Lillianna writes about her first day of school

Today was my first day of first grade. I think my teacher is extremely nice. I want to tell you abote what happend in the bathroom. I walked to the bathroom alone. When I was done I codeint (couldn't) open the bathroom door.

My friend was asking where is she where is she? Finally the astinte(assistant) teacher came to look for me. She came into the bathroom and said where are you? I said I'm over here and I'm stuck in here. So she went into the stall next to me, put down the tolet seat and stode on top of it so she could tell me what to do.

But I still could not do it. Then she said hold on a minet I will go get the jannuter(janitor). Then finally the jannter came and got me out. and that was the first day of school for me.

{a note from the proud mother: Lillianna wrote this herself. I didn't correct her spelling but I did try to help you out just in case you couldn't figure out some words. Isn't this the cutest darn story ever??? Ya, I think it is!)

SunnyK.......You gotta check her out!

Kelly Gibbons is a very talented artist. I found her when I was reading Angela's blog,(who happens to be a DotMom) Amusings From The Express Lane. I saw that Kelly had illustrated One Young Parent which is a website that Angela hosts for teen parents. I thought that picture was so appropriate for making young teens feel like a family. I had to learn more about Kelly so I followed a path that took me to the blog of another DotMom, Shelley , who was the author of Generation Xhausted. What a surprise. Kelly illustrated her book too.
I immediately went to Kelly's website and read all her wonderfully funny SunnyK comics. Her name says it all. She tries to see the sunny side of every situation. She is somewhat like Cathy except she doesn't make you want to eat a hot fudge sundae when you are done reading it. I always thought Cathy was the female Ziggy where everything always went wrong and even if it did go right, wrong was just around the corner!

SunnyK is a comic that just makes you feel happy and hopeful because life can be funny if you know where to look. Kelly definitely has the road map to humor! Take the time to read through her archives for some good old fashioned laughter. Here is a quick peak at one of my favorites. The Easter one just cracks me up.

If you like SunnyK then check out her website and order a cool t-shirt, mug or mousepad with SunnyK on it. I will be doing some shopping there myself. If SunnyK doesn't make you smile, nothing will.

Blank minds shouldn't blog!

I started this blog because I have a lot to say. Sometimes I ramble on about nothing in particular but other times I think I come up with some thought provoking topics.
Read about the scandalous wench who stole posts from Tequila Mockingbird and claimed them as her own. Stole them! What kind of whack job steals posts from another blog?

Here's my 2 cents on the subject. If you don't have anything to say then don't start a blog. I encourage blogging because it helps relieve stress and tension. Of course, so does a day at the local spa but I can't afford that. Even if all you write is "MMMM...corn good!" or "Woke up today" that's fine. It's not interesting to others but blogging is all about you and what makes you tick. Copying someone else's work and saying, "Look how great a writer I am. Read my blog! I am so witty and funny. Let me 'wow' you" is cheating, lying and stealing. You can't take credit if you didn't do the work! And apparently in the blogging world it is against the law.

If you are ever reading a blog and you suddenly think, "Hmmm, this sounds vaguely familiar" then check it out and if it's true then report it to the original author.
There is a world wide web of blogging out here.......don't be a thief. Just use your own creativity and write down your own thoughts.

A new national holiday

I have always thought it was odd that whenever an airline pilot lands a plane safely, all the passengers clap. I have never been on a flight where this hasn't happened. (Ok Bobbi said she has never seen this before but Bobbi and I have never flown together so I can't back that up.) The pilot is just doing his job and he gets a round of applause.APPLAUSE! Other than being a performer on stage or screen there isn't any other career that I can think of where people clap for you.

That got me thinking about what would happen if this really did occur in my daily life.
I would be at the ophthalmology practice where I work performing all the testing needed for an eye exam. After the refraction for glasses, glaucoma check and dilation were completed, the patient would slowly rise from the exam chair, tears in her eyes (possibly from the stinging fluorescein drop I put in to check the pressure or maybe from being moved by my phenomenal skill, who knows for sure?) and just clap for me. "Bravo! Bravo! What an excellent refraction! This was a wonderful exam. Bravo!" I would then bow graciously before I took her back to the waiting room.
How crazy would that be?

Or maybe all my rushing around in the morning would be rewarded. As Rich runs by me on his way to grabbing his lunch box for work he would stop in mid step and look at me in awe. "You made the greatest ham and cheese sandwich I have ever seen. Thank you for this wonderful lunch." He would then put down the lunch box to gave me a standing ovation. Lillianna would run into the room and say, "Way to go Mom! You rock!" and she would clap too. Again, I would bow graciously.

So I have declared that Wednesday, September 1st will be TREAT EVERYONE LIKE AN AIRLINE PILOT DAY. Clap for people who are just doing their job. They don't have to go "above and beyond" they just have to do what they are supposed to. Don't smirk and sarcastically clap and say, "Yay....nice job," as you roll your eyes at them. The point is not to make someone's day worse. It's to make them think and laugh. Just picturing this makes me laugh. What I want you all to do is to try this on Wednesday, even if it's just one person who you clap for: your dry cleaner, co-worker, Dunkin' Donuts person,toll booth collector, hairdresser....whoever. Then come back here and tell me how it turned out. It's perfectly acceptable to tell them why you are clapping so that they don't think you are a big jerk.

Come on. Let's have some fun. Anybody with me?

I missed my 100th post anniversary

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME.......HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME......

Apparently I missed it. How did that happen? Glad you asked. Ro excitedly emailed me a few days ago and said,"I see that you are approaching your 100th post! Did you know that?" I thought, "Ya, right, whatever. I have only been writing this since June so somehow Blogger added my DotMoms posts in with my ccjellybeans posts and so that isn't really 100, right?"

Was it that I didn't think I wrote every day for 90 days and on some days I wrote more than once? Why couldn't I add that up? I was pretty good in math. It would've all made sense if I had thought about it. Tell me why I didn't think about it. One hundred posts....that's something for a person who hadn't been writing in years and now.....100 posts. Well, technically this is post number ONE HUNDRED AND ONE!

YEAH, ME!

I like my daughter

I guess that title is rather odd to some but let me explain. Of course I LOVE Lillianna, that goes without saying but I really LIKE her. If I were 6 1/2 years old I would want to be her friend. She is funny,polite,caring, energetic and enthusiastic. She is kind to young and old. She has a very loving heart.

When Liane was visiting with Kayleigh and Brian, Lillianna tried to comfort them when they became upset with something. One time Kayleigh stomped off when we were outside and Lillianna ran after her. Whatever she said worked because she held Kayleigh's hand and walked her back to where we were.

