodak's chicken.
• You crank up KShe 95 (or KMOX)
  
• You are a die hard sports fan. I mean, hello, we have Pro Football, Major League Baseball and Pro Hockey!
• You've partied one too many times on the riverfront or have said before, "What happens on the 'East Side', stays on the East Side!"

There's just something about going away and coming home to be greeted by that big beautiful Arch! It's almost comforting, you really know you are home when you see it again. I think it's sorta majestic, actually. It can be seen from many points of the city and counties for miles away. It's odd really, because when you are downtown looking at the arch, it seems as though there are alot of buildings around it. But if you can catch a glimpse of it from around town, it almost always appears to be standing alone. Very cool! I heart St. Louis, MO!

Ever feel like you just don't belong here?

So, tonight I went to the mall. Now, you must realize that I'm not really the mall type. I don't have anything against malls in general, I think it's great to have a bunch of stores all in one place for crying out loud! But on certain days of the week, mainly the weekend days, average age level drops amongst the population there.

That being said, I'm glad the teenagers can still enjoy themselves congregating at the mall and eye balling passers by trying to look attractive. The mall is to a 15 year old what a bar is to a 22 year old. Anyway...I realize I'm on their turf, but hey, I like to shop too. And really, if it weren't for their parent's credit cards, they couldn't afford to actually shop at a mall anyway. But I digress.

My point is, and yes, I do have one, the mall is full of different kinds of stores. Layne Bryant, for one, is right up my alley. Nice quality clothes with style and class.


Deb, on the other hand, I felt as if I really didn't belong. The style (and quality) of clothing were on a different and might I add younger level than my taste. I only went in to look for a brown crop sweater to go with a dress I just bought. It felt like I was on some other planet. None of the sales people acknowledged me. I actually made several rounds looking for help without being noticed. I spotted a group of female employees and stood by the fitting rooms while they chatted. After they split up, I walked up to the counter and waited while 2 of them carried on an entire conversation without even so much as being looked at!

I'm not sure if I'm worried more about the next generation that is so self centered they can't be bothered with serving others, or about an entire generation of people that don't care about receiving good customer service! I finally got a fitting room and was quite happy to pick up a new pair of brown and a pair of black goucho pants. I'd been looking for them and finally found them. I don't think I'll be shopping there again until (that is IF I even have one) my own daughter drags me there kicking and screaming. With poor service like that, I would be surprised to see that store survive until then. But if it does, maybe I'll be one of those parents who send their kids to the mall with my credit card. At least I won't have to go in! LOL

For all you moms out there...

especially the ones with young children, don't forget to take pictures! I was talking earlier about digital cameras and how they are awesome these days with the better technology and features.

The problem is, and I hear this alot, 'I don't have time to snap photos! I'm too busy chasing after the kids.'

I hear you. I do! But I cannot stress to you enough to keep that camera handy around the house, throw it in the diaper bag. Make it a practice to capture those little fun times that make you smile. You will not regret it in the end!

And for all the scrapbooking moms out there (even if you haven't started scrapbooking yet, but would like to some day) I say once again, "You can't scrapbook it if you don't have pictures of it!" Mark my words....I've been preaching this so long, my friend Jen told me the other day, "My youngest one snuck off and I found him playing pee-a-boo in my shower! All I could think was Aunt Becca is gonna say, 'Why didn't you take pictures?' So I ran down the hall and grabbed the camera and snapped a couple of really cute pictures of it."