Gosh! I am about to go nuts!! My husband has taken the car in for new tires and a tune up. They said it would take about 3 hours for everything. Here it is 5 count them FIVE hours later and they are still working on it. The mechanic says that the wires are literally falling apart so ALL the wires have to be replaced. Here I sit, should of gone home almost 40 minutes ago and again....here I sit. Yes, I am getting paid to sit here and blog but really, I just want to go home.

So, I will tell you about my other niece.....The 3rd daughter.....RE we will call her.

She had a daughter about oh I would say almost 6 years ago. This daughter has been living with my sister since birth. RE has lived there on and off.

She has a son who is I think about 4 now. He was born around Thanksgiving 2002. He lived with his mother for the first few months of his life. When my dad got really sick and his wife did not want to take care of him by herself (oh did I say that she did not WANT to, I meant to say that she could not) RE went to my dad's house and helped take care of him. I will always thank her for this, I am so glad that she could be with him when we could not. Anyway..... she left her son with his grandma on the other side (his dad is in prison...don't know what for). After my dad passed, she went back home but did not pick up her son. She decided to leave him with his grandma because "she just did not bond with him"

Child # 3 is born. I think this one is a boy and then child #4 a girl, both children by the same father....I should tell you now that he is in prison for somehow being a party to a murder but RE swears that "he did not do it aunt Karin, I promise".

Child 3 and 4 go to the grandparents house (on dad's side) to visit for a week.

Guess what........you guessed it

RE does not go and pick them up when she is suppose to. Turns out that she has another boyfriend and they are doing drugs or whatever and not only does she not go and pick up the kids......she will not return the grandparents phone call either.

Finally they call social services, they take ALL the children and put them in foster care.

daughter # 1 is still there. All others are with their grandparents but because my sister has some problems of her own, they take #1 child out of the home. It just devastated my sister but upon talking to child #1 she is happy right now.

Thank God

I don't know what is going to happen but I will fill you in when I know.

Good Morning :)

Here comes the next installment...and more

My sister sits down with Br and talks to her about all the help she has been getting, about all the money that everyone is spending on her and her children and about how BR is doing NOTHING. She explains how "The buck stops here". BR is compliant, she is soooooo sorry about everything. She is sooooo going to change her life for the better. My sister tells her that she will be conducting a drug test ANYTIME she feels the need and she will be going into the bathroom with BR to make sure she is doing it correctly. She tells BR that she will not be getting any more help from her or my mom until she complies with the rules of the house. She will not let this boyfriend back into the house, she will spend every evening at home with her children not, putting them in front of the TV with cartoons on so that she can play on the computer and such. She will clean up after her children and the drugs will stop here, if any are found IN MY MOTHERS HOUSE again, she will be leaving. As a matter of fact, they will start eviction proceedings now just in case because it takes 30 days for these things to take place. Well, BR was just going to do whatever it took to be the girl she used to be and to be the mother she should be.

That is until the next day WHEN,

She told my mother off (of coarse my sister was not there) and she told my sister off (only in text messaging, would not get on the phone with her). She told them that she is 27 years old and she will do exactly as she pleases. She said that she will not be talked down to. She will see who she wants when she wants etc. etc.

SHE IS SUCH A BITCH, I really need to take a trip out there because she will NOT talk to me like that and I will escort her out of my mothers house. How dare her talk like that to my mother who has given her and her children a place to stay, fed them and made sure that they were comfortable. She has some nerve.

UPDATE: I talked to my older sister (who just happens to be at my mom's this past week) last night, she said that BR broke up with the boyfriend. I told her that I still think she needs to move, she cannot think she can treat people like crap and then miraculously she is an angel again. I think she needs to get into treatment, in house, 90 days. Nothing more, nothing less. I think that she really needs to do this. She is not just smoking a little pot here, she is doing dangerous drugs and anyone who has been reading my blog knows that my X brother in law killed his fiance because he was doing meth. I just pray that she gets it together.

On a cute kids story note :) When I talked to my older sister last night I also talked to my great niece, like I said she is either 5 or 6. She asked me if I wanted to know what she was going to be when she grew up? She told me that she is going to be a vegetarian when she grows up. That was she can take care of animals and she would be going to vegetarian school.....Now, how cute is that? Who would not want to spend time with that cuteness?

Next time on Karin's Korner: The 3rd daughter and how she ended up getting all of her children taken away.....told you this could be a soap opera.

OK, so I ended my last post with me going to California. I should tell you that it was the first time that I went, I did finally get back to Minnesota, stayed with friend, partied way to much, ended up at grandma's again, got a job at a bank (now remember, I was 16 at this time), they did direct deposit way back then so you had to have a checking account with the bank in order to get paid, quit the job, kept writing checks and needless to say, ended up back in California, this time with the police escorting me to the airport, in handcuffs, through security ( I laugh as I write that but it was so so not fun) to the plane, they put me on the plane but through this all EVERYONE had seen me get escorted in handcuffs to the plane. Finally we take off, Here I am sitting in my own seat, smoking a cigarette (yes, you could smoke in those days) when a young man (probably 15 or 16) comes and sits next to me, I try and ignore him but he wants to talk to me. Finally the question "comes up".....I saw you get on the plane in handcuffs...what did you do....I looked him right in the eyes and told him that I had killed someone. LOL, you never saw anyone who got up faster and ran to sit with his parents. No one bothered me the rest of the trip.

OK, enough about me for now. Let me tell you about my sister....first a list of characters:

Sister

SH: could be shithead, works either way but for this time it will be sisters husband

BR: sister's first daughter, she has 3 kids and is living with my mom, this will be partly her story although I can tell you stories about each and every one of them.

SU: sister's second daughter, 2 kids, 1 living with her, husband is a puke

REB; sister's third daughter, 4 kids, all at this point are taken away from her, yes this will be a post in itself.

CH: sisters first son, good kid now. Hopefully he will be the smart one in the family

AM: sister's fourth daughter, no children, currently in juvenile detention for failed urine test and not going to school.

BO: sister's fifth daughter, 1 child, not much to say about this child....yet

ZA: sister's second son, this one is too young to be getting in to much trouble, oh wait, another story.

OK, so my sister has ALOT of children. Currently BR is living with my mother because her sorry ass husband left her when her last child was about a week old. Now, let me back up a minute. Yes, he is a sorry ass but I will give credit where credit is due. Their marriage was in trouble long before he left and yes BR did get pregnant on purpose thinking it would "save" the marriage. Advise people.....it does not work.

BR was doing OK, she was working and going to school one night a week. Then she lost her job. For the last I would say 8 months or so, she has not been working. She is really not looking for a job, she is just letting everyone take care of her...including you, if you are paying taxes, she is getting money from you and I also. Her children are 6,5 and 1 or maybe it is 5,4 and 1 but never the less, she does not pay attention to the 2 oldest ones. The middle child has gone so far as to say "my momma does not like me". This has broken my heart over and over again.

Last weekend my mother and my little sister went on a short cruise (Friday through Monday). They had a blast and I am so glad for that because when they got back all hell had broken loose. My older sister had come into town because her 3rd daughter had court (I promise...another story) she decided to stay at my mom's house since my mom would not be home and they just really don't trust BR to do what she is suppose to do.

My sister found a syringe on BR's dresser. She went nuts!! BR did see what trouble she was getting into....for a minute, then was pissed because my sister was in her stuff. Now, tell me...what would have happened if one of her children would have gotten ahold of that shit, what if they would have poked themselves.....my god, what if she would have had to take them to the hospital????????

When my younger sister found all this out she called BR out on the table!! She also made the boyfriend come and sit down to talk about what would NOT be taking place in my mothers house. The boyfriend became belligerent and my sister told him (none to kindly) to get the FU*K out of my mothers house. He did think for just a minute that she would let him speak before he left (silly boy) and she just let him have it. I do have to tell you that my little sister is about 98 pounds (bitch) soaking wet and stands about 5'3 with heels. She told the boyfriend that she would be calling 911 if he did not leave immediately and she was quite sure that he would not be wanting to talk to the police. He left....no problem. Then it was BR's turn, which I will have to continue later. Maybe tonight, maybe this weekend, but if not for sure on Monday.....

Stay tuned.

Hello Again -

I am going to tell you about my family, not the family I live with now but the family I grew up with. This is just about as close to a soap opera that you can find. It is nuts. I am sure that I will not get the whole story out in one post but the plot will surly thicken as we get going.

Now, I grew up in a regular house. Father worked every single day (except on the weekends where he would stay at home and monitor our chores and also do the yard work etc.) Mother stayed home most of my childhood, she did in home day care so that she would be home with us kids all the time (this was a problem when I got older and we could never skip school at my house :) ) I have an older sister that I don't really get along with, she is just one of those people that knows everything that you know, has done everything that you have done etc. She is exactly a year and a half older then me. Then comes me of coarse, my little sister who I am the closest to. She is about four and a half years younger then me and then comes my little brother. He was the most spoiled child. Not only by my parents but by me and my older sister. My mom swore that he would never talk because all he had to do was point and we would get him whatever he wanted.

We had about as close to a normal family as I guess we could have for the most part. In 1979 my mother went with a girlfriend of hers to Hawaii. She stayed in California for a few days also. When she got back to Minnesota, she informed our family that she was moving to California. We could take it or leave it but she was getting out of the winters and moving somewhere warm. My older sister was already living with her boyfriend at this time and I was NOT moving to California, after all, my friends were all in Minnesota. I was 15, in high school and I was just NOT moving. We (OK, my parents) decided that I would stay with my grandma and they would all move. At the end of the school year, they would look at it and make a decision as to if I was going to be made to move or not.

Living at my grandma's was OK, but it had its drawbacks. She did not actually live in the city where I went to high school so I had to take the city bus in everyday. This was not the problem. The problem was that the last bus out to where she lived was at 9 PM and lets face it, 9 is when everything was just getting started. No one left at 9. So I started staying at friends houses. I don't think my grandma would have cared so much if I just would not have forgotten to call sometimes. (bless her heart).

After a few months of coming and going whenever I wanted to I think she had just had enough. My dad was called and he came back to get me. I was babysitting at the time and one of my so called friends ratted me out and told him where I was. He came to the house with a few policemen (did I mention that my dad was on the police reserves when he lived in Mn.?). Good thing that the parents had not left yet when a knock came at the door. I looked out the window and saw that it was my dad. I told Mark (just a guy that was there) not to answer the door. He went outside and told my dad that I did not want to go with him, now remember that 10 minutes before I had no idea that my dad was even in Minnesota. It took all of a minute and a half for my dad and 2 police officers to get onto the porch. They kindly informed me that I had a choice, I could leave with my dad or I could be held at juvenile detention until the morning, my father would come and get me and they would escort us to the airport. I (being a smart ass that I was) told them that it was not a choice and I would be leaving with my father, thank you very much. They put me in his car, locked the door and closed it. This is where I informed them that I was a big girl and I did not need the door locked. I lifted the lock. He opened the door pushed the lock down again and closed the door. I lifted the lock. Much to my surprise, he was not amused and started yelling. This is when I stopped being a brat and just sat still :)

The next day I flew with my father to California. My brother and sister were so excited to see me. LOL, what a joke. I was not happy at all, in fact I think I made my parents want to send me back the minute we landed. I refused to do anything that they wanted to do "as a family". I was just a royal pain in the ass. This is when I started smoking in front of them. I did not care what they said, I was going to do what I wanted to do. Man I was a bitch. If one of my children would have pulled that shit on me, I would have.....well, I don't know but there would have been blood. LOL.

OK, this post was not going to be exactly like this. I was going to tell you my sister's story...and man do I have a story to tell. I will finish with this now and I will start with her tomorrow.....stayed tuned.

Good Morning!! Happy Friday.

I have a couple of e-mails that I want to share with you this morning. I have been sitting at my desk laughing (out loud even) and I thought it would be a good Friday thing to share here.

First one: "Life Savers"

Kids are so smart.
A teacher was doing a study testing the senses (taste) of first graders using a bowl of lifesavers. The children began to say:
Red......................Cherry
Yellow.................Lemon
Green...................Lime
Orange.................Orange

Finally the teacher gave them all HONEY lifesavers. After eating them, none of the children could identify the taste. "Well," she said, "I will give you all a clue. It's what your mother may sometimes call your father." One little girl looked up in horror, spit her lifesaver out and yelled, "Oh, my God!! They're ass-holes!

Ok, I laugh even though I have read this tons of times already.

# 2
A woman named Jill stood up at her church's Testimony Meeting,
or as some churches call it, "Cry Sunday," one Sunday morning,
took the microphone and bared her soul to the rapt congregation:
"I want to tell you about the awful accident that my husband,
Jim, has suffered this past month.
He was riding his Goldwing, lost control, ran off the highway and hit a tree.
He was rushed to the hospital, and could have died, but thank the Lord, all he suffered was a broken scrotum.
" The congregation gasped in horror.
The men in the congregation were obviously uneasy and writhed in their seats.
"Jim has been in terrible pain all month since the accident.
He has trouble breathing. He has trouble swallowing his food.
He can hardly lift anything, he's in so much pain, and he has missed work because of it.
He can't lift our children up to hold them and give them the personal love that they need.
Worst of all, we can no longer cuddle and have intimate relations.
He is in constant pain, a pain so terrible that our love life has all but slipped away into oblivion.
I would like to ask you all in the congregation to pray for Jim, and pray for us, that his broken scrotum will soon heal and be as good as new.
A dull murmur erupted within the congregation as the full impact of this terrible accident sank in, and the men in the congregation were visibly shaken up with the thought that,
"There but for the grace of God go I."
Then, as the murmuring settled down, a lone figure stood up in midst of the congregation, worked his way up to the pulpit, obviously in pain, adjusted the microphone to his liking, then leaned over and said to the congregation:.

"My name is Jim, and I have only one word for my wife, Jill. That word is: sternum."

Ok. that was too good too. Have a great weekend all.

Hello everyone.

I told you all about going to get the family pictures taken last weekend. Let me tell you all how that went. We just went to the local Walmart to do this. There are a total of 12 of us so you would think that it might be a little hard to get everyone looking at the camera and smiling but this lady was fantastic!! The shot of the family took 3 tries but every picture after that was done in 1 shot. It took all of about a half hour for all to do.

Sarah has always wanted to do this, she loves taking pictures etc. While we were waiting another couple was getting their pictures taken. Sarah stands off to the side so she can see how they are doing and she is telling them how great they are, how good they look together etc. Finally she asks the lady taking the pictures if they are looking to hire anyone. The lady say absolutley!! So, we walk out of the store with pictures of the entire family as well as Sarah has a new job!! Today is her third day and she just loves it. The best part about it is that she will not have to work nights. The photo center is only open until like 8 pm so it works out perfect for her. They will guarantee 30 hours per week but her boss said that she will most likely have 40+ hours. I am so thankful.

So as of right this minute, everyone is happy and healthy and for that I am truly blessed. I hope everyone is keeping warm, even here in NC it is cold....well, not like Minnesota or Wisconsin cold but here they think that 30 degrees is cold.

Good Morning :)

I know, I have been bad. I should have updated earlier but I seem to always be so busy. I promise that I will try and get here more often.

Sarah is out of the hospital and seems to be doing much much better. Her place of employment called her once again and offered her another job. She is to start on the 5th of February but is looking for another job in the meantime. I don't think she needs to go back to a job that has laid her off 3 times. Where is the stability there? She says that she needs a job and I agree with her. I cannot continue to pay her bills and mine as well but I just hate the thought of her going back to that place to work again. I think that the medication she is on is helping her immensely. She is the happy, playful girl again. I am just really really scared that she will go back to that place again and this time not want to tell us about it for fear that she will go back in the hospital. I don't know, maybe I am just babbling here, maybe it won't happen and everything will go back to normal. Not that normal was really good, she could be such a bit....well, she could be not so nice of a person sometimes and you all know me....Miss Sunshine, so I don't have any idea where she could have gotten that from.:)

The rest of the family is doing great. We will have David's kids this weekend, I am sure that they will tell us that they do not feel good and want to stay with their mom (because that is what they have done the last 4 or 5 times we have gone to pick them up) and we will do what we always do, tell them they will be fine and to get into the car. They are always fine once they are in the car and away from their mother but I think that initially they do not want to come to our house because we have rules that must be followed, mom does not. We do not allow sitting on your butt playing games (playstation, gamecube etc.) all day or sitting on your butt watching TV all day either. This is just not acceptable at our house. David's son is 13 years old and weighs about 240 lbs. He is a very big boy and although his mother keeps telling us that he is on a diet, we find out that they go out to McDonalds or some other fast food restaurant at least 3 or 4 times a week (she does not like to cook) and he is eating whatever he wants on the menu. Not you have to imagine, I have been in this family for almost 6 years and I have never had a meal with David's son that he has not asked for seconds or thirds. We do not keep him on a diet, we don't think that is fair (Amanda is 10 and she is a skinny little girl) We do however watch his portions on his food and we strictly don't let them drink soda unless it is a special occasion. Anyway, I will tell you more about that some other time. My point was going to be that we are finally going to be able to do a family portrait this weekend.

This is getting way long winded. Everyone, please have a great day and thanks for coming to my site, reading , commenting and showing your love. I love you all too.

UPDATE

I know that I have been extremely absent lately. So much has happened this week. I will tell you more about what has been happening in Sarah's life.

On Monday I left work early to go to the doctor, I have a viral infection of some kind and she did not want me to go back to work until at least Thursday. I told her that I would give her Tuesday but I cannot guarantee the rest of the week. (I HATE staying home all day long). Anyway... I get home and my older daughter is at my house doing laundry. When she finished she called Sarah to come and get her and Sarah asked if my husband could drive her home. They all piled into the van and left. A few minutes later my husband came back with Sarah and the baby. Sarah was a mess. She had been crying (I know that I told you all that she had been laid off at work but I don't think that I had told you that she had been called back 2 times and laid off again 2 times, extremely depressing) She came in and asked if she could just stay with us that night. No problem. My husband started to talk to her (he is a therapist) and she admitted to him that if someone would have been home with her so that she knew her son would be alright she probably would have killed herself. When David asked her on a scale of one to one hundred with one being not really and one hundred being if I had a gun right now I would blow my head off where was she, she stated that she really just did not know. (Later my husband told me that is what worried him, the "I don't know". He knew that if she answered a small number we really did not have to worry and if she would have answered a high number we did not have to worry, telling me that had she stated 100, he would have thought maybe this was an attention thing because if someone says 100, they would have done it already, not telling anyone.) He told her that he was going to make a phone call in the morning and he wanted to take her to someone to talk to. He said that because he is her step father and he loves her, he cannot do any therapy with her.

So, on Tuesday he went into work and called a friend of his. He brought Sarah to see the therapist and after talking to Sarah for about an hour decided that she needed to be hospitalized. She agreed.

She has been in the hospital since Tuesday, she is getting better and I think she really needed this. David and I have the baby and let me tell you, I am just not used to having a baby to deal with 24/7. He is just the love of my life but I need a break (see, I am at work today and he is at home with his papa, he-he)

So, that is what is going on in my world lately. Hope everything is going great for everyone else.

Ok, I am going to leave you all with some kind of buzz. I am kinda at a loss for words and don't really know how much I can tell you but I think I need to tell someone and I can't tell anyone here.

My daughter has been very very depressed lately. She is 19 and has a year old son :), Recently her and her sister moved into their own house across the street from my son and his family. All has been going well. At the beginning of the week she got laid off from work and then a tumble down effect started to happen. Finally she went to the doctor today and he put her on some new anti depressant medication. He also said that he was going to refer her to a psychologist. As she is telling me this she is crying, said that she had to tell him things that she has never told anyone, like not even me!!

I just tell her that everything is going to be better now and asked if she wanted to tell me. She did. She told me that when she was about 6 years old my kids had a friend named Seth...YES THAT'S RIGHT, I AM GOING TO TELL EVERYONE THAT LITTLE ASSHOLES NAME, SETH...FROM MARTELL, WISCONSIN...THE LITTLE BOY THAT HIS PARENTS THOUGHT HE COULD DO NO WRONG....LET ME TELL YOU...HE DID WRONG!!!!!

OK, sorry. Apparently when she was young and they were outside playing (I think he was about 9 or 10) he made her pull her pants down. Now, she cannot remember exactly what happened. She is sure something bad happened but she thinks she has blocked it out.

In March I am going to Minnesota for a friends sons wedding. I will be about 45 minutes from where I lived in Wisconsin. I don't know if that little asshole is there but I will find out. I never thought I would do this either, but I am going to contact my X husband and let him know. I want him to find him. I want him to know that as Sarah's parents....WE KNOW!!!! It took her about 13 years to tell me but now I know.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers and I promise I will be back next week and let you know how the weekend went, Christmas and New Years. Not alot to tell but we had a good time.

Love and Miss you all!!

Happy Friday Everyone!!

I have to tell you about my friend here at work. Yesterday she came into work to find a Christmas card on her desk....hmmmm she thought, who could this be from. She opened the card and saw a ten dollar bill on the top of some other money, she slowly began fanning the money out and looking at it, all she saw was a bunch of twenties and a hundred dollar bill. She quickly stuffed all the money back into the envelope (without counting it) and sat down in her chair. She called me and asked me what I had done, I told her I did not know what she was talking about, I am not a good liar (at all). Finally she came back to my office with the envelope and sat down and cried. She counted the money and finally saw the gift card. She said "Karin, there is $ 250.00 dollars here in cash, I wonder how much this gift card is worth?" She turned the card around to see that the card was for $ 250.00 also. She just about peed her pants. She is so excited. She said that she can finally go and get some groceries and not worry about spending money that should go to her electric bill or her phone bill. I wish you all could have seen her face. What a wonderful feeling it is to know that I was a part of something so wonderful, something that will help her out with no only Christmas but also with some bills and food and as she stated yesterday "Finally, I can buy a new bra and not worry. I have needed one for almost a year and I have just not had the money to spend". Bless her heart.

Now, I got this meme so I am going to have to tag someone. I just want to tag everyone so if you are reading this, please just do it.

Participate with me on this. I only sent this to folks whose answersare bound to be clever! This is what you are supposed to do, and trynot to be LAME and spoil the fun! Just give in and do it.Copy, not forward, this entire e-mail and paste it into new email. Changeall the answers so they apply to you; then send this to a whole bunch ofpeople you know *including* the person who sent it to you.Put your name in the subject. The theory is that you will learn a lot oflittle known facts about your friends. It is a fun and easy 50 questions toanswer.

1. MIDDLE NAME? JoAnne

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I don’t know, I think I was named after one of my mom’s friends, that is where JoAnne comes from…..at least I think so. Mom, if I am wrong, let me know.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Sunday

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT? Ham

6. KIDS? Jonathan – 25, Emily – 23 (almost), Sarah – 19, Stephen – 13 and Amanda – 10 (and 4 grandchildren)

7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, I am a fun girl

8. DO YOU KEEP A JOURNAL? Somewhat, but not really

9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I try not to, yes, sometimes

10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes

11. WOULD YOU EVER BUNGEE JUMP? Ahhhhh no

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL? Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds

13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not if you want to move something

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM FLAVOUR? I vary on this subject

16. SHOE SIZE? 8 1/2

17. RED OR PINK? Red

18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? I get upset to easy, feelings get hurt….oh maybe that is my age

19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad, I still talk to him all the time. He just does not answer back all the time.

21. WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black pants, tennis shoes

22. LAST THING YOU ATE? Chicken Burrito

23. ARE YOU LISTENING TO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? Not a thing, it is very quiet out here.

24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? I think I would be green, don’t know why just like the color.

25. FAVOURITE SMELL? Rain.

26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My husband

27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Always the eyes

28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? yes

29. FAVOURITE DRINK? I am sticking with water, with a raspberry ice packet

30. FAVOURITE SPORT? Minnesota Vikings Football

31. EYE COLOUR? Brown

32. HAT SIZE? Who knows, I have a big head

33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No

34. FAVOURITE FOOD? Mexican or Italian

35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy ending.

36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE THEATRE? Over the Hedge (yes, it has been a while)

37. WHAT COLOUR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW? White and blue.

38. FAVOURITE SEASON? Fall

39. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs

40. FAVOURITE DESSERT? Anything chocolate

41. WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Angie, I don’t think that she has time

42. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Tammy L.

43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Hmmmm I can’t remember the name for the life of me

44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? My mouse.

45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Cops, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Roseanne

46. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles

47. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Amsterdam

48. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? LOL…..never mind

49. WHEN & WHERE YOU WERE BORN: October, Charles City, IA

50. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Tammy K

Ok, I found another story to tear at your heart strings. Please....All my friends, If you have been blessed and you are able to help someone this year, please please take advantage of it. My friend will open a card here at work tomorrow. Her secret Santa will have given her a Wal-Mart card for $ 250.00 and there will also be another $ 250.00 in cash so that she can pay some bills or get gas in her car or anything else she needs to do. The people at my work have been so generous this year and the best part is that she suspects nothing. She has absolutely no clue. Ok, here is the story that I found today, it is not me but it is really good.

Gram and Gramps lived on the other side of the country, and although we called and wrote often, it had been twenty years since I'd seen them in person. Their health was failing, and age kept them close to home. My responsibilities at home with a husband, two young children and a part-time job, kept me from visiting. I did make a point of going in March one year. I'd spoken to Gram and realized that, in their eighties now, they weren't going to be around forever - as much as I would like them to be. I made the arrangements and flew there for a week. The moment I walked in the door, I was home again. The memories from a childhood long past, immediately returned. The cookies baking in the warm oven, watching Gram ice the fairy-tale cake and letting me dig in the bowl of icing when she was done. The beautiful clothes she'd sewed, smocked dresses and shorts with pop-tops to match. As she often did in her letters, she told stories of what I was like as a little girl and how she'd given me Muriel as my middle name. I never told her how much I was teased as a child because of that name - suddenly, it was prettier somehow and its very uniqueness was so like Gram. Gramps talked of the two wars he lived through, and I told him how proud I was to know he'd served his country so well. He made me laugh, and I believe I made him feel young again, if only for awhile. In turn, he made me cry. He told me that he and Gram had given up on celebrating Christmas about ten years back. They were just too old. How can one let Christmas pass by unnoticed? I remembered best the Christmas as a child, when they lived with us. They loved the season and always went to midnight Mass. Gramps took my brothers, sisters and me to cut down the tree, while Gram baked every Christmas cookie imaginable, then decorated the tree just so. Our house had been filled with the love and togetherness I had always associated with Christmas. I couldn't believe they had stopped celebrating it. Gramps explained that they were too old to bother with a tree and their friends too old to travel to see it. Even shopping, now, was too difficult, and they had all of the necessities delivered. I wanted to cry for the joy they'd once had - and lost. That week remains one of the most joyous of my life. Knowing that it might be the last time I saw either of them saddened me, but I was determined to make it a happy visit. I took the two of them out to dinner - something they hadn't done in well over two years, since Gram had her hip surgery. I know they had a good time. Saying good-bye was difficult. Gramps, the brave, strong hero of mine, cried and Gram did her best not to. She never succeeded. I cried on the plane all the way home. As Christmas approached, I thought of them more than ever. I wanted to do something so they would know I was thinking of them. The idea came to give them back Christmas, and I set about to do just that. First, I found a small artificial tree and decorated it with miniature bulbs and fine gold ribbon. With this, I added colorfully wrapped presents for each of them; slippers, chocolates, a hand-knit scarf for Gramps and a pretty bed jacket for Gram. I made up a box of cookies and bars; many of the recipes were from Gram's cookbooks. Then I filled stockings for each of them with toiletries wrapped and tied with ribbons. In the card, I wrote that they had given me so many wonderful memories throughout the years that I wanted to give them some new ones. I asked both of them to promise to set the tree up in the living room and stack the gifts around it. My last instruction was, "Do not open 'til Christmas!" I mailed the parcel, barely able to contain my excitement. Gram called as soon as it arrived. She was crying and, this time, not even attempting to hide it. We spoke for a long time, reminiscing about Christmas past, and when I knew for certain they had the tree up, I promised to call Christmas morning. When my boys had opened every gift and were digging through their stockings, I made the long-awaited call. Gramps answered on the first ring. I thought he sounded strange, and we only spoke briefly, then Gram took the phone. "We were like two kids," she told me. "Neither of us got any sleep last night. I even caught Harry in the living room, shaking one of the packages and had to make him go back to bed. Honey, this is the first time in years we've been so excited. Don't tell your grandfather, but after he went to bed, I just had to rattle a few of the gifts myself." I laughed, imagining the two of them sneaking out to guess at the presents I'd sent. I wished there was more money to send more expensive gifts, and told Gram that maybe next year they would be better. "Your grandfather can't talk right now because he's too busy crying. He keeps saying, 'That's one heck of a granddaughter we have there, Muriel.'"

Please lets all remember....there is a reason for the season.

Hello - Hello - Hello !!!!!


My good friend Abbagirl asked me where the heck I have been and what have I been doing...or something like that. Soooooooo.......

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we did not have Turkey...the kids all said that they did not want turkey this year, they wanted Beer Can Chicken on the grill. I must admit I had never heard of it but when they explained it, I was in....then I don't have to cook the meat....grilling...that is David's job (and I love it). As soon as we were done eating and cleaning up the mess, we headed to David's parents house. It is about a 3 hour ride so the kids (Stephen and Amanda, David's kids) asked that I drive...they know it will take about 3 and a half hours if their dad drives.
We had a bit of bad news on the day before Thanksgiving, David's grandpa had passed away. Now, I say a bit of bad news because he was 90 years old, his wife of 68 years had passed about 5 years ago and he has been miserable ever since. He has told us over and over again that he did now want to live, he wants to be with Jesus and his wife. He loves us all but he just does not want to be here. This alone kind of made it a celebration of his life. His Pastor had wonderful things to say about him and some of the adult grandkids got up to talk about their memories. It was like a family reunion with a few sad parts in it. The sadness was our own selfish things though, because he was dancing in Heaven with his wife.

I have been busy busy busy at work. There is a young girl here who is a single parent of a two year old boy. She is the sweetest thing and I remember Christmas coming and not being able to buy for my kids because I was living paycheck to paycheck. She is paying $ 120.00 a week in day care alone (she has asked for her from Social Services and they have her on a waiting list, she might get help around this time next year.) So, I approached one of my co-workers and talked to him about maybe doing a "Secret Santa" for her. Then I talked to another co-worker, low and behold....everyone wants in. I have been collecting money and so far I have $ 200.00 and I am not even halfway through the company. Everyone wants to help. We are going to get her a Wal-Mart card, that way she can get groceries, toys and clothes. We will have one stipulations though, we want her to get something for herself also. I am so excited about this. I dream about this kind of thing. I wish I had more money and could help other single parents (not just mothers but fathers too) with making Christmas special for their kids. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

Ok, you all are probably tired of the stories that I get and then I post here but I have just one more, well...you know me....for today I have just one more.

I will let you know that I went to the doctor yesterday. Had a mole removed from my back and they sent it in to be tested. I have had this mole for as long as I can remember but being that it is on my back, I don't get to see it that often. Aparently it is turning color around the edges and my doctor thought that we should have it checked out. So, I am sitting here at work with my back killing me (I had no pain yesterday so did not think to ask for any pain killers). I figured that I could either be in pain at home and not get paid for it or come to work at least a part of a day paid. Also, my blood sugars are kinda high, not seriously high but high enough where they need to check me more. Please pray for me there....thanks. Now the story, Have a great weekend!!


A Pierced and Tatooed Angel

I couldn't believe it. Of all the times for this to happen. . .a flat tire.
But when is a good time? Not when you are wearing a suit and you have been traveling for nearly five hours and, added to this bleak picture, nightfall is approaching. Wait! Did I mention I was on a country road?

There was only one thing to do. Call the local automobile association. Yeah, right. The cell phone I bought, for security and protection from moments like these, isn't in range to call anyone. "No Service," it says. No kidding! I thought.

I sat for a few minutes moaning and complaining. Then I began emptying my trunk so I could get at the tire and tools needed to get the job done. I carry a large plastic container filled with what I call "just-in-case-stuff." When I am training or speaking I love to have props with me. I hate leaving anything home so I bring everything. . ."just in case."

Cars buzzed by me. A few beeped sarcastically. It was as if the horns were saying, "Ha, ha."
Darkness began to settle in, and it became more difficult to see. Thank goodness it was the tire on the passenger's side, away from the traffic-but that only made it more impossible to benefit from the headlights of passing cars.

Suddenly a car pulled off the road behind me. In the blinding light, I saw a male figure approaching me.
"Hey, do you need any help?"
"Well, it certainly isn't easy doing this with a white dress shirt and suit on," I said sarcastically.

Then he stepped into the light. I was literally frightened. This young guy was dressed in black. Nearly everything imaginable was pierced and tattooed. His hair was cropped and poorly cut and he wore leather bracelets with spikes on each wrist.

"How about I give you a hand?" he said.
"Well, I don't know. . .I think I can. . ."
"Come on, it will only take me a few minutes."

He took right over. While I watched him, I happened to look back at his car and noticed, for the first time, someone sitting in the passenger seat. That concerned me. I suddenly felt outnumbered. Thoughts of car-jackings and robberies flashed through my mind. I really just wanted to get this over and survive the ordeal.

Then, without warning, it began to pour. The night sky had hidden the approaching clouds. It hit like a waterfall and made it impossible to finish changing the tire.

"Look my friend, just stop what you're doing. I appreciate all your help. You'd better get going. I'll finish after the rain stops," I said.
"Let me help you put your stuff back in the trunk. It will get ruined," he insisted. "Then get in my car. We'll wait with you."
"No, really. I'll take care of everything," I said.

"You can't get in your car with the jack up like that. It will fall. Come on. Get in!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the car. Crack! Boom! Lightening and thunder roared like a freight train. I jumped into his car. Oh, God protect me, I prayed to myself.

Wet and tired, I settled into the back seat. Suddenly a kindly, frail voice came from the front seat. "Are you all right?" A petite old woman asked as she turned around to face me.
"Yes, I am," I replied, greatly relieved at seeing the old woman there. I suspected she was his mom.
"My name is Beatrice, and this is my neighbor, Joey," she said. "He insisted on stopping when he saw you struggling with the tire."

"I am grateful for his help," I responded.
"Me, too." Beatrice laughed. "Joey takes me to visit my husband. We had to place him in a nursing home, and it's about thirty minutes away from my residence. So, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Joey and I have a date." With a childish grin she looked at Joey.

Joey's whimsical remark, "We're the remake of the Odd Couple," gave us all a good laugh.

"Joey, that's incredible what you do for her. I would never have guessed, well, you know I. . ." I stumbled with the words.
"I know. People who look like me don't do nice things," he said.

I was silent. I really felt uncomfortable. I never judge people by the way they dress, and I was angry with myself for being so foolish.

"Joey is a great kid. I'm not the only one he helps-he's also a volunteer at our church. He also works with the kids in the learning center at the low income housing unit in our town," Beatrice added.

"I'm a tutor," Joey said modestly as he stared at my car.

I reflected for a few moments on what Joey said. He was right. What he wore on the outside was a reflection of the world as he saw it. What he wore on the inside was the spirit of giving, caring and loving the world from his point of view.

When the rain stopped, Joey and I changed the tire. I tried to offer him money, and he refused.

As we shook hands, I began to apologize for my stupidity. He said, "I experience that same reaction all the time. I actually thought about changing the way I look, but then I saw this as an opportunity to make a point. So I'll leave you with the same question that I ask everyone who takes time to know me. 'If Jesus returned tomorrow and walked among us again, would you recognize him by what he wore or by what he did?'"

Joey walked back to his car. As they drove off, Beatrice was smiling and waving as she began to laugh again. I could almost hear her saying, "You got another one Joey. You got another one."

This is a story someone shared with me today, Share it with someone else if you can.

A Veteran's Day Miracle

I was feeling my age that morning as I limped from the parking lot up to the Physical Therapy Building. I was pushing fifty. I was crippled, and I was feeling like a failure. Thankfully, I was happily married. However, health problems had cut short my dreams of finishing my education. Gloomily, I couldn't recall a thing that I had ever done that was important.My thoughts became more disheartened when I noticed the middle-aged man limping in front of me--his long gray hair blowing in the wind. I just knew I'd be stuck in the waiting room with him. I was in no mood for a conversation. I knew I was in for a long and painful wait.
By the time I reached the hallway, one of the two chairs available was occupied by the gray-haired man. Reluctantly, I took my seat next to him, hoping that I could bury myself within the pages of an outdated magazine.My bubble of protection was immediately interrupted by his curious stare. I looked up with a sigh. He gave me an uncertain smile as our eyes met."I know you," he said."No, you don't.""Yes, I'm certain I know you.""I'm not from here," I insisted."No. I've met you someplace before.""That's impossible. I'm certain we've never met.""I feel that I know you from long ago," he said with conviction.In spite of myself, I was intrigued. We played "twenty questions," and we finally got around to the Vietnam War and San Francisco.He had served in the Army. He'd been wounded in battle, and he was darned proud of it."I didn't do anything important," I said. "I served stateside, as a U.S. Navy WAVE, at San Francisco International Airport. I married way too soon, and I was discharged when I became pregnant," my voice trailed off.Suddenly, the man became very excited."I remember receiving help from a young WAVE," he grinned, "with red hair just like yours! It was in the spring of '67, when I came back wounded from Vietnam."He continued, "I've never seen anyone like her, before or since. She moved heaven and earth to make sure that I was well taken care of. She was a tiger, all right. I was badly wounded, barely dragging on crutches. She got me into a wheelchair, and she literally ran after a local bus, making them stop. Then she nearly carried me onboard, giving the driver careful instructions to make sure that I arrived at the hospital, safe and sound. And then she called to see how I was!""I didn't see her, again, until four months later, when I was heading home, still on crutches. All I saw was this WAVE fighting like a wildcat, trying to get away from some drunken sailor."Chills crept up my spine as I remembered the wounded soldier who had rescued me.
"I just couldn't let that girl be ill-treated, after all she had done for me. I threatened that sailor with one of my crutches and he finally put her down. I escorted her back to her desk...""And then you went and got the sailor," I choked on the words, "and you made him apologize to me."Tears streamed down my cheeks, as I remembered that day, and him.How could this happen? My rescuer from 1967 was sitting next to me, twenty-five years later and half a continent away. Our lives had come full circle, and there we sat--thanking each other for a mutual kindness, long ago.We talked for a long time, and then we parted. I learned some important truths that day.First, people are seldom what they seem to be at first glance.Second, kindness is its own reward. It changes the lives of both parties.Last, I learned that though my time was short, I had served my country, simply by serving those who had sacrificed everything.I continued that day a happier woman because I understood that a kindness given will often return to bless you again.

Happy Veteran's Day Everyone ---- Find a Veteran, thank them and then give them a hug.

Ok, 2 posts in one day...almost a miracle. I just had to come back and tell you a story.

Out of the mouths of babes:

My girls were talking about next Halloween, they decided that they should have a Wizard of Oz theme. Jasmine will be 5, she can be Dorothy. Damien will be 18 months, he can be the lion, Alex will be 22 months, he can be Toto and Kody will be 4, he can be the scarecrow. Kody overhears this and whines (like only Kody can do)......


I don't want to be the scary Ho.


Too Funny :)

Happy Halloween all.

I have been sitting here thinking about Halloween when I was a kid. I can honestly say that I don't remember trick or treating, Halloween costumes that I may have worn..None of that. I know that my parents took me, but I really cannot think of something that really sticks out. I think it must be all that pot I smoked when I was younger.

I DO remember being a teenager on Halloween. Soaping cars, egging houses, TP'ing trees, All the fun stuff like that. I also remember one incident when we strung a wire across the street. It was pitch dark out and we (me and about 4 or 5 friends) took some wire, we strung it across the road and a few of us stayed on one side and a few on the other. We waited patiently...smoking cigarettes, telling jokes thinking no one could hear or see us. All of a sudden we saw a bike coming down the road, we ran behind trees and pulled the wire taunt, the dude on the bike hit the wire and flew, he got up and chased us for blocks (that is the good old days when I could run for blocks). Now today, I am thinking....what if he would have really hurt himself, what if he would have flew head over heel and hit his head on the road....Jeez, we were stupid kids.

Halloween is just not the same anymore. More and more cities are banning trick or treating or alot of people simply are taking their children somewhere safe because you never know who is in that house or what they will do once they open the doors.

I am taking my grandchildren trick or treating, it is the thing to do and shucks....I want candy (I hope they will want to share). They are so excited.. Kody is going to be Batman and Jasmine is going to be a princess, she is so excited that her dress lights up and the bat on Kody's costume lights up also. They have been wanting to "try on" their costumes for days. Now, don't think that the little ones are not going, Alex is going to be Spiderman and Damien is going to be the Incredibles guy. I know that they are only 10 and 6 months but the candy is for the parents I think.

Ok, one another note, I received a email today for quitnet.com. I signed up on this web site when I quit smoking 10 months ago today.

The results so far are...

Time Smoke-free: 303 days, 10 hours, 27 minutes and 35 seconds.

Cigarettes NOT smoked: 3641,

Lifetime saved: 27 days 19 hours,

Money Saved: $ 755.00.

For that I am thankful. I never could have made it this far without the Lord, my family and my friends. I am extremely proud of myself. I smoked for 26 years, it was the hardest thing I had ever done and now I am smoke free. I can't wait until my one year anniversary and find out how many cigarettes not smoked I have then.

Have a great Halloween BOO!!!!

Good Morning :)

I recieved this e-mail today and thought I would share it with you. Also one of my blogger friends started something called Memory Mondays. This is where you can share a funny or even a not so funny memory with everyone and you know us bloggers, we have to put a theme to just about everything. So, I am going to try and do this every Monday and I would like all of you to do it also, I think it will be fun!! Now, on with the show (so to speak).



As I Mature:

As I mature, I have learned that you cannot make people love you, all you can do is stalk them and hope that they panic and give in.

As I mature,I have learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just assholes.

As I mature, I have learned that it takes years to build a trust, and it only takes suspecion, not proof to destroy it.

As I mature, I have learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes, After that you better either have a big willy or huge boobs.

As I mature, I have learned that you should not compare yourself with others, they are more screwed up then you think.

As I mature, I have learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you are finished.

As I mature, I have learned that we are responsible for what we do unless you are a celebrity.

As I mature, I have learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be alot of money to take its place.

As I mature, I have learned that 99% of the time something is not working in your house, one of your children did it.

As I mature, I have learned that people that you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones never go away.

Ok, pass this along to 5 friend, trust me they will appreciate it, Who knows, maybe something good will happen....if not....

Tough Shit.

LOL, Have a great day.

Famous Love Story


> I will seek and find you . .


> I shall take you to bed and have my way with you


> I will make you ache, shake & sweat until you moan & groan.


> I will make you beg for mercy, beg for me to stop.


> I will exhaust you to the point that you will be relieved when I'm finished with you.


> And, when I am finished, you will be weak for days.


>All my love,


> The Flu


> Now, get your mind out of the gutter and go get your flu shot!

Good for a giggle or 2.

Subject: Proof That The World Is Nuts


> Proof That The World Is Nuts
>
>
> In Lebanon, men are legally allowed to have sex with animals, but
> the animals must be female. Having sexual relations with a male
> animal is punishable by death.
>
> (Like THAT makes sense.)
>
>
>
> In Bahrain, a male doctor may legally examine a woman's
> genitals, but is prohibited from looking directly at them during the
> examination. He may only see their reflection in a mirror.
>
> (Do they look different reversed?)
>
>
>
> Muslims are banned from looking at the genitals of a corpse.
> This also applies to undertakers. The sex organs of the deceased
> must be covered with a brick or piece of wood at all times.
>
>
> (A brick?)
>
>
>
> The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation.
>
>
> (Much worse than "going blind!")
>
>
>
> There are men in Guam whose full-time job is to travel the countryside
> And deflower young virgins, who pay
> Them for the privilege of having sex for the first time
>
> Reason: under Guam law, it is expressly forbidden for virgins to marry.
>
>
> (Let's just think for a minute; is there any job anywhere else in the world that even comes
> close to this?)
>
>
>
> In Hong Kong, a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her
> adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands.
>
> The husband's illicit lover, on the other hand, may be killed in any manner desired.
>
>
> (Ah Justice, How about that girls (Solarisgal? Meg?)
>
>
>
> Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England - but only in
> tropical fish stores.
>
>
> (But of course!)
>
>
> In Cali, Colombia, a woman may only have sex with her husband,
> and the first time this happens, her mother must be in the room
> to witness the act.
>
>
> (Makes one shudder at the thought.)
>
>
>
> In Santa Cruz, Bolivia, it is illegal for a man to have sex with
> a woman and her daughter at the same time.
>
>
> (I presume this was a big enough problem that they had to pass this law?)
>
>
>
> In Maryland, it is illegal to se ll condoms from vending machines
> with one exception: Prophylactics may be dispensed from a vending
> machine only "in places where alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the
> premises."
>
>
> (Is this a great country or what?
> Well, not as great as Guam!)
>
>
>
> Banging your head against a wall uses
> 150 calories an hour.
>
>
> (Who volunteers for this stuff?)
>
>
>
> Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.
>
>
> (Is that why Flipper was always smiling?)
>
>
>
> The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30 times its own weight and
> Always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
> (From drinking little bottles of???)
>
>
> (Did the government pay for this research?)
>
>
> Butterflies taste with their feet.
>
>
> (Ah, geez.)
>
>
>
> An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
>
>
> (I know some people like that.)
>
>
>
> Starfish don't have brains.
>
>
> (I know some people like that, too.)
>
>
>
> And, the best for last?
>
> Turtles can breathe through their butts.
>
>
> (And I thought I had bad
> Breath in the morning!)