If I am at the computer or in the kitchen, Lillianna will walk in and hug and kiss me and say "I just love you, Mommy." I usually have to reach for a few tissues after that.

In 2001 and 2002 when Lillianna was in private nursery school and then pre-kindergarten she had 2 best friends, Mollie and Kasey. If Kasey's mom, Jill, was late picking her up, Lillianna and Mollie refused to leave. "No, Mommy. We have to wait til Jill comes, " both girls would say. Then the 3 of them would stand at the window until Jill pulled up.

One morning, in their second year, Mollie was having a hard time walking from the vestibule inside the building up the stairs to the classroom. She wanted her mom to walk her up but the teachers had encouraged Amy to leave and let her go up alone. She was crying hysterically. Just then Jill and I came in with our daughters. Without either of us saying a word, Kasey silently reached for Mollie's hand and guided her up the stairs while Lillianna walked behind her rubbing her back. Mollie immediately stopped crying and went willingly with her friends. I sobbed all the way to the car and then called Amy on her cell phone to tell her what had happened. Our girls were only 5 years old at the time. How did they learn such love and compassion?

I am lucky that Lillianna has such caring friends and that she is a caring friend. If I were her age I would definitely choose her for my best friend.

What qualities do you admire most in your child/children?

My very talented husband

Rich has many talents. He is a great artist,comedian,musician and song writer. All of these things are very natural to him. No professional training was ever involved. Well, unless you count the art class his dad signed him up for in his pre-teen years where the teacher tried to teach things that Rich had taught himself years before that. He dropped out of the class due to severe boredom.

Rich doesn't know how to write music. He sings it the way he hears it in his head and then someone else writes it on paper for him. This is how it worked when he played in his cousin's band years ago. He wrote the most wonderful songs and people couldn't believe he wrote them.People usually under estimate him. They think because he is funny and appears care free that he doesn't feel as deeply as he does. They are always surprised by what comes out in his music and art. Last night when I got home from work, Rich sang a jazz song that he is in the process of writing. It gave me goose bumps. He is just so talented.

Rich also paints 25 mm lead toy soldiers. They are quite small but he paints the most incredible detail on each and every one of them. He war games with them and hopefully sometime soon he will be making chess sets and selling them online.They are one of a kind. He made one for his dad and brother in law years ago and they are works of art. They are also fun to play chess with!

So what does my artistic husband do for work? Nothing he likes. He is stuck in a horrible job with the worst "benefits"( I choke on that word) and no matter how hard he looks he can't find a better job. His dream is to one day own our own toy soldier store but until then he needs to have a job with benefits.

I hate to see this very talented man not get paid for his talent. It breaks my heart. Part of the problem, I believe, is that somewhere in the back of his mind he still hears his dad say that he will never make money in art. When Rich wanted to illustrate comic books his dad wanted him to get a "real" job for financial stability. No matter how grown up you are, you always hear your parents in your head. I want my husband to be happy with his career. I want him to have confidence in himself. Be proud. Go forth and make the dream happen. I still feel like Rich doesn't believe in himself the way that I believe in him. That's the real key, isn't it?

If you have followed your dream and now have a career you really love, please share your story with us. Maybe a little inspiration would help.

Another good bye

Liane came to visit on Sunday afternoon with her 4 1/2 year old twins, Kayleigh and Brian. Since she lives overseas we only get to see each other once a year. This year we were lucky enough to have them sleep over. Lillianna and I were excited for weeks before the big event. Our children love to be together so that part was easy. Catching up on "everything" that we wanted to was not as easy.

The thing we missed most of all was our daily chatter of nothing in particular. You know how you just sit there and whatever pops in your head is worthy of a discussion? That is so much fun to do. We thought we were going to have a deep discussion on whatever needed to be talked about but what we really needed was just to be together again: laughing, exchanging parenting ideas, talking about the future.

After we put the kids to sleep, we went in to the living room and chatted with Rich until midnight when we all decided we couldn't stay awake another minute. It was such a comfortable feeling to have Liane and her children sleeping in our home. For a very short time we were all together. The next morning we got up and made a big breakfast. It was such a treat on a Monday morning. Rich left for work at 9am and that gave me 6 hours with Liane before she had to head off to her sister's house. Six hours seemed like a good amount of time but it just flew.

We took the kids to the pool for an hour of swimming and then back home to change and have lunch. We sat outside in the shade under a tree while the kids played on the grass.We kept thinking if we just got them busy we could chat but every 2 seconds we were interrupted by one of them needing or wanting something. It was so frustrating because although we weren't upset with the children we were frustrated by lack of time for us. I tried so hard not to look at my watch and realize we only had 3 more hours, then 2, then 1. One hour? How could 5 hours go by so fast? It didn't seem fair. I could already feel the tears welling up in my eyes. How was I going to say good bye to Liane again for another year? I just didn't think I could face it.

I willed the tears not to spill down my cheeks but it didn't work. I brushed a tear away before anyone noticed. One hour later we were loading up her car with all their stuff and buckling Kayleigh and Brian in their car seats. These precious little children that I have only met 4 times in their 4 1/2 years will be gone again. I love them and want to get to know them better. Liane refers to me as Auntie Robin and Liane has always been Auntie Belle to Lillianna. (Lianabella was the nickname I gave Liane in junior high school and over the years it has become shortened to Belle. Coincidentally, Kayleigh's middle name is Isabelle so she is Kayleigh Belle!) I said good bye to the children and then Liane and I hugged each other. I cried my heart out. Through her tears, Liane said, "Maybe we could meet up one night before we leave just to talk." With my work schedule and her busy schedule saying goodbye I knew the chances of another meeting was not really a possibility. I don't know how we managed to say goodbye. She got in her car and Lillianna and I got into ours and I had her follow me out of our apartment complex and got her back on the main road. As I put on my right directional to pull into the supermarket, I waved to her to pass me. She beeped and I beeped back and waved one last good bye. My heart shattered into a million pieces.

As Lillianna and I walked in to the supermarket, I still had tears streaming down my face. I am going to miss them all so much.

Who do you miss that lives far away?

My greatest food discovery

This post was inspired my Rachel Ann because she mentioned this food in her anniversary post. Happy Anniversary and thanks, Rachel Ann.

When I first arrived in Israel in June 1985 I noticed little food stands everywhere. When I walked over to see what they were selling, I didn't recognize the food. When I was asked if I wanted one I just shook my head and slowly walked away. I wanted to be brave and try this delicious smelling fried food but my Hebrew wasn't that good. They could tell me it was deep fried human toes and I wouldn't know what they were saying. I played it safe and walked away.

