Vicki's Blog

Non Sequitur Takes a Poke at Social Networking

2009-10-31T14:30:00.015-04:00

I love the comics. I read them every day. Well, almost every day, if I have to be utterly honest. One of my favorites is Non Sequitur.

Wiley Miller, the cartoonist for Non Sequitur has an outrageous sense of humor and sees our world as no one else does absurdities and all.

A few days ago, he jumped into the world of social networking by taking a poke at Facebook.

So, what is social networking? It's the grouping of individuals into specific groups. Huh? Here's a website that can explain it easily. WHAT IS SOCIAL NETWORKING?

Facebook is just one of those social networks. Myspace is another. LinkedIn is another. Those are the top three. And, they're all used for very different reasons by very different people.

I'm going to be VERY basic here. One size does not FIT ALL!!!!

Myspace is used by the younger crowd and the artists groups: authors, muscians, artists, etc.

Facebook is used by slightly older crowd and you still have the artists groups as well as more business people. It's also used by the families and schoolmates looking to reconnect.

LinkedIn is probably the only one that has the majority of business people on it and does nearly all business, no socializing.

I purposely left out the Tweeters mostly because I don't understand them, and I don't exactly know how they fit into a stable social network.

So, enjoy the cartoons and have fun on your social networking site of choice.

Weird but Brilliant?

2009-10-09T14:28:00.003-04:00

This column appeared in our Tampa St Petersburg Times Newspaper

The Annals of Improbable Research magazine bestowed the 2009 Ig Nobels last Thursday in a ceremony at Harvard. The awards honor scientific research that seems odd but has serious practical application. The awards were handed out by Nobel laureates.

And the winners are:

Veterinary Medicine: Catherine Douglas and Peter Rowlinson for showing that cows with names give more milk than unnamed cows.

Peace: Stephan Bolliger, Stefen Ross, Lars Oesterhelweg, Micheal Thali, and Beat Kneubuehl for investigating whether it is better to be struck over the head with a full or empty beer bottle.

Economics: Executives of four Icelandic banks for showing how tiny banks can become huge, and then become tiny again.

Chemistry: Javier Morales, Miguel Apatiga, and Victor Castano for creating diamonds out of tequila.

Medicine: Donals Unger for cracking the knuckles on his left hand for 60 years to see if it contributes to arthritis.

Physics: Katherine Whitcome, Liza Shapiro and Daniel Lieberman for figuring out why pregnant women don't tip over.

Literature: Irish police for issuing 50 tickets to Prawo Jazdy, which in Polish means "driver's license."

Public health: Elena Bodnar, Raphael Lee, and Sandra Marijan for inventing a bra that can be converted into a gas mask. Actually, two gas masks.

Mathematics: The Zimbabwean Reserve Bank for printing notes in denominations from 1 cent tot $100 trillion.

Biology: Fumiaki Taguchi, Song Guofu and Zhang Guanglei for demonstrating that bacteria in panda poop can help reduce kitchen waste by 90 percent.

*****

All I can say, is "So that's where our Research and Development grant $$ are going?"

What the "Fragglerock" is that all about?

E-Reader Future Has Hit the Comics!

2009-09-21T12:22:00.005-04:00

E-Readers are here to stay. And, that means e-books are here to stay as well. As much as we boomers would like to protest, using excuses like "but I love the smell of a book" and "there's nothing like holding a book in my hand", we're no longer the target market.

It's a whole new world out there, and like it or not, it's time we embraced it. My husband has dragged me into it. Okay, not literally "dragged" me. More like nudged me in the current electronic world's general direction.

In our family, he was the first to purchase an iPhone. He expounded on all the cool applications and how easy they were to use and how easy they made his life.

Uh huh. I know what you're thinking. How could a phone make his life easier, right? I was thinking the same thing.

But, then he started showing me, because skeptic that I am, I started asking for proof.

Well, I wouldn't believe it at first, but he was right. Some of the applications he had were amazing. He had his e-mail right on his phone - send and receive. And, all of his mail folders were there too! Now that was slick! And they synced with his desktop at home.

Then, there was the Internet application. Safari. Well, that sold me right there. I could surf the Internet from my phone!!

And, don't get me started on the Facebook and MySpace applications that link directly to your pages and profiles so you can access your pages and update them as if you were sitting at your desktop.

Of course, I digress, another great application I downloaded? eReader! I can read books on my iPhone. How sweet is that?

You Know You're a True Floridian...

2009-09-17T10:17:00.003-04:00

You know you're a TRUE Floridian if.... Your Socks are only for bowling....

You never use an umbrella because you know the rain will be over in five minutes.

A 'good parking place' has nothing to do with distance from the store, but everything to do with shade.

Your winter coat is made of denim.

You can tell the difference between fire ant bites and mosquito bites.

You're younger than -50- but some of your friends are over -65-

Anything under 70 degrees is chilly

You've driven through Yee Haw Junction.

You know that no other grocery store can really compare to Publix.

Every other house in your neighborhood had blue roofs in 2004-2005.

You know that anything hurricane under a Category 3 just isn't worth waking up for

You dread "love bug" season (and you know what "love bugs" are!)

You are on a first name basis with the Hurricane list. They aren't Hurricane Charley or Hurricane Frances. You know them as just Andrew, Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne & Wilma......

You know what a "snowbird" is and, more importantly when they'll leave.

You think a six-foot alligator is actually pretty 'average'.

'Down South' really means Key West

Flip-flops are everyday wear. Shoes are for business meetings and church, but you HAVE worn flip flops to church before! Ties... we don't need no stinkin' ties!

You have a drawer full of bathing suits, and just one sweatshirt (and it is on the hanger in the closet)

You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls.

A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level (even at DisneyWorld)

You know the four -4- seasons really are: hurricane season, love bug season, tourist season & Summer

You've actually hosted a hurricane party.

You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee , Withlacoochee and Micanopy.

You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.

You were 25 when you first met someone who couldn't swim.

You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas and New Years (oh yeah!)

You recognize Miami-Dade as 'Northern Cuba.'

***** Thank you, anonymous donor!! *****

Dolphin - Smart of just plain clever?

2009-09-07T11:33:00.002-04:00

Pretty darn smart, if you ask me!!

Midlife - In all its GLORY!!!

2009-07-23T07:48:00.009-04:00

Sent anonymously through e-mail!!! What a hoot!!! I had to share it with you!!

I've seen two shows lately that went on and on about how mid-life is a great time for women. Just last week Oprah had a whole show on how great menopause will be . . . Puhleeeeeeeze! I've had a few thoughts of my own and would like to share them with you. Whether you are pushing 40, 50, 60 (or maybe even just pushing your luck), you'll probably relate.

Mid-life is when the growth of hair on our legs slows down. This gives us plenty of time to care for our newly acquired mustache.

In mid-life women no longer have upper arms, we have wing spans. We are no longer women in sleeveless shirts, we are flying squirrels in drag.

Mid-life is when you can stand naked in front of a mirror and you can see your rear without turning around.

Mid-life is when you go for a mammogram and you realize that this is the only time someone will ask you to appear topless.

Mid-life is when you want to grab every firm young lovely in a tube top and scream, "Listen honey, even the Roman empire fell and those will too."

Mid-life brings wisdom to know that life throws us curves and we're sitting on our biggest ones.

Mid-life is when you look at your know-it-all, beeper-wearing teenager and think: "For this I have stretch marks?"

In mid-life your memory starts to go. In fact the only thing we can retain is water.

Mid-life means that your Body By Jake now includes Legs By Rand McNally -- more red and blue lines than an accurately scaled map of Wisconsin.

Mid-life means that you become more reflective... You start pondering the "big" questions. What is life? Why am I here? How much Healthy Choice ice cream can I eat before it's no longer a healthy choice?

But mid-life also brings with it an appreciation for what is important. We realize that breasts sag, hips expand and chins double, but our loved ones make the journey worth while. Would any of you trade the knowledge that you have now, for the body you had way back when? Maybe our bodies simply have to expand to hold all the wisdom and love we've acquired. That's my philosophy and I'm sticking to it!

10 Best Movies About Fathers

2009-06-21T07:42:00.006-04:00

Nell Minow put together a "10 Best" list that I think truly depicts the 10 best "movies dads" of all time. Of course, you may have other opinions, and you're quite welcome to share them here.

Click HERE to read the article.

2009-04-28T08:32:00.003-04:00

This is an anonymous message that I found circulating the Internet.

To Those of You Born

1930 - 1979

At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno.. If you don't read anything else, please
read what he said.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE

1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes..

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. WHY?

Because we were always outside playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them?

CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us....go ahead and delete this.

For the rest of us...pass this on.

========================================================

Subject: 2009 our new year

There comes a point in your life when you realize
who matters,
who never did,
who won't anymore...
and who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past,
there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.

'Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. '

Wizards of Words 2009 Conference

2009-04-27T15:50:00.002-04:00

Fifth Annual

WIZARDS OF WORDS

W R I T E R S C O N F E R E N C E

♦ Accelerate your Career as a Writer ♦

Keynote Banquet Speaker – JACK WHYTE

Award-winning Poet & World Renown Historical Fiction Writer

Luncheon Speaker - JERRY SIMMONS

Author – Literary Consultant - Creator of “WritersReaders.com” and “Nothingbinding.com”

Nineteen WOW Workshops in Two Days

FACULTY: Jack Whyte, William Bernhardt, Mary Sue Seymour David S. Rosenberg, Penny C. Sansevieri,

Jennifer Thompson, Virginia Nosky, Patricia Brooks, Morgan St. James, Chantelle Osman, Brenda Hill, Rebecca Buckley

ROUND ROBIN SESSIONS: Consisting of Publishers, Keynotes, Editors

10-MINUTE INTERVIEWS: Pitch your manuscripts – Advance Reservations – Attendees Only

Friday & Saturday - October 16 & 17, 2009

The Plaza Hotel/Casino – Downtown Las Vegas NV

Full Conference Registration Fee:

WOW Member $179

Non Member $259

(To get the WOW Member Rate, you must join WOW and register for conference before August 1.)

For more information and to pay by PayPal or Credit Card go to: www.wizardsofwords.org

-OR- send check and appropriate forms (download from website)

to R.J. Buckley, 1451 E. Poncho Lane, Queen Creek AZ, 85243

Six Word Memoirs

2009-03-22T17:33:00.003-04:00

Six-Word Memoirs: The Legend

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Starting in 2006, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the recountre by asking their readers for their own six-word memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah”) and hilarious (“I like big butts, can’t lie”).

It's fun. It's addicting. Can you scrunch your story into six words? Try it and see. Here's the site. Six-Word Memoirs at SMITH Magazine.

And, to get you started, here's a few of my own:

* Bank funds low. No movie night.

* Grownup dreams of motherhood. My inspiration.

* Hearts flutter from heaven sent angels.

So, what is your six-word memoir?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-16T17:15:00.002-04:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Fashion Sense or Nonsense?

2009-03-14T18:12:00.012-04:00

I started out reading an article on the 6 Rules of Cleavage and it led me to the Top Ten Items You're Too Old to Wear which led me to a book on Amazon titled How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp. Back at the articles, I followed another link to Mom Jeans, Visible Panty Lines and 8 other Fashion Disasters, when it occurred to me, how in the heck did I ever survive dressing myself without the help of these women all my life?

Seriously ... NOT!!

I mean, come on. It's all a matter of common sense, really, isn't it? But, apparently not. There are still women out there, everyday, who want to dress like they're still in their teenage years, and they're pushing 40, 50, or older. I shudder just thinking about it.

I'm mean, come'on. Give it up, ladies!

There's "Daytime Cleavage" and there's "Nighttime Cleavage" right? Be respectful and the older you get, the more support you need, am I right? No one needs to see granny au'natural! I know that my "twins" have changed shape and size many times over the years and I'm giving them all the support I can -- they appreciate it and I do too. Gravity has not been kind. Not to mention, I'm sure someone like the grocery clerk appreciates it as well, not having to see me "hanging" in the wind, if you know what I mean.

When it comes down to it, though, if there's a list of don'ts, then there's a reason for them. Someone had to be told, "Hey, I think you're too old to wear Mickey Mouse barrettes in your hair." Or, "Mom, you can't borrow my Mary-Kate & Ashley glitter nail polish anymore!"

Do we need the Fashion Police to measure the number of inches of cleavage we show or announce to the world that everyone over 30 must now wear boot cut jeans to compensate for our "mom" butts?

Hardly.

All we need are just some good common sense fashion tips and we can still look trendy without looking like the last lonely "Material Girl" from a Madonna video.

Take t-shirts with messages on them. There's an age and body for glitter and shine on t-shirts. Especially with flirty messages like "CUTIE PIE!" and "I'M A FOX" And, sorry, but that age has to have a one or maybe a two in front of it. Any older and you're just a cry for help.

The same goes for those micro-mini skirts! Oh my God, I saw one on a woman at a concert the other night. Please, if you have to keep pulling on it to make it longer, then it's TOO SHORT! When she sat down, the skirt completely disappeared! Hello! Nobody wants to see that! According to the "Top 10 Items You're Too Old to Wear" the cut off age is 40 for micro-mini skirts, I say that's pushing it, but then that's me.

Like I said before, it's just a matter of common sense. But, just in case, read the articles. If anything, they're good for a few chuckles.

And, ladies.. watch those VPL's!!

My Favorite Pet

2009-03-09T12:14:00.002-04:00

Won't you please help my American Eskimo, Jack win in Redbook's Furry Face-Off ??!! Jack's the one posing in the Easter Bunny ears!! Isn't he such a cutie??

Never Too Late

2009-03-08T18:42:00.001-04:00

I'm a Red Cross Volunteer at my local hospital. During our break the volunteers would get together in the hospital cafeteria and have a snack and something to drink. We'd talk about this and that and the other. We'd share stories about our lives, past and present.

One day an older woman, another volunteer, came to me and asked me when I started writing. I'd made mention in passing at one of our breaks that I was an author. I told her that since 2000 and she was surprised I had not been writing my whole life. I explained that I actually was a technical writer for fifteen years before I started writing fiction, but I really had only been writing novels for less than ten years.

I asked her why, and she told me she had a story in her but she said it was too late to write it. She looked so woe-be-gone that I felt instant sympathy for her.

Again, I asked her why, and she said she was too "old".

"Old" is such a relative term. To her it meant she was too used up; too late to start something new; especially something "long term" like writing.

She felt so overwhelmed with the daunting task of putting words to paper. All of the words locked inside of her. She didn't know where to begin and she turned to me to help her. She sighed that all of those words in side of her would be lost forever. I asked her why and she said she would never have the time to write her story.

I'll tell you what I told her. It's never too late. I asked her to start small. Only a few minutes each day. Write a few words, a sentence or two, and that's it. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just something to get her started.

She didn't know where to begin. I told her that she didn't have to start at the beginning of anything. Just sit down. Get quiet. And start writing whatever comes to mind first. Take it from there.

She seemed hesitant but said she'd try.

The next day she was like an eager schoolgirl wanting to show her best report card. She had actually written something and best of all she sent it to her family in an email and they enjoyed it! She couldn't wait to get back home and try again. What she had written had spurred more memories that she was eager to capture. She's more organized now, keeping her memories tucked away in electronic document files, but she still sends them to her family to read. It gives her so much joy.

Her interest in writing and the small steps she took gave her the incentive to start and to continue. And that is how she's writing her memoir to her children.

It wasn't too late for her, and it's not too late for you.

It's never too late to start writing.

The Laws of English - NOT!

2009-02-28T09:12:00.001-05:00

This came across my e-mail in-box recently and I though I'd share it with you. I'm not sure who the original author is, but thank you.

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce .

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row ...

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France . Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick' ?

You lovers of the English language might enjoy this .

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is 'UP.'

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report ?

We call UP our friends. And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP ! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP .. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP...

When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.

When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so........it is time to shut UP!

If Today Was Your Last Day Contest Entries

2009-02-12T08:32:00.004-05:00

I'm pleased to announce the finalists in the "If Today was Your Last Day" writing contest. Each contestant had to write their entry based on the theme of the song (If Today was Your Last Day) written by Nickelback.

I've listed the finalists below. Please read them. Then go to my writers forum and vote for your favorite. That will choose our winner. The polls will stay open for 14 days.

Thank you to everyone who entered. It was a close contest and I had a difficult time choosing the finalists.

ENTRY NUMBER 1
SWEET ROLLS

Sandra rushed from the bus to the sidewalk, head down, arms wrapped possessively around the brown bakery package. Tonight, she would curl up with the latest Toni Morrison novel accompanied by a plate of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Her steps quickened at the thought. Food was her one indulgence. She didn’t window shop for trendy clothes or the latest home fashion. Her hair was cut in a short, practical style. Her clothes were sensible; her furnishings functional. Adornment was for people who were blessed with good looks and an active social life. She even gave up trying to watch her weight, once she entered middle age. What was the point?

One more block and she would be at her aged brick apartment building. The black iron posts of Oak Lawn Cemetery striped passersby in deep afternoon shadow. As Sandra neared the cemetery gate, a large funeral party poured out on the sidewalk. She noted the black limousine ahead of a long line of cars parked on the street. She sighed impatiently and waited for the gathering to move on. The crowd huddled protectively around a young woman so ashen faced and hollow eyed, that Sandra couldn’t bear to look at her. Her gaze dropped instead to the top of a girl’s blond head. The child chose that moment to look up; her blue eyes flooded with unrestrained tears. Grief and despair emanated from the crowd in a palpable wave that forced Sandra to step back from the black coated figures.

She hugged the bakery package, longing to find warmth there, but the sugary treasure had cooled. Despair niggled at the edges of her mind. No, she would not let it in. She would reheat the rolls in the oven. She stamped her feet to fight off the cold. The last of the mourners finally exited the gate and the crowd slowly inched its way forward. Sandra trudged behind and tried to revive the image of the cozy evening she had planned. It escaped her. She railed at her timing. If only she had been one minute earlier, she would have passed the cemetery gate before the funeral exited. If the person ahead of her in the bakery line hadn’t changed her order; she wouldn’t have missed the 5:00 bus.

At last, the path in front of her cleared. The mourners were opening car doors; leaving the dead behind. She would heat up these rolls. The yeasty dough would loose some of its delicate softness, but the cinnamon sugar thrill would still be there. She reached the crosswalk to her apartment and waited for the long line of traffic to pass. She glanced down. There at her feet was a pamphlet. She had no idea why she picked it up. She had to shuffle the package to one arm and reach down with the other. It was a funeral announcement. It must have fallen from a mourner’s hand and been blown her way by the brisk winter wind. She opened it and was struck solemn by the picture inside. A cherubic boy’s face beamed at her. Under the photo was the inscription: Joshua Burns, January 14, 2007 – January 12, 2008.

She stood frozen. The traffic cleared and pedestrians rushed by her to cross the street. She turned back to the bench on the sidewalk where the thin, homeless man slept at night. She sank down on the seat; her eyes riveted to the child’s face. Not even a year he lived. Three hundred and sixty three days. Just long enough to capture the hearts of his family. To weave his life with theirs in a way that would make his departure immensely painful. She pictured the face of the young mother and the little girl by her side. Joshua’s sister, perhaps?

Today was Joshua’s birthday. What would he have been like? Her niece’s child was about a year old. On Sondra’s last visit, the child babbled senselessly and pulled himself upright, then walked towards her; his hands grasping a tabletop. Before he reached her, he fell backwards on his rump and exploded into peals of laughter. She’d felt awkward and incompetent around such exuberance.

Three hundred and sixty three days. She studied Joshua’s face. She had lived 48 years. What had she done with those years? Nothing nearly as important as learning to walk or capturing hearts. She thought of her small life: the dull office job, her cloistered apartment, and the mean minutes she spent alone. All ruled by fear and insecurity. She looked down at her body. It was a perfectly functional body. Her hands clasped and felt. Her feet carried her where she wanted to go. Her eyes saw; her ears heard; her nose smelled and her tongue tasted. Soft snowflakes began to fall. She rose and made her way slowly across the street to her apartment. She clutched the funeral pamphlet as if it were a talisman; sensing its profound importance to the rest of her days.

Behind on the bench, a brown package is covered by snow. An hour later, a thin homeless man will brush the snow off the bench and delight in his discovery of the frozen sweet rolls.

ENTRY NUMBER 2
BROKEN FLOWER

The curtain of night rain obscured her view of the garden where she had planted fledging impatiens the day before. She wondered how they were handling the deluge, those delicate paper-thin petals and tender leaves. If she could be any flower in the universe, she would be a bright fuchsia impatiens. Yep, that’s what she would be, but it seems powers beyond her own had decided that she should be a human being who planted and cared for the pretty sun-shy impatiens.
“Come back to bed.” His deep voice bounced on her bare back and then slid over her shoulders to quiver near her heart. She turned and smiled in the darkness.
“I love you,” she said. She felt the silence in the room slide over her like swaddling clothes, binding her to those three fateful words never spoken before, at least to the one who now lay in her rumpled bed. The rain pounded on the window as if to say, you idiot, why did you say that.
“I know” is all he said.

She sat at her workstation staring at the computer screen, hands poised on the keyboard as if ready for immediate takeoff but needing the go-ahead from the control tower. She couldn’t manage the meanderings of her usually disciplined mind. She couldn’t concentrate on inputting the data needed for the next project. She couldn’t eat or sleep either. Why had she said that? Why? Why? Why?
“Hey, Dana, you lost in lalaland or something? Bossman is asking for the specifications.” Shakira leaned against the cubicle wall, grinning like a border collie after it had successfully herded its charges into the sheep pen. Against her own paleness, Shakira’s dark skin shone like fine chocolate and her flamboyant clothing made Dana’s attire look like Auntie Em’s farmhouse drab.
“I’m doing it right now.”
“Well, bossman needs it yesterday. Now, ain’t that a surprise. I’ll stall him for an hour or so, but then you’re on your own. Ciao, chick.”
She watched Shakira’s tallness diminish down the long hall and then looked back at the computer screen. There were days when all she wanted to do was scream, and this was one of them. But, like a dutiful child, she squelched the screech clawing up her throat and recommenced the adult thing called work. She watched her practiced fingers fly across the keyboard as she half-scrutinized the paperwork on her desk. If only she had a window, she could watch the leaves of the trees tremble in the breeze, glimpse a bird or two as it journeyed to wherever, see a jet leaving a white trail of smoke in the cloudless azure blue sky. Instead, her only view was grey cloth cubicle walls and the photo of him taken in Curaçao last summer. Tall, muscular, tanned, sun-bleached hair, dark beard stubble, Ray-Bans covering his amazing hazel eyes, he looked straight at her with that smile, with those full lips that kissed her every night, every morning, and now seemed so cold because they hadn’t whispered those three words back to her. She had no idea what to do now. Here she was, a summa cum laude college graduate, and she was clueless about this he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not state of affairs. Ain’t that a gas, as Shakira would say.

He called her. “Hey, lover, you want to go to dinner? There’s a new place everyone’s talking about in the Village.”
Lover? Yes, she was that. How about just plain old love? Was she loved? She was going to ask him. Yep, she sure was…if her thundering heart would stop strangling her voice.
“Do you love me?” she asked quietly, almost hoping he couldn’t hear her.
Again, the silence. She listened to his soft breathing over the distant sound of a siren. Someone’s in trouble. She’s in trouble too. Do they send ambulances for broken hearts?
“Not the way you want me to” is what he said.
“I see” is all she said.

Dana stood on the crest of the hill, watching the waves bellow and bash their crowns on the ragged rocks below. She could feel the strength, the fierceness, the incompatibility of ocean and granite coming together, forever linked in a lover’s dance of love and hate, neither one winning. She breathed in the fresh salty air and relished the semi-wild outdoors.
Summer in Oregon. So different than summer in Curaçao. He wasn’t here. She heard from a friend of hers that he had moved in with a red-headed architect from Dallas and seemed to be very happy. There was a small crying part of her that wanted to slash the expensive tires on his new white BMW (another tidbit from her friend) and pull every red hair out of his new girlfriend’s scalp, but that wouldn’t heal the pain of their breakup. That would just land her in jail. And, really, what did it matter anyway? You can’t coerce someone into loving you. Either they do or they don’t. Simple as that. She was only 32 years old; there would be other men in her life and through them she might find the love she wanted. But right now, this very second, her body and spirit tingled with the roar of the waves, the lonesome cry of a hawk overhead, the breeze whistling through the trees, the twitter of squirrels hiding in foliage, the hard earth under her hiking boots. Looking down, she saw a red flower a couple of feet away that had broken off its parent bush. She picked it up and gently pushed it behind her ear.
“Hey, Dana, come on. We’re hungry and there’s still a mile to go.” Dana glanced one more time at the confluence of rock and water in the cove below, and then turned to her friends and smiled.
“I’m ready now” is what she said.

ENTRY NUMBER 3
LIFE DOESN'T HAVE A REWIND BUTTON

“Ms. Myers, thank you for coming in,” the doctor says.
The plush leather seat should feel comforting with its supple, body-enveloping leather, yet it feels as hostile as the paper-sheet covered exam tables I’d lain on so many times in recent months.
My temple throbs. My stomach wants to re-gift me with my half-digested meal. Why had I even bothered to eat? The news isn’t going to be good. Why had I come? Why couldn’t they just tell me over the phone? Do I really need to hear the words?
“I have the results of the biopsy,” she says.
I nod. My mouth is too dry to swallow.
She gathers a cool and clammy hand between her warm, full-of-life hands. I gag at the contrast.
“Claire, we talked about the possibilities.”
I open my mouth to speak, but a loud sob bursts out, and once I start to cry, I can’t stop.
She holds the box of tissues and sits patiently while rubbing my arm, my back. Her touch soothes.
I finally settle a little and say the only thought I can grasp. “But, I don’t feel sick.”
She speaks and I only catch phrases. “…quite advanced…inoperable…sudden.”
Something clicks inside me and I stand. I take a deep breath and let it out. “I guess I should get busy dying, then, now that it’s official.”
Anger floods me until the elevator doors slide shut, then emptiness washes over me and I barely have the strength to hold myself up. Only a few days to live. What can I possibly do in a few days that I haven’t done in over forty years?
An icy wind freezes the moisture on my face as I step outside. I wince, but then smile. Pain. I can still feel. I’m suddenly aware of every precious breath.
I raise my face to bask in the warmth of the sun as it peeks out.
No more forcing myself to go to a job I don’t enjoy, sitting in traffic, inhaling secondhand smoke, or cleaning the toilet.
“Yes!”
I attract attention, but who cares? I half-jog to my favorite café. I smile at everyone I encounter and am amazed at how many won’t make eye contact. That was me, until I got the news. Now I feel free, alive. How ironic.
At the café I order a large slice of the triple layer, chocolate-dipped raspberry cake and savor every morsel as it touches my tongue.
Oh, how I should have indulged sooner.
Should have.
There are so many things I put off for someday, for retirement. Well, now, here I am with only a couple of ‘some’ days left. I choke back a sob. Why did I wait? Why didn’t I follow my dreams?
I scoop up decadent chocolate remnants with my finger, close my eyes, and stick the finger in my mouth. Heavenly.
I’m going to savor all my final moments like this. No more time to waste or take for granted. I call the office and say I won’t be back. The attorney expresses his condolences at my situation and helps me sort out the final details of my life. My steps feel lighter as I leave his office. There is truly nothing holding me to this life now.
I take in all the colors, the people, the textures of the buildings. I inhale deeply and give thanks to whatever being may exist, for allowing me the ability to smell, see, touch, taste, and hear. How precious these gifts are. How sad it is that I didn’t feel blessed and notice these things until now.
I toy with spending hours being pampered at a spa, but realize I want to be outside as much as possible. I walk the deserted winter beach. I splurge on my last meals. I think about my one true love, lost in the shuffle of life. I hope he’s found the love he couldn’t find with me.
I don’t pay attention and my feet slip. I manage to do crazy gyrations with my arms and stay upright. I may be hysterical, but oh, it feels so great to laugh. Don’t they say laughter is the best medicine? Maybe if I laugh a lot I’ll get a few more hours, or days. Do I want more time?
I sober. I love these precious final moments. But, what if? After all, I don’t feel sick. In fact, I’ve never felt better. No. The doctor is sure. Nothing is tying me to this earthly life any more except a few more breaths. I need to enjoy everything I can in these last brief moments of my life. There’s no time to follow my dreams.
I eventually get home. The light on my answering machine is blinking. I ignore it and turn the ringer off. No disruptions.
I indulge myself with a hot tub overflowing with bubbles. I grab an entire bottle of chardonnay, set out cheese and crackers and grapes. I decide to read the half-finished novel beside my bed. I wonder if I’ll remember anything when I pass from this life to the next. I sleep soundly and wake up feeling refreshed.
I continue to indulge and savor the fleeting minutes. I don’t know which will be my last. I write letters to old friends and loved ones. I sit and give thanks for the life I was given. Time. I regret squandering it, and not having enough now to pursue my interest in the saxophone, salsa dancing, and traveling the world. I want more time.
Days pass. I let messages, dishes, and dirty laundry pile up. I want my last breath to come while I’m cherishing something I used to take for granted, not doing chores.
I wake up to yet another beautiful sunrise. My cash has run out. I still feel fine.
I call the doctor.
“Ms. Myers, we’ve been trying to get in touch with you. There was a mistake….”

ENTRY NUMBER 4
JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

As a company of United States Marines hunkers in on a no name piece of sand in the Iraqi desert. One young Marine looked out at the sand for the umpteenth time and wondered.

When they coming? Man, the old guys like Sarge and Maxie, they seemed to be taking it easy, but most of the guys are like me, scared shitless, even if they won't admit it. It won't be long before dark. I thought I heard the chow trucks pull in, maybe some hot food for a change.

Getting a hot meal was at the top of every Marines wish list.

Great, Sarge just gave the all clear sign. Maybe I can get some of that warm chow. If I hurry, I can get a spot under one of the trucks and catch some Z's. Man wouldn't a shower be nice. Actually getting my hair clean, washing it with shampoo, not just a rinse with cold water. But as Grandma use to say, if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.

“Blaine, Maxwell?” the Sergeant called.

This can't be good.

“Yeah Sarge?” I replied.
“Blaine, Maxwell, here on the east, stay alert and call me if you see anything. And I mean any damn thing, got it? The rest of you, clear your weapons and hit the chow line,” he said.
“Yeah, got it Sarge,” I said to his back as he hurried off to the next bunker.

Shit, I have to stand guard. All the hot chow will be gone again. Man it seems like I can never catch a break.

Behind the sand bag revetments, somebody turned on a boom box and they heard 'If today was your last day,' blast away.

Ain't that some something, Nickelback, I sure hope that's not an omen. Grandma believed in omens, not that I do, but she was scary right sometimes. The stuff she would come up with, like dropping a fork meant you were getting company or a ladybug was good luck. Man, what wouldn't I give for a boatload of ladybugs right now?

As dusk drifts to dark, Marines watch a silent desert that seems to change with every glance.

It's awfully quiet out there. I know the mooks are out there, we saw some dust clouds earlier. They ain't all that bright and they’re cowards to boot. Come on out and do a one on one with us man. We are ready to kick ass and take names, don't you know. Seems like a waste to put Marines out here in this dump when the candy ass Army could do something this chicken shit. But, we be Gyrenes, the few, the proud and the horny. We go where we are told, from the halls of Montezuma to infinity and beyond, hee, hee, hee.

“Something funny?” Maxie asked.
“No, just thinking about something Maxie,” I replied.

“Well think with your eyes open Marine,” he said.
“Yeah sure,” I said as I looked back out on the sand.

I know what I would do if today was my last day. First, I sure as hell wouldn't spend it here, no way. I would be home with Mama. I would get up early, really early like around four or so and take a long hot bubble bath. I would soak for an hour and drink some hot tea. Then I would put on my best dress and flats. Jesus, I sure as hell wouldn't want to spend my last damn day in heels. I would dress to the nines and then some. I would take Mama and we would spend my last day doing…
Holy shit! Was that something moving out there?

“Maxie! Eleven o'clock, see anything?” I asked.
“Jesus Diana! You scared the hell out of me. No, just sand and shadows is all. Christ all mighty, take it easy, will you?” Maxie replied.
“Yeah sorry, just a bit jumpy I guess,” I said looking out at the darkening sand.

I wish they would have never played that friggen song. Now it will be stuck in my head forever. I don't hear the boom box anymore. Somebody must have told them to knock it off. I'd bet it was Jamal, he has a sick ass sense of humor. I could see him playing that last day shit and laughing about it, yeah, probably Jamal.

She watched the desert shadows ebb and flow and as time crept by unhurried, her thoughts caught up with her.

I would spend the day with Mama and we would go do all the things we said we would do when I come home. We would go down to the Emporium and try on every pair of shoes they had. Then we would eat until we burst and shop some more. Then just before midnight, I would find me some big strapping hunk with a hairy chest and get laid, right and proper. I would go out with a big smile on my face, you can bet your ass on that. Then I would go home to my bed, lay down, and wait for sweet Jesus to…

“Blaine?” Corporal Papas said, breaking my thoughts.
“Yeah Corporal?” I replied.
“Waitsfield is going to spell you so you can get some hot chow,” he said as Billy Waitsfield jumped down in the hole besides me.
“Nothing happing Billy, it's as quite as a church out there,” I told him as I cleared my piece. Corporal Papas held his hand out to help me out of the hole. As he pulled me up he said, “Get that money maker moving girl. You got thirty minutes and I want your ass back here, got it?”
“You bet Corporal,” I replied as I beat feet to the mess line.

Hot damn, hot chow. God does love me.

***

Please remember to go to my writers forum and vote for your favorite! Voting closes in 14 days.

Peanut Butter Recall

2009-01-18T08:29:00.001-05:00

FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Peanut Butter Products
Agency advises against everything but jars of peanut butter as salmonella probe widens; Kellogg recalls Famous Amos and Keebler peanut butter cookies; toll at 453 sickened, 6 dead, in 43 states and Canada

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

SATURDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Saturday warned consumers not to eat peanut butter products containing peanut butter or peanut butter paste, as the investigation into the widespread salmonella outbreak continues.

The health warning focused on products made with peanut butter, like crackers, not jars of peanut butter on store shelves, the agency said.

"We are urging people not to eat products that have peanut butter until we have better information, and they can make an informed choice," Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said at a Saturday teleconference, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The official toll from the outbreak across 43 states and Canada still stands at 453 people sickened, with six deaths that have been linked.

Meanwhile, cereal giant Kellogg recalled 16 products containing peanut butter late Friday. The recall involved 33,000 cases of cookies and 7 million cases of crackers on grocery shelves, according to the Journal-Constitution.

Kellogg's recall included Keebler cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers and Keebler and Famous Amos peanut butter cookies.

The company had asked stores on Wednesday to stop selling its popular Keebler and Austin brand peanut butter crackers while it investigated any possible salmonella connection.

Friday's formal recall took the company's action one step further.

"The actions we are taking today are in keeping with our more than 100-year commitment to providing consumers with safe, high-quality products," David Mackay, Kellogg president and CEO, told the Associated Press. "We apologize for this unfortunate situation."

Kellogg's recall also followed a request from the FDA for salmonella testing by food companies around the country that may have bought peanut butter or peanut paste from a Georgia facility owned by the Peanut Corp. of America.

U.S. health officials late Friday said at least 85 companies had purchased peanut products from the Georgia plant and 30 had been "urged" to run their own tests for the bacteria, the AP reported.

Sundlof told a late Friday teleconference: "We have traced one likely source of salmonella contamination to a plant owned by the Peanut Corp. of America in Georgia, which makes both a brand of peanut butter distributed in bulk to large institutions like nursing homes, and also produces a peanut paste that is distributed to food manufacturers to be used as an ingredient in many products, including cookies, crackers, cereal and ice cream."

Although salmonella was found at the plant, it's not yet known whether it's the same strain behind the outbreak, Sundlof said, adding that testing continues.

Sundlof said the FDA doesn't know all the peanut butter brands or foods containing peanut butter that might be affected. "We don't have specific information about what brands or products consumers should avoid," he said.

But AP, quoting consumer representatives who took part in an earlier-Friday conference call with federal officials, said companies producing products with peanut butter were being asked to consider halting sales.

The concern is that peanut paste is used in dozens of products, from baked goods to cooking sauces. Initially, federal and state investigators had focused on bulk containers of peanut butter sold to institutions such as nursing homes, but not to supermarkets, the AP said.

"Now it turns out, it's not just institutions," said Michael Hansen, a senior scientist with Consumers Union.

On Wednesday, Kellogg, of Battle Creek, Mich., said it took its stop-sale action as a "precautionary measure" after Peanut Corp., one of its suppliers, announced a nationwide recall of peanut butter made at the Georgia plant.

The company recall now includes: Austin and Keebler brand Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, as well as some snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.

The strain of salmonella involved with the outbreak has been identified as Salmonella Typhimurium, the most common of the more than 2,500 types of salmonella bacteria in the United States. It's often found in uncooked eggs and meats, officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The most recent death linked to the outbreak was an elderly man in North Carolina, according to state health officials.

On Wednesday, health officials in Minnesota and Idaho said that one death in each state had been linked to the outbreak. Another death in Minnesota and two in Virginia were confirmed Tuesday, the AP reported.

Although the causes of death haven't been determined, all six adults had salmonella infection when they died. CDC officials said the salmonella outbreak may have contributed to their deaths.

Peanut Corp., based in Lynchburg, Va., issued its own recall Tuesday of 21 lots of peanut butter for possible salmonella contamination. The product was made at the plant in Blakely, Ga., on or after July 1, 2008, and sold under the brand name Parnell's Pride and by the King Nut Company as King Nut, the AP said.

Peanut Corp., which also has plants in Virginia and Texas, makes the product for bulk distribution to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies.

The recall and the potential link to the multi-state outbreak came two years after ConAgra recalled its Peter Pan brand peanut butter, which had been linked to at least 625 salmonella cases in 47 states.

More information

Here is a list of the peanut butter products recalled by Kellogg.

SOURCE: Jan. 16, 2009, teleconference with Stephen Sundlof, D.V.M., director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Jan. 14, 2009, news release, Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich.; Jan. 12, 2009, news release, Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Jan. 12, 2009, news release, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Jan 10, 2009, online statement, Peanut Corp. of America; Associated Press; Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Last Updated: Jan. 17, 2009

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-31T12:50:00.001-05:00

As 2008 fades away, and a clean slate in front of you, it's the time of your life to let go and be more than you'd ever dreamed of being.

2009 is a new year to set new writing goals and resolutions. What are yours going to be? Find an agent? A publisher? Finish a book?

It's the first day of the first year of a new unwritten future. A blank page. You can write your own future.

In the loosely interpreted words of Natasha Bedingfield and her song "Unwritten", today is when your book begins. The rest is unwritten. You have a blank page before you. No one else has your book inside them. It's your gift. You must release your inhibitions and go for it.

And, you will get there, one step at a time. Keep your goals firmly set in your mind. Stay focused. Use the support of your writing networks. And, set your goals high. Reach for the stars!

So, what are your top five writing goals or resolutions for 2009?

Mine are:
1. Obtain a publishing contract for OUT FOR JUSTICE
2. Finish edits on 3 short stories and find them a published home.
3. Write erotic story for Ravenous Romance.
4. Enter writing contests.
5. Write at least 5 chapters of DRIVING ME CRAZY.

I'd like to hear what yours are.

E-Books - Starting to Take Hold

2008-12-29T08:09:00.003-05:00

Well, folks, tell us something we don't know, right?

But, here it is, in the New York Times. Posted 12/23/08.

According to the article, and correct me if I'm wrong, it sounds like they're crediting the success of the e-readers for the success of e-books.

Okay, I'll bite.

Don't you have to have something to READ before you want to have something to READ it ON?

I say e-books are a success because of the authors, and the e-reader products improved based on demand.

But, that's my humble opinion.

You can read the article here. Turning Page, E-Books Start to Take Hold. Skip the add that might pop up and go straight to the article.

I'd love to hear your opinion.

Holiday Travel

2008-12-23T07:47:00.005-05:00

My husband and I recently returned from traveling to WV, PA, and DC. We decided it would be a great Christmas present to his nieces to take them to DC for a couple of days. So, we flew into to the Philadelphia airport, picked up our rental minivan, drove to Buckhannon, West Virginia (5 hours) stayed overnight in a hotel.

Uh Huh, they do have hotels in Buckhannon. A very nice one as a matter of fact. The Bicentennial. If anyone gets out that way, that's my recommendation.

We picked up the girls the next morning from my husband's sister's house. After finding it.

Thank God for GPS and Google Maps. She has no address. Nope. None. Just lives on this little one lane road in the middle on nowhere.

We drove to Washington, DC (5 and 1/2 hours later). Thank goodness for a laptop computer and a movie. It kept the girls occupied.

The first day of our tour we saw the National Archives and the American Indian Museum.

In the rain.

Cold rain. And wind. Oh yeah. Wind and cold rain.

Of course none of us had umbrellas. But, I don't think it would have done any good anyway. But, I digress. The next day we parked at Union Station and walked from there to the Lincoln Memorial and back and saw everything we could in between before traveling back to WV. (Another 5 1/2 miles)

By then it was snowing. And snowing. And, we're from Florida remember? We're talking 20 degrees and under.. Brrrrrr.

We got back to Buckhannon, dropped off our nieces, checked into our hotel again, burrowed ourselves into the covers and blasted the heater.

Ahh, family time.... two days spent with my in-laws. (I plead the fifth here).

Then, it's time to travel back to Philadelphia to catch our plane back to Tampa, Florida.

Easy peasy, right?

NOT!

First, we get there early, because, well, I'm an OCD, and have panic attacks and anxiety, and my hubby can't deny me when I get that way, so we get their early. About 4 hours early.

Then we wait.

He keeps himself occupied with his computer. I walk.

Then, we find out our flight's been delayed.

So, we wait some more.

He pulls out his computer again; I get antsy.

Then, you guessed it, our flight is delayed again.

NO!!!!

By this time, hubby is deep into his computer, and I'm tapping my toes and trying to do a puzzle while eating a turkey sandwich, because now I've missed dinner.

Finally, the plane arrives. They're excuse: Holiday Travel.

Okay. From December 10th to the 15th, they had excessive holiday travel. Hmmm.. Sorry folks, but if that's the case, I really feel for those of you who are traveling right through the holiday.

So, back to the story. We make our connection some how in Atlanta because, low and behold, our plane is late. Imagine that!!??!!

Eventually, we make it back to Tampa, tired and beat.. several hours late.

But, what didn't arrive??? Our luggage!!

After all that, our luggage never made it on the plane!!!

But we were so glad to be home. And, the airlines were confident they would find our luggage and deliver it the next day. (Miracle upon miracle, they did just that!)

And we woke up to 80 degree weather. Can't get better than that.

Here's an article titled 12 Secrets to Surviving Holiday Travel for tips to help you get through your holiday traveling.

Teddy Bears With Chocolate Recall

2008-12-17T15:54:00.005-05:00

Walgreens Recalls 173 Teddy Bears With Chocolate Bars Sold Since Late September 2008

Contact:
Michael Polzin
(847) 914-2925

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- DEERFIELD, Ill., Dec. 5, 2008 – Walgreens is recalling 173 teddy bears with chocolate bars sold in stores since late September 2008. Analysis by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that certain samples of the chocolate provided with the teddy bears were contaminated with melamine. Customers who purchased any of the 173 teddy bears should return them immediately to the Walgreens stores where they were purchased for a full refund.

Walgreens already has instructed stores to stop selling the product, which is specifically described as an approximately 9-inch high Dressy Teddy Bear with 4-oz. Chocolate Bar. The product's UPC number is 047475864485, and the product tag also includes the item number 291332. Walgreens has not received any reports of illness or injury related to this product.

Walgreens takes the safety of its customers seriously and is working with the FDA on this recall. For additional information, visit Walgreens Web site at http://www.walgreens.com/images/pdfs/recalls/TeddyBear_Product_Safety.pdf or contact Walgreens Product Quality department at 847-315-2755, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Central time.

Books Make Great Gifts Part II

2008-12-09T08:11:00.001-05:00

Historical Vampire/Werewolf Romance
==============================

THE BLEEDING DUSK - Colleen Gleason - Signet Eclipse (Feb.)

UNDER THE BLOOD RED MOON - Mina Hepsen - Avon A (Oct.)

COME THE NIGHT - Susan Krinard HQN (Oct.)

LET THE NIGHT BEGIN - Kathryn Smith Avon (Jul.)

THE RAVENING - Dawn Thompson - Love Spell (Feb.)

Historical Romantic Adventure
========================

THEFT OF SHADOWS - Naomi Bellis - Signet Eclipse (Feb.)

HER EVERY PLEASURE - Gaelen Foley - Ballantine (Apr.)

THE TREASURE - Iris Johansen - Bantam (Dec.)

TO SEDUCE A BRIDE - Nicole Jordan - Ballantine (Apr.)

THE PERILS OF PLEASURE - Julie Anne Long - Avon (Feb.)

PRISONER OF THE FLAMES - Dawn MacTavish - Leisure (Nov.)

SEDUCED BY A SPY - Andrea Pickens - Forever (Mar.)

Sensual Historical Romance
=======================

A ROGUE'S GAME - Renee Bernard - Pocket (May)

DON'T TEMPT ME - Sylvia Day Brava (Apr.)

DOUBLE FANTASY - Cheryl Holt - St. Martin's (Mar.)

EXPLOSIVE - Charlotte Mede - Brava (Jan.)

JUST FOR HER - Katherine O'Neal - Brava (Jul.)

Historical Fiction -

THE DARK LANTERN - Gerri Brightwell - Crown (Mar.)

THE WINTER ROSE - Jennifer Donnelly - Hyperion (Jan.)

THE TSARINA'S DAUGHTER - Carolly Erickson - St. Martin's (Oct.)

PHYLLIDA AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF PHILANDER - Ann Herendeen - Harper (May)

THE WHISKEY REBELS - David Liss - Random House (Oct.)

Historical Biography
===================

TUMBLEWEED - Jane Candia Coleman - Leisure (Jun.)

THE OTHER QUEEN - Philippa Gregory - Simon and Schuster (Sep.)

THE KING'S FAVORITE - Susan Holloway Scott - NAL (Jul.)

THE KING'S DAUGHTER - Sandra Worth - Berkley (Dec.)

Historical K.I.S.S. Hero
====================

Trevelyn Deveridge - DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS - Emily Bryan - Leisure (Mar.)

Harry Morant - HIS CAPTIVE LADY - Anne Gracie - Berkley Sensation (Sep.)

General Merin - 22 NIGHTS - Linda Winstead Jones - Berkley Sensation (Dec.)

Chance Morgan - MAVERICK WILD - Stacey Kayne - Harlequin (Jan.)

Nicholas Ramsay - THE MIDNIGHT MAN - Charlotte Mede - Brava (Aug.)

Major Harrison - THE SCANDALOUS LIFE OF A TRUE LADY - Barbara Metzger -
Signet Eclipse (Jun.)

Wyatt Yarbro - THE RUSTLER - Linda Lael Miller - HQN (Oct.)

Gabriel MacBraedon - THE NIGHT BEFORE - THE WEDDING - Debra Mullins - Avon
(Feb.)

Historical Romantic Mystery/Gothic
===========================

SEDUCTION BECOMES HER - Shirlee Busbee - Zebra (Jul.)

DARK TEMPTATION - Allison Chase - Signet Eclipse (Nov.)

CONFESSIONS AT MIDNIGHT - Jacquie D'Alessandro - Avon (Jan.)

AFTER THE KISS - Suzanne Enoch - Avon (Jul.)

WICKED INTENSIONS - Lydia Joyce - Signet Eclipse (Dec.)

WHERE THE HEART LEADS - Stephanie Laurens - Morrow (Feb.)

THE SEDUCTION OF THE CRIMSON ROSE - Lauren Willig - Dutton (Feb.)

Best Erotic Romance and Erotic Novels of 2008

Paranormal/Fantasy/Paranormal/Fantasy
=================================

UNDERCOVER - Lauren Dane - Heat (Dec.)

SEDUCED BY DARKNESS - Delilah Devlin - Avon Red (Apr.)

THE MARK OF THE VAMPIRE QUEEN - Joey W. Hill - Heat (Feb.)

FULL CIRCLE - Ann Jacobs - Ellora's Cave (May)

ETERNAL DESIGNS - Gracie C. McKeever - Siren (Mar.)

ADDICTED - Lydia Parks - Aphrodisia (Sep.)

Erotic Romantic Suspense
====================

FORBIDDEN FRUIT - Eden Bradley - Delta (Nov.)

RIDING WILD - Jaci Burton - Heat (Feb.)

SHE'S ON TOP - Susan Lyons - Aphrodisia (Apr.)

JADED - Karin Tabke - Pocket (Jun.)

Erotic Romance Historical
==================

MIRAGE - Monica Burns - Samhain (Jan.)

CROSSED SWORDS - Marianne LaCroix - Ellora's Cave (Apr.)

ONE WICKED NIGHT - Noelle Mack - Aphrodisia (Jan.)

BLACK SILK - Sharon Page - Aphrodisia (May)

NATE - Beth Williamson - Samhain (Jan.)

Erotic Fiction
==============

SWAP - Jenesi Ash - Heat (Sep.)

THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW,THE SEX THEY HAVE - Aubrey Leatherwood - Lyrical (Dec.)

SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL - Vanessa Marlow - St. Martin's Griffin (Apr.)

WHIP APPEAL - Méta Smith - Pocket (Aug.)

Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels 2008

Science Fiction Novel
=================

DUST - Elizabeth Bear - Bantam Spectra (Jan.)

ZOE'S TALE - John Scalzi - Tor (Aug.)

GALAXY BLUES - Allen Steele - Ace (Apr.)

SATURN'S CHILDREN - Charles Stross - Ace (Jul.)

HALF A CROWN - Jo Walton - Tor (Oct.)

Fantasy Novel
===============

THE HOUSE OF THE STAG - Kage Baker - Tor (Sep.)

SHADOWS RETURN - Lynn Flewelling - Bantam Spectra (Jul.)

SHADOWBRIDGE - Gregory Frost - Del Rey (Jan.)

GOBLIN WAR - Jim C. Hines - Daw (Mar.)

CAST IN FURY - Michelle Sagara - Luna (Oct.)

FORTUNE AND FATE - Sharon Shinn - Ace (Nov.)

KING OF SWORD AND SKY - C.L. Wilson - Leisure (Oct.)

Epic Fantasy Novel
================

PRINCEPS' FURY - Jim Butcher - Ace (Dec.)

THE IMMORTAL PRINCE - Jennifer Fallon - Tor (Mar.)

BLACK SHIPS - Jo Graham - Orbit (Mar.)

HAWKSPAR - Holly Lisle - Tor (Jun.)

THE HERO OF AGES - Brandon Sanderson - Tor (Oct.)

UrbanFantasy Novel
====================

MAGIC BURNS - Ilona Andrews - Ace (Apr.)

BITE THE BULLET - L.A. Banks - St. Martin's (Oct.)

MIDNIGHT'S DAUGHTER - Karen Chance - Onyx (Oct.)

PURE BLOOD - Caitlin Kittredge - St. Martin's (Sep.)

THE IRON HUNT - Marjorie M. Liu - Ace (Jul.)

STORM BORN - Richelle Mead - Zebra (Aug.)

MAGIC TO THE BONE - Devon Monk - Roc (Nov.)

Urban Fantasy Protagonist
=====================

Mercy Thompson - IRON KISSED - Patricia Briggs - Ace (Jan.)

Joanne Baldwin - GALE FORCE - Rachel Caine - Roc (Aug.)

Cat Crawfield - ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE - Jeaniene Frost - Avon (May)

Sookie Stackhouse - FROM DEAD TO WORSE - Charlaine Harris - Ace (May)

Daunuan - HOTTER THAN HELL - Jackie Kessler - Zebra (Aug.)

Marla Mason - DEAD REIGN - T.A. Pratt - Bantam Spectra(Nov.M

Anna Strong - LEGACY - Jeanne C. Stein - Ace (Sep.)

Best Contemporary and Paranormal Romances of 2008

Contemporary Romance
===================

OVERNIGHT MALE - Elizabeth Bevarly - HQN (Jun.)

EVERYBODY LOVES EVIE - Beth Ciotta - HQN (Feb.)

THIGH HIGH - Christina Dodd - Signet (Mar.)

HELLO, DOGGY - Elaine Fox - Avon (Jan.)

ACCIDENTALLY YOURS - Susan Mallery - HQN (Jan.)

FLAT-OUT SEXY - Erin McCarthy - Berkley Sensation (Nov.)

UNRAVEL ME - Christie Ridgway - Berkley Sensation (Nov.)

Futuristic/Fantasy Romance
======================

MOONSTRUCK - Susan Grant - HQN (Jun.)

SOLAR HEAT - Susan Kearney - Tor Paranormal Romance (Feb.)

HIDDEN - Eve Kenin - Shomi (Jul.)

THE MAGE'S DAUGHTER - Lynn Kurland - Berkley Sensation (Jan.)

COUNTDOWN - Michelle Maddox - Shomi (Aug.)

PHENOMENAL GIRL 5 - A.J. Menden - Shomi (Nov.)

SHADES OF DARK - Linnea Sinclair - Bantam (Aug.)

Vampire Romance
===============

MIDNIGHT RISING - Lara Adrian - Dell (Apr.)

THE DARKNESS - L.A. Banks - St. Martin's Griffin (Feb.)

BECAUSE YOUR VAMPIRE SAID SO - Michele Bardsley - Signet Eclipse (May)

DARK CURSE - Christine Feehan - Berkley (Sep.)

DARKNESS EVERLASTING - Alexandra Ivy - Zebra (May)

SUCKER BET - Erin McCarthy - Berkley Sensation (Jan.)

THE ACCIDENTAL VAMPIRE - Lynsay Sands - Avon (Jan.)

Shapeshifter Romance
==================

THE ACCIDENTAL WEREWOLF - Dakota Cassidy - Berkley Sensation (Feb.)

KISS OF FIRE - Deborah Cooke - Signet (Feb.)

THE DRAGON MASTER - Allyson James - Berkley Sensation (Nov.)

THE LAST TWILIGHT - Marjorie M. Liu - Leisure (Feb.)

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Christine Warren - St. Martin's (Jun.)

Contemporary Paranormal Romance
============================

DESTINY KILLS - Keri Arthur - BantamSpectra (Nov.)

TURBULENT SEA - Christine Feehan - Jove (Aug.)

NOAH - Jacquelyn Frank - Zebra (Sep.)

THUNDER MOON - Lori Handeland - St. Martin's (Jan.)

DEMON'S HUNGER - Eve Silver - Forever (Dec.)

NIGHT SEASON - Eileen Wilks - Berkley Sensation (Nov.)

Paranormal Action Adventure Romance
==============================

ETERNAL PLEASURE - Nina Bangs - Leisure (Jul.)

DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK - Kresley Cole - Pocket (Jun.)

PREDATORY GAME - Christine Feehan - Jove (Mar.)

DARK MAGIC - Cheyenne McCray - St. Martin's (Nov.)

HOSTAGE TO PLEASURE - Nalini Singh - BerkleySensation (Sep.)

BOUND BY SHADOW - Anna Windsor - Ballantine (Jul.)

Paranormal Fiction
===============

UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY - MaryJanice Davidson - BerkleySensation(UNDEA

PLAYING WITH FIRE - Katie MacAlister - Signet (May)

UP IN SMOKE - Katie MacAlister - Signet (Oct.)

Best African-American Novels 2008

African-American Romance
=====================

THE CRITIC - Dyanne Davis - Parker (May)

SUDDENLY SINGLE - Carmen Green - Dafina (Mar.)

SWEET LIKE HONEY - Kim Louise - Kimani/Arabesque (Apr.)

NOT EVEN IF YOU BEGGED - Francis Ray - St. Martin's Griffin (Feb.)

THE WAY YOU LOVE ME - Francis Ray - St. Martin's (Sep.)

African-American Fiction Novel
============================

LIFE ISN'T PERFECT HOLLA - Sandra Foy - Genesis/Indigo (Nov.)

HIS FIRST WIFE - Octavia Grace - Dafina (Oct.)

TANGLED WEBS - T.T. Henderson - Parker (Mar.)

YOU GOTTA SIN TO GET SAVED - J.D. Mason - St. Martin's (Apr.)

Best Inspirational Novels 2008
=========================

WHISPERS OF THE BAYOU - Mindy Starns Clark - Harvest House (Jan.)

MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE - Kip Gayden Center Street (Feb.)

FOREVERMORE - Cathy Marie Hake - Bethany House (Jan.)

HEALING STONES - Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn - Thomas Nelson (Jan.)

TAMING RAFE - Susan May Warren - Tyndale (Jan.)

Best Small Press 2008

Small Press Contemporary Paranormal/FuturistSmall P
======================================

CALL OF THE HIGHLAND MOON - Kendra LeighCastle - Sourcebooks (May)

HER EYES - Jennifer Cloud &Regan Taylor - Amira (Jan.)

PROMISE FOR TOMORROW - Liz Kreger - Samhain (Oct.)

CLOCKWORK HEART - Dru Pagliassotti - Juno (Apr.)

SHAKING OFF THE DUST - Rhianna Samuels - Samhain (May)

CRY OF SORROW - Holly Taylor - Medallion (Jul.)

Small Press Romance
=================

TAKING FLIGHT - Connie Cox - Avalon (Apr.)

SEALED WITH A KISS - Mary Margret Daughtridge - Sourcebooks (Apr.)

EVERYTHING BUT A BRIDE - Holly Jacobs - Avalon (Aug.)

WINDSWEPT - Ann Macela - Medallion (Feb.)

Best Mainstream and ChickLit Fiction Novels of 2008

Women's Fiction
====================

THE SUGAR QUEEN - Sarah Addison Allen - Bantam (Jun.)

FIREFLY LANE - Kristin Hannah - St. Martin's (Feb.)

THE GIRL WITH NO SHADOW - Joanne Harris - Morrow (May)

THE ART OF KEEPING SECRETS - Patti Callahan Henry - NAL (Jun.)

THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING - Joshilyn Jackson - Grand Central (Mar.)

THREE MOTHERS - Sonia Lambert - Berkley (Jan.)

CERTAIN GIRLS - Jennifer Weiner - Atria (Apr.)

SNOWFALL AT WILLOW LAKE - Susan Wiggs - Mira (Feb.)

Chick Lit Novel
=================

THE BRIDE OF CASA DRACULA - Marta Acosta - Pocket (Sep.)

FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME - Lisa Daily - Plume (Apr.)

NOTES FROM THE BACKSEAT - Jodi Gehrman - Red Dress Ink (Jan.)

THE HARD WAY - Julie Luongo - Forge (Jan.)

RECONSTRUCTING BRIGID - Lee Nichols - Red Dress Ink (Aug.)

SLIGHTLY SUBURBAN - Wendy Markham - Red Dress Ink (Jul.)

QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE MARRYING - Melissa Senate - Red Dress Ink (Jun.)

Young Adult Novel
==================

AUDREY, WAIT! - Robin Benway - Razorbill (Apr.)

WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED - Judy Blundell - Scholastic (Nov.)

THE HUNGER GAMES - Suzanne Collins - Scholastic (Oct.)

PAPER TOWNS - John Green - Dutton (Oct.)

Best Mystery and Suspense Novels of 2008

Contemporary Mystery
======================

THE PRICE OF BUTCHER'S MEAT - Reginald Hill - Harper(Nov.)

SLEEP SOFTLY - Gwen Hunter - Mira (Feb.)

THE GENIUS - Jesse Kellerman - Putnam (May)

IN A DARK SEASON - Vicki Lane - Dell (Jun.)

THE LAUGHTER OF DEAD KINGS - Elizabeth Peters - Morrow (Aug.)

P.I./Procedural Novel
================

DEAD HUNT - Beverly Connor - Obsidian (Feb.)

THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB - Meg Gardiner - Dutton (Jun.)

TWISTED - Andrea Kane - Morrow (Apr.)

NOTORIOUS - Michele Martinez - Morrow (Feb.)

FRACTURED - Karin Slaughter - Delacorte (Aug.)

Historical Mystery
==============

THE SPIRITUALIST - Megan Chance - Three Rivers Press (Jun.)

WHERE SERPENTS SLEEP - C.S. Harris - NAL (Nov.)

TOUCHSTONE - Laurie R. King - Ballantine (Jan.)

BUCKINGHAM PALACE GARDENS - Anne Perry - Ballantine (Apr.)

First Mystery - FREEZING POINT - Karen Dionne - Jove (Oct.)

STALKING SUSAN - Julie Kramer - Doubleday (Jul.)

DEFENSELESS - Celeste Marsella - Dell (Nov.)

WHAT WAS LOST - Catherine O'Flynn - Holt (Jul.)

FIRST TO KILL - Andrew Peterson - Leisure (Sep.)

Suspense/Thriller
==============

KILLING FEAR - Allison Brennan - Ballantine (Feb.)

THE BODIES LEFT BEHIND - Jeffery Deaver - Simon & Schuster (Nov.)

THE ARCHANGEL PROJECT - C.S. Graham - Harper (Oct.)

DARK SUMMER - Iris Johansen - St. Martin's (Oct.)

THE DARKER SIDE - Cody McFadyen - Bantam (Oct.)

SCREAM FOR ME - Karen Rose - Grand Central (May)

Amateur Sleuth
===========

ANTIQUES FLEE MARKET - Barbara Allan - Kensington (Oct.)

QUICK STUDY - Maggie Barbieri - St. Martin's Minotaur (Dec.)

WORKING STIFF - Tori Carrington - Forge (Sep.)

MURDER MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH - Nancy Martin - NAL (Mar.)

TOO PRETTY TO DIE - Susan McBride - Avon (Feb.)

Best Romantic Suspense/Intrigue Novels of 2008

Romantic Intrigue
====================

DARK AND DANGEROUS - Jeanne Adams - Zebra (Jun.)

NO CONTROL - Shannon Butcher - Forever (Feb.)

NO ONE LIVES FOREVER - Jordan Dane - Avon (Jun.)

PURSUIT - Elizabeth Jennings - Forever (Apr.)

MOVING TARGET - Cheyenne McCray - St. Martin's (Jan.)

TO CATCH A THIEF - Christina Skye - HQN (Sep.)

NAMELESS - Debra Webb - St. Martin's (Feb.)

Romantic Suspense
===============

THE MURDER GAME - Beverly Barton - Zebra (Feb.)

WEDDINGS CAN BE MURDER - Christie Craig - Love Spell (Jun.)

SHOW NO MERCY - Cindy Gerard - Pocket (Oct.)

LOST SOULS - Lisa Jackson - Kensington (Apr.)

LOOSE AND EASY - Tara Janzen - Dell (Sep.)

CATCH A SHADOW - Patricia Potter - Berkley Sensation (Mar.)

FIRE AND ICE - Anne Stuart - Mira (May)

Paranormal Romantic Suspense
=========================

NIGHT SHADOW - Cherry Adair - Ballantine (Dec.)

TOUCH OF DARKNESS - C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp - Tor Paranormal Romance (Aug.)

BLIND INSTINCT - Fiona Brand - Mira (May)

DEADLY HARVEST - Heather Graham - Mira (Nov.)

ACHERON - Sherrilyn Kenyon - St. Martin's (Aug.)

MERCURY'S WAR - Lora Leigh - Berkley Sensation (Oct.)

DEADLY DECEPTION - Linda Lael Miller - HQN

Guys, some of these you might be interested in as well. So, start your list and hand it to your sweetie!!

Readers, here's your chance. If you have a book to suggest, add it to the comments list. Let's see how many books we can accumulate for our readers!

The 12 (Bipolar) Days of Chrismas Video

2008-12-07T08:36:00.005-05:00

Like the disclaimer says, she's no Barbra Streisand, but, hey, I think it's a cool video.

The 12 (Bipolar) Days of Christmas

Holiday Tipping Guide

2008-12-05T09:23:00.005-05:00

It's that time of year again. Ho Ho Ho... Merry Christmas... and all that ... but even more important. The time to tip you friendly neighborhood postman and yardman and pool service and hair dresser and well you get the idea ... the list goes on.

Don't know what to tip? Well, have I got just the article for you!

The Ultimate Holiday Tipping Guide

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year... and Happy Tipping!

Books Make Great Gifts

2008-12-05T09:18:00.008-05:00

Two pertinent lists from Jessica James, author of Shades of Gray, posted on Amazon:

Top Five Reasons Why Guys Should Give Books as Gifts

5: She can't connect with a new sweater like she can with a book.
4: Hey guys, they're easy to wrap!
3: They come in all sizes, shapes and colors--what could be easier?
2: It's cheaper than a romantic getaway but can produce the same result.
1: Books are gifts of love and joy--and can create everlasting memories.

Top Five Reasons Why Girls Should Give Books as Gifts:

5: They're easy to store--on coffee tables, bookshelves, nightstands or countertops.
4: They never go bad no matter how long they're stored--and they can be used quickly or savored over time.
3: Books can teach, educate, entertain--and distract him from football.
2: It's a small investment that can return dividends for life.
1: Books are the perfect gift of enjoyment that don't require him to leave his chair.

Guys, if you need any help, the Romantic Times Magazine just came out with the nominees for their books of the year. You can't miss with picking up one of these books for your lady. I've listed them out by category.

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT NOMINEES:

Historical\HISTORICHistorical\HIST
===============================
Victoria Alexander - Sabrina Jeffries - Anne Mallory - Patricia Rice -

HISTORICAL STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR
====================================
Celeste Bradley - Carol Finch - Susan Johnson - Paula Quinn

INNOVATIVE HISTORICAL ROMANCE
=================================
Lois Greiman - Lorraine Heath - Elizabeth Hoyt - Robin Schone -

Series\SERIES ROMANCE
======================
Roz Denny Fox - Jillian Hart - Emilie Rose - Debra Salonen -

SERIES ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
==========================
Jessica Andersen - Linda Castillo - Linda Conrad - Julie Miller - Joanna
Wayne -

SERIES ROMANTIC ADVENTURE
==============================
Kylie Brant - Kathleen Creighton - Kay David - Sylvie Kurtz - Marilyn
Pappano -

SERIES ROMANCE LOVE & LAUGHTER
================================
Susan Crosby - Lucy Gordon - Marion Lennox - Molly O'Keefe - Melanie
Schuster -

SERIES STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR
==================================
Leanne Banks - Jean Brashear - Jackie Braun - K.N./Ken Casper - Eve
Gaddy –

Contemporary\Contemporary\CONTEM
====================================
Carly Phillips - Christie Ridgway - Vicki Lewis Thompson - Sherryl Woods
–

PARANORMAL
===============
C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp - Nina Bangs - P.C. Cast - Katie MacAlister -

URBAN FANTASY
================
Keri Arthur - Simon R. Green - Charlaine Harris - Kim Harrison -

Mainstream\WOMEN'Mainstream\WOM
==========================
Barbara Taylor Bradford - Joy Fielding - Lorna Landvik - Nicholas Sparks
-

Romantic Suspense\ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
=================================
Cherry Adair - Heather Graham - Tara Janzen - Carla Neggers -

Mystery & Suspense\MYSTERY SERIES
===============================
Laura Childs - Joanne Fluke - Elizabeth Peters - Kate Wilhelm -

FEMALE SLEUTH
==================
Nevada Barr - Carolyn Hart - Alex Kava - Nancy Martin -

SUSPENSE/THRILLER
======================
Kay Hooper - J.D. Robb - James Rollins - Karen Rose -

Inspirational\Inspirational
========================
Hannah Alexander - Terri Blackstock - Beverly Lewis - Lori Wick -

African-American\African-American
===============================
A.C. Arthur - Leslie Esdaile - Melanie Schuster - Janice Sims -
Jacquelin Thomas -

FOR BEST BOOKS AND AUTHORS OF 2008 -

Best Series Romance Novels 2008 - Reviewers' Choice Nominees -

First Series Romance
================

HIS MISTRESS BY ARRANGEMENT - Natalie Anderson - Harlequin Presents (Jun.)

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Kerry Connor - Harlequin Intrigue (Jun.)

MARRYING THE BOSS - Megan Kelly - Harlequin American (Apr.)

MARRIAGE AT THE MILLIONAIRE'MARRIAGE AT THE MILLIONAIRE'S COMMAND -
(Jun.)

Harlequin American
==================

FOREVER HIS BRIDE - Lisa Childs (Aug.)

RELUCTANT PARTNERS - Kara Lennox (Jun.)

THE RIGHT MR. WRONG - Cindi Myers (Feb.)

THE PILOT'S WOMAN - Ann Roth (Mar.)

TEXAS HEIR - Linda Warren (Sep.)

Harlequin Blaze
================

UNLEASHED - Lori Borrill (Nov.)

RESTLESS - Tori Carrington (Dec.)

MS. MATCH - Jo Leigh (Oct.)

BELOW THE BELT - Sarah Mayberry (Jun.)

PRIMAL INSTINCTS - Jill Monroe (Feb.)

Harlequin Intrigue
================

BENEATH THE BADGE - Rita Herron (Aug.)

NICK OF TIME - Elle James (Nov.)

ARMED AND DEVASTATING - Julie Miller (Jul.)

I'LL BE WATCHING YOU - Tracy Montoya (Apr.)

GUARDIAN ANGEL - Debra Webb (Feb.)

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT - Rebecca York (Oct.)

Harlequin NASCAR
=================

EXTREME CAUTION - Jean Brashear (Dec.)

PEAK PERFORMANCE - Helen Brenna (May)

HITTING THE BRAKES - Ken Casper (Jun.)

HOT PURSUIT - Wendy Etherington (Sep.)

TEAMING UP - Abby Gaines (Aug.)

Harlequin Presents
==================

THE MAGNATE'S INDECENT PROPOSAL - Ally Blake (Sep.)

BRIDE OF DESIRE - Sara Craven (Dec.)

BOUGHT: THE GREEK'S INNOCENT VIRGIN - Sarah Morgan (Aug.)

ACCIDENTAL MISTRESS - Susan Napier (May)

BEDDED BY THE GREEK BILLIONAIRE - Kate Walker (Nov.)

Harlequin Presents Extra
===================

THE ITALIAN'S PREGNANCY PROPOSAL - Maggie Cox (Aug.)

ANGELO'S CAPTIVE VIRGIN - India Grey (Sep.)

HOUSEKEEPER TO THE MILLIONAIRE - Lucy Monroe (Apr.)

MISTRESS - Kathryn Ross (Sep.)

THE GIANNAKIS BRIDE - Catherine Spencer (May)

Harlequin Romance
===================

THE BOSS'S UNCONVENTIONAL ASSISTANT - Jennie Adams (Aug.)

HIRED: THE BOSS'S BRIDE - Ally Blake (Oct.)

HER BABY, HIS PROPOSAL - Teresa Carpenter (Jun.)

THE SHEIKH'S UNSUITABLE BRIDE - Liz Fielding (Jan.)

THE HEIR'S CONVENIENT WIFE - Myrna Mackenzie (May)

HarlequinSuperRomanHarlequ
=====================

SECOND-CHANCE FAMILY - Karina Bliss (Nov.)

FINDING MR. RIGHT - Helen Brenna (Oct.)

TO PROTECT THE CHILD - Anna DeStefano (Jun.)

BABY BY CONTRACT - Debra Salonen (May)

HIS SON'S TEACHER - Kay Stockham (Jul.)

Kimani Romance
================

TENDER SECRETS - Ann Christopher (Oct.)

TAME A WILD STALLION - Deborah Fletcher Mello (Jun.)

MODEL PERFECT PASSION - Melanie Schuster (Apr.)

SECRET AGENT SEDUCTION - Maureen Smith (Sep.)

HER KIND OF MAN - Pamela Yaye (May)

Silhouette Desire
==================

THE DESERT LORD'S BABY - Olivia Gates (May)

QUADE'S BABIES - Brenda Jackson (Dec.)

DANTE'S BLACKMAILED BRIDE - Day Leclaire (Feb.)

DO NOT DISTURB UNTIL CHRISTMAS - Charlene Sands (Nov.)

FRONT-PAGE ENGAGEMENT - Laura Wright (Aug.)

Silhouette Nocturne
===================

VEILED TRUTH - Vivi Anna (Oct.)

LAST WOLF HUNTING - Rhyannon Byrd (Apr.)

LAST WOLF WATCHING - Rhyannon Byrd (May)

WILD HUNT - Lori Devoti (Jun.)

DEADLY REDEMPTION - Kathleen Korbel (Sep.)

Silhouette Romantic Suspense
=======================

COLD CASE COP - Mary Burton (Jan.)

HER BEST FRIEND'S HUSBAND - Justine Davis (Aug.)

A SOLDIER'S HOMECOMING - Rachel Lee (Jul.)

UNDERCOVER WIFE - Merline Lovelace (Oct.)

THE PASSION OF SAM BROUSSARD - Maggie Price (Feb.)

Silhouette Special Edition
=====================

THE SINGLE DAD'S VIRGIN WIFE - Susan Crosby (Oct.)

THE MILLIONAIRE'THE MILLIONAIRE'S MAKEOVER - L

THE CHEF'S CHOICE - Kristin Hardy (Aug.)

BACHELOR BOSS - Christie Ridgway (Apr.)

YOURS, MINE . OR OURS? - Karen Templeton (Jan.)

Steeple Hill Love Inspired
=====================

FINALLY A FAMILY - Carolyne Aarsen (Jun.)

MISSION: MOTHERHOOD - Marta Perry (Jul.)

A COWBOY'S HONOR - Lois Richer (Apr.)

FAMILY TREASURES - Kathryn Springer (Nov.)

TIME FOR GRACE - Kate Welsh (May)

Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical
=============================

COURTING MISS ADELAIDE - Janet Dean (Sep.)

THE ROAD TO LOVE - Linda Ford (May)

HIGH COUNTRY BRIDE - Jillian Hart (Jul.)

LEGACY OF SECRETS - Sara Mitchell (Apr.)

SEASIDE CINDERELLA - Anna Schmidt (Jul.)

Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense
===========================

HIDDEN MOTIVE - Hannah Alexander (Apr.)

SHADOWS AT THE WINDOW - Linda Hall (Jul.)

THE PROTECTOR'S PROMISE - Shirlee McCoy (Nov.)

HER ONLY PROTECTOR - Lisa Mondello (Aug.)

THE FACE OF DECEIT - Ramona Richards (Sep.)

BROKEN LULLABY - Pamela Tracy (Mar.)

Best Continuity -

FULL EXPOSURE - Diana Duncan - Mediterranean Nights (
Jan.)

PICTURE OF PERFECTION - Kristin Gabriel - Thoroughbred Legacy (Jul.)

FLASHPOINT - Connie Hall - Athena Force (Apr.)

BREATHLESS - Sharron McClellan - Athena Force (Feb.)

BIDING HER TIME - Wendy Warren - Thoroughbred Legacy (Jul.)

Best Historical Novels 2008

Historical Romance of the Year
========================

SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN - Victoria Alexander - Avon (Sep.)

SIMPLY PERFECT - Mary Balogh - Delacorte (Apr.)

TRAITOR'S KISS/LOVER'S KISS - Mary Blayney - Bantam (Nov.)

NEVER ROMANCE A RAKE - Liz Carlyle - Pocket (Aug.)

TO TASTE TEMPTATION - Elizabeth Hoyt - Forever (May)

SECRETS OF SURRENDER - Madeline Hunter - Dell (Jun.)

THE SEDUCTION OF AN UNKNOWN LADY - Samantha James - Avon (Apr.)

A DANGEROUS LOVE - Brenda Joyce - HQN (Apr.)

SEDUCE ME AT SUNRISE - Lisa Kleypas - St. Martin's (Oct.)

THE BOOK OF SCANDAL - Julia London - Pocket (Aug.)

THE BRIDE PRICE - Anne Mallory - Avon (Nov.)

First Historical Romance
===================

THE SPYMASTER'S LADY - Joanna Bourne - Berkley Sensation (Jan.)

THE DUKE OF SHADOWS - Meredith Duran - Pocket Star (Apr.)

NIGHT FALLS DARKLY - Kim Lenox - Signet Eclipse (Oct.)

MISTRESS OF PLEASURE - Delilah Marvelle - Zebra (Sep.)

PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS - Sherry Thomas - Bantam (Apr.)

Historical Love & Laughter
=======================

DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUKE - Celeste Bradley - St. Martin's (Mar.)

HOW TO PROPOSE TO A PRINCE - Kathryn Caskie - Avon (Mar.)

UNDER YOUR SPELL - Lois Greiman - Avon (Jun.)

THE TROUBLE WITH MOONLIGHT - Donna MacMeans - Berkley Sensation (Jun.)

American-Set Historical Romance
============================

GUARDED HEART - Jennifer Blake - Mira (Feb.)

THE LONER - Geralyn Dawson - HQN (May)

A REASON TO SIN - Maureen McKade - Berkley Sensation (Mar.)

TALL, DARK AND TEXAN - Jodi Thomas Jove (Nov.)

British Isle-Set Historical Romance
===========================

A LADY'S SECRET - Jo Beverley - Signet (Apr.)

THE WICKED WAYS OF A DUKE - Laura Lee Guhrke - Avon (Jan.)

IN BED WITH THE DEVIL - Lorraine Heath - Avon (Jul.)

THE DECADENT DUKE - Virginia Henley - Signet (Nov.)

DUCHESS BY NIGHT - Eloisa James - Avon (Jul.)

VEILED PASSIONS - Tracy MacNish - Zebra (Oct.)

THE CAPTIVE HEART - Bertrice Small - NAL (Oct.)

Regency-Set Historical Romance
=========================

TO WED A WICKED PRINCE - Jane Feather - Pocket Star (Apr.)

WICKED AS SIN - Jillian Hunter - Ballantine (Jul.)

LET SLEEPING ROGUES LIE - Sabrina Jeffries - Pocket (Mar.)

TO PLEASURE A LADY - Nicole Jordan - Ballantine (Feb.)

A BRIDE FOR HIS CONVENIENCE - Edith Layton - Avon (Dec.)

NO CHOICE BUT SURRENDER - Johanna Lindsey - Pocket (Jul.)

THE KISS - Sophia Nash Avon (Mar.)

Scotland-Set Historical Romance
===========================

SHADOW MUSIC - Julie Garwood - Ballantine (Jan.)

WILD ANGEL - Sasha Lord - Signet Eclipse (Jan.)

IN THE HIGHLANDER'S BED - Cathy Maxwell - Avon (Feb.)

A HIGHLANDER NEVER SURRENDERS - Pamela Quinn - Forever (Aug.)

BORDER WEDDING - Amanda Scott - Forever (Mar.)

Historical Paranormal
===================

TEMPTED BY THE NIGHT - Elizabeth Boyle - Avon (Sep.)

THE WIZARD'S DAUGHTER - Catherine Coulter - Jove (Jan.)

IMMORTAL WARRIOR - Lisa Hendrix - Berkley Sensation (Nov.)

MY IMMORTAL PROTECTOR - Jen Holling - Pocket (Mar.)

DARK EMBRACE - Brenda Joyce - HQN (Sep.)

PHANTOM - Lindsay Randall - Love Spell (Jun.)

MYSTIC RIDER - Patricia Rice - Signet Eclipse (Jul.)

THE SORCERESS OF BELMAIR - Bertrice Small HQN (May)

SEE BOOKS MAKE GREAT GIFTS PART II FOR THE REST OF THIS BLOG ARTICLE

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-27T14:30:00.006-05:00

I got up early, took my 8 mile walk, and reflected on my blessings over the last year.

I have so much to be grateful for this year like:

* having 3 wonderful children to love and support their choices in life
* being out of the hospital
* celebrating in Hawaii 10 years married to my husband
* enjoying the birth of my granddaughter
* discovering that the tumor in my son-in-law's brain was benign
* being with my grandson to celebrate his 2nd birthday
* the men and women who protect our borders here and across the world
* celebrating my 47th birthday
* getting the motivation back to write again
* finding and reconnecting with a dear friend after 15 years
* the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in 1st place
* we survived another hurricane season
* and for all my online friends who hold a special place in my heart.

What are you grateful for this year?

Red Hot Publicity

2008-11-21T13:17:00.004-05:00

In October, I was at a Wizards of Words writers conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

How is that significant you ask?

Well, they held an auction and of several items, and I won one of the items.

So what, you say?

Well, shame on you, because one of those items was a one hour consultation with Penny Sansevieri the author of Red Hot Internet Publicity - An Insider's Guide to Marketing Your Book on the Internet and Jeniffer Thompson of monkeyCmedia designhaus.

That one hour was priceless. The advice and suggestions they gave me for my blog, my website, and my writers' forum were perfect. They narrowed in on spots like putting a "BUY BOOK" button on my front page instead of having the user negotiate the pages to find it on the BOOKS page.

They suggested I syndicate my articles which is something I never thought of before! Who knew I could recycle them and put them out on e-zine.com and let the world of syndication take hold of them.

Most of all they gave me suggestions about getting more traffic to my site. Which I sorely need. So, come on people, hit my site!! Look for some changes, because I'm going to be implementing their ideas. There may even be a chance to win a prize!

Most of their changes dealt with my home page because that's what the reader sees first. And that's where I want to hook them and draw them into buying my books. Who knew, right? It sounds so simple, but it took a professional to point it out to me.

I had one of those "slap my forehead" moments. Now, why didn't I think of that? I guess that's why I'm a writer and not a marketer. But, in this day of publishing, we have to be both, if we want to survive.

So, if you don't do anything else, do this. Hop over to Penny's Author Marketing Experts website and see what she has to offer. Join her newsletter. If you want to learn more about marketing your book on the Internet, you won't be sorry.

Interview with Lady Cerelli, author of "My Journey to Peace"

2008-11-09T15:16:00.007-05:00

In her book, "My Journey to Peace with PTSD," Lady Cerelli shares how keeping trauma to yourself leads to behavior disorders. She learned how to be at peace with who she was and change those behaviors in order to grow into the individual she wished to become. A spiritual counselor for over forty years, Lady Cerelli never dreamed she would step on the same path her clients walked.

Her book explains why you can be a victim of: abuse, suicide attempts, alcohol or drug addiction. Lady also deals with workaholics, frequent insomnia, nightmares, and depression. She explains why you are always angry, finding yourself speeding, or engaging in road rage. These are just a few of the symptoms of a PTSD victim; someone who has been severely or repeatedly traumatized.

Recently, I had the opportunity to ask Lady Cerelli a few questions. I'd like to share them with you.

1.Lady Cerelli, why did you write this book?

It was a story that had to be told. It was my healing journey to help me understand why I had made my choices in my life and how I came to be victimized from a military rape. I also wanted to show people how affective my technique is. I, the counselor, had to walk the same path on which I place my clients. The reader follows in my footsteps through pain, self-discovery, and healing. They see how and when the disorders started after my incest experience and how it set me up to be a rape victim 12 years later.

2. Who does this book benefit?

The book benefits anyone who has been traumatized by sexual assault or incest. It also helps PTSD victims and their families. I know more books have been shared than purchased and every victim who has read the book has given it to their therapists. This book has helped everyone who has picked it up. What surprises everyone is that no matter the kind of abuse of how often, the behavior disorders in the adult are similar. A lot of readers have told me how the abuse may not have been the same, but the disorders were in their adult life.

3. What did you learn about yourself from writing this book?

I learned who I am and what I needed to do to change into the person I am today. It was truly devastating to discover that 40 years of my life had been built on a lie. I had suppressed the military rape for over 40 years and was not aware of why I had behaved the way I did until I was nearly 60 years old. The hardest part of this journey was sifting through the various aspects and parts of my life and my inner core to discern what I wanted to keep, what I wanted to change, and what I needed to let go. The biggest surprise was after carrying around the incest memory for over 50 years; I had to refer to the book for a piece of information that had faded. I knew this to be a major sign of healing. When you have dealt with what caused the inner anger, the trauma no longer retraumatizes. The trauma actually becomes just a memory that eventually fades away or can be put into a place in the brain where we can see it but it doesn't affect us. The biggest pleasure is after the anger I had carried around with me for over over 50 years, I discovered the love of self. Not only have I forgiven my abusers and all those who have have harmed me, I have learned to love them, including my rapist. I despise what they did to me and would not allow it today, but I now know they were hurting also. The impact of this revelation is even more phenomenal when I know that because I was pregnant at the time of the rape, it had caused me to psychologically abort 6 babies over 10-year period.

4. What are you working on for the future?

I have turned to another chapter in my life by letting go of the book and placing it into God's hands. The past few weeks have been spent reflecting on the new path that has opened up, or reopened. Essentially, I have gone back home, to coin a phrase. I have learned that sexual assault is a stigma to which no one wants to attach themselves by admitting they are a victim. Not everyone has the courage to look at and directly deal with their inner pains as I have. I won't be addressing the pain in others as much as I shall be teaching them to care for themselves; teaching them self-nurturing. I have enrolled into a college of natural medicine and will get recertified as an herbalist; go on to Master Herbalist, Nutritionist, Holistic Health Practitioner, then my Bachelor of Science. I am presently enrolled in beekeeping school and am working with our local Ag Office for grant money to start growing endangered herbs and obtaining beehives. Will eventually create gardens, tours, workshops, etc. This is similar to what I have done in the past. I used to lecture to large crowds as a C.H. Right now, I'm looking at specializing in natural remedies for trauma victims and teaching people to go back to the earth for their healing. I used to do this until my mother died; we moved; flashback; etc. It was all a journey in and of itself to get me to where I am today. The people who have come into my life just in the past 7 days are phenomenal and world-wide. What I will be doing for the rest of my life is based on everything I have learned in my life. In other words, the student now becomes the creator and teacher/healer using every skill learned. Everything has culminated to this point of my life. If nothing happens, know I am content with who I am and where I'm at. I also intend to get back in Fiber Art again but in a different way. I have art works in nearly every state and the Virgin Islands.

Thank you, Lady Cerelli, for your time and your heartfelt answers.

Friends, you can purchase your own copy of My Journey to Peace with PTSD

* Disclaimer: As always, the information provided herein this book should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition, or during any medical emergency. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites.

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T12:23:00.003-04:00

Hey kiddies and not so kiddie-ish!

Halloween is here and that means tempting candy is close at hand. Ever wonder which ones are "better" for you than the others?

I did to. So I found this article from Lifescript. Trick or Treat: What's Good to Eat?

I suggest you read it and tell me what you think.

While you're at it, tell me what your favorite Halloween candy was when you were a kid. Mine was and still is Tootsie Rolls. And, guess what I got to give out? Tootsie Rolls. Yep, and I'm going to be stingy too, so I"ll have some left over for me. Mawaaahaahaahaaa!!

What's your most memorable Halloween? Mine was when I was about 5 years old. I was washing dishes and a top from a can slid into the water. It sliced my left thumb. I went around as a fairy princess with a great big bandage on my thumb. I had to show everyone and tell them the whole story. I still have the scar.

So, have a Happy Halloween and for those that practice, Happy Samhain.

A Society of Instant Gratification. What happened to Patience?

2008-10-23T17:23:00.006-04:00

I was sitting with my therapist, and we were discussing why we don't see layaway departments anymore in stores. Consumers can't handle waiting for their purchases anymore. Before, there was the satisfaction of buying a product, putting it on layaway, making payments, and then when it was paid off, you got your item.

But, that's not good enough anymore.

With the onslaught of credit cards and debit cards for anyone and everyone, layaway departments went out of business. People didn't have the patience anymore to wait to make their payments ahead of time. They wanted their product now, and be damned about the money. They'd make their payments later. That's what credit cards were for, right? Who cared what the interest rate was, so long as they got their product now.

Instant Gratification. IG

IG, it follows into other parts of people's lives as well. I was talking to some women in my doctor's office the other day and we were talking about losing weight. We all had our stories to tell. One woman had lost 40 pounds and wanted to lose even more, while another had lost 60 and had more than a hundred to lose. I told them I lost 100 pounds and how it took me 3 years to do it by walking and eating right. They sighed and slumped their shoulders. I could hear the voices in their heads saying "so long, I can't wait that long!"

One woman piped up and said she was on a weight loss program with a doctor and was getting B-12 shots. I didn't pry and ask her what else she was doing on the program. But, I she did say she wasn't walking because of bad knees.

Dieters. Most of them want the Instant Gratification of weight loss. You see the commercials on television, on the Internet, and hear them on the radio. They all have these miracle cures for you to take and you'll be thin and toned in a few weeks. Do they work? Duh, NO! If they did, wouldn't we all be walking around toned and thin???

It all comes down to patience. No one has time for it anymore. It took years to put on that weight. It's not going to come off in a few weeks. Okay, so it might, but it's not going to stay off for a long time, especially not your life time. A slow and steady weight loss with a lifestyle change of new eating habits combined with an exercise program and you're more likely to have long term changes that are effective.

Those toys that consumer bought with his/her credit card? I'd probably win the bet that their kid was already bored with them by the time they were paid off, or they were broken.

No one has patience anymore. We have drive through banks. Fast food. And now curb side service at restaurants. You don't even have to get out of your car to get a good dinner. No patience.

We don't even have the pleasure of going to the record store and buying a record anymore. Open the iTunes store and purchase a song and download it to your iPod.

Instant Gratification.

What's next?

I wish you a slow and patient day.

Shopping: Shopping x10 for a Bipolar

2008-09-26T11:35:00.003-04:00

I love to shop. I use to hate it. I take that back. I used to not like it when I didn't have any money. Then God invented the credit card and bestowed it upon me and all was good with the world.

I'm a hoarder. A shopper x10. And having Bipolar, I go hog wild when it comes to shopping. It's one of the manic side effects. I love it. My husband doesn't. Neither does our bank account. So, I'm really trying to learn to control myself. Especially after I spent about $5,000.00 in one month. Whoooieeee, that's the month my husband took my credit cards away.

I've earned back one.

And, I've learned to limit my shopping to under $100.00 at a time. But, I'm still a hoarder. I love sales. Walmart had tank tops on sale for $3.00 the other day. So, what did I do. Get one in every color I liked. Did I have to? Wouldn't one or two have done just as well? I'm sure they would have to a normal person, but not to my way of thinking.

And, I hoard toilet paper and paper towels. You should see my garage. It's like the paper aisle at a grocery store. And, don't even look in the closet in my bathroom. You'll find 8, yes I said EIGHT, deodorants, 5 bottles of shampoo, 4 bottles of body soap, probably about 4 packages of q-tips, and the list goes on and on. I really hate to run out of things. I like to have a lot on hand in case for some reason we can't get to the store for awhile like in a hurricane and we need these things. Especially TOILET PAPER!!

For me, shopping gives me a HIGH. That feeling that some people get from doing extreme sports or maybe even drugs. I go into a zone and when I come out of it, I'm walking out of the store with bags of things. All of the things are good, usable and wearable. Nothing freaky like a talking bass fish on a plaque or anything weird like that. I just get caught up in the shopping and can't stop myself. I hear a lot of Bipolars are like that. It's all part of being manic.

But, when I'm not manic, I can mostly keep myself under control. But, the need to get the "high" feeling is still there. It's like needing my "fix". I gotta have it. So, I soothe myself with a trip to the grocery store. Where I can load up on paper towels, toilet paper, and paper plates. Can't have enough paper plates.

The Laws of Ultimate Reality. Really! It happens every time!

2008-09-17T14:48:00.003-04:00

THE LAWS OF ULTIMATE REALITY

& Law of Mechanical Repair
After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee.

& Law of Gravity
Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

& Law of Random Numbers
If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.

& Law of the Alibi
If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

& Variation Law
If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

& Law of the Bath
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

& Law of Close Encounters
The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

& Law of the Result
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

& Law of Biomechanics
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

& Law of the Theater
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

& The Starbucks Law
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

& Murphy's Law of Lockers
If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

& Law of Physical Surfaces
The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

& Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

& Brown's Law of Physical Appearance
If the shoe fits, it's ugly.

& Oliver's Law of Public Speaking
A closed mouth gathers no feet.

& Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy
As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

& Doctors' Law
If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. Don't make an appointment and you'll stay sick.

& Law of Probability
The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

-- author unknown

How many of these have you experienced? I hate it when I find a product I like and then the manufacturer stops making it. That just makes me want to scream!

How many times have you tried to prove to someone that something didn't work and the darn thing worked every time? Hands up! Me too!! That gets me so frustrated I just want to punch the stupid thing.

Which ones do you identify with?

I Believe in America - Remember 9/11

2008-09-11T20:05:00.002-04:00

I Believe in America

I believe in firefighters that climb 50 flights
of stairs to help people they never met.
I believe in people who give their lives crashing an
airplane to save the lives of people they never met.
I believe in people who give blood, money, and
supplies to aide people they've never met.

I believe in America.

I believe in a country that stands strong and
proud, even in the face of grief and tragedy.
I believe in a country that not only
allows, but encourages and values diversity.
I believe in a country that does not think that
human suffering is "someone else's problem".

I believe in America.

I believe in a country that values freedom so
highly that rather than inhibit an individuals
rights, tragic events can sometimes occur.
I believe in a country that does not allow innocent
people to suffer at the hands of a madman.
I believe in a country that is willing to risk it's own
lives and safety to protect and aide innocent people.

I believe in America.

I believe in a country that does not lash out
quickly or rashly in revenge and retaliation.
I believe in a country that will defend
itself with appropriate means.
I believe in a country whose people will rise
to any challenge, and will stand up and fight
boldly and proudly against it's aggressors.

I believe in America.

by Gregory S. Taylor (c) 2001

This poem was written by my husband from his heart after the attack on 9/11/01. I share it with you today.

Tummy Tuck - Do I or Don't I?

2008-09-08T19:21:00.000-04:00

Okay, I've been thinking about a tummy tuck for about six months now. And, I'm ready to tell the world that I want one. Okay, you consist of my world.

I want a tummy tuck. So, should I?

I know, the cons are general surgery, painful recovery, infection, etc.

But, the pros are that awful flap of skin from having 3 babies and losing over a 100 pounds would be gone!!! I could wear a bathing suit that I wouldn't be embarrassed to show my body!

My husband says he loves me know matter what my body looks like, and I love him for that. But, I want to love my body too. And, this is the only part of my body that I don't love.

I know, my boobs sag and my butt has disappeared and my thighs look like an ad for cottage cheese, but I don't care. I know that's all a part of aging. I have wings under my arms that flap .. woo hoo!

But, I am not happy with my sagging belly fat. It looks awful and It makes a horrible outline in whatever I wear. No matter what type of control underwear I put on, it still sags.

So, I'm asking for your honest opinion. Should I or shouldn't I?

Have you had a tummy tuck? What was your experience? Share please!!

5 Stages of Grief - My Personal Loss

2008-08-31T11:23:00.008-04:00

Did you ever lose something so precious that your heart ached as if it were broken into tiny pieces?

What if that "something" was "someone"?

I consider myself fairly smart and I knew I was grieving so I did some research on the five stages of grieving; or the grieving process. Did you know that the loss of anything that matters to us can trigger the grieving process?

A pet. Our health. A treasured heirloom or special item. A loved one.

Must a loved one die for us to grieve? I say no. Absolutely not. We can grieve for the loss they leave in our lives and our hearts when they move away. Even when that move is supposed to be temporary. The grief still breaks through and settles around my shoulders like a heavy sweater on a hot day.

I'm in the grieving process. My daughter, son-in-law, and precious granddaughter have moved out of state on a temporary basis. They'll stay with my daughter's father until they can get back on their feet and move back. That's what I have to keep telling myself. It's only temporary and they'll be back home.

I believe I'm still in Stage 1 of the grieving process. Denial and Isolation. I've tried to just pretend that they really haven't gone, that they're still living here. I've definitely withdrawn from my normal social activities, online and offline and have just hidden myself away from the world. I haven't felt like doing much of anything.

Then, there's Stage 2, Anger. The experts say the grieving person may become furious at the person who inflicted the hurt or at the world for letting it happen. I may even become angry at myself for even letting it take place even if there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Now, there's a stumper for you. Was there anything I could do? They couldn't pay their mortgage so their house was being sold. Could we pay their mortgage for them? Not possible. We've done it before, but we couldn't do it on a regular basis. Not for the next six months while my son-in-law healed from brain surgery then went back to work. Would they have been able to move in with us? Again, no. We just don't have the room. We have no empty rooms available. Fortunately, my ex-husband and his wife had two rooms. But they were across the country.

On to Stage 3, Bargaining, making bargains with God by asking "If I do this, will you take away the loss?"

Then, there's Stage 4, Depression. I know what depression feels like. I've lived with nearly all my life. Will this situation slide me into a depressive cycle? That's what my Support Team is for, to help me through it and to keep me from it. I've already talked to my therapist about it and next week I talk to my psychiatrist and physician about it. They'll all be ready to handle any crisis that may occur, if it does.

Finally, Stage 5, Acceptance. This is where I will have finally accepted the reality of my loss and the anger, sadness, and mourning will have gone away.

A person can go through the five stages in a few moments a few hours or even longer. Sometimes it can take years to finish the five stages, if a person finishes them at all. It depends on the person.

I know I'll get through this. My daughter has a goal to come back to Florida, and I believe in that goal. That's what keeps me going every day. That's what helps me with my grieving process.

I want to thank all of my friends and family who have helped me through this entire process before and after my daughter and son-in-law moved. During my son-in-law's surgery, my daughter's crisis, and the rest of their downward spiraling issues. I'll never forget your open hearts and I will always treasure your prayers and good wishes. You've shown me true friendship and support and for that I'll always be humbled by your generosity.

My children have a goal. And, I have a goal too. I'm going to fly out and see them in October. And, I'll keep going to see them, until they come home to stay.

Wisdom from Paul Harvey

2008-08-15T16:52:00.004-04:00

Can you answer this riddle?

Here is a pretty neat little thing from Paul Harvey. See if you can guess the riddle at the end.

Paul Harvey Writes:

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room,but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.
I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy/girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it.. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

Paul Harvey RIDDLE:

When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer, compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors.

What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, The poor have it, The rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die?

Get What You Want Out of Life

2008-07-08T16:24:00.003-04:00

Do we ever get what we want out of life? How many of us really do? Do we even know what we want?

That's the hard part, isn't it? If you really sit down and think about it, what do you really want out of life. Did you see the movie "The Bucket List?" Now, that made me think about what I really wanted out of life.

Thinking about what I want out of life, and getting what I want out of life, can be two very different things. We must work very hard to make the both of them come together.

* As far as traveling goes, I'd love to see Greece and Rome some day. Oh, and to travel to Australia.

* I'd like to settle into retirement in a place in the Florida Keys or near enough that I can enjoy them on a regular weekly basis.

* I'd like to put my stamp on life somehow by making an important contribution. What it is, yet, I'm not sure, but I'd like people to say that I was good at what I did and it made people happy.

* I'd like to become a foster home for rescue American Eskimo dogs.

There's a quote that seems appropriate. It's from Logan Pearsall Smith, who lived from 1865 - 1946. He said, "There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second."

So, I ask you to make it your mission in life. Know what you want. Get it. Then enjoy it.

Peace to you.

Independence Day & Benjamin Franklin

2008-07-05T13:42:00.004-04:00

Benjamin Franklin was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Of all the signers, he's the one I'm most curious about. He also intrigues my husband, to the point that we've found books to read about him.

First, here's some Independence Day Fun.

Now, back to Benjamin Franklin.

He was born on January 17, 1706. And, died April 17, 1790.

He said, ''Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.''

Did you know that when Benjamin was 16, he experimented with begin a vegan so that he could save money to buy more books?

You know that he experimented with electricity and developed various inventions including the famous kite and lightning experiment. But did you know that at the age of 17 he left home and became a printer?

Later in his life he also served as ambassador to France, successfully securing French support for the newly formed United States.

Benjamin Franklin was a true hero in history and our nation's Renaissance Man.

You can find out more about Benjamin Franklin by visiting these sites:

Fast Facts About Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin Quick Facts
Quick Biography of Benjamin Franklin
Interesting Facts
Benjamin Franklin

Baby Boomer Diva Day - Celebrate!

2008-06-17T07:42:00.003-04:00

Are you a baby boomer woman with a book or product in need of promotion? Great? Have we got a deal for you!!!

We want to share your talent with the world on June 20, 2008 from 10 am - 3 pm. The 2nd annual Baby Boomer Diva Day.

For the low price of $10 we'll showcase your produce for 15 minutes giving you the opportunity to sell your product to boomer women from all over the world. A few vendor slots are still available, so don't let this opportunity pass you by.

Also, there will be plenty of prize giveaways with special guest speaker, Heidi Richards, who will discuss how blogging can turn into $$$ for your business or product.

You'll have fun displaying your products, we'll have fun purchasing them, and we'll celebrate being boomer women.

Go to http://www.keybusinesspartners@verizon.net and get more information. You'll be happy you did. So will we!

See you on the 20th!

Finding Balance in Life

2008-06-05T11:47:00.000-04:00

I'm having a great day. I'm sitting and listening to my ipod, which is currently playing the Doors, while I sit at my computer, with my dog at my feet. The sun is streaming through the trees and into my window.

What a day.

Later I'm going to lay out by the pool and relax and do some reading. Life in Florida. Nice, huh?

I'm not telling you all this, to feel envious, or to brag, but to show you that when you have a good thing, don't let it pass you by. Grab a hold of it. Enjoy it. Savor it. Live it. Don't think you'll just wait for the next time.

What if next time didn't come?

Live each day to the fullest. Take advantage of the opportunities you have now, don't wait for another to come.

I used to live that way. And, what did it get me? Way too much stress. Sick. And a terribly unhealthy life, both mentally and physically. It's not a good way to live. You can't live that way for long. Something's gotta give, and it's usually a breakdown of some sort, either mentally or physically.

Mine was both.

I learned the hard way. I don't want you to make the same mistakes. Give yourself permission to have fun. Take a few extra minutes out of your busy life and give them to yourself. Start small. Work your way to giving yourself more and more time until you're able to find the appropriate balance in your life.

That's what's it's all about.

Balance.

And, while you're finding that balance, blow some bubbles. No one can be stressed while blowing bubbles!

Have a great day!

My Personal Battle With Bipolar

2008-05-30T08:01:00.001-04:00

On September 9rd 2003, my doctor diagnosed me with Bipolar II. (Bipolar II is mostly depressive with some manic episodes. Bipolar I is full blown mania with little depression) I started on the first of what would become many medications until we found the right combination that would sustain a sense of stability.

I began my new life on a path with a name for what I'd probably had since I was a teenager but had been left undiagnosed my entire life. I was 42 years old. I'd finally felt free. Someone had a name and a treatment for the battle I'd been fighting all my life. I was no longer alone.

Until my medications stabilized, I lived through what I can only describe as a roller coaster hell of major highs and lows – mania and depression.

My doctor described my diagnosis to me in this way: I'm a 78 RPM person trying to function in a 33 1/3 world. For you baby boomers, you'll know what I mean. If you're younger than a baby boomer and don't understand the analogy, ask your parents to explain it to you.

When I'm manic, I'm like the energizer bunny. Always going. Creating something. Wanting something. Right after I got diagnosed, I jumped into crafts and started making these little wooden window seats. I didn't create one or two, or a few. I created dozens. And dozens. And boxes full. I obsessed over getting every single wooden window seat in the Tampa area so I could make something out of it. Then I wanted a puppy. (Thank goodness my husband saw fit to tell me no at that time) Then I jumped into soap making. I made pounds and pounds of soap. (All of this is in less than a week.)

One of the first things I did after diagnosis, was to purchase some books on Bipolar and read up on the illness. I wanted to know as much as possible and what I could do to help myself. I learned to eliminate as much stress as possible from my life as it's a definite trigger to a mania or depressive episode.

I learned to help identify my own symptoms that occur prior to a mania or depressive episode and take action ahead of time to help ease my way out of them or through them with less intensity.

For me, heading into mania my symptoms would be:

1.excessive talking
2.increased socialness
3.racing thoughts
4.irritability
5.over excitement and restlessness
6.spending too much money
7.increased self esteem
8.loss of interest in food
9.starting too many projects
10.unable to sleep

Heading into depression my symptoms would be:

1.no interest in other people or activities
2.feeling tired all the time
3.disinterested or sad
4.low or no motivation
5.sometimes can't get out of bed
6.very low self esteem
7.agoraphobia
8.pretend to be happy on outside but unhappy on inside
9.might turn to food, or find food less appetizing
10.thoughts might turn to harming myself (depending on how low the depression is)

How do I cope with this? I have an agreement with my husband, my therapist, my psychiatrist and my family doctor. Whoever I can reach, gets notified that I'm experiencing these symptoms and I need help. I immediately cut out everything in my life that isn't a priority. I stay as calm as possible. I go for a walk. I read a book or watch a movie. I take lots of breaks and make sure I take the extra medication my doctor prescribes.

But, to me, being Bipolar feels like I'm an alien among the rest of the human population. I react differently to various situations. I don't feel like I have the same emotions. What makes some people cry or laugh doesn't for me. I know a lot of it is because of the medications I'm on. I no longer view the world through the same window as other people do. I feel different. Isolated. I have the disease no one wants to talk about. Mental Illness.

I also have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. With all of that combined, it makes for a very stressful person. I'm constantly anxious, nervous, overeating, clenching my jaw (not great for my TMJ), losing focus, breathing shallow, having my heart race, and staying tense. I'm not able to concentrate on anything except the thoughts or words that are repeating in my head feeding my panic.

I cycle from manic to depressive to stable on an irregular basis. There is no predicting when I will have the next cycle. My medications are really good at keeping me as stable as possible. But that hasn't always been that way. My symptoms come and go and I usually experience some degree of a symptom. I’m always aware of my illness, but there are many times when I’m stable and go about my life knowing that I am a capable, productive part of society. I go to the grocery store, get my hair cut, take my dog to the vet. Normal, everyday activities. I think that all of those places have been extended into my comfort zone. However, being aware of my illness, I know there are places or activities that I just won’t do because I don’t want to trigger an episode. Like crowded places, or unknown places that might cause me stress. I can handle the mall for short periods of time. I usually park outside the store I want to shop at and go directly to it, instead of drifting through the mall. However, when I'm stable, I do like walking through the mall. So, it all depends.

My cycles don’t follow the calendar. I don’t know that I’m going to slip into a manic episode on a certain day. I can’t predict that next month I’m going to be depressed. They just happen. There really is no rhyme or reason for them. I do have a bit more control over my anxiety and panic. I just don’t put myself in situations where an episode might occur. There are occasions when panic still happens. I use one of my coping techniques, and/or take an Ativan, and wait for it to go away.

I definitely hide my feelings and reactions when I’m around other people. But, I’m so careful to make sure I’m not ever in a situation where something like that might occur, it’s very rare for me to end up in a severe state around others. My husband is very good at helping me recognize when an episode starts and he’ll help me by being proactive. He can tell sometimes before me, when it would be time to take an anti-anxiety pill, to head off a more severe reaction.

Only a very few select people know the depth of which my illness carries me. Some friends know that I have an anxiety disorder and am not always comfortable outside my normal comfort zone, like my house. I rarely accept invitations for social functions because I’m afraid I’ll have an episode while I’m there. Mostly, the episodes start before the function begins. I get anxious just thinking about going. Even out of the few select people, I don’t think anyone knows I’m Bipolar. I have a few online friends that I consider a support group, that know I’m Bipolar. I’m not ashamed of it. I just don’t think people truly understand the illness. For me, early on when I was diagnosed, I didn’t think I was capable of explaining it to people. Now, it’s just become habit not to say anything. I guess the longer I don’t tell others, the harder it is to say, “look, I’ve had this illness for all these years and never told you.” Bipolar has gotten some really negative press on television and in the newspaper and I don't think they present the disease properly.

I heard someone describe someone else one time and they said she was “useless” because she was Bipolar. It made me cringe. But, it also made me stay quiet. How could I share my story to this person who had such a preconceived notion about what Bipolar was all about?

Before I was diagnosed with Bipolar, I had major mood switches. I’m sure it was difficult on my family to know “which person” I’d show up as next. But, they’d lived with me like that for so long, it was just “mom being mom.” The anxiety and panic disorders were more difficult for my family to accept. Mostly because I wasn’t usually afraid of anything. I rode a motorcycle, I loved roller coasters, and I’d jump in the car or on a plane to go anywhere. All of that changed. My family had to change with it as well. I started making excuses about why I couldn’t do certain things, knowing that I was disappointing my family, but unable to control myself or the situation any other way. When I was diagnosed and started receiving medication, it was easier to work up to certain activities. I would go to the amusement park again, but I didn’t ride the roller coaster. I had to give up my motorcycle, but that didn’t mean my husband had to give up his. Trips were still difficult; but appropriately medicated, I could tolerate them. I was able to participate again with my family instead of being an outsider, looking in. But, I still find myself making excuses first when asked to do something outside my home environment.

Going back even further, I spent more time depressed as a child and a teenager. But, as the oldest child, and being from a family with step parents and adopted parents and seven children, I didn't get much notice. No one even noticed when I wanted to kill myself at age 13 when my adopted father took me to bed after telling me about sex for the first time.

When I had my children, I went through major manic phases with my hormones totally out of whack. No one understood what was going on with me. I didn't even know. We all just thought it was me being me.

After my divorce, I went into one long manic episode that lasted several years. I had several sexual exploits, I spent money like it grew on trees, I lost weight, I acted totally out of character. I did things I never would have done if I were stable.

As always, what goes up, must come down. And, in the case of being manic, once you go up, you must come down. And, after a manic episode, comes the depression cycle.

At first, my depressive cycles didn't last very long, then I was back to manic. I cycled fast. I'm what
is called a “Rapid Cycle” Bipolar.

On a manic high, I dated a guy 11 years younger than myself. We told ourselves it was just for fun and not to get serious. Well, I started to get serious, then he started to get serious. But, when he got serious, he backed away and left our relationship. Devastated me. So much so, that this was my second attempt at wanting to kill myself. I had the pills and the alcohol. I could just combine them and no one would know until they found me. But, I don't know what stopped me unless it was my religion telling me I don't believe those who commit suicide go to heaven. But, instead, I wrote in my journal. All night, until I got over the urge to take those pills.

Things happen for a reason, and I truly believe that. That guy was just an interim until I met my best friend, my soul mate, my husband. We were married in 1998, and he went through a lot with me. My Grave's Disease diagnosis. My Spinal Stenosis diagnosis. And, finally the big one. My Bipolar diagnosis.

However, about the time I knew my husband, I was on a major depressive cycle, and I kept it well hidden. I was always pretty good at that. I acted happy on the outside but wasn't happy on the inside. When I was on my manic highs he just thought I was being extra creative. And I was. And, he just thought I was being me. You see, I had earned a nickname back from a long time ago, “Loopy”. And, it stuck with me all through the years. And, I lived up to it. I was definitely “loopy”.

I think my husband doubts my diagnosis at times. Only because I tend to be “stable” most of the time with medication. He wasn’t with me during my past “out of control” life. I remember that time when I was totally oblivious to my symptoms, not knowing what I was going through. or how they were affecting me or the people around me. I look back on that part of my life and I'm so grateful that I didn't get into serious trouble or hurt anyone. He only sees me now, with mild swings as compared to the way I was before medication. If I ever went off my medication, he might then see that other side of me. That really way out of control me. I hope to never do that though. With health insurance the way it is, there’s always the chance that I might not be able to afford all the medications I’m on. I don’t even want to think about that.

He's a really good judge of my moods and my anxiety level now. He can tell almost immediately if I’m cycling into a manic episode. The signs are quite clear to him. I start talking really fast, I call him incessantly for the smallest things, and I start taking on more projects than I could possibly handle.

As for me, with the medications I’m on, I don’t have any significant mood changes that negatively affect my behavior. I am pretty much stable. When I cycle into a depressive mood, I become more housebound and less active with my friends. I tend to stop participating in activities I usually find enjoyable. This probably confounds my friends, but I try very hard to not let them know how “down” I feel. I may “disappear” for a while, but I’m not sure how much it really affects others. I do come back eventually, and when I rejoin activities, people are happy to see me. At least it seems that way to me. No one has come outright and asked me what was wrong. So, I guess I’m pretty good at disguising my moods. To me, it seems hard to keep really good close friends, because I don't share the “real” me. So, they don't really know what's going on with me. I guess you could say, I just have friendly acquaintances. I only have one friend who knows I'm Bipolar. And, well, now all of you!

I used to be a technical writer and was also working as a tech writing consultant before I became ill. The stress was too much for me, and in order to maintain a certain level of “saneness”, I had to give up my job. It wasn’t all that bad, because I had always dreamed about being an author, and this was a perfect opportunity for me to start working on that goal.

Being a creative person, I wrote quickly during my manic stages of Bipolar. The ideas flowed and I only had to write them down as fast as they’d appear in my mind. But, mania doesn’t last forever, and at times it cycles into depression. It’s difficult to write when I’m depressed. I can’t connect with my characters or the story. I don’t feel the desire to put words to paper. My doctor uses my writing as a “barometer” to determine where I am in my cycles. If I’m not writing, then we make adjustments to my medication to get me back to it. Sometimes, the depression cycles last for a while. I go through months of no writing, which is very frustrating and difficult for me. I want to write, but the desire to write and the creative forces behind my writing aren’t there.

As part of my medical treatments, my doctor would like to see as few manic episodes as possible. However, I miss those episodes because I felt like I could really harness my writing spirit and capture the ideas that would burst in my mind. I’ve learned to make sure to capture those ideas and write them down before they’re lost forever. I keep binders full of ideas that I’ve thought about while manic. That way, when the mania goes away, I still have the ideas to help me during my “normal (stable)” times. I do have episodes of normality. I can write effectively and with passion. My characters speak to me and I tell their stories when I’m stable. I’ve learned to harness my other writing talents to coincide with my Bipolar cycles. If I’m not “in the mood” to write, I work on other parts of my writing career like promotion and public relations.

I've kept journals for many years and it's never occurred to me to ever doubt my diagnosis. It explains so much in my life. My past is littered with uncontrollable manic episodes and deep depressive cycles. Reading back through my journals only corroborates those times and makes me see them more clearly.

I don't know if I've ever willed myself to get better or cure myself, but I've begged God to make me better. And I've used “self talk” to try and get myself out of a depressive cycle. But, I'm realistic, and I know that this is a lifelong disease. There is no cure. But, that doesn't depress me. It only makes me work harder to find other ways to deal with my illness and to keep stress down in my life.

I do try to keep a healthy lifestyle. I think if you’re eating healthier, taking care of yourself, getting exercise, it’s all going to help. I take vitamins and supplements every day, as well as my medications. I think that they’ve helped me maintain a level of stability that I wouldn’t have otherwise. They’ve given my body the extra boost it needs to deal with my illness. Stress, bad eating habits, too much sugar or caffeine, and irregular schedules can all wreak havoc on my illness. By watching what I eat, avoiding caffeine and getting enough sleep, I know I’m taking steps to lessen my chances for an anxiety episode which can then turn into a manic episode.

Medication side effects are always an issue. Most of the Bipolar medications cause weight gain. Usually those with anxiety issues are compulsive eaters or emotional eaters as well. I know I'm an emotional eater. My weight ballooned to 247 pounds. I'm only 5' 4”. I fought hard to lose the weight. My doctor helped as well by adjusting my Bipolar medications. It took over three years but I've lost nearly 100 pounds.

There are times when the medications lose their effectiveness. It's usually the anti-depressants. So, the doctor slowly stops me from taking it, lets my body readjust to not having the medication in my system, then slowly reintroduces the medication back into my system making it think it’s new. That’s rough on me. It takes around six weeks to do this. A very long six weeks. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Then the doctor has to find a new anti-depressant that I haven't tried yet and see if that works.

This past year at the end of 2007, I went into a very deep depression. More than likely caused by the ineffectiveness of my medication. I usually hear voices, but they're mostly in the background and they don't bother me, but this time they were talking to me. Making me scared and panicky to drive. Why? Because they wanted me to run into a tree. Or head on into traffic. My choice. So nice of them to give me a choice, don't you think?

The voices continued. I told no one. I kept up a happy front while I stayed sad on the inside and struggled with my voices. This was before I had a therapist, psychiatrist, and an agreement with doctors. The voices grew more insistent and louder. They were all I could think about. One time when I was at my doctor's office, I blurted out what was happening to me. We discussed it, the doctor asked me if I had any thoughts of suicide, I said no, and he made some adjustments to my medications.

But, the voices continued.

This time, the voices told me to pick out a tree. So I searched for one. And found one. A nice palm tree on a corner. With a sturdy steel pole behind it, in case the car went through the tree. Perfect tree the voices told me. I felt proud.

So, I told my doctor the voices wanted me to find a tree. He suggested hospitalization. I pleaded with him not to put me in the hospital. He asked if I'd see a therapist. I agreed.

I found a great therapist. She and I clicked immediately. She evaluated me and had me sign a “no suicide” contract. It was easy to sign. I didn't have any thoughts of suicide. The voices hadn't told me to run my car into the tree yet.

When I got home, I finally told my husband what had been happening and his solution was to take my car keys away. Reasonable solution, except it turned me into a prisoner and made me dive deeper into depression.

The voices and I devised a plan to get the keys back so I could have the car back. We told my husband the voices were gone. That I could drive again. No problem. We told the therapist, no more problems, I can drive again. I feel much better.

I got to drive to the doctor's office and had to pass that tree. As I drove past it, it took all my effort to keep from turning into it. The voices pushed me to drive into the tree. I couldn't do it. I got to the doctor's office. I couldn't lie to him. I told him I found the perfect tree. He was immediately on the telephone with the hospital to admit me. Here in Florida it's called a “Baker Act”. It's when the patient is admitted involuntarily.

I stayed in the hospital for six days. Six long days. I was on suicide watch. I didn't understand why. My weapon of choice was a car. How in the heck was I supposed to get a car up to the 4th floor of the hospital?

My psychiatrist changed my medications. Took me off some. Put me on a new one. Slowly over the six days, the voices went away. The urge to drive into a tree went away. And, best of all? I got happy. I'd been sad for so long, I couldn't remember. But, the difference was breathtaking. Unbelievable.

When I left that hospital six days later I was grinning from ear to ear, and not just because I was leaving, but because I was genuinely happy. I got home and I was happy. I heard a song on my iPod while I was walking the next morning and I knew it was meant for me and my new lease on life, “Walking on Sunshine”.

And, I've been happy and walking on sunshine ever since. My husband took me to Hawaii a few weeks later and then a week after that my daughter gave birth to my first granddaughter.

Getting hospitalized was one of the best things that could have happened to me. I have a new outlook on life. New medications. Less anxiety. Less panic. And, more happiness.

Battling a Life Long Disorder

2008-05-03T12:28:00.007-04:00

Hello,

My name is Julie Fast and I have bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed with the illness in 1995 at age 31. I created a treatment plan in 1999 that is now used by people all over the world to manage the illness. I have been close to suicide too many times to count and have had destructive manic episodes since the age of 17. I'm the author of Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder and Get it Done When You're Depressed. I wrote all of these books when I was depressed and often psychotic.

Bipolar disorder is a rotten illness.

I'm writing you on behalf of a person who cares about you very much. This person has been diagnosed with the illness bipolar disorder and is concerned you may not understand the reality and seriousness of the diagnosis. I hope that reading this letter can open a window of understanding to help you see that although bipolar disorder can look like someone is faking, whining, lying, making excuses, causing you trouble, making waves, being weak or just making it all up, it's not. It's a illness that originates in the brain. It's a physical illness that comes out in emotional ways, which is why it's so hard for people to understand.

Here are some interesting details about bipolar disorder:

- As with any major illness, people with bipolar disorder share the same symptoms- the symptoms are so similar for people around the world that I can list what a person says, thinks and does during certain mood swings without knowing them. This is quite a party trick! Thus, it's not random emotional behavior that causes problems, but a very structured set of symptoms that lead to a bipolar disorder diagnosis.

- Bipolar disorder is under diagnosed because of the reasons you may feel it isn't real- it looks like those of us with the illness just need to get a handle on our emotions! The problem is that we can't without the proper treatment. If we could handle our emotions, then the overwhelming symptoms of bipolar disorder would be easy to manage.

- Bipolar disorder affects an estimated 17,000,000 million people in the US alone. I think this is a ridiculously low number as I meet people with a bipolar diagnosis almost everywhere I go. It's important to get this into perspective- it's estimated that around one million people in the US have HIV/Aids - one million. Compare that to the 17 million who have bipolar disorder. You probably know a lot more about AIDS than bipolar, but the chance of your knowing someone with AIDS is very slim. You already know someone with bipolar disorder and they need your help.

Bipolar disorder has killed far, far more people in the US than AIDS.

- Bipolar disorder as an illness has not increased in the past 50 years, but there is a lot more awareness these days which makes it seem like doctors are going crazy with the diagnosis! Awareness is a good thing- the diagnoses are real.

- I write treatment plans and can't survive without one, but there is a fact that no one with the illness can deny:
Without medications, the life quality for a person with bipolar disorder is very, very low.
This means that most people with bipolar disorder need medication treatment. Just as people with cancer need chemotherapy.

- All people with bipolar disorder will struggle with relationship issues, work problems, physical health, parenting, cooking, going to school, thinking, traveling, etc, etc at some point in their lives. We all get overwhelmed very easily. Our struggles, as you may have noticed are far more emotional and often out of control than what is considered the norm.

- Anything that causes an emotional response can lead to a bipolar disorder mood swing. Think of it this way- if our lives are a teeter totter- with our stable selves in the middle, we all have to struggle to keep our lives in balance. Get a picture of that teeter totter in your mind and then put a 10 ton weight on one side and see how hard it will be to find the middle stability. That is what it's like to have bipolar disorder- it's a ten ton weight that we didn't ask for. If it were golf, our handicap would be off the charts!

When the weight is too heavy and the balance is too hard, people kill themselves to get out of the pain.

- Up to 20% of people with bipolar disorder kill themselves. I get letters from family members quite often thanking me for my work - and then giving me the news that their son, daughter, father, mother, lover, grandmother, etc has died. They thank me because they know that we all tried to help the person who had the illness called bipolar disorder- but the illness won. Just as cancer wins sometimes. Suicide is NOT a weakness. It's an outcome of an illness that was just too strong. The 10 ton weight on their shoulders was just too much.

As you can imagine, I could go on forever here, but I do have a final question:
If someone who loves you has said they have bipolar disorder and you have your doubts of the diagnosis- or even feel that the whole thing is a sham, why do you feel they have told you the news?

They have told you because they are scared and need your love and support. Bipolar disorder is an illness that has been documented for over 2000 years. It's a killer- just as cancer is a killer. The medications can be harsh and without support, the person with bipolar disorder can lead a life of constant hell. It needs treatment and the best way for treatment to work is through education especially for the people who love us.

I recently asked my mailing list to send in questions for my radio show- my mother was the guest and I wanted to get an idea of what information they needed. Hundreds of people replied and many people asked how they could get someone they cared about to believe the diagnosis and give them help, especially around medications. This is why I wrote this

I encourage you to let go of your anger, frustration, sadness and disbelief - these feelings are all normal by the way- and see bipolar disorder for what it is- a very serious illness. Someone you love has bipolar disorder and they need your help. The rest is up to you.

Julie A. Fast www.bipolarhappens.com
Julie Fast - www.BipolarHappens.com

P.O. Box 86728
Portland, OR
97286
US

Like Julie, I have Bipolar as well. And I'll be on BlogTalk Radio on May 15th 2008 at 12 noon EST to talk about it with Beverly Mahone. For an encore presentation, I'll be on Straighttalk at 8:00 EST that same evening for an open discussion. Follow the link, sign up and you'll receive confirmation and a phone number to call and a code to use to access the teleseminar. The list of teleseminars are to the right of the signup form.

Come listen and ask questions. I look forward to "seeing" you there.

Baby Boomers Diva Girlfriends Retreat Afterglow

2008-04-25T13:02:00.006-04:00

One word.

Empowered.

That's what I took from the retreat last weekend. Empowered. I don't know if "took" is the right word. More like it was given to me. Bestowed upon me. Anointed upon me.

Divas. Divinely. Inspired. Vivaciously. Anointed. Divas. Wow, did I meet a lot of Divas last weekend. Women from all over the country came together in spirit, song, friendship, and love to network.

Network in a way that I'd never seen before. We went to workshops. We learned about how to plan for retirement. We learned about ways of "networking" on the Internet. We even learned how to improve our physical image, but more than that we learned how to network our hearts.

Friendships bonded, addresses exchanged. Business cards flurried back and forth. I basked in the warmth generated.

Beverly Mahone gets all the credit for creating the first of many annual Diva Girlfriend Retreats. She worked herself to exhaustion, creating a memorable experience for all of us. I even created a photo album of our memories. Code word "boomer". Many of us were part of the audience of a special PBS taping of a Baby Boomer Q&A of a panel of experts. It went exceptionally well.

One of our special guests of honor was Bern Nadette Stanis the actor who portrayed Thelma from the television show "Good Times". I bought her book and can't wait to delve into it.

I brought a suitcase full of clothes and I used them all, as we changed several times throughout the days for television shows, receptions, workshops, workouts, pageants, pajama parties, etc.

Did I mention pajama party? Yes, I did!

What a HOOT! A DJ played music, there was plenty of chocolate and drinks, and we danced and danced and danced. I know because I woke up Sunday morning with aches from muscles I don't remember ever using in a long time!

Not only are my Diva friends full of love and laughter they are truly spiritual. The invocation on Sunday morning moved me to near tears and made my heart sing. Never had I felt closer to God than then.

The time for us to say good bye came much too fast. We lingered as long as we could, but eventually we had to go. We hugged, we kissed, we said our good byes again. We promised to stay in touch. We had our e-loop to go back to. And our memories to take home. As for me, I'll never be the same again.

Empowered.

Meet the Diva of the Baby Boomer Divas - Beverly Mahone!

2008-03-30T20:25:00.012-04:00

I had the most wonderful opportunity to be invited by an extraordinary woman to join a unique group of women called Baby Boomer Divas. Divas. Divinely. Inspired. Vivacious. Anointed. Women with power. Women with class. Women with sass. And a lot of flash. Hot flashes!!

Beverly Mahone is the brainstorm behind this wave of excitement and I'd like to introduce her to you as I ask her a few questions about the weekend retreat she has planned for us baby boomer divas. (If you'd like to see what's planned visit here) If you'd like to learn more about Beverly visit her website

Vicki: Beverly what was your inspiration for the Baby Boomer Girlfriends' Spring Break Weekend Getaway?

Beverly: Initially, the idea was to have a Pajama Party for boomer women over 40. In my mind, I visualized us all gathered together in a hotel somewhere laughing, dancing and sharing hot flash stories! But as the idea began to evolve and more people wanted to help out with the event, it expanded becoming a three-day weekend. The concept of calling it a "Spring Break Weekend Getaway" comes from the fact that many of us used to go on Spring Break when we were in college and the memory of this time was fun. Although we've grown up and matured, we can still have fun. In an interview I recently did I told the audience this: "We spend 362 days out of the year taking care of husbands, children, and pets; dealing with obnoxious co-workers, traffic jams and nosey neighbors-----but for three days (April 18-20) we are going to throw caution to the wind in Daytona Beach, FL and do something just for us." Of course, it's a different kind of fun but it gives us an opportunity to socialize and network with fellow boomer women around the country.

Vicki: What is your main goal for the Event?

Beverly: I don't have just one main goal. I want this event to inspire women in many different ways. In addition to being a fun weekend, it is also designed to educate and empower us as women. There will be seminars to address our concerns and needs as we grow older. This is also the opportunity to network and fellowship with women you probably wouldn't be able to connect with otherwise. There are women coming from Ohio, Tennessee, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico and even as far away as California. For me, personally, I'm excited because this is the first time I will get to meet fellow members of the Boomer Diva Nation Group. I met one woman (Linda Alexander) last year but I've only associated with the others through online networking so this will be an absolute thrill for me! When it's all over, I want women to walk away with renewed strength and encouragement. Our group's motto is: Women on the Move and Making a Difference. I hope they will take that statement to heart and go back to their home communities and be the change they want to see in their worlds.

Vicki: What is the most unexpected thing to occur since putting this event together?

Beverly: The most unexpected thing to happen was getting a telephone call from someone representing People Magazine saying they might be interested in covering the event! I was in the grocery store the evening I got the call. You would've thought I had just been told I won the lottery. I was rather loud with my excitement and enthusiasm! To think that People Magazine had heard about this event and wanted to cover it was simply amazing. I was so curious as to how they found me and the young lady said they "googled" Spring Break and up popped my event. I was instructed to ask the fellow members of Boomer Diva Nation to share their thoughts about attending the event so I immediately everyone and as I understand, they were flooded with emails from our group. We haven't heard yet whether or not they will actually be coming but just the fact that they contacted me was a true blessing and a moment that took my breath away!

Vicki: What is next for Boomer Diva Nation?

Beverly: First of all, I'm already planning for the next Spring Break! :) As far as Boomer Diva Nation goes, we are continuing to grow. We're actually global with Diva sisters in Australia. There is so much talent in this group and I want to make sure the whole world knows about the wonderful resources these women have to offer. One of our missions is to offer an annual scholarship of some kind. We're still working out the details for that.

If you missed the blog tour post, click here

And please be sure to check out tomorrow’s post for this blog tour here

Phantom Pleasures by Julie Leto - Give Away

2008-03-23T08:22:00.002-04:00

My friend, and great author, Julie Leto is doing some great giveaways at her blog, http://www.plotmonkeys.com, starting today!

She's not only giving away a chapter a day of her upcoming paranormal romance, PHANTOM PLEASURES, but she's also sweetening the pot by offering a $20 Amazon/Borders gift card per day to anyone who leaves a comment.

Julie's Website

Rescuing the Unrescuable

2008-03-14T13:41:00.000-04:00

I met a true escape artist today.

A little brown and white terrier. He followed me home from my walk in the neighborhood. So friendly and happy. He took to me right away. He had no tag. I thought I would do a good deed and put him in my back yard and try to locate his owner.

In the back yard he went.

I continued my walk and about ten minutes later, I hear him running behind me. He’d gotten out, somehow.

We walked back to my house, I put him back in the yard, I continued with my walk, and not less then five minutes, he was back by my side.

We walked back to the house, I put him in the yard, and this time I watched. He poked his head through a loose board and out he came. Aha! I put him back in the yard and put a cement block in front of the board. Problem, solved.

Or so I thought.

I finished my walk, and when I returned home, he was gone. Vanished. I called for him. "Hear puppy dog!" I clapped my hands loudly. I’d almost given up, when I saw a streak of white and brown in the neighbor’s yard and there he was, at my side, jumping up and down, so excited to see me.

I put him back in the yard. Watched to see how he got out. Then put another cement block in front of the hole he’d discovered. Crafty little character.

While I had him in the back yard. I took pictures of him thinking I’d make a couple of posters and put them up at the end of the street to let neighbors know that I’d found him. He knew a few commands and was very photogenic. I gave him water and food and he made himself at home making his mark around the yard.

I left to go to Curves. All the while thinking how I would design the poster. I came home and hurried to the back yard to greet my temporary guest.

Gone.

I don’t know how he got out this time.

I called and called for him.

This time no response.

I worry about where he is. I look at the pictures I printed and smile. He was only in my life for a very short time but he left a lasting impression.

You know, people are like that too. Some people, no matter what you try to do for them, just can’t be helped. You have to learn to let go. For your on sanity. I’m not saying give up on everyone.

There’s a fine line between those that need our help and those that can’t be helped. What’s the difference?

They have to want our help.

You’ll be able to tell the difference.. deep in your gut. Listen to it.
As for that little dog, I want to think he knew his way back home and that’s where he is now. I’ll continue to watch the neighborhood for him. If I see him, I’ll try again to find a way to help locate his owner. I don’t think he really wants to roam the streets.

That’s no life for a dog.

I've been tagged

2008-02-09T08:50:00.002-05:00

I've Been Tagged: 6 Unimportant Things About Myself

I think I was tagged before, but I didn't know what it was for. Now I know. So here goes.

They say the rules of this meme are simple, but you know me, if it's simple, I'm sure there's a way for me to mess it up. Anyway, let's get started:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.

5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.

SIX UNIMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT MYSELF:

1. I like the color pink.

2. I collect teddy bears, oh, and shot glasses from states I've been.

3. My favorite song of the moment is "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves.

4. My father wanted to name me Victoria, but couldn't spell it, so named me Vicki.

5. I was a US Marine where I met my first husband.

6. I have the potential to be a packrat if I'm not careful.

Now, I must link back to Karen Lingefelt and I will tag Queen Jaw Jaw, Pop Art Diva, Mary Williams, Miss Kitty, Trish, Ok, that's it. I found six. Whew. Now, let's see who comes out to play.

Tips for an Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life!

2008-01-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

1.) Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate antidepressant.

2.) Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3.) Buy a Tivo (DVR), tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4.) When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to________ today.'

5.) Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6.) Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did last year.

7.) Always pray and make time to exercise.

8.) Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of Six.

9.) Dream more while you are awake.

10.) Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.

11.) Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12.) Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13.) Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14.) Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15.) Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class .......but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16.) Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17.) Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18.) Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19.) Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20.) Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21.) You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22.) Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

23.) Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24.) Ladies - Go on and burn those 'special' scented candles, use the 600 thread count sheets, the good china and wear our fancy lingerie now. Stop waiting for a special occasion. Everyday is special.

25.) No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26.) Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

27.) Forgive everyone for everything.

28.) What other people think of you is none of your business.

29.) Time heals almost everything. Give time, time!

30.) However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31.) Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch with them.

32.) Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

33.) Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. God provides remember?!

34.) The best is yet to come. (in Heaven)

35.) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

36.) Do the right thing!

37.) Call your family often.

38.) Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: 'I am thankful for __________.' Today I accomplished _________.

39.) Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

40.) Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH. LIFE'S A GIFT ... UNWRAP IT! Have a Blessed day. Please share with friends!

T.G.I.F. - TODAY GOD IS FIRST

Getting into the Christmas Spirit with a Cute Survey

2007-11-30T11:02:00.000-05:00

You can take this survey yourself. Just copy it from here, delete my answers and add your own, then post it in your blog. Pass the spirit of Christmas along.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love wrapping presents. I've used
paper and bags both.

2. Real tree or artificial? artificial.. it lasts forever and is better
for the environment and won't harm my dog or parrot.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually right after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? Right after New Year's Day

5. Do you like eggnog? No, but my husband does. Yuck.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Spirograph, I played with it for
hours making the coolest designs

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. I had two, but gave one to my
daughter and her husband because they didn't have one.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My husband. Anything he needs or wants, he
gets on his own. And he's so darn picky.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Right now, it's my grandson. I just get a
gift card to KB Toys. He lives in Arizona (I'm in Florida) so makes for
easy gift giving.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Doilies

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I love the whole process of
writing each card, putting the stamp on the envelope, mailing the card
and then imagining the recipient opening it up and reading my note.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown Christmas or How the Grinch
Stole Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November. I shop online
and send direct shipments to recipients to get there by Christmas.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Tie between my pumpkin pie and
homemade decorated sugar cookies.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Both, but never at the same
time. Pick one or the other.

17. Favorite Christmas song? The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole

18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Definitely stay home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Dasher, Dancer,
Prancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, then RUDOLF

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I've done both. I just don't put
Santa Claus on top of the tree.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People forgetting the
Christmas spirit and stores not playing Christmas music or saying "Merry
Christmas"

23. What I love most about Christmas? How for a few days every year,
people are extra nice to each other.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

Forever on Thanksgiving Day
The heart will find the pathway home.

-Wilbur D. Nesbit

Writing a Book: Free Teleseminar

2007-11-19T10:57:00.000-05:00

Is there a book inside of you just waiting to come out? Have you
always wanted to write but just didn't know how to begin? If you've
answered YES to either of these questions you need to sign up for the
Writing a Book: How to get Started Teleseminar.

On Thursday, November 29, 2008 five fabulous writers will share with
you their insights on how they got started. Believe it or not, there
is no one perfect formula for writing a book and these experts will
explain how they did it:

Monica Diggs
Kim Sims
Vicki M. Taylor
Kathie Thomas
Debra Shiveley Welch

The free teleseminar will begin at 8pm EST on Thursday, November 29. Seating
is limited so register early to guarantee you will be able to get your spot.

To register, go to: http://www.talk2bev.com Call-in instructions will be sent after your registration.

Gratitude: What am I grateful for?

2007-11-15T10:09:00.000-05:00

When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.

-Elie Wiesel

It's that time of year when we say "thanks" for all that we've received throughout the year. What am I thankful for?

In no particular order:

My grandson
My children
My husband
My dog
My parrot
My health
My doctor
My country
Our American Troops
My God
My soon to be born granddaughter
My friends
My neighbors
My family (my mom, my sisters, my brother, aunts, uncles, inlaws, etc)
My home
My Baby Boomer Women friends
My Baby Boomer Diva friends
My Myspace friends
My writing friends
My Blog friends
My new computer
My husband's technical computer abilities
My neighborhood
The beautiful planet Earth
The inventor of the Alphasmart Dana
My publisher
My pets' vets
Digital Cameras
My gift for writing
The time I have to write
The time I have to spend with my family
My marriage
My new screened in back patio
Each beautiful new day
My ability to see, even though I have to wear glasses, I can still see the colors in the world
My ability to hear the birds in the trees and a child's laugh
My ability to touch, so I can still hold my husband's hand
My ability to walk, even though I was in a wheelchair four years ago.

Today is my birthday. And I am grateful for one more candle on my birthday cake.

Hell Has Frozen Over

2007-11-04T11:06:00.000-05:00

Has Hell frozen over?

Really? It hasn't?

I could have sworn that I'd own a Mac computer only when Hell froze over. Or other words to that affect.

My computer died earlier this week. It was a Dell laptop. I'd probably killed it considering how much I made it do and the fact that I used it probably a good 8 to 12 hours a day or longer. It was old anyway. Probably four years old. I think that's long in computer years, isn't it? Isn't the life expectancy of a computer decrease significantly the moment you remove it from the store and then the day the warranty expires it goes on life support?

So, four years of good service. Not bad for the little laptop that I used as my desktop. Oh, let me tell you how it died. It wasn't anything dramatic or spectacular like sparks or flying pixels. I hadn't rebooted it in a while and I wanted to use my scanner so I thought I'd reboot and clear the memory cache before I started scanning my bills. I closed all the files and applications I had open. Then I clicked on the Shut Down button.

It shut down.

I waited. Giving it some time to rest. The poor thing needed it. Then pressed the Power button.

The computer whirred, the DVD drive spun, then stopped.

Nothing.

I waited. I waited some more. Then I pushed the Power button again. The computer whirred, the DVD drive spun, then stopped.

Nothing.

You'd think by now I'd be freaking out. Amazingly, I was calm. I don't know why. My freakin' computer wouldn't start and I didn't have a recent back up. (I know, I know. 40 lashes with a wet noodle. My most recent back up was July 2007) Although, to be fair, all of my important documents were stored on an external drive.

I didn't even call my husband and cry over the telephone.

I got up from my desk chair. Turned off my office light. Took my parrot and dog with me and we watched Grey's Anatomy episodes I'd recorded until my husband came home from work. When he came home, I let him get relaxed and situated before I said, "oh, by the way, I think my computer died today."

Me. Calm. I have a panic attack at the drop of a hat and here I am calmly telling my husband my computer died. His solution? It's time for a Mac.

Now, my husband and I have come from a long life of using PC's. DOS was the language of choice and we only reluctantly accepted Windows when it was introduced by Microsoft. Although, as a programmer, he was pretty hooked on UNIX too. But, for desktops and laptops, we went with PC's. For years. Decades. When Mac arrived on the world's doorstep, we scoffed and scorned its simpleton ways. Only people who didn't know how to use a computer would use a Mac, we taunted. With a Mac, now anyone could use a computer, we said disdainfully.

I admit it. We were PC snobs.

Then, suddenly, this year, my husband starts making noises about wanting a Mac. I look at him as if he just grew a horn from the center of his forehead. I have to admit, most of what he told me about them went in one ear and out the other. A temporary phase, I told myself. He'll come to his senses.

But, he didn't.

One day, he came home with a Mac laptop. I mean, he brought it right in our house! And, it stayed. He actually installed programs and copied over files from his old laptop. He was serious. The more he used it the more he loved it and sang its praises. For my husband to love a Mac meant one thing. Apple had improved their operating system and the way they ran programs. No longer just a box with a silhouette of an apple on it, but it had power and performance too. My husband, the die-hard PC programmer, was convinced. Then, he uttered those dreadful words, "We should get you a Mac, too."

I resisted. I balked. I argued. For every reason I gave for not wanting one, he would answer with two or three reasons why a Mac was better. There were Mac versions of the software I needed. If there weren't, Mac could run Windows in parallel. The darn guy started to convince me. Was I betraying my PC brethren?

So, here I am. Using a Mac. After my laptop died.

Hey, do you think my husband had anything to do with...? Nah.

I'm not hating my new Mac. The transition was painless, actually. So, I click a red button on the left instead of an X on the right to close a window. It still closes. My e-mail works. My Internet works. I can open my Word documents. I can even update my website like I did before, using the same software. So, I've mellowed in my old age. Aren't we supposed to try new things? Well, here I am, a baby boomer, trying new things.

Oh, right. The scanning. That's what started all this in the first place, wasn't it? Well, I must admit, I haven't tried it yet. Maybe next week.

Do Boomer Women Have it All Together?

2007-10-22T13:33:00.000-04:00

I think the majority of us Baby Boomer Women maintain a positive outlook to help support a strong sense of self. To others, that may seem like we have it all together. Maybe we do. I think we've become stronger women as we've moved into our boomer years.

For me, keeping a positive attitude works as well. Being negative isn't an option for me. What I've found I've learned through the years is that I have to make time for myself. No one else is going to do it for me.

If I don't go for a walk, no one else is going to tap me on the shoulder and say, "Dear, you really must go take a walk." Well, my dog will remind me that we have to go for a walk, but he's not consciously looking out for me.

Women, in general, have a really hard time putting their needs first. We've had it ingrained in us for so long that we are caretakers and must take care of everyone else before we take care of ourselves.

I think the notion of "having it together" goes along with taking care of ourselves. If we do that, most other issues in our lives have a tendency to fall into place. We're better equipped mentally, physically, and emotionally to handle any bumps that come along our way.

I know that when I feel good about myself and my life, then I tend to think more positive, and when thinking positive, I don't let temporary setbacks get me down. I can overcome self doubt.

When I take care of myself, then I'm better able to take care of others. And that shows in how others perceive us. As boomers, I think we're more secure in how we project ourselves. We're not pretending to be someone we're not.

While growing up, we're our parent's child. A girlfriend, sister, or aunt. Then we're a wife and we try to be the woman our husband wants. We are an employee in a working environment. We become what our bosses ask for, to fulfill our job requirements. When we become mothers, we give ourselves over to being the perfect mom for our children. We try to be all these different personalities, all the while eventually learning who we really are.

We face the reality of who we are to ourselves, seeing our inner self, maybe for the first time. Learning how to take care of ourselves first, gives us the confidence to be the great women we are.

Baby Boomer Women.

I Love Dogs, and this Story Melts Your Heart

2007-10-19T10:28:00.000-04:00

My friend's daughter has a chocolate lab that has a unique mission in life. Here is her dog's story.

Barker
The Dog With Two Last Names
Written by Star Johnson

The hot dog, clutched in the hand of a small boy, hovered mere inches from the nose of an 80-pound Chocolate English Lab. In the ordinary world, the hot dog would be history. But when the boy in question is a 2007 Wags-for-Wishes Make-A-Wish child and the Lab is Barker the Therapy Dog, the hot dog is completely safe.

Barker's mom, Sherry Buchbinder, is justifiably proud of her six-year-old Lab's amazing self-discipline. After all, that self-discipline earned Barker the therapy dog equivalent of a Doggie Doctorate in just one year. "Barker is my first Therapy Dog," says Sherry about their success, "I had no idea what to do. It's just him."

But how does such a young Lab (a breed infamous for lengthy puppyhoods) become so responsible so quickly?

Barker's life didn't start out smoothly. "Products" of an unsavory puppymill, Barker and his sister had little defense against the filthy surroundings and complete lack of care. By the time they were rescued by Animal Control Officers, the 10-week-old puppies were deathly ill. Rushed to a veterinary clinic where Sherry's sister-in-law Kim worked, the pups were grimly diagnosed with advanced Parvo. It was hoped the little female would pull through (she did). Barker, however, was not expected to survive.

Resisting the recommendation to "put him down," Kim crusaded to keep the little male alive. Her determination paid off. With a healthy four-month-old puppy in her arms, Kim called Sherry and said, "I've got your dog!" Sherry wasn't looking for a puppy -- she had two dogs of her own, plus two others from a sister staying with her. But Kim insisted the puppy was meant to be hers. And, indeed, it was love at first sight.

Which brings us to how Barker got his name. "I know something about barking!" says one of Barker's fans, a woman owned by a Sheltie (a breed infamous for their barking), "But I've never heard Barker bark." Come to find out Barker isn't named after a behavior, he's named after a person -- Sherry's hero, dear friend and adopted dad, Lynn Barker. "I had fallen in love with the puppy, but was hesitant about bringing him into a home with four other dogs" explains Sherry. "Lynn, who lives right next door, used to raise chocolate labs. He had recently lost his beloved friend Sammi a14-year-old cockapoo. I knew he'd love the puppy, so I asked if he wanted to keep him. It was okay because I knew I'd get to play with him every day." But Lynn did something unexpected, muses Sherry. "He said 'No, he's your dog'." Named in Lynn's honor, Barker Buchbinder is the dog with two last names!

For the first two years of life with Sherry, her husband Rhein, and the other four dogs, Barker was a typical Lab puppy – bouncing around and into everything. That began to change when Sherry underwent knee surgery. "Coming home from the hospital, I worried that Barker was going to bounce around like his usual self and come down on my knee," recalls Sherry. Instead, Barker sat quietly by Sherry's side. "I couldn't believe it," she says. "He just did it on his own."

When Barker turned three, two events occurred that showcased Barker's true potential. First, Sherry underwent two more knee surgeries. And second, Dozer, the family's alpha dog, died. "Barker just stepped up to the plate." Sherry explains. "I was in a wheelchair at first and, eventually, I needed a cane. It was difficult for me to get around. So Barker would get the newspaper and bring in the mail for me." Barker also brought Sherry her various medications. "I painted the bottle caps different colors, so Barker could get the one I needed." Barker became Sherry's indispensable Service Dog.

Barker was five years old when Sherry signed him up for his AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification test. He passed with flying colors. "When the testers, who were from the Hidden Valley Obedience Club, saw how well Barker and I worked together, they kept saying 'We can't believe he's not a therapy dog'," says Sherry. "I didn't know anything about Therapy Dogs, so I asked them a ton of questions. They were so enthusiastic that they inspired me to do what we do."For work, Barker is showered, his teeth are brushed ("That's when he knows we're going to work!"), and his paws are disinfected with gel both at home and again just prior to going into the job site. Barker doesn't mind the several-weekly baths – he thoroughly despises being dirty. "We call him our white collar dog" says dad, Rhein. Returning home from an outing in the great out-of-doors, Barker ran to the shower and jumped in. "It was like he was saying 'Get it off! Get the dirt off!'" Sherry laughs.

Therapy work can be exhausting, for both dog and handler. Sherry and Barker were asked to visit a young ICU patient who had bonded with Barker during earlier visits. "We didn't know it," says Sherry quietly, "but they were going to pull her plug while Barker and I were there. I was totally unprepared. It was really hard for both of us." Barker is a volunteer at Kaiser Permanente hospital in Riverside, California and visit's patients at other area hospital's. He also visits convalescent facilities, senior apartment complexes and works with the Make A Wish Foundation. "If Barker works two days in a row, he just crashes the third day. But if a few days go by and he hasn't gone to work, he'll nudge his vest, make little vocalizations, and stare at me with those big brown eyes."

Training to be a Therapy Dog encompasses lots of touching (paws, ears, tails, etc.), and obedience behaviors (long sit stays, comes, etc.). Dogs are observed in the car, in a variety of public venues (stores, malls, hospitals, etc.), and are subjected to many loud distractions (falling metal chairs, crash carts, confrontations, etc.). Trainers are looking for anything that might cause a dog to react inappropriately.

Like a waved-in-your-face hot dog, for example. Or the time a little girl used Barker's wagging tail as a jump rope. Or the time a small child gripped onto Barker's, ahem, nether-regions. "Training can't possibly prepare you for everything," Sherry admits. "But Barker just takes everything in stride."

Lucky Streak

2007-10-01T13:12:00.000-04:00

I think I'm on a lucky streak. I've won a couple of contests and I'm hoping my luck holds out and I win some more. No, I'm not greedy. Just hopeful.

And excited. It's fun to win contests. The randomness of the selection intrigues me.

For instance, the Bird Talk Parrot Romance Novel Giveaway. We entered via e-mail. I don't know how they made their selection randomly, but in whatever way they processed the e-mails, my name came up.

Cool.

I was one of eight winners of the Bird Talk Parrot Romance Novel Giveaway on BirdChannel.com. I'll receive a romance novel with a parrot as one of the characters. I can't wait to see which novel I get. I'll let you know when I receive it.

The second contest wasn't so random. I had to submit a caption for a picture. But, the winning caption is selective. It's based on the site owner's sense of humor. What might be funny to me, might not have been funny to her.

But, it was.

I won first place in the YOU NAME IT! contest hosted by Queen Jaw Jaw. There was a choice of three pictures. The entry was a caption for one of the pictures. You can see the pictures and my caption at Queen Jaw Jaw's site.

Now, if only my luck holds out a little longer I'm entered in a few more contests. I'd love an all expense paid trip to Hawaii. That diamond ring looked pretty nice too.

And, that ten million dollars that Publishers Clearinghouse is giving away ain't too shabby either.

Wish me luck!

Forgiveness

2007-09-26T20:06:00.001-04:00

Forgiveness means giving up all hope of a better past.

-Landrum Bolling

There's no use holding a grudge or vowing never to forgive someone. It's not going to change the past. And, it just puts too much stress on you. I've held a grudge for a long time. My past is still the same. The same hurts. The same sad emotions. All the same. It's time to let go. I forgive.

Natural Highs

2007-09-19T17:58:00.000-04:00

Read them, think about them, then go enjoy them.

1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket.
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail.
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).
12. A bubble bath.
13. Giggling.
14. A good conversation.
15 The beach
16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you
19 Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
20. Running through sprinklers.
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
23. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
29. Playing with a new puppy.
30. Having someone play with your hair.
31. Sweet dreams.
32. Hot chocolate.
33. Road trips with friends.
34. Swinging on swings.
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
36. Making chocolate chip cookies.
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
38 Holding hands with someone you care about.
39 Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
40. Watching the _expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.
41. Watching the sunrise.
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
43. Knowing that somebody misses you.
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

Thanks to an anonymous author.

Writers Take Heart

2007-09-11T15:00:00.000-04:00

A bad book is as much of a labor to write as a good one, it comes as sincerely from the author's soul.
Aldous Huxley

Writers take heart, your hard work does not go unrecognized. I hope that all of my books are considered "good" and worthy of the hard work that I put into them.

Isn't that what you want as well?

Would we still be applauded for our efforts if we worked hard and, God forbid, produced a "bad" book? Or, would someone look at a "bad" book and say, "if you only worked harder you could have made it a good book."

Does working harder make your book better?

Who's to measure how hard a writer works on a book? The editor? The reviewer? Maybe. I think it would be the reader. I know, some of you are saying, "no wait, the writer should be the one to measure his/her own work."

Maybe you're right. But, don't we all, deep down inside, want our work to be read by others. Don't we wait, impatiently to hear from those readers how the story made them feel? What were their reactions? Did they like it? Hate it? Don't we then leave it up to the reader to tell us if we've written a good book or not?

Who holds your measuring stick?

Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA by Ellen Meister

2007-08-05T15:39:00.001-04:00

I'm very happy to announce the release of Ellen Meister's book, Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA.

When a Hollywood location scout comes to Applewood, Long Island and announces that the local elementary school might make the perfect backdrop for an upcoming George Clooney movie, the PTA’s decorum crumbles like a cookie from last week's bake sale.

Enter Maddie, Ruth and Lisa, three women who become the glue that holds the project together...and wind up forming a bond of friendship stronger than anyone had imagined.

A good thing, too, because each of them is about to come apart. Maddie Schein, an ex-lawyer trying as hard to fit in as she is to save her marriage, gets knocked off balance by Jack Rose, an old college friend hell bent on seducing her. Ruth Moss—rich, sexy and outspoken—has more to give and less to enjoy than most people think. Indeed, since her husband's stroke left him embarrassingly uninhibited yet completely impotent, she's more of a caretaker than a wife. And modest Lisa Slotnick, a loving parent who wants nothing more than to fade into the scenery as she tends to her children, must deal with the humiliation of being thrust before the spotlight by her scandalous, alcoholic mother.

When these three get together, a powerful alliance is forged. But is it strong enough to overcome the obstacles to getting the movie made in their town? And will their friendship be enough to mend their hearts and homes? Join them as they reach for the stars...and try to pull off a Hollywood ending of their own.

About the author: A Long Island PTA mom herself, Ellen Meister is no stranger to the scandal and drama of the carpool set. Add a background in writing ad copy and short stories—as well a stint as editor of a literary magazine—and the result is a novelist as dedicated to nuances of language as she is to a storyline that delights on every page.

Meister lives on Long Island with her husband and three children. She writes, she swears, she sings, she dances … all from the front seat of her minivan. This is her first novel.

Learn more about Ellen at her website

Want to read an excerpt, click here

Buy it now at Amazon.com

Did You Ever?

2007-07-31T11:01:00.000-04:00

The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

-Walter Bagehot

Doing what people say you can't. Hmmm. Did you ever do something just because someone told you you can't?

I have. For sure. As soon as I turned 18 and I knew I had a say about myself and I didn't just have to do what my father said, I definitely did the opposite.

For example. My dad said I couldn't join the Marines. I think his exact words were something along the line of "I won't let you." or "You're not allowed." So, what did I do?

I joined the Marines.

I think it was a good decision. I learned a lot about life and myself. I didn't stay in long. Only a few years. But those years as a Marine gave me confidence I didn't know I had and taught me that I could do things on my own.

What was the next thing my dad told me I couldn't do? Oh yeah. Get married. So, what did I do?

You guessed it!

I got married. To another Marine. Yep. Did I do it just because my dad said I couldn't?

Oh, that's a good question. Looking back, I think I did. My dad said the marriage wouldn't last six months. Well, I showed him.

The marriage didn't last, but it lasted a lot longer than six months. And I had three great kids from it so it couldn't have been all that bad in the beginning.

Did I learn my lesson about arbitrarily doing the thing someone told me I couldn't? Not really. I guess it's in my nature. I hear those words "you can't" and they grate on me. Why can't I? I'll show you!

I'm like that with my health too. In 2002 and 2003 I was using a cane and in a wheelchair. People telling me I can't do this or can't do that. That life as it exists at that point was as good as it was going to get. It wasn't good enough. I wanted more. I wanted to be out of that wheelchair, walking and not with the cane. So, I did it. I refused to give up, so my doctor refused to give up as well.

Where's my wheelchair? Gathering dust in the garage for the last three of four years.

Do I recommend this kind of attitude for others? Not for someone to do blindly. No, I've definitely learned my lesson on that regard. I think about my decisions now. Weigh the consequences. Then make up my mind. I do use some common sense. If my husband says I can't lift that 200 pound table top, I agree with him. I'm not an idiot. I know my back will never be the same again, and I'm going to be careful about how I take care of it. Lifting 200 pound stone tabletops is not on the "can do" list.

So, my advice to you is this: Be your own person. Be smart. Give yourself some credit for knowing what's good for you. Take other people's suggestions on advisement, weigh your options. Then make up your own mind. Live your life. Don't let others live it for you.

Blog Guest - Christine Norris, Children's Author

2007-07-26T14:38:00.000-04:00

Christine's latest book, Return to Zandria, sequel to Talisman of Zandria, will be released July 28, 2007 so we have an exclusive here, folks.

Here's the blurb: Ivy Peterson was not ordinary. Ivy was More-Than-Ordinary because once she found herself in a very special place and had a very special adventure.

But Ivy was far too old for fairy tales...wasn’t she?

It has been three years since Ivy recovered the Talisman of Zandria, and her life is very different. She is no longer the shy young girl who chased a fairy through a magic gate, but a teenager, concerned with clothes, friends and school. She has nearly forgotten about the special world that exists on the other side of a thin magical veil.

But they have not forgotten her.

Now a crisis is brewing in Zandria, and only Ivy can help. They implore her to come to their aid, and Ivy’s memories of adventure pull her once again into the enchanted world of mermaids, dragons and wizards. Reunited with old friends, and bringing a new one along for the ride, Ivy must now lead them into the wilds of her own world, and not only keep them safe but stop an empire from falling into the clutches of evil.

Would you like to read an excerpt? Click here

I had an opportunity to ask Christine a couple of questions.

How has writing affected your life?

It really hasn't affected my life...it's sort of taken over! I spend most of my free time now writing, and other things have been pushed aside - home projects, my son's scrapbook, cleaning...LOL. I would much rather write than clean my house.

I've also developed a good freelance career as a re-writer. I take books that have been translated from other languages and clean them up so they read properly for an American audience. I get to work from home, so that's been a blessing.

What are your writing goals?

Oh, to be able to write books for a living and not have to do anything else. I love substitute teaching, and I love the freelancing work - I've been incredibly fortunate to have both in my life, and they allow me time to write my own books, but being able to concentrate solely on my books would be wonderful. I want to have a large readership, too, which is what I think most writers want. I would, well, I wouldn't kill, but you know what I mean, to have the amount of readers that J.K. Rowling has, or Jane Yolen, or Tamora Pierce. That's really the goal.

What's one thing you'd wish people would ask you and don't?

Oh, my, let me think about that one a minute. I guess I would have to say that no one asks me about my school visits. Everyone asks about what I like to read and where I get my ideas and all that, but no one really asks me about the author visits. I do have a program that is geared toward about grades 4-7, and I talk about being a writer - what kinds of things writers write, and where I do get inspiration from, and all the stuff everyone asks me about all the time. But it's really one of my favorite things to do, because I find that children are really interested in talking about writing, even if they don't like to actually do it.

That, and my favorite food. No one ever asks about that. Cheesecake. I love cheesecake.

Thank you, Vicki, for allowing me space on your blog and hosting me for this part of the tour. The rest of the stops on my month long Virtual Book Tour for RETURN TO ZANDRIA can be found on my website and at my blog.

And, thank you, Christine for visiting us today and sharing your new release with us. The paperback version is available from her publisher, LBF Books and from Amazon.com. Look for the electronic version from LBF Books and Fictionwise.

If you'd like to read more about Christine and her books here are some links

Christine's Website
Christine's Myspace Page
Christine's Live Journal
Christine's Blog
LBF Books

Pamela K. Kinney's Haunted Virginia

2007-07-06T20:36:00.000-04:00

I have a guest on my blog today. Pamela K. Kinney will tell us about her book Haunted Richmond, Virginia.

The back of the book reads as follows: Richmond, Virginia is chock-full of ghosts and haunted places. This city names Edgar Allan Poe as its native son, and it is rich in ghostly lore, legends, and tales. Join this tour to:
• Learn why Virginia's governor shares his mansion with ghosts;
• Dine with ghosts at Ruth's Chris Steak House and Crab Louie's Seafood Tavern;
• Discover that the Byrd Theatre has more than movies to offer customers;
• Visit the prison in Powhatan (it might not be safe, even for those working there);
• Call on the Lady in Red who roams the corridors at Wrexham Hall.
These and other interesting and scary stories will transport you beyond, to a Richmond that most mortals never see!

Pamela is on a Virtual Book Tour and we were lucky to be one of her stops this month. So, sit back, relax and prepare for a peek into the supernatural.

Take it away, Pamela!

Hi, I’m Pamela K. Kinney. I’m here to talk about the supernatural, especially as I have a nonfiction book out on the subject, Haunted Richmond, Virginia.

The supernatural and paranormal pertains to entities, forces or powers regarded as beyond nature, in that they cannot be explained from the laws of the natural world. Religious miracles are typical of such “supernatural” manifestations, as are spells, curses, divination, the notion that there is an afterlife for the dead, vampires, werewolves, spirits, and innumerable others. Supernatural themes are often associated with magical and occult ideas.

Let’s talk about one of those themes: ghosts or spirits. A ghost is usually defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and encountered in places he or she frequented, or in association with the person's former belongings. The word "ghost" may also refer to the spirit or soul of a deceased person, or to any spirit or demon. Ghosts are often associated with haunting, "the more or less regular occurrence of paranormal phenomena associated with a particular locality (especially a building) and usually attributed to the activities of a discarnate entity; the phenomena may include apparitions, poltergeist disturbances, cold drafts, sounds of steps and voices, and various odors."

Ghosts are controversial phenomena. According to a poll conducted in 2005 by the Gallup Organization, about 32% of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts. The term ghost has been replaced by apparition in parapsychology, because the word ghost is deemed insufficiently precise. Another word used a lot these days with apparitions is paranormal, which means: beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation.

In historical accounts, ghosts were thought to be deceased persons looking for vengeance, or imprisoned on earth for bad things they did during life. Most cultures have ghost stories in their mythologies. Many stories from the Middle Ages and the Romantic Era rely on the macabre and the fantastic—ghosts are a major theme in literature from those periods. But even though real ghost phenomena were still discussed by mid-twentieth century doubters would try to bring up reasons why this happened, by natural means.

Today, interest in the paranormal and supernatural is back in “vogue”. People want to know that there is more to death than just a big, black nothingness. Television shows like X-Files and Ghost Hunters have spiked this interest, along with many, many paranormal films on the movie screen. And so do books like my Haunted Richmond, Virginia. Especially those that are regional—like cities or states. Even if there are some stories that can be explained away, like the Richmond Vampire, still there are many more that can not. Like the Lady in Red at Wrexham Hall. Or the last chapter of my book, that happened to my husband and me—with proof being a cell phone number of mine on the caller ID the next morning.

Do I believe in ghosts? I’m not ashamed to say, yes, I do. My question is: do you believe in spirits? Have you any stories of your own to tell, of phenomena that happened to you? If you do, I hope you leave comments here about it—share those stories. And please do check out my book. You can get it directly from Schiffer Books at http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=9780764327124 or up at Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Richmond-Virginia-Pamela-Kinney/dp/0764327127/ref=sr_1_1/103-0687312-5804636?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181040113&sr=1-1 . Soon it’ll be available through Barnes and Noble, Borders, and independent bookstores too. In it are stories of ghostly phenomena that happened at the Governor of Virginia’s Mansion, the Capitol, historical homes and museums in Richmond and surrounding counties, restaurants, prisons, Civil War batteries, and even Richmond’s beautiful and unusual cemetery, Hollywood Cemetery. Edgar Allan Poe is Richmond’s native son literally, and with a town rich in its own lore, one can see where Poe’s beginnings could have given fruit to his storytelling.

Pamela K. Kinney has always loved making up stories since she was a child. At age 17, she submitted three poems to Hyacinths and Biscuits Magazine. She was surprised as all three were accepted and published, but she got paid for them too. Since then, over the years, she had poetry, an article in True Story Magazine and stories published in both print and electronic form. Besides writing as Pamela K. Kinney (horror, fantasy and sci-fi), she has published erotic and non-erotic paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi romances as Sapphire Phelan.

Works include Beyond the Four Walls, Crimson Promise, Wedded Magic, Iridescent Invasion, "Azathoth is Here" in Cthulhu Express Anthology, "Werewolf for Hire" online at ScienceFictionFantasyHorror.com, "Cold Blood, Warm Flesh" in Dark Gothic: Resurrected, "Dangerous City" in Werewolf Magazine, and "Soul Seduction" in Forbidden Love: Bad Boys, “Being a Predator is a Bitch” in Forbidden Love: Wicked Women, both published by Under the Moon, His Girl and The Curse published by Twilight Fantasies Publications, an super hero romance Amazon Short called To Save the Day, and her first nonfiction book on the paranormal occurrences of Richmond, Virginia, Haunted Richmond, Virginia, from Schiffer Books.

She is happily married and is owned by a cat.

She admits she can always be found at her desk and on her computer, writing. And yes, the house and the husband sometimes suffers for it!

Find out more about her at her website: http://FantasticDreams.50megs.com . Also check out her MySpaces at http://www.myspace.com/PamelaKKinney

http://www.myspace.com/SapphirePhelan and her blogs: http://pamelaKKinney.blogspot.com and http://SapphirePhelansPassionCorner.blogspot.com

Thank you, Pamela. You've definitely got me spooked. If anyone has any questions or comments, leave them here and Pamela will get back to you as soon as she can.

The Month is Winding Down

2007-06-26T14:33:00.000-04:00

The month is nearly over and that means my Virtual Book Tour is winding down. Only a few more days left to follow me around the Internet checking out great interviews.

Today I'm at The Writer's Mind.

Did you miss me the last couple of days? Hubby and I took a long weekend and drove down to the Florida Keys. We took the dog and bird with us. It was a great weekend for hubby. He got to dive every day and took some amazing pictures. As for me, it was rewarding in another way. I wrote a speculative fiction short story. All from a prompt from one of my writing groups.

We had to come up with a way to make the start of a story with waking up be interesting. I think I've accomplished that. I need to polish it and put it through a few edits, but I'll let you know when and where it appears.

The Internet is a great thing. It's given us so many more opportunities than we could ever imagine. One of them is the friendships we make. Hubby has made friends with a lot of people on the saltwater aquarium forum he manages and owns. One of the friends loves the Keys too. So, he planned a trip down from Indiana and we planned our trip to coincide.

Sometimes, meeting people in person that you know from the Internet can be a good thing. But, always be cautious. Especially those who have developed a romantic interest in an online friend. Always meet in a public place and maintain a sense of reality.

There, my wisdom for the day.

Two Blogs for the Price of One

2007-06-21T10:22:00.001-04:00

Today I'm at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion chatting with Dorothy Thompson. She's the one who started all this Virtual Book Tour stuff and she's the lady to go to if you're interested in a book tour for yourself.

Tomorrow I'm at the fabulous Romantic Fanatic. Guess what she made me reveal about my husband!??! I can't tell you here, you have to go to her site and see for yourself.

Shh, I haven't even told my hubby yet what's on the blog. I wonder if he'll be embarrassed?

June 19th, Do you know where your author is?

2007-06-19T10:10:00.000-04:00

Hi, and welcome to the continuation of my Virtual Blog Tour.

Today I'm at The Adventures of a Wife, Mother, and Writer. Cheryl asked some really insightful questions. Check them out and see what my answers were.

Tomorrow I'll be at Marilyn Meredith's blog.

If you've been following my schedule, there'll be an added interview for the 22nd. I won't tell you what it is yet. You'll have to wait until we get closer to the date. But, it's a good one!

See you around the blogs!

Guess Where I am Today?

2007-06-11T20:21:00.000-04:00

Hi, it's another day on the Virtual Book Tour. I'm at Boomer Chick

We're about mid way through the tour and all is going well. The schedule looks pretty full and I'm still raring to go.

Come follow me around the Internet as I guest from one blog to another.

Tag, I'm It!

2007-06-08T18:18:00.000-04:00

Peggy Tibbetts tagged me. So now I’m coming for you.

Here’s the scoop: I write 8 random facts/habits about myself, and then tag 8 people. If I tag you, you have to play or I will pester you for the rest of your life.

1 – I'm addicted to Chocolate. Any kind. Any percent cocoa. The more the better.

2 – I have a swim suit I bought two years ago and still haven't worn it. Why? Because I'm a sissy about getting in the water. I can swim. I just don't want to. But, I'll have to when we go to Hawaii next year.

3 – I joined the U.S. Marine Corps right after high school. Like two weeks after I graduated.

4 – I'm a compulsive obsessive -ist. I can obsess on anything, just give me a topic. If you don't, I'll just make something up and obsess about that.

5 – I was and still am a Friends fanatic. I have all the episodes on DVD. I even watch them.

6 – When I was a kid I dreamed of meeting Donny Osmond. I even painted my bedroom purple in honor of his favorite color.

7 – I'm scared to death of snakes. Heart attack inducing, out of my wits, run like the wind, scared of snakes.

8 – I collect teddy bears. I have hundreds of them. So many that some are packed away because I just don't have the space for them. I plan on donating them to a Teddy Bear Museum (yes, there is such a thing) when I die.

Ok, now it’s my turn. I tag Jamieson, Sandy, Nikki, Linda, Cheryl, Kim, Kathy, and Michael.

Another Day, Another Tour Stop, Another Day Without Chocolate

2007-06-07T16:26:00.000-04:00

If you're keeping up, today I'm at The Book Pedler. There you'll find my answers to an interesting set of questions, some you may have never heard before today.

If anyone is counting, this is Day 9 of no sweets.

No chocolate.

At all.

I had to. I was getting out of control. It reminded me of the time I had to quit coffee cold turkey. I found myself at 4:30 in the afternoon making a pot of coffee for myself and realized I needed to get off the stuff fast. My hands were even shaking while I poured the water for goodness sake! Way too much caffeine.

So, I'm taking a break from chocolate and decided to lump in all sweets while I was at it. The sweetest I've gone is Splenda sprinkled on my strawberries for breakfast.

I'm past the cravings. They were horrible to get through. I used Ice Breakers Sours to get me through the tough times. They're sugar-free and if you read the nutritional facts on the back, they have less than 5 calories per piece.

Uh, 5 calories?

Oh great. Now I read the back of the dispenser. At 5 calories a piece, I could be hitting some serious calorie consuming in a day.

I'll also tell you right now, don't eat too many of them in a row, they're made with Sorbitol.

Yikes.

So, I have to remember, sugar-free doesn't mean calorie-free.

Got it.

Okay, time to get back to work.

See you all tomorrow when I visit Women on Writing.

Where am I today?

2007-06-05T07:41:00.000-04:00

Pauline Jones at All The World's a Page is hosting me today.

This Virtual Book Tour stuff is kinda fun.

Hectic, but fun. There's the various interviews and information to give. Different blogs and websites to keep track of and the right dates of each tour stop. But, it's all about expanding my Internet network.

Being more visible. That's what it's all about.

And, look at all the new friends I'm making!

Guest - Kim Robinson

2007-06-03T11:13:00.000-04:00

Today, I have a guest on my blog. Kim Robinson, the author of The Roux in the Gumbo. She's on a Virtual Book Tour and we were lucky enough to get her to stop here. Here is the rest of Kim's Virtual Book Tour schedule.

Kim Robinson was born in raised in Compton, California. She has survived everything that life threw at her and now lives in Allen,Texas, with her husband and three kids. When she's not sewing, writing, cooking and watching movies, Kim is a motivational speaker, sometimes bringing the crowd to tears with her moving personal accounts of the background of her life.

The Roux in the Gumbo is an emotional and inspirational look into the lives of a family that opens their door and hearts on every page. Spanning the years between 1800 to 1997, The Roux in the Gumbo’s story is told through one of the main characters before her passing; the remainder is accompanied by the memories of family members and friends. Based in Louisiana, with all its flair and Southern culture, it describes the experiences throughout history, contributing to the shaping of generations. In spite of the obstacles and struggles that life brought their way, these characters persevered with unity, love and laughter, due to a strong familial support system that carries universal appeal.

For more information on Kim, please visit www.kim-robinson.com. You can pick up your copy of The Roux in the Gumbo at Amazon. I had an opportunity to ask Kim some questions.

VICKI: How has writing affected your life?

KIM: Ha Ha good question. Compared to my old life I think writing has been very therapeutic for me. In writing The Roux in the Gumbo I found out so many things that happened in my life had happened to my ancestors. It all stops with me, now that I have the information that I need to inform my children of what not to do, the abuse stops with me. I guess that leaves the question of what abuse? I was raped by a preacher at the age of five and for thirty years I would not go to church or say the word God. He stayed out of my house and I stayed out of his. With no religion I went the other way, I was a madam, callgirl, drug dealer and drug addict for over a decade, until I met a man that made me feel like I was better than that. My grandmother had a vision and told me I should write, she said, "One day this is going to feed your family." I didn't pay enough attention to my grandmother's vision. But now I remember all of them in the book about her life, and I have my own visions now.

VICKI: What are your writing goals?

KIM: To write things to educate people on history, abuse, drugs, religion, and spirituality through my own negative experiences. In my books I tell it like it T.I. is and don't hold any punches no matter how painful the experiences are.

VICKI: What's the one question (and answer) you wish people would ask and don't?

KIM: One question that a lot of people ask me is, "How can you tell people that you were a prostitute." God doesn't have any secrets and he wants me to do things to help and inspire others. I feel obligated to share my past because that is just what it is, "My past." The questions that people don't ask is "How can I help people who are still living in pain, and abusing themselves."

I think that if most people had to go to the street to survive they wouldn't, they would starve to death, or get killed. If you see a homeless person, a prostitute, a drug addict ask them what you can do to help them. The twenty dollars you give to that hooker may be the same twenty dollars that stops her from getting her throat cut or going home to an abusive pimp, or put the food in her babies mouth that she is trying to get.

VICKI: Thank you, Kim, for being so forward and honest in your answers to my questions. I wish you much success with your Virtual Book Tour and good luck with your writing.

Virtual Book Tour - Day 1

2007-06-01T11:05:00.001-04:00

Well, we're off and running with my first ever Virtual Book Tour. We're featuring Trust in the Wind, as it's my latest book.

Over at Plug Your Book, you can find an excerpt of Trust in the Wind and ordering information.

You can even see the book trailer.

I guess the way it's supposed to work is each blog host has either an interview of me, a feature article, or they'll post an excerpt from the book. Then, I visit each blog on the day of it's tour stop and answer any questions that may come through on the comments that day.

Easy enough, right?

Good. Should be a piece of cake then.

Oh, wait. I've sworn off sweets. Hmm. Piece of pie? Nope, that won't work either. Well, you're just going to have to trust me. It'll be easy. LOL

Finally, It's Done!!

2007-05-31T17:39:00.000-04:00

Hurrah! Our patio is finished.

Well, it's screened. The screeners arrived today and had the screens up in a few hours. See?

Oh, and you can see how hubby painted the stucco. We used the same color paint that's on the house. Looks like it was all meant to be there.

Now, we're still in the "remodeling" mood, so we're going to put in some French doors where the sliding glass door is that goes out into the patio. And, we're going to replace our double front doors with new doors. Too cool! Oh, and how could I forget? We're getting new patio furniture. Real comfy ones so I can go out there with my computer and work.

Of course, the whole thing had to be approved by our dog, Jack. He went out on the patio, put his paws on the wall, looked out through the screen and gave it two paws up.

Don't know what we're going to do after that. Maybe I can talk hubby into new kitchen cabinets and countertops?

Virtual Book Tour Starts June 1st

2007-05-31T09:24:00.000-04:00

Exciting news. I'm taking a Virtual Book Tour in June, 2007. This is brand new stuff and I'm going to be blogging about my experience. Come visit me on any or all of my tour stops.

My current schedule is as follows:

June 1 - Plug Your Book!
June 4 - The Wolf Never Sleeps
June 5 - Pauline Jones' All the World's a Page
June 6 - The Dana Files
June 7 - The Book Pedler
June 8 - Women on Writing
June 11 - Boomer Chick
June 12 - The Writer's Life
June 14 - Kim Robinson's The Roux in the Gumbo
June 16 - Author Alley
June 19 - Cheryl Malandrinos' The Adventures of a Wife, Mother, and Aspiring Author
June 20 - Marilyn Meredith
June 21 - Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion
June 25 - Peggy Tibbetts’ From the Styx
June 26 - Christine Norris' The Writer’s Mind
June 27 - Mary Emma
June 29 - Be My Guest!
If you are interested in having your own Virtual Book Tour, you can go to Virtual Book Tours.

It's all coming together

2007-05-25T17:02:00.000-04:00

I gotta hand it to my husband. He's surpassed every milestone he set for himself. Well, okay... no really, he did. I'm quite proud of him. He finished the stucco. You can see the design of the stucco in the picture. We even stamped some sea shells into the stucco to give it more of a beach feel.

At this moment, he's outside priming the wall preparing it for painting. He even got one of those spray paint thingies that you connect to the can o'paint and it sprays evenly in a horizontal direction.

Ah, the reason I know it sprays horizontally, is because hubby tried to spray the top of the wall by holding the spray thingie vertically. Wouldn't work.

So, it was my job to find a paint brush (any brush will do, just find one) so that hubby could paint the top of the wall.

Of course, I wanted the wall to match the color on the house. Funny, no argument from hubby. We agreed on something. Yay! Now, the only container left with paint from when the house was painted more than ten years ago was in a large bucket with its label nearly worn off. Good thing Home Depot can read their own labels. They had the right color and mixed up what we needed. Couldn't get easier than that.

We're so close to finishing I can't wait. I've already called the screening company and they're putting us on their schedule for next week. Hopefully. If not, the week after that. Then when the screening is done, we get new patio furniture and new French doors to replace the sliding glass doors. It's going to be so awesome.

I can't wait to take my laptop out there and work. Bug free. Leaf free. In cool comfort with my bird and my dog playing while I work.

Ah, I'm almost there...

Claiming my Blog

2007-05-15T16:32:00.000-04:00

I've signed up with a new program called Technorati. I think what they do is help optimize your blog posts on the Internet for easier searching. Anyway something like that.

Technorati Profile

That's a link to my profile.

We finally have Pictures!

2007-05-11T16:23:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have been following along with our home remodeling project. Here's a picture of its current status.

The wall is capped and dear hubby will start the stucco this weekend.

I asked him, "Do you know how to stucco?"

"No. But, I'm reading a book about it."

Do you see where we're going from here? But, I have to admit, he didn't do badly with the wall at all. It's straight (mostly), level (sort of), and meets his specifications. There's even the required 40 inch gaps for the screen doors.

Speaking of screens, we finally agreed on who will do the work. Now we have to determine the "when". You see, the screeners can't start until the wall is finished. That means stucco. And paint. Now, who is going to paint?

Don't look at me!

Change

2007-05-06T18:19:00.000-04:00

For more than five years I’ve had the greatest hair stylist in the world. She got me. She got my hair. She’d been through the long spiral perms and suffered with me during my Grave’s Disease and the temporary loss of my hair. Once I was in remission, we worked together to make my hair healthy again.

I was there during her pregnancy and helped celebrate the birth of her first baby. She was there when I got my puppy. Our “babies” grew up together. We shared pictures. We shared stories. We shared life. Every five weeks.

She moved last week.

I’m devastated. I have four weeks to find a new hair stylist. I really don’t like looking for new people to provide me a service. I get attached. I like consistency. I don’t do well with change. Not in service providers anyway. Okay, I don’t do well with change in general.

I’ve been with the same doctor for over ten years. I followed him when he moved his office twice. He has my entire medical history. When I thought I was having a heart attack, I went straight to my doctor instead of the emergency room. That’s how much I don’t like having to deal with someone new. I couldn’t possibly go through my entire medical history again with a new doctor. I have too many diseases, disorders, and dysfunctions to count.

Did I tell you I don’t like change?

We bought our new Town & Country minivan from a Chrysler dealership on Kennedy Boulevard. I had a routine set up for maintenance. I planned the route in my mind and managed to work through my anxiety by getting familiar with the service department. They knew me. They knew my car. It worked.

They closed.

Panic attack. We received a letter from the old dealership telling us that we’d now be serviced by the new dealership on Florida Avenue. A whole new route to learn. A new service provider. They didn’t know me. They didn’t know my car. I’ve been there twice now. I’m learning the route. It’s almost familiar. The anxiety is still there. I’m working through it.

I’ve had the same vet all my dog’s life. Almost four years. They know Jack. They know how he’s wary of strangers and how he needs to be muzzled if they’re going to give him a shot. They know how protective he is of me and how they have to take him to the back area if they want to examine him. They even know all about my quirky boarding instructions and have them on file.

Then we got a parrot. Well, actually the parrot got us. But, that’s a different story. So I had to find an avian vet. Jack’s vet didn’t take care of birds (at the time), so I took Bailey to an avian vet close to home. I really liked Bailey’s vet and we’ve boarded him there a few times and he’s enjoyed it. So, my husband says, if you like Bailey’s vet, why don’t you take Jack there too. (They also care for dogs and cats.) But, I couldn’t. It would be like starting over for Jack and I wouldn’t want to put him through the stress of having to get used to new people.

Plus, my anxiety level skyrocketed when I considered my husband’s proposal. Now, Jack’s vet has expanded to birds. My husband suggests we move Bailey to Jack’s vet.

Right.

Did I mention I don’t like change?

Home Remodel Part Two

2007-04-16T17:57:00.000-04:00

I helped my husband build a two foot concrete wall around our patio this weekend, leaving two 40 inch spaces for new screen doors. We're getting our patio screened in. But, dear hubby wants to do the concrete work himself. Like I mentioned in my previous post, he doesn't know what he's doing.

But he said he'll learn as he goes.

Uh huh. Well, he did. Sort of.

I can honestly say, it's the best wall I've ever seen built. Then again, I've never seen a wall built before.

To be truthful, it turned out a whole heck of a lot better than my wild imagination had doomed. The wall is straight. Pretty much. It's level. I'm taking hubby's word for that. And, it's the same height all the way around. That was the last thing I asked him to check before he called it done.

I did help too. Although, he wouldn't let me carry concrete blocks. He wouldn't let me slop mortar. But, I was in charge of the cement mixer we rented from Home Depot.

Did you know Home Depot rents portable cement mixers? I didn't.

I do now.

I never mixed a bag of mortar in my life, but I sure learned out this weekend. Just add the water a little at a time. Best tip I can give you.

Hubby's woes started early. He almost called it quits after laying the first few blocks. Nothing cooperated. The straight line. The block. The mortar. The lifting. Those darn blocks weigh something like 40 pounds each. I guess that's why hubby didn't want me lifting them. And the fact that if I dropped one it would crack our pool deck.

Oh, did I mention that this wall borders our pool's cool deck? And, guess who was in charge of making sure all the mortar didn't stick to the cool deck? Me, of course. Hubby didn't make it easy either. He slopped a lot of mortar around, not caring much where it went. Cool deck. Patio tile. Wherever.

I put myself in charge of cleaning tools after we were through for the day. Trowel. Shovel. Levels. Little pointy thing. The little pointy thing helped make sure the distance between the blocks remained constant. Don't know what it's called. Just called it the little pointy thing. And, it didn't work very well.

Or, I should say, hubby didn't use it very often. He said he could "eyeball" it and knew how far to put the blocks.

Uh huh.

That's why at the end we had to put in nearly an inch or so of mortar between blocks because we ended up with more space than blocks. But, who's pointing fingers? Not me. But, hey, we're done. The wall is up. No more concrete.

Ri-ight.

Our patio roof used to be held up by four by four cedar posts. Well, hubby cut those down and put up these post shorer things that hold the roof up. Yep. I learned what they were because I had to order them. Didn't have a clue what I was talking about, but I managed to order 4 of them.

Silly me, I thought we were going to replace those cedar posts with new four by four posts. Boy was I wrong. Hubby enlightened me today. "We're going to have to rent the cement mixer again," he tells me.

Guess why?

The posts are going to be replaced with concrete blocks. All the way up to the roof. Hmmm. The roof is higher than my hubby is tall. I can see ladders in the future, or would he stand on the new wall he created? Hmmm. Only time will tell.

But, I must admit. If this new screened in patio turns out like I'm imagining now, it could really be something. I'm getting excited about it.

Uh, maybe I should go back to thinking doom and gloom so I'm not disappointed?

The remodeling continues.

A Lesson in Home Improvement

2007-04-01T13:29:00.000-04:00

My husband and I are making changes to our house. We bought it in an "At is" state, and have slowly made changes over the years. This year, we're screening in the back patio. Our goal is to have it done before Hurrican Season.

I wanted to hire a contractor and pay to have them do all the work. My husband said, "No, don't do that. I can do it for a lot less."

Now, has my husband ever screened in a patio before?

No.

But, he said he'll learn as he goes.

Uh, huh.

His plan is to build a block wall about 2 - 3 feet high all around the patio with concrete.

Has he ever done masonry work before?

Nope.

But, he said he'll learn as he goes.

Uh, huh.

Do you think we'll be done by Hurricane Season?

Well, we have two months. That should give hubby plenty of time to get the block wall finished so I can bring in professional screeners to finish it up.

You didn't think I was going to let him do everything by himself, did you? We compromised. And, he agreed, when it comes to screens, let the pros handle it.

After the screening is finished it get to replace my sliding glass doors with French double doors. One double pane of glass, with the blinds in between the glass. I can't wait.

Who's going to put in the double doors? We haven't agreed on that yet.

But, we will. I'll keep you informed.

The Movie, 300

2007-03-25T14:45:00.000-04:00

I saw 300 last night. What an absolutely awesome movie. Overall, it was incredible. The movie is based on Frank Miller's graphic novel about the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.

Historical accuracies are scattered throughout the movie. From the moment we see them examining the child king and determining if he meets their standards or he would be thrown over a cliff onto a mound of lost souls to the training and fighting style of the Spartan soldier.

Zack Snyder directed the movie and he must have been divinely inspired. The movie is that magnificent. The use of narration to tell the story, along with the actual scenes made the realism more clear. You truly believe this was how the battle developed and how King Leonidas ruled.

Speaking of King Leonidas, the casting for this character was perfect. Gerald Butler was King Leonidas. Right down to the most minute detail. From the braid that hung from the back of his head, to his stoic glare, to his commanding presence among his men. I do not believe any other man could have done a better job.

All of the casting seemed to fit the characters very well. Each actor melded with their character and made us believe they were Spartans, Persians, and man made gods.

While the movie does portray a brutal battle, I don't believe there was any gratuitous violence. The images of men fighting with all their heart, body, and soul to protect what they truly believe in - Sparta - transcends the actual acts of intense violence. The images may linger, but so will the depth of passion they invoked.

The Spartans weren't without their sense of humor. The occasional remark made by King Leonidas only made him more human. I found his method of negotiation amusing and just.

I love a good movie soundtrack, and 300 didn't disappoint. The scenes and music together pulled you into the moment, suspending your belief, engulfing your senses, making you forget for a while that you're sitting in a movie theater with dozens of other people.

Give yourself a treat. Go see 300. Hurry before it finishes its run in the theater. It's a must for the big screen. Lose yourself in Greek history.

March Madness

2007-03-20T10:27:00.000-04:00

It's the college basketball finals and someone's killing the girls in the Bellair Landing apartment complex and leaving unusual calling cards -- a mascot doll from the losing team.

Laurel goes undercover to break the case but she finds more suspects than she can count and not enough clues. With an overprotective captain breathing down her neck and looking for any excuse to pull her from the case, Laurel doesn't have time for a relationship. Just her luck, she ends up with not one, not two, but several suitors. Which one is the killer?

Read an excerpt of my novella, March Madness.

Buy March Madness now. Click Here.

Life's Embarrassing Moment

2007-02-23T14:55:00.000-05:00

I was chatting with some women on another forum, and the subject of "most embarrassing incident in High School" was suggested. I didn't have to search my mind or try to remember a long forgotten memory. I knew immediately what my most embarrassing moment was. It haunts me still today.

My most embarassing incident in High School happened when I was sixteen years old. I "blossomed" late in my teens. I didn't start my period until I was sixteen. Way later than most girls and after two of my younger sisters did. I was always embarrassed that I started late and never let on to anyone that I knew less about periods than anyone else. I pretended to others that I knew what they were talking about. I had a terrible fear that people would think less of me if they found out I didn't know something.

One afternoon, right before our Debate Team had to leave for the weekend to compete, I felt a sudden urge to go to the bathroom. It was winter and I was wearing a wool skirt. Imagine my surprise and horror to discover I had started my period. At school! Totally unprepared. I had no sanitary supplies with me at all. I sat on the toilet frozen, afraid to get up. Not knowing how to stop the bleeding and what to use. I contemplated my options. There weren't many. I could go out and find someone who could help me with my "problem" or I could stay in the bathroom and hope everyone forgets I exist. I opted for the latter.

After what seemed like an eternity, one of the girls on my Debate Team came into the bathroom looking for me. She asked me if anything was wrong and I mumbled something about starting my period. She assumed that I meant it was one of those monthly occurences, not a monumental moment in my life. And, I wasn't going to correct her. She asked me if I had any tampons, and I said "no", only half knowing what a tampon was. She offered me one under the bathroom door with the question, "you do know how to use this, don't you?" with the emphasis on "you do". Well, what do I say to that? Of course, I knew how to use it. If my life depended on it, I'd say I knew how to use it.

I didn't. But, I wasn't going to ask, so I tried the best I could to use it in the way I thought it would work, then left the bathroom and joined my team as we boarded a large van. I took a seat by the window and kept to myself marveling at the fact that I had just started my period and I was finally a "woman". A woman with no one to share the news. The experience was all mine and mine alone to endure. No one would find out, ever.

During the long ride to the school we were competing, I felt a pain and a pressure in my vaginal area, and could never get comfortable on the cloth covered seat. All through the trip I scooted one way and then another on my portion of the seat. Lifting one butt cheek and then the other trying lessen the discomfort. I discovered why I was having so many problems when we stopped and debarked. I looked down at the seat and was horrified to discover a large blood stain. The tampon didn't work. I'd bled through my underwear, my skirt, and onto the seat. I hurried off the van, hoping no one else would see what I had done. I distanced myself as far from my group as I could, always keeping my front facing the group.

As discreetly as I could, I attempted to pull the back of my skirt toward the front so I could see how big the stain was on my skirt. It was huge. My skirt was plaid, blues and grays, so the dark red showed through well. As it dried, it turned a rusty brown. The cloth stiffened. I searched my mind for a solution. Could I get my suitcase and hurry to the bathroom and change? Would my coach hold a debate for me? I didn't dare ask. I wasn't in any hurry to explain why I needed the time to anyone.

Besides, there was no time to go to the bathroom. Our coach rushed us through signing in and sent our teams to various rooms for competitions that were to start in a few minutes. I was rushed here and there, until I finally entered a room where my teammate and I were to compete. The room was quiet. The judge sat in the first row. The other team already seated. A few people sat in the audience. I froze at the door.

How was I to concentrate? What was the resolution again? Was I for it or against it? Could everybody see the horrible stain on the back of my skirt? How was I supposed to stand up in front of everyone and argue my points? A hundred questions rushed through my mind as I followed my teammate to our seats. The judge set the timer, the debate begun.

I competed as second negative. Somehow, I managed to walk sideways to the podium, make my points, and walk quickly back to my seat all without incident. Did anyone see the stain? God, I hope not. I drifted in a blur between statements and rebuttals. On automatic pilot I answered. The only coherent thought in my brain was the blood on my skirt and how much more was I bleeding?

Somehow, at the end of the competition, our team had won. Do I remember any of it, not a second. Only the moments when I thought all eyes were on my stain. No one mentioned it.

After the competition, we loaded back into the van and our coach dropped the girls off to one house and the boys to another. They were people's homes that volunteered to house the out of town debate teams. Finally, I was able to go to the bathroom. To my inexperienced mind, I discovered that the tampon had only entered at the tip and didn't stop the flow of menstrual fluid at all. No wonder it hurt and I was in pain. I panicked again. I was in a strange house with strange people and once again needed help.

This time, I calmed myself and searched the bathroom. Hoping to find something other than tampons, as I didn't want to experience those twice, I opened doors and drawers. I found sanitary pads and gratefully and without asking, used one and took several for later. I hid my skirt from the other girls, not knowing if anyone had discovered what had happened to me. I didn't see any whispering or pointing, so I thought I'd gone unnoticed. I knew that if someone had discovered what happened, teenage girls wouldn't be able to keep it quiet.

However, the next morning, the adults were inquisitive. We were all asked if everyone was "okay" and whether we needed "anything" or wanted to "talk" to someone. Was I going to raise my hand? Are you kidding? The adults had found the stain on the bus seat, but no one owned up to it, least of all me.

We had one more round of competition that day, then we went home. Our team made it to the state finals. We'd done well. Proud of our accomplishments, I let that feeling flow over me as we traveled the roads back home. Thanks to the sanitary pads, the ride back was much more comfortable.

When I got home, I hurried to the bathroom as quickly as I could. Tearing open the cupboard door under the bathroom sink, I fumbled through Ajax, rubber gloves, toilet paper, and soap until I found what I was looking for. The tampon box. I read the instructions carefully and discovered I'd definitely improperly inserted the tampon.

My announcement that I had started my period to my stepmother was met with a resounding, "it's about time." A box of sanitary napkins were tossed at me with an off-hand comment along the lines of "use these." My initiation into womanhood.

My most embarrassing moment. I've never told anyone about what happened on that debate trip.

Until now.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T15:29:00.000-05:00

It's always nice to receive flowers and chocolates, especially on Valentine's Day. But, I hope that you don't forget the true meaning of showing the one you love how much you care about them. Don't wait for that one day of the year, use every day as a way to demonstrate how much your love grows for that special someone.

Don't get me wrong, I love roses and chocolate. And, knowing that my husband took the time to order flowers for me makes me feel very special. But, I didn't have to wait until Valentine's Day to know how much he loves me. He shows me every day. It's in his touch, his voice, and his eyes. It's in all the things he says and the things he does. Even in the things he doesn't say. When he hands over the remote control to the TV and lets me run the nightly programming, I know that he loves me.

And, I don't forget to show him, either. I pour my love into every meal I make. Even the ones I order for delivery. We take care of each other. We're there for each other. The night isn't over until we've kissed goodnight. The day starts when I feel my husband's kiss when he leaves for work in the morning.

Roses and chocolate make a great gift for Valentine's Day, but I'll take the man who proposed to me for every day use.

What about you? What would you rather have?

Trust in the Wind Book Trailer

2007-01-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

Following up yesterday's post about my book trailer for Not Without Anna, here is the book trailer for Trust in the Wind.

Not Without Anna Book Trailer

2007-01-09T16:51:00.000-05:00

I'm crashing into the 21st century by trying new technology this year. One of the things I've decided to try is the new book trailers that have been developed. They're like movie trailers, just for books.

My first book, Not Without Anna, now has a book trailer. You can view it here.

If you like it, let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Thanks!

Happy New Year, 2007 - Resolutions, Really?

2007-01-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

Here we are, standing at the threshold of a brand new year. Exciting goals and resolutions stirring within us, eager to get started. Before you buy that case of Slimfast or fork over a thousand dollars for the new piece of gym equipment, stop for a moment and consider your intentions.

Establishing a resolution means you resolve to do something. You establish a goal. You intend to accomplish this goal, don't you? Then let's set our expectations to a more realistic level. We'll add a little logic.

For example, your resolution is to lose weight. Do you know how much weight? Do you even know how much you weigh now? Do you know how much someone your age and size should weigh? All of these are important questions to help you establish a realistic goal. My suggestion is that you make an appointment to see your doctor and discuss your weight issue. Decide together what a realistic weight loss goal is for you and develop a strategy, a plan if you will, that will hold you accountable to your doctor for the weight you want to lose. Learn new eating habits and set up a reasonable exercise regime. Then set small attainable goals for yourself throughout the year.

What other resolutions do you want to accomplish this year? Do you want to contribute more to your community? This can be a double edged sword. The more you contribute to outside activities, the less time you have for personal activities. Before you scan the papers for all the community clubs and start signing up for each one, sit back, take a deep breath, and look at your situation logically.

Evaluate your life as it is now. Write down what you do and the percentage of time you spend on each activity. Then review each one and determine if you can cut some time from any activity and still be happy with your participation. Remember to include work, commuting, house chores, TV time, computer time, and time you spend with your family. If you find some extra time, see where you can best place it during the day. This means, where in your day can you use that extra time? Is it after the kids are in bed? Extra time before you get ready for work in the morning? A longer lunch if you're able? Or did you determine that you could get a couple hours free on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon? Whatever the answer, you've now established that you have free time to give to your community. Now, go back to that list of community clubs and volunteer activities and appraise them carefully. Where do you think you could best add value? One you've found a fit, then feel free to volunteer your help. Now you are doing more for your community.

Do you get it now? Arbitrary and vague statements to say you've created your resolutions set you up for failure if you don't have a logical, realistic plan to carry you through to success.

My resolutions? Well, I have a few. They're quite attainable.

1. Love my family
2. Spoil my dog and my parrot
3. Dote on my new grandson
4. Finish my current work in progress manuscript
5. Lose ten pounds by continuing my healthy eating habits and regular exercise
6. Add more friends to my network
7. Vow to never give up chocolate

What? Did you really expect me to give up chocolate? Let's be realistic, okay?

Merry Christmas

2006-12-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

-Norman Vincent Peale

Decorating for Christmas

2006-12-09T14:37:00.000-05:00

Decorating for Christmas is something I look forward to and dread at the same time. I look forward to it, because I like the feeling of knowing the holidays are near and seeing the Christmas tree lit up and the nativity scene shining in the lights. I like wrapping presents and the anticipation of waiting for them to be opened. All of those things evoke warm feelings inside of me.

What prompts the thud in my stomach and the dread in my heart is decorating outside the house. Let's just say my husband likes to be creative. Dangerously creative.

I don't mind the inflatables staked out in the yard. I think they look great when they're full of air. I love the animated bear and deer as they nod and swing their heads when lit in all their glory. Even the spiral Christmas trees that line the sidewalk look pretty. It's the rest of the decorations.

The lights.

What to do with the lights.

We have a lot of lights. Strings and strings of lights. Mostly clear, but some colored ones as well. My husband likes to use the clear ones. He'll stretch the strings across the front yard, one next to the other, making sure not to touch or cross wires. Then he'll have me plug each one in to test them to make sure they're still working. They usually are, minus a bulb or two. All of this is fine, until he walks out of the garage with the big ladder.

Not the step ladder. The big ladder. The one that can go eighteen feet into the air.

He usually has a plan around this time. He'd have been thinking about it for a few days, deciding where he was going to put the lights. He wouldn't tell me his plan, though. It would give me a head start on trying to talk him out of it. No, he waits until the day he's putting up the lights to spring it on me.

It starts out like this.

Him: "I'm going to finish decorating."
Me: "You mean put up the lights?"
Him: Yeah, I'm going to put up the lights."
Then there's a pause.
Me: "Please don't fall off the ladder."
Him: "You're no fun."
Me: "Most holiday accidents are from men falling off ladders while decorating for Christmas."
Him: "I'll be fine."
Me: "I'm too weak to carry you from the yard to the car and drive you to the hospital."
Him: "That's why God invented 911."
Me: "Please don't fall off the ladder."
Him: "You might want to stay out here."

And, so it goes. By this time, he's placed the ladder where he's going to climb. One year, it was against the house up to the roof. He laid out all the strings of lights in an outline of the house's roof. I have to admit, after all the scares of watching him slide across the roof and walk the peak, the house looked very pretty.

Until the squirrels chewed through the wires and blinked out half the lights. Then it just looked like the lights were haphazardly tossed on the roof in any which place.

But, this year he had something special planned. Something that he'd been talking about for years, but I'd managed to talk him out of it so far. This year he wasn't listening.

The ladder went up against the large oak tree in the front yard.

Me: "You're really going to put lights in the tree?"
Him: "I've got it all planned out. It'll be easy."
Me: "Please don't fall out of the tree."
Him: "You're not going to climb up this ladder, no matter how much you think you should."
Me: "Yeah, right."

He coiled up all the lights that were strung across the yard and placed them just so on the ladder and branches of the tree. This way they'd all be within reach while he was up in the tree.

My job? Stay away from the ladder.

I looked up at my husband as he balanced himself in the crook of two very large branches as he took note of his surroundings. He grabs the first set of coiled lights and tosses them onto a higher branch.

Him: "Oh."
Me: "What?"
Him: "I didn't think about that."
Me: "Think about what?"
Him: "How I'm going to wrap the lights around the branch. It's too big for me to grab from my other hand."
Me: "Oh darn. Guess we'll have to stop."

Not hardly. My resourceful husband wasn't going to be swayed so easily. Determined, he thought and then offered up me as the solution. I was to stand under the tree and catch the lights as they were tossed over the branch, then toss them back up to him.

And, so it went. He draped strings of lights around branches, dropped, and I tossed back up. Then we plugged in more strings and continued our drape, drop, and toss ballet.

Up one branch, then over to another. He stretched higher into the tree. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Finally, he was done. He climbed out of the tree and down the ladder. The big moment had arrived. Plugging the lights in. That was my job.

Him: "Oh no! %@#&, some of the lights aren't working. Two strings are out."
Me: "But they worked when we tested them."

Of course, that was no help at all. My first thought was, well, we can just take them all out of the tree but then I had visions of my husband climbing back into the tree and I quickly tossed that idea aside.

Dear husband had other ideas. He was going to find the errant bulb that caused the lights to not work.

Him: "All I have to do is find the bulb that is out but it's not going to be easy because the filament is so tiny."
Me: "Maybe they don't work because there's a bulb missing?"

I'm delegated to finding replacement bulbs. Easy enough. But, they don't match the light bulbs from the other string. Great. Ever resourceful, my husband pulled the bulb apart and fitted it into the new socket. He places the bulb in the empty socket and we sigh with relief as the string lights up. One down. One to go.

Once again, my husband starts scrutinizing the light bulbs looking for the one that could be broken. But, luck was on his side. He twisted a bulb, and viola! The string lit up. It was only a loose bulb.

My husband was happy. He'd put lights in our tree.

Him: "I'm not sure how I'm going to get the lights down."
Me: "Really?"
Him: "Maybe they'll stay up there." Pause. "Maybe I'll cut them down."
Me: "Maybe the squirrels will eat through the wires."

Come on, squirrels.

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T11:04:00.000-05:00

When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.

-Elie Wiesel

Holiday Stress

2006-11-21T15:23:00.000-05:00

Before the holiday stress starts, now would be a good time to put together a plan for handling the stressful issues that come up during the holidays.

Cooking, cleaning, decorating, gift buying, parties, family, they all can add to the usual stressors of the day.

Give yourself permission to cut out stress by saying "no". Let someone else do the cooking this year. Clean the rooms necessary and let the others go until after the holidays. Decorate if you want, and as much as you want. Only if it isn't stressful. If you don't want to decorate - don't. Don't be pressured to doing something just because everyone else is.

Gift buying can be a major stressor. Just managing the shopping is enough to give anyone an anxiety attack. Make things easier on yourself. Give gift cards. Or, ask people not to give you gifts and tell them that you will not be giving gifts this year. Donate to a favorite charity instead.

Parties can be fun, but they can also be a place where inhibitions disappear. Watch the alcohol and sugar intake. Leave early, it's okay. You don't have to be the last one at the party. Go with a friend who can be there for you if you have a panic attack or anxiety attack.

Families can be families. With all the drama that goes with them. Holidays and forced togetherness can be a set up for confrontations. Walk away. Don't let yourself get sucked into an argument. It's not worth it. Even if you are right, and your sister did pull the head off your favorite doll when you were six years old.

Give yourself permission to relax this holiday season. Take time for yourself. Make time for yourself. It's important to your mental, emotional, and physical health.

Have a happy and peaceful holiday season.

Contest Winner

2006-11-16T21:13:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to our winner, Karen Snyder of Olympia, WA. She won the gorgeous pair of paperback earrings that I was giving away for my birthday. I hope you enjoy them and treasure them for years to come. Congratulations!

How much do I love my dog?

2006-11-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

I have an American Eskimo named Jack. Jack Frost. He's the greatest. He's three years old and is becoming an adult. He's gone through a lot with me. I don't know what I would have done if he weren't with me. We're inseparable. I even take him on vacations with me. He's a great traveler. Finding hotels that accept dogs takes a little research work, but it's worth it.

I stay at home all day and Jack is with me. He'll spend time under my desk or sleeping on the bed. Wherever he feels most comfortable. We take walks in the neighborhood where he thinks he owns the place.

Do you want to know how much I love my dog? I created a blog just for him. You can see it here at Jack's Blog.

Take a peek at his blog and see if you can resist his loveable little face. Maybe you can leave him a bone while you're there. Jack barks his thanks!

United States Marine Corps - 231 years old

2006-11-10T13:23:00.000-05:00

Once a Marine. Always a Marine. That's what they tell us. That's what the instill in us through boot camp and beyond. It's been twenty-five years since I wore a Marine Corps uniform. But, I still feel that sense of pride and privilege on this special day. The USMC birthday.

Do I ever regret joining the Marines? Not for a minute. Being a Marine was one of the best things that happened to me in my life. They taught me how to stand on my own two feet and be proud of what I can accomplish, and most of all, they taught me to respect myself.

I think boot camp can help a lot of young men and women find faith in themselves. It can teach them self respect, respect for others, and give them a sense of pride. I would support our government if they chose to implement mandatory service for our young people. After high school graduation, too many times, our young people are cut off from the support of their family and their community and set adrift to try and make it one their own. Mandatory service could be their life line.

The skills that are learned in the Marine Corps boot camp will last you for the rest of your life. These are skills that can't be taught anywhere else. They must be experienced. Lived. Ingrained until they are second nature.

Most of all, I think the best thing that you can learn in the Marine Corps is pride for your country. Pride in your country. Pride in yourself. As an individual. A Marine.