About a month later I was shopping in the next town with my friend, Mark who was from England. He pointed to the stand across the street and asked, "Did you ever have one of those?" I looked longingly over at the people standing in line for this treat and I said, "No. I'm not really sure what it is. Do you know what kind of food it might be?" He said, "I have no idea but let's go get one anyway."

We stood in front of the stand again and I noticed all the bowls of salads that were in the front of the stand. People were being handed pita bread with these round fried things in them and then something puffy. Then they began spooning a little bit of this and that inside the pita from the bowls in front of them. Mark bravely walked up to the stand and asked, "Mah zeh?" (What is this?) The man smiled and said, "Falafel." Falafel? What the heck is that? I whispered to Mark, "Ya know....it could be cow brains for all we know." Mark held up one finger to indicate he was game for this and he was presented with the pita, deep fried balls of something and puffy discs.

He added a little salad and sauce from each bowl and then took a bite. "This is bloody brilliant!"he exclaimed. Sounds of "MMMMM......Oh.....Ugh....MMMMMM" was more than I could take. I got one too. I quickly added all the sauces and salads and took a bite. My eyes opened wide. It was beyond description. When we were finished we frowned and said, "I still don't know what the heck that was." I said, "Those puffy discs taste like french fries even though they are shaped like flying saucers. They are sooooo poofy and airy and delicious. What do you think the fried things were?" We still didn't know.

When we got back to the kibbutz we asked someone there. "Ah, so you had falafel. It is so good,right?" We agreed that it was unbelievably delicious but we didn't know what the heck it was. Then he said the one sentence that I always dreaded hearing for the 2 years that I lived in Israel, "I don't know how you say in English but...." However he explained it we didn't understand. I said to Mark, "I am going to ask Joel. He's American and he has lived here since he was a teenager. He can tell us in English!"

Joel laughed when I asked him what it was. "What do you think it could be?" he asked us. Mark said, "I am thinking it is deep fried bread of some kind." Joel shook his head. "Falafel is garbanzo beans, chickpeas. They are ground up and deep fried." (Thank G-d it wasn't cow brains! Vegetables I could deal with.)
After that I faithfully bought falafel every time I went to the city. It was too delicious to pass up.
Here is a picture and an article about falafel. Don't knock it til you've tried it!

What food were you hesitant to try but then discovered you loved it?

Too much stress!

I called Rich on his cell phone today and said, "You have to meet me at our therapist's office immediately. I am at the breaking point." Rich heard the panic in my voice and didn't even question my request. Thirty minutes later we were in Dr. Bonfiglio-Appleseed's office, sitting in the waiting room. Rich asked, "Do we have a scheduled appointment?" I said, "Yes. I told the secretary I couldn't go on anymore unless I talked to the doctor about this problem....immediately. " Just then the doctor approached, greeted us with his happy reassuring smile and ushered us into his office. Normally I sit in one of the comfy chairs but today I gestured towards the couch and said, "I have to lie down for this one." I stretched out on the couch, my head pounding from stress as I teetered on the brink of an anxiety attack.

Rich and Dr. Appleseed looked at me curiously and waited for me to begin. I took a deep breath and only sighed. Finally I said, "I can't take anymore! The incompetence is overwhelming! Why is this so damn hard? I have explained it and explained it and still it isn't right! What am I supposed to do?"
Dr. Appleseed arched his eyebrows at Rich and then asked me, "Why do you feel Rich is incompetent?" I sat upright and shrieked, "RICH? You think this is about RICH?" Dr. Appleseed scratched his blonde head and said,"Why don't you tell me how things have been going at home." I sighed a huge sigh, rolled my eyes at him and said, "Things have been great. We are more in sync than we used to be. We have gotten into a cleaning groove so that our apartment isn't a disaster anymore. We work so much better together. We have been eating together as a family. It's been great. We are really a team now.We're very connected."

Dr. Appleseed crossed his arms in front of him and tried again. "So, what is the problem?"
I jumped up and said, "It's your office staff! They are complete morons. How much more do I have to endure? We have been coming to you for a year. In the beginning my insurance company denied all claims because even though your name is Dr. Bonfiglio-Appleseed, your office kept submitting these claims under Dr. Appleseed. Then my insurance company, You'reOnYourOwn Healthcare ,denied the claims and refused to pay because they didn't have you listed as being in "the plan." Everytime we come here I have to call the insurance company to straighten out the bill. Your office bills it incorrectly every- single- time!

The other day I got a bill for $250 for two visits that were being denied.I couldn't believe it. Today I called the insurance company and was told that the visits weren't covered because I didn't have any referrals under my name. I hadn't even noticed that on the bill. All the visits were supposed to be under Rich's name! This was an argument I had with your office months ago. The ten visits were all under Rich's name not mine. Why would they bill it under my name?"

Dr.Appleseed said, "I am awfully sorry this happened to you. My office staff is...."
"Rude and condescending," I said. "Everytime I call here they blame you or me for the billing problem. I don't have anything to do with the billing. Today they told me that everytime I come in here I have to tell them to bill it under Rich and not me. They said it was confusing because it was "couples therapy." Well you are a marriage counselor so chances are your patients are COUPLES! Does everyone have billing issues?"

Silence. Then Dr. Appleseed asked, "Would you like a prescription for anxiety?" I stomped around the room and shouted, "NO!NO!!NO!!! I want you to fix this problem. I want your office to bill these visits correctly. I don't want to be calling my insurance company and your bitchy office staff after every visit here. It's too stressful. I have enough crap in my life. Why can't they just do their job correctly with a sincere smile in their voice? WHY? Can't you fix this for me before I am completely pushed over the edge?"

Dr.Appleseed stood up and said, "Well, let's say this visit is on the house. How does that sound?" I glared at him and said, "It sounds like you can't fix this problem." He looked at his shoes and muttered, "No, I guess I can't.Sorry."Then he flashed a big bright smile and said,"But on the bright side,you and Rich are getting along better than ever." I smirked at him and said, "Nice try Dr. Bonfiglio-Appleseed!"
Rich held my hand as we walked to the car. The problem didn't get resolved but I felt much better.

What frustrated you today?

{editor's note: I didn't think I had to write this but, this story is not true! I was completely frustrated by the incompetent and condescending office staff in my doctor's office but I did not
demand an emergency appointment to whine about it. All the screw ups with my doctor's hyphenated name are true and my insurance company totally sucks.(Sadly that is quite true although I wish our insurance company was wonderful and actually paid for stuff) This post was my healthy and creative way to vent. I am sorry that my co-workers thought I was such a head case and that they believed this story to be true! I am not that crazy....yet! }

Hexic

I just finished a beautiful post about my friend Liane's visit and something happened to it. Kind of like "the dog ate my homework" only more bizarre and I couldn't fix it so I had to delete the post. I cried my heart out writing it and then it was all weird and I gave up.

Since I had a busy and hectic day at work I am going to get in my jammies and play Hexic. Rich says I am addicted but it helps me relax so that I can go to sleep without tossing and turning. So, sorry to disappoint anyone hoping for an interesting story tonight. It just isn't going to happen.
Check out www.msngames.com and try Hexic. It is addictive but don't tell Rich, ok?

Words of Wisdom

My dear friend Liane came to visit yesterday with her 4 1/2 year old twins, Kayleigh and Brian. They slept over last night and spent the day with us today. When I am done crying about how much I will miss them then I will write about our time together.(They live out of the country and this was my yearly visit with them. There is never enough time.)

Kalyeigh said two things that were so profound, I thought I should share them. When you think of it, this advice is quite good and it could help you throughout your life.

1. Never bother a bumble bee.
2. If you don't know what something is, don't touch it!

Such a wise, wise child.
What great words of wisdom do you live by?

A, B,Cs

Helene wrote the abcs on her blog and challenged others to do the same. Here is my list.

A- Anyone who says marriage is easy, isn't married!

B- Bubblegum snapping drives me insane. UGH, What a sound.

C- Cotton candy jellybeans are my favorite jellybeans. (Who didn't know that?)

D- During my labor I hallucinated about blue and white ceramic cereal bowls being stacked one on top of another.

E- Evan(my cousin) was a great magician and a wonderful role model to all who knew him.

F- Falafel is delicious and I miss it! I craved it all during my pregnancy and threatened to fly to Israel to get some if Rich didn't find a middle eastern restaurant for me.

G- Getting dressed up in a beautiful dress, Easter bonnet, white patent leather shoes , matching pocket book and lace gloves was what I missed most about growing up Jewish.

H- Holiday hangers on my front door are my newest trend. I hope to have every holiday soon.

I- Israel is the place I miss most and the place I dream about frequently.

J- Jellybeans are not only delicious to eat but they make me happy just to look at them.Except the Harry Potter beans...those are just gross (ear wax,grass,vomit....come on now!)

K- Kara, my darling sister, was my birthday wish for many years. All I wanted was a sister!

L- Lillianna Rose is my favorite name in the entire world. (I love you pumpkin)

M- My husband, Rich, is a great husband and father even though sometimes we drive each other insane.

N- Never say "axed" when you mean to say "asked" because I will think you are the biggest moron on this planet!

O- Ostrich meat is sold in our local supermarket and I gag everytime I see it.

P- Pumpkin Wumpkin is my pet name for Lillianna. We have a song about it.

Q- Quisp was a really yummy cereal back in the olden days.

R- Robin is a name I have always hated and a name my mother has always loved. Just my luck!

S- Suddenly Susan was not a funny tv show......nope, it sure wasn't.

T- Tintinnabulation is one of my favorite words.

U- Under most circumstances I am incredibly impatient and although I have tried to work on this over the years, there has been no progress!

V- Violets make me sneeze and give me a migraine. I do think they are pretty, though.

W- Winters in Massachusetts SUCK!!!!! No wonder mom goes to Florida for 6 months.

X- Xmas is an abbreviation I will never understand. Cross-mas? Ex-mas? What is it?

Y- Yonder and hither are words that should be brought back into everyday language cuz they make me laugh!

Z- Zoom was a tv show that I auditioned for when I was 11 years old. Sadly I didn't make it. (write ZOOM Z- double O-M Box 350 Boston Ma 0-2-1-3-4 send it to Zoom! Remember that?) Ya, well I wasn't on that show!

What are your abcs?

Cleaning Update.

Well, I eventually got around to cleaning today although it was more overwhelming than I expected. I threw away 4, yes 4 trash bags full of stuff that I didn't need and/or didn't know I even still had! That's pretty sad. We have only lived here 17 months and before we moved here we rented a dumpster and threw away just about everything we didn't need. So how did I still end up with so much junk?

Not too long ago my mom gave me a bag of cards and telegrams from people congratulating my parents on my birth in 1963(yikes!) and my sister's birth in 1974. I will never throw those away. They are always fun to look at.

How often do you clean out all your old stuff? What have you held on to for years and will never throw away?

Day off? What day off?

Well, it's Friday and technically it is my day off. I wish this could be a care free day like I always dream about but unfortunately I have so much to do that I can't even seem to get started. I have to try to clean out my closet to make room for Rich's toy soldiers that are now being stored in the entertainment center in the living room. "Why the big rush", you ask? Tonight after work, Rich is picking up Kara's larger entertainment center to bring it here and the soldiers won't fit in that one because although it's larger, it doesn't have as much video storage as our old one but it is more beautiful and has shelves to hold pictures.

Ya, ya....I know. It doesn't sound like a good idea to get the bigger one if it doesn't hold as much which of course was Rich's argument. I am convinced that if I get rid of some junk then there will be plenty of space for everything. I hope I am right. Plus there is so much clutter all over this apartment , I am hoping this cleaning spree will eliminate all of that and I can live a happy and peaceful life in a clutter free world.

What boring thing did you have to do today?

Ro,Ro,Ro your blog.......

Well today was the day that my blog got a new look . I have Ro to thank for that. I told her I wanted to have pictures of jellybeans, preferably cotton candy ones somewhere on here. I wasn't sure what else I wanted since I am no artist and I have no vision when it comes to imagining anything! I can only see what is right in front of me.

Ro sent me a couple of ideas and the second one was perfect. I loved it. I would never have thought of it myself but she listened to what I wanted and came up with this fantastic design which you see before you.

This new design has made me feel more creative. It's a more fun place for me to write. Just the sight of the jellybeans makes me happy. It reminds me that I once only dreamed of being married and having a child and now I am living that dream. The road is a bumpy one at times but for me, the cotton candy jellybeans are a symbol that anything is possible. You may wish on a lucky star or a 4-leaf clover but for me....it's all about the jellybeans!

If you are thinking about giving your own blog a face lift, please contact Ro at Ciao! My bella designs. You will be so glad you did!! She is affordable and she is an absolute joy to work with. She also added a tag board on the left side so if anyone wants to leave me a message, go right ahead. It's easy enough as you can see since Lillianna has already left me a few messages. She just loves this!

Thank you , Ro!!!!

Ok, everyone....so how do you like my blog's new look?

That's good to know!

Kara and Peter are off on a week's vacation. I agreed to go in to their office(Peter owns the business) to answer the phones and help Erin for 3 days this week while they are away. Lillianna loves when we do this since she gets to shred all the legal documents for hours (or until she gets tired of doing it!) and deliver all faxes to Erin.

Today Peter called in to see how things were going. After I answered the phone with "Good afternoon" and the company name, Peter said, "Hey, you sound so professional answering the phone." I had to laugh since my job at the medical answering service is all about answering the phone hundreds of times a day. I said, "Well, considering that that is my job I would hope I sound professional." He chuckled and said, "Oh yeah. I forgot about that."
For some crazy reason that makes me laugh every time I think of it.
What made you laugh today?

A New Look

Get ready for a new look. My blog is getting a face lift! Stay tuned......

Balloons

We had beautiful balloon displays at my bridal shower 10 years ago. At the end of the party, Rich took a huge bunch of colorful balloons outside and released them into the world. I believe he was singing 99 Luftballoons as he watched them fly off. Rich believes that balloons are meant to be free. They fly to the ceiling and try to break through but they can't unless we help them by releasing them.

I told him I would never have thought of letting them go. I would've taken them home and kept them until they deflated. Even then I would've been hesitant to throw them away as they lay in a wrinkled heap on the floor. I like to hold the memory for as long as I can.

When Lillianna gets a mylar balloon she saves it until it falls to the floor. I put a tiny hole in it and squish it until it is flat. Then I save it unless she says it's ok to throw it away. Birthday balloons never get thrown away. They get placed in a Ziploc bag with Lillianna's birthday cards to be saved forever.

Lillianna does release regular balloons into the air just like her dad. The first time she did this after a friend's birthday party I was quite surprised. As a child, I held tightly to my balloon. I would never have let it go so soon.

Lillianna loves to watch the balloon as it floats higher and higher, over the tree tops and out of her sight. She thinks about where it might travel and who might see it. To her, the possibilities are endless. As for me, well, I try not to cry that the balloon is gone, never to be seen by us again. I have always had trouble letting go of things:people, places, memories. I dread when it's time for Lillianna to leave home. If I cry over a lost balloon what will I do when my precious child flies away? Maybe the 3 of us can throw a balloon bouquet into the air together.

Do you keep your balloons or set them free?

Royalty at the movies

Today my friend Kristy and I took Lillianna and my niece M to see The Princess Diaries 2.

Kristy dressed in a long, turquoise, off the shoulder gown with sparkling earrings and necklace. Her shoes were transparent like Cinderella's glass slippers. Lillianna and M wore tiaras and we all sparkled from our roll on glitter. If I had had a princess dress or a tiara I would've dressed up too.

As we strolled through the spacious entry way, we were met with looks of astonishment. Kristy looked like a member of the royal family all bedazzled with sparkling stones as the two little royal ones followed behind. There were many whispers of, "They're going to see the Princess Diaries." It was so much fun to be there for our girls' day out.
The movie was great and we all enjoyed it. Princess Mia was not the only royalty there today.

Have you ever dressed up in character to go to the movies with your kids? Now that you know how much fun it is, would you do it next time?

You can't un-marry someone!

It broke my heart to read the headlines about gay marriage today. I don't think it is right at all! People fall in love,make a commitment and then seal that commitment with a legal ceremony. Why should it matter if the couple is heterosexual or homosexual? Love is love.

To state that all the loving couples who were united in marriage in San Francisco are now null and void is just such a violation of human rights. This wasn't something any of them took lightly, I am sure. I would be outraged. Read what Trey had to say in Daddy,Papa and me.

What is your opinion?

Waking up stressed!

I imagine some people wake up slowly from a good night's sleep, rub their eyes, stretch and get out of bed to start their day. Other's wake up to the obnoxious ringing of their alarm clock or loud music from their clock/radio.Some wake up happily, ready to embrace the morning. Other's throw a heavy object at the offensive alarm yelling, "Bite me!" as they pull the blanket over their head.

This morning I woke up suddenly in a panic and the only thought on my mind was, "Where the hell did I put my Capital One credit card bill??????????" I knew it was due soon. I had seen it on the dining room table. It hadn't been in my "pay this next" envelope when I paid the bills Monday night. If it is late by one day, the rate is increased. I ran around looking for it. "Find the bill. Find the bill. Think! Think!" my brain screamed at me.

I rummaged through my files to see if I filed it without paying it. Nope. I called Capital One to see if the bill was sent. It was. I said, "I misplaced my bill.I am going to send it today without the paperwork. Is this the correct address?" She said it was and it actually wasn't due until August 24th. I wrote the check, addressed the envelope and put it near Rich's keys so he would mail it on his way to work.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness I remembered to pay it! I hate waking up in a panic with stress on my mind.

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

Do you believe in magic?

Yesterday I worked from 8am-12pm at the ophthalmology practice where I have worked for the past 14 years. I was supposed to leave at 12pm but an emergency patient came in at 11:30am and I agreed to see her rather than let another technician take the chart.

The patient was a 75 year old woman and she was very chatty. She said she wanted me to choose one of her lucky stones. I chose a clear stone with a blue center which actually looked like blue puckered lips. I thanked her and said, "I will take luck any way I can get it!"

At 6pm I called Rich to see what he wanted for dinner and he asked if I wanted to go out for dinner. I asked, "Why, do you have money?" He said, "Actually I do. I won $100 on a scratch ticket."

Let me explain about Rich's scratch ticket history. If he buys a scratch ticket just for fun he usually doesn't win.If he hears a voice and gets a feeling then he always wins! It's ok if you don't believe that but I have 10 years of proof.(Kristy, if you're reading this, back me up!) Apparently he got a feeling that he would win and he did. I was so happy that I didn't have to make dinner. Rich took us to Dave's Diner which is such a cool and fun place.The food was delicious as usual and we had a wonderful time as a family.

Rich always shares his money with us no matter how much or how little he wins. He has been laughed at by co-workers for telling me about his winnings but I think it proves what an honest and kind person he is. I did ask him what time he won the money because I wanted to see if it was before or after I was given the "lucky" stone and it was 3 hours after. Coincidence?

Do you believe in magic?
Do you share lottery winnings with your spouse?

Mother prostitutes her 9 year old daughter for drugs

I don't even know what to say about this situation. While I try to calm my queasy stomach after reading this horrific story, feel free to read about it here.

Underage drinking in your own home.

The big news here is the Notre Dame Academy soccer coach.
I don't know all the details on this one but it did bring up the question of letting underage kids drink in your home.

When I was 16 years old I went out drinking with my friends.That was the one rule I didn't actually follow. I did drink before I was 21. I always told my parents where I was going as I walked out the door with a thermos filled with Kahlua sombreros. Mom would ask, "You're not driving, right?" I would say, "Nope. We are just hanging out down the fire road," which was one block away and in the back of the elementary school. A bunch of us would go and hang out for a while. My parents always trusted me and they knew I never lied.

My friend Ann was one year older than me.All our friends drank at her High School graduation party. Her parents took our car keys and we all slept over that night. It was so much fun. I called home and told mom that we had all been drinking and we were all sleeping over and that I was skipping school the next day, Monday, and going to the beach with everyone. She said that was fine. I was on Honor Society and never missed school so she didn't mind if I took one day off for fun. Were Ann's parents "cool" for allowing us to drink in their home or were they breaking the law?

When Kara was 17 and I was 29 she often had her friends over to drink before they went out for the night. She asked if I would buy alcohol for her and I always refused. I didn't believe in it even though our parents allowed me to do the things I wouldn't do for her. I didn't want to contribute to her underage drinking.

To make this even more confusing, I was Kara's cheerleading coach. In my first year I coached with a girl named Kim who was 20 years old. I was 29. Kim tried to arrange a weekend away in New Hampshire with the girls to go drinking and hang out.
I tried to explain that she was also underage and it was not appropriate for the girls' coach to drink alcohol with them. I threatened to report her to the athletic director. As coaches we had an obligation to set some type of good example for the girls and taking them across state lines and drinking with them was definitely not a good example. She eventually changed her plans but she was mad that I was such a "goody goody."

Rich and I already know that if Lillianna wants a glass of wine before she is 21 and she is in our house we will allow her to have it. As for her friends, absolutely not! We will not be the "cool parents" and allow underage drinking in our home. Parents are sued in situations like this.

What is your stand on uderage drinking?

It takes a village

I truly believe it takes a village to raise a child. I have often said that Rich and I can't possibly be everything to Lillianna and that is why we have family and friends to help us. I did write a post about this on DotMoms a few months ago but I can't find it to reference it. Sorry. It was a list of who does what for Lillianna.

I have taught her to cook.
Rich has taught her to war game.
My friend Kristy takes her strawberry picking every year.

Today was my typical Monday, which is the day I try to recover from my working weekend. Kristy called me at 9:30am and asked if she could stop by. I was thrilled to see her. We only live 10 minutes apart but we don't see each other as much as we would like. We decided to go pick up some things that were on sale at the local supermarket before Kristy had to open her store. Of course Lillianna wanted to ride in the cool convertible so I let her go with Kristy and I followed in my car.

Once we got there, Lillanna said she wanted to stay with Auntie Kristy and ride in the convertible again. I said we had to get home after shopping but before I could finish, Kristy volunteered to take Lillianna to her house for a few hours so that I could have a break. Whenever my sister, Kara takes Lillianna for the day I am always at work and Rich gets time to himself. I never do.

Lillianna was thrilled with this news.I ended up going home and I tried to rest. It took a while to fall asleep but I eventually did. It was wonderful to nap without any interruptions. When I picked Lillianna up she was so excited to tell me everything she did with her Auntie Kristy. They went out into the yard to do some gardening. Lillianna cut some flowers by herself. Then she watched the birds at the feeder and Kristy explained what each bird was. Kristy taught her how to look up animals on google. Their time together was great for both of them.

I love the fact that my friends not only love my daughter but they are also interested in passing down their knowledge to her. They are part of my village.

Who is in your village?

My Sunday melt-down

For the past few weeks I have had a melt-down of sorts when I get home from work on Sundays. I don't throw myself on the living room rug and pummel the ground with my fists (although that doesn't sound like a bad idea)but my whole body collapses and I can barely move.

This all begins on Friday night. I dream of going to bed at a decent hour: 9:00pm? 10:00pm? The reality is that I am not tired enough to fall asleep at that hour. This past Friday night I played Diamond Mine for hours. Finally at 12:00am I got into bed. I fell asleep sometime after 1:00am. The alarm sang my wake up call at 5:00am. I woke up feeling like a piece of chewed bubble gum being scraped off someone's shoe.

I left the house before 7:00am to go to my first job from 7:30am-12:15pm. Then it was off to job #2 from 1:00pm-9:30pm. I think I went to bed at 12:00am and I woke up at my usual 5:00am. (Ok it was actually 4:55am when I woke up. I usually beat the alarm clock.)Then I faced another day of work from 7:00am-3:30pm.
It wasn't too bad because we had a good group of people on my shift. That makes all the difference in the world.

I got home after 4:00pm and chatted with my neighbor in the parking lot until 5:00pm. She didn't hear the screams in the night but she did read the odd letter from the mom so we caught up with what was going on. Once I was upstairs I began to heat the oil in the fry daddy and make a salad. I threw in Purdue Popcorn chicken and some french fries and tried to stay alert so I wouldn't burn myself on the splattering oil.

During dinner, Rich mentioned that the french fries weren't cooked enough. Ya, they were squishy and not crunchy but that just meant I didn't have to put too much effort into chewing! That seemed appealing to me.
We were eating dinner in the living room while watching "Ice Age" and I began to feel my head gently pounding and becoming as heavy as a bowling ball. I could barely keep it from flopping.At 6:30pm I told Rich and Lillianna that I would be back in a minute. I figured if I just rested for a moment......well......you know.

Rich had stripped the bed while I was at work but hadn't made it yet. I glared at my wonderful bed that looked like it belonged in a prison and I snuggled in. Soon thereafter I heard Lillianna say, "Mommy is asleep," and Rich replied, "Figures." In my head I was saying, "It won't be for the whole night. Just let me rest," but I don't think any words were making their way out!

At 8:30pm I woke up with my head throbbing and begging for my lovely Sudafed Sinus tablets.
Rich just came in with clean sheets and we made our bed together. He had already made Lillianna's without me. (Thank you, honey. I don't know if I could've gotten out of this chair to help you!)

My point is that once again, I can barely function after my weekend of work. I can't make myself stay awake after dinner. I can't cut down my hours, in fact, I may have to add to them.

I don't want to flop into bed ever Sunday after work. I need some suggestions.

What gives you energy when you are exhausted and can't stay awake?

Screams in the night.

Read my post "Screams in the night" over at DotMoms

Happy Birthday, Princess Beatrice

On 8/8/88 Princess Beatrice was born. That's just one of those dates that sticks in my head. So I wanted to take the time to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Read about Princess Beatrice here.

Are there any weird dates that you know but you're not sure why you know them? Or am I the only odd one out here? (Watch how you comment on that,please. I am very sensitive!)

That was then.This is now!

Rachel Ann was writing about changing her children's blog names (well,numbers really)and I noticed her oldest daughter who is 23 years old is living in the U.S. while the rest of the family is living in Israel.
That gave me a pain in my heart when I read it. What mother wants her 23 year old to be living in another part of the world?

As I was commenting on that, it suddenly struck me.....23! I was 22 when I left the U.S. and went to Israel, by myself , to go on a 3 week trip to live on a kibbutz. After 2 weeks I called home and asked Mom to pack up all my winter clothes. I wasn't coming home any time soon. I stayed one year, came home for 4 months and went back for another year.

I have always wondered how my Mom managed to let me go on this wonderful journey that changed my life in so many ways. Oh, sure I still had some frantic phone calls from her, "DON'T GO TO ANY FRUIT STANDS IN JERUSALEM! A FRUIT STAND WAS JUST BLOWN UP TODAY!" My response was, "Ok, Mom. If you think I am going 4 hours by bus to pick up a few oranges and an apple, you are out of your mind! I am fine. Don't worry!" She is a mom. She always worries but she had the strength to let go. I will pray for that same strength when the time comes.

How old were you when you were "on your own?" How did your parents handle that?

New kid on the blog

My friend Bobbi just started her own blog tonight. It's called Trailer Park Trash. She has a great outlook on life and you will love her sense of humor.
Please stop by and welcome Bobbi to the great world of blogging.

An uplifting message

My wonderful friend,Liane, sent me a beautiful card that I wanted to share with all of you.
I have been really frustrated lately that things don't seem to be going in the direction I was hoping they would go in. We work and work and work and still we struggle just to keep our head above water. When will we get a break?

When I received this card from Liane today it made me feel better. It gave me hope.

(The front of the card reads:)

God Bless Those Blessings in Disguise.

God speaks to us through toilet paper on shoes,runs in stockings,and life's humiliating experiences that keep us laughing at ourselves along the way.

God speaks to us through long lines,and traffic jams, and all the annoying little inconveniences that make us slow down and take a deep breath.

God speaks to us through flat tires,bounced checks,broken appliances,and all the little "last straws" that make us say,"I give up" so He can finally take over.

(The inside reads:)

Knock!Knock! Who's there? You know who.
Hold on tight. God is up to something wonderful for you.

Now maybe you don't believe in a higher power(call it any name you want), but I do and this really helped me re-focus for the day. I can go to work with the knowledge that even though I may not be able to understand why things have to be so difficult at times, there is a reason to all of it.

Do you believe in a higher power?

Mary Kay Letourneau

Mary Kay Letourneau has been released from prison.

Should she be allowed to see the boy she molested who is the father of her 2 youngest daughters?

What is your opinion on this very odd situation?

Good old school days

We all have the list of school supplies and we are all complaining about how much we have to buy. It's ridiculous! If everyone in Lillianna's class brings in 8 glue sticks, thats 200 glue sticks for the year. What the heck is their art project this year? Fly paper?

My question is this: What ever happened to good old paste? Remember the big tub of paste that the teacher reached into with a large wooden tongue depressor and then slapped a glob of paste into a little cup for each student? Ahhhhhh....that delicious minty smell that seemed to call our name.
And there was always that one kid in class that had to eat the paste. In my school his name was Neil Fitzgibbons. The big goofy kid who ate the paste!

Do you remember school paste? Do you remember who used to eat the paste in class? Was it you?

Big butted dolls

Lillianna is the proud mommy of Samantha who is an American Girl Doll. Lillianna takes good care of Samantha and she loves her very much. So today when we went to Wally-World to get Rich his underwear and belt I decided to get Samantha some clothes.

For those of you who don't own an American Girl Doll, they have big rounded butts! This is probably to force you to buy clothes exclusively through their online store. Last year my sister bought Samantha an outfit from Wally-World for much less than it costs through American Girl and Lillianna loved it.

We ended up buying 2 cute outfits for Samantha, 1 pajama set with bathrobe, slippers and a puppy and 1 pant and skirt set with shirt,vest,pink baseball cap and big black boots. The pajama set is perfect. No problems at all. The 2nd set, (please pass the aspirin.... thank you!)was not as wonderful. The pink pants go up her legs easily enough but her gigantic round butt won't allow the waistband to actually reach her waist!(Nice plan American Girl, nice plan!) Her butt hangs out! The blouse is ok and then there is a short skirt that is shown worn over the pants (styles, nowadays...go figure!)so her exposed butt is covered. Now the boots....18 minutes later and I got one boot on. The other boot was impossible. I finally gave up. After a few minutes I cut a slit down each rubber boot and squeezed them on her feet. Voila! I did it!

So beware if you are in Wally-World and you see Tolly Girl dolls.(I just searched their web site and can't find a listing for them!) The clothes may or may not fit your American Girl Doll. Only buy stretchy clothes and not form fitting clothes. Your precious doll may risk butt exposure.

Does your child own an American Girl Doll?

The Very Last Minute

Rich is not known for telling me something the minute it is on his mind. He waits....And waits....And waits. I still don't know what he is waiting for. The right time? The right place?

I can't really imagine being rowed out to the middle of a lake, under a full moon at night and Rich reaching out to hold my hand and saying,
"Before we get married I just want you to know I really love you..... and I also really love circus peanuts." When do these things come up in conversation?

This morning he was running late for work which loosely translates as he woke up at 8:00am but lounged around while I read him an email from his sister and we chatted until 8:45am. That's when he rummaged through his underwear drawer like an anxious dog digging in the backyard for a bone. "Uhm, what are you looking for in there?" I asked curiously. Rich held up a pair of underwear and said, "These have holes in them." I said, "Ok, well throw them away and I will buy a new 3 pack today." Then he held up his belt and said, "I really need a new belt. Look at this thing. I have put 6 holes in it myself and the buckle is falling off."

I started to laugh. After he put 2 holes or even 1 he could've mentioned his worn out belt issue to me. I am not known for my frivolous spending but I think a belt to keep your pants up is a critical part of a man's wardrobe. I would've bought him a new belt last year if I had known.

At this point Rich headed into the shower and I went in the kitchen to pack his lunch. Now I do know that he likes only a little bit of mustard on his bologna sandwich so I began to prepare this for him. I got a little too much mustard on the bread and after it was all spread I thought it looked too "mustardy" for Rich. I knocked on the bathroom door and I said, "Can you just take a look at this? Is this too much mustard for your bologna sandwich?" He looked and said,"I meant to tell you I wanted peanut butter and jelly today because the lunch box doesn't keep the sandwiches cold anymore." I tossed the bread in the trash and prepared another sandwich. When was he going to tell me about the sandwich? It was 8:55am! He leaves for work at 9:00am!

I sent him off for work with one peanut butter and jelly and one peanut butter and fluff sandwich and the promise of new underwear and a new belt when he got home.
It is challenging being married to a non-communicator but he is a great guy, with a wonderful sense of humor and he always puts his family first. Even if he didn't tell me what he needed I think I would've known when his pants eventually fell down and he was standing in holey underwear!

Is your significant other a good communicator?

A Quick Question

While I was hanging Lillianna's wet bathing suit up on the wooden sticks to dry I noticed the label inside. I think I have good general knowledge of bathing suit care so I was surprised to see the warning, DO NOT IRON!
Do not iron???? When has this become a problem? I have never seen a wrinkled bathing suit, have you?

I can't even imagine what kind of situation I would be in where someone would stop dead in their tracks and point at us and whisper, "Did you see their wrinkled bathing suits? They have no class at all!"

So my question is this: Have you ever ironed a bathing suit? If so,what prompted that decision?

Spelling Fanatic

I have always loved words.I am not the type to purposely use a $5 word to show the listener that I know this word (and maybe they don't) and force them to ask, "What does that mean?" That's just rude and inappropriate. The purpose of speaking is to convey a message. If you can't do that then you are not an effective speaker. Oh sure, sometimes I babble on incessantly and somewhere in there,there is a point, but you really have to look for it. I think we all do that.

So with this in mind I am sure you can see why typos drive me insane. I don't like mine or anyone else's. In Lillianna's pre-school there were so many typos on posters around the school and also on their letters home. It's a school of teachers. Where was "spell-check" when the memos were being typed?
I am not perfect with my spelling by any means but if I make a mistake I am usually the one to find it.

When I was 13 we ordered my Bat-Mitzvah invitations. The man from the company came to our house to have us look them over. He said, "I have looked them over twice and my office has proof-read it a few times so it's just a formality, really." Mom, Dad, Nana and Papa took an invitation and read it. They all smiled and said it was "perfect." Just as the man was getting ready to get paid I yelled, "Hold it!There's a typo on this." Everyone stared at me. Actually no one believed me even after I showed them what it was. It was so subtle. Like when you see a word you know but you don't really read it you just acknowledge it in your mind. The town where the ceremony was being held was also the town where the reception was being held. The second time the town was mentioned it was spelled wrong. It's the difference between "Anytown" and "Amytown."
The invitations went back to be changed. When they came back a second time the man handed one to me and no one else bothered checking it. If there was a mistake, I would find it!

Just ask my co-workers about my relationship with the medical dictionary. We have one in our office. It is on my desk because I am constantly reaching for it before I send a page out to a doctor. Medical terms are very tricky to spell. I like to be accurate if I can.

Are you a fanatic about spelling?

Judge Judy

Ya, ya, I know. I watch way too much of these judge shows.

This episode of Judge Judy made me want to pull my hair out and run screaming from the house. Twin sisters from Quincy, Massachusetts were on. (For those of you not from our dear state of Massachusetts, think Boston accent, when you read what these lovely women have said.)

Twin A was suing Twin B for using her information to set up a cell phone account. After every question that Judge Judy asked, Twin A would say, "Well, ta the best of my recollection (pronounced: reck-CUE-lec-shin)......" I absolutely cringe when I hear people use the wrong word and/or mispronounce it. If you don't know how to say it use another word. It's ok, really! The idea is to just get your point across.

So, getting back to this episode, Twin B was standing with her boyfriend. At some point Judge Judy asked the boyfriend if he had any children. He said he had one. JJ asked, "With Twin A of Twin B?" pause....pause....pause...."Oh, uhm.....wit' Twin B." JJ almost fell off her bench. "WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO LONG TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, SIR?" Then she asked how old the child was and he said she was 10 years old. JJ asked, "Why aren't you married?" to which Twin B replied, "Uhm, well, we nevah really thought of that." JJ began to sputter. "WHADDAYAMEAN YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT? DO YOU HAVE PARENTS? ARE THEY MARRIED?"

Twin B said her parents had been married "...fa like 50 yeahs...or like 45...somethin'like that." JJ bellowed, "So you understand that couples get married, right? Why aren't you married, then?" The boyfriend said, "We're just not ready. It's too big of a commitment." JJ said thoughtfully, "Oh so then having a child is just like having a pet goldfish?" Twin B said, "Ya, ya have a point."

Tequila Mockingbird

Do yourself a favor and check out this wonderful blog Tequila Mockingbird. The writing is just phenomenal!

Whatever happened to D-I-V-O-R-C-E?

Between this and this I don't know what the heck is going on in our country. If you are married and unhappy then get a divorce if counseling hasn't worked for you. Is it really necessary to get rid of your pregnant wife by killing her?

Yes, I know neither one has been convicted....yet.....so don't even bother commenting that they are innocent until proven guilty because just read about their stories. They are so bizarre.

NEWS UPDATE: THE HUSBAND OF THE MISSING JOGGER FROM UTAH HAS BEEN ARRESTED! THEY HAVE THE MATTRESS AND WEAPON AND THEY KNOW SHE WAS KILLED AT HOME. THEY JUST DON'T HAVE HER BODY. Read about it here.

What do you think about these 2 cases?

The grass is always greener

It is said that if you were to write down all of your problems on a piece of paper,put them in a hat with other people who had done the same,then asked to pick someone else's problem from the hat, once you saw what you had picked, you would immediately throw it back in and beg for your own problems back.

Sometimes going to work is so simple and routine: take a message and page the doctor or appropriate person,transfer a call or answer a question. Other times the calls come in with one heart wrenching situation after another. People calling in who can't find their loved ones, "Can you check the E.R.?" they ask, trying to hold back their fearful tears. I had 3 calls like that last night. Each one stopped my heart. What a horrific call to even have to make.

There were so many other distressful calls and I left work with such a heavy heart last night. That made me think about the things I am worried about in my own life. I wondered if I should get some people together and put our problems in a hat and......never mind. I think I will just keep my own and be grateful for what I do have.

I am thankful for my loving family.
I am thankful for wonderful friends(near and far) and for internet friends who have been supportive since I began blogging.
I am thankful that I have a job that I enjoy.
I am thankful for good health(knock on wood) and
I am thankful that I can write a list about what I am thankful for!

What are you thankful